In case you missed it – Page 6

Category: In case you missed it (Page 6 of 12)

For more photos from Sunday, visit LA Photog Blog.

By Jon Weisman

I like that picture.

Here’s a Monday morning short stack …

Clayton Kershaw allowed only one run in 3 1/3 innings Sunday, but it came amid four hits, three walks and a very critical self-assessment. Ken Gurnick has quotes from Kershaw, Yasmani Grandal and Don Mattingly at MLB.com.
Health reports on Brandon League have gone up and down over the past 48 hours, with the latest now being that he will be shut down for several days, with further medical tests likely, according to Gurnick.
As noted Saturday, there is a bevy of candidates for the Dodger bullpen even if League has a prolonged absence. Making a bid from the extreme outside is Chin-hui Tsao, who didn’t even have an invite to Major League camp but has now retired all 12 batters he has faced. Eric Stephen of True Blue L.A. and Gurnick have more on Tsao, who hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since throwing 24 2/3 innings for the Dodgers in 2007.
We’ve learned more of the names that will be split-squading on the Dodgers’ two-day Big League Weekend trip Friday and Saturday in San Antonio. Here’s what we now have to date:

Pitchers: Zack Greinke (starter), Erik Bedard (starter), Joe Wieland, Pedro Baez, Daniel Coulombe, Yimi Garcia, Juan Nicasio.

Position players: Yasmani Grandal, Adrian Gonzalez, Yasiel Puig, Justin Turner, Joc Pederson, Darwin Barney, Alex Guerrero, Kike Hernandez, Shawn Zarraga, Chris O’Brien, Kyle Jensen, Matt Carson, Buck Britton, Darnell Sweeney.

In case you missed it: Tie goes to the Dodgers

By Jon Weisman

On March 14, 2015

In In case you missed it

#DodgersST pic.twitter.com/jxFR8PKIyE

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) March 14, 2015

Indians at Dodgers, 7:05 p.m.
Jimmy Rollins, SS
Carl Crawford, LF
Yasmani Grandal, DH
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Scott Van Slyke, 1B
Justin Turner, 3B
A.J. Ellis, C
Joc Pederson, CF
Chris Heisey, RF
(Brett Anderson, P)

By Jon Weisman

So, the down-to-the-wire Dodgers remained at it Friday, rallying in the ninth inning to improve/unimprove their record to 2-1-4 over their past seven games.

Now, onto the rest of the wardrobe …

On the night Joel Peralta made his first Cactus League appearance, Brandon League was scratched from a planned outing Friday because of a tender shoulder, writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
The Dodgers seem to think there might well be a reason why an Aroldis Chapman pitch Friday went behind Justin Turner’s knees, writes Gurnick.
Daniel Coulombe, who has retired nine of 10 batters faced this spring, is profiled in this feature by Gurnick that begins with a suspenseful tale involving Coulombe’s grandfather in World War II.
Chad Gaudin, who was warming up in the bullpen during Will Ferrell’s stunt Thursday, was also the pitcher facing sportswriter Tom Verducci during a Spring Training game in 2005, writes J.P. Hoornstra of the Daily News.
Minor league camp opens today for the Dodgers. The minor-league schedule of games was posted by Eric Stephen at True Blue L.A. and begins March 20.
“A revised form of head protection was approved Friday by Major League Baseball for pitchers to begin using immediately if they choose,” reports William Weinbaum of ESPN’s Outside the Lines.
Yasiel Puig has a stomach issue that is keeping him out of today’s starting lineup, but that doesn’t mean Yasiel Puig isn’t playing ball (on PlayStation’s MLB 15 The Show):

For more photos from Friday, visit LA Photog Blog.

In case you missed it: Bat left, throw left, hold baby right

By Jon Weisman

On March 13, 2015

In In case you missed it

For more photos from Thursday, visit LA Photog Blog.

By Jon Weisman

It was hard not to be a little skeptical about Thursday’s Will Ferrell stunt across Major League Baseball, but it helped knowing that it was for a good cause, and pretty quickly it became clear how much fun it was going to be.

It helped that Ferrell, while engaging in all the hijinx, displayed such a sincere love for the game himself. And he looked pretty good out there — for a 47-year-old. (I’m particularly sympathetic to that demographic.)

I’m sure it had to be a distraction on some level, but the memories seem to have been worth it.

But now, it’s back to the real players …

A scout told J.P. Hoornstra of the Daily News that he was “particularly impressed by Sergio Santos, who touched 94 on the gun.”
Julio Urias is the No. 2 pitching prospect in baseball, according to John Sickels’ Minor League Ball, behind local boy Lucas Giolito of the Nationals. Grant Holmes is 41st. On the hitting side, Corey Seager is sixth, Joc Pederson 10th and Alex Verdugo 50th.
You know all the big names by now, but David Hood of True Blue L.A. offers his favorites to watch among the next generation of Dodger prospects.
A classic W.C. Heinz profile of the inimitable Pete Reiser is on display, courtesy of The Stacks.
Former Dodger Chuck Connors, aka “The Rifleman,” made David Schoenfield’s all-celebrity baseball team at ESPN.com’s Sweet Spot.
James Harris, one of my heroes growing up here in the 1970s, gets a nice tribute from Samuel G. Freedman at the New Yorker. It’s a worthwhile history lesson.

In case you missed it: Back against the wall … in March

By Jon Weisman

On March 12, 2015

In In case you missed it

For more photos from Wednesday, visit LA Photog Blog.

[mlbvideo id=”44450783″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]
By Jon Weisman

Yasiel Puig certainly didn’t look uncomfortable in center field Wednesday, at least until he collided with the wall.

And sure, I held my breath as his back smacked, but all was well.

Puig not only continues to look both athletic and smart in the outfield, he helped get the Dodgers going on offense by beating out an infield single and later avoiding a sure force at third base to load the bases.

He’ll still draw howls every time he makes a mistake, but don’t be surprised if those mistakes come farther and farther apart.

Meanwhile …

Zack Greinke, who allowed five baserunners in two innings of Wednesday’s 4-3 loss to Chicago, feels healthy but said he was experimenting with his slider, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. “I’ve been trying to make the slider better than last year, but it hasn’t worked,” Greinke said. “I’m trying to figure if I keep trying or go back to last year’s. I’m trying everything. It looks good, but I’m giving up more hits than normal.”
Here’s what Julio Urias had to say after allowing three singles and a sacrifice fly, via J.P. Hoornstra of the Daily News: “It looks like a bad outing on paper, but I look at it as a good outing because it’s something I can work on,” Urias said through an interpreter. “My confidence is absolutely there. I want to work on the slider, the changeup as well, locating pitches in the zone.”
The four batters Urias faced (Anthony Rizzo, Starlin Castro, Miguel Montero and Chris Coghlan) are a combined 38 years older than the 18-year-old pitcher.
Non-roster lefty reliever David Huff has impressed Don Mattingly, according to Gurnick. “He’s got a lot of weapons, a clean delivery and he handles everything well,” Mattingly said. “He’s really interesting.”
The Dodgers used five former first-round picks on the mound in Wednesday’s game: Greinke, Huff, Zach Lee, Chris Reed and Chris Anderson, who took the loss after allowing a run on a walk, single and sacrifice fly in the eighth.
Darnell Sweeney has been working closely with Davey Lopes this spring, writes Ari Kaye for MLB.com.
Former Dodger reliever Peter Moylan signed an unusual deal with Atlanta, notes Mark Bowman of MLB.com. Moylan, who is recovering from his second Tommy John surgery, will be a Rookie League player-coach in 2015 with an invite to Spring Training as a Major Leaguer in 2016.

In case you missed it: Starting off with sparkle

By Jon Weisman

On March 11, 2015

In In case you missed it

[mlbvideo id=”43890183″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]

For photos from Tuesday, visit LA Photog Blog.

Slamdabulous diving play at second base by Darwin Barney.

— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) March 10, 2015

Dodgers at Cubs, 1:05 p.m.
Jimmy Rollins, SS
Chris Heisey, RF
Yasiel Puig, CF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Scott Van Slyke, 1B
Justin Turner, DH
Joc Pederson, LF
Kike Hernandez, 3B
(Zack Greinke, P)

By Jon Weisman

Relive Darwin Barney’s dazzler from Tuesday in the video above, then move right into today’s news and notes …

Clayton Kershaw gave up a third-inning home run to Nick Hundley on a hanging curveball in Tuesday’s 2-2 tie with Colorado, but he seemed more annoyed by his 10-pitch walk to Jeremy Barfield in the previous inning, writes Ken Gurnick at MLB.com. Kershaw threw 14 pitches in the bullpen after his three-inning outing.
Don Mattingly told reporters that Yasmani Grandal will catch Kershaw in his next outing. Eric Stephen of True Blue L.A. has more.
Dodger relievers Joe Wieland, David Aardsma, Paco Rodriguez and Pedro Baez combined to retire the final 16 Rockies. Wieland was perfect over two innings with four groundouts and a strikeout. Rodriguez struck out all three batters he faced. (Here’s video of the last one.)
Julio Urias is scheduled for his second Spring Training outing today and Joc Pederson is OPSing 1.091, but Corey Seager is turning as many heads as anyone. Dylan Hernandez of the Times has more in this feature.
Pederson, Grandal, Yasiel Puig, Justin Turner and Adrian Gonzalez are scheduled to make the two-day trip to San Antonio for split-squad games against the Rangers at the Alamodome’s Big League Weekend, March 20-21. Tim Wallach will manage. More details about the event here.
This story on Grandal from Bill Plunkett of the Register is worth it if only to read Don Mattingly say of Grandal, “He’s a dangerous cat.”
Joel Peralta had a successful bullpen session Tuesday and is scheduled for his Cactus League debut Friday, reports Gurnick.
MLB Network spent Tuesday at Camelback Ranch, so there’s a lot of Dodger-related content up at dodgers.com/video.
Vin Scully talked to Jill Painter Lopez of Fox Sports about his preparation for Year 66 with the Dodgers.
The Dodgers have the fourth-easiest schedule in the National League for the first quarter of the season, writes ESPN Insider’s Buster Olney, who adds this tidbit: “The Dodgers will have the bulk of their NL West games completed by the All-Star break. They will play 13 of their 19 games against Colorado by June 3, 12 of their 19 games against the Padres by June 14, and 12 of their 19 games against the Giants by June 20.”
Peter Gammons explains at Gammons Daily why he thinks the Dodgers won the offseason.
Will Ferrell plans to play in all eight Cactus League games Thursday, traveling to each via helicopter. By the time he’s done, according to the Associated Press, he’ll have played all nine positions. It’s true because it’s crazy. (The Dodgers play the Padres that night, so you can expect many “Anchorman” references that day.)
Fielding-independent pitching is ready to be informed by much more context, writes Jonathan Judge at the Hardball Times.
Matthew Mesa preserved this Twitter conversation for posterity:

ICYMI: @ClaytonKersh22 will not be buying @BrettAnderson35 & @BMcCarthy32 Apple Watches. pic.twitter.com/m4tDf6OFq9

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) March 10, 2015

In case you missed it: Anderson flushes his cares away

By Jon Weisman

On March 10, 2015

In In case you missed it

For more photos from Monday, visit LA Photog Blog.

"Oh you're starting today…have fun expelling everything in your system beforehand."- my body somehow knowing I pitch today.

— Brett Anderson (@BAnderson3737) March 9, 2015

Rockies at Dodgers, 1:05 p.m.
Darwin Barney, 2B
Carl Crawford, LF
Justin Turner, 1B
Adrian Gonzalez, DH
Andre Ethier, RF
Juan Uribe, 3B
A.J. Ellis, C
Corey Seager, SS
Kike Hernandez, CF
(Clayton Kershaw, P)

By Jon Weisman

Tweets of doom aside, Brett Anderson was as cool as the other side of the toilet Monday in his first Cactus League start for the Dodgers.

Anderson sailed through two shutout innings, needing only 23 pitches to navigate seven batters (five groundouts, a strikeout and a single).

There’s more about Anderson’s outing from Ken Gurnick of MLB.com and Eric Stephen at True Blue L.A.

And in addition to those notes, there are these:

Howie Kendrick’s fifth-inning throwing error was the Dodgers’ second in seven games this spring, and ended their consecutive errorless streak at 45 innings.
Corey Seager, one of three Dodgers (with O’Koyea Dickson and Kyle Jensen) to play in six Cactus League games so far, is starting at shortstop today.
The Dodgers’ team leader in plate appearances so far is Scott Schebler with 13.
In this profile of Chris Hatcher by Dylan Hernandez of the Times, we learn more about Hatcher’s conversion from catcher to pitcher, and also the importance of him placing more faith in his breaking ball.
Cued up by Don Mattingly, J.P. Hoornstra of the Daily News passes along a narrative involving umpire Ted Barrett and former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson.
Where did Spring Training really come from? Alex Skillin explores the origins at the Hardball Times, with one-time Brooklyn manager Ned Hanlon playing a role.

In case you missed it: Puighead Revisited

By Jon Weisman

On March 9, 2015

In Dodger Stadium, In case you missed it, Minor leagues

Los Angeles Dodgers vs Milwaukee Brewers

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

Dodgers at Giants, 1:05 p.m.
Jimmy Rollins, SS
Carl Crawford, DH
Yasiel Puig, RF
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Yasmani Grandal, C
Andre Ethier, LF
Juan Uribe, 3B
Joc Pederson, CF
(Brett Anderson, P)

By Jon Weisman

It’s the Dodgers and the Giants today. The last time these two teams met, the Dodgers were celebrating their National League West title at San Francisco’s expense. I don’t remember what happened after that.

Your pregame links:

Baseball Prospectus went crazy with its self-proclaimed Kershaw Day today, offering more than a dozen stories on the Dodger ace. It’s a fantastic package.
Yasiel Puig was shadowed by a rather large doppelganger Sunday, but also got to meet him, not only face-to-face, but face-inside-face, as David Brown notes at CBSSports.com.
Puig is in the best mental shape of his life, writes Tyler Kepner at the New York Times.
Meeting with reporters today, Don Mattingly offered some nice and unsurprising compliments for Sunday walkoff hero Corey Seager. From Dylan Hernandez in the Times:

Mattingly lavished praise on 20-year-old Corey Seager, comparing the infield prospect to Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. and former batting champion John Olerud.

“Without a putting a giant X on his back, he’s more like a Ripken to me, as far as being the big shortstop that doesn’t really profile there but has great hands, great awareness, really good clock as far as calmness and knowing the timing,” Mattingly said. “At the plate, he’s more like a little bit of an Olerud if you really watch him. He’s quiet. He’s a big guy with a small swing.”
The focus on switch-hitting catcher Yasmani Grandal has been on his power from the left side of the plate, but don’t sell his right side short, writes Dustin Nosler of Dodgers Digest.
Alex Guerrero is the subject of this J.P. Hoornstra feature at the Daily News, a story that includes this insight from Adrian Gonzalez.

“One of the things I know from playing winter ball, being around Latin American countries, is that the time that counts is the game time,” Gonzalez said. “If you don’t want to show up for BP, you don’t have to. … The extra work is up to you. So when you get here and they’re saying ‘you have to be here for BP’ you’re like, ‘why? I don’t need it,’ because you never needed it your whole life.

“Here if you don’t get in the weight room, they label you as a guy who doesn’t work. People are so worried about all the things that you do” ‑ Gonzalez draws out the word “allllll” for effect ‑ “and not just what you do on the field.”
Discussion continues about Guerrero’s stated desire to stay in the Major Leagues, as his contract dictates. I’m not sure why the conversation about Guerrero should be any different than any of the many other players who also can’t go to the minor leagues against their will. In any case, Guerrero clearly wants to make it on merit, and he’s aiming to do so on the field.
Dodger Triple-A hitting coach Johnny Washington described Joc Pederson’s swing in detail to Hoornstra.
Prospect guru John Sickels brought out his Dodger top 20 today at Minor League Ball.
Sunday’s Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic is recapped by Chad Thornburg of MLB.com.

“I’ve been doing this 25 years and been in a lot of different tournaments, the College World Series, a couple different unique things,” said TCU coach Jim Schlossnagle. “This is right there with Omaha. No disrespect to the other things we’ve been a part of, but when you walk in the parking lot, you look up and say, ‘That’s where Kirk Gibson hit the ball.’ … It was just an awesome life experience.”

In case you missed it nightcap: Late-inning heroics

By Jon Weisman

On March 8, 2015

In In case you missed it

For more photos from Sunday, visit LA Photog Blog.

By Jon Weisman

Just imagine it was a pennant race. Kyle Jensen (two-run homer in the eighth) and Corey Seager (walkoff RBI double in the ninth) brought homw go-ahead runs in consecutive innings for the Dodgers, who improved to 4-1-1 with a 4-3 victory over Milwaukee.

Just a few more links before we close out for this daylight-savings discombobulated day …

Brandon McCarthy threw 15 pitches in the bullpen after his two-inning outing Sunday, mostly to work on his curveball, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
J.P. Howell will take a short break from workouts because of mild tightness in his left groin, reports Gurnick.
Service members from the 56th Fighter Wing at nearby Luke Air Force Base in Glendale, Arizona near Camelback Ranch are shagging balls in the outfield during batting practice for the Dodgers, notes Gurnick. The venture provides a great interaction with the military while helping reduce injury risk for Dodger pitchers.
Justin Turner had the Dodgers’ defensive play of the game Saturday:

[mlbvideo id=”42739983″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]

In case you missed it: Yasmani happy returns

By Jon Weisman

On March 8, 2015

In In case you missed it

For more photos from Saturday, visit LA Photog Blog.

Brewers at Dodgers, 1:05 p.m.
Kike Hernandez, 3B
A.J. Ellis, C
Yasiel Puig, RF
Justin Turner, 2B
Scott Van Slyke, 1B
Joc Pederson, CF
Chris Heisey, LF
Scott Schebler, DH
Darwin Barney, SS
(Brandon McCarthy, P)

By Jon Weisman

Fun while it lasts: 14 Dodgers have on-base percentages of .400 or greater so far, topped by Joc Pederson (5 for 7, .714) and Alex Guerrero (6 for 9, .667). O’Koyea Dickson (10), Guerrero (nine) and Scott Schebler (eight) lead the team in total bases.

Yasmani Grandal got in the act in a big way during Saturday’s 5-5 tie with the Indians, hitting a home run, a single, and a single that just missed being another home run.

Here’s what we can reflect on as we head into Brandon McCarthy’s first start as a Dodger exhibitioner:

Grandal on his home run, via Ken Gurnick of MLB.com: “I always like to drive the ball the other way. In the offseason, that’s what I worked on a lot instead of jumping at the ball right away,” said Grandal. “A lot of my power is the other way.”
Carl Crawford fouled a pitch off his shin in the fourth inning Saturday. It wasn’t believed serious, Gurnick reported, but today would bring more enlightenment. (Update: Crawford said today he plans to play Monday.)
A wild pitch contributed to a run in Mike Bolsinger’s two-inning outing Saturday, while Chad Gaudin stepped in with three strikeouts in two shutout innings. J.P. Hoornstra of the Daily News has quotes from Bolsinger.
Chin-Hui Tsao came out of minor-league camp to get an inning-ending double-play grounder on his first pitch of relief Saturday, and ended up with the longest outing by a Dodger pitcher so far this year, 2 2/3 innings with three strikeouts.
Hyun-Jin Ryu is on track to make his first start of 2015 on Thursday against the Padres (and Matt Kemp?) after a successful batting-practice session Saturday, according to Gurnick.
The Dodgers might add a B game this week to get more innings for pitchers to work, writes Eric Stephen of True Blue L.A.
Thanks to his early start with the Dodgers as a teenager in 1998, Adrian Beltre is the No. 1 candidate to become MLB’s next four-decade player, according to Paul Casella of Sports on Earth. But don’t count out 37-year-old fellow former folk hero Buddy Carlyle and his 284 1/3 big-league innings since 1999.

In case you missed it: The youngest prospect

By Jon Weisman

On March 7, 2015

In Health/injuries, In case you missed it, Pregame

For more photos from Friday, visit LA Photog Blog.

Dodgers at Indians, 12:05 p.m.
Jimmy Rollins, SS
Carl Crawford, LF
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Yasmani Grandal, DH
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Andre Ethier, DH
Juan Uribe, 3B
Scott Schebler, RF
Darnell Sweeney, CF
(Mike Bolsinger, P)

By Jon Weisman

Looks like Louis Mattingly was told he’s not starting … but Mom and Dad don’t seem discouraged about his long-term potential.

Here are some more notes and news …

Don Mattingly told reporters today that reliever Mike Adams is days away from being “game ready,” but he looks good so far.
“Dodgers right-hander Zack Greinke looked sharp Friday,” writes AJ Cassavell of MLB.com, “facing hitters for the first time this spring. Perhaps more importantly, he came away from his live batting practice session pain free.”
Ned Colletti shared his thoughts with Bill Dwyre of the Times about his new role with the Dodgers — paraphrasing Jim Murray in the process. “I think he wrote one time,” Colletti said, “that things can get like riding a tiger. We’re afraid to get on, and once we’re on, we’re afraid to get off.”
Of the four players since 1970 who have played at least 300 games at both shortstop and the outfield, two have played for the Dodgers: Derrel Thomas and Hubie Brooks. Hanley Ramirez could become the third, as Doug Miller of ESPN Insider notes.
Sunday’s Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic featuring Texas Christian, Vanderbilt, UCLA and USC will have more than 15 top draft prospects, writes David Hood of True Blue L.A.
Minnie Minoso was the Latin Jackie Robinson, suggests Allen Barra at Sports on Earth. Barra then goes on to argue for Minoso’s Hall of Fame worthiness based on his on-field performance.

[mlbvideo id=”41709783″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]

Meanwhile, at Dodger Stadium: T-minus one month pic.twitter.com/yFeErgqrSc

— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) March 6, 2015

In case you missed it: Opening Day is one month away

By Jon Weisman

On March 6, 2015

In In case you missed it, Minor leagues

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

For more photos from Thursday, visit LA Photog Blog.

By Jon Weisman

Opening Day is one month away. Opening Day is one month away. And this kid looks ready.

Here are the latest links:

Clayton Kershaw looked outstanding Thursday, but he said he had to make an adjustment to fix his slider before his second inning, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
As Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles points out, Spring Training for Kershaw is as much about building endurance as anything else.
Saxon also had a good Q&A with Ellis, touching quickly on several different subjects.
Kershaw and Ellis described their adjustment to the new 145-second time limit between innings, in this Dylan Hernandez story for the Times. More from both in this dodgers.com video here.
It’s actually fun to watch big-leaguers adjust to MLB’s caveat-filled directive to keep one foot in the batter’s box, as Mike Oz points out at Big League Stew.
Farhan Zaidi talked platooning in this story by Bill Plunkett of the Register. An excerpt:

(Joc) Pederson has a mercurial relationship with left-handed pitching. He hit lefties well in the Class-A California League (a .330 average), struggled against them in Double-A two years ago (.200) then handled them well in Triple-A last year (.299 with a 1.020 OPS).

“It’s interesting. I think with lefties you see that more,” Zaidi said of the fluctuations. “One, you’re dealing with left-on-left sample sizes that are pretty small. So there’s just some noise there anyway. And then I just think with lefties it kind of comes and goes a little bit.

“As a general rule, righties will have more consistent splits from year to year. Lefties will have a good year against left-handed pitching and then they’ll have a down year. Really getting a gauge for how guys are performing in that role as early as possible definitely helps. I’ll say this – the sort of exciting thing about him (Pederson) is that he has everyday potential because he has had seasons of success against lefties. There are guys who always struggle in that role.”
It might take all of Spring Training for Don Mattingly to decide how he sets up his bullpen in the absence of Kenley Jansen, Mattingly told Gurnick.
Here’s an exhaustive evaluation of top Dodger prospects by Kiley McDaniel at Fangraphs.
MLB official historian John Thorn has been running a series of posts at Our Game on baseball’s greatest photographs. Here is Part 5, and here is a cool Neil Leifer shot of Willie Davis in Part 2.
NYU, the school that produced Ralph Branca (and my wife), has brought back varsity baseball after a 41-year absence, writes Tom Pedulla for the New York Times. A group photo from the early 1940s that includes Branca runs with the story.

In case you missed it: Be there or Bedard

By Jon Weisman

On March 4, 2015

In In case you missed it

#DodgersST.

A post shared by Los Angeles Dodgers (@dodgers) on Mar 4, 2015 at 8:19pm PST

By Jon Weisman

I’m knee-deep in the 2015 Dodger Yearbook and April 2015 Dodger Insider magazine — you’re going to like what you see in both.

Now, let’s finish off today …

Juan Nicasio received some nice compliments from his former team in Colorado — specifically Rockies manager Walt Weiss and general manager Jeff Bridich — via J.P. Hoornstra of the Daily News.
Erik Bedard told Ken Gurnick of MLB.com that he would accept a minor-league assignment out of Spring Training. That stands in contrast to Alex Guerrero, but of course, their contracts are structured quite differently — with Bedard on a minor-league deal to begin with — so it’s an apples-to-different-kind-of-apples comparison.
Brett Anderson threw to actual hitters for the first time in more than six months today, pitching two simulated innings and remaining on track to make a Cactus League start Monday. Eric Stephen of True Blue L.A. has more.
By the way, Mike Bolsinger will start Saturday, while Brandon McCarthy will start Sunday, as Gurnick notes.
Juan Uribe likes the idea of winning a World Series every five years, given his past titles in 2005 with the White Sox and 2010 with the Giants, writes Dylan Hernandez of the Times.
Former Red Sox pitcher Bruce Hurst is now the Dodgers’ field coordinator of their Campo Las Palmas academy in the Dominican Republic, reports Gurnick.
Dan Haren has adjusted to becoming a Miami Marlin, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
Rick Honeycutt is among the principals in this story by Matthew Kory at Vice about the “Dad Hat.”

In case you missed it: Last links before first pitch

By Jon Weisman

On March 4, 2015

In In case you missed it, Pregame

White Sox at Dodgers, 12:05 p.m.
Jimmy Rollins, SS
Carl Crawford, LF
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Yasmani Grandal, C
Andre Ethier, CF
Juan Uribe, 3B
Joc Pederson, DH
Chris Heisey, RF
(Erik Bedard, P)

By Jon Weisman

Thirty-five Spring Training games in 32 days. You asked for baseball — now you’re gonna get it. The only scheduled off day is March 24, and there are four split-squad days.

Here’s some pregame reading:

Minor-league pitchers Jeremy Horst, Jeremy Kehrt and Blake Smith have also suited up for today’s game.
David Huff (home) and Zach Lee (road) will start the Dodgers’ split-squad games Friday.
Clayton Kershaw had a nice conversation with Ken Gurnick of MLB.com, comparing Kershaw’s experience as a teen sensation with the one Julio Urias is having.
Joc Pederson, Don Mattingly and Triple-A manager Damon Berryhill addressed concerns about Pederson’s strikeout rate in this article by Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles.
More players react to the Dodgers’ health-conscious menu in this piece by Bill Plunkett of the Register.
Did you prefer Adam Dunn or Juan Pierre as a ballplayer? Ben Lindbergh of Grantland offers an examination of this question with a twist.

In case you missed it: Rainy day … and a Monday

By Jon Weisman

On March 2, 2015

In In case you missed it

[mlbvideo id=”39561883″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]

By Jon Weisman

Rain kept the Dodgers from spreading their wings across the great grounds of Camelback Ranch this morning, but as the Dodgers’ public relations department notes, it wasn’t a lost day:

With spring showers pouring down in Camelback Ranch – Glendale, the Dodgers held their fifth full-squad workout of 2015, working in the batting cages while the coaching staff held a baserunning meeting and also talked about the new pace of game rules with position players. Clayton Kershaw, Brandon League, Chris Hatcher, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Joel Peralta, Joe Wieland, Ben Rowen, Ryan Buchter and Daniel Coulombe tossed regular bullpens.

For Ryu and Peralta, this was another step forward after being a step behind last week, as Ken Gurnick of MLB.com notes.

Kershaw was also christened as the Dodgers’ Opening Day starter for the 2015 regular season, putting him on track to become the second pitcher since the team moved to Los Angeles to start five consecutive Opening Days for the Dodgers. Don Sutton pitched every Opening Day from 1972-78, tying him with Don Drysdale (1958-61, 1963, 1965, 1969) for the most Opening Day starts in Los Angeles with seven. Fernando Valenzuela had six.

As for the start of Cactus League play, Erik Bedard and Kershaw were already named starters for the first two games, Wednesday and Thursday. The scheduled relievers for Wednesday are Carlos Frias, Juan Nicasio, Sergio Santos, Adam Liberatore and Josh Ravin. For Thursday, Kershaw is to be followed by Joe Weiland, Brandon League, Chris Hatcher, Daniel Coulombe and Ryan Buchter.

Just a couple of bullet points to wrap things up:

Jimmy Rollins and Yasiel Puig had a two-hour “Get to Know Me” conversation, reports J.P. Hoornstra of the Daily News. “You can’t make that happen,” Rollins said, “You can’t force it, to talk to somebody for two hours. It was a good thing and I was happy I did it.”
Newest of the newly newly signed Mike Adams gave a status report to Bill Plunkett of the Register. An excerpt:

Adams said his shoulder “as of right now it’s good.” He said he worked with his younger brother, Jason (a personal trainer in south Texas), this winter on some changes in his mechanics to put less stress on his shoulder. But he acknowledges he “wasn’t sure if a team was going to take a gamble on me” and see if those changes will work.

In case you missed it: Ping Pong Party

By Jon Weisman

On March 1, 2015

In In case you missed it

By Jon Weisman

The Dodgers’ annual Spring Training Ping Pong Tourney is underway. Whom do you pick?

And now, to wrap up the weekend …

Alex Guerrero, who to this Neanderthal observer looked smooth taking balls at third base today, will be one of the most difficult roster decisions the Dodgers face in March. Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com spoke to Guerrero and Don Mattingly about the situation.
The versatile Kike Hernandez was poised to try to play all nine defensive positions in a single game for Triple-A Oklahoma City (in the Astros organization), only to be thwarted by success, writes J.P. Hoornstra of the Daily News. Hernandez also spoke to Sanchez about how his winter Caribbean Series experienced primed him for Spring Training.
Carl Crawford has operated out of the center of attention this spring, but Dylan Hernandez of the Times catches up with him in this feature.
It’s a hard start to the year for Chicago and baseball, which lost Ernie Banks in February and now today, Minnie Minoso.

Dodger Thoughts

Jon Weisman's outlet for dealing psychologically with the Los Angeles Dodgers, baseball and life

Category: In case you missed it (Page 6 of 12)

In case you missed it: Hug a teammate today

In case you missed it: Tie goes to the Dodgers

In case you missed it: Bat left, throw left, hold baby right

In case you missed it: Back against the wall … in March

In case you missed it: Starting off with sparkle

In case you missed it: Anderson flushes his cares away

In case you missed it: Puighead Revisited

In case you missed it nightcap: Late-inning heroics

In case you missed it: Yasmani happy returns

In case you missed it: The youngest prospect

In case you missed it: Opening Day is one month away

In case you missed it: Be there or Bedard

In case you missed it: Last links before first pitch

In case you missed it: Rainy day … and a Monday

In case you missed it: Ping Pong Party

Buy ‘The Catch: A novel’

Buy ‘Brothers in Arms’

‘Brothers in Arms’ coverage

Instagram

Twitter

Recent posts

Other writing by Jon

Archives

Commenting guidelines

Attendance