Los Angeles Dodgers

Catchers & Infielders:

• C – Roy Campanella
• C – Russell Martin
• 1B – Gil Hodges (LF)
• 2B – Jackie Robinson
• SS – Pee Wee Reese
• 3B – Pedro Guerrero (1B)
• CI – Justin Turner (3B)
• CI – Ron Cey (3B)
• MI – Corey Seager (SS)

Outfielders:

• LF – Zack Wheat
• CF – Duke Snider
• RF – Cody Bellinger
• OF – Babe Herman (RF)
• OF – Matt Kemp (LF)

Starting Pitchers:

• SP – Sandy Koufax
• SP – Clayton Kershaw
• SP – Jeff Pfeffer
• SP – Nap Rucker
• SP – Don Drysdale
• SP – Don Sutton

With every team, we started building their all-time 25-man and 40-man rosters by using the Hall of Fame as a starting point, figuring that a player enshrined in baseball’s immortal Hall would certainly qualify to make his team’s all-time roster.

Almost all the Hall of Fame members are easily identifiable with one team so it’s a simple way to start every roster with near-inarguable selections. A handful of incredible players had outstanding runs for multiple teams, and we’ve gotta sort it all out.

The Dodgers have to fight for Adrian Beltre and Mike Piazza:

Adrian Beltre

Los Angeles: 7 years, 0 All-Stars, 0 MVPs, 23.4 WAR, .274 AVG, 456 Runs, 510 RBI, 147 HR, 62 SB

Texas: 8 years, 3-time All-Star, 0 MVPs, 41.2 WAR, .304 AVG, 612 Runs, 699 RBI, 199 HR, 8 SB

Mike Piazza

Los Angeles: 7 years, 6-time All-Star, 0 MVPs, 32 WAR, .331 AVG, Runs 443, 563 RBI, 177 HR

N.Y. Mets: 8 years, 6-time All-Star, 0 MVPs, 24.6 WAR, .296 AVG, Runs 532, 655 RBI, 220 HR

Beltre pretty clearly should wear the Rangers hat – Piazza is a lot closer, but just barely goes to the Mets.

As with every team, we are trying to build an active roster with 13 position players and 12 pitchers, and then a 15-player inactive roster of guys who just missed the cut, but remain valuable as callups in case of slumps or injuries.

The 13 active position players are usually two catchers, six infielders, and five outfielders. The stats are built around the average of the player’s best three consecutive seasons.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame gives us a good start here. Cooperstown gives the Dodgers Roy Campanella, Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese, Duke Snider, Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Don Sutton, Dazzy Vance, Burleigh Grimes, and Zach Wheat.

The Dodgers get ten players from Cooperstown, and WAR (Wins Above Replacement), a great stat for looking at the all-around contribution to a team for both hitters and pitchers, can help us find the rest.

We get lots of help here, as in order we find: Willie Davis, Ron Cey, Gil Hodges, Jim Gilliam, Steve Garvey, Carl Furillo, Dixie Walker, Pedro Guerrero, Davey Lopes, Maury Wills, Mike Griffin, Bill Russell, Dolph Camilli, Justin Turner, Jake Daubert, Jimmy Sheckard, Mike Scioscia, Tom Daly, Andre Ethier, and Matt Kemp.

Once plugged into the simulation software, we looked at their OPS (on-base + slugging percentage) and their defensive rankings and they break down like this:

CATCHER: Roy Campanella, Russell Martin
FIRST BASE: Gil Hodges, Justin Turner
SECOND BASE: Jackie Robinson
SHORTSTOP: Corey Seager, Pee Wee Reese
THIRD BASE: Pedro Guerrero, Ron Cey, Justin Turner (sometimes)
LEFT FIELD: Zack Wheat, Matt Kemp
CENTER FIELD: Duke Snider, Cody Bellinger (sometimes)
RIGHT FIELD: Cody Bellinger

That leaves inactive roster options for Wally Moon, Raul Mondesi, Andre Ethier, Ron Cey, Davey Lopes, Carl Furillo, Eric Karros, and Paul Lo Duca.

For the pitching staff we’re looking for six starters and six relievers. Bear in mind that across the whole game you will see dynamic, outstanding starting pitchers that can’t crack an all-time rotation but are better served as relievers on a team than sitting inactive.

Hall of Famers are automatically on the roster and the Dodgers have five pitchers from Cooperstown. Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Don Sutton, Dazzy Vance, and Burleigh Grimes all get in automatically.

With 27 players on the total roster we have room for 13 more pitchers. Once we dug into the career WAR rankings (as Dodgers) we came up with: Nap Rucker, Orel Hershiser, Jeff Pfeffer, Fernando Valenzuela, Bob Welch, Brickyard Kennedy, Watty Clark, Clayton Kershaw, and Johnny Podres.

Ramon Martinez’ short but brilliant Dodgers career bears consideration, as do standout relievers Jeff Shaw, Kenley Jansen, and Eric Gagne. Youngster Walker Buehler is in the discussion too.

We looked at their overall numbers in the simulation software and leaned heavily on ERA to come up with these designations:

STARTING ROTATION: Sandy Koufax, Clayton Kershaw, Jeff Pfeffer, Nap Rucker, Don Drysdale, Don Sutton
RELIEVERS: Orel Hershiser, Ron Perranoski, Dazzy Vance, Jim Brewer
SET-UP: Kenley Jansen
CLOSER: Eric Gagne

It’s a testament to the depth of the Dodgers pitching staff that Orel Hershiser is pitching RELIEF for Los Angeles.

The inactive pitcher options are Fernando Valenzuela, Bob Welch, Burleigh Grimes, Jeff Shaw, Walker Buehler, Claude Osteen and Burt Hooton.

So how did we do?

Are you mad about Beltre and Piazza?

Can you accept Hershiser coming out of the bullpen? Would you have Jansen close over Gagne?

Let us know in the forums below and if you make a compelling case we will adapt it in-game. We want every squad to be the best they possibly can be and appreciate your help fine-tuning the Dodgers for Eternal Baseball.

Photo Credits:

• Vin Scully by Ron Reiring
• Twilight at Dodger Stadium by John Liu
• LA Dodgers by Chris Yarzab