Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, and Freddie Freeman have been atop the Dodgers' lineup Thursday in Washington, D.C., as they’ve been for each sport up to now in 2024. Equally, Teoscar Hernández began in proper discipline, batted sixth, and homered for the sport. first race
The collection finale towards the Nationals was the twenty seventh consecutive begin for the 4 gamers.
As noted by the Dodger Insider Twitter account on Tuesdaythe Dodgers' quartet hasn't had a quartet all begin collectively this deep into the season since 1978.
That staff 46 seasons in the past had 5 gamers began the entire first 27 video games – first baseman Steve Garvey, second baseman Davey Lopes, left fielder Dusty Baker, middle fielder Rick Monday and proper fielder Reggie Smith. Baker didn’t begin the subsequent sport, however the quartet began the entire first 28 video games of the season, till Smith didn’t begin the twenty ninth sport.
To discover a longer streak than the Dodgers to open the season, we solely have to return yet another yr. In 1977, six completely different gamers began the primary 27 video games – Garvey, Lopes, third baseman Ron Cey, shortstop Invoice Russell, Baker and Monday. Lopes sat in Recreation 28, and Monday sat in Recreation 29, however Garvey, Cey, Russell and Baker all began the primary 34 video games.
It’s the document for a The Angels Dodgers quartet to open a season, however to discover a longer stretch within the historical past of the franchise we now have to return to Brooklyn.
The 1953 Dodgers didn't win a championship, however they did make the World Sequence, have been a dominant 105-49, and outscored opponents by 266 runs throughout the season. A rule of thumb was that if you happen to're searching for when a Dodgers document might need occurred, it's possible that it was throughout that 1953 season. Not less than till the present iteration of the franchise hit triple digits frequently.
However in 1953, the center infield duo of rookie Jim Gilliam and Pee Wee Reese, and middle fielder Duke Snider began the entire first 38 video games (that trio additionally began the entire first video games). 73 video games).
Gilliam received NL Rookie of the 12 months, Snider completed third in NL MVP voting and Reese was eleventh.
However the fourth member of that Brooklyn group was catcher Roy Campanella, who received the NL MVP. Not solely did Campanella begin every of the primary 38 video games in 1953, he he took each inning of these video games. The one purpose he had a break day, Could 30, was as a result of the Dodgers have been taking part in doubleheaders two days in a row. Campanella sat out the second sport of the primary of these two twinbills, however even then he needed to catch the ultimate inning after backup Rube Walker was injured.
It was merely a special time in baseball, and certainly one of two instances Campanella led the foremost league catchers in begins, together with 1951. However the Dodgers had good purpose to maintain Campanella, who often hit fourth or fifth in in 1953, within the coronary heart of 1953. row.
By means of Could 30, together with these 38 straight begins to open the season, Campanella hit a sturdy .326/.419/.743 with 17 house runs and 51 RBI, en path to successful his second of three awards MVP.
Wirt Gammon in his column Simply Between Us Followers in The Chattanooga Instances wrote: “Think about a participant who hits greater than 50 runs earlier than June 1st! That's what Roy Campanella did. This star has by no means had a foul yr, even when he needed to play lame.”
Campanella completed the season with 41 house runs and 142 RBI. Forty of these homers got here as a catcher, which was the document for the place for 43 years till future outdated buddy Todd Hundley broke it. Campanella's 136 RBI as a catcher in 1953 stays the document on the place.
For Freeman, taking part in virtually day-after-day has been the norm. In his first two seasons with the Dodgers he began each sport till the day after the staff clinched the division. For the reason that begin of 2018, Freeman has began 98.2 p.c of his groups' video games, the equal of 159 begins in a 162-game season.
Probably the most consecutive begins to begin a season for Betts is 46 video games, in 2016 with Boston. Hernández began the primary 106 video games for the Mariners final season, en path to 160 video games performed and 159 begins, each profession highs. Ohtani, who has not pitched this season, is at the moment on his longest begin streak to open a season.
But when all 4 proceed to begin each sport for the subsequent week or so, they would be the longest beginning quartet in Los Angeles Dodgers historical past.