As Vinny so memorably said, and a child shall lead them. The kid from Navajoa definitely did that. Oh yeah, the kid could hit a little too. He finished with a .250 average in 81. Also knocked in 7. His only extra-base hit was a triple. But over his Dodger career, he hit 9 HR’s 3 of which came in 1984.
Last week, Joc Pederson left the Dodgers as a free agent to join the Chicago Cubs, and prior to that, Kike’ Hernandez signed with the Red Sox. Both were very popular with Dodger fans. Kike’, the Banana Man to many, and a versatile player, had enthralled fans with his energy, and his sometimes flair for the dramatic. His best day as a Dodger was in game 5 of the 2017…
Today’s post is about the longest tenured Dodger manager. Walter Emmons Alston. Smokey to his friends. Alston was the manager when the team moved from Brooklyn. He was just 3 years removed from guiding them to their only World Championship in their long history. His team was a mixture of old Brooklyn stars, Reese, Hodges, Snider, Furillo, Erskine, and some new blood just beginning to make some noise on the…
This is a follow up to the best that have ever played in my estimation. Some I never saw. Others I saw many times. It will consist of the starting 8, a pitching staff of 12 and the bench players. Not an easy thing to do. Starters 1st Base Easiest pick for me. Gil Hodges. 370 lifetime homers as a Dodger First to win the Gold Glove when they were…
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…
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…
NOTE: I told you Rob Schelling aka/2demter2 would be back – little did I know how soon!— Mark Timmons Gamer: A player who approaches the game with a tenacious, spirited attack and continues to play even when hurt; a competitor; a player who doesn’t make excuses. The term is a compliment, most especially when it comes from another player. Goat: one blamed for causing a failure or defeat, esp. in…
As fans, we all know the stars of our teams, and today with the internet and all the media coverage, we know the rookies, the scrub beanies, and just about everyone else in the organization. Growing up, and learning the game, that was not the case. We found out in box scores, and those of us lucky enough to have a subscription, in the Sporting News. But for every star player, there was…
One of the better mid-season trades that the Dodgers ever made was acquiring Reggie Smith from the Cardinals for Freddie Tisdale, Bob Detherage and Joe Ferguson in June 1976. While many Dodger fans were heartbroken to see Tisdale leave the Dodger family, getting Smith more than made up for that loss. After joining the Dodgers, Smith hit .280 with 10 homers and 26 RBI in the 65 games following the…