It’s good to be rich. Always has been.
As one of baseball’s blue-chip franchises, the Dodgers have never been short on resources. The club plays in 58-year-old Dodger Stadium, one of baseball’s crown jewels that draw with nearly four million fans a year and cashes a fat check annually from one of the richest TV deals in professional sports.
But to be rich and smart, that’s when special things can happen. That combination produces things like three National League pennants in four years, a World Series title and a second Organization of the Year award from Baseball America in that four-year span.
“Organization of the Year is an incredible honor,” Dodgers team president and CEO Stan Kasten said of his franchise winning the honor for 2020. “To do that in a year when we won the World Series, to do that in a year when we are also the ESPN Humanitarian Team of the Year, to do that in a year when we are also hosting the largest Covid testing site in America (in the parking lots outside Dodger Stadium), to do that in a year when we opened up the stadium to a massive voting center— these are things that make me very, very proud of our organization.
“I mean, in a difficult year for everyone, the Dodgers have risen above this in a way that very few organizations ever have a chance to do.”
Kasten is justifiably proud of the way the Dodgers met the challenges of an unprecedented season.
On the field, no team was better. The Dodgers’ 43-17 record in the shortened regular season translates to 116 wins in the standard 162-game season.
This story is from the December 2020 edition of Baseball America.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 2020 edition of Baseball America.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
NOBODY'S PERFECT
No. 1 prospect Jackson Holliday has one flaw in an otherwise airtight profile
ORGANIZATION REPORTS
At nearly every level of his professional career, outfielder Colton Cowser has taken time to acclimate. His major league debut last season was no different.
ORGANIZATION TALENT RANKINGS
For the second consecutive year, the Orioles enter the season with the best farm system in baseball.
WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN WITH NEW ROSTER LIMITS
No one can fully predict what will happen with the reduced 165-player minor league roster limits, but baseball officials weighed in with predictions for 2024, some of which we heard repeatedly.
NO MORE SLACK IN THE SYSTEM
The in domestic minor leagues creates consternation for farm directors
INTERNATIONAL TREASURES
Why MLB teams value foreign professionals more than ever
HIGH-FLYING BIRDS
Learning from past success and failure in Houston, Mike Elias and his united front office remade the Orioles into winners— and they got there ahead of schedule
ARIZONA COMPLEX LEAGUE TOP 10
Early promotions of star prospects led to a bit of a down season for the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League.
FLORIDA COMPLEX LEAGUE TOP 10
Even before the Rookie-level Florida Complex League season began, scouts who saw extended spring training gushed over the Yankees' talent, starting with shortstop Roderick Arias and 6-foot7 pitchers Henry Lalane and Carlos Lagrange. Outfielder John Cruz mashed 10 home runs as a 17-year-old.
SALAS COULD BE SPECIAL
When Ethan Salas arrived in the California League on May 30, he immediately displayed talent well beyond his years.