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This article originally appeared in Sports Illustrated in 2015. "I’m not gonna get down, I’m not gonna get defeated. I’m not gonna get depressed and ‘oh, woe is me.’ I have a job to do."-- Jimmy Rollins The quote was delivered with the bluntness of an aging warrior at peace with his fate.His turn in … Continue reading For Jimmy Rollins, leadership has been in knowing when to step aside
This article originally appeared on Nerdist.com in 2016, but has since disappeared from their site. I'm glad I saved it! “Hey Dieter, do you know ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’?” The question was directed to Los Angeles Dodgers organist Dieter Ruehle by a member of the media seated near his perch in the press box. Ruehle smiled and … Continue reading LA DODGERS ORGANIST DIETER RUEHLE TALKS MUSIC, HOCKEY AND POKÉMON
I wrote a piece for Dodger Insider, the team's in-house magazine, on how the team is working to help its international players transition to the United States. Pick up a copy of the mag if you're heading to the stadium the week of Sept. 2, or check it out here.
“People ask me all the time, ‘Is pitching natural?’ I would say that excessive pitching, throwing 100 full-effort pitches every fifth day, is not natural.” -- Dr. Glenn Fleisig, Research Director at American Sports Medicine Institute, in an interview with Grantland.com, published March 10, 2015 LOS ANGELES – Good pitchers are hard to come by and … Continue reading The last competitive advantage in baseball
Justin Turner charges as the bunt rolls down the third baseline. Collecting the ball, he wheels and fires a dart to shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who is covering third base. If this were a game, it surely would have been an out. But since this is infield practice during spring training, it’s all about learning fundamentals, … Continue reading The tricks of the leadership trade
Josh Ravin won’t forget that night in 2012 when he was called into his manager’s office. It was good news – the Cincinnati Reds were going to promote him to Double-A. But his manager had one question for him: “Have you got any (health) issues?” The truth was his groin was bothering him. He’d tweaked … Continue reading Long bus rides, extreme pressure & playing through pain — welcome to life in the minor leagues
Yasmani Grandal knows what it’s like to be a top minor league prospect, and he knows all about the pressure that comes with it. The Cincinnati Reds’ first-round pick in 2010, Grandal signed a major league contract in August of that year and was placed on the 40-man roster, a rarity for a draft pick. … Continue reading Dodgers’ top prospects face big league pressure
Dodgers media and fans got to see a glimpse of the future when 18-year-old pitcher Julio Urias squared off with 22-year-old outfielder Joc Pederson in live batting practice. Sandy Koufax, Mark McGwire, Rick Honeycutt and Farhan Zaidi were all there to watch, along with a healthy collection of media members. What happened? You can see for … Continue reading When top prospects collide
INSIDE THE GAME GLENDALE, Ariz. – They’re hitting in the cages, throwing batting practice, working on defensive drills and even battling on the clubhouse ping-pong table. They come from Cuba and Korea, the suburbs of New Orleans, the woods of rural Pennsylvania and even from nearby Scottsdale. There are 62 players at a bustling Dodgers … Continue reading 62 players, one goal at Dodgers’ spring training camp
This story originally appeared on SportsNetLA.com in May of 2014. LOS ANGELES – Dee Gordon inches away from first base. He’s relaxed but focused, gaze locked on the pitcher. At the first sign of movement, he takes off. His cleats churn up the infield dirt as he glides toward second base, sliding head first for … Continue reading Dee Gordon, Carl Crawford and the art of stealing bases
Bob Harkins 