The Times… They are a Changin’

January 31, 2019

Come gather ’round peopleWherever you roamAnd admit that the watersAround you have grownAnd accept it that soonYou’ll be drenched to the bone.If your time to youIs worth savin’Then you better start swimmin’Or you’ll sink like a stoneFor the times they are a-changin’. Come writers and criticsWho prophesize with your penAnd keep your eyes wideThe chance won’t come againAnd don’t speak too soonFor the wheel’s still in spinAnd there’s no tellin’…

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The Northwoods League

January 30, 2019

As baseball fans and Dodger enthusiasts, fanatics, maniacs, zealots or whatever mantra might apply to us, we spend the season following MLB and the minor leagues, especially the Dodger affiliates. We also pay some attention to high school ball and college ball, both of which wind up in June and are more of interest around the time of the First-Year Player Draft. However, there is another layer of baseball that does…

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A Checkup From the Neck Up

January 29, 2019

So… many Dodger fans and Dodger Bloggers and Dodger Journalists are saying that the Dodgers are cheap and ran like the Tampa Bay Rays because they won’t go out and trade bushels of top prospects for Kluber or Realmuto or that they won’t sign Bryce Harper to a 14 year/$420 million dollar contract. Look, there is no dumbass vaccine and I am convinced that fans who want that are mentally…

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Meet Pedro (Petie) Montero

January 28, 2019

In a previous article I included a brief sketch of Pedro Montero who was promoted to the Tulsa Drillers for the 2019 season serving as the Drillers bench coach. As mentioned, Montero is a high energy, excitable young man who has an infectious effect on the players he coaches. In fact, with any young players with whom he makes contact. It is difficult to see him without a smile on…

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Why A.J. Pollock?

January 24, 2019

If were are under the illusion that Bryce Harper was coming to the Dodgers, then you are likely to be asking that question… and it’s possible anything I say will not satisfy you. I was not a fan of getting AJ Pollock and really wanted Nick Castellanos, but Castellanos was going to cost several players – I have no clue exactly who. It’s not that Friedman won’t trade prospects –…

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Oklahoma City Dodgers Coaching Staff – Part 2

January 24, 2019

Jeremy Rodriguez – Bench Coach Rodriguez will serve as the team’s primary third base coach, work with the infielders and help with defensive positioning in games. He’s the staff’s youngest member at just 29. He played five seasons within the Padres’ organization. The former catcher was born in Burbank, California and graduated from Crespi Carmelite High School in neighboring Encino. He was selected by the San Diego Padres in the…

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Oklahoma City Dodgers Coaching Staff – Part 1

January 23, 2019

Last Wednesday the Dodgers announced their minor league coaching staffs. There were some changes of assignments within the organization, some not returning, and others added from outside. The shuffling of the assignments is always a bit mind boggling as some coaches move to lower levels such as Justin Viele moving from Rancho Cucamonga to Great Lakes and Seth Connor moving from Great Lakes to Ogden. Others moved up such as…

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The New LA Dodgers

January 22, 2019

Farhan Zaidi is the President of Baseball Operations for the San Francisco Giants right here, right now… and while it may never be fully understood what role Zaidi had in in the managing and coaching decisions by the LA Dodgers, I think by the end of the 2019 season, we will find out that Farhan was a micro manager. Great guy, but he was not good at deligation. He had…

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Breakout Candidates

January 21, 2019

Every year, certain players regress, some stay the same and others breakout.  It’s hard to predict who will do what, but there are a few clues that might be there as to which players may be “Breakout Candidates.” Justin Turner “brokeout” with the Dodgers.  So did Chris Taylor in 2017. JD Martinez brokeout as a Tiger.  Scooter Gennett brokeout as a Red.  Breakout years happen all the time… sometimes when…

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My Prediction – Dodgers Minor League Starting Rotations

January 20, 2019

Well we have played GM long enough, and yet they still will not listen to us.  Now it is time to play Director of Player Development  A couple of weeks back there was a blog that posed the challenge to name the starting rotation for the OKC Dodgers.  Never let it be said that I would not accept such a challenge and I of course gave me 2 cents worth. …

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