A lot of guys on teams are nothing but scrubs who wait for their chance to contribute to the team. Over the years, many of these guys were favorites of mime simply because when they did get in a game, they played their hardest. I will attempt to give some examples here, starting with a guy who drove Lasorda bananas. Derrell Thomas On November 14th, 1978, the Los Angeles Dodgers…
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has given us a keyhole view towards the heart of our Milky Way Galaxy, where a dazzling array of stars reside. Most of the view of our galaxy is obscured by dust. Hubble peered into the Sagittarius Star Cloud, a narrow, dust-free region, providing this spectacular glimpse of a treasure chest full of stars. Some of these gems are among the oldest inhabitants of our…
Mickey Vaughn Hatcher, born March 15, 1955, was one of my favorite players to watch. Mickey genuinely had fun playing the game and it showed. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio but spent part of his life in Mesa, Arizona where he graduated from Mesa High School. He went from Mesa High School to Mesa Community College. He was named All American twice in baseball and football. His #81 was…
I got to thinking about this since I have had a couple of spirited discussions with a friend of mine on another site. Today it seems to be the definition has changed some. I am beginning to believe there is no such thing as a pure utility player anymore. The Dodgers were lucky for the last several years to have what many called super subs. And they had two at…
There sometimes comes a player who might not be the best on the team, but his contributions are admirable, The perennial bench guy… and not some super-sub like Kike, but a guy who has the ability to keep the team lose, and make some positive impact on the team. Mickey Hatcher was one of those guys. Michael Vaughn Hatcher was born on March 15th, 1955 in Cleveland Ohio. He played…
Basking in the glow of a World Championship and with labor strife behind them, the Dodgers came to spring training with hopes of doing it again. Of course there had been some changes over the winter as Davey Lopes was traded to the A’s. Lopes had only played 58 games in 81. 4 of the 8 starters were in their 30’s. Garvey, Cey, Baker and Russell. Rookie Steve Sax…
Peter O’Malley was born on the 12th of December 1937 in Brooklyn, New York. We all know who his parents were. He spent his childhood as a child of privilege. His dad’s success allowing the family comforts many of the citizens did not enjoy due to the depression. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. And then from the Wharton School of Business in 1960. Peter’s first job with the…
One thing I have learned is that AF is tight lipped more than anyone in MLB, and so are his co-working baseball personnel. So for someone like Jim Bowden to intimate that he has spoken with Dodgers personnel who have advised him that AF has been engaged in talks with Rockies GM, Jeff Bridich, about Nolan Arenado, I have my doubts. He did not stop there. He said that Nolan…
Of course, Kike was a defensive wizard while Mickey was a defensive liability, thus the large glove. Mickey was a better hitter… for average, while Kike had a lot more power. Both were great teammates and the clubhouse was better with them. In Hatcher’s 12 years in the Majors, he put up 2.9 WAR. In 7 seasons, Kike Hernandez put up 10.2 WAR in half the AB’s as Hatcher.
Just like every other fan, I have my favorites. I believe I have been more than obvious that Corey Seager has been my favorite Dodger since he was drafted. I also have jerseys for current Dodgers, Kershaw, Buehler, Bellinger, Turner, and Wood. I love the stars, but I am also partial to those who are more role players and not top of the rotation pitchers. The angst I feel with…