2015 Photo Recap of Dodger Spring Training Trip

What now has become the yearly tradition of the wife and I travelling to Arizona at the end of February or beginning of March has come and gone once again. Unlike 2013 this time I came away with an autograph from Yasiel Puig. Two years ago he denied me all 4 days I was there but this time I got him on the 1st of 2 days I was there. Go figure. I did come away empty handed on the one I really wanted (like everyone else) as Kershaw denied me both days and on the 2nd day he skipped right over me and went to the guy on my left. UGH... Maybe next year.

The 1st day was far and away the better of the two quantity wise but could have been trumped by getting Kershaw's autograph on the second. It just wasn't meant to be. Here are my pictures of the autographs that I did acquire and they are all on 8x10 photos. A few random pictures are also included as I actually did leave the ballpark.

On our way to Arizona the wife and I stopped over at the Patton Museum for a break to stretch our legs. The #walletcard game was in full effect and those standings will be updated later today.

What is my personal tradition whether I am going by myself or have friends and family in tow I head over to the local Chick Fil A for a meal prior to going to Camelback. Breakfast of champions.

The entrance to Camelback Ranch which has a handy map for those that are visiting for the 1st time or have just forgotten where everything is.

When players first come out for the day they usually don't sign but Zach Lee was kind enough to sign for a few fans. I got him back at the Dodger FanFest last month so I didn't need anything from him.

Kershaw walking by. He never signs in the morning but he did at least acknowledge fans on his way to the fields.

The 1st autograph of the day was probably the "worst" of the trip. I asked Davey to sign above his head so the silver ink would pop but he signed on his pants instead so the silver sort of blends with the white. Oh well.

Kershaw jogging by.

Practice was over so autograph hunting commenced in full force. Ryu walked the line and signed for everyone that put something in front of him. I wanted something different so I went with a "batting" picture. I do love me some interesting photo shots and this falls in that category.

Yeager and Lopes walked by and I was able to get them both to sign this black and white photo project that I started last month. Sadly, Lasorda was not at Spring Training yet so I will have to wait to get him.

On day two A.J. was signing for just kids and some women but thankfully I got him on the first day when he signed for almost everyone.

Right behind A.J. was appropriately the catcher that will take a lot of A.J.'s playing time. Grandal was the focus of the Kemp trade and since I didn't have a photo of him in Dodger blue I had to settle for him here in Padre colors.

Pedro was a late addition to Dodger FanFest so I missed him there but thankfully I was prepared this time and though he was quiet and didn't really interact with fans he signed for everyone and smiled.

I have missed Turner on 4 separate occasions when he did a free signing and I was starting to wonder if I would ever get him before his time is through with the Dodgers. Thankfully I won't have to find out as he signed for people right after practice and then when most fans left he popped out again from the clubhouse and engaged with fans. Good guy this Turner kid.

Close to be my favorite get of the trip. I was able to acquire Andrew Friedman's autograph even though he was on the phone at the time. No, I didn't bother him as I think that is rude but someone that did was right next to me so I just slide over and had him sign this photo. Andrew even added the Go Dodgers inscription without me asking. Thank you again Andrew.

The funniest autograph get was from 3rd base coach Lorenzo Bundy. When he saw the picture he told me I should burn it. I asked why and he said it looks like a black man that stayed out in the sun too long. Toasty!! Great sense of humor. Love it. Thank you for the autograph on your hated picture.

On top of the black and white project this Simpson's one is the other long term one I am doing. Don started signing before his normal area and I yelled out to him that I have his Simpsons photo and he either was playing dumb or just playing and said he had to see it to believe it. Got him to sign and I now have 2 autographs on this very hard project.

The final autograph of the day was the biggie. Puig as with Kershaw are the two real big stars on the team and have mobs of fans trying to acquire their autographs. Puig was jogging off the practice field and I was waiting and prepared for him. Just like Kershaw he jumps around signing for various people but luckily for me he chose to sign my photo. Go figure, in 2013 he denied me when hardly anyone was looking for his autograph but here in 2015 he is in high demand and I barely have to fight for it. You just never know how things pan out.

Day was over for me at Camelback but the plan was to come back the following day for some more autographs but till then I had a day to kill.

I met up with the wife and her friends and we headed downtown to a Piazza joint she wanted to try but the wait was so long we ended up at T.G.I.F.'s in Chase Field. Even when I am not trying to do something baseball related I end up doing something baseball related. #walletcard game once again was in effect.

It was night time but I still wasn't sleepy and our friend's kids wanted to watch a movie. They wanted to see Sponge Bob. Yeah... Hell no. = ).
Luckily there was a movie more to my liking so I sent the kids into watch their movie while I watched mine.

Day two and I had a partner in crime tagging along today. The Dodgers brought the freaky Lasorda bobblehead from Dodger Stadium so I had him take a picture with him.

While I missed Kershaw once again, Brandon League was tailing him when they were coming off the field so I was able to get League's autograph once again. He is always pleasant so thank you once again Brandon.

Now that Julio Urias is becoming a bigger name in the baseball world I am always prepared and have a spare picture or two for him to sign when I know he might be around. This year was a polar opposite unlike last year when he could walk around and no one was bothering him. Not like a Kershaw mob but Urias did draw a big crowd. I think he is still getting used to it. He signed for me once again. I've been very lucky with Seager and Urias IP autographs.

To end my two trip at Camelback I decided to get Don's autograph one more time. This time with him in Yankee colors. As always he was cordial with all fans and signed for everyone after practice. Thank you again Don for your continued interaction with fans.

Well that's it for another year at Dodger's Spring Training for me. Quantity wise this was the best year ever for me. If I would have landed my elusive Kershaw autograph it would have been the perfect trip but it wasn't meant to be. One day it will be mine. Next year I hope to meet up with some friends that are going this year but we were all on different schedules. Thank you to all the players that signed and good luck to all the autograph hounds that are still out in Arizona.

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day.
-Penguin

State of the Dodgers : Don Mattingly

The picture says it all. The off season has barely begun and the tension is thick and the Don situation will need to be addressed within the next few days or it can and will get real ugly in a hurry.

With the Dodgers winning the NLDS Don's option for next season vested. Simple right? Nope. Don has now stated he is not sure if he is coming back and with multiple managerial openings out there Don will not have a problem landing another job. Don says he loves it here but can not and will not be a "lame duck" manager and wants his contract extended and not to be on a year to year situation.

While under Don's leadership the past 3 years the team has a had a winning record every year. This was the first year of the 3 where the team reached the postseason. With all the injuries it was amazing they got as far as they did. But at the end of the day results are what you are judged by and does Don have it in him to get to and win the World Series with the Dodgers. At this moment I think they can win it in spite of him not because of him and I don't think that is a bad thing.

Don has a connection with the team that I don't think Mike Scioscia, Tony LaRussa or any of the other potential names that are being thrown out there as a replacement if Don would in fact leave. With that said the Dodgers need to handle this situation now. They can not drag this out as they need a manager in place going into the off season so current and potential free agents know who they can expect to see steering the ship. With the roster more than likely to stay intact with some adjustments here and there if someone new came along I think it would be in someway like starting from scratch. Would I give Don a 5+ year contract? No, but I would tear up the vesting year and give him a new 3 year contract with a club option for a fourth. In case the whole situation goes south the Dodgers would only have Don on the hook for 2 or so years and could cut ties easier if need be.

Can and should Don change some habits? Hell yeah. Bunting anyone? But I think there is a vision here that the players and Don shares and I think it would only be fair to all those involved to see it through in the next few years. When and if everyone is healthy next year then we would see what this team is really capable of accomplishing. This year's version was like a daily M.A.S.H. unit and never put out a fully healthy squad all year. Give Don and the team a chance to prove that they can get it done. Starting from scratch is a good thing sometimes but pertaining to the current one with Don I think it would be a mistake.

Just my two cents . . . 

Autographs of the Day : 2013 Dodger Spring Training @ Camelback

It's that time of the year. Baseball is in the air and it's time to go see the Boys in Blue. For the second year in a row I have made the trip out to Arizona to catch the team and all their new acquisitions from the off season. Hopefully this will become an annual tradition. I am already making plans for next year and hopefully it will be to see the reigning World Series Champs at Camelback.

The first day that I was there it happened to be Saturday and there were a good amount of people which was to be expected as it was the weekend. I had a few things that I really wanted signed, one, a single signed ball of Puig and Ryu, a team signed ball of the 25 man roster and Matt Kemp to sign the 3rd out ball I got back in Washington D.C. last year.

Around 9:45 a.m. the players and coaches started to come out of the main building to go towards the practice fields and though most players were not signing there were some that stopped and signed. I got in front of at least five guys and missed out on each one. The most irritating one was Yansiel Puig who is an up and coming minor leaguer. Got in front of him twice on his way to the field and both times he stopped signing right before me. That became the theme of the weekend for me with him. So on the morning exodus to the field I zeroed out on the autographs and thought this is different from last year as I got 5 in the morning. I was hoping for the best but not holding my breath. Took some pictures of them jogging around and Manny Mota on his famous bike.

Even during ST Uribe looks like he lags behind everyone and is huffing and puffing. Ugh.

Once on the field the pitchers looked on as they took turns doing some drills on the main practice field. Nothing like seeing Kershaw on the field. Should win the Cy Young this year.

Decided to venture over to the bullpen area where new Dodger pitcher Ryu was getting ready to throw a session and the area became crowded as I wasn't the only one interested in watching what he had. Half way through Mattingly stepped in with bat in hand to gauge the newcomer. Came away impressed.

Once that was over I headed back to the main practice field and saw fan favorites Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier with new batting coach Mark McGwire. Andre has been very chatting with fans lately and a group of us have been talking to him about places to eat in the AZ area as he is a foodie. Kemp as always is very nice with fans and willing to engage with them. Love those rare superstars that don't think they are better than us "normal" people.

Practice was ending and this was the time to get as many autographs as I could. As usual a mad rush towards every player as they walked off the field and they now have two different areas to come and go so they do not walk all together through one entry way. You have to time the ones you want as security will rope you off at times. Makes things more interesting to say the least. So with a few balls in hand I started and luckily I was able to end up with 6 total players on my 2013 team ball. Don Mattingly (sweet spot), Andre Ethier, Skip Schumaker, Jerry Hariston Jr., Ronald Bellasario and Brandon League. And guess what, I saw Puig again and walked up and he was signing a few for a few people then stop right before. AGAIN. That was now twice that day. Ugh. Andre worked the line and signed for as many people as he could as did Ronald. The others you had to track down and hope a little as they signed a few and then just moved on. After the last one I noticed Kemp in the corner getting mobbed as usual and I had two options. Do I give him my team ball or my 3rd out ball for him to sign? I chose the 3rd out ball as it means more to me and I assume I can get Kemp on the team ball at the stadium. With the 3rd out ball done I won't have to carry an extra item into the stadium. I got over to his area and found an opening and was able to hand him the ball and he signed it. He side paneled and I noticed he was doing that to a lot of people so maybe this is something new he is doing. Normally that would irk me but I am just ecstatic I got this one finally signed. That was the end of the day for me. So 7 autographs wasn't too bad considering I had zero to start of the day.

Back at the ranch on Sunday I went for day two of my trip and I was hoping for more luck on the autographs this day. So guess which one of the players came out first? Puig once again. He signed again for some people. I was there, again, and he didn't sign for me, again. Three times now. Sigh. This time a I was lucky enough to get two people as they walked out, Chris Capuano, which is a slight risk for the team ball as he might be traded but for some reason I feel he will be on the team and Tim Federowicz which I got lucky as he signed for exactly two people and I was one of them. So unlike the previous day I got 2 start out of my day. I headed over to watch them practice once again and Ned Colletti came out and even though I got his autograph back at fanfest I thought I would take a pic with him. Nice guy. Question some of his trades but appreciate the interaction with fans that he has.

Tommy Lasorda set up shop again to sign for fans again. I already have his signature but I thought I would get a spare one that I can either sell or use as trade. So if anyone wants a Tommy Lasorda sweet spot signed baseball I have one for trade.

Then all hell broke loose. The Immortal Sandy Koufax arrived at camp and he started to walk towards the field and I have never seen such a mob form in the short of time. I have seen Fernando, Lasorda and Kemp mobs form but nothing like this. I was somewhat close but by the time I got to the area where he was I was about 3 deep and the crowd was growing. He stopped for a few signatures then kept moving and the crowd moved with him. It was crazy. I have read on other blogs that people were punching others and hitting and shoving. I love me some autographs and would have loved to get an IP of Koufax but I will not injure someone to get it. Have some manners and morals people.

Practice was coming to a close and the players walked by once again but this time not too many of them stopped and signed. I was fortunate to get Ted Lilly on the team ball but no others. So that was the end of day two so I headed out. I did glance back and noticed Dee Gordon ( who I chose on to put on the ball ) stood there and signed for anyone that asked for his time and signature. Classy. I like the guy personally as I have chatted with him but baseball-wise he needs to work on his game and hopefully he will make it back to the bigs as we could use his speed.

I was planning to just leave and come home Monday morning but I thought I would swing by one last time to see if I could get any more signatures on before heading out. Got there and this time not a single player signed for anyone on their way to the field. A total blank for everyone. I was finally finished for the weekend. 10 signatures total. Not as good as last year but a successful and fun trip nonetheless. Hope to make it out next year and hope to finish the team ball at the stadium.

Pics of the balls :