I got to thinking about this the other day when I was discussing Steve Garvey and why I did not think he belonged in the hall with a friend of mine. He is a Dodger fan who lives in San Diego and Garv was one of his favorite Dodgers ever.
I thought it would be interesting to go back in time and check out all of the players who have been the primary first baseman for the Dodgers going back to when they first became a professional team.
Some of the names are familiar to me, and some I have never heard of. Some had more than just a couple of years on the job, and some were just wisp’s of wind on the baseball scene.
Brooklyn joined the league in 1890. But in 1884, they were part of the American Association, and were known as the Brooklyn Atlantics. They remained in the association through 1889. In 1890, the Brooklyn Bridegrooms joined the National League and won their first title with a 85-43 record.
Their first baseman was Dave Foutz. Foutz was in his 3rd season with the team. He hit .303 with 5 homers, and 98 RBI’s. Not much power was displayed in those days, and the team leader in HR’s was Oyster Burns who had 13. Foutz ended up playing in Brooklyn for 9 years. He also pitched some and played the outfield. His nickname was Scissors.
George LaChance came to Brooklyn in 1893, but was a part timer until 1895. His best year was 1895 when he hit .314, with 8 HR’s and 111 RBI’s. Both were career highs. He left the team after the 1898 season. His nickname was Candy.
Over the next several years they had numerous players at 1st, and none were really distinguished. Then in 1910 a player named Jake Daubert became the 1st baseman. For the next 9 years he was the man. Jake’s high water mark as a hitter was a .350 average in 1913. Jake never hit more than 8 homers as a Dodger, and he only drove in 415 runs as a Dodger. He did however have 1387 hits.
Jack Fournier came to Brooklyn in a trade in 1923 from the Cardinals for Hi Myers, and another player. He was with the Dodgers for 4 seasons, but only 3 as the starter. His first 3 years he hit .351, 334, and .350. He also hit 71 HR’s over those 3 seasons. May not sound like much, but he was 33 when he was traded to the Dodgers.
In 1926 and 27, Babe Herman was the primary first baseman. Babe was a great hitter, but not much with the glove and those were his first 2 seasons in Brooklyn. He still holds the Dodger record for the highest BA in a season at .393.
In 1928, Del Bisonette took over the job. Del was a good hitter and played for only 5 seasons in a career cut short by injury and illness. His best season was 1930 when he hit .336 with 16 HR’s and 113 RBI’s.
Over the next 7 seasons 3 different players were used. No one really took the job and ran with it, then in 1938, Dolph Camilli took over. He was 31 when he came to Brooklyn from the Phillies for Eddie Morgan and $45,000.
For the next 6 years he was the man. He was a .270 hitter over those years, but he hit 139 of his career 239 homers with the Dodgers and drove in 572 runs. He also led the league in HR’s in 1941 with 34. Not many Dodgers have accomplished that at all.
Through the war years, a couple of different players were used there. In 1947, his rookie year, the primary 1st baseman was Jackie Robinson. It was the only position where there was an opening, and Rickey wanted to get Jackie in the majors.
Then in 1948, a player took over the position, and would be there for the next 14 years. Gil Hodges. Hodges was a catcher by trade, but the Dodgers were loaded at the position with Bruce Edwards, and Bobby Bragan. And they had Campy in the pipeline. So Gil grabbed the mitt.
He became, in my mind at least, the best first baseman in the majors. He had soft hands, and he could hit with power. He hit 361 HR’s as a Dodger. Was a rock in the infield, and saved a lot of bad throws with his glove. He won 3 gold gloves, but had they been handed out before 1955, he probably would have won more.
He scored the winning run in the 1959 second playoff game against the Braves and played on the 55 and 59 title teams. He went on to manage the Miracle Mets, and the Senators. Dying of a heart attack on a golf course during spring training in 1972. He was 47 years old.
Gil left in the expansion draft after the 61 season, and played 2 more years for the Mets. Norm Larker played there for one season as the starter, 1960, and almost won a batting title. Finishing second to Dick Groat of the Pirates. Then in 1962, Ron Fairly took over for 3 years. In 1965, Wes Parker became the primary 1st baseman.
Wes was a wizard with a glove, and won 6 straight gold gloves from 67-72. He was never much of a hitter, but in 1970, Wes hit .319. He only hit 10 HR’s that year, but he drove in 111. He also led the league in games played, and doubles.
Bill Buckner played there in 73 most of the time, but was moved to the outfield to make way for Steve Garvey. Garvey would play there for the next 9 years. And except for 1981 when he only played 110 games, he played almost every game for 6 years straight.
Garvey won 4 gold gloves. He was a clutch hitter and part of the 4 players who hit 30 homers or more in 1977. First time that had ever been done in the majors. Garvey, as we all know, left as a free agent after the 82 season.
Over the next 6 seasons, Greg Brock (4), and Franklin Stubbs (2) were the guys. Brock, who had torn up AAA pitching, did not reach the same level of success in the bigs, and he was eventually traded to the Brewers. Stubbs had some power, but never hit for much average. So they moved on after 1989.
Hall of Famer Eddie Murray came over in 1989, and was the primary player for the next 3 seasons. Eddie was 33 when traded to LA. He did not have a great 89, but in 90 he hit .330 with 26 HR’s and 95 RBI’s.
He was followed by a player who would be there for the next 11 years, Eric Karros. Karros was a steady player for LA. He won the ROY in 1992. And he holds the LA Dodger record for HR’s with 270. He was an average fielder, and he never won a gold glove. But he was part of the 5 consecutive ROY’s the Dodgers had in the 90’s. Karros, Piazza, Mondesi, Nomo, and Todd Hollandsworth.
From 2003 to 2006, 4 different players were the 1st basemen. Fred McGriff, Shawn Green, Hee-seop Choi, and Garciaparra. In 2007, James Loney took over and would be there for the next 6 years.
Loney was a good hitter without much power. And that seemed to be the big beef about the guy. But he did drive in 9 runs in a game against the Rockies in 2007. The outburst tied Gil Hodges team record. Dodgers won the game 19-11 at Coors field.
Loney was traded as we all know in ” The Trade” that brought Adrian Gonzalez to LA. Adrian was the butter and egg man as Vinny would say for the next 4 seasons.
He won a gold glove in 2014 and drove in 100 plus runs twice. His injury in 2017 allowed the Dodgers to call up Cody Bellinger, who would win the ROY that season and help the Dodgers win the pennant.
Gonzo was traded to the Braves in the deal that brought Matt Kemp back to LA. Bellinger played 1st base for most of 2018, although he was spelled by Muncy a few times. And Muncy became the primary guy in 2019.
With Doc managing the Dodgers, there really is no set lineup anymore. 9 different players played 1st base in 2019, and 4 have done so this year, so it is truly, who’s on first?
I remember many other players getting a shot there. They traded for Todd Benzinger in 1992. Doug Mientkiewicz was here for a while in 2009. Len Matuzek spent some time in LA in the 80’s.
Murray is in the hall, Hodges should be. Most of the players the Dodgers have had there that played for any length of time, were good players. Just not hall of famers.
There are Garvey fans out there who feel strongly that Garv should be in the hall. I will say this, that if he were to get in and Hodges did not, it would be a travesty.
Discussion (89)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Even thinking about Lindor is premature. We will get some idea of the plan this off season.
Good news is they win, hit 3 more homers. Bad news, Wood still looks lousy, Corey and Taylor both struck out 3 times. 14 K’s tonight against a pitching staff as bad as the Angels is not a good sign. Lux struck out without ever getting the bat off of his shoulder. Joc’s HR went to left, nice, Rios hit one that was aided by Adell. Mookie is ok, pulling him was precautionary.
Smith bomb. .300 average 1.014 OPS.
The power went out in the stadium
This is the only bad outing I can remember from Gonsolin this season. Best to get it out-of-the-way before the playoffs.
Any one knows about Mookie Betts condition?
All this talk about Lindor. All I have to say is we don’t need to mess with the offense. What I would like in the off-season via free agency is 2 dominant against both sides of the plate relievers. If there are any available. We are capable of taking a lead into the seventh inning and it would be nice to know that we can shorten the game with dominant relievers from that point on.
I like tonight’s lineup a whole lot.
Badger,
Lindor is the best defensive SS in baseball, but Seager may be the best SS in baseball… at least this year.
OWAR is what it is.
DWAR is still somewhat subjective.
I am loyal to those who are on my team. If Corey wants to play SS, then he can play it for the Dodgers. If he wants to move to 3B, then I would trade Lux, Muncy, Ruiz, Peters, Amaya, and Carrillo for him. That’s a lot!
1. Betts RF
2. Seager 3B
3. Turner DH
4. Bellinger 1B
5. Smith C
6. Lindor SS
7. Taylor 2B
8. Thomas LF
9. Pollock CF
… but both Lindor and Seager would have to sign extensions.
Thanks, AC, for the update on Muncy, JT, the team and the playoff roster. Hope you are enjoying Reno if you are still there. I agree the Dodgers 1-2-3 are just the best and I think Floro has been terrific, I trust him and feel confident when they bring him in the game. Hoping Jansen keeps doing well and Devin Williams sounds impressive especially his record of inherited runs not scoring, important to me. His other stats are excellent.
Why do they need seeding”, to determine playoff eligibility? Why is a win/loss record not enough? I do not understand. Is it to break ties if they occur?
Per Dave Roberts – The wrist is not an issue for Muncy. They will continue to monitor JT, but for now, neither his thumb nor leg are an issue. He is ready for the playoffs. Doc still plans on getting Rios some time at 3B.
The decision to move Corey to the #2 spot was because there were too many outs being made at the top of the order. With Mookie/Seager/JT at 1-2-3, Dodgers believe they have the best 1-2-3 in MLB. I would guess that Braves fans might counter with Acuna/Freeman/Ozuna. But other than Atlanta, I cannot see any other team in that discussion.
CT3 is going to get most of the playing time at 2B in the playoffs, for the Wild Card series. The discussion right now is whether Lux will make the roster as a bench player, but he will not start at 2B any time in the playoffs. Doc did say that he does like Gavin on the bench for the playoffs, but it is not set.
Doc understands that Joc has not had a very good season, but believes with his entire career body of work, he deserves the chance to get his swing right. He will get every opportunity to get some positive momentum for the playoffs. But Doc acknowledges, that they need to put the best 28 man roster in the playoffs that will give them the best chance of winning.
Julio Urias threw an extended pen today and was very aggressive. He will be ready to go Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, in whatever capacity the team needs.
Doc was asked if there is any thought of going with three catchers. He acknowledged that Keibert is in the discussion, but that he would probably be more appropriate in a 5 or 7 game series rather than a 3 game series.
Dylan Floro
His health has been the biggest change in his 2020 season. He also acknowledges that his adjustment in his changeup has been a significant factor. He used to throw the pitch as hard as he could, but changed his grip this year and has let the grip do the work. He now has his 2-seamer and change that can get both RH and LH batters out. Last year his secondary pitch was his slider, but he acknowledges that the pitch was not always as good as it was when he first came up. He mentioned that in his last couple of bullpen workouts, the slider was coming back to where it used to be. If he gets the slider to work, he will have three pitches for the batter to worry about.
It was mentioned that Dylan often comes into the game with runners on and was asked if he liked that pressure. Dylan very diplomatically said that whatever is asked of him is just fine. All he wants to do is pitch and pitch for the Dodgers.
There have been a lot of relief pitchers speaking at the pre-game pressers, and they have all been asked about Kenley. To a man, every one of them have said that they admire him and believe he is getting back to his dominant ways. Yes, he has had a couple of bad outings, as had every relief pitcher (except Milwaukee’s Devin Williams). From Floro, to Treinen, to McGee, to (pre-injury) Ferguson, to Graterol, to Kolarek…every one of them went out of their way to mention how influential KJ has been, and how they acknowledge that he is the unquestioned closer of that bullpen.
I know I can hear it now. What are they supposed to say? True enough, but if you watched their body and facial language, not one of them were trying to politically comment on KJ. They all genuinely seem to believe that KJ is the Dodgers closer, no further discussion.
For those who are unfamiliar with Devin Williams, rookie reliever for Milwaukee.
100 Batters faced
53 Strikeouts/9 Walks
8 Hits
1 Earned Run (Colin Moran solo HR – 2nd game of 2020)
4 inherited runners – none scored
22 games
0.33 ERA
0.630 WHIP
He has not allowed a run (earned or unearned) since August 4 (his 4th game in 2020). He is a bit reminiscent of Eric Gagne and his change. Williams calls his change the Airbender. There is a fantastic article on Williams in the Athletic. For those with a subscription, I highly recommend it.
Badger, you asked me above if I was sure Story was a better hitter than Lindor.
The answer is “yes”, if I’m allowed to choose my criteria.
I’m choosing Baseball Reference oWar for the last 3 years combined (including this year).
Lindor – 11.0
Story – 12.1
And the difference in dWar isn’t all that great either.
I happen to be a Lindor fan and would like to see him here under the right circumstances. I just meant to indicate that Story should be included in the conversation if Lindor wasn’t getable .
There isn’t a huge difference in offense or defense. The one difference is in personality. Lindor wins on that one.
And that doesn’t mean I advocate getting rid of Corey.
I must officially apologize to AC. Before 2019, he suggested signing DJ LeMahieu. I was one of the many here who said no need, we have others who are or can be just as good, and he won’t be the same away from Coors, etc.
Well he only has hit .359 with a 1.004 OPS in 49 games this year. Umm, ya he might’ve been a good pickup for us.
Also, on an unrelated note, Dusty Baker is the first manager to lead 5 teams to the playoffs. Wow, that’s actually pretty impressive.
Good article on all time Dodgers’ 1st basemen Bear. I wonder if you can guess who my favorite is…..lol… I would love to see Gil get into the HOF but, as I’ve said before, it won’t happen. In the last Golden Era vote he didn’t even come close. It’s a shame.
I know many people don’t agree, but I think Bellinger should play 1B every game. He’s that good! Just the other night Muncy came off the bag for a throw that should have been a DP. If Belli was there the DP would have been completed. Bellinger not only gets the short hops (they’re easy) but he also gets the ‘tweeners (they can be tough).
I was hoping and hoping he was not playing hurt so I am relieved. Worried it had something to do with his lower BA.
Wel, then I guess he is ok. Thanks Bear. I am glad.
Does anyone know how Muncy is doing and is he hurt bad?
You’re comment was that you were only interested in what happened on the field and not someone’s personal life. How is my sense of right and wrong skewed. Sorry but I don’t consider having an extra marital affair and fathering a child right. It may not be criminal but certainly not right.
Never liked Garvey, but he was a very good player.
Jeff Samardjiza placed on release waivers by the Giants.
I seem to be the only one bringing this up, but in the Seager vs. Lindor conversation don’t overlook Trevor Story who will also be a free agent at the same time. He’s an excellent fielder and a better hitter than Lindor.
I have no clue what AF’s budget will be and he might want to use it elsewhere, but Story is a very good ballplayer if they want to keep Seager but move him off shortstop after next year.
Nice article Bear! I had great hopes for Greg Brock when he arrived. Unfortunately, he never quite lived up to the hype. I also though Benzinger was going to produce more than he did. It also would have bee nice if the Dodgers had Jim Gentile on those early 1960’s teams.
I keep hearing stories about Garvey being such a bad guy and I have to ask – what about the Steve Garvey Foundation? The sole mission of this worthy endeavor is to share, teach and demonstrate the principles of manhood to young men, enabling them to achieve their dreams and become productive men who are balanced emotionally, politically and economically. Would a bad guy go to those lengths to help young men achieve their dreams?
Wait, what? That’s The Steve Harvey Foundation?
Never mind.
As you were.
So Bear you’d be comfortable with a guy like Vazquez on your club. Off the field issues are a huge part of a team and character matters. It matters to me. Guys like Kersh, Turner, Betts, Kenley. Guys with great character. It’s easy to root for them!
Sorry to bring this up, but some of you may remember that Garvey had two families with children – at the same time. And he and Cindy had a tv show where they portrayed themselves as the all-American couple. The guy had some issues. It took him a long time to rehabilitate his reputation. As a player, he could sure hit, and he was good with the glove, but he couldn’t throw. Fortunately, first basemen don’t need to throw often, but I got the feeling that everyone held their breath whenever he had to make a throw. His recent difficulties not withstanding, I find Muncy a much more versatile fielder than Garvey. When I think of Garvey, I think of that wonderful infield he was part of with Cey, Russell, and Lopes. That was something special. And it was a long-running act that brought championships. Thus, I think of his contribution as being part of something great. If they could admit whole infields into the HOF, those guys would qualify. Garvey was a good player individually, but he was part of something greater than the sum of its parts.
Hey Bear, as you have said you were living in the South Bay around and in music I got to wondering if you knew the other ‘Bear’ from Torrance Bob Hite? Also, was it you who said your mother worked at May Co. on Hawthorn Blvd in the early 60’s? If it was she would of worked with my sister Sandy.
It’s not very likely Kershaw will be facing any teams willing to cheat this post season. I’m confident we’ll see a very special Clayton Kershaw as shown. It’d be foolish to put any $ against the man.
Donnie Baseball has to be NL Manager of the Year, right? They lost 105 games last year, and like 20 guys got Covid in the first 2 weeks of this season.
Yet they are in the playoffs. Amazing. And I cannot name 1 guy on that team
I went back and looked at Gameday and Statcast and Kershaw only threw about 8 pitches over 90 MPH last night. He hit 91.6 a few times.
In previous starts he was 92-93 MPH. There are three explanations for this:
1. He has an injury;
2. He is tired; or
3. He was deliberately taking it easy and saving it for the playoffs.
I hope its #3.
Jason Stark has Corey Seager and Betts in the Top 10 for MVP. Betts #2 and Seager #9.
Good stuff, Bear, thank you. You did a lot of research on this article. I remember Hodges, Buckner and Parker, Gonzo, and many others. Steve Garvey was one of my favorite players during his time with the Dodgers. A good guy, and as Bear said, a clutch hitter. I do not know if he should be in the HOF, certainly not before Gil Hodges who died at too early an age.
In last night’s game, Corey Seager was charged with an error when he dropped a foul ball. I disagreed with the scorekeeper. He was on the shift and had to run a long long way at full speed to just get to the ball. Good game, nice comeback. McGee and the bullpen were great even though Kenley still makes me nervous. JT was a hitting machine. Congrats to Justin on winning the Roy Campanella award.
Corey seager is having a great year offensively. It wasn’t too long ago we were talking about how great he could be on both sides of the ball. Injuries slowed that talk. His defense is moving the wrong direction. Although he does not have the power numbers of bellinger he has hit for a higher average. He is capable of winning a batting title if he becomes a bit more disciplined at the plate.
Now the down side is that he and bellinger have both flopped in the playoffs. A preview last night of the playoff kershaw. Can anybody really expect kershaw to start game 1? Buehler has got to go game 1. We are going into the playoffs with a very shaky and unknown starting rotation. What we do know is that Roberts has relied too heavily on kershaw in the playoffs and we all know the results. I suppose with hill, maeda, and ryu gone kershaw will be front and center. Mb he can flourish or more likely watch the homers fly.
Don’t look now, but we’re this close to Dodgers Giants next week in round 1.
I often listen to Chicago sports talk, because of Bears talk. This morning, it’s mostly Cubs/Sox, as both are going to the playoffs. I would’ve shut it off by now, but what’s kept me going is how many White Sox fans have called in bagging on how bad Grandal is at CATCHING THE BALL!! It is hilarious to hear them complaining about exactly what we all complained about during the last few Octobers with him.
Will Smith is so much better!!
From FanBuzz.
First base is typically where teams stick their big-bodied, power hitters. Think Albert Pujols, Lou Gehrig, Jim Thome and Mark McGwire. They’re responsible for the area around first base and the bulk of their duties include receiving throws on ground balls, holding runners at first base and stopping hard-hit balls from lefties. Similar to catchers, this position also uses a big mitt with a wide web.
First basemen typically don’t possess the range that other infielders do, because the position doesn’t require it. That’s why many infielders transition to first base later in their careers when they’re not able to cover as much ground anymore. In MLB, you’ll find a good majority of first basemen are left-handed. That’s because right-handers have an easier time fielding and throwing to first base at other infield spots. Some managers have been known to as their coaches “this guy can hit, but can’t move, can’t throw and can’t field anything than bounces more than once. What do we do with him? “ in unison the coaches respond – “first base”.
Baseball positions ranked in order of skill level and importance:
SS
2B
CF
3B
RF
LF
1B
Traditionally, that’s the order. You can flip CF and 2B and of course pitchers catchers are at the top because without them you don’t even play the game. No sense in listing the DH. The DH doesn’t take the field.
Today, we could make a case for swapping LF and 1B. First is no longer the position for the big bopper who can’t run. You can get by with some pretty bad defense in LF – the player doesn’t require the strong arm of a right fielder as the throw from RF to third is the more difficult, making RF more important than LF.
It might have changed but last I looked the fielder likely to get the least dWAR on the team is the first baseman. Go to the MLB Defensive Wins Above Replacement Leaderboard and you won’t find a first baseman on the list. That’s why Muncy is there. That’s why if I had my way Seager would be there.
Dr Strangeglove is a thing. On our team it’s Muncy.
Interesting read – had forgotten (or maybe tried to forget) a few of them. I have a Steve Garvey autographed baseball. I would like to see him in the HOF, but Gil has to be there first.
Back to this season. As valuable as Mookie has been this year, Corey Seager is right there with him. In all of MLB, Corey Seager has the highest percentage of barrels per plate appearance = 12.5%.
Among shortstops, he is first in OPS (.978). Lindor’s OPS is .766 and he is hitting .263. HARD PASS ON LINDOR!
Corey is 3rd in OB% among SS, 2nd in HR, 2nd in RBI, and first in slugging %. Corey leads the Dodgers in BA, RBI, and OPS. He has 8 errors – with 2 last night. I can live with that.
SEager is tied with Mike Trout (2.4 ) in Offensive War. Betts leads all of MLB in WAR with 3.2, so overall he has the inside track to MVP over Corey, but Corey has been very valuable.If I were AF, I would sign him long-term if possible.Corey has ben very consistent – even last year as he worked his way back from surgeries, was pretty good.
By the way, Alex Verdugo is #10 in MLB in WAR. He is hitting .323 with a .381 OB% – his best years are ahead of him.
Jim Gentile coulda, woulda, shoulda been the heir apparent to Hodges in LA but the team traded him to the Orioles for a couple of minor leaguers. Remember when Dr. Strangeglove (aka Dick Stuart) briefly played first base for the Dodgers? And the horrible experiment of Joc Pederson at the position? Then there was the young first baseman that Lasorda traded to the Reds, Paul Konerko, for closer Jeff Shaw. I’m not sure if the disservice to Gil Hodges will ever be rectified as the HOF veterans committee are not even old enough to remember the talent and class of the Dodgers all time best first baseman. Garvey? Nice guy, good player, but not HOF worthy.