Dodgers Dugout: Six are voted into inaugural class of our Dodgers Hall of Fame

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell and we received 8,293 Hall of Fame ballots. Thanks to everyone who voted.

In fact, this was such a success that the next round will take place at the 2022 All-Star break. It seems appropriate since the game is at Dodger Stadium.

There were a couple of surprises in the voting. People who, in my opinion, deserve to be in who aren’t. People I thought would make it who didn’t. And no one was unanimous.

That’s right. Some people left Sandy Koufax and Jackie Robinson off their ballots. Those who explained why said it was because they were sure that Koufax and Robinson would make the Hall, so they wanted to vote for someone else to lift them over the top or keep them from falling off the ballot next time.

Which goes to show why only one person has ever been unanimously elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. If Koufax and Robinson aren’t unanimous for a Dodgers Hall of Fame, what chance does anyone else have? But that’s what makes voting fun and interesting.

OK, enough discussion. Remember, a person had to be named on at least 75% of the ballots to make the Hall.

Inductees

Sandy Koufax, named on 95.6% of ballots—A Dodgers Hall of Fame no brainer if there ever was one.

Vin Scully, 92.7%—Has anyone done more to create Dodgers fans than Scully?

Don Drysdale, 90%—Seems appropriate that Koufax and Drysdale go in together.

Jackie Robinson, 88.9%—The most important Dodger in history.

Roy Campanella, 84.7%—You have to wonder what his numbers would have been like if he hadn’t been injured.

Duke Snider, 78.2%—At one point he was below the 75% threshold, but a surge of votes in mid-November put him over the top.

Just missed (50%-74.9%)

Fernando Valenzuela, 65.8%—You have to figure he gets in next time.

Gil Hodges, 65.7%—Finally made the Baseball Hall of Fame, but not this one. Yet.

Tommy Lasorda, 64.8%—I thought he would make it in easily.

Maury Wills, 64.1%—It will be really surprising if Fernando, Hodges and Wills don’t make it next time.

Pee Wee Reese, 64%—Some seem to have forgotten just how instrumental he was to the Boys of Summer.

Orel Hershiser, 57.1%—Bulldog and Fernando could go in together next time.

Walter Alston, 55.4%—Fewer votes than Lasorda, though he won more World Series titles.

Best of the rest (25%-49.9%)

Don Newcombe, 48.1%—Will he get a surge of votes now that some people will drop off the ballot?

Steve Garvey, 44.6%—Some fans singled out not voting for him because “he was a phony.”

Branch Rickey, 41.8%—Will he eventually make it? Hope so.

Don Sutton, 41.4%—He leads in a lot of career pitching categories but seems to be underrated by more than a few.

Mike Piazza, 30.9%—Actually did better than I expected considering he seems to hate the Dodgers now.

Walter O’Malley, 27.2%—The most famous of the team’s past owners.

Jim Gilliam, 25.1%—Played everywhere but will need some help to eventually get in.

The rest

Zack Wheat, 22.4%—Some said they couldn’t vote for him because they never saw him play. Well, I didn’t have to see Babe Ruth play to know he was great. Wheat should be in.

Ron Cey, 21.9%—Perhaps the most underrated player on the 1970s Dodgers.

Tommy Davis, 17.2%—Last Dodger to win a batting title before Trea Turner, and I’m not sure Trea Turner counts.

Kirk Gibson, 14.4%—One at-bat gets him over a thousand votes.

Manny Mota, 13.5%—Pinch-hit king and longtime coach is beloved by many.

Johnny Podres, 10.5%—San Diego Padres should be forced to change their name.

Carl Furillo, 9.6%—Best arm in Dodgers history?

Carl Erskine, 9.6%—Key member of 1955 title team.

Dazzy Vance, 8.9%—He should be much, much higher than this.

Willie Davis, 8.3%—Drew about half the support of his teammate Tommy Davis.

Pedro Guerrero, 8.1%—Good hit, no field.

Eric Gagné, 6.4%—Fondly remembered by those who voted for him, but PED use kept him off many ballots.

Davey Lopes, 6.3%—Best base stealer in team history.

John Roseboro, 5.8%—The key catcher for Koufax and Drysdale.

Ron Perranoski, 5.7%—Being a great reliever and longtime coach didn’t get him much support.

Dusty Baker, 5.7%—People still remember throwing packs of gum to him in left field.

Andre Ethier, 5.1%—Doesn’t look like many from his era will make it.

Babe Herman, 4.9%—Great hitter pretty much forgotten.

Mike Scioscia, 4.9%—You have to wonder what would have happened if Dodgers made him manager in the late 1990s.

Wes Parker, 4.5%—Best fielding first baseman of all time?

Red Barber, 4.3%—The first great Dodgers announcer.

Eric Karros, 3.9%—Not much love for the L.A. Dodgers all-time home run leader.

Reggie Smith, 3.6%—Most valuable player on the 1977-78 World Series teams.

Peter O’Malley, 3.2%—Will probably go up in voting if his father is ever elected.

Matt Kemp, 2.9%—Can we blame the Rihanna curse for his poor showing?

Bill Russell, 2.8%—Steady but never spectacular.

Clem Labine, 2%-Could start and relieve effectively.

Leo Durocher, 1.7%—A late surge of votes kept him from falling off the ballot.

Adrián Beltré, 1.7%—Really had only one great season with the Dodgers.

Finished in the bottom 12 and dropped from at least next two ballots

Dolph Camilli, 1.6%—Doesn’t deserve to drop off, but the voters have spoken.

Charles Ebbets, 1.6%—Being the owner that made the Dodgers what they are doesn’t get you much love.

Claude Osteen, 1.4%—Overshadowed on the team, overshadowed on the ballot.

Jim Brewer, 1.3%—Still in the top five in career saves for the team.

Burleigh Grimes, 1.3%—In the real Hall of Fame, but not in this one.

Hideo Nomo, 1.2%—Nomomania was brief but bright.

Adrián González, 1%—Perhaps more time is needed to judge his Dodger career effectively.

Ramón Martínez, 0.6%—What if the Dodgers had traded him instead of Pedro?

Jeff Pfeffer, 0.6%—If Dazzy Vance can’t make it, what chance did Pfeffer have?

Jake Daubert, 0.4%—Simply played too long ago.

Wilbert Robinson, 0.1%—The team was named for him for a while, but that didn’t mean much now.

Babe Phelps, 0.0%—The only guy not to receive a vote.

Added to the next ballot

Buzzie Bavasi, Fred Claire, Watty Clark, Johnny Frederick, Shawn Green, Mickey Hatcher, Burt Hooton, Mike Marshall (pitcher), Raul Mondesi, Van Lingle Mungo, Pete Reiser, Jerry Reuss, Preacher Roe, Jimmy Sheckard, Adonis Terry, Dixie Walker, Bob Welch, Whit Wyatt, Steve Yeager.

And finally

Again, thanks to everyone who voted. If you have more suggestions for people to add to the ballot, either next time or the time after, please email me and let me know. With no baseball happening with the lockout, the next newsletter probably won’t be until January (unless something major happens), so Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year! Meanwhile, I leave you with this: Tommy Lasorda talked about who he hoped was the first Dodger he would see in heaven. Watch and listen here.