Dodgers Notes from Spring Training: Full – Squad Workout #6

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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(Camelback Ranch field, pic via @Dodgers on twitter)

WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PRACTICE: With the sun shining once again, the Dodgers held their sixth and final full-squad workout of the spring today at Camelback Ranch – Glendale. The club worked on rundowns and did baserunning drills before taking batting practice on the main fields. Right-handers Brandon McCarthy and Chad Gaudin threw a live BP session on Field 3 while Zack Greinke, J.P. Howell, David Aardsma, Pedro Baez, Dustin McGowan, David Huff, Ryan Buchter, Paco Rodriguez, Chris Reed, Zach Lee, Chris Anderson, Julio Urias and Mike Adams tossed regular bullpens. 

LINE ‘EM UP:  Today, Dodger Manager Don Mattingly announced his lineup for club’s Cactus League opener vs. the White Sox tomorrow afternoon. Jimmy Rollins will leadoff and play short; Carl Crawford bats second in left field; Adrian Gonzalez will play first and hit third; Howie Kendrick makes his Dodger debut in the cleanup spot and plays second; another first-time Dodger, Yasmani Grandal will catch and hit fifth; Andre Ethier hits sixth and is in center field; Juan Uribe bats seventh at third base; Joc Pederson will be the designated hitter, batting eighth and Chris Heisey rounds out the lineup in right field, batting ninth. The pitchers scheduled to throw after starter Erik Bedard are Carlos Frias, Juan Nicasio, Sergio Santos, Adam Liberatore and Josh Ravin.

READ ACROSS AMERICA: This afternoon, the Dodgers celebrated Read Across America day as minor leaguers Alex Verdugo and James Baldwin read to schoolchildren at Villa de Paz Elementary School on 103rd and Camelback.

(All-Star panels on the legends walk, pic via @Dodgers on twitter)

EVERYONE IS IN TOWN: In advance of the first game and telecast tomorrow, Dodger broadcasters Rick Monday and Pepe Yniguez arrived in Glendale today as they prepare to call the first Cactus League game tomorrow. Monday is entering his 23rd season as a Dodger broadcaster and this season will be behind the microphone for every AM 570 Los Angeles Sports broadcast as either an analyst or play-by-play man. Yniguez, who enters his 17th season with the Dodgers, will join Dodger legend Fernando Valenzuela on SportsNet LA calling the games in Spanish.   


MAKING MEMORIES: Those coming to the ranch this morning, took notice of several new installations around the complex’s grounds. Visible to fans for the first time were a new scoreboard on the Dodger replica field and All-Star panels on the legends walk, which make for tremendous photo opportunities. In addition, fans coming to the stadium for the Cactus League lid-lifter tomorrow will see the retired numbers of Pee Wee Reese, Tommy Lasorda, Duke Snider, Jim Gilliam, Don Sutton, Walter Alston, Sandy Koufax, Roy Campanella, Jackie Robinson and Don Drysdale in left field. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!: The Dodgers would like to wish Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers pitching coach and former Dodger Scott Radinsky a Happy Birthday. Radinsky graduated from Simi Valley High School and pitched in Los Angeles from 1996-98. The left-handed reliever has been coaching in the organization since 2013, when he started as the pitching coach for Rookie-advanced Ogden. Last year, Radinsky was the pitching coach for Double-A Chattanooga.

(Adrian Gonzalez via Juan Ocampo/LA Dodgers 2015)

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Dodger Escapades on Twitter - Ping Pong, Kike Hernandez and the McCarthy's

Twitter has become the avenue of choice for ballplayers who want to communicate directly with fans.  For the most part, we find out about special events a player wants to highlight, but sometimes we get more that that.  Sometimes, we get an inside glimpse at what makes them tick.

For Dodger followers, there are a handful of frequent users who ably navigate the twitter wilderness to show us their personality, and this post highlights some recent exchanges I thought worth noting. 

As you know, it has become a spring tradition at Camelback Ranch to host a ping pong tournament, and according to Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider that tradition continues in earnest. 

(Ping Pong bracket, photo via Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider)

Yesterday saw the first games played on the table, and I am sad to report that the first doubles pair to walk away disappointed was the pairing of catcher Chris O'Brien and pitching prospect Zach Lee.  They lost out to Scott Van Slyke and pitching prospect Ryan Buchter, and let's just say that Van Slyke was more than happy to gloat on twitter.  Check out the exchange below.

(twitter capture)

It's funny that O'Brien basically blames his ping pong teammate Zach Lee for the loss.

In other news, Kike Hernandez has proven to be a fun Dodger to follow on twitter.  This morning he shared a pic of himself within a strange looking contraption.  As one of the newest Dodgers, who may see some time on the diamond in Los Angeles this season, he spent a moment with @MLBTheShow to photograph his face.

Getting my head scanned so that virtual Kike looks exactly like the real Kike on @MLBTheShow!! pic.twitter.com/xvyD5k5wAD
— Enrique Hernandez (@kikehndez) March 3, 2015

Brandon McCarthy has proven to be a great addition for Dodger followers.  Not just because he has some nice tools that could help the Dodgers in their quest to a championship, but because when paired with his equally loquacious wife has become a must follow on twitter.

In an exchange this morning we see true love in action.

@BMcCarthy32 son of a bitch
— Amanda McCarthy (@Mrs_McCarthy32) March 3, 2015

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Blog Kiosk: 3/3/2015 - Dodger Links - Rollins, League and Some Nomo Memories

As you likely know, tomorrow afternoon is the Dodgers first Spring Training game.  In preparation for the big day, they posted up the anticipated lineup for the game this morning.  Check it out in the photo above tweeted out by ESPN reporter Mark Saxon.

Below are some more links to check out:

• Not that anyone had any doubts, via OC Register reporter Bill Plunkett on twitter:

Clayton Kershaw will be #Dodgers Opening Day starter. Mattingly: "That's our plan. ... We were just waiting for you to ask."
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) March 2, 2015

• Via J.P. Hoornstra at Inside the Dodgers, "Jimmy Rollins met with Yasiel Puig for two hours."

“I just walked over to him and we just started talking,” Rollins said. “Two hours later it was ‘I gotta go now.’ My wife was probably like ‘where you at? You said you were done. The baby’s crying.’

• JP Hoornstra also wrote about Brandon League at the Daily News, "Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Brandon League credits giving up alcohol to boost in energy."

“I was getting enough sleep, eating as well as possible,” League said. “The only other factor I saw was alcohol.”

• Via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com, "Ryu, Peralta feel good after bullpen sessions."  Everything seems fine and on schedule.
• Via Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider, "Hideo Nomo remembers first day in Dodger uniform, 20 years ago."  Today is the 20th anniversary of the day Nomo first put on a Dodger uniform.

“On the eve prior to the start of Spring Training in March of 1995, I arrived in Dodgertown for the first time,” Nomo said. “As it was dark, all I could see were the baseball fields and lodging facilities. I thought to myself ‘there is nothing to do here except to play baseball.’

• Roberto Baly at Vin Scully is My Homeboy informs us about an interesting upcoming event: "The Baseball Reliquary Presents Turning Back the Clock: Baseball in Los Angeles."
• John Thorn at Our Game, "Diamond Visions: Baseball’s Greatest Photographs."
• I couldn't agree any more with Grant Bisbee of SB Nation's assessment of Juan Pierre's legacy: "Dangit, Juan Pierre, we'll miss you."

He was The Departed of players, not nearly as good or awful as its greatest supporters and detractors claim.

• Paul Post at Sports Collectors Digest writes a fantastic article on former Major Leaguer Jim Abbott: "Player Interview: Jim Abbott Talks No-Hitter, A-D-A-P-T."

“He’s got such great stuff,” Abbott said of Kershaw. “A no-hitter is a countdown of outs. I watched the game . . . and you get caught up in that happening again. You relate to the feelings he’s feeling and the catcher’s feeling, the fielders are feeling and the fans are feeling. It’s nice to have that connection.”

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