(Off-topic) Atlanta (NHL) fired head coach Bob Hartley yesterday. In their best dream scenario, their next hire would be Dick Loudon.

Reminiscing about the late 70s Dodgers will just have to wait until after these pesky work meeting. Dang, coworker-type people, I have important things to ponder.

The Dodgers clinched that NLCS by beating Steve Carlton, in Philadelphia. That seems even more amazing to me now.

If the Dodgers made the playoffs, we were allowed to eat dinner on trays in the living room and watch on the color TV.

Although I believe I watched Game 3 of the NLCS on the black and white kitchen TV.

DODGERS 9TH: Baker grounded out (third to first); Monday
grounded out (second to first); DAVALILLO BATTED FOR YEAGER; On
a bunt Davalillo singled to second; MOTA BATTED FOR RAUTZHAN;
Mota doubled to left [Davalillo scored (error by Sizemore;
assist by Luzinski), Mota to third]; Lopes singled to third
[Mota scored]; ground ball off turf-seam hit Schmidt in knee
and caromed to Bowa who apparently threw to 1B in time;
Froemming said safe; Lopes was picked off first but was safe
on an error by Garber [Lopes to second]; Russell singled to
center [Lopes scored (unearned)]; Smith grounded out (pitcher to
first); 3 R (2 ER), 4 H, 2 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 6, Phillies 5.

That was such a great team to root for.

I'm going to figure that you wouldn't have anything against any home grown players so I'll go with Grote or Boog(because of 66).

I remember being deathly afraid after 74 that the Big Red Machine would never allow us to win another NL pennant.

You know until the recent playoff debacle for those of us who saw 74, 77, 78, 81 we always made it to the world series. When I think about I do tend to feel sorry for fans who came of age after 1981. They only have a fluke world series to remember.

1977 was 9 years before I was born.

Living on the East Coast makes following the Dodgers very hard. I remember the shock of the Piazza trade, and then cheering for the Mets in the 2000 World Series. I pretty much ignored the Dodgers during the Fox ownership years, but refocused my attention during the summer of 2003 when my family took a vacation to Los Angeles and I saw a game at Dodger Stadium. That was great, aside from losing 10-7 and getting around the parking lot.

For the 2004 season, I actually paid attention to the Dodgers a bit more, checked Dodgers.com for highlight plays, and groaned as the Dodgers were knocked out in the first round, with Jose Lima's momentum going for them, but not much else. I was distracted by other things in 2005, most notably working at a summer camp where I didn't really have internet access to speak of. I left for camp with the team in first place, and came back to see the season had crashed and burned. I was turned against DePodesta when reading the game report from about the first game in the season when Jose Valentin lost the ball in the chalk. That bit lingered, and I hadn't yet realized how valuable Brad Penny was.

So my first season of being a full-fledged Dodger fan was last year, in 2006.

Without looking it up, I'd estimate the Dodgers won 35 postseason games between 1974 and 1988.

No mention of Davy Lopes? Was he the exception? I don't remember this.

1974 - 4 wins
1977 - 5 wins
1978 - 5 wins
1981 - 10 wins
1983 - 1 win
1985 - 2 wins
1988 - 8 wins

35 is indeed the correct number

5 - Nope.

8 - Try to recall famous stories of my attending Dodger games as a child.

9 - Hey, not bad!

I didn't see Monday mentioned---could it be?

5 I'm too young to even remember the fluke World Series.

11 - Yes. I did not fall in love with Rick Monday in 1977.

Rick Monday was hurt for a good part of the 1977 season.

10
Did you fill out your least liked Dodger list from a thread gone wild several weeks ago?

Other then Lopes I liked all those guys and I don't think I really disliked Lopes until later. I know I liked Monday until he became a boring broadcaster.

Back in late June of 1962, when I was 11, I was over my friend Paul's house and his dad said, let's go to the Dodgers game. We piled into his VW Beetle and headed out to Dodger Stadium. It was June 30. Koufax was pitching, against the Mets.

We were out in the right field bleachers, and I remember about the fourth or fifth inning everyone began thinking Koufax still had a no-hitter. We stayed the whole game and watched Sandy Koufax pitch his first no-hitter. I remember it got really exciting in the 9th.

What I don't remember is the fact that in the first inning, Koufax struck out the side on 9 pitches.

Given how JR dominated the Dodgers I always figured he grooved that pitch for Dusty ala Denny McLain and Micky Mantles last at bat.

I came to them in 86 as a youngster. I remember ch 11 on a Sunday morning and thought a G-R double by Stubbs was the coolest thing I ever saw. Hooked from that moment on. I feel fortunate to be around for 88, but am truly jealous of those before me who saw the good years.

The Dodgers traded Bill Buckner for Monday, and Monday didn't hit. Not enough, anyway, for me to like him.

I discovered the Dodgers, or they discovered me, in 1973, when I heard Vin's voice coming out of our transistor radio as the Dodgers lost to the Reds. So, 1974 was my first full season and my first major league game.

But 1977 was a team to love, no question. Wasn't the homer that Sutton gave up in the first at bat of the season to Gary Thomason of the Giants?

And 1977 also was the first season not only for Lasorda, but for Ross Porter.

To be accurate, Rick Monday was hurt the whole time he was in L.A. By the time he was healthy, he was declining and just a part-time player.

He never played more than 119 games in a season.

1977 Memories

1. Won Opening Day tickets on KABC radio contest (My dad heard my name on the radio, I was in school). Attended the game, saw and heard Sinatra sing the National Anthem (Not one of Ol' Blue Eyes best moments).
2. The back story about the first pitch home run was that Rawlings had just taken over the baseball manufacturing contract and the Hall of Fame wanted the ball from each first pitch. Thomassan knew this and figured Sutton would try to get a strike and the ball was in right field bullpen before you knew it.
3. You have to put that year in context, the Reds had dominated the NL West, the Dodgers had won one division title since the league split into divisions back in 1969. And the Reds were not just good, they had Hall of Famers or MVP candidates playing everywhere. So to finally beat the Reds was a big thing.
4. Nothing beat listening to Game 3 of the NLCS, the 9th inning was classic.
5. Seeing the Dodgers play in Yankee Stadium was almost surreal. I mean, all I knew about Yankee Stadium was that Ruth, Gehrig, Dimaggio and Mantle played in that place and now to see my team running around on that field was unbelievable.
6. Like Jon, I wasn't crushed that the Dodgers lost that year (1978 was worse since we were ahead 2-0).

Thanks Jon for bringing back those memories.

I was too young to have seen the salad days first hand. Far as Buckner (which was going to be my guess) was he an outfielder at that time?

I always wondered how he got from the Dodgers to the Red Sox. Obviously by the time he was a Red Sock (sp?) he played 1B.

21 Is there a disabled list for broadcasters?

In 1977, I saw Game 3 of the World Series, but I've written about that.

In 1978, I saw Game 6 of the World Series in person. That was not fun. I had to wait around for my oldest brother to finish his shift as an usher. My other brother and I saw Ed Figueroa and Roy White outside the stadium getting ready to celebrate.

They had very 1970s-era suits on.

1977 was also the first year I followed the team closely. To this day, my most exciting memory as a fan (probably because I was so young), was the Davalillo/Mota comeback against the Phillies. And John pitched the pennant-winning complete game on Saturday, October 8, 1967, my 10th birthday.

I mean October 8, 1977

I am 36. My biggest memory from that year (or could have been 78) was Greg Nettles going verticle multiple times.

Sad but true.

The first game I really remember going to was when Mota set the pinch hit record. Not sure when that was.

26
You share a birthday with my mom!

How much TV do you watch?

https://screenjam.baseballtoaster.com/archives/845547.html

1977 was the year I went to an Elvis concert. While still in my mother's womb.

In 1977 I was still a Cincinnati Reds fan. Not an easy task growing up in SoCal. I was also a Minnesota Vikings fan and I couldn't stand the Dodgers and Rams. I remember the 1975 season and the exciting World Series. I remember that we were on a family vacation at the time and was mad that there was this guy named Luis Tiant who kept pitching every 3rd game and I didn't think it was fair. :) My loyalties started switching to the Dodgers in the 1981 season. I was still a Reds fan, but now I began to like the Dodgers. It was more of a SoCal loyalty thing. I began to realize that other cities were hating our local teams and our lifestyle. A light bulb went on and I started rooting for the Dodgers. Especially after the Yankees went up 2 games to 0 in the W.S., and Yankee stadium started blaring the "New York, New York" song by Frank Sinatra. Oh man, how I suddenly hated that song and wanted the Dodgers to win. Cities like Boston had already gotten under my skin with the now familiar "Beat LA!" chant. The only thing I didn't like about that 1981 season was that the Reds, my favorite team at the time, had the BEST record in all of baseball that year and yet didn't make the playoffs. Oh the humanity!! :)
Been a Dodgers fan ever since and after the last reminance of the Big Red Machine left (Dave Concepcion), I grew cold (Marge Schott)to the Reds.
vr, Xei

22
Your memories just reminded me that I was at opening day.

19
I understand, Buckner was one of my favorite Dodgers. I wonder how many here ever saw him diving all over the place in the outfield.
I rooted for him everywhere he went and died a little when he became the goat of Boston.

19 Yeah, I never much liked Monday, either for pretty much the same reason. He did come up big in '81, though.

I started following the Dodgers in '61, and they finished second in each of the first two seasons that I paid attention to. Losing to the Reds was bad enough, but the playoff with the Giants almost crushed my spirit. Fortunately they did pretty well in '63.

My first playoff game in person was when Mike Torrez beat the Dodgers. My recollection is that there was a moment of silence before the first pitch in memory of Bing Crosby.

Despite my family having season tickets since 1982, I didn't see the Dodgers win a playoff game in person until 2004.

My first year as a fan was 1985, when I was 9 years old. I remember spending all summer planning out how the eventual World Series win was going to play itself out: the number of games, who the winning pitcher would be, who would get the game-winning hit, etc. I even remember drawing up some line scores of the Dodgers' inevitable Series victories.

It absolutely never occurred to me that they were going to lose.

35
Did you see me? I was the kid in the left field pavilion? I wore a blue shirt.

The first playoff win I saw for the Dodgers was Game 4 of the 1981 Division Series against the Astros.

RIP
Deborah Kerr
RIP
Joey Bishop

One of my favorite Dodger memories was going to a game with my older sisters boyfriend at the time and Kevin Gross beaned Andy Van Slyke and Jim Leyland charged the mound and Kevin Gross. That was a time when the Pirates dominated the West a while back.

35 The Lima game was the 1st playoff game I ever went to. I think it was the best feeling I'd ever had at a game.

The worse feeling at a game was the 1980 Astro regular season playoff game.

Wow Jon, nice read. You and I are just about the same age (and I think we were at Stanford at the same time) and 1977 was my first year of full-on fandom, too. That was the year I started reading the LA Times sports page every morning. I remember being captivated by the 17-3 start, by Tommy John's 20 win season, by Sutton's All-Star game start (am I imagining that? wasn't he MVP?) and by the 30 HR quartet. That was almost a perfect year. I still can recite the batting order and starting rotation for that team. Elias Sosa was the set up man and Charlie Hough was the closer. Rick Rhoden and Reggie Smith were my favorite players.

My Dad and I went to the one game in the NLCS that the Dodgers lost that year. I believe Elias Sosa balked in the losing run. The next year we went to game 2 of the World Series and I got to see Bob Welch strike out Reggie with two on to end and one run game - magical.

I was born in '80 so my first real memory is of '85 when Jack Clark rocked that homerun out. It was weird for me when Jack Clark was the hitting coach a few years ago.

1977 is also the year Vladimir Nabokov died. He died on July 2nd (my fifth birthday) in Montreux, Switzerland. From everything we know about him, it doesn't appear he ever attended a professional baseball game.

35 - That was my first and only Dodger playoff game.

I have never been to a Dodger playoff game. Even worse, all three playoff games I've attended have involved the Yankees.

My only playoff game attended was Game 5, 1988 World Series. Mickey Hatcher was amazing.

45 I have been to three playoff games that I can recall. The first one was in 1977, Dusty hit a grand slam and they won pretty easily. Then I saw Fernando lose Game 2 against the Expos in 1981.

25 years later, I attended my next game, last year's loss against the Mets.

I still hate Mike Torres.

33 I felt exactly the same way about Buckner.

I've been to one World Series game. Game 3 in 1965. Osteen shutout the Twins.

41
Elias Sosa gave up the winning run on a single in Game 1 of the 1977 NLCS. He balked in another run afterwards.

my first dodger postseason I remember is the 88 series. I was 12 and I remember that very well, but I didn't have a chance to go to a game.

Since I've lived in New York for the past 8 years, I only went to my first post season game last year, when the Dodgers played the Mets.

Boy I'd rather forget those games.

It was about 5:00 p.m. Saturday afternoon when I realized that Game 1 of the 1988 World Series was about to begin. I was at my office and I remember thinking, I have to get home.

I got home in time to see Mickey Hatcher hit his first home run of the series and then unfortunately see Jose Canseco hit his grand slam to take the lead.

I spent the rest of the game pondering if the Dodgers were going to be swept but a few things became apparent, the Dodgers' pitching was doing a pretty good job of holding the A's down after the grand slam and that the Dodgers were still pecking away at the lead.

When Eck came in, you figured it was over but when he walked Mike Davis, who had done nothing all year, I thought maybe even Eck was not perfect.

Minutes later, the greatest sports moment I have ever seen happened.

I saw the Pirates / Orioles World Series in '79. When I went back to grade school the next day in Toledo none of the kids believed that I went to the Series. In one brief shining moment I became a liar. Just a flat out liar. And a big one. Not a good feeling. I shouldn't have even mentioned it.

45. All of my playoff series involved the A's, and the only series that I didn't get to see for the A's between 88 and 90 was the series against the Dodgers.

I remember '74, but not so clearly. I went through a little period from about 1970-75 when I was much more into school, girls, music, girls, getting wasted, girls, reading great works of literature and trying to write them, girls, and girls, and not so much into baseball. I was in Berkeley for two of the three Oakland A's championships and I was sort of "huh?" about it all. Anyone who was on the Kansas City A's I remembered because I had their baseball cards, so I was happy for Bert Camperneris for example. Same with the '74 Dodgers. I paid close attention to Jimmy Wynn when he got there because I remembered him on the Astros and had his baseball card, so he's the guy that sort of got me into thinking I could be a Dodger fan. Mike Marshall and Bill Buckner were other favorites that emerged from that team.

By '77, though, I was a confirmed fan and followed Dodger exploits with greater awareness. My favorite players that year were Mota, Smith and Baker. I also enjoyed Vic Davillio and Tommy John, mostly because I'd had their baseball cards when they were with Cleveland and Chicago respectively. I loved to hate the Reds and Phils -- I hated them more than the Giants, who were in my backyard then and I felt sorry for them. 'Count' Montefusco? Give me a break! So when the Reds or Phils came to SF I would go to Candlestick and root for the Giants against them.

I still can't root for the Reds. If you're too young to remember you missed a great, bitter rivalry, true hatred on both sides. Back then, it seemed like SF fans hated the Dodgers a lot more than the reverse. Candlestick would only be full when the Dodgers were in town. 1/3 of the crowd would be Dodger fans, and the remaining 2/3 would be Dodger-haters more than Giant fans. I think it was hard to really be a fan of the Giants in the 70s, but the Dodger-haters would get real tanked and then start looking for fights with Dodger fans.

55 That's true, if you did not watch those games from 1972-1981, you missed a great rivalry. I can still name the key players, Rose, Griffey, Morgan, Bench, Perez, Foster, Concepcion, and Gerinomo for the Reds, Lopes, Russell, Wynn, Smith, Buckner, Baker, Garvey, Cey, Yeager, Fergueson and Monday for the Dodgers. Dodger fans always liked our pitching but the Reds had all of those great players while we had really good but not HOF caliber players. Also for most of that time, the Padres and Braves were awful and the Astros and Giants were inconsistent.

The proof is that the Reds won the NL West in 1972-73, 1975-76 and 1979, the Dodgers won it in 1974, 1977-78 and 1981. Of course the Astros beat the Dodgers in a one game playoff in 1980.

56
I'm nitpicking but I thought the rivaly started in 69 when they created the divisions. The 1970 Red team scared the crap out of me and was the beginning of the Big Red Machine.

I was a fan by 1961 (when I was 10), but I was out of the country in the early and mid-1970s. I got back in time for the 1978 Series. Aside from Reggie's hip, what I remember from watching that on TV was my increasing hatred of the Yankee Stadium organist; somehow he/she managed to get a disdainful tone into every "Charge" call.

Yes, it's irrational. So?

My love affair with the Dodgers coincided with my high school years. Conveniently, they were greatest from 1977, when I was a freshman, through 1981, when they finally pulled out a World Series title and I graduated.

A lot of people have favorite players, and I suppose mine would have been Steve Garvey, or perhaps Steve Yeager. I actually saw Yeager at Sea World in that span (he was on a stage for some reason), and I remember being thrilled to be that close to a major league player, especially a Dodger. We had not gone to a single game at the park -- my first major league game wouldn't be until 1995 or so, for an uneventful, drab excursion to then-Anaheim Stadium -- and so for me that was as close as I ever got to the men on the television.

Before I was in high school, I remember listening to Vinny calling games on a little lemon-yellow Radio Shack portable radio, swinging on the steel-framed hammock we had in the back yard. Their appearance in the '77 Series really supercharged my interest, following the team increasingly in earnest as the season unfolded, only to have my hopes dashed by the Yanks in the World Series. The next year's rematch proved even more disappointing when, in Game 4 of the '78 series, Reggie Jackson threw out his hip to deflect Bill Russell's throw, and the umpires got the interference call wrong. If God was on the side of the Dodgers, as Tommy Lasorda might have said (and even believed), He wasn't showing it much.

57 True, expansion and the split into divisions created some strange rivals. It was hard for a 10 year old to understand how Atlanta, Cincy and Houston were part of a Western division.

60 - it's hard for this 44-year-old to understand it, even now.

What would you do if your ex showed up at your work unexpectedly?

And yes, this is baseball related.

http://tinyurl.com/2xoxmy

61 So, was Stoneman politely asked to take the consultant job or did he have no choice?

From the link bhsportsguy provides:

"How are we supposed to know who Josh Beckett dates?"

Well, I'd imagine there are gossip columns in the Boston papers. Plausible deniability, though.

61 - Stoneman's deal was up, and according to everything I've ever read or heard, he realized he was getting too old to do the job, which requires a lot of time and energy that he really didn't have anymore. Arte said the job was his if he wanted it, and instead he declined. "Had no choice" was the answer, but not due to pressure from ownership.

64 - USA Today says that, aside from model Leeann Tweeden and country singer Danielle Peck, he's currently dating his trainer's sister, Whitney Hayes (scroll almost all the way to the bottom):

http://tinyurl.com/2h47g3

My first and only playoff game was the Lima game. Best expierence I ever had in the bleechers for sure. I sat just above the Green Homerun.

I though this article was interesting. Go ahead and take him back if you want. lol

http://www.tiny.cc/CArES

64 It was in the USA Today sports page on the 11th of this month!

http://tinyurl.com/2h47g3

Beckett is still a Texas boy, something that's even showing up in his personal life. Since his time with the Marlins, Beckett has dated actress Alyssa Milano, model Leeann Tweeden and country singer Danielle Peck. But these days he's with Whitney Hayes, the younger sister of his personal trainer and Spring High School classmate Randon Hayes.

Beaten to the punch!

710 ESPN radio is reporting that Joe Torre has turned down a one-year deal to stay as manager of the Yankees.

66 - I found more interesting the speculation that the Giants might be interested in talking to Logan White or Kim Ng for their AGM job. I doubt they'd get Ng, but White would be harder to say "no" to (teams generally allow front-office interviews for positions that would be upward moves, even to division competitors).

Playoff games I've attended:

Game 2, 1988 WS (win) -- the pregame ovation for Gibson was deafening!
Game 2, 1995 NLDS (loss)
Games 3-4, 2004 NLDS (1-1)
Game 3, 2006 NLDS (loss)

I also saw Game 5 of the 2005 ALCS, which means I've never witnessed in person a home team clinching anything. Road teams I've seen clinch:

1995 Dodgers (division, 9/30/95 in SD)
2004 Cardinals (NLDS at LA)
2005 White Sox (ALCS at Anaheim)
2006 Dodgers (playoff spot, 9/30/06 in SF)
2006 Mets (NLDS at LA)

69 Yeah, quite shocking. He turned down a $5 million deal that included $3 million on incentives. I can't blame him, though. Money is one thing; but the stress and pressure have surely gotten old by now.

More on Bronx Banter if you're interested...

I became a Dodger fan in 1991, when I was six years old. I remember not understanding how the Dodgers could barely miss the playoffs. Neither of my parents were big sports fans, so I didn't go to Dodger Stadium for games much, let alone playoff games. I think the last game I went to a game was when Kevin Brown broke his finger trying to bunt against the Expos.

I'd say my fondest memories are the Nomo-mania years and jumping up and down like a maniac in my apartment watching Steve Finley's grand slam in 2004. Lima's shutout probably ranks up there too.

Oh, and for the record (I can't write at length now, but you guys have stimulated my own memories), my first season as a Dodger fan was also 1977, at the age of 7 I could barely comprehend much except that a) my dad was a Yankees fan so the world series was our first interesting friendly competition; b) Dodgers had many players I liked watching, and my favorite was The Penguin; c) it made me want to learn more about baseball and become a bigger fan so...

1978 was even more interesting.
And 1981 was the most fun of all.
one my best friends was a Reds fan (even though we both grew up in SoCal) so we had a friendly rivalry there too. Those two teams were indeed clearly the class of the NL throughout the 70s.

73

I really need to work on my proofreading skills. Good thing I'm an engineer.

74 Did you taunt your Reds fan friend when they trotted out the "best record" banner in 1981? :)

Because of the strike, the season was split into halves, and the winners of each half played to win the division. The Reds failed to win either half, but ended up with the best record in the league. Ouch.

Your 1977 is my 1962.

I grew up worshipping Koufax. The '63 and '65 WS were the pinnacle for me.

The only professional playoff game (excluding minor league baseball) of any type I have ever been to was a first round Laker game.

Thanks for this thread. What a great read!

70
Wasn't it more of a case of Tim just saying who he thought they should be talking to?
If I say the Dodgers should pursue BJ Upton does that count as speculation or just a guy with a keyboard and an opinion?

70 Logan White is already Assistant GM for the Dodgers, just like Ng, isn't he?

http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=la

Or am I reading that table wrong? I don't know if Kim being "VP, AGM" means she has 2 titles, or if that description is 1 title only. Same with Logan.

Although the Dodgers haven't won a playoff series since 88, they have still had some great moments that stand out. Just last year with the 4 homer game had my friends and going nuts watching it in my apartment with Vin calling it. Everytime we would be hanging out drinking beers, we would throw that on tivo.
73-'91 killed me with the worst to first Braves.

I forgot to include attending Games 3 and 4 of 1979 playoffs between the Yes We Can California Angels and the Baltimore Orioles, Game 1 or 2 (can't remember which) of the 1982 Angel and Brewer series and Game 4 of the 1986 Angel Red Sox series.

My record is much better at Angel playoff games vs. Dodger playoff games. I also had a ticket to Game 5 of the 1986 series but I could not go.

I think for me the greatest game I have ever seen was the 1966 Rose Bowl. UCLA came in as a huge underdog to undefeated Michigan. No one gave them a chance.

UCLA was ahead 14-12 when Michigan went for the two point conversion late in the 4th quarter. The Michigan fullback, Big Bob Apisa, well over 200lbs and fast, was heading for the end zone on a sweep, and Bob Stiles, the smallest guy on the UCLA team knocked himself out and stopped Apisa short of the goal line. Stiles lay unconscious on the field for a minute or so but was OK. He was named the Rose Bowl MVP.

77 And 1966 was devastating.

Swept by the Orioles, Willie Davis' 3 errors in one inning, then Koufax retires at 31.

82 Hence, the term "Gutty little Bruin" was born.

Correction, I meant Michigan St, not Michigan in the 1966 Rose Bowl.

76 I probably wanted to taunt him, but I recall he was so upset and bewildered by that whole thing that I felt too bad about it. Darn me for being nice! Of course, he was also a Raiders fan and I a Broncos fan so we always had some interesting smacktalking going on. Friendship knows no bounds!

82 I absolutely loathed that UCLA team. I saw them beat USC in the 1965 game. Gary Beban, Kurt Altenburg. Grrr...

Say what you want about USC and Notre Dame, but that game a few years ago in South Bend was like watching some kids play school yard football.

83 September 1965, sitting on my grandmother's lap watching Koufax beat the Twins, I became a Dodger fan just like her. Man I hated the O's for years after '66.

I became a lifelong Dodger fan in '88 when we were all over at my aunt and uncles house helping them paint the inside of it. Gibson hit it out and I remember everybody jumping up and down with paintbrushes in their hand and my dad yelling "he hit the ball out of the f***ing ball park!"

I'm also a 77er. I've bored everyone here enough with the account of my first game, first pack of baseball cards with Yeager staring back at me from the crouch, etc. etc.

When I look back at the Dodger team of that era now, moreso than the homegrown everyday lineup, I think about the amazing contrast of pitching styles in the Dodger rotation. They had two lefties: John the sinker baller and Hooten the junkballer. They had a classic power pitcher in Sutton and a knuckle baller in Hough. In any given series, how in the heck would the opponents settle in given that mix of pitchers?

Great post, Jon.

My earliest Dodger fandom memory was the 1981 season, when I was a precocious lad of 9. I distinctly recall that my father was out of town on a business trip and that we started talking about the World Series on the phone. The Dodgers were already down by two games, but I was convinced they would come back and take it. My father, who actually knew a bit about the recent Dodger-Yankee history and the general odds of coming back after losing the first two games, was not so sure. He was probably trying to dim my expectations so I wouldn't be too disappointed, but we ended up mildly arguing about it.

Then I made the well-established, tried and true, 9-year old move when faced with any disbelief or opposition. I BET him the Dodgers would end up winning. Probably a dollar.

He took the seemingly sucker's bet and I ended up a fan of Garvey and the rest of the Blue Crew. I assume my admission of gambling on baseball means I am banned from the Hall of Fame for life.

79 - good point. Logan White would be protected from just about any inquiry save GM.

Plaschke's rant about the USC-Notre Dame game includes this (Rule 1 violation):

"College football needs USC and Notre Dame to be good like baseball needs the New York Yankees to be good.

College football needs Alabama and Penn State to be strong like basketball needs the Lakers to be strong."

At the end of my talk today at the library about baseball books, I told people to come back next spring when I can review books written about the Yankees.

The Los Angeles Public Library has a grand total of three books on the history of the Colorado Rockies. The most recent one was from 1995.

94 what kind of work do you do at the library? I am in library school right now.

Later BP writes:

"Boise State's win over Oklahoma last winter was wonderful, but it couldn't compare to the shock of Florida's stomping over Ohio State, and the awe of LSU's crushing of Notre Dame."

I believe a lot more people remember the Fiesta Bowl than the other two games. A lot of people likely turned the other games off TV before they were over.

I'm in a ranting mood today.

95
They actually have me in charge of people. So I should stop commenting!

I can explain to people why the library is closed November 11 AND 12.

95 don't worry, I wouldn't say anything

91 -- You think Sutton was a "classic power pitcher?" I don't know what he was like when he started his major league career, but by 1977, not a chance. He was a finesse guy. The '77 Dodger rotation didn't have a power pitcher.

Is reading Bill Plaschke a new form of self-torture or flagellation? I never touch the stuff myself.

96
I saw "BP" and I thought why would Baseball Propectus be talking about football. I read the comments above and it become clear.

I expect the BP people would be appalled that you used their initials for a shortcut on a hack like Bill.

101
I apologize to Baseball Prospectus and British Petroleum.

99
I thought Rhoden was a power pitcher but after looking at those K/9 rates my memory was wrong.

I always thought Sutton won all those games with his curve.

And from people laughing at his perm.

Basketball Prospectus preview on Stanford, USC, UCLA ...

http://www.basketballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=15

104 or with a scuffed-ball.

Sutton at his peak was about a 7 K/9 guy, for his career, just over 6.

107 Wouldn't a scuffed ball factor into someone's K/9?

My earliest Dodger memory was camping on a chilly fall night in Malibu at Leo Carrilo State Beach listening to the game in my dads VW camper, I vaguely remember Jose Canseco hitting the grand slam and everyone just being bummed out. When Gibson hit the homer the place just erupted, the news spread around the campground like a wildfire and the place was just bananas. I started getting into the Dodgers heavy right at the beginning of the historic ROY run in the early 90's when my grandmother decided I was going to collect pins and went on a pin rampage snatching up every pin she could find for me. The Dodger ROY ones from Unocal 76 stood out head and shoulders above all the fishing and skiing clubs. My Dad and Uncle grew up in Arcadia ( Stevie Nix, Clay/Bruce "Ironman" Matthews! ) semi close to Dodger Stadium I guess but they went down the football path and played for Northern Arizona and Wake Forest so football was always number one in my family. Until my Dad realized I didnt like football the Dodgers were like the neglected step child.

Sinkerballs

Stanford plays UCSB this year up in Palo Alto; I may have to go to that game!

106
Yeah, I read that yesterday and I agree with most of it except the part about UCLA having the most questions of any of the potential #1 teams. This UCLA team has achieved more than any of those other teams and we only lost Afflalo, so I think we have less questions.

111
UCSB is projected to win the Big West this year.

99 Well, we're talking memory here, which is distinct from reality. I think my basic point, though, would still hold.

103 Rhoden's strength is his putting.

Underdog, Javon Walker just had knee surgery and is out indefinitely.

In one of Sutton's last games with the Dodger's, I saw him strike out five Braves(?) in the first two innings. I don't think he made it out of the fourth, though.

113 I know! Which means they're doomed. No they have a good team.

115 I know, I saw that too. :-( They have been knocked hard with injuries, really hard. Cursed, even.

113

UCSB must be a great team.

115 he's out a month. this year's team looks a lot like the 1999 team.

Out four weeks. Could be worse. Sounds sort of like a Dodgers' injury - you wonder why they didn't do this earlier instead of now. I wish the season was longer... or really, really short.

119 The good news is I've lowered my expectations for the season, so anything good that happens is gravy!

118 They do - on paper anyway. Alex Harris is back, Chris Devine, the strong young backcourt, that big Slavic guy who transferred from Weber State, and other good players. Hopefully they won't blow it this year.

1977 was my age-16 season, so I was in full-fledged fandom. Like ToyCannon, I had endured significant heartbreak many times at the hands of the Cincinnati Reds (even in 1974 the hated Reds won 98 games in finishing second), so having the Dodgers beat them out in 1977 - right after the Reds achieved back-to-back WS wins amid greatest team proclamations, and despite George Foster's astounding 52-HR season and the mid-season acquisition of Tom Seaver - made me positively giddy.

In addition to all the events recounted above, 1977 was also the year Ron Cey had the amazing April (.425/.543/.890/1.433 with 29 RBI) that helped the Dodgers to a 17-4 month and a 22-4, 10 1/2 game lead start to the season. After that, the lead was never less than 6 1/2 games - for only two games in mid-June - and only less than 8 games on nine different days.

My first fan memories were the 1969 season. I was only 8, but I was a playground kid and following sports fast became our passion. I remember Ted Sizemore's ROY campaign, the struggles of Alan Foster trying to pick up for the injured Don Drysdale, Willie Davis' 31-game hitting streak, and baseball games announced by Vin Scully and Jerry Doggett.

121 Yeah, my expectations are pretty much nonexistant at this point. Let the kids grow, don't screw up the high draft pick, and move on. On why it wasn't done earlier:

"Monday he practiced full speed and looked like he was ready to go," said Broncos coach Mike Shanahan."

so I guess it just flared up on Tuesday.

123 Sounds like the Dodgers! Sigh...

Yeah, it's just his knee was hurting from the start of the season, too, I thought, or at least a few weeks ago. I guess they were hopeful. Oh well. At least I have Brandon M on my fantasy team.

124 What worries me is that he wasn't 100% even last year, so he might just never fully recover from the injury.

125 cont'd... or maybe Stan Conte is the Broncos' trainer in secret. shudder

Torre rejects 2 million dollar pay cut.

No pressure, Joe.

Bob, if you're out there...who did Bobby Cox succeed as manager in Atlanta?

128 Russ Nixon

That's right! Thanks, HV.

I've never attended a post-season game. I closest comparable atmosphere I experienced was the first game of the 1980 series sweep with the Astros. Fernando for the win in relief on Joe Ferguson's walk-off shot. Unfortunately, unlike this year's Rockies, the Dodgers could not complete the job in the one-game playoff for the division title.

I saw several Joe Ferguson game-tying or game-winning HRs. One I remember vividly was a walk-off pinch-HR hit into the front row of my section in LF. Several rows in front of me, a fellow stood after the ball was hit and caught it in his glove, right in front of his face. The back of his blue and white baseball shirt was custom-lettered with "The Entire Joe Ferguson Fan Club".

My first memories of being (becoming) a Dodger fan was when I began collecting baseball cards in 2nd grade during the 1954 season. The Dodgers became my favorite, but I also collected the Yankees and Giants. Back then baseball cards were as close as you could get to MLB if you did not live in a big city. TV was in it's infancy back then.

Earliest Dodger Memory:

Game 1 of the '88 World Series with my dad. I was seven years old, he pulled me out of school to take me to a World Series game. We had lunch, went to the game and I ended up seeing one of the greatest sports moments of all time.

I was seven years old and I'll never forget it.

133 Now that's a memory!

Anyone else see that over at BP today, they showed that on an overall basis regardless of number of attempts that Juan Pierre was best base runner in baseball this year. And that based solely upon his running he created over 11 additional runs.

Just thought it should be pointed out, since he isn't a favorite around here. I am quite sure that Ned never looked at these numbers when determining whether to sign him, there are some metrics that give him some value beyond what is normally perceived.

Fanerman has the longest gmail status message I've seen yet! (Speaking of NCAA basketball...) ;-)

133 - one problem with that. Game 1 of the 1988 World Series was on a Saturday at Dodger stadium -Oct. 15, 1988. I know because I was there in the RF bleachers. Games 1 and 2 were Saturday and Sunday.
Unless you had an unusual school schedule, I doubt your dad had to pull you from school. :)

Another 77er here. Aside from Cey's April, I don't remember many details, just vivid impressions: sitting in Baker's Acres, the left-field pavilion, as part of the Dodger Pepsi Fan Club... Popeye, Penguin, Frick and Frack... getting Lee Lacy's autograph... Rick Rhoden, Topps bubble-blowing champ... immortal names like Davalillo, Rautzhan, Lewallyn and Landestoy.

Just to show you how long 30 years is, from what I can tell, the entire payroll was less than what Mark Hendrickson made this season -- or, looked at another way, about one-third of Pierre's '07 salary.

1977 - Jon: Great memories, explosive office great starting pitching, adequate relief, great young veteran leadership in the prime playing years blosing through the NL. Mr. October stole that series from us with his bombs!! Today, you probably give a hot bat like that the Barry Bonds treatment. Let someone else beat you.

So I have to write a 15 page paper on MLB and the industry trend towards cultivating talent from Asia.

Anyone know any good links for me? :)

137-

I had an excelerated readers program I was in that met every other Saturday for something like a couple months out of the year for a couple hours at a time. Surprisingly, I WANTED to be in it since I love to read and reading Dr. Seuss just wasn't doing it for me at that age.

Also, I still remember my dad taped Saturday night live that night and if I remember correctly Matthew Broderick hosted. I think that tape is still floating around my parents house somewhere....

141 - I had an excelerated readers program

What about the accelerated writer's program? :-)

142-

My god. I apologize.

watching the game tonight, Franklin Gutierrez (former Dodger farmhand) can look very timid at times swinging the bat. Also Becket doesn't look that dominating so far in the early goings.

And that is why I can't stand watching the showboating of Manny Ramirez. Although it was fun to see it bite him back.

140 What type of information are you looking for?

Lord, Lofton scared me, but then made a Willie Mays basket catch. what can you say.
I quess I say go Sox!!

With this wierd schedule, isn't it strange having these relievers so fresh for both sides. In this situation this helps the Sox a lot. When this series ends will they begin the WS or wait for the scheduled date.
The Rocks would then be so cold they would be like the Tigers and have no chance.

Trainwreck, you hear about this story.

http://daily.stanford.edu/article/2007/10/19/brookLopezSuspendedFromTeam

140 - tried the library? If you have an LAPL card, you're in good shape.

149
What is going on with that kid? He might as well have just entered the draft.

I like Ryan better with a beard.

O boy--back to Fenway!

Great news:

http://tinyurl.com/2vkeom

Am I the only one who reads the begining of this post and think:

It was thirty years ago today
Lasorda taught the Dodgers to play
They've been going in and out of style
But they're guaranteed to raise a smile. . .

(OK, it should be twenty years but thiirty works.)

Are you guys okay? Just thought I heard crying or moaning or something in here.

155 If we awarded points around here, you would get a +1.

Let me introduce to you, the one and only LAT, It's Weisman's Brilliant Dodger Weblog Band...

The BHHS campus is amazing. They have a parking complex for teachers (I've never, EVER, seen that before), and the school is like a gigantic maze. It took me an hour to find the principal's office.

And the students drive much nicer cars than the teachers. I got cut off by a high school Junior in a Lexus hybrid...I only hope I get the job, and that the kid is in my class.

158
You know what you must do to Lil Romeo.

158
Be careful if you're in the gym and they have a Charleston contest.

160 There is no way that I can explain how hard I am laughing at that joke.

A toast to my big brother Bob Timmermann...The richest man in town.

Is that the school with the oil well on the corner of Olympic and a cross street whose name I can't remember?

162 Yup.

158 You know what I hate?

Kids who think they have nice cars and try to park them in the staff lot because they are they don't want to park with the rest of the students. At least if a kid had a Lexus Hybrid, I would be cool with them thinking their car was worth a spit.

One of the kids at my school has something like '92 Accord that is lowered, has a can on the muffler, and has a system. More or less, his car is a POS. Somehow, he thinks he needs to park it in the staff lot from time to time.

Brock you landed at BHHS? Glad to hear it. How is your farsi? Stay away from the oil rig--many lawsuits surrounding it. My brothers are Normans. 1974 and 77, respectivly. I was there for a year before moving to Rhode Island. Oh yea, stick aroung when the President comes to town. His helicoptor lands on the practice field and he limoed out and about (usually to the Century Plaza).

165 I haven't been offered the job yet. I crushed the interview (as I always do, I'm a very good interviewer), but I'm sure there are candidates that they like. We'll see.

Being hosed out of a job in the South Bay, and grabbing a job in Beverly Hills qualifies as hilarity. We'll see. I haven't been offered any job yet.

Good luck. When do you hear? Keep me posted.

160/161 - That's it! Out you two pixies go, out the door or through the winda!

And yeah, buena suerte Brock! They'd be foolish not to hire you. Which they may well be, but hopefully not.

Yes, good luck to Sweetbreads Bailey.

Grady Little to Shea Hillenbrand:
Well, you look about like the kind of Angel we'd get. Sort of a fallen Angel, aren't you? What happened to your wings?

161
If the girl you're walking home from the gym with suddenly becomes disrobed and hides in the bushes and you're planning to step around to check her out but a car pulls up and tells you your father had a medical emergency and that you need to get in the car and go with them, don't get in the car. Your father's already dead, so you might as well stick around and check out the girl. Plus, she really likes you and wants to bear your (really annoying) children who pull on your pant legs and play the same Christmas carols over and over on the piano and ask stupid questions like "How do you spell frankincense?" and get sick at school, causing you to get punched in the mouth by the husband of the school teacher who had to teach your stupid kids.

On second thought, maybe you should just get in the car.

Imagine a world without Greg Brock teaching at Beverly Hills High. Why, mean old Potter would own all of Los Angeles, and Mary might end up alone, working as ... a librarian!

and now...ESPN is reporting that the top 3 candidates to hire Joe Torre is...the Mets...the Red Sox (if they don't win)...and...the Dodgers...

174 That's a joke, right? Not the Dodgers part, that's plausible. But New York and Boston are not.

I think I probably missed another joke.

175 Maybe he is really just saying those are the three clubs that could afford him!

I have seen Oingo Boingo and the Untouchables in that gym.

And swam in the pool underneath it.

I got in trouble jumping in that pool while it was not fully open. "What if it closed back up! You'd be trapped."

Good luck Brock! You were missed during fan fiction.

158 - My sister once had a sub who taught at (I think) Hollywood High, and told a story about a young Liza Minelli. Supposedly the sub came in and was having a hard time getting the class unrowdied, and so Minelli stood on her desk and told everyone to shut up. They did, which maybe says a lot about her father's stature in the industry at the time.

172 - I have no idea where that came from, but it's hilarious.

NPUT

Jon,

I know I'm late to the game here, but I realized right away who that Dodger you didn't love was. I remember your article on Rick Monday -- "Monday, a homer or your life!" -- as being one of the best things I've ever read.

Nowadays, I want to scream, "Monday, the score or your life!"

10/18/77 was my seventh birthday. My family was living in Westminster, CA then. After dinner everyone was wrapped up in the game, and my gift opening and blowing-out-the-candles ritual got short changed. It was not fun for me, I was just a young kid, but it was my earliest memory of the Dodgers, and I've been a die-hard since. We moved to a town just north of NYC the following spring, and I of course suffered another Series loss to the Yankees that Oct. In '77 I didn't care too much, but in '78 I was a fan, and I had to eat the WS loss in a sea of rabid, eight-year-old Yankee fans. It made me an even stronger Dodger fan, and then came beautiful 1981.