In 2008, my wife, son, and I were at the last game in Vero Beach at Dodgertown. It was a packed house. Clayton Kershaw was a wide-eyed rookie. Carl Erskine played the National Anthem on his Harmonica, and Tommy Lasorda addressed the crowd by saying, “I know you will have another Minor League team here soon, but if you don’t root for the Dodgers, you won’t get into heaven.” Vero…
Dan Bankhead: The Forgotten Pioneer
Dan Bankhead was the first Afro-American pitcher to make it to the majors. But his career was short and by most standards, very unsatisfying. He was born in Empire, Alabama, on May 3rd, 1920. His parents, Garnett and Arie, had seven children who lived to adulthood. Dan was born Daniel, but it is believed his father shortened it at some point. Empire is a small town about 30 miles northwest…
James Hitman is Forcing the Dodgers’ Hand
It’s pretty obvious to me what Andrew Friedman is doing. I was going to say “trying to do” but no, he is actually doing it. He has all but PROMISED the 2B job to Miguel Vargas, and he has four older guys (Taylor, Peralta, Heyward, and Thompson) fighting for two positions in the Outfield. I believe that he believed that introducing one rookie at a time was the way to…
Speeding Up the Game
The jury is still out, but early reviews this spring training are showing that MLB has succeeded in speeding up the game significantly with the pitch clock in place. Even with other new rules that primarily address beefing up offensive numbers, the pitch clock has had the biggest impact and may be the biggest change we have seen in the game since the designated hitter became a part of it…
Frenchy: Jim Lefevbre Remembered.
Jim Lefevbre, Dodgers second baseman and Rookie of the Year in 1965. I remember him well. James Kenneth Lefevbre was born on January 7th, 1942, in Inglewood, California. He was the second child of Ben and Virginia Lefevbre. He had an older sister and two younger brothers. Ben was a hitting coach of some renown as a coach for the American Legion and college (Pepperdine) baseball. Some of the major…
Trayce Thompson: Lucky or Good?
If Trayce Thompson can produce the same kind of year he did last year, then I’m OK with him, but he can’t! A player has to get about 150-200 ABs before you can really make a determination as to how well they may perform. Small samplings mean very little because of the “luck factor” – both good and bad! Consider this: Trayce hit .292 in June (25 PA) with 11…
What Does Spring Training Mean?
Almost Zero! Almost Zip! Almost Nada! In case you haven’t been paying attention to the Cactus League, the KC Royals have scored 110 Runs and given up 67 Runs. They have a 12-2 record, and if you think Spring Training means something, then march yourself right up to the nearest sports book and bet your life savings on the Royals because they are going to win the World Series. However,…
The Player Who Replaces Trea Turner
The player who I think will replace Trea Turner will be 23 in August. That is Miguel Vargas. Trea Turner was 23 years old in his first full season. Just like Miguel Rojas, Trea was 22 when he had a “cup of coffee” with the Nats (44 PA) and hit .225. The next season he hit .342! Even though he is not as fast as Trea (he’s faster than you…
Newk: First Cy Young Winner
What do you think of when you hear his name? My first thoughts are of a guy who finished what he started. A player who lost two full seasons to military service while in his prime. And later a player who turned his life around when he was headed down a path of self-destruction. Donald Newcombe was born on the 14th of June 1926 in Madison New Jersey. His parents…
A Beatdown That Means Nothing
It’s always nice to beat SD, but yesterday’s game meant nothing. The Dodgers have to beat them when it counts, and this does not! Noah Syndergaard and Dustin May looked like the best #4 and #5 Starters in baseball, but it was only three innings each. Still, it was encouraging! Gavin Stone saw his first action and struck out 2 in his one-inning pitched. I keep telling everyone… Will Smith…