The Dodger Blog

Two non-sports related articles in one day?! Who are we kidding... if the blazers, dodgers, or oregon ducks arent playing... Is the world ACTUALLY turning? Here at the Dodger blog we are always trying to get better in the off season. So lets be savvy and productive while we wait for another day of meaningful sports...

Frank Addante, CEO of Rubicon Project, came up with this list of his favorite productivity tools.

1. SaneBox: Smart Email Filtering Tool

SaneBox uses advanced algorithms to organize your email into low and high priority buckets. It works with any email client, email service or device. I was slightly hesitant about handing over control of my inbox, but I honestly don’t know how I ever lived without it. SaneBox has saved me hours of time and works amazingly well.
Check your @SaneLater folder (low priority email) twice a day and mail from senders you don’t want to hear from again to @SaneBlackHole.
http://www.sanebox.com

2. Evernote (Organizes your notes):

Evernote stores your notes in the cloud and makes them accessible from any computer or device.
Tips: Evernote is for business and personal use. I use it to take all of my meeting notes and jot down general personal items. I also use Evernote to scan/fax important documents that I need to keep on hand. Evernote is also helpful for keeping track of project notes and critical documents such as driver’s license, passport, insurance documents, etc.

3. Consolidate your social networks: HootSuite

This website allows you to use Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Yammer, and others all from one place.

Tips: I tend to have pockets of time when I can read and post on social media. Try HootSuite's new "auto schedule" feature, so you can spread out your posts and don't flood your networks with many in a row.

4. Store your documents in the cloud: Google Drive

While many people talk about Dropbox and Box, we are extremely bullish on Google Drive. You can securely file away your digital documents in the cloud, so you can find and work on them from any computer or mobile device later. Plus, it seamlessly integrates with Google Apps.

Tips: We create a specific Google Drive folder for every client with the same sub-folders every time. This serves as our document and project management tool, plus Google Drive allows us to share specific files or documents with specific people.

5. Assemble your travel plans: TripIt

TripIt files all your itineraries in one place. You can even have it automatically send your itineraries to your significant other, kids, or always-worried mom. The Pro version alerts you of flight delays and gate changes.

Tips: Download the mobile app and put it on your home screen. Create a contact for plans@tripit.com and forward all itineraries to that contact.

Read more on Inc.com

What are your favorite productivity tools? Do you have specific tools for web and mobile?

SaneBox | Email Reinvented

2013-12-20T11:46:00.002-08:00

This has NOTHING to do with baseball, but it could quickly become Americas next pastime...

I’ve been using email for most of my life. As I've evolved from a kid needing email strictly for filling out promotional forms, shipping info, or social networking login credentials, to a busy young professional who does most of his communication via email, email has evolved as well. It has improved in 3 key ways during that time:

mobile access
threading/conversations
search

But it’s still a mess, probably more so today than ever before (especially for those like me who have run their email address through the meat grinder of the internet). An average person spends about 28% of their time processing email, and virtually everyone continues to fight with their inbox every day. Just look at the number of folks trying to achieve inbox zero.

A little while ago a close friend of mine, who's pretty much always turning me on to the next cool thing in tech, told me about a product that would save me from email. And after trying it, I've been saved. Hallelujah.

The product is called SaneBox. You know how they say 'coolest thing since sliced bread'? This is the coolest thing since EMAIL started.

SaneBox does a number of things. It looks at your relationship with your emails and decides what’s important to you based on your past behavior. It then moves your unimportant emails out of your Inbox into a separate folder, and summarizes them in a digest. It’s smart, it evolves and it’s done automatically.
SaneBox does other stuff too (lets you unsubscribe with 1 click, snooze non-urgent emails until later, etc) but those are the killer features for me. Best of all, everything works anywhere you check your email (on any provider or device) just by adding a folder, instead of forcing me to use another website or app. And if SaneBox makes a mistake, I can just move the email to the correct folder to train it.

Soooooo... if you’re anything like me and you'd like to read your emails without being pestered by the son of the deposed king of Nigeria, then I suggest you give SaneBox a try.

So this is what rock bottom feels like....

2013-05-11T00:15:00.000-07:00

Dodgers mount a come back and fall short. Dodgers outhit their opponent and still lose. Dodgers starter keeps the game winnable, Dodgers bullpen blows game. Adrian Gonzalez fights through injury to contribute and its still not enough. 2/3 of the outfield gets hits and steals bases while Andre Ethier just gets to be plain terrible.

No matter how many times we've seen this team have various positives , there's always been a charcoal lining in 2013. In the month of May there has been only one unavoidable truth: The Dodgers lose.

It's like watching a sad movie you've seen before. You know it's gonna suck soon but you sacrifice your well being to see the entire thing through. You sit in front of your TV for hours while the few happy parts entertain you and remind you why you love this movie, all the while distracting you from the inevitable unhappy conclusion that you somehow forgot about completely.

The Dodgers 21st loss of the season was their 8th consecutive heartbreak of the month. An all too familiar result for a franchise that has lost any semblance of home field advantage in 2013. Their 7-12 home record at Chavez Ravine is the 3rd worst in the entire MLB and is the only home record in their division below .555. In a division that has annually become a tightly contested dog fight, the Dodgers (13-21) have already put themselves at the back of the pack and on a leash. 2nd best On Base Percentage in the sport, 2nd lowest run total... alot of bark, no bite.

In a year where the front office was curiously mum on the status of Don Mattingly, they have become even more non committal as the mounting losses have shaken the confidence of everyone including the man himself during his unsettling post game interviews. While president Stan Kasten refuses to show his cards, I cant help but think hes already made up his mind to keep things the way they are. If it didnt look as if Mattingly was on the hot seat after last season, he sure must be now. When it comes to Donnie Baseball the prevailing sentiment is that he's a pretty calm guy that doesn't lose his cool when things get tough (MVP's tend to be that way). Most notably, players love to play for him. But considering they haven't ever been a team with the clutch gene or one that has gotten even remotely close to playoff contention since he took the reigns, it's a curious sentiment...

Jon Heyman put it perfectly when he tweeted:

#dodgers players love donnie baseball, but have funny way of showing it. team cant hit w/ risp. 7 straights Ls. down 5-3.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) May 11, 2013

After this tweet, AJ Ellis did his AJ-thing and had an RBI single in the 8th inning, but like we've all come to expect was stranded at 3rd base when Dee Gordon grounded out to end the threat, and essentially the Dodgers evening. And on an night where all the emotional debris floats to the surface of our collective Dodger-conscious, the exhale comes a little easier knowing that it can't get much worse.

And now you're thinking ...

"Oh really Reis? It's always darkest before the dawn?! Thats all you've got for us!? The most pessimistic Dodger fan on twitter is gonna conclude his once-a-month blog post with the 'hey it has to get better' mantra?!!??!!??"

You'll be happy to know that this 8-game losing streak has only strengthened my jaded thoughts to new heights. This year's combination of health issues, lack of clutchness, and head scratching roster management has left me both angry and happy at the same time. A bizarre malaise of numbness and frustration that allows me to turn on Dodger games each night to cap my day with a torturous act of self loathing.

As anyone who follows me knows, I'm still concerned with whether Don Mattingly is the guy who can get this team to the promise land based upon his unsuccessful albeit brief run as dodgers skipper. The front office has painstakingly clung to the "let's see what he can do with a healthy roster", while the court of public opinion is that eventually this falls on the players.

Regardless of what or who is to blame... (I say it's the depth issues brought on by Ned Colletti's apparent lack for long term vision) the point is that the sad movie has played 8 nights in a row. I haven't been able to turn it off and it's getting to the point where I'm not even noticing the good parts anymore (yea... I had to be informed by Vin Scully Matt Kemp has a 9-game hitting streak going on).

Well respected sports psychologist and good friend Dr. Kenneth Hartline tweeted a nice little uplifting note my way this evening:

Which brings me to my final point... This is rock bottom. It's not as cold as I'd though it'd be... Wait never mind. Booze gives a false sense of warmth.

"A Whole New Blue"

2013-04-01T00:07:00.002-07:00

"A whole new blue"... The official slogan of the 2013 Los Angeles Dodgers. One that I began to think hard about in the last 6 months, as the billboard campaign littered the skyline of the LA footprint. As if the term "whole" is supposed to somewhat imply we are going to see an entirely diffent entity arrive on their Monday afternoon opening game. Wouldn't "all in" or "its go time" be more fitting? Forgive me if I won't be counted among the dizzying masses who have become entirely enamored by the facelifts that the Dodgers have received both throughout their stadium as well as on their roster.

The might of the "whole new blue" check book is pretty incredible. Stan Kasten and his band of merry men have spent the last calendar year going about their financial business with the type of moral hazard that only Gordon Gecko could dream of. The scary (yet plausible) thought of this "whole new blue" roster not having a chemistry capable of winning baseball games is almost immediately greeted with the notion that this franchise has no qualms with absorbing bloated contracts of any underachieving stars, if it means making a trade. And the whole new blue will stay new. The budding young Cuban named Yasiel Puig tore through spring training, batting over .500 and making the big check the Dodgers wrote last year seem like a bargain. Adding depth to a team that has three all-star outfielders. Unfortunately they are the same three guys that make ALOT of money and each have struggled staying healthy in the past few seasons. If healthy, big things could come fast. If not healthy or just plain not productive, this outfield could give the front office a lot of thinking to do. At which point the whole new blue way of spending will have to be launched into full effect. And we might still be going through the same mind numbing time we had during the stretch run of 2012.

Dodger stadium is still the 3rd oldest stadium in MLB, but according to some of the more recent tweets of players like Matt Kemp and Adrian Gonzalez, you can't tell from the inside. I spent an entire summer in the old dodgers clubhouse (2011) and I can tell you for a certainty that even the reported $100 million spent on all of the stadium's 2013 upgrades had to have been spent very wisely to open up the square footage for the type of amenities they claim to have installed. Think of the nicest gym or sports club you've seen and then imagine trying to fit it into the cupboard under the stairs that Harry Potter lived in. The franchise did a decent job of documenting the excavation and construction with a few clips and pics throughout the winter but they could have honestly just contracted the work out to one of those reality home makeover shows. Getting the job done just under the wire of opening day (The paint is reportedly still drying in the visitors clubhouse). The kind of work that was done in the last few months to have that place ready for a "whole new blue" living standard should have warranted a camera crew!

Speaking of reality TV, the biggest concern for this "whole new blue" roster is that the LA media could fuel the fire that may ignite from a less than stellar start. Remember what happened when the Miami Marlins put together their expensive team, on a fresh new field, in a shiny new house? It was a season full of speculation and doubt, with the athletes, management and front office "pressing" at every step. Eventually it turned into a total circus and that was in only the 16th largest media market. Not to mention their coach was not in the final year of his contract as Don Mattingly is. Try imagining that same exact scenario playing out in the #2 market in the country (where some paparazzi drive nicer cars than a lot of us) but with TMZ.

If I say any more then you might just think I'm feeling pessimistic about this "whole new blue" season... In fact I'm not feeling so at all. I actually feel that (with the exception of Hanley Ramirez's wrist injury in the WBC) this Dodgers franchise finally has a roster that doesn't have a glaring weakness that jumps off the page and screams "This team won't make the playoffs!" The type of "blue" that we all got very used to feeling, seeing and being for the last 3 seasons doesn't seem to be the tone coming out of spring training. The reality is that there's a big chance that the Dodgers pitching and power could carry them all the way into early November...

Unless it doesn't and the same franchise with the same incessant problems rears its ugly head for another season. Then we'll really be feeling "a whole new blue". And you can be sure that TMZ will be asking Mattingly about his job security.

But again... I'm not feeling pessimistic. I'm just not ready to call this an entirely different franchise quite yet. Which makes this franchises 2013 slogan slightly over optimistic. Not until all the money spent and new faces gathered have found a winning formula and chemistry that we all get to share in. Until then it's the same story with a different cast. Magic Johnson, Guggenheim group chose Stan Kasten to play the Ray Cansella role in the proverbial "field of dreams" story this past year at Chavez Ravine. Everyone said "if you build it, we will come ..." Well, the roster has been built. "It's a whole new blue." The renovations have been built. "It's a whole new blue." And most importantly, Monday marks the start of this franchise' opportunity to ease our pain and make the last 3 years a distant memory. Then and only then will we know its a whole new blue...

The Dodger Blog is back for 2013, and appreciates all of its new and returning followers.

Dodgers Searching for 40 Wins

2012-06-12T17:54:00.004-07:00

After a four game home stand where the Dodgers were swept at the hands of the sub .500 Milwaukee Brewers, the outlook for a 10 game road trip to Colorado, Philadelphia and Seattle seemed bleak (if not grueling). The Dodgers proceeded to drop two games to the Rockies in Denver, which meant they had lost 6 of their previous 7 games heading into a 4-game set with the Phillies. But after a dominant 4 game sweep in Citizens Bank Park, the Dodgers were showing signs of resiliency in the wake of Kemp-ocalypse Part II.

Then came the No-No. The Los Angeles Dodgers hadn't been no hit since they were blanked by Cincinnati in 1994. Try to guess who the starting CF for the Reds was that day?... Deion Sanders! It had been a long, long time since the blue crew had gone an entire game with out a hit. Lets put it this way, the Washington Nationals' phenom Bryce Harper was a 1 year old! But with the help of 6 different Mariners pitchers and a questionable out call on Dee Gordon in the 9th inning, history was made. And more importantly the fans in Seattle had something to get excited about while their hijacked basketball franchise was going to the finals with a different home crowd. It should be noted that the last two World Series championships ('88, '81) came during years where the Dodgers were on the wrong ends of no hitters. Is it a sign? Here's to hoping.

But the Dodgers, as they seem to do time and time again in 2012, picked up the pieces and salvaged a series win by taking both weekend games. So in a matter of 7 days the Dodgers were able to go from a club who had dropped 6 of its previous 7 to having won 6 of its previous seven. And last night, began their freeway series with the Anaheim Angels (I'm sorry they'll never be LA in my mind), with a chance to be the first team to 40. But unfortunately the sensational 20 year old rookie Mike Trout was doing what he's done since being called up, which was getting base hits, stealing bases, hitting home runs and scoring runs. Just enough to edge the Dodgers 3-2 in the 9th and give Kenley Jansen the loss.

But as the game came to a close on Monday evening, the rumors of an Andre Ethier extension began to trickle through the world of twitter. A deal that was made official this afternoon (Tuesday 6/12) in a press conference, is good for 5 years, 85 million dollars, and a club option for over 15 million in a 6th year (what would be 2018). Now that the Dodgers have locked down their two best position players through the rest of their prime, it will only be a matter of time before Clayton Kershaw gets his extension and free agents of all varieties start to see something brewing in Los Angeles. In the wake of new ownership having the pocketbook to buy a championship, the dominoes are starting to fall in a slow yet strategic manner.

Matt Kemp got his money and in addition to being the teams biggest cheerleader, became the biggest proponent of giving Andre his big extension. Now that the lefty slugger will surely play the rest of his meaningful games in Dodger blue. Now it might be time for Matt Kemp, to continue his vocal-ness towards signing more bats in the coming year.... Saaaay Josh Hamilton? Probably the highest paid outfield in the sport, but it would sure as heck be a spectacle to see those three guys bat in consecutive order. Time for Matt to buddy up with Josh in Kansas city next month. Then Prince might start thinking twice about playing out the rest of his days in bitter cold Detroit.

Dodgers are set for game two with the Angels tonight (Tuesday) at 7. They will be honoring former Dodgers catcher, and current Angels Manager, Mike Scioscia with a "Scioscia Bobble Head Night". The bobble head will naturally be of the young, slightly more slender Scioscia in his Dodgers catchers gear.

Dodgers Start It Off Right in Philadelphia

2012-06-04T20:13:00.001-07:00

So we meet again... My apologies for the infrequency to what was becoming pretty frequent banter. So much was happening with this Dodgers club and so much was happening for yours truly at work, that I've just been flat out exhausted trying to keep up with it all. I know, I know... No excuses, blog like a champ.

ANYWAYS... as I'm typing the Los Angeles Kings have now taken a three games to none lead over the New Jersey Devils in the Stanley Cup finals. While my main concern is normally getting that big trophy with all the little flags on it in Los Angeles, it will definitely be fun seeing Lord Stanley's behemoth of a silver cup hoisted around tinsel town. As a child of the 90's, the only hockey that I've ever been interested in was the roller hockey in the cultisac after gaining inspiration from Emilio Estevez and the mighty ducks on VHS. So I haven't been glued to this series but I know some are, and for that... congrats Kings fans, its allllllmost wrapped up!

Alright Dodger fans, back to what we really care about... Baseball. Or should I say injuries with a SIDE of baseball. When we last spoke, Matt Kemp was about to make his triumphant return from a hammy issue and Juan Rivera was soon to follow. Instead what we got was about 24 hours of Kemp in uniform, before an Andre Ethier double to the Left Center gap at Dodger stadium not only scored Kemp from first base, but more importantly led to the re injury of said hamstring. So now we could now be without Matt for an even LONGER stint (rumors are that he might just wait to come back after the all-star break).

Right as Matty was making his comeback, Dodger fans were feeling good about themselves with the next-best San Francisco Giants 5.5 games back. But just as quickly, Matt was gone again and the Dodgers would then lose 6 of 7 games. A stretch that saw the Dodgers, who hadn't even lost 3 in a row in 2012, lose 5 in a row. The division lead had shriveled down to 3 games going into the morning of June 4th, and with the Giants beating up on the hapless Cubs early on Monday, the Dodgers were beginning a 4-game set with the Philadelphia Phillies. With the opposing starting pitcher Worley still in the process of coming back from injury, his pitch count for game one was set at 75. The Dodgers cracked into that count early with a 2 run first inning, and 1 run 2nd. But as Worley settled down, Kershaw's efficient start disappeared just as quickly on a Placido Polanco 2-run home run to the porch in left field.

After the Dodgers had some grief with balls and strikes called in the middle innings. Two Dodger ejections left the away team without a manager. The rest of the game was a chess match as acting manager Tim Wallach and Charlie Manuel. The tie was broken in the 9th inning as Dee Gordon's lead off triple off of Jonathan Papelbon was followed by an Elian Hererra RBI single through the left side. The Phillies manager had called the infield in to prevent the runner scoring from third, and the ball was hit hard enough between 3rd and SS to allow Gordon to walk his way to home plate. Of all the young guns who've been thrown into action in the wake of all these injuries, Hererra has done enough to keep himself in play for an everyday roll and without his mini-stint of reliability, the Dodgers might have given up their division lead altogether. His heroic diving catch in the 9th inning, preserved Kenley Jansen's save and all but ensured he'll be in the lineup tomorrow.

While Kershaw technically might still be fighting his demons with the no-decision against a Phillies team that doesn't have much power (Howard, Utley on DL), the reality is that he did enough to keep the Dodgers in position for a late game win. He was effective enough to stick around 7 full innings in a hitter friendly park like Citizen's Bank Field. The Dodgers are now 34-21 and refuse to relinquish the MLB's best record. During a very daunting stretch of 20 games in 20 days, where the Dodgers play 4 straight in Philadelphia before flying all the way to Seattle for inter league play, getting wins on days that Kershaw starts is key. So step one has been accomplished, and the Giants are kept at bay for the time being. Its important to get wins against good teams on days where the team that is chasing you (Giants) plays a bottom dweller like the Cubs.

See you all tomorrow on twitter for game 2 as the Dodgers try to ensure, at the very least, a series split.

The Dodgers' Final Day of Kemp-ocalype

2012-05-27T22:28:00.003-07:00

It's hard to believe that a little over 2 weeks ago, the Dodgers were "playing over their heads" and the bubble was "inevitably going to burst" when Matt Kemp's nagging hamstring issue (that caused his batting average to drop below .400) forced him on to the 15 day DL. What happened next is even HARDER to believe. "Dem Bums" decided to stage their own 2 week rendition of Major League, by going 9-4 and extending their lead in the division to 7.5 games. All along doing so with a half dozen nobodies. The best record in Major League Baseball isn't news any more. Neither is having the largest divisional lead in the MLB. But you know what is news? Tomorrow is the last day of the "Kemp-ocalypse". Assuming Kemp's 2-game rehab stint in Albuquerque goes as planned, May 28th will be the last day the Dodgers (32-15) don't have the best player in the NL at their disposal. The last day Los Angeles wont have have their biggest cheer leader in Dodger Stadium. And most importantly, Monday will (hopefully) be the last game for a while that Don Mattingly is forced to create some sort of Kemp-less game plan with a slew of rookie call ups and career backups.

For the last two weeks, it felt like we couldn't turn on our TV's, computers or phones without hearing about the Dodgers when it came to sports news. Regardless of the heliocentric east coast sports world focusing on the AL East and NL East, the Dodgers' band of under appreciated misfits refused to relinquish the title of "MLB-best". Every night it was another "nobody" taking a turn at hitting the clutch button and getting their 30 seconds of fame on Sportscenter. But now the Dodger bench players are wrapping up their Risky Business moment. It feels as if Matt Kemp left the team with a couple hundred bucks on the counter and a list of food in the fridge on May 14th. And now "Mom and Dad are almost home". Time for the kids like Jerry Sands, Scott Van Slyke, Ivan DeJesus and Elian Herrera to clean the house, take out the trash and restock the liquor cabinet. One more game without the best player in baseball (and Juan Rivera) means one more night for a few rookies to preserve the team's positive momentum until the big boy's get their jobs back.

The club's position in the standings is much better at the end of Matt's absence than we previously expected. Which is only good news now that names like Hairston, Rivera, and Kemp are trickling back into the Dodgers clubhouse. The last time the Dodgers faced the Milwaukee Brewers (19-28) was in the midst of their head turning, hot start to the season. But when Los Angeles dropped two of three at Miller Park, it caused most to question the validity of the Blue Crew's record. But now we're approaching the end of May and it's the BREW crew that is definitively having a poor first-half (5th in the NL Central, 8 games back). While the reigning NL-MVP (in question), Ryan Braun comes to town on Monday, the Dodgers just have to shore up their outfield for one more day. A day that will feel like an eternity ago on Tuesday. Serendipitously the final day of the Kemp-less Dodgers will have "One Dollar Dodger Dogs" at Dodger Stadium. So maybe even the fringe fans might be compelled to come back to Dodger Stadium prior to Matt Kemp doing so. But one thing is for certain, Dodger Stadium should be packed and rockin' on Tuesday night. That is, if we survive the final day of Kemp-ocalypse. Make sure you have the first aid kit, the ramen noodles and a flash light with fresh batteries.

Dodgers Refuse to Lose

2012-05-23T00:27:00.002-07:00

Well... Somebody had to get to 30 wins first, and at this point, the Los Angeles Dodgers seem to be a team of destiny in 2012. They were destined for new ownership and landed the "dream team". And coming off of their hot finish in 2011, it looked as if the Dodgers were destined to get off to a much stronger start in Don Mattingly's sophomore season as manager. But 30-13 (best record in MLB) and a 7 game division lead (biggest in MLB)? I'm not sure anybody saw this coming. And for the very select (and/or crazy) few who predicted the Dodgers would be the class of Major League Baseball through the first 43 games of 2012, none of them would have predicted the Dodgers would be doing so with out the help of one of the league's best all around players.

The Dodgers were off to a hot first month, and as the calendar turned to the month of May, they began to face some adversity and attrition. Opening day starters Juan Rivera, Matt Kemp, and Juan Uribe were all on the disabled list when the defending world champs came to Dodger Stadium last weekend. Don Mattingly started to write lineup cards that looked so bad, I was forced to coin the phrase "Kemp-ocalypse". Even one of the Dodgers most reliable players in 2B Mark Ellis experienced a freak injury that almost cost him his leg (literally). The thought was that the Dodgers would HAVE to regress with the call ups of Van Slyke, Sands, Hererra, DeJesus, and Sellers combined with the miniature benchings of James Loney and Dee Gordon . But in the last week, all six have made considerable (even heroic) contributions to the club's current 6-game winning streak. Between Scott Van Slyke's 7th inning 3-run home run at Dodger stadium on Sunday to complete the sweep of the Cardinals, and Tuesday night's 2RBI double by Ivan DeJesus while trailing a run with 2 outs in the 9th inning in Arizona, the Dodgers continue to get help from various lesser known players on a daily basis.

Los Angeles has a chance to complete their second consecutive series sweep and what would be their 6th of the season. The idea of this ball club getting one of the league's best everyday players back in CF (Kemp in a week), and one of the league's best utility players in back on the bench (Hairston in a few days), makes it hard to believe that the Dodgers can't build upon their lead in the standings before the All-Star break. Somebody had to get to 30 wins first, and with the four biggest payrolls in the sport (Angels, Phillies, Yankees, Red Sox) struggling just to stay in contention, it only makes sense that a team full of triple-A regulars would help an injury riddled club storm to 17 games over .500. Everyday someone else is taking their turn being the hero. The 2012 season was set up to be a season of destiny.... so far, so good. OH, soooo good.

15 Days of Kemp-ocalypse

2012-05-17T01:20:00.002-07:00

Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp picked up in 2012 where he left off in the final months of his 2011 MVP campaign. He broke out of the gates by leading the majors in almost every single meaningful statistical category. But then something happened... Wrigley Field happened. A ballpark that is mostly known for its century plus curse which breaks the heart of Cub's fans annually, is now Matt Kemp's house of horrors. Not only were the cold whipping winds of Chicago's north side refusing to let each of Matty's hits get past the warning track, but the infamous infield, so poorly manicured that you can count the dirt clods on your living room TV, was loose enough for Kemp to take a wrong step and trigger a hammy issue. An issue that he bravely battled for nearly a week before the Dodgers were forced to place him on the 15-day disabled list.

The reality has set in since Monday night, when the Dodgers weren't able to slip the ailing Kemp into the 2nd game of the Arizona series for a pinch hit appearance. His league leading consecutive games played streak ended at an impressive 399, while the new leader is a slugger who also cashed in this last off season, Prince Fielder. Despite Matt's absence, the Dodgers were able to ride the team's momentum to take the series with a game 2 win. Unfortunately that momentum came to a screeching halt on Tuesday as we were all exposed to this team's complexion without our shining star. And it went something like this

Dee Gordon (who unfortunately hasn't blossomed in his first chance to have a full MLB season as a starter... hitting around .200)
Mark Ellis (actually had a great night going 3 for 4 with a HR, but with out any production on either side)
Scott Van Slyke (making his "starting" MLB debut, and for all his minor league success, this is MATT KEMP's slot for gosh sakes)
Andre Ethier (who made what might be his ONLY career start in CF...)
AJ Ellis (the team's anchor all season at the 8th spot, was in the spot light at 5 and stunk)
Jerry Sands (you might remember him from last season, but he had JUST gotten to called up that day)
James Loney (who seems to be losing his job by the day as he had another sad 0-4)
Justin Sellers (last guy to make the opening day roster... enough said)
Pitchers spot

Soooo... the Dodgers started 4 rookies and managed 1 run. Sounds about right.

Then there was day 2 of what I'm affectionately describing as the "Kemp-ocalypse". This is what life would look like without Matt, and if this Dodgers lineup was a person's face, it would be the before picture in all of those pro-active acne ads. OK maybe its not that terrible, but my gosh, this team feels 200% more beatable without the 1-2 punch of Matt and 'Dre. Then Mattingly gave us this little gem:

Tony Gwynn (it was nice seeing an actual CFer starting in CF but its tough not seeing Dee's speed somewhere in the lineup)
Elian Herrera (his 2nd day as a Major Leaguer and he got to spell Mark Ellis with a 1st inning double)
Bobby Abreu (aquired to be a bat off the bench, he had a token basehit in the 9th)
Andre Ethier (order was restored with Andre being back in RF, and after his RBI in the first, he didnt do much)
Jerry Sands (day 2 with the 2012 club and he also gets another start, this time giving Loney the day off at 1B)
Justin Sellers (this time Sellers took his steady glove over to SS, but predictably did nothing with his bat)
Adam Kennedy (only thing worse than this guy's non production, is that blank look he always has)
Matt Traenor (it was AJ Ellis' day off, and Matt did have a double but who can replace Aj's OBP.... sadly no one)
Pitchers spot

Soooo... The Dodgers start 3 rookies and 4 backups... 2 run loss to the NL's worst team? Sounds about right.

And now we dig in for the third day of the Kemp-ocalypse. We'll surely see another lineup that we all dislike in Thursday night's wrap up of the mini 2-game series at Petco Park. And as hard as it is having to just make sense of these lineups, its even harder for Don Mattingly to frantically piece together the Kemp-less, Uribe-less, and Rivera-less puzzle on a daily basis. Injuries are a part of all sports, and the art of overcoming such attrition is why baseball managers get paid so much money. But the 15-day managerial purgatory that Mattingly has been faced with during the absence of his best player, is a challenge that no one would ever desire. Fortunately for the Dodgers and their 0-2 record of Kemp-ocalypse, is the fact that the next closest team in the NL West standing (SF Giants) have lost on consecutive nights as well. Meaning the lead is still at 6 games, and Dodger Nation can take a collective breath of relief.

I hope you all have put together your Kemp-ocalypse Survival Kits. I have included large amounts of gauze to wrap my head, considering the next 12 days will include a lot of banging my head against the wall. For now, we have to cross our fingers and weather the storm (and hope the new Dodger ownership notices how this team feels with out Kemp). See you all on May 29th, I'll be giving out high fives, hugs and hand shakes.

Dodgers sweep Rockies, Have Most Wins in Baseball

2012-05-13T16:47:00.004-07:00

It seems as if the Dodgers plan on making the most of their long stretch of inter divisional games in the month of May. The boys in blue have taken 5 of their last 6 over the Giants and Rockies after returning home from a dismal 2-4 road trip. Not only have the last few games helped the Dodgers return to having the best record in baseball with 23 wins, But Los Angeles also owns the best home record in baseball at 15-3 and the largest division lead at 6 games. So much has happened since we last spoke...

The Dodgers had 3 players home run in the series opener on Friday night. They had three very similar swings result all in fly outs at the center field warning track on Saturday night. But the Dodgers were able to win both games As the embattled Dodgers 3rd baseman Juan Uribe got off of the proverbial shneid on Friday night as he hit his first home run in almost an entire year and then had an important RBI single in a low-scoring 2-1 affair in which the Dodgers won on Saturday.

While last years bunch of Dodgers quickly learned that the only way they could win games was in pain stakingly low scoring affairs, this years club has proven that they can win in all types of ways. Through the first month of the season, it was the RBI machine of Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier doing all the work while their supporting cast was helpful yet relatively quiet. But as the month turned to May and Matt Kemp with his nagging hamstring issues has gone cold, its been time for everyone else's close up. This most recent home stand has seen extra base hits and RBI's from Mark Ellis, James Loney, AJ Ellis, Tony Gwynn Jr, Bobby Abreu, and Juan Uribe.

Such a contribution could not have been timed any better, as Sunday's final game of the series with the Rockies saw Colorado jump out to the 3 run lead before the Dodgers had even recorded an out. After Dodgers staert Ted Lilly had settled down and the Dodgers had cut into said lead with runs in the 1st and 2nd, Matt Kemp left the game at the end of the 3rd inning with a re-aggravated sore hammy. Right fielder Andre Ethier and Manager Don Mattingly were soon to follow after receiving consecutive ejections in the 5th inning. Despite those subtractions, the Dodgers were able to over come a 4-2 deficit, with a bases clearing 3-rbi double by Bobby Abrea batting in Kemp's slot. Another 3 runs were plated by a 3-run AJ Ellis home run to the left field pavilion. After the eventful 6 run frame, the Dodgers never looked back.

Some observations that I had to make:

Andre Ethier gets ejected on his own themed "Tote-Bag" giveaway day because of a strikeout pitch that looked like a pretty good pitch. Even more ironic than his promotional toss out, was that it came with his mother in attendance for the mothers day festivities. He had some good words and quality expletives with the home plate umpire. Which begs the question, "does he kiss his mother with that mouth?"

Matt Kemp's hamstring issue has been classified as sore, which was exactly what scratched him from the lineup in Chicago. I have a feeling that subliminally, Mattingly has been trying to keep Matt Kemp's games played streak (best in majors) alive for Matt's sake. It was clear how angry he was when he was asked to leave the game, after Donny spoke with the training staff. I say the Dodgers just shut him down for a few days and get him fully right, so he can get back to being the best hitter in the sport.

AJ Ellis had his career high in RBI's on Sunday after having been moved into the 6th spot in the lineup. Mattingly says he's comfortable with AJ's bat in his more traditional 8 hole, but the guy is 3rd in all of baseball in on-base percentage. I'm thinking that everyone benefits from AJ batting 6 or 7. His numbers can hang with any catcher in baseball at this point, and while his career might not jump off the page as Mr. Sexy, he has quietly helped this club reach the best record in baseball through 34 games. He currently holds a streak of 23 games where he has reached base safely. I say good for him, the 31 year old has definitely earned it.

Juan Rivera's ruptured hammy has led to a week of firsts for Dodgers rookie Scotty Van Slyke. In his first game appearance on Wednesday night, Scott had his first RBI in his first at-bat. On Sunday afternoon, he saw his first MLB defensive experience after Ethier's ejection. After that, he went up to the plate and got two RBI's out of his first extra base hit (double to the LC gap). I've never been a fan of platoons, but with the way Tony Gwynn has played (both his bat and glove), and the way Van Slyke has flashed his swing and arm in the last few days, I could see these two being starters based on the lefty/righty match ups.

TDB: Odds and Ends

2012-05-10T18:59:00.001-07:00

The Dodgers wrapped up their first 2012 series with the San Francisco Giants last night by pulling away from Tim Lincecum and Company. Tony Gwynn Jr.'s pinch hit triple cleared the bases and made the chances of the Dodgers losing another low scoring, 2-1 type game disappear. Not to often are you going to see the Dodgers beat a two-time Cy Young winner when their own starter has thrown 85 pitches through 4 innings. But last night was the exception to the rule, as the clutch pinch hit, combined with Jamey Wright's solid 2 innings of relief shut down the Giants offense. Which allowed manager Don Mattingly to avoid digging deep into his bullpen.

Speaking of Mattingly... Only a few hours after I was tearing his decisions from Tuesday night apart on my podcast, he looked like a pure genius by having TGJr. bat in Chad Billingsley's spot in the bottom of the fourth. The game was heading in the direction of a loss as the Dodgers righthander had been fighting his stuff from the jump, and Timmy was dealing. So when the bases were loaded with one out in the 4th, Donny obviously felt it could potentially be his team's only chance to jump all over the Giants. Mattingly took his shot, and Chad was not thrilled. After he was called back from the on-deck circle, he immediately smacked his bat on the ground of the dugout before sitting down and cooling his jets. Fortunately for Chad he was off the hook of a loss after the pinch hit. Unfortunately for Chad he had not reached the five inning minimum to be in line for the win. Considering how badly he was missing locations, he can call it a wash.

So its the day off for 'Dem Bums (20-11) but The Dodger Blog never takes a day off, whether it be by blog, podcast, facebook, or twitter. So with that being said, lets dive into whats going around the Dodger Town:

Scott Van Slyke made his Major League debut last night with an RBI, broken-bat single pinch hit in the late innings. I could give an entire diatribe about what Andy's son may or may not do for the Dodgers this season, but the reality is Mike Petriello over at the blog "Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness" already did so.
Van Slyke is currently occupying Juan Rivera's spot on the roster while Rivera spends the time being on the disabled list with a strained or "sore" left hamstring. So far this season the "H-word" has been the fly in the ointment for the Dodgers' training staff. Iron man Matt Kemp, the owner of Major League Baseballs longest games played streak, missing a start last week in Chicago (he still looks a step slow as we speak), Jerry Hairston Jr. having the last few games off as he's trying to stay off the disabled list himself, and now Rivera is gone. The Dodgers are hoping that this hamstring fiasco follows the rule of bad things coming in three's, and that there won't be a fourth hammy issue before the end of may.
The Dodger Blog got a little bit of a face lift today. Seeing as I'm in the plastic surgery capital of the country (Hollywood), it only seemed natural. Hopefully, the loyal few followers of TDB find the page a little easier on the eyes and the mouse pad. You no longer have to go constantly scrolling through past posts when looking for any previous pod casts. There's a little player just to your right hand side where you can find the latest audio from TDB.

The Dodgers still share the best record in the National League and we're over a month into the season. While I'm not completely sold that this team is the real deal quite yet, there is definitely an air of confidence and positivity in the Dodgers club house this year that seems to breeding success. Good evening to you, wherever you may be.

Dodgers v. Giants: The Rubber Match

2012-05-09T16:17:00.004-07:00

In the last 10 years the series is quite literally as close as possible. The Dodgers have won 94 games and after last nights 2-1 final, the Giants have won 93. Now its on manager Don Mattingly to shake off last nights barrage of bunts and beat Bochy (was that quality alliteration? oh well, I try). The rubber match in the 3 game series is set for tonight at 7:10 PM PT. Chad Billingsley (2-2, 3.19 ERA) takes the mound at Dodger stadium, attempting to fend off on another ace in the form of Tim Lincecum (2-2, 5.68 ERA). His last showing at home against the Nationals and Stephen Strasburg was a gritty performance in which he allowed only one earned run and kept the Dodgers in the game until the opposing pitcher ran out of gas. Unfortunately the start that took place between then and now was a demoralizing loss to the lowly Chicago Cubs. Where they hung four earned runs on Chad in the early goings and the Dodgers could never recover. With Chad its always been the same story, which pitcher are we going to see, "Dr. Billz, or Mr. Chad". Los Angeles is hoping that they get the pleasant version this evening, the right handed version that showed signs in his young career of being a stud. Not the guy who fights his stuff all evening and allows the opposition to see too many pitches.

Donny Baseball is going with a severe case of the left/right advantage, as he essentially has crammed as many left handed hitters he has into tonight's lineup that will face the righty Lincecum. Mark Ellis gets the day off and Juan Rivera is going to the DL (per Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times) as former-Angels Adam Kennedy and Bobby Abreu get the nod in their stead. I wont get into the bunting fiasco in print, seeing as I have already vented about it in my podcast this morning (included below). With that being said, tonight we better see a little more patience by the Dodgers at the plate, because there's no better way to force Donny into getting conservative and playing more small ball than some anxious early innings at-bats that allow Timmy to put some zeros on the board and make this a pitchers duel.

Here are tonight's starting lineups:

Dodgers Giants

Gordon SS Blanco CF

Kennedy 2B Burris 2B

Kemp CF Cabrera LF

Ethier RF Posey C

Abreu LF Belt 1B

Uribe 3B Schierholtz RF

Loney 1B Arias 3B

Ellis C Crawford SS

Billingsley P Lincecum P

Here is the podcast about last night:

listen to ‘Today's podcast sounds off on Don #Mattingly's sac bunt party as the #Dodgers lost to the #SFGiants last night’ on Audioboo

Dodgers Happy to be Home, Rivalry Begins

2012-05-07T13:55:00.003-07:00

After a week long, six-game road trip to Denver and Chicago, alot has changed. Matt Kemp is no longer blistering the baseball like he was in April (his average has finally dipped below .400). Clayton Kershaw can now say that he has allowed three home runs in a single game for the first time in his career (against Rockies). And the Dodgers infield depth has taken some pretty big hits (Uribe's Wrist, Hairston Jr's Hammy). But despite all of this less-than-stellar news, the Dodgers (18-10) still boast a 4-game lead in the standings and a new addition to the bench in the form of veteran Bobby Abreu. The 38 year old former All-Star was released in late April after he had expressed some dissatisfaction with the role on the Angels to which he had been relegated.

The reality is that Abreu's bat is still strong enough to contribute somewhere in major league baseball but the franchise that he has called home for the last 4+ seasons just signed Albert Pujols and clearly wanted more youth in the outfield. The Dodgers have picked up Bobby for the veterans minimum, while the Angels will be responsible for the rest of his previous contract (9 million this year). He arrives in Dodger Stadium for the first time as a member of the home team, completely aware and more importantly at peace with his new role as a bat off the bench or an outfielder available for a spot start once a week. It isn't the big splash that new ownership has made clear is coming, but it does add legitimate left handed power to a Dodgers bench that had none.

The Dodgers now play 18 of their next 23 games at home where they hold a 10-2 record on the season. 13 of their next 16 games will be played against inter-divisional foes. An opportunity that everyone has had circled on the calendar for some time now, as the first real chance for the Dodgers to separate themselves from the pack. They're happy to be off the road, but can't take their foot off the pedal as this next stretch of games could very well define the momentum of the entire 2012 season. As new ownership has their first official day in their offices at Dodgers stadium. The entire affair will be under the watchful eyes of Magic Johnson and Stan Kasten.

Here are a few pod casts. The first is a recap of yesterday's heartbreaking loss and treacherous road trip, while the other discusses the Dodgers and Giants rivalry that resumes this evening.

listen to ‘The #Dodgers limp home from a 2-4 road trip. As they prepare for the #SFgiants at Chavez Ravine.’ on Audioboo

listen to ‘The rivalry between the #SFGiants and #Dodgers is renewed for 2012 as they begin a 3-game series at #DodgerStadium’ on Audioboo

Matt Kemp Has Crazy April, May Begins with New Dodgers Owner

2012-05-01T15:39:00.000-07:00

Today's edition of TDB's podcast talks about the history that Matt Kemp and the Dodgers got off to in the first month of the 2012 season. The Guggenheim Baseball Management group were officially announced as the new owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers this morning, thus ending the Frank McCourt era. While his name is likely to be synonymous with baseball fodder for the rest of time, it's a pleasant realization that his circus of a life will no longer prevent the focus of media from being on the Dodgers as a team.

listen to ‘#Dodgers and @therealmattkemp had historical April, while May is the first month of new ownership in today's podcast.’ on Audioboo

Today's game with the Colorado Rockies is the second of a three-game series and six-game road trip with the Rockies and Cubs. The Dodgers look to make up for last night's 7th inning failure with the bases loaded and zero outs, and even the series in the hitter friendly confines of Coors field. Conversely the Dodgers hope that fly-ball-out veteran, Ted Lilly, can continue the fantastic start to his second season as as Dodgers starter. Mattingly has to be hoping that James Loney can start to tap into whatever has led to his career success at Colorado because another 2-run output by the Dodgers certainly won't win a game for a Lilly-led ball club.

Tonight's start is set for 5:40 PM PT.

Cheers.

TDB's Podcast of Bryce Harper's Debut

2012-04-28T15:59:00.001-07:00

Here are the last two Podcasts from TDB as we discuss the closet situation as well as the debut of teenager Bryce Harper in tonight's match up between the Dodgers and Nationals.

listen to ‘The dodger blog addresses the #javy #guerra issue and discusses how long of a leash the #dodgers and their fans should give their closer.’ on Audioboo

The pride of Las Vegas, Nevada will start his first MLB game in left field. In 2010 he was the recipient of the Golden Spikes award, which honors the best amateur baseball player. Let's see what kind of spikes he has when he shares an outfield with opposing players like Matt Kemp.

listen to ‘TDB recaps last night and previews tonight's debut of #nationals rookie #BryceHarper against the #Dodgers.’ on Audioboo

Cheers

Hump Day at TDB

2012-04-25T13:02:00.001-07:00

It looks as if my guest article about the Dodgers' everday depth on Mike Petriello's popular Dodger fan blog "Mike Sciosia's Tragic Illness" has spurred some quality debate on how the organization should go forward. Building around special pieces like Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw, is going to be paramount over the next calendar year (if new ownership looks to start making an immediate run at some titles).

Here's another TDB Podcast recapping last nights defeat and previewing the final game of the home series with Atlanta.

listen to ‘ TDB recaps last nights loss and previews the rubber match as #dodgers wrap up 3-game series with #braves.’ on Audioboo

Cheers

Chipper Beats Dodgers on 40th Birthday

2012-04-24T23:28:00.002-07:00

As I tweeted in the waning moments of Tuesday night's one-run Dodger loss, Matt Kemp has been the difference maker on this team all season long, so it only seemed fitting that his first legitimate defensive flub of the young 2012 season would also be a difference maker. It was a fantastically competitive affair. Both teams had enormous and towering home runs pulled around foul poles by their respective old timers. Both teams manufactured runs. Both teams had fantastic plays on defense. And both teams erred (as far as I'm concerned if the ball hits Matt Kemp's glove and he's running upright... its an error).

The one black eye on "sleeved blanket night" was Javy Guerra's ill-timed fast ball in the zone to Prado that looked eerily similar to the pitch he threw in Milwaukee when he blew his first save. In fact they were hit to almost identical locations, only this time Matt Kemp had a chance at it. And just like that, the air was let out of the Dodger balloon. Andre Ethier's following appearance at the plate to lead off the bottom of the 9th was a perfect example, as he swung at anything he could see, spinning out of control like that whizzing, deflating balloon. After that, the tying run made it all the way to 2nd base before an ice cold Tony Gwynn Jr. was asked to come off the bench and be the hero with 2 outs. Against arguably the best closer in all of baseball no less.

Which brings us to the SILVER LINING... The Dodger's loss came on a night where every other NL West club lost a game as well. The Dodgers still have a 3.5 game lead over San Francisco as they turn to Ted Lilly for the series win.

Word on the street is that Ned Colletti was at tonight's heart break loss. Maybe Ned was paying attention when Don Mattingly needed a big pinch hit, and he was forced to rely on guys like Justin Sellers, Adam Kennedy or Tony Gwynn. It was reported that Colletti has confirmed he will be looking for a bat in the next few months. If tonight's loss was any indication of the Dodger's options, clearly Uribe's 4-hit night was an aberration and the Dodgers needs are a power hitting 3rd baseman and/or outfielder. I've heard whispers of a guy like David Wright and while that would be intriguing, the Dodgers would have to give up a major prospect like Zach Lee. A move that would be very Ned, and very unpopular with yours truly.

The rubber match is slated for 7:10PM. Unfortunately it sounds as if Juan Rivera might be heading to the disabled list. Only hours after he finally got of the his first homerun of the season. TDB's "Lilly Watch" will be in full effect tomorrow... Tweet me your predictions of home runs given up to fly ball outs ratio.

Good night.