Dodgers web musings: Rubby De La Rosa looking like the real deal

Rubby De La Rosa was veritable unknown last spring, a skinny kid from the Dominican Republic. He started the season at Class-A Great Lakes.

Only De La Rosa exploded upon the scene, dominating at Great Lakes and then at double-A Chattanooga. He was a combined 7-2 with a 2.37 earned-run average and a 1.13 WHIP (walks plus hits divided by innings pitched).

He was selected the Dodgers organizational pitcher of the year, though he seemed a long way from cracking the 25-man roster.

De La Rosa, 22, might start the season at Chattanooga, but Dodgers.com's Ken Gurnick said De La Rosa has been so impressive this spring, he could be pushing himself into the Dodgers’ plans sooner than most expected.

Pitching coach Rick Honeycutt told Gurnick there are similarities to De La Rosa and Clayton Kershaw when he was coming up and fast-tracked to the majors:

"Yeah, he's got a lot of positives. A plus arm, 'pitchability.' A little wild with the fastball at times, but he always came back. The changeup is filthy. If I had that, I wouldn't throw anything else. But he can throw 97 [mph]. The one thing is throwing consistently for strikes. But a 20-year-old won't have everything figured out."

[Update:] This original post relayed information taken directly from the Dodgers media guide that De La Rosa had been suspended for 50 games for a drug violation in 2009, but the media guide is incorrect. He was never suspended. My apologies do De La Rosa.

Also on the web:

-- In a video interview with Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal, outfielder Andre Ethier talks about coming back too soon last season at the urging of Joe Torre.

-- Reliever Mike MacDougal (unscored upon in 5 1/3 spring innings) is examined by two bloggers. Mike Scioscia’s Tragic Illness’ Mike Petriello is conserving his enthusiasm for the well-traveled 34-year-old, while True Blue LA’s Eric Stephen still doesn’t believe he’ll make the final roster.

-- Baseball Savvy’s Howard Cole has another installment profiling bloggers, this time dipping into the airwaves with a question-and-answer piece on Fox Sports’ Patrick O’Neal.

-- Sports Illustrated’s Tom Verducci says the Dodgers are one of five MLB teams with the best chance to go from a losing record to the postseason.

-- Memories of Kevin Malone's Chad Moriyama gives a long look at outfield prospect Trayvon Robinson.

-- Fox Sports’ Joe McDonnell is the latest to profile the attempted return to form of Matt Kemp, who said he’s lost 16 pounds.

-- The New York Post’s Brian Costello writes Torre’s difficult departure from the Yankees is behind every one, after Torre accepts an invitation to participate in their Oldtimers’ Day.

-- In evil Giants news, ESPN.com’s Jim Caple writes that you’ll be stunned at what the reed-like Tim Lincecum calls a meal at In-N-Out.

And Rosenthal said the Giants might have another can’t-miss, Buster Posey-like prospect in first baseman Brandon Belt.

-- Steve Dilbeck

Photo: Rubby De La Rosa delivers a pitch during a spring game agianst the Cubs earlier this month. Credit: Julie Jacobson / Associated Press

Comments

[Joe the Plumber]

Good to hear about De La Rosa and the bang up job he is doing, one of the few bright spots!

[Skyharbor]

Rubby De La Rosa definitely looks like the real thing. The allegation that he was suspended during 2009 for violating the minor league drug policy sounds like another bit of misinformation characteristic of the McCourt era Dodgers. After all...as they say...if their lips are moving....

[Labeldude]

I'm going to curb my enthusiasm to see how he does this season in the minors. Lindblom looked like the real deal too a couple of spring trainings ago...

[B Sabean]

This De La Rosa could develop into a good player. You know what to do, Agent Ned: ship him off in July for an aging reliever and/or infielder with marginal power.

[StanL]

I don't get it, Steve, on your take on Sands needing to be sent down.
If De La Rosa is impressive in spring training and might make the club with minor league experience only below AAA ball, why isn't Sands in the same category?
If the reason is that Sands only batted against lesser talent in spring training, the same could be said of De La Rosa.

[Tom Daniels]

This will be an interesting.

It's clear the Dodgers could fall apart early if left field is a hole, Furcal can't stay healthy, Blake is too old, Uribe doesn't have Dodger Stadium power, nobody steps up as a catcher, Broxton continues his decline ......

The again, if Kemp and Either play to their potential, Loney adds a little power, Furcal is hitting in the leadoff spot, the starting pitching is strong, somebody like Gwynn steps up, Uribe and Blake are steady.....

Well, then they can contend. It's too many questions, maybe about 5 too many. But this team could, if things fall the right way, be better than expected, and if they are, they have a habit of making June pickups to bolster a contender.

Hell, it's spring. It's too early to throw in the towel.

[Chumpy Kemp]

How quickly will Rubby be consumed by his teammates' who-cares attitude and play at 10% effort?

[Steve Dilbeck]

StanL: I never advocated or said Rubby had any chance of making the 25-man roster, just that he could be on a faster track than anticipated. It's not impossible he gets a late-season call-up, very much like Sands.

[Mark S.]

Is it not a violation of journalistic ethics to take information directly from the team's media guide without giving attribution? DILBECK SHOULD HAVE CITED HIS AUTHOIRTY for Rubby's alleged suspension and then, having failed to attribute, he has the audacity to blame others for his false statement ab0ut the young man.

OK, I am not saying he is the next Jayson Blair, far from it. But sports reporters routinely read other web sites and guides and many seem lax when it comes to attributing their facts. If you read it elsewhere, you should attribute.

[Steve Dilbeck]

Mark S: It is not a violation of any journalistic ethics to take information directly from a media guide without attribution. It's done multiple times on a daily basis throughout all sports, professional, college, amateur, etc. That's what the guides are for. However, a red flag definitely should have gone up for me when I realized the info on Rubby in the guide had not been widely discussed. I should have double-checked the info.