Monthly Archives: August 2014

Greg Maddux offers some high praise for Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw.

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Clayton Kershaw

Clayton Kershaw pauses before throwing the final pitch of his no-hitter June 18 at Dodger Stadium. (John McCoy/Staff photographer)

SAN DIEGO >> Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw‘s name has been linked to Greg Maddux quite a bit in recent years. Last year, Kershaw became the first pitcher since Maddux to lead the majors in earned-run average in three consecutive seasons.

This year, Kershaw is on track to make it four years in a row. He’s 16-3 with a 1.73 ERA and a major-league leading six complete games.

Maddux never finished higher than third in National League Most Valuable Player voting in 23 major-league seasons. Speaking Friday at Petco Park, the recently inducted Hall of Famer thinks Kershaw has a shot at winning the award this year.

“I don’t have a vote,” Maddux said, asked if Kershaw should win the award. “That [winning three straight MLB ERA titles] is what it would take for a pitcher to win the MVP. That and a down year on the hitter’s side.”

It so happens that offense is down across the board this season. The OPS for the entire major leagues is .703, which would be the lowest mark since 1992 (.700).

Even though he wouldn’t commit an MVP vote to Kershaw, Maddux offered some high praise for his former teammate.

“His consistency is off the charts good,” Maddux said. “Everybody who wears a major-league uniform is good in their own way. There’s guys who can do it every time they put on the uniform. … Every time you see a player whose bad games are good, it’s special.”

Dodgers set to activate Hyun-Jin Ryu from DL for Sunday start in San Diego.

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Hyun-Jin Ryu

Hyun-Jin Ryu is 2-0 with a 0.47 ERA in two starts against the Padres this season. (Associated Press photo)

SAN DIEGO >> Dodgers left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu will return from the disabled list Sunday to start against the San Diego Padres, and right-hander Roberto Hernandez will start Monday at Dodger Stadium against the Washington Nationals.

“The only that’s going to change that — (Ryu) is going to do more stuff today running-wise — is if for some reason he would go backwards and they felt that another day would be needed, then we would do that,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said.

Ryu was placed on the 15-day disabled list after straining the gluteus medius and piriformis muscles in his right buttock August 13. He threw a bullpen session Tuesday in Arizona and reported no ill effects afterwards.

The left-hander is 13-6 with a 3.28 earned-run average this season.

Ryu’s return would displace Kevin Correia to the bullpen. The right-hander went 2-1 with a 6.43 ERA in three starts after he was acquired from the Minnesota Twins. That’s likely to be the only major impact on the Dodgers’ pitching staff, since rosters can expand past the current 25-man limit on Monday.

Mattingly had a simple reason for lining up Ryu to face the Padres and Hernandez to face the Nationals.

“Ryu’s been really good against San Diego, and Roberto’s been really good against the Nationals,” he said.

In two starts against the Nationals this season, both wins, Hernandez hasn’t allowed a run in 15 ⅓ innings.

In three starts against the Padres this season, Ryu is 2-0 with a 0.47 ERA (19 IP, 1 ER).

Ryu scheduled to be back soon for Dodgers

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Hyun-Jin Ryu threw a bullpen session here Tuesday and could return to the Dodgers rotation as early as Sunday.
Ryu, who is eligible to come off the disabled list on Friday, said he experienced no pain on Tuesday but wouldn’t commit to on if he felt he would be activated.
“I’m very positive,” Ryu said through an interpreter. “Every day I’ve gotten better than the day before, so that’s a good sign.”
The Dodgers need good signs when it comes to their starting rotation, and Ryu’s seemingly impending activation would be just that, although Ryu was noncommital on when he thought he would come off the disabled list.
“I can’t really say, but I think (Wednesday) will determine that,” Ryu said.
The Dodgers rotation has been cobbled together on the back end with injuries to Paul Maholm, Josh Beckett and then Ryu’s strained right gluteus muscle sidelined him.
Asked how difficult it’s been not being able to help the team, Ryu said being on the disabled list was “boring.”

Sports Fans Coalition petitions FCC to delay Comcast-Time Warner merger.

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The Sports Fans Coalition, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, filed a Petition to Deny with the Federal Communications Commission in connection with the pending Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger.

According to an email from the SFC:

We call on the FCC to (1) hold the entire Comcast-Time Warner proceeding in abeyance unless and until the unprecedented Dodgers/TWC holdup is resolved, and (2) either deny the merger or require as a condition the complete divestiture by Comcast of all its Regional Sports Networks.

Already, members of Congress have asked the FCC to intervene on this matter with no formal response. With five weeks left in the MLB regular season, it seems unlikely that non-Time Warner subscribers will be watching live Dodgers games (legally) anytime soon.

Also Monday, AwfulAnnouncing.com reported that TWC is asking carriers to pay $3.84 per month per subscriber for SportsNet LA, which goes a long way toward explaining the hold-up if it’s true. Author Joe Lucia contends that the Time Warner/DirecTV impasse could delay the Comcast-Time Warner proceedings without any outside help.

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