Prospect Development Program
A few of you asked about the Player Development Program currently underway at the stadium and probably saw the photos on the site. I can’t even begin to tell you how great this program is and how much the young prospects are getting from it.
Every day, the players are working out on the field in the morning. The instructors are mostly our minor league field coordinators, but there are also some big league coaches here and some Dodger legends helping out like Maury Wills, Wes Parker and others. Each day, the prospects are also getting to hear from former Dodgers in a classroom type setting and today it was Bill Mueller and Hall of Fame outfielder Duke Snider who came out to speak with them.
They’re also learning about the things that go on in the front office, from Marketing and Public Relations to Community Affairs. Today, they went out into the community and visited a large group of youngsters at a local school. Overall, this is a huge step towards making these players feel acclimated from their first day in the big leagues.
Also, we signed a few more guys as non-roster invitees to Spring Training. They are left-hander Matt Riley, who was with us at Triple-A Las Vegas last year; Alfredo Simon, a right-hander who was with Triple-A Oklahoma (Rangers’ affiliate) last season; and George Lombard, an outfielder with a couple of years of big league experience that was with Triple-A Columbus last year in the Washington organization.
Inside the Dodgers 
It’s good to see photos and reading about Maury Wills, Wes Parker, Duke Snider, Bill Mueller and others working, training and giving well taken instruction to the youngsters. It makes you know it’s a great life and occupation. What a game, this is, even to a fan’s point of view. ::Enchanted:: From the other thread. It still would hurt me to see my team lead a division all year and not make it to the World Series, although I know that is old fashion reasoning. But the Wild Card gives everybody a better shot at the title.
A scout told me Riley could have an impact at the major leagues as soon as this season. If Loaiza starts out looking like he did last season I will have no problem with the D’s DFAing him. That article from the other thread is idiotic. GO DODGERS!!!
Hey pierres – how you doing?
To me though, at least division winners have earned the right to duke it out because they have endured the seasons ups and downs and played better than everyone else in that division. To me its what to play such a long season for. As they say, its a marathon, not a sprint.
The wildcard team though can many times go through the season as around a 500 team, then catch fire at the end, and because they’re hot, often times win it all even though they weren’t good enough to even win their division. I think it just debases the meaning having a long season to prove whos best.
Maybe they should have a round-robin elimination tournament at the end to see who goes to the series, and the three there are deserving to be because they did win their respective divisions.
But alas, I was also happier with an east and west division and 12 teams, and no DH in the AL…
I think the present set derived from fans & media tiering from seasons ending in August or early September. I for one never minded it, since back in the “old” days the Dodgers were usually one of the teams that ended up early with the big lead. I always enjoyed those games without meaning at the end of the season after the Dodgers had clinch. BUT in recent years I find we are hoping for a wild card win pretty often.
Nice photos, but who’s the funny looking guy in the jacket and tie addressing the players in a classroom? 😉
I remember when the DS January workouts were a tradition. Notable by their presence: Loney, Kemp, LaRoche,- the purportedly snotty kid with attitude – plus the big FA signing, Andruw Jones. I assume Jeff Kent is still in the motorcycle showroom where TJ Simers found him for that phone interview.
Matt Riley was a prospect once, with the Orioles, but the wildness bug bit him and since then (2004 – present) his BB/9IP is 5.73 in the minors and 6.34 in the bigs. More importantly, he’s had THREE Tommy John surgeries on that left elbow. I hope he’s the biggest steal since Alaska, but I wouldn’t bank on it.
Pierres, have you ever been to Dodger stadium or were all the live games you saw in Ebbets? Ebbets seems like a piece of history to me considering I barely even remember the Expos in Montreal. lol. Anyway, I heard the Orioles will take over Vero Beach after the D’s leave. Fogey, I think Riley had a pretty good year last year. I don’t know how old he is but I was just talking to a guy today who said he thought he could be a HUGE steal.
Most of the articles I’ve read and people I’ve talked to are predicting the D’s to be 3rd or 4th in the division again this year. I disagree. I think the D’s have been bitten hard the last few years by the injury bug and I think come September the healthiest team in the west may be the last one standing.
Right now, its fair to say the west is anyones game.
Start: Ethier, Jones, Kemp in the outfield and we are as good as anyone.
Be easy on me I put this together pretty quickly…feel free to check it out…
A few videos of pics set to music of my son Benjamin.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sswlL2tHhtU
Jason, there aren’t any pictures of you in there, just Ben. Congrats again on your addition! GO DODGERS!!!
*why aren’t there
In Gurnick’s latest column about the winter mini camp, there’s a picture of Matt Kemp with a caption about Delwyn Young…typical faulty reporting.
Cute boy Jungar!
Most noticeable name not at the mini-camp – NOMAR. You’d think coming off an injury and battling for 3B that being a local, he’d be there. Penny’s there. Jones is there. Is it another sign of the old vets resenting the young guys? I’ll give Kent a pass on this one since he lives in TX, but I’ve got to question Nomar’s absence.
Congrats once again on your boy, Jason!
Congratulations Jungar. Fine looking boy.
what a cute little boy jungar! congrats again. speaking of babies, i guess kent couldn’t bother to show up, too busy washing his truck.
Yea, Enchanted, Nomar should have been there.
ENCHANTED: I’ve never been to Dodger Stadium. I’ve seen the the Dodgers play live in Philadelphia, Chicago, ofcourse at the Polo Grounds & Shea Stadium. The only time I’ve ever seen the Dodgers live as a home team was at Ebbet’s Field. I’m trying to get to LA but there is always something blocking the way, either financial or medical. It’s like an omen, everytime I start planning something else pops up.
Sorry SWOOD that last post I made was in answer to you.
Hey SCOTT Gurnick changed that picture. He must have read your post. Or somebody did. Nice catch.
Hi pierres. That was actually swoods question about Dodger stadium, but WOW, what a memory Ebbets Field must be!! Last time I remember being at Dodger stadium myself was back at the 1984 Olympics. think I saw USA vs. Dominican Rep. or some such team. Last Dodger game I remember going to was the ’81 World Series when Guerrero and Yeager went back-to-back yard on Guidry, though I must’ve gone at least a couple times after that (must not have been too memorable a game[s]). Needless to say, its been a long time since I’ve seen the stadium – probably wouldn’t even remember how to get there anymore.
thanks fellas. yeah it would be funny if someone wrote, yeah I know he is your’s but man he is an ugly baby…lol
Consider yourself luck Pierres, I would give anything to have memories of Ebbets Field. HOPEFULLY at this time next year I will be buying my season tickets to DS while I’m attending USC. How come you didn’t put any pictures of Ben’s daddy in the show jungar??? GO DODGERS!!! GO BUNGAR!!!! lol
I’m praying Nomar isn’t the Gonzo of 2008…
There is one at the very end..but who wants to see me??
I put that together in like 15 minuets. Some of the pics were taken like 5 minuets before real quick. I’ll make one where more family and thought is involved. It’s fun making those. I just got a new computer (it was a gift, great gift huh?) and it has windows movie maker on there and I just now am learning how to play around with it.
Last time I was in Dodger Stadium, Kent Mercker threw a no hitter at us.******** to lose but seeing a no hitter was cool. Luckily, my first time at Dodger Stadium, I was fortunate enough to see Valenzuela’s no hitter. I have been very fortunate to have seen two no hitters. Also, in 06, I was in Cincinnati when Maddux threw 5 innings of no hit ball in the rain delay game.
I would trade them all to have seen a game at Ebbets Field.
you and me both jhall!! Ebbets must have been something, not to mention seeing the players of that era.
Yeah, I passed up seeing the game in Arlington where Rogers threw the perfect game against the Angels. Didn’t want to be rooting against the home team while I was there, so had my brother-in-law get tickets to the twins or some such-odd team instead.
jungar – cute kid; the wife must be way too good-looking to be with you, eh? 😉
The last time I was in Dodger Stadium, I saw Chin-Lung Hu hit a HR. The first time, Wes Parker, 3-Dog and Richie (not yet ****) Allen were playing for the Dodgers and Roberto Clemente was in RF for the Pirates.
Right now, its fair to say the west is anyones game.
Posted by: swood@rcn.com | January 10, 2008 07:18 PM
EXCEPT the Giants! They have a couple nice young pitchers, but what an awful postition player lineup. I predict they lose at least 90 games.
Thanks Pierres!
Great article on the mini camp for the minor leaguers. Dejon is a very intelligent man and is very agressive. I had a chance to see him and meet him at Vero and he is all over the young boys. He does not let them stray, if they are late he is in their ****, not hitting the cutoff heis their worstnightmare. This is a great way to get the boys exposure and acclimated. It is thinking outside the box and getting to see how they have progressed in the offseason. I am very impressed with Dejon he is a mover and shaker and the Dodgers younguns will be disciplined and fundamentally sound.
I’m enjoying the Photo Galleries from the mini-camp. Looks like Loney and Andruw have becomes buddies!
And it’s great to see future legend, Clayton Kershaw in Dodger blue.
Kershaw = LeBron James of baseball
Wow, comparing Kershaw to Lebron? Don’t you think thats a little premature considering he has thrown only a few innings in double A? My first game at DS I saw Adrian Beltre hit a walkoff home run vs. the giants. That is a moment I will never forget.
Great shots in the Photo Gallery with The Duke. These are the first closeups on Clayton Kershaw & Lucas May I’ve seen. I hate to ask this but is Martin married? I’d like to know before a mention anything about a user name of MrsRussellMartin on the Alyss Milano blog.
Enchanted & Swood: *******The memories of Ebbet’s Field are something I will always treasure, along with mornings at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens before attending afternoon games and the strolls I took around the park with my friends. The best memory I had was when a friend of mine was cought by a cop trying to crawl through an open window below the right field stands on Bedford Ave by the corner of Sullivan Pl. I’ll always remember telling the cop he was trying to get into the major Leagues. Fans always tried to catch fly balls over the right field fence at a gas station across the street. My only regret was not going often enough. I’ve always been satisfied just listening and watching games from Dodger Stadium, but since I’ve been online I’ve been thing of someday making the tripp.
I had someone load some software in today and I guess I rushed that last sentence to turn over my PC to him it should read(but since I’ve been online I’m thinking of someday making the trip)