Joe Posnanski is out here dropping truth bombs in his Joe Blogs newsletter, making a case for ten people he’d immediately enshrine in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. While Vin Scully, a Ford C. Frick Award winner in 1982 and a Cooperstown inductee, topped the list, Posnanski made a *huge* point about how the Hall doesn’t recognize those non-player inductees with actual plaques in the room. But the real stunner? Posnanski also fiercely championed Janet Marie Smith, the Dodgers executive vice president of planning and development, flat-out stating, “she changed the way we watch baseball.”
The Unsung Architect Who Built Modern Ballparks
Think about that for a second. “She changed the way we watch baseball.” Posnanski goes deep, explaining that Smith, an urban planner with zero baseball experience, was hired by Lucchino to direct the design of what became Camden Yards. She brought this incredible vision to life, crafting a ballpark that felt both ancient and brand new all at once. It was distinctive, yet it felt like it had been part of Baltimore for a century. Camden Yards? Posnanski calls it a miracle. And get this: every single ballpark built since then, all twenty-two of them, have been trying to replicate that absolute masterpiece. Seriously, every single one. Smith herself was recently featured in an Architectural Digest video profile about Dodger Stadium, which is now celebrating its 65th season. It just makes you wonder: how does someone with that kind of impact not get full recognition in the Hall?
Remembering a Dodger and Reviewing the Postseason
On a somber note, we lost a former Dodger this past week. Todd Benzinger, the first baseman and corner outfielder who played for five teams across his nine major league seasons, died on Wednesday at 63. Benzinger spent the 1992 season with the Dodgers. He was a switch-hitter who started 13 of the first 38 games at first base, sharing time with rookie Eric Karros and a gimpy-kneed Kal Daniels. By the last week of May, Karros took over first base for good, and Benzinger’s remaining starts that season came out in right field and left field. For the 1992 season, Benzinger hit .239/.272/.348 with a 76 wRC+, 16 doubles, and four home runs in 121 games and 313 plate appearances. Mark Langill at Dodger Insider penned a remembrance of Benzinger’s brief time with the club.
Meanwhile, FanGraphs writer Dan Szymborski has been reviewing managers’ postseason performances, a practice the site rolls out after each team gets eliminated. This season, that included a deep dive into manager Dave Roberts’ postseason record.
So while we reflect on the contributions of figures like Todd Benzinger and the constant microscope on managers like Dave Roberts, it is the conversation around people like Janet Marie Smith that really makes you think about baseball’s future, and how we recognize those who truly shape the game. Maybe one day, Cooperstown will properly acknowledge those who change the game off the field, too.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by True Blue LA.
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