Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Blog Kiosk: 12/19/2017 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends


Wow! This is fantastic.

Above is a look at Ebbets Field on the day of the very first ballgame played at the stadium. Dated April 5, 1913, it shows a preseason exhibition between Brooklyn and their hated rivals, the New York Yankees. Pitching on the mound is Yankee hurler Ray Caldwell. Per Michael Claire at Cut4:
With 25,000 in attendance and 7,000 others watching "the game from the bluffs that loom above the field," Charles Ebbets had to turn away an additional 10,000 fans who wanted to catch the game. Though fans may have wished the park was a little larger, at least they didn't have to put up with the smell of rotting fish. 
How is that relevant, you wonder? Because the "grasslets" on the new field were fertilized with fish chum, during the offseason it gave off "one of the most aggressive odors known to science." Fortunately that had dissipated long before the stadium's opening. 
BTW, the Dodgers took an early 2-0 lead when Jake Daubert hit a homer and a youthful Casey Stengel hit one inside-the-park. The Yankees would then tie it up in the ninth. Fortunately, the Dodgers won the game during their half of the inning to win it in walk-off style, 3-2.

Photo above via Old-Time Baseball Photos on twitter. Below are more links to check out:
Here's the topline: In 12 plate appearances against Jansen, Hundley has one walk (back in 2011) and one sacrifice bunt. The other 10 times he has struck out, which makes him, officially, 0-for-10, 10 K's. You've only just begun to appreciate this matchup, though.
Indeed, per Heyman, “the trade market for Kemp is believed to be virtually nonexistent at the moment.” That’s hardly surprising, of course. Atlanta no doubt would have moved Kemp previously if there had been an opportunity. He’s worth nothing close to what’s left on his contract, which has been traded three times already.
Still, we heard recently about the possibility of the Dodgers including prospects as an inducement to another organization to take over a portion of the Kemp deal. Just how much cash might move off the L.A. books would surely depend upon the quality of the prospect(s) up for the bidding, with any such deal potentially representing an interesting look at the market valuation of some young talent.
With a big fastball, a good spin combination on his fastball and curve, and a high-velocity cutter/slider with slider-like drop, Buehler has the tools he needs to be an exciting young pitcher. In many ways, he looks like a young (plus fastball) Alex Cobb, who rode a high-spin fastball and curveball combo to good success last season in a difficult league and division. That’s interesting because Cobb is the best pitcher that the Dodgers can afford without going over the luxury tax — FanGraphs readers put the former Ray into a contract that would average $14 million a year, at least.
Maybe the Dodgers already have Alex Cobb, though. Maybe the newly budget-conscious National League champs look to the seventh starting pitcher on their own depth chart for cheap upside and spend their remaining budget elsewhere.


* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *
* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *

No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...