2014 vs 1988
by Wes Williams
High hopes greet the Dodgers as they head to spring training in the next few weeks. Talk of World Series rings will undoubtedly hover around the team as they get ready for the 2014 campaign with a roster that is arguably the best in baseball.
The bad news remains is it has been 26 years since the Dodgers won the World Series.
The good news is the 2014 team is similar to the 1988 team in that is has a strong rotation top to bottom. Ace Clayten Kershaw certainly hopes to replicate Orel Hershiser's 1988 season, one of the greatest seasons of all time.
Hershiser broke Don Drysdale's unbreakable scoreless innings streak, won the Cy Young Award, and won two games in the World Series as the Dodgers beat the heavily favored Athletics.
Opposing teams used to say that it was an accomplishment getting a runner to second on Hershiser that year as he posted 23 wins, 15 complete games, 8 shutouts, and a 2.26 ERA.
It was only his fifth year as a starting pitcher and the first year he won the Cy Young Award.
This is Clayton Kershaw's seventh year as a starter and he already has won two Cy Young Awards. Could this be the year he puts up numbers like Hershiser's and leads the Dodgers to the World Series?
It could be, but Kershaw cannot win four World Series games alone. Like Hershiser, he is going to need a solid group of starters and relief pitchers behind him if the team is going to go all the way.
Using the 2013 statistics for the current Dodgers, let's see how the current Dodger pitching staff compares to the 1988 squad.
Let's start with starters two through four. Following Hershiser in the rotation were Tim Belcher, Tim Leary, and Fernando Valenzuela. John Tudor came in late when the Dodgers sent Pedro Guererro to the Cardinals, but we will use Fernando as the fourth starter since he started more games. Following Kershaw, the Dodgers have Zach Greinke, Hyun Jin Ryu, and Dan Harren. It could be argued that Josh Beckett is the fifth starter, but that could change with the acquisition of Masahiro Tanaka or the resurgence of Chad Billingsly so lets not count the fifth starter position.
1988 Starter #2 Tim Leary
Wins: 17
Losses: 11
ERA: 2.91
Strikeouts: 180
Innings Pitched: 228
2014 Starter #2 Zach Greinke
Wins: 15
Losses: 4
ERA: 2.63
Strikeouts: 148
Innings Pitched: 177.2
Winner: Zach Greinke
Analysis: Tim Leary had his best year of his career in 1988. He had five more total wins in 1988 than he had in any of his other 13 seasons in the majors. His 180 strikeouts were 42 more than his next highest season in his career. However, Leary cannot match 15-4 in only 177.2 innings. Greinke was dominant and might have won the Cy Young Award if not for his early season injury in the first, of many, Dodger brawls in the 2013 season.
1988 Starter #3 Tim Belcher
Wins: 12
Losses: 6
ERA: 2.91
Strikeouts: 152
Innings Pitched: 179
2014 Starter #3 Hyun Jin Ryu
Wins: 14
Losses: 8
ERA: 3.00
Strikeouts: 154
Innings Pitched: 192
Winner: Tim Belcher
Analysis: 1988 was Tim Belcher's first year as a starter and he technically only started for three quarters of the season. His WHIP of 1.080 was the lowest of his career and he did a decent job in his post season starts. Ryu was almost identical in all of the other numbers, but Belcher had a better WHIP to go along with three post season wins. Ryu had a quality start in the NLCS to go along with a terrible start in the NLDS. Belcher was 3-0 in the 1988 post season. This one is close, but Belcher wins by a hair.
1988 Starter #4 Fernando Valenzuela
Wins: 5
Losses: 8
ERA: 4.24
Strikeouts: 64
Innings Pitched: 142
2014 Starter #4 Dan Harren
Wins: 10
Losses: 14
ERA: 4.67
Strikeouts: 151
Innings Pitched: 169.2
Winner: Dan Harren
Analysis: 1988 was the beginning of the end for Fernandomania. He failed to reach double digit wins for the first time in seven seasons as injuries plagued him all year. Harren had a bad year in Washington, but is due for a bounce back season of double digit wins. He will eat up innings and hover around .500, which is all you can ask for in a fourth starter.
It is safe to say that the 2014 Dodgers have a slightly better staff, but many factors could hurt them. Up the middle is a defensive concern with Hanley Ramirez and Dee Gordon looking like the starters.
Barring injuries, this should be the best staff in baseball and could very well lead the Dodgers to their first title in 26 years.