Blog Kiosk: 8/7/2014 - Dodger Links - Masterful Haren and Lasorda with the Navy

Tommy Lasorda visited the USS Anchorage docked in San Pedro yesterday in celebration of Navy Days-LA.  This event is dedicated to the importance of sea power to U.S. national security and promotes the growth and education of the Navy League Pacific Southwest Region’s 24 Navy League Councils and their membership.  Tommy is shown above with Navy personnel, via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2014.  Go here to check out more pics by Jon of Tommy's visit here.

“It is truly an honor to have Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda as a guest on board the USS Anchorage,” said Command Master Chief (SW/AW) Pete Santos. “Our Sailors and Marines are motivated, dedicated professionals, with virtues of selfless service and devotion to duty.  For them to have some down time and meet a baseball legend such as Mr. Lasorda is motivational and inspiring for these young men and women.”

(pic via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2014)

As for last night's game... Wow!  What a doozy.

Dan Haren... DAN HAREN!... was fantastic.  After going through a stretch of over a month of bad games, he came out and pitched a gem.  Heck, it was so perfect he was perfect for over five innings.  Haren was efficient, he kept the hitters guessing and pitched with the kind of finesse he has always been known for.  If he can continue to stick with whatever gameplan he had last night for the remainder of the season, then we should be just fine going down the stretch.  Overall, he went 7.1 innings, gave up just three hits, struck out 4 and walked nobody. 

The bullpen was a little shaky, but that's OK.  At the end, they were able to maintain the lead for Haren's ninth win of the season.  BTW, Kenley Jansen was filthy again.  He started out with some minor control issues, but when he finally figured out his issues he became unhittable.  Jansen finished the game, with the entire stadium standing, by striking out Trout, forcing Pujols to fly out and then striking out Hamilton.  Not too shabby, eh?

Now, here are some more Dodger links to check out.

• ICYMI: Chone Figgins has been DFA's (designated for assignment).  This effectively removes him from the Dodgers 40-man roster.  Figgins can refuse the assignment and become a free agent, or stay in AAA.  He seemed to be a good mentor, especially for Dee Gordon, so maybe the Dodgers can find a way to keep in the family.  Could coaching be in his future?
• Huh.  So, there actually was some kind of ban of the Dodger Bubble Machine, via Chad Moriyama at Dodgers Digest.  And just when I thought that my stupid little post about it yesterday was all just fun and games I find out that it was actually for real... For Reals!?!
• Kent M at Thirty or Something writes, "Searching For Scully."  It's all about his seach for the Vin Scully replica microphone.

Not only does it look cool, the microphone plays Vin-isms at the press of a button.  It is the greatest Dodger tchotchke in the history of Dodger tchotchkies, and as an ardent collector of such tchotchkies, I must have one.

• Via Michael Clair at Cut4, "Kenley Jansen broke physics with a 98 mph ... cutter?!"

A 98 mph cutter that moves more like a slider is not supposed to be possible. And yet here we are. 

• GCRL writes, "There should have been managerial cards in 1994 topps because there were members of the 1978 topps dodgers managing."  GCRL made a bunch of great 1994 fantasy Baseball cards featuring several former Dodgers as managers.  Check it out here.
• Baseball America put together a list of the ballplayers with the best Major League tools in 2014; per a survey of every big league manager.  Check it out here.
• Dre at the It's Always A Good Dre in L.A. Blog shares his birthday tour of Dodger Stadium with all of us.  He also shares photos from his visit to the Dodgers: Brotherhood of the Game exhibit at the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo.
• Ron Cervenka at Think Blue LA writes about, "Deep Left – The Senior Statesman of the Left Field Pavilion."

“I was definitely at the Coliseum the first year the Dodgers were here because my dad loved going,” said Cooper. “I was 12 so I do have good memories of riding in the car to the Coliseum, although I couldn’t tell you what the first game might have been. I also have a memory of the Roy Campanella night with the matches or the lighters, I remember being there and being awed by the lighters or matches.”

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