Here it is January already and with Spring Training right around the corner, there is very little to talk about it in Dodgerland. As we wait to see if there will be a starting pitcher fall out of a tree before Spring Training, what do we do with our Dodger time? We read what other fans are saying.
In perusing other blogs I see some who are trying to pass the time gathering nostalgic facts and living in a time when all seemed right with the Dodgers – and that time of course is “the past”.
On one site they are talking about the All Decade Dodger team, and some of the names are very interesting. Here is an update:
C: Russell Martin (68%)
1B: James Loney (62%)
2B: Jeff Kent (88%)
3B: Adrian Beltre (80%)
SS: Rafael Furcal (87%)
LF: Gary Sheffield (62%)
CF: Matt Kemp (94%)
RF: Shawn Green (79%)
LH starter: Clayton Kershaw (56%)
RH starter: Kevin Brown (42%)
LH reliever: Hong-Chih Kuo (57%)
RH reliever: Paul Quantrill
Beltre with one good year leads the list of 3rd baseman, which I find sadly revealing. Jeff Kent? Please. Loney, Kemp, Martin and Kershaw are ours, as is Kuo. Hopefully they will be around for their prime years. But looking at that list of overpaid hired guns (some were very unlikeable with nasty temperments) makes me rather pensive and I find myself longing for the years when I knew who my team was and I actually liked them.
The Garvey, Lopes, Russell, Cey era was a good one. Yeager, John, and Sutton. Hooten didn’t come up with the Dodgers but was with them ten years. I remember when Valenzuela came up as a 20 year old and blew people away. That was fun. Pedro Guererro was an odd duck, but he could sure hit. From ’79 through ’96 the Dodgers had 9 Rookie of the Year Awards, with 4 in a row and 5 in row during that period. We haven’t had one since, and it doesn’t look like we will have one any time soon. Hershiser had some magic in him. Shaun Green was likeable, but wasn’t worth the money. Mike Piazza was a Dodger favorite, until he was traded because he wanted $100 million. We then turned around and gave $105 million to Kevin Brown. Kevin Brown. Surly prima donna. Yuck.
I am beginning to sound a bit like Andy Rooney here.
So, I put together my favorite All L.A. Dodger Team. I started following them as a 5th grader in ’59. Some of these picks may date me, and I am partial to the O’Malley ownership years. Good memories, falling asleep on warm summer nights in Canoga Park listening to Vin Scully and Jerry Doggett on my turquoise Admiral radio. Those were good years.
- 1b Gil Hodges (I saw the end of his career, but he was a class act)
- 2b Davey Lopes (Charlie Neal a close second)
- SS Maury Wills (had dinner with him in Palm Springs and he is a great guy)
- 3bRon Cey
- OF Wally Moon (still love those Moon shots)
- OFDuke Snider (met him at his restaurant in Fallbrook. Nice man)
- OF Tommy Davis (I met him at a clinic and learned a lot from him)
- OFReggie Smith
- C Mike Piazza (Johnny Roseboro a close second)
- SP Sandy Koufax
- SP Fernando Valenzuela
- SP Don Sutton
- SP Don Drysdale
- SPOrel Hershisher
- RRPEric Gagne
- LRPRon Perranoski
Feel free to disagree.
I hope the Dodgers can rediscover what it was that made them great over the years. I believe the current owner is well intended and that is a good thing. But intentions and results don’t always match up. I miss the O’Malley years.
Speaking of Trials, If a deaf person goes to court, Is it still called a hearing?
As to an actor playing The Mountainmover — I call for Woody, Woody Allen that is.
Mark, on your list above — I am older than you, but at 2nd base, I have to go with Jackie Robinson. I know he broke in at 1st base, and played some 3b and LF at the end — but he was a second baseman.
In his 10 playing seasons: made the All-Star team 6 times. Major League Rookie of the Year. NL Most Valuable Player. Led the league in hitting .342 (1949). Hat 203 hits in 1949 (remember 154 games then).
In a stat back then: Power-Speed — he was 1st four times, 3rd twice.
In his 10 years of playing he only made a total of 117 errors. Or, 11.7 errors per season.
Catcher: I have to place Roy Campanella. Why? 3 MVP awards.
And I have to think about Zack Wheat in the outfield. 14 times he hit over .300
It was meant to be an All L.A. Dodger team Roger. But, it does read All Dodger so, point taken.
Details, Rory, details. Many folks that are Dodger fans and are below like 45 or even 50, really do not know of the Brooklyn days.
For years and years, Brooklyn was a bad team. But did have some good players. But those Dodgers teams in the late 1940s and in the 1950s were a great team. Then of course we switch to L.A.
Do we have 4 or 5 new pitchers yet?????
Got to love your all Dog lineup, Rory. Although Garvey might give even Gil Hodges a run for his money. Hard to pick between those two.
Vin and Jerry…yes! I’d fall asleep listening on my SONY pocket transistor radio in 1000 Oaks, and wake up to Chuck Cecil doing the news on KFI. It’s fun to look back on Dodgers at all positions since the early 60s. ’63 was the first year (good timing) I followed the Dodgers. Ron Fairly, Dick Tracewski cross my mind, and I liked Wes Parker. I met Frank Howard at the new Vons on Moorpark Road. Big man.
Mark, thanks to you and all your fellow bloggers. It makes the gruesome Iowa winter easier to tolerate.
Those were the days, eh karl, i had one of those little radios also, I remember rooting for the Duke to hit a hr while supposedly i was sleeping. Nice walk
Hey, I just read that we are in the Aroldis Chapman sweepstakes. The report says the Toronto Blue Jays offered him about $23 million, and we didn’t. Some people say that Los Angeles is the last team he would play for so, we are on the list.
Wally Moon was cool. I saw him on an episode of The Rifleman once. Guess he and Chuck Connors were buddies.
Oh, and a bit of trivia – Wally Moon won the Rookie of the Year award in 1954. Who, among others, did he beat out for that honor?
I know this one Badger, without looking it up. Among others, whom I can’t name, he beat out Hank Aaron, then known as Henry I think.
GO DODGERS!!
Good call H.
The other……….
Ernie Banks.
Ernie Banks – what a SS!! I loved him as a player.
GO DODGERS!!
Badger,
Is that the Los Angeles Dodgers or those other guys in Anaheim?
You mean the Ducks Brooklyn? That’s the only team in Anaheim that is worthy of my attention. Well, them and the Western Pioneers – you know, where me and Tiger went to school.
Nice article Badger. Keep hitting those keys.
MM, thanks for the blurb on your book, fantastic story. Thanks.
Ken, it is a little different walking in another’s moccassins(sic), ain’t it? Relax, loosen up, don’t take yourself so seriously and have some fun. Peace to you, let’s move on to better things in the future. LADODGERTALK – FUN, Fighting and bitching – no fun.
Nice shout out for Fernandomania, Badger, fond memories indeed!
So, where are the additions, subtractions, the “I like this guy better”s? Where are your All L.A. Dodger teams?
Who put the quit smoking add there? I quit years ago. Didn’t start until I joined the Marine Corps. The D.I. lit the smoking lamp and all non smokers did push-ups. It was another “there are no individuals” thing so, since we were already doing about 500 push-ups a day, so, didn’t take me long to get with the program. I was a Marlboro man.
OK, big signing to talk about. Ortiz. A 36 year old coming off a 85 inning 5.57 ERA 1.67 WHIP year. Oh goodie.
And so it goes.
Expect more of the same. Perfectly won’t authorize a FA signing unless the FA is a geezer who’ll sign a AAA contract and accept an “invitation” to spring training. Then he hopes for a miracle. I guess we’re reduced to doing the same this year.