Dodgers Blue Heaven: Blog Kiosk: 2/23/2018 - Dodgers Links

Friday, February 23, 2018

Blog Kiosk: 2/23/2018 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

It was photo day yesterday for the Dodgers at Camelback Ranch, and I think it's fair to say that all had a lot of fun. Folks were hamming it up and even kissing at every opportunity.

Photos above via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2018 at Dodger Insider. Go here to check out more pics from yesterday. Below are more links to check out:

This Day in Dodgers History: In 1934 the Dodgers signed Casey Stengel, a coach for them at the time, to be their manager. In 1960 the demolition of Ebbets Field in Brooklyn begins. In 2009 the Dodgers signed free agent first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz to a minor league contract. He would make the Major League roster as a pinch hitter and appeared seven games before dislocating his shoulder in April. He would return again in September.
Happy Birthday, Ron Hunt, Grant Thatcher, Phil Haugstad, John Shelby, Bobby Bonilla & Luke Prokopec!
This will be exciting. Per NBC Giants reporter Alex Pavlovic on twitter:

Madison Bumgarner will start opening day. Surprise!
— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) February 22, 2018

Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA; "Austin Barnes battling elbow soreness, limited to DH duties for first week of games."
Via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com; "Dodgers have 'open dialogue' with Kershaw." He's not going anywhere!

But Zaidi, speaking at the annual Spring Training media day, acknowledged the team and pitcher have "open dialogue. He's our franchise player."

Last month, Kershaw downplayed the opt-out.

"The great thing about having options is just that, it's an option," said Kershaw, whose seven-year, $215 million contract signed five years ago allows him to walk next winter or finish out the next two seasons at salaries of $32 million and $33 million.

Via Chris Thomas at MLB.com; "Wood to stop using windup delivery this year: Working only from stretch, lefty throws first BP session at camp."

"What idiot created the windup and the stretch?" Wood said.

"I was just sitting in the dugout ... sitting with Brandon McCarthy, and I looked at him: 'It doesn't make any sense. What is the benefit of it? There is no benefit.'"

Here is today's lineup for today's first spring training game, via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA:

First Dodgers lineup of 2018 pic.twitter.com/FtH183niGE
— Eric Stephen (@truebluela) February 23, 2018

This weeks Throwback Thursday Topps online exclusive set features six Opening Day starters on the 1976 Baseball card design, and it includes our very own Clayton Kershaw. Check out his card on the right. Go here to check out the set and order.
Per David Adler at MLB.com; "All clubs to don Douglas caps for ST openers."

All 30 Major League teams will wear Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School baseball caps before their Spring Training games this weekend to show support for the Parkland, Fla., community and the Stoneman Douglas student body after the tragic shooting at the school on Feb. 14.

Players across MLB will then be signing the caps and auctioning them to raise money for the Broward Education Foundation, which will benefit the official Stoneman Douglas Victims' Fund.