Baseball is a generation thing. Ask any Dodger fan who their favorite Dodger player is and chances are their answer will be someone who played during their lifetime as opposed to someone who played decades or even a century before they were born. As such, when someone gives you an answer to this question, it should always be taken with the proverbial grain of salt and with this in mind.

Unlike most teams, in order for a former Dodger player to have their number retired they first must been enshrined into the sacred halls of Cooperstown. The lone exception to this is the number 19, which was worn by beloved former Dodger Jim Gilliam. In fact, there is one team – that shall remain nameless – that plays in the Bronx that has retired so many numbers that they may soon have to start issuing triple digit uniform numbers or switch to letter and number combinations like license plates for their future players (yes, I’m being facetious).

Yet when fans take a quick look at the ten retired Dodgers numbers, they will – or at least should – notice that there is only one former shortstop among them, this in spite of the fact that the position has long been considered one of the most difficult positions to play – catchers notwithstanding. That lone shortstop is, of course, the great Pee Wee Reese, whose number 1 is proudly displayed over Dodger Stadium along with the other nine retired numbers.

The Dodgers 10 retired numbers.
(Image courtesy of phungo.blogspot.com)

During this year’s FanFest event at Dodger Stadium on January 30, I asked Dodgers Gold Glove first baseman Adrian Gonzalez what he thought about (then) up and coming Dodgers top shortstop prospect Corey Seager. Little did I know that my question would spark a response that would not only make local headlines but national headlines as well.

“I told this to Eric Young when I was playing against the Rockies last year when [Seager] was still in the minors. We were talking about prospects that they had and prospects that we had and I told him that he’s a special kid, that he’s a kid that I could see being a Hall of Famer in the future,” Gonzalez said. “And this is before anybody put him as a number one prospect. This was early in the year last year. He’s got the talent, he’s got the makeup, the potential. I think he’s going to be a great major leaguer for a long time.”

Although five months in the major leagues is ridiculously too short of a time to award Seager a plaque at Cooperstown, what he has done in those five months may very well make AGon a prophet. In his combined 135 games played in the majors thus far (including 27 from last season after his September 1 call-up), the 22-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina native and younger brother to Kyle and Justin Seager has a career (albeit short) batting average of .308, an on-base percentage of .370 and a slugging percentage of .538 for a ridiculous OPS of .907. With nearly two months remaining in the 2016 season Seager has already hit 31 doubles to set a new LA Dodgers record for most doubles in a season by a rookie.

And then on Monday night Seager set a new LA Dodgers record for most home runs in a season by a Dodgers shortstop – rookie or otherwise – when he hit his 20th and 21st home runs in a 9-4 pounding of the Philadelphia Phillies at Dodger Stadium. This puts him only one home run shy of the all-time franchise record of 22 home runs by a Dodgers shortstop set by Brooklyn Dodgers shortstop Glenn Wright in 1930. He also became only the eighth rookie in franchise history to reach the 20-home-run mark, joining Mike Piazza (35 – 1993), Joc Pederson (26 – 2015), Del Bissonette (25 – 1928), Johnny Frederick (24 – 1929) Frank Howard (23 – 1960), Greg Brock (20 – 1983) and Eric Karros (20 – 1992).

Taking absolutely nothing away from the great Pee Wee Reese, the Hall of Famer (both on and off the field) had a career slash-line of .269 / .366 / .377 for an OPS of .743. He never hit more than 35 doubles or 16 home runs in any of his 16 major league seasons (he did not play in 1943, 1944 or 1945 do to his military service during World War II). He also posted a career fielding percentage of .962 at shortstop over his brilliant career, of which Seager’s is currently .967 through his first season plus.

While there is absolutely no question it is Seager’s God-given talent that has taken him this fair at such a young age, he is also blessed to share the middle infield with arguably one of the best second basemen to ever play the game in Chase Utley. In fact, former Dodger and 1992 NL Rookie of the Year Eric Karros (whose rookie doubles record Seager broke last Saturday) recently said that Utley has been a huge factor in the young shortstop’s success.

“I will say that everything I know [about Seager] is he’s very mature and plays beyond his years, and I will say that he’s also had Chase Utley who’s had a huge impact on Corey and the way that he approaches the game,” Karros said. “And I don’t think it’s any secret that, again, you talk about some of the characteristics that Corey has, I think he’s learned a lot from Chase.”

After Monday night’s game I shared Karros’ comments with Utley, to which he gave a reply that you might expect from the stoic 37-year-old 14-year MLB veteran and Southern California native.

“I definitely don’t necessarily think that’s completely true. Obviously, his locker is next to mine and we talk about a lot of different things. He’s continuing to get better out there defensively as far as positioning himself and reading hitter’s swings. I’ve definitely noticed an improvement in that. He takes it serious on both sides of ball which, to be one of the best shortstops, you’ve got to do.”

Asked if he now enjoys passing the things that were passed onto him as a young player onto Seager and the other young Dodgers, Utley gave a typical long and drawn-out answer for which he is famous.

“I do.”