Los Angeles Dodgers: The franchise all-time bracket
By Bill Felber
Los Angeles Dodgers: The All-Time Bracket
No. 1 vs. 8 seed
The 1953 Los Angeles Dodgers arguably occupied the peak of the franchise’s most glorious period. Although they lost the World Series to the New York Yankees in six games, the ‘Boys of Summer’ won 105 regular-season games.
These were the Dodgers of Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Gil Hodges, Roy Campanella, and Pee Wee Reese, most in their physical primes. Snider hit 42 home runs and Hodges 41. Campanella, Hodges, Snider, Robinson, and outfielder Carl Furillo all topped .300, paced by Furillo’s .344.
Campanella’s 142 RBIs led three Dodgers who were over 100.
The club effectively iced the pennant with a 13-game August winning streak.
The 1988 Dodgers pulled off one of the great post-season upsets in history, taking down both the New York Mets in the NLCS and the heavily favored Oakland Athletics in a five-game World Series. Orel Hershiser led the Dodgers with a 23-8 record that included a record late-season streak of 50 consecutive scoreless innings.
He was an obvious Cy Young Award choice. Kirk Gibson was the Dodgers’ MVP but he is best remembered for his walk-off pinch-hit home run off Dennis Eckersley in the first World Series game.
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Game 1: The 1953 Dodgers’ 105-49 season works out to a .682 winning percentage. The 1988 Dodgers were 94-67, .584.
Game 2: The 1988 Dodgers had a .667 post-season record, tying this series. The 1953 team, which lost its World Series in six games.
Game 3: The 1953 club was all about offense, as its 114 OPS+ indicates. The 1988 Dodgers had only a 90 OPS+.
Game 4: The 1988 Dodgers’ pitching superiority shows through. Their staff ERA+ was 114, nine points better than the 1953 team.
Game 5: In WAR, the 1953 Dodgers were clearly superior. They compiled a score of 54.1 that was nearly 15 points better than the 1988 club’s 39.8.
Game 6:The 1953 Dodgers were a superb fielding club whose .980 average was five points better than that season’s National League average. The 1988 Dodgers only managed a .977 average, two points below the NL average.
Result: 1953 in six games