#MascotMania: The Battle for the Best MiLB Mascot

Lou E. Loon wants your vote!

Remember the uproar from earlier this season about whether or not the Dodgers have an official mascot?

Well, five of the Dodgers' minor league affiliates do have official mascots and Minor League Baseball is currently holding Mascot Mania, a contest to decide the best mascot in the minor leagues.

"Mascots are a big part of minor league baseball and it's a fun part of it too," said Matt DeVries, content manager for the Great Lakes Loons, the Dodgers Low-A affiliate.

At minor league games, mascots are a huge part of the in-game entertainment. They're on the field in-between innings and in the stands interacting with fans during the action, often providing funny gags and bits for the fans. This includes playing games with the kids in the stands or even dumping bags of peanuts on players in the dugout.

"It's something you wouldn't see at the major league level," DeVreis said. "You're not going to have a mascot dumping peanuts on a player in the dugout because Major League Baseball wouldn't allow that because (the focus) is more (on) baseball."

The Dodgers' minor league affiliates have a history of success in the competition as Orbit, of the Albuquerque Isotopes, won the 2012 championship. However, he was unable to defend his title in 2013, losing to LouSeal of the Columbus Clippers.

While he will certainly be seeking to reclaim his status as best mascot this year, he will face stiffer competition, including from within the Dodgers organization. Lou E. Loon of the Great Lakes Loons desperately wants the title after barely failing to advance to the championship round last year and the Loons are doing all they can to help him win it.

The team has gone on a social media blitz, using Twitter and YouTube along with photos and graphics to promote their beloved mascot and show the fans why Lou E. Loon deserves to be crowned champion.

"I would love to say that people come to the Loons games to watch the baseball games, but that rarely, rarely is the case," said Amber Ferris, promotion manager for the Loons.

"Almost every single fan that we've interacted with both on social media or in person has said in one way or another an experience that they had with Lou. ... They see him and they basically associate it with Loons baseball."

Lou E. Loon does about 320-330 "Lou E. Appearances" per year, according to Ferris, and like many mascots around in the MiLB, has become a big part of their brand and represents the Loons as the face of the franchise in the community.

"He's so much more active than most other mascots. For us, we like Lou E. out there the entire game," DeVries said.

"Nine times out of 10 when you look around you're going to see Lou E. in the seating bowl messing around with fans, having fun and he goes out to different events all the time. He'll go to the local YMCA, local Boys and Girls Club, local PTA meeting, and he just tries to act like a good, moral person."

As this contest shows, Minor League Baseball is not only about the prospects, so go on Twitter or to the MiLB website and start stuffing the ballot boxes.

Voting for each league started here this past Monday and runs until August 4, with the championship round featuring the winner of each league taking place throughout the following week.

Fans can also vote on Twitter using the official hashtag for each Dodger affiliate mascot, which are listed below.

• Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes (PCL): Orbit #VoteOrbit_Isotopes
• Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts (SOU): Looie The Lookout #VoteLooieLookouts
• High-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (CAL): Tremor #VoteTremorQuakes
• Low-A Great Lakes Loons (MID): Lou E. Loon #LoveLouE
• Rookie Ogden Raptors (PIO): Oggie #VoteOggieRaptors

Photo credit: Phil Squattrito, Flickr

Dodgers' minor-league coaching staffs have a lot of MLB experience

The Dodgers made a number of changes in the minor-league coaching ranks and announced said changes on Sunday.

There was a vacancy at the Triple-A level after former Albuquerque Isotopes' manager Lorenzo Bundy was promoted to third base coach. The Dodgers filled that hole with a former Major League catcher. There are new managers at every level of the Dodgers' minor-league system (save the Dominican Summer League).

Triple-A Albuquerque
Manager: Damon Berryhill
Hitting coach: Franklin Stubbs
Pitching coach: Glenn Dishman

Double-A Chattanooga
Manager: Razor Shines
Hitting coach: Shawn Wooten
Pitching coach: Scott Radinsky

High-A Rancho Cucamonga
Manager: P.J. Forbes
Hitting coach: Mike Eylward
Pitching coach: Matt Herges

Low-A Great Lakes
Manager: Bill Haselman
Hitting coach: Johnny Washington
Pitching coach: Bill Simas



Pioneer League Ogden
Manager: Lee Tinsley
Hitting coach: Leo Garcia
Pitching coach: Greg Sabat

Arizona League Dodgers
Manager: John Shoemaker
Hitting coach: Henry Cruz
Pitching coach: Hector Berrios

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The most interesting move is Berryhill jumping from the short-season ball to the highest level of the minors. Berryhill managed Ogden for the last five years. He guided the Raptors to four playoff appearances. He's a former catcher, so there's no doubt he has the smarts for the job He's a fine choice to replace Bundy.

Stubbs returns as Isotopes' hitting coach. Last season was his first with club and sixth with the organization. He should have a good opportunity to work with Joc Pederson. Dishman has the unenviable position as the Isotopes' pitching coach. But it's his fourth year in that position, so he must be doing something right. Maybe he can make Zach Lee's stay a little more enjoyable than is anticipated.

Shines earned a promotion from Low-A to Double-A, where he figures to manage some familiar faces. He managed the Loons last season to the playoffs. His son Devin Shines is an outfielder in the organization.

Wooten, a former major leaguer most notably with Anaheim, will have the task of making guys like Scott Schebler and Darnell Sweeney into better hitting prospects. Former Dodger Radinsky takes over as the team's pitching coach. He figures to work with some of the better Dodger pitching prospects in 2014, including guys like Onelki Garcia, Chris Reed and Ross Stripling.

Forbes takes over for Carlos Subero and could have the most talent of any Dodger minor-league manager. He should have Corey Seager and Julio Urias to start the season, as well as Chris Anderson and Tom Windle.

Eylward gets bumped up from Great Lakes, where he was the hitting coach, to Rancho Cucamonga, where he will be the hitting coach. Herges returns third season as the Quakes' pitching coach.

Haselman managed the Inland Empire 66ers (Angels' affiliate and former Dodgers' affiliate) the last two seasons. He went to UCLA.

Washington was the Quakes' hitting coach this past season and also was the Glendale Desert Dogs' (Arizona Fall League) hitting coach in 2013. Simas returns for his second campaign as the Loons' pitching coach.

Tinsley is coming over from the Cubs for his first year with the organization. He played 14 years in the big leagues. Shoemaker has been with the Dodgers' organization in some capacity since 1977.

-----

Overall, some really nice hires. If these guys can continue to develop and improve the prospects through their respective minor-league journeys, then their work will be done.

Podcast: 'Dugout Blues' episode 53 - Puig, Kershaw, Nolasco, Seager, Urias

On this episode of "Dugout Blues," Jared Massey (Dodger Diamond) and I talk about all things Dodgers as they march toward the National West Division title after an unexpected, unscheduled week off (thanks, Jared).

Ricky Nolasco was fantastic on Wednesday and has been flat-out great in his last two starts. Looks like that trade is working out pretty well for the Dodgers thus far.

Yasiel Puig has been the focus of the media for the last couple of weeks, capping it off with a (justified) benching by Don Mattingly yesterday. Jared and I talk about this for an extended period of time.

Clayton Kershaw had a decent start on Tuesday, but the Dodgers still lost. He wasn't as sharp as usual, but his ERA technically went down after giving up one earned run in 5 2/3 innings. He'll be just fine.

I'm going to Southern California this weekend. I'll be in Rancho Cucamonga on Saturday night and at Dodger Stadium Sunday. It looks like Matt Kemp will be with the Quakes while I'm there. I was going to Rancho to see Corey Seager, but getting to see Kemp is quite the treat.

Seager has struggled since his promotion to High-A. It's nothing to be concerned about, though. He's 19.

Speaking of youngsters, Julio Urias, 17, made his final home start of the regular season on Wednesday. He could end his debut season with a 2.48 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 7.3 H/9, 2.7 BB/9, 11.1 K/9, 4.19 K/BB. Dayum.

We finish up with some listener questions. There were tons of them and they were awesome. Please, please, please keep them coming.

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Look for new episodes of "Dugout Blues" every Wednesday. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and review us on iTunes. We want to make this the best podcast we can so we're always looking for suggestions and ways to improve.

If you have questions you'd like us to answer or certain topics/players you want to hear more about, feel free to email us (ladugout@gmail.com or feelinkindablue@gmail.com) or send us messages on Twitter (@Dodger_Diamond or @FeelinKindaBlue). You can also "Like" the podcast on Facebook. We always welcome audience participation.

Image credit: Joe Martin

Dodgers promote SS Corey Seager to High-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes

The Dodgers have known to be aggressive with their prospects -- more specifically their pitching prospects. But they moved perhaps their most advanced hitting prospect in years up to High-A.

Corey Seager was promoted to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes on Friday. Seager was hitting ..309/.389/.529 with 12 home runs, 18 doubles and 34 walks in 74 games.

While many outside the organization see Seager as a future third baseman, but the organization plans to keep him at shortstop, which means Darnell Sweeney will likely be moved to second base (if he isn't promoted to Double-A, which doesn't seem likely).

Seager, 19, was the Dodgers' first-round draft pick in 2012 and looks like he was a steal at this point.

This is an interesting tidbit from the MLive article:

"Seager doesn't know what the Dodgers' plans are for him, although he passed an Aug. 1 deadline that had many suspecting he would get promoted to Double A Chattanooga. To play in the Arizona Fall League, a player must be on a Double A or Triple A roster no later than Aug. 1."

While it'd be nice to see Seager in the AFL, I don't think the Dodgers needed to be that aggressive. At this rate, though, he could very well begin the 2014 season in Chattanooga.

As Andrew Grant points out, Seager is now the youngest player in the California League.

Brandon Trinkwon, the Dodgers' seventh-round pick in this year's draft, was promoted to take Seager's spot on the roster.

I know someone who's making a trip down to Southern California later this month.

Photo credit: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue

Scouting report: Scott Schebler, Los Angeles Dodgers' outfield prospect

If there's one position the Dodgers have produced and had a surplus of in the minors in recent years, it's outfielders. That holds true at the Major League level, too. So, I'm sure you're not surprised to see the have yet another outfield prospect on the farm who could be more than just a fourth outfielder down the road.

Scott Schebler is tearing up the California League in 2013. He's second in the league in OPS at .982, trailing only Zach Borenstein of the Angels. He's also second in total bases (215) to another Angel farmhand Michael Snyder. He's tied for the league lead in home runs (21) and is the only player who has at least 20 doubles, 10 triples and 20 home runs. The guy is simply having a great season.

While his future probably lies with another organization, he could be a valuable trade chip next season. If he's traded this year, the Dodgers might not get as much value out of him.

Editor's note: I am not a scout (#notascout). This is an amateur scouting report based on what I know about baseball and from following the sport all my life. I don't claim to be a pro, I just want to pass along the information to the masses. Enjoy.

How he got here

Schebler, 22, was a 26th-round selection in the 2010 MLB Draft. He wasn't considered an easy sign, which is why it took until deadline day to get him inked. He signed for $300,000 to forego the rest of his eligibility at Des Moines Area Community College in Iowa.

He played in five games his debut season for Arizona Rookie League Dodgers and hit .294/.333/.529. He'd follow that up with a solid 2011 campaign for the Ogden Raptors (.285/.324/.529). In his first go at full-season ball in 2012, Schebler struggled a bit in the pitcher-friendly Midwest League (.260/.312/.388). His power was sapped. This year, however, is a different story. Chock it up to the environment, but Schebler owns a .307/.365/.618 triple slash this season with 56 extra base hits. That doesn't happen all just because of the environment.

Vitals

6'1, 208 pounds, 22 years old.

He's every bit that height and weight. He probably weighs a little more than that, but it doesn't hamper his game.

Tools

Here's how I would grade Schebler's tools.

Tools	Now	Future
Hitting	40	50
Power	45	55
Speed	50	50
Fielding	50	55
Arm	55	55

Hitting

Schebler uses a his thick frame to generate above-average bat speed. His swing can get a little long at times, but most of the time, he's short and quick to the ball. He has strong wrists that help him to show off some -- at times -- impressive power.

When I saw him in May, he was on the verge of figuring things out. When I saw him last week, he was dialed in -- after a few at-bats that made me scratch my head.

Schebler seemed to be out in front of breaking pitches from both lefties and righties. That's not uncommon, but it was causing him to make weak contact early when I saw him. He made adjustments and was able to square up some pitches.

His base is a little wider than most and his stride is a little longer than I'd like to see it, but it works for him. His stance is relatively straight up-and-down. He holds his hands about shoulder-level before the pitch which allows him to get into good hitting position without too much load time.

He hit four home runs in the four games I saw this month, including two in one game (July 19) with Dodgers' Vice President of Amateur Scouting Logan White in attendance. The first one he hit that night was lined shot over the right-center field wall. It may not have been a home run in every park, but he was quick to the ball and barreled it up cleanly. The second home run (first video below) was a moonshot over the batter's eye in center field. It was a first-pitch fastball and Schebler jumped all over it. It would have been a home run in any park.





The second video is of him hitting a home run off a lefty back in May.

He's posting reverse platoon splits, as he's hitting .321/.382/.654 against lefties in 89 plate-appearances and .303/.359/.607 against righties in 298 plate-appearances. So, he's not doing all his damage against righties and shows he at least has a chance to be an everyday outfielder in the majors.

With the big power comes swing-and-miss. He struck out six times in four games (17 plate appearances). His strikeout rate has climbed to 27.6 percent this season, up from 17.7 last season. Seeing as he doesn't have plus-plus power, he'll have to work on going forward if he wants to succeed at even the upper levels of the minor leagues. He's increased his walk rate three years in a row, but will need it to keep improving as climbs the ladder. He needs to exercise more patience at the the plate and just take what the pitchers give him.

His build and power-speed combination remind me a little of Joc Pederson. While he isn't as fast, he might very well have more power potential than Pederson. But Pederson has Schebler beat in the plate discipline/pitch recognition department.

Baserunning/Speed

Schebler didn't get much of a chance to exhibit his speed, but he has at least average wheels that allow him to be a potential double-digit stolen base guy at the next level. He stole a base in the fourth game I saw last week. He has a nose for the game and solid instincts when he is loose on the bases.

Defense

Schebler has played a little center field in the past, but he's going to be a corner guy going forward. He gets pretty good jumps on the ball in right field and has enough range to make up for any misreads. His arm is average for right and should play up in left field, if that's where he ultimately ends up.

Conclusion

Schebler has a future in this game. At worst, he's a fourth outfielder in the long run. At best, he's a second-division corner outfielder with some pop. He's an emotional player, which is a positive and negative. When he's going well, he's going really well. When he's down, he won't hit a lick. Still, he has enough talent to at least have a big league future, provided he improves his walk rate a bit and decreases his strikeout rate going forward.

Photo credit: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue

Podcast: 'Dugout Blues' episode 49 - Logan White interview, Kemp, Quakes

On this episode of "Dugout Blues," Jared Massey (Dodger Diamond) talk about the juggernaut known as your Los Angeles Dodgers. They've gone 22-5 in their last 27 games and in literally a month's time, have gone from last place to first place. Bravo.

Stop me if you've heard this before: Matt Kemp is hurt again. He sprained his ankle "sliding" into home on Sunday. Predictably, the Dodgers at first said it was a "minor" injury. Now, he's almost assuredly going on the disabled list. In his last 11 games -- a time that spans from June 25 until now -- he's hitting .324/.390/.622 with three home runs, 10 RBI and eight runs scored. That's the Matt Kemp we all know and love. If only he could stay healthy...

Carlos Marmol debuted on Tuesday. It was predictably horrible.

Matt Garza and Francisco Rodriguez were traded this week. Both players were linked to the Dodgers. I'm glad the team got neither of them, especially considering the price.

I talk about some of the good and bad I saw from the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. The names Noel Cuevas, Scott Schebler and Blake Smith are mentioned -- among others.

I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing Dodgers' Vice President of Amateur Scouting Logan White on Friday night. It was awesome. Have a listen to the audio (apologies for the background noise).

The Dodgers haven't yet signed Alexander Guerrero, but it looks like more of a foregone conclusion at this point. The team did sign Moises Perez, which we talk about.

As usual, we close with listener questions.

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Look for new episodes of "Dugout Blues" every Wednesday. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and review us on iTunes. We want to make this the best podcast we can so we're always looking for suggestions and ways to improve.

If you have questions you'd like us to answer or certain topics/players you want to hear more about, feel free to email us (ladugout@gmail.com or feelinkindablue@gmail.com) or send us messages on Twitter (@Dodger_Diamond or @FeelinKindaBlue). You can also "Like" the podcast on Facebook. We always welcome audience participation.

Image credit: Joe Martin

Dodgers' prospect notes from four Rancho Cucamonga Quakes' games

I just finished watching four consecutive Rancho Cucamonga Quakes’ games (two in Stockton against the Ports, two in Modesto against the Nuts -- big thanks to both affiliates for the media credentials), and there’s a dearth of talent in Rancho right now.

My takeaways: There isn’t as much talent on this team as there was earlier this season or as in years past.

Ross Stripling and Duke von Schamann getting promoted to Double-A left the rotation depleted. Garrett Gould was also promoted, but he hasn’t pitched well the last two seasons.

Not much movement on the position player front, aside from a resurgent Jon Garcia heading to Chattanooga. There’s just not a lot of talent in Rancho.

Here are a few notes from each game. I’ll post in-depth scouting reports of guys like Lindsey Caughel, Noel Cuevas, Carlos Frias, Scott Schebler, Darnell Sweeney and more in the coming days here and at Chad Moriyama’s site.

Thursday (7/18/13)

Cuevas had a couple soft hits and a couple stolen bases.  His speed is probably his best tool.

Jon Michael Redding got the start. It’s the third year in a row I’ve seen him start in Stockton (and that’s not good). He wasn’t good on this night. His stuff is the same as it’s been. He’s a non-prospect.

Blake Smith took the hill and had impressive velocity for a guy who hasn’t pitched since 2009 in college. He sat at 90-92 MPH with his fastball. Unfortunately, his curveball was a mess. The first he threw went behind the hitter while the other he threw hit a batter. It was a 75 MPH offering. He has a long way to go on the hill, but his mechanics are clean enough to be successful. His command/control needs lots of work.

Friday (7/19/13)

Bobby Coyle popped a home run as the team’s designated hitter. O’Koyea Dickson showed some nice opposite-field power by hitting a no-doubter to right-center field.

Casio Grider, who took over for Cuevas who twisted his ankle in the first inning, has crazy range in center field. A natural infielder, Grider tracked a deep fly ball that he had no business being near, dove and missed a spectacular catch by about six inches. It was an impressive display of speed.

Carlos Frias was awfully impressive. He mixed all his pitches and struck out 11 in seven innings. It was one of the best pitching performances by a Quake this season.

Schebler has a legitimate bat. He hit two home runs. The first was a lined shot over the right-center field wall. The second was a moonshot over the batter’s eye in center field (video below).

Sweeney doesn’t have the chops to stay at shortstop long-term. There’s some loop in his throw from short and he’s messy with his footwork and mechanics. He makes spectacular plays, but botches the routine ones.

Saturday (7/20/13)

Gustavo Gomez started. His velocity was actually pretty good (90-93 MPH), but he gave up a grand slam in the first inning to put him

Schebler has a lot of swing-and-miss, but he also has loud tools. He can play center, but he fits best in a corner. His arm is average in right, so left field could be his future. Speed/power combination isn’t dissimilar to Joc Pederson’s. Has some issues with the mental aspect of the game. Too emotional at times, wears it on his sleeve.

Scott Wingo has sneaky speed and is playing all over the infield. He’s a natural second baseman. He has great on-base ability, but he doesn’t barrel up enough pitches to be considered a legitimate prospect at this point.

Sunday (7/21/13)

Caughel doesn’t have the velocity to be successful in the rotation long-term. Has four pitches, but none grade out as even average. Velo dipped after about three innings.

Coyle is about a 40-45 left fielder at best. His arm is weak and his range is limited. He fits best there or at DH. He has power, but not much else to be excited about.

Grider’s home run was surprising. He’s not a power guy at all, but he ran into one. He had a bunt single in the first inning, too.

Pedro Guerrero has a decent glove, but he can’t hit a lick. He doesn’t hit the ball hard, leading to poor at-bats.

Pratt Maynard has good instincts behind the plate and a decent eye, but the hit tool must improve for him to be more than a career minor-leaguer (and probably a backup in the minors).

James McDonald, the Dodgers’ 18th-round draft pick, isn’t much of a prospect. He doesn’t have a good hit tool, has zero power and his first step at second base is slow. He played left field on Friday night. He’ll be lucky to be a utility man in Triple-A, let alone the majors.

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That's about it. Like I said, I'll have some in-depth reports in the coming days and weeks. I'm going to try to get down to Rancho toward the end of the minor-league season to see the boys in their home environment.

Photo credit: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue

Video: Dodgers' prospect Angelo Songco's RBI double against Stockton

This is a quick video I was able to shoot/edit of Angelo Songco ripping a double to the right-center field gap on Thursday against Stockton Ports' pitcher Jake Brown.

Songco is coming off a terrible season that was shortened by injury. He's not hitting particularly well so far this season (.267/.306/.396), but he does have a decent bat. He was fantastic in the California League a couple years ago. If he gets on track, he could get the call to Double-A Chattanooga later this season.

He's has a career .766 OPS against left-handed pitchers, which is pretty good for a left-handed hitter. Songco actually has a better line-drive rate against lefties than he does righties (16.8 to 13.8 percent). He's also been unlucky against lefties, posting a worse batting average on balls in play against them than righties (.275 to .320). His isolated power is also better against lefties than righties (.223 to .215).

If a guy isn't going to hit lefties particularly well, he might as well make his hits go for extra bases. Take note, Andre Ethier.

Here's the video.



It was a nice, short stroke to right-center. He didn't look particularly well the rest of the night, but he was nails during this at-bat.

Photo credit: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue

Dodgers' prospect Jarret Martin dominates, but loses in best outing of career

Jarret Martin had one of the best performances of his Dodger career on Wednesday night, but it wasn't enough to propel the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes to victory.

Martin's line was rather impressive: 6 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K.

The Stockton Ports scored their only two runs of the night in the first inning, aided by a Darnell Sweeney error -- his 13th in 24 games. Addison Russell was on first when Martin gave up a booming triple off the center field wall to Antonio Lamas. Lamas would later score on a sacrifice fly.

But Martin was the story for the Quakes. He gave up just two hits, zero walks and struck out eight. Martin had a start last season for the Great Lakes Loons which was as follows: 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K. That was against lesser competition, so I'm calling tonight's outing the best of his Dodger minor-league career.

Martin used an overpowering fastball that sat in the 92-94 MPH range and touched 96 -- including the last pitch of his evening. His slider sat around 84 MPH and his changeup -- used seldom -- was in the low-80s and didn't offer much in the way of effectiveness.

But when ones fastball is as dominant as Martin's was, there's not much need to throw a changeup. His slider was just good enough to keep hitters form sitting on his fastball.

His fastball also featured some nice arm-side movement, something that comes naturally with left-handed pitchers.

Here's an admittedly crappy video (shot by me on an iPhone) of Martin getting Russell to ground into a double play in the sixth inning.



Martin, 23, has trouble with command and control. Tonight, he didn't have trouble with either. If he were more like this, not only would he be a more highly regarded prospect, he'd have a definite Major League future.

Now, the fact he throws in the mid-90s and is left-handed should precipitate an MLB career, but likely as a reliever.

For now, he's the Quakes' No. 2 or No. 3 starter, and he should have a chance to hone his skills in the California League the rest of the season.

Photo credit: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes announce 2013 roster, led by Ross Stripling and Angelo Songco

Stripling

The next Dodger minor-league affiliate to announce its roster is the High-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes of the California League.

• 2013 Great Lakes Loons opening day roster

Last year, the Quakes boasted an impressive pitching staff that included Garrett Gould, Zach Lee, Chris Reed, Angel Sanchez and Andres Santiago. This season, in the hitter-friendly league, the team looks to have another potentially strong pitching staff.

Ross Stripling and Duke von Schamann – both 2012 draftees (fifth and 15th, respectively) – figure to head the rotation, along with Cal League returners Gould and Jon Michael Redding. Jarret Martin, who made two appearances with the Quakes in 2012, will fill out the rotation.

Again, like the Loons, I hit on 14 of 25 players from my January prediction.

Roster

Catchers

Pratt Maynard

Chris O’Brien

Dickson

Infielders

O’Koyea Dickson

Elevys Gonzalez

Casio Grider (DL)

Ryan Mount

Darnell Sweeney

Scott Wingo

Outfielders

Noel Cuevas

Jonathan Garcia

Robbie Garvey

Scott Schebler

Starting pitchers

Garrett Gould

Jarret Martin

Jon Michael Redding

Ross Stripling

Duke von Schamann

Baez

Relief pitchers

Pedro Baez

James Campbell

Daniel Coulombe

Gustavo Gomez

Raydel Sanchez

Matt Shelton

Craig Stem

Michael Thomas

The offense could be good and is led Songco, a Cal League All-Star in 2011. Songco was on the fast track to Double-A after that season, but a broken leg derailed his 2012, a season in which he spent time at Low-A Great Lakes and Rancho.

Sweeney, another 2012 draftee (13th round), should be the team’s starting shortstop. He played a lot of second base in spring training in deference to other players, but Wingo returns to Rancho and figures to be the team’s leadoff hitter and second baseman. The team also has Dickson, a 2012 Midwest League All-Star, who figures to share time with Songco at first base and designated hitter (both getting ample playing time).

Maynard, 80 name, returns to Rancho, along with O’Brien, to be the team’s backstops.

Garcia returns to the Cal League at the ripe old age of 21. He struggled, surprisingly, in his first stint with the Quakes. He has good power potential and here’s hoping a season against advanced competition leads to success in 2013. Noel Cuevas, a toolsy outfielder, figures to get a lot of playing time in his this time in High-A after a 23-game stint there in 2011. Scott Schebler, who doesn’t walk a lot, is will be the team’s every day left fielder. And, in perhaps the most interesting story, the player the Dodgers signed after open tryouts during spring training, is headed to Rancho.

Garvey is a short, speedy left-handed hitter who can play center field. Cuevas figures to start in center, but Garvey should get a decent look and spell Schebler and Garcia when they need off days (with Cuevas shifting to a corner).

My best guess at a lineup

Wingo 2B

Sweeney SS

Songco 1B/DH

Dickson DH/1B

Schebler LF

Garcia RF

Mount 3B

O’Brien/Maynard C

Cuevas CF

Songco, if he hits well enough, figures to earn a promotion to Double-A. Dickson, Garcia and Schebler could be a solid middle-of-the-order, especially if the table-setters (Wingo and Sweeney) get on base enough.

This team could challenge for a playoff spot, if the pitching holds up over the season. The bullpen, with converted third baseman Baez and a couple of tough lefties in Coulombe and Thomas could prove to be tough for Cal League hitters.

There’s usually a lot of talent in the Cal League. This team could make some noise if everything goes right, though.

Photo credits: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue

Dodgers' full-season minor league team preview: Rancho Cucamonga Quakes

This is the second in a four-part series projecting the Dodgers' full-season minor league teams. Up now, the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.

• Part 1 of 4: Great Lakes Loons

Last season's Rancho Cucamonga Quakes squad was set to blow right through the California League competition. The team was headed by top pitching prospects  Garrett Gould, Zach Lee, Chris Reed and Angel Sanchez.

Despite it being a hitters' haven, that quartet was supposed to lead the Quakes to the playoffs -- and it almost did in the first half.

The Quakes were tied with the High-Desert Mavs for the top spot. A one-game playoff between the two on June 25 determined the first-half champion. With Sanchez on the hill, the team jumped out to a 5-2 lead after 4 1/2 innings. The Quakes allowed six runs in the next two innings, giving the Mavs the playoff berth.

Lee pitched well before being promoted to Double-A, Reed pitched sparingly (35 innings) before his promotion to Double-A. The rotation was spearheaded by Gould (5.75 ERA), Sanchez (6.58 ERA) and Jon Michael Redding (4.42 ERA). Andres Santiago threw 96 1/3 quality innings until he was promoted to Chattanooga.

Pericht

While the offense had a nice 1-2-3 of Leon Landry, Joc Pederson and C.J. Retherford, the rest of the squad was inconsistent. Landry was traded at the end of July, Pederson paced the offense in the second half and Retherford was promoted to Double-A. Players like Austin Gallagher, Michael Pericht and Jonathan Garcia just weren't able to hit enough to overcome the lackluster pitching.

The Quakes lost some quality players in 2012 to promotions. With the number of quality players in Chattanooga, I wouldn't expect there to be a lot of up-and-down action between the two squads (injuries notwithstanding).

The 2013 roster doesn't look as good as 2012, but it could surprise some folks.

Projected roster

Catchers (2)
Pratt Maynard
Michael Pericht

Jacobs

Infielders (6)
Jesus Arredondo
Jesse Bosnik
O'Koyea Dickson
Pedro Guerrero
Chris Jacobs
Darnell Sweeney

Outfielders (4)
James Baldwin
Jonathan Garcia
Jeremy Rathjen
Scott Schebler

Starting pitchers (5)
Garrett Gould
Jarret Martin
Angel Sanchez
Duke von Schamann
Ross Stripling

Relief pitchers (8)
James Campbell
Yimi Garcia
Gustavo Gomez
Joel Lima
Brandon Martinez
Arismendy Ozoria
Matt Shelton 
Michael Thomas

The best prospects on this projected roster are Baldwin, Dickson Gould, Sweeney and Rathjen. Guys like Garcia, Gould and Sanchez are slated to repeat High-A because of poor performance and because there's a logjam in Double-A ahead of them.

The bullpen has three guys capable of starting (Gomez, Martinez, Ozoria), but they have to pitch somewhere. Perhaps one of them could unseat Sanchez in the rotation.

I'm not sure Rathjen and Stripling will begin with Rancho, but I'd like to see the Dodgers be aggressive with two of their selections from the 2012 draft.

My lineup
Baldwin CF
Sweeney SS
Dickson 1B/DH
Jacobs DH/1B
Garcia RF/Schebler LF
Bosnik 3B
Rathjen LF/RF
Maynard C
Arredondo 2B

Baldwin didn't hit a lick in Low-A, but he does have decent on-base ability. Maybe a hitter-friendly environment will help him, but it's also likely to hurt him, especially if he hits a few dingers early on. Rathjen could eventually work his way up in the lineup.

The rotation could be strong if Stripling handles the aggressive assignment well enough and Gould and Sanchez pitch to their capabilities. The bullpen has a nice back-end combination of Campbell and Garcia, while Thomas could be a nice sleeper in the group.

Someone who didn't make my projected Loons or Quakes roster is Juan Rodriguez. I have a hunch -- and that's all it is -- that he'll be released prior to the season. If he isn't, he'll likely begin in High-A.

The Cal League is a crap shoot, and this year is no exception.

Photo credits: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue

Faith the key for Dodgers' slugging prospect O'Koyea Dickson

Faith is a big part of many professional athletes lives and success. Dodgers' prospect O'Koyea Dickson is no exception.

Dickson, 22, was drafted in the 12th round out of baseball powerhouse Sonoma State University near the San Francisco Bay Area. Seriously, Sonoma State has seen 40 players drafted since 1974 -- not bad for a Division II school. The "hitterish" prospect had a great debut with the Ogden Raptors of the Pioneer League: .333/.402/.603 with 13 home runs, 38 RBI and 10 doubles in 48 games.

Though he isn't as physically imposing as one would expect a slugging first baseman to be (5'11, 215 pounds), he's more than held his own in his first two seasons.

This is the video from 49th State Hardball I embedded from the last time I wrote about Dickson.



His debut performance put him on the prospect map for many. This season, Dickson started off on fire despite not starting the season when everyone else.

He suffered a hand injury in Spring Training -- an injury that kept him out of action until May 4. But Dickson said the hand is doing well.

His performance this season with the Great Lakes Loons earned him a spot in the Midwest League All-Star Game. This is particularly impressive because he missed 30 games and had to absolutely rake to get the nod. He hit .331/.442/.564 with six home runs, 22 RBI, 13 doubles and a good 24:22 BB:K ratio before the All-Star break.

"It meant a lot making it to the Midwest League All-Star Game," Dickson said. "Didn't think I was gonna make it due to my number of at-bats, but I'm blessed I got a chance to be an All-Star."

Dickson showed spectators what he's made of in the All-Star game, going 2-for-3 with a home run, which earned him MVP honors.

"It was pretty sweet going yard at the game," Dickson said. "Just wasn't trying to do to much and I got a good pitch to hit."

Dickson has made the transition from Pioneer League pitching to Midwest League pitching, and that's a big transition to make. The environments in the Pioneer League are much most hitter-friendly, so the fact he's hitting well in the Midwest League is encouraging.

Dickson said he's noticed the difference in the pitching at both levels.

"I thought last year in the Pioneer League guys threw a little harder," Dickson said. "On a daily basis, and this year, guys still throw hard, but they tend to throw a lot more off-speed pitches in hitter's counts."

Like a lot of athletes, Dickson puts his faith in, well, faith.

He said God is a big part of his life.

"Faith is the biggest factor because even when you're struggling, you have to keep the faith because good things have yet to come," Dickson said. "No matter what, God controls everything."

In fact, he said one of his favorite things about playing baseball is tied to faith.

"My favorite thing about playing baseball is showing that if you put your trust in God and be faithful to him, he will bless you with whatever your heart desires," Dickson said. "I just want to show people with God by your side, anything is possible.

Dickson said he doesn't set specific goals for himself, but looks at what he needs to improve and lets God do his thing.

"I put a little more focus on a particular part of my game I need to work on," Dickson said. "So, like (runners in scoring position), I want to be able to drive them in more frequently. I kinda just go day-by-day and let God control the outcome of my day."

Dickson said he's a student of the game and considers that his biggest strength.

"I don't try to put any pressure on myself. I try to make baseball as simple as it needs to be," Dickson said. "See ball, hit ball.

But Dickson also acknowledges his shortcomings.

"I think my weakest part of my game is defense," Dickson said. "I'm not bad at first baseman, but I'm trying my best to get better everyday. (It's) just all about being comfortable and trusting in your abilities."

Dickson first caught people's attention in high school when he hit a ball out of AT&T Park. He said that was his most memorable moment as a high schooler. He also said hitting a home run in the Division II World Series in the ninth inning and two home runs in the Pioneer League playoffs last year were also memorable for him.

He's hit a bit of a cold since the All-Star Break (2-for-22), but he has the ability to turn it around. With a lot of potential moving parts in the levels above Low-A, he should see time in Rancho Cucamonga later this summer. Despite the cold streak, he doesn't have a whole lot left to prove in the Midwest League. He needs to be tested against advanced pitching (even if the California League is a hitter's haven).

These are the players manning first base ahead of Dickson:

• Triple-A: Jerry Sands, Scott Van Slyke
• Double-A: J.T. Wise
• High-A: Austin Gallagher, Christopher O'Brien

Other than Sands and Van Slyke, not much to be impressed with. Dickson has even been splitting time at first base with the rehabbing Angelo Songco in Great Lakes.

But in the end, Dickson has one ultimate goal.

"(Getting) a chance to play in the big leagues," Dickson said.

If he plays as well in the upper levels of the minors as he has in his brief career in the lower levels, it's bound to happen.

Video: Garrett Gould's June 6 start for the Dodgers' Class-A affiliate

Here's some video from Garrett Gould's start on June 6 against the Stockton Ports. He was solid in the outing, but I was expecting more. I'll do a more in-depth write-up on Gould over the weekend.



He posted the following line in this outing:

• 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K

He worked at 87-91 MPH with the fastball (two- and four-seamer), 77-78 with the curveball, 80-82 with the changeup and 82-84 with the slider.

I rated Gould my No. 4 prospect coming into the season.

Video credit: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue

Podcast: 'Dugout Blues' episode 9 -- Dodgers, Soler, Quakes, draft recap

In this episode of "Dugout Blues," Jared Massey and I discuss the Dodgers' recent road trip success. In the previous episode, we thought a 5-5 record on the 10-game trip would suffice. But the Dodgers went 7-3, which is awesome.

I had been on the "sign Jorge Soler" bandwagon for months and the Dodgers were reportedly one of the final teams in the bidding. Alas, they lost out to the Chicago Cubs, which signed him to a 9-year, $30 million contract.

We also discuss the return of Juan Uribe -- briefly, Alex Castellanos getting demoted, my trip to see the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in action last week and our recap of the Dodgers' 2012 MLB Draft.

Libsyn link
Direct link
iTunes link

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My latest piece is up at Chad Moriyama. Here's an excerpt:

"Someone break up the Quakes. Rancho Cucamonga went 7-0 this week, thanks largely in part to my attendance on Tuesday and Wednesday. All kidding aside, the Quakes got some great pitching and some timely hitting to catapult them into a first place tie in their division with the Lake Elsinore Storm (San Diego Padres) at 34-30. With six games left in the first half, the Quakes are in a good position to win the division. They have the Lancaster Jethawks (Houston Astros) and High Desert Mavericks (Seattle Mariners) this week."

The Quakes won another game before losing last night. They're tied for first place with four games remaining in the first half.

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The Dodgers signed 15th-round draft pick Dalton "Duke" Schamann today, according to an article in the  Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.

A few photos from the Quakes' 3-2 win against the Ports

I'll do some a more in-depth posts later, but I wan to throw out a few of the photos I got of tonight's Rancho Cucamonga Quakes game. They defeated the Stockton Ports 3-2.

Scott Wingo (0-for-2, BB, SB, run scored... scored on a doube-steal)



Jon Michael Redding (8 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 9 K, 2 HR allowed)

 

Joc Pederson (2-for-3, 3B, SB, run scored)





Chris Jacobs (1-for-4, game-winning HR)



Eric Eadington (1 IP, 1 H, save)

Zach Lee in the bullpen before the game



It was a fun night. Garrett Gould is on the hill for the Quakes on Wednesday -- not Lee, as I previously expected. Lee will go Thursday.

Photo credits: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue