Why winning spring games normally doesn’t matter

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Tonight, the Dodgers have an opportunity to even their spring-training record.

Does it matter?

Does how a team performs in the spring translate to what transpires once the season starts? Particularly with the Dodgers?

History says … nope.

The past two years, the Dodgers finished the spring with losing records and went on to win their division and advance to the National League Championship Series.

Which is not to say great preseasons cannot be springboards to great regular seasons. Particularly for a team trying to establish itself.

In 1987, the Dodgers finished 73-89 and in fourth place. The next spring, that team needed to establish a winning attitude -- something Kirk Gibson became famous for in the first spring game.

The 1988 team went 21-11 in the spring and stunned baseball with a World Series title.

For established teams, spring training is more about getting in shape and fine-tuning. Experimenting. Don’t think the Yankees have their pinstripes in a knot because they’re 10-13 this spring.

The chart below shows the Dodgers’ record the past 14 springs since the ’95 strike, and then their corresponding regular-season record and finish.

Year Preseason record Regular-season record
2009 15-22 95-67 (first +3 games)
2008 11-18-4 84-78 (first +2)
2007 17-16-1 82-80 (fourth -8)
2006 15-13-5 88-74 (first +11½)
2005 14-14-3 71-91 (fourth -11)
2004 12-22 93-69 (first +2)
2003 15-15-1 85-77 (second -15½)
2002 12-17-4 92-70 (third -6)
2001 18-13-2 86-76 (third -6)
2000 12-18 86-76 (second -11)
1999 21-9-1 77-85 (third -23)
1998 18-10-1 83-79 (third -15)
1997 13-11-1 88-74 (second -2)
1996 17-9-0 90-72 (second -1)

-- Steve Dilbeck