They’re back. Those spring workouts that look oh so relaxed and the Dodger blue hats that pitchers and catchers adorn are on display as Spring Training returns. For Don Mattingly’s Dodgers, it is a week before every other club reports to either Florida or Arizona, but that is OK by me. Watching Clayton Kershaw play catch with A.J. Ellis, a pitcher who will be chasing a third Cy Young award this season and a fourth straight ERA title, is a favourite pastime for all baseball lovers.
The pop of the glove and the snap of the ball, the beautiful sounds you associate with America’s cultural domain; except for the boys in blue there is another continent they’ll have to export their game to next month, and you would think they aren’t excited at all.
Both Kershaw and Zack Greinke, whom Mattingly all but admitted would be starting the two regular season games in Sydney on March 22 and 23, said on their return to Glendale yesterday that they would much prefer to go to Australia ‘for a vacation’ than to pitch. Obviously, there is so much to do and even more to see Down Under but for the Dodgers – I will acknowledge that you’re going there too, Arizona – it is pure business as the current NL West champions look to get off to a 2-0 start before the obscene reality of a 16-hour flight back to the States, then three more exhibition games before the American opener in San Diego on March 30.
Mattingly is slightly anxious that bad habits will creep in as Los Angeles suffers from the inevitable jet-lag and subsequent drop off in performance coming down from two games that ‘matter’ to the annual Freeway Series with the Angels. And let’s be honest, while all the talk about the Angels used to be about why there is only one team in LA, the Diamondbacks are now clearly a bigger rival for the Dodgers. A couple of brawls a season and taking swimming lessons in the other’s pool helps to advance that.
A.J. Ellis seemed his focused and determined self when talking to the media on his camp return, and he said it was an honour to go to Australia earlier in the winter to see the Sydney Cricket Ground – the destination for both games.
One thing is certain about the trip – Matt Kemp will not be playing. Mattingly stated as much yesterday, saying Kemp is yet to run on his surgically repaired ankle. But because the Dodgers didn’t sell one of either Andre Ethier, Carl Crawford or Yasiel Puig (why would they?) means the return of Kemp is important but not a must. Well, it isn’t important until the injuries pile up, which seem to happen every season in bunches at Dodger Stadium.
The full squad returns this coming Friday, with the first intra-squad workout taking place the following day.
If any readers wish to send me a few thousand dollars so I can go watch the games at the SCG, that would be much appreciated. Maybe Mr. Kemp can give me his ticket? After all, he won’t be needing it. Cheers, Matt. And get well soon Sir!
