If you want a sure fire way to start an argument, just pick the best players ever for your team. Everyone has their own ideas of who are the greatest players in a team’s history. And the Dodgers have a long and colorful past. 67 years in Brooklyn as a part of MLB, and 62 in LA. So, choosing the best ever is a hard task. In this case, I am going to do one for each city. Simply because they have played close to the same amount of time in each city.
Brooklyn and LA have one thing in common more than anything else. The Dodgers.
CATCHER
For Brooklyn, there is one obvious choice. Roy Campanella. Campy is a 3 time MVP, 51, 53, and 55. He amassed 242 HR’s as a Dodger catcher, more than anyone else. He had a rifle arm and cut down runners at more than 40% many years of his career with a high of 69% in 1951. And he was only below 50% twice in his career! Catchers today have nowhere near that kind of success rate. He played 10 full seasons with the Dodgers and his averages over 162 games, although he never played that many is impressive. He was a .237 hitter in his 5 World Series appearances with 4 homers. He was elected to the HOF in 1969. His 5th year on the ballot.
For the LA Dodgers it is Mike Piazza. His stats simply dwarf those of players who were Dodger’s nearly twice as long as he was. Steve Yeager and Mike Scioscia played 14 and 13 years in blue respectfully. Even when you add them together they have less homers over their combined 27 years of service than Piazza’s 177 in just 7 full years in LA. Granted, Mike was not the best defensive catcher to ever play, but his offense more than made up the difference. Mike unlike those two, never played on a Championship team. But his ROY year, his offensive prowess and his constant high placing in the MVP voting is just too much for any other catcher to match. Elected to the Hall in 2016, his 4th year on the ballot.
1st BASE
A couple of candidates are in the mix. But Gil Hodges was clearly the best Brooklyn had to offer. Dolph Camilli had 6 good years in Brooklyn and won the MVP in 1941. Jake Daubert played 9 years in Brooklyn, was a career .300 hitter and won the MVP in 1913. But Gilbert Raymond Hodges was simply the best first baseman of his ERA. He had power, and he was a vacuum cleaner at 1st base. His ability to dig throws out of the dirt was exceptional. He was a clutch hitter. In 16 years with the Dodgers he hit 361 of his career 370 homers as a Dodger ranking him second all time behind Duke Snider’s 389. He was a team leader and a stabilizing force in the clubhouse. He managed the Mets with the same even tempered demeanor he displayed on the field. He drove in both runs in the Series clinching game in 55 and won the first 3 Gold Gloves given.
1st base has been handled by numerous name players over the years in LA. Wes Parker was a fielding wiz in the 60’s, but not much of a hitter. Norm Larker, Dick Stuart, Moose Skowron all names who played the position. But one player holds down the # 1 spot in LA. Steve Garvey. Garvey played 14 years in Los Angeles. Not all of them at 1st base. Originally a 3rd baseman, he had the yips when it came to throwing to 1st. So to protect the loyal fans behind 1st base, they moved him over there. He responded with 6 Gold Gloves. If there was one thing Garvey could really do well, it was hit. He was the model of consistency. His 162 game average was very good. And although his power numbers did not really match the other 1st basemen of the day, he was more consistent than most. And in the post season, Be it NLDS, NLCS, or World Series he averaged over .300 in all of them. And he added 10 HR’s in the post season as a Dodger. Left via free agency in the winter of 1982.
SECOND BASE
In the history of the Dodgers in Brooklyn many players manned the keystone. Among them Tony Cuccinello, George Cutshaw, Jackie Robinson and Jr Gilliam. Billy Herman and Eddie Stanky also spent time there. None started there more than the 6 years George Cutshaw manned the position. But simply because he is a Hall of Famer, the obvious choice is Jackie ROY in 47, he was the driving force of the Boys of Summer. And despite his short tenure at the position, one of the best who played there. Jackie is one of those players who’s play changed the face of a franchise, and he was just the first of his race to make his mark in major league baseball.
In L.A. Dodger history, only 2 players had any longevity at the position. Steve Sax and Davey Lopes. Based on overall production and team success, Lopes would be the best. 8 years as part of the longest running infield. He had power and speed and led the league in steals in 75 and 76. He averaged over 40 a year in his time with LA. Part of the 74, 77, 78 and 81 pennant winners. he was the teams leadoff hitter and spark plug. He scored over 100 runs twice.
Third Base
In Brooklyn again there was no player who manned the position for more than a 6 year period and only 2 did that. Joe Strip and Billy Cox. Others who manned the position were Cookie Lavagetto, Spider Jorgensen, Frenchy Bordagaray and HOF SS Arky Vaughn. To me Cox, because of his superior glove gets the nod. Billy spent 6 years with the Dodgers after coming over in a trade with Preacher Roe, and Gene Mauch for Dixie Walker, Hal Gregg and Vic Lombardi. Billy was one of the best defensive players ever to man the hot corner for the Dodgers. Not a great power hitter, but one of those players you love to have on your team.
Third basemen in LA are a different story. There have been some good ones, starting with Jr. Gilliam. A lot of players passed through LA including the likes of Daryl Spencer, Ken McMullen, John Kennedy. Tim Wallach. Adrian Beltre and Casey Blake. Ron Cey spent 10 years there. Beltre 7, and for the last 6, Justin Turner. My pick is Cey. Had he not left in free agency it would be Adrian Beltre hands down. He is a first ballot Hall of Famer. But the Dodgers during his tenure in LA were not pennant winners. Cey along with the longevity at the position was very productive. He was a good fielder and a solid run producer. He was also part of the infield that stayed together for 8 years. And he was a Co-MVP in the 81 series. A series he could have missed because of a pitched ball he took to the head, and the fact that he was also hit on Sept 9th by a Giants pitcher and broke his arm. The Penguin is a worthy holder to the title of best ever.
SHORTSTOP
No contest. Pee Wee hands down. 16 seasons as the Dodgers short stop A solid hitter and a very good fielder. Arky Vaughn is also a HOF SS, but his tenure in Brooklyn was short. Pee Wee was the on field leader. The Captain. He was a clutch player all the way around. And in a show of courage he supported Jackie Robinson when he broke in. He was a southern born major leaguer and his fellow southerners expected him to support their petition to not play with Robinson on the team. Two known supporters of the petition were summarily traded to the Pirates. Dixie Walker and Hal Gregg who both were openly hostile to Robinson. Although Pee Wee did not make the hall in the writers vote, he was elected by the Veteran’s committee in 1984. He is one of 8 players in team history who have had their numbers retired.
In LA, there have been two players who had extended runs at the SS position. Bill Russell and Maury Wills. This coming season will be Seager’s 5th. Wills had 10, and Russell 12. Although Russell was with the team for 18 years. No one else has more than 4. On longevity, Russell would be the obvious choice. But I am going with Wills. His over all impact on the team was greater. Russell had some great moments, but Wills had some great seasons. Including stealing 102 bases in 1962 and earning the MVP Award that season. Maury also was an All Star 5 times, Russell 3 times. Maury’s WAR is almost 40 and Russell a tick over 30. Maurice Morning Wills, the all-time LA Dodgers SS. Russell was originally an outfielder.
Left Field
For Brooklyn, there really is only one choice, Zack Wheat. Career .317 hitter, over 200 stolen bases. Career leader for the Dodgers in hits, runs, games, at bats, just a great player. He had a little pop for the dead ball era. But he was an excellent fielder and a clutch hitter. Probably the best hitter ever in Brooklyn. Zack hit left and threw right, just like Snider. If they had worn numbers back then his would no doubt be retired. HOF election in 1959 by the Veteran’s committee.
Left field in LA is not so well defined. There have been so many. And none has more consecutive seasons at the position than Dusty Baker. Dusty was out there for 7 seasons. Believe it or not, Manny Mota had the second most with 4. There have been a couple who over their short tenure made big impacts. So I am going with a guy who in his 3 seasons put up almost a 14 WAR. Gary Sheffield. In his just over 3 years as a Dodger, he hit 129 homers, and drove in 367 runs. He averaged .311 over that span. He was not very well liked, especially since it cost the team Mike Piazza to get him. But he was in reality the only real return on the trade. the other 3 MLB players who came to LA were all LOUSY. Jim Eisenreich, Bobby Bonilla and Charles Johnson, who could not hit water if he fell out of a boat.
Center Field
Again, for Brooklyn, only one real contender, Duke Snider. There were two dead ball era CF’s who were very good for Brooklyn, Mike Griffin, who manned the position pre 1900 for 8 years. The other was Hi Myers, who was the CF for 7 years. Both were excellent fielders and pretty good hitters. But the Duke of Flatbush was a special player. He is the Dodger career HR leader with 389. He was an exceptional fielder. Duke with a little patience might have done a lot more, but he was pretty hard on himself and would fret over his strikeouts. The next Dodger to win a HR title after Duke did in 56 was Beltre in 2004. No Dodger has won it since. Duke’s # 4 is retired, and he is in the Hall of Fame.
The Dodgers have had some very good center fielders in Los Angeles, Willie Davis, Jimmy Wynn, Kenny Landreaux, John Shelby, Brett Butler, Matt Kemp, and now Cody Bellinger. But for 13 years the 3-Dog patrolled center and was one of the best defensive CF’s ever to wear a Dodger uni. He was not a great hitter, but he was more than adequate. He had tremendous speed. Some said he wasted some of his career because they felt with just a little more effort, he would have been a perennial all-star. His worst moment was in the 66 World Series when he made 3 errors in one inning. But he also owns the longest hitting streak in LA Dodger history, 31 games. Traded to the Expos prior to the 1974 season for reliever Mike Marshall.
Right Field
There have been some very good RF’s in Brooklyn’s history. Willie Keeler, Casey Stengel, yeah, old Case was really a pretty good player, Tommy Griffith, Babe Herman, who still has the highest BA in one season at .393. Dixie Walker, and Carl Furillo. For longevity and being a pretty good player, my choice is The Reading Rifle, Carl Furillo. Called Ol Skoonj by his team mates because of his fondness for an Italian seafood dish, scunjilli. Largely forgotten by many, he and Tommy Davis are the only Dodgers since 1953 to win batting titles. He was a career .299 hitter. He had 192 HR’s and probably would have had 200 easy if not for injuries. He was an excellent fielder and excelled at playing the RF wall at Ebbets. He was known for his laser like throws and was an assist’s machine from the outfield.
Right field has had many very good players in Los Angeles. Frank Howard, Ron Fairly, Willie Crawford, Reggie Smith, Mike Marshall, Raul Mondesi, Shawn Green, Andre Ethier, Yasiel Puig and now Mookie Betts. Mookie will no doubt claim the title of the greatest ever to wear blue out there sometime in the next few years. His debut season was spectacular. My choice is Ethier. 6 years as a starter, he was Mr. Clutch. No Dodger has matched his 6 walk off hits in one year. He was a very good fielder and one of the most favorite Dodgers during his tenure. Injuries curtailed what could have been. But even to this day Andre keeps in touch with his fans and team mates. Shawn Green had maybe the best season of any of the right fielders, but Andre is still the best choice…sorry Yasiel fans.
Starting Pitchers
The right handed starter for Brooklyn would have to be Dazzy Vance. Dazzy won 190 games as a Dodger, which is pretty amazing considering he did not become a regular in the majors until he was 31. He had a cup of coffee in 1915, and another in 1918. But it was 1922 before he stuck. He went 18-12 that season , and won 18 again the next. Then in 24 and 25 he won a total of 50 games and lost only 15, Not bad for a pitcher who was older at the time than Sandy Koufax was when he retired. Dazzy would have only one more 20 win season, 1928, but he was consistently in double figures. He pitched until he was 44 years old going 3-2 with the Dodgers after returning from a 3 year absence He was elected to the Hall in 1955 by the BBWAA.
The lefty is a lot tougher. There are a few candidates, but the two best are Nap Rucker and Preacher Roe. Rucker spent 10 years in Brooklyn, and Preacher spent 7. Rucker has a better WAR, more wins, and a better ERA. Roe has a much higher winning percentage. But I will go with Rucker. Although he is merely a .500 pitcher, 134-134, he has a sub 3 ERA at 2.42. More K’s and a better WHIP than Roe. For 7 of his 10 years with Brooklyn, he had double figure wins. He also was in double figures in losses. But considering how bad the Brooklyn team was in those days it is totally understandable.
Hard choice for the right handed starter for LA. If you go by wins, it has to be Don Sutton. If you go by how much he was feared around the league, it is Don Drysdale. I go with Big D. As intimidating a pitcher who has ever taken the mound. The side-wheeling Drysdale terrorized hitters for most of his career. He was fearless and to some, just flat mean. He once was asked what would he do if his mother dug in and crowded the plate, his reply, I’d hit her. Few hitters got the best of him, but his biggest nemesis was Willie McCovey. For some reason he owned Big D. Owner of the consecutive scoreless inning streak until broken by Orel Hershiser, He was elected to the Hall in 1984. He could hit too. He had 7 homers in a season twice. Although his post season stats are not outstanding, his 1-0 win in game 3 of the 63 series was crucial in helping LA sweep the Yankees.
Someday the best lefty to ever wear the blue may be Clayton Kershaw. Today is not that day. Sandy Koufax was just simply from another planet. He was to me, the best pitcher I have ever seen. Yeah, there have been plenty of guys get to the 300 win plateau since I have been watching the game, and yeah, Nolan Ryan has 7 no hitters and the most K’s in history. But Sandy did a lot of it with a bum wing. Just think of what he could have done if he would have been totally healthy. But that is a what if. What he did accomplish is amazing. 3 Cy Youngs, an MVP award, 4 no hitters including a perfect game. Played for 4 World Champion teams, 55, 59, 63, and 65. Pitched game 7 of the 65 series on two days rest and threw a shutout. He was simply a clutch pitcher. Amazing fastball, and one of the best curves you have ever seen. And he pitched against some of the best players who ever pulled on a pair of spikes.
So that is my list. I am not including relievers since before Clem Labine in Brooklyn, most of the relievers in the majors were veterans on their way down, or kids trying to make the roster. Joe Black won the ROY with Brooklyn, and Steve Howe did it in LA. LA has had some very good ones, Larry Sherry, Jim Brewer, Phil Regan, Ron Perranoski, Charlie Hough, Mike Marshall, Jay Howell. The list is long. Now, not everyone is going to agree with this list, and some will insert their own picks. That is perfectly fine. We all have our own ideas about who was the best.
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Sorry Haven’t got time to comment as busy but another great read Michael.
Thanks Watford
Excellent choices.
Thank you….not much wiggle room with a couple of them.
Beltre over Cey is the only one I might argue for, but different eras.
Length of time with the team, and the fact that Beltre spent way more than half his career elsewhere were the main reasons I went with the Penguin.. Beltre had maybe the best season a third baseman ever had in LA, but he did most of his work on other teams.
A few minor signings around baseball. But things should loosen up a lot come Monday. A couple of more players from Japan have been posted by their teams.
Hard to argue with your choices even at positions where there were multiple candidates.
I particularly like that you broke the Brooklyn and LA eras apart. The game and society has changed so much during that time . Fair comparison between current players and early Brooklyn players is almost impossible.
It is impossible. The way the game is played now even compared to the early LA days is so very different. Pitchers were expected to finish what they started. That is why they had no need usually for situational pitchers. Now, without them your chances of winning would be greatly diminished. Relievers were just beginning to come into prominence. Now they are prized pieces of the puzzle. And closers who are successful make more money than some of the starters.
Loved the article. I wish I could of seen Campy play. He has always been my favorite player.
Thanks Al. Only time I ever saw him was a couple of times on TV in the World Series, and those memory’s are very hazy.
Loved it, Bear. Agreed with you on your picks. Ethier, Garvey, Koufax, Drysdale in the LA time were standouts to me. Thank you for the effort it took for all the research you did.
Also, hoping AC feels better soon. Good wishes that he is back on his feet in no time. And, a shoutout to 2D2 and DC. Miss your input and hope all is well with you and your families.
Maury Wills. Gold Glove, MVP. He was fun to watch play baseball. He did a couple things no Dodger will ever do again, steal over 100 bases and play in 165 games during the regular season. Here’s something else he did you will never see again – win an MVP with an OPS+ of 99.
Koufax, pitching from an 18” mound at a strike zone that went from the bottom of the knee to the arm pitts is still the most dominant pitcher I ever saw in person. Even the best hitters would walk away shaking their heads and mumbling. If he didn’t strike them out it was weak ground balls and infield flies. Hits were often seeing eye singles or dying quails. And he finished what he started.
Those who had the privilege of watching baseball back then can honestly say “I saw something we will never see again”.
Sandy was dandy! LOL…I remember reading this somewhere. When Sandy threw his perfecto against the Cubs, he was having trouble getting loose. And during the early innings he was doing a lot of stretching on the mound and twisting and turning trying to get his rhythm. Anyway, about the 4th inning he finally started feeling it. His back loosened up and that was when the K’s started to pile up. After one at bat where he saw nothing but fastballs he could not see, Ernie Banks said to one of his team mates, ” Sore arm my eye!” And Koufax finished the game with a flourish, striking out the last 6 hitters. Some pitchers today do not even K 6 in a game. Oh, and one more thing, Jeff Torborg later said that during that game, Sandy was basically a one pitch pitcher. His curve was not working all that well.
Thanks for the updated information yesterday STB on Galiz and the other top 10 international prospect I was not aware of.
Great article Bear. Love Big D as the RH pitcher. Agree Mookie will be the right fielder in a couple of years but for now, gimme Reggie over Andre.
JR, I would have given Reggie more consideration, but the sad fact is that he only had 2 seasons out of his 6 with the team where he played more than 100 games. Granted, both were excellent years, and they won the pennant in both years. But he was injured a lot. And considering how some here say guys like Seager are injury prone when Corey only was injured in one season, and had surgery that cost him 1 1/2 years, I just could not make him the best out there. In a few years it will be a moot point anyway since Mookie is going to dwarf anything either Reggie or Andre did. And Reggie was very mediocre in the post season. Andre on the other hand was good, not great. Reggie did most of his damage as a Red Sox player.
Your welcome JR.
By the way, the other kid (I think his name is Wilman Diaz) is a shortstop and is rated 2nd best in the top 10, even higher than Galiz..
You know your Dodgers, Bear.
Thanks again STB. Jesus Galiz & Wilman Diaz. # 7 and # 2, wow! I think us Dodgers fans are pretty lucky we have a great ownership group and good people running the show.
You’re right about how lucky we are as Dodger fans, but those two signings aren’t official yet and won’t be until 1/15. Galiz was originally going to be a Yankee and changed his mind so he could always change it again.
Both Diaz and Galiz are from Venezuela. We must have some good people there scouting for us because we’re starting to get some good prospects out of there.
Hard to argue with any of your choices. Right field had a lot of my favorite Dodgers, Mondesi, Green, Smith, but it’s hard to argue Andre’s longevity and clutch. LHSP must of been the easiest. Kershaw and Koufax are untouchable. Heads and shoulders above all others. Great to see my favorite player as a kid “The Penguin”. I was lucky enough to meet him and chat with him during a work event in a suite at a game several years back. I have a couple of signed balls from that meeting. He’s a lot “Less Tall” than you would think. I think it’s generous to have him listed at 5′ 10″. That dude has some thick legs! He’s still a strong man.
On a side note, I also met Eric Karros at the stadium. That guy is huge and intimidating. He’s intense just walking around in retirement, in a gray suit no less. Almost like a mafia fixer. A stark contrast to Magic Johnson, who I also met at the stadium. Magic seems like an old friend when you meet him. It’s almost like you already knew him from the neighborhood you grew up in.
I also had the honor of meeting the great Vin Scully at the park. And also the wonderful Nancy Bea Hefley. Both of them are very similar in that they are the most gracious people you ever met. Like they were embarrassed that you recognized them and said nice things about them.
Thanks B&P. I met a few in my time. I knew Wes Parker pretty well. Met Rick Monday at a spring game at Camelback. Great to talk to. I met Tommy Davis, Norm Sherry and Larry Sherry when I was a kid. Larry and Norm lived on my block in Highland Park. Met the Duke at a card show. I think if I met Vin, I would probably just stand there with my mouth open. I have so many vivid memory’s of listening to him on my transistor radio while in bed. I remember when Sandy struck out 18 Giants. Great memory. There is one other thing about Sandy’s perfecto I forgot to mention. He had not won a game in 3 weeks when he pitched that game. What happened 3 weeks prior? Marichal bashing Roseboro on the head. Sandy lost that start and his next two. Then he threw the perfect game.
Nice, thanks for that extra tidbit on the “Left Hand of God”. Probably the best nickname ever. I met a few other over the years, but those stand out to me because of the informal setting of bumping into them in the halls on the club level. I really like meeting Mike Scioscia, he’s a Paisan and one of the toughest catchers of all time. He and Yeager used to get blasted defending the plate and seemed to have glue in their gloves. I always hated how Piazza would always dodge contact.
I remember Dave Parker of the Pirates just steamrolling Scioscia one time. I do not know how that hit did not put him in the hospital. Dodgers have had a couple of Paisan’s catch for them. Joe Pignatano was Italian I think, I could be wrong. Campy’s dad was Italian. As for catchers, I grew up watching Rosey. He was asked how he rated his pitchers fastballs. He said he rated them on how many sponges he had to put in the pocket of his mitt. He said he used no sponges with Podres. Big D was a 2 sponge guy. Koufax, well with Sandy he said he stuck as many in there as would fit. Classy guy.
Yes, Pignatano is definitely an Italian name. The gn combo is a huge hint. I think I heard that sponge story, very amusing.
When you look back at the LA Dodger history the only Hall of Fame position player was Piazza. And probably Beltre but most of history wasnt here. The strength of the LA Dodger teams has been their pithing.
What about McKay Christensen? 😉
Snider spent 5 years in LA, but he did so most of his damage in Brooklyn. He should have been a career Dodger.
CF in Brooklyn I would also mention Pete Reiser and in LA in LF in would consider Tommy Davis.
If Sheffield only played 3 years in LF then I choose Tommy Davis’ two years of awesomeness and make Tommy my choice.
I like Reggie Smith in RF but admit Ethier deserves the nod.
Bill Russell was my favorite player on his team with Cey a very close second. I loved Wills and the excitement he brought. The fans chanting GO GO GO and the Giants watering down first base all make Wills a great choice but for me, I give Russell the nod. I thought he was clutch.
I would like to choose Wes Parker over Garvey. There was a year when Drysdale hit 7th and Parker 9th. But Parker eventually became a good hitter. Okay, Garvey it is.
Good post Bear.
I understand the argument, and I expected it. I liked Davis and despised Sheffield. On the nice guy meter, Tommy was way over Sheffield. But even with his great two years, the only category that TD is better in is RBI’s and that is because of the fact he played 8 years in LA. Baker played the same amount of time as Davis, but had better numbers. But as the title says, Best in Blue. And over those 3 season’s Sheffield DWARFS any one else’s stats. As for Parker, he had ONE season where he hit over .300 and one 100 RBI season, same year he hit .300. He was a better fielder, but Garvey played longer and out hit him by a ton.
Pete Reiser would have easily been one of the greats BUT, he missed 3 years due to military service, and after his 1947 Season he never played over 100 games again. 47 was the last time he hit .300, and he was no where near the player he had been because of injury’s.
I pine for Andy LaRoche!
I liked LaRoche. I also liked Blake DeWitt. But he fell off of the map very fast.
Great topic for an article Bear.
My only disagreement is with your pick of Sheffield, a great player by anyone’s standards but only here for 3 years.
I’m going with Bum on this one. Give me Tommy D., one of my all time favorite Dodgers.
We’ve been really fortunate to have so many great players wear the blue through the years, and based on what Andrew Friedman has put together, we ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
Like I said, I expected some disagreement. And TD was a very good player. Last Dodger to win a batting title too. But, Johnnie B Baker had better stats over his 8 years in LA. But Sheffield had 3 straight very good seasons. I really disliked the guy. But no one matches his WAR over those 3 years. And the title is Best in Blue.
I think what surprises me a little, is that no one is making an argument for Sutton. Hmm.
Huge numbers for Sutton over his career, but never won a CY or MVP like Drysdale. Pretty easy to go with Big D. Plus the whole throw at his mom thing adds lore to the legend.
Another good article Bear, Thanks. You know that I’m in agreement with you on your Brooklyn picks. 7 out of 8 position players from the Boys of Summer. That era was great.
Wheat was the only dead ball era player that was HOF material. Except for maybe Furillo and Cox, that Brooklyn team had some great players. Even most of the role players were good. Add to that the fact that except for Sutton and Gilliam, all of the other 6 players whose numbers are retired are on this list. I should have added a utility player maybe. But it would be Gilliam even over Kike.
I think I agree with Bear on all counts… except LF… for me its a tie with Tommy Davis and Dusty Baker.
I could live with either of them. But like I said, Shef had the best stretch as a Dodger. But everyone is welcome to disagree.
Sheff vs Dusty. Dusty was mainstay but had a few bad years in there. Sheff was only here for 3 and a half years, but Sheffield was better in each year than Dusty was in any year.
Bear,
I grew up in Highland Park 1951 to 1959, then Hollywood til 1962. Went to Buchanan Elementry and Luther Burbank Jr. High for a year. Where were you when you lived there?
I saw Willie D play his whole career and my pick in centerfield would be Cody without knowing what is yet to come. Willie never even gets close to Cody’s MVP season.
Hey Bob. I lived in Highland Park from June 1958 to May 1962. I went to San Pasqual Avenue Elementary. And then on to Luther Burbank Jr. High. I lived on Ave 66. Used to play ball a lot down at Arroyo Seco park and we would ride our bikes down the drain all the way to the Rose Bowl and Brookside Park. My home room teacher at Burbank was Mr Lingua. He was a Red Sox farm hand for a while in the 40’s. He used to give me his Sporting News issues after he was done reading them. Willie D gets the nod simply because he was there for so long, and was better than anyone they have had out there since. I could have picked Monday. But Belli will be on the list sooner or later. I just could not choose someone only in his 5th year.
Thanks Bear
I was on Apple Maps doing a look around……have things ever changed. Of course it was 60 years ago
Great article, fond memories. Even though their windows were small I would throw in ‘Mannywood’ never seen hitter have the kind of second half to carry us into playoffs like he did. Also namesake Jimmy Wynn and Orel needs to be in there.
Wynn spent 2 years with the team, and while he was a huge part of the 74 World Series team, Jimmy just was not there long enough and his second year he fell off a lot. As for Manny, the greatest 3 month stretch of any player I have ever seen. But after that, with the PED suspension and his unceremonial departure from the team eliminates him from any chance of making the list. As for Orel, he won 20 games once. Won only 135 games in a Dodger uni. His one season accomplishment in 88 was a great season. But the year before and after, he was a .500 pitcher. Big D won all of his 209 games in LA. He won 20 twice. And he also won a Cy Young at a point in time when only one award was given. Orel would get honorable mention, but he would still come in 3rd behind Big D and Sutton.
Phillies bringing in Byrnes for a second interview along with Hill from the Marlins.
Haven’t had much time to comment this week, but have really enjoyed your pieces on the O’Malleys, Bear, also Mark’s follow-up, and this one. I agree with the other commenters: you know your stuff!
Among all of these great Dodgers, it’s interesting to think of which ones were iconic. Which ones defined an era. Which were synonymous with the Dodgers. Not just great, but the names that will be remembered 100 years after. Obviously, Jackie and Campy, the Duke, Sandy and the Big D. And then? Kersh, for sure. Would we add any others? Collectively, the infield of the 70s, maybe, but I don’t think they rise to that iconic level, as great as they were. Same for Sutton, even though he’s in the HOF. Who will be the iconic players from our era now? Right now, it sure looks like Mookie, but only time will tell.
Koufax!!!
Now how about the stat based all time world series team?
That would be cool
Several thoughts:
1 – to say that the only early Dodger worthy of Hall of Fame consideration is Zach Wheat is just wrong. Burleigh Grimes won 270 games and was the last legal spitballer and is in the Hall. So was Dazzy Vance, who led the NL in strikeouts 7 straight years and was MVP in 1924 after leading the league in Ks, ERA, wins (28) and complete games (30). Going back even further, Candy Cummings played with the Brooklyn Excelsiors and is reputed to have invented the curve ball
2 – Willie Davis is one of the most disappointing players to ever wear Dodger Blue. He had a .725 OPS in his career in LA (OPS+ 107) and while he may have been the fastest player in his day, stole 335 bases in 14 years during an era when players did steal. Matt Kemp had an .842 OPS (127 OPS+) and would have been better had his career not been derailed by injury.
3 – My Dad used to speak glowingly of the Reading Rifle, Carl Furillo, but you can’t not put Babe Herman in front of him in RF. I know he couldn’t field, but his Dodger career triple slash is .339/.396/.557. His career OPS is 4th highest in Dodger history, ahead of Duke Snider and behind Mike Piazza. In 1930 (the best year for offense in baseball history) he hit .393/.455/.697 (OPS 1.132!) with 39 HR.
4 – LA era LF – for length of service and overall excellence, I would take Dusty Baker over Sheffield. Baker was a better defender and the Dodgers went to the post-season 4 times in his 8 seasons with the team. Shef was only there for 3 years and wasn’t a great defender. Tommy Davis would have been the best here if not for his 1965 ankle fracture.
5 – I would take Reggie Smith’s 5 seasons over Ethier’s 12. Reggie was a much better player in his day and Ethier really had a good 3 year run but was otherwise an average player with platoon splits who tended to sulk if things didn’t go his way.
6 – No closer?
Game Over?
Most dominant Dodgers closer ever, maybe more dominant than any closer ever for a few steroid aided years. Mike Marshall very close.
104 games. He was an Iron-man. But what I remember is him not taking any warmups while waiting during a break in the action and then giving up a homer to Joe Rudi.
Rick as to point 1. I was talking about position players. There are a lot of players who spent time with the Dodgers who are in the hall, trouble with that is most of them spent more time elsewhere. Including guys like Ducky Medwick, Hack Wilson, the Waner brothers. Arky Vaughn, Casey Stengel, Frank Robinson, Eddie Murray, and many others. As for Grimes, he won 32 less games as a Dodger than Vance. Cummings, according to his baseball reference page played exactly 6 years in pro baseball. None of them with Brooklyn. And he is not in the hall. And I mentioned that Vance is in the hall. Outside of Duke Snider, Pee Wee, Campy, Wheat and Jackie Robinson, no other position player in hall spent more than 6 years with the Dodgers. Based on the criteria I was using for my picks, they do not qualify and Vance was better as a Dodger than Grimes. Davis was a disappointment, and he was not a great hitter. And Kemp would have no doubt been the obvious choice had he not been injured, but he was. Willie was a superior fielder. Had he applied himself, he could have been a lot better. And I can put Furillo ahead of Herman very easily. The only stat Herman has that is better than Furillo’s as a Dodger is his batting average over his 7 season’s on the team. He was a TERRIBLE fielder. He couldn’t carry Carl’s glove with a semi truck. As for Baker, he was all the things you said. And he was probably a better choice. But I went with the 3 outstanding years Sheffield had because he was the best out there offensively for that length of time. Baker never came close to those kinds of numbers. He hit 30 homers once. Sheffield will most likely go into the hall. As for Tommy Davis, TD had two excellent years. And then got injured. He was never that guy again. Reggie was another player exactly like that. He had 2 good years in LA. 77 and 78. Ethier’s stats may not be as good over his career, but his first 8 years in LA he never hit under .272. He played under 130 games in only one season over his first 10 years. And that was in his first year. Reggie in 6 years played over 100 twice. Sorry, I just do not see it. As for relievers, I felt that LA would have the monopoly on those since for many years there were no closers per se. Labine had saves added to his record when they went back and added those stats after saves became an official stat. And that did not happen until 1969. So even most of Perranoski’s and Brewers stats were added later. But just to be fair, Labine in Brooklyn and Jansen in LA. With honorable mentions for Hal Gregg in Brooklyn and Eric Gagne in LA.
As far as the Hall is concerned, I mentioned Grimes not because I thought he was a better pitcher than The Dazzler but because I thought you were implying that the pre-Reese Dodgers didn’t really have any Hall-worthy players except Vance and Wheat.
By the way, Candy Cummings was the ace of the Brooklyn Excelsiors from 1866 – 1871. And he did invent the curve ball. And he is in the Hall of Fame.
https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/cummings-candy
And I acknowledge that Furillo is probably the best defensive RF ever to play for the Dodgers, but Herman’s OPS with the Dodgers was .953. Furillo was .813. Not even close.
On the list of Hall of famers he is not listed as a Dodger at all. I checked the list. And his Excelsior days are not listed on baseball reference. Like I said, Herman was a great hitter. But entirely different era. And his career totals as a Dodger besides BA and his OPS which you listed come no where near Furillo’s i was and am looking at the entire package. And at least Carl had the good sense not to triple into a double play,
not to mention Willie Davis botching 3 flyballs in game six of the World Series, thus ending the series and denying my mom the opportunity to use her Game 7 tickets. She always hated Willie from the point forward. She was a good lady and a die-hard Dodgers fan. God rest her marvelous soul.
Oh yeah, that season that Herman hit 39 homers and had a .393 average, it was the only time he hit over 30 most of the time he was in the teens. He never won a batting title and Furillo did. Lots of arguments but Carl Played 15 years for the Dodgers, Babe 7. Chris Young hired by the Rangers to be their GM.
Japanese (Yomiuri Giants) ace Tomoyuki Sugano will be posted for MLB teams. Slots as a number 3 pitcher.
The Nippon Ham Fighters have posted Haruki Nishikawa, outfielder with speed and walks a lot.
Seems like lots of Asian players are getting posted this winter.
Mark/Jeff D/Bear – maybe one of you could do a short review on those players so we can make our pick and forward it to Andrew.
I am happy to see all of the comments today. I knew not everyone would agree with my picks. That is cool. I respect every ones opinions and choices here. I just picked the team based on my own idea of who made the most contributions while they were with the team. Of course Sheffield is not a popular pick, and I understand why. I loved Tommy Davis, and had he not had that horrible injury, he probably would be at the top of the list. Baker was good. And I recognize his contributions to the teams in 77-78 and 81. But when a guy does what he did over 3 full seasons and 90 games, well he just out performed any player who ever was out there for that stretch of time. Hitting a total of 139 , which is more than he hit with any other team, well that kind of cinched it for me.
Very nice Bear, I agree with all but 2, Koufax ahead of Kershaw and Smith ahead of Ethier.