Dodgers: A Tribute to the Solid Career of Andre Ethier

Prior to Friday night’s game, the Dodgers will be honoring the retirement of Andre Ethier.  While Ethier was never a star, he was a very popular player among Dodger fans and had a solid career while playing his entire big league career with the Dodgers.

The Dodgers and Astros are going to renew their acquaintances for the first time since last year’s World Series on Friday night.  Prior to the game, the Dodgers are going to honor the official retirement of Andre Ethier.  While Ethier was never a superstar, he had a very solid career and was a player who became very involved in the Los Angeles community.

For younger Dodger fans like myself, we will always have a special place in our hearts for that core of the 2000’s that included Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, James Loney, Chad Billingsley, and Russell Martin.  Similar to the new core of Corey Seager, Joc Pederson, Yasiel Puig, and Cody Bellinger, that was the main core during Andre Ethier’s time.

Andre Ethier spent all twelve of his Major League seasons in Dodger blue.  In today’s era that is quite the accomplishment to spend more than ten years with the same team.  Ethier was arguably the best trade that former Dodger GM Ned Colletti ever made.

Just one month into his job, Ned swung a deal of Milton Bradley and Antonio Perez for Andre Ethier.  While the trade was mainly to get rid of Milton Bradley, it ended up being a steal for the Dodgers as Ethier went on to have a very solid career with the Dodgers. Bradley lasted just two seasons with the Oakland A’s.

Andre Ethier’s career .285 batting average ranks him 39th all-time in Dodger history.  His 162 career home runs rank him twelfth in Dodger history tied with another slugging outfielder, Shawn Green.  Ethier’s 687 career RBI’s slot him in at number 14 in Dodger history, ahead of Bill Russell and below current Dodger Matt Kemp.

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Ethier was a two-time all-star as he made the 2010 and 2011 NL all-star teams.  He won an NL silver slugger award in 2011 and also added a gold glove award in 2011.  Who could forget that Ethier was also named an MLB clutch performer of the year in 2009?  That was when Andre earned the nickname “Captain Clutch” as he recorded six walk-off hits in one season including four walk-off home runs.

While Andre Ethier never won an NL MVP award, he made a serious run at the award in 2009 when he put together his best run-producing season as a Dodger. Ethier hit 31 home runs and drove in 106 runs to go with all those walk-off hits in 2009.  That was easily the best season of Ethier’s career and he was never able to reach those power numbers after that season.

Although the Dodgers were never able to win a ring with Andre Ethier, he did get to play in the fall classic last year in his final season.  Ethier even hit a home run in the NLCS against the Chicago Cubs and recorded two hits in the World Series against the Astros.  The one thing Ethier could always do is hit, and he was also a solid fielder with an arm that surprised at times.

Looking back, Andre Ethier had a solid twelve-year career with the Dodgers.  Not only was Andre a solid player, he was always involved in the community with the Dodgers Foundation and a sponsor of the Jackie Robinson Foundation.  Hats off to Andre Ethier on a stellar Dodger career and for always being a classy guy.