2015 National League West Preview

***The Division Preview that follows is not betting advice in any way shape or form.  Please do not bet any money based in any part on these predictions.***

Don't forget to check out the National League East and National League Central previews and check back next week for the American League East.

San Francisco Giants Logo courtesy of Sports Logos.net

San Francisco Giants

Who's New: 

CATCHERS/INFIELDERS
Carlos Triunfel, SS (Free Agent from Dodgers)
Casey McGehee, 3B (Trade from Marlins)
Ronny Cedeno, IF (Free Agent from Diamondbacks)

OUTFIELDERS

Justin Maxwell, OF (Free Agent from Royals)
Nori Aoki, OF (Free Agent from Royals)

STARTING PITCHERS

None
RELIEF PITCHERS
Curtis Partch, RP (Free Agent from Reds)
Robert Coello, RP (Free Agent from Orioles)

Who Left:  

CATCHERS/INFIELDERS

Pablo Sandoval, 3B (Free Agent to Red Sox)
Michael Morse, 1B (Free Agent to Marlins)
Nick Noonan, IF (Free Agent to Yankees)
Tony Abreu, IF (Unsigned Free Agent)
Dan Uggla, 2B (Free Agent to Nationals)
Marco Scutaro, IF (Unsigned Free Agent)
OUTFIELDERS
Tyler Colvin, OF (Free Agent to Marlins)
Chris Dominguez, OF (Free Agent to Reds)
STARTING PITCHERS
None
RELIEF PITCHERS
Mike Kickham, RP (Free Agent to Cubs)
Mitchell Boggs, RP (Free Agent to Red Sox)
Winter Headlines:  
Boche's genius, MadBum's arm do it again.
What to Expect?:
With Matt Cain coming back and Madison Bumgarner becoming the ace of the staff, the Giants should have even more pitching strength.  Losing the power of Sandoval's bat could slow the offense but the pitching and solid defense should keep the opposition's run production low and keep the team in a lot of close games.
Why Should You Root for These Guys?:
As a Phillies and Dodgers fan, having seen this team win three titles this decade it pains me to have to find a reason to root for the hated ones.  Still,  this organization is in the middle of a winning era that has not been seen since Bill Terry-Mel Ott-Carl Hubbell days.  In fact this group is probably even more successful than the Terry group and you would really need to go back to the McGraw-Mathewson days to find a Giants group this successful.
Why Might This Season Not Turn Out the Way Giants Fans Want?:
The pitching depth past Cain-Bumgarner has some questions. It was great to see Jake Peavey win a title and Tim Lincecum still has flashes of greatness.  The problem is the inconsistency of those two.  What happens if they don't perform the way they did last year?
Don't Expect Too Much From Him:
For the last few years the Giants have seen big power numbers from Pablo Sandoval at third base.  His replacement this year will be Casey McGehee.  Casey is a solid bat in the lineup but he is not going to replace the numbers that Sandoval had.
Expect Great Things From:
Speaking of the McGraw-Mathewson era, Buster Posey is the best Catcher this team has had since Chief Meyers or Roger Bresnahan in the 1900s and 1910s.  Posey is a special player and when all is said and done his name will be among the greatest for an organization that has some of the greatest of all time.
Is This His Last Chance?:
After winning the World Series it would be tough to put anyone in this category.  Winning solves a lot of problems and gets a lot of people off the hook.
Prediction:1st in NL West.

Los Angeles Dodgers Logo Courtesy of Sports Logos.net

Los Angeles Dodgers

Who's New?:

CATCHERS/INFIELDERS

Ryan Lavarnway, C (Waiver Claim from Red Sox)
Jimmy Rollins, SS (Trade from Phillies)
Howie Kendrick, 2B (Trade from Angels)
Enrique Hernandez, IF (Trade from Marlins)
Yasmani Grandal, C (Trade from Padres)
Lars Anderson, IF (Free Agent from Cubs)
Ali Solis, C (Free Agent from Rays)

OUTFIELDERS
Chris Heisey, OF (Trade from Reds)
Matt Carson, OF (Free Agent from Indians)

STARTING PITCHERS

Mike Bolsinger, SP (Trade From Diamondbacks)
Juan Nicasio, SP (Trade from Rockies)
Brandon McCarthy, SP (Free Agent from Yankees)
Joe Wieland, SP (Trade from Padres)
Brett Anderson, SP (Free Agent from Rockies)
Sergio Santos, SP (Free Agent from Blue Jays)
Brandon Beachy, SP (Free Agent from Braves)
Dustin McGowan, SP (Free Agent from Blue Jays)
Erik Bedard, SP (Free Agent from Rays)

RELIEF PITCHERS

Joel Peralta,RP (Trade From Rays)
Chris Hatcher, RP (Trade from Marlins)
Ryan Buchter, RP (Free Agent from Braves)
Dustin Richardson, RP (Free Agent from Angels)
David Huff, RP (Free Agent from Yankees)
Jeremy Horst, RP (Free Agent from Phillies)
B.J. Rosenberg, RP (Free Agent from Phillies)
David Aardsma, RP (Free Agent from Cardinals)
Ben Rowen RP (Free Agent from Rangers)

Who Left?: 

 CATCHERS/INFIELDERS
Carlos Triunfel, SS (Free Agent to Giants)
Hanley Ramirez, SS (Free Agent to Red Sox)
Dee Gordon, SS (Trade to Marlins)
Drew Butera, C (Trade to Angels)
Miguel Rojas, IF (Trade to Dodogers)
Clint Robinson, 1B (Free Agent to Nationals)
Tim Federowicz, C (Trade to Padres)
Johnny Monell, C (Free Agent to Mets)
J.C. Boscan, C (Free Agent to Royals)
Alex Liddi, IF (Free Agent to Royals)
Chone Figgins, IF (Unsigned Free Agent)
OUTFIELDERS
Jamie Romak, OF (Free Agent to Diamondbacks)
Matt Kemp, OF (Trade to Padres)
Roger Bernadina, OF (Free Agent to Mets)
Mike Baxter, OF (Free Agent to Cubs)
STARTING PITCHERS
Josh Beckett, SP (Retired)
Dan Haren, SP (Trade to Marlins)
Jamey Wright, SP (Free Agent to Rangers)
Paul Maholm, SP (Free Agent to Reds)
Chad Billingsley, SP (Free Agent to Phillies)
RELIEF PITCHERS
Jose Dominguez, RP (Trade to Rays)
Bruce Billings, RP (Free Agent to Nationals)
Justin Germano, RP (Free Agent to Mariners)
Jhan Marinez, RP (Free Agent to Rays)
Roberto Hernandez, RP (Free Agent to Astros)
Chris Perez, RP (Free Agent to Brewers)
Scott Elbert, RP (Free Agent to Padres)
Brian Wilson, RP (Unsigned Free Agent)
Steven Fife,RP (Unsigned Free Agent)
Kevin Correia, RP (Unsigned Free Agent)
Winter Headlines: 
With no Kemp, Hanley or Gordon have the Dodgers just gotten old and slow?
What to Expect?:
As much as I hate to say it, Dodgers fans should expect a step back. The top three pitchers of Kershaw/Greinke/Ryu are still very strong but who is the vocal leader of this team?  Without Kemp to lead the team who will step up and get in the guys faces when it is needed?  Adrian Gonzalez and Clayton Kershaw are great but neither give the impression of a fiery leader.  Jimmy Rollins was that guy in Philadelphia but that was an environment where he was the veteran of the organization and had the organizational reputation of the cornerstone of the franchise.
Why Should You Root for These Guys?:
As much as people love to hate the Dodgers because of the perceived "buying a pennant" attitude, the Dodgers have not won since Kirk Gibson shocked Eckersley in 1988.
Why Might This Season Not Turn Out the Way Dodgers Fans Want?:
This team has an odd dynamic.  In losing Dee Gordon, Matt Kemp and Hanley Ramirez they have lost a big part of their identity.  They will need someone to step up and take the place of Kemp as the vocal leader.  Add to that the question of closer as Jansen is already dealing with injuries.   Although Dodgers fans are expecting a top of the division team they could be in for a sucker punch to the gut.
Don't Expect Too Much From Him:
Jimmy Rollins is a Hall of Fame Shortstop an is without question the best Shortstop the Phillies ever had.  He was the leader of one of the most successful stretches in the team's history and will go down in history as one of the two greatest Phillies of all time.  Yet, at this point in his career he is on the down side.  You can expect him to be a fierce competitor and possibly even an All Star representative but don't expect him to be an MVP candidate.
Expect Great Things From:
This is a tough one to pick.  I could go with Adrian Gonzalez or Howie Kendrick or even Puig.  But of course the top pitcher on the planet, Clayton Kershaw, will be the star of this team.  Even with all the offensive power, you can count on Kershaw to carry this team on his miracle arm.
Is This His Last Chance?:
Andre Ethier had tremendous potential when he came up to the Dodgers.  He was good looking.  Likable.  He arrived when the Dodgers were bringing up their young crop of talent.  For whatever reason he has not been able to reach his potential under Mattingly.  His name has constantly come up in trade rumors (even back to the deal that brought Gonzalez, Beckett and Crawford.  With Kemp being shuffled off to San Diego, you would think that Ethier would get the start in center field but the Dodgers picked up Chris Heisey in the off season and are expecting Joc Pederson to start in Center field.  Ethier may start to get the hint that his days in LA are numbered.
Prediction:2ndin NL West (1st National League Wild Card)

San Diego Padres Logo Courtesy of Sports Logos.net

San Diego Padres

Who's New:  

CATCHERS/INFIELDERS

Clint Barmes, IF (Free Agent from Pirates)
Tim Federowicz, C (Trade from Dodgers)
Wil Middlebrooks, 3B (Trade from Red Sox)
Brett Wallace, IF (Free Agent from Blue Jays)
Wil Nieves, C (Free Agent from Phillies)
Ramiro Pena, IF (Free Agent from Braves)
Derrick Norris, C (Trade from Athletics)

OUTFIELDERS

Justin Upton, OF (Trade from Braves)
Matt Kemp, OF (Trade from  Dodgers)
Wil Myers, OF (Trade from Rays)

STARTING PITCHERS

Brandon Morrow, SP (Free Agent from Blue Jays)
Joe Weiland, SP (Trade to Dodgers)
Brandon Maurer, SP (Trade from Mariners)
James Shields, SP (Free Agent fro Royals)

RELIEF PITCHERS

Shawn Kelley, RP (Trade from Yankees)
Zack Segovia, RP (Free Agent from Rangers)
Scott Elbert, RP (Free Agent from Dodgers)
Daniel McCutcheon, RP ( Free Agent from White Sox)
Marcos Mateo, RP  (Free Agent from Cubs)
Jose Valverde, RP (Free Agent from  Mets)

Who Left:

CATCHERS/INFIELDERS

Chris Nelson, 3B (Free Agent to Phillies)
Adam Moore, C (Free Agent to Indians)
Yasmani Grandal, C (Trade to Dodgers)
Rene Rivera, C (Trade to Rays)
Ryan Hannigan, C (Trade to Red Sox)
Jace Peterson, IF (Trade to Braves)
Everth Cabrera, SS (Free Agent to Orioles)\
Tyler Greene, SS (Free Agent to Padres)
Brooks Conrad, 2B (Unisigned Free Agent)

OUTFIELDERS

Jeff Francouer, OF (Free Agent to Phillies)
Alex Castellanos, OF (Free Agent to Mets)
Seth Smith, OF (Trade to Mariners)

STARTING PITCHERS
Jesse Hahn, SP (Trade to Athletics)
Eric Stults, SP (Free Agent to Braves)

RELIEF PITCHERS 

Donn Roach, RP (Waiver Claim by Cubs)
Tim Stauffer, RP (Free Agent to Twins)
JOhnny Barbato, RP (Trade to Yankees)
Blaine Boyer, RP (Free Agent to Twins)
Troy Patton, RP (Unsigned Free Agent)
Hector Ambiz, RP (Unsigned Free Agent)
What to Expect?:
The Padres were active this offseason.  Extremely active and added plenty of big names, taking one of the biggest from a division rival.   Padres fans should expect this team to compete but a World Series is too high of a goal.
Why Might This Season Not Turn Out the Way Padres Fans Want?:
It is true the Padres added some very big names this offseason but if you look at where they were added fans may pause.  Matt Kemp (OF), Wil Meyers (OF), Justin Upton (OF).  That's great but the team already had expensive free agent Carlos Quentin, young and amazingly talented Cameron Maybin, Max Venable and Abraham Almonte in a a crowded  outfield.  So the outfield is strong.  Can any of them play third base or turn a double play?
Don't Expect Too Much From Him:
James Shields earned his nickname "Big Game James" by winning in big situations for Tampa Bay and Kansas City.  Coming off the Royals' magical post season run, every team wanted Shields.  You can expect Shields to be a leader on this staff and to pitch with everything he has but expect results more like his first year in Kansas City than the results last year.
Expect Great Things From:
Matt Kemp is a 5-tool player.  Any success the Dodgers had over the last 10 years was directly tied to Kemp.  Unfortunately, quite a few of the disappointments were linked to him too.  He has had an up and down career as far as the public perception of his hustle, leadership and attitude.  He won't be chasing a triple crown like he did in 2011 but he will be a leader on this team.
Is This His Last Chance?:
Josh Johnson was once expected to be an ace in Miami and even when Mark Buerhle was brought on board the Marlins' sinking ship, Johnson some still considered the top guy.  A poor relationship with Ozzie Guillien led to his departure from Miami to Toronto for a failed season.  Injuries slowed him last year and will delay his participation this year.  Johnson may not have many opportunities left to regain his form.
Prediction: 3rd place in NL West. Second Wild Card

Arizona Diamondbacks Logo Courtesy of Sports Logos.net

Arizona Diamondbacks:

Who's New: 

CATCHERS/INFIELDERS

Matt Pagnozzi, C (Free Agent from Brewers)
Gerald Laird, C (Free Agent from Braves)
Nick Punto, IF (Free Agent from Athletics)
OUTFIELDERS
Nick Buss, OF (Free Agent from A's)
Jamie Romak, OF (Free Agent from Dodgers)
Yasmany Tomas, OF( Free Agent)
Danny Worth, IF (Free Agent from Tigers)
STARTING PITCHERS
Jeremy Hellickson, SP (Trade from Rays)
Blake Bevan, SP (Free Agent from Mariners)
Robbie Ray, SP (Trade from Tigers)
Allan Webster, SP (Trade from Red Sox)
Ruby De La Rosa, SP (Trade from Red Sox)
RELIEF PITCHERS
Justin Marks, RP (Free Agent from Rangers)
Julio DePaula, RP (Free agent from Orioles)
J.C. Ramirez, RP (Free Agent from Indians)
Henry Alberto Rodriguez, RP (Free Agent from White Sox)

Who Left:  

CATCHERS/INFIELDERS

Argenis Diaz, SS (Free Agent to Twins)
Didi Gregorious, SS (Trade to Yankees)
Miguel Monero C (Trade to Cubs)
Bobby Wilson, C (Free Agent to Rays)
Ronny Cedeno, IF (Free Agent to Giants)
Andy Marte, 3B (Unsigned Free Agent)

OUTFIELDERS

Xavier Paul, OF (Free Agent to Phillies)
Nolan Reimold, OF (Free Agent to Orioles)

STARTING PITCHERS
Mike Bolsinger, SP (Trade to Dodgers)
Wade Miley, SP (Trade to Red Sox)
Clayton Richard, SP (Free Agent to Pirates)

RELIEF PITCHERS

Joe Paterson, RP (Free Agent to Royals)
Will Harris, RP (Waiver Claim by Astros)
Zeke Spruill, RPP (Trade to Red Sox)
Eury De La Rosa, RP (Trade to Athletics)
Jess Todd, RP (Free Agent to Red Sox)
J.J. Putz, RP (Unsigned Free Agent)
Lucas Harrell, RP (Unsigned Free Agent)
What to Expect?:
Expectations coming into last season were gigantic.  The team had competed with the Dodgers in 2013 and had added Mark Trumbo. The results from the start were a disaster.  So after a successful season followed by a disaster where should expectations lie?  Considering Patrick Corbin and Bronson Arroyo are both out until midseason and they are working under a young an inexperienced manager, expectations should be low.
Why Might This Season Not Turn Out the Way Diamondback Fans Want?:
The talent level on this team is low.  They have some truly All Star capable players in Yasmany Tomas, Paul Goldschmidt and Mark Trumbo but there are a lot of holes on this team starting with the pitching.
Don't Expect Too Much From Him:
With Tanaka in New York, Tony Abreu in Chicago and Puig in Los Angeles, the international market has given us some players who made immediate impacts in the league.  Diamondback fans are hoping Yasmany Tomas will have the same impact.  He will be a great player in this league but don't expect him to spark a playoff run in Arizona.
Expect Great Things From:
Paul Goldschmidt is now a two time All-Star.  A Gold Glove winner.  A Silver Slugger.  An MVP runner up. He has a ton of talent.  In fact, when all is said and done, he may be one of the best players the Diamondbacks organization ever produced.  Enjoy seeing him in an Arizona uniform for as long as possible.
Is This His Last Chance?:
Bronson Arroyo was a big free agent signing last year but it did not go well for him.  Injuries limited his time and results on the mound and he will begin the year out of action.  He has had a very successful career, winning a World Series with the Red Sox and helping the Reds return to a contending teams in the last decade.  Unfortunately, father time may have caught up with him.
Prediction: 4th in NL West

Colorado Rockies Logo Courtesy of Sports Logos.net

Colorado Rockies:

Who's New:  

CATCHERS/INFIELDERS

Audry Perez, RP (Free Agent from Cardinals)
Daniel Descalso, 2B (Free Agent from Cardinals)
Omar Quintanila, SS (Free Agent from Mets)
Josh Vitters, IF (Free Agent fromCubs)
Nick Hundley, C (Free Agent from Orioles)

OUTFIELDERS

Roger Bernadina, OF (Free Agent from Dodgers)

STARTING PITCHERS

Aaron Laffey, SP (Free Agent from Nationals)
John Lannan, SP  (Free Agent from Mets)
Kyle Kendrick, SP (Free Agent from Phillies)
David Hale, SP (Trade From Braves)
RELIEF PITCHERS
Justin Miller, RP (Free Agent from Tigers)
Brett Marsahll, RP (Free Agent from Reds)
Jose Ortega, RP (Free Agent from Tigers)
Jorge Rondon, RP (Waiver Claim from Cardinals)
Jairo Diaz, RP (Trade from Angels)
John Axford, RP (Free Agent from Brewers)
Buddy Boshers, RP (Free Agent From Angels)
Gus Schlosser, RP (Free Agent from Braves)

Who Left:  

CATCHERS/INFIELDERS

Josh Rutledge, IF (Trade to Angels)
OUTFIELDERS
Michael Cuddyer, OF (Free Agent to Mets)
Jason Pridie, OF (Free Agent to Athetics)
Franklin Morales, OF (Free Agent to Royals)
STARTING PITCHERS
Juan Nicasio, SP (Trade to Dodgers)
Pedro Hernandez, SP (Unsigned Free Agent)
Brett Anderson, SP (Free Agent to Dodgers)
Nick Massett, SP (Free Agent to Marlins)
RELIEF PITCHERS
Rob Scahill, RP (Trade to Pirates)
Matt Belisle, RP (Free Agent to Cardinals)
Wilton Lopez, RP (Free Agent to Blue  Jays)
Greg Burke, RP (Free Agent to Blue Jays)
Chris Martin, RP (Trade to Yankees)
Josh Roenicke, RP (Free Agent to Brewers)
Winter Headlines:  
Tulo to the Mets?  Not yet.
What to Expect?:
Keep expectations low.  Terribly low.  This is not a good team and the problem is there is not much hope for the immediate future.  This team will likely fight with Philadelphia, Atlanta and Arizona for the bottom spot.
Why Should You Root for These Guys?:
There is talent on this team.  Tulowitzki, Cargo and Charlie Blackmon are among the top of that list. Unfortunately for those three there is little else around them.  If you like rooting for the Cinderella Story, this is where you would find it.
Why Might This Season Not Turn Out the Way Rockies Fans Want?:
If we're being honest it won't. There is not enough talent on this team to compete with San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego.
Don't Expect Too Much From Him:
Charlie Blackmon was one of the stand out performers for the Rockies last year.  He is a potential All Star but with the state of the Rockies that also makes him a potential All Star for another team.
Expect Great Things From:
Troy Tulowitzki is probably this franchise's greatest player in their short history and only Todd Helton would make it close.  It would be silly for this team to trade him when they held on to Helton so long.  Tulo should retire as Mr. Rockies.
Is This His Last Chance?:
Carlos Gonzales had a great year in 2010 but his production since then has not matched the expectations.  His potent bat could make him trade bait and he may be gone by midseason.
Prediction:5th in NL West

*-Please be aware that these predictions are based on the rosters as set at the end of February.  There are still several key free agents unsigned which could alter these previews.  Also, injuries during spring training could alter my outlook.  Check back next week for the AL East Preview and continue following to see my final predictions at the start of the season. 

TRIVIA QUESTION:

Since moving to the three division format, NL Central players have led the NL in RBI 7 times.  What players from the Central have led the NL in RBI?

Answer to Last Week's Question:

Adam Wainwright led the league in wins in both 2009 and 2013.  In 2006 six pitchers tied for the lead in wins with 16.  Among those were Aaron Harang of the Reds and Carlos Zambrano of the Cubs.  2004 was the last time a pitcher from the division led the league by themselves.  In that year Roy Oswalt of the Astros won 20 games.  

Almost a Dynasty: 1970's Dodgers

What actually makes a sports dynasty?  Obviously a team needs to be successful for a continuous amount of time.  Every sport has that one iconic dynasty that fits the Dynasty category.  The NBA had the Boston Celtics who won nine out of ten championships.  The Montreal Canadiens won 7 of nine Stanley Cups (including six straight).  The NFL had several dynasties including the 49'ers, the Steelers, the Cowboys and, most recently, the Patriots.  Baseball itself has had the Yankees dynasties in several incarnations including the 1930's, 1950's and 2000's.

So what actually makes a team a dynasty?  There can of course be several definitions since there are varying levels of success.  A team can dominate their division for a decade but be bounced out in the first round of the playoffs year after year.  We could of course consider that to be a divisional dynasty but you wouldn't call it an overall baseball dynasty.  So let us set the parameters for this series of articles.  A dynasty, for our purposes here, is a team that wins multiple World Series championships (above two as back to back is nice but not a dynasty) within a 5-10 year period.  That being defined, this series will explore those teams that may have been a divisional or league dynasty but for whatever reason could not get over the hump to that World Series dynasty.

This series will show an array of near dynasties.  Some are teams that made the World Series year after year but fell short.  Others will be teams that competed right down to the end of the regular season year after year just to be beaten out.  It will be a series of near misses and what could have beens.

Don't miss the other almost dynasty articles: The Detroit Tigers of the 1900's, The Chicago White Sox of the 1910's and the Pittsburgh Pirates of the 1920's, the Boston Red Sox of the 1940s and the Brooklyn Dodgers of the 1950s and the Milwaukee Braves of the 1950s.  Now let's get started with this weeks "almost dynasty": The Los Angeles Dodgers of the 1970's.

East Coast-West Coast:
The Dodgers transition from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, with the exception of the first season, was almost seamless.  Some of the names were gone by the time the team won their first title in 1959.  They built a new dynasty in Los Angeles on the arms of Drysdale, Koufax and Osteen.  They won the World Series in 1959, came within a game of their second Los Angeles NL pennant in 1962, won a World Series 1963 and 1965 and lost another in 1966.  The Dodgers were on top.  But the fall from the top was quick and painful.  Koufax retired after 1966.  Jim Gilliam was released but stayed on to coach.  Tommy Davis and Maury Wills were traded. The changes led to a dramatic fall to last place, 28 1/2 games out.  The team needed a quick rebirth.  This west coast baseball thing was still new and a failure to succeed could mean a vagabond existence.

By 1970 they were back into second place but the Reds were in first piecing together the Big Red Machine.  The Dodgers finished second to the Reds but were not even close, ending up 14 1/2 games back.  The Dodgers were more competitive in 1971 but the Giants won the division on the final day.  With four games left the Dodgers were one game behind but the Giants won three of the last four of the season.  The Dodgers won 6 of their final 7.  Unfortunately the Giants kept the same pace so the Dodgers finished one game out.

Two more second place finishes in 1972 and 1973 and the Dodgers were sitting on the outside looking in.

The momentum was building and, as with the other almost dynasties, there was a core group that led to the success:

Steve Garvey:   The Dodgers had a tradition at first base starting with Gil Hodges and followed by Wally Moon.  In 1968 they would find another gem in the draft.  Steve Garvey became the face of the franchise.  A 10 time All Star, four time Gold Glove winner and an MVP Garvey would lead the almost dynasty, although his cheerleader attitude rubbed his team mates the wrong way at times.

Photo of Steve Garvey Courtesy ofCBS Sports

Ron Cey:  Known as the Penguin for his distinct way of running, Cey would hold down third base through the almost dynasty.  A six time All Star, he had a knack for the big hit.  Cey would play briefly with the Dodgers in 1971 and 1972 but would take over full time in 1973.

Bill Russell:  The quiet leader, Russell was the key to the infield defense. He hit just above .260 for his career but hit near .300 career in the post season.  He would be a three time All Star.

Davey Lopes: Four time All Star and one time Gold Glove winner broke in with the Dodgers in 1974 along with the Penguin. Lopes would be the speed in the lineup.  He led the league in steals twice and was usually well above 40 steals in a season.

Dusty Baker:  Dusty began with the Braves in Atlanta and would be a late addition to the almost dynasty but a key piece.  He finished fourth in MVP voting in 1980.  He also was a two time All Star, a Gold Glove winner and a two time Silver Slugger winner.

Don Sutton:  Sutton broke in near the end of the Don Drysdale era.  With Drysdale known as the big Double D.  Sutton became known as little D.  A four time All Star, he would finish in the top 5 of Cy Young voting five times.  Although he only won 20 games once he won 324 career games and made the Hall of Fame.

Tommy John:  Known now for the surgery that bares his name, Tommy John was a dominant pitcher before and after the procedure.  From 1963 through 1974 with the Indians, White Sox and Dodgers John was 124-106 with a sub 3.00 ERA. After missing the 1975 season John returned to pitch until 1989 and would finish with 288 wins and a 3.34 ERA.

Bob Welch:  Welch would play a much larger part in another almost dynasty but he was a key piece of this team as well.  Along with Baker, Welch was a late comer to the almost dynasty but would win 115 games for the Dodgers while making one All Star Game.

Getting their feet wet:
By 1973 the four infielders who would define the Dodgers almost dynasty (Garvey, Lopes, Cey and Russell) were all in place.  The team would be built around these four players and as the years went on the four remained teammates even as free agency began to enter the picture.  The 1973 Dodgers would finish second, 3 1/2 behind the Reds.  The frustrating part is that the Dodgers' 95 wins was significantly better than the NL East winning Mets' 82 wins.  Despite that, the Mets beat the Reds while the Dodgers watched October baseball at home.

With Garvey now full time at first base, the sometime first baseman Bill Buckner moved to the outfield and the offense was nearly unstoppable.  The pitching staff was led by 20 game winner Andy Messersmith and 19 game winner Don Sutton. They led the division by ten games in earl July and although the lead shrank to four and a half games they were never truly in danger.  Playing in the franchise's first ever NLCS they had little trouble.  Sutton won Game 1 in spectacular 4 hit fashion.  Messersmith won Game 2 easily with a 5-2 victory to put the Dodgers one win away from their first World Series since 1966.  The Pirates attacked the Dodgers pitchers in Game 3 as Doug Rau and three others were smacked around 7-0.  Why had Rau pitched Game 3?  Tommy John couldn't pitch.  He had started the year at 13-3 but in his last start before the All Star break he felt a pop in his arm and lost feeling.  He tried to loosen the arm up a bit but his next pitch was the same.  He did not pitch again that year. Sutton started Game 4.  He pitched 8 innings, allowed three hits and only one run.  While little D was shutting down the Pirate offense, the Dodgers bats were savaging Pirate pitching.  Garvey went 4-5 including two Home Runs, drove in 4 and scored 4.  Lopes  went 2-4 with a triple and a stolen base and the Dodgers won 12-1.  They would face an Oakland A's team seeking their third straight World Series win.

The man who started the scoring in the series would be a long lasting thorn in the Dodgers' side during the almost dynasty.  Reggie Jackson launched a second inning Home Run to give the A's the lead.  The Dodgers lost Game 1 although they made it close.  With two out in the 9th Jimmy Wynn, known as the Toy Cannon,  hit a Home Run.  It was followed by a Garvey single but it ended there.  The Dodger bats had not kept pace with the A's to this point although Garvey and Russell were hot hitters  The two, with help from a Joe Ferguson two run Home Run, tied the series in Game 2.  The Dodgers would not get any closer.  Although the games were all close (four of the five games ended with a 3-2 score) the A's dynasty was too strong.  Dodgers pitching had held the A's bats to a .211 series average.  The A's, as they had done in the previous two World Series wins, did exactly enough to win.  The Dodgers would have to start again in the spring.

Photo of Ron Cey Courtesy of ESPN

Rage Against the Machine:
The Dodgers had Joe Ferguson and Steve Yeager but Johnny Bench was better.  The Dodgers had Garvey, Lopes, Russell and Cey but if you take Tony Perez, Joe Morgan and Dave Concepcion and add Pete Rose they become the top.  The Dodgers had Walter Alston but Sparky Anderson was better.

The Dodgers won 88 games in 1975.  The Reds won 108.  The Dodgers improved to 92 wins in 1976.  The Reds won 102. Cincinnati was at the height of the Big Red Machine.  The Dodgers were in transition.

Tommy John had a crazy new surgery hoping that he could persevere through the biggest fear of every pitcher.  He returned in 1976.  His record would be important as the Dodgers chased the Reds but his stamina, his recovery and his ability to last a full season were more important.  John, after missing a year and a half, went 10-10. Just the fact that he was able to throw a pitch basically secured him the comeback player of the year award.  The fact that he pitched well was just icing on the cake.  It was a good sign for 1977.

There would be a question heading into 1977.  Who the hell was that fat, loud Italian? Walter Alston had been the Dodgers manager since the team was in Brooklyn.  After seven post season appearances and four World Series titles (1955, 1959, 1963 and 1965) Walter Alston was no longer at the head of the Dodgers.  His replacement was Tommy Lasorda. He had pitched briefly for the Dodgers in Brooklyn but lost his roster spot when Koufax came to town.  To this day Lasorda will tell you that he should have made the team instead of Koufax.  (To be truthful,with Koufax's lack of control during his early days, Lasorda likely was correct.)

Photo of Davey Lopes Courtesy of ESPN

The Dodgers had a good feeling about the 1977 season.  The infield was still intact. Tommy John appeared to be back at full strength and a young Rick Rhoden appeared ready to step up in the rotation.  The team started off the year with two wins and a loss keeping them tied for first.  A second loss dropped them one game back.  They would stay in second place, one game out of first for three games.  They went 15-1 over the next 16 games and by April 30 they had a 7 1/2 game lead.  And the machine?  They were sputtering at 9-10 in second place.  At the end of the first month  the Penguin had hit 9  Home Runs and was hitting .425. Rhoden was 4-0.  The Dodgers were a beautiful mix of power and speed. Garvey would hit 33 Home Runs.  Reggie Smith hit 30 while Baker and the Penguin hit 30 each.  Lopes would steal 47 bases.  Russell 16 and reserve outfielder Glenn Burke would steal 13.  Rhodes would end up 16-10, struggling slightly after starting 8-2.  Sutton was 14-8 but the real star of the Dodgers pitching staff was Tommy John at 20-7 with a 2.78 ERA.

In the NLCS the Dodgers faced a Philadelphia team playing in the post season for only the fourth time in franchise history.  They were a great team stocked with young talent, like the Dodgers.  The first game was a match up of 20 game winners.  Tommy John vs Steve Carlton.  The Phillies got to John early and he was gone by the 5th.  Carlton was cruising through seven with a 5-1 lead.  Two walks and a single loaded the bases and up stepped the Penguin.  A grand slam tied the game and sent Carlton to the showers but the Phillies recovered to take Game 1.  Game 2 looked like the Phillies might just win this series easily when Bake McBride hit a solo Home Run to give the Phillies the early 1-0 lead but the Dodgers tied it up next inning with an RBI single by Lopes.  It remained tied until the bottom of the 4th.  Russell and Reggie Smith singled.  Cey bunted them up a base. Garvey was walked intentionally.  On a 1-2 count Baker connected and sent a Jim Lonborg pitch deep for the second Grand Slam for the Dodgers in the series.  The Dodgers would add on and win 7-1.

Game 3 has become one of those legendary games in baseball history.  Baker continued his hot hitting going 2-4, scoring one and driving in 2 with a double but the game was tied as they moved to the bottom of the 8th.  The Phillies' Richie Hebner started the inning with a double.  Garry Maddox singled scoring Hebner but when Reggie Smith threw wild, Maddox reached third.  A throwing error by Cey on Bob Boone's ground ball scored Maddox and the Phillies took a two run lead. Needing just three outs to take a 2 games to 1 lead the inning started well for the Phillies with Baker and Rick Monday each grounding out.  Desperate, Lasorda sent up pinch hitter Vic Davalillo, who surprised the Phillies when he bunted for a single.  Manny Mota pinch hit for the pitcher and swung through the first two pitches.  He looked completely inept when he missed the second pitch, spinning completely around in the process.  The crowd was loud.  Ironically, Harry Kalas told the Philadelphia audience that the crowd was chanting "defense, defense".  Mota connected on the next pitch.  He drove a ball to the wall in the Vet.  Greg Luzinski went back to the wall and leapt.  The ball was trapped against the wall as Davalillo tore around the bases.  Luzinski recovered.  Mota was headed for second. Luzinski turned, threw as hard as he could towards second. It bounced once.  Ted Sizemore, covering second, turned to take a look at Mota.  When he did the ball hit one of those damned Astroturf cut outs and bounced away.  Mota tore for third and made it easily as Sizemore chased the ball down.  Lopes stepped in and didn't wait for a perfect pitch.  He worked with what he was given.  He shot the first pitch toward Mike Schmidt at 3rd.  The ball took another weird Astroturf bounce and bounced off of Schmidt but directly to Bowa.  With Lopes tearing down the line at first and Mota  moving down the line at third.  Bowa got the ball quickly and released it even quicker.  Kalas screamed out "a throw! Yes! No! Not in time."  The Phillies went crazy while Mota scored the tying run.  As we have so often said it doesn't matter what causes the chaos, it is how you react to the chaos that counts. The Phillies compounded their problems when a pick off throw to first got loose sending Lopes to second with Bill Russell at the plate.Where Lopes was aggressive, going after the first pitch, Russell worked the count.  On the sixth pitch of the at bat Russell sent a shot straight back at Garber.  It rolled straight up the mound like a ramp and into center.  Lopes scored easily and the Dodgers had the lead.  The Phillies put Luzinski on base with a hit batter in the 9th but he did not advance. The Dodgers took the series lead in heartbreaking fashion.

Game 4 was Tommy John versus Steve Carlton again.  Dusty Baker made it clear that the momentum the Dodgers took in Game 3 was staying with them.  In the second inning Baker hit a two run Home Run giving the Dodgers the lead.  They scored two more in the top of the 5th and advanced to the World Series.  Their opponent was, of course, the Yankees.

Photo of Tommy John Courtesy of msn.foxsports.com

The first game went extra innings but it wasn't the Dodgers magical day.  The hero was light hitting, defensive specialist Willie Randolph who hit a solo Home Run and doubled in the 12th before scoring the winning run.  The Dodgers hit four Home Runs in Game 2 to tie the series at one with a 6-1 win.  The Yankees took the series back the next night. New York got to John in the first with three.  Baker tied it up with a three run Home Run in the third but the Yankees jumped back ahead in the top of the 4th.  From there Mike Torrez shut the Dodgers down.  The Yankees took Game 4 thanks to a Reggie Jackson Home Run and the Dodgers were down 3 games to 1. Sutton pitched a complete game in Game 5 and Baker went 3-4 with 2 runs and 2 RBI.  Reggie Smith hit a Home Run and the Dodgers lived one more day.  Sutton pitched a complete game but he did not throw a shut out.  Reggie Jackson hit a Home Run in his second consecutive game.  Jackson had already hurt the "almost dynasty" while playing for the A's.  He now would bury them as a Yankee.  In his first three at bats in Game 6 Jackson would hit three more Home Runs giving the Yankees their first World Series win since 1962.

Call it a World Series hang over or whatever you want but the Dodgers struggled out of the gate in 1978.  It was a three team race with the Reds and Giants and the Dodgers trailed until August 11th.  By Mid September a red hot Dodger team led by 9  games but they cooled off allowing the lead to dwindle to 2 1/2 by the end of the season.  When they reached the pinnacle of the 9 game lead on 9/16, the lead was pretty much secure.  The fear at the end of the year was the slump they seemed to be in  heading into the playoffs.  They went 4-9 in the last two weeks of the season, the worst record in the NL during that stretch.  Dodgers fans knew they had to be playing at their best if they had a chance against their opponent.

The Phillies were in their third straight NLCS and it was a run of success that Phillies fans had never seen before.  The Phillies were a legitimate contender with Schmidt, Luzinski, Bowa and Carlton.  This would be no walk through the park and with the Dodges having struggled over the last two weeks of the season fans were nervous.  The Phillies, however, had also lost 4 of their final 6 so Phillies fans had the same fear.

Burt Hooton started game 1 for Los Angeles.  He was perfect in the first but allowed a run to the Phillies in the second.  The Dodgers started the top of the third trailing 1-0 and when Hooton made the first out quickly Phillies fans felt confident.  Lopes followed with a double and a Schmidt error allowed Russell to reach first.  Now the Dodgers were dealing with the heart of the order due up.  Reggie Smith singled to score Lopes and Steve Garvey followed with a three run Home Run making it 4-1 Dodgers.  In the Top of the 4th they added 2 on a Lopes 2 run Home Run for a 6-1 lead and added another in 5th.  Hooton got himself into trouble in the 5th and allowed three runs. With a  lead now at 7-4 and two runners on base Mike Schmidt stepped up to the plate.  It was the kind of situation Phillies fans wanted to see.  It was not what Tommy Lasorda wanted to see.  Lasorda removed Hooton and inserted Bob Welch.  On two pitches Welch got Schmidt to fly out to center field and the threat was over.  The Dodgers went on to win Game 1.  Tommy John started Game 2 and held the Phillies scoreless through three.  His opponent Dick Ruthven did the same to the Dodgers.  In the Top of the 4th it was Davey Lopes who got the scoring started.  The Dodgers added three more.  Tommy John was almost untouchable allowing only 4 hits and walking only two for a complete game shutout and a 2 games to none lead.  The Dodgers looked to sweep with Sutton on the mound but they had to face Steve Carlton to do so.  What was expected to be a low scoring pitcher's duel turned into a 9-4 slugfest with Carlton hitting a Home Run himself. The Phillies lived on one more day with a win.  They looked to tie the series in Game 4.  The Dodgers scored first but the Phils took a 2-1 lead which the Dodgers quickly erased.  Los Angeles went ahead 3-2 but just as quickly Philadelphia tied it.  It was 3-3 going into the bottom of the 9th and with the top of the lineup due up the Dodgers thought they would win it.  They didn't.  They went down 1-2-3.  Larry Bowa reached first in the Phillies' 10th but was stranded there.  Reggie Smith and Steve Garvey made two quick outs to start the bottom of the inning and now it was any one's guess who would come out on top.  Cey walked and when Dusty Baker lifted a fly ball to Centerfield it looked like this game would continue.  Baker was hitting .500 for the series (7-14) and had been 4-4 to this point on the day but it looked like he had failed when the team needed it. It was just a little fly ball with Garry Maddox charging in.  It was a play similar to the one Matt Holliday would make in 2009 against the Dodgers in an NLDS game.  Maddox was there.  Maddox should have had it but Maddox dropped it.  On the second pitch of his at bat Bill Russell smacked a single to center.  Cey raced around third and the Dodgers moved on to the World Series and again they would face the Yankees.

The Dodgers looked to continue the wave of winning against the Yankees.  Unfortunately just as he had the year before and way back in 1974, Reggie Jackson stole the show.  In Game 1 Jackson picked up where he had left off going 3-4 with a Home Run. Fortunately for L.A. Davey Lopes connected twice and Dusty Baker connected for a Home Run and with with Tommy John pitching better than ever the Dodgers took Game 1, 11-5.  Jackson slowed down slightly in Game 2.  He had only 1 hit, a 2 run double, and a sac fly.  No other Yankee was able to drive in a run.  The Dodgers were a one man team themselves with Ron Cey getting an RBI single and a three run Home Run.  The Dodgers won Game 2 and took a 2 games to 0 lead.

Photo of Dusty Baker Courtesy of ESPN

Throughout the 1978 season the Yankees had a one man slump buster and his name was Ron "Gator" Guidry.  Gator used his Louisiana Lightning in Game 3 to shut down the Dodger bats and got support from Mickey Rivers and Roy White at the top of the lineup to cut the Dodgers lead in half.

"He's gotta get out of the way!"
Game 4 looked like the Dodgers would take command of the series.  With Tommy John on the mound and a scoreless game through four, Reggie Smith hit a three run Home Run.  The Yankees looked to be in trouble.  Standing in the way, literally, was Reggie Jackson.

Roy White singled with one out.  Thurman Munson followed with a walk.  Reggie singled and White scored from second.  Lou Pinella followed with a line drive that turned out to be one of the most controversial moments in baseball history.  The ball shot towards Russell at Short like a bullet.  A smart ball player Russell realized that if he caught the line drive the chance at a double play was gone because the runners had clung to the bag.  Appearing to drop the line drive Russell slapped the ball to the ground, forcing Munson and Jackson to run. Russell immediately picked up the ball and stepped on second.  Jackson was now out on the force.  Jackson took three steps off the bag, saw he was out and stopped.  Russell fired the ball to first and Jackson, in line with the throw, stood there.  Replays show he probably shifted his path slightly into the path of the ball. The ball hit his hip and ricocheted away from the fielders.  Munson scored from second and Pinella was on second.  Lasorda, already with a reputation for his fiery temper, erupted.  "He's gotta get out of the way!"  With the umpires saying clearly "He didn't do it intentionally"  Lasorda just kept repeating "He's gotta get out of the way."  Regardless, the call stood and the Yankees had made a cut into the Dodger lead.  The Dodger bats showed little life outside of Smith's Home Run and when Munson hit an RBI double in the 8th the game was tied.  Bob Welch had already thrown 1 2/3 perfect innings.  He opened the bottom of the 10th by getting Mickey Rivers to pop out to Catcher.  His streak ended when he walked Roy White.  Thurman Munson popped out to Russell (he caught this one)and it looked like Welch would get out of it.  A Reggie Jackson single sent White to second and a Lou Pinella single sent White home.  It was a devastating loss.  What if Russell had caught the line drive?  What if he had tagged Munson (who was right by him) before stepping on the bag?

The result, after the controversy, was what typical of the Dodgers-Yankees rivalry to this point.  The Dodgers  scored  in the first and another in the third to take a 2-0 lead.  Then the deluge started.  Reggie Jackson only went 1-3 in the game but the Yankees knocked 18 hits around Yankee Stadium (amazingly none left the park) and they scored 12 runs.  The Yankees now led the series three games to two.  The Dodgers fans hoped a return home would change their fortunes.  With Don Sutton on the mound the hopes were high. His opponent, Catfish Hunter, was no push over.    The two future Hall of Famers had different seasons. Hunter (12-6) struggled, dealing with complications of diabetes and what would eventually be diagnosed as ALS.  Sutton (15-11) was the Dodgers clear #2 behind Tommy John so it was expected, in true Dodger-Yankee fashion, that this would go to a seventh game and when they took a 1-0 lead the place got loud.  The Yankees quieted everyone quickly. Sutton threw 5 2/3 and gave up five runs.  Welch threw 1 1/3 and gave up 2.  It was a disappointing 7-2 loss.

The team that could have easily won three World Series in the 1970's had none.

One Last Push:
The dawn of free agency changed the game.  After the 1978 season Tommy John left to join the Yankees of all teams.  He was replaced by rookie Rick Sutcliffe who went 17-10.  Sutton fell to 10-15.  Welch fell to 5-6, and out of the rotation.  The Dodgers fell to third in the NL West.  Their big win came in the June draft, although it would be quite some time before it paid off.  They drafted Steve Howe in the first round and a young pitcher named Orel Hershiser in the 17th round.

Fans in the NL West had gotten used to the constant battle of the Reds and Dodgers.  With the birth of free agency the Reds had also taken a hit.  Pete Rose was now in Philadelphia. Joe Morgan was in Houston.  Tony Perez was in  Boston.  The Dodgers were still strong with Garvey, Lopes, Russell and Cey, Baker and Smith and Sutton, Sutcliffe and Welch. But there was a new enemy in town.   The Astros had a young 1-2 punch of J.R. Richards and Nolan Ryan.  Their offense was young and talented with Jose Cruz, Alan Ashby, Art Howe and Bruce Bochy.  The two teams went back and forth all year. Neither could get more than a few games ahead.

The 1980 season went down the last weekend.  The Astros had a three game lead with three games left to play and the two teams closed out the season against each other.  The Astros had to win one game.  The Dodgers could not lose one.  The Astros scored first but the Dodgers tied it.  The Astros went ahead again but with two outs in the bottom of the 9th,  LA came back to tie it one more time.  A young September call up named Fernando Valenzuela had relieved Sutton and with the season on the line, he shut down the Astros in the top of the 10th.  The Dodgers led off the bottom of the 10th with Joe Ferguson, their catcher.  Ferguson kept the Dodgers alive with a solo shot.  The season wasn't over yet.

The second game of the series saw Nolan Ryan, the big free agent signing by Houston, face off against Jerry Reuss.  Ryan was spectacular.  In 7 innings he allowed only 2 runs on 6 hits and struck out 9.  Reuss was better allowing only 1 run in a full game effort, improving his record to 18-6.  It all came down to the final day.  If the Dodgers won the three game series would turn into a four game series.  Lose and the Astros moved on to face the Phillies in the NLCS.  The Astros scored 2 in the second and 1 in the 4th.  Things looked bleak for the Dodgers.  They scored one in the 5th on a Davey Lopes RBI single.  They scored a second in the 7th on a Manny Mota RBI single.  With the season on the line and possibly down to their last 6 outs, Steve Garvey opened the 8th with a ground ball and when he reached first on an error the Dodgers still had life.  Hoping for something to cheer about the Dodgers fans stood up with the Penguin waddling to the plate.  With one swing he waddled all the way around the bases with a season saving Home Run.  The Dodgers needed to win one more game to pull off the impossible.  It was not to be.  The Astros defeated the Dodgers for a 7-1 win.

The league had experienced a strike back in 1972.  It was the first real league wide, union organized strike that impacted the league.  It had delayed a few games, the season started late, but no real damage was done.  The 1981 strike was different. On June 11 the Dodgers lost to the Cardinals.  It cut their lead to just a half a game ahead of the Reds.  One less rain out here or there for either team.  One less blown lead.  One less come from behind early season win for either might have made the difference in the standings to that point. Instead the league closed up the next day and the Dodgers, with a 1/2 game lead over the Reds, were in first place.  When the player strike was resumed and the league started back up it was decided that the team in first place at the end of the "first half" would play a final playoff round.  Their opponent would be the team that won the most games between the league's restart on August 10th and the end of the regular season.  The Dodgers would play .500 ball the second half.  The Reds would play .610 (going 31-20).  The Astros would go 32-20, 1/2 game better than the Reds and winner of the second half.  The poor Reds would sit home and watch the playoffs despite being so close in both halves.

The first ever NLDS was a nail biter through and through.  Fernandomania had swept LA but Houston had no use for it.  Fernando threw 8 innings and allowed only one run, an RBI single in the 7th.  Garvey tied it in the 8th with a solo Home Run.  It was tied at 1 entering the ninth with the pitcher due up.  Jay Johnstone pinch hit for Fernando but nothing came of it.  It was a 1-2-3 inning. He was replaced by Dave Stewart.  It was a pressure packed situation for a wild kid pitcher but he had the stuff to pull through, or he would in the future.  This is where he would learn how to deal with the pressure.  He struck out Cesar Cedeno.  He got Art Howe to fly out.  The Astros sent up pinch hitter Craig Reynolds.  He singled.  Stewart stared down Alan Ashby.  Ashby swung and connected and for now Stewart would be known as the pitcher who lost game 1 of the first ever NLDS.  (Don't worry.  He came out ok. Check back next week to see what he accomplished.  Keep reading now to see what the Dodgers accomplished this year.)

Jerry Reuss started Game 2 for the Dodgers and pitched 9 scoreless innings.  Unfortunately for Reuss and the Dodgers Joe Niekro pitched 8 scoreless inning and Dave Smith added 2 more.  The game entered the bottom of the 11th still scoreless.  Dave Stewart took the mound to work the 11th.  Phil Garner opened the inning with a single.  Tony Scott singled right behind him.  Stewart was removed.  Terry Forster got Jose Cruz to pop up and he was replaced.  Tom Niedenfeuer walked Cesar Cedeno intentionally to load the bases.  He then got Art Howe swinging.  One out away.  Denny Walling singled scoring Phil Garner, on base thanks to Stewart, and Dave was now 0-2 (and so were the Dodgers).

The Dodgers wasted no time getting to Bob Knepper in Game 3.  Lopes walked and scored on a Baker double.  Garvey followed with a two run Home Run and the Dodgers took a 3-0 lead.  They would win 6-1.  The Dodgers took a 2-0 lead behind Fernandomania in Game 3.  Fernando took the mound for the 9th and had allowed only 2 hits and one walk to that point.  After a lead off fly ball Terry Puhl doubled. Phil Garner grounded out, advancing Puhl to third. Tony Scott singled scoring Puhl and the dangerous Jose Cruz stepped to the plate.  Valenzuela was up to the challenge and Cruz popped out to the Catcher.  For the second year in a row Nolan Ryan took the mound in a deciding playoff game with the season on the line.  Ryan, for the second year in a row, did not dominate as the Astros had hoped. The Dodgers won 4-0 and advanced to face the Montreal Expos in their only playoff appearance.

The Montreal Expos had a great team. They were led by Steve Rogers, their pitching ace, although the names recognized today would be Tim Raines, Andre Dawson, Gary Carter, Larry Parrish and Tim Wallach.  Thanks to Home Runs from Mike Scioscia and Pedro Guerrero the Dodgers won the first game  5-1.  The Dodgers lost 3-0 in Game 2 despite having  Fernando on the hill. Despite all the big names in the lineup it was Jerry White's three run Home Run that led to the Expos  4-1 win.  L.A. now needed to win two straight to advance.  They took care of it early with a 2-0 lead and poured it on late with a 2 run 8th and a 5 run 9th for a 7-1 lead.  In the deciding game Andre Dawson hit into a double play in the first but it scored Tim Raines for a 1-0 lead.  Rick Monday tied the game, scoring on a ground ball out by Fernando in the  5th.  The final deciding game entered the 9th inning tied at 1.  Garvey popped out and the Penguin flew out to left field.  With two out Rick Monday made the difference.  He launched a Home Run that won the pennant.  Fernando allowed two base runners in the bottom of the 9th and was replaced by Welch who got a 1 out save to send the Dodgers to the World Series.

The Dodgers opponent would be, again, the Yankees.  Like the Expos, the Yankees had names that would be recognizable today.  Graig Nettles.  Lou Piniella.  Willie Randolph.  Dave Winfield.  Ron Guidry.  Goose Gossage. Reggie Jackson. The Yankees won the first two games.  Guidry beat Tom Niedenfeuer 5-3 in Game 1 and Tommy John beat his old teammate Burt Hooton 3-0 in Game 2.  It seemed that the Yankees would win it all.  The problem was the Yankees bats went silent.  Rookie Dave Righetti started against rookie Fernando Valenzuela in the third game and the Dodgers won thanks to veteran Ron Cey's three run first inning Home Run.  The Yankees started Rick Reuschel in Game 4 against Welch (there will be a rematch in next week's article).  Neither fared well.  Welch exited before retiring a batter and the Yankees jumped out to a 4-0 lead but the Dodgers fought back.  What was expected as a pitcher's duel ended up as a series tying 8-7 Dodger victory.  The Dodgers had only four hits but they led to two runs.  In the bottom of the 7th, trailing 1-0, Steve Yeager and Pedro Guerrero hit back to back Home Runs to give the Dodgers their winning margin.  George Steinbrenner was not happy that his team was on the brink of elimination. He had paid big money for Dave Winfield.  His quote has resonated through the decades.  "I paid for Mr.October and I got Mr. May."  Winfield ended the series with a .045 (1-22) average.  Pedro Guerrero hit his 4th Home Run of the series.  He would share World Series MVP honors with the Penguin and Catcher Steve Yeager.   The "almost dynasty" finally had their crown.

The bane of the Dodgers' almost dynasty was Reggie Jackson and the Big Red Machine. It seemed that every time they got close one of these two would get in their way.  There were always the what if's...
What if Dodger pitching in 1977 had found a way around Reggie?  What if Russell had caught Reggie's line drive?  What if they had resigned Tommy John?  What if John hadn't hurt his arm to begin with?

The Dodgers key group of Garvey, Cey, Lopes, Russell, Baker, John, Sutton and Welch ended with four World Series appearances but only one World Series title.

TRIVIA QUESTION:

Walter Alston managed the Dodgers from 1954-1975.  He was replaced by Tommy Lasorda in 1976 and lasted through part of the 1996 season. Who replaced Tommy Lasorda as the Dodgers' manager.

Answer to  Last Week's Question:

Congratulations to TJD for answering last week's question correctly.

The 1998 Rangers won the American League West.  It was just their second appearance in  the post season.  They had two star pitchers: Rick Helling (20-7) and Aaron Sele (19-11, 4.23).  The team used 5 other pitchers as starters in 10 or more appearances: John Burkett (32 sarts 9-13,5.68), Darren Oliver (19 starts, 6-7, 6.53) , Esteban Loaiza (14 starts, 3-6, 5.90) , Bobby Witt (13 Starts, 5-4, 7.66) and Todd Stottlemeyer (10 starts, 5-4, 4.33).  Sele and Helling had a high ERA but were clearly the best starters on the staff.  In the tradition of "Spahn and Sain and pray for rain", the Texas press had their own saying.  There are different variations of the phrase but the most often used was "Sele and Helling then expect a shelling."

Players I Love More Than I Should: Outfield: Frank Robinson

If you are just joining the blog don't miss the other players in the Players I Love More Than I Should series: Yogi Berra, Hank Greenberg, Joe Morgan, Cal Ripken and Frank "Home Run" Baker

More than 18,000 players have appeared in Major League Baseball games since the start of the league.  Some players have short careers that last one at bat or one appearance in the field.  Others have 20+ year careers.  As I read more and more about baseball history there are certain players I find myself enjoying reading about more than others.  It is obviously illogical since many of them retired, or in some cases passed away, long before I was even born.  I have no first hand experience in watching some of them play but for whatever reason their personalities and perseverance strikes me above and beyond the other players I read about.  Over the next few weeks I will be giving you short biographical histories*of some of these players.  Some of them will be Hall of Fame players.  Some of them will be players only casual fans may know.  Regardless, I chose one player from each position for this series to explore.  This week we will explore one of the outfielders I chose for the series: Frank Robinson.

Of the more than 18,000 people to play Major League Baseball there are probably ten to fifteen players who could legitimately be considered for the title of "the greatest player ever".  Of course the names of Ruth, Willie Mays, Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey, Jr, Ty Cobb, Lou Gehrig, Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio come to mind immediately.  Jackie Robinson, Rickey Henderson, Cal Ripken, Sandy Koufax, Rogers Hornsby, Stan Musial and Hank Aaron would probably get quite a few votes. Contemporaries like Jeter and Pujols may get some mention.

The question becomes what makes a great player?  Is it pure individual numbers?  Is it the number of rings you win?  Is it your ability to lead your team quietly behind the scenes when people don't necessarily see it?  Is it your ability to raise the level of accomplishments of the players around you?  Is it your ability to do things no one else has done before?

There is one player who did everything you would want from the greatest player of all time and yet is far too often overlooked in consideration as the greatest player of all time.

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"It went all the way out."  Boog Powell told Robby as he settled back on the bench.  "Yeah, right." was the unbelieving response.

540 feet.  180 yards.  Nearly two full football fields. 

Luis Tiant had started his wind up.  It was his normal twisting, turning, bending, contortionist wind up. The arms swung once, twice. The hands came together, the arms went up, the front leg lifted and straightened.  The back leg and the hips twisted towards center as the throwing hand fell by his back hip.  Every motion was disjointed until the whole body flew forward towards the hitter.  Few people could figure it out but Robby swung at the first pitch and it was crushed.  It flew.  Farther.   Faster.   Quicker than anyone in Baltimore had ever seen a ball fly before.  On Sunday, May 7, 1966 Frank Robinson launched the ball that would forever be marked for Orioles fans to remember.  The ball literally left Memorial Stadium, landing in the parking lot 540 feet away.

I can personally remember going to the stadium, sitting in the stands and looking out to the parking lot and seeing that black and orange flag hanging in the stadium parking lot.  It said one word.  "Here".   I can remember watching the thing flapping in the breeze and thinking "does that actually just say 'here'.  What does that mean?"  Then I asked my dad.  "What is that flag out there?"  That was when my dad explained about the day that Frank Robinson hit the ball "HERE" and officially left his mark in Baltimore.  Although it was one of the longest visible marks he left there, it was one of just a million that he left in Baltimore and many other cities throughout baseball history.

Early Success
A few weeks ago we reviewed the career of Joe Morgan, the great Reds second baseman.  Joe was born in Texas but very early in his life moved to the Oakland Bay area.  Frank Robinson had a very similar start in life, although Frank was a bit older than Joe.  Frank was born in Beaumont, TX in 1935.  When his parents divorced his mother moved the children to the bay area.  One can only imagine the discrimination, prejudice and torture the family endured.

Frank was too young to remember the time in Texas and he has said that during his time in the bay area he was unaware of prejudice or bigotry.  It was a tough area to be sure.  Frank told stories of having to fight his way to school and back.  Not far away, just a few years older than Frank, a young Billy Martin was growing up in Berkeley, CA, fighting in street gangs in a very racially charged community.  When Frank was 11 years old Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier and Frank's response at first was "so what?".  Frank loved the game of baseball, dreamed of being a pro player but it had never occurred to him that the game was segregated.  He soon learned the importance of Jackie Robinson. 

He was clearly better than most players in his age group, though he humbly wondered why players he played with never became better players. His father had once told his brothers that Frank would never be good enough to make a big league player.  It drove Frank, as doubts about him would always do, and he used it as motivation to prove his father wrong.  Frank signed with the Reds organization at the age of 17 and was sent to the Ogden, UT team in the Pioneer League and he quickly learned what racism was.  He was one of two non-white players on the team and while all other players had private homes, Frank and Chico Terry were forced to share a tiny hotel room.  As non-white they were not allowed to eat in the local restaurant, go to movies or do any number of things the white players could do.  He couldn't even talk to his roommate who Frank said knew only the word "coffee".

Photo of Frank Robinson courtesy o Sports Illustrated

Frank loved nothing more than to play ball but hearing fans yell disgusting, unspeakable, unrepeatable things at a teenage kid for doing nothing more than trying to hit a ball made him question his place. The loneliness was nearly unbearable.  He had nothing to do but work on his game and think about baseball.  In the 1953 Pioneer League season Frank played in 72 games, hit .348 with 20 doubles, 6 triples and 17 Home Runs.  Not bad for a 17 year old kid far from home and facing the hate filled rages of hicks for the first time.

He moved on to Columbia of the South Atlantic League for next year and if he thought he faced racism in Ogden, it was just an appetizer for the main course of hatred he faced in the 1950's south.  Robby continued to improve his game but as would always be the case, the magnitude of his greatness was never really realized.  Frank would hit .336 with 32 doubles, 9 triples and an amazing 25 Home Runs.  In an era when Home Runs were not yet king, it was nearly unheard of for an 18 year old to hit with so much power.  He played 80 games for Columbia in 1955 and his numbers were not great but there was a reason.  There was a shoulder problem that plagued him.  He was forced to play first base for the first time in his life because, as Frank said, "I couldn't throw the ball ten feet".  Being an African American player in the south was bad enough.  Being an African American player who was performing far below the numbers that were expected was unforgivable.  The abuse he faced was severe and he nearly gave up.  Call it the intervention of the baseball gods.  Call it the determination that only the greatest of the great have.  Call it whatever you want,  Frank did not give up.  He pushed on and "in the last six weeks of the season I hit .390 and hit ten home runs...most important, after all I'd been through, I knew I could play this game, knew I'd never be tempted to quit again."

Ohio is a northern state but it is just across the river from Kentucky, a border state in the Civil War.  Don't forget it was in Cincinnati that Pee Wee Reese put his arm around Jackie Robinson in a silent gesture of support against vicious taunts. It was this city that Frank Robinson started his career and it was a start that few could ever equal.  On a team with Ted Kluszewski, Wally Post, Gus Bell and Ed Bailey, Frank Robinson led the team in almost everything.  He hit more home runs (38) than "Big Klu".  He drove in as many runs (83) as Wally Post.  He scored more runs than anyone else in the league and the Reds finished third in a very close National League race.  Frank Robinson was the youngest All Star player that year and finished in the top ten voting (7th) in the MVP award.  He also won the Rookie of the Year Award.  Who finished second?  No one.  There was no second choice.  A total of 23 votes were cast for the top rookie.  Each and every one was for Frank Robinson. 

Every Rookie of the year hears the same refrain:  watch out for the sophomore slump.  Frank had none of that.  His power numbers dropped (home runs went from 38 to 29) but his average raised from .290 to .322. He made the All Star team again and again finished in the top 10 in MVP voting.  The NL Champion Dodgers fell off dramatically in 1957 but the Reds couldn't seem to take advantage.  The Braves and Cardinals moved up and the Reds finished 4th.

Over the next few years the pattern seemed to be the same.  The Reds showed great talent, led by Robby, Big Klu and Vada Pinson.  They just could not compete with the top of the league as the Braves, Dodgers, Cardinals, Giants and even the Pirates finished ahead of the Reds.  Through these years Frank was still one of the top players in the league.  Considered the second generation of African American players following Jackie Robinson, Larry Doby, Roy Campanella, Don Newcombe, Willie Mays and Joe Black, Frank Robinson dominated the league with the likes of Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, Willie McCovey and Monte Irvin.  Frank usually hit well above 30 Home Runs, drove in about 80-85 runs (he drove in 120 in 1959) and his average would fluctuate near .300, usually above that mark.

Photo of Frank Robinson Courtesy of Cincinnati.com

Robby and Dumb Wit
Robinson was a clear star in the league as 1960 turned to 1961.Any success the Reds could hope for would have to include Frank.  There was no question.  Robby was a star and a leader in the club house.  However, as a young man in a turbulent time he also had a bit of a temper.  Not one to look for a fight he would certainly protect himself when he was threatened.  Unfortunately, in the craziness of the time, if an African American protected themselves they somehow were in the wrong.  In February 1961 Frank and some friends went out for a night on the town and ended up in a diner late at night.  An altercation led to a friend being arrested and as Frank and another friend returned to retrieve their food the cook made a slashing motion with a butcher knife.  When the cook displayed his weapon of choice, Robby simply showed the cook that he was protected and flashed his pistol.  The cops were called and Frank was arrested.  Humiliated, angry that he did not receive any assistance from the team and left in a cell to think, Frank decided it was time to make some changes in his life.  It was time to grow up and focus all of his energy on fighting the other team.  It was the best news that the Reds could have gotten.  It was the worst news the opposition could have gotten.  Frank Robinson, already dangerous, was now more focused and more determined than ever.  The behind the scenes story of the arrest would lead to a lingering effect however.  When Bill DeWitt, the Reds General Manager,was notified that Robinson was in jail he decided to leave him there for the night.  Frank took great offense, feeling that had it been Kluszewski or another Reds star, DeWitt would have come to bail him out.  A rift was formed that led to Frank forever calling the GM DumbWitt.

The new focus led Frank to dominate even more as he led the Reds to their first World Series since 1940.  Frank hit 37 Home Runs, had a .323 average, drove in 124, scored 117 and even stole 22 bases.  It was a dominant performance and the former Rookie of the Year added a National League Championship and an MVP award to his already illustrious career.  In the World Series of 1961 Frank had a tough time of it.  He hit only .200 as the Yankees pitchers avoided giving him anything good to hit.  In the fifth and final game Frank drove a ball out of the park but the Reds lost 13-5.  It was a disappointing season for a man (and a team) that had their sights set on the ultimate goal.

Over the next three years the Reds would not have as much success.  Frank never dropped from his high standards.  He continued to improve and although the Reds failed to make the post season (they came very close in 1964 as the Phillies collapsed) Frank would continuously be an All Star and MVP candidate.  1965 was the turning point for the Reds, for Frank and for an unsuspecting American League.  His average dropped below .300 (he hit .296), he drove in "only" 113 runs and scored "only" 109. He finished 18th in the MVP voting. The rift between Robinson and Reds Management had only grown wider over the years as disputes over injuries and salary became more and more common.  On December 9, 1965 Bill DeWitt made a decision.  He would end the Frank Robinson era in Cincinnati.  DeWitt cited a youth movement as the key reason for the trade.  When it was pointed out that Frank was only thirty DeWitt responded that yes he was only 30 but it was "an old 30". These words would haunt DeWitt for the rest of his career.  On December 9, 1965 Frank Robinson was traded to the Baltimore Orioles for Jack Baldschun, Milt Pappas and Dick Simpson.  Like his father's statement that Frank would never make a major league player, DeWitt's words provided fuel for Frank's already burning desire to be the best.

The Lord of Baltimore
The Orioles were not known as winners.  They were the old Browns of St.Louis and they had rarely competed since they moved to Baltimore.  They did have a nice little team they were building with Brooks Robinson and Boog Powell and a good young pitching staff, but realistically there was still Mantle and Maris in New York,  Kaline and Cash in Detroit and Olivo, Kaat and Carew in Minnesota.  The Orioles seemed to be way behind the league. Even the Red Sox were starting to build a strong team with an Italian kid named Conigliaro, another named Petrocelli and a Polish kid  with an almost unpronounceable name of Yastrzemski.

When Frank arrived at spring training the Orioles resident star Brooks Robinson could have been a prima dona and staked his claim to the status he had already established.  Instead he walked up to Frank Robinson, stuck out his hand and said "You're just what we needed."  On the first pitch he saw in his first batting practice in Baltimore's spring camp Frank crushed a Home Run and a young Jim Palmer blurted out "I think we just won the pennant."  Frank was driven.  It was a great team.  A team that loved playing together.  They were jokers.  A fun group.  Having a white Southerner named Robinson star next to an African American Robinson lent itself to quite a bit of confusion.  When one reporter confused the two Frank said "can't you tell us apart?  We wear different numbers."  There were some not so funny confused moments.  When Frank moved to town, his wife tried to rent a house.  She called to set up an appointment to view the house and introduced herself as Mrs. Robinson, wife of one of the Orioles.  She was welcomed with open arms until it was realized it was Frank Robinson and not Brooks Robinson.  Due to the racial laws at the time Frank and his wife were rented a far inferior dwelling in "the black section" of Baltimore.  The previous tenants had left holes in the wall and dog shit on the floor.  They had no choice.  It was all they could get.

Photo of Frank Robinson Courtesy of Orioles Nation

Almost immediately the Orioles took flight and shocked the American League.  Several Orioles said they were inspired by Frank's determination.  Several said they never saw a man work so hard.  Others said Frank's Home Run, the one forever marked 'HERE' was the turning point.  Regardless, that was just one of the great moments of Frank Robinson's great season.  On a team with Powell, Brooks Robinson, Paul Blair and Davey Johnson, Frank Robinson led the way and led the league in almost everything possible. He was first in Slugging Percentage, On Base Percentage, Runs Scored, Total Bases, Extra Base Hits, Times on Base.  That list also included batting average, Home Runs and RBI, the three categories of the Triple Crown.  Frank Robinson became the first player to win the Most Valuable Player award in both leagues.

The Orioles won their first AL pennant but the baby birds were a large underdog against Koufax, Drysdale and Maury Wills of the Dodgers.  The first post season game in the Orioles history started in Los Angeles.  Don Drysdale got Luis Aparicio to fly out to right then walked Russ Snyder.  Robby stepped in.  It was a bright LA fall afternoon.  He stood toward the back of the batters box.  Rested the bat on his hip, bent and rubbed some dirt on his hands.  He watched ball 1 come in high.  He had faced Drysdale what seemed like a million times.  Both were strong competitors.  Both were intense, fierce.  Both believed the plate belonged to them.  The second pitch came in and Frank turned on it.  He lifted the ball to left field.  Tommy Davis tracked it to the fence but it was five rows deep.  In classic Ruth-Gehrig fashion, Brooks Robinson followed Frank's blast with a solo of his own.  The O's led 3-0 and would win 5-2.  Game 2 had the Orioles facing Sandy Koufax.  The living legend.  It would be his final appearance in the Major Leagues but he was still Koufax.  Due to one of the most unfortunate innings ever in baseball history (poor Willie Davis) the Orioles took a 3-0 lead.  In the top of the 6th Frank led off with a triple and scored on Boog Powell's single as the O's won the game 6-0.  The Orioles won Game 3 1-0 on a Paul Blair Home Run.  Game 4 saw Don Drysdale take a second crack at the O's.  Robby got a second shot at Big D.  In the 4th with the game tied 0-0 Robby duplicated his Game 1 success with a solo homer to left.  The Orioles won their first World Series and Frank Robinson won the World Series MVP.

1966 World Series Program Courtesy of Baseball Almanac

Injuries limited Frank over the next few years.  It was the knees, concussions, you name it.  It was the hazard of playing full throttle all the time.  The concussion came from a hard slide into second where his head was hit by the knee of the second baseman.  He still had solid numbers and he still was one of the best in the game.  He continued to make his impact on the team in the clubhouse.  He led the kangaroo court and became known as the judge.  He levied fines to players who made mental errors and no one was immune, not even Earl Weaver.  Famously Robinson said in kangaroo court. "Stand up when you address the judge Earl.  Oh, you are standing up."  Robby loved his time in Baltimore with the O's.

He loved playing for Earl Weaver.  The group of Orioles was an intense group, focused.  They would play hard on the field but they would have fun off it too.  In 1969 they finally returned to the top AL perch.  They won over 100 games, swept the first ALCS in history and went into the World Series facing the New York Mets.  Who could believe the Mets could beat the birds?  The Mets could.  The Orioles cruised through the first game and looked to keep going.  Then the miracle happened.  The Mets took games 2, 3 and 4 to take a 3-1 lead in the series. Earl Weaver got so frustrated that he even got kicked out of Game 4.  He almost got kicked out of Game 5 as well.  When Frank got hit on the belt buckle and headed toward first the umpire called him back to the plate and told him it was just a foul ball.  Frank was outraged.  He argued and even walked to the dugout in protest.  He delayed the game for several minutes.  When he went back to the plate he eventually struck out and the Orioles fell to the Mets.

1970 was the redemption season.  The Orioles were again top in the AL, beating the Twins in the ALCS again, and Frank again made the All Star Team and finished in the top 10 in MVP voting.  His numbers were down again as injuries continued to take their toll.  Yet, in the World Series Frank's bat again led the way.  He pounded Reds pitching getting revenge on the organization that discarded him.  Robby hit two home runs, drove in 4 and scored 5 times.  The real star as the O's reclaimed the World Series title was Brooks Robinson's glove.

The golden years of Orioles baseball ended the following year as the golden age of Oakland A's baseball began to dawn.  Frank battled injuries again as the Orioles again won the AL East.  They swept the ALCS, this time against the A's and faced the Pittsburgh Pirates led by Bob Robertson and Roberto Clemente.  Although Frank, fighting, limping and straining, scored a game winning run in the bottom of the 10th of Game 6, The Orioles lost to the Pirates, led by Clemente, in a deciding Game 7.  The golden age of Orioles baseball was over.

Southern California
If Bill DeWitt thought the Orioles were getting an "old 30" when he sent them Frank in 1966, The Orioles found Frank to be an older 35 after the 1971 World Series.  With a young Don Baylor set to spread his wings in Baltimore, the Orioles had to make room in the outfield.  On December 2, 1971 Frank Robinson was traded with Marv Reichert to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Doyle Alexander Bob O'Brien, Sergio Robles and Royle Stillman.  The team that Frank joined was similar to the Orioles team he had joined in 1966.  They were building a strong young team with players like Davey Lopes, Steve Garvey, Ron Cey, Bill Russell and Joe Ferguson.  Drysdale and Koufax were gone replaced by Tommy John and Don Sutton.  Frank poured every ounce of his body into that 1972 season but the Dodgers fell behind the Reds and finished 10.5 games back in second place.  The Dodgers had a strong core and Frank Robinson did not fit in to their future plans.

Still known as a clubhouse leader and still known as a drawing card, the California Angels felt they were getting close to something good in Anaheim.  They sent Ken McMullen and Andy Messersmith to the Dodgers and in return received Frank, Billy Grabarkewitz, Bill Singer, Mike Strahler and Bobby Valentine.  Fortunately for Frank an old friend, former Orioles GM Harry Dalton was now GM in Anaheim and Frank felt he could contribute at the big A.  Another old friend, Vada Pinson, was playing for the Angels as well.  Nolan Ryan won 21 games, Frank was reborn as a DH and finished 15th in MVP voting.  The Angels, however, did not finish so well.  Entering 1974 with the youth of the Angels it was hoped that Frank's intensity would translate into a winning team.

What happened instead was a disaster.  Manager Bobby Winkles was apparently convinced that Harry Dalton had brought Frank in with the idea of making him the manager.  Although Winkles and Frank had some troubles in the first year, Winkles told Dalton in the winter that he had to trade Robinson.  Dalton refused and the environment of the clubhouse was tense and uncomfortable.  The Angels struggled and when Winkles finally called a team meeting he called out Frank specifically and told the entire team that he had demanded that Frank be traded a few months prior.  "I didn't like it at all.  To me, what Winkles was saying was that he couldn't manage with me on the team.  He didn't want me here.  But I haven't asked to be traded, and I wouldn't like for him to be fired."  Winkles was fired and Dick Williams was hired. This relationship started off nicely with Williams naming him  captain but Williams's style of managing and Frank's view on how to run a team clashed.    He didn't have to worry about it long.  In mid September, with the Angels clearly out of the pennant race, Robinson was traded to Cleveland.

Leading the Tribe
He finished 1974 as an Indian with an assurance from the front office that he would receive a contract for the next year.  The contract he received was not what he expected.  It was not just a contract as a player but as a manager as well.  Frank rejected it at first.  Not because he didn't want to manage but because he was being paid the same amount to manage and play as he had received the year before just to play.  He finally worked out an acceptable amount and Frank Robinson, already the first man to win an MVP in both leagues, became the first African American manager.

Photo of Frank Robinson Courtesy of Cleveland Indians.com

Those who read the blog often will remember my earlier question about Lloyd McClendon.  Why do bad teams happen to good people?  The 1975 Indians certainly fit that mold.  They picked up Boog Powell from the Orioles and they had a great pitcher in Gaylord Perry but they had some serious problems.  Frank had seen the problems at the end of the 1974 team when he saw that the African American players and coaches stayed away from the white players and vice versa.  Frank did what he could to change this culture but his journal from this season shows some serious divide on the team.  From the day Frank joined the team in 1974 Gaylord Perry seemed to show resentment at being paid less than Frank.  The resentment increased when Frank became Perry's boss.  Perry refused to do the running required in spring training.  He spoke about his manager and teammates in the press and demanded a trade.  Finally, on June 13, after demanding a trade again, Perry was traded.  It was too late, the Red Sox, Orioles and Yankees were too far ahead.  The Indians were in last place, eight games out of first.  They would finish fourth that year and the following year.  Frank was acknowledged as a great manager but the talent on the team was terrible.  Midway through the 1977 season the Indians made a decision to fire Frank Robinson.

He was a coach for Earl Weaver in Baltimore for several years before his next opportunity came along.  It was in San Francisco, not far from  where he grew up across the bay in Oakland.  He worked hard and expected the same from his players.  He had trouble with some of the players but the bigger problem was something all managers were dealing with at the time.  He was hired by the Giants for the 1981 season and the Giants had rising stars like Jack Clark and Darrell Evans and established stars like Vida Blue.  Frank had to deal with players earning more than he could have imagined as a super star and producing well below the expectations.  Evans and Clark were very unhappy.  Often Frank would call them into his office, talk to them one on one to make sure they were on the same page and get confirmation that the issues were resolved.  He woke up the next morning and saw new quotes from the players blasting the team.  The other problem at the time was drugs.  Frank talked often in his auto biography "Extra Innings" of the moodiness of several players, Vida Blue among them, and the frustration of knowing how good some of these players were not knowing what was stopping them  from reaching their potential.  He later found out that cocaine, amphetamines and steroids were running rampant in the game.

He had great players on the team like Joe Morgan and Reggie Smith, who he knew were the types of players needed to win.  Jack Clark may put up great numbers but Joe Morgan played the game the way you needed if you want to win.  Darrell Evans may hit long Home Runs but so did Reggie Smith and Smith helped the younger players along.  Unfortunately, the management and Frank were not on the same page so Smith moved on to Japan, Morgan moved on to help the 1983 Phillies  win a pennant and Frank was given a poor team.  By the time 1984 ended Darrell Evans was a World Champion with the Tigers, Jack Clark would move on to St. Louis and Frank Robinson was unemployed.

Manager of the Year
"The great irony in all this is that I'm a much better manager than I ever was before and I'm out of a job".  It was true and the statement spoke volumes about Frank.  He knew the game. He had played it better than nearly anyone ever had in the history of the game and yet he still had learned more since he retired as a player.  While Frank was learning to manage the Orioles were learning what life was like A.W. (After Weaver).  Earl Weaver had retired after the 1982 season.  The Orioles immediately hired Joe Altobelli and won the World Series. A year and a half later, half way through 1985, Earl Weaver was back to pick up the pieces but the pieces didn't quite fit the puzzle.  In 1987 Cal Ripken, Sr took over a bad team as manager and the ownership knew it was not a good team.  The team was flat out terrible except for Cal Jr and Eddie Murray.  John Shelby had potential but he was gone by next year and Fred Lynn was well beyond his prime.  So Ripken, Sr. started the 1988 season as skipper of a sinking ship.   The O's lost two straight to the Brewers then were swept in four straight against the Indians.  Although the Orioles had promised Senior a fair chance to manage, he was fired after the sixth game.  He was replaced with Frank.  It was a terrible start to the season.  After 21 games the O's had not won a game.  Not even the 1962 Mets were that bad.  Starting with a 21 game deficit was obviously not a good way to go but there were bright spots by the end of the season.  Mike Boddicker was traded to the eventual AL East champion Red Sox.  In return they got a young lead off hitter named Brady Anderson.  They had a nice young center fielder waiting to be brought up from the minors named Mike Devereaux.  They had a young starting pitching staff with Jeff Ballard, Pete Harnisch, Curt Schilling, Jamie Moyer and a minor leaguer named Mike Mussina.  In the draft they got a good arm in Ben McDonald.  The future was bright.

Photo of Frank Robinson Courtesy of totalprosports.com

The 1989 season was the exact opposite of the 1988 season.  Eddie Murray was gone, replaced by an under rated young first baseman named Randy Milligan who had a career year. Third base, a problem since Brooks Robinson retired, was held down by a rookie sensation Craig Worthington.  Behind the plate Mickey Tettleton, known as the Froot Loop kid for his love of the cereal, teamed with Milligan, DH Sam Horn and Cal Ripken Jr to form a solid middle lineup and Joe Orsulak was a defensive expert in right field.  Add to that a young relief ace named Greg Olson, nicknamed Wild Thing and the team was in first for most of the year.  The magic lasted almost all year but on the final weekend of the season the O's broke a wing and fell to the Blue Jays to finish second in the AL east.  Despite a second place finish the turn around won Frank Manager of the year.  Frank would manage two more years and the expectations were high but the results were disappointing.

He did, however, become an executive in the Orioles organization.  While there he made one of the worst trades in history.  He sent Curt Schilling, Pete Harnisch and Steve Finley to the Houston Astros for first baseman Glenn Davis.  Davis immediately injured his back and played few games while Finley, Harnisch and Schilling went on to tremendous careers.

Frank would get a final chance to manage with a dying organization when MLB took over the Expos organization in 2002.  With little talent and less money he led the Expos to second and fourth place finishes keeping them in the race long past the expectations of the experts and receiving serious consideration as manager of the year.  When the Expos moved to Washington for 2005 Frank became the first manager of the new franchise.  They finished 81-81 but last in the AL East.  The second year in Washington was a 71-91 finish and Robinson was replaced at the end of the year by Manny Acta.

Photo of Frank Robinson as Expos Manager Courtesy of ESPN

Legacy
Frank Robinson retired as a player in 1976.  When all was said and done he had 2943 hits, 586 Home Runs, 1829 runs, 1812 RBI, and a .294 average.  In 1982 Frank Robinson became eligible for the Hall of Fame for the first time, the same year that Hank Aaron became eligible for the Hall of Fame.  Aaron appeared on 97.8 % of the ballots (who the hell were the ones who didn't vote for Hank Aaron as a Hall of Fame player?).  Receiving 89.2% of the votes and being elected on his first ballot was Frank Robinson.  Robby was a leader who elevated the play of those around him and a pioneer who won a triple crown, two MVP's, two World Series rings and became the first African American Manager.  Best of all Frank Robinson is the forgotten man in the conversation for greatest player of all time.

*This is not intended as a full biography and due to space I have done my best to summarize the life of the players in this series.  For further information on Frank Robinson please check out
Videos:
Ken Burns Baseball


Websites:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/
http://www.baseball-almanac.com/
http://sabr.org/

Books:
Extra Innings by Frank Robinson
Pitching, Defense and Three Run Homers:  the 1970 Baltimore Orioles by Society for Advancementof Baseball Research, Mark Armour and Malcolm Allen
The Baltimore Orioles: Four Decades of Magic from 33rd Street to Camden Yards by Ted Patterson
Black and Blue: Sandy Koufax, the Robinson Boys and the World Series that Stunned America by Tom Adelman
Before the Machine:  The Story of the 1961 Pennant Winning Reds by Mark J. Schmetzer
Pennant Race by Jim Brosnan
Anaheim Angels: A Complete History by Ross Newhan
The National Baseball Hall of Fame Almanac (2013 Edition) by Baseball America

TRIVIA QUESTION:

Frank Robinson managed four teams (Indians, Giants, Orioles and Expos/Nationals) for 16 years as a Major League Manager.  He did not make the playoffs as a manager.  How many regular season games did Frank win as a manager?

Answer to Last Week's Trivia Question:

Harry Davis, the original First Baseman of the $100,000 infield began his career in 1895. He was a big part of the 1905 and 1910 Athletics AL Championship teams. By the time the 1911 season rolled around his playing days were mostly over and following the 1914 season he hung around for a few years but played a total of seven games for the Athletics, retiring after the 1917 season.

Last week's article showed us that Baker moved on to the Yankees and played on their first two World Series teams, although he retired before they won their first one in 1923.

Stuffy McInnis stayed with the Athletics until 1917.  He moved onto the Red Sox in 1918 where he was a member of the World Champion Sox team.  He also moved on to Cleveland (1922) and the Boston Braves (1923-1924)  In 1925 he moved on to the Pirates and made strong contributions to the team that beat Walter Johnson, Goose Goslin, Sam Rice and the Senators giving him 2 World Series titles.  He finished with the Phillies in 1927.

Eddie Collins, considered by many as the greatest second baseman of all time, was sent to the White Sox immediately after the 1914 loss.  The White Sox won the 1917 World Series then lost (threw) the 1919 World Series to the Reds.  Collins was not one of the Black Sox and remained the key player on the White Sox until 1926.  He returned to play a few games for Connie Mack again in 1927 and retired in 1930.

Jack Barry, known as Black Jack, was moved to the Red Sox part way through the 1915 season.  He played on the Boston teams that beat the Phillies (1915) and Robins (1916) in the World Series.  Although he was on the 1918 roster he was not active as he was serving in World War I.  

So the final totals: Davis 0, Baker 0, McInnis 2, Collins 1 and Barry 2.  Total: 5