I am very partial to AAAA players. I know they waaaaaay too often get labeled as dung heap players, dumpster diving players, etc. Never mind that they competed at a higher level than almost everyone on these blog sites who love to denigrate their baseball abilities. I guess that is why I have never been down on guys like Tyler White. I wrote about Max Muncy before most Dodger fans even knew who he was (January 2, 2018).
I followed that up a year later with the following:
So while I am certainly disappointed in what Max has done thus far in 2020, I am not about to give up on him. Max was on his way to being another in the long line of AAAA players when he made the most out of his chance (probably last chance).
That brings me to the primary topic of this particular column. To me, Blake Gailen is a remarkable story of perseverance, and epitomizes the makeup of a AAAA player. Blake Shane Gailen was born March 27, 1985, in Verdugo Hills, California to Scott and Charlene Gailen. Blake is a LHH OF and favorably listed as 5’9”. Gailen played baseball at El Camino Real High School, Woodland Hills, CA, where he was both a pitcher and OF. Randy Wolf is undoubtedly the best known graduate of that HS baseball program. Other MLB players out of El Camino include: Mark Brouhard, Kurt Birkins, Conor Jackson, Ryan Lavarnway, and Ryan McGuire. I also have to throw in one of my son’s (Andy) close friends (youth ball), Dan Cey. Dan made it to AAA before retiring after five years after being a 3rd round pick of the Minnesota Twins.
After graduating High School, Blake went undrafted, and joined the Glendale Community College Vaqueros baseball program. He was All-Western State Conference after his freshman season, and All-Southern California after his sophomore season. He played summer ball with the Fayetteville SwampDogs and was a Coastal Plain League All Star after both the 2005 and 2006 seasons.
After his sophomore season, he again went undrafted and signed to play for UNLV. After his senior season, Blake again went undrafted, but he was not going to give up his dream. He chose to sign with the Anderson Joes of the now defunct Independent South Coast League, where he batted .368/.455/.526. In 2008, Gailen signed with the Wichita Wingnuts of the South Division of the American Independent League.
For 2009-2010, Blake signed with the Chico Outlaws of the North American Independent League where he batted .355 and .387 respectively while also recording 30 doubles and stealing 36 bases. In 2010 Blake finished second in the league in batting average (.387) to Larry Bigbie. He also finished 3rd in OBP (.480), and had a slugging percentage of .603, and was named an All Star.
In 2011, Gailen joined the Lincoln Saltdogs of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball League, where he won the American Association batting title (.406). He was finally noticed by a MLB organization, and signed a minor league contract with the Anaheim Angels to replace some guy named Mike Trout on their Arkansas Travelers AA roster. Unfortunately Blake was unable to duplicate those lofty batting averages he accumulated in Indy ball. His season ended with a .208 batting average and was released prior to the 2012 season.
In 2012, still not believing his career was over, Gailen signed with Lancaster (PA) Barnstormers of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. In his first season with Lancaster, Gailen hit .338, winning his second consecutive batting title and accumulated a .415 (BP) and .534 slugging while smashing 22 home runs, 89 RBIs, 26 doubles and stealing 25 bases, earning him Atlantic League MVP honors.
Gailen returned to Lancaster for the 2013 season, although not quite reaching the same level of success he enjoyed the previous season, hitting .288 and half the home runs (11). However, he hit ten more doubles.
At the end of the 2013 season, Gailen got chance #2 with MLB and signed a MiLB contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, and was assigned to their AAA affiliate Buffalo Bisons. In eight games, Blake hit .286.
After the season, Blake decided to give Winter Ball a shot, and signed with Venados de Mazatlán of the Mexican Winter League. In 2014, Blake was back with Lancaster, hitting .350 with 18 HRs and 15 doubles.
After the 2014 Lancaster season, Gailen signed with Toros de Tijuana of the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol for 51 games, hitting .271. He also rejoined the Venados and spent some time with the Leones del Caracas in the Venezuelan Winter League.
In 2015, Blake was back with the Barnstormers, but mid-year, he received his chance #3, and second with the Angels, where he signed another MiLB contract and was assigned to AA Arkansas. He was more productive this time with Arkansas slugging 10 HRs and 15 doubles. But that was not enough for a 2016 contract, so he was back with the Barnstormers, this time batting .280.
After off-season surgery, Blake again signed with Lancaster and played 48 games.
In 2017, Gailen participated in the World Baseball Classic with Team Israel, finishing in 3rd place in Round 2 – Pool E. After the WBC, Gailen was back with the Barnstormers batting .323/.408/.521 and getting the attention of the Los Angeles Dodgers. On June 25, 2017, Blake signed a MiLB contract and was assigned to Tulsa (chance #4). He played very well with Tulsa posting an impressive slash-line of .300 / .371 / .500, with seven home runs and 35 RBI in the 49 games in which he appeared. He was released by the Dodgers at the conclusion of spring training 2018.
Two days after being released by LAD, Blake resigned with…you guessed it, Lancaster Barnstormers. He batted .282/.378/.511 and led the Atlantic League in HRs (28) and RBIs (91), while coming in at #2 in walks (72). He was named an All Star for the third time. On October 31, 2018, Gailen signed with Tomateros de Culiacan of the Mexican Pacific League.
On January 22, 2019, Blake signed a MiLB contract with the Dodgers, this time being assigned to AAA OKC. In a very limited number of Abs (48), Blake batted .250/.321/.396 with 1 HR and 6 RBIs. That was good enough to get Blake a 2020 MiLB contract with the Dodgers, but without a MiLB season and recognizing that Gailen was not going to be added to the 60 man player pool, he was released July 1, 2020.
As a member of Team Israel in 2017, Blake started the 3rd game in CF in the WBC qualifying tournament, hitting a two-run HR and walking 2 additional times. He played LF in the main tournament, adding that “it was the best experience of my life, there’s not even a question.”
In October 2018, Blake became a dual citizen of Israel and USA. One of his goals was to help Israel qualify for the 2020 Olympics. Per his Wikipedia page…
He played for Team Israel in the Confederation of European Baseball 2019 European Baseball Championship – B-Pool in early July 2019 in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria, as it won all six of its games and advanced to the playoffs against Team Lithuania in the 2019 Playoff Series at the end of July 2019 for the last qualifying spot for the 2019 European Baseball Championship.[8] He was named the MVP of the tournament, as he batted .571 (2nd in the tournament)/.654 (leading the tournament)/1.048 (2nd).
He played for Team Israel at the 2019 European Baseball Championship, where he batted .355/.412/.742 with 3 home runs and 8 RBIs in 31 at bats in seven games and was tied for second among all Championship batters in doubles (3), fifth in total bases (23), and tied for sixth in hits (11). He also played for the team at the Africa/Europe 2020 Olympic Qualification tournament in Italy in September 2019, which Israel won to qualify to play baseball at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. He played center field and batted .286/.375/.333 in the tournament.
Gailen said that as the last game of the tournament ended, with Israel qualifying for the 2020 Olympics: “I don’t remember ever crying during a game… But I was super emotional. This is the Olympics. It hit me so hard. And I saw how hard it was hitting the guys around me.”
Blake Gailen is a model of perseverance. He has never felt sorry for himself, even though his baseball accomplishments could go head to head with many others who have received a more generous opportunity. He continued to get up and play. At 35, his chances at actually playing at the MLB level are extraordinarily long. But I am not going to say he will not make it. At the very least, if the pandemic subsides enough to allow for the Olympics to resume in 2021, Blake should get a chance to fulfill one of his dreams for playing Olympic Baseball for Team Israel in 2021.
With only five rounds in the most recent amateur draft, Blake sent out the following on his Twitter Page:
“To all those undrafted: been there.. it sucks.. but it doesn’t mean you’re no good or that you have to be done playing. If you keep playing, you have a chance to make it. If you quit, you’re guaranteeing you won’t make it. Play. Play until they rip the jersey off your back.”
At the very least, with his highly competitive nature, the Dodgers need to find a place for Blake Gailen on their Developmental Team.
Two other AAAA players with the Dodgers come to mind. On September 1, 2017 (first game of a DH with SDP), after 7 MiLB years in the Dodgers organization, one of my favorites, O’Koyea Dickson, got his MLB debut with the Dodgers. He went 0-3 with a walk in his debut. On September 23, 2007, in his 6th game, O’Koyea PH for Ross Stripling in the 3rd inning and lined an 0-1 pitch from Madison Bumgarner for his first (and only) MLB hit. I remember jumping and loudly cheering after that hit. Dickson signed with Rakuten of the Japanese League. Dickson later signed a MiLB contract with Washington and was assigned to AA (2019). He has played in the Mexican League (2019), and played Indy baseball in 2019.
My current AAAA favorite is LAD OF Anthony Garcia. Garcia (now 28), was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 18th round of the 2009 draft from San Juan Educational School (San Juan, Puerto Rico). Anthony started his professional career with the Cardinals in 2009. He was never promoted to the MLB club, and on November 6, 2017, Garcia elected FA, and signed with the Oakland A’s.
Garcia stayed with the A’s for one year and on November 29, 2018, Garcia signed a MiLB contract with San Francisco. He played in Sacramento (AAA) for all of 2018, and chose FA again after 2018.
On December 19, 2019, Anthony signed a MiLB contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Garcia is currently on the 60 man player pool assigned to the secondary site at USC. Anthony had a fairly productive ST. In 15 AB (20 PA), Anthony batted .267/.476/.400/.876 with 5 runs, 4 hits, 2 doubles, 5 RBIs, 5 walks and 5 strikeouts. I do not see Anthony getting called up in 2020 with the Dodgers, but he is on the 60 man player pool, so he is eligible to be traded if another team is looking for an extra OF. He will turn 29 on January 4, so there is still time for Anthony to get that MLB debut.
So while it is easy to cheer the accomplishments of the likes of Mookie Betts and Corey Seager, I continue to hold out hope for the AAAA players; Andy Dominique, O’Koyea Dickson, Rob Segedin, Blake Gailen, Anthony Garcia…
First of all, I want to thank you all for your kind words over these past several days. It has been a rough go for me, but I got to watch the Dodgers reel off 7 in a row and now possess the top winning percentage in MLB. I like to think that Kris carried the team over these last seven games. I am very grateful to be supported by the LADT family. Thank you one and all.
I also want to thank Bear, 2D2, Harold, and Mark who stepped up big for me for the last several days. It is great to know that when you reach out, the request does not go unheeded.
Belli/Muncy/Joc are still not producing. Buehler is not yet in Ace form. But Mookie is better than advertised. Corey Seager is playing better than his ROY. AJ Pollock and CT3 are having plus years. The kid pitchers, Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin are proving that they should not be blocked any longer. Kershaw is pitching his best in the last several years. Has Julio Urias figured it out? The bullpen is poised to be the best in MLB. If Bellinger and/or Muncy can turn it around, how good can this team be?
For the last three years, I have been supporting Austin Barnes and have been ridiculed for such support. As can be understood from today’s column, I love the underdogs. I have never believed he was an everyday catcher. I have always believed that he would be best used as a backup catcher. While it may not last, I am sure enjoying his current run. It is very similar to his run in 2017 when he hit .289/.408/.486/.895 in 262 PA.
There were a couple of discussions that I may be late on, but I still want to voice my opinion. In the beginning of the season, I fingered Trevor Bauer as a potential LAD trade acquisition. He wants to play for LA. He went to Hart High School, and was Gerrit Cole’s UCLA teammate where they went #1 and #3 overall in the 2011 draft. Amazingly with Cole and Bauer, UCLA did not win the NCAA championship while they were there. I do not see Bauer getting traded to LAD, because AF is not going to meet the prospect price. From what I hear, there are not going to be any top 100 prospects moved for a one month rental. Trevor Bauer would be worth a couple of 100-200 range prospects for one month, but will that be enough for Cincinnati (doubrful) and will Cincinnati still be in the race in two weeks (yes)? This is how a Yordan Alvarez, Fernando Tatis, Jr., Eloy Jimenez, Kyle Hendricks, John Smoltz, Gleybar Torres, Yoan Moncada, Chris Paddack, and Michael Kopech are found. If Trevor Bauer is the missing piece for 2020, I would be all in.
Ballparks.
On March 31, 1998, I was at the opening day game at Bank One Ballpark where the two expansion teams, Colorado Rockies and Arizona DBacks played their first MLB game. Colorado won the game 9-2. Darryl Kile beat Andy Benes. Vinny Castilla had 2 HRs for Colorado while Travis Lee and former Dodger catching prospect Karim Garcia each hit one for Arizona. Dante Bichette had a four hit game for Colorado.
On August 8, 1992 I was at Yankee Stadium watching Roger Clemens and the Boston Red Sox beat Scott Kamieniecki and the Yankees. That was a great game watching Clemens beat NYY.
I have been to well over 50 minor league ball parks.
Major League Ball Parks:
Dodger Stadium
Fenway
Candlestick Park
Pac Bell/ATT/Oracle Park
The Big A (Angels)
Jack Murphy Stadium (Padres)
Oakland Coliseum (A’s)
Bank One Ballpark (DBacks)
LA Memorial Coliseum
Yankee Stadium
Metrodome (Twins)
Fulton County Stadium (Braves) (1982, less than 3,000 in the stadium).
Kaufman Stadium (Royals) (1990 and Bo Jackson huge HR)
Seattle Superdome
My favorite is Dodger Stadium and then Fenway. I may be in the minority, but I love PacBell/ATT/Oracle. It is cold in summer evenings, but the park is fantastic.
Welcome back Jeff, that winning streak has been dedicated to your son and your family.
I saw Blake Gailen and O’Koyea Dickson play here in the Pacific League against my team, Aguilas de Mexicali
Interesting article describing the life of an indy player. But my definition of a AAAA player is one who is on the fringe, playing AAA and occasionally getting called up. The guy in between AAA and the majors.
“ Play. Play until they rip the jersey off your back.”
I’ve been telling my son that. He’s 37, former college basketball guard and second baseman. He doesn’t play anymore but in my opinion he should as he is fitness instructor who benches 300, can hit a softball over 300’ and can still hit 3’s on the basketball court. I played baseball and tournament softball unit I was 56. To eveyone, play. Play until they rip the jersey off your back. Once it’s finished, you can never go back.
I don’t see how teams can expect any return under these circumstances. Bauer a Dodger. Pederson a – something else. If they are free agents next year just let them go. MLB could come up with some Covid Compensation deal that gives the team like a Rule 5 pick from unprotected player pool or a compensation draft pick. If players want out they should be able to get out. Pursuit of happiness. You’re not happy in Cincinnati? Want to move to California? I don’t blame you. You should be able to do it.
Anybody know where Max Muncy is? He was last seen bending over trying to avoid being hit by a ball over the plate.
Lakers can’t shoot.
TBH, I can’t see the Lakers winning it all this year. While Lebron is a force of nature, the rest of the team is not as good as Lebron’s former Champion teams. They will have to play their A++ games to get to the Finals.
Can’t wait to see the draft lottery to find out where my Warriors will pick. Will they contend next season?
Bauer seems to be a good target, but I tend to agree with Jeff Jr. that Cincinatti will have to settle for peanuts in compensation because the Dodgers would probably wait to sign him in FA and not give up anyone major IF they want him. I also agree that Clevenger should get serious consideration for the trade deadline.
Muncy is very good at getting walks!
Lakers are missing 2 key pieces who opted out. That is making a big difference in the team you see on the court now and the one that was playing before the pandemic. Cleveland is upset with Clevinger, but I doubt they trade him. He is under team control and would require a large return. And the Indians are definitely in the playoff picture right now, so why trade anyone?
I think shots will start falling. Heck they even missed free throws last night.
Yep. They miss Bradley and Rondo. Two starting guards? Huge losses.
Rondo is with the team, he just came back from an injury and was working out yesterday. The expect him back in a day or two.
Bradley is the better defender. And they need help on the perimeter.
Welcome back Jeff. Those are the players I really root for. O’Koyea Dickson was one of my favorites.
Well, I did something wrong, (early in my morning fog) and lost my comment, so will repeat it.
Good morning, AC. Nice to see you back. Enjoyed reading your article. Blake Gailen seems like a well-rounded young man who believed in himself and persevered.
I always Iiked Rob Segedin and wondered what happened to him and if he still is in baseball today. Wishing Garcia the best good luck.
Rob retired after the 2018 season due to arthritis and I believe is employed by the Phillies as the Assistant Hitting Coordinator.
Thank you Mark.
I liked Segedin. He seemed to me like a really hard worker. Segedin was promoted to the Dodgers on August 7, 2015 Segedin made his MLB debut, same day he was called up, and set a Dodger franchise record with 4 RBI’s. His first major league hit was a double off of Boston left hander, ……David Price. He played 40 games that year and hit .233 with 2 homers and 12 RBI’s. He played 3B, 1B, left and right fields over those 40 games. In 2017 he played in only 13 games and hit .200 with only 1 ribbie and no homers. He was plagued by injuries and on August 30, 2018 he was DFA’d by the Dodgers. As Mark said he retired after the season He is employed by the Phillies as a, and this is their title, a Player Information Assistant. Rob wore # 25.
Player Information Assistant was his title until December 2019, when he was promoted to Assistant Hitting Coordinator.
Great article Jeff. Tough life for a career minor leaguer. Gotta love the game! Good to have you back!
Welcome back Jeff. Great article. I love stories like this. There was a guy with the Dodgers who had toiled in the minors for years, John Lindsey. He was 33 when he made his MLB debut with the Dodgers in 2010. He was originally signed by the Rockies after being drafted in the 13th round. He also was signed by the Cardinals, Mariners, and the Marlins before LA signed him. After he left LA he signed with the Tigers. But 2010 was the only time he ever got a shot in the bigs. I remember Vinny talking about him over the last few games of the year because it seemed everyone on the team was pulling for him to get a hit. He had 11 at bats, and finally got a single against the Astros. So his major league average is .083. But Lindsey played baseball for 21 seasons at many different levels and also played winter ball. He had a couple of very good seasons in the Dodger system, 2007 at AA and AAA he hit 30 homers between the two. Then in 2010 at Albuquerque he was hitting .353 with 25 homers and 97 RBI’s when he got the call to the bigs. His only MLB time ever. He finished after 21 seasons with a career BA of 284, 377 HR’s, 1536 RBI’s and 2291 hits. He was 38 years old. He kept on trying no matter what. I would bet that ball is displayed somewhere in his home.
Here are a few updates about the Dodgers from the blogosphere and other sources:
1. – The top 3 players in MLB in defensive runs saved are Dodgers. Kike Hernandez is #1 with 9, Mookie Betts is 2nd with 7, and Chris Taylor is tied for 3rd with 6, per the Fielding Bible (see link below)
http://fieldingbible.com/DRSLeaderboard
2 – Little noticed is that left-handers are, once again, Kryptonite for the Dodgers. Per the LA Daily News, “Left-handers like Gonzales have become the Dodgers’ kryptonite. They came into the game batting just .210 with a .658 OPS against left-handed pitching. Only eight of their MLB-leading 46 home runs have come off left-handers. Even right-handed Mookie Betts has oddly struggled against lefties this season (3 for 25 through Tuesday).”
3 – There’s a reason that Cody Bellinger isn’t really seeing results. His exit velocity and hard-hit rate are way down, per Bleacher Report:
“Though he’s still doing plenty of things right, it should alarm the Dodgers that Bellinger’s exit velocity (91.1 to 88.4 mph) and hard-hit rate (45.6 to 31.7 percent) are way down from 2019.”
So called lefty killer Kike is not doing very well against LHP either. He is hitting .211 against lefty’s. But the team as a whole is murdering RH. Kike does not walk much. He is also striking out a lot lately.
Exit velocity of pop ups is typically low.
“Muncy is very good at getting walks”. If you mean walking back to the dugout, you’re right. His BB% is actually down so far this year. He looks like he’s hoping to get a walk in many of his at bats, but he is looking at a lot of strikes right over middle of the plate. The most telling stat for an old school guy like me is his LD% is down from 23.5% last year to 9.7% this year. BABIP last year – .283, the year before it was .299. This year – .175. To sum it up, he’s just not hitting the ball well at all.
Bellinger’s numbers look just as worse – walk rate down, BABIP down from .305 to .175, K% up, LD% down, Soft% up He’s just not on the ball. Will these guys get there? We all hope so, but they often look lost up there. Maybe they should turn off RVS and tune in Mookie.
Badger, it was a tongue in cheek remark about his overall production this year. He is leading the team in BB. Just some dumb humor on my part. It was nice to see him hit that HR along with the rest of our slumpers, Belli & Joc. This is what we’ve come to expect from these players this season, only HR’s! Defensively, they’ve been damned good.
Since my MLB.tv is just for the Dodgers this year, I cannot watch entire games after they are finished unless it is the Dodgers. But I can watch recaps of all the other games. Greinke pitched a great game against the Rockies yesterday, 8 shutout innings. And the game was decided in the 11th. Maeda pitched 8 no-hit innings and the only hit off him was a bloop single that just got over the infielders head. But the one that really caught my attention was that in a game they were winning in a blowout, Giants reliever, Shaun Anderson nearly hit Mike Trout in the coconut twice. It was the 9th inning. Both managers said later that there was no intent. But Trout, who has such a laid back demeanor most of the time became visibly upset after the second time. Kapler said that Anderson had not pitched in 5 days and was a little jumpy. Hmm……Dodgers are playing with only 12 position players right now and carrying 16 pitchers. I am surprised with guys like Joc, Belli and Muncy struggling so much that they have not at least looked at what McKinstry or Lux could add. Mariners GM, Jerry DiPoto said he believes that no big ticket players will be moved at the deadline. And most teams have called him about his pitchers. This contradicts a lot of stories I have read. Some pundits believe Boston might try to trade Martinez, and maybe even Boegaerts. The picture should clear up in the next week or so with teams reaching the halfway point of the season. 12 days before the deadline. I thought at one time that Joc, if he had a really good year might get a pretty good contract from someone this offseason. I do not think that will happen now. I doubt he gets more than maybe a 3 year offer. Kike will have value to someone. But with Taylor locked down for another season, Muncy in the first year of a 4 year deal, Lux and McKinstry waiting in the wings, the Banana’s run in Los Angeles is most likely coming to an end. I think the 2 free agents from this team that AF will look to retain are Turner and Trienen. If McGee keeps doing what he has done so far, he could be resigned next season also. If you want an interesting read, check MLB.com and read the list of pitchers they think might get dealt. Clevinger and Bauer are both on the list.
Nice job AC! I have always loved those players that keep on grinding it out. Minor league baseball is a tough grind for all players. In my opinion, Blake Gailen, Anthony Garcia and John Lyndsey and the players like them, deserve a special place in the Minor League Hall of Fame(if there was such a thing) entirely because of their perseverance.
AC, Bear, 2D2, Harold, and Mark did a great job in your absence. It had to be a tough time for you and the family. But it’s great to have you back.
Some thoughts on yesterday’s game.
* as I mentioned pregame, Marco Gonzales is the Mariner’s Ace and a good pitcher. As a soft left hander I thought he would be a challenge with the Dodgers hitting .209 versus lefties. (as Dodgerrick mentioned above) He did.
I love pitching duals so I thought this was a fun game. Gonsolin was great and Marco just stayed out of the middle of the plate and played add and subtract – speed em up and slow em down. Just what the pull happy Dodgers struggle with.
* I’m forced to listen again to theMariner’s broadcast so I missed any comments by Orel. He had to be praising the pitching especially Gonzales’ effectiveness topping out at 88mph.
* Badger says it all about Muncy right now. Looking at his spray chart, Muncy pulls the ball to the right, 1/3 of the infield 81% of the time. Good luck with that.
* you know walks will kill ya. 2 or the 3 runs scored started with a walk.
* Barnes’ steal was huge before JT knocked him in. He is hitting now which is great. He doesn’t have a strong throwing arm but our pitchers give him NO shot. Our bullpen is great but not much attention is paid to holding runners. Barnes might as well toss it back to the pitcher to avoid a possible overthrow.
* Gonsolin solidified the rotation to me of CK, Ferris, Urias, May and Gonsolin.
* Did you see Maeda’s flirting with a no hitter last night. Good for him.
* I can see the Dodger’s investigating a starting pitcher ONLY at the deadline, and not very seriously. As AC mentioned, I don’t see them moving prospects for a rental. How about Stripling, Pedersen and the ball-boy for Bauer?
* Shaun Anderson sailed 2, 95 mph fastballs over and behind Mike Trout’s dome yesterday. But since he didn’t make any faces and Trout’s not an Asstro, he will likely avoid any suspension like Kelly got. We’ll see what MLB does.
* Taijuan Walker tonight for the Mariners. He has rare talent but was a bust his first go-round with the M’s. Head case. Now he’s back and “re-invented”. We’ll see. At least he’s right handed.
Jeff, no biggie but my opening sentence read wrong. It was meant to say “AG………………….(thats a salutation) Bear, 2d2, Harold and Mark did a great job in your absence”. I know you are AC. Again, glad you’re back
Have you smart kids seen this article about Dodger prospects to watch? This dude thinks we have some serious talent on the way!
https://www.prospects1500.com/nl-west/dodgers/10-names-you-need-to-know-los-angeles-dodgers/
Thanks for the article Bobby.
I just read it Bobby, and I am not all that smart. I agree with all of his takes except one. Jeren Kendall. I think he is more trade bait that a serious contender to make the Dodgers. His hard hit rate aside, he still strikes out too much for his kind of player. His OBP in college was much higher than it has been in the minors. He is not even on the Dodgers top 30 prospects list anymore. Putting him behind the likes of Andy Pages, Luis Rodriguez, DJ Peters, and Jake Vogel. Even Zach McKinstry is rated above him.
Dodgers just optioned Gonsolin and recalled Gonzalez.
U have got to be kidding. They have 4 lefty’s in the pen already. And Gonsolin belongs in the rotation. It has to be disconcerting to be doing the USC-Dodger Stadium two-step. And why are they still only carrying 12 position players unless it is simply to get the slumping trio of Muncy-Bellinger and Jocaroo more at bats. I also wonder how close Lux is to being ready.
His ERA wasn’t good enough!
Gonzo will be back soon!
This has just got to be AF playing Roster Roulette again. If an optioned player has to be off the roster for 10 days, my math tells me Catman could start the game against Texas on the 28th. Unless they’ve already planned the next injury in which case he could come up any time.
Bingo, STB! Somebody will be going on the DL by the weekend, thus allowing Gonsolin to return and start!
STB, this Roster Roulett is such bulls**it. Gonsolin should be the 5th starter and allowed to stay with the club and do his sidework between starts and learning from his teammates. Did you see him conversing with CK in the dugout last night about something pitch wise? That’s where he needs to be and not back to USC. Plus he’s earned it. I also hate teams manipulating the IL to move guys up and down to beat the 10 days rule. It’s not just the Dodgers.
100% agree. I hate the IL manipulation. The Dodger organization will be further advanced with Gonsolin on the 28 man and remaining with the team, than they will with Victor Gonzalez being a fifth LHRP.
Urias has the right stuff. Can he challenge the hitters and trust the defense behind him? I think Ruiz will be getting his second start today. M’s are a weak hitting team and no reason not to after them. This will be a great test for both.
Agree with Bear I’d like to see Lux and McKinstry for a few games for a look see.
Gonsolin will be back. Maybe they want to give Strip another shot before they put him in the pen.
M’s aren’t that good, but man, their rookie centerfielder who robbed JT yesterday looks like a superstar in the making!
Lewis has some serious spring in those legs. And some power and what looks like a great eye. He is hitting .344. I think he will probably unless he falls off of the planet, be the ROY in the AL this year.
Yeah Kyle Lewis didn’t just fall off a dump truck somewhere. He was the 11th overall pick in the MLB 2016 draft. He had an ACL after 30 games in A ball. 2 surgeries later he’s recovered fulling and reaching his potential.
Lewis reminds me of a young Justin Upton.
DODGERS RECALL LHP VICTOR GONZÁLEZ
RHP TONY GONSOLIN OPTIONED
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers have recalled left-handed pitcher Victor González and have optioned right-handed pitcher Tony Gonsolin.
Gonzalez, 24, returns for his second stint with the club after throwing 1.0 inning, allowing one run on three hits in his lone appearance with the Dodgers on July 31 at Arizona. The Tuxpan, Nayarit, Mexico native has been with the Dodgers since signing an international free agent on July 2, 2012. In six seasons with the Dodger organization, he is a combined 17-27 with a 4.34 ERA (182 ER/377.0 IP) and 364 strikeouts in 112 games (76 starts). Last season, he started the season in Advanced-A Rancho Cucamonga and finished with Triple-A Oklahoma City, going a combined 5-2 with a 2.31 ERA (23 ER/89.2 IP) and 93 strikeouts in 38 games (13 starts) across three levels.
Gonsolin, 26, made the start for the Dodgers yesterday, tossing 6.0 innings of scoreless baseball with three strikeouts in the no decision. In three starts for the Dodgers in 2020, he is 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA (0 ER/14.2 IP) and has not allowed run in his last five appearances, spanning over 17.2 innings going back to 2019. In 14 career MLB games, the Vacaville, CA native is 4-2 with a 2.14 ERA (13 ER/54.2 IP) and 49 strikeouts. The former 2018 Branch Rickey Dodger Minor League Pitcher of the Year is a combined 20-14 with a 3.33 ERA (100 ER/270.1 IP) and 315 strikeouts in 100 minor league games (29 starts) for the Dodgers. He was originally drafted by the Dodgers in the ninth round of the 2016 First Year Player Draft out of St. Mary’s College.
Ol Dusty said that Alvarez might miss the rest of the year. Big loss for the Asstericks. Rockies back up catcher Diaz placed on the restricted list for violating the protocols. Are players really that stupid? Anyone think the Dodger uni’s need some pizazz? I have read some posts on other sites suggesting that sometime during the home-stands they use jersey’s similar to the all blue spring training garb. Myself, I think that their uni’s along with the Yanks and Cardinals are the 3 most iconic unis in the game. The Giants usual home jerseys that are more cream than white are pretty iconic too. But they detract from that with the Orange Friday stuff which is almost as bad as when the Orioles used to wear the unis that were all orange. Keep some traditions as they are in my book.
Great to see you back AC. We missed you.
A couple of questions/comments – when you referred to Dan Cey, I assume that he’s Ron’s son since I know Cey lived (or still lives) in the West Valley.
You made mention of seeing Karim Garcia homer at the opening of Bank One and referred to him as a catching prospect. Very minor point but I believe he was an outfielder. Can’t believe he’s been retired for about 15 years now.
Now that Barnes is coming to life again, does that make it any more likely that either Smith or Ruiz might be included in a deadline trade? White, Smith/Ruiz and a low level high upside prospect for Clevinger?
Karim was an outfielder. Jeff was probably a little out of it after the last few days. Everyone thought Garcia was one of those can’t miss guys. He played for 10 years and was done by the time he was 28. Played for 7 teams, Dodgers , AZ, Yanks, Mets, Tigers, Indians and Orioles. He was a .241 hitter over all and had 66 homers. He debuted at age 19yrs, 309 days. Against the Expos. Wore # 46, and 12 as a Dodger, His high in HR’s was 16, which he hit with the Indians in 2002. In 1999 he had 14 with Detroit, and he only reached double figures in two other seasons with 11 in 2003, and 10 in 2004, his last big league season.
I remeber following Garcia because his actual birthday (10-29-75) was exactly one day before my son’s (Andy) (10-30-75). As it turns out, Karim ended his career almost three months to the day after Andy debuted at the ML level.
Yes I know Garcia was an OF. I was researching some catching information (yes as support for my support of Austin Barnes as the LAD backup catcher). And catcher just stayed in my brain. It is not the first and it certainly will not be my last mistake. Thank you for catching it.
Yes, Dan Cey is Ron Cey’s son.
Welcome back, Jeff! Enjoyed your profile of Blake Gailen. For those of you who haven’t tuned into the World Baseball Classic, I highly recommend it. It’s fun to see the international competition, players whom you’d never otherwise see, ballparks you’d never otherwise see, and a showcase for players like Blake Gailen who are looking to make an impression. Gailen made an impression with team Israel, a team with some Israeli players but mostly Americans of Jewish heritage. They went surprisingly far in the tournament, beating teams like Cuba. Now, some of those US Jewish players have gotten Israeli citizenship to compete in the Olympics. Moreover, some have explored their roots, and are contributing to the development of baseball in Israel. We were there a few years ago in the summer. My son participated in the baseball summer camp with players from the Israeli national youth team. The level of coaching was quite high. They have formed relationships with US baseball, so the coaches were all American. It will be a while before Israel has much home-grown talent. However, it’s nice to see baseball growing around the world, even in countries without a baseball tradition. I should add that the level of talent in the Netherlands is very high. They have won the European championships something like 20 times. There is a real baseball tradition here, including the connection with Curosao, home of our own Kenley Jansen. It is pronounced, “Yawn-son,” by the way! Tot ziens!
This is why we need to trade for Bauer. Baseball needs more characters like this.
He’s wearing “Free Joe Kelly” shoes for his start tonight. I must admit, the artwork is great.
Question is will the umps toss him before his first pitch.
https://dodgersway.com/2020/08/19/dodgers-trevor-bauer-free-joe-kelly-cleats-video/
Bauer would probably be cheaper than anyone else since he would be a one month rental. Maybe we can get him for what it would cost to rent a SUV from Hertz for a month.
Tonight (and I LOVE this lineup!):
Mookie
Seager
JT
Belly
Muncy
Pollock
Joc (DH)
CT3 (2b)
Ruiz
Urias
Great lineup if the 4-5 and 7 hitters wake the hell up.
I’ll predict one of those 3 hits a hr tonight
But for October purposes, I really want to see Urias be efficient and do his job.
Predictions are tricky. This lineup for Seattle is not the best bunch of hitters and there are some rookies in there. So Urias should do what he did last time and attack the strike zone. Against Walker Seager has the only homer in prior meetings. Pederson is .500 against him in 12 at bats. Pollock, Ruiz and Muncy have never faced him. Mookie is 2-3 against him. What I would rather see, especially in a pitchers park like Seattle is Bellinger not pull the ball and hit some gappers with a lot of oomph behind them. Same for Joc and Muncy. Just some solid contact with good results. Walker is 2-1 in his career against the Dodgers with a 4.88 ERA and only 2 homers allowed in 27.2 innings.
Unless he’s hurt JT needs to at least DH and sit Joc, even if that’s 3 righties in a row at 6 -8. JT has reverse splits and hits right handers well. CT3 is the same, hitting .320 against righties, so I’m glad he’s in there. Joc, not so much.
Just for the record, that’s 25 different batting orders in 25 games.
Well with them a position player short right now with Rios on the IL and no one called up, Doc probably wants Beaty available to come off of the bench. He has a better PH track record than Joc. They have Hernandez, Barnes and Beaty available off of the bench and that’s it. All the other position players are on the field. One reason I do not understand calling up Gonzalez and being one player down offensively. Of course, they have a taxi squad when they are on the road, but I am not sure just who the players are.
Actually if the lineup from Bobby is correct, that would be 26, but who’s counting?
Two homers for Joc tonight! Take it to the bank!
Not in that cavern unless he goes to right. It is a pitchers park. Dodger stadium has a rate of 0.898 homers per game and T Mobile has a rate of 0.796 homers per game.
Mariners pitchers have given up 35 homers, only 15 at home. 25 of them have come off the bats of RH hitters.
Well I didn’t say cash the check!
Voldomor – just replying to yesterday’s post.
Yes it was June 91 – how unbelievable that we were both at Fulton County for the Double Header!
I seem to remember Dave Justice hitting one out.
You have visited many great stadiums, as has AC.
I actually forgot I went to Candlestick, but it was for a football game.
Also been to the Coloseum (Raiders), Mile High, Arrowhead, Soldier Field, the Superdome (NO), and the old Cowboys Stadium.
Oracle is a big improvement from Candlestick.
Been to 80 different soccer stadiums out of the 92 that make up Professional Soccer Clubs in England.
Would love to get to all 30 Baseball Parks at some point.
Let’s hope that Julio keeps on where he left off…
Just a thought. Does anyone miss Joe Kelly? Not me.
Hah, there’s no room on a MLB team for somebody with a 0.00 ERA who will drill a cheater.
I hate those guys.
I have a better stat. 1.58 WHIP.
Question….Is Seattle considered to be a pitcher’s park or a hitter’s park?
Pitchers park.
Tonight it is a hitter’s park!
Thanks Bear.
Bellinger needs an eye exam.
Not a great start. Bellinger good morning good afternoon good night. Urias with a long first.
Eye exam would be a place to start.
“I’ll predict one of those 3 hits a hr tonight
But for October purposes, I really want to see Urias be efficient and do his job.”
Ok, now I”m greedy and I’m predicting the 3rd will get one as well!
Kaybear!
All Urias had was his fastball. Nothing else.
Regardless of what Santana does, Doc made the right decision.
Somebody take me to Vegas!!
What a weird line – 1.2 IP, 1 earned, 5 Ks.
Bellinger must’ve got that eye exam. Finally connected with a cookie.
Well Joc and Muncy go yard, Bellinger does his best imitation of a windmill, and Urias is channeling his inner Stripling. Not a great start. But Colorado is losing again to the Stros who lost Bregman to a leg injury. Alvarez to have season ending surgery. Whoops .Belli goes yard,….wow. All 3 hit homers….about frippen time.
Ha spoke too soon!
I like Urias in the bullpen better.
I think we are short a starter.
Kershaw
Buehler
Gonsolin
May
In no particular order.
Playoffs only need four though.
Bobby is ” The Prophet “.
Bobby did you predict that one?
As I said before it’s just a matter of time before the bullpen is exposed. Lopsided career splits and Santana is not the answer.
I agree that Santana is not the answer. Some have mentioned him as a starter but this is just poor evaluation. Maybe he’s good for 1 inning or less. I think his days are numbered as every year he seems to fall apart at some point. What is more disturbing is Urias’ inefficiency and batters being able to hit him even when he has command! Can we blame his outing on Ruiz? Starters are shaky, folks. Very little stability in the rotation. This must be fixed.
When are they going to stop babying Urias? Let the kid pitch and work his way out of it. He just K’d two guys and you yank him?
I agreed with Doc’s decision to pull him. They were hitting him and his pitch count was already too high for anyone wanting to be effective, 52 pitches in less than 2 innings with 30 pitches that were balls. Too bad Doc put Santana in to replace him.
Let the kid battle and see if he can finish the inning and get a breather. It’s time to take the kid gloves off of some of these guys. Often starters struggle early and if you don’t get them they settle in. They leave Stripling out there throwing BP for how long but pull Urias.
I was pleasantly surprised to see Doc act that decisively early. Now to see him get ejected sticking up for Muncy, I like that.
And yet another umpire trying to convince everyone we need the electronic strike zone.
Figuring we can probably score 9 runs against this pathetic Mariner pitching staff I think I would have left Urias in for 75 pitches.
It’s like it goes without saying that the ump sucks. That previous at bat with Muncy was horrendous. And it’s like why even bother talking about it.
Muncy has had a lot of bad calls against him this year. Tonight might have been the worst job behind the plate I’ve see all season.