Logan White in his Office at Camelback Ranch

Tucked away behind the Major League facility, back a path, beyond the walk of fame and the rushing waters is the Dodgers Minor Legaue Complex.  When there are typically thousandsof fans “bum-rushing” the major league players, seeking autographs and surging towards the rope lines, there are just a few dozen fans on the back diamonds where 150+ minor leaguers work out with 53 coaches and instructors. 

Maury Wills, Don Newcombe and Logan White at Camelback

Over the past several days, I have spent quite a bit of time with Logan White and De Jon Watson in touring these facilities and asking questions about the operation and function of this part of the Dodger organization.  We are going to take a behind the scenes look at what goes on here.  I was impressed and I think you will be as well. 

When I was finished, I truly understood why Baseball America named Logan White and De Jon Watson as “GM’s in Waiting.”  They are passionate and highly intelligent when it comes to minor league operations.

All photos were taken by LAdodgerTalk Senior Photographer, Roger Sobin. 

One of the first people we met were Maury Wills and Don Newcombe upon entering the offices.

De Jon Watson in his Office

I am not sure pictures can do it justice, but you will get the general idea.  What follows is a collage of the Camelback Ranch Minor League Complex.

Another View of the Cafeteria

The Dodgers have plenty of personnel there to handle all of this.   De Jon Watson and Logan White, both have offices in the minor league complex. The facility is obviously new and that is always nice, but it is large and well thought out as well.  I would have to say that the Dodgers minor league complex is as good or better than some major league facilities.

You have to consider that when you have 150 “kids” in one area, you need a lot of direction, thus the 53 instructors/coaches.  You also need a large area for organization of equipment, uniforms and all the gear required to play baseball. 

The person in charge of that area, Troy, does an incredible job of keeping that area clean, organized and even immaculate!  As I walked through the equipment area, I couldn’t help but be amazed how organized and “eat-off-the-floor-clean” it was. 

Walking Into The Cafeteria

Mark Timmons Talking With De Jon Watson

 

Cafeteria & Food Service

I am not sure pictures can do it justice, but you will get the general idea.  What follows is a collage of the Camelback Ranch Minor League Complex. Having 150+ minor leaguers in camp, along with 53 coaches and instructors is a monumental undertaking.  They all have specials needs,health issues, they have to be fed, they have their unforms ready and receive instruction

We start out with the Cafeteria, where food has to be prepared and served for over 200 people.  That’s a lot of food and preparation.  This cafeteria is certainly a state-of-the art facility and ultimately was extremely clean. 

You also can’t help but notice how polite and friendly all the staff are.

A Place to Unwind After a Hard Workout

 

Recreation Area

After a day of hard workouts and intra-squad games, it’s nice to have a place to kick back and relax and the Minor League Complex has plenty of room for this. 

More Area For The Kids To "Kick Back"

 Again, this is an extremely nice facility.  The youngsters certainly have a very nice place to congregate.

Boys will be boys, and ultimately, these really are kids.  The Dodgers have plans to put in ping-pong tables (to facilitate “hand-eye” coordination).  This is truly a  a place to allow them to “blow off some steam.” 

Another important area in this room is about a half-dozen computers where the Spanish-speaking players can get helt in learning English with the use of Rosetta Stone Software.

More Gear

Equipment  Room

This has to almost be the “crown jewel” of the complex.  The equipment manager, Troy keeps this area highly organized and  impecibly clean.  I guess that with 150 players and 53 coaches and instructors, you had better be organized or you would never be able to function.  Uniforms, cleats and all the other geat needed to play baseball is what the Equipment Room is all about.

 

 

 

Meeting Room

 

Periodically, the Dodgers bring in instructors and coaches to talk to the minor leaguers.  Yesterday, it was Don Newcombe who spoke about the dangers of drugs and alcohol to these youngesters, some of whom are away from home for the first time.   Again, I could help but notice how kind and helpful all the staff was.  In the photo, the tables are stored, but they can be easily set up to accomodate all the players in this area.

The Equipment Office

 

Meeting Room - The Tables Can Easily Be Set Up

 

Row After Row of Gear

One need look no further than the first inning of Thursday’s game to to see the benefits of having Rafael Furcal and Matt Kemp hit 1, 2 in the Dodger lineup. Raffy

Dodgers Taking BP at Phoenix Municipal Stadium

doubled to start the game and Kemp followed it with a sharp single to left field which allowed Raffy to go to 3B.  At that juncture, Matt Kemps’ speed probably created 2 runs.  In his efforts to keep Kemp from stealing, the pitcher threw the ball away at 1B, allowing Raffy to score and Matt to go all the way to 3B.  Kemp then scored on a sac fly to the left fielder.  BANG!  2-0 Dodgers.  This scenario would have never happened if say, Blake DeWitt hit 2B.  Joe Torre may have strange tastes in Opening Day Starters but he is very wise to have Raffy and Kemp hit #1, #2!   They will manufacture a lot of runs this year.

I did an interview today with Logan White today that lasted over an hour and ten minutes.  I will transcribe a large portion of it, and have it here for you in a few days.  Among the questions I asked were:

• Of all the players in the past 5 years the Dodgers have traded or gotten rid of, which one would you most like to have back?
• When will Chris Withrow pitch in the majors?
• Can Ethan Martin play 3B and Pedro Baez pitch in the majors?
• Is James Loney faster than last year?
• Will Josh Lindblom be a starter or a reliever?
• What’s the deal with James McDonald (even James hasn’t heard this… yet, but Logan will tell him soon)?

Later this week you will get an inside look at the Dodger Minor League Facility on a tour with De Jon Watson, and with “never seen before” photos of the inside of the Minor League Facility.

Batting Paractice at Phoenix Municipal Stadium

Camelback Minor League Facility

When I first heard that  the Dodgers would leave Vero Beach and move to Camelback Ranch, I knew that it was the end of an era, and that there would never in a million years be another place like Dodgertown.  Sadly and happily, I was right!  Dodgertown was a mythical place, where dreams were made and legends were galvanized.  Dodgertown, Florida was a place where you could hear and feel the ghosts of  the Walters, Campy, Gil, Jackie, Don and Branch dancing in the mid-afternoon humid breeze.  It really wasn’t Dodgertown in the later years, as it evolved into ”Lasordaville”.  

Tommy was god in Vero Beach, and when the Dodgers left, the ghosts left along with Tommy.  Camelback Ranch is much bigger and so much more than Tommy Lasorda, not that  Tommy isn’t still bigger than life (in more ways than one).  I didn’t feel the ghosts last year (maybe they were still flying in, or maybe they just wanted to check the place out first), but this year, as I walked the paths to the minor league complex, I again heard the ghosts of  the Walters, Campy, Gil, Jackie, Branch, Don and all the others dancing in the mid-afternoon Arizona sun.  They were there – I felt them!  This was their new home.

The Camelback Ranch facility, while it is not “Dodgertown”  is a spectacular tribute to the Dodgers Player Development Commitment.  It is not just a Spring Training Complex, but is a year-round rehab, training and nerve center for the Dodgers Minor League Operations.   Part of the reason, the ghosts of Dodgers past, are dancing in the Arizona sun is because of who is in charge of the Dodgers Farm System – De Jon Watson.  De Jon has been with the Dodgers for four years and his official title is Assistant General Manager – Player Development. 

De Jon Watson at his Office in Camelback Ranch

De Jon is a busy guy,  Among his responsibilities are:

• Developing and evaluating all players in the Dodgers minor league system
• Appointing all minor league managers and coaching staffs
• Appointing all coordinators and instructors
• Overseeing winter league participation
• Overseeing Latin American player development
• Overseeing the relationship between the minor league clubs and the Dodgers
• Overseeing all minor league transactions
• Advising Ned Colletti on Major League acquisitions and 40-man roster moves
• Being husband of one and father to three

You Can't Help But Get His Point

So, a typical day for him is 12-14 hours long, especially during the Spring.  He travels most of the season to all the minor league affiliates, and while he maintains offices in Dodger Stadium and Camelback Ranch, his usual office is a hotel room.  De Jon is obviously very bright, well-spoken, articulate and easy in his manner, but a guy I don’t think you want to cross.  One thing that jumps out immediately to me is his passion for what he does.  You can hear it, see it and feel it with every breath.   I made the mistake of calling Great Lakes “Low A” and Inland Empire “High A.”   De Jon set the record straight, and you could see his passion (and the fire in his eyes) as he explained that the Dodgers don’t differentiate between high A and low A, but feel they are both on the same level.  The California League may have more hitting but the Mid West League has better pitching.  He explained that he doesn’t feel there’s a difference between the two leagues, so if a player jumps from Great Lakes to Chattanooga he is not considered to be bypassing a step – both are A ball.  End of story!

De Jon has helped implement a mentorship program whereby younger Spanish-speaking players are paired with an older player who speaks good English.  The Dodgers start this even at Campo La Palmas in Santo Domingo, so that as the players develop they learn the English language and are able to easily communicate with anyone by the time they are at AA or AAA.  

Look at the Passion is His Eyes

Not only is the Dodgers facility focused on physical development of the players, but De Jon sees the value the mental aspect of the game and actively tries to improve the mental performance of each players through the use of psychologists, and last season, an Aikido Master.  Aikido training is mental as well as physical, emphasizing the ability to relax the mind and body even under the stress of dangerous situations. 

That De Jon has such passion for his job bodes well for the Dodgers.  His eyes light up as he talks about the youngsters from Odgen – Jerry Sands, Angelo Songco and Brian Cavazos-Galvez.  His eyes flashed when asked why Blake DeWitt didn’t have a great season statistically “He was sent up and down seven times!” 

A few other insights from De Jon:

• Ethan Martin and Nate Eavoldi will have the restraints lifted this year
• Martin may be at AA
• Pedro Baez can be a very good (not great) player
  

  De Jon Making Sure You Get His Point - I did!

• On whether Josh Lindblom will start or relieve:  “He’s in major league camp – I can’t say anything until he’s [mine].”

De Jon believes in giving youngsters all the tools they need to develop, and his passion to help them develop is what drives the Dodgers Farm System.  I have a feeling that the best years are yet to come.   Imagine what he could do if Logan White would draft him better players (that’s a joke)!

According to Ken Gurnick, the Dodgers minor-league mini-camp is underway at Camelback Ranch.  It’s a two-week crash course for the players the Dodgers believe are the most

Assistant GM De Jon Watson addresses Dodgers prospects. (Jon SooHoo/Dodgers)LA Dodgers

 ”major-league ready.”  Here is the list of players attending (according to Gurnick):

Pitchers — Armando Zerpa, Carlos Monasterios, John Ely, Jon Link, Brent Leach, Travis Schlicting, Josh Lindblom, Chris Withrow, Javy Guerra, Kenley Jansen, Aaron Miller and Ethan Martin.

Catchers – A.J. Ellis and Lucas May.

Infielders — Russell Mitchell, Ivan DeJesus and Dee Gordon.

Outfielders — Andrew Lambo and Trayvon Robinson.

While the camp is about baseball skills, that’s not all it is about.  Gurnick goes on to say:

Assistant general manager De Jon Watson’s minicamp also allows club officials to get a line on each player’s conditioning prior to Spring Training and to tweak flaws in a pitcher’s delivery or a hitter’s swing before the start of the real camp, where the player is focused on making a club.

They receive coaching on baseball skills, but also are instructed in aspects of Major League Baseball that should be essential but often are overlooked, from media relations to security issues to interaction with fans and the importance of community outreach.

The group will dine Wednesday night with a collection of Dodgers legends — Maury Wills, Tommy Davis, Steve Garvey, Ron Cey, Tim Wallach, Charlie Hough and “Sweet” Lou Johnson. The players will take part in a hospital visit Thursday and will participate in the Martin Luther King Day Parade in Los Angeles on Monday. They will also all attend the Scouts Foundation dinner Saturday night and the Kings game on Jan. 19.

This camp is clearly costing a lot to put on, so while the Dodgers are not spending big on Free Agents, they are indeed spending on their future.

Photo is courtesy of the LaDodgers and you can click HERE to go to videos of the camp.

OK, like I promised, here is  the video of the interview I did with Logan White and De Jon Watson on Wednesday, December 9th at the Winter Meetings.

We had to break it down into two video files because of the length.  I think you can sense their excitement and enthusiasm for the farm system and the youngsters.  When I finished, I felt very confident in the future.

• It’s still about 14 degrees out – who was the genius who picked Indy for the Winter Meetings?  I’ll bet he’s fired!
  

  De Jon Watson

• We are editing the Logan White/De Jon Watson interview – I hope to have it up tomorrow.
• Hey, how come nobody says anything when the Dodgers have 2 other teams pick Rule 5 players for them and then the Dodgers purchase them for cash, but the Dodgers are unwilling to pay Hoffman?
• The last time the Yanks took a Rule 5 from us it was Bubba Crosby and they kept him all season. Maybe they will keep Hoffman, but I doubt it – he’ll be back!
• The Dodgers were blasted for trading Steve Johnson and Josh Bell to the Orioles for Georgous George Cheryl (Sherrill), but the O’s thought so little of Johnson they didn’t protect him in Rule 5 and the Giants took him.  Go figure!

• After talking with lots and lots of scouts, pro personnel people and writers, I am convinced that the Dodgers did the right thing in refusing arbitration to Wolf and Hudson.  There are lots of reasons why and I will articulate them later this week. 
• I overheard some other scouts talking about the Dodgers Young Arms and one said “they already have better arms than they can trade for or sign.  If I were them, I go with what I have.”
• There’s no doubt the Dodgers have financial constraints – all teams but the Yankees and Mets do too, but it’s not gloom and doom by any means.
• I had a 20 minute interview with De Jon Watson and Logan White today and I think you will be shocked and/or excited to hear what they say about our “much maligned farm system.”   It is a great interview – I hope to have it edited by tomorrow.  I just wish I could have had another 20 minutes.   Josh Rawitch says this may be the first interview of Logan and De Jon together. 
• Wolf is gone – allegedly 3 years/$27 -30 million – not a bad deal, but I’ll tell you why it wouldn’t have been good for the Dodgers tomorrow.
• Rule 5 Draft tomorrow.

• There’s not a lot of movement, so far – Just the D-Backs trade with the Tigers and Yankees.   I find it curious that the D-Backs gave away “Mad-Max” so easily.
• Jamie and Frank have allegedly agreed on her monthly stipend so the hearing is cancelled the 15th!
• Ned is kicking the tires of Pinero and other starters, but he’s not going to be the first to sign someone – and I agree!
• I have did a 180 on the arbitration to Hudson and Wolf – no way the Dodgers  should have offered it.  All the fans say YES they should have, and all the baseball people say NO WAY!
• I am supposed to interview Logan White and De Jon Watson together today.  I have a camera crew ready and will hopefully have it for you tomorrow.  Stay tuned