Day 33 Spring Training Report

Here is todays Dodger lineup: Furcal ss, Gwynn CF, Uribe 3rd, Paul RF, Thames 1st, Kapler LF, Barajas C, Velez 2nd, Kershaw SP.

Below are Spring Training notes from the Dodgers.

• STORMY MONDAY: The Dodgers are scheduled to play two games today, an afternoon tilt at Camelback Ranch with the Oakland A’s and a matchup with the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks under the lights at Talking Stick. Today will be the second and final of two spring contests with both clubs. The Dodgers lost to the A’s at Phoenix Municipal Field on March 11 and beat the D’backs at home on St. Patrick’s Day. Los Angeles has not lost in a week and will look to put their six-game unbeaten streak on the line, despite the forecast calling for a severe thunderstorm and continuing rain.

• NEVER SAY DIE: The Dodgers came back from three down and plated five runs in the eighth inning to claim a 9-7 win over the Chicago White Sox yesterday. Corey Smith’s three-run blast tied the game at seven and then Jaime Pedroza ripped a two-run homer two batters later to provide the difference. Andre Ethier and Eugenio Velez had two hits apiece while right-hander John Ely allowed three runs and six hits over 5.0 innings. Los Angeles has won five of its last six games and the other contest was a 6-6 tie. The Dodgers last lost on March 14 to Texas.

(pic Link: Plixi Dodgers)

• BACK-TO-BACK: This afternoon at Camelback Ranch, left-hander Clayton Kershaw will make his fifth start of the spring. Kershaw’s 2.65 ERA (5 ER/17.0 IP) is tied for eighth in the Cactus League and he has posted 12 strikeouts against just four walks. The Texas native turned 23 on Saturday and is slated to start Opening Night, March 31 at Dodger Stadium vs. the Giants. Following Kershaw to the hill will be right-handers Jonathan Broxton and Matt Guerrier, who will both be making their first back-to-back appearances this spring.

• TERRIFIC TRIO: Speaking of birthdays, a trio of current and former Dodgers are celebrating their big day today. Right-hander Carlos Monasterios, who was sent to minor league camp last Monday, turns 25 today. Monasterios shares his big day with Dodger Alumni Tommy Davis (72) and Tim Leary (53).

• LEADERBOARD: Dodger outfielder Matt Kemp blasted his fourth home run of the Cactus League season yesterday and is now tied for fourth in the league. Kemp also leads the club with 12 RBI (6^th, Cactus League) and 31 total bases (10^th). Elsewhere, outfielder Tony Gwynn’s six steals are tied for third in the Cactus League and Clayton Kershaw’s 2.65 ERA is tied for eighth.

(Pic Link: Plixi Dodgers)

• AIMING HIGH: Several Dodgers have impressive batting averages this Spring Training, led by Trent Oeltjen’s .421 (8-for-19) mark. Not to be outdone, Hector Gimenez (.345), Aaron Miles (.343), Juan Castro (.333), Marcus Thames (.333), Matt Kemp (.326), Tony Gwynn, Jr. (.324), James Loney (.303) and Ivan DeJesus (.303) are the players still remaining in big league camp with averages over .300.

• HALL OF FAME HONOR: Dodger Hall of Fame Spanish-language broadcaster Jaime Jarrín will be a recipient tonight of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) Foundation’s 2011 AFTRA Media and Entertainment Excellence Awards (The AMEES). AFTRA is a national union of more than 70,000 professional performers, recording artists and broadcasters working in the entertainment and news media. Jarrín will be honored at the AMEES dinner gala benefit for the AFTRA Foundation at Club Nokia. Jarrín will be awarded an AMEE award along with “America’s Most Wanted” host John Walsh and recording artist David Crosby.

• THE ONE AND ONLY: The Dodgers would like to welcome Special Advisor to the Chairman Don Newcombe to Camelback Ranch. Newcombe will work with the minor leaguers this week and speak to the Major League club tomorrow morning. In addition, the legendary right-hander from New Jersey will toss out the ceremonial first pitch before the game against the Cubs tomorrow afternoon.

(Pic Link: Plixi Dodgers)

• FOR OUR FRIENDS: On Saturday, Dodger fans at Camelback Ranch donated $5,873 dollars towards the American Red Cross’ Tsunami Relief Fund as the majority of the big league club and several Japanese minor leaguers signed autographs prior to yesterday’s tilt with the Brewers. Hiroki Kuroda signed autographs and collected donations after pitching 5.2 innings in his fourth Spring Training start.

Jim Gilliam Memorial Postcard

Issued in 1978, this postcard was issued in thanks for all of the fan support provided to the Gilliam family.

"Thank you for your loving concern. The tremendous support we have received has been a cource of strength and comfort during this difficult period. How wonderful to know that our love for Jim was shared by so many people. - Edwina Gilliam"

(eBay Auction Link)

Day 32 Spring Training Report

Here is this afternoon Dodger lineup: Velez 3rd, DeJesus 2nd, Ethier RF, Kemp CF, Loney 1st, Gibbons RF, Navarro C, Castro SS, Ely SP.

Below are todays Spring Training notes from the Dodgers.

• FEELS LIKE HOME: The Dodgers sport road grays this afternoon as they take on their Camelback Ranch-neighbor White Sox for third time this spring (1-1). The two clubs will meet once more in Cactus League play on Wednesday and then meet for three games that count in Chicago from May 20-22.

• MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Dodger fans donated $5,873 dollars towards the American Red Cross’ Tsunami Relief Fund as the majority of the big league club and several Japanese minor leaguers signed autographs prior to yesterday’s tilt with the Brewers. Hiroki Kuroda signed autographs and collected donations after pitching 5.2 innings in his fourth Spring Training start.

(PicLink: TwitPic dylanohernandez)

• ON THE BUMP: John Ely will face his former teammates today as he makes his fourth start and fifth appearance of the spring season. The Chicago native allowed four runs (three earned) over 4.0 innings in Monday’s loss to the Rangers and is 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA and a .200 opponents’ batting average in 10.0 innings this spring. Ely will be followed by Jonathan Broxton, Matt Guerrier and Mike MacDougal. The White Sox will counter with right-hander Gavin Floyd, who held the Dodgers hitless over 2.0 scoreless frames on February 28.

• DRAW: The Dodgers and Brewers played to a 6-6 tie yesterday in Los Angeles’ first stalemate of the spring. Juan Castro delivered a clutch two-out RBI single in the ninth to tie the game and then nearly scored the game-winner on Eugenio Velez’s single, but was cut down at the plate by Milwaukee’s Chris Dickerson. Castro went 2-for-3 with two runs, a double and an RBI to raise his spring batting average to a cool .320 in 13 games.

• STADIUM TO THE SEA: The starter’s gun sounded at Dodger Stadium this morning at 7:43 a.m. to open the 26^th Honda Los Angeles Marathon and Markos Geneti of Ethiopia crossed the finish line in Santa Monica 2 hours, 8 minutes and 24 seconds later to set an L.A. Marathon record. It was the second-fastest marathon in the world this year and the fastest ever in California.

(PicLink: Plixi Aaron Ramirez)

• CALLING COLLINS: The Dodgers would like to welcome broadcaster Eric Collins to Camelback Ranch – Glendale. Collins will kick off his third season alongside analyst Steve Lyons with the call of the Dodgers vs. A’s game tomorrow on PRIME TICKET.

• POWER UP: Hector Gimenez ripped an RBI double in the eighth inning yesterday for his fifth extra-base hit of the spring and gave the Dodgers a chance to win it in the 10th with a stolen base to move himself into scoring position. The 28-year-old is tied for the team lead with three homers and is batting .345 in 14 Cactus League contests. Gimenez, who began his career as a third baseman, has played 40 innings at first base and 18 behind the plate this spring.

• GOING THE EXTRA MILE: Aaron Miles continued his hot spring by going 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored yesterday to raise his batting average to .343 in Cactus League play. The 34-year-old switch-hitter ranks second on the club with 22 total bases and is tied for second on the team with five extra-base hits. Miles is a .282 career hitting in eight big league seasons with the White Sox (2003), Rockies (2004-05), Cardinals (2006-08, 2010) and Cubs (2009).

(PicLink: Yfrog changodog)

• HIGH NUMBERS: Ten minor leaguers will suit up with the big leaguers this afternoon against the White Sox. Right-hander Steven Ames (#94) played for Don Mattingly in the Arizona Fall League last year after ranking second on Single-A Great Lakes with a 2.54 ERA and 16 saves in 23 relief appearances with the Loons. Corey Smith (#96) was selected to the Southern League Midseason Game and was the DH on the league’s Postseason All-Star Team after placing second in the league with 86 RBI and finishing ninth with a .467 slugging percentage. Eighteen-year-old outfielder Joc Pederson (#93), whose father Stu was drafted by the Dodgers in 1981, will be in the big league dugout today after he was the club’s 11^th-round selection last year out of Palo Alto High School. LHP David Pfeiffer (#90), RHP Javier Solano (#95), IF Elian Herrera (#87), IF Jaime Pedroza (#89), IF Wilberto Ortiz (#91), OF Alfredo Silverio (#92) and C J.T. Wise (#97) will also join the big leaguers this afternoon.

• SPOTTED: Dodger Special Advisor, Player Development Ramon Martinez was seen around the Ranch yesterday working with the club’s minor league hurlers as he enters his second season in the Dodger front office. Martinez played 11 seasons in Dodger blue from 1988-98 and ranks seventh on the club’s all-time wins list with 123 and is sixth on the franchise’s all-time strikeout list with 1,312.

• LEADERBOARD: Dodger outfielder Marcus Thames is tied for eighth in the Cactus League with five doubles while fellow newcomers Tony Gwynn Jr. (6, T-2^nd) and Eugenio Velez (4, T-7^th) rank among the league leaders in stolen bases. Trent Oeltjen, who became the fourth Australian-born player to suit up for the Dodgers last season, leads all Dodger hitters with a .444 average (min. 15 at-bats). Hector Gimenez has belted three longballs and shares the home run lead with Matt Kemp, who also leads the club with 13 hits and 10 RBI.

2011 Topps Heritage: Dodger Base Cards

Here are the Dodger base cards to the 2011 Topps Heritage Baseball. As always, there are numerous parallel short printed cards (examples are located below). Please note that the Chrome Refractors are available for only 100 different players in the set, and only 3 Dodgers have this parallel (Kuroda, Billingsley and Loney)

#5 Clayton Kershaw

#9 Juan Uribe (one of the worst photoshop jobs, ever)

#43 Dodgers Team Card (Oh yhea! This card is gorgeous.)

#108 Matt Kemp

#109 Ted Lilly

#174 Jon Garland

#197 Casey Blake (Black Border Parallel Variation)

#217 Don Mattingly

#280 Hideki Kuroda (Chrome Refractor Parallel Variation)

#297 Jonathan Broxton

#340 Chad Billingsley (Green Chrome Refractor Parallel Variation)

#358 Andre Ethier

#375 James Loney (Orange Chrome Refractor Parallel Variation)

#401 Matt Kemp & Andre Ethier

#444 Rafael Furcal

#461 Russ Mitchell

#495 Rookie Parade Kenley Jansen - gotta love the floating heads!

Day 31 Spring Training Report

Here is this afternoon's Dodger lineup: Furcal SS; Gwynn CF; Uribe 3rd; Thames LF; Gimenez 1st; Paul RF; Barajas C; Miles 2nd; Kuroda SP.

Todays Spring Training notes from the Dodgers:

• STRANGE BREW: The Dodgers take on the Milwaukee Brewers for the second and final time this spring after beating the Brew Crew in Maryvale on March 8, 7-1. The Dodgers and Brewers meet for the first time during the regular season on May 16-17 at Dodger Stadium.

• CALLING ALL DODGERS: This morning, Dodger players and coaches are pitching in to raise money for the American Red Cross Japan Tsunami fund by signing autographs in exchange for donations from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. prior to the game. Chad Billingsley, Casey Blake, Jonathan Broxton, Jamey Carroll, Andre Ethier, Rafael Furcal, Matt Kemp, Clayton Kershaw, Ted Lilly, James Loney, Vicente Padilla, Ramon Troncoso, Juan Uribe and Maury Wills are expected to sign along with Japanese minor leaguers Kazuki Nishijima, Kazuya Takano and Robert Boothe. Players will sign autographs in the ballpark’s third base side aisles at some point during the donation period and Hall of Fame Manager Tommy Lasorda will sign autographs for fans at his usual table outside of the center field gate. Today’s starting pitcher, Hiroki Kuroda, will come by to sign autographs and take donations on the center field concourse once he is removed from the game. Fans that give $20 will receive a voucher good for one baseline reserve seat for any remaining Dodgers Spring Training game at Camelback Ranch, with a maximum of four vouchers per guest, as well as two tickets to one of two upcoming Spring Training exhibition games at Dodger Stadium. This past Tuesday, the Dodgers hosted a drive-through relief event at Dodger Stadium that raised funds for Japan.

(Pic Link: Yfrog)

• HEATING UP: The Dodgers won their third straight Cactus League contest yesterday in Scottsdale against San Francisco, 6-3. The three straight wins are the most consecutive for the club this spring and the offense is starting to perk up, with five home runs in the last two games. Ivan DeJesus collected three hits while Hector Gimenez and Xavier Paul blasted ninth-inning insurance homers. On the mound, Rubby De La Rosa fired 4.0 hitless and scoreless innings, lowering his spring ERA to 1.80. Oscar Villarreal picked up his second save with a scoreless ninth inning. DeJesus’ three-hit contest was the Dodgers’ second three-knock affair this spring, matching Tony Gwynn Jr.’s 3-for-3 back on March 12.

• ON YOUR MARK...: Tomorrow morning is the 26^th Los Angeles Marathon, which will begin at Dodger Stadium and finish on the Santa Monica Pier. To date there have been 394,575 official finishers in the LA Marathon, which began in 1986.
  

(PicLink: TwitPic Cruse Photo)

• OUR HIRO: Dodger right-hander Hiroki Kuroda will make his fourth start of the season this afternoon, looking to improve on his 0-2 record. Following Kuroda to the mound will be RHP Travis Schlichting, LHP Scott Elbert and RHP Lance Cormier. The Brewers will answer with former Dodger Randy Wolf.

• GETTING OLD: Dodger left-hander Clayton Kershaw is celebrating his 23^rd birthday today. The Texas native shares his big day with Hall of Famer Richie Ashburn , who would have been 84 today. When Kershaw took the mound for the first time in a big league uniform on May 25, 2008, he became the fourth-youngest starting pitcher in L.A. Dodger history, behind Joe Moeller, Dick Calmus and Edwin Jackson.

(PicLink: TwitPic Jeanette33Lopez)

• THE WOLF MAN RETURNS: The opposing pitcher in today’s game will be left-hander Randy Wolf, who pitched for the Dodgers in 2007 and 2009, going a combined 20-13 over 52 starts. Wolf was born in West Hills, attended El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills and resides in Los Angeles.

(PicLink: TwitPic USCLibraries)

• LEADERBOARD: Dodger outfielder Marcus Thames is tied for sixth in the Cactus League with five doubles while fellow newcomer Tony Gwynn Jr. is tied for second with six steals. Gwynn is hitting .333 (11-for-33) and is tied for second on the club in hits with Andre Ethier, trailing just Matt Kemp, who has 13. Trent Oeltjen, who became the fourth Australian-born player to suit up for the Dodgers last season, leads all Dodger hitters with a .438 average (min. 15 at-bats). Not to go unnoticed, Dodger infielder/catcher Hector Gimenez is hitting .360 (9-for-25) with three homers, six RBI and six runs scored. Gimenez and Kemp lead the squad with three home runs apiece.

• MAKING HIS BID: Xavier Paul belted a homer in his only at-bat yesterday and has caught fire of late, batting .583 (7-for-12) with a double, triple, homer and two RBI over his last six games dating back to March 12. The 26-year-old is batting .313 (10--for-32) with two homers and four RBI in 18 Spring Training games.

(PicLink: TwitPic USCLibraries)

(On this day, March 18th, 1958 - Mailing out season tickets for inaugural L.A.)

• THE FINAL 42: Following Thursday’s game, infielder/outfielder Jerry Sands and infielder Justin Sellers were reassigned to minor league camp. Sands, the Dodgers’ 2010 Minor League Player of the Year, batted .364 with two home runs, five RBI and a .773 slugging percentage in 16 games with the big league club. The Dodgers now have 42 players left in camp with an even split of pitchers and position players.

Interview With the Author: Jim Vitti- Brooklyn Dodgers in Cuba

As I wrote about previously, "Brooklyn Dodgers in Cuba" is a new book being released on the 28th of this month by Arcadia Publishing. When I first heard about it I immediately sent along some questions to the author, Jim Vitti, hoping to hear more about the book and his experience in writing it. Thankfully, he responded back.

Jim Vitti's two year journey about the Dodgers in Cuba started during his research for a book about Baseball on Catalina Island- a book subsequently called "Chicago Cubs: Baseball on Catalina Island."

While researching that one, I stumbled onto the notion of ‘baseball on islands.’ Two of our favorite concepts, but like hot dogs and chocolate you usually don’t think of them at the same time. But a nifty notion, which I began to explore . . .

Soon, he discovered that Baseball was played on islands throughout the world.

But what caught my interest was the Dodger camps in Cuba...

So it seemed like a natural semi-sequel, and off to the races I went. The interesting irony is the completely different feel of the stories: The Cubs on Catalina is springtime, youthful and innocent . . . while The Brooklyn Dodgers in Cuba is booze and broads and betting and bullets – a steamy summer night.

This is about where I realized that this book would likely include much of the gossip and wild tales I had been seeking. So, instead of trying to recapture his words I thought it would be best to let the rest of the interview continue in his own words. It's a bit long, but it is really worth the read- especially the final part when I ask, "was Ernest Hemingway a Dodger fan?" You Betcha!

Did you have an opportunity to interview, not only former Dodgers from the time period, but also Cuban players and fans?

That was such a treat – I got to interview 41 Dodgers who played there (including the last living player from 1941 and the last one from 1942, helping add to the depth beyond the 1947 story). I also talked to about three dozen other non-Dodgers who played there. The timing was good but sad: two dozen have died since the interviews, so a silver lining is at least their tales are recorded here.

I did get to interview some Cuban players and fans, including Connie Marrero – who’s now the oldest living major leaguer (99) – living with his family in Cuba, lucid as can be. (On pitching against DiMaggio: “I punched him out” . . . about Robinson stealing 2nd: “on the catcher, not on me” . . . on seeing Castro pitch; was Fidel any good? “Let us say he liked to pitch.”)