So Cal's All-Time Roster: No. 14
No. 14:
Our pick:
==Mike Scioscia, Dodgers (1980-'92) Dodgers coach ('97-'98) and Angels manager (2000- )
It was the Feb. 20, 1992 episode of "The Simpsons," only in their third season, when Mike Scioscia truely became a household name. The episode called "Homer at the Bat" involves Mr. Burns bringing ringers onto the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant softball team -- Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs, Ken Griffey Jr., Jose Conseco -- and at catcher, the Dodgers' Scioscia. It was so classic, it beat "The Cosby Show" in the ratings that night.
Scioscia was hospitalized in the episide because of radiation poisoning contracted in the course of an overly-enthusiastic performance of his duties at the plant. But that should be no surprise. For 13 seasons, once he eventually replaced Steve Yeager, Scioscia established himself as the most reliable catcher in the game, putting his body in harm's way many times. He was knocked unconscious in one collision with St. Louis' Jack Clark but still held on the ball after the tag. Somehow, he's the all-time Dodgers leader in games caught with 1,395.
With the bat, he came through when it mattered most in the 1988 NLCS against the New York Mets, hitting a ninth-inning, game-tying home run off Dwight Gooden in Game 4. He had hit only three homers that season.
Once he became a coach on the Dodgers' staff, it seemed only to be a matter of time before he'd take over as manager. But the Angels gave him that opportunity in 2000, and he's seized control of it, leading the team to the 2002 World Series title and winning more games than any manager in franchise history.
Under his Angels windbreaker, he still wears No. 14. So we're told as we're trying to see him on our big screen TV that we bought at Howard's Appliance Superstore.
Runner-up:
==Johan Cruyff, Aztecs ('79-'80)
==Gil Hodges, Dodgers ('58-'62 in L.A., with the previous 12 seasons in Brooklyn)
Other No. 14s:
==Mattias Nordstrom, Kings ('95-'07)
==Sam Perkins, Lakers ('90-'93)
==Shaun Livingston, Clippers ('04- )
==Tom Ramsey, UCLA football ('79-'82)
==Brad Holland, UCLA basketball ('75-'79)
==Michael Holton, UCLA basketball ('79-'83)
==Artimus Parker, USC football ('71-'73; school's all-time interception leader with 20)
==Tara Cross-Battle, Long Beach State women's volleyball ('86-'89, number retired by team)
Sports Illustrated's choice for the all-time No. 14: Pete Rose, over A.J. Foyt.
Did we miss anyone?
You've got our vote, now let's see yours: