Dodger Playbill

For those that can't get out here, Meet Your Dodgers!

At-Game Recap: Preseason Game 1 Dodgers vs White Sox

Before I begin, I must sincerely thank Mrs Cora for not only agreeing to come out here, but also driving half the distance from Los Angeles.  Imagine this conversation - "Hey honey, I've got some days off of work and would like to spend some relaxing time in the sun.  How about watching baseball players practice for 4 hours then watching a game for another 3?  In addition, mamma Cora is coming along too!"  She agreed and before she could change her mind, I booked the hotel and got the tickets.  I'll post some pictures as soon as I get them off my camera, but want to write down my first impressions on my first spring training visit.

We arrived at the Camelback complex at 9 am when gates opened.  There were already a ton of people there.  I spoke with one of the security guards, and apparently ever since Sandy Koufax showed up, it has been a madhouse.  Regardless, the weather was perfect and everyone was nice.  There were all kinds of fans, from the hardcore memorabilia collectors with their binders of pictures and cards all indexed, to the long term fans proudly wearing their well worn Dodger gear, to newbies like me wide eyed with wonderment and excitement.  The grass was perfectly manicured and the gravel neatly compartmented within the concrete edges.  We milled around for about an hour, when at 10 am, the players started strolling along the path kindly saying "Good Morning" and some giving high fives to the crowd.  They ran to their stations and started their stretching and drills at the various fields.

They seem to group off and either goto batting practice, pitching drills, fielding drills, and running drills.  Throughout this whole time, the crowd can sit and dissect the players, the coaches, and even each other.   Every half hour, there is an air horn and the players switch stations, running through the throng of fans to the next station.

We had a little time to walk over to the White Sox side which was almost devoid of fans.  Nothing like the Dodger side.  So, if you are a White Sox fan, looking to get up close to the Sox, come on down to Camelback.  I don't know many of the Sox players, but some of them were signing autographs for fans before practice started.  Plus their fields aren't as blocked off as the Dodger fields are.  We then wondered the gift store and the grounds before returning to the Dodger side.

Practice ended at 12 noon and with a game at 1 pm, most of the players ran into the clubhouse.  Some stayed and kindly signed autographs.  My observations on some of the players are:

1. Adrian Gonzalez trimmed down.
2. Harang is huge.
3. Puig is solid.
4. Matt Wallach is really nice.  A little kid got an autograph from him on a ball, Wallach dropped the ball, then proceeded to dust it off before giving it back.
5. Tony Gwynn Jr is really nice as well, signing a lot of autographs.
6. Ryu looks slow coming off the mound during the cover first base drill.  HOWEVER, was really cool in that he got a handful of bubble gum from the dugout and proceeded to pass them through the fence to ecstatic little kids.  The international language of candy.

As for the game, wow, did we look bad.  You know your offense is, well, offensive, when Uribe is smashing the ball.  The good parts? They honored Leary, Cey, Yeager, Mota, Fernando, and Koufax before the game.  Hanley had a nice defensive grab ranging to his left.  Andre had that nice triple (almost stand up) off a left hander.  Puig playing the game like it is his last - rounding second and third EXTREMELY WIDE, a la a young Matt Kemp, and having to scramble back to the bag.  I actually thought the sound of the ball hitting the catcher's mitt sounded great from Kershaw and Fife.  The bad parts?  Well everything else.  Lots of donuts on that board.

I met some great fans around the complex including one with a great story that I will share as soon as I can get my pictures off my camera.  I also apologize for the misspelling,  grammar, and formatting mistakes as I'm trying to post this on my iPad.  In the meantime, its time to get to bed as I want to get out there again tomorrow for another spring training game.  Go Blue!

It's Time for Dodger Baseball!

First pitch of the season.

Spring Training Game One Thread: Is This Heaven? No, It's Arizona Cactus League

White Sox at Dodgers (12:05 AM Pacific, Camelback Ranch)

It's tiiiiime for Dodger baseball, dear SoSG readers.

I know, I know, it's only the first Spring Training game of the year. It means nothing, our key players will only get an AB or two, it's just the warm-up before the pre-warm-up, etc. But still...we have to start this season somewhere. And that somewhere is today and now.

Kemp and Crawford won't feature, but let's see what we can put together. Breaking from tradition of listing the lineup in the comments, here goes:

Ramirez 6
MEllis 4
Gonzalez 3
Ethier 9
Cruz 5
* Schumaker 8
Hairston 7
AJEllis 2
Uribe DH

Per Eric Stephen at TBLA - and complete props to him for tracking down this esoteria: "Kershaw starts...scheduled to be followed by: Matt Magill, Stephen Fife, Mark Lowe, Ronald Belisario, Kelvin De La Cruz, and Gregory Infante."

*Skip fuckin' Schumaker? That is just too weird still.

Get Well Soon, Dad!

Put this one in the category of fuck cancer. LA Times' Steve Dilbeck reports that Dad is battling prostate cancer.

Former Dodgers first base great Steve Garvey, a 10-time All-Star and 1974 National League MVP, is battling prostate cancer.

Garvey said that his prostate was removed at UCLA Medical Center in October after his cancer was diagnosed the previous month and that he now hopes to devote a considerable amount of his time to prostate cancer awareness.

Garvey, 64, made the announcement in a press release describing several personal baseball items – including his MVP trophy – that he is putting up for auction. He said 70% of the proceeds would go toward prostate cancer awareness.

All of us at SoSG wish Dad a full and completely healthy recovery!

Dodger Open House

I had the opportunity to goto the Dodger Open House last month to secure my mini plan. I know that this is a late post, but thought that I would share some pictures while also trying out this "blogger app" as these photos are forever stuck on my phone (my computer is so old, it won't let me update iTunes).

There were a whole bunch of people there and we stood on line for about an hour. After getting our tickets, we secured a free Dodger dog and sat in the Stadium Club overlooking the construction. Man, are they ever gutting that place. I'm really excited for the new look though, I just hope it is ready for opening day. Anyhow, it was nice to enjoy a Dodger Dog before the start of the season! Go Blue!

2012 Road Trip At-Game Recap: Bumping Around In Buffalo (August 12, 2012)

It's been a while since we've posted long-form content, and I'm at least partially to blame. Something about the second half of the 2012 season just left such a bitter taste that I honestly just couldn't get back to writing. And it's a pity, because arguably that was the time that Dodger fans most needed an outlet to cheer and boo and raise a hullabaloo. Or at least another glass of scotch.

Getting crushed at work didn't help much, either.

But hey, it's the spring, time for rebirth and renewal. And as I'm doing a bit of spring cleaning, I realized that I never finished this photo post which documented another one of my baseball roadtrips last year. This time, I caught the Buffalo Bisons as they hosted the Pawtucket Red Sox, back on August 12, 2012.

The Bisons were the triple-A affiliate of the Mets, before leaving that trainwreck to become the triple-A affiliate of the Blue Jays this year. The Bisons didn't have a good year in 2012, finishing 16.5 games out under the hand of manager Wally Bachman. But they did win this game 9-3, which can be attributed to my inspirational attendance at the game.

I have been by Buffalo's baseball stadium about two dozen times (don't ask), and it's always striking; there isn't much else in Buffalo anyway, and it casts a big shadow off the Niagara Thruway (I-190). This was the first time the stars aligned for me to attend a game, however, and I was pretty stoked for the opportunity (it was either this or another evening at the Anchor Bar). So I fended off the sprinkles and bought one solo ticket to the game.

My ticket to the game: $11.50, day of game.

The electronic marquee outside the stadium, which was roughly the size of my living room television.

Entering on Swan Street.

Empty concourses. And I mean empty.

So empty, in fact, that they can put sandwichboard signs right in the middle of the aisles that don't say "piso mojado".

The sign-up table for Buster's Kids Club. I tried to sign up SoSG Dusty Baker, but he was already on their "do not call" list.

My seats. Great view, right underneath the awning (a point which became critical as rain started to fall later).

Not exactly a packed house.

My dinner, a beef on weck sandwich (which was horrible).  Thank god for the beer, already safely placed in the cupholder to my right.

More mascots.  Very creepy.

Not exactly DiamondVision, but Matt Den Dekker was still probably pretty stoked to have his huge mug up there.

Ballpark starts to fill a little bit. Note the between-innings hokey games being played by fans. I love it!

Streaks of sunlight on the field.

Watching a baseball game between two minor league teams about which you don't really care is hilariously sedate, and only recommended with quick access to beer. It gives one a chance to just soak it all in and appreciate all that baseball has to offer on a pleasant outdoor evening. I loved hearing the Beastie Boys' "Intergalactic" snippet when the ball dropped in left center for a leadoff double in the bottom of the second. I enjoyed sipping my beers in peace and quiet. I caught up on a couple of emails. And I reazlied how incredibly homogenous the crowd was (which was a little bit frightening).

Guy with conehead selling beer. I'm sure this was hip back in the late 1970s.

Conehead guy, coming closer. Stand very still, very...still...

A whole new Blue!  (Labatt's #2 of the evening.)

The beer man-turned-sidekick. Can't anyone just sell me a beer without a creepy costume?!

Not exactly where I would want to spend my 51st birthday, but if it works for John Bernard, that's cool. Everyone at third base, excluding Juan Uribe, celebrated.

Another shot of creepy female mascot.

Guess who that is? Mark Prior, former USC and Chicago Cubs phenom! How...sad! (Prior came on in the fourth inning.)

At this point it was time to walk around the stadium and do a tour, if nothing else but to go to that bar porch in right field (which was cool, but swarmed by bees).

Heading over to right field.

The scene from the right field porch. Not coming back for swimsuit night.

An abandoned portable beer stand with that pour-from-the-bottom-of-the-cup technology! So Buffalo's got that.

Upon leaving, a horde of angry hungry folks at the Sweet Spot. I chose to run rather than risk being covered in hot fudge sauce and eaten.

In conclusion: cold evening, tepid sandwich, creepy mascots, multiple beers, no bee stings, and all in all, a good time with the Buffalo Bisons. I'm looking forward to my 2013 roadtrips. And more long-form content contributions, as well.

Ryu Already A Winner (In Clubhouse Chopsticks Competition)

Hyun-Jin Ryu seems to be settling in just fine with the Dodgers, writes Yahoo Sports' Tim Brown, despite the translation difficulties, due to help from Dodger great Sandy Koufax:

With some effort, then, Ryu covered the ground required to throw his first live batting practice of the spring and therefore with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who 2½ months ago sprung for the $36 million contract on top of the $25.7 million posting fee for Ryu. And he was fine. It's February and, generally speaking about February, as long as a pitcher's arm does not fly from his shoulder, spin like a copter blade and take out Tommy Lasorda, the day is at best – and worst – fine.

The stone-faced Dodgers lined the back of the batting cage to watch, from Don Mattingly to Mark McGwire to Sandy Koufax and others, and afterward agreed the kid had some life in that arm, some deception in that delivery and some more than reasonable pitches. Later, Mattingly said Ryu reminded him in some ways – body shape, ease of delivery – of David Wells, the old doughy-bodied lefty with the easy delivery. And that, too, would be fine, though it is way too early to know what Ryu might remind people of come, say, April.

The good part in all this, in a camp of great expectations where you can't fling a pitcher's arm without taking out a star player or two, Ryu seems to be adjusting. When he was done throwing his 40 pitches, Ryu was met by pitching coach Rick Honeycutt and led into a quick meeting with Koufax, not far from where the golf cart fiasco had occurred. In his soft voice, which was translated for Ryu, Koufax, in about three minutes, taught Ryu a new grip for his curve ball.

Koufax advised Ryu to grip the baseball, which is slicker in the U.S. than it is in South Korea, deeper in his hand. The message seemed to be less thumb-push and more natural tumble, and then Koufax slowly guided the ball with his right hand over his left forefinger. They'd work on it, Koufax told Ryu, if he wanted to in Ryu's next bullpen session. Ryu responded with something between a nod and a bow and then Koufax went off to fix something else.

But wait, it gets better:

But Ryu has a coy and easy way about him, perhaps not so tightly wound as some others. Also, he wears very cool aviator shades and holds a pingpong paddle in that fingers-down way Americans ferry dirty diapers. And, in this goofy clubhouse game in which players transferred small spongy balls from one fishbowl to another using chopsticks, Ryu won. Going away.

Somewhere, Chan Ho Park mulls a comeback.

(Meanwhile, Dylan Hernandez thinks Ryu is fat.)

Yeager Horning in on Garvey's Skateboarding Dog

When the email subject has the words "skateboarding dog" in it, you listen:

Skateboard​ing Dog Tillman Joins Former Dodger Steve Yeager at Jersey Mike’s

Tillman “The World's Fastest Skateboarding Dog” and his posse are taking over former Los Angeles Dodgers, Steve Yeager’s, Jersey Mike’s Sub Shop in Granada Hills, in this Friday’s episode of “Who Let The Dogs Out”, presented by Petco and Natural Balance, on the Hallmark Channel.

While Tillman’s owner and assistant participate in a sub making competition, customers and fans watching the epic battle are able to enter for a chance to win a year supply of Natural Balance pet food, plus, mingle with and get autographs from Dodger-greats including Steve, Yeager, Steve Garvey, Al Ferrera, Bill Russell and Tim Leary. Atatched are pictures of Tillman with Steve Yeager. Tillman is an L.A. resident, so I’d be happy to arrange a conversation with Tillman’s owner if that is of interest.

Would you be willing to share this with your readers or on your Twitter/Facebook encouraging your audience to tune-in to check out some of the city’s most notable former Dodgers featured on “Who Let the Dogs Out,” and also join the conversation on Twitter with @NaturalBalance using #TillmanTV for a chance to win prizes during our live viewing party. The show will air this Friday from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET on Hallmark Channel.

I guess Steve Garvey isn't the only one hanging with Tillman. I like how Tillman is billed as the world's fastest skateboarding dog — apparently there's a lot of competition among skateboarding dogs. Well, it's a skateboarding dog-eat-skateboarding dog world out there.

Dodgers Unveil New Slogan

Molly Knight, Spinner

God bless Molly Knight. Not only can she spin a yarn, but her focus on Los Angeles sports also allowed her to describe what Dodgers Javy Guerra and Luis Cruz are spinning, as well:

Javy Guerra
Pitcher, Dodgers
"Son de la Negra," Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitl�n
As told to Molly Knight

My parents are Mexican, and our fan base is pretty heavily populated with Hispanics, so it is really cool to run out to something and have everyone just be really loud. The first time I ran out to "Son de la Negra," I stepped on the mound and looked up at the Jumbotron and saw a whole bunch of fans dancing around in sombreros. And I thought, Wow. Damn. This is fun.

Everyone has embraced my song, and I get so much love from the fans for it. They're just really proud. They tell me they can't believe I used it and how they're really proud I've honored my heritage.

I don't want to change my song, because everyone embraces it, but I might because I have a different role this year. Now that I am no longer the closer and I won't be coming into the game in the ninth inning, I feel like I can mix it up a little bit. I really like Mumford & Sons right now -- their energy is awesome. I love their loudness and their aliveness. It's unreal.

Luis Cruz
Third base, Dodgers
Various Latin songs
As told to Molly Knight

I'm a Mexican guy, and my music helps me remember home. When I'm in the clubhouse or on the way to the ballpark, singing helps me forget. I like a lot of U.S. music, but it's important to me to play music from my culture when I'm playing. I asked all my fans on Twitter what I should choose, and they picked my song for me. Honestly, I think they're more into me because my music makes them feel like I'm one of them. They always try to hug me, and they tell me it makes them remember home.

A lot of fans here are from my area in Sonora, Mexico, too, so it's special. I choose music from there, and it feels good to have that connection. And all of the fans seem to like the Latin music even if they don't know what they're singing.

David Ortiz, Michael Young, and Yoenis Cespedes are also mentioned in the piece. But it's the Dodgers' coverage which is the best!

Catching Up With Former Dodger Shane Victorino

Wonder whatever happened to that .245 BA, .667 OPS (OPS+ 85) player we rented for 50ish games last season? You remember? The Mortifyin' Hawaiian?

Oh, this must be it (from the Feb 18 2013 issue of ESPN the Mag).

Nice job, Shane!

(But not as good as this, by any means:

Look Who's Back in Dodger Blue

SANDY KOUFAX!

4: via @camelbackranch

RIP, Dr. Jerry Buss

Thank you, Dr. Buss, for bringing respectability to sports in Los Angeles.

From "Jerry Buss: A true sports visionary" by Ramona Shelburne at ESPNLA.com:

From the day he bought the team from Cooke, the Lakers were a family-run organization. Buss and his family ran the team -- his six children all have roles within the organization now -- but everyone who either played or worked for the franchise became a part of the extended family. The stories of Buss' generosity and kindness are legendary around the league.

Rasheed Hazzard, whose father Walt Hazzard played for the Lakers in the mid-1970s and later worked for them as an adviser, said Buss not only kept his father on the payroll after he suffered a catastrophic stroke in 1996, he assured him he would always be a Lakers employee for as long as he owned the team.

"He stood by his word," Rasheed Hazzard said. "When my dad passed away [in 2011] he was still an employee of the Lakers and our family is eternally grateful. Without him we would have lost our father in more ways than can be described."

graphic via EPSNLA

Boy to Man

From "Yasiel Puig, Eddie Oropesa: In Dodgers camp they're perfect match" by Bill Plaschke at the LA Times:

Puig, 22, needed a baby sitter. Oropesa, 41, needed a final triumph in a game that once broke his heart. It was a match made in the imagination of Watson and scouting director Logan White, who arranged for the pairing late last summer when they realized that Puig's rough edges could risk not only the Dodgers' huge investment, but their foreign-market credibility.

"It's about cultural assimilation," says Watson. "We needed someone to help Puig grow."

When Puig was signed in June, he was so unaware of American baseball, he didn't know the Dodgers' colors were blue and white. He had not played in the Cuban league in more than a year as punishment for an earlier attempt to defect. Despite an oversized contract that the Dodgers handed him as a statement for all Latin American prospects, he remained, by most accounts, lonely and confused.

Oropesa knew the feelings. As a 22-year-old Cuban pitcher, he defected in full uniform by leaping a fence behind home plate before a game in Buffalo, N.Y. His wife and family were punished, prevented from leaving Cuba for three years. His potential star career began with a distracted start from which it only scarcely recovered, as he ended it with an 8-4 record over four major league seasons.

"What Puig is going through now, the same thing happened to me 20 years ago," Oropesa says. "I want him to learn from me."

Glad to see the Dodgers are protecting their investment. Now, does Justin Sellers get an accountablity partner too?

Early Images from Spring Training: Kemp

Our own rbnlaw checked in today with pictures from Spring Training. I liked this one of Beastmode. He appears lighter than last season (confirmed by this LA Times piece from Saturday).

Two Bats Are Better Than One

Keep those pics coming, rbn (and other SoSG readers)!

Image courtesy rbnlaw

Piazza Digging Deeper Hole

UPDATE: Click here for video due to autoplay.

Via Steve Dilbeck at the LA Times comes video of the interview in which Mike Piazza claims Vin Scully was unhappy with him. Let the evidence show Piazza is an asswipe. Who knew Paul Lo Duca would be the Dodger-turned-Met catcher back in the fold at Dodger Stadium?