Monday, December 19, 2016

Blog Kiosk: 12/19/2016 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends


Kenta Maeda is incognito.  

Over the weekend we were greeted with a fun video from Japanese television featuring Dodgers pitcher Kenta Maeda goofing on a bunch of little league aged ballplayers.  He dressed up as an old man and played some ball.  Watch the entire segment at the very bottom.  (Hat Tip: Joseph Kim on twitter)


Below are more links to check out:
  • This Day in Dodgers History:  In 2005 the Dodgers signed free agent shortstop Rafael Furcal to a three year/$39 million contract and Nomar Garciaparra to a one year/$6 million contract.  In 2014 the Dodgers traded for free agent shortstop Jimmy Rollins in exchange for Tom Windle and Zach Eflin. 
  • Happy Birthday, Welcome Gaston, Wally Gilbert, Rex Barney, Geoff Zahn & Mike Fetters!
  • Via David Krell at the Sports Post; "Don Drysdale: Once A Bum, Almost A Pirate."
In his 1990 autobiography Once A Bum, Always A Dodger, Drysdale said that Rickey (then a Pirates executive) actually offered $6,000 while proclaiming that he could evade the tentacles of the rule. Any methods for doing so were never disclosed to the pitcher or his dad, Scott, an ex-minor leaguer who advised Drysdale on what came to be a joyous choice for fans of the Dodgers. There were other options, too—the White Sox, Yankees, and Braves made pitches, no pun intended. But Scott Drysdale offered a view based in value. “Look, if you’re going to get a lot of money—like Billy Consolo, a $60,000 bonus baby—then it makes sense to take it and go to the major leagues and take your chances,” recalled Drysdale of his father’s opining. “But if you’re not going to get a lot of money—and $2,000 isn’t a lot of money—then why not go where you have the best chance to learn?”
  • Here's a great story about the Dodgers batting practice pitcher Pete Bonfils.  Via Cary Osborne at Dodger Insider; "An invisible man at Dodger Stadium living out his four-seam fantasy."
  • Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA; "Dodgers competitive balance tax bill comes to $31.8 million in 2016."
  • Via Harold Uhlman at Think Blue LA; "Bobby Cuellar – The voice of experience."
Cuellar was signed as a Dodgers minor league pitching coach in 2015 with the Ogden Raptors bucking the tide of young minor league coaches and managers being signed by the Dodgers. At age 64, Cuellar has plied his trade in baseball for 42 years having been selected by the Texas Rangers in the 29th round of the 1974 First -Year Player Draft.
...
“Rick Knapp, our (minor league pitching) coordinator, told me when I took this job, ‘You need to take off your big league eyes and put your rookie league eyes (on) and your rookie league tape in… because you’re going to see a lot of things that you’re going to go, ‘Whoa,’ because you haven’t been here in a long time,” Cuellar said.
  • Kenta Maeda had some fun on a Japanese television show with some little leaguers.  He put on an old-man costume and shows the little tykes what he could do.  They were obviously overwhelmed.  Watch the entire segment below:

Video Link:

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* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *

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