Best Dodger rotations Part One

For years the Dodgers success rested on the pitching staff. Especially since they moved to Los Angeles. The 50's Dodgers were powered by their offense. They had good pitching with guys like Newcombe, Roe, Erskine as starters and Labine coming out of the pen. But their four-man rotations never were good enough to beat the Yankees in the World Series until 22-year-old Johnny Podres beat them twice in 1955 to give Brooklyn it's first and only title.

The Dodgers starting four that year? Newcombe 20-5 3.20 ERA, Erskine 11-8 3.79, Podres 9-10 3.95, Billy Loes 10-4 3.59. Russ Meyer 6-2 5.42 made 11 starts. Labine was 13-5 with a 3.24 ERA, 11 of his appearances came as a starter. He pitched 49 games out of the pen and had 11 saves to his credit. Roebuck led the team with 12. Bessent, Spooner, Craig, Koufax, and some guy named Lasorda also started games. Spooner's career would be cut short due to an injury he suffered in spring training when he did not warm up properly before a game. Although he was 8-6, his last game was game six of the World Series when he was shelled for 5 runs in one third of an inning in the 5-1 loss.

The Yankee staff they faced had a 3.25 ERA to Brooklyn's 3.68. Brooklyn's advantage in the series was their offense which had 201 homers to the Yanks 175. The Yankees lost Mantle after 3 games due to injury. This no doubt also aided the Dodgers. Newcombe, who was never in his career an effective post-season pitcher, lost his only start. Spooner and Loes got the other two losses while Podres 2, Craig and Labine got the wins.

The first LA team to win a pennant and World Series, the 59 Dodgers, had an ERA of 3.79. In an age where starters pitched every four days, Drysdale was the only LA starter with more than 30 starts. He went 17-13 3.49. Podres was 14-9 with a 4.11, Koufax 8-6 4.05, Craig 11-5 2.09. Craig was not called up until late May. McDevitt as a spot starter 10-8 3.97. Labine was 5-10 with 9 saves.

In a slightly quirky World Series, both teams had the same BA, .261. But LA outhomered the Sox 7-4, 3 of those coming from Kluzewski, and had a slightly lower ERA than the Sox. Sox scored 11 runs in game one, and then just 11 over the next 5 games. One of their wins was a 1-0 shutout in game five. Both of their wins were shutouts. Larry Sherry was the MVP with 2 wins and 2 saves.

Both teams were pretty evenly matched with LA holding an edge in power and contact and the Sox had great speed and a better pitching staff ERA. The Sox were also six games better in the win column. But the Dodger pitching beat them when it counted.

LA had a solid 3-man staff from 1960-66. The fourth man varied over those years. Big D, Koufax and Podres were the men until 1964. Podres was injured and replaced by three guys, none of whom took the job as his own. Phil Ortega, Joe Moeller, who went to my high school, Mira Costa in Manhattan Beach and a guy named Larry Miller, who I do not ever remember. I do know that after the 64 season he was traded to the Mets for 3rd baseman Dick Smith.

Bavasi fixed that little problem after the 64 season with a big trade with the Senators for Claude Osteen and SS, John Kennedy. Frank Howard, Ken McMullen, Phil Ortega, Pete Richert and Dick Nen went to DC. Ortega had 3 good years with the Senators. Osteen would pitch for 9 seasons in LA, becoming the number 3 in the Drysdale-Koufax 65-66 seasons. So let us look at some of the best rotations in Dodger history.

It is probably best to stick with the modern teams. During the dead ball era and before the Babe revolutionized the game with a power bat, most hitters were high-average contact type players. Let's first look at the 1890's Bridegrooms staff. The team won 86 games to win the pennant, but they had just six pitchers on the roster. Terry 26, Carruthers 23 and Lovett 30 wins respectively, were the big 3. Of the teams 129 games, they started all but 19 of them.

Pitchers today do not start nearly that many. So, I think it is best to limit the staffs to the ones beginning in 1950-on. The 50's was the beginning of pitchers being put in specific roles in the bullpen. Oh, you had your starting four, but even though it would be 1969 before the save became an official stat, managers had guys they would use to close games, and pitchers who were long men, or spot starters. Those guys were usually vets in their final seasons.

1951: Newcombe 20-9, Roe 22-3, Erskine 16-12, Branca 13-12 were the main starters all with 19 or more games in that role. Clyde King was the top reliever 14-7 with 6 saves. Branca had 3 saves, and Erskine the other 4. The team would blow a 13.5 game lead and lost the playoffs to the Giants.

1953: The Dodgers won 105 games. Most in team history. Manager Charlie Dressen would demand a contract of more than 1 season, which at that time was what every player and manager received. He wouldn't get his contract, and as a result, Walter Alston was hired to replace him. Erskine won 20, Meyers 15, Loes 14 and Roe 11. Podres won 9 as a spot starter and Labine won 11 out of the pen and saved 7. Hughes led the team with 9 saves. They lost the series to the Yankees in six with Erskine and Loes getting the only 2 wins. Newcombe was in the Army. Campanella was the MVP and Gilliam won the ROY.

1956: Some will say, well what about the 55-championship team? The 55 team used 15 different pitchers during the season, but they had only one dominant starter, Don Newcombe. The 56-team had Cy Young winner, the first ever awarded, Don Newcombe, who won 27, and three solid starters, Maglie 13 wins including a no-hitter, Erskine 13 wins, Craig 12 wins with 10 by Labine out of the pen with 19 saves. Combined ERA was 3.57. They had the home run champ in Snider. They would lose to the Yankees in seven, who were helped by Larsen's perfect game.

1963: In 1962, Koufax won the first of what would be five consecutive ERA titles. Drysdale was the Cy Young award winner with 25 wins. Koufax though went down with an injury and missed close to two months. When he returned, he was simply not the same pitcher. In 1963 LA finally saw the Koufax they had expected. 25 wins, Cy Young and MVP awards, 306 strikeouts. His second no-hitter against the Giants. He did this while missing two weeks of the season. Drysdale contributed 19 wins, 14 by Podres and 10 by Bob Miller. Perranoski won 16 out of the pen and had 21 saves. They swept the Yankees in the World Series with Koufax winning games 1 and 4, Drysdale threw a 1-0 shutout in game 3. Podres went 8.1 innings in game 2 for the win, and Perranoski pitched just 2 thirds of an inning during the series. Staff's ERA that year was 2.85. Koufax posted a 1.88.

1965-66: For the third straight year the staff had an ERA under 3, 2.81. Koufax, Drysdale and newcomer Claude Osteen, all had ERAs under 3. Koufax 26, and Big D 23, led the way with wins. Osteen added 15. Podres was injured and pitched in just 27 games. Koufax had 2 saves also, Drysdale and Podres 1 each. Sandy struck out 382 batters and pitched a perfect game against the Cubs in September. Perranoski led the pen with 18. Miller added 9, both he and Perry won 6. Howie Reed led the pen with 7 wins. They would beat the Twins in seven games in the series with Koufax tossing 2 shutouts. He was the Cy Young winner and finished second in the MVP race. The 66 team had an even better 2.62 ERA. Koufax won another Cy Young with a 27-9 record and a 1.73 ERA for his fifth and final title. Don Sutton won 12 in his rookie season. Osteen won 17, and Big D was 13-16. Phil Regan took over as the closer and was 14-1 with 21 saves and a 1.62 ERA. They were swept in the series by the Orioles. Koufax retired after the season. The team would not have a winning record again until 1969.

The 69-team had two 20 game winners, Osteen and Singer and a 17-game winner in Sutton. It was Drysdale's last season as he went 5-4 before he was injured and had to retire. In 68 he set a record with 58.2 scoreless innings. In 1970, Al Downing won 20, and Osteen won 20 in 71.

1974: The starting four in 74 were Sutton, Messersmith, Doug Rau and Tommy John. Messersmith won 20, Sutton 19, Rau and John 13. They lost John in July when he would sustain the injury that led to his surgery that would be named after him. But the Cy Young winner would be closer, Mike Marshall who set a major league record by pitching in 106 games. He was 15-12 with 21 saves. Messersmith finished 2nd in the voting and Sutton 4th. Probably the best finish by Dodger pitchers. Team's ERA was 2.97. This was their first year where they had to play a LCS to win the pennant. They beat the Pirates 3-1 with Sutton getting 2 of the wins. They lost to the A's 4-1 in the World Series where four of the five games were decided by 3-2 scores. Sutton recorded the only win. 75 saw the team compile a 2.92 ERA. It was the last season that they used a four-man rotation. They switched to a five man in 1976. All five of those starters won in double figures, and the closer, Charlie Hough, he won 12 and saved 18. But they finished a distant 2nd to the Big Red Machine.

1988: This staff makes the list on the accomplishments of its Ace, Orel Hershiser. Orel won the Cy Young, World Series MVP, LCS MVP, led the league in WAR, complete games, shutouts and innings pitched. He broke Drysdale's scoreless inning record with 59. He had 23 wins and a save, and he won a game and had a save in the LCS, then he won 2 in the World Series including a game five winner. There was a starting big 3 consisting of Hershiser, Belcher and Tom Leary. Leary won 17, Belcher 12 and he had 4 saves. Howell and Pena were the lock down relievers with 21 and 12 saves respectively. Valenzuela and Sutton started 22 and 16 games, but both were under .500. They traded for John Tudor who went 4-3 down the stretch. Team ERA was 2.96. In the series win over the A's, it was 2.03.

That is part one. The team would have some down years. It would be a while before they had a dominant staff.

Sugar Land Space Cowboys 2 – OKC Comets 1 

RHSP Tyler Glasnow undoubtedly pitched his final rehab start.  The goal was 5.0 innings and 75 pitches.  He went 5.1 IP and 77 pitches (54 strikes). 

Glasnow opened the 6th with a BB and pop out before he reached that 77th pitch.  RHRP Paul Gervase relieved Glasnow.  He gave up a double to the first batter he faced putting runners on 2nd and 3rd.  A groundout plated the first run of the game, and it was charged to Glasnow.  

In the 7th, RHRP Ben Casparius relieved Gervase.  Ben has been pitching well of late, but he scuffled a bit in this one.  He hit the 1st batter he faced, walked the next one, and allowed a single to load the bases.  He struck out the next two batters and was one out away from getting out of the jam.  But he walked the next batter on a 3-2 pitch to force in a run. 

OKC went 8.2 innings without scoring a run.  Then 2B Hyeseong Kim stepped to the plate and hit an opposite field HR (3) cutting the lead in half.  But that was it. 

No OKC batter had more than 1 hit.  Kim’s HR and CF Zach Ehrhard’s double (24) were the only XBH.  

OKC did outhit Sugar Land 4-3, but that is not how they score the game.  

Box Score 

Amarillo Sod Poodles (Arizona) 4 - Tulsa Drillers 1 – 10 innings 

LHSP Zach Root had a very nice bounce back start, and his best start at AA.  A little too much traffic, but he only allowed 1 run.  The one run was a 2-out solo HR in the 1st inning.  Root allowed 1 run, 5 hits, 3 BB, and 3 K.  After 4.0 IP and 75 pitches, RHRP Carson Hobbs relieved Root to start the 5th.  

Tulsa tied the game in the 4th.  C Griffin Lockwood-Powell opened the inning with a single.  He was forced at 2B by RF Kole Myers.  Myers reached 2nd on a disengagement violation and to 3rd on a WP.  SS Elijah Hainline then hit a game tying SF. 

Hobbs completed 3.0 scoreless innings. He did not allow a hit, walked 1, and struck out 2. 

RHRP Jacob Kmatz relieved Hobbs in the 8th, and continued his excellent start to his LAD career.  He pitched 2.0 scoreless innings, allowing 1 hit, and striking out 2.  

After the outstanding pitching, RHRP Kelvin Ramirez entered in the 10th, with the placed runner       at 2nd.  A one out RBI double scored the go ahead run.  The next batter hit a 2-run HR for a 3-run lead. 

All three Tulsa outs in the 9th were via strikeout. 

No Tulsa batter had more than 1 hit.  3B Logan Wagner doubled (2) and LF Josue De Paula doubled (32). 

Box Score 

Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego) 6 – Great Lakes Loons 5 

Fort Wayne put up 5 in the 2nd inning for a 5-0 lead, only for Great Lakes to put up 5 in the 4th.  It stayed that way until the home 7th when Fort Wayne plated the eventual game winning run. 

LHSP Sterling Patick completed 6.0 innings.  5 of those 6 innings were scoreless, but boy that 2nd inning.  Leadoff batter singled and stole 2B.  He moved to 3rd on an errant pickoff throw.  Next batter walked and stole 2B.  That was followed by back-to-back RBI singles for a 2-0 lead.  After a sac bunt put two runners in scoring position, Patick coughed up a 2-run triple.  The runner scored on a groundout. 

Great Lakes tied it up in the 4th thanks to a SS Emil Morales grand slam HR (17).  1B Eduardo Guerrero opened the inning with a BB.  3B Mairo Martinus and LF Jose Meza followed with singles to load the bases.  C Victor Rodrigues hit a SF to score Guerrero.  DH Charles Davalan walked to reload the bases.  After the 2nd out, Morales unloaded with his grand slam and a tie game.  It was the 2nd of the year, and 4th of his career.  This was his combined 23rd HR of the year, and 106 RBIs…and still a teenager. 

LHRP Cody Morse relieved Patick in the 7th.  Since Morse has returned from the IL, he has been outstanding.  In his previous 9 games and 9.2 IP, he allowed 1 run on 3 hits, 7 BB, with 15 K.  But this did not turn out as well.  The first three batters he faced walked, and back-to-back singles for a run.  He got out of the inning with a K and GIDP.  However, Fort Wayne did retake the lead 6-5. 

·      Emil Morales – 4-5, 1 run, 4 RBI, HR (17)

·      Jose Meza – 2-4, 1 run 

Box Score 

Inland Empire 66ers (Seattle) 3 – Ontario Tower Buzzers 2 

LHSP Charlie West allowed a double in each of the 1st two innings, but no runs.  In the 3rd, he gave up a solo HR, a BB, a WP, and K.  RHRP Dailoui Abad relieved West.  He allowed a run scoring single, a second single with the runner moving to 3rd.  The third run scored on a SF, and Inland Empire had a 3-0 lead. 

In the 4th, 1B Easton Shelton started the Ontario scoring with his 35th HR, and 104th RBI.  He surpassed Cody Bellinger’s record of 103 for a LAD California League player 

LHRP Ian May relieved Abad in the 4th with a runner on 2nd and 1 out. May walked the first batter, but then induced a GIDP to get out of the inning.  He pitched a scoreless 5th as well. 

In the 5th, 2B Javier Herrera singled.  With one out, SS Kellon Lindsey singled.  DH Joendry Vargas doubled (33) to score Herrera. Shelton followed with a 2-run double (25), giving Ontario a 4-3 lead. 

Staked to a lead, RHRP Mason Estrada entered to relieve May.  He walked 2 and allowed a single, but struck out the side to end the inning without a run. 

Ontario got a gift run in the 6th.  C Frank Espinoza hit a 1-out single and continued to 2nd on the throwing error.  Espinoza moved to 3rd on a groundout and scored on a PB. 

After Estrada pitched a scoreless 7th, Ontario picked up a pair of insurance runs.  Lindsey drew a leadoff BB, and Vargas reached 1st on catcher’s interference. Shelton walked to load the bases.  RF Ching-Hsien Ko singled to score Lindsey, and Vargas scored on a GIDP, for a 7-3 lead. 

2027, 17th round draft pick RHRP Camden Wimbish made his 2nd appearance.  He walked 1 and struck out 1 in a scoreless 8th inning. 

RHRP Jholbran Herder entered the 9th and closed out the game with a 1-2-3 inning, striking out the final batter of the game. 

·      Joendry Vargas – 2-3, 2 runs, 1 RBI, double (23)

·      Easton Shelton – 2-3, 1 BB, 1 run, 3 RBI, double (25), HR (35) 

Box Score