Dodgers Triple-A Leaves Albuquerque for Oklahoma City

Peter Guber gets a team of his own!

LOS ANGELES -- The owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers have reached an agreement to buy a stake in the Oklahoma City RedHawks, and the team will change its Triple-A affiliation to Oklahoma City next year.

The deal marks the end of the Dodgers' minor league presence in Albuquerque after 44 years. The Dodgers will continue to play in the Pacific Coast League while moving to their American Northern Division and playing at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.

The agreement announced Wednesday is part of a partnership in which Peter Guber will be executive chairman and managing director of the RedHawks, and partners Paul Schaeffer and Larry Freedman will manage the company's operations.

The trio has held similar roles as principals with Mandalay Baseball Properties LLC. Magic Johnson was a founding partner with MBP in the Dayton Dragons franchise of the Midwest League, which was recently sold.

MBP bought the Oklahoma City franchise at the end of the 2010 season. It had been affiliated with the Houston Astros.

According to Dodgers.com, Los Angeles also signed an agreement Wednesday with the Tulsa Drillers of the Texas League through the 2016 season and will move its Double-A team from Chattanooga, Tenn. I've actually been to a Tulsa Drillers game, so I'm cracking up here. Should have saved that blue hat.

I am the one who knocks (in RBIs)

The other week I stopped by Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which just happens to be home of Walter White from "Breaking Bad." Naturally, the two collided in the Topes' gift shop:

(buy here)

(buy here)

Josh Interviews Ken About the Isotopes

Meet Miracle Men Author Josh Suchon

Josh-Sue-Shawn, get it?

Albuquerque Isotopes announcer and Orel historian Josh Suchon wrote the book on the World Champion 1988 Dodgers. It's called Miracle Men: Hershiser, Gibson, and the Improbable 1988 Dodgers and is well worth a read.

Don't have it and want a signed copy? You're in luck. Suchon will be appearing at the following book signings this week:

• TODAY Monday, July 15 -- at Barney's Beanery in Santa Monica, from 5-8 pm, during the Home Run Derby
  
• Tuesday, July 16 -- at Brent's Deli in Northridge, from 11 am to 1 pm
  
• Wednesday, July 17 -- at the Barnes & Noble in Huntington Beach, from 7-8 pm
  

So get your signed copy and tell Josh the Sons sent you!

Falsone: Kevin Scanlon/LA Weekly

Post-Game 50 Thread: Isotopes Season-Ticket Sales About to Explode

BREWERS 6, DODGERS 3

The gods of baseball have frowned upon Matt Kemp.

—Vin Scully

Matt Kemp re-aggravated his left hamstring. MRI tomorrow. Clayton Kershaw gave up five earned over 5 2/3 innings. Not himself. James Loney continues to be terrible. Dodgers hit into four double plays. Lose three straight for the first time this season. In position to be swept tomorrow.

Tough road trip and interleague play await.

Well, at least the Kings won.

Dodgers Seek More Chemistry; Re-Up With Isotopes

Vin Scully will be back in 2011, and now it looks like the Albuquerque Isotopes are staying in the Dodger family for a while, too:

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- The Los Angeles Dodgers and Albuquerque Isotopes have extended their partnership through the 2012 season.

The teams made the announcement Monday.

Last season marked the Dodgers' return to affiliation with Albuquerque after an eight-year break. The Albuquerque Dukes were the Triple-A affiliate of the Dodgers from 1972 to 2000. Albuquerque was home to the Dodgers' Double-A affiliate from 1965 to 1971.

Pitching Updates

• A Ronald Belisario update from Ken Gurnick at Dodgers.com:

  Belisario seemed to escape serious injury when his elbow came up tight this week, but he still figures to miss a minimum of a month. He will meet the club in Milwaukee for the weekend to be re-examined and discuss a recovery program for the All-Star break.

• Hong-Chih Kuo's line for the Isotopes last night: 1.0 IP, 1H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0K.
• Jeff Weaver will start Saturday against the Brewers, according to Gurnick.

Manny Doesn't Spread the Love

Via True Blue LA comes this unsavory item:

Manny Ramirez, in five minor league games split between Albuquerque and Inland Empire (San Bernardino) chose not to buy the spread for either his Isotopes or 66ers teammates.

The above tidbit came in the form of a rumor spread among visiting scouts Monday night at John Thurman Field and confirmed Tuesday by a member of the Inland Empire front office staff.

That's disappointing. I was hoping Manny was just being dense and forgot about the tradition of major leaguers buying the post-game meal for their minor-league teammates, but the article specifically states he "chose not to buy." The good news is that Manny has the rest of the season to retroactively rectify this oversight.

Manny's Albuquerque Swan Song: Pre-Game

He may be off PEDs, but he hasn't stopped working out:

UPDATE: Manny cuts rehab assignment short; won't play tonight in Albuquerque (Press-Enterprise blog)

AP photos

Manny Takes Albuquerque, Day Two

A more active Manny plays second game (Dodgers.com)

Yesterday at SoSG: Manny Takes Albuquerque, Day One

AP photos

Manny in Albuquerque, Day 2: Pre-Game

Earlier at SoSG:
Manny Takes Albuquerque, Day One
Manny As an Isotope: First Look

UPDATE:
first AB: walk
second AB: groundout

UPDATE: From "Manny getting back in swing" (AP/ESPN.com):

Ramirez chased Adam Heether's double off the wall in the second before grounding out to end the third. Over his four innings, his mobility looked good and his legs showed no apparent side effects from three months off.

AP photos

Game 72 Thread: June 24 @ White Sox, 5p

MANNYWATCH: 8 GAMES
DODGERS' RECORD WITHOUT MANNY: 26-16

The Albuquerque Isotopes' mascot, Orbit.

Randy Wolf (3-2, 3.29) vs. Gavin Floyd (4-5, 4.65).

COMMENTS: Let's take a gander at the Dodgers' past five starts:

date	starter	opponent	IP	# of pitches	result
6/23	Kuroda	CHW	8 2/3	103	W
6/21	Kershaw	LAA	7	107	W
6/20	Weaver	LAA	5	66	W
6/19	Billingsley	LAA	6	112	L
6/18	Wolf	OAK	6	87	W

It's a small window shown here, but the trend of Dodger starters going deeper into games is encouraging. Hopefully Wolf can build on the improvement shown by Kershaw and Kuroda, and actually get a win this time as well. Another positive sign: The Dodgers have won seven of Wolf's past eight starts.

As with yesterday's White Sox starter John Danks, Floyd's numbers belie his strong pitching in recent outings. The Dodgers benefited from getting to Danks early, as he eventually recovered and shut them down for five innings. A similar hot start today would certainly behoove Wolf. (Of course it would. I just wanted to use the word "behoove.")

And don't forget Albuquerque. Manny Ramirez is scheduled to play five innings (a whopping 25 percent increase!) with the Isotopes tonight, starting at 6 p.m. The 'Topes set a attendance record last night, with 15,321 fans present. Just call it the Manny Effect.

The Springfield Isotopes' mascot, Dancin' Homer.

photo from the Isotopes Unofficial Web Page

Manny Takes Albuquerque, Day One

Manny makes rehab start at Triple-A (Dodgers.com)

It was an uneventful four innings for Manny in his first day as an Isotope, but his return to action is giving Dodger fans even more to look forward to. With the Dodgers going ten games over .500 during his suspension, his return coupled with the improved starting pitching should give the team a nice kick going into the All-Star break — especially since it means a three-day vacation for most of the team.

AP photos

Manny As an Isotope: First Look

first AB: K
second AB: groundout

top photo by Mark J. Rebilas/US Presswire; bottom photo; AP

Game 71 Thread: June 23 @ White Sox, 5p

MANNYWATCH: 9 GAMES
DODGERS' RECORD WITHOUT MR. RAMIREZ: 25-16

Hiroki Kuroda (1-3, 3.86) vs. John Danks (5-5, 4.48).

COMMENTS: The Dodgers may be in Chicago, but tonight all eyes will be on Albuquerque as Manny Ramirez begins his rehab assignment with the triple-A Isotopes. Do you think the 'Topes will welcome Mr. Ramirez? From the Wall Street Journal:

The team averages about 7,000 fans per game who pay on average $11 for a ticket. After news of Mr. Ramirez's arrival broke Thursday night, an Isotope official said the team sold nearly 11,000 extra tickets in two days. Mr. Ramirez has 533 Major League home runs and 1,745 RBI. The 13 hitters on the Isotopes have a combined 67 big-league homers and 377 RBI.

Free audio of the game, which starts at 6 p.m., will be available at the team's official website. The boys at True Blue LA indicate that ESPN will be showing all of Mr. Ramirez's plate appearances live as well (probably because he used to be on the Red Sox).

The official start time of the Dodgers-White Sox undercard is actually 5:11 p.m. (7:11 CT), thanks to a 2006 sponsorship deal the White Sox signed with 7-Eleven. Doesn't do us much good in the PDT — 5:11 doesn't quite have that pizazz.

Mr. Kuroda is still searching for that elusive second win after getting bit by the home run bug in his last start, against the A's. The good news is that he didn't walk any batters over six innings, and his fastball reached 95 mph. It's kind of like he's still in spring training.

Don't let Mr. Danks' numbers fool you; in his last start, against the Cubs, he threw 71 of his 99 pitches for strikes. If that isn't some kind of record, it should be. Dayum.

(Thanks to SoSG Sax for the WSJ tip!)

Manny Official for Tuesday

From Ken Gurnick at Dodgers.com:

Suspended outfielder Manny Ramirez agreed to start a Minor League rehab assignment Tuesday night at Triple-A Albuquerque, Dodgers manager Joe Torre announced Saturday. [...]

Club management is hoping he will play three games in Albuquerque, take a day off to travel to California, then resume the Minor League assignment with four games for Class A Inland Empire in final preparation for his return to the Dodgers lineup July 3.

Slight Change in Plans for Manny

From Dylan Hernandez at the LA Times:

Manny Ramirez is tentatively scheduled to return to the field on Tuesday in New Mexico, according to baseball sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the matter.

Ramirez, who is in the final weeks of a 50-game suspension for violating baseball's drug policy, will be with the Dodgers' triple-A affiliate in Albuquerque for a four-game series that runs from June 23-26. His next stop will be with Class-A Inland Empire in San Bernardino for a three-game series from June 28-30.

The left fielder will work out with the Dodgers on July 1, travel with the team to San Diego on July 2 and be in the major league lineup on July 3 for the opening game of a three-game series against the Padres.

The schedule, however, is subject to change, the sources said.

Sorry, Lake Elsinore!

" 'Topes Win! 'Topes Win!"

In recognition of DodgerTalk co-host Ken Levine and the Springfield Isotopes:

And in recognition of the Albuquerque Isotopes:

Treacherous Travel ('Topes Tattler via Dodger Thoughts)
Let's go 'Topes! (Daily News blog)