Dodgers Web musings: Long before Kuo's struggles, there was Steve Blass

This is not an encouraging story for Hong-Chih Kuo, and there are plenty of those out there.

But ESPN/LA's Tony Jackson talked to ex-Pirates pitcher Steve Blass, who suffered the same kind of sudden, unexplainable inability to throw a ball where he wanted that has landed Kuo on the disabled list with an anxiety disorder.

Blass lost control in 1973, in what was such a classic case of the "yips’’ it is now often called the Steve Blass Disease.

Blass, unfortunately, never did recover.

"I never fully understood what happened,’’ he said. "But I was lucky in that it was toward the back of a career in which I already had done far more than I ever dreamed of. I tell people if that happened to me today, I would just go to Harvard Medical School and say, 'Fix me.' But that was a different era.’’

Also on the Web:

-- The Orange County Register’s Landon Hall talks to a clinical psychologist to discuss Kuo and how his stress compares to the rest of us in the workplace.

-- The Times’ Bill Shaikin reports on Commissioner Bud Selig’s meeting with the press Thursday in New York, where he denies MLB is dragging its feet on the investigation of the Dodgers’ finances.

-- Sports Illustrated’s Jon Heyman came away from the meetings convinced Frank McCourt is a solitary figure among other owners and is running out of time.

--  Selig’s monitor, Tom Schieffer, tells the Associated Press that  are composed of 26 interlocking companies and calls his task "daunting,’’ with video.

No major surprises as Dodgers cut to 25-man roster, elect to go with three catchers

There were no real surprises when the Dodgers announced their 25-man roster to open the season after Wednesday’s game.

Of course, as the five Dodgers who will start the season on the disabled list start to trickle back in early April, more bodies will get shuffled.

For now, three nonroster invitees ended up making the team -- relievers Mike MacDougal and Lance Cormier, and infielder Aaron Miles.

The bullpen, infield and outfield pretty much fell into to place as expected. The only mild surprise was the decision to go with three catchers.

A.J. Ellis and Hector Gimenez both made the opening-day roster, meaning veteran outfielder Gabe Kapler was released. Manager Don Mattingly said General Manager Ned Colletti still planned to meet with Kapler, 35, to see if there is a mutual interest in his playing at triple-A Albuquerque.

Gimenez mostly made the team because the Dodgers liked his bat, but he can also play first and dabbled some this spring in the outfield.

"We’ve been trying to build with pitching and defense," Mattingly said. "Ellis knows our staff, knows our guys. Hector did a good job too, he just doesn’t know the staff as well."

Dodgers reassign Dee Gordon, option John Lindsey and Trayvon Robinson to the minors

Some day Dee Gordon and Trayvon Robinson may break camp firmly in the Dodgers’ immediate plans.

Not this spring, though. Not for this coming season.

Gordon and Robinson were among six Dodgers on Monday who had to pack their bags and head over to the minor league clubhouse.

If they were looking for sympathy, however, they were in the wrong group. John Lindsey, the first baseman who tore up triple-A pitching last season to finally earn a September call up after 16 years in the minor leagues, was also optioned back to the minor league camp.

Right-hander Javy Guerra, outfielder Jamie Hoffman, Lindsey and Robinson were all optioned to the minor leagues. Damaso Espino and Gordon, who are not on the 40-man roster, were simply reassigned to the minors.

Gordon is considered one of the Dodgers’ top prospects and their shortstop of the future. The speedy Gordon, who turns 23 next month, played all of last season at double-A Chattanooga, where he hit .277 and stole 53 bases.

Robinson, 23, was also at Chattanooga last season. The outfielder hit .300 and stole 38 bases. Signed when he was 17, this will be his seventh year in the organization. Guerra, 25, was a reliever at Chattanooga, where he had a 2.33 earned-run average but a 1.70 WHIP.

Lindsey was a late-season, feel-good story for the Dodgers. After laboring all those years in the minors, he became an instant hit in their September clubhouse, both for his story and his infectious personality.

Hoffman, 26, could be running out of time. He was taken by the Yankees in the Rule 5 Draft last year, but returned before the season began. At triple-A Albuquerque, he hit .310 with a .431 slugging percentage.

Espino, 27, is a light-hitting catcher from Panama.

--Steve Dilbeck

Strangest Dodgers story of the year

OK, at least in the non-Vladimir Shpunt division. I’m thinking nothing will ever get stranger than the Rasputin-magic-cosmic-vibes story. Or more hilarious.

But for this one, we are talking on-the-field-weird. Shake-the-head-in-bewilderment odd.

And the winner is -- the non-debut debut of John Lindsey.

It was a puzzler. Lindsey, who had toiled exclusively in the minor leagues for 16 years, gets a September call-up by the Dodgers.

Then finally, he emerges from the dugout on Sept. 8 and is announced as a pinch-hitter. Enough to make you get a lump in the old cynical throat.

Only the Padres switched pitchers and Manager Joe Torre called Lindsey back, pinch-hitting Andre Ethier instead.

And that was Lindsey’s major-league debut. Officially appearing in a game he never played in.

Lindsey, 33, was typically good-natured about it. Through all his travails, he remained refreshingly upbeat.

It was a bizarre enough moment that it made one of ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark’s always entertaining season-review stories -- this one, naturally, about the strangest aspects to baseball’s 2010 season.

Lindsey did actually play for the first time the next day, flying out to center. He collected his first major-league hit on Sept. 12 at Houston.

Still, Lindsey’s long wait to make it to the majors would end without a storybook finish. The Pacific Coast League batting champion ended up with just the one hit in 12 at-bats (.083) before having his hand fractured by a pitch on Sept. 25.

At this moment, Lindsey -- who turns 34 next month -- remains on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster.

-- Steve Dilbeck

For Brent Leach, it's sayonara as a Dodger

OK, here’s one guy who won’t be the Dodgers’ second left-hander out of the bullpen:

Brent Leach.

The 28-year-old reliever saw some time with the Dodgers in 2009, not that it was particularly memorable.

He couldn’t get it turned around last year at triple-A Albuquerque and has now signed with the Yokohama BayStars and been designated for assignment by the Dodgers.

The Dodgers needed to clear space on their 40-man roster to make room for reliever Matt Guerrier, which at least leaves John Lindsey to live another day.

Leach came up in April of ’09, got 20 1/3 innings of work and left with a 5.75 earned-run average. He did, however, limit left-handed hitters to a .156 batting average, so it looked as if there could be some situational usage.

Last season he began the season as a starter at double-A Chattanooga, going 7-3 with a 4.57 ERA. He was bumped up to Albuquerque, where mostly he was used as a reliever again, finishing 3-2 with a 6.35 ERA (26 appearances, three starts).

Leach, of course, would not be the first pitcher to struggle in the high altitude of Albuquerque. Nor the first to head to Japan when things didn’t work out with the Dodgers.

The only left-hander assured of being in the Dodgers bullpen next season is Hong-Chih Kuo.

-- Steve Dilbeck

Dodgers continue to add non-roster invitees by signing reliever Oscar Villarreal

A little lazy, relaxing fishing. You throw a line in the water, and if something happens, great. If not, nothing much lost but a little effort.

Teams do this all the time in the offseason, sign guys who have a marginal -- or even a downright long-shot -- chance of actually making the club.

Spring rosters are dotted with non-roster invitees, some who actually make the club, if only for a short while. Think Russ Ortiz, Ramon Ortiz. Or who take a ticket to the minors, à la John Lindsey.

The Dodgers added to their non-roster list for 2011 Tuesday, signing right-hander reliever Oscar Villarreal.

Villarreal has spent parts of six seasons in the National League but hasn’t pitched in the majors since part of 2008 with the Astros.

He has a career record of 24-15 with a 3.86 ERA, so it’s not like he was completely awful. Heck, last year in the Dodgers’ bullpen, that almost would have made him a star.

Villarreal, who turned 29 on Monday, was born in San Nicolás de los Garza, Mexico, and still lives with his family in Monterrey. He spent last season with the Phillies’ triple-A Lehigh club, going 4-3 with a 4.40 ERA in 49 games.

On Monday, the Dodgers signed reliever Dana Eveland to a minor league split contract. Eveland, 27, was 3-5 with a 6.79 ERA in 12 games (10 starts) for Toronto and Pittsburgh last season.

These are the kinds of signings that are designed to get fans queuing up at the ticket booth, but one or two often break through to make a contribution of some sort. Expect more such signings to come, particularly for that bullpen.

-- Steve Dilbeck

Dodgers' Web musings: Show me the money -- Angels offer contrast heading into offseason

OK, it’s a continuing theme, albeit a two-day theme.

Yet it bears repeating, unfortunately. Two Los Angeles-area baseball teams, both suffering a disappointing season and now heading into the offseason from opposite directions.

The Angels have a mandate to return to their winning ways. Owner Arte Moreno told The Times’ Bill Plaschke he was angry over the team’s play and would spend what it takes to return his team to the postseason.

"If you want to continue to perform at the highest level, you have to keep building the business," Moreno said. "And that's what I intend to do."

What a concept. A team with commitment. A team with a plan.

This was in stark contrast to a story the previous day in The Times from T.J. Simers, chronicling how uncertain things are with the Dodgers’ offseason plans.

I almost felt sorry for Ned Colletti as Simers asked him about his ability to spend in the offseason, and the general manager was forced into a lot of I-don’t-know-yet responses about the Dodgers' financial resources.

One team is immediately letting it be known it will do whatever it takes to return to the top. The other is still foundering.

"We know where our weaknesses are, we know where we are thin, we know where we have to go to market," Moreno said. "It's going to cost money, but our fans need to know what we're committed to winning."

Also out there on the Web:

-- ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark's always entertaining season review has Dodger John Lindsey in the Debut of the Year. After waiting 16 years in the minors, Lindsey never actually played in his first official game.

-- The New York Times’ Dave Anderson talks to pitcher Carl Erskine on the 55th anniversary of the Brooklyn Dodgers finally beating the Yankees for their first World Series title.

-- SportsIllustrated.com’s Jon Heyman has a list of the 38 potential new managers to be hired his offseason and at No.1 is Joe Torre. Checking in at No. 26 is Tim Wallach, who Heyman said reportedly turned down an opportunity to interview in Toronto.

-- Congratulations to Kirk Gibson signing for two years with the Diamondbacks. Should be fun. Gibson told the Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro he wants the team to improve in a variety of areas, from picking off opposing base-runners to deking defenders, and somehow transitioned into wanting his pitchers to be able to show bunt before pulling back to slash.

"If Todd Helton wants to come charging in there, he better be ready to hit the deck," Gibson said. "That's what I'm talking about."

-- Daily News columnist Tom Hoffarth has served Frank and Jamie McCourt with a class-action divorce from the fans, demanding full custody of the Dodgers. Good stuff.

-- ESPN/LA.com’s Jon Weisman has teamed up with his staff’s creative people to offer a series of online postseason Dodgers baseball cards.

-- According to MLBtraderumors.com, the Dodgers will have the 16th pick in the June draft, one spot ahead of the Angels. Got ’em there!

-- The Riverside Press-Enterprise’s David Lassen warns that retooling the Dodgers will be a serious challenge, with Colletti saying there won’t be major roster revisions.

-- SportsIllustrated.com’s Joe Posnanski offers a terrific look at Vin Scully. Really well done.

-- Steve Dilbeck

Things that went right for the Dodgers in 2010

Now, before we delve into an entire offseason of negativity, I am going to present you with a list of things to be pleased with about the Dodgers’ 2010 season.

We will now pause for the laughing to subside.

There were some highlights. The Dodgers won 80 games, though incredibly went only 31-43 in the second half.

But here is an offering of bright spots to otherwise disappointing season:

+ Vin Scully announced he would return for another season. Scully remains the best part of the Dodgers.

+ Hong-Chih Kuo. Applause, applause. What a terrific season for a guy whose left arm was thought to be hanging by a thread, or a last ligament.

Kuo became the closer and nailed down 12 of 13 save opportunities, set a club record with a 1.20 ERA and brought nothing but smiles every time he took the mound.

+ Jamey Carroll, the little infielder who could, was supposed to be a little-used utility player but ended up with the seventh-most at-bats on the club (351), hit .291 and showed hustle on every play.

+ Matt Kemp started the season with seven home runs in 10 games and ended it with five home runs in five days. In the 143 games in between, he hit 16.

+ Clayton Kershaw, the developing ace. He’s still not all the way there, but the 22-year-old continued to make impressive strides (2.91 ERA, 204 1/3 innings, 212 strikeouts).

+ John Lindsey made his major-league debut after 16 years in the minors.

+ Andre Ethier was on a triple-crown pace before fracturing his pinkie May 15. Alas, he returned too quickly and was never the same.

+ Chad Billingsley overcame a frightening start (4.61 ERA in 17 starts) to finish strong and again look like a front-line starter (2.45 ERA in 14 starts).

+ Kenley Jansen had absolutely no right to do what he did, but one year after being converted from a catcher to a reliever, went 1-0 with four saves and a stunning 0.67 ERA in 25 appearances.

+ Also: Brad Ausmus’ class, Jay Gibbons’ return, saving $3.8 million when the White Sox claimed Manny Ramirez, losing Manny’s dreadlocks and the late additions of California boys Ted Lilly (7-4, 3.52) and Rod Barajas (five home runs, .297 in 64 at-bats), who actually want to be Dodgers.

-- Steve Dilbeck

After 16-year wait to reach big leagues, Dodgers' John Lindsey suffers broken hand

John Lindsey can now truly say he knows what big-league pitching feels like.

Lindsey, who labored in the minor leagues for 16 years until the Dodgers finally called him up this month, sustained a broken left hand Saturday night in the Dodgers' 5-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

Making only his second major-league start, the first baseman was struck by a pitch thrown by Arizona starter Daniel Hudson in the seventh inning.

"Very sad for as long as he waited for this opportunity and have to swallow this pill," Dodgers Manager Joe Torre said of Lindsey, 33. But Torre added that "this kid is certainly not going to let that take away from fighting his way back again next year."

Indeed, Lindsey -- wearing a splint and bandage on the hand after the game -- said he planned to be at spring training again next season. "I still got to lean on my faith," he said. "There's a reason for it."

--Jim Peltz in Phoenix

Credit: Dodgers infielder John Lindsey before the game against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium on Sept. 22. Credit: Kirby Lee / US Presswire

It should be the John Lindsey hour in Dodgers last games

Time to give John Lindsey some love.

Six of the Dodgers last nine games are against the Arizona Diamondbacks, which means they carry absolutely zero relevance to anything. Unless you’re Kirk Gibson and trying to make a case to stick around.

Lindsey should start each of the six games against the Diamondbacks.

It’s not like he hasn’t earned it. Sixteen years trudging around the minors before getting your first sniff of the major leagues is qualification enough. It’s way more than enough.

The affable Lindsey has had one start and 10 at-bats since his Sept. 6 call-up. And one hit.

Mostly he’s sat and cheered his new teammates on as manager Joe Torre tried to play his best lineup against teams still fighting for the National League West title. You know, like the Dodgers used to do.

But there’s nothing of significance at stake in the six games against Arizona. Lindsey is 33 and may not come this way again. Let ’em play.

[Update:] No love for Friday.

Lindsey is not in the Dodgers' starting lineup against the Diamondbacks. Non-regulars getting a look include Chin-Lung Hu at shortstop, Russ Mitchell at third and Trent Oeltjen in center.

-- Steve Dilbeck