Blog Kiosk: 12/13/2018 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

The Dodgers held their annual Children's Holiday Party at Dodger Stadium yesterday, and as you can see fun was had by all. Featured above is Cody Bellinger getting pelted by a group of cheerful youngsters.

Photo above via @Dodgers on twitter. Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1956 the Dodgers tried to do the unthinkable. They announced a trade that would send legendary second baseman Jackie Robinson to the hated NY Giants for pitcher Dick Littlefield and $35,000. It would be voided the next day. Jackie then announce his retirement from the game a few weeks later. In 2001 the Dodgers received Cesar Izturis and Paul Quantril in a trade with Toronto for Chad Ricketts and Luke Prokopec. In 2003 the Dodgers traded Kevin Brown to the Yankees for Brandon Weeden,Yhency Brazoban and Jeff Weaver. In 2005 the Dodgers signed free agent veteran catcher Sandy Alomar. Also, they traded troubled outfielder Milton Bradley and Antonio Perez to the A's for future fan-favorite Andre Ethier.
• Happy Birthday, Joe Landrum, Steve Wilson, Nate Oliver, Ricky Nolasco, George Shuba, Carl Erskine & Billy Loes! 

Blog Kiosk: 11/12/2018 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

A contingent of three Dodgers - Chris Taylor, Kike Hernandez & Kenta Maeda - are in the Japan All-Star Series, and they appear to be having a great time. Per Alyson Footer at MLB.com:

"The fans have been amazing so far," Hernandez said to the crowd. "Japan has always been a place that I have wanted to come visit. I get to experience this amazing culture that you have here. Playing at the Tokyo Dome has been great."

Per Kenta Maeda:

"It's been a little while since I've pitched in that stadium (Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium)," Maeda said. "I want to show all my fans in Japan something that they would enjoy. I'll do my best to get as many hitters out as I can and have a good performance."

Pic above via Kike Hernandez on Instagram. Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1986 the Dodgers officially released longtime shortstop Bill Russell -- in order to facilitate his recent retirement from the game. He had an 18-year career with Los Angeles and ranked second in franchise history for games played (behind Brooklyn Dodger Zack Wheat). In 2014 Clayton Kershaw is the unanimous winner of the National League Cy Young Award. It is his third Cy Young. He went 21-3 with an 1.77 ERA, 1.81 FIP, six complete games and two shutouts. He will be named the MVP the next day.
• Happy Birthday, Jack Ryan, Red Evans & Greg Gagne!

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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Blog Kiosk: 10/23/2013 - Dodgers Links - A Dodger Halloween, the Dodger Coaches and AJ Ellis

Are you still preparing for Halloween?  The Dodgers want to help.  Go here to see some Dodgers themed pumpkin stencils that you can use; including the Vin Scully stencil above.

• Via Mark Saxon at ESPN, "Is there disagreement about handling Yasiel Puig?"

“Leave it to me, it’d be one way, but that’s not necessarily the way the organization wants things to go,” Mattingly said. 

• For some Dodger coaching contract news, check out these various tweets.

Davey Lopes, Rick Honeycutt and Tim Wallach's options were exercised by the #Dodgers. Mark McGwire already under contract.
— Dylan Hernandez (@dylanohernandez) October 22, 2013

Dodgers hope to retain coaches John Valentin, Chuck Crim and Ken Howell, but they didn't have options.
— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) October 22, 2013

• Tony Jackson at Dodger Scribe has more info on the Dodger coaching situation.
• BTW, as a part of the recent Alexander Guerrero signing, reliever Peter Moylan has been DFA'd, per Zach Links at MLB Trade Rumors.
• Eric Stephen at True Blue LA takes a look at the 2013 Dodger season in thirds.
• "SportsDash: Carl Crawford thinks Cardinals will win World Series," via NBC on Yahoo Sports.
• "The Dodgers' A.J. Ellis breaks down the World Series matchups," via AJ Ellis in the LA Times.

"The best part of winning the World Series is you don't have to experience the devastation of losing." 

• Baseball America names Hyun-Jin Ryu and Yasiel Puig to their 2013 Major League All-Rookie Team.
• Nathan Masters at KCET shares a bunch of turn-of-the-century vintage photographs featuring Los Angeles area street.

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Blog Kiosk: 8/4/2013 - Dodgers Links - Ken Howell is Back, League on Waivers and Jackie's ROY Award

Sandy Koufax was in the Dodger clubhouse yesterday.  Pic via Jon SooHoo/Dodgers 2013.  See more pics from Jon here.  BTW, you can listen to Sandy on the Freddie Coleman show talk about pitching in Chicago, right here.

• Stephen Fife has been reinstated to the Dodgers to pitch this afternoon.  Scott Van Slyke has been optioned back to AAA.
• "Dodger Stadium groundskeeper Eric Hanson talks about the field's conversion for soccer," via Adam Serrano at LAGalaxy.com.

HANSON: “We started immediately after the Yankees/Dodgers game on Wednesday at 10:45 p.m.. We spent three hours doing what we needed to do to prep the field for the sod that was installed early on Thursday morning. From that point on, we did detail work and looked at the grass closely, and then attended to anything that we think might help. Now the lines have been painted and the goals have come in, so it is completely set up.”

• "Assistant pitching coach Howell back with Dodgers," via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com.

"It was more serious than I thought and it took a while to get my energy back," he said. "But I feel really good now. I just have to monitor it, because with diabetes anything can pop up. I'm getting back on the field today and I'm excited to get to do what I do.

• Paint the Corners goes through many different iterations of Brian Wilson and his facial hair.
• BTW, the Dodgers placed Brandon League on waivers, via Zach Links at MLB Trade Rumors.  So, the Dodgers are willing to trade him, but are other teams willing to take on his contract?  I doubt it.  Besides, he's finally pitching well.
• "Chipper, Big Unit, Rip, Pedro, Coach Lou and Yasiel Puig Among Those at NSCC Saturday," via Rich Mueller at Sports Collectors Daily.
• The lucky collector who won a Panini VIP pass from Blowout Cards talks about the win and who she most looks forward to meeting.  That's right, she can't wait to meet Yasiel Puig.  See the video here.
• "Jackie Robinson’s Rookie of the Year Award selling for $1 million: Historic prize available at Chicago convention" via By Ted Berg at USA Today.

• There was a nice large crowd last night for some soccer at Dodger Stadium.

40,681 at Dodger Stadium tonight for @IntChampionsCup #ICC2013 #RealMadrid #Everton #LAGalaxy #Juventus
— Dodgers PR (@DodgersPR) August 4, 2013

• Here's a look at the pitch.

Europe's pastime in the home of America's pastime: pic.twitter.com/QpxkgjL5uz
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 4, 2013

• Bill Plunkett of the OC Register has more info on Puig's hand injury on Sulia.

"I'm not really sure how to describe it," Puig said through his translator. "I've felt something like this before when I dove for a ball."

That was during his brief stay with Double-A Chattanooga. Puig dove for a ball in late April and came up with a sprained left thumb. He missed 10 games on the DL with the injury.

This feels "better than it did there," Puig said.

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