Juan Uribe Proves 'You Can Do Better'

Up Next

by Eric Stephen on Apr 23, 2012 6:10 PM PDT in Dodgers Pregame Notes

Last Wednesday in Milwaukee, Capuano was able to complete six innings, though he was pulled after just 82 pitches, and after giving up a run in his final frame, a home run to Aramis Ramirez.

"Up to this point it seems like there has been a wall there in the fifth or sixth inning. I'm not quite sure why," manager Don Mattingly said of Capuano on Monday. "I don't think he's getting fatigued. A couple of times his pitch count has been really low."

Capuano has given up one run this season in the first four innings of his starts, a total of 12 innings to date. In the fifth and sixth innings, Capuano has allowed a total of seven runs in four innings.

"There are times he will lose aggressiveness. That's what I've seen more than anything. He'll start picking," Mattingly said. "You have to pay attention to it right now and try to work through it, and get him to work through it, especially when his pitch count is low."

Capuano averaged 5.97 innings per start for the New York Mets last season, and had a 3.03 ERA in the fifth inning, but an 8.61 ERA in the sixth inning.

Loney And His Swing

James Loney was filming a television commercial before the game on Monday, which included him being filmed while hitting in the cage. Loney has had a penchant for changing his swing on a whim, and Mattingly jokingly cringed at the thought of the production crew around Loney giving him batting advice.

Mattingly said Loney, who has hit .346/.452/.615 in his last nine games, made a change in his swing for his first at-bat Friday in Houston, which resulted in a strikeout. But both Mattingly and hitting coach Dave Hansen spotted the change and nipped it in the bud by showing Loney side-by-side videos of his good swing and his one at-bat change, which Loney quickly scrapped.

"I figured he had a roll of quarters and went to the batting cage in his hometown," Mattingly joked.

Notes

"The other day I was messing around with him about the Player of the Week. He said 'I want to be Player of the Year'," Mattingly said. "That's kind of the mentality you want. We're trying to win something, and he wants to be the best player all year long. I like guys thinking like that.

by Eric Stephen on Apr 23, 2012 1:02 PM PDT in Dodgers Game Previews

Fresh off their 3-3 road trip, the Dodgers return home to open a six-game homestand, beginning Monday night against the Atlanta Braves. The Dodgers were languishing at home last season but, beginning with a win on July 7 they are 29-12 in their last 41 games at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers have won seven straight at home dating back to last season, and their 6-0 home start to 2012 is one of the best since Dodger Stadium opened in 1962.

Kemp's Streak Ends

Tonight's Matchup

by Phil Gurnee on Apr 23, 2012 10:00 AM PDT in Team Previews

Not much has changed for the Braves from 2011to 2012. The kids got a year older Freeman/Heyward, the HOF got a year older, and they replaced their shortstop. Otherwise this is pretty much the same Brave team that was 89 - 73 last year.

In 2012 the Braves started the season getting swept by Mets, and followed that by losing the first game against the Astro's putting them at 0 - 4 to start the season. They have since won ten out of twelve, making them one of the hottest teams in the NL. Their five game winning streak was snapped by the Diamondbacks on Sunday but not after the Braves beat up on the injured Diamondbacks the first three games of the series.

1st Base - 22 year old Freddie Freeman is building on his solid debut season from 2011. With so many elite first baseman moving over to the NL the question was being raised, who could be the NL All-Star? You might be looking at him. TSL .283/.318/.533 looks promising. Little light on the plate discipline and K's a lot (19/64) but plenty of power.

2nd Base - Dan Uggla took off the first half of last year and while he's not at that putrid level he has yet to get going so far. Uggla has hit the most home runs for a second baseman in the 21st century. Not bad for a rule five pick.

Player HR From To Age PA BA OBP SLG OPS Pos

Dan Uggla 192 2006 2012 26-32 4113 .258 .342 .480 .822 *4/D

Ian Kinsler 128 2006 2012 24-30 3524 .275 .356 .471 .827 *4/D

Rickie Weeks 111 2003 2012 20-29 3409 .254 .354 .434 .787 *4/D

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used

SS - 22 year old rookie Tyler Pasternicky replaces Alex Gonzalez at SS. Tyler did not hit in the spring and has not hit so far in 2012, however the Braves usually know what they are doing, so I suspect Tyler will prove adequate for the job. Tyler was the part I ignored when I panned the Alex Gonazlez / Yunel Escobar trade of 2010. Already starting in 2012 it looks like the Braves may have the last laugh on that deal.

3rd - Future HOF Chipper Larry Jones is here for his swan song. One of the greatest hitters of his era, the sweet switch hitting 3rd baseman will be missed. Uber power hitting left handed Juan Francisco was acquired from the Reds to play 3rd base when Chipper is nursing any of a myriad of injuries that will keep him on the bench more times than not. I think the Braves stole him, but time will tell if the K's and defense drag him down.

Catcher- Brian McCann is the best offensive catcher in the NL. You knew that.

Right Field - Jason Heyward must be healthy because he's hitting like many expected of him in 2011. The offense is being led by the two twenty two year olds. Heyward currently has a TSL of .309/.377/.527.

Center Field - Michael Bourn is running, walking, playing great defense, and doing exactly what the Braves envisioned when they traded from him last year.

Left Field - Martin Prado somehow became a LF.. It is bewildering to me but here he sits. A good hitting infielder,Prado seems miscast as a LF. Maybe I'm just jealous that the Braves have so many good hitting infielders they can just toss one into the outfield.

Bench - Eric Hinske leads a solid bench also includes traffic avoider Matt Diaz. David Ross is still here as the backup catcher. Jack Wilson is SS insurance.

Pitching Matchup - Gary Scott has the excellent rundown on what to expect from Jair Jurrjens, Mike Minor, and Brandon Beachy.

Game One - Jair Jurrens:

The main thing to watch for is the effectiveness of his changeup. His fastball has lost 4mph but his changeup has maintained its velocity. This has left his fastball only 6mph faster than his changeup on average, and both pitches have become susceptible to hard contact. He's going to have to be careful with his location if he expects to have success, and Dodgers will have to counter that by being patient and forcing him to throw pitches they can drive to the gaps.

Game Two - Mike Minor:

What to Watch For: Incredibly similar to Jurrjens stuff-wise, Minor has been effective due to the deception in his left-handed delivery as well as the added natural sink on his fastball. He'll still run into the same velocity-related problems as Jurrjens, but he should be able to control our lineup a little better.

Game Three - Brandon Beachy:

What to Watch For: Last year, Beachy threw his fastball and cutter away from both right- and left-handed hitters. This year, he's begun throwing his cutter in on the hands of left-handed hitters. If he can master that pitch, he'll be a dominant pitcher for years if he can stay healthy. Parts of his mechanics suggest long-term health may not be the case, but for now he hasn't had any issues. Watch to see if Beachy attacks lefties Dee Gordon, James Loney and Andre Ethier inside with the cut fastball. If he locates it, it'll be a long day for each of them. He he leaves one over the plate, however, it could mean fireworks.

Bullen - Best one two punch on the East Coast Craig Kimbrel and Jonny Venters put the fear into any team who is behind after seven innings. Kris Medlen came back from TJ to give the bullpen another strong arm. Livan Hernandez was signed to mentor and help out if any of the starts get blown out early. Christhian Martinez, Chad Durbin, and Eric O'Flaherty fill out the bullpen.

Series Preview:

This is the second team the Dodgers have faced in 2012 that has a legitimate shot at the post season. The Braves are solid up and down the lineup, with a killer bullpen, and a decent rotation. Without Clayton/Chad going for the Dodgers, they will be hard pressed to take two out of three. The Capang duo along with Lilly have their work cut out for them. Excellent test in this young season.

Can't do a Brave Preview without mentioning a player who came to my attention this spring. Old man Evan Gattis has quite a story and I'll be rooting for him to make up for lost time. He's currently crushing in the California League so a promotion to AA is probably going to happen fairly soon. I'll be watching.

FOX SPORTS WEST

Though it's early, Dodgers thinking playoffs

Joe McDonnell

LOS ANGELES -- Dodgers' bench coach Trey Hillman is regarded as one of the most knowledgeable men in pro baseball.

As manager of the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, he led his team to three championships in 2006: The Pacific League crown; the Japanese World Series and the Asia Series. Back in the States for the 2008 season as manager of hapless Kansas City, he spent two-plus years at the helm of the Royals prior to being detached in May of 2010 after compiling a 142-182 record.

When Don Mattingly — who had never managed at any level — was named Dodger manager in late November 2010, he immediately announced that the well-respected Hillman would become his right-hand man. Accordingly, Hillman's thoughts carry a lot of weight in the current Dodger administration.

So, prior to the start of the season, the Amarillo, Texas native was asked if last year's strong finish by the Dodgers — a 34-20 record over the season's final two months — would carry over onto 2012.

Taking a moment to think about it prior to a Freeway Series game against the Angels, Hillman said "you know, with most teams the answer would be no, because players change and some of the wins came against teams using many of their 40-man roster, some guys who had never played in the big leagues. But with our club I think it's different.

"The guys really just decided that they didn't want to finish up with a losing record, and we began to do everything better. (They ended up with a win-loss mark of 82-79) And so far in spring training, the feeling is exactly the same as when we ended the season. Guys are fired up and they really believe this is a championship-caliber club."

Seventeen games into the season, Hillman looks like a prophet.

With L.A.'s 7-2 win Monday night in the opener of a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves (10-7), the Dodgers improved their record to 13-4, best in baseball. They've won seven without a loss at home.

Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier continue their torrid hitting, picking up five hits in seven at bats between them. Ethier also drove in a run, his major-league leading 23rd. Kemp is batting a phenomenal .460 and leads the majors in homers with nine and is second with 22 RBI. Juan Uribe contributed going 4-4 with three RBIs. The pitching has been superb with a team ERA of 3.19 and WHIP of 1.19. Closer Javy Guerra has seven saves, tying Arizona and Baltimore for the MLB lead.

Despite the great stats, the Dodgers still have their doubters around baseball.

Talk on some of the local radio shows claim that while Kemp and Ethier will likely remain extremely productive and the overall offense will be good enough to win, they'll eventually get betrayed by their starting pitching.

Lefthander Clayton Kershaw is the defending Cy Young Award winner and so far looks like he'll challenge for another. He's 1-0 with a 1.61 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP. Number two starter Chad Billingsley looked like he had finally regained the form that allowed him to pick up 16 wins in 2008, before hovering near .500 in the three years since, going 35-33 with a 3.94 ERA.

Billingsley was completely dominant in winning his first two starts, pitching 14.1 innings against San Diego and Pittsburgh and striking out 15 while allowing just one run. His next two starts were mediocre at best, pitching a total of 9.1 innings against Milwaukee and Houston and striking out just two batters in each game. The Astros slammed him all over the ballpark, scoring nine runs — five earned — and giving the big righthander his first loss of the season.

After Billingsley, the rotation consists of Ted Lilly, Aaron Harang and Chris Capuano: all serviceable pitchers but none who will remind anyone of Roy Halladay or Justin Verlander.

Manager Don Mattingly insists he's got confidence in all his starters and isn't too worried about Billingsley's regression lately.

"Ted, (Aaron and Chris) are proven veterans," Mattingly said, "and I have confidence anytime I send any of them to start a game. We all know what Clayton can do, and will continue to do for a lot of years.

"For Chad, it's been a rough few years, but except for that one game really (against Houston) he's looked good. He knows what's expected of him and he's very confident in his abilities. I'm looking for him to have a real good year.

"It doesn't take a genius to figure out that this game is usually about pitching. Our 'pen has been very good; I think Javy is already one of the best closers in the game. We just have to keep our consistency every game and we'll be fine."

Kemp, who has been the N.L. Player of the Week twice already, agrees with his manager.

"We've got a really good team, and we've shown it so far," said the centerfielder, who finished second to Milwaukee's Ryan Braun in last year's MVP race. "There's great talent all the way up and down this roster, and most important is that we have guys here who care about the team first and winning first. This is a real team and I'm happy to be a part of it.

"I believe that we can definitely make the playoffs; not just make the playoffs but win the division and get to the World Series. Lot of people say that early in the season if they get off to a good start, but for us it's different. We finished up with a great two months last season when everybody was down on us, and we've come out with that same momentum and confidence this year. Donnie has done a great job with the team and making sure everyone stays confident."

One of those is James Loney, who started the season in an 0-19 slump. Mattingly preached patience with his first baseman, and it's starting to pay off.

His average is up to .245 after two more hits against the Braves, and over the last week has reached base 12 times, including hitting his first home run. Loney said it was just a matter of time.

"I've felt really good at the plate all year long," Loney said, "but with 162 games some of them are going to get caught. But I'm swinging the bat well, feeling confident, and this is going to be a very special year for this team.

"We all feel it."

ESPN DEPORTES

No de Mattingly al programa 'The Franchise'

por Noel Piñeiro / ESPNDeportesLosAngeles.com

LOS ANGELES -- Este pasado domingo el canal Showtime comenzó a transmitir una serie titulada 'The Franchise' en las seguirán las incidencias de los Miami Marlins durante toda la temporada.

El programa tipo 'reality show' estará documentando todo el proceso de transformación de dicha novena de su pasado como los Florida Marlins que jugaban en el Dolphin Stadium a el equipo de nuevo mote citadino y que está jugando ahora en un moderno estadio puramente de béisbol en el lugar donde antes ubicaba el vetusto Miami Orange Bowl.

Entre las particularidades de la serie, la misma lleva al aire conversaciones íntimas y privadas del dirigente Ozzie Guillen con sus jugadores, reuniones entre el dueño y presidente del equipo con Guillen y charlas entre los jugadores.

En su primer capítulo obviamente mostraron también videos de las reuniones que tuvieron el dueño Jeffrey Loria y Guillen por el escándalo que provocó su expresión sobre Fidel Castro en la revista Times.

Mostraron el video cuando el presidente del equipo Davis Samson le anunció al piloto venezolano que tendría que suspenderlo por cinco partidos.

Hago todo este recuento para contarles que este lunes la prensa que cubre a Los Angeles Dodgers le preguntó al dirigente Don Mattingly si algún día le gustaría ser parte de un programa como ese. Y su respuesta fue rápida y precisa.

"No. Yo sería muy aburrido para ese programa porque si me ponen un micrófono me limito. Pero Ozzie no. Debe ser interesantísimo con él", dijo Mattingly, quien desconocía del programa.

Así que no esperen a Mattingly y los Dodgers en ese programa el año que viene a menos que Magic Johnson haga un acto de magia.

USA TODAY

Dodgers sale isn't win-win for MLB

By Bob Nightengale, USA TODAYUpdated 12h 55m ago

Selig and baseball's lawyers insist that McCourt was not given any special dispensation to buy the Dodgers for $431 million from Rupert Murdoch and Fox — which included a $50 million checking account to jump-start the payroll. But instead of cash, McCourt bought the team simply using his piece of waterfront property in Boston for leverage. Fox, desperate to sell, even agreed to buy McCourt's land if he couldn't find any buyers and seized the property when he defaulted on a loan.

McCourt, who had hired an investment firm but not yet taken bids, was asked whether he thought he'd possibly get $1 billion for his franchise.

Comments By Paul White, USA TODAY Updated 22h 54m ago

Matt Kemp announced that 50 homers and 50 stolen bases would be a nice way to start his monster contract -- and at least one of those 50s isn't looking so far-fetched.

Josh Hamilton? He'd just like to know where his next contract is coming from -- but he's certainly attaching some more dollars to it.

Baseball's dominant early season players on the teams with the best records in each league have the track records to defy skepticism over early, small sample sizes. And they're crushing theories about distractions that can diminish a star player's performance as effectively as they're crushing baseballs.

Kemp is a proven fast starter -- but this fast? We won't clutter this with ridiculous full-season projections, but the Dodgers center fielder has nine homers in 16 games. He's driven in 22 runs. Those are major league-leading numbers, as are his .450 batting average, .500 on-base percentage and .967 slugging percentage.

Hamilton, in his 16 games for Texas, leads in the AL in not quite as many categories -- just homers (7), RBI (17), slugging (.776) and OPS (1.214). Slacker. But certainly not a guy feeling the pressure of playing for a contract.

Kemp signed in November for $160 million over the next eight seasons, at the time a National League record for a total package (since surpassed by the $225 million over 10 years Cincinnati gave Joey Votto). So much for the complacent fat cat concept.

"I'm telling you, y'all created a monster," Kemp said back in November, about a week after he got the new influx of cash. But his comments were prompted by his near-miss in the NL MVP race (second to Milwaukee's now somewhat tainted Ryan Braun) after missing a Triple Crown only because his .324 batting average was 13 points behind leader Jose Reyes.

"I'm going to try for 50-50," he said. "I know y'all are over there thinking I'm crazy but, hey, I'm trying to take it to another level."

Indeed he is, though it should be noted he's a paltry 1-for-3 in stolen base attempts. Hey, when half your hits are for extra bases (four doubles plus the nine HRs among his 27), there go the opportunities to run.

Is this really another level, as April breakouts go?

A year ago at the same point in the season, seven homers (Troy Tulowitzki) and 16 RBI (Prince Fielder) led the majors. The only batting average higher than Kemp's current .450 was a .474 by the same Mr. Kemp.

Two years ago, it was seven homers and 18 RBI (Kemp had six and 18 then) and the batting leaders were Kansas City's Scott Podsednik (.457) in his final season in the majors and Washington's 38-year-old Pudge Rodriguez (.444) in his next-to-last year.

Kemp's obviously not going away anytime soon -- physically or statistically. As for Hamilton, he'd rather not go away from Texas, where he's launched a storybook career after his well-chronicled ongoing battle with drug-induced demons.

Whereas every Hamilton homer plays into the dollar signs on the contract he has coming after this season or sooner, every Hamilton relapse -- and there have been only a couple "had a drink" moments for which he's come clean and would garner no attention for almost anyone else in the sport -- adds a potential question mark.

There's no evidence, though, that drugs or alcohol have had any effect on his performance since he came to the Rangers in 2008 and led the AL with 130 RBI. And that's something the Rangers or Hamilton's next team can protect themselves from with the requisite contract language.

Keeping Hamilton on the field indeed is the question, but it's the more conventional concerns over injuries. That plays into his new contract and it factors into speculation over how huge a season he could be launching into.

Over the past four years, Kemp has missed 10 games -- total. None in the past two seasons (his 161 last year matches the number the Dodgers played). Hamilton hasn't had a season since '08 when he missed fewer than 10 games. His high in games played, in fact, is 133 in his MVP season of 2010.

As for keeping up the pace, it's safe to wager neither guy is going to hit .400. Their track records indicate the power and RBI production are worth monitoring, even up to Kemp's personal projection.

While the steady Hamilton has career batting average over .300 for every month except May (.286), Kemp has hit .344 for his career pre-May 1 and has no other month over .300.

But Kemp is trending hot. He batted .350 over his final 62 games of last season. Add in his start this year and it's .360 over 78 games, or nearly half a season.

Plus, some other indicators that bear watching show he could trend even hotter. Kemp is swinging at a career-low 28.4% of pitches outside the strike zone this season, down from last year's 32.9%, according to FanGraphs.com. Only 42.2% of the pitches he sees are in the strike zone, a fourth consecutive year that number has declined, but his 87.7% contact rate in the zone is a career high and up from last year's 77.5%.

Having a healthy and hot Andre Ethier (his 21 RBI are second to Kemp) behind him in the batting order helps, but Kemp clearly is being more selective at the plate. And a patient monster is likely to be a more effective monster.

0 comments, 0 called-out

+ Comment now

Mike Ozanian

Frank McCourt is looking into the possibility of getting a bridge loan of about $140 million in case the closing of the sale of his bankrupt baseball team to Guggenheim Baseball Management is delayed, according to sources with knowledge of the loan but are not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.

The Dodgers owner came to terms with GBM, led by Mark Walter, Stan Kasten and Magic Johnson, last March and on April 13th a federal bankruptcy judge approved the Dodgers’ reorganization plan, which calls for GBM to pay McCourt $2 billion for the team and stadium. Separately, an affiliate of GBM will pay McCourt another $150 million for half the nearby land, including the stadium’s parking lots, with McCourt keeping ownership of the other half. The deal would make McCourt, who paid News Corp. $371 million for the team and real estate in 2004, the most successful owner in baseball history, yielding him a 26% annualized return.

The bridge loan would most likely be used to pay his ex-wife Jamie $131 million on May 1st as part of a divorce settlement, according to the sources.

It is unclear why McCourt feels he may not be able to get the deal closed in time to make the payment to Jamie, though MLB has expressed concerns over GMB’s financing of the sale of the Dodgers, which includes $1,588 million of cash and $412 million of debt, and McCourt’s 50% interest in the real estate. Bankruptcy judge Kevin Gross approved the Dodgers’ plan in part because the structure of the deal submitted for his approval was not materially different from the proposal approved by MLB on March 27th when baseball gave a thumbs up to bids by  GBM, St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke and hedge fund titan Steve Cohen.

A spokesperson for the Dodgers would not comment on the loan but said they are confident the sale of the Dodgers will close April 30th.

CNN INTERNATIONAL

By Todd Sperry, CNN

April 24, 2012 -- Updated 1459 GMT (2259 HKT)

(CNN) -- Tommy John pitched 26 seasons in the major leagues, with his 700 career starts ranking him 8th all-time among major league baseball pitchers.

But eclipsing his lasting legacy on the mound is the story of his injury, the pioneering surgery and rehabilitation he endured, and the lasting impact the eponymous operation has had on hundreds of players ever since.

Today, sports fans and athletes hear the term "Tommy John surgery" and don't flinch; it's no longer seen as a career-ender.

There are currently 29 active ballplayers in the major leagues slated to have, or who have already have had, Tommy John surgery, according to MLBDepthcharts.com. They include the Chicago White Sox' Philip Humber, who pitched only the 21st perfect game in Major League Baseball history last Saturday. He underwent a successful Tommy John surgery in 2005. Another is the Colorado Rockies' Jamie Moyer, who last week became the oldest pitcher -- at age 49 -- to record a victory in the major leagues.

Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction surgery, as it's medically known, is a grafting procedure in which doctors take tendons from another part of the body -- the forearm, hamstring, hip or knee -- and replace the medial ligament in the elbow with the grafted portion. Two holes are drilled into the patient's arm bones and the replacement ligament is woven between the two holes in a pattern resembling a figure-eight.

So what does John think of his name becoming synonymous with such a high-profile medical procedure?

"If I'd known you could throw a perfect game with this, I would have tried a little harder," quipped John, now 68. When he refers to the operation, without hesitation, he calls it Tommy John surgery, saying it's an honor to have the operation referred to by his name.

On July 17, 1974, the then 31-year-old John was pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Montreal Expos. He recalled the fateful moment.

"I had runners on first and second. I was trying to get the batter to hit a sinker to get him to hit a ground ball so I could get two and get out of the inning unscathed. I threw a sinker and right as I threw, I felt this searing pain and the ball just blooped up to the plate and I went, 'Holy mackerel, what did I do?'"

He would attempt another pitch before leaving the game.

"I got to the bench, I got my jacket and I told our trainer, I said Billy, let's get Dr. Jobe -- something's wrong, get Dr. Jobe, and the rest is history," John said.

Dr. Frank Jobe was the Los Angeles Dodgers' orthopedic surgeon and a good friend of John's. After several examinations, Jobe gave the pitcher grim news: if he didn't have surgery, he would never play major league baseball again. For John, the notion was unthinkable. And while he trusted Jobe and considered him a friend, the surgery had never been attempted by a medical professional.

"He told me what he was going to do," John recalled, "He said, if you've pulled it off the bone, then what we'll do is just reattach it to the bone and it will be no problem. But if it's not, I'm going to have to take this tendon from your right forearm and graft it into your left elbow."

John, a college math major, asked his surgeon friend for the odds of a successful outcome. Jobe put the odds at 1%.

"Well, I was valedictorian of my high school class and 1% or 2% in 100 is far better than zero percent in 100," he said.

On September 25, 1974, Jobe performed the surgery.

The rehab was grueling, initially leaving John with what he calls a "claw hand." There was a subsequent surgery to repair nerve damage. After 16 weeks, he was able to finally throw a baseball. He would miss the entire 1975 season.

But John recalls his rehabilitation pitching regimen after surgery as being a true test. "I threw the ball every single day except Sunday. My reasoning was that if God rested on Sunday, I thought Tommy John should too."

He returned to baseball in 1976 and pitched 13 more seasons, ending his career in 1989.

So why do players still suffer injuries requiring Tommy John surgery? John says it's because coaches overwork young players in today's game. Most kids, according to John, pitch year-round, while their arms are still developing. "Did Steve Carlton throw 12 months out of the year? No. Why would you take guys that are less skilled and younger and abuse their arm for 12 months when the best in the world don't do it for 12 months?" John said.

Players facing Tommy John surgery today still face months of grueling rehab. When asked why, despite medical advances, rehab time really hadn't improved, John said, "I think you have to give your arm rest. God will heal your arm. Nature, your body was made to heal."

There's no "Tommy John club" for the hundreds of players who can thank him for pioneering the medical procedure that saved their careers. Although he's thought about inviting some of them to play in a golf tournament, John says he doesn't stay in touch with the players who go through the procedure.

John now lives in New Jersey, and says he feels good.

"My elbow is fine -- my shoulder is shot -- but my elbow is fine," John said.

And when he watches the Dodgers baseball today, does he root for the pitcher who has undergone Tommy John surgery or his former team? He says he roots for players.

"I never was a team guy. Well, I'm a Bears fan and a Cubs fan. But I never was a team fan."

John is still active in baseball, still scouts players, and recently managed for the independent Bridgeport Bluefish, a job he calls "the most fun I ever had." He also works for a company that sells scoreboards to sporting venues.

He recognizes that some young fans know him for the surgery and not his baseball career, but he's not bothered.

"I thank God that Dr. Jobe did what he had to do and I did what I had to do. And it will be forever known as Tommy John surgery. I'll be dust in the ground and Tommy John surgery will probably be living on."

Careers That Require Travel Around the World

Reagan Alexander

Reagan Alexander has been writing professionally since 2006. He is a Los Angeles-based writer for "People" magazine. Alexander graduated from Boston College with a Bachelor of Arts in English literature.

By Reagan Alexander, eHow Contributor | updated March 12, 2012

Waking up in an unfamiliar bed, jet lag, language barriers, your senses overloaded by new sights, sounds, and smells. For most of us these are the hallmarks of an annual vacation, that one time of the year when we force ourselves out of our comfort and time zones to broaden our own horizons by seeing how others live.

Then there are those few who thrive on a peripatetic lifestyle, for whom the notion of waking and momentarily not remembering what city they are in serves as an opiate that helps to sate the wanderlust inexplicably encoded in their DNA. Those are the people that turn being a tourist into a trade, who find a way to blend career and the catharsis that comes with setting foot in a strange city, and who happily subject themselves to a TSA agent's scowl and the recycled air of a passenger jet.

It is said that if you do what you love for a living, you never have to work a day in your life. As quaint as that might sound, blending your other passions with your love of travel might lead you down an unexpected but welcome path. Call it the road less traveled, stumbled upon by happy accident.

Scott Akasaki, who for the past nine years has served as the director of team travel for Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers, never let go of his childhood ardor for sports and now not only travels with the team, but is the person who makes the team's travel possible and seamless.

"I get to see the world, meet people from different places and cultures, and have an opportunity to pick up and go, and not be settled in one particular spot for too long. I enjoy the excitement of the airport and waking up in a different city every morning." Rakiya Jones, master executive counsel and vice chairwoman of communications for the Association of Flight Attendants

He didn't start out looking to be the traveling secretary to a Major League Baseball team, but his passion for sports led him overseas where the job found him and fed into his latent love of an itinerant lifestyle.

"As a kid that grew up playing both baseball and basketball but not being good enough to do it professionally," Akasaki said, "I wanted to get a job in sports, so I lived in Japan for a time while I was in college and afterwards as well, and I studied baseball in Japan, so my way into the Dodgers was through their Asian Operations Department."

Akasaki became a self-described "professional fan" of Japanese baseball, studying its players, from the high school level to the professional, as well as its culture. When the Dodgers signed two Japanese players to their team, Akasaki stepped into the role of team interpreter, and when the traveling secretary position opened up, he quickly made the transition.

He now finds himself getting the entire team from one place to another, which is a markedly simplified description of a seemingly daunting travel task.

"If it were a rock band, I would be the road manager," Akasaki said. "There's about a 65-person group that we have to move and get situated, and it includes the players, the coaching staff, the broadcasters, the trainers, some front office executives and some of our Dodger-related media."

Bearing in mind the staggering amount of things that can go wrong when you take a trip by yourself -- and Akasaki must deal with not just flights and hotels, but also buses, equipment trucks, per diems and ticket requests -- one might wonder why anyone would annually subject themselves to this season-long seemingly Sisyphean task.

Akasaki, who can plan out the nine days that he will have at home with his wife and daughter in the next six months, looks at his nomadic life through Dodger blue-colored glasses.

"Everyone likes going home and sleeping in their own bed, but I'm busy every single day, and every day is different," he said. "There aren't many people that get paid to travel all over and get paid to go to a baseball stadium every day."

Directory: documents
documents -> Concept stage
documents -> Concept stage
documents -> The great global switch-off
documents -> Nonprofit grant application
documents -> The Truth about the Rwandan Genocide
documents -> Annual InStructional unit plan
documents -> Chaos equipment included

Download 214.37 Kb.

Share with your friends: