Saturday, June 13, 2015

Blog Kiosk: 6/13/2015 - Dodger Links - AJ Ellis, Hector Olivera and Andre Ethier


Check out who's on the cover of the summer issue of Sports Spectrum magazine - AJ Ellis, that's who.  More info here.

Below are some links to check out:
In six games with the Drillers, the 30-year-old Olivera went 7 for 22 with a grand slam and three walks, for an .855 OPS. He also had a slick defensive play at third base in Thursday’s game, charging a ball hit down the line.
  • Jon also tells us that we have picked up another infielder in a trade: "Dodgers have sight for Torreyes, designate Barney for assignment."  Via a Dodgers press release:
Torreyes, 22, has a .299 career batting average with 18 home runs and 231 RBI in 537 minor league games in six professional seasons with the Reds (2010-11), Cubs (2012-13), Astros (2013-15) and Blue Jays (2015) organizations . He’s primarily appeared at second base (353 games) during the course of his career, but has also played shortstop (91 games), third base (55 games) and the outfield (22 games), with a .975 combined fielding percentage. This year, the native of Venezuela has combined to hit .175 with 14 RBI in 35 games with Houston’s Triple-A Fresno and Toronto’s Double-A New Hampshire. Torreyes was originally signed by the Reds as a non-drafted free agent on Feb. 23, 2010.
“No, I don’t think it’s an ‘I told you so’ situation at all. That was never any part of it,” Ethier says now. “It was ‘If you want me to help and help the team win, this is what I’m still able to do. Not the role I was doing last year.’ I could definitely do that role, too, but that’s not where I am at in my game yet. I’m still able to do it on a pretty much everyday basis.”
And even though the president made an appearance, the most fun moment of the evening came courtesy Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) the only woman on the field. Wearing a Roman numeral IX (for Title IX) on the back of her Norwalk Eagles jersey, a high school in her district, she came up to pinch hit in the sixth. She was playing in her 12th Congressional Baseball Game, having only missed one year in her tenure because she had a baby, who is now 6 years old, and was sitting in the crowd.

“I’ve gotten used to it over the years. I grew up playing softball, and I grew up with four brothers who played baseball, so I’m pretty familiar with it,” Sanchez said. “Watching women’s sports and if you’ve ever seen college softball, anything men can do women can compete on that field. And it’s just a matter of time before those women run for Congress. We’re seeing younger women running for Congress and so, I still hold out that in the next few cycles we’ll get some young talent in that knows how to play and well come out and represent as well.”
  • Ha Ha!  Via the Onion, "Report: 87% Of Americans Unaware They Have Been Chosen In Later Rounds Of MLB Draft."
  • The Dodgers 30th Round Draft pick in the recent draft, Logan Crouse, has opted to not go pro.  Instead he will attend Florida State University, per the video below.

Video Link: