1962 Los Angeles Dodgers season

The 1962 Los Angeles Dodgers season was the fifth for the team in Southern California, and the 73rd for the franchise in the National League. After spending the previous four seasons at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, they began the season by opening Dodger Stadium, the team's new ballpark. The stadium opened on April 10 with a game against the Cincinnati Reds. The Dodgers proceeded to win a Los Angeles record 102 games and tied the San Francisco Giants for first place in the National League. The Giants won the ensuing playoff series two games to one.

Off-season

• October 11, 1961: Gordie Windhorn and Bill Lajoie (minors) were traded by the Dodgers to the Kansas City Athletics for Stan Johnson, Bobby Prescott, and Jay Ward.^[1]
• December 15, 1961: Charlie Neal and a player to be named later were traded by the Dodgers to the New York Mets for Lee Walls and cash. The Dodgers completed the deal by sending Willard Hunter to the Mets on May 25, 1962.^[2]
• Prior to 1962 season: Duke Carmel was acquired from the Dodgers by the St. Louis Cardinals.^[3]
• March 24, 1962: Ramón Conde and Jim Koranda (minors) were traded by the Dodgers to the Chicago White Sox for Andy Carey.^[4]

Regular season

In 1962 two players set Los Angeles Dodgers team records that still stand. Tommy Davis, batting in the heart of the Dodgers' batting order, had a season that in another season might have earned him the National League Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. Davis set Dodger records with 230 hits and 153 runs batted in that have never been matched. In addition, Davis won the National League batting title with a .346 batting average, he scored 120 runs himself, and he also hit 27 doubles and 27 home runs. Davis finished third in the voting for the MVP trophy.

The winner of the MVP was Davis's teammate Maury Wills, who set the all-time Dodger record of 104 stolen bases. This was also a major league season record until it was broken in 1974 by Lou Brock. Wills also led the league in playing in all 165 of the Dodgers' games (including their three-game playoff with the Giants) and with 695 at-bats. Wills totaled 208 hits and 130 runs scored, and he also led the league with 10 triples. To top it off, Wills won the Gold Glove at shortstop, the most difficult defensive position to play. All of this impressed the voters for the MVP more than Davis's performance did.

Another Dodger, Don Drysdale, won the Cy Young Award as the best pitcher in Major League Baseball. Drysdale led the league with 25 wins, 41 games started, 19 complete games, 314 innings pitched, and 232 strikeouts. He only suffered nine lost games, and he also finished fifth in the voting for the MVP trophy.

Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax

In addition, a young pitcher named Sandy Koufax had a breakthrough year of a kind for the Dodges. Koufax led the league with an earned-run average (ERA) of 2.54, and this was first time that he had had an ERA nearly that low, and it was the first of five consecutive years in which he led the league in ERA in just 28 games played, Koufax has a won-loss record of 14–7, 11 complete games, and 216 strikeouts.

Season standings

Opening Day lineup

Roster

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

Other batters

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

Pitching

Starting pitchers

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

Other pitchers

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

Relief pitchers

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

Awards and honors

• National League Most Valuable Player
  • Maury Wills
• Cy Young Award
  • Don Drysdale
• Associated Press Athlete of the Year
  • Maury Wills^[5]
• Gold Glove Award
  • Maury Wills
• NL Player of the Month
  • Sandy Koufax (June 1962)
  • Frank Howard (July 1962)

Sporting News awards

• TSN Pitcher of the Year Award
  • Don Drysdale
• TSN Major League Player of the Year Award
  • Maury Wills & Don Drysdale
• TSN National League Player of the Year Award
  • Maury Wills

All-Stars

• 1962 Major League Baseball All-Star Game −1st Game
  • Don Drysdale starter
  • Tommy Davis starter
  • Sandy Koufax reserve
  • Johnny Roseboro reserve
  • Maury Wills reserve
• 1962 Major League Baseball All-Star Game – 2nd Game
  • Johnny Podres starter
  • Tommy Davis starter
  • Johnny Roseboro reserve
  • Maury Wills reserve
• Major League Baseball All-Star Game MVP Award – Game 1
  • Maury Wills
• TSN National League All-Star
  • Don Drysdale
  • Tommy Davis
  • Maury Wills

Farm system

Notes

References

• Baseball-Reference season page
• Baseball Almanac season page
• [1]

External links

• 1962 Los Angeles Dodgers uniform
• Los Angeles Dodgers official web site