Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Blog Kiosk: 8/18/2015 - Dodger Links - Dodger Style NFL Fantasy Draft


Since ballplayers are restricted from playing fantasy Baseball they do the next best thing.  They play Fantasy Football, and last night several Dodger players got together to draft their team.  Via a photo tweeted out by Alex Wood, you can check out who picked who (see above).  That's some fancy layout, eh?

The early consensus from Dodger insiders is that Brandon McCarthy crapped out and is headed for a losing season.  You be the judge.  In the meantime, check out the below tweets to see some friendly (or not so friendly) jabs.
Bored much?!

From here things get interesting.  Some good-nature razing begins with a sly comment from AJ Ellis.
Then McCarthy pleads for it to stop.
Yeah, he's not having a great year.  Of course, that didn't stop Brandon from throwing a zinger out too.
It's good to know that this team can have fun outside of the baselines.  That's a good sign that things are not that bad.  Below are some links to check out:
He told us he has not made a decision about returning for what would be his 67th season with the Dodgers. He said he does not want to commit too soon.
  • Even Plaschke can write a gem.  Via his story at the LA Times this past weekend, "Minor league lifer John Shoemaker has major impact on Dodgers organization."
His impact has been so enduring, he not only managed Dodgers All-Star center fielder Joc Pederson, but also coached his father Stu. His reach has been so deep, the winning pitcher for his first minor league managerial win was Ramon Martinez. And, oh yeah, just for grins, he once coached a Vero Beach eighth-grade basketball championship team led by this giant center named Prince Fielder.

"The tree of baseball players that have grown from Shoe's influence is endless," says Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis, who credits Shoemaker with helping save his career in 2007. "It's amazing how many people's lives he has touched."
  • Via Daniel Brim at Dodgers Insider, "Pedro Baez is Quietly Breaking Out."
  • The shakeup has begun.  The Dodgers new front office is in the process of putting their stamp on the organization.  Now that they have had a chance to evaluate things I suspect we'll see more changes over the coming months.  Via Jesse Sanchez and Ken Gurnick at MLB.com, "Source: Dodgers part with several from int'l scouting corps."
The Dodgers parted ways with a significant portion of their international scouting department on Monday, including vice president Bob Engle.

Also no longer with the club are Patrick Guerrero, the Dodgers' scouting coordinator in Latin America; Franklin Taveras, the club's scouting coordinator in the Dominican Republic; Joseph Reaves, the director of international and Minor League relations; Rafael Colon, special advisor for international player performance; Hidenori Sueyoshi, senior manager of international scouting; and Bruce Hurst, Latin America field coordinator, a source told MLB.com. The club did not confirm the front-office changes.
  • Just awesome.  Via Mike Oz at Big League Stew, "Five-year-old throws first pitch at Orioles game with her amazing robotic hand."

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