So this weekend I delivered my third and final speech in a college speech class I'm enrolled in. Naturally, I chose to talk about the Dodgers. Look, I even made an awesome time line:
And in looking through the history of the Dodgers, I learned something interesting... the Dodgers have some weird-ass moments in their history.
And now, I'd like to share some of my favorite moments with you.
"June 12, 1890: Brooklyn beats the Giants, 12-6, at Washington Park in the first game to feature a passionate dispute between the two clubs in the National League, ignited by Brooklyn third-base coach Darby O'Brien, who pretended to be a baserunner and drew a throw over to third."
-What now? How does this even happen? Did the pitcher have such short term memory that he couldn't remember there wasn't a runner on third? That's such an 1890s thing, a third base coach acting like a runner and trying to trick the pitcher. That's crazy... I mean, could you imagine Larry Bowa trying that today? ... Eh, bad example.
"Sept. 1, 1890: Let's play three? Brooklyn dispatches Pittsburgh three times in one day."
-The triple header? Nice. "I'm ready for a fourth!" says Dodger center fielder Cornelius "One-eyed" Jackson.
"May 29, 1892: Eight days after losing 28-year-old outfielder George "Hub" Collins to typhoid fever, the Bridegrooms and St. Louis Browns put on a benefit All-Star Game to raise money for his widow."
-They lost an outfielder to typhoid fever?! "Suck it up, Hub!" says polio-stricken Dodger first baseman Cornelius "Wheelchair" Jackson. That's definitely another thing that's very 1890s, a player catching typhoid fever. I mean, what would your reaction be if you learned Manny caught typhoid fever? ... Eh, bad example.
"May 30, 1893: William "Brickyard" Kennedy beats Louisville, 3-0 and 6-2, in both games of a twin bill, allowing just eight hits all day. He's the first Major Leaguer to pitch and win two games on the same day since the mound was moved to 60 feet, six inches from the plate."
-Good ol' "Brickyard" Kennedy tossed a double header. I know men were men in those days, but still, didn't their arms ever get sore?
"July 21, 1900: Deacon McGuire sticks his bat out to avoid being intentionally walked, and connects to allow the winning run to cross the plate."
-No one pulls a fast one over Deacon McGuire!
"Sept. 12, 1900: "Iron Man" Joe McGinnity, who has appeared in every game of the week, closes out both ends of a twin bill on a good day for the Superbas and not so good day for the Reds, who commit a record 17 errors in the doubleheader."
-Nothing too weird here, just love the idea of being referred to as "Iron Man" McGinnity. Though 17 errors? I'd put much of the blame for that at the feet of the Reds manager for starting Reginald "No-arms" McIntyre at first.
I love the timeline here:
"April 17, 1904: Blue Laws prevent charging for ballgames on Sundays, but Charles Ebbets holds a game anyway, selling scorecards to all fans instead of tickets."
"June 17, 1906: Charles Ebbets and manager Ned Hanlon are arrested after a scheme to charge fans after a Sunday game to avoid the Blue Laws doesn't pass muster with the local authorities."
-No one escapes Johnny Law, Ebbets!
"March 13, 1915: Wilbert Robinson, after bragging that he could catch a baseball dropped from an airplane, is set to prove his mettle. But when aviation pioneer Ruth Law forgets to bring the baseball, she drops a grapefruit, which explodes on impact in Robbie's glove."
-Well, that seems like a reasonable bet. This is even more fun when you realize Robinson was the manager at the time. This time the question actually works: can you imagine Joe Torre trying out a stunt like this? That would be amazing to watch.
By the way, if your only job is to fly the plane and drop the baseball, how do you forget the baseball? And what makes you think dropping a grapefruit in it's place is a good idea?
"July 1, 1917: Another Sunday, another attempt by Charles Ebbets to find a way to play baseball, despite Blue Laws prohibiting him from charging admission. Ebbets claims the money is going to charity and has a band and exhibition to prove it, but the police who arrest him and his manager Wilbert Robinson are unconvinced."
-That Ebbets, what a sneaky guy... Whenever you get worried about the Dodgers being negatively affected by the McCourts divorce, just comfort yourself with this: at least neither of them has been arrested multiple times.
"June 6, 1918: Casey Stengel, making his return to Ebbets Field after being traded during the offseason, tips his cap to the crowd and a sparrow flies out from under it."
-That's mildly creepy. And yet, unfortunately, another thing I don't have trouble imagining Manny doing.
"April 30, 1919: Burleigh Grimes pitches 20 long innings, but Philadelphia's Joe Oeschger matches him and the game ends in a 9-9 tie."
-Ha HA! Burleigh Grimes sees "Brickyard" Kennedy tossing a double header and says: "I'll pitch two more innings than you! And I'll do it without a break!"
"Sept. 7, 1924: Thousands of fans show up early and use crowbars to tear the gates open at Ebbets Field for a chance to watch Brooklyn battle the Giants."
-Well, you got to admire a fan's passion... Weird thing is, these were still the days when people wore their Sunday best to go out to the ballpark. Suits, fedoras, and crowbars. That, my friends, is a recipe for awesome.
"April 18, 1925: Charles Ebbets dies from heart failure. Co-owner Edward McKeever catches a cold at Ebbets' funeral and dies 11 days after Ebbets. Wilbert Robinson will be elected president."
-NOOO WILBERT! THE POSITION IS CUR-SED!!!
"Jan. 24, 1934: Giants skipper Bill Terry flippantly asks "Brooklyn? Is Brooklyn still in the league?"
-Nice that this is considered part of our history... "You haberdasher!" replies Dodgers bench coach/reserve outfielder Cornelius "Father Time" Jackson.
"Aug. 2, 1938: Larry MacPhail introduces yellow baseballs, which only see action in three games."
-I guess that idea Mac-failed! Hey-oh!
"July 19, 1942: Pete Reiser suffers a concussion after crashing into the outfield wall at Sportsman's Park, one of 11 times the outfielder had to be carried off the field in his career."
-"Get up, you scalawag!" yells Cornelius "How old is this guy?!" Jackson. "My record is 15 times!"
"June 4, 1947: A priest administers last rights to Dodgers outfielder Pete Reiser after he crashes into the wall, but holds on to the ball in a 9-4 victory over the Pirates. Reiser recovered after a stint in the hospital."
-"Impressive work, Mr. Reiser!" says Cornelius "Deathbed" Jackson. "But get back to me after you've been buried alive for three days only to play a double header on the fourth!"
April 23, 1950: Cornelius "Dead" Jackson dies. It is the last time anything weird ever happens to the Dodgers.
This is a tough one, let's take a look at the options.
The nominees are:
Randy Wolf -A nominee for the "J's Dodger Blog Cy Young Award," even though Randy didn't win, one could arguably say he meant more to the team. He delivered quality start after quality start down the stretch for the Dodgers, and there is a lot of value in that.
Matt Kemp -Gold Glove? Check. Silver Slugger? Check. 26 homeruns and 101 RBIs? Yeah. 34 stolen bases, too? Uh-huh. A breakout season for Matt Kemp as he slowly becomes a top tier player in this league. He's got five tools, and he uses them all. If this season is just a sign of things to come, Kemp is going to have a monster career.
Clayton Kershaw -He did win the "J's Dodger Blog Cy Young Award." Have I mentioned yet that he's 21 and very good?
Andre Ethier -A Silver Slugger, too? Yeah. Andre Ethier notched 31 homeruns and drove in 106 RBIs this season. I think most people felt Ethier could be a good player, but I don't know how many people thought Ethier was a 30-100 guy. He not only met expectations, he passed them easily. Oh, and by the way, when the playoffs came around, Ethier only got better: a .355 average, three homers, six RBIs, and a 1.235 OPS.
...and the winner is...
Andre Ethier.
This was a close call for me. Kemp was so good this year, but I can't deny what Ethier did. On top of how good his numbers were, you have to also factor in his six walk off hits.
Six walk off hits... including four homeruns. That, my friends, is a clutch performer.
Ethier was the team leader in homeruns, doubles, RBIs, walks, and walk off hits.
And for all that, Andre Ethier is your "J's Dodger Blog 2009 MVP."
Alright, moving on to the heavy hitters of the awards. First up: Cy Young. There are three big candidates for this, let's jump in.
The nominees are:
Randy Wolf -When Randy Wolf is healthy, he can be one of the most effective pitchers in the game. Wolf set new career highs with 34 starts and 214.1 innings worth of pitching this year. And he posted a 3.23 ERA over that span (in his career: second only to his 3.20 ERA in 2002). Maybe Wolf wasn't always lights out, but he was consistent. And over a long season, that means a lot. In fact, in only one start this year did Wolf not go a full 5.0 innings. And in 29 of his 34 starts, Wolf went 6.0 or more innings. All in all, a pretty good year for Wolf.
Clayton Kershaw -30 starts, 185 Ks, and a 2.79 ERA is a nice line of stats. When you consider that those numbers were put up by a 21 year old kid in his first real full season, they look so much better. The future is bright for Kershaw.
Jonathan Broxton -He's the "J's Dodger Blog 2009 Reliever of the Year." Isn't that good enough?!
...and the winner is...
Clayton Kershaw.
Randy Wolf had a career year, and I want to take nothing away from him, but just check some of the stats Clayton Kershaw has:
8th in all of baseball in ERA. 7th in all of baseball in strikeouts per 9 innings. 2nd in all of baseball in fewest homeruns per 9 innings. 1st in all of baseball in fewest hits per 9 innings.
Not to mention his ERA at home this year was 1.83.
I mean, this kid is good.
And he's 21.
Here's to the bright future. Clayton Kershaw is the winner of "J's Dodger Blog 2009 Cy Young Award."
Like the Gold Glove award, this one is pretty easy.
There were six players who made their major league debuts this season: Ronald Belisario, Brent Leach, Travis Schlichting, Xavier Paul, Mitch Jones, and Jamie Hoffmann.
Paul, Jones, and Hoffman had 14, 13, and 22 at-bats, respectively. Which means they were pretty insignificant during the season.
And talking about insignificant this season: Schlichting pitched 2.2 innings in 2 games this season.
Which leaves us with Brent Leach and Ronald Belisario.
Leach did have a pretty effective month and a half with the team during the season. Unfortunately, he was with the team for three months.
Meanwhile, Belisario appeared in 69 games and posted a 2.04 ERA. He was even a nominee for the "J's Dodger Blog 2009 Reliever of the Year" award. I mean, come on. This one was a run-away.
So, congratulations to Ronald Belisario, the "J's Dodger Blog 2009 Rookie of the Year."
Ok, well, I was going to award the Gold Glove today. And I was going to award it to Matt Kemp for the second year in a row. I was going to do this because I felt he was good enough last year to be the team's Gold Glove and I think he's only improved since then.
And then I was going to talk about how Kemp's defense is underrated. And complain he doesn't get enough accolades for it. Yadda yadda...
Well, lookie here. I guess I don't need to do that. Matt Kemp snagged the first Gold Glove of his career. Congratulations also to Orlando Hudson for getting his 4th Gold Glove.
So, my award was negated by the real one, but in any case, Matt Kemp is your "J's Dodger Blog 2009 Gold Glove" winner.
Award season continues at J's Dodger Blog, as we move on to Reliever of the Year. There are four big candidates for this prestigious award.
And the nominees are:
George Sherrill -Ok, granted, Sherrill only pitched in 27.2 innings for the Dodgers. But what a fantastic 27.2 innings those were. A 0.65 ERA! That's two runs. Two runs spread out over thirty games, while holding opponents to a .192 BAA. He also picked up 11 Holds over that span, putting him fourth on the team behind only Hong-Chih Kuo, Troncoso, and Belisario.
Jonathan Broxton -The big man in his first full season as the Dodgers' closer wasn't bad. He picked up 36 saves over the course of the season, but more impressive are some of his other numbers. Just look at this stuff: 2.61 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and a .165 BAA. Plus: 114 strikeouts in 76.0 innings. Broxton's 114 strikeouts was good for fourth place on the entire team, and he did it in less than half the innings the starters did it in. That's just impressive.
Ramon Troncoso -Where'd this guy come from?! He debuted in 2008 and posted a 4.26 ERA over 38 innings. It was unimpressive to say the least. Then, suddenly, this year, Troncoso appears in 73 games, pitching 82.2 innings, and posting a 2.72 ERA over that span. That, my friends, is a nice turn around.
Ronald Belisario -Remember when I asked where Troncoso came from? Remember how I pointed out that he seemingly appeared from nowhere, the depths of mediocrity to become one of our best relievers this season? (I just wrote those things, you better have not forgotten by now.) Anyway, Ronald Belisario looks at Troncoso's surprising rise, and scoffs. MSTI wrote a pretty good piece summarizing the main question people had coming into the season: who the hell is Ronald Belisario?! He's had a sketchy baseball past to say the least, and his career stats weren't promising, so, it really is quite odd that Belisario posted a 2.04 ERA in 69 games for us this season. I mean, come on, those are some pretty great stats for a guy who almost literally came from nowhere.
...and the winner is...
Jonathan Broxton.
Sherrill was good, but didn't make enough impact over the full season. Belisario and Troncoso were both surprisingly excellent, but both suffered from fatigue late in the season, and saw their stats start to slide.
That's not to say Broxton didn't have his own struggles as well, but darn if I can't ignore how good his numbers are. 114 strikeouts?! A 0.96 WHIP?! Those numbers ain't right!
Unfortunately for Broxton, most people choose to ignore how great he was this year and focus on the blown saves. And yes, a closer's job is to get saves, but I think Broxton suffers for people's selective memories.
I mean, Broxton did pick up two big saves this postseason, but in the end, all people will remember is the one blown one.
Ultimately, that is part of being a closer. You are the easiest person to blame because your failures are so memorable and take place with you positioned on center stage.
That's why, I propose this to all Dodger fans, or baseball fans in general. Don't make any decisions on the team after a blown save. Those blown saves are the hardest to take, and you are often so emotionally charged after the game that your opinions and views are skewed. Take a couple of deep breaths, wait a couple days, then revisit it.
...that's why I'm rewarding Broxton with this award. Because if you step back from the emotion of the blown save and just look at Broxton's numbers, you realize how very good he was this year.
So, for all that, Jonathan Broxton is the "J's Dodger Blog 2009 Reliever of the Year."
How about that? As I noted on my Twitter feed last night:
Who'd have thought the Yankees could win it all? All it took was team chemistry, a little bit of magic, and a half billion dollar payroll.
Anything is possible!!! Congratulations to the Yankees, but don't do it again. Seriously. I'll go right back to hating you. We just had a more common enemy this time in the Phillies.
Anyway. Enough with all that business. Let's get down to everybody's favorite part of the year: Award Season!
Today's award: The J's Dodger Blog Comeback Player of the Year!
And the nominees are:
Guillermo Mota -Mota not only revived himself from his 2008 season, he revived his dying career mid-way through the 2009 season. Mota finished the year with a 3.44 ERA which seems a small miracle now. If you had told me on May 17th that Mota would not only finish the season with the team, but that he would do it with a sub-3.50 ERA, I'd have slapped you for outright lying to me. Of course, right about now you'd be getting a call from me, apologizing for the slapping, but with a careful reminder that at the time, you sounded crazy, and that really, you were lucky I didn't try burning you at the stake for your words.
Why would I go through all this trouble? Because on May 17th, Guillermo Mota, who hadn't pitched in a week coming off an outing where he surrendered three runs in 2.0 IP against the Giants, came in to a 10-0 game in Florida. Clayton Kershaw had put up a masterful seven innings before giving up a leadoff double in the 8th. Mota allowed that runner to score, and got out of the inning, which would have been forgivable enough had the Dodgers not scored two runs in the top of the 9th and given Mota a cushy 12-1 lead. Mota got two quick outs, then almost as quickly, he loaded the bases. He followed that up by throwing a fat pitch to Cody Ross, which he promptly deposited over the center field wall. Mota was pulled from the game so Will Ohman could come in and get one out on one pitch. And Mota left that game with a 9.00 ERA.
It really seemed like he was cooked. That 9.00 ERA was through 15 innings pitched, mind you. But then Brad Ausmus stepped up and saved his career, at least temporarily. Ausmus noted Mota was not hiding the ball as well as he used to, therefore making it oh, so easy for the Cody Ross'es of the world to feast on him. A couple tweaks later, and Mota surrenders just two runs from May 17th all the way until the end of July (35.1 innings pitched). His ERA, for a little while, was in the high 2.00's. God, I sure hope Mota bought Ausmus something nice for that one.
Vicente Padilla -When it was made news in the Rangers clubhouse that Vicente Padilla was let go, reports say a small celebration took place. The clubhouse in Texas had turned on Padilla. He was a hot head who threw at opposing team's players too often and didn't have good enough stats to back him up (4.92 ERA in 18 starts).
Flashforward. Padilla is picked up by the Dodgers. He had just gone 4-0 in 7 starts and had a 3.20 ERA during the regular season. But now, surprisingly, Padilla had made it onto the NLDS roster. Not as a long relief arm out of the pen, but as the Game 3 starter! Padilla goes seven shutout innings in St. Louis to clinch the series. Dodger fans are shocked. This has turned out surprisingly well. How does Padilla build on that? He pitches 7.1 innings of one run ball against Philadelphia in the NLCS, starting and keeping us in the only game we would win that series. Yes, the (seemingly inevitable) meltdown that took place in Game 6 really put a damper on the "Vicente Padilla: Playoffs MVP" parade that was building up, but nevertheless, you got to give it to a guy who was tossed out of Texas. He showed up in L.A. and played ball.
Jeff Weaver -You want to talk about bad career prospects? At this time, last season, Weaver had just finished a stint with the Cleveland Indians' AAA team in Buffalo. He had a 6.07 ERA. This, mind you, came after spending the first half of the season with Milwaukee's AAA team in Nashville, where he posted a 6.22 ERA. Most people with numbers like that might have called it quits. Not Jeff Weaver. Nope, Weaver decided he'd still have a go at it and caught on with his former team the Dodgers.
Where he went on to post 3.65 ERA in 28 games (79 IP). Weaver was our long man out of the pen and an occasional spot starter this year, and he was fairly successful in both roles.
He even had some nice high points during the season. On June 20th, he started opposite his younger brother Jered in Anaheim and came out victorious.
And even though he only made on postseason appearance, he pitched a good 1.1 innings against the Cardinals and came away with a win for his efforts. Not bad.
...And the J's Dodger Blog Comeback Player of the Year is...
Jeff Weaver. There's a lot to be said for Mota's and Padilla's comebacks ...and I said a lot of it. They were nice stories, but let's be honest, coming into this season, both pitchers probably felt pretty secure with the idea they would have a home on a major league team. (Plus, as far as this award goes, Padilla shot himself in the foot when he shot himself in the foot.)
Jeff Weaver didn't. How could he? How can you put up such God-awful numbers in AAA and expect to even be pitching in AAA the next season. Weaver was looking like a prime candidate for a quiet and early retirement.
But he proved all the doubters who still cared about his career wrong. He really did have a nice season. Can he repeat on his success? I don't know, but I do think he's done enough to earn himself a spot on next year's roster in the same role.
So, for reviving a career that flat-lined for an entire year in AAA, Jeff Weaver is the "J's Dodger Blog 2009 Comeback Player of the Year."
I know he could be hurt, but I have to make jokes about this. I mean, come on, how often does something like this come along?
Seriously though, I wasn't gung-ho on resigning Padilla before, two good postseason starts aside, but now? Well, I'll just say that this doesn't quite raise my opinion of the man. Frankly, I've always worried he was a bit of a head case. Yes, there is still information to be uncovered about all this (apparently his bodyguard shot him) but there's just something off with this whole Padilla business. Maybe it's his fault, maybe it's an accident... All I'm saying is: weird stuff seems to happen to right people.
By the way, if we still do try to resign him, how much do you think we can shave off the price for this?
Ok, I'm back. I've been taking a slight break after the Dodger elimination. Once the World Series ends, I plan on handing out some Dodger Awards, and then we'll glide smoothly into the offseason. Until then though, as has been the newly formed tradition, we'll take a look back at some of what I consider my best-est Tweets from the last month or so.
I'm not going to lie to you, much of the month was filled with emotional reaction Tweets to what was happening in the playoffs, or just general complaining about umpires. But I did dig in and find a couple things other than that. Here's you go:
Whoever the guy doing color commentary on ESPN Radio is a genius. Paraphrase: Phillies are 0-6 in playoff series if they lose the 1st game.
Is that all-time? Does that include Mike Schmidt's teams? Does that go back to the Phillies of the 1880s? That stat means NOTHING!
Then Berman: "Lee has retired the side in order in the last 4 inn." Color Commentary Genius: "Yeah, retired, but is he getting tired?" Nice.
We have a chance to lose Plaschke and Simers? Choices... RT @villaraigosa ...we're willing to give up the LA Times if we lose the series.
Dodgers let Will Ohman go. I'm upset. He was on the DL so long this year, I couldn't get in any "Oh man!" jokes. Maybe it's for the better.
Man, Ben Francisco is three types of ugly. What a frightening face...
[TBS Color Commentary Guy:] "That's a ball that's got to be played, a double play that's got to be made... and the Dodgers should be back in the dugout." Nice finish.
How about: "That a ball that's got to be played, a double play that's got to be made, then the Dodgers gonna get paid." Needs a little work.
According to Vin, the Philadelphia authorities have greased every pole in the city. Fill in your own jokes here.
I'm rooting for the Yankees in the WS. They spent more, they should win. That's capitalism. A lower payroll team winning is socialism.
Hahaha. Fill in your own jokes, ladies and gentlemen. RT @MLBONFOX Karros: Angels are baseballs version of a "cockroach."
This does make me feel a little better. Phillies Fan Fail:
Yankee Stadium: looking a little empty. I thought Dodger fans were the only ones who left early? Media? Oh, they're an East Coast team? Nvm.
I hate the Yankees, but gotta admit, love the Phillies beat down, especially Lidge. Reminds me of how much I love this:
Alright, we're through four games in the World Series. It's probably over before long now. I'll see you all then.
