Blog Kiosk: 6/15/2020 - Dodgers Links & News - Some Odds and Ends

Here's a fun International Press Photo featuring Jackie Robinson, Joe Black, Duke Snider, Don Zimmer, Walter Alston and Gil Hodges. In the background is a blackboard with the words, "The Bums Dood It 10 Straight." (eBay auction link)

Unfortunately, it is undated and the paper descriptor on the reverse has been torn off. Nevertheless, I am certain the eBay seller is correct in saying it's from the 1955 season. That year they had two - ten game winning streaks before winning their first World Series Championship.

Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1938 Reds lefty Johnny Vander Meer made history when he threw his second consecutive no-hitter -- beating the Dodgers at Ebbets Field, 6-0. BTW, this was the very first night game played in New York City. In 1996 the Dodgers turn their first triple play in 47 years. In Atlanta with runners going from 1st and 2nd base in the 1st inning, Braves infielder Chipper Jones hit a popup to short-left that was snagged by Juan Castro. He dutifully threw to second baseman Delino Deshields for the second out, who then relayed the ball to first baseman Eric Karros to get the third out (6-4-3 Triple Play).
• Happy Birthday, Ed Wheeler, Eddie Pipgras, Hank Winston, Babe Dahlgren, Dusty Baker, Brett Butler & Josh Lindblom!

Welcome to the Blue, Landon Knack!

The Dodgers first pick on the second day of the amateur draft, at 60th overall, is East Tennessee State right-handed hurler Landon Knack. From what I understand, he doesn't quite project as a starter in the big leagues. Rather, he is seen as more of a hard-throwing power relief pitcher. Of course, he could surprise and become a part of the rotation. As Dustin Nosler stated in his write-up, Knack "was a money-saving selection" -- who the Dodgers should be able to sign for under slot.

Landon Knack is 22-years old, stands at 6' 2" tall, and bats as a lefty. He had not been drafted previously. Knack is also the best fifth-year-college senior in a long time. Originally, he was a two-way player on the field, but suffered some shoulder injuries that forced him to focus on pitching only. After having done so, he experienced a velocity increase on the mound from between five to ten mph on his fastball.

Blog Kiosk: 6/12/2020 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

2020 Draft is over and we now have six new prospects to watch -- assuming they sign on the dotted line. On Wednesday they picked University of Louisville right-hander Bobby Miller. Then on Thursday they added five more players -- Landon Knack RHP 60th overall, Clayton Beeter RHP 66th overall, Jake Vogel OF 100th overall, Carson Taylor C 130th overall and Gavin Stone RHP 159th overall.

I made a handful of fantasy custom baseball cards for Knack, Beeter and Vogel. I hope to have more to share soon, so stay tuned.

Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1940 the Dodgers made one of the biggest trades in their history. They received 1937 Triple Crown winner Joe "Ducky" Medwick and pitcher Curt Davis from the Cardinals for outfielder Ernie Koy, pitcher Carl Doyle, two minor leaguers and $125k in cash (a huge sum in those days). The Dodgers would win the pennant the following season for the first time since 1920. In 1955 Don Newcombe, having won his first ten decisions of the season, lost his first game of the year when Brooklyn falls to the Cubs, 9-5. In 2005 first baseman Hee-Seop Choi hit home runs in his first three at-bats this evening against the Twins to propel the Dodgers over Minnesota, 4-3. Watch all three here. 
• Happy Birthday, Jack O'Brein, Roger Bernadina & Damon Hollins! 

Welcome to the Blue, Bobby Miller!

Last night the Dodgers added another arm to their stable of high-end pitching prospects when they drafted University of Louisville right-hander Bobby Miller with the 29th pick. He is 21-years-old, stands a tall 6' 5" and bats as a lefty. Miller had also been previously drafted by the Baltimore Orioles, out of high school (McHenry, IL), in the 38th round in 2017. Per a Dodger press release:

Miller, 21, made four starts for the Cardinals in 2020, going 2-0 with a 2.31 ERA (6 ER/23.1 IP) with 34 strikeouts against nine walks. He tallied three quality starts in four chances, striking out a career-high 12 batters over 6.2 innings on February 22 against Valparaiso University. 

In 2018, the McHenry, IL native earned Freshman All-America honors and was selected All-ACC Third Team and All-ACC Freshman Team after going 6-1 with a 2.97 ERA (22 ER/66.2 IP) and 55 strikeouts over 17 games (nine starts). In three seasons with Louisville, he recorded a 15-2 record with a 3.28 ERA (62 ER/170 IP) with 175 strikeouts in 41 appearances (25 games).

Blog Kiosk: 6/11/2020 - Dodgers Links & News - Some Odds and Ends

As you surely know by now, the first round of the amateur draft was last night, and both the Dodgers and Angels chose highly-touted pitchers from the University of Louisville. The Dodgers snagged righty Bobby Miller at 29th and the Angels picked lefty Reid Detmers at 10th.

Photo above via Louisville Baseball on twitter. To the right is a custom fantasy baseball cad I made of Bobby Miller. Stay tuned, I'll have more soon. Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1955 the Dodgers won their 6th game in a row, defeating the Cubs 4-3, to increase their lead in the National League by 10 1/2 games. They would not see their double-digit lead shrink below 10 games for the remainder of the season. In 1957 Roy Campanella hit his 237th career home run as a catcher to set a new NL record. In 1969 the Dodgers traded Ron Fairly and Paul Popovich to the Montreal Expos for Maury Wills and Manny Mota. In 1972 both Willie Davis and Manny Mota would both hit inside-the-park home runs in a losing effort against the Pirates, 7-5, at Dodger Stadium. In 2013 the Dodgers and Diamondbacks have a little tussle on the field. It begins with Yasiel Puig getting beaned in the head. Then, Dodgers starter Zack Greinke immediately pelted the first batter he saw to spark hostilities on the field -- but no punches are thrown. Soon thereafter Ian Kennedy of Arizona throws at Greinke's head and a brawl begins. Eight players are suspended and 12 receive fines. Watch highlights here.
• Happy Birthday, Wheezer Dell, Horace Allen, Tom Baker, Yhency Brazobán, Mike Davis and Odalis Perez!

Blog Kiosk: 9/13/2019 - Dodgers Links - Happy Friday the 13th!

Here's a clubhouse celebration featuring Duke Snider and Sandy Amoros after they helped defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates to win the National League Pennant on the last day of the season (boxscore), September 30, 1956. Per the description on the reverse of the photo above (eBay link):

HOMER HEROES. Brooklyn, N.Y.: Duke Snider (left) and Sandy Amoros embrace in the Dodger dressing room here Sept. 30, after each crashed two mighty homers to lead Brooklyn to its 10th National League Pennant, with an 8-6 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.  The Duke also made a spectacular leaping, back-hand stab against the centerfield barrier to rob Bucs' Bob Skinner of an extra-base hit and choke off a seventh-inning Pirate rally.

Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1925 future Brooklyn Hall of Famer Dazzy Vance no-hit the Phillies at Ebbets Field, 10-1. In 1977 outfielder Dusty Baker set a franchise record by recording five RBI's in a single inning -- during the second inning against the Padres. His hits include a two-run double and a three-run homer. In 2005 Dodgers futility was at it's best. During the second inning against the Padres all three Dodger outfielders (Ricky Ledee, Jose Cruz Jr. and Jason Werth) committed errors that contributed to the scoring of six runs and a loss, 6-4.
• Happy Birthday, Harry Redmond, Dutch Ruether, John Kelleher, Sam Crane, Otho Nitcholas, Morrie Aderholt, Rick Dempsey, Andy LaRoche & Zach Lee!

Blog Kiosk: 6/7/2019 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

Check out this fantastic Barney Stein photo of a young and dapper Vin Scully at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. It is unfortunately undated (eBay Auction Link).

Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers Baseball: In 1898 Brooklyn owner Charles Ebbets stepped in to be the teams manager for the remainder of the season. The team would not fare well. The Dodgers would have a record of 38-68 under Ebbets and finish in 10th place overall with a 54-91 record. In 1982 Steve Garvey played in his 1,000th consecutive game. He would receive a standing ovation from fans at Dodger Stadium. In 1995 Tommy Lasorda won his 1,500th game as a major league manager when his Dodgers defeated the Expos, 7-1. 
• Happy Birthday, Ike Benners, Bones Ely, Lafayette Henion & Roy Jarvis!

Blog Kiosk: 6/4/2019 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

Walker Buehler was brilliant last night during the Dodgers 3-1 victory over the Diamondbacks, but I wanted to take a moment to highlight Kenley Jansen. With his 18th save of the season, he is just 14 saves away from reaching 300 in his career.

Photo above via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2019. Go here to check out more pics from yesterdays game. Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1964 Sandy Koufax threw his third no-hitter of his career. He blanked the Phillies at Connie Mack Stadium, 3-0. Overall, he recorded 12 strike outs and allowed just one walk. In 1968 Don Drysdale threw his sixth consecutive shutout of the season, extending his scoreless streak to 54 innings, when he defeated the Pirates, 5-0. This is also the day Robert Kennedy made note of Drysdale's efforts in a speech at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles after winning the CA primary. You can watch that portion of the speech here. Soon thereafter, he would be assassinated. In 1972 the Dodgers retired Roy Campanella's number - #39. In 1998 the Dodgers traded Hideo Nomo to the Mets for Dave Mlicki and Greg McMichael. In 1990 Dodgers ace Ramón Martínez struck out 18 Atlanta batters to defeat the Braves, 2-0. His effort tied a club record for strike outs in a game with Sandy Koufax, and was one short of the Major League record.
• Happy Birthday, Lee Magee, George Watkins & Rick Wilkins!

Blog Kiosk: 8/5/2016 - Dodgers Links - Peters, Puig, Seager and Kenta Maeda

Last night was a fantastic effort all around as the Dodgers defeated the Rockies, 4-2.  They were able to deny Colorado a sweep while increasing their lead in the wild-card race to three games.  The Dodgers also remain only two games behind the Giants in the division race.

As for last nights game, Kenta Maeda went a strong 5 2/3 innings, struck out five, walked none and allowed just two runs to cross the plate.  He also received some great scoreless relief help from Baez, Blanton and Jansen.  Offense was provided by a solo home run by Corey Seager, a two-run triple by Yasmani Grandal and an RBI single by Howie Kendrick to drive in Josh Reddick.  Per Ken Gurnick and Thomas Harding at MLB.com:

"We couldn't have scripted it any better," said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. "Yasmani got the big hit, Corey hit the home run, Kenta threw well and kept those guys off balance, the bullpen did its job. For us to salvage this series was huge."

BTW, Seagers homer was his nineteenth jack of the season - tying the Dodgers all-time mark with Hanley Ramirez for home runs by a shortstop in a single season.  Also, Kenta Maeda won his tenth game last night.  Go here to watch Maeda speak about last nights game.  Photo above via @Dodgers on twitter.  Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1969 Willie Stargell becomes the first ballplayer to ever hit a home run completely out of Dodger Stadium.  In 1979 Don Sutton becomes the Dodgers all-time leader in strike outs with 2,487.  He struck out six Giants batters in an 8-41 victory at Dodger Stadium.  He passed Don Drysdale on the Dodgers all-time list.
• Happy Birthday, Carl Crawford and Tim Federowicz!

A Final Roundup of Dodger Draftees from Round 3

I thought I'd finish of my series of blog post on the 2016 Draft by passing along a complete list of Dodgers draftees.  As you know, this past Saturday the Dodgers, as part of day three of the draft, selected 30 more players.  Per a Dodger press release:

On the draft’s third and final day, the Dodgers picked eight players with California ties in University of Nevada, Las Vegas and Lincoln (CA) High School pitcher Dean Kremer (14th round), Golden West College and Fountain Valley (CA) High School graduate Dillon Persinger (17th round), California State University, Long Beach pitcher Chris Mathewson (19th round), University of California, Santa Barbara pitcher James Carter (21st round), University of Southern California and Santa Barbara High School graduate Jeff Paschke (22nd round), Texas Tech University and Yuba City (CA) High School graduate Chandler Eden (25th round), Santa Clara University catcher Stevie Berman (31st round) and Chabot College outfielder Cal Stevenson (36th round).

Berman is the son of former UCLA infielder Gary Berman, who was drafted by the Phillies in the 38th round of the 1986 First-Year Player Draft. Darian Tubbs, the 16th round draft pick and an outfielder from the University of Memphis, is the son of former big league outfielder Greg Tubbs, who played for the Cincinnati Reds in 1993.

Overall, the Dodgers appear to be happy with how the draft went.  Via Cary Osborne at Dodger Insider:

Take a Look at the Dodgers Picks at 4 thru 10 - Welcome to the Blue!

On the second day of the 2016 Draft the Dodgers selected eight players between rounds three to ten.  Below is a short synopsis on the players taken from rounds four to ten.  You can check out my report on 3rd Round pick Dustin May here.

It should be noted that two of the players below, to go along with the Dodgers #1 pick Gavin Lux, are shortstops.  This is not to say that the Dodgers are looking to replace the current officeholder at the position, Corey Seager.  Instead, drafting is all about getting the best athletes possible.  Per Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider:

“The theory is that looking throughout the history of the draft and how athletes develop and age, when they’re athletic enough to play shortstop, it’s a pretty good recipe — as they age and get older and their skills develop and their bodies go forward or backwards — they can usually play other positions,” Gasparino said. “So many players today who are left fielders or right fielders, third basemen, second basemen, started out as shortstops. If you can start there, it’s a lot easier to transition to other places on the field, and gives you more avenues of versatility that way.”

In other words, this isn’t the NBA. With development such a long, protracted process in baseball — and almost no such thing as a quick fix — the overwhelming tendency is to take the player with the greatest potential, regardless of what the current Major League roster looks like. If the worst-case scenario is the Dodgers have multiple quality shortstops, they’ll live with that.

In Jon's story he also shares some quotes from Billy Gasparino about the eight players taken today, and I've included them in the below writeups.

4th Round Pick

D.J. Peters

DJ Peters is a 6' 5" tall outfielder who played this past season at Western Nevada Community College.  Peters, a 20-year-old outfielder from Glendora, CA, set records for Western Nevada College in batting average (.419) and home runs (16) this season.   The Region 18 Player of the Year posted a .419/.510/.734 slashline and became the first Wildcat to hit above .400 in a season.  You can follow him on twitter here: @8Peters.  Per Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider:

“He’s just an uber-talented outfielder with tons of tools and upside, and big power. He came to our workout at Dodger Stadium and was launching balls into the stands and throwing well and running well, just really a physical freak in some ways.”

Below are more stories and reports worth checking out:

Dodgers Pick Mitchell White in the 2nd Round - Welcome to the Blue!

With their 2nd round pick last night, 65th overall, the Dodgers selected right-handed pitcher Mitchell White.  He is 21-years old, 6' 4" tall and a finance major at Santa Clara University.  White had Tommy John surgery during his senior year of high school, and redshirted the next year in Santa Clara.  In 2015 he came out of the bullpen and closed games.  Then became a starter this season.  Per Cary Osborne at Dodger Insider:

He redshirted his true freshman year in 2014 after having Tommy John surgery in 2013. As a redshirt sophomore in 2016, he had a 3.72 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 118 strikeouts in 92 innings. On May 14, he struck out 15 batters and allowed one run in a complete game against the University of Portland.

Josh Sborz was Chosen as the Dodgers last Pick Yesterday - 74th Overall

The Dodgers last pick from the first day of the draft (yesterday) was right-handed college pitcher Josh Sborz.  He is the 74th overall pick and has a slot value of $827,000.00.  Currently, he is the primary closer for his college team - University of Virginia Cavaliers, but may be converted into a starter by the Dodgers.

"He's an accomplished right-hander," said Gasparino. "We think he can do both roles, but he has a 95-mph fastball, and he's added a slider, and we think he has a chance to start. So, we feel we got three starters, not just two."

Funny story, apparently he got busted easrlier this year for pitching in front of the rubber - about six inches.  You can follow him on twitter at: @JoshuaTree_27.

Blessed and very thankful to be picked by such a great organization and team! Excited to see what the future holds! @Dodgers #MLBDraft ⚾️

— Josh Sborz (@JoshuaTree_27) June 9, 2015

Per a Doders press release:

With their fourth pick of the night, Los Angeles drafted University of Virginia right-hander Josh Sborz, a 2015 Second-Team All-ACC selection. Sborz has gone 4-2 with an ACC-leading 14 saves (T-1st) and 1.95 ERA this season, while limiting opponents to a .164 batting average in 60.0 innings for Virginia, who advanced to the College World Series. In 187.0 career innings, the 21-year-old has allowed just 128 hits while striking out 171 and holding opponents to a .195 batting average. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound junior was scouted by Dodger scout Clair Rierson.

“He’s an accomplished right-hander, who started last year and transitioned to a closer role this year,” said Gasparino. “He has a plus fastball with a really good curveball and, this year, he added a slider to his mix.”

Per an MLB.com scouting report:

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 65 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 45 | Overall: 45

Sborz, whose brother Jay spent eight seasons in pro ball, pitched in relief as a freshman at Virginia before moving into the rotation as a sophomore. He returned to the bullpen in 2015, serving as the Cavaliers' closer and thriving in the role.

Sborz's arm strength is what defines him as a prospect. He's shown a fastball that he can crank up to 98 mph on occasion, though it usually sits in the 93-95 mph range, with some sink. He has a slider that should be at least Major League average and while he doesn't need a changeup much in short relief, he will show occasional feel for the pitch. Scouts aren't in love with his funky arm action, but the stuff is hard to be denied.

Sborz didn't pitch badly as a sophomore starter, and it's possible a team taking him early could decide to send him out in a rotation. But he more than likely profiles as a hard-throwing short reliever at the Major League level.

Here are some links about the man.

• Here is his profile page at the Virginia Cavaliers website.
• Via David Hood at True Blue LA, "Josh Sborz profile: A closer look at Dodgers' No. 74 pick."
• Via Dustin Nosler at Dodgers Digest, "Dodgers select OF Mitchell Hansen and RHP Josh Sborz in second round."
• Per Norm Wood at the Daily Press, "U.Va. pitchers Kirby, Sborz selected on first night of MLB draft."

In celebration of Sborz being picked by the Dodgers I made the above fantasy card for him.  I used a photo from Andrew Shurtleff/Courtesy Virginia Athletics and the 1987 Topps Baseball card design.

Here is a video of him speaking about getting drafted.

Video Link:

Here, John Manuel of Baseball America talks about Sporz.

Video Link:

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Dodgers Took Mitchell Hansen in 2nd Round - 67th Overall

In the second round of the 2015 draft the Dodgers chose high school outfielder Mitchell Hansen as the 67th overall selection.  Hansen is the first prep player chosen by the club and appears to be a kid with a solid bat.  I've read several reports comparing his swing to Shawn Green.  Best yet, he's excited about potentially being a Dodger, per a recent tweet that you can see below.  You can also follow him on twitter: @M_Hansen2015.  BTW, he has already committed to play for Standford University, so we'll see if the front office can convince him to go pro now.  His allotted slot value is $921,100.00.

I'm a Dodger Baby!!! Glory to God

— Mitchell Hansen (@M_Hansen2015) June 9, 2015

Per a Dodgers press release:

In the second round, Los Angeles selected 19-year-old Plano (Texas) Senior High School outfielder Mitchell Hansen. The left-handed hitter was selected as a 2015 Perfect Game 1st Team All-American and batted .432 with two home runs and 18 RBI this season. The 6-foot-4, 197-pound Stanford commit was a member of the 2014 USA Baseball 18U squad and scouted by Dodger scout Josh Herzenberg.

“He’s five-tool corner outfielder and a smart kid from a good home,” said Gasparino.

Per an MLB.com scouting report:

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55 | Overall: 50

One of the more well-rounded position players in the 2015 Draft class, Hansen has solid tools across the board. Evaluators who like him think several of those could develop into plusses, though he'll have to get picked early to deter him from his Stanford commitment.

Hansen has a fluid, compact left-handed swing and a good feel for hitting. He uses the entire field, has performed well against quality pitching on the showcase circuit and with the U.S. 18-and-under national team, and is growing into some power. He's not especially quick out of the batter's box but flashes plus speed at times once he gets going.

Hansen has enough speed and arm strength to play all three outfield positions, though he profiles best in right field. Scouts have compared him to Michael Saunders and Mets prospect Brandon Nimmo, a high school first-rounder in 2011.

Here are some links about the lad.

• Per David McNabb at WFAA.com, "Plano's Mitchell Hansen looking to sign baseball draft."

"I've gone through the same process with my family, friends and prayer that I did deciding about football," Hansen said. "And it's likely I will sign with what we're hearing with the draft. That has always been my dream to play pro baseball."

• Via Dustin Nosler at Dodgers Digest, "Dodgers select OF Mitchell Hansen and RHP Josh Sborz in second round."
• Via David Hood at True Blue LA, "Mitch Hansen profile: A closer look at Dodgers' 2nd-round pick."
• Via Matt Welch at Plano Star Courier, "Dodgers nab Plano's Mitchell Hansen in MLB draft."
• Here is his player profile page at PerfectGame.org.

In celebration of Hansen being picked by the Dodgers I made the above fantasy card for him.  I used a photo from the Plano Wildcats website and the 1971 Topps Baseball card design.

Here is a video of Hansen taking batting pratice at the Under Armour All-American game, via the Baseball Factory.  Per the video description:

Mitchell owns a classic left-handed stroke, with a smooth and pure action through the zone. He is arguably among the best hitters in the 2015 class, thanks to his advanced feel, which allows him to apply his previously mentioned stroke against high-level stuff. He squares the ball up regularly to all parts of the ballpark, with power to the pull side. It's a pleasure to watch him handle the bat. He is a talented and capable all-around athlete with foot speed (6.6 range 60-yard dash) and versatility to patrol all three outfield spots along with the open spaces of the gridiron as a wide receiver.

Video Link:

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Blog Kiosk: 6/4/2015 - Dodger Links - Puig, Pederson and Kenley Jansen

Today is the 51st anniversary of Sandy Koufax's third career no-hitter against the Phillies.  He became only the second pitcher in the modern era to throw three no-no's - Bob Feller was the first.  Photo above via @sportsphotos on twitter.

Below are some links to check out:

• Check out a new Dodger blog called "From Duke to Joc, All Things Dodgers" here.
• Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Yasiel Puig will start rehab assignment Thursday with Rancho Cucamonga."   BTW, Eric also tells us that Hector Olivera will make his debut in Tula today, as well (here)
• Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Paco Rodriguez MRI shows no new elbow damage."
• Via Mark Saxon at ESPN, "Joc Pederson's power continues to blossom."

“I still think the best is yet to come for Joc,” Mattingly said. “That doesn’t mean he’s going to hit 60 homers or anything, but I think just the consistency of at-bats will get better and better.”

• Via Cary Osborne at Dodger Insider, "A new voice for a critical 2015 Dodger draft."

“The power of the group together and more minds is better than one mind,” (Billy Gasparino) said. “It worked every draft I’ve been a part of. The best drafts, the best outcomes have been a group reflection of the board and the players we take, not just one person.

“We emphasized that in San Diego. We’ve had some success. We’re going to emphasize it here. Josh, Andrew and Farhan have all had their own success in places they’ve come from and we’re just trying to combine it all together.”

• Via Mark Saxon at ESPN, "Mystery surrounds Kenley Jansen's absence."

"I don't know who wants to talk about it. I'm not the one who wants to talk about it, though," said Mattingly, clearly perturbed. "He was unavailable."

Former Major League pitcher Rick Sutcliffe tweeted this out; which only adds to the mystery.  BTW, you may recall that a couple of years ago he was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat - atrial fibrillation:

Sending my prayers to #Dodgers and closer @kenleyjansen74

— Rick Sutcliffe (@Sut_ESPN) June 4, 2015

• Panini will once again create special Father's Day cards that will be available at participating hobby stores, and they shared a bunch of pics online.  Go here to check out a whole bunch of preview photos.  Below are the Yasiel Puig, Clayton Kershaw and Joc Pederson cards.

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Blog Kiosk: 11/17/2014 - Dodger Links - Pederson's Car Sold and Valenzuela's Statue

Check out Fernando Valenzuela gazing upon a statue of himself that was erected this past weekend at Charros de Jalisco's ballpark in Guadalajara.  Photo via @charrosbeisbol on twitter.  As you can see, it features him looking to the heavens as he prepares his pitch.

Below are some links to check out:

• Mark Townsend at Big League Stew has more on Joc Pederson's car.  It has been sold on eBay for $1,200.00.  He also tells us a bit about the seller, who had purchased it from the winner on fan appreciation day in Albuquerque.
• Via Adam Berry at MLB.com, "Puig comes up big in Tokyo."  You can also check out a bunch of pics from the game at Tokyo, here, from Dodger Insider Jon Weisman.

"The way they were attacking Yasiel in the first three games and really not giving him too much to hit, to put him in front of [Rockies first baseman Justin] Morneau was an opportunity for him to see some pitches. It worked out," MLB manager John Farrell said. "They threw the ball in the strike zone, and he responded with three hits tonight.

• Via J.P. Hoornstra at Inside the Dodgers, "Dodgers senior VP Josh Byrnes on Billy Gasparino, Ryan Jackson."

“Billy’s great,” Byrnes said. “Great resume as a player, scout; crosschecked for a long time. I think the skills we’re looking for — a good evaluator, running a draft. using all that information to make that decision.”

• Via Cary Osborne at Dodger Insider, "Adrian Gonzalez on the offseason, Julio Urias, baseball in Mexico and Canelo Alvarez."

“Julio is a young man who is an excellent pitcher. He pitches about 95 mph. He has a great curve as well. A lot of people feel that he has the potential of being one of the greatest pitchers in the Major Leagues,” Gonzalez said. “He’s a great guy, simple and very attentive. Even though I’ve known him for a short time, I hope we can start a great friendship. Our team expects a lot from Julio.”

• Via Jim Callis at MLB.com puts together a team-by-team breakdown of top performers in the 2014 Arizona Fall League

Best Prospect: After a rough AFL performance in 2013, shortstop Corey Seager played much better the second time around, batting .281/.354/.472 with a league-best 10 doubles. The 2014 Minor League leader in hitting (.349) and doubles (50), he'll produce for average and power but will likely have to move to third base. .

• Via TheThinGwynn at Gaslamp Ball, Topps is issueing a Johnny Manziel San Diego Padres autographed Baseball card.

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Welcome to the Blue, Gabe Kapler & Billy Gasparino!

The Dodger front office is starting to round out quite nicely.  Following up on yesterdays official announcement regarding the hiring of both Farhan Zaidi and Josh Byrnes, the Dodgers let us know today that they have hired Gabe Kapler and Billy Gasparino to fill holes within their farm system.

Per a Dodgers press release:

The Los Angeles Dodgers today announced the front office additions of Gabe Kapler as Director, Player Development and Billy Gasparino as Director, Amateur Scouting. Dodger President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman made the announcement.

BTW, Gabe Kapler is on twitter, so you can follow him here: @gabekapler.  Instead of rehashing what has already been written about him, I will list several reports that I found.  Check them out below:

• Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Gabe Kapler reportedly will be Dodgers farm director."

This would be his first job in a major league front office, presumably working under Byrnes, who will oversee scouting and player development.

• Via Mike Petriello at Dodgers Digest, "Is Gabe Kapler Coming To The Dodgers? (Yes, Please!)"
• Here's a piece Gabe just wrote for FoxSports titled, "A farewell note from Gabe Kapler."

Here's a fun interview from last year by Eddie Mata with Gabe Kapler.  Check it out below.

Video Link:

As for Gasparino, he isn't on twitter (as far as I know), but he is experienced in the scouting department.  Check out some stories below about him.

• Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Billy Gasparino latest rumored to join Dodgers front office."

In celebration of Kapler and Gasparino's arrival to the Dodgers I made the above fantasy cards for them.  For the Kapler card I used a photograph grabbed from a photo from nowhavefun.com and the 1971 Topps Baseball card design.  For the Gasparino card I used a photograph grabbed from a photo from the Padres Friarwire and the 1971 Topps Baseball card design.

The Dodgers press release:

A 12-year Major League veteran, Kapler joins the Dodgers after most recently working as a baseball analyst for Fox Sports 1. Prior to his television career, Kapler was a big league outfielder for the Tigers (1998-99), Rangers (2000-02), Rockies (2002-03), Red Sox (2003-06), Brewers (2008) and Rays (2009-10), winning a World Series with Boston in 2004. He briefly retired following the 2006 season and managed Boston's Single-A affiliate, the Greenville Drive, in 2007 before resuming his playing career in 2008 and playing three more big league seasons. A Los Angeles native, Kapler appeared in a Dodger uniform as a non-roster invitee during 2011 Spring Training, but never played in a regular-season game with the club.

Kapler attended Taft High School in Woodland Hills before earning a scholarship to Cal State-Fullerton, where he played one season before transferring to Moorpark College.

Gasparino joins the Dodgers after four seasons with the Padres as the club's Director of Scouting (2012-14) and National Crosschecker (2010-12). Previously, he worked for the Blue Jays, originally joining Toronto as an area scout covering Southern California from 2004-06 before being promoted to national crosschecker in 2007. He got his start in baseball as an intern with the Cleveland Indians in 2003

An infielder during his playing career, Gasparino was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 17th round of the 1999 First-Year Player Draft out of Oklahoma State University and spent one season in their minor league system with Single-A Portland.

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Blog Kiosk: 11/6/2014 - Dodger Links - Another Kershaw Magazine Cover and Uribe Wins Defensive Player of the Year Award

Clayton Kershaw will be on the cover of the December 2014 issue of Beckett Baseball magazine, pic above via Chris Olds at Beckett.com.  Also at the link to the left, Chris Olds puts together his list of the Top-5 Kershaw cards to own. 

Below are some more links to check out:

• Via Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider, "Gonzalez, Uribe win Wilson Defensive Player of the Year honors."  Congrats to Uribe.  He deserves the recognition.
• Mark Saxon at ESPN writes, "How one subtlety could seal A.J. Ellis' fate," and I do not agree with the assessment.  I think it's far too simplistic to believe one skill (pitch-framing) will be the ultimate bellwether for determining Ellis' role or any catchers role with the club.  Certainly, he hasn't been great at it, but I do not feel that it alone will put him in the doghouse.  It's a series of skills behind the dish that determines if a catcher is effective.  With Ellis, I believe he excels in other aspects of the game.  His leadership with the staff, pregame preparation, quarterbacking on the field and pitch-calling are just as important, if not more so, than framing. 
• Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Dodgers 2015 arbitration projections, Andrew Friedman & 'file and trial.'"
• Gasparino may also join the Dodgers.  Via a tweet from Padres MLB.com reporter Corey Brock, Gasparino was given permission yesterday to interview with the team:

Earlier today, the #Padres granted permission to the #Dodgers to interview scouting director Billy Gasparino. Interview could come fast.
— Corey Brock (@FollowThePadres) November 6, 2014

• Dustin Nosler at Dodgers Digests takes a closer look at Billy Gasparino.
• Twitter/social media is so stupid sometimes.  Former Dodger Ryan Theriot said a mean thing about 'Moneyball' and the Dodgers recently hiring Zaidi, so the stat-heads on twitter ran for their pitchforks.  I'm left to wonder, what the heck is wrong with everyone? 
• Via Craig Durham at MLB.com, "Rays, Dodgers prospects make splash Down Under."

Also among the standout performers for Adelaide in the opening weekend were Dodgers prospects Brandon Dixon and Aaron Miller. Dixon, a 22-year-old second baseman from Murrieta, Calif., finished his first weekend of ABL play with five hits, three RBIs and a pair of stolen bases. Miller, a 27-year-old pitcher-turned-outfielder, went 6-for-19 with a home run, four RBIs and two steals. The pair were teammates this past season, playing for the Class A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes of the California League, where they combined for 23 home runs and 106 RBIs.

• A very good read.  Via Ken Arneson, "10 Things I Believe About Baseball Without Evidence."
• This is the greatest idea ever!  Via Chris Olds at Beckett, "Topps adds baseball twist to Garbage Pail Kids."

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