Dodgers Dugout: Two elected to our Hall of Fame

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell and we are just over a month away from the first real games of the season. Remember, their first two games are March 20-21 against the Padres in South Korea.

Last month I asked you to vote from a list of candidates in our third annual “Dodgers Dugout Dodgers Hall of Fame.” And, proving that you are the best newsletter readers in the universe, I received 26,573 ballots, more than double last year’s total. I mean, some cities don’t get that many voters in elections.

And after all the ballots were counted, two people were named on more than 75% of the ballots and are inducted into the 2024 class.

Remember, there was a players list, where you could vote for up to 12, and a non-players list with a limit of six 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

Walter O’Malley, 79.4% (64.4%): As many noted, there would be no Dodgers Dugout Hall of Fame to vote for in L.A. if not for O’Malley.

Pee Wee Reese, 76.3% (64.7%): With Reese’s overdue election, we now have only three Dodgers players in the real Hall of Fame who aren’t in ours.

Just missed (50-74.9%)

Don Sutton, 70.1% (61%): Leads or is in top three in many all-time Dodgers pitching categories, but always seems to struggle to get respect.

Steve Garvey, 63.3% (63.9%): Either Garvey or Gil Hodges is the best first baseman in Dodgers history.

Jaime Jarrín, 58.9% (53.7%): Really, should have been a first-ballot Hall of Famer. A big oversight.

Ron Cey, 58.1% (42.1%): Support continues to grow. Very underrated player.

Don Newcombe, 55.4% (58.1%): 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.

Mike Piazza, 52% (35.5%): What would Dodgers history look like if he hadn’t been traded?

Best of the rest (30-49.9%)

Red Barber, 45.1% (31.9%): Vin Scully before there was a Vin Scully.

Peter O’Malley, 44.1% (31.7%): The last owner who cared about keeping prices down for fans.

Davey Lopes, 40.9% (22.3%): Took a big jump in votes this year.

Jim Gilliam, 39.2% (39.2%): Jack of all trades and received the same percentage of votes as last time. Hated his “Junior” nickname.

Tommy Davis, 39.3% (34.3%): Last Dodger to win a batting title before Trea Turner, and I’m not sure Turner counts.

Manny Mota, 38% (23.4%): Best pinch-hitter ever. He would stay on the roster the whole year and only pinch-hit.

Kirk Gibson, 37.8% (23.3%): One amazing season gets him almost 38% of the vote.

Dusty Baker, 33.3% (19.7%): Remember throwing bubble gum to him in left field?

Mike Scioscia, 31.4% (12.4%): Another what if: What if he had been named Dodgers manager instead of Angels manager?

Willie Davis, 30.3% (18.8%): People seem to prefer Tommy Davis.

Everyone else

Johnny Podres, 28.3% (17%): Support for 1955 World Series MVP grows, but he still has a long way to go.

Bill Russell, 28% (10.8%): Longtime Dodger draws the least support among “The Infield.”

Eric Gagne, 27.9% (9.9%): Would he receive more support if not for his PED use?

Buzzie Bavasi, 27.3% (19.1%): GM of Dodgers’ first four World Series title teams.

Ross Porter, 26.1% (13.6%): Pioneered using more obscure stats before it became popular.

Eric Karros, 24.7% (12.4%): This is all you get after hitting the most homers in L.A. history?

Carl Erskine, 23.7% (14%): Key member of 1955 title team.

Zack Wheat, 23.4% (24.2%): He should be in. The first truly great Dodgers position player.

Carl Furillo, 23.3% (17.6%): Best arm in team history?

Adrián Beltré, 22.7% (5.4%): Took a big jump after making the real Hall of Fame.

Jerry Doggett, 21.9% (12.7%): Complemented Scully beautifully on radio and television.

John Roseboro, 21.6% (11.5%): The key catcher for Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale.

Leo Durocher, 20.6% (14.1%): Leo the Lip didn’t care what color you were if you could help him win.

*-Rick Monday, 20.5%: Probably shouldn’t have been on the ballot since he is still an active broadcaster. But no harm done.

Andre Ethier, 20.1% (8.9%): Doesn’t look like many from Ethier’s prime era will make it.

Pedro Guerrero, 19.7% (12.8%): You could argue that he is the best hitter in L.A. history.

*-Tommy John, 18.6%: One of only three first-timers to survive to next year.

*-Helen Dell, 18.3%: More love than expected for the long-time stadium organist.

Steve Yeager, 15.9% (5.5%): He blocked the plate as well as anyone ever.

Dazzy Vance, 15.3% (13%): Another guy who should be in. The Drysdale of his era.

Bottom 12, eliminated from at least next two ballots

Ron Perranoski, 14.6% (8.6%): Being a great reliever and longtime coach didn’t get him much support.

Fred Claire, 13.8% (7.7%): Builder of the 1988 World Series champions.

Wes Parker, 13% (7.6%): Perhaps the greatest defensive first baseman ever.

Babe Herman, 12.8% (8%): Great hitter pretty much forgotten.

Reggie Smith, 12.2% (5.2%): The best player on the ‘77-78 World Series teams.

*-Frank Howard, 9%: Big man couldn’t power his way to a second year here.

*-Wally Moon, 7.4%: Not enough people remembered those “Moon Shots.”

*-Ron Fairly, 5.3%: Played many positions, but one and done on this ballot.

*-Ralph Branca, 5.2%: A good pitcher unfairly remembered for one pitch.

*-John Ramsey, 4.9%: I can hear him announcing a player’s name like it was just yesterday.

*-Gary Sheffield, 3.6%: Great, great hitter, but never really beloved in L.A.

*-Stan Wasiak, 1.6%: Minor league managing great.

*-first time on ballot.

Takeaways

—Seven of the 10 first-time candidates were eliminated from the next two ballots.

—There are four people who aren’t in who definitely should be in: Jarrín, Sutton, Vance and Wheat.

Added to the ballot next year: Billy Cox, Cookie Lavagetto, Jim Lefebvre, Takashi Saito, Steve Sax, Casey Stengel, Dixie Walker, Red Adams, Monty Basgall, Ned Colletti, Rick Honeycutt.

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%)

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%)

Fernando Valenzuela, 2022 (80.6%)

Maury Wills, 2022 (76.6%)

Listed in order of percentage:

Sandy Koufax, 2021 (95.6%)

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%)

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.

Mookie speaks

Mookie Betts went 0 for 11 in the NLDS last year, one of the reasons the Dodgers were swept. And when videos soon after showed him bowling and enjoying life, some Dodgers fans got upset. I mean, really, what’s better than all of us living in a pit of misery because our team didn’t win? Colleague Dylan Hernández spoke to Betts in spring training. Read the column here. Here are some key quotes:

Betts: “I may not have hit well, I may not have played well. This game is hard. It’s not that I don’t care.”

On people wondering if all his outside interests distract him: “I played four sports growing up. I’m just used to switching gears.”

Dave Roberts on Betts: “It was hard on him. There’s only a handful of people that probably have that sense of responsibility of a superstar player. So when you don’t come through or deliver, you feel that burden or disappointment or frustration, whatever that might be. He cares. Mookie cares.”

OK, back to me. To think that any player, let alone a superstar like Betts, doesn’t care about winning is shortsighted. Are there times players give the appearance of not caring? Sure. As fans we expect the players to live and die with every postseason victory or loss like we do. But you don’t reach the major league level without caring. Without putting in the hours of work required to become that good. The Kirk Gibsons of this world, who wear their emotions on their sleeve during games, are few and far between. Everyone approaches the game differently. But if they didn’t care, they wouldn’t be in the majors.

Clayton speaks

Clayton Kershaw addressed the media soon after signing his one-year deal. The deal is worth $5 million, with several options based on performance that could lift it to more than $10 million. Jack Harris was among the media Kershaw spoke to. You can read his story here. Some quotes:

Why he came back to the Dodgers: “The way it ended, especially for our team and for me personally, wasn’t fun at all. A lot of doubts. A lot of things. Didn’t want to go out that way. I think that was ultimately how I came to it.”

Will he pitch like his old self? “I expect to be good. I don’t know what [pitch like] ‘you’ means anymore. But I expect to be good. I’ve said it before, I don’t want to be average. I don’t wanna just pitch to pitch. I wanna be good. I wanna contribute and be part of this. So yeah, my expectations are, no concessions.”

Kershaw said his return will be “July-ish or August-ish.”

Shohei looks good

In his first batting-practice session, Shohei Ohtani took 21 swings and hit 10 home runs. So it looks like he is on track to be the starting DH on opening day. The first spring training game is next Thursday. We will know a lot more about players once those games start.

In case you missed it

Hernández: Mookie Betts definitely still cares. And he knows he can’t disappear in playoffs again

Shohei Ohtani ‘trending’ toward being ready for opening day after first batting practice

After offseason makeover, can the Dodgers’ new-look rotation live up to preseason hype?

Shaikin: As Dodger Stadium gondola votes near, Frank McCourt makes his pitch. So do allies and opponents

Hernández: Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto looks to make quick adjustment to majors

Hernández: Walker Buehler isn’t letting high-stakes season diminish his big-game bravado

Shohei Ohtani media circus causes a stir but few problems (for now) in Dodgers clubhouse

As spring training opens, Andrew Friedman hopes Dodgers do more than ‘win the offseason’

And finally

Pee Wee Reese’s Hall of Fame induction speech. Watch and listen here.