Dodgers Pick Righty Michael Grove in the Second Round - Welcome to the Blue!

The Dodgers second pick yesterday afternoon has a story similar to a rookie currently making waves with the Dodgers. Like Walker Buehler, Michael Grove, the Dodgers 2nd Round Pick, had to have Tommy John Surgery as a young lad. Unlike Buehler, Grove had his done just over a year ago while Walker had his performed immediately after signing a pro contract with the Dodgers three years ago. So, in a way Grove is way ahead of Buehler. BTW, you can follow the right-hander on twitter here: @mgrove_2. Per a Dodgers press release:

In the second round, Los Angeles selected West Virginia University right-handed pitcher Michael Grove. The Wheeling, West Virginia native missed the 2018 season, but prior to missing his junior campaign he went 5-5 with a 3.13 ERA (32 ER/92.0 IP) in 25 collegiate games (16 starts), while also holding the opposition to a .220 batting average. As a sophomore in 2017, he made nine starts, going 3-1 with a 2.87 ERA and striking out 61 batters against 15 walks in 47.0 innings before sustaining a season-ending arm injury. As a freshman in 2016, he went 2-4 with a 3.40 ERA and collected one save in 16 games (seven starts) for the Mountaineers. Grove was also named to the 2016 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention team and the 2017 All-Big 12 Second Team. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound pitcher was scouted by Dodgers’ scout Jonah Rosenthal.

Dodgers Pick Right-Hander JT Ginn in the First Round - Welcome to the Blue!

Yesterday, dreams were fulfilled when both high school and college aged kids got selected to begin a pro career. For the Dodgers, picking 30th overall in this years draft, they decided to dip into those high school prep waters and selected a high-heat 19-year-old right-hander by the name of JT Ginn. The kid stands over six feet tall and throws a baseball faster than just about any other amateur in the game today. He is also on twitter: @JT_Ginn3. Per a Dodgers press release:

The Los Angeles Dodgers today selected right-handed pitcher J.T. Ginn with their first pick (30th overall) in the 2018 First-Year Player Draft out of Brandon High School (MS).

Blog Kiosk: 6/5/2018 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

As you know the Dodgers selected high-schooler JT Ginn as their 1st Round Pick (30th overall) last night, and as we collectors have come to expect he already has a bunch of Baseball cards to chase after. Unusually, our 2nd Round Pick, Michael Grove, a college pitcher out of West Virginia, does not appear to have any cards on the market. Nevertheless, I'll be sure to be making a couple of fantasy Baseball cards for both of them soon. So stay tuned for that.

Below are more links to check out:

• This Day In Dodgers History: In 1977 the Dodgers retired former manager Walter Alston's uniform number #24 at Dodger Stadium. He compiled a 2040-1613 (.558) record for the franchise. It was also Old-Timer's Day as the Dodgers defeated the Padres, 4-2.
• Happy Birthday, Bill Maloney, Fred Mitchell, Duke Sims & Russ Ortiz!

Welcome to the Blue, Caleb Ferguson!

We are all about to get a firsthand look at another Dodgers' starting pitching prospect. Last week it was Dennis Santana. This time around we will get to see 21-year-old 2014 draftee (38th round) Caleb Ferguson. He stands approximately 6' 3", weighs a hearty 215 lbs. and is a lefty. You can also follow him on twitter here: @Im_Ferg. BTW, Caleb started this season at Tulsa and was only promoted to Triple-A Oklahoma City on May 26th. Now, he's heading to LA -- although, there is no official announcement yet. BTW, it was Ferguson's mom who made the unofficial announcement, via a tweet from Michael Duarte:

Caleb Ferguson’s mom reported on Facebook that her son was called up to the Big Leagues. With Dave Roberts saying Brock Stewart would stay in the pen, Caleb could start Wednesday in Pittsburgh or follow a reliever a la Alexander and Santana did on Friday. #Dodgers

— Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) June 4, 2018

Blog Kiosk: 6/4/2018 - Dodgers Links - Sweep!

Max Muncy helped power the Dodgers to come from behind and defeat the Rockies in Colorado, 10-7. He walloped two homers; including a three-run shot in the third inning that brought the Dodgers within two runs of tying the game. They would eventually win and sweep the Rockies in the ninth inning. Per Ken Gunick at MLB.com:

"Every time [he's] in the box, it feels like he's going to get a hit," said manager Dave Roberts. "The energy he brings in the middle of the lineup or top of the order, he's productive."

Photo above of Max Muncy via Matt Kelley at MLB.com on Dodger Insider. Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1964 Sandy Koufax threw his third no-hitter of his career. He blanked the Phillies at Connie Mack Stadium, 3-0. Overall, he recorded 12 strike outs and allowed just one walk. In 1968 Don Drysdale threw his sixth consecutive shutout of the season, extending his scoreless streak to 54 innings, when he defeated the Pirates, 5-0. This is also the day Robert Kennedy made note of Drysdale's efforts in a speech at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles after winning the CA primary. You can watch that portion of the speech here. Soon thereafter, he would be assassinated. In 1972 the Dodgers retired Roy Campanella's number - #39. In 1998 the Dodgers traded Hideo Nomo to the Mets for Dave Mlicki and Greg McMichael. In 1990 Dodgers ace Ramón Martínez struck out 18 Atlanta batters to defeat the Braves, 2-0. His effort tied a club record for strike outs in a game with Sandy Koufax, and was one short of the Major League record.
• Happy Birthday, Lee Magee, George Watkins & Rick Wilkins!

Blog Kiosk: 6/1/2018 - Dodgers Links - We Was Robbed

WTF!

Check out the above screengrab from yesterdays game. Shown is Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco scoring on a single in the second inning to score the first run of the game... But, did he really score? Clearly, he is at least a foot away from home plate. (you can watch a GIF of it here) Nevertheless, no replay was requested, the run counted and the Dodgers lost 2-1. Per Liz Roscher at Yahoo Sports:

Umpire Will Little was fooled, too. As the home plate umpire, he was tasked with making those tough plays, and he missed it. After the game, Grandal told The Athletic that he wasn’t amused. 

“I obviously didn’t know if he’d touched it or not,” Grandal said. “The first thing I said was, ‘Did he tag the plate?’ And (Little) said, ‘Yes.’” 

That, Grandal said, left him with no choice. 

“If he calls him safe and is telling me he tagged the plate,” Grandal said, “there’s no reason to go and tag him.”

It's amazing that no one wearing Blue noticed -- not Dave Roberts, not any of the players in the dugout and not any of the fans who had a bird's-eye view of the play. Nobody saw it; therefore, nobody put up a stink. In a game filled with over 40,000 hometown fans, I find this to be amazing. Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1955 the Brooklyn Dodgers set a franchise record when they hit six home runs in a game during their victory over the Milwaukee Braves at Ebbets Field. Duke Snider hit three homers in the contest (becoming the first Dodger to do it twice), to go along with home runs by Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese and Roy Campanella. In 1962 Don Drysdale defeated the Philadelphia Phillies for the 13th consecutive time - a streak that began in 1958. I remember this next incident so well. In 1997 Wilton Guerrero shattered his bat during an at-bat and immediately scrambled to pick up the bat pieces instead of running to first base. Obviously, home plate umpire Steve Ripley got suspicious and subsequently searched the remains. Ripley found cork, ejected Guerrero and then the league suspended for eight games.
• Happy Birthday, Otto Miller, Ty Tyson, Ray Moore, Chuck Templeton, Ken McMullen & Derek Lowe!