The tricks of the leadership trade

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, …

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Long bus rides, extreme pressure & playing through pain — welcome to life in the minor leagues

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 …

Dodgers’ top prospects face big league pressure

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. …

When top prospects collide

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 …

62 players, one goal at Dodgers’ spring training camp

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 …

Not all records are made to be broken

This story originally appeared in September of 2011 on NBCSports.com. But since they’ve change publishing platforms, things are a little wonky. I’ve revived it here, and I hope it inspires you to go out and break some records. ------ "I'm hoping someday that some kid, black or white, will hit more home runs than myself. Whoever it …

A code to play by: Baseball’s unwritten rules

This story originally appeared in October of 2010 on NBCSports.com. But since they’ve change publishing platforms, it has vanished. I’ve revived it here, and I hope it makes you feel like breaking the rules, written or otherwise. “Get off my mound!” the pitcher screamed, directing his rage at a base runner as he left the field following …

Heaven, hell and the ultimate baseball road trip

This story originally appeared in May of 2009 on NBCSports.com. But since they’ve change publishing platforms, it has vanished. I’ve revived it here, and I hope it makes you want to take a monster road trip. Mike Hartman and Aman Dhaddey sat beside the road in the blistering summer heat, feasting on grocery store chicken and …

For your bucket list: MLB’s must-see players

This story originally appeared here in July of 2010 on NBCSports.com. But since they've change publishing platforms, it has vanished. I've revived it here, and I hope you enjoy it, and excuse the references to Ryan Braun. We didn't know he was dirty at the time. He lounged alone in the clubhouse, idly clutching his trademark …