The O’Malley’s Part 2 – Peter

Posted By on December 2, 2020

Peter O’Malley was born on the 12th of December 1937 in Brooklyn, New York. We all know who his parents were. He spent his childhood as a child of privilege. His dad’s success allowing the family comforts many of the citizens did not enjoy due to the depression.

He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. And then from the Wharton School of Business in 1960. Peter’s first job with the Dodgers was Director of Dodgertown in Vero Beach. He was named to that position in 1962. Walter basically wanted Peter to work his way up. He was not just going to bring him to the top of the tree.

In 1965 he became President and General Manager of the Spokane Indians of the PCL. The Dodgers top farm team. He moved to the big club as Manager of Stadium Operations in 1967. In 1969 he became the Executive Vice President.

On March 17, 1970, Walter turned the reins over to Peter and he became the President of the Dodgers. His father, though retired retained the title of Chairman of the Board. Ol Walt was not going away that easy.

The Dodgers had not won a pennant in 3 years when he took over. His general manager was Al Campanis. Al was a pretty shrewd GM. His trades always showed that he usually over valued his players. Many GM’s from other teams felt like they had been fleeced by Al.

The team had their first winning season since 66 in 1969. Finishing 4th in the NL West. Going into the year they had to feel a little better about themselves. Peter’s first year at the helm the team went 87-74 and finished 2nd behind the Reds.

There were some remnants of the glory years with Don Sutton and Claude Osteen winning 14 and 16 games respectively. Wes Parker, Willie Davis, Jim Lefebvre, Jeff Torborg, Osteen, Sutton, and Jim Brewer were the remaining players on the team from the 66 squad. And Maury Wills, returning to LA in a trade with the Expos, appeared in 132 games at SS with Billy Grabarkewitz moving over to 3rd.

But some kids were making their MLB debuts. Bill Russell was 21 and got into 81 games. Steve Garvey, also 21 saw action in 34 games…he had some trouble with throws. Bill Buckner at 20 was in 28 games, Joe Ferguson appeared in 5 at age 23. Tom Paciorek also made his debut. Also a young knuckleballer named Charlie Hough pitched in 8 games.

In 71, 72, and 73, they finished 2nd to the Giants and then the Reds twice. In 1974 they finally reached the World Series again. There had been some significant additions to the team. Jimmy Wynn came over from the Astros and had an MVP caliber season.

The infield was firmly in the hands of Garvey, Lopes, Cey and Russell. Buckner and Willie Crawford flanked Wynn in the OF and had a combined 50 homers and over 200 RBI’s between them. Fergie and Yeager shared the catching duties. While Andy Messersmith, Sutton, Doug Rau and Tommy John were the stalwarts of the rotation with a little help from Al Downing. Hough and Mike Marshall, who had come over from the Expos for Willie Davis carried the load in the pen.

It was clearly now Peter’s team. And the times they were a changing. Alston retired at the end of the 76 season and a fiery guy named Lasorda took the reins. He claimed he bled Dodger Blue.

Under Peter, the Dodgers felt like a family. The won 2 more pennants in the 70’s. But those damn Yankees again, just could not be beat. Thanks to things like Reggie’s hip. But there were a lot of exciting moments. Especially the big confrontation between Jackson and Bobby Welch.

Wynn was replaced by Rick Monday who came over from the Cubs in 1977. Buckner went to the Cubs in that deal, and Johnny B. (Dusty) Baker came over in 76 from the Braves in a 6 man deal.

The 80’s dawned and there was a tight race with the Astros. It boiled down to a playoff game with the Stros. They lost the game 7-1 with free agent signee Dave Goltz getting the loss. Fans were devastated. But there was a small light of hope.

A young Mexican lad of 19 made his MLB debut and pitched in 10 games without giving up a run. He won 2 of those out of the pen. An omen of things to come. The next year a phenomenon would start when the opening day starter could not meet the bell, and the legend of Fernandomania began.

The kid was phenomenal. Not only did he throw 8 shut outs with 11 complete games in 25 starts, but he could hit too. In 1981 he won the Cy Young, the ROY, the Sporting News NL Pitcher of the Year and the Major League Player of the Year. Pretty heady stuff for a rookie. And believe it or not, those are the only major awards he won his entire career. A career that spanned 17 seasons. The only bad spot was the strike.

They were the comeback kids. Seemingly always behind, they would mount rally’s and win. 1981 was a very special year since they beat the Yankees, and the infield finally got their rings. In 82, Lopes would be gone.

Peter’s team had 4 straight rookies of the year in , Rick Sutcliffe, Steve Howe. Valenzuela, and Steve Sax. Quite an accomplishment. They won the division in 83 and 85. But did not do so well in 82, 84, 86 or 87. In 1988, some guy named Kirk Gibson came along.

The 88 team was also special. They had some great pitching from Orel, leadership from Gibson and a talented bench corps nicknamed, The Stunt Men. Led by class clown, Mickey Hatcher. All would play prominent roles in the winning season.

In the NLCS the beat a Mets team that had defeated them 11 of 12 games during the regular season. The Mets were loaded with talent and had won 100 games that season. The pitching staff was led by Doc Gooden and David Cone.

The turning point was game 4 in New York. The Mets were up 4-2 in the 9th inning. And were leading 2 games to 1. In the 9th inning, with no outs and a runner on, Mike Scioscia hit a 2 run homer off of Gooden to tie the game. The Dodgers won the game in the 12th on the strength of a Gibson HR off of Roger McDowell, who would become a Dodger in 1991.

Gibson was injured diving for a ball in game 7. But they won the series, 4-3 and it was on to face the mighty A’s. No need to rehash that series, it is fresh in most of the fan’s memory.

One painful thing Peter had to do at the end of the 87 season was let Campanis go. We all know about the racial statements he made in an interview. So 1988 was Fred Claire’s first at the helm.

Over the next several seasons, the team did not have much success. In 1992 they had their WORST season since leaving Brooklyn, losing 99 games. The bright spots were the 5 consecutive ROY’s during that time. Eric Karros, Mike Piazza, Raul Mondesi, Hideo Nomo and Todd Hollandsworth.

Nomo was a sensation, and Piazza was the best hitting catcher in Dodger history. They did manage to win the division in 94, but there were no playoffs due to the strike. In 95 they won the west again but were quickly eliminated by the Reds. 96 and 97 they finished second to the Padres and the Giants respectively.

Over the winter of 97, there were the rumblings that Peter was considering selling the team. Most did not know why. The Dodgers were always close to the top in attendance. Their marketing department was top notch. And player development and the front office were in good hands.

But It seemed I guess to him the right time to sell. Being a family owned team the financial drain was getting bigger. And it also seemed that Peter’s children did not want to take over the family business. They had no interest in baseball. So on the 19th of March 1998, 18 years and 2 days after he had assumed the reins of the team, O’Malley sold the Dodgers to Rupert Murdoch for what was reported to be 311 to 350 million dollars.

At the time it was the most money ever paid for a sports franchise. Peter stated that he felt the days of family ownership were basically over. Murdoch, in what to many Dodger fans would be a really dumb move placed members of Fox’s television exec’s to oversee the Dodgers. Right, a bunch of TV geeks who know bupkis about baseball running one of the most successful franchises in the league. Makes sense to me.

Peter became the Chairman of the Board, but gave up that post after the 1998 season. O’Malley did not just simply fade away. He was leading the charge to get a new NFL stadium and team for LA. Meanwhile Fox was busy pissing the fan base off by trading their best player.

Peter was fighting a losing battle trying to get a stadium built. The forward thinking LA City council thought that any NFL team coming to Los Angeles should play in the 70 year old Coliseum. Smart guys. No Luxury boxes, antiquated clubhouses.

Peter was doing many things. Promoting baseball as an Olympic sport, promoting Little League baseball. He was chairman of the Little League Foundation. His promotion of baseball globally particularly in Latin America, Japan, and China where a donation he made in 96 funded the construction of their first baseball stadium.

He also funded stadiums in Nicaragua, and Ireland. He was credited as running the Dodgers with consistent methods and values known as the Dodger Way. He would treat his staff to ice cream every day at 2 pm when the Dodgers were in first place. Freshly baked cookies on sell out days, and overseas trips when the team had a really successful year.

When the worst owner in Dodger history announced he was selling the team in 2011, O’Malley made a bid to buy the team back. He withdrew the offer on the 21st of February 2012.

Dodgertown was included in the US Civil Rights Trail. It was there that many challenged segregation and of course Jackie Robinson coming to the majors. Not much info on what Peter is doing these days. He is of course involved deeply with his family. He is one of the more respected owners of his time. And probably a lot better liked than his dad.

He was named an honorary citizen of the city of Tianjin China, where he built the stadium, which is appropriately named, Dodger Stadium. And he received the Order of the Rising Sun third class in 2015.

My take on Peter is that he was very much about family. That is the way he ran the team. They sustained the success his father started and built a solid franchise. Unfortunately, McCourt almost ruined it. But under the Guggenheim leadership, it has regained its luster…..and then some.

This article has 111 Comments

  1. Great read this morning once again. Thank you Bear. I appreciate all of you writers that contribute to this site and all the work each and everyone of you put in.

  2. The Dodgers and left-hander Scott Alexander have agreed to a one-year, $1MM deal, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports (Twitter link). Alexander posted a 2.92 ERA over 12 1/3 innings out of the Los Angeles bullpen this season, recording an equal number of walks and strikeouts (nine). The southpaw was thought to be a potential non-tender candidate given his relative lack of usage and his non-inclusion on the Dodgers’ playoff roster, but the team will retain Alexander for his second arb-eligible year.

    1. $1MM is in line with the MLBTR predictions for what he would receive – $1MM/$1.2MM/$1MM

    2. Signed, but not sure he will be retained. Perhaps a trade chip if team is able to add better quality left hander for the bullpen

      1. I would agree, but who want’s him? My first blown prediction of the hot stove. I thought he would be non tendered.

        1. Ditto on the non tender. For $1M a team that is roster thin for LH relievers. Angels? Astros? Reds? Amir Garrett is the only LH reliever currently on the Reds roster. Both Reds and Astros might like Alexanders 70% ground ball rate for their dinky, hitters parks.

      2. This story, the previous one, and all of the articles you write are extremely well done. What’s impressive is that you’re not a professional. It’s not your job. I can tell you put a lot of time and effort into researching these articles as well as drawing upon your lifetime of fandom in what is a labor of love. It’s appreciated.

        You have an impressive memory and the memories and knowledge you share are like a written history that I’m glad is being shared, because when it’s gone (not that I’m saying you’re not long for this Earth, but you know what I mean), it’s gone for good. Those memories are lost. Thanks for putting them down in writing and doing the research and teaching us something new about the game and its history with each article. Well done.
        …

        The only interesting thing I can glean from the Alexander signing is the willingness to fork over some money for more of a situational reliever. AF’s prior MO is scavenger hunting for value, and it’s worked out in the past. If AF is willing to give 1 mil to a reliever who was never a huge part of the relief corps, is that a harbinger that he might spend to re-sign a Treinen or maybe a Hendriks? Dunno, but one thing in its favor is that, even if you overspend on a reliever, it’s usually for a short term deal. Kelly hasn’t panned out, but he comes off the books after next year. It makes the prospect of spending a little extra on relief a little more palatable if the goal is financial flexibility.

        1. Thank you very much for that Patch. It is much appreciated. Having the opportunity to write for this post has been a godsend. It fills up time when nothing is really going on. I cannot work on music all the time nor spend the entire day watching movies. Too damn cold to fish, and the lakes are freezing over anyway. So research and trying to come up with topics and points in history I hope the readership will enjoy and find educational, are great ways to spend the day. My next one is already in Jeff’s hands. I am not sure when he will put it on here, but it was something I wanted to discuss.

  6. Going back to part #1had me rambling many thoughts in so many directions it’s probably not wise to even relay where my head is at this moment as the way is with one poster child with A.D.D. The rivalry between Walter and Branch is something that has impacted greatly on every life here. If not for either of those two this site wouldn’t be here and I likely wouldn’t have much interest in baseball. My parents were LA Dodger fans and thusly me too, and thanks to O’Malley on that one. But, probably the biggest contributor to the game itself Rickey was a giant and very undeserving of any disrespect. The Robinson family still shows very much respect always referring to him as Mr. Rickey. I actually credit him mostly in breaking the color barrier and Robinson being his best choice to be successful at it. That’s not to discredit Robinson err Mr. Robinson that is. Rickey and O’Malley were the real Lords of Flatbush and that got me thinking about Stallone and Gere (the other ‘Lords Of Flatbush’. I was a bigger fan of Stallone but when I learned of his cheap shot at Gere about gerbils made me have a disliking towards Stallone. But it’s most likely Stallone believed it as too unbelievable to take root. But it did and Gere still suffers grief to this day from that lie. A pretty good indicator of Americans possessing a large amount of stupidity. And that got me thinking about this last election. It should be really easy for me to not bring up politics as I didn’t even vote. But I’m not one to cheer for the best of two evils and neither one of those two have anything I could like about them. But that got me thinking about my brother who’s very republican and blames every wrong happening on democrats and I would be ashamed to claim being either. He’s all the family I have left. He’s in the hospital with double pneumonia due to covid-19 where he had stated a disbelief of it existing. But I love him and love hasn’t always won the way it does nowadays. That reminds me that I have to call the hospital again that promises to call back everyday of these last five days and hasn’t on his condition which I think is pretty damn rude of them as I’m not allowed to visit him and he’s only two blocks from my Apt. I used to be a giant in my walk of life of as a criminal. I’m not bragging about that but but I watched that amazing last pitch sealing the World Series victory of 88 in prison for Dodgers. I not committing crimes these days and have a pretty innert existence. And probably have discredited myself where none here will think I have anything to offer. But it’s the good guys that you need to fear. The one’s who parade to be the good guys never are who they say they are. Just sharing what I am forced to put up with….me. I started with this not a good idea, but there’s always more than one side. Sorry friends. Oh, and that damn DB Cooper sure screwed things up for me and my enterprise back then……A.D.D.

    1. Would love to discuss all of that with you Quas, but I know better.

      “A pretty good indicator of Americans possessing a large amount of stupidity.”

      Could not have said it better.

      “I do not know if the people of the United States would vote for superior men if they ran for office, but there can be no doubt that such men do not run.”

      ― Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America

      1. Mornin Badger..hell of a way to start the day huh? But the sun is shining, the Dodgers are Champions and I have blown my first prediction already. I said they would non tender Ol Alexander, and they re-signed him. Leave it to AF to ruin my first cup o java! Saw something weird yesterday. I got home from doing a few errands and when I was getting out of my truck, there was a buck on the stretch of grass between the parking lot and the fence at the back of the building. The weird thing was that one of his antlers was pointed forward over his eye instead of up like the other was. He reminded me of the deer in the movie Open Season, Elliot. Very strange.

        1. Hey Bear.

          Yeah, interesting start to the day. It’s beautiful here. Going to be 74 and sunny. I already got a walk in, and am about to blend up some fresh kale, chard, mint, basil and oregano from my garden, which looks great by the way.

          Alexander. I actually like the guy. Or I did at one time. Too many BB, otherwise he’s ok. Hopefully he gets it back.

      2. Well I just found out they put my brother on a ventilator and chances are too slim for me on his recovery, about 15%. So I’m not in a good mood.

    2. LOL. Wow! We went from Jackie Robinson to gerbils as sex toys in two sentences. That’s ok. I have the ADD affliction, too. In some ways its a blessing as it allows for creative thinking.

      It’s all right about your past. No one’s here to judge. You’re a Dodger fan and you have plenty to offer.

      I didn’t know that the gerbil story started with Stallone. I remember looking it up on Snopes and they just seemed to think it happened organically. When I was a kid, I remember everyone swore they knew a friend of a friend whose mom was a nurse who was in the hospital when Gere was admitted. People want to believe falsehoods if they are juicy enough.

      Hoping your brother gets better.

      Are you DB Cooper?

  7. No problem Quas. I am sure many of us have skeleton’s in our closet we would rather forget. I am sorry about your brother and sincerely hope he gets better. People can hide behind deceit. Some lie so often they begin to believe the lie. Rickey and O’Malley were polar opposites. Walter was an astute business man and his business was the Dodgers. Rickey was a non drinker, very religious and he did not smoke. But he also was a forward thinker, very innovative and believed, I mean honestly believed in an era when most did not, that men of color needed to be given the opportunity to play baseball in the major leagues. He stuck his neck out and became an instant target in doing so. He did not take no for an answer. One reason I love the movie “42” so much is because it shows that moment when he asks Robinson if he has the guts not to fight back. And he only asked him to do that for a year. Once he made it and succeeded, the players that followed had a little easier path. Not real easy because those who broke in playing in the south still were taunted and called names. 3 of the first 4 African American’s to play in the majors played for the Dodgers, and all were signed while Rickey was running the team. The Christian thing to do is forgive people for what they have done in the past. And as long as you have made peace with yourself, I am pretty sure no one here feels anything negative towards you. Keep on posting and contributing. We are all in the first place, Dodger fans.

    1. That write up would be X rated. My next one is actually already written and Jeff is proof reading it soon.

        2. Not sure the way he bled money that McCourt could afford a chauffeur. He makes money hand over foot now since he owns the Dodgers parking lot. And he still gouges Dodger fans. Parking at Dodger Stadium is ridiculously high. I am not sure, but I think that arrangement had a time limit on it. Something like 10 years. So maybe it will revert to the new owners at some point. I really dislike that guy making any money off of the fans he cheated.

          1. I think the chauffeur comment was in reference to a certain rumor involving Jamie McCourt.

            They were both scumbags.

          2. I had forgotten all about that! Wow, good memory. I remember when there were a lot of rumblings about Cindy Garvey and her personal trainer, Jake.

  9. Enjoyed your article very much, Bear. It describes a time of great interest to me. I have always been a long time Dodger fan and have rooted for no other team than them even while growing up in the Canadian Pacific Northwest. But this was my favorite time of the Dodgers following Cey, Garvey, Russell, and Lopes along with Yeager, Sax, Hatcher, Lasorda, the Bulldog, and many many others.

    I was disappointed Peter O’Malley sold the team and worried about it at the time. I have read that the O’Malley family is now involved in the ownership of the Padres. Is that Peter or the kids that did not want to be part of the Dodgers? Just wondering.Great pictures by the way.

    1. Thank you DBM. Some of the photo’s Jeff contributed, like the infield and Claire with the trophy. I guess the kids just did not show that they were ready and Peter wanted to pursue some other idea’s he had including bringing pro football back to LA. But I also read at the time that Peter was really more concerned with the extreme estate taxes in the state of California. They would have been enormous and would have eaten a lot of the kids inheritance. And when you have 9, you know there is going to be some pushing and shoving. The former owner of the Bronco’s, Pat Bowden has his daughters fighting over control of the team now since his passing. The court date was set back to July because of Covid. John Elway is running the team right now. Peter is still part of the ownership group that owns the Padres. His nephew, Peter Seidler, became the teams controlling owner when Foster stepped down last month. The 70’s and 80’s were great decades for the Dodgers. Outside of the Yankees, they are probably the most recognized MLB team in the world.

      1. I think Peter is far more likable than his sourpus old man. What do I know. They both ran in different circles than I did.

        1. I would totally agree on that. Walter always looked to me like a grumpy old man. I wonder if Jeff Dunham based his puppet Walter on him? They sure look alike. But I am glad he moved the Dodgers to LA.

  10. Alexander for $1M. At least it’s news. Alexander has been hit and miss for me. In 2019 he wasn’t right for most of the year and seemed like he couldn’t get lefties out. Last year, I thought it was odd than he was optioned, then disappeared, never to be seen again. But, he did walk a batter for each K. Overall, he’s been a pretty good pitcher and I guess he’s worth another shot. $1M is chump change and he is a left hander so I’m not surprised at the signing and doubt that he will be a trade chip.

    Today is the day that non tenders will happen. The deadline is 8PM ET. It will be interesting if any quality will be let go. I don’t expect anything like an every day RH power bat. Maybe someone that can be consider a depth piece. Hopefully, I’ll be pleasantly surprised.

    1. Alex had a tough year. And yep, today they have to either offer contracts or let some of those guys go. Others will go to arbitration if they so desire. What his signing does do is give them depth at the lefty reliever spot on the roster with Alex, Gonzalez and Kolarek.

      1. His career ERA+, H9, HR/9 and BAA are decent. He just walks too many. Throw strikes man. Just don’t throw them down the middle.

  12. BREAKING NEWS:. Lebron James and the Lakers just agreed to a 2 year extension through 2023, Hold your breath, for 85 million. Pretty sure that means Anthony Davis will resign with the team. His agent and he have been meeting with Pelinka.

    1. That sucks, I can’t stand Lebron, never have liked all the stunts he has pulled since his NBA career started. Besides the NBA is unwatchable anyway.

  13. Hey, I got my Topps WS set in the mail today. If I figure out a way to post a picture I might share a photo. I wanted to buy something to commerate the championship and decided to go retro. Haven’t seen a baseball card in years.

    1. I started collecting again after I retired because I finally had somewhere to keep them. I also collect Dodger bobble heads and have close to 100. My first task was to get the entire Topps 1959 set of Dodgers. It was their first Championship team in LA and the first year I really got into collecting cards. I had a few cards from previous years. It took me about 4 years of pricing and looking on Ebay, but I finally got them all, including a 59 Essegian in a Cardinal uni. But, I realized last year I was missing one. Johnny Klippstein. Since his 59 is plentiful and relatively cheap, I fixed that error pretty fast. Wills, Churn and Essegian did not have Dodger cards that year. And Churn, who was gone after the 59 season, never had a card issued. But earlier this year someone started making just the photo side of players who were on the team, so I got a Wills, and Essegian and Churn a couple of months ago. I now have all of the members of the 59 WS Champs. Koufax was the most expensive of the lot. Of course, none of the cards I bought were mint condition. But most were rated very good. One of the hardest to find was Gene Snyder, a lefty pitcher who’s card was in the 7th series along with Wally Moon. 7 series is always the hardest to find, which is why Mantle 52 rookie cards cost more than 50,000 dollars. I got the Topps regular season 2020 set of Dodgers a while ago. I am waiting on a 50 card lot of Dodgers from assorted years that I found on Ebay and they should be here by next week. Yesterday I got a Busch 2020 Topps chrome rookie card. By the way, Essegian hit 2 pinch hit HR’s in the 59 series which is why I consider him essential to the set.

    1. Nope. I probably blew a lot of cash that would have come in handy today if I had been able to keep them all. Even the common cards from the early 50’s can bring some cash. Especially the high numbers. I saw a 52 Billy Antonello card sell for 40 bucks.

  15. Jim Bowden out with his latest suggested trade/free agent scenarios this morning.
    He has two for the Dodgers:
    1) Sign Liam Hendriks to a 3 year/$42MM deal
    2) Trade the Rockies Ruiz, Jo Jo Gray and Amaya for Arenado.

    My first thoughts are that I wouldn’t expect AF to spend that kind of money on a reliever, even a very good one. Of course, you could always counter with the thought that $42MM is a lot less than the last three years of Kenley will be. That said, I would be shocked to see Andrew spend that kind of money on Hendriks.

    With regard to the Arenado deal, Ruiz is blocked and Amaya can be spared, but do we want to trade Gray? I would still rather re-sign JT and save the prospects for another deal, but I would understand some people wanting to do that trade.

    Any thoughts?

    1. I think that estimate of what Hendricks will be offered is very high. My thinking is that what ever kind of deal any player makes this offseason that is multi year, meaning 3 or more, it will be back loaded. Simple reason is they have no clue how many games will be played in 2021. How much revenue they will bring in. And mostly, will fans be back. Hendricks is probably the top relief arm out there. And considering that, I would say, 3 years, about 36 mil would be more like it. As for Arenado, I do not think the Rocks will trade him to the Dodgers. Backlash would be tremendous, and they have a brittle relationship with their fan base as it is. As for Gray, I am not trading him or May. They can have Gonsolin, but Gray is staying. The Phillies are on the hook for 279 million to Bryce Harper until 2031. Considering the loss of revenue, they are not going to be big spenders for a while. I hope they go elsewhere for a GM, but Byrnes will probably get the job. Kim Ng made her first trade last week. Getting Cimber.

      1. The Rockies might have to just accept the best offer, no matter who it comes from. Arenado is leaving and the market for him might be trimmed by the fact everybody knows where it is he wants to play. I think that offer is a good one. Would I do it? Yeah, probably. I’d have to know Arenado would extend and work with the Dodgers on a deal that would favor both parties.

        1. He could restructure the deal possibly. Lowering the AAV and maybe adding a year or two. For sure the Rocks are not going to be in control of any deal. But I am also sure if Arenado was traded to the Dodgers, he would not opt out….and the Rockies fans would be pushed over the edge.

          1. I can’t figure out how Nolan to LA would work out financially, but if there’s anyone who can it’s AF. Still think the risk [due to injury, production, $] is too great for us.

            Besides, we have Hoese who looks like he could be the next Dodger stud.

          3. Dodgerlover. take a guess at the percentage of so called stud prospects who actually make it in the major leagues. The number of flops far out weighs the ones that do. Arenaado does not have an injury history. He immediately improves the defense. He is far and away the best in the NL. I am not worried about his bat. His Dodger Stadium numbers would improve simply because he would not be facing Dodger pitching. It comes down to does AF think he will be able to resign Seager? If not there are going to be plenty of SS on the market after next season. It also will come down to the Rockies willingness to trade him to a division rival, and really they will not have many choices since he has a full no trade. His displeasure with the front office and his desire to play for a winning franchise are going to drive any decision he makes. And honestly? He is so fed up with the Rockies FO and ownership he will opt out if not traded. His next contract might not be for the same money, but I think he places a premium on winning. Unlike some other free agents over the last few years…ya listening Harper? And his projected numbers over a 162 game season, .280 average, 35 Homers and 100 plus RBI’s far exceed anything JT ever put up. And they have a ton of payroll coming off after the season. If he is truly interested, AF has to kick the tires on Arenado. If Seager does not get resigned, and they do not get Arenado, then maybe they go after Lindor if he is not signed long term by someone else. Everything is so muddled right now, no one knows what AF has planned or on his plate. Today he has 6 players left that he has to tender contracts to or let go.

  16. The 6 remaining arbitration eligible players for the Dodgers, Floro, Belli, Seager, Urias, Buehler and Barnes. All of them seem locks to get offers. Yankees have 11 players on that list including Bum’s pic of the litter, Torres.

    1. Bowden must be smokin some wacky weed along with Willie. Crazy number and to me not realistic at all. Sanchez offered a contract by the Yanks. Did anyone really believe they would just let him walk? Not with that bat. Some big names left though. Bryant and Schwarber of the Cubs. Believe it or not, Lindor is on that list too.

      1. Bowden just writes silliness. I can’t believe he gets paid to write the trash he puts out to the curb each week. I think some of the Athletic’s national baseball writers aren’t very good with Bowden being at the top of that list. I looked at some of the other trades/signings he suggested in the article and most are a joke. We get much better coverage, thoughts, and opinions here at LADT and it’s free (thank you Mark).

  18. This day in Dodger history, Tommy Lasorda was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun by the emperor of Japan for his contributions to Japanese baseball. In 2010 the Dodgers announced that 81 year old Vin Scully would be returning to the booth. He would stay in the booth until 2016. His last game at Dodger Stadium was a walk off win on a homer by infielder Charlie Culberson. Tommy is now out of the ICU but he is still in the hospital

  19. Outfielder’s Eddie Rosario, and Jose Martinez just became free agents. Martinez was non tendered by the Cubs and Rosario cleared waivers. Becoming a very busy day around baseball. Former Dodger Grant Dayton re-ups with the Braves for 900,000 for one year. Jose Urena DFA’d by the Marlins.

    1. Have to agree with that. Going to check the list again and see who has resigned or been tendered. Carlos Rodon, Greg Garcia and Maikel Franco non tendered.

  22. I liked Maikel Franco since beginning with Phillies, maybe he can be a good addition to the bench….If JT won’t back with Dodgers

    1. If he plays hard all the time yeah. There was a game in 2019 I watched and he was pulled from the game for not hustling.

  23. Naquin, Goodwin and Sheve non tendered. Pads reversed course and tendered Pham. No word on the other 6 Dodgers yet, or the bigger names except Sanchez of the Yanks. Nomar Mazara also non tendered. Once a top prospect.He is still only 25 years old. Adam Duvall non tendered by the Braves.

    1. Badgers are ferocious Probably pound for pound the most ferocious animal on earth. But Bears are powerful. And much cuter when they are little.

  27. Brewers non tender Corey Knebel. He missed 2019 after TJ and quite a bit of last season. Wasn’t very good when he came back in August but his last few outings in September looked very good. AF, are you listening? This would be a great pickup.

    Carlos Rodon (White Sox) and Kyle Schwarber (Cubs) were both non-tendered today. They were the 3rd and 4th picks in the 2014 draft, which all goes to show that the draft is an inexact science. I remember when Schwarber was drafted 4th most “experts” thought that was too high.

    1. Adding to my wish list, the Rox have non-tendered David Dahl. Lefty hitting outfielder who made the All Star team a couple of years ago. The perfect platoon partner for AJ. Neither one of them can stay healthy. Between the two of them we should be fine.

  28. DODGERS ACQUIRE RHP COREY KNEBEL

    LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired right-handed pitcher Corey Knebel from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

    Knebel, 29, was non-tendered by the Brewers today after spending the last five seasons in Milwaukee. In five seasons with the Brewers, he went 6-11 with a 3.20 ERA (81 ER/227.2 IP) and 325 strikeouts in 231 games. In his 2017 All-Star campaign, he tossed a career-high 76 games, going 1-4 with 39 saves and 1.78 ERA (15 ER/76.0 IP) and 120 strikeouts. He pitched in 15 games last season, going 0-0 with a 6.08 ERA (9 ER/13.1 IP) and 15 strikeouts after missing the 2019 season with a torn UCL in his throwing arm. He was originally drafted in the first round (39th overall) of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Texas.

    2. That’s the fastest Santa ever delivered on one of my wishes. 🙂
      I just hope it turns out better than Jimmy Nelson.

      1. Another full year removed from his surgery he should be better. His velocity had dropped to 94 last season. Archie Bradley was cut loose too.

  29. Can someone answer this question for me? I thought the minute a player is non-tendered he becomes a free agent. If Knebel was a free agent, how could the Brewers trade him? Does that mean he wasn’t actually ever non-tendered and does that also mean he goes to arbitration as a Dodger and probably winds up somewhere between $5MM-$6MM? If so, AF must have really liked what he saw at the end of the year last season.

    1. Reports are he was never non-tendered by Brewers and traded to Dodgers before deadline. And the Dodgers tendered him so he is eligible for arbitration.

  30. Rafer Johnson, Olympic gold medalist and one of the men who subdued Sirhan Sirhan after he shot RFK has passed away.

    1. That’s too bad. I remember he was the athlete who officially lit the torch of the 84 Olympics.

      1. Yes, he was the guy who carried it the last leg. Excellent athlete. The other guy who got Sirhan down was Roosevelt Grier, the former Ram tackle

    2. If you’re thinking about Schwarber you might as well bring back Joc. At least he can play the outfield. Schwarber, not so much. And they’re somewhat similar hitters.

      And I’m also adding Matt Wisler to my list, non tendered by the Twins tonight. He can start and relieve and had an excellent 2020.

        1. He’s a better hitter than Pederson. Not as good in post season. 0 for 11

          I prefer Red Lentil Dahl:

          Ingredients. 1 tablespoon olive oil. 1 large yellow onion, chopped small. 5 cloves garlic, minced. 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated. 1 tablespoon garam masala. 1 teaspoon ground turmeric. 1/2 teaspoon red pepper chili flakes. 1 1/2 cups dried red lentils.

          Knebel huh? I just read he has a Major League record – most consecutive games without a strikeout by a relief pitcher. 45. Could be a great pickup.

          Badgers are ferocious, but they do have natural enemies. Bears and mountain lions have been known to take them down. Not much messes with adult bears.

        2. I’m a fan of Dahl’s. Made mention of him up above. Great minds……………………..

          1. Great Indian dish.

            If he’s healthy, he’d be a good pick up. He sure sucked this year. Not a free agent until ‘24. Why is he a available? Injured shoulder.

          2. December 2, 2020 08:04 PM
            Rockies’ David Dahl: Cut loose by Rockies
            by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
            Dahl (shoulder) was non-tendered by the Rockies on Wednesday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

            On its face, this may seem like a surprise, but Dahl has not only been hurt regularly over his time with Colorado, but he hasn’t been that productive recently either. Dahl’s wRC+ has declined since his rookie season in 2016, and the 100 games he played in 2019 mark a career high. Without the benefit of Coors Field, his fantasy stock is now at an all-time low. He underwent shoulder surgery in September and his expected to be ready for spring training.

            September 29, 2020 09:48 PM
            Rockies’ David Dahl: Undergoes shoulder surgery
            by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire

            Dahl underwent surgery on his right shoulder Tuesday and is expected to be ready for the start of spring training in 2021, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

            The 26-year-old had a myriad of issues addressed during the procedure, including cleanup of the labrum and rotator cuff and the removal of a bone spur and bursa sac. Dahl was limited to 24 games this season between shoulder and oblique issues, and he struggled when available with a .469 OPS. He’ll look to enter 2021 in good health and get back on track next season.

  33. I like Duvall if they do not resign Turner. Cheap alternative for a year to platoon with Rios and the guy has some serious pop.

  34. .302/.382/.503 are JT’s numbers over his career as a Dodger. He exceeded those numbers for batting average and .OBP last season. His power usually increases as the season goes on.

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