As April 2024 winded down, Dave Dodd eyed two career milestones. 1000 RBI and 1500 career hits. The RBI mark would fall first as the Porland Philosopher Kings would visit Jersey on April 28th.
In the 5th inning Dodd would launch a solo HR off of 2nd year pitcher Jose Garza that bring Jersey Shore within one run and make the score a 5-4 game. After watching Portland's young slugger Jeff Daniels put the Philosopher Kings up 3 with a 2-run HR in the top of the 7th, Dodd would get his chance in the bottom half. Tadahisa Kisuki would lead off the inning with a single and Mikey Bryant would just miss a home run with his ball careening off the wall in right-center field that would end with Kisuki at 3rd and Bryant at 2nd. Edgardo Guzman, the flame throwing 26 year old lefty for Portland, would get ahead of Dodd 1-2. Dodd would take a borderline pitch that was called ball 2 before fouling another pitch back to the screen. Guzman would make the next mistake hanging a high curveball that Dodd would deposit 408 feet later over the spot that Bryant had previously doubled for his 328th career HR and 1000th career RBI which also tied the game. The D-Bags would go on to score one more run in the inning and go on to win the game 8-6.
Dodd became the 21st player in BSA history to reach the 1000 RBI milestone, 14 of which of those are active players. Next on the list is the retired Louis May, who sits at 1006 RBI. At age 30 Dodd has a good chance at making a run at the all time record, currently held by Shumei Yokoyama at 1579. Yokoyama is still active playing for the Niagara Falls Frenzy.
After an off day, the San Francisco Bandits would come to town on April 30th, which marked Dodd's 30th birthday. Dodd would get his 1st hit in the 1st inning and also drive in the games first run with an RBI single off of starter Tomiji Takuda. Dodd's 2nd hit of the game would come in the bottom of the 6th inning, also off of Takuda. With 2 outs and the bases empty, Dodd would smoke a line drive the other way past the 3rd baseman. The ball would rattle around in the corner while Dodd coasted into 2nd with a stand up double. Hit number 1499. He would be stranded at 2nd. Dodd would get his first crack at 1500 when he would lead off the 9th inning with his D-Bags down 13-8. Veteran Pedro Castillo would was on the bump for the Bandits and that proved as a good sign for Dodd as he was 5-9 lifetime against Castillo up to this point. Dodd would foul off 5 straight pitches to start the at bat before taking a 94 MPH fastball the other way which would clear the 15 foot wall in left center and land in the 4th row for his 1500th career hit. Though Jersey would go on to lose the game 13-9, Dodd would join Mike Bryant as the only two players to join the 1500 career hit club in Jersey Shore uniforms. As a career achievement the hit mark isn't as impressive as the RBI mark, but it does make Dodd the 47th BSA player to reach the mark.
With 3 gold gloves, 4 all star appearances and 3 straight MVP's, Dodd is probably a shoe in already for the BSA Hall of Fame, but could he become one of the best ever? At only 30 years old all current BSA records seemingly are in play. If he has the health and longevity that his teammate Mike Bryant has nothing is off the tables, but as we all know, nothing in the BSA is a given as we have seen players at all ages fall abruptly off the table. What Dodd and Jersey Shore fans want next is a World Series ring.
GO D-BAGS
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