Real or not? Best Dodgers team ever? by David Schoenfield | ESPN Senior Writer — 70 minutes ago Think the Atlanta Braves would like Alex Wood back? Back at the trade deadline in 2015, the Braves, Dodgers and Marlins made a complicated three-team deal that included 13 players -- but the meat of that deal was Wood going to the Dodgers and Hector Olivera going to the Braves. Olivera was a Cuban free agent the Dodgers had signed for $62.5 million, including a $28 million signing bonus. Olivera would play only 30 games for the Braves and would get suspended after a domestic violence dispute (although they did manage to flip him to the Padres for Matt Kemp when the Padres wanted to dump Kemp's contract). Wood, who had a 3.10 ERA in his three seasons with the Braves, battled a foot injury in 2015 and then elbow chips in 2016, when he made only 10 starts and won one game. He began the season in the bullpen, joined the rotation, missed a couple of weeks because of a sore shoulder and now looks like one of the best starters in baseball. After beating the Diamondbacks 1-0 on Wednesday, he's now 10-0 with a 1.67 ERA. He has struck out 97 in 80 2/3 innings and given up only two home runs. With Clayton Kershaw starting Sunday and thus ineligible to pitch in Tuesday's All-Star Game, Wood is the best option to replace him on the roster. One key for Wood has been increased usage of his changeup -- apparently on the advice of Andrew Friedman and the Dodgers' analytics department. From a Bill Plunkett piece in the Orange County Register in May: But Wood also credits a conversation with Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman with turbo-charging his return to a prominent role. "When I really started to take off last year was after we had a conversation about pitch usage and that kind of thing," Wood said. "I won't go into too much detail but that along with my mechanics getting back to where they were most of my life has made everything work better." With the Braves in 2015, Wood threw his fastball 66 percent of the time. This season he's down to 52 percent, with his changeup percentage increasing from 15 to 25 percent. Opponents are hitting .127 against it. Of course, they're also hitting .190 against his fastball and .195 against his curveball. The Dodgers have now won 22 of their past 26 games, and Wood's emergence as a strong No. 2 behind Kershaw leads me to this question: Could this be the best team in Los Angeles Dodgers history? Their current run differential of plus-154 would be the second highest in National League history at the All-Star break, behind only the 1944 Cardinals, and they're on pace for 107 wins. For context, here are the best seasons since the franchise moved from Brooklyn in 1958: • 2017 Dodgers: 57-29, .663 • 1974 Dodgers: 102-60, .630 • 1962 Dodgers: 102-63, .618 • 1963 Dodgers: 99-63, .611 • 1977 Dodgers: 98-64, .605 As much success as the Dodgers have had -- including the past four NL West titles -- it's surprising they haven't had more super teams. They haven't won more than 95 games since that '77 squad did it 40 years ago. I imagine most Dodgers experts would point to the 1963 team, led by Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale, as the best since it swept the New York Yankees in the World Series. The 1974 team that had the highest winning percentage led the NL in both runs scored (798) and fewest runs allowed (561). That team featured Cy Young Award winner Mike Marshall, who pitched a remarkable 206 innings in relief, plus MVP Steve Garvey (although Jim Wynn easily led Garvey in WAR and 20-game winner Andy Messersmith topped Marshall). The Dodgers lost the World Series to the A's. This team has a chance to top those two, especially given the weak slate of opponents on their schedule the rest of the way. Of their 76 remaining games, 47 are against teams currently with losing records, just 29 against winning teams. Of their first 36 games after the break, 30 are against losing teams. The Dodgers have the best rotation ERA in the majors. They lead the NL in bullpen ERA. They're second only to the Nationals in the NL in runs. They have the best closer. They have Cody Freakin' Bellinger. It's not a question of winning 100 games, but how many wins above 100.
Always thought the change was the best secondary pitch in the game. It's a pleasure watching Wood implement it. This talk about "best ever" Dodger team won't mean dick without success in Oct.
agreed and no consolation prize for being the best team not to win it all yankees used to say the season doesn't begin until october and they're right
Yeah, good that some optimists are saying this, and not an old pessimist like me, but bottom line doesn't lie... I have question, Irish...any idea why the Dodgers played 3 extra games in 1962? Some kind of playoff thing?
Thanks for the reminder. My first heartbreaking loss of my Dodger fandom. Giants scored four in the 9th against Ed Roebuck and Stan Williams. Roebuck had a very good year, but was reportedly out of gas at that point in the year. Should have never been a playoff. Dodgers blew 6 of the final 7 games, including a 1-0 game in the regular season finale. That could have been the best Dodger team ever. http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/LAD/1962.shtml http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/LAN/LAN196210030.shtml
OK...I'm older than anyone. But check out the lineup of the 1955 Dodgers ( if this is not an LA thing only)...that was the best one ever, imo.
I remember what a dumpster fire that team was. Truly horrible. To think, if they weren't that terrible, we may not have gotten Clayton.
the numbers of those guys.. • campy 32hr/107rbi .318/.395/.583 5.2war • hodges 27/102 .289/.377/.500 4.4war • duke 42/136 .309/.418/.628 8.6 war • furillo 26/95 .314/.371/.520 5.1war amazing
2004: Caesar Izturis SS Steve Finley OF / Milton Bradley Shawn Green 1B Adrian Beltre 3B Jayson Werth OF Paul Lo Duca C Alex Cora 2B Juan Encarnacion OF 2005: Oscar Robles SS Jason Repko CF Jayson Werth LF Olmedo Saenz 1B Antonio Perez 2B Mike Edwards 3B Cody Ross RF Mike Rose C Derek Lowe P *Granted, I pulled this from a game where a couple guys were probably resting (Kent?) bit still... 2006: Rafael Furcal SS JD Drew RF Nomar Garciaparra 1B Jeff Kent 2B Russell Martin C Andre Ethier LF Wilson Betimiet 3B Kenny Lofton CF
^This actually reminds me of Depodesta... All I remember is hating his guts, but I was 12 years-old. Just wondering what people think would've happened if he was kept around. He was the one who actually traded for Finley, signed Drew and Kent...I think... Did he have a grand plan that would payoff? Or was he just a henchman for Mccourt to lower payroll? I'm sure most people, myslef included, can sum up his tenure with one word: Beltre. But that may have had more to do with Frank. Strange to think what would've happened if the Ned era didn't exist. Ned made some out of touch moves (even at that time) and definitely needed to be replaced in 2015, but he did a lot of good things too, despite his old school approach. Obvoisly the current regime has taken everything to a new level of awesome.
