Dodger Thoughts

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

Category: Dodger Insider magazine

Dodger Insider magazine — September 2015 edition

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On September 1, 2015

In Bullpen, Dodger Insider magazine, Publications

September 2015 cover

September magazine sidebarBy Jon Weisman

He is a man of family. A man of faith. A man of baseball. And for Clayton Kershaw, the spirit he brings to one informs the spirit he brings to all.

That’s the approach we took to our special, 13-page photo essay in the September issue of Dodger Insider magazine that highlights numerous aspects of Kershaw’s love of the game.

September also presents a package of pieces on the Dodger bullpen — but don’t be nervous. There’s a fun feature on the unique, odd-couple relationship between Kenley Jansen and J.P. Howell, plus a 100-year history of the Dodger relief corps. Another story you should enjoy, written by Mark Langill, is what happens at Dodger Stadium after the final out to tuck our beloved ballpark in at night.

In all, there are more than two dozen stories in Dodger Insider magazine, plus all the usual great photos, games, tidbits and more. For $5 at the ballpark, it’s a bargain.

Dodger Insider magazine is available at all Dodger team stores.

Dodger Insider magazine — August 2015 edition

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On August 1, 2015

In Dodger Insider magazine, Publications

August 2015 cover image

Sidebar AugustBy Jon Weisman

After making the NL All-Star team in his first year as a Dodger, Yasmani Grandal graces the cover of the August 2015 issue of Dodger Insider magazine (on sale beginning today). In the story, “Player To Be Famed Later,” we highlight Grandal’s journey from relative anonymity to becoming an All-Star and the most productive catcher in the National League this side of Buster Posey.

Dodger Insider’s biggest issue of the season to date also features Cary Osborne’s multifaceted, in-depth examination of Yasiel Puig and his effort to conquer baseball adversity, two years after making a smash big-league debut at age 22. We have charts and analysis from the intermingling scout and sabermetric branches of baseball, as well as introspective thoughts from Puig himself.

Another fun piece in the issue, in addition to all you see at right, is team historian Mark Langill’s look at some of the great unlikely heroes of past Dodger stretch runs. Also, Mike Petriello gives  us more insight into how MLB’s Statcast helps fill in the blanks of our baseball comprehension.

In total, there are more than two dozen stories, plus all the usual great photos, games, tidbits and more. For $5 at the ballpark, it’s a bargain.

The August 2015 Dodger Insider magazine is available at all Dodger team stores. To subscribe, visit dodgers.com/magazine. Orders taken through August 7 will begin with the September issue.

Dodger Insider magazine — July 2015 edition

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On July 1, 2015

In Dodger Insider magazine, Publications

July 2015 Dodger Insider cover

July sidebarBy Jon Weisman

Where did all your Dodgers come from?

As the cover of July’s Dodger Insider magazine shows, we connect the past to the present and the west to the east, in a special 17-page section that details the birthplaces of Dodger players great and small, state-by-state. (Don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten our friends from around the world as well.) It’s a rich, diverse geographic history of an indispensable American team.

“A Nation of Dodgers” is one of more than two dozen features in this month’s issue of the official team magazine, including a behind-the-scenes piece on how catchers Yasmani Grandal and A.J. Ellis conquer baseball’s most painful position.

Dodger Insider also revisits the mystery behind the missing ball from Kirk Gibson’s 1988 World Series home run. And, you won’t want to miss Vin Scully talking about his favorite photo at Dodger Stadium.

The July 2015 Dodger Insider magazine is available at all Dodger team stores. To subscribe, visit dodgers.com/magazine. Orders taken through July 10 will begin with the August issue.

Adrian Gonzalez’s place in history: A Dodger Insider special

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On June 30, 2015

In Dodger Insider magazine, Publications

first-things-first-fb

By Jon Weisman

You know Adrian Gonzalez had a great start to 2015. You know he has had a great career.

But do you really appreciate how high Gonzalez is rising among the best first basemen in the history of the game?

Answering that question was a main goal of Cary Osborne’s Dodger Insider feature, which was our May cover story and is now the latest in our new series of online specials.

What we found might surprise you: Gonzalez is already a top-40 first baseman all-time, and aside from Eddie Murray and (for now) Gil Hodges, he is well positioned to finish his career as the greatest first baseman to spend any significant time in a Dodger uniform. But read the entire story to get the details.

Our inaugural special, “Inside the #RallyBanana,” can be accessed here, our “Meet the Originals” package on the 50th anniversary of the MLB draft can be found here and our “What Wood You Do” bat feature can be found here.

What wood you do: A Dodger Insider special

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On June 15, 2015

In Dodger Insider magazine

What wood you do

In today’s special Dodger Insider online feature, broken bats are broken down by magazine freelancer Chris Gigley, who talks to Yasmani Grandal, Joc Pederson and Scott Van Slyke about maintaining and sacrificing their tools of the trade.

Our inaugural special, “Inside the #RallyBanana,” can be accessed here, and our “Meet the Originals” package on the 50th anniversary of the MLB draft can be found here.

Check it all out, and don’t forget, there’s more content like it in the June edition of Dodger Insider magazine, available at all Dodger Stadium team stores.

— Jon Weisman

The Draft at 50: A Dodger Insider special

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On June 8, 2015

In Dodger Insider magazine, Draft

meet-the-originals-launch

MLB Draft today
The Dodgers will be busy on Day 1 of the 2015 MLB draft, with four picks before round three.
 
Overall, the Dodgers will start things off by selecting at No. 24 (first round), No. 35 (compensation for Hanley Ramirez), No. 67 (second round) and No. 74 (acquired from Baltimore).
 
After the draft begins at 4 p.m., we’ll have updates here on Dodger Insider throughout the late afternoon and evening. In the meantime, here are some links to know about:

By Jon Weisman

You might know about Rick Monday being the first No. 1 draft pick in Major League history, but what do you know about the Dodgers’ original No. 1?

Or the best Dodger draft picks by decade?

Or the elite talent chosen by the Dodgers that got away?

For the 50th anniversary of the MLB draft, Cary Osborne spoke to both Monday and John Wyatt for this Dodger Insider magazine feature, which we are proud to make our second Dodger Insider online special. (Our inaugural special, “Inside the #RallyBanana, can be accessed here.)

The package not only includes interviews with Monday and Wyatt, but snapshots of the original scouting reports on Wyatt, his first contract (original payment: $500) and more, along with a visual history of the Dodgers’ first 50 years in the draft.

But wait, there’s more: A special bonus today is an interactive edition of team historian Mark Langill’s montly Trivia Test.

Check it all out, and don’t forget, there’s more content like it in the June edition of Dodger Insider magazine, available at all Dodger Stadium team stores.

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Click here to order The Catch on Kindle.

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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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