Blog Kiosk: 3/28/2017 - Dodgers Links - Ryu Earns a Spot on the Rotation

He's on the comeback trail.

Yesterday Hyun-Jin Ryu received fantastic news.  Although he gave up two homers in his most recent spring start he did prove to the Dodger staff that he belongs in the Dodgers starting rotation. Per Eric Stephen at True Blue LA:

“He just kind of kept plugging away, and showed he’s healthy. He built his innings up,” Roberts said. “It just gives the confidence that he can give us quality starts when he goes out there.” 

Per Bill Plunkett at the OC Register:

“From how I feel right now, I’m definitely confident that I can pitch every five days for this team. … I’ve always been a starting pitcher so it definitely feels good to be back doing what I expect to do. It has a lot of meaning in that regard.”

Photo above via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2016.  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: 10/3/2015 - Dodger Links - McCarthy, Greinke and Matt Kemp

Together again.

On the day Nancy Bea Hefley announced her retirement she gets with former Dodger outfielder Matt Kemp one last time for a photograph.  It's also just as nice to see the two former teammates, Kemp and Andre Ethier, together again in the photo below.  Both pics via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2015.  Go here to see more pics from Jon of yesterday's game.

Although Kemp has had an fairly up-'n-down season this year he still managed to drive in 100 runs while slashing 265/.312/.443.  Certainly not a marked improvement over last years numbers, he still proved that he can be an effective hitter at the plate.  Unfortunately, his season has been cut short.  He will sit out the final five games of the year due to a sore right hand.  Via Jeff Sanders at the San Diego Tribune:

“Every time I swing, it got irritated – sharp little pain,” Kemp said after Tuesday’s game. “I wanted to keep going, but they thought it would be better for me to sit this one out.”

Below are more links to check out:

• Via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com, "Wrist injury may keep Van Slyke out of postseason."
• This is fun.  Via Gemma Kaneko at Cut4, "Which Dodgers player are you? Only this quiz can determine the answer."  Apparently, I'm like Zach Greinke.

Congratulations, you're Zack Greinke! You're focused and hard-working and very, very polite. Most importantly, you have GREAT hair.

• Via Eno Sarris at FanGraphs, "Zack Greinke on Pitching Inside."  Sarris breaks down, piece by piece, the statement made by Zach below.

“I noticed that when you throw away to people, they hit the ball hard,” the Dodgers’ pitcher said, “But they get out a lot more often, too. If you come in to them, they don’t hit the ball hard as often, but somehow they find a way to get hits more often. They’re getting hits more often inside even though their better swings are away and they’re hitting the ball hard more often away. I think they hit a lot of harder fly balls but most guys don’t have enough power to hit it over the opposite field defender’s head. A 300-foot hit is an out most of the time. Inside ground balls, there are so many more places you can hit that ball. Some guys can inside out it, some can hit it up the middle, some guys can roll over it and go down the third base line. You can hit it anywhere. But the outside pitch?”

• As for who should win the Cy Young, I think Brandon McCarthy has got it right.  Check out his recent tweet below:

NL CY Young voters: no matter which of the three you vote for, you got it right. Congrats! And horribly wrong. Idiot.

— Brandon McCarthy (@BMcCarthy32) October 2, 2015

• For those interested, the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes will be hosting a Championship Trophy Viewing Party on Thursday, October 15th at LoanMart Field.  Go here for information.
• Topps has just released a 10" x 14" poster printed on trading card stock that celebrates the Dodgers entry into the 2015 postseason.  It is stylized as a concert poster.  Check it out on the right.  It is limited to 25 copies, and a "1 of 1" version in gold is also available.  Check it out here.
• This really sucks.  I liked Paco a lot.  Hopefully, he can bounce back quickly.  Via Jeff Todd at MLB Trade Rumors, "Paco Rodriguez Undergoes Tommy John Surgery."
• I wasn't very happy when I first heard about this kind of thing happening, so I'm glad they are trying to stop it.  Via Craig Calcaterra at NBC Sports, "Congress to ban “pay for patriotism” promotions at stadiums."
• As you may know, the A's recently hired the first woman coach - Justine Siegal.  Here is an interview with her, via Kiley Kroh at Think Progress: "Baseball Is For Girls: A Conversation With The First Female Coach For An MLB Team."

Well, I love baseball. And I love coaching. I’ve wanted to be a college baseball coach since I was 16 and, at that time, a woman had never done that. Then I got to coach with the Rox, which was professional. For me, you can’t ask whether it was one or the other — am I doing it because I love coaching or am I doing it to show that it can be done? — because it’s both. I consider it an honor to be a role model and almost everything I do is in essence to show girls that their dreams can come true. But it’s not just girls that need to be shown that they have a place in baseball, it’s that boys need to know that girls have a place in baseball. And when you can be a productive member of staff, then you get the best of both worlds, which is be in the game you love, help players become better, and show the world that girls and women can be part of this game.

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Welcome to the Blue - Wood, Johnson, Peraza, Avilan and Arroyo! The Trades are Done!

It's done!  It is finally done!

As it turns out, it isn't a 3-way deal after all.  The Dodgers first put together a trade with the Marlins featuring Mat Matos and Michael Morse.  Go here to see my post from yesterday on that one; including some fantasy Baseball cards celebrating the transaction.  The three Dodger prospects going to Miami are Victor Araujo, Jeff Brigham and Kevin Guzman.

The Braves trade (and the purpose of this post) includes eight players changing teams - five of them to Los Angeles.  Per the Dodgers press release:

The Los Angeles Dodgers today acquired left-handed pitcher Alex Wood, right-handed reliever Jim Johnson, left-handed reliever Luis Avilan, minor league infielder Jose Peraza, right-handed pitcher Bronson Arroyo and cash considerations from Atlanta in exchange for infielder Hector Olivera, left-handed reliever Paco Rodriguez and minor league right-handed pitcher Zach Bird.

So, the rumored 2016 draft slot bandied about yesterday plays no part in either the Marlins or Braves trade.  (Apparently, the above is incorrect, or so I've read.  The Dodger press releases made no mention of a 2015 draft pick, and in fact they sent out two separate press releases for the trades - one dealing with Miami and another dealing with Atlanta.  But everyone seems to still be reporting that Atlanta did get Miami's draft pick, so I guess I'll just accept that?)  For some detailed analysis on both trades check out the links below:

• Via Chris Mitchell at FanGraphs, "Projecting All the Prospects in the Latos/Wood Trade."
• Chad Moriyama at Dodgers Digest, "Dodgers manage to upgrade rotation, bullpen, farm for cash in reported 3-team trade."
• Via Dave Cameron at FanGraphs, "Dodgers Upgrade Rotation in Unexpected, Intelligent Way."
• Steven Martano at Beyond the Boxscore, "Dodgers add depth to rotation trading for Alex Wood among others."

Overall, I like what the Dodger front office has done.  They basically traded some lower level prospects including a better than decent Zach Bird, an oft-injured lefty reliever in Paco and a 30-year old Cuban prospect in Olivera (highly touted, mind you, but old) for two starting pitchers who will slot in nicely into our rotation, a nice infield prospect, two relievers and a couple of high dollar'd has-been's.  Basically, we took in a bunch of unwanted contracts to solidify the rotation and bullpen.  Heck, we even got a prospect and a potential right-handed off-the-bench power bat in Morse (he was valuable for the Giants last year).  Although, it does appear likely that Morse and/or Arroyo will be released.

A negative is seeing Paco Rodriguez leave the franchise.  I really liked that kid.  It's also disappointing that we won't have a chance to see that Hector Olivera can do for us.  Nevertheless, we got a whole bunch for very little.  That's assuming you consider the Dodgers spending wads of cash no big deal.

As for not getting a top-line starter like Price or Hamels... Well, I'm a bit disappointed, but not angry.  We probably could've gotten Hamels (considering what they got), but Price ended up being way too expensive.  Detroit made out like a bandit in their trade with Toronto. 

In celebration of the Dodgers adding these five new players (some of whom may never actually wear Dodger Blue) I made the below fantasy Baseball cards in honor.  Check them out below.  I've also included some information about each of them, as well.

Alex Wood is probably the crown jewel of the trade for the Dodgers.  He was basically the staff ace for a bad Braves team, and will fit in nicely in the middle of our rotation.

From the Dodger press release:

Wood, 24, has gone 21-20 with a 3.10 ERA in 86 games (55 starts) in three big league seasons with the Braves, including a 7-6 mark with a 3.54 ERA in 20 starts this year. Since making his big league debut in 2013, Wood ranks among the NL leaders (min. 350.0 IP) in ERA (9th) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.12, 15th), while posting a 47.7 groundball percentage and forcing an average of 1.03 groundball double plays per 9.0 innings (4th). The North Carolina native was selected in the second round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Georgia and quickly ascended to the Majors, while posting a 9-5 record with a 1.68 ERA in 26 minor league starts over three seasons.

Below are Woods's career stats, via Baseball-Reference:

Adding Jim Johnson to the bullpen can only be a good thing.  He's a right-handed reliever with plenty of experience and past success.

From the Dodger press release:

Johnson, 32, has gone 2-3 with nine saves and a 2.25 ERA in 49 games with Atlanta this year in his 10th big league season. The 2012 All-Star and Rolaids Relief Man Award winner has a 25-31 career record with 133 saves and a 3.45 ERA with the Orioles (2006-13), Athletics (2014), Tigers (2014) and Braves (2015). He was one of the American League’s top closers in 2012-13, topping the American League in saves in consecutive seasons and posting back-to-back 50-save seasons with the Orioles. He was originally selected by Baltimore in the fifth round of the 2001 First-Year Player Draft out of Union-Endicott (NY) High School.

Below are Johnson's career stats, via Baseball-Reference:

Luis Avilan is a lefty reliever.

From the Dodger press release:

Avilan, 26, has a 12-5 record with a 2.77 ERA in 218 career games in four big league seasons with Atlanta from 2012-15, limiting opponents to a .225 batting average and posting a 1.16 WHIP. He has appeared in a team-high 50 games this year, going 2-4 with a 3.58 ERA, while limiting opponents to a .245 average. Avilan was signed by the Braves as a free agent in 2005 out of Venezuela.

Below are Avilan's career stats, via Baseball-Reference:

Peraza is probably the best prospect that changed hands (not including the Cuban Hector Olivera).  He's fast and is basically a new version of a young Dee Gordon.  Per Chris Mitchell at FanGraphs:

Peraza excels in the speed and contact departments, but provides very little when it comes hitting for power and drawing walks.

From the Dodger press release:

Peraza, 21, has a .303 career batting average with 203 steals, eight home runs and 178 RBI in 439 games over seven seasons in the Braves’ minor league system, including a .294 mark with 26 stolen bases, three homers and 37 RBI in 96 games this year with Triple-A Gwinnett. Entering the 2015 season, he was rated by Baseball America as the No. 54 overall prospect in baseball after earning selections as a MiLB.com Atlanta organization All-Star in 2013-14 and to the MLB All-Star Futures Game in 2014, when he ranked third among all minor leaguers with 60 steals. He was originally signed by the Braves in 2010 as a free agent out of Venezuela.

Below are Peraza's career stats, via Baseball-Reference:

Not only has Arroyo not ever worn a Braves uniform (he came to them this past June in a salary-dump trade with the Diamondbacks), but he is unlikely to ever wear Dodger Blue either.  Bronson Arroyo is currently on the DL, and has a $4.5Mil buyout on his contract for next season. 

From the Dodger press release:

Arroyo, 38, last pitched on June 15, 2014 before undergoing Tommy John surgery on July 15, 2014. The 2006 All-Star has gone 145-131 with a 4.19 ERA in 405 games (369 starts) in 15 Major League seasons with the Pirates (2000-02), Red Sox (2003-05), Reds (2006-13) and D-backs (2014).

Below are Arroyo's career stats, via Baseball-Reference:

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Brewers Series Starts Tomorrow - Scheduled Autograph Sessions, Pregame Info and Other Stuff!

The next homestand starts tomorrow against the Milwaukee Brewers, and several former Dodgers are scheduled for an autograph session with fans.  Below are the scheduled autograph opportunities and other odds and ends for this upcoming homestand.

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Friday, July 10 at 7:10 PM
SNLA / AM 570 (Eng.), KTNQ 1020 AM (Span.)

Tonight's game starts at 7:10 PM.  Auto gates open at 4:40 PM, and stadium gates open at 5:10 PM.  It is Friday Night Fireworks, so fans will be able to go down onto the field after the game to watch the spectacle. The theme for the evening will be 70's music.  Go here for information about future firework themes.

The first 40,000 fans in attendance will receive a Special Olympics World Games commemorative Pin.  Prior to the game, the Special Olympics Unified Relay Across America will culminate at Dodger Stadium.

Local musician and lyric soprano Gretchen Anderson will perform the national anthem as part of Mormon Night at Dodger Stadium. Pregame entertainment will also include DJ Adam in the right-field plaza and a strolling magician in the left-field plaza from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Dodger alumnus Lee Lacy will sign autographs in the left-field pavilion from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

• The Military Hero of the Game is U.S. Coast Guard and Marine Corps Petty Officer Second Class Brian Escamilla.
• The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) conducts silent auctions throughout the season featuring more than 25 signed pieces of memorabilia from Dodger players, coaches and alumni. Auctions will take place behind the Vin Scully press box on the club level. The items up for auction on Friday include a Kenley Jansen autographed photo, Yasmani Grandal autographed baseball and Howie Kendrick autographed Dodger jersey. The auction will end at 8:45 p.m.

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Saturday, July 11th at 7:10 PM
SNLA / AM 570 (Eng.), KTNQ 1020 AM (Span.)

Saturday's game starts at 7:10 PM.  Auto gates open at 4:40 PM, and stadium gates open at 5:10 PM.  The first 40,000 fans in attendance will receive a Juan Uribe bobblehead.  See it on the left.

Anderson da Silva, mixed martial artist and former UFC middleweight champion will throw the first pitch. Sophie Simmons, daughter of rock legend Gene Simmons, positive body image activist, fashion designer, actress and singer, will perform the national anthem.

Pregame entertainment will also include pop band Everett Coast in the left-field plaza, singer Michael O. in the right-field reserve level, DJ Adam in the right-field reserve plaza and a strolling yo-yo artist the left-field reserve plaza from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Dodger alumnus Billy Ashley will sign autographs in the left-field pavilion from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

• The Military Hero of the Game is U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Eric Quintanar.

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Sunday, July 12th at 1:10 PM
SNLA / AM 570 (Eng.), KTNQ 1020 AM (Span.)

Sunday's game starts at 1:10 PM.  Auto gates open at 10:40 AM, and stadium gates open at 11:10 AM.  The first 15,000 ticketed kids 14-years old or younger will receive a Kids' hamper.  Check it out on the left.

Viva Los Dodgers will be at the historic 76 station beginning at 11:00 a.m. and will celebrate Cuban Heritage. Viva Los Dodgers will feature  photos with fans from 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. with All-Star catcher Yasmani Grandal. Outfielder Alex Guerrero will take photos with fans from 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Outfielder Yasiel Puig will greet fans on stage at 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and take part in a Q&A session alongside reliever Paco Rodriguez.  musical entertainment will be provided by The Arsenio Rodriguez Project and Buena Onda. Dodger scout Mike Brito will also partake in a meet and greet with fans at 12:00 p.m.

Also exclusive to Viva Los Dodgers will be the Cuban Dog.  The Cuban Dog features a quarter-pound all-beef hot dog topped with ham, pulled pork, Swiss cheese, yellow mustard and pickle chips and will be available at Viva Los Dodgers while supplies last.

Cuban music mogul and 19-time Grammy award winner Emilio Estefan will throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the game.  The Dodgers will present a community hero award to the Gavina family at Viva Los Dodgers. Gavina Coffee, a Cuban-owned business, has been a coffee tradition in Los Angeles since 1967. Cuban-American Alejandro Mayorkas, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, will throw Sunday’s honorary first pitch.

Singer, actress, R&B Divas L.A. star and “X-Factor” finalist Stacy Francis will perform the national anthem.

Dodger alumnus Derrel Thomas will sign autographs in the left-field pavilion from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

• The Military Heroes of the Game are U.S. Army E-7 Nicholas Cottrill and U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Pastor McGill.
• The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) conducts silent auctions throughout the season featuring more than 25 signed pieces of memorabilia from Dodger players, coaches and alumni. Auctions will take place behind the Vin Scully press box on the club level. The items up for auction on Sunday include a Don Mattingly autographed photo, Orel Hershiser autographed baseball and Justin Turner autographed Dodger jersey. The auction will end at 2:45 p.m.

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Blog Kiosk: 6/15/2015 - Dodger Links - Pederson, Seager and Draftee Sborz

Was Joc laying down on the job?

Hardly.  Instead, he made a fantastic catch against the centerfield wall off the bat of Justin Upton in the ninth inning of last night's game.  It ultimately preserved a 2-2 tie, and allowed the club an opportunity to eventually win the game in the 12th inning.  Via Mark Saxon at ESPN:

He admitted the situation made it a big catch, and said, "The harder one is the line drive over your head, but it's up there for difficulty." He credited his dad and Dodgers outfield instructor Damon Mashore for refining his route running.

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

• Via Mark Saxon at ESPN, "Dodgers insist Corey Seager promotion not imminent."

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said the team will promote Seager when he is ready, not because Rollins is batting .200. He said the team has a road map for Seager’s development that includes more seasoning at Triple-A. The Dodgers think he could benefit from continuing to face the veteran pitchers at Triple-A and continuing to adjust to a faster game defensively.

“We feel like he’s in a really good place to be a really good major league player for a long time, but when that is will be determined by when he’s ready to do it, when we feel like it will put him in the best position to be as good as he can be as quickly as he can be,” Friedman said.

• Via Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider, "Jackie Robinson explains how the Dodgers missed out on Willie Mays."

Jackie says the Dodgers blew a chance to land Willie Mays when he was a 16-year-old phenom with the Birmingham Black Barons. “The Dodger players were much impressed with Mays when we played an exhibition game with the Barons,” said Jackie. “The front office in Brooklyn was contracted, but Wid Mathews, Mr. Rickey’s assistant, turned down Willie because Wid said he couldn’t hit a curve ball.”

• Via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com, "Van Slyke, Peralta begin rehab assignments: Dodgers pitchers Rodriguez, Beachy and League set to join them soon
• Via Cash Kruth at MLB.com, "Dodgers draftee Sborz dominant at CWS."

"He throws strikes. He attacks you. That slider is, what, 84 to sometimes up to 87, 88 mph. It's a pretty darned good pitch," Virginia coach Brian O'Connor said. "So you have a lot of confidence in him that he's going to go at them and give his best. And he's been pretty darned near as good as you can be all year long for us."

• Via Vincent Bonsignore at Los Angeles Daily News, "NFL in Dodger Stadium? League expected to begin negotiations for temporary L.A. venues."
• Greg picks up a great vintage Baseball magazine.  Via Greg Zakwin at Plashke Thy Sweater is Argyle, "Pickup: Baseball Stars of 1954, w/ Cover Boys Roy Campanella and Al Rosen!"
• I love hearing about this kind of thing.  Via Rich Mueller at Sports Collectors Daily, "1909 Philadelphia Caramel Cards Found in Old Cookie Tin."

A volunteer digging through mounds of material left inside the Parker Homestead in Little Silver recently found them, tucked safely inside an old cookie tin that had been placed in a box with hundreds of postcards and other items. 

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Blog Kiosk: 6/4/2015 - Dodger Links - Puig, Pederson and Kenley Jansen

Today is the 51st anniversary of Sandy Koufax's third career no-hitter against the Phillies.  He became only the second pitcher in the modern era to throw three no-no's - Bob Feller was the first.  Photo above via @sportsphotos on twitter.

Below are some links to check out:

• Check out a new Dodger blog called "From Duke to Joc, All Things Dodgers" here.
• Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Yasiel Puig will start rehab assignment Thursday with Rancho Cucamonga."   BTW, Eric also tells us that Hector Olivera will make his debut in Tula today, as well (here)
• Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Paco Rodriguez MRI shows no new elbow damage."
• Via Mark Saxon at ESPN, "Joc Pederson's power continues to blossom."

“I still think the best is yet to come for Joc,” Mattingly said. “That doesn’t mean he’s going to hit 60 homers or anything, but I think just the consistency of at-bats will get better and better.”

• Via Cary Osborne at Dodger Insider, "A new voice for a critical 2015 Dodger draft."

“The power of the group together and more minds is better than one mind,” (Billy Gasparino) said. “It worked every draft I’ve been a part of. The best drafts, the best outcomes have been a group reflection of the board and the players we take, not just one person.

“We emphasized that in San Diego. We’ve had some success. We’re going to emphasize it here. Josh, Andrew and Farhan have all had their own success in places they’ve come from and we’re just trying to combine it all together.”

• Via Mark Saxon at ESPN, "Mystery surrounds Kenley Jansen's absence."

"I don't know who wants to talk about it. I'm not the one who wants to talk about it, though," said Mattingly, clearly perturbed. "He was unavailable."

Former Major League pitcher Rick Sutcliffe tweeted this out; which only adds to the mystery.  BTW, you may recall that a couple of years ago he was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat - atrial fibrillation:

Sending my prayers to #Dodgers and closer @kenleyjansen74

— Rick Sutcliffe (@Sut_ESPN) June 4, 2015

• Panini will once again create special Father's Day cards that will be available at participating hobby stores, and they shared a bunch of pics online.  Go here to check out a whole bunch of preview photos.  Below are the Yasiel Puig, Clayton Kershaw and Joc Pederson cards.

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Blog Kiosk: 6/1/2015 - Dodger Links - Some Odds and Ends

Above is a 1963 UPI telephoto of Dodger starting pitchers Johnny Podres and Sandy Koufax that I found on eBay.  Per the caption:

Yanlee Stadium:  Johnny Podres (L), Dodgers' starting pitcher, gets some good advice from Sandy Koufax before the second World Series game here 10/3.  Sandy knows his way around the Yankee batting order.  He set a new Series record by striking out 15 as the Dodgers won the opener, 5-2.

Below are some more links to check out:

• ICYMI:  Paco Rodriguez was placed on the 15-day DL with an elbow strain.  Matt West was called up from AAA.  Per Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider:

Paco Rodriguez has had trouble finishing pitches, manager Don Mattingly told reporters this morning, so he has been placed on the disabled list and is heading to Los Angeles for examination on his left elbow.

• Jon Weisman also provides a peek at the June issue of Dodger Insider Magazine, here.  Check it out on the right.  Joc Pederson is on the cover.
• Via Jim Callis at MLB.com, "Dodgers' class of '68 tops list of 10 best Drafts."

"He actually showed me how to draft," Campanis told MLB.com's Ken Gurnick in a 1988 story for Baseball America. "He explained the difference between drafting the best athlete or going for need. He showed us how to rank players on a scale of 100 based on fundamental skills. He took a neophyte and taught me how to approach a draft, and I think this helped us."

• Via Mark Saxon at ESPNLosAngeles.com, "Data show A.J. Ellis is the best pitch-caller in baseball."

“It’s about manipulating a hitter’s body sometimes based on how they’re reacting to certain pitches,” Ellis said.

The Dodgers have known for years that Ellis is a skilled pitch-caller. He prepares his own scouting reports based on video work and works with pitching coach Rick Honeycutt throughout the game to adjust the plan of attack.

“I just love a guy who takes a lot of pride in what he does,” Honeycutt said. “When you get the uniformity we’ve had the last four years or so, I think you have to give him some of the credit for that.”

• Ron Cervenka at Think Blue LA writes about first baseman prospect Cody Bellinger: "Dodgers may have AGon’s replacement in their grasp."
• Check out Clayton Kershaw on The Dan Patrick Show below.  (Hat Tip: Eric Stephen at True Blue LA):

Video Link:

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A Bunch of Paco's Added to My Collection

I've been absent lately when it comes to sharing any new acquisitions for my collection, so here is something new.  I recently came across a small lot of autographed Paco Rodriguez card on eBay and couldn't resist making a bid.  There were four cards in total; including a chrome variation redemption card (not shown), and put in my number.  A few days later I realized I was the only one to put in a bid. For the price of about $2 a card I took them home.  Yeah! 

Paco has been quite good so far.  He's come into nine games this season, and has allowed just two hits and only one run in 4.2 innings.  Rodriguez has primarily been a situational pitcher, but I suspect he'll be called in to complete a full inning more often as the season goes on.  In the meantime, he is quickly solidifying his place in the bullpen.

At the top is a 2013 Topps Chrome auto'd card (left) and a 2013 Bowman Chrome auto'd card (right).  Below is a 2013 Topps Finest auto/ jumbo relic x-factor parallel card.

Below are the reverse of the cards.

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Dodgers Notes from Spring Training: Spring Game 30 / Road Game 16

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 (15-8-6) at Arizona Diamondbacks (14-13-2)
Monday, March 30, 2015 – 1:10 p.m. MT | Salt River Fields

LHP Brett Anderson (1-0, 4.05) vs. RHP Allen Webster (0-1, 8.18)
TV: SNLA

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(Mota, Rollins & Kendricks, pic via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2015)

RIGHT IN THEIR BACKYARD: The Dodgers, who have the National League’s best spring winning percentage at .652, will take on the Arizona Diamondbacks for the second and final time this spring this afternoon. Last year, the Dodgers dominated the Snakes, winning 15 of 19 games, including two in Sydney, Australia, and eight of 10 in Phoenix. This season, the clubs will square off during the campaign’s first month as the Dodgers travel to Chase Field for their first road trip, April 10-12. Arizona’s first visit to Dodger Stadium will come the next time the squads play, from May 1-3.

NOT HALF BAD: The Dodgers split a pair of contests yesterday in their final split squad of the Cactus League campaign. At Camelback Ranch, Los Angeles downed the Rangers, 10-5, behind three hits, three RBI and a homer from Buck Britton, and finished the spring season 3-0-1 against Texas. Jimmy Rollins, Howie Kendrick and Scott Van Slyke had two hits apiece for the Dodgers who collected 15 on the afternoon in support of starter Brandon McCarthy, who gave up three runs in 5.2 innings. 

• Over in Scottsdale, the “other” Dodgers lost to the Giants, 11-9. In that contest, Joc Pederson went 2-for-3 and belted his sixth Cactus League homer while Yasiel Puig went 2-for-3 with a double, run and RBI. Catcher Yasmani Grandal was 2-for-4 with two doubles and Kiké Hernandez cracked his fifth homer, a three-run shot in the eighth inning. Dodger starter Carlos Frias allowed three runs and eight hits in 3.1 innings. 

FOLLOW THE LEADERS: The Dodgers have blasted a Major League-leading 45 home runs (four more than the Cubs’ 41) and have a .289 team batting average (3rd, NL) with a .495 slugging percentage (2nd, NL) this spring.

• Joc Pederson continues to rank among the NL leaders this spring in batting average (.389, 3rd), slugging percentage (.796, 1st), hits (21, 2nd), runs (13, T-2nd), total bases (43, 2nd) and home runs (6, 2nd).
• Justin Turner has hit safely in 14 of his last 15 games and is batting .465 with six doubles, three homers and eight RBI, while posting a .489 on-base percentage and a .814 slugging percentage in 17 Cactus League games. Turner’s 20 hits this spring tie for third-most in the NL and his 35 total bases are tied for fourth.
• Yasiel Puig ranks among the NL’s best this spring in home runs (5, T-3rd) and RBI (13, T-5th); Kiké Hernandez places among the league’s best in home runs (5, T-3rd) and runs scored (12, T-4th); and Howie Kendrick is tied for fourth with 12 runs scored.

(McCarthy & Gonzalez, pic via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2015)

FOLLOW ME TO BRADLEY!: The official dedication of the Charley Steiner School of Sports Communication at Bradley University will be held tomorrow, March 31, at 3:00 p.m. at the Caterpillar Global Communications Center in Peoria, IL. The dedication program will include remarks from Dr. Jeff Huberman, Dean of the Slane College of Communications and Fine Arts; Dr. Paul Gullifor, Chair of the Department of Communication; Joanne Glasser, President of Bradley University; Jim Ardis, Mayor of Peoria; and of course, Charley himself. Video of the dedication will be available following the event at bradley.edu/steinerdedication. The Steiner School will have 120 majors, in radio and television broadcasting, journalism, production, direction, ethics, media relations, digital and sales. 

ON THE MOUND: LHP Brett Anderson will make his fourth Cactus League start today. Anderson has allowed three runs on 10 hits through 6.2 innings so far this spring. He last pitched in a Cactus League game on March 19 against the Angels, allowing three runs on seven hits through 1.2 innings. The southpaw did pitch in a minor league game last Tuesday, on the Dodgers’ off day. In that contest, he allowed three runs and nine hits in 5.2 innings. Anderson tossed 79 pitches and struck out five in that outing.

• LHP Paco Rodriguez is expected to make his ninth appearance of the spring today. Through eight Cactus League appearances, Rodriguez has tossed 8.1 scoreless innings, surrendering only three hits and striking out 10.
• LHP Adam Liberatore is also expected to see action today. Liberatore has held opposing hitters to a .148 batting average this spring, allowing only four hits in 8.0 innings of work.
• RHP Yimi Garcia will make his ninth Cactus League appearance today. Garcia allowed his first run of the spring in his last start on Friday against the Giants.
• RHP Pedro Baez will also make his ninth appearance of the spring today. Through eight Cactus League appearances, Baez has allowed five runs on seven hits in 8.0 innings.
• Veteran RHP Mike Adams is expected to make an appearance today. Through 3.2 innings this spring, Adams has surrendered four hits and three runs while striking out four.

(Tommy Lasorda,, pic via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2015)

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Dodgers Notes from Spring Training: Spring Game 26 / Home Game 13

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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San Francisco Giants (6-19-1) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (13-6-6)
Friday, March 27, 2015 – 7:05 p.m. MT | Camelback Ranch

RHP Chris Heston (0-0, 2.00) vs. RHP Zack Greinke (1-0, 3.00)
TV: SNLA Radio: AM 570

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(Dodger Stadium with new cut grass, pic via @Dodgers on twitter)

UNDER THE LIGHTS: The Dodgers, who have the Majors’ best spring winning percentage at .684, take on the Giants for the second time this spring after tying, 5-5, on March 9 in Scottsdale. The clubs will have one more exhibition matchup on Sunday in Scottsdale before opening their 19-game regular-season series on April 21 at AT&T Park. Los Angeles won the 2014 season series between the clubs, 10-9, and has been victorious in seven of its last nine game against the Giants.

• Dodger Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully will call tonight’s game from Camelback Ranch as he kicks off his unprecedented 66th season with the club. Scully will also call all three Freeway Series games next week.
• Dodger Special Advisor to the Chairman Don Newcombe will throw tonight’s ceremonial first pitch as he concludes his annual visit to Spring Training. Newcombe, who pitched in 10 big league seasons from 1949-60, was a four-time All-Star, 1949 Rookie of the Year and took home both the Cy Young and MVP Awards in 1956.

THOSE WINNING WAYS: The Dodgers won their third consecutive game yesterday, beating the White Sox, 9-6, at Camelback Ranch. Clayton Kershaw improved to 3-0 on the spring, allowing just one run on four hits and striking out eight in 6.0 dominant innings. The Dodger offense continued to click with 13 hits, including home runs by Yasiel Puig, Jimmy Rollins and Kiké Hernandez. 

• Puig has homered in three consecutive games and has four home runs in his last five games, batting .400 (6-for-15) with eight RBI since March 20. Overall, Puig is tied for second in the NL with five homers this spring.
• Hernandez caught fire in San Antonio last weekend, hitting .429 (6-for-14) with four home runs and five RBI in his last six games since March 20.

FOLLOW THE LEADERS: The Dodgers raised their Major League-best home run total to 40 (eight more than the Cubs’ 32) with three more longballs yesterday and have a .286 team batting average (3rd, NL) with a .488 slugging percentage (2nd, NL) this spring.

• Joc Pederson leads the NL with a .756 slugging percentage this spring and also ranks among the league leaders in batting average (.400, T-3rd), hits (18, T-1st), runs (11, T-3rd), total bases (34, 3rd), on-base percentage (.438, 8th) and home runs (4, T-4th).
• Justin Turner has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games and is batting .486 with four doubles, three homers and eight RBI, while posting a .513 on-base percentage and a .857 slugging percentage in 14 Cactus League games.

(Zack Greinke, pic via @Dodgers on twitter)

ON THE MOUND: RHP Zack Greinke will make his fourth Cactus League start tonight, last pitching on Saturday against the Rangers in the Alamodome when he picked up the win and struck out six in 4.0 scoreless innings. Greinke won each of his five starts against the Giants last year, going 5-0 with a 1.59 ERA (6 ER/34.0 IP) and limiting San Francisco hitters to a .216 batting average (27-for-125) with 36 strikeouts.

• LHP Paco Rodriguez is expected to make his eighth appearance of the spring tonight. Through seven Cactus League appearances, Rodriguez has tossed 7.0 scoreless innings, surrendering only three hits and striking out nine.
• RHP Yimi Garcia is also expected to see action tonight. Garcia has held opposing hitters to a .138 batting average this spring, allowing only four hits in 8.1 scoreless innings.
• Veteran RHP Mike Adams will make his fourth Cactus League appearance tonight. He tossed a scoreless inning in a Single-A game on Tuesday against the Brewers and last pitched in a big league game on Saturday, giving up two runs on two hits to the Rockies.
• RHP David Aardsma will see action for the eighth time this spring. The veteran reliever has held opposing hitters to a .160 batting average, while striking out seven through 7.0 innings of work.

(Job Fair at Dodger Stadium, pic via @Dodgers on twitter)

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Blog Kiosk: 3/18/2015 - Dodger Links - Ryu, Seager and Paco Rodriguez

Hyun-Jin Ryu was on the mound for the Dodgers on St. Patrick's Day.  On 46 pitches he went three innings and allowed three runs (two of them earned) against the Rangers.  Afterwards, he threw another 19 pitches in the bullpen (65 on the day total) to round out his day.  Although not stellar, Ryu was comfortable on the mound and appears healthy after having back issues earlier in camp.  Via Eric Stephens at True Blue LA:

"I'm not having any issues with the back anymore," Ryu said after his outing. "This time was three innings. Hopefully next time I'll be able to go four."

The photo above is via @MLB on twitter.  Below are some more links to check out:

• Scott Kileen shares a bunch of photos of Tommy Lasorda at Camelback Ranch at Sons of Steve Garvey.  Check out the pics here.
• This is happening right now!  Via a tweet from JP Hoornstra:

The team of Clayton Kershaw and Corey Seager is playing Justin Turner and Daniel Coulombe for the #Dodgers ping pong championship. Intense.
— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) March 18, 2015

• On the mend.  Via Ken Gunick at MLB.com, "Jansen, Beachy progressing in injury rehabs."

"I was able to land on the foot and there was no pain," said Jansen, who had kept his arm loose by throwing while stabilized with a knee on a chair. "I just have to take is slowly. It's still healing, but I didn't feel anything wrong."

• Via Mark Saxon at ESPNLosAngeles.com, "Can Dodgers' Corey Seager remain a shortstop?"

“From the day that he signed, the first thing I ever read about him was that he was going to be too big for short,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “Everything I ever read about him, someone always mentions that he’ll probably have to move to third. I’m wondering where that comes from. I’m like, ‘Is anybody watching this kid play short?’ Because I’m watching him play short and I’m thinking, ‘It looks like he can play short to me,’ but what do I know.”

• Via Kevin Baxter at the LA Times, "Playoff snubs ate at Dodgers' Paco Rodriguez, so now he eats better."

"I was very upset," said Rodriguez, who was also left off the Dodgers' 2013 National League Championship Series roster. "That really took a toll on me this off-season. And I thought a lot about it. That motivated me and gave me the extra drive to get healthy and get back to where I once was."

• Via Jared Massey at Dodger Nation, he gives us an rundown on minor league camp for the Dodgers at Camelback Ranch.
• Fantastic!  John Thorn at Our Game follows up with Part 3 of his series on "Black Ball" that covers the Negro Leagues from the 1930's to WWII.  Check it out here.  He discusses Satchel Paige, barnstorming as a precursor to integrated Baseball and the lead-up to integrating MLB.
• Awesome!  This is as oddball as you can get.  Antiques Roadshow appraises 1910 Fat Men's Amusement Co Baseball jersey and memorabilia.  Watch the video here.  Although there isn't much known about this barnstorming team their postcards do come up often for sale and can sell for a healthy amount.  (Hat Tip: Paul Lukas at UniWatch on twitter)

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Dodgers Notes from Spring Training: Spring Game 15 / Road 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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Los Angeles Dodgers (8-2-4) vs. Texas Rangers (7-6-1)
Tuesday, March 17, 2015 – 1:05 p.m. MT | Surprise Recreation Campus

LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (0-0, 0.00) vs. RHP Yovani Gallardo (0-0, 21.60)   
TV: SNLA Radio: None

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(St. Patrick's Day 1998, pic via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers)

POT OF GOLD: The Dodgers, who have the Cactus League’s best winning percentage at .800, travel to Surprise to take on the Rangers in the first of four exhibition contests between the clubs this spring. The teams will match up again this weekend as their split-squads travel to San Antonio for a two-game series and will also meet on March 29 in Glendale. The clubs will play four regular-season games in 2015, June 15-16 in Arlington and June 17-18 at Dodger Stadium, marking their first games against each other since 2009 and the Rangers’ first visit to Los Angeles since 2001. The Dodgers will don green caps in today’s game in honor of St. Patrick’s Day!

• Yesterday, the Dodgers optioned pitchers Zach Lee, Chris Reed, Mike Bolsinger, Joe Wieland and Carlos Frias along with catcher Austin Barnes and reassigned infielders O’Koyea Dickson and Erisbel Arruebarrena to minor league camp. Including Brandon Beachy and Chris Withrow, who are on the 60-day disabled list, the Dodgers have 50 players remaining in big league camp.

NO LUCK OF THE IRISH NEEDED: The Dodgers erupted for three home runs, including a pinch-hit grand slam by Darnell Sweeney, during an eight-run eighth inning yesterday to down the A’s, 10-5, at Camelback Ranch for their third consecutive win. Scott Schebler and Chris Heisey also homered during the eighth-inning rally, and Darwin Barney had a game-high three hits, going 3-for-3 with an RBI. Zack Greinke made his second start of the spring, allowing just one hit – a solo home run by Josh Phegley – in 3.0 innings in a no-decision.

TEXAS TWO-STEP: The countdown is on to Big League Weekend, with the Dodgers taking on the Rangers Friday night and Saturday afternoon at the Alamodome in San Antonio! 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.

MAKING JACKIE PROUD: Major League Baseball announced yesterday that the Dodgers will play host to the Seattle Mariners at Dodger Stadium in the 2015 Civil Rights Game on Jackie Robinson Day, Wednesday, April 15.  It will mark the first time that Baseball’s tribute to civil rights leaders and figures will be held in conjunction with its annual commemoration of Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson breaking Baseball’s color barrier on April 15, 1947. The Civil Rights Game was developed by MLB to pay tribute to the spirit of the civil rights movement and to honor those who embodied the struggle for equal rights for all Americans. This is the first Civil Rights Game hosted by the Dodgers and second one they have played in (2012), while this will be the first overall for the Mariners.

(Hyun-Jin Ryu, pic via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2015)

ON THE MOUND: Left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu will make his second start of the spring today after striking out two in 2.0 hitless, scoreless innings on Thursday at San Diego. Ryu, who has never faced the Rangers, has struggled against American League opponents during the course of his career, going 3-3 with a 4.72 ERA (25 ER/47.2 IP) in eight starts.

• LHP Paco Rodriguez is expected to make his fourth appearance of the spring today, last pitching on Saturday against the Indians. Rodriguez has yet to allow a run and has struck out five in 3.0 innings this spring.
• LHP J.P Howell is also expected to see action today after firing a scoreless inning on Saturday against the Indians.
• RHP Juan Nicasio will make his fourth Cactus League appearance today after tossing a scoreless inning of relief in Friday’s tie with the Reds.
• RHP David Aardsma will also make his fourth appearance of the spring today, last pitching on Saturday against the Indians. Aardsma has allowed just one hit in 3.0 scoreless innings this spring.
• RHP Pedro Baez, who last pitched on Saturday against the Indians, has allowed just one hit in 3.0 innings this spring.
• Los Angeles pitching has been terrific so far this spring, as the club has combined to post a 3.02 ERA and limit opposing hitters to a .209 batting average, striking out 98 and walking just 32 in 125.0 innings.

THE HOME OF THE DODGERS: Yesterday, iHeartMedia Los Angeles and the Dodgers announced the debut of the all-new AM 570 LA Sports.. The new baseball season will bring a new name, a new look, a re-brand, a re-launch and a new co-ownership with the Dodgers to the station formerly known as KLAC. AM 570 LA Sports will be under the co-ownership of iHeartMedia Los Angeles and the Dodgers, will have a new logo and will also incorporate the new 2015 Dodgers slogan “We Love LA.”  Another new addition, Dodger Talk featuring David Vassegh and Kevin Kennedy, will now air immediately following Dodgers baseball games or at 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

(Retired #'s added to Club Level at Dodger Stadium, pic via @DodgerInsider 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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