LADodgerTalk.com – Matt Kemp, Clayton Kershaw, Vin Scully, Andre Ethier and the Dodgers

Nate Eovaldi was better than advertised with 7 strong innings – he only threw 90 pitches and allowed 2 Earned Runs (all in the first inning).  He only walked 1 and struck out 4 while only allowing 4 hits.  After the first inning, he allowed 2 more hits the rest of the way.  He looks [...]

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Mark Ellis will be Sorely Missed.  The report is that he will be out for 6 weeks.  He has been nearly as important as Matt Kemp to this years team.   Someone has to step up. I get the feeling that Clayton Kershaw is struggling a little – Imagine saying that after he pitches a shutout.  [...]

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Matt Kemp didn’t want to do it, but happily the Dodgers training staff erred on the side of caution and didn’t want Kemp’s Grade 1 Strain become a Grade 3.  This will force him to rest, because I think Matt only knows one way to play – flat out!  It will also give Scott Van [...]

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Matt Kemp carried the team is April, but has tanked in May.  His batting average is all the way down to a Superhuman-esque .375, but now the other guys are picking him up. Mark Ellis is still looking like an excellent addition to the team with a .389 OB% as the number two hitter.  Ned [...]

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I think that was/is Logan White’s Mantra.  Logan wants to draft pitchers and if he doesn’t draft a pitcher, he converts the guy into one (Loney, Martin, Jansen).  That tells me that the Dodgers will be loathe to trade young arms… and that is good. What that means is that you shouldn’t expect the Dodgers [...]

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I guess we have a new closer – Elbert is an animal!  If James Loney can hit just a little, he’ll save a lot of games at 1B. One of the main reasons the Dodgers are doing as well as they are is the infield defense.  Even with Gordon’s errors, the defense has been outstanding. [...]

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I wrote this last week and I’ll keep it up until someone listens. Javy Guerra has lost his mojo, but I still think he can be an important part of the pen.  Kenley Jansen is not ready to close.  I love Josh Lindblom and maybe he could close, but I just don’t see it right [...]

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By now, you all should know that Clayton Kershaw doesn’t pitch well at Coors’ Field.  His ERA is 5.85 there.  Not so impressive. In case you haven’t heard, Vin Scully calls Clayton’s curveball “public enemy number one.”  However, in Coors it is called “Little Sisters’ of the Poor.” As impressive as Kershaw is, a guy [...]

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403 foot HR by Dee Gordon?  He has evidently been eating his Wheaties.  What a Beast!  Let’s just hope he doesn’t start trying to do that…. I don’t put too much stock in the fact that Lindblom and Jansen got rocked a little last night – Hey, it’s Coors and you just don’t get much [...]

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One of the biggest differences in Clayton Kershaw and other pitchers is how he reacts when his teammates let him down.  In the first inning, Juan Uribe commits an error and Keshaw responded with two strikeouts.  In the fifth inning, Gordon and Loney committed back-to-back errors and Kershaw again pitched out of the jam.  Not [...]

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During the Dodgers’ sale process,  Frank McCourt said that he was selling the team and the Stadium, but not the parking lots.  Everyone and I mean EVERYONE said that the sale HAD to include the parking lots and that Frank McCourt just needed to leave town ASAP.  Then we heard that Guggs and Company bought [...]

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The biggest benefit of the Dodgers 9-1 start is that we don’t have to read TJ Slimers constant Dodger-bashing drivel!  Free at last, free at last free at last!  If this keeps up, he’ll have to take early retirement.  I write this knowing that I might very well sit next to him next week, but [...]

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I had hopes that the Dodgers would sweep the Padres, but it was not to be.  It’s way to early to form many opinions, but here’s what I think I know: Matt Kemp is still MVP Material Dee Gordon is a game-changer Mark Ellis is a nice addition AJ Ellis  will be solid behind the [...]

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The youngsters here don’t even know who Heart is!  A HR and 3 RBI’s – guess your worry about Matt Kemp was unnecessary.  He’s primed to be MVP! Andre Ethier will pickup Matt as soon as Tonight. Juan Uribe  is moving very well and plays a mean 3B. Clayton might have went 4 or 5 [...]

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I admit that I make some predictions with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek, however today I am deadly serious and will give you my honest assessment of how the Dodgers will do this season. First of all, none of us can anticipate exactly what will happen, especially in regard to new ownership.  Stan [...]

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I have been busy the last couple of days, so when I got back and checked the blog, I was dismayed that I had written Rivera would hit 28 HR.   Believe it or not, I meant 18 HR for Rivera, but hit the 2 instead of the 1.  OK,  I’ll just live with it, maybe [...]

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It sounds like Jerry Hariston, Jr. has an arm, or shoulder issue and can’t throw properly according to Ken Gurnick of Dodgers.com.  It’s simple – if he can’t throw, he can’t play.  He has to go to the DL.  His defense at multiple positions is his greatest asset. Justin Sellers deserves a shot at the [...]

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2011 was an aberration for the Los Angeles Dodgers.  For those of you who think the 2012 version of the Dodgers is not a very good team, I say:  “I beg to differ.  In fact, I will go as far as saying you are crazy if you think this is a bad team.” It’s popular [...]

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We all know how good Clayton Kershaw is… and if you didn’t notice, he is left handed! The last time I checked, Ted Lilly and Chris Capuano were also left handed.  That means that right here, right now, the Dodgers have three left handed starters.  Aaron Harang and Chad Billingsley are the only right handed [...]

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Several bloggers and some of their followers are lobbying for AJ Ellis to hit at the top of the Dodgers lineup, instead of near or at the bottom.  They point to his .360 OB%.  Wow!  Here’s the deal – it’s a small sampling – he has 244 AB’s in parts of 4 years, so opposing [...]

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