Mike Piazza enters the Hall

Former Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Mike Piazza entered the baseball Hall of Fame yesterday. Piazza was the lowest round draft pick (62nd round) in the 50 plus years of the amateur draft to ever enter the Hall of Fame. He spent his first six plus seasons with the Dodgers, was traded to the Florida Marlins for five games when a long term contract could not be reached during the Dodgers "cheap" years, and then spent seven plus seasons with the New York Mets. He was a career .308 hitter with 427 homeruns and 1335 runs batted in.

I was disappointed to see that Mike Piazza chose a New York Mets hat to be on his Hall of Fame plaque. Piazza identified himself more with the Mets than he did the Dodgers. His biggest Mets moment came when he hit the homerun against the Atlanta Braves to win the first game at Shea Stadium after 9/11. That moment was seen as a great homerun for baseball and for the city of New York. His battles against New York Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens were legendary. There was the beaning, the throwing of the bat, and the grand slam. Piazza faired well against Clemens, going 8 for 22 with four homeruns. Piazza only made it to one World Series, that being in 2000 when the Mets lost to the New York Yankees, but Piazza did hit two homeruns in the five games.

The Dodgers At The Break

The Los Angeles Dodgers arrive at the All Star break 11 games over .500 and 6 1/2 games behind the San Francisco Giants in the National League West, still within striking distance. Considering all of the injury problems the Dodgers have had and the problems they have had fielding a starting rotation, the Dodgers are not in bad shape to make a run at the Giants.

The Dodgers have used 12 different starter pitchers this season. They have used a combination of rookies, cast offs, and fringe pitchers to find that fifth starter they have been missing all season. Injuries increased the need for starting pitching to force the Dodgers to trade for Bud Norris. Brandon McCarthy and Hyun Jin-Ryu have finally returned from injuries and when Clayton Kershaw comes back in a couple of weeks, the Dodgers will finally have a full compliment of major league starting pitchers for the first time all season.

The Dodgers offense has been inconsistent all season as they are 12th in the National League in batting average at .241 and ninth in runs scored. Injuries have also taken their toll on the Dodgers. Andre Ethier was injured in Spring Training has not played at all, Yasmani Grandal has been battling injuries for most of the season, Scott Van Slyke was injured early and has never got going, and Yasiel Puig has had his usual stint on the Disabled List. Carl Crawford was a shadow of his former self and was released still being owed $35 million. Alex Guerrero never lived up to the hype when he was signed out of Cuba and was released as well as the Dodgers decided to clean house and gain some productivity.

Rookie Corey Seager has been as good as advertised as he leads the team in almost every offensive category. He leads the team in batting average at .297, homeruns with 17, and is third on the team in runs batted in with 42. Fellow rookie Trayce Thompson, acquired via trade in the off season, has flashed some power with 13 homeruns and is second on the team in stolen bases with five. Veterans Chase Utley and Howie Kendrick have manned second base admirably, Adrian Gonzalez has lost his power stroke but is still tied with fellow veteran Justin Turner for the team lead in RBI's with 44.

The Dodgers are still in contention for the National League West title and if they can't chase the San Francisco Giants down are in line for a Wild Card berth. Injured Dodgers are slowly making their way back into the lineup and the starting rotation setting the Dodgers up for a strong second half run.

A Tribute To Earl Weaver

The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks in an Earl Weaver kind of game. It featured Clayton Kershaw's great pitching and a three-run homer by Scott Van Slyke. The Dodgers need to get their offense one swing at a time because they have not been getting it any other way. Clayton Kershaw pitched seven and one-third innings, giving up the two runs, struck out 11 and the biggest news was that he walked a batter. If Kershaw keeps up his current pace, he will obliterate the record for strikeout-to-walks ratio record. Scott Van Slyke celebrated his return to the active roster by hitting his first homerun of the season.

A Quiet Off Season

After being one of the shakers and movers of the 2014-15 off season, the Dodgers have spent this off season very quietly. The Dodgers signed a few free agent pitchers to try to shore up their starting pitching and their long relief out of the bullpen and they signed all of their arbitration eligible players, but a few minor trades of players that really didn't fit in the Dodgers plans.

The biggest free agent signee was a veteran of the Japanese professional baseball league, starting pitcher Kenta Maeda to an incentive laden eight year contract. The Dodgers also signed veteran right handed pitcher Joe Blanton, who remade his career coming out of the bullpen for the Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates last season after spending most of his career as a starter. The Dodgers also re-signed veteran second baseman Chase Utley who joined the Dodgers via trade at the end of last season for the stretch run.

This off season became more about who the Dodgers lost through free agency. The Dodgers lost right handed starting pitcher Zack Greinke to division rival Arizona Diamondbacks and shortstop Jimmy Rollins and Howie Kendrick were not re-signed. Kendrick turned down a qualifying offer of $15.8 million from the Dodgers and Rollins' contract expired. Kendrick only played in 117 games due to injury and Rollins had the worst season of his major league career, only batting .224 after hovering near .200 for most of the season. They are both still free agents.

An Angelic Sweep

This is something that I do not get to blog about often and that is a seep of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim or whatever they are calling themselves these days. Mat Latos pitched well in his Dodgers debut only giving up one run in six innings and he left with a 2-1 lead.

Newly acquired relief pitcher Jim Johnson immediately fit right in to the Dodgers bullpen and gave up the tying run in the top of the eighth inning. Andre Ethier hit a solo homerun in the bottom of the eight inning to give the Dodgers the lead back only to have J.P. Howell and Pedro Baez allow the Angels to tie it again in the top of the ninth inning at three. Andre Ethier provided the extra innings heroics that we have not seen from him in quite a while, hitting a two run blast into the Angels bullpen over the right field wall to win it 5-3, giving the Dodgers the walkoff win and a sweep of the Angels.

Zack Greinke Streak Continues

Zack Greinke added eight scoreless innings against the Washington Nationals to run his scoreless streak to 43 2/3 innings. He only allowed three hits, struck out 11 and walked only one. He left with a 1-0 lead and the Dodgers added four runs in the top of the ninth to take the bullpen out of the equation.

Greinke now only trails Orel Hershiser and Don Drysdale, both Los Angeles Dodgers, in consecutive scoreless innings with Hershiser's record being 59. I never thought Orel Hershiser got enough credit for being a great pitcher. He pitched 18 seasons in the Majors, won 204 games with 135 of those coming as a Dodger. His 1988 season was great by any standard and he was awarded the Cy Young Award that season as well as winning a World Series title. He also batted .201, had 50 RBI's, and stole eight bases. The .201 batting average was considered high for a pitcher.

I was disappointed in what Bryce Harper had to say after the game. When asked about Greinke, Harper said "I think he was OK. For me, I don't think he was very tough." Harper referenced a couple of times in the interview that he thought Greinke got "five or six inches" off the plate. It is a good thing Bryce harper never had to face Greg Maddux or Tom Glavine of the Atlanta Braves during the early 1990's.

Kershaw's First Shutout

Clayton Kershaw pitched one of his best games of the season against the Phillies, going the distance in the shutout and striking out 13. Kershaw gave up eight hits but he was really snapping off the curveball when it counted. 123 pitches in the complete game, 82 for strikes. There are times when you can throw too many strikes.

The game was also his statement for the "at large" bid for the last spot on the National League All-Star team. Most fans want to look at his record of 6-6. The fans have not taken into consideration his 1.53 ERA over his last nine starts, he leads the league in strikeouts, and the lack of run support he has received.

Shortstop Jimmy Rollins has been killing his old team the Phillies, hitting a three run homer, and driving in five of the Dodgers 17 runs they have scored in the series. Catcher A.J. Ellis rocketed above the Mendoza line (.215) with three hits, and his first homerun of the season, a two run shot.

Taking A Chance

This past offseason, the Dodgers took a big chance when they signed left handed starter Brett Anderson to a one year, $10 million contract. Now it is looking like the most important signing of the off season. Anderson was slated to be the #5 starter when the season began but due to season ending injuries to Hyun-Jin Ryu and Brandon McCarthy, he has been boosted to the #3 slot in the rotation. Backup Catcher A.J. Ellis said after last night's seven inning, one run performance against the Diamondbacks that Anderson had often pitched like a #1 or #2.

The oft-injured Anderson has already started more games this season than he has since 2010, his second season with the Oakland A's, and has as many wins, five, as staff ace Clayton Kershaw and a better ERA than Kershaw, 3.00 versus 3.20. Anderson has overcome a variety of injuries since 2010 including a Tommy John surgery but it looks like this $10 million gamble is paying off for the Dodgers and looking like a bargain.

A Trade: A Tale Of Two Home Runs

Although Dee Gordon of the Miami Marlins and Howie Kendrick of the Los Angeles Dodgers were not traded for each other, trades by the Dodgers are how they ended up with their respective teams. Howie Kendrick replaced Dee Gordon at second base for the Dodgers. Dee Gordon is leading the Major Leagues in hitting, batting over .350. Howie Kendrick has provided more power and a veteran presence that the Dodgers needed.

They both hit homeruns yesterday and both ended up being game winners. Both homeruns were very different. Dee Gordon hit a line drive into the right centerfield gap against the San Francisco Giants and then Gordon's speed took over. He rounded the bases in a little over 14 seconds for an inside-the-park, three-run homer that gave the marlins a 3-1 lead. Gordon's speed is the most impressive part of his game and last year for the Dodgers, he became a baseball player. This year with the Marlins he managed to turn it up another couple of notches.

Howie Kendrick's homerun came in the top of the tenth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks and also ended up being the game winner in a 6-4 Dodgers win. Kendrick's homerun was a line drive over the right field fence and rather than race around the bases, he got to break into a homerun trot. Coming through in the clutch might be the most impressive part of Kendrick's game.

The Dodgers had to give up a player in Gordon that provided speed and got a player in return that provided veteran leadership and clutch hitting. Last night, the homeruns showcased both of the player's skills and brought both of their teams a win.

Rookie Of The Year

I am going to go ahead and start my ad campaign for Joc Pederson for National League Rookie of the Year. Joc neede to have a good Spring Training for the Dodgers and he has done just that. He is 19 for 51 and he is tied for the team lead with Yasiel Puig in Home Runs with 5. The Dodgers brass made sure Pederson got plenty of At Bats this spring and the Centerfield job seems to be his to lose.

Pederson is the Dodgers #1 or #2 overall prospect depending on which publication you choose to read but he is also the most Major League ready. He was a 30/30 player for the Dodgers AAA farm team in Albuquerque last year and while I do not expect that kind of production in his Rookie season, the skill set is definitely there.

A Future Contract

The Dodgers signed 28 year old right-handed starter Brandon Beachy to a one year contract yesterday with an option for 2016. He had his second Tommy John surgery almost a year ago and will not be ready to pitch until around the All-Star break. He missed all of 2014 with the Atlanta Braves and has only pitched in 18 games in the past three seasons. He has a 14-11 career record with a 3.23 ERA.

The Dodgers signed Beachy as an insurance policy for the second half of this season (that is a $2.75 million policy) and hoping he can make a comeback. It also covers 2016 in case Greinke and/or Anderson end up somewhere else. The contract option is for $3-$6 million depending on how much he pitches this year.

Spring Training Is Finally Here

The Pitchers and Catchers for the Los Angeles Dodgers reported to Camelback Ranch-Glendale this past Thursday with the first workouts on Friday. Reigning National League MVP and Cy Young Award Winner Clayton Kershaw threw 30 pitches to Catcher A.J. Ellis and was reportedly "unimpressed" by his workout. I don't know too many pitchers that are impressed by their first workout of the season.

Newcomer Brett Anderson got in his first workout for his new team and tested out his surgically repaired back. Injuries have robbed him of the majority of five of his six seasons.

One notable absence was that of Closer Kenley Jansen. He had foot surgery this past week and will miss the first two to three months of the season. Spring Training hadn't even started yet and the Dodgers have already been hit by a major injury. The Dodgers are reportedly going to look from within the organization to replace him and use a Bullpen by committee approach.

Other Signings

The Los Angeles Dodgers signing of Left-Handed starter Brett Anderson flew under the radar but, provided Anderson can stay healthy, might provide an important piece of the puzzle for the Dodgers.

Anderson is only 27 years old and has pitched in parts of six seasons in the Major Leagues, his first five with the Oakland A's and he got in eight starts with the Colorado Rockies last season. He has only pitched one full season in the Major's, that being his rookie season in 2009 with the Oakland A's when he went 11-11. He has a 27-32 career record in 81 starts. The majority of the rest of his five seasons were spent on the Disabled List.

Anderson is currently penciled in to be the Dodgers fifth starter. Keeping him healthy will be the big issue for the Dodgers but all of the Dodgers starters spent time on the Disabled List last season with the exception of Zach Greinke.

Not the Same Dodgers- Part One

The Dodgers went out meekly against the St. Louis Cardinals in October and that was hard for me to deal with. Clayton Kershaw added to his string of post season non-successes (failures is such a harsh word and I cannot use that when it comes to Kershaw) losing twice to the Cardinals after winning the CY Young and the Most Valuable Player Awards.

After two straight dismal post seasons and watching the San Francisco Giants win the World Series this past year, a Dodgers makeover was in order. Ned Colletti was out (it was about time) and a new President of Baseball Operations was named, Andrew Friedman. He had turned the Tampa Bay Rays franchise around and into an playoff contender despite always having one of the lowest payrolls in Major League Baseball. He wasted no time in remolding the Dodgers in the month of December.

Behind The Eight Ball

A player is most often remembered for how he performed in the postseason. In spite of all of Clayton Kershaw's regular season success, he will probably be remembered more for his failure to perform on the big stage. Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers blew a major opportunity to go up 1-0 on the St. Louis Cardinals, blowing a 6-2 and eventually losing 10-9. Manager Don Mattingly stayed with his starter too long and it cost the Dodgers. Kershaw may not get another opportunity to redeem himself in this series.

The Dodgers Vs. Cardinals Postseason History

The Los Angeles Dodgers have not fared well against the St. Louis Cardinals in the post season. Their history starts in the 1985 playoffs when the Dodgers lost the last two games on a Ozzie Smith walkoff in Game 5 and a Jack Clark three run bomb in the top of the 9th inning in Los Angeles in Game 6.

The Dodgers lost again to the Cardinals in 2004 before finally winning a series against the Cardinals in 2009.

The Dodgers lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in last years playoffs and Clayton Kershaw got blasted in Game 6 and the Cardinals took the series 4 games to 2.

Clayton Kershaw does not have a sparkling postseason resume. He has appeared in 9 games with 6 starts and a 1-3 record with an ERA of over 4. Sports reporter Skip Bayless referred to Kershaw as the "Peyton Manning of baseball" inferring that Kershaw was only great in the regular season. Kershaw needs to prove him wrong and he needs to take it to the Cardinals tomorrow night.

Once Upon A Time In The West

The Los Angeles Dodgers took the National League West title last night in convincing fashion. They beat the San Francisco Giants 9-1 behind 8 strong innings from Clayton Kershaw (21-3 and a 1.77 ERA) and Yasiel Puig hit his 16th homerun. Juan Uribe also drove in three runs. There is nothing more satisfying in the world to a Dodger fan than beating the San Francisco Giants to clinch the National League West and celebrating on the field while the Giants watched. Because of the playoff structure in baseball today, the Dodgers may end up seeing the San Francisco Giants again this season.

Yasiel Puig Versus Madison Bumgarner

The Yasiel Puig versus Madison Bumgarner feud started earlier this season. Puig homered off of Bumgarner, Puig did the bat flip and the slow trot around the bases, and Bumgarner had something to say as Puig neared home plate. Last night, the feud heated up a little bit as the Dodgers edged closer to the National league West title. Bumgarner gave up a leadoff homerun to Justin Turner and he hit Puig in the ankle with an inside slider. There is no doubt in my mind that Bumgarner wanted to throw inside on him but he did not want to look obvious about it. The umpires were aware of the tension and Bumgarner did not want to get tossed from the game in the first inning. Puig's reaction was typical Puig. Bumgarner once again had something to say. Bumgarner challenged Puig but Matt kemp showed more veteran leadership by getting in front of Puig and trying to diffuse the situation. Kemp homered a couple of batters later and the Dodgers were on their way to cutting their magic number to one with four games to play.

Justin Turner

Justin Turner may have been the most important off season acquisition by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2014. He was signed just prior to the beginning of Spring Training and as injuries started picking off the Dodgers infielders one by one, his ability to play more than one position greatly enhanced his value. The fact that he is hitting is a definite bonus. He is hitting a career high .333 with 7 homeruns and 41 RBI's including 2 homeruns from the leadoff position against the San Francisco Giants last night. He has been primarily playing Third base but he still doesn't look quite right earing Ron Cey's #10 jersey (I still think Ron Cey should have his number retired by the Los Angeles Dodgers). When it comes time for the playoffs, he will be an important right-handed bat off the bench and a spot starter.

The Road To 20 Wins

Clayton Kershaw was not as sharp against the Chicago Cubs yesterday when he got his 20th win as he has been in the last three months. The Dodgers staked him out to a quick 6-0 lead in the top of the first inning. The Cubs cut that lead in half in the bottom of the first inning. Kershaw's control wasn't quite what it normally is and his pitch count was very high. He threw 100 + pitches in his 5 innings of work and had at least two Cubs on base in every inning. Kershaw's final stat line was 5 innings, 3 earned runs, 9 K's, and 3 BB's. In most any other game he has pitched, Kershaw probably would have left the game with at the very least, a no decision. The Dodgers hitters had his back in this game. Matt Kemp and Yasiel Puig hit three run homers, Dee Gordon had two hits in his 7th straight game, and Catcher A.J. Ellis hit two homeruns after only hitting only one all season long. Kershaw improved his record to 20-3 with a 1.80 ERA and he is only the third Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher (Sandy Koufax and Claude Osteen are the others) to post more than one 20 win season. Kershaw's accomplishment was made more difficult this season by the fact that he missed five weeks at the beginning of the season.