On Nov. 13, 1974, Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Steve Garvey received 13 of the 22 first-place votes to win the National League MVP Award, finishing ahead of Lou Brock.
In 155 games, Garvey hit .312/.342/.469 with 21 home runs and 111 RBI, also being named an All-Star for the first time and winning his first of four Gold Gloves. The Dodgers won the NL pennant that year before being defeated by the Oakland Athletics in the World Series.
Garvey wound up playing 14 of his 19 big league seasons with the Dodgers and was an eight-time All-Star during that span. He had two other selections to the Midsummer Classic for 10 in his career.
He and the Dodgers were finally able to get over the hump and win in all in 1981, establishing Garvey as one of the all-time franchise greats.
Eric Gagne wins Cy Young
Also occurring on Nov. 13 was Dodgers closer Eric Gagne winning the NL Cy Young Award in 2003, outpacing Jason Schmidt and becoming just the ninth reliever in Major League history to win the award.
Gagne’s 2003 season was a historical one as he appeared in 77 games, converting all 55 of his save opportunities while posting a 1.20 ERA, 0.86 FIP and 0.69 WHIP with 137 strikeouts and 20 walks in 82.1 innings.
From 2002-04, Gagne saved 84 consecutive games for the Dodgers, which still stands as an MLB record. He was named an All-Star three times in eight seasons with the team after being converted from a starter to a closer.
Clayton Kershaw wins MVP
Nov. 13 carries a ton of significance in Dodgers history as far as awards go with Clayton Kershaw also taking home the NL MVP in 2014, becoming the first pitch to do so since Bob Gibson of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1968.
Kershaw also won the NL Cy Young in 2014 after going 21-3 with a 1.77 ERA, 1.81 FIP and 0.86 WHIP with 239 strikeouts and 31 walks in 198.1 innings across 27 starts.
From 2011-14, Kershaw won three of the four NL Cy Young Awards, finishing in second in 2012 as he established his dominance as one of the best pitchers ever.
Kershaw has now played 13 seasons with the Dodgers, being named an All-Star eight times in addition to winning five ERA titles and a Gold Glove.
He had struggled in the postseason, but put that narrative to bed with a stellar October in 2020 to help the Dodgers win their first World Series since 1988.
Kershaw is not the most recent Dodger to win an MVP, however, with Cody Bellinger taking home the award in 2019.
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