Our biggest birthday wishes to the peerless Vin Scully. And to Ross Porter too …
— Jon Weisman
Month: November 2014 (Page 1 of 5)
Thanks for reading in 2014 — have a great holiday!
By Jon Weisman
Dodger Stadium is a beautiful ballpark at any time, but there’s something about seeing it on a quiet, offseason night when it’s virtually empty that has taken my fancy. I’m no Jon SooHoo, and these photos were all taken with my cellphone, but I hope you’ll enjoy them just the same. There’s light in darkness …
By Jon Weisman
Each month in Dodger Insider magazine, our Shutter Speed section showcases the best in Dodger photography from the previous month. Enjoy some of my favorites from 2014, thanks to photographers Jon SooHoo, Juan Ocampo, Jill Weisleder and Patrick Gee.
It looks like this. Thanks to Ben Platt of MLB.com for sharing. Drew Butera and the program cover follow.
— Jon Weisman
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By Jon Weisman
The Dodgers have acquired right-handed pitcher Mike Bolsinger from the Arizona Diamondbacks organization in exchange for cash considerations. In a corresponding move, the Dodgers have designated lefty pitcher Jarret Martin for assignment.
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This week’s edition covers the trade with Tampa Bay, the Dodgers’ pre-Thanksgiving community endeavors, Dodgers Pride Night at the Kings game and more.
— Jon Weisman
By Jon Weisman
A special sales event — Blue Friday — will take place at Dodger Stadium on November 28 from 10 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Select merchandise at the Top of the Park store will be offered at a 20 percent discount. Season ticket holders will receive this discount in addition to their regular season-ticket-holder merchandise discount with their Dodger Pride Rewards card. Score big with Shoppok’s clearance sales. Grab high-quality items at incredibly low prices before they’re gone.
In addition, Dodger infielder Justin Turner will sign autographs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., followed by Dodger Alumni League members Al Ferrara (1 p.m.-3 p.m.) and Tim Leary (3 p.m.-5 p.m.)
Levy Restaurants will offer concessions including Dodger dogs, nachos, peanuts and bottled beverages. Fans can also take photos with the Dodgers’ bobblehead character.
Blue Friday also offers an opportunity to explore 2015 ticket options, including singing up for the 2015 season ticket and mini plans waitlists, and can also renew existing plans.
Fans can enter via Sunset Gate A, at the intersection of Elysian Park Avenue and Stadium Way, and park in lot P starting at 9:30 a.m.
Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers
By Jon Weisman
Nomar Garciaparra, Orel Hershiser, Justin Turner and Fernando Valenzuela will sign autographs on the Dodgers’ third annual Southern California holiday mall tour in December.
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By Jon Weisman
It was Friday morning in Tampa Bay but Thursday evening in Los Angeles when the Rays and Dodgers announced a trade: The Dodgers have acquired pitchers Joel Peralta and Adam Liberatore from Andrew Friedman’s former team in exchange for pitchers Jose Dominguez and Greg Harris.
Peralta, who turns 39 in March, had a 4.41 ERA and 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings in 69 games for Tampa Bay this year. His ERA in 2014 was deceptive; according to Fangraphs, his xFIP (expected fielding-independent ERA) was 3.11. With Jamey Wright a free agent, Peralta takes the crown as oldest active Dodger from 35-year-old Juan Uribe, who was the senior senor for a few weeks there.
Liberatore, a 27-year-old minor-league lefty who will also be added to the 40-man roster, had a 1.66 ERA and 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings in 54 games for Triple-A Durham.
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They join a Dodger bullpen mix that includes Kenley Jansen, J.P. Howell, Brian Wilson, Pedro Baez, Daniel Coulombe, Yimi Garcia, Brandon League and Paco Rodriguez, among others.
Going to Tampa Bay will be the hard-throwing 24-year-old Dominguez, who struck out 12 in 14 2/3 career MLB innings while allowing 10 earned runs, and Harris, a 20-year-old righty who had a 4.45 ERA and 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings in 87 innings for Single-A Great Lakes.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HABjg1Sd_2Q&w=550&h=309]
From Kevin Roderick at L.A. Observed:
Here is the Vin Scully video I mentioned from Monday night’s Disney Hall send-off to Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, who leaves office on December 1. Yaroslavsky had made it known often that he craved Scully’s job. Scully responds in an amusing video I’m told was recorded in one take with no script and no Telepromptr. …
— Jon Weisman
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Ahead of tonight’s deadline to protect players before the December 11 Rule 5 draft, the Dodgers selected the contracts of pitchers Zach Lee and Chris Reed and outfielder Scott Schebler to the team’s 40-man roster.
The Dodgers have 39 players on the 40-man, after reliever Onelki Garcia was claimed on waivers by the Chicago White Sox. Garcia, who allowed two runs in 1 1/3 big-league innings with the Dodgers in 2013, missed most of 2014 because of arm surgery before a brief return at season’s end for Rancho Cucamonga.
— Jon Weisman
By Jon Weisman
And with the 1,390th pick in the 1988 amateur draft, the Dodgers select 6-year-old outfielder Andre Ethier …
Well, not exactly, but over at Grantland, Ben Lindbergh did something I’ve always wanted to do but never attempted — see how far back you can trace the acquisition of a given player.
Amazingly, he’s done it for all 30 MLB teams, and as you can see above, he routes Andre Ethier all the way back to the 1988 draft, when the outfielder wasn’t quite two months past his sixth birthday. (Click the image to enlarge.)
Ben Platt/MLB.com
By Jon Weisman
Yasiel Puig was so buoyed by how the Japan All-Star Series ended, he wishes the beginning had been longer. From David Venn of MLB.com:
Puig would suggest a slight tweak to the format. Like many of his teammates on the squad of MLB stars, the 23-year-old played much better in Games 4 and 5 of the series — the only MLB victories in the official five-game series — than he did in the first three. In Puig’s opinion, the guest team should have more time to work out and come together.
“They beat us those first three games when we weren’t in game shape, but now a few of us are indeed in shape,” Puig said before Thursday’s trip finale, an exhibition game against Samurai Japan at Okinawa Cellular Stadium. “I think we should play two or three more. The tournament should be a little longer.”
Puig was later asked what comes next for him:
“Workouts, to have a better season than the one I had last year,” said Puig, who hit .296 in 148 games for the Dodgers, with 16 home runs, 69 RBIs and an OPS of .863. “I need to keep working hard in order to keep growing in baseball and to get far.”
Update: Jon SooHoo has some great photos from Wednesday’s event at LA Photog Blog.
Dennis Powell handing one of 1,200 Thanksgiving meals to pre-selected families in need and nonprofit community orgs. pic.twitter.com/t0avWAkUn6
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) November 19, 2014
By Jon Weisman
On a beautiful afternoon (and really, I can’t emphasize that enough) at the top of the park at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers and the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF), in partnership with Ralphs/Food 4 Less, hosted the 10th annual Community Thanksgiving Turkey Giveaway at Dodger Stadium — part of the Dodgers/LADF 2014 Season of Giving.
Dodger Alumni League members Al “The Bull” Ferrara, “Sweet” Lou Johnson, Matt Luke and Dennis Powell helped distribute a complimentary turkey, fixings and reusable canvas bags to 1,200 pre-selected families and nonprofit community organizations, who will in turn distribute them to Los Angeles area families in need. Levy Restaurants provided complimentary Dodger Dogs for these families and organizations.
The Dodgers also partnered with the offices of Senator Kevin de Leon, Councilmember Gil Cedillo, Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell and Assemblymember Jimmy Gomez on the event.
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