Curious Roster Moves...

The Braves 3 game sweep of the Dodgers this weekend continues the clubs free fall into the basement of the National League.  So rather than dwell on the many faults of this team, I address the latest roster move made today.  I sometimes wonder if Ned Colletti really wants to turn this franchise’s fortunes around.  Today’s decision to send Tim Federowicz back to Albuquerque with the return of Mark Ellis to the roster is about as perplexing a move as can be imagined.

Instead, the Dodgers kept Ramon Hernandez and Luis Cruz on the roster.

Tim Federowicz started on Saturday, sent back to Albuquerque on Sunday. (photo by Jayne Kamin Oncea/US Presswire)

Federowicz has been playing well.  An excellent defensive backstop and solid bat off the bench.  The presence of Fedex has been a welcome sight as the Dodgers have been able to afford pinch hitting him with another catcher on the roster.  That additional backstop, Hernandez, has underperformed with the bat (.045 BA) and is so weak defensively that the club is reluctant to have him catch such players as Ronald Belisario, as he’s had difficulty handling pitches with a lot of movement.

Luis Cruz is having the worst offensive season in Dodger history, and of late, his lapses defensively have now cost the team games.  His poor performance his been discussed continuously and his value to the ball club is nil at the moment.  With Nick Punto, Dee Gordon, Juan Uribe, Skip Schumacher and now Mark Ellis on the roster, it isn’t as if the Dodgers are short of infield help off the bench.

What this all possibly comes down to is: 1) Fedex has minor league options, 2) Cruz and Hernandez do not, 3) the club is desperate to produce a player from Mexico, (Cruz), as a marketing tool.  To number #2, I say, “so what?”  What is there to fear?  That another club picks them up?  If that happened, it would be borderline miraculous and it wouldn’t make a bit of a difference to the Dodgers because they’d be making outs with another franchise.  If number 3 holds any water I find that unfortunate as I find it hard to believe that the club would jeopardize the franchises success for those purposes.

Cruz is so lost at the plate and his approach is a mess.  If he isn’t popping up on the first pitch he sees, he’s grounding into a double play with it.  I can’t recall a worse hitter ever in the Dodger system and that’s saying a lot, because they’ve had there share of duds over the years.

Maybe they’re just delaying the inevitable and Cruz will be DFA’d or placed on the phantom disabled list when Jerry Hairston Jr. returns.  Still, why delay the inevitable and  put the club in a weaker position?  I know management thinks highly of Cruz.  He’s a nice guy and someone that was quite an inspiration to the team last year, but reality has spoken.  2012 was a fluke.  He’s not a player of major leaguer caliber and it’s time to cut bait and move forward.

Another Bruising Defeat

Does it get any lower than this?

Two very winnable games handed at Atlanta.  The bullpen ace blowing it tonight and a porous defense the night before.  Chris Capuano pitched an inspiring 7 1/3 innings only to see it all go up in smoke when the first batter Jansen faces (pinch hitter Evan Gattis) homers to left.

Chris Capuano deserved a better fate (photo by John Bazemore/Atlanta Journal Constitution)

Fundamentals.  Simple baseball fundamentals.  They are supposed to be known by players on the big league level.  The Dodgers failures to adhere to basic fundamentals is costing this team games.  Do we blame the coaching staff for that?  How in the world can Dee Gordon be sacrificed to second, when he can steal it alone.  Then he makes the third out at third base by making an ill advised attempted steal of third with Matt Kemp at the plate.

That was pathetic in my view, but so goes the 2013 season so far.  The only thing missing was someone didn’t land on the disabled list tonight.

Any good news? 

Capuano, who looked crest-fallen by the implosion in the 8th.

Most of the bullpen was rested.

Not much else.  Oh yeah, Mark Ellis played 7 innings of injury free ball at Chattanooga. (0 for 3, a walk, a strikeout, a run scored and he turned two double plays).  Maybe he returns to the squad tomorrow and the club can release Luis Cruz.

The Dodgers collected two hits on the night in a masterpiece pitched by Kris Medlen.  The Braves go for the sweep tomorrow against Matt Magill.  Can we have some offense infused into the lineup tomorrow?  Perhaps a start by Scott Van Slyke would do some good.  This is brutal folks!

35 Years Ago...A Rant for the Ages.

I’m kicking myself for missing the anniversary.  I knew it was coming up, but for some reason, I failed to mark May 14^th on my calendar.  Shame on me.

35 years ago on May 14,1978,  Dodger manager Tom Lasorda blew a gasket.

It was the epic Dave Kingman tirade that will forever be remembered as the”opinion of Kingman’s performance” rant.  It was Mother’s Day, 1978.  The Dodgers, the defending N.L. champions and sitting a half game back of the San Francisco Giants at the time with an 18-13 record were facing a mediocre Chicago Cubs team that was 15-15 going into the final game of a three game weekend series at Dodger Stadium.

Tommy argues point with umpire Lee Weir.  Classic photo by by Leo Jarzomb (courtesy of Los Angeles Public Library)

This Dodger team was stocked with talent.  The historic infield with Garvey, Lopes, Cey and Russell was intact.  Dusty Baker and Reggie Smith were in their full prime covering the corner outfield slots.  There was a solid pitching staff with Sutton, Hooton, John, Rau and Rhoden in place.  Up and coming stars like Bob Welch emerged.  The bench was solid with Mota and Davilillo serving as a valuable righty/lefty pinch hitting tandem and Lee Lacy was a super sub.

The Cubs?  Their only .300 hitter was former Dodger Bill Buckner.  They weren’t the worst hitting team in the league, but there wasn’t much to write home about with this team that finished the year with 79 wins.  Only one of their starting five had a record over .500 that year.    But they had “Kong” that year.  “Kong” as in “King Kong” Dave Kingman.

Kingman was 29 years old and a major league veteran of seven years.  He could hit the ball a country mile, but if he didn’t, he’d strike out in memorable fashion.  Signed as a free agent in the off season, Kingman had spent the 1977 season wearing four uniforms in one year.

He started ‘77 as a New York Met,  only to be traded to the San Diego Padres on June 15^th for Bobby Valentine.  The Padres released him in September and he was claimed by the Angels who had him on their roster for nine days before trading him to the Yankees on September 15^th.    As a Yankee he played in eight games, hitting four homers for the eventual World Series champs, but as a late season acquisition he wasn’t eligible for post season play.  He got a World Series ring (the only one of his career) through 8 games of contributions to the Yanks as he homered in his first three games in pinstripes.

Of course, when the season ended, Kingman was granted his free agency and the Cubs snatched him up.

That leads us to May 14, 1978.  Kingman entered the game hitting .221, with 4 homers and 10 RBI.  His “performance” that day came close to doubling those numbers on the season.  It was an epic display of power.  Three homers, 8 RBI,  3 runs, 4 hits, 1 walk, 13 Total bases.  The Cubs scored 10 runs and he accounted for 8 of them.  The kicker in all this was that the Dodgers nearly won this game, but Kingman tied it up in the 9^th with a two run homer off of Mike Garman.  Then in extra frames, in the 15^th inning he hit a three run shot off of Rick Rhoden, which proved to be the game winner.

It was a five hour marathon that left both teams pitching staffs depleted.    Each team used up 21 players in the afternoon affair.  Rhoden was scheduled to start the next day, and he had to be used as the Dodgers ran out of pitchers.

Lasorda argues with Frank Pulli in the '78 World Series after Reggie Jackson stuck his hip into a throw from SS Bill Russell. (AP photo)

So it wasn’t a pleasant site in the Dodger manager’s office after the game.

Paul Olden, a young writer for the Associated Press, was covering the Dodgers at the time.  Their exchange went as follows:

Olden: Can you give us just a few basic comments about your feelings on the game?

Lasorda: Well, naturally I feel bad about losing a ball game like that, there's no way you should lose that ball game. An', it, uh, just doesn't make sense.

Olden: What's your opinion of Kingman's performance?

Lasorda: What's my opinion of Kingman's performance!? What the BLEEP do you think is my opinion of it? I think it was BLEEPING BLEEP. Put that in, I don't BLEEP. Opinion of his performance!!? BLEEP, he beat us with three BLEEPING home runs! What the BLEEP do you mean, "What is my opinion of his performance?" How could you ask me a question like that, "What is my opinion of his performance?" BLEEP, he hit three home runs! BLEEP. I'm BLEEPING pissed off to lose that BLEEPING game. And you ask me my opinion of his performance! BLEEP. That's a tough question to ask me, isn't it? "What is my opinion of his performance?"

Olden: Yes, it is. I asked it, and you gave me an answer...

Lasorda: Well, I didn't give you a good answer because I'm mad, but I mean...

Olden: Well, is wasn't a good question...

Lasorda: That's a tough question to ask me right now, "What is my opinion of his performance." I mean, you want me to tell you what my opinion of his performance is...

Olden: You just did...

Lasorda: That's right. BLEEP. Guy hits three home runs against us. BLEEP.

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Where are they now?  

Paul Olden is the public address announcer for the New York Yankees, having replaced their legendary P.A. announcer Bob Sheppard.  Following his writing gig in the late 70s, Olden, an L.A. native (Dorsey High and LA City College grad) became involved in sports broadcasting, doing play by play for numerous teams in several sports including the Tampa Bay Rays, Philadephia Eagles, California Angels, Los Angeles Rams, New York Jets and the New Jersey Nets.  He was the NFL’s PA announcer at 12 different Super Bowls before landing the Yankee position that he currently works.

Dave Kingman is retired from baseball and lives off the shores of Lake Tahoe on the Nevada side.   His 16 year major league career ended in 1986 with 442 lifetime homers and a .236 batting average.  Always a reclusive type during his playing days.  Kingman now appears periodically at card shows and has been very giving to his fans in retirement, something that was seldom seen while he was an active player.  When I met Kingman at a minor league event in Stockton, CA in 2011, I asked him what his opinion of Lasorda's performance was when he pitched to him that day.  He didn't answer, he just chuckled and signed the baseball I had handed him for signature.

Tommy Lasorda remains with the Dodgers as Special Assistant to the Chairman.  He has come to poke fun at his Kingman tirade.  For years it was a sore subject to him.  Now, he can talk about it.  "I'm not proud of it...when that guy talked to me, I was as low and depressed and dejected as you can get.  I mean, we lose the game in 15 innings, I have to go into my starting pitchers, and it knocked the daylights out of me.  Then this guy comes in at the very moment I sat down and asked me 'what is your opinion?'  So I proceeded to tell him what my opinion was."   He later said, "I ran into Paul (Olden) a few times when he was announcing for Tampa Bay.  I told him you didn't do anything wrong.  I was the guy who did something wrong.  Eventually it got all over the country and I think now it's in Japanese."

The Former Giant Players Keep Marching In

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Jonathan Sanchez pitching for the Royals last year, may soon be wearing Dodger blue as the injuries continue to mount with the Dodger pitching staff.

Juan Uribe, Kurt Ainsworth, Jason Scmidt, Jose Cruz, Ramon Martinez, Bill Mueller, Brett Tomko, Shea Hilenbrand, Mark Sweeney, Roberto Hernandez, Shawn Estes, Jack Taschner, Russ Ortiz, Justin Miller and Eugenio Velez.  Most names you are familiar with as members of the hated rivals up north.  They also have another thing in common as they each signed contracts with the Dodger organization sometime in their careers.  All these former Giant players were signed by Ned Colletti since he came over to the Dodgers to start the 2006 season.  That’s 15 guys, and I’m not counting Jeff Kent, as he was a DePodesta signing, though Colletti extended his contract later.  So make it 16.

Ned Colletti continues his fixation with all things orange and black by signing Jonathan Sanchez to a minor league contract today.  Sanchez, released by the Pirates this year for overall ineffectiveness, will report to Albuquerque and join the Isotopes rotation this week.

Never has there been a former Giant that Colletti won’t take a serious look at.  Sanchez has been worse than awful the past two season, going 0-12 with a 9.12 ERA.  Always on the wild side, is it possible that Dodger coaching can fix this guy?  Let’s hope so because Josh Beckett just landed on the D.L. with a groin injury today just as Zack Greinke came off of it.

That Dodger pitching staff, starting the year at Camelback Ranch with nine starters is now down to two guys that haven't been victim to significant injury so far, and it's May 15th.  Casualties include Ted Lilly, Chad Billingsley, Stephen Fife, Chris Capuano, Zack Greinke, and now Beckett.  The only guys staying relatively healthy have been Kershaw, and Ryu.  That’s an incredible string of rotten luck.

In all honesty, I'm sort of relieved that Beckett has been diagnosed with injury.  He hasn't been right since that CG loss at Arizona early in the season.  An injury explains his sub par performances.  Hoping he heals up and returns at 100%.

In all honesty I can’t remember a team smitten with so many injuries as the 2013 Dodgers.  When you consider that the season is only 38 games old, there has to be some sort of record being set here.

The Dodgers certainly aren't out of the woods on the injury front.  I watch tonight's game with some trepidation because it is quite the story to see Greinke returning from a fractured collarbone that was quite extensive in a matter of a little more than four weeks.  This is a crucial start and if Greinke falls back to injury, be looking for the Dodgers to reach deep into AA and call up someone like Zack Lee well before he's fully prepped for the big leagues.

Clayton Masterful, 132 Pitches Thrown, One Strike Short of Shutout

In a commanding performance, Clayton Kershaw overcame the narrow strike zone of home plate umpire Ted Barrett who was reluctant to calls strikes to pitches the Dodger ace delivered on the black.  Throwing what was a career high 132 pitches on the night, Kershaw came within one strike of pitching his 8th career shutout, but it wasn’t to be.

After battling in the first inning, throwing 29 pitches and loading the bases before retiring the side, it looked like tonight was going to be a short outing for Kershaw.  However, the Dodger ace persevered.  Striking out the side in the 2nd, and the next two in the third.  By the end of the third frame, Clayton had recorded his 7th strikeout on the night.

Clayton Kershaw discusses balk call made by first base umpire Alfonso Marquez, during the third inning of tonight's action.  (photo by Reed Saxon/AP)

This was a Fernandoesque performance.  A lot of pitches thrown.  Hitters swinging and missing and looking lost up there a lot.  Kershaw’s curveball befuddling Nat hitters as Fernando’s screwball had batters swinging and missing from the heels.  Much like Valenzuela, Kershaw wasn’t getting much offensive help tonight as opposing starter Dan Haren was on his game.  It was shut ‘em out or lose tonight, and Clayton knew it.

When the Dodgers scratched across two runs in the bottom of the third, (with Kershaw scoring the first after being hit by a pitch), it almost felt like the Clayton had been handed five runs.  There was no way he was going to give one up tonight.

With the same 2-0 score in the 8th inning, Manager Don Mattingly made the most gutsy managerial move I remember him making.  He allowed Kershaw to hit for himself in the bottom of the 8th after he had already thrown 111 pitches on the night.  Frankly, had I been in his position, I probably would have removed him from the game.  It was a surprising move as Don usually goes by the book, but perhaps his decision was influenced by a few factors.

First, Kershaw had been masterful and he deserved a shot at the shutout.  It was his game to lose.  The only player that had hit him on the night, (3 for 3 Ryan Zimmerman), was coming up first.  But even if he homered, Clayton would still maintain the lead.  He was due to get him out.

Next, the Dodger bullpen has been inconsistent and is by no means something in which to have confidence.  Mattingly also wants his shell-shocked pen to get some rest.  They certainly needed it after Beckett lasted only three innings the night before.

Lastly, though Mattingly has claimed that Brandon League is still his closer, there appears to be a "closer controversy" in place.   By letting Kershaw finish, he was avoiding the inevitable questions about who his real closer is.  Unfortunately for Don, he was forced to show his hand and let the world know who he considers as his current closer now.

Obviously Kershaw was laboring in the 9th as Zimmerman took him to the right field warning track and Ian Desmond followed taking him to the left field track.  Both came within an eyelashing of homering.  With Adam LaRoche up next, the Nat first baseman worked the count full and fouled off pitch after pitch.  

Pitch number 125, 126, 127, 128 was delivered.  Unable to put the left-handed slugger away, Kershaw came close as LaRoche’s  6th swing in the at bat resulted in a foul tip that catcher A.J. Ellis was unable to cleanly handle.  The crowd reacted with exhuberance, thinking the strikeout was in hand, but it wasn’t to be.  Three fouls followed and then LaRoche zinged Kershaw’s 132nd pitch of the night to centerfield, a line drive single.

Clayton was spent.  Done for the night.  though a few boo-birds were heard as Mattingly removed the Dodger ace from the game, they were obviously coming from unknowledgeable fans.  132 pitches in this day’s game is pretty much uncharted territory.  It is seen as borderline insanity and a recipe for injury.  Kershaw had given it all on the field.  He would have had the CG with a bit more charity from his home plate umpire, but it wasn’t to be.

In came the Dodgers new closer, Kenley Jansen.  He retired his lone hitter of the night on strikes.  Game over.  Kershaw the winner.  Good ol’ country hardball at the Ravine tonight.  It’s nice to have a legitimate ace.

Kershaw to the Rescue, Dodger Southpaw Surpasses 1,000 Innings Pitched Tonight

It’s always a relief to have your ace toeing the rubber every fifth game.  In the case of the Dodgers, no matter how bad the team is, you know that Kershaw gives them a pretty good chance at victory, no matter who the opponent is.

Today after retiring his first out of the game, Clayton will have completed 1,000 innings pitched of major league ball.  I addressed this two starts ago, but Clayton ranks in the top ten in major league history in K/9IP, WHIP, strikeouts, and WAR.  Link to April 28th post HERE

All modern sabermetric stats used to measure a pitchers effectiveness far beyond what a Win/Loss record and ERA can do.

I have a sneaking feeling that we as Dodger fans will learn to appreciate Clayton this year more than ever.  As much as the Dodgers have locked up some of the young position players to long term deals, it’s time for them to lock up the best pitcher they’ve had in the organization since Koufax and Drysdale.

As I write this piece, Clayton just recorded his first out of the game, a strikeout.  That’s 1,031 strikeouts in 1,000 innings pitched. What an amazing pitcher the Dodgers have in this left hander.  And he's an extraordinary human being as well.  As Tommy so aptly put it a few years back, "To the T.V.!!!"

Monday Night Game Time Musings

I’m still not convinced things have turned around.  Winning two of three from the lowly Marlins isn’t anything to get excited about, but it’s a start.  Now if they take this series from the Nationals, I might feel differently.  

79% of the season has yet to be played.  What the ball club needs to do is not pay any attention to the standings.  Just go out there and pay attention to the cliches.  Play one game at a time and get the winning ways moving forward.  Standing at six games under .500, the first benchmark goal should be to get over the break even mark, from there, picking off each team ahead of them little by little.

‘Tommy Lasorda used to tell his team to try to gain a game in the standings each week.  It’s a reasonable approach to take in those marathon season these teams play.  These guys just need to stay within striking distance for when everyone returns from injury.

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With Josh Beckett pitching tonight.  Expect a three and a half to four hour game.  He's the second coming of the human rain delay.

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I don’t know about you, but the Adrian Gonzalez injury is a concern.  He hurts when he runs, fields, throws, and catches.  The only time he isn’t in pain is while he swings the bat, which explains his .350+ batting average since the injury, but necks are fickle things and tough to heal.  Let’s hope that the training staff can work some magic and get that thing under control so he can be 100% healthy again.

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I find it annoying that the Dodgers play the opening notes of Beethoven's 5th Symphony every time a pitcher strikes someone out.  That is it supposed to mean?  Do the opening notes spell some sort of doom for the opposing offense?  Get rid of the track, it's already worn out its welcome.

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I mentioned it, ad nauseum, over at the TBLA.com message board, but I'll say it again.  If fans had their way and Brandon League was removed from the closer's spot, that won't necessarily mean things will improve.  Jansen needs to be inserted into the game at the most crucial spot for the best relief pitcher.  That doesn't always equate to the ninth inning to close out the game.  Just my opinion.

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I guess the Dodgers had no choice, but on their website they announce that they have eight players on the All Star ballot, and one of the players noted is .088 hitting Luis Cruz.  I guess it would be a little too obvious if they failed to mention Cruz amongst the other seven players.  What an embarrassment Cruz has turned out to be.

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Today at work I received some inter-office correspondence in two sealed secure envelopea.  Marked as confidential and “to be opened only by addressee.”    I was curious what it was.  Double sealed as if it contained a confidential file or a series of safe combinations that are required to be secured.  After opening the second envelope I found this

Smart aleck Giants fan, highlighted the Dodgers last place position in the standings and wrote, "This is what $240 million gets you."    I long for the day that the earth returns to it’s proper axis and the Dodgers are back where they belong in first place.  This is brutal!  And I can't even address it 'cuz it was sent anonymously.