Dodger Thoughts

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

Month: April 2015 (Page 4 of 6)

Next after Jackie: John Wright

John Wright with the Montreal Royals in March 1946 (National Baseball Hall of Fame Library)

John Wright with the Montreal Royals in March 1946 (National Baseball Hall of Fame Library)

John Wright second page imageBy Cary Osborne

Though John Wright, the second black player ever signed to a baseball contract, never made the Major Leagues, his signing further represented the vision of Branch Rickey and the progressive thinking of the Dodgers. And it was another step in the integration of baseball.

A right-handed pitcher with the Homestead Grays of the Negro Leagues, Wright signed with the Dodgers’ farm team, the Montreal Royals, almost three months to the day after Jackie Robinson on October 23, 1945.

The headline in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle on January 29, 1946 (click image above right to enlarge) read: “Dodger Farm Signs 2d Negro Player.”

Wright, a native of New Orleans, played 10 seasons in the Negro Leagues. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle noted that Wright had faced big-league competition, including the Dodgers, while pitching for a Navy team prior to 1945.

Despite his experience and accomplishments, including a 2.55 ERA in 141 1/3 innings for Homestead in 1943 (according to Baseball Reference), Wright was seen by some as a player whose role was to keep Robinson company.

“John Wright, the pitcher who is to keep Jackie from growing homesick for his own race …” started a sentence in a March 2, 1946 Brooklyn Eagle article.

Wright was Robinson’s teammate in Montreal at the beginning of the 1946 season and faced the same discrimination as the legendary figure. Another article mentioned that some Montreal exhibition games had to be cancelled in April 1946 because some cities had regulations against “mixed athletic competition.”

Wright was in the Dodger organization just one year. In 1947, he was back in the Negro League pitching for the Grays.

Wright died in 1990, reportedly at the age of 73. Though he didn’t make the impact that his former teammate did, Wright has a place in baseball history.

Hazzard one of first to honor Jackie by wearing No. 42

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UCLA BasketballBy Mark Langill

Today is a special day for Jalal Hazzard, manager of the Dodgers RBI youth program. His father, former UCLA basketball star Walt Hazzard, was born on April 15, 1942. The elder Hazzard passed away in 2011, but left a legacy which coincides with all Major League ballplayers wearing No. 42 on the anniversary of his Brooklyn Dodger debut at Ebbets Field in 1947.

“My dad idolized Jackie Robinson, they both went to UCLA,” Jalal said. “With the Bruins, he wore jersey 42 because of Jackie, and he continued wearing the number throughout most of his NBA career. The only time he didn’t wear 42 was when he played for the Golden State Warriors and Nate Thurmond had 42.”

Also: Over at MLB.com, Lyle Spencer has a story about Robinson’s relationship and impact on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Long lineup fuels latest comeback

By Jon Weisman

Fernando Rodney, it would seem, is welcome at Dodger Stadium.

On August 9, 2013, Rodney was on the mound when the Dodgers completed a comeback from a 6-0 seventh-inning deficit, scoring four times in the ninth inning off the righty to top Andrew Friedman’s Tampa Bay Rays.

Tonight, the Dodgers completed their second consecutive walkoff comeback win and fourth comeback victory in eight games of the 2015 season, rallying past Rodney and the Seattle Mariners, 6-5.

It’s bizarre that the Dodgers have let opponents score in the first inning six times this season. It’s bizarre that the Dodgers have won four of those games.

If you ask me, it’s less about the oft-cited strength of character or grit, and more about the subtle relentlessness of the Dodger lineup, which has threats in every spot, especially off the bench.

Once more, the reserves kicked in. Alex Guerrero had a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the fourth. Andre Ethier homered (his first since June 29) in the sixth. And Justin Turner led off the ninth with a single, and though he was later eliminated between third and home on a fielder’s choice, his hit set up the final two runs, driven home by Howie Kendrick’s line single to right.

The first four batters in the Dodger lineup — Rollins, Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez and Kendrick — each had two hits.

After David Huff allowed two homers and four runs in a four-inning spot start, Juan Nicasio walked three to enable Seattle to extend its lead by a run to 5-3 in the fifth, but after that, the Dodger bullpen shut the Mariners down, with Chris Hatcher and Yimi Garcia retiring the final seven batters. Garcia got the win for the second night in a row.

Notes on the Dodger bullpen, heading into a bullpen game

Yimi Garcia has retired 16 of 19 batters in 2015, striking out eight. (Jill Weisleder/Los Angeles Dodgers)

Yimi Garcia has retired 16 of 19 batters in 2015, striking out eight. (Jill Weisleder/Los Angeles Dodgers)

For more images from Monday, visit LA Photog Blog.

Mariners at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Jimmy Rollins, SS
Carl Crawford, LF
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Yasmani Grandal, C
Andre Ethier, RF
Juan Uribe, 3B
Joc Pederson, CF
David Huff, P

By Jon Weisman

With the Dodgers looking at five innings max from David Huff tonight, here’s the state of the seven-man bullpen behind him after seven games. (I’m using the handy chart at Dodgers Digest for reference on the pitch counts.)

A few things to note:

  • No Dodger reliever has worked three consecutive days this season.
  • None has thrown more than 30 pitches in one game.
  • Yimi Garcia has been used the most so far: 81 pitches over the first eight days of the regular season. He threw 15 pitches on Opening Day and 28 pitches the following game. He then received two days off before and after his next outing (23 pitches on April 10). He threw 15 pitches against the Mariners on Monday.
  • Famous last words: The Dodger bullpen hasn’t allowed a home run in 20 innings this season (85 plate appearances).
  • Opponents are hitting .244/.298/.295 against the bullpen (even with a .373 batting average on balls in play).
  • The Dodger bullpen has a 1.20 WHIP and 12.2 K/9.
  • Chris Hatcher brings us the rare 29-run difference between his ERA (33.75) and his FIP (4.48).
  • Then there’s Paco Rodriguez, who has a 9.00 ERA and a -3.02 FIP. Yes, that’s negative 3.02. He is also averaging 27 strikeouts per nine innings … through one inning this season.
  • Joel Peralta’s 1.13 FIP is only fifth-best on the team.
  • The guess here is that Don Mattingly will try to stay away from Pedro Baez and Peralta, each of whom pitched Sunday and Monday, though neither is necessarily unavailable for a short outing tonight. J.P. Howell and Juan Nicasio are the most rested.

Reliever chart 4-14

As for tonight’s lineup, Yasiel Puig is being held out as a precaution to protect his left hamstring, though he could be available to pinch-hit off the bench. Starting third baseman Juan Uribe and reserve Justin Turner are ready to go, Don Mattingly said.

In the background, Mattingly said Kenley Jansen and Hyun-Jin Ryu are progressing in their rehabs without any setbacks. Mattingly indicated that Jansen was feeling so good that they might need to put the reins on him.

Dodgers to invest in sports technology startups with Dodgers Accelerator

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Visit DodgersAccelerator.com

By Jon Weisman

As part of the organization’s forward-thinking mentality, the Dodgers have joined with technology, design and marketing company R/GA to launch a program for investing in startups to benefit the next era of sports teams and their fans.

“The sports industry is ripe with opportunities for innovation,” Dodger chief financial officer Tucker Kain said. “There are countless ways for new technology to create more powerful consumer experiences, heighten fan engagement and improve efficiencies. We’re thrilled at the opportunity to work with some of the best sports-centric startups from the L.A. area and across the globe.”

Investing in innovative and emerging technologies is crucial for wealth management firms to stay ahead of the game. Just as the sports industry is looking for new ways to create powerful consumer experiences, wealth management firms are also constantly seeking new investment opportunities that can help improve efficiencies and deliver value to their clients. If you’re interested in learning more about wealth management and how it can benefit you, visit a trusted financial advisor today.

The new program, Dodgers Accelerator (@DodgersAccel on Twitter), is designed to enable companies to explore and launch new business models, as well as help accelerate the growth of great products and services that have recently launched but not yet scaled. Ten startups will be chosen to receive special access to industry partnerships and distribution channels.

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‘Rero my hero

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By Jon Weisman

It’s the old story — they’re ready to write you off, and then you write yourself back in.

Alex Guerrero, who went from potential 2014 starting second baseman to potential 2015 castoff, has done nothing this year but make the case that he belongs.

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Brandon McCarthy, Challenger of Hitters

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers (file photo)

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers (file photo)

By Jon Weisman

Like Vin Scully says, come to the ballpark and you’ll probably see something you’ve never seen before. Like Brandon McCarthy becoming  the first pitcher in Major League history to allow at least four home runs in a game, strike out at least 10 and walk none.

There’s no denying that it was disconcerting to see Nelson Cruz homer twice and Corey Seager’s brother once for a 4-0 Seattle lead before the Dodgers got their first hit of the game. And right after the Dodgers cut the Mariners’ lead to 4-3 in the bottom of the fourth (on an Alex Guerrero sacrifice fly and Joc Pederson’s first career hit against a southpaw, a two-run single), Dustin Ackley went deep off McCarthy in the top of the fifth.

All along, McCarthy was whiffing hitters — at least one in every inning. And the steadfastness of McCarthy was such that after giving up that fourth homer, he retired the final seven batters he faced, giving the Dodgers seven innings the night before they have what is essentially a bullpen game with David Huff starting.

Yasiel Puig (solo home run), Adrian Gonzalez (double) and Howie Kendrick (single) tied the game in the bottom of the fifth at 5-5, getting McCarthy off the hook for the loss. The score remained that way through the ninth, sending the Dodgers to their second extra-inning game of the season.

McCarthy, who struck out nine while allowing two homers in his five-inning Dodger debut last week, now has the oddity of having allowed six homers and one walk in 12 innings while striking out an MLB-leading 19. McCarthy leads the Majors in homers allowed, strikeouts and strikeout-walk ratio.

The low walk totals aren’t an anomaly. McCarthy has walked no more than three batters in his last 115 starts since April 14, 2009, according to the Dodger press notes — the longest active streak in the Majors.

In case you missed it: David Huff to start Tuesday

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Mariners at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Darwin Barney, SS
Yasiel Puig, RF
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Scott Van Slyke, LF
Alex Guerrero, 3B
Joc Pederson, CF
A.J. Ellis, C
Brandon McCarthy, P

By Jon Weisman

Choosing to go with a left-hander to fill in for the injured Hyun-Jin Ryu, the Dodgers have tapped David Huff to start Tuesday’s game against the Mariners.

Not unlike tonight’s starter, Brandon McCarthy, Huff had a different set of fortunes in 2014 in the National League (6.30 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, 5.0 K/9 in 39 innings with the Giants) and the American League (3.36 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 5.9 K/9 in 59 innings with the Yankees).

In his first official appearance of 2015, Huff threw 50 pitches over three innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday, allowing a run on four baserunners while striking out four. So the bullpen figures to pitch at least four innings behind him.

The Dodgers will make room on the 25-man roster Tuesday for Huff, who could stay with the big club as a long reliever after the start. The Dodgers will next need a fifth starter on April 25, then not again until May 5.

Also percolating …

  • The Dodgers released reliever Ryan Webb, whom they obtained Friday. The Dodgers will retain the ultimate prize of the deal, the No. 74 pick overall pick in this June’s draft, plus minor league catcher Brian Ward. Webb then signed with the Indians organization today and was assigned to Triple-A Columbus.
  • A.J. Ellis and Scott Van Slyke are in tonight’s lineup against Mariners lefty James Paxton. In addition, Darwin Barney is taking the place of Jimmy Rollins, who has a scheduled off day, while Alex Guerrero gets a second start at third base — his single, double and home run Sunday made it easy for the Dodgers to rest Juan Uribe and Justin Turner for another game.
  • Speaking of third base, Yasiel Puig continues to practice there — never know when you’ll need another five-man infield.

Adrian Gonzalez named NL Player of the Week

LAD_15-Gonzalez-POW-TW

In the least surprising development of the 2015 season so far, Adrian Gonzalez was named National League Player of the Week. In case you’re wondering why, see Exhibit A (click to enlarge).

Gonzalez 1

— Jon Weisman

Turner, Uribe injuries not serious

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Dodgers at Diamondbacks, 1:10 p.m.
Jimmy Rollins, SS
Yasiel Puig, RF
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Yasmani Grandal, C
Andre Ethier, LF
Alex Guerrero, 3B
Joc Pederson, CF
Zack Greinke, P

By Jon Weisman

There were encouraging reports on Justin Turner and Juan Uribe a day after each were injured, minutes apart, in Saturday’s 6-0 Dodger loss, but Alex Guerrero will make his first Major League start.

Uribe is available off the bench today if needed (though unlikely to be used), while Turner is expected back for the upcoming series against the Mariners.

With Guerrero, Yasiel Puig and Yasmani Grandal in the lineup, it is believed to be the first time the Dodgers will have started three Cuban-born players.

Saturday marked the 28th time the Dodgers have been two-hit since 2000.

 

 

Defensive shifts are old news

Shift1

Patrick Gee/Los Angeles Dodgers (April 2014)

By Jon Weisman

One of the strangest things to me about any controversy regarding defensive shifts in baseball is that every team I’ve ever played on since I was 8 (mostly softball, admittedly) has shifted based on familiarity with the hitters on the other team.

Of course, that doesn’t mean mistakes don’t happen, but if you knew a batter tended to hit a ball in a certain spot, you always shaded that way and dared him to beat you in another spot. If he did, tip the cap. But at least they had the burden.

If you knew where a batter tended to hit and you didn’t move to cover that spot, that would be bizarre. It would be like knowing that a batter liked fastballs in … and continuing to throw fastballs in.

Shifts in baseball in 2015, such as the Dodgers have been using, might be more common, more extreme, more committed, more intense on the risk-reward proposition, but they’re an outgrowth of the way baseball has been played as long as I’ve known it — and longer than that I’m sure.

Previously on Dodger Insider: Defensive shifts and the Dodgers (May 2014)

Dodgers look to keep 239-game streak alive

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Dodgers at Diamondbacks, 5:10 p.m.
Kershaw CCXI: Kershawlicon Valley 
Jimmy Rollins, SS
Carl Crawford, LF
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Andre Ethier, RF
Justin Turner, 3B
Joc Pederson, CF
A.J. Ellis, C
Clayton Kershaw, P

By Jon Weisman

Tonight, the 2-2 Dodgers put a 239-game streak of not having a losing record on the line.

Since winning 7-5 in 14 innings at Arizona  on July 10, 2013, part of their historic 42-8 spree, the Dodgers have been at least .500 or better (allowing for the past two Opening Days, when they were 0-0).

Los Angeles didn’t spend a day in 2014 below .500, and has won six consecutive times in the past 21 months when a loss would have given them a losing record, including Monday and Wednesday.

Andre Ethier and Justin Turner make their first starts of 2015 tonight. So far this season, the Dodger bench (including A.J. Ellis, making his second start this evening) has a single by Turner and two intentional walks in 15 plate appearances. Alex Guerrero and Darwin Barney have yet to play in a game.

Don Mattingly told reporters today that Carl Crawford would get his first day off Sunday, with Ethier starting in his place.

The Dodgers lead the National League in home runs and walks and are second in OPS.

Clayton Kershaw, starting tonight, needs three strikeouts to pass Orel Hershiser for the No. 5 spot on the Dodgers’ all-time strikeout list in Los Angeles.

 

No single factor dominates Dodger loss

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By Jon Weisman

So rather quickly, the Dodgers’ 4-3, 10-inning loss to Arizona on Friday was characterized as the latest chapter in that ongoing pulp series, The Bullpen Fails!

J.P. Howell didn’t deliver what the Dodgers needed in the bottom of the 10th, sandwiching two walks around a wild pitch, then giving up a game-winning single to Ender Inciarte that thwarted the Dodgers’ five-man infield (highlighted by Yasiel Puig at third).

Without ignoring how much everyone wants perfection from every reliever, every inning, putting all the blame on the bullpen is kind of crazy after Yimi Garcia and Joel Peralta struck out six in three scoreless innings, retiring nine of 10 batters.

Nor do I want to single out Howell, who had a 1.17 ERA and 1.04 WHIP through his first 46 innings last season, for villainy. The Dodger offense went scoreless in five innings against the Diamondbacks’ relievers. Starting pitcher Brett Anderson pitched well, but made a mistake to the one guy you can’t make a mistake to, Arizona slugger Paul Goldschmidt.

If this were football, we’d have to wait a week to put the loss behind us. Thankfully, it’s baseball, and we’re back tonight, with Clayton Kershaw on the mound no less.

Valenzuela in the outfield, 1982

LAD-FERNANDO_VALENZUELA_OUTFIELD-0001

In honor of the game taking place in the Bronx tonight — 19 innings and counting as I write this — here’s a rare snapshot from the Fernando Valenzuela special section within the 2015 Los Angeles Dodgers Yearbook, showing Valenzuela playing in the outfield during the Dodgers’ 21-inning victory over the Cubs at Wrigley Field on August 17-18, 1982.

The photo isn’t blurry — it’s just reflective of how much one’s eyesight deteriorates during a game of that length.

Get the 2015 Los Angeles Dodgers Yearbook and all its goodness at Dodger Stadium stores or at dodgers.com/yearbook.

— Jon Weisman

Dodgers have 32 K in 27 innings, 700K on Instagram

Dodgers at Diamondbacks, 6:40 p.m.
Jimmy Rollins, SS
Yasiel Puig, RF
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Yasmani Grandal, C
Carl Crawford, LF
Juan Uribe, 3B
Joc Pederson, CF
Brett Anderson, P

By Jon Weisman

There’s been so much focus on the Dodger hitting in this season’s first week, I thought I’d pass along a wee pitching note: Los Angeles is averaging 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings as a team through three games.

Paco Rodriguez leads the Dodgers with a sleek 27.0 K/9. Brandon McCarthy (16.2) is tops among the guys with more than one inning under their belts.

It’s not quite 700K, like the Dodgers’ Instagram following, but it’s a nice start.

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