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Does the Yasiel Puig Trade Talk Have Legs?

November 14, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Saw a little bit of a head turner in today’s Los Angeles Times. This report comes from Dylan Hernandez, who covers the Dodgers on a regular basis. He’s a beat writer. That kind of regular.

He begins:

ORLANDO, Fla. — Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier and Carl Crawford have drawn interest on the trade market over the first two days of the general managers’ meetings.

The Dodgers have fielded inquiries about all four of their outfielders, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The conversations were described as preliminary.

Of the four, the Dodgers are most reluctant to trade Puig, who turns 23 next month.

The markets for Puig, Kemp, Ethier and Crawford aren’t expected to fully develop until the free-agent market is defined.

So wait a second. According to one of the Dodgers most credible writers that covers the team, the Dodgers are fielding offers from Puig and determining a market for him? This is news in and of itself.

It’s not surprising that when Peter Gammons mentions something, it has legs at it’s core. Lesson learned. Now the question is, why the Hell would the Dodgers really consider trading Puig?

Filed Under: Los Angeles Dodgers

I need some baseball games to bet on or something

November 8, 2013 by 1 Comment

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Oh MLB Money Line, how I miss your soft, sweet touch.

It’s football season and there’s that chill in the air, and that means you’re nowhere in sight. In fact, you’re far far away from me. As far as you’ll ever be. And I’ve hit that point in my betting where no matter which way I go on a football game, it will inevitably find a way to fumble fuck itself into exactly the opposite of what I need.

Take this past Monday Night Football for instance. I take the OVER 51 total for the game. On the first drive of the game Aaron Rodgers breaks his collarbone. Game has a total of 44 heading into the fourth quarter. I need one lousy touchdown, one cross of the goal line to get my push. Sure enough, both squads find themselves screwy enough to fall short of my bet. My damned if you do, damned if you don’t bet.

Welcome to football, where no one should handicap anything and no matter which way you go, you’re doomed. ON the baseball money line, I feel right at home. In the sport where any given team can win on any given day, somehow I have a lot more success. I can’t football handicap for shit.

Come next April, I’ll head over to online betting William Hill to place some baseball bets on the money line. A money line that actually allows for money to be made without risking $3,000. My bankroll will be healthy again – should any of it survive the winter – and it probably won’t. Anyone who attempts to bet a football game needs to have their damn head examined. I am one of these poor souls.

Filed Under: and now a word from our sponsors, gambling

MLB The Show ’14 First Look

November 6, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Wow! Now Jayson Werth’s facial hair is going to look even better! I’m kidding. This game was already insanely detailed and it can only continue to look like a great sports game next to the turds that the Madden team churns out yearly. The difference is this year it’s moving over to the Playstation 4 – where you can now play games in a matter of a few minutes thanks to ‘simulated pitch counts’ and you can push a button to upload your insane highlight plays into the video game wizard cloud forever (if there is a way, more than a few of those plays are going to end up on this site).

Also, there was no cover vote this season involving cheesy twitter hash-tags and bribes from candidates that you didn’t win. The cover player was deserving and it’s the best hitter on the planet, Miguel Cabrera. It also looks as if the series has unveiled a new logo.

Can it just be March so I can have a Playstation 4 and own this game and spend likely my last year outside of fatherhood being a damn baseball video game wizard? Please?

Filed Under: Video Games Tagged With: ,

Uh, No.

November 6, 2013 by Leave a Comment

I know Peter Gammons is getting up there in age and it’s the offseason, but is he out of his damn mind? It’s my blog and I’ll go on record saying I think Puig is better than the slugging statue Stanton (why yes, it’s alliteration).

This is a reminder that Gammons’ twitter is forgotten baseball treasure. What does some of the weird shit he posts even mean? Is it a pocket tweet? Is he on bath salts?

Filed Under: Hot Stove Tagged With: , ,

Your Saturday Baseball Post

October 26, 2013 by 1 Comment

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It’s probably the final Saturday of the baseball season – and we are a long ways from next April. Just because it’s a World Series we don’t care about doesn’t mean we aren’t still thinking of our favorite sport (even if NCAA football is on and there’s something comforting about that).

We’ll be here all offseason to have takes and react to the highlights in the baseball world. Enjoy your Saturday, and hunker down because despite being six months away it will be Opening Day 2014 before we all know it!

Thank you for your continued support of Diamond Hoggers.

Filed Under: saturday baseball Tagged With:

Dodgers sign Cuban Infielder Alexander Guerrero to 4-year Deal

October 23, 2013 by Leave a Comment

The Dodgers keep reaching their long, rich arm all the way to Cuba to strike gold. Yasiel Puig saved Donnie Baseball’s job and led the Dodgers to an NLCS run. Today, they signed Alexander Guerrero to a four-year contract worth $28 million.

Here’s a snippet of the scouting report done by our good friend Mike Rosenbaum of B/R’s Prospect Pipeline. You’ll want to click that link to see videos and more in-depth reporting on Guerrero.

Offense: Physically strong, right-handed hitter at 5’10”, 205 pounds; employs a crouched stance with a wide base and starts with hands at eye level; toe-tap load allows him to utilize strong lower half; quiet stride; hits off a firm front side; above-average-to-plus bat speed thanks to strong wrists and forearms; easy, raw pop, especially to the pull side; gets the barrel to the ball and generates impressive extension after contact; tendency to wrap his bat and dip on the backside at times; has quick feet and moves well but won’t be a base stealer.

Defense: Average athleticism; still moves well despite thicker lower half; may lose a step as he ages; versatile and instinctual defender with quick hands and flashy glove; fast transfer and release; decent body control; actions are too stiff for clean projection at shortstop; average range and arm strength suggests a future at second base.

Sounds like an upgrade over the aging Mark Ellis when the time comes. Remember, take these scouting reports with a grain of salt until the guy steps onto Major League soil, you just never know. I think the kid will end up a pretty good offensive player for a middle infielder. The lead scout on Guerrero (Bob Engel) says he can play at the MLB level close to right away.

And on the same day, some interesting comments make their way out about the Dodgers handling of Yasiel Puig. Don Mattingly sure has been outspoken (and cranky) lately.

“Leave it to me, it’d be one way, but that’s not necessarily the way the organization wants things to go,” Mattingly said.

Hmm. I asked Mattingly how he would have handled Puig if it were strictly his call and, without going into much detail, he made it sound as if he would have left him in the minor leagues until he had a better understanding of the game. Puig played in just 63 minor-league games, never touching Triple-A, before he was called up on June 3.

“I’m not going to answer that, I just think there has to be a development system that we adhere to with Yasiel, along with all the other guys,” Mattingly said.

The Dodgers are clearly going for it all in this near-term window. Things are shaky in Dodgerland. It’s going to be one of the most interesting storylines as the 2014 season opens.

Filed Under: Cubans, Los Angeles Dodgers Tagged With: , ,

Reds Name Bryan Price Manager

October 23, 2013 by Leave a Comment

So I guess people want me to weigh in on Bryan Price being named manager of the Cincinnati Reds. Do I have to?

It’s not that I am not happy or excited about the move, a move that was pretty predictable from the day Dusty Baker was fired. It’s just that I’m not yet ready to start talking Reds again. Like what happened a few weeks ago never happened.

My initial feeling on it is that Price is a guy who will not let the team relapse greatly into a third or fourth place team. If you go out and appoint a Barry Larkin (what I wanted) or a Paul O’Neill, there’s a chance that it takes the team to the next level. There’s probably an even greater chance that one of those guys puts you in a Dale Sveum tailspin and you finish in the bottom half of the division. Price won’t let them fall from grace too badly. That doesn’t mean they’re a playoff team next year automatically, either.

Of the available guys, Price knows this roster group as well as anyone on the planet not named Dusty Baker. That will bode well for future success. Other factors like how the man constructs a lineup and how he uses his bench, along with his in-game decisions will be important. I love what he’s done with this pitching staff in a hitter’s park. It’s clear he’s never going to have trouble in that area.

The most exciting part of the move is that Aroldis Chapman might actually finally become a starter (I knew hanging onto him in fantasy baseball keeper leagues would someday serve a purpose). All indications are that Price is on board with trying this. Whether Chapman ends up back in the bullpen at some point and the experiment gets ditched, it’s still something that needs experimented with if the Reds are ever going to take the next step. They need another dominant arm, and arms like Chapman aren’t available at a low cost. When you have one in your pen who could possibly start, you have to try it.

It’s not a sexy hire. It won’t have anyone selecting the Reds as the team to beat next season. They’ll still fight an uphill battle. But Price was probably the best guy for the job, and he seems to be a likable, genuine individual who the fan base will get behind. It’s also unlikely that the pieces get shuffled too much. He’s not an outsider. If you like the current nucleus of Reds, you’re in luck. They’re safer with Price at the helm than if a new guy was appointed and wanted to start bringing in his type of players.

I’m behind Bryan Price and wish him all the success in the world.

Filed Under: Cincinnati Reds Tagged With:

Scenes of the LCS in Lego Form

October 23, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Well this is tremendous. Still, the Dodgers wearing black batting helmets?

hat tip: Deadspin

Filed Under: League Championship Series

A Legend Says Goodbye: Jim Leyland Retires

October 21, 2013 by Leave a Comment

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Even though he never managed one of my squads, Jim Leyland long ago became one of my favorite members of the baseball world. I don’t know if it was the fact he reminded me of my father (he resembles him physically and some of the things he says) or the washing down cigarettes with chocolate milk, or being one of the few in the game today that forgo the opportunity to use computers because he trusts his gut more.

It could be because he refers to beat writer questions as “silly shit” or because he was the real article. What you saw was what you got with Leyland. He didn’t dress up and his answers he fed the media were of the same mold. I would have loved to have had him leading a clubhouse full of my favorite guys.

When you think of the term ‘baseball man’ I’m not sure you can think of anyone who fits the term better. I picture Leyland’s office at Comerica having a smoke-stained ceiling and a little fridge with nothing but stale bread and condiments in it. He is financially set, but you get the feeling a guy like Leyland still drives across town to use a coupon. He is genuine – and his players fought harder for him than most do for their manager because they probably loved the guy.

I will miss Jim Leyland being part of the game. He’s part of a dying breed. Guys from the old school. Guys who were around when I was a kid and first started watching the game. Another dinosaur goes extinct. There will never be another like you, Jimmy Leyland. As illustrious of a career as you had, I am one who believes your talents far outweighed your results.

Filed Under: Chain-Smoking Managers, Detroit Tigers Tagged With:

The Dodgers Cowboy Up, Force Game Six in St. Louis

October 17, 2013 by Leave a Comment

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[Box Score]
[Los Angeles Times]

You have to give the Dodgers some credit. I truly thought they were done, and when Zack Greinke loaded the bases in the first inning of NLCS game five today, I was sure they were done. Then I had a prophetic feeling about things:

Greinke was able to get Yadier Molina to hit into a double play, and the Dodgers seemed to gain momentum from it all. From there they scratched across two runs, with Adrian Gonzalez starting the rally and Yasiel Puig keeping it going. Greinke singled in Puig. But the Cardinals would not go down quietly.

A Carlos Beltran triple and Matt Holliday double evened scoring at 2-2. Then the Dodgers got the lift they needed.

Gonzalez homered deep into the pavilion in right field to give the Dodgers the lead. They wouldn’t trail again in the game. He would add a second home run later in the game, and the Dodgers that had failed to homer for the entire series ended up with four on the day (Carl Crawford and A.J. Ellis got in on the act).

Greinke bridged the gap nicely over to Brian Wilson and Kenley Jansen, and the Dodgers held on for a 6-4 victory. They might lose this series, but they got it to Clayton Kershaw. They might lose this series, but they defended their home field in a noble manner and refused to have their season end on their field.

All the while, Don Mattingly seems to keep things cool in his meetings with the press. After a tough loss last night he said that he knew that they were going to come out and play hard, and that seemed good enough for him to resign to for the evening. After the game today he remarked that the Dodgers have become ‘America’s Team’ because the country wants to see a game seven. At this point, they’re a flashy team playing with house money. That’s somewhat dangerous.

On Friday night – they’ll have Clayton Kershaw going on five day’s rest. And we’ll all get another night of entertainment out of this team. That’s really what it’s all about this time of year if your team is out of it. They’ll get a chance to give Michael Wacha all he can handle and get a little redemption. And although they’ve shown some of their makeup with a win like today, we’ll see just exactly what this Dodger team is made of on Friday night. It would be an incredible feat to force a game seven against this seemingly unstoppable rebel force Cardinal team.

Filed Under: League Championship Series, Los Angeles Dodgers, MLB Playoffs, St. Louis Cardinals Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Summer is Ending for the Dodgers

October 16, 2013 by Leave a Comment

 

It was a glorious year for baseball in Los Angeles. The Dodgers are an exciting, brash, star-studded group that has prompted me to take interest in them and watch far more of a St. Louis Cardinals NLCS series then I normally would have. I am sure ratings around the country are improved due to intrigued baseball fans that want to see what this team is all about. I spent a number of nights this past summer watching the Dodgers late night on MLB.tv, listening to Vin Scully tell his glorious tales. That will be part of a memory that sticks with me when I think back to MLB season 2013.

But the Dodgers season is likely ending tomorrow in Los Angeles. The Cardinals are the better team, and for the first time in the 2013 postseason, I’m going to be wrong about an end result.

The Dodgers lost tonight 4-2 in Los Angeles. Ricky Nolasco wasn’t nearly good enough, giving up a MONSTER two-run home run to Matt Holliday. The Dodgers continually tried to rally, and every rally was snuffed out by a Juan Uribe double play, or Nick Punto getting picked off second base, or Yasiel Puig getting sawed off on a Trevor Rosenthal fastball.

All night long, the baseball romantic in me kept waiting for something magical to happen in the same vein as Kirk Gibson 25 years ago tonight. When the Cardinals scored their fourth run on a Shane Robinson homer, I knew the score wouldn’t end 4-3 like that fateful Saturday night back in ’88. But I still kept waiting for someone wearing Dodger blue to get into one and tie the game. The innings came and went and it never happened.

Sure, the Dodgers have Greinke and Kershaw going the next two games, if they get by tomorrow. But it looks like Hanley Ramirez is done for the series. The Dodgers haven’t hit a home run in four games. They are completely neutralized right now, and that is why I think my pick for the 2013 World Series winner probably bows out tomorrow in a tight game.

Magical season, a ton of cool memories of a team I unexpectedly fell for a bit; but it likely ends on a Wednesday afternoon in mid-October at the hands of Joe Kelly and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Filed Under: League Championship Series, Los Angeles Dodgers, MLB Playoffs, St. Louis Cardinals Tagged With:

‘She is Gone!’ happened 25 Years ago Today

October 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment

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I realized this while catching up on some baseball-related reading at work, but the Kirk Gibson homer took place 25 years ago today in Los Angeles. Tell me that doesn’t bode well for the Dodgers fortunes tonight.

Don’t forget (no one is forgetting) that the bomb came off Dennis Eckersley. That is really about as big league as it gets – hitting a game winning shot off the bench with one leg off one of the greatest closers of all-time.

Here’s the box score from that legendary game. It was a Saturday night in Los Angeles. I was yet to turn six years old. I was about two to three years away from becoming bonkers about this sport I write about each day. I wonder what I was up to that night. I wonder about the partying the Dodgers fans did that glorious night back in ’88 at the conclusion of that game. After all, it was the 80′s, and the world was a lot more simple 25 years ago. Jose Canseco homered in that game, but fate would have it as Gibson is the guy we’re writing about 25 years later (and for good reason).

You can’t stop time in life. You can never go back. All you have once the moment is gone is a memory, and if it’s special enough it lives on forever. This is the moment that baseball fans from this era seem to remember above all others.

Filed Under: History, Postseason Tagged With:

In Los Angeles, Anything is Possible

October 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Celebrities At The Los Angeles Dodgers Game

Because at night in Los Angeles, you really do see the strangest shit. Clearly this bear is actually an aging man that lives at Venice Beach. Perhaps the weirdest part about this bear that is grabbing blog headlines all over the internet today, is that he wasted what was sure to have been a $500 ticket to split his nuts on the Cardinals dugout a few times.

I just feel like; of course this happens in the city that GTA V is set in. There are more oddballs in the City of Angels than almost any other big city. I love LA. There is no cooler big city in the world. It is a city where, you can go to a ballgame and you will see hobo’s dressed as bears because for no reason at all.

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And another angle:

Filed Under: League Championship Series, Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals

When was time to ride, the Dodgers hopped on the back of the Wild Horse

October 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment

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[Box Score]

[Los Angeles Times - Dodgers Now]

We told you it would be so; we told you that the Dodgers would beat Adam Wainwright in the Cardinals in game three of the NLCS. And that’s exactly what happened.

The Dodgers snapped an ugly scoreless streak by gathering a single by Adrian Gonzalez, and a huge triple from Yasiel Puig with two outs. Puig pimped it as if the ball was out. The Dodgers took a 2-0 lead and threw some big first punches against the Cardinals ace with their number three guy on the hill.

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It was obvious from the opening bell that Hyun-Jin Ryu had as good of stuff as he’s had in a long time. He was throwing 95 MPH early in the game and spotting up. He went seven shutout innings and the Cardinals didn’t really mount a threat all night long. St. Louis had four hits on the evening and don’t look now, but the Cardinals are now the team with one run in the last 18 innings.

Hanley Ramirez played with broken ribs, and he did it effectively. He had two hits including a late RBI single for an insurance run to stretch the lead to 3-0. Bigger than that was his piece of hitting that advanced Mark Ellis to third base with no one out in the inning that the Dodgers bottom of the fourth.

After Ryu exited the game, the Dodgers turned it over to their shutdown version of the pen. Brian Wilson allowed a lead off single to Jon Jay, but blew away two hitters after that to strand Jay and get out of the inning unharmed. Kenley Jansen took over in the ninth attempting to earn his first postseason save, and while he didn’t strike anyone out he was clearly overpowering in a 1-2-3 frame, giving the Dodgers their first LCS win in a number of years. Rough night in center for Jon Jay, by the way.

It’s a brand new series, and it’s good for baseball. If the Dodgers lost the game tonight, it was likely to end tomorrow night. Now the Dodgers get a crack at Lance Lynn and a chance to even this thing up. I can’t wait to watch game four tomorrow evening and see if the Dodgers have the same kind of John Wayne in them that they did tonight in the face of all odds. I thought I had the pulse of this team right, and the victory over Adam Wainwright is confirmation that it is so. This is going to be a long and bloody series.

Whose hungry for a Dodger Dog?

Filed Under: League Championship Series, Los Angeles Dodgers, MLB Playoffs, St. Louis Cardinals Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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