Jim Gilliam Deserves More Respect from Current Ownership.

                                         This is more of a personal rant than a statement of fact since I have no idea what the current ownership thinks of Gilliam. What I do know is that there are 9 players who have been honored in the Legends of Dodger Baseball. None of them has the Dodger pedigree that Gilliam had. Outside of Sandy Koufax, Gilliam is the only player who participated and was an integral part of the Dodgers first four World Champion teams.  He was a career, Dodger. He was the Rookie of the Year in 1953. He played until 1966. He was called out of retirement twice, 65-66 to help the Dodgers win the pennant. 

                                        After his untimely passing in 1978, the Dodgers immediately retired his #19. He was until they retired Fernando’s #34 in 24, the only player with a retired number that was not in the Hall of Fame. Junior as most called him was perhaps one of the most unselfish players I have ever seen. Maury Wills might never have broken Cobb’s record for stolen bases in a season without Gilliam hitting behind him. It was said back then that a Dodger rally consisted of a Wills walk or hit, a stolen base, Gilliam sacrificed him to third and then he would score on a sac-fly or a ground out to the right side of the diamond.

                                       Since the Dodgers began giving out bobbleheads or statues, like they did for Robinson, Newcombe and Campanella, almost every important Dodger from the 55 champs has been so honored save Carl Furillo and Johnny Podres who won the clincher with a 2-0 shutout of the Yankees. In 2018 the Dodgers scheduled a Gilliam bobblehead for August. Then they traded for Manny Machado just after the All-Star break. Instead of the Gilliam, fans got Machado. The Gilliam has never been rescheduled. I have no clue what they did with the ones that were already ordered, but they did not hand them out, that I know for sure. 

                                      Now some will say this is all sour grapes, and maybe it is. But I doubt many fans much younger than my generation have any clue who Gilliam was or how important he was to the team during his playing and coaching days. Gilliam was not a big power threat; he hit just 65 in his 14-year Dodger career. His OPB was a solid .360. He had 98 sac bunts in his career with the Dodgers, 39 of them coming from 61-63.

Baseball: World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers Wes Parker (28), Maury Wills (30), Jim Lefebvre (5) and Jim Gilliam (19)

                                       This season in August, the Dodgers will induct the 10th member of the Legends of Dodger Baseball, Reggie Smith. Now no knock-on Reggie, but he was a Dodger for just six seasons. He played more than 100 games in just two of those years. He was part of the first quartet of players on the same team to hit 30 or more homers in 1977. He never had a really outstanding post season in LA, in his three World Series with LA, he did not help LA win. In 81, he had just 2 at bats in the series. He did come back and was the batting instructor for several seasons. Gilliam’s accomplishments are much more impressive.

                                    Yes, his number is in the ring of honor, but none of the 9 prior members of the Legends had better careers as Dodgers except maybe Wills, who was the member of 3 Championship teams and was an MVP in 1962. The other thing about all of the other players who are Legends, Gilliam is the only one who played his entire career as a Dodger. Gibson was a Dodger for just 3 seasons, and he is in the Legends because of one season, and an epic World Series homer. Most of the others spent a large portion of their careers in LA. 

                                    I always had a great respect for the way Gilliam played the game. He wasn’t the best at every position he played, but he worked hard and played wherever the team needed him. In his career he played all 3 outfield spots, and all four infield spots. He never pitched and he never caught, but that was it. The bulk of his career was spent at 2nd base. When the Dodgers were in dire need of a 3rd baseman, he moved there and was very serviceable. It is impossible to compare him with today’s slick gloves men, since the fields he played on were not as manicured as they are today. He made several great plays at third during the 65 World Series that helped LA beat the Twins.

                                   Sour grapes or not, Jr. was a lifetime, Dodger. He left us way too soon at the age of 49. He died just before the 78 World Series, and the team dedicated the series to his memory. They didn’t win as we all know, but they put up a good fight. I met him once outside of the coliseum after a game in 1960. He was kind enough to stop and chat with a couple of us kids. I was always touched by his humility and his play.  How about a bobblehead or statue honoring all switch-hitting infield 0f 1965?