LEGENDS OF DODGER BASEBALL “The Bobbleheads”

Seemingly every year, the Dodgers induct a player or two into their Legends of Dodger baseball. When they do, the player gets a bobblehead. Newcombe, Garvey, Valenzuela, Gibson, and Wills have all been so honored. This year they will be joined by Manny Mota and Orel Hershiser. While I think these are great promotions for the fans, I think they fall way short of actually being legendary.

Kirk Gibson spent three years with the Dodgers. In his first season, he was the MVP, and then he hit a homer in the World Series that was historic. But beyond that one shinning season, Kirk was not as productive as a player of his stature should have been. A bobblehead celebrating the homer was also issued; that should have been enough.

How can you honor a guy who spent 3 years with the team and totally dis a player who spent his entire career with the club? I am speaking of Jim Gilliam. There was supposed to be a Gilliam bobblehead in August of 2018. But then the Dodgers traded for Manny Machado and gave away one of him instead. To this point, they have never issued a Gilliam, and it is not even on the radar. Other than Duke Snider, Gil Hodges, and Newcombe, they have basically ignored the real legends of Dodger baseball.

They have done statuettes of Robinson, but no bobbleheads. They did a statue of Newk, Campy, and Jackie. They did a bobblehead of Campy being wheeled out at the coliseum with Pee Wee. But neither has been honored with their own bobble. They did honor Hodges a second time when he was elected to the Hall of Fame. But no Dazzy Vance, or Zack Wheat. No Carl Furillo. The bobbles quite literally celebrate the players who have played in LA, but not Brooklyn. And a huge portion of the team’s history is there.

Some will probably think it is just sour grapes on my part, and maybe it is. But as a history buff, I think you honor the pioneers before you honor players who played very little in the Dodger uni. I mean, “c’mon man, Trea Turner even got a bobblehead!”

Hershiser’s election has more to do with his scoreless innings streak than anything else and Mota mostly for his record-setting pinch hits. But at least they spent more than 10 years with the team. This year Kershaw will get another bobblehead. It will be maybe his tenth. Well deserved and he will most likely have at least a couple more. One when he goes into the hall, and another when they induct him into the Legends of Dodger baseball and retire #22.

I enjoy the bobbleheads I do have. But the only legends ones I have are Garvey and Newcombe. I would love to see the Dodgers do some for the players from Brooklyn who were a huge part of that teams success and history. Gilliam definitely deserves to be honored.