Uncategorized – Page 10 – Dodger Thoughts

On July 11, 2014

In Promotions, Uncategorized

Today is the 100th anniversary of Babe Ruth’s debut in the Major Leagues. On July 11, 1914, the 19-year-old Ruth pitched seven innings for the Boston Red Sox in a 4-3 victory, allowing two earned runs on eight hits and no walks, while going 0 for 2 at the plate. Anthony Castrovince has more on Ruth’s big-league inauguration at MLB.com.

It’s a great day to unveil the September 9 Babe Ruth Bobblehead promotion, commemorating Ruth’s time as a Dodger coach in 1938. Tickets are available now. The giveaway is for the first 50,000 ticketed fans in attendance, and no, we don’t expect any delivery trucks to break down this time around.

— Jon Weisman

What to know about Yasiel Puig and the Home Run Derby

On July 8, 2014

Here’s the NL HR Derby team, with a look at where their HRs this season would have landed at Target Field pic.twitter.com/YeyGU5zqPT

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 8, 2014

By Jon Weisman

Above is a chart from ESPN Stats & Information that gives you a flavor of what this year’s Home Run Derby — co-starring Yasiel Puig, we learned today — would look like, if this year’s Home Run Derby were the first 3 1/2 months of the baseball season compressed into one night.

But not only does this year’s Home Run Derby not resemble that, it doesn’t even resemble last year’s Home Run Derby. Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com summarizes the key differences:

Dodger All-Stars: Puig, Gordon, Kershaw, Greinke

On July 6, 2014

Yasiel Puig, OF
Fangraphs WAR: 3.3, fourth in NL at his position

* * *

Dee Gordon, 2B
Fangraphs WAR: 2.7, first in NL at his position

* * *

Clayton Kershaw, P
Fangraphs WAR: 2.7, first in NL at his position

* * *

Zack Greinke, P
Fangraphs WAR: 2.0, 12th in NL at his position

— Jon Weisman

ESPN’s All-Star picks heavy on Dodgers

On July 3, 2014

By Jon Weisman

Reflecting the strength of their 2014 seasons and independent of fan bias, Zack Greinke, Clayton Kershaw and Yasiel Puig were unanimous choices for the National League All-Star rosters among five ESPN.com national baseball writers.

Puig was chosen as the starting outfielder by Jim Bowden and Jayson Stark, the starting designated hitter by Jerry Crasnick and David Schoenfield and a reserve outfielder by Buster Olney.

Kershaw was recommended as the NL’s starting pitcher by Olney and Schoenfeld, while the other three included him on the NL staff alongside Greinke. Josh Beckett was also an NL All-Star choice by Crasnick and Olney.

Four of the five chose Dee Gordon as a reserve second baseman, with only Crasnick omitting him. In addition, Bowden and Schoenfield had Hanley Ramirez as a backup shortstop.

Meanwhile, Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com had Puig, Kershaw and Gordon, but not Greinke, Beckett or Ramirez.

As for the fan voting, it ends tonight at 8:59 p.m., with Puig looking to get a final push to ensure a spot in the NL starting lineup.

Coming next homestand: Take the Dodger Rally Bus to the game

On July 1, 2014

For the July 10-13 and July 29-August 5 homestands, featuring games against the Padres, Braves, Cubs and Angels, the Dodgers are offering a Rally Bus for transport from pickup points at various communities to Dodger Stadium and back.

Major League Bus will be offering round-trip travel from Anaheim, Burbank, Carson, City of Commerce, Duarte, Glendale, Long Beach, Monterey Park, Ontario, Pasadena, Santa Clarita, Santa Fe Springs, Santa Monica, Sherman Oaks, South Los Angeles, Sun Valley, Thousand Oaks, West Covina, Westwood and Woodland Hills.

“The Dodgers are excited to get behind MajorLeagueBus.com, who are offering another fan friendly option to get to and from Dodger Stadium,” said Dodgers senior vice president of external affairs Renata Simril. “Fans can leave the driving to the Rally Bus team and included in the price of the ride, fans will receive a $10 Sports Authority gift card. Not only is this a great value, it’s a fun and easy experience as well.”

For additional Rally Bus locations, pricing and schedules, call (855) 725-5928 or visit www.dodgers.majorleaguebus.com.

— Jon Weisman

Puig clinging to third spot in NL outfield as All-Star voting nears end

On July 1, 2014

By Jon Weisman

With fewer than 60 hours to go until All-Star voting closes at 8:59 p.m. Thursday, Yasiel Puig still has a spot in the National League starting outfield, but he has slipped from first to third among outfielders.

Puig (3,001,907 votes) has a 320,000-vote lead over Giancarlo Stanton of Miami for third place, but now trails the tightly matched duo of Pittsburgh’s Andrew McCutchen (3,173,810) and Milwaukee’s Carlos Gomez (3,169,748).

Clint Robinson survives space attack after game-winning hit

On June 30, 2014

They send these graphic destructobeams at the speed of light via satellite, I hear. Fortunately, this one only sheared off the front of Clint Robinson’s helmet but left his head unscathed after his first Major League hit tonight.

– Jon Weisman

Update: But would he survive a liquid attack from land?

What’s .001 between friends? Dodgers tie Giants for first

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By Jon Weisman

Technically, the Giants remain in first place in the National League West. By .001. If you want to be technical.

Either way, go ahead and say that the Dodgers have erased a 9 1/2-game deficit in the National League West for the second consecutive season – and have done so in 20 games, even more quickly than the 25 games it took in 2013.

They did so by pummeling the St. Louis Cardinals for the second consecutive day, 6-0, with Andre Ethier’s three-run homer – his first tater trot in more than a month – in the fifth inning providing the crowning blow behind the continued unparalleled efforts of Clayton Kershaw.

It took the Dodgers until the fourth inning to get their offense going, and in fact, it took a shift-defying bunt single by Adrian Gonzalez to generate their first hit off Cardinals righty Shelby Miller.

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Gonzalez’s effort moved Yasiel Puig, who had walked, to second base, before Matt Kemp singled in the first run and Juan Uribe hit a sacrifice fly for the second.

In the fifth, Puig doubled, Gonzalez singled and Kemp doubled ahead of Ethier’s blast. And that, as some would say, was that.

Ballgame

— Eric Stephen (@truebluela) June 29, 2014

Clayton Kershaw writes another chapter, verging on epic

Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images

By Jon Weisman

The brilliance just keeps coming for Clayton Kershaw, who pitched seven more shutout innings for the Dodgers today against St. Louis.

• Kershaw has entered the top five of scoreless inning streaks in Los Angeles Dodger history.

59 Orel Hershiser, 1988
58 Don Drysdale, 1968
35 Don Sutton, 1972
33 Sandy Koufax, 1963
28 Clayton Kershaw, 2014

• He struck out 13, matching the highest total of his career when not pitching a no-hitter.

• He reached 100 strikeouts with fewer walks (nine) than any pitcher in Dodger history, shattering Sandy Koufax’s club mark of 19 walks for his first 100 strikeouts in 1965.

• He has now pitched more than 400 innings with a sub-2.00 ERA since July 25, 2012 (1.81 ERA in 402 2/3 innings, to be precise).

• He has fanned at least seven batters in eight straight games for the second time in career. Only Koufax (11 games in 1965) has had a longer streak for the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

• His numbers for June: 44 innings, 26 hits, four walks, 61 strikeouts, 0.82 ERA.

• His numbers since giving up seven runs in the second inning at Arizona on May 17: 57 innings, 35 hits, eight walks, 79 strikeouts, 1.11 ERA. Seven runs in one inning, seven runs since.

He is … beyond words.

Clayton Kershaw looks to stay on roll, not get rocked by Cards

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Cardinals at Dodgers, 1:10 p.m.
Kershaw CXCIV: Kershawl Miner’s Daughter
Dee Gordon, 2B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Matt Kemp, LF
Andre Ethier, CF
Juan Uribe, 3B
A.J. Ellis, C
Miguel Rojas, SS
Clayton Kershaw, P

By Jon Weisman

When we last left Clayton Kershaw, he was beyond comprehension, with a 0.97 ERA in June, a 1.26 ERA in his past 50 innings and a 1.84 ERA in nearly 400 innings since July 2012.

The Dodgers public relations department notes that with his current 21-inning scoreless streak, Kershaw is already within range of the top 10 streaks in Los Angeles Dodger history:

59 Orel Hershiser, 1988
58 Don Drysdale, 1968
35 Don Sutton, 1972
33 Sandy Koufax, 1963
27 Don Sutton, 1969
26 Don Drysdale, 1960
26 Sandy Koufax, 1963
25 Wilson Alvarez, 2003
25 Andy Messersmith, 1975
25 Fernando Valenzuela, 1985
25 Don Drysdale, 1967

Kershaw is also aiming for the first six-win month by a Dodger starting pitcher since Hideo Nomo in 1995. If he gets that, he would have nine wins and put the Dodgers on track for a rare trifecta, Dodgers PR notes.

A Dodgers-Cardinals game story that pops

By Jon Weisman

Do I love this lede to Joe Resnick’s story for The Associated Press on Saturday’s Cardinals-Dodgers game. You bet I do …

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Dodgers were well aware that Lance Lynn was experiencing blister problems on his middle finger. And for two innings, they showed callous disregard for his fastball …

Vin Scully on peace of mind, love and bird droppings

On June 27, 2014

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Comedy, suspense, romance … this Vin Scully storytelling minute has it all.

— Jon Weisman

Puppies, Dodgers, puppies, All-Stars, puppies

On June 25, 2014

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Dog puns, dog puns, all I can think of are dog puns. But just remember, after you watch this video, to vote for the All-Stars. These things are related. Puppies. And All-Stars.

— Jon Weisman

Why Clayton Kershaw is beyond comprehension

On June 25, 2014