1978 Los Angeles Dodgers season

1978 Los Angeles Dodgers
1978 Los Angeles Dodgers
National League Champions; National League West Champions
League	National League
Division	West
Ballpark	Dodger Stadium
City	Los Angeles
Owners	Walter O'Malley
President	Peter O'Malley
General managers	Al Campanis
Managers	Tommy Lasorda
Television	KTTV (11)
Radio	KABC; Vin Scully, Jerry Doggett, Ross Porter; XEGM; Jaime Jarrín, Rudy Hoyos

The 1978 season ended with the Los Angeles Dodgers winning their second straight National League pennant and losing to the New York Yankees in the World Series again. Dodger coach Jim Gilliam died at the end of the season and his uniform number, 19, was retired by the team prior to Game 1 of the World Series; the team also wore a black memorial patch with Gilliam's number during the World Series. Unlike the previous Dodger team, no member of the team hit 30 home runs after seeing four members hit that mark the previous season (the team leader was Reggie Smith, with 29).

Offseason

November 23, 1977: Dennis Lewallyn was purchased from the Dodgers by the Minnesota Twins.^[1]
January 31, 1978: Elías Sosa was purchased from the Dodgers by the Pittsburgh Pirates.^[2]

Regular season

Season standings

v t e NL West	W	L	Pct.	GB	Home	Road
Los Angeles Dodgers	95	67	0.586	—	54–27	41–40
Cincinnati Reds	92	69	0.571	2½	49–31	43–38
San Francisco Giants	89	73	0.549	6	50–31	39–42
San Diego Padres	84	78	0.519	11	50–31	34–47
Houston Astros	74	88	0.457	21	50–31	24–57
Atlanta Braves	69	93	0.426	26	39–42	30–51

Record vs. opponents

1978 National League record v t e Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]
Team	ATL	CHC	CIN	HOU	LAD	MON	NYM	PHI	PIT	SD	SF	STL
Atlanta	—	5–7	6–12	8–10	5–13	5–7	6–6	8–4	2–10	8–10	11–7	5–7
Chicago	7–5	—	7–5	6–6	4–8	7–11	11–7	4–14	7–11	7–5	4–8	15–3
Cincinnati	12–6	5–7	—	11–7	9–9	8–4	7–5	7–5	4–7	9–9	12–6	8–4
Houston	10–8	6–6	7–11	—	7–11	6–6	7–5	6–6	4–8	8–10	6–12	7–5
Los Angeles	13–5	8–4	9–9	11–7	—	8–4	7–5	7–5	7–5	9–9	11–7	5–7
Montreal	7–5	11–7	4–8	6–6	4–8	—	8–10	9–9	7–11	6–6	5–7	9–9
New York	6–6	7–11	5–7	5–7	5–7	10–8	—	6–12	7–11	5–7	3–9	7–11
Philadelphia	4-8	14–4	5–7	6–6	5–7	9–9	12–6	—	11–7	8–4	6–6	10–8
Pittsburgh	10–2	11–7	7–4	8–4	5–7	11–7	11–7	7–11	—	5–7	4–8	9–9
San Diego	10–8	5–7	9–9	10–8	9–9	6–6	7–5	4–8	7–5	—	8–10	9–3
San Francisco	7–11	8–4	6–12	12–6	7–11	7–5	9–3	6–6	8–4	10–8	—	9–3
St. Louis	7–5	3–15	4–8	5–7	7–5	9–9	11–7	8–10	9–9	3–9	3–9	—

Opening day lineup


Opening Day starters
Name	Position
Davey Lopes	Second baseman
Bill Russell	Shortstop
Reggie Smith	Rightfielder
Ron Cey	Third baseman
Steve Garvey	First baseman
Dusty Baker	Leftfielder
Rick Monday	Centerfielder
Steve Yeager	Catcher
Don Sutton	Starting Pitcher

Notable transactions

May 17, 1978: Glenn Burke was traded by the Dodgers to the Oakland Athletics for Billy North.^[3]
May 20, 1978: Mike Garman was traded by the Dodgers to the Montreal Expos for Larry Landreth and Gerry Hannahs.^[4]
July 1, 1978: The Dodgers traded players to be named later to the Houston Astros for Joe Ferguson and cash. The Dodgers completed the deal by sending Rafael Landestoy to the Astros on July 7 and Jeff Leonard to the Astros on September 11.^[5]

Roster

1978 Los Angeles Dodgers

Roster

Pitchers

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Other batters

11 Manny Mota

Manager

2 Tommy Lasorda

Coaches

Notable events

On August 20, before a night game in New York against the New York Mets, Steve Garvey approached Don Sutton in the Dodgers' clubhouse over an article in The Washington Post in which Sutton was quoted as saying to Tom Boswell:

"All you ever hear about on our team is Steve Garvey, the all-American boy...well, the best player on this team for the past two years--and we all know it--is Reggie Smith. Reggie doesn't go out and publicize himself. He doesn't smile at the right people or say the right things. Reggie's not a façade or a Madison Avenue image. He's a real person."

Garvey and Sutton wrestled for two minutes in the clubhouse over Sutton's words and had to be pulled apart by teammates. Neither was seriously injured. Both had facial scratches and bruises and Garvey had a bloodshot left eye where it appeared a finger or thumb had been inserted by Sutton. Days later, Sutton publicly apologized for the incident, but not to Garvey personally.^[6]

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Pos	Player	G	AB	H	Avg.	HR	RBI
C	Steve Yeager	94	228	44	.193	4	23
1B	Steve Garvey	162	639	202	.316	21	113
2B	Davey Lopes	151	587	163	.278	17	58
3B	Ron Cey	159	555	150	.270	23	84
SS	Bill Russell	155	625	179	.286	3	46
LF	Dusty Baker	149	522	137	.262	11	66
CF	Bill North	110	304	71	.234	0	10
RF	Reggie Smith	128	447	132	.295	29	93

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Player	G	AB	H	Avg.	HR	RBI
Rick Monday	119	342	87	.254	19	57
Lee Lacy	103	245	64	.261	13	40
Joe Ferguson	67	198	47	.237	7	28
Vic Davalillo	75	77	24	.312	1	11
Johnny Oates	40	75	23	.307	0	6
Jerry Grote	41	70	19	.271	0	9
Ted Martinez	54	55	14	.255	1	5
Manny Mota	37	33	10	.303	0	6
Glenn Burke	16	19	4	.211	0	2
Rudy Law	11	12	3	.250	0	1
Pedro Guerrero	5	8	5	.625	0	1
Joe Simpson	10	5	2	.400	0	1
Myron White	7	4	2	.500	0	1

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player	G	IP	W	L	ERA	SO
Don Sutton	34	238.1	15	11	3.55	154
Burt Hooton	32	236.0	19	10	2.71	104
Tommy John	33	213.0	17	10	3.30	124
Doug Rau	30	199.0	15	9	3.26	95

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player	G	IP	W	L	ERA	SO
Rick Rhoden	30	164.2	10	8	3.66	79
Bob Welch	23	111.1	7	4	2.02	66

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player	G	W	L	SV	ERA	SO
Terry Forster	47	5	4	22	1.93	46
Charlie Hough	55	5	5	7	3.28	66
Lance Rautzhan	43	2	1	4	2.93	25
Bobby Castillo	18	0	4	1	3.97	30
Mike Garman	10	0	1	0	4.41	5

Postseason

Jim Gilliam's number 19 was retired by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1978.

1978 National League Championship Series

The Dodgers defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 3 games to 1 in the NLCS.

Game 1

October 4, Veterans Stadium

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Los Angeles	0	0	4	2	1	1	0	0	1	9	13	1
Philadelphia	0	1	0	0	3	0	0	0	1	5	12	1
W: Bob Welch (1-0) L: Larry Christenson (0-1) SV: None
HRs: PHI – Jerry Martin (1) LAD – Steve Garvey 2 (2) Davey Lopes (1) Steve Yeager (1)

Game 2

October 5, Veterans Stadium

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Los Angeles	0	0	0	1	2	0	1	0	0	4	8	0
Philadelphia	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	0
W: Tommy John (1-0) L: Dick Ruthven (0-1) SV: None
HRs: PHI – None LAD – Davey Lopes (2)

Game 3

October 6, Dodger Stadium

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Philadelphia	0	4	0	0	0	3	1	0	1	9	11	1
Los Angeles	0	1	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	4	8	2
W: Steve Carlton (1-0) L: Don Sutton (0-1) SV: None
HRs: PHI – Steve Carlton (1), Greg Luzinski (1); LAD – Steve Garvey (3)

Game 4

October 7, Dodger Stadium

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	R	H	E
Philadelphia	0	0	2	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	3	8	2
Los Angeles	0	1	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	1	4	13	0
W: Terry Forster (1-0) L: Tug McGraw (0-1) SV: None
HRs: PHI – Greg Luzinski (2), Bake McBride (1); LAD – Ron Cey (1) Steve Garvey (4)

1978 World Series

The Dodgers again lost to the New York Yankees in the World Series.

AL New York Yankees (4) vs. NL Los Angeles Dodgers (2)

Game 1

Tuesday, October 10, 1978, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles


Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
New York	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	2	0	5	9	1
Los Angeles	0	3	0	3	1	0	3	1	X	11	15	2
WP: Tommy John (1–0) LP: Ed Figueroa (0–1) Home runs: NYY: Reggie Jackson (1) LAD: Dusty Baker (1), Davey Lopes 2 (2)

Game 2

Wednesday, October 11, 1978, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles


Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
New York	0	0	2	0	0	0	1	0	0	3	11	0
Los Angeles	0	0	0	1	0	3	0	0	X	4	7	0
WP: Burt Hooton (1–0) LP: Catfish Hunter (0–1) Sv: Bob Welch (1) Home runs: NYY: None LAD: Ron Cey (1)

Game 3

Friday, October 13, 1978, at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York


Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Los Angeles	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	8	0
New York	1	1	0	0	0	0	3	0	X	5	10	1
WP: Ron Guidry (1–0) LP: Don Sutton (0–1) Home runs: LAD: None NYY: Roy White (1)

Game 4

Saturday, October 14, 1978, at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York


Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	R	H	E
Los Angeles	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	3	6	1
New York	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	1	0	1	4	9	0
WP: Goose Gossage (1–0) LP: Bob Welch (0–1) Home runs: LAD: Reggie Smith (1) NYY: None

Game 5

Sunday, October 15, 1978, at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York


Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Los Angeles	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	9	3
New York	0	0	4	3	0	0	4	1	X	12	18	0
WP: Jim Beattie (1–0) LP: Burt Hooton (1–1)

Game 6

Tuesday, October 17, 1978, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles


Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
New York	0	3	0	0	0	2	2	0	0	7	11	0
Los Angeles	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	7	1
WP: Catfish Hunter (1–1) LP: Don Sutton (0–2) Home runs: NYY: Reggie Jackson (2) LAD: Davey Lopes (3)

Awards and honors

Gold Glove Awards
- Davey Lopes
NL Player of the Month
- Rick Monday (April 1978)
NL Player of the Week
- Rick Monday (Apr. 17–23)
- Steve Garvey (Aug. 14–20)

All-Stars

1978 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
- Steve Garvey, starter, first base
- Rick Monday, starter, outfield
- Ron Cey, reserve
- Tommy John, reserve
- Davey Lopes, reserve
- Reggie Smith, reserve
Major League Baseball All-Star Game MVP Award
- Steve Garvey
TSN National League All-Star
- Davey Lopes
- Steve Garvey

Postseason

NLCS Most Valuable Player
- Steve Garvey

Farm system

Level	Team	League	Manager
AAA	Albuquerque Dukes	Pacific Coast League	Del Crandall
AA	San Antonio Dodgers	Texas League	Don LeJohn
A	Lodi Dodgers	California League	Stan Wasiak
A	Clinton Dodgers	Midwest League	Dick McLaughlin
Rookie	Lethbridge Dodgers	Pioneer League	Jim Lefebvre

Teams in BOLD won League Championships

Major League Baseball Draft

The Dodgers drafted 35 players in the June draft and 12 in the January draft. Of those, seven players would eventually play in the Major Leagues.

The Dodgers did not have a first round pick this year in the June draft as their pick was given to the Pittsburgh Pirates as compensation for their signing of free agent pitcher Terry Forster. In the second round, they selected SS Clay Smith from Northwest Classen High School in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Smith played in the Dodgers farm system through 1981, hitting .271 in 277 games in the rookie leagues and class-A before he was released.

This draft netted the Dodgers two key players for their championship teams of the 1980s. They drafted Mike Marshall in the 6th round and Steve Sax in the 9th. Marshall would hit 148 homers in 11 seasons and made the All-Star team in 1984 while playing both the outfield and first base. Sax played 14 seasons (8 of them with the Dodgers) and hit .281 with 444 steals. The Dodgers starting second baseman for most of the 1980s, he was the 1982 NL Rookie of the Year and a five time All-Star.

1978 Draft Picks

January draft

^[7]

Round	Name	Position	School	Signed	Career span	Highest level
1	Brian Holton	RHP	Louisburg College	Yes	1978–1992	MLB
2	Greg Schultz	SS	Sacramento City College	Yes	1978–1985	AAA
3	Brad Patterson	RHP	Umpqua Community College	No
4	Mathew Reeves	LHP	Sacramento City College	Yes	1978–1982	A
5	Bryan Little	SS	Louisburg College	No Expos-1980	1980–1988	MLB
6	Jimmy Boring	RHP	Georgia Perimeter College	No
7	Larry Pittman	1B	Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College	No Mets-1979	1979–1981	A
9	Anthony Murdaugh	RHP	University of South Carolina	No
9	Peter Zorich	RHP	Lower Columbia College	No

January Secondary phase

^[8]

Round	Name	Position	School	Signed	Career span	Highest level
1	Russell McDonald	RHP	DeAnza College	Yes	1978–1984	AAA
2	Daniel Sijer	LHP	Shoreline Community College	No Padres-1979	1979–1980	A
3	Stephen Smith	RHP	Gulf Coast Community College	No

June draft

^[9]

Round	Name	Position	School	Signed	Career span	Highest level
2	Clay Smith	SS	Northwest Classen High School	Yes	1978–1981	A
3	Augie Ruiz	LHP	University of Miami	Yes	1978–1984	AAA
4	Glenn Gallagher	LHP	Peekskill High School	No Blue Jays-1981	1981–1984	AA
5	John Robbins	OF	Lockhart High School	Yes	1978–1980	A
6	Mike Marshall	1B	Buffalo Grove High School	Yes	1978–1999	MLB
7	Mark Nipp	RHP	University of Oklahoma	Yes	1978–1981	AAA
8	William Swiacki	RHP	Amherst College	Yes	1978–1982	AAA
9	Steve Sax	SS	Marshall High School	Yes	1978–1994	MLB
10	Rodney Kemp	OF	San Jose State University	Yes	1978–1980	A
11	John Malkin	C	Cardinal Spellman High School	Yes	1978–1985	AAA
12	Francis Wilczewski	RHP	Independence High School	Yes	1978–1979	A
13	Melvin Meadows	OF	White Oak High School	Yes	1979	Rookie
14	Jeffrey Kopjo	OF	Lyons Township High School	Yes	1978–1979	Rookie
15	Stephen Maples	C	Skyline High School	Yes	1978–1980	A
16	Brian Hayes	LHP	University of Southern California	Yes	1978–1980	AA
17	Joseph Pocoroba	SS	Crespi Carmelite High School	Yes	1978–1979	Rookie
18	Eric Bullock	OF	South Gate High School	No Astros-1981	1981–1995	MLB
19	Gary Weiss	IF	University of Houston	Yes	1978–1981	MLB
20	Chris Iwasaki	OF	Reedley College	No
21	Dave LaPoint	RHP	Monadnock Regional High School	No
22	Thomas Banducci	RHP	William Floyd High School	Yes	1978	Rookie
23	Chris Gandy	1B	University of California, Riverside	Yes	1978–1980	A
24	Warren Reeh	LHP		Yes	1978	Rookie
25	William Murray	SS	Tamalpais High School	No Dodgers-1981	1981	A
26	David Albrecht	LHP	Appleton East High School	No
27	James Taylor	C	University of South Carolina	No
28	Robert White	LHP	Lake Mills High School	Yes	1978–1980	A
29	Joseph Herbert	OF	Columbia High School	Yes	1978	Rookie
30	Kevin Patten	OF	Miami University of Ohio	No Braves-1979	1979	Rookie
31	Kent Johnson	RHP	Muncie Northside High School	Yes	1978–1979	A
32	Daniel Forer	LHP	Iowa Western Community College	No Dodgers-1981	1981	A
33	Michael Vienne	RHP	St. Mary's High School	No
34	Mark Pirruccello	C	Servite High School	No Royals-1982	1982–1984	AA

June secondary phase

^[10]

Round	Name	Position	School	Signed	Career span	Highest level
1	Dann Bilardello	C	Cabrillo College	Yes	1978–1994	MLB
2	Keith Schrimsher	RHP	University of South Florida	No Reds-1979	1979–1980	A

Notes

References

External links

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