The Dodgers will celebrate the 12-year career of former All-Star outfielder Andre Ethier in a pregame retirement ceremony on Friday, August 3 prior to their 7:10 p.m. game with the Houston Astros at Dodger Stadium. The ceremony will be emceed by actor Jason Bateman and will include tributes from Ethier’s teammates past and present.
“I look forward to coming back to Los Angeles and Dodger Stadium, places I’m so lucky to have called home for the last 12 years,” said Ethier. “There’s nothing like stepping out on the field at Dodger Stadium and looking up and seeing the faithful Dodger Blue supporting you, and I’m grateful for the reception and support I received in all my years playing there. I’m humbled by this evening and look forward to sharing it all with you.”
The 36-year-old Phoenix, Arizona native played all 12 of his Major League seasons with the Dodgers, helping them to seven division titles and eight postseason appearances from 2006-2017. His career .285 batting average included 162 home runs, 303 doubles, 34 triples and 687 RBI in 1,455 games played, earning him selections to the 2010 and 2011 National League All-Star teams. Along the way, he picked up a Silver Slugger award in 2009 and a Gold Glove award in 2011.
During the course of his career, Ethier earned a reputation for coming through in the clutch and finished his career with 14 walk-off RBI, second most in Los Angeles history to Dusty Baker’s 16, while posting career marks of .282 with runners in scoring position and .315 with the bases loaded. Fittingly, his last Major League at-bat resulted in a clutch hit – a pinch-hit RBI single in Game 7 of the 2017 World Series against the Astros.
Ethier earned his place among the best in Los Angeles Dodgers history in games played (1,455 – 7th), hits (1,367 – 7th), extra-base hits (499 – 4th), doubles (303 – 3rd), home runs (162 – T-8th) and RBI (687 – 6th). He holds the dubious Los Angeles Dodgers record for being hit by pitches (58) and for collecting a hit in 10 consecutive at-bats from August 22-25, 2012, which tied Edward Konetchy’s franchise record set in 1919. His 30-game hitting streak from April 2-May 6, 2011 remains the second longest in franchise history behind only Willie Davis’ 31-game run in 1969.
Originally selected by the Oakland Athletics in the second round of the 2003 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of Arizona State University, Dre (as he is affectionately known) was acquired by the Dodgers in December of 2005 in exchange for Milton Bradley and Antonio Perez, and is still considered among the best trades in franchise history.
In addition to his contributions on the field, Ethier was passionate about his impact off the field and provided support to underserved communities, including donations of $375,000 to the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation during his time with the club. These funds were used to revitalize and rename the Union Rescue Mission Learning Center, now The Maggie and Andre Ethier Learning Center, which provides classes for homeless men and women in Los Angeles. His contributions also supported four-year scholarships for three current Jackie Robinson Foundation/Ethier Family Scholars attending college at Arizona State University and the University of Arizona. In addition to the generous monetary support, Ethier partnered with LADF on Dre Dayz, a program that afforded over 700 youth from 24 different organizations supported by LADF, a once in a lifetime opportunity to watch batting practice from the field and enjoy the game in a premium suite.
Fans are encouraged to arrive early for the Andre Ethier retirement celebration, as a capacity crowd is expected. The evening will conclude with a postgame fireworks show presented by Denny’s.
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(Article courtesy of LA Dodgers)
Thank you for your service as a LA Dodger, and much success in the future.
seems strange to me that Ethier did not get a MLB job this season as it seems there are many bench players on teams without the talent and clubhouse presence of Andre. Perhaps he only wanted a job closer to home, or more money than teams were willing to pay, or ??? Bateman seems like a strange choice for MC, why not Davis, or Hershiser, or Kennedy, or Alana?
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
That was one of my first thoughts as well.
Better still, why not have former Dodgers general manager (and current SportsNet LA analyst) Ned Colletti, who traded malcontent Milton Bradley for Andre in December of 2005. Ethier was Colletti’s very first trade as the Dodgers new GM at the time. Talk about knocking one out of the park!
Great idea; Colletti would be ideal.
Talk about a favorite LA Dodger player, Andre is the only player that I’ve gotten more than one autograph from. Yes, got some in N.Y., L.A. and in spring training in 2013. He’s one Dodger I’ll never forget. Thanks for everything Andre and good luck to you in the future.
Another great event I’ll miss.
I’m just hoping he’ll get a job with the Dodgers. Maybe at Camelback?
A great memory of Dre: I think it was two years ago, he homered in the ninth to tie a game, homered in extras to win it.
Mlb needs to redo the salary system to provide a living wage for prospects/minor leaguers, more merit based pay for all players with a 700,000 minimum with step ups for years of service. Players would be able to be free agents, and teams would compete for their services by offering higher merit based bonuses. Then players like Andre Either might get a few more years to play, because the teams would not be obligated to pay him 12 to 15 million a season unless he delivered. The player would share in the risk of having a subpar season, or injury, yet would benefit if the numbers were outstanding.