Dodgers Blue Heaven: Blog Kiosk: 3/13/2015 - Dodger Links - All Ferrell All the Time... Oh, Olivera, Ryu and Grienke Too

Friday, March 13, 2015

Blog Kiosk: 3/13/2015 - Dodger Links - All Ferrell All the Time... Oh, Olivera, Ryu and Grienke Too

Yesterday was quite a spectacle. Everyone in the stadium waited patiently for the arrival of the Cactus League traveling rookie known as Will Ferrell, and they were not disappointed. He stumbled into the stadium wearing Giant colors (to the consternation of some in the crowd) and emerged from the Dodger dugout in Blue.

The crowd roared. They laughed. And best of all, we saw him throw a "slurge"

"Have you ever heard of a slurge? I'm going to throw that, I learned it in Japan"

Dodger catcher Austin Barnes was a bit tongue-tied after that.

The evening was everything you hoped it would be. It was fun, off the cuff and thoroughly entertaining. I get that there are some who disliked the entire show, but those voices are few and far between. After all, in a game that starts from late February to October, having a moment to collectively laugh and smile all at once is a welcome change. Heck, it's exactly the kind of thing to break us away from the drugery and seriousness that is everyday life.

Will Ferrell was clocked at 55.8 MPH. 2.7 MPH faster than this Vicente Padilla eephus in 2010. Ike Davis hit a bomb http://t.co/xMFTl9Gc5e
— Daren Willman (@darenw) March 13, 2015

Photo at the top via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers. Go here to check out more photos from Jon from yesterday. Below are some more links to check out:

Jon Weisman at Dodger insider shares a video of Ferrell pitching to his one batter, here. There's also a video of the games only run - a game winning dinger by rookie Joc Pederson. Below is a GIF from the Dodgers on tumblr.

Here's a peek at the Ferrell Dodger game-used jersey that will be on auction at MLB.com. I'll be sure to let you all know when it comes up for sale.

Will Ferrell's jersey authenticated after taking the mound for the @Dodgers #FerrellTakesTheField #LightsOut pic.twitter.com/Zq6Do4P5c5
— MLB Authenticator (@MLB_Authentic) March 13, 2015

Via Dave Cameron at FanGraphs, "The Dodgers Already Have Hector Olivera." Cameron makes a good argument why the Dodger don't need him because they already have a player who is just like him. And it's not who you might expect.

However, when reading scouting reports about Olivera’s expected performance, I can’t shake the idea that the Dodgers already have this player; he just goes by the name of Justin Turner.

Via Jon Heyman at CBS Sports, "Olivera is hot item, but there's elbow mystery; Dodgers seek 2nd MRI." Olivera has apparently declined to provide it. If this is the case then I think that should end our pursuit of him
Via Matthew Moreno at Dodgers Nation, "Dodgers Spring Training Video: Greinke Working On Improving Slider."
Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Hyun-jin Ryu sets tone for Dodgers in Cactus League debut." He went two innings, retired all 6 batters he faced and threw only thirty pitches.

"I felt great," Ryu said after his performance. "I didn't really think about it as a regular game. It was more like a preparation for the regular season, to get healthy."

Topps newest online exclusive card offering is called "Past, Present & Future," and as the name suggest it includes three Dodgers' on a single card. There are two different versions, and three variations available (#/99, #/10 & #/1). Check them both out below. Go here to see them at the Topps website. BTW, the "1 of 1" variations have already been sold.