3 Dodgers legends who deserve more Hall of Fame consideration

The Los Angeles Dodgers have plenty of Baseball Hall of Fame representation, but it’s worth examining these three stars’ cases further.

The Dodgers are one of baseball’s premier franchises for a reason, sporting a legacy of greatness that extends far beyond their time in Hollywood to the Brooklyn days.

That explains their heightened representation in baseball’s hallowed halls — 55 players, executives and managers who spent their time in Dodger blue have been enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Add in the team’s four honored broadcasters, and you’ve got what we like to call “domination” going on.

But is it possible that the franchise’s footprint at the Hall should actually be larger than it currently is? There are a few Dodgers legends who should probably have a plaque by now who are still languishing in history’s purgatory — or, at least, if they don’t merit induction, we should make the conversation louder.

These three Dodgers deserve to have their cases argued on a wider scale.

3. Steve Garvey

Dodgers icon Steve Garvey should’ve come closer to Hall of Fame induction.

Iconic Dodgers first baseman Steve Garvey would be a Hall of Famer if the statistical revolution hadn’t retrospectively devalued the way he played the game.

But how was he supposed to know every point of emphasis would change in the late ’90s?

Back in Garvey’s day as the face of the multi-time National League champion Dodgers, he wasn’t told that a walk was “just as good as a hit” — rather, he came up to the plate intending to smack singles and hit often and with power, which is exactly what he did.

A career .294 average offset by a meager .329 OBP would be unimpressive for a modern first baseman, but Garvey wasn’t planning to retire to glory based on the strength of his eye. The league MVP in 1974 (.312/21/111), that season kicked off an eight-year stretch of nothing but All-Star appearances, replete with three NL championships. At the time, you could make the argument that Garvey was the game’s biggest star on its largest stage.

He even rejuvenated himself with the Padres at age 35 in 1984, leading an entirely different team to the World Series with his veteran guile and still-potent bat.

If the Hall was truly a shrine for the famous, Garvey would’ve skated in on the first ballot. Unfortunately, his credentials somehow became less impressive over time, and he fell off the ballot in 2007 after 15 full years, peaking at 42.6% in his third year but never rallying with any sort of momentum, eventually petering out at 21.1%. Generally, someone who debuts at 41.6% these days sees a precipitous rise; not so, in this case.

We understand Garvey’s limitations and the reason for his exclusion, but the trajectory of his numbers is a bit baffling, especially for such a consistent on-field performer.

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2. Tommy John

Dodgers pitcher Tommy John should be enshrined in the Hall of Fame for his career accolades — and his legacy.

A recent conversation centered around “baseball lives” pitched Tommy John as a shoo-in candidate for what the experimental surgery he underwent meant for the lives of every pitcher who followed him — and that argument is meritorious.

But he also deserves to be honored for his pitching accolades alone.

In some ways a compiler, John’s 288 victories against 231 losses stand tall — especially when you realize that the lion’s share of his honors came after he missed the entire 1975 season at the age of 32 rehabilitating his arm.

After that inflection point, John finished second in the Cy Young chase in 1977 (20-7, 2.78), then posted three consecutive All-Star appearances and three more top-10 Cy Young placements (eighth, second again, fourth), bouncing between New York and Los Angeles. Though he was largely ineffective in six seasons played after the age of 40 (despite going 13-6, 4.03 ERA in 1987 in New York at the age of 44!), that shouldn’t factor too heavily into this conversation.

On the merits of his remarkable comeback alone and the innovations in medical science his gutsy willingness to experiment ushered in, John deserves a keen second look. The careers he saved by pioneering a surgery that is now commonplace (and almost anticipated!) are too numerous to count.

But John was a pretty exceptional pitcher, too. The double whammy calls for a recount on baseball’s highest honor, without any sort of “pioneer” designation.