Dodgers: Freeman and Turner Join Kemp and Ethier in Rarified Air
From 1996 to 2001, the Dodgers had a pair of 100-RBI hitters in every year but one (Mike Piazza and Eric Karros in 1996 and 1997, Karros and Gary Sheffield in 1999 and 2000, and Sheffield and Shawn Green in 2001). After that, they hit a little drought, having just four 100-RBI guys in the next seven seasons.
Then, in 2009, two young men named Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier came along, at least for the purposes of this conversation, Kemp had 101 RBIs in 2009 and Ethier had 106, leading the Dodgers to first place in the NL West and all the way to the NLCS, where they lost to the Phillies for the second straight year.
Kemp would have one more 100-RBI season with the Dodgers, driving in 126 in 2011 when he had the MVP Award stolen from him. Ethier never reached the 100 mark again, and Los Angeles never had dual 100-RBI hitters again.
Until 2022, that is.
Freeman and Trea Turner are first #Dodgers teammates to have 100 RBI since 2009 (Kemp and Ethier).
— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) October 5, 2022
Freddie Freeman and Trea Turner drove in two and three runs on Wednesday, respectively, giving them each exactly 100 RBIs on the season. Both Turner and Freeman (and Mookie Betts) also scored more than 100 runs, something neither Kemp nor Ethier did in 2009.
After having just four 100-RBI players over the past 12 seasons, the 2022 Dodgers went wild, proving that having a bunch of good hitters batting before a bunch of good hitters, with a bunch of good hitters after that, is a pretty good recipe for success, both individually and collectively.
Let’s finish it off with eleven more wins and then do it again next year, guys!
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