Dodgers Notes from Spring Training: Spring Game 4/Road Game 2

Throughout Spring Training the Dodgers PR department sends out helpful daily notes from Camelback Ranch, and I am happy to pass them along.  See what they've written below.

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(Kershaw warming up, pic via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2014)

BACK ON THE ROAD!: The Dodgers travel to Maryvale today for their second road game of the spring as they meet the Brewers for the only time in Cactus League play this year. The clubs will meet two times during the regular season, Aug. 8-10, at Miller Park and Aug. 15-17 at Dodger Stadium.

• The Dodgers picked up their second victory of the spring yesterday with a 5-0 victory over the White Sox. Center Fielder Joc Pederson and first basemen Clint Robinson, both non-roster invitees, hit their first home runs of the spring. Pederson’s go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh proved to be more than enough for a pitching staff that has allowed just seven earned runs in 27 innings of play (2.33 ERA).
• Left-handed starter Hyun-Jin Ryun was impressive in his Cactus League debut, allowing two singles in two innings of work. Six Dodger relievers, including Brian Wilson and Kenley Jansen, combined to throw seven scoreless innings.

(Clint Robinson, pic via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2014)

HILLTOPPERS: Right-hander Dan Haren made his Dodgers debut this afternoon after going 10-14 with a 4.67 ERA in 31 games (30 GS) in his only season with the Nationals in 2013. In his career, the 33-year-old has gone 129-111 with a 3.74 ERA and has posted double-digit win totals in each of his last nine seasons. Also appearing in the game today:

• RHP Brandon League made his first appearance of the spring after posting a 6-4 record in 58 games last season.
• Dodger reliever LHP Paco Rodriguez made his Cactus League debut after limiting opponents to a .164 batting average in his first full season in the Major Leagues last year.
• RHP Javy Guerra tossed a scoreless inning on Wednesday against the Diamondbacks and made his second appearance of the spring. Guerra enters his 11th year in the Dodgers organization.
• Non-roster invitee LHP Chris Reed will make his Cactus League debut. Reed enters 2014 rated by Baseball America as the Dodgers’ No. 8 prospect.
• RHP Jose Dominguez tossed a scoreless inning with two strikeouts on Wednesday against the Diamondbacks and will be making his second appearance of the spring. In 2013, Dominguez appeared in nine games with the Dodgers, posting a 2.16 ERA.
• Milwaukee will counter with RHP Kyle Lohse, RHP Ariel Pena, RHP David Goforth, RHP Tyler Cravy and LHP and former Dodger Brent Leach. Leach pitched in Los Angeles for Joe Torre in 38 games during the 2009 season.

(Dan Haren, pic via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2014)

NOTHING MINOR ABOUT IT: The Dodgers had seven minor leaguers joining the club vs. the Brewers today, with pitchers LHP Fu-Ti Ni (#91),  RHP Henry Sosa (#88) and RHP Lindsey Caughel (#93), infielders Darnell Sweeney (#87), Aaron Bates (#97) and Jamie Romak (#96) and outfielder Noel Cuevas (#92) all making the trip.

ON THE MEND: According to Manager Don Mattingly, the MRI on outfielder Matt Kemp came back with a good report, giving him the go-ahead to move forward with his rehab. While he is not at full strength, Kemp will start to incorporate running and agility work into his routine. Right-hander Zack Greinke is also feeling better than yesterday and will throw on flat ground today. Dodger starter Chad Billingsley threw a bullpen this morning, introducing curveballs into his repertoire for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery last April 24.

• Dodger left fielder Carl Crawford returns to the lineup today as the designated hitter. Crawford missed the last two games with a mild strain of his right quad. The 32-year-old played in 116 games last season and hit .283 with 15 steals in 19 attempts.

(Pic via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2014)

OLD FRIEND ALERT: Former Dodger INF/OF Elian Herrera will start at shortstop for the Brewers this afternoon. Herrera hit .251 with a homer, 17 RBI and a .336 on-base percentage in 71 big league games with Los Angeles the last two seasons. The native of the Dominican Republic was claimed by the Brewers on November 4, 2013.

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The Dick "Turk" Farrell 1961 Union Oil Dodger Family Booklet

Here is another post featuring the 1961 Union Oil Dodger Family Booklet set.  Go here to see my past post showcasing this set; including complete scans of both the Vin Scully/Jerry Doggett and Don Drysdale booklets.  This time I share the Dick "Turk" Farrell Booklet.

I must confess, I had no idea who Dick Farrell was.  Now that I do know a little bit about him, I feel like a better fan for it.

Dick Farrell only spent one season in Dodger Blue, but enjoyed a 14-year Major League career.  He originally came our way via a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies during the early part of the 1961 season, but was left unprotected during the subsequent expansion draft.  He was picked up by the Houston Colt .45's later in the year.

Farrell's money pitch was a blazing fastball that was considered the fastest in the game.  In fact, Walter Alston is said to have compared his fastball to that of Dodgers hurler Don Drysdale.  Below is a great story about him from his SABR biography written by David Skelton:

Farrell was the master of a “blazing fastball [that] frightened batters … [wherein] a foul ball … was considered a big achievement,” and no less a personage than the great Ted Williams would lament Boston’s decision not to sign the youngster when he participated in a Red Sox tryout at Fenway Park in the early 1950s.

As a Dodger, he came out of the 'pen to be their closer.  Unfortunately, Turk Farrell's time in Blue was not a success.  He finished 28 games; saving 10 of them, but recorded a ERA of 5.06 and 6 losses. The Dodgers would end up 4 games out of the 1st to end the season.

For Farrell, his success on the mound started right after he left Los Angeles.  In fact, you can say that he is a classic example of a pitcher whose win-loss numbers do not appropriately correlate with how good he was for that period.  From 1962 to 1965, as primarily a starter for the upstart Houston franchise, he would have a 3.20 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, ERA+ of 108, 16.7 WAR, while winning just 46 games and losing 54. In 1962, he would lose 20 games while representing Houston in the All-Star game. 

Below are complete scans of every page from Dick "Turk" Farrell's 1961 Union Oil Dodger Family Booklet.  Click any pic to embiggen.  BTW, if you want to find out more about Farrell I suggest reading his SABR biography.  It is excellent.  Go here for that.  Oh... BTW, Farrell's nickname, "Turk", was passed down to him from his father.  His dad was a well regarded athlete of large size in his day, so he was henceforth dubbed "Big Turk".  Therefore, his son was called Turk - not "Little Turk" since he too could hardly be thought of as small in stature.

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Blog Kiosk: 3/1/2014 - Dodgers Links - Greinke, Stripling and Hyun-Jin Ryu

Juan Uribe does some major curls in the photo above.  Paco Rodriguez... Not so much.  Pic above via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2014.

• Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider writes, "Paperless tickets: A how-to guide".
• Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Zack Greinke injury: Dodgers RHP scratched from Saturday bullpen session".
• Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Ross Stripling injury: Dodgers RHP to have MRI on elbow".

"Five or six days ago he had some stuff going on and didn't let anybody know. In the game the other day he felt it again," said manager Don Mattingly on Friday. "We need to find out what's going on."

• Here's another preview pic from the 2014 Topps Heritage set that comes out next week, via @Toppscards on twitter.  On the right is a Yasiel Puig "1965 Embossed" insert card.
• Via Mike Petriello at Dodgers Digest, "It’s Fun To Watch Joc Pederson".
• Via Mark Saxon at ESPNLosAngeles.com, "Hyun-Jin Ryu is game to pitch in Australia".
• Just to let you know.  Matt Kemp has just signed a bunch of his 2013 autographed redemption cards (Topps Tribute, Tier One & Gypsy Queen), and they are ready to be delivered to collectors, via Topps tumblr.
• Evan Bladh at Opinion of Kingman's Performance shares a bunch of great photos from Camelback Ranch.
• Via Greg Zakwin at Plaschke, Thy Sweater is Argyle; "A Rare Find: 1974 Laughlin All-Star -- Al Rosen and Jackie Robinson".
• Garrett Wilson at the Outside Corner writes, "The best of the worst from MLB Picture Day".
• This is funny.  Via David Brown at Big League Stew, "Jayson Werth would like a word regarding his baseball card".

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