Dodger Thoughts

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

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Dodger Insider magazine — May edition (and a word to subscribers)

May 2014 magazine coverBy Jon Weisman

First, a word to Dodger Insider subscribers. I have recently heard that confirmation e-mails have said that it only takes two weeks to process a subscription order. The reality is that it normally takes four to six weeks  — that’s a timeframe common to the magazine industry, particularly for a monthly. In other words, if you ordered your subscription in late March or early April, your subscription would begin with the May issue, as was noted last month. (I’m having the wording on the confirmation e-mails adjusted.)

Also please note that these issues are timed to be printed for the first home game of the month. With the Dodgers not playing their first home game of May until tonight, that created the possibility of a later timetable for the May issue.

That being said, I still want to apologize for the tardiness of this month’s delivery. There was a timing issue that cost us about eight days in the delivery cycle. I understand your frustration, and I really do appreciate your patience. Believe me — no one is more eager than me to get every issue of Dodger Insider in your hands. But the issue is coming. And I have taken steps to make sure the June issue is delivered in as rapidly as possible.

If you have any subscription issues or questions, please call the magazine’s subscription fulfillment center at (877) 258-3062. If for some reason that doesn’t help, please leave a message in the comments section of this post. I am bookmarking it and will check it daily.

To order the magazine, either in print or digital form, you can visit our magazine page. And of course, it’s available for sale throughout Dodger Stadium.

* * *

Inside May 2014With that out of the way …

The May issue of Dodger Insider has several great features, including our cover story that examines in-depth the challenges Matt Kemp faced in coming back from his many serious injuries. Kemp, who before play Thursday had exactly 100 at-bats, a .250 batting average and .800 OPS, isn’t quite where he wants to be, but the power remains encouraging — and rather remarkable given all he’s been through.

Among the other news and feature stories are an interview with Dodger general manager Ned Colletti, analyses of defensive shifts and pitch counts (the latter by Mike Petriello of Dodgers Digest), a feature on 17-year-old pitching prodigy Julio Urias, a 40th-anniversary retrospective on the 1974 Dodgers — the winningest team in Los Angeles history — and much, much more.

As always, the magazine showcases the great photography of Jon SooHoo, Juan Ocampo and Jill Weisleder, and also has numerous fun games and challenges for kids ages 1 to immortal.

But the real treat of this month’s issue is “Dodgers Roadshow,” where Dodger team historian Mark Langill takes us through nearly a century of strange and wonderful Dodger memorabilia, most of which I expect you’ve never seen before much less imagined. It’s really fun stuff.

If you haven’t subscribed yet, please do, because there’s more to come in June and beyond.

May 8 pregame: Sun, we missed you

Sun

Giants at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Dee Gordon, 2B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Matt Kemp, CF
Carl Crawford, LF
Juan Uribe, 3B
Drew Butera, C
Josh Beckett, P

By Jon Weisman

Having the sun out at the ballpark is so nice, it looks like Dodger Stadium has done it twice.

An early set of pregame notes today …

  • Yasiel Puig got a tour of the White House on Tuesday, and was “nervous” inside, writes Bill Plunkett of the Register.
  • Dirk Hayhurst gives us the scoop at Sports on Earth on what really happens during a visit to the mound. The timing of this is funny because I was thinking Wednesday about whether anyone has tried to measure the effectiveness of mound visits.
  • Former Dodger third baseman Adrian Beltre became the fifth player to hit 100 home runs for three teams, notes Lee Sinins at Gammons Daily. Beltre, whom I’ve long touted as a stealth Hall of Fame candidate, is tied with Graig Nettles for fourth all-time in home runs by a third baseman.

The mechanics of dating: Lesson 76

By Jon Weisman

With the Dodger Stadium 76 station being re-adapted for use as an event space, starting with Viva Los Dodgers on Sunday, I’ve been looking back at some old 76 ads featuring Murph and the gang that used to air during Dodger games.

So my question is, why couldn’t Jill follow her own advice?

Roy Campanella-Pee Wee Reese bobblehead, July 12

For the July 12 Dodgers-Padres game featuring this bobblehead giveaway, get your tickets here.

Here’s a statistical salute to Roy Campanella, from Lee Sinins for Gammons Daily.

— Jon Weisman

Video: Clayton Kershaw doesn’t just pitch, he makes history

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May 7 pregame: More rain

Dodgers at Nationals, 10:05 a.m.
Dee Gordon, 2B
Carl Crawford, LF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Andre Ethier, CF
Juan Uribe, 3B
Miguel Olivo, C
Dan Haren, P

By Jon Weisman

What a road trip. For the third time in nine contests, weather will delay the Dodgers, with today’s getaway game at Washington getting a late start.

Don Mattingly had this to say this morning, via Bill Plunkett of the Register:

“With all the challenges, if we finish 6-3 I’d call that a pretty good road trip. If we don’t win today, it’s an okay trip,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “I don’t want to accept that just because you had some tough travel and you had some tough games that that changes anything because those games in Minnesota are over. You get your rest, you reload and you go. That’s just what our game calls for. You travel a lot. You play a lot. Guys get used to this. Sometimes we make too much of it.

“It’s kind of like the season so far. We’re okay with it. But if we don’t start playing consistently better baseball that we’re going to win a thing.”

A couple of notes:

Kershaw returns, the center holds

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By Jon Weisman

Clayton Kershaw came back from a 6 1/2-week absence and kept the Washington Nationals as quiet as a Sunday morning snow flurry.

He blanketed them. He turned Nationals Park into the house on the Night Before Christmas. He pitched in such a way that I wouldn’t have trouble believing that Kershaw could bound from chimney to chimney, delivering toys to every home on the globe, while also making compensatory adjustments for non-participating households.

There were nine hits against him. I’m trying to reconcile the nine hits against him. I may actually be having an existential crisis over the nine hits against him. I’m not trying to deny them, not trying to deny that in a game that was scoreless until the sixth inning, there was actual peril – the same way there was peril in not knowing whether Rudolph’s nose might conk out somewhere over Greenland.

There was even this. Comedy.

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Still, still, it was the way Kershaw made you feel watching him, the way from the first strike he made you feel safe and secure, that baseball was once again a gift, that the stray brushstrokes were all part of the show, that even in a busy and converging world, there can be peace.

Camille_Pissarro_002

It doesn’t stay that way. But that it circles back that way, maybe that’s enough.

May 6 pregame: About today’s starting pitcher …

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Dodgers at Nationals, 4:05 p.m.
Kershaw CLXXXIV: Kershawphan Black
Dee Gordon, 2B
Carl Crawford, LF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Matt Kemp, CF
Andre Ethier, RF
Juan Uribe, 3B
Scott Van Slyke, 1B
Drew Butera, C
Clayton Kershaw, P

By Jon Weisman

Clayton Kershaw. Clayton Kershaw, Clayton Kershaw, Clayton Kershaw.

Clayton Kershaw? Clayton Kershaw.

Clayton Kershaw!

So, that pretty much covers the pregame story. Just a few dangling threads before first pitch …

  • Kershaw is not on a specific pitch limit, Don Mattingly told reporters, and could cross the 100 mark.
  • Pedro Baez, who emulated Zack Greinke in giving up a hit and a home run to his first two batters Monday before settling down to pitch shutout ball (including his first MLB strikeout), went back to Chattanooga as predicted, to make room on the active roster for Kershaw.
  • Yasiel Puig is available to pinch-hit, as his Adrian Gonzalez, who is getting a rest day. Mattingly said he could see Gonzalez getting tired, and he did not put up a fight when resting him was discussed.
  • Limited to three innings and 54 pitches by Monday’s rain, Zack Greinke could come back on short rest for his next start, but there’s no current plan to do so, Mattingly said.

Viva Los Dodgers on Sunday features Mystery Bags with autographed baseballs

By Erin Edwards

This Sunday, Viva Los Dodgers — the family-friendly pregame festival where fans can enjoy live music, player autographs and other fun activities — will feature some exciting Mystery Bags for lucky fans.

LADF tentWhile at Viva Los Dodgers, be sure to stop by the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation tent. You will find the Mystery Bag fundraiser, where for a $40 donation, you can get an official Major League baseball signed by one of 10 Dodger alumni or one of our current players.

You won’t know until you open your bag who signed your ball. Possible signatures include Andre Ethier, Zack Greinke, Nomar Garciaparra, Tommy Davis and Manny Mota.

Only 84 Mystery Bags are available. All proceeds will benefit the LADF and its programs in sports and recreation, education and literacy and health and wellness. All the programs help children and families throughout the Greater Los Angeles Area.

Also this Sunday. Viva Los Dodgers moves to the Dodger Stadium 76 station, which has been refurbished for event use in Lot 6. A part of Dodger Stadium since the ballpark opened in 1962, the 76 station has been preserved but adapted into a flexible and nicely landscaped event space.

76 station today IMG-20140501-00505

Looking back at Dodger triple plays

Triple playsBy Jon Weisman

In Monday’s 4-0 loss to Washington, the Dodgers came within a hair of turning a triple play — a straight-arrow, around-the-horn, 5-4-3 triplet-killing.

It would have been the Dodgers fourth triple play since moving to Los Angeles. The franchise had 19 triple plays in Brooklyn, including two within eight days of each other, May 21 and 29, in its inaugural NL season of 1890 (wins No. 11 and 17 of 10,003 so far). However, the Dodgers then went without a triple play from 1949 until 1996.

In the first inning at Atlanta on June 15, 1996, Chipper Jones hit a pop fly deep behind shortstop. Juan Castro caught it, threw to Delino DeShields at second base to double up Marquis Grissom, and Grissom threw to Eric Karros at first base to triple up Mark Lemke.

Then on June 13, 1998, Los Angeles turned its second triple play, when Darren Dreifort fielded a fifth-inning bunt by Kurt Abbott that landed in front of the mound, starting a chain reaction that retired the two runners on base. One of those retired on the play was Colorado’s 23-year-old starting pitcher, Jamey Wright. The throws went from Dreifort to shortstop Jose Vizcaino to force Perez, then to Eric Young at first base to retire Abbott, and finally across the diamond to Bobby Bonilla at third base to tag out Wright.

Colorado wasn’t too happy about a triple play that wouldn’t have happened if the infield fly rule could have been applied, but the most recent Dodger triple play, on April 15, 2012, was far more controversial.

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At the time, I wrote about the debate over this triple play at Dodger Thoughts.

You’ll feel better when …

By Jon Weisman

… Dodger relievers stop walking opposing batters at rates we haven’t seen, as my grandmother would say, in a dog’s age. More specifically, since before the team’s last World Series title.

Read More

Dodgers offer $5 parking in Lots 13, 14 next homestand

By Jon Weisman

For the upcoming May 8-14 homestand featuring games against the Giants and Marlins, fans can park in Lots 13 and 14 along Stadium Way near Elysian Park Avenue for $5 per game.

The $5 fee is available in advanceLAD _ParkingMap_14.3.26 and the day of the game on a first-come, first-served basis. The special offer is being made on a trial basis.

Lots 13 and 14 are located across the street from each other on Stadium Way, adjacent to the Los Angeles Fire Department training center, a short walk east of the main Elysian Park Avenue-Gate A entrance to Dodger Stadium. (Click map at right to enlarge.) The lots will open to the public at the same time as the other Dodger Stadium parking lots. A free shuttle will be available for disabled fans.

“We have added this parking availability to provide our fans with another savings option that offers easy in and out access and is a 10-to-15 minute walk to the stadium,” said Dodger president and CEO Stan Kasten. “By parking in lots 13 and 14, fans can avoid some of the traffic entering and exiting the stadium lots before and after games.

“We continue to experiment with ways to improve access to Dodger Stadium. The more drivers that park in lots 13 and 14, the fewer the cars that will enter the Dodger Stadium lots through the auto gates and it will help in our ongoing efforts to ease traffic congestion.”

May 5 pregame: Pedro Baez and position switches

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Dodgers at Nationals, 4:05 p.m.
Dee Gordon, 2B
Carl Crawford, LF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Matt Kemp, CF
Andre Ethier, RF
Juan Uribe, 3B
Miguel Olivo, C
Zack Greinke, P

By Jon Weisman

Continuing their efforts to fill their bullpen with healthy and rested arms, the Dodgers have called up righty reliever Pedro Baez from Double-A Chattanooga, optioning Sunday starter Stephen Fife to Albuquerque.

The news comes one day before the Dodgers’ expected activation of Clayton Kershaw from the disabled list.

Baez, looking to make his MLB debut, has a 2.84 ERA in 12 2/3 innings for the Lookouts, though he hasn’t been striking out batters at his customary rate in the early going. Having averaged 8.5 strikeouts per nine innings last season in the minors, Baez has eight whiffs so far this season. He last pitched Friday, throwing two shutout innings with two strikeouts.

As many of you know, Baez began his pro career as a third baseman before making a Kenley Jansen-like conversion to pitching. Below: Cary Osborne’s story for the March 2014 Dodger Insider magazine on position switches in the farm system (click to enlarge).

 

A Switch in Time - 1

A Switch in Time - 2

Video: Yasiel Puig’s 10 greatest catches

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By Jon Weisman

Yasiel Puig is day to day after hitting the wall in an all-out attempt to reel in Jeff Baker’s game-winning drive Sunday for Miami. Though he didn’t make the catch, it was a spectacular effort, and hardly the first time the spiritual descendant of Pete Reiser has gone mano-a-fenco or thrown his body into a spectacular catch.

Below, I’ve compiled what I believe to be the 10 greatest catches of Puig’s 11-month Major League career. It’s a pretty nice highlight reel in a short amount of time — especially because I’ve saved the throws for another day.

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Shrine of the Eternals honors Rachel Robinson, Don Zimmer

Rachel RobinsonBy Jon Weisman

Rachel Robinson and Don Zimmer have been elected to the Baseball Reliquary’s Shrine of the Eternals, along with former Cardinal legend Dizzy Dean.

The Reliquary is an organization “dedicated to fostering an appreciation of American art and culture through the context of baseball history,” and the Shrine serves as its Hall of Fame.

Read More

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