Majors: Organization Reports: Los Angeles Dodgers: 2008
This Russell Doesn't Catch
Dec. 9, 2008
Russell Mitchell isn't converting from a corner infielder to a catcher the way another Russell M. did for the Dodgers a few years ago, even if Mitchell was listed that way on the official roster of the Surprise Rafters in the Arizona Fall League. Turns out that was merely a creative way to get Mitchell onto the club, because the Dodgers had a catcher slot availble to them on the Surprise roster. [...] Continue Reading »
Mental Note Makes Good
Nov. 17, 2008
Former Rays shortstop Travis Schlichting has a more promising future now that he's a Dodgers pitcher. [...] Continue Reading »
No Hits Allowed
Oct. 30, 2008
Andrew Lambo began his fall season with a strict order from the Dodgers' front office: no hitting, at least not in instructional league. [...] Continue Reading »
Heading To Rotation
Oct. 17, 2008
Dodgers optimistic that Lindblom can make transition into a starter's role [...] Continue Reading »
Worth The Wait
Oct. 3, 2008
System's top pitching prospect offers glimpse of the future in brief big league opportunity. [...] Continue Reading »
Dodgers Final Report
Sep. 23, 2008
Tony Jackson selects a best player, best pitcher and player to keep an eye on from the Dodgers' season. [...] Continue Reading »
Taking It Slow
Aug. 28, 2008
ighthander Chris Withrow, the Dodgers' first-round draft choice last summer, was activated for the first time this season on Aug. 7 and assigned to high Class A Inland Empire, an unusually high level for a player with such limited experience. He made his debut for 66ers on Aug. 10 and yielded one run, one hit and one walk in an inning of work. [...] Continue Reading »
Dodgers Midseason Report
Jul. 10, 2008
Lefthander Clayton Kershaw seemed destined for the big leagues since overwhelming a trio of Red Sox in spring training. [...] Continue Reading »
Taking It Slow
Jul. 5, 2008
Lefthander Scott Elbert, a first-round pick in 2004 and once one of the Dodgers' top pitching prospects, has finally come to the end of a 14-month rehabilitation from shoulder surgery that included at least a couple of setbacks. Elbert, 22, was promoted from extended spring training to Double-A Jacksonville, where he made his season debut on June 4 with one hitless inning out of the bullpen against Mobile. [...] Continue Reading »
Back To The Well
Jun. 5, 2008
The Dodgers used their first-round pick on a high school pitcher for the sixth consecutive year. This time, they selected righthander Ethan Martin from Stephens County High in Toccoa, Ga., with the 15th overall selection. [...] Continue Reading »
A Starting Role
May. 29, 2008
Jon Meloan had spent virtually his entire professional career as a hard-throwing reliever, posting 19 saves in 35 appearances for Double-A Jacksonville last season before a promotion to Triple-A Las Vegas. Even his big league debut in September was out of the bullpen. Still, the Dodgers decided this spring to convert him into a starting pitcher. [...] Continue Reading »
Warming Up
May. 11, 2008
Jovanny Rosario, the speedster who batted .331/.376/.452 and stole 22 bases with Rookie-level Ogden last summer, began this season with a 14-game hitting streak at low Class A Great Lakes, batting .316 during that stretch. Rosario, 22, who was converted from a second baseman to a center fielder a few years ago, spent his first three professional seasons in the Dodgers' Dominican program before playing in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2006. [...] Continue Reading »
Ahead Of Schedule
May. 1, 2008
It isn't clear what would have happened if Yhency Brazoban hadn't reported to spring training too heavy and Rudy Seanez hadn't been so ineffective. But those events opened the door for righthander Ramon Troncoso to pitch his way onto the Dodgers' Opening Day roster, despite having a grand total of 35 appearances above Class A. [...] Continue Reading »
Who's At Third?
Apr. 10, 2008
Blake DeWitt had no idea when he arrived in spring training that he would wind up getting promoted to big league camp a few days in. But then, Dodgers officials had no idea that both Nomar Garciaparra and Andy LaRoche, the two guys they had planned on watching compete for the everyday third-base job, would both be injured in the same game on March 7. [...] Continue Reading »
A Made Guy
Mar. 31, 2008
Cory Wade didn't know what to expect going into the winter. He was sure he had done all he could possibly do last summer, going a combined 7-1, 2.09 in 39 relief appearances and a couple of spot starts between high Class A Inland Empire and Double-A Jacksonville. But a lot of Dodgers minor league pitchers had put up strong enough seasons to warrant being protected on the 40-man roster in advance of the Rule 5 draft. [...] Continue Reading »
Simple Change, Big Results
Mar. 19, 2008
Righthander James McDonald had a breakout season last year, and he credits it to a simple mechanical adjustment. [...] Continue Reading »
Dodgers Organization Report
Feb. 29, 2008
Righthander Bryan Morris got off to a rocky start in his professional career when he had Tommy John surgery in October 2006, just four months after the Dodgers drafted him with their second first-round pick and after just 14 starts at Rookie-level Ogden. A year and a half later, though, Morris believes he is ready to come back full speed—even if some club officials aren't so sure. [...] Continue Reading »
Dodgers Organization Report
Feb. 18, 2008
Farm director DeJon Watson said the Dodgers will try to keep Xavier Paul from moving to a corner outfield position. [...] Continue Reading »
Dodgers Organization Report
Jan. 25, 2008
The Dodgers brought 16 prospects, deemed by club officials close to reaching the majors, to Los Angeles in early January for a winter development program. The purpose of the event was to give those players some sense of familiarity to help them make a more comfortable transition to the big leagues when they eventually get called up. [...] Continue Reading »
Dodgers Organization Report
Jan. 11, 2008
Justin Orenduff's three seasons in Jacksonville are not as disconcerting as it would seem. [...] Continue Reading »
Dodgers Organization Report
Jan. 2, 2008
The Dodgers were relieved Ramon Troncoso was left undrafted in last year's Rule 5 draft and this year they were sure to protect him. [...] Continue Reading »
This Russell Doesn't Catch
Dec. 9, 2008
Russell Mitchell isn't converting from a corner infielder to a catcher the way another Russell M. did for the Dodgers a few years ago, even if Mitchell was listed that way on the official roster of the Surprise Rafters in the Arizona Fall League. Turns out that was merely a creative way to get Mitchell onto the club, because the Dodgers had a catcher slot availble to them on the Surprise roster. [...] Continue Reading »
Mental Note Makes Good
Nov. 17, 2008
Former Rays shortstop Travis Schlichting has a more promising future now that he's a Dodgers pitcher. [...] Continue Reading »
No Hits Allowed
Oct. 30, 2008
Andrew Lambo began his fall season with a strict order from the Dodgers' front office: no hitting, at least not in instructional league. [...] Continue Reading »
Heading To Rotation
Oct. 17, 2008
Dodgers optimistic that Lindblom can make transition into a starter's role [...] Continue Reading »
Worth The Wait
Oct. 3, 2008
System's top pitching prospect offers glimpse of the future in brief big league opportunity. [...] Continue Reading »
Dodgers Final Report
Sep. 23, 2008
Tony Jackson selects a best player, best pitcher and player to keep an eye on from the Dodgers' season. [...] Continue Reading »
Taking It Slow
Aug. 28, 2008
ighthander Chris Withrow, the Dodgers' first-round draft choice last summer, was activated for the first time this season on Aug. 7 and assigned to high Class A Inland Empire, an unusually high level for a player with such limited experience. He made his debut for 66ers on Aug. 10 and yielded one run, one hit and one walk in an inning of work. [...] Continue Reading »
Dodgers Midseason Report
Jul. 10, 2008
Lefthander Clayton Kershaw seemed destined for the big leagues since overwhelming a trio of Red Sox in spring training. [...] Continue Reading »
Taking It Slow
Jul. 5, 2008
Lefthander Scott Elbert, a first-round pick in 2004 and once one of the Dodgers' top pitching prospects, has finally come to the end of a 14-month rehabilitation from shoulder surgery that included at least a couple of setbacks. Elbert, 22, was promoted from extended spring training to Double-A Jacksonville, where he made his season debut on June 4 with one hitless inning out of the bullpen against Mobile. [...] Continue Reading »
Back To The Well
Jun. 5, 2008
The Dodgers used their first-round pick on a high school pitcher for the sixth consecutive year. This time, they selected righthander Ethan Martin from Stephens County High in Toccoa, Ga., with the 15th overall selection. [...] Continue Reading »
A Starting Role
May. 29, 2008
Jon Meloan had spent virtually his entire professional career as a hard-throwing reliever, posting 19 saves in 35 appearances for Double-A Jacksonville last season before a promotion to Triple-A Las Vegas. Even his big league debut in September was out of the bullpen. Still, the Dodgers decided this spring to convert him into a starting pitcher. [...] Continue Reading »
Warming Up
May. 11, 2008
Jovanny Rosario, the speedster who batted .331/.376/.452 and stole 22 bases with Rookie-level Ogden last summer, began this season with a 14-game hitting streak at low Class A Great Lakes, batting .316 during that stretch. Rosario, 22, who was converted from a second baseman to a center fielder a few years ago, spent his first three professional seasons in the Dodgers' Dominican program before playing in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2006. [...] Continue Reading »
Ahead Of Schedule
May. 1, 2008
It isn't clear what would have happened if Yhency Brazoban hadn't reported to spring training too heavy and Rudy Seanez hadn't been so ineffective. But those events opened the door for righthander Ramon Troncoso to pitch his way onto the Dodgers' Opening Day roster, despite having a grand total of 35 appearances above Class A. [...] Continue Reading »
Who's At Third?
Apr. 10, 2008
Blake DeWitt had no idea when he arrived in spring training that he would wind up getting promoted to big league camp a few days in. But then, Dodgers officials had no idea that both Nomar Garciaparra and Andy LaRoche, the two guys they had planned on watching compete for the everyday third-base job, would both be injured in the same game on March 7. [...] Continue Reading »
A Made Guy
Mar. 31, 2008
Cory Wade didn't know what to expect going into the winter. He was sure he had done all he could possibly do last summer, going a combined 7-1, 2.09 in 39 relief appearances and a couple of spot starts between high Class A Inland Empire and Double-A Jacksonville. But a lot of Dodgers minor league pitchers had put up strong enough seasons to warrant being protected on the 40-man roster in advance of the Rule 5 draft. [...] Continue Reading »
Simple Change, Big Results
Mar. 19, 2008
Righthander James McDonald had a breakout season last year, and he credits it to a simple mechanical adjustment. [...] Continue Reading »
Dodgers Organization Report
Feb. 29, 2008
Righthander Bryan Morris got off to a rocky start in his professional career when he had Tommy John surgery in October 2006, just four months after the Dodgers drafted him with their second first-round pick and after just 14 starts at Rookie-level Ogden. A year and a half later, though, Morris believes he is ready to come back full speed—even if some club officials aren't so sure. [...] Continue Reading »
Dodgers Organization Report
Feb. 18, 2008
Farm director DeJon Watson said the Dodgers will try to keep Xavier Paul from moving to a corner outfield position. [...] Continue Reading »
Dodgers Organization Report
Jan. 25, 2008
The Dodgers brought 16 prospects, deemed by club officials close to reaching the majors, to Los Angeles in early January for a winter development program. The purpose of the event was to give those players some sense of familiarity to help them make a more comfortable transition to the big leagues when they eventually get called up. [...] Continue Reading »
Dodgers Organization Report
Jan. 11, 2008
Justin Orenduff's three seasons in Jacksonville are not as disconcerting as it would seem. [...] Continue Reading »
Dodgers Organization Report
Jan. 2, 2008
The Dodgers were relieved Ramon Troncoso was left undrafted in last year's Rule 5 draft and this year they were sure to protect him. [...] Continue Reading »
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