Dodger Thoughts

Jon Weisman's outlet for dealing psychologically with the Los Angeles Dodgers, baseball and life

Month: October 2011 (Page 3 of 4)

Remembering 2011: Rubby De La Rosa

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On October 15, 2011

In Uncategorized


Julie Jacobson/APRubby De La Rosa (20)

The setup: De La Rosa was the Dodgers’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2010, but more than half of that season was spent with Single-A Great Lakes. At Double-A Chattanooga, he had a 1.41 ERA in eight starts covering 51 innings, but with a modest strikeout ratio of 6.9 per nine innings. He became the team’s most exciting pitching prospect almost overnight, but there were questions about his lack of experience. At the end of Spring Training, De La Rosa made his Dodger Stadium debut with 5 2/3 innings of two-hit, no-walk shutout ball and six strikeouts (including Ichiro twice). Appetites whetted.

The closeup: De La Rosa looked strong back in the Chatt room, with a 2.92 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 40 innings (51 baserunners allowed). In May, the Dodgers showed their willingness to start promoting key prospects from within by calling up Jerry Sands. De La Rosa came next, with the Dodgers giving up on Lance Cormier. De La Rosa began his major-league career in relief by striking out two in a perfect inning that helped preserve a 5-4 Dodger victory in Houston (in which Sands hit a grand slam and Javy Guerra got his first save). After two more bullpen outings, Jon Garland went on the disabled list, and De La Rosa was pushed into the starting rotation, making his first start at 22 years and three months. In that game, De La Rosa walked five in the first two innings, yet managed to last five innings in all, allowing one run and earning the 6-2 victory.

De La Rosa battled his control throughout his run as a starting pitcher, walking 30 in 55 2/3 innings, but he also showed dazzling stuff at times (striking out 55). In a three-start stretch, he allowed one run in seven innings at Minnesota, took a no-hitter into the sixth inning against the Mets on Independence Day and pitched one-hit, eight-strikeout ball at San Diego on July 9. All in all, it was pretty joyous.

In a Dodger season filled with injuries, none was more depressing than what happened to De La Rosa – a partial ligament tear in his right elbow that sidelined him after a laborious four innings against Arizona and put him under the knife for Tommy John surgery in August. He finished his rookie year with a 3.71 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 60 2/3 innings. In his entire professional career, including the minors, De La Rosa has still thrown only 280 2/3 innings.

Coming attractions: For those who think the comparison is worthwhile, Washington’s Stephen Strasburg, who also had Tommy John surgery to repair a UCL tear, went 12 1/2 months between major-league starts. That would seem to open the door for an August return for De La Rosa, though I just have trouble believing that De La Rosa would match Strasburg’s timetable. So maybe September, at a point when the Dodgers would either be playing out the string or getting a timely Rubby injection for a postseason run. Or maybe not at all in 2012. In any case, by 2013, De La Rosa might be part of a Dodger rotation that also includes Zach Lee. We can hardly wait.

Remembering 2011: Jamey Carroll

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On October 15, 2011

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Kelvin Kuo/US PresswireJamey Carroll (19)

The setup: Carroll was the sung hero of the 2010 Dodgers, exceeding expectations at the start of his two-year contract with a .379 on-base percentage in 133 games, 69 of them played at shortstop in support of an oft-injured Rafael Furcal. For 2011, he was once again slated for a bench role, but this time with everyone prepared for him to play often, given the frail state of the Dodger infield.

The closeup: Yep, you could say Carroll found regular time again – at age 37, he came to the plate 510 times, ranking fourth on the Dodgers this season. He started on Opening Day and in 111 games overall (57 at second base, 54 at shortstop). He played in 58 of the Dodgers’ first 60 games and sat out only 16 of 161. The fact is, he could have even played more. Come July, when there was only one opening for a so-called reserve in the starting infield, Aaron Miles was taking away playing time even though Carroll had the Dodgers’ third-highest on-base percentage in 2011. And then, of course, Dee Gordon entered the picture.

As it happens, Carroll did go through a summertime slump, with his on-base percentage falling to .329 and his OPS to .636 over July and August. He rebounded a bit in September and finished the season with a .359 on-base percentage (down .020 from 2010) and .347 slugging percentage. That includes three four-hit games between May 20 and June 11; he also walked in two of those games. Two statistical oddities from Carroll:

Overall, among infielders with at least 800 plate appearances, Carroll has the highest on-base percentage of any in Los Angeles Dodger history, according to Baseball-Reference.com.



Rk               Player  OBP   PA From   To   Age

1         Jamey Carroll .368  924 2010 2011 36-37

2             Jeff Kent .367 2146 2005 2008 37-40

3       Mike Sharperson .363 1271 1987 1993 25-31

4          Eddie Murray .359 1983 1989 1997 33-41

5               Ron Cey .359 6108 1971 1982 23-34

6           Jim Gilliam .358 4893 1958 1966 29-37

7    Billy Grabarkewitz .357  966 1969 1972 23-26

8            Eric Young .355 1366 1992 1999 25-32

9            Todd Zeile .352  842 1997 1998 31-32

10        Rafael Furcal .351 2802 2006 2011 28-33

Coming attractions: Having more than justified the two-year, $3.85 million (plus incentives) contract he signed in December 2009, Carroll is a free agent, and there will be a lot of sentiment toward resigning him. Keep in mind that Carroll shouldn’t be expected to produce as much in the future as he has in the past, though we said the same thing two years ago and look what happened. At a minimum, it’s reasonable to think that Carroll 2012 would be at least as effective as Miles 2011 (salaries aside). Some team will want Carroll, that’s for sure.

Remembering 2011: Ramon Troncoso

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On October 14, 2011

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Jayne Kamin-Oncea/US PresswireRamon Troncoso (18)

The setup: Superb for the Dodgers in 2009, Troncoso hadn’t really been the same since, coincidentally or not, a stretch of 2010 in which he pitched in 16 of the Dodgers’ first 24 games, never with more than one day of rest (not counting how many times he warmed up but didn’t enter a game). Troncoso had a 6.08 ERA from May 1 through Independence Day that year,  at which point he found himself back in a place he probably thought he had left behind for good, Albuquerque. He shuttled back and forth for the remainder of the 2010 season. Though a better final two weeks in Los Angeles (9 1/3 innings, 12 baserunners, 1.93 ERA, six strikeouts) offered a bit of encouragement that the rocky road of relief might run the right way once more, Troncoso still wasn’t a sure thing. Given that he still could be optioned to the minors in 2011, he had to prove himself again in Spring Training.

The closeup: After turning 28 in February, Troncoso turned back to Albuquerque in March, failing to make the Dodgers’ Opening Day roster. The team’s reliever roulette brought Troncoso back in mid-April (thanks to a Hong-Chih Kuo trip to the disabled list), but in two games, he allowed six runs on 12 hits in 2 2/3 innings. And so back to the Isotopes he went.

Given that memory, and the 6.75 ERA he ended the 2011 season with, you might have the impression that Troncoso never contributed, but that’s not really the case. In two later stints with the Dodgers (May-June and September), Troncoso had an ERA of 2.75 with 14 strikeouts against 25 baserunners in 19 2/3 innings, stranding five of eight inherited runners.  That’s not outstanding, but it was occasionally useful. On June 10 in Colorado, for example, Troncoso stranded two inherited runners while throwing 2 1/3 shutout innings in a game that the Dodgers nearly came back from a six-run deficit to win.

OK, now I’m going to tell you I cheated a bit in that last paragraph. On Closing Day, Troncoso gave up all five runs in the ninth inning of what nearly became the Dodgers’ second mega-collapse in as many days, so that May-September performance wasn’t quite so lofty. Still, to get a grasp of Troncoso’s season, factor in that he allowed no earned runs in 13 of 18 appearances. He allowed two earned runs in a game once, three earned runs twice, four earned runs once and five earned runs once.

Coming attractions: Next spring, Troncoso will find himself in much the same position he was before — trying to prove he has the reliability and durability to hold down a major-league job. Despite the ascension of pitchers like Javy Guerra, Kenley Jansen, Scott Elbert and Josh Lindblom, there’s still room for someone capable of providing occasional long relief like Troncoso — if he’s able. Perhaps Cory Wade can be his inspiration.

Remembering 2011: Matt Kemp

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On October 14, 2011

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Jennifer Stewart/US PresswireMatt Kemp (17)

A year ago today, on the occasion of John Wooden’s 100th birthday, I published a long piece about Matt Kemp, the Pyramid of Success and the deceptive complexity of “effort.”

… If Kemp were to say to himself – and I personally don’t think for a moment he is saying this to himself – “I have money, I have love, I have a good job and I have my health, and I have this all just by being who I already am, and even though I’m no longer the best, that’s all I need,” no one would think for a moment that this was a legitimate perspective, even though outside the world of competitive sports, it most certainly is. In sports, there’s no greater sin than unrealized potential. And yet in life, in real life, letting some of your potential go at a certain point can actually be a gift to yourself and your loved ones. …

… In the coming year, we’ll see what Kemp is made of at age 26. We’ll see how much he steps up his mental game. It’s silly to assume that he won’t develop at all, but if he doesn’t develop as much as people like me hope, there are all kinds of reasons why. They’re not excuses. They’re reasons.

None of us know how Kemp will respond to the challenge. I’m not sure Kemp even knows. Plus, his performance in 2011 won’t necessarily be an accurate reflection of his work ethic. He could coast, and improve based on just natural development. He could bust his butt, and slide farther back. People will cheer if he does well, boo if he does poorly, draw conclusions based on whatever they see fit. …

Kemp had a 2011 season that would seem to have, to use an appropriate metaphor, covered all the bases. If the man behind the curtain were to pull it aside and reveal that the Bison did not attack 2011 with a singularity and clarity of purpose and determination, simultaneous to the continued blossoming of his natural gifts, it would be a remarkable surprise.

Paging through just a portion of his season highlights … you think you have perspective on his season, and you realize just how many distinct, superlative moments it comprised.

From Opening Day, when he reached base four times, to the end of the season, when he hit his 39th home run, drove in his 126th run, scored his 115th run, recorded his 195th hit, finished his season with a .399 on-base percentage and .586 slugging percentage and completed his case for the National League Most Valuable Player Award (as well as Baseball America’s Major League Player of the Year Award, officially) … do I need to even need to finish this sentence? Kemp was a bullet train, a cross-country express that never slowed, that only wavered under the vibrations of his own self-generated force.

Clarity of purpose.

A year ago today, I injected myself arrogantly into the discussion of Matt Kemp, the Pyramid of Success and the deceptive complexity of “effort,” with the implication that, for all our tangible differences, Kemp and I might in some way be kindred spirits. The similarities seem much more esoteric now. Kemp broke through the barriers like Chuck Yeager flying Glamorous Glennis through the speed of sound – the date was October 14, John Wooden’s 37th birthday and the last he celebrated before coming west to UCLA –  while I find myself as I was a year ago, as I have been so many years, unsure of both what direction and what velocity I should choose, yearning to feel satisfied and yet nagged that I can’t be.

Matt Kemp pierced through all that. He mastered the art and science of baseball and life this year, to my great delight, and I’m still feeling the sonic boom.

Meet me at the fair

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On October 13, 2011

In Uncategorized

As I wrestle with the question, are the St. Louis Cardinals really going to take two barely qualified teams to the World Series in six seasons?

Remembering 2011: Hector Gimenez

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On October 12, 2011

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Jeff Gross/Getty ImagesHector Gimenez (16)

The setup: Though his major-league career at the time comprised of going 0 for 2 with the 2006 Houston Astros, Gimenez’s .916 OPS in 2010 with Double-A Altoona and ability to play catcher attracted the Dodgers, who made Gimenez a footnote acquisition in November. He entered Spring Training with an outside chance to move ahead of Dioner Navarro and A.J. Ellis for the backup catcher role if those two faltered.

The closeup: Remember that feel-good spring? A .565 slugging percentage in 46 at-bats did succeed in propelling Gimenez onto the Opening Day roster, though not so much as a catcher (the Dodgers also kept Ellis) as a semi-utility player with Navarro, Casey Blake and Jay Gibbons on the disabled list. Gimenez reached base on an error as a pinch-hitter in his Dodger debut in Game 2 — a key play in a three-run Dodger rally that gave them a 4-3 victory over the Giants — then got his first major league hit in his only start of the year the following day. After two subsequent pinch-hitting at-bats that lowered him to 1 for 7 on the year, Gimenez went to the disabled list with a knee injury that certain cynics thought was fortuitously timed for the Dodgers to make a needed callup of John Ely. But Gimenez did in fact have surgery at the end of April.

Once healthy, Gimenez was outrighted in June to Double-A Chattanooga, where he had an .866 OPS in 266 plate appearances. Despite having some issues with offense off the bench, the Dodgers showed no inclination to bring him back to Los Angeles.

Coming attractions: Gimenez is a free agent and will look toward getting another shot at the majors elsewhere.

Remembering 2011: Juan Rivera

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On October 11, 2011

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Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesJuan Rivera (15)

The setup: Rivera was sent to Toronto by the Angels on January 21 in their infamous Vernon Wells deal, after OPSing .721 in 2010 with 15 homers in 124 games. As a Blue Jay, Rivera turned in a career-low .666 OPS (79 OPS+) in 70 games. On July 4, a day after he turned 33, Toronto designated Rivera for assignment. Eight days later, the Dodgers acquired Rivera in exchange for future considerations, cutting bait on Marcus Thames in the process. In one of my less prescient analyses of the year, I was almost completely dismissive of the pickup.

The closeup: In 2006, Marlon Anderson. In 2009, Ronnie Belliard. In 2010, Rod Barajas. In 2011, Rivera. Once again, Ned Colletti found one of his greatest successes of the year in giving up next to nothing to acquire a potent bat for the final two-plus months of the season – although Rivera wasn’t so much potent as he was a solid improvement over what preceded him. In 62 games with the Dodgers (45 starts in the outfield, 13 at first base), he had a .333 on-base percentage and .406 slugging percentage with five home runs in 246 plate appearances. Sometimes, as Mike Scioscia’s Tragic Illness points out, it helps just to stop playing terrible players.

What happened with Rivera is that, after OPSing .863 with four homers in his first 34 games as a Dodger, through August 24, he fell to .604 with one homer in his final 28 games and .527 in his final 15, including a 3-for-27 finish. You could say he was gassed, or regressed to the mean, but it took some of the rust coat off his Los Angeles detail.

Coming attractions: Rivera is a free agent, having played out the three-year, $12.75 million contract that he signed with the Angels before the 2009 season. He earned $5.25 million this year, but any chance that he could match that figure for 2012 evaporated with his late-season slump (assuming the powers that be noticed it). Furthermore, his chances of returning to the Dodgers diminished with James Loney’s late-season hot streak, which could push the first baseman back into the Dodgers’ future, Jerry Sands to left field and Rivera out of town.

However, if Rivera gives ground on salary, or if it’s decided that Loney is too expensive to tender a contract, Colletti would probably jump at the chance of having him back, just as he did (in mostly ill-fated fashion) with Anderson, Belliard and Barajas. The presence of Rivera would take some of the pressure off Sands to perform immediately, and one could certainly argue that Loney (who will get at least $6 million if the Dodgers don’t farewell him) isn’t worth millions more than Rivera for 2012. Colletti is high on Sands, but it’s hard to believe he’d be more comfortable with Sands batting behind Matt Kemp in April than Rivera. Moreover, the Dodger bench definitely has room for him at the right price.

Assuming that a signing of a super-slugging free agent by the Dodgers is mythical, Rivera might well be a Dodger next year, but the more he’s looking for in salary, the longer he might be kept on hold.

Lovett in the afternoon

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On October 11, 2011

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  • Bryan Stow “was transferred to a rehabilitation facility Tuesday after nearly seven months in hospitals,” reports The Associated Press.
  • There have been tweaks to the Dodger logo, tweaks I would never have noticed if they weren’t pointed out to me. Paul Lukas has more at Uni-Watch.
  • MLB Trade Rumors offer its take on the salary projections for arbitration-eligible Dodgers, topped by a potential $16.3 million for Matt Kemp. Thoughts about Tim Lincecum and the Giants can be found here.
  • Seedlings to Stars (via Lasorda’s Lair) analyzes some Dodger hitting prospects.
  • Of the 912 batters Clayton Kershaw faced this year, 20.1 percent of them came up with runners in scoring position. At the other end of the spectrum was Chad Billingsley, with 27.1 percent. Full chart from David Pinto at Baseball Musings.
  • Kenny Williams considered naming current White Sox first baseman and former Dodger Paul Konerko as Chicago’s player/manager, according to Doug Padilla of ESPNChicago.com.
  • Joe Posnanski, frightened by how bad some contracts are, wonders if baseball will drift toward a greater number of contracts with higher annual salaries but shorter duration.
  • Hall of Famer Rod Carew shared a harrowing story from his childhood, Sean Kirst of the Syracuse Post-Standard reports  (via Baseball Musings).

Remembering 2011: Scott Elbert

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On October 11, 2011

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Scott Rovak/US PresswireScott Elbert (14)

The setup: A year ago, it wasn’t clear whether Elbert would pitch in the majors again. In 2010, he appeared in one game for the Dodgers, on May 29, faced six batters, walked three and allowed a hit and a run. Two days later, he was sent back to Albuquerque. In June, he left the Isotopes for undisclosed personal reasons and ended up not pitching in a professional game again until the Arizona Fall League in October.  “I obviously have to earn my stay (in Los Angeles),” he told Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com. “I know where I stand. I have to fight and earn that respect back.”

As one of the final roster cuts before Opening Day, Elbert was sent to Albuquerque, where he struck out 16 in 14 1/3 innings but allowed 23 baserunners. However, with the Dodgers’ bullpen depleted, he was recalled May 11.

The closeup: Very quietly, Elbert turned over a new leaf and then some. In his season debut with the Dodgers, Elbert pitched one inning against Arizona and struck out the side. He pitched 7 2/3 innings over 11 games, striking out eight, before he gave up his first run of the season, while stranding six of eight inherited runners. A rough two-game stretch followed in which he allowed five runs, representing more than half of his 2011 total. By the time the season ended, Elbert had made 47 appearances and was unscored upon in 42 of them. He had a 2.43 ERA in 33 1/3 innings with 34 strikeouts against 42 baserunners. Problems flared slightly in September, when he walked six (compared with eight in the previous 3 1/2 months combined) and allowed five of 10 inherited runners to score (compared with seven of his previous 23). But overall, Elbert’s season was an unexpected pleasure, one of the undertold great stories hidden in the Dodgers’ strange 2011 season.

It is true that Elbert pitched better against lefties (.267 on-base percentage, .250 slugging percentage) than righties (.344/.382), facing almost equal amounts of both.

Coming attractions: For the first time, Elbert, 26, will arrive at Spring Training with a major-league job waiting for him, a chance to build upon the progress he showed this past season.

Remembering 2011: Xavier Paul

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On October 10, 2011

In Uncategorized


Justin K. Aller/Getty ImagesXavier Paul (13)

The setup: In 2010, Paul missed an opportunity to help fill the Manny Ramirez void, managing only a .591 OPS in 133 major-league plate appearances (in contrast to his .963 OPS in Albuquerque). Out of options in 2011, Paul entered Spring Training with a chance to take playing time in left field away from Jay Gibbons, Tony Gwynn Jr. and Marcus Thames, but not a few of us thought he would end up being traded to Pittsburgh.

The closeup: We were way off. Paul wasn’t traded to Pittsburgh. He was designated for assignment and claimed on waivers by Pittsburgh. Despite going 3 for 7 during the season’s first week, Paul earned only four more plate appearances over the next week, each off the bench, and struck out all four times. On April 18, the Dodgers DFAed Paul to make room for the first coming of Jerry Sands.

With the Pirates, Paul went 2 for 4 in each of his first three starts and 6 for 7 in two games against the Mets to start the month of June, but in between those highlights, he was 3 for 27 with two walks and no extra-base hits. He ended up with a .293 on-base percentage and .349 slugging percentage for the Pirates in 251 plate appearances, to go with 16 stolen bases — not Hall of Fame stuff, but not too far off the offense Gwynn (.308/.353/22 in 340 plate appearances) provided the Dodgers, and at least more than Gibbons or Thames delivered.

Coming attractions: Paul, who made 41 starts in 2011 (with a .686 OPS, in contrast to a .253 OPS in 45 plate appearances as a pinch-hitter), will compete for a more regular role with the Pirates next season, or at least to remain on a major-league roster for an entire season for the first time.

Remembering 2011: Ted Lilly

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On October 10, 2011

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Andrew B. Fielding/US PresswireTed Lilly (12)

The setup: After coming to the Dodgers, the team that drafted him in 1996, at the 2010 trade deadline and posting a 3.52 ERA with 77 strikeouts in 76 2/3 innings, Lilly was a free agent but one with an interest in staying in Los Angeles. In mid-October, not waiting to sound out offers from other teams, Lilly signed with the Dodgers for three years and $33 million. Though his ERA was above average during his half-season in Los Angeles, there was concern about his age (35 in January) and his home-run rate (one every six innings, roughly).

The closeup: Lilly didn’t eat innings, averaging 5.8 per start, nor was he reliable even at that length for most of the year. He was one of several Dodger veterans who disappointed in the first four months of the season, seemingly taking two steps back after every step forward. Beginning the year by allowing four runs in 4 2/3 innings of a 10-0 loss to the Giants, Lilly had three quality starts in his first nine. After managing to lower his ERA to 3.98 on June 11 with a nice run of five starts, he was hit hard over his next three, allowing 17 earned runs in 14 2/3 innings. (Was it the left-elbow tenderness?) Only once in 11 starts from June 6 from August 3, did he last more than six innings, and not once did he complete the seventh. When August began, his ERA was 5.02.

And then, there were the homers and steals. While Matt Kemp pursued a 30-30 or even a 40-40 season, Lilly was in effect doing the same thing from the dark side. For the year, opponents stole 35 bases in 37 attempts against the lefty, all but powerless to slow them. Meanwhile, after allowing only two home runs in April, Lilly gave up nine in May, five in June, seven in July and five in August – a total of 28 entering the season’s final month.

But following a solo homer to Colorado’s Carlos Gonzalez on August 26, Lilly kept the ball in the park for his final 42 2/3 innings of the season, delivering a 1.69 ERA over that period with 39 strikeouts. (Was it the acupuncture?) When he finished his seventh shutout inning at Arizona in his final appearance of the season, Lilly lowered his ERA to 3.97, its best level since he took the mound for the first time in April. Still, his park-adjusted ERA+ of 94 was Lilly’s worst since 2005. Lilly now has a 3.84 ERA in 269 1/3 innings over 45 starts with the Dodgers.

Coming attractions: In he second year of his contract, a 36-year-old Lilly will try to slow his decline in a Dodger rotation that, behind Clayton Kershaw, is also looking for a bounceback year from Chad Billingsley, a return or replacement for Hiroki Kuroda and adequacy from Nathan Eovaldi or his like.

Remembering 2011: Juan Uribe

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On October 9, 2011

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Mike Ehrmann/Getty ImagesJuan Uribe (11)

The setup: Glowing from his 26-homer season (including two in the playoffs) in 2010 like a rod from the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, the 31-year-old Uribe fused with the Dodgers on a three-year, $21 million deal to play second base and a little third as well. After failing to post an OPS over .700 in his final three seasons in Chicago, Uribe had turned in seasons of .824 and .749 from 2009-10 with San Francisco, convincing Ned Colletti to let him light up the Dodgers.

The closeup: Uribe started his Dodger career 7 for 49 with no home runs – perhaps hampered by getting hit by a Tim Lincecum pitch Opening Day – but seemed to get on track in mid-April. On April 29, he hit his third homer in five games to raise his season OPS to .742. But that was his peak. May turned rough at the plate, and then all of a sudden, he was sidelined by a strained hip flexor. Uribe came back to active duty on June 6, but at no time did his season really show any signs of turning around. An 0-for-5 against the Angels on June 24 dropped his OPS below .600 for good. On July 30, he was placed on the disabled list again, seven days after he last played in a game, and he did not return, topping things off with surgery for a sports hernia September 7. He finished the year with a .264 on-base percentage and astonishingly low .293 slugging percentage, making 53 starts at third base (where his defense was a bright spot), 17 at second base and three at shortstop. He went homerless in his final 85 at-bats, and really did nothing more memorable than end up the subject of the above photo and accompanying website.

Coming attractions: Whenever I think of new Dodgers who disappoint with only four home runs, I think of Dusty Baker, who hit four in his first season in Los Angeles, then came back the next year with 30. While I’m not exactly holding my breath for Uribe to do the same, nor am I expecting him to again turn in a slugging percentage that was his lowest in nine years by more than 100 points. In short, it’s hard to imagine Uribe’s production going anywhere but up (like his salary) in the second year of his contract. Here’s hoping for adequacy!

Stuff and such

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On October 9, 2011

In Uncategorized

Slow news day? Not for these folks …

  • Former Dodger outfielder Mike Marshall was relieved of the general manager job with the independent North American League’s Chico Outlaws, who have an uncertain future because of their stadium lease, reports Travis Souders of the Chico Enterprise-Record (via Baseball Think Factory). Marshall’s wife Mary, the assistant general manager, was also pink-slipped. “With everything up in the air, it’s not fair to Mike or Mary to keep them in Chico and running the team when we don’t know for sure what’s going to happen with the stadium, first and foremost,” league commissioner Kevin Outcalt said.
  • Dodger assistant trainer Todd Tomczyk has left to become head trainer with the Pirates. Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com has details.
  • Evan Bladh writes at Opinion of Kingman’s Performance about “the King of Infield Conversions,” former Dodger coach Monty Basgall.
  • Justine Siegel had Christina Taylor Green on her mind when she wrote about her graduation from MLB Scout School.
  • “Shoeless Joe” author W.P Kinsella has released his first novel in 13 years, “Butterfly Winter.” Eric Volmer of the Calgary Herald (also via BTF) talked to Kinsella.
  • Fresh off their great interview with Bryan Cranston, the Kamenetzky brothers have another baseball-entertainment broadcast with actor and Tigers fan J.K. Simmons.

Remembering 2011: Vicente Padilla

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On October 8, 2011

In Uncategorized


Scott Boehm/Getty ImagesVicente Padilla (10)

The setup: Following a 2010 in which he was a controversial choice as Opening Day starter (it seems so long ago now), only to pitch 95 innings all year, the Dodgers re-signed Padilla for 2011 in December. The reasons: He required only a $2 million base salary, he had a summertime hot streak (after recovering from right forearm trouble) in which he had a 1.32 ERA in eight starts and 54 2/3 innings with 48 strikeouts, and he and the Dodgers came to an understanding that he might end up as the team’s closer if Jonathan Broxton continued to struggle.

The closeup: Arm trouble returned for Padilla before March even arrived, with the righty undergoing surgery to free up a nerve in his forearm. By the time he was ready to make his 2011 debut on April 23, concern had begun to mount for Broxton, who, despite being 1-0 with five saves in five opportunities, had allowed 14 baserunners in 8 2/3 innings. Though Padilla gave up a run on two hits and a walk in his second appearance of the season, it only took a perfect inning his next time out, saving a 10-inning victory in Florida on April 27, to ignite his candidacy for closer. On May 4, the day Broxton was shut down to have an MRI, Padilla pitched a shutout ninth inning (in a 5-1 loss to the Cubs), and it seemed the Dodgers’ backup plan was in motion.

However, after Padilla pitched three times in the ensuing week, allowing three runs in 2 2/3 innings, he was done. Placed on the disabled list May 19, he never came off. In June, he had season-ending neck surgery. He finished his season with 8 2/3 innings pitched in nine games and a 4.15 ERA.

Coming attractions: Padilla, who turned 34 on September 27, is a free agent again. News on his recovery has been hard to come by, but if he has any inclination toward a comeback, there should still be interest in offering him at least a minor-league contract from more than a few teams, including the Dodgers. If someone like Mike MacDougal was worth a shot last winter, Padilla with a clean(er) bill of health might be as well.

Remembering 2011: Rafael Furcal

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On October 8, 2011

In Uncategorized


US PresswireRafael Furcal

The setup: Furcal entered his sixth season in Los Angeles with no one quite sure what he’d produce. In 2008, he had a .439 on-base percentage and .573 slugging percentage but only managed to play in 36 games. In 2009, you could flip that: he appeared in 150 contests, but his numbers declined to .335 and .375. The 2010 season split the difference: 97 games, .366/.460, including a hot streak that propelled him into the All-Star Game. With free agency likely beckoning and Dee Gordon waiting in the wings, the only thing that seemed relatively certain was that 2011 would be Furcal’s last in Los Angeles.

The closeup: As inevitable as injuries might seem with Furcal, his first of 2011 just didn’t seem fair. In his seventh game of the year, Furcal broke his thumb sliding into third base. He didn’t return to action until May 22, and may have rushed himself at that. Through May 27, he had come to the plate 50 times and made 42 outs. He then reached base seven times in his next 14 plate appearances, only for a new injury to sideline him for another month. Again, he struggled upon his return. On July 22, in the midst of a season that was paying him $12 million, Furcal went 0 for 4 in a loss to Washington that dropped the Dodgers’ record to 43-56 and lowered his season on-base percentage to .220 and slugging percentage to .200. The notion that Furcal would be boosting his team into the National League Championship Series could hardly have been more absurd.

Over the next six games, Furcal went 8 for 22 with three walks and three doubles, enough to convince the St. Louis Cardinals it was worth taking a chance on him. On July 31, they traded minor-league outfielder Alex Castellanos (who finished his Double-A season with a .958 OPS, 1.009 in Chattanooga) for Furcal, who could look back on his Dodger career, injuries and all, as the team’s best all-around shortstop since at least Maury Wills.

All-time Dodger shortstop OPS+ leaders (via Baseball-Reference.com)



Rk          Player OPS+   PA From   To   Age  OBP  SLG  OPS

1       Lonny Frey  108 1901 1933 1936 22-25 .361 .403 .764

2     Glenn Wright  103 1570 1929 1933 28-32 .324 .463 .787

3      Bill Dahlen  102 1712 1901 1911 31-41 .337 .350 .687

4    Rafael Furcal  100 2802 2006 2011 28-33 .351 .406 .757

5    Pee Wee Reese   98 9470 1940 1958 21-39 .366 .377 .743

6    Jose Offerman   87 2297 1990 1995 21-26 .344 .325 .669

7      Maury Wills   87 6744 1959 1972 26-39 .331 .332 .663

8       Greg Gagne   83 1040 1996 1997 34-35 .315 .359 .673

9     Bill Russell   82 8020 1969 1986 20-37 .310 .338 .648

10      Phil Lewis   80 1940 1905 1908 21-24 .281 .282 .563

But there was little time for Furcal to reflect on the past.

Furcal reached base twice in his first start with St. Louis, and homered and drove in four runs in his third. The Cardinals fell out of the NL Central race, but made a surprising run to the playoffs by stealing the wild card from Atlanta. It wasn’t all good from Furcal – though he hit seven homers in 50 games, his on-base percentage was only .316, and his ninth-inning error September 22 opened the door for a six-run ninth inning by the Mets that nearly crushed the Cards’ playoff hopes. Furcal also wasn’t healthy enough to play in the team’s final two games of the regular season. But he played every inning of the NL Division Series against Philadelphia, culminating in Friday’s Game 5, in which his leadoff triple against potential Cy Young-winner Roy Halladay led to the game’s only run and his sparkling defensive play in the eighth inning helped preserve the lead. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch captured the moment and what Furcal has meant to the Cardinals in this postgame feature.

Coming attractions: After the pursuit of his first World Series ends, Furcal’s offseason adventure begins. St. Louis inherited a $12 million option for 2012 on Furcal, who turns 34 on October 24, and though there seems to be some mutual interest, more likely his next contract comes via the free-agent market.

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