good team

DENVER — Before Anze Kopitar left the ice after the final regular-season home game of his NHL career, he told the fans he was saying good-bye, not farewell.

He would return, he promised, in the playoffs.

He’ll make good on that pledge Thursday when his Kings and the Colorado Avalanche face off in Game 3 of their first-round series at Crypto.com Arena. But it could prove to be a short encore because after losing the first two games of the best-of-seven Stanley Cup playoff in Denver, the Kings need a win Thursday or in Game 4 on Sunday to extend both their season and Kopitar’s Hall of Fame career.

The Kings’ — and Kopitar’s — last six playoff appearances have all ended after just one round. And they’re halfway to another first-round loss this year, though they probably deserve better after giving the league’s best team everything it could handle, only to lose twice by a goal, including a 2-1 overtime loss in Game 2 on Tuesday.

“To a man we’re playing hard,” interim Kings coach D.J. Smith said. “We hoped to split here, but regardless we’re gonna have to win at home. We’ve got to find a way to win a game.

“Clearly good isn’t enough.”

Kopitar announced his retirement before the start of this season, the 20^th in his Hall of Fame career. And while many of his teammates talked of their desire to see their captain hoist the Stanley Cup one more time, just making the playoffs appeared beyond the Kings’ reach until the final two weeks of the regular season.

Colorado, meanwhile, led the league in everything, winning the most games, collecting the most points, scoring the most goals and allowing the fewest. The Kings? Not so much. They gave up 22 more goals than they scored, worst among playoff teams, and needed points in 11 of their last 13 games just to squeak into the postseason as the final wild-card team.

Colorado left wing Joel Kiviranta skates under pressure from Kings center Scott Laughton and goaltender Anton Forsberg during Game 2 of their first-round NHL playoff series Tuesday in Denver.

(Jack Dempsey / Associated Press)

Yet two games into this series, it’s been hard to tell the teams apart on the ice. The Kings have outhustled, outhit and outskated the Avalanche for long stretches. But those moral victories have been their only wins.

Asked if he can take solace for the way the team has played, goalie Anton Forsberg, who was outstanding in his first two career playoff games, stared straight ahead.

“No,” he said. “We wanted to go to home [with] a win.”

Forward Trevor Moore was a little more forgiving.

“We would have liked to steal one,” he said. “But you can’t look back. You have to look forward. Confidence-wise, we hung in there with them for two games and we’ve been competitive. I think we could have won either night.”

They won neither night, however, which leaves little margin for error in the next two games.

If the Kings lacked wins in Denver, they didn’t lack chances. On Tuesday they had a man advantage for nearly a quarter of the first 25 minutes and had five power plays and a penalty shot on the night.

When Quinton Byfield’s second-period penalty shot was stuffed by Colorado goalie Scott Wedgewood, a group of Avalanche fans celebrated by pounding on the protective plexiglass behind the Kings’ bench with such force it shattered, raining shards down on the team’s coaches

“Whoever the guy [was] just kept pushing and pushing and pushing,” Smith said. “I looked back because it hit me a bunch of times, then it broke.”

The Kings couldn’t score on the power play either until Artemi Panarin finally found the back of the net with less than seven minutes left in regulation, giving the team its first lead of the series.

“We had every opportunity,” Smith said. “You’ve got to be able to close it out.”

They couldn’t. So when Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog evened the score 3 ½ minutes later, the teams headed to a fourth period.

The overtime was the 34th in 84 games for the Kings this season, an NHL record by some distance. But it ended in the team’s 21st overtime loss when Nicolas Roy banged home a rebound 7:44 into the extra period.

“We had some good looks. I thought we really had the momentum in overtime,” Smith said. “Maybe a bad bounce or a turnover, whatever, it ends up in your net. But to a man this team is playing hard and we’ve got to find a way to win.

“I expect that we’ll be better at home.”

If they aren’t, the Kings face another long summer and Kopitar’s retirement will start earlier than he had hoped.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and it looks like the Dodgers won’t be needing Tatiana Tate to be a live trumpeter for a while.

Well, we knew some bad news had to hit the Dodgers eventually, and it did on Monday when they put new closer Edwin Díaz on the injured list because of “loose bodies” in his right elbow. He will have surgery and will be out until sometime after the All-Star break.

Díaz signed a three-year, $69-million deal with the Dodgers before the season, and after a great debut, has steadily declined. He has a 10.50 ERA and has given up nine hits and walked five in six innings, striking out 10. He has four saves. Let’s look at each game:

March 27 vs. Arizona
1 IP, 0 hits, one walk, two strikeouts, save

March 28 vs. Arizona
1 IP, save

March 31 vs. Cleveland
1 IP, one hit, one ER, one walk, two strikeouts

April 5 at Washington
1 IP, one strikeout, save

April 7 at Toronto
1 IP, one hit, one walk, three strikeouts, save

April 10 vs. Texas
1 IP, four hits, three ER, one walk, two strikeouts, blown save, win

April 19 at Colorado
0 IP, three hits, three ER, one walk

We kept hearing from Díaz and the Dodgers that he was healthy, but his fastball had lost about two miles per hour, and he went nine days without pitching. The Dodgers are known for not always being 100% forthcoming about injuries (I’m pretty sure their health advisor is the Black Knight from “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”).

And then on Monday we hear about “loose bodies.” Loose bodies in the elbow are small fragments of bone or cartilage which are floating in the joint.

At the moment, Díaz joins names that include Don Stanhouse (2-2, 5.04 ERA) and Kirby Yates (4-3, 5.23 ERA) among terrible free agent reliever signings by the Dodgers. Tanner Scott was terrible last season, led the league in blown saves and didn’t pitch in the postseason, but has rebounded so far this year (of course, it’s still early).

I thought after Yates and Scott were so bad last season that the Dodgers would wait a while before offering big money to a reliever. But no. You have to figure they will be shy now.

Of course, Díaz could recover from this and come back to be a great closer. But right now, yikes.

So who will be the new closer? The guess here is that Dave Roberts will go with whoever the matchups dictate. Their best relievers this season have been Alex Vesia, Jack Dreyer and Scott. Blake Treinen pitched well until his last outing. Same with Will Klein.

So, looks like another season of bullpen uncertainty. We should all be used to it by now. But just think: Closer injured, Mookie Betts injured, Kyle Tucker not hitting as expected and the Dodgers are still 16-6 (on pace to win 118 games) and have the best record in baseball.

And of course those pesky San Diego Padres are right there with them at 15-7, the third-best record in baseball.

Welcome, Jake Eder

The Dodgers brought left-hander Jake Eder up from the minors to replace Díaz. Eder, 27, was with the Angels last season, where he went 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA in 18 1/3 innings, walking nine and striking out 15. He was selected out of Vanderbilt in the fourth round of the 2020 draft by the Miami Marlins.

Of course, we know one thing if he’s with the Dodgers, and sure enough: He missed the 2022 season after Tommy John surgery. The Marlins traded him to the White Sox in 2023 and he had an 11.42 ERA in five starts in double A. In 2024, he had a 6.61 ERA in 24 minor-league starts. His contract was purchased by the Angels before the 2025 season, and they traded him to Washington on July 30. The Dodgers purchased his contract on April 1.

Dalton Rushing is amazing

Dalton Rushing has 12 hits this season. Seven of them are home runs. In 27 at-bats, he is hitting .444/.496/1.296. He is one behind Max Muncy for the most home runs on the Dodgers. He is tied for fourth in the NL in homers, but everyone he is tied with or trailing has at least 50 more plate appearances.

He has 13 RBIs, tied for third on the team with Kyle Tucker and Teoscar Hernández, trailing Andy Pages (21) and Freddie Freeman (14). They all have at least 50 more plate appearances.

At this point, I’d play him every day until Freeman comes back from paternity leave and strongly consider starting him at DH when Shohei Ohtani is the starting pitcher. This run won’t last forever, but might as well ride it out while you can.

Davey Lopes remembered

I’m a little behind on this, but the Dodgers honored Davey Lopes before the first home game they played after he died. They played a video and had a moment of silence for him.

I think he deserves a patch on the uniform, but, the Dodgers must think otherwise.

Charley Steiner says thanks

After the last newsletter, where readers gave their best wishes and shared their favorite Charley Steiner moments, Steiner sent along the following:

“This has all been so very flattering. I’m feeling better and stronger. The messages were so kind, flattering and overwhelming.”

Up next

Tuesday: Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 2-1, 2.10 ERA) at San Francisco (Landen Roupp, 3-1, 2.38 ERA), 6:45 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Wednesday: Dodgers (Shohei Ohtani, 2-0, 0.50 ERA) at San Francisco (Tyler Mahle, 0-3, 7.23 ERA), 6:45 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Thursday: Dodgers (Tyler Glasnow, 2-0, 3.24 ERA) at San Francisco (Logan Webb, 2-2, 5.40 ERA), 12:45 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

*-left-handed

In case you missed it

Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz to undergo surgery, will return after All-Star break

Rick Monday on saving an American flag at Dodger Stadium: ‘I get letters every week’

Shaikin: Rick Monday saved an American flag in 1976. Why the moment resonates 50 years later

Behind the scenes of a milestone Make-A-Wish experience with the Dodgers

And finally

Vin Scully discusses what he does to prepare for a game. 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.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and the Dodgers keep rolling. When will the first bad stretch of games begin?

Last week, I asked you to show some support for Dodgers broadcaster Charley Steiner, who battled cancer and has been heard infrequently on broadcasts since 2024.

And boy did you respond. We received over 1,000 emails from people who wanted to pass along best wishes. Obviously, we can’t run all 1,000 emails, but here are a selected few.

John Peterson of Pleasant Hill: I had the great fortune of meeting Charley Steiner in Las Vegas in the early ‘90s. At the time, I was an assistant athletic director at UNLV, and our men’s basketball team had played in three Final Fours (1987, 1990, 1991), so tickets to home games were super scarce in those days. Charley was in town to call a boxing match for ESPN, so he and Rich Rose, former president of Caesars World Sports, were desperate enough to sit in my staff seats (at least they weren’t in the balcony!). I was in total awe of those two giants of the sports entertainment landscape. We even took a photo together. I was already a huge Charley Steiner fan, but after meeting him in person, I became a fanboy for life, so when he became a Dodger announcer, I was over the moon. I will always remember how gracious he was — like any other fan who wanted to see for himself what all the fuss was about the Runnin’ Rebels. Have cherished the memory ever since.

Tara Elkinton: My husband and I are huge Dodger fans and it’s been said I Bleed Blue. We always enjoyed listening to Charley and Rick. Charley’s commentary was always honest, interesting, personal and made you feel like you were at the game. We love and miss him.

Steven Booth: Charley, thank you for bringing peace, love and happiness into our lives. Hearing you call games is like having a coffee or beer with your friend at the ballpark. We love you and are praying for you.

Darin Axel-Adams of Pendleton, Ind.: I was a teenager when he started at ESPN and always enjoyed watching him on SportsCenter. I was a budding high school radio broadcaster and Charley was one of the ESPN anchors I attempted (not very successfully!) to mimic. I also thought he had some of the funniest “This is SportsCenter” promos … it was pretty obvious that he didn’t take himself or his profession too seriously. Living in the Midwest, I haven’t been able to enjoy much of Charley’s time with the Dodgers, but when I do, I am reminded again of what a truly gifted broadcaster he is!

Kim Haack: My father was a Dodger fan for more than 50 years. He is the reason I’m a Dodger fan today. He died three weeks before the Dodgers won the World Series in 2020. We often listened to the radio in the car and enjoyed listening to Charley and Mo. The radio call from Charley at Game 6 of the 2020 World Series when the Dodgers won was absolutely amazing. Of course, I was sobbing when they won, thinking of my father. It was a balm to hear Charley’s familiar voice and I think he spoke for all of us when he said, “In a year like no other, when joy has been so hard to come by, tonight tears of joy, let ‘em flow …” Charley’s call of that game is something I will never forget for the rest of my life. Whenever I see that clip and hear Charley’s voice, I tear up remembering how much I appreciated his familiar voice when facing a bittersweet time in my life.

Kirk Stitt: Charley, I’m a 76-year-old Dodger fan since 1958. I know you value your privacy, I get that. You need to know that thousands of Dodgers fans everywhere are thinking of you and wishing you the best and hoping to hear you.

Donald Golightly of Russell, Ky.: Being an old Brooklyn Dodger fan myself, I can relate to Charley. While I don’t feel the connection to the new Dodgers, in recent years I really enjoyed listening to Charley and Rick on the internet. So here’s wishing Charley the best now and always! Keep your head up and keep smiling!

Philip Nelson: The absolute best ESPN SportsCenter commercial is the Y2K commercial. Near the end Steiner is wearing his tie around his head like a bandana. War paint as if he is in The Lord of the Flies and says, “Follow me. Follow me to freedom!” (Note: You can watch that commercial here.)

Jim Carlisle: I have “followed you to freedom” for years and have greatly appreciated your integrity, personality, accuracy and humor on the air. It was so great to hear you on the air on opening day with Rick Monday. It was like having a reunion with an old friend. I’m hoping you’ll be able to return to the booth whenever you feel up to it. You have many fans who are hoping the same thing.

Stephen Knight: I’ve enjoyed your calls since, like, forever. As a cancer survivor myself with what I like to call unremission, the choice of how you deal with it is a personal one and is yours, and your family’s. And I just want to thank you for putting me inside the park for all of those Dodger games. You made me feel so alive, so connected with each call of every strike, ball, hit or miss.

Jimie Murray of Redondo Beach: One of my favorite memories was a totally random call about 10 years ago. A Dodgers runner slid into second base head first and got up after time was called to shake his belt and pants. Charley said, (Runner) is getting the dirt out of all the places dirt shouldn’t be.” It just made me laugh and now any time a player slides head first, I repeat it for my wife.

Tom Schulz: I’ve always been a Dodger fan, initially (and continuing so) because of Jackie Robinson. But I really became a fan in 2020 while living in Arkansas (now thankfully in California), and Charley and Rick helped me preserve my sanity during COVID. In the midst of that bizarre and unsettling year, Charley and Rick were voices of normalcy. Since then, I have caught at least part of every Dodgers radio broadcast. Charley and Rick became my friends.

Eliza Rubenstein: I’m a third-generation Cardinals fan living in SoCal, and it takes a LOT to get me to say nice things about the Dodgers. But I spent years listening to Dodger games on the radio in large part because I found Charley Steiner to be so completely and consistently delightful. His intelligence, his dry wit, his charming habit of saying “he’s been struck out” rather than “he struck out” … his rhythm and diction and humor have always spoken directly to my baseball-obsessed heart, and considering that I grew up with Jack Buck in my ear and high standards in my soul, that’s saying a lot.

Nancy Shattuck: Thank you for voicing joy and Dodger blue to this grateful fan.

Lydia Valenzuela: You’ve been missed. It was so nice to hear you on opening day. I’m sure I speak for all the fans when I say we can’t wait until you’re back again on the radio. I love to hear the banter between you and Rick. You both always bring a smile to my face. That warm soothing voice of yours is missed. Hope to hear from you again soon.

Howard Hancock: Thank you for being such a terrific part of my sports enjoyment for so many years. I greatly hope to hear you call many more innings in the future.

Scott Snyder: You have been the most underrated voice in my 55 years of loving baseball. Best of wishes to you.

Linda Seidman: We fans miss you and your calling the games so very much! Nobody calls a game like you, especially the home runs. The games just aren’t as good or as fun or as exciting without your calls, so please get back in the booth whenever you can!

Larry Oppenheim: What I love most about Charley Steiner is the sheer joy he brings to announcing the Dodgers. And his joy is contagious. A friend and I would text back and forth while listening to Dodgers games. I would say ‘did you hear what Charley just said’ and I would write it down in my text. Thankfully, I found these messages. Delving into my old text messages has brought back so many joyful memories. Charley, I miss you terribly.

Samuel Contreras of Chino Hills: Charley, we haven’t forgotten you at all. Dodger fans miss you and look forward to your return to the broadcast booth on a regular basis. My family’s life has been affected by multiple myeloma as my wife was diagnosed in October 2024. Thankfully, she’s doing well and I wish the same for you. Please know that Dodger broadcasts are not the same without you.

Keith Putirka: Charley Steiner is one of my all-time favorite baseball announcers and when I heard he was headed to L.A. to cover the Dodgers, I was thrilled. I grew up listening to Vin Scully and was clearly very spoiled. Until I moved to New York in the early 1990s, I had no idea how much of a gap there was between Vin and everyone else. But I still loved listening to baseball games, especially on ESPN, and I first heard Charley on the radio when he called the 1997 World Series on ESPN radio. He was terrific. He made the games come to life, conveying the environment, the stories and the excitement, in his own inimitable style. After that, I would always tune in to any ESPN-broadcast game so that I could hear Charley Steiner call the games. I’m 63 and I’ve been listening to and watching baseball for a very long time. Growing up in L.A. I heard a lot of great announcers, but my list for the top three announcers in baseball is an easy choice; it is in order, Vin Scully, Charley Steiner and Jon Miller. Thank you, Mr. Steiner, for making a great sport even greater to listen to.

Hoyt Adams: I used to work at the Genius Bar at the Apple Store in Santa Monica, and one day I helped Charley. He was so easygoing, funny and genuinely delighted to talk baseball with a stranger who was helping him with his computer.

When I told him the hard drive on his laptop was failing, he said in that wonderful radio voice, “So that’s your story and you’re sticking to it.” But he immediately lit up when we started talking baseball again. For one reason or another, I brought up how much I loved players like Jamey Carroll, who was getting a lot of time at shortstop that season. When I was driving home from work that night, I turned on the game, and Jamey Carroll just so happened to be having a killer night. Charley talked about him and even mentioned several beats from our conversation — it absolutely made my season.

Patrick Hennes of Corona: I have “worshipped” Vin Scully since I was one of millions of young fans that had my transistor radio under my pillow listening to my Dodgers, beginning in the early 1960s. No one could ever be better. But for this one night, I think Charley surpassed the GOAT. It’s always a good time to go back to this incredible game, when the Dodgers hit four straight home runs in the bottom of the ninth to tie San Diego. And to appreciate Charley Steiner as a fantastic announcer. (Note: You can watch and listen here.)

George Martin of Virginia: Listening to Charley Steiner call a game is like a warm blanket on a cold and rainy day. Whatever your troubles, hearing him brings security, relief and joy.

Jason Hashmi: The line, “we’ll find out together” is the classic Steiner phrase for me. Will Freeman’s ankle heal in time for the World Series and will he be a liability on the bases if he does return? “We’ll find out together.” I’ve adopted the phrase myself, and often for things unrelated to baseball. I always give a wink to Steiner in my mind when I do. I wish him health and peace.

Kathy Pratt: In 2014 my husband and I drove up from Tucson to see a spring training game. As we were walking into Camelback Ranch Stadium we looked up and there was Charley Steiner. My husband asked if he could take a picture of him and his wife. Charlie’s reply was, “I always love to have my picture taken with a beautiful woman!” Charley’s kindness was so appreciated and it made our day.

Candi Hersch: I miss hearing you on the radio. You are much younger than my father, but listening to the game with you is like hanging out with my dear departed dad. It’s comforting and you always have great insight.

Doug Weber of Carlsbad: For every note you receive, please know that there are thousands more who wish you all the best. Thank you for everything and we’ll look forward to hearing from you soon.

Bill Walsh of Oceanside: I miss Charley’s voice on the radio. While working I always had the Dodger radio broadcasts playing behind my desk. Charley and Rick became my daily companions. I miss you greatly Charley.

Andrew Mounts of Clovis: You’re part of this wonderful thing we call the Dodger family. Your enthusiasm and love for this crazy game and the Dodgers is greatly appreciated and very sorely missed. Never forget your voice paints a picture of this game that we love so much. You and Mo put us in the ballpark when we couldn’t be there. Thank you so very much. Get well Dodger friend and may God bless you and your family.

Geoff King of Bakersfield: The Dodgers have been blessed with the best radio and TV broadcast personalities ever, with Vin Scully at the top of the list. But Charley was a great addition to the Dodger broadcast crew years ago. His demeanor, stories and mannerisms calling the game were like Scully. We went several years without TV because of the Direct TV dispute so we would listen to the games on the radio. Charley was a lifesaver of Dodger baseball for us.

Rich Mortimer: My family and I have enjoyed your Dodger coverage for many years. I am 73 and have been a Dodger fan my whole life and Charley’s reporting has made our viewing and listening so much more enjoyable. Thank you Charley. Please know that there are thousands of Dodger fans, Charley Steiner fans, who are praying for your recovery.

John Sotos of Leesburg, Va.: I have always been a Charley Steiner fan, from his days at ESPN to his time broadcasting Dodgers games. That ESPN commercial — no, not “follow me to freedom!” — but the one in which he has to hide under his desk while an angry Evander Holyfield, having been told that Charley disparaged his boxing, prowls the ESPN spaces shouting “Charley Steiner! Come out and get your whoopin’!” Still one of my favorites. (Note: You can watch that ad here.)

Ohtani out of the batting lineup

Much concern was raised when Shohei Ohtani wasn’t in the hitting lineup Wednesday when he was the starting pitcher against the Mets. Nothing to worry about. Ohtani was hit in the right shoulder by a pitch Monday, and the Dodgers were just being cautious. As Maddie Lee reported:

“If it weren’t for the hit by pitch [Monday], he would’ve been DHing and pitching tonight,” Dave Roberts said before Wednesday’s game.

“Just feeling what gives him the best chance to stay loose during the outing, feel good,” Roberts said. “There’s still some soreness in there. When he’s hitting, there’s a component that he’s in the cage getting ready to hit, and if we can take that off his plate and just focus on one thing tonight, we felt — training staff, pitching coaches, myself — we just felt it was the best thing for him. So, once I told him, he completely understood.”

Up next

Friday: Dodgers (Tyler Glasnow, 1-0, 4.00 ERA) at Colorado (Ryan Feltner, 1-1, 7.30 ERA), 5:40 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Saturday: Dodgers (Emmet Sheehan, 2-0, 6.60 ERA) at Colorado (TBD), 5:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Sunday: Dodgers (Roki Sasaki, 0-2, 6.23 ERA) at Colorado (Michael Lorenzen, 1-2, 8.10 ERA), 12:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Monday: Dodgers (*-Justin Wrobleski, 2-0, 2.12 ERA) at Colorado (*-Jose Quintana, 0-0, 4.15 ERA), 5:40 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

*-left-handed

And finally

Charley Steiner on the 30th anniversary of his famous Carl Lewis call. 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.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and today is a very special day, so it’s time for the annual Jackie Robinson newsletter.

On April 15, 1947, Robinson made his major league debut at Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field in front of crowd of 26,623. He walked and scored a run in the Dodgers’ 5–3 victory. Thus began one of the most amazing careers in sports history. Robinson broke the color barrier and faced challenges few major leaguers ever had to endure.

Some players on his team didn’t want to play alongside him, starting a petition saying they would rather not be his teammate. Manager Leo Durocher’s response: “I don’t care if the guy is yellow or Black, or if he has stripes like a … zebra. I’m the manager of this team, and I say he plays. What’s more, I say he can make all of us rich. And if any of you can’t use the money, I will see that you are traded.”

Players on other teams called him every racial insult. Some opposing managers were worse. Fans, some of them little kids parroting what their parents were saying, called him vile names. And Robinson had, and could have, only one response: No response. Give in and lose his temper, then the racists would say “See, his kind aren’t strong enough to play in the majors.” It would be used as leverage to kick him out and keep the majors “pure.” For a good example of what Robinson endured, watch “42” starring the late, great Chadwick Boseman.

So, Robinson took it. But he not only had to take it, he also had to play at a high level to prove Black people could play in the majors. He ran the bases with abandon. He excelled as a fielder no matter where they put him. He led the Dodgers to victory after victory, including their first World Series title in 1955.

And let’s not forget his wife, Rachel, who will turn 104 in July. She was a source of strength for Jackie and underwent verbal abuse and threats herself. She is an amazing woman and deserves full credit for her role in all of this. I think it’s safe to say that Jackie wouldn’t have been the same without her.

Robinson was a standout player at whichever position the Dodgers played him. On the bases, he was a terror. He stole home 19 times in his career, tied with Bobby Bragan for the most since 1920.

Robinson was drafted into the Army in 1942. Stationed at Fort Riley, Kan., he was not allowed to play on the segregated camp baseball team. He was appointed morale officer for the Black troops at Fort Riley and later was re-assigned to Ford Hood, Texas. On July 6, 1944 he refused when a white bus driver told him to move to the back of the bus. The base provost marshal and military police supported the driver, and Robinson was subject to court-martial. He won the hearing and the Army decided to kick him out with an honorable discharge.

In 1945, Robinson joined the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro American League, which is where Branch Rickey found him and signed him. The rest is history.

After he retired from baseball, Robinson became a leader in the Civil Rights movement. He was hired to serve as a vice president for Chock Full O’Nuts, the first Black man to be named a vice president of a major American company. In 1964, he co-founded Freedom National Bank of Harlem, created to financially help Black communities. In 1970, he founded the Jackie Robinson Construction Company, which built housing for low-income people.

In perhaps the most famous steal of home in history, Jackie Robinson steals home in Game 1 of the 1955 World Series. For the rest of his life, Yankees catcher Yogi Berra said Robinson was out.

(John Rooney / Associated Press)

But let’s go back to his baseball career.

Imagine trying to do your job every day with thousands of people surrounding you, hurling racist taunts. Imagine going on the road and not being able to stay in the same place as your co-workers, but being forced to room with someone across town. Imagine having a wife and child who have to go through the same thing. Imagine a policeman coming into your workplace and threatening to arrest you and shut down your business unless you left, because they don’t appreciate “your kind” in their city. Imagine getting death threats every day in the mail.

Most people would not be able to do what Robinson did. He set the example that players such as Larry Doby of Cleveland, who broke the color barrier in the American League, were able to follow.

It’s sad that sometimes I will hear fans of other teams complain that Robinson’s No. 42 is retired and listed alongside the numbers of the legends from their team, because “he didn’t play for their team.”

Even now, some people try to find flaws that Robinson had to cut him down. What they don’t realize is that pointing out whatever flaws he had doesn’t make him seem less impressive — but even more impressive. It shows he was an imperfect man who performed one of the most perfect human achievements of all time.

But words don’t adequately describe what Jackie Robinson did or what he went through. They can’t. It’s embarrassing to even try.

What’s a good way to celebrate Jackie Robinson Day? Find anyone you know under the age of 18 and make sure they know who Jackie Robinson was and what he did. Don’t let his memory be forgotten. Show them the movie “42.” Give them a book on Robinson. Or sit down and talk to them about him. It’s the best gift you can give them.

In his own words

Some of the best quotes from Jackie Robinson:

“Plenty of times I wanted to haul off when somebody insulted me for the color of my skin, but I had to hold to myself. I knew I was kind of an experiment. The whole thing was bigger than me.”

“A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.”

“I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me. All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.”

“Life is not a spectator sport. If you’re going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion you’re wasting your life.”

“There’s not an American in this country free until every one of us is free.”

“During my life, I have had a few nightmares which happened to me while I was wide awake.”

“I’m grateful for all the breaks and honors and opportunities I’ve had, but I always believe I won’t have it made until the humblest Black kid in the most remote backwoods of America has it made.”

“Many people resented my impatience and honesty, but I never cared about acceptance as much as I cared about respect.”

“Negroes aren’t seeking anything which is not good for the nation as well as ourselves. In order for America to be 100% strong — economically, defensively and morally — we cannot afford the waste of having second- and third-class citizens.”

“Blacks have had to learn to protect themselves by being cynical but not cynical enough to slam the door on potential opportunities. We go through life walking a tightrope to prevent too much disillusionment.”

“It kills me to lose. If I’m a troublemaker, and I don’t think that my temper makes me one, then it’s because I can’t stand losing. That’s the way I am about winning, all I ever wanted to do was finish first.”

Jackie Robinson joins a picket line in Cleveland in 1960 to protest discrimination against Black people at southern lunch counters.

(Associated Press)

“When I am playing baseball, I give it all that I have on the ball field. When the ballgame is over, I certainly don’t take it home. My little girl who is sitting out there wouldn’t know the difference between a third strike and a foul ball.”

“Pop flies, in a sense, are just a diversion for a second baseman. Grounders are his stock trade.”

“I guess you’d call me an independent, since I’ve never identified myself with one party or another in politics. I always decide my vote by taking as careful a look as I can at the actual candidates and issues themselves, no matter what the party label.”

“How you played in yesterday’s game is all that counts.”

“I think if we go back and check our record, the Negro has proven beyond a doubt that we have been more than patient in seeking our rights as American citizens.”

“Baseball is like a poker game. Nobody wants to quit when he’s losing; nobody wants you to quit when you’re ahead.”

“The most luxurious possession, the richest treasure anybody has, is his personal dignity.”

In the words of others

”A credit to baseball and to America.”
—Branch Rickey, general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers

“To do what he did has got to be the most tremendous thing I’ve ever seen in sports.”
—Pee Wee Reese, teammate of Jackie Robinson

“The greatest moment in the history of baseball.”
—MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred

“He gave the Black community a sense of hope, a sense of pride.”
—John Lewis, civil rights leader

”I didn’t know baseball from pingpong. But the point was that he had broken in. I grew inches that day. I puffed out my chest. A Black person had made it against the most tremendous odds.”
—Archbishop Desmond Tutu

“Jackie’s character was much more important than his batting average.”
—Hank Aaron

”Jackie Robinson made his country and you and me and all of us a shade more free.”
—Roger Kahn, author of “The Boys of Summer”

“There’s a direct line between Jackie Robinson and me.”
—former President Barack Obama

“He knew he had to do well. He knew that the future of Blacks in baseball depended on it. The pressure was enormous, overwhelming, and unbearable at times. I don’t know how he held up. I know I never could have. He was the greatest competitor I have ever seen.”
—Duke Snider, teammate

”There was never a man in the game who could put mind and muscle together quicker than Jackie Robinson.”
—Rickey

“After the game, Jackie Robinson came into our clubhouse and shook my hand. He said, ‘You’re a helluva ballplayer and you’ve got a great future.’ I thought that was a classy gesture, one I wasn’t then capable of making. I was a bad loser. What meant even more was what Jackie told the press, ‘Mantle beat us. He was the difference between the two teams. They didn’t miss DiMaggio.’ I have to admit, I became a Jackie Robinson fan on the spot. And when I think of that World Series, his gesture is what comes to mind. Here was a player who had without doubt suffered more abuse and more taunts and more hatred than any player in the history of the game. And he had made a special effort to compliment and encourage a young white kid from Oklahoma.”
—Mickey Mantle, on the 1952 World Series

”Jackie, we’ve got no army. There’s virtually nobody on our side. No owner, no umpires, very few newspapermen. And I’m afraid that many fans may be hostile. We’ll be in a tough position. We can win only if we can convince the world that I am doing this because you’re a great ballplayer, and a fine gentleman.”
—Rickey

“Every time I look at my pocketbook, I see Jackie Robinson .”
—Willie Mays

“Give me five players like Robinson and a pitcher and I’ll beat any nine-man team in baseball.”
—former Dodgers manager Chuck Dressen

“He led America by example. He reminded our people of what was right and he reminded them of what was wrong. I think it can be safely said today that Jackie Robinson made the United States a better nation.”
—American League president Gene Budig

”Jackie Robinson is the best I’ve seen. Robinson is the perfect blend of ballplayer. He has creativeness and imagination. Every move he makes from the minute he steps onto the field is designed to beat the other club. He’s constantly asking himself, at bat or on the bases, ‘what can I do to beat the other guy?’ That’s the kind of ballplayer that wins pennants.”
—Fresco Thompson, assistant farm director for the Dodgers when Robinson played his first game

“If I were in Jackie Robinson’s shoes, I probably never would have made it.”
—Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson

”Today we must balance the tears of sorrow with the tears of joy. Mix the bitter with the sweet in death and life. Jackie as a figure in history was a rock in the water, creating concentric circles and ripples of new possibility. He was medicine. He was immunized by God from catching the diseases that he fought. The Lord’s arms of protection enabled him to go through dangers seen and unseen, and he had the capacity to wear glory with grace. Jackie’s body was a temple of God. An instrument of peace. We would watch him disappear into nothingness and stand back as spectators, and watch the suffering from afar. The mercy of God intercepted this process Tuesday and permitted him to steal away home, where referees are out of place, and only the supreme judge of the universe speaks.”
—Jesse Jackson, delivering a eulogy for Robinson

For more on Robinson, I recommend visiting jackierobinson.org, where several of the above quotes and much more can be found.

And finally

Jackie Robinson is interviewed by Dick Cavett. Watch and listen here. And you can watch “42” for free on Youtube. 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.

In late November, Gabriela Jaquez scored 29 points against Tennessee. It wasn’t her career high; that came when she tallied 30 points two years prior.

But that game, when Tennessee had no answers for a player who was then the UCLA women’s basketball team’s fifth offensive option, felt like Jaquez’s coming-out party after years as a quieter cog in the Bruins’ rotation. It changed the way teams had to defend her. Previously known more for attacking the rim than for shooting from outside, Jaquez showcased a different dimension.

Against the Volunteers, Jaquez made five three-pointers, her most ever.

Suddenly, one of the best teams in the nation had one of the best breakout stars. Entering the NCAA tournament, the 31-1 Big Ten champion Bruins are relying on Jaquez as one of their super seniors to guide them back to the Final Four.

UCLA guard Charlisse Leger-Walker hugs teammate Gabriela Jaquez, who led the Bruins in scoring during a win over Tennessee on Nov. 30 at Pauley Pavilion.

(Luiza Moraes / Getty Images)

“I do think she’s always been that player,” said senior guard Kiki Rice, who has played four seasons with Jaquez. “But I do think she’s had a lot more opportunity to demonstrate that, and you saw that in the beginning of the year. She just started off such a hot shooter, and the way that she’s developed every single year, gotten better and just found a way to impact the team.”

Though she hasn’t reached that same scoring peak again, Jaquez has quietly buoyed UCLA’s dominant run this season as the Bruins have emerged as one of the favorites to win a national title. She ranks second on UCLA (among players with at least 30 attempts) in field-goal percentage at 54.3%, second in three-point shooting at 41.1% and third in scoring.

Jaquez has gotten attention for being part of a family legacy at UCLA and spending an offseason with the Bruins’ softball team. But in the background, even when she hasn’t been the leader for the UCLA women’s basketball team, Jaquez has honed herself into one of just 25 Power Four conference players shooting better than 40% from deep this season.

Jaquez, who tallied her 1,000th career point early this season, is having a career-best season with 13.6 points per game, has added double-digits in 25 of her 31 games this season.

“There’s so much depth to her,” said guard Charlisse Leger-Walker, who often dances alongside Jaquez in videos posted on social media and Leger-Walker’s YouTube video series. “Getting to understand her off the court, I think has really helped our connection on the court, and kind of how her personality is so outgoing. She likes to bring people along. You can see that on the court.”

Jaquez came in as a 5-foot-11 freshman who played primarily as an undersized forward and would crash the net and collect rebounds.

The shooting, though, has been the biggest change this season.

“I think of her as someone who, especially early on, like she doesn’t need to have the ball on hand, she doesn’t need to have plays run for her to impact the game,” Rice said. “But then she’s been shooting so well too.”

Early in the season, teams doubled Lauren Betts, who leads the team with 16.4 points per game as a center, which opened Jaquez to shoot from deep, establishing herself as someone who needed to be keyed on.

UCLA’s Gabriela Jaquez shoots the ball under pressure from Oregon’s Katie Fiso on Dec. 7 at Pauley Pavilion.

(Luke Hales / Getty Images)

Her 107 three-point attempts are a career-high this season, with her shot selection jumping to 32.4% coming from behind the arc. That’s come with a career-high 2.2 assists per game and an 85.2 defensive rating, ranked in the top 20% of the nation.

“She can shoot the ball, she can finish, she defends,” shooting guard Gianna Kneepkens said. “I love playing with Gabs. Sometimes I get caught watching her because she’s just so amazing.”

Now, Jaquez projects as a first-round WNBA pick, in large part because of her versatility on offense. She is listed as a guard on the Bruins’ roster, but often starts at forward, where she can stretch the floor. Her 5.4 rebounds per game are third on the team, thanks in large part because of her ability to fill positions one through five.

During UCLA’s Big Ten semifinal win over Ohio State, Jaquez shot four for 12 but Bruins coach Cori Close noted Jaquez’s importance when her shooting isn’t on target.

“What I liked about that the most is that she struggled a little bit in the middle of the second half,” Close said. “It just showed a lot of her mental toughness that, when we needed her the most, she was going to be there for us on the defensive end and on the rebounding end.”

While all five starters have been mentioned as possible WNBA first-rounders, Jaquez has perhaps made the biggest leap, two WNBA scouts not authorized to publicly discuss prospects said.

UCLA senior Gabriela Jaquez celebrates with the Big Ten tournament trophy after the Bruins beat Iowa in the finals on March 8 in Indianapolis.

(Michael Conroy / Associated Press)

When Rice and Leger-Walker are on the bench, Jaquez has taken on point guard duties.

“She does all those little hustle plays,” Leger-Walker said. “She will score if you need her to, she’ll cut, she’ll rebound, like, she’s so versatile. You know what you’re getting from her, and she’s kind of that person who’s the engine of our team.”

Jaquez hasn’t thought much about what happens after this season. This year’s mantra of joy has resonated after last year’s crushing Final Four loss to Connecticut.

“It’s been fuel,” Jaquez said. “That started [last] spring and into the offseason, knowing exactly what to work on, how to prepare…. But I just love the team aspect of basketball, I love this group of girls specifically and I think having so much fun out there has [been the most important thing] and winning has made it even better.”

The night Jaquez hit five three-pointers against Tennessee may have felt like her arrival. But for the teammates who have watched her develop for four years, it looked less like a breakthrough and more like the rest of the country finally catching up.

The rest of the country may have only noticed this season. But inside UCLA’s locker room, Jaquez has been that player all along.

“Gabs is an extremely confident person, so I feel like if you’d asked her this freshman year, she would have believed that she’d become just the incredible player that she is,” Rice said. “Just the opportunity, her experience at this level these past few years has really helped her develop into what she is.”