In 1957, Brooklyn Dodgers owner, Walter O’Malley, finally gave up on his dream of building a state-of-the-art ballpark in Brooklyn. He had been fighting with Robert Moses, who was in charge of all new construction for the City of New York for several years. Walter had purchased the rights to the Los Angeles territory when he bought old Wrigley Field in LA from the Cubs owners. The Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League played there. Moses wanted the team to build a city owned city run park in Flushing Meadows, the eventual home of Shea Stadium. The real estate savvy O’Malley wasn’t having any of it. When he finally came to the conclusion that Moses would never give in, the move was inevitable.
A couple of advancements in travel increased the chances the team could move. With air travel now more viable than the slower trains, teams would be more able to play on each coast. LA officials attended the 56 World Series between the Dodgers and Yankees hoping to attract a team into moving to LA. The Dodgers were not their target, they were thinking about the Washington Senators. The Senators would eventually relocate to Minneapolis. O’Malley sent word that he was interested in talking.
LA offered him what New York would not, a chance to buy land somewhat suitable for building a ballpark and the chance to own that ballpark and control all of its revenue streams. At the same time, the National League was not willing to let O’Malley move unless he found a second team to move out west with him, mostly over concerns of travel costs.
At the same time, Giants owner, Horace Stoneham, was having difficulty in finding a replacement for the antiquated Polo Grounds. Unlike O’Malley, he did not really look into a parcel of land to buy, he was thinking about moving to Minneapolis. O’Malley persuaded him to move to San Francisco. So, the two arch-rivals moved west after the 1957 season. The Giants would play their games in Seals Stadium, home of the San Francisco Seals of the PCL. Meanwhile O’Malley had two choices, play at Wrigley, which seated just 22,000, or convert the massive LA coliseum into a baseball park. The coliseum, built for the 1932 Olympics, seated 100,000. O’Malley opted for the coliseum.
Moving to LA caused mixed emotions for some of the players. Duke Snider, a native Californian was happy to be playing closer to home. But many who had called Brooklyn their summer home for most of their careers were a little sadder. Unfortunately, one Brooklyn star would never get to take a shot at the screen they put up in left field, just 251 feet from home plate, Roy Campanella, who in January of 1958 was paralyzed in a car accident heading home from his liquor store in New Jersey.
Let’s face it, the team that headed to LA in the 1958 season had many aging veterans. Snider, Hodges, Furillo, Reese, Valo, Erskine, Labine, and Newcombe, were all in their 30’s. Reese the oldest at 39. 25-year-old, John Roseboro was Campy’s replacement. Hodges was at first. Charlie Neal at 27 was the starting 2nd baseman. Don Zimmer got most of the starts at SS with Reese only playing in 59 games. 26-year-old, Dick Gray was at 3rd. The outfield was Gilliam in left, Snider in CF, and Furillo, in his last full productive season in right.
The 58 team was a mix of grizzled vets and fresh-faced kids, and some career journeymen players. Gino Cimoli who had an excellent first year in Brooklyn, struggled in LA. He would play in 109 games. His biggest contribution to the LA Dodgers was being the return the Cardinals got for Wally Moon that winter. Guys most of you may have neither heard of, nor even knew played for the Dodgers included Elmer Valo, PCL slugger, Steve Bilko, Randy Jackson, Jim Gentile, who LA would trade to Baltimore where he had a couple of great years, Don Miles, Earl Robinson and Bob Wilson.
Pitchers included Fred Kipp, Johnny Klippstein, who came with Bilko as part of the trade for Don Newcombe. Bob Birrier, Don Bessent, Bob Giallombardo, Ron Negray, Ralph Mauriello, and Jackie Collum. The team ERA was 4.47. They gave up 173 homers. 67 of them came off of Koufax, Drysdale and Podres.
The hitting was okay, they batted .251, hit 172 homers, led by Neal and Hodges with 22 apiece. Snider who was coming off of five consecutive seasons of 40 or more, hit only 15. He only played in 106 games and hit .312. Duke hurt his elbow trying to throw a ball out of the coliseum. The other factor was because RF was a short cab ride away. Straight down the line in 58 was about 340 feet, but it dropped off to 440 in right center and 425 to dead center. Duke’s heart must have sank when he saw that. Explains why he hit just 6 homers at home. He hit 9 on the road and was a .331 hitter away from LA. The team scored 668 runs and finished a dismal 7th. O’Malley was happy though, 1,845,556 came through the coliseum turnstiles.
Reese retired after the season and became a coach. But changes to the roster were needed, so Buzzie Bavasi went to work. In October, he sent SS Maury Wills to the Tigers on a conditional deal. Maury would be sent back to LA after spring training. Big miscalculation by the Tigers, great luck for LA. In Dec he traded Cimoli to the Cardinals for Wally Moon and P Phil Paine. Later in the month he sent Sparky Anderson to the Phillies for Jim Golden, Rip Repulski and Gene Snyder.
Reese was released in December; he was retiring anyway. They got Wills back in April. In May he traded a minor league pitcher to the Reds for P Chuck Churn, who would join the team down the stretch. His next trade came on deadline day, June 15th, he traded Dick Gray to the Cardinals for P Lloyd Mettitt and OF Chuck Essegian. Essegian would become Alston’s go to pinch hitter.
The starting rotation was Drysdale, Koufax, Podres, Roger Craig, who was called up early in the year, and LH, Danny McDevitt. Brooklyn ace, Carl Erskine, could not overcome his aching elbow and basically was done at age 32. He appeared in just 10 games. Labine led the pen with 8 saves and a 5-10 record.
Demeter got most of the time in CF, and Snider led the team with a .308 average, 23 homers, and 88 RBIs and was playing RF more with Furillo injured most of the year. Hodges led the team in homers with 25 and drove in 80. Moon hit .302 with 19 bombs. He made an art out of hitting homers over the so-called Chinese Wall in left. Scully made them famous by naming them “Moon Shots.” Wills would take over at SS when the incumbent, Don Zimmer, struggled to a .165 average. Wills would play in 89 games, hit .260 and steal 7 bases. Norm Larker and Essegian were the primary bats off of the bench in the second half. They hit .257 as a team and scored 705 runs. Their homer total dropped to 147. But they tied the Braves for the lead and then won 2-straight “playoff games”, to advance to the World Series against the White Sox. They got hammered in game 1, 11-0. But they won 3 straight. They lost game 5, 1-0 in a pitcher’s duel between Koufax and Bob Shaw. They would win game 6 going away in a 9-3 win at old Comiskey Park. Duke Snider would slug his 11th and final series homer. Larry Sherry won the Series MVP award with 2 wins and 2 saves.
LA was euphoric. What had taken 65 years to accomplish in Brooklyn, the Dodgers did in their second year in Los Angeles; And they became the first team ever to win after finishing 7th the year before. LA got its first professional sports team championship and parade. The Rams had won a championship, but they were the Cleveland Rams when they did it. Lakers would not win until the late 60’s.
Meanwhile, the new park in Chavez Ravine was under construction. They had broken ground on September 17th, 1958. The eventual cost of construction was 23 million dollars. It was the first privately funded stadium since Yankee Stadium. As of today, it is the third oldest stadium in the league behind only Fenway (1912) and Wrigley (1914). It also has the largest seating capacity of any baseball only field, 56,009.
The next two years, 60-61, would see more changes to the roster. Furillo was injured and then released early in 1960. He sued the Dodgers for releasing him while he was injured. He eventually settled and was essentially blackballed by baseball. He never worked in the sport again. He went to work for Otis Elevator company.
The starting lineup in 1960 looked like this, Larker 1B, Neal 2B, Wills SS, Gilliam 3B, Moon LF, T. Davis CF, Howard RF. Snider and Hodges played in 101 games each. Snider hit 14 homers, Gil hit just 8 and batted .198. Demeter became Davis’s caddy and played in 64 games. Howard led the team with 23 homers, Larker hit .323 and lost the batting title to Dick Groat, the Pirates SS who hit .325.
Drysdale won 15 to lead the team. Sherry, Stan Williams, and Podres won 14 each. Koufax was 8-13. Not quite the pitcher he would start to be in 1961. Ed Roebuck led the team with 8 saves, Sherry had 7. They finished 82-72 in 4th place behind the eventual World Champion Pirates.
There were some roster changes over the winter. They sold Pignatano to the Athletics. Essegian was sold to the Orioles. Ed Rakow was traded to the A’s for Howie Reed. In the biggest winter deal, LA sent Don Demeter, and Charlie Smith to the Phillies for Turk Farrell and Joe Koppe. In May, they traded Bob Lillis and Carl Warwick to the Cardinals for 3rd baseman, Darryl Spencer.
None of the trades impacted the team finish. They were 89-65 and in 2nd place, 5 games back of the Reds when the season ended. Koufax finally showed some of that immense talent with an 18-13 mark. Padres went 18-5 and led the league in winning pct, .783. Drysdale was 13-10 and Williams 15-12. Sherry had 15 saves and Farrell had 10.
Moon hit .328. The outfield was now Moon, Willie Davis in center and Howard in right. Tommy Davis split his time between the outfield and 3rd. Roseboro led the team with 18 homers. Eight players hit double figures in homers. Snider hit 15 in a reserve role. The last time he would reach double digits. He did that in just 85 games. Hodges played in 109 games in his last season as a Dodger.
As the Dodgers prepared to move into their new home for the 62 season, they saw several players leave via the expansion draft as the National League expanded to 10 teams, a year after the AL had done the same. The Houston Colt-45s and New York Metropolitans joined the NL. LA lost Farrell and Bob Aspromonte to Houston along with Jim Golden and Norm Larker. Roger Craig and Gil Hodges were selected by New York. Before the 62 season they traded Charlie Neal and a player to be named later to the Mets for OF Lee Walls. Then just before the season began, they traded for Andy Carey from the White Sox.
They were finally in the Stadium O’Malley had envisioned. They left behind some memorable moments like the tribute to Campanella against the Yankees. Koufax’s first 18 K game against the Giants, the playoff win in extra innings in 59. And the huge crowds that attended the World Series. Over 90,000 in all three games. Still a World Series record.
Go Figure (by Mark Timmons)
So, with Paul Skenes on the mound, many Dodger fans had conceded last night’s game. Let me remind you that conventional wisdom is frequently wrong. Paul Skenes was OK, but not a great deal better than Eric Lauer; in fact, they both allowed two runs. Lauer went 5.2 innings, allowed 3 hits, and struck out 5 on 89 pitches, while Skenes went 6 innings, allowed 6 hits, and struck out 7 on 103 pitches. After Skenes left, the Dodgers were merciless! Freddie Freeman got hit 2,500. Congrats!
Ryan Ward has exceeded expectations… but it’s a small sample. He has some runway!
We’ll take it!
Dodgers Minor League Report (By Mark Timmons)
OKC Comets beat the Charlotte Knights 6-3
- Zach Ehrhard was 2-for-5 with 4 RBI, including his 6th HR (a 2-run shot)
- Jack Susinski was 5 for 5 with his 14th HR
- Jackson Ferris continues to struggle (3.2 IP/4 H/3 R/5 K – 7.11 ERA
- Ryder Ryan went 4 innings and allowed 2 hits with 5 K and 0 R
Tulsa Drillers beat Wichita Wind Surge 5-0
- DePaula took the collar
- Sirota was 1-4
- Lockwood-Powell was 3-4 (.293/1.009) Remember that he is 28
- Newell was 2-4 with a 3-Run HR
- Serwinski went 5 Innings, allowing 1 hit and 4 strikeouts and 4 BB
The Wisconsin Timer Rattlers beat the Great Lakes Loons 10 to 9.
- Quintero is red hot, going 3-5 as he raised his BA to .296 (.791 OPS). He has not yet gotten his “man strength.” The power will come.
- Root went 5 Innings, allowed 3 Hits and 1 R with 3 BB and 7 Ks. His ERA sits at 1.55!
- Perez stole 2 bases (35 this year).
The Ontario Tower Buzzers beat the Lake Elsinore Storm 5-4
- Shelton added 2 more strikeouts as he went 0-3. His propensity to strike out is worrisome.
- 3B Chase Harlan went 2-3, both Doubles (.341 BA/1.032 OPS) – To to move him to GL.
The ACL Dodgers lost 13-1 to the Reds. No Words!
The DSK LAD Mega lost to the LAD Bautista 9-7
Jeff does this much better – Happy Birthday, Jeff – Get back soon! 😉
“Paul Skenes was OK, but not a great deal better than Eric Lauer; in fact, they both allowed two runs. Lauer went 5.2 innings, allowed 3 hits, and struck out 5 on 89 pitches, while Skenes went 6 innings, allowed 6 hits, and struck out 7 on 103 pitches.”
May I remind you Skenes was pitching against the World Champion first place Dodgers. Lauer was pitching against the Pirates. If Skenes were to be made available the answer is oh hell yes.
I remember all those years and those players. I remember walking through those Coliseum tunnels as an 11 year old. I remember those incredibly close seats at ‘59 World Series with Joe DiMaggio sitting right behind me and Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin scattered in front of me. My uncle laughed when after he pointed them out to me I said I didn’t know who they were. I was there the night they honored Roy Campanella. 93,000 people. They turned off the lights and there were thousands of lighters being lit. Took a while for those lights to warm back up. I also went to several Rams games. Charger games too. They also held the Pro Bowl games there every year. Went to a few of those. Took a date once. I loved it. She did not. Her memory is sitting with the sun in our eyes for three hours.
I could go on.
I have many great memories of the Coliseum. Thanks for the reminders.
Who would you take between Paul Skenes and Jacob Misiorowski if you had your choice? The NL Cy Young is going to be one for the ages with Ohtani, Chris Sale, Cristopher Sanchez, Skenes and the Miz all having remarkable years.
I would take the Miz simply because he is younger.
Good question Zeke. Misiorowski sure is impressive but he’s kinda skinny and throwing that hard gives me pause about his arm. Skenes at 6’6” 260 appears to be built better. They are actually the same age, Miz a month older. Skenes is a local kid, Miz is from the Midwest. I think I’d take Skenes.
You are welcome, Badger. First time I went there was with the home for kids I was in at the time. We sat Wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy down the right field line in the so-called knothole seats. John Russell, the actor who starred in “Lawman”, was about 10 feet away from me. The players looked like ants. Went to a couple of 4th of July events there which included a circus and fireworks. USC-UCLA game and one Rams game. They played Unitas and the Colts and got rolled. Best seats I ever had there were one time, we were in the 5th row behind the Chinese Wall and right on the aisle. Bought so many of those 50 cent player photo packs when I went there.
I was on the UCLA sidelines vs USC in ‘65. Being on the field at the Coliseum was an experience of a lifetime. I dreamed of playing there. I do remember thinking, geez, these guys are big. I need to beef up. I also went to the Rose Bowl game that same season. UCLA against top ranked Michigan State. I sure wanted to play at UCLA. Baseball and football. Maybe could have, joined the Marines instead, clearly proving I wasn’t smart enough for UCLA.
I got the same feeling being on the field and in the dugout at Dodger Stadium. It was a WOW moment. I went to exactly one Laker game when they were at the Sports Arena. Forget who they played, but damn those guys were tall. Rudy LaRusso was the Lakers center then.
Rudy LaRusso had a cool, musical name. One reason I liked him. But of course I loooved West and Baylor. (Just imagine what West would have done with a 3-point line!)
Chick Hearn was a great announcer. A frenetic style to match a frenetic game. He put other game callers in the popcorn machine. Vin’s mellow, conversational style fit baseball perfectly.
And then young, likeable Dick Enberg called the UCLA games…. Oh my!… I’d stay up to watch the tape-delay replays on Channel 5. I vaguely recall images of Goodrich and Hazzard, but I was pretty young pretty. But fairly glued to screen during Wooden’s Alcindor-Wicks-Walton dynasty.
The other essential LA sports announcer was Dick Lane, calling Roller Derby and pro wrestling from the Olympic Auditorium. Whoa, Nellie! As a kid I thought it was all real–and I remember crying when the T-birds were cheated out of a win….
As an adult I would meet the evil Big John Hall, the T-Bird’s great nemesis.
Turned out he wasn’t that big. But big compared to Ralphie Valedares.
Another comeback win. Lauer did a good job. LA has won all three of his starts. Congrats to Freeman on #2500.
I played fast pitch softball with Steve Bilko after his playing days. Nice guy and great story teller. Said one year he raised his BA 14 points and expected a raise. They cut his pay a thousand because he hit 10 less homers, which was his main purpose. I think he held the dubious record of most minor league homers die a few years. One of the few guys out of NE PA that played MLB. Thanks for reviving the memories, Mark.
I wrote it not Mark. LOL
What he said! 😉
Apologizes, Bear. Great job.
The Dodgers won the LA hearts when they beat the Sox. The Angels never had a chance when that generation and Hollywood fell in love with the Blue. And they are still a triple A team in comparison.
Just saw the highlight of Mookie’s latest web gem…. ranging deep in the hole to backhand a sharply hit ball, and then firing a one-hopper to Freddie. I think only a few shortstops could have made that play.
Now if he can get his bat going….
Mark:
With the discussion above between Skenes and the Miz it got me thinking about when you said you were going to have a new format coming soon and were seeking input.
Just a thought, don’t even know if it’s possible or not but for your new format, is there a way to have a poll question such as “If you were taking a team today who is your pick of these pitchers would you take if you had the first pick?:
Paul Skenes
Jacob Misirowski
Cristopher Sanchez
Shohei Ohtani
Chris Sale
Other
And have the results like they do in other sites. Just thought it might be fun and a nice addition is all.
Yes – that will be there!
Nice piece on the Coliseum years, Bear. That must have been a strange place to play and watch baseball.
My greatest Coliseum memory has nothing to do with sports.
I was 15 years old and a sophomore in high school. I think it was 1971 or ’72. Four new friends were going to a day-long KROQ “festival” and invited me along. My first rock concert! We piled into one car and made the hour-long drive.
The headliner was Sly and the Family Stone, one of my favorites, and there were about a dozen other acts, including Stevie Wonder (his biggest hit then was “My Cheri Amour”) and the legendary Chuck Berry who ws then making bank with “My Dingaling.” LEGENDS, albeit not in their prime. Musically speaking, Stevie was the best. There was also a new group we’d never heard of who sang about a peaceful, easy feeling. They were kinda OK. I think it was The Buckinghams who got booed.
The tickets were cheap–about $4. KROQ DJ Charlie Tuna was the emcee. Acts got only about 40 minutes to play. It started about 1 pm and dragged on late. When Sly finally took the stage, everybody was exhausted. Sly was probably stoned. After a few songs, we hit the city curfew. Maybe it was 11, maybe midnight. But management turned on the lights. “Turn off the goddam lights!” Sly yelled into the mic, again and again. We cheered him on. (In those more innocent times, “goddam” seemed like an F-bomb!) Authorities wouldn’t budge and Sly wouldn’t play…. and it all just kind of ended with a whimper, as thousands of tired teenagers tramped off the Coliseum grass to their cars.
As concert experiences go…. well, it was probably the worst of my life. It kinda sucked, but at age 15 I didn’t really know better. And now I can say I saw Sly, Stevie and Chuck.
LEGENDS!
Never went to a concert there. Some of my friends went there to see the Stones. One of the best concerts I went to was at Irvine Meadows. It was called, Chili, Willie and Merle. A chili cookoff with a concert featuring Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson. Southern Pacific opened. Their bass player was Stu Cook, who was the bass player for Creedence. Two other members of the band were from the Doobie Brothers, Keith Knudsen and John McFee. Then came Clint Black, who was pretty new at the time. Merle came after him and Willie closed it out. But he played for almost two hours. Concert ended at 12:45.
Chili, Willie and Merle sounds pretty cool…. For a second I thought the Red Hot Chili Peppers were on the bill. Merle’s life story is pretty amazing–how he watched Johnny Cash at Folsom and it inspired that inmate to become Merle Freaking Haggard.
I will always claim that The Greatest Concert Ever, by anyone, was Springsteen at Madison Square Garden in the summer of ’78, the “Darkness” tour. Somebody hung a banner that said “Prove It All Night, Bruce” and he damn near did–4+ hours. It happened after the end of a fairly magical Manhattan summer for me at age 21, doing a college internship and living in an NYU dorm in Greenwich Village. It was a summer of Bright Lights, Big City (before the novel) and a passel of pretty college girls for a lad who was little familiar with the world beyond a middle-class OC suburbia…. I walked to MSG with my new pals and fellow interns Bernie from Maine and Brett from Virginia. I have a distinct memory the feminine shrieks during “Sandy” following the lyric about “all them silly New York virgins.”
A few years ago, Bernie found a video of that concert online and it revealed how memory is a trickster. For years I was claiming that Bruce’s encore included “Because the Night,” the song he wrote with Patti Smith–but it really happened before the encore. Bernie reminded me that Bruce’s mom and teenage sister had front row seats. It was his sister’s birthday, and he played “Sweet Little Sixteen” in her honor…
Jackson Ferris looked awful. Bad body language when he was taken out. Just looked beaten up. Not sure if he’s still injured or his conditioning’s off, but he’s taken a clear step backwards this year. Might need to trade Hope to get back some value from the Busch trade (although I’m not giving up on Ferris).
Also, Edman diving in a AAA game? Sure, what’s the worst that could happen?!
Edman is a Ballplayer.
Ballplayers only know how to play one way!
Ohtani bump day for those that celebrate.
We are witnessing history
I don’t do drugs
Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing executes a slide so illegal it would’ve made the 1980s proud!
The catcher’s fifth-inning slide against Pittsburgh was closer to the outfield grass than second base.
I like his “Chase Utley Style.”
But, I don’t condone it!
Dalton is a guy you go to war with. He will fall in a live grenade… and he’s a little off…
Made some very nice base running moves later in the game….
No kidding Mark. Damn, I think Rushing must gave forgotten what decade he was playing in with that take out slide into 2nd.
Steven Nelson and Karros exchanges just don’t work for me. Their off-the-wall comments and attempts at humor just leave me cold.
The question about the choice between Miz and Skenes is an easy one for me. I think Skenes is a generational guy. I watch every start he makes and he is something special.
As I mentioned yesterday, the Pirates defense leaves a lot to be desired. If I’m Skenes, I can’t wait to get out of Pittsburgh.
He wasn’t particularly sharp again, by his standards; 103 pitches again through 6. The Pirates don’t help his efficiency and pitch counts with their defense; there are just plays that aren’t made by the Pirates that better teams make.
The 2nd run off Skenes, keeping him from leaving the game after 6 with a lead, was ruled a base hit for Muncy’s , understandably. But it was a 77mph, long hop that Lowe didn’t glove. With a nice drop-step, he had a chance to pick that ball. Miggy, a better defenders, make that play all the time.
Then Lowe’s wide throw home in the 7th pulling Henry off home.
It didn’t matter because No-Tell, Dotel came in and the flood gates opened anyway.
The Brenen Miller, the HPU was horseshit. There were like 7 challenges with 5 correct. It could have been 15.
We should never lose to the pirates.
He’s a G
Love him
The way he is playing, maybe a few dumb reactions but aggressive is refreshing and how good is it to see a backup catcher hitting.286 and running the bases with enthusiasm. It is even more obvious with Will’s recent downturn.
I suspect that Roberts had a talk with Rushing about that. I sure hope he did.
There is hard-nosed play that is smart.
And hard-nosed play that is stupid. It can invite retaliation.
Certainly the rules have changed to minimize the risk of injury.
Back in the day, I loved how Scioscia used to blocked the plate and practically welcomes collisions. But baseball, fundamentally, is not a sport based on physical contact.
Heck, even football has outlawed the kind of hits Jack Tatum used to make.
Wednesday’s Dodger Affiliates’ Schedule
8:05 a.m. PT: Oklahoma City (River Ryan) at Charlotte (Jonathan Cannon)
10:05 a.m. PT: Tulsa (Payton Martin) vs. Wichita (Jose Olivares)
10:10 a.m. PT: Great Lakes (Aidan Foeller) at Wisconsin (Josh Knoth)
Game 2: Great Lakes (Jakob Wright) vs. Wisconsin (Tanner Perry)
6:05 p.m. PT: Ontario (TBD) vs. Lake Elsinore (Jesus A. Castro)
From BA:
Non-Top 10 Prospects With Compelling Data For Every Team
Los Angeles Dodgers
Aidan West, SS
System Rank: 19
After selecting West in the fourth round of the 2025 draft and signing him for an overslot bonus, the Dodgers have been deliberate with his development so far. They held him back at extended spring training, and then he made his professional debut in the Arizona Complex League, where he’s been one of their best hitters so far with eight extra-base hits and a .954 OPS in 61 plate appearances.
Coming out of the draft, West was known for a blend of hitting ability and power. So far, he’s lived up to that with an elite zone-contact rate above 90% and strong exit velocities for his age. He’s on the aggressive side right now and is chasing too much, which is to be expected for a 19-year-old in their first taste of professional baseball.
West is just starting his career, but he is another intriguing name to watch in a rapidly improving Dodgers system.
Nice
West is the guy Jeff Passan put into the Skubal “offer” with Sheehan and Hope.
I read somewhere that West is unlikely to stick at SS but the bat plays everywhere.
So many good players start at SS and move on elsewhere. Mookie is the only one I can think of who circled back to SS so late in a career.
Dodgers played the game to perfection last night! As I said yesterday, get Skeenes out of there by six innings, get 5-6 from Lauer, and score 10 runs in the 7th! Ok, I’m just kidding about the 10 runs! But the first 2 I hit on!
Paul Skeenes hasn’t been himself lately. Is it possible that he’s having a bit of arm fatigue? I hope not because he’s so damn good! Lauer did hang with him yesterday! Another excellent pickup by AF!
As far as Skeenes versus Miseroski? I’m going to take Skeenes. (If both are completely healthy). To me, Skeenes is the more “complete “ of the 2. Can’t go wrong with either!
Alex Freeland is truly becoming more impressive every single day! As of right now, he should be the starting second baseman from now on.! I know I said I would not mind Pena from the aaaaassssstros, but Alex is really coming on strong! Edman should slide right into the super utility role. Kike? Who knows if he’ll be back.
With all this cy young talk, should we not forget Yamamoto! He’s a little behind a few others at the moment, and he’s probably not going to win it. But out of deserved respect, let’s not leave him out of the conversation! If you need 6 strong innings, Ohtani is your man. If you need 8 strong innings? I’m on board with Yamamoto!
Dalton is becoming one heckuva ball player! Little bit of an Ahole, but that’s ok. Sometimes this team needs a little kick in the buttocks! If Will isn’t able to play, who’s gonna catch if Dalton gets hurt? Kike used to be the emergency catcher. Curious.
Does anyone not love Freddie? If there’s someone who doesn’t, they must not love baseball!
Last thing. I’ve said a couple of times over the past few months I would love to have Joe Ryan on my team! He is a consensus top 20 pitcher in the game. I’m not saying get rid of any particular player on the dodgers. But if the Twins do decide to trade him, it would not bother me one bit if they did acquire him. Yamamoto,Ohtani, Snell, Ryan, Sasaki, and yes at number 6 , Wrobleski! I’m not going to count on Glasnow at this point. And NO! I am not trading River Ryan!! Sheehan? Yes. Only if it helps bring JOE Ryan to LA!
Great read Bear!! Betts batting average is higher than Seager’s. So there’s that.
Thanks John
My Dad had interaction with Laker, said he wasn’t a nice person. For my Dad to say that about anyone would mean he had to be a real prick, my Dad wouldn’t call anyone a bad name unless they were nasty.
Something was mentioned in yesterday’s telecast about a minimum number of innings required to qualify for the Cy Young Award. It got me thinking so I looked it up and found this:
“There is no official minimum number of innings required to qualify for or win the Cy Young Award. Any pitcher who appears in either the American or National League during the regular season is eligible to receive votes.
Starting Pitcher Standard: Starters traditionally need at least 162 innings—one inning per team game—to qualify for the official ERA title and be taken seriously by voters.Historical Low (Full Season): In 2021, Corbin Burnes won the NL Cy Young while pitching just 167 innings, the fewest ever for a starting pitcher in a full 162-game season.
Relievers: Relief pitchers are eligible, and closers like Eric Gagne (2003) have won the award pitching only 82.3 innings.”
IF 162 innings is a requirement, even if it’s unofficial, I don’t want Ohtani to qualify for it. Seeing what is happening to arms in this high velocity high spin rate era I don’t want Ohtani, and his twice times operated on arm, anywhere near 162 innings. That is a huge factor in why I want another starter or two added. I want Yamamoto and Ohtani to have some R&R this summer. I may be the only one who feels that way but I’m standing my ground on this point.
Dodgers released Tyler Fitzgerald. I just found out a while ago that I am going to be a great grandpa again. Will be my second.
Congratulations Bear
Trevor J. ASKS: With the Dodgers having 5 outfield prospects and only 1 potential opening (Ohtani, Tucker, Pages), what move(s) would you make?
Keith Law REPLIES: @Trevor J. These things tend to sort themselves out with injuries or other changes … at worst they can package some of these guys in a trade for an impact player they need. They have the one OF spot you mentioned, but if there’s an injury – nearly happened with Muncy although it sounds like he’s okay – they have the prospects to go get a star to fill where needed. We’ll see if they end up giving Tibbs a shot here and if he can hit well enough right away to at least give them something to think about when Teoscar returns.
John G. ASKS: The Mike Sirota journey from a down college spring to thriving in Double-A after the Gavin Lux trade is wild. Aside from his age, what do you see as his ceiling if the Dodgers continue their development magic? Is he an everyday right fielder with a plus hit tool, or is there untapped dynamic upside here?
Keith Law REPLIES: @John G. The dodgers will be the first to say they didn’t do a ton here – they bought low, and helped him get some of the weight back that he’d lost pre-draft. He’s an everyday RF with a plus hit tool for me.
6:40 PM ET
Dodgers (43-24)
Pirates (34-33)
SP Shohei Ohtani R
6-2 .74 ERA
SP Jared Jones R
1-0 4.82 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
CF Andy Pages R
1B F. Freeman L
SS Mookie Betts R
3B Max Muncy L
RF Kyle Tucker L
LF Ryan Ward L
C D. Rushing L
2B A. Freeland S
86° Wind 11 mph R-L
Love it. Get to watch the Dodgers beat up the Buccos at a normal game time. I love it when they play on the East Coast.
Speaking of concerts, I’ll be at the Hollywood Bowl tonight for Rod Stewart (with Richard Marx opening).
Anyone else going? Watford?? You have 5 hours to get from London to LA
I’ve been to a Stewart concert. Seemed like everyone there knew all the words to everyone song and sang along full volume.
I find it amusing that most of us are ready to accept Rushing’s personality because he’s in Dodger Blue, but oh brother, if he was wearing Padre brown, we wouldn’t tolerate that kind of stuff.
At the rate he’s going this year, if he was a Pad he might even top the list of the guys we despise the most, possibly even beating out Machado and Tatis.
Just for the record, I have nothing against Tatis. He’s a bit of a show off at times but he plays the game with passion and exuberance. I have no problem with that. Machado? He’s a bit surly, but I admire one characteristic of his. If a pitcher gets the best of him, he’ll acknowledge that with a nod to the mound. He ain’t all bad either.
Nobody cares about the Padres. They’ve never won anything.
I am with you on both Rushing and Tatis Jr. But ask Jesus Aguilar about Machado.
I assume I’ll be hearing from Jesus whether I ask him or not.
you always were a deeply religious person
🙂
I’m singing along with you Blue, word for word.
Be careful the company you keep, Fred.
Betts should’ve been on 2B
I keep waiting for Tucker to break out.
Maybe he has a Mike Davis walk in him.
Lol Giants
Cute win
A much-needed hit by Confortucker!
I had a fun memory. I had a Marlboro on the Detroit pitching mound about 30 minutes after the game. I thought that myself and Sparky Anderson may have been the only two that has done it. Both Sparky and I have quit smoking.
Phil, can I ask you your opinion on the dead red approach to hitting?
I really like Freeland.
Junkyard dog indeed
Pitch #99 outside
Pitch #100 low & outside
Pitch #101 a strike Shohei wanted to challenge
Pitch #102 ends the night
No reason to leave him in like that.
Ryan Ward telling the Dodgers that he’s not going back to OKC
End of the line for Hurt
Win probability with Shohei pitching into the 7th up 6-1?
Worst loss of 2026 if we can’t comeback
Looks like dog crap. Bad case of the yips and two really bad appearances in his last two outings. Probably read about an IL stint or a demotion tomorrow. Queue the call-up for Gervase.
Barf
West is the guy Jeff Passan put into the Skubal “offer” with Sheehan and Hope.
I read somewhere that West is unlikely to stick at SS but the bat plays everywhere.
So many good players start at SS and move on elsewhere. Mookie is the only one I can think of who circled back to SS so late in a career.
Well, I’m sort of happy for the long-suffering Pirates fans.
Just when it looked like they’d suffer another drubbing, their team came to life. Just a bad day for the Dodgers bullpen. Oh well.
Bummer that Ryan Ward’s slam got overshadowed, and that Shohei’s ERA soared way up to 1.07. After the $60 Million Man struck out with the bases loaded, I was thinking about how it was a great chance for Ward, another one of those long-suffering baseball souls who I assume is earning the minimum. I’d have been happy with a single–and then, bam.
Shohei put on a nice two-way show, making it close with his HR in the 9th. And that came after Reynolds robbed him of one earlier in the game.
As losses go, this wasn’t a bad one.
I didn’t see that coming. The Dodgers bullpen made the Pirates look like the … well, like the Dodgers.
This didn’t feel right. Is the bullpen leaking?
Well Teo, can you spell platoon?
@Bobby
I’d rather see Brock Stewart.
This loss HURTS!
Dodgers To Place Will Smith On Injured List
“The Dodgers will place Will Smith on the 10-day injured list tomorrow, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register). They’ll select Chuckie Robinson onto the active roster to back up Dalton Rushing. L.A. opened the necessary 40-man roster spot by releasing Tyler Fitzgerald this afternoon.
Smith has been nursing a stiff neck for the past few days. He hasn’t played since Friday. The Dodgers can backdate his IL placement for up to three days, so he’ll be down until at least next Wednesday. Roberts downplayed the level of concern”.
Time to make some changes to the bullpen.