The sports industry has historically taken center stage in the city of Los Angeles. With several relevant amateur and professional teams in the area, Southern California owns a rich sports history and is often a hotbed for intriguing matchups.
The Los Angeles Dodgers represent one of the city’s sports pillars, despite not reaching or winning the World Series since 1988.
Renowned for their long list of impactful players on- and off-the-field, and Vin Scully’s legendary status, the Dodgers are one of LA’s most beloved franchises.
Some of that is reflected in the Dodgers having two moments make the LA Sports’ Awards list of top 15 moments from 2015.
The first is Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke establishing themselves as the best pitching duo, via the LA Sports Awards’ Facebook page:
Greinke and Kershaw: Most Dominating Pitching Teammates in 50 Years — The Dodgers’ Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw proved to be the most potent pair of starting pitchers on the same team in more than 50 years. Between them they led the majors in earned run average (Greinke) and strikeouts and innings pitched (Kershaw) and had combined statistics not seen in a team’s top two starters since Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale in 1964. The two finished second and third in the National League Cy Young voting (November 18).
Often compared to Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax, Greinke and Kershaw never embodied the modern-day version more than during the 2015 season when both were seemingly at the top of their game.
Greinke went 19-3 and led the Majors with a 1.66 ERA, 225 ERA+ and 0.84 WHIP. Kershaw had the first 300-strikeout season in the Majors since 2002 and was tops in FIP (1.99), xFIP (2.09), SIERA (2.24), strikeout percentage (33.8 percent), strikeout-to-walk ratio (29.1 percent) and innings pitched (232.2).
The Dodgers’ second nomination for an LA Sports Award is their landmark hire of Dave Roberts as manager:
Dave Roberts Hired as Dodger Manager — Former Dodger outfielder Dave Roberts was named as the first minority manager in Los Angeles Dodger history and the 10th overall since the club’s move to Los Angeles in 1958 (November 23).
Roberts enters his first season as manager, and brings with him plenty of enthusiasm and an ability to strongly connect with those around him. The 11th annual LA Sports Award banquet will be held on Feb. 25 at The Beverly Hilton.
Scully is receiving the first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award from the organization during the event. You can click here to vote on the top moments from 2015. Voting ends Jan. 25.
