If Tanaka Isn’t Posted, Some Free Agent Options

Reports are that the Rakuten Golden Eagles are seriously considering not posting Tanaka to the U.S. Major Leagues because with the new posting rules in play, they won’t see as much of a return on their investment.  In the event that occurs, it would leave a Dodger rotation made up of Kershaw, Greinke, Ryu, Haren and one of the following:

Beckett, Billingsley, Fife, Magill, Zack Lee, Russ Stripling, Chris Reed, or a pitcher acquired via trade or free agency.

That Dodger staff is still rather formidable, but all this Tanaka talk had everyone thinking that the Dodgers were about to have a staff for the ages.  Without Tanaka, it might not even be the best in the division if the Giants starters pitch to their potential.

So looking at the free agent arms available, here are a few to consider as potential Dodger signees:

(Photo by Kevin Jairaj/USA Today Sports)

Matt Garza
A tempermental guy who brings with him some maturity issues.  Garza was 10-6 with a 3.82 ERA between 24 starts with both the Cubs and Rangers.  He still brings the heat, striking out 136 hitters in 150 IP.  His WHIP was a respectable 1.23 as well.  As a number five starter, Garza may be a good addition, and he’s only 30 years old this coming year.  It’ll cost the Dodgers, as Garza earned $10.25 million last season.  Maybe coming home to California will be enough for Matt to accept a home town discounted contract.

(photo by Jeff Chiu/AP)

Bartolo Colon

Yes, he’s 40 years old and he has a checkered past with steroid use.  But few can argue with his 2013 season where Colon went 18-6 with a 2.65 ERA.  He’s pitching to contact now and having remarkable success in the process.  A one year deal in LA for Dan Haren type money might be something to think about.  Plus, it would allow Lee, Stripling and Reed to have another year of minor league seasoning.  He’s a vet and he’d probably fit in well with the Dodger Dominican and Cuban players.  This might be a guy to think about.

Garcia went toe-to-toe with Clayton Kershaw in Game 4 of the NLDS. (photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

Freddy Garcia
It’s not that I really would want this guy, but he did show that he had something extra in the tank while pitching for Atlanta in September and then in the playoffs against us.  Maybe a one year deal at $2 million would work.  Again, allows the young guys to develop a bit longer, and in Garcia’s case, there’s a possibility that Billingsley could slide over and take his slot about mid-season when he’s ready to go.

(photo by USA TodaySI)

Ubaldo Jimenez
You’d think with all that Jimenez has been through, he would be much older than 29 years old, but he doesn’t reach 30 until the season begins.  Ubaldo is a crafty veteran now of six full major league seasons and 2013 was a comeback of large proportions, as Jimenez was relevant for the first time since 2010, when he was 19-8 as a Rockie.  Jimenez has never made more than $5.7 million in a season, so expect him to ask for a big pay increase.  The Dodgers could give it.  Perhaps he could see a major resurgence by returning to the NL West.  This is a free agent to definitely think about.

(Getty Images)

Roy Halladay
He’s a big man with a big name and reputation, but injuries have set him back substantially.  Doc is 36 years old now and he can’t bring the heat like he used to.  Maybe a season in the NL West will do him good though.  If he’s willing to take a one-year deal at a big pay cut to try and resurrect his career, maybe Los Angeles is the place to go.

(photo by Ben Margot/AP)

Ervin Santana
He has always had good stuff.  2013 was a fine season for him in KC.  With a 1.142 WHIP and 3.24 ERA, Santana threw 211 innings.  He still gives up the long ball, (26 on the year), the price he pays for having good control.  Perhaps a year or two in spacious Chavez Ravine will work well for him.  He won’t come cheap though. The Royals paid him $13 million last season.

(photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

Edinson Volquez
Bringing back Volquez might be worth the risk.  He pitched fine in September for the blue and seemed to adjust well following a few tweaks to his delivery brought to his attention by Rick Honeycutt.   Who knows?  Maybe he’ll be open to returning at a discounted rate.  This isn’t an ideal signing, but there could be much worse.

(AP Photo)

Barry Zito
He’s 35 years old and he was getting lit up time after time.  I don’t want him but a minor league invite could be a possibility.  Let him pitch his way onto the team in Spring Training.  In 2012 he pitched respectably enough to win two key post-season games.  Maybe he is crafty enough to still get it done.

Kemp Wanted by Many Teams, But Only at the Price of Highway Robbery

Rumors of trading Matt Kemp make me nervous.

First, because it’s never a good idea to deal someone away after a lackluster or injury-plagued season.  Kemp’s value is as low as it has been since he hit an abysmal .249 in 2010 when he was in Joe Torre’s doghouse.  Word that the Red Sox would be willing to trade for Kemp if the Dodgers kicked in some money to complete the deal is absolutely absurd.  If the Sox want him that bad, they can take on all of his contract and not only deal us Xander Bogaerts, but some prime prospects as well.  Colletti really needs to not get taken if a deal for Kemp is in the works.

Matt Kemp winces in pain after severely spraining his ankle at Washing in July. (AP Photo)

Second, we saw that Kemp showed signs of his power returning as time advanced and he got further and further away from his off-season shoulder surgery.  We  heard constant references to players that had the same shoulder surgery who needed 9-10 months recovery time to come back completely.  Kemp rushed it and as a result, his numbers plummented.  If he had recovered fully and come back in June or July, he probably would have had an injury-free year and produced with consistency.  Matt’s competitiveness has proved to be his worst enemy at times, but you have to admire his tenacity and eagerness to get back in the lineup.

Third, if Kemp comes back with anything close to his 2011 season, we’ll be talking about that trade and what could have been for years.  The Dodgers have had their history of terrible trades and isn’t it time for the luck pendulum to swing in LA’s favor? A Matt Kemp at 75% of the production that he had in 2011 will be a steal and well worth the $21 million he’s to be paid for the remaining six years of his contract, especially at the inflated prices that star players are earning these days.

Fourth, do we really want to see Andre Ethier or Yasiel Puig in center field in 2014?  Ethier did suprisingly well there defensively, but his defensive deficiencies were exposed against the Cardinals in the NLCS, and it cost the Dodgers a game that could have seriously swung the momentum in the Dodgers favor had he fielded that Beltran fly ball and the Dodgers won a game in St. Louis.  With Puig, he certainly has the tools to be a center fielder, but he’s too wild out there and suceptible to errors of enthusiasm.  Who else is going to go out there?   Dee Gordon?

Kemp severely injured his shoulder while crashing into this outfield wall in August of 2012 (AP Photo)

Fifth,  Matt Kemp, believe it or not, is a major leader on this Dodger club.  His presence brings respect.   Young guys look up to him.  He hustles and he cares.  His enthusiasm and work ethic is to be admired.  I’m not ignoring his bonehead plays, such as the one where he hurt his foot in Washington in July.  Matt has a history of gaffes over his career, and he’s a tempermental sort too, but his upside far outweighs those negatives.

Colletti admits that he’s not shopping Kemp, but he’ll listen to offers.  He needs to be totally blown away with one to deal Kemp this off-season.  A healthy Matt Kemp added to the Dodger offense brings so much upside that the Dodgers will be the strongest offensive force in the league with his productive presence.  The center field piece is in place, he just needs to get healthy.  I haven’t lost my faith in Kemp.  Hopefully Ned Colletti hasn’t either.

Photo Journal Part 2: Baseball in Nicaragua

Photo Journal - Baseball in Nicaragua

(all photos in this segment provided by Cesar Armando Nunez)

My wife and I are in Nicaragua for the weekend to attend a wedding.  This isn't the first time I've been here and this time it is really a short visit, but a few things have happened that I think readers of this blog might find interesting.

First, there is the future husband of my wife's cousin.  His name is Cesar Armando Nuñez, and he's a television cameraman who spends his life taking amazing pictures.  He has also been our personal tour guide now for the last 24 hours and in the process, he simply takes amazing photos.   All the photos in this post are his shots and he has happily agreed to allow me to share them.  There's a lot of them and I have left a lot of fine photos out.

Second, I wanted to return to Roberto Clemente Stadium in Masaya.  I was there in 2003 during my last visit and I only took one weak photo from a distance.   There is something special about this dilapidated old Stadium that is currently undergoing rennovations that the caretaker told me would be finished by mid January.   This time I visited, Cesar took photo after photo of my wife and I as we took the unauthorized Stadium tour.  The home team that plays here is Los Fieras de San Fernando.  Yes, they have the SF on their caps and they adopted the colors black and orange.  Interestingly the most popular team in Managua, Los Indios de Boer, wears Dodger colors.

So what follows is the photo essay that I'm submitting without much explanation. The subjects in these photos are mainly pictures taken by Cesar of me and my wife, Esperanza.  (My hat, for those of you that don't recognize it is the WBC Dominican republic hat, that I believe goes well with my Dodger road jersey).

It starts with a view from the parking lot of a beautiful lake at the foot of the active Masaya volcano.  If you take a 180 degree turn "El Estadio Roberto Clemente" is visible,  named after the Pirate Hall of Famer.  We all know that Roberto perished in a plane crash when he decided to personally bring and distribute earthquake relief supplies to Managua.  Clemente received word that supplies from other sources were not being properly distributed to those in need by the Somoza government that was in power at the time, so he insisted on delivering them personally.  Sadly, his overloaded plane crashed into the seas off the coast of Puerto Rico.

The plaque that is in one of the photos reads the following:

"His heart and spiritual dimension was so large that he died in the course of loving his neighbor providing service that reached to the roofs of the vast skies, and for his grave, came the immensity of the seas.  To Roberto Clemente, Masaya, Nicaragua, 1972" 

More photos to follow in next post.  Cesar took some incredible shots of young children and then some teenagers playing baseball in the streets immediately outside the stadium.  I think many will enjoy his photographs.  Interestingly, baseball is the sport of Nicaragua.   With a major league footprint of players past and present such as "El Presidente" Denis Martinez, former Dodger Vicente Padilla, current Padre Everth Cabrera and former Giant Marvin Benard, Nicaragua, though surrounded by soccer loving countries to its North and South, is dominated in popularity by baseball.  In this tropical land, baseball is the game that is followed with passion.

Dodgers Minor Moves Show Them Getting Younger, Jury Still Out if They're Better

There's not a lot of off-season maneuvers for the Dodgers, but the ones they have made are showing a definite change in philosophy when it comes to building up their roster.  Word is out that the Dodgers are trying to get younger and the roster changes seem to show for the 2014 season.

Gone: 34 year old Skip Schumaker
Gone: 36 year old Nick Punto
Gone 36 year old Mark Ellis
Gone: 31 year old Ricky Nolasco who was seeking a long term deal.

Signed 26 year old Alexander Guerrero
Signed: 32 year old Dan Haren to a one year pact with incentives.
Signed: 28 year old Scott Elbert
Signed: 30 year old Drew Butera
Signed: 28 year old Mike Baxter
Acquired: 25 year old Jeremy Hazelbaker (for Alex Castellanos).

Drew Butera and Brandon League in September 2013 action. (photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

None of these decisions appear to be major impact moves,  though I'd argue that Guerrero may be one.   One thing most of them have in common:  The additions are with young players or the deals were short length contracts for an older guy (but not mid-30s player, like Haren).  It is plainly seen that the free agents seeking long term deals, such as Robinson Cano,  Jacoby Ellsbury, Shin Soo Choo and Mike Napoli are all off the Dodger’s radar, as they probably should be. 

Considering that Ned Colletti has a history of signing guys into their 30s up to age 35 or 36, I'd guess that these organizational moves have Stan Kasten’s finger prints all over them.  

The Dodgers also have to be completely in on Japanese pitching star Masahiro Tanaka and we might see something that we haven’t seen since the early George Steinbrenner years, a  Dodger-Yankee bidding war for his services.  That might be the most interesting off season move in 2013-14.

The Dodgers in the late 70s were reluctant to enter into free agent bidding sweepstakes, even though the Yankees had success doing it.  Essentially the Yankees went out and signed the entire American League All Star team.  After the Yankees beat Los Angeles in consecutive World Series in ’77 and ’78 and then theDodgers fell flat in 1979, the O’Malley ownership reluctantly went all in and landed two top free agents.  Those two players were: RHP Dave Goltz and Reliever Don  (full pack) Stanhouse.

Both pitchers had awful Dodgers careers and never regained their All Star-like form of years previous.  Their lackluster performances had an impact that kept the Dodgers mainly out of free avant sweepstakes for another half dozen years or so.  Both were sought after by the Yankees too, but interestingly enough, the Dodgers outbid them for their services.

Had the Dodgers bought in to building the team partially through free agency, historically things would have been quite different.  In 1975 Reggie Jackson reported that Oakland owner Charlie Finley would trade him to a team that offered $2 million in exchange.  Reggie had been in Hawaii participating in ABC’s Superstars competition and chummed it up with several Dodgers, including L.A.’s General Manager, Al Campanis.  After Reggie mention to Campanis what Finley was  purportedly seeking, Campanis said he thought the trade could be worked out.

So Reggie Jackson returned to the Bay Area and told Finley that he had a deal with the Dodgers for the terms he had specified and the A’s owner balked saying he’d never sell him for cash alone, as the fans would be in an uproar.   Considering that a year latter he tried to sell Vida Blue and Joe Rudi for straight cash, (a move Commissioner Bowie Kuhn disallowed), it’s hard to believe that Finley wouldn’t sell Jackson too.  The potential trade died before even growing on the vine.

A year later Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally were declared the first free agents in MLB when the reserve clause was successfully challenged and baseball history has never been the same.

Imagine if Jackson had been a Dodger from 1975.  Perhaps he would have done his magical Mr. October exploits in Los Angeles.  It's one of those "what ifs" that we can only imagine.

(source to the Reggie Jackson saga found at ESPN.COM)

Joseph Julius "Babe" Hamberger - An All Time Great Brooklyn Dodger That You Won't Find in the Record Books

An unforgettable man from Dodger history was none other than Joseph Julius “Babe” Hamberger, a Dodger employee from age 14 in 1921 up until when the Dodgers left Brooklyn in 1958 and even beyond that.  Hamberger, though offered a position with the team out west in Los Angeles, elected to stay behind.  He served as the caretaker for Ebbets Field until its destruction in 1960. Few realize that Ebbets continued to host sporting events up until a few months before the wrecking ball took it down.  Hamberger was there until the very end.  

Babe Hamberger at Vero Beach in early 1950s (photo from www.walteromalley.com)

Long Island University and St. Johns played baseball there in '58 and '59.  Satchel Page pitched in an exhibition game in August of 1959 in a game between teams touted as the Havana Cubans and Kansas City Monarchs.  Additionally a number of American Soccer League matches took place there, including the final sporting event held in the Stadium on October 25, 1959, a few weeks after the L.A. Dodgers defeated the White Sox in the World Series.

Shortly into the 1958 season, the first year New York was without National League baseball, The Milwaukee Sentinel ran a piece on April 17, 1958 addressing the Dodgers move to L.A. and the affects on Brooklyn.  In the article, Hamberger was interviewed:

“At Ebbets Field, Babe Hamberger, an employee of the Dodgers for 37 years, mostly as clubhouse man, sorrowfully watched a few maintenance men manicuring the diamond.  Babe is now in charge of the ball park. ‘I’ll sure miss them,’ he added. ‘Oh, well.  I still have a job.  With five kids, I’m still getting paid.  And that puts meat on the table.’”

(Source: “Ex-Dodger, Giant Fans ‘Hoiting’ Real Bad,” The Milwaukee Sentinel, by James L. Kilgallen).

Brooklyn Hall of Famer Zack Wheat is credited with giving Hamberger his nickname.  "Babe" had great affection for the Dodger great.

Hamberger started as a batboy at age 14 with the club and he remained on hand until their Brooklyn days ended.  Dodger legend Zack Wheat pegged the nickname “Babe” on him due to his youthful looks.  It was Wheat that would be identified by Hamberger years later as the "best ballplayer and person I knew with the club, no contest."   He became the longest tenured Dodger employee by the 1940s and an extremely loyal one to the borough as well.  Hamberger had a key to everything at the ballpark.  If you needed something, he was the “go-to” guy.  He actually did time as the megaphone public address announcer back in the 1920s.  He got some publicity while working in that department when a newspaper ran a blurb about him making a megaphone announcment regarding a lost child at the ballpark.  Hamberger is reported to have announced “a young child has been found lost.”

During the days when Brooklyn sat in the basement of the National League, year after year, Hamberger would literally repair the torn Dodger uniforms with a needle and thread hours after the last out was recorded following laubdering and cleaning the pants and jerseys.  Other jobs besides the team seamster that he had included ticket taker, turnstyle boy, ticket department employee, janitor, concessions employee, scoreboard operator, groundskeeper, clubhouse attendant, and traveling secretary.  But one position that absolutely proved his absolute loyalty to the Dodgers was Babe’s willingness to serve as a sacrificial lamb helmet tester.

Joe Medwick had been beaned in the head in 1940 shortly after the Dodgers had paid $125,000 for him in a trade with the Cardinals.  Dodger Team President Larry MacPhail was livid about the loss of his star player and he had batting helmets designed for his players in order to avoid future injuries.  He had  a renowned surgeon design a helmet after dozens of prototypes were designed.  MacPhail couldn’t get a player willing to wear the helmet as they protested that they were bulky and unsafe.  Babe Hamberger stepped forward and volunteered.  Years later MacPhail claimed he told him the following: “If you can assure me I won’t get hurt boss, I’ll put one of the things on and let Kirby Higbie throw at my head, that ought to convince those dumbbells.”   MacPhail never took him up on the offer, probably because he didn’t think his fireballing right hander had the accuracy to hit the willing Dodger loyalist in the head and not his face.

Leo Durocher in his infamous book “Nice Guys Finish Last” credited Babe Hamberger with successfully smuggling Dodger pitcher Van Lingo Mungo out of Cuba when the police were attempting to throw him in jail over a spat with the husband of a woman he was carrying on an affair with.  Hamberger smuggled him out of the hotel in a vegetable bin and got him on a seaplane out of Havana that very night.

Babe Hamberger painting seats at Ebbets Field.

Babe was offered a job out on the left coast, but he turned to down.  He had just bought a house and with five children entrenched in the borough, he felt that uprooting his family would be too difficult.  He remained behind and tended to Ebbets until the end with the faint hope that it would somehow stay open.  When Branch Rickey's attempt at forming a new league failed, Ebbets Field was done and with it, Hamberger was out of a job.  To the end he kept Ebbets well manicured and ready for on-field action. 

Hamberger never complained about Walter O'Malley after his tenure with the Dodgers ended in 1960.  And sadly, he never collected a major league pension either.  He was 53 years old, the Dodgers were gone and he fended for himself with odd jobs the rest of his life.  He knew so many in baseball, and he was always welcome at Met games.  Old pals in baseball would look him up.  He was an icon.  Babe Hamberger was the last remnant of  Brooklyn Dodger baseball.

In 1978 Babe died from heart failure.  He was buried in the same cemetery as his friend Jackie Robinson.  In the movie "42," Hamberger is depicted as the man stitching up Jackie after an injury.  Though he was never recorded to have worked as a team trainer, the acknowledgment of this great Dodger was more than warranted in the movie.  His daughter summed up her father with these words: "All my years growing up, my father never showed any animosity."  

When interviewed in 1959 in an empty Ebbets Field, a melancholy Babe Hamberger could only speak of what could have been:

"Boy There would be bedlam right now if the boys were still in Brooklyn."  (Gay Talese, New York Times).

                         ************************************************

For an in-depth article on Babe Hamberger, where much of this information was received,  please read SABR's Rory Costello's article on this amazing man in Dodger history.  Costello reached out to Hamberger's daughter, Stella Hamberger O'Conner who provided valuable insight to his life story.