Hot Potato Corner
by Eric Stephen on Feb 7, 2009 8:47 PM PST
in Dodgers History & Records
Email
PrintBarring injury, it looks like Casey Blake will be starting at third base for the Dodgers on opening day April 6 in San Diego. Blake will be the sixth different 3B to start on opening day in the last six years:
2004: Adrian Beltre
2005: Jose Valentin
2006: Bill Mueller
2007: Wilson Betemit
2008: Blake DeWitt
2009: Casey Blake
Believe it or not, this is not the longest such streak of hot corner instability in Dodger history. After the franchise's first championship in 1955, the club embarked on an 11-year odyssey with a different third-sacker each year:
1956: Jackie Robinson
1957: Randy Jackson (dog!)
1958: Dick Gray
1959: Jim Baxes
1960: Junior Gilliam
1961: Tommy Davis
1962: Daryl Spencer
1963: Ken McMullen
1964: Johnny Werhas
1965: John Kennedy
1966: Jim Lefebvre
Overall, Blake will be the 33rd different third baseman in the last 54 years. He'll get to join the ranks of such Dodger greats as German Rivera (1984) and Mike Blowers (1996).
You want something more obscure? More LA Dodger opening day 3B have reached on an error (4) than have homered (3).
What does this all mean? Well, nothing, other than the fact that I'm bored and waiting for pitchers and catchers to report.
6 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Premature?
Who thought at this point last year that DeWitt would end up with the job? Blake could easily pull a 35 year old hammy and not be ready for opening day, If one throw can knock out two guys, then age can certainly knock out the Blake making room for the original Blake.
before Ron Cey
took the job in 73 we had a series of crappy 3rd baseman. How about Tommy Davis as the 61 3rd baseman? Shades of Pedro
Tommy Davis
Seeing him as the opening day 3B kind of shocked me.
How about Ken McMullen with 10 years in between opening day starts (1963-1973)?
re:
I saw McMullen play for the Senators so I was already a big fan when we traded for him. He was a good player but was done by the time he came back. As much as I liked what Osteen did I think the Dodgers could have used the offense of Howard and McMullen more then his pitching from 65 -72. Maybe we don’t get the World Series in 65 or maybe we don’t have to work so hard with the offense they provided. As cool as Lou Johnson was in 65 I think Howard would have been handy when Tommy D went down but that is ancient history..
3rd Base, Dodger Stadium
Though bittersweet, my favorite baseball song. Popeye Garvey also manned the bag for 191 games, committing 47 errors.
re:
No one had a scattershot arm like Garvey, great hands though.
Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on True Blue LA
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Big League Stew - MLB - Yahoo! Sports
- Josh Hamilton on public relapse: ‘It was just wrong. That’s all it comes down to.’
- Photo: The Marlins’ ridiculous-looking home run sculpture is almost complete
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman lures alleged stalker into police dragnet
- Report: Josh Hamilton had a relapse with alcohol
- Happy Birthday Boy! Wes Ferrell, the best-hitting pitcher of all-time, would be 104
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
