Expanding on the coveted Vin Scully limited edition commemorative coin that was distributed to fans in attendance for the second-to-last home game of the 2016 regular season, the Los Angeles Dodgers have eight Great Dodger Moments Coins on their 2017 promotional schedule.
The first Great Dodger Moments coin, honoring former Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda’s induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in August 1997, will be given to the first 40,000 fans in attendance on Wednesday, April 19 when the Dodgers host the Colorado Rockies.
Lasorda managed the Dodgers for 21 seasons, winning the World Series in 1981 and 1988. He’s one of two rookie managers in franchise history to guide the team to a National League West title, the other being Dave Roberts.
The next date a coin will be distributed is Monday, May 1, in honor of Orel Hershiser’s scoreless innings streak. His stretch of 59 shutout innings began Aug. 30, 1988 when Hershiser shut out the Montreal Expos from the sixth to ninth inning to finish off a complete game.
Complete 2017 promotional and giveaway schedule
He followed that with five complete-game shutouts, and a sixth outing filled with 10 scoreless frames. Hershiser’s streak broke Don Drysdale’s record of 58 consecutive scoreless innings, set with the Dodgers in 1968.
Next to be honored is Clayton Kershaw, on Thursday, May 18, for his no-hitter thrown against the Colorado Rockies in 2014. Kershaw became the first pitcher in MLB history to record a no-hitter with 15 strikeouts and no walks.
On Monday, June 26, Kirk Gibson’s walk-off home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series will be immortalized on a coin. Gibson’s game-winning homer propelled the Dodgers to an upset of the Oakland Athletics in five games.
The fifth Great Dodger Moment coin will be distributed Thursday, July 20, and features an image of the Dodger Stadium field during the 1984 Olympics. That was the last time Los Angeles hosted the Summer Olympic Games, though the city has a bid in for 2024.
The theme for the sixth coin, set for Saturday, Aug. 12, has not yet been determined. A coin in honor of Rick Monday saving an American Flag will be distributed Saturday, Aug. 26. The Great Dodger Moments Coin series then concludes Saturday, Sept. 9, when Fernandez Valenzuela is featured.
The Dodgers are offering new ticket mini-plans for the 2017 season, including a 21-game plan that encompasses all Great Dodger Moments Coin giveaways, all bobbleheads and Opening Day. Complete details on all mini plans can be found by visiting www.dodgers.com/miniplans.
