While the Los Angeles Dodgers as an organization had last reached the World Series in 1988, the wait has been particular daunting for Andre Ethier. In his 12th and perhaps final year with the organization, the veteran outfielder resides as the longest-tenured Dodger.
Once a vital everyday player for several years, including the 2008, 2009 and 2013 teams that reached the National League Championship Series, Ethier’s past two seasons were essentially lost to injury.
He missed the first five months of the 2016 season while recovering from a complex, spiral fracture in his right tibia. This year, Ethier was sidelined by a mild herniated disc in his lower back.
In both cases, it was not until September that Ethier managed to come off the disabled list. And each time he was included on the Dodgers’ playoff roster.
After the Dodgers defeated the Chicago Cubs in Game 5 of the NLCS to win the NL pennant, Ethier explained to David Vassegh of AM 570 L.A. Sports Radio what the accomplishment meant to him:
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“It means a lot. There’s a lot of ups and downs when you go through a career. I’ve been fortunate enough to have this organization stick with me for 12 years. There’s been a few offseasons where I didn’t know what was going to happen, but just stuck with the process and trusted it. I’ve been committed as a Dodger for a long time. I love this place, love this city and love the fans. Nothing would mean more than to bring one back to all the fans.”
While Ethier for all intents and purposes missed two full seasons, he joined the Dodgers for the postseason in part because of his at-bat quality. He had two hits in seven pinch-hit appearances last October, including a home run in the 2016 NLCS.
Ethier earned a start in Games 3 and 4 of this year’s NLCS, though went hitless in four at-bats in the second of the back-to-back starts. The night prior, however, he hit a game-tying home run and later added a single.
