Los Angeles Dodgers: Five greatest free agent signings of all-time
By Jamaal Artis
1. Kirk Gibson comes to LA
Until someone else has a year as Kirk Gibson did in 1988 for the Los Angeles Dodgers it is doubtful that he will be knocked off his perch on this list. Thanks to a legal ruling, Gibson was given his free-agent status due to the collusion of baseball owners to manipulate the free-agent market.
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In stepped up the Dodgers, who signed Gibson to a three-year deal and Gibson made an immediate impression as his fiery temper set the ton in the locker room.
With Gibson, the Dodgers went from a fifth-place team to the surprise NL West Division winners. Gibson hit .290 with 25 home runs 76 runs batted in and 31 stolen bases.
These numbers weren’t good enough to lead in any category but Gibson was still named NL MVP due to his leadership and clutch play in leading the Dodgers offense.
Gibson had some clutch hits saved up for the playoffs, in the NLCS Gibson won game four with a home run in extra innings and put game five away with a huge three-run home run to put the Dodgers up 6-0. When Gibson got hurt his teammates still were able to pull off the seven-game upset and the Dodgers were now in the World Series.
dark. Next. 2019 grades for every single Dodger
The rest, as they say, is “history,” Gibson limped to the plate in Game One for his epic home run and from there the Dodgers were propelled to the title. Despite two injury-plagued seasons, Gibson’s awesome 1988 alone makes his winter signing the best in franchise history.