High School Phenom from Japan on Dodger Radar

Otani in action in the 18 year old and under championships against Canada in Seoul, Korea on August 12, 2012.  (photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images Asia Pacific)

The blogs are blowing up with the news that Japan’s High School phenom, Shohei Otani is opting for free agency and announced that he wants to play in the Untied States.  This is s situation that hasn’t ever happened before, and it won’t result in a bidding war for his services.   MLB has limited each teams international budget to a  paltry $2.9 million.  That new rule under the Collective Bargaining Agreement kicked in this past July, which explained the Dodger’s $42 million Yasiel Puig just before the rule took affect.

So what does it come down to in order to sign this kid with the 100 MPH heater?  A lot of persuasion that has little to do with money, at least initially.  It is reported that the Dodgers have had a good start, with Dodger scout Keiichi Kojima having scouted him since his Freshman year.  According to reports, the Dodgers have already forged a relationship with Otani's High School coach who has been acting as his spokesman and representative.

Now what will happen if NPB team selects him in the draft, against Otani’s wishes?  Apparently they’ll have until March to attempt to change his mind and negotiate a deal with him.  If Otani rejects that, he’ll be banned from playing in the Japanese league for three years.  Since this is unprecedented territory, it will be interesting if NPB teams will pass on him and that MLB teams will have an open season on recruiting him.

There are a lot of questions regarding the future negotiations on the youngster.  Other MLB teams that are said to be in on Otani are the Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox.  Certainly there will be more.

For further news on the Otani situations, please check the blog roll to the right and click on the links provided.  MSTI, Feelin Kinda Blue and Chad Moriyama all have details and different takes on the situation.  Additionally there are video clips of the kid in action.  A signing of a player like Otani could be the equivalent as signing the number one draft pick for next to nothing.  It would be huge.

Day Off From Post Season Play...Remembering the Dominance

As we endure another October of baseball playoffs without the Dodgers this year, I reminisce about the times when October was special for the Los Angeles Dodger fans.  When the Dodgers were the team of dominance.  

Between 1974 and 1988 the Dodgers won 2 World Series, 5 Pennants, 7 Division titles and they were eliminated from post season play twice on the last day of the regular season.  That’s quite a run, but it was what fans expected in that era and a standard that many old time Dodger fans like myself have come to expect.  We would have been shocked in 1989 if we’d have been told about the dry run the team would have for the next 25 years. 

The Dodgers were THE team in Los Angeles.  The sports pages were dominated by them and the National League feared them.  It was a team that dismantled the dominant Cincinnati Big Red Machine and one that went through transition and still continued to win beating some solid Houston Astro, Padre and Giant teams in the 80s.

Post season play was expected by the boys in blue.  A pennant victory was often the outcome.  A World Series Championship was tougher to come by, but always a possibility.  Those Dodger teams had swagger and finesse.  They came into cities on the road with confidence and weren’t pleased unless they left Chicago, New York, or Atlanta with sweeps.  They had stars and were hated by opposing fans.  There was definitely a jealousy factor with them.

National League West opponents hated them.  Going into Houston, San Diego, Atlanta, Cincinnati and especially San Francisco, you could always expect a chorus of “boos” to accompany them.  Steve Garvey was loathed for his clean cut ways and his clutch hits.  Ron Cey was especially hated in Frisco because he owned them.  Rick Monday made no friends in Montreal after knocking the Expos out of the World Series with his 1981 blast.  Dave Lopes had broken the Phillies hearts in 1977 with a ninth inning single that evened the score in an amazing comeback Dodger win.  Then there was Dusty Baker and Reggie Smith, a power outfield tandem that reeked havoc on the League.  And I haven’t even addressed the dominant pitching those Dodger teams had.

Don Sutton, Burt Hooten, Andy Messersmith, Tommy John, Mike Marshall, Jerry Reuss, Rick Rhoden, Bob Welch, Doug Rau, Rick Sutcliffe, Alejandro Pena, Steve Howe, Orel Hershiser and Fernando Valenzuela.  Amongst the group were 3 Cy Young Awards and 5 runners up, 2 ERA titles, several strikeout leaders and a club that led the league in ERA year in and year out.

There was Tommy Lasorda.  Flambouyant, confident and loud mouthed.  He was the type of manager who made his presence known.  They thought he was arrogant and obnoxious.  They hated that he was fat and round and would talk about his Dodgers as if they were the second coming of the ’27 Yankees.  Tommy would roll into a city like New York or Chicago and hit the restaurants and talk Dodger, Dodgers and Dodgers.  He didn’t shy away from cameras and if a rhubarb erupted on the field, he was the first one out of the dugout fighting for his ball club.

Yes, the late 70s and 80s Dodgers were arguably the dominance of the National League.  The title always went through Los Angeles.  There were some solid opponents during the same time period, but the Dodgers were always in the top tier of the mix.  Will those days over return?  Probably not to the extend that we remember, but this ownership group will certainly spend a lot to try to do so.

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Things are really dead on the Dodger news front, as MLB has sent out it’s annual edict to teams that they not announce any news that will distract from Post-Season play and the World Series.  So it was quite a surprise to see that Gerry Hunsicker was added to the Dodgers baseball operations staff.  That move in itself might be the most significant one the team has this off season.

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The Giants Barry Zito pitched his best game as a Giant at the most opportune time yesterday.  Had Zito been shelled and the Giants eliminated, there was a high probability that he would have been released this off-season.  As an admitted Giants critic and one that has blasted them for that $125 million seven year deal that they gave Zito, I must say that the junk balling lefty was absolutely craftsmanlike last night.  He pitched a masterpiece mixing 5 different pitches to near perfection.  The Giants live another day and should be feeling pretty good about themselves as they have Vogelsong and Cain slated to pitch the final two games.

Dodger Press Release: Gerry Hunsicker Joins Dodgers Administrative Staff

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers today hired Gerry Hunsicker as Senior Advisor, Baseball Operations. Dodger General Manager Ned Colletti made the announcement.

“Gerry brings a wealth of senior level experience and knowledge that will assist baseball operations at all levels,” said Colletti.  

Hunsicker will assist Colletti and President and CEO Stan Kasten with the Dodgers’ big league club while also lending his expertise to international scouting and development, pro scouting and minor league development. The 2013 season will be the Houston resident’s 35^th in Major League Baseball.    

Hunsicker previously served as the Tampa Bay Ray’s Senior Vice President, Baseball Operations, a position he held since November 2005. Hunsicker was part of principal owner Stuart Sternberg’s new management group and was a key figure in reshaping their baseball operations into the successful department it is today. With the Rays, Hunsicker was instrumental in helping to create significant presence in Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Colombia and Brazil. In 2009, he also oversaw the Rays expanded efforts in Asia and Europe.

Hunsicker began his career in baseball in 1978 and his experience spans four decades, including nine seasons as Astros General Manager from 1996-2004. Under Hunsicker, Houston posted the sixth-best winning percentage in the Majors during that period (.544, 793-665), set a franchise record with 102 wins in 1998 and reached the postseason five times in nine seasons. Hunsicker was named Sporting NewsExecutive of the Year in 1998 and the core he assembled of Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Lance Berkman, Brad Ausmus, Roy Oswalt, Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens won a National League title before falling to the White Sox in the 2005 Fall Classic. He also spent seven seasons in the New York Mets organization as Director of Minor League Operations (1989-90), Director of Baseball Operations (1991) and Assistant Vice President of Baseball Operations (1992-95).

The Collegeville, PA, native received his bachelor’s degree from St. Joseph’s University, where he played baseball and was named to the All-Mid-Atlantic Conference team. He holds an M.S. in management from Florida International University and also served as the school’s Assistant Athletic Director and Assistant Baseball Coach from 1975-78. Hunsicker has been honored with inductions into the St. Joseph’s Athletic Hall of Fame and the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame and also received the Torch Award of FIU, which recognizes distinguished alumni from the university.

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Gerry Hunsicker's hiring is certainly unexpected.   Rumors were out there about him possibly taking a General Manager position again somewhere.  He certainly is more than qualified.  Hunsicker's recent development of Tampa's International scouting has to be something that Stan Kasten sees as an area the Dodger organization needs to substantially improve.  With the Dodgers recent in-roads in International signings, that included the $42 million dollar signing of Yasiel Puig, it is this writer's opinion that Kasten sees the international ranks as an area where the Dodgers will be able to quickly restructure and strengthen their farm system that was weakened substantially by mid-season acquisitions.  I found it interesting that Hunsicker has delved into Brazil, an untapped market for baseball but certainly an area that won't see any immediate results due to the newness and raw nature of that potentially enormous talent pool.

I'm curious to know how much power Hunsicker will have.  He certainly could take control of the baseball operations with his background.  Is Colletti's job on the ropes?  It is also interesting to see if Logan White is ceding any responsibilities.  The Dodgers seem to have operated with a lot of top level and qualified people in the past (i.e. Kim Ng), so there probably is plenty of room for an addition like Hunsicker.  It'll be interesting how this all plays out.  Hopefully the Dodgers still see Logan White in their long range plans.  I believe it is only a matter of time before some wise baseball organization interviews Logan and snatches him away as their G.M.

A Few Things to Ponder

It is reported yesterday that the San Francisco Giant are not listing Melky Cabrera's name on T-shirts and memorabilia that includes the names of player on the 2012 roster.  Hmmnnm interesting.  Larry Baer, Team President claims they are distancing themselves from the player.  How about this Larry?  Take the wins off your record in all the games he participated in.
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To no one's surprise, Baseball America named Mike Trout the A.L. Rookie player of the years.  To some people's surprise, Trout was also named the AL Player of the year over Miguel Cabrera.  That kid had an amazing season and will be a superstar for years to come.
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Recent rumors that the Dodgers may be interested in the expensive and unproductive contract years that remain in Alex Rodriguez' contract.  I know this ownership group has a lot of money, but haven't they taken on enough stupid contracts from AL East teams?  Take a pass on ARod unless the Yankees agree to pay 80% of the remainder of what's owed.  Oh, and by the way, Rodriguez can't even crack the starting lineup of the Yankees playoff games.  That should tell us enough.
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When Matt Holliday plowed into Giant second baseman Marco Scutaro in Monday's action, how many thought of the Mark Ellis collision that occurred when Cardinal Tyler Greene slid into him?  What is it with the Cardinals and their "aggressive" play?  Is it "aggression" or "dirty" play?  It can be argued that both slides happened beyond the second base bag.  Awfully late in my opinion.

Where were you 24 years ago today?

There are a few events that occur in time when we all remember exactly where we were  and what we were doing.

I was working on the Southern Border, early in my career with U.S. Customs.  Stuck in the Imperial Valley in the middle of the desert, fortunately, I was off work that evening and was able to watch the game at home in my El Centro, CA apartment.  I was bouncing my 2 year old daughter on my lap when Gibson’s homer was deposited into the Right Field Pavilion.  The ball would disappear from sight and never be claimed again.   I tossed her to the sky and caught her as she let out a playful laugh.  Living in a small city with very few friends that had strong Dodger allegiances, I took in the moment alone, knowing full well that it was the most amazing Dodger moment I had witnessed in history.

So my question is: where were you on that fateful October day?  October 15, 1988.

Photo of my daughter, Angela, (with my son), on her wedding day back in 2010.  Yes, it has been 24 years folks.  She was two years old at the time of the Gibson shot, she's 26 today.  My son, wasn't born for another 6 months.

Rooting for Russell Martin

I know the consensus of most Dodger fans is that they prefer to see the Tigers and Cardinals in the World Series, but based on the players remaining, I’ll dare say it.  I’m rooting for the Yankees.   I know, it's almost like rooting for Darth Vadar in Star Wars but due to my loyalties to former Dodgers Russell Martin and Hiroki Kuroda, I'll pull for the Bronx Bombers.  I’m going to speak of Martin this post though.  Who couldn’t love that kid when he first arrived in the majors as a Dodger  in 2006?

Marin was almost immediately an All Star catcher that many of us thought would be a Dodger for life.  He hustled, gave 100% and was awesome on both sides of the field.  His story was a great story.  Remember when his dad would come to the ball park with all that enthusiasm?  The tale of Russell Martin’s rise to the majors was a story-book tale.  The fact that Logan White saw the kid as a catcher and converted him from a third baseman was another amazing success story of the great Dodger scout.

Will Russell Martin get another chance to get in Pablo Sandoval's face during the Fall Classic this year?  (photo by Ben Margot/AP)

Martin would work counts and take walks.  There was a time he’d slash balls to the opposite field.  He stole 20 bags one year and many of us thought he'd do so year in and year out.  He ran the bases with aggressiveness and baseball savvy. There was also his gold glove defense along with his Silver Slugger offensive performance.  Defensively he was athletic and and a workhorse.  I remember arguing with Braves fans that he was better than McCann.  At the time, it was a legitimate argument.  A few years later, the thought was almost laughable.

Martin thought he was indestructible and felt he didn’t need days off playing in 151 and 155 games during the 2007 and 2008 seasons.  Grady Liddle loved the kid and he didn’t like to take him out of the lineup.  His athleticism made us wonder if he could play shortstop or third base to keep his bat in the lineup on days that he didn’t catch.  Who can forget his contribution to the historic four consecutive homer game int he heat of the '06 pennant race?

Russell Martin slams a historic homer on Sept. 18, 2006, the third of four consecutive in the ninth inning off of trevor Hoffman.  Marlon Anderson's blurry image is seen on deck.  

But something happened to Martin.  It seemed like he forgot how to hit.  A near .300 hitter with an OBP in the mid .380-.390 range suddenly was struggling to hit above the Mendoza line.  The power had been sapped from his game and his double digit homer numbers had reduced to 5 in his final year as a Dodger.  His plate approach changed.  He was often attempting to pull pitches that he used to slash the opposite way.  Often times we were dreading when his turn at the plate was approaching.  On defense, he wasn’t throwing out base stealers.  He was becoming lackadaisical when blocking pitches in the dirt.  His final day as a Dodger resulted in a season ending hip injury because he failed to slide on a play at the plate due to inattentiveness.  That was something we never used to see in Martin.  His baseball IQ had been off the charts.

When Colletti let him walk following the 2010 season, there wasn’t much of a wimper from the fans.  He had a late season injury and his future was uncertain.  The timing of the injury couldn’t have been worse.  “I think he was juicing and once the PED testing was ramped up, his offensive numbers dropped,” said one respected blogger to me who will remain nameless.  The more I thought about, the more I thought he might be right.

Russell Martin celebrates Canada's hockey team gold medal in the 2010 Vancouver games alone in Dodger locker room at Camelback Ranch.  There were bets to collect on.  (photo by Jon Soo Hoo/Dodgers)

Martin’s good offensive numbers tailed off the year the CBA called for drug testing.  We all remember him reporting to Spring Training that year in what he said was the “best shape of his life.”  Martin said he wanted to improve his flexibility and he completed extensive yoga workouts.  His bulk was gone.  He looked  about half his previous size - like a slender baseball player form the 70s.  

Sure enough, the power numbers tailed off.  That didn’t keep Martin from swinging for the fences though.  In 2009 that batting average dropped 30 points and the OBP fell 33 points.  Those weren’t significant drops, but the OPS were (went down over 100 points), and that was noticeable.  WAR reduced from 3.7 to 1.2.  It was obvious Martin wasn’t the same player.  All his offensive numbers dropped.  From homers to total bases, runs scored to doubles.  We knew this wasn’t the Martin that broke into the league in 2006.  

Martin and Kemp reunite at the 2011 All Star Game Home Run Derby festivities. (photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Interestingly, as Martin shifted over the the American League East as a Yankee, his power numbers have risen.  He hit 18 homers in 2011 and another 21 this year.   So perhaps the PEDs argument has no standing.  Hitting in smaller ballparks may have something to do with that too.  Russell continues to work counts and walk a lot, with his OBP about 100 points higher than his average, but this year, he meandered below a .200 batting average for most of the season before a late season surge raised his average to .211.

I still root for the kid.  Martin is a player that I’ll probably always call “kid” becasue of his youthful exuberance.  He’s 29 years old now, and a 7 year MLB vet, but a kid to me.  I still think of him blasting the first pitch off of Trevor Hoffman into the Left Field Pavilion, as the third consecutive homer on September 18, 2006.  His running around the bases in excitement as we knew that something historic was about to happen.  That was a great moment.  That was a time when we knew we had something special in Russell Martin.

(photo by John Munson/US Presswire)

I hope he gets his championship in pinstripes this year.  It would be sweet to see him break the Giants hearts in the process too.

For the Love of Money?

Hey, I just figured out that I hate the Giants more than I love money.

Yeah, you read that right.  I prefer watching the Giants lose over having green backs deposited in my checking account.  Let me explain.

The beginning of the end, Brandon Phillips was thrown out at third base, the first out of the the first inning of game three.  (photo by Al Behrman)

When I moved up to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1996 due to an unforeseen transfer, I immediately joined a pool of Giants season ticket holders from work.  Over the years we became a tight group of friends.  Back in ’96 I believe there were 16 of us.  Today, due to retirements, a few transfers, and even a couple that passed away, we have dwindled down to seven, with a few of us buying out the shares of former season ticket holders.  I have 2 shares, meaning I get tickets to 12 games a season.  That usually guarantees me 4 or 5 Dodger games a season, which isn’t bad in my book.

The other tickets I sell on stub hub or give away to family members.  It is fun entertainment.  It doesn’t matter if it is the Giants.  I always have a team to root for.  There’s never a game that i’m watching where I don’t have a vested interest in the outcome, which is being a constant rooter of the opposition.

So as this year’s post season approached, we (the season ticket holders) purchased the post season package with the agreement that we would sell the tickets and use the proceeds to pay for next year’s season ticket package.  We’ve done it in season’s past.

The first set of seats we sold for the first two NLDS games netted us about $1,000.  Now that the Giants are in the NLCS, we’ll get a minimum of another $1,500, perhaps more.  Depending on the number of games played.

So the further the Giants go in the playoffs, the more money in my pocket.   You’d think I’m rooting for the Giants, right?  I can pay for next season’s tickets with the proceeds.  That certainly makes sense.  Root for the Giants because if they win, I benefit financially.  Yeah, right!  No Frickin’ way!  The Giants have got to go down.

Buster Posey blasts a fifth inning grand slam in today's 6-4 Giant win.  It was an upper deck shot off of Mat Latos who clearly lost his composure earlier in the inning.  (photo by David Kohl/AP)

Unfortunately, they appear to be a team of destiny.   If I had to pick a team to go all the way right now at this point of post season play, I hate to say it, but the Giants would be the team to pick.  We are staring a potential San Francisco dynasty in place.  Fasten your seat belts folks, but the Giants may be on the verge of winning their second World Series championship in the period of three years.  That empty trophy case is ancient history.  This team is good and Bruce Bochy may be the best manager in the game.  If Ned is going to lure former Giants away to the Dodgers, he should start with their manager.