Dodgers News: Team History Could Be Made in 2016
Typically, when one thinks about records in relation to the Dodgers, it has to do with some crazy run Clayton Kershaw is making. Another pitcher is on the verge of making history, and it’s somewhat shocking that it’s already happening.
Kenley Jansen is only 19 saves away from passing Eric Gagne for the all-time lead in franchise history, which, honestly, makes me feel ancient.
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Here’s the top five closers in Dodgers history, via our pitching records page:
Now, Gagne’s career in Los Angeles was more a flash in the pan that, at it’s absolute peak, featured a Cy Young award. Unfortunately, Gagne admits in his own book to using performance enhancing drugs, which obviously taints that run of dominance, but the numbers speak for themselves.
Back to Jansen. The Dodgers’ relief pitching history is nowhere near on the same level as the starting pitching, but to think that Jansen in such a relatively short run as the team’s closer is already on the verge of becoming a franchise leader in anything both speaks to his own success in that role but also the organization’ s lack thereof.
It shouldn’t take too long for Jansen to accomplish this feat, so this is definitely something we’ll keep an eye on as the season rolls along.
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They all as far as I can recollect are new age relievers. They benefit from low expectations of innings pitched. All respect to them. But rules change, and win teams start expecting even less innings from starters, relief pitchers stats will make Jansen’s stats look very everage. For instance, hardly anyone can tell you who Ron Peranoski was. Jansen would strive in any era, but so would relievers like he and Mike Marshall who’s numbers probably wouldn’t be in the top ten, because most HOF pitchers where expected to finish what they started.
robert20156h Robert, the one outlier in the list from “modern relief era”, is Jim Brewer. I grew up watching Jim Brewer. He pitched for LAD from 1964 to 1975. But there was a 6 year span, 1968-1973, after assuming the closer role from Ron Perranoski, when he averaged nearly 20 saves per year, in an era where SP was king. I also remember that Brewer came from Broken Arrow, OK, the same home town as Warren Spahn, and more recently Brad Penney. That town name just sticks in my brain for some reason.
AlwaysCompete robert20156h How correct you are AC. The reason that I mentioned Perranoski is that when he was needed, and it was rare, he closed for Koufax, Drysdale and Osteen. You are correct about Brewer being so consistent for so long. And I wonder still if he’s in the top ten in numbers of saves.