Cuban phenoms Jose Abreu (left) of the Chicago White sox and Yasiel Puig (right) of the Dodgers meet in a 3-game inter-league series at Dodger Stadium. Dodgers took the opener Monday, 5-2.
LOS ANGELES – Save for a couple of fat pitches in the 4th inning that were letter-high, Dodgers’ ace Clayton Kershaw pitched a superior 8 innings allowing just 2 runs on 4 hits striking out 9 as Los Angeles opened a 3-game inter-league series with a 5-2 win over the Chicago White Sox at Dodger Stadium Monday night.
After getting the first 10 White Sox batters out, Kershaw (4-2) gave up a single to Gordon Beckham who found right-center to get on base. The next batter was Jose Abreu – the “other” Cuban phenom – who crushed a 2-run home run to left field (16) right after being taken off the disabled list.
The White Sox led 2-0 with their starter – Jose Quintana – pitching as well as Kershaw but becoming the victim of a couple of fielding errors in the 6th inning that saw 10 Dodger batters come to the plate with Kershaw starting and endng the frame at the dish, plating 5 unearned runs for the Dodgers and that would be it.
To see Clayton Kershaw’s post game interview, click on the video with this story.
The hard-luck Quintana got the loss for Chicago pitching 6 innings, allowing 6 hits and 5 unearned runs. He struck out 5 Dodger batters.
The Dodgers improve to 31-28 while the White Sox fall to 29-30. Game 2 of the series is Tuesday back at Dodger Stadium with Chicago’s Hector Noesi (0-3, 4.33 ERA) facing the Dodgers’ Dan Haren (5-3, 3.28 ERA). First pitch is set for 7:10pm PDT.
Yasiel Puig’s carried a big stick for the Dodgers since his call-up to the majors on June 3rd, 2013.
LOS ANGELES – My how time flies. The Cuban phenom Dodgers’ hall-of-fame broadcaster Vin Scully likes to call “The Wild Horse” is celebrating his first anniversary in the majors with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
It’s been a whirlwind year for Yasiel Puig who blasted onto the scene last year on June 3rd infusing a dose of life into a Dodgers team that was lifeless floundering in last place in the N.L. West with a 23-32 record 8-and-a-half games behind the then first place Arizona Diamondbacks when he was called up from double-A Chattanooga the day before.
To read the rest of the story and see the video, please click here.
I’m really not one to criticize any professional athlete about his/her on-field work because there’s no way in “H-E-Double Hockey Sticks” I can come close to doing what they do. I’m a sportscaster because I wish I could only do what they do. I found that I can talk about what they do better than my attempting to duplicate what they do. Plus, trying to duplicate what they do requires too much exercise. You “feel me?”
Brings me to Manny Ramirez. Waived by the Dodgers earlier this week, and claimed by the Chicago White Sox, many Dodger fans were glad to see him leave. Sure, he wasn’t able to help the Dodgers get to a World Series. He did help the young core of Dodgers learn how to win at the major league level. I’m talking about guys like Russell Martin, Matt Kemp, James Loney and Andre Ethier. The latter becoming a feared hitter among National League pitchers.
In his two years with the Dodgers, Ramirez brought some excitement back to Chavez Ravine. Since Rupert Murdoch bought the franchise from the O’Malley family in the early 1990s, let’s face it, if you wanted to find a nice place to take a nap in L.A., Dodger Stadium was the choice.
Manny’s first game with Los Angeles was against the Arizona Diamondbacks the first day of August in 2008. It helped that it was Dodger Cooler Night with all fans getting one. But you could feel the electricity in the air for the first time in quite a Dodger Blue while.
Come on. “MannyWood” in left field. Dreadlock “Manny Wigs” becoming the hottest item for every L.A. kid at the stadium. His presence and what it did for Dodgers baseball can’t be denied.
He played 53 games for Los Angeles after his trade from the Boston Red Sox that Summer of ’08 becoming the most popular athlete to wear number 99 in L.A. since Wayne Gretzky came to the Kings in the 80s.
Check out Manny’s numbers in those 53 games because Manny put the Blue Crew on his back and led them to the N.L. Western Division Title. Manny’s line read 74 hits in 187 at-bats. He tagged 17 homeruns, scored 36 runs, had 53 rbi with a .396 batting average. With those numbers and his leading the Dodgers to the Western Division Title, he was third in the N.L. Most Valuable Player award voting. Those 53 games cost the McCourts $7 million. A good investment.
Rewarded with a two-year, $45 million contract, Manny helped take the Dodgers to a second consecutive Division Crown. During the run is when the wheels began to fall off the wagon. Last season, Manny was suspended 50 games for taking female hormones that, somehow, count as performance enhancing drugs.
Who knew Manny was trying to become a mom!
Anyway, it was never the same after that but the excitement was still there. Let’s remember. Since the Dodgers World Series win over Oakland in 1988, Los Angeles won just ONE playoff game in those 19 years and nine months prior to Manny’s acquisition. Manny was with the Dodgers 760 days. During that time, Los Angeles won eight playoff games getting to the League Championship Series twice.
So here’s where I’m going with this. I want to thank Manny for the shot of adrenaline he gave Los Angeles Dodgers baseball. I could’ve lived without that shot of female hormones but that’s another story. Ramirez made it fun to go to the ballpark again. After all, it’s entertainment and I, along with all those Dodger fans who went to the stadium from August 2008 until this past week, were certainly entertained.
If you still doubt what Manny’s impact is on a team, the White Sox are buying the left-over “Manny Dreadlock Wigs” the Dodgers have in stock because Chicago doesn’t have much time to produce them for the stretch run.
Have fun in the Windy City, Manny. Now, if only you could’ve taken the McCourts with you as well.
Being a Los Angeles Dodgers fan as a kid, I viewed Steinbrenner like the Darth Vader of major league baseball, especially in 1977 and 1978, when my Dodgers were beaten in both World Series’ by his Yankees. I did get a measure of revenge when my Dodgers/Jedi’s returned beating the “evil empire” in the 1981 series. But ‘77 and ’78 will always hurt.
I’ve got to give it to “The Boss.” He was a winner, demanded excellence and was a good guy off the diamond donating so much to so many. You’ve, also, got to love a guy who worked comedy in Miller Lite Commercials (see above video), Saturday Night Live and loved his depiction in Seinfeld.
Although Steinbrenner paid plenty for his teams prompting owners and fans of other teams to cry “monopoly“, he was quite influential in the business of baseball and every pro sport today.
That’s really all I can come up with when it comes to “The Boss.“
My very good friend and trans-planted New Yorker, Stan Schneider, was quite eloquent in a note after I posted “RIP George Steinbrenner” on my Facebook page. Thought I’d share that note with you:
The best owner in baseball is gone.
For all his faults, he was one of the most soft hearted and generous of people, often to a fault. He believed in loyalty and lots of second chances (See: Steve Howe). Even if he fired you he was never mad at you (See: Billy Martin, Bob Lemon, Dick Howser, Joe Torre, Lou Piniella) and the doors were always open … See More waiting for you to come back.
He bought the Yankees when CBS ran them aground after Topping & Webb left the ship foundering and brought them back to glory. In the 80s he lost his sense of direction with the club, but regained it and started rebuilding it from within with Mariano, Andy, Bernie, Jorge, and Derek.
Some say he spent his money foolishly and sometimes he did. But more often than not, there were wise moves that paid off in championships. He was quick to cut his losses and move on to improve the club year after year.
Those who hate the Yankees are merely jealous and envious of their success and only wish their owners and teams were like that.
No team has the history, the lore and the tradition. Steinbrenner, to his credit, understood all of it, faced his detractors and critics and produced in his final complete season, what he always strove for, a championship.
So long, Boss. Thanks for everything.
Thanks Stan.
"The Voice of God"
Just two days prior to Steinbrenner’s passing, Yankees public address announcer Bob Sheppard, known as the “Voice of God“, who was at the Stadium mic for more than half a century, died just a few months short of his 100th birthday.
His voice was truly something to experience. Watching any Yankees game, especially if they were playing your team, Sheppard’s voice in the background introducing the players, most of the time spelled doom for you.
Like Steinbrenner, Sheppard will be missed by the baseball world as well.
On Any Given Sports Day 