Dodgers

I did this interview a couple of weeks ago with Chef Mike, who runs the Dodgers Food Trailer for the Great Lakes Loons. They are there for every home and road regular season and playoff game. They prepare three meals a day for approximately 50 people (players and coaches). Since games end late most evenings, they do not prepare breakfast. Many of their hotels have a complimentary breakfast anyway. However,…

3 picks were High School players (2 SS and 1 OF). There was a college OF, college catcher, college SS, and 10 college pitchers. Of all the talk for a need for a catcher, the only catcher the Dodgers selected was Luke Bard, son of LAD bullpen coach Josh Bard. Bard was a 4th year senior from Houston Christian University. He is not a prospect, so the Dodgers are still…

It’s been a few days since I did this interview. We have evidently been working my son-in-law (the video guy) like a rented mule at US Water Systems. However, I am taking him to London with me in a few days, so maybe Watford will buy him a pint as a tip, but he’s a dang Red Sox fan, so there is that! I thought that it would be interesting…

I was going to do this post when Chris announced he was retiring, then he changed his mind, but since the chances of him ever playing for the Dodgers again are slim and non-existent, I will go ahead with this post. He unretired, went on the IL, then decided to call it quits on May 24th. Taylor was born in Virginia Beach VA on August 29th, 1990. He attended Great…

The Dodgers are not exactly storming toward the finish line right now. They are sleepwalking. They have built an 11-game lead, turned the division race into a cakewalk, and seem to be playing with the urgency of a team waiting for October to arrive. The edge is missing. The intensity comes and goes. At times, they look less like a hungry championship club and more like a veteran team trying…

I watched the video Jeff posted of Zack Erhard hitting an inside the park homer yesterday. And I was thinking that although many say the triple is the most exciting play in baseball, I tend to think hitting an inside the park homer is a little more exciting. I would bet many of us have no clue who hit the first one at Dodger Stadium. We know who hit the…

This version of LA Dodger Talk has been around for close to ten years. It’s time to retire it. In the next couple of weeks, the NEW & IMPROVED VERSION of LADT will appear. Hopefully, it will be free of glitches and downtime, but if you wake up some day and we are gone, be patient – we will be back. Here’s a sneak peek of it: Be patient, but…

Draft day is near (Saturday). Will the Dodgers get a difference maker at pick #40? Maybe, maybe not. Dalton Rushing is a difference maker and he was picked as the LAD #1 at #40. LHSP Zach Root (#40) looks like a strong potential difference maker as does Charles Davalan (#41). But their strategy is so muddled because of their lack of a bonus pool. It is not that there will…

OKC Comets 9 – El Paso Chihuahuas (San Diego) 2 In the 1st inning, OKC jumped out to the lead with a one out HR (3) from CF Alek Thomas. OKC picked up two more runs in the 2nd. 2B Ryan Fitzgerald singled and with one out stole 2B and went to 3rd on a ground out. DH Zach Ehrhard hit a 2-run inside the park HR to make it…

The image of a prototypical lead-off hitter has changed dramatically over the last several years. When I first started watching baseball in the 50’s, most lead of hitters were players with high OBP’s and some speed. Of course, players in the 50’s were evaluated a lot differently than players are today. Pee Wee Reese was actually hit second more than he led off. As a leadoff man, Pee Wee hit…

I generally don’t have a “favorite” player… kind of like I don’t have a favorite kid… or grandkid. However, I am unashamed to say that Alex Freeland is now my favorite player, simply because of what he has had to overcome to get where he is. I admire his parents for what they did for him, and I admire his indomitable spirit. However, the time has come for Alex to…

Since he took over as President of Baseball Operations in November of 2014, one thing that Andrew Freidman has valued in his players is versatility. Players capable of playing multiple positions have made this team very versatile and to have the ability to replace stars who are injured with players who can capably play well until the star returns. This was shown over the last couple of years especially when…

Sorry, but the 4th of July took precedence over thoroughly following the MiLB games. This is a shortened version. Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Houston) 7 – OKC Comets 5 – 5 ½ innings Game was delayed in the bottom of the 6th due to inclement weather and eventually called. The game went long enough for a game. RHSP Ryder Ryan took the mound for OKC and delivered a HR to…

OKC Comets 4 – Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Houston) 3 Just when you thought he might not have anything this year, LHSP Jackson Ferris pitched his best game of the season. Jackson finished 6.0 complete IP. He allowed 1 run, on 2 hits (both singles in the 6th), and 2 BB, with 8 K. Ferris had not allowed a hit through 5.1 IP. With one out in the 6th, he…

This was written by Bumsrap. When we start the new site, his name will appear as the author, but it does not here. Rob: I heard it again after last night’s game. Dawn: “The Dodgers buy championships?” Rob: Every. Single. Time. Ethan: Well…the Dodgers do spend a lot of money. Rob: Exactly! Why does everybody act like that’s some kind of secret? Dawn: Because it’s easier than having a longer…

In 2004, Frank McCourt became the owner of the Dodgers. He hired Paul DePodesta as his GM in February of 2004. One of his first trades sent Jason Frasor to the Jays for Jason Werth. In April, DePodesta traded Franklin Gutierrez to the Indians for Milton Bradley. At the deadline, he traded Paul lo Duca, Juan Encarnacion and Guillermo Mota to the Marlins for Brad Penny, Bill Murphy and He…

MLB Pipeline has revised their Top 100 prospect list and the Dodgers are very well represented. CF Mike Sirota rose 26 spots on MLB Pipeline’s new Top 100. That was the second most spots climbed, behind only Tampa Bay’s OF Theo Gillen. Gillen rose 29 spots while Sirota rose 26. What they said about Mike Sirota’s rise. “A crowded Double-A Tulsa outfield forced Sirota back to High-A, where he suffered…

ACL Dodgers 32 – ACL Angels 7 That is not a typo. EveryACL Dodgers hitter had at least one hit, and all but SS Sam Mongelli on a rehab assignment had 2 or more. Mongelli only had 3 PA and reached on a single and walk before giving way to Yojackson Laya. This was a stats building game…32 runs, 30 hits,11 XBH, 10 BB Box Score DSL Padres Gold 2…

Yesterday, Dodgerpatch asked about a woman who posted here years ago. She is not forgotten. He wrote this: “Who was the former poster here who loved Sonny Gray. She was a female, and she always wanted the Dodgers to go out and get Sonny Gray when he was with Oakland. She also was very fond of Andrew Toles. She disappeared for a while, and Mark did a little sleuthing and…

The Dodgers throughout their long history, have been involved in many historic baseball moments. Not only their own history, but major league baseballs as well. Their first was winning the pennant in the first year of the National Leagues existence. There was no World Series as we know it now back then. Manager Bill McGunnigle had some pretty good players on his team. Some really great baseball names too. Back…

We already know that the Dodgers are the class of MLB with some of the finest facilities and operations on the planet. The player development program is likely the finest in MLB. Andrew Friedman is the best at what he does. Prove me wrong! The manager will be in the Hall of Fame someday, and the coaches and front office personnel are Top Shelf. However, the Los Angeles Dodgers are…

OKC Comets 9 – Reno Aces 8 LHSP Charlie Barnes started and gave up a 2-run HR to top prospect Ryan Waldschmidt, who had a good but brief run with Arizona early in the year. OKC scored the next 9 runs and then had to hold on for the 1 run win. OKC put up 6 in the 3rd. With one out C Griffin Lockwood-Powell singled and SS Noah Miller…

I do this (Rants & Raves) when there isn’t a single subject I want to address… but a plethora of them. Reno Aces (Dbacks) 4 – OKC Comets 3 – 10 innings RHSP Landon Knack made his season debut. It could have gone better. He allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, 1 BB, and 2 K. In 1.2 IP, Knack allowed 2 runs on 5 hits,1 BB, 2 K. In…

A Dodgers fan conversation about prospects, trades, panic, patience, and the baseball gods. Written by Bumsrap (even though it says I am the author – I am not!) Rob: I’ve made a decision. Dawn: That usually means something regrettable is about to happen. Ethan: Let’s hear it. Rob: Trade them all. Dawn: All who? Rob: The prospects. Dawn: Every prospect in the organization? Rob: Every last one. Ethan: That’s an…

The Dodgers currently have four outfielders in the minor leagues who would likely be playing on several MLB teams if they were in another organization. Currently, they are not playing in the major leagues… or another organization for that matter! The BIG FOUR LIST includes: You could/should also add in Eduardo Quinaro, Zyhir Hope, Charles Davalan, Brendan Tunink, Ching-Hsien Ko, Kellen Lindsey (some think he may end up in CF),…

I cannot see Detroit moving into a playoff position baseball team. So, closer to the actual deadline date (August 3), Detroit will need to move LHSP Tarik Skubal to the team with the best offer. Detroit will want pitching in return, and not A level pitching. They will want MLB or MLB ready pitching. Plus a MLB ready bat, probably OF. They want someone to roam the OF will Riley…

The National League as we know it, began in 1890. The Brooklyn team had been part of the American Association from 1884-89. The new rules for the new league stipulated that in order to have a team in the National League, a city must have 75,000 in population. The eight original NL teams were the Brooklyn Bridegrooms, Chicago Colts, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, Boston, (no nickname yet), New York Giants,…

Sorry, too many games, so I could not finish my other post. OKC Comets 5 – Sacramento River Cats (Giants) 4 – 10 innings OKC came back twice to secure a walkoff victory in 10 innings over the River Cats. OKC’s RHSP Christian Romero completed 5.0 innings, but fell behind 3-0 after one + innings. Romero gave up a solo HR in the 1st. In the 2nd, Romero allowed a…

Two things really irk me in baseball. Strikeouts and walks. So far this season, Dodger pitchers have allowed 198 free passes. They and the Seattle Mariners are the only teams below 200. I am not sure how many of those walks ended up scoring, there are no stats on-line for that. Free runners cannot be a good thing for a pitcher. Sasaki leads the Dodgers with 24 free passes in…

The WordPress platform that www.ladodgertalk.com is on is aging, unlike our writers! 😉 It is time for an upgrade… not a facelift, but rather, a “Full Body Transplant.” I have to tell you a story about my old developer. His name was Shawn, and when I hired him almost 22 years ago, he was living in his mother-in-law’s attic… living on unemployment. He was a tech nerd in every way,…