Dodger Thoughts

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

Page 139 of 381

The footballiest Dodger games of all time

By

On January 7, 2015

In History, Other sports

Jamey Wright celebrates a Dodger touchdown in their 17-0 victory over San Francisco in September. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

Jamey Wright celebrates a Dodger touchdown in their 17-0 victory over San Francisco in September. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

By Jon Weisman

I’m not the world’s biggest football fan anymore, but it still amuses me when the Dodgers go up by a touchdown, so to speak. (Less so when they’re losing by a touchdown.)

With football playoffs in gear and the Dodgers offseason having one of its quieter weeks — though Jimmy Rollins will be making an appearance at Dodger Stadium at 4 p.m. today, airing live on SportsNet LA and Dodgers.com — I thought it’d be fun to check out the Dodger games that looked the most like football scores. (The NFL and AAFC Brooklyn Dodgers not included.)

If one other person finds pleasure out of this, it will have been worth my while. (I’m counting on you, Eric Stephen.)

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How the Dodgers did against the new Hall of Famers

By

On January 6, 2015

In Awards, History

By Jon Weisman

Mike Piazza nearly became a Hall of Famer today, falling 28 ballots short with 69.9 percent of the vote. Other former Dodgers include Jeff Kent at 14 percent, Fred McGriff at 12.9 percent, Gary Sheffield at 11.7 percent and Nomar Garciaparra at 5.5 percent.

Dodger manager Don Mattingly, in his final year on the ballot, had 9.1 percent of the vote.

Here’s how the four electees performed against the Dodgers in their careers:

  • Craig Biggio: 812 plate appearances, .354 on-base percentage, .438 slugging percentage, 20 homers, 25 steals
  • Randy Johnson: 166 innings, 3.09 ERA, 200 baserunners, 188 strikeouts
  • Pedro Martinez: 62 2/3 innings, 4.02 ERA, 71 baserunners, 64 strikeouts
  • John Smoltz: 249 innings, 2.86 ERA, 313 baserunners, 218 strikeouts

Next year’s Hall of Fame ballot could include such former Dodgers as Garret Anderson, Mark Grudzielanek, Chan Ho Park, Jeff Weaver, Brad Ausmus and Russ Ortiz.

Dodgers in the Hall of Fame vortex

By

On January 6, 2015

In Awards, History

Wheat horiz
By Jon Weisman

You’re familiar with the seven Hall of Fame players who have had their numbers retired by the Dodgers: Pee Wee Reese, Duke Snider, Don Sutton, Sandy Koufax, Roy Campanella, Jackie Robinson and Don Drysdale.

Who gets left out of the conversation?

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Spring Training tickets discount

By

On January 5, 2015

In Spring Training, Tickets

B6mfvDHCIAAxvTOStarting today and through January 11, you can get $5 off Spring Training tickets for Dodger games at Camelback Ranch. Click here for details.

— Jon Weisman

Our first anniversary: It’s time again for Dodger Insider

By

On January 3, 2015

In Publications

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

By Jon Weisman

Welcome to Year 2 of Dodger Insider.

One year ago today, this blog launched with the hopes of complementing and extending the Dodger coverage on dodgers.com and in the team’s official magazine, which we renamed to underscore our desire to integrate print and digital. The 1,309 posts in the past 365 days testify to the effort, but you readers can judge how well we’ve succeeded.

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Dribbling on behalf of Jackie Robinson

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On January 2, 2015

In Uncategorized

By Jon Weisman

I was in a Harlem Globetrotters rabbit hole last weekend when I stumbled upon this connection between famed Harlem Globetrotter Marques Haynes and famed Dodger Jackie Robinson.

… It’s 1946 and Haynes, a Sand Springs native, is a senior at Langston University. He’s playing in the championship game of a national tournament and he’s got a bone to pick with the opponent, Southern University.

Southern routed Sam Houston earlier in the tournament and was less than polite about it, going into showtime mode once the outcome had been decided.

“It didn’t sit too well with me,” Haynes said.

Haynes felt sorry not only for the humiliated players, but also for a Sam Houston assistant coach he had just met. The coach’s name — he gained fame in a different sport — was Jackie Robinson.

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Happy 2015!

By

On January 1, 2015

In Uncategorized

LAD_14-Happy-New-Year-IG

May all your dreams for 2015 come true (and may all your resolutions hold up for at least a week or two). Go Dodgers, and go Dodger fans!

— Jon Weisman

2014: What will you remember?

By

On December 31, 2014

In History

By Jon Weisman

In their 26th year of pursuing their seventh World Series title, the Dodgers don’t feel they’ve fulfilled their mission because they didn’t win a championship.

Nevertheless, despite what happened in October, it was a memorable 2014 for a variety of reasons.

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Dodgers officially sign Brett Anderson, designate Erisbel Arruebarrena for assignment

By

On December 30, 2014

In Transactions

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(Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

(Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

By Jon Weisman

The Dodgers have officially announced the signing of pitcher Brett Anderson to a one-year contract today, making room for him on the 40-man roster by designating shortstop Erisbel Arruebarrena for assignment.

Anderson, who will turn 27 before Spring Training begins, has thrown 318 2/3 innings over the past five seasons while battling injuries (including 43 1/3 innings last year for Colorado with a 2.91 ERA), so sure, it’s optimistic to lock him in for 30-plus starts in 2015.

But the potential for the appearances he does make is high — he has a career 112 ERA+ — and fits with the Dodgers’ defensively enhanced infield.

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A final Dodger trivia quiz for 2014

By

On December 30, 2014

In History

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By Jon Weisman

Test your knowledge of the 2014 Dodgers and their place in history with these 20 questions. Answers below.

  1. The 2014 Dodgers hit into two triple plays in one season for the first time since 1955. What two Hall of Famers hit into the triple plays in 1955?
  2. Yasiel Puig did something on July 26 that hadn’t been done by a Dodger in 109 years. What was it?
  3. On May 25, Josh Beckett threw the Dodgers’ first no-hitter since what pitcher did so in 1996?
  4. Name the two Dodgers older than Beckett to throw a no-hitter: a future Hall of Famer in 1925, and a past New York Giant in 1956.
  5. The day after Beckett’s no-hitter, another pitcher took a perfect game into the eighth inning against Cincinnati. Who was it?
  6. Early in 2014, Dee Gordon took the National League lead in stolen bases and triples. The last Dodger to lead the NL in both categories in one season was which 1960s star?
  7. Name the three Los Angeles Dodgers to have at least 60 stolen bases in a season before Gordon did in 2014.
  8. When was the last year before 2014 that the Dodgers led the big leagues in stolen bases: 1965, 1970, 1975 or 1980?
    9. Juan Ocampo/Los Angeles Dodgers

    Juan Ocampo/Los Angeles Dodgers

  9. On August 27 at Arizona, what did Clayton Kershaw allow to happen for the first time all season?
  10. True or false: Kershaw has more career innings than former Yankees great Mariano Rivera.
  11. In 2014, Kenley Jansen became the sixth Dodger with 100 career saves. Who were the first five?
  12. When this reliever passed the 100-inning mark as a Dodger this year, he had the lowest career ERA in franchise history. Who was it?
  13. Kershaw made six starts in June and pitched 44 innings. How many runs did he allow that month?
  14. During Kershaw’s 41-inning scoreless streak this summer, how many runners reached third base: three, five, seven or nine?
  15. What slugging Dodger outfielder this season hit four home runs off Arizona pitcher Wade Miley?
  16. Who was the Dodgers’ Opening Day second baseman this season?
  17. Place these 2014 Dodgers in order of when they were first called up from the minors as rookies: Chad Billingsley, Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, Clayton Kershaw.
  18. Hanley Ramirez is in second place on the Dodgers’ all-time home run list for shortstops. Who was first with 43 homers as a shortstop in his Dodger career?
  19. In 2013, the Dodgers rallied from a 9 ½-game deficit to win the NL West. What was the Dodgers’ biggest deficit in the division in 2014?
  20. True or false: The Dodgers never spent a day with a losing record in 2014.

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2014 postscript: From piano to panic, a Kershaw no-hitter odyssey

By

On December 27, 2014

In History


By Jon Weisman

Embarrassing as it is to admit, I think what I might remember most about my first year with the Dodgers was the stress I felt trying to do a job worthy of this franchise.

That being said, there were some incredibly cool moments that I’ll recall. But nothing remotely compares to the one I’m about to describe, one culminating in a tension beyond dreaming.

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Merry Christmas, everyone!

By

On December 25, 2014

In Uncategorized

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Have a wonderful holiday!

— Jon Weisman

Change has come to the Dodger bullpen

By

On December 23, 2014

In Bullpen

[mlbvideo id=”16932677″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]

By Jon Weisman

Throughout the flurry of Dodger deals that greeted us in early December, I’d see a recurring question from folks on social media: “What about the bullpen?”

This puzzles me, because roughly two months before pitchers and catchers report, there has already been a significant teardown of 2014’s core relief corps.

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Brian Wilson released as turnover continues

By

On December 19, 2014

In Status report, Transactions

[mlbvideo id=”37068283″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]

By Jon Weisman

With the official release of Brian Wilson today, preceded by recent acquisition Ryan Lavarnway being claimed on waivers by the Cubs and Kyle (that’s Kyle) Jensen being designated for assignment, the Dodger 40-man roster is back at, well, 40. But it’s not your slightly older sibling’s 40.

Let’s catch up on who’s new:

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Jimmy Rollins zips from red to blue

By

On December 19, 2014

In Transactions

[mlbvideo id=”32035811″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]
By Jon Weisman

Baseball forces you to make some interesting adjustments. Jimmy Rollins’ biggest might not be switching from Phillies red to Dodger blue, but letting go of any residual memories of green and gold.

Rollins grew up in Oakland and greeted a conference-call question about his childhood allegiance today with a laughing “Are you trying to rub 1988 in my face or something?”

On the other hand, once he resolved to let go of his 18-year association with the Phillies organization, the Dodgers were his first choice for a new team.

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Thank You For Not ...
1) using profanity or any euphemisms for profanity
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Attendance

1991-2013
Dodgers at home: 1,028-812 (.558695)
When Jon attended: 338-267 (.558677)*
When Jon didn’t: 695-554 (.556)
* includes road games attended

2013
Dodgers at home: 51-35 (.593)
When Jon attended: 5-2 (.714)
When Jon didn’t: 46-33 (.582)

Note: I got so busy working for the Dodgers that in 2014, I stopped keeping track, much to my regret. 

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