List of Los Angeles Dodgers Opening Day starting pitchers

The Los Angeles Dodgers are a Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the National League West division. The first game of the new baseball season for a team is played on Opening Day, and being named the Opening Day starter is an honor, which is given to the player who is expected to lead the pitching staff that season.^[1] The Dodgers have used 21 different Opening Day starting pitchers in their 53 seasons in Los Angeles. The 21 starters have a combined Opening Day record of 22 wins, 25 losses and 7 no decisions.^[2][3]

The Dodgers started playing in Los Angeles in 1958, after moving from Brooklyn.^[4] The first Opening Day game for the Dodgers in Los Angeles was played in San Francisco against the San Francisco Giants on April 15, 1958.^[2] California native Don Drysdale was the Dodgers' Opening Day starting pitcher that day, in a game the Dodgers lost 8–0.^[2][5] Dodgers starting pitchers won both of their Opening Day starts in their first home ballpark in Los Angeles, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Their Opening Day record in their current home park, Dodger Stadium, which opened in 1962, is ten wins, ten losses and five no decisions. That gives the Los Angeles Dodgers' Opening Day starting pitchers a total home record of twelve wins, ten losses and five no decisions. Their record in Opening Day road games is 10 wins, 14 losses and 2 no decisions.^[2][3]

Drysdale would make seven Opening Day starts for the Dodgers between 1958 and 1969, a team record he shares with Don Sutton who accumulated them from 1972 through 1978.^[2] Fernando Valenzuela, Ramón Martínez and Orel Hershiser have had at least four Opening Day starts, with six, five and four, respectively.^[2] Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax, who won three Cy Young Awards during the 1960s, only made one Opening Day start for the Dodgers, in 1964.^[2][6] Drysdale also holds the Los Angeles Dodgers record for most wins as an Opening Day starter, with five wins against two losses. Sutton has four wins and two losses, and one no decision.^[2]

Koufax (1964), Chan Ho Park (2001), Brad Penny (2008) and Hiroki Kuroda (2009) are the only Los Angeles Dodgers Opening Day starting pitchers to never lose an Opening Day start, all having won their only Opening Day start. Valenzuela, Martinez and Derek Lowe share the Los Angeles Dodgers record for most Opening Day losses, with three.^[2] The Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series championship in 1959, 1962, 1965, 1981 and 1988. Drysdale (1959 and 1965), Johnny Podres (1962) and Valenzuela (1981 and 1988) were the Dodgers' Opening Day starting pitchers those years.^[2] The Dodgers' starting pitcher won the Opening Day game in 1965 and 1981, but lost in 1959, 1962 and 1988.^{[7][8][9][10][11]}

Key

Pitchers

References

General

"Dodgers Opening Day Lineups". MLB.com. http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/la/history/opening_day_lineups.jsp. Retrieved 2008-10-02.  "Los Angeles Dodgers Opening Day Starters and Results". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference LLC. http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/LAD/opening.shtml. Retrieved 2008-09-21. 

Specific