You may remember him back in 2019 as the Manager of the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. Let me refresh your memory with this video:
Mark is 42 years old and is from Burbank, California. He attended Cal State, Northridge. In 2017 he managed Ogden and in 2018 he managed the Dodgers Rookie Team in Arizona. Of course, I already mentioned that he was the manager of the Quakes in 2019. In 2019, Pedro Moura of The Athletic wrote:
‘He is one of a kind’: Mark Kertenian teaches baseball and life lessons as Dodgers’ players guru
You can read the entire article HERE. You will find it inspiring. I guarantee it! On Linkedin, Mark is listed as “Player Development Coordinator.” He was slated to be the Bench Coach at OKC in 2020, but that never happened as COVID-19 hit.
Yesterday, Brett Hein, posted this on Twitter:
Go Fund Me Page
That takes us to a Go Fund Me Page, which says this:
Our good friend, family member and beloved baseball coach Mark Kertenian is in the fight of his life, battling a Functional Neurological Disorder…he needs our help dearly.
Mark has found it necessary to travel to the UK for highly specialized (and uninsured) treatment. This program could take several months for him to complete and, God willing, allow him to get back on his feet (both physically and figuratively). His first few weeks with this group have been very promising but have also exposed a long road ahead.
Finding housing, 24-hour care, assisted transportation, medical services and of course, this specialized therapy has proved to be very costly, and we are looking for help to underwrite. Please donate if you are able, and if not, that’s ok; please just keep Mark in your thoughts and prayers.
One last note: Mark cannot take calls or respond to texts/emails currently as he is focusing 100% of his mental and physical effort on his recovery. Rehashing his story regarding his illness multiple times with caring people is not helpful; in fact, his Dr’s have suggested it’s potentially harmful. While he wants to connect with each one of his baseball colleagues, friends, and family, he is unable to right now. Please note that he has shut off his cell phone in the quest of putting 100% of his mental and physical energy into his recovery and as a result, please do not call, text, or email Mark directly. Instead, add your email address to this Go Fund Me page, and we will provide regular updates on Mark’s progress or feel free to reach out directly to one of us below.
Thanks in advance for your potential donation and for keeping Mark in your thoughts and prayers. We are all looking forward to him returning soon from the UK on a sustained road to recovery and reconnecting with him personally. We are motivated to get him where he belongs, back on the baseball diamond coaching men, in a game he loves.
— Go Fund Me
Link to Go Fund Me Page:
Share the Link: https://gofund.me/48fd8325
If the Big Dodger in the Sky moves you, DONATE!
The last thing I can find about Mark is in The Athletic on March 17, 2020, by Pedro Moura.
WE GOT THIS!
Here’s a good resource to read about Functional Neurologic Disorder:
I will have more information on this tomorrow. I am awaiting a call from John Murphy. He texted me tonight and promised to call in the Morning. Stay tuned…
Discussion (34)
Disagree, not disagreeable
I also can’t find good ramen in South Carolina! What’s up with that?
Here’s a Free Tip:
Someone asked why they could not get the Braves -Dodgers Game in South Carolina when the game was in LA. It is how MLB protects the local market. Agree with it or not – it is what it is.
You can get around it with a VPN which is a virtual private network, and is a secure tunnel between your device and the internet. VPNs protect you from online snooping, interference, and censorship.
I use Express VPN (www.expressvpn.com ) for two things:
1. Mask my IP Address (by picking another area, like NYC) so that I can watch the Dodgers; and
2. I also use it on my laptop when traveling (airports, coffee shops, etc.), so that crooks can steal your stuff.
I pay $9.99 a month. The only drawback is that I have to watch on my laptop, but I run 3 monitors so it is not a problem.
This has been a public service announcement!
Well he enjoys the first and the fifteenth!
Also, I believe that if the Dodgers leave Max Muncy at 2B, he will be above average. Not a gold glove, but good.
I know that everyone has anointed Gavin Lux as the 2B and future SS… and I hope you all are right, but his BA has dropped to .276. He is going to have to be consistent.
That said, Max Muncy is off to a horrid start. It does not appear to me that he is injured and I am just about 100% certain that Mookie is 100% healthy.
I wonder how Corey Seager enjoys being 2-8 on a team that has a 6.24 ERA?
I think everyone is trying to compare apples to oranges.
Which Trevor Bauer are you talking about?
Prior to 2018, Trevor Bauer’s ERA’s were as follows:
2012 – 6.06
2013 – 5.29
2014 – 4.18
2015 – 4.55
2016 – 4.26
2017 – 4.29
However, then before the 2018 Season, Trevor Bauer got involved with Driveline Technology and in 2018, his ERA dropped to 2.21
2019 – 3.79 in Cleveland and then was 6.39 in Cincy (10 games)
2020 – 1.73
2021 – 2.59
As you can see, he was a different pitcher after 2018… except for the 10 games when he switched leagues. Certainly, he will never be in the HOF, but he could be a Top 10 or 20 pitcher in the NL.
You guys measure greatness a lot different than I do. I will let you have your fantasy’s.,
It’s still early – too early to say either that a player is doing/will do well or not.
MLB had a 3 week preseason. The Dodgers played only 33 games including split squad games. Buehler pitched 9 2/3 innings over 2 games all Spring – that’s it.
He isn’t fully up to speed yet. If after another 4 or 5 starts he still has a wimpy fastball and looks like a so-so pitcher, I will start to worry, but not yet.
I’m not going to get too up or too down about anyone yet. I still question why the Dodgers wasted precious AB and IP this Spring on guys who were never going to play though.
I can’t believe what I just witnessed this afternoon…….Gonzo throwing a one hitter through 6 innings, with a 1.23 WHIP. Not to mention a respectable 83 pitches.
Just a few days ago I came on here and said “I don’t trust Gonzo because he works to hard” but let me say this now (as an update)….if he can pitch like this all the time- much more efficiently- I will be very happy to get off the “I don’t trust him” bandwagon and get on board the “He’s the man” wagon. I’ve been rooting hard for both he and May to be our 4/5 starters for the next 10 years, so maybe that hope isn’t so far fetched.
TM
Let’s not lose our minds on Heaney – It’s shoulder soreness. That can be bad or not so bad. We have to wait and see.
You will not shave a few years off of your lives if you quit worrying about Cody’s hitting and Buehler’s velocity.
Trust the Catman – his time is here. He has always had this ability. Progress is not linear.
Since Bobby Miller struggled last night, some fans think his star is waning. I see last night as a blip…. unless he has an injury we do not know about. I still believe there is a very good chance we see him in LA THIS YEAR! He is legit!
Cody has been really crushing the ball. He didn’t look anywhere near this good at the end of last year, when he was relatively good. He still stands very upright and there’s still a lot of head movement. Go figure!
Dodgerhorse, I’m wondering how many posts you’re made so far saying that you’re worried about Bueller. Are you looking for people to agree with you, or talk you down from the edge? I’ll try to help…
It’s very early after a very short Spring. The results aren’t that bad, 2, 2, 3 runs in three starts and one of those was in Colorado. Two of the runs yesterday were extremely lucky if I remember correctly. It looks like he’s having trouble commanding the fastball and the velo is down a little. I would give it at least two more starts and see how it goes. Pretty much all players have some down years. Let’s see if he actually has one and what it looks like.
Walker had 3 fastballs over 96 with the fastest at 96.8 yesterday. He threw one pitch over 96 at 96.1 in his first start in Colorado. Does that help? Lets see what he does after a couple more starts and on a warm day and see if it gets any better.
Let me add my two cents in this “great” controversy. I think it is wrongly used. When you talk about Kershaw, Koufax, Valenzuela (yes, the forgotten one) they are beyond great, they were EXTRAordinary. In that context, then T Bauer indeed has been great. That applies for some nowadays players.
If Muncy gets the ball out of his glove and doesn’t take the extra step before throwing to first, the no-hitter would still be in play and Roberts would get another chance to stay with a pitcher throwing a no-hitter. Lucky Roberts, unlucky Gonsolin.
Put Lux at second and leave him there.
Cody looking good!
Go Dodgers!
CATMAN! Not bad for a guy a lot of people don’t even want as our fifth starter! When he can locate his fastball he’s a very good pitcher. Hopefully my negative energy won’t take as long to work on Mookie as it did for Belli! HES BACK!
With Gonsolin pitching well today and Andrew Heaney going on the IL I’m wondering if Anderson will get a start next time.
I live in South Carolina about 4 hours from Atlanta. I sometimes make a trip to see the Dodgers play in Atlanta. I also have MLB for the Dodgers only. I don’t understand why I should be blacked out when the Braves play the Dodgers in LA. Anyone know the reasoning?
The Dodgers also got a little thinner:
DODGERS RECALL ZACH MCKINSTRY
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers recalled infielder/outfielder Zach McKinstry and placed left-handed pitcher Andrew Heaney on the injured list with left shoulder discomfort.
McKinstry, 26, has played in 12 games for Oklahoma City, batting .404 (21-for-52) with three doubles, four triples, one homer and nine RBI. Last week he was named Pacific Coast League Player of the Week and he is among the league leaders in batting average (.3rd), OPS (7th, 1.121), triples (1st), total bases (2nd, 35) and extra-base hits (T-3rd). In two Major League seasons with the Dodgers, he has hit a combined .264 with 10 doubles, seven homers and 29 RBI.
Heaney, 30, has made two starts for the Dodgers this season, tossing 10.1 scoreless innings with 16 strikeouts against three walks. He signed with the Dodgers in free agency this offseason after spending parts of last season with the Los Angeles Angels and New York Yankees. In 30 combined games (23 starts), he went 8-9 with a 4.53 ERA (84 ER/129.2 IP) and 150 strikeouts in 2021. He has been in the Major Leagues parts of nine seasons with Miami (2014), Los Angeles-AL (2015-2021), New York-AL (2021) and Los Angeles-NL (2022) and he is a combined 33-38 with a 4.65 ERA (333 ER/644.2 IP) and 666 strikeouts.
I’m still worried about Buehler-Moyer, that loss of speed is starting to show in his numbers, he’s still efficient but not overwhelming: 15.2 IP, 17H, 6BB, 11SO, every hitter every at-bat he has to throw his entire repertoire in order to take him out, he can no longer say there goes my 98-99 mph fastball, hit him if you can.
The Giants’ rotation got a little thinner:
Giants Place Alex Cobb On Injured List
By Darragh McDonald | April 20, 2022 at 12:04pm CDT
Between the two games of last night’s doubleheader, the Giants made a roster move, announcing that right-hander Alex Cobb had been placed on the 10-day IL with a right adductor strain. Fellow righty Yunior Marte was recalled to take his place on the roster.
Unfortunately Kenley didn’t make anyone in Atlanta nervous last night. Hopefully we won’t see him today.
By comparison TM, Seager hits lefty’s at a .282 clip, better than Freeman or Muncy. Pollock was over .280 against lefty’s, Turner, .274, Trea, .321.. Chris Taylor hits .262 against both. Alberto .332. So, if you look at the averages by some of the regulars, their struggles against LHP should not be that way all of the time. But Freid, who they crushed in the playoffs, had an excellent arsenal last night. It happens. Does not mean it is going to happen every time they face a lefty.
SPTony Gonsolin R
0-0 1.29 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
RF Mookie Betts R
1B F. Freeman L
SS Trea Turner R
2B Max Muncy L
3B J. Turner R
C Will Smith R
CF C. Bellinger L
LF Chris Taylor R
DH Edwin Rios L
Partly-cloudy-day
0% Rain
68° Wind 7 mph R-L
That’s a really unfortunate story. Reading up a little on the disease, it is commonly linked to severe psychological stress or trauma, though not always, and the exact causes are elusive. Reading about it reminded me of that scene in Saving Private Ryan when Tom Hank’s hands were trembling. That was probably the same thing.
This is so sad. We got to know Mark when he was with the Quakes. An incredibly kind person.
This was something I posted on Facebook in Sep 2019.
“ Rancho Quakes were eliminated from the playoffs tonight. Our minor league season has come to an official end. My son wanted to say goodbye to his favorite players so he was hanging out at the locker room door. The Quakes manager is Mark Kertenian. He’s watched out for my kid all year. Given him lineup cards and chatted with him before games. Tonight he came out looking for for him just to give him his fungo bat that he used all season. This might be the coolest thing anybody has ever given my son. Best summer ever… so far.”
I will spread the word about his FoFundMe effort. He is one of those people that, when you meet them, truly leaves an impression. I hope he makes a full recovery and comes back to the Dodgers.
Lux was removed from the lineup due to back stiffness.
We are going to lose around 55 games this year. And I hope that each one is like last night. We just got beat by quality pitching and not by giving the game away. There are quality losses. The ones I hate are the give away games where we don’t show up and sleepwalk through games we should win. I didn’t see that last night. We just got taken to the woodshed by outstanding pitching.
I just talked with John Murphy who organized the Go Fund Me Account. He is a close, family friend of Mark Kertenian.
There really is no treatment or cure in the US so Mark found a place in the UV that has had a history of success in the treatment of this disease. Of course, it is not covered by insurance.
He says that the Dodgers have been amazing and are really stepping up, but that Mark needs all the help he can get. It’s a very scary and insidious disease.
Very sad story to hear. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.
Sorry Bear, but you’re dead wrong on Bauer. Any pitcher that wins a Cy Young award is a great pitcher. When he got suspended last year (I know it’s technically “Administrative Leave”), he was the best pitcher on our staff, he was better than Max Scherzer, and only DeGrom was arguably better. Bauer had a breakout season at age 27. DeGrom’s first season was at age 26. Bauer’s last 180 innings (2020-2021) he has an ERA barely over 2.
Scherzer is another head case that marches to his own drum, like many other great pitchers before him. Mark Fidrych comes to mind and so does Zach Greinke. Clayton Kershaw gives up a ton of homers, still a great pitcher.
What’s happening to Bauer has as much to do with him speaking out against Manfred as it does about this setup that he’s currently entangled in. All you have to do is look at Marcell Ozuna’s suspension to realize that.
Some idiot at TBLA wrote a hit piece on Bauer yesterday. He claims to be an attorney in order to persuade his audience into believing that he knows what he’s talking about. Then he proceeds to talk like Bauer’s attorneys are somehow amateurish in how they and Bauer are handling the case. You know, the attorneys with DC and Beverly Hills addresses don’t know what their doing, but the attorney that writes long winded baseball articles while trying to set the record for most commas and run on sentences knows better.
I understand that people don’t like Bauer. I could care less. But, let’s just stick to facts and not make shit up. TM said Bauer is great, okay, that might be debatable over the course of his career. But, the last time we saw him in uniform, he was a stud and an innings eater. He would improve the staff, so let’s not act like he wouldn’t.
The thing that really pisses me off about all of this is that people want to believe the lady, who is basically a proven liar (By making misleading statements on court documents), and who obviously tries to get entangled with ballplayers (Tatis, Clevinger and Bauer) looking for a payday, over Bauer becauses he’s mean to people on Social Media.
This is the world we live in.
I wish Mark Kertenian all the best luck in the world. We never know when unfortunate uncertainties are going to strike out of the blue onto us. You have my prayers and sympathies.
Thanks for sharing his story Mark. Life is certainly more than Dodger wins and losses even for Dodgers. I’m sure the Dodger organization is stepping up
Sounds awful. I trust the Dodgers are stepping up to help.
Braves lineup is very, very good and will be even better when Acuna comes back. Their bullpen is formidable too especially when KJ has it going like he did last night.
There weakness is their rotation IMHO. That is where the Mets are superior . Both teams will make the playoffs and will be a huge roadblock for whoever team has to face them.
I agree the Dodgers need TB back to improve our rotation.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, all things must come to an end….so no big deal. My nephew, who likes to gamble, asked me about the game and I said, “this will be the night the Braves will win…Fried with Jansen saving.” I wish I weren’t right, but it just seemed to me it would happen. Fried is too good and Jansen is highly motivated.
The good news….I’m glad Lux sat down….had he played, another 0-4 would have put him under .250 and sinking fast. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not hating on him….I’m just not convinced he can be an everyday player like Trea Turner.
Too bad Freddie’s final out didn’t travel 10 or so more feet. That would have been an exciting moment for Dodger fans, even with a loss.
Lastly, I said this on my first post back from vacation- starting pitching will be our biggest concern UNLESS WE GET THE GREAT TREVOR BAUER BACK or trade again for a proven stud on the trade deadline. ! Bauer is that proven stud and an innings eater. Personally, I really don’t care about him inflicting pain on women who voluntarily ask for him to do such in the privacy of their homes.
We got tonight, so enjoy the day…..
TM
As soon as I saw the picture, I thought it was Andrew Toles!