Results tagged ‘ Sports ’
Start of Spring Training: It Begins
And It Begins. That’s right folks Baseball is finally here. The Dodgers full squad are at Camelback Ranch in Glendale Arizona and preparing for their upcoming 2013 campaign. This year there’s a lot of high hopes for the Dodgers after the ending of last season and the off-season moves that were made. Regardless of the signings there’s still questions that loom around this team but it seems like for the most part are working towards answering those. Theres a lot of headlines going into Spring Training this year…You can say more than last season at that and yes it is Interesting.
chemistry Talk
One of the biggest things that’s being talked about with the Dodgers is chemistry. Many fans and media seem to mention this a lot and wonder how the Dodgers will mesh on the field. Other players seem to be talking too, Most noticeably Giants First Baseman Brandon Belt who said “All I can say is you can’t buy chemistry.” That quote has had many Dodger fans talking but the players aren’t fazed by it at all. Matt Kemp however had something to say about Belts comments with a few words of his own. The Dodgers for the most part look like they’re getting the whole chemistry thing down but once they get on the field that’ll be a whole different thing. I honestly don’t believe the Dodgers will have an issue with chemistry. Hanley, Adrian, Kemp, Ethier, Cruz and so on have played in the second half of the 2012 season and only a few pieces will have to mesh which they’ll have all spring to get it together.
Clayton Kershaw named Opening Day Starter
Clayton Kershaw was named the Dodgers Opening Day Starter by Don Mattingly (Insert your pretend surprised face here). This was something that we ALL knew for months unless there was something we didn’t know. Baring any injury Kershaw is the Dodgers guy and there shouldn’t be any shock or anything like that.
Hyun Jin Ryu Impresses
Many Dodger fans have been waiting to see what Hyun Jin Ryu brings to the Dodgers and when he was given the chance in a Bullpen session he didn’t disappoint. Ryu placed the ball where he wanted very well, had good command with his fast ball but the curveball needed more work. Mattingly, AJ Ellis, and Rick Honeycutt were all very impressed with his bullpen session but the knock on Ryu was his conditioning which has gotten better. In Korea training and conditioning is a much slower paced conditioning schedule so it’s all apart of the adjustment that Hyun Jin Ryu will have to make. Feb 25th is when we’ll see Ryu pitch in a live game.
Non Roster Players
Usually in Spring teams have players who get signed to minor league deals and give them a shot to make the 40 man roster. This year the Dodgers are hoping to find a gem that will make the Opening Day Roster like years before. This year the Dodgers are looking for a vet in a young Bullpen and there’s a few arms that stick out to the Dodgers. One of them being Peter Moylan who was with the Braves last season but only played in 8 games. Moylan also has an issue with staying healthy which is something he’s working towards doing. Another is a player the Dodgers just signed to a Minor League deal in Mark Lowe. Lowe played 38 games with the Rangers last season until getting injured. Lowe has an escape clause in his contract if he does not make the Dodgers come Opening Day where Moylan is willing to pitch in Triple A if he doesn’t make it. Both of them will have to battle with Josh Wall and Stephen Fife. Outside of pitching you have players like Tony Gwynn Jr who was on the team last season fighting for a spot on the 40 man roster. Alex Castellanos, Ellian Herrara, and Yasiel Puig are currently on there right now so a spot for Tony Gwynn jr will be pretty difficult at this moment.
Sandy Koufax back with the Dodgers
Saving the best for last. Sandy Koufax back with the Dodgers as an Advisor and was it a sight to see him back in a Dodger uniform. It was a treat having a Dodger great back in Uniform talking with players and helping pitchers like Hyun Jin Ryu and Zack Greinke prepare for the upcoming season. I think this is overall a great thing for the Dodgers to do. Koufax is one of the best Dodgers and to have him involved with franchise is great for not only the Dodgers and it’s players but for the Fans as well.
Vin Scully to return to Broadcasting
It’s Time For Dodger Baseball!!! Everyone knows that line when Dodger games come on and no one says it better than Vin Scully. For 62 Seasons Vin Scully has been with the Dodgers franchise and has gone no where since then. From Brooklyn to Los Angeles he’s stuck through thick and thin. He’s already had a legendary career and next season that career will continue to be in the press box of Dodger stadium. As it was noted Vin Scully will return for his 63rd season with the Dodgers and I couldn’t be any more happier to type this. I usually share my Baseball talk but this is bigger than baseball in my eyes. A man who’s been with the Dodgers for pretty much his whole career is simply amazing to words I can’t even speak of. As a Dodger fan growing up whenever you couldn’t make it to the Stadium or on West coast Road trips you heard the voice of Vin Scully and his stories that he told in-between pitches. Even telling us about the player playing.
Growing up as a Dodger fan you always heard the voice of Vin Scully which is truly an amazing thing that we should all be thankful for. In the future most of us will be telling stories about Vin Scully and how we heard/watched games with him broadcasting. I honestly believe theres no one better in baseball than Vin Scully. Truly the best ever and I’m glad that we will get him back next year to call his 63rd Season.
Dodgers Sweep SF and Tie for NL West lead, Arizona Series, and More
Oh how sweep it is?! That’s right the Dodgers did something that was highly needed to get back into this thing and that was Sweep the hated San Francisco Giants. Not only did They sweep them but Shut them out two consecutive games and held them scoreless 20 straight innings. With the sweep of the Giants the Dodgers are now tied for the NL West lead and with plenty of baseball left every game is important but it’s always sweet when you beat your rival….at that sweep them but eyes must be on the prize for the Dodgers as they’re playing for the NL West, Post Season, and more!
As we move away from the last series the Dodgers FINALLY return home for a home stand vs the Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago Cubs. Arizona will be a very critical series for the Dodgers because Arizona is also not far back as well so winning the series for the Dodgers is very huge here. Tonight Aaron harang is on the hill against Trevor Cahill so tonight will be an interesting one. Tomorrow is also Kirk Gibson Bobblehead night which is fitting because the DBacks are in town and their manager is Kirk Gibson. It’ll be a huge night for Kirk as they honor him and his accomplishments as a Los Angeles Dodger.
MORE TRADE TALK!!!! In a Span of days the Dodgers have been linked to Ryan Dempster, Hunter Pence, Shane Victorino, and Alfonso Soriano. Another arm is needed to help but the Dodgers are looking to grab another bat to bolster up the line up. As of today the Dodgers are in on Pence but looking like Soriano is likely. Either way it’s great to see the Dodgers in Trade talks as buyers and with the Trade deadline tomorrow look for the Dodgers to get something dome soon!
Tonight will be my first game as a season ticket holder so I’m very excited about that! Great to be apart of the Dodgers season ticket Holder family! Dodgers must keep this race tight or pull away and if the Dodgers can get deals done then it’ll be big for them!
2nd Half Preview: Can the Dodgers finish with a NL West Title and more?
It’s back to work for the Boys in Blue now that the All-Star Break is over it’s time to resume where the Dodgers left off. The 1st half of the season started great with the Dodgers having the best record in MLB and a good lead in the NL West only to take a turn for the worse when the Injuries began to stock pile, offense disappeared, and a slump happened. The Dodgers went into the break finding themselves a half game over the Giants and the Diamondbacks not too far off also the Dodgers find themselves 7 games over .500. Makes you say yikes the Slump did a lot of damage. However there’s help with Matt Kemp Andre Ethier and Mark Ellis Back in the line up the offense will have less pressure off. While there’s some solutions theres also plenty of questions to be answered that plague the Dodgers.
One question that many will ask is the Trade Deadline and what the Dodgers will do. The Dodgers need to address starting pitching help, LHP help, and add another bat to the corner position to help the Dodgers. We’ve heard so much about the Dodgers intrest with the Cubs on getting Matt Garza or Ryan Dempster which is a sign but with teams like the Brewers and Phillies being possible sellers it could be something if Cole Hammels or Zack Grenkee is available. Dodgers will likely have to give up prospects but to get players like that the Dodgers have to be cautious on the asking prices of these teams. Likely the Cubs and Brewers will not have high asking prices. As far as a bat the Dodgers have been real aggressive on trying to land a bat and missed twice. Missed out on Kevin Youkillis to the White Sox and Carlos Lee Vetoed a trade to LA only to land in Miami. The Dodgers could be aggressive again for a bat again but weather they strike gold or not is a question. It’s obvious this team wants to win THIS YEAR. A bat to the 1st and 3rd Base position looks to be a area as Juan Uribe and James Loney have been under performing at this point to make a solid contribution to help but the emergence of Eillian Herrara has been huge to the LF 3rd base position.
Another issue is the health and performance of the Dodgers again. The Injuries played a huge part in the wheels falling off in that slump that cost them that huge lead. What scares me personally is will key players stay healthy? Injuries happen but on slaught of injuries will be very bad to The Dodgers in the dog days. The performance of certain Dodgers will also be in mind like starting pitchers Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw. Will they be able to get it together to make a big run into September October? Billingsley’s meltdowns has been really bad in games and Kershaw hasn’t played like his usual Cy Young self. If they can pull through the the Dodgers will be dangerous. Another is the team itself. Will they bring it together to once again be the team that had the MLB talking? It all starts with the team but there’s no doubt Management and Mattingley will have this team ready to do battle.
All in All the Dodgers are in first place and will resume the season to keep that lead. But it won’t be easy. They start off with San Diego at home then go into a series at Dodger stadium with the Phillies. The same team that they swept in Philadelphia. After that a road trip in New York with the Mets then travel to ST Louis to play the Cardinals then conclude the road trip in San Fran against the hated giants in what could be a pivotal series in the NL West so the Dodgers have their work cut out. The 2nd Half is under way and the Boys in Blue have work to do.
Andre Ethier’s Extension: We All Knew it was coming
While the all the action was going on in LA with the Dodgers/Angels playing eatch other and Kings winning the NHL Stanley Cup news broke of Andre Ethier signing a 5 year $85 Million Dollar deal which keeps him with the Dodgers through 2017. One of the Dodgers most popular players and one of the best players on the Dodgers is locked up with LA for a good while. Through out my twitter feed the one thing I kept seeing was for many people yelling for the Dodgers to pay Ethier after every play he made. Well the man is paid. Now at the begining of the season I made a note that the Dodgers success would come if Ethier played a part in it he he sure has leading the MLB in RBI’s and making an Impact in anyway. I also noted that Ethier would have his contract extention depending on his play and so far his play is doing worthy of the extension. Right now Andre Ethier is in a slump so many will say it came at a bad time then again this maybe something good. Only time will tell if this could be something that breaks the slump.
Now I look at this deal and can’t help but to think of the possible risks you take making a huge deal like that. First thing you think is Injuries or if he falls off but thats always the fear you have. Ethier hasn’t showed signs of falling off anytime soon. Reading an article on Lasorda’s Lair a few months back it reviewed how the Offense would suffer without Ethier and I must say he is important to the offense. Numbers such as Batting Avg, RBI’s, OBP, and so on dropped a good number so this extension was something needed opposed to letting him leave after the season and risk searching in the FA Market and signing somewhere else for just about the same deal. Now this was something that wasn’t possible in the Off-Season or Last Year at that because of the lack of funds but with this deal and how the way Stan Kasten and Magic Johnson talked about Ethier it seems as if the front office is prepared to build a Championship winning team around Kemp, Ethier, and Kershaw (Whenever his extension comes) but something tells me that this deal is worth it.
Yes they’re fears and what not about this deal but an Ethier extension is just another indication that the front office is ready to win and win right now. This is only the begining but weather its the right moves is beyond me. Now that Ethier has his extension lets hope he remains hungry, gets out of this slump, and Keep up the stellar play. Clayton Kershaw you’re up next!!
Freeway Series: Dodgers vs Angels
This Time Its For Real!! The Dodgers and Angels kick off the Freeway series Tomorrow and this years Freeway Series will be pretty interesting when you look at all what built up. You start off with the Angelsmaking the big signing grabing Albert Pujols and CJ Wilson which sent shockwaves through the Baseball world. Instantly the attention and hype was surrounded Anaheim. Many media felt the Angels would not only be favorites for a World Series but Take over the L.A. Market as Builboards popped up ALL over Los Angeles (They are in Anaheim we shall remind you) While the Angels got Prase the Dodgers were dealing with a Bind of finding a new owner with an uncertain future and many questions going into the season but came Late March Magic Happened. Magic Johnson Stan Kasten, Mark Walter and their group made the perchase of the Los Angeles Dodgers whichs sent LA into a big frenzy. Many Dodger fans were really excitied and it transfered into the field as the Dodgers started off Hot quickly becoming MLB’s best team with a 39-22 Record. The Angels honeymoon quickly ended as the struggled out the gate even Albert Pujols struggled.
Going into this Series the Dodgers are in first place coming off two series wins over the Phillies and Marniers while the Angels are coming off sweeping the Rockies in Colorado and 3 Games over .500. Dodgers will be without Matt Kemp but the rest of the Dodgers have been picking up the slack after going through an offensive struggle. Both teams are hot so it will be interesting to see. The Freeway Series starts off in Los Angeles for the 11th, 12th, and 13th then after shifts to Anaheim for the weekend of the 22nd 23rd and 24th of June. Last year the Angels won the bragging rights 4-2 Last year and the Dodgers looking to grab the first series win since 2006. This year Freeway Series will be a real special one when you look at what took place.
While this will never reach the level of Dodgers/Giants and Yankees and Dodgers AL/NL rivalry this is still that Rivalry where you want Braging rights for the whole season. With the Freeway Series 6 game Home and Home series in question thanks to the new realignment things are bound to get interesting based on both teams position in their respected Divisions but steaks are high. Dodgers looking to keep the Lead in the NL West and show why they are the MLB’s best team while the Angels are looking to trim the Rangers lead in the AL West. The Freeway Series kicks off. Lets Get It Started!!
Dodgers swept by Brewers: Is it time to worry?
This series seems like a long nightmare for the Dodgers and it’s fans. With the Brewers coming to LA for a four game series it seems like the Brewers have been the Dodgers kryptonite. Losing close games due to the Offense disappearing and now with the Dodgers losing Matt Kemp to injury again things seems to be bad for the Dodgers. After getting swept by the Brewers losing 4 Straight and headed on a Long road trip to Colorado, Phillidelphia, and Seattle is it time to be worried? In my opinion No but I am concerned. Now there’s no reason to panic because There’s plenty of games to be played in this season but I am concerned because the offense has seemed to disappear this whole series and now with Kemp gone that really makes the offense anemic. The Dodgers are already without Juan Rivera Mark Ellis and Uribe and losing Kemp really hurts the offense as far as scoring runs as it was shown in the series vs the Brewers. Mattingley tried different line ups to get it going but seems like it hasn’t worked. Hopefully the Dodgers turn it around on the road trip and get it together.
Another thing is the fact that the Dodgers get to go on a good week long road trip facing Colorado which is a Home Run area, Phillidelphia where they seem to struggle. Dodgers just have to take at least 2 of 3 just to survive. Can the Dodgers do it? Yes they can but the offense has to pick up. Pitching and defense will only go so far. One game can turn things around but it starts with one game. Yes it will be tough but before the Freeway Series the Dodgers have to take care of business on the road.
Yes the Dodgers are in a slump and got swept by the brewers by 3 runs or less but it’s not time to panic. The Dodgers and the front office will do what it takes to keep the NL West lead. They won’t let it go without a fight but they must do something before it disappears in a hurry. The Dodgers are in a good position but coming off that sweep questions start to appear again and the Dodgers have to answer them in order to succeed.
Dodger Family
Growing up as a Dodger fan I managed to witness how close and passionate Dodger fans are to each other. Random Strangers brought together by a Baseball Team who been in the City of Los Angeles and Brooklyn New York. Through the good and bad Dodger fans still remain loyal to their team and each other to keep the faith. I’ve been to the Bay Area and seen other fan bases on Social Media Websites and all overand while some have passionate fans In my opinion from what I see no fan base is as good as the Dodger fan base. I always say that the Dodger fan base is the best Fan base in Baseball and that goes way beyond stats you see.
Dodger fans through out the good or the bad always come out to support their team. Through the dark days of the Frank McCourt Saga there may have been a split in opinion but the passion of the Dodgers were still there. Dating back through out Brooklyn Dodger fans were more of a tight knit group were you showed up to the Ball game or talked Dodger base with a stranger you instantly become the best friends, something that remains to this day. One team that plays in Chavez Ravine have brought so many people together for years and years and years. As we hit the day and age of social media That Bond continues to get Stronger and Stronger. Meeting another Dodger fan is basically meeting a long lost brother or sister united by The Boys in Blue.
I am glad to be a Dodger fan because it theres much more to it, Its being apart of a family. I met so many people on Twitter FB and at the Stadium and it was throught the Sport many love called Baseball and Through Our strong bond of the Dodgers. I think that what seprates the Dodger fans from any other fan base is the fact that Dodger fans are a tight knit group whos bond can not be broken no matter what. When you become a Dodger fan you’re not only becoming a fan but apart of a Family.
Matthew
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