1970 Los Angeles Dodgers season
Encyclopedia
In , Los Angeles Dodgers
owner Walter O'Malley
stepped down as team president, turning the reins over to his son Peter
, while remaining as the team's chairman. The Dodgers remained competitive, finishing the season in second place, 14½ games behind the NL
Champion Cincinnati Reds
in the National League West
.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
owner Walter O'Malley
Walter O'Malley
Walter Francis O'Malley was an American sports executive who owned the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers team in Major League Baseball from to . He served as Brooklyn Dodgers chief legal counsel when Jackie Robinson broke the racial color barrier in...
stepped down as team president, turning the reins over to his son Peter
Peter O'Malley
Peter O'Malley is the former president and owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers of American Major League Baseball.-Biography:...
, while remaining as the team's chairman. The Dodgers remained competitive, finishing the season in second place, 14½ games behind the NL
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
Champion Cincinnati Reds
1970 Cincinnati Reds season
The 1970 Cincinnati Reds season consisted of the Reds winning the National League West title with a record of 102-60, 14½ games ahead of the runner-up Los Angeles Dodgers. The Reds defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in three straight games in the 1970 National League Championship Series to win their...
in the National League West
National League West
The National League Western Division, or NL West, is one of the three divisions of Major League Baseball's National League. It was created in 1969 when the previously undivided National League expanded its membership to twelve teams, positioning half of them in an Eastern division and the other...
.
Offseason
- January 16, 1970: 1970 Major League Baseball Draft1970 Major League Baseball Draft-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1970 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :The regular and secondary phases of the January draft proved more fruitful to major league clubs than the June draft...
(January secondary phase) notable picks:
-
- Round 1: John LaRoseJohn LaRoseHenry John LaRose is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played briefly for the Boston Red Sox during the season. Listed at 6' 1", 185 lb., he batted and threw left-handed....
(did not sign) - Round 4: Mike BarlowMike BarlowMichael Roswell Barlow is a retired professional baseball player who played seven seasons for the St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Angels, and Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball....
(did not sign)
- Round 1: John LaRose
Opening Day lineup
| Opening Day starters | |
|---|---|
| Name | Position |
| Maury Wills Maury Wills Maurice Morning "Maury" Wills is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and switch-hitting batter who played most prominently with the Los Angeles Dodgers , and also with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Montreal Expos... |
Shortstop Shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the... |
| Bill Buckner Bill Buckner William Joseph Buckner is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. Despite winning a batting crown in , representing the Chicago Cubs at the All-Star Game the following season and accumulating over 2,700 hits in his twenty-year career, he is best remembered for a fielding error during Game 6... |
Left fielder Left fielder In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound... |
| Willie Davis Willie Davis (baseball) William Henry Davis was a center fielder in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the Los Angeles Dodgers... |
Center fielder Center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field... |
| Willie Crawford Willie Crawford Willie Murphy Crawford was a Major League Baseball outfielder who played with Los Angeles Dodgers , St. Louis Cardinals , Houston Astros and Oakland Athletics . Crawford was born in Los Angeles, California. He batted and threw left-handed... |
Right fielder Right fielder A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound... |
| Wes Parker Wes Parker Maurice Wesley Parker III is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers from to... |
First baseman First baseman First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team... |
| Steve Garvey Steve Garvey Steven Patrick Garvey , nicknamed "Mr. Clean" because of the squeaky clean image he held throughout his career in baseball, is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and current Southern California businessman... |
Third baseman Third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run... |
| Tom Haller Tom Haller Thomas Frank Haller was an American professional baseball player and baseball executive. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball with the San Francisco Giants , Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers... |
Catcher Catcher Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to... |
| Ted Sizemore Ted Sizemore Ted Crawford Sizemore was a second baseman for Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers , St... |
Second baseman Second baseman Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base... |
| Claude Osteen Claude Osteen Claude Wilson Osteen , nicknamed "Gomer" because of his resemblance to Gomer Pyle, is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched for six different teams: the Cincinnati Redlegs/Reds , Washington Senators , Los Angeles Dodgers , Houston Astros , St... |
Starting pitcher Starting pitcher In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher.... |
Notable transactions
- June 4, 1970: 1970 Major League Baseball Draft1970 Major League Baseball Draft-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1970 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :The regular and secondary phases of the January draft proved more fruitful to major league clubs than the June draft...
(June draft) notable picks:
-
- Round 3: Lance RautzhanLance RautzhanClarence George Rautzhan is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1977-1979 with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers....
- Round 17: Mike VailMike VailMichael Lewis Vail is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He played from 1975-1984....
(did not sign) - Round 33: Greg ShanahanGreg ShanahanPaul Gregory Shanahan is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball. He pitched in 11 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 1973 and 1974 seasons.-External links:...
- Round 3: Lance Rautzhan
- Secondary Phase
- Round 1: Doug RauDoug RauDouglas James Rau , is a retired professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1972-1981...
- August 21, 1970: Jerry RoysterJerry RoysterJeron Kennis Royster was a third baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox, and the New York Yankees, as well as a former manager of the Milwaukee Brewers and of the Lotte Giants in the Korea Baseball Organization.-Career:He was signed by the Dodgers...
was signed as an amateur free agent by the Dodgers. - August 24, 1970: Sergio FerrerSergio FerrerSergio Ferrer Marrero is a former Major League Baseball shortstop. He played in parts of four seasons in the majors in two separate stints. He played for the Minnesota Twins in and , then spent two seasons in the minor leagues before returning to the majors to play for the New York Mets in and...
was signed as an amateur free agent by the Dodgers. - September 28, 1970: Fred NormanFred NormanFredie Hubert Norman , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1962–1964, 1966–1967, and 1970-1980....
was purchased from the Dodgers by the St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
.
- August 21, 1970: Jerry Royster
- Round 1: Doug Rau
Roster
| 1970 Los Angeles Dodgers | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders |
Manager Coaches |
||||||
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SS | 132 | 522 | 141 | .270 | 0 | 34 | |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 58 | 7 | 6 | 24 | 3.13 | 91 | |
| 30 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5.23 | 27 | |
Awards and honors
- Gold Glove AwardGold Glove AwardThe Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
- Wes ParkerWes ParkerMaurice Wesley Parker III is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers from to...
- Wes Parker
- NL Player of the MonthPlayer of the MonthThe Player of the Month Award is a Major League Baseball award named by each league every month of the regular season. The National League started recognizing the award on June 4, 1958. National League president Warren Giles conducted a poll of baseball writers in each Major League city and...
- Bill SingerBill SingerWilliam Robert Singer is a former baseball pitcher with a 14-year career from 1964 to 1977. He played primarily for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the California Angels , spending his final two seasons with the Texas Rangers , Minnesota Twins and Toronto Blue Jays .-Los Angeles Dodgers:Singer made...
(July 1970)
- Bill Singer
All-Stars
- 1970 Major League Baseball All-Star Game1970 Major League Baseball All-Star GameThe 1970 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 41st midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played on July 14, 1970 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, home of the...
- Billy GrabarkewitzBilly GrabarkewitzBilly Cordell Grabarkewitz , is a retired professional baseball player who played third base, second base, and shortstop in the Major Leagues from 1969-1975. His best season was 1970, when he was the starting third baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers and was selected as an All-Star...
reserve - Claude OsteenClaude OsteenClaude Wilson Osteen , nicknamed "Gomer" because of his resemblance to Gomer Pyle, is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched for six different teams: the Cincinnati Redlegs/Reds , Washington Senators , Los Angeles Dodgers , Houston Astros , St...
reserve
- Billy Grabarkewitz
