The last time we saw Scott Kazmir was exactly ten days ago. He was ordered off the mound after throwing just one pitch in the second inning of a game against the Rockies.
He was scheduled to throw two innings that day, but that didn’t happen. He later said he was not able to loosen up during his pre-game warm ups, and as a result, he was unable to get any velocity on his pitches.
While his team was playing the Cubs, Kazmir was throwing a simulated game on a side field. The results for both were less than satisfactory. The big club was blanked 4-0 by the reigning world champions, and Kazmir once again drew a blank in the hunt for the speed on his fastball.
Kazmir threw 71 pitches against three minor leaguers in a simulated five-inning game. Kazmir reported feeling good afterward.
“I feel close, really close. I was able to keep my tempo, keep my balance and use this hip to get through. It’s a lot of things that we have to focus on. It’s just a matter of putting that altogether.” – Scott Kazmir
That was his side of the story. I’m glad his optimism is intact, but I’m not exactly seeing things through the feel good filters that Kazmir is. He gave up two home runs to his batters, threw about 45% of his pitches out of the strike zone, and most telling, his top velocity hovered in the 82-84 mph range. I’m figuring those facts are giving the Dodgers reason for concern.
In Kazmir’s defense, he’s battling back from injuries that stemmed from past injuries. He’s been harrassed by a stiff hip for (at least) the past couple of years, and he brought neck and shoulder aggravation upon himself when he over-compensated for that hip.
He’s been having a very lackluster spring, and I could see him possibly not giving his all in today’s bullpen session. Perhaps he was only focused on mechanics, and hoping velocity and strikes will naturally follow. That’s one way to see today’s workout.
Another positive is Kazmir reporting that he feels good. If he wasn’t looking for anything other than proper mechanics today, and he feels good tomorrow, I would expect him to throw harder and for more strikes the next time.
One can approach things with baby steps, but with Opening Day fast approaching, and Hyun-Jin Ryu making steady progress, I would be looking for Scott Kazmir to take a giant leap…and soon.
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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Giant leap backwards from Kazmir would be welcomed at this point. More innings for Wood and hopefully he kicks ass in The first 3 months of the season, and we can then trade him for more help down the stretch. In my opinion, Wood is a great deadline trade piece if he’s given the innings, as his results will be helped by our defense and Dodgers Stadium.
Back on his horse huh? Maybe we will get lucky and he will ride that nag out of town.
There are 3 major league players with the last name Norris. None are related to me. Bud is with the Angels, Daniel is a pitcher for the Tigers, and Derek, who was just released by the Nationals, mainly because they signed Wieters. Just wanted to clear that up…
Ryu just may make it back. I thought he looked good yesterday. He pitched to mostly prospects, but his command was good. He batted for himself. That was an indication to Herschiser that Ryu may be in their plans to start the season as a starter. Now if Wood can make it, we could have our five starters. McCarthy is still a question mark. Kasmir will begin the season on the DL.
Idahoal
I thought Ryu looked pretty good too.
And I am rooting for him.
“Its just a matter of putting that altogether.”
I can relate to that. My kness, my back, my elbow, my shoulder. Me and Kazmir. Birds of a feather.
Ryu is a better bet. Wood? Yeah, I’d go with him too. Kershaw, Maeda, Hill, Ryu, Wood. Then plug Urias in. McCarthy? Please. We all know he will Kazmir soon. 6 of the 8 listed on our depth chart are lefties. 91.5 wins. That’s my prediction on St Patrick’s Day. Who’s got the over for 50 pushups?
It’s time to start stretching out the pitchers. 75-80 pitches today for Kershaw. Anybody know how many Ryu threw? It wasn’t mentioned in the box I read.
80 and sunny today in Sedona. I’m off for my 5 mile run. Did I say 5? That might have been a typo.
Is Boxout impressed with your push ups and running?
The only time I run is when my bowels say, “Git”….
he threw about 55.
55 is good. Maybe 65 next time out. If he intends to be in the rotation, and I’m hoping he is, he will need to at 75 by the time the season starts. He could get 5 innings with that. I think 5 innings is a reasonable expectation from most of our starting staff.
I would be more suprised if Kazmir was able to come back, and was able to pitch effectively, in the pitching rotation, then not.
This sounds like what happened
with the Angels, but I don’t know what kind of contract, the Angels gave Kazmir.
More than he deserved, we can take that as a given…
Angels?
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/compensation/cots/nl-west/los-angeles-dodgers/
Jonah
I think Kazmir has known that he has had something wrong with himself, since he pitched for the Astros in the second half of the season, in 2015.
But that is only because he didn’t pitch well, in the second half of the season in 2015, after he pitched decently in the first half of the season, for the A’s.
And Kazmir never pitched well, from the begining of spring training last year.
I guess the Angels owed Kazmir about 14 million dollars, when they had to release him, because he was ineffective.
I don’t remember what year, that Kazmir, was pitching in the independent league, before he came back, to Major League Baseball.
Back from my 5 miler.
Did I say 5 again?
100 push-ups and 100 sit-ups and my exercise is done for the day.
Did I say 100? Dang auto correct.
Kershaw goes 5. 78 pitches.
Headline says “Seager ready for OD”. Interesting read for those of us who lived through the 70s and 80s.
Badger
I thought OD was still used today, but the fact that we have to use those letters today, is unfortunate.
But I didn’t know Van Morrison’s Brown Eyed Girl, was about Heroin either.
I dint think that song is about heroin MJ.
Did you see how much the Angels paid Kazmir? They had him less than 2 years. Yes, he was overpaid. Why we would give him what we did is perplexing. It’s McCarthyism!
Badger
I just read that in an article that was about what words in songs, really meant.
Did you see what just happened on TV.
They better work harder, to get the goods, on this guy quickly.
We already had to apologize, to the Britain, because of that spiel yesterday.
Badger
That is a new word, for McCarthism, but it sure does fit, nicely.
Older than Dirt
Two men were sitting next to each other at Murphy’s Pub in London. After awhile, one bloke looks at the other and says, ‘I can’t help but think, from listening to you, that you’re from Ireland’
The other bloke responds proudly, ‘Yes, that I am!’
The first one says, ‘So am I! And where about from Ireland might you be?’
The other bloke answers, ‘I’m from Dublin, I am.’
The first one responds, ‘So am I!’
‘Mother Mary and begora. And what street did you live on in Dublin ?’
The other bloke says, ‘A lovely little area it was. I lived on McCleary Street in the old central part of town.’
The first one says, ‘Faith and it’s a small world. So did I! So did I! And to what school would you have been going?’
The other bloke answers, ‘Well now, I went to St. Mary’s, of course.’
The first one gets really excited and says, ‘And so did I. Tell me, what year did you graduate?’
The other bloke answers, ‘Well, now, let’s see. I graduated in 1964.’
The first one exclaims, ‘The Good Lord must be smiling down upon us! I can hardly believe our good luck at winding up in the same place tonight. Can you believe it, I graduated from St. Mary’s in 1964 my own self!’
About this time, Vicky walks up to the bar, sits down and orders a drink.
Brian, the barman, walks over to Vicky, shaking his head and mutters, ‘It’s going to be a long night tonight.’
Vicky asks, ‘Why do you say that, Brian?’
‘The Murphy twins are drunk again.’
Happy St. Paddy’s Day to everyone!
Boxout
Now that is better, and right back at you Bloke!
I was going to post one of my snarky comments last night but chose not to. Whatever we get from Kazmir this year will be a bonus to the team.
Happy St Patty’s Day everyone! Enjoy your pints and whisky.
Back to you Artie boy!
Six teams chasing Norris…
https://twitter.com/TBrownYahoo/status/842766968969023488
Run Michael! They may be SWAT teams, and if so you can’t reason with them.
MJ, didn’t see anything. I been making liposomal C. What happened? Another asinine tweet? Did he grab Merkel by her private parts?
Badger
When she first met Trump, she had a smile, but after talking to him in a meeting, she sure had a different look, on her face.
I actually felt bad for her.
He was asked about the wire tapping claim, by a German reporter, and he used a lawyer on Fox, as his source.
And he made a remark, that Merkel and him, have something in common, about being wire tapped.
I didn’t realize that Trump had said so many bad things, about Merkel.
And Fox just came out and said, they couldn’t confirm
that.
What is liposomal C?
Yoiks.
Well, nothing should surprise us now.
Liposomal C. It’s easier if you just google it.
Ok
I am just glad that I have my medical insurance, from my work.
No, nothing would “surprise you two”, Deputy Sheriff Bernard “Barney” Fife, would be proud of the both of you!!
I thought of you two, sitting on the edge of your seats watching Randy Madcow, releasing President Trump’s tax return. I am sure you both had the same look on your faces when you watched “Geraldo” opening Al Capone’s vault. Too funny!! Which one of you two carries the bullet???
Well, maybe if they’re California Swat Teams… Did I ever tell you about my dealings with a Garden Grove Swat Team? Thirty some years ago. I had taken a rifle to sell at a Gun Show at the Orange County Fairgrounds. Had to record serial numbers with police to get it in door. Gun had been sold back and forth amongst half a dozen friends of mine, nobody knew it was hot… I didn’t sell it there, wished I had.. About a week later I came home from work and neighbor caught me, telling me the swat team had been out and surrounded my house, looking for me. After waiting an hour or two, they put a note on my door and left. I called the phone number on the note and talked to the Lt. in charge. He told me what it was about and asked me if I still had it. Told him ‘yes’, it was in the bedroom in a safe. Since it was late afternoon, he made an appointment to come out next morning (without the rest of the swat team). We had a cup of coffee, I told him what little I knew of it’s history, he took it and left. I never saw it or heard from them again, thereby losing the $250 I had paid for it. It had been reportedly lost in a house fire (along with others) and paid for by the insurance company by the original owner, someone I never knew. Tell me how a guy can go from being a desperado surrounded by a swat team to a law abiding citizen having a cup of coffee with a police officer???
You were lucky you weren’t home Jonah.
Yup he was very lucky. The more paranoid they are the more they pack!
Why are you guys talking about swat teams?
Your lucky that they didn’t search your house, that would be a mess.
You and Badger are both correct. Not that they would have found a single illegal thing to arrest me for. Just their stupid asinine procedures would have had me searched, cuffed, and questioned while they had everything in the house examined and traced. It would have taken months. And they wonder why 99% of the public, even law abiding people, hate them. If you’re ever around a potential police shoot out, worry more about the cops shooting you than the bads guys. Happens all the time. They are idiots who shouldn’t be allowed to have guns.
There are exceptions, of course. I got to be friends with a Westminster Detective, got to know him pretty good over the years. I met him at his apartment one day just as he arrived home from work. He was wearing a suit, and carrying Four guns! One on his belt, one in a shoulder holster, another in the small of his back, and one strapped to his ankle. I don’t know how he walked with 10 pounds of hardware on him… I saw his locker under the police station, in it he had an M16, a BAR, and a Thompson SMG, plus some grenades of various types. On the walls of his apt. he had it covered with newspaper clippings of shoot-outs and hostage rescues he had been involved in. I guess he was a pretty good cop, he retired a Captain. Last time I saw him in the nineties, it was at a military vehicle show, he was involved in a club that did that. He bragged about a surplus armored car his club had just bought from a police department in Arizona, complete with the machine gun in the turret… Illegal of course, but cops can do it.
RUN??? I haven’s run since the Ford administration…..
Jonah
My second cousin use to wear his gun, to church
Jonah
Yes I thought other teams, might want Norris, because before last year, he had pretty good offensive stats for a catcher.
But I would like to see if Barnes can hit major league pitching.
It is going to be very hard for Barnes, without to many consistent at bats, but maybe we can see flashes, with his bat.
Grandal’s contract ends after the 2018 season, so we need this time to see what Barnes can do.
Lets keep the politics off the site, all it does is cause arguments.
Is talking about a police state politics?
Badger
Not if we all agree!
Just teasing you Michael.
If we all agreed it would be the biggest miracle since the immaculate conception.
Moot….who frippen cares,.,,,,,,,Condolences to Dave Roberts on the passing of his dad, Dejong sent down by Mariners…
Y’all sit there and laugh, but when ISIS comes callin, and they will…..I am ready for those SOB’s..
Thank you FAZMATIC for giving us such stellar names as Bud Norris, Scott Kazmir and Brandon McCarthy and expecting us to like it. Paying those guys money to play for you has been a waste……oh yeah, Brian Ballet Anderson too……….
Just to pass some time today I was thinking about some of the trades we made and how many young guys who left us are projected in starting lineups. Gordon, Schebler, Peraza, and Cotton are all starters somewhere else. I would think De Leon would be too. Who else? And how many players that came back for those guys are around now? Forsythe. Hill didn’t do a lot last year and was signed as a free agent so I don’t count him.
Because basically, no two people have the same opinion on any given subject and that goes double for politics. Same with sports teams, and almost everything else in everyday life. I saw a post on facebook about mayo and tomato sandwich’s. About half likes them and the other half was ready to puke, including me. If I am having tomato and mayo, there better be bacon involved.
It’s my opinion that differences in opinion can be discussed civilly by civil people. What some in here do is childish and combative. When arguments are weak some resort to playground tactics. And THAT is the reason we can’t discuss politics here. I’m fine with not discussing Trump’s insanity, the Russians, ongoing scandals etc. I don’t bring it up. But I will respond when I think it’s appropriate.
Problem with that is the people being discussed are all very controversial personality’s. I can understand reasonable conversation, but these people have idea’s so far away from what the average American needs and wants. I was tired of Obama, and I cannot stand Hillary, and I did not want more of the same from DC. So I voted for change. Whether I was right or wrong still remains to be seen. But I have seen some things I like and others I do not. Mess with my rights and I am going to go off. I do not like the liberal platform, even though I was a Dem for years. But that changed when Johnson was president. None of them are perfect. Hillary in my humble opinion would have been worse. But that’s just me.
Ok. Sounds reasonable. Though the start of this administration looks like the keystone cops to me. I hope he reels it in. As I’ve stated, I wasn’t wild about Hillary but I think she would have been better than this. I’m a registered Independent and feel the Republican Party does not represent me. They are way tooncorporate for my tastes.
MLB doesn’t have pitch count in their box. How many has Kershaw thrown?
And now I’ve lost the edit capability here.
Kersh was in the mid 60’s. Interview after the game said he was working on some things with his curve, and was leaving it in the zone. I cannot stand Hillary. She is a liar and to me a traitor. You do not leave American’s to die without lifting a finger. Neither party is totally representative of my thinking. But the Democrats have gone so far left, I just cannot support any of them……Hey, if the Republicans had selected Cruz, or Bush, I would have just stayed home and started packing for the apocalypse.
I’ve done a lot of fact checking on what actually happened in Benghazi and I would recommend you do the same. There was a long list of “pants on fire” statements put out by those on the right with anti-Clinton agenda’s. There were mistakes made, but to pin them all on Clinton is a mistake. Read the May 16th article by Angie Holan at Politifact. She lays it in a timeline that makes sense.
To Kershaw and his curve – what in the world would he be “working on” at this time of his career and at this point in Spring Training? Whatever it was forget it. It’s March 18th. The season starts in 16 days. He’s got 2 starts left before Opening Day. Time to lock it in. That goes for all the starters and I don’t see any of them that look all that ready b
I have read a ton about it. I have the book written by one of the survivors. I lay it on her and Obama. They were in charge. It might not have been her fault entirely but her crass approach to questions and the statement she made saying ” what does it matter” Well, she lost all credibility with me. As a former soldier you know that the responsibility falls on the leader. JFK got crucified for not supporting the Bay of Pigs with air support. Obama and Hillary deserve no less….. I cannot and will not support those who in my opinion do not respect those paid to defend them.
Well buddy that’s a misquote but at this point “it doesn’t matter” as your mind is made up. Benghazi was a very odd set of circumstances at a fluid and volatile time in that region. The security for that outpost was a small squad of Blackwater mercenaries, one of whom probably wrote that book you referenced. Benghazi was a trajedy but to hang it around Clinton’s neck is a weak political ploy.
She’s a liar? Who among them isn’t?
It’s probably just you and me left here so you can have the last word. Later Bear….