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

Here it is: March 31st, 2011 Opening Day. Kershaw vs. Lincecum. Dodgers vs. Giants. Us vs. Them. You all love to criticize me because I step out there and make predictions, but now’s the time to do that. Are you scared? I’m not. I’m going to make mine RIGHT NOW! We will re-visit these in [...]

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OK, you asked for it! I have been making you wait for it. You think I was bad in dissing Jon Broxton in front of Logan? Well, Jared disses Logan White by telling him that Zach Lee was a bad pick. Watch Logan jump over the table and pound Jared….

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I know that Ivan DeJesus, Jr. should have fielded that ball cleanly and turned the double play to end the game and if he would have done that Jon Broxton would have recorded a save.  But he didn’t.  You can use that as an excuse, but I’ll bet J-Brox would tell you he still should [...]

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Jon Broxton has not been noted for pitching inside, so when he hit Ryan Ludwick yesterday, it gave me a glimmer of hope.  In times past, J-Brox has been apologetic after hitting someone.  As one Dodger insider said:  “I’d like to see him hit someone and then stare them down, so that they think he [...]

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Ron Mahay is gone – probably to peddle his service to the D-Backs since he lives there. Welcome to Los Angeles, Scott Elbert! Ditto for IDJ2!  Between you and me:  the Dodgers are really happy with changes IDJ2 has made since his NO CALLUP SEPTEMBER! Who will be the Dodger’s 5th Starter?  Not Ely!  Not [...]

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In this part of the interview, I got a reaction from Logan when I asked if we can get some of Kenley Jansen’s demeanor for Jon Broxton. Watch as Logan chides me for talking bad about J-Brox. You will enjoy that. His phone chime (which seems to ring incessantly) is a little irritating, but I [...]

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Tuesday, March 22, 2011, Camelback Ranch – I fly home tonight so today’s game is it for me.  Jared will cover the next few days after I leave. This morning Jared and I listened to a half an hour of Lasorda and Simers bantering, ridiculing and baiting each other.  It was hilarious.  I wish I [...]

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…so far this Spring!  Well, actually they are tied for last place at 5-14 with that juggernaut which used to be the Arizona Diamondbacks (sarcasm intended).  Look, I’m a guy who doesn’t put much into Spring Training stats.  I read somewhere that Tony Gwynn, Jr. hit over .200 last spring and then hit .203 for [...]

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I played nice with others.  I didn’t talk bad about Jon Broxton.  I rooted for him.  I really did.  But, if you think I am going to blast J-Brox for his bad outing – YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT! It’s in my DNA. Stats be damned!  I have been calling for Brox to be traded for [...]

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These guys could jump out of a boat right about now and not even hit water… let alone a little white baseball.  I know it’s early.  I know the pitchers are ahead of the hitters. I know most of the Dodger starters are not in there.  I know that with most of the positions secure, [...]

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That is a phrase from a Latin poem which happens to be at least a couple of years old. It simply means “seize the day“. The Dodgers evened their Spring record at 2-2 and while it’s early, it’s noteworthy that some players did seize the day and some didn’t. The Seizers: Jamie Hoffman who went [...]

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If there was any idea that Don Mattingly was going to be a manager in the mold of Joe Torre, Donnie has managed to put that nation to rest right at the beginning of his Dodger tenure.  He has named Clayton Kershaw opening day starter, said that Thames and Gibbons are probably the LF platoon [...]

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Any disagreement so far?  OK!  I know we have some common ground already.  I’m not saying that they won’t win more, but I tend to think that 81 is something that is very plausible.  I mean, they won 80 in 2010 when everything went wrong.  So, winning 81 really isn’t raising the bar much. However, [...]

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Yesterday, Don Mattingly showed me that he’s no dummy by naming Clayton Kershaw the Opening Day Starter and Jon Broxton the Dodgers’  closer.  I have been as staunch a proponent of Clayton as I have been an opponent of Jon.  It turns out that Broxton’sstruggles were mental – which was what I have always said.  [...]

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Let me cut to the chase: James Loney, Jerry Sands, Chris Withrow, Josh Lindblom, Ethan Martin, Jon Broxton and Casey Blake (hey, St. Louis is home for him) for Albert Pujols. Call me crazy. Broxton, Blake and Loney would help keep them competitive NOW, and the rest would help in the future.  Wouldn’t Dave Duncan [...]

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Baseball America has released their annual ranking of Dodger Prospects and here it is: 1. Dee Gordon, ss 2. Zach Lee, rhp 3. Rubby de la Rosa, rhp 4. Chris Withrow, rhp 5. Allen Webster, rhp 6. Jerry Sands, of/1b 7. Scott Elbert, lhp 8. Kenley Jansen, rhp 9. Ethan Martin, rhp 10.Trayvon Robinson, of [...]

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As bad as the Dodgers bullpen was last year, there  is a sound belief that it can be 180 degrees opposite of that  this year.  The fact that they have six solid starters who should pitch deeper into games will alone put less stress on the pen and keep the arms fresher. Quick Question: Which [...]

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It was season derailed shortly after the All-Star break, but the fact of the matter is that nearly everything that happened to the Dodgers in 2010 (outside of starting pitching) was bad. I don’t predict “career years” every year for Dodger players (no matter how many times you say it), but out of nine starters of the caliber the Dodgers had last year, it should have been expected that 2, 3 or 4 might have good years. They have shown they were capable. If you say you saw this coming, I think you are out of touch with the reality of the situation. They all had off years!

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Cliff Lee stayed true to himself and signed with the Phillies, spurning more money to go to a place he and his family felt comfortable (and it didn’t hurt that they are the odds-on-favorite the be the Pennant Winners in 2011).   So, if you want to argue who has the best starting rotation in baseball, [...]

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Trade Chad Billingsley and Trayvon Robinson for Carlos Quentin? Trade Jon Broxton and  Ivan DeJesus, Jr.  for Martin Prado? Would you sign Vicente Padilla to be a closer? If the Dodgers did that, this could be the lineup: Furcal  SS Prado  2B Kemp  CF Ethier  RF Quentin  LF Loney  1B Uribe  3B Barajas/Ellis  C Bench: [...]

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