The Dodgers, being as historic of a franchise as they are, have a long list of Hall of Famers. From Sandy Koufax to Duke Snider and Jackie Robinson to Don Drysdale, the Dodgers have always embodied class and demonstrated immense talent.
This year, former Dodgers first baseman Steve Garvey, pitcher Tommy John, and former manager Don Mattingly are on the Hall of Fame ballot for 2020.
Steve Garvey and Tommy John are on the Hall of Fame ballot again. Others to be considered by veterans' committee: Dwight Evans, Don Mattingly, Marvin Miller, Thurman Munson, Dale Murphy, Dave Parker, Ted Simmons and Lou Whitaker. Any inductees announced Dec. 8.
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) November 4, 2019
The 2020 Veterans’ Committee will also acknowledge the Hall of Fame cases for greats like the Braves’ Dale Murphy and Yankees’ Thurman Munson. The Veterans’ Committee is a group of supreme voters who take second looks at the Hall of Fame cases of players who were ousted off of the ballot before induction.
Garvey, one of the most beloved Dodgers of all time, posted a lifetime .294 batting average and .775 on-base plus slugging percentage. He might get in with the Veterans’ Committee considering the Hall’s standards are getting lower. Garvey was fantastic in his day and in his prime, but he might not be entirely worthy of being in the Hall of Fame. If looking solely at his prime — from about 1974 to 1981 — Garvey was Hall of Fame worthy. He posted a .309 batting average and .819 OPS.
Tommy John’s name will always be a part of baseball and it wasn’t all because of his performance. Frank Jobe changed baseball with the famous operation on John and helped him continue greatness in his career. John threw a whopping 26 seasons — including 14 after the surgery — and posted a lifetime 3.34 ERA and 1.28 WHIP. Those are some fantastic numbers, especially when taking into account just how long he pitched,
Mattingly was the Dodgers’ manager earlier in the decade, but in his playing days, he was one of the best hitters in the game. Lifetime, Mattingly put up a .307 batting average and .830 OPS all with the New York Yankees. In his prime from 1984 to 1989, he batted .327 with a .902 OPS and 160 home runs. He was easily one of the best players in the 1980s and is deserving of induction, especially when looking at who is already in the Hall.
