Rake DeWitt for Rookie of the Year?
Wait a minute, wasn’t Blake DeWitt slotted to go back to Jacskonville this year. master AA pitching and receive a call up to Vegas before year-end? What went wronng with that plan? After Nomar, LaRoche and Abreu all went down like dominoes, the Dodgers looked down the 3B depth chart and came across the name of Blake DeWitt. Huh? Well, it’s just a stopgap situation - at least one of the other three would be back soon… Six weeks later, we are changing his name to RAKE DeWitt, because this kid can R-A-K-E!
He’s now hitting .317 with 2 HR and 18 RBI and most of those AB’s have come in the #7 or #8 spots in the lineup! What more can you ask? WE all thought he’d arrive in the majors in 2009 or 2010. Go figure. In baseball, well you just never know. How cool is that? If he keeps it up, he’s certainly in the running for the Rookie of the Year. Now, here’s the part where you all are going to jump on me with both feet: Blake DeWitt is not a 3B!
Well, he is and he isn’t! He fields most balls to his left like a 3B, but has a little trouble with balls to his right and his arm is certainly average (maybe even below average) for a 3B. He can play there, but I would prefer a 3B like Andy LaRoche who has a “Plus Arm.” I think Rake DeWitt will stay at 3B the rest of this year (if he continues to hit like he is), however I could see a move to 2B for him next year. Just my opinion people, based mostly upon arm strength!
Dylan Hernandez writes a very telling article about Andy LaRoche and it is what I expected, Andy did ask out of the game the day he was optioned - he was bitter! He quotes LaRoche as saying:
I’m obviously not happy about it, but it’s the decision they made. They’re winning. I don’t blame them for anything. Hopefully, I can play my way back.”
Trainer Stan Conte said he understood LaRoche’s disappointment at being optioned to Las Vegas, where he was already playing as part of his minor league rehabilitation assignment.
“He’s worked as hard as I’ve ever had anybody work,” Conte said.
LaRoche did extra cardiovascular work while hurt to go from 221 pounds to 208. He was asked to get down to 212.
LaRoche, who hit .350 in the spring, had seven hits in 22 at-bats in six games with double-A Jacksonville in his first part of his rehab assignment. Later, he was moved to Las Vegas, where he was two for 13 with a home run in his first four games.
Saturday, he was summoned to Las Vegas Manager Lorenzo Bundy’s office, where he was told he was being activated but being kept in triple A.
“Obviously, I was bitter at first,” he said. “Who isn’t when they first get sent down?”
LaRoche said he asked Bundy to sit him that day — he had played 10 games in 11 days — and that it was Bundy’s call to rest him in the next. Upon returning to the lineup Monday, he hit a home run.
“Just because I’m at triple A, I can’t let that get to me,” LaRoche said. “I’m not going to let anyone else’s decision affect the way I go about my business. I know my time will come.”
From Dylan Hernandez of the LA TIMES:
- Jason Schmidt’s scheduled simulated game was pushed back a day to today because hadn’t recovered from a 72-pitch bullpen session Friday. Schmidt could still make the first start of a rehab appearance this weekend, Conte said.
- Utility infielder Tony Abreu has been shut down for three to seven days, as he experienced tightness in his groin after playing in an extended spring training game Monday.
MINOR LEAGUE REPORT
LAS VEGAS 51′S
- Won 8-2
- LaRoche and Repko were both 2-4
JACKSONVILLE SUNS
- Won 2-0
- James McDonald snapped out of his funk and pitched 7 strong innings with 5 hits, 0 walks and 9 strikeouts - Way to get back on track, James!
- Lucas May was 2-4 with both RBI
INLAND EMPIRE 66′ers
- Lost 9-2
- Move along, nothing to see here
GREAT LAKES LOONS
- Lost 6-0
- Andrew Lambo was 2-3
I told ya, leave that boy alone and let him play. He has, so far proven his worth. LaRoche has been given a few chances and each time he has not been able to perform, either due to injury or trouble between the ears. To yank DeWitt would send a terrible and destructive message throughout the farm system. Sack up, Torre and leave the kid be.
I am happy for the kid. He has done a great job in relief. It will be a tough decision for Torre, but something has to be done with LaRoche. I just don’t believe he can be left at AAA. Do we just hand the job to DeWitt and trade LaRoche? It makes more sense to me to let LaRoche play in L.A. with the idea that the leash is short. Put up or be replaced.
And I ask all of you, do you expect DeWitt will continue to hit .317 the rest of the way?
We got somewhat lucky on the inside the park. The Mets badly misplayed it. I’ll take it.
Another 3 inning game by a Dodger starter. Is the league figuring out Kuroda? I also need to point out that we gave up another 2 unearned runs.
The bullpen once again saved the day.
Hey, Jones got a hit.
Dogs figuring out ways to win. That is what we need to do in this division. The Dbacks continue to look very good as well.
I did a quick study on what other organizations do with their young starters. Looks to me like the Dodgers are really the only ones who make relievers out of their young starters. Dbacks don’t do it, Pads don’t do it. Eg. Bills already has more relief appearances than Peavy, Zito, Young, Owings, and Wolf combined. He has 1 less than Randy Johnson and Greg Maddux combined. I am just not sold on the idea of changing Kershaw’s mind set by having him come out of the bullpen. Seems odd to me.
Do I believe that Blake DeWitt can hit .317 the rest of the way? Well, I didn’t think he could hit .317 period! So, what do I know?
I do think this thing will work itself out:
1. Rake will keep it up and there won’t be any argument;
2. Rake will become Blake and LaRoche will come up and there won’t be any argument;
3. Nomar will take the job for a day and his left arm and right leg will fall off;
4. Nomar will be traded or released;
5. Jeff Kent will be traded and 2B will belong to DeWitt or Hu with LaRoche manning 3B; or
6. None of the above.
BTW, DeWitt has the same number of RBI as our cleanup hitter, with 20 less AB’s and hitting #8.
Is our cleanup hitter becoming irrelevant?
Is he trade bait?
…or is he just ready to explode and carry the team for 3 weeks?
I’d let DeWitt play until he slows down, and if he doesn’t and hits .300 the rest of the year then he deserves to stay. Right now LaRoche and Nomar are more of a question mark than DeWitt is. And in the Big Picture, the team seems to be going well as it is right now, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
Well, looks like the consensus is to leave LaRoche at AAA.
I bow to the majority.
But, like in a lot of other cases, the majority will not have the final say. And looking into my crystal balls, I see LaRoche and DeWitt changing places, if only for a little while.
Hey, I just calls ‘em as I sees ‘em.
Nomar looks like a square peg in a round hole on this team.
I know respect and all that, but I would ask waivers on Nomar for the purpose of giving him his unconditional release.
Does anyone other than Pollyanna think Nomar will suddenly become healthy?
Mover, I too believe that Blake, er Rake is not a 3B. He has a good arm but not a 3B arm. I just don’t see the zip on his throws ala Wright, LaRoche, Beltre. I see Dewitt as a poor mans Chase Utley. Remeber the phillies had a 3B whom they traded to the Cubs and they switched him to 2B. If I recall correctly Ryno turned out OK.
I could have sworn I saw Rake throw a couple of bullets that looked like they were shot out of a cannon to first over the course of this young season. But then, I wasn’t looking for him to have a sub-par arm and all I really was comparing his throwing to was the lollypops Nomah lets loose these days.
I do know the kid has a dandy glove-except the couple of errors he made the day. And I have not noticed any weakness in his throwing. Maybe from a cynical old bastard like myself that’s the highest of praise. I’d hoped Nomah would be our regular third baseman because he used to be one of the very best hitters/shortstops in the majors and he’s really not that old. But of late he’s just another Hollings-I’m-hurt.
I think Rake is a keeper. I like his hard nosed approach and his hustle. The fact he’s hitting .317 means it doesn’t matter what I think, he’s got to keep starting until he hits the wall. God forbid that he should. If he keeps playing hard, keeps hitting the ball, and plays good defense he’s a sure bet for Rookie of the Year honors, imho.
Rake can play 3B, but he doesn’t have that real rocket arm. Wright has one, Beltre has one, Rolen had one, LaRoche has one.
I never imagined him here, but the 3B job has to be his to lose!
Obviously you’ve paid closer attention than I to DeWittyOne’s throwing Mark. But the fact that I didn’t notice a weakness really does mean that although he might not have a golden arm like Beltre, Rolen or Hamilton–it’s still probably not chopped liver!
I’ve seen almost every game and never once thought his throwing to be a handicap for the team (unlike Pierre who can’t get a bloop single back to the cutoff man without the ball bouncing a couple of times.) I’ve also noticed how weak Nomah’s throws have become. Every throw across the diamond is an adventure with Nomar, having the same looping quality and hang time you see in a badly hanging overhand curve.
I Googled Rake and saw that he came up as a third baseman after being drafted in the first round and has consistently played at 3rd in the minors except for a brief stint at second in 2006.
Since the Dogs were not expecting any offense from Rake when they brought him up all the way from A ball, I’d think management would have felt his arm at least adequate. If he’s really a second baseman masquerading as a third baseman why didn’t they bring up some other journeyman playing at the AAA or AA level who has a cannon? Or why not play the outstanding shortstop prospect named Hu at third?
But I will defer to you on this. You are undoubtedly right since you’ve watched him carefully and I haven’t.
Lawdog,
Sometimes I am right and sometimes I am wrong. His arm is what I would call “slightly below average” but he plays 3B very well for the most part. So does LaRoche. LaRoche never did this well when he had the chance, however.
I have seen Blake in person probably a half dozen games and the rest on satellite. His arm doesn’t impress me, but then I am impressed by 3B with big arms. That said, what else does he need to do? I am amazed by what he has done - think about it: HE ONLY HAD 178 AT-BATS ABOVE SINGLE A UNTIL NOW! He had about 1500 AB’s in A and Rookie ball. For him to come on like this is either an amazing metemorphosis or an incedible fluke (which means it wont last).
But it might not be a fluke…
I don’t think the guy is a fluke. Reminds me a little of Charley Hustle himself, particularly on that inside the park home run the other night which was remarkable for a guy with questionable foot speed. He might not being running out walks to first but he seems to have that Pete Rose “play hard and spit in your eye” mentality. Dogs could use a dozen Rakes.