Rounding out the Top Ten coolest Dodgers of all time, and then the not-so-cool
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
Hey, I can do cool. Not personally, maybe, unless rounded, balding, middle-aged dudes are finally in fashion.
But here in Wednesday’s Times, Chris Dufresne had a fun read on his 50 coolest athletes in Southland history.
Any list with Johnny Weissmuller and ‘Gorgeous’ George Wagner in its Top 5 is OK by me.
His No.1 coolest, quite naturally, is Sandy Koufax. Just naturally cool. Three other Dodgers make his top 50 with Jackie Robinson at No. 15, Fernando Valenzuela at No.21 and Don Drysdale at No.30 (one behind wife Ann Meyers).
So figured I’d take a swing at filling out Dufresne’s start with the Dodgers’ Top Ten. Current Dodgers excepted:
5) Manny Ramirez: Yeah, I know. But in his offbeat, dreadlocked, beat-to-his-own-drummer way, he was cool. Nothing was cooler than his impact on the ’08 Dodgers.
6) Kirk Gibson: Not your prototypical version of cool, but he was a unique firebrand who dominated a room. Also, when he was going good, an all-time quote.
7) Steve Yeager: Admit it, even though you never have, don’t you feel like you partied with this dude?
8) Chuck Connors: Hey, he was ‘The Rifleman.’ Nothing was ever cooler than that. So cool, I can even forget he was once a Boston Celtic.
9) Steve Sax: OK, so he tilts a little toward the goofy side of cool, but there’s room for one.
10) Wes Parker: He just looked smooth whatever he was doing. Playing first, swinging, standing in the clubhouse. Still the only Claremont McKenna College player to make the bigs.
Honorable mention: Eric Young (the smile), Wally Moon (Moon shots alone), Rick Monday (his iconic moment), Eric Karros (hair), Wee Willie Keeler (name alone), John Wetteland (played guitar).
The Uncool Top Ten: Orel Hershiser (aw, shucks), Burt Hooton (looking for a plow), Kevin Brown (temper, temper), Rickey Henderson (too much effort), John Tudor (such attitude), Milton Bradley (he could have been cool; he could have been a lot of things), Steve Garvey (see: Rickey Henderson), Jeff Hamilton (has yet to speak), J.D. Drew (mannequin man), Juan Marichal (because we have long memories).
-- Steve Dilbeck
Top photo: Manny Ramirez. Credit: Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times