Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw proved last year he’s not one to back away from a challenge from Giants ace Tim Linecum. Perhaps that’s why Kershaw saw Lincecum’s stiff back from Tuesday and countered with a stiff back of his own.
Neither condition is considered serious. Both pitchers skipped their scheduled bullpen sessions as a precaution.
* * *
- Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports writes about Matt Kemp’s quest for a 50-50 season.
- Jon Garland’s minor-league deal with Cleveland fell apart over his physical. Aaron Gleeman of Hardball Talk has a bit more.
- Evan Bladh tells a story at Opinion of Kingman’s Performance about his childhood friendship, including playing Strat-o-Matic, with Clippers announcer Michael Smith.
- I actually have had the desire at times to bring more sabermetrics into my entertainment reporting, as Noel Murray of the Onion’s A.V. Club suggests.
- Steven Spielberg’s career as a high-school sportswriter gets a lively treatment from Bryan Curtis at Grantland.
- My Match Game contest-offering sister Robyn uses one of her latest to blog about popular 1970s California potato chips at Bird Is the Word.
Linkmeister
With the “potato chips” hint I’d have gotten the answer to your sister’s question. Probably not without the hint.
We had a ’60s-’70s kid’s TV show host out here who called himself by the same name as that brand.
Anonymous
“It tells me Kemp is not afraid to dream and he’s not afraid to fail.” I like what Brown said there. Matt feels he should be able to do 50-50, is not afraid to go for it publicly. I like his attitude, and the fact that he looks like he’s been working out in the off-season as prep says he’s not just wishing on a star.
Anonymous
On the plus side for Camelback Ranch. (Apoloiges if this ends up posting twice).
http://tinyurl.com/84hx58z
Jon Weisman
A couple of Eric Stephen tweets:
1) Jerry Sands said he was still on the call list as a substitute teacher (in NC) and got an automated call at 4:30am this morning
2) Jose Ascanio failed his physical and is no longer in Dodgers camp
Adam Luther
1) As a substitute I can relate. That’s pretty funny – I guess Sands didn’t block himself out;)
Anonymous
When we moved to Oregon in ’73 Laura Scudder’s were not available there. Another reason I hated the move. Also, no Coor’s, but it was a couple of years later that this became an issue
Anonymous
Laura Scudder’s potato chips were always difficult for me to find because in their ads, the announcer would just blend the two words together and it would sound like “laurusgutters’
underdog
I hadn’t even heard of Matt Angle, whom the Dodgers signed today and added to roster (Rubby placed on 60 day DL). Supposedly fast, can get on base, can’t do much else. Sounds like AAAA fodder to me. Drafted by the Orioles in round seven out of Ohio State in 2007 and made his major league debut last year.
http://www.masnsports.com/steve_melewski/2012/02/matt-angle-is-headed-to-the-dodgers.html
Anonymous
Supposedly good defensively but not much of an arm, the O’s sites I looked at had him pegged as a fourth-fifth outfielder type at best. For him to get a call, Hairston will have to kidnap Gwynn and run off to Argentina.
Jack Dawkins
Can he take Juan Uribe with him?
Anonymous
Do we have an over/under on Uribe’s weight when he reports?
Anonymous
Three Velezs and a Dee Gordon.
Anonymous
About the only sure thing is that he’ll be lighter than Pablo Sandoval.
Anonymous
And all emo about it (cue Uribe emo photo).
Anonymous
What if Adam Kennedy picks up Gwynn by both ankles and swings him into Uribe, incapacitating both and landing Kennedy in jail for the crime?
(I’m partial to Hairston ever since he helped me install that window for Habitat).
KT
I just purchased tickets last night to the opening day game here in SD to see Kershaw pitch…I sure hope the back issue is as minor as they say
The tickets are in the first row section 114 down the 3rd base line (almost on the field) right where the outfield grass starts
I think they are the same seats I had for his last game he pitched last year…I should try to contact the seller to deal directly with him if it’s so to cut out Stubhub fees
Jeffrey Thomas III
Some nice highlights of Angle from last year:
http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/search/media.jsp?player_id=518408
He does seem to be a TGJ type, though maybe a bit better at getting on base.
Anonymous
Perhaps a better 5-6 OF option than Oeltjen.
Josue Hurtado
Braun wins his appeal. Wow.
http://tinyurl.com/78xe66j
Dave Alden
And MLB “vehemently disagrees”. Boy is there a story there.
Anonymous
That will have as much success as Demi Moore’s character “strenuously objecting” in “A Few Good Men.”
Anonymous
So Kemp is still the Sort-of MVP. :-)
Anonymous
Sounds like some lawyering instead of being innocent of the charges.
Jon Weisman
NPUT