Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

1979 Los Angeles Dodgers season

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Owner(s)
  
Walter O'Malley

Manager(s)
  
Tommy Lasorda

General manager(s)
  
Al Campanis

Local television
  
KTTV (11)

Local radio
  
KABC Vin Scully, Jerry Doggett, Ross Porter KTNQ Jaime Jarrín, Rudy Hoyos

The 1979 Los Angeles Dodgers finished the season in third place in the Western Division of the National League. Near the end of the season, owner Walter O'Malley died and the ownership of the team went to his son Peter.

Contents

Offseason

  • February 15, 1979: Brad Gulden was traded by the Dodgers to the New York Yankees for Gary Thomasson.

    • Notable transactions

  • April 7, 1979: Rick Rhoden was traded by the Dodgers to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Jerry Reuss.
  • May 11, 1979: Lance Rautzhan was purchased from the Dodgers by the Milwaukee Brewers.
  • May 11, 1979: Lerrin LaGrow was purchased by the Dodgers from the Chicago White Sox.

    • Starters by position

    Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

    Other batters

    Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

    Starting pitchers

    Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

    Other pitchers

    Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

    Relief pitchers

    Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

    Awards and honors

  • National League Rookie of the Year
  • Rick Sutcliffe
  • TSN Rookie Pitcher of the Year Award
  • Rick Sutcliffe
  • NL Player of the Week
  • Dusty Baker (May 22–28)
  • Manny Mota (Aug. 27 – Sep. 3)

    • All-Stars

  • 1979 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
  • Steve Garvey, starter, first base
  • Davey Lopes, starter, second base
  • Ron Cey, reserve
  • TSN National League All-Star
  • Davey Lopes
  • Baseball Digest Rookie All-Star
  • Rick Sutcliffe

    • Farm system

    Teams in BOLD won League Championships

    Major League Baseball Draft

    The Dodgers drafted 36 players in the June draft and 11 in the January draft. Of those, five players would eventually play in the Major Leagues.

    The Dodgers lost their first round pick in the June draft to the San Diego Padres because they signed free agent Derrel Thomas but they gained the first round picks of the Pittsburgh Pirates (compensation for Lee Lacy) and New York Yankees (for Tommy John). With those picks they drafted two players from the University of Michigan, left-handed pitcher Steve Howe and right-handed pitcher Steve Perry. Howe was the 1980 NL Rookie of the Year, a 1981 World Series Champion and a 1982 All-Star. He played in 12 seasons and saved 328 games before a drug addiction forced him out of the game. Perry pitched six seasons in the minors, the last two with the AAA Albuquerque Dukes, and finished 28-40 with a 5.34 ERA before the Dodgers released him.

    This years draft class also included pitcher Orel Hershiser from Bowling Green University, who was picked in the 17th round. He pitched 18 seasons (13 with the Dodgers), winning 204 games. He set a Major League record with a 59 consecutive scoreless inning streak in 1988 en route to winning the Cy Young Award and the World Series MVP. He was also a three-time All-Star.

    References

    1979 Los Angeles Dodgers season Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA