The 2016 season was filled with many captivating moments for the Los Angeles Dodgers. From the ending of a 67-year career to a rookie establishing himself as a premier player, the Dodgers had plenty to celebrate.
A handful of the team’s best highlights from last season appear on the Los Angeles Sports Council ballot for the greatest sports moments in Los Angeles for 2016. The L.A. Sports Council nominated 15 total moments, with the Los Angeles Rams and retired Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant among those up for vote.
For the Dodgers, Vin Scully’s final year in the broadcast booth is one of the team’s five moments recognized by the L.A. Sports Council.
Scully was recognized throughout the year, beginning with the renaming of a portion of Elysian Park Avenue to Vin Scully Avenue. The Dodgers also honored the Hall-of-Fame broadcaster during their final homestand, dubbing it Vin Scully Weekend.
The broadcasting legend is connected to another of the Dodgers’ moments, as the Dodgers clinching the National League West is also up for vote. Beyond the drama and jubilation that came with Charlie Culberson’s walk-off home run, that it marked Scully’s final game and call at Dodger Stadium, made it all the more historic.
The third nomination pays homage to the postseason performance of Clayton Kershaw in Game 5 of the NL Division Series. With the Dodgers clinging to a one-run lead over the Washington Nationals, manager Dave Roberts turned to Kershaw with one out in the ninth inning and the tying and go-ahead runs on base.
Kershaw relieved an expended Kenley Jansen, and retired the two batters faced to record the first save of his Major League career.
The fourth moment commemorates the exhilarating rookie campaign for shortstop Corey Seager. Entering the season as the No. 1 prospect in baseball, Seager lived up to the hype, breaking multiple franchise rookie records en route to being named the unanimous NL Rookie of the Year.
The Dodgers’ fifth and final nomination highlights Roberts’ first season as manager. Roberts not only had to deal with a Major-League record number of disabled list stints, but also prolonged stretches where expected contributors did not produce to their capabilities.
Roberts guided the Dodgers to a fourth-straight season with at least 90 wins, was named NL Manager of the Year and the 2016 Coach of the Year by the L.A. Sports Council.
Voting for L.A.’s Greatest Moments of 2016 concludes Monday, Jan. 30. Voters are asked to select their top-10 moments out of the 15 possibilities, ranking their choices in numerical order. To vote online, please visit here.
