Dodgers reversing last year's failures
By Buster Olney
ESPN Insider
There is a new manager in town in Don Mattingly, and maybe the change is the reason the Los Angeles Dodgers' camp feels different this year. Or maybe it's because the core group of young Dodgers -- Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier and Chad Billingsley -- crashed into the first real episode of collective failure in their careers last season.
The Dodgers were 25-18 on May 22, and then the sloppy defensive play they had managed to overcome began eroding their playoff hopes; after losing their first six games after the All-Star break, L.A. was largely irrelevant down the stretch.
But this spring, a lot of the Dodgers showed up early to camp, and they are doing more work, and the work is more diligent, in the eyes of general manager Ned Colletti. "I think they've all taken on a new sense of urgency," Colletti said Friday. "I've seen longer work, and more attention to detail."
Which is necessary, because the division which a decade ago often seemed pathetic has consistently generated some of baseball's best races and best teams in recent years. Over the past four seasons, five of the eight teams to reach the National League Championship Series have come from the NL West: the Dodgers twice, the San Francisco Giants, the Colorado Rockies and the Arizona Diamondbacks (the Philadelphia Phillies are the only other NL team to advance that far, three times). The Giants are the current champions, the Padres won 90 games last season, the Diamondbacks have improved their bullpen, the Rockies have a powerful core of players and a deep roster and the Dodgers greatly improved their rotation from a year ago, with the development of Clayton Kershaw and the addition of Ted Lilly.
"The teams that have won [in the NL West] have done it with pitching and defense, and we're no different," Colletti said. "It's going to come down to executing, to making plays. You have to be fundamentally sound to win this division. If you can't execute, you can't win."
<OFFER>
With Kershaw seemingly making the same transformation from an excellent pitcher into someone who consistently dominates, and with the improved depth in the rotation, the Dodgers don't have to be a dynamic offensive team. But those core guys -- Ethier (who was an MVP candidate early last year, hitting .392 before he was sidelined in May), Loney and Kemp -- must hit, and must produce.
Vicente Padilla should be back sometime in early May, and no matter what role he plays -- setup man, starter, whatever -- the Dodgers feel that he'll help because of his fearlessness.
Mattingly, by the way, is relating well to the players, in the eyes of Colletti -- which is probably not a surprise, because during his playing days he was one of baseball's most respected teammates. "The same qualities that made him a great player will help him as a manager," the GM said.
Notables
• Jon Daniels and the Texas Rangers agreed to a four-year extension for the general manager. It's a long-term reward, as Jeff Wilson writes.
• The Dodgers are very impressed with what they've seen from Rubby De la Rosa, a 21-year-old pitcher who they signed for a $15,000 bonus as a teenager. De La Rosa reached Double-A last year, posting a 2.37 ERA in 22 appearances, and this spring, he has been clocked with a fastball at 96-98 mph. "Great composure on the mound," Colletti said. "He has great command of his emotions."
De La Rosa is expected to start the year in the minors and it's very possible that he'll finish the year there, but Colletti did not rule out the possibility that he could be considered for promotion later in the season.
• A talent evaluator on Jake Peavy's start Friday, when he showed a good fastball: "He looked normal, right down to cursing himself out on the mound when he missed his spot. He threw at a comfortable 91 mph and located each of his pitches well for a first spring outing. … It was a nice step forward for him."
Peavy said he felt completely normal, as Tyler Kepner writes. It's all systems go for Peavy, writes Dave van Dyck.
• The second straight subpar outing for Huston Street is raising questions, writes Troy Renck.
• It was a really tough day for the Houston Astros, who learned that Jason Castro will miss the entire season after requiring reconstructive knee surgery.
• One of the first baseball memories Houston manager Brad Mills has is going to a Giants game with his father at age 6, and looking out on the field and seeing the No. 24 of Willie Mays. Subsequently, Mills was selected for his neighborhood's version of a Little League team and was told that he would be a center fielder, and his first thought was -- of course -- that he would be able to play the same position as Willie.
• Heard this: The Los Angeles Angels are asking around for a left-handed hitter, to help balance a lineup that is built on a lot of right-handed hitting, from Torii Hunter, Vernon Wells and Howie Kendrick. Presumably, a left-handed hitter who can play third base (Mark Teahen, perhaps?) would be a good fit.
Dings and dents
1. Francisco Cervelli has a broken foot, and this will probably accelerate the timeline of Jesus Montero.
2. Here's an update on Chase Utley. Position players don't need much time to get cranked up and ready for the season, and it makes sense for the Phillies to save bullets for Utley, who probably will be dealing with this tendinitis issue after the season starts.
3. Josh Beckett worked in a simulated game, as Peter Abraham writes.
4. Delmon Young is out indefinitely, writes La Velle Neal.
5. Lance Berkman's early breakdowns are a cause for concern in the Cardinals' camp.
6. Derrek Lee is going to be held out of Saturday's game with a wrist issue.
7. Jason Heyward might be back in the lineup on Sunday.
8. The Rangers' Tanner Scheppers has been shut down, as Jeff Wilson writes within this notebook.
9. Aaron Hill's quad is bothering him.
The battle for jobs
1. The fight for the No. 5 spot in the Nationals' rotation is progressing, writes Dave Sheinin -- Tom Gorzelanny threw well, while Chien-Ming Wang cut short his scheduled work.
2. Daniel Moskos is working to be part of the Pittsburgh Pirates' staff.
3. Garrett Jones is prepping for his new work as a platoon player.
4. Justin Turner is competing for the second-base job with the Mets, as Andy McCullough writes.
5. Mike Minor was not sharp in his second outing, as Carroll Rogers writes.
6. Jesse Litsch seems to be separating himself in the battle for a spot in the Toronto rotation.
7. At-bats are important for Scott Sizemore, who is trying to win the Detroit Tigers' second-base job. When Carlos Guillen is ready, he'll be the second baseman. Guillen mentioned the other day that he thinks he'll be ready in three weeks or so.
8. A new guy got a shot in the Milwaukee Brewers' outfield.
9. Kevin Slowey would be OK with relieving, if necessary.
10. Landon Powell is being challenged for the backup catching spot.
11. A piece from the Adrian Gonzalez trade is demonstrating his usefulness in the San Diego Padres' camp.
Moves, deals and decisions
1. The Washington Nationals cut three players from their spring roster.
2. The Seattle Mariners signed their fourth-round pick, writes Bob Condotta.
Friday's games
1. Barry Zito pitched better in his second outing, writes Henry Schulman.
2. Bees interrupted the Atlanta Braves' game.
3. Alex Torres of the Tampa Bay Rays is one of the names emerging from the early weeks of spring training, and he threw two scoreless innings Friday.
4. Kyle Lohse looked good, as Derrick Goold writes.
5. Chris Young was impressive again for the New York Mets. If he's healthy, he'll be good.
6. The ancient Omar Vizquel stole a base.
7. Matt Garza says he's fine, after getting hit by a line drive.
8. Dontrelle Willis threw two perfect innings.
9. Fausto Carmona was The Man for the Cleveland Indians.
10. Scott Kazmir says he's feeling better.
Other stuff
• There is sad news about the first American who played baseball in Japan.
• Milton Bradley has been accused of spousal abuse in divorce papers filed by his wife.
• George Steinbrenner was referenced in the Wikileaks papers, which Hank Steinbrenner feels is ridiculous.
• Pete Rose is divorcing.
• Pat Leyland's mom watches his at-bats from the stands. Before the game, I was standing in the Tigers' dugout when Jim Leyland shouted to his son, and the two of them stood for a picture together -- presumably taken by his mom. Pretty neat.
• Terry Francona isn't buying into what Brian Cashman is saying.
• Billy Butler has a specific approach in his at-bats.
• Matt LaPorta continues to be an enigma in the Indians camp, writes Bud Shaw.
• Shin-Soo Choo is thinking playoffs.
• Dejan Kovacevic reviews the remarks made by Pirates President Frank Coonelly last week, and thinks they are rooted in simple math.
• Carlos Silva says he was mad at himself when he incited a dugout fight with words.
• Justin Upton has been a passive baserunner.
• Juan Uribe has been helped in tough times by the memory of an uncle, writes Dylan Hernandez.
• Desmond Jennings, long seen as a possible heir apparent to Carl Crawford, wants to forge his own path. There are questions among rival scouts about Jennings' bat speed, and while the Rays typically advance their prospects with great deliberation as they manage the players' development and major league service time, Jennings is older than most prime prospects. He has 24 plate appearances in the big leagues, and turned 24 last October.
• It may not be the same old story for the current crop of young Baltimore Orioles pitchers, writes Peter Schmuck.
• Johnny Damon's smile is always contagious, writes Martin Fennelly.
• Charlie Manuel wants to be loaded with lefties in his bullpen. The Braves and Marlins have worked along the same lines.
• Vanderbilt's Kevin Stallings is good friends with Belmont coach Rick Byrd.
• John Green, the Dodgers' scout who is the father of Christina Taylor Green -- the young girl who was killed in the shootings in Tucson, Ariz. -- is back at work. The work of scouts takes them on the road a lot, of course, and the Dodgers have told the Green family that the team will facilitate the travel of all of them together, whenever needed.
The Diamondbacks and Dodgers announced that all proceeds from a March 25 exhibition game in Tucson will go to raise money in Christina's name for the Tucson Together Fund. The two teams worked out the Friday date, feeling that there would be a bigger crowd.
From the news release: "The Tucson Together Fund provides financial assistance to victims, witnesses and their families for expenses associated with the tragedy. The Tucson Together Fund also assists with expenses related to the shooting incident that are not eligible for financial assistance through the Crime Victim Compensation Program. The Tucson Together Fund will cover a variety of short-term and long-term expenses related to the tragedy, such as travel expenses, food and lodging. Additionally, it may pay for some expenses that are ineligible under the Crime Victim Compensation Program such as loss of wages, funeral and counseling. Any expense related to the victim, witness and families that are not covered fully by another source may be considered."
By Buster Olney
ESPN Insider
There is a new manager in town in Don Mattingly, and maybe the change is the reason the Los Angeles Dodgers' camp feels different this year. Or maybe it's because the core group of young Dodgers -- Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier and Chad Billingsley -- crashed into the first real episode of collective failure in their careers last season.
The Dodgers were 25-18 on May 22, and then the sloppy defensive play they had managed to overcome began eroding their playoff hopes; after losing their first six games after the All-Star break, L.A. was largely irrelevant down the stretch.
But this spring, a lot of the Dodgers showed up early to camp, and they are doing more work, and the work is more diligent, in the eyes of general manager Ned Colletti. "I think they've all taken on a new sense of urgency," Colletti said Friday. "I've seen longer work, and more attention to detail."
Which is necessary, because the division which a decade ago often seemed pathetic has consistently generated some of baseball's best races and best teams in recent years. Over the past four seasons, five of the eight teams to reach the National League Championship Series have come from the NL West: the Dodgers twice, the San Francisco Giants, the Colorado Rockies and the Arizona Diamondbacks (the Philadelphia Phillies are the only other NL team to advance that far, three times). The Giants are the current champions, the Padres won 90 games last season, the Diamondbacks have improved their bullpen, the Rockies have a powerful core of players and a deep roster and the Dodgers greatly improved their rotation from a year ago, with the development of Clayton Kershaw and the addition of Ted Lilly.
"The teams that have won [in the NL West] have done it with pitching and defense, and we're no different," Colletti said. "It's going to come down to executing, to making plays. You have to be fundamentally sound to win this division. If you can't execute, you can't win."
<OFFER>
With Kershaw seemingly making the same transformation from an excellent pitcher into someone who consistently dominates, and with the improved depth in the rotation, the Dodgers don't have to be a dynamic offensive team. But those core guys -- Ethier (who was an MVP candidate early last year, hitting .392 before he was sidelined in May), Loney and Kemp -- must hit, and must produce.
Vicente Padilla should be back sometime in early May, and no matter what role he plays -- setup man, starter, whatever -- the Dodgers feel that he'll help because of his fearlessness.
Mattingly, by the way, is relating well to the players, in the eyes of Colletti -- which is probably not a surprise, because during his playing days he was one of baseball's most respected teammates. "The same qualities that made him a great player will help him as a manager," the GM said.
Notables
• Jon Daniels and the Texas Rangers agreed to a four-year extension for the general manager. It's a long-term reward, as Jeff Wilson writes.
• The Dodgers are very impressed with what they've seen from Rubby De la Rosa, a 21-year-old pitcher who they signed for a $15,000 bonus as a teenager. De La Rosa reached Double-A last year, posting a 2.37 ERA in 22 appearances, and this spring, he has been clocked with a fastball at 96-98 mph. "Great composure on the mound," Colletti said. "He has great command of his emotions."
De La Rosa is expected to start the year in the minors and it's very possible that he'll finish the year there, but Colletti did not rule out the possibility that he could be considered for promotion later in the season.
• A talent evaluator on Jake Peavy's start Friday, when he showed a good fastball: "He looked normal, right down to cursing himself out on the mound when he missed his spot. He threw at a comfortable 91 mph and located each of his pitches well for a first spring outing. … It was a nice step forward for him."
Peavy said he felt completely normal, as Tyler Kepner writes. It's all systems go for Peavy, writes Dave van Dyck.
• The second straight subpar outing for Huston Street is raising questions, writes Troy Renck.
• It was a really tough day for the Houston Astros, who learned that Jason Castro will miss the entire season after requiring reconstructive knee surgery.
• One of the first baseball memories Houston manager Brad Mills has is going to a Giants game with his father at age 6, and looking out on the field and seeing the No. 24 of Willie Mays. Subsequently, Mills was selected for his neighborhood's version of a Little League team and was told that he would be a center fielder, and his first thought was -- of course -- that he would be able to play the same position as Willie.
• Heard this: The Los Angeles Angels are asking around for a left-handed hitter, to help balance a lineup that is built on a lot of right-handed hitting, from Torii Hunter, Vernon Wells and Howie Kendrick. Presumably, a left-handed hitter who can play third base (Mark Teahen, perhaps?) would be a good fit.
Dings and dents
1. Francisco Cervelli has a broken foot, and this will probably accelerate the timeline of Jesus Montero.
2. Here's an update on Chase Utley. Position players don't need much time to get cranked up and ready for the season, and it makes sense for the Phillies to save bullets for Utley, who probably will be dealing with this tendinitis issue after the season starts.
3. Josh Beckett worked in a simulated game, as Peter Abraham writes.
4. Delmon Young is out indefinitely, writes La Velle Neal.
5. Lance Berkman's early breakdowns are a cause for concern in the Cardinals' camp.
6. Derrek Lee is going to be held out of Saturday's game with a wrist issue.
7. Jason Heyward might be back in the lineup on Sunday.
8. The Rangers' Tanner Scheppers has been shut down, as Jeff Wilson writes within this notebook.
9. Aaron Hill's quad is bothering him.
The battle for jobs
1. The fight for the No. 5 spot in the Nationals' rotation is progressing, writes Dave Sheinin -- Tom Gorzelanny threw well, while Chien-Ming Wang cut short his scheduled work.
2. Daniel Moskos is working to be part of the Pittsburgh Pirates' staff.
3. Garrett Jones is prepping for his new work as a platoon player.
4. Justin Turner is competing for the second-base job with the Mets, as Andy McCullough writes.
5. Mike Minor was not sharp in his second outing, as Carroll Rogers writes.
6. Jesse Litsch seems to be separating himself in the battle for a spot in the Toronto rotation.
7. At-bats are important for Scott Sizemore, who is trying to win the Detroit Tigers' second-base job. When Carlos Guillen is ready, he'll be the second baseman. Guillen mentioned the other day that he thinks he'll be ready in three weeks or so.
8. A new guy got a shot in the Milwaukee Brewers' outfield.
9. Kevin Slowey would be OK with relieving, if necessary.
10. Landon Powell is being challenged for the backup catching spot.
11. A piece from the Adrian Gonzalez trade is demonstrating his usefulness in the San Diego Padres' camp.
Moves, deals and decisions
1. The Washington Nationals cut three players from their spring roster.
2. The Seattle Mariners signed their fourth-round pick, writes Bob Condotta.
Friday's games
1. Barry Zito pitched better in his second outing, writes Henry Schulman.
2. Bees interrupted the Atlanta Braves' game.
3. Alex Torres of the Tampa Bay Rays is one of the names emerging from the early weeks of spring training, and he threw two scoreless innings Friday.
4. Kyle Lohse looked good, as Derrick Goold writes.
5. Chris Young was impressive again for the New York Mets. If he's healthy, he'll be good.
6. The ancient Omar Vizquel stole a base.
7. Matt Garza says he's fine, after getting hit by a line drive.
8. Dontrelle Willis threw two perfect innings.
9. Fausto Carmona was The Man for the Cleveland Indians.
10. Scott Kazmir says he's feeling better.
Other stuff
• There is sad news about the first American who played baseball in Japan.
• Milton Bradley has been accused of spousal abuse in divorce papers filed by his wife.
• George Steinbrenner was referenced in the Wikileaks papers, which Hank Steinbrenner feels is ridiculous.
• Pete Rose is divorcing.
• Pat Leyland's mom watches his at-bats from the stands. Before the game, I was standing in the Tigers' dugout when Jim Leyland shouted to his son, and the two of them stood for a picture together -- presumably taken by his mom. Pretty neat.
• Terry Francona isn't buying into what Brian Cashman is saying.
• Billy Butler has a specific approach in his at-bats.
• Matt LaPorta continues to be an enigma in the Indians camp, writes Bud Shaw.
• Shin-Soo Choo is thinking playoffs.
• Dejan Kovacevic reviews the remarks made by Pirates President Frank Coonelly last week, and thinks they are rooted in simple math.
• Carlos Silva says he was mad at himself when he incited a dugout fight with words.
• Justin Upton has been a passive baserunner.
• Juan Uribe has been helped in tough times by the memory of an uncle, writes Dylan Hernandez.
• Desmond Jennings, long seen as a possible heir apparent to Carl Crawford, wants to forge his own path. There are questions among rival scouts about Jennings' bat speed, and while the Rays typically advance their prospects with great deliberation as they manage the players' development and major league service time, Jennings is older than most prime prospects. He has 24 plate appearances in the big leagues, and turned 24 last October.
• It may not be the same old story for the current crop of young Baltimore Orioles pitchers, writes Peter Schmuck.
• Johnny Damon's smile is always contagious, writes Martin Fennelly.
• Charlie Manuel wants to be loaded with lefties in his bullpen. The Braves and Marlins have worked along the same lines.
• Vanderbilt's Kevin Stallings is good friends with Belmont coach Rick Byrd.
• John Green, the Dodgers' scout who is the father of Christina Taylor Green -- the young girl who was killed in the shootings in Tucson, Ariz. -- is back at work. The work of scouts takes them on the road a lot, of course, and the Dodgers have told the Green family that the team will facilitate the travel of all of them together, whenever needed.
The Diamondbacks and Dodgers announced that all proceeds from a March 25 exhibition game in Tucson will go to raise money in Christina's name for the Tucson Together Fund. The two teams worked out the Friday date, feeling that there would be a bigger crowd.
From the news release: "The Tucson Together Fund provides financial assistance to victims, witnesses and their families for expenses associated with the tragedy. The Tucson Together Fund also assists with expenses related to the shooting incident that are not eligible for financial assistance through the Crime Victim Compensation Program. The Tucson Together Fund will cover a variety of short-term and long-term expenses related to the tragedy, such as travel expenses, food and lodging. Additionally, it may pay for some expenses that are ineligible under the Crime Victim Compensation Program such as loss of wages, funeral and counseling. Any expense related to the victim, witness and families that are not covered fully by another source may be considered."
