Dugout

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. It has been so hot the last couple of days, my neighborhood ice cream man has changed the sign on his truck to just say “cream.”

Once again, so you don’t get tired of hearing from me, I have reached out to someone else to answer some frequently asked questions. We welcome my Times colleague Jack Harris, who is our main Dodgers reporter.

Q. The most-often asked question I get now is “Why is Michael Conforto playing so much while Hyeseong Kim rides the bench?” So, why?

Harris: A couple of reasons:

1) Kim’s best defensive position, second base, has been blocked lately by Tommy Edman, who hadn’t been able to play the outfield in recent weeks because of his nagging ankle injury. Kim has primarily been in center field as a result, where his fundamentals aren’t nearly as polished.

2) The Dodgers guaranteed Conforto $17 million this offseason, and still have hope he can turn things somewhat around offensively. At least until the deadline, they need to keep giving him opportunities to see whether he can be a contributor, and if not, whether that’s an area they need to target reinforcements.

That said, Edman did return to outfield duties this week. And Dave Roberts has indicated the playing time between Kim and Conforto will start to even out (though both sat plenty this past week because the Dodgers faced several left-handed starters).

My guess is, over the next couple months, Kim will become a more regular member of the starting lineup — assuming he continues to hit. But in the meantime, you’ll still see Conforto (who, in fairness, has shown some signs of life lately) get regular starts as well.

Q. Max Muncy turns his season around, in some part because he started wearing glasses. Last season, it was discovered that Kiké Hernández needed glasses. Why isn’t a comprehensive eye exam part of every spring training?

Harris: As Hernández noted when we wrote about this last year, players typically do get eye exams in spring training. However, in both his and Muncy’s cases, they had very subtle imperfections that weren’t flagged until they visited with an eye specialist.

Muncy himself said his vision is 20/12 (which, presumably, is why his eyesight had never come under question before), but that the astigmatism he learned he had in his right eye left him left eye dominant; not ideal for a left-handed hitter. He insists the glasses are only part of why he’s been better recently, noting a breakthrough with his swing as the bigger difference the past couple months.

Still, Muncy and Hernández are not the first big-leaguers to discover they could benefit from glasses (Hernández said he first heard a similar story from Martín Maldonado). I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s something that gets a closer look — pardon the pun — in the future from teams.

You can read more about Muncy’s turnaround here.

Q. Your best guess on when these pitchers will return: Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Roki Sasaki.

Harris: Glasnow will need at least two more rehab outings. If those go well, that should line him up to return shortly after the All-Star break.

Snell should probably be ready to start facing hitters this upcoming homestand, if not soon after. He’ll probably need a couple of live sessions, then 3-4 minor-league rehab outings. And since those happen one week at a time, I’d say early August is a safe bet.

Sasaki is a much bigger question. He got a shoulder injection earlier this month, and was feeling much better this last week, according to Roberts. But he still hasn’t thrown a bullpen, let alone come close to facing hitters. There’s time for him to come back if he can keep progressing, but it would probably be closer to September at this rate. Tony Gonsolin, who remains shut down from throwing himself, is probably in a similar boat.

Q. It was interesting that after Emmet Sheehan pitched so well in his lone start for the Dodgers (four innings, one run, three hits, six strikeouts) that they would send him down after that. What was the thinking there?

That was a surprise to me. But the way the Dodgers looked at it, Sheehan wasn’t fully built up yet, and they needed someone to pitch Tuesday and Sunday (so on four days’ rest) this past road trip — with the first at hitter-friendly Coors Field, no less.

Thus, the team decided it’d be better to let Sheehan continue stretching out in a more controlled environment in Oklahoma City, and keep Justin Wrobleski on the big-league roster for those two outings.

Sheehan will be eligible to return during next weekend’s Astros series, and Roberts has indicated there will be an opportunity for him to start games once they get there. But for now, Wrobleski has also continued to impress in his extended opportunity.

For perhaps the first time all year, the team might actually soon have some legitimate starting pitching depth (but don’t blame me if I just jinxed it).

Q. Should we be worried about the down season Mookie Betts is having at the plate?

Panicked? No. But somewhat concerned? Probably.

While Betts has always been a relatively streaky hitter, the numbers he is on pace for this year would be career-lows across the board.

Granted, he was affected by his early season stomach virus, and did bat better than .300 over 32 games from late April through the first week of June. But overall, he simply hasn’t generated as much power or hard contact as he usually does (he has only six home runs in his last 73 games), and his already underwhelming bat speed has continued to decline.

I’d still expect him to bounce back, at least to some extent, in the second half. But until he does, the more you have to wonder whether — at age 32 — he is starting to enter a new, less productive, stage of his career offensively.

The other explanation, of course, is that his (ever-impressive) shortstop play is taking some toll on him at the plate. However, he has continually denied that, and noted how last year he was posting MVP numbers while grinding just to learn the position, so I remain dubious of that theory.

Q. In a best-case scenario, how many innings would Shohei Ohtani be able to pitch in a start by the end of the season?

There’s no reason he can’t get stretched out to make full-length starts of 6-7 innings by the end of the season.

The question is whether that will make most sense for the Dodgers down the stretch run of the year.

Ohtani’s bat remains the single most important piece of the team’s chances to repeat as World Series champions. The more he pitches, the more variables that are introduced to his offensive capabilities.

It’s worth remembering, Ohtani turns 31 next week. Even his seemingly superhuman strengths have their limits. And Roberts has alluded to bouts of minor fatigue he has dealt with since beginning to ramp up as a pitcher.

My guess is, if the rotation remains ravaged by injuries and there are pitching holes to plug come October, Ohtani will be treated like more a normal starter.

But, if the Dodgers have three to four other healthy starters they trust by then, it might make more sense to limit his innings — and perhaps use him as a de facto opener in bullpen games instead.

That’s why, for now, the team is in no rush to increase his innings. They’re letting him build a foundation a few innings at a time, and will see how the rest of the staff shapes up before adding even more to his plate.

Q. The Dodgers seem to have had a rain delay everywhere they go this season. What do you do in the press box during a rain delay?

It’s always a good time to get caught up on other stories I’m working on (that’s how I spent most of Sunday’s hourlong delay).

Otherwise, either eat, watch other games around the league, or talk to fellow reporters in the press box.

The best delay was definitely at Coors Field this past week. It was their “hometown hoedown” theme night, so they were doing country music karaoke on the scoreboard. Wisely, Garth Brooks’ “Friends in Low Places” was one of the songs (my personal go-to whenever I stumble into a karaoke bar). There might have been some singing from yours truly in the press box that night.

NL All-Star lineup could be all Dodgers

The two finalists for All-Star starter at each position have been announced, and there’s a Dodger or two at each position, so it’s possible that almost the entire NL starting lineup could be Dodgers.
As the top vote-getter in the NL, Shohei Ohtani is guaranteed to start at DH. The other finalists:

National League finalists
Catcher: Will Smith, Carson Kelly (Cubs)
First base: Freddie Freeman, Pete Alonso (Mets)
Second base: Ketel Marte (Diamondbacks), Tommy Edman
Shortstop: Francisco Lindor (Mets), Mookie Betts
Third base: Manny Machado (Padres), Max Muncy
Outfield: Pete Crow-Armstrong (Cubs), Teoscar Hernández (Dodgers), Ronald Acuña Jr. (Braves), Kyle Tucker (Cubs), Andy Pages (Dodgers), Juan Soto (Mets)

They are listed in the order they finished in the balloting. Voting began Monday at 9 a.m. PDT and concludes Wednesday at 9 a.m. PDT. Voting can be done online at MLB.com/vote. The first round of voting is thrown out, and only votes received from Monday-Wednesday will count.

Steve Henson has a closer look at this here.

Austin Barnes update

Former Dodger Austin Barnes, released by the team earlier this season, has signed a minor-league deal with the San Francisco Giants.

Barnes has been assigned to the Giants’ Arizona Complex League team, probably to work himself back into playing shape before heading to triple A or the Giants. If he makes the Giants, they will owe him the prorated portion of the MLB minimum salary of $760,000, and the Dodgers will owe the remainder of the $3.5 million Barnes was due for the 2025 season.

The Giants’ president of baseball operations is Buster Posey, who was the longtime catcher for the team and the backstop for three World Series title teams. Their starting catcher, Patrick Bailey, has struggled mightily this season. The Giants have a mix of veterans and youngsters in the starting rotation, and a guy such as Barnes could prove beneficial for all of them, as he was always considered almost an extra coach for the Dodgers. Or, he could play poorly in Arizona and they never bring him up. Either way, it won’t cost them much.

Catching up with Walker Buehler

Colleague Bill Shaikin caught up with former Dodger Walker Buehler when the Boston Red Sox were in town to face the Angels recently. Buehler has struggled mightily with the Red Sox this season. He is currently 5-6 with a 6.45 ERA.

Among Buehler’s quotes:

“Somehow, this year, I’ve managed to do all the negative things you can. I’ll keep working. It’s just tough to let down our team….”

“I think, in all honesty, it’s a lot easier to stay good than to get good. The guys on the other side of the field from me drive nice cars, get paid a lot of money to be really good at what they do. Outside of a couple swings [during the Angels game], I think largely I beat myself, which is just not something that you can do here.

“I think it’s in there. I think my arm still moves good. I think I can still make the ball move. I think I can still pitch in the major leagues.

“At some point, the belief, it gets hard to keep tricking yourself. At some point, I have got to put some results up there, for myself, but also for this organization.”

One impressive thing about Buehler, is he never hides when he’s doing poorly. He will stand there and answer questions. Hopefully, he rebounds and becomes a productive pitcher again. Though you have to wonder, after seeing him in last year’s World Series, if he would be better off as a high-leverage reliever now.

You can read the whole story here

Scheduling note

With the Fourth of July holiday Friday, the next Dodgers Dugout will be early next week. I hope you all have an enjoyable holiday weekend. When we return, we will resume our “Top 10” at each position series.

These names seem familiar

A look at how some prominent Dodgers from the last few seasons are doing with their new team (through Sunday). Click on the player name to be taken to the Baseball Reference page with all their stats.

Batters

Cody Bellinger, Yankees: .270/.332/.460, 319 plate appearances, 15 doubles, 3 triples, 11 homers, 42 RBIs, 120 OPS+

Michael Busch, Cubs: .273/.363/.512, 292 PA’s, 13 doubles, 3 triples, 14 homers, 49 RBIs, 150 OPS+

Jason Heyward, Padres, .176/.223/.271, 95 PA’s, 2 doubles, 2 homers, 12 RBIs, 37 OPS+, on the IL

Gavin Lux, Reds: .272/.359/.391, 276 PA’s, 15 doubles, 1 triple, 4 homers, 37 RBIs, 103 OPS+

Zach McKinstry, Tigers: .283/.357/.450, 287 PA’s, 11 doubles, 8 triples, 5 homers, 25 RBIs, 128 OPS+

Joc Pederson, Rangers, .131/.269/.238, 146 PA’s, 5 doubles, 1 triple, 2 homers, 6 RBIs, 50 OPS+, on the IL

Keibert Ruiz, Nationals, .248/.279/.321, 258 PA’s, 12 doubles, 2 homers, 24 RBIs, 72 OPS+

Corey Seager, Rangers: .244/.342/.430, 225 PA’s, 6 doubles, 10 homers, 23 RBIs, 123 OPS+

Chris Taylor, Angels: .200/.294/.400, 34 PA’s, 3 doubles, 1 homer, 3 RBIs, 94 OPS+, on the IL (numbers with Angels only)

Justin Turner, Cubs: .210/.293/.267, 123 PA’s, 3 doubles, 1 homer, 12 RBIs, 63 OPS+

Trea Turner, Phillies: .296/.348/.456, 368 PA’s, 17 doubles, 2 triples, 11 homerss, 38 RBIs, 119 OPS+

Miguel Vargas, White Sox: .229/.311/.411, 334 PA’s, 20 doubles, 2 triples, 10 homers, 34 RBIs, 103 OPS+

Alex Verdugo, Braves: .242/.297/.294, 209 PA’s, 10 doubles, 12 RBIs, 67 OPS+

Pitching

Ryan Brasier, Cubs: 0-0. 1.32 ERA, 13.2 IP, 10 hits, 3 walks, 11 K’s, 296 ERA+

Walker Buehler, Red Sox: 5-6, 6.45 ERA, 67 IP, 74 hits, 32 walks, 59 K’s, 65 ERA+

Jack Flaherty, Tigers: 5-9, 4.80 ERA, 84.1 IP, 69 hits, 35 walks, 100 K’s, 82 ERA+

Kenley Jansen, Angels: 1-2, 4.40 ERA, 15 saves, 28.2 IP, 28 hits, 11 walks, 26 K’s, 95 ERA+

Craig Kimbrel, Rangers: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 walk, 1 K, in the minors

Kenta Maeda, Cubs: 0-0, 7.88 ERA, 8 IP, 9 hits, 6 walks, 8 K’s, 52 ERA+, in the minors

Ryan Pepiot, Rays: 5-6, 3.36 ERA, 96.1 IP, 81 hits, 30 walks, 92 K’s, 118 ERA+

Max Scherzer, Blue Jays: 0-0, 5.63 ERA, 8 IP, 9 hits, 3 walks, 5 K’s, 77 ERA+

Ryan Yarbrough, Yankees: 3-1, 3.90 ERA, 55.1 IP, 48 hits, 17 walks, 49 K’s, 105 ERA+, on the IL

Is there a player you’d like to see listed here? Email me at [email protected] and let me know.

Up next

Tuesday: Chicago White Sox (Shane Smith, 3-5, 3.38 ERA) at Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 7-6, 2.61 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Wednesday: Chicago White Sox (Sean Burke, 4-7, 4.22 ERA) at Dodgers (*Clayton Kershaw, 4-0, 3.03 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Thursday: Chicago White Sox (Aaron Civale, 1-4, 4.74 ERA) at Dodgers (Dustin May, 4-5, 4.68 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

*-left-handed

In case you missed it

More than the glasses: How a lightbulb moment made Max Muncy a ‘complete hitter’ again

Dodgers pursue record for most MLB All-Star starters as voting resumes for 48 hours

Why Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman have struggled at the plate lately for the Dodgers

Barabak: You can’t separate sports from politics. Just ask the L.A. Dodgers

Shaikin: Walker Buehler struggling to rediscover his Dodgers World Series magic with Red Sox

And finally

From 2002, Shawn Green has six hits, including four home runs, against the Brewers. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected], and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. If the Dodgers put Kiké Hernández on the injured list, does that count as another injured pitcher?

There are few Dodgers who have been more loved than Hernández. He plays almost every position and plays them well. He is the Dodgers’ version of Mr. October come the postseason. He plays catch with kids in the stands occasionally before games. He brings a fun-loving spirit to the team, something that was noticeably missing when he was playing elsewhere.

But it’s time for him to stop pitching.

The goofy looking helmet and the lobbed pitches were cute at first. But they have grown increasingly less cute as time has gone on (though he doesn’t wear the helmet every time now). It borders on disrespectful, especially when the Dodgers have a big lead. It’s more like “You can’t hit our real pitchers, so try this guy.” It’s Little League.

Sure, the Dodgers are playing within the rules, but that doesn’t make it more palatable. Yes, they want to save a bullpen arm, but they aren’t even doing that anymore. He came in June 14 against the Giants with an 11-0 lead and gave up five runs in two-thirds of an inning. He had to be relieved by Anthony Banda. He came in Sunday against the Nationals with a 13-3 lead, gave up four runs in one-third of an inning and had to be relieved by Alex Vesia. So, what is pitching him accomplishing exactly?

This really points to a bigger problem in baseball, if I can sound like an old guy for a moment. It’s sort of sad that any team with eight relief pitchers has to turn to a position player in order to preserve arms. Yes, the game is different. Pitchers are asked to throw as hard as they can on every pitch, and just about every pitcher, especially in relief, has a 95-mph-or-better fastball. In the late ‘70s, the Dodgers had a four- or five-man bullpen. In 1977, it was mainly Charlie Hough (can you imagine a knuckleballer being a closer today?), Elias Sosa, Mike Garman and Lance Rautzhan. The 1988 Dodgers had Jay Howell, Alejandro Peña, Tim Crews, Brian Holton and Jesse Orosco.

And this isn’t just limited to the Dodgers. Last season, 40 position players pitched in a game, some in multiple games. They pitched 66 1/3 innings and had a 7.08 ERA. In 2006, no position players pitched. In 2021, it happened 112 times. That’s ridiculous. Might as well bring in the stilts guy from the Savannah Bananas to pitch.

Of course, this is a byproduct of starters not able to go past five innings for the most part. This season, the six Dodger pitchers with the most starts are averaging 5.26 innings per start. In 1988, Orel Hershiser averaged 7.82 innings a start. The five top Dodger starters average almost seven innings a start. In 1981, Fernando Valenzuela averaged 7.69 innings per start. The four top Dodger starters averaged 6.77 innings per start. So, there’s a need for more relief pitchers today.

But you have eight and need to use a position player? Something has gone wrong when that happens. And can we please stop talking about how “we are preserving arms” when there are more pitching injuries now than any time in history?

Will this change one day? Not soon, but it could. It will take a team who is willing to develop starters who can go deep into games, and then win consistently doing that. The stolen base disappeared from the game until Maury Wills won an MVP award and would at times single-handedly win games for the Dodgers. Four-man rotations were around for years until the Dodgers switched to a five-man rotation and found much success.

There is something lost when you can’t cheer a Clayton Kershaw when he walks off the mound with two outs in the eighth inning, clinging to a 2-1 lead, and then watch one reliever come in and close it out. That’s how legends are made and how baseball elevates itself as a sport. That’s what kids talk about on the way home. The noise of that crowd when the pitcher comes out. It’s not the same when Kershaw stays in the dugout after five innings, and the 17th reliever the Dodgers have used this season, just called up that day, comes in to pitch. Followed by the 18th pitcher. The kid doesn’t go home in awe of that. Those little moments have been lost. Let’s hope one day in the future they come back.

In the meantime, don’t let Hernández pitch, since you don’t seem to be preserving anything by doing so.

Welcome back, Max Muncy

At the end of April, may baseball pundits across the land called for the Dodgers to get rid of Max Muncy and trade for Nolan Arenado of the Cardinals. Muncy was through. It was all over. He was toast. (If you are wondering what was said in this newsletter, dig out the April 28 edition, or, if, you have a digital subscription to The Times, you can read it here).

On April 28, Muncy was hitting .180/.295/.236 with five doubles, no homers, 14 walks and 34 strikeouts in 105 plate appearances.

On April 29, Muncy started wearing glasses during games. He homered. On Sunday, he hit two homers, a grand slam and a three-run homer.

Since April 29, he was hitting .268/.410/.514 with four doubles, two triples, 11 homers, 41 RBIs, 35 walks and 30 strikeouts in 183 plate appearances.

“You look at the last 30 days, I think he’s been our best hitter,” Dave Roberts told reporters after Sunday’s game. “We never wavered in our confidence, and we’ve shown that, and he’s proven us all right.”

Muncy has gone from being one of the worst hitters to someone who should get All-Star consideration. It’s a testament to him, it’s a testament to the Dodgers not giving up on a veteran and it’s a testament to optometrists everywhere.

Quiet on the set

While I’m channeling my inner “old man yells at cloud,” let’s talk a little bit about how loud Dodger Stadium is. It has gotten so loud, you can’t talk to people seated next to you between batters.

Recently, Times reporter Bill Shaikin took a decibel reader to Dodger Stadium. It topped out at 95 decibels, which is the sound a jackhammer makes if you are 50 feet away from it. It’s also the level at which sustained exposure may result in hearing loss. To be clear, it wasn’t always at 95; it was 95 during the pregame lineup introductions. And it gets louder than that when a home run or another exciting play happens.

But I get emails every week from readers, both young and old, complaining about how their ears are ringing a day after going to a Dodger game. Or that they can’t hear their seatmate. Shaikin took his decibel reader to Angel Stadium and San Diego’s Petco Park. Dodger Stadium was louder, especially in the hour before the game.

The players Shaikin talked to seem to love it.

“I think it’s great,” Clayton Kershaw said. “Even on the road, I’d rather have that than quiet. St. Louis was just really quiet. It almost felt like golf at times.

“The louder, the more fun, the better. The Dodgers have the best sound system out there. So why not use it?”

Mookie Betts: “It’s just all part of an entertainment show. There is no ‘too loud.’ ”

Read all about it here.

Odds and ends

Will Smith is leading the league in batting average (.328) and on-base percentage (.425) and is seventh in slugging (.544). Freddie Freeman is second, third and 11th in those categories. Shohei Ohtani is 10th, fifth and first…

In the May 19 newsletter, we discussed the tough 29 games the Dodgers were about to play, all against teams at the time in or on the cusp of a postseason spot and how we’d get a real sense of how good the Dodgers are after that. The games were: seven against the Mets; three with Cleveland; three against the Yankees; three against St. Louis; three against Arizona; seven against San Diego; three against San Francisco. The Dodgers went 17-12 in those games. So, they’re pretty good. Six of their next nine games are against the two worst teams in baseball, the Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox. Now watch them go 2-4 against them. …

Tyler Glasnow, on the IL since April 28, made his first rehab start Sunday, pitching two scoreless innings for triple-A Oklahoma City. He walked three and struck out one, throwing 48 pitches….

If you want to vote for the All-Star Game starters this season, you can do so online by clicking here….

On Friday, the Dodgers announced they have committed $1 million toward assistance for families of immigrants affected by the recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, as well as plans for further initiatives to be unveiled in the coming days. “What’s happening in Los Angeles has reverberated among thousands upon thousands of people, and we have heard the calls for us to take a leading role on behalf of those affected,” team president Stan Kasten said in a statement. “We believe that by committing resources and taking action, we will continue to support and uplift the communities of Greater Los Angeles.”

These names seem familiar

A look at how some prominent Dodgers from the last few seasons are doing with their new team (through Sunday). Click on the player name to be taken to the Baseball Reference page with all their stats.

Batters

Cody Bellinger, Yankees: .254/.320/.436, 297 plate appearances, 12 doubles, three triples, 10 homers, 38 RBIs, 110 OPS+

Michael Busch, Cubs: .271/.365/.504, 271 PA’s, 13 doubles, three triples, 12 homers, 44 RBIs, 148 OPS+

Jason Heyward, Padres, .176/.223/.271, 95 PA’s, two doubles, two homers, 12 RBIs, 38 OPS+, on the IL

Gavin Lux, Reds: .262/.352/.371, 261 PA’s, 14 doubles, one triple, three homers, 33 RBIs, 96 OPS+

Zach McKinstry, Tigers: .272/.351/.427, 266 PA’s, 10 doubles, seven triples, four homers, 21 RBIs, 120 OPS+

Joc Pederson, Rangers, .131/.269/.238, 146 PA’s, five doubles, one triple, two homers, six RBIs, 49 OPS+, on the IL

Keibert Ruiz, Nationals, .248/.279/.321, 258 PA’s, 12 doubles, two homers, 24 RBIs, 72 OPS+

Corey Seager, Rangers: .234/.322/.389, 199 PA’s, six doubles, seven homers, 16 RBIs, 106 OPS+

Chris Taylor, Angels: .200/.294/.400, 34 PA’s, three doubles, one homer, three RBIs, 93 OPS+, on the IL (numbers with Angels only)

Justin Turner, Cubs: .204/.296/.255, 115 PA’s, two doubles, one homer, 11 RBIs, 61 OPS+

Trea Turner, Phillies: .300/.357/.450, 342 PA’s, 16 doubles, two triples, nine homers, 35 RBIs, 121 OPS+

Miguel Vargas, White Sox: .243/.323/.438, 310 PA’s, 20 doubles, two triples, 10 homers, 34 RBIs, 113 OPS+

Alex Verdugo, Braves: .247/.305/.302, 197 PA’s, 10 doubles, 12 RBIs, 70 OPS+

Pitching

Ryan Brasier, Cubs: 0-0. 1.93 ERA, 9 1/3 IP, eight hits, three walks, eight K’s, 204 ERA+

Walker Buehler, Red Sox: 5-5, 5.95 ERA, 59 IP, 67 hits, 22 walks, 53 K’s, 70 ERA+

Jack Flaherty, Tigers: 5-8, 4.83 ERA, 78 1/3 IP, 64 hits, 31 walks, 93 K’s, 82 ERA+

Kenley Jansen, Angels: 1-2, 4.39 ERA, 15 saves, 26 2/3 IP, 26 hits, nine walks, 25 K’s, 95 ERA+

Craig Kimbrel, Rangers: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, one IP, one hit, one walk, one K, in the minors

Kenta Maeda, Cubs: 0-0, 7.88 ERA, 8 IP, nine hits, six walks, eight K’s, 52 ERA+, in the minors

Ryan Pepiot, Rays: 5-6, 3.04 ERA, 94 2/3 IP, 76 hits, 28 walks, 91 K’s, 131 ERA+

Max Scherzer, Blue Jays: 0-0, 6.00 ERA, three IP, three hits, 0 walks, one K, 77 ERA+, on the IL

Ryan Yarbrough, Yankees: 3-1, 3.90 ERA, 55 1/3 IP, 48 hits, 17 walks, 49 K’s, 103 ERA+

Is there a player you’d like to see listed here? Email me at [email protected] and let me know.

Up next

Tuesday: Dodgers (TBD) at Colorado (Germán Márquez, 3-8, 6.11 ERA), 5:40 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Wednesday: Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 6-6, 2.76 ERA) at Colorado (Chase Dollander, 2-7, 6.19 ERA), 5:40 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Thursday: Dodgers (*Clayton Kershaw, 3-0, 3.31 ERA) at Colorado (*Austin Gomber, 0-1, 8.38 ERA), 12:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

*-left-handed

In case you missed it

Dodgers commit $1 million for assistance for families of immigrants affected by ICE raids

Arellano: Welcome to the deportation resistance, Dodgers. What’s next?

Dave Roberts suspended one game by MLB for actions during Dodgers-Padres game

While Dodgers wait to speak, Jaime Jarrín, Kiké Hernández and others support immigrants

And finally

From 1992, rookie Eric Karros hits a walk-off home run against the Pirates. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected], and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Angels manager Ron Washington will be out indefinitely because of health issues, and bench coach Ray Montgomery will manage Friday night’s series opener against the Houston Astros.

Washington, 73, experienced shortness of breath and appeared fatigued toward the end of a four-game series against the Yankees. He was cleared by Yankees doctors to fly home with the team Thursday night and underwent a series of medical tests on Friday.

General manager Perry Minasian announced Washington’s status before the game.

The Angels did not specify what symptoms Washington is experiencing, but said the manager was able to address the team in the clubhouse along with Minasian on Friday, and he was planning to watch the game from the GM’s Angel Stadium suite. Washington was not made available to the media.

“Wash has not felt great the last couple of days,” Minasian said. “We want to make sure he’s 100% before he’s back in the dugout and managing. How long it’s going to take, I don’t know. I don’t expect it to be too long.

“We all know how important this is for all of us, but health is more important than anything, and me personally, I’m not letting him back in the dugout until I know he’s 100% OK. I love the guy too much.”

Washington, who managed the Texas Rangers to back-to-back World Series in 2010 and 2011, was hired by Minasian before a 2024 season in which the Angels lost a franchise-record 99 games.

The Angels entered Friday night’s game at 36-38 — 6½ games behind the Astros in the AL West. The Angels are 15-6 in one-run games, a major league-best .714 winning percentage, and 5-0 in extra innings.

“He wants to manage — I don’t know if he’s ever missed a game–but at the end of the day, you have to make tough decisions,” Minasian said. “For me, I want to make sure the guy is absolutely healthy, and physically, he’s in the right place before we put him back in the dugout.

“We play some close games. They’re not the types of games you can sit back, kick your feet up and just watch. They’re pretty tight games, stressful games, and I want to make sure he’s good to go health-wise before he gets back in the dugout.”

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. The Dodgers have a new pitcher who looks exactly like Shohei Ohtani. They could be twins. It’s uncanny.

The Dodgers have played seven games against the Padres and Giants in the last week, and went 5-2 in those games. Let’s take a quick look at some important things that happened.

We’ll start with Ohtani pitching again. In a surprise, the Dodgers announced Sunday that he would start Monday against the Padres, though he would pitch only one inning. He had been pitching live batting practice and, well, let’s have Dave Roberts explain:

“Just kind of talking to [pitching coach Mark Prior] and [president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman] and the doctors and medical and just kind of saying, ‘OK, we’ve done the three-inning live, it’s a little taxing or more taxing on my body.’ You’re at a point of, I don’t know if it’s diminishing returns. But he’s ready to pitch in a major league game. He let us know that.”

In his start, Ohtani reached 100 mph on his fastball and gave up one run and two soft singles. He wasn’t sharp with his command, which is to be expected. Of course, he was also the DH in that game and went two for four with a double and an RBI.

If you haven’t followed baseball long, it’s hard to impress upon you just how incredible what he is doing and has done is. To hit and pitch at a high level is very, very rare. In 2022 with the Angels, he hit .273/.356/.519 with 30 doubles, 34 homers and 95 RBIs at the plate and went 15-9 with a 2.33 ERA in 166 innings on the mound, striking out 219. He finished second in MVP voting and fourth in Cy Young voting. In 2023, he went 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA on the mound in 132 innings before he needed Tommy John surgery. At the plate he hit .304/.412/.654 with 26 doubles, 44 homers and 95 RBIs in 135 games. He led the league in homers, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. He won the MVP award.

As Max Muncy said, “I always understood how hard it was to pitch and then come in and hit, but seeing him come off the mound and go to the dugout — I don’t know, it kinda hit a little different seeing it from our side. He didn’t even get a drink of water. Just put his helmet on, went right to the batter’s box. That’s really hard to do.”

It is expected that Ohtani will pitch about once a week, going an inning longer each time. Coming off of Tommy John surgery is always difficult, so don’t expect miracles. Then again, with Ohtani, miracles seem possible.

————

The Dodgers won two of three from a scrappy Giants team. But the big news took place off the field. The Giants pulled off a trade with the Boston Red Sox, acquiring Rafael Devers, who had grown unhappy in Boston.

Devers was unhappy that the Red Sox were asking him to change positions (from third base to DH to first base). The Red Sox were unhappy that he was unhappy, seeing as how they were paying him $313.5 million over 10 years. So the Red Sox unloaded him for four players.

Devers immediately said he would play any position the Giants wanted. Which really endeared him to Red Sox fans. But he happens to be one of the best hitters in the game, and immediately makes the Giants better and gives them that superstar they were missing (compared to the Padres and Dodgers). It also shows that Giants GM Buster Posey is going to do whatever it takes to make the Giants win.

Devers is a career .279/.349/.510 hitter and has 40-homer potential (his career high is 38). You can peruse his career numbers here. While you never know what will happen when a new player joins a team, it certainly seems safe to predict that it just got harder to win the NL West.

————

The Padres series was interesting because the Padres continue to reinforce their reputation as a bunch of whiny babies.

Monday night, Andy Pages was hit by a pitch from Padres starter Dylan Cease. Pages glared at Cease from the batter’s box, prompting Padres manager Mike Shildt to yell at Pages, saying, “Who the f— do you think you are?” It seemed unlikely that Cease was throwing at Pages, but Pages just stared and Shildt escalated things.

On Tuesday, Dodgers reliever Lou Trivino hit Fernando Tatis Jr. with a pitch in the third inning. There was a runner in scoring position, so Trivino is not throwing at Tatis in that situation. A couple of innings later, Padres starter Randy Vásquez threw a fastball inside and low to Ohtani, causing Ohtani to jump out of the way. The next pitch was another fastball inside, and it hit Ohtani in the leg. That was much more suspect. The umpires got together and gave a warning to both sides about throwing at hitters. This bothered Roberts, who came out to ask why the Dodgers were being warned when they didn’t throw at anyone. The umpire threw him out of the game before he could get two words out, despite letting Shildt ask about the situation. Roberts then got about as mad as you’ve ever seen him and argued for a while to the delight of the crowd.

Wednesday’s game was relatively quiet, but Thursday’s game heated up in the ninth after Tatis was hit by a pitch (the third time he had been hit this series). This caused Shildt to complain, which brought Roberts out. Shildt said something to Roberts, who didn’t like whatever was said. The two got in each other’s faces, which caused the benches to empty. Cooler heads prevailed. Ohtani was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the inning. He waved off his teammates from coming out of the dugout, but Padres pitcher Robert Suarez was ejected from the game.

In all, eight batters were hit by pitch in the series. It’s probably safe to say not all of those were accidents. The teams don’t play each other again until August, so there’s plenty of time for emotions to cool.

————

It is only one start, so I don’t want to get over of my skis here, but Emmet Sheehan looked sharp Wednesday in his first start since missing all of last season because of Tommy John surgery. He could be the boost the rotation has been looking for. However, the Dodgers sent him to the minors Thursday to make room for reliever Jack Little.

————

Thanks to their strong play the last week, the Dodgers now lead the NL West by 3.5 games over the Giants, and five games over the Padres. Arizona is eight back and Colorado 28.5 back.

Roki Sasaki

Some bad news on the Roki Sasaki front. He still feels discomfort when he throws, and it looks unlikely that he will return this season. If that’s the case, it’s one of the more disappointing rookie seasons in Dodgers history. Hopefully, he recovers and reaches his potential, but at this point, all you can do is hope.

Andy Pages

There was a point a few weeks ago when many people, including me, were wondering how much longer the Dodgers could stick with Andy Pages. He was not hitting well and was struggling defensively as well. The Dodgers are always very patient with players, especially on offense, and kept sending Pages out there.

And in June, here’s what he is doing:

.361/.364/.705, six doubles, five homers, 14 RBIs in 61 at-bats. Overall he’s hitting .290/.330/.509 with 12 doubles and 15 homers. He could very well make the All-Star team.

And one reason for that improvement? Teammate Teoscar Hernández. Pages told Times reporter Kevin Baxter: “He’s played in the major leagues for a long time now. He’s been through a lot of bad times. I went through that at the beginning of the season, for example, and last year too. And he’s given me advice that’s helped me a lot to get through that time.”

Pages’ family is still in Cuba, and Hernández has become a big brother, taking him out for dinner on off days or just getting together to play video games.

You can read more about Pages here.

Max Muncy

Another person the Dodgers were patient with is Max Muncy, who got off to a brutal start before he started wearing glasses. Since wearing glasses, here are his numbers:

.279/.414/.537, four doubles, nine homers, 34 RBIs, 32 walks, 30 strikeouts in 136 at-bats.

Maybe every Dodger should get his eyes checked. Speaking of which….

Michael Conforto

Michael Conforto had a brief surge in May when he started hitting better and it seemed he had turned a corner. But no.

In June, he is six for 40, a .150 batting average. It’s like having a non-Ohtani pitcher hitting in your lineup again.

The question I get asked more than any other is “Why do the Dodgers continue to play Conforto?”

Well, there are several reasons. They are paying him $17 million and don’t want to waste that investment. Conforto has a track record of success and being patient has worked out twice already this season (see Pages, Andy and Muncy, Max). They have the best offense in the NL already and can afford to be patient with him, especially since they are in first place. The pitching is more of a problem than the hitting right now.

It’s probably a combination of all of those things. A Conforto who can hit is a great advantage to the Dodgers come October, and the Dodgers always play the long game, while the fans are more interested in winning every game.

At some point, you have to figure the Dodgers move on and give more playing time to Hyeseong Kim. If it were me, I’d do it now. But I’ve managed the Dodgers to the same number of victories you have, plus, all the decisions I make on my couch work 100% of the time. So, this is a good way for all of us to learn about patience, and see what happens.

But there was good news Wednesday when Roberts said Kim had earned more playing time.

Hey, maybe Conforto should start wearing glasses.

Strange occurrence at Dodger Stadium

Some unmarked white vans and SUVs were at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, sparking speculation about immigration enforcement at the stadium. The Dodgers refused to allow the vehicles into the stadium parking lots.

Five agents, armed with pistols, stood next to the vehicles. They did not wear identifying items or badges. When asked by a Times reporter which agency they were with, they said “DHS” and declined to comment further.

The Dodgers released this statement: “This morning, ICE agents came to Dodger Stadium and requested permission to access the parking lots. They were denied entry to the grounds by the organization. Tonight’s game will be played as scheduled.”

But the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said they weren’t at Dodger Stadium, instead saying it was Customs and Border Protection agents.

So, why did they identify themselves as DHS? Why did they leave when police arrived? There are more questions than answers at the moment.

There have been protests about ICE in downtown Los Angeles, and the Dodgers had been criticized by some of their fans for not making any public statements in support of the people targeted by immigration raids.

The team said Wednesday that it had solidified plans to work with immigration groups and would make an announcement Thursday. However, what happened Thursday delayed that announcement.

Team president Stan Kasten released a statement saying, “Because of the events earlier today, we continue to work with groups that were involved with our programs. But we are going to have to delay today’s announcement while we firm up some more details. We’ll get back to you soon with the timing.”

Top 10 second basemen

Who are your top 10 Dodgers first basemen of all time (including Brooklyn)? Email your list to [email protected] and let me know.

Many of you have asked for a list of players to consider for each position. Here are the strongest second baseman candidates, in alphabetical order.

Hub Collins, Álex Cora, Tony Cuccinello, George Cutshaw, Tom Daly, Delino DeShields, Mark Ellis, Jim Gilliam, Mark Grudzielanek, Billy Herman, Orlando Hudson, Jon Hummel, Jim Lefebvre, Howie Kendrick, Jeff Kent, Pete Kilduff, Lee Lacy, Davey Lopes, Gavin Lux, Bill McLellan, Charlie Neal, Willie Randolph, Jody Reed, Jackie Robinson, Juan Samuel, Steve Sax, Ted Sizemore, Eddie Stanky, Chase Utley, John Ward, Eric Young.

A reminder that players are listed at the position in which they played the most games for the Dodgers, which is why Gilliam and Robinson are listed here and not at other positions they played.

Up next

Friday: Washington (*MacKenzie Gore, 3-6, 2.89 ERA) at Dodgers (*Clayton Kershaw, 2-0, 3.25 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Saturday: Washington (Jake Irvin, 5-3, 4.23 ERA) at Dodgers (Dustin May, 4-4, 4.46 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Sunday: Washington (Michael Soroka, 3-5, 5.06 ERA) at Dodgers (Shohei Ohtani, 0-0, 9.00 ERA), 1:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

*-left-hander

In case you missed it

Federal agents denied entry to Dodger Stadium parking lot, sparking new outrage over Trump sweeps

When Dodger baseball meets L.A. reality | Dodgers Debate

Shaikin: Why is Dodger Stadium SO LOUD?

Shaikin: The Giants just made a big trade. Will the Dodgers make one of their own?

Dodgers say Nezza is not banned from stadium for singing national anthem in Spanish

Hernández: ‘More animated’ Shohei Ohtani shows Dodgers a different side of himself

Photos: Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani pitches for first time after Tommy John surgery

Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter reports to federal prison

Hernández: Dodgers finally get to be part of the complete Shohei Ohtani experience

Shohei Ohtani to make his Dodgers pitching debut Monday vs. Padres

Nezza says she sang national anthem in Spanish at Dodger Stadium against team’s wishes

Hernández: Cowardly Dodgers remain silent as ICE raids terrorize their fans

‘He’s 1 of 5.’ How Ben Casparius worked his way into the Dodgers’ starting rotation

And finally

An ode to the Garvey-Lopes-Russell-Cey infield. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected], and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Shohei Ohtani pitched! We will have more on that in Friday’s newsletter.

Top 10 first basemen

Here are my picks for the top 10 first basemen in Dodgers history, followed by how all of you voted. Numbers listed are with the Dodgers only. Click on the player’s name to be taken to the baseball-reference.com page with all their stats.

1. Gil Hodges (1943, 1947-61, .273/.369/.487, 120 OPS+, 8-time All Star, 3 Gold Gloves)

Hodges made his debut with the Dodgers in the final game of the 1943 season. And it could have been his final game ever, as he joined the Marines after the season ended and was a gunner for the 16th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion. In April 1945, Hodges and his battalion stormed the beaches of Okinawa and were involved in heavy fighting. He was awarded a Bronze Star for heroic service in a combat zone. In a letter to his family, Hodges wrote about the experience.

“We arrived here [Okinawa] the first of April and things really cut loose. We were always having air attacks and the ships were really knocking down the planes. It’s just like being tied down when you’re on board a ship because you can’t do a thing but just stand there and wait for something to happen. One Japanese plane, a Zero, came circling around where we were anchored and when everyone saw it they really cut loose. I don’t see how it was possible for him to escape with so much firing being done at that time. He was the plane that really gave all of us a scare. He started to pull away from the firing and then he got hit and started circling around, then into a suicide dive. He started coming down and boy he was really moving. He crashed on the bow of another LST not very far from our ship and exploded. I don’t know how many got hurt but I’m sure there were quite a few. Well, that’s just one incident and I don’t want to go into any other at the present time because I could probably sit here and write all day and still not be through.”

You can read more about Hodges’ time in the Marines here.

Hodges was discharged before the 1946 season and returned to the Dodgers. He spent 1946 in the minors, but came up to the majors in 1947 to stay. He broke in as a catcher, but with the Dodgers wanting to get his bat in the lineup and realizing he would never be better behind the plate than Roy Campanella, they converted him to first base before the 1948 season. As manager Leo Durocher said, “I put a first baseman’s glove on our other rookie catcher, Gil Hodges. Three days later I’m looking at the best first baseman I’d seen since Dolph Camilli.”

Hodges hit at least 20 homers in 11 consecutive seasons and drove in at least 100 runs in seven consecutive seasons.

After never being voted into the Hall of Fame in his 15 years on the regular ballot, Hodges was elected by the Golden Era Committee in 2021. “It’s a great thing that happened for our family,” Gil Hodges Jr. said. “We are all thrilled that Mom got to see it, being 95. We’ve all waited a long time, and we are just grateful and thankful that it’s finally come to fruition.”

2. Steve Garvey (1969-82, .301/.337/.459, 122 OPS+, 1 NL MVP award, 8-time All Star, 4 Gold Gloves)

One of the most beloved Dodgers while he was playing, Garvey was an integral part of the longest-lasting infield in baseball history, the Garvey-Lopes-Russell-Cey infield.

Garvey was drafted by the Dodgers in 1968 and made it to the big leagues one year later. He had a hard time sticking there, however, because he was a terrible third baseman. He had a weak arm and little range. He played 85 games at third in 1972, making 28 errors, mostly on throws.

It was more of the same in 1973, with Garvey mainly riding the bench as a pinch-hitter. On June 23 of that year, both left fielders, Von Joshua and Manny Mota, were injured. Bill Buckner, the regular first baseman, went to manager Walter Alston and suggested they put him in left and Garvey at first base (Buckner and Garvey were teammates in the minors and Buckner remembered that Garvey had played well in a few games there).

As Buckner later recounted, “I never played first base for the Dodgers again.”

Garvey had an off year, for him, in 1982, hitting .282 with 16 homers, good for a 101 OPS+. He was a free agent after the season, but there’s no way they would let Mr. Dodger leave, right? Wrong.

“Final offers had to be made,” Garvey recounted in his book. “Peter O’Malley said his final offer was $5 million for four years, no incentives. We drew the line at $6 million for four years.” Garvey signed with the San Diego Padres for five years, $6.6 million.

A lot of Dodger fans believe Garvey should be in the Hall of Fame. With 75% needed for induction, Garvey never got higher than 42.6% of votes on the Hall of Fame ballot, back in 1995. Some fans mistakenly believe he is already in the Hall.

Although the Dodgers usually only retire the numbers of people who make the Hall of Fame as Dodgers, they did not hand out Garvey’s No. 6 after he signed with the San Diego Padres before the 1983 season until Jolbert Cabrera was given the number in 2003.

3. Freddie Freeman (2022-current, .316/.399/.524, 143 OPS+, 3-time All Star)

You could put the Nos. 2-4 guys in almost any order and be fine. If Freeman continues to play like he has so far with the Dodgers, then he’ll be No. 1 one day. There’s not much to write about Freeman that I haven’t covered the last few seasons, so let’s just watch his World Series grand slam again.

4. Dolph Camilli (1938-43, .270/.392/.497, 136 OPS+, 1 NL MVP award, 2-time All Star)

Camilli was an offensive machine with the Dodgers, leading the league in homers (34) and RBIs (120) in 1941, and leading in walks in 1938 (119) and 1939 (110).

He immediately made the Dodgers better and led them to the NL pennant in 1941, their first since 1920.

While playing for the Dodgers, he developed a real hatred for the Giants. This was during an era that featured a lot of dirty play, such as the sharpening of spikes and stepping on first basemen. The Giants targeted Camilli often because he was the best player on the Dodgers.

When the Dodgers traded him to the Giants in July 1943, he refused to report to his new team, instead going home and spending the rest of the season on his ranch. “I hated the Giants,” Camilli told the New York Times. “This was real serious; this was no put-on stuff. Their fans hated us, and our fans hated them. I said nuts to them, and I quit.”

5. Wes Parker (1964-72, .267/.351/.375, 111 OPS+, 6 Gold Gloves)

Many consider Parker to be the best fielding first baseman in history. He’s certainly the best one in Dodgers history.

In 2007 he was voted by fans as the best defensive first baseman since the Gold Glove award was established in 1957 and was named to the all-time Gold Glove team. He is the only member of that team not in the Hall of Fame. He never even appeared on the ballot since he played only nine seasons, leaving him one short of the 10 needed for eligibility.

His numbers on offense are also better than they appear because he played in one of the greatest pitchers’ eras in baseball history. He drove in 111 runs in 1970 despite hitting only 10 homers. He led the league that season with 47 doubles and also hit .319. Parker has been criminally underrated by many because of the era he played in and the fact he retired young, quitting after the 1972 season when he was only 32.

“By the time I retired, we had winning records, but we weren’t winning pennants,” Parker told biographer David Krell. “My friends were gone. Tommy Davis was traded. Maury Wills was released. Don Drysdale, Sandy Koufax, Wally Moon, and Jim Gilliam had retired. The game was changing. It was becoming more individualized. Plus, I got tired of the traveling.”

6. Jake Daubert (1910-18, .305/.365/.395, 123 OPS+, 1 NL MVP award)

Daubert was named NL MVP in 1913 when he led the league with a .350 average. He also led the league with a .329 average in 1914 and led the Dodgers to their first World Series appearance in 1916.

Daubert is probably the second-best fielding first baseman in Dodgers history and was considered one of the best fielders of his era.

He was also ahead of his time, wanting players to form a union, which is one of the reasons the Dodgers traded him to Cincinnati after the 1918 season. He led the Reds to the World Series title in 1919 (the infamous Black Sox scandal Series).

He was still with the Reds in 1924 when he left to have an appendectomy. He died one week after the operation.

7. Adrián González (2012-17, .280/.339/.454, 119 OPS+, 1-time All Star, 1 Gold Glove

González was acquired on Aug. 25, 2012, along with Josh Beckett, Nick Punto and Carl Crawford from the Boston Red Sox for James Loney, Iván DeJesús Jr., Allen Webster, Jerry Sands and Rubby De La Rosa. In his first at-bat with the Dodgers that same day, he hit a three-run home run against the Miami Marlins, which was apropos because he was one of the Dodgers’ best clutch hitters for four seasons.

In his final at-bat as a Dodger, González homered, making him the rare player who has homered in his first and last at-bat with a team. He was traded after the 2017 season along with Charlie Culberson, Scott Kazmir and Brandon McCarthy to Atlanta for Matt Kemp.

González was a very popular Dodger who led the majors in RBIs in 2014 with 116. He was the heart of the Dodger offense for several seasons until age, injuries and the infield shift all seemed to catch up to him at the same time.

8. Eric Karros (1991-2002, .268/.325/.454, 109 OPS+, Rookie of the Year)

The Dodgers finished 63-99 in 1992, their worst season since moving to L.A., and the biggest bright spot to the season was Karros, who in 149 games hit 30 doubles, 20 homers and was named NL Rookie of the Year.

Over the next six seasons, Karros seldom drew the headlines on a team that had Mike Piazza and Raul Mondesi, but you knew what you were going to get from him every season: Around 145 games played, a batting average around .270, 25 homers, 25 doubles and 100 RBIs. One of the secrets to having a good team over a long period of time is finding guys who can produce consistently. Karros was that for the Dodgers.

He still holds the L.A. record for most career homers, and you can probably win a few bets with that knowledge.

He was also one of the slowest Dodgers in history. And he had a fielding quirk at first base. When there were two outs and he took a throw from another infielder, he pulled his foot off the bag and started running toward the dugout at almost the same exact second he caught the ball, even before the ump could make a call. I’m convinced he stole a few outs for the Dodgers during his career by doing this. The ump would see him running full speed off the field and on a call that could go either way, say “Well, I guess he was out then.”

9. Jack Fournier (1923-26, .337/.421/.552, 157 OPS+)

One of the best hitters the Dodgers have ever had, Fournier led the NL in homers in 1924 with 27 and drove in 130 runs in 1925.

If you are just going by offensive numbers, then Fournier should be in the top three. However, Fournier was really bad defensively. He was born about 50 years too soon to be a designated hitter.

For what it’s worth, in his “Historical Baseball Abstract,” Bill James has Fournier listed as the 35th-greatest first baseman of all time, just behind Camilli (29th), Hodges (30th) and Garvey (31st). That, of course, counts their time with other teams as well.

Fournier has ties to Los Angeles: He played for the Los Angeles Angels minor league team for three seasons and he also coached UCLA’s baseball team from 1934 to 1936.

10. Tim Jordan (1906-10, .263/.356/.384, 139 OPS+)

Only one Dodger has led the National League in home runs twice, and it’s not Duke Snider or Mike Piazza. It’s Jordan, who led the NL in 1906 and 1908 with 12 home runs, which was a lot in the dead-ball era.

Jordan got the Dodgers’ first base job in an unusual way. Acquired from Baltimore before the 1906 season, he was set to become the backup to regular first baseman Don Gessler. On April 18, a devastating earthquake hit San Francisco, and several major league teams held benefit exhibition games, with proceeds going to relief help. Jordan started the game held in Brooklyn, went three for three with a double, and manager Patsy Donovan decided to make him the starter.

Jordan was one of the best power hitters in the league, and he was fast. Four of his 12 homers in 1906 were inside-the-park homers. It also helped that ballparks back then were much more spacious. The wall in center field at Pittsburgh’s Exposition Park was 515 feet away.

Jordan held out for more money after the 1909 season, but Brooklyn had Jake Daubert (sixth on this list) and were in no hurry to give Jordan more money. He hurt his knee and finally reported, but his knee injury pretty much ended his career in the majors. He was released in May, and played in the minors until 1920. He worked as a security guard, opened his own restaurant, and died in 1949 at the age of 70.

The next five: Dan Brouthers, Del Bissonette, James Loney, Eddie Murray, Greg Brock.

The readers’ top 10

1,352 ballots were sent in. First place received 12 points, second place nine, all the way down to one point for 10th place. Here are your choices:

1. Gil Hodges, 825 first-place votes, 14,475 points

2. Freddie Freeman, 360 first-place votes, 11,625 points

3. Steve Garvey, 147 first-place votes, 11,483 points

4. Eric Karros, 13 first-place votes, 8,471 points

5. Wes Parker, 7,402 points

6. Adrián González, 5,802 points

7. Dolph Camilli, 4,433 points

8. Eddie Murray, 3,123 points

9. Jake Daubert, 1,845 points

10. James Loney, 1,462 points

The next five: Nomar Garciaparra, Jack Fournier, Albert Pujols, Norm Larker, Greg Brock.

Top 10 second basemen

Who are your top 10 Dodgers first basemen of all time (including Brooklyn)? Email your list to [email protected] and let me know.

Many of you have asked for a list of players to consider for each position. Here are the strongest second baseman candidates, in alphabetical order.

Hub Collins, Álex Cora, Tony Cuccinello, George Cutshaw, Tom Daly, Delino DeShields, Mark Ellis, Jim Gilliam, Mark Grudzielanek, Billy Herman, Orlando Hudson, Jon Hummel, Jim Lefebvre, Howie Kendrick, Jeff Kent, Pete Kilduff, Lee Lacy, Davey Lopes, Gavin Lux, Bill McLellan, Charlie Neal, Willie Randolph, Jody Reed, Jackie Robinson, Juan Samuel, Steve Sax, Ted Sizemore, Eddie Stanky, Chase Utley, John Ward, Eric Young.

A reminder that players are listed at the position in which they played the most games for the Dodgers, which is why Gilliam and Robinson are listed here and not at other positions they played.

And finally

Gil Hodges and Ernie Banks compete on “Home Run Derby.” Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected], and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Two days, two editions of Dodgers Dugout. It’s like “Groundhog Day.”

The Padres series

The Dodgers won two of three from the Padres, dropping San Diego to third place in the NL West. Several readers were unhappy with the second game of the series, which the Dodgers lost 11-1, feeling they left Matt Sauer in for way too long and brought in Kiké Hernández in too soon, in effect giving the game away.

And you are absolutely right. The Dodgers did give the game away. By choice.

Don’t get me wrong. The Dodgers didn’t go into the game wanting to lose. But, the Dodgers’ bullpen is exhausted. The hope was that Sauer would pitch well and keep them in the game, or heck, even leave with the Dodgers leading. But once the Padres started scoring, Dave Roberts had two choices: Go to his already tired bullpen in hopes they could stop the surge, knowing coming back against a Dylan Cease who was on top of his game was unlikely, or, let Sauer take a beating in order to save the bullpen for Wednesday’s game. The Dodgers went with the second option, and it worked. Because Wednesday, they were able to use seven rested relievers to preserve a 5-2 victory and a series win over San Diego.

Roberts, to reporters after Tuesday’s loss: “You just got to look at where our ’pen is at, and appreciating what we have the next couple days, it wasn’t smart to chase and redline guys. A guy that was available tonight, [Michael] Kopech, I’m not going to pitch him down six or 7-0 in the sixth inning, to then not have him available tomorrow. As the rules are, we abided. That’s kind of what you do to essentially move forward and win the ensuing games.”

Heck, the Dodgers used this strategy in the World Series last season, letting Brent Honeywell get rocked in Game 4, their only loss, to preserve the bullpen.

Of course, most of us grew up in the days of Tommy Lasorda, who wanted to win every game at all costs. If it meant Orel Hershiser or Fernando Valenzuela pitching 10 innings, or Jay Howell pitching five days in a row, that’s what happened. Those days are over. There will come a time again this season where the Dodgers let a reliever get rocked. That’s just the way they approach things. And considering they win more than 95 games every year and have won two titles, it seems to work pretty well for them.

The rest of the series went well. Teoscar Hernández broke out of his slump. Even Michael Conforto played well, going two for seven with a homer. Ben Casparius pitched so well Wednesday (four innings, one run, three hits, two walks, two strikeouts) that Roberts said he is now part of the starting rotation. And the Padres fell to third place. Of course, there’s still 93 games left in the season, so let’s not get too carried away.

A minor quibble

Major League Baseball has got to do something about position players pitching. In Tuesday’s loss, Kiké Hernández started pitching in the sixth inning and finished the game. I’m sorry, but that’s ridiculous. I don’t blame the Dodgers for using the rules to their advantage, but there needs to be some addition to the current rules that state a position player can’t pitch before the ninth inning.

What if you are a fan who saved his money to go to one game this season, and that was the game you picked? You stopped seeing real competition in the sixth inning, as it was a farce after that. If you are a Padres fan, it wasn’t so bad probably, but what if it had been at Dodger Stadium? You would have shelled out around $500 or so to see two-thirds of a real game. It shouldn’t happen. The fans shouldn’t be punished because relievers can’t pitch more than one inning nowadays.

More good news

The Dodgers got some good news on three pitching fronts this week:

Shohei Ohtani took part in another live batting practice session, throwing 44 pitches over three simulated innings, striking out six. Ohtani was so impressive that Roberts said he could return before the All-Star break.

Tyler Glasnow threw a bullpen session, felt OK, and could face live hitters soon.

Blake Snell threw 15 pitches, his first session since suffering a setback in his recovery.

Of course, seeing is believing, and we are a bit away from seeing any of these guys in a real game yet.

And for those asking, the Dodgers do not plan to send Ohtani out on a minor-league rehab assignment. He will continue to do what he’s doing now, facing hitters in simulated game situations, until he’s ready to be activated.

The Giants are up next

The NL West’s new second-place team, the San Francisco Giants, are in town for three games starting tonight, followed by four more games against the Padres. These are the first three of 13 games against the Giants this season, so let’s take a look at them. The Giants have won seven in a row and are only a half-game behind the Dodgers for first place. You can see all the stats on the Giants team page at baseball-reference.com.

Catcher
Patrick Bailey (.185/.246/.272, 50 OPS+)

Bailey is a mediocre hitter (although not usually as bad as this season so far), but won the Gold Glove last season. His career high in home runs is eight, so he’s not a power threat. He was put on the IL Wednesday because of a strained neck and will be replaced by Sam Huff or Logan Porter, neither of whom hit well either.

Bonus fact: Bailey has a cannon for an arm, and once was timed throwing the ball to second base in 1.71 seconds, a record since that started being recorded in 2015. He also has the record for fastest throw to first base (1.39 seconds).

First base
Dominic Smith (.238/.250/.286, 55PS+)

The Giants designated LaMonte Wade Jr., who had started 41 games at first, for assignment and then traded him to the Angels. Wade was hitting .167. Smith was released by the Yankees on June 2 and signed by the Giants on June 4. His last good season was 2020.

Bonus fact: Smith led Junipero Serra High in Gardena to a CIF title in 2013.

Second base
Tyler Fitzgerald (.248/.315/.346, 91 OPS+)

Fitzgerald was the Giants’ shortstop last season, switching to second when they acquired Willy Adames. He hit well last season (.280/.334/.497).

Bonus fact: His father, Mike, played in 13 games with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1988.

Third base
Matt Chapman (.243/.360/.452, 133 OPS+)

Finally, someone in the Giants infield who can hit. Chapman is one of the best third basemen in the game, finishing 11th in MVP voting and winning the Gold Glove last season. He is in his ninth season overall, second with the Giants, and has won five Gold Gloves. He’s a big reason why the Giants are in second place. However, he was put on the injured list Wednesday because of a sprained right hand. Casey Schmitt will probably get most of the starts in his absence. Schmtt is hitting .224, but hit better than that with moderate power last season.

Bonus facts: Chapman has Tourette’s syndrome. “I’m pretty comfortable with it now, but it was definitely something I was embarrassed about when I was younger,” he told the Orange County Register. “I wanted nobody to know about it because of how kids are. But now that I look back on it, it was a blessing in disguise because it made me who I am today. It gave me that drive and that chip on my shoulder.”

Shortstop
Willy Adames (.203/.288/.339, 81 OPS+)

Adames left Milwaukee to sign a seven-year, $182-million deal with the Giants before the season. He finished 10th in MVP voting last season, but has not gotten on track this season at the plate. His defense slipped last season, which is one reason the Brewers let him go. If his bat is slipping as well, that will be an ugly contract for the Giants.

Bonus fact: In 2024, Adames homered in five consecutive games, tying the record for a shortstop shared by Eddie Miller, Alex Rodriguez, Corey Seager, Trea Turner and teammate Tyler Fitzgerald, who also did it last season.

Left field
Heliot Ramos (.295/.365/.484, 143 OPS+)

Ramos was an All-Star last season and has been even better this season. He’s one of those guys like AJ Pollock, who provided steady play for three seasons for the Dodgers but drew few headlines.

Bonus fact: He is the first homegrown Giants outfielder to make the All-Star game since Chili Davis in 1986.

Center field
Jung Hoo Lee (.275/.332/.446, 123 OPS+)

Lee came to the Giants last season from the Korean League, and his season ended in May because of an injured left shoulder. He has blossomed so far this season. He was a Rookie of the Year and an MVP award winner in the Korean League, so he has tremendous talent.

Bonus fact: Lee played on the South Korean team at the 2020 Olympics and the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Right field
Mike Yastrzemski (.239/.332/.376, 104 OPS+)

A fan favorite who puts up steady, if not spectacular, numbers, which describes almost the entire Giants team. He led the Giants in home runs during his rookie season and has been a GoldGlove finalist in right.

Bonus fact: His grandfather, Carl, was apparently a decent ballplayer too.

Designated hitter
Wilmer Flores (.256/.323/.412)

Flores is on pace for a career high 26 homers, but only nine doubles.

Bonus fact: Remember the 2015 NLDS, when the Dodgers were playing the Mets and Chase Utley slid hard into Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada, breaking his leg? Flores replaced Tejada at short.

Starting pitching
We will focus on the three pitchers scheduled to start against the Dodgers.

Logan Webb (5-5, 2.58 ERA, 148 ERA+)
Landen Roupp (4-4, 3.29 ERA, 116 ERA+)
Kyle Harrison (1-1, 4.56 ERA, 85 ERA+)

Webb is one of the best pitchers in the game, finishing sixth in Cy Young voting last season and second in 2023. Webb and Robbie Ray give the Giants an outstanding 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation. Roupp is in his second season in the majors and first as a full-time starter. He is averaging five innings a start, so expect to see the Giants’ bullpen a lot on Saturday. Harrison also doesn’t go much past five, so if the Dodgers can get to Roupp early Saturday, it will set them up for success Sunday too.

Bonus facts: Webb wears contact lenses and without them is considered legally blind due to severe astigmatism…. Roupp played in the minors for the Richmond Flying Squirrels, which I bring up only because I love that nickname…. In his high school career, Harrison went 21-1 and held batters to a .137 average.

Closer
Camilo Doval (3-1, 1.69 ERA, 10 saves)

Doval lost the closer job to Ryan Walker last season. This season, Walker got off to a shaky start and Doval won the job back. In 2023, he led the league with 39 saves.

Bonus fact: Doval has 23 siblings and half-siblings.

You look at all of the above, and you notice the Giants have no superstars, like the Dodgers and Padres do. They just have a bunch of guys who do all the little things needed to win games. That’s why they’ve won seven in a row and why they are in second place. Everyone talks about whether L.A. or San Diego will win the West. It could be San Francisco. It’s a big mistake to overlook them.

Dodger Stadium Express

There is a curfew in downtown L.A. because of the violence, looting and vandalism that sometimes accompanied the protests against federal immigration enforcement in the downtown area. Dodger Stadium is not in the curfew area; however, Union Station is, and that’s where fans headed to the stadium take the Dodger Stadium Express bus. The bus will still run during the curfew, according to Metro officials. But it’s best to check Metro alerts.metro.net or via X at @metrolaalerts. for and updates before you leave for the game. You can read more here.

Top 10 first basemen

Who are your top 10 Dodgers first basemen of all time (including Brooklyn)? Email your list to [email protected] and let me know.

Many of you have asked for a list of players to consider for each position. Here are the 40 strongest first baseman candidates, in alphabetical order:

Del Bissonette, Jack Bolling, Ken Boyer, Greg Brock, Dan Brouthers, Enos Cabell, Dolph Camilli, Hee-Seop Choi, Jake Daubert, Frank Dillon, Jack Doyle, Jack Fournier, Dave Foutz, Freddie Freeman, David Freese, Nomar Garciaparra, Steve Garvey, Adrián González, Buddy Hassett, Gil Hodges, Hughie Jennings, Tim Jordan, Eric Karros, Ed Konetchy, Norm Larker, Sam Leslie, George LaChance, James Loney, Dan McGann, Eddie Murray, Dick Nen, Dave Orr, Wes Parker, Bill Phillips, Albert Pujols, Olmedo Sáenz, Ed Stevens, Dick Stuart, Franklin Stubbs and Tommy Tucker.

A reminder that players are listed at the position in which they played the most games for the Dodgers, which is why Garciaparra is listed here and not at shortstop.

Scheduling note

No Dodgers Dugout this Monday. Instead, we’ll be back Thursday with the top first baseman and Friday looking at what happened against the Giants and Padres. Will the Dodgers be in first place, second or third by then?

Up next

Friday: San Francisco (Logan Webb, 5-5, 2.58 ERA) at Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 6-4, 2.20 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Saturday: San Francisco (Landen Roupp, 4-4, 3.29 ERA) at Dodgers (*Clayton Kershaw, 1-0, 4.35 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Sunday: San Francisco (*Kyle Harrison, 1-1, 4.56 ERA) at Dodgers (Dustin May, 3-4, 4.46 ERA), 4:10 p.m., ESPN, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

*-left-hander

In case you missed it

Hernández: Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is always the calm center during the storm

Shohei Ohtani (and Glasnow and Snell) could be back on Dodgers’ mound sooner than expected

Shaikin: Despite a quiet offseason, Padres are still making noise in competitive NL West

Andy Pages is used to beating the odds, and he’s doing it again with the Dodgers

And finally

From 1988, Kirk Gibson scores from second on a wild pitch (this link should work). Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected], and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Good news: Shohei Ohtani could be back on the mound before the All-Star break. More on that in Friday’s edition.

Top 10 catchers

We are going to break the “Top 10” series into its own edition of the newsletter each week to keep the newsletters from being too long. Sort of like turning “War and Peace” into two editions: “War” and “Peace.”

Here are my picks for the top 10 catchers in Dodgers history, followed by how all of you voted. Numbers listed are with the Dodgers only. Click on the player’s name to be taken to the Baseball Reference page with all their stats.

1. Roy Campanella (1948-57, .276/.360/.500, 123 OPS+, 3 MVP awards, 8-time All Star)

One of the greatest catchers of all time, Roy Campanella (he did not have a middle name) was born Nov. 19, 1921, in Philadelphia. He loved baseball as a kid and grew up a Phillies fan. They once offered him an invitation to try out but rescinded it when they found out he was Black.

Campanella played in the Negro Leagues after high school, and in October 1945 he was the catcher for an all-star team that played five games against a team of major leaguers at Ebbets Field, home of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Dodger manager Chuck Dressen led the major leaguers and was impressed by Campanella. He touted him to Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey, who arranged a meeting.

Rickey offered Campanella a contract, but he said no because he mistakenly thought Rickey was offering him a contract with the Brooklyn Brown Dodgers, a Negro Leagues team Rickey was rumored to be starting. The next week, Campanella and Jackie Robinson happened to be staying at the same hotel. Robinson told Campanella he had signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers. It was then that Campanella realized what Rickey was offering. He sent Rickey a telegram asking if he could sign with the team.

Campanella played for the Dodgers from 1948 until his career was cut short after the 1957 season. In that time, all he did was win three NL MVP awards, make eight All-Star teams, hit 242 homers, have a .500 slugging percentage and play Gold Glove-worthy defense behind the plate.

The Dodgers moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles after the 1957 season, and Campanella was all set to be the team’s starting catcher in Los Angeles. But on Jan. 28, 1958, while driving in New York, Campanella’s car hit a patch of ice, ran into a telephone pole and overturned. Campanella broke his neck and was paralyzed. He eventually regained use of his arms but used a wheelchair for the rest of his life before dying of a heart attack on June 26, 1993.

2. Mike Piazza (1992-98, .331/.394/.572, 160 OPS+, 1993 Rookie of the Year, 5-time All Star)

The Dodgers chose Piazza in the 62nd round of the 1988 draft, the 1,390th player picked overall. No one picked that low has had a career like Piazza’s, but it’s a bittersweet one for Dodgers fans.

Piazza made his major league debut near the end of the 1992 season and won Rookie of the Year in 1993 after hitting .318 with 35 home runs and 112 RBIs.

Amazingly enough, Piazza played only five full seasons with the Dodgers, but what seasons they were. After his 1993 season, he hit .319, .346, .336 and .362 and finished in the top 10 in MVP voting in each of those seasons. His best season was his final full season, 1997, when he hit .362 with 40 homers and 124 RBIs.

Piazza’s contract was scheduled to run out after the 1998 season, and he was due a large increase in salary. Negotiations turned ugly, and the Dodgers, then owned by Fox, wanted to make a statement. So, on May 15, 1998, they traded the best-hitting catcher in history to the Florida Marlins, along with Todd Zeile, for Gary Sheffield, Charles Johnson, Bobby Bonilla, Jim Eisenreich and Manuel Barrios.

3. Mike Scioscia (1980-92, .259/.344/.356, 99 OPS+, 2-time All Star)

Scioscia was with the Dodgers for 13 seasons; he never won a Gold Glove, never led the league in any offensive category and made only two All-Star teams. But what he did can’t be understated: He gave you above-average play almost every season for 13 seasons. You never had to worry about the position when Scioscia was there, and he hit one of the most important home runs in Dodgers history when he connected off Dwight Gooden in Game 4 of the 1988 NLCS.

Scioscia is the only person in major league history who played at least 10 seasons with only one team and then managed at least 10 seasons with a different team.

Tommy Lasorda and Vin Scully each said that Scioscia was the best plate blocker he had ever seen, high praise considering they also saw Steve Yeager, another excellent plate blocker.

Most Dodger fans remember when Jack Clark leveled Scioscia while trying to score. Scioscia was knocked unconscious but held onto the ball.

You can watch a compilation of Scioscia blocking the plate, including the Clark collision, by clicking here.

4. Will Smith (2019-current, .263/.356/.474, 127 OPS+, 2-time All Star)

The book is still being written about Smith, who may very well move to the top of this list when his career is through. I’ve written a lot about Smith over the years, so let’s go with 10 little-known facts instead.

—His full name is William Dills Smith.

—As a senior in high school (Kentucky Country Day School), he pitched and went 7-1 with an 0.87 ERA. He went undrafted and went to Louisville.

—He played for Rancho Cucamonga in 2017 and was named to the California League All-Star team.

—His first major league homer was a walk-off home run against the Phillies.

—He backed up Austin Barnes before becoming the Dodgers’ starting catcher on July 26, 2019.

—He is one of four catchers to hit 100 home runs with the Dodgers, along with Campanella, Piazza and Steve Yeager.

—Smith is one of three catchers to hit home runs in four consecutive at bats (spread over two days), along with Johnny Bench and Benito Santiago.

—His favorite player growing up was David Ortiz.

—One of only three catchers to steal a base in an All-Star game, joining Iván Rodríguez and Tony Peña.

—Hit only .243 in four minor-league seasons, which shows you can’t always judge everything by just stats.

5. Steve Yeager (1972-85, .228/.299/.358, 84 OPS+)

Yeager was one of the best defensive catchers in history but had the misfortune of being a direct contemporary of the best defensive catcher in history, Johnny Bench. Otherwise, Yeager would have multiple Gold Gloves. His best season offensively was 1977, when he .256 with 21 doubles and 16 homers. Dodger fans remember how he blocked the plate, becoming an almost impenetrable wall whenever a runner tried to score and Yeager had the ball. He also had a powerful throwing arm. Hall of Famer Lou Brock said that Yeager was the toughest catcher to steal against.

In 1976, Yeager was in the on-deck circle with Bill Russell at the plate. Russell’s bat shattered as he hit a ground ball and a jagged piece of the bat stabbed Yeager in the throat, piercing his esophagus and narrowly missing his carotid artery. While he was recovering, Yeager and Dodgers trainer Bill Buhler designed a device that hung from the catcher’s mask, protecting his throat. For years, most catchers wore a mask that had this device, which Yeager and Buhler patented.

Yeager served as technical advisor for the first three “Major League” movies and appeared in them as third-base coach Duke Temple.

6. John Roseboro (1957-67, .249/.326/.371, 95 OPS+, 2 Gold Gloves, 5-time All Star)

Roseboro was the starting catcher on three World Series title teams, and when people mention the great Dodgers pitching staffs of the 1960s, they seldom mention who was catcher for all those great pitchers. It was mainly Roseboro.

Roseboro became a catcher when he tried out for his high school team. No one tried out as a catcher, so he volunteered. He wanted to be a football player at Ohio’s Central State College, not a baseball player. He became ineligible for football because of poor grades and was working out with the baseball team one day when Dodgers scout Hugh Alexander saw him. Alexander was searching for a left-handed hitting catcher and Roseboro fit the bill. He invited Roseboro to try out with the Dodgers.

Five years later, in 1957, Roseboro had moved steadily through the minor-league system as a catcher when he got the call to report to Brooklyn. Only, not as a catcher. They wanted him to play first base because Gil Hodges was injured. So Roseboro’s first games as a Dodger were at first base.

In the offseason, the Dodgers moved to L.A., and Campanella had the car wreck that ended his career. The Dodgers had three catchers: Roseboro, Rube Walker and Joe Pignatano. Walker was past his prime and retired after starting the season five for 44. Manager Walter Alston named Roseboro, 20, the Dodgers’ new starting catcher. Roseboro was the starting catcher through the 1967 season. He was involved in a legendary fight with Juan Marichal, but his career was so much more than that, even though that seems to be what he is remembered for today. Which is a shame. The Dodgers won titles in 1959, 1963 and 1965 with Roseboro in the lineup, and he is a big reason why they won.

Roseboro died of a stroke on Aug. 16, 2002. He was 69. One of the speakers at his funeral: Juan Marichal. You could easily move Roseboro to third on this list. Once you get past the top two, the choices could go a lot of different ways, depending on what you view as most important about each player.

7. Babe Phelps (1935-41, .315/.368/.477, 125 OPS+, 3-time All Star)

Perhaps the second-best-hitting catcher in Dodgers history, Ernest Gordon Phelps was born April 19, 1908, in Odenton, Md. As most kids did back then, he played baseball every chance he got. The Washington Senators signed him in 1929. He was then a first baseman and outfielder, but was mainly a professional hitter. The Senators brought him to the majors briefly in 1931 and he was such a strong hitter and built like Babe Ruth that his teammates nicknamed him Babe. But, while Ruth was a good fielder, Phelps was not, and the Senators traded him to the Chicago Cubs, who decided to convert him to catcher. It was a strange move, because the Cubs had a great catcher in Gabby Hartnett. After two seasons as Hartnett’s backup, his contract was sold to Brooklyn, where he became the backup to Al Lopez. Phelps hit .364 in 47 games, so the Dodgers traded Lopez after the season and named Phelps the starting catcher. He hit .367 in 1936, finishing second to Paul Waner for the batting title. His .367 average is still the highest for a catcher who qualified for the batting title.

Phelps remained a strong hitter throughout his Dodgers career, but he put on weight every season too, getting so out of shape that his teammates nicknamed him Blimp. His offense didn’t suffer, but his defense did, and he became relatively immobile. He was considered one of the nicest guys in the league and was a fan favorite.

Before the 1940 season, the Dodgers made a change that eventually ended Phelps’ career: they started traveling by plane, and Phelps was terrified of flying. He made one flight with the team, and then refused to go on another flight, traveling by train throughout the season while the rest of the team flew.

The Dodgers acquired Mickey Owen before the 1941 season, and held part of their spring training in Cuba. Phelps refused to fly to Cuba, so the team worked out without him. Owen was named the starting catcher. Then, on June 12, 1941, the team was going to travel … by train … to Pittsburgh. Phelps never showed up. Eventually reached by telephone, he said the stress of travel was too much and he was having heart palpitations. He had claimed this before and the Dodgers’ team doctor examined him and said he was fine. Thinking he was faking it or a hypochondriac, manager Leo Durocher demanded that Phelps be traded. Finding no takers, the Dodgers suspended him. A couple of months later, the team was in a pennant race and wanted a left-handed bat on the bench. The Dodgers wanted to bring Phelps back, but because of suspension rules at the time, they couldn’t without Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis’ permission. Landis met with Phelps and refused to reinstate him. The Dodgers lost in the World Series. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates after the season.

In 1950, Dodgers fans voted Phelps as the catcher for the all-time Dodgers team, a testament to his popularity. He died in 1992 in Odenton, Md.

8. Russell Martin (2006-10, 2019, .268/.362/.391, 99 OPS+, 1 Gold Glove, 2-time All Star)

Martin was a rare catcher who was fast enough to steal bases, including a career-high 21 with the Dodgers in 2007. He was with the team for five seasons, but was hurt for the latter part of the 2010 season and the team let him go as a free agent. They replaced him with Rod Barajas, while Martin signed with the Yankees and put together several solid seasons after that. He returned to L.A. for his final season in the majors, and hit .220 in 83 games, sharing catching duties with Austin Barnes and then-rookie Will Smith. He played in one of the five postseason games against Washington that season, going two for four with a double and a homer.

He became a fan favorite in 2019 for pitching four scoreless innings during the season, giving up only two hits and striking out two while throwing a low-80s fastball. Whenever the Dodgers’ bullpen had problems that season (see, this season is nothing new), fans would often call for Martin to pitch.

He is one of 12 catchers since 1901 to steal at least 100 bases, and his 67 steals is the most by a catcher in Dodgers history.

9. Mickey Owen (1941-45, .258/.319/.315, 80 OPS+, 4-time All Star)

Much like Roseboro, Owen is remembered for something (that passed ball in the 1941 World Series) that has overshadowed a solid career. He was a four-time All-Star and during that 1941 season had set a then-record for most consecutive errorless chances handled by a catcher (508). He is also the first player to hit a pinch-hit homer in the All-Star game, which he did in 1942.

Arnold Owen (no middle name) was born April 4, 1916, in Nixa, Mo. (By the way, isn’t baseball amazing? Here we are, 109 years after a player was born, talking about his career). Owen signed with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1935 and quickly became known for his defense. He was quickly promoted to the majors, and played 80 games with the Cardinals in 1937. After four seasons of solid defense but subpar hitting, the Cardinals traded him to Brooklyn before the 1941 season for catcher Gus Mancuso and $60,000.

Owen was called Mickey because of his resemblance to the great catcher Mickey Cochrane. However, when he came to the Dodgers, manager Leo Durocher refused to call him that, referring to him as Arnold.

Owen was considered the best defensive catcher in the NL, and if the Gold Glove had been around, probably would have won at least five. He was drafted into the Navy midway through the 1945 season and while he was in the Navy on April 1, 1946, Jorge Pasquel of the Mexican League announced that he signed Owen to a five-year deal as a player-manager for the Veracruz Blues. Commissioner Happy Chandler announced that any player who jumped would be banned for five years if they tried to return.

Owen did not like playing in Mexico and, in 1947, petitioned to return to the majors. Chandler denied the appeal. He eventually dropped the suspensions before the 1949 season. The Dodgers released Owen and he signed with the Cubs.

Owen retired after the 1954 season and started a baseball camp for kids in Missouri. He ran the camp until 1985, and the camp remained active until 2005. You would often see ads for it in the Sporting News, nestled among the baseball box scores.

Owen died in Mt. Vernon, Mo., of complications from Alzheimer’s Disease. He was 89.

10. Joe Ferguson (1970-76, 1978-81, .245/.359/.419, 119 OPS+)

The Dodgers had two good, young catchers in the early 1970s, Ferguson and Yeager. They eventually decided to go with Yeager because of his superior defense, but Ferguson was a much better hitter. He also played in the outfield quite a bit for L.A. and his most famous Dodger moment probably came as an outfielder, when he cut in front of Jim Wynn to catch a fly ball and throw out Sal Bando trying to score in the 1974 World Series.

You can watch that play by clicking here. Watch how far Ferguson had to run to get to the ball, and watch how well Yeager blocked the plate.

Ferguson’s other great moment as a Dodger came in 1980. The Dodgers were three games behind the Houston Astros with three to play … all against the Astros. In the first game, the Dodgers and Astros were tied 2-2 going into the bottom of the 10th. Houston’s Ken Forsch went to the mound for his 10th inning of work. On Forsch’s first pitch, Ferguson homered to left to give the Dodgers the walk-off win.

“I go up in that situation and I’m looking to hit at least a double,” Ferguson said, “I’ve got to drive the ball. It wasn’t that Forsch was losing command of his pitches. It was just that he didn’t have that little extra. He knows what I can do, because I’ve done it against him before.”

You can watch that home run here.

By the way, the winning pitcher in that game: Fernando Valenzuela.

The readers’ top 10

Almost 1,486 ballots were sent in. First place received 12 points, second place nine, all the way down to one point for 10th place. Here are your choices:

1. Roy Campanella, 1,209 first-place votes, 15,867 points

2. Mike Piazza, 124 first-place votes, 11,733 points

3. John Roseboro, 82 first-place votes, 8,642 points

4. Mike Scioscia, 33 first-place votes, 8,256 points

5. Will Smith, 13 first-place votes, 7,918 points

6. Steve Yeager, 19 first-place votes, 7,006 points

7. Russell Martin, 5,774 points

8. Joe Ferguson, 2,803 points

9. Mickey Owen, 2,444 points

10. Jeff Torborg,1,512 points

The next five: Paul Lo Duca, Yasmani Grandal, A.J. Ellis, Rick Dempsey, Norm Sherry.

Top 10 first basemen

Who are your top 10 Dodgers first basemen of all time (including Brooklyn)? Email your list to [email protected] and let me know.

Many of you have asked for a list of players to consider for each position. Here are the 40 strongest first baseman candidates, in alphabetical order.

Del Bissonette, Jack Bolling, Ken Boyer, Greg Brock, Dan Brouthers, Enos Cabell, Dolph Camilli, Hee-Seop Choi, Jake Daubert, Frank Dillon, Jack Doyle, Jack Fournier, Dave Foutz, David Freese, Freddie Freeman, Nomar Garciaparra, Steve Garvey, Adrián González, Buddy Hassett, Gil Hodges, Hughie Jennings, Tim Jordan, Eric Karros, Ed Konetchy, Norm Larker, Sam Leslie, George LaChance, James Loney, Dan McGann, Eddie Murray, Dick Nen, Dave Orr, Wes Parker, Bill Phillips, Albert Pujols, Olmedo Sáenz, Ed Stevens, Dick Stuart, Franklin Stubbs, Tommy Tucker.

A reminder that players are listed at the position in which they played the most games for the Dodgers, which is why Garciaparra is listed here and not at shortstop.

And finally

Mike Piazza hits a home run over the left-field roof and out of Dodger Stadium. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected], and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.