February 2014 – Page 6 – Dodger Thoughts

By Matt Slatus

Now that the Super Bowl is firmly in our rear-view mirror, all signs point ahead to Spring Training, which begins with Dodgers pitchers and catchers reporting to Camelback Ranch-Glendale (CR-G) this weekend. It’s hard to believe the 2014 season is here.

If you’ve never been to CR-G, the Spring Training home the club shares with the Chicago White Sox, you’re missing out. Imagine a modernized version of Dodgertown, where the boys in blue mix with desert-inspired landscaping, views of the gorgeous Arizona mountains lurk in the background and the best ticket can be had for only $44. It’s almost too good to be true.

Nestled on 141 acres of Sonoran Desert-inspired landscape, CR-G features 13 full-size practice fields — six of which are used exclusively by the Dodgers — a five-acre lake fully stocked with fish, and picturesque walking trails that lead from the parking lots to the main stadium.

A visit to Spring Training is a baseball experience like none other. Here are a few insider tips to make your Spring Training experience memorable:

Arrive early: The Dodger practice fields open at 9 a.m. each day, beginning Sunday. Catch Kershaw, Greinke and the rest of the Dodgers’ pitchers-and-catchers workout, then see it expand for the first full-squad workout on February 14. Workouts are open to the public and are entirely free.
Autographs: Players love to sign autographs during Spring Training. There are two great spots for trying to get autographs. First, head along the practice fields as players move from workout to workout. (Tommy Lasorda has been known to sign autographs for visiting fans as well.) Once games move into the main stadium, fans can line the third-base line as Dodgers players enter the field from the left-field corner prior to the game.
Buy tickets early and save: Tickets to weekend games are already selling quickly. If you’re thinking about visiting Arizona over a weekend in March, purchase tickets online at dodgers.com/spring. You’ll save $3 per ticket off the day-of-game price, and you won’t have to worry about waiting in long lines at the stadium.
Book your hotel in advance: March is a very busy time in Phoenix. On top of 15 Major League clubs training, there’s a NASCAR race, an air show and beautiful weather. Try to book your hotel reservations as soon as possible.
Bonus baseball in ’14: Following Dodger workouts on February 14, 15 and 16, stay for college baseball inside the main stadium. The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers square off against the Northern Illinois Huskies each day at 1:00 p.m. Enter via the main stadium gates. No ticket is necessary.

We’ll fill you in with more information on special promotions and exciting Spring Training news over the next few weeks. In the meantime, Spring Training is near … it’s almost time for Dodger baseball!

Matt Slatus is marketing director for Camelback Ranch-Glendale.

In case you missed it: Top o’ the order to ya …

By Jon Weisman

On February 3, 2014

In History, In case you missed it

By Jon Weisman

Leading off, we’re talking about leading off …

Yasiel Puig, who was a rather unlikely leadoff hitter in his Major League debut before settling in a bit lower in the order, could return to the top spot for a number of games this year, Don Mattingly tells Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. On-base percentage has a lot to do with it, especially if he can continue to develop patience at the plate when needed.
Dodger coach Mark McGwire talked to MLB Network Radio about Matt Kemp, Yasiel Puig and Alex Guerrero.
Here’s more FanFest 2014 coverage from Blue Heaven, Feelin’ Kinda Blue and Sons of Steve Garvey. Blue Heaven’s post has links to even more coverage.
Meanwhile, the Sons will be traveling to cover the Dodgers in Australia.
Jackie Robinson as radio host? Ernest Reyes of Blue Heaven passes along this three-minute sample. I’ve felt from time to time that Robinson’s voice resembles Tony Gwynn’s.
Dodgers Digest reaches its top 10 in its top 50 Dodger prospect ratings, and orders the top five as Corey Seager, Joc Pederson, Zach Lee, Julio Urias and Alex Guerrero.
Bill Shaikin of the Times is pumped – and getting pumped – for baseball season in Los Angeles.
Briefly-a-Dodger reliever Carlos Marmol remains unsigned but might finally be nearing a deal to move elsewhere, says Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Hardball Talk).

Jackie Robinson Day autographed jerseys up for bidding

By Jon Weisman

On February 3, 2014

In Memorabilia

By Jon Weisman

They’re game-used and autographed by the Dodgers, they honor Jackie Robinson and they benefit the Jackie Robinson Foundation.

What’s not to like?

Now through February 10, at the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation Auction, you can bid on any one of a number of autographed No. 42 jerseys that were worn by the Dodgers (including Don Mattingly, Kenley Jansen, Zack Greinke, Hyun-Jin Ryu and many more) on Jackie Robinson Day on April 15. Looks good and feels good.

Tim Wallach chosen for Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame

By Jon Weisman

On February 3, 2014

In History

By Jon Weisman

Dodger bench coach Tim Wallach will be inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame on June 21 in St. Marys, Ontario.

“I’m both surprised and honored to be selected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame,” said Wallach. “What a great thrill to be going in with such integral parts of the Montreal Expos for such a long time, and to join many of my old teammates and manager, along with so many people that meant so much to Canadian baseball. This is a great honor for my family and myself.”

Fellow inductees Montreal Expos broadcaster David Van Horne and general manager Murray Cook, along with former Team Canada manager and Toronto Blue Jays scout Jim Ridley.

Wallach had a .317 on-base percentage and .418 slugging percentage with 204 homers and three Gold Gloves in 1,767 games for the Expos. He later played 388 games for the Dodgers with similar averages (.312/.419). He is also a member of the Cal State Fullerton Titan Athletics Hall of Fame and the College Baseball Hall of Fame.

Finally February

By Jon Weisman

On February 3, 2014

In Spring Training

By Jon Weisman

The past week of Caravan and FanFest, a kind of combination of summer camp and Back to School Night and everything but campfires and s’mores for the Dodgers, is over.

Winter, which playfully taunted the NHL in the 10 days before hockey at Dodger Stadium with four score and seven degrees of reverse wind chill, is giving us at least a few more days in the frigid 60s before we emerge from hibernation. But there’s only one more week, one more week for school supplies and a last moment of vacation bliss, before the rugged year ahead.

Pitchers and catchers report in seven days.

I’ve talked to a few Dodgers in the past couple of weeks – small sample size warning – and in what seems unquestionable sincerity, they tell me the romance of Spring Training isn’t dead. All that swirling sentiment that would seem to be relegated to a “Field of Dreams” monologue of years ago still plays for the guys in the game as it renews. Anticipation. Possibilities. Dreams. Play. The spirit that brought them to the diamond in the very beginning still lives.

There’s no denying the work involved. But this is a good time of year.

Share your thoughts about Spring Training – and any plans to visit Camelback Ranch – in the comments.

Dodger players revel in fan reunion

By Jon Weisman

On February 1, 2014

In Fans

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In case you missed it: Spirit Day

By Jon Weisman

On February 1, 2014

In In case you missed it

By Jon Weisman

Thanks to all the fans who came out today for FanFest.

Ned Colletti, Vin Scully and Don Mattingly are featured in Ken Gurnick’s FanFest roundup for MLB.com. Here’s perhaps the most memorable quote from Colletti, who as Gurnick writes, “credited the club’s brawl with the Arizona Diamondbacks as a key to the team’s midseason turnaround after beanings of Yasiel Puig and Zack Greinke.”

“Our guys took the field and went after them,” Colletti said. “As much as I don’t condone that, it kind of galvanized our club and got us together and brought friendship in the room and we got closer. In a bizarre way, it was a defining moment for the building of inside the room.”
Even as FanFest was taking place, there was also the second annual Community Day at the MLB Urban Youth Academy in Compton. Yasiel Puig was among those visiting, writes Earl Bloom for MLB.com.
Hyun-Jin Ryu getting into shape is the subject of two short pieces (here and here) by the Daily News’ J.P. Hoornstra, who also passes along this update about Dodger Stadium wi-fi and about the Union Rescue Mission learning center being named for Andre and Maggie Ethier. Nicely done, Ethiers.
An update from Kershaw’s Challenge: “After discussing our plans to renovate and add on to Destiny Community School in Lusaka, Zambia, we have solidified our plans and will begin construction soon.”
The last batch of Dodger Pitching in the Community Caravan photos, from Friday’s fifth day, can be found at the Dodger Photog Blog, thanks to Juan Ocampo.
Ex-Dodger pitcher Chris Capuano is a potential free agent bargain for some team, writes Jeff Sullivan at Fangraphs.
Sixteen-year NBA vet Tracy McGrady is looking to make a switch to pitching, at least on some level. D.J. Short at Hardball Talk rounds up the basic info.
More than half of the teams in the majors are planning to platoon or divide up playing time with at least one position, writes Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com.