The All-Time LA Dodger Team: The Closer, Part I

by Eric Stephen on Feb 7, 2009 1:27 AM PST in All-Time Dodgers Comment 18 comments

All-Time Lineup: #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6 | #7 | #8
All-Time Starting Pitchers: #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5

We have the foundation set for our all-time team, now that both the lineup and starting pitchers are set.

All-Time LA Dodger Starting Lineup
No	Player	Pos
30	Maury Wills	SS
19	Junior Gilliam	2B
31	Mike Piazza	C
28	Pedro Guerrero	RF
6	Steve Garvey	1B
10	Ron Cey	3B
12	Dusty Baker	LF
3	Willie Davis	CF
All-Time LA Dodger Starting Pitchers
No	Player	Pos
32	Sandy Koufax	LHP
53	Don Drysdale	RHP
55	Orel Hershiser	RHP
34	Fernando Valenzuela	LHP
20	Don Sutton	RHP

Now it's time to focus on the bullpen. We are going to have only four spots in our bullpen, mostly because our starters are so awesome.

1) Closer (Eck era, 1988-2008)
This will be our one-inning short man at the end of the game, the modern closer. This pattern of closer usage -- mostly one inning -- became the norm with Dennis Eckersley's ascension to the Hall of Fame in 1988.

2) Ace Fireman (pre-Eck, 1958-1987)
This will be our smokejumper-type bullpener, the multi-inning ace reliever much more common in the first 30 years of the Dodgers' Los Angeles existence.

3) Setup RHP

4) Setup LHP

Today's vote will concentrate on the best closers of the last 21 years. With apologies to Jim Gott (38 saves over five seasons, only one of which as full-time closer), we are setting the bar at 50 saves. Here are the candidates with their stats as a Dodger reliever.

Closer	Years	IP	W-L	Saves	ERA+	WHIP
Jay Howell	1988-1992	308.1	22-19	85	169	1.086
Todd Worrell	1993-1997	268.0	17-19	127	99	1.280
Jeff Shaw	1998-2001	235.1	9-17	129	124	1.186
Eric Gagne	2002-2006	262.1	14-7	161	219	0.827
Takashi Saito	2006-2008	189.2	12-7	81	229	0.912

Eric's Pick

This really is a two-man race, between Eric Gagne and Takashi Saito. Saito was a nice surprise, but I have to go with Gagne here. Nobody was as good as Gagne's 2002-2004, when "Game Over" became a phenomenon. I'm sticking with the man with 84 straight saves and the 2003 Cy Young Award winner, Eric Gagne.

Phil's Pick

Nice to see HOF Don Sutton cruise to the fifth spot on our team. Gagne created Dodger fans but I can't vote for him. I'll go with the guy who in my mind was the most improbable Dodger to ever make it big. Smiling Sammy Saito.

Who's your pick?

Poll

Who is the LA Dodger modern closer (1988-2008)?

Jay Howell

4 votes

Todd Worrell

3 votes

Jeff Shaw

1 votes

Eric Gagne

161 votes

Takashi Saito

38 votes

207 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Gagne

He was a phenomenon.

Also, given the fact that I hardly care about steroids in the first place, nobody will get me to care in Gagne’s case. :o

by kensai on Feb 7, 2009 2:06 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Kind of in the same boat

The steroid allegations were certainly troubling, but not enough to make me forget or invalidate Gagne’s amazing 3 years.

If only DePo hadn’t made that stupid trade which blew out Gagne’s arm in 2004 (even though he pitched the exact number of innings three straight years).

by Eric Stephen on Feb 7, 2009 8:44 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs