Jackie Robinson - Matt Kemp

by Phil Gurnee on Jan 19, 2009 1:06 AM PST

Many Dodger fans who did not grow up in Los Angeles become Dodger fans the day that Jackie Robinson took the field on opening day 1947. From that time on the Dodgers have had an excellent legacy of American born black baseball players. Even though the event happened long before I was born, I can't think of any single action that makes me prouder to be a Dodger fan.

A common debate among baseball fans is to debate which player they would like to have seen play the game if you could go back in time. It always comes down to two players for me. Jackie Robinson and Babe Ruth. Jackie for the historic nature of what he was doing but also for his skill at his peak, and Babe simply because I wanted to witness how one player could so dominate his peers without the use of chemical enhancements.

On Martin Luther King day let us take a look at the cream of the crop of these excellent American born black ballplayers.

Batting

Player	OPS+	G	From	To	Ages	PA	Runs	Hits	2b	T	HR	RBI	BB	SB	OBP	SLG
Gary Sheffield	160	526	1998	2001	29-32	2276	358	583	88	6	129	367	365	43	.424	.573
Reggie Smith	151	542	1976	1981	31-36	2055	314	516	89	11	97	301	271	32	.387	.528
Jackie Robinson	132	1382	1947	1956	28-37	5802	947	1518	273	54	137	734	740	197	.409	.474
Roy Campanella	124	1215	1948	1957	26-35	4816	627	1161	178	18	242	856	533	25	.360	.500
Dusty Baker	117	1117	1976	1983	27-34	4552	549	1144	179	12	144	586	392	73	.343	.437
Tommy Davis	117	821	1959	1965	20-27	3216	392	912	109	22	86	465	154	65	.338	.441
Willie Crawford	118	989	1964	1975	17-28	3198	437	748	125	29	74	335	360	45	.351	.413
Mike Sharperson	108	108	1987	1993	25-31	1271	144	316	56	4	10	112	132	20	.363	.373
Willie Davis	107	1952	1960	1973	20-33	8035	1004	2091	321	110	154	849	350	335	.312	.413
Jim Gilliam	93	1956	1953	1966	24-37	8321	1163	1889	304	71	65	558	1036	203	.360	.355
Johnny Roseboro	97	1289	1957	1967	24-34	4582	441	1009	162	44	92	471	444	59	.327	.382
Maury Wills	87	1593	1959	1972	26-39	6156	876	1732	150	56	17	374	456	490	.331	.332
Jimmy Wynn	143	280	1974	1975	32-33	1185	184	247	33	4	50	166	218	25	.394	.463
Dick Allen	151	155	1971	1971	29-29	649	82	162	24	1	23	90	93	8	.395	.468
Kal Daniels	126	302	1990	1992	26-28	1173	144	272	43	2	46	175	141	10	.357	.450
Eddie Murray	125	477	1989	1997	34-41	1953	231	483	74	5	65	282	226	25	.359	.439
Darryl Strawberry	121	214	1991	1993	29-31	885	118	185	32	4	38	136	110	14	.340	.445
James Loney	114	305	2006	2008	22-24	1137	127	315	59	15	32	175	81	8	.353	.480
Bill Madlock	112	166	1985	1987	34-36	618	63	158	22	0	15	82	46	10	.346	.406
Milton Bradley	111	216	2004	2005	26-27	912	121	220	38	1	32	105	96	21	.358	.446
Lou Johnson	111	387	1965	1967	30-32	1461	167	353	58	4	40	172	69	27	.319	.407
Charlie Neal	93	728	1956	1961	25-30	2822	374	659	86	28	73	312	249	45	.334	.409
Matt Kemp	109	305	2006	2008	21-23	1134	170	315	57	11	35	141	71	51	.342	.474
Lee Lacy	101	497	1972	1978	24-30	1468	179	360	56	13	26	143	111	26	.324	.390

Player Name	ERA+	G	From	To	Ages	GS	CG	SHO	W	L	SV	IP	H	BB	K	ERA
Don Newcombe	116	258	1949	1958	23-32	230	111	22	123	66	0	1662	1567	413	913	3.51
Joe Black	112	101	1952	1955	28-31	5	1	0	22	7	20	237	202	78	139	3.45
Al Downing	107	170	1971	1977	30-36	120	25	12	46	37	1	897	814	326	532	3.16
Dave Stewart	105	124	1978	1983	21-26	15	0	0	18	13	15	267	245	96	164	3.33
John Candelaria	105	109	1991	1992	37-38	0	0	0	3	6	7	59	51	24	61	3.36

So we have a plethora of hitters but very few pitchers. He are the names of those who were not included in the table above:

Ken Landreaux, Marquis Grissom, Franklin Stubbs, Eric Young, Lenny Harris, John Shelby, Dave Roberts, Delino DeShields, Von Joshua, Derrel Thomas, Frank Robinson, Brian Jordan, Hubie Brooks, Willie Randolf, Ricky Ledee, Kenny Lofton, Chris Gwynn, Devon White, Terry Whitfield, Reggie Williams, Delwyn Young, Eric Davis, Roberto Kelly, RJ Reynolds, Billy North, Juan Pierre, Wayne Kirby, Mike Davis, Rudy Law, Charles Johnson, Tom Goodwin, Glenn Burke, Chad Fonville, Baldwin, Ken Howell, Edwin Jackson, and James McDonald

Amazing how close the stats are for Kemp and Loney. I'd like to spend more time reviewing each of these players but I've run out of time. The only players I haven't had the honor of watching were Jackie, Newcombe, Campy, Sweet Lou, and Joe Black.

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Danys Baez and Lance Carter

What about Edwin Jackson?

Wow, there just aren’t that many black pitchers in Dodger history. Actually, there aren’t that many black pitchers in MLB these days. CC Sabathia, Ian Snell, Jackson, and Dontrelle Willis are it I think, and of course Willis is hanging on by a thread. Ian Snell was born in Puerto Rico, so I’m not sure if he counts at not.

Hopefully James McDonald can join both groups very soon.

-Eric

by Eric Stephen on Jan 19, 2009 7:37 AM PST reply actions

Jonathan Sanchez, not Snell

I meant to say Jonathan Sanchez was born in Puerto Rico, not Ian Snell. Snell was born in Delaware.

-Eric

by Eric Stephen on Jan 19, 2009 8:05 AM PST up reply actions

There are many Black players, and pitchers playing in MLB.

They’re just not American. I’ll be frank, the United States does not have a monopoly on the word ‘Black’.

by Tripon on Jan 19, 2009 7:51 AM PST reply actions

That's a good point

And when the annual statistics come out every year about the declining percentage of black ballplayers it seems Dominican and other Latino players are ignored.

-Eric

by Eric Stephen on Jan 19, 2009 7:53 AM PST up reply actions

Speaking of Loney & Kemp

Those two were the hosts for Under the Lights this past weekend. Tom Hoffarth and the LA Daily News has a photo gallery up here.

-Eric

by Eric Stephen on Jan 19, 2009 7:51 AM PST reply actions

Black and Latino

I don’t think Eric and others were referring to all Latino and Caribbean players, El Lay, just those who are indubitably (and possibly dubitably) black. Like, say, Angel Berroa and the dear departed Andruw Jones.

by berkowit28 on Jan 19, 2009 1:40 PM PST reply actions

re:

At this point I’m sorry I took the effort to create this post.

Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen

by Phil Gurnee on Jan 19, 2009 7:52 PM PST reply actions

I am sorry that I derailed this thread.

by Tripon on Jan 19, 2009 7:53 PM PST reply actions

Racial factor.

Well, I don’t think to discuss race as it applies to baseball is “distasteful”. That would be the case if the discussion was critical of players being a particular race—overt racism. It has become an issue because of “what is considered by current dialogue to be black players—those of color not from the Latin natiions” has decreased to just 8%. I believe it is only because of more of those players going into pro football as an option (and on a side note, those are not (unlike baseball) Latin players—with extremely rare exception. It is not a negative matter. In fact, it could be looked at as a positive and constructive issue in discussing race in our country. After all, there are still significant problems regarding race in this country, and to simply dismiss ANY discussion in regards to it is not a constructive approach.

by nevernine on Jan 19, 2009 8:39 PM 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 For more info, click here.

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Jackie Robinson - Matt Kemp

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