MLB
Beloved Career Dodger Andre Ethier Officially Retires At Age 36
Beloved career Dodger Andre Ethier officially announced his retirement yesterday. Immediately, the Dodgers said they would honor him Friday night, August 3rd, at Dodger Stadium. Ethier had this to say about the announcement:
“I look forward to coming back to Los Angeles and Dodger Stadium, places I’m so lucky to have called home for the last 12 years,” Ethier said. “There’s nothing like stepping out on the field at Dodger Stadium and looking up and seeing the faithful Dodger Blue supporting you, and I’m grateful for the reception and support I received in all my years playing there.”
A classy statement, from a classy guy. Let’s take a look back at Ethier’s fantastic Dodger career and how he got there.
Ethier’s Start
Andre Ethier, or “Dre” as his friends and teammates call him, was born in Phoenix, Arizona. He attended St. Mary’s High School, where he batted over .500 his senior year. Also, Ethier made First Team All-Region and Second Team All-State. This earned him a full ride scholarship to Arizona State University. Playing for the Sundevils was a dream that Ethier had always had. However, after one year the ASU coaching staff told Either that they didn’t think he had Division I talent and that he would be better off at a Junior College, so he transferred to Chandler-Gilbert Community College.
While at Chandler-Gilbert Ethier killed it! In 2001 Either hit .468 with 94 hits, 34 of which were doubles. Those numbers were enough to get him drafted in the 37th round by the Oakland A’s. Ethier, however, declined to sign as he also re-caught the eyes of ASU, so Ethier rejoined the Sundevils in 2002. That season, although he missed time because of injuries, Ethier had 50 RBIs in just 48 games and batted .363. While there, Ethier was roommates and became good friends with Justin Pedroia. Ian Kinsler was also on the team and his friend but later transferred out. With a team that stacked it’s no wonder that ASU finished second in the regionals of the NCAA Tournament.
In 2003, it was Ethier’s Senior year and an impressive one at that. Ethier batted .377 with 75 runs, 68 RBIs, and 26 extra-base hits. Ethier also led the team in outfield assists. ASU won 54 games that year and went on to advance to the NCAA Super Regional tournament. They ended the season being ranked #7 nationally.
Getting To The Bigs
After ASU, Ethier got drafted once again by the Oakland A’s, this time in the 2nd round of the 2003 draft. This time, Ethier signed and spent a few years in the A’s minor league system. Working his way up to AA ball where he hit .319 and had 18 homers. Ethier’s great season led him to be named the Texas League’s MVP as well as a Texas League All-Star and MVP of the Texas League All-Star Game. Also, Ethier was selected as the Oakland A’s Minor League Player of the Year. He also had a very short four-game stint in Triple-A.
Then, in December of 2005, Andre Ethier was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Milton Bradley and Antonio Perez. As a lifelong Dodger fan, living in Phoenix, I remember the trade scrolling on the bottom of ESPN that day and being excited that we got a local boy. There is no denying that the Dodgers got the better end of that deal and it went down as Ned Colletti’s best moves.
Career Dodger
Early Career
Andre Ethier joined the Dodgers for their 2006 season. He got called up in early May and immediately made an impression as he hit a double and drew a walk in his first game, which happened to be played in his hometown of Phoenix. In his second game in the majors, he hit his first home run. A few weeks later Ethier had a surprising 5-5 game. Ethier continued to kill it at the plate and got his average up to .354. However, Ethier’s numbers took a downwards turn late in the season, so he got benched. Even so, Dre ended up finishing the season with a .308 average and ended up fifth in Rookie of the Year voting.
Mid-Career
The next few years Ethier had solid numbers. In 2009 he batted .272 with 31 bombs and 106 RBIs. That was enough for him to earn the Silver Slugger award and for him finish sixth in MVP voting, but not enough for an All-Star nod. However, in 2010 that changed when Ethier started off hot and led the league in average, home runs and RBIs. Soon after, Ethier slumped after spending some time on the disabled list because of breaking his right pinky finger. He was still appointed to his first All-Star team. Ethier then started off the 2011 season with an early 30 game hit streak. That streak is 2nd all-time in Dodgers franchise history. A couple of months later he made his second All-Star team and went on to win a Gold Glove Award for Outfield.
End of Career
The next couple of seasons Ethier continued to have solid numbers. However, in 2014, his numbers started to slide, and he lost his role as an everyday player. Ethier never complained though and remained to be personable with fans, something many professional athletes aren’t able to do. Then, in 2015, it brought a resurgence to Ethier’s game. He once again was an everyday player and finished the season hitting .294. However, that would be the last season where Either would see regular play. In 2016 and 2017 injuries plagued Ethier and only had 58 total at-bats between both seasons, in which he was used primarily as a pinch hitter.
A Dodger Great
Andre Ethier will go down in Dodger history as a Dodger great. He was as loyal as they come, especially in the day and age where loyalty in sports is extremely hard to come across. This is one of the many reasons he was a fan favorite whom they loved so much. For starters, Dre spent his entire 12-year career with the Boys in Blue. He hit .285 with 162 homers and 687 RBIs and a .822 OPS, in 1,455 games.
Even more than numbers, Ethier was beyond clutch. Dre was earning the nickname “Captain Clutch” early in his career. He had 14 walk-off RBIs, the second-most in Dodgers history and won the Clutch Player of the Year Award in 2009. May 6, 2010, was an especially memorable moment, as Ethier belted a walk-off Grand-Slam to win the game against the Brewers. Further, defensively, he had a .990 fielding percentage, which is 8th all-time in MLB history for a Right Fielder and also holds the Dodger record for most postseason appearances at 50.
The Second Half
As his career began to wind down, Ethier took on the role of mentor to a young L.A. team. When Cody Bellinger was asked last Fall what teammates had taken him under their wing, he responded by saying that the number one guy was Andre Ethier. They were locker mates, and it was “…awesome having him by my side”. Also, now Brave Charlie Culberson, says he wears #16 because of the impact Andre Ethier had on him as a teammate.
Like Chase Utley, who also recently announced his retirement, retirement will give Ethier a chance to spend more time with his two young sons who play baseball as well. Also like Utley, Ethier’s leadership in the clubhouse was extraordinarily significant, and his absence will be noticed.
In his last Major League at-bat, Andre Ethier had a pinch-hit RBI single in game 7 of the 2017 World Series. Not a bad at bat to go out on; but who would expect anything less from “Captain Clutch”?.
Dre, you will be missed!
