Blog Kiosk: 9/29/2015 - Dodger Links - Hazing the Rookies

Although the Dodgers were unable to clinch the NL Western Division over the weekend they still found a way to have some fun.  Continuing a tradition that goes back several years, the Dodgers dressed up their rookies in ridiculous outfits as they headed out on their roadtrip to San Francisco.  As you can see they used a professional wrestling theme.  In the photo above, tweeted by Alanna Rizzo, are Corey Seager and Scott Schebler.  Check out Sons of Steve Garvey (here and here) for more pics.  Also, David Vassegh shares a selfie with Seager here.  Below is a group photo as they are about to board the plane, via Dodgers on instagram.

BTW, the Dodgers "Magic Number" remains at 2.  With the Dodger playing San Francisco any win will clinch the division.  Below are more links to check out:

• Brett Anderson channels the ire heard from some fans regarding the rookie hazing event on twitter:

Myself being a major part of it...rookie dress up loses its luster when you get swept by the worst team in your division.

— Brett Anderson (@BrettAnderson35) September 28, 2015

• Via Mark Saxon at ESPN, "Dodgers eying NLCS for Yasiel Puig's return."
• Via Ron Cervenka at Think Blue LA,"Dodgers new bullpen motto is working."
  

  During a recent one-on-one interview with Dodgers bullpen coach Chuck Crim, he shared a little secret about the Dodgers bullpen – his bullpen – they have adopted a new motto.
  
  “Our motto now in the bullpen is ‘Hey, nobody scores – nobody scores,’” said Crim. “I’ve got Avi (Luis Avilan) to the point where I say ‘Tell it to me… tell it to me.’ When he leaves the pen I’ll tell him ‘Hey man, nobody scores.’ It’s kind of funny but we instill it in their brains, I don’t care if it’s bases loaded and nobody out, nobody scores.”

• Via Mark Saxon at ESPN, "Brett Anderson says he's interested in returning in 2016."
  

  "It's been a good fit," Anderson said a few days ago. "It fits my personality here. With [Clayton] Kershaw the top guy, I can just go about my business and kind of pitch in the shadows. It's been gratifying to stay healthy and help win with these guys."

• Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Josh Byrnes reportedly interviews for Angels GM position."

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Blog Kiosk: 3/30/2015 - Dodger Links - Some Odds and Ends

Something tells me that the old guy still got it!

Don Newcombe threw out the first pitch before this past Friday's game at Camelback Ranch.  Steve Yeager caught the pitch to the rousing applause from the fans in attendance.  The photo above via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2015.  Go here to check out more pics from the evening from Jon here.

Below are some links to check out:

• Via  JP Hoornstra at Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, "Vin Scully is still a baseball fan as he begins 66th season with Dodgers."

“I say in all honesty there are more players that I don’t know on this edition than in many years gone by,” he said. “Of course that’s the nature of the game today, a long way from when we had the same infield for eight and a half years.”

• GCRL (GarveyCeyRussellLopes) Blog tells us a bit about the last time the Dodgers wore a black armband and created some fantastic fantasy cards in commemoration.  It was in honor of the wife of Ken McMullen who had passed away of breast cancer at the age of 30.  Check out the post here.
• Via Ron Cervenka at Think Blue LA, "Bullpen decisions ‘toughest ones’ for Mattingly."

“Everybody’s done well,” said Dodgers bullpen coach Chuck Crim. “Granted, they’ve all had their one game or two maybe, but as far as stuff-wise goes and the type of human beings we brought in here, it’s going to be a tough decision. Everybody’s done a really good job and on a consistent basis.”

• Via Jared Massey at Dodgers Nation, "Dodgers 2015 Top Prospects: Beginning The Countdown From No. 50."
• A fun day shared by the Fife family:

I think the boys would say they had a successful day meeting their favorite players #dodgers #cooluncleaward pic.twitter.com/5ZPPz7y460
— Alyssa Fife (@alyssa_fife) March 29, 2015

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Blog Kiosk: 4/10/2014 - Dodger Links - Baseball at the Reagan Presidential Library, Kenley Jansen and Chris Withrow

Nomar and the Minions.  Pic above via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2014.  See more of Jon's photos from yesterday here.

• I thought I would let you all know that, right now, at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is an exhibit of Baseball memorabilia from the Gary Cypress Collection (he owns the Sports Museum of LA).  I hear it's fantastic and worth a trip.  Go here for more information.
• Grant Bisbee at SB Nation writes, "Miguel Cabrera, Kenley Jansen, and the best at-bat of 2014 so far."  He does a pitch by pitch analysis.
• Unfortunately, Jansen has been far from great this year.  Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Kenley Jansen struggles, Dodgers not worried."

"It's tough, man. He's a tough hitter and kept battling. I feel like I executed, and one pitch I go in there and he took me deep. He kept fouling me off away and I tried to go in there to back him off," Jansen explained. "Nothing I can do about it. It's a tough series, but I can't worry about this. I just have to go now to Arizona and get it back together."

• Former darling of the chattering class, Seth Rosin, has been DFA'd by the Rangers, via Steve Adams at MLB Trade Rumors.
• Left Field Pavilion's graphic about our new mascot, non-mascot guy is hilarious.  Check it out here.
• Via Earl Bloom at MLB.com, "Withrow won't be under the radar for long."

"He can and will be a closer once he matures as a Major League pitcher," said bullpen coach Chuck Crim, who was Withrow's pitching coach for his last two years in Double-A. "No question his stuff plays."

• Peter Jensen Brown at the Early Sports and Pop Culture History Blog wrote about the etymology of the name Trolley Dodgers, here.
• Larry Pauley at Sports Collectors Daily writes about a little known mini-pennant set - the 1950 American Nut and Chocolate Co. Pennants.  I love mini pennants and especially love these.
• Topps just released an 1988 Dodgers World Series Championship Archives Collection items at its store.  Check it out here.  It includes a large 11"x14" sized photo Baseball cards, pins, patches and a bunch of other stuff.  Below are some some pics and a video box opening from Topps.
  
  

Video Link:

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Here are your 2014 Dodgers Coaching Staff

On the first day of the GM/Owner Meetings in Orlando, Florida the Dodgers announce who will be leading our team for the 2014 Baseball season.  As expected, Mattingly is back and Tim Wallach will be the bench coach.  Also, Lorenzo Bundy goes from being the AAA Albuquerque Isotopes manager to the Dodgers 3rd base coach.  Everyone else returns.  All that's missing, at this point, is an announcement regarding who will be the new trainer.

2014 Dodger Coaching Staff:

Don Mattingly - Manager (fourth season)
Lorenzo Bundy - Third Base coach (first season)
Chuck Crim - Bullpen Coach (second season)
Rick Honeycutt - Pitching Coach (ninth season)
Davey Lopes - First Base Coach (fourth season)
Mark McGwire - Hitting Coach (second season)
Tim Wallach - Bench Coach (first season, fourth on staff)
Ken Howell - Assistant Pitching Coach (second season, seventh on staff)
John Valentin - Assistant Hitting Coach (second season)
Manny Mota - Coach (35th season)
Steve Yeager - Coach (third season)

Below is some background on our newest coaching addition, Lorenzo Bundy, from a Dodgers press release:

Bundy joins the Dodgers' Major League staff after managing Triple-A Albuquerque for the last three seasons. Under Bundy, the Isotopes went 225-206 (.522) and tied a franchise record with 80 wins in 2012, when he was honored as the Pacific Coast League's Manager of the Year. Overall, the 54-year-old has managed 12 seasons in the minors in the Expos (1990-94), Marlins (1997) and Dodger organizations (2007-08, 2010-2013) and the 2014 season will mark Bundy's fourth time serving on a big league coaching staff after working as the Marlins' bench coach (1998), the Rockies' bullpen coach (1999) and the Diamondbacks' first base coach (2009). Bundy played eight professional seasons from 1981-89 with stints in the Texas, Pittsburgh and Montreal organizations in addition to playing in the Mexican League after he was originally selected by Baltimore in the 22nd round of the 1977 draft.

Pic at the very top via Jon SooHoo.LA Dodgers 2013

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Dodgers Blog Kiosk: 12/29/2012

12 of the @Dodgers favorite celebrities to visit Dodger Stadium in 2012 are featured in the pic above, tweeted by @Dodgers.  Can you name them all?

• Mike Newman at FanGraphs notes that the Dodgers have a pair of power left-handed pitchers.

In 2012, four left-handed pitchers touched 93-plus on my radar gun. In Onelki Garcia and Chris Reed, Dodgers prospects accounted for half the list. This is nothing new. Two minor league baseball seasons living in the Atlanta area has yielded many hard-throwing Dodgers prospects. What’s new is every top prospect I’ve seen from the Dodgers has been right-handed before this.

• Ken Gurnick at MLB.com writes a great story about the Dodgers newest bullpen coach Chuck Crim.

"I compare it to the same feeling I had when I was called up," said Crim, who pitched for the Brewers, Angels and Cubs. "You see how hard coaches work to get through the Minor League system. I feel blessed. I love what I do. It's a dream come true to accomplish this." 

• An old friend report:  Takashi Saito is said to have signed with the Rakuten Golden Eagles in Japan, via MLB Trade Rumors.
• Greg Zakwin at Plaschke, Thy Sweater is Argyle recently got a couple of Corey Seager autographed card.  Congrats!  I hope to add one, as well.
• Night Owl Cards completes his list of the best Dodger cards ever made with #10 through #1.  This has been a great list.  I especially love his choices for the Top-10 cards of all time.
• Steve Dilbeck at the LA TIMES lets us know that the Dodgers are exploring a fan rewards program for using social media sites.

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