Blog Kiosk: 10/23/2017 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

Are you ready for some World Series Baseball!

Photo above via @Dodgers on twitter. Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1945 Dodger President Branch Rickey announced that the team has signed two black players, shortstop Jackie Robinson and pitcher John "Needle Nose" Wright, to play with Brooklyn's Triple A team in Montreal. In 1981 the Dodgers defeated the Yankees in Game 3 of the World Series, 5-4. Fernando Valenzuela threw a nine-hit complete game. In 1998 Davey Johnson becomes manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. 
• Happy Birthday, Lave Winham, Rube Bressler, Lee Grissom, Billy Sullivan, Solly Drake & Jim Bunning!
• Audio: Charlie Culberson joined David Vassegh, Tim Cates and Steve Sax during our World Series morning show on Monday to discuss the team's NL Pennant, staying sharp through the postseason and more. (audio link)
• Audio: Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts talks about the rotation, the return of Corey Seager and his preparations for the World Series. (audio link)
• Video: Alanna Rizzo caught up with Dodgers short stop Corey Seager to talk about his return to the lineup for the World Series. (video link)
• Via Joshua Thornton at MLB.com; "Dodgers confident Seager will start at shortstop."

Roberts expressed confidence that Seager will be able to start at shortstop, but didn't rule out the possibility of Seager being the Dodgers' designated hitter when the club goes on the road to Houston.

"If all goes well after the first two games of the series, then we can kind of reassess at that point and time," Roberts said. "It does give us another option as far as looking at playing three games at an American League ballpark."

• It's official. Per Bill Baer at NBC Sports; "Dodgers announce World Series rotation order."

We know Clayton Kershaw will oppose Dallas Keuchel in Game 1 of the World Series. We now know the rest of the Dodgers’ rotation order, per Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. After Kershaw, it’ll be Rich Hill, then Yu Darvish, followed by Alex Wood.

No surprise, that’s the same order the Dodgers used in the NLCS against the Cubs. Dodger starters combined to post a 2.67 ERA with 31 strikeouts and four walks across 27 innings in the NLCS.

• Via Paul Swydan at FanGraphs; "Kenley Jansen Is Marvelous."

Of course, we needn’t look at Jansen’s greatness solely through the prism of the postseason. If you clicked through to that previous link, you’d have seen that, by WAR, Jansen has been neck and neck for best reliever in the game with Kimbrel since the two debuted back in 2010. This season, Jansen became one of just 19 relievers all time to put up 3.5 WAR in a single season.

• Craig Minami at True Blue LA tells us about the postseason 36 years go that featured the Dodgers and Astros; "The first Dodgers-Astros postseason series was pretty great." This brought back some memories.
• Vegas apparently loves the Dodgers. Per David Purdum at ESPN; "Dodgers drawing big bets to win Game 1."
• Per Ken Gurnick at MLB.com; "Dodgers pitch in with relief aid to Puerto Rico."

The Dodgers will make a "substantial" donation to aid Puerto Rico's relief effort from Hurricane Maria in the name of Enrique Hernandez, whose record-tying three-homer performance on Thursday helped the club clinch the National League Championship Series.

• The LA Kings mascot, Bailey, has decided to stand in as our mascot. Via a tweet from the lion:

Congrats @OrbitAstros
Just so you know I have made my self the unofficial @dodgers mascot so what is our bet for the #WorldSeries ?

— Bailey LA Kings (@BaileyLAKings) October 22, 2017

• Get yours today, via a tweet from Kenley Jansen:

Hey #ThisTeam fans, ready for #WorldSeries?! 🎶🎤 #KenleyforniaLove 🎤🎶 here's my limited-edition tee now available at https://t.co/Ea69oZF8Wq pic.twitter.com/ocUx9uWD0K

— Kenley Jansen (@kenleyjansen74) October 21, 2017

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