1968 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The 1968 Los Angeles Dodgers had a 76–86 record and finished in seventh place in the National League standings, 21 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals. After the season, the Dodgers underwent some changes among the team management when long time general manager Buzzie Bavasi resigned to take over the expansion San Diego Padres. He was replaced by team vice-president Fresco Thompson. However, Thompson was diagnosed with cancer weeks after taking the job and died in November. Al Campanis became the new general manager for the following season.
Offseason
- November 28, 1967: John Roseboro, Ron Perranoski and Bob Miller were traded by the Dodgers to the Minnesota Twins for Mudcat Grant and Zoilo Versalles.
- November 30, 1967: Gene Michael was purchased from the Dodgers by the New York Yankees.
- November 30, 1967: Lou Johnson was traded by the Dodgers to the Chicago Cubs for Paul Popovich.
- February 13, 1968: Ron Hunt and Nate Oliver were traded by the Dodgers to the San Francisco Giants for Tom Haller and Frank Kasheta.
- March 26, 1968: Rocky Colavito was purchased by the Dodgers from the Chicago White Sox.
Regular season
Season standings
Record vs. opponents
Opening Day lineup
Notable transactions
- April 3, 1968: Hank Aguirre was acquired by the Dodgers from the Detroit Tigers for cash and a player to be named later. The Tigers completed the deal by sending Fred Moulder to the Dodgers on April 4.
- April 23, 1968: Jim Hickman and Phil Regan were traded by the Dodgers to the Chicago Cubs for Ted Savage and Jim Ellis.
- July 11, 1968: Rocky Colavito was released by the Dodgers.
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| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
| C | 144 | 474 | 135 | .285 | 4 | 53 | |
| SS | 122 | 403 | 79 | .196 | 2 | 24 |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
Pitching
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
| 50 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 2.14 | 46 | |
| 37 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2.08 | 35 | |
| 25 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0.69 | 25 |
Awards and honors
- Gold Glove Award
- *Wes Parker
- TSN Fireman of the Year Award
- *Phil Regan
- NL Player of the Month
- *Don Drysdale
All-Stars
- 1968 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
- *Don Drysdale, starter
- *Tom Haller, reserve
Farm system
1968 Major League Baseball Draft
This was the fourth year of a Major League Baseball Draft. The Dodgers drafted 78 players in the June draft and 23 in the January draft. This was one of the Dodgers most successful drafts in history as they drafted Steve Garvey, Ron Cey, Davey Lopes and Bobby Valentine in this draft.January draft
| Round | Name | Position | School | Signed | Career span | Highest level |
| 1 | Larry Hall | 1B | Broward Community College | Yes | 1968–1969 | A |
| 2 | Bonnie Smith | C | No | |||
| 3 | Craig Brown | 1B | Chipola College | No | ||
| 4 | Theodore Rohde | OF | Fresno City College | Yes | 1968–1970 | A |
| 5 | Ronnie Hilton | 2B | Gulf Coast Community College | No | ||
| 6 | Tommy Graham | OF | No | |||
| 7 | Lynn Morrison | OF | Long Beach City College | No | ||
| 8 | Gordon Crook | OF | Arizona State University | Yes | 1968 | A |
| 9 | Vernon Price | LHP | Chaffey College | Yes | 1968–1970 | A |
| 10 | Donald Pierce | 1B | Yes | 1968 | A- |
January Secondary phase
| Round | Name | Position | School | Signed | Career span | Highest level |
| 1 | Marv Galliher | INF | San Diego Mesa College | Yes | 1968–1976 | AAA |
| 2 | Davey Lopes | OF | Washburn University | Yes | 1968–1987 | MLB |
| 3 | Steve Moore | OF | Santa Barbara City College | No Royals – 1969 | 1969–1971 | A |
| 4 | Randy Smith | OF | Lincoln Land Community College | Yes | 1968–1970 | A |
| 5 | Geoff Zahn | LHP | University of Michigan | Yes | 1968–1985 | MLB |
| 6 | Davd Grangaard | 3B | Arizona State University | No Astros – 1968 | 1968–1972 | AAA |
| 7 | Gregory Wellman | LHP | Palm Beach Community College | Yes | 1968–1972 | AAA |
| 8 | James Loll | INF | Los Angeles Pierce College | No Royals – 1969 | 1969 | Rookie |
| 9 | Thomas Jackson | SS | Citrus College | No | ||
| 10 | Ed Crosby | 2B | Long Beach City College | No Cardinals – 1969 | 1969–1979 | MLB |
| 11 | John Marino | C | Los Angeles Valley College | No | ||
| 12 | Greogory Smith | RHP | Rio Hondo College | No | ||
| 13 | William Templeton | RHP | No |
June draft
| Round | Name | Position | School | Signed | Career span | Highest level |
| 1 | Bobby Valentine | OF | Rippowan High School | Yes | 1968–1979 | MLB |
| 2 | Bill Buckner | 1B | Napa High School | Yes | 1968–1990 | MLB |
| 3 | Sonny Johnson | OF | South Carolina State University | Yes | 1968–1972 | AAA |
| 4 | Mike Pazik | LHP | Lynn English High School | No Yankees – 1971 | 1971–1979 | MLB |
| 5 | Tom Paciorek | OF | University of Houston | Yes | 1968–1987 | MLB |
| 6 | Bob Auger | 1B | Putnam High School | No Cardinals – 1969 | 1969–1972 | A |
| 7 | Joseph Barkauskas | C | Piscataway High School | No Yankees – 1972 | 1972 | AA |
| 8 | Joe Ferguson | OF | University of the Pacific | Yes | 1968–1983 | MLB |
| 9 | Doyle Alexander | RHP | Woodlawn High School | Yes | 1968–1989 | MLB |
| 10 | Rich Anderson | RHP | Trumbull High School | No Pirates – 1972 | 1972–1976 | AAA |
| 11 | Robert Baxter | C | Lower Dauphin High School | Yes | 1969 | Rookie |
| 12 | Charles Land | OF | Midwest City High School | No | ||
| 13 | Tom Pratt | LHP | Righetti High School | No Royals – 1969 | 1969–1971 | A |
| 14 | Frederick Willard | 3B | Yes | 1968–1969 | A | |
| 15 | Jeff Port | 3B | Birmingham High School | No | ||
| 16 | Artie Brown | RHP | New York University | No Cardinals – 1969 | 1969–1971 | A |
| 17 | Bob Gallagher | OF | Stanford University | Yes | 1969–1976 | MLB |
| 18 | Fred Nelson | 2B | Arizona State University | Yes | 1968–1970 | AA |
| 19 | Jeff Stout | SS | La Puente High School | No Royals – 1969 | 1969–1973 | A |
| 20 | Theodore Gilje | LHP | College Park High School | Yes | 1968–1973 | AAA |
| 21 | James Rich | OF | Centennial High School | Yes | 1969–1975 | AAA |
| 22 | Brooks Anderson | OF | Cardinal McCloskey High School | No | ||
| 23 | Daniel Copeland | OF | West Newton High School | Yes | 1968–1969 | A |
| 24 | Milton Guggia | 2B | Santa Maria High School | No | ||
| 25 | Thomas Sowinski | RHP | St. John's University | Yes | 1968–1970 | AA |
| 26 | Robert Baxter | OF | Southampton High School | No | ||
| 27 | Albert Strane | SS | Santa Clara University | No Pilots – 1969 | 1969 | A |
| 28 | Alvin Strane | 2B | Santa Clara University | Yes | 1969 | A |
| 29 | Bob Wissler | OF | California Polytechnic State University, Pomona | No Twins – 1969 | 1969–1972 | AAA |
| 30 | Roy Nelson | P | Vigor High School | SELECTION VOIDED | ||
| 31 | Richard Breese | RHP | Port Chester High School | No Mets – 1969 | 1969–1971 | A |
| 32 | Dennis Major | 1B | Laney College | No | ||
| 33 | Michael St. John | RHP | West Valley College | Yes | 1968–1970 | A |
| 34 | Alan Blair | SS | Leeds High School | No | ||
| 35 | William Estey | SS | University of New Hampshire | Yes | 1968–1969 | A |
| 36 | Roger Wallace | RHP | Englewood Senior High School | Yes | 1968–1969 | A |
| 37 | Danny Nichols | 3B | Kansas State University | Yes | 1968 | Rookie |
| 38 | James Curnow | C | Morristown High School | No | ||
| 39 | Thomas Joyce | SS | Solano Community College | No Royals – 1969 | 1969–1974 | AAA |
| 40 | Jim Mueller | SS | Arkansas State University | No White Sox – 1969 | 1969–1972 | AA |
| 41 | Samuel Pasquatonio | C | Franklin High School | No | ||
| 42 | Richard Dorsch | RHP | Valparaiso University | Yes | 1968–1972 | A |
| 43 | Peter Brown | RHP | Hayward High School | No | ||
| 44 | Johnny Rushing | LHP | Tuscaloosa County High School | No | ||
| 45 | Kenneth Van Bell | RHP | Richmond Hill High School | Yes | 1968–1969 | |
| 46 | Gary Whitmore | LHP | University of New Mexico | No | ||
| 47 | Gary Weese | RHP | Midwest City High School | No Indians – 1972 | 1972–1976 | AA |
| 48 | John Fargnoci | 1B | Bryant High School | No | ||
| 49 | Edgar Ott | LHP | Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey | Yes | 1968 | A- |
| 50 | Kenneth Plau | RHP | El Camino College | No | ||
| 51 | Robert Woodruff | OF | Port Chester High School | Yes | 1969 | A |
| 52 | Bob Sheldon | SS | Montebello High School | No Brewers – 1972 | 1972–1977 | MLB |
| 53 | Charles Elwis | LHP | Marshall High School | No Angels −1969 | 1969 | A |
| 54 | Beau Robinson | 1B | Central High School | No Yankees – 1969 | 1969–1971 | A |
| 55 | Tod Rush | LHP | Montebello High School | No | ||
| 56 | Anthony Embessi | RHP | Bristol High School | No | ||
| 57 | Steve Angelo | INF | Montebello High School | No Expos – 1969 | 1969–1971 | AA |
| 58 | Douglas Blake | OF | Hackettstown High School | No | ||
| 59 | Jeff Paquette | C | Lincoln High School | No | ||
| 60 | Gary Welch | OF | San Rafael High School | No Mets – 1970 | 1970 | Rookie |
| 61 | Merritt Barnes | SS | University of San Francisco | Yes | 1968–1969 | Rookie |
| 62 | Chester Teklinski | RHP | Tarnetum High School | No | ||
| 63 | Lee Driggers | OF | Colonial High School | Yes | 1969 | A |
| 64 | Jeffrey Burns | C | Rollins College | No Twins – 1969 | 1969 | A |
| 65 | Charles Cochrane | SS | Lincoln High School | Yes | 1969 | A |
| 66 | William Homik | C | University of Southern California | Yes | 1968–1971 | AAA |
| 67 | Charles Calver | RHP | California Polytechnic State University, Pomona | Yes | 1968–1969 | A- |
| 68 | Peter Scarpati | RHP | St. Francis University | Yes | 1968–1971 | AAA |
| 69 | Stephen Krines | 3B | Villanova University | Yes | 1968–1970 | A- |
| 70 | John DeBrino | RHP | Bishop Gibbons High School | No | ||
| 71 | Carl Amendola | C | Plainedge High School | No |
June secondary phase
| Round | Name | Position | School | Signed | Career span | Highest level |
| 1 | Steve Garvey | 3B | Michigan State University | Yes | 1968–1987 | MLB |
| 2 | Sandy Vance | RHP | Stanford University | Yes | 1968–1973 | MLB |
| 3 | Ron Cey | 3B | Washington State University | Yes | 1968–1987 | MLB |
| 4 | Bruce Kinder | SS | Florida Southern College | No Pilots – 1969 | 1969–1970 | A |
| 5 | Bill Seinsoth | 1B | University of Southern California | No Dodgers – 1969 | 1969 | A |
| 6 | Ellsworth Jones | LHP | New York University | No | ||
| 7 | Bob Randall | SS | Kansas State University | No Dodgers – 1969 | 1969–1980 | MLB |