Blog Kiosk: 7/23/2015 - Dodger Links - Pederson, Anderson and Bolsinger

What perfect symmetry.  Heck, what perfect pitching!

Mike Bolsinger has been fantastic.  Yesterday afternoon he went seven strong innings; allowing only three hits and a lone run on a ground ball out in the third inning.  He used his magic powers (a rascally breaking ball) to fool and befuddle Braves batters, so much so that they resorted to playing mind games with him.  From their dugout they tried to bruise his ego by basically calling him a wussy for throwing too many curveballs.  Via Carlos Collazo at MLB.com:

"If you're showing me you're not hitting a pitch, why would I go to something else?" Bolsinger said. "That's baseball. If you show me you're not doing something, I'm going to keep attacking your weaknesses."

And Bolsinger said that was definitely the case against the Braves, as the scouting reports have shown that the team struggles against offspeed offerings. That, combined with the fact that Bolsinger felt good with his curveball and slider as early as his pregame bullpen session, led to Atlanta seeing 61 offspeed pitches out of the 98 that he threw.

"For Mike, it's a matter of being able to get the ball to both sides of the plate a little bit with his fastball," said Dodgers manager Don Mattingly. "And then that sets up the breaking ball."

That's what I call good pitching... And good game calling on the part of Grandal.  The above photo is via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2015.  Go here to check out more pics from him from yesterday's game.  Below are some links to check out:

• Congrats Fernando!  Via Yvonne Carrasco at Dodger Insider, "As American as Fernando: Valenzuela becomes U.S. citizen."
• Via Tyler Kepner at the NY Times, "Dodgers’ Joc Pederson Hits Homers That Travel, but He Has a Long Way to Go." 

“The thing is trying to understand when a pitcher is trying to pitch around you and not give you anything to hit,” McGwire said. “Instead of getting yourself out, accept those walks, and don’t try to force the issue. That’s the way, at this level, you’ll knock down your strikeouts.”

Pederson said something similar, stressing the importance of reading the pitcher’s intentions. But he does not sound eager to cut down on his swing to slap more singles. Pederson wants to maximize damage when he connects.

“I like to slug,” he said. “I take aggressive swings. I swing and miss because of it, and I think I still have a lot to improve.”

• Via Harold Uhlman at Think Blue LA, "Jordan Paroubeck still waiting to make debut with AZL Dodgers."
• This is very good news.  Via Carlos Collazo at MLB.com, "MRI results show no Achilles tear for (Brett) Anderson."

"Take it day by day," Anderson said. "But just the drastic difference between today and yesterday -- which was surprising, but is a positive. Hopefully I can continue on that path, and [hopefully] it was just kind of a fluke deal where it grabbed and bothered me and I'm able to go out for the next one."

• Via Harold Uhlman at Think Blue LA, "Loons Alex Verdugo ready for next step."
• This is funny stuff.  Check out these fantasy Baseball cards that meld Hip-Hop musicians with vintage Baseball cards at "Straight Out of Cooperstown" here.  (Hat Tip: Justin Block at HuffPost Sports)  My favorite card is easily the one below.

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Blog Kiosk: 7/3/2015 - Dodger Links - 14 New Dodgers Added to the Franchise Yesterday

With the All-Star Game just around the corner I though this AP press wire photo of the 1962 All-Star Game starting pitchers would be a good way to start this Independence Day weekend.  Featured above is Don Drysdale and Jim Bunning.  Pic via eBay.

Below are some links to check out:

• Via Mark Saxon at ESPN, "Brandon League closing out rehab stint, designated for assignment."
• Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider tells us a bit more about the nine international prospects the Dodger signed yesterday: "Dodgers sign nine international prospects, led by Yadier Alvarez, Starling Heredia."  Jon also spoke with Dodger senior vice president of baseball operations Josh Byrnes here: "Teenagers are no wasteland for Dodger international scouts."

On Alvarez: “He’s one of the more talented teenage right-handed pitchers who a lot of us who have been doing this a long time have seen,” said Byrnes, who added that Alvarez throws 97 mph, “occasionally touching 99-100, with very little effort and some pretty good feel for secondary pitches.”

On Heredia: “That is rare,” Byrnes said. “I don’t think it’s fair to comp him, but at least the physique (compares) to Kirby Puckett. Fireplug body, nicknamed ‘The Pitbull’ down there, and a real strength-speed combination. Very strong body, but even with that build, he can really run. In any arena, finding a good combination of strength and speed is really rare.”

• Per a Dodger press release:

The Los Angeles Dodgers today acquired minor league right-handed pitcher Chase DeJong and infielder Tim Locastro from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for three international signing slots: 27, 57 and 117. DeJong and Locastro have been assigned to Single-A Rancho Cucamonga.

DeJong, 21, was recently promoted to the Blue Jays’ Single-A Dunedin affiliate in the Florida State League, but only appeared in games with Single-A Lansing of the Midwest League this year, where he was 7-4 with a 3.13 ERA, a .231 opponents’ batting average and a 1.08 WHIP in 14 starts. The Long Beach native is in his fourth year of pro ball and has an 11-13 record with a 3.69 ERA in 56 career games (45 starts). He was originally selected by Toronto in the second round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft out of Woodrow Wilson High School.

Locastro, 22, had a .310/.409/.421 slashline this year with Lansing, hitting five home runs and driving in 25 runs in 70 games. He has a .305 career batting average and a .399 on-base percentage in 180 minor league games in three professional seasons, earning selections as a 2014 MiLB.com Toronto organization All-Star and also a 2014 Single-A Northwest League All-Star. The New York native was originally selected by the Blue Jays in the 13th round of the 2013 First-Year Player draft out of Ithaca College.

• And here's another Dodger press release on an acquisition of a couple more players-this time from the Braves:

The Los Angeles Dodgers today acquired minor league right-handed pitcher Caleb Dirks and outfielder Jordan Paroubeck from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for international signing slot No. 87. Dirks has been assigned to Single-A Rancho Cucamonga and Paroubeck will head to Arizona and continue rehabbing a minor quad injury.

Dirks, 22, made 17 combined relief appearances for the Braves’ Single-A Rome and Single-A Advanced Carolina affiliates, going 1-2 with three saves and posting a 0.68 ERA (2 ER/26.2 IP). Since being promoted to Single-A Advanced Carolina on May 8, he has pitched 16.2 scoreless innings in 11 relief appearances and was limiting hitters to a .148 average (8-for-54). The Riverside, CA native is in his second professional season and has a 2-2 record with a 1.53 ERA in 38 career games. He was originally selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 15th round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft from California Baptist University.

Paroubeck, 20, was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the second round (69th overall) of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of Serra High School in San Mateo, CA. The switch-hitter batted .286 with four homers, 24 RBI and 26 runs scored in 34 games (all in left field) for San Diego’s Arizona League squad last season. In 2015, the 6’2 Paroubeck was dealt from San Diego to Atlanta in the Craig Kimbrel trade and played in 25 extended spring training games this year. 

• We have apparently signed another pitcher, via a tweet from Matt Eddy:

#Dodgers sign RHP Trevor Cahill, 27-year-old groundball machine whom #Braves released on June 20.

— Matt Eddy (@MattEddyBA) July 2, 2015

Per Eric Stephens it's a minor league contract (link)

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