It’s Friday and the Dodgers are on a hot streak, so why not review a beer and open a trade package from my friend John over at Johnny’s Trading Spot.
There’s sure to be plenty of Dodgers afoot! Let’s see who’s cards are in the package…
Oscar Martinez
I was born in the shadow of Dodger Stadium and immediately drenched in Dodger Blue. Chavez Ravine is my baseball cathedral, Vin Scully was the golden voice of summer all my life, and Tommy Lasorda remains the greatest Dodgers manager ever. My favorite things are coffee, beer, and the Dodgers beating the Giants. I also blog about my baseball card hobby at All Trade Bait, All the Time.
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Is it just me or does anyone else notice that these video posts by Oscar just bring all postings to a halt. Love you Oscar but I think these video beer reviews are huge stop signs to the blog.
Just one other comment, Badger can you please go to LA and show Grandmal how to catch a baseball? On second thought, I’ll just send my 10 year old grandson to teach him how to catch, Grandmal has to be the worst MLB player that I have ever watch attempt to catch a baseball.
LOL Thanks, but I doubt I have that type of power.
But I’ll go along and from now on use my powers for good: Everyone please read my posts or view my videos at your leisure. If you’re having a side conversation in the comments of a previous post, just continue there. Hope that solves the problem.
Nothing personal, Oscar, but I think once a month would be enough for your beer videos just as an amusement. Will Moya be doing Single Malts and Scott doing Bourbons soon? lol.
If they keep losing then yes.
I get the fact that not everyone loves beer videos or baseball cards. That’s one reason I clearly state in the title that’s what the video is about, so one can skip it if that isn’t their point of interest.
That said, different people like different things, so I try to keep well-rounded and will continue to deliver content that has a little something for everyone. If one video isn’t for you, hopefully, the next one will be.
No problem Oscar…I do not watch the beer reviews because I quit drinking years ago, but I know there are a lot of people who dig that kind of thing. We have a micro brewery here in Canon. Never tried their stuff, but I know a few people who have. When I did drink beer, I liked Stroh’s. I used to mix it with my hamburger meat when I BBQ’d in the Army and called them Bear’s famous super beer burgers…eat 3 of those and you were snockered.
True, yeah I could help, but I doubt he would listen. I can see what Grandal is doing when those balls bounce off his glove – he’s trying to keep the body of his glove over the black and catch the ball in the top of the web. He’s trying to fool the ump. It’s the obsession with framing that is so prevalent in today’s game. Apparently it works because the umps believe the strike zone is where the catcher catches the ball. If the glove is right behind the plate, gotta be a strike, right? It’s a f’n Pony League move and it works at the highest level of play. Drives me nuts.
The Squirrel marches to the beat of his own drum..
It’s a cymbal of poor technique and it’s a drag.
(that one is for you Bear)
Hey Oscar, I too love craft beer and I think we might have a shared passion for some baseball team. I’m just up the road in San Luis Obispo. Come up here and let’s talk beer and baseball. The blog is more for baseball but I can always double talk. Pun intended!!!
Cheers Bro.
Thanks for the invitation, Tim. I’ll be sure to look you up next time I’m in that neck of the woods. I’ve been out to SLO in the past and I love it up there. Beautiful country. A great place to sit with a beer and jaw about baseball. Cheers!
I don’t mind the videos. I went through a bunch of beer reviews last season.
HOwever, I love the Ramones shirt Oscar. What a crazy and fun scene those Ramones concerts were. I wasn’t trying to be a Bluto the A-hole with my comments on your brew review (see what I did there?)
Santana 5 innings, 3 runs, 7 hits and the loss……little too early to put him in the pitching convesation
CC Lee got hit too. 2 earned in 1 inning. So much for bringing them up now. Maybe later?
Lee is in his 30’s and seems like nothing more than AAA depth. Banuelos has been getting hit hard his last few starts as has DeFratus. Santana I think we will see in September……
He’s 31 and even after yesterday’s outing he still has a 0.94 WHIP and 40 K’s in 23.1 innings. Nobody at AAA comes close to that. I ask again, why is there if not to help the big club when needed?
I would think right now it is because they do not want to waste a roster spot on him…..he is our depth,,,,remember depth> ? We are supposed to have a lot of it.
I don’t think giving up three runs in the first inning, is all that bad, because in the next four innings he didn’t give up single a run, and that is more important then those three runs, in the first inning.
But I don’t understand why our young pitchers in the minors, are not pitching at least six innings, or seven innings, especially since their season is shorter.
Because that shows me he got himself to together after that initial inning.
Pitch counts MJ, they are protecting those young arms just like they are protecting Buehler…..they want them around in the future, not on the DL awaiting TJ surgery. Trust me, Santana is not ready for prime time yet, but he will get a look in September,,,,they also do not want to start his major league clock ticking too soon.
He may be a HOFer, but I could never stand Sutton. Especially after he became an announcer for the Braves. All his stats are because of longevity. Never won a Cy Young, never threw a no hitter. Won 20 games once,….Just won in double figures 21 of his 23 years in the bigs, but he just never seemed likeable to me.
Sutton won in double figures for the Dodgers 15 times. Had an ERA under 3 seven times. I liked that.
I don’t drink beer anymore. I skip the beer videos so I have no problem with them.
I know he was a steady pitcher and made a lot of starts…he just had a personality that grated on me….He also had at the beginning of his Dodger career 3 straight years where he was under .500….That being said, I never really thought he was that great, good but not great…
Yeah I get it. I agree he was a a bit surly.
Come on, Sutton has to get bonus points for the hideous permed 70s afro. That was awesome. Yes he was a horrible reach-around homer for the Braves as an announcer.
Afro’s on lilly white white guys look really stupid, and his was totally bad.
It is kind of funny because his broadcast partner in Atlanta was another exe Dodger, Joe Simpson….there are a lot of exe Dodgers doing broadcasts, or at least they were….I think Hollandsworth is with the Marlins broadcast team. I also remember that Darren Fletcher used to do the Phillies
I am still working on all the player moves FAZ has made since they have been here. The first move was claiming Ryan Jackson off waivers from the Padres…that was done before Zaidi was hired on Nov 6th of 2014. The first trade was PTBNL for Kyle Jensen from Miami. The next trade was Jose Dominguez, and Greg Harris to the Rays for Joel Peralta and Adam Liberatore…so Liberatore is the longest tenured trade chip FAZ has acquired. That trade was made on November 20th 2014. They picked up Bolsinger and Nicasio later that month and 23 days after he was claimed, Jackson was sold to KC. They were very busy that December with 14 different moves. 5 of which were free agent signings. Added, Heisey, Grandal, McCarthy, Anderson, Barnes, Hernandez, Heaney, Hatcher, Elfin, Wieland, Kendrick, Buchter, L. Anderson, Matt Carson, and Jimmy Rollins, gone, Kemp, Fedex, Heaney, Elfin, Magill, Brian Wilson, Lavarnway, Butera, Gordon, Haren, Rojas. 8 more free agents were signed in January….so ole FAZ was pretty busy those 2 months. Out of all those moves, the only players still with the team are Grandal, Hernandez, Barnes, and Liberatore…of course Kemp is back, but not the way FAZ really wanted it to work out…
Most of their moves have been rather nondescript. Don’t forget the millions they spent on the IM signings. Where are those Cubans? The first “oh crap” move I remember was McCarthy. Latos sticks out too. And Anderson. Kazmir. Some of the peripheral support moves have been good. But the foundation of this team was already built when they arrived. They haven’t taken the team where we wanted. And this year appears to be no different. Still time for some FAZ Magic. It will be a challenge cuz they got no money and don’t like using top prospects for trading.
I have to totally agree with you there. The 8 guys they signed in January were Solis, Tsao, Santos, Huff, Bedard, Rowen, Horst, and BJ Rosenburg. I think Tsao and Santos got a couple of days with the big club, but not one of those other pitchers did. Then in February they were at it again, loading up on it seemed like every mediocre overused former major leaguer they could find, including guys like Troncoso, McGowan, Beachy, Aardsma, Gaudin, Mike Adams and Freddie Garcia……weird. They did make a trade with the O’s in April, but that was 2 minor leaguers for 2 other minor leaguers and a competitive balance Round B pick…then they immediately released Webb, one of the pitchers they got. They did pick up a guy off waivers from the Reds who is still in the organization. Daniel Corcino,
Well, not many of the Cubans have progressed very well. They are mostly still below AAA..
If I heard this correctly, the player we traded for Nicasio, was up on the Rockies major league team, and played in that last game, against us.
Someone should list the players they traded for at the trade deadline, and list their numbers, when they played for us, after the trade.
That should be an interesting list.
That would be Noel Cuevas,,,He is hitting .288 as a Rockie so far since his call up. He hit .312 at Alb last year in AAA. He has spent 9 years in the minors and is almost 27 years old. Career .270 hitter in the minors with not much power and an average fielder. Cuevas was traded for Nicasio on Dec 16th as the PTBNL….I am working on all the trades they made and will see about those stats
This piece articulates what most of us are thinking:
http://www.dodgersnation.com/ten-years-of-clayton-kershaw/2018/05/25/
And it has the same annoying pop up video that Scott allows in here.
Why does Scott allow it? $$?
Yep.
Package,
I hope your having a good time on your vacation, and you and your grandson, had a good time, in Cooperstown NY!
The Red Sox let Hanley go today.
Pack on Cooperstown.
I expect a post card.
Badger
If I had known you wanted one, you would have got it!!!
Badger
How many pushups are you going to owe me? 150?
They DFA’d him, so he is still technically a Red Sox for 7 days more…either they trade or release him..
Well he does still hit the ball, I think.
Does he still hit like he did during his first stint with us? That HR he hit in SD was spectacular.
Hitting ..254 with 6 HR’s and 29 ribbies…..he has a vesting option for next year at 21 million. Has been used as a DH and at first base…..defense not so good, but he can still swing the lumber and if he gets hot, he can still carry a team…no chance ole FAZ goes after him though unless they got him after he was released so they would only pay the MLB minimum, but he has no spot on the Dodgers…
Bartolo Colon hit a ball up where Hanley did, in SD.
Did he hit it with his belly???????
Hey MJ
I did have a good time in Cooperstown N.Y. Thanks for the good wishes! Too bad about Hanley, I always liked him. By the way, I found this plaque and thought a few would remember him. Check with Mr. Norris, I think Mr. Norris knew of him.
https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/snider-duke
Package
I use to like Hanley too, that is probably why I am so disappointed with him.
Even I know who Duke Snider was, even if I wasn’t born yet, when he was one of the best centerfielders, in all of baseball.
All the teams in NY had really good centerfielders then.
I think it would have really been fun, to grow up in the neighborhoods in NY, during that time.
But you must be feeling a lot better about the Dodgers, now.
MJ
Yeah, you guys got them winning good now. Thanks to the Dbacks and Rocks for losing, it is giving the Dodgers a second wind. They are actually in it right now.
Willie Mays on the Giants, Duke on the Dodgers and Mantle in the Bronx. Probably the best outfield trio in any city in history…..3 HOF players. Mays 660 HR’s, Duke 407, would have had more if they had stayed in Brooklyn. The coliseum was a grave yard for lefty power hitters, and the Mick, 536 dingers…would have hit more, but injury’s really curtailed his ability’s . That’s 1603 HR’s between the 3 of them…amazing
The neighborhoods in N.Y. were no paradise in the 50’s. Lots of gangs, ethnic tensions, and for the young ones, areas you would not go into unless you were prepared to fight or run. The violence back then was heavy. I lived in an area of Brooklyn that became overrun by gangs and the mob. But sports was always a uniting and positive factor and the choice of 3 premium clubs to see whenever you could afford to go was great. When Ebbets Field was torn down, it became one of the worst ghettos in N.Y. history, Bedford-Stuyvesant. This was not a glory time for N.Y. The financial struggle was great for most.
Now, N.Y. has really changed for the better, but became quite expensive.
Package, I met Duke at a baseball card show in Anaheim in 1980. He autographed a 8×10 photo for me. I saw him play many times his last few years as a Dodger and once when he was with the Giants in 1964. He hit a homer that game off of Joe Moeller. A RHP who went to my high school, Mira Costa in Manhattan Beach and who used to come pitch to us in spring before he left for Vero. Duke was my favorite player because we both were lefty hitters. He threw RH though. I copied his batting stance and it served me well. He had that back elbow high and was just barely bent at the knees. I still have the picture framed and on my wall, I also have a lobby card he signed.
Mr. Norris
I really like your new picture!!
Thanks….My favorite Dodger of all time
I sent a reply, it is awaiting moderation. Sorry.
I made a list of ex Dodgers now working as broadcasters or analyst’s with other teams…I did not realize there were that many……AL R.Dempsey, O’s, S. Lyons, Bos, Paciorek, CWS, T. Belcher, Cle, K. Gibson, Det, J. Mota, LAA, D. Stewart, A’s, M. Blowers, Sea, B. Krueger, Sea, NL, T.Candiotti, AZ, L. Gonzalez, AZ, D. Sutton, Atl, J. Howell, Atl, J. Simpson, Atl, B.Jordan, Atl, R. Coomer, Cubs, Hollandsworth, Miami, J, Franco, Mets, B. Valentine, Mets, R.Horton, StL, T. Gwynn Jr., Pads, M. Sweeney, Pads, and F.P Santangelo, the Nats……
I’ll take D. Sutton.
Can someone explain to me why Daniel Hudson is still on the roster???????? His walk to strikeout ratio is terrible. The guy could not get me out…….please FAZ, ship this guy somewhere.
MLB.com listed 6 possible landing spots for Hanley, Baltimore, Minnesota, Colorado, Houston, the Mets, and Toronto. All those AL teams have been getting dismal production at DH. Colorado’s 1st baseman, Desmond has been terrible, and the Mets gave Joey Bats a shot, so why not Hanley..Personally, I do not want to see that guy in Denver….he will hit absolute moon shots there.
Wouldn’t teams prefer Kemp over Hanley?
Probably, but they can get Hanley for the MLB minimum pro rated…so half a year for say 275 thousand. He will definitely get released not traded, he has 155 mil left on that contract
Of course they would. But it would cost them something. If Hanley isn’t claimed, they could pull him back and make another move. To think they would release him owing him 2 years of $22mm+ seems odd to me.
Didn’t they do the same with that fat panda, just release him with a ton of money owed?
Oh I think you were being rhetorical there!
Scratch my comment 🙂
I think they signed the Panda and Hanley, in the same year, but I think the Panda got a little longer contract, then Hanley.
Hanley did have a very good April, he has hit in more runs, then anyone on our team, right now.
But he has been terrible in May.
I lost respect for him, after he didn’t put the effort in, to play left.
Because he was told he would be playing left, when he was signed.
Is that a lumber store sign, in San Diego, where Hanley and Batolo hit a ball out?
Next year is vested only if he hits 495 plate appearances.. He is over 190 now, so they do not want to pay all that cash next year. And yeah, they cut fat Panda too.
I meant they owe him 15 mil….
Oh. Well, that’s different. $15 million is a lot easier to swallow than $37 million. Adios Hanley.
Around the MLB today…Dodger lineup same as against Freeland…..Schimpf released by the Angels. Yankees traded Eric Kratz to Mil for PTBNL….Released inf Adam Lind. A’s trade Font to Tampa for Peter Bayer. Pirates DFA Kontos, Rays trade Span and Colome to Seattle for Andrew Moore and Tommy Romero.
Package
How did you like that from Kemp?
MJ
That was an awesome HR. I think Matty is hitting about 7th or 8th in the MLB. I sure hope Dummy doesn’t pull him for Joc. Guess what MJ? They have a W.S. jersey for Joc in the HOF. I almost lost it.
Kemp is 3rd in the NL, .333BA
3rd in the NL, but 4th in MLB…and they wanted to get rid of him……
I think they were wrong about him. FAZ is like the squirrels they prefer. Every now and then they find a nut.
Enrique coming around against lefties and being solid against righties would be nice.
I just love watching that Kemp guy play…especially with the enthusiasm he is now displaying, and that guy can hit, Kike on the other hand is squirrel #2…still a all or nothing hitter…..
I am so proud of the job Ross Stripling is doing. I remember what a highly touted prospect he was before his surgery, and he has done everything the team and coaching staff has asked him to. Excellent outing tonight….Dodgers gained ground only on the Giants and Padres….D-Backs and Rockies won…
Stripling has been very good to the Dodgers. Knows his role and he keeps improving year after year. He’s not a SABRtastc player, and can’t blow anyone away, but it just goes to show you what a smart control pitcher can do, especially if he’s got a decent defense behind him and doesn’t keep throwing 6 fastballs in a row.
San Diego is a team we should beat. They are currently 28th in batting. You know who is last? Arizona. In fact, surprisingly the best hitting team in the West is SF, 8th in baseball. LA is 23rd, and Colorado is 27th. However the worshipped stat OPS is slightly different – SF 16th, LA 18th, Colorado 25th, Arizona 28th, SD 29th. As you might suspect, pitching tells another story altogether. Arizona is 3rd, LA is 10th, SD 17th, Colorado 22nd, SF 23rd. By the numbers, the West ain’t all that. We should win it. I still believe we will.
So, is the NL west the worst division in baseball?
The American league central is worse