Retired Numbers - Los Angeles Dodgers
Franchises move. If your sport has been around long enough, it's inevitable. Cities gain and lose teams all the time across the Big 4 sports. Baseball has seen a web of movement as the sport grew across the country. Washington DC alone lost two different franchises to other cities while they themselves were the destination for a third. One of the more notable moves in baseball was when New York City lost two of their three baseball teams overnight (ok, maybe not that sudden, this isn't the Colts) to the west coast. The Dodgers were one of those teams, but when they moved they made sure to keep their name and history. It helped that their legacy players were for the most part still active at the time, even if they were at the ends of their careers.
#1 - Pee Wee Reese
With all due respect to the Giants of the 1940's and 50's, but the Dodgers were the NL team to be in that era as they clashed with the Yankees an astonishing seven times in the World Series. And with those two teams facing off so often, it's understandable that their players would parallel each other to an extent. The Yankees had guys like Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra, and the Dodgers would punch back with Duke Snyder and Roy Campanella. Obviously, we'll cover those guys later on, but when it comes to underrated Shortstops with great gloves who had to wait forever for the HoF to recognize them, the Yankees had Rizzuto, and the Dodgers had Pee Wee Reese. Only WWII could stop Reese, who otherwise was on a streak of 10 all star nominations and a near constant consideration of the MVP voting. When the Dodgers moved to LA in 1958, Reese hung around for the final season of his career on the bench.
#2 - Tommy Lasorda
So, here was an interesting situation. Previous managers in this series never played Major League Baseball, so all I needed to do was describe their influence on their team that justified their number being retired. I knew there were guys who played, and not all played for the team they managed (I'm looking at you, Joe Torre) but they sure as heck weren't known for their playing prowess. But seeing how Tommy did indeed pitch for the Dodgers, albeit not much, I figure it be cool for people to see it anyway.
Cue Tommy Lasorda, and he allegedly bled Dodger blue. While a coach for LA, he would turn down numerous requests to manage other teams because he knew exactly where he wanted to go. The man had a fire in him and would motivate his players to victory. He rallied the heavy underdog 1988 Dodgers to overcome the powerhouse A's in the World Series. As far as Dodger fans are concerned, that achievement takes a backseat to the 1981 victory over the Yankees, the team Lasorda failed in two attempts prior to beat and the bane of the Dodgers existence when they played in Brooklyn. In 1997, the same year he entered the Hall of Fame, the Dodgers retired his number.
#4 - Duke Snider
Duke Snider's career is one of the most covered one's on this site, and thus most of his better years are already in card form. From 1950 to 1956, Snider would be selected for the all star team every year, and even into his time in LA he would still be capable of MVP consideration. Yet another Dodger great that not only helped the team take home it's lone title in Brooklyn, but also helped establish the winning in LA in 1959.
#14 - Gil Hodges
As mentioned above, the Dodgers of the '40s and '50s were very good. So good, that many of their best were regular vote getters for MVP each season. Hodges was one such regular on the ballot. Gil also brought excellent defense to the field. The Gold Glove award began in 1957, and for the first three years, Gil Hodges was the choice among the pack to win it for his defensive ability at 1st Base; 1957 for all of baseball, and the next two years for the NL when the award split for the leagues. After his inclusion into the Hall of Fame in 2022, the Dodgers saw fit to add his number to their collection of greats.
#19 - Jim Gilliam
Jim Gilliam kicked down the door in 1953 by winning the NL Rookie of the Year award and never slowed down, helping the Brooklyn/LA Dodgers to seven World Series in his 14 year career. A two time all star and four time World Series champion, Gilliam was the go-to leadoff hitter for the Dodgers for most of his career, taking the baton from Jackie Robinson for 2nd Base duties. Afterwards, he stuck around as a coach to help lead the Dodgers to more pennant runs. Upon his untimely death in 1978, the Dodgers retired his number prior to Game 1 of the World Series, an event he helped coach the Dodgers to participate in.
#20 - Don Sutton
Don Sutton was one of baseballs best strikeout pitchers, currently holding the #7 spot all time with 3,574 victims. Each year from 1972-1976 he finished top 5 in Cy Young voting, and he led his teams to four different World Series, including three with the Dodgers. He came up in 1966 and share the rotation with fellow legends Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax, but was left out of the WS that year as the Dodgers got swept out. With 233 Wins in Dodger blue, he is the teams all time leader.
A MLB career that lasted all of one at-bat, Walter Alston clearly found more success as manager of the Brooklyn/LA Dodgers. His 2,040 wins are the most in franchise history, and his being at the helm for the Brooklyn title in 1955 as well as the first three titles they won in Los Angeles only solidify his place in the hearts of Dodgers fans. He may not be as outspoken or well known as other Dodger managers were, but that suited well to his moniker as the "Quiet Man".
#32 - Sandy Koufax
So most guys on here who played for both the Brooklyn and LA versions of the Dodgers, they tend to be better known in their Brooklyn years as opposed to their west coast version. Sandy Koufax is quite the opposite. Sandy came up during the '55 championship season, though you probably didn't know that because he didn't become the Koufax we know him as yet. I've mentioned before his career is a tale of two halves. Year #4 of the LA Dodgers is when the switch was flipped and one of baseballs greatest pitchers truly arrived. Four titles (if you count his contributions to the '55 team; he didn't pitch in October), two World Series MVP awards, the 1963 NL MVP, four Cy Youngs, seven time all star and three time pitching triple crown champ. Arguably the most dominating six year run of pitching is baseball history. He pitched four no-hitters, including a perfect game. His Hall of Fame vote was a no brainer, and so was his number retirement.
#34 - Fernando Valenzuela
Fernandomania took baseball by storm in Valenzuela's rookie season of 1981 where he'd win the Rookie of the Year, Cy Young and World Series all in the same season. It was also the first of six straight all star seasons. A two time Gold Glove winner, he was also a good hitter as he took home two Silver Sluggers. On top of that, he hurled a no-hitter in 1990. The Hall of Fame didn't see fit to add him, but the Mexican Hall of Fame thought otherwise.
#39 - Roy Campanella
Because of a car accident in January 1958, Campanella's career only lasted 10 years, but he made the most of it. Eight of those years were all star years, he won the 1951, '53 and '55 MVP awards and was behind the plate when the Dodgers finally overcame the Yankees in '55.
#42 - Jackie Robinson
I know, I know. This is a really obscure name you didn't know had his number retired. Glad I can help you learn something new. Robinson was the first Rookie of the Year, winning in 1947 (and eventually having the award named after him), won the MVP two years later and was a regular in the all star game from 1949-1954. Primarily known as a 2nd Baseman, starting in 1953 he played any position he needed to to help the Dodgers succeed, including the 1955 World Series championship season. In 1997, Commissioner Bud Selig declared that all teams must retire 42, excluding anyone who was already wearing it (hence guys like Mariano Rivera). It would be needless repetition for every team, so I'm only mentioning Jackie on the only team he actually played for.
#53 - Don Drysdale
Don Drysdale just missed the 1955 Brooklyn title run, but he was firmly in place for the first three LA titles. The Cy Young winner in 1962, it was one of four years where he also gained MVP votes. A nine time all star, he also led the NL in strikeouts in '59, '60 and '62. Between him and Koufax, it seemed the Dodgers had one of the most unstoppable pitching duos of all time.
Vin Scully
One of the most memorable sports broadcasters of all time, Vin Scully called games for the Brooklyn and LA Dodgers from 1950 to 2016, longer than anyone for any team ever. In addition, he called numerous other sporting events and World Series games. In 2017, the Dodgers honored him with a microphone along with the retired numbers of their greatest players.
Jamie Jarrin
English speakers had Vin Scully, and from 1959 to 2022 Jamie Jarrin was the Spanish voice of the Dodgers. For the first several years he did not travel to road games, and instead had to listen to the game on radio and call the game as he heard it for his Spanish listeners. Behind only Vin Scully and Tommy Lasorda, Jarrin is one of the longest tenured Dodger personnel of all time. The Dodgers gave him a retired microphone of his own in 2018.
Walter O'Malley
Owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers since 1950, O'Malley was the force that tried to find the Dodgers a permanent home in New York (he attempted to get a stadium built in Queens, where the Mets would later go) but was ultimately the man responsible for the teams move out west to Los Angeles. He continued to run the team until 1979. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2008. I'm pretty sure all of Brooklyn still hate him.
