DODGERS The 2012/13 HANLEY Thread

chemistry is an intangible
guys still act like they don't know their roles -- who's trying to get on base and who's drive in runs?
chemistry as in getting along and knowing their roles/duties

 

encouraging, but i'll leave it to ai to put it in perspective...

Hanley shows encouraging power in batting practice​

By Ken Gurnick | MLB.com​

04/19/2013 7:14 PM ET​

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BALTIMORE -- Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez took live early batting practice at Camden Yards before Friday night's game and hit with power, but manager Don Mattingly said a Minor League rehab assignment is still at least a week away.​

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"Stan [Conte, medical director] said we've got to get off the trip first," Mattingly said. "[It is] at least a week before a rehab assignment. You want him to play at least a game or two. He hasn't played a [Major League] game in six months. He needs to get out and prove himself."​

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Ramirez did, however, play in the World Baseball Classic, where he hurt his thumb, and said he would return to the Dodgers without a rehab assignment if it were up to him. He said he hopes to be in the lineup by April 30, when the Dodgers will give away his bobblehead at Dodger Stadium.​

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"It's still a little sore in the joint, three weeks without moving it," said Ramirez, who appeared ginger on his throws to first base.​

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Ramirez originally was given a two-month timetable to return from March 22 surgery, but said earlier this week that he was far ahead of schedule, and his display Friday seemed to back that up, at least as far as swinging the bat.​

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"What he's been able to do has shocked all of us," said Mattingly. "Taking BP, his swing is like normal. Is he able to do that without the brace? There's still healing to be done. It seems his throwing, he still has trouble with the feel making all his throws. He asked if he could DH tonight and I couldn't hardly argue. I wouldn't mind it."​

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Ramirez had been throwing for the past two weeks despite a small cast that limited the pressure he could put on his healing thumb.​

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Now that the cast has been replaced with a pliable splint taped to his thumb, he's able to throw with more freedom.​

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• Today, 4:20pm ET: Ramirez could be back in as little as a week after originally expecting to be sidelined until mid-May.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130422&content_id=45484752&vkey=news_la&c_id=la

 

agree on ai

but...

lest we forget, magic wasn't shy about calling out a coach he didn't see eye-to-eye with -- in '81, demanding to be traded due to difficulties/differences with (then) head coach paul westhead.

dr buss, of course, acted quickly… firing westhead immediately and replacing him with (again, then) little known assistant coach pat riley.

i remember the forum fans actually booing magic for a couple games... until the season itself suddenly turned "magic", earvin and riley leading the team to a 50-21 post-westhead finish and the nba championship -- and the beginning of the showtime era; the lakers making the finals 6 of the next 7 years, and winning it all 4 times. the lakers went 533-194 (73%) during the magic/riley era -- never once losing more than 25 games in any one of their nine seasons together, and five times winning more than 60.

getting a bit off-topic, but that one (westhead/magic) moment was a microcosm of what a visionary jerry buss was...

:soapbox:

 

and 5 more back on the dl

 

Damn if I wasn't going to the dodger game tomorrow id go to rancho

 

Hanley to start rehab assignment on Saturday
By Austin Laymance / MLB.com | 4/26/2013 10:39 P.M. ET

LOS ANGELES -- Hanley Ramirez is nearing a return to the Dodgers, as the shortstop is scheduled to begin a Minor League rehab assignment on Saturday with Class A Rancho Cucamonga.

Ramirez wants to return to the Dodgers by Tuesday, because that's his Bobblehead Night at Dodger Stadium. But manager Don Mattingly would not give a firm date for the shortstop to be activated from the disabled list.

"Monday would be really optimistic," Mattingly said before Friday's game against the Brewers. "He hasn't played in a while."

Ramirez has yet to play this season following surgery on a torn right thumb ligament on March 22. He's been taking batting practice for over a week, and has been throwing for even longer. Ramirez will play with a new, smaller splint on Saturday to prevent him from re-injuring the ligament. He will continue to wear the splint when he returns to the Dodgers.

Mattingly said he's not concerned about Ramirez's offense. Instead, the manger wants to be sure Ramirez is comfortable throwing with the splint before the Dodgers activate him.

"He's worked really hard on his defense and I don't really want him to come back just to be back," Mattingly said. "I want him to be ready to play, and be able to play at a level that is natural, not where he has to think about throwing and how he's going to grip the ball and things like that. As soon as he's ready for that, we're ready for him."

Mattingly said Ramirez had a rough time throwing last weekend in Baltimore, but had improved by the end of a six-game road trip that ended on Thursday in New York.

"It was a huge improvement," Mattingly said. "So we're seeing strides. It's just a matter of getting where it's totally natural for him. As long as he can throw naturally, I'm willing to play him."

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Hanley impresses with bat, glove in rehab assignment
By Austin Laymance / MLB.com | 4/28/2013 9:06 P.M. ET


¿Quien es mas macho? No se, pero señor Hanley es muy manly!

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers were encouraged by Hanley Ramirez's first Minor League rehab game on Saturday and he followed it up with another strong performance Sunday. The shortstop could be back in the Majors soon.

Ramirez played six innings at shortstop with Class A Rancho Cucamonga and went 1-for-3 with two RBIs in his first game action in more than a month. He followed it up Sunday with six more innings, going 2-for-3 with a double, RBI and run scored. Ramirez is recovering from a torn ligament in his right thumb that required surgery on March 22.

Ramirez singled in his first at-bat, hit an RBI groundout in his second at-bat and added a sacrifice fly to center.

"I was honestly surprised how good his timing looked at the plate," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said before Sunday's game against the Brewers.

Mattingly said Ramirez had good footwork defensively. The former All-Star fielded five grounders and had no issues throwing. He's wearing a small splint on his thumb to prevent re-injury.

Ramirez said before his rehab assignment began that he wanted to return for the Dodgers' game against the D-backs on Tuesday, when they will give away his bobblehead at Dodger Stadium.


I see you... jerking off in the hot tub

Could the Dodgers activate Ramirez from the disabled list as soon as Monday?

"I think anything is possible with the way he looked [Saturday] night," Mattingly said. "The biggest thing is medical saying he's OK to go. At that point, if you think he's ready, do you think he's a better alternative?"

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