A tribute to Dr. Dre

Well, here's a quick bombshell to drop before I really start this: That Joe Blanton-for-Andre Ethier/James Loney/Clayton Kershaw trade that fell through in July 2007 is the best thing that's happened to the Dodgers since 1988.

You think I'm kidding? If that happens, the Dodgers gain a very serviceable #4 starter for the next few years, and lose their best power hitter and best starting pitcher from this current team. And they don't really have a future either. So yeah, advocating that trade at the time is probably the most embarrassing thing I've ever done. That'll haunt me till the day my Dodger fanhood dies.

And the main reason why? Andre Ethier. Doctor Dre. Or, as he should be known by now, Doctor Clutch. Of course, "clutch" doesn't really exist (or at least to the point that most people think it does), but Ethier does seem to have a knack for coming up big in big moments. Over the last calendar year, Ethier has seven walkoff hits, a positively Ortizian feat (only without the steroids...or at least, I pray to God that it's been without the steroids, because nowadays you can never take anything for granted). Now, this isn't going to be a fawning, lovestruck, man-crush, Simmons-like post on Ethier (although, ironically, Simmons recently declared Ethier his favorite Dodger on a podcast, of course citing his "clutchness" as the reason why). Although Ethier is my favorite Dodger, I do know that I have to take everything in stride, and I know that he could easily be playing for the Giants in four years with the way baseball works now, so I can't get too attached to any particular player. All this post will be is a simple recap of Ethier's numerous walkoff adventures. Without further ado:

1. May 25, 2008; The Legend Is Born
With the score tied at 3 in the tenth, Ethier ripped a single to right to score Juan Pierre from second and give the Dodgers a 4-3 win. This was where it allllllllll started. Years from now, the only thing I'll remember Mike Parisi for is his giving up that hit. Well, until Jason Schmidt gets hurt and Ned Colletti signs him to a $100 million contract.

2. August 12, 2008; Against a Lefty, Even??!?!?!?
After the Dodgers acquired Manny Ramirez, Joe Torre stupidly started playing Juan Pierre against lefties more than Ethier, apparently unaware that Pierre batted lefty as well. In a rare appearance against a lefthander (J.C. Romero) with the game tied at 3 in the ninth and Russell Martin on second, Ethier laced a single to left in the ninth, with Russ barely beating the throw and the Dodgers taking the win over Philadelphia. Not gonna lie, the clip of that hit got me through some dark Dodger fan days (namely, every minute that passed from "Matt Stairs goes deep!" to "AND THE PHILLIES ARE WORLD CHAMPIONS!").

3. August 17, 2008; From Embarrassment and Dismay to Jubilation
After the Dodgers blew a 5-1 ninth-inning lead to the Brewers on a two-out, two-run homer by Ryan Braun, the entire stadium was silent as the bottom of the ninth got underway. But with Matt Kemp on first, Ethier brought the stadium to its feet with a walkoff two-run shot off Carlos Villanueva. This was Ethier's first walkoff of the home run variety, and the first time that the Dodgers had a dogpile at home plate that kind of seemed just a little awkward...of course, it wouldn't be the last one like that.

4. May 2, 2009; Who needs a sac fly when a single will do?
With the bases loaded and nobody out in the bottom of the 10th against San Diego and the game tied at 1, most Dodger fans figured that the win was well in hand. They were correct, as Ethier drilled a Luke Gregorson pitch off the right-field wall to give the Dodgers the victory. Interestingly, the Padres would go on to lose nine of their next eleven to fully and completely slide out of playoff contention after a hot start, and they'd end up trading or nearly trading every cornerstone of their franchise that summer. So did Ethier destroy the Padre franchise with this hit? It's very possible.

5. June 5, 2009; The most dramatic of all?
Quite possibly. The Dodgers trailed 3-0 early and 3-2 entering the bottom of the ninth, and Brad Lidge quickly got the first two outs to all but give Philly the win. But then...a single by Casey Blake. A walk to James Loney. An error by Pedro Feliz to load the bases. And then...Dre Time. Ethier hit a line drive to the right-field corner that fell juuuuuust out of Eric Bruntlett's reach, scoring two and giving the Dodgers a victory that came completely out of nowhere and was deliciously sweet. Of course, if Matt Stairs had been the right fielder reaching out desperately for the ball and missing it would have been deliciously sweeter, but you can't have everything I guess.

6. June 6, 2009; Just one day later?
Yep. Bottom 12, game tied 2-2 thanks to a Rafael Furcal home run in the ninth, last seven Dodgers have come and gone without getting on base...and then Ethier steps up with two outs and blasts a homer to center off Chad Durbin to beat Philadelphia again. Incredible. And yes, there was another awkward dogpile moment, in case you were wondering.

7. June 29, 2009; The marathon ends
Whew. One of the craziest games of the '09 season was finally put to rest by Ethier in the 13th. The first twelve innings went by with the two teams combining to use seven pitchers, leave 16 men on base, steal five bases, go 2-for-19 with runners in scoring position, and have six pinch-hitters...and after all that, it was an Ethier two-run homer off Joel Peralta following a Casey Blake leadoff single that finished things. Go figure. This was another personal favorite of mine, as my dad's coffee table probably would have been thrown through the window if the Dodgers had lost. So I guess it's probably one of my dad's favorites, as well.

8. August 7, 2009; THE most dramatic of all?
Yeah, I'd have to say so, even though I didn't see it live. Down 4-2 in the ninth, facing a closer with a sub-2.00 ERA (Rafael Soriano), having had numerous opportunities to take the lead and squandered them, two runners on, home run would win it even though nobody could seriously, honestly, been thinking about or expecting one...and BOOM. Line drive over the right fielder's head that got out of the park by a foot, if that, and then of course there was Matt Kemp jumping for joy for his buddy, and Orlando Hudson being Orlando Hudson, and Manny playing along with everything although it's sometimes hard to take his playful emotions seriously anymore, and...well, everything else. Just another Ethier walkoff, this one better than all the others.

May you get a thousand more walkoff knocks as a Dodger, Dre. Just don't ever have one as a Giant.