One elected to our Dodgers Dugout Hall of Fame and Ben Rortvedt is back
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell and pitchers and catcher have their first workout Friday!
Last month I asked you to vote from a list of candidates in our annual Dodgers Dugout Dodgers Hall of Fame. And, proving that you are the best newsletter readers in the universe, I received 29,213 ballots, the most we have gotten. Some cities don’t get that many votes in elections.
And after all the ballots were counted, one person was named on more than 75% of the ballots and are inducted into the 2026 class.
Remember, there was a players list, where you could vote for up to 10, and a nonplayers list with a limit of three votes.
So, without further ado, let’s look at the results. The number in parentheses is what percentage of ballots the candidate was on last year.
Elected
x-Clayton Kershaw, 94.7%: A no-brainer selection. I’m just surprised so many people left him off the ballot.
Just missed (50%-74.9%)
Jaime Jarrín, 71.8% (65.8%): Really, should have been a first-ballot Hall of Famer. A big oversight.
Peter O’Malley, 63.5% (65.1%): The last owner who cared about keeping prices down for fans.
Steve Garvey, 60.9% (64.4%): Either Garvey or Gil Hodges is the best first baseman in Dodgers history. Freddie Freeman is closing fast though.
Ron Cey, 58.3% (61.6%): One of the most underrated players in baseball history.
Don Newcombe, 52.9% (62.1%): His work to help Dodgers struggling with substance abuse is almost enough to get him in before you even consider his greatness as a pitcher.
Best of the rest (30%-49.9%)
Red Barber, 42.1% (45.4%): Vin Scully before there was a Vin Scully.
Mike Piazza, 41.5% (50.3%): What would Dodgers history look like if he hadn’t been traded?
Manny Mota, 39.3% (46.7%): Best pinch-hitter ever. He would stay on the roster the whole year and only pinch-hit.
Davey Lopes, 38.1% (47.1%): Best base stealer in Dodgers history.
Kirk Gibson, 37.4% (40.6%): One amazing season gets him almost 40% of the vote.
Dusty Baker, 35.4% (47.7%): Remember throwing bubble gum to him in left field? His support declined a great deal this year.
Jim Gilliam, 34.4% (40.5%): Jack of all trades who hated his “Junior” nickname.
Mike Scioscia, 32.5% (39.7%): Another what if: What if he had been named Dodgers manager instead of Angels manager?
Ross Porter, 32% (35.3%): Pioneered using more obscure stats before it became popular.
Tommy Davis, 31.9% (42.5%): Last Dodger to win a batting title before Trea Turner, and I’m not sure Turner counts.
Zack Wheat, 30.1% (28.9%): He should be in. The first truly great Dodgers position player.
Everyone else
Willie Davis, 28.2% (33.9%): People seem to prefer Tommy Davis.
Bill Russell, 28% (29.5%): Longtime Dodger draws the least support among “The Infield.”
Eric Karros, 25% (34.1%): This is all you get after hitting the most homers in L.A. history?
Johnny Podres, 24.9% (36.7%): The 1955 World Series MVP.
Carl Furillo, 23.2% (27.9%): Best arm in team history?
Eric Gagne, 22.8% (28.2%): Would he receive more support if not for his PED use?
Dazzy Vance, 21.5% (23.3%): Another guy who should be in. The Drysdale of his era.
Jerry Doggett, 21.8% (29.8%): Complemented Scully beautifully on radio and television.
Bottom 10, removed from ballot for at least two years
Buzzie Bavasi, 21.4% (32.1%): GM of Dodgers’ first four World Series title teams.
Rick Honeycutt, 20.9% (26.7%): Longtime pitching coach (and pitcher).
Carl Erskine, 20.2% (23.7%): Key member of 1955 title team.
John Roseboro, 19.5% (26.1%): The key catcher for Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale.
Tommy John, 18% (23.3%): He should be in the real Hall of Fame.
Andre Ethier, 17.7% (23.1%): Doesn’t look like many from Ethier’s prime era will make it.
Pedro Guerrero, 16.6% (25.3%): You could argue that he is the best hitter in L.A. history.
Steve Yeager, 14.8% (20.6%): He blocked the plate as well as anyone ever.
x-Joe Kelly, 6.8%: I guess wearing a Mariachi jacket can get you only so far.
x-Alex Wood, 0.9%: He’ll have to settle for his World Series ring instead of our Hall honors.
x-first time on ballot.
The Dodgers Dugout Dodgers Hall of Fame
People inducted, with year (and percentage of vote)
Walt Alston, 2022 (86.5%)
Roy Campanella, 2021 (84.7%)
Don Drysdale, 2021 (90%)
Orel Hershiser, 2021 (75.1%)
Gil Hodges, 2022 (75.3%)
Clayton Kershaw, 2026 (94.7%)
Sandy Koufax, 2021 (95.6%)
Tommy Lasorda, 2022 (87.7%)
Walter O’Malley, 2024 (79.4%)
Branch Rickey, 2022 (72.1%)
Pee Wee Reese, 2024 (76.3%)
Jackie Robinson, 2021 (88.9%)
Vin Scully, 2021 (92.7%)
Duke Snider, 2021 (78.2%)
Don Sutton, 2025 (75.7%)
Fernando Valenzuela, 2022 (80.6%)
Maury Wills, 2022 (76.6%)
Listed in order of percentage:
Sandy Koufax, 2021 (95.6%)
Clayton Kershaw, 2026 (94.7%)
Vin Scully, 2021 (92.7%)
Don Drysdale, 2021 (90%)
Jackie Robinson, 2021 (88.9%)
Tommy Lasorda, 2022 (87.7%)
Walt Alston, 2022 (86.5%)
Roy Campanella, 2021 (84.7%)
Fernando Valenzuela, 2022 (80.6%)
Walter O’Malley, 2024 (79.4%)
Duke Snider, 2021 (78.2%)
Maury Wills, 2022 (76.6%)
Pee Wee Reese, 2024 (76.3%)
Don Sutton, 2025 (75.7%)
Gil Hodges, 2022 (75.3%)
Orel Hershiser, 2021 (75.1%)
Branch Rickey, 2022 (72.1%)
Note: In 2022, you had to be named on only 65% of the ballots to be inducted. It has been 75% all other years.
Ben is back
Remember Ben Rortvedt, who became a fan favorite as the backup catcher to Will Smith at the end of last season? The Dodgers signed him to a $1.1 million deal after the season, then soon after removed him from the 40-man roster. That meant other teams could claim him, and the Dodgers apparently hoped the $1.1 million price tag would scare teams off. It didn’t scare Cincinnati, which took him.
Last week, the Reds signed Eugenio Suárez, and to make room for him on the 40-man roster, they removed Rortvedt. And the Dodgers snatched him up quickly.
So Rortvedt is back with the team, and will compete with Dalton Rushing to be the backup catcher.
To make room for Rortvedt, the Dodgers removed left-handed reliever Anthony Banda from the roster. They signed Banda to a $1.625-million deal last month, so perhaps they are hoping no team will take him. In two seasons with the Dodgers, Banda is 8-3 with a 3.14 ERA and two saves in 119 games, including 71 games last season, so he was a workhorse. However, his strikeout rate declined last year while his walk rate increased, a troubling sign. The Dodgers have a lot of left-handed options, so he was the odd man out this time.
Bad news for Yasiel Puig
Former Dodger Yasiel Puig was found guilty Friday of obstruction of justice and making false statements to investigators. Puig was alleged to have lied about gambling on sports.
Puig faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. At one point, he was offered a plea deal where he would plead guilty to one count of lying to federal authorities and would have served no jail time while paying a $55,000 fine. He accepted the deal, then backed out of it because “I want to clear my name.”
In case you missed it
Yasiel Puig found guilty in gambling case, faces up to 20 years in prison
Terrance Gore, former Dodgers player and three-time World Series champ, dies at 34
Plaschke: Just say no! Dodgers players should decline White House visit
Dodgers plan to visit White House to celebrate latest World Series championship
And finally
Miguel Rojas discusses his memorable World Series moments. 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 houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.