Dodgers face tough decisions as opening day looms

Yesterday afternoon the Dodgers completed their cactus league schedule with their final game at camleback ranch this year with a 6-1 loss to the Indians. have no fear though, the last part of the game basically looked like the Indians beat the Isotopes, or Chatanooga.

so the Team flies or drives back to LA for three more exhibition games, (two at home) and then opening night on thursday with the giants.

The Opening day Roster hasnt been officially released yet, however according to reports from the Team and various sources, here is how it looks like the roster will shake out for opening day. (this of course is subject to change before thursday)

Rotation
Kershaw
Billingsly
Kuroda
Lilly

Bullpen
-----------
Broxton
Kuo
Jansen
Gurrier
Hawksworth
Macdougal-(walkapalooza)-NRI
Cormier-NRI-(note Looks like Cormier is in and Elbert will beign the year at AAA)
-----------------------

Dejesus makes the roster

Position Players
------------------------
Kemp-CF
Ethier-RF
Hit Machine-SS
Loney-1B
Uribe-3B
Big Rod-C
Dejesus-2B
--------------------
Bench
--------------------
Gwynn-OF
Gibbons-OF
Thames-OF
X.Paul-OF
Aarom Miles-IF-NRI
Hector Gimenez-C/IF-NRI
Carroll-IF
-----------------------------

DL-Blake-Garland-Padilla-Navarro


so the Dodgers will go with Dejesus as the starting second baseman pushing Uribe to third while Blake is on the DL. Dejesus could even bat second, which would fill a big need for the Dodgers in the batting order. Carroll goes back to the bench, and non roster bum Castro goes home. (so broken up about this one, we dodged a bullet there. buh-bye Yoda!)
the Dodgers have already told Castro that he wont be making the team, however since he signed a minor league contract he will remain in arizona to work out with the Minors guys.

Aaron Miles also makes the team as a switch hitting infielder off the bench. as does switch hitting long shot Hector Gimenez. however the Dodgers have once again screwed A.J. Ellis. isnt it about the time he gets a chance to play?
I like Gimenez, he can play multiple positions, switch hit, and catch. but he doesnt have a whole lot of experience catching, and with Fatty(navarro) out indefinatly shouldnt we have someone with more catching experience? Ellis will start the year again in AAA since he has options and Gimenez does not.

also it loks like Elbert will start the year at AAA and Lance Cormier will make the team. IM not upset about this. Elebert had a terrible start to the spring but has showed improvement. however I think he still needs some seasoning and work out some of his issues in AAA. if you have read previous posts, I suggested the Dodgers give Cormier a try. I like him much better than the Wild Macdougal. Hes been pretty decent over the last couple of years. a 3.92 ERA last year with Tampa Bay isnt terrible, and he is a ground ball pitcher. although Im not too happy with Macdougal making the team, but remember how often does the last pitcher or two in the bullpen actually get into games? not very often. normally theres high turnover for those final spots, and when Padilla comes back in a few weeks, one of them will likly get released.

it does concern me though that Kuo will be the only lefty in the bullpen. but if Brox returns to form and he should, Jansen and Gurrier can handle most of the setup duties, Kuo can be used as more of a Loogy role, and possibly stretch out more use.
the Dodgers still havent decided who will play left field when a righty is on the mound, however it looks like Tony Gwynn is the early favorite, with Gibbons and Paul as options as well.

in other hilarious news. I thought I would share this with you. even though it is not Dodger news it is still Baseball news and might give you a laugh. according to a report.....

apparently really funny unknown burglers, robbed the house of Tampa Bay Rays players-David Price, Evan Longoria, and Ried Brignac. The Port Charlotte Fla house was being rented and used during spring training by the three players. apparently the crooks stole a bunch of watches, and jewlery from Longoria, also stolen were a 60 inch flat screen tv, three Ipads, several Xbox Game systems, and Price's Laptop.

Evan Longoria is no stranger to theft, having his 1967 Camaro RS stolen from an arizona parking lot recently last month, also having his favorite Rays Hat stolen. Colombo is on the case. for the hat of coarse and not the camaro.

all kidding aside, all three players were playing a ST game when it happened and were not home, and no one was hurt. apparently police think it could have been an inside job, as several people per day had been asking if the place was still for rent or not.
as much of a shame as it is to see millionaire players robbed (see sarcasm) these robbers might think twice next time when robbing all-star players houses. if Price and Longoria had been home, that might have been bad news for the Crooks. maybe next time they will rob someone like a Castro. at least you would know that if Castro was home and ran after you with a bat, that he would only make contact 1 out of 4 times.

The Dodgers have three exhibition games left before thursday nights opener. tonight against the Angels at 710 is on KCAL. I will be covering opening night, and stac is covering friday night. well be back for opening night in our usual format, with game recaps and analysis.

the 2011 season is ready to start! well see you soon. only three days until we hear the words that we love to hear....ITS TIME FOR DODGER BASEBALL!!!

blake anchors his way onto the DL

its just about official. Casey Blake (rusty anchor) will most likly begin the season on the disabled list, after still reeling from a back injury caused by trying to leg out a bunt during a game back on march 12.
all kidding aside, the Dodgers have to be thinking about the future of third base. as much as I like Blake this will in all liklyhood be his final year with the Dodgers. Blake has been a solid player over the years, and a primary component of the core group of players that led the Dodgers to back to back NL west division titles, and NLCS appearances from 2008-2009.
the 37 year old vet, was acquired by the Dodgers from the Indians for two minor leaguers in 2008, one being then top catching prospect Carlos Santana. with Russell Martin gone and the sorry state of the Dodger's catching currently, they better be getting every bit of value out of Casey Blake right?

However with Blake turning 38 and coming off of a bad year, his health, age, and declining numbers worry me. Im not the only one worried.
Blake batted .251 with 10 homeruns for the Dodgers during the last two months of 2008.
he had a very productive year in 2009, hitting .280 with 18 homeruns and 79 RBI, and an .832 OPS.
in 2010 Blake battled age and inconsistency and had a bad year hitting only .248 and striking out 22 more times than the year before. but he still hit 17 homeruns and drove in 64 runs. not to say Blake doesnt have his uses, crushing lefties in 2010 to a tune of a .314 avg. however he has trouble hitting right handed pitching.

the Dodgers will move Uribe over to third which will open up a spot at second base. we all asume Carroll will see the majority of time at second, but he also injured his hand and we might see a couple of other guys get time there as well.
with blake down and padilla and Garland starting the first couple of weeks on the DL, this leaves two roster spots open temporarily, and several players fighting for their uniforms. (Aaron Miles, Juan (yoda) castro, Hector Gimenez, Ivan Dejesus, and light hitting long shot Eugenio Velez).

the Dodgers did announce before spring training that Blake could see less time at third and more time on the bench or the outfield, considering his age, decline, and rustyness.

I still like Blake alot, hes been a decent hitter, solid third baseman, a proven clubhouse presence, and an all around good guy. every dog has its day though, and players get old its a fact of baseball life. and remember he was an important part of the Dodgers miraculous come from behind win in the bottom of the 9th in game 2 of the 2009 NLDS against the cardinals. he was the one who had the epic 10 pitch at bat to draw a clutch walk that extended the inning for belliard and Loretta to get their hits leading the Dodgers to a dramatic victory. he was also the one who faked out arizona reliever Esmerling Vasquez to draw the game ending balk off last may. strong baseball instincts, and smart plays have been common for blake throughout his career.

Blake threw his back out when Donnie baseball made his first blunder of his managerial career, by asking his 37 year old aging third baseman with a history of back problems to leg out a bunt during a spring game nearly 10 days ago. only god knows why? blake has been doing nothing since then other than hitting off of a tee. when asked about his injury and availability for opening day, blake said that he still could be ready by opening day.
Donnie Baseball orginally said he could be ready by opening day, this then changed to he probably wont be ready by opening day, and now its changed to hell be rusting away on the bench for two weeks in april. the injury is actually to his lower back/ribs and is not a reaggravation of a previous back injury last year.
I dont care what Blake says, hes going to the DL.

is Blake really cooked? does the Beard still have something left in the tank? I hope he does. however with each passing day Blake gets a little older, a little more injury prone, a little more attrocious against righties, and a little more rustier.
Can Blake defy father time? only .......TIME will tell.................

check back for more dodger spring training news! T-minus 10 days until we here those beautiful words we love to hear so much......ITS TIIIIIIME FOR DODGER BASEBALL!!!

Spring Training Report-1

Hello all! Happy St. Pattys Day! spring training marches on and the Dodgers used three homeruns and little bit of the luck of the irish to beat the Dbacks today 6-4. This improves their Spring record to 7-15.

there is alot of news to catch up on, over the last couple of weeks, so lets get right to it.

first off there are several Dodgers who are hurt or banged up, they are as follows-

Garlands Oblique-Jon Garland strained his oblique muscle over a week ago. the doctors say while it is not serious, it will still take anywhere between 4-6 weeks to fully heal as most normally take this time length. Garland most likly will begin the season on the DL, but the Dodgers expect him to be ready by mid april. Vicente Padilla is still recovering from his surgery to repair a nerve in his pitching forearm. the team doctors have given padilla a return time of around may 1st, however Padilla always seems to recover from injuries alot quicker than most pitchers do and has reported feeling much better saying he has a new arm and is already throwing non-mound sessions. it is possible he could return before may 1st. The Dodgers will likly go with 11 pitchers to start the season. the Dodgers dont need a 5th starter until april 12.

Casey Blake's back/ribs-you mean to tell me that the Dodgers 37 year old third baseman in decline hurt his back again and cant play? shocking right? this time blake hurt his back/ribs trying to beat out a bunt after Donnie baseball ordered him to one game for some stupid reason. member how we all laughed when Mattingly announced he wanted Blake to hit second because of his ability to bunt? well were not laughing anymore are we? Can we please not have our 37 year old crotchety third baseman with a history of back spasms trying to leg out bunts? thank you Donnie!


the Dodgers made several large groups of cuts this week starting on monday. the Dodgers sent the following players down to the Minor league camps.....Carlos Monasterios, Javy Guerra, Trayvon Robinson, Dee Gordon, Jon Link, Russ Mitchell, John Lindsey, Justin Sellers, and Dodger Rookie Phenom Jerry Sands. the Roster has now been trimmed down to 44 players.

check out MSTI-  http://mikesciosciastragicillness.com/  with several interesting pieces. One piece is on Non-Roster Invitee Aaron Miles, who is impressing everyone this spring and with several conditions possibly falling into place could not only make the team but could be the starting second baseman.

and a very interesting piece on the great spring of Tony Gwynn Jr. and how he could possibly be the solution to many of the Dodgers problems in the outfield.

speaking of Miles, he is one of four players fighting for the last bench spot. MSTI has another interesting piece on another non roster guy having a terrific spring-Hector Gimenez. Ill get to him in a second.

lets talk about the four guys all battling for the last bench spot. My pick would be Gimenez and I will explain why.

1.-Aaron Miles-plays all infield positions-bats both
Miles has had a very good spring, hitting .333 with 2 home runs in 24 AB. normally Miles has always been mediocre, but according to an article from Tony Jackson Miles early spring success could be due to corrective laser eye surgery. Miles has said that hes seeing the ball better than ever. check out MSTI for more details about Miles journey to make the roster.

2.-Ivan Dejesus Jr.-2b primarily-bats right
I doubt Dejesus would make the roster, I think he has a slim chance, however he is still around, he hasnt impressed anyone this spring batting .269 with 7 hits in 26 AB. the problem is he can only play second base, still you never know, I think he needs more seasoning.

3.-Juan Castro-plays all infield positions-bats right-UGHHHHH
yep its Castro alright. the very same ageless bum that has been useless at the plate for his entire 17 year career. I still dont know why the Dodgers are so fascinated with him. maybe because they know him well.  I originally thought that made him nearly a lock to make the team. however with each hit from Miles, or run driven in from Gimenez should make the Dodgers forget all about this bum.

4.-Hector Gimenez-plays Catcher/first base/third base-bats left.
Gimenez would be my choice. hes my darkhorse to grab the last spot. MSTI has a nice little write up about him too. he is another non roster guy.
Gimenez is 28 years old from Venezuela. originally drafted and signed by the Astros in 1999. Gimenez had only two plate appearances in the majors in 2006 for the astros before being sent back down. he suffered through injuries in 2007 and ended up in the Pirates organization. last year he played in AA ball for the pirates and batted .305 with 16 homers and 72 RBI. Gimenez naturally a third baseman, converted to catcher, and also learned to play first base. I really like this guy especially after seeing him play this week. he bats lefty plays first base and can be an emergency third catcher. he can also play third base if needed.

I know Gimenez is not a middle infielder but Im not sure how much the Dodgers really really need another middle infielder. after all if Blake's injury keeps him out longer than we think it will, then Uribe would slide over to third, and Carroll can play second. or Miles if it is him who makes the roster. however Ive been impressed with Gimenez hes had a good spring hitting .333 with 2 homeruns and 5 RBI. I like his power, good bat control, and versatility. the fact he can catch and play first gives him alot of flexibility. Im rooting for him, but I still wouldnt be suprised if the completly incompetent Castro is on the bench wasting a roster spot.

this leaves us with a few questions. with gwynn playing so well and looking very likly to make the team and even start, and with Thames hitting well, is Gibbons still a lock to make the team?
Gibbons has had an attrocious spring battling the Flu and problems with his vision. however its reported that he has since corrected his vision issues and says he is ready to play. could he be the odd man out in the outfield?

This leaves us with another question. what do the Dodgers do with Xavier Paul? the young promising serviceable outfielder who played admirably last year being called up several times because of injuries, is out of options. I would really hate to see the Dodgers lose Paul. it looks like with the garland/padilla/blake injuries could open up a roster spot temporarily and give Paul a stay of execution so to speak. although I think eventually Xman will have to be put on waivers to make room.

during the Game the Dodgers wore these hallacious green jerseys in honor of St. Pattys day. (remember former owner walter O'Malley was irish. yeah he was! no joke!) I wont post a pic, trust me you dont want to see these Unis. I can compare them to the ugly derwienersnitchell astro unis from the 80's and the Padres putrid camo jerseys they wear from time to time.

Billingsly got the start against righty Aaron Heilman. Bills while not being dominant still pitched well allowing 3 runs on 4 hits through 5 innings. walking only 1 and 4K. Heilman also pitched well allowing only a two run home run to Matt Kemp through 6. the former reliever left with the lead 3-2.

Broxton entered in the 6th to pitch a scoreless inning further pissing off the "we hate broxton V-energy" naysayers. Brox recorded his first two strikeouts of the spring as well.

Kuo also pitched a perfect inning in relief and despite Kemp misplaying a ball allowing a leg triple and a run to score, Guerrier kept it close in the 7th.

down 4-2 in the 8th, the Dodgers for the second straight day came from behind to win. the rally started with an Aaron Miles single, and a hit and run single by none other than automatic out extroidonair Juan Castro. with runners at the corners, my man Hector Gimenez slugged a three run shot inside the left field foul pole to give the dodgers the lead 5-4. for good measure fellow non roster guy Gabe Kapler added a solo shot. 6-4 Dodgers!

then it got a bit interesting in the 9th. Mike Macdougal another non roster guy, you know the former 20 save guy from the royals thats had a history of control problems, who has happened to have a strong spring.  well Macdougal in grand Mike Macdougal fashion managed to get the save before scaring us all with another one of his trademark walkapaloozas. or as scared as we can be knowing full well it is only a spring game.
his inning went a little something like this.-WALK-GROUND BALL-WALK-HBP-bases loaded-LINEOUT TO SHORT-DOUBLE PLAY AT SECOND.   phew!!!! dodgers hold on to win 6-4.

next televised game is on saturday against the brewers, and Vinny will be calling the game. the boys in blue will be back in their normal unis. opening day is only two weeks away. two more weeks until we hear those beautiful words we love to hear every year.....ITS TIIIIIIME FOR DODGER BASEBALL!!!
we will keep you posted on all spring training news and scores! happy St. Pattys day all!

Dodgers begin spring schedule tomorrow

Hello all! the Dodgers are all set to begin their spring schedule tomorrow with a split squad game against the giants and angels. the first game on tv is sunday afternoon against the angels.

your probably wondering with the spring schedule ready to kick off tomorrow why in the world is there a pic of yoda above? keep reading and I will get to that.....
with the first game tomorrow I began to think about the Dodgers roster and lineup and how it might shape up. IM gonna do a quick rundown of what I would do if I were the Dodgers and how I think the roster/lineup should shape out. remember this is what I would do and not what the Dodgers will do.

the 25 man roster normally is constructed with 12 pitchers and 13 position players. 5 starters, 7 relievers, the starting 8 position players, and 5 players on the bench (normally two outfielders, two infielders and a backup catcher). now there are someteams who might carry an extra relief pitcher or an extra infielder but this is how it usually goes.

THE PITCHING STAFF

this pitching staff has alot of depth. you can honestly say the dodgers could have one of the better pitching staffs in the national league.

ROTATION
1.Kershaw-staff ace turning 23. dominating
2.Billingsly-rebounded from a bad second half of 09. strong 2010
3.Kuroda-one of the most consistent dodger pitchers in recent years
4.Lilly-won first five games as a dodger finished 7-2.
5.Garland-notorious innings-eater

BULLPEN

while starting pitching is obviously this teams stregths, the bullpen will also be much improved this year.
with Bellisario MIA and Padilla shelved for a couple of months after surgery to his forearm, two spots opne up in the bullpen. not having bellisario and padilla sucks, but its not season changing as there is plenty of pitchers, and a plethora of retreads assembled in arizona.
the front four of Broxton, Kuo, Jansen, and Guerrier will form a very nasty foursome of fireballers. I think Broxton will be revamped after a long offseason, a new coaching staff, and being away from Joe Torre. Kenley Jansen the young fireballer-converted catcher who burst onto the scene late last year and blew most hitters away will provide 7th and 8th inning setup duties. as will newly acquired Matt Guerrier. Guerrier is a solid pitcher, and that could allow the Dodgers to save Kuo for high value type innings. Blake Hawksworth, picked up in the theriot trade can hop into the swing/longman role which was slated for Vicente Padilla. which is also the Jeff Weaver role.
this leaves two spots left to fill. the Dodgers invited a sleu of Non roster players to camp, alot of teams do. 20 to be exact, and half are pitchers. most of the pitchers arent worth mentioning, however there are a couple I think we should take a chance on. hey with the way things are were gonna have to roll the dice on a couple of players. if Scott Elbert struggles in the spring, Ron Mahay could and should pickup a spot. I think if he is used porperly as a loogy he can be useful. hes been terrific against lefties. career-.232 BAA and .689OPS. last year he was decent for minnesota-3.44 ERA in 41 games 8BB/25K. even though he is 39 if used properly can fill a valuable spot. the last spot could be given to Lance Cormier. I know I know I might be facepalming myself for this later on, but he has actually put up decent numbers. 3.92 ERA last year isnt terrible. his strikeout to walk ratio was poor, however he is a ground ball pitcher. once again if used properly he could be useful. and if he sucks there is a whole army of guys who will be wating in the wings in AAA. Ely, Monasterios, Jon Link, Troncoso can all be called upon for depth. its even possible they could bring back Weaver, that possibility should make Stac happy as she has always liked him.
1.Broxton-CL
2.Kuo
3.Jansesn
4.Guerrier
5.Hawksworth
6.Mahay
7.Cormier

THE OFFENSE

the big reason last year was so craptastic is because the offense was punchless. while you could say its only marginally improved power wise, still theres a couple of spots we are just going to have to hope for the best.

there is going to have to be two different lineups thanks to this power improved OBP starved lineup.
Furcal will hit leadoff as usual, and Ethier and Kemp will hit 3-4. which makes sense. Uribe should hit behind Kemp in the 5 spot. with the Gibbons/Thames plattoon batting 7th, and the catchers batting eigth. the question remains, who should bat second? thats a good question worth some arguing.
Donnie Baseball has said that he might be considering batting Blake second, which I think is a mistake, and here is why.
the options are very limited since Carroll is on the bench and really the only other options to hit second is between Blake and Loney. lets actually compare the two.

Blake  .248/.320-.720OPS 17 HR 64 RBI-48BB-138K-.305BABIP-vsLHP-.314-RHP-.222
Loney .268/.348-.723OPS 10 HR 88 RBI-52BB 95K-.302BABIP-vsLHP-.222-RHP-.286

as you can see from their 2010 season splits they put up very similar numbers. dont let blake's extra power and Loney's Higher avg fool you into thinking it means anything. or Loneys shiny 88 RBI.  here is the difference, Loney is younger and while there BABip is almost the same, Loney gets on base more .348OBP, walks more-52-48 and strikes out less. he is just a better contact hitter than blake. if you go by the book, your number two hitter should always be one of your better hitters. however there is an issue. Blake while still being able to crush lefties as shown above, cannot hit right hand pitching anymore. the same can be said of Loney but opposite. he hits righties well at .286, but cant hit lefties-.222. so this means your going to have to move Loney down in the lineup when there is a Lefty on the mound.

vs.RHP-                 vs.LHP
1.Hit Machine         Hit Machine
2.Loney                  Blake
3.Ethier                   Ethier
4.Kemp                  Kemp
5.Uribe                   Uribe
6.Blake                   Loney
7.Gibbons               Thames
8.Barajas/Ellis         Barajas/Ellis
9.Pitcher                 Pitcher

THE BENCH

this where the Dodgers have to make the right choice, although we all know they wont.
Carroll-IF
Gwynn Jr.-OF
Thames
Paul-OF
Ellis-C

last year the bench was completly useless. but should be much improved this year. Carroll returns as a diamond in the rough. I put Thames there because hell prolly only see time against lefties, and IM hoping Ellis makes the club as backup. (of coarse I know fatty Navarro will make the team since hes out of options and Ellis is not) Tony Gwynn Jr comes on board to provide late inning defense and speed.
here is where the Dodgers must choose wiselly. the last bench spot is up for grabs, and at the moment they only have one infielder. there are only two choices since the Dodgers traded away Chin-Lung Hu. both of them are very awful. either Aaron Miles, a utility infielder picked up from the Cardinals. he sucks balls, has no power, and a .675 career OPS. the other choice is the infamously attrocious......historically horrible.....can you feel those goosebumps on the back of your neck forming?..........Jaun Castro!
the question is could one of these useless retreads cost the Dodgers a young promising serviceable outfielder like Xavier Paul?   think about it for a second......search your heart you know it to be true. (im choosing to go with 3 outfielders on my hypothetical roster, while we all know the Dodgers will go with Castro)

you know what the Dodgers will do.....dont you? deep inside the labrynth of your mind you know hes gonna be there. heck hes already in spring training given a minor league deal and 500K if he makes the team. Castro is coming and theres nothing anyone can do to stop this from happening. 
remember Castro singed with the Dodgers in 1991, and is in his 4th stint with the team. he is one of the most historically terrible hitters of all time. career .228 avg and .575 OPS. the 39 year old veteran will be wasting a roster spot, striking out, and bumbling plays in the field.
sure we laughed at Auto out in 2010, however Castro is like a career Auto out. oh yes. let me give you an example here, if Anderson (auto out) was like Anakin Skywalker of auto outs, then Castro would be you guessed it.....the Yoda of Auto outs! hey when hes on the roster and stinking up the bench this year, dont say I didnt warn you! 

in other funny news around the world of Baseball Adam Wainright Cardinals number 1 will have Tommy John surgery to repair a torn UCL in his pitching arm. after having one of the best seasons last year finsihing second in the cy young, will miss the entire season and prolly most of next year. with this news the balance of power has shifted in the NL central, and the Reds, Beefed up Milwaukee, and rebuilding Astros and Cubs are all licking their chops! wow so since december the Cardinals traded a person for the completly useless Ryan Theriot, failed to resign Albert Pujols to a contract extension, and now have lost their franchise pitcher to injury. while there is no laughing matter about anyone getting hurt(we wish Wainright a speedy recovery) we still are very pleased we will not have to face him for a long time! talk about a team getting kicked in the nards! yikes!

and one more thing, we will have another year of Vinny. thank you Vinny from the bottom of every Dodger fans heart. you are are guide through the season. we are thrilled to have you back for another year.

only 35 more days until opening day! another wonderful year of Dodger baseball is all set to start! we all wait to hear those wonderful words we love to hear.......ITS TIIIIIIIIIME FOR DODGER BASEBALL!
check back for more spring news! lets go blue!

Vicente Padilla's Arm Surgery Goes Well

This morning Vicente Padilla had a successful surgery on his forearm which helped eleviate a entrapped radial nerve in his pitching arm. The surgery was described as a 1-inch incision in which they cut away part of the muscle deep in the forearm which is pressing against a nerve. Padilla will travel back to AZ to join his teammates in spring training, but the earliest he will be able to begin throwing again is in 3-4 weeks. Eric Gagne had a similar ulnar nerve entrapment surgery in June 2005, and he missed the rest of the season. But that was a different nerve which was affected, and recovery times vary depending in part on the extent of nerve damage. Padilla told MLB.com that "I feel like I have a new arm." Vicente began experiencing pain Sunday after a bullpen session, and was flown out to L.A. for an evaluation. Padilla was injury prone last season with similar arm problems and a bulging disc in his neck which caused him to miss 2 months of the season.


Padilla was signed this offseason for a $2 million base salary plus incentives. Ned Colletti's intentions were for him to be a reliever since his injuries were mounting last season. Padilla had said that he wanted to try to break into the starting rotation this season.


The Dodgers have now lost two pitchers before the season has even started. Ronald Belisario's murky wherabouts are still unknown and it is unlikely he will be able to enter the U.S. this season. Luckily the Dodgers picked up some pitching this winter, and the acquisitions of Hawksworth & Guerrier and of course fifth starter Jon Garland seem very smart now. It will be interesting to see who can battle to capture one of the vacancies in the bullpen. Scott Elbert, John Ely, Jon Link, Carlos Monasterios and Travis Schlichting now have a chance to make the team along with some other retreads not even worth mentioning at this point. 


Here's to a speedy recovery for Padilla and for the return of the infamous soap bubble. 


The first exhibtion game is scheduled for this Saturday, and the Sunday's game vs. the Angels will be televised on Prime Ticket at 12:05pm. Stay tuned for more Spring Training news and scores!

where in the world is Ronald Belisario?

Greetings all! were back and spring training has begun! not much has happened since the last time we posted. the Dodgers picked up a couple of aging veteran arms on minor league deals. all the Lance Cormier's, and Ramon Colons aside, as the Dodgers begin to file in for spring training. Pitchers and catchers have already begun to report. all familiar faces have reported on time....except for one pitcher......guess who? Where in the world is Ronald Belisario?  Its about 6 o'clock, do you know where your setup man is? for the third straight year in a row Belisario will not be reporting to spring training on time. and it gets much worse. just the other day the Dodgers learned from his agent that not only will he not be arriving at spring training on time again, he wont be able to enter the US at all in 2011. when asked if this had something to do with his visa issues, his agent replied "it goes much deeper than that" Yikes! now I have no idea where belisario is at this point but I do know where he is not, and that is at the Dodgers spring training camp in Glendale Arizona.

Belisario is the right handed venezuelian setup man that burst onto the scene in 2009. putting up very solid numbers.  in 2010 he arrived over 5 weeks late to camp, and despite pitching very effective during his time early in the season, he disappeared for a month. the team reported that he had a substance abuse problem. he returned late in the year, but it was clear his head was not right. this lead to his famous mental breakdown after the aftermath of the Philadelphia meltdown, where the Dodgers blew a 9-2 lead in the 8th inning. Belisario was clearly scene crying in the dugout, and soon afterwards was once again put on restricted list.



there was rumors flying of his legal problems, and these fears were confirmed the other day, when his agent told the Dodgers he would most likly not going to be able  to enter the country this year.
life goes on however thankfully the Dodgers have an abundance of relief pitching and anyone can step in and take his roster spot. Now the Dodgers will still be able to keep Belisario, as they will put him on the restricted list, and this will free up a valuable roster spot. cough Xavier Paul cough cough. ahem.
the Dodgers are still deciding whether to carry 5 or 6 infielders/outfielders and vice versa.


in other news rookie manager Donnie Baseball announced that Clayton Kershaw will be the Dodgers opening day starter. more on this from the news station called DUH!

only about 9 days until the first spring training game. Stac is sick and pregnant right now so she is not in the best of spirits. im not sure when she will be able to post again. lets hope she feels better real soon. Im still here to keep you posted on all Dodgers news while spring training tredges on. this should cheer Stac up, only 44 more days until we hear those magic words we love to hear every year-  ITS TIIIIIIIIIIME FOR DODGERS BASEBALL!!!!!  lets go blue!

its like 10,000 spoons when all you need is a knife....Dodgers finally find their knife

Hi all, were back! and no im not describing an alanis morissette concert, im describing the Dodgers outfield situation! couldnt be a more perfect metaphor could it? my kingdom I say! my kingdom for a right handed hitting outfielder! the Dodgers with a plethora of left handed hitting outfielders, have been searching for a rare commodity these days a right handed hitting outielder who kills lefties with power. well today the Dodgers finally found there right handed bat to platoon with Jay Gibbons.

The Dodgers have signed OF and former yankee marcus Thames. according to various sources confirming, however details of the contract have not been released yet. as you well know if you have been reading our blog, I am a big supporter of signing Marcus Thames. I just thought that he was the best available option offensivly since the Dodgers have been looking for a righty to balance out the outfield. it was slim pickens out there in the free agent market, besides Thames only, Lastings Milledge, and Scott Hairston remaining.

Thames has played 9 seasons primarily in the american league as an outfielder. he came up with the yankees in 2002, played a year in texas and then 6 seasons in detroit. he then returned to the yankees for 2010. in 2010 he had one of his best years at the plate, hitting a very productive line of .288/.350/.491 and an .841 OPS, he hit 12 home runs in limited playing time, he has a career .248 avg, and .802 OPS, however he kills lefties hitting .265 with an .838 OPS.  Thames also hit 113 home runs during his career.
The Dodgers also have signed 35 year old outfielder gabe Kapler to a minor league deal. according to reports. Kapler who was a star like a million years ago for texas and detroit, never lived up to full potential, as nagging injuries roadblocked his career and he has only played limited time, or has held bench positions for the last decade. He is clearly cooked but he can still hit lefties pretty decent, .275 avg, and he could be good insurance just in case.
the main argument against Thames is that he is a terrbile outfielder. according to many, one of the worst in baseball. honestly after the nightmare of last season, and the scarcity of ya know runs, I dont give a damm how bad he is defensvily. yeah thats right I said it. im so starved for offense, I litterally dont give a flying how defensivly challenged he is. He could be the second coming younger brother of billy ashley in the outfield and I wouldnt care. well ok maybe thats a bit too far, but you get the idea.
it is still unsure of exactly how the Dodgers will use Thames. most people believe he will be platooning with Gibbons in left, which would be good offensivly, they both should hit 20-25 home runs and drive in around 80-90 runs. he could be a lefty killing masher off the bench as well, as some sources reporting several possible dodger outfield alignments, including one that has Gwynn playing center, ethier being put in left, and Kemp being pushed to right field. regardless of all possibilities, it is clear that the nightmares of last season can never ever again be repeated.

in other wonderful news, congratz to Stacie, as she is expecting her second child. sometimes life finds a way to get in the way during the coarse of a season, so there will understandably be times when she will be unavailable later this season. the baby is due in august. which means Ill be lone soldering it during the pennant race. but hey I get to be an uncle for the second time, and I am very happy about that.

so maybe in about 22 years from now, a strapping young man, and his elderly uncle, and very very very old mother will be at the ravine, watching the Dodgers win the world series...........

theres only 1 month until spring training,  keep watching, as we bring you all the latest Dodgers news! more spring reports, more blue bios, (assuming stacie isnt busy having more babies) as we wait to hear those beautiful words we so long to hear..........ITS TIME FOR DODGER BASBEBALL!

Edit-we still dont know what the sex of the baby is yet, so stay tuned!-also congratz to brother in law Cory, I think he may have had a part in this too