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

DODGERS ANNOUNCE 2010 OPENING DAY ROSTER

PITTSBURGH – The Los Angeles Dodgers announced their Opening Day roster for the 2010 championship season.  The club also placed left-handed pitcher Hong-Chih Kuo on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to March 26.  General Manager Ned Colletti made the announcement.

According to Major League Baseball rules, each of the 30 teams had to set their Opening Day roster today by 12:00 noon Pacific time.  The Dodgers will make an additional roster move prior to tomorrow’s Opening Day game at the Pittsburgh Pirates.


The 25-man roster, as broken down by position:


Pitchers (12):
Chad Billingsley
Jonathan Broxton
Charlie Haeger
Clayton Kershaw (L)
Hiroki Kuroda
Carlos Monasterios
Ramon Ortiz
Vicente Padilla
George Sherrill (L)
Ramon Troncoso
Cory Wade
Jeff Weaver

Catchers (2):
Brad Ausmus
Russell Martin

Infielders (6):
Ronnie Belliard
Casey Blake
Jamey Carroll
Blake DeWitt
Rafael Furcal
James Loney

Outfielders (5):
Garret Anderson
Andre Ethier
Reed Johnson
Matt Kemp
Manny Ramirez

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>

Dodgers Release Statement On Manny Ramirez Suspension

STATEMENT FROM THE LOS ANGELES DODGERS


LOS ANGELES, CA – Los Angeles Dodgers CEO Jamie McCourt issued the following statement in reaction to today’s statements from Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players Association, and Manny Ramirez.

“We share the disappointment felt by our fans, our players, and every member of our organization. We support the policies of Major League Baseball, and we will welcome Manny back upon his return.”

This statement will constitute the comment of the Los Angeles Dodgers organization until Joe Torre meets with the media at approximately 4:30 p.m. today at Dodger Stadium.

Prime Ticket will televise the Dodgers news conference live beginning at 4:30pm.

Should Pitchers Always Hit 8th?

For the first time in his managerial career, Joe Torre batted a pitcher in the 8th spot and a position player in the 9th spot for Wednesday's matchup against the Giants. The move was not an indictment of Juan Pierre or a reward for Eric Stults, but rather an attempt to maximize the RBI potential for Manny Ramirez.

With the Dodgers biggest lineup threat batting in his customary 3rd spot, batting Pierre 9th is almost like having two leadoff hitters back-to-back with Furcal at the top of the order. It gives the team a better chance of having multiple runners on base when Manny comes to the plate after his first appearance.

In fact, Torre considered making the move the last time Pierre was in the lineup.

"In a situation with a player like Juan, he'd be more free to steal with Furcal batting behind him instead of the pitcher," Torre said before the game. "It just makes sense with a guy with (Pierre's) speed."

Some might look at the move as some type of demotion for Pierre, and Torre was well aware of that possibility. Before announcing his decision, he spoke to Pierre privately about it.

"The last thing you want to do is embarrass someone," said Torre. "I explained the situation to him, and he was completely fine with it."

The last time a Dodgers' pitcher didn't bat ninth was on Aug. 15, 1965, when Don Drysdale hit seventh in a 4-2 loss against Pittsburgh. Catcher John Roseboro hit eighth that day and shortstop John Kennedy batted ninth.

While Torre is utilizing this lineup shift for the first time, it is not exactly new to the game. Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa has batted the pitcher in the 8th spot several times with the likes of Mark McGwire and Albert Pujols hitting 3rd in his lineups.

Last season, LaRussa even considered batting the pitcher 8th for the entire season, although that never completely panned out.

The mere mention of such a move begs the question: Should pitchers always bat 8th?

Arguments have been made both for and against this non-traditional baseball move. I can see both sides of the argument, and sometimes the argument for one side makes the case for the other.

I believe, ultimately, however that over the course of an entire season, it is more beneficial to have your best hitters (ie. position players) get as many plate appearances as possible, and the majority of statistics back up that belief. But I also believe certain situations call for a certain type of thinking--outside the batters box, you could say.

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.

DODGERS & MANNY RAMIREZ AGREE TO 2-YEAR, $45 MILLION DEAL

In case you didn't know, it's official!

Future Hall of Famer Makes Commitment to Community

CAMELBACK RANCH – GLENDALE – The Los Angeles Dodgers today signed 12-time All-Star outfielder Manny Ramirez to a two-year contract with a player option following the first season. In addition, Ramirez will make a $1 million commitment to the Dodgers Dream Foundation that will help fund Dodgers Dreamfields.

Ramirez is expected to meet with the media at a news conference tomorrow at approximately 10:30 a.m. (MT) at Camelback Ranch – Glendale, located at 10712 W. Camelback Road.

“We are thrilled that Manny wants to be a Dodger and that he has made such a tremendous commitment to the Los Angeles community,” said Dodger Owner Frank McCourt. “We witnessed something very special last year in the way that our fans connected with him and the manner in which the team came together. Now, we focus our complete and undivided attention on our primary goal – winning a World Championship.”

“Manny has shown that he has an ability to significantly alter our lineup,” said Colletti. “Our organization has maintained its commitment to our core of young, homegrown talent while also retaining such key veterans as Casey Blake, Rafael Furcal, and now Manny, all of whom helped us reach the National League Championship Series.

“Manny showed great leadership in the clubhouse and on the field last season and to say we’re very pleased that he’s back with the Dodgers is an understatement.”

Ramirez, who hit .396 (74-for-187) with 17 homers and 53 RBI in 53 regular-season games in a Dodger uniform, helped lead the team to a 2008 National League West Division Championship, a sweep of the Cubs in the Division Series, and its first National League Championship Series appearance since 1988. He became one of the most popular players in franchise history after he was acquired by the Dodgers July 31 along with cash considerations from the Boston Red Sox at last year’s trade deadline as part of a three-team deal with Pittsburgh.

Ramirez’s 21 homers as a Dodger from August 1 through the postseason were the most by any player on the team for the entire season, one more than Andre Ethier’s 20.

The right-handed hitter batted a combined .332 with 37 homers and 121 RBI in 153 games with the Red Sox and Dodgers in 2008. He ranked third in the Majors in batting average, tied for fourth in homers, and tied for sixth in RBI. He also ranked second in the Majors with a .602 slugging percentage, behind only Albert Pujols (.653), and fourth with a .430 on-base percentage.

In the 2008 postseason, Ramirez batted .520 (13-for-25) with four homers, 10 RBI, 11 walks, and a .667 on-base percentage in eight games as the Dodgers swept the Cubs in the National League Division Series before falling to the eventual World Champion Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Championship Series.

Ramirez ranks 17th on baseball’s all-time home run list with 527, and is one of only eight players in baseball history with at least 12 seasons with 30 or more homers (1995-96, 1998-2006, 2008). He is also one of just nine players in history to hit at least 20 home runs in 14 straight seasons.

Ramirez, 36, is a career .314 hitter in 2,103 games with Cleveland (1993-2000), Boston (2001-2008), and the Dodgers (2008). Among active players, he ranks sixth in hitting, third in doubles (507), fourth in home runs, and second in RBI (1,725) behind only Ken Griffey Jr.’s 1,772. Only Griffey Jr. (611), Alex Rodriguez (553), and Jim Thome (541) have more home runs among active players. Ramirez has won nine AL Silver Slugger Awards for outfielders during his 16 Major League seasons.

Ramirez ranks 20th on baseball’s all-time RBI list. He has logged at least 100 RBI in 12 seasons, including nine straight campaigns from 1998-2006. Since “RBI” became an official statistic in 1920, only eight players in history have recorded nine consecutive seasons of at least 100 RBI. Ramirez has 1,353 RBI since the start of the 1998 season, trailing only Alex Rodriguez (1,378) among all Major Leaguers in that time. Ramirez’s 418 home runs in that same span rank second behind only Rodriguez (489).

A veteran of 10 postseasons, including four World Series, Ramirez is baseball’s all-time post-season home run leader with 28, and he ranks second with 74 RBI, just six behind Bernie Williams. Ramirez won two World Series championships with Boston in 2004 and 2007, and was named the World Series Most Valuable Player in 2004. He also played in the 1995 and 1997 Fall Classics with Cleveland.

Among active players, Ramirez ranks fifth in on-base percentage (.411), and seventh in batting average. He also ranks eighth in baseball history, and second among active players behind only Albert Pujols (.624), with a .593 slugging percentage. His 2,392 hits rank ninth among active players, while his 507 doubles are third.

He was the AL batting champ in 2002 with a .349 average and the 2004 AL home run champ with 43.

Ramirez was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Washington Heights, NY, graduating from George Washington High School in 1991. He was originally selected by the Indians as the 13th overall pick of the 1993 First-Year Player Draft. He then signed with Boston as a free agent on December 13, 2000.

Joe Torre On A Hot Streak

I just received this note from Greg Ball with Santa Anita Park. Joe Torre is so hot right now, he can't even lose at the track!

Just a quick note to let you know that a horse owned by Dodgers manager Joe Torre, Trimaran, won the fifth race today at Santa Anita Park, adding to Torre's already excellent week.

Trimaran won by a half-length, covering 1 1/8 miles on turf in 1:46.68. He was ridden by Jose Valdivia and is trained by Bobby Frankel.

The race was for 3-year-olds and up and carried a purse of $50,000. Entered for a claiming price of $80,000, Trimaran last started on Sept. 10 at Belmont Park and was well-beaten in a third condition allowance.

This was the first time in his 11-race career that he was entered in a claiming race. He now has an 11-4-0-3 record with $157,264 in earnings.