Dodgers to honor Andre Ethier with retirement ceremony Aug. 3
by Rowan Kavner
The Dodgers will celebrate Andre Ethier’s 12-year career and honor him with a pregame retirement ceremony Aug. 3, prior to their 7:10 p.m. PT game against the Astros.
The ceremony will be emceed by actor and Dodger fan Jason Bateman, including tributes from teammates past and present. Fans are encouraged to arrive early for the pregame ceremony and can also enjoy postgame Friday Night Fireworks presented by Denny’s after the game.
“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. I’m humbled by this evening and look forward to sharing it all with you.”
Ethier, 36, played all 12 of his Major League seasons with Los Angeles and helped lead the Dodgers to seven division titles and eight postseason appearances from 2006–17. He slashed .285/.359/.463 with 303 doubles, 162 home runs and 687 RBI in 1,455 games, earning two All-Star selections (2010, ’11), a 2009 Silver Slugger Award and a 2011 Gold Glove Award.
His clutch career included 14 walk-off RBI, second only in LA history to Dusty Baker (16), hitting .282 with runners in scoring position and .315 with the bases loaded. His last Major League at-bat was a pinch-hit RBI single in Game 7 of the World Series last year.
Fittingly, he’ll be honored when the Dodgers play the Astros for the first time since that game.
Ethier is among the leaders in Los Angeles history in a number of categories, including doubles (3rd — 303), extra-base hits (4th — 499), RBI (6th — 687), games played (7th — 1,455), hits (7th — 1,367) and home runs (T-8th — 162).
While Chase Utley has the Major League active lead for hit by pitches, it’s Ethier who holds the LA record for hit by pitches (58) as well as consecutive hits, stringing together a hit in 10 consecutive at-bats from Aug. 22–25, which tied Edward Konetchy’s franchise record set in 1919. His 30-game hitting streak from April 2-May 6, 2011, remains the second longest in franchise history behind only Willie Davis’ 31-game run in 1969.
Originally selected by the Athletics in the second round in 2003 out of Arizona State, Ethier was acquired by the Dodgers in a December 2005 trade in exchange for Milton Bradley and Antonio Perez. He hit better than .280 in six of seven seasons from his rookie year in 2006 to 2012, also recording an OPS better than .800 in six of those seven seasons.
Ethier made a significant impact off the field as well, donating $375,000 to the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF), which used those funds to revitalize and rename the Union Rescue Mission Learning Center — now The Maggie and Andre Ethier Learning Center — which provides classes to homeless men and women in Los Angeles.
His contributions also supported four-year scholarships for three current Jackie Robinson Foundation/Ethier Family Scholars attending college at Arizona State University and the University of Arizona.