Tag Archives: Los Angeles Dodgers

Minor League Baseball News

Oklahoma State QB Brandon Weeden Uses His Pro Baseball Experience To Help Him Succeed On The Gridiron

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2002 New York Yankees second round pick Brandon Weeden is better known as Oklahoma State Quarterback and Heisman Trophy candidate Brandon Weeden these days. The 28 year old Cowboys quarterback got his start in baseball playing five years in the Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Kansas City Royals systems until giving up baseball in 2006. In the story Weeden talks about how his struggles in professional baseball, he was a career 19-26 with a 5.03ERA in five minor league seasons, have helped him become the football player he is today.

This time, Weeden doesn’t give himself reason to lose temper
— CBSSports.com

Minor League Baseball News

VIDEO: Relive Grounds Crew Gorilla’s Epic Battle With Trayvon Robinson & See His New Act

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The Lake Elsinore Storm’s Grounds Crew Gorilla, who had an epic battle with former Los Angles Dodgers and current Seattle Mariners outfielder Trayvon Robinson back in 2009 (see the second and third videos below), debuted a new act tonight during the Storm’s game Tuesday against the Inland Empire 66ers. He throws jumps through a barrier, barrel rolls down a large berm, and then drops another five or six feet onto the field, and still finds the energy to do the worm. Someone give the Gorilla a raise. Be sure to watch his battle with Trayvon “Gorilla Killa” Robinson if you haven’t seen it. It’s awesome.




Minor League Baseball News

Triple-A Manager Brett Butler Talks About How Difficult It Is To Enforce Minor League Baseball’s Anti-Dipping Rules

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Over his big league career, Brett Butler played for the Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, and New York Mets. For a large portion of that time Butler used dip. He eventually quit but it would prove to be too late as Butler was diagnosed with throat cancer which sidelined him during the 1996 season with the Dodgers. Since then he’s been outspoken against the use of smokeless tobacco. Butler is currently the manager of the Triple-A Reno Aces of the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. In the story Butler talks about Triple-A players dipping despite a ban in minor league baseball, players on his teams who have dipped despite knowing about his battle with cancer, the 10 year old boy who caused him to quit dipping cold turkey, and his desire to make it back to the big leagues as a coach. Solid read.

Brett Butler sides with Surgeon General, cuts out tobacco — NewsOK.com

Minor League Baseball News

Los Angeles Dodgers Prospect Angelo Songco Talks About His Breakout 2011 Season

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One of the more pleasant surprises of the Los Angeles Dodgers farm system in 2011 has been the continued development of Angelo Songco. The 22 year old is currently hitting .310 with 38 Doubles, 3 Triples, 25 Home Runs, and 93 RBI’s for the High-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. The Doubles and Home Run totals are both good enough for second in the California League and he is currently fourth in RBI’s. Songco spent 2010 with the Low-A Great Lakes Loons where he hit .274 with 30 Doubles, 6 Triples, 15 Home Runs, and 71RBI’s. The 6’0″ left handed hitter was a fourth round pick of the Dodgers in the 2009 draft out of Loyola Marymount University. In the story, Songco talks about his focus on hitting for average, how a move from the outfield to first base has helped his hitting approach and getting to play home games in front of his family.

Songco proving to be an average hitter — SBSun.com

Major League Baseball News

Dodgers Great Sandy Koufax To Be Inducted Into University Of Cincinnati Hall Of Fame

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Cincinnati.com reporter Bill Koch who is a must follow on twitter @BKoch has announced on his blog that the University of Cincinnati will induct Sandy Koufax among others into the school’s James P. Kelly Athletic Hall Of Fame in October. Koufax was inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall Of Fame in 1972 and posted 165 wins over his 12 year career with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Koufax heads UC Hall of Fame inductees — Cincinnati.com

Major League Baseball News, Trade Deadline Deals

Prospect Breakdown: Dodgers Trade Trayvon Robinson To Mariners For Tim Federowicz, Stephen Fife, and Juan Rodriguez and Seattle Also Gets Chih Hsien Chiang From Boston

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The Seattle Mariners have traded Erik Bedard and pitching prospect Josh Fields to the Boston Red Sox in a 3 way deal that sends Tim Federowicz, Juan Rodriguez, Stephen Fife, and Chih-Hsien Chiang to the Mariners who then flipped Federowicz, Fife, and Rodriguez to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Trayvon Robinson. The 23 year old Robinson has been one of baseball’s breakout prospects in 2011. He’s hit .293 with 9 Doubles, 6 Triples, 26 Home Runs, and 71 RBI’s for the Triple-A Albuquerque Isatopes. In 2010 the 5’10” centerfielder hit .300 with 23 Doubles, 5 Triples, 9 Home Runs, and 57 RBI’s for the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts. Robinson was a 10th round pick of the Dodgers in the 2005 draft. In the deal, Los Angeles gets the soon to be 24 year old catcher Federowicz who is currently batting .275 with 20 Doubles, 7 Home Runs, and 50 RBI’s for the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs. Last season for the High-A Salem Red Sox he hit .253 with 34 Doubles and 4 Home Runs. Federowicz is a U.S. National team alum. The Red Sox drafted him the seventh round of the 2008 draft out of the University of North Carolina. The 22 year old Rodriguez is currently 2-4 with a 5.19ERA in 32 appearances for High-A Salem. He has 88 strikeouts in 59 innings. He pitched in the Gulf Coast League in 2010 going 5-1 with a 3.51ERA. Rodriguez was signed by the Red Sox as a non drafted free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2008. The 24 year old Fife is 11-4 with a 3.66ERA in 18 starts for Portland. He’s repeating Double-A this season after going 8-6 with a 4.75ERA for the Sea Dogs in 2010. Fife was a third round pick of the Red Sox in the 2008 draft out of the University of Utah. Additionally in the deal, the Mariners received and are keeping Chih-Hsien Chiang from Boston. The 23 year old Chiang is currently hitting .338 with 36 Doubles, 4 Triples, 18 Home Runs, and 76 RBI’s at Portland. The native of Taiwan is repeating Double-A and has vastly improved upon the .260, 35 Double, 11 Home Run, 65 RBI season he had with the Seadogs in 2010. Chiang was signed by the Red Sox as a non drafted free agent in 2005. Boston acquires Fields who is 1-2 with a 3.92ERA and 3 saves in a combined 39 innings out of the bullpen for the Double-A Jackson Generals and Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers. Fields was the 20th overall pick of the 2008 draft out of the University of Georgia.

Major League Baseball News, Trade Deadline Deals

Prospect Breakdown: Los Angeles Dodgers Trade Rafael Furcal To Cardinals For Alex Castellanos

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The Los Angeles Dodgers have traded Rafael Furcal to the St. Louis Cardinals for prospect Alex Castellanos. The 24 year old Castellanos is in the middle of a career year for Double-A Springfield where he is hitting .319 with 21 Doubles, 4 Triples, 19 Home Runs, and 62 RBI’s to go along with 10 stolen bases. The 5’11” outfielder hit .270 with 35 Doubles, 7 Triples, 13 Home Runs, 58 RBI’s and had 19 stolen bases for High-A Palm Beach in 2010. Castellanos was a 10th Round pick of the Cardinals out of Belmont Abbey College back in 2008.

Baseball Collectibles

Bobby Crosby, Not The Former AL Rookie Of The Year, Lives To Catch Balls At Dodger Stadium

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Interesting story on Los Angeles Dodgers season ticket holder Bobby Crosby who films himself catching batting practice home run balls at Dodger Stadium and posts them on Youtube. Additionally Crosby has collected hundreds of foul balls so far this season. The link below provides a look into the life of a major league baseball “ball hawk”.

A game with Dodger Stadium’s ball chasers — SCPR.org