I got to thinking about this the other day when I was discussing Steve Garvey and why I did not think he belonged in the hall with a friend of mine. He is a Dodger fan who lives in San Diego and Garv was one of his favorite Dodgers ever.
I thought it would be interesting to go back in time and check out all of the players who have been the primary first baseman for the Dodgers going back to when they first became a professional team.
Some of the names are familiar to me, and some I have never heard of. Some had more than just a couple of years on the job, and some were just wisp’s of wind on the baseball scene.
Brooklyn joined the league in 1890. But in 1884, they were part of the American Association, and were known as the Brooklyn Atlantics. They remained in the association through 1889. In 1890, the Brooklyn Bridegrooms joined the National League and won their first title with a 85-43 record.
Their first baseman was Dave Foutz. Foutz was in his 3rd season with the team. He hit .303 with 5 homers, and 98 RBI’s. Not much power was displayed in those days, and the team leader in HR’s was Oyster Burns who had 13. Foutz ended up playing in Brooklyn for 9 years. He also pitched some and played the outfield. His nickname was Scissors.
George LaChance came to Brooklyn in 1893, but was a part timer until 1895. His best year was 1895 when he hit .314, with 8 HR’s and 111 RBI’s. Both were career highs. He left the team after the 1898 season. His nickname was Candy.
Over the next several years they had numerous players at 1st, and none were really distinguished. Then in 1910 a player named Jake Daubert became the 1st baseman. For the next 9 years he was the man. Jake’s high water mark as a hitter was a .350 average in 1913. Jake never hit more than 8 homers as a Dodger, and he only drove in 415 runs as a Dodger. He did however have 1387 hits.
Jack Fournier came to Brooklyn in a trade in 1923 from the Cardinals for Hi Myers, and another player. He was with the Dodgers for 4 seasons, but only 3 as the starter. His first 3 years he hit .351, 334, and .350. He also hit 71 HR’s over those 3 seasons. May not sound like much, but he was 33 when he was traded to the Dodgers.
In 1926 and 27, Babe Herman was the primary first baseman. Babe was a great hitter, but not much with the glove and those were his first 2 seasons in Brooklyn. He still holds the Dodger record for the highest BA in a season at .393.
In 1928, Del Bisonette took over the job. Del was a good hitter and played for only 5 seasons in a career cut short by injury and illness. His best season was 1930 when he hit .336 with 16 HR’s and 113 RBI’s.
Over the next 7 seasons 3 different players were used. No one really took the job and ran with it, then in 1938, Dolph Camilli took over. He was 31 when he came to Brooklyn from the Phillies for Eddie Morgan and $45,000.
For the next 6 years he was the man. He was a .270 hitter over those years, but he hit 139 of his career 239 homers with the Dodgers and drove in 572 runs. He also led the league in HR’s in 1941 with 34. Not many Dodgers have accomplished that at all.
Through the war years, a couple of different players were used there. In 1947, his rookie year, the primary 1st baseman was Jackie Robinson. It was the only position where there was an opening, and Rickey wanted to get Jackie in the majors.
Then in 1948, a player took over the position, and would be there for the next 14 years. Gil Hodges. Hodges was a catcher by trade, but the Dodgers were loaded at the position with Bruce Edwards, and Bobby Bragan. And they had Campy in the pipeline. So Gil grabbed the mitt.
He became, in my mind at least, the best first baseman in the majors. He had soft hands, and he could hit with power. He hit 361 HR’s as a Dodger. Was a rock in the infield, and saved a lot of bad throws with his glove. He won 3 gold gloves, but had they been handed out before 1955, he probably would have won more.
He scored the winning run in the 1959 second playoff game against the Braves and played on the 55 and 59 title teams. He went on to manage the Miracle Mets, and the Senators. Dying of a heart attack on a golf course during spring training in 1972. He was 47 years old.
Gil left in the expansion draft after the 61 season, and played 2 more years for the Mets. Norm Larker played there for one season as the starter, 1960, and almost won a batting title. Finishing second to Dick Groat of the Pirates. Then in 1962, Ron Fairly took over for 3 years. In 1965, Wes Parker became the primary 1st baseman.
Wes was a wizard with a glove, and won 6 straight gold gloves from 67-72. He was never much of a hitter, but in 1970, Wes hit .319. He only hit 10 HR’s that year, but he drove in 111. He also led the league in games played, and doubles.
Bill Buckner played there in 73 most of the time, but was moved to the outfield to make way for Steve Garvey. Garvey would play there for the next 9 years. And except for 1981 when he only played 110 games, he played almost every game for 6 years straight.
Garvey won 4 gold gloves. He was a clutch hitter and part of the 4 players who hit 30 homers or more in 1977. First time that had ever been done in the majors. Garvey, as we all know, left as a free agent after the 82 season.
Over the next 6 seasons, Greg Brock (4), and Franklin Stubbs (2) were the guys. Brock, who had torn up AAA pitching, did not reach the same level of success in the bigs, and he was eventually traded to the Brewers. Stubbs had some power, but never hit for much average. So they moved on after 1989.
Hall of Famer Eddie Murray came over in 1989, and was the primary player for the next 3 seasons. Eddie was 33 when traded to LA. He did not have a great 89, but in 90 he hit .330 with 26 HR’s and 95 RBI’s.
He was followed by a player who would be there for the next 11 years, Eric Karros. Karros was a steady player for LA. He won the ROY in 1992. And he holds the LA Dodger record for HR’s with 270. He was an average fielder, and he never won a gold glove. But he was part of the 5 consecutive ROY’s the Dodgers had in the 90’s. Karros, Piazza, Mondesi, Nomo, and Todd Hollandsworth.
From 2003 to 2006, 4 different players were the 1st basemen. Fred McGriff, Shawn Green, Hee-seop Choi, and Garciaparra. In 2007, James Loney took over and would be there for the next 6 years.
Loney was a good hitter without much power. And that seemed to be the big beef about the guy. But he did drive in 9 runs in a game against the Rockies in 2007. The outburst tied Gil Hodges team record. Dodgers won the game 19-11 at Coors field.
Loney was traded as we all know in ” The Trade” that brought Adrian Gonzalez to LA. Adrian was the butter and egg man as Vinny would say for the next 4 seasons.
He won a gold glove in 2014 and drove in 100 plus runs twice. His injury in 2017 allowed the Dodgers to call up Cody Bellinger, who would win the ROY that season and help the Dodgers win the pennant.
Gonzo was traded to the Braves in the deal that brought Matt Kemp back to LA. Bellinger played 1st base for most of 2018, although he was spelled by Muncy a few times. And Muncy became the primary guy in 2019.
With Doc managing the Dodgers, there really is no set lineup anymore. 9 different players played 1st base in 2019, and 4 have done so this year, so it is truly, who’s on first?
I remember many other players getting a shot there. They traded for Todd Benzinger in 1992. Doug Mientkiewicz was here for a while in 2009. Len Matuzek spent some time in LA in the 80’s.
Murray is in the hall, Hodges should be. Most of the players the Dodgers have had there that played for any length of time, were good players. Just not hall of famers.
There are Garvey fans out there who feel strongly that Garv should be in the hall. I will say this, that if he were to get in and Hodges did not, it would be a travesty.
Jim Gentile coulda, woulda, shoulda been the heir apparent to Hodges in LA but the team traded him to the Orioles for a couple of minor leaguers. Remember when Dr. Strangeglove (aka Dick Stuart) briefly played first base for the Dodgers? And the horrible experiment of Joc Pederson at the position? Then there was the young first baseman that Lasorda traded to the Reds, Paul Konerko, for closer Jeff Shaw. I’m not sure if the disservice to Gil Hodges will ever be rectified as the HOF veterans committee are not even old enough to remember the talent and class of the Dodgers all time best first baseman. Garvey? Nice guy, good player, but not HOF worthy.
Interesting read – had forgotten (or maybe tried to forget) a few of them. I have a Steve Garvey autographed baseball. I would like to see him in the HOF, but Gil has to be there first.
Back to this season. As valuable as Mookie has been this year, Corey Seager is right there with him. In all of MLB, Corey Seager has the highest percentage of barrels per plate appearance = 12.5%.
Among shortstops, he is first in OPS (.978). Lindor’s OPS is .766 and he is hitting .263. HARD PASS ON LINDOR!
Corey is 3rd in OB% among SS, 2nd in HR, 2nd in RBI, and first in slugging %. Corey leads the Dodgers in BA, RBI, and OPS. He has 8 errors – with 2 last night. I can live with that.
SEager is tied with Mike Trout (2.4 ) in Offensive War. Betts leads all of MLB in WAR with 3.2, so overall he has the inside track to MVP over Corey, but Corey has been very valuable.If I were AF, I would sign him long-term if possible.Corey has ben very consistent – even last year as he worked his way back from surgeries, was pretty good.
By the way, Alex Verdugo is #10 in MLB in WAR. He is hitting .323 with a .381 OB% – his best years are ahead of him.
Hard pass on Lindor?
That surprises me. It shouldn’t I guess with some of the trade ideas you’ve come up with over the years.
Looking beyond the numbers from this bizarre year, as I have pointed out numerous times in here Lindor is a far superior shortstop than is Seager. The dWAR numbers are not close and overall total WAR numbers show Lindor WAY ahead in overall value. Over the same period of time he’s hit more home runs, scored more runs, knocked in more runs, stole 80 more bases, has more hits and more doubles, won more Gold Glove and has more All Star appearances, There’s more, but you get the point.
Hard pass? If asked would I trade Seager straight up for Lindor my answer would be of course I would. But I’d like to have them both. Lindor at short, Seager at first. Rios, Lindor, Lux, Seager for the next 5 years? Oh hell yes.
Hard pass is spot on. Check the stats for Seager and Lindor in years that both were healthy and played regularly. 2016 – 2017: Seager wins the WAR comparison 12.9 to 11.2j; and, wRC+ 132 to 113. 2019 – 2020: Lindor has a slight edge in WAR (6.2 to 5.5); Seager once again the superior offensive player with wRC+ 127 to 112. Keep Seager at SS and use the trade capital it would take to acquire Lindor (which would likely be for one year only) to trade for a third baseman (Chapman? Arenado?) who is not a short term player.
Corey’s been darn impressive at the plate this year and I think he’s our offensive MVP. Both Betts and Seager have provided the ideal steady diets at the plate you want from the first two spots, and I can’t think of a better 1/2 punch we’ve had in recent memory. It might be the missing difference maker this year.
It looks like Corey’s hitting the ball the harder than ever right now. He’s hitting the changeup significantly better than last year. Still not so great against movement. After the Nationals series last year, I was starting to doubt he’s a pillar player and was hoping to see three things from his this year. Drastically improve against offspeed and breaking pitches. Secure the number 2 spot in the order. Stay healthy. So far, so good.
I wonder if going to Boston was the best thing for Verdugo. Shortly before his injury last year, I thought I noticed a difference in his approach at the plate. Less selective and more power determined at the plate. I think it took away from who he is. I don’t know what Boston teaches or impresses on their hitters, but they’ve had among the best team batting averages over the last 5 years. Seems a good fit and maybe they’re allowing Verdugo to be himself.
You only present the pretty face of Corey, you do not present the ugly face, you have to play defense and it is in defense where Corey falls short, he has 8 errors but there are many plays that he cannot make and a good SS if he does. Before I thought he was going to be a good third baseman, now I have many doubts, I think the best thing would be for him to play, in the future, in 1B.
From FanBuzz.
First base is typically where teams stick their big-bodied, power hitters. Think Albert Pujols, Lou Gehrig, Jim Thome and Mark McGwire. They’re responsible for the area around first base and the bulk of their duties include receiving throws on ground balls, holding runners at first base and stopping hard-hit balls from lefties. Similar to catchers, this position also uses a big mitt with a wide web.
First basemen typically don’t possess the range that other infielders do, because the position doesn’t require it. That’s why many infielders transition to first base later in their careers when they’re not able to cover as much ground anymore. In MLB, you’ll find a good majority of first basemen are left-handed. That’s because right-handers have an easier time fielding and throwing to first base at other infield spots. Some managers have been known to as their coaches “this guy can hit, but can’t move, can’t throw and can’t field anything than bounces more than once. What do we do with him? “ in unison the coaches respond – “first base”.
Baseball positions ranked in order of skill level and importance:
SS
2B
CF
3B
RF
LF
1B
Traditionally, that’s the order. You can flip CF and 2B and of course pitchers catchers are at the top because without them you don’t even play the game. No sense in listing the DH. The DH doesn’t take the field.
Today, we could make a case for swapping LF and 1B. First is no longer the position for the big bopper who can’t run. You can get by with some pretty bad defense in LF – the player doesn’t require the strong arm of a right fielder as the throw from RF to third is the more difficult, making RF more important than LF.
It might have changed but last I looked the fielder likely to get the least dWAR on the team is the first baseman. Go to the MLB Defensive Wins Above Replacement Leaderboard and you won’t find a first baseman on the list. That’s why Muncy is there. That’s why if I had my way Seager would be there.
Dr Strangeglove is a thing. On our team it’s Muncy.
Keith Hernandez, Wes Parker, Adrian Gonzalez, Gil Hodges and Don Mattingly, among others, may beg to differ about not possessing the range other infielders do.
And Bellinger may have the most range of any first baseman I have seen play the game
Agreed!
Don’t look now, but we’re this close to Dodgers Giants next week in round 1.
I often listen to Chicago sports talk, because of Bears talk. This morning, it’s mostly Cubs/Sox, as both are going to the playoffs. I would’ve shut it off by now, but what’s kept me going is how many White Sox fans have called in bagging on how bad Grandal is at CATCHING THE BALL!! It is hilarious to hear them complaining about exactly what we all complained about during the last few Octobers with him.
Will Smith is so much better!!
Will Smith has greatly exceeded my expectations. I thought he was a defense-first backup catcher. I am very happy to have been wrong! I love Will The Thrill!
Corey seager is having a great year offensively. It wasn’t too long ago we were talking about how great he could be on both sides of the ball. Injuries slowed that talk. His defense is moving the wrong direction. Although he does not have the power numbers of bellinger he has hit for a higher average. He is capable of winning a batting title if he becomes a bit more disciplined at the plate.
Now the down side is that he and bellinger have both flopped in the playoffs. A preview last night of the playoff kershaw. Can anybody really expect kershaw to start game 1? Buehler has got to go game 1. We are going into the playoffs with a very shaky and unknown starting rotation. What we do know is that Roberts has relied too heavily on kershaw in the playoffs and we all know the results. I suppose with hill, maeda, and ryu gone kershaw will be front and center. Mb he can flourish or more likely watch the homers fly.
No pitcher in baseball throws more first-pitch strikes than Clayton. No One! His velocity is up this year, but in the playoffs, I am going to suggest that he alter his pitching style… somewhat. Not a huge change, but let’s work outside the zone on the first pitch a little more. If I know it, I am sure Prior and Kershaw know it. He has to adapt or the Dodgers won’t win.
He finishes 6th in ERA in the NL (2.16) behind #5 deGrom (2.14). He is #2 in WHIP behind Bauer (0.79). They are going to have to rely on him again. He is still elite and if he changes it up (just a little) this may be his year to shine. I think you are too worried about the starters… some of whom will be long-relievers in the playoffs. The Dodgers starting pitcher ERA is #1 (3.24) in the NL and #2 behind the Indians in all of baseball. They have the lowest BABIP in all of baseball, so they are pretty dang good.
The relievers are #1 in the NL in ERA (2.79) and #2 in baseball behind the A’s (2.49), They are 2nd in MLB in BABIP.
I feel confident that Kershaw, Buehler and Gonsolin will be the Big 3 and May and Urias will pitch out of the pen or in tandem. How about May for 4 or 5 and Urias for 4 or 5 – It messes up the other teams matchups!
I hope u r right. Watching game day it looks like kershaws velocity is back at last years levels but mb u know otherwise. He has certainly been very good this year. He also seems different from last year except for the last couple of outings which look very familiar. I am not confident but hopeful.
I am also concerned about Buehler. He hasn’t been right all year and now blister issues. There is a lot of doubt about how he will be the next time and certainly he won’t go deep. If he is the playoff guy we have known then great. At this point we really don’t have a choice. However, I think he could be what we want or really bad. He hasn’t had much preparation.
I do like the idea of starting a reliever (not Kelly) and then bringing in May, Urias etc to get deep into games. Our bullpen has been really good. Treinen has not been as consistent as we need given the role he will play. Please no Baez as setup. Use Baez and Kelly in 6 and 7. I would rather have floro against righties and kolarek against lefties as those 2.
Good stuff, Bear, thank you. You did a lot of research on this article. I remember Hodges, Buckner and Parker, Gonzo, and many others. Steve Garvey was one of my favorite players during his time with the Dodgers. A good guy, and as Bear said, a clutch hitter. I do not know if he should be in the HOF, certainly not before Gil Hodges who died at too early an age.
In last night’s game, Corey Seager was charged with an error when he dropped a foul ball. I disagreed with the scorekeeper. He was on the shift and had to run a long long way at full speed to just get to the ball. Good game, nice comeback. McGee and the bullpen were great even though Kenley still makes me nervous. JT was a hitting machine. Congrats to Justin on winning the Roy Campanella award.
Jason Stark has Corey Seager and Betts in the Top 10 for MVP. Betts #2 and Seager #9.
Although Kershaw was not exactly sharp, he was victimized by 3 unearned runs. And as far as I can tell, only STB even mentioned it. Seager is a good hitter but he is NOT a good shortstop. From what I’ve seen, which is most, but not all of his games, he never has been a good shortstop. He’s like Grandal playing short. You don’t believe me look at the leaderboards. On fangraphs, last year he ranked 16th the year before he was out of the Top 20. This year he is 17th. He’s got 0.0 dWAR. He’s replacement level out there.
I went back and looked at Gameday and Statcast and Kershaw only threw about 8 pitches over 90 MPH last night. He hit 91.6 a few times.
In previous starts he was 92-93 MPH. There are three explanations for this:
1. He has an injury;
2. He is tired; or
3. He was deliberately taking it easy and saving it for the playoffs.
I hope its #3.
Donnie Baseball has to be NL Manager of the Year, right? They lost 105 games last year, and like 20 guys got Covid in the first 2 weeks of this season.
Yet they are in the playoffs. Amazing. And I cannot name 1 guy on that team
I can! Yimi Garcia.
Yimi is having an excellent year for the Marlins. ERA of 0.60 and a WHIP below 1.00.
What about Rojas? He was part of the Gordon trade.
Hey Bear, as you have said you were living in the South Bay around and in music I got to wondering if you knew the other ‘Bear’ from Torrance Bob Hite? Also, was it you who said your mother worked at May Co. on Hawthorn Blvd in the early 60’s? If it was she would of worked with my sister Sandy.
It’s not very likely Kershaw will be facing any teams willing to cheat this post season. I’m confident we’ll see a very special Clayton Kershaw as shown. It’d be foolish to put any $ against the man.
My mom worked for Northrop in Hawthorne. I did not know Hite personally but I knew of him. People occasionally got us mixed up. As for the article, there were a lot of players I did not mention. I was concentrating on the guys who were the primary starters. I disagree with Badger and always will about the need for a good defensive first baseman, and since I played there, I think his analysis of what they are there for is bunkum. A good defensive first baseman can save a lot of errors. A clunker like Stuart can cost you runs and eventually a game. I think the Dodgers are a better defensive team when Bellinger is playing first. First might not be as important as center, but it gets a lot more action. The chances for making a good play at first are higher simply because of the amount of grounders hit to the infield. I have seen outfielders make maybe 3 plays a game, and sit there with their hands in their pockets the rest of the time. Yes, teams stick their big power hitters there. And most first basemen are left handed simply because in baseball there are only 3 places on the field you see them. Outfield, first base and pitching. It is felt throughout the game that they are not capable of handling the other spots on the field because the arm they throw with is on the wrong side. Especially making the double play being a second baseman, they would have to pivot the wrong way and that would take too much time. But that does not mean they are less athletic. Pujols, and Garvey became first basemen because they were terrible at their normal position. As for poor Joc, that experiment was just not going to be successful. I will also quote a line from Money Ball. They signed a guy who was a catcher. But Beane told him, we are going to use you at first base. He told them I have never played first base and Beane said it was easy, his coach, Ron Washington replied, it is hard. Very hard to play first base.
I remember when the Cubs tried a very fine outfielder, Billy Williams, at first base. Not quite as bad as the Pederson experiment, but close. Bellinger picks errant throws from the other infielders that Muncy frequently muffs. A good fielding first baseman makes the rest of the infield defense much better. I worked for Northrop Hawthorne (aircraft and electro mechanical) during, and after college. Great place to work back then.
Loved the Christmas parties they threw for us kids. They used to give away models of the aircraft they made. I got a F-89 Scorpion, and also a model of the Snark missile.
I had several of the models, including the Skoshi Tiger (F-5). Huge defense budget cuts in 1970 ended my Northrop career.
I’ve been in favor of Bellinger playing 1B this year for some of the reasons you mention. The increased involvement playing at 1B might have helped with the offensive slump. The idea being, recurring successful results with one aspect of your job, may trickle down and improve other areas. Plus, the increased engagement could distract from bad head space while standing idle in CF. Some of those last at bats before Bellinger moved off the plate screamed of a guy in a bad head space.
Also, I think Bellinger’s just a tad too stiff for CF to be his ideal position, since he seems to labor some if having to turn and throw in the opposite direction. He’s a very good CF, especially with the range and tracking, but he’s great in RF and 1B. The normal infield lineup lacks a single elite defender, and we’ve seen how adding one in Bellinger raises the overall performance. One final bit, Bellinger has a great arm just as good as Betts, but I haven’t seen it really utilized yet in CF. Maybe just the nature of the position where the corners get tested more.
Sorry to bring this up, but some of you may remember that Garvey had two families with children – at the same time. And he and Cindy had a tv show where they portrayed themselves as the all-American couple. The guy had some issues. It took him a long time to rehabilitate his reputation. As a player, he could sure hit, and he was good with the glove, but he couldn’t throw. Fortunately, first basemen don’t need to throw often, but I got the feeling that everyone held their breath whenever he had to make a throw. His recent difficulties not withstanding, I find Muncy a much more versatile fielder than Garvey. When I think of Garvey, I think of that wonderful infield he was part of with Cey, Russell, and Lopes. That was something special. And it was a long-running act that brought championships. Thus, I think of his contribution as being part of something great. If they could admit whole infields into the HOF, those guys would qualify. Garvey was a good player individually, but he was part of something greater than the sum of its parts.
Muncy has said numerous times that he is most comfortable at second base. I do not think he has sufficient range to play second, and he is not very good at third, so first base it is. He will probably be the primary 1st baseman over the length of his contract. In case anyone missed it, it looked as though Muncy hurt his wrist on a checked swing last night and he was pulled from the game. If he cannot hit, he is useless to the team. If he is hurt, I would rather see Rios take his spot at first. At least he is a bigger target and has been working hard on his defense. As for Garvey, his personal life is none of anyone’s business. What he did on the field was all I was interested in. Of course as a celebrity in one of the country’s largest cities, he is under a lot of scrutiny. And he is not the only male in the United States who has fathered children with multiple women The long running act won 1 World Series. They were a good team, but like the Dodgers of the 50’s, they just could not beat the Yankees in the 70’s. Garvey was not popular in the clubhouse because most of the players felt he was self promoting. Thus the fight with Sutton when Sutton made a remark about his wife.
Muncy seemed to be snapping out of his season long slump. I should hope this was just precaution. I think we need his bat when he is raking.
Yeah, in the last week he’s hitting .211, raising his average to .197.
If he was raking my lawn at .211, I think I’d can him and hire my neighbor Earl. Earl uses a walker most of the time but I’m thinking he can lean on a rake at .211.
Muncy has been terrible this year but all will be forgotten if he has a huge playoff. We know based on the last 2 years that he is capable of doing huge offensive damage. Just like bellinger I hope those 2 can break out. Both are capable. When the playoffs start the regular season won’t matter.
I would agree with Muncy that his best position is 2B. I don’t think he could have handled the position smoothly in the era before shifts and the Utley rule, but he is pretty solid there now. He certainly is better at 1B than at 3B. I imagine he is the kind of player who would benefit from playing the same position regularly and not being moved around so often.
Good points, that’s probably why I was surprised to see the Fan Buzz position rankings putting 2nd base so high, since they don’t seem as involved as they once were. Not sure if the stats back that up, just my perception. The league is still predominantly RH hitters. Personally, I’d rather have a slick fielding, strong armed 3rd baseman than a 2nd baseman. Of course, I’d love to have both and settle for a so-so LF.
So Bear you’d be comfortable with a guy like Vazquez on your club. Off the field issues are a huge part of a team and character matters. It matters to me. Guys like Kersh, Turner, Betts, Kenley. Guys with great character. It’s easy to root for them!
What Vazquez did and what Garvey did are entirely different, and Garvey was happily married when he was a Dodger. All of that stuff came out after he left the organization. What Vazquez did is a criminal act. No comparison. Your sense of what is right and wrong is skewed.
By the way, Garvey admitted to having affairs while he was married and he fathered a child, but he did not have a second family hidden somewhere. He and his wife divorced in 83. She was thrown in jail in 89 for not allowing him to see his daughters. Comparing Garvey’s character to Vazquez is ridiculous. Garvey’s wife wrote a book after they were divorced. Garvey for his part never went after her character. At one time, after his divorce, he was dating 4 women at the same time. Sorry, that may be a character flaw, and bad judgement, but it is not against the law. And he is not the first celebrity who has fathered children out of wedlock. Vazquez is in jail for child porn.
After they separated, Cindy Garvey hooked up with Marvin Hamlisch. Remover hearing “ goodbye Garv, Hello Marv”
I keep hearing stories about Garvey being such a bad guy and I have to ask – what about the Steve Garvey Foundation? The sole mission of this worthy endeavor is to share, teach and demonstrate the principles of manhood to young men, enabling them to achieve their dreams and become productive men who are balanced emotionally, politically and economically. Would a bad guy go to those lengths to help young men achieve their dreams?
Wait, what? That’s The Steve Harvey Foundation?
Never mind.
As you were.
Good one, Badger! I agree with Cassidy that character matters. There are certain players that I can admire both as people and players. Their character makes a difference on the field and off.
Nice article Bear! I had great hopes for Greg Brock when he arrived. Unfortunately, he never quite lived up to the hype. I also though Benzinger was going to produce more than he did. It also would have bee nice if the Dodgers had Jim Gentile on those early 1960’s teams.
Benzinger was never much of a hitter. And I thought he was a bad choice from the get go. As for Gentile, they were loaded with first basemen, Hodges, Larker, Gentile, Bilko, Fairly. So it only made sense to send him elsewhere, and I doubt he would have those kinds of numbers in LA.
I seem to be the only one bringing this up, but in the Seager vs. Lindor conversation don’t overlook Trevor Story who will also be a free agent at the same time. He’s an excellent fielder and a better hitter than Lindor.
I have no clue what AF’s budget will be and he might want to use it elsewhere, but Story is a very good ballplayer if they want to keep Seager but move him off shortstop after next year.
I would take Seager over Lindor anyday. I know Corey is not an elite fielder like Lindor, but he fits this team. Story is another that I would not mind having. But everyone here is entitled to their own opinion.
“and a better hitter than Lindor”
Is he Jefe? Are you sure?
He is this year!
Jeff Samardjiza placed on release waivers by the Giants.
Never liked Garvey, but he was a very good player.
You’re comment was that you were only interested in what happened on the field and not someone’s personal life. How is my sense of right and wrong skewed. Sorry but I don’t consider having an extra marital affair and fathering a child right. It may not be criminal but certainly not right.
Said one lawyer trying to collect on $235,000 Garvey owed him: “once a Dodger, always a dodger”.
Garvey owed a lot of people a lot of money. He was by most accounts an egocentric douchebag. But, this is where we talk only rainbows and butterflies when it comes to our Dodgers. Garvey likely has the credentials for enshrinement into both the Hall of Fame and the Hall of Shame. My opinion? I really don’t care.
His morality is his problem. But comparing him to a pedophile like Vazquez, that is over the top. What Garvey did is morally wrong, I understand that. But like I said, he is not the first, and is definitely not the last celebrity who has done or will do that. Having been in the music business and associated with it for as long as I have been, there are more than a few big name stars who did the same. A person’s moral issues are their problem, not mine. I have enough problems of my own, so I am not concerned how they act. And yep, all I cared about was how he performed when he was playing. I do not dislike Garth Brooks because he had an affair with Trisha Yearwood that ended up ending his marriage. It did not affect me personally. Was it the wrong thing to do? Obviously. People were hurt. But that is on his conscience. not mine. I am not a snob. Life happens, and different people react in different ways. I never try to force my sense of morality on anyone else.
Does anyone know how Muncy is doing and is he hurt bad?
He is in the lineup tonight batting 4th. Seager is the DH, and Taylor is playing short.
Wel, then I guess he is ok. Thanks Bear. I am glad.
Not a problem. He probably just felt a twinge and they pulled him simply to be cautious. He did single right after that. Pollock is hitting 9th tonight.
I was hoping and hoping he was not playing hurt so I am relieved. Worried it had something to do with his lower BA.
Good article on all time Dodgers’ 1st basemen Bear. I wonder if you can guess who my favorite is…..lol… I would love to see Gil get into the HOF but, as I’ve said before, it won’t happen. In the last Golden Era vote he didn’t even come close. It’s a shame.
I know many people don’t agree, but I think Bellinger should play 1B every game. He’s that good! Just the other night Muncy came off the bag for a throw that should have been a DP. If Belli was there the DP would have been completed. Bellinger not only gets the short hops (they’re easy) but he also gets the ‘tweeners (they can be tough).
My problem is that his numbers are very close to Tony Perez who is in the hall. And the Golden Age guys got it wrong again. Gil belongs with Willie, Mickey and the Duke, Jackie and Campy and Pee Wee. He was not only a Hall of Fame player, he was a Hall of Fame person. Impeccable character. If Mazeroski is in and Hodges is not, the hall loses all cred with me.
Like someone said above (maybe you?) the guys voting today probably never saw him play.
I must officially apologize to AC. Before 2019, he suggested signing DJ LeMahieu. I was one of the many here who said no need, we have others who are or can be just as good, and he won’t be the same away from Coors, etc.
Well he only has hit .359 with a 1.004 OPS in 49 games this year. Umm, ya he might’ve been a good pickup for us.
Also, on an unrelated note, Dusty Baker is the first manager to lead 5 teams to the playoffs. Wow, that’s actually pretty impressive.
that’s supposed to be 5 DIFFERENT teams
The more impressive stat is that he’s been managing for so long that he managed to ultimately get fired by each of the first four teams.
Too soon yet in Houston. He might retire before they do it.
Badger, you asked me above if I was sure Story was a better hitter than Lindor.
The answer is “yes”, if I’m allowed to choose my criteria.
I’m choosing Baseball Reference oWar for the last 3 years combined (including this year).
Lindor – 11.0
Story – 12.1
And the difference in dWar isn’t all that great either.
I happen to be a Lindor fan and would like to see him here under the right circumstances. I just meant to indicate that Story should be included in the conversation if Lindor wasn’t getable .
There isn’t a huge difference in offense or defense. The one difference is in personality. Lindor wins on that one.
And that doesn’t mean I advocate getting rid of Corey.
Home. Away. Coors Field.
I don’t think Story’s oWAR is repeatable away from Colorado. That too is just my opinion.
And Mark….. come on man….
Valid point Badger, but it doesn’t necessarily always work that way.
In 2018 (the year before he left Colorado), LeMahieu’s batting avg and OPS were almost 100 points higher at Coors than on the road. Look what he did when he left.
Not that those numbers insure that Story could do the same thing.
I’ve seen more than one player comment that the adjustments they have to make on the road when Coors is their home field really screw them up for road games. Once they leave the Rox, their stats even out a lot more.
Doesn’t hold true for all players though.
Yankee Stadium is made for DJ, but props to Jeff – he called it!
Per Dave Roberts – The wrist is not an issue for Muncy. They will continue to monitor JT, but for now, neither his thumb nor leg are an issue. He is ready for the playoffs. Doc still plans on getting Rios some time at 3B.
The decision to move Corey to the #2 spot was because there were too many outs being made at the top of the order. With Mookie/Seager/JT at 1-2-3, Dodgers believe they have the best 1-2-3 in MLB. I would guess that Braves fans might counter with Acuna/Freeman/Ozuna. But other than Atlanta, I cannot see any other team in that discussion.
CT3 is going to get most of the playing time at 2B in the playoffs, for the Wild Card series. The discussion right now is whether Lux will make the roster as a bench player, but he will not start at 2B any time in the playoffs. Doc did say that he does like Gavin on the bench for the playoffs, but it is not set.
Doc understands that Joc has not had a very good season, but believes with his entire career body of work, he deserves the chance to get his swing right. He will get every opportunity to get some positive momentum for the playoffs. But Doc acknowledges, that they need to put the best 28 man roster in the playoffs that will give them the best chance of winning.
Julio Urias threw an extended pen today and was very aggressive. He will be ready to go Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, in whatever capacity the team needs.
Doc was asked if there is any thought of going with three catchers. He acknowledged that Keibert is in the discussion, but that he would probably be more appropriate in a 5 or 7 game series rather than a 3 game series.
Dylan Floro
His health has been the biggest change in his 2020 season. He also acknowledges that his adjustment in his changeup has been a significant factor. He used to throw the pitch as hard as he could, but changed his grip this year and has let the grip do the work. He now has his 2-seamer and change that can get both RH and LH batters out. Last year his secondary pitch was his slider, but he acknowledges that the pitch was not always as good as it was when he first came up. He mentioned that in his last couple of bullpen workouts, the slider was coming back to where it used to be. If he gets the slider to work, he will have three pitches for the batter to worry about.
It was mentioned that Dylan often comes into the game with runners on and was asked if he liked that pressure. Dylan very diplomatically said that whatever is asked of him is just fine. All he wants to do is pitch and pitch for the Dodgers.
There have been a lot of relief pitchers speaking at the pre-game pressers, and they have all been asked about Kenley. To a man, every one of them have said that they admire him and believe he is getting back to his dominant ways. Yes, he has had a couple of bad outings, as had every relief pitcher (except Milwaukee’s Devin Williams). From Floro, to Treinen, to McGee, to (pre-injury) Ferguson, to Graterol, to Kolarek…every one of them went out of their way to mention how influential KJ has been, and how they acknowledge that he is the unquestioned closer of that bullpen.
I know I can hear it now. What are they supposed to say? True enough, but if you watched their body and facial language, not one of them were trying to politically comment on KJ. They all genuinely seem to believe that KJ is the Dodgers closer, no further discussion.
For those who are unfamiliar with Devin Williams, rookie reliever for Milwaukee.
100 Batters faced
53 Strikeouts/9 Walks
8 Hits
1 Earned Run (Colin Moran solo HR – 2nd game of 2020)
4 inherited runners – none scored
22 games
0.33 ERA
0.630 WHIP
He has not allowed a run (earned or unearned) since August 4 (his 4th game in 2020). He is a bit reminiscent of Eric Gagne and his change. Williams calls his change the Airbender. There is a fantastic article on Williams in the Athletic. For those with a subscription, I highly recommend it.
Thank you for all that information Jeff. I used to live in Southern California many years ago but I don’t anymore and I don’t get Sportsnet LA. Do you know if those pressers are available on the Internet free without some sort of subscription?
Eric, the press are invited by the Dodgers to be able to listen and to participate. I do not participate. LA DodgerTalk is considered a press publication for me to be invited.
Oh Ok
I see them on youtube every day
Why do they need seeding”, to determine playoff eligibility? Why is a win/loss record not enough? I do not understand. Is it to break ties if they occur?
The reason they are using seeding is the same as why they use it in the NBA for the playoffs. Right now. the Giants and the Brewers are tied record wise at 29-30. If that holds tomorrow, Milwaukee will be in because they hold the tie breaker which is record in your division. They are 19-20 in their division. Giants are 18-21 in the west. But it gets even more complicated than that. If the Brewers beat the Cardinals tomorrow, and the Giants do the same, then the Cardinals have to play a double header in Detroit on Monday to make up the 2 games they are short. If both the Giants and the Brewers lose, and the Phillies win, the Phillies have the tie breaker over both of them and they are the 8 seed. Cardinals are in if they beat Milwaukee. They would become the 2nd place team in the central and the Reds would be the 7 seed. Reds win tomorrow they will finish 31-29. But if they lose, this could really be messy. The possibility have having 4 teams at .500 is very real. Then the tiebreakers kick in. In the Central it would boil down to head to head match ups.
Thanks, AC, for the update on Muncy, JT, the team and the playoff roster. Hope you are enjoying Reno if you are still there. I agree the Dodgers 1-2-3 are just the best and I think Floro has been terrific, I trust him and feel confident when they bring him in the game. Hoping Jansen keeps doing well and Devin Williams sounds impressive especially his record of inherited runs not scoring, important to me. His other stats are excellent.
I like tonight’s lineup a whole lot.
Badger,
Lindor is the best defensive SS in baseball, but Seager may be the best SS in baseball… at least this year.
OWAR is what it is.
DWAR is still somewhat subjective.
I am loyal to those who are on my team. If Corey wants to play SS, then he can play it for the Dodgers. If he wants to move to 3B, then I would trade Lux, Muncy, Ruiz, Peters, Amaya, and Carrillo for him. That’s a lot!
1. Betts RF
2. Seager 3B
3. Turner DH
4. Bellinger 1B
5. Smith C
6. Lindor SS
7. Taylor 2B
8. Thomas LF
9. Pollock CF
… but both Lindor and Seager would have to sign extensions.
Umm, ya that’s way more than we gave up for a better player in Mookie. No thanks to that trade
Lindor is the best shortstop in baseball. Seager isn’t even the best shortstop in his Division.
Mark, your trading skills are unparalleled.
All this talk about Lindor. All I have to say is we don’t need to mess with the offense. What I would like in the off-season via free agency is 2 dominant against both sides of the plate relievers. If there are any available. We are capable of taking a lead into the seventh inning and it would be nice to know that we can shorten the game with dominant relievers from that point on.
I shouldn’t have said it that way about the offense. What I meant to say is that I think Muncy is just having a bad season it happens and then Lux may turn into the player that people have predicted next year.
Any one knows about Mookie Betts condition?
Daniel
Betts is fine. It’s a precaution only.
This is the only bad outing I can remember from Gonsolin this season. Best to get it out-of-the-way before the playoffs.
Turns out to be not that bad of an outing for Gonsolin. He turned it around.
The power went out in the stadium
Smith bomb. .300 average 1.014 OPS.
Good news is they win, hit 3 more homers. Bad news, Wood still looks lousy, Corey and Taylor both struck out 3 times. 14 K’s tonight against a pitching staff as bad as the Angels is not a good sign. Lux struck out without ever getting the bat off of his shoulder. Joc’s HR went to left, nice, Rios hit one that was aided by Adell. Mookie is ok, pulling him was precautionary.
Even thinking about Lindor is premature. We will get some idea of the plan this off season.