Blog Kiosk: 2/18/2020 - Dodgers Links & News - Some Odds and Ends

Betts is looking like a happy camper. Photos above via @Dodgers on twitter. Below are some notes from a Dodger press release regarding the Dodgers Spring.

• Right-handed pitcher, Brusdar Graterol, threw his first bullpen session (on Monday), making his Dodger Spring Training debut. The Venezuelan born pitcher was a combined 19-6 with a 2.48 ERA (59 ER/214.0 IP) in 51 minor league games in the Twins’ organization last season. After making his Major League debut on Sept. 1, 2019, the 21-year old made 10 relief appearances for Minnesota to record a 1-1 record with a 4.66 ERA (5 ER/9.2 IP) with 10 strikeouts against two walks.
• The Dodgers would like to welcome non-roster invitee Terrance Gore to camp. The outfielder spent last season between Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Kansas City. With Kansas City, he appeared in 37 games for a .275/.362/.353 slash line with two doubles and a triple. 
• The first live batting practices of camp were thrown Monday by Walker Buehler and Tony Gonsolin.

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

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1960 Walter O'Malley and the Dodgers completed their purchase of Chavez Ravine by paying $494,000 for the property that was valued at $92,000. In 1986 the Dodgers signed 18-year old free agent Dominican infielder José Vizcaíno. He would go on to have an 18 year career in the Majors -- playing five seasons for the Dodgers. In 2017 the Dodgers re-signed Chase "Dad" Utley to a one-year $2 million contract. 
• Happy Birthday, Sherry Smith, Manny Mota, Bob Miller, Kevin Tapani, Jamey Carroll & Chad Moeller!

Blog Kiosk: 2/11/2020 - Dodgers Links & News - Some Odds and Ends

In May of 1941 the Dodgers made a big trade with the Cubs that brought veteran second baseman Billy Herman to Brooklyn. He provided stability to a position that was sorely lacking -- slashing .291/.361/.379/.740 while helping the club win the pennant for the first time in 21 years. The AP press photo above from the Chicago Tribune features the newly acquired infield wearing Dodger Blue for the first time (eBay auction link). Below is what's written on the reverse:

Herman Comes to Flatbush -- Billy Herman practices May 6 to take his place at second base in the Brooklyn Dodger lineup. He came to the Dodgers on a trade with the Chicago Cubs.

Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1997 three new Jackie Robinson cereal boxes, created by General Mills, were unveiled to an eating and collecting public. He would be the first athlete to be honored on all three varieties of Wheaties: Original Wheaties, Honey Frosted Wheaties, and Crispy Wheaties 'n' Raisins. 
• Happy Birthday, Boyd Bartley & Todd Benzinger!

Blog Kiosk: 11/7/2019 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

As I am wont to say, "Baseball will break your heart". Check out the above 1939 press photo showing the hard-luck case of Vito Tamulis (eBay auction link).

May 18, 1939 -- Vito Gets the Hard Luck Crown -- Vitautras C. Tamulis (right) today wore the Major League's hard luck baseball crown, the Brooklyn left-hander, shown with manager Leo Durocher (left) and Lynn Lary, pitched 11 innings (boxscore) of that 19 inning struggle at Chicago yesterday, allowing only four hits, but couldn't come up with a win. His whole career has been like that.

Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 2016 the Dodgers traded catcher Carlos Ruiz to Seattle for Vidal Nuno III. Ruiz came to Los Angeles as a late-season addition for their playoff run -- a trade that sent popular backstop AJ Ellis to Philadelphia. Carlos Ruiz got into 14 games and slashed .278/.350/.333/.683.
• Happy Birthday, Joe Hatten, Dick Stuart, Rich Rodas & Orlando Mercado!

Blog Kiosk: 9/3/2019 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

The Dodgers decided to take out their anger against the Rockies last night after having lost six over the past ten games. Per Ken Gurnick at MLB.com:

“It was a Coors Field game tonight,” said manager Dave Roberts, whose club homered eight times at home on Opening Day. “The ball was jumping.”

They slugged seven homers to defeat Colorado, 16-9. Photo above via Juan Ocampo/Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Insider. Go here to check out more pics from yesterdays game. Below are more links to check out (catching up on weekend holiday news):

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1917 Phillies ace and future Hall of Famer Grover Cleveland Alexander pitched both ends of a doubleheader against the Brooklyn Robins/Dodgers, and won both contest while throwing complete games (Boxscore - Game 1 & Game 2). He gave up just seven hits all day long. In 1957 the Dodgers play their last game at their New Jersey home, Roosevelt Stadium -- losing to the Phillies, 3-2. In 1965 it's notable that the Angels changed their name from Los Angeles to the California Angels. In 1975 Steve Garvey returned to the Dodgers lineup after sitting on the bench due to the flu and proceeded play 1,207 consecutive games -- eventually setting a National League record.
• Happy Birthday, Ed Konetchy, Lindsay Deal, Eddie Stanky, Morrie Martin, Dave Clark, Luis Gonzalez & Brandon Beachy!

Blog Kiosk: 8/14/2019 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

“It was as good of a night as we’ve had all year,” said manager Dave Roberts.

When you've got the best pitching coach in the game and some of the best youngsters the league can produce, it should come as no surprise that games like last nights happen. Last night we absolutely decimated the lowly Marlins, 15-1, and even witnessed the beauty of Russell Martin as a reliever for the third time this season. BTW, Dustin May is the real deal. He showed us his curve ball and it was very good. Per Rowan Kavner at Dodger Insider:

On Tuesday, May’s sinker-cutter combo stayed as trusted as it has all year, getting a combined seven swinging strikes and 17 called strikes. But he also more frequently incorporated the curveball, throwing it 17 times. 

“The more comfortable I feel with it, the more I’m going to throw it,” said May, who recorded a second straight outing allowing just one run.

Photo above via JC Ruiz/MLB.com at Dodger Insider. Go here to check out more pics from yesterdays blowout game. Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1919 the Dodgers and Cubs play a doubleheader that last a total of only two hours and seventeen minutes. In the opener, the Cubs blanked Brooklyn 2-0, in one hour and ten minutes, and in the nightcap it takes the Dodgers one hour and seven minutes to shut out Chicago, 1-0. In 1980 the Dodgers signed amateur free agent pitcher Tom Niedenfuer out of Washington State University. In a couple of years he would be a mainstay in the Dodgers bullpen -- recording 64 saves as a Dodger. 
• Happy Birthday, Magic Johnson, Frank McCourt, Mark Loretta, Scott Stewart, McKay Christensen & Juan Pierre!

Blog Kiosk: 8/5/2019 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

No truer words have ever been sent. Per Rowan Kavner at Dodger Insider:

“We’re never out of it,” said Alex Verdugo, who scored one of two runs on Max Muncy’s walk-off double. “For everybody watching, too, don’t leave early. At the end of the day, we can do something special any given moment.”

The Dodgers won last nights game, 11-10, on a walk-off double by Max Muncy to drive in Corey Seager. Photo above via Josh Barber/Los Angeles Dodgers 2019 at Dodger Insider. Go here to check out more pics from last nights game. Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1969 Pirates Hall of Famer Willie Stargell becomes the first ballplayer to hit a home run out of Dodger Stadium. He hit the solo shot to the right field pavilion off of Dodgers' right-handed reliever Alan Foster in the 7th inning give Pittsburgh a 4-3 lead. It is estimated to have gone 512-feet. The Pirates would win the game, 11-3. In 1974 Alex Stein, along with his best mate Ashley Whippet, got onto the Dodger Stadium field prior to the start of the ninth inning, and started an unapproved and yet spectacular Frisbee toss and catch routine. It wows the crowd and is credited with starting a Frisbee crazy in the country. BTW, Ashley is a dog. Stein would eventually be arrested for trespassing, but the incident would lead to them performing at the White House and a Super Bowl. Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider wrote all about it here. In 1979 Don Sutton struck out six Giants' batters to become the Dodgers' All-Time strikeout leader with 2,487. He surpassed Don Drysdale. 
• Happy Birthday, John Hale, Carl Crawford & Tim Federowicz!

Welcome to the Blue, Tyler White!

The Dodgers made a trade, but it was not for a reliever -- although, he has come out of the pen before. As you likely know by now, the Dodgers picked up first baseman Tyler White from the Houston Astros, and hopefully we didn't trade a future star in return (like Yordan Álvarez). Per a Dodger Press release:

The Los Angeles Dodgers today announced that they have acquired infielder Tyler White from the Houston Astros in exchange for right-handed pitcher Andre Scrubb.

Blog Kiosk: 7/25/2019 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

No one likes getting beat, but the last two losses to the Angels doesn't have me distressed. They were both great games to watch. Oftentimes games don't turn out the way you'd hoped. But in Baseball, as we all know, it's the ability to persevere and climb above all the failure and disappointment that determines whether you move on towards the playoffs. Last night it was a comedy of errors and bad calls that did us in. Nevertheless, we move on to play another day. Per Ken Gurnick at MLB.com:

“Dan’s been around a long time, and [umpires] are busting their tails every night to get it right,” said Roberts. “When you see balls off the plate that can flip counts and can change innings and certainly at-bats, yeah, it gets frustrating at times when you’re the hitter. But those calls didn’t cost us the game. 

“The results speak to those guys played better. They scored more than we did, pitched better, hit better, yeah, they played better.”

Photo above via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2019. Go here to check out more pics from yesterdays game. Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1956 Brooklyn outfielder Carl Furillo becomes the first Dodger to hit a home run at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City -- a onetime home field for 15 games from 1956 to 1967. Unfortunately, the Dodgers lost this game to Cincinnati, 2-1. In 1978 the Lodi Dodgers, LA's Single-A minor league club, record two triple plays against the Fresno Giants. This is the first time since 1904 that a professional ballclub has recorded two triple plays in one game. In 2006 the Dodgers received starting pitcher Elmer Dessens from the Royals for Odalis Perez and a couple minor leaguers. In 2012 Hanley Ramirez plays his first game as a Dodger, after having beeen traded my the Marlins, and goes 2-for-4 at the plate with a walk, run and RBI (boxscore).
• Happy Birthday, Doc Reisling, Marv Rackley, Larry Sherry, Dave Patterson, Garey Ingram & Guillermo Mota!