Emmet Sheehan made his Major League debut for the Dodgers on June 16, 2023 against the Giants and threw six no-hit innings. Yoshinobu Yamamoto has built up a reputation of being one of the greatest pitching talents to ever come out of Japan. His ability to command multiple pitches, throw strikes with consistency and dominate any lineup helped make him a three-time Eiji Sawamura Award winner and three-time Pacific League MVP in the Nippon Professional Baseball League.
Yamamoto faced the entire Padres lineup in the first inning last week, throwing 43 pitches (20 balls). There was a walk, a hit batsman and a wild pitch in there. He allowed four hits and five runs, striking out two batters – and he was done after one inning. Compare that with Yu Darvish, who made his MLB debut on April 9, 2012, for the Texas Rangers. The 25-year-old, who was also a 2007 Sawamura Award winner faced 10 batters in his first inning, allowed four hits, three walks and four runs on 42 pitches.
So, are we to assume that Emmet Sheehan is going to be a better pitcher than Yamamoto or Darvish? Well, it would be nice… but I am not predicting that. It’s just a silly headline. Of greater importance, is What about Emmet Sheehan’s arm? It was initially said that Sheehan was experiencing “general body soreness” early in Spring Training which was why he was held out. Later, it was said that he had “shoulder soreness.” Then a few days ago, we heard that he would begin the season on the IL with “Right Forearm Inflammation.”
As an organization, the Dodgers have embraced “Driveline Baseball Technology” which includes max effort on the fastball along with high spin rates and extreme arm contortion for sliders, curves and sweepers. It seems that the Dodgers have embraced the fact that their pitchers may have to have Tommy John Surgery every 3-5 years and that the juice is worth the squeeze!
This is the reason that the Dodgers are hoarding arms. At the rate things are going, the Dodgers will have three to six pitchers in process of Tommy John and rehabilitation at any given time. Pitch for three to five years and then go in for an overhaul, rebuild the arm, rehab and do it all over again. Call it the Walker Buehler Model! Arms are rebuildable and you just rotate them in and out. Speaking of Walker Buehler, I hear that he is pushing 98 MPH and should be in the rotation by May… barring any setbacks. I believe that Buehler and Glasnow will be 1 and 1A… I don’t pretend to know who is #1.
I read this on Twitter yesterday: “They need to investigate the Angels, from drug circles to illegal gambling, makes you wonder what else is going in there and investigate Mike Trout too because he refuses to leave such a shady environment.”
Alanaa Rizzo Back to Covering the Dodgers
Former SportsNet LA reporter Alanna Rizzo is again going to cover the Los Angeles Dodgers and take on a new role with “Foul Territory,” a digital baseball show that has quickly grown since launching in March 2023.
Rizzo, a seven-time Emmy winner, joins to co-host “Fair Territory” with Ken Rosenthal every Thursday at 9:30 a.m. PT to expand the show from previously streaming live once a week on Mondays.
She then will get to focus on her former team as the host of “Dodgers Territory” along with Clint Pasillas at 12 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays. Their first show is scheduled for Monday. Rizzo also is expected to make appearances on “Foul Territory,” which airs daily.
Ohtani Update
I had posted this a couple of days ago, but then lost the post: As recently pointed out by Craig Calcaterra at Cup of Coffee, Ohtani may have violated federal laws and/or league rules just by wiring the money, even if he did no gambling whatsoever. That is an excellent piece and very comprehensive. At this juncture, it appears that only two parties are investigating this: (1) MLB; and (2) the IRS!
Discussion (15)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Agreed!
I’ll bet he has over 140.
Eric,
Your boy, Outman, has been stranding a ton of runners this Spring. A ton!
I miss this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewRjZoRtu0Y
Looks like I won’t be leaving on Wednesday after all. My sis wants to take the train up here, and then we will drive back for the funeral. Works for me. Glad there is a game on tonight, I need the distraction.
Both the Dodgers and Cubs have allegedly been informed that they will open the 2025 season in Tokyo, Japan.
7:10 PM ET
Angels (0-0)
Dodgers (1-1)
SP Griffin Canning R
0-0 .00 ERA
SP Bobby Miller R
0-0 .00 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
SS Mookie Betts R
DH S. Ohtani L
1B F. Freeman L
C Will Smith R
3B Max Muncy L
LF T. Hernandez R
CF James Outman L
RF J. Heyward L
2B Gavin Lux L
partly-cloudy-day
44% Rain
59° Wind 23 mph L-R
03/23/24 Los Angeles Dodgers sent 3B Andre Lipcius outright to Oklahoma City Baseball Club.
Hey Mike. 5 or 6 years ago (I know it’s a long time) you wrote part of a poem that talks about responsibility, willpower and never giving up. I really liked it and now I want to rescue it for my grandson, but I can’t find it. do you remember it? do you know its name? or its author’s name? . Does anyone else locate it? thank you.
After opening this season in Korea against the San Diego Padres, the Dodgers international games may just be the beginning. According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, the Dodgers, along with the Chicago Cubs, have been privately informed that they have been chosen to open 2025 in Tokyo.
Rule 21(d)(3) says the following about team employees and bookies:
“Any player, umpire, or Club or League official or employee who places bets with illegal bookmakers, or agents for illegal book makers, shall be subject to such penalty as the Commissioner deems appropriate.”
If any players or team employees are confused about the rules, Major League Baseball hangs that one in every clubhouse.
Source: https://www.newsweek.com/sports/mlb/ohtani-mizuhara-scandal-what-are-mlbs-betting-rules-1882629#:~:text=They%20can't%20bet%20on,has%20a%20duty%20to%20perform.%22
The payment made to the illegal book maker from Ohtani’s account implicates him. The two varying stories out of Ohtani’s team further complicates his case. He either knowingly made the payment to clear the debt of his interpreter friend, in which case intimates knowledge, or Shohei was truly a victim of massive theft. The latter is more convenient for obvious reasons, but what led to the initial story? Could the interpreter merely be a fall guy for a much broader gambling problem?
These are difficult questions that need to be addressed and will take time to resolve.
Yamamoto will be fine.
I really like Sheehan.
Dylan Hernandez in a column in the LA Times had the best explanation of how this kind of thing happens.
I had a friend who was a multi millionaire who depended on his assistant for everything. She made off with most of his money and he ended up filing bankruptcy. She had worked for him for years.
Can you really trust anybody these days? That’s why auditors are so important.
I’m sure there will be twists and turns to all this.
Glad Mark is back.
whatever the outcome, hopefully mlb will get it right. we want the dodgers to win but not with the stink of something illegal hanging over their heads. sounds like ohtani may be guilty of being too generous. although if he is acquitted of any wrongdoing we’ll here about it all season. not the best way to start a new and exciting season!
Well right now Mark, you’re a better pitcher than Yamamoto, even if you don’t have a secondary pitch to go with your blazing fastball.
Seems like otani’s interpreter has been a consummate liar for quite a long time. Turns out on his resume he says he graduated from UC riverside, and that before he was an interpreter in Japan he wasn’t interpreter in the Red Sox organization and also the Yankees for a short time in spring training. Turns out none of those are true.