With the 100th pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, The Los Angeles Dodgers select…Jake Vogel, CF, Huntington Beach High School, Huntington Beach, California.
https://www.mlb.com/video/2020-draft-jake-vogel-of?t=mlb-draft
“Now batting for your Los Angeles Dodgers, CF, Jake Vogel”. At least that is what his high school coach is hoping to hear.
More players from California have gone on to play MLB than any other state, and in particular Southern California has been a gold mine. But you could not tell from recent Dodger drafts. The Dodgers have not drafted a player from Southern California in the first three rounds since 2012, when they selected LHP Onelki Garcia. What was unusual for even that pick was that Garcia was a Cuban defector who was pitching in a local men’s league while living in Los Angeles.
The drought has finally ended for the Dodgers in the talent rich Southern California hotbed of baseball talent, as they finally went local with Jake Vogel with that 100th pick. Perhaps they need to clone Marty Lamb and send him out west.
It is hard to tell who was more excited about Jake being a Dodger draft pick, Jake and his family, or Jake’s high school coach, Benji Medure. Coach Medure has been a lifelong Dodger fan, and when his star CF was selected by the Dodgers, Medure was quoted…”It’s a dream come true for me.” “I’ve been a huge fan,” Medure went on to say. “But [I have] never had a player, one of my players, play in their organization, so this is a first.” Of course coaches want what comes best for his players, but they have favorite teams as well, so it was very special for Coach Medure to have Jake be drafted by the Dodgers.
It was my contention, that the Dodgers would only select one prep player in the draft. Admittedly, Jake would not have been my selection of a prep OF had I been selecting. But that is just me reading up on players and watching videos to see who I would like at a certain point in the draft. I was (and continue to be) a big advocate for Franklin HS (Elk Grove, CA) OF Chase Davis (ranked #55 by Baseball America and #83 by MLBPipeline). I do not know if there was any interest from any team, or if his asking price was considered too lofty. As much as I can, I will follow Chase at Arizona. I see ZERO chance that any team will sign him to a $20,000 deal.
I was also an advocate for taking Arizona State 3B, Gage Workman with this pick. Workman was taken two picks after Jake Vogel by the Detroit Tigers.
It is also hard for me to see a nice young man like Jake Vogel want to ruin his life by going to UCLA. Sorry Rudy, just had to throw that in.
Jake Vogel is 5’11” and 165 pounds, so he does not have the frame to “fill out”. He is a tad older than most HS seniors as he is closer to 19 than he is to 18. He turns 19 on October 12.
In 74 Varsity games in his HS career, Vogel posted a .350 batting average with 12 home runs, 12 triples and 22 doubles. He scored 59 runs, had 43 runs batted in, and reeled off 31 stolen bases. Vogel was named a 2020 Perfect Game All-American.
In his final HS game before everything was cutoff by the pandemic, Jake hit for the cycle in a 16-4 win against a previously unbeaten Laguna Beach team. But as Coach Medure noted, the hitting really started to take off the game before. Coach Medure commented on Jake’s final two games at Huntington Beach.
“We played Corona del Mar the Friday before that. He was three for four, and he missed the cycle by a double, so he was seven for his last eight, and he almost hit for two cycles, was his final sendoff in high school. That’s pretty cool. That is about as good as you can end your career right there.”
Jake was ranked #77 by Keith Law, #82 by MLBPipeline, and #89 by Baseball America. Vogel’s biggest tool is his speed. It has been graded to an 80 on a 20-80 scale at times, but he is generally given a 70 run grade. Vogel has an average to slightly above average arm, and with his speed (and lack of power), he is a lock to stick in CF.
When asked where Vogel would rank in the organization with his speed, Billy Gasparino commented:
“If it’s not the top, then top two or three,” Gasparino said of where Vogel’s speed would rank in the Dodgers farm system. “This is like running back, sprinter speed. He’s strong, explosive and has powerful strides. He can really get after it. If it’s not the top, then it’s top two or three.”
Due to an injury, Vogel was not seen in last summer’s showcase circuit, so his development caught most scouts off guard with his showing this Fall and Spring.
Per his baseball America scouting report, although he is small, as a hitter, “Vogel has a feel for the barrel and produces loud contact when he connects, driving the ball to all fields and showing sneaky power to his pull-side.
MLBPipeline had the following comments on his hitting:
Vogel is “compact and strong…Most believe he is going to hit at the next level, with a really simple swing from the right side of the plate that allows him to barrel up on the baseball on a consistent basis. Though he’s undersized, there is some pop there, and he’s shown the ability to drive the ball.”
None of the scouting reports give Jake any chance with power. Keith Law writes “there’s very little chance for power, especially with his short, no-load approach at the plate.” Not all scouts are in agreement with Vogel’s offensive skill set. Some see his athleticism and ability to barrel up, while others see a loopy uppercut swing with a lot of swing and miss. Perhaps that was the opinion shared prior to this Spring. Maybe the Dodger development team will be more persuasive with Jake and his swing than they have been so far with Jeren Kendall. Some guys are teachable, and some are not.
Billy Gasparino continued to lavish praise on Jake.
“Our player development is chomping at the bit to get ahold of him, because they think the athlete, the hand-eye coordination, his ability to move his body so fast, it’s going to take off with some instruction.”
Baseball America scouts believe that Jake is “a no-doubt center fielder with his speed and advanced instincts, the only question is whether Vogel will continue to hit. If he does, and the Dodgers are confident he will, he’ll set a strong precedent for the Dodgers to keep mining their home region for talent at the top of the draft.”
“He’s just a really physically gifted kid that…came out this fall and this spring and performed really well,” Gasparino said. “He kind of really shot up our board.”
From Steve Fryer at the Orange County Register:
“Vogel has a lot going for him,” [Prep Baseball Report’s Les] Lukach said. “He’s got plenty of speed and he showed some power in the early part of the spring that caught a lot of people’s attention. I’ve seen him graded out as high as the middle to later second round or the third round.”
Most of the pre-draft publications have indicated with Jake’s speed, athleticism, and defense, he was generally depicted as a 3rd round pick, exactly where Billy Gasparino had him.
Now Vogel has a decision. He is committed to UCLA. John Savage is not going to let him go without a fight. I have known Coach Savage for 28 years and I know him to be an outstanding recruiter (and coach). He was able to convince Gerrit Cole, as a #1 pick from his dream team (NYY), to stick with his commitment to UCLA. Doc is a UCLA alum as is Chase Utley. How will they advise if they are asked? The bonus slot for the 100th pick is $581,600. How much higher are the Dodgers willing to go to convince him that their development team, especially with a smaller class and more individual attention, will be able to help Jake quicker to MLB than can UCLA?
More this year than any previous draft, I am certain that the Dodgers (all teams) have a very good idea as to what the cost will be. I am just as certain, that the draft order (and player selections) was configured to give teams at or very nearly to a 100% sign rate.
Now it is time to get Jake signed and shipped to Arizona to begin his quest to become a future Dodger CF.
Here is an interview with young Jake after a Little League All Star game.
Another Vogel at UCLA. Who would have thunk it?
It’s hard for me to “project” what Vogel can be. He’s a project, for sure.
So is Kendall officially near the “scrap heap?”
https://www.si.com/mlb/dodgers/news/a-conversation-with-dodgers-prospect-jeren-kendall
He’s 24 and I just don’t see the light just going on anytime soon. He was having a degree of success this Spring, but it’s a very small sampling.
Jeren is my son’s favorite Quake of all time. Nicest guy in the world. But losing 2020 is probably not recoverable for him as a Dodger. His athleticism is such that I could see another team taking him on as a project. I could also see him do quite well in Japan. There are a lot of players in the minors where losing 2020 means likely losing their last shot. Shame.
Mickey Mantle was 5’11” and he filled out ok. Willie Mays was 5’10” and I don’t believe anyone considered him undersized. Mookie Betts is listed at 5’9”. Speaking for all badgers out there, I feel compelled to remind you it’s the size of the fight in the dog. If you don’t believe it, try pulling the tail of a wolverine next chance you get
I’m assuming Vogel will sign but I can’t help but wonder if he could make a few million by attending UCLA for the next two years.
don’t forget, he sounds like a nice young man who we’d all want dating our daughters
And, he is intriguing.
He may be intriguing but is he likeable?
Does he get knackered after workouts?
Will he prove to be a better prospect than Kendall? (an admittedly low bar at this point)
Will he sign or become a Bruin?
The one thing we already know is that he gives a better interview than Joc does.
Giving a better interview than Joc is as low of a bar as being a better prospect then Kendall.
You got that right Bum.
You guys are making excellent points.
He’s from Huntington Beach,which doesn’t carry the snoot level Newport does but it’s close, so he will be likable with the younger female generation, who can’t afford tickets so forget that. I find his speed intriguing but I didn’t think Friedman much cared about that. It’s more about exit velocity and launch angle with hitters, spin rate with pitchers.
I don’t know. UCLA sounds like more fun than the Loons.
Just like you Bobby.
Was pleased to sense more optimism around the Baseball World yesterday that we might see some play this season.
You would have thought that the “Small Market” Teams would want to play as surely the shorter the season, the better their chances?
I think it makes it far more open, and doesn’t necessarily play to the Dodgers main strength of Depth.
To win a WS in 2020 you will need to start hot and stay hot while avoiding injuries to key players if a shortened pre Season is almost certainly gonna be the case.
I’m guessing there would be no Trade Deadline to reinforce areas of weakness. I guess that’s where we would have an advantage, as we have a battery of potential Starters, who we could pad out a depleted Bullpen with.
If required.
Either way – great news.
Enjoyed the Vogel write up.
If he dated my daughter, her husband would kick his ass.
😉
He’d have to catch him first ha ha
That is why in a previous thread I threw out Toy Cannon, Jimmy Wynn, as another player shorter than Vogel that hit home runs. That said, Vogel doesn’t need to be a power hitter to excel.
We keep looking for a true lead off hitter but when we draft one we talk about lack of power. He hits line drives to all fields now and should be able to develop really simple swing from the right side of the plate that will allow him to barrel up on the baseball on a consistent basis even though he currently has a loopy uppercut swing with a lot of swing and miss.
I missed any statements that addressed his ability to get walks or whether he mainly swings at strikes. Kendall has a big swing and has spent most of his minor league career resisting changes coaches have been trying to get him to make.
It seems silly to say about a guy who has never even gotten close to the majors but Kendall is probably the perfect “change of scenery” candidate.
All it would take is one instructor who could reach him coupled with the fact that he is soon going to see any chance of a MLB career evaporating before his very eyes and maybe he would finally listen.
Maybe another team has a former prospect they’re ready to give up on and we could make a trade that would help both guys.
I was really excited the day we drafted Kendall but have been very disappointed in his progress. I hope Vogel’s career takes a very different path.
I would try a shocking dog collar on him and anytime we didn’t listen… ZAP HIM!
Because over the last several years we’ve seen castoffs/disappointments/busts come to our team and figure it out (Brandon Morrow, Justin Turner, CT3) I still have hope that Kendall can finally figure it out.
Perhaps he needs a change of scenery, but we’ve seen it happen plenty of times to write anybody off so soon!
Well hopefully for Kendall’s sake he doesn’t resist the changes his bosses want to make in his next career
Gavin Stone, Clayton Beeter, Bobby Miller, Carson Taylor, Landon Knack, Jake Vogel in no order of importance, it is hard to root for just one of them. So, will cheer them all on as we should all do. I am so disappointed to see no minor league season for them and hope we sign them all. Go Blue.
About a year and a half ago, I predicted that Manfred wanted to implement the DH in the NL.
Well, Tony Clark did not even consider it, even when Manfred offered to increase the rosters by another player. Clark does not want to give on anything, even if it helps the players.
Well, now Manfred is negotiating to keep the DH for at least 2 years!
It is not a two year deal. This is just a way of getting the DH in before it becomes permanent with the next CBA. But you were right that it did come to the NL before the next CBA.
Yup, you’ve been calling that one for a while. Whether we like it or not doesn’t matter. What matters is baseball is falling behind other sports with the younger demographic. Baseball is considered boring to many, so baseball needs to do something to excite those that didn’t play little league or aren’t anything more than casual baseball fans. If the DH helps with that, so be it.
Height has nothing to do with talent. Wee Willie Keeler was 5;4″ .341 career batting average and played 19 years in the bigs. 8 straight seasons of 200 plus hits. Most players today don’t get that many once, let alone 8 times. Yogi Berra was 5’7″ Campy was 5’9″ Jose Altuve is 5’6″, Jimmy Rollins, Joe Morgan, Hack Wilson was 5’6″ and still holds the record for the most RBI’s in a season, and he did that in the 30’s. Almost 100 years ago. Albie Pearson, Freddie Patek, Rabbit Maranville, Phil Rizzuto, Bobby Shantz, Joe Sewell, all had productive MLB careers…oh yeah, Shantz won the Cy young Award once. And a pitcher who held the powerful Braves hit less for 12 innings, Elroy Face, was 5’8″ tall.
Don’t forget Steve Garvey, Ron Cey, Maury Wills,Davey Lopes
All those guys were 5’9″ or better. Wilson was 5’6″. Patek and Pearson were 5’4″. So they were short, but not that short. About average for their time.
Very true Bear,
I was making comparisons to Vogel
Garbage cans aside, I sure wouldn’t mind someone with Altuve’s numbers playing here. Little Jakey Vogel. Has a real ring to it.
The one element that they have been discussing that I do not like is advertising on the uniforms. I think it is strictly bush league. Soccer unis have all that crap on them, and they are frippen ugly. I think the Dodgers and Yankees have unis that are classic in their design, and putting ads on them takes away from that. Hi, I am Justin Turner, and as it says on my right shoulder I eat at McDonalds. Idiotic.
Better watch yourself Bear. I happen to know that US Water Systems is currently in negotiations to have their logo right above the word Dodgers on each player’s uniform.
Water Is Life!
(How am I doing Mark?)
I could care less if it was US Steel. Advertising on uni’s is about as bush league as it gets.
Maybe if we were a billion dollar company but we are not even $100 million. So. No
https://www.mlb.com/news/clayton-kershaw-addresses-racial-injustice
Wat, I’d bet the ratings for the 2 EPL games yesterday must’ve been thru the roof!
Good article AC! I think he will sign and be a nice addition to the prospect lineup. He may become the player we all wished Kendall would be. If he turns out to be another Toy Cannon, oh happy days!
Badger – Huntington Beach is close to Newport Beach in distance, but it is light years away in “snoot” factor. HB is a predominantly middle class neighborhood and it’s population is mostly ordinary working folks. Edison HS reigned supreme on the gridiron. No posh Balboa Island to be found in HB. Nor do they have the yacht parade every Christmas. When I was in junior and senior high, quite often we would ditch school and hitchhike down to HB and spend our time at lifeguard station #19. Never once would we ever think of going to Newport Beach.
I grew up in Los Alamitos/Seal Beach. I spent A LOT of time at Huntington Beach in the early 60s. We could still park on the many of the beaches and build bonfires back then. And you are right, it was an historical SoCal beach community then. I also spent many days at The Wedge in Newport, but the community there wasn’t really me. I feel extremely fortunate to have those memories.
Newport is still a beautiful place of course, many celebrities and very wealthy people live there. The Wedge is going strong, but the few times I’ve been there it wasn’t as crowded as it was when I surfed it. In the summer of ‘65 it was THE place to be seen.
I can remember walking to the end of the pier in Newport Beach and being able to see the ocean floor. Couldn’t see 3 inches last time I was there.
Anybody remember the glass bottom boats out of Catalina Island?
I honeymooned on Catalina for my second wedding. What I remember about the boat was all the puke that they never bothered to clean up on the glass. Now I remember going to LaJolla and how clear the water was there. I also worked at San Clemente Island when I was working on a project for the Navy. Island is run by the Navy. The water there is pretty pristine. Could see down 30-40 feet very clearly. When I was a kid, we fished off of the Redondo Beach Pier and the water was pretty clear, and then it all started to change. I remember LA when there was NO SMOG. I could see city hall from Redondo Beach. And the mountains were always clearly viewed.
It was in the early 50’s when I experienced the glass bottom boat and it was clean then. Maybe when you were on the boat a few passengers by then thought that they could chum the water to attract more ocean life to see through the glass.
Parking was never an issue back then. I haven’t been to the Wedge in years. I only body surfed. I was too uncoordinated to surf. A couple times body surfing the Wedge were enough for me. That was freaking intense!!
I was one of the first to put on a fin out there. Surfer Magazine was out shooting pictures of us. I got interviewed but I don’t recall it ever making the magazine. There were no board surfers at the jetty. Not when I was body surfing there. Yeah, that place was intense. They parked an ambulance there for good reason. The experienced body surfers knew how to avoid injury but there were always inexperienced guys who got flipped out into shallow water. It was a very dangerous place. I loved it.
Interestingly, Pee Wee Reese wasn’t that small. He was 5’10”. He got his nickname as a kid when he won a tournament playing Pee Wee marbles. As for Southern California, it must be an advantage to play baseball year-round. Like Badger and probably many of you, I have many beautiful memories of Southern Cal as a kid. My brother still lives there in Santa Monica. He’s 15 minutes from the beach, but never goes there. What a waste! Meanwhile, I’ve spent my adult life in cold, wet climates (now in the Netherlands for 16 years). Oh well, with climate change, this place is turning into the South of France! I will finally have my revenge!
What took you to the Netherlands? Just wondering.
Eating strips and frozen Milky Ways on the beach in Huntington 2d2?
Exactly! It was the cuisine of choice. We were always interested in healthy eating. 🙂
I remember the strips. They were really good after a few hours of body surfing. Great memories.
Well I am fond of both Newport Beach and Huntington Beach. Every summer I went with a family to vacation on Balboa Island, and the following week (last week of the summer) I was with another family in Huntington Beach. I would spend my days body surfing off the Wedge off Balboa Island during the day and eating chocolate covered bananas on the Balboa Island Boardwalk at night, and then one week surfing in Huntington. The last weekend we would shoot the Huntington pier not caring what happened with our boards. I was used to surfing Malibu and Trancas, so Huntington was a real pleasure.
Summer of ’68 there was a hurricane off Mexico and the waves at The Wedge were averaging 20-25 feet, and just as big coming off the jetty. I dared a friend to go out and try to body surf and he gave it a try except he was not as good as a swimmer as I was (national age group champion). He was trying to swim out, but it was like he was swimming uphill. He kept swimming forward but going backwards. We all fell on the beach just cracking up. My friend got embarrassed and mad and told me “okay hot shot, you go out there.” At 16 I was not about to back down from a dare so out I went. I had to get pretty far out so I would not get crushed by the waves coming from the ocean or off the jetty. After about 40 minutes the swells were down to about 15-18 feet so I said “now or never”. These were not waves you could ride, they crashed to the bottom. I was crushed and as I was coming up, the wave off the jetty swallowed me up again. I finally got in with my chest all bloodied from the rocks on the floor of the ocean. Five minutes later the coast guard came out to where I was and picked everyone up. The hurricane lessened some, but it was still enough to make the waves at Huntington the best I ever experienced surfing in California. The summer of ’68 going into my senior year. It is a summer I will never forget.
I don’t recall any rocks on the bottom of Huntington but I too got buried into the sand a few times out on the first break. More than once I got so disorientated under huge breaks I was digging in sand thinking I was swimming to the surface. My last year of body surfing was June of ‘66. By July I was in boot camp and in ‘68 I was in ‘nam. When I got out I lived in Los Al again but didn’t get to the beach much. Too busy wor.king. I live in South Orange County now but at 72 the beach just doesn’t have the allure it did 55 years ago.
I miss the days when things were more funner. And yes, floating in water and have it drop to a foot deep as it was drawn into a huge wave and then diving into the wave was fun even if sometimes it meant being slammed
Doheny had all the rocks.
The rocks were off the Wedge. They weren’t big. They just cut you as you were slammed on the bottom. Huntington was fine. Always.
I never surfed on a board. Loved body surfing though. My turf was more Redondo, Manhattan and Hermosa Beaches. I loved the water and loved swimming. Got my Jr Lifeguard badge back in 61. Lost a good friend of mine at the Redondo pier in 63, He was surfing, and wiped out right into the pilings of the Redondo Pier. We had a lot of surfers at Mira Costa High. Some of them later did it professionally. One of the guys in my class, Mike Purpus, surfed as a professional for a while. His big claim to fame was becoming a Playgirl centerfold. Oh well…….But I loved a lot of the other So Cal Beaches. Loved going to Paradise Cove. Met Roy Rogers there in 1957. He used to take his speedboat out from the pier there. It was called, The Yellowjacket. And boy it could move. Did not like going to Pebble Beach which was aptly named. But Leo Carrillo State Beach was nice too.
Absolutely love these stories of the various LA “Beaches”, and sitting here in my Cab on a dreary June morning, this has really lifted my mood.
My first ever night in LA was spent in Newport Beach with my then girlfriend in 88.
I couldn’t believe how beautiful it was, and all the neighbouring Beaches as well. Even today, it is the place in the world where I would most like to live.
I often look at house prices on Zillow, and dream lol.
The love affair with Baseball started then, taking in a night game at Dodger Stadium. Awesome. I dragged her back the next night for a second helping.
Baseball lasted much longer In my life than she did.
That holiday changed my life. Within a year I’d quit my job and had embarked on a two year round the world trip.
Spent most of 90 living and working in a Youth Hostel on Venice Beach, and heading to Chavez Ravine as often as possible. Ramon Martinez was my favourite Dodger.
Been back a few times, but will be there in May next year, so be great to see a few of you LA dwellers. Definitely gonna grab that Beer that Bobby has been promising.
Be fantastic if some of you other boys could join us for a game if I can fix a date?
Feeling a bit better after writing that.
Been hard going these past few weeks.
Lockdown has been wearing me down.
Although I’ve been out working as normal, I am really missing not being able to do my usual leisure pursuits.
I’ve realised that I do lead a very busy
life, and am not used to relaxing.
At first I embraced it – and enjoyed spending more time at home and especially in the garden, as the weather has been great.
However, I’m done with that now. I need to get out. Always have a few beers on a Friday after work, and out most Saturdays with friends and the Missus. Also having two boys (12&16) means I’m running them everywhere to sports activities, as well as going to watch Watford play in the EPL.
I’m desperately missing not being able to watch Baseball and my other favourite sports, although watching the PGA Golf from a Hilton Head was great last night.
Unfortunately there is a realisation that my job will never be the same after this, and therefore, like many other people around the world, I’m gonna be hit financially, meaning my lifestyle will have to change. This is disappointing as we have worked hard to get ourselves in a good position, only to have the rug pulled from under us.
I know that many of you guys are retired or semi retired which is probably a good thing, but I’ve got a good 10-15 years left. It’s not gonna be easy.
The lasting effects of Covid 19 will not be so much physical as financial I think.
Still, we are all in good health and at least we appear to be getting a hold on this thing now. As we head into Summer hopefully things will Unlock further and we can return to some form of normality.
Keep up the good work Jeff, Harold and Rob, it is much appreciated.
Most of that made me smile W. This area was my home years ago, and those places that were beautiful then still are, but of course leaving here in ‘74 left me priced out in 2020. I have high school buddies who never left that are living in million dollar homes, but they were only $50,000 when they first got in them. And the beaches are absolutely packed now, or certainly were before the pandemic. Parking down there is a pain. It’s just not like what it usta was.
I’m really sorry for all those younger folks who are stressed out by this. I’m bored but I’m not financially stressed. I’ve been hoping that we as a global people would find a way to hold on and lift each other up and I am convinced if it were up to us we would do just that. But we have governments in the way. If you make it out here you can be assured dinner is on me, and I’ll take you to the finest Del Taco in my neighborhood.
We’ll get through this. A vaccine will be available by ‘21. In the mean time we just have to show discipline and compassion.
While we are at the beach, let’s not forget Wilt Chamberlain playing volley ball on Laguna Beach or for that matter the Laguna Beach Greeter. I liked the beach in San Clemente in between the pier and Nixon’s Western White House. There was a residential street blocked off with a chain that was linked with about 20 padlocks that we would walk down until we reached a vacant lot and walk down to the beach and basically have it mostly to ourselves.
I had an Alpha Romero convertible that made driving along the beach from Huntington to Laguna. We are all very fortunate to have experienced Southern California beaches in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s.
Enjoyed your post, Watford. I moved out of Southern California a few years ago and also have fond memories. It’s just too expensive there for guys with families.
I also agree the virus is taking a real toll on all of us. The financial and psychological effects will probably never go away. A lot of pensioners on this board, but I also have another 15 or so years until retirement age. But, I lost my job and the new one doesn’t pay nearly as well. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to retire from working. It’s all taking a psychological toll, as well. And that might be even worse. A lot of anxiety and depression.
Anyway, glad you’re still here, Wat. I don’t post much but always enjoy your thoughts. Cheers.
I personally think the kid passes up this draft and goes to UCLA>
I didn’t go to Doheny. And I never owned a board. Couldn’t afford it and my folks sure weren’t going to buy it for me. But there were plenty among my friends to borrow, so I did both. I loved swimming so much I did more of that. I was WSI from an early age, though I don’t think they called it that in the 60s. Later I did a lot of swimming in lakes and rivers up in Northern California. I swam across the Sacramento many times up in Redding. Add that the list of things I miss doing. Now it’s just laps in my pool. Oh, the pool is reopening today! Yea!!
I wouldn’t blame Vogel for choosing UCLA. If I had it to do over again I’d play there instead of joining the Marines.
Manfred said yesterday afternoon that this needs to be over….well DUH! Then he also rejected the players proposal of 70 games. They want the season over before the end of September, and they do not want any double headers as they have been advised by medical genius’s that people being together that long could spread the virus. What ever they decide, they had better do it quick because the fans are getting pretty ticked off.
I’m assuming the owners already know that stadiums in those states that have rising Covid counts will be open. Even California, which was a strongly suggested mask state, has now made masks mandatory again. The numbers, as predicted by people who are paying attention to the scientists, continue to go up. Will stadiums be available in mid July? I sure hope so. Having games on tv will help my sourpuss disposition.
Hey Bear, I put a new battery in my Tacoma yesterday and when I fired it up some guy was loudly asking “we have any Alabama fans out there!” I had to laugh as I had forgotten your CD was still in the player.
I left Canada and moved to Orange County where I lived for many years before ending up in NorCal. I have visited all those beaches, Huntington, Newport, Seal Beach, etc. Beaches up here do not compare, I think. I did not surf or boogie board but once rode a pedal bike to my softball practice from Westminster to Edison HS. By the time I got there was too exhausted to practice. The coach drove me home. Had many great times at Huntington Beach.
That’s about 10 miles right? Not exactly a drive through the park either. They didn’t have softball teams in Westminster?
I’m looking at that picture of Vogel up there and it appears to me he’s thinking “you want me to sign for what?”
Coach lived in Huntington Beach, so our practices were down that way. I did it on a dare accompanied by the shortstop who had a ten speed. I did get to practice after I rested, lol. I remember great sand sculptures at Seal Beach. Still waiting for my Dodgers to play this year.
I’m sure it was tiring, but 10 miles was a lot shorter back then, hey Blue Mom?
Anybody remember the name Mike Pigg? He was a triathlete up in Humboldt County back in the 80s. I knew him well enough to say hi when I saw him. Incredible athlete. There was a hundred mile race back then called the Lost Coast 100. It went from Ferndale over to the Lost Coast (the Petrolia loop) through the redwoods to Garberville then back up to Ferndale. It was a challenging, but incredibly beautiful ride. I did parts of it, but never more than about 20 miles. Anyway, Mike made the race and finished in the Top 10 as I recall, but the thing is he rode his bike from Arcata down to Ferndale, biked the 100 miles, then rode back to Arcata after the race. He said it was just a training day for him. Yoiks. I’ve done some treks, a 500 miler, 6 days, and 150 miler, 2 days but today I’m good for about 5-6 miles and I’m done.
If I had the chance to go into the MLB now or wait two or three years, I’d have to choose now because I think there is going to be a overabundance of draft eligible players in the next few drafts because of all of the college players this season that went undrafted and possibly a number of HS players who were drafted but will refuse to sign. This could continue to impact the pool of draft eligible college and HS players who are drafted and those who sign until the balance is restored.
I think that Vogel will be able to get the money of a late second or third round drafted due to the fact that the Dodgers have shown that they are willing to pay some players less in order to sign some that they really see having a future in the organization.
I always have thought that Mission Beach in San Diego was a beautiful place when I was there in the 60’s. There a simplicity to the area back then and it was not developed to any large degree so it was very tranquil. Still hate the Padres, though.
Someone just suggested on Twitter that they just forget about MLB this year since neither side wants to be viewed as having given in to the other and instead play minor league ball.
Those players could use the money more anyway and some media company would certainly kick in some money to televise a minor league game a few times a week. I know I would tune in.
I only learned to Surf about 20 years ago,
When l got the Internet.
I’ll get my coat…
We’ve mentioned all the HB area beaches and left out the great expanse of Bolsa Chica. Loved going there, because you could park right along the sand on PCH. No chip stands, but lots and lots of sand.
I need help, as my mind is drawing a blank. I’m trying to remember the name of the stand(s) on HB that sold the chips and Milky Ways, etc. Was it Jack and Flo’s?
Bolsa Chica is right next to Seal Beach and where my mother lived during the war. They had submarine watch during those years.
I do recall some great bond fire parties at Bolsa Chica and you’re right, that’s where you could park right on the edge of 101 in the sand. But we didn’t go there much during the day because the girls weren’t there, they were all in Huntington, Newport and Laguna.
If I remember right, they used to call it tin can beach
Does anybody remember that?
Nice reminisces there Watford. John Wayne lived in Newport Beach. I had a girlfriend who worked as a real estate agent and she took me to his house when it was on the market. He had his own pier where he used to dock his boat. Gold fixtures in most of the bathrooms. Most of his movie memorabilia that he kept is in a warehouse close to the production company his family still runs. The Wild Goose was bought years ago and is used in Newport for dinner cruises. San Clemente was where we would go camping sometimes when I was in the home for kids. We would also go up to Carpenteria Beach just south of Santa Barbara, the worlds safest beach was how they advertised it. Practically no waves at all. Lived in the South Bay a lot of years. We used to go up to Palos Verdes and go down to the tide pools there. Lots of interesting sea life. Sometimes we would go to Cabrillo Beach, which is actually inside the harbor in San Pedro. Perfect for kids because there were no waves or rip tide to worry about, and the Maritime museum was right there. Then we would also fish off of the rocks that formed the breakwater for LA Harbor. Good times, a different world then for sure And I remember going grunion hunting when the grunion were running. And having beach party’s with bonfires at Playa Del Ray. Seeing all of the professional wrestlers who used to hang out at Muscle Beach.
Does Pismo Beach and Dirty Ernie ring a bell for anyone?
Another place I loved to go way back when was POP…Pacific Ocean Park. Cool place. Admission was 1.99. Way cheaper than Disneyland. Of course so was Knotts Berry Farm. I remember that place when there were only like 6 rides there. The train, the stagecoach, the merry go round, Henry’s Livery which was across the street on the other side of Beach Blvd. You had to walk through a tunnel to get there. They also had like a mule ride too. And admission was free. Used to go to the General Store every time I was there and get one of their giant dill pickles. Sour as hell, but juicy and a lot of fun to eat. POP was where they aired, Dick Clark’s, Where the Action Is on TV. And admission was free. Saw Paul Revere and the Raiders there. Great times in a great place to grow up. I would never live there now.
Knotts. Used to go there for Sunday afternoon picnics when you could get in for free. Loved the horse who could guess your age.
I still try to go to the restaurant there and get a chicken dinner. When it was free they used to have concerts at the covered wagons. Of course we kids used them to play cowboys and Indians. Was a fun place to go. I used to love it when they would do the train robbery, and then they would catch the guys and have a gunfight right there in the town square. No matter how many times I saw them do their little skit, I would crack up every time. The Bird Cage theater there is a copy of the real one in Tombstone. Caught some of their shows, and saw an up and coming comic named Steve Martin in the melodrama. And oh yeah, their jams were the best.
Hey Bear. I was also just a body surfer but, of course, mine was all at the Jersey shore. Wildwood was my favorite beach. On the other hand my oldest son had a board and he surfed year round (including thru the Jersey winter). I think he was nuts but he’s doing well today although his surfing days are over.
By the way I saw you had a birthday recently. I wish you a belated happy birthday. I have a birthday today. My age is “Bear” plus 3…lol.
How about the Pike and that rickety roller coaster
It was full of sailors mostly drunk, great place to have raw fun
That place was basically in my neighborhood. What a dump, but a place I found myself visiting often.
I got stuck on a barstool there one night in ‘69. Me and a buddy bought some lsd from a questionable source and dropped a hit there and sat down for a beer. Nothing happened for an hour, so thinking we got ripped we took another hit. Within 5 minutes the walls started melting and neither of us could move. We sat there until closing time, they kicked us out, we had trouble finding our car and when we finally we sat in it laughing uncontrollably until we felt ok to drive back to Downey. What a night.