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Video highlights of Saturday’s great Old-Timers Day above, and photo highlights from Jon SooHoo by clicking the link.
– Jon Weisman
Category: History (Page 22 of 35)
It is the 55th anniversary of Campanella Night. First look at the Pee Wee Reese & Roy Campanella Bobblehead (7/12): pic.twitter.com/QF3T9OK92A
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 7, 2014
For the July 12 Dodgers-Padres game featuring this bobblehead giveaway, get your tickets here.
Here’s a statistical salute to Roy Campanella, from Lee Sinins for Gammons Daily.
— Jon Weisman
By Jon Weisman
Rachel Robinson and Don Zimmer have been elected to the Baseball Reliquary’s Shrine of the Eternals, along with former Cardinal legend Dizzy Dean.
The Reliquary is an organization “dedicated to fostering an appreciation of American art and culture through the context of baseball history,” and the Shrine serves as its Hall of Fame.
By Jon Weisman
You can’t deny that Tommy Lasorda is a storyteller like no other.
In his life-spanning interview for SportsNet LA’s “Connected With … Tommy Lasorda,” which premieres tonight at 8 p.m., Lasorda spins some of his favorites, starting with his childhood.
“I worked on the railroad when I was 15 years old,” Lasorda said. “I did a man’s job. I worked 10 hours a day, 55 cents an hour. Now I told ’em I was 18, but they kept saying, ‘You’ve got to show us proof that you’re 18,’ and I told them that the church that I was baptized in burned down and the birth certificates were no longer there. I kept getting them off, getting them off, until my father said, ‘Wait a minute — your brother Tommy’ — I had a brother prior to me, he was 2 years old and he died, and he was born in 1925. I’m born in 1927. I take his birth certificate. Now all of a sudden I’m 18 years old.”
Dodgers at Marlins, 4:10 p.m.
Dee Gordon, 2B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Andre Ethier, CF
Miguel Olivo, C
Carl Crawford, LF
Chone Figgins, 3B
Josh Beckett, P
Dee Gordon, 2B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Andre Ethier, CF
Miguel Olivo, C
Carl Crawford, LF
Chone Figgins, 3B
Josh Beckett, P
By Jon Weisman
Unsung hero of the Dodgers’ Thursday nightcap victory — Jamey Wright.
The 39-year-old shut out Minnesota from the ninth inning through the 11th, scattering a single and a walk and lowering his 2014 ERA to 2.70. It was the longest stint of his Grover Cleveland-esque Dodger career.
The list of recent Dodger relievers who have thrown at least three shutout innings is an interesting one. Before Wright, Chris Withrow was the only Dodger to do it since 2010, when Jeff Weaver and Ronald Belisario did it in the same game. Weaver accomplished the feat four times in all in 2009.
The last time a Dodger pitched four innings of shutout relief was June 2, 2010, when Travis Schlichting did so in the game won by a Garret Anderson walkoff single in the 14th.
But the longest shutout relief stint in Dodger history was turned in by Orel Hershiser, who put zeroes on the scoreboard from the 14th inning through the 20th in the June 3, 1989 game at Houston, which ended in the 22nd with a two-strike, two-out single by Rafael Ramirez off third baseman-turned-relief pitcher Jeff Hamilton.
By Jon Weisman
To celebrate the 10,000th National League victory in franchise history, the Dodgers have added a commemorative pin giveaway — as well as a special $10 ticket offer — for the 7:10 p.m. June 4 game against the White Sox.
The first 40,000 fans in attendance June 4 will receive the 10,000 wins commemorative pin. A pregame ceremony, including a DodgerVision video tribute, will take place prior to the game.
In addition, a limited amount of $10 reserved and left-field pavilion tickets are available for purchase now, while supplies last, at www.dodgers.com/10k or by calling (866) DODGERS.
Harry How/Getty Images Sport
By Jon Weisman
Nine years ago before this three-game series against the Twins, the Dodgers hosted Minnesota in a weekend set that became the Hee Seop Choi show.
The first baseman homered in six of his 12 at-bats against Twins pitching: two (including a bottom-of-the-ninth walkoff) on June 10, one on June 11 and then a hat trick on June 12. Though he was a polarizing player from practically the moment he came to Los Angeles in the summer of 2004, chants of “Hee! Seop! Choi!” reverberated around Dodger Stadium.
Choi finished his brief Dodger career with 15 homers in 382 at-bats and a .747 OPS. He eventually worked his way back to his native South Korea.
Friday’s assortment of Jon SooHoo photos is a good one — check ’em out here.
Rockies at Dodgers, 6:10 p.m.
Dee Gordon, 2B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Matt Kemp, CF
Andre Ethier, LF
Justin Turner, 3B
Drew Butera, C
Paul Maholm, P
Dee Gordon, 2B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Matt Kemp, CF
Andre Ethier, LF
Justin Turner, 3B
Drew Butera, C
Paul Maholm, P
Note: Juan Uribe gets a rest from the starting lineup for the first time this season.
By Jon Weisman
It was pretty brutal.
Going into play on August 7, 2009, the Dodgers had a 6 1/2-game lead in the National League West. They played five extra-inning games over the next 18 days, and here’s what happened.
August 7: Chad Billingsley left after six innings with a 5-2 lead at home against Atlanta. The Dodgers allowed two runs in the seventh, one in the ninth and a whopping four in the 12th, capped by a three-run home run by Ryan Church off Scott Elbert.
August 8: The very next night, the Dodgers and Braves played scoreless ball heading into the 10th inning. (Clayton Kershaw pitched the first seven innings for Los Angeles, striking out 10), when Kelly Johnson hit a two-run homer off Guillermo Mota. The Dodgers came back with a two-out RBI double from Andre Ethier, ending a 16-inning scoreless streak for the team, but after an intentional walk to Manny Ramirez, Matt Kemp grounded out.
August 12: The only game I’ve attended at AT&T Park. Tim Lincecum was one strike away from a 2-1, complete-game victory for San Francisco when Ethier singled home Rafael Furcal to tie the game, but Mota gave up another game-winning, 10th-inning, two-run home run. The man who hit that blast? You might recognize him.
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August 15: With the Dodgers leading Arizona, 3-1, in the bottom of the ninth, Jonathan Broxton allowed back-to-back home runs by Mark Reynolds and Miguel Montero. Ramon Troncoso then gave up a game-winning hit in the bottom of the 10th.
August 25: For the second time in their past three extra-inning games, the Dodgers rallied to tie in the ninth inning, this time on a Matt Kemp sacrifice fly and a Manny Ramirez RBI single. Troy Tulowitzki’s RBI single off James McDonald in the bottom of the 10th won it for Colorado.
The offense and bullpen weren’t doing great, and they certainly weren’t in sync. The Dodgers’ NL West lead was reduced to two games. It was unpleasant. It wasn’t the end of the world.
Los Angeles nipped its extra-inning woes with a 3-2 victory over Cincinnati on August 30 (Kemp game-winning RBI, McDonald the win, Broxton the save), part of a 19-10 run that helped them eventually clinch the division. Despite the streak, the Dodgers, in fact, were 12-9 in extra-inning games in 2009.
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Dodgers at Giants, 7:15 p.m.
Dee Gordon, 2B
Carl Crawford, LF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Andre Ethier, LF
Juan Uribe, 3B
Tim Federowicz, C
Josh Beckett, P
Dee Gordon, 2B
Carl Crawford, LF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Andre Ethier, LF
Juan Uribe, 3B
Tim Federowicz, C
Josh Beckett, P
By Jon Weisman
After playing their first 13 games in 24 days, the Dodgers will play their next 13 games in 13 days. So get ready …
Late updates: Taking advantage of his remaining options, the Dodgers sent Paco Rodriguez to Albuquerque to make room for the return of Brian Wilson from the disabled list. Obviously, this won’t be the last the Dodgers see of Rodriguez, who had allowed six hits and two walks in 5 2/3 innings this year while striking out five.
More forebodingly, Chad Billingsley is returning to Los Angeles for an MRI after cutting short a bullpen session today with discomfort in his right elbow. Ken Gurnick of MLB.com has more on both stories if you click the links.
* * *
Some gems from the Dodger press notes:
- The Dodgers’ 7-1 start on the road this season is their best since 1983, and a win tonight would make this their best road start since the 1977 team went 11-1.
- The Dodgers lead MLB by scoring first in 10 games this season and winning nine of those (via Stats, LLC).
- The Dodger bullpen has allowed only two of 20 inherited runners to score this season.
- Adrian Gonzalez became the eighth Los Angeles Dodger to have at least 10 RBI in a three-game series. Frank Howard is tops with 12 from July 27-29, 1962 against the Giants.
- Gonzalez has homered in four consecutive games, one off the team record held by Roy Campanella (1950), Shawn Green (2001) and Matt Kemp (2010).
- Gonzalez has an extra-base hit in eight consecutive games, one off the team record held by Jack Fournier.
- I looked up Fournier’s streak just now (August 20-26, 1925) and saw that it included doubleheaders on three consecutive days. From sunup on August 22 to sundown on August 24, the 35-year-old first baseman went 10 for 22 with two doubles, a triple, three homers and four walks.
* * *
Also in today’s mix …
- The first Jackie Robinson Celebration Game was set for today at Holman Stadium at Historic Dodgertown in Vero Beach, matching Florida State League teams Lakeland (Tigers) and Brevard County (Brewers). Former MLB commissioner Fay Vincent was to address the crowd with history about Robinson.
- Kenley Jansen threw a cutter that broke 100 mph, notes Daniel Brim at Dodgers Digest.
- Ernest Reyes at Blue Heaven presents some anti-discrimination baseball memorabilia.
- Duke Snider received the 1961 Union Oil Dodger Family Booklet treatment (also at Blue Heaven).
- The Dodgers were shut out four times in nine games at San Francisco in 2012, but none in 2013.
By Jon Weisman
The Dodgers all-time stolen base leaders in Los Angeles are a funny mix. Once you get past the truly great thieves, like Maury Wills and Davey Lopes, you encounter a combination that includes short-term speedsters and team legends known more for their longevity than their legs.
Brett Butler, for example, is No. 5 on the list despite not becoming a Dodger until he was 33 years old. He’s one spot ahead of Bill Russell, whose Dodger career ran from ages 20 to 37.
Dee Gordon, who moved into 20th place with his four steals Sunday, is now only two steals behind Steve Garvey. Gordon has played 192 games as a Dodger; Garvey played 1,727.
With only 45 more steals sometime in his Dodger career, in 2014 or beyond (he has nine this year in 13 games), Gordon will zoom all the way up to the 10 spot.
For added fun, we’ll present the all-time caught stealing leaders in Los Angeles. You’ll see that players like Garvey and John Roseboro barely broke even, and Mike Marshall was underwater. Then there are some whose lack of effectiveness on the basepaths might surprise you, such as Willie Crawford and Cesar Izturis.
Neither Kirk Gibson nor Eric Davis make this second list. In their Dodger careers, the pair combined for 121 steals and were caught only 15 times.
By Jon Weisman
Below, to celebrate Jackie Robinson Day, please enjoy this reprint of Chapter 1 of 100 Things Dodgers Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die:
Jackie
From beginning to end, we root for greatness.
We root for our team to do well. We root for our team to create and leave lasting memories, from a dazzling defensive play in a Spring Training game to the final World Series-clinching out. With every pitch in a baseball game, we’re seeking a connection to something special, a fastball right to our nervous system.
In a world that can bring frustrations on a daily basis, we root as an investment toward bragging rights, which are not as mundane as that expression makes them sound. If our team succeeds, if our guys succeed, that’s something we can feel good about today, maybe tomorrow, maybe forever.
By Jon Weisman
After Hanley Ramirez hit a double and two home runs in their 6-2 victory over San Francisco on Sunday, the Dodgers are 31-3 this century when a player gets at least 10 total bases in a game. The three losses were each by one run.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqh3Jf4hdoM&w=550&h=413]
By Jon Weisman
Gil Hodges died 42 years ago today, at the too young age of 47. He would have turned 90 on Friday, and one can only imagine what a wonderful birthday party could have been thrown for him at a Dodger home Opening Day.
Only Duke Snider hit more home runs in the 1950s than Hodges, who fell 44 votes short of the Hall of Fame in 1983, his final year of eligibility, and one vote short of election by the Veterans Committee in 1993. Hodges amassed more Hall votes than anyone on the outside looking in.
Above and below is raw footage from Hodges’ funeral, where you can see such mourners as Jackie Robinson, Don Newcombe and Pee Wee Reese.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LECTjLiCyCg&w=551&h=413]
Dodgers vs. Royals, 1:05 p.m.
Chone Figgins, SS
Carl Crawford, LF
Yasiel Puig, RF
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Scott Van Slyke, CF
Juan Uribe, 3B
Justin Turner, 2B
A.J. Ellis, C
Dan Haren, P
Chone Figgins, SS
Carl Crawford, LF
Yasiel Puig, RF
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Scott Van Slyke, CF
Juan Uribe, 3B
Justin Turner, 2B
A.J. Ellis, C
Dan Haren, P
By Jon Weisman
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Sydney …
- The Dodger press notes helpfully point out that the team record for Spring Training ties is five, achieved in 2006.
- Scheduled to follow Dan Haren on the mound today are Jose Dominguez, Javy Guerra, Paco Rodriguez, Chris Withrow and Jamey Wright.
- Red Patterson was reassigned to minor-league camp today.
- Hanley Ramirez and Andre Ethier will rest today, then be scheduled to play the next five days in a row before the team leaves for Australia, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Times.
- Maury Wills, 27 when he became a Dodger regular, talked to Kevin Baxter of the Times about 25-year-old Dee Gordon.
- Mark Saxon has a couple of pieces at ESPN Los Angeles looking ahead to Australia, including this interview with Australian former Dodger infielder Craig Shipley.
- Sandy Koufax gets the Union Oil 1961 Family Booklet treatment (via Blue Heaven), with this tidbit: “Allegations persist that the Dodgers twice declined to swap Koufax to Kansas City for Roger Maris.” Maris was the American League MVP in 1960, remember, while Koufax was 8-13 with a 3.91 ERA.
Dodgers vs. Angels, 12:05 p.m.
Yasiel Puig, CF
A.J. Ellis, C
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Scott Van Slyke, LF
Andre Ethier, DH
Justin Turner, 2B
Mike Baxter, RF
Chone Figgins, 3B
(Dan Haren, P)
Yasiel Puig, CF
A.J. Ellis, C
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Scott Van Slyke, LF
Andre Ethier, DH
Justin Turner, 2B
Mike Baxter, RF
Chone Figgins, 3B
(Dan Haren, P)
By Jon Weisman
Today’s the first day that the Dodgers will have a chance to test out expanded instant replay with an umpire challenge. Dodger video coordinator John Pratt will be assisting with the replay process.
Also …
- Carl Crawford told Kevin Baxter of the Times that he won’t go to Australia if his third child, whose birth could arrive at any time, isn’t born before the trip.
- Zack Greinke threw a 25-pitch bullpen session today and could return to game action next week, reports Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
- Gurnick also visited with Team France manager Eric Gagne for this feature.
- Chris Anderson, the Dodgers’ top draft pick in 2013, will suit up in the Dodger uniform for a game for the first time today.
- The Life magazine website presents some great Dodger photos from Spring Training 1948.
- There will be baseball at Dodger Stadium three weeks from today.
