Happy New Year: 16 for ’16

By Jon Weisman

1. Andre Ethier (2006-present) has worn No. 16 as a Dodger player longer than anyone except Ron Perranoski (1961-72).
2. Van Lingle Mungo also wore No. 16 for 10 Dodger seasons, from 1932-41. It would have been longer, but Brooklyn didn’t wear uniform numbers before 1932.
3. Yasmani Grandal hit 16 homers and into 16 double plays for the Dodgers last season.
4. Rick Monday, arguably the most famous Dodger No. 16, struck out exactly 16 times in his first big-league season (1966) and his last (1984).
5. The last ’16 Dodgers — more accurately, the 1916 Brooklyn Robins — went to the World Series but lost in five games to Boston.
6. Clayton Kershaw has won 16 games two of the past three years.
7. Los Angeles hasn’t scored exactly 16 runs in a game since May 25, 2009, most recently topping that figure with the 17-0 shutout of the Giants in September 2014.
8. When he was first acquired from St. Louis in 1976, Reggie Smith wore No. 16, before switching to No. 8.
9. On the other hand, Hideo Nomo was originally No. 16 in his first stint as a Dodger, before taking No. 10 the second time around.
10. Nomo is the last Dodger to strike out 16 in a game (June 14, 1995) — as well as the last to strike out more than 16 (April 13, 1996).
11. Two Dodgers have been hit by 16 pitches in a season: Lou Johnson (1965) and Mike Kinkade (2003). Only Alex Cora (18 in 2004) has had more.
12. New manager Dave Roberts was hit by a pitch 16 times in his MLB career.
13. Last season, the Dodgers used 16 starting pitchers, but that wasn’t a franchise record. The 1944 Dodgers used 19.
14. In 12 seasons as a Dodger, Ron Fairly stole 16 bases.
15. Willie Davis is the last Dodger with 16 triples, in 1970.
16. In the past 16 seasons since 2000, the Dodgers have had winning records 14 times, trailing only the Yankees (16) and Cardinals (15).

Happy New Year from Dodger Insider!