Early in the 2021 season, that question was asked by more than a few Dodger fans. The Dodgers were in search of a left-handed reliever and there were several well-known options available, at least in trade. So what did Andrew Friedman do? He did as he often seems to do. He acquired a player with whom we were not all that familiar or we simply wondered why. On February 12,…
Well, folks, a change of pace is good from the pitcher’s mound but maybe not so much on an interactive blog such as LADT. However, this is what I have. That is, some of the players that piqued my interest in the past few days. I do not have the time and LADT does not have the space to include all of those who have made me take a second…
Play-Off Picture Although the minor league season has been extended to the third week in September the push for a very limited play-off spot will soon begin. Actually, the A and AA regular seasons end on September 19 with a five-game playoff between the two teams with the best winning percentage in the league regardless of their division. There are no playoffs at the AAA level but the regular schedule…
Just a few notes today. Following some of the amazing posts in the past few days, I indeed feel somewhat like a little leaguer as my writing is solely focused on the minor leagues and naturally cannot lead to much discussion. However, little league provided me with some of my best long-term memories, way back in the early fifties. Minor league ball keeps me somewhat in touch with those memories…
I am not sure they should be called UFO’s but on the other hand undrafted free agents are somewhat like unidentified flying objects. They don’t get any attention during the annual MLB draft but all of a sudden make an appearance when we least expect it. Following the 2021 First-Year Player Draft, in which the Dodgers selected 19 players of whom 12 have been signed, they have signed seven UFO’s. …
Not so many games in the minor league scene today as teams at the Low-A, High-A, and AA levels have Mondays off. Triple-A has Wednesdays off. The Arizona Complex League and the Dominican Summer League both have Sundays off. So I thought I would take a look back at the week that was. That is, July 19-25. The Loons four-pitcher no-hitter on July 23 has already been featured on LADT….
Time to check in again with a bit of an update on some Dodger minor leaguers. I can’t help but believe that the pipeline misses the rookie league plugged in between the Arizona Complex League and single A. There just seems to be too many players for the ACL. Dominican Summer League The start of the international signing period that usually starts on July 2 has shifted to January, but…
On Sunday the Dodgers selected left-hander Maddux Bruns in the first round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft with the 29th overall pick. His selection came as a bit of a surprise to the average fan as he was not connected to the Dodgers in any mock draft, at least that I had seen. Certainly part of the surprise was that he was not included in mock drafts but also…
Another rainy day and not great results in the minor league system yesterday. Well, that isn’t quite true. The nature of the day is not always decided by wins and losses. It is an individual game played in the context of a team game. Here is a bit about some individuals. Jake Vogel In Rancho Cucamonga 19-year-old Jake Vogel seems to have shaken off his early injury woes while having…
Right-hander Phil Bickford was claimed off waivers from the Brewers by the Dodgers on May 3, 2021. I expect the move was questioned by more than a few Dodger faithful since the 25-year-old Bickford had previously pitched just two innings at the MLB level – both with the Brewers – resulting in four and two runs scored against him respectively and a Brewer ERA of 27.00. He debuted with the…