Dodgers: Who is the best first baseman in franchise history?

Who is the greatest first baseman in Dodgers history?

First base isn’t the sexiest position in baseball. It’s usually reserved for players who don’t have enough athletic ability to find a spot somewhere else on the diamond. Of course, there are exceptions, players who field the position like a middle infielder, and we will talk about some of those in ranking the best Dodger first basemen in franchise history.

Rather than do a list of the top five, as we have done in the past in ranking the best catchers in team history, I wanted to do this piece a little different and discuss the best to wear the first base glove in logical pairs. Sometimes the most effective way to understand the contributions of a player is to frame their work in comparison to others.

The first base ranking is broken down into four pairings: recent heroes, consistent Dodgers, stars from earlier times, and the two players who clearly rise above the rest in being considered the greatest to wear a first base glove in franchise history.

Before we get into the list, there are some honorable mentions.

Eddie Murray didn’t make his name with the Dodgers, but his 1990 season is one to remember. He batted .330 that year, smacked 26 home runs, and finished 5th in MVP voting, while winning the Silver Slugger Award.

Ron Fairly accumulated a lot of statistics over 12 seasons in LA, but he only really manned first base on a permanent basis for three seasons, so I excluded him from the list.

Ok, let’s get into it.

Recent heroes

Adrian Gonzalez gave the back-end of his career to the Dodgers, but from 2013-2016 he was a consistent producer at the plate and sure handed in the field. Acquired from the Red Sox in a money-inspired deal, the first baseman ended up hitting 101 home runs with the Dodgers, driving in 448 RBIs, and batting a steady .280/.339/.454.

His best season in Los Angeles came in 2014 when he led the National League with 116 RBIs, won the Gold Glove Award, and earned a Silver Slugger Award with his .276 batting average and 27 home runs. Gonzalez was also clutch in the playoffs that year, hitting .333 in the NLDS victory over the Atlanta Braves, and .300 in the team’s NLCS loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.

James Loney took the opposite path with the Dodgers than A-Gon, starting his career in Dodger blue, before moving on to several other destinations. Over seven seasons in LA, Loney connected on 71 home runs and drove in 451 RBIs with near equal production to Gonzalez’ time with the team. His slash line is also very similar at .284/.341/.423.

These two recent first baseman represent the best at the position since Eric Karros gave up the reins, which we will discuss next.

Stars from earlier times

It’s challenging to place Jake Daubert in a list among modern day players given that he played over 100 years ago. I mean, Daubert played so far back in time, the Dodgers weren’t just still in Brooklyn, they had a different team name, the Superbas. But his performance can’t be ignored in Dodger history.

Daubert won the National League MVP in 1913 when he earned the first of consecutive batting titles, hitting .350 with a .405 on-base percentage. A speedy first baseman, he swiped 25 bases that year, and during his final season in Brooklyn he lead the league in triples.

Using advanced statistics that try to account for differences in league norms, Daubert ranks third in franchise history with 30.1 wins above replacement level. His name deserves to rank among the best first basemen in team history.

Another player from a much earlier era, Dolph Camilli played just six seasons with the Dodgers between 1938-1943, but left an important mark in the record books. In 1941, he had one of the best seasons in Dodger history, winning the Most Valuable Player Award while leading the league in home runs (35) and RBIs (120). A loyal Boy in Blue, when Camilli was traded to the Giants in 1943, he refused to report to his arch rival. Instead, he ended up managing in the Pacific Coast League before returning to the majors to close out his career with the Red Sox in 1945.

The best in franchise history

The debate over the best first baseman in Dodger history really comes down to two names: Steve Garvey and Gil Hodges.

Beginning with Hodges, the Indiana native spent sixteen seasons with the Dodgers, mostly in Brooklyn, appearing in eight All-Star games, winning three Gold Glove Awards, and finishing in the top-10 in MVP voting three times. His 324 career home runs while manning first are most in Dodger history, as are his 1,135 RBIs.

Steve Garvey didn’t play quite as long as Hodges, but came pretty close with 14 years of service in Los Angeles. The right-handed hitting first baseman was a ten time All-Star (and 2x All-Star MVP), four time Gold Glove Award winner, and the National League MVP in 1974.

What separates Garvey from Hodges is his superlative performances, reaching a peak that Hodges never did, and performing more consistently in the playoffs.

A two-time World Series champion, Hodges appeared in 39 World Series games with the Boys in Blue. While he had some stand-out performances, particularly in 1953 and 1959, he also disappeared in some key series, including an 0-21 performance in 1952.

Meanwhile, Garvey was a career .338 hitter in the postseason, appearing in 45 playoff games with the Dodgers, and winning the 1981 World Series behind a 10-24 hit parade during that series. He also reached the peak of the sport in 1974 when he won the National League MVP Award, after batting .312/.342/.469 with 21 home runs and 111 RBIs.

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In my book, Steve Garvey is the greatest first baseman in Dodger history.