June 22nd, 2012 at 10:42 am 
by Ron Cervenka Anybody who has known me for more than ten minutes knows that Dodger Hall of Fame pitcher Don Drysdale is my all-time favorite Dodger player. Yes, my nickname around the stadium and on various forums and blog sites is “FanSince53” and my custom jerseys read this, but this nickname is not only an indication that I have been a Dodger fan for my entire life (since 1953), but it also indicates that I have always been a huge fan of Don Drysdale, who wore uniform number 53, which was officially retired by the Dodgers in 1984.
“I hate all hitters. I start a game mad and I stay that way until it’s over.” – Don Drysdale
And though nothing has changed about my affection towards the most intimidating pitcher of all time, I recall also being a big Wally Moon fan when I was 5 years old because of his famous Moon Shots at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum.
Not many people realize that Wally Moon was the 1954 NL Rookie of the Year, beating out a couple guys named Ernie Banks and Hank Aaron.
Of course I have several current favorite Dodger players too, guys like Clayton Kershaw, Matt Kemp, and more recently A.J. Ellis, but as far as my all-time favorite Dodger, that honor shall always go to Don Drysdale (although Sandy Koufax runs a pretty close second).
What about you? Who is your all-time favorite Dodger player, and why?
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My all-time favorite Dodger was Bill Buckner. I was crushed when they traded him off to the Cubs. Very few remember what a great player Buckner was and that he actually was a Dodger. The amount of potential he had was immeasurable before he fell victim to injury. Ted Williams watched him in 1970 Spring Training and proclaimed he’d soon be a batting champion. He hustled, feared no unpadded outfield wall, hit .300 with his eyes closed, and played with a swagger and confidence that was needed at the time.
Well what can I say, like Ron (go figure) it has to be Drysdale. He is the first Dodger I ever remember and the first Dodger I ever tracked as a player. Later on I really appreciated his broadcasts and watched him go through life a true Dodger. For the Love of the Game !!
You know, Gary, I think the reason why I went with Drysdale over Koufax as kid is because I vividly remember my dad telling me that Drysdale was a good hitting pitcher, and then actually seeing him hit several of his 29 (yes 29) career home runs. Of course also watching him pitch a complete game, 1-0, 3-hit shut-out in game-3 of the 1963 World Series might have had a bit of an influence on me too.
Here’s some food for thought – I wonder if you and I were ever at the same games at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum when we were kids… or even at Dodger Stadium? I bet we were.
Sandy Koufax was and is my favorite. I guess if my mother was “in love” with him, he was good enuf for me too 🙂 I think I’d be totally tongue-tied if I ever saw him but not so tongue-tied that I would forget to stammer asking for an autograph.
I think I can honestly say that I don’t have an all-time favorite Dodger that I saw play. I grew up with the Dodgers of the 80s so by then free agency was in full swing and when the Dodgers let Garvey go to the Padres I knew that following any one particular player would be a recipe for heart-ache at some point. Historically, my favorite Dodger is Roy Campanella, but that is only based on stories and history– as for Dodgers I enjoyed watching over the years, I liked Scioscia, LoDuca, Shawn Green, and now Matt Kemp, but I am more a Dodger fan than any particular player.
That’s a very good point, Rob. I certainly understand that something was needed to protect players from less than scrupulous owners, but in my opinion, free agency as it stands today has pretty much ruined the game. With few exceptions, gone are the days where one player remains with one team for his entire career – a very good reason to never again buy a $200 player jersey… well, maybe except for Matt Kemp and (hopefully) Clayton Kershaw, that is.
BTW – Roy Campanella is a GREAT choice. Although I knew about him as a Brooklyn Dodger, I never got to see him play, as his accident occurred the winter prior to the Dodgers moving to L.A.
Also – it’s ok to have a favorite Dodger, even if only for a brief time… as the great Don Drysdale once said (and titled his popular book): “Once a Bum, Always a Dodger.”
As I have previously written, the first time I caught a baseball game, a Dodger game on radio, Vin’s voice captured my attention, and Duke Snider sealed the deal. Duke is my favorite player ever, but Jackie Robinson is the player I respect the most, but a respect that evolved after his playing days as I came to understand the significance of what he did.
If I could have just one baseball card, it would be Duke’s 1954 Topp’s card. I have it and it is my most treasured card. I also have over 100 Duke cards and still buy them. I have five Duke autographs: on a baseball, a picture, an Expo program, a baseball card, and in “The Boys of Summer”.
I met Duke at a Dodge-Chrysler dealership many year ago, in Dartmouth. That is how I came by the autograph in the book. I was so nervous I couldn’t strike up a conversation. Quite a few years later, in the early 80’s, I called Duke at ST in Vero Beach and expressed my appreciation to him for the enjoyment he had provided in my life and still does. He seemed humbled by the call.
I loved him as a color commentator with the Expos. He was indeed humble, and most grateful to baseball for the life it provided for him and his family, during and after his playing days.
There are many Dodgers that are special to me, especially from the 50’s and many LA Dodgers that are special, but for me, Duke is the guy.
That’s not an easy question for me to answer. I have many favorite Dodgers throughout the years and different eras of Dodger baseball. If I would be forced to pick just one it would have to be Sandy Koufax. I really fell in love with those Dodger teams of the early ’60s. I always felt Sandy was the heart and soul of those teams. It seemed when a big game was needed to be won he was there to do it. The crowning glory was the 1963 World Series, when he beat the Yankees twice. I’ll never forget game one. My sixth grade teacher let us watch it on the school TV and I was the only one in my class rooting for the Dodgers amongst a sea of Yankee fans. That victory was sweet. I always felt so confident with Sandy on the mound that we would win and he usually did.
Beings that I’m a relatively new fan. In all honesty my favorite Dodger isn’t a player. It is non other than Vin Scully. It was he that I longer to hear over the radio. To hear him call a ball game, music to my ears. I soon came to realize, that if this great man has been with this club for so long, that must make them great as well! If I had to pick a favorite player that I’ve actually seen play, that would probably be Eric Gange. Partly because he is Canadian. My other favorite (no explanation required for obvious reasons) would be Jackie Robinson.
Gil Hodges was my hero. He was a quiet, powerful man. To this day I still think he was the best fielding first baseman I have ever seen. He was a great RBI man and once hit four home runs in one game. He was the ultimate family man, and the fans in Brooklyn loved him. I don’t believe he was ever ejected from a game as a player. He had a habit of touching the little white button on the top of his hat before every pitch when he was batting.
Over the years I’ve had other favorites – Koufax, Hershiser, Lopes, Shawn Green, Kershaw to name a few, but Gil will always be at the top of my list.
There has been so many players that I have loved over my 33 year life, Steve Sax is one I loved to watch running around like a mad man in my earlier years… Sandy Koufax is someone I never really got to watch ( obviously), but the more and more I read about him and see over old clips .. I am just blown away at the career he put together in such a short but magnificent time frame. But if I have to pick one … I would have to go back to the moment I fell in love with Dodger Blue .. October 15th 1988.. when an injured Kirk Gibson hobbled on the field and sent one deep into Right Field. I can watch that game a million times ( and if you ask my better half Jen.. I have watched more than that already), I guarantee EVERY time it will give me goosebumps. Kirk Gibson will forever be at the center of my Dodger World!!