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Catch the highlights from Old-Timers Day in the video above, as well as at the Dodgers Photog Blog.
— Jon Weisman
Month: July 2016 (Page 5 of 5)
A 4-year-old Skip Schumaker with @OrelHershiser, shared on @SportsNetLA … pic.twitter.com/UkSHfmT21z
— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) July 3, 2016
Skip Schumaker’s visit to Dodger Stadium today for Old-Timers Day led to this story by Orel Hershiser, shared on SportsNet LA after tonight’s 6-1 Dodger victory.
“He was about 4 years old,” Hershiser began. “I was walking out to my car, and there he was crying. I said, ‘What are you crying for?’ He said, ‘All those guys passed me and wouldn’t sign my glove.’ I said, ‘I’ll sign your glove – I’m somebody.’ So I signed the glove, ‘To Skip – a future big-leaguer.’ And the end of the story is, he showed me the picture.
“What happened (later) is, I got to throw out the first pitch in a playoff game, and I asked him — he was on the team, and Ned (Colletti) was the GM — and I said, ‘Will you catch it?’ And I brought the picture. And then, I signed that picture that day after throwing out the first pitch, and I said, ‘To Skip – from one big-leaguer to another.’
— Jon Weisman
Juan Ocampo/Los Angeles Dodgers
Rockies at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrián González, 1B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Trayce Thompson, CF
Scott Van Slyke, LF
A.J. Ellis, C
Scott Kazmir, P
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrián González, 1B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Trayce Thompson, CF
Scott Van Slyke, LF
A.J. Ellis, C
Scott Kazmir, P
By Jon Weisman
If you’re wondering whether the Dodgers fast-tracked Brandon McCarthy’s final furlong of Tommy John rehab because of their current injury crisis, that’s not the case.
It is fair to say, though, McCarthy’s readiness timed out well with the Dodgers’ needs.
“This is right where I wanted to be,” McCarthy said today, about 21 hours before his 2016 debut. “I was the one who said, ‘Let’s go.’ I felt that I had gotten to a place with my stuff and feeling-wise that I felt confident about being here, and if there was a need for me, I said, ‘Put me in.’ ”
.@Shredderpunto, Boomer, Skip and Ellis. pic.twitter.com/pb0kInmClc
— Jon SooHoo (@JonSooHooPics) July 2, 2016
By Jon Weisman
It almost feels like time’s playing tricks on us.
But in today’s 5 p.m. Old-Timers Game and ceremonies at Dodger Stadium, along with stars from decades past like Sandy Koufax and Maury Wills, there will also be members of the 2013 Dodgers.
Mark Ellis, who just turned 39. Nick Punto, 38. Skip Schumaker, just 36, for cryin’ out loud.
“I thought it was Old-Timers vs. Legends,” Schumaker joked at this afternoon’s reunion luncheon in the Stadium Club. “I thought we were the Legends.”
Sitting together, Schumaker, Ellis and Punto quickly reconnected to find the spirit that powered the 2013 team to an historic 42-8 midseason run and within two games of the World Series before a National League Championship Series loss to the Cardinals.
“The team that we were on in ’13 was probably the most fun I had in the Major Leagues,” Schumaker said. “Elli and Nick, my two favorite teammates in the world. Also I grew up a Dodger fan, so to see the Old School guys here, Orel (Hershiser) and some of the other guys — it’s gonna be awesome.”
June 2016 NL Rookie of the Month Corey Seager is so impressive, he almost seems to inspire fear in June 1985 NL Player of the Month Pedro Guerrero.
By Jon Weisman
In case you hadn’t heard, Corey Seager was pretty decent in June.
Brandon McCarthy throws at Spring Training in February. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)
Alongside Yosuke Nakajima, McCarthy leaves his final 2015 start.
By Jon Weisman
Brandon McCarthy is starting Sunday for the Dodgers. Not the Oklahoma City Dodgers. Not another Dodgers farm team. The Los Angeles Dodgers.
McCarthy last pitched for the Dodgers on April 25, 2015, shortly before he was diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. The expectation at the time was that he would be out until July 2016, and here we are.
Dave Roberts, who revealed the McCarthy news today, said there is no specific pitch limit on McCarthy, who turns 33 on July 7. In his fourth and most recent rehab start, McCarthy went five innings and 72 pitches for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga. He’ll be on five days’ rest
“He’s a full go,” Roberts said. “We kind of sped it up a little bit because of the circumstances, but Brandon’s excited about getting back and being active, and we expect him to pitch well on Sunday.
“With the circumstance of what happened to Kersh in Pittsburgh, we figured we had some options. In talking to Brandon and figuring out where he’s at, with this trade, things kind of fell in line with his start date.”
Julio Urías, whose turn in the rotation was to come Sunday, will instead make an Independence Day start on five days’ rest.
Rockies at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Chase Utley, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrián González, 1B
Howie Kendrick, LF
Yasiel Puig, RF
Trayce Thompson, CF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Bud Norris, P
Chase Utley, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrián González, 1B
Howie Kendrick, LF
Yasiel Puig, RF
Trayce Thompson, CF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Bud Norris, P
By Jon Weisman
Joc Pederson and Clayton Kershaw have officially been placed on the 15-day disabled list, with Will Venable returning from Triple-A Oklahoma City to take Pederson’s spot on the 25-man roster, and Bud Norris coming onto the team for Kershaw.
Pederson is second on the Dodgers with 16 doubles, 13 homers, 31 walks, a .476 slugging percentage, .342 weighted on-base average and 116 weighted runs created. The 24-year-old hasn’t played since crashing into the outfield wall Tuesday at Milwaukee and suffering a sprained right AC (acromioclavicular) joint.
By Jon Weisman
… we’ll storm the barricades? I don’t know. The point is, Corey Seager deserves to start at shortstop for the National League in the July 12 All-Star Game, and no one really questions this. Just today, he was a unanimous pick among six ESPN sportswriters.
The fact remains, however, that Seager was 658,748 votes (yeah, I did the math) behind Cubs shortstop Addison Russell with under four days remaining before the fan vote ended. So fans of justice and the 22-year-old shortstop probably need to count on Seager being chosen as a reserve.
How exactly does that happen? Here’s a refresher course, courtesy of Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com …
Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers
By Jon Weisman
So, something went awry Thursday with the Dodgers’ march to an 0-83 finish. They won.
Does that delay the inevitable? When the news came that Clayton Kershaw was going on the disabled list, that was the final straw on 2016 for some. Maybe many. Los Angeles Dodgers (2016-2016), RIP.
But yes, I’m here to remind you that there is reason not to give up. In fact, here are nine of them, one for every inning of this glorious, vexing game.
I offer these not because I’m blind to what can go wrong, but for those who are blind to what can go right.
