DODGERS NEWS/RUMORS/INJURIES Thread

Discussion in 'Los Angeles DODGERS' started by irish, Feb 8, 2014.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
Page 4 of 86
  1. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

    Joined:
    Nov 2011
    Messages:
    53,325
    Likes Received:
    40,970
    Trophy Points:
    278
    All eyes on flamethrowing prospect Martin
    By Ken Gurnick | MLB.com -- 3 hours ago

    GLENDALE, Ariz. -- A year ago, Hyun-Jin Ryu couldn't pick up a baseball without the eyes of an entire organization glued to him.

    On Field 2 on Tuesday, Ryu threw live batting practice for the first time this spring and, other than a couple of reporters from Korea, nobody was watching.

    [​IMG]

    Instead, the eyes of the organization were at Field 1, watching hard-throwing left-handed prospect Jarret Martin look very capable and in command against Yasiel Puig, Carl Crawford and Juan Uribe. The audience included general manager Ned Colletti and his posse, manager Don Mattingly and most of the staff.

    "I was kind of aware of them. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't," said Martin, a 24-year-old from Bakersfield, Calif., who grew up a Dodgers fan and was acquired at the 2011 Winter Meetings from Baltimore in the Dana Eveland trade. "I was comfortable with it. It was the first time I've faced a lineup of Major League hitters and I was looking forward to it. It's a chance to show myself. You shouldn't be here unless you want to face the best."

    A 19th-round Draft pick, Martin has struck out 351 in 348 professional innings, but also has walked 224. He said he made a mechanical "epiphany" during instructional league after the 2012 season by tinkering with his hand separation that improved his timing. He made a mental breakthrough five starts into last season at Class A Advanced Rancho Cucamonga after a chat with pitching coach Matt Herges.

    "I just decided I was athletic enough to get the baseball across the plate, athletic enough and competitive enough," Martin said. "I started thinking about throwing the ball over the plate and stopped thinking about my mechanics on the mound. I'm aggressive, not low-key. I'm in-your-face, attack. It's part of the transformation I went through from starter to reliever."

    That transformation came after 14 starts at Rancho Cucamonga and he was so effective in relief he was promoted to Double-A Chattanooga, where he walked 12 in 10 2/3 innings but posted a 1.69 ERA that earned him protection onto the Major League roster.

    "What he does is hard to find," said Herges. "Mid-to-upper 90s with a potentially wipe-out slider. He realized last year he was fighting it. He needed to just go compete and that's when it clicked for him. It's like the fog lifted."

    __
     
    irish, Feb 18, 2014
    #61
    TheKnockdown likes this.
  2. TheKnockdown

    TheKnockdown DSP Legend

    Joined:
    Jul 2013
    Messages:
    2,793
    Likes Received:
    2,216
    Trophy Points:
    153
    Lefty with heat and a slider? He gets that shit under control--sign me up for that bandwagon.
     
    TheKnockdown, Feb 18, 2014
    #62
    irish likes this.
  3. BlueMouse

    BlueMouse 2020 World Champions

    Joined:
    Nov 2011
    Messages:
    12,445
    Likes Received:
    14,570
    Trophy Points:
    198
    Change it to Ronald Belisario and I'm in.
     
    BlueMouse, Feb 18, 2014
    #63
  4. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

    Joined:
    Nov 2011
    Messages:
    53,325
    Likes Received:
    40,970
    Trophy Points:
    278
    BREAKING NEWS​
    Associated Press | 2 minutes ago​

    ​
    According to the always reliable/credible duo of Ken Rosenthal and John Morosi, former Dodgers reliever Ronald Belisario has won the "Face of MLB" contest by a landslide. Unfortunately, the honor was awarded to runner-up Eugenio Velez as Belisario was unable to accept the award due to visa problems.​

    ^with working links...

    __
     
    irish, Feb 18, 2014
    #64
    blazer5, IBleedBlue15 and TheKnockdown like this.
  5. KOUFAX0000

    KOUFAX0000 DSP Legend Damned

    Joined:
    Jul 2013
    Messages:
    6,345
    Likes Received:
    2,557
    Trophy Points:
    173
    [​IMG]

    Who could possibly deny that face?
     
    KOUFAX0000, Feb 18, 2014
    #65
  6. back2back x 2 + 1

    back2back x 2 + 1 DSP Legend Damned

    Joined:
    Jul 2013
    Messages:
    8,440
    Likes Received:
    1,920
    Trophy Points:
    173
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
    back2back x 2 + 1, Feb 18, 2014
    #66
    BlueCrewFan_1965, KOUFAX0000 and TheKnockdown like this.
  7. blazer5

    blazer5 DSP Legend

    Joined:
    Jul 2013
    Messages:
    2,227
    Likes Received:
    2,807
    Trophy Points:
    153
    baahhhahahaha..Thanks for the laugh Irish..damn that belli link is perfect..In my house he's known as el chupacabra haha..
     
    blazer5, Feb 18, 2014
    #67
    irish likes this.
  8. ColoradoKidWitGame

    ColoradoKidWitGame DSP Legend Administrator

    Joined:
    Jul 2013
    Messages:
    11,710
    Likes Received:
    10,087
    Trophy Points:
    198
    AGon talking about how great the clubhouse is and how it is has allowed him to open up a bit. The link is attached below. Since I posted it in a separate thread this was an experience I recently had that ties to this:

    So I am trying to rent out the room in my basement and a guy that checked it out yesterday was the attending nurse to Josh Beckett after his surgery. As we continued talking it was then brought up that he was a Giants fan. So if Beckett's arm suspiciously flies off in the middle of a game, I know who our first suspect should be. Also, apparently some of the other nurses were big time Dodger fans(the surgery was at Baylor U) and from what he had to say, Beckett was an awesome and very candid guy. He apparently knew it could be a long shot to make it back after the surgery, but said that all he cares about this year is winning another WS. He also mentioned that the Dodgers clubhouse was a pretty awesome thing to be a part of and guess raved about that quite a bit. But you know guys, let's keep hearing about the lack of "chemistry".​

    http://www.latimes.com/sports/baseb...nzalez-20140221,0,3350221.story#axzz2tmgtUuMF
     
    ColoradoKidWitGame, Feb 21, 2014
    #68
    N.Z likes this.
  9. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

    Joined:
    Nov 2011
    Messages:
    53,325
    Likes Received:
    40,970
    Trophy Points:
    278
    Kershaw to start Cactus League opener
    By Ken Gurnick | MLB.com — 8 hours ago

    [​IMG]

    GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Clayton Kershaw pitched two innings of batting practice on Friday and will start the Dodgers' first Cactus League game on Wednesday, manager Don Mattingly said.

    Zack Greinke will start the second game on Thursday. The Dodgers will play intrasquad games this Sunday and Monday.

    Although the rotation appears obvious, the Dodgers are still considering skipping Kershaw in the Opening Series in Australia for workload reasons, then having him start in San Diego March 30 in Los Angeles' first game stateside. That would line the left-hander up to start the home opener April 4.

    __
     
    irish, Feb 21, 2014
    #69
  10. Jpdodgers

    Jpdodgers Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 2013
    Messages:
    369
    Likes Received:
    201
    Trophy Points:
    53
    GLENDALE, Ariz. – Mark McGwire joined the Dodgers as hitting coach more than a year after Matt Kemp nearly won the Most Valuable Player Award in 2011, and the swing McGwire saw last year was very different from the powerful and unusually high finish McGwire recalled from the past.

    McGwire explains it this way: A right-handed hitter drives with his left arm -- his lead arm – and steers with his right. When Kemp was at his best, he had been able to lift and drive the ball to right-center field. But last year, Kemp still seemed to be recovering from the shoulder surgery he had in the fall of 2012, and McGwire never really saw that classic Kemp finish. Rather, his front arm was noticeably lower in his follow-through, and, instead of lifting the ball, he tended to hit looping liners without much carry, a lingering sign that his repaired shoulder was not yet operating at 100 percent.

    On Friday morning, before the Dodgers’ exhibition against the White Sox, McGwire saw that old swing again.

    It appeared on a nearly empty practice field behind the Dodgers’ facility here. Kemp hit the ball hard in regular batting practice, and then, when some pitchers arrived to throw live batting practice, including Brandon League, Kemp continued to wreck the ball, mashing drive after drive to right-center field. Blasts from the past.

    As Kemp finished his session and began collecting his bats, John Valentin -- the Dodgers’ assistant hitting coach -- walked over to where McGwire stood with a reporter and lifted his eyebrows as if to communicate “wow.”

    “That was great,” Valentin said.

    “Best I’ve seen,” McGwire responded.

    Kemp, carrying his equipment, strolled over, smiling broadly. “That,” McGwire said to Kemp, “was awesome.”

    “I told you, I’m a beast,” Kemp said. He looked at the reporter and pointed a finger -- like a good-natured reminder -- and said, “Don’t forget that.”
     
    Jpdodgers, Mar 1, 2014
    #70
    Laker8la and ColoradoKidWitGame like this.
  11. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

    Joined:
    Nov 2011
    Messages:
    53,325
    Likes Received:
    40,970
    Trophy Points:
    278
    ^encouraging for sure
    cautiously optimistic :fingerscrossed:
     
    irish, Mar 1, 2014
    #71
  12. KOUFAX0000

    KOUFAX0000 DSP Legend Damned

    Joined:
    Jul 2013
    Messages:
    6,345
    Likes Received:
    2,557
    Trophy Points:
    173
    Russell
    Ethan
    and now Jarret.

    I hope this Martin pans out. Could be a real good steal.
     
    KOUFAX0000, Mar 1, 2014
    #72
  13. KOUFAX0000

    KOUFAX0000 DSP Legend Damned

    Joined:
    Jul 2013
    Messages:
    6,345
    Likes Received:
    2,557
    Trophy Points:
    173

    Brandon League? Fine. I want the Chinchilla hitting major league pitching.
     
    KOUFAX0000, Mar 1, 2014
    #73
  14. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

    Joined:
    Nov 2011
    Messages:
    53,325
    Likes Received:
    40,970
    Trophy Points:
    278
    :laff: probably doing that to help build his confidence
     
    irish, Mar 1, 2014
    #74
  15. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

    Joined:
    Nov 2011
    Messages:
    53,325
    Likes Received:
    40,970
    Trophy Points:
    278
    indeedy
     
    irish, Mar 1, 2014
    #75
  16. carolinabluedodger

    carolinabluedodger DSP Legend

    Joined:
    Jul 2013
    Messages:
    4,370
    Likes Received:
    3,351
    Trophy Points:
    153
    Which is in effect saying they don't give a fuck about League's confidence.
     
    carolinabluedodger, Mar 1, 2014
    #76
  17. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

    Joined:
    Nov 2011
    Messages:
    53,325
    Likes Received:
    40,970
    Trophy Points:
    278
    which i get, and agree with :nod:
    kemp, at his best, is an mvp-caliber player -- and his bat would be a huge asset to the offense
    league, at his best, is... not better than kenley, not better than wilson, and probably not as good as perez
    productive kemp = bonus
    productive league = redundancy
    just my :2cents:
     
    irish, Mar 1, 2014
    #77
  18. LASports96

    LASports96 DSP Legend

    Joined:
    Jun 2013
    Messages:
    9,459
    Likes Received:
    3,659
    Trophy Points:
    173

    Russell Martin was fine, I'd like to have him right now
     
    LASports96, Mar 1, 2014
    #78
  19. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

    Joined:
    Nov 2011
    Messages:
    53,325
    Likes Received:
    40,970
    Trophy Points:
    278
    irish, Mar 4, 2014
    #79
  20. doyerfan

    doyerfan MODERATOR Staff Member Moderator

    Joined:
    Nov 2011
    Messages:
    26,713
    Likes Received:
    13,016
    Trophy Points:
    228
    doesn't look good for Ross, poor guy. Probably had a good chance of pitching this year for us... now we have to rely on Fife/Magill and that was pretty shaky last year (Fife wasn't bad but his injury also sounded bad)
     
    doyerfan, Mar 4, 2014
    #80
Page 4 of 86
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page