I yearn for Spring Training.
Here is another spring pic (eBay auction link) from Dodgertown in Vero Beach. It features grizzled vet Duke Snider taking some rips at the plate. It is dated on the reverse to January 6, 1961, but that couldn't be right. I can't imagine he, or any ballplayer, would be in Florida this early. Also, does anybody know who the coach is in the background - likely hitting grounders to eager infielders?
Below are more links to check out:
- This Day in Dodgers History: In 1962 Dodger Hall of Famer Don Drysdale is named the NL Cy Young Award winner. He went 25-9 with an 2.83 ERA, 19 complete games and 232 strike outs. In 1988 Dodgers outfielder and legend Kirk Gibson was named the NL MVP. He lead the Dodgers to an unexpected World Series Championship -- slashing .290/.377/.483/.860 with 25 home runs, 76 RBI's and an untold number of highlights throughout the season. In 2016 Dave Roberts is named the winner of the Manager of the Year Award in the National League. The rookie skipper records a 97-71 record to finish 1st in the NL West.
- Happy Birthday, Pat Ragan, Jay Partridge, Mickey Livingston, Jack Smith & Pedro Borbón!
- Per Adrian Garro at Cut4; "Kenta Maeda wore a shirt poking fun at his old pal, the retiring Hiroshima Carp slugger Takahiro Arai."
After Tuesday's game, Maeda went on Japanese television and saw fit to pay tribute to Takahiro Arai, the slugger from the Hiroshima Carp who recently announced his retirement. The two were teammates with the Carp in 2015, before Maeda joined the Dodgers. But in typical Maeda fashion, he did so with a T-shirt making light-hearted fun of Arai's career.
If you're curious, those figures on Maeda's T-shirt represent Arai's errors, strikeouts and the number of times he grounded into double plays in his career.
- Here's a recent signing of a reliever who may end up in Los Angeles. Per Ryan Walton at True Blue LA; "Dodgers sign Kevin Quackenbush to minor league deal."
The last two years have been a struggle for Quackenbush at the major league level, allowing 34 runs in 35 1/3 innings over 30 appearances for both the Padres and Reds. But the 29-year-old was great for the Reds Triple-A affiliate in Louisville, allowing just 15 runs (14 earned) in 47 innings while striking out nearly 30 percent of batters faced in 2018.
- The "Brain Drain" continues. Another one has left, via a tweet from JP Hoornstra:
As @Chris_Camello mentioned, the Dodgers are losing their talented and friendly R&D director, Doug Fearing. I'm told his next stop is TBD.— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) November 14, 2018
- More folks are leaving, via a tweet from Eric Stephen:
Dodgers lost another coach. Luis Ortiz, who with Brant Brown was an assistant hitting coach and org hitting coordinator with LA, joins Chris Woodward’s staff in Texas as the Rangers hitting coach— Eric Stephen (@ericstephen) November 14, 2018
- Rich Mueller at Sports Collectors Daily tells us that 2018 Topps Gallery will be available this week. It is an online and Walmart exclusive. Check out a Jackie Robinson card below.
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