In their illustrious history, the Los Angeles Dodgers have 24 National League pennants, seven World Series titles and now, two player statues. The Dodgers will unveil a Sandy Koufax statue at Dodger Stadium June 18 to go along with the Jackie Robinson one. In full, there are 11 Dodgers retired jersey numbers.
Getting your number retired is one of the greatest tributes a franchise and a fan base can bestow upon a player. It’s amazing the Dodgers have 11. It’s a testament to the brilliant players and men who have worn Dodger Blue over the years.
Let’s get to know a little more about each of the 11 retired Dodger numbers, presented in chronological order of when they had their digits dropped.
42 Jackie Robinson
Retired: June 4, 1972
42. It’s a movie. It’s a number. It is part of the fabric of American history. Robinson is a pioneer in baseball, breaking Major League Baseball’s color line when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers.
His social reform perhaps overshadows what a good player he was. Robinson was Bo Jackson before Bo Jackson. He brought speed and power to baseball like it had never seen. He was a six-time All-Star and still ranks fourth in franchise history in on-base percentage.
Now, every MLB franchise has retired No. 42.
39 Roy Campanella
Retired: June 4, 1972
‘Campy’ spent 10 years in Brooklyn and was a three-time Most Valuable Player and an eight-time MLB All-Star. He doesn’t get the same credit as Robinson for helping to integrate baseball, because there was still a stigma about a black man playing catcher (like the bias against a black quarterback). Campy was paralyzed in a tragic car accident in 1958 and went on to inspire a generation of disabled athletes.
32 Sandy Koufax
Retired: June 4, 1972
A shooting star. The greatest left-hander pitcher of all-time. Koufax spent 12 years with the Dodgers winning 165 games and throwing four no-hitters. He won three pitcher Triple Crowns, meaning having the most wins, lowest ERA and most shutouts in the NL in a single year.
For five years in the mid-60s, every Koufax start was must-see/must-listen. He retired early due to arthritis in his arm.
24 Walter Alston
Retired: June 5, 1977
He was the Dodgers manager for a record 23 years, a feat that may not be matched in the modern era. He guided the Dodgers to three World Series titles and five NL pennants. His 2,040 wins ranks ninth all-time in MLB history.
19 Jim Gilliam
Retired: Oct. 10, 1978
Gilliam was third base coach for the Dodgers in 1978, who suffered a brain hemorrhage in September of that year and died the day after the Dodgers clinched the NL pennant. Quickly, the franchise retired the No. 19.
Gilliam deserve the honor. As a player, he spent 14 years with the Dodgers, winning four World Series and ranks eighth in franchise history in hits.
4 Duke Snider
Retired: July 6, 1980
“The Duke of Flatbush.” He inspired an argument that will last forever in New York City, who’s the better center fielder? Willie Mays (with the NY Giants) Mickey Mantle (Yankees) or Snider (Brooklyn).
Snider still leads the franchise in RBI and homers and is second in total bases and doubles. He is the premier power hitter of his era with the Dodgers. Let the debate rage on.
1 Pee Wee Reese
Retired: July 1, 1984
Harold “Pee Wee” Reese was Derek Jeter before Derek Jeter.
Reese was the Dodgers captain, always in step, always team-first. He played 16 years with the Dodgers, missing three years to work for Uncle Sam in World War II. He was a winner on the field, helping the Dodgers to seven pennants. Reese still is tops in Dodger history in runs scored and walks and second all-time in hits.
53 Don Drysdale
Retired: July 1, 1984
The Big Man. Drysdale was the Intimidator on the mound, the partner to Sandy Koufax in the 60s giving the Dodgers the best 1-2 pitching combination of all-time.
Drysdale pitched longer than Koufax (the comparisons are inevitable) and still is second in franchise history with 209 wins and third in strikeouts (2,486). He will also go down as one of the best hitting pitchers ever with a career average of .186. He won a Cy Young and three World Series titles.
2 Tommy Lasorda
Retired: August 15, 1997
Mr. Dodger, right? He is synonymous with the franchise. He spent 47 years playing or coaching with the Dodgers. Lasorda took over the team from Alston and coached for the next 21 years, winning four pennants and two World Series titles.
He’s famous/infamous for being the pitcher discarded by the Dodgers in order to keep Koufax on the roster. Lasorda pitched in 26 games in his MLB career.
20 Don Sutton
Retired: August 14, 1998
With all their pitching gems over the years, it’s Sutton who leads the franchise in wins (233) and is second in strikeouts.
He spent 16 years in Dodger Blue and threw 156 complete games – now there’s a record that won’t be topped. His 233 career wins ranks 14th all time in MLB history.
14 Gil Hodges
Retired: June 4, 2022
In 16 years with the Dodgers, the fiery Hodges batted .274 and won a pair of World Series crowns. He was an eight-time All-Star and ranks second in Dodger history in RBI and fourth in games played. He managed the New York Mets to the 1969 World Series title.
