Vin Scully once said, “Nothing comes easy for the Dodgers.” It was extremely difficult when they didn’t have a reliable closer who could put out the fire in the ninth inning. However, there were a few that could do it with devastating efficiency. Here is a profile of the greatest closers in Los Angeles Dodgers history.
The Four Greatest Closers in Dodgers Franchise History
The Nasty Screwball
Fernando Valenzuela wasn’t the first Dodger pitcher to make his name throwing a screwball. He wasn’t even the first left-hander. That distinction goes to left-handed reliever Jim Brewer. Brewer had an underrated career with the Dodgers after he was traded from the Chicago Cubs in December of 1963 for Dick Scott. The left-hander had a 2.62 ERA over the next 12 seasons. Brewer pitched in a total of 474 games and had double-digit saves for six consecutive seasons. In addition, he appeared in three World Series and had an All-Star appearance. His Dodger career is a testament to his effectiveness. It is safe to say his tenure in a Los Angeles uniform may have been undervalued.
The Starter and Reliever
Clem Labine was no Shohei Ohtani or Babe Ruth, but given consideration, it’s still impressive. He spent a decade with the Dodgers from 1950 to 1960. He was a dozen appearances short of 400 relief opportunities. Almost half of those appearances were multi-inning saves. In the 1956 World Series against the New York Yankees, Labine pitched two innings of relief in Game Three and a 10-inning complete game in Game Six. The Dodgers wouldn’t have won the 1955 World Series without him. He had two appearances of three innings of relief when the Dodgers captured their only championship while in Brooklyn.
“Game Over”
Eric Gagne had an unremarkable career as a starter with an ERA of 4.68. The Dodgers tried something unconventional and made the right-hander the closer. It worked. From the beginning of 2002 t0 2004, Gagne was the most dominant closer in the game. When the bullpen door opened, people joked that Gagne meant “Game Over.” They weren’t wrong. The Dodgers closer converted 84 consecutive saves and won the Cy Young Award in 2003. Injuries eventually shortened his playing time, and he finished his career with 187 saves.
Eric Gagne vs Barry Bonds. Cy Young vs MVP.
Every one in the stadium was standing and every player was at the top step of the dugout. Arguably one of the most exciting at bats of all time
— Baseball Quotes (@BaseballQuotes1) August 19, 2023
The Devastating Cutter
Eric Gagne wasn’t the only Dodger converted to a closer. Kenley Jansen was a catcher before he toed the rubber on the mound. Prior to his pitching career, Jansen’s battery mates commented on how hard his return throw was from behind the plate. The fact that he struggled with the bat in his hand eventually forced the issue. Jansen was given the choice to learn to pitch or be released. The right-hander chose the former. He developed a cutter that turned many bats into firewood, and he is the franchise leader in saves with 350. The rest continues to be history. It is highly unlikely that the Dodgers would have turned into the perennial power they have been without Jansen at the back end of the bullpen. He has a World Series ring to prove it.
Because the structure of contracts is changing, it may be unlikely that anyone will touch the feats of these four Dodgers closers.
Main Photo Credit: Robert Laberge/Getty Images