the first basemen: anchors of the dodger's infield
We Have Had Some Good Ones
Since they moved to Los Angeles, the Dodgers have had a few first basemen who played more than 1000 games in LA as the first sacker. When they came to LA, Gil Hodges, who was the longest tenured first baseman in franchise history, plus its first gold glover at the position. Of his 1908 games at the position, only 57 of them came with the Mets after he was claimed in the expansion draft in 61. He had 12 consecutive opening day starts at the position. He also had a start on opening day at catcher in 1948. Gil leads all Dodger first baseman in career homers, hits and RBIs by a lot. He earned 3 gold gloves beginning with the first ever awarded in 1957, he earned the next two in LA in 58-59. He was elected to the Hall in 2022 and his #14 was retired.
Next up was Wes Parker, who took over in 1964 and played until 1972 when he retired at age 32. Parker was not much of a hitter, but he was an excellent fielder who also played some CF. He won six consecutive gold gloves from 1967-72. He played 1108 games for the Dodgers at first. His best season was 1970 when he hit .319 and led the NL in doubles with 47.
After Parker retired, Bill Buckner was the opening day first baseman for three years, but in 74, LA transitioned 3B Steve Garvey to first. Buckner moved to left. For the next eight years Garvey would be the everyday first baseman. He would play 1407 games at first for the Dodgers over his 14 years with the team. He won 4 gold gloves 74-77, an MVP award in 74, had 200 or more hits 5 times. He drove in 100 or more runs 5 times. He was a .338 hitter in his postseason play. As a Dodger he had 10 postseason homers, one less than the 11 Duke Snider had. But he hit just 1 in World Series play. Left as a free agent after the 82 season. He is not in the Hall, his highest percentage of votes for election was 42.7 in 1995. He got no votes in the last veteran committee vote.
Over the next 10 seasons, no player would open at first more than 3 times. Greg Brock, Pedro Guererro, Sid Bream, Franlin Stubbs, Kal Daniels and Eddie Murray 3, all got opening day starts. But in 92, when Daniels got the opening day nod, he was quickly replaced by rookie Eric Karros who would win the ROY and keep the position until he was traded after the 2002 season. He played over 1500 games there for the Dodgers. He hit 270 homers and drove in 976 runs in his 12-year stint. He hit 30 or more homers five times and drove in 100 or more five times. His 130 homers at Dodger Stadium were the most hit there by any Dodger until Max Muncy passed him this month. Now works for Fox and the Dodgers as an analyst.
Starting in 2008, James Loney took over as the everyday first baseman. Loney played in 896 games for LA from 06 to August of 2012 when he was part of "The Trade" that brought Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford and Nick Punto to LA. Loney was a decent fielder, he had a .993 fielding pct. As a hitter, he was more in the Wes Parker mold, decent contact, not a lot of power, 15 in 07 was his high-water mark. He does hold a Dodger record with Gil Hodges, on September 29th, 2006, in Denver, he had 9 RBI's in a game where he was subbing for the injured Nomar Garciaparra. He hit a grand slam in the second, doubled home two in the third, singled home a run in the fifth and hit a 2-run homer in the sixth. He was the PCL batting champ that year. LA needed all of those runs as the final score was 19-11. Loney currently works on the pre-game show on Sportsnet LA.
Adrian Gonzalez was the center piece of the trade with Boston. His acquisition did two things, it gave LA some power from the first base position, and it brought them a Latino star, something they had not had since Valenzuela. He played parts of six seasons for the Dodgers. His final year he was down with an injury and played just 71 games. His injury opened first for the eventual ROY in 17, Cody Bellinger. From 2013-16, he was as Vin Scully called him, LA's butter and egg man. He knocked in 100 runs in 13 and led the NL with 116 in 2014. Over his time in LA, he hit 101 homers and knocked in 448 runs. He hit 7 homers and drove in 21 runs in postseason play for the Dodgers. On April 8th, 2015, against the Padres, he hit 3 homers for the first and only time in his career. He also works for Sportsnet LA on the pre-game show. He was part of the trade that brought Matt Kemp back to the Dodgers.
Bellinger was moved to the outfield in 2018. He was replaced at first by Max Muncy. Muncy played 332 games there for the Dodgers and was actually ok defensively. His bat is his calling card. For the last five years though, the man has been Freddie Freeman. Freddies stats in LA are impressive. He has a .308 BA with LA. 111 homers, which puts him 32nd all time, one behind Babe Herman. He set a record for the most doubles in a season by a Dodger with 59 in 2023, passing a record that was set in 1929. He has received MVP votes in the past four seasons. He has also been an All-Star all five years in LA. He has a World Series MVP award and ties Duke Snider with four homers in a World Series, the only two Dodgers to ever do that. 24-25 were the two seasons he did not hit .300. He is slightly above that this year. He has saved several Dodger infielders from throwing errors with his ability to dig balls out of the dirt. He is truly the anchor of this Dodger infield.
Brooklyn had some very good first basemen prior to Hodges taking over the spot, jake Daubert who won back-to-back MVP awards, Del Bisonette, who was a career .305 hitter. Dolph Camilli, whose son Doug would one day catch for LA, was the first baseman for six seasons in Brooklyn and won the MVP award in 1941 leading the NL in homers and RBIs. We will now be waiting to see who takes over when Freeman leaves the team.
El Paso Chihuahuas (San Diego) 4 – OKC Comets 3
RHSP Landon Knack pitched a pair of scoreless frames to start the game. In the 3rd he gave up a leadoff triple, a BB (caught stealing), another BB, and RBI single. After the 2nd out, Knack gave up another RBI single before getting out of the inning.
Knack was relieved by RHRP Paul Gervase in the 4th inning after reaching 75 pitches. Gervase got through the 4th without anyone scoring.
Gervase gave up 2 runs in the 5th on 3 hits and 2 BB.
In the bottom of the 5th, 1B Ryan Fitzgerald opened with a double (27). After two retired, C Will Smith came to bat. He slugged a 2-run HR (1).
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With one out in the 8th, CF Zach Ehrhard and 2B Hyeseong Kim singled. DH Matt Gorski reached on a fielder’s choice with both Ehrhard and Kim moving up 90 feet. Ehrhard scored on Fitzgerald’s SF.
· Zach Ehrhard – 2-4, 1 run
· Hyeseong Kim – 3-4
· Ryan Fitzgerald – 2-3, 1 run, 1 RBI double (27)
· Will Smith – 1-3, 1 run, 2 RBI, HR (1)
Will Smith 1st AB 103.7 lineout. Fly out on 2nd AB. 2-run HR in 3rd AB.
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Midland RockHounds (A’s) 5 – Tulsa Drillers 2
LHSP Adam Serwinowski is limping to the finish line. In the 1st inning he gave up a double and 3 straight singles for a 2-0 lead.
In the 2nd inning, 1B Jake Gelof and C Griffin Lockwood-Powell led off the inning with walks. With one out, RF Chris Newell walked to load the bases. 3B Logan Wagner singled to score Gelof, but 2B Jose Izarra GIDP to end the threat.
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In the 6th, CF Mike Sirota started the inning with a BB. Gelof forced Sirota at 2nd, and GLP followed with a walk. Gelof scored on a single by SS Elijah Hainline.
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Serwinowski pitched a solid 2nd thru 5th inning. In the 6th, Serwinowski got the 1st out, walked the next two batters, and got the lead runner out at home on a fielder’s choice. A single scored a run and RHRP Carson Hobbs replaced Serwinowski. Hobbs threw a WP, issued a BB to load the bases, and then a 2-run single.
· Jake Gelof – 2-3, 2 BB, 2 runs, 2 doubles (19)
· Triple – Kole Myers (3)
Great Lakes Loons 5 – Lansing Lugnuts (A’s) 4
LHSP Sterling Patick pitched 2.0 scoreless innings with 4 Ks. In the 3rd, He allowed a 1 out solo HR. With 2 outs, he gave up a single, WP, and RBI single.
GL put up single runs in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th. In the 3rd, DH Eduardo Quintero hit a 1-out triple and scored on LF Charles Davalan’s SF.
In the 4th, 2B Nico Perez drew a BB and went to 3rd when 3B Mairo Martinus doubled (5). SS Eddie Guerrero hit a SF to score Perez.
Great Lakes took the lead in the 5th. Davalan singled with 2 outs. CF Jaron Elkins followed with a single, and Perez hit the RBI single.
Patick walked a batter and then a flyout before being lifted for LHRP Matt Lanzendorfer. Lanzendorfer got the final two outs of the inning.
Lanzendorfer pitched a clean 6th inning. In the 7th, Lanzendorfer got the first out, but then a single, SB, and RBI single brought RHRP Robby Porco in to relieve Lanzendorfer. A WP, BB, and a RBI single gave Lansing the lead. Porco got the GIDP to end the inning.
GL put two more across in the 8th. Martinus and Guerrero opened with singles with Martinus moving to 3rd. With one out, C Victor Rodrigues hit a SF to score Martinus. Guerrero stole 2nd, moved to 3rd on a WP, and scored on a 2nd WP. There was a 3rd WP before the inning ended.
Porco pitched a clean 8th, and RHRP Davis Chastain struck out the side in the 9th for his 8th save.
· Mairo Martinus – 2-3, 1 BB, 1 run, double (3)
· Triple – Eduardo Quintero (5)
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Stockton Ports (A’s) 5 – Ontario Tower Buzzers 4
LHSP Charlie West started for Ontario, and pitched 3.0 scoreless innings with a BB, a single and 2 K. Ontario was also blanked for the first 3.0 innings.
In the 4th, DH Francisco Espinoza singled, followed by a single by CF Brandon Tunink with Espinoza moving to 3rd. Tunink stole 2B. After a K, Espinoza scored on a single from C Connor O’Neal, but Tunink was thrown out at home. O’Neal was out attempting to steal.
Stockton scored 2 in the bottom of the 4th. West was still on the mound. The first batter of the inning hit a solo HR to tie the score. That was followed by a BB, K, stolen base, and a second K. RHRP Camden Wimbish relieved West. The first batter he faced stroked a RBI single.
In the 5th, SS Aidan West hit his 1st HR to tie the score.
In the bottom of the 5th, the leadoff hitter singled. The runner scored on a 1-out triple. The 2nd run scored on a WP, before Wimbish struck out the final two batters of the inning.
Ontario tied the game with 2 in the 6th. LF Ching-Hsien Ko led off with his 19th HR. Espinoza followed with a BB and moved to 2nd on a groundout. Espinoza moved to 3rd on a WP and scored when 1B Javier Herrera hit a SF.
RHRP Mason Estrada allowed 1 baserunner. Unfortunately, that one baserunner reached on an 8th inning leadoff triple. That runner scored the go-ahead run on a SF.
Ontario got a runner in scoring position in the 9th but could not get him home.
Ontario had 9 hits, and every player got one hit each. No Ontario hitter had more than 1. Aidan West and Ching-Hsien Ko each hit solo HR.
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Discussion (72)
Disagree, not disagreeable
If any of yall listen to Dodger Talk. I called in yesterday. I was the guy from Truist Field.
WIN TONIGHT!!!
I watched the OKC game and was impressed with Smith's at bats. He might have been 1-3, but all three balls were hit hard. His first was a lineout to center. His second was a hard-hit ball down the right field line that the fielder had to run a long way to catch. His homer was a typical Smith blast, slightly to left center.
In an Instagram post, Matt Beaty posted that he is officially retiring. He wrote:
“I believe it’s time to finally officially announce that I’m entering the next chapter of my life,” Beaty wrote. “It’s been almost two years since my last at-bat in baseball. The time since then has been filled with questions and back-and-forth. Should I keep playing? Is there another opportunity out there? Or is it finally time to close this chapter?
“In my experience, a decision like this isn’t easy. You spend your entire life devoting time, effort and sacrifice to a game. You make choices and give up opportunities because baseball doesn’t always allow you to experience life the way everyone else does. When something has been such a huge part of your life for so long, walking away is hard.
“Deep down, I think I knew my last game was my last game. I just held onto the hope that it wouldn’t be.”
Good luck in your future endeavors Matt Beaty.
Last night in the booth with Kershaw and Joe was the best ever since Vin.
Pads lost 1-0 on a 9th inning homer by Cruz off of Miller. Brewers lost too. D-backs won on a walk off 2-run shot in the 9th.
How good is Jake Geloff? Not a "top 30 prospect," but he keeps popping up in Jeff's farm reports, often with a bit of power. Seems that he can play 2nd, 3rd or 1B. But several middle infielders rank ahead of him... If I ran a small-market team, or just. crappy one like the Angels, I'd be tempted to try to go thrifting at the Dodgers. How many guys buried in the Dodgers depth might have a legitimate shot elsewhere?
Pitiful,Ohtani with a leadoff triple in the 9th,down 4-3 ,top of the order up,Freeman strikes out, Betts grounds out in the infield,Muncy intentionally walked and Edman flies out and we lose the game. Bottom of the order contributed to the three runs we scored.Freeman 41 games since his last home run. This offense has been stagnant except for the 3 game series in Colorado. Too many guys underperforming this late in the season.
Great take Patch! To honor your witty sarcasm, since the Dodgers are so pathetic, we should borrow Pinochet's helicopter and throw them all out the door! Santa made me say it. Book em
I am a fan, I love my team, and I love the players. They are not perfect and I know this, but I expect them to give their best effort as much as possible. Sometimes, like last night, they do not do the little things that will win you games. When it is the guys making the most money and with the most experience who fail, it is frustrating. Yep, last nights game was frustrating as hell. The big money boys all whiffed. It was the bottom of the order that produced the runs. All of that put a damper on the fact that Glasnow looked pretty good. Yes, Scott got the loss because he threw two pitches that were hitters pitches, in the middle of the plate. But Ohtani took one right down Broadway and just stood there. They wasted their challenges once again. Situational hitting has been a problem for this team since early July. Since July 1st they are 24-22. Their run differential is -13. A few more clutch hits in close games and they would have an even better record. Their age is showing, the lack of real power in the lineup is clearly visible. Doesn't mean that they won't get better, it just means they are not playing great or fundamentally sound baseball. Yes, they won 6 straight, four of the six were by 2 runs or less.
7:15 PM ET
Dodgers (80-52) Braves (77-55)
SP Roki Sasaki R 5-5 4.42 ERA SP AJ Smith-Shawver R 0-0 6.23 ERA
Confirmed Lineup DH S. Ohtani L 1B F. Freeman L SS Mookie Betts R 3B Max Muncy L 2B Tommy Edman S RF Kyle Tucker L CF Alek Thomas L LF T. Hernandez R C H. Feduccia L
84° Wind 3 mph Out LINE LAD -127
Glasnow just had to knock off a little rust.
Albies came through with a 2 out RBI for the Braves in a very competitive game. Exactly what I expect from these 2 teams. A little playoff atmosphere in the air.
Nice to see Tucker, Call, Thomas, and Feduccia contribute 6 hits and 3 RBI. Some pregame comments suggested we were doomed with the bottom of this lineup and it didn't turn out that way. Our big 4 didn’t do much. Shohei K’ed looking, stranding 2 in the 2nd, lined out, stranding 2 in the 4th, so he didn’t contribute much to the cause last night.
Kersch had a very insightful comment Feduccia’s at bat in the 6th with 2 outs and 2 on. He commented before a 3 and 1 pitch that Hunter would likely be taking a pitch for the team. That "advanced approach" for a 9-hole hitter was what he’s expected in order to try to draw a walk and to pass the baton to Ohtani. Basically taking one for the team. Sure enough Hunter took a fat fastball, to make it a full count. Sadly, he struck out but the point was Kersch expected that take. Most fans would see a fat fastball taken on 3 and 1 and think WHF are you waiting on? That’s a green light special. But Kersch expected the #9 hitter, whose job seems to not doing damage himself, as much as he’s expected to get Ohtani to the plate. Totally different approach than any of us would consider but perfectly expected by an 18 year veteran pitcher.
Speaking of Kersch, I enjoyed his debut in the booth. I think he really tried to provide insight into the broadcast, especially about the pitching. Predictably, pitching was obviously his focus and he spent a lot of time predicting the next pitch and why. I really enjoyed his insight into former teammates and opponents. He did bend over backwards to be extremely positive and reluctant to say anything critical about a former teammate. He was funny, humble and self deprecating. It’s not something that I would welcome nightly, however. An occasional visit to the booth seems like a good idea, for the time being. I had a little more patience with his perseveration on the pitching aspects because that’s why he was there and the fact I really like him. I thought he did fine and will get more comfortable.
Pregame, Nomar mentioned a simple adjustment for hitters against a sinker / change guy. like Elder. His suggestion to Dodger hitters - Move up in the box. I can hear a 63 year old recording of my dad 's voice, offering that advice to his Little League son. We would move around a lot in the box to adjust to pitches and situations. Again, he was an ole fast pitch pitcher and that's what hitters did. I never hear that anymore and I never remember hearing that in the minor leagues. There’s a pearl from the past. And a good one.
With the new pitch shapes I just can’t get used to a pitch called a “high sinker”. It seems like an oxymoron, to me.
Edman is a pest and I love his game. He seems to be in the middle of a lot of good things. I love gym rats.
That JJ Cooper article (linked to from the embedded tweet in Jeff's report) is GREAT
Thank you.
I do not know how many of you were watching the telecast last night, but Kershaw was excellent in the booth. One of the things that struck me was when Scott was pitching to Albies, Kersh was relating how hard he was to get out because of his batting stance. He was quick to inside pitches. Kersh said he never really found a weak spot except when he would pitch to the outside and try and get a chase. Ot throws a backfoot slider in the dirt. Scott tried the slider, but it missed its spot and Albies got the game winning hit. Even so, leaving Ohtani stranded on third when he was there with no outs shows a bad approach at the plate by Freddie and Mookie.
Hopefully Teo can get a fire lit under him know a guy usually put in for defense just outplayed him on both offense and defense.
Wednesday’s Dodgers' Affiliates Schedule 2:35 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Gavin Stone) vs. El Paso (TBD) Game 2: Oklahoma City (Christian Romero) vs. El Paso (Evan Fitterer) 4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Will Gagnon) vs. Lansing (Jackson Nove) 4:30 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Aidan Foeller) at Midland (Nathan Dettmer) 7:05 p.m. PT: Ontario (TBD) at Stockton (Corey Braun)
Power? What power? Ohtani with no one on base. Max is consistent. Everyone else? Where is it? Pages did most of his damage early in the season. Tucker, Teo? Pretty much nonexistent. Freddie keeps hitting, just not for power. No power on the bench. I guess we blame Teo’s injury. Tucker’s adjusting to his new surroundings? Pages just fading a little with the long grind.Freddie getting older? Mookie too? Smith not playing. Dalton out. It all contributes to the lack of power I guess. They have 30 games left to find some! Glasnow deserved better last night. After that snake bit first inning, he was excellent! The bullpen? Vesia looked better. Scott ? Just move on. Ohtani looked frustrated after Freddie and Mookie failed to score him. Probably the same look I had after he left multiple runners on earlier! If only he hit with runners on like he hits with the bases empty! My imagination? Maybe, but it sure seems like it!