[mlbvideo id=”31851495″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]
Guest public address announcer Jason Bateman couldn’t help but notice the three Brandons batting in a row in the San Francisco lineup today.
— Jon Weisman
Month: April 2014 (Page 5 of 6)
Giants at Dodgers, 1:10 p.m.
Yasiel Puig, RF
Justin Turner, 2B
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Matt Kemp, CF
Scott Van Slyke, LF
Juan Uribe, 3B
A.J. Ellis, C
Paul Maholm, P
Click here for Jon SooHoo’s photo gallery from the home opener.
Yasiel Puig, RF
Justin Turner, 2B
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Matt Kemp, CF
Scott Van Slyke, LF
Juan Uribe, 3B
A.J. Ellis, C
Paul Maholm, P
Click here for Jon SooHoo’s photo gallery from the home opener.
By Jon Weisman
Dodger pitchers on rehab assignments are taking several innings at Single-A Rancho Cucamonga this weekend.
Josh Beckett allowed three first-inning runs, then pitched three shutout innings on Friday. Brian Wilson is expected to throw an inning tonight, and Chad Billingsley plans to take a big step with his first rehab outing Sunday.
“I feel good, I’m progressing well and hopefully it stays that way,” Billingsley told Ken Gurnick of MLB.com on Friday. “Getting close. Right now I’m progressing with each start. I’m using this as a Spring Training, fine-tuning mechanics and working on my pitches. When I feel ready and they feel I’m ready, I’ll be back. Guys have this surgery all the time. Nothing new.”
In his outing, Beckett landed funny on his ankle while fielding a bunt in his last inning of work, and manager Don Mattingly said it was a little sore today but not major. The Dodgers have yet to set an activation date for the righthander.
As for today’s lineup, it will feature an all-righty outfield against San Francisco lefty Madison Bumgarner, with Andre Ethier in reserve for the first time this season and Carl Crawford for the first time in the U.S. Scott Van Slyke will get his first start since the season-opener in Australia, where he doubled and homered.
“This guy’s tough on lefties,” Mattingly said, conceding that Bumgarner, who had a 2.77 ERA last year, is tough on everyone. (Opposing lefties OPSed .487 against him in 2013, opposing righties .602.) “Scotty hasn’t played in a while. We’ve got to keep him in the mix.”
Mattingly said he talked to Ethier and Crawford but that he doesn’t expect to have to explain every day to whoever’s sitting why they’re sitting. He remains unflustered by the juggling of the outfield.
“We’re gonna get on a stretch when there’s no off days,” Mattingly said. “Someone’ll be nicked up; someone’ll need a breather. … I don’t think it’s gonna be complicated.”
Mattingly wrapped up his pregame chat by confirming that there was no issue with Yasiel Puig’s arrival time today.
By Jon Weisman
A reminder: Raul Mondesi, the former Dodger Rookie of the Year who is now mayor of San Cristobal, Dominican Republic, is holding a clothing drive to benefit his hometown Sunday at Viva Los Dodgers, which begins in Lot 6 at 3 p.m., two hours before the Dodgers take on the Giants.
Mondesi will accept donations of gently-worn clothing and will sign autographs. Fans that bring a donation will be placed in a priority line for autographs. Dodger coach and SportsNet LA Spanish-language broadcaster Manny Mota will also make an appearance and sign autographs.
Mondesi will also throw out the ceremonial first pitch before Sunday’s game.
By Jon Weisman
Though Don Mattingly removed Yasiel Puig from the starting lineup for today’s home opener at Dodger Stadium, the Dodger manager felt Puig was properly contrite and was prepared to use him off the bench.
“I thought he was humble today,” Mattingly said after the Dodgers’ 8-4 loss. “He truly felt bad. You can tell in his body language. He doesn’t hide things very well.
“I think he truly thought (his required arrival time) was later. That doesn’t keep him from being responsible. I thought he handled it well.”
The Dodgers used three pinch-hitters today — Scott Van Slyke and Justin Turner with runners on in the fourth and sixth innings and Chone Figgins leading off the bottom of the ninth — but Mattingly emphasized that Puig was an option, presumably if the game was late and within reach.
“I’m trying to win a game,” Mattingly said. “I’m trying to keep him for the right spot. That’s not a question that if we get guys on and get enough guys on, in the right kind of situation, I would have used Yasiel today.”
Speaking to SportsNet LA’s Alanna Rizzo after today’s game, Puig was repeatedly apologetic for his tardiness.
“It was 100 percent my fault,” Puig said. “It was nothing to do with my teammates and my manager. I didn’t realize stretch was as early as it was. But it was absolutely my fault, and I ask forgiveness from my teammates and obviously from my manager.”
Puig said that once he realized he was late, he knew that “there’s pretty much no chance that you’re going to play, and I certainly felt bad about that.”
“I want to ask forgiveness from the fans,” he added. “I was very sad that I wasn’t able to play on Opening Day. It’s something that I’m not proud of and I take full responsibility.”
By Jon Weisman
(Insert Karl Malden voice) You fall behind 8-0 in the top of the second inning. What’ll you do? What will you do?
You start hitting home runs. Adrian Gonzalez and Andre Ethier (pictured above) went back-to-back in the fourth inning to put the Dodgers on the board and raised bemused hopes of doubling the fun of the 4+1 game.
You string together some hits. The Dodgers had four in the fifth inning, including Matt Kemp’s first hit, double and RBI of the year, to score two more runs.
You get some phenomenal relief. Jose Dominguez, Brandon League, Chris Withrow and Jamey Wright combined for seven shutout innings from the third through the eighth, allowing one baserunner while striking out 10.
Perhaps surprisingly, you start running. Hardly in conservative mode, the Dodgers stole three bases (two by Dee Gordon, who also raised his on-base percentage to .476) while trailing big, and had a fourth before a safe call benefiting Hanley Ramirez was overturned.
If you count steals, walks and HBP, Dee Gordon has 15 bases this season off of 20 plate appearances.
— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) April 4, 2014
“I think we want to keep playing,” Dodger manager Don Mattingly said. “You want guys to be pretty sure (they’re going to be safe), but it’s part of us trying to take advantage. You can’t just quit playing.”
As a result, the Dodgers had more than one look at a game that might have seemed over before the smoke from the pregame fireworks faded. They scored those four runs and had at least one additional runner in scoring position in every inning from the third through the sixth.
Depending on your point of view, it either softens the blow of the way the game began or heightens the heartbreak.
Hyun-Jin Ryu retired the Giants’ first three hitters (Angel Pagan, Hunter Pence and Pablo Sandoval) with ease. Unfortunately, he faced nine players between Pence and Sandoval, in an excruciating, six-run first inning that featured three bloop hits, including one lost in the sun by Dee Gordon and Adrian Gonzalez for an infield double and another RBI hit by opposing pitcher Ryan Vogelsong.
In another peculiarly perverse circumstance, Ryu retired the first three hitters of the second inning as well, but the first reached on a Hanley Ramirez error, leaving the door open for two unearned runs to score, sending Ryu to his earliest exit as a Dodger.
“Overall, my physical condition was completely fine,” Ryu said. “I think the first walk (to Sandoval) in the first inning was critical and changed the face of the game. … Overall, I just should have pitched better.”
Said Mattingly: “He gave up hits. We didn’t help him (defensively), that’s for sure.”
But rather than send the fans home empty-handed, the Dodgers tried to climb back. Their best look at the game might have been in the bottom of the fifth, when they had cut the lead to 8-4 and had two runners on with one out. Juan Uribe, who had doubled in his last at-bat, hit a shot heading down the line, but third baseman Sandoval went to his knees to snag it.
From love-8, the Dodgers were that close to sending the tying run to the plate with the game barely half over.
Instead, they settled for a home opener that reminded them in equal parts of their fallibility and their resiliency.
By Jon Weisman
Although the first inning was one to forget, it was a pregame to remember at Dodger Stadium today …
The one, the only, Vin Scully. #ITFDB https://t.co/GeMrNjnTtR
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 4, 2014
Koufax catches first pitch from Vin. pic.twitter.com/CjhRSvQgGq
— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) April 4, 2014
Vin to Sandy. Perfect. #ITFDB https://t.co/p6m7siY9hY
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 4, 2014
Giants at Dodgers, 1:10 p.m.
Carl Crawford, LF
Yasiel Puig, RF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Andre Ethier, CF
Juan Uribe, 3B
A.J. Ellis, C
Dee Gordon, 2B
Hyun-Jin Ryu, P
Carl Crawford, LF
Yasiel Puig, RF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Andre Ethier, CF
Juan Uribe, 3B
A.J. Ellis, C
Dee Gordon, 2B
Hyun-Jin Ryu, P
By Jon Weisman
Though Matt Kemp has been activated, he is not in today’s starting lineup. As SportsNet LA’s Allanna Rizzo notes on Twitter, Don Mattingly said that he hopes to ease Kemp into action in the later innings today and that Kemp would likely start on Saturday. Mike Baxter has been optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque.
The Dodgers have brought out the same starting eight position players in the same batting order for the fourth consecutive game, the first time the team has done this since they put out this group for five consecutive games, from May 12-16, 2009:
Juan Pierre, LF
Rafael Furcal, SS
Orlando Hudson, 2B
Andre Ethier, RF
Russell Martin, C
James Loney, 1B
Matt Kemp, CF
Casey Blake, 3B
In other notes, Hyun-Jin Ryu will “join Van Lingle Mungo (1937) and Don Drysdale (1965) as the only Dodgers pitchers to start in three of the first six games since 1914,” according to Eric Stephen of True Blue L.A.
Update: Matt Kemp will start and bat second after all, playing center field in place of Yasiel Puig, who was scratched after showing up late today. Andre Ethier will play right field.
[mlbvideo id=”19534345″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]
By Jon Weisman
The Bison’s back in town.
According to the Dodgers’ PR department, Matt Kemp “is expected to be reinstated from the disabled list prior to today’s game (though not in today’s starting lineup),” looking to make a fresh start after a series of injuries derailed most of his past two seasons.
“I’m as ready as I can be, and (I’m) excited to get out and compete again,” Kemp told Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. “I’ve done all the practicing I can do, I’ve done the rehab. I’ve busted my butt and now I hope all the work has paid off.”
Photos by Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers
Coming off a near-MVP season in 2011, Kemp had a monstrous .446 on-base percentage and .726 slugging percentage and had played in 399 consecutive games, making a strong case as the best player in the game (watch the video above to refresh your memory of his prowess), when he went on the disabled list with a hamstring injury.
He has been beset by injuries to his hamstring, shoulder and ankle since then, lowering his production to a .330 OBP and .430 slugging in 145 games. That’s mostly due to the first three months of the 2013 season, the first three months he played after labrum surgery, when he had a .309 OBP and .355 slugging in 57 games. When he was able to get in the lineup in the second half of the season, he went 18 for 54 with four homers, a .400 OBP and .630 slugging.
Even in the post-injury portion of 2012, Kemp had a .332 OBP and .462 slugging with 11 homers in 72 games, production that most players would settle for.
[mlbvideo id=”27237653″ width=”400″ height=”224″ /]
How well Kemp will perform at the outset of his return is impossible to know, though isn’t that really true of any player? In any case, the time to find out, as Gurnick reports, is now.
Manager Don Mattingly said the club has rejected the thought of further Minor League rehab action for Kemp, even if it means the team must bite the bullet and let him work through the rust.
“Physically, in his mind, Matt feels he’s ready,” Mattingly said. “He’s said he’s not afraid to do all the things he has to do. In a sense, we can only trust him. He’s been honest with us. He doesn’t want to get embarrassed. He wants to do well.”
Kemp understands the skepticism.
“I just want them to have faith in me and trust what I say,” he said. “I’m ready. I told them at the beginning of Spring Training, ‘If I’m not ready, I’m not going out there.’ I’m telling the truth if I say I can compete with those guys. I have no doubt at all. I’ve had good years. Everybody has their own opinion, but I know the type of player I am capable of being. Everybody has doubters, but I don’t let that affect me.
“Honestly, my legs are in great shape. I’ve done all the tests, but you can never simulate Major League game situations. I’ve gone first to third, I’ve been sliding, I definitely can do that. It’s all cool. My shoulder feels great, that’s the least of my concerns. The focus on that is over.”
If you argue that it’s too optimistic to expect a return to his 2011 form, it’s also too pessimistic to assume Kemp can’t surpass his 2013 performance. There’s no doubt about the effort Kemp has put into a long and excruciating rehab, or his desire to be as good as he ever was. It’s hard not to be eager to see what happens.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H0DFEKaR0c]
Why yes. Yes it is.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfbSDoXxcsI&w=550&h=413]
— Jon Weisman
By Jon Weisman
With the April issue of Dodger Insider magazine set to unveil in the next 24 hours, I thought I’d share a taste from the March issue to give you more of an idea of the magazine content.
To subscribe to either the print or digital versions of Dodger Insider, go to our magazine ordering page on Dodgers.com.
Click on any page below to enlarge …
Click map to enlarge.
By Jon Weisman
Here are some tips and reminders for coming to Dodger Stadium in 2014 …
Advanced parking
Remember: If you’re coming to Dodger Stadium on Friday or any game this season, you want to purchase your parking in advance. This plan was implemented to accelerate traffic flow into the ballpark.
- The Dodger Stadium transportation and parking web page can be found here.
- General parking is $10 online — same as last year, and available to all ticketholders — and $15 at the gate.
- Preferred parking is $35 in advance and $50 at the gate.
- To purchase parking in advance, find the game on the Dodger schedule by clicking this link.
- Then click on the T symbol for your game.
- You will then see the various parking options to choose.
- New for 2014: Purchase parking in advance for Lots 13 and 14 and pay only $8. Lots 13 and 14 are offsite on Stadium Way (between Elysian Park Avenue and the 110) and allow for easy entrance and exit. Note that there is an uphill walk to the stadium from these lots.
Arrival and departure
- Depending on which gate you enter, you will be directed to park in a specific parking lot and specific parking space.
- If you would like to park in a specific area of the Dodger Stadium parking lot (i.e. first-base side), it is suggested you plan ahead and enter via the appropriate gate.
- Sunset Gate A: Lots 1 and 2
- Stadium Way Gate B (general parking only): Lot 2
- Golden State Gate C: Lots 3 and 4
- Academy Gate D: Lots 5, 6, and 7
- Downtown Gate E: Lots 8, 10 and 11
- When leaving the game, you will be required to exit out of the same parking gate that you entered.
- You can get to all freeways from all parking gate exits.
Also: There is an ample amount of disabled parking spaces located in parking lots B, G, N, & P. Parking cashiers and attendants will direct those with a valid state-issued disabled parking permit and/or license plate to these areas. Locations are first-come, first-served. Once ADA stalls are filled, you will be directed to alternate locations. The Dodgers offer shuttle services to disabled fans; you’ll be assisted based on the call queue on a first-come, first-served basis.
Stadium Way Gate B
Stadium Way Gate B (formerly the Scott Avenue Gate) will be open in 2014.
- Access to the gate is only from Stadium Way and will not be permitted from directly through the Echo Park neighborhood from Scott Avenue, west of Stadium Way.
- The Dodgers will have two left turn lanes from Elysian Park Avenue, which will be directed to take a right turn onto Scott Avenue.
- This will assist in alleviating traffic along Sunset Blvd., which has backed up in the past.
- Neighborhood protection along Scott Avenue from Stadium Way to Glendale Blvd. will continue in addition to adding DOT officers.
Dodger Stadium Express
The Dodger Stadium Express, the shuttle service from Union Station in downtown Los Angeles to Dodger Stadium and back, returns for the fifth consecutive year. Fans are encouraged to use the many transportation alternatives that serve Union Station and that will connect them to the Dodger Stadium Express. For specific route and schedule information, fans can visit www.metro.net or call (323) GO METRO.
- The Dodger Stadium Express is free for ticketholders. Those without a ticket will pay regular one-way fare of $1.50.
- It uses a dedicated bus lane on Sunset Boulevard from Union Station to Elysian Park Avenue.
- Board the Dodger Express shuttle at the Patsaouras Bus Plaza adjacent to the east portal of Union Station.
- Service begins at 10 a.m. Opening Day and 90 minutes before typical games, and runs for 45 minutes after the game.
- Service will be provided every 10 minutes prior to the start of the game and run approximately every 30 minutes throughout the game.
- The Dodger Stadium Express will have two stops in 2014—behind the pavilions and a new stop at the Top Deck, Lot P.
- Parking at Union Station is $6.
MTA
- The Dodgers encourage use of MTA buses on Sunset Blvd. as well as using the Gold Line in Chinatown.
- The Dodgers also will have the No. 2 and No. 4 buses available from the Red Line station in Hollywood that will operate to the Dodger Stadium entrance.
Pedestrian/bicycle
- The Dodgers’ main entrance, Sunset Blvd. Gate A along Elysian Park Avenue, features a dedicated pedestrian entrance with new lighting in an effort to encourage fans to utilize parking lots 13 and 14 along Stadium Way and the No. 2 and 4 buses along Sunset Blvd.
- The Dodgers also will have dedicated pedestrian walkways and bicycle lanes (and additional bicycle racks) leading into the entrances formerly designed for autos only.
By Jon Weisman
With his walk and RBI double in tonight’s 5-1 Dodger victory over San Diego, converted second baseman Dee Gordon, the Dodgers’ weak link, is leading the team in batting average (.385), on-base percentage (.471), slugging percentage (.538) and OPS (1.009).
I don’t know — maybe Petco Park suits him. I know Dee is suiting me.
Yeah, it’s only been five games — four, actually, since Gordon didn’t play in the first. It’s still more success than most people hoped for.
* * *
Not to take anything away from Dan Haren, who pitched six innings with no earned runs and six strikeouts in his Dodger debut.
Dodger starting pitching in 2014: 29 2/3 innings, three runs, 0.91 ERA, seven walks, 30 strikeouts, 9.1 K/9.
— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) April 3, 2014
[mlbvideo id=”31756453″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]
Dodgers at Padres, 7:10 p.m.
Carl Crawford, LF
Yasiel Puig, RF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Andre Ethier, CF
Juan Uribe, 3B
A.J. Ellis, C
Dee Gordon, 2B
Dan Haren, P
Carl Crawford, LF
Yasiel Puig, RF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Andre Ethier, CF
Juan Uribe, 3B
A.J. Ellis, C
Dee Gordon, 2B
Dan Haren, P
By Jon Weisman
For all their early season injuries, the Dodgers have the exact same starting eight position players, batting in the same order, for the third straight game.
That hasn’t happened since September 3-5, 2012, when Don Mattingly offered the following octet:
Mark Ellis, 2B
Shane Victorino, LF
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Matt Kemp, CF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Andre Ethier, RF
Luis Cruz, 3B
A.J. Ellis, C
* * *
Tyson Ross, the starting pitcher for the Padres tonight, struck out 10 of 20 Dodgers the last time he faced them, on September 1. The first time he faced them, on April 17, he got his first Major League hit but hurt his shoulder on the swing and didn’t pitch again for 15 days. The 6-foot-5 Ross, who turns 27 this month, had a 3.17 ERA and 8.6 strikeouts per nine innings last year (2.93 and 9.6 after the All-Star Break), and at Petco Park, his ERA was 2.03.
* * *
My favorite stats after four games:
- Team OPS leaders: Dee Gordon .962, Juan Uribe .941
- Team starting pitching: 23 2/3 innings, 1.14 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 9.1 K/9
- A.J. Ellis: on pace for 162 walks.
- Chone Figgins: on pace for 81 walks, zero at-bats
- No Dodger starter has hit into a double play.
* * *
Update: Jose Dominguez has been recalled from his assignment to Albuquerque, as the Dodgers officially placed Brian Wilson on the disabled list.
Scheduled Dodger starting pitchers for the three-game series against the Giants are Hyun-Jin Ryu on Friday, Paul Maholm on Saturday and Zack Greinke on Sunday.
* * *
From the Dodger press notes: “The Dodgers have limited the Padres to three or fewer runs in each of their last 10 games, winning eight of those contests dating to June 22, 2013. Los Angeles has posted a 1.13 ERA (11 ER/88.0 IP) in that span. The last time the Dodgers held any opponent to three or fewer runs in 10 consecutive games was April 8-Sept. 9, 2003 against the Diamondbacks (source: Stats, LLC). If the Dodgers hold San Diego to three or fewer runs tonight, it would be their longest such streak against a single opponent since a 12-game run against the Cubs Aug. 26, 1991-Aug. 21, 1992.”
* * *
More news: “The Dodgers will welcome back former Dodger outfielder Raul Mondesi as part of Dominican Heritage at Viva Los Dodgers this Sunday. Mondesi, current mayor of San Cristobal, Dominican Republic, will be holding a clothing drive to benefit his hometown of San Cristobal. He will accept donations of gently-worn clothing and will sign autographs for fans. Fans that bring a donation will be placed in a priority line for autographs. … Mondesi will also throw the ceremonial first pitch prior to Sunday’s game.”
[mlbvideo id=”24887751″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]
By Jon Weisman
The Dodgers today claimed infielder Carlos Triunfel on outright waivers from Seattle, added him to the 40-man roster and optioned him to Triple-A Albuquerque.
In his 27-game MLB career, the 24-year-old Triunfel is 11 for 66 with one walk. Spending most of last year with Triple-A Tacoma, Triunfel had a .328 on-base percentage and slugged .394.
A native of the Dominican Republic, he received a $1.3 million signing bonus at age 16, according to John Sickels of Minor League Ball, and made his pro debut in 2007 at age 17. In 2009, according to Sickels, “he played just 11 games due to a horrifying leg injury that included a broken fibula and torn ankle ligaments.”
In his 2013 assessment, Sickels adds:
Interestingly, despite the stocky height/weight listing, when I’ve seen him in person he’s actually shown more quickness around the infield than he did three or four years ago. It looks to me like he’s put in a lot of work on defense. His reactions are better, his footwork is cleaner, and while he’s not going to win any gold gloves at shortstop, you could play him there on a short-term basis without killing yourself.
He’s always had a very strong throwing arm, and his throws are more accurate than they used to be. He’s performed well in brief action at second base and third base, so he does fit the utility profile positionally.
Ross Porter throws the ceremonial first pitch August 31.
(Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers, LLC 2013)
By Jon Weisman
Your ears won’t be deceiving you on Opening Day. That voice you will be hearing is Ross Porter.
It won’t be on your radio or TV, but rather booming through Dodger Stadium. Porter, a radio and TV voice of the Dodgers from 1977-2004, will be the honorary public address announcer for Friday’s home opener, featuring the Dodgers against the Giants and all the requisite pageantry.
“I was appreciative of the fact they asked me to do this this year,” Porter said. “It’s a special honor to do on Opening Day. That’s nice, and I’m looking forward to that. It’s gonna be exciting just to be with the fans, to be able to speak to the fans. I’m just happy to be there and be back.”
[mlbvideo id=”30210413″ width=”400″ height=”224″ /]
More Opening Day Highlights
- Auto and stadium gates open at 10 a.m.
- Dodger Stadium Express from Union Station will operate from 10 a.m. through 45 minutes after the game.
- Opening Day pregame entertainment throughout the stadium begins at 10 a.m.
- Musical entertainment provided by Dixieland band Angel City in the left-field reserve plaza and classic rock music by The Trip in the right-field reserve plaza.
- Balloon makers, face painters, caricature artists and plenty of Dodger photo opportunities with Dodger memorabilia in the left-and right-field pavilion plaza areas.
- “Sweet” Lou Johnson will sign autographs for fans in the left-field pavilion plaza and Kenny Landreaux will hold an autograph session in the right-field pavilion plaza.
- On-field pregame ceremonies begin at 12:00 p.m.
- A special Opening Day video will also be part of pregame ceremonies.
- U.S. Navy Leap Frogs will perform an aerial jump into Dodger Stadium from a C-130 aircraft.
- Opening Day’s Veteran of the Game is U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Hunter Holmes, the winner of the Dodgers’ annual Veterans Day Batting Practice Day hitting contest.
- Making their concessions debut this season: LA Extreme Bacon Wrapped Dog (available at the Extreme Loaded Hot Dog stands) and the Major League Nachos Helmet, showcasing 64 ounces of delicious crispy tortilla chips topped with all the fixins (available on field, loge and reserve levels).
- Tommy Lasorda will officially begin the game with “It’s Time for Dodger baseball!”
Porter reconnected with Dodger Stadium when he was invited to throw out a ceremonial first pitch August 31.
“It was really a thrill to be back there and to be able to see people and talk to people, and go downstairs and have them show me the new clubhouse and all the things they built in since I was last there,” Porter said. “And it was great to be able to bring my family and friends. The Dodgers provided us with a suite that night, which was very nice of them.
“It was just a nice experience, very positive — everything about it. It was just good to get back there.”
Porter is taking the place Friday of regular stadium P.A. announcer Eric Smith, who has a prior commitment, but this won’t be the last Dodger fans hear of Porter this year.
Beginning on KLAC AM 570 after Friday’s game and throughout the season will be “Ross Porter’s Dodger Moments,” a featurette that will include a short interview from a Dodger or famous Dodger opponent of the past.
Friday will bring Sandy Koufax talking about Dodger Stadium, followed by Willie Mays on Saturday talking about the Dodger-Giant rivalry. For Sunday, it will be Don Drysdale recalling the night his scoreless inning streak almost ended with a pitch that hit Dick Dietz, only to be overruled because Dietz didn’t try to get out of the way.
Down the road, Porter will present Rex Barney talking about his 1949 no-hitter, Gene Hermanski talking about starting a triple play in 1949 and interviews with Roy Campanella, Duke Snider and more.
“It comes out of my personal library of interviews that I kept through all those years,” Porter said. “At the moment, I have 52 of those ready to go, recorded, and I will add to them because I want to get the current players and mix them in with the former stars. I’ve still got about 25-30 other ones that I have not really edited yet, but I’ve got ’em. So we’re going to have quite a group.”
Porter remains attuned to the Dodgers of today and is optimistic about their potential.
“I’m very excited about the chances for this team,” he said. “You know and I know and people that know baseball realize, it really comes down to how many people are injured. You keep them healthy, and I think they have an excellent shot to win the National League and be in the World Series, and then it’s just who can win four.”
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuvSiXdc6JQ&w=420&h=315]
