Here is a fantastic ACME Press Photo, circa 1940, from high up in the rafters of Ebbets Field. I ran into this on eBay.
Check out the auction here.
On a side note, I am more than pleased with the current moves the Dodger front office is making. They are measured, deliberate and necessary changes meant to provide depth in areas that are lacking with the club. Not only that, several of the new Dodger players appear to have some upside that may translate well if given different roles. No doubt they are gambles, but they appear to be worthwhile.
In the past, the Dodgers tried going the veteran route - figuring their money would solve any problems. They went after old horses with an easy to understand history, but they got burned. Soon, fans and the press complained. Now they are choosing to go a different route by trying to find a competitive advantage by taking some risk... And still you complain?
None of these recent moves are flashy or headline grabbing, and I don't think that the current leadership cares about any of that - and neither should you. Heck, you never should have built up the expectation that the Dodgers were going to do something major to begin with. They were never going to sign Russell Martin. Hanley Ramirez was always going to be allowed to go elsewhere. And you shouldn't expect the Dodgers to sign a Lester or trade for Cole.
What you should expect is some resolution to the outfield situation. Someone or more will get traded, and I do not believe Kemp will be that man. He has significant value (given his 2014 second half he would make a bundle in todays free agent market), and unless another team is willing to pony up he will remain in Blue. Instead, we'll see a trade that includes cash and some minor prospects.
We are in a new Dodger era - an era that does not include trying to be the Yankees of the West. Instead, we are a Dodger franchise set on the intention of playing it smart. We have the cash, the brains and now the will to make it all happen. Don't sully that by giving yourself false expectations of the future. What you want is not the same thing as what we need.
Below are some links to check out:
It’s quite possible they’ll live with the in-house options, giving Erisbel Arruebarrena (who will earn his $25 million by 2017 whether he’s in the big leagues or minors) first crack at it. Miguel Rojas will be standing by if he flounders. The Dodgers’ defense would improve significantly, but the offensive drop-off from Hanley to either of those guys would be vast.
- Listen to the most recent episode of Dodger Talk with David Vassegh and Kevin Kennedy, here. Dodger GM Farhan Zaidi joins them at about the 22:30 minute mark. He mentions that one of their focuses will be to find under-the-radar tough-luck starters to convert into relievers. I think this is the basis for the recent trades for Mike Bolsinger and Juan Nicasio.
- Via Mike Petriello at Dodgers Digest, "Juan Nicasio, Fascinating Relief Project."
Though Nicasio would be at the moment likely the team’s fifth starter behind Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Hyun-jin Ryu, and Dan Haren, I’m really not interested in him in that role, and I think we all know the Dodgers will move to add another starter. But as a reliever, a two-pitch guy who can touch 95 in short stints? Well, that’s fascinating, really, because I’ve long loved the idea of taking mediocre starters who don’t have a good enough third pitch or velocity to survive in the rotation and turning them into relief assets. I’m not suggesting that Nicasio will be Wade Davis, but you get the idea — it’s the exact same thing.
- On Joe DiMaggio's 100th birthday check out this post by Paul Frazier at Picollecta about his life through collectibles.
- A Jackie Robinson Tribute from UCLA.
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