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Daily Clips
June 12, 2015
LOS ANGELES DODGERS CLIPS FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015
DODGERS.COM: Ethier in familiar position as LA gets healthy – Steve Bourbon Peralta has slow start to rehab – Ken Gurnick Crawford doesn't allow hit in third professional start – Alex M. Smith LA TIMES: Trainer Bob Baffert wants to share American Pharoah with fans – Eric Sondheimer Dodgers Dugout: Should Howie Kendrick return? – Houston Mitchell Frustrated Dodgers' organist signals last notes, until team's overture – Bill Plaschke A healthy Brett Anderson can give the Dodgers the innings they need – Bill Shaikin Today: All in the (Fox) Family. Dodgers Save Key Player. – Davan Maharaj Charter's first telecast of Dodgers game scores big TV ratings – Meg James OC REGISTER: Dodgers' Andre Ethier proves his value with resurgence – Bill Plunkett On deck: Dodgers at Padres, Friday, 7 p.m. – Bill Plunkett LA DAILY NEWS: Dodgers’ Kershaw, Greinke, Bolsinger set to take mound against Padres – JP Hoornstra TRUEBLUELA.COM: Dodgers draftees active in College World Series – Eric Stephen Scott Baker wins pitching duel against Barry Zito; OKC Dodgers win 3-1 – Craig Minami Leonardo Crawford, 2 relievers combine for no-hitter in Dominican Summer League – Eric Stephen 4 Quakes named California League All-Stars – Eric Stephen Erik Bedard retires – Eric Stephen Double-A Tulsa televised Thursday night on CBS Sports Network – Eric Stephen 2015 MLB Draft: Dodgers take SDSU-bound RHP Imani Abdullah in 11th round – Eric Stephen ESPN LA: Erik Bedard, 11-year veteran of four teams, retires with 71-82 record – Associated Press Dodgers have set their sights on elite starting pitchers – Mark Saxon DODGER INSIDER: Video: Beach Bag giveaway June 17 (doing the wave is optional) – Jon Weisman Dodger minor league report No. 9: Olivera goes yard and buzz on Bellinger – Cary Osborne ‘The P&P Goodtime Funbunch Supershow’ – Jon Weisman FOX SPORTS: Kershaw, Dodgers come to San Diego for three-game series – Associated Press Dee Gordon nearly quit baseball to play college basketball while with Dodgers – FOX Sports Dodgers draft two pitchers who could be in the majors next season – FOX Sports Dodgers' Puig back from the DL, but will his bat flip return too? – FOX Sports
LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS
FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015
DODGERS.COM
Ethier in familiar position as LA gets healthy
By Steve Bourbon
LOS ANGELES -- Andre Ethier is in a familiar position, although it's not the most comfortable one.
Ethier has benefited from playing every day in recent weeks as the Dodgers have been ravaged by
injuries, especially in the outfield. But as Los Angeles gets back to full strength, Ethier's role with the club
becomes more uncertain.
In his 10th season in L.A., Ethier has been a victim of the numbers game. With Yasiel Puig, Carl Crawford
and rookie Joc Pederson in the outfield, Ethier wasn't in the Dodgers' Opening Day lineup for the first
time since 2006. Spring Training was a battle for playing time, adding in Scott Van Slyke, utility men Alex
Guerrero and Kiké Hernandez in the mix to compete for outfield spots in the lineup.
"It's every man for himself," Ethier recalled. "It's not a competition against other teams, it's a
competition of the guys in here, and may the best man win."
But nearly immediately, the injury bug bit the Dodgers hard. Crawford sustained an oblique injury and
Puig was put on the shelf with a strained hamstring, in addition to losing a pair of starting pitchers for
the season, among other pieces in the bullpen.
In the interim, Ethier has been playing every day in right field and has made the most of it. He's already
doubled his home run output from 2014. Ethier is hitting .287, which would be his highest average since
2011. His .369 on-base percentage would be his highest since '08.
"You have to adjust a little bit and just be the best for the team that day," Ethier said. "Just be ready
when your number is called."
Now the Dodgers and their embarrassment of riches in the outfield must find playing time as they get
key pieces back in the lineup.
Puig is 9-for-15 since coming off the disabled list on Saturday, and his return slides Ethier back to left
field.
Young guns Pederson and Guerrero are first and third in home runs among rookies. Van Slyke is due
back from the DL this weekend and will split time with Ethier in left field.
Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said that the lineup will be dictated by matchup, and the left-handed
Ethier will get the lion's share of at-bats.
But with his name no longer a foregone conclusion in the lineup every day, Ethier knows things will be
back to the way they were in Spring Training: May the best man win.
"It's nothing that you like to see or nothing you want to be a part of, but it's one where they make
decisions and you have to be ready for your day," Ethier said. "That's all you can do here. It's a thing
where there's a lot of guys vying for spots in that lineup and you can't play every day."
Peralta has slow start to rehab
By Ken Gurnick
LOS ANGELES -- Dodgers reliever Joel Peralta began his Minor League rehab assignment with a rough
outing Thursday night.
Pitching for Class A Rancho Cucamonga against Stockton, Peralta allowed a triple, a single and a walk to
the first three batters before retiring the next three batters on fly balls and was charged with two runs in
one inning.
The 39-year-old Peralta has been on the disabled list since April 26 with a pinched nerve in his neck. He
reported to Spring Training with what was described as right shoulder discomfort.
Peralta was acquired over the winter to help provide a late-inning bridge to closer Kenley Jansen, a
problem that has plagued the Dodgers this year.
Crawford doesn't allow hit in third professional start
By Alex M. Smith
Signed less than one year ago, Dodgers pitching prospect Leonardo Crawford is already making a name
for himself in the Dominican Summer League.
The southpaw started his third pro game on Thursday and contributed the majority of the DSL's first no-
hitter since 2012. Crawford struck out nine hitters and walked one in 6 2/3 innings, giving way to a pair
of relievers -- Wally Vrolijk and Johan Diaz -- who finished the no-no.
The Dodgers only spent $47,500 of their allotted $1,963,800 bonus pool total on Crawford last July,
according to MiLB.com. Crawford allowed two hits in five innings in his debut on May 30 and struck out
six while giving up three hits and a walk in his next start on June 5. Over 17 1/3 innings this year, he
stands at 3-0 and has already shelved 19 hitters.
LA TIMES
Trainer Bob Baffert wants to share American Pharoah with fans
By Eric Sondheimer
Bob Baffert, the trainer of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, said Wednesday during a media
gathering at Santa Anita Park that the 3-year-old would run again this year, but no decision has been
made about when or where his next race will be.
"Our goal is to get to the Breeders' Cup," he said. "All kinds of tracks are calling, 'Please, could you think
of bringing him here?'"
American Pharoah's owner, Ahmed Zayat, told MSNBC that the Aug. 2 Haskell Invitational could be the
next race.
American Pharoah will be paraded on the track at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., on Saturday night as
part of a racing card that features the Stephen Foster Handicap. Baffert said American Pharoah was
scheduled to return to Santa Anita on June 18 and would also train later this year at Del Mar in
preparation for the Breeders' Cup Classic on Oct. 31 at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.
"Winning a Triple Crown is bringing so much enjoyment to the sport of racing," Baffert said. "We're
going to share him."
Baffert said he was still coming to terms with the impact of American Pharoah becoming the first horse
in 37 years to win the Triple Crown.
"I wasn't mentally ready for it," he said. "I'm hearing from everybody I ever grew up with. This horse
really brought everybody's attention to horse racing and they can't get enough of American Pharoah. It
still hasn't sunk in completely we actually did it. I feel I'm on a big wave and the wave seems like it's
getting bigger. This ride has been incredible."
Baffert threw out the first pitch at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday before the Dodgers' game against the
Arizona Diamondbacks.
"The catcher said, 'Just throw high,' so I threw it up there," he said. "I asked my wife Jill, 'What did you
think?' She said, 'You throw really well for a girl.'"
Baffert said the whole experience of winning the Triple Crown has been "spiritual and emotional."
"It was such a magical moment," he said.
Dodgers Dugout: Should Howie Kendrick return?
By Houston Mitchell
Hi, welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, wondering if there is a
way for the MLB to arrange for the Dodgers to play Arizona in the playoffs.
Underrated
I haven’t written much about Howie Kendrick yet, and that seems fitting because he has always been
one of the most underappreciated players in the league. He drove in all three runs of Tuesday’s 3-1
victory over Arizona, and drove in the winning run in Wednesday’s 7-6 victory. He has 19 extra-base hits
and is third on the team with 28 RBIs. I’d still rather have him than Dee Gordon, even with Gordon
leading the league in hitting. If you adjust for ballparks and consider on-base percentage, slugging and
defense, Kendrick is having a better year.
More on Howie
Kendrick is in the final year of a four-year, $33.5-million deal he signed with the Angels before the 2012
season. So what to do with him after the season? He will be 32 and just exiting his prime years. Do you
try to sign him or let him walk? The main candidate to replace him would be Alex Guerrero, but
Guerrero is horrible on defense and the Dodgers’ front office makes defense a priority. So what to do?
(By the way, Steve Dilbeck has a great look at Guerrero here.)
Trade bait
Don’t be surprised to see the Dodgers use Guerrero as their main trading chip to acquire a pitcher. Most
teams want Corey Seager or Julio Urias in a deal, but the Dodgers would be foolish to give up either of
them. Guerrero is at peak trade value right now, and his batting is beginning to slide. He is hitting only
.227 in June and slugging below .500. The Dodgers will have to give up something to get a pitcher, and
Guerrero would be the best guy to give up. You can then either try to re-sign Kendrick after the season,
sign a different free agent, or slide Justin Turner over the second. An infield of Adrian Gonzalez, Turner,
Seager and Hector Olivera does not sound too shabby.
Speaking of Turner
He has been sidelined by a bruised knee and has not played since June 8, meaning more playing time for
Alberto Callaspo, who hits about as well as you or I do. If only the Dodgers had a guy on their bench
who was Gold Glove caliber, a great teammate and a clutch hitter who could fill in at a time like this.
Someone like, oh, I don’t know, Juan Uribe.
More on Turner
Jon Weisman of the Dodgers provides an interesting stat about Turner on his Dodgers Insider blog. It’s
worth a read.
Tough stretch
The Dodgers have only five more home games this month: two against Texas and three against the
Giants. They have 14 road games, including four against the surging Chicago Cubs. This will be the next
test for the team, which, despite what seems to be an erratic season, still has the third-best record in
baseball.
Draft recap
Of the 42 players the Dodgers selected in the draft, 25 of them were pitchers. We won’t really know
how well they did for a few years, but most experts say the Dodgers and Houston Astros had the best
drafts. Here’s one example.
She’ll be back
Thursday was quite the whirlwind day for Dodger Stadium organist Nancy Bea Hefley. First, she
announced on Facebook that she was retiring after the season because she felt that the Dodgers didn’t
appreciate her. One phone call from the Dodgers later, she announced she would be back and had been
given a lifetime contract by the team. That’s good; now let’s hope the Dodgers let her play more often
during games. Bill Plaschke has all the details here.
And finally
Adrian Gonzalez dropped to second in the latest release of All-Star game vote totals. Gonzalez deserves
to start, so do your part and go vote for him here.
Frustrated Dodgers' organist signals last notes, until team's overture
By Bill Plaschke
Her music had been marginalized, her volume diminished, her Dodgers career slowly muted into
irrelevance.
So Thursday morning, in responding to a question from a friend on her Facebook page about whether
she was returning next season, a frustrated Nancy Bea Hefley answered simply, " No ... I don't fit in."
The longest-tenured stadium musician in Los Angeles sports history confirmed that at the end of her
27th year as Dodgers organist, she would be unhappily walking away, a decision she later repeated after
being contacted by The Times.
"I am retiring at the end of this season," Hefley told The Times. "It's finally gotten to me."
Even her richest show tune wouldn't be proper accompaniment for what happened next.
The Facebook exchange began spreading. Twitter talk began buzzing. Hints of outrage began forming.
Dodgers officials who had not been previously informed of Hefley's plans took notice.
Three hours after the original post appeared, one of those officials called Hefley and, soon thereafter,
the woman who had been reduced to playing five minutes a day was suddenly un-retired after being
promised a lifetime deal.
Anybody know the chords for, "Ya Got Trouble?" Or maybe it should just be, "Hallelujah."
"I'm going to be staying with the Dodgers," Hefley said in an interview after her phone call with team
officials. "We talked things over, they told me I'm important to them."
Indeed, despite slowly removing her from the game experience such that it seemed obvious she would
not be re-signed after her three-year contract expired this fall, Dodgers management suddenly thought
she was so important they gave her a job for life.
"They said I had a job as long as I want the job, the job would not be open for anybody else," Hefley said.
"I will be signing a new contract at the end of the year."
They suddenly thought she was so important, they even asked her to immediately return to Facebook
and post the good news, and so she did, writing, "To all my faithful fans, I WILL be coming back next
year. Thank you for your support. The Dodgers have stated I have a job as long as I want.''
Lon Rosen, the Dodgers' marketing boss, confirmed the contract promise and the lifetime offer, which
will come with a pay raise for next season.
"She's always been a valuable part of the Dodgers," said Rosen. Her retirement "was news to us, we
spoke to her, we told her she was a valuable part of the Dodgers organization and the fan experience."
Until now, their actions had not supported a belief in that value. In fact, Hefley has spent most of this
season as a Dodgers afterthought, creating the frustration that led to her Facebook exchange.
"I'm not going to be badmouthing anybody, but I'm just tired of it. You get to the point where it's just
not worth it anymore," she initially said Thursday morning.
Hefley said the final straw occurred during the last homestand when management stopped allowing her
to play during the visiting team's introductions, then ended the regular practice of showing her image on
the big screen during her playing of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." Those changes, while small, are
symbolic of the slow silencing that has occurred since Guggenheim Baseball Management purchased the
team three seasons ago.
Hefley, whose Dodgers career began during the team's last World Series championship season in 1988,
estimated she once played 45 to 50 songs a night. Now she plays, at most, snippets of three or four
songs. She once played virtually the entire game. Now she estimates she plays a total of five minutes.
During the Dodgers' glory days, she became famous for serenading Orel Hershiser's appearances with
the song, "Master of the House," from the musical "Les Miserables." Today, she is not allowed to play
when the pitchers come into the game.
During the Dodgers' most glorious moment, she serenaded Kirk Gibson's first-pumping home run trot
with "Happy Days Are Here Again." Today, when a Dodgers hit leaves the park, she keeps quiet.
"They don't like my music, that's what it comes down to," she initially said. "I think it's the style … they
want more of the new stuff."
After she un-retired, Hefley said more playing time was discussed, but not promised, something Rosen
confirmed.
"The in-game experience keeps changing, continues to evolve, and Nancy's role will still be there,'' said
Rosen.
In some ways, the Dodgers are in a tough spot with Hefley. Like all teams in a sport with an aging fan
base, they are trying to attract a younger demographic, and thus are filling most of the game's dead
space with popular music ranging from rap to hip-hop to dance. As even Hefley would admit, there are
times her classic favorites would slow the vibe, and she can't easily change her tune. She acknowledged
that a couple of years ago, officials requested she learn 20 newer songs, but she said they weren't her
style. The Dodgers' taste seem to lean more toward the thump of Dieter Ruehle, the celebrated Kings
organist, who was given more playing time when he filled in for Hefley last weekend.
Yet in another way, this should have been easy for the Dodgers. She's Nancy Bea, for Pete's sake. She's
beloved, she's respected, she's adored by Vin Scully, she still plays the heck out of Rodgers and
Hammerstein, and why can't you throw her a few more songs, a couple of more innings? There are few
more trendy parks in baseball than the new Yankee Stadium, and yet organ music still fills the Bronx.
There is still a small but valuable place in the modern baseball experience for "The Surrey With the
Fringe on Top.'' Why can't the Dodgers find that place for Hefley and the many traditional fans who still
love her?
And, just wondering, if Hefley is so important to them, shouldn't the Dodgers have been in closer
communication with her? At least close enough her frustration would never reach a level that she would
publicly retire without telling them?
"I'm so humbled by all this," said Hefley. "So overwhelmed."
The Dodgers' marketing people now know the feeling. Or at least they should.
A healthy Brett Anderson can give the Dodgers the innings they need
By Bill Shaikin
Dodgers left-hander Brett Anderson has pitched 12 2/3 innings in June. That would be about as ordinary
as statistics can get, except for this: Over the previous five years, Anderson pitched a total of seven
innings in June.
When the Dodgers signed the oft-injured Anderson last winter, he was their fifth starter, and they might
have been thrilled to get 100 innings from him. Now, after season-ending injuries to Brandon McCarthy
and Hyun-Jin Ryu, Anderson is their third starter, and they might need close to 200 innings from him.
Anderson pitched 53 innings last year, 54 the year before and 60 in 2012.
Needing to triple that workload, the Dodgers have not mixed in any extra rest for Anderson. They have
no plans to skip him in the rotation every now and then. They do not have a target for how many innings
he should pitch this year.
"Hopefully, there is no cap," Anderson said. "I feel good right now. Hopefully — knock on wood — I will
continue to feel this way."
Anderson has made all of his starts this season. He has started on extra rest more often than on the
regular four days of rest, but so have aces Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke.
"It's a long season, with hopefully a long October run," said Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers' president of
baseball operations. "That's been how the schedule has laid out, and it's been that way for all our guys."
The Dodgers will not have that luxury over the next several weeks. They open a weekend series Friday in
San Diego, the first of 20 consecutive games without a day off.
Dodgers pitching coach Rick Honeycutt said the team would keep a wary eye on Anderson.
"Right now, he's been able to bounce back extremely well and do everything he needs to do in between
starts," Honeycutt said. "That's what I'm watching more than anything.
"We're going to have a hard stretch 'til the All-Star break. That's obviously a time that will dictate what
we'll be able to see. There will probably be three starts in a row that will have to be on regular time."
Anderson, 27, has a record of 2-4 with a 3.57 earned-run average. He, Kershaw and Greinke each have
started 12 games, but Kershaw ranks fifth in the National League in innings pitched and Greinke sixth.
Anderson ranks 41st in innings (68), and 46th in pitches thrown — 1,042, compared to 1,191 for Greinke
and 1,197 for Kershaw.
Kershaw leads the league in strikeouts, with 101. Anderson has less than half as many, and he is thrilled
with the lower pitch count.
"Hopefully, I can keep getting ground balls and being efficient," he said. "Hopefully, the innings rack up
quickly."
Said Honeycutt: "There really haven't been, as of late, stressful innings for him. For the most part, it's
been pretty smooth. He's been able to hold his delivery and hold his mechanics together. Those are
things I look for, more than thinking so far ahead and saying we've got to do this or that."
Anderson is on pace to throw 184 innings — which would top his career high of 175, set in 2009. He has
been on the disabled list in every season between that one and this one. But he has not had an arm
injury since returning from Tommy John surgery in 2012.
The Dodgers treat him differently than a prospect building to a 175-inning workload, they say, because
Anderson already has thrown 175 innings, even if it was six years ago.
"It's not like he's never done it," Honeycutt said. "It's not the same as a younger guy going through."
Said Anderson: "I've saved some bullets in the arm with other injuries, to other parts of my body.
Hopefully, that conservation that I have had to have will play itself out, and I will be fresh for the long
haul this year."
Friedman said the Dodgers — the baseball operations staff, the coaching staff, and the medical staff —
prefer to rely on Anderson to provide regular and honest input about his arm strength rather than
saddle him with an arbitrary inning limit.
"We do it on guys in the minor leagues and guys who are just coming up," Friedman said. "And, even
with that, it's not like we have tremendous precision. We tend to follow a pretty similar schedule for a
lot of those guys.
"But, once they get up here, we try to make it as specific as possible. The fact that he has done it — and
everyone is unique and different — requires us to be as specific as we can be with him, and how he's
bouncing back, and where his strength levels are, to help provide us a road map."
Said Anderson: "At this point, I'm just trying to go out there every five days and give us a chance. We'll
see what the number is later on in the season."
Does he really believe he could throw 50 innings one year and 180 the next?
"Hopefully," he said. "Hopefully, one year — this year — my big, durable body will finally take hold."
Today: All in the (Fox) Family. Dodgers Save Key Player.
By Davan Maharaj
TOP STORIES
All in the Family
Rupert Murdoch has reminded everyone that 21st Century Fox, a media giant, is still a family business.
Soon his two sons will be running it, an "heir and a spare," as British media call them. He'll ask the board
to name James Murdoch chief exec and Lachlan Murdoch co-chief-exec. Plenty of room for intrigue
here, though it's no surprise. Here's a look at challenges the brothers will face.
Obama's Legacy in the Dock
President Obama's legacy may depend to an unusual degree on the Supreme Court. His signature
healthcare law, immigration reform effort and climate change crusade could all ride on rulings. "Not
since the New Deal has the court been as involved in defining a president's legacy," says one court
scholar. The most important ruling, on Obamacare, is due this month.
The Clinton Difference
After an eight-year presidency, history says, Americans want something different. So if Hillary Rodham
Clinton believes voters favor President Obama's values and priorities, how will she be different? She'll
say she has the tenacity to actually get something done. As for trust, well, strategists cite a 1992 poll
showing that only a third of voters found Bill Clinton trustworthy. They elected him anyway.
Colombia's Mysterious Buzz
It'll give you the spins. It may lead to intense nausea and diarrhea and, after that, scary visions of snakes,
jaguars and insects. So why do people from all over the world come to a remote corner of Colombia to
sip yage (pronounced ya-HEY)? Today's Great Read explores the world of shamans who administer this
"cure" and the tourists who swear by its mind-expanding powers.
You've Got Pathogens
Talk about weird stuff in the mail. Many were shocked at the discovery that an Army biodefense lab in
Utah accidentally shipped live samples of anthrax to private and military research facilities in as many as
17 states, Canada, Australia and South Korea. Turns out it's not all that unusual. Here's a rundown of
some scary mistakes.
Dodgers Save a Key Player
Nancy Bea Hefley had had enough. "I just don't fit in," said the Dodger Stadium organist since 1988.
The team seemed to be easing her out. No more tunes during visiting-team intros. No more Nancy on
the big screen playing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." She said she was quitting. On Facebook. The
team was stunned. Really stunned. She now has a lifetime contract.
Charter's first telecast of Dodgers game scores big TV ratings
By Meg James
Television viewership soared for Tuesday’s Los Angeles Dodgers baseball game in the inaugural telecast
for the team-owned TV channel on Charter Communications cable systems.
Ratings for the game on SportsNet LA more than doubled compared with this season’s average.
Tuesday’s contest, in which the Dodgers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-1, drew a 1.31 household TV
rating and an estimated 103,871 TV viewers.
That is more than double the average viewership for SportsNet LA this year.
Before Tuesday, Dodger games had been averaging a 0.63 household rating and an estimated 45,535
viewers a game -- a smaller audience than what typically turns out for a game at Dodger Stadium.
After holding out for more than 14 months, Charter Communications agreed this month to begin
offering SportsNet LA in its channel lineup.
Charter’s change in strategy came after it unveiled its nearly $57-billion deal to acquire Time Warner
Cable, which until recently had been the only major pay-TV operator in Southern California to carry
SportsNet LA.
Charter was motivated to begin offering the baseball games as the company seeks to build goodwill for
its proposed takeover, which would make it the largest pay-TV company in Southern California.
The Stamford, Conn., cable provider did not want to antagonize Southern California customers or
politicians who have expressed frustration about the stalemate over distribution of SportsNet LA.
Charter's shift represented the first break in the logjam that has prevented hundreds of thousands of
homes in the region from having regular access to Dodger games.
Charter serves nearly 300,000 homes in the Los Angeles region, including in Long Beach, Glendale,
Burbank, parts of Pasadena, Malibu, Whittier and Riverside.
Charter customers were particularly hard-hit by the Dodger channel impasse because they had limited
options. They could not switch to Time Warner Cable because that company does not provide service in
areas served by Charter.
Time Warner Cable, which agreed to pay the Dodgers’ organization $8.35-billion over 25 years for the
rights to distribute the channel, has lost hundreds of millions of dollars on its SportsNet LA contract after
failing to persuade other providers to distribute the network.
Pay-TV providers including DirecTV, Dish Network, Cox Communications, Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-Verse
have refused to carry SportsNet LA, citing its high cost. It is one of the most expensive regional sports
networks in the country, priced at as much as $4.90 per month per subscriber home, according to
consulting firm SNL Kagan.
Guggenheim Baseball Management owns the SportsNet LA channel.
The huge jump in TV viewership on Tuesday was noteworthy because the Dodger game ran opposite a
highly rated NBA championship series game on ABC between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden
State Warriors.
In addition, Time Warner Cable has four times the subscriber homes as does Charter, which suggests
that Charter customers were starved for Dodgers baseball or there might be a higher concentration of
Dodger fans in neighborhoods served by Charter.
OC REGISTER
Dodgers' Andre Ethier proves his value with resurgence
By Bill Plunkett
LOS ANGELES – Andre Ethier is back. And he never left.
Both are surprising parts of the Dodgers’ season to date. The longest-tenured of the reconstituted
Dodgers has gone from expendable to dependable. Sixty games into a season he wasn’t supposed to be
a part of, only rookie Joc Pederson (56) has started more games in the outfield than Ethier (43).
And he has been productive. Ethier has already doubled his home run total from last season – the first
time in his career he failed to get 400 plate appearances (or reach double digits in home runs). His
batting average (.287) is higher than it has been since 2011 (one of his two All-Star seasons). His slugging
percentage (.506) and OPS (.875) are higher than they have been since his personal bests in 2008.
After a winter spent feeling as unwanted as an old VCR, Ethier had a meeting this spring with Dodgers
manager Don Mattingly, GM Farhan Zaidi and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman during
which the 33-year-old made it clear he still saw himself as an every-day player. Three months later, he
has earned the right to say, ‘I told you so.’
“No, I don’t think it’s an ‘I told you so’ situation at all. That was never any part of it,” Ethier says now. “It
was ‘If you want me to help and help the team win, this is what I’m still able to do. Not the role I was
doing last year.’ I could definitely do that role, too, but that’s not where I am at in my game yet. I’m still
able to do it on a pretty much everyday basis.”
But Ethier was in a Catch-22 situation – he needed to play every day to prove he could still play every
day. Though he cites better health (particularly full recovery from what he now refers to as a stress
fracture in his left shin late in the 2013 season) as a factor in his revival, a steady diet of at-bats has been
key.
“You can’t take away the at-bats and not notice what the consistent at-bats do for timing and seeing
guys,” Ethier said. “I mean, it’s tough when you get one start or two starts a week and you’re facing a
setup guy or closer in between. For one at-bat against a guy throwing 97 every night. That plays tricks on
your mind because you’re going up there and not having much success, for the most part. Then you get
a start and you get four at-bats and that puts more pressure on yourself to try and get something done.
You try to get five hits in four at-bats to make things up.”
The Dodgers’ new front office tossed players aside this winter as if they were clearing out an overstuffed
closet. But they couldn’t get rid of Ethier. Most prominently, a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks
involving catcher Miguel Montero was reportedly vetoed by Diamondbacks ownership. Is it the cliché
come to life – sometimes the best trades are the ones you don’t make?
“I don’t know if it was all their doing. I don’t think anybody wanted me either,” Ethier said. “I’m well
aware of that part. It takes two to tango like in a lot of things. … At the same time, maybe they knew
what they were doing. Maybe the reason it didn’t happen was because they were asking more than
other teams were willing to give, and they still saw more value than other teams were willing to give.”
There is something to that, Zaidi acknowledges.
“I think he has every right to say I told you so, if not to us then to the whole industry, because we had a
surplus of outfielders, certainly engaged in some conversations about Andre and kept him and his agent
informed,” the GM said. “In my mind, there was never really the level of interest there should have been
given how good a player I think he is.
“It certainly worked out good for us. We said all along we were perfectly happy to have him be part of
the outfield mix. … He’s been a huge part of our success early. I think there are probably teams out there
that are kicking themselves for not being more interested or more active when we did have a bit of that
outfield surplus. It’s obviously worked out great for him and for us.”
Ironically, Ethier’s resurgence – and the steady erosion of the remaining salary commitment on his
contract which runs through 2017 – could give those “teams out there that are kicking themselves”
another chance. As Friedman and Zaidi look to make the inescapable trade for pitching help, Ethier
might have played himself into being a movable asset now.
Ethier says only that he takes “satisfaction that we’re playing pretty well, we’re in first place and I’ve had
somewhat of a hand in that, satisfaction at being in the mix and with the way things are going.”
On deck: Dodgers at Padres, Friday, 7 p.m.
By Bill Plunkett
Where: Petco Park
TV: SportsNet LA
Did you know: The Dodgers have hit 15 home runs in their first nine games against the Padres this
season.
THE PITCHERS
LHP CLAYTON KERSHAW (5-3, 3.36 ERA)
After an uneven start as the reigning NL MVP, Kershaw has looked like himself over the past month,
going 4-1 with a 2.25 ERA in his past five starts. Over his past three starts, he has allowed just two runs
and 10 hits while striking out 28 in 22 innings. The Padres have caused him trouble at times over the
years but have hit just a collective .208 in his 25 career starts against them.
Vs. Padres: 12-6, 2.33 ERA
At Petco Park: 4-2, 2.22 ERA
Hates to face: Matt Kemp, 2 for 3 (.667), 1 double
Loves to face: Justin Upton, 4 for 41 (.098), 13 strikeouts
RHP ODRISAMER DESPAIGNE (3-4, 4.72 ERA)
Despaigne was 2-0 with a 2.95 ERA at the end of April. Since then, he has become very hittable. In his
past six starts, he has a 5.82 ERA while allowing 47 hits (including six home runs) over 34 innings.
Opposing batters are hitting .326 with an .890 OPS against him in that stretch. Despaigne might not be
long for the Padres’ rotation. He could lose his spot to Brandon Morrow when Morrow returns from the
DL. But Morrow had a setback with his shoulder during his rehab assignment start last week.
Vs. Dodgers: 0-2, 5.84 ERA
At Petco Park: 5-3, 2.74 ERA
Hates to face: Yasiel Puig, 2 for 5 (.400), 1 double
Loves to face: Adrian Gonzalez, 0 for 5, 1 strikeout
UPCOMING MATCHUPS
Saturday – Dodgers RHP Zack Greinke (5-1, 1.92) at Padres RHP Ian Kennedy (3-5, 6.48), 7:10 p.m.
Sunday – Dodgers RHP Mike Bolsinger (4-1, 2.08) at Padres RHP James Shields (7-0, 3.79), 1:10 p.m.
LA DAILY NEWS
Dodgers’ Kershaw, Greinke, Bolsinger set to take mound against Padres
By JP Hoornstra
TODAY’S MLB GAME
DODGERS AT SAN DIEGO
When: 7:10 p.m. today, 7:10 p.m. Saturday, 1:10 p.m. Sunday
TV/Radio: SportsNet LA/570-AM
Update: Clayton Kershaw (5-3, 3.36 ERA), Zack Greinke (5-1, 1.92) and Mike Bolsinger (4-1, 2.08) have
been arguably the Dodgers’ three best starters over the last month. They’re lined up, in that order, to
take on the third-place team in the National League West. San Diego (31-31) is treading water in the
division without much help from former Dodgers slugger Matt Kemp, who is hitting .249 with two home
runs.
TRUEBLUELA.COM
Dodgers draftees active in College World Series
By Eric Stephen
The Dodgers have four players drafted this week with teams that qualified for the College World Series,
which starts on Saturday in Omaha. Here is a look at what to watch for in the double-elimination
tournament, which runs through June 23 or June 24.
First-round pick Walker Buehler and third-round selection Philip Pfeifer are both starting pitchers for
Vanderbilt, while competitive balance Round B pick Josh Sborz is the closer for Virginia, and 14th-
rounder Garrett Kennedy is the catcher for Miami.
Virginia plays in the first game of the College World Series tournament, at noon PT Saturday against
Arkansas on ESPN. Virginia's next game would be Monday on ESPN2, either at noon if they lose to
Arkansas or 5 p.m. if they win.
Miami plays in Saturday's second game, against Florida at 5 p.m. on ESPN. The Hurricanes are in the
same boat as Virginia; if they win they play at 5 p.m. Monday, but if they lose they play at noon on
Monday.
Vanderbilt is the defending champion, and will play its first game on Sunday night against Cal State
Fullerton. Carson Fulmer, who went eighth overall to the White Sox, will start that game. If the
Commodores win, they would play Tuesday at 5 p.m. on ESPN, but if they lose would play on Tuesday at
noon on ESPN2.
Either Pfeifer or Walker will start Tuesday for Vanderbilt, but it hasn't yet been announced.
Games to watch
Saturday
12 p.m. - Virginia vs. Arkansas (ESPN)
5 p.m. - Miami vs. Florida (ESPN)
Monday
12 p.m. - Virginia/Arkansas loser vs. Miami/Florida loser (ESPN2)
5 p.m. - Virginia/Arkansas winner vs. Miami/Florida winner (ESPN2)
Tuesday
12 p.m. - Vanderbilt/Fullerton loser vs. LSU/TCU loser (ESPN2)
5 p.m. - Vanderbilt/Fullerton winner vs. LSU/TCU winner (ESPN)
Scott Baker wins pitching duel against Barry Zito; OKC Dodgers win 3-1
By Craig Minami
Player of the day
Pitcher Leonardo Crawford and two relievers threw a combined no-hitter for the Dominican Summer
League Dodgers on Thursday. Eric Stephen wrote about Crawford's performance here.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
The Dodgers returned home and began their four-game series against the Sounds (Athletics) with a 3-1
victory. Scott Baker out-pitched Barry Zito to pick up his fifth win of the season.
Baker pitched seven innings and allowed one run, four hits, one walk and struck out three. Barry Zito
began the game with a 21 consecutive scoreless innings streak and Zito pitched five more scoreless
innings.
In the sixth inning, trailing 1-0, Darnell Sweeney and Austin Barnes each singled. The rally stalled as
Corey Seager struck out and Kyle Jensen flew out to center. But then Andy Wilkins would his sixth home
run of the season to make it 3-1.
Wilkins went 2-for-4 with his three-run home run. Corey Seager and Sweeney also had two hits.
Ryan Buchter and Chin-hui Tsao pitched the eighth and ninth innings, respectively. Tsao got his third
save.
Double-A Tulsa
The Drillers hosted the Naturals (Royals) on a nationally televised game on Thursday and that audience
saw Eric Stults give up six runs in route to the Royals 7-3 win. Eric Stults pitched four innings and besides
the six runs, Stults gave up seven hits, two walks and struck out three.
Chris Reed followed and Reed allowed an unearned run in one inning of work. Jacob Rhame pitched two
scoreless innings and Jeremy Horst finished with a scoreless ninth inning.
Hector Olivera went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Yadir Drake was 1-for-3 with two runs scored.
Class-A Rancho Cucamonga
The Quakes returned home where they had a 22-6 record to start a four-game series against the Ports
(Athletics). It was not a nice homecoming as the Ports shutout the Quakes 9-0 to take the first game.
Los Angeles relief pitcher Joel Peralta made his first rehab appearance and Peralta allowed two runs,
two hits and a walk in one inning of work. John Richy followed and Richy allowed six runs, nine hits,
three walks and struck out five in four innings.
A.J. Vanegas pitched three innings and Vanegas allowed a run, three hits and a walk. Victor Araujo
pitched a scoreless ninth inning.
Not a lot of offense produced by the Quakes in their shutout loss. Brandon Trinkwon was 1-for-2 with a
double and two walks, Tyler Ogle was 2-for-3.
Low Class-A Great Lakes
The Loons game against the Kernels (Twins) was postponed and it will be made up as part of a double-
header on Friday.
Transactions
Class-A: Pitcher Erik Bedard retired; outfielder Johan Mieses and pitcher Joe Broussard assigned to
Rancho Cucamonga from Great Lakes; Los Angeles sent pitcher Joel Peralta on a rehab assignment to
Rancho Cucamonga; placed pitcher Luis Meza and outfielder Travis Witherspoon on the 7-day disabled
list; and activated pitcher John Richy from the 7-day disabled list.
Low Class-A: Activated pitcher Matt Campbell from the 7-day disabled list; and outfielder Federico Celli
assigned to Great Lakes Loons from Dodgers Extended Spring Training.
Thursday box scores
Oklahoma City 3, Nashville 1
NW Arkansas 7, Tulsa 3
Stockton 9, Rancho Cucamonga 0
DSL Dodgers 7, DSL Mets1 0
Friday schedule
7:30 a.m. PT: DSL Dodgers at DSL Mets1
3:05 p.m.: Game 1 - Tulsa (Randy Fontanez) at NW Arkansas (Jonathan Dziedzic)
Game 2 - Tulsa (TBD) at NW Arkansas (TBD)
3:35 p.m.: Game 1 - Great Lakes (Grant Holmes) at Cedar Rapids (Dereck Rodriguez)
Game 2 - Great Lakes (TBD) at Cedar Rapids (Keaton Steele)
5:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Ian Thomas) vs. Nashville (TBD)
7:05 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Jeff Brigham) vs. Stockton (Dillon Overton)
Leonardo Crawford, 2 relievers combine for no-hitter in Dominican Summer League
By Eric Stephen
The professional career for Leonardo Crawford is off to a very nice start. The 18-year-old left-hander
started and pitched the first 6⅓ innings of a combined no-hitter by the Dodgers Dominican Summer
League team in a 7-0 win over the DSL Mets on Thursday.
Crawford retired the first eight batters of the game before hitting a batter in the third inning. His only
other runner allowed to reach base was a walk with one out in the seventh, his final batter of the game.
Crawford struck out nine in the win and after his first three professional starts is 3-0 with one unearned
run allowed on five hits in 17⅓ innings, with 19 strikeouts and three walks.
Dodgers scouts Nemesio Porras and Luis Molina found Crawford in Nicaragua and signed him last July 2,
the first day of the international signing period, for a signing bonus of $47,500.
Wally Vrolijk followed Crawford by recording five outs, including two by strikeout. Johan Diaz followed
with a scoreless, hitless ninth, allowing one walk, to complete the combined no-hitter.
This was the first no-hitter in the Dominican Summer League since Aug. 7, 2012, per Danny Wild of
MiLB.com.
4 Quakes named California League All-Stars
By Eric Stephen
LOS ANGELES -- The Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes have a three-game lead in the South Division of
the California League with 11 games left in the first half of the season, and on Thursday were recognized
with four Dodgers minor leaguers named to the Cal League All-Star team.
First baseman Cody Bellinger, catcher Kyle Farmer and second baseman Brandon Trinkwon will all start
for the Cal League in the California League / Carolina League All-Star Game, to be played on Tuesday,
June 23 at LoanMart Field in Rancho Cucamonga.
Starting pitcher Jose De Leon was also named to the Cal League All-Star team, but won't participate in
the game because he was already promoted to Double-A Tulsa.
Farmer is hitting .346/.404/.528 with 14 doubles, six triples and a home run in 43 games with the
Quakes this year. He ranks fourth in the Cal League in on-base percentage and leads the circuit in batting
average.
Bellinger has taken the Darin Erstad route this year, playing 11 games in center field in addition to 47
games at first base. Bellinger, who turns 20 on July 13, is hitting .283/.354/.577 in 58 games, is fourth in
the league with 18 doubles and tied for fifth with 12 home runs. Bellinger has also stolen seven bases
without getting caught.
Trinkwon, 23, is hitting .290/.368/.375 with 26 walks in 54 games, and has played second base, third
base and shortstop this season.
De Leon was 4-1 with a 1.67 ERA in seven starts for Rancho Cucamonga before his promotion, with 58
strikeouts and only eight walks in 37⅔ innings, an absurd 39.2-percent strikeout rate.
All four All-Stars were drafted by the Dodgers in 2013 - Bellinger in the fourth round, Trinkwon in the
seventh, Farmer in the eighth, and De Leon in the 24th round.
Erik Bedard retires
By Eric Stephen
LOS ANGELES -- Dodgers pitcher Erik Bedard has decided to retire rather than continue his comeback
from a teres major muscle strain earlier this year.
Bedard was placed on the voluntary retired list on Thursday by Class-A Rancho Cucamonga, after the 36-
year-old made three starts for the Quakes, allowing eight runs on 16 hits in 14⅓ innings, with seven
strikeouts and one walk.
His last start for Rancho Cucamonga was June 4, during which he allowed two home runs. He will remain
in the Dodgers organization as a minor league instructor.
"He was a great presence this spring, and while we're disappointed for him that he didn't feel like he
could pitch at his accustomed level, we're thrilled he's staying in the organization," Dodgers general
manager Farhan Zaidi said. "His pitching knowledge and experience will be a tremendous asset for our
younger players."
Bedard signed a minor league contract with the Dodgers on January 15, looking to become one of the
Dodgers' starting options beyond its planned five in the rotation.
"I know where I stand," Bedard said early in spring training. "The game is still fun, and I like playing
baseball."
But a teres major muscle strain - the same injury that sidelined both Clayton Kershaw and Paco
Rodriguez in 2014 - suffered in a March 20 start in a spring training game in San Antonio put Bedard on
the shelf for two months.
Bedard pitched in 11 big league seasons for the Orioles, Mariners, Red Sox, Pirates, Astros and Rays.
In other minor league transactions on Thursday, outfielder Johan Mieses and pitcher Joe Broussard were
both promoted from Class-A Great Lakes to Rancho Cucamonga.
Mieses doesn't turn 20 until July 13, and hit .277/.320/.440 in 45 games for the Loons in his first pro
season in the United States, and takes with him a seven-game hitting streak, during which he is 10-for-
25 (.400) with two home runs, two doubles and a triple.
Broussard, drafted by the Dodgers in the 15th round in 2014, had 38 strikeouts against only four walks
in 33⅔ innings for Great Lakes this season, with a 2.41 ERA.
Another 2014 draft, ninth-rounder Matt Campbell, was activated off the disabled list on Thursday and
will make his 2015 season debut with Great Lakes.
Joel Peralta will begin his minor league rehab assignment with one inning to start tonight's Rancho
Cucamonga game at home. Peralta, sidelined with a sore shoulder and a pinched nerve in his neck, last
pitched in a game on April 23.
2015 MLB Draft: Dodgers take SDSU-bound RHP Imani Abdullah in 11th round
By Eric Stephen
LOS ANGELES -- After taking seven college pitchers in their first 12 picks in the first two days of the MLB
Draft, the Dodgers began Wednesday's final day by taking high school right-hander Imani Abdullah in
the 11th round, with pick No. 342 overall.
Abdullah had a 0.45 ERA in his senior season at Madison High School in San Diego, with 114 strikeouts in
78⅓ innings.
The 6'5, 200-pound right-hander was clocked at 94 mph in May in a win over Point Loma, impressing the
opposing coach, former major league pitcher David Wells.
"That kid threw a tremendous game," Wells said, per Scott Hopkins of SDNews.com.
Abdullah was an outfielder until his junior season in high school, and the lack of relative mileage on his
arm makes him an attractive get. He was described as regularly hitting 92 mph in April by Dan Norcross
of the San Diego Union-Tribune:
"I can teach somebody to throw harder," says Madison pitching coach Nick Furlong, who has helped
more than 25 pitchers get drafted or play in college. "But you can’t teach (92 mph). You just can’t. It’s
something he was born with."
Adbullah was not rated in the Baseball America top 500 draft prospects, but was rated their No. 74
prospect in California (the No. 66 prospect in California was Dodgers' fifth-round pick Brendon Davis,
rated No. 496 nationally).
Abdullah signed a letter of intent to attend San Diego State.
"Imani has barely scratched the surface of his potential," SDSU coach Mark Martinez said of Abdullah in
November. "He made a name for himself this summer and performed well at some major events. He is a
local kid that we are excited to keep close to home and watch him develop in our program. He is an
intelligent kid that gets better each time we see him pitch."
The commitment to college gives Abdullah leverage, and will likely eat into the Dodgers' bonus pool to
sign. For any picks after the 10th round, any signing bonus amount above $100,000 gets added to the
team's total bonus money spent (for instance, the Dodgers paid 2013 11th-round pick Spencer Navin a
$300,000 bonus; $200,000 counted toward the bonus pool).
The Dodgers' bonus pool is $7,781,700, the total allotted slot amounts for their 12 picks in the first 10
rounds. The team can spend just up to five percent over without losing a draft pick, giving them an extra
$389,084 to play with. The only penalty for that overage is a 75-percent tax, though if the team does
reach five percent over they would lose their first-round draft pick in 2016.
The first three picks by the Dodgers were all projected to go higher than the Dodgers picked them,
suggesting they might take above their slotted amounts to sign. But the Dodgers will likely save money
on their eighth, ninth and 10th-round picks, all college seniors, and possibly Jeff Sborz (competitive
balance pick B) and Jeff Pfeifer (another senior, third round) as well.
Abdullah's demands in April were said to be near the $600,000 range, while Ken Gurnick of MLB.com
reported Wednesday the right-hander originally wanted upwards of $800,000.
Dodgers scouting director Billy Gasparino called Abdullah "a priority sign," per Gurnick, and it sounds like
the right-hander is willing to join, thanks to a call from an ownership partner. From Gurnick:
"I think I'll take the opportunity to go pro," said Abdullah, "especially when someone like Magic Johnson
tells you that you have a bright future. That's pretty darn convincing."
ESPN LA
Erik Bedard, 11-year veteran of four teams, retires with 71-82 record
By Associated Press
RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. -- Erik Bedard has ended his attempt at a comeback from yet another
injury and announced his retirement after an 11-year major league career.
The oft-injured left-hander had been pitching for the Dodgers at Class A Rancho Cucamonga, rehabbing
a strained lat muscle. The news was announced Thursday.
The 36-year-old Bedard went 71-82 with one save in a big league career that included time with
Baltimore, Seattle, Boston and Tampa Bay. His best season came with the Orioles in 2007, when he went
13-5 with 221 strikeouts and finished fifth in the AL Cy Young Award voting. He was 15-11 a year earlier.
But he topped 150 innings only once after 2007 because of a series of injuries in 2013.
Bedard made three starts for the Dodgers' minor league team in the California League this season. He
had been slowed by injuries late in his career.
Dodgers have set their sights on elite starting pitchers
By Mark Saxon
LOS ANGELES -- Not long ago, the Los Angeles Dodgers sent out a memo to their scouts telling them to
keep an eye on a long list of potential starting pitcher targets leading up to next month’s trade deadline.
At the top of the Dodgers’ wish list, according to a source, is hard-throwing Washington Nationals right-
hander Jordan Zimmermann, with Cincinnati Reds ace Johnny Cueto and Detroit Tigers lefty David Price
also on the short list of desirable targets.
Galen Carr, the major league scout whose opinion will carry the most weight with Dodgers president of
baseball operations Andrew Friedman, has attended several of Zimmermann’s starts, a source said, and
has also been at more than one of Cueto’s starts. The link to Price is less clear, but Friedman’s history
with Price in Tampa Bay would indicate that possibility has some merit if the sides can match up on a
deal.
Of course, wanting to acquire any of those pitchers and having the resources to get a deal done are
entirely different things. The standings and the presence of two wild-card bids will make a trade for one
of those pitchers difficult, particularly if the Dodgers want to hold on to their most treasured prospects,
pitcher Julio Urias and shortstop Corey Seager.
But the fact that the Dodgers have prioritized three pitchers who will be free agents in November is an
indication of their motivation to land at least one more top-level starting pitcher to a Clayton Kershaw-
and-Zack Greinke-led rotation that has lost two starters -- Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-Jin Ryu -- to
season-ending injuries.
The Dodgers have gotten solid production from fill-in starters Mike Bolsinger and Carlos Frias, but they
would be more comfortable about their postseason hopes if they were relying on just one of those
pitchers, who were viewed as Triple-A depth out of spring training. Brandon Beachy is close to going on
a minor league rehab assignment, but he’s far from a sure thing given the elevated chances of another
arm injury after two Tommy John surgeries.
Needless to say, matching up on a trade for an elite starter would be a challenge, but Friedman and his
group proved at the winter meetings that they’re willing to radically alter their major league team’s
composition to improve.
The Nationals are beset by injuries to starting pitchers, but they have managed to remain in first place
despite them. The Tigers are two games over .500 and 4 1/2 games behind the Kansas City Royals in the
AL Central. The Reds -- 11 games back in the NL Central and four games under .500 -- could be the
likeliest team to deal, but they’ll have plenty of suitors.
The Dodgers have gotten no indication from Washington that it is willing to move Zimmermann, a
source said, but there is plenty of time between now and the July 31 deadline. If Stephen Strasburg
(neck tightness) and Doug Fister (strained right forearm) bounce back from injuries, the Nationals could
find themselves with a starting pitcher surplus. If Carl Crawford and Scott Van Slyke return from the
disabled list in the coming weeks, as expected, the Dodgers will have a surplus of hitters. Alex Guerrero,
who has a .926 OPS in 123 plate appearances, figures to be particularly expendable when those two
outfielders return and third baseman/second baseman Hector Olivera reaches the major leagues, which
should be a matter of weeks.
Crawford won’t draw much trade interest because of his massive contract, but Andre Ethier, who is
thriving back in an everyday role with an .875 OPS, is looking more desirable by the day. And the
Dodgers suddenly have enough minor league depth that they might consider trading young starting
pitchers for a chance at a 2015 World Series.
The Dodgers’ trade chips are no longer confined to the big three of Urias, Seager and center fielder Joc
Pederson. Their Triple-A Oklahoma City team has the best winning percentage in the Pacific Coast
League. Behind Urias are a few well-regarded pitching prospects in Grant Holmes, Jose De Leon and
Chris Anderson. The team took 20 college pitchers in the recently completed draft and considers two of
them, Vanderbilt right-hander Walker Buehler and Louisville right-hander Kyle Funkhouser, to be 2016
rotation options.
The will is there, as are the resources. It seems only a matter of time before the Dodgers fortify their
starting rotation. The only question now is how big the splash will be.
DODGER INSIDER
Dodger minor league report No. 9: Olivera goes yard and buzz on Bellinger
By Cary Osborne
Hector Olivera hit his first career stateside home run on Tuesday. The Cuban import and Tulsa infielder
took Kansas City farmhand and reliever Mark Peterson deep in the seventh inning. Olivera went 3 for 3
in the game and also walked. He is now 5 for 18 at the plate with four singles.
Buzz is starting to pick up on first baseman Cody Bellinger. He’s been a regular here in the report, but
there he is front and center on MiLB.com on Thursday. Bellinger is profiled here for his developing
power and defensive ability.
Bellinger, the son of former Yankees infielder Clay Bellinger, is batting .283/.354/.557 with 12 home runs
(33 total extra-base hits) and 46 RBI in 58 games. Bellinger hit the game-winning two-run home run in
the 10th inning on Wednesday against Modesto.
And the reward is a selection to the California League All-Star team, which was announced Thursday.
The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes are hosting the 2015 California League vs. Carolina League All-Star
Game on June 23.
California League batting leader Kyle Farmer, who will start for the Cal League at catcher, and second
baseman Brandon Trinkwon, will join their Quake teammate Bellinger on the team. Pitcher Jose De Leon
was selected, but because of his promotion to Tulsa in May, he won’t be playing.
Now, for the rest of the news …
Oklahoma City Dodgers (AAA)
Thus far: 37-21
Darnell Sweeney has turned up the dial in his last 10 games. He is 16 for 44 in that time frame with three
stolen bases. That raised his batting average from .251 to .265. Sweeney leads the Pacific Coast League
with 21 stolen bases (in 28 chances). Sweeney was 15 for 31 in stolen bases last season.
Catcher Austin Barnes went 4 for 4 on Monday and is 7 for his last 15 with two home runs over his last
four games. Barnes is hitting .289/.388/.453 for OKC.
After David Aardsma opted out of his contract with the Dodgers, Taiwanese 34-year-old Chin-hui Tsao
stepped into the closer role and picked up saves in two straight games — Monday and Tuesday. Tsao
has now thrown eight consecutive scoreless innings (seven appearances) and has lowered his ERA with
OKC from 8.00 on May 11 to 4.24 today. Tsao has a 1.24 WHIP and has 25 strikeouts in 17 innings in
Triple-A.
Tulsa Drillers (AA)
Thus far: 24-32
Chris Anderson, the Dodgers’ 2013 first-rounder, continues to roll. He went seven innings on Sunday,
allowing four hits, three walks and no earned runs, while striking out seven. In his last five starts (31 1/3
innings), Anderson has a 1.72 ERA/1.34 WHIP and has struck out 28 batters.
Relievers Ralston Cash and Jeremy Horst have identical 2.16 ERAs in their 25 innings pitched and have
walked an identical 14 batters. Horst has struck out 32 batters to Cash’s 24.
De Leon ran into big trouble for the first time this season in Wednesday’s start. He allowed seven hits,
three walks and six earned runs, while striking out five. Prior to that start, he had a 3.15 ERA in 20
innings since getting promoted to Tulsa. Interestingly, De Leon has had more strikeouts than innings
pitched in nine of his 11 starts this season.
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (High A)
Thus far: 35-24
Tyler Ogle has been warming up. In his last 10 games, he is 15 for 34 with three home runs and nine
RBIs. Ogle, who Baseball America ranked as the organization’s No. 26 prospect after the 2013 season, is
in his second season with Rancho. He is batting .261/.344/.503 with 10 home runs and 30 RBI this
season. Ogle was primarily a catcher last season, but has split his time between designated hitter,
catcher, third base and first base this year.
Great Lakes Loons (Low A)
Thus far: 32-26
In case you missed it, infielder Michael Ahmed, pitcher Grant Holmes and reliever J.D. Underwood were
selected for the Eastern All-Star roster for the 2015 Midwest League All-Star Game.
Ahmed is hitting .260/.355/.363 with 17 stolen bases for the Loons. Holmes has a 1.55 ERA in his last six
starts (29 innings) with 36 strikeouts. Underwood has a 1.93 ERA/0.86 WHIP and 32 strikeouts in 32 2/3
innings.
Holmes gets his first start of June tonight.
Top 10 prospects thus far
Corey Seager (OKC) .292/.352/.451, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 14 XBH in 36 games
Julio Urias (Tulsa) 7 GS, 36 IP, 25 H, 9 BB, 46 SO, 3.00 ERA, 0.94 WHIP
Grant Holmes (GL) 10 GS, 44 2/3 IP, 36 H, 24 BB, 58 SO, 3.22 ERA, 1.34 WHIP
Alex Verdugo (GL) .225/.264/.305, 8 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 16 RBI
Chris Anderson (Tulsa) 11 GS, 61 2/3 IP, 55 H, 30 BB, 55 SO, 3.50 ERA, 1.38 WHIP
Jose De Leon (Tulsa/RC) 11 GS, 60 2/3 IP, 43 H, 17 BB, 88 SO, 2.97 ERA, 0.99 WHIP
Darnell Sweeney (OKC) .265/.329/.397, 3 HR, 24 RBI, 21 for 28 SB
Scott Schebler (OKC) .219/.305/.416, 7 HR, 16 RBI
Zachary Bird (RC) 11 G (10 GS), 46 1/3 IP, 37 H, 32 BB, 49 SO, 4.66 ERA, 1.49 WHIP
Chris Reed (Tulsa/OKC) 17 G, 25 2/3 IP, 25 H, 14 BB, 19 SO, 5.96 ERA, 1.52 WHIP
FOX SPORTS
Kershaw, Dodgers come to San Diego for three-game series
By Associated Press
Clayton Kershaw is enjoying his best stretch of the season as he gets ready to face a familiar strikeout-
prone opponent.
The Los Angeles Dodgers starter looks to win his fourth straight outing Friday night in the opener of a
three-game road series against the San Diego Padres.
Kershaw (5-3, 3.36 ERA) has yielded two runs and 10 hits with 28 strikeouts over 22 innings in his last
three starts after he pitched eight innings of one-hit ball with 11 strikeouts in Saturday's 2-0 home win
over St. Louis.
"I just executed some fastballs away that were pretty well located and tough to put a bat on," he said.
"This was probably the best slider-curveball combination I've had in a while."
Kershaw is third in the majors with 101 strikeouts as he gets another look at San Diego (31-31), which
has struck out 510 times for baseball's third-highest total. The Padres are the team he has faced the
third-most in his career, going 12-6 with a 2.33 ERA in 25 starts.
The left-hander is 4-0 with a 1.42 ERA in his last five outings against San Diego, failing to win in a 6-3
victory on opening day in which he gave up three runs in six innings with nine strikeouts.
Jun 8, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; San Diego Padres relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel (46) throws a pitch against
the Atlanta Braves in the eleventh inning at Turner Field. The Padres defeated the Braves 5-3.
That marked his first look at former teammate Matt Kemp, who was 2 for 3 off him. Justin Upton is 4 for
36 with 12 strikeouts in this matchup, Will Venable is 4 for 16 and lefty-swinging Yonder Alonso - who
bats .429 off southpaws - has one hit in nine at-bats.
Batters swing at Kershaw's first pitch 39.3 percent of the time for baseball's highest mark.
This will be the third time that Kershaw will square off with Odrisamer Despaigne (3-4, 4.72), who went
0-2 with a 6.35 ERA last year in his lone starts against Los Angeles. Kershaw allowed two earned runs in
17 innings in those games.
Despaigne is 1-4 with a 5.82 ERA in six outings since joining the rotation May 7 but has a 2.42 ERA in the
last four. He gave up four runs over six innings in Sunday's 4-0 defeat at Cincinnati.
No Dodgers hitter has more than five at-bats against the right-hander, with Cuban compatriot Yasiel
Puig going 2 for 5.
Puig went 4 for 4 with a three-run homer and scored the winning run in the ninth inning as Los Angeles
(35-25) beat Arizona 7-6 on Wednesday to complete a three-game home sweep. The right fielder missed
more than a month with a strained left hamstring before returning Saturday.
"It's tough to fill the shoes of a guy like that when he can do so much," second baseman Howie Kendrick
said.
Third baseman Justin Turner could return to the lineup after missing two games because he fouled a
pitch off his left kneecap in Monday's 9-3 win.
San Diego capped a 4-3 trip by rallying from three runs down in Thursday's 6-4 win over Atlanta.
Yangervis Solarte hit a two-run single in the 11th inning in a game that featured a benches-clearing
incident involving Kemp and the ejection of manager Bud Black.
"That just shows how good of a team we have," Kemp said. "We have to win those games. That was a
good comeback."
Cory Spangenberg, who has never faced Kershaw, went 7 for 16 with four RBIs in the four-game series.
Los Angeles has captured six of nine meetings.
Dee Gordon nearly quit baseball to play college basketball while with Dodgers
By FOX Sports
Before Dee Gordon became an All-Star second baseman, he struggled in the Dodgers' organization for
years, which nearly pushed him to give up baseball entirely.
Gordon has come a long way in a few years' time. After all, it wasn't too long ago that he was making
frequent trips to the minors as he struggled both at the plate and in the field as the Dodgers' shortstop.
In a recent video feature put together by VICE Sports, Gordon admits that those early struggles in the
Dodgers organization nearly convinced him to quit baseball and pursue his original passion, basketball,
instead.
"Honestly, if I could be truthful about it, I wasn't convinced until about 2013 that I was really good at
baseball," he divulges. "I'm being honest. I was going through some things, and I was like ... 'Man, I think
I might go to college and play basketball.'"
The Marlins are surely glad he didn't.
After transitioning to second base from shortstop, where Gordon never truly seemed comfortable in the
big leagues, he became an All-Star second baseman for the Dodgers in 2014.
In his first season with the Marlins this year after being traded in the offseason, he has led the league in
batting average for nearly the entire season, and currently sits at the .356 mark after 57 games.
Dodgers draft two pitchers who could be in the majors next season
By FOX Sports
Two of the pitchers which the Dodgers picked in the 2015 MLB Draft could be poised to contribute in the
big leagues as early as next season, according to the Los Angeles Times. Dodgers scouting director Billy
Gasparino spoke about them to the Times:
“Walker Buehler and Kyle Funkhouser were supposed to go in the top 15 picks, so to get two of those
guys at pick 24 and 35, we thought was great value,” Gasparino said. “The timeline of these guys is very
quick, in our opinion. They’re advanced, they’re ready.”
Both pitchers are right-handers in the their junior year of college -- Funkhouser with Louisville and
Buehler with Vanderbilt. Buehler was part of Vanderbilt’s College World Series championship team last
year and is once again in the CWS this season.
The two were part of a large class of pitchers taken by the Dodgers in this Draft. Gasparino admitted he
was “shocked” when he realized that the team had selected pitchers with 25 of the 42 picks.
Dodgers' Puig back from the DL, but will his bat flip return too?
By FOX Sports
With Yasiel Puig back from the disabled list, that means that his signature bat flips are back as well. Or
are they? The Los Angeles Times notes that he celebrated his first hit back from the DL with only a
“mini” bat flip. His first home run since his DL stint came on Wednesday night, and it was also not
followed by a dramatic bat flip.
Earlier this season Puig had said that he wanted to tone down his flips saying, "I want to show American
baseball that I'm not disrespecting the game.” Though some may be saddened to see his bat flip go
away, the Dodgers might still have another player willing to carry on the tradition. Pitcher Zack Greinke
flipped his bat dramatically after hitting a double in Milwaukee last month. Per the L.A. Times, catcher
A.J. Ellis quipped:
"Nobody in the game's got a bigger bat flip than Zack Greinke right now."