Ever since the dawn of baseball, The Blue Crew has lived up to the highest standards. The Los Angeles Dodgers are one of the most winningest franchises in baseball history and, as such, just a handful of players have had the honor of having their numbers retired by the Dodgers.
Thus far, the Los Angeles Dodgers have won 6 World Series. That’s been thanks to the hard work some of their legendary players and managers put throughout their stints with the West Coast’s club.
From their days in Brooklyn all the way to California, the Dodgers have had their fair share of great players and masterminds on their team. Today, we’ll honor them by revewingallretired number in Dodgers’ history.
Jackie Robinson – #42
Jackie Robinson was one of the first three players to have their number retired by the Dodgers. It’s only right considering he was also the first African American player to ever make it to a Major League Baseball roster. He’s one of the most influential players of all time.
Robinson was a gifted and unprecedented athlete. Besides his social impact as an African American athlete, he also made his presence felt on the field. He won the Rookie of the Year award, was a 6-time All-Star, NL MVP, batting champion, was a 2-time leader in stolen bases, and led the Dodgers to their first-ever World Series title.
Sandy Koufax – #32
Sandy Koufax was also a part of the first three players to have their number retired by the Dodgers. He’s considered to be the greatest lefty pitcher in baseball history and one of the most dominant pitchers of all time, and for very good reason. He was just intimidating and terrifying on the mound.
Koufax kept the ball on a string. He was a 7-time All-Star, NL MVP, 3-time pitcher triple-crown winner, 3-time wins leader, 5-time ERA leader, 4-time strikeouts leader, 3-time CY Young award winner, and 4-time World Series champion. He also threw 4 no-hitters and a perfect game. It doesn’t get any better than that.
Roy Campanella – #39
Roy Campanella had his number retired the same day as Koufax and Robinson (June 4, 1972). He’s considered one of the greatest catchers of all time because of his toughness, defense, and batting ability. Also, he wasn’t slow running the bases as most catchers.
Campanella spent his entire 9-year MLB career with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was an 8-time All-Star, 3-time NL MVP, NL RBI Leader, and was a part of the team that won their first World Series back in 1955.
Walter Alston – #24
The Los Angeles Dodgers retired Walter Alston’s number on June 5, 1977. His playing career was nowhere near compared to what he achieved as a manager, as he was one of the greatest baseball masterminds of all time.
Alston was in charge of the Dodgers from 1954 to 1976, following on their transition from Brooklyn to Los Angeles. He led the team to 4 World Series titles (1955, 1959, 1963, and 1965) and won2,040 games with a .558 winning percentage.
Jim Gilliam – #19
Like Jackie Robinson, Jim Gilliam’s impact went far beyond the field, as he ended up being one of the first African American managers in MLB history. That, combined with his relentless contributions to the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers made them retire his number on October 10, 1978.
Robinson was the Dodgers’ leadoff hitter for most of his career. He was a batting machine and a huge threat running the bases. His hustle granted him a couple of All-Star Game selections, the NL Rookie of the Year award, and helped the team win 4 World Series titles.
Duke Snider – #4
The Los Angeles Dodgers had a lot to thank Duke Snider for. That’s why they finally decided to retire his number on July 6, 1980, after he dedicated 15 years of his life to the organization before joining the Mets and Giants for the final two years of his career.
For most of his career, Snider was one of the deadliest sluggers in the league. He made it to 7 All-Star Games with the Dodgers and helped them make it to 6 World Series, winning a couple of them. He also ledthe NL in RBIs once and once in home runs as well. He holds the team’s records forhome runs (389), RBIs (1,271), strikeouts (1,123),extra-base hits (814), and intentional walks in one season (26).
Don Drysdale – #53
You can’t talk about dominating pitchers without Don Drysdale’s name being near the top of this list. He was a strikeout machine who was always in control, and that’s why the Los Angeles Dodgers retired his number on July 1, 1984.
Drysdale spent his entire career with the organization (1956-59), logging a209–166 record with a 2.95 ERA and2,486 strikeouts. He was a 9-time All-Star, 3-time World Series champion, CY Young award winner, led MLB in wins once, and three times in strikeouts. He also holds the record for throwing 6 straight shoutouts and 58.2 scoreless innings.
Pee Wee Reese – #1
Pee Wee Reese is one of the greatest shortstops of all time. Moreover, he’s widely recognized for his outspoken support towards Jackie Robinson and other African American players trying to breakthe color barrier in baseball. The Dodgers finally retired his number on July 1, 1984.
Reese played his entire career with the Dodgers (1940-68), helping them win their first 2 World Series titles. He was a 10-time All-Star and led the NL in stolen bases in 1952. He was also a winner of the “SABR Hero of Baseball Award” for his contributions to the game on and off the field.
Tommy Lasorda – #2
Tommy Lasorda gave his whole life to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He served there as a player, as a coach, and as a manager. That being said, it took them long enough to finally retire his number on August 15, 1997.
Lasorda managed the Dodgers for 20 years, winning a couple of NL Manager of the Year awards and leading them to 2 World Series titles. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997 and is currently the oldest living Hall of Famer at age 92.
Don Sutton – #20
Don Sutton played for the Dodgers for 14 years (1966-80) before bouncing around the league and eventually coming back home to retire with them in 1988. He definitely earned his number retirement and the team wasted no time, honoring on August 14, 1998.
He’s 7th all-time in the list of strikeouts,threw 58 shutouts and was considered one of the most dominant pitchers in the league during his prime. He was MLB’s ERA leader in 1980 and a 4-time All-Star, although he could never lead the team to a World Series title.