That was quick: Dodgers call up Jerry Sands

Last year at this time, Jerry Sands was in Class-A ball.

Monday, the 23-year-old Sands will make his major league debut for a Dodgers club that hopes he can jump start its stagnant offense.

A former 25th-round pick out of Catawba College in North Carolina, Sands was batting .400 with five home runs and 17 runs batted in for triple-A Albuquerque.

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Sands hit a combined 35 home runs for Class-A Inland Empire and double-A Chattanooga last season. He hadn’t played at triple A until this year.

To make room on the roster for Sands, the Dodgers designated Xavier Paul for assignment.

-- Dylan Hernandez

Photo: Dodgers right fielder Jerry Sands catches a fly ball hit by Oakland's Anthony Recker during the seventh inning of their spring training baseball game in Phoenix last month. Credit: Eric Risberg / Associated Press

Comments

[skyharbor]

Sands is good but this is an act of desperation by the Dodgers. With one year of AAA ball he would be a solid candidate for 2012 rookie of the year. Looks like Ned is fighting for his job.

[Chumpy Kemp]

Too bad he wears a Dodgers uniform. Put one on, and you start playing like crap, with no spirit or effort, but looking oh so cool.

How come all the young players on the SF Gnats play so well, but we still have garbage efforts from Billz and "Dre" and all of the other underachievers?

[Brian Grossman]

So, The Dodgers are pinning their hopes on a 23 year old?

There is a small chance that he will be a phenom. I can also win the lottery.

PLEASE, LA TIMES, be a gadfly. Keep putting pressure on McCourt to sell.

PLEASE FANS: Stay away from teh stadium. It's our only hope to get rid of McCourt asap.

[Fred]

James Loney better take note or his days are numbered in a Dodger uniform. I hope Jerry lives up to all the hype. I'm still stung over guys like Andy Laroche not panning out.

[Hollywood Dodger Mark]

X Paul's career over for Dodgers. What was that all about? Next. Gimenez. Jerry Sands coming up three years early. I assume Thames is hurt.

[LoveYaVin]

Revolving door:

Russell Martin went 2-for-3 and hit a two-run homer Sunday in the Yankees' 6-5 win over the Rangers.

....go Russ.....we still love ya!

[OldBrooklynFan]

This is great news, no surprise on Paul. It's good to see the Dodgers bring up a power hitter, just what they needed. I can see Sands in LF and if Loney continues his present ways for too long, then move Sands over there.

[ForTheKids]

Yesterday Ned Colletti was quoted in the LA Times as saying "We were trying to be patient with Jerry Sands and, at the same time, give us enough offensive output in left field to be patient."

Risking the future of such a sure fire prospect but cutting out his AAA year surely means there is desperation at the top. Sell tickets. Win games. In that order.

[DodgerFanIn415]

Is the lineup card out already? How is it that people know he's batting 7th? And why there? Why not replace gardenhose at 1st and keep gwynn in left, especially with a softball pitcher due up to start?

Please no commentary, 14B... Aka 1900.

[plutarchknows]

Been following this kid since he was at Catawba. He'll stick. He's that good, great ability to adjust, and he's mentally tough. Dodger fans are in for a treat. Buckle up.

[Labeldude]

At least for awhile I'll have three guys to pay attention to while they're batting instead of the usual two. Hope Sands does well.
.
Then again, he can't do any worse than Uribe and Loney.

[campc4]

McCourt is really impressed with Sands.........salary!

[campc4]

Can Sands play 1st base?

[Jesse Zamarripa]

Boycott McCourt! Write the commissioner!

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
Address: 245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
City: New York, State: NY Zip Code: 10167

[vtadave]

Hey Chumpy - Not sure if you are actually serious, but last time I checked, Ethier had a .933 OPS, Kemp was looking like an MVP candidate, and Billingsley just destroyed the Cardinals.

If you want to rip the left-fielders, 2B, 3B, C, etc., be my guest, but spew your venom towards guys who actually deserve it.

[Mike]

All Sands has to do is get an OBP in the high 300's. That will be better than most players players on this impotent team who consistently fail to get on base. Hopefully, Sands will be great and sign with another team that's a bit more functional once free agency comes around.

[Steele Here]

Kudos to Colletti for having the guts to make the move. He should also consider bringing up Dee Gordon to fill in for Rafael Furcal.

[16blows]

"Monday, the 23-year-old Sands will make his major league debut for a Dodgers club that hopes he can jump start its stagnant offense."

- is 'that' all? (Billy Joel's 'Pressure' blaring in the background)

[Tumbler]

Old Dodger Way: Nurture a great farm system, bring up a nucleus of great kids, build around them and create winners for that nucleus year after year (Garvey-Cey-Lopes-Russell etc)
New Dodger Way: Take the studs Logan White drafted under prior ownership, market them like crazy, use the money from club revenues to spend on the owner's lavish tastes, waste the young talent until it's no longer young or talented.

[Since '58]

This is truly a desperation move. Chancing a kid's development in AAA vs a quick fix for a bad team. I hope he does well and can adjust to major league pitching, for his sake.
I also hope Billingsley has turned a corner and can start to pitch well again and not revert to the wimpy form he's displayed outside of yesterday. The jury is still out as far as I'm concerned.
Even if Kemp and Ethier continue to produce, Kershaw's last outing was a hiccup, and Sands is the real deal, there are still far too many holes to make this team go anywhere. McCourt must go. Believe me, all will not be forgiven if he gets his money from FOX and starts to field a winning team. A leopard can't change his spots. He'll still be the same slime bag.

[HI Dodger Fan]

sands is advanced for a guy with little upper level minor league experience. his age, however, implies a bit more maturity than, say, kemp, who also came up with similar minor league experience but at a younger age. kemp's phenomenal start was derailed by his vulnerability to the low and away breaking ball. maybe sands has the maturity to lay off that ball. if so, we may have our future first baseman (not left field, that's for trayvon robinson when he comes up in june). if loney doesn't like this, then maybe he ought to start approaching the game a little more like, dare i say this, like matt kemp.

[give him a shot]

Andruw Jones entered the bigs at 18, Posey at 23; the list goes on. Sands at 23 had a great spring and deserves a chance to play. What harm can come it's not like the team is any good.

[neoncactus]

I love the move, and was hoping they'd do it. The Dodgers aren't going to win consistently with Marcus Thames. Their offense needs power and Sands not only had a great spring, but a hot start in AAA. That may not translate to the majors (see Chris Davis of the Rangers), but I would rather give the young player a shot and see what we get rather than put the older veteran out there where you pretty much know what you're going to get.

[N.P.Krohn]

Did some research and since the draft was started almost all impact offensive player were starting for the Dodgers within 2.5-3.5 years of being drafted. Sands appears to be right on schedule. June would make it 3 yrs since being drafted.