Dodgers at Pirates, 4:05 p.m.
Shane Victorino, LF
Mark Ellis, 2B
Matt Kemp, CF
Andre Ethier, RF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
James Loney, 1B
Adam Kennedy, 3B
A.J. Ellis, C
Aaron Harang, P
To say the least, this has been a lean year of home runs from Dodger leftfielders. The full list: Juan Rivera on May 6, Bobby Abreu on June 2, Elian Herrera on July 5, Jerry Hairston Jr. on July 7. That’s it. Four.
To my surprise, however, this kind of year isn’t unprecedented. In fact, the Dodgers aren’t on pace to have their worst year in leftfielder home runs since moving to Los Angeles — and the low-offense 1960s have nothing to do with it.
Lowest single-season HR totals for Dodger LF
Year G HR Players
2012 115 4 Abreu, Hairston, Herrera, Rivera
1958 154 6 Cimoli, Demeter, Fairly, Gilliam, Howard, Roseboro
1974 162 7 Buckner 7
1976 162 7 Buckner 7
1970 161 8 Crawford 4, Mota 3, Kosco
1981 110 8 Baker 8
1973 162 9 Buckner 3, Crawford 2, Joshua 2, Ferguson, Paciorek
1975 162 9 Buckner 6, Lacy 2, Crawford
2011 161 9 Rivera 4, Gwynn 2, Gibbons, Oeltjen, Sands
1992 162 10 Davis 5, Webster 3, Daniels 2
2005 162 10 Ledee 3, Grabowski 3, Repko 2, Werth 2
The lowest total of home runs by leftfielders for the Dodgers in the 1960s was 14, in 1965 and 1966.
Here are the top five seasons since 1958:
Year G HR Players
2000 162 48 Sheffield 43, Aven 2, Donnels 2, Leyritz
2001 162 42 Sheffield 36, Grissom 5, Aven
1999 162 34 Sheffield 34
1990 162 32 Daniels 27, Gwynn 3, Gibson 2
1977 162 30 Baker 30
Dodger leftfielders hit more home runs in 2000 than Dodger leftfielders have hit since 2009 (45).
Sheffield hit his 43 homers in 2000 in only 139 games … but how ’bout that Bruce Aven, huh?
Coming soon — home run droughts at first base for the Dodgers.
* * *
Cuban prospect Yasiel Puig has been promoted to Single-A Rancho Cucamonga. Mike Petriello of Mike Scioscia’s Tragic Illness has more.
Update: Elian Herrera has been called up in place of Jerry Hairston Jr., who was placed on the disabled list with left hip inflammation.
