In just a few hours Dodger baseball will return to action. At 12:00 noon Pacific Standard Time the exhibition season will kick off against the White Sox at Camelback Ranch in Glendale Arizona as we prepare for another exciting season of Dodger baseball. In the Cactus League opener the Dodgers will give the ball to Pacific Coast League pitcher of the year and overrated journeyman Wilmer Font. He was atrocious in a short stint late last season for the boys in blue and the Dodgers are hoping he can get back on track this season. Hey its spring training so that means anything is possible. Everyone’s a contender at this time of spring.
The first lineup of #DodgersST:
Taylor CF
Seager DH
Turner 3B
Bellinger 1B
Kemp LF
Grandal C
Forsythe 2B
Hernández SS
Thompson RF
(Font P) pic.twitter.com/uLAtMOKB9N— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) February 23, 2018
The Dodgers enter exhibition play with little questions on the position player side. The pitching staff has a few more questions but should see small changes. As with every club in any spring training you’ll see the usual camp battles for the final few spots on the bench, or the last couple of spots in the bullpen. There’s a small gaggle of players competing for the left field job, and several guys looking to grab the fifth spot in the starting rotation. We’ll see it all unfold over the course of six weeks.
There will also be new additions, impressive rookies, overhyped prospects who aren’t ready and awful utility bums who can’t hit. Those guys will get a lot of playing time and probably irritate you a bit. Hey, that’s spring training.
The Dodgers are coming into spring training with a National League Pennant under their belts as we all look to put that nasty World Series game 7 loss behind us. Clayton Kershaw, Justin Turner, and Kenley Jansen will still be awesome. Cody Bellinger and Corey Seager will look to keep impressing us and Enrique Hernandez will say or do something silly. It’s Dodger baseball.
And it’s back with a vengeance. As are we here at LADR. We’ll chronicle everything for you while giving you our biased honest opinion throughout the season. We look at everything through Blue tinted glasses. Welcome back boys!
As we all know, success in the minors does not always translate to success in the majors. Font was pretty good at OKC, but was not so hot in his debut. But it is spring and this is where the cream needs to rise to the top.
Hey Hey Mr. Norris
Matt Kemp homered today!!!!!!!!!! Don’t think they will be cutting Matt loose anytime soon!
Yep…and that sports fans is why I want Matt Kemp on this team.. Protection for Bellinger and Turner…..all the OF guys hitting today and Grandal is himself….0-3
Not good. First at bat and Kemp is feasting on a Danish.
Well, that ruined that joke.
Hmm. I feel like the chair was pulled from under me here.
What do you mean?
Badger
Sorry I did not understand your post about the Danish? What does it mean?
Hey Badger, all my fault. I accidentally deleted the comment. He singled in his first AB in the 2nd inning off the Sox starter…..then homered off Danish in the 3rd when they scored 5. Package, he was referring to the sox reliever who’s name is Danish, hence, Kemp feeding off a Danish in his first AB, since everyone has commented about his physical state over the last couple of years……but he sure looked different yesterday.
MJ
Where are you?? Happy Days are here again!! How about our new left fielder? A home run and 3 RBIs. You told me today would be a happy day and you are absolutely correct.
Package
Didn’t you have a feeling, that Kemp was going to hit that one out?
Like I always say, no one has ever said that Kemp can’t hit!
And if Turner Ward helps Kemp with those sliders on the outside corner, Kemp could really take off.
MJ
Kemp is definitely our left fielder! Only good things can happen if he is playing. A much better fit than AGon. Yes, I did have a feeling it was going out and guess what? I think he will have a super year if Roberts lets him play all the time.
Pretty good game overall. The entire pitching staff was pretty impressive except the winning pitcher, Lee. Venditte 1.2 innings 2 k’s. Paredes a perfect inning with 3 K’s. And Font, 2 perfect innings to start the game. Hitters definitely had their hitting shoes on,