Frenchy: Jim Lefevbre Remembered.

March 13, 2023

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…

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Trayce Thompson: Lucky or Good?

March 12, 2023

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…

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What Does Spring Training Mean?

March 11, 2023

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,…

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The Player Who Replaces Trea Turner

March 10, 2023

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…

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Newk: First Cy Young Winner

March 8, 2023

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…

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A Beatdown That Means Nothing

March 7, 2023

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…

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Friedman is About Six Steps Ahead

March 6, 2023

Player salaries have been rising out of control in the past few off-seasons, driven by the San Diego Padres recent signings: Fernando Tatis, Jr. – $340 Million Manny Machado – $350 Million Xander Bogaerts – $280 Million Next up is Juan Soto, who wants more than $400 Million Andrew Friedman knows that contracts like the ones given to Trea Turner, Bryce Harper, Francisco Lindor, Corey Seager, Mike Trout, Giancarlo Stanton,…

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James Outman on Track to Make the Squad

March 5, 2023

Eight games into Spring Training… and James Outman is seizing the day. Of course, there are three weeks left, but if it ended today, James Outman would be in the squad. All he has done is hit the ball, run the bases and play excellent defense. In other words, he has done EVERYTHING! James Outman was a dark horse to make the team, but so far, he is forcing his…

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First Rounder: No Guarantees

March 4, 2023

How many of these guys do you remember? John Wyatt, Larry Hutton, Don Denbow, Terry McDermott, Jim Haller. Don’t ring a bell? How about Bobby Valentine? Oh, him, you know. Well, all those guys were the Dodgers’ first-round picks – their first six, as a matter of fact. None of them was drafted #1 because the Dodgers were not picking that high. Valentine was the highest pick at #5 in…

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It’s Still Early…

March 3, 2023

After a week of games, we see things happening and note who is doing what! If you are forming an opinion about certain players… keep forming! There are four more weeks. Some guys are working on certain aspects of their games and others are trying to “show out” in order to make the team. Sometimes the “plodders” win out… you just never know – have you ever heard the term…

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