Dodgers: 3 franchise greats who should be in the Hall of Fame

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UNSPECIFIED – UNDATED: Brooklyn Dodger Gil Hodges. (Photo by International News/Sports Studio Photos/Getty Images) /

The case for a few Dodgers who never reached Cooperstown despite Hall-of-Fame credentials.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have a rich history that extends back to their roots in Brooklyn. From Sandy Koufax to Clayton Kershaw, the franchise has been blessed with some of the game’s best pitchers, along with many great hitters. But has the Hall-of-Fame recognized enough Dodger greats?

Let’s take a look at three players who haven’t heard their name called to Cooperstown despite posting legendary numbers during their playing career with the Dodgers.

Dodgers who should be in the Hall-of-Fame: Gil Hodges

Considered one of the best defensive first baseman of his generation, Gil Hodges spent 16 seasons with the Dodgers dating back to 1943. After spending two years serving in the military, the Princeton, Indiana native soon became a fixture in the Brooklyn Dodgers lineup.

Between 1949-1957, he made eight All-Star teams and finished in the top-10 for slugging percentage five times. When not mashing the baseball, he was picking it in the field, winning three consecutive Gold Glove Awards between 1957-1959.

Hodges helped lead the Brooklyn Dodgers to their lone World Championship while playing on the East Coast. He would later win another World Series with the Dodgers in Los Angeles, their first on the West Coast in 1959. In total, he played in 7 Fall Classics, batting .267/.349/.412 with 5 home runs and 21 RBIs.

Over his 18-year-career, with his final two seasons playing for the Mets, the right-hander hit 370 home runs and drove in 1,274 RBIs. His 43.3 bWAR ranks 7th in Dodger history. He finished his time in the majors with a more than respectable .273/.359/.487 slash line.

While Hodges often times reached over 50% of the BBWAA vote for the Hall-of-Fame, he ultimately fell short and was removed from the ballot in 1983 (after the 15-year window to make it).

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MONTREAL – OCTOBER 19: Steve Garvey #6 and pitcher Bob Welch #35 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate after winning the National League Championship Series (Photo by Ronald C. Modra/Getty Images) /

Dodgers who should be in the Hall-of-Fame: Steve Garvey

Another first baseman who has received a large share of Hall-of-Fame votes but never crossed the threshold for induction is Steve Garvey.

Garvey is one of three first basemen to have hit at least 250 home runs and accumulate at least 2,400 hits (along with Todd Helton and Eddie Murray). Playing 14 seasons for the Dodgers, Garvey was one of the best players in the game from 1974 to 1981, during which time he won an MVP award in ’74 and finished top-6 in MVP voting four more times.

During his best campaign in 1974, he batted .312 with a .469 slugging percentage, and also won the Gold Glove Award. That season marked the first of six in which he would record at least 200 hits (twice leading the National League). He also won four consecutive Gold Gloves from 1974-1977.

Similar to Hodges, Garvey became a fixture in the World Series for the Dodgers, reaching the final round four times and winning the championship in 1981. He was also the MVP of the 1978 NLCS when the Dodgers beat the Phillies behind his incredible production—batting .389 with four home runs and 7 RBIs in that series.

Garvey received as much as 42.6% of the BBWAA vote for the Hall-of-Fame in 1995, but never reached the 75% threshold to get in and was removed from the ballot after 15 years in 2007.

SAN DIEGO, CA – APRIL 30: SAN DIEGO, CA: Orel Hershiser of the Los Angeles Dodgers circa 1988 (Photo by Owen C. Shaw/Getty Images) /

Dodgers who should be in the Hall-of-Fame: Orel Hershiser

This one bugs me the most. When you think of all-time great Dodger pitchers, even among a list that includes some of the game’s immortals, such as Sandy Koufax, you quickly name Orel Hershiser.

There are few seasons in the history of baseball as impressive as the Bulldog’s in 1988. Besides winning 23 games, with 15 of them being complete games, he proved how untouchable he was by setting a major league record in pitching 59 consecutive scoreless innings. He would go on to win the 1988 NLCS MVP and 1988 World Series MVP. In 42.2 postseason innings, he allowed only five earned runs.

While Hershiser’s spectacular 1988 Cy Young Award winning season stands out, he was one of the best pitchers in baseball from 1984 to 1989. In that time, he was 98-64 with a 2.65 ERA, tied with Doc Gooden for the lowest in baseball. He finished in the top-4 of Cy Young voting in three of the seasons he didn’t win the award.

The knock against the right-hander’s candidacy would be that he failed to continue his greatness past the age of 30. After making the All-Star team in 1989 with a 2.31 ERA, a torn labrum in his pitching shoulder slowed him down considerably from 1990 until he retired in 2000.

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While Hershiser could have cemented himself as a Hall-of-Famer if he had remained healthy, his peak performance is great enough to make the argument that he still deserves recognition in Cooperstown.

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The case for a few Dodgers who never reached Cooperstown despite Hall-of-Fame credentials.

Dodgers who should be in the Hall-of-Fame: Gil Hodges

Dodgers who should be in the Hall-of-Fame: Steve Garvey

Dodgers who should be in the Hall-of-Fame: Orel Hershiser

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