Blog Kiosk: 11/1/2018 - Dodgers Links - Kreshaw Decision is Delayed

As you surely know by now, the Dodgers and Clayton Kershaw mutually decided to extend the deadline for the option decision to tomorrow, Friday at 4:00 PM ET. Clearly, this is because they are talking about something, and it's got to be related to some sort of extension. I feel fairly confident in saying that Kershaw will be staying Blue.

On top of that, the Dodgers and David Freese decided to extend their option decision, as well. This tells me that Freese is likely to be our new Chase Utley in the clubhouse. He provides excellent veteran depth on the infield and a solid bat off the bench. I look forward to him continuing his career in Los Angeles.

BTW, the photo above of Brooklyn Dodger outfielder Gene Hermanski posing for a pic is undated (auction link), but is likely from spring training in the late-40's. As you know, he is famous for commenting that the team should all wear Jackie Robinson's number so as to confuse a potential sniper in the stands during a series in St. Louis in 1948. His comment got huge laughs in the clubhouse and broke a lot of tension that had been built up.

Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1951 Roy Campanella is named the National League MVP -- his first of three MVP's he would win. In 1966 Sandy Koufax becomes the first three-time winner of the Cy Young Award. He is a unanimous winner for the second-straight year. This is the last year that only one award is given for pitchers in both leagues. In 2000 Jim Tracy is named manager of the Dodgers. In 2005 the Brooklyn Cyclones, a Mets Single-A farmclub, unveiled their Jackie Robinson/Pee Wee Reese bronze sculpture at their stadium -- then known as KeySpan Park. See it on the right. In 2007 Joe Torre is named the new Dodgers manager.
• Happy Birthday, Red Owens, Larry French, Art Parks, Fernando Valenzuela& Eddie Williams!

Blog Kiosk: 3/28/2018 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

So, that happened last night.

As you surely know by now, Dodger Stadium was beset with a unseemly leak on the field that forced an early end to the last spring game of the season. A sewer pipe had burst, and if you've ever been witness to such a thing then you know this was the right call. Nobody should have to sit around and possibly get into contact with any of that dirty water.

They ended up calling the game in the fifth inning -- with the Dodgers leading the Angels 4-3. Per Rowan Kavner at Dodger Insider:

“Apparently, in the middle of the fifth inning, there was a pipe backup on two different levels of the stadium,” Kasten said. “We don’t know exactly where the backup was or what caused it. It had something to do with a main pipe here as well as a main pipe outside. The city is aware of it. The city is on the scene, and they’re trying to figure that out. We could’ve stayed there and tried to locate it, address it, work on the field…we had no idea how long that would take.”

You can watch Kasten talk about it here. Both photos above via Doug Padilla on Twitter. Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1991 the Dodgers released longtime Dodger starter Fernando Valenzuela.  Per an AP article in the Lodi News-Sentinel:

"I will never forget Fernando and all he has done for me and the Los Angeles Dodgers," manager Tom Lasorda said. "It was a privilege and honor to manage him over the years because he was without a doubt a great talent and a great competitor. I want to thank him for all the memories."

Blog Kiosk: 5/13/2016 - Dodgers Links - All About Clayton Kershaw

Preparation.

Clayton Kershaw not only warms up then studies the lineup for an upcoming game, but he also takes a moment to sit in the dugout, look out onto the field and mentally prepare for the job to come.  In the photo above, via a tweet by the @Dodgers, he is shown taking some time before the game to get his mind in the right place.  He's the best there is, and his physical and mental routine are the foundation for his excellence. 

Last nights performance is an example of the outcome we've come to expect from Kershaw.  Per Doug Padilla at ESPN:

“I don’t know how to explain it other than walking guys is how you get in trouble. For me, I’d rather have them string hits together and make them swing the bats to beat me. That’s just always my mentality.

So how good has he been?  According to MLB on twitter, Clayton is the first pitcher since 1913 to record five straight starts with ten or more strike outs and one or fewer walks.  In fact, in eight starts and 62 innings pitched he has walked only four batters.  FOUR!  It's a feat so remarkable that August Fagerstrom at FanGraphs took some time to write about each of those walks here.

Clayton Kershaw’s been nearly perfect this year. The pitcher who was already thought to be just about perfect before any of this is running a career-best ERA, a career-best FIP, and a career-best xFIP through eight starts, and he’s shaved his already-elite walk rate more than every pitcher in baseball except for one. He’s unthinkably walked just four batters out of 225, and a closer look into those walks reveals one walk that featured two borderline strikes and a check swing, another with the season’s worst-called ball plus another missed call, another with a borderline 0-1 call that could’ve swung the count, and a really good at-bat by David Wright with a couple bad misses by Kershaw.

BTW, you can go here to check out more pics from yesterdays game from Jon SooHoo here, and listen to him talk about his performance with Alanna Rizzo here.  Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: Today was supposedly the day in 1947 when Pee Wee Reese put his arm around Jackie Robinson as a sign of solidarity at Crosley Field in Cincinnati.  Of course, we now know this incident never happened.
• Happy Birthday, Johnny Roseboro and John Ely!

Blog Kiosk: 9/8/2015 - Dodger Links - Ruggiano and Corey Seager on Julio Urias

Could Justin Ruggiano be our next great pinch-hitter?

He's been on quite a tear of late for the Dodgers.  He's had three off-the-bench opportunities since coming over from Seattle, and has successfully driven in a run each time.  Obviously that's far too small of a sample size to extrapolate further.  Still, you gotta like what he'd done at the plate for us so far.  He's getting an opportunity to contribute, and has made the most of it.

Last night might have been his most important pinch-hit so far.  With the game locked up in a 1-1 tie in the 5th inning, Ruggiano came in to hit with two men on base.  On the very first pitch he lined a double to left that scored the runners and gave the Dodgers an import two runs.  (You can watch it here)

Photo above via @Dodgers on twitter.  BTW, the Dodgers "Magic Number" is now at 17.  Below are more links to check out:

• Via Dan O'Neill at STL Post-Dispatch, "Greinke brings Gibson's amazing '68 season into focus."
• Fantastic!  Eric Stephen at True Blue LA recalls the first Dodger game he remembers watching: "Sock day at Dodger Stadium, 30 years later."
• Via Steve Bourbon at MLB.com, "Grandal, Rollins join litany of injured Dodgers."

Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal was scratched from the starting lineup in Monday night's series opener against the Angels with a sore left shoulder in the same spot that caused him to miss three games in late August. Also sitting was shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who was set to have an X-ray on a jammed knuckle on his right hand.

• Via JP Hoornstra at Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, "Corey Seager pumps Julio Urias up while Dodgers pump the brakes." 

“His command was unbelievable,” Seager said. “He threw it where he needed to at all times and his changeup was really working for him. People were missing by two feet. He threw it 20, 30 percent of the time and literally people couldn’t hit it.”
...
“They should be (excited). He’s coming and it’s going to be impressive.”

• Via Chris Mitchell at FanGraphs, "Projecting Corey Seager." 
• Via Ron Cervenka at Think Blue LA, "Dodgers pitching prospect Pablo Fernandez to miss postseason."

They shut him down and sent him home to rest, nothing else I’ve heard further,” said Quakes pitching coach Bill Simas prior to Monday afternoon’s game. “I think it was just some tightness [in his elbow], I don’t think it was anything major.”

• Via Michael Clair at MLB.com, "Will Ferrell inducted into the Hall of Fame (kind of) before world premiere of 'Ferrell Takes the Field'"

Ferrell's plaque, which was presented by the Dodgers' Adrian Gonzalez and the Padres' Wil Myers (whom Ferrell "carried" on the field during his appearance with the Padres during Spring Training), honors his nicknames, "Cactus Rose" and "Mr. Clutch" and forever commemorates the 92-mph fastball that he fouled off.

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Blog Kiosk: 7/31/2015 - Dodger Links - Friedman, Pablo Fernandez and Kershaw's Ping Pong 4 Purpose

Clayton Kershaw's Ping Pong 4 Purpose charity event last night appears to have been a smashing success.  The ballplayers came out to play, stars were there to lend their support and a bunch of money was raised for a good cause.  Featured in the pic above were probably the two biggest goofballs in attendance.  Via a pic tweeted by Kike Hernandez is Kike with his ping pong partner Ken Jeong.  You can check out more photos from AM570 here.  Via Steve Bourbon at MLB.com:

"It's humbling for us to see the turnout, not to mention we get to raise money for two incredible causes. It's just so cool," Kershaw said. "It keeps getting bigger and bigger every year."

While Kershaw was paramount in organizing the event, he wasn't able to participate in the pingpong competition. Kershaw has a sore hip that caused him to miss his scheduled start on Wednesday.

"I probably could [play], but it's the smart thing to do, as much as I'd like to," Kershaw said. "I'll get to trash talk and watch."

BTW, the duo of Orel Hershiser and actor Josh Henderson won the tournament.  Check out the Kershaw's Challenge website here to learn more.  Below are some links to check out:

• Dusty Baker is now on twitter.  You can follow him here: @dbaker_12  
• Via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com, "Friedman discusses Dodgers' Deadline moves." 

"Money factors in, just like players do," Friedman said. "Everything is negotiated. There are times we've given up players, times we've taken on contracts. We have that ability to do that and/or supplement that with players, and that increases the likelihood of getting a deal done. Having that added flexibility increases your chances of [making a deal]."

• BTW, the Dodgers might not be done, so stay tuned.  Today is the trade deadline and things might get interesting.  Via a tweet from OC Register reporter Bill Plunkett:

Friedman: "We feel good about what we’ve done to date. But by no means are we kicking our feet up, sitting back and exhaling." #Dodgers

— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) July 31, 2015

• Via Jeff Passan at Yahoo Sports, "With money and cutting-edge brilliance, Dodgers playing a game others can’t."

The Yankees sashayed into free-agent meetings like fat cats, paying big dollars for big names and big splashes. They were old money acting like new money. The Dodgers positioned themselves in diametric opposition, fundamentally against larding their roster with aging players, using their cash as judiciously as the filthy rich can, exploring every creative nook and cranny possible.

• Via David Lieberman at Deadline Hollywood, "Time Warner Cable Strikes Out In Securing More Distribution For Dodgers."

It “doesn’t look like we’ll get additional distribution for the Dodgers network this season,” Time Warner Cable CEO Rob Marcus told analysts this morning in a call to discuss Q2 earnings.

• Via Hugh Bernreuter at MLive.com, "Dodgers prospect Pablo Fernandez hopes trip from Cuba ends in L.A."

"He's got five, maybe six quality pitches and that translates better to starting than relieving," Loons pitching coach Glenn Dishman said. "He was a reliever in Cuba, but in the Majors here they like having a reliever or closer with one or two dominant pitches throwing 100."

• GCRL, a Dodger collector blog, is calling it quits.  You were one of my favorite daily destinations.
• With the National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago in full swing I though I would share the below pic from twitter with you.  It's a display from SCP Auctions of some Don Drysdale items that will be for sale in their upcoming offering.  BTW, I have personally consigned items from my own collection with SCP, so I'll be sure to write about that soon.

Don Drysdale collection consigned to @SCPAuctions just unveiled  here at #NSCC15. pic.twitter.com/IghCO0OrwS

— Sports Collector (@SportsCollector) July 29, 2015

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Blog Kiosk: 5/20/2015 - Dodger Links - Hector Olivera, Pablo Fernandez and Rafael Furcal Retires

I so enjoyed watching Rafael Furcal play shortstop for the Dodgers.  He was a wizard on the field and a key cog during the 6 years he was in Los Angeles.  Per Ned Colletti in a story written by Tony Jackson at ESPN:

"When he was at the top of his game and healthy, that was when the offense moved."

I remember those days well.  With Furcal at the top of the order he became the main juggernaut to the teams offense.  He was a table-setter and eventually a leader for many of the young stars coming through the Dodger system. 

Unfortunately, injuries became his undoing.  He spent an awful amount of time on the DL, and I remember witnessing one of the events that lead him there.  While chatting with a former OC Register reporter at Vero Beach, Furcal and Jason Repko met in a mighty crash in the outfield.  Furcal was hurt badly and I vividly remember vocally screaming, "NO!"  I also remember how good he was, and I don't mean on the field.  He once chose to sign with the Dodgers because the team offered to give his hometown a firetruck; which is the subject of the photo I used for the fantasy Baseball card above.

As you surely know by know, it was announced last night that Rafael Fucal has announcement his retirement from the game.  Via an AP report:

''To play in the major leagues for 14 seasons was a dream come true,'' Furcal said in a statement. ''I love the game, but at this point, I don't feel like I can play up to my standards anymore and want to spend more time with my beautiful family.''

Fair thee well, Rafael!

Below are some more links to check out:

• Eric Stephen at True Blue LA has contract details for Hector Olivera, here.
• Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider shares a live-blog from the Andrew Friedman conference call from yesterday afternoon, here.  He also has a live-blog of the Hector Olivera conference call here.
• Zach Links at MLB Trade Rumors also has some nice quotes here.

“My whole career I played second base, but I don’t think I’m in the position to decide where I should play or to say what my preference is,” said the Cuban star when asked what position he is most comfortable playing. “Wherever they put me, I’m going to give my best…Wherever they put me, they’ll see results.”

• Since Jon helpfully provided a photo of Olivera in a Dodger uniform I decided to make a new fantasy card for him.  Check it out on the right.  This time, I used the 1971 Topps design.  Click on the pic to embiggen.
• Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Dodgers plan to stretch Pablo Fernandez as a starter."

"We're going to get him to Arizona as well and start the process of stretching him out," Friedman said. "The upside scenario is that he's a starter for us at some point this year."

And not a moment too soon.

• We'll find out today whether Hyun-Jin Ryu will chose surgery on his shoulder, via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com.

Friedman said surgery is an option, but insisted doctors were still in discussions and a final decision had not been made.

"It hasn't progressed as quickly as we all hoped," Friedman said. "He's worked extra hard to get back, and it isn't happening as quickly as we'd like. It's not a totally clear, a black and white issue. It's more involved than you think."

• Rich Mueller at Sports Collectors Daily shares, "10 Great Sandy Koufax Cards."

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Welcome to the Blue, Pablo Fernandez! And Hector Olivera, Too!

It had been a poorly held secret that the Dodgers had locked up slugging infielder Hector Oliver and relief prospect Pablo Fernandez.  Well, now it's official.  After recently attaining both a visa and coming to California to complete a team-physician physical they are now Dodgers.  With regards to Hernandez, via a Dodger press release:

Fernandez, 25, has a 32-30 career record with 40 saves and a 3.59 ERA in 177 games (21 starts) in seven seasons with Holguin (2007-14) and Matanzas (2012-13). The Cuban fan favorite has been a staple in the league's All-Star Game during his career, garnering the most All-Star votes in 2013-14 and earning both the win and MVP honors at the 2011-12 game.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder had his best season in 2011-12, earning recognition as the Series Nacional Pitcher of the Year with a league-leading 1.52 ERA and going 7-4 with a club-record 18 saves in 95.0 innings over 35 appearances with Holguin. That season, Fernandez closed out the first extra-inning no-hitter and third combined no-hitter in Cuban history with a 1-2-3 10^th inning on March 13, 2012 to preserve a 1-0 win.

Fernandez last pitched during the 2013-14 season, posting an 8-8 record with six saves and a 2.83 ERA in 27 games (one start). He issued only 10 walks in 57.1 innings in 2013-14 and excluding intentional walks, he has issued only 87 walks in 414.0 career innings, less than five percent of his 1751 batters faced.

The Dodgers brass had this to say about the recent signings:

"We are excited to be adding two players to our organization that have consistently demonstrated their talent in Cuba as well as in international competition," said Dodger President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman. "We look forward to adding them to our organization and are confident they will be able to contribute to the Dodgers in the near future."

In celebration of Fernandez's signing with the Dodgers I made the above fantasy card for him.  I used a photograph grabbed online at CubaDebate.cu/Ricardo López Hevia and the 1972 Topps Baseball card design.

Below are his career stats from Cuba, via Baseball-Reference:

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Back in March I had made a "Welcome" post for Hector Olivera, so I'll link to that here.  There is a fantasy Baseball card I created, some background, links and videos of him.  I would also suggest checking out Jon Weisman's post on the trade here.

As you may know, Olivera is the big fish in this announcement.  He is thought to have signed a six-year contract worth over $60Million, and there were rumors of an affordable seventh year added on should any arm problems related to his elbow occur.  Fortunately, via Jon Heyman on twitter that doesn't appear to be the case.

olivera elbow said to be fine, despite previous rumors. he'll go to arizona to get games in before joining #dodgers.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) May 19, 2015

What we should expect is that he'll likely find his way to Los Angeles before the season is over.  Whether that is sooner or later is dependent on how quickly he acclimates himself to the game.  I suspect they'll give him ample time to get his swing in order and plenty of work on the field to truly see what he can do.  If he ends up whacking the cover off the ball then someone is going to get traded to make room for him.

Per a Dodger press release:

Olivera, 30, has a .323 career batting average with 96 home runs and 433 RBI, appearing primarily at first base and second base, in 10 seasons with Santiago from 2003-2014. During the course of his career, Olivera has posted a .407 on-base percentage, while drawing more walks (367) than strikeouts (251). He stole a career-high 21 bases in 22 attempts in 2007-08 and has 55 steals in his career.

The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder has posted a batting average of better than .340 on three occasions, while hitting double-digit home runs in five consecutive seasons from 2007-08 through 2011-12. During the five-year period between 2006-11, Olivera was one of the most durable and productive players in Cuba, ranking among the league leaders in games played (432, 5^th), runs (406, 2^nd), hits (563, 4^th), doubles (122, 1^st) and total bases (899, 4^th). In the 90-game Serie Nacional season, Olivera has recorded career-best marks with 17 home runs (in 60 games in 2011-12), 71 RBI (in 84 games in 2008-09) and a .353 batting average (in 84 games in 2007-08). He last played in 2013-14, hitting .316 with seven home runs and 38 RBI in 73 games.

Hopefully, he's as polished as his resume suggest. 

As you can see below I made another fantasy card for Olivera, but it's far from my best work.  Since I am pressed for time and far too busy, this will have to do. 

Below are his career stats from Cuba, via Baseball-Reference:

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Blog Kiosk: 5/12/2015 - Dodger Links - Olivera, Dee Gordon and the Ugliest Dodger Cap Ever Made

This moment just warmed my heart.

Former Dodger second baseman Dee Gordon came into town for the first time since being traded over the winter and received an overwhelming standing ovation from the fans.  Go here to watch a video of it.  He has gone through many ups and downs in his short Major League career, and has seemingly persevered through it all.  Ever conscious of his failings, he did what was necessary to rework his game, and in turn was reborn into the leagues most valuable lead-off hitter.

Of course, I could give you some fancy stats that indicate that his hot start this year isn't sustainable (duh!), but that would be gratuitous and ultimately irrelevant.  The only thing that really matters is that one of the "good guys" in this league is making good, and I can do nothing but continue to root for his continued success.

The above photo was taken by Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2015.  Go here to check out more photos of yesterday's game from him.  Below are some more links to check out:

• Via Mark Saxon at ESPNLosAngeles.com, "The plan for Kenley Jansen."
• Mike Bolsinger, who was pitching in AAA for the Dodgers, is now in Los Angeles (via a tweet from David Vassegh) and is slated to pitch tonight's game.  Chris Heisey has been optioned to AAA.
• Via Earl Bloom at MLB.com, "Dodgers awaiting results of Puig's MRI." 
• Here's some interesting news about a couple of recent Cuban Dodger signees, via a tweet from Bill Plunkett.  He is expected to be in Los Angeles soon to have a physical and finalize his contract.  I wonder if it is reasonable to expect either of them to wear Blue this season.

Both #Dodgers Cuban signees IF Hector Olivera and RHP Pablo Fernandez have received visas. Cleared to travel to US. Expected later this week

— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) May 11, 2015

• Clearly, the ugliest Dodger cap ever made.  Via Paul Lukas at UniWatch, an exclusive look at this years MLB 4th of July caps.

This is the kind of American flag cap you’d find at a gas station (right next to the cheap sunglasses and the air freshener thingies), but with a team logo slapped on the front. It’s tempting to call it self-parody, but it feels two or three levels more absurd than that. Come on, people — have some dignity out there.

• This story at NJ.com has me very uneasy; "Jets' salutes honor N.J. National Guard but cost taxpayers."  The idea that the military/National Guard needed to pay a sports franchise to honor those who serve is a bit unseemly.  Ya know what I mean?  Do other teams in other sports receive compensation from tax payers for their "heroes of the game?"

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