Monday, June 06, 2016

Blog Kiosk: 6/6/2016 - Dodgers Links - Crawford, Urias and Corey Seager


Corey Seager is making it look easy.

Yesterday afternoon he continued his hot-hitting ways by launching a couple more homers.  Overall, he recorded six hits, five of which were home runs, six RBI's and a walk against the Braves this weekend.  Per Mike DiGiovanna at the LA Times:
“It’s kind of déjà vu,” Roberts said. “It keeps happening every day, and I could get used to it. He’s got a very sound, short swing and power to all fields. He can hit any pitch to any part of the ballpark. It’s special. There’s only a few guys who can do that. But it starts with his pitch recognition.”
Seager had this to add, via Matthew Moreno at Dodgers Nation:
“I was putting good swings on balls, getting lucky, elevating them and they’re going out,” Seager said on Sunday. “It’s just one of those things that you try to do every day but it’s working right now.”
BTW, the Seager's very first  2016 Topps Now card that was available over the weekend sold 1,900 copies.  Go here to see my original post on this.  The photo above via Jill Weisleder/LA Dodgers 2016Go here to see more pics by Jill Weisleder and Jon SooHoo from yesterdays game.  Below are more links to check:
  • This Day in Dodgers History: In 1918 Casey Stengel came up to bat for the first time at Ebbets Field after being traded that past winter.  While at the plate he called for time, lifted his hat and had a bird fly out.  The entire stadium was in laughter.  This is absolutely true!  In 1957 the first fog-out in Major League history happens at Ebbets Field.  In 1990 the Dodgers recorded their 8,000 National League victory.  They defeated Atlanta 8-5.  In 2006 (being the sixth day of the sixth month of the sixth year of the century) the Dodgers score six runs in the sixth inning during the sixth game of the homestand.  Also, on this day in 2006 the Dodgers drafted Clayton Kershaw with the seventh overall pic in the amateur draft.  Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider wrote a bit about this day here.
  • Happy Birthday, Mark Ellis!
  • ICYMI:  I had failed to note that the Dodgers DFA'd Carl Crawford on Sunday, and recalled Austin Barnes to take his place on the roster.  For Crawford this means that the Dodgers have ten days to waive, trade, release or send him to the minors.  As Mark Townsend notes at Big League Stew, the Dodgers are responsible for the approximate $35 Million still owed to Carl on his contract.  Per a Dodger press release:
Crawford hit .185 with two doubles, a triple and six RBI in 30 games this season and batted .278 with 18 home runs and 99 RBI in 320 games with Los Angeles since being acquired in a nine-player trade with the Red Sox on Aug. 25, 2012. He helped key the Dodgers’ 2013 run to the NLCS, batting .310 with four homers in six RBI in 10 postseason games.
"It's one of those things where you look at the player, and Carl has had a great career, 14 years and had a lot of great moments," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "I know he was proud to be a Dodger. He will be missed. What he brought to the club in terms of experience in postseason games, the impact he had on the young players and the veteran players, the experience he brought will be missed, certainly. But it's one of those things where father time I think catches up with everybody."
It sounds overly simplistic to chalk up a guy turning his season around to power, but that’s really all there is to it. Since April, his walk rate has actually declined and his strikeout rate has risen. His BABIP has improved, but only slightly and that can likely be attributed to the same improved quality of contact that’s resulting his power surge.
  • Via Liz Roscher at Big League Stew; "Dodgers use umpire Joe West's country album as walk-up music."  This happened on Sunday, and "Cowboy" Joe West was the umpire behind the plate.
  • Via Jack Baer at MLB.com; "Urias staying in Dodgers' rotation for now."
"It's more of the way he was throwing the ball," manager Dave Roberts said. "He didn't get the results he would have liked his first two starts, but the way the ball comes out, the way he competes and handled himself in New York and Chicago, we want to see him again. We want to get another look at him and give him another opportunity."
  • Blowout Buzz asks Corey Seager collectors which Bowman Chrome rookie cards of his is on the top of their wantlist.  Go here to lend your opinion.
  • I found this interesting.  Baseball History Daily passes along the observations of a famed late-19th century America cricketer on the game of Base Ball.
He also implied that Americans were too impatient to appreciate cricket:

“It takes all day to play a game of cricket.  Two hours and a half suffice for a game of baseball.”
  • Listen to Vin Scully pass along word of the death of Muhammad Ali on Friday, via the @Dodgers on twitter.


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* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *

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