The above picture of Duke, Andy Pafko and Carl Furillo is a snapshot of my all-time favorite outfield. I expect this is the case because it was my first outfield and all three homered on my first night of Dodger baseball which also gives me a way to trace my first game. That is the only time all three homered in the same game.
Like many baseball players of his era, Furillo answered the call and spent the next three years, 1943-45, in the army. He saw active duty in the Pacific Theater where he was wounded and received three battle stars. His war service gave the Dodgers an early glimpse that Furillo seemed to be uncomfortable in social situations and perhaps almost a lone wolf. Peter Golenbock in his book “Bums” writes that Carl Furillo turned down a Purple Heart medal for his wounds, saying that he hadn’t been sufficiently valiant.
Many can identify Chuck Connors as the “The Rifleman” but perhaps not nearly as many know he was once a Dodger and always remained a Dodger in his heart. Chuck Connors, christened Kevin Joseph Aloysius Connors, was born in Brooklyn, New York on April 10, 1921. His parents of Irish descent, Allan and Marcella Connors, had emigrated to the United States from what was then the Dominion of Newfoundland and…
Last week we had a preview of some of the teenage position players in the Dodgers minor league system. This week a sneak preview at some of the teenage pitchers which is a more difficult task it seems. As of today, there are at least 36 young pitchers in the system who have not yet turned 20. Left-hander Robinson Ortiz and 32nd round selection in 2018, right-hander Jacob Gilliland, both…
In attempting to isolate any group there is always a chance that there might be other members who belong in the group who are not selected and yet others who are simply missed. With that risk in mind, I had a bit of a slow day yesterday so decided to look at the teenage group preparing for the 2020 minor league season. Some had successful 2019 seasons while others did…
Before I got sidetracked with the spring training heroics of Cody Thomas and Zach McKinstry, I had been providing a thumbnail sketch of the relief pitchers the Dodgers had signed in the 2019 First-Year Player Draft. Those profiles included Logan Boyer, Jacob Cantleberry, Jeff Belge, Nick Robertson, and Alec Gamboa as well as Ryan Pepiot whom I think will start the 2020 season in a starting role. There are still…
I have followed Zach McKinstry since he was selected by the Dodgers in the 33rd round of the 2016 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. I especially took notice when he was advanced to the Loons in 2016 and became an important cog in their championship run by moving to the third base position, a position he had not previously played. The 6’/180…
On Monday outfielder Cody Thomas made a bit of a splash with the Dodgers after entering the game in the sixth inning to replace Cody Bellinger, although he moved to right field. All Thomas did was drive the first pitch he saw to the opposite field for a home run and then rob Blake Rutherford of a home run with a catch that would be Bellinger-like. Granted it is an…
There has been so much discussion about the Asterisks that I thought I would perhaps break in with a short interlude and introduce a new Dodger that was acquired in the trade for Kyle Garlick on Saturday. Both Garlick and Gilbert were victims of the numbers game. Garlick was backed up behind a bevy of outfielders with the Dodgers and Gilbert was stacked up against a number of left-handed bullpen…
A while back Daniel asked if there was a limit to the number of players and minor league affiliates an MLB team can have. There are limits at each level but other ways to store players. Minor league rosters according to MiLB. AAA -25 active players AA – 25 active players A+ – 25 active players (35 players under control on roster) A – 25 active players (35 players under…