Los Angeles Dodgers Mt. Rushmore

MLB Mt. Rushmores

by Charlie Miller

Major League Baseball is promoting an effort to identify the best four players in each team’s history. We selected our choices for Mt. Rushmores a few years ago. Here are updated versions for all 30 teams. Who are the four baseball players that have risen above all others for each organization? The question sounds simple, right? Not so fast. Let the arguments begin.

Los Angeles Dodgers Mt. Rushmore

The Dodgers’ franchise owns a rich history in both Brooklyn — for 74 seasons dating to 1884 — and Los Angeles, where the Dodgers have played since 1958. There was only one World Series title in Brooklyn (1955), but the team made nine World Series appearances while in Brooklyn, six of them coming in the franchise’s final 11 seasons there before moving west. There have been nine World Series appearances since moving to L.A., with the Dodgers winning five of them, the latest coming in 1988.

Jackie Robinson
For reasons that transcend the game itself, Robinson arguably belongs on baseball’s Mt. Rushmore. In his relatively short career with the Dodgers, Robinson won NL Rookie of the Year, an MVP in 1949 and the hearts of Dodgers fans, many of whom initially shunned the Hall of Famer. With his speed, defense, determination — not to mention talent — he was a catalyst in every aspect of the game.

Sandy Koufax
Four pitchers have more wins in a Dodgers’ uniform than Koufax, including three Hall of Famers. But during a five-year stretch from 1962-66, Koufax averaged 22 wins, seven shutouts, a 0.926 WHIP and 1.95 ERA. Suffice it to say that any manager would sign up for those numbers just once. And two months before his 31st birthday, Koufax turned in his uniform, citing elbow pain as becoming too severe.

Duke Snider
The Duke had seven All-Star seasons in Brooklyn before moving west and having another two solid seasons in Los Angeles. From 1953-55 he finished in the top four in MVP voting each season, narrowly missing the award in 1955, falling just five points shy of teammate Roy Campanella. He is the Dodgers’ all-time leader in home runs and RBIs and is second in total bases and third in runs.

Vin Scully
It’s true that the historic franchise has several players and at least a couple of managers worthy of having their likenesses etched in Dodger stone, but Scully’s list of honors and awards and Hall of Fame memberships is endless. He received a lifetime achievement Emmy Award 20 years ago. Scully began broadcasting for the team in Brooklyn in 1950. The native of New York made the move west with the team and has become synonymous with the franchise. Always working alone in the booth, the adept storyteller’s warm, conversational commentary not only describes the action on the field, but bestows upon listeners insight and knowledge in as entertaining way as anyone ever has from behind the microphone. Current Dodger Clayton Kershaw was not yet born when the legendary voice was inducted into the broadcasters’ wing of the Hall of Fame in 1982.

Close Calls

Zack Wheat, the franchise’s all-time leader in games played, hits and total bases, led the team to two World Series.

Perhaps there has never been an ambassador for the game of baseball like Tommy Lasorda, not to mention an ambassador for Dodger Blue.

Working on one-year contracts, Walter Alston managed the team from 1954-76, leading the Dodgers to seven World Series, winning four. He had just four losing seasons, and of the 20 95-win seasons in team history, Alston was at the helm for seven of them.

Roy Campanella was an All-Star in eight of his 10 major league seasons, winning the MVP award three times.

Third all-time in games played as a Dodger, Pee Wee Reese tops the list in runs and is second in hits.

An intimidating presence on the mound, Don Drysdale won 209 games in his career spent exclusively with the Dodgers.

Dazzy Vance was 28-6 with a 2.16 ERA as NL MVP in 1924, his best season.

No one won more games, logged more innings or had more strikeouts as a Dodger than Don Sutton.

Follow Charlie Miller on Twitter @AthlonCharlie or email him Charlie.Miller@AthlonSports.com

Other teams' Mt. Rushmores: