Thought this would be a fun topic. Players who were briefly Dodgers. So briefly we might not even remember them. There are, of course, many of these. And a couple I wish had never worn the uni because I felt they were totally useless. But that is just me.
As Jeff will attest, one of these was Tyler White. White had a totally undistinguished stint in Dodger blue. 12 games, 1 hit in 22 at bats. 4 walks and 4 strikeouts. Now, the Dodgers did not give up much for him, RHRP Andre Scrubb, but to me even that guy was too much to pay for White. Appropriately, his career in MLB was over after his stint with the Dodgers.
Scrubb on the other hand, went 2-0 in his two seasons with the Astros with 1 save. He is still in baseball as a member of the Mets farm system. White retired in 23 after failing to catch on with the Mets.
But that of course is the worst example I have. There have been many others over the years. Jim Baxes in 1959 played in 11 games for the Dodgers and hit .303. He also had 2 homers and 5 runs driven in. He was traded to Cleveland for Fred Hatfield and $10,000 . He finished the year with the Tribe and never played in the majors again. Hatfield never played for the Dodgers.
Chuck Essegian was traded by the Cardinals to the Dodgers along with Lloyd Merritt for third baseman Dick Gray. Merritt would never play for LA, but Essegian played well down the stretch for the Dodgers with a .304 BA in 46 at bats. He had a homer and 5 driven in. But he clubbed 2 pinch hit homers in the World Series against the White Sox, tying Dusty Rhodes MLB mark. He would play in 52 games for LA in 1960. He was picked up on waivers by the Orioles in 61.
Ted Savage, one of the players received for Phil Regan in ’68, played 61 games for the Dodgers hitting .206. He had 2 homers and 7 driven in. The other player in that trade, Jim Ellis, was used to acquire Pete Mikkelsen in 1969. Mikkelsen pitched for LA for four full seasons compiling a 24-17 record with 20 saves and a 3.27 ERA. Not a bad return.
Bill North, the center fielder who had been such a huge part of the A’s World Series wins in 73-74, came to LA from Oakland for Glenn Burke in May 1978. North did steal 27 bases in LA, but he hit .234 in 110 games. He had no homers and 10 driven in. He left after the season as a free agent.
Jerry Grote, the catcher who had been part of the 69 miracle Mets, spent parts of 3 seasons totaling 61 games with the Dodgers as mainly the backup catcher. He hit .263 in that time with no homers. He was a member of the 77-78 NL Champion Dodgers.
Jack Perconte, a second baseman, played in 22 games in his two years with the Dodgers. He was part of the Rick Sutcliffe trade with Cleveland which brought Jorge, don’t call me George, Orta, Jack Fimple and Larry White to LA. I still consider this one of the worst trades in LA history.
Sutcliffe went on to earn a Cy Young with the Cubs after being traded by Cleveland, Perconte was a .270 hitter in his 7-year MLB career. No power, but he was a decent second baseman.
Fimple played in 79 games over three seasons in LA. White pitched in 11 games for LA over 2 seasons, winning none and losing one. Orta was with LA for 86 games and hit only .217. The Dodgers traded him to the Mets for Pat Zachry who went 11-7 with 2 saves in his two year stay.
In September of 1980, the Dodgers traded RHP Dennis Lewallyn to the Rangers for infielder Pepe Frias. Frias was known more for his glove than his bat, he appeared in 39 games for LA in 80-81. He hit .244. Lewallyn pitched in 4 games for the Rangers, and only 11 more with Cleveland.
In the winter of 1979, the Dodgers signed free agent RH starting pitcher, Dave Goltz. Goltz had won in double figures six years in a row, including 20 in 1977 for the Twins. Not so fast, he was horrible with the Dodgers.
In 1980 he was 7-11 in 35 games with a 4.11 ERA. One of those losses came in the extra game played because the Dodgers and Astros had tied for the NL West lead.
In 1981 he pitched in 26 games during the strike shortened season and was 2-7 with a 4.06 ERA. In 82, he pitched in 2 games, losing 1 and was released in April. Along with Jason Schmidt and Andruw Jones, one of the worst free agent signings in Dodger history.
The last guy in this segment I am going to profile is Rafael Landestoy (pictured). Landestoy was signed by the Dodgers as an amateur free agent in 1972. He had a cup of coffee with the Dodgers in 1977, playing in 15 games, and hitting .278. None of his 5 hits were for extra bases.
In July of 1978, he was sent to the Astros to complete the trade that brought Joe Ferguson back to Los Angeles. In June of 81, the Astro’s sent him to the Reds for Harry Spillman.
Then in May of 83, he returned to the Dodgers in the trade that sent Brent Wise and John Franco to the Reds. Landestoy spent parts of 83 and 84 with LA hitting below .200 both years. His cumulative BA in LA was .191 in 146 games. He had 2 homers and 3 runs batted in over that time.
John Franco? He went on to record 424 saves at the major league level. He led the league in saves 3 times and recorded 30 or more 8 times. He failed to get enough votes to stay on the Hall of Fame ballot for more than one year. His 424 ranks fifth on the All-Time list. He belongs in the Hall.
Another really bad trade.
I remember those players all too well! The first one you mentioned, Tyler White, was interesting to me, and he is the poster child of why a week in the majors does not make a career. The Astros invited White to Spring Training in 2016 and included him on the Opening Day roster.
In his first six Major League games, he hit .556 (10 for 18) with two doubles, three home runs, nine RBIs, a .597 on-base percentage, and a 1.167 slugging percentage, and was awarded American League Player of the Week. He would play 85 games for the Astros in 2016, finishing with a .217 average, eight home runs, and 28 RBI.
He would never fulfill the promise he showed the first week. His diabetes may have caused some of that, but the Dodgers had high hopes for him as when he came to the Dodgers, he changed his thyroid medication and lost a considerable amount of weight. It didn’t work, and after struggling his entire career (except for the first week), he retired from baseball last year.
A dozen-plus years ago, on my old blog, I once wrote a piece where I called Jason Repko a bum. His father responded and told me that I had no idea how hard Jason had to work and how much he and his family had to sacrifice to be a “bum in Major League Baseball.” Freak Accidents, Multiple Surgeries, and Years of Rehabilitation derailed the career of a great athlete. His father reminded me I had “no clue” what it took to be an MLB player. I apologized, and that interaction gave me a deep appreciation of what it takes to be a player in MLB.
It’s fun to go back and remember the players who were never good for the Dodgers… after all… it is part of the Dodgers’ History, but ultimately, I have a deep respect for them… because they did reach their dream… even if they were not very good… they were Dodgers!
I remember your story about Repko and his father. That was one of your best stories you have shared with us.
My neighbor one house down from me was drafted by the Angels. He hurt his arm and never got past A ball.
I generally prefer to offer a player in a trade when I get down on them rather than be ugly for lack of a better word toward them.
I like this toned down version of Mark. No calling people morons, or dope fiends. Much more pleasant.
Repko was a bum, but tons of injuries.He was a first round pick and had a good opportunitity for a long career. im showing he made over 2 million dollars, so don’t feel too bad for him
Less stress trying to operate a successful business and keep a site going at the same time. You yourself know how quickly that can get out of hand.
That I understand, There are only two other people on this forum (other then you and I) that understand about running a site/blog/community.
I see Jason Repko occasionally when I’m back in my hometown in Washington. I coached against him in High School and helped run an MLB Scouting camp where he ripped off about a 6.5 60 yard dash. A very good athlete, derailed by injuries. He has a terrific family and is a really great kid. I remember talking to John Shoemaker, who remembered Jason very fondly.
No way the word BUM can be tagged on this kid in any way.
I always thought Repko was going to collide with someone. I also thought he tended to take the same swing regardless of the pitch, location, or situation.
He worked his butt off.
Matt Luke is my favorite random Dodger. Danny Heep second.
A lot of fun names. Mark, so right about how tough a road it is for so many just to get to the major leagues. I had 2 buddies who kicked around the low minor leagues for 4-5 years. Both came out with drinking problems and one died a few years later in a drunk driving accident. Not an easy road!
Bear how about an article on Dodger unfullfilled potential. Darren Dreifort for one comes to mind.
I can do that Cassidy, gladly. There are several others who were hyped and never panned out. I do respect the fact that all of these guys worked very hard to make it to the big leagues, and in some cases, there were a lot of things that contributed to their lack of success. Hard work was not one of them.
I’m sure Billy Ashley will be included…..
Yeah, Billy would be one of the top 10 for sure.
Back when I had favorite players, Andy LaRoche was my guy. In 2007, he was the Dodgers’ #1 Prospect. BaseballAmerica said this about him:
Alas, it never happened. In his 6-year MLB Career, he hit .226 with 22 HR. Everyone gets it wrong… frequently!
I was able to have a conversation with LaRoche the first year I went to Spring Training in Arizona. Very respectful young man. Watching him hit I thought for sure he would be with the Dodgers for years.
I remember that… barely! You are much older. 😉
hey Mark, What happened? You don’t want to write anymore? Did you miss me?
You left here once before. If you are just coming here to try and goad Mark, move on. That is not welcome here.
I remember that well. I had his baseball card for a long time.
I remember him. He was from Colton CA.
The Angels had a kid named Mike Miley. He was a SS and one of their best prospects. He had a couple of cups of coffee with the Angels. I saw him play at El Paso in 74. His DP partner for a few games was Kurt Russell, the actor. Miley died in a one car crash in Louisiana in 1977. He was 23 when it happened.
I watched LaRoche play in the AFL and wasn’t impressed but I was impressed with Tony Abreu.
Matt Luke played in 102 games for the Dodgers in 98. Hit all 12 of his career homers for LA. The Dodgers got him off of waivers from the Yankees in 97. He was waived by the Dodgers in June of 98, claimed by Cleveland, and then waived 11 days later and re-claimed by the Dodgers. He then played 18 games for the Angels in 99. Danny Heep spent parts of two seasons with the Dodgers, 87-88 and was one of the Stunt Men on the 88 team.
Much of the staff of Sports Illustrated, and possibly all remaining writers and editors, received layoff notices today.
Too bad, had a subscription as a kid. It was where I first heard of how popular baseball was in Japan. Finally got to see a game there and was not disappointed.
Never read it all that much, I was more into The Sporting News which covered baseball more than any other sport in the winter. Baseball Digest was also a favorite of mine. I do miss Street and Smith’s baseball magazine which came out every spring.
sports illustrated was a tadoo for me when i was younger! the sporting news was also good. i love sports but 90% of the coverage now is pathetic. i enjoy peter gammons, jason stark and a handful of others who cover baseball. i like buck and aikman on football , and i really like dan schuman on anything. and i always enjoy old bear and mark’s articles.(maybe a bit overpaid!)lol i hope Gavin Lux isn’t one we talk about in years from now as one who never quite made it. i believe he will be a better hitter than busch or vargas, but shortstop is my only concern for him. if he struggles there i hope they shift him to 2nd so it won’t affect his hitting! mike marshall the hitter was one i had high hopes for back in the day along with graig brock. neither ever lived up to expectations. and how would baseball remember steve howe if he hadn’t suffered from addiction? he was billy wagner before billy wagner, such a tragic story. well it’s colder than a eskimos butt here in southwest virginia. oh speaking of Billy Wagner, he’s guest speaker at my youngest son’s First pitch dinner for his college baseball team he coaches. , can’t wait!
Tadoo?
Taboo?
Sports Illustrated was taboo? Because of the swimsuit issue??!??!??!?!?!?
damn spellcheck!! swimsuit? no way! maybe a little! ok a lot
The swimsuit issue was the only reason to subscribe.
Shrug!
Josh Hader to Houston for 5years/95mil.
Can’t believe we left a top player for anyone else!
Glad he is out of our division. Let the AL deal with the jerk for a while.
Because of the deferrals in Edwin Diaz’s contract, Hader can say he has the largest RP contract. He needs about a 12 fWAR for the next five years to financially justify the contract. His career fWAR is 11.3 with a fWAR of 1.7 last year. Just for comparison purposes, Evan Phillips had a 1.2 fWAR last year.
Jeff, you brought up Robert Stephenson as a possible signee a few months ago; you think we’re still in on him?
I would like to think so. But I think the Mets and Phillies will both outbid the Dodgers. Ryan Brasier?
I know Brasier wants to come back to the Dodgers, but he has only made $5.7 Million in his career. He would love to have a deal like Joe Kelly or a multi-year deal. I think the Dodgers would pay him $5 Million. We may have to wait a little longer.
The best high school baseball player I ever saw as an opposing coach was a kid out of Moses Lake Washington named BJ Garbe. As a 9th grader, I started calling him Roy Hobbs. He just hit bullets, even off 2 of my pitchers who also signed out of high school. I never saw a kid who was scouted as intensely as a high schooler. He was the 5th overall pick in 1999.
And he never got passed AA. He was done at 25 after 8 minor league seasons where he hit .235 / .638. He hit .193 / .548 in his 3 AA seasons. To me, that’s still impossible to believe, as it wasn’t due to injuries. I’ve heard lots of reasons; social anxiety disorder but no career ending injuries. The story I believe is that the Twins just destroyed the kid’s ability to hit and his confidence by wanting to change everything, right off the bat (pun intended). It never ceases to amaze me that teams seek out the best prospects, pay lots of money and then try to change everything. Those were the days when the Walt Hriniak and Charlie Lau hitting styles were all the rage and the Twins tried to get Garbe to hit those little one-handed stride and glide, off-field flares. It was a sin to pull the ball. I know a bunch of dead pull hitters who were great professional hitters so the change for BJ never made sense to me. Last I saw BJ, he was running a casino in Moses Lake. A can’t miss kid who the Twins ruined. He was too good of a listener.
The 1999 Moses Lake High School had Garbe drafted 5th overall and 2 other players drafted high. Both were recipients for the extensive scouting of Garbe. Jason Cooper was drafted in round 2 by the Phillies. He got criticized for not signing, opting to attend Stanford instead. A kind of a perceived sin in those days. He punted and played baseball eventually signing with the Indians in the 3rd round of 2002. He got a Stanford education then 10 professional seasons in MiLB.
The 3rd kid off that 1999 Moses Lake team was the biggest recipient of all the attention to Garbe. He was a catcher whose stock rose the more the scouts watched Garbe and Cooper. He ended up a 2nd rounder, signed by the Pirates. Ryan Doumit had a 15 year pro career, 10 in the Show.
So the Can’t Miss 5th pick never got past AA, one teammate got to AAA and the sleeper had 10 years in the Big Leagues.
Between scouting being an inexact science and an organization completely screwing with a player, one word describes the situation – “You-Never-Know”.
Sports Illustrated fired all employees today and LA Times had walkout of employees, including Bill Plaschke. Hopefully Plaschke keeps walking! The regional sports network contracts with half of MLB teams are in limbo with bankruptcy and possibly transfer to Amazon. A NFL playoff game is only available on Peacock network.
The media landscape is rapidly changing, and uncertainty with most of the MLB teams appears to be impacting the remaining free agents. The Dodgers are fortunate to have a lucrative, long term TV contract in a huge market that has enabled them to spend lavishly this year, while others are pulling back.
I think we are in early stages of a complete implosion of how sporting events are distributed. It’s going to be messy for a while. Ask any sports bar owner about the Peacock NFL wild card game. Total mess for commercial accounts. Dodgers are locked in, thankfully. But how the league and teams handle the Ballys transition will have ramifications for many years.
the fact is young people do not consume media in the same way as most of us “old timers”. News Papers are obsolete for people under 40. Paying for 149 channels so you can get the one that shows your favorite teams games is not sustainable (I’ve been doing that for years and hate it). The local nature of television rights has forced pro leagues to patch together a modern strategy while maintaining legacy contracts and business models. Young people are not interested in paying for cable. Which is going to have an impact if cable remains the primary means of distributing MLB games. They will continue to lose the young audience.
In the long term it will probably be a good thing. But it will be disruptive for a while. I can’t wait for the day when I can just pay $100 to watch every Dodger game for a season. That would save me around $500 per year not having to pay for cable channels which I never ever watch. But I’m sure it will still be many years before that can happen.
And I haven’t paid for the LA times for about 15 years. I actually don’t remember when I last opened up a physical newspaper. As a matter of fact, I don’t even know where I could buy one today. The machines that were in front of every restaurant are long gone. And I don’t know of even a gas station that has a newsstand anymore.
A lot has changed since smartphones came out.
In 1974, I lived in NYC, actually Brooklyn, but we were working on a job in Spanish Harlem where we were renovating an old synagogue. The company I worked for would bus us from Brooklyn at 7 AM to Spanish Harlem, but there was no way to get to scores from the West Coast. So, I would take my break at 10 AM when the Late Edition of the Post came out, and finding an English Edition of the Post in Spanish Harlem was not easy. Then, I would devour the box score while eating a donut or bagel while drinking bad coffee. Every week, the Sporting News gave me the minor league box scores. I had more than a few interesting incidents on my morning paper treks through Spanish Harlem, but I was young and dumb.
Amazing how little information was available back in the 1970’s compared to today. The morning sports page was must read material, and weekly I would get the batting averages and pitching leaders in the newspaper. No baseball reference, Fangraphs or ESPN to immediately look up statistics. No Sportscenter highlights. This Week in Baseball with Mel Allen was fantastic and provided highlights for the whole league. Such a different time!
Excellent points!
I am old enough to remember when the Saturday game of the week was a big deal, and very few local games were televised. The radio was fine for me back then. With cable, ESPN and expanded TV coverage, now we expect to watch every game live on a smart TV or phone. I spend a lot of time away from Socal, and don’t get many televised Dodger games anymore. I found that the Sirius app provides cheap radio access, and YouTube highlights are available shortly after the game to see condensed games quickly. Unfortunately, Charlie Steiner play by play can be confusing on the radio, and he is certainly not Vin Scully. But I do enjoy some Rick Monday and Charlie stories.
Hopefully, we will be able to purchase just Dodger games directly without unnecessary cable packages soon.
The story I remember is of reliever Don Stanhouse (not a great fit here because I think he was with the Dodgers for 4 years). This was one of the first free agents the Dodgers signed. Stanhouse was previously with Baltimore and Earl Weaver called him “Full Pack” because whenever he pitched Weaver would smoke a full pack of lung darts. Weaver was a character.
Full Pack was among the worst free agent signings by the Dodgers. But he couldn’t hold a candle to how bad Andruw Jones was.
Jason Schmidt was bad process bad result.
Derrel Thomas would give Lasorda fits when making basket catches in the outfield.
Dave Sax was Steve’s brother who spent time at catcher for the Dodgers
Jack Fimple a journeyman catcher who was called up and had some big hits.
Gilberto Reyes another young catching prospect who was very athletic and highly touted, just never made the big leap in the bigs.
Jose Morales, a veteran pinch hitter who didn’t have a natural position. Tommy penciled him in at first base in a game Fernando was starting (I think against the Padres), and Fernando, when he saw the lineup, exclaimed, “MORALES!!??”
Angel Pena never saw a Twinkie he didn’t like.
Terry Forester said, “A waist is a terrible thing to mind.”
Kal Daniels may have been the best hitter this side of Tommy Davis.
Did Mark Belanger really smoke two packs a game?
I remember reading an article about him back when he was with the Dodgers. There was another player quoted who described him as scary, a guy who always got a good rip and was never fooled. Should have had a longer career.
I think it was from Jay Johnstone’s book, but I remember another Fernando story. He was coming up in the minor leagues and one of his minor league coaches would always refer to him as “Orlando” instead of Fernando.
There was a time when said coach was lecturing the team about something and kept referring to “Orlando.” “Orlando” this! … “Orlando” that! Finally, Fernando interrupted, and in his then very broken English, said …
“I’m not Orlando. I’m Tampa.”
Hey Bear, the man comma package arrived today.
A thousand thanks brother. Very thoughtful.
My pleasure my friend I hope you enjoy both items.
I very much do. Thanks again.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/01/angels-to-sign-robert-stephenson.html
Cross Stephenson off your wish list.
We can just wait until July when the Angels are 20 games out and looking to save some of Arte’s money.
I agree with those who think Brasier will get more $/years than AF will be willing to give him, but I really think we have more need for a lefty in the bullpen. Maybe we’ll get Matt Moore.
I’m ready to move on from Fergie. When he’s good he’s really good, but when he’s bad………………………………………….
Ferguson is a baby in bullpen years. Don’t judge his future by his past!
This is a case of vision vs. sight!
The next big lefty we may have to wait for is Ronan Kopp. He might see the Show later this season… or next!
Typical Dope-Fiend Moreno move.
He was a long shot for the Dodgers, but LAA was a surprise. Are they going to go after Blake Snell now? JDM?
Mark is probably right that Ryan Brasier wants a multi-year deal. I do not know if he will get it, but he has the right to hold out as long as he can to get it.
If the Dodgers want the best reliever available, Hector Neris. Best LHRP available, Wandy Peralta. Can Matt Moore do it for one more year?
The Dodgers have multiple young arms that they may want to give long looks at in the bullpen.
Ronan Kopp is not far off!
I said yesterday he could be on the 26 man at the end of the year. I like him now that he is a fulltime reliever.
I think Kopp is nowhere near ready. He may turn out to be spectacular when he gets here, but he hasn’t advanced beyond a season at Great Lakes where he walked over 6 men per 9 innings.
If we’re planning to win a WS in 2024 Ronan Kopp is not a guy I’m going to plan on for this year. He’s an absolute K Machine but he has to cut down on those walks and he’s never shown he can do that anywhere he’s pitched. He’s still only 21. That’s why I think we need to bring in another reliable lefty for the pen. Both Ferguson and Vesia have been excellent at times, but they haven’t been consistent enough to suit me.
You are looking at him when he was primarily a starter. He was very good when he became a fulltime reliever. In his last 9 games, all as a reliever, he compiled 12.1 IP. He had a 1.46 ERA, with a .150 BAA and .527 OPS against. He had 19 Ks in those 12.1 IP. He still had a control problem with 6 walks. But once he has more experience as a reliever he should be able to hone in on his control. He was even more effective in the AFL. 15 Ks in 8.0 IP.
He will start in AA this year. Both Kyle Hurt and Emmet Sheehan started last year in AA and made it to the Dodgers. Bobby Miller had 4 starts at AAA last year, his only AAA experience. Sheehan had three AAA appearances once optioned. Hurt had 7 games at AAA. Hurt will probably start at OKC, and should be a quick call. He had the same issue with walks as did Kopp. If Kopp starts out well, he could be the strikeout reliever to replace Hurt. Once both Hurt and Kopp are comfortable in one inning relief, I do believe you will see a difference.
What LHRP do you think the Dodgers can sign for 1 year? There are maybe two available in FA…Wandy Peralta and Matt Moore, and I doubt Peralta will sign for 1 year. Maybe Miami will trade Tanner Scott. Emmanuel Clase, Alexis Diaz, Jordan Romano, David Bednar, Devin Williams, and Yennier Cano are all RHRP.
Just don’t see AF giving any bullpen guy left a multi year deal. I still like Ferguson and we have a lot of young arms in the ready.
BANG!
I can also see AF wanting to keep the young arms continue to start in MiLB rather than be a middle reliever. I have always been a Ferguson fan. I was writing about Ferguson when nobody knew who he was at low A in Great Lakes. Harold and I discussed him quite a bit in 2016 during the playoff run that the Loons won. But he has not been the same pitcher since he has returned from his 2nd TJ. He was used as an opener quite a bit at the end of the season. He had 3 saves vs 5 blown saves. I remain a Ferguson fan, but this is his FA platform year. Hopefully this year he can be effective for the full year. He has broken down late in the last two years.
Good to reconnect with some of the old LADT crowd! Been wondering how I was going to get through the 2024 season on my own. Looking forward to being part of LA Dodger Chronicles….