Model of Consistency: Dodgers' Eric Karros - Interview

Baseball Digest, Sept, 2000 by Ken Daley

Despite averaging 31 homers and 103 RBI since 1995, Los Angeles first baseman's offensive production is overlooked

EARLIER THIS YEAR, a POLL OF 138 players conducted by Baseball Weekly pegged the Rangers' Rafael Palmeiro and Rusty Greer as the first- and third-most underrated players in the game. They have company in Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Eric Karros.

Karros received but one vote in the poll, which shows his peers overlook him as much as the nation's fans and media. He's not a self-promoter, he's not a trouble-maker, and he can't dazzle you with 500-foot home runs. All he does is consistently and quietly produce.

"I'm the type of player, you go watch me for a week, you might come away saying, `What is this guy doing in the big leagues?'" Karros admits. "But at the end of the year, my numbers will be there."

In fact, Karros is one of only 17 players who has averaged 30 home runs and 100 RBI over the past five seasons. Every other player on that elite list has made at least two All-Star Game appearances. Karros has never been invited through 1999.

But Karros' consistency was rewarded with a significant milestone. He entered the 2000 season with 211 career home runs and by June 20 had added 20 to push his career total to a new Los Angeles record (231), surpassing the 228 set by Ron Cey.

"It will mean more to me when I'm done playing, because I don't feel like this is the end of my career or something that I'm chasing," Karros said. "And it's not something, when I began my career, that I was setting out to do. It wouldn't have even been on a list of 20 things that I wanted to accomplish."

Topping that list would be a World Series appearance, something that has eluded Karros throughout a 10-year career that has spanned three general managers, four managers, 26 Dodgers shortstops and countless trade rumors bearing his name. Karros has been to the postseason twice, but his teams were swept away in three games by Cincinnati in 1995 and Atlanta in 1996. The Dodgers haven't won a postseason game since Orel Hershiser closed out the clinching Game 5 of the 1988 World Series, when Karros (now 32) was a 21-year-old first-year pro at Class A Great Falls.

"It sounds cliched," Karros said, "but right now, the bottom line for me is getting to the playoffs, getting to the World Series and having that opportunity. I've had trips to the postseason, but they were about as unsuccessful from a team standpoint as they could possibly be."

With an $88 million payroll that ranks second in the majors, the Dodgers are trying to correct that. Through June 20, Karros was batting .263 with 20 homers and 59 RBI, a pace which would dwarf last year's career highs of 34 and 112.

Playing first base has put Karros in the shadows of other N.L. first basemen--Mark McGwire, Todd Helton, Andres Galarraga, Mark Grace and Jeff Bagwell--thus, his support for a spot on the All-Star team hasn't been strong.

Karros ranked 10th among N.L. first basemen through the June 20 voting results, trailing even San Diego's Ryan Klesko. Only in Los Angeles, where he has been a reliable contributor and consistently active in the community, has he come to be appreciated.

"A few years ago, the fans liked me, but I was always getting compared to Mike (Piazza)," Karros said. "Now he's gone, and it's amazing. I'm one of the most popular players there. It's ironic, but it hasn't always been like that. I'm the same player, the same person I was back then."

Piazza, the New York Mets' All-Star catcher who hit 177 of his 250-plus career home runs as a Dodger, would be the club's all-time career home run record holder if impulsive Fox Group executive Chase Carey hadn't foolishly traded him in May 1998. But that's not to say Karros hasn't earned his place in Dodgers history.

He has weathered enormous franchise turmoil since the Fox takeover in March 1998. Earlier, Karros survived spring training challenges staged by former manager Tom Lasorda with the likes of Todd Benzinger, Darryl Strawberry and Kal Daniels. But he wound up playing more games (1,183) than any Dodger of the 1990s, has moved ahead of Cey's LA mark and might someday approach Brooklyn star Duke Snider's franchise record of 389 homers.

"It means that I've been here, I've been consistent, I've been productive," Karros said. "And if you'd asked people over various times in my career who did they think would be the Los Angeles home run leader, I probably would not have been at the top of everybody's list."

Soon, he'll have to be.

30-Homer/100-RBI Club

Only 17 players have averaged 30 home runs and 100 RBI over the past five seasons Dodgers first baseman Eric Karros is the only one in the group never to make an All-Star Game appearance through 1999. The rundown, including total homers and RBI from 1595-99, average homers and RBI flora 1995-99 and career All-Star appearances (A-S apps.):

--Ken Daley

Player, team                            Total HRs   Total RBI

Mark McGwire, St. Louis Cardinals          284         620
Sammy Sosa, Chicago Cubs                   241         637
Ken Griffey Jr., Cincinnati Reds           226         609
Albert Belle, Baltimore Orioles            214         659
Rafael Palmeiro, Texas Rangers             206         625
Juan Gonzalez, Detroit Tiger               200         642
Mo Vaughn, Anaheim Angels                  191         588
Vinny Castilla, Tampa Bay Devil Rays       191         562
Barry Bonds, San Francisco Giants          186         539
Mike Piazza, New York Mets                 181         559
Manny Ramirez, Cleveland Indians           179         617
Jeff Bagwell, Houston Astros               171         579
Andres Galarraga, Atlanta Braves           163         517
Frank Thomas, Chicago White Sox            159         556
Tino Martinez, New York Yankees            156         597
Eric Karros, Los Angeles Dodgers           154         519
Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves              153         524

Player, team                            Avg. HRs    Avg. RBI

Mark McGwire, St. Louis Cardinals         56.8        124.0
Sammy Sosa, Chicago Cubs                  48.2        127.4
Ken Griffey Jr., Cincinnati Reds          45.2        121.8
Albert Belle, Baltimore Orioles           42.8        131.8
Rafael Palmeiro, Texas Rangers            41.2        125.0
Juan Gonzalez, Detroit Tiger              40.0        128.4
Mo Vaughn, Anaheim Angels                 38.2        117.6
Vinny Castilla, Tampa Bay Devil Rays      38.2        112.4
Barry Bonds, San Francisco Giants         37.2        107.8
Mike Piazza, New York Mets                36.2        111.8
Manny Ramirez, Cleveland Indians          35.8        123.4
Jeff Bagwell, Houston Astros              34.2        115.8
Andres Galarraga, Atlanta Braves          32.6        103.4
Frank Thomas, Chicago White Sox           31.8        111.2
Tino Martinez, New York Yankees           31.2        119.4
Eric Karros, Los Angeles Dodgers          30.8        103.8
Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves             30.6        104.8

Player, team                            A-S Apps.

Mark McGwire, St. Louis Cardinals          11
Sammy Sosa, Chicago Cubs                    3
Ken Griffey Jr., Cincinnati Reds           10
Albert Belle, Baltimore Orioles             5
Rafael Palmeiro, Texas Rangers              4
Juan Gonzalez, Detroit Tiger                2
Mo Vaughn, Anaheim Angels                   2
Vinny Castilla, Tampa Bay Devil Rays        2
Barry Bonds, San Francisco Giants           8
Mike Piazza, New York Mets                  7
Manny Ramirez, Cleveland Indians            3
Jeff Bagwell, Houston Astros                4
Andres Galarraga, Atlanta Braves            4
Frank Thomas, Chicago White Sox             5
Tino Martinez, New York Yankees             2
Eric Karros, Los Angeles Dodgers            0
Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves               3