Jon Weisman – Page 36 – Dodger Thoughts

You can now vote for the Dodgers’ Fan of the Year in an MLB contest sponsored by Esurance.

Each of the four finalists has a video supporting his or her candidacy — click the image above to see them. They are:

Laura Zimmerman: Zimmerman is passionate about all things Dodgers, as she attends every home game and follows the club’s Minor League affiliates.
Vincente Reyes: Reyes dedicates his Instagram to sharing the dazzling photos he personally captures at Dodgers games in various locales.
Danny Del Toro: Elvis tribute artist Del Toro has combined his love of the King and the Dodgers, and he is now renowned as Dodger Elvis.
Emma X Amaya: Season-ticket holder Amaya is a savvy fan who rarely goes a day without posting about the Dodgers on her Facebook page.

Voting is takes place through 10:59 a.m. PT on September 19. To vote, you must use a valid, public Twitter account to submit a tweet with the unique hashtag assigned to the nominee (limit one hashtag per tweet).

— Jon Weisman

2017 Dodgers Adult Fantasy Camp drawing near

In Uncategorized

Just a quick reminder not to miss your chance to take part in the 2017 Dodgers-White Sox Adult Fantaasy Camp, taking place at Camelback Ranch in Arizona from January 15-21, 2017. Among those scheduled to appear are Tommy Lasorda, Eric Karros, Eric Gagne, Pedro Guerrero and Steve Sax.

Throughout the camp, participants (21 and older) will interact with and receive instruction from Dodger and White Sox greats on the field and enjoy hours of baseball stories from the stars of the past off the field — a 24/7 first-class baseball experience.

For more information or to reserve your roster spot, call (623) 302-5078, e-mail fantasycamp@camelbackranchbaseball.com or visit dodgers.com/fantasycamp and the camp registration site.

— Jon Weisman

Depth propels Dodger pitching to the best in MLB in September

In Bullpen, Pitching

By Jon Weisman

All summer long, it seemed likely that once rosters expanded in September, the Dodgers would be poised to take advantage thanks to their pitching depth.

That’s exactly what has happened.

Los Angeles has played 10 games in September so far, and already the Dodgers have used seven starting pitchers. With Julio Urías pitching tonight, seven of the first 11 starts this month will have gone to pitchers (Urías, Jose De León and Brock Stewart) who began the season in the minors or to a pitcher (Rich Hill) who was acquired in exchange for minor-leaguers.

As for the 13-man bullpen, no reliever has thrown more than Joe Blanton’s 4 2/3 innings (spread over 13 days), and only one is averaging above 1.0 innings per appearance: Pedro Baez, who has 3 2/3 innings in three games. Blanton and Jesse Chavez lead Dodger relievers with 19 batters faced in the 10 games.

Even with Dave Roberts numerous visits to the mound, on only four occasions has a Dodger reliever worked back-to-back days this month: September 2-3 (Blanton and Kenley Jansen) and September 6-7 (Baez and Jansen).

The results? Dodger pitchers have a 2.15 ERA in September, with a 0.91 WHIP, 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings and a 4.4 strikeout-walk ratio (equivalent to Miami’s Jose Fernandez). Opponents are hitting .183/.250/.266 this month.

Every single one of those stats leads the Major Leagues, except for on-base percentage, which is second to Boston. No Dodger opponent has scored more than four runs in a September game so far.

Pantone 294 had Yankee Stadium’s number on Monday

In Fans

[mlbvideo id=”1160221383″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]

By Jon Weisman

Dodger fans — specifically the group from Pantone 294, whose name helps color-blind people like myself identify the precise color of Dodger blue — made national news Monday in New York, cheering boisterously, flying their flags, co-opting the Yankee Stadium roll call and generally dispelling the myth of the apathetic Dodger fan.

If you were watching the game, you couldn’t avoid noticing them. Here’s some East Coast perspective, starting with Billy Witz in the New York Times:

De León, Urías bring youth to Yankee Stadium

On September 12, 2016

In Pregame

Dodgers at Yankees, 4:05 p.m.
Chase Utley, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrián González, DH
Yasmani Grandal, C
Josh Reddick, RF
Howie Kendrick, 1B
Joc Pederson, CF
Andrew Toles, LF
(Jose De León, P)

By Jon Weisman

When 24-year-old right-hander Jose De León takes the mound for the Dodgers tonight, he will be the youngest Dodger pitcher to start at Yankee Stadium (any of them) since Johnny Podres won Game 7 the 1955 World Series.

That is, until Tuesday, when 20-year-old lefty Julio Urías leapfrogs him and three others to become the youngest.

Before this week, four Dodgers under the age of 25 had started at Yankee Stadium — all for Brooklyn in the World Series:

De León, who at 24 years, 36 days slides in between Don Newcombe and Karl Spooner on the list, is the first Dodger rookie to start a road game against the Yankees since 26-year-old Hyun-Jin Ryu in 2013.

Other than Ryu, no pitcher from the Los Angeles Dodgers has started a game at Yankee Stadium younger than 27-year-old Burt Hooton, who did so twice in the 1977 World Series. He went the distance in a 6-1 Game 2 victory, before giving up the first of Reggie Jackson’s three home runs in Game 6.

O’K for OKC: Dickson’s homer lifts Triple-A Dodgers to PCL Championship Series

On September 11, 2016

In Minor leagues

https://twitter.com/okc_dodgers/status/775177260445765633

By Jon Weisman

O’Koyea Dickson’s three-run homer in the top of the eighth inning lifted Oklahoma City to a 10-9 victory over Nashville in the winner-take-all finale of their best-of-five playoff series, sending the Dodgers’ Triple-A team to the Pacific Coast League Championship.

A Hill of beans in this crazy world

On September 11, 2016

In Health/injuries, Managing, Minor leagues, Postgame, Pregame, Transactions

[mlbvideo id=”1157258183″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]

Dodgers at Marlins, 10:10 a.m.
Chase Utley, 2B
Josh Reddick, RF
Corey Seager, SS
Adrián González, 1B
Yasmani Grandal, C
Joc Pederson, CF
Andre Ethier, LF
Howie Kendrick, 3B
Kenta Maeda, P

By Jon Weisman

I guess my wife and I picked the wrong day to take the family to Disneyland.

Exactly 51 years and one day after Sandy Koufax threw the last perfect game by a Dodger pitcher, Rich Hill nearly did the same (in a 5-0 Dodger victory). And in the process, he became the first Dodger pitcher since Hiroki Kuroda in 2008 to throw seven perfect innings — and the first ever to do so without facing another batter.

The controversy arose from the latter fact. In the overnight chatter since Hill was removed, many have had a chance to weigh in, and so with the Dodgers’ next game already about to start, I’m just going to highlight a few points …

The 20 most pivotal regular-season moments in Los Angeles Dodger history

Read the entire story by clicking here.

On September 10, 2016

In History, Publications

Tommy Lasorda hugs R.J. Reynolds after the rookie’s unforgettable squeeze, whose 33rd anniversary is Sunday.

By Jon Weisman

Every Dodger fan is targeting the World Series, but you can’t get there without some regular-season magic.

The Dodgers have seen plenty in their 49 Southern California seasons, both in their favor and against them.

For good and for bad, here (in this Dodger Insider magazine story) are the ups and downs, the highs and lows — the 20 most pivotal regular-season moments in Los Angeles Dodger history.

* * *

Beginning this year, the Dodgers merged their previously separate Playbill and Dodger Insider magazines into one publication (at least 80 pages per issue) with a new edition available each homestand plus one in October, 13 issues total. It is distributed at auto gates (one per vehicle) and via Fan Services for those who use alternate transportation. Dodger Insider magazine includes news, features, analysis, photos, games, stadium information and more. Fans who wish to subscribe for 2017 can do so at dodgers.com/magazine.

Dodger offense sets strikeout mark in loss to Marlins

In Postgame

Marc Serota/Getty Images

While the focus was on Clayton Kershaw’s reunion with a big-league pitcher’s mound tonight, Miami’s Jose Fernandez quietly stole the show.

The 24-year-old — who trails only Kershaw among MLB starting pitchers in ERA since 1920 — struck out 14 Dodgers, the most by any single pitcher against Los Angeles in 14 years, in a 4-1 Marlins victory.

With Miami’s bullpen producing three more strikeouts, the Dodger offense set a team record for strikeouts in a nine-inning game with 17. The previous mark of 16 was reached seven times, most recently in 2014.

Kershaw displays strengths and rust in return

In Midgame, Uncategorized

Marc Serota/Getty Images

By Jon Weisman

The fastball was there. The pinpoint command on breaking pitches … maybe not quite so consistent.

But the main thing for Clayton Kershaw, in his return from 10 1/2 weeks on the disabled list, will be how he felt between innings and how he feels in the coming days.

Because even though Kershaw allowed two runs on five hits in an abbreviated, three-inning start at Miami, tonight offered plenty of glimpses of the superstar the Dodgers hope will lead them into October.

[mlbvideo id=”1152153883″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]

Kershaw’s fastball sat at 93-94 mph, and he struck out five. The last of those came on his 66th and final pitch, and made him the first pitcher in MLB history to reach 150 strikeouts in a season without first walking at least 10. Tonight, Kershaw walked none for the 113th, 114th and 115th innings out of the 124 that he has now thrown this season.

In the process, he certainly exerted himself. Under the air-conditioned dome of Marlins Park, Kershaw fired bullets and sweat more of them — no more so than in a 29-pitch second inning. He also made an on-the-run, awkwardly lunging attempt to throw out Christian Yelich on a soft comebacker, then soon after had to duck out of the way of a 91 mph liner up the middle from opposing pitcher Jose Fernandez.

Clayton Kershaw reunited with baseball

In Health/injuries, Pregame, Transactions

Dodgers at Marlins, 4:10 p.m.
Kershaw CCLIX: Kersho and the Two Strings
Chase Utley, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrián González, 1B
Yasmani Grandal, C
Josh Reddick, RF
Joc Pederson, CF
Andrew Toles, LF
Clayton Kershaw, P

By Jon Weisman

Clayton Kershaw is off the disabled list and back on the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who made the move official this afternoon.

Cary Osborne caught us up on Kershaw this morning. Moments ago, Dave Roberts told reporters that the Dodgers will take things “inning to inning” tonight,” but that the schedule calls for Kershaw to make his next start on four days’ rest Wednesday at Yankee Stadium.

In between, the Dodgers will have Rich Hill and Kenta Maeda pitching against the Marlins, followed by rookies Jose De León and Julio Urías at New York. The latter two will have had more than a week’s worth of rest.

Roberts added that he expected to see Urías in the bullpen in October.

To create room on the 40-man roster for Kershaw, the Dodgers recalled right-handed pitcher Carlos Frias from Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he has been on the disabled list since July 12, and placed him on the big-league 60-day DL.

In doing so, the Dodgers have broken the known record for most players on the DL in one year with 28.

The 26-year-old Frias, who had a 3.95 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 43 1/3 minor-league innings this year, pitched in one game for the Dodgers in 2016, throwing four shutout innings July 7 against the Padres. He is tied for 14th all-time for the Dodgers in innings pitched with a single-season ERA of 0.00.

Andre Ethier likely to escape DL this weekend in Miami

In Health/injuries

Jill Weisleder/Los Angeles Dodgers

Not only has Clayton Kershaw been activated from the disabled list for this evening’s start at Miami, but Andre Ethier is poised to be placed on on the active roster for the first time this season.

The 34-year-old outfielder remains on the DL for at least one more game, but the Dodgers said he was en route today to Miami, and not, to paraphrase Humphrey Bogart in “Casablanca,” for the waters.

Vin Scully Special Commemorative Edition magazine comes to Dodger Stadium on September 25

In Promotions, Publications

By Jon Weisman

For Vin Scully’s final homestand with the Dodgers, we’ve created something special for Dodger Insider.

The 96-page September 19-25 issue of the magazine has been dedicated to content celebrating the career of the beloved broadcaster. And on the final day of the season — Fan Appreciation Day — the first 50,000 ticketed fans will get an edition with the special commemorative cover seen above.

Yimi Garcia had arthroscopic knee surgery Tuesday

On September 8, 2016

In Health/injuries

By Jon Weisman

Yimi Garcia had arthroscopic surgery Tuesday on his left knee to remove a small bone fragment, the Dodgers said Wednesday.

Seemingly lost without Clayton Kershaw, the 2016 Dodgers found themselves