Today in 1986, Fernando Valenzuela wins his 20th game of the season as the Dodgers beat the Astros 9-2. In doing so, Fernando becomes the 1st Mexican-born pitcher to win 20 games in a season, accomplishing the feat 3 days before fellow countryman Teddy Higuera of the Brewers.

Today in 1976, Don Sutton throws a complete game to pick up his 20th win of the season as the Dodgers beat the Giants 3-1. Sutton splits his final 2 decisions to end the year at 21-10. And while the future HOFer will win 324 games in his career, this is his only 20-win season.

Today in 1957, Duke Snider hits his 40th HR of the season in the Dodgers 7-3 win over the Phillies. It is the 5th straight season Snider reached the 40 homer mark, tying an NL record that held up until Sammy Sosa passed it with 6 straight seasons from 1998 to 2003.

Today in 1954, Karl Spooner enjoys one of baseball’s greatest debuts as the Dodgers beat the Giants 3-0. Spooner throws a complete game while striking out 15 in earning the victory. Unfortunately, he earns just 9 more MLB wins as he battles injuries throughout his career.

Today in 1947, the Dodgers enjoy an off day but still clinch the NL pennant when the Cardinals lose 6-3 to the Cubs. It’s already been a historic season for Brooklyn after Jackie Robinson’s Opening Day debuted. The Dodgers play the Yankees in the WS, losing to NY in 7 games.

Happy 60th birthday to Mark Guthrie. Guthrie won a WS ring with the Twins in 1991 being traded to the Dodgers in 1995 in an attempt to bolster their bullpen. He ended up pitching in LA until 1998, appearing in both the 1995 and 1996 postseasons for the Dodgers.

Happy 67th birthday to Dave Sax. The older brother of Steve, Dave signed with the Dodgers in 1978 and made his MLB debut with the club in 1982. He played 9 games over 2 years with LA before signing with Boston and finishing his career with 3 seasons with the Red Sox.

Happy 70th birthday to Jeffrey Leonard. Leonard debuted with the Dodgers in 1977 and played 11 games with LA before moving on to be a Dodger nemesis for the bulk of his career. His best seasons were his 8 with the Giants, where he was an AS and won NLCS MVP honors in 1987.

Happy 81st birthday to Jim Fairey. Fairey debuted with the Dodgers in 1968 before being picked up by the Expos in the expansion draft that year. He played in Montreal for the 1st 5 years of the team’s existence before returning to LA for a final big league season.

Happy 89th birthday to Doug Camilli. The son of Dodger great Dolph Camilli, Doug played for LA the first 5 years of a career that lasted just over 8 seasons. Mostly a back-up catcher, he was behind the plate when Sandy Koufax threw his third no-hitter in 1964.

Happy 91st birthday to the late Lou Johnson. Sweet Lou will be best known for his contributions to the 1965 WS team when he filled in valiantly for an injured Tommy Davis. He also spent many years with the Dodger organization and gave generously to the community.

Happy 98th birthday to the late, great Tommy Lasorda. He was an epic figure in Dodger baseball and impacted the organization in many ways over many years - player, scout, minor league manager, big league coach, big league manager, and even briefly GM. No one bled bluer.

Today in 1997, Mike Piazza hits a home run out of Dodger Stadium as the Dodger lose to the Rockies 10-5. The 3rd inning blast travels 478 feet over the LF pavilion and is Piazza’s 37th of the season. He remains one of just 5 players and the only Dodger to accomplish the feat.

Happy 74th birthday to Mark Cresse. Cresse was drafted by the Cardinals in 1971 and played 3 seasons of minor league ball. In 1974, he joined the Dodgers staff and spent the next 25 years with the club, mostly as a bullpen coach. He earned 2 WS rings with LA in 1981 and 1988.

Happy birthday to my Dad, who would have turned 83 years old today. He was the original Dodger fan of the family, lifelong Longhorn, and co-founder of the Dumas, TX branch of the Steve Bilko Fan Club who talked about the greatness of Sandy Koufax for decades. Miss ya, Pop.

Today in 2011, Clayton Kershaw outduels Tim Lincecum as the Dodgers beat the Giants 2-1. The win is Kershaw’s 20th of the year, making him the 1st Dodger to reach the milestone since Ramon Martinez in 1990. Kershaw will end the season with 21 wins and will earn the NL CY Award.

Today in 1966, Sandy Koufax earns his 25th win of the year as the Dodgers defeat the Phillies 11-1. Koufax - who won 26 in 1965 - will end the season with 27 wins. He is the 1st NL pitcher to accomplish back-to-back 25 win seasons since Dizzy Dean in 1934 (30) and 1935 (28).

Today in 1961, Sandy Koufax throws all 13 innings as LA beat the Cubs 3-2 in the final Dodger home game played in the LA Coliseum. The Coliseum has been the team’s home since arriving in LA in 1958 and hosted the WS in 1959. Newly built Dodger Stadium will open in April 1962.

Today in 1911, Brooklyn’s Bill Bergen played his final MLB game at age 33. In baseball history, no player with 2,500 or more plate appearances has had a lower career batting average than Bergen’s .170. Needless to say, the catcher managed to stick around because of his glove.

Happy 103rd birthday to the late Vic Lombardi. Lombardi pitched for Brooklyn from 1945 to 1947, winning 35 games in that span and starting two games in the 1947 WS. He was eventually traded to Pittsburgh in the deal that brought Preacher Roe and Billy Cox to the Dodgers.

Happy 131st birthday to the late Charlie Dressen. Dressen managed 16 years in the big leagues and won more than he lost during his career. His 3 seasons leading the Dodgers were his best, though, when he led Brooklyn to 105 wins in 1953 and NL pennants in 1952 and 1953.

Today in 2014, Clayton Kershaw strikes out 9 over 5 innings as the Dodgers beat the Cubs 14-5. It is the 20th win of the season for Kershaw, the 2nd time in his career that he accomplishes the feat. He finishes the season 21-3 and wins both the NL Cy Young and MVP awards.

Today in 1988, Orel Hershiser throws his 4th straight shut out and 7th of the year as the Dodgers beat the Astros 1-0. A solo home run by John Shelby accounts for the only run. The win is Hershiser’s 22nd of the season as he runs his consecutive scoreless innings streak to 40.

Today in 1947, Brooklyn’s Jackie Robinson is named baseball’s 1st ROY. After breaking baseball’s color barrier with his NL debut earlier in the season, Robinson hit .297 while scoring 125 runs with 12 HR and a league-leading 29 SB. He is the 1st of 18 Dodgers to win the award.

Happy 31st birthday to Luke Raley. Raley made his big league debut with the Dodgers in 2021 when a depleted roster probably pressed him into service sooner than what would have been ideal. That said, he had some nice moments and is currently playing a big role with Seattle.

The late Charlie Haeger was born 42 years ago today. Haeger was one of a handful of knuckleballers to pitch for the Dodgers, appearing in 15 total games with LA in 2009 and 2010. Sadly, in 2020 he took his own life days after he was suspected to have killed his ex-girlfriend.

Happy 44th birthday to Scott Baker. Baker debuted with the Twins in 2005 and had some good seasons in Minnesota, earning 11 or more wins for 3 straight seasons. He battled injuries and bounced around a bit before making the final 2 starts of his career with the Dodgers in 2015.

Happy 79th birthday to Joe Ferguson. First as a player and then as a coach, Ferguson contributed greatly to the Dodgers for many years. He played mostly behind the plate though his most memorable moment may have come in right field when he threw out Sal Bando in the 1974 WS.

Today in 2006, the Dodgers beat the Padres with one of the most incredible comebacks in team history. Down 4 runs in the 9th, Jeff Kent, JD Drew, Russell Martin, and Marlon Anderson hit 4 straight homers to tie it before Nomar Garciaparra hits a walk-off in the 10th for the win.

Happy 77th birthday to the late Ken Brett. He was George’s older brother but was very accomplished in his own right. A 1st round draft pick and 1974 AS, he pitched in the 1967 WS with Boston as well as 2 postseasons with Pittsburgh. He played part of 1979 with the Dodgers.

Happy 84th birthday to the late Dick Dietz. He spent the 1972 season with LA but is more well-known for his 6 years with SF, particularly in 1968 when he was refused 1st base after Don Drysdale hit him, thus allowing Drysdale’s consecutive scoreless innings streak to continue.

Today in 1996, Hideo Nomo throws an improbable no hitter in Colorado as the Dodgers beat the Rockies 9-0. Nomo strikes out 8 in completing the 1st of what will be 2 no-no’s in his career. It is the 23rd no hitter in franchise history and 10th since the team arrived in LA.

Today in 1981, Fernando Valenzuela ties a MLB rookie record in throwing his 8th shutout of the year as the Dodgers beat the Braves 2-0. With the feat, Fernando ties the mark set by Ewell Russell of the 1913 White Sox. By season’s end, he will win NL Cy Young and ROY honors.

Today in 1912, Casey Stengel makes his big league debut as Brooklyn beats Pittsburgh 7-3. The future HOF manager plays centerfield that day and has quite the first game, going 4 for 4 with a walk, 2 RBI, and 2 stolen bases. In all, he will play 14 MLB seasons.

Happy 45th birthday to Dan Haren. Haren enjoyed a 13-year big league career that included 3 AS selections during his years with the As and Dbacks. He pitched in 2015 with the Dodgers, going 13-11 for LA. And word is he throws 88. Hope he’s having a good one.

Happy 55th birthday to Paul Shuey. Shuey was a solid set-up man with Cleveland before the Dodgers picked him up just ahead of the 2002 trade deadline for bullpen help. He pitched 2 injury-plagued and inconsistent seasons with LA before moving on in free agency.

Happy 67th birthday to the great Orel Hershiser. An absolute Dodger legend. CY winner, 3-time AS, record breaker, NLCS MVP, WS MVP, WS champion, and hero to us Dodger fans who grew up in the 1980s. And now he’s a hell of a broadcaster, too. Hope he’s having a great one.

Happy 76th birthday to Mike Garman. Garman came to the Dodgers along with Rick Monday in the trade that sent Bill Buckner to the Cubs just ahead of the 1977 season. He appeared in the postseason for LA that year, giving up no runs in 4 combined appearances in the NLCS and WS.

Today in 1978, the Dodgers beat the Braves 5-0 in front of a crowd of 47,188, making LA the 1st team in baseball history to break the 3 million mark in attendance in a single season. This season, the Dodgers reached that mark for the 36th time ever and 22nd in the last 25 years.

Happy 34th birthday to Wander Suero. Suero spent 4 seasons with the Nationals before signing with the Dodgers in 2022. He eventually appeared out of the bullpen in 5 games with LA in 2023, giving up 7 runs in 8 IP. He’s currently pitching in the Mets organization.

Happy 84th birthday to Jim Barbieri. Barbieri played all 39 of his big league games with the Dodgers in 1966. My dad used to watch him play during his 7 seasons at AAA Spokane. Pop used to talk about Barbieri having the misfortune of being a AAA fan favorite.

Happy 125th birthday to the late Jim “Bud” Clancy. Clancy spent just one of this 9 MLB seasons with the Dodgers, batting .306 in 1932. Two years later while with the Phillies, Clancy would become the first 1st baseman in NL/AL history to go an entire game with no putouts.

Today in 2002, Chin-Feng Chen becomes the 1st Taiwan-born player to appear in a MLB game when he pinch hits for the Dodgers against Colorado. Chen walks and scores a run in the 6th inning of LA’s 16-3 win over the Rockies, one of only 19 games he played in the majors.

Today in 1988, Orel Hershiser throws his 6th straight complete game and 3rd straight shutout as the Dodgers defeat the Braves 1-0. Mike Marshall’s walk-off 2B drives in Kirk Gibson with the game’s only run. With the win, Hershiser moves his consecutive innings streak to 31.

Today in 1951, Preacher Roe wins his 20th game of the year as the Dodgers beat the Pirates 3-1. Roe strikes out 5 while throwing a complete game in Brooklyn's 89th victory of the season. The 4-time AS will end the year with 22 wins in the the only 20-win season of his career.

Happy 68th birthday to Tim Wallach. Wallach was a 5-time AS with the Expos before being traded to the Dodgers ahead of 1993. He played 3 seasons with LA before eventually becoming the manager at AAA Albuquerque and joining the Dodger coaching staff for several years.

Happy 89th birthday to the late Stan Williams. Williams threw hard and was fierce. He was part of great Dodger pitching staffs, earning a WS ring in 1959 and being named an AS in 1960 while racking up a ton of strikeouts. He later become a highly respected MLB pitching coach.

Happy 123rd birthday to the late Willard Mullin. Mullin was the creator of the Brooklyn Bum, the Dodgers’ unofficial mascot that personified the team for decades. Along with the Dodgers, his art work covered the NY Giants, NY Mets, Harlem Globetrotters, and other NY area teams.

Happy 109th birthday to the late Jerry Doggett. Doggett started in radio in 1938 and joined the Dodgers broadcast team in 1956. When he retired following the 1987 season, his 32 years with Vin Scully made the pair the longest-running broadcast partnership in baseball history.

Today in 1925, Dazzy Vance throws a no hitter as the Brooklyn Robins beat the Phillies 10-1. Vance strikes out 9 and allows just one walk while a pair of errors leads to the only Philadelphia run. It is the only no hitter of his HOF career and the 7th in franchise history.