Dodger Thoughts

Jon Weisman's outlet for dealing psychologically with the Los Angeles Dodgers, baseball and life

Marching toward April

Feeling Opening Day excitement and the writing bug late on a Saturday …

• I’m reasonably excited about this year’s Dodger team, but part of that is a perverse excitement about just how bad on offense that left side of the infield might be, at least while Hanley Ramirez is out. That makes the decision to go with Justin Sellers fun for kicks, however dubious. Still, I have always liked the idea of emphasizing defense where offense isn’t an option.

• It only just now occurred to me that I was in the stands last year at the game in which Sellers was hurt and the one in which Dee Gordon was hurt.

• Do you realize this will no doubt be the fourth consecutive year that Kenley Jansen isn’t the Opening Day closer but eventually moves into that role?

• One thing I don’t miss about baseball season is the whining whenever a save gets blown, as if it should never happen. Heaven knows, though, it will happen.

• Carl Crawford has me excited. Truly didn’t think he’d be ready this fast, but this is the one case where I’m allowing myself to be swept away by past success and heady Spring Training numbers.

• I think lingering effects of his labrum injury will keep Matt Kemp below 25 home runs this year, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be productive.

• At first, I thought that with no true right-handed outfielder in reserve, the Dodgers would need to keep Adrian Gonzalez and Andre Ethier spaced out in their lineup, or lefty relievers will just crush the team. But Gonzalez has had success against left-handers, so that helps. It’s still not necessarily a bad idea to insert a right-hander between them, though – as long as it’s a decent one.

• My initial plan for any free writing time that emerged this spring was that I would spend it offline on a long-term project. I did begin work on that project early this month, but with baseball season starting, I’m wavering. What might happen is a mix, where I post on Dodger Thoughts not infrequently, but not comprehensively. The risk is feeling like I’m doing both things halfway.

• Another intervening factor in my life is that Youngest Master Weisman, now 5, is six days away from his first T-ball season, and he is raring to go. (His team: the Tigers.) After playing with a pretend ball inside the house several times, we made it out to the park for the first time, and he was knocking balls through the infield and reaching the grass. Also in the past day, I’ve begun trying to teach him how to scoop balls on defense. It’s crazy.

• Older brother Young Master Weisman, now 8 1/2, took a few swings, but piano is his game. He’s composing his own material for his May recital performance. Young Miss Weisman, a whopping 10 1/2, is also wonderful on the keys.

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18 Comments

  1. “composing his own material”

    At 8 1/2? Are you calling him Wolfgang Amadeus in private?

  2. Nice, I remember the young master weisman t-ball days. I am glad youngest master weisman is looking forward to playing some ball

  3. Anonymous

    I’m somewhat skeptical that the Dodgers will have “the greatest opening day ceremony in history” as Larry King is bragging. What are they going to do? Bring out holograms of Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese, and Roy Campanella? You can trot out former players or have famous people perform, but ultimately, you still want to see a good game, don’t you?

  4. Jon, I know you take this site seriously–so do we. But just your observations and not even in-depth stuff will be worthwhile coming from you.

    As long as you never start writing only in single-sentence paragraphs.

    That aren’t always sentences.

    We already have that to deal with.

  5. KT

    My daughter, who you met at the softball tournament, is glad that you’re writing more about baseball again, She loves reading your posts

  6. Anonymous

    Ah, the blown save and the lengths that some will go to disparage the very character of the unfortunate reliever. I blame Mario.

  7. Anonymous

    Still not sure who projects as the 4th outfielder, but I’m guessing Hairston.

  8. Vail Beach

    Half-way is better than no way. Welcome back Dodgers and DodgerThoughts!

  9. Anonymous

    With you on the opening day excitement, Jon. Have a feeling, non-stats related, that the Dodgers and Giants will have at each other at the end.

  10. Anonymous

    All posts, frequent or infrequent, will be appreciated.

  11. J S

    I coach my two sons in baseball and it is the greatest thing ever.

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