No. #DNPoll, Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) March 31, 2020. Named by MLB as one of the four "Greatest Living Players," Koufax was Baseball's first three-time Cy Young Award winner. All of this despite chronic hand injuries that led to a funky period in which he followed up each of his MVP campaigns with decidedly disappointing numbers at the plate. A member of the 1980 Hall of Fame class, Snider also earned the 1955 Major League Player of the Year award. Cookie Lavagetto breaking up Bevins World Series no hitter in the 9th inning winning the game in the process. Nicknamed the Claw (shorthand for his full name), Kershaw debuted at the big-league level just two months after turning 20; following a fair rookie campaign, he settled in and has since kept his ERAs in the 2.00s, sometimes reaching below it as he became the first pitcher since Greg Maddux (in 1994-95) to score consecutive sub-2.00 ERAs in 2013-14. No. He was an even .300 hitter for the Dodgers, also giving . In his last regular season start at San Diego, he pitched nine more scoreless frames to fall two-thirds of an inning short of the recordbut because the game remained scoreless after nine innings, he went back out for the 10th, allowing no runs and setting the mark by a single out, at 59. Hodges career faded into the early 1960s and, like numerous other Dodgers and Giants names from the 1950s, found himself doing mop-up work for the expansion New York Metswith Hodges in the books as the first player to homer for the new franchise. Garvey, a first baseman, was an integral part of the longest-lasting infield in baseball history, the Garvey-Lopes-Russell-Cey infield, and is the only member of that infield to make the top 20. I agree! No. . Although he never won a Cy Young or MVP, Don Sutton became an icon thanks to longevity. These rankings are going to be determined based off a players WAR while with the Dodgers. He wasnt a grandfathered spitball artist, had a lousy track record in multiple, short major league stints during the deadball era, was over 30, was chained to a second-division team and, with his sheepish red-haired looks, had the appearance of someone more likely to clown about on a barnstorming tour rather than take the mound seriously. No. If youre goanna do a top 20 list of top Dodgers players, there is no way you can leave Steve Garvey off the list. In the postseason, Garvey was a career .346 hitter in 45 games, twice copping the NLCS MVP award. He also won the MVP last season too. Highly competitive and often foul-tempered, Grimes was the most notorious and successful of the grandfathered spitballers, living off the wet pitch long enough that he became, in 1934, the last hurler to legally throw it. Perhaps no pitcher flew under the radar to 300 career wins more than Sutton, whose stubborn and opinionated attitude guaranteed that he would not go through baseball life anonymous. Guerrero took the news badly. No. Hit for the Cycle (2018) Dodgers Tenure: 4 Years (Traded from Boston Red Sox to Dodgers) Birthplace: Smyrna, Tennessee Team: Los Angeles Dodgers Position: Right fielder More Mookie Betts #183 of 707 on The Best Hitters in Baseball History #1 of 67 on The Best Current Baseball Players Under 6 Feet Tall #36 of 125 on Fastest MLB Players of All Time After his departure from the Dodgers, Valenzuela bounced around and enjoyed a poetic homecoming when, while pitching for the San Diego Padres in 1996, he was the winning pitcher in the first regular season game played in Mexico at Monterrey. When you think of the Dodgers, the first thing that pops into the minds of many is Vin Scully, the greatest sports broadcaster in history. The penguin by far cause JT is a wimp compared to the penguin who played 81 world series with a cast on his hand while JT sat down when he broke his wrist also Cey suffered a concussion in that world series and came back to play and helped the Dodgers beat the yankees.Ron Cey and Garvey both were let go too soon or they would have won another world series. 55: Orel Hershiser (1983-94, 2000)1988 NL Cy Young Award winner, scoreless-innings record holder, "Bulldog.". Are you interested in testing our business solutions? No. He didnt; the Dodgers lost. Along with Bob Gibson, Drysdale was feared by opposing hitters who constantly had to duck away from his inside fastballs said to be clocked in the upper 90s; he eventually would hit 154 batters over his career, a modern NL record. The beginning of the Dodgers reign of excellence all but coincided with the 1938 arrival of Camilli, a quiet yet hardened individual raised under tough circumstances in San Francisco; after watching his brother literally get beat to death in a boxing ring by future heavyweight champ Max Baer, Camilli came to the conclusion that baseball would be a safer way to earn a living. In 1924, he furnished a stunning 28-6 record with a league-best 2.16 ERA and struck out 262 battersthe highest total by a NL pitcher between Christy Mathewson in 1903 and Koufax in 1961, and a figure nearly double that of teammate Burleigh Grimes, who placed second that year with 135; his opponents .213 batting average was 70 points below the league average. At times, he would be his own offense; in 1965, his .300 average was better than any Dodgers position player, and his seven home runs were just five shy of the team lead. The Dodgers have become much more comfortable winning games 2-1 or 3-2 rather than slugfests that push double digits in runs. 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All statistics are through the 2022 season. Walter O'Malley received the fifth most first-place votes but finished 15th because he was left off many ballots entirely. "Duke was a fine man, a terrific hitter and a great friend, even though he was a Dodger," Willie Mays said after Snider's death in 2011. Los Angeles Dodgers all-time home run leaders as of October 2022 [Graph]. 77: Joe Medwick (1940-41)Had two big seasons wearing this number en route to the Hall of Fame. Each weekday here, we will unveil the top 20, one at a time, until we reach No. 1 seed for Division 1 baseball playoffs, High school tennis: Southern Section playoff pairings, High school baseball: Southern Section playoff pairings, Dig this: Long Beach States Mason Briggs could be next big thing at libero, Kentucky Derby storylines: Training death puts early pall over Churchill Downs. 22: Clayton Kershaw (2008-present)Hes done it all. Have a comment, question or request? Arguably his best campaign occurred in 1972, when he finished at 19-9 with a career-low 2.08 ERA, racking up two separate streaks of 30 straight innings without allowing an earned run. The Philadelphia Phillies will take on the Los Angeles Dodgers on 5/2/23. "The pitcher has to find out if the hitter is timid," he said in 1979, according to the New York Times. Profit from the additional features of your individual account. After the 1957 seasonwhich ended with the Dodgers announcing their move to Californiathe 35-year-old Campanella lost control of his car on an icy winter night on Long Island and crashed into a telephone pole; the accident permanently paralyzed him from the waist down. 24. The Dodgers simply wouldnt be where they are now without the driving force of Justin Turner. In 1930, when the games offensive insanity peaked with the NL producing a .303 batting average, Vance finished a standard 17-15 but with a 2.61 ERA that was far and away the leagues best; the New York Giants Carl Hubbell was secondat 3.87. He pitched a shutout, and Fernandomania was off and running. No disrespect to Turner, but The Penguin is the king of the hot corner. No Steve Garvey?! Koufaxs partner in pitching crime for the Dodgers was the anti-Sandy; Drysdale was more outward and comfortable in public, had a Californian look of glamour (he was born in Los Angeles) and developed a near-legendary reputation for brushing back and knocking down opponents, in stark contrast to Koufaxs deep reluctance to do the same. Los Angeles Dodgers Team History A decade-by-decade history of the Dodgers, the ballparks theyve played in, and the four people who are on the franchises Mount Rushmore. Taking full advantage of the wetted welfare, Grimes won 20 games four times over a five-year period for Brooklyn, on his way to becoming the winningest pitcher of the decade with 190 under his belt. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing it? Nevertheless, this article presents the best Los Angeles Dodgers players of all-time. One of the most beloved Dodgers while he was playing, Steve Garvey checks in as the 12th-greatest Dodger of all time. Fournier suffered from a case of bad timing, howeverarriving in the majors some 60 years before the advent of the designated hitter. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. The New Jersey native was the first black star pitcher in the majors, copping Rookie of the Year honors in 1949 (two years after Jackie Robinsons debut) with a 17-8 record that ignited a terrific 112-48 record through his first eight yearsmissing two of those to military service. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set Severe arthritic pain caused Koufax to retire following the '66 campaign. Since 2011, he's finished lower than third in Cy Young voting only onceand won the honor three times. Whenever opponents reached base, they still had their work cut out for them; Drysdales pickoff move was one of the best in the gamea fact all the more impressive given that he was right-handed. Branch Rickey was named on less than half the ballots, but when he was named, he was usually in the top three, which gave him enough points to make the top 20. Learn more about how Statista can support your business. During a 16-year career with the organization, Duke Snider suited up for both the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers. He came into the league in 2011 and has since been a seven-time All-Star, two-time AL MVP, six-time Silver Slugger and was apart of the 30-30 club in 2012. An introverted individual, Koufax has respectfully retreated into a reclusive life, making rare public appearances at Dodger Stadium or at spring training camps to giveadvice to young pitchers. Don Newcombe had one of the best rookie seasons in history in 1949, winning the Rookie of the Year award after finishing 17-8 with a 3.19 earned-run average and a league-leading five shutouts. 76: Duaner Sanchez (2004-05)Pitched in 146 games over two seasons. The catcalls got so bad that the thick-skinned Fournier considered quitting the game, and was known to take on both opposing players on the field as well as fans outside the ballpark. 67: Louis Coleman (2016)Made 61 appearances in his only Dodgers season. Industry revenue of Other non-reinforced plastic products manufacturing in Mexico 2012-2 Find your information in our database containing over 20,000 reports. 23: Claude Osteen (1965-73)In a deep group (Kirk Gibson, Adrin Gonzlez, Eric Karros), Osteen had nine consecutive seasons with double-digit wins. 37: Ed Roebuck (1955-58, '60-63)Clem Labines setup man in Brooklyn won 10 games in relief in 1962. No. The list you're viewing contains items like Yasiel Puig and Pedro Guerrero. But Cey was my guy. Reuss was a pure fastball pitcher until he arrived in Los Angeles, adding a cutter to his assortment. No. In 1963, he truly broke outproducing a 25-5 record, 1.88 ERA and a career-best 11 shutouts; the vaunted New York Yankees would find out about Koufax, up close and personal, in that years World Series when he struck out the first five batters he faced and 15 overall in Game One. r/Dodgers The Dodgers reinstated C Will Smith from the injured list and P Brusdar Graterol and IF Max Muncy from the paternity list. [Online]. LOS ANGELES -- Heres another rundown sure to get this writer in trouble. 21+ (18+ NH/WY). No. 52: Pedro Bez (2014-20)Wearing Lasordas original number, Bez has been a workhorse setup man. 29: Adrian Beltre (1998-2004)HOF-bound, but the Dodgers preferred J.D. Position: Shortstop, Third Base. 20 spot. (In eight World Series appearances, Koufax authored a stunning 0.95 ERAbut only won four of seven decisions.). He did not have a stadium ready for the Dodgers, so he rented the Coliseum for $200,000 a year for 1958 and 1959, plus 10% of the ticket revenue. An eight-time All-Star catcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Campanella celebrated three MVP awards in 1951, 1953 and 1955. (Some of those images are featured in our Ballparks section.). Consistent run producer and solid defensively. While fan favorites like Trae Turner and Justin Turner may be gone, the Dodgers' 2023 MLB season is still ripe for success, as they still have some of the greatest players in all of baseball. No. His most prolific season came in '53, when he bashed a personal-best 41 homers with a then-franchise-record 142 RBI on a .312 average. From 100 all the way to 1. Being the left-handed ace in a Dodgers uniform has naturally led to comparisons with Koufax, but using a mix of a mid-90s fastball, slider and curve, Kershaw preferred to tag his influence more from Roger Clemens. 63: Yimi Garca (2014-16, '18-19)Dogged by injuries in L.A., he had a breakout 2020 for Miami. He was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1984. 41: Clem Labine (1950-60)Jerry Reuss was a mainstay of the Dodgers' rotation in the 1980s, but Labine was the closer for the Boys of Summer. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? Unfortunately, Beltre is the best third baseman to have played for the Dodgers, but not the best Dodger to have played third base in Los Angeles. Often compared to Tim Lincecum for his underwhelming faade, his leaning delivery and even his uniform number (55), Hershiser commanded the Dodgers rotation throughout the mid-1980s and peaked with a near out-of-body season performance in 1988. He was 0-4 with an 8.59 ERA in five World Series starts; he also lost the memorable 1950 regular season finale that gave Philadelphias Whiz Kid Phillies the pennant, and set up the New York Giants rally in the decisive game of the 1951 NL playoff, being removed for Ralph Brancawho would only face one batter: Bobby Thomson, who launched the Shot Heard Round the World and won the pennant for the Giants. 40: Bill Singer (1964-72)In addition to a no-hitter, he had 52 complete games to edge Stan Williams. No. No. 7: Steve Yeager (1973-85)A catching maestro and clutch hitter, he played in the shadow of Johnny Bench. The best all-around pitcher in Dodger history, and the dominant hurler of the 1960s. "Duke was a fine man, a terrific hitter and a great friend, even though he was a Dodger,", Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. "And if the hitter is timid, he has to remind the hitter he's timid.". 62: Joel Peralta (2015)One of the first players Andrew Friedman acquired for the Dodgers. Updated 12/27/2022. No. Two years in particular stand out for Vance. He developed a nasty curveball to complement his fastball, and began to throw pitches not to make hitters miss, but to try and make them hit it. No. Robinson was never quite able to rise to the occasion in the postseason, batting just .234 in 38 gamesthough he did create one of his more memorable moments in Game One of the 1955 World Series when he stole home, sending opposing Yankee catcher Yogi Berra flying into a rage to dispute the call. 36: Don Newcombe (1949-51, '54-58)The rotation ace on the Boys of Summer, even with a Korean War stint. 4 (retired): Duke Snider (1947-62)A Hall of Famer who shares a song lyric with Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle. 32 (retired): Sandy Koufax (1955-66)He was good. LOS ANGELES The Dodgers have made a new acquisition momentum. The third of seven pitchers in the top 20, Orel Hershiser is on this list for one big reason: almost single-handedly carrying the Dodgers to the 1988 World Series title. He won another Silver Slugger two years later. Your email address will not be published. Roy Campanella only played 10 seasons, but he packed a 20-year career of accomplishments into that decade. Often lost amid the social ramifications of Robinsons emergence is the intense, energetic effort he gave on the field. Nonetheless, the Dodgers have hundreds of candidates, running the gamut from 00 to 99. 66: Yasiel Puig (2013-18)Paul Konerko went on to a great career elsewhere. Throughout the 1950s, no one hit more homers nor knocked in more runs than Sniders 326 and 1,031, respectively; he hit his peak in the middle of the decade, hitting at least 40 homers five straight yearsmost of those hit within the cozy confines of historic Ebbets Field. The infielder garnered 10 All-Star nods and finished among the top 10 in MVP voting eight times. He gets the nod for excellence over time BUT JTs a better hitter and playoff gamer. 48: Ramon Martinez (1988-98)Didnt make the HOF like his younger brother, but he also was an NL Cy Young Award runner-up in 1990. In his 8 full seasons as an everyday player, he was selected to 4 All-Star games, finished in the top 3 in MVP voting 3 times, and was named 1981 World Series Co-MVP thanks to an epic Game 6 against the Yankees. Sutton was durably consistent and protracted in his collection of lifetime numbers; he was, essentially, the Rafael Palmeiro of pitchers. statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account. Otherwise, legendary broadcaster Vin Scully and longtime manager Tommy Lasorda would be included. No. Chart. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. No. No. Well, with the voting currently going on for that, I thought it would be a lot of fun if I ranked the 100 greatest players in Dodgers history. The Dodgers 10 Greatest Hitters A list of the 10 greatest hitters based on their productivity and efficiency. I am going to take their WAR from Baseball Reference and FanGraphs, combine the two, and rank the players based on that average. Koufax ended his career as a three-time Cy Young winner with two World Series MVPs and one league MVP. In 1949, Robinson enjoyed his best year statistically when he collected 203 hits, 38 doubles, 12 triples, 16 homers, 124 RBIs, 37 steals and won the NL batting crown with a .342 average. No. Biggest hit by a third baseman? Don Drysdale was a workhorse. Snider finished his career with 407 home runs and a lifetime .295 batting average; he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1980. 53 (retired): Don Drysdale (1956-69)Fierce on the mound, friendly off it. Only once did Sutton win 20 games, and he never was a league leader in victories; he never won a Cy Young Award, though he finished in the top five of the vote over five straight years; he never led in strikeouts, though hes seventh on the all-time list with 3,574; and never did he win a World Series, coming closest when he was released midway through the 1988 season by a Dodgers team that would go on to upset Oakland. No. Garvey, right, is the only member of the Cey-Russell-Lopes-Garvey infield to make the top 20. The argument can be made for Turner to hold the top spot with what hes done in his 6 seasons with Los Angeles. . 74: Kenley Jansen (2010-present)All-time franchise saves leader (350 as of the end of the 2021 season). 14: Gil Hodges (1947-61)Finally elected to the Hall of Fame, he gets the nod over Mike Scioscia. In each of his first 15 seasons, the right-hander eclipsed the 200-inning mark, starting at least 30 games in all but one of those seasons. Garveys dependability was also reflected by appearing in a NL-record 1,207 consecutive games, a run that began as a Dodger and ended as a Padre when he got his hand stepped on at first base while trying to pick off a baserunner. But the real Kershaw finally arrived in the expanded 2020 postseason, when he captured four of five decisions with a sharp 2.93 ERA, including two wins in the Dodgers first World Series triumph since 1988. Sandy Koufax is the greatest Dodgers player ever, according to Los Angeles Times readers. 33: Eddie Murray (1989-91, '97)Past his prime as a Dodger, but there was nothing wrong with his three-plus-year stint in L.A. No. 65: Casey Sadler (2019)Posted a 2.33 ERA in 24 games, then was traded. Walker made history in advance when, with a wartime uptick in 1944, he led the NL with a .357 average; three years later, his brother Harry won his own batting title for Philadelphia, making the two the only pair of brothers in history to both win separate batting crowns.