SoundsSilence

The Sound of Silence: Dodgers Quiet at Trade Deadline

That was an amazing couple of hours. As a Dodger fan, watching all of the rumors pop up and then drift away was a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing. We get a lot of that here in Washington, DC, but it doesn’t make it right. Ha.

Looking around the league, some big names moved and some others stayed right where they were. Lester is leaving Boston and will head to Oakland while Cuban home run machine Yoenis Cespedes will head back to Boston. I have to think Boston get the best of that trade, especially since they will have an opportunity to get Lester back for next season. (A Red Sox superfan friend of mine is convinced that he will be wearing pinstripes, though.)

 


And then you had the Cardinals and their trade of Joe Kelly and Allen Craig to Boston for John Lackey.  I don’t know about you, but I sure hope this means we don’t have to hear any of that “Cardinal Way” b.s. anymore.

Finally, the last blockbuster was David Price to Detroit in a three-way with Seattle.  Have to admit, I’m not as familiar with all the pieces in this one.  I do know that Detroit either solidified their rotation as the best in baseball or claimed the top spot from the Dodgers.  This immediately makes them a team to beat.

I am happy with where the Dodgers landed. I think we’ve got a solid team that can win the West and take us into the playoffs again. I do think there are some pieces to be added in the next phase of waiver wires. Should be interesting to see where we go from there. Who do you think the winners and losers were at the trade deadline?

(image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sounds_of_Silence)

ATLANTA BRAVES VS LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Sweet Victory Hangover: Dodgers Beat Braves with Matt Kemp Walkoff in 10th

As you lucky West Coast Dodger fans are sleeping comfortably, those of us on the opposite coast that stuck it out to the end are tired.  Damn tired.  But now so tired that I can’t continue to revel in last night’s big win.

Just like I said about the previous game, these are the games that we need to win, but haven’t so far this season. When the offense can overcome a bad start, that’s when you know the team is working.  When the offense dries up, you can still count on the right hit at the right time to pull out the W.  Seemed like those kinds of victories were out of our grasp for most of this season.  I’d like to see this be a trend.  Will be good for my heart.  It’s also been nice to have an extended string of wins.



Thumbing through the recaps, here are several great perspectives: Mike Petriello does the wrap at Dodger Digest.  He focuses on the resurgence of Matt Kemp, the fuel behind tonight’s victory. One amazing, but easy to overlook Kemp stat from the game – he advanced two bases on an infield single. Twice! Love that hustle.  Also on Kemp…

His wRC+ is now 134, which is not only better than his career average, it’d be the third-best of his career. It’s one of the 35 best marks in the game. The last week or so is something of an unsustainable hot streak, I’m aware, but it doesn’t mean I’m not enjoying it.

Stacie Wheeler at Lasorda’s Lair has a great rundown of the highlights, including a check in with the bubble machine.

Bubbles are flowing in the Dodgers’ dugout after they tie it up 1-1 in the  bottom of the second thanks to a Bison Blast by Matt Kemp! The lead-off homerun to left center field is the third homer for Kemp in the last two games.

Over at True Blue LA, Eric Stephen writes about the “old soul” delivering new accomplishments.  My favorite take, though, was the acknowledgement of Kemp’s walkup music.

He came to bat a few times on Wednesday with “All Night Long” by Lionel Richie as hit at-bat music, including before the home run. Kemp played along when asked if he might keep Richie as his walk-up muse.   “He’s one of my favorite artists. We could do this all night long. It’s a good song,” Kemp said, laughing. “I’ve got an old soul.”

And of course, you always need to check out Jon Soo Hoo’s amazing photos from the game to feel what it was like to be there. What did the Braves fans have to say?  





If you want to recapture the feel of the game and follow along with what the fans were thinking, saying, feeling and sharing, be sure to visit last night’s social recap here on DodgerSocial.

What was your favorite part of the game?

 

 

 

(photo credit: http://dodgersphotog.mlblogs.com/2014/07/31/73014-something-current-lad-3atl-2-by-jon-soohoola-dodgers/)

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Best of Social: Dodgers vs. Braves 7.30.14

Post Game Note: Damn. Welcome back, Matt Kemp. Time for bed.

That win last night had me smiling all day. That was really something. The Braves are a team that I was always surrounded by as a kid growing up in the Southeast. So, I’ve always been a bit more anxious when the Dodgers play them. So, when there are big wins like last night, it just feels so much better. It was also a great victory because those are the kind of games we had been losing all season – short starts followed by terrible relief just when the bats went dead. But last night, wow, the offense picked up Beckett’s short start and the bullpen wouldn’t let their foot off the Braves’ necks. I can tell you this from watching the chat online today… Braves fans are not looking forward to the next two games. This tweet is pretty typical of what I was seeing…

— Mike Collins (@Maestro_Mike) July 30, 2014


I can live with that. Now on with tonight’s game and your commentary. Follow the game from start to finish in the words and pictures of fans just like you. 

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Best of Social: Dodgers vs. Braves 7.29.14

Post game note:  These are the fun games.  When the bullpen can pitch nearly five strong innings and not spontaneously combust into the great LA dumpster fire that we all fear… it’s a good day.  Puig!  Kemp!  Wow.  Good night!

Best of Social for Dodger games was previously hosted on my other site, SocialClymer.com, but I got such great feedback that I wanted to give these posts a better forum.  So, welcome to Dodger Social! Tonight’s coverage doesn’t begin in earnest until the bottom of the 7th because of technical difficulties.

It’s time for Dodger baseball!  Which Josh Beckett will we get tonight?  The revitalized curveball machine that throws no hitters or the tired old man? How will our old friend Aaron Harang look facing his old team? At least we are playing the Braves in Dodger Stadium, so there will be no Chop.  Now on to what you have to say about tonight’s game.

 

 

(image credit:  https://twitter.com/sportsnetla/status/494297236063272961)

Darwin Barney is a Dodger

Darwin Barney Comes to LA – Why Is That So Funny?

Actually, I know why.  It’s funny because he’s got the perfect name for an endless number of jokes.  At least that’s what I’ve learned from you over the last 24 hours.  Here’s what Russell Brewer (@fernandomania81) had to say,

and this tweet from Kelsey Shea (@kelseyshea11)

or this accurate, if not a little mean tweet from Kershaw’s Wrath (@geeman1026)

But what’s the most important part of the story?  We might have actually gotten another useful part of the team.  Lord knows we could use good gloves, especially up the middle.  And you don’t have to take my word for it, just listen to the guys at FanGraphs:

While I’m not going to hold out for Barney to be the silver bullet solution to all of our problems, he should be another solid piece that makes up a fantastic team.  Sounds a lot like last year’s big trade deadline aquisition of Drew Butera.  Hey… he caught Beckett’s no hitter!  But who knows, maybe some Cubs fans are right

(Image credit: http://beforeitsnews.com/sports/2014/07/chicago-cubs-designate-darwin-barney-for-assignment-2575190.html)
The Glove

Welcome to Dodger Social

It started out as an idea on my person blog, The Social Clymer – could I bring together the best coverage of the Dodgers in one place?  This includes all of your tweets, Instagram photos, blogs and more!  I experimented during some games, like this recent Giants game, and people really seemed to like the idea.  After thinking about it, I decided the concept needed it’s own home.  And more coverage!

I’m not going to be writing the news and analysis.  We already have much smarter people that can do that.  The gang at Dodgers Digest and Eric and his crew at True Blue LA, just to name a few, know more about Dodger prospects, can quote more from Fangraphs & Baseball Reference and have historical knowledge that I’ll ever possess.  So, this is not about recreating their efforts.  It’s about elevating their perspectives and bringing all of this talent together.  There are dozens of wonderful blogs and thousands of active social media users commenting about the Dodgers every day.  They are smart, insightful and hysterical.  I hope to bring some of that together here.

Because I can’t possibly stay on top of all of it, I hope that I can count on you to help.  If you see something that you think should be featured here… let’s have it!  If you would like to contribute in any way, I’m more than happy to have you be a part of what I’m doing.  Just let me know!

You might be asking, “Who the hell are you anyway?”  Well, my name is Christian and I live in the Washington, DC area.  I’ve been a Dodger fan my whole life – a love passed on to me by my father who grew up in NY as a Dodger fan and moved to LA about the same time as the team.  I vividly remember listening to the ’81 series on the radio in the car while driving across Iowa.  In 1988, I covered the series for my high school newspaper in Tennessee.  And last year (as crazy as it sounds), I got to see my first live Dodger game.  Well, four actually.  I was at the Padres game in San Diego for the Greinke/Quentin fight.  I saw them come from behind to beat the Orioles in Baltimore.  I was at the game when Kemp wrecked his ankle sliding into home in Washington (I know this picture jinxed him!).  Finally, I saw the boys lose in Philadelphia, but sat out in right field with Puig all afternoon.  I haven’t been to a game this year, but am trying my best to get out to Chavez Ravine for a game.

Being on the east coast makes being a Dodgers fan quite difficult, since most west coast games don’t start until after 10:00 my time.  Here in 2014, though, at least it means that I can watch almost all of the games on MLB.tv, since I’m out of market.  (Sorry!)  During the day, I am a public affairs flack with a specialty in social/digital media.  So, I guess I just can’t get enough of it.

Thanks for visiting Dodger Social.  I’m looking forward to seeing what we can create together.