Baseball is a game of peaks and valleys.
Above is a 1949 AP wirephoto (eBay auction link) that celebrates the efforts of a little known reliever named Jack Banta. On this day, he would lead the Dodgers to a pennant clinching victory on the last day of the season, but just a few days back he lost a game in spectacular fashion. Such are the trials of the game. Per the descriptor on the photo:
Philadelphia, Oct. 3--VICTORY SMILES--Brooklyn Dodger Manager Burt Shotton (right) hugs Jack Banta, rookie right hander, after the latter had pitched four and a third innings of relief to give the Dodgers a 9 to 7 ten-inning victory over the Philadelphia Phillies and the National League pennant, yesterday. Banta's was a "goat last week, a hero this week" role. Seven days earlier, he relieved also against the Phillies, gave up four runs and lost the ball game.Below are more links to check out:
- This Day in Dodgers History: In 1960 actor Gene Autry is awarded an American League Los Angeles franchise that would be known as the Angels -- using a team name that once played in the PCL in Los Angeles and was subsequently purchased by O'Malley when he moved the Dodgers West. In 1973 the Dodgers traded Claude Osteen and Dave Culpepper to the Astros for outfielder Jim Wynn. Wynn would go on to have a stellar year the following season in Los Angeles. He slashed .271/.387/.497/.884 with 32 homers and 108 RBI's, and would come in fifth place in MVP voting. In 2006 the Dodgers signed free agent pitcher Jason Schmidt. In 2007 signed free agent outfielder Andruw Jones.
- Happy Birthday, Tony Lazzeri, Tommy Brown & Dodgers broadcaster Joe Davis!
- Wow! The Padres are making moves. Apparently, they are going to land Tampa Bay Rays outfilder Tommy Pham, via AJ Cassavell at MLB.com.
- Could he be a diamond in the rough? Per a Jon Heyman tweet, the Dodgers have signed a 100 MPH throwing Independent League pitcher named Casey Crosby. Daniel Preciado at Dodgers Nation put together a nice report on him here.:
LHP Casey Crosby signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers. He played for Butch Hobson CHICAGO Dogs Independent team. Was clocked hitting 100 mph on gun.— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 6, 2019
- This weeks Topps Throwback Thursday set features six cards that use the 1992 Topps Kids design, and it includes Dodgers slugger and reigning MVP Cody Bellinger. Go here to check it out and order. Belli's card is seen on the right.
- Via Sheryl Ring, Esq. at Beyond the Boxscore -- "On Jonah Keri, and how the domestic violence epidemic is rotting baseball: Domestic abuse is about power. So is the rationale for protecting domestic abusers."
The response from the baseball world was sadly predictable: men saying that they had no idea Keri would behave in such a reprehensible manner, and women and non-men telling their stories about how Keri acted towards them for years before, in plain view and yet entirely ignored or dismissed....
That’s a problem for many, many reasons. The link between domestic abusers on the field and intimate partner violence committed by those who cover the sport off of it is not at all tenuous. Baseball writers contribute heavily to the culture of baseball - if you don’t believe me, just look at Bill James and the analytics movement. At the same time, though, it’s tempting to blame the epidemic of intimate partner violence on analytics dehumanizing players into assets to be bought and sold, but that oversimplifies things in the extreme.
- Apparently, the Dodgers signed a lefty reliever who was suspended by the Astros for much of last season and then DFA'd, via a tweet by Astros beat reporter Chandler Rome. His name is Reymin Guduan. BTW, the stories about why he was suspended are not good. Via an Astros County report -- "The reason Reymin Guduan was suspended."
Dean Deetz is a little bit of a character, and talks a lot of smack. He was giving Reymin Guduan The Bidness about not being able to throw a strike. Guduan responded by throwing a shoe at Deetz and missed (badly, apparently), to which Deetz responded "See?" That is legitimately funny. What happened next is not. Guduan picked up a bat, swung it, and hit Deetz in the head. Guduan apparently didn't get a great swing on it, but "it definitely dazed" Deetz.Guduan was removed from the clubhouse, but came back later, this time with a knife. "He didn't do anything with it, but he stood at his locker and glared at Deetz." No one called the police, but the Astros did suspend Guduan. That, by any standard of the law, is assault. You'll notice on Round Rock's website that Dean Deetz did not pitch between July 26 and August 5, which was a span of eight games in nine days.
- Here's an update on the Dodger Stadium renovations, via the Dodgers/Alanna Rizzo/Janet Marie Smith on twitter:
"Don't mess up the postcard view but make sure the stadium feels really current."@alannarizzo caught up with Janet Marie Smith to discuss some of the new features #Dodgers fans can enjoy at the stadium in 2020. pic.twitter.com/GPUIyo2tPt— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) December 6, 2019
- This is great.
To some of you young collectors out there: I want you to watch this video and remember this video before getting married. Especially if you really like your collection. pic.twitter.com/PBuuAHfpJm— Dave Guido (@Devoguido) December 11, 2018
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