clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Dodgers links: A.J. Ellis, Francoeur challenge, son of Mondesi, Major League tribute

Catching up on a few days worth of stories, including a great profile of the Dodgers' catcher, thoughts on patience, the son of a Dodger great, a readable Simers column, and an homage to a classic piece of cinema.

By Eric Stephen
If there is a player on the Dodgers who might spearhead a Major League commercial shoot, it's probably A.J. Ellis.
If there is a player on the Dodgers who might spearhead a Major League commercial shoot, it's probably A.J. Ellis.
Eric Stephen | True Blue LA

This is old news, but if you haven't already ready Tyler Kepner's profile of A.J. Ellis in the New York Times, you are missing out. An excerpt:

"It’s funny, I spoke to the minor league players the other day, and they were asking about my approach," Ellis said. "Half-joking and half-serious, I said: ‘The reason I took so many pitches back when I was younger was because I stunk. I knew I couldn’t hit.’ I tried to be very patient and get in predictable fastball counts because that was my best chance."

Steven Goldman used the Kepner piece on Ellis to write about patience at SB Nation, and issue the Jeff Francoeur challenge.

Jason Parks at Baseball Prospectus waxed poetic about Adalberto Mondesi, son of Raul Mondesi and a 17-year-old shortstop prospect in the Royals system.

Matt Eddy at Baseball America broke down the park factors of all the minor league ballparks, and Isotopes Park in Albuquerque was no surprise the most hitter friendly environment in the Pacific Coast League. Eddy also caught up with 'Topes general manager John Traub for the piece.

Los Angeles Times columnist T.J. Simers was going to visit Camelback Ranch last week but his plans were derailed by a stroke. But the story doesn't end there, as the Dodgers played a role in getting Simers to the hospital.

Finally, courtesy of MLB.com's Cut 4 blog, we see the fine folks on the Division III Sul Ross State baseball team recreate the American Express commercial from the greatest sports movie of all-time, Major League:

More From True Blue LA