• Anonymous

    I am very much looking forward to Vin’s spring training debut tonight.  (I hope I read that right)

  • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

    Vin just dove right in. Very nonchalant. No kind of season-opening welcome back. 

    • Anonymous

      I missed the start of the game, no radio broadcast.  So I’m kind of glad I didn’t miss a welcome back message.  Still great to hear Vinny talk baseball.

  • http://www.twitter.com/ElJefedor Jeffrey Thomas III

    Oh how I’ve missed that voice, welcome back Vin!

  • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

    Man, was that a wind-blown home run.

    • http://underdog.typepad.com/ underdog

      Seriously. I just tuned in to catch the first (and hear Vin), and that was clearly a routine fly out… until it wasn’t… and then it just blew right on out of there. Not one I will worry about too much. 

      But man it’s great to hear Vin again. 

  • Anonymous

    Biography

    Joshua Dean Fields…Wife’s name is Ashleigh…Has one son; Kaden (10/17/09)…Is a 2001 graduate of Stillwater (OK) High School, where he played baseball and was the quarterback on the football team…Attended Oklahoma State University, where he was named a First-Team All-American by Baseball America prior to the 2004 season and was rated by the same publication as the draft’s Second-Best Collegiate Athlete and Third-Best Power Hitter among college players…Hit .364 with 25 home runs and 132 RBI in three seasons with the Cowboys…Batted .362 with 10 home runs, 47 RBI and 54 runs scored in 62 games as a junior…Also earned three letters as quarterback of Oklahoma State’s football team…Passed for 2,494 yards and 21 touchdowns in leading the Cowboys to a 9-4 mark in 2003…Owns the school record for most career touchdown passes (55)…Collected 2,494 yards and 21 touchdowns as a junior in 2003 and 3,145 yards and 31 touchdowns against just 10 interceptions as a sophomore in 2002…Recorded five games with 300 yards or more, including two bowl games…Set a Cotton Bowl record with 307 passing yards vs. Mississippi on 1/2/04 (record has since been broken)…Tied a Big 12 record (since broken) with seven touchdown passes (all to Rashaun Woods) in a 52-6 win at SMU on 9/20/03…Over the final three regular season games in 2002, threw for 954 yards and 14 touchdowns without an interception; included in that run was a 357-yard, four touchdown performance in the Cowboys 38-28 upset of No. 3 Oklahoma in 2002.
    2010 Highlights

    Missed nearly entire season after undergoing labral surgery on his right hip in late April…Played in three games on rehab with the Arizona League Royals from 8/12-15 before having his rehab transferred to Northwest Arkansas on 8/17…Hit safely in 10 of his 11 games with the Naturals before being recalled from his rehab assignment and reinstated from the disabled list on 9/1…Hit safely in nine of his 12 starts with the Royals…Hit safely in each of his first four games, including three straight multi-hit contests from 9/4-8…Homered for the first time on 9/7 at Minnesota…Went deep in back-to-back games on 9/27-28…Made all 12 of his defensive appearances at third base…Hit .200 (16-for-80) with two doubles and six RBI in 22 games while playing for Senadores de San Juan in the Puerto Rican Winter League.

  • Anonymous

    I always thought wearing the green jerseys on St. Patty’s Day was kind of cool.  But I can do without this year’s version.  

  • Anonymous

    Hit’em where they aint!

  • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

    The first “So a modest thing, but thine own” from Vin of 2012.

  • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

    Ooh, that’s a nice catch by Blanco for the Giants. 

  • Anonymous

    “Sanchez H”? Presumably Freddy is “Sanchez F”

    • Anonymous

       The F stands for “Fragile.”

  • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

    In contrast, that was some poor defense in left field by Rivera on the ball hit by Sanchez.

  • Anonymous

    I think I need to change my handle to timmer, b

  • Andrew Shimmin

     For posterity’s sake, Justin Seller’s had the first belly whopper of 2012.

  • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

    Nice inning for our Belisario. 

  • http://underdog.typepad.com/ underdog

    Randomly but it’s a little-known (or perhaps cared-about) fact that Luis Cruz’s first major league home run was hit off…

    Aaron Harang.

    Now let’s get back to this one. 
    (Belisario looked pretty good.)

  • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

    2011 Dodgers minor-league pitcher of the year Shawn Tolleson on the mound now. 

  • Anonymous

    Yes it was a bad gamble, still exiting to watch :)

  • Anonymous

    There’s no tying in baseball.

  • Anonymous

    Hello All. I am a frequent reader but infrequent poster and have followed the site for four or so years now. I’ve been an east coast Dodger fan since 1965, and have always lived in New England. Last summer I was diagnosed with cancer and went through an intense treatment that ended in late November. The doctors and the tests say I’m better now – everything is normal and I have been back to work for six week now. I feel better and stronger every week and my prognosis is very good.

    Last fall, while in the middle of treatment, I began having those life regrets of the things I never did. One of them was to see a game at Dodger Stadium. I promised myself that if I made it through my disease that I would scratch Dodger Stadium off my list.

    I am planning on coming out this summer and renting a car for a couple of days. Can someone recommend a reasonable motel to stay in that has public transit access to Dodger Stadium nearby. I’ll be traveling with my brother, and even if we have to walk 10-15 minutes to get the train from the motel that is not a problem. Any information from the natives on how to approach this is appreciated. Also, we hope to be there for a few days and any other recommendations on what to do during the day would be helpful. I was thinking of the La Brea Tar Pits (thanks to the Big Bang Theory). Thanks for any suggestions.

    • Anonymous

      I would like to say I will get tickets and pick you up for the game but I too live in New England.

    • Anonymous

      Glad you are doing well. What we don’t know yet is if the Dodgers are going to have a shuttle running from Union Station to Dodger Stadium. If there is, then you have a lot of places to choose from. If not, the only public transportation would be a local bus that stops on Sunset Boulevard that would require a 15 minute walk uphill to the stadium.

      Like a lot of big cities, hotel costs can be relatively high. Your best bet, is if things work out, would be for the Union Station shuttle to be running and then try to get a hotel room in Downtown on the weekend because the rates will drop without the business travelers.

      If you’re going to have a car though, Downtown’s parking rates might be a pain. 

      The Tar Pits, which are next to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, would probably be easier to reach from a hotel in Hollywood. Hotels in Hollywood are either really nice or they charge by the hour.

      Ultimately, I would hold off on reserving anything until the Union Station situation is resolved. L.A. is such a big place that there are always lots of last minute hotel deals around.

    • Anonymous

      Reared in Southern California, but now also an Eastcoaster.  An experience not to be missed.  My last time was way back in 1976.  All the best.

    • Anonymous

      Thanks for the information btimmer. I see there is a Best Western at 
      818 North Hill Street, .7 miles from DS. Does anyone know if that is a safe walk to DS at night. .7 miles isn’t very far, or maybe it would be just as easy to drive from there?

      • Anonymous

        That motel would be in Chinatown. In theory, you can walk from Chinatown to Dodger Stadium, but it’s not easy and I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re unfamiliar with the area. 

        The two big problems are: 
        1) the Pasadena Freeway will be between the hotel and Dodger Stadium and you will need to find one of the pedestrian overpasses
        2) Dodger Stadium is on a hill. Even if you drive in, you usually have to do so some climbing.

        It would be easier and safer to drive, even though it’s a short distance.

    • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

       So glad you’re better!

  • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

    Since you say you’re renting a car, are you saying you’re unwilling to drive to Dodger Stadium? That’s what I would recommend – especially since, I’m guessing, you’re probably going to arrive there early.

  • http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

    NPUT