"Sandy pitches in extreme pain that can only be overcome by his motivational urge," team physician Dr. Robert Kerlan said at the time, per the New York World-Telegram and Sun (h/t Thomas Lawrence of the National Baseball Hall of Fame). Over his last four seasons, Drysdale was only 45-48 as he suffered from a serious lack of supporta common problem for Dodgers pitchers during the 1960s. 39 (retired): Roy Campanella (1948-57)Three-time MVP. With the Dodgers, he often had to share (or remain in the shadows of) the spotlight with more dominant aces like Koufax, Drysdale, Andy Messersmith and Tommy John. "The pitcher has to find out if the hitter is timid," he said in 1979, according to the New York Times. 54: Tim Leary (1987-89)A 17-game winner in the 1988 title year. They moved to Dodger Stadium in 1962, and the rest, as they say, is history. No. No. 17: Carl Erskine (1948-49, '51-59)Whit Wyatt was a four-time All-Star during the war years, but Oisk pitched in five World Series. (She claimed she never lost. The last time we saw Muncy play, he was awarded with the reigning National League . The man is an eight-time All Star, hit 370 home runs, hit .273 with an on-base percentage of .359, is one of only 16 people to hit four homers in one game, was an integral part of two World Series championships as a first baseman and managed the Miracle Mets to the 1969 World Series title. He gets every big hit for the team its JT. His comfort zone was shattered in 1988 when first-year Dodger Kirk Gibson confronted him for laughing it up with opposing St. Louis players following a loss to the Cardinals; he was later tradedto the Cardinals. 64: Caleb Ferguson (2018-present)Missed 2021 after Tommy John surgery. He was just 36-40 through his first six years, only showing an occasional glimpse to what was to comesuch as in a 1959 game when he tied Bob Fellers then-record of 18 strikeouts. Sutton pitched for the Dodgers from 1966 to 1980 and again in 1988. Beltre earned multiple Gold Gloves (5) and Silver Sluggers (4) once he left for Los Angeles. No. One of three players ever to win three pitching Triple Crowns, Sandy Koufax stands narrowly above the rest in franchise history. A loyal teammate, Kershaw is also deeply religious and has been officially honored for his charity work, which includes the opening of an orphanage in the African nation of Zambia with his wife. For this, he became the first black player to win an MVP award. He racked up 6 All-Star appearances and of course, won a World Series ring in . Ron Cey hands down! If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (CO/IL/IN/LA/MD/MI/NJ/OH/PA/TN/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), visit OPGR.org (OR), or 1-888-532-3500(VA). Drysdale also led the National League in hit by pitches five times and ranks 19th in MLB history. (Frank Robinson would get that call, over two years later.). Guerrero broke into prominence in the final game of the 1981 World Series when he knocked in five runs at Yankee Stadium to help secure the world title over New York; he finished in a three-way tie for the Series MVP with Cey and Steve Yeager. ), Fifty years after breaking the color barrier in baseball, Jackie Robinson had his uniform number retired. We asked you to list your choices for the 10 greatest Dodgers of all time. Have a comment, question or request? 20 spot. You know you have a rich history when your team's all-time leader in wins and strikeouts can finish only as the 19th-best Dodger in history. With so many legends and greats, this wont be easy. Grimes came to Brooklyn in 1918 after two terrible years in Pittsburgh in which he had a combined 5-19 record (he lost 13 straight at one point in 1917). Hodges set a major league mark in 1954 with 19 sacrifice flies, and in 1950 became only the fourth player in the century to hit four homers in a game. (October 26, 2022). 72: Miguel Rojas (2014)His glove and arm saved Clayton Kershaws no-hitter. 81: Victor Gonzlez (2020-present)A big part of the 2020 World Series title run, he was hampered by injuries in 2021. 2 (retired): Leo Durocher (1938-46, '48, '61-64)Before Tommy Lasorda wore and retired it, Durocher was a two-time All-Star in it. 11: Dixie Walker (1939-47)Its been Manny Motas number for decades, but Walker finished in the Top 10 in NL MVP Award voting five times. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Ron Cey.even his defense was better than the others. He publicly challenged the all-white Yankees to integrate in 1954 after general manager George Weiss stated on record that Boxholders from Westchesterwould be offended to sit with niggers; testified to Congress in 1970 on behalf of outfielder Curt Flood, who was challenging the slave-like reserve clause; and, in his dying days in 1972, made a nationally-televised plea at the World Series to hire a black manager. Also not debatable is the most famous letter. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Dodgers vs. Philadelphia Phillies: How to watch, start times and betting odds, Dodgers dont need the long ball to finish sweep of Cardinals. 61: Chan Ho Park (1994-2001, '08)Opened the Major Leagues to Korean ballplayers. He wasnt a grandfathered spitball artist, had a lousy track record in multiple, short major league stints during the deadball era, was over 30, was chained to a second-division team and, with his sheepish red-haired looks, had the appearance of someone more likely to clown about on a barnstorming tour rather than take the mound seriously. No. No. Built like a brick with immense power, Campanella followed the path blazed by Robinson and became a powerful figure in the Dodgers Boys of Summer eraonly to see his career cut tragically cut short. Position: Shortstop, Third Base. No Steve Garvey?! In the postseason to follow, Hershisers mortality returned but he was no less brilliant; in the NLCS against the New York Mets, he threw two quality starts without a decision, picked up a save in an emergency relief stint a day after his second startand afterward, on two days rest, threw a five-hit shutout in the decisive game to wrap up the NL pennant for the Dodgers. (After his trade to San Diego, Garvey recorded an unprecedented 1.000 fielding rate at first in 1984.) The penguin by far cause JT is a wimp compared to the penguin who played 81 world series with a cast on his hand while JT sat down when he broke his wrist also Cey suffered a concussion in that world series and came back to play and helped the Dodgers beat the yankees.Ron Cey and Garvey both were let go too soon or they would have won another world series. He won another Silver Slugger two years later. In his 17 years at the major league level, Valenzuela would throw 113 complete games, and in 1986 became the last pitcher to date to record 20 in one yearthe same year he set a career high with 21 wins. Reggie Smith was next. No. No. . 16: Van Mungo (1932-41)No shortage of runners-up with Hideo Nomo, Andre Ethier, Ron Perranoski and Rick Monday having worn it, but Mungo was a four-time All-Star before burning out. 23: Claude Osteen (1965-73)In a deep group (Kirk Gibson, Adrin Gonzlez, Eric Karros), Osteen had nine consecutive seasons with double-digit wins. Koufax was a four-time World Series Champion, a two-time World Series MVP, a three-time Cy Young Award Winner, and a seven-time NL All-Star. He made the decision to move the Dodgers from Brooklyn to L.A. in time for the 1958 season. The Dominican prodigy averaged 18 home runs and 73 RBI in his first four seasons as a starter. In fact, he twice finished second in the NL batting race (in 1985 and 1987), and in 1982 became the first Dodger since Roy Campanella in 1955 to have a .300-30-100 campaign. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. The portly yet deceptively athletic master of the screwball became a nationwide sensation in early 1981 when, as a 20-year-old rookie, Valenzuela went the distance in each of his first eight startswinning them all and allowing just four earned runs in the process. During the first eight starts of his career in 1981, he threw eight straight complete games with five shutouts. Newcombes run hit its apex in 1956 when Newcombe won both the NL MVP and Cy Young Award with a 27-7 record and 3.06 ERA; he thus became the first major leaguer ever to earn an MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year award. But he would quickly come to miss the borough, statistically if not emotionally; the Dodgers move to his hometown of Los Angeles killed his power game as numerous deep flies that would have cleared the fence at Ebbets died in the outrageously cavernous right-field alley of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Cey was at bat and Vin Sculley said he bounced out to third and she remarked. He didnt; the Dodgers lost. 97: Joe Beimel (2006-08)Cut his hand in a bar, and there went the 2006 postseason. Scouted by Rickey as the right man with the right attitude for the right moment. Keep in mind you're voting on the best player and not the best team, so even if a player never won a World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers they can still be considered their best Right fielder. Grimes would switch uniforms eight times after his Brooklyn tenure, running hot and cold through his remaining eight seasons; he returned to the Dodgers to manage in 1937lasting two yearsand when he was let go, changed the franchises fate by successfully suggesting Leo Durocher as his replacement over the popular choice, Babe Ruth. No. Nevertheless, this article presents the best Los Angeles Dodgers players of all-time. 67: Louis Coleman (2016)Made 61 appearances in his only Dodgers season. Gibson is here for one reason and one reason only: The Home Run. All of this despite chronic hand injuries that led to a funky period in which he followed up each of his MVP campaigns with decidedly disappointing numbers at the plate. Against Oakland in the World Series, he threw two more complete-game victories, including a three-hit shutout in Game Two in which he also went 3-for-3 at the plate with two doubles. Trending Topics: Teams The Lists Top Players By Franchise by Position Best Players From Each State All-Time Rosters. ), In retirement from the game, Reuss did work as an analyst for ESPN and has endeared himself to a hobbyists life in photography, something he began toward the end of his playing days when he took extensive images of many ballparks that no longer exist. 22: Clayton Kershaw (2008-present)Hes done it all. 00: Brian Wilson (2013-14)Running unopposed with this number. The craze could have started six months earlier; pitching 17.2 innings of shutout baseball over 10 relief appearances at the end of the 1980 season, Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda seriously considered starting Valenzuela in the one-game playoff against Houston to decide the NL West. 3: Willie Davis (1961-73)Babe Herman and Steve Sax had some strong seasons, but Davis is often overlooked despite being a fixture for 14 seasons. Since 2011, he's finished lower than third in Cy Young voting only onceand won the honor three times. Hit for the Cycle (2018) Dodgers Tenure: 4 Years (Traded from Boston Red Sox to Dodgers) Birthplace: Smyrna, Tennessee Team: Los Angeles Dodgers Position: Right fielder More Mookie Betts #183 of 707 on The Best Hitters in Baseball History #1 of 67 on The Best Current Baseball Players Under 6 Feet Tall #36 of 125 on Fastest MLB Players of All Time Currently here at TrueBlue LA, were doing a 64-player bracket of your Favorite Dodgers of all-time. 20 (retired): Don Sutton (1966-80, '88)Still holds the franchise record for wins (233), starts (533), strikeouts (2,696) and shutouts (52). Currently, you are using a shared account. A member of the 1980 Hall of Fame class, Snider also earned the 1955 Major League Player of the Year award. Reese is the Dodgers' record-holder for walks (1,210)also the 58th-most in league historyand runs (1,338). Fournier suffered from a case of bad timing, howeverarriving in the majors some 60 years before the advent of the designated hitter. To make room on the 26-man roster, the Dodgers have optioned INF Luke Williams and LHP Justin Bruihl to Triple-A. Reese, who hit pause on his budding baseball career to serve in the United States Navy from 1943 to 1945, led the National League in walks, runs and stolen bases one time apiece. Over the next six years, he would embark on, arguably, the greatest run of pitching dominance the game has ever seen. He leads the team in wins (233), games as a pitcher (550), innings pitched (3,816.1), strikeouts (2,696), shutouts (52) and losses (181). His career 2.37 ERA only trails closer Kenley Jansen, Zack Greinkewho played three years in LAand Jeff Pfeffer. The Dodgers 10 Most Memorable Games A list of 10 memorable games and other notable personal achievements that have defined the Dodgers history. Business Solutions including all features. The Phillies have the best team batting average in the NL at .276. Very few injuries. He led the National League in ERA five straight years to end his career, pitched four no-hitters and one perfect game. The Hall of Fame-bound southpaw has solidified himself as baseball's most dominant pitcher of the 2010s. He recorded a lifetime .311 batting average, scored 100 runs six times and stole nearly 200 bases at a time when speed was an afterthought. Keep in mind you're voting on the best player and not the best team, so even if a player never won a World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers they can still be considered their best Right fielder. 14: Gil Hodges (1947-61)Finally elected to the Hall of Fame, he gets the nod over Mike Scioscia. That's "Big D, the all-time alphabet Dodger dog. Kershaw is already fourth in Dodgers history with 2,228 strikeouts and seventh at 149 wins. The left-handed slugger from Michigan only played four years with the Robins (as the Dodgers were called under the leadership of manager Wilbert Robinson), but he packed a heck of a wallophitting .337, knocking in over 100 runs three times and leading the NL with 27 home runs in 1924; in 1926, Fournier became the first player in franchise history to hit three homers in one game. Much as I love JT, the Penguin was my first choice. ??? It didnt take long for the southpaw from Dallas to establish himself as the best pitcher of the 2010s. In 1963, he truly broke outproducing a 25-5 record, 1.88 ERA and a career-best 11 shutouts; the vaunted New York Yankees would find out about Koufax, up close and personal, in that years World Series when he struck out the first five batters he faced and 15 overall in Game One. Are you interested in testing our business solutions? Robinson won Rookie of the Year honors in 1947, claimed the MVP in 1949 and made six consecutive All-Star teams from 1949 to 1954. Vance arrived in Brooklyn in 1922 at the age of 31 having rectified his past failures and chronic elbow injuries by adding a curve ball to his repertoire; to everyones surprise, he became an instant smash. Realizing how potent he was with the bat, the Dodgers occasionally moved Drysdale out of the default ninth spot in the order and had him bat seventh. Im surprised that many people still remember Ron Cey. The countdown will begin tomorrow, so stay tuned! To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set Harper is set to return against a talented team in the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday . Odds and lines subject to change. He suffered a fracture of the fifth and sixth cervical vertebrae and was paralyzed from the shoulders down, though he eventually regained use of his arms. He also won the MVP last season too. 35: Cody Bellinger (2017-present)It would take a Rookie of the Year and MVP to edge Bob Welch for this one. Earned run average (ERA) and winning percentage leaders are based on players with 500 or more innings since 1900. Appropriately nicknamed the Duke of Flatbush, the left-handed slugger hit .292 with 23 home runs in his rookie year of 1949; that was merely a warm-up for what was to follow. And vote you did. The gradual warming to him by his team, and the widespread applause and acceptance given to him from around the country as he showed how better a place America could be because of baseball. He gave it one last hurrah for Los Angeles in 2000 but, after getting hammered for a 1-5 record and 13.14 ERA in 10 appearances, he stepped down for good. But Cey was my guy. 77: Joe Medwick (1940-41)Had two big seasons wearing this number en route to the Hall of Fame. Bold type indicates active Dodgers player. No. 31: Mike Piazza (1993-98)Went into the HOF as a Met, but won NL Rookie of the Year, made six All-Star teams and finished in the top 10 in NL MVP voting five times with the Dodgers. Naming the most famous number in Dodgers history is easy: Jackie Robinson's 42. No. After losing yet again during the 1956 World Series, he physically took his anger out on a fan who called him a choke.. 47: Andy Messersmith (1973-75, '79)His claim to fame was free agency, but in four Dodgers seasons, he won 55 games and was an NL Cy Young Award runner-up in 1974. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. 30: Maury Wills (1959-66, '69-72)Snubbed by the HOF, hes still a Dodgers legend. No. No. A three-time World Series champion over a 13-year Dodger career, Padres is perhaps best known for his performance in the '55. He almost got into the World Series with Chicago but lost the series to Garvey and the padres. That is undeniably true. Brooklyns lone deadball era star was a quiet, cordial part-Native American who let his bat do all the angry talkingracking up a lifetime .317 batting average and 2,804 hits, the most in Dodgers history. No. He racked up 6 All-Star appearances and of course, won a World Series ring in 1981. He was the man! "Duke was a fine man, a terrific hitter and a great friend, even though he was a Dodger,", Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. No. After the 1956 season, Robinsongradually graying at age 37was traded to the New York Giants; rather than report to his archrivals, he retired. The Dodgers have spanned two coasts, but through the move from Brooklyn to Los Angeles they maintained their status as a celebrated baseball franchise. Camilli emerged as a dependably strong (if not sensational) slugger midway through the 1930s with the Philadelphia Phillies, who were on the road to bankruptcy; not surprisingly, they sold Camilli to the Dodgers for $50,000. He developed a nasty curveball to complement his fastball, and began to throw pitches not to make hitters miss, but to try and make them hit it. In the spring of 1972, while golfing with his coaches, Hodges suffered a fatal heart attack at age 47. The one mountain Kershaw struggled to climb was that of his postseason performances; through 2019, he had produced a 9-11 record and 4.43 ERA in October. In 1924, he furnished a stunning 28-6 record with a league-best 2.16 ERA and struck out 262 battersthe highest total by a NL pitcher between Christy Mathewson in 1903 and Koufax in 1961, and a figure nearly double that of teammate Burleigh Grimes, who placed second that year with 135; his opponents .213 batting average was 70 points below the league average. Get full access to all features within our Business Solutions. 7: Steve Yeager (1973-85)A catching maestro and clutch hitter, he played in the shadow of Johnny Bench. ???????? Fernando Valenzuela wasted little time endearing himself to Dodgers fans. Martinez on the injured list, backdated to April 25. The best of the best: the portal for top lists & rankings: Strategy and business building for the data-driven economy: Show sources information Campanella's career ended because of an automobile accident following the 1957 season. How does he not make this list? Martinez Los Angeles Dodgers. Your email address will not be published. Per Kristen Gowdy of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Morgan . Generally referred to as Fernando, his best pitch was the screwball or "screwgee," an off-speed offering that confounded many hitters. In the decade to follow, Valenzuela would become a tough workhorse for the Dodgers, bending often but rarely breaking. Chart. In each of his first 15 seasons, the right-hander eclipsed the 200-inning mark, starting at least 30 games in all but one of those seasons. While most players traditional put up heady minor league numbers to prove their worth in the majors, Wheats were common at bestyet the Dodgers took a chance on him, and it paid off when he emerged into a star early in his long stay at Brooklyn. Well, with the voting currently going on for that, I thought it would be a lot of fun if I ranked the 100 greatest players in Dodgers history. Sorry, but they both played on talented offenses and Cey shouldnt be faulted for being the healthier player. 52: Pedro Bez (2014-20)Wearing Lasordas original number, Bez has been a workhorse setup man. Such a hallowed honor was a testament to Robinson for being put under Americas microscope, amid a hostile environment where he was ordered by his boss, Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey, to have the guts not to fight back.. In each of his first 15 seasons, the right-hander eclipsed the 200-inning mark, starting at least 30 games in all but one of those seasons. Not afraid to speak his mind, Sutton could be at times confrontational and engaged in his biggest controversy in a 1978 game at St. Louis when he was ejected by home plate umpire Doug Harvey for scuffing the baseball. That night he went 3 for 5, with a triple, a homer, and 5 RBI. October 26, 2022. For the first six years of his major league career, the quiet Brooklyn native was little more than a common pitcher with an uncommonly sizzling fastball and unfulfilled promise. No. Players like Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman are already living legends in the league and some of the greatest baseball players of all time, while players like Julio Urias and Will Smith are proving to be some of the biggest and brightest stars in all of baseball. 45: Johnny Podres (1953-55, '57)He blanked the Yankees in Game 7 for the first World Series championship in franchise history. Snider's .553 slugging percentage is fourth-best. 88: John Axford (2018)Not the best Trade Deadline pickup. Our challenge was narrowing that massive field to 10 of the greatest players who ever put on the blue-and-white jersey. His high number of strikeouts (15th all-time) and career on-base percentage of .377 hurt his standing a bit. In his groundbreaking rookie year, the 28-year-old Robinson hit .297, produced a 21-game hit streak, scored 125 runs and stole a league-leading 29 bases; he was named Rookie of the Year by both the Baseball Writers Association of America and The Sporting News, the conservative, go-to baseball weekly that had argued against Robinsons talent in what some perceived as a faade for a darker, racist-tinted argument against his being in the game, period. Vote up the best Los Angeles Dodgers of 2023 and be sure to check out The Best Los Angeles Dodgers of All Time and Celebrity Dodger Fans to get fully up to date on The Boys in Blue. Follow Bleacher Report writer David Kenyon on Twitter@Kenyon19_BR. The Southpaw set a new perfect game record after fanning 14 hitters. The Dodgers 10 Greatest Pitchers A list of the 10 greatest pitchers based on their productivity and efficiency. Kershaw is the best pitcher in baseball (even factoring in his slow start this season), having won the Cy Young Award in 2011, 2013 and 2014, and finishing second in 2012. Before he spiraled, he was the NL Rookie of the Year in 1980, a World Series hero and an All-Star. Mickey Hatcher is runner-up for his 1988 October heroics. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Dodgers: Ranking the Best Third Baseman in Franchise History. Hes been back with the Dodgers since 2004 in another capacity, providing color commentary for the team on its Spanish-language radio broadcasts. No. No. The late surge moved him past Hall of Famer Zack Wheat for the No. Love him or hate him, Garveywith his Popeye-like arms and handsome, boy-next-door lookswas the face of the great Dodgers teams of the 1970s and starred in the infield with Cey, Russell and Lopes for eight years togetherthe majors longest such shared tenure. 18: Bill Russell (1969-91, 1994-98)Dean of the Dodgers. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Cey: 24 HR, 92 RBI, 13.5 BB%, 13.1% SO. Your email address will not be published. No. No. However, for an apples to apples comparison, below are their 162 game averages for the same time frames: Cey owns the better walk and strikeout rates on top of better counting stats. No. For instance, who is the best Dodger third baseman of all-time? He was 0-4 with an 8.59 ERA in five World Series starts; he also lost the memorable 1950 regular season finale that gave Philadelphias Whiz Kid Phillies the pennant, and set up the New York Giants rally in the decisive game of the 1951 NL playoff, being removed for Ralph Brancawho would only face one batter: Bobby Thomson, who launched the Shot Heard Round the World and won the pennant for the Giants. Walker made history in advance when, with a wartime uptick in 1944, he led the NL with a .357 average; three years later, his brother Harry won his own batting title for Philadelphia, making the two the only pair of brothers in history to both win separate batting crowns. LOS ANGELES The Dodgers have made a new acquisition momentum. Snider is . There will likely be some players who dont crack the list that upset you, or players that seem ranked too high or too low.

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