Bumgarner adds to his October legend
with another Wild Card shutout.
Madison may not be the equal of Clayton Kershaw during the regular season, but when the leaves start to turn, and World Champions are anointed, Bumgarner can stand with the best of them.
Bob Gibson had six in just nine starts, with his last coming at age 32. Christy Mathewson had four in eleven starts. Cliff Lee had four in eleven starts. And now Bumgarner with four in thirteen starts. Pretty hard to beat the percentage that Gibby has.
GmSc – Game Score – This is a value created by Bill James that evaluates how good a pitcher’s start was.
Start with 50 points. Add 1 point for each out recorded, (or 3 points per inning). Add 2 points for each inning completed after the 4th. Add 1 point for each strikeout. Subtract 2 points for each hit allowed. Subtract 4 points for each earned run allowed. Subtract 2 points for each unearned run allowed. Subtract 1 point for each walk.
For some reason, Dodger fans like to poo poo the accomplishments of Madison Bumgarner in October. Their main rivals ace, continues to show why he’s considered one of the greatest postseason pitchers in baseball history and is a big (biggest?) reason why the Giants have three rings.
I wish that was hyperbole but unfortunately, it isn’t. With his second shutout in a wild card game, he has now thrown twenty-two straight scoreless innings in win or go home games.
Add to that his three world series starts where he gave up zero runs, and his overall record in October and you simply shake your head at what Bumgarner has accomplished. Bumgarner now has four game scores above 80 in October. In thirteen starts he has seven game scores 70 or better.
His 2010 shutout of the Rangers in the World Series gave the Giants a commanding 3 games to 1 lead. In 2012 he pitched seven scoreless innings against the Tigers in game two and wasn’t needed to pitch game five because the Giants swept them. We already know what he did in 2014. His 2014 run is considered one of the greatest postseason runs of all time. Given he had run the gamut of Wild Card / NLDS / NLCS / World Series I agree with those who think it was.
The Giants have now won nine straight postseason series.
He has now started 2016 just as he started 2014. I hope it does not end the same way.
Building a ladder
It is the fall of 2008 and I’m staring out the window of the Van Nuys FlyAway Bus that will take me on a flight to Austin to see Jerry for maybe the last time. Jerry had just finished telling me he was too sick to make the drive and that Joe Guggina will be-be picking me up by himself.
Memories start flooding in about a game Joe and I played several years ago. In a life of having played over 500 softball games, this one sticks with me while many of the others have melted away from my memory. If you are lucky, as you go through life you have memories like this to help you build that ladder with the rungs you will need to move above the tough times. I don’t have any heroic memories, simple things are all I have. Sometimes that is enough, sometimes it isn’t.
Joe picked me up and for the first time, I was carpooling to my softball game. Joe expressed his worry over haven’t not played for several months but he was excited to be playing again. For years now Joe and I have talked about our softball exploits but we had never played together due to geographic limitations. That was going to change tonight. He had moved his business from Palm Springs to Chatsworth and I’d asked him to play on my Santa Monica team.
This was our 1st game of the season and many changes had been made. As with any team in softball some people just don’t show up and rarely do you know about it until game time. This game was no different, our 12 expected players dwindled to 10 by game time, and we had no SS. I put Joe in LF, confident in his abilities but worried about SS. I looked around at the team and realized I’d have to play a position I hadn’t played in 5 years, and even then I wasn’t very good at it. At 45 years old my arm was shot and over the last few years I just stuck myself at whatever position was vacate due to a no-show. It had been years since I’d done anything real noteworthy in the field. So with trepidation, I took some infield ball and prepared for the worse.
Still, the team was uneasy with Joe’s play in LF and several members asked me to move him to catcher. I resisted because he was a friend, and I truly believed he was just rusty. When he slammed into a double play I winced and headed back to the outfield. The game went back and forth, I was playing the game of my life at SS while Joe kept making miscues in LF. After each inning my best friend Byron looks at me like I’m crazy for continuing to let Joe play LF. He shouldn’t have had those thoughts, the same thing happened with him when he joined the team 15 years before and hadn’t played for a while. Rust is a tough thing to shed in one game, especially when you are over 40. By the 6th inning, we had a one-run lead when we ran into big trouble.
We were staring at the base loaded with two out and their best hitter up. Knowing I could get a force at 2nd or 3rd I played as deep as I could. The batter hits a rocket that looks like it is headed for left field. At that point, I didn’t think I had a chance but I lept anyway and it might have been the best vertical I’ve ever pulled. While at full extension of my 5’8 frame my short left arm lifted to the sky with the glove playing loose in my hand the line drive was snagged. By the time I touched down I felt like I had conquered all evil in the land. I’ve played league softball for 25 years and that play is the play I’ll always remember.
Bottom of the 7th inning came and we still only had that one run lead. Two men on, two out. My stomach is turning, saying please don’t hit it to Joe. And of course, they do, a sinking line drive that was begging to drop and skip into the gap. Joe sprints for the ball, with each step his rusty armor falls about him until he looks like Jolting Joe and closes the gap just in time to snag the line drive about shin level. As he looks up, he continues to run into the infield with the game ball secured in his glove and the grin he wears would make Smiling Sammy Saito proud. Game Over
Game Over
Don Drysdale wins first World Series game at Dodger Stadium 53 years ago
Don Drysdale christened Dodger Stadium into the postseason world with a brilliant 1 – 0 shutout of the New York Yankees in game three of the 1963 World Series. The first two games of the World Series in 63 had been played in Yankee Stadium with the Yankees only scoring three runs. This time, they couldn’t muster a run.
55,912 came out to see the first World Series game ever played at Dodger Stadium and for many, it may have been the best one ever until game one of 1988. Don Drysdale put up a game score of 89, making it the highest postseason game score in LAD history.
Junior Gilliam scored the first run via a walk and a RBI single by Tommy Davis in the first inning. It was fitting for Tommy Davis to drive in the first World Series run at Dodger Stadium given he had driven in 108 runs at the Stadium since it opened in 1962.
Jim Bouton did his best but that one RBI by Tommy Davis would be all that Don Drysdale would need. Bouton would shut out the Dodgers the rest of the game, but the most LAD of them all kept the Yankees off the board the whole game. Jim Bouton made three world series starts between 1963 and 1964 and only gave up four earned runs in twenty-four innings. He won both his starts in 1964 game three and game six. For a guy more famous for writing Ball Four, he was one heck of a pitcher at the age of 25.
Jim Bouton talked about that game with Rob Neyer. All these years later he felt that the normally good fielding Bobby Richardson should have made the play on the single by Tommy Davis that drove in the only run of the game:
When I saw Tommy Davis with the Pilots, the first thing out of my mouth was, “That wasn’t a hit! That was an error off Richardson’s kneecap.” He had to take two or three steps to his right, and the ball hit off his glove or his knee; if you watch the film, it’s hard to tell which. It was a play that he would usually make.
Don Sutton shuts out Pirates 42 years ago today
The myth that Don Sutton was a postseason pitcher started 42 years ago when he shut out the mighty Pirates in the first game of the NLCS 3 – 0. The Dodgers in 1974 were a very young positional team but with a veteran rotation.
Andy Messersmith was the Dodgers best pitcher in 1974 but Walter Alston choose to go with future HOF Don Sutton and it proved to be a brilliant decision. Don would not only shut out the Pirates in game one, he would also win the decisive game four giving up only one run. He would end his first NLCS with 17 innings of one-run ball and two victories. That is how myth building starts.
This game was tight all the way to the 9th inning. Future Dodger standout Jerry Ruess started for the Pirates and made only one mistake. With two outs and two on in the second inning, Jerry Ruess walked Don Sutton loading the bases. Davey Lopes would hit a single to drive in the first run of the postseason but it was the walk to Don Sutton that proved his undoing. Ruess would shut out the Dodgers the rest of his innings, finishing with 7 IP, and that one earned run which cost him dearly.
Don Sutton would figure prominently in the scoring in the 9th when the Dodgers tacked on two more runs. Sutton hit a single. was forced by Lopes at second. Lopes would then score on a double by Jimmy Wynn. Wynn would score on a single by Joe Ferguson and the Dodgers would take a 3 – 0 lead into the bottom of the 9th. Don Sutton closed out his own game and the Dodgers had won their first postseason game since Sandy Koufax had defeated the Twins in Game 7 in 1965.
What is notable was that Walter Alston did not pinch hit for Don Sutton in the 9th inning. The score was only 1 – 0, it was the 9th inning, and he had the best closer in baseball sitting in his bullpen but he let Sutton hit, and it all worked out. In 2016, I’m very sure that will not happen 99.9% of the time. No one trusts their starting pitcher more than their closer anymore. Not in a one-run game.
Sutton however, had gained the confidence of Alston by throwing five shutouts that season. It wasn’t like Alston didn’t like using Mike Marshall, he had, after all, made a record 106 appearances.
When it comes to best pitching performances by a LAD in the postseason, using game score this game ranked as the 5th best ever by a LAD pitcher with an 84.
10/4/2008 Broxton’s last hurrah, Dodgers sweep Cubs
Jame Loney delivered the first blow in game one, and James Loney delivered the final blow in game three. Loney’s two-out two run double in the bottom of the 1st inning put the Dodgers up 2 – 0 as they went on to win 3 – 1 and swept the Cubs.
I was at the game and wrote this up at truebluela.
I love all 6’4 of Matt Kemp, but if he had been 6’3 I’d be hating him right now. Even from 50 yards away I knew he had misplayed that line drive and by the time he finally started heading in the right direction my heart was in my throat. Then he reached up to his full height and pulled down the line drive that put the nail in the Cubs coffin. It was the play of the night and it added just the right amount of drama to a great game.
I don’t even remember the catch I’m describing, does anyone else?
With a two-run lead, Kuroda gave the Dodgers six shutout innings. He got the first out in the 7th but gave up back to back singles putting the tying runs on base. Corey Wade (remember him) came up and restored order or maybe that line drive to CF in the box score was the play I was describing? Either way, Wade got out of the inning.
The eighth was a different beast and Wade gave up a single and double for a run. With two outs Broxton came in and struck out Mark De Rosa who represented the tying run. Broxton would then strike out two of the three in the 9th and that was all she wrote for the Cubs.
What a difference that above paragraph makes. Broxton had just saved game three after having put together a brilliant campaign in 2008. Headed into the NLCS Broxton was a Dodger strength, their go-to guy, the guy who was a difference-maker in the bullpen.
And then Matt Stairs strode to the plate and forever changed the Jonathan Broxton story in Los Angeles.
What I remember most about this game happened when I left after the Dodger celebration. Headed out toward the parking lot I’ll always remember a Cub fan with his son, explaining to his son that even though his team didn’t win, it is always good to watch a team celebrate.
Yeah it is
On 10/4/1959 Dodgers win first World Series game in Los Angeles
With the Dodgers having split the first two games of the 1959 World Series in Chicago, the series headed back to Los Angeles. This was the first World Series game ever played at the Coliseum and 92,000 plus watched the Dodgers win their first World Series game in Los Angeles 3 – 1 behind the pitching of Don Drysdale and Larry Sherry.
Given the histrionics about playing a World Series in a bandbox like the Coliseum, the game was scoreless until the bottom of the 7th inning when long-time Brooklyn Dodger hero Carl Furillo drove in the first two runs with a pinch-hit single.
With the Dodgers leading 2 – 0, Drysdale started the eighth inning but quickly gave up two singles putting the tying runners on base. Sherry came in and hit Billy Goodman to load the bases, but got Al Smith to hit into a double play. Klu scored and the tying run was now on 3rd. Jim Rivera hit a pop up to CF and Sherry was out of the jam.
The Dodgers would increase their lead to 3 – 1 when Wills led off with a single, was sacrificed to second by Sherry and with two outs Charlie Neal drove him in with a double. Sherry struck out the side in the 9th, and the Dodgers were up two games to one, even though they lost the first game 11 – 0.
Drysdale ended the game going seven innings, allowing one run, eleven hits, four walks, and five strikeouts. You can tell by the box score he was in trouble the whole game, with fifteen base runners. In the 2nd he got a normal DP to end a threat, and in the fifth Roseboro threw out AL MVP Nellie Fox trying to steal 2nd while Jim Landis was striking out for the 2nd DP of the game.
The rookie Larry Sherry would go onto win the World Series MVP and much of that came from saving this game and Don’s bacon in the 8th inning.
During the season the Dodgers hit 82 home runs at the Coliseum but in the first World Series game ever played there, they did not hit a home run. Gil Hodges would hit a home run in game four, and that would be the only home run hit by the Dodgers in the Coliseum in a World Series.
The Dodgers would not return to the World Series until 1963 and by then Dodger Stadium had been built.
Here are some nice video clips
For you Wally Moon fans
National Positional Starters Review
I’m going to look at the positional breakdown for the NL East Champions. The last time I looked at them was June 20th but at that time they had Wilson Ramos and Stephen Strasburg.
Eric Stephen gives us the statistical breakdown of the matchup but the Nationals are not the team who played 162 games as they get ready to face the Dodgers.
The Dodgers couldn’t be playing this team at a better time.
The bads news for the Nationals:
- Wilson Ramos is out.
- 2016 MVP candidate Daniel Murphy is hurt
- 2015 MVP Bryce Harper is hurt.
- 1st baseman and cleanup hitter Ryan Zimmerman is horrible
- SS Danny Espinosa is horrible
The Good news for the Nationals:
- they have their own game-changing rookie in Trea Turner who would have given Corey Seager a run for his money as the ROY if he hadn’t been forced to play eighty-three games at AAA instead of in the major leagues.
- Max Scherzer could neutralize Clayton Kershaw
- They have a left-handed starter
- Anthony Rendon looks like the star we thought he’d be after 2014
- Mark Melancon has plugged the huge hole at closer that has always been a problem
Catcher – unfortunately for National fans, Wilson Ramos is out of the postseason having sustained a season-ending ACL tear in late September. Ramos and Grandal would have made a great matchup at the backstop position with both players having great offensive seasons. Instead, the Nationals will be turning to Jose Lobaton and rookie Pedro Severino.
Both are better defensive players than Ramos. Lobaton is known for his ability to frame pitches. Severino is the Nationals top catching prospect because of his glove, not his bat — though his offensive consistency has improved because of a “more efficient” swing, Rizzo said
Lobaton twisted his ankle several weeks ago and might sit against LHP since it bothers him when hitting right-handed. Lobaton is a switch hitter. Severino, while not known for his bat does have an OPS of 1.048 in very limited playing time (34 plate appearances)
1st Base – at one time Ryan Zimmerman was a good baseball player, now he may own the worst contract in baseball. At least he’s consistent, Ryan was the worst 1st baseman in the NL over the full season, and he was the worst 1st baseman over the past 30 days. He has a wRC+ of 67. His backup is Clint Robinson, and he’s just as bad with a wRC+ of 70. 1st base is clearly the Nationals Achilles heal. As bad as Zimmerman was all season, Dusty Baker still gave him 64 starts batting fourth or fifth and even hit him cleanup on the last day of the season.
2nd Base – Daniel Murphy should finish in the top three in the MVP voting . Even playing only 142 games he led the league in doubles with 47. He hit .347, and led the league in slug% (595) and OPS (985). He had the best offensive season of any second baseman in the NL since Jeff Kent in 2000. The only other NL 2nd baseman I could find since integration to lead the league in OPS and Slug% was Joe Morgan in 1976. Dodger and Cub fans certainly remember the tear that Murphy went on while with the Mets last October. He hasn’t stopped hitting until he injured his buttocks, and hasn’t started since Sept 18th. Baker says he’ll be ready for the opener but it does not sound like he’ll be at full strength.
Murphy has not started since Sept. 18, when he originally suffered the injury. He pinch-hit twice in the next week, but when an MRI exam revealed a muscle strain, the Nationals shut him down. If the season ended today, he would finish second for the National League batting title with a .347 average, tied for the Nationals single-season record for doubles and hits.
So the good news for Dodger fans is that Murphy has a sore butt, and is still not a very good at defense.
Shortstop – Danny Espinosa was the hottest of hot and the coldest of cold this year. Actually outside of June and the first three games of July he was frigid. He somehow hit 24 home runs and yet couldn’t get his slug% over .400. Nine of those 24 home runs came in June. Five of them came in a four-game stretch from June 30th – July 3rd. Outside of June and those three games in July, he was truly horrible putting up a .544 OPS over his last 293 plate appearances. He starts at SS because he can play solid defense, take a walk, and hit a home run if he runs into a hot streak. At least I assume that is why he is still starting at SS.
3rd Base – Fangraphs says that Anthony Rendon is an excellent defensive 3rd baseman. I only see his offensive highlights so I’m going to believe that. They have Justin Turner as the best defensive 3rd baseman in the NL and Rendon 3rd. Rendon bounced back from a tough offensive and injury plagued 2015 to regain the luster he had after his 2014 breakout season where he finished 5th in MVP voting and took the Silver Slugger award. Rendon had a fairly pedestrian first half but caught fire in the second half and has the 3rd best wRC+ of any 3rd baseman in the second half. He did cool off in Sept after torrid spells in July and August.
Right Field – Bryce Harper started out this as though he’d re-write record books while cruising to his 2nd MVP season. He ended it with a whimper and after May 8th rarely resembled the MVP of 2015. On May 8th, Harper was walked six times, three of them intentionally. At that point of the season, he had an OPS of 1.064. For the rest of the year, his OPS was .752 in 495 plate appearances. Not exactly Babe Ruth. I know he’s banged up now and was a non-offensive factor in Sept but I have no idea what happened from May 9th until he got hurt. FiveThirtyEight chips in on why,
So far in 2016, Harper’s exit velocity is down almost two and a half mph from his average last season — even as MLB’s overall exit velocity has spiked this year. Alongside that decrease in exit velocity has come a sharp increase in launch angle. Harper’s typical batted ball in 2015 ranged between a launch angle of about 13 to 16 degrees, giving him a line drive swing conducive to a high batting average.
but it still doesn’t answer the question, why has his exit velocity and launch angle changed?
Center Field – Many felt that Trea Turner could be a good major league baseball player. I don’t think anyone could honestly say he would be the best offensive center fielder in baseball not named Mike Trout in the second half. He doesn’t walk much, doesn’t strike out much relative to today’s game, and his BABIP is close to .400 but for over 300 at bats the kid is hitting the hell out of the ball. In only 324 plate appearances he has 14 doubles, eight triples, 13 home runs, and 33 stolen bases while being caught only six times. He simply flies ala Dee Gordon but with power. His OPS sits at .937 as a leadoff hitter. He’s as exciting a hitter to show up in the NL since Corey Seager. Trea Turner replaced Ben Revere, talk about getting a bump.
Left Field – Jayson Werth signed a seven-year with the Nationals back in 2010. Unlike just about anyone who has signed a five/six/seven-year deal at the age of 32, he is still starting and producing. His season OPS+ is only 99 and his once solid defense seems to have nosedived, so the shaggy one is on the decline from his once great self, but at least he was healthy all year.
This team is hobbled but with almost a week off between the end of the year and the first postseason game they have time to heal some wounds. It won’t’ be enough time for Ramos or Strasburg, and they still have Zimmerman, Espinosa getting key at-bats. Can Trea Turner keep on super staring into the postseason? If he gets on, he will run wild, but will anyone drive him home? Harper is hurt and struggling, Werth is pedestrian at best, Murphy is hurt but dangerous, and Zimmerman/Espinosa are simply not good from the offensive side.
As I said up top the Dodgers are running into the Nationals at the right time. A healthy Nationals teams would have made for a formidable matchup, but if the Dodgers can’t get past this team without Strasburg, without Ramos, with Harper reeling, and Murphy hurt plenty of fans won’t be happy with the postseason ending after one series for the 3rd time in four tries.
Carlos Santana helps lead Indians to AL Central Title
The Guitar is now 30 years old and has hit 151 home runs while walking over six hundred times.
In 2016 the Indians decided to take advantage of his patience and moved him to the lead off spot. Santana started 85 games from the leadoff spot and rewarded the Indians with a .385 OBP in those 85 games, and a .886 OPS. This was the first time he had ever hit lead off in his major league career.
His combination of patience and power has always set him a tad apart from his contemporaries, and as this play index shows, his skill set is usually reserved for the elite.
| Player | HR | BB | OPS | Age | Years |
| Albert Pujols | 408 | 914 | 1.050 | 21-30 | 2001-2010 |
| Lance Berkman | 221 | 678 | 0.990 | 24-30 | 2000-2006 |
| Alex Rodriguez | 316 | 610 | 0.985 | 24-30 | 2000-2006 |
| Miguel Cabrera | 365 | 799 | 0.967 | 20-30 | 2003-2013 |
| Joey Votto | 163 | 611 | 0.950 | 23-30 | 2007-2014 |
| Mark Teixeira | 275 | 616 | 0.913 | 23-30 | 2003-2010 |
| Prince Fielder | 288 | 751 | 0.910 | 21-30 | 2005-2014 |
| Adam Dunn | 354 | 990 | 0.902 | 21-30 | 2001-2010 |
| David Wright | 222 | 671 | 0.888 | 21-30 | 2004-2013 |
| Troy Glaus | 247 | 615 | 0.882 | 23-30 | 2000-2007 |
| Andrew McCutchen | 175 | 612 | 0.869 | 22-29 | 2009-2016 |
| Pat Burrell | 218 | 683 | 0.849 | 23-30 | 2000-2007 |
| Carlos Santana | 151 | 638 | 0.809 | 24-30 | 2010-2016 |
He’s clearly the worst hitter of this group, but he made the club. He and Lance Berkman are the only two switch-hitters in the group.
Carlos was primarily a DH this year after playing 406 games at 1st, 330 games at catcher, 26 at 3rd, and one in LF over the course of his fine career.
Carlos has been an Indian so long now that he is in the top five of just about every Indian offensive category this century.
- 2nd in home runs (151)
- 3rd in runs scored (483)
- 5th in doubles (199)
- 3rd in RBI (508)
- 1st in walks (638)
- 4th in bWAR at 21.2
- 4th in OPS+ (122) minimum 1500 Plate Appearances
His bat will play at DH just fine thank you.
Historical LAD ROY voting for position players
With Corey Seager expected to win the NL 2016 Rookie of the Year award, let’s take a look at all the LAD position players who have gotten at least one vote for the award.
In 1960 Frank Howard won over his teammate Tommy Davis and future HOF Ron Santo. Frank Howard had an illustrious career and proved the voters correct.
In 1965 Jim Lefebvre won over Joe Morgan who was truly robbed. Frenchy would go on to have an excellent sophomore season leading the 1966 Dodgers in most offensive categories but eventually his career petered out in 1972. But that would just be the beginning of a baseball journey that took him around the world.
Ted Sizemore won in 1969 and the competition was meager. Sizemore had lowest OPS+ of any LAD to win the ROY. Al Oliver would go on to have the best career among those who got votes. Had to be a big letdown for baseball after the two previous winners were future HOF Johnny Bench and Tom Seaver.
Ron Cey and Davey Lopes both tied for 6th in 1973. The winner was Gary Matthews with Steve Rogers placing 2nd. Other good players to get a vote were Richie Zisk, Bob Boone, and Dan Driessen. Ron Cey would end up with the highest cumulative bWAR from that group with Davey Lopes giving him a good run for his money. Steve Rogers was second in cumulative bWAR and long time Dodger fans will remember the Dodgers had to go through prime Steve Rodgers in 1981 to get to the World Series. Rick Monday’s home run in the deciding game is one of the great LAD moments in history.
Steve Sax would win in 1982, and much like Sizemore did it by hitting lots and lots of singles. Sax would also steal 49 bases. Future HOF Ryan Sandberg got some votes, but in 1982 Steve Sax had the better season. Sax won the 4th Dodger ROY in a row but was the only position player in that run of four. Rick Sutcliffe, Steve Howe, and Fernando won it in 79/80/81. We will get to the pitchers in a different article. Interesting note, at this point the last three position Dodgers to win the ROY were all 2nd baseman.
Greg Brock would get 3 points for 7th place in 1983. About what he deserved. Mr. Strawberry won easily.
Mariano Duncan surprised everyone to win the starting SS job in 1985 and parlayed his 38 steals into 3rd place. Vince Coleman would steal 110 bases and run away with the award.
Eric Karros started a string of five straight Dodger ROY winners in 1992. Eric won quite easily as he was the only full-time rookie to put up any kind of numbers in 1992.
HOF Mike Piazza followed Karros by winning in 1993. Piazza would be the first LAD ROY winner to become a HOF but he had a teammate named Pedro Martinez who got 9th place. For cumulative bWAR I wonder if any team had two rookies on it like Piazza and Pedro? Piazza received every single first place vote, and had the highest OPS+ of the any Dodger ROY winner, and will still hold that distinction even after Seager wins this year. However one Dodger rookie did have a higher OPS+ than Piazza, but he did not win the ROY award in 2013.
Raul Mondesi than followed Karros and Piazza by winning the 1994 award. In three years the Dodgers had added three major talents, but it didn’t help them win any postseason games. Just like Piazza, Mondesi won every single 1st place vote. Headed into the 1995 season you would have been hard-pressed to decide who was going to have the better career, Mondesi or Piazza. Ryan Klesko, Cliff Floyd and Javy Lopez were three players who received votes that would go on to have distinguished careers.
Todd Hollandsworth won in 1996 completing the string of five straight Dodger ROY award winners. Hideo Nomo won as a LAD pitcher in 1995. That left the Dodgers with four position ROY award winners in five years and one pitcher. Yet again none of that translated into postseason victories. Nary a one. Todd barely beat out Edgar Renteria for 1st place with 15 votes to 10. I’d have gone with the SS myself. Todd was the last LAD position player to win the NL ROY award. Until 2016 that is.
It wasn’t until 2006 that any LAD position player got any ROY votes. Andre polled 5th in 2006 riding his outstanding start. Russell Martin showed up 9th and even smiling Sammy Saito got a vote. The winner was Hanley Ramirez but the list had plenty of other good players. Ryan Zimmerman was 2nd, Dan Uggla, Johnson, Matt Cain, and Prince Fielder all got some votes.
James Loney would get one vote in 2007 finishing 6th and last in the voting. Ryan Braun started his brilliant career in 2007 and easily won the award. However, James Loney unlike Karros, Piazza, Mondesi, Nomo, and Hollandsworth, would give the Dodgers a win in the postseason. Yeah, he did that.
Which takes us to 2013 and Yasiel Puig. Puig has the highest OPS+ of any LAD rookie and yet did not win a ROY award. With good reason. Puig lost to his countryman Jose Fernandez who tragically died earlier this month.
List of LAD Rookies and how they did in ROY voting. Even though Baseball Reference lists Billy Grabarkewitz and his 1970 season as a rookie he was not a rookie, cause if he was he’d have beaten Carl Morton. Billy may not have been a rookie but 1970 was first full season and he was everything that Cory Seager was in 2016.
| Player | ROY Voting | OPS+ | PA | Year | Age |
| Frank Howard | 1st | 107 | 487 | 1960 | 23 |
| Tommy Davis | 5th | 92 | 374 | 1960 | 21 |
| Jim Lefebvre | 1st | 106 | 631 | 1965 | 23 |
| Ted Sizemore | 1st | 94 | 650 | 1969 | 24 |
| Ron Cey | 6th | 104 | 595 | 1973 | 25 |
| Davey Lopes | 6th | 100 | 615 | 1973 | 28 |
| Steve Sax | 1st | 97 | 699 | 1982 | 22 |
| Greg Brock | 7th | 106 | 543 | 1983 | 26 |
| Mariano Duncan | 3rd | 80 | 620 | 1985 | 22 |
| Eric Karros | 1st | 106 | 589 | 1992 | 24 |
| Mike Piazza | 1st | 153 | 602 | 1993 | 24 |
| Raul Mondesi | 1st | 123 | 454 | 1994 | 23 |
| Todd Hollandsworth | 1st | 113 | 526 | 1996 | 23 |
| Andre Ethier | 5th | 113 | 441 | 2006 | 24 |
| Russell Martin | 9th | 101 | 468 | 2006 | 23 |
| James Loney | 6th | 134 | 375 | 2007 | 23 |
| Yasiel Puig | 2nd | 159 | 432 | 2013 | 22 |
| Corey Seager | ??? | 137 | 687 | 2016 | 22 |
Dodgers, Yesterday and Today 