Favorite LAD players by position?

Phil Gurnee ♦ May 4, 2017 ♦ 5 Comments

Sometimes the comments at TBLA are stories within themselves. Yesterday they got off on the tangent of Best LAD lineup based on season and that transgressed into Favorite LAD Lineup based simply on players you saw and liked.

I’m going to take a swing at the favorite player lineup. Some of these would be easy for me, some hard.

Catcher – very easy, Mike Piazza because he was great and because he is still one of my top five favorite Dodgers.

1st base – this is tough for me. I grew up with Wes Parker, followed by Steve Garvey.  Parker just didn’t do it for me. I enjoyed Garvey, he was a unique short first baseman. I’m going to hedge my bets here and say Steve Garvey but my feeling is that Cody Bellinger won’t take long to become my favorite LAD 1st baseman.  I enjoy 1st baseman who can pick it, run, and also have power. It is crazy that after watching LAD 1st baseman for almost 50 years that we may have one who can do all three.  Even if I may have to wait a few more years before he’s the regular 1st baseman. Parker played the outfield so I guess Bellinger can do the same until his time.

2nd Base – Lee Lacy – Yeah I know, complete head scratcher. I have a specific reason for not liking Lopes, and a specific reason for liking Lee Lacy. I will acknowledge that Davey Lopes had a brilliant Dodger career and is clearly the greatest LAD to ever play the position but this is about favorites.

Shortstop – No LAD has ever captured my imagination like Cory Seager. If Cody Seager had not shown up, I’m not sure who I would have put there, I haven’t been a fan of many Dodger shortstops. Would probably have to go back to Dodger Thoughts or TBLA archives to see who I put there five years or even ten years ago. That would be interesting, I do wonder how much I’ve changed my mind, I’m a mercurial sort.

3rd – This is tougher. Three excellent candidates in Cey / Beltre / Turner.  I’m sure if Beltre had spent his career as a LAD he would beat out Ron Cey. But Ron Cey it is, I really enjoyed watching him especially in four world series. Justin Turner is gaining, I love watching him play.

CF – It should be Matt Kemp but it is Jimmy Wynn

RF – It has to be Reggie Smith, the greatest RF I’ve seen play Dodger Stadium. With all due respect to Shawn Green.

LF – Gary Sheffield was easily the best hitting LF in LAD history but I never liked Sheffield. I loved Pedro Guerrero and since he played enough LF, he takes the position.

Left-Hand-Starting-Pitcher – I never saw Sandy Koufax pitch except on video. This comes down to Clayton Kershaw and Fernando. Since Fernandomania was one of the greatest moments in my history and culminated with a World Championship, Fernando takes the spot even while acknowledging that Kershaw is the greatest regular season pitcher in LAD history.

Right-Hand-Starting-Pitcher – Yeah, it is Orel Hershiser. Loved the bulldog. If I’m tough on Clayton in October it is because of Orel/Sandy. Don Sutton gets an honorable mention because he was brilliant so many times for me in person and because he threw a shutout at my first game at the Ravine.

Right-Hand-Relief Pitcher – Gagne Gagne Gagne, though I was a big fan of 1974 Mike Marshall and Jansen may end up taking this spot.  If you never saw a game that Gagne saved you missed one of the great Chavez Ravine experiences.  His roid issues were a problem for me, but they can’t take away the sheer joy I enjoyed as a fan when he came into the game. Never saw anything like it before or since.

Left-Hand-Relief-Pitcher – Something about Hung-Chih Kuo struck a nerve with me as a fan. I always liked him. Jim Brewer, Terry Forster and especially Steve Howe get shoutouts. I never saw Perranowski pitch as a Dodger or he’d probably be the guy.

Probably no surprise that six of these players came from the 1974 – 1981 run of brilliant Dodger teams. When you go to the World Series four times while growing up with the team they leave a mark on you.