Baseball Toaster: Dodger Thoughts : The Dodger Top 40 at <i>6-4-2</i>

The Dodger Top 40 at 6-4-2

2006-01-20 10:43

by Jon Weisman

With not nearly enough fanfare, nor Casey Kasem as a host, Rob McMillin of 6-4-2 has kicked off a series on the Top 40 Dodgers of all time. Coming in at No. 40 - a long-distance dedication to Jeff Pfeffer, who led the Dodgers to the 1916 National League pennant with a 1.92 ERA and .279 batting average.

Comments (51)

Show/Hide Comments 1-50

2006-01-20 11:09:21

1. Sam DC

OT, but winner of the Understatement of the Year Award. From mlb.com article about the Nationals' continued interest in Sammy Sosa:

The Nationals want to give him a Minor League deal with an invitation to Spring Training, while Sosa wants a guaranteed contract with a decent salary. Last season, Sosa made over $17 million and is not expected to get close to that amount.

http://tinyurl.com/88hdt

The whole thing is pretty amusing really. Part of Sosa's team's strategy appears to be insisting that Bowden has done other crazy things, so he should also do this.

2006-01-20 11:30:03

2. Jon Weisman

That was a surprisingly interesting article - thanks, Sam.

2006-01-20 12:07:38

3. das411

1 - So would that constitute the largest salary dropoff in one offseason ever?

I believe Juan Gonzalez holds the current record, iirc...

2006-01-20 12:20:51

4. D4P

3
Darren Dreifort...?

2006-01-20 12:34:15

5. Blu2

To bad he doesn't have a San Francisco stop on his resume, Flanders would give him a contract for sure...

2006-01-20 12:59:59

6. Ben P

Also off topic, but the Washington Post had a really interesting feature story this morning about the former American hostages in Iran and what they've done over the last 25 years with the gifts they received from MLB -- lifetime passes to any pro baseball game they want.

http://tinyurl.com/7787e

(Free registration is required to read the story.)

2006-01-20 13:04:22

7. Bob Timmermann

It's already posted on the Griddle. It's the one about "The Golden Ticket".

2006-01-20 14:12:42

8. jtw

I'm new to this forum, but I appreciate the quality of discussion. I saw the first couple paragraphs of today's article on ESPN by Jayson Stark re the importance of innings eaters. While innings eaters who are good pitchers are obviously much more valuable, I wonder if his information should make us feel better about Tomko, and maybe even better about Seo?

2006-01-20 14:23:31

9. Jon Weisman

I'm not convinced that multi-million-dollar innings eaters who are not good, who eventually might end up at a quality where they should be banished to the bullpen, are more valuable than trying out your D.J. Houlton, Derek Thompson types until one sticks.

2006-01-20 15:33:23

10. jystakes

Ishii back to Japan

2006-01-20 16:24:36

11. natepurcell

from the dodgers.com article on kemp.

Kemp not only has a power bat, but a throwing arm that can handle right field and the ball-chasing speed and instincts to handle center.

"I love it in center," said Kemp. "That's where I played most last year after trying it in Spring Training for the first time. I just fell in love with it. I can play all three, but I like being the leader in the outfielder."

hmmm, maybe we have our CFer of the future..

2006-01-20 16:35:01

12. fawnkyj

Kemp in center, Ethier in left and Joel in right would look nice.

2006-01-20 18:04:06

13. Steve

Showtime will take AD if Hurwitz will stay and run the show. No word from Hurwitz, who has to decide whether to stay with the best show on television, or move on to the entertainment equivalent of Baez and Carter.

2006-01-20 19:18:44

14. popup

I am looking forward to Rob's countdown. I wonder how he is going rate great players who did not achieve their greatness with the Dodgers. Frank Robinson for sure would have to be high up the list for career achievement, though he did not do all that much as a Dodger. Off the top of my head my top ten all time list for greatness as a Dodger would be Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese, Nap Rucker, Mike Piazza, Roy Campanella, Don Drysdale, Zack Wheat, Dazzy Vance, Duke Snider, and Sandy Koufax.

Stan from Tacoma

2006-01-20 19:26:32

15. Bob Timmermann

Not too fond of the 1970s Dodgers are you Stan?
No Garvey? No Lopes? No Cey? No Sutton?

2006-01-20 19:33:54

16. das411

No Fernandooooooo?

2006-01-20 19:34:58

17. popup

Bob, they would be in the top 40 for sure. If I didn't put Gil Hodges in the top ten, I don't see how I could put Garvey there. I think the 70s teams were the best balanced Dodger team I have ever seen, but in my opinion the individual players did not match the greatness of the Brooklyn and Sandy Koufax Los Angeles Dodgers.

Stan from Tacoma

2006-01-20 19:57:29

18. Bob Timmermann

I would have to say that Don Sutton has a far better record than Nap Rucker, even though Rucker pitched for some really bad teams.

2006-01-20 20:35:18

19. natepurcell

i wonder how pedro, ramon, nomo, sheffield and green would rank on that list...

2006-01-20 20:44:21

20. popup

Rucker had an awfully good reputation among people who saw him pitch. I don't want to denigrate Sutton, but if I had a game I had to win, Don Sutton does not get the ball. Don was very good for a long time, but I can't say at any time during his Dodger career that he was the pitcher that I would start in game 7 of the World Series if I am the Dodger manager.

Stan from Tacoma

2006-01-20 20:52:02

21. popup

Nate, Pedro would be in my top ten had he done all his pitching for the Dodgers. Ditto for Frank Robinson and Eddie Murray if they had done their hitting for the Dodgers. I would like to sneek Gagne into the top ten list, but he is going to have to pitch at peak performance for a lot more years to be mentioned with Koufax and Drysdale in my opinion.

Stan from Tacoma

2006-01-20 20:54:53

22. D4P

13
The big question: do we spring for Showtime just for AD? I'll probably opt for the "download/wait until DVDs" option.

2006-01-20 21:11:40

23. Steve

The fourth year is when LVORS (Laugh Value Over Replacement Sitcom) is at its highest. This might be a case where the money is worth it.

2006-01-20 21:51:37

24. D4P

23
Scrubs Season 4 was an exception to the LVORS rule. Season 5 has been Carter-like thus far.

2006-01-20 22:36:49

25. caseybarker

Babe Ruth has got to be number one.

2006-01-20 22:48:33

26. Steve

Since the Rams are a topic every once in a while, here's how the AP's story of their new coach started:

"In many ways, the St. Louis Rams' new coach is very similar to the one they just fired."

If it's not obvious by now, my kids will not sleep.

2006-01-20 22:51:59

27. Linkmeister

Where's the love for the Aspromonte brothers? For Norm Larker? Don Demeter? Wally Moon? Pete Richert? Joe Pignatano?

Ah, those 60s Dodgers.

2006-01-20 22:52:49

28. caseybarker

Ron Fairly's my favorite.

2006-01-20 23:35:41

29. Strike4

Rob is using Win Shares. Hmmm, with their longevity, I guess that means Zack Wheat or Bill Russell for Number 1?

2006-01-21 07:52:35

30. D4P

26
I think we can all agree that the Rams' struggles the last few years have been on the offensive side of the ball, and that Martz needed to be replaced by a coach who would prioritize offense for a change.

Right? Makes sense to me...

2006-01-21 12:00:41

31. natepurcell

mets trade benson to orioles for julio and john maine.

could this mean omar has another starter lined up? jeff weaver!?!??!..... just speculating on that because this leaves their rotation very thin and old.

2006-01-21 12:04:58

32. natepurcell

or maybe this is our chance to trade odalis for lastings milledge!??!

2006-01-21 12:48:45

33. Steve

Julio is garbage. What is the story on Maine?

2006-01-21 12:52:18

34. D4P

33
Chilly in winter, but nice vacation spot in summer.

2006-01-21 12:59:02

35. natepurcell

maine= DJ houlton basically.

2006-01-21 13:01:16

36. D4P

Rotoworld's take:

Maine gives the team some additional insurance in case Aaron Heilman isn't ready to start, but he's probably nothing more than a fifth starter.

2006-01-21 13:01:54

37. Steve

Well, that's all Benson is, so I guess they save money.

2006-01-21 13:27:21

38. trainwreck

The only benefit is that Heilman has to start for them now, which is what he should be doing anyways. Jorge Julio is garbage, not like Benson is awesome but he has much more worth and the Mets rotation is very old, they need as much depth as possible... oh and Zambrano is just terrible.

2006-01-21 13:50:12

39. natepurcell

if omar called asking for odalis, i would reluctantly take milledge back. only if omar begs for odalis though.

2006-01-21 13:56:55

40. Bob Timmermann

I believe West Virginia is a wee bit better than USC.

2006-01-21 14:08:38

41. trainwreck

40-
Just a tad.

2006-01-21 14:08:48

42. Jon Weisman

Just home from Pauley. Brought my son to his first basketball game today and my daughter to her second. Bigger deal was that it was the first time taking them to a sporting event by myself. The goal was to make it to the seats, maybe stay a half, since my son is usually napping by 2 p.m. My daughter did great. My son squirmed, watched some, but there were too many time outs. I left, feeling proud, with 9 minutes or so left in the first half.

I'm guessing some people aren't going to be far behind me.

2006-01-21 14:09:31

43. trainwreck

This season will probably end up being what could have been for UCLA, if there weren't so many injuries. I just hope Afflalo and Farmar come back next season.

2006-01-21 14:09:40

44. Jon Weisman

(The space between "time outs" was unintentional, for what it's worth.)

2006-01-21 14:10:47

45. trainwreck

You must have great patience Jon. I do not think I could deal with that while at a sporting event, of course I am 21.

2006-01-21 14:11:50

46. Penarol1916

40. I believe the Big East is a wee bit better than the rest of college basketball this year. My two year old has decided that it's very cool that we can run and jump and scream while watching the Hoyas.

2006-01-21 14:20:12

47. natepurcell

callis does his "what if" preseason all american if these players didnt turn pro and went to college instead. the dodgers are well represented, with dewitt, elbert and billingsley making the team.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/060121callis.html

2006-01-21 14:23:53

48. Bob Timmermann

Quinn Buckner has just coined the word "valutility".

2006-01-21 14:25:42

49. trainwreck

Clark Kellogg actually.

2006-01-21 14:30:26

50. Bob Timmermann

One of those Big 10 guys.

Speaking of the Big 10, I kept seeing a headling saying that North Dakota State beat Wisconsin and I thought it was a hockey score.

Nope, basketball. And North Dakota State is a basketball independent. Which means that they exist for the sole purpose of getting beat up by bigger schools.

Show/Hide Comments 51-100

2006-01-22 16:21:37

51. Eric Enders

I thought that was the SWAC's purpose.