The All-Time LA Dodger Team: The Lefty Setup Man
by Eric Stephen on Feb 11, 2009 5:00 PM PST
in All-Time Dodgers
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PrintAll-Time Lineup: #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6 | #7 | #8
All-Time Starting Pitchers: #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5
All-Time Bullpen: Closer | Fireman | RHP Setup
Big Bad John put the smack down and won the RHP setup position in our bullpen. Now that he's graduated on to the big boy chair, maybe he can one day supplant Gagne on this team.
All-Time LA Dodger Bullpen |
||
| No | Player | Pos |
| 38 | Eric Gagne |
Closer |
| 16 | Ron Perranoski |
Fireman |
| 51 | Jonathan Broxton |
RH Setup |
| LH Setup |
||
The criteria for being a lefty setup man on our list is pitching in 120 games in relief. Here are the candidates, with their stats as LA Dodgers:
| Closer | Years | Gms | IP | W-L | Saves | ERA+ | WHIP |
| Joe Beimel | 2006-2008 | 216 | 186.1 | 11-4 | 3 | 148 | 1.336 |
| Mark Guthrie | 1995-1998 | 205 | 216.0 | 5-10 | 2 | 107 | 1.370 |
| Scott Radinsky |
1996-1998 | 195 | 176.1 | 16-8 | 17 | 148 | 1.287 |
| Terry Forster |
1978-1982 | 150 | 207.0 | 11-13 | 27 | 115 | 1.309 |
| Jesse Orosco |
1988,01-02 | 146 | 96.0 | 4-5 | 10 | 119 | 1.365 |
| Tom Martin |
2003-2004 | 127 | 79.1 | 1-3 | 1 | 108 | 1.336 |
| Jim Brewer* |
64-67,74-75 | 123 | 235.2 | 13-10 | 8 | 108 | 1.180 |
*Brewer's stats are only from his time as a setup man, and nothing from 1968-1973 counts since he was the primary fireman during that time.
Eric's Pick
Since all of these candidates were only here a short time, it's easy to look at VORP. Out of these seven pitchers, there were 25 seasons in non-closer relief. Here are the top VORP-iest years:
1) Guthrie, 24.7
2) Beimel, 20.8
3) Beimel, 19.6
4) Brewer, 19.3
5) Brewer, 17.0
6) Radinsky, 16.0
7) Forster, 14.0
8) Radinsky, 14.0
9) Beimel, 13.8
10) Brewer, 11.8
I thought I would end up picking Jim Brewer here (shades of fitting Willie Davis into our #8 spot in the lineup), and he has three of the top ten seasons here by VORP, so he'd be a worthy choice. However, if you notice just ahead of Brewer all over this list are Joe Beimel's three seasons with the Dodgers. Beimel has two of the top three years and also three of the top ten. Despite an ERA a couple runs below his expected FIP (he has allowed only one HR in the last two years), I don't care about the luck. I'm going with Joe Beimel here. Now I know Beimel will get at least two votes (me plus however many times noted crazy man Troy from West Virginia votes).
One thing I wanted to mention is Tom Martin's amazing 2003. Among all the great things accomplished by that club when the other team was in the batter's box, my favorite quirky stat was that Martin alllowed only five of 42 inherited runners to score. Not bad for a LOOGY who was signed based partly on a recommendation from Martin's pal Paul Shuey, whom the Dodgers acquired the season before.
Phil's Pick
I'll go with the Screwballer Brewmeister, followed by punk of the month Radinsky . Kuo of course kicks all those seasons off the charts with his 29.2 VORP .
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Yeah
I’m the least confident in Beimel of any of my picks for the all-time team.
Kuo is just a victim of timing. If he keeps it up, he’d be on the team after 2010 if not next year.
re:
I expected better numbers from Orosco and Forster. My biggest surprise has been the K/Rate of so many guys who I remembered being strike out pitchers. As El Lay Dave pointed out the K rate for Howe was amazingly low for a guy with his stuff.
K rate
The K rate for the whole league during Howe’s Dodger time (1980-1985) was 5.35 K/9. Howe’s was low, at 5.01, but not so bad compared to the league (about 94% of league).
Beimel, meanwhile, is at 4.88 K/9 in a period in which the NL K rate was 6.80 (man, that seems high). So Beimel is even less punchouty than Howe, but of course we knew that.
I was watching the Harvey Wallbangers special on MLB Network, and I was amazed when I looked up Pete Vuckovich’s stats. He was a big hulking dude, kind of with a wrestler body. Hell, he played Clew Haywood in Major League. But during his Cy Young year (1982), he pitched 223.2 innings but only stuck out 105, only 4.23 per 9. He walked 102. Judging from his size and style, I would have thought he struck out much more than he did, too.
by Eric Stephen on Feb 11, 2009 5:25 PM PST up reply actions
re:
No, I remember his style, very few K’s. How many times are you going to watch that special? That was a fun team to root for, had some of my all time favorite players. Once upon a time I hated Robin Yount because he said as a kid he’d rather play golf then baseball. Then just as quickly he and Molitor become two of my favorite players. It seems I’ve had a lot of favorite players which I guess is better then hating everyone.
For the record
I’ve only seen Harveys Wallbangers twice. ;)
by Eric Stephen on Feb 11, 2009 6:23 PM PST up reply actions
Terry Forster
Forster always reminded me of a sort of left handed Drysdale.
This guy had attitude!
He really fought through the elbow pain in his last Dodger apperances – until he couldn’t throw anymore.
Beimel!!!!!
I voted for him, had to. He looks like he deserves it statistically, and he’s the only one listed I’ve ever seen pitch. Okay, I’ve seen Tom Martin a few times but come on now.
by Brendan Scolari on Feb 13, 2009 12:33 AM PST reply actions
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