Welcome to the Blue, Ricky Nolasco!

In a move to bolster our starting pitching staff, the Dodgers pick up Miami Marlins veteran starter Ricky Nolasco. 

In exchange for Nolasco we give up AAA reliever Steven Ames, AAA reliever Josh Wall and Single A pitching prospect Angel Sanchez.  Both Ames and Wall figure on being serviceable pieces to a Major League bullpen in the future, while Sanchez may turn out to be a decent starter.  In fact, earlier this year Sanchez flirted with a no-hitter while with the Great Lakes Loons, via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, and is ranked #8 by MLB.com and #25 by Baseball America in the Dodgers farm system.  On the other hand, Sanchez is not considered one of our best high-echelon starting pitching prospects and is 23 years old in Single A.

So, we basically give up 2 middle relievers and a potential starting pitcher for the best pitcher on the Marlins.  Not too bad, eh?  I think Colletti deserves a big round-of-applause for this one.  We didn't give up too much in order to get a solid arm in our quest for a pennant.  Heck, Nolasco should slot in as our #4 starter, so I think he'll fit in quite nicely.

Furthermore, the Dodgers also get some International Singing monies.  They receive bonus slot #96 valued at $197,000.00.  So, the Dodgers can go ahead and sign another kid to add to our stable of teenage prospects.  This is becoming a bigger win than I originally imagined.

In celebration of Colletti's brilliant move to bring a solid arm to our starting staff, I made the above fantasy card of Rocky Nolasco.  See it above.  It uses a 1968 Topps card design, and I grabbed the pic from 2012 media day: Marc Serota/Getty

Below are Nolasco's Major League stats, per Baseball Reference.


Per a Dodgers press release:

The Los Angeles Dodgers today acquired right-handed pitcher Ricky Nolasco from the Miami Marlins in exchange for minor league right-handed pitchers Steven Ames, Josh Wall and Angel Sanchez. The Dodgers also acquired international signing bonus slot No. 96 valued at $197,000 from the Marlins as part of the deal.

Nolasco has gone 81-72 with a 4.44 ERA in 213 games (197 starts) in eight Major League seasons from 2006-2013 with the Marlins. He’s posted double-digit wins and a sub-4.00 ERA in five consecutive seasons since 2008, ranking among the NL leaders in wins (69, 5th), strikeouts (891, 6th), complete games (9, T-7th), shutouts (4, T-9th) and innings pitched (1064.1, 6th) in that span. Nolasco is the Marlins’ all-time wins leader with 81 wins and also holds franchise records with 1,001 strikeouts and 1,225.2 innings pitched in 213 career games with the club. In addition, Nolasco owns the Marlins’ franchise single-game strikeouts record with 16 on Sept. 19, 2009 at Atlanta.

The 30-year-old has made 18 starts for Miami this year, going 5-8 with a 3.85 ERA and 10 quality starts. He last pitched on Wednesday at Atlanta, allowing just two runs on six hits with seven strikeouts in 7.0 innings and picked up the victory in the Marlins’ 6-3 win.

The Corona, CA, native, who attended Rialto High School, was acquired by the Marlins from the Cubs in 2005 after he was originally selected by Chicago in the fourth round of the 2001 First-Year Player Draft.

Wall, 26, went 0-1 with an 18.00 ERA in six relief appearances with the Dodgers this season and is 1-1 with a 12.08 ERA in 13 career big league appearances in 2012-13. The Louisiana native was 1-2 with a 5.60 ERA in 25 games this season with Triple-A Albuquerque and has a 40-47 record in 252 games (115 starts) in nine minor league seasons. Wall was originally selected by Los Angeles in the second round of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft.

Ames, 25, has gone 2-2 with a 3.67 ERA in 30 appearances this season with Triple-A Albuquerque. The Washington native has gone 8-10 with a 2.22 ERA in 170 career relief appearances at the minor league level during his five professional seasons. Ames was added to the Dodgers’ 40-man roster on Nov. 20, 2012 and was originally selected by the Dodgers in the 17th round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft.

Sanchez, 23, has gone a combined 2-7 with a 4.67 ERA in 16 games (15 starts) this season with Single-A Great Lakes and Single-A Rancho Cucamonga. The native of the Dominican Republic has a 16-23 career record in 63 career games (54 starts) in three minor league seasons after signing with the Dodgers as a non-drafted free agent on July 12, 2010.

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Pitching Musical Chairs Continue - Wall Down, Guerra Up - And Other Dodgers News

Josh Wall has been absolutely shelled this year.  He had a good rookie campaign last season in limited play, but took some big lumps this season coming out of the pen.  As a result, the Dodgers have decided to send him back to Albuquerque, and have brought up Javy Guerra.  Per a Dodgers press release:

The Los Angeles Dodgers today recalled right-handed pitcher Javy Guerra (#48) from Triple-A Albuquerque and optioned right-hander Josh Wall to Albuquerque. Guerra, 27, has been in a starting role for the Isotopes this season and has gone 0-2 with a 4.02 ERA in four starts, last pitching on Friday and allowing four runs (two earned) in 5.0 innings (85 pitches). Guerra made three scoreless appearances for the Dodgers during Spring Training before being optioned on March 17, allowing just two hits in 2.2 innings. In two Major League seasons (2011-12), Guerra has gone 4-5 with 29 saves in 36 opportunities and a 2.45 ERA in 92 games with the Dodgers. 

Wall went 0-1 with an 18.00 ERA (14 ER/7.0 IP) in six appearances since his recall on April 15.

Guerra has been starting games in Albuquerque, so he will have a different role with the Dodgers.  I think it's likely he'll be doing some long relief for the team.  After a run of bad games, I suspect this is an especially needed role.

(pic credit: Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2012)

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The Dodgers also passed along some daily notes.  Below are some pertinent items:

LEFT IS RIGHT: The Dodgers hope to get back on track tonight against a left-handed starter with the team posting a combined .293 batting average against lefties:

Highest Team Batting Avg. vs. Left-handers

1. Milwaukee Brewers                    .293
2. Los Angeles Dodgers                  .293
3. Kansas City Royals                     .290
4. Detroit Tigers                              .285
5. Cincinnati Reds                           .285

• Several Los Angeles hitters rank among the league’s best this season against left-handers, including Mark Ellis (.417, T-5th), Adrian Gonzalez (.385, 10th), A.J. Ellis (.350, 15th) and Matt Kemp (.345, 16th).
• Kemp (10-for-23, 3 2B, 3 HR, 7 RBI), Gonzalez (10-for-28, 2 2B, 3 HR, 8 RBI) and Freddy Sanchez tie for the most all-time hits (10) against tonight’s Rockies starter Jorge De La Rosa.

A TWEET FEAT: For each strikeout this year, Head & Shoulders will donate $1 to MLB’s Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program as a part of their “Season of Whiff” campaign. Fans can raise more money for the Los Angeles RBI program through the “Season of the Whiff” campaign by tweeting “#Whiff @Dodgers.” The team with the most #whiff tweets at the end of each month of the regular season will win $10,000 for their RBI program. With just one day remaining in April, the Dodgers are in the running for the most #whiff tweets, among MLB teams, so keep tweeting!

HOME COOKING: Carl Crawford went 1-for-3 last night and continues to rank among the National League leaders with a .388 batting average (19-for-49) at home. Crawford has hit safely in 10 of 13 games at Dodger Stadium with seven multi-hit games.

COLORADO CRUSHERS: Matt Kemp is tied with Adrian Beltre for the most homers against Colorado by an active player with 24 home runs, joining Adrian Gonzalez (16 HR, T-5th) on that leaderboard. The duo also ranks among the top run producers against the Rockies:

RBI vs. Colorado, Active Players

1. Adrian Beltre                      94
2. Matt Kemp                         81
3. James Loney                       75
4. Adrian Gonzalez                  71
5. Albert Pujols                       65
10. Andre Ethier                      55

• Overall, Gonzalez ranks ninth in the NL with a .333 batting average, while ranking among the league leaders in on-base percentage (.404, 9th), hits (30, T-8th), doubles (7, T-10th) and multi-hit games (9, T-9th). Gonzalez also ranks sixth in the NL with a .455 mark with runners in scoring position (10-for-22).
• #VOTE BLUE: In-stadium All-Star balloting is underway for this year’s Midsummer Classic, which takes place on July 16 at Citi Field in New York. Fans are encouraged to punch paper ballots at home games through June 7 and visit Dodgers.com to cast votes online through July 4 at 8:59 p.m. PT. 

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Blog Kiosk: 4/16/2013

This coming Thursday is Dodgers Pride Night at the LA Kings game at the Staples Center, and the team will be wearing the above Dodgers-styled uniforms during the pregame warmups. I'll do my best to arrive early to take photos.  Pic above via twitter @Bailey LA Kings.

• You should check out Jon SooHoo's photos from Jackie Robinson Night at Dodger Stadium last night.  See them all right here.
• Via Henry Schulman at SFGate, "You don’t have to be African American to owe Jackie Robinson your thanks."
• Carl Crawford wore some special shoes yesterday in honor of Jackie Robinson.  See them below.  Via Sid Ashford at Nice Kicks:

For the 66th Anniversary of this illustrious achievement, Jordan Brand supplied a few of their athletes, including CC Sabathia, Jimmy Rollins and Carl Crawford, with special Jordan 6 Rings PEs dressed in Dodger blue with Robinson’s “42″ embroidered on the heel. 

• UCLA unveiled a new mural at their Baseball stadium,via Matthew DeBord at KPCC.
• On Jackie Robinson Night Vin Scully reflected back on his interview with Branch Rickey, via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA.
• Clay Fowler at SVGTribune writes of how the "Boston Marathon explosions affect first baseman Adrian Gonzalez."

"Knowing that she was about to run in the marathon and I know that some of the guys even go and meet people at the finish line after the game, so you know, that's basically where it happened. So, you know, it's such a terrible thing." Gonzalez said. "It's definitely surreal. You don't think people have that kind of a heart to do something so bad."

• "Ryu to establish ‘HJ99’ charity fund for children," via Chun Sung-woo at the Korea Herald.
• In Dodgers roster moves, Shawn Tolleson has been placed on the DL and Josh Wall has been called up in his place, via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA.
• Matt Hurst at Out of Ink puts up an interview he had with former Dodgers Talk host and writer of a new Dodger book called "Miracle Men", Josh Suchon.

Q: What were some of the reactions from the players/coaches/organization when you told them you were writing this book and started bringing up these memories for them?
A: A lot of excitement. Almost everybody said they looked forward to reading the book and wanted me to send them a copy. Vin Scully told me that after I talked with him, that he looked forward to reading about things he’d forgotten, and that gave me goose bumps. It made me realize that I was onto something really good here. It also increased the pressure that I better deliver a quality product. If all these people from that 1988 team are excited to read the book, I better not let them down.

• New Era released a great video in honor of Jackie Robinson yesterday.  Watch it below.  It's titled, "First Changes Everything."

Video Link:

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Paco and Sellers Make the Team!

After last nights game, the Dodgers made some moves to drop the official roster down closer to 25 players.  Some more decisions need to be made; including a last-minute trade involving Harang or Capuano, and some likely Disabled List moves.  First, lets take a brief look at last nights cuts.  Via a couple of tweets from @Dodgers PR:

(twitter link)

(twitter link)

(photo credit: Paco: Jon SooHoo/2013 LA Dodgers)

We find out that Stephen Fife, Elian Herrera, Alfredo Amezaga, Peyer Moylan, Matt Wallach, Josh Wall, Alex Castellanos and Kevin Gregg have all been either optioned or reassigned.  Surprisingly, veteran reliever Kevin Gregg is included.  He has been recently touted as in contention for the final relief spot (via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA).  Also, Alex Castellanos was favored by many to capture an outfield reserve spot.

(photo credit: Sellers & Uribe: Jon SooHoo/2013 LA Dodgers)

What we find out by these moves is that Justin Sellers has won a spot in the infield, and will probably be our Opening Day shortstop.  Obviously, with Hanley Ramirez going to the DL the team has opted to focus on defense while we wait for the healing to end.  Of special note, recent 2012 draftee Paco Rodriguez likely earns a bullpen position as our 3rd left-handed reliever in the pen (assuming Capuano stays a Dodger).   He wowed the team in his 11 Major League appearances during his first year of professional play last year, and continued to impress the Dodgers staff with a great Spring.

At this point, assuming several upcoming Disabled List announcements, it looks like our 25 man roster for Opening Day will look like this:

Catchers (2):

• A.J. Ellis, Tim Federowicz

Infielders (7):

• Adrian Gonzalez, Mark Ellis, Justin Sellers, Luis Cruz, Skip Schumaker, Juan Uribe, Nick Punto

Outfielders (4):

• Carl Crawford, Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Jerry Hairston Jr.

Starting pitchers (4):

• Clayton Kershaw, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Josh Beckett, Zack Greinke

Relief Pitchers (8):

• Brandon League, Kenley Jansen, Ronald Belisario, J.P. Howell, Matt Guerrier, Paco Rodriguez, Chris Capuano, Aaron Harang

Disabled List (4):

• Scott Elbert*, Hanley Ramirez*, Chad Billingsley*, Ted Lilly*

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Dodgers Notes from Spring Training: Spring Game 29 | Home Game 15

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 White Sox (11-10-4) vs. LOS ANGELES DODGERS (10-15-3)
Saturday, March 23, 2013 – 7:05 p.m. | Camelback Ranch – Glendale
LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (1-2, 4.41) vs. RHP Jake Peavy (0-1, 9.00)
TV: KCAL | Radio: KTNQ

(twitter link: @Dodgers)

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(pic credit: Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2013)

RANCH RIVALRY: The Dodgers meet their Camelback Ranch – Glendale neighbors, the Chicago White Sox, for the third and final time this spring after losing, 9-0, to the South Siders in their Cactus League opener on Feb. 23 and tying, 2-2, on Feb. 24. The two clubs have met during the regular season in four of the last five years and the White Sox hold a 12-6 advantage in the all-time series. Los Angeles, however, still holds the ultimate trump card over Chicago by virtue of its victory in the 1959 World Series, the Dodgers’ first championship on the West Coast.

• One of the members of that World Series team, Maury Wills, is still a presence at Dodger Spring Training at Camelback Ranch. Wills, 80, serves as a baserunning and bunting coach, holding court daily at “Maury’s Pit,” located near the Dodger batting cages.

DOWNER: Cincinnati rallied for three runs in the top of the ninth off Josh Wall to score a 6-5 win over Los Angeles yesterday, snapping the Dodgers’ three-game winning streak. Luis Cruz knocked in four of the Dodgers’ five runs with a pair of home runs off Reds’ starter Mike Leake, hitting a three-run homer in the first inning and a towering solo shot in the fourth inning. Clayton Kershaw struck out eight and allowed three runs (two earned) in 6.0 innings.

• Los Angeles had an injury scare in the fifth inning, when Yasiel Puig had the wind knocked out of him while attempting a diving catch in left-center field. Luckily, Puig was okay and is available to play in tonight’s game. Before being removed from the game, the 22-year-old went 1-for-2 with a double, hitting safely for the sixth consecutive game. Puig is batting .750 (12-for-16) during the run, which began on March 15, and is batting .520 overall. Puig has 26 hits for the spring, which tie Philadelphia’s Domonic Brown for the most among big leaguers.
• Also yesterday, Ted Lilly pitched 5.0 scoreless innings in a Triple-A game against Brewers minor leaguers. Lilly’s pitching line: 5.0 innings pitched, two hits, one walk, three strikeouts, 59 pitches.

LEADERBOARD: The Dodgers lead all National League clubs this spring with a .349 on-base percentage and rank fourth with a .283 team batting average. Los Angeles also leads all Major League clubs with 34 steals, led by Dee Gordon’s NL-best seven steals, and all NL teams with 90 walks, paced by Dee Gordon’s nine (T-3rd, NL).

• On the hill, Los Angeles leads all Major League clubs with 230 strikeouts in 242.1 innings this spring, led by Clayton Kershaw, who ranks second among National League pitchers with 28 Ks.

(pic credit: Federowicz: Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2013)

IN THE FIELD: Carl Crawford will play in the field for the first time this spring tonight against the White Sox, starting in left field and batting leadoff. Crawford has previously played in four games this spring as the designated hitter, going 3-for-13 (.231) with a steal, a run scored, and two RBI.

• Luis Cruz will make his second start of the spring at shortstop this evening. Cruz has appeared in 66 big league games (58 starts) at shortstop, committing five errors in 536.2 career innings, good for a .983 fielding percentage.

LEGENDARY: Dodger Special Advisor to the Chairman Don Newcombe will throw a ceremonial first pitch prior to tonight’s game against the White Sox after he and “Sweet” Lou Johnson addressed the team during their meeting this afternoon. Newcombe pitched for the Dodgers for eight seasons (1949-1951, 1954-1958), made four All-Star appearances (1949, 1950, 1951, 1955), was the NL Rookie of the Year in 1949, won the Cy Young Award in 1956 and was selected as the National League’s MVP in 1956.
 
ON THE MOUND: Hyun-Jin Ryu will make his sixth Cactus League appearance (fifth start) after allowing just one run on three hits in 5.2 innings on Sunday against the Brewers. Ryu struck out a spring-high six batters in that outing, while walking two.

• Earlier today, Chad Billingsley pitched in a minor league game on the backfields against the Indians. Billingsley threw 92 pitches in 4.2 innings, allowed two runs on four hits, walked four, struck out seven and threw one wild pitch.

HOME SICK:  The Dodgers will return to Southern California on Thursday for a split squad exhibition game at The Epicenter against the Single-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes at 6:05 p.m. and a contest against the Angels in Anaheim for the first game of the three-game exhibition Freeway Series set for 7:05 p.m. at Angel Stadium. The Freeway Series continues Friday with a 7:10 p.m. game at Dodger Stadium and wraps next Saturday with a 6:05 p.m. game in Anaheim.

• The split squad of Dodgers heading to Rancho Cucamonga, headlined by Adrian Gonzalez and Luis Cruz, will be managed by Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda. Tickets to the exhibition game can be purchased at www.rcquakes.com.

ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE: While many NCAA tournament brackets have been spoiled already due to a plethora of upsets, Dodger alma maters survived and advanced yesterday with Chris Capuano’s Duke Blue Devils knocking off Albany, Mark Ellis and Paco Rodriguez’s Florida Gators taking down Northwestern State, Aaron Harang’s San Diego State Aztecs beating Oklahoma and Tim Federowicz and Sue Falsone’s North Carolina Tar Heels moving on after a tussle with Villanova. All four schools will be back in action tomorrow with a Sweet 16 berth on the line.

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So, Who's Having a Great Spring?

I've heard the complaints about nationally known reporters focused on the negatives surrounding the Dodgers, and frankly I don't blame them.  After all, we've got important leaders on the team coming off injury plagued seasons, and some notable incoming difference-makers hampered by physical problems.  Still, as my music teacher always told me, accentuate the positive.  And fortunately, there are some positives to hang your hat on.

So, which Dodgers' are having a fantastic Spring?

I'll first point out the obvious answer and mention Yasiel Puig- our Cuban sensation who is tearing the cover off the ball.  Through 17 games and 34 at-bats he is batting a robust .412 with an impressive OPS of .988.  He is as big as a ox, with forearms to match.  So far, he has produced 4 extra base hits while driving in 6.  His biggest negative right now is his strike out totals, which is at a team high of 10.  Still, he is certain to have a promising future.  It has already been announced that he will open the season in the minors, but that hasn't stopped the prognosticators from doing some lobbying.

AJ Ellis has also had a fantastic Spring.  Our backstop, the captain on the field, continues to impress with the bat.  He has 6 hits in 17 recorded at-bats for a .353 average in limited play.  His duties are obviously focused as a catcher, so he has had the added burden of learning about some of our new pitchers.  Still, you gotta love the added bonus of a game-calling defensive catcher with the ability to provide some good at-bats.

Luis Cruz has also been impressive.  While in Dodger camp, he was batting .348 in 23 at-bats, and has belted 2 home runs.  As a member of Team Mexico in the WBC, Cruz continued his hitting prowess with a .286 average in a losing effort.  I'll forgive him for his apparent participation in the recent melee against Canada, just because I love the passion it shows.  Something tells me that he'll be just fine as our 3rd baseman.

What can you cay about Andre Ethier?  He has always been a formidable first half hitter, so I'm not surprised that he is batting .333 with an OPS of 1.059 in the early going.  Heck, he even has 2 triples this Spring, so his wheels appear to be in good shape.  The question with him has always been his ability to hit left-handers, and I doubt we can answer that right now.

Is Hanley going to be a burden or a godsend?  So far, the numbers tell us that it's the latter.  He is back, and I couldn't be happier.  In Dodger camp he is batting .333, but had yet to record an extra base hit.  Then, as a member of the Dominican WBC team he belted two home runs; including a highlight reel laser shot that you can watch here.  Hopefully, his enthusiastic play in the WBC will cross over into the regular season.

Nick Punto has been lights out.  Really, he's better than I thought he was.  At Camelback he was batting .385 and is OPS'ing .962, but his WBC play has even been better.  As a leader on Team Italy he was batting .421, and has displayed the kind of grit on the field that reminds of old-school baseball.  He plays hard and slides hard, and if he can bring that passion to the team this season we will reap the benefits.

Pitching is much more difficult to judge during the first half of Spring.  Since I've yet to really watch their form or mastery of pitches in the early going, I can't say with much confidence if their level of play so far is worth noting.  I will say, though that Josh Beckett has been solid.  His WHIP is below 1.00 in 9.1 innings of play, and his 0.96 ERA has me dreaming that he is back to his old form.  Could a change of scenery be all that he needed? 

How about the relief corps?  Josh Wall, Paco Rodriquez and Shawn Tolleson have good numbers, but with a small sample size it's hard to really judge them.

Many other players are also having a great Spring training; like Brian Barden (who is destined for the minors), Mark Ellis, and Alex Castellanos (who has shown good power, but has lacked consistency). 

All photos featured here by Dodgers Photographer Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2013.

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Dodgers Notes from Spring Training: Spring Game 15/ Road Game 7

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 (5-6-3) vs. Colorado Rockies (7-5)
Sunday, March 10, 2013 – 1:10 p.m. | Talking Stick
LHP Clayton Kershaw (1-2, 9.00) vs. LHP Jeff Francis (1-1, 0.00)
TV: None | Radio: KLAC (English)/KTNQ (Spanish)

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(pic link: Ron Cey: Jon SooHoo/ LA Dodgers 2013)

WE WILL ROCK YOU: The Dodgers travel to Talking Stick to take on the Rockies for the first of their two Cactus League meetings. Los Angeles won its last four games against Colorado last year to win the season series, 10-8, and will play the Rockies 18 times during the 2013 campaign, starting on April 29 at Dodger Stadium.

• The Dodgers also played the Reds in a “B” game this morning on the minor league side. The only participating players from big league camp were RHP Javy Guerra, RHP Stephen Fife, RHP Steve Ames, RHP Matt Magill and C Matt Wallach.

BATTER UP: After playing 14 games with the designated hitter, Dodger pitchers will bat for the first time today with Clayton Kershaw appearing in the ninth spot in Don Mattingly’s lineup. Kershaw was the Dodgers’ best hitting pitcher last year, ranking seventh among NL pitchers with a .207 batting average and second with 13 sacrifices. Overall, Los Angeles pitchers led the Majors last year with 49 sacrifices, but batted just .119 (11th, NL).

GOING WORLDWIDE: Mexico and Venezuela were eliminated from the World Baseball Classic yesterday, ending the championship dreams of Luis Cruz, Adrian Gonzalez and Ronald Belisario. Gonzalez went 3-for-7 with a home run, three RBI and a .714 on-base percentage in three games, while Cruz hit .273 (3-for-11) with a double and three RBI in the tournament. Cruz and Gonzalez are expected back at Camelback Ranch tomorrow, while Venezuela has one more game in pool play (Spain, 9:30 am). To this point Belisario has made just one appearance, allowing a hit and a walk in 0.2 scoreless innings.

• While Hanley Ramirez has just one hit (1-for-6, HR) in tournament play, he has a .500 on-base percentage after drawing four walks. The Dominican Republic wraps up pool play today against Puerto Rico at 4:30 pm and has already advanced to the next round.
• Nick Punto and Team Italy lost to the United States yesterday, 6-2, but will advance to the second round in Miami with a 2-1 record. Punto is batting .417 (5-for-12) with two doubles in three games.

(pic link: Castellanos Home Run: Jon SooHoo/ LA Dodgers 2013)

HILLTOPPERS: LHP Clayton Kershaw will make his fourth start of the spring today after allowing four runs on seven hits in 3.0 innings on Tuesday against the Padres in Peoria. Kershaw has allowed nine runs (eight earned) in 8.0 Cactus League innings, but has struck out 12 and walked only one. Kershaw made two starts against Colorado last year, going 1-0 with a 2.93 ERA (5 ER/15.1 IP), and is 7-4 with a 3.82 ERA in 18 career starts against the Rockies.

• RHP Mark Lowe will make his fifth appearance of the spring after allowing four runs on three hits, including an Adrian Beltre home run, on Thursday against his former team, the Rangers. Lowe did not allowed an earned run (one unearned) in his first three Cactus League outings.
• RHP Peter Moylan last pitched on Thursday against the Rangers, allowing just one hit, a two-run homer by Konrad Schmidt, in an inning of work. 
• RHP Josh Wall allowed his first run of the spring in 1.2 innings on Thursday against the Rangers after tossing 3.0 hitless, scoreless frames in his first three spring appearances. Wall has seven Ks in 5.0 Cactus League innings and has limited opponents to a .167 average (3-for-18).

COMEBACK KIDS: Alex Castellanos blasted a two-run homer, his third of the spring, in the seventh inning yesterday to give the Dodgers a 3-2 come-from-behind victory over Seattle in front of 10,330 fans at Camelback Ranch. Aaron Harang allowed two runs in 3.0 innings before the Los Angeles bullpen took over with scoreless innings from Shawn Tolleson, Kenley Jansen, Brandon League, J.P. Howell, Kevin Gregg and Paco Rodriguez.

• The Dodgers continue to lead all NL clubs this spring with a .303 team batting average.
• Andre Ethier went 1-for-2 with a double yesterday, raising his batting average to .417 and his slugging percentage to .833 in seven games.
• Non-roster hopeful Brian Barden struck out in his only at-bat yesterday, but has posted a .550 batting average (11-for-20) with two doubles and three RBI in 11 games this spring.

CONGRATULATIONS: Congratulations to Dodger Senior Vice President and General Counsel Sam Fernandez on being recognized with the Outstanding Corporate Counsel Award by the Los Angeles County Bar Association. Fernandez will be presented with the award tomorrow night at a dinner at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, where Vin Scully will be the keynote speaker. Former Dodger GM Fred Claire will introduce Fernandez at the awards dinner.

THE GANG’S ALL HERE: Today, Dodger minor league position players officially reported to camp, increasing the number of players to 173 on the minor league side. The minor leaguers’ first full-squad workout is tomorrow.

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Dodgers Notes from Spring Training: Spring Game 10/ 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 (6-4) at LOS ANGELES DODGERS (3-4-2)
Sunday, March 3, 2013 – 1:05 p.m. | Camelback Ranch – Glendale
RHP Josh Beckett (0-0, 0.00) vs. RHP Corey Kluber (0-0, 11.25)

TV: Dodgers.com Webcast | Radio: AM 570 Fox Sports LA

(twitter link: @Dodgers)

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(pic link: Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2013)

CLEVELAND ROCKS: The Dodgers and Indians square off for the first of two times this spring before meeting again on Wednesday in Goodyear. The clubs haven’t played in the regular season since a three-game series at Dodger Stadium in 2008 and the Dodgers hold a 4-2 advantage in the all-time series. In case you’re counting down the days, the Dodgers are just 29 days away from Opening Day vs. the Giants!

• With no game tomorrow, most Dodgers will have the day off with only RHP Aaron Harang expected at Camelback Ranch for his scheduled simulated game at 10:00 a.m.

DOWNER: The Dodgers dropped their third in a row yesterday, falling 9-5 to the Mariners in Peoria. Andre Ethier went 2-for-2 with an RBI triple, raising his spring batting average to an even .500, and Jeremy Moore roped his fourth double of the exhibition season to start the Dodgers’ ninth-inning rally. Ethier’s two triples are tied for the Major League lead, while Moore tops the NL in doubles.

• The Dodgers continue to lead the National League with both a .309 team batting average and a .401 on-base percentage through their first nine Cactus League games.

HILLTOPPERS: Dodger right-hander Josh Beckett will make his second start of the spring after striking out three and allowing just one hit and one walk in 2.0 scoreless innings on Tuesday against the Giants in the Dodgers’ eventual 8-8 tie. The 32-year-old helped Boston reach the 2007 World Series by dominating the Indians in the 2007 ALCS, going 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 14.0 innings in the series to garner MVP honors. Beckett, however, has struggled against the Tribe in the regular season during the course of his career, posting a 4-6 record with a 5.65 ERA (40 ER/63.2 IP) in 11 starts against Cleveland. Most recently, on May 10, 2012, Beckett was touched for seven runs in just 2.1 innings in an 8-3 Red Sox loss at Fenway Park. 

• RHP Javy Guerra, who was recently selected to join Team Mexico’s World Baseball Classic squad, will make his second appearance of the spring after tossing a scoreless inning on Wednesday against the Cubs. Guerra has enjoyed the friendly confines of Dodger Stadium during his career with a 1.84 ERA (9 ER/44.0 IP) in 45 home appearances in his career, while posting a 3.02 ERA (16 ER/47.2 IP) in 47 road games.
• After giving up two runs in 0.2 innings in his first appearance of the spring on Feb. 24 against the White Sox, RHP Peter Moylan bounced back to toss a scoreless frame on Thursday against the Angels. Moylan has struck out four in 1.2 innings this spring.
• RHP Josh Wall has retired all seven of the batters he’s faced this spring with four strikeouts in 2.1 innings. Wall last pitched on Thursday against the Angels and struck out two in a scoreless frame.
• RHP Mark Lowe allowed an unearned run on three hits in his last appearance on Wednesday against the Cubs. The 29-year-old right-hander has yet to allow an earned run in 2.0 innings in two Cactus League appearances.
• RHP Steve Ames, the winner of this morning’s Dodger Idol competition, surrendered two runs on three hits in his last outing on Thursday against the Angels. Ames fired a scoreless frame in his first outing of the spring on Feb. 24 against the White Sox.

(pic link:Wallach,Green and Karros: Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2013)

BIG DOINGS: All-time Los Angeles home run king Eric Karros will throw a ceremonial first pitch prior to today’s game and, along with Shawn Green, has been serving as a guest instructor at Camelback Ranch since Friday. Karros, who also serves as a television analyst on FOX and for KCAL-9 on their pregame show, played in 14 big league seasons (12 with Los Angeles), won the 1992 NL Rookie of the Year Award and took home the 1995 NL Silver Slugger Award at first base.   

• Dodger legends Ron Cey and Tommy Davis will arrive Friday, March 8 and spend a few days in camp working with the squad.

GOING GLOBAL: Shortstop Hanley Ramirez (Dominican Republic) and right-handed reliever Ronald Belisario (Venezuela) have departed Camelback Ranch to join their respective World Baseball Classic teams. Adrian Gonzalez (Mexico), Luis Cruz (Mexico), Javy Guerra (Mexico) and Nick Punto (Italy) are slated to play in today’s game and will depart camp tomorrow to join their national teams.

• A split-squad of Dodgers will face off against Gonzalez, Cruz, Guerra and Team Mexico on Wednesday at 1:05 pm at Camelback Ranch – Glendale.

I SEE YOU: The Dodgers announced yesterday that they will broadcast eight additional Spring Training games via Dodgers.com, starting with today’s contest against the Indians. After today, fans will also be able to watch games on March 6 (Mexico), March 8 (Reds), March 9 (Mariners), March 14 (Cubs), March 15 (Royals), March 19 (Athletics) and March 22 (Reds) on the internet webcast. Rick Monday and Charley Steiner’s call on AM 570 Fox Sports Los Angeles will be simulcast on today’s webcast.

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Dodgers Notes from Spring Training: Spring Game 6/ Home Game 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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Los Angeles Angels (0-4-2)LOS ANGELES DODGERS (2-1-2)
Thursday, February 28, 2013 – 1:05 p.m. | Camelback Ranch, Glendale, AZ
LHP Clayton Kershaw vs. RHP Jerome Williams

(twitter link: @Dodgers)

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(pic link: Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2012)

START A STREAK: Fresh off a road victory, the Dodgers host the Angels this afternoon at Camelback Ranch, before sending a split squad to Tempe tomorrow and wrapping up a two-game Cactus League set with their I-5 neighbors. The Freeway series will then take place from March 28-30, including the 2013 Dodger Stadium opener on March 29. The Dodgers face the Angels in the regular season on May 27 and 28 at Dodger Stadium and May 29 and 30 at Angel Stadium. Last season, the Halos went 4-2 against the Boys in Blue, taking two of three in both series. In case you were wondering and I know you were, there are just 32 days until Opening Day!

•  The Dodgers popped off for 11 runs yesterday, including three hits apiece for Alfredo Amezaga and Elian Herrera and three RBI for Jerry Hairston Jr. In addition, outfielder Alex Castellanos belted his second home run of the spring and Yasiel Puig scored three runs. On the mound, Matt Magill was impressive again, tossing 2.0 scoreless innings while RHP Javy Guerra made his 2013 debut with a scoreless frame.  

HILLTOPPERS: Dodger ace Clayton Kershaw will make his second Cactus League start after allowing two runs and four hits in 2.0 innings to the White Sox last Saturday. The left-hander will attempt to become the first pitcher to win three consecutive Major League ERA titles since Greg Maddux accomplished the feat from 1993-95 as a member of the Braves.

• LHP Ted Lilly is set to make his 2013 debut today. Lilly won five of his first seven starts without a loss last season, but did not pitch again due to left shoulder inflammation after suffering his first defeat on May 23. 
• RHP Peter Moylan will make his second spring appearance after giving up two runs in 0.2 innings last Sunday vs. the Chicago White Sox. Moylan has a career record of 20-9 with a 2.59 ERA over 295 games with the Atlanta Braves.  
• RHP Josh Wall will also make his second Cactus League appearance after firing 1.1 scoreless innings and striking out two in his debut last Sunday. Wall picked up the win in his Major League debut last season on July 22 at Citi Field, but was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque the next day.
• RHP Steve Ames fired a scoreless frame last Sunday and is set to make his second 2013 appearance. Ames was added to the Dodgers’ 40-man roster on Nov. 20, 2012 after going 3-3 with a 1.56 ERA and 18 saves in 54 games for Double-A Chattanooga last season.   

(pic link: Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2012)

GET YOUR BIG LEAGUE ON: The Dodgers will have three minor leaguers joining the club vs. the Angels today with right-handed pitchers Andres Santiago (#92) and Blake Johnson  (#83) coming over along with LHP Fabio Castro (#82). Johnson notched a save in the Dodgers’ first win of the spring after being signed out of the open tryout in 2012.

• Speaking of the open tryout, more than 80 Dodger hopefuls came out to test their wares on the minor league side this morning. Among those who showed off for the Dodger scouts were a 54-year-old local pitcher, a 40+-year-old Japanese professional hurler and Iraq war veteran Daniel “Doc” Jacobs, who lost his left leg below the knee and suffered serious hand and foot injuries when an IED exploded beneath him in 2006. Jacobs has sustained more than 50 surgeries, but has returned to his naval infantry and for one day at least was able to try out for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Jacobs will also throw out a ceremonial first pitch prior to today’s game. 

LET’S GET IT GOING DODGER FANS!: Dodger center fielder Matt Kemp advanced to the finals of MLB Network’s #FaceofMLB and is currently trailing Cincinnati’s Joey Votto in MLB Network’s bracket to decide who the Face of MLB is. The online hashtag battle (#MattKemp) runs through tomorrow. Start tweeting!

LEGENDS ARRVING: The Dodgers would like to welcome Special Advisor to the Chairman and medical pioneer Dr. Frank Jobe to Camelback Ranch today. Jobe arrived a day before Eric Karros, who will be in uniform tomorrow, speaking to the club in the morning meeting.

TODAY ON THE DIAL: AM 570 Fox Sports LA TODAY ON THE TUBE: PRIME TICKET

HE COMES FROM A LAND DOWN UNDER: The Dodgers would like to welcome former outfielder Trent Oeltjen back to Camelback Ranch today. The Sydney, Australia native was a Dodger from 2010-12 and is now a non-roster invitee for the Angels.

WORTH WATCHING: Today’s game will be broadcast live on PRIME TICKET and heard on AM 570 Fox Sports Los Angeles. This morning, Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully sat down with legendary Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax for a brief interview that will air on PRIME TICKET this afternoon.

(pic link: Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2012)

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Dodger Blog Kiosk: 2/6/2013

Clayton was on ESPN this morning.  See a video of the appearance below.  The photo above was tweeted by his wife.

• Via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com, Dodgers pitching coach Rick Honeycutt is excited by what he sees.  Kershaw, Guerra and Belisario did some pitching last week, while Chris Withrow and Pedro Baez become relievers.

 "Clayton was great, outstanding," said Honeycutt. "But he was outstanding his last three starts, so that wasn't a surprise. Shawn Tolleson had a little back tightness, but he threw a 'pen. So did Josh Wall and Javy Guerra, who isn't as far behind as I thought he'd be. Belisario was there, he threw twice, looked real good."

• Ken Gurnick also notes that the Dodgers are likely out of the Scott Rolen parade.
• Dustin Nosler at Feelin' Kinda Blue does a minor league team preview of the Chattanooga Lookouts.
• The Dodgers just announced the final bobblehead.  It will be of Dodger Hall of Famer Don Sutton for June 6th.
• Awesome!  Scott Andes at Lasorda's Lair has recently started a new series called 'Top Ten Tommy Moments', and relays the day he struck out 25 batters in one game in the minors.
• Happy Birthday, Babe Ruth!  SI put up a great photo of him today.
• After what I would call a successful NHLPA campaign, rumors are swirling that Union chief Don Fehr is being recruited to help out the NBA Players Union, via Kurt Helin at Hardball Talk.
• Shaq tries his hand at water, via Sports Business Digest.  Does he have the business acumen of Magic Johnson?
• Clayton Kershaw was on ESPN this morning.  He chats about about his hip injury, the Dodgers' offseason moves, playing for Don Mattingly, and the rivalry between the Angels and Dodgers.

Video Link:

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Collection: Josh Wall Just Minors Autographed Baseball Card

Josh Wall has labored within the Dodgers farm system since being drafted out of the 2nd round in 2005.  He started out as a starting pitcher and made his way through rookie ball to single A ball over 6 seasons.  Figuring that the rotation wouldn't be his path to the majors, the Dodgers converted him into a reliever.  Soon, Josh would become the Dodgers AAA closer and finally get a chance to show off his stuff with the Dodgers on several different occasions last season.  

Wall pitched in 7 games, and did very well if you throw out the one miserable experience that saw him yield the only runs he allowed all year.  He figures to be going back to AAA in 2013, but I would expect that he would be the first call-up should the Dodgers need a right-handed reliever.  Below are his 2012 game logs from Baseball-Reference.


Featured here is a 2006 Just Minors autographed card of Josh Wall in my collection.  BTW, you can follow Josh Wall on twitter @Thegr8wall15.

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