For more photos from Tuesday, visit LA Photog Blog.
By Jon Weisman
Despite the Dodgers losing by four runs, Tuesday’s game was not without its highlights, starting with Vin Scully’s narrative about beards in 2015.
[mlbvideo id=”64360583″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]
[mlbvideo id=”64389083″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]
By Jon Weisman
Three sighs, and the Dodgers were out.
Adrian Gonzalez is hitting like a man possessed in his first two games of 2015 and Zack Greinke was practically untouchable in his season debut, but the Dodgers are 1-1, thanks to a three-error performance by their defense tonight that figures to be uncharacteristic.
After a 30-minute rain delay, San Diego topped Los Angeles, 7-3, scoring its first four runs thanks to shortcomings by the Dodger defense.
The Padres would tack on three more runs to effectively put the game out of reach. San Diego won by four, scoring three unearned runs, plus the first inning tally that was questionably if officially earned.
“Errors are gonna happen,” Don Mattingly said. “The field – there was a little rain – but I think guys for the most part would say the field didn’t have a lot to do with it. Plays we have chances to make, we don’t make.”
Puig, as he so often does, recovered from his setback in impressive ways, making a difficult catch of a foul by Upton for the second out of the ninth. And the Dodgers were twice resilient, rallying from 1-0 and 3-2 deficits before the dam burst in the ninth.
Leading the way was Gonzalez, who became the first Major League player since Ray Jablonski in 1956 and second ever to have a single, double and home run in each of his first two games of the season. Gonzalez is 6 for 9 with a hard liner to third in his first at-bat of 2015. His sixth-inning double and eighth-inning homer each tied the game.
The Dodgers’ eight doubles in their first two games also ties a Los Angeles record set in 1995.
Deuces wild? Adrian Gonzalez has two singles, two doubles and two homers (and two strikeouts) in two games.
— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) April 8, 2015
On the mound, Zack Greinke was fairly mesmerizing. After allowing a two-out hit to Matt Kemp in the first before Upton’s triple, Grienke held the next 18 Padres hitless with one walk. The bullpen didn’t fare nearly as well, with six relievers combining to allow nine hits over the final three innings.
[mlbvideo id=”3223721″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]
By Jon Weisman
I didn’t know Juan Pierre, but he always seemed like a wonderful guy, regardless of the debate that surrounded him. He was a symbol of the divide between Old School and New School thoughts about value in baseball: lots of hits but low OBP, lots of steals but a mediocre success rate, lots of joy in the clubhouse but questions about how much that translated into wins.
His third year as a Dodger, in 2009, was his most interesting one. Beginning the season on the bench behind the burgeoning talents of Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier and the massive presence of Manny Ramirez, he surged back into relevance once Ramirez was suspended, with a .365 OBP, and by the time the summer dust had settled, numerous people argued he was the team’s most valuable player, keeping them alive for what ended up being a run to the National League Championship Series.
A look back at that year through Fangraphs shows that even playing 41 more games than Ramirez, Pierre trailed him and five other Dodger position players in Wins Above Replacement for the season, retroactive evidence for those of us who felt thankful for the way Pierre had stepped up but didn’t quite see him as the MVP. But saying that he was overvalued doesn’t mean that he shouldn’t have been valued at all. Those are two different concepts, that I like to think we have a better understanding of today.
Pierre had four seasons in his career of more than 200 hits, and at one point was a legitimate candidate to get 3,000, at a not-so-long-ago time when 3,000 hits was a Hall of Fame guarantee. As it is, he retires today with 2,217 hits — no small feat — and 614 career steals, which is 18th in MLB history. He also leaves with a reputation as one of the nicest guys in the game … and with his sense of humor intact.
I do have one regret I finished with 18 homeruns really wanted to get 20 so if any team wants to sign me for 3yrs that should be enough time
— Juan Pierre (@JPBeastMode) February 28, 2015
Not too shabby. Best wishes to him.
Elsewhere in Dodgeropolis., here’s what’s happening …
By Jon Weisman
On Day 2 of the Dodgers’ Pitching in the Community caravan (presented by Bank of America) today, Dodger alumni including Al Downing, Lee Lacy (pictured), Tim Leary and Dennis Powell visited Hollenbeck Middle School for a project with City Year, which “works to bridge the gap in high-poverty communities between the support that students actually need and what their schools are designed and resourced to provide.”
Next, the caravan visited the After-School All-Stars at Cesar Chavez Elementary, led by Al Ferrara, Matt Luke Luke, Powell, Dodger employees and Bank of America volunteers. After-School All-Stars Los Angeles “educates, enlightens and inspires young people by providing dynamic and exciting opportunities for success, while cultivating self-esteem, leadership and respect to help build healthier communities.”
For more photos from today, visit LA Photog Blog.
Meanwhile …
Oh ya' know, just learning from the pros. No big deal. #DodgersCaravan https://t.co/xJ5DBOVToS
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) January 26, 2015
By Jon Weisman
Despite this afternoon’s rain, the 2015 Pitching in the Community Caravan, presented by Bank of America, got off to a happy start today with a baseball skills clinic featuring Dodger first baseman Adrian Gonzalez at Garfield High School.
Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers
By Jon Weisman
Adrian Gonzalez and his family will be joined by Fernando Valenzuela, Dodger president and CEO Stan Kasten and Dodger executive vice president and chief marketing officer Lon Rosen in Mexico City on Thursday for the Premio Nacional de Deportes (PND) ceremony honoring Gonzalez.
By Jon Weisman
You thought Tuesday’s Gold Glove announcement meant that we were done with fielding awards? You thought wrong.
Adrian Gonzalez and Juan Uribe have been named winners at their positions of the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Awards, the defensive award officially recognized by Major League Baseball.
Winners were determined using a formula that combines traditional defensive stats with advanced metrics, as well as data via scouting service Inside Edge.
Unlike Gonzalez, Uribe did not win a Gold Glove, but we talked about his fielding bonafides two weeks ago.
Adrian Gonzalez, asked tonight about the Dodgers’ early departure from the 2014 MLB playoffs:
“It still sits with us, at least with me. It’s not something you say, ‘OK, I’m over it.’ You have that feeling (that) we should have done more. To be honest, I know it’s a cliche, but until you win a World Series, you’re not satisfied.”
— Jon Weisman
[mlbvideo id=”36339517″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]
Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers
By Jon Weisman
Adrian Gonzalez and Zack Greinke have each won their first Gold Gloves as Dodgers.
Gonzalez, who earned two Gold Gloves with San Diego and one with Boston, had 12 defensive runs saved, tops in the NL and 50 percent more than runners-up Justin Morneau and Matt Adams. Gonzalez also tied for first among NL first basemen in assists with 118 and led in putouts with 1,318.
Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers
Greinke, known for years as one of the most athletic pitchers in baseball, followed up his Silver Slugger-winning 2013 season by beating out teammate Clayton Kershaw for the Gold Glove. Greinke led all NL pitchers in putouts with 28 and was a narrow second behind Miami’s Henderson Alvarez in range factor. He was also tied for third in defensive runs saved with five (Kershaw led with seven).
[mlbvideo id=”34627923″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]
Update: Gonzalez praised Greinke on a conference call with reporters after the awards were announced.
“We have a bunch of pitchers that can really field their position,” Gonzalez said. “Zack is one of them – he’s shown since he’s been here that his athletic ability is incredible. He can do anything – he’s a guy you can put at any position on the field and he’s going to do a good job with it. He’s a guy who has an incredible feel for the game. When he’s pitching he positions us – tells us exactly where he wants us.”
I asked Gonzalez if fielding skills were easier to maintain than hitting skills as his career marched on.
“The best way to describe it is nobody’s hitting the ball any harder (when you’re on defense),” he said. “Pitchers are pitching the ball a lot harder compared to when I first came up.”
“Defensively, I think, experience plays a bigger role. Learning how to position yourself, knowing where to be, not relying as much on pure athleticism and pure range. Wally (bench coach Tim Wallach) does a great job of positioning me.”
Yasiel Puig had a .356 BABIP despite declining from 2013. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)
By Jon Weisman
Were they feeling lucky?
The Dodgers had a team batting average on balls in play of .318, which was third in the Majors but the franchise’s highest in 84 seasons, since the Brooklyn Robins had a .321 BABIP in 1930.
In general, the Dodgers’ BABIP has trended upward in recent years, thanks in part no doubt to strikeouts becoming a larger percentage of outs. It was a different story, for example, in the 1960s, when the Dodgers’ BABIP bottomed out at .266 in 1967 and .268 in 1968.
The oddity is that several prominent Dodgers underperformed their recent or career BABIP marks in 2014 …
Congratulations to the #Dodgers FOUR #RawlingsGoldGlove Award finalists! Most from any team in the National League! pic.twitter.com/UALeJAVvHK
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 23, 2014
By Jon Weisman
This should be the year of the Uribear.
Adrian Gonzalez, Zack Greinke, Clayton Kershaw, Juan Uribe and Zack were named finalists for the Rawlings Gold Glove Awards, with winners to be announced November 4.
Each position has three finalists. Greinke and Kershaw are up against Adam Wainwright of St. Louis for the NL pitcher Gold Glove. Gonzalez is against Adam LaRoche of Washington and Justin Morneau of Colorado, while Uribe has competition from Nolan Arenado of the Rockies and Pablo Sandoval of San Francisco.
Going strictly by advanced stats, Uribe would be the Dodgers’ top candidate. Despite a couple of injury issues this year, Uribe dominated NL third basemen statistically. (Click chart to enlarge.)
Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers
By Jon Weisman
At the halfway point of the 2014 season, we gave you the Dodgers’ top 40 plays of the first 81 games. Without further ado, as part of our drumbeat of excitement heading into the postseason, here are the Dodgers’ top plays of the second half — with a bonus 10 to deliver a nice 50.
Yeah, you’re gonna want to be here a while …
* * *
June 29 vs. St. Louis: Adrian Gonzalez teaches the Cardinals a lesson about the shift.
[mlbvideo id=”34159151″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]
For more photo highlights from Tuesday, visit LA Photog Blog.
By Jon Weisman
Since Australia in March, Dee Gordon has been as regular as they come against right-handed starting pitching in 2014, but the charms of hot-hitting Justin Turner have given Don Mattingly the opportunity to give the speedy second baseman to have an extra day of rest heading into Thursday’s off day.
Turner has a .437 on-base percentage and .517 slugging percentage in 229 plate appearances since May 11.
Gordon has been on a hot streak of his own in the past week, going 10 for 29 with a walk and two doubles for a .367 on-base percentage and .414 slugging percentage. For what it’s worth, Mattingly mentioned Gordon not having a strong history against Kennedy (4 for 21, including a double and a triple, with one walk and six strikeouts).
Some other quick hits (some courtesy of the Dodgers’ PR department):
[mlbvideo id=”36045181″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]
By Jon Weisman
For the first five innings, the Dodgers were being no-hit. Before the next two innings were over, Oliver Perez was throwing at Andre Ethier (one might have concluded) because the Dodgers were hitting too many home runs.
There were three homers in all, two of them three-run blasts in back-to-back innings by Adrian Gonzalez, who became the first Dodger since Eric Karros in 1993 to hit two trifecta round-trippers. (Cody Ross, a Dodger opponent today, had a three-run home run and a grand slam for Los Angeles in 2006, in his final start with the team).
[mlbvideo id=”36046513″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]
Fortunes change, don’t ya know? It’s all about piling up more good than bad. And that is what the Dodgers have done in 2014.
Saturday, I interviewed Dodger general manager Ned Colletti for the print edition of Dodger Insider, and I asked him if there had been a defining moment for the 2014 Dodgers. He didn’t immediately see one, acknowledging at least so far that this year, the team was more methodical than dramatic. That lack of drama has come to be considered a strike against the Dodgers, as if the pennant race were a beauty contest rather than a measurement of which team has the most victories at the end of season.
Today, the Dodgers moved 19 games about .500, tied with Washington for the best in the National League.
But those insisting on an observable spark certainly have to like what they saw from the Dodgers this afternoon, when, after waiting until the sixth inning to gather kindling, they lit a fire. Dee Gordon broke up Trevor Cahill’s no-hitter with a one-out double, Hanley Ramirez walked, and Gonzalez absolutely smashed a ball over the fence in to dead center.
Though this won’t qualify as a late-inning clutch hit, it was a huge one, and comes a day after Gordon’s tiebreaking RBI single in the bottom of the eighth Saturday. Yes, Virginia, this team does come through.
An inning later, it was the same trio. Perez walked Gordon, then Ramirez reached base on an error by shortstop Cliff Pennington. Gonzalez hit his third home run of the past 21 hours and second homer of the year off a lefty, giving him his seventh 100-RBI season of his career and matching his 2013 total as a Dodger. And then for good measure, Matt Kemp hit his 19th of the year. (This article seems timely.)
Perez then smacked Ethier in the back (making him the Dodgers’ all-time leader in HBPs with 53), and when umpire Laz Diaz warned both benches, that didn’t sit well with Don Mattingly and Monday’s starting pitcher, Clayton Kershaw, both of whom were ejected. Thankfully, Kershaw isn’t pitching against Arizona again this year, which saves us the worry about him retaliating and getting thrown out himself.
[mlbvideo id=”36046593″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]
Since August 29, San Francisco has won six of its past eight games. If the Giants don’t win tonight in Detroit, they’ll have gained no ground on the Dodgers in that stretch.
For more photo highlights from Saturday, visit LA Photog Blog.
By Jon Weisman
Clayton Kershaw is in a league of his own, but Matt Kemp’s second-half offensive surge made me wonder whether he’s the Dodgers’ most valuable player since the All-Star Break — at least among position players.
According to Fangraphs, Kemp has been the Dodgers’ top offensive player since the All-Star Break, though the site continues to downgrade his defense significantly. I struggle with the idea that enough action has come to Kemp in the outfield to have that much of an impact on his overall worth, but I do trust the stats more than my anecdotal observations.
In any case, with the caveats of small sample size, moving to right field has helped Kemp (the following are full-season stats):
Fangraphs makes Adrian Gonzalez No. 1 in Wins Above Replacement in the second half for the Dodgers. Gonzalez ranks below-average defensively but only just so, and his second-half offense quietly just about matches up with Kemp’s:
But here’s a twist for you. If you tweaked this discussion from the Dodgers’ most valuable position player of the second half to the Dodgers’ best position player of the second half, the answer might well be Justin Turner.
Turner’s offense matches Kemp’s — .432 OBP (astonishing), .474 slugging, 163 wRC+ — and his defense surpasses both Kemp and Gonzalez. In fact, if Turner weren’t forced to play out of position at times, his defense for the 2014 season would be above average:
Not to say that Turner’s performance might not decline if he played every day like Gonzalez and Kemp (that’s Don Mattingly’s contention, by the way), but per unit of playing time, Turner has generated the highest WAR on the Dodgers in the second half.
Thanks to Turner and Juan Uribe, who is the Dodgers’ top defensive regular and fourth on the team in WAR in the second half, third base has led the way among the Dodgers’ non-pitchers in helping the team hold onto the lead in the National League West.
What happens when three old friends in crisis fall into an unexpected love triangle? In The Catch, Maya, Henry and Daniel embark upon an emotional journey that forces them to confront unresolved pain, present-day traumas and powerful desires, leading them to question the very meaning of love and fulfillment. The Catch tells a tale of ordinary people seeking the extraordinary – or, if that’s asking too much, some damn peace of mind.
Thank You For Not ...
1) using profanity or any euphemisms for profanity
2) personally attacking other commenters
3) baiting other commenters
4) arguing for the sake of arguing
5) discussing politics
6) using hyperbole when something less will suffice
7) using sarcasm in a way that can be misinterpreted negatively
8) making the same point over and over again
9) typing "no-hitter" or "perfect game" to describe either in progress
10) being annoyed by the existence of this list
11) commenting under the obvious influence
12) claiming your opinion isn't allowed when it's just being disagreed with
Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén
