Blog Kiosk: 6/23/2015 - Dodger Links - Crawford, Turner and a Pups in the Park Video

Look at the wondrous skies above Wrigley Field last night.

The setting sun sent splashes of orange, red and brown against bulbous formations that look like goosebumps.  There was almost a menacing feel to it - like the skies would open up at any second.  Storms throughout the area wreaked havoc causing lights to go out at Wrigley.  I imagine that they exploded in a flash like a Roy Hobbs home run off the top deck.

This predictably caused arguments to ensue.  Chicago, ever fearful of the master on the mound, protested having to bat against a Kershaw spinner without enough lights.  Via Jesse Rogers at ESPN:

"I didn't like the idea that we had to play against a guy that is really, really, really, really good," Maddon said. "And you have to see spin and you have to read everything. I did not like the fact that we had to go out and play without all the lights on. Just be a little more patient and wait for the lights to go on."

In the end, it didn't matter.

Kershaw gave up a couple of homers and the Dodgers didn't score enough runs.  Via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com:

"It's always frustrating to lose," said Kershaw, 21-3 as last year's National League MVP Award and Cy Yound Award winner but 5-5 this season. "It's a couple pitches here and there. I wish they were doubles instead of home runs. Maybe this was a little better than last time, but it's still a loss."

It was a tough loss.  For whatever reason the middle of summer the past several years always make me feel like the Dodgers take that one big step, only to take another step back at the next possible moment.

The fantastic photo at the very top is via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2015.  Go here to check out more photos of yesterday's game from Jon.  Below are some links to check out:

• Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Scott Schebler named PCL Player of the Week."
• Via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com, "Mattingly: Crawford has to 'earn' way back."

That's good enough for Mattingly to say, "Andre's kind of taken that spot, to be honest with you."

• Check out this little tidbit, via a tweet from Beyond the Boxscore:

Best hitters in MLB over the past calendar year (150 PA minimum): J. Turner (185 wRC+) P. Goldschmidt (184) B. Harper (167) A. Rizzo (165)

— Beyond the Box Score (@BtBScore) June 22, 2015

• Check out Topps newest online exclusive offering.  It's a 18" x 24" movie style poster featuring Joc Pederson and Clayton Kershaw.  The design is inspired by the 1981 Topps Movie Giant Pin Ups.  It is numbered to only 99 copies.  Go here to check it out.  You can see it on the right.  Click on the pic to embiggen.
• I'm as confident as ever that Pete Rose should never be admitted into the Hall of Fame.  Per William Weinbaum and T.J. Quinn at ESPN, "Entries in long-hidden notebook show Pete Rose bet on baseball as player."

"Bertolini nails down the connection to organized crime on Long Island and New York. And that is a very powerful problem," Dowd said. "[Ohio bookie] Ron Peters is a golf pro, so he's got other occupations. But the boys in New York are about breaking arms and knees.

"The implications for baseball are terrible. [The mob] had a mortgage on Pete while he was a player and manager."

• Here's a fun video put out by the LA Times of "A Pug's-Eye View of Dodger Stadium" that was filmed during the recent Pups at the Park event at Dodgers Stadium.

Video Link:

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