Boy, is it ever time! It has been 604 days since the Great Lakes Loons have taken the field for a good old game of hard ball. They kicked off the 2021 season with a game at home against the Dayton Dragons. It was the first game of a six-game series as each series in the Midwest League will be for six games during the 2021 season. The Loons roster…
“It certainly felt like a rivalry to me,” said Dodgers left fielder Luke Raley, whose first major league home run, a game-tying shot in the fifth inning, was almost lost in the crazy turns of a game that fell just short of five hours. “There was a lot of intensity in this game. It’s something I look forward to being a part of more.”
A couple of weeks ago Jeff asked if I would do a brief write-up on two Dodger prospects – Nick Robertson and James Outman. I had previously profiled Robertson so that one was easy with an update. Today I took a look at Outman and found there was not a lot of detail available on him. I do remember him quite well in his time with the Great Lakes Loons…
The Dodgers 2019 draft was perhaps an unusual one in that they targeted college relief pitchers. I don’t think the plan is to transform them into starters but more so to continue their present path. Relief pitching is the fastest way to MLB unless one is a budding superstar and relief pitchers most certainly are in demand. Why not develop your own and in due course have a stable of…
Can you hear me now? Breathing, that is. When I first read J.P. Hoornstra’s breaking news that the Loons would no longer be a Dodger affiliate, I didn’t stop breathing but held my breath which is just as uncomfortable. J.P. likes to be out front on things – as we all do – and sometimes does just that. I wasn’t sure but felt it might be fake news after checking…
A few weeks ago, in their zeal to break a story, several news outlets and Dodger blogs reported that the Great Lakes Loons were out as the Dodgers’ Low-A Affiliate and that Spokane would essentially take their place. It was even reported that Rancho Cucamonga would become the Low-A Affiliate while Spokane was to be the High-A Affiliate. This rumor may or may not have started with J.P. Hoornstra, but…
Late last week, I listened to a podcast on the state of MLB and MiLB from Baseball America’s Kyle Glazer and JJ Cooper. Baseball America has some of the best baseball journalists anywhere, and I have not yet found any baseball journalist who is more up on the subject of the state of MLB and MiLB than JJ Cooper. I try to read everything he publishes. The National Association of…
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…
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…
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…