The Los Angeles Dodgers signed two bargain basement starting pitchers, Right Hander Aaron Harang and Lefty Chris Capuano, for the 2012 season to round out their starting rotation.
Righty Aaron Harang is 34 years old and a veteran of ten seasons. He is also a two time 16-game winner with the Cincinnati Reds and went 14-7 last season with National League West rivals San Diego Padres. He has a career 95-94 record with a 1.347 WHIP. The Dodgers need him to pitch 200+ innings and he has only done that three times in his ten seasons. The Dodgers have young, unproven arms in the minors that could pick up the innings if Harang falters or gets injured but a veteran arm would be real nice down the stretch.
Chris Capuano is a veteran lefty who missed all of the 2008 and 2009 seasons because of arm problems and that is why I am not completely sold on this signing. He is a former 18-game winner with the Milwaukee Brewers with a 1.355 WHIP and he has a career record of 57-64. Once again, they need him to pitch 200+ innings and he has only done that twice in his career. This does give the Dodgers three Lefties in their starting rotation but they don't have many left-handed pitchers in their minor league system.
It would be sweet if the Dodgers could get 20-25 wins out of Harang and Capuano but my prediction is 17 wins. To start the season the Dodgers will at least have an all veteran rotation and it will be interesting to see how far that will take them.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Baseball's Winter Meetings
Its the off season and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are still kicking the Los Angeles Dodgers asses. The Angels have created a tidal wave at the Winter Meetings whereas the Dodgers have dropped a pebble in Old Man Kelsey's Pond (an Andy Griffith Show reference).
The Angels snuck in the back door and signed future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols. The Dodgers signed utility man Adam Kennedy. The Angels signed left handed pitcher C.J. Wilson, the premier left handed starting pitcher in this years free agent crop. The Dodgers signed left hander Chris Capuano, who missed 2 1/2 years with arm trouble not too long ago, and right hander Aaron Harang to round out the starting rotation. My prediction is both will be on the Disabled List by June.
The Dodgers did make news on the trade front. They traded left hander Dana Eveland, who at least has major league experience, to the Baltimore Orioles for two minor leaguers who will probably never make it to the majors. They should have made Frank McCourt auction off Ned Colletti as part of the Dodgers bankruptcy proceedings before he left town.
The Angels snuck in the back door and signed future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols. The Dodgers signed utility man Adam Kennedy. The Angels signed left handed pitcher C.J. Wilson, the premier left handed starting pitcher in this years free agent crop. The Dodgers signed left hander Chris Capuano, who missed 2 1/2 years with arm trouble not too long ago, and right hander Aaron Harang to round out the starting rotation. My prediction is both will be on the Disabled List by June.
The Dodgers did make news on the trade front. They traded left hander Dana Eveland, who at least has major league experience, to the Baltimore Orioles for two minor leaguers who will probably never make it to the majors. They should have made Frank McCourt auction off Ned Colletti as part of the Dodgers bankruptcy proceedings before he left town.
Friday, November 18, 2011
2011 Los Angeles Dodgers Review- The Rookies Part I
The Hitters
The 2011 Los Angeles Dodgers rookies were not expected to produce much going into the season as the Dodgers had veterans penciled in at every position and a veteran bench as well. It was obvious by the beginning of May that the Dodgers three-headed monster in leftfield (Gwynn, Thames,and Gibbons) were not going to produce offensively so Jerry Sands was the first of the rookies to get the call. Rafael Furcal's oft-injured Dodger career was winding down and the free agent to-be was eventually traded in part due to the potential of the next rookie call up, Shortstop Dee Gordon. Gordon and Sands had the largest impacts among the Dodger rookies with others making guest appearances from time to time throughout the season.
Jerry Sands, Outfield- He came into 2011 as the Dodgers #6 ranked prospect according to Baseball America and a hot start at AAA Albuquerque earned him an early May call up. He has the most power potential of any Dodgers prospect but that power did not transfer to the major leagues in 2011. A .200 batting average and only two homeruns in a little over a month's worth of action earned him more playing time in Albuquerque. He got a September callup which produced better results and two more homeruns. He ended his rookie season with a .253 Batting Average, 4 Homeruns, and 26 Runs Batted In in 198 At-Bats. His 2012 outlook may see him back in AAA to start the season as the Dodgers outfield is a little bit crowded for 2012, unless the Dodgers make some moves over the winter. I would rather see him getting at-bats in Albuquerque than I would making spot appearances for the Dodgers.
The 2011 Los Angeles Dodgers rookies were not expected to produce much going into the season as the Dodgers had veterans penciled in at every position and a veteran bench as well. It was obvious by the beginning of May that the Dodgers three-headed monster in leftfield (Gwynn, Thames,and Gibbons) were not going to produce offensively so Jerry Sands was the first of the rookies to get the call. Rafael Furcal's oft-injured Dodger career was winding down and the free agent to-be was eventually traded in part due to the potential of the next rookie call up, Shortstop Dee Gordon. Gordon and Sands had the largest impacts among the Dodger rookies with others making guest appearances from time to time throughout the season.
Jerry Sands, Outfield- He came into 2011 as the Dodgers #6 ranked prospect according to Baseball America and a hot start at AAA Albuquerque earned him an early May call up. He has the most power potential of any Dodgers prospect but that power did not transfer to the major leagues in 2011. A .200 batting average and only two homeruns in a little over a month's worth of action earned him more playing time in Albuquerque. He got a September callup which produced better results and two more homeruns. He ended his rookie season with a .253 Batting Average, 4 Homeruns, and 26 Runs Batted In in 198 At-Bats. His 2012 outlook may see him back in AAA to start the season as the Dodgers outfield is a little bit crowded for 2012, unless the Dodgers make some moves over the winter. I would rather see him getting at-bats in Albuquerque than I would making spot appearances for the Dodgers.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Clayton Kershaw
Major League Baseball announced today that Los Angeles Dodgers left-handed starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw has won the 2011 Cy Young Award. The numbers speak for themselves. A 21-5 won-loss record, a 2.28 Earned Run Average, and a 0.98 WHIP. He also led the league in Strikeouts with 248 in 233 1/3 Innings Pitched. Some baseball writers are calling it the pitching Triple Crown and all at 23 years old.
I had been saying that he should win the Cy Young Award since the beginning of September and he was very deserving. Several writers and reporters were quoted as saying they would not vote for him because the Dodgers didn't win the division and were only a barely above .500 team. A starting pitcher only pitches every 5th day and he cannot control what happens the other four days. He posted these numbers with an offense that ranked near the bottom in runs scored in the National League. oh, yeah, he deserved it.
I had been saying that he should win the Cy Young Award since the beginning of September and he was very deserving. Several writers and reporters were quoted as saying they would not vote for him because the Dodgers didn't win the division and were only a barely above .500 team. A starting pitcher only pitches every 5th day and he cannot control what happens the other four days. He posted these numbers with an offense that ranked near the bottom in runs scored in the National League. oh, yeah, he deserved it.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Clayton Kershaw's Ejection
When I read about Clayton Kershaw's ejection against the Arizona Diamondbacks and later saw it on ESPN, my initial reaction was "You have got to be kidding me...."
First of all, he hit him on the arm. He was pitching inside. If you take the inside part of the plate away from any pitcher, you might as well turn it into batting practice. He had piched him on the outside in his last at bat and he doubled.
The umpires needed to have a better grasp of the situation. Its the top of the 6th inning in a close ball game, why would Kershaw want to put a runner on base in a game he was winning just to make a statement. He was going after his 19th win which luckily he had stayed around long enough to get. Its not like he threw at his head or behind his head, he pitched him inside and he hit him on the arm.
The Diamondbacks wanted Kershaw out of the game any way they could. Their reaction was predictable. What I am curious about is the reaction or lack of reaction from Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson. He was a hardnosed player back in his playing days and he brought a football mentality to the diamond every game. He really had nothing to say about it because it should have been a non-issue. It was baseball.
What Parra did against a struggling Kuo was about as bush league as it gets. Go ahead and admire your homerun but expect to get it stuck in your ear your next at bat against the Dodgers. Don Drysdale wouldn't have hesitated.
First of all, he hit him on the arm. He was pitching inside. If you take the inside part of the plate away from any pitcher, you might as well turn it into batting practice. He had piched him on the outside in his last at bat and he doubled.
The umpires needed to have a better grasp of the situation. Its the top of the 6th inning in a close ball game, why would Kershaw want to put a runner on base in a game he was winning just to make a statement. He was going after his 19th win which luckily he had stayed around long enough to get. Its not like he threw at his head or behind his head, he pitched him inside and he hit him on the arm.
The Diamondbacks wanted Kershaw out of the game any way they could. Their reaction was predictable. What I am curious about is the reaction or lack of reaction from Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson. He was a hardnosed player back in his playing days and he brought a football mentality to the diamond every game. He really had nothing to say about it because it should have been a non-issue. It was baseball.
What Parra did against a struggling Kuo was about as bush league as it gets. Go ahead and admire your homerun but expect to get it stuck in your ear your next at bat against the Dodgers. Don Drysdale wouldn't have hesitated.
Clayton Kershaw vs. Ian Kennedy
The two front runners for the Cy Young award are Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Ian Kennedy of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The stats comparison would tip the scales in favor of Clayton Kershaw.
The records of the two are almost identical. Kershaw at 19-5 vs. Kennedy's 19-4 but the ERA is very much in the favor of Kershaw, 2.30 vs. 2.99. Kershaw has 5 complete games vs. 1 for Kennedy, more innings pitched, and more strikeouts.
The difference is going to come down to team records. The Diamondbacks are more than likely going to win the division whereas the Dodgers had to go on a hot streak just to reach .500. That is where Kennedy will probably win it.
What Kershaw has done on a team that has struggled to score runs is amazing. Outside of his ejection the other night against Arizona, Kershaw has learned to pitch deep into games this year and he hasn't had to turn many games over to a shaky bullpen.
The records of the two are almost identical. Kershaw at 19-5 vs. Kennedy's 19-4 but the ERA is very much in the favor of Kershaw, 2.30 vs. 2.99. Kershaw has 5 complete games vs. 1 for Kennedy, more innings pitched, and more strikeouts.
The difference is going to come down to team records. The Diamondbacks are more than likely going to win the division whereas the Dodgers had to go on a hot streak just to reach .500. That is where Kennedy will probably win it.
What Kershaw has done on a team that has struggled to score runs is amazing. Outside of his ejection the other night against Arizona, Kershaw has learned to pitch deep into games this year and he hasn't had to turn many games over to a shaky bullpen.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Javy Guerra
Javy Guerra, the 25-year-old 2004 4th Round Draft Pick, has essentially come from out of nowhere to emerge as the Dodgers closer this season. I would have to say he was originally placed into that position by default thru injuries and blown saves but he has taken it and ran with it. Thru last nights game, he has converted 15 out of 16 save opportunities with an ERA in the lower 2.00 range.
Before the 2011 season, Guerra had pitched no higher than AA, and only 51 games of AA ball in 7 seasons in the minors. He only served as the closer for one of those seasons, at Great Lakes of the Midwest League in 2009 where he had 16. From all I have read, he had mechanical flaws that had to be corrected and then he had to fight thru some minor injuries. Whatever the problems were it seems that he got them worked out and he has helped spur the Dodgers late season run. He has also worked himself into a position to be considered as the closer for next season.
Before the 2011 season, Guerra had pitched no higher than AA, and only 51 games of AA ball in 7 seasons in the minors. He only served as the closer for one of those seasons, at Great Lakes of the Midwest League in 2009 where he had 16. From all I have read, he had mechanical flaws that had to be corrected and then he had to fight thru some minor injuries. Whatever the problems were it seems that he got them worked out and he has helped spur the Dodgers late season run. He has also worked himself into a position to be considered as the closer for next season.
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