For those long-time fans of baseball teams....

[PARAM]

....who were your favorite players in order. From your beginning fandom until now?

I'm a Yankee fan. Have been since 1964. My first favorite player was Mickey Mantle. Then, Bobby Murcer. Thurman Munsen. Don Mattingley. Derek Jeter and now Aaron Judge. My favorite pitchers were Whitey Ford, Mel Stottlemyre, Catfish Hunter (briefly), Ron Guidry, Andy Pettitte, Mike Mussina, CC Sabathia and now Gerrit Cole. But Nasty Nestor is growing on me!

I imagine Dodger fans would have some great players like Wes Parker, Ron Fairly, Dick Allen even, Willie Davis, Yeager, Garvey, Lopes, Russell, Beltre, Karros, Bellinger, Seager and Mookie. Pitchers galore like Koufax, Drysdale, Sutton, Singer, Valenzuela, Herschieser, Kershaw, etc.

 

[RamFan503]

I grew up watching the best infield to ever step on a diamond - Cey, Russell, Lopes, and Garvey.

Of course there were other great players back then and throughout the years. Too many wearing the blue to mention.

 

[Tano]

I grew up watching the best infield to ever step on a diamond - Cey, Russell, Lopes, and Garvey.

Of course there were other great players back then and throughout the years. Too many wearing the blue to mention.

Same

I was also a big fan of in the 70s Dick Allen Jimmy Wynn Reggie Smith Dusty Baker Steve Yeager Rick Monday

Don Sutton Tommy John Andy Messerschmidt Rick Rhoden (always like hitting pitchers) Mike Marshall Jim Brewer Bob Welch Burt Hooten

However, Charlie Hough annoyed me. A knuckleball relief pitcher? Really

Saw him walk 2 guys and give up a 3 run home run in the bottom of the 9th to lose a game in St Louis

I also liked Bill Buckner (the guy Red Sox fans crucified after the 1986 world series)

 

[Tano]

Same

I was also a big fan of in the 70s Dick Allen Jimmy Wynn Reggie Smith Dusty Baker Steve Yeager Rick Monday

Don Sutton Tommy John Andy Messerschmidt Rick Rhoden (always like hitting pitchers) Mike Marshall Jim Brewer Bob Welch Burt Hooten

However, Charlie Hough annoyed me. A knuckleball relief pitcher? Really

Saw him walk 2 guys and give up a 3 run home run in the bottom of the 9th to lose a game in St Louis

I also liked Bill Buckner (the guy Red Sox fans crucified after the 1986 world series)

I should probably add - I was okay with Joe Ferguson but I was happier with him in the outfield than catching especially with this throw to nail Sal Bando at the plate in the 1974 world series.

Of course, it helps that was the one world series game that I have been to in my life.

 

[Memento]

Was too young to see them in person, but I watched the hell out of Musial, Gibby, Lou, Dizzy, Vince Coleman, Tudor, Andujar, all of the guys' highlights. I grew up in the 90s with Ray Lankford, Mark McGwire, Ozzie (until Tony LaRussa dealt him so Royce Clayton would win the job). Then came the 2000s. Albert, Rolen, Edmonds, Renteria, J.D. Drew (my brother has the ball that Drew hit into the way upper deck, and it's signed by Drew), Fernando Vina, Mike Matheny, Reggie Sanders (whom my mom had a friendship with; the Sanders daughters attended a gymnastics class that my mom taught). And then the pitching. There was Matt Morris, Alan and Andy Benes, Woody Williams, Jeff Suppan. My idol was Darryl Kile for his sheer bulldog attitude on the mound (and I was devastated to learn that he died).

But if we're talking favorites? Musial. All day, every day. Baseball's perfect knight. I gotta say that Albert is another favorite, as he was amazing off the field as a charitable man. Darryl Kile, of course. Wainwright and Molina, of course. I liked Oscar Tavares as well; I thought he was going to be a superstar before he passed. Maybe Jordan Walker becomes that superstar, that Musial, that Albert? Maybe he becomes my new favorite. Who knows in baseball, though?

 

[RhodyRams]

Grew up a fan of The Big Red Machine...Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Tony Perez, Joe Morgan Ken Griffey Sr and company and Sparky Anderson at the helm...switched to the Yankees after gong to my first MLB game at the old Yankee Stadium

 

[rdlkgliders]

I grew up watching the best infield to ever step on a diamond - Cey, Russell, Lopes, and Garvey.

Of course there were other great players back then and throughout the years. Too many wearing the blue to mention.

It seems like that quartet was together my whole childhood. Along with being great individual players, they complimented each other well. In addition, they remained loyal to Dodger Blue for much longer than the players of today. I always think of them when considering the contrasting mindset and transient nature of today's much more business-minded players. That infield epitomized an era that is long gone. Thanks for the memories.

 

[snackdaddy]

I didn't get Dodger games on TV where I grew up. But I did listen to Vin Scully on the radio. Its a station that would only come in at night. I remember guys like Willie Davis, Don Sutton, Claude Osteen, Manny Mota. Then came the Garvey, Lopes, Russell, Cey infield. A lot of playoff games I could watch on TV.

 

[RamFan503]

I didn't get Dodger games on TV where I grew up. But I did listen to Vin Scully on the radio. Its a station that would only come in at night. I remember guys like Willie Davis, Don Sutton, Claude Osteen, Manny Mota. Then came the Garvey, Lopes, Russell, Cey infield. A lot of playoff games I could watch on TV.

Probably my all time favorite Dodger ever. It just always seemed he'd come in and provide that big hit. He finished his playing career as a player/coach. He used to be the first base coach. Then occasionally, he'd go to the dugout, grab a bat and walk to the batter's box, slap a single to knock in a runner and back to the coaching box he'd go.

 

[HX76]

When I was a nipper and we lived in LA we used to go to the Dodgers often. My favourite player was Steve Sax. I also liked Fernando Venezuela and Pedro Guerrero.

 

[norcalramfan]

Maury Wills, Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale (after Koufax retired), (too many to choose from), Fernando Valenzuela, Orel Hershiser.......

 

[Tano]

Probably my all time favorite Dodger ever. It just always seemed he'd come in and provide that big hit. He finished his playing career as a player/coach. He used to be the first base coach. Then occasionally, he'd go to the dugout, grab a bat and walk to the batter's box, slap a single to knock in a runner and back to the coaching box he'd go.

How could I forget about Manny Mota

He was awesome