NEWS/RUMORS/AROUND MLB Thread

Discussion in 'Los Angeles DODGERS' started by irish, Apr 3, 2016.

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  1. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    :rolleyes:
    Grandal, Kendrick will open season on DL
    Dodgers hope to have both back for April 12 home opener
    by Earl Bloom | MLB.com — 30 Minutes ago

    ANAHEIM -- Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal (right forearm strain) and second baseman Howie Kendrick (strained left calf muscle) will open the season on the disabled list. But manager Dave Roberts said Saturday before the club's final exhibition game against the Angels that the club expects both to return in time for the April 12 home opener against the D-backs.

    Because both have been held out of Major League Spring Training games, their DL stints can be backdated and they won't have to remain on the shelf for the normal 15-day minimum.

    "Yasmani played again today in Arizona [in a Minor League game]," Roberts said prior the the Dodgers' 8-1 loss at Angel Stadium. "He had two or three at-bats and felt good. But right now, we're looking at having him for the home opener. It's a long season, and it just seems to make the most sense."

    Roberts said the same goes for Kendrick, who took batting practice Saturday. The manager added the club is setting up live batting practice for him on Sunday, the club's final off-day ahead of Monday's 4:05 p.m. PT season opener in San Diego..

    "He's jogging, moving around," Roberts said. "I'm hopeful he'll be ready for the home opener."

    After Saturday night's exhibition finale, the Dodgers sent left-hander Luis Avilan to Triple-A Oklahoma City. That meant infielder Charlie Culberson, a non-roster invitee who led the Dodgers with 14 spring RBIs, made the 25-man roster and right-hander Louis Coleman secured the final bullpen slot.

    Roberts said Coleman (1.64 ERA in 11 spring games) "has thrown the ball really well. For us, it's just good for Luis Avilan to go down and feel good about getting guys out. We plan on him putting up some innings for us this year."
     
  2. Chiefdodgerslkrs24

    Chiefdodgerslkrs24 Among the Pantheon

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    Grandal, Kendrick, and Dre out. 3 of our 8 out. Kershaw gonna have to go 32-0 with a .5 ERA this season probably
     
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  3. TheKnockdown

    TheKnockdown DSP Legend

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    Only good thing I can say is at least we have the depth.
     
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  4. Shaw

    Shaw DSP Legend

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    Can't say the starting rotation inspires any confidence right now.
     
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  5. Chiefdodgerslkrs24

    Chiefdodgerslkrs24 Among the Pantheon

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    Other than Kershaw and maybe Maeda, not at all
     
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  6. VRP

    VRP DSP Legend

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    Hello again old friends
     
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  7. LASports96

    LASports96 DSP Legend

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    Dodgers have 10 guys on the DL. Giants have 0 guys on the DL. We're still the favorite.
     
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  8. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    fify
     
  9. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    cool read on roberts

    Whatever the odds, Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts finds ways to win
    by Doug Padilla | ESPN Staff Writer — 3 hours ago
    [​IMG]
    LOS ANGELES -- Nobody wants to hear about your dreams or your fantasy teams, or so the modern axiom goes. But notice it doesn't mention anything about discussing somebody else's fantasy team.

    Dave Roberts' fantasy football team in 2003, one he shared with then-Dodgers teammate Robin Ventura, is a subtle peek into the how and why of the 28th manager in Dodgers history -- and first minority manager in team history -- as he is set to make his official debut with the club Monday at San Diego.

    Take the name of the fantasy team alone. "Black Man and Robin" (Roberts' moniker for the squad) won the league going away, earning all the spoils afforded to young men with lots of spare change and the bravado to back up their speculative ventures.

    Except for Roberts, the de facto general manager of the team, this wasn't anything close to a naked gamble. Since the team's sole financial backer was Ventura, Roberts made sure his investment was the time and effort it took to make sure the partnership was a success.

    Roberts knew one thing: If the name of the fantasy football team didn't grab his teammates' attention, then his draft style would. Stuck with the last pick in the draft, Roberts hatched a plan that went against the grain of football drafts more than a decade ago. Armed with back-to-back picks, as the draft order reversed itself, Roberts crunched the numbers and decided against a running back, the no-doubt-about-it, slam-dunk early pick option in those days.

    "He was very good," said Ventura, now the current Chicago White Sox's manager, of Roberts' football-drafting acumen. "I was the owner and I didn't know anything, but he was really good. He took some chances. We took a lot of heat early for the way he drafted the team, but we did dominate. I say 'we,' but he did."

    Riding Peyton Manning and Randy Moss that season, not to mention an unheralded running back selected in the fourth round, whose name Ventura couldn't remember, victory belonged to "Black Man and Robin."

    Ventura said he learned a lot about his friend during the process, including Roberts' savvy will to win.

    "No matter what he does, he's prepared," Ventura said. "He's fully engaged in it."

    Others have seen it in ventures far more important that pretend football.

    "He's diligent in garnishing and gathering information," said Rick Renteria, who coached with Roberts for three seasons in San Diego. "I think he's a guy that will keep guys motivated. Just by the way his personality is, he doesn't get down. I know, and everybody talks about it at the big-league level, that guys can get complacent and he's not a guy that is accepting of complacency."

    Engaged in conversation about that fantasy football team recently, Roberts laughed heartily. It's another of his endearing traits, that he is quick to laughter, prompt in validating your time with the microphone with his nod of approval. Roberts never makes you feel that the door to his inner circle is closed.

    Of his outside-the-box draft strategy, Roberts admits it really is a window into how he operates.

    "That certainly kind of sums up who I am as a person," said Roberts, who is primarily referred to as "Doc" these days, a nickname that may or may not be a play on his initials. "But yeah, that was a lot of fun."

    As a player, a coach and now a manager, everybody seems to marvel at how Roberts has always done his homework. They talk about how he is always willing to turn one more page of the research guide than the next person.

    "That obviously puts him in a position to be able to give him a chance to transition, when everything is going fast, and do the job he needs to do," Renteria said.

    Yet that concept of Roberts being willing to use any and all resources in order to have an advantage was put to the test this week. He showed some hesitation about switching from three-ring binders and handwritten scouting reports, to using iPads in the dugout per Major League Baseball's new agreement that allows the devices in dugouts loaded with analytics, video and every scouting report imaginable.

    Yes, part of his hesitation was changing from a trusted way of doing things to a way in which he was not yet familiar, but Roberts took an even deeper view. What if it is in the late innings and the WiFi crashes, or the device glitches, and the handwritten notes are nowhere to be found?

    Roberts even has a way of staying one step ahead of technology.

    Complimenting a new manager is sometimes a difficult proposition for players in the clubhouse. The perception exists that a compliment for the way a new manager does things is an immediate condemnation of how the former manager did them.

    Clayton Kershaw did his best to walk that tightrope this week, complimenting Roberts while not disparaging former manager Don Mattingly.

    "Doc is different than Donnie, a different person, obviously a different personality," Kershaw said. "I love both of the guys. Obviously I loved Donnie being here and Doc just brings a little bit different energy to the clubhouse, all the things everybody said that was positive."
    [​IMG]
    If Roberts has insecurities, they are guarded. If he is defensive, he isn't showing it.

    "I don't think he has met a guy that didn't like him," Kershaw said. "As far as that goes, he's probably a little more hands on than Donnie was. It's been great. I've enjoyed getting to know him and I look forward to spending the season with him."

    Winning over the most important player in the clubhouse is a great start. An even more impressive endorsement might have come from Jamey Wright, now a former player, who was just told by Roberts that his skill set did not fit the team's needs.

    When Wright announced his retirement last week, not long after Roberts told him he would not make the team, there were three separate times he nearly came to tears: Once when talking about his love for the game, once when talking about his family and once when talking about Roberts.

    "I'm sad that I won't be able to play for him this year because he is a class act and I think, since the first day he addressed this team, they have something to look forward to here this summer in L.A.," Wright said. "He's a good as they get."

    Whether it's gaining every advantage, or earning the respect of the men he leads, Roberts seems to have it figured out. Monday begins his chance to put it all together as a full-time manager.

    "I just love to dig, and get to the root of things and understand why and get information," said Roberts, who beat Hodgkin's lymphoma at age 37. "I think it's healthy and I love to challenge myself and then make certain decisions.

    "So whether it's a fantasy football team, researching players and trying to get steals with picks and get value with my players, or managing a major league team, I love to get advantages and understand why, and do some digging. I love it."

    He can also take a joke, and tell one as well. Take those 2003 Dodgers -- Roberts knew they were going to give him some heat, but he wasn't afraid to do it his way.

    "If the name 'Black Man and Robin' didn't [earn some teasing], some of my draft picks did it," Roberts said, "but we got the last laugh."​
     
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  10. Gebbeth

    Gebbeth DSP Legend

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    Roberts is gonna have to work his magic this year, especially in the beginning with the current injuries on the team.

    Kershaw will be Kershaw tomorrow, but really interested in how Maeda does in his debut.
     
  11. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    me too but i think he be fine
    like kuroda 2.0
    i'm cautiously optimistic about kazmir
    and eager to see how stripling fares

    my big concern is wood [no homo]
    the potential is obviously there
    just has to avoid more bats
    we'll see
     
  12. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    and fwiw...
    [​IMG]
     
  13. THINKBLUE

    THINKBLUE DSP Gigolo

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    Morosi predicting the Giants win the West and the D Backs take the WC.

    I can understand picking the Giants to win the division. Fair enough. But the Dodgers finishing in third place? Give me a break. And the Dbacks taking the WC over Pittsburgh and St. Louis? All of a sudden they're that much better than everyone, eh?

    Ridiculous.
     
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  14. Shaw

    Shaw DSP Legend

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    Lol, nobody ever giving us credit. Not saying this is going to be an easy division, but to have us drop that much? Okay then...
     
  15. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    makes even less sense after the injury to pollock
    morosi is an idiot, has always been an idiot, and it appears he will always be an idiot
    i've never put much stock into anything he's had to say
     
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  16. carolinabluedodger

    carolinabluedodger DSP Legend

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    Once again, irish...this is were the Nawzi comparisons begin. Why the fuck end a thread to start the same thread??? Just re-title the bitch and keep the flow of conversation going. This practice will never make any sense to me. Why lock a thread to basically restart the same mother fucking thread???

    I really, really, really like DSP and I'm gratefull it exists, but this fucking bullshit is maddening.
     
  17. THINKBLUE

    THINKBLUE DSP Gigolo

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    I actually like it. Clean slate. But I'm ocd...so...
     
  18. carolinabluedodger

    carolinabluedodger DSP Legend

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    What am I promoting exactly?

    You are promoting signing Grienke and other mega-million dollar pitchers to long term contracts that will end up with them being the most overpaid players in baseball (a la Carl Crawford) while bitching like a little girl about contracts of Anderson, McCarthy, and Beachy-who if you add them all together this year will be LESS than one year of Grienke at his current contract.

    You are promoting signing aging veteran free agents in order to have one short term shot at a WS, when it has already failed. We had Grienke, we had Kemp, we had Jansen....so where the fuck is the ring??? And you want to do it all over again, ...only spending MORE money and trading away the future of the franchise? If you can't see the folly of your approach then there is little that can be done for you.
     
  19. Shaw

    Shaw DSP Legend

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  20. carolinabluedodger

    carolinabluedodger DSP Legend

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    YOU'RE ocd???

    OCD is resistance to change. OCD is maintaining the status quo. OCD is starting every day exactly the same as the last day.

    YOU'RE not OCD...I'm OCD. I fkucking invented OCD.

    -mesage edited by George Kastanza.
     
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