The 20 greatest Dodgers of all time, No. 12: Orel Hershiser
We recently asked you to list your choices for the 10 greatest Dodgers of all time, and vote you did, as we received an amazing 12,231 ballots. So many people voted that we have decided to expand the list from the top 10 to the top 20. Each weekday at 11 a.m. PDT, a new player will be listed as we count down all 20.
Remember, any Dodger, Brooklyn or L.A., was eligible, including managers, owners, announcers, etc. Points were assigned based on where you listed the person on the ballot. Your first choice received 12 points, second choice 10, third place eight, all the way down to one point for 10th place.
So without further ado, here is No. 12:
No. 12: Orel Hershiser (4 first-place votes, 17,969 points)
Hershiser is on this list for one big reason: Almost single-handedly carrying the Dodgers to the 1988 World Series title.
Hershiser ended the regular season by pitching 59 consecutive scoreless innings, breaking the record held by Dodgers legend Don Drysdale. Hershiser led the league in wins (23), innings (267) and complete games (15) and was unanimously selected as the Cy Young Award winner after finishing 23-8 with a 2.26 ERA.
PHOTOS: 20 greatest Dodgers of all time
In the 1988 NLCS, Hershiser was named the MVP after starting Games 1 and 3, saving Game 4 and pitching a shutout in the decisive Game 7. He then went on to shut down the Oakland A’s in the World Series, winning Games 2 and 5 and being named World Series MVP. He is the only player to win the Cy Young Award, the championship series MVP award and the World Series MVP award in the same season.
On the all-time Dodgers list, Hershiser is 10th in wins (135), 10th in losses (107), 12th in games pitched (353), ninth in games started (309), sixth in strikeouts (1,456), 11th in innings pitched (2,180.2), ninth in shutouts (24) and 35th in ERA (3.12).
ALSO:
The 20 greatest Dodgers, No. 20: Don Sutton
The 20 greatest Dodgers, No. 19: Don Newcombe
The 20 greatest Dodgers, No. 18: Zack Wheat
The 20 greatest Dodgers, No. 17: Branch Rickey
The 20 greatest Dodgers, No. 16: Walter Alston
The 20 greatest Dodgers, No. 15: Mike Piazza
The 20 greatest Dodgers, No. 14: Steve Garvey
The 20 greatest Dodgers, No. 13: Walter O’Malley
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