Blog Kiosk: 4/1/2015 - Dodger Links - Scully, Santos and Metal Detectors at Dodger Stadium

Spring Training is quickly coming to a close.  The Dodgers played their last home game yesterday afternoon and set a new Camelback Ranch attendance record of 147,066.  That's an average of 9,804 fans per game.  Photo above tweeted by the @Dodgers.

Below are some links to check out:

• Yeah.  I'm linking to a Bill Plaschke story again: "As Dodgers' TV blackout drags on, they're losing sight of their fans."  He provides a deeply personal look at a 94 year old fan who's life had been centered around the Dodgers and cannot now watch the club due to the cable issues.  

"I feel so helpless," Ballard says. "It's like my team just forgot all about me."

• Via Curbed LA, "The Vin Scully Map Guide to Los Angeles."  Borrowing the idea of the "Map to the Stars" commonly found on the streets of Los Angeles, Curbed LA shows you everything related to Vin Scully.
• Metal detectors are coming to Dodger Stadium.  Via Cary Osborne at Dodger Insider, "New MLB security procedures begin Saturday at Dodger Stadium."  I'm surprised that this hasn't happened sooner.
• The Dodgers are whittling down their relief staff.  Bill Plunkett of the OC Register tells us a bit about it on twitter:

#Dodgers have released Dustin McGowan. Mike Adams paid $100K retention bonus. Will start season in minors with June 1 opt out
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) March 31, 2015

• Via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com, "Dodgers' 2015 club rebuilt by relying on metrics, analytics."
• Via Mark Saxon at ESPNLosAngeles.com, "Sergio Santos working to come home."

He'd also get the chance to pitch at Dodger Stadium, 25 miles from where he grew up. His parents could come to a lot more games than when he was in Chicago or Toronto.

"It'd be like a dream come true," Santos said. "They're both excited, have their fingers cross and all that stuff, so we'll see."

• Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Andre Ethier leaves game after HBP, X-rays of elbow negative." 
• Check out a listing of this season's commemorative MLB Baseball's here.  (Hat Tip: Paul Lukas of UniWatch on twitter)

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Dodgers Notes from Spring Training: Spring Game 16 / Home Game 8

Throughout Spring Training the Dodgers PR department sends out helpful daily notes from Camelback Ranch, and I am happy to pass them along.  See what they've written below.

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Chicago Cubs (6-9-1) at Los Angeles Dodgers (8-2-5)
Wednesday, March 18, 2015 – 1:05 p.m. MT | Camelback Ranch

RHP Brandon McCarthy (0-0, 3.60) vs. RHP Jake Arietta (1-1 1.50)    
TV: SNLA Radio: None

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(Yasiel Puig, pic via @MLB on twitter)

WINNING TIME: The Dodgers, who have the Cactus League’s best winning percentage at .800 and are unbeaten in their last six games, take on the Chicago Cubs at Camelback Ranch this afternoon. The last time the Dodgers lost was March 11 in Mesa, when they were beaten by these same Cubs, 4-3. Los Angeles won the season series over Chicago last year, 4-3, and will play six regular-season games against the Cubs, June 22-24 at Wrigley Field and Aug. 28-30 at Dodger Stadium.

AND SO IT HAS BEEN DONE: The Dodgers exploded for 11 runs and 15 hits yesterday, but gave up two runs in the bottom of the ninth and finished in an 11-11 tie with the Rangers in Surprise. The five ties for Los Angeles this spring (with 15 Cactus League games left) equals the franchise mark for ties in Spring Training, previously reached in 2006 and 2014.

(Kendrick Home Run, via Dodgers on tumblr)

• New Dodger Howie Kendrick was 2-for-2 and hit a long three-run homer to the deepest part of center field yesterday, giving him six RBI this spring, which ties Darnell Sweeney, Kyle Jensen and Scott Schebler for the team lead. Kendrick is also hitting .364 during his first spring in blue.
• The Dodgers’ 18 home runs rank fourth in the Cactus League, trailing the Giants (22), Cubs (19) and Padres (19).

TEXAS TWO-STEP: Big League Weekend, with the Dodgers taking on the Rangers Friday night and Saturday afternoon at the Alamodome in San Antonio, is almost here! The traveling party will depart Camelback Ranch tomorrow at 5:40 p.m. Erik Bedard and Zack Greinke are expected to start the two San Antonio exhibition games for the Dodgers, with a roster that includes Yasmani Grandal, Adrian Gonzalez, Yasiel Puig, and Joc Pederson.

TELL YOUR STORY: Major League Baseball has officially launched the 2015 Honorary Bat Girl Contest, which will recognize one fan per MLB Club who has been affected by breast cancer and has demonstrated a commitment to battling the disease.  Dodger fans, ages 18 and older, can now share stories about themselves or loved ones who are “Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer” by visiting HonoraryBatGirl.com for a chance to be recognized on the field, Sunday, May 17 (1:10 p.m. vs. Rockies). Fans also are invited to visit the site to vote for these inspirational stories, designed to provide hope and motivation for those currently in the fight against breast cancer. Entries can be submitted through April 16 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

ON THE MOUND: Right-hander Brandon McCarthy will make his third start of the spring today. He has allowed two runs in 5.0 innings pitched with three strikeouts. The 6’7’’ veteran established career highs in wins (10), strikeouts (175) and innings pitched (200.0) last season with the Diamondbacks and Yankees. McCarthy made his major league debut against the Cubs on May 22, 2005, allowing two runs on four hits in 5.1 innings.

• LHP Adam Liberatore is expected to make his fifth appearance of the spring today. Through four Cactus League appearances, Liberatore has tossed 4.0 scoreless innings, surrendering only two hits and striking out three.
• RHP Dustin McGowan is also expected to see action today. McGowan has allowed five hits and 4 runs in 3.0 innings thus far.
• RHP Sergio Santos will make his fifth Cactus League appearance today. Santos has not allowed a run in 4.0 innings and has held opposing hitters to a .083 batting average.
• Veteran RHP Mike Adams will make his second appearance of the spring today. In his first Cactus League appearance, Adams allowed one run on one hit in 0.2 innings pitched.

REMEMBER WHEN: Sixty years ago today, Dodger Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax pitched for the first time in a Dodger uniform at Holman Stadium, Dodgertown, Vero Beach, FL. On March 18, 1955, Koufax made his debut for Brooklyn in a camp game against the “All-Stars,” a collection of players from Dodger minor league teams. The 19-year-old faced seven batters and struck out five, while walking two in two innings of work. Sports writer Roscoe McGowan wrote in The New York Times, “Sandy Koufax, Brooklyn’s $17,000 bonus right-hander, made his debut tonight against the All-Stars.” Apparently, an editing mistake changed Koufax to a “right-hander.”  

(Rollins playing catch, pic via @Dodgers on twitter)

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Dodgers Notes from Spring Training: Spring Game 12 / Home Game 6

Throughout Spring Training the Dodgers PR department sends out helpful daily notes from Camelback Ranch, and I am happy to pass them along.  See what they've written below.

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Cleveland Indians (5-6-1)  at Los Angeles (5-2-4)
Saturday, March 14, 2015 – 1:05 p.m. MT | Camelback Ranch - Glendale

LHP Bruce Chen (1-0, 3.60) vs. LHP Brett Anderson (0-0, 0.00)
TV: SNLA Radio: KLAC/KTNQ

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(Dodger fans, pic via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2015)

CAMELBACK ROCKS: The Dodgers and Indians meet for the second of three games this spring in a sold-out contest at Camelback Ranch – Glendale. Los Angeles and Cleveland also square for the final time during the Cactus League slate on March 22, a contest also at Camelback Ranch.

• Last night, the Dodgers’ played to their fourth tie (the club’s first tie was against the Indians on March 7) this spring, 3-3, moving their record to 5-2-4 this spring. With 21 Cactus League games left, the club is one tie short of equaling the franchise mark for ties in a spring season, established in 2006 and matched last year. Once again, the Dodgers came from behind to equal the score, as Corey Seager’s sacrifice play plated Darnell Sweeny in the bottom of the ninth last night. Outfielder Joc Pederson went 2—for-2 and his Cactus League average now stands at .421. On the mound, right-hander Chris Hatcher stayed perfect this spring, tossing  a scoreless frame, while Juan Nicasio (1.0 IP), Daniel Coulombe (1.0) and Yimi Garcia (1.0) all tossed scoreless baseball.  

MAN, THAT’S BRISK: Through 11 Cactus League contests, the Dodgers’ average game time is two hours and 39 minutes, with the longest game being 2:53 on March 6 and the shortest being last night’s 2:18 no-nonsense affair. The club has also played three of its 11 contests at the exact game time of 2:46.

(Adrian Gonzalez stretches for the out, pic via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2015)

RUN PREVENTION:  Los Angeles pitching has been terrific so far this spring as the club has combined to post a 3.12 ERA and limit opposing hitters to a .206 batting average, striking out 76 and walking just 21 in 98.0 innings. The 3.12 mark is tied with Philadelphia for third among NL clubs, trailing just Cincinnati (2.83) and Pittsburgh (3.09).

MINOR NEWS: Dodger minor leaguers held their first official workout of the spring this morning on the back fields at Camelback Ranch. The minor league portion of the Spring Training schedule gets underway for the Triple-A and Double-A rosters on March 20, while the two Single-A clubs have their opening games on March 22.

ON THE MOUND: 27-year-old left-hander Brett Anderson will make his second start of the spring today after tossing two scoreless innings against the Giants. During the course of his career, he has posted a 1.29 WHIP and has limited opponents to a .316 on-base percentage and a .370 slugging percentage. In 2014, Anderson allowed only one home run in 43.1 innings of work.

• Veteran RHP David Aardsma is expected to make his third appearance of the spring today after pitching a scoreless inning of relief in the Dodgers’ tie against the Rockies on Tuesday. The former first round draft pick has averaged nearly a strikeout per inning during the course of his career with 305 strikeouts against only 169 walks in 306.1 innings.
• LHP J.P. Howell will make his second appearance of the spring today after giving up two runs and striking out one in an inning of relief in a 7-4 win over the Mariners. Howell enters his third season with the Dodgers after tying for the club lead with 68 appearances and setting a career-best mark with a .183 opponents’ batting average in 2014.
• Hard-throwing LHP Paco Rodriguez is also expected to see action today after striking out the side in a scoreless inning of relief against the Rockies on Tuesday. The 23-year-old Miami native tossed scoreless relief in 15 of 19 big league appearances, going 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA in 2014.
• RHP Dustin McGowan is expected to appear in today’s game, after pitching an inning of relief in his second appearance of the spring on Tuesday against the Rockies. After joining the Toronto bullpen in 2014, the 10-year veteran went 3-1 with a 3.35 ERA (16 ER/43.0 IP) in 45 games, while limiting opponents to a .215 average and a .284 on-base percentage.
• RHP Pedro Baez will make his third appearance of the spring today after tossing a scoreless inning of relief in Tuesday’s 2-2 tie with the Rockies. Baez posted a 2.63 ERA and limited opponents to a .188 batting average in 20 relief appearances in four stints with the Dodgers in his first MLB action last year.
• Veteran RHP Mike Adams will make his first appearance of the spring today. In 2014, Adams posted a 2-1 record in 22 relief appearances for the Phillies, with a 2.89 ERA (6 ER/18.2 IP) and limited opposing batters to a .232 average.

IN MEMORY: The Dodgers join the rest of the Los Angeles sports world in mourning the passing of longtime sports talk radio host Joe McDonnell at the age of 58. The club wishes to pass along its deepest condolences to McDonnell’s family and to all those in the Southern California sports community who lost a colleague and friend. Dodger EVP and Chief Marketing Officer Lon Rosen said, “Joe was all about sports and loved the Dodgers. He was a fixture at Dodger Stadium and will be terribly missed by players, management and fans.”

(Dodger fans, pic via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2015)

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Dodgers Notes from Spring Training: Spring Game 8 / Home Game 4 - Kershaw Makes Second Starting Today

Throughout Spring Training the Dodgers PR department sends out helpful daily notes from Camelback Ranch, and I am happy to pass them along.  See what they've written below.

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 Los Angeles Dodgers (4-1-2) vs. Colorado Rockies (2-3-1)
Tuesday, March 10, 2015 – 1:05 p.m. MT | Camelback Ranch

LHP Clayton Kershaw (1-0) vs. RHP Eddie Butler (0-0)
TV: SNLA Radio: None

#DodgersST lineup today: Barney 2B Crawford LF Turner 1B Gonzalez DH Ethier RF Uribe 3B Ellis C Seager SS Hernandez CF Kershaw P
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) March 10, 2015

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(Dodger gear, pic via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2015)

HEATING UP: As the weather in Arizona heats up, the Dodgers find themselves unbeaten in their last six games, keeping the streak alive with a 5-5 tie against San Francisco yesterday in Scottsdale. Today is the first of two Cactus League games this spring against the National League West-rival Colorado Rockies. A split squad of Dodgers will travel to Talking Stick on Saturday, March 21 for the second leg of the series. Last year, Los Angeles went 13-6 facing the Rockies, their best against Colorado since going 14-4 in 2009. The clubs’ first meeting this season will be April 17-19 at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers do not visit Denver until May 8.

• Opening Day is just 27 days away, as the Dodgers take on the Padres Monday, April 6.

BATTLING BACK: Facing a 5-2 deficit to the Giants in the seventh inning, the Dodgers came back to tie the contest at five apiece yesterday, earning their second tie of the spring season. Dodger starter Brett Anderson was terrific in his debut, retiring six of the seven hitters he faced and inducing five grounders to go along with a strikeout. Elsewhere on the mound, Erik Bedard fired 2.0 scoreless frames while Yimi Garcia and Chris Hatcher added a scoreless inning apiece. Neither has given up a run this spring. Offensively, Jimmy Rollins was 2-for-3 with a triple and a double and Yasiel Puig blasted his first homer of the spring, a two-run shot in the fourth inning. 

• Second baseman Howie Kendrick committed a throwing error in the fifth inning yesterday, snapping a string of 45 consecutive errorless innings. Los Angeles has committed just two errors through its first seven Cactus League contests.
• Los Angeles pitchers have combined to post a 3.57 ERA and limit opposing hitters to a .211 batting average this spring, striking out 53 and walking only 16 in 63.0 innings.
• The Dodgers are averaging nearly six runs per game, slugging .455 as a team and have posted a .275 batting average.

(Yasiel Puig, pic via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2015)

ON THE MOUND: Left-hander Clayton Kershaw will make his second start of the spring today after striking out three and not allowing a hit in two scoreless frames last Thursday. Kershaw is coming off a season in which he took home both the NL MVP and Cy Young awards. Since making his debut in 2008, Kershaw leads the Majors in ERA, winning percentage (.667), opponents’ average (.209) and WHIP (1.06).

• RHP Joe Wieland is expected to make his second appearance of the spring today after tossing two scoreless innings in last Thursday’s win over the White Sox. Wieland made his Major League debut at Dodger Stadium as a member of the Padres on April 14, 2012. He missed the second half of the 2012 season and all of the 2013 campaign due to Tommy John surgery.
• Veteran RHP Dustin McGowan will make his second appearance of the spring today after allowing two runs on two hits in an inning of relief on Friday against the Mariners. The former first-round draft pick has struck out nearly twice as many as he’s walked in his career, striking out 392 and walking only 199 in 482.1 innings.
• 23-year-old LHP Paco Rodriguez is also expected to see action today after tossing a scoreless frame on Friday against the Mariners. Rodriguez became the first member of the 2012 draft class to make his Major League debut, reaching the Majors after pitching in just 21 minor league games.
• Hard-throwing RHP Pedro Baez is expected to appear in today’s game, after pitching a scoreless inning of relief in his first action of the spring on Friday against the Mariners. Baez limited opposing hitters to a .188/.231/.306 slashline and posted a 0.88 WHIP in 24.0 innings with the Dodgers in 2014.
• RHP David Aardsma will make his second appearance of the spring today after tossing a scoreless frame on Friday against the Mariners. Aardsma has averaged nearly a strikeout per inning during the course of his career, with 305 strikeouts against only 169 walks in 306.1 innings.

30 IN 30: MLB Network’s 30 Clubs in 30 Days was on-site this morning for an inside look at Dodger camp. The hour-long special, complete with field reports, interviews with Dodger players and Don Mattingly and predictions, airs today at 4:00 p.m. PT.

(Warming Up, Pic via Los Dodgers on twitter)

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Dodgers Notes from Spring Training: Pitchers & Catchers Workout #5 - All Players Accounted For

Throughout Spring Training the Dodgers PR department sends out helpful daily notes from Camelback Ranch, and I am happy to pass them along.  See what they've written below.

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(Boomer, DeLury, Wallach, Corrales and hidden Mattingly, pic via Jon SooHoo)

TURN UP TUESDAYS: Today marked the fifth day of workouts for pitchers and catchers at Camelback Ranch – Glendale. Position players report tomorrow, with the first full-squad workout of 2015 scheduled for Thursday.

• Zack Greinke, who was given a lubricating injection in his right elbow on Thursday, February 19, returned to the mound today and threw his first “official” bullpen of the spring.
• Sergio Santos and newly acquired right-hander Dustin McGowan also threw their first “official” bullpens of the spring.
• Erik Bedard, Juan Nicasio, Brandon League, Adam Liberatore, Josh Ravin, Carlos Frias and Hyun-Jin Ryu all threw their scheduled bullpen sessions today.

ROLL CALL: With first full-squad workouts scheduled for Thursday, all position players have already reported to camp early for voluntary workouts. Carl Crawford, who reported to camp today, and Howie Kendrick and Alex Guerrero, who reported late yesterday, brought Camelback Ranch to full capacity at 60 players for Spring Training.

(Pic via Camelback Ranch on twitter)

TORNEO DE BEISBOL DE VALENCIA: The Dodgers, in collaboration with the City and State of Valencia, Spain, are hosting the second annual Early Bird U19 National Baseball Team event in the 2015 Torneo de Beisbol de Valencia. The tournament, which consists of six nations, started today and will continue until March 1. Juan Garcia Puig, Dodgers international scout and coach of the local baseball team, Valencia Astros, helped coordinate the event with the full support of the Confederation of European Baseball. All parties involved in the event envision that the tournament becoming an annual event that will come to be the official opening of the baseball season in Europe. Spain took home the gold over Germany in the first Torneo de Beisbol de Valencia last year.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!: The Los Angeles Dodgers would like to wish Dodger Stadium organist Nancy Bea Hefley a Happy Birthday. Hefley joined the Dodgers as the organist in 1988 and through the years, she has amassed a repertoire of more than 2,000 songs and she maintains a spreadsheet of every anthem performer she has accompanied at Dodger Stadium.Go here to check out my post featuring a Blue Heaven Nancy Bea Hefley Baseball card set.

SCORPION ALERT: A few days ago, a pair of scorpions were spotted on the White Sox side of camp and today they reached the Dodger side, stinging Public Relations maestro Jon Chapper on his left arm. The scorpion, who had been hiding out in Chapper’s jacket sleeve, survived the altercation and sent Jon scampering to the training room. Luckily, Chap was treated promptly with an ice wrap and is not expected to miss any time.

(A Dodger Fanaticos, pic via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2015)

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Dodgers Notes from Spring Training: Pitchers & Catchers Workout #4

Throughout Spring Training the Dodgers PR department sends out helpful daily notes from Camelback Ranch, and I am happy to pass them along.  See what they've written below.

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(Warning!  Pic via @LKRBOI on twitter)

A CASE OF THE MONDAYS: Today marked the fourth day of workouts for pitchers and catchers at Camelback Ranch – Glendale. Position players report on Wednesday, with the first full-squad workout of 2015 scheduled for Thursday.

• David Aardsma, Brett Anderson, J.P. Howell, Paco Rodriguez, Pedro Baez, Mike Bolsinger, Yimi Garcia, Julio Urias, Zach Lee, Chris Anderson and Chris Reed all threw their second “official” bullpens of the spring.
• A couple more position players reported to camp early for voluntary workouts, including Andre Ethier and Jimmy Rollins.

(Dustin McGowan, pic via Jon SooHoo)

NEWEST DODGER: Today, the Dodgers announced the signing of free-agent right-handed pitcher Dustin McGowan to a one-year contract and placed right-handed pitcher Brandon Beachy on the 60-day disabled list (recovery from right elbow surgery). McGowan, who will wear No. 27, has a 25-27 career record with a 4.57 ERA in 158 games (68 starts) in seven big league seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2005-08, 2011, 2013-14. In 90 career relief appearances, McGowan has posted a 4-1 record with a 3.79 ERA and limited opposing hitters to a .224 batting average. The 32-year-old made a career-high 53 appearances (eight starts) for the Blue Jays last year, going 5-3 with a 4.17 ERA and his first-career save. McGowan started the campaign as a member of Toronto’s starting rotation and went 2-2 with a 5.08 ERA (22 ER/39.0 IP) in eight starts, before being added to the bullpen, where he was a solid contributor with a 3.35 ERA (16 ER/43.0 IP), a 1.16 WHIP and a .215 opponents’ batting average in 45 appearances.

(Orel Hershiser and David Aardsma, via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2015)

GOING FAST: The Dodgers announced two more Cactus League sellouts today, for March 13 (7:05 p.m. vs. Cincinnati) and March 14 (1:05 p.m. vs. Cleveland). The club had previously announced a sellout for the March 27 game vs. San Francisco. Tickets for both the Dodgers’ and White Sox’ Spring Training games at Camelback Ranch-Glendale are on sale now and record attendance is expected at the park this season. The Dodgers’ home Spring Training game schedule features a total of 15 games and tickets can be purchased online at Dodgers.com/Spring or via the phone by calling 800-905-3315. Single-game tickets are available for purchase at the Camelback Ranch-Glendale ticket office now and ticket office hours are 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. MT from Monday-Saturday. On game days, the ticket office remains open for 30 minutes following the conclusion of play. Single-game tickets start at just $9 and parking is always free at Camelback Ranch-Glendale.

A BULLDOG BEHIND THE MIC: The Dodgers would like to welcome the 1988 Cy Young Award winner and current club broadcaster Orel Hershiser to Camelback Ranch! Hershiser will be in town for the next few days shooting short interviews for SportsNet LA’s “Connected With” series with Dodger players and coaches, before returning next month to call games on the network. SportsNet LA will broadcast 31 Dodger Spring Training games, including the team’s three Freeway Series exhibition games against the Angels. The first live Spring Training telecast will be the Dodgers’ Cactus League opener against the White Sox on Wednesday, March 4 at 12:05 p.m. PT.

IN OTHER NEWS: Congratulations to Zaidi on winning the Dodger front office Oscar pool by correctly predicting 20 of 24 category winners in last night’s award ceremony…in a heated game of golf match play yesterday, the duo of Tim Wallach and Steve Yeager defeated Rick Honeycutt and Jose Vizcaino at The 500 Club in Glendale.

(Puig being Puig, pic via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2015)

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Welcome to the Blue, Dustin McGowan!

I think it's fair to say that the Dodger off-season is all about taking measured risk by pursuing highly talented players who are currently undervalued due to recent injury past.  I guess they view their ability to take these kind of risk a competitive advantage over less monied clubs.  And you know what, they are right. 

Over the past several months the Dodgers have signed Brett Anderson, Brandon McCarthy and Brandon Beachy - all talented, but surrounded by risk.  This morning we get word that the Dodgers have signed another recovering pitcher.  They have just signed right-handed pitcher (and likely to be a reliever) Dustin McGowan to a one-year contract.  Per a Dodger press release:

McGowan, who will wear No. 27, has a 25-27 career record with a 4.57 ERA in 158 games (68 starts) in seven big league seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2005-08, 2011, 2013-14. In 90 career relief appearances, McGowan has posted a 4-1 record with a 3.79 ERA, nearly a run better than as a starter (4.78), and limited opposing hitters to a .224 batting average. Overall, he has struck out nearly twice as many as he's walked during the course of his career, fanning 392 and walking 199 in 482.1 innings, and been particularly successful against right-handed hitters, against whom he's posted a .235/.300/.334 career slashline.

The 32-year-old made a career-high 53 appearances (eight starts) for the Blue Jays last year, going 5-3 with a 4.17 ERA and his first-career save. McGowan started the campaign as a member of Toronto's starting rotation and went 2-2 with a 5.08 ERA (22 ER/39.0 IP) in eight starts, before being added to the bullpen, where he was a solid contributor with a 3.35 ERA (16 ER/43.0 IP), a 1.16 WHIP and a .215 opponents' batting average in 45 appearances. While McGowan struggled at Rogers Centre, he went 4-0 with a 2.31 ERA (12 ER/46.2 IP) in 28 games (four starts) on the road, where he limited opponents to a .173 batting average (28-for-162).

In case you didn't catch it, McGowan will be wearing Matt Kemp's old number.  Also, the recently signed Brandon Beachy has been, as expected, placed on the 60-day DL.  As for McGowan's injury history here is what Ken Gurnick at MLB.com tells us:

He's had Tommy John surgery, three shoulder operations (rotator cuff and labrum), knee surgery, plantar fasciitis, an oblique injury and Type 1 diabetes, but he's battled back and still throws hard.

In celebration of McGowan's arrival to the Dodgers I made the above fantasy card for him.  I photoshopped a photo of him wearing a vintage Brooklyn Dodger cap and the 1964 Topps Baseball card design.

Below are the career stats for Dustin McGowan, via Baseball-Reference:

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