I am slacking it a bit today as we have had our family with us for the better part of four days and will be away most of tomorrow and Thursday. So, I pulled up an article from exactly four years ago ( January 2, 2016).
They say you never forget your first love. At least that’s what I’ve been told. As much affection as I have always had, and still do, for the Los Angeles Dodgers, there is no doubt my first love was the Brooklyn Dodgers. Perhaps it was that I fell in love with them in my pre-teen formative years. Perhaps it was that they were close enough to my home in Nova Scotia that I could listen to the radio broadcasts of Dodger games and that golden voice we still cherish today. Perhaps it was simply that I made up a score sheet for each game and completed it as instructed by my little league baseball coach trying to will certain things to happen that would influence the outcome of the game. You know – willing Duke to hit a home run, Pee Wee to steal a base, the Reading Rifle to gun down a runner at third base or home plate or for Oisk to rack up one more strikeout.
In any event, many memories out of Brooklyn are etched on my mind and in my heart. Growing up I was shielded from those things that often steer youngsters astray because I had a wonderful family and was raised in a small-town atmosphere. However, I have always felt strongly that the Brooklyn Dodgers also played a part in helping me avoid some of life’s enticements that are better left alone. I was so wrapped up in every game during the baseball season that there was no time to get into trouble. Little else mattered.
I must also confess that during the winter Gordie Howe and the Detroit Red Wings filled the void for me when there was no baseball, although hockey has always played a distant second fiddle to baseball.
I often think back to those days and my memories of players that played with the “Boys of Summer.” Many baseball fans, perhaps most, have heard of the big names that played with the Dodgers in the 1950s, as a number of them went on to play with the Dodgers after they moved to Los Angeles following the 1957 season. Additionally, no less than eight members of the 1950’s Brooklyn Dodgers have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York: Roy Campanella, Don Drysdale, Sandy Koufax, Pee Wee Reese, Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Tommy Lasorda, and Walter Alston.
As with all successful teams, there are role players whose baseball feats often go unnoticed among the heroics of the all-star players. Their contributions are essential for any team if it is to compete at a level high enough to boost the team into postseason play. In fact, it is often the seemingly no-name players that emerge as the most valuable players in World Series competition.
Many of the lesser lights on the Brooklyn Dodgers come to mind when I reminisce about what I consider to be the golden age of baseball. Among those players that I can clearly recall Vin summoning in from the bullpen was a big right-handed pitcher who had a brief but notable career with the Dodgers.
Born in the Chicago on March 21, 1923, right-hander Jim Hughes made his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers on September 13, 1952 – the same year Sandy Amoros and Joe Black made their Dodgers debuts. Hughes was 29 at the time and was coming off two successful seasons with the Dodgers AAA affiliate in Montreal. With the Royals he won 10 games in 1951, pitching both as a starter and in a relief role while posting a 3.69 ERA.
During the 1952 season with the Royals, Hughes pitched strictly in relief making 45 appearances over 95 innings and winning nine games while posting a 2.86 ERA. He earned a September call-up to the Dodgers winning two games while losing one and posting a 1.45 ERA over 18 innings in seven appearances.
Hughes enjoyed a successful season in 1953 winning four games and losing three. He made 48 relief appearances over 85.2 innings and finished the season with a very respectable 3.47 ERA.
He made one World Series appearance in 1953 against the New York Yankees in game one of the series. He picked up Carl Erskine, who had an unexpectedly poor outing giving up four runs in the first inning. Hughes pitched four strong innings giving up one run while striking out three. In the top of the sixth inning, the Dodgers drew within one run of the Yankees. They subsequently lost the game 9-5 giving up three runs in the ninth inning. That was to be the only World Series appearance for Hughes during his seven-year MLB career.
Jim Hughes’ 1954 season was a trend-setting one for the Dodgers and perhaps all of baseball. He won eight games, lost 4 while pitching 86.2 innings. He posted an ERA of 3.22. His 60 appearances led all of major league baseball as did his 24 saves. Saves at that time were less often a ninth-inning appearance as is the case for today’s closers. It more likely meant a longer appearance and at a different stage in the game, usually with runners on base. Stranding inherited runners was the key to success – both then and now.
His saves total in 1954 eclipsed Hugh Casey’s Brooklyn franchise record of 18, recorded seven years earlier in 1947. Although it was matched in 1970 by Jim Brewer, pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers, it was not exceeded until Jay Howell recorded 28 saves in 1989. Jim Hughes’ record for saves in a Dodger uniform lasted 35 years. His record of 24 saves will always be the Brooklyn Dodger record.
Following his record-setting season in 1954, Hughes appeared in 24 games in 1955 pitching only 42.2 innings. Fellow reliever Clem Labine appeared in 60 games for the Dodgers in 1955 pitching 144 innings, thus replacing Hughes as the Dodgers’ number one go-to guy out of the bullpen.
In his last full season in MLB in 1956, Hughes pitched only 12 innings with the Dodgers before being traded to the Chicago Cub. At age 33 he made 25 appearances with the Cubs during the season while posting a 5.16 ERA.
Jim Hughes’ career came quickly to a close in 1957 after only five innings with the Chicago White Sox. He finished his career with only one start in 172 career appearances with a career mark of 15-13 and 39 saves.
While many Dodger pitchers, along with most pitchers, were torched by Stan Musial, Hughes limited “the Man” to just three hits in 22 plate appearances for a .188 batting average. Perhaps that is not all that unusual as relievers were often called “firefighters” or “firemen” in those days and were often called upon to cool off smoking bats. However, the right-hander Hughes successfully cooled off Musial’s left-handed bat. That in itself was unusual.
It seems there is never a Dodgers story without our beloved Tommy Lasorda being a part of it. At one point in his career, Hughes roomed with Lasorda, who himself had a brief stint with the Dodgers in 1954 and 1955.
“He was a big, tough guy,” recalled Lasorda of Jim Hughes. ”It would take him three, four pitches to get warm. After a few pitches, he was fogging it. Nothing but hard stuff. Didn’t have a breaking ball.”
A few years after his baseball career ended, Hughes followed the tradition set by his father, grandfather and numerous other family members – who were Chicago firefighters. He too joined the Chicago Fire Department and served with the department from 1963-1986.
After beginning his career as a firefighter, Hughes could not resist playing on what was obvious, at least to him, when one day he visited with former Brooklyn Dodgers manager Walter Alston, who was sometimes known as “Smokey.” Hughes donned a Dodgers jersey for a photo with Alston but was not satisfied with just that. As his son Michael recalled: “He had a fire helmet on his head, he carried an ax and he had a hose over his shoulder.”
Jim Hughes died in Crestwood, a suburb of Chicago, at the age of 78 on August 18, 2001.
Great story DC. I love anything with a Tommy reference. 3-4 pitches to warm up and nothing but gas, didn’t even have a breaking ball. It’s funny how he came up as a 29 yer old when we keep seeing our kids come up so young.
Happy New Years everyone!
Maybe we will see things more clearly this year! (well, someone had to say it…)
Will be 2020 vision for all of us.
Love stories of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Those were magical times for me as a kid, with the players being larger than life — my baseball heroes.
Good article DC. I, too, loved Mr. Hockey although Toronto was my favorite team and Frank Mahovlich was one of my fav players. Still have his poster. “ Fireman” was a true and accurate description for Jim Hughes. He put out fires in baseball games (many saves) and then real fires later on. Wish also his career was longer. Enjoy the time with your family and have a very Happy New Year.
I liked Mahovlich too but mostly in his four years with Detroit.
Great story DC! Enjoy your family time.
I like the the term “firemen”. I wish more relief pitchers had that approach today.
Happy New Year to the each of the LADT family! Hope for each of f you the year is filled with good health and tremendous fulfillment and joy.
I look forward to rolling and tumbling with you in world of opinions and stories about our beloved Dodgers.
Happy New Year to all.
Anxious to see what finishing touches AF puts on the roster before ST. Big? Small? It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.
Happy New Year. My 2020 vision can see a World Series championship this year.
Magic 8 ball says “without a doubt’
Happy New Year to everyone. Hope 2020 is a good one for all.
https://sports.yahoo.com/rich-hill-was-violent-and-aggressive-toward-police-officer-leading-to-arrest-220521085.html
Personally, I have even more respect for Rich Hill now… and I already respected him a lot!
I shall miss him, but no way, I would do that deal. I am sure AF told him that he would not be in the rotation if he signed with LA.
Not sure why you would have more respect for an individual who challenged police officers only trying to do their job and apply the law in a fair and impartial manner. I suspect the officers used great restraint and didn’t want to arrest Mrs. Hill, but were forced to do so as a result of her unreasonableness. After all, Mrs. Hill controlled the scene….if she had complied and followed the rules she certainly wouldn’t have been arrested. Instead she was belligerent and “flipped the middle finger.” If my wife or my children acted in such an entitled way and then used profanity towards officers for only doing their job, I would be embarrassed and ashamed.
Would it have been difficult to see my wife in handcuffs?……..certainly, but I can confidently say I or my wife would have never been in that situation. NEVER!
I spent thirty years serving my community as a police officer and was forced many times into having to make an arrest even when I didn’t necessarily want to. Officers almost always try to obtain voluntary compliance when it comes to “low level” offenses and will generally try to resolve an issue without an arrest. Mrs. Hill’s conduct (from what I read) leads me to believe her actions required the officers to arrest her after she refused to follow the rules, the officers requests and even tried to find a way into the stadium with the bag after being told to not to do so. A security officer also described Mrs. Hill as aggressive.
A couple of years ago I attended the Poinsettia Bowl on a rainy night in SD. I brought a handheld umbrella with me but was told I couldn’t bring it inside. I didn’t make a scene, instead I walked it to the car and met my wife inside the stadium. It was a rule, not one that I necessarily liked, but I had three options…throw it away, walk it to the car, or go home and watch the game on TV. Challenging the authorities, expecting special consideration, trying a different gate or acting like rules didn’t apply to me were not reasonable options.
I commend the officers for using great restraint in the face of a difficult situation, holding everyone, regardless of wealth or status, to the rules/law. I certainly don’t respect Rich Hill more as a result of his actions, but I don’t necessarily have less respect for him for what he did. It’s something that happened but to elevate him as a result of his actions seems a bit twisted.
I appreciate Police Officers like you more than you know. I have met a number (a large number) of great human beings who were and are Police Officers. They are people I like to hold up as examples of selfless service. However, I have also met a few who are some of the biggest scumbags, cowboys, and selfish people I have ever met. I have personally seen them, lie, cheat and steal. Police are no different from any human – there are the really good ones, the really bad ones and the 80% in the middle who do their jobs.
I wasn’t there… and neither were you, but Rich Hill’s character stands for something. His wife was probably out of line and deserved to be arrested, but my point was/is that he was standing up for his wife, regardless of the cost. No disrespect to the badge intended.
I would want my wife to be more aggressive reeling me in than with the police after I was being less than I should be.
Norcal, I agree with you.
As a side note, Mark has written in the past about being wrongly convicted and imprisoned by rogue prosecutors, possibly with police help. I’m sure it was the exception to the rule.
Mark, I apologize if I should not have brought that up.
Happy New Year everyone. 2019 is now officially history and pitchers and catchers will be reporting into spring training before we know it.
The Boys of Summer may have indeed played in the Golden Age of Baseball, but there have been other periods of Dodger baseball that stand out for me. The early 60’s with Sandy and Don were amazing. Then we got to see the More balanced team of the 70’s battle the Big Red Machine and eventually defeat the Yankees in 1981. Those were great times and I understand that times change and things are different now. But I cannot recall a team that had as much talent and depth as our current club. Seven straight division titles, post season baseball EVERY YEAR and being able to expect the same going into the new season is awesome.
Some here will wine and cry about not winning a World Series.
I say have patience grasshopper, it will happen, we just don’t know when. Maybe this is the year.
Thank you Mark for providing this great forum and to all who contribute here.
Here’s to a great New Year. ⚾️ Go Dodgers
I agree. I don’t remember a time when the Dodgers had more talent up and down the system. And there is an undercurrent to that talent that I’ve noticed. I think makeup is a factor in the orgs player development that we often don’t appreciate. I think it’s higher on the list of boxes AD checks off as players move through the system than most organizations. It’s a luxury of having a deep system that even allows that to be a major factor. It’s not something I can back up with statistics. Just anecdotal observation of the players coming up through the CA league.
I’ve read for years how important character and makeup was to Branch Rickey. And I don’t think it is any coincidence that so many of the players from Brooklyn are so beloved, to this day. I really wish I could be a fly on the wall in meetings with the Dodgers current player development team.
I remember when the Dodgers traded Hector Olivera for Matt Kemp, I was a bit perplexed. (My son was thrilled, Matt was back!) A few months later, not so perplexing. The guy was a terrible person. And he wasn’t the only player quickly jettisoned who were paid massive sums of international pool money. I have to conclude there is an underestimated effort to not only maintain a high level of talent but a high level of character in the system. We will never know all the reasons why the Dodgers didn’t sign this guy or didn’t trade for that guy. But I am convinced there is much more to the calculus than just statistical production verses cost. Had talent been the only factor is building the Brooklyn Dodgers teams of the 1950s, it wouldn’t have worked. Especially given the monumental issues of race in the sport at the time.
Regardless of how awful 2017 and 2018 ended, it’s a great time to be a Dodger fan.
Amen. I still think many Dodger fans remember the bad drafts and horrible player development of the past, but these ain’t your father’s Dodgers. Not all prospects will pan out, but I am certain that the percentage that do is increasing and will continue.
For example, Miguel Vargas jumped up 12 positions to the #4 prospect on some boards. 2020 will be a linchpin in his development. Will he be in the rare air of Adrian Beltre or back in the pack with Cristian Santana? I’m starting to believe his ceiling is high, but we have to watch and see.
I mentioned before that Miguel was one of my son’s favorite players last year. He’s one of those guys with intangibles that don’t show up in stats. I have a great picture of Miguel and my son after a Quakes playoff game last year. Miguel was wearing a sweatshirt that said “Team Vargas”. Jacob Amaya hit a monster walk off that game, another of my son’s guys. Miguel just hung around outside the locker room with fans, host families and other players for a good 30 minutes. The guy seems to just eat up the baseball atmosphere. As much as I have animosity to the Astros (cheating bastards), I always liked watching George Springer. If he doesn’t have a glove on or a bat in his hand he’s a 10 year old. Shit eating grin, cheering on his team waiting for a reason to run out and jump on a guy. Miguel is that kind of kid too. I think that is the reason there is such variance in where he’s being ranked. Some people doing these rankings have seen it. Some haven’t. I expect Miguel to have a short time in Rancho in 2020. He will be in Tulsa quick.
Sounds like Joc, Springer, and Miguel would enjoy playing together. Springer is a FA in 2921. Maybe Dodgers should go after Springer instead of Betts.
Logan white valued character and homelife as much or more than brawn.
And Logan picked some great players.
I value character much more than brawn or Braun. 🙂
I like that the Dodgers have continuously infused the team with young home grown talent and has been willing to pay and perhaps overpay to keep their own. Home grown players have made major contributions to the Dodgers’ success during the current run of playoff and World Series appearances and they deserve the same chance to win the ultimate game playing for the Dodgers that we fans deserve to enjoy that same victory.
I hope the Dodgers won’t trade a player that has helped us get close and especially not traded for payroll flexibility.
Happy New Year everyone. I loved the Brooklyn Dodgers. Roy Campanella has been and still is my favorite player.
We will be alright this year.
Happy New Year to everybody. Holidays, visiting family and a bout with the flu had me way behind on Dodger reading. Had a quiet New Years morning to catch up. Some outstanding articles the last few days. Still the best Dodger blog/discussion site out there, by a wide margin. And getting better with the addition of Even Bladh, who I’m familiar with from his last writing home.
Here is to a new year of baseball!
Jayne, you are a welcome and intelligent addition to this board!
(I was going to refer to you as JC but thought better of it.) 🙂
I much appreciate being welcomed.
Happy New Years to all…
I’ve been filling in spots at my residential recovery unit to give a few of the counselors and staff a break to be with family… I’ve got a lot of LADT catching up to do..
IdahoAl – You nailed it with Campy.. I cried when my Dad told me of his accident…All I wanted to see was my idol behind the
dish for the Dodgers… His tribute at the L. A. Coliseum still gives me chills when I think about it… First and only time my Dad let me touch his Zippo lighter..
Dodgers the cbt world series champs.
James, life is good!! Hope you’re having a great holiday.
Negativity is very unproductive. Try to enjoy the ride. Cheers.
Happy New Year and everyone.
Just finished looking at the January 2020 issue of Baseball America which contains profiles of the top 10 prospects of all the NL and AL West clubs. Have to admit that what I read is pretty much in line with Mark’s glowing reports on our prospects. I imagine that those who subscribe to BA have probably read those reports. I don’t recall what I paid for my subscription (although I don’t remember the prices, the online subscription is cheaper). Without going into the write-ups on each player, here’s a list of the BA top 10 Dodger prospect.
1. Gavin Lux
2. Dustin May
3. Keibert Ruiz
4. Tony Gonsolin
5. Josiah Gray
6. Jeter Downs
7. Diego Cartaya
8. Kody Hoese
9. Michael Busch
10. Luis Rodriguez – 17 year old OF whose name I don’t recall seeing on LADodgerTalk. He signed for $2,667, 500 last July. BA says that he was “Venezuela’s top prospect in the 2019 international class.”
Brooklyn Dodger, what happen to the 3rd basemen Vargas he’s not on this list.
Correction: Happy New Year TO everyone.
Dodgerfan,
I have no clue why Vargas isn’t mentioned. This is simply BA top 10. However, I haven’t been on the BA website in quite a while. Maybe they have a top 30 and rate Vargas a bit below #10. I buy the BA Prospect Handbook every year, which gives you every teams top 30. That book is usually released, I believe, in February. I imagine that Vargas will be included in that publication. Maybe our prospect experts Mark, AC, DC and 2D2 will have something to say about that.
The Baseball Prospectus top 20 as posted on this site under the title “The Next Wave” was as follows:
1. Gavin Lux, SS
2. Dustin May, RHP
3. Josiah Gray, RHP
4. Miguel Vargas, 3B
5. Keibert Ruiz, C
6.Tony Gonsolin, RHP
7.Diego Cartaya, C
8. Jeter Downs, SS
9. Kody Hoese, 3B
10. Gerardo Carrillo, RHP
11.Michael Busch, 2B
12. DJ Peters, OF
13. Jacob Amaya, IF
14. Omar Estevez, IF
15.Mitch White, RHP
16. Conner Wong, C
17. Michael Grove, RHP
18. Dennis Santana, RHP
19. Cristian Santana, 3B/1B
20. Brett de Geus, RHP
Clearly Miguel Vargas is rated much higher than he is by BA. However, BA #10 Luis Rodriguez does not appear in the Baseball Prospectus top 20. Apparently there can be wide variations in the ratings between different rating entities. This is probably even more prevalent when rating very young players like Vargas and Rodriguez.
In a closer look, although the order is different, 9 of the 10 players on the BA list are also in the top 10 for BP. Mike Busch who is in the top 10 for BA, is outside the top 10 on BP at #11, which has Gerardo Carrillo at #10.