For years, Dodgers blogs have been a sacred place where Dodger fans went to lament their fate, cry in their beer, pontificate how bad the team, coaches, managers, general managers, and owners were, and generally write about how they could do a better job than whoever happened to be in charge. When Andrew Friedman was hired by the Dodgers as President of Baseball Operations, he was greeted with jeers, smears,…
KayBear Ruiz was signed at the tender age of 16 for $140,000 on his birthday, July 20, 2014. In 2015, he hit .300 for the Dominican Dodgers at age 16. In 2016, he split time between Ogden and Arizona, hitting a combined .374 with a .412 OB%. He was still just 17. Before the 2017 season, and still just 18 years old, Ruiz was named the #20 prospect in the…
Abbreviated Spring Time Random Thoughts – by 2Demeter2 (aka/Rowan) I was hoping to finish my article on Alanna Rizzo this week, but I have been down and out with the flu and a cold for the past 4 days, feeling rather punkish. So that article will have to wait for another day. On the other hand, one of the “benefits” of being down and out was that I got to…
Ninety-Three! That’s all you need to know. Clayton Kershaw was clocked at 93 MPH in yesterday’s game. The last time he did that was over 2 years ago! This was his first Spring Game and he was giddy after it… because he knows there is more left in the tank. 94? 95? Maybe… but every MPH of separation between his fastball and slider is HUGE! He sat at 91-92 most…
Time for Dodger Baseball. I like the sound of that as we begin Spring Training games today against the hated Giants. We all know ST games are meaningless in wins and losses, but I still want to see a win in every game. If you compete, compete to win. Before I get into ST, I want to offer my response to the apparent skepticism about the Dodger pitching. Are there…
Clayton Kershaw was called up to the Show in 2008 at the age of 20. In 107 IP, he allowed 109 hits, struck out 100, with a 4.26 ERA and a 1.495 WHIP. Of course, he went on to build a Hall-of-Fame Career! Julio Urias was called up to the Show in 2016 at the age of 19. In 77 IP he allowed 81 hits, struck out 84, with a…
If everything comes together as planned, 2020 could be the magical season we all hoped for since 1988. 2017 looked to be that season, but the cheating Astros stopped it. 2019 was elite, but they just lacked something more… 2020 it is! This could very well be epic… one for the ages. It’s a great time to be a Dodger fan! The Dodgers didn’t get Gerrit Cole, but Plan B…
While I favor LAD farmhands and follow them closely, I am a fan of MiLB baseball period. I scour through the top publications to see what prospects the Dodgers might have some interest in, or in my opinion should have interest in. The top three baseball publications have all reported their top 100 prospects and the Dodgers are prominent in all three. Their least representative publication is MLB Pipeline (MLB)…
I do not remember in my lifetime a Dodger team being this good. I do not remember in my lifetime a Dodger team with so much potential. I do not remember a Dodger team so deep. I do not remember a Dodger farm system so talented. I also do not remember a team that has so many roster spots to be determined. Let me elaborate. With the additions of David…
With the addition of Mookie Betts and the maturation of other YOUNG players, I think it may be time to bring back that moniker. The name “Big Blue Wrecking Crew” has been utilized any number of times throughout Los Angeles Dodger history, even on a LP Album featuring Steve Yeager, Rick Monday Jay Johnstone, and Jerry Reuss. But, it has generally been applied to the group of Dodgers who bashed…