Welcome to Spring Training
by Eric Stephen on Feb 20, 2010 11:52 AM PST
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Today is the first day that Dodger pitchers and catchers report to spring training at Camelback Ranch, officially kicking off the 2010 baseball campaign. You can smell the excitement in the air.
Dodger VP of Communications Josh Rawitch reports that Eric Gagne is in camp wearing his old number 38, leaving Ramon Troncoso to switch to 67, at least for the spring.
Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times' Dodger blog had a nice story yesterday about the dwindling number of full-time traveling beat reporters covering the Dodgers, focusing on Dylan Hernandez and Ken Gurnick:
Only Hernandez and Gurnick, who was previously a Dodgers beat writer for several area newspapers, now cover the team on a daily basis. This season Tony Jackson, formerly of the Daily News, will cover home games for ESPN.com/Los Angeles and make selected road trips.
In the age of Twitter, following spring training is easier than ever before, as many reporters use Twitter as an outlet for short bursts of information, in addition to breaking news. In the last 24 hours, via Twitter, we found out:
- Jamey Carroll, Reed Johnson, Xavier Paul, Chin-Lung Hu, and "a beardless Casey Blake" are among the position players reporting early (via Hernandez -- @dylanohernandez on Twitter). Rawitch also mentioned Jason Repko and Ivan DeJesus are in camp too.
- Manny Ramirez actually came to camp Friday (via Gurnick -- @kengurnick)
- Casey Blake offered his opinion on the Phillies: "I have a lot of respect for Halladay, but I don't feel they got a ton better because they lost Cliff [Lee]." (via Jeff Fletcher of AOL -- @JeffFletcherAOL)
- Juan Castro reported to Phillies camp still with his Dodger equipment bag, saying "I gotta figure out what to do with it." (via Matt Gelb on the Philadelphia Inquirer -- @magelb)
You can follow True Blue LA on Twitter as well. We are @truebluela.
Do you have plans for spring training? Let us know in the comments. I will be there from March 18-21.
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Dylan Hernandez drops more miscellany via Twitter:
Russell Martin said he weighs 231 pounds; he said he weighed 206-207 pounds when he reported to camp last year
and
Casey Blake said he shaved his beard out of frustration because his last duck hunt of the off-season didn’t go well.
I never knew Blake played old school Nintendo.
I had hoped
to head over to Glendale today to see some of the players report in to camp but when I woke up and looked out the window it was raining here in the valley of the sun. I wonder if any of the players were working out outside.
Maybe informally…first scheduled workout is tomorrow.
Perhaps batting cages are the bulk of it today. Not sure.
by Eric Stephen on Feb 20, 2010 12:55 PM PST up reply actions
Jeff Fletcher of AOL had a curious choice of words here:
Gagne looked alarmingly slender as he stood in the Dodgers clubhouse on Saturday, the day before the first official workout for pitchers and catchers. He said he’s lost 10 to 12 pounds because of a “crazy workout” program to help prevent further back trouble.
Kate Moss: alarmingly slender. Olsen Twins: alarmingly slender. Lara Flynn Boyle: alarmingly slender. Eric Gagne?
Joshua Fisher at Dodger Divorce has put up a couple figures/tables from Jamie McCourt’s latest court filings. The McCourt organization chart is interesting. The Dodgers are actually owned by Big Brother Frank and the LA Holding Company? Take another piece of my heart now Jamie.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
@washingnats: RHP Kris Benson would love to be a mentor for #Nats RHP Stephen Strasburg.
First, avoid having a slutty wife….
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
yeah, don’t do anything kris benson did as a #1 pick
I'm nobody's fool, least of all yours
by BoulderDodger on Feb 20, 2010 10:55 PM PST up reply actions
Im gonna give you
a list of things that you should do. This is what I did……don’t do any of these…..especially the wife thing that David mentioned.
Torre just spoke to the media
Elbert had a slight injury but threw a bullpen session yesterday. He’s fine.
Belisario will be late. Its not something I like. Its Visa problems. It probably should have been started earlier.
He also confirmed Loney and Sherrill (and Kuo and Hu) will go to Taiwan. Mattingly will manage stateside when Torre is overseas.
No decision yet on opening day starter, and said “we’ve got a pretty good four.”
Will probably extend to 2011. Working on it. Then would like to move into front office, but that’s down the road. He said he liked working with Ned.
by Eric Stephen on Feb 20, 2010 2:36 PM PST via mobile reply actions
Every spring some players are late due to “visa issues”. You’d think the player, his agent, and the team would ensure that the paperwork is started on time and filed the first day possible.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
Yep
That’s why Torre was a bit perturbed. Well, better than Visa problems I guess
by Eric Stephen on Feb 20, 2010 3:21 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Maybe The US Embassy Doesn't Allow One To "Start The Process",,,
…whenever a person likes. They may say “If you don’t have to be in the US till____then come back and apply____”
by CanuckDodger on Feb 20, 2010 3:28 PM PST up reply actions
But My Point Was Perhaps Belisario DID File The First Day Possible...
…and the US Customs people or whoever are just slow. Bureaucrats are bureaucrats. They are not there to help. Entering the US is a privilege not a right yada yada yada.
by CanuckDodger on Feb 20, 2010 3:48 PM PST up reply actions
You’re right; that’s also quite possible.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
by David Young on Feb 21, 2010 11:20 PM PST up reply actions
Our long national nightmare
— of twice daily Johnny Damon updates — may soon be over. Sounds like he’s a Tiger. Tim Brown reports the Damon-Tigers contract apparently has no second-year option. Guarantee is for more than $7 million. Speaking of guys with famous facial hair (sometimes).
There's no need to fear, Underdog is here! / Broncos/Dodgers fan in Niners/Raiders/Giants country, and damned proud of it.
That’s the right city but the wrong sport for that mane he used to sport.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
Hee hee
I feel like we’re having parallel conversations ;-) Like this episode of Futurama.
There's no need to fear, Underdog is here! / Broncos/Dodgers fan in Niners/Raiders/Giants country, and damned proud of it.
{cough ... cough}
Uhhh … Mr. Boras … what about the multi year contract? and the 13 mil per?
by 68elcamino427 on Feb 20, 2010 6:12 PM PST up reply actions
I hope..
I hope Eric Gagne will make roster, not because of his fame from before, but as pitcher who could pitch from time to time, because I do know his dominance before cannot be resurrected. I would love to see him more than how last year we had Mota.
Facebook/Dodgers.com classic
In response to the headline “Belisario late due to visa problems”. I semi-protected the bloke’s privacy (even though it’s a public post), showing just his first name and last initial:
“….J Oliver H#### I dont want that fat fuck at 2nd anyhow”
To be fair, though, I agree- I really don’t want Belisario at second base, either!
The funnier thing is that Belliard is a U.S. Citizen, and thus shouldn’t ever have visa problems getting in and out of the U.S.
That is funny.
Is the 209 for when he reports to ST? if so, he is probably walking around in the DR in a rubber suit. The much for the fight for 2nd base, if he loses the battle of the bulge.
God some of the comments there
make me depressed about the human race. Sad.
There's no need to fear, Underdog is here! / Broncos/Dodgers fan in Niners/Raiders/Giants country, and damned proud of it.
don’t read the yahoo! comments on stories/rumors they’re shockingly worse
I'm nobody's fool, least of all yours
by BoulderDodger on Feb 20, 2010 10:58 PM PST up reply actions
I made that mistake once.
Once.
Ugh.
There's no need to fear, Underdog is here! / Broncos/Dodgers fan in Niners/Raiders/Giants country, and damned proud of it.
Beautiful Johnny Dangerously reference!
by Eric Stephen on Feb 21, 2010 9:37 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
farging bastiches! iceholes!
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
by David Young on Feb 21, 2010 10:41 AM PST up reply actions
Fargin corksockin' iceholes!
There's no need to fear, Underdog is here! / Broncos/Dodgers fan in Niners/Raiders/Giants country, and damned proud of it.
ah yes . . .
“Trade Kemp for Bedard!” Classic.
by Seanny Rotten on Feb 21, 2010 8:29 AM PST up reply actions
haha wow
I'm nobody's fool, least of all yours
by BoulderDodger on Feb 20, 2010 10:57 PM PST up reply actions
Does anyone know what Chris Young’s salary is for this year and how much longer he has on his contract? And, what it might take to trade for him? Thanks I am not suggesting that the Dodgers should do this just wondering what it would take.
I assume you mean Tall Chris Young, the pitcher
He makes $6.25M in 2010. There is a club option for $8.5M in 2011, and per Cot’s Baseball Contracts, “value of 2011 option may increase based on performance”.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
More on Belisario
From Dylan Hernandez:
his agent, Paul Kinzer, said the hard-throwing right-hander could be in camp next week. Kinzer said that part of the reason Belisario had trouble securing a visa in time was because of the misdemeanor drunk driving charges he faces. Belisario has pleaded not guilty.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
Colletti on Belisario being late to camp: “At this point in his life, he needs to be worried about it more than we do.”
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
wow
That’s an unusually direct response from Ned. Even when Manny was suspended, he was somewhat measured in his criticism. In the AP’s report, he even went on to say that the Dodgers have plenty of capable pitchers that can fill Belisario’s spot, like Gagne, John Link and Cory Wade. I think it’s safe to say Ned Colletti is NOT happy about this.
A couple things from Dylan Hernandez’s (‘s ’s) twitter on Vicente Padilla:
Padilla said the bullet hit his upper thigh and went through the back of his leg. Ned Colletti said he was aware of the details of Padilla’s injury when he signed him.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
By the way, my Maple Street Press Dodgers 2010 Annual finally arrived yesterday in the mail. It looks fantastic. Have read only the editor’s note, part of the first article and the note on the author on one of Eric’s stories, but I am looking forward to devouring the rest. Congrats to all of you on what looks like a great product.
FWIW, almost $3 of the $5 shipping fee went straight to postage. Add something for the bubble-wrap envelope and there not much margin there.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
I got up this morning...
and told my girlfriend “Baby, I have three words for you: pitchers and catchers.” In which I was met with an eye roll and a “You and your Dodgers…”
Ahhhh, so good that Spring Training is here!
Jon Soo Hoo of the Dodgers is also getting his spring training work in
You can view photos from spring training here. Just click on the thumbnail to enlarge. There was one that frightened me.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
Let me guess…the two Ortiz’ in the pen?
by KellyStephen on Feb 21, 2010 7:31 PM PST up reply actions
Did you have a little white bag handy?
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
by David Young on Feb 21, 2010 11:21 PM PST up reply actions
So when Broxton blows his first save, how long before the calls for Gagne to close? That may sound stupid, but so is the irrational hate that some have for Brox.
Will there be any if Gagne opens the year in Albuquerque, or Colorado Springs?
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
Colorado Springs, no. :)
But the media has been pimping Gagne so much that as soon as the back of the pen struggles (and it happens to every team) be prepared to hear that talk.
You’re about 10 times as paranoid as needed on this
by Eric Stephen on Feb 21, 2010 2:19 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
I think they just need something to write about
Even with the knee-jerk reaction of many fans, I can’t imagine a mass movement to bring back Gagne. But I guess you never know- some people just can’t let go of the past.
double meaning
I was talking about Gagne with that “past” comment, but I guess it applies to Broxton, too.
Gagne
Go Eric…Go Dodgers…play ball!
Didn’t I see a piece in OK magazine about Gagne trying out for the biggest loser?
DezertWolf
USA USA
It is sweet to beat Canada in Vancouver. I don’t really like Hockey so it’s not that big of a deal to me other than American pride. I can’t imagine how the die hard American hockey fan feels right now. I bet the suicide rate in Canada is up 20% right now.
Canada not believing in miracles tonight
But not a big deal as they are on to the medal round. But with a more difficult path.
vr, Xei
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