Dodger Thoughts

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

Tag: Aroldis Chapman

Gleyber Torres and the myth of Dodger passivity

Gleyber Torres has never played for the Dodgers, but he has come to have a peculiar place in Dodger lore. 

People keep saying that the Cubs’ July 25, 2016 trade of Torres, then a 19-year-old mega-prospect, with three other players to the Yankees for super reliever Aroldis Chapman is an example of what the Dodgers need to start doing in pursuit of an elusive 21st-century World Series title.

Supposedly, Torres is the canary in the Dodgers’ coalmine of caution.

“Their organizational philosophy prevents them from making the kind of the deal the Chicago Cubs did in their championship season in 2016, ending a 108-year drought,” wrote Dylan Hernandez in the Times this weekend, though he’s far from the only one to make such an argument. 

Here’s what this theory ignores: 

Read More

In case you missed it: Tie goes to the Dodgers

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):

Los Angeles Dodgers vs the Cincinnati Reds

For more photos from Friday, visit LA Photog Blog

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén