Blog Kiosk: 3/27/2016 - Dodgers Links - Some Spring Odds and Ends

We are almost there.  The season is a week away and both fans and players alike will soon be heading to ballgames back at their teams home fields.  There are only a few days left before scenes like the one seen above will disappear until next Spring.  So enjoy the festivities if you are still there. 

Photograph above via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2017.  Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History:  In 2012 Frank McCourt agrees to sell the Dodgers to a group headed by Stan Kasten, Guggenheim Partners and Magic Johnson for $2 billion.  He also sold the parking lots to the same group for $150 million (while retaining partial ownership).
• Happy Birthday, George Magoon, Bill Collins, Vince Sherlock, Newt Kimball, Wes Covington, Bill Sudakis & Adam Melhuse!

Blog Kiosk: 1/12/2016 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

Yesterday afternoon the Dodgers officially welcomed back both Kenley Jansen and Justin Turner during a press conference at Dodger Stadium. Per a Ken Gurnick story at MLB.com:

"[Ownership was] extremely supportive of bringing these guys back," said Friedman. "I think heading into an offseason where they're at the top of the list, in terms of players, coupled with who they are and how well we know them, I think gave everyone more confidence to stretch and be creative.

"Kenley, in our minds, is the best reliever in baseball. Justin represents so much of what we value in a player."

The takeaway from the event was that both players were fervent is their desire to stay, and vocal about wanting to a win a world championship for the fans in Los Angeles.  Watch them speak about that here and here.  Doug Padilla at ESPN writes more about how they came up with their decision to stay during a haircut, here.

"Having conversations with these guys on my wedding weekend ... just to see them around meant so much to me," Jansen said. "It made a decision to leave even tougher after we sat down to talk about stuff while I was getting my haircut. When we were all together, it made it tough for me to make a decision to be in another uniform."

Photo at the very top via Jon SooHoo @Dodgers on twitter.  Go here to check out more pics by Jon from the press conference.  Below are more links to check out:

• !!!! 2017 FanFest News !!!!  At 12:00 PM Noon today you can go to the Dodgers FanFest site (link here) to download a free ticket to the event.  As you know, FanFest will be held on Saturday, January 28th at Dodger Stadium.  Details regarding player autographs should be coming soon.
• This Day in Dodgers History:  In 1920 a plan developed by Charles Ebbets many years ago is finally adopted - the annual drafting of players from the minor leagues will be done in inverse order of the final standings.  In 2016 the Dodgers received Rob Segedin from the Yankees in exchange for Tyler Olson and Ronald Torreyes.  They also traded starting pitcher Joe Wieland to the Mariners for minor league infielder Erick Mejia.
• Happy Birthday, Ed Swartwood, Tom Kinslow, Dan Daub, Ed Stevens, Terry Whitfield, Mike Marshall, Chris Hatcher & Alex Wood!
  

Blog Kiosk: 2/10/2016 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

Here's another fantastic pic that comes from an original color transparency that's currently for sale on eBay.  This time I feature Roy Campanella makings his acceptance speech as the newest member of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown; dated July 29, 1969.  Seated to his right are Stan Musial, Waite Hoyt and Stan Coveleski (from L to R).

Below are more links to check out:

• Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Bill Haselman introduced as Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers manager."

"As a catcher, you're involved in the game pretty much every pitch, calling the game and talking to 11-12 different pitchers on a daily basis getting them ready for a game," Haselman said. "You have a lot of different personalities. It's always a challenge to be able to figure out each individual by themselves and get them to perform the best they can.

"Being involved as a catcher, it's an easy transition as a manager because you've already dealt with half a team your whole playing career."

• Watch Hannah Storm of ESPN interview Magic Johnson about the Dodgers, here.
• Reddit user r/GritMcGritterton put together a fantastic 2015 Dodgers home run video montage that you should check out, here.  You should watch it before they shut it down.
• Via Peter Gammons at the Gammons Daily, "The Transitional Culture of Cuban Baseball Development."  He takes a closer look at the process Cuban players go through when coming to the Major Leagues.

“I think the most important thing with the Cuban players is building a trust that goes both ways,” said the Dodger official.
...
“Donnie tried really hard, and maybe Yasiel wasn’t ready to trust the situation,” said the Dodger official. “Maybe it will take a new situation. Dave Roberts is an incredibly positive person. He has had what we hope have been productive meetings with Puig.”  Then there is George Lombard, Roberts’ prized addition to his coaching staff. The Dodger front office was blown away by Lombard, who is highly intelligent (his grandfather George Francis Fabyan Lombard was the dean of Harvard Business School), his mother Posy became a significant figure in the Civil Rights Movement after graduating from Smith, working closely with the Rev. Martin Luther King before tragically losing her life in an automobile accident on Cape Cod.

Lombard is married to a Cuban-American, knows that Miami community well, understands the Cuban culture. “I think the trust built in establishing a personal and professional relationship is hugely important,” says the Dodger official. “I do think the trust factor is something that can be difficult to build, with the Cuban players dealing with such a different culture, but many players trying to assimilate into our baseball culture from theirs.”

* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *

* Like Dodgers Blue Heaven on facebook *

* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *

Meet Your Dodgers Minor League Managers - Some Fantasy BB Cards

In what should be expected to be a slow news week, the Dodgers unveiled who will be skippering their fast rising prospects throughout the minor leagues.  As you'll recall, this past Thursday they shared who would be coaching the big club in Los Angeles (see my post here about this).

• Bill Haselman at Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers
• Ryan Garko at Double-A Tulsa Drillers
• Drew Saylor at Single-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
• Gil Velazquez at Single-A Great Lakes Loons
• Shaun Larkin at Rookie-advanced Ogden Raptors
• John Shoemaker at the Rookie-level Arizona League Dodgers

As I am want to do, I made several fantasy Baseball cards for the new coach's.  Check them out below.  BTW, I paired the fantasy cards with a brief biography provided by the Dodgers PR group.

All of these fellows will be managing their teams for the first time.  Garko, Saylor and Larkin are brand new to the organization.  So, as a die-hard Dodger fan I'd like to welcome them all to the Dodger Blue family.

---------------

Bill Haselman continues his ascent up the Dodgers’ organization ladder as manager of Triple-A Oklahoma City after leading Single-A Rancho Cucamonga to a California League title in 2015. The 49-year-old enters his third year in the Dodger organization and his sixth season as a minor league skipper after leading Single-A Great Lakes in 2014, the Angels’ Single-A Inland Empire in 2012-13 and the Rangers’ Single-A Bakersfield in 2010. The UCLA product was a first-round draft pick of the Rangers in 1987 and went on to play 13 big league seasons with the Rangers (1990, 1998, 2000-02), Mariners (1992-94), Red Sox (1995-97, 2003) and Tigers (1998).  Via a story written by Michelle Gardner at the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin in June:

“He has got so much baseball knowledge, more than we’ll probably ever have,” said outfielder Brian Wolfe, who also had Haselman as a coach for a brief time while he was at the University of Washington. “He really lets you just be yourself.”

Ryan Garko, 34, will take over as Double-A Tulsa manager after 10 professional seasons as an outfielder, catcher and first baseman, including six big league seasons with the Indians (2005-09), Giants (2009) and Rangers (2010). Garko entered the coaching ranks in 2014 as an assistant coach at Stanford University, where he played college ball prior to being selected by Cleveland in the third round of the 2003 First-Year Player Draft. Born in Pennsylvania, Garko grew up in Orange County and graduated from Servite High School in Anaheim.  Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA:

"I'm very excited to join the Dodgers organization and to come to Tulsa," said Garko. "No city or affiliate has a better reputation than Tulsa, and I look forward to bringing my family there."

Drew Saylor, 31, joins the Dodger organization as Single-A Rancho Cucamonga manager after four years in the Rockies’ system as hitting coach for Rookie-advanced Grand Junction (2012) and Single-A Modesto (2015),  and manager for Single-A Tri-City (2013-14), where his club compiled a 67-85 record (.441) over two seasons. Prior to his time in the Colorado organization, Saylor served as an assistant coach at the University of Akron (2011) and Cleveland State University (2009) following the conclusion of a five-year professional career in the Astros and Marlins minor league systems. He was originally selected by the Marlins in the 13th round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft out of Kent State University.  You can follow Shaun on twitter here: @drewsaylor19.  Via a tweet by Saylor:

Excited to be a part of the Los Angeles Dodgers! Thanks to the Rockies for 4 great years!

Gil Velazquez assumes a manager’s role for the first time in his career with Single-A Great Lakes following his coaching debut last season as the fourth coach for the Rookie-level AZL Dodgers. The 36-year-old enjoyed a 17-year professional career as an infielder, including five big league seasons with the Red Sox (2008-09), Angels (2011) and Marlins (2012-13) after being selected by the Mets in the 14th round of the 1998 First-Year Player Draft.

Shaun Larkin, 36, joins the Dodger organization as Ogden’s skipper following three seasons coaching in the Indians organization, including his managerial debut last year with Single-A Lake County (71-66, .518). Prior to his time in the Cleveland organization, which included stints as hitting coach at Single-A Mahoning Valley (2013) and Lake County (2014), Larkin served as an assistant coach at several schools in his native Southern California, at his alma mater, Cal State Northridge, from 2011-12, Orange Coast College in 2010 and Newport Harbor High School in 2009. Selected by the Indians in the ninth round of the 2002 First-Year Player Draft, Larkin played six professional seasons as an infielder in the Cleveland organization from 2002-07.  You can follow Shaun on twitter here: @SLarkin04.  Via a tweet from him:

Pumped to have the opportunity to also manage this year!

John Shoemaker.  After serving as Ogden’s manager in 2015, Shoemaker will lead the AZL Dodgers as he embarks on his 40th season in the Los Angeles organization and 23rd season as a minor league manager. Drafted by the Dodgers in the 35th round of the 1977 draft, Shoemaker has been with the club ever since, as a player (1977-80), manager, coach and coordinator, and, last season, he was appointed as the Dodgers’ “Captain” of Player Development. He was also recognized by Minor League Baseball as the 2015 recipient of the Mike Coolbaugh Award, which is presented annually to an individual who has shown outstanding baseball work ethic, knowledge of the game and skill in mentoring young players on the field.  Via a story in September by JP Hoornstra at the LA Daily News:

“Often-times you get into coaching and your objective is, ‘I want to manage in the big leagues.’ I feel like that is so far removed from me right now,” (Shoemaker) said. “I just enjoy what I’m doing in the minor leagues and I happen to have an important job.

“I know that hard work and dedication and loyalty, understanding that the boss is the boss, and you do what the boss says, and you follow the rules and you’re able to adapt.”

* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *

* Like Dodgers Blue Heaven on facebook *

* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *

Blog Kiosk: 11/3/2015 - Dodger Links - Puig, Roberts and Vote for Scavuzzo

Will we be getting a new and improved Yasiel Puig next season?

It's obviously way too early to tell, but you gotta love this early indication.  The photo above, featuring Puig with slugger Miguel Cabrera, was instagramed yesterday.  In the caption Miggy says that he ran into Puig working out with weights for the first time in young career.  Hopefully, this is a sign of some good things to come.  (Hat Tip: r/ilovemesomeme)

Below are more links to check out:

• I like Dave Roberts, via a tweet from Ken Rosenthal:

Sources: #Dodgers have interviewed Dave Roberts for managing job. LAD not close to decision. Roberts expected to move on from SD regardless.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 3, 2015

• Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Ralston Cash, manager Bill Haselman named to 2015 AFL Fall Stars Game."  As Eric notes, Dodger prospect Jacob Scavuzzo is also an "Final Vote" candidate for the All-Star Game.  Go here to make your mark for Scavuzzo.
• Well... I guess Dusty Baker is the manager instead.  Via Mike Oz at Big League Stew, "It's official: Dusty Baker is the new manager of the Nationals."
• Via Kennedy Ryan at KTLA5, "Two Men Arrested in Shooting of Brother of Dodgers Pitcher Josh Ravin." 
• You folks should come on out for this, via a tweet from Justin Turner:

Excited to play n #Bat4Hope Celeb Softball for @iamhope. Come out 2 support, get tix today: https://t.co/7ZGKJG5P0D pic.twitter.com/AWD13X3aMT

— Justin Turner (@redturn2) November 3, 2015

• Via John Thorn at Our Game, "Ball Playing Among Native Americans."
• This is probably the most insightful sabermetric analysis of the Royals World Series win.  Via Alex Skillin at The Hardball Times, "The Royals Are A Sabermetrics Team."

The Royals haven’t just won with defense, of course. At the plate, they’ve built a lineup filled with high-contact hitters in an era when power has become pricey and highly sought after. Moreover, in a time when hurlers have dominated and strikeouts have soared, Kansas City has assembled an offense that is less susceptible to the effects of elite velocity and pitching’s widespread supremacy.

As Ben Lindbergh wrote recently at Grantland, evidence exists that high-contact hitters perform better against power pitchers, a notion that has been borne out in the playoffs for two years in a row. (The Giants, too, have succeeded with a similar offensive makeup.) Although burly sluggers often can do more damage, they’re less consistent at the plate, and they’re vulnerable when facing hurlers who excel at getting strikeouts. Watching the Mets’ power arms churn through a formidable Cubs lineup demonstrated this concept to a “T.”

...
Ultimately, Kansas City is still not viewed as a sabermetric team due to a dated reputation that no longer accurately reflects the organization’s capabilities. Instead, the Royals should be regarded as one of the smartest organizations in baseball — a franchise, much like the Pirates or Astros, that has developed a clear plan and carried it out to great success. No, the Royals haven’t excelled solely because they possess some hyper-advanced analytics department filled with mad scientists churning out data and formulas that are well ahead of everyone else. But what they’ve done probably would draw far more accolades from the sabermetrics crowd if a team like the Rays or Cubs had succeeded with similar strategies.

• Awesome!

Video Link:

* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *

* Like Dodgers Blue Heaven on facebook *

* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *

Blog Kiosk: 9/18/2015 - Dodger Links - Quakes, Latos and Ruggiano

The young Dodger farmhands with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes are seen celebrating their playoff series victory a couple of days ago in the photo above; via a tweet from pitcher Chase De Jong.  They won it with a miraculous ninth inning rally that started with two men out.  In other news, I'm pretty sure many of the folks above are underage... Uh, who am I kidding... Who cares?  One evening of revelry is hardly unwarranted.

BTW, Last night was Game 1 of their Cal League Championship match against the San Jose Giants, and they decimated our rivals Class A league team, 12-3.  WooHoo!  The winning pitcher is none other than the guy who shared the photo above, Chase De Jong.  Via Tyler Maun at MiLB:

"It's always important to win Game 1, especially when you're at home," Quakes manager Bill Haselman said. "We had a pretty intense game yesterday, and they wiped that slate clean. They were ready for this game, so they did a heck of a job. De Jong did a great job on the mound, gave us six strong innings, and our offense was relentless with their ABs."

Ron Cervenka at Think Blue LA also wrote a great story about last night's game that you check out here.  Below are more links to check out:

• Left Field Pavilion made a fantastic fantasy Baseball card featuring Joc Pederson and Corey Seager that you can see here.
• ICYMI:  Mat "Cat" Latos is no more.  He has been DFA'd by the Dodgers.  Unquestionably, he was the worst pickup so far for the new Dodger front office, and that's OK.  Nobody will be perfect all of the time.  That said, the fact that they were willing to cut bait rather than let him ride it out on the bench into October is telling.  This group will not hesitate to move beyond any mistakes - In other words, they don't let their pride dictate player movements.  

Or, maybe the 6.66 ERA in the six games he pitched for us as a bad omen. 

• Via Eric Avakian at Dodgers Nation, "Mattingly Not Surprised By Andre Ethier’s Season."

“Coming out of Spring Training with all the talk of wanting to play everyday and all that, and really I’ve said it a few different times, he’s backed it up with his play. When he’s gotten his opportunities he’s been really good. I don’t know if it’s really necessarily a surprise that he’s capable of this, but it’s been a good season for him.” 

• Via The Cauldron at Sports Illustrated, "Kershaw, Greinke could go down as one of the 10 greatest duos ever."
• Via Frank Cesare at the Daily Gammons, "Justin Ruggiano is Demolishing Lefties in LA."

In LA, Ruggiano has had 24 plate appearances against lefties. He possesses a .417 OBP, 1.330 OPS, .522 ISO, .461 BABIP, .550 wOBA and 261 wRC+. Those numbers may not be sustainable in the long run, but in his limited role, he’s carved out a niche that has helped catapult the Dodgers comfortably into the playoffs—barring a major collapse.

• Via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com, "Seager can vouch for Schebler's hunger."

"He doesn't get the credit; he's not on the magazine covers and stuff, but every year, he puts up the numbers and now he's here and I'm really pumped for him," said Seager, ranked by MLBPipeline.com as the Dodgers' top prospect and the No. 2 prospect in baseball. "He's everything you'd want in a teammate."

* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *

* Like Dodgers Blue Heaven on facebook *

* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *

Blog Kiosk: 6/12/2015 - Dodger Links - The Story Behind the Nancy Bea Hefley Situation

There was a bit of a brouhaha on twitter and various other social media sites yesterday as rumors swirled that Dodgers' longtime organist Nancy Bea Hefley was being pushed out of the organization.  As you can imagine, the Dodger faithful were less than pleased.  She has seen her role during games reduced significantly the past several years, and it appeared obvious that her dismissal was coming soon rather than later.  Well, she dispelled all of those rumors when she responded on twitter:

To all my faithful fans. I WILL be coming back next year. Thank you for your support. The Dodgers have stated I have a job as long as i want

— Nancy Bea Hefley (@NancyBea) June 11, 2015

Unfortunately, the above is far from the entire story.  Bill Plaschke at the LA Times shared a piece last night that provides more detail: " Frustrated Dodgers' organist signals last notes, until team's overture."  Check out the story here.

"I am retiring at the end of this season," Hefley told The Times. "It's finally gotten to me."

Even her richest show tune wouldn't be proper accompaniment for what happened next.

The Facebook exchange began spreading. Twitter talk began buzzing. Hints of outrage began forming. Dodgers officials who had not been previously informed of Hefley's plans took notice.

Three hours after the original post appeared, one of those officials called Hefley and, soon thereafter, the woman who had been reduced to playing five minutes a day was suddenly un-retired after being promised a lifetime deal.

I get the desire for more modern tunes during games, but feel that the significantly diminished role given to her is both unwarranted and shortsighted.  There is room for what she does, and you have to find a way to bring her back to the game.  Her style is a reflection of the history of the franchise in Los Angeles.  To turn your back on that part of our collective past is like turning away family.  And ultimately, the Dodgers are family... And, Nancy Bea Hefley is family.

The photo above is via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2012.  Below are some links to check out:

• Via J.P. Hoornstra at Inside the Dodgers, "Pitcher Erik Bedard halts comeback with Dodgers, announces retirement."
• Via JP Hoornstra at the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, "Dodgers’ Kiké Hernandez embraces ‘Rally Banana’ fame."
• Via Pedro Moura at the OC Register, "Dodgers push aside traditional batting statistics in search of true value."

“The first time you present information to a player, it’s brand new, totally foreign,” (Gabe) Kapler said. “The second time you present it to a player, it feels a little less awkward, a little uncomfortable. The third, fourth, fifth, sixth time they hear about wOBA and it being more indicative of positive performance than batting average, then it’s not so foreign and awkward anymore, and it feels like a conversation they’re ready to have.

“I believe it’s a commitment you make over time to help players understand how they’re being evaluated. You can’t quit halfway, because then everything goes out the window.”

• Remember this kids name.  Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "2015 MLB Draft: Dodgers take SDSU-bound RHP Imani Abdullah in 11th round."
• Via Jake Seiner at MiLB.com, "Stock Watch: Quakes' Bellinger powering up."

"I think he can definitely be a home run and gap-to-gap guy," Rancho Cucamonga coach Bill Haselman said. "For his age, to hit [12] home runs in this league, that's a pretty awesome thing to do. They're pretty legit home runs, too."

• Via Steve Bourbon at MLB.com, "Ethier in familiar position as LA gets healthy."  On the outfield situation:

"It's every man for himself," Ethier recalled. "It's not a competition against other teams, it's a competition of the guys in here, and may the best man win."

* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *

* Like Dodgers Blue Heaven on facebook *

* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *

Blog Kiosk: 6/5/2015 - Dodger Links - Puig, Jansen and Julio Urias

The toast of the town, Joc Pederson, is captured in the photo above signing autographs for adoring fans prior to the start of yesterdays game.  Pic above via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2015.  Go here to check out more photos taken by Jon from Thursday's game.

Below are some more links to check out:

• My fantasy team could really use a healthy Puig right now.  Via George Alfano at MLB.com, "Puig gets two hits, hopes to return this weekend."

"I thought he looked great, and the hamstring looks good," Rancho Cucamonga manager Bill Haselman said. "He ran great. With a pulled muscle, the body eventually heals itself."

"I'm not 100 percent now, but it felt comfortable," said Puig, who is in his third season with the Dodgers and has a career batting average of .304. "I did my job, did my rehab in Arizona and I'll come back here [to Lancaster] tomorrow night."

• Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Grant Holmes, J.D. Underwood, Michael Ahmed named Midwest League All-Stars."
• Via Steve Adams at MLB Trade Rumors, "David Aardsma Opts Out Of Dodgers Contract."  This is too bad, he could've been a nice piece out of the pen.

The 33-year-old Aardsma has pitched quite well for L.A.’s Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City, working to an excellent 2.41 ERA with 11.1 K/9, 3.4 BB/9 and 15 saves in 18 2/3 innings. Aardsma recently explained to The Oklahoman’s Jacob Unruh that his offseason work in a strengthening program called Top Velocity helped him add a couple of ticks back to his fastball, which is now regularly sitting in the 91-93 mph range.

• Here's great news.  Via Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider, "Kenley Jansen cleared to pitch tonight (Thursday)." Via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com, "Altitude triggers high blood pressure in Jansen."
• Here's some not so great news, via Eric Stephen on twitter:

Zach Lee is in Los Angeles getting examined. Experiencing tingling in fingers of throwing hand

— Eric Stephen (@truebluela) June 4, 2015

• Now... Back to some awesome news!  Top prospect Julio Urias appears to be recovering well from his recent surgery to his eye, per a tweet by him from yesterday.  He tells us that he'll be back on the field in one weeks time:

1 semana mas y estamos de regreso⚾️.. #Thanksgod! pic.twitter.com/oYUhhGx286

— Julio Urias (@theteenager7) June 4, 2015

• I would like to extend a hearty congratulations to LA Kings broadcaster Nick Nickson for being selected as the Hockey Hall of Fame 2015 Foster Hewitt Memorial Award winner.  This award celebrates "members of the radio and television industry who made outstanding contributions to their profession and the game during their career in hockey broadcasting."  This is the highest honor a hockey broadcaster can receive - like winning the Ford Frick Award for Baseball broadcasters.  Jon Rosen at LA Kings Insider shares a recent interview with him here.

“I don’t know if it’s going to sink in anytime soon,” Nickson said on Thursday. “I just talked to Pat Foley – he called like 10 minutes ago, literally – who won it last year in Chicago. He was telling me it’s been a year since he won it and he still kind of walks around and goes ‘Did this really happen?’ I guess it’s nice to know that your work is appreciated and the work that you do put in gets rewarded in some way.”

(Nick and I)

* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *

* Like Dodgers Blue Heaven on facebook *

* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *

Blog Kiosk: 4/24/2015 - Dodger Links - Bolsinger Impresses in Dodger Debut

Accentuate the positive.

Yeah, it's tough to lose to the Giants and it's worse when it culminates into sweep, but there was plenty to like.  And gosh darn it, I'd rather start off my morning thinking about what positives we can take away from the series rather than fret about three games in an 162 game season.

For instance, Guerrero continues to mash the ball like a toddler who's discovered the joy of Play-Doh.  And Adrian Gonzalez came out of his recent funk to hit a deep homer to centerfield.  Best yet, we had the opportunity to witness one of the front office's earliest acquisitions impress on the field.

Mike Bolsinger was fantastic in his Dodger debut as a starter.  He went  5 2/3 innings against the Giants - knocking out five strike outs against two walks.  Bolsinger masterfully used a combination of his fastball and slider to keep batters on their toes before bringing his "Uncle Charlie" to leave them stammered.  No doubt, he'll be seen as a future candidate for spot starts throughout the season, and a possible competitor for a rotation position later on.  Via Alex Espinoza  at MLB.com:

"It's tough to say. In a way, yeah, I think I have [proved myself]," Bolsinger said. "Whatever happens, happens. I just want to put myself in the best possible situation so that if something comes up, they think of me."

Yes, you have shown us the daylight, and before the night is over I suspect you'll force us to keep you around.  The above photo of Mike Bolsinger was taken by Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2015.  Go here to check out more pics of his from yesterday's game.  Jon also shares some fantastic B&W photos from the day here.  Below are some more links to check out:

• Via Bill Shaikin at the LA Times, "Collapse of Comcast-TWC merger could extend Dodgers' TV blackout."

“Time Warner simply did a stupid deal,” Ganis said. “At some point, they’re going to have to bite the bullet, and it might as well be sooner rather than later so Dodger fans can watch the games.”

• Awesome!  Via Spencer Fordin at MLB.com, "Dodgers Foundation raises $1.3M at Blue Diamond Gala."
• Via Jeff Sullivan at FanGraphs, "Raising the Dodger Fastball."  Fascinating stuff.

And the Dodgers, as a unit, are working higher than they did. Compared to last year, the Dodgers have increased their high-fastball rate by almost 11 percentage points.

• Via Craig Minami at True Blue LA, "Player development the main objective at Rancho Cucamonga."

"I see developing more important. The ultimate goal is to have the Dodgers win," (Bill Haselman) said. "And if we can win by doing that, great.  Everyone in this clubhouse including myself wants to win. But I want to make sure that these guys are ready to go up when they go up because when the Dodgers win, we all win."

• Via Mike Lange at Piscataquis Observer/Maine News Supply, "Small Maine company making baseball bats for major leagues."  (Hat Tip: Orel at SOSG)  This is where Puig gets his bats.
• Howard Cole at Forbes tells us about a new online service that provides a searchable sports memorabilia price guide called PriceRealized.com.

* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *

* Like Dodgers Blue Heaven on facebook *

* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *

Blog Kiosk: 4/20/2015 - Dodger Links - Seager, Ryu and Jansen

There sure has been a lot of celebrating for Dodger fans these days.  The vastness of the stadium has been filled with smiling Blue faces and there's a certain energy in the air that is inescapable.  This Dodger team just wants to win, and win they do.  They hit with the tenacity of a wolverine and pitch with the kind of finesse you witness when watching the Blue Angels streak through the skies. 

It's like the Dodger team of 2015 is something out of a dream.  How else do you describe the offensive punch we've had in our own park. 

"Not the pitcher's park I envisioned," said Brandon McCarthy in an article by Ken Gurnick at MLB.com.

No kidding, Brandon!

Contributions have been coming from all corners.  The bench is proving, so far, to be the best in the league.  The bullpen is markedly more effective.  Heck, the one stain might be the starting staff (strange considering that they've been a rock the past few season), still they've done more than enough to get the job done.  I can only hope that the good times continue, but I know this marathon of a season means we'll eventually hit a slog.  As AJ Ellis added (via the Gurnick article):

"We're just banking wins right now. We know you go through rough patches and the wins get harder to get. This was a big homestand, because we had some come-from-behind wins, which we didn't do last year."

Enjoy it while it's hot, but be ever mindful that it's likely to not always be this way. 

The photo at the very top is via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2015.  Go here to check out more pics from him from Sunday.  Below are some links to check out:

• Via Mark Saxon at ESPNLosAngeles.com, "Prospect Corey Seager's position switch could fast-track him to the majors."  He has just started playing a bit of third base in Tulsa.

"Corey is an athlete. He can play anywhere on the diamond," (Gabe) Kapler responded via text. "In general, we want our men to think of themselves as baseball players rather than labeling themselves in any way. That said, Seager can unequivocally play shortstop and third base. He’s a pro. Exposure to multiple positions can only help our players."

• Via Ron Cervenka at Think Blue LA, "It’s all business for new Quakes manager Bill Haselman."
• Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Hyun-jin Ryu throwing without pain, but timetable remains unclear."

"I don't know when I'll be able to throw a bullpen. I've just been throwing outside on the field," Ryu said. "So far it's just making sure I have no pain. At this condition I probably could [throw a bullpen session] but I haven't thrown long toss yet."

• Via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com, "Jansen throws off mound for first time since foot surgery."

"Everything went well, I threw strikes and I feel great for the first time," he said. "They told me not to crank it up. So I was hitting that type of velocity holding off a little bit."

• Dodgers Nation shares a fun video from the LA Dodgers Foundation Gala at Dodger Stadium this past Thursday.
• Blue Skinny Fan shares his day at Frank & Sons on Saturday; including getting Rick Monday's signature.
• Panini released more preview pics of thier soon to be released Diamond Kinks set; including the Joc PEderson and Yasiel Puig cards below.  Go here to check out more pics of the set from them.

* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *

* Like Dodgers Blue Heaven on facebook *

* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *

Blog Kiosk: 1/20/2014 - Dodgers Links - Joe Ferguson, MLK Day and You Should Expect Perfect Weather for Outdoor Hockey on Saturday

This past Saturday was the 11th annual “In the Spirit of the Game” fundraiser for the Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation.  Check out a pic of Hank Aaron and Tommy Lasorda from that event, photo via Juan Ocampo/LA Dodgers.  Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider has some details about it, here.

• A new Dodger blog called Dodgers Digest is now live.  Go here to check it out.
• Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider shares his, "Dodger tickets through the years".
• Via Harold Uhlman at Think Blue LA, "Meet new Loons manager Bill Haselman".
• Via Matt Snyder at CBS Sports, "VIDEO: Joe Ferguson with perhaps the best World Series throw ever".  He had quite a rifle!
• Current Colorado Major Leaguer Michael Cuddyer has taken some incredible photos of Dodger Stadium.  He shares many of them on his Flickr account, here.  You gotta check them out.  Photography might be his second calling; after he decides to hang them up. (Hat Tip: Reddit: phuckduck)
• Lyle Spencer at MLB.com, "King's enduring messages delivered at Academy (in Compton)".

"I'm trying to teach these kids how to handle adversity and deal with any situation in life," said Landreaux, a World Series champion in 1981 with his hometown Dodgers. "Through baseball and the importance of learning the fundamentals, they can learn the discipline to become educated, to be good, productive citizens. That's what we're striving for here."

• Evan Bladh at Opinion of Kingman's Performance writes about, "Jackie Robinson and Martin Luther King Jr." and how interconnected they really were.
• Harold Uhlman at Think Blue LA writes about the Cape Code League in Alaska.
• Jon Rosen at Kings Insider updates us on the outdoor ice rink at Dodger Stadium.  Don't fret folks.  The temperature for game time is expected to be perfect for game play. Pic below via Jon Rosen.

 Though we can’t say the same about another arctic blast of air that is about to descend upon the northern United States, the temperatures for Saturday’s Stadium Series game should be ideal. Next Saturday’s high is currently targeted at 79 degrees Fahrenheit, with a low of 47. Those temperatures would nearly replicate today’s weather. The high at Dodger Stadium today was 80 degrees, with an expected low of 47.

Though the game is scheduled for 6:30, the pomp and circumstance surrounding the event will delay the puck drop to 7:15. By that time, the outside air should cool to roughly 61 or 62 degrees, as determined through today’s hourly weather forecast. It is 65 degrees inside Staples Center during Kings games, a temperature that drops closer to the ice.

* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *

* Like Dodgers Blue Heaven on facebook *

* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *