Clayton Kershaw – Page 10 – Dodger Thoughts

By Jon Weisman

As Scott Van Slyke comes in for a landing, here’s a quick scan of some Dodger links around the Internet …

Clayton Kershaw can hit several milestones this year, writes Paul Casella of MLB.com. A sample: “Kershaw, who has posted a 0.857 WHIP and a 0.881 WHIP in the past two seasons, respectively, could become the first starter with three sub-0.900 WHIP seasons.”
MLB’s Statcast likes the chances for Alex Wood to improve in 2016, writes Mike Petriello for MLB.com. Jeff Sullivan takes his own deep dive on the same subject at Fangraphs.
Led by Van Slyke and Kiké Hernandez, the Dodgers have baseball’s best backups, according to August Fagerstrom of Fangraphs.
Baseball Prospectus has a detailed rundown of its top 10 Dodger prospects, plus five that just missed, then concludes with this ranking of the top 10 Dodgers at any level, age 25 and under:
1) Corey Seager
2) Yasiel Puig
3) Joc Pederson
4) Julio Urias
5) Jose De Leon
6) Alex Wood
7) Grant Holmes
8) Frankie Montas
9) Yadier Alvarez
10) Alex Verdugo

Textbook first inning takes Dodgers to opening victory

On March 3, 2016

In Baserunning, Postgame, Spring Training

Andre Ethier is greeted by Dave Roberts after scoring the Dodgers’ second run of the season. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

By Jon Weisman

The first inning of the Dodgers’ 6-1 Cactus League opening victory over the White Sox (summarized by Ken Gurnick of MLB.com) was a Spring Training work of art.

After Clayton Kershaw’s initial shutout inning, leadoff hitter Howie Kendrick worked a walk off Chicago starter John Danks. Facing the White Sox lefty in his first at-bat of the season, Andre Ethier singled the opposite way.

Two of the next three hitters — Yasiel Puig and Yasmani Grandal — then hit solid RBI singles. Significantly, a baserunner went from first to third on each.

“If you look at the numbers of how this team ran the bases last year, we can do better,” manager Dave Roberts said. “It’s a point of emphasis for sure. It’s more of a mindset than a style of baseball. That’s how you play the game.”

Dodgers discuss direction after Anderson injury

By Jon Weisman

On March 3, 2016

In Health/injuries, Pitching, Spring Training

By Jon Weisman

In the hours since Brett Anderson’s second disc injury in three years was announced, it was easy to say how easy this was to predict.

But according to Dodger general manager Farhan Zaidi, the people who actually do this kind of prediction said it was highly unlikely.

“Going through the diagnosis yesterday, we were told the chance of recurrence of something like this was pretty low, something around 10 percent of the time,” Zaidi said. “It’s obviously an unfortunate thing to happen. He had a healthy season last year, (and) he came in this year in great shape, was doing a lot of preventative stuff to keep something like this from happening.

“In (asking) the doctors, ‘Was this a single traumatic thing, was it something that happened over time?’ — it really could be either. But it was obviously a very quick thing from throwing live BP and looking great, to feeling something, to having some tests done and realizing that he needed surgery. … The fortunate part of it is we’re still hopeful we see him at some point this season, most likely in the second half. But just to get back, the actuarial chances of recurrence are really low in this case, so it was just a bit of bad luck.”

Speaking shortly after striking out two in his two-inning Spring Training debut today, Clayton Kershaw didn’t downplay the significance of what Anderson’s injury meant.

Kershaw to start Dodgers’ Catcus and National League openers

By Jon Weisman

On February 28, 2016

In History

By Jon Weisman

It will be 2016 Yearbook cover boy Clayton Kershaw vs. Tyson Ross when the Dodgers open the 2016 National League season April 4 at San Diego.

Kershaw will be making his sixth consecutive Opening Day start, the most in a row since Don Sutton made seven (1972-78). Sutton and Don Drysdale hold the franchise record for Opening Day starts.

As a prelude, Kershaw will be on the mound when the Dodgers open their Cactus League season Thursday at Camelback Ranch agains the White Sox.

Los Angeles has won all five previous Opening Day starts by Kershaw, though he has a no-decision in two of those. For you trivia buffs, the winning pitchers on Opening Day in 2012 and 2015 were Josh Lindblom and Joel Peralta.

Kershaw threw live BP Saturday, Sunday's list starts with Kazmir as rotation order takes shape. Maeda, Anderson, Wood figure to follow.

— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) February 28, 2016

In case you missed it: Kool Kenley

By Jon Weisman

On February 20, 2016

In In case you missed it, Spring Training

For more images from today, visit the Dodgers Photog Blog.

By Jon Weisman

Let’s recap the first Saturday of Spring Training …

In case you missed it: Pitchers and catchers and avocados, oh my

By Jon Weisman

On February 19, 2016

In In case you missed it, Spring Training

For more photos from today, visit the Dodgers Photog Blog.

By Jon Weisman

Hey! It’s that day!

With today’s “pitchers and catchers reporting” day arriving, it’s time to bring back our regular roundup of relevant news on the Dodgers and baseball. Here’s what’s percolating on the Camelback campus …

Hyun-Jin Ryu, pictured above with Kenta Maeda, had a 35-pitch bullpen session Thursday. He is expected to pitch in the Cactus League but is not being rushed to be ready for the opening of the regular season, wrote Andy McCullough of the Times in his roundup.
Maeda, who met with a gaggle of reporters this morning, has thrown two bullpen sessions already and all is normal, according to Bill Plunkett of the Register.
Yasmani Grandal is under no limitations now that his left shoulder has healed from surgery, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
Andre Ethier’s jersey is being retired by Arizona State tonight. Ethier and his wife Maggie were both already inducted into the Sun Devil Athletics Hall of Fame in 2014.
Frankie Montas’ stress fracture in rib “was less severe than thoracic outlet syndrome,” notes Alanna Rizzo of SportsNet LA. Montas broached it with Dodger trainers last month after it persisted, Rizzo said.
On a brighter side, Rizzo added that Justin Turner has “hit every checkpoint” in his recovery from microfracture surgery.
Trayce Thompson watched his brother Klay at the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, then went to Arizona on Monday, according to Doug Padilla of ESPN. (Update: Padilla has more on Grandal here.)
Fellow White Sox emigré Micah Johnson needed a few stitches after cutting his hand while slicing an avocado, and will need a few days to heal, reported Plunkett. For his part, Johnson tweeted that he had “the last laugh.”
Andrew Friedman has taken to calling Dave Roberts “Doc,” according to Eric Stephen of True Blue L.A. For you trivia buffs, the new Doc Roberts was born almost exactly 75 years after “Fiddlin'” Doc Roberts.
The Uribear, Juan Uribe, has agreed to a one-year contract with the Indians.
Tony Phillips, who seemed perpetually underrated to me, has passed away all too soon at age 56, as chronicled by Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
And one more item from Thursday: Brandon McCarthy took Clayton Kershaw to task for misunderstanding the fundamentals of offseason training. But it’s possible there’s been a misunderstanding …

Introducing the 2016 Los Angeles Dodgers Yearbook: Clayton Kershaw, Vin Scully and more

By Jon Weisman

On February 3, 2016

In Publications

By Jon Weisman

In June, Clayton Kershaw will celebrate his 10th anniversary in the Dodger organization. In turn, the Dodgers are celebrating Kershaw in the 2016 Yearbook.

Publishing at the start of March — in time for the opening game of Spring Training — and available at both Dodger Stadium and Camelback Ranch, the 2016 Yearbook will feature a special 27-page section reminiscing over the divine decade of Kershaw’s life as a Dodger.

In addition, 2014 Yearbook cover subject Vin Scully will receive a special tribute of his own in the 2016 Yearbook, which takes a trip through memory lane with the legendary, beloved broadcaster.

Of course, the 2016 Yearbook looks ahead as well, offering a big compilation of season previews of every Dodger on the roster, top prospects and new manager Dave Roberts, as well as tidbits about going to Dodger Stadium in the coming year, and much more.

A season’s worth of enjoyment is packed into nearly 200 pages, available for only $15.

For those ordering the yearbook online, place your order by February 15 for earliest possible shipping. Special offer: The 2016 Yearbook is free with a year’s subscription to Dodger Insider magazine.

To place an order or for more information, visit dodgers.com/yearbook.

Nice upgrade @Dodgers Much better than the 10yr Celebration Pamphlet I received back in 2012! pic.twitter.com/ke0hIXtvZ6

— AJ Ellis (@AJEllis17) February 3, 2016

Updates on Puig, Utley, McCarthy and Kershaw

By Jon Weisman

On February 1, 2016

In Status report

By Jon Weisman

Now that all the hoopla of Saturday’s FanFest has given way to rain, wind and an element to be named later, let’s check in on the latest with a few of your intrepid Dodger heroes.

Yasiel Puig

About three feet in front of me Saturday, near the FanFest stage, Dave Roberts and Yasiel Puig shared an enthusiastic hello and embrace. When I tweeted this, I was met with some skepticism, but the relationship ball is rolling, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.

“I just had a good sit-down with him,” Roberts said. “It was refreshing for me to have a good face-to-face with him, to talk about our vision, and it’s more of, ‘Let’s wipe the slate clean’ and everything’s new. There’s the same core of players but a completely new coaching staff, and we just want him to be himself and let’s start fresh.”

Seager’s strongest shots

By Jon Weisman

On January 22, 2016

In Hitting

By Jon Weisman

Something I was simply curious about (and I’m not suggesting there’s any deep meaning to it) was the quality of pitcher that Corey Seager hit the hardest during his September trial.

Below are the 21 pitches Seager hit at least 100 mph, according to Baseball Savant, and the 2015 fielding-independent ERAs of the pitchers who threw them. Click to enlarge …

The 4.60 FIP isn’t impressive, though I suspect that if you did this chart for most players, they’re not as likely to rocket their hardest-hit balls off of opposing aces.

Just for fun, here are the hardest hit balls off Clayton Kershaw in 2015 — featuring two pitchers (Madison Bumgarner, OK, but Francisco Liriano?) and a trifecta from none other than Rockies catcher Wilin Rosario. As a group, these batters were also not quite average …

Video: Ellis and Kershaw take Green Bay

By Jon Weisman

On January 5, 2016

In Humor, Off the field, Other sports

[mlbvideo id=”537534483″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]

Courtesy of SportsNet LA, here’s a fun video of Clayton Kershaw joining A.J. Ellis at a Cowboys-Packers game in Green Bay last month — a day that includes Kershaw picking up the football and sending a pass too deep, and yet shallow, all at once.

— Jon Weisman

Cuban reunions and revelations for Puig, Kershaw

By Jon Weisman

On December 17, 2015

In International

Photos by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images

By Jon Weisman

In between visits with kids of all ages on MLB’s goodwill tour of Cuba, Yasiel Puig had a reunion with his half-brother, as Kevin Baxter writes for the Times.

… While Puig is of Cuba, until this week he hadn’t been in Cuba for nearly five years. And that seemed like an eternity to Yoan Hernandez, Puig’s half brother.

“I missed him,” Hernandez said Wednesday, a day after an emotional reunion. …

In addition, Clayton Kershaw met family members of his teammate and Cuba native, Yasmani Grandal.

… Yohandri Grandal and his father Avelino sat in the first row of the grandstands, watching the clinic. Baseball, and politics, have separated their family as well.

Yohandri’s brother, Yasmani, a Dodgers catcher, left Cuba for Miami with his mother 17 years ago. The siblings have rarely seen each other since and Avelino said he hasn’t seen his son since 2010.

He got a little closer Wednesday when Clayton Kershaw, who is also participating in the goodwill tour, saw Avelino waving a tiny blue Dodgers jersey with Grandal’s name and number. So Kershaw walked over to the two men and reached up into stands to shake their hands.

For now, talking to the pitcher who throws to his brother is about as close as Yohandri figures to get to a reunion. But he’s hopeful the negotiations between baseball officials in the U.S. and Cuba can change that. …

[mlbvideo id=”534840583″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]

Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com has more on Kershaw, who is the only player on the trip who doesn’t speak Spanish.

“They keep saying, ‘Baseball’s the way of life,’ but you don’t really know what that means,” Kershaw said. “Then you come here and you kind of understand. It’s so important, and it’s so new, too, this whole trip and what the people here can experience and what we as players can do. It’s just such new territory for us. I think the excitement of being here is infectious.”

One more piece for you: Over at Historic Dodgertown is a history of the relationship between the Dodger and Cuba.

Puig, Kershaw arrive in Cuba

By Jon Weisman

On December 15, 2015

In International

(Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

By Jon Weisman

Yasiel Puig, Clayton Kershaw and the rest of MLB’s goodwill tour to Cuba landed today. Michael Weissenstein of The Associated Press has more:

Puig, who fled to Mexico in a smuggler’s fast-boat in 2012 and then crossed the border to Texas, wrapped his childhood coach Juan Arechavaleta in a bear-hug, resting the side of his face atop the smaller man’s head.

“I’m very happy to be here,” said Puig, who had been barred from returning to Cuba until he was granted special permission for this week’s trip.

The players have arrived in Havana, Cuba. They were greeted at the bus by media, fans and family members @MLB pic.twitter.com/YEoQLBWSIX

— Jesse Sanchez (@JesseSanchezMLB) December 15, 2015

Still more on the trip can be found from Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com and Kevin Baxter of the Times. In addition, The Players’ Tribune passed along this happy video of Kershaw.

.@ClaytonKersh22 having a sunset catch along el Malecón in Havana. #TPTCuba https://t.co/5xlzBG1uIS

— The Players' Tribune (@PlayersTribune) December 15, 2015

Update: Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com has a feature focusing on Puig, including this quote from Kershaw:

“I know I’m probably not going to be able to go to Cienfuegos, where he’s from,” Kershaw said of Puig, “but just being here, seeing the culture and being here, it can only help me understand him a little bit more as a person, and maybe give me a little bit more credibility with him. It’s important.”

Said Puig: “I’m very emotional about going back to my country, to spend some time with the kids over there. … It’s going to feel very good.”

Dave Roberts discusses Kershaw, Greinke

By Jon Weisman

On December 7, 2015

In Front office, Managing

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

By Jon Weisman

Dallas is a pretty convenient stop on the way from Los Angeles to Nashville, and Clayton Kershaw’s house is a pretty nice place for a layover.

So on his way to baseball’s annual Winter Meetings, new Dodger manager Dave Roberts spent several hours meeting with Kershaw, to discuss next year’s team in general and the departure of Zack Greinke in particular.

Greinke, Kershaw in NL MVP top 10

By Jon Weisman

On November 19, 2015

In Awards

By Jon Weisman

Zack Greinke finished seventh, Clayton Kershaw 10th and Adrian Gonzalez tied for 19th in the Baseball Writers Association of America’s National League Most Valuable Player vote, won unanimously by Washington’s Bryce Harper.

Greinke, the NL Cy Young Award runner-up, received two of the 30 possible second-place votes behind Harper, and in the MVP race also finished one slot behind NL Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta. Greinke was included in the top 10 of 24 ballots.

Other than Kershaw winning the NL MVP voter last year, Arrieta and Greinke had the highest finishes for a pitcher in the NL MVP race since Roy Halladay finished sixth in 2010.

Kershaw’s highest place on any MVP ballot this year was fourth place (two votes). Gonzalez had one ninth-place and one 10th-place vote.

Arrieta tops Greinke, Kershaw for NL Cy Young Award

By Jon Weisman

On November 18, 2015

In Awards

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

Zack Greinke in Cy Young balloting

2009: first (AL)
2013: eighth (NL)
2014: seventh (NL)
2015: second (NL)

Clayton Kershaw in NL Cy Young balloting

2011: first
2012: second
2013: first
2014: first
2015: third

Dodger MLB Cy Young Award winners
*unanimous

1956: Don Newcombe
1962: Don Drysdale
1963: Sandy Koufax*
1965: Sandy Koufax*
1966: Sandy Koufax*

Dodger NL Cy Young Award winners
*unanimous

1974: Mike Marshall
1981: Fernando Valenzuela
1988: Orel Hershiser*
2003: Eric Gagne
2011: Clayton Kershaw
2013: Clayton Kershaw
2014: Clayton Kershaw*

By Jon Weisman

Despite the lowest ERA in the Major Leagues in 20 years, Zack Greinke will go into the offseason without the National League Cy Young Award.

Greinke missed becoming the ninth Dodger pitcher to win the trophy, falling to Jake Arrieta in this year’s vote by the Baseball Writers Association of America.

If four of Greinke’s 17 second-place votes had put him first, Greinke would have won the award.

Finishing third was three-time winner Clayton Kershaw, who did receive three first-place votes.

No ballot put Arrieta or Greinke outside of the top three, while two voters had Gerrit Cole of the Pirates in third place.

Greinke had a 1.66 ERA — the lowest in the big leagues since Greg Maddux in 1995 — and an adjusted ERA of 225 (best since Roger Clemens in 2005). He also led the Majors in WHIP (0.84) and win probability added (6.72).

This year’s balloting marked the first time that a pair of teammates ranked among the top three Cy Young vote-getters since 2011 (Philadelphia’s Halladay and Cliff Lee) and the first time for two Dodger pitchers since 1974, when Mike Marshall won the award and Andy Messersmith was the runner-up.

Two different Dodgers haven’t won the award in consecutive years since Don Drysdale (1962) and Sandy Koufax (1963).

Win or lose, the Kershaw Boys are back! pic.twitter.com/9HnNPKBDsF

— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) November 18, 2015

Dodger Thoughts

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

Tag: Clayton Kershaw (Page 10 of 36)

In case you missed it: Slyke like an eagle

Textbook first inning takes Dodgers to opening victory

Dodgers discuss direction after Anderson injury

Kershaw to start Dodgers’ Catcus and National League openers

In case you missed it: Kool Kenley

In case you missed it: Pitchers and catchers and avocados, oh my

Introducing the 2016 Los Angeles Dodgers Yearbook: Clayton Kershaw, Vin Scully and more

Updates on Puig, Utley, McCarthy and Kershaw

Seager’s strongest shots

Video: Ellis and Kershaw take Green Bay

Cuban reunions and revelations for Puig, Kershaw

Puig, Kershaw arrive in Cuba

Dave Roberts discusses Kershaw, Greinke

Greinke, Kershaw in NL MVP top 10

Arrieta tops Greinke, Kershaw for NL Cy Young Award

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