Dodgers Dugout: One elected to our Hall of Fame

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Remember, the Dodgers open the regular season March 18-19 against the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo, then return to L.A. and play three exhibition games against the Angels on March 23-25 before their home opener March 27 against Detroit. World Series rings will be handed out out to the players March 28, also against the Tigers, which is convenient for Jack Flaherty, who just signed with Detroit and can just walk over from the visiting dugout to pick up his ring.

Last month I asked you to vote from a list of candidates in our fourth annual Dodgers Dugout Dodgers Hall of Fame. And, proving that you are the best newsletter readers in the universe, I received 28,392 ballots, the most we have gotten. Some cities don’t get that many votes in elections.

And after all the ballots were counted, one person was named on more than 75% of the ballots and are inducted into the 2025 class.

Remember, there was a players list, where you could vote for up to 12, and a nonplayers list with a limit of four votes.

So, without further ado, let’s look at the results. The number in parentheses is what percentage of ballots the candidate was on last year.

Elected

Don Sutton, 75.7% (70.1): Leads or is in top three in many all-time Dodgers pitching categories, but always seems to struggle to get respect. It took him five tries to get into the real Hall of Fame, so he did a little better here, doing it in four.

Just missed (50-74.9%)

Jaime Jarrín, 65.8% (58.9%): Really, should have been a first-ballot Hall of Famer. A big oversight.

Peter O’Malley, 65.1% (45.1%): Took a big leap forward in percentage this year. The last owner who cared about keeping prices down for fans.

Steve Garvey, 64.4% (63.3%): Either Garvey or Gil Hodges is the best first baseman in Dodgers history.

Don Newcombe, 62.1% (55.4%): His work to help Dodgers struggling with substance abuse is almost enough to get him in before you even consider his greatness as a pitcher.

Ron Cey, 61.6% (58.1%): Support continues to grow. Very underrated player.

Mike Piazza, 50.3% (52%): Lost support this year. What would Dodgers history look like if he hadn’t been traded?

Best of the rest (30-49.9%)

Dusty Baker, 47.7% (33.3%): Remember throwing bubble gum to him in left field?

Davey Lopes, 47.1% (40.9%): Best base stealer in Dodgers history.

Manny Mota, 46.7% (38%): Best pinch-hitter ever. He would stay on the roster the whole year and only pinch-hit.

Red Barber, 45.4% (45.1%): Vin Scully before there was a Vin Scully.

Carl Erskine, 42.9% (23.7%): Key member of 1955 title team.

Tommy Davis, 42.5% (39.3%): Last Dodger to win a batting title before Trea Turner, and I’m not sure Turner counts.

Kirk Gibson, 40.6% (37.8%): One amazing season gets him almost 41% of the vote.

Jim Gilliam, 40.5% (39.2%): Jack of all trades who hated his “Junior” nickname.

Mike Scioscia, 39.7% (23.2%): Another what if: What if he had been named Dodgers manager instead of Angels manager?

Johnny Podres, 36.7% (28.3%): Support for 1955 World Series MVP grows, but he still has a long way to go.

Ross Porter, 35.3% (26.1%): Pioneered using more obscure stats before it became popular.

Willie Davis, 33.9% (30.3%): People seem to prefer Tommy Davis.

Buzzie Bavasi, 32.1% (27.3%): GM of Dodgers’ first four World Series title teams.

Eric Karros, 30.1% (24.7%): This is all you get after hitting the most homers in L.A. history?

Everyone else

Jerry Doggett, 29.8% (21.9%): Complemented Scully beautifully on radio and television.

Bill Russell, 29.5% (28%): Longtime Dodger draws the least support among “The Infield.”

Zack Wheat, 28.9% (23.4%): He should be in. The first truly great Dodgers position player.

Eric Gagne, 28.2% (27.9%): Would he receive more support if not for his PED use?

Carl Furillo, 27.9% (23.3%): Best arm in team history?

*Rick Honeycutt, 26.7%: Did better than expected on his first ballot.

John Roseboro, 26.1% (21.6%): The key catcher for Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale.

Pedro Guerrero, 25.3% (19.7%): You could argue that he is the best hitter in L.A. history.

Dazzy Vance, 23.3% (15.3%): Another guy who should be in. The Drysdale of his era.

Tommy John, 23.3% (18.6%): He should be in the real Hall of Fame.

Andre Ethier, 23.1% (20.1%): Doesn’t look like many from Ethier’s prime era will make it.

Bottom 12, eliminated from at least next two ballots

Helen Dell, 22.7% (18.3%): More love than expected for the long-time stadium organist.

Adrián Beltré, 21.4% (22.7%): Lost some votes this time.

Steve Yeager, 20.6% (15.9%): He blocked the plate as well as anyone ever.

Leo Durocher, 18% (20.6%): Leo the Lip didn’t care what color you were if you could help him win.

*-Ned Colletti, 12.9%: He helped build the 2020 World Series team, but that has been forgotten.

*-Steve Sax, 10.8%: Voters must have gotten the yips when trying to vote for him.

*-Casey Stengel, 5.2%: Had a decent Dodgers career, but his fame came elsewhere.

*-Red Adams, 4.7%: Everyone seems to have forgotten the longtime pitching coach.

*-Jim Lefebvre, 3.8%: Little support in his first, and last, time on the ballot.

*-Billy Cox, 3.6%: I received many emails over the last year asking that he be included on the ballot. Those were apparently the only people who voted for him.

*-Cookie Lavagetto, 2.6%: First-timers didn’t do well on this ballot.

*-Monty Basgall, 0.8%: One and done for the longtime coach.

*-first time on ballot.

Takeaways

—Eight of the nine first-time candidates were eliminated from the next two ballots.

—There are three people who aren’t in who definitely should be in: Jarrín, Vance and Wheat.

Added to the ballot next year: Adrián González, Paul Lo Duca, James Loney, Russell Martin, Hideo Nomo, Takashi Saito.

The Dodgers Dugout Dodgers Hall of Fame

People inducted, with year (and percentage of vote)

Walt Alston, 2022 (86.5%)

Roy Campanella, 2021 (84.7%)

Don Drysdale, 2021 (90%)

Orel Hershiser, 2021 (75.1%)

Gil Hodges, 2022 (75.3%)

Sandy Koufax, 2021 (95.6%)

Tommy Lasorda, 2022 (87.7%)

Walter O’Malley, 2024 (79.4%)

Branch Rickey, 2022 (72.1%)

Pee Wee Reese, 2024 (76.3%)

Jackie Robinson, 2021 (88.9%)

Vin Scully, 2021 (92.7%)

Duke Snider, 2021 (78.2%)

Don Sutton, 2025 (75.7%)

Fernando Valenzuela, 2022 (80.6%)

Maury Wills, 2022 (76.6%)

Listed in order of percentage:

Sandy Koufax, 2021 (95.6%)

Vin Scully, 2021 (92.7%)

Don Drysdale, 2021 (90%)

Jackie Robinson, 2021 (88.9%)

Tommy Lasorda, 2022 (87.7%)

Walt Alston, 2022 (86.5%)

Roy Campanella, 2021 (84.7%)

Fernando Valenzuela, 2022 (80.6%)

Walter O’Malley, 2024 (79.4%)

Duke Snider, 2021 (78.2%)

Maury Wills, 2022 (76.6%)

Pee Wee Reese, 2024 (76.3%)

Don Sutton, 2025 (75.7%)

Gil Hodges, 2022 (75.3%)

Orel Hershiser, 2021 (75.1%)

Branch Rickey, 2022 (72.1%)

Note: In 2022, you had to be named on only 65% of the ballots to be inducted. It has been 75% all other years.

In case you missed it

‘Are the Dodgers crazy?’ How baseball’s newest big-market antihero reacts to villain storyline

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Dodgers are heroes, not villains. Plus, you want a Plaschke bobblehead? | Dodgers Debate

After hometown World Series run, Jack Flaherty is heading back to Detroit

MLB fires umpire Pat Hoberg for sharing sports gambling accounts with friend

And finally

Don Drysdale’s Hall of Fame induction speech. Watch and listen here.