Dodgers (11-11-2) at Rockies (14-12-2)
1:05pm, Hi Corbett FIeld, Tucson, AZ
Eric Stults was scratched from his start today, as he apparently has been sold to the Hiroshima Carp. Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times reported earlier this morning, via Twitter:
"We have something going with him," Colletti said, declining to specify.
Eric Stults said he was instructed by his agent not to talk about where he's headed
Stults has been sold to the Hiroshima Carp, according to clubhouse sources
Stults, who turned 30 in December, was drafted by the Dodgers in 2002, one of six players drafted and signed by the club that year to make the majors. Appearing in 35 games for the Dodgers from 2006-2009, Stults was 8-10 with a 4.84 ERA. As a starter, he has a 4.39 ERA in 24 career starts, and had the team's only complete game shutout last season.
Earlier in the winter, the Chiba Lotte Marines were interested in Stults, but NPB Tracker reported the interest waned because Stults' salary plus the transfer fee would be over $1 million.
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The Dodgers make their final trip of the forseeable future to Tucson today to play the Rockies. The Rockies and Diamondbacks are moving from Tucson into a new spring training complex "located within the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian community near the 101 Freeway and Indian Bend Road" in 2011, eliminating the two Cactus League bus trips longer than 30-45 minutes.
More importantly, this means the end of Hi Corbett Field, spring home of the Rockies, and filming site for the spring training scenes in the greatest baseball movie of all time, Major League. Let's look at some similarities between the movie and Dodger camp:
- Rick "Wild Thing" Vaughn didn't harness his control until getting fitted for glasses. Eric Gagne decided to eschew his famous goggles, and allowed runs in all three of his appearances before asking for and receiving his release. The lesson here: embrace the four eyes. Also, I'm not sure how to compare the park factors between the Can-Am League and the California Penal League.
- Non-roster catcher Gabe Gutierrez might not make the team like Jake Taylor, but he did play in the Mexican League last season, much like Tom Berenger's character.
- Chris Withrow did his best Willie Mays Hayes impression, arriving from outside of big league camp to wow the coaching staff. Withrow may not have been in his pajamas like Hayes, but I'm sure there was a point where one of the Dodger coaches showed a speed reading to Joe Torre.
- Apparently Doug Mientkiewicz didn't take the advice of Pedro Cerrano, deciding not to bring a snake with him last week to ward off the impending red tag in his locker.
Here are the lineups, including Nick Green pulling an Alfredo Amezaga by playing centerfield:
| Dodgers | Rockies | |||
| RF | Paul | LF | Gonzalez | |
| 3B | Carroll | CF | Fowler | |
| 1B | Loney | 1B | Helton | |
| LF | Johnson | SS | Tulowitzki | |
| 2B | Belliard | RF | Hawpe | |
| CF | Green | C | Olivo | |
| C | Ellis | 3B | Stewart | |
| SS | Hu | 2B | Barmes | |
| P | Lindblom | P | Smith | |
Josh Lindblom and Carlos Monasterios will pitch today's game for the Dodgers. I don't expect Monaasterios to pitch very long today, because he is also listed among the scheduled pitchers for tomorrow night's split squad game in Las Vegas.
Josh Towers will start the game in Vegas tomorrow night against the Reds, and be followed by Ramon Ortiz, Monasterios, and Justin Miller.
Tomorrow's day game against the Giants, the final Cactus League game for the Dodgers, will be started by Vicente Padilla. Russ Ortiz is also expected to pitch in that game.
Scheduled to pitch for the Rockies today are Greg Smith, Justin Speier, Randy Flores, and Matts Reynolds, Belisle, and Daley.
TV: MLB Network