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Catch the highlights from Old-Timers Day in the video above, as well as at the Dodgers Photog Blog.
— Jon Weisman
Tag: Old-Timers’ Game
.@Shredderpunto, Boomer, Skip and Ellis. pic.twitter.com/pb0kInmClc
— Jon SooHoo (@JonSooHooPics) July 2, 2016
By Jon Weisman
It almost feels like time’s playing tricks on us.
But in today’s 5 p.m. Old-Timers Game and ceremonies at Dodger Stadium, along with stars from decades past like Sandy Koufax and Maury Wills, there will also be members of the 2013 Dodgers.
Mark Ellis, who just turned 39. Nick Punto, 38. Skip Schumaker, just 36, for cryin’ out loud.
“I thought it was Old-Timers vs. Legends,” Schumaker joked at this afternoon’s reunion luncheon in the Stadium Club. “I thought we were the Legends.”
Sitting together, Schumaker, Ellis and Punto quickly reconnected to find the spirit that powered the 2013 team to an historic 42-8 midseason run and within two games of the World Series before a National League Championship Series loss to the Cardinals.
“The team that we were on in ’13 was probably the most fun I had in the Major Leagues,” Schumaker said. “Elli and Nick, my two favorite teammates in the world. Also I grew up a Dodger fan, so to see the Old School guys here, Orel (Hershiser) and some of the other guys — it’s gonna be awesome.”
Steve Yeager, Pedro Guerrero and Ron Cey at the 2015 Old-Timers Game. (Juan Ocampo/Los Angeles Dodgers)
By Jon Weisman
The 1981 World Series tri-MVPs — Ron Cey, Pedro Guerrero and Steve Yeager will be saluted at the annual Dodgers’ Old-Timers Day on July 2.
In that Fall Classic, Cey went 7 for 20 with a homer and three walks, Guerrero 7 for 21 with a double, triple, two homers and two walks, and Yeager 4 for 14 with two homers.
Cey’s biggest night was Game 3, when he hit a three-run homer in the first inning and started a double play with a diving catch of a bunt in foul territory in the eighth, backing a 40-batter complete game by Fernando Valenzuela in a 5-4 victory.
Guerrero and Yeager hit back-to-back, eighth-inning home runs off Ron Guidry to make a 2-1 winner of Jerry Reuss and the Dodgers in Game 5. In the Series finale, Guerrero singled, homered and tripled in the Dodgers’ 9-2 romp, making him the first player in 61 years to have all three of those hits in a World Series game.
Anyone else coming? Oh, you bet: Sandy Koufax, Tommy Lasorda, Don Newcombe, Tommy Davis, Maury Wills, Fernando Valenzuela, Orel Hershiser, Steve Garvey, Steve Sax, Bill Russell, Rick Monday, Nomar Garciaparra, Manny Mota, Al Ferrara, Shawn Green, Rick Honeycutt, Dave Roberts, Jerry Hairston Jr., Kevin Gross, Derrel Thomas, Mark Ellis, Nick Punto, Skip Schumaker, Jerry Royster, Kenny Lofton, Mickey Hatcher and Juan Castro are all scheduled to appear, with the tentative teams as follows:
By Jon Weisman
Cey. Russell. Lopes. Garvey.
Not since the final game of the 1981 World Series has the legendary infield been in the same lineup together. That changes at Saturday’s Old-Timers Game at Dodger Stadium, when Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Bill Russell and Ron Cey reunite on the Orel Hershiser-managed home team.
There’s going to be a great turnout for the Old-Timers festivities, which begin at 4 p.m. with introductions honoring the 50th anniversary of the 1965 World Series championship team and the 60th anniversary of the 1955 World Series titlists. Among those scheduled for salutes are Sandy Koufax, Tommy Lasorda, Don Newcombe, Tommy Davis, “Sweet” Lou Johnson, Al Ferrara, Wes Parker, Ron Fairly, Wally Moon, Roger Craig, Ron Perranoski, Ed Roebuck, Jeff Torborg and Dick Traceweski, along with Manny Mota and Charlie Hough.
Though there could be some trades before gametime, here are the current rosters for the two teams playing in the game itself, which also welcomes back MLB Ambassador of Inclusion and onetime Dodger Billy Bean:
Team Orel
Infielders/catchers: Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Bill Russell, Ron Cey, Steve Sax, Steve Yeager
Outfielders: Pedro Guerrero, Mickey Hatcher, Jerry Hairston, Mike Marshall, Billy Bean
Pitchers: Orel Hershiser, Darren Dreifort, Chan Ho Park
Team Nomar
Infielders/catchers: Maury Wills, Eric Karros, Nomar Garciaparra, Tim Wallach, Derrel Thomas, Todd Zeile
Outfielders: Shawn Green, Ken Landreaux, Rick Monday, Steve Finley
Pitchers: Fernando Valenzuela, Tommy John, Rick Honeycutt
After the Old-Timers Game, the Dodgers play the Rockies at 6:10 p.m. (with a 1965 World Series replica ring being given to the first 40,000 fans in attendance.) Don’t miss this great day of baseball.
