(Pic Link: TwitPic MelissaMArtin_)
(Pic Link: TwitPic DylanHernandez)
(Pic Link: TwitPic Trish37)
(Pic LInk: TwitPic DevStaff)
WooHoo! The season is finally here. Before I get on with whatever I was planning to write here I want to start out with a great little tune that is sure to put a smile on your face. Here is John Fogerty's "Centerfield."
I go to the ballpark and when I got there Doug told me not to bring that paper with me or you’re gone!
Umpires……….
"As you are no doubt aware, the Orioles of that vintage were a tough bunch of men. They drank all the liquor in America, they went decades without sleeping, they brawled against Norse gods, and they saw all of their children killed gruesomely by primitive farming equipment. All of these things are facts."Here is my name.
"Murder Mittens"
Here is a Tommy Lasorda 2002 Upper Deck Sweet Spot Classics autograph card from my collection. Man-O-Live, I really love these cards.
LAST NIGHT’S ACTION: Rod Barajas powered his third Spring Training home run last night, but the Dodgers managed just five hits and lost 5-1 to the Angels in Anaheim. Hiroki Kuroda tossed 4.0 innings in his final tuneup before his 2011 debut on Sunday against the Giants and Lance Cormier fired a scoreless inning of relief to lower his spring ERA to 2.00 (2 ER/9.0 IP) in nine appearances. Minor leaguer Michael Antonini, who was acquired in the Chin-lung Hu trade with the Mets, closed out the game with 2.0 scoreless frames for the Dodgers.
LEADERS OF THE PACK: As the spring season winds down, Dodger outfielder Matt Kemp still leads the club with 19 hits, five homers, 15 RBI and 41 total bases. Infielder Juan Uribe’s seven doubles edge out fellow newcomer Marcus Thames’ six for the team lead in two-base hits, while non-roster invitee Aaron Miles has crossed the plate a team-best 10 times. On the mound, Mike MacDougal has not allowed an earned run (one unearned) in 10.0 innings over 11 appearances this spring. Clayton Kershaw has fanned a team-best 20 batters and is tied with John Ely for the club lead with two wins apiece. Hiroki Kuroda’s 4.0 innings last night gave him a team-high 26.0 over his six Cactus League starts.
RUBBY SLIPPERS: Dodger right-hander Rubby De La Rosa will make his third start and sixth appearance of the spring tonight after allowing three runs over 4.0 innings of relief on Friday against the Diamondbacks in Tucson. The 22-year-old was the Dodgers’ 2010 Minor League Pitcher of the Year and has limited opposing hitters to a .182 batting average with 10 strikeouts in 14.0 innings this spring.
YOUNG GUNS: Congratulations to Rubby De La Rosa and Jerry Sands for winning the 2011 Jim and Dearie Mulvey Award, given to the top rookie in Dodger camp as voted on by the Dodger coaches. The Mulvey family was part owners of the Dodgers from 1938-1975. This season marks the first tie in the history of the award as the coaching staff opted for a split decision on the power hitting infielder/outfielder Sands, who batted .300 with one home run and two RBI in 21 games, and the hard-throwing De La Rosa. Right-handed pitcher Josh Lindblom won the award last year and Dodger outfielder Xavier Paul took home the honor in 2009. Other winners on the current roster are Hong-Chih Kuo and James Loney.
ROLL OUT THE BUNTING: The Dodgers will celebrate the 30th anniversary of 1981 Opening Day during tomorrow’s festivities to kick off the 2011 season. Grammy Award-winning singer Plácido Domingo will perform the National Anthem and Broadway actor and singer Davis Gaines will perform God Bless America. Fans are encouraged to arrive early and can meet 1981 World Series champion Bill Russell in Autograph Alley from 2:30-4:00 p.m.
SOMETHING IN THE AIR TONIGHT: MLB Network will also be joining the Dodgers in celebrating the 30th anniversary of 1981 Opening Day with a special feature on Fernando Valenzuela, which will debut tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. PT on the network. The show will feature interviews with Valenzuela, Steve Garvey and Tommy Lasorda on the impact Fernandomania and his remarkable 1981 season.
Are you up for Kershaw's Challenge?“It’s one thing traveling around the United States playing in different cities, even going to different parts of the world,” Kershaw told Dodgers Magazine in an April cover story. “But when you go to a third-world country and see how other cultures live, it’s very different. You think it’s something that happened way back in the day, but plenty of people are living in houses that would be considered shacks here without running water or electricity. It makes you thankful for what you have.”
Ellen Kershaw has been to Zambia 5 times. “I always say the first time you’ve hugged a Zambian orphan it’ll change your life,” she told Dodgers Magazine. “It’s because that whole blanket of poverty becomes very personal, and you see the one life that you can impact and what a difference you can make… Going to Zambia really broadened both of our perspectives. I think we’re just trying to leave a legacy, leave a mark.”
In honor of todays announcement regarding a memorial patch to be worn by the Dodgers here is my 2003 Upper Deck Sweet Spot of Duke Snider.
Sometimes simple is best. The Dodgers will be honoring and celebrating the life and career of Duke Snider with a patch to be worn at every game this season. See it above. It features Duke's retired uniform number within a black circle. If I'm not mistaken, this has been the traditional way the Dodgers have honored a fellow player. From the press release: The last time the Dodgers wore a memorial patch on the team’s uniforms was in 2000 in memory of Snider’s teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Pee Wee Reese. Other memorial patches worn by the Dodgers were done so in tribute to Jim Gilliam (1978), coach Don McMahon (1987), Tim Crews (1993) and a combination patch for Hall of Famers Don Drysdale and Roy Campanella, who passed away within a week of one another in 1993.The Dodgers will begin wearing it on Opening Night.
ON THE MOUND: Dodger right-hander Hiroki Kuroda will make his sixth and final spring start tonight and he is still searching for his first 2011 victory. Kuroda is slated to take the mound for the first time in the regular season on Sunday afternoon against the Giants opposing LHP Barry Zito. Following Kuroda to the mound this evening are LHP Scott Elbert and RHP Lance Cormier. The Angeles will counter with left-hander Scott Kazmir.
DONNIE’S 11: Once again, the Dodgers will dress 11 minor leaguers for tonight’s game, including their past two Minor League Players of the Year, Dee Gordon (70) and Jerry Sands (68). Corey Smith (98) has made an impact in his nine games with the big league club and is batting .600 (6-for-10) with two homers and six RBI in limited game action. Allen Webster (88) has thrown 2.0 scoreless innings already for the Dodgers this spring and enters the season rated as the club’s No. 5 prospect by Baseball America. Randy Keisler (91), Justin Sellers (72), Matt Wallach (87), Michael Antonini (92), Steven Ames (93), Jon Huber (71) and Merkin Valdez (97) are also available for Don Mattingly tonight.
BIRTHDAY BONANZA: The Dodgers would like to wish a very happy birthday to broadcaster Pepe Yñiguez and Physical Therapist Nancy Patterson. Yñiguez is entering his 13th full season with the club while Patterson is beginning her first. The duo share their big day with Hall of Famer Cy Young, former British Prime Minister John Major and tennis player Jennifer Capriati.
(Pic Link: Yfrog c_c_k)LATIN AMERICAN CONFIDENTIAL: In a recent ESPN Magazine survey, active Latino players were asked, “Which team scouts Latin America the best?” The Dodgers were named most often (19.7%) followed by the Yankees (9.5%) and Rangers (8.3%). “The Dodgers were pioneers,” one Dominican position player told the publication. “I remember how important their academy was when I was a kid. Everybody wanted to grow up and be a Dodger.”
Courtesy of the Giants twitter account I ran into another reason why we must hate Brian Wilson. "Los Angeles, The Dodgers Dogs, that's why."Although I don't take kindly to his obvious disrespect for that culinary delight, I must say that I find it hilarious that the clubhouse food spread for the opposing team in LA includes Dodger Dogs. That's pretty awesome.
And the song 'Sometimes I Dream of Willie Mays.'
Find more artists like The Baseball Project at Myspace Music
HIT THE ROAD: The Dodgers dropped their Camelback Ranch finale yesterday to the Indians by a 6-1 margin as many of the club’s regulars departed for Los Angeles after just one at-bat. Chad Billingsley allowed two runs over 3.0 innings in his final tuneup before his first start of the regular season on Friday. Blake Hawksworth concluded his impressive spring with a 2.61 ERA after striking out three in 2.0 scoreless frames.
I CAN SEE FOR MILES: Non-roster infielder Aaron Miles went 2-for-2 yesterday to raise his batting average to .347 in 23 Spring Training games. The switch-hitter’s 17 hits tie for second on the club with Ivan de Jesus, one behind Matt Kemp’s team-leading 18 knocks.
ON THE MOUND: Ted Lilly will make his fourth and final spring start tonight after striking out five over 6.0 innings of two-run ball in Wednesday’s 6-2 victory over the White Sox. Lilly is expected to throw around 60 pitches and will be followed by Jonathan Broxton, Matt Guerrier, Hong-Chih Kuo, Mike MacDougal and Kenley Jansen. The Angels will counter with right-hander Ervin Santana.
HANG 10: The Dodgers will dress 10 minor leaguers for tonight’s game, including their past two Minor League Players of the Year, Dee Gordon (70) and Jerry Sands (68). Corey Smith (98) has made an impact in his nine games with the big league club and is batting .600 (6-for-10) with two homers and six RBI in limited game action. Allen Webster (88) has thrown 2.0 scoreless innings already for the Dodgers this spring and enters the season rated as the club’s No. 5 prospect by Baseball America. Randy Keisler (91), Justin Sellers (72), Matt Wallach (87), Michael Antonini (92), Steven Ames (93), Jon Huber (71) and Merkin Valdez (97) are also available for Don Mattingly tonight.
LATIN AMERICAN CONFIDENTIAL: In a recent ESPN Magazine survey, active Latino players were asked, “Which team scouts Latin America the best?” The Dodgers were named most often (19.7%) followed by the Yankees (9.5%) and Rangers (8.3%). “The Dodgers were pioneers,” one Dominican position player told the publication. “I remember how important their academy was when I was a kid. Everybody wanted to grow up and be a Dodger.”
LEADERBOARD: Matt Kemp’s five Spring Training home runs are the most for a Dodger during the spring slate since Andre Ethier slugged six in 2008. Kemp is tied for third in the Cactus League in homers and is also tied for ninth on the circuit with 15 RBI. Not to be outdone, Tony Gwynn Jr. is tied for third in the league with six stolen bases and Clayton Kershaw finds his name among the leaders in ERA (2.49, T-5th) and innings (25.1, 5th). After firing 3.0 innings yesterday, Chad Billingsley moved into an eighth place tie with 24.0 innings in Cactus League play.
Especially if you are a collector, you should be watching tomorrow nights show on the MLB Network called "Cardboard Treasure" at 10 PM EST (7 PM PST). It is a feature about the Baseball card hobby and includes behind the scenes looks at beckett and "a 60-year history of Topps and how it has been the epicenter of the baseball card industry." I've got my DVR set and ready to go.
Oh! I sure do love these Sweet Spot signature cards. Here is a 2006 Upper Deck Sweet Spot signature card of Eric Gagne from my collection, numbered to 99.
YOU ARE LOOKING LIVE: For just the second time this spring, three Dodger media partners will be in action as today’s game will be broadcast on KCAL, KABC and KTNQ. Charley Steiner will call the game on KCAL 9 by himself while Rick Monday will go the solo route over on KABC 790. A few doors down, Jaime Jarrín, Pepe Yňiguez and Fernando Valenzuela will have the call on Univision’s KTNQ 1020.
GETTING THERE: Following the game yesterday, the Dodgers optioned right-handed pitcher Travis Schlichting to minor league camp. This morning, the club did the same with RHP Ramon Troncoso and is now down to 36 players in big league camp, including 16 pitchers and 20 position players.
HANGING ON: The Dodgers nearly blew a five-run lead in the last 2.0 innings, but held on yesterday in Peoria for a 5-4 victory over the Padres. New Dodger infielder Juan Uribe looked ready to go as he belted a two-run homer in the fourth frame and then followed that up with a two-run double in the fifth. For the spring, Uribe is hitting .317 with 11 RBI, which ranks second on the club. Elsewhere, James Loney and Jamey Carroll each scored two runs apiece. On the mound, Opening Night starter Clayton Kershaw threw just 39 pitches, but was dominant, allowing just one Padre to reach base and that came on an error.
BILLS THRILLS: Dodger right-hander Chad Billingsley will make his final appearance of the spring season today as he gets ready to start the second game of the season against the San Francisco Giants on Friday night. Billingsley is 0-1 with a 3.42 ERA (8 ER/21.0 IP) over five Cactus League starts. The Ohio native is about to enter his fifth full season in the big leagues and sixth overall. He was called up to Los Angeles on June 15, 2006 and went on to go 7-4 with a 3.80 ERA in 18 games (16 starts). Billingsley was an All-Star in 2009 and has never had a losing record in his eight-year professional career.
SOME MINOR RELIEF: Following Chad Billingsley to the hill will be four minor league pitchers, including three of the club’s top pitching prospects. Expected to see action are right-handed pitcher Nate Eovaldi (No. 83), who was selected in the 11th round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft and became a Midseason All-Star for Single-A Inland Empire last season; RHP Allen Webster (92), who went 12-9 with a 2.88 ERA (3rd, Midwest League) for Single-A Great Lakes last season and was named a Midseason All-Star; and RHP Josh Lindblom (97), who set career highs with 40 games (10 starts) and 84 strikeouts last season while pitching for Triple-A Albuquerque. RHP Merkin Valdez could also see the mound this afternoon.
TRUE COLORS: Today is Military Appreciation Day at Camelback Ranch. Prior to the game, several recently deployed officers from nearby Luke Air Force Base will be recognized on the field and the National Anthem will be performed by Senior Airman Ivan Velezquez. Additionally, two Vietnam veterans will throw out ceremonial first pitches.
LEADERBOARD: Matt Kemp’s five Spring Training home runs are the most for a Dodger during the spring slate since Andre Ethier slugged six in 2008. Kemp is tied for second in the Cactus League lead in homers and is also tied for seventh on the circuit with 15 RBI. Not to be outdone, Tony Gwynn Jr. is tied for third in the league with six stolen bases and Clayton Kershaw finds his name among the leaders in ERA (2.49, T-6th) and innings (25.1, 3rd).
END OF THE LINE: The Dodgers’ Cactus League odyssey comes to a close this afternoon with their 33rd and final contest. The Indians will visit Camelback Ranch today, completing a 14-game home schedule for the Dodgers. Los Angeles lost to Cleveland, 2-1, all the way back on March 1 in Goodyear. The exhibition season rolls on tomorrow when the Dodgers return to Los Angeles to take on the Angels at Dodger Stadium in the first of a two-game home and home Freeway Series.
MORE HISTORY: Thursday marks the first time in Los Angeles Dodger history that the club will begin the season against the defending World Champions. In 1996, the Dodgers hosted the defending World Series Champion Atlanta Braves for the club’s home opener, but they began that season a week earlier in Houston. Since the World Series began in 1903, the only other time the Dodgers faced a defending World Series winner on Opening Day was April 12, 1922 when the Brooklyn Robins started the season at the Polo Grounds, facing the New York Giants.
This guy had such promise when he first came up to the Dodgers in 2003. He had a wicked fastball, and with some time it could have developed into something special. I think, unfortunately, at 19 it was too soon. He often looked overwhelmed and ill-prepared. Eventually he was traded a few years later for Dany Baez.
As shown through the Giants TwitPic account, this is a Uncanny X-Men No. 534 variant that will be sold at WonderCon SF. START THE COUNTDOWN: The start of the 2011 campaign is only six days away and Thursday’s contest will mark the tenth time in L.A. Dodger history that the club will open the season against the Giants, and the seventh at Dodger Stadium. Included in those previous nine games, is the first game in Los Angeles Dodger history (4/15/58) and the first game of Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda’s managerial career (4/7/77).
CARDIAC KIDS: Yesterday, the Dodgers continued their hot streak by coming from behind to beat the Rockies 7-5, with a wild seven-run ninth inning capped by A.J. Ellis' three-run walk-off homer. Los Angeles trailed 5-4 with two outs in the home half of the ninth when Ellis belted a 2-1 pitch over the left field wall to give the Dodgers their second walk-off win in three days. On the mound, starter Hiroki Kuroda went 6.0 innings, while relievers Matt Guerrier, Jonathan Broxton and Mike MacDougal all tossed a scoreless frame. In their last nine contests, the club has posted a 7-1-1 record in Cactus League play.
ON THE MOUND: Dodger right-hander Tim Redding will make his fourth start of the Cactus League campaign today at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium (formerly Tucson Electric Park). Redding was supposed to make the start Monday night at Talking Stick against the D’backs, but an afternoon rainout at Camelback Ranch bumped Clayton Kershaw to that spot. In 2010, Redding combined to go 8-5 with a 2.89 ERA in 18 games (17 starts) with Triple-A Colorado Springs and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre. The right-hander also pitched in Korea for the Samsung Lions for a couple of months last year. Redding is known for having surrendered Barry Bonds’ 756th career home run on Aug. 8, 2007. Following Redding to the hill will be RHP Rubby De La Rosa, a non-roster invitee who has impressed the club by posting a 1.80 ERA (2 ER/10.0 IP) in his four Cactus League outings (two starts). De La Rosa has yielded just four hits this spring. The Diamondbacks will counter with RHP Armando Galarraga.
Todd Hollandsworth had such promise. He came to the Dodgers out of Bellevue, WA as a 3rd round pick in the 1991 draft. After several years of seasoning in the minors he came up to the big leagues in 1995. At that time he was ranked as high as the 13th best prospect by Baseball America. By the next year he was in LA to stay. He won the Rookie of the Year award in 1996 with a .291 batting average and 12 home runs. Unfortunately, he never produced the consistent power we had all hoped to see. He started to struggle at the plate and saw his playing time fall as a result. Nagging leg injuries certainly didn't help. Eventually he was traded to Colorado for Tom Goodwin in 2000. Todd would go on to have a 12 year major league career with a lifetime .273 batting average. BTW, he is a brother-in-law to former Dodger Matt Herges.
LIKE A ROCK: The Dodgers look for a two-game spring sweep of the Rockies this afternoon after defeating Colorado 7-1 on March 31 at Talking Stick. Los Angeles will look to win its fourth-straight season series against its division rival in 2011 after going 11-7 against Colorado last year when the clubs kick off their 18-game season slate with a brief two-game set at Coors Field on April 5-6.
START THE COUNTDOWN: The start of the 2011 campaign is only a week away and next Thursday’s contest will mark the tenth time in L.A. Dodger history that the club will open the season against the Giants, and the seventh at Dodger Stadium. Included in those previous nine games, is the first game in Los Angeles Dodger history (4/15/58), the first game of Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda’s managerial career (4/7/77), and the first game of the 1988 season (4/4/88), when Los Angeles went on to win its sixth World Championship in franchise history.
CHALK UP ANOTHER - Yesterday, the Dodgers continued with their winning ways with a 6-2 victory over the White Sox at Camelback Ranch - Glendale. Los Angeles has won six of its last eight games, posting a record of 6-1-1 since March 15. Southpaw Ted Lilly earned his first victory of the spring, allowing two earned runs and striking out five over 6.0 frames. The Dodgers' offense was firing on all cylinders with 13 hits as Matt Kemp, James Loney, Juan Uribe, Aaron Miles and Ivan de Jesus registered multi-hit games.
CARROLL-ING AGAIN: Jamey Carroll pinch hit in the eighth inning yesterday in his first game action since March 14 after being sidelined with a bruised finger. Carroll served as the designated hitter in several minor league games over the past week to keep his timing and will return to the field today as the starting shortstop against the Rockies.
DREAM TEAM: Prior to today’s game, the Dream Team, a collection of some of the best 13-and-under female baseball players in the country, will be presenting a team jersey to Tommy Lasorda and the Dodgers in memory of Christina-Taylor Green. The team, touched by Christina’s story, will be wearing a patch honoring her memory during their upcoming tournament in Gilbert, Arizona.
IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY: The Dodgers would like to wish a very happy birthday to Assistant Director, Public Relations Yvonne Carrasco! Yvonne shares her big day with NFL quarterback Peyton Manning (35) and the great magician Harry Houdini, who would have celebrated his 137th birthday today.
