DODGERS ANNUAL COMMUNITY CARAVAN PRESENTED BY USC UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL SET FOR FEBRUARY 14-15

                   

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers will embark on their eighth annual Community Caravan on Monday, February 14 and Tuesday, February 15. This year’s Dodgers Community Caravan presented by USC University Hospital is themed “Two Days of Community Service” where current and former Dodger players will join Dodger fans in giving back to Los Angeles Community.  

 

Monday, February 14

 

Day one of the Dodgers Community Caravan will feature Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly and Dodgers Andre Ethier and James Loney. Hall of Fame Manager and Special Advisor to the Chairman Tommy Lasorda alongside former Dodgers Steve Garvey, Bobby Castillo, Tommy Davis, Kenny Landreaux and Rudy Law and Dodger broadcaster Steve Lyons will also participate.

 

10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.        Los Angeles River Cleanup (Public must pre-register for a chance to participate)

 

The Dodgers in partnership with Los Angeles City Council District 1, Councilmember Ed P. Reyes and Los Angeles Conservation Corps/Los Angeles River Keepers will clean up the banks of the L.A. River.

 

Dodger fans must pre-register online to participate. The event is open to the first 250 registrants that sign up at www.dodgers.com/caravan.

 

5:00 p.m.                                Lopez Tonight Taping in Burbank

 

The Dodgers will make an appearance on George Lopez’s national show to share their community service experiences.

 

Tuesday, February 15

 

Dodgers Rafael Furcal, Matt Kemp, Tony Gwynn Jr., Jay Gibbons and Gabe Kapler will join former Dodgers Fernando Valenzuela, Ron Cey, Derrel Thomas, “Sweet” Lou Johnson and Special Advisor to the Chairman Don Newcombe in the Los Angeles community for day two of the Dodgers Community Caravan. Dodger broadcasters Charley Steiner and Pepe Yñiguez will also partake.

 

10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.        Heal the Bay, Santa Monica (Public must pre-register for a chance to participate)

                                               

Dodger fans will join the Dodgers on a Heal the Bay cleanup at Santa Monica beach. The event is open to the first 750 fans that register online at www.healthebay.org/events. Participants will receive a raffle ticket for a chance to win autographed baseballs, Dodger tickets and raffle items at the day’s event.

 

4:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.       Dodgers Dreamfield Dedication Ceremony at Northridge Recreation Center

 

                                                The Dodgers Dream Foundation will dedicate its 10^th Dodgers Dreamfield at the Northridge Recreation Center. Councilman Greig Smith will join and youngsters from the community will participate in the field’s first clinic with the Dodgers who will instruct them on the fundamentals of baseball.

 

More information on the Dodgers Dream Foundation and the club’s charitable endeavors can be found at dodgers.com/community.

Year-end Thoughts On The Dodgers

I attended my last Dodgers game of the season Sunday.  While the team still has a few more games to play, my year-long assignment of covering the Dodgers is now complete as I will soon start the transition to my NBA duties, along with a handful of Angels games remaining on my schedule.

As I watched the Dodgers rally for an 11-inning, 7-6 win over the Rockies, several thoughts pertaining to the team ran through my mind.  Here they are, starting at the top.


foxsportswest.com: Year-end Thoughts On The Dodgers

MATT KEMP AND ORLANDO HUDSON CAPTURE GOLD GLOVES

--Kemp wins his first while Hudson takes home his fourth Rawlings Gold Glove Award--


LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers and Rawlings today announced that center fielder Matt Kemp and second baseman Orlando Hudson were awarded the National League Rawlings Gold Glove for their respective positions. Kemp becomes a Rawlings Gold Glove winner for the first time in his career while Hudson captures his fourth award. Hudson has now won the Rawlings Gold Glove Award in four of the last five seasons, after winning one in three consecutive seasons from 2005-07.

Kemp led all Major League center fielders and ranked third among all big league outfielders with 14 outfield assists. His .995 fielding percentage was third among NL center fielders, behind Gold Glove winner Shane Victorino and Nate McLouth. The Oklahoma native made just two errors on the season.

Prior to Kemp, the last Dodger outfielder to win the Rawlings Gold Glove was center fielder Steve Finley in 2004, which was also the last time more than one Dodger won the award in the same season. The only other everyday Dodger centerfielder to win the Rawlings Gold Glove award was Willie Davis, who took home the honor three straight years from 1971-73.

Kemp logged 1,355.1 innings in center field, which is more frames than any other Dodger center fielder in a Gold Glove season. Over the last two years, his 30 outfield assists are tied for second in the Major Leagues with Baltimore’s Nick Markakis, trailing only Houston’s Hunter Pence (32).

In 145 games at second base, Hudson made just eight errors and posted a .988 fielding percentage (T-4th, NL), which ranked fifth on the franchise’s single-season list by a second baseman, behind Jody Reed (.993, in 1993), Jackie Robinson (.992 in 1951), Charlie Neal (.989 in 1959), and Mark Grudzielanek (.989 in 2002). In September, the 2009 All-Star was named by Baseball America as the best defensive second baseman in the publication’s annual tools issue.

Hudson becomes the third Dodger second baseman to win a Gold Glove and the first since Davey Lopes in 1978. Neal was the franchise’s first second baseman to win a Rawlings Gold Glove, taking home the honor in 1959, the club’s first championship season in Los Angeles.

In 2008, pitcher Greg Maddux was the lone Dodger to take home the Rawlings Gold Glove Award and 2009 marks just the eighth time since the inception of the award in 1957 that two Dodgers have won Gold Gloves in the same season. The Dodgers have never had more than two Gold Glove winners in a season and have now won 38 Gold Glove Awards in their history, led by Wes Parker’s six consecutive awards at first base from 1967-72.

Rawlings established the Rawlings Gold Glove Award in 1957 as the greatest measure of fielding excellence. The award is presented annually to 18 players – one for each position – in both the American and National Leagues. Winners are selected by Major League coaches and managers prior to the conclusion of the regular season. Managers and coaches may not vote for players from their own club and only vote for players in their own league.

Clubhouse Interviews After Dodgers Clinch NL West

Some of you have been asking where you could see some of my interviews from last night's Dodgers celebration. Well, here you go!

<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=5ccfcb84-01ec-4582-9928-0ded4511e552&amp;from=IV2_en-us_foxsports_videocentral" target="_new" title="Dodgers clinch NL West">Video: Dodgers clinch NL West</a>



I also thought I would throw in an oldie, but a goodie. Here's my interview from earlier this season with Kim Kardashian.

<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=052e98a6-7d7f-4a54-830b-22000c97d474&amp;from=IV2_en-us_foxsports_videocentral" target="_new" title="Catching up with Kim Kardashian">Video: Catching up with Kim Kardashian</a>

The Matt Kemp Bobblehead Is Coming Soon

The Dodgers are rolling out a new promotional campaign for the upcoming release of the Matt Kemp bobblehead doll. Check it out.

Torre Believes Kemp Could Be One Of The Best Of This Generation

From the time he first entered the majors at the tender age of 21, Matt Kemp has been labeled with potential for greatness. One of the most athletic players in all of baseball, the Oklahoma native always possessed the tools necessary to be a dominant player in the league.

It was just a matter of when his maturity would allow for his greatness. This season could be the beginning of it.

Entering Friday's game against the Rockies, Kemp had hit safely in the Dodgers first 10 games of the year, establishing a .371 average in the process. Numbers that are no surprise to Joe Torre.

"He's come a long way," said the Dodgers Manager. "He's been doing some really good work."

That work actually began in the off-season, long before the Dodgers opened spring training. Kemp stayed in constant contact with hitting coach Don Mattingly during the winter months--the first sign of Kemp's maturation process noticed by Torre.

"Matt has shown more openness this season," said Torre. "Last year, he acted like he knew what he wanted to do at the plate, but after talking to Don in the off-season, Matt is now very open to trying new stuff."

It's easier to try anything new as long as you are relaxed and confident in your abilities. Kemp told me that he probably put too much pressure on himself to perform because of his quick rise to the majors.

"Now I just try to go up there and stay relaxed," said Kemp.

A perfect example of Kemp's new approach came in the season opener in San Diego. In his first two at-bats against Padres ace Jake Peavy, Kemp didn't exactly look like much had changed since last season. But in the 7th inning, Kemp pounded a slider on the outer part of the plate deep over the wall in centerfield, some 418 feet away from home plate.

"There's been just a few guys with his ability," said Torre. "Guys like Alex (Rodriguez), (Daryl) Strawberry, (Mike) Piazza and Dale Murphy would hit fly balls that never seem to come down until they are over the wall. Matt is one of those guys who doesn't have to hit it on the screws to get it out."

Torre played with and against some of the best players of all-time, and he believes that his young centerfielder can develop into one of the top 10 players of Kemp's generation, although he said he would hate to put that type of pressure on his young centerfielder.

But it's always been hard to hide from superstar potential.