SportsNetLA to Launch Soon, If You See It, Please Let Us Know What It Looks Like

In nine days,  SportsNetLA begins to air with continuos Dodger programming and at this moment the majority of us won't be able to see it.  In this time of year where we are super eager for Dodger baseball after enduring over four months without it, they dangle this delicious plate of filet mignon before our starving senses and yank it back by saying" "if we want it to send an email to our provider to demand our Dodger baseball."   It's a cruel, cruel thing to do.

So far the Time Warner begging strategy isn't working too well.  There's not even a hint that one provider is acquiescing to the demands of the Dodger starved public and adding the channel to their subscription package, but I did my part anyway.

I sent the email out to DirecTV.  In fact, I did so twice.  Then I sent one on behalf of every person in my household, (even the Giant fan).  And the result is nothing.  Crickets chirping.  All I read are announcements coming from the Dodgers and Time Warner that the launch is happening on Feb. 25th.  That's it.  I get NESN for the Red Sox, and I get the Yankees YES channel in my package.  No sign of the Dodger channel being added.

Now I'm not well versed on who has access to what, but from what I've read regarding the proposed Time Warner/Comcast merger, Time Warner's current cable subscriptions make up about 12% of the nation's households.  I'm unsure that percentage holds up in the southland,  but let's assume that the breakdown is similar in the LA area.  If so, that leaves about 88% of Dodger fan households in a lurch to see the channel.  I'm wondering where's the outrage?  Is it because fans think they'll be able to se the channel through internet streaming?  If they think so they're wrong.

New lineup to be seen on SportsNetLA (photo credit:  Dodger Insider )

So far there aren't plans in place to allow us to watch SportsNetLA on the web.  So we keep waiting and the launch date is getting nearer and nearer.  Perhaps the strategy is to make us suffer and then demand for the channel will get other providers to see that many cable subscribers are unhappy.  Not the greatest marketing strategy in my opinion, but perhaps the only one in play at the moment.

I'm not trying to be difficult here.  I think it's safe to say that things will be worked out eventually.  There's too much at stake here for this channel to launch with very few being able to view it and maybe I'm way off base with my panicked take on the whole thing.  Just color me concerned at the moment.  I hate it when things like this are delayed into the 11th hour.

So for those 12% of you, enjoy the shows.  And let us all know what the announced shows titled "Backstage Dodgers," "LeadOff LA,"  and "Dodger's Clubhouse" look like.  Maybe you can film a few and post them on YouTube too.  Just hold the camera steady, keep the dog from barking and ask Uncle Joe to not step in front of the TV too much.    

Arruebarruena - Defensive Magician/Offensive Work In Progress - A Scouting Report

Cuban shortstop Erisbel Arruebarruena is the latest signee by the Dodgers.  A defensive standout that is said to need to develop his bat to reach the majors.  Arruebarruena is 23 years old and many of us saw him last year in the WBC when Cuba played in Asia in the early rounds.   

Ben Badler at Baseball America had this to say about him back in November, 2013:

"At 6 feet, 195 pounds, Arruebarruena has clean hands, quick actions and good body control. He’s a below-average runner, but his quick first step and instincts give him good range. He has a quick transfer and a plus-plus arm with accuracy, which allows him to make throws from deep in the hole and turn 4-6-3 double plays with ease. His awareness in the field is advanced and he’s shown the ability to make the barehanded play look routine and make strong throws from different angles. Scouts have called Arruebarruena a magician in the field, and if he can hit enough to be an everyday major league shortstop, he has the potential to win a Gold Glove."

There's more, but it's not good:

"Arruebarruena has a long swing, struggles with pitch recognition, swings through breaking balls in the strike zone and is prone to chasing too many pitches out of the strike zone. He has a pull-oriented approach and minimal power, so several scouts are skeptical he could hit better than .220 or hit a .300 on-base percentage against major league pitching. His lack of foot speed would also limit his appeal as a potential defensive-oriented backup, since he wouldn’t have as much value as a pinch-runner."

Interestingly, the Cuban national team preferred to start Arruebarruena at SS over Alexander Guerrero, as they considered the former's defense over the latter's offensive prowess.  Now they're in the same organization, with Guerrero moving to a new position.  It is recommend by scouts that Arruebarruena needs minor league seasoning, and that we might see him at Rancho or Chattanooga to start the season.

Cuba has a recent history of defensive shortstops that have made their mark in the majors, such as Rey Ordonez, and Florida's Adeiny Hechavarria.  Arruebarruena is within that mold.  Great defensive skills and instincts combined withoffensive liabilities.  Hopefully the Dodgers can work with him to change some of those bad habits at the plate.  He has six years Serie Nacional experience in Cuba, so he is quite established as a player.  We'll see if he can make adjustments to his game.

Below are some of his defensive highlights in a lot of grainy video footage from the Cuban Serie Nacional and the National team.  This is a very interesting signing, as the Yankees looked like an ideal spot for him, with the departure of Derek Jeter after this season.

MLB Network Dedicating A LOT of time to the Dodgers

These are tough times for a Dodger blogger that can't make it to Camelback Ranch.    It's absolutely killing me that i'm not there and Feb. 25th (the day I'll actually get there) can't come soon enough.   Pitchers and catchers have reported.  There’s news from Arizona, but I receive it second hand, just like everyone else.  We read of Beckett’s optimism,  Billingsley’s positive reports, Maholm’s arrival and Puig and Kemps’ batting practices.

The Pecota computer rankings predict that the Dodgers will win 98 games.  MLB Network’s Aaron Boone today on San Francisco radio took  a lot of heat by not backing off and predicting that the Dodgers will run away with the division, (and the Giants will finish in the middle of the pack).

McGwire, Kemp and Puig immediately following CBR workout (photo courtesy of Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers)

Speaking of MLB Network, the MLB Tonight broadcast dedicated much of it’s program to the Dodgers.  After highlighting the Masahiro Tanaka New York press conference in the first segment of their show, the Dodgers took over.  Footage of Kershaw, Greinke, Beckett, Puig and Kemp was followed by an Interviews with Kershaw and a good ten minute segment on Kershaw, his Cy Young season, the CY Award ceremony, his relationship with Koufax, his repertoire of pitches and even a review of the disappointing loss to St. Louis in the NLCS.  Al Leiter and Ron Darling broke apart Kershaw’s progress over the years.

And just when you thought they were done with the Dodgers, an interview with Don Mattingly followed.  I could get used to this.  They even spoke of Joc Pederson.  You’d think the Dodgers were from Boston or New York with all the coverage they are getting. Of course, Ron Darling had to remind us of their weaknesses in the infield, but it wasn’t anything that was not a legitimate concern.  He made a fair assessment.

Oh, I almost forgot.  It was reported that the Dodgers and Kenley Jansen settled on  $4.3 million contract, thus avoiding arbitration.

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I must say that I’m intrigued about the news that Dee Gordon has gained 29 pounds.  He’s been so slim his entire career, it’s tough to imagine Dee weighing much more than 150 lbs.  Will the extra bulk bring on added strength to his game?  It’ll be interesting to see how has game has changed.  Going into Spring training at a new position, (second base), it was probably a good idea for him to bulk up.  With runners barreling down on him to break up double plays, he’ll need some extra strength.

Alexander Guerrero working out at 2B (photo courtesy of Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers)

And speaking of bulk, have you seen photos of Alexander Guerrero?  Now that’s a guy that doesn’t need to worry about being strong enough to handle runners trying to knock him into left field.  He’s built like a rock.

Gordon claims that he hasn’t lost any speed.  I guess we’ll see.  As far as Gordon adding strength to increase his slugging numbers, again, only time will tell.   I never imagined that ever being a part of Gordon’s game.  He has been pretty much a slap hitter thus far, and that can work in the majors if one can excel at it, (i.e. Brett Butler), but there are few that master the art well enough to carry their own weight.  Dee Gordon is definitely a player to watch this spring training.

The Unluckiest Man in the World

Many, many years ago, when I was a Boy Scout, we used to do this repetitive skit at events called the “Ugliest Kid in the World.”  It went like this:

We put a kid on the stage with a paper bag over his head and then an announcer would claim that before us stood the “ugliest kid in the world.”  He would say that he was “so ugly that if you ever laid eyes on him, you would surely die.”

The announcer then would state that there were three brave souls that were willing to test their luck if they were paid $100 to look upon the “ugliest kid” to see if they could survive.  At that point a boy scout in the troop, confidently approached the seated kid, peaked under the bag covering his face, and would immediately fall, feigning death.  This would repeat two more times before the announcer would call upon one of the parents in the audience and dare him to look upon the “ugliest kid in the world.”   

After much coaxing and audience encouragement, the adult would reluctantly come up to look upon the ugliest kid.  And at the point he peaked under the paper bag, the ugliest kid in the world would fall dead.

With that story, that has absolutely nothing to do with Scott Elbert, I have to say that I’m convinced he’s not the ugliest kid in the world, but he’s arguably the unluckiest man in the world.

Today we received word from numerous sources that Elbert, already on the 60-man disabled list, had an emergency appendectomy procedure 10 days ago, another setback on his long road to get back to the pitcher’s mound.

Selected in the 1st round of the 2004 draft by the Dodgers as the 17th overall pick in the game.  Elbert was touted as being a potential left-handed starting pitcher in the majors one day.  He cruised through the low minors at Ogden, Columbus, Vero Beach and Jacksonville in his first few years. His ceiling was high, his progression impressive, and things appeared bright for the young man.  Then the injuries started to mount.

(photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

In 2007 an ailing shoulder forced him to miss most of the season.  When he returned for the 2008 season, Elbert was relegated to bullpen duties while he regained his strength.  He impressed enough in that role with the Jacksonville AA team that he made his major league debut in a September call up that allowed him the opportunity to pitch in 10 games during the pennant race.

2009 was an excellent year for Scott in the minors where he continued his recovery from injury and was named the organization’s “Minor League Pitcher of the Year” during stints at Chattanooga and Albuquerque.  He also had 19 appearances for the Dodgers that season, including an NLCS appearance against the Phillies.  

Things looked very positive for Elbert going into the 2010 sesason, but he failed to make the big club and was sent back to AAA, and when he eventually was called up to the majors for an appearance in May, he walked three consecutive hitters and was immediately optioned back to Albuquerque.  What followed after that was a mystery to many of us as it has never been fully explained.  He started on game in Albuquerque and then left the game for reasons that were never specified.  Speculation ranged from a family tragedy to a mental breakdown.  The Dodgers were very tight lipped about his absence and to their credit, they never divulged the personal reason why Scott left the team for the remainder of the season.  When he emerged in the Arizona Fall League in Phoenix, it was a relief to many, and Elbert performed admirably in that very tough league made up of rising stars of the game.

So 2011 arrived and Elbert again started the year in the Albuquerque bullpen, but by May, the Dodgers called him up.  What resulted was a very fine comeback year.  He stuck with the big club for the remainder of the year after pitching in 11 appearances before allowing a run to score.  He had become the situational lefty and he was relishing the role.  In 33.1 innings, he sported a 2.43 ERA and left handed batters hit a mere .191 off of him.  

Entering 2012, Elbert was looked upon as the lefty specialist on the ball club and he made the team for the first time directly out of spring training.  It was the year he should have established himself as a major leaguer, and looking at his numbers, he did just that, going 1-1 with a 2.20 ERA.  Unfortunately, elbow problems plagued Elbert throughout the whole season.  He landed on the disabled list twice with elbow inflammation and finally in September, he underwent season ending elbow surgery.  

In January, Dr. Neal El Attrache performed a second arthroscopic surgery on Scott’s elbow, as he continued to experience pain suffer setbacks.  It was hoped that the procedure would allow him to be ready by early to mid-season.   At the end of spring training, Elbert received a platelet-rich plasma injection to speed up his healing.  He began pitching in May.  First at Rancho Cucamonga under the eyes of the Dodgers training and medical staff.  Eventually he progressed to Chattanooga for back to back games.  The results on the mound were great, but physically, Scott experienced elbow pain.  He was shut down and sent back to Los Angeles.

On June 6th, Elbert received the Tommy John surgery.   An MRI had revealed that he completely tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow.  

So with an expected return for Scott Elbert in 2014 towards mid-to late season, he had the appendectomy a full ten days before pitchers and catchers reported.  Lousy timing for a guy trying to work his way back to the club and into the mindset of Dodgers administrators making personnel decisions.   Since this happened in the offseason, it’s probably not a back breaking setback to his recovery, but it certainly curtails his fitness workload due to weakness. And for that reason, I dub Mr. Elbert the “Unluckiest Man in the World.”

Leading Off a Man with a .366 OBP is a Good Idea

Yasiel Puig as a leadoff hitter is a good idea.  I dare you to find a lead off man in the league that posted an on-base percentage of over .366 as Puig did.  And that ‘s the name of the game for the guy starting off the inning...getting on base.

OK, poor choice of words.  There are a few that topped Puig’s .366 OBP.  Shin Soo Choo at an astronomical .420, Matt Carpenter at .383 and Dexter Fowler at .367.  That’s it folks.  And for that reason alone I strongly support the decision to put Puig at the top of the lineup.

(AP Photo)

Now with a year under his belt, maturity should be setting in for the young Dodger right fielder.  I look for less base running mistakes and a stolen base every now and then.  It'll be nice to see him occasionally slide into bases, break up a few double plays, and pay attention to base coaches.  It’ll be an adventure with Puig and an entertaining one at that, but this spring will be the decider I predict.  We’ll see if he makes that concerted effort to incorporate those changes into his game.  This is a player that needs to raise his baseball I.Q.  An intelligent Puig between the lines is an MVP caliber type player.

It’s important for us to remember that Yasiel arrived in the majors with about 2 1/2 months of minor league seasoning under his belt and that after having a lay off of over a year away from the game while he made 9 failed attempts to defect from Cuba.   Some of the goofs he was making on the field should have been in the minors outside of the spotlight.  Considering that he erred on the big stage it is safe to say that his development was quite promising.  Some immature players wouldn’t have handled things as well.

We saw the bumps and the glaring mistakes.  The overthrows, the tauntings, the awkward slides and arrivals at bases standing up.  We were aware of his tardiness to games and subsequent fines, a benching as punishment for some of his antics.  We witnessed his failure to recognize the purpose of warning tracks and his all out nature to go after fly balls while ignoring emerging teammates, attempts to throw out runners and overthrow cutoff men, and flailing away at pitches outside of the strike zone.

With Puig there were a lot of growing pains, there’s no doubt about it.  BUT you also can’t doubt that he’s a future MVP.  An exciting player that can light up a team.  This kid is a sparkplug.  A team leader.  He’s got pizzazz and a magnifying personality that few players bring to the ball park.  Yes, he’s a wild horse as Vin Scully identified him.   He’s a wild stallion that needs to be broken and tamed.  Once that happens, the Dodgers will have Secretariat on their hands.   Hopefully that player emerges this season, but even if he doesn't, I'd take a Puig with all his flaws any day of the week.  

Happy Birthday to the King

Happy 80th birthday to Hammerin’ Hank Aaron, the true major league home run king and unofficial Dodger killer during his 22-year major league career.  Aaron hit .372 lifetime off of Sandy Koufax going 42 for 113 with seven home runs.  Against Don Drysdale, he homered 17 times, the most homers Big D gave up to any hitter in his career.

Walter Alston summed up how he felt facing Aaron when he said that “more than anyone else, he’s (Aaron) made me wish I wasn’t a manager.”

Looking at Aaron’s splits against the Dodgers, it can be confirmed that he was not just a Dodger killer, (as I remembered him), but it’s fair to say that he hit against everybody.    National League opponents didn’t have a prayer at shutting down Aaron.  From the Cardinals to the Giants, Pirates to the Cubs, Mets to the Reds.  Aaron mashed against them all.

Henry Aaron had the hitting philosophy to be looking for the breaking ball because he had no problem hitting the fastball, even from fireballers like Gibson and Koufax.  It worked wonders for him too.  His quote from after his career ended confirmed this:

 "I looked for the same pitch my whole career, a breaking ball…I never worried about the fastball.  They couldn't throw it past me, none of them."

Imagine that, having the bat speed to adjust to a 100 MPH fastball and being able to hit it out of the park while looking for the breaking pitch.

Other quotes about Aaron of interest:

(Just before hitting his record setting 715th home run) “He told me I’m going to hurry up and get this over with.  It was a cold, cold night in Atlanta, in April.  And Hank got it over with.    And I was up next, and on the way up to the plate, once they resumed play.  I heard a bunch of clanking.  Clank, clank, clank, clank.  I looked around and everybody was leaving.   They were going home.  They had come and saw what they came to see.   They didn’t come to see me.” - Dusty Baker

“Trying to sneak a fastball by Aaron is like trying to sneak sunrise by a rooster.” - Curt Simmons

“As far as I’m concerned, Henry Aaron is the best player of my era.  He is to baseball the last fifteen years what Joe DiMaggio was before him.  He’s never received the credit he is due.” - Mickey Mantle

Looking at the Electronic Ticket Situation from the Dodger Org's Perspective

The Dodger's announcement that they are for the most part discontinuing the issuance of paper tickets has caused some major discontent with fans and particularly the memorabilia collector community.  I understand that and empathize with it too, but I also understand the change.  Maybe as fans we should look at this issue from the Dodger organization's perspective.

Tickets from the L.A. Dodger inaugural season, 1958

Paper tickets are soon to be a thing of the past.  Their functionality is burdensome.  They simply don't serve the purpose that they used to serve.  The demographics of most Dodger fans are tech savvy and social media dominant.  Maybe it's time for some of us dinosaurs to catch up with the times and accept change.

At this time, the popularity of the Dodgers is reaching record levels.  Season ticket plans are capping out.  Going to a Dodger game is becoming THE EVENT in Los Angeles.  Fact is that with a couple of World Championships, Dodger games will be the place to be in Los Angeles, much like the Lakers were during the Shaq/Kobe years or the Showtime era.  So why would the Dodgers want to take on the burden of printing tickets when the fans could do it themselves?  With necessary security features embedded in printed tickets to keep the fake ones from causing problems, the cost has increased in their  production.  Plus, the sophistication of counterfeiters is growing exponentially.  The issuance of electronic tickets alleviates that security problem and puts the onus on fans to print their own tickets when they are more than willing to do so because of demand.

The Dodger organization certainly can afford taking on this ticket production cost, but why?  It's important to remember that they are a business and making money is the bottom line.  As a fan, I like having the tangible ticket in hand, but we need to understand that after winning a championship, next priority for the organization should be to remain profitable.  Printing tickets won't be an overwhelming financial burden for the Dodgers, but it's more than that.  It's eliminating the fraud factor with scalped tickets and it's speeding up stadium entry for fans and making it as as easy as possible. 

The only way to fly in the 21st century.

I fly quite quite frequently, and electronic is simply the way to go when traveling.  A smart phone makes the boarding process easiest.  It is completely understandable why the Dodgers are modernizing in this aspect of their business because it is the wave of the future and cutting edge.

So what about collectors?  What about those fans, (and there's a lot of them), that want Stadium issued tickets to hold on to as keepsakes for their collection?  I have a solution, and it may not be a popular one, but it's something that I'd be willing to accept.  It's called a surcharge.  If you want printed tickets, then the fan should pay for it.  There are costs associated with making printed tickets and ensuring they are secure from counterfeiting, so the cost should be passed on to the purchaser if he opts to go that route.

And there may be advantages to this printed ticket surcharge option for collectors as the value of such tickets in the memorabilia market would go up substantially due to supply and demand.  For example, a printed ticket from Clayton Kershaw's first no-hitter will be more valuable because there may have only been 5,000 printed tickets issued for the 50,000 fans that attended, (since 45,000 fans opted to go electronic).  

So that's my two cents on this issue.  It's time to stop griping about the electronic tickets and voice the opinion to the Dodger organization that paper tickets be issued for a fee.  That would solve this dilemma and keep everyone happy, except for those few that would against the printed ticket surcharge.  But it's a solution and a workable one.