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Los Angeles Dodger Favorite Home Runs

Jolting Joe Posnanski comes up with his favorite home runs. It is a fun list but I thought we should come up with our favorite Los Angeles Dodger home runs.  I only picked home runs I'd seen or heard at the time it took place. So no Shawn Green 4 home run game. No back to back to back to back  Nomar walk off home run. No home runs before 1970. These are my 10, they should be different from anyone else's ten. Feel free to add your 10 to the comments. Don't be shy about using Baseball-Reference to find your game. This list differs a little from the list I posted on Dodger Thoughts as I've had more time to think about the games. Thanks to Eric Enders for the idea.

10-Oct 2nd, 1977, Dusty Baker - this is the only game that the Dodgers lost that is on this list. Dusty Baker hit a home run off of JR Richard to give the Dodgers 4 players with 30 home runs and it was the 1st time in history it had ever been done. It was a big deal at the time and there was a lot of pressure on Dusty to hit the home run. JR was hurling his normal shutout against us and was a head 2 - 0 when he gave up 3 home runs in the 6th inning. Dusty's 30th tied the game and the crowd went crazy.  JR went on to win the game 6-3 and struck out 14 in a complete game effort. Other then the home runs in the 6th he only gave up one other hit. Dusty worked hard for that 30th.  For a time JR Richard  was the best pitcher I ever saw. He would just show up and the Dodgers were history. He had 5 shutouts in 24 starts with a 15-4 record at Chavez Ravine.  

  1. June 12th, 2005, Hee Sop Choi - 3 Home Run day off of Brad Radke, 7 home runs in 4 games. I was a big Choi fan and this was the pinnacle of his career. The game is blurry but I remember that one of the shots just being an absolute screamer that barely cleared the fence. The Hee Sop Choi chant hit a fever pitch after the 3rd home run. It was the best of times just before the start of the worse of times.
  2. October 3, 1993, Mike Piazza   - Mike goes deep twice as we crush the Giants hope for a pennant. In my memory I've seen Piazza hit a home run that bounced off the top of the Pavilion and skipped into the parking lot. I have no idea when that game was or if my memory is even correct.
  3. Oct 3rd, 1980 - Joe Ferguson - Game Winning home run of the 1st game of the greatest non-playoff series that I ever witnessed. Ferguson hits the walk off game winner and hugs his helmet like a football as he running around the base paths. The Dodgers are 3 games back of the Astro's and the Astro's are coming into town for the last 3 games of the year. By the end of this game the Dodgers are down only 2 games with 2 games to go.
  4. Oct 5th, 1980 - Ron Cey - Game Winner of game three of the same series. Dodgers are now tied with the Astro's. I watched all 3 of these games on TV and then went and stood in line for hours and got tickets for the one game playoff. My Dad and I skip work and we sit in the LF pavilion and the fans are standing long before the game starts. It has a World Series atmosphere and then Dave Goltz puts an arrow into our hearts.
  5. June 16th, 1970, Bill Grabarkewitz -  Dodgers win 1 - 0 behind Don Sutton and Billy hits the 1st home run I ever saw at Dodger Stadium. Before Billy got hurt he was having one of the great 1st halves in Dodger history.
  6. Oct 25, 1981 - Steve Yeager and Pedro Guerrero go back to back to break up Guidry's shutout and propel Dodgers to 2-1 victory. Going into the 1974, 77, and 78 World Series I was full of optimism and felt we had the better team each time. Headed into the 1981 World Series I was sure the Yankee's would beat us for the 3rd time in 5 years. The game before we had somehow comeback from a 4-1 deficit to tie the series at two games a piece. The Dodgers had to win this game or they were going to head back to NY needing to sweep the final two games. It looked hopeless after 6 innings. We were down 1 - 0 and Guidry had only given up two hits. Then the young Guerrero ties the game with his home and then the offensively challenged Yeagar who had only hit 3 home runs all year hits the game winner. This was the turning point. We went on to crush them in game Six and notch our 1st world series since 1965.
  7. Oct 9th, 1988 - Mike Scoscia ties the game with a home run off of Dwight Gooden. Kirk Gibson wins the game with a home run in the 12th. The Dodgers were down 2 games to 1 and Dwight Gooden was pitching in the 9th with a one run lead. Mike Scoscia not known for his power hits the game tying home run, but we have to wait several more inning before Kirk Gibson delivers the shot to tie the series and Orel comes in to save the game. Orel then shuts out the Mets in game 7 and were headed for history.
  8. Oct 19th, 1981 - Rick Monday - Game Winner - Rick Monday breaks a 1 -1 tie with a home run in the top of the 9th inning and Bob Welch comes in and saves the game. The Expo's were a great team in 1981 and it was a hard fought playoff series and the ace of the Expo's, Steve Rogers gave up the home run..
  9. Oct 15th, 1988 - Kirk Gibson Game One walk off

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My List
Honorable mention:
  1. 7/23/04, Adrian Beltre - a mammoth walkoff off The Shooter, Rod Beck, to beat the Padres 3-2.  Probably landed somewhere near Toy Cannon's seats!
  2. 5/23/02, Shawn Green - his 4th HR in perhaps the greatest offensive game in MLB history.  I listened from work, and Ross Porter's excitement bled through the radio!  Green was in the midst of a run of 7 HR in 3 game, and 10 HR in 7 games.
The top 10:
  1. 8/3/02, Shawn Green - a 2-run shot off Dan Plesac to tie a game in Philadelphia that the Dodgers ended up winning in 12th, 8-6.
  2. 5/12/01, Gary Sheffield - I was present for this walkoff against the Braves.  It was the Dodgers' 37th game of the season, and already a major league 3rd game in which Sheffield homered for the only run of a 1-0 game!
  3. 8/13/06, Russell Martin - A great introduction of Martin on a national stage, a walkoff to end the Maddux/Schmidt 1-0 Game.
  4. 6/30/85, Pedro Guerrero - His 15th HR in June.  I remember driving in my dad's car listening to this one on the radio and being so excited.  Guerrero's 2-run shot off HOF Bruce Sutter turned a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 lead (and final score).  Guerrero, the REAL MVP in 1985, had such a ridiculous June, hitting .344/.436/.860.  What I didn't realize until years later was that his July  was even better (.460/.563/.794)!!!
  5. 9/18/06, Nomar (the Marlon Anderson Game) - I gave up on this game after the Padres scored off Saito to make it 9-5 in the 9th.  I was surfing the internet when I got a text message from a Padre fan friend, saying simply "I don't believe this".  I turned on the game to find Marlon Anderson rounding the bases.  When the Padres scored in the 10th, I had a feeling I was jinxing the Dodgers, but decided to stick it out to the end.  When Nomar was up, I just knew he was going to hit a HR (note: I probably have a 4% success ratio on "knowing" these things), and I still couldn't believe it when he did.
  6. 10/15/88, Mickey Hatcher - On any other night, it would have been a lock for least likely HR.  Gotta love the speed with which he rounded the bases.
  7. 10/2/04, Steve Finley - I was in Seattle at a conference, and missed both my 10-year high school reunion and this game on the same day.  For some reason, the Seattle Fox affiliate didn't cut to the Dodger game even though the game it was showing (Angels clinching the AL West) was over.  I called a friend and demanded play by play over the phone.
  8. 7/6/88, Franklin Stubbs - I was at this game with my brother, and the Dodgers erased a 3-0 deficit in the 8th by first tying the game, then capping the rally with a Stubbs grand slam off Todd Worrell to win 7-3.  I don't ever remember Dodger Stadium being so loud, even during the Lima Game.
  9. 10/9/88, Scioscia - I was on the verge of despair (as much despair as a 12 year old could have) with the Dodgers certain to fall behind 3 games to 1 against the mighty Mets.  The Mets were actually up 2 runs, and Gooden was cruising and was as feared as any pitcher I remember (pre Pedro of course).  Because of Gibson, Scioscia's HR is lost in the annals of Dodger history, or at least not as remembered as perhaps it should be.
  10. 10/15/88, Gibson - I never saw the ball leave the park.  As soon as he hit it, my family and I started celebrating, jumping up and down repeatedly, briefly interrupting a family birthday party.
-Eric

by Eric Stephen on Jan 14, 2008 2:43 PM PST reply actions  

I remember
I don't have ten but there are a few that I remember.  

I remember the steve finely homerun agains the Giants and how they clinched the Division Title that day.  I was at that game and the excitement that rocked the stadium was amazing.  

I remember sitting in the living room with my dad, at 10 years old watching Kirk Gibson Hit that homerun.  It was the greatest ever.

I've been at games where the dodgers have hit back to back to back homeruns and that was awesome.

But then again any time I get to see one of the Dodgers hit a homerun it's something awesome for me.

by Lidlbit23 on Jan 15, 2008 10:18 AM PST reply actions  

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2012 Dodgers Payroll

Italics denote estimates
Pos No Player 2012 Salary
C 17 Ellis $500,000 team control
1B 7 Loney $6,375,000
2B 14 Ellis $2,500,000
3B 5 Uribe $8,000,000
SS 9 Gordon $485,000 team control
LF 21 Rivera $4,000,000
CF 27 Kemp $10,000,000
RF 16 Ethier $10,950,000

IF/OF 6 Hairston $2,250,000
OF 10 Gwynn $850,000
2B/3B 3 Kennedy $800,000
C 18 Treanor $850,000
IF 12 Sellers $485,000 team control

SP 22 Kershaw $6,000,000
SP 58 Billingsley $9,000,000
SP 29 Lilly $12,000,000
SP 35 Capuano $3,000,000
SP 44
Harang $3,000,000

CL 54 Guerra $485,000 team control
RHP 74
Jansen $500,000 team control
RHP 55 Guerrier $4,750,000
RHP 60 Coffey $1,000,000
RHP 66 MacDougal $650,000
LHP 57 Elbert $485,000 team control
RHP 36
Hawksworth $500,000 team control

TJ 41 De La Rosa $485,000 team control



Manny $8,087,432 deferred


Andruw $3,375,000 deferred


Pierre $3,050,000 deferred
Furcal $3,000,000 deferred
Kuroda $2,000,000 deferred
Garland $1,500,000 option buyout
Blake $1,250,000 option buyout

Totals
$112,162,432

For more detailed information, click here.

Players on 40-man roster used as roster
fillers until moves are made.

Current 40-man roster count: 40
(not including Belisario)

2012 Non-Roster Invitees

No Player Age*
63 Jose Ascanio rhp
27
61 Alberto Castillo lhp
36
56 Matt Chico lhp
29
33 John Grabow lhp
33
59 Angel Guzman rhp
30
47 Wil Ledezma lhp
31
72 Shane Lindsay rhp
27
62 Fernando Nieve rhp 29
73 Scott Rice lhp 30
70 Will Savage rhp
27
71 Ryan Tucker rhp
25
28 Jamey Wright rhp
37

30 Josh Bard c 34
82 Griff Erickson c 24
81 Matt Wallachc 26
67 Jeff Baisley 3b/1b 29
65 Luis Cruz ss/2b 28
37 Josh Fields 3b 29
64 Lance Zawadzki if 27
56 Cory Sullivan of 32

*Age on June 30, 2012

NRI count: 20

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