Dodgers have to be liking the dreamer in Matt Kemp

Why you need to dream big ... sounds like the title of 32 different motivational books.

Matt Kemp, however, is dreaming really big. Record big. You’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me big.

His 2011 cry of “40-40” was impressive stuff, and he nearly became the fifth player in major-league history to pull it off, finishing the season with 39 home runs and 40 steals.

Now he’s upped the ante.

“Fifty-fifty,” Kemp said.

That’s his 2012 goal. And hey, why not? Yahoo Sports’ Tim Brown examines and applauds Kemp for giving himself lofty goals. Fifty-fifty never has been accomplished in a single season by any player in baseball history.

Of course, hitting 50 homers can get a little in the way of stealing 50 bases. Hard to steal when you’re trotting around the diamond.

Also on the Web:

-- Jonathan Broxton told the Associated Press he’s happy to be in the Kansas City camp and isn’t worried about his post-surgery velocity: “I could come out this year and throw 100 or come back and throw 95. You never know what your velocity is going to be.”

-- The Times’ Bill Shaikin reports on the Bryan Stow family charge that the Dodgers are using bankruptcy court to shield them from their liability claim.

-- In a Fox video, manager Don Mattingly looks to the team’s coming season.

   

 -- Veteran baseball writer Tony Jackson is ESPN/L.A.’s new Dodgers bloggers, and here reports on Rubby De La Rosa’s progress.

-- True Blue L.A.’s Eric Stephen is scheduled to be with the Dodgers all spring, and reports on Jerry Sands arriving at camp and wanting to start.

-- The Dodgers have claimed speedy outfielder Matt Angle off waivers from the Orioles, and in a corresponding move, placed De La Rosa on the 60-day disabled list to create roster room.

-- Mike Petriello gets in touch with his optimistic side in this look at the Dodgers’ coming season.

-- Reid Forgrave at Fox looks back on the historic effect of Dr. Frank Jobe’s ground-breaking Tommy John surgery.

-- Remember, he can play first! Jay Gibbons has signed a minor-league deal with the Brewers.

-- In a video from MLB, excited closer Javy Guerra says he thinks the Dodgers can win it all.

-- Steve Dilbeck

Count on the Dodgers for these early rites of spring

Dodgers pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to spring-training camp Tuesday morning, and I am positively certain each one of these things will transpire:

-- Ronald Belisario will not only be there on time, he’ll proudly be wearing a lanyard around his neck holding his visa.

-- Catcher Ted Federowicz will arrive without sporting that 1970s-style mustache. Actually, I have no idea if this is true, I just hope it is.

-- The hearts of every hitter in the National League will skip a beat when Clayton Kershaw announces he has been working with Fernando Valenzuela to develop a screwball.

-- Manager Don Mattingly will have to take 267 razzings for good-naturedly wearing a dress for a charity performance of the "Nutcracker." In the first two hours.

-- Rubby De La Rosa will announce he’s at least two months ahead of schedule in his return from Tommy John surgery.

-- Catcher A.J. Ellis will tweet that Chad Billingsley already looks like he’s in midseason form.

-- Ted Lilly’s fastball will appear another 2 mph slower, and he will somehow manage to use it to his advantage.

-- John Grabow will go around the locker room and shake hands with every player, coach and media member, just to remind them he’s left-handed.

-- Pitching coach Rick Honeycutt will explain to some first-time camper how he was actually the only pitcher to beat the Dodgers in the 1988 World Series.

-- In his first time on the mound, Kenley Jansen will throw absolute smoke.

-- Mike MacDougal will again claim to be 185 pounds.

-- Mattingly will say he’s crazy about his rotation and in love with his bullpen. Heartbreak arrives with the hitters Feb. 27.

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-- Steve Dilbeck

Daily Dodger in review: Nathan Eovaldi, hurler no one saw coming

NATHAN EOVALDI, 21, starting pitcher

Final 2011 stats: 1-2, 3.63 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, six strikeouts per nine innings, .230 opponent batting average in 34 2/3 innings.

Contract status: Under team control.

The good: He was the torpedo no one saw on the radar until suddenly he hit. An 11^th-round draft pick in 2008, Eovaldi had gone a combined 4-6 with a 4.30 ERA in three minor-league stops in 2010.

He started last season at double-A Chattanooga, where he was really scheduled to spend the year. But when Rubby De La Rosa, who had been previously plucked from Chattanooga, was lost to elbow surgery, the Dodgers called up Eovaldi to join the rotation. He was 6-5 with a 3.62 ERA at Chattanooga.

In his six starts for the Dodgers, he went 1-2 with a 3.09 ERA. In five of them, he went at least five innings and allowed two runs or less. Because he's only 21, to play it safe they took him out of the rotation as a precautionary move.

The bad: Four vowels vs. three consonants. After nine days off following his last start, he struggled in four relief appearances (a 10.13 ERA).

What’s next: At the moment, he probably has one of the five spots in next season’s rotation. If the Dodgers do resign Hiroki Kuroda, they may add another established pitcher to the rotation and allow Eovaldi to spend another season in the minors.

The take: It’s always dangerous to get carried away by a small string of games by a young pitcher (see: John Ely), but the Dodgers certainly liked what they saw of Eovaldi during his six-game stretch as a starter.

He wasn’t hitting 100 mph on the radar and raising eyebrows like De La Rosa, but he still showed an impressive fastball and solid poise for a young right-hander fresh up from double-A.

The Dodgers have reason to be leery of starting the season with Eovaldi in the rotation, but neither will they be afraid to. He could no doubt benefit by developing his other pitches in the minors for one more season, which is no doubt the best-case scenario.

But when your team is bankrupt and ownership is in chaos, best-case scenarios have a way of melting away. Which is why you’d best hope that those six starts last season were a true indicator of what he can do over the course of a full season.

— Steve Dilbeck

For Dodgers, the kids were a lot better than all right

There’s youth served and youth force fed.

Sometimes the play of a kid is just so exciting it demands that he be called up. And sometimes, bodies are just falling everywhere and a team has little choice but to reach into its system, give ’em a push and let go of the bicycle.

Outside of the play of their big two –- Clayton Kershaw and Matt Kemp -– the most encouraging aspect to the Dodgers’ improved performance over the final two months was the play of their kids. Lots and lots of kids, and almost every one responded. And most at a level the team had little right to anticipate.

None were really in their plans for 2011. Position players Jerry Sands and Dee Gordon and right-hander Rubby De La Rosa were scheduled to be September call-ups. The rest were still deep in the development stage.

Then injuries hit the Dodgers unusually hard, though it wasn’t exactly totally unexpected given the age of their roster. Down went Casey Blake, Jon Garland, Jay Gibbons, Dioner Navarro, Vicente Padilla (all before opening day), Hector Jimenez (remember him?), Rafael Furcal, Hong-Chih Kuo, Marcus Thames, Jonathan Broxton, Blake Hawksworth, Kenley Jansen, Rod Barajas, Juan Uribe and Andre Ethier. Some made repeat visits to the disabled list. Some never came back.

All of which created opportunity. At least the Dodgers were willing to give the kids a chance, rather than signing or trading for some tired journeyman. They get points for that. And the Dodgers were delighted with how most responded:

-- Jerry Sands: The lone power prospect, he struggled during his first call up in (.200 average, .622 on-base plus slugging percentage) but was a different hitter in September (.342, .908). He hit in 15 of his last 16 games (.407, 1.063). Could start next season back in triple-A or in the starting lineup.

-- Dee Gordon: There are still real concerns about his defense, but he figures to be their starting shortstop next season. The final month of the season, he hit in 21 of 26 games (.372) and stole 12 bases. There will be growing pains, but an exciting talent.

-- Justin Sellers: Struggled at the plate (.203), but can play three infield positions and is a heady player. If Jamey Carroll doesn’t return, option as a utility infielder.

-- Javy Guerra: The surprise of the season. Guerra only figured to be up a couple weeks while Hawksworth was on the DL, but he was pitching so well he stuck and by early July had become the Dodgers’ unexpected closer. Saved 21 games in 23 opportunities.

-- Kenley Jansen: You’d pay to see him pitch. After he came back from a sore shoulder, he was almost unhittable. In his last 31 games, had a 0.55 ERA. Set an MLB record of 16.1 strikeouts per nine innings.

-- Josh Lindblom: The former second-round draft pick seems to have found himself as a reliever. Had a 2.73 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in 27 games.

-- Rubby De La Rosa: The hard-throwing right-hander was looking like a rotation find for years to come, before injuring his elbow and undergoing Tommy John surgery. He could return next summer, though initially as a reliever.

-- Scott Elbert: Not a rookie, but after a frustrating few seasons finally appeared comfortable as the left-handed reliever (2.43 ERA, 1.23 WHIP).

-- Nathan Eovaldi: Another called up largely out of desperation, but in six starts had a 3.09 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. Penciled in as a starter.

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-- Steve Dilbeck

Photo: Dee Gordon, next year's starting shortstop, has been a pleasant surprise. Credit: Christian Peterson/Getty.

Dodgers farm system producing talent and titles

By far, the main purpose of the farm system is to produce future major leaguers.

It’s not to win weekly player awards, or contribute to the Topps minor league organization of the year or even to win league titles.

It’s to produce future members of the Los Angeles Dodgers. To teach, develop and polish raw skills into productive major leaguers. Homegrown talent is better than that which is traded  for or signed  to free-agent contracts. It is way cheaper, which helps all the way down the line. Plus, it adds a sense of organizational continuity.

That said, there has to be a tip of the cap to double-A Chattanooga and Class-A Rancho Cucamonga for capturing division crowns in the second half.

Particularly noteworthy are the Chattanooga Lookouts, who had their top two starters –- Rubby De La Rosa and Nathan Eovaldi –- plucked from their ranks to help the Dodgers. Yet after going 35-35 in the first half, they are 42-27 in the second.

The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, in their first year of affiliation with the Dodgers, have set a single-season record with 79 victories. They complete their regular season Monday.

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-- Steve Dilbeck

Photo: Dodgers starter Rubby De La Rosa. Credit: Kirby Lee / U.S. Presswire

Dodgers stun Cardinals with rare ninth-inning rally, 2-1

All the stars seemed aligned against the Dodgers on Monday.

They were playing at Busch Stadium, where they had gone 3-15 since it opened in 2006. They were up against Chris Carpenter, who was 6-0 lifetime against the Dodgers. And they trailed, 1-0, heading into the ninth inning, an obstacle they had overcome once in 63 previous games.

And they won, with an improbable ninth-inning rally after former Cardinal Aaron Miles tripled in the tying run and Rod Barajas drove him home with the wining score when his grounder bounced off the glove of ex-Dodger Rafael Furcal, who threw wide of the plate.

Rookie Javy Guerra came on to close it, and the Dodgers had escaped with a 2-1 victory no one saw coming.

St. Louis’ Tony La Russa gave the Dodgers a nice assist with come curious overmanaging. Carpenter took a 1-0 lead into the ninth, having held the Dodgers to five singles -- three by James Loney.

But after he hit Juan Rivera to open the bottom of the ninth, La Russa went to the bullpen, and Carpenter did not look happy. He’s a little less happy now.

Nathan Eovaldi makes it a debut to remember in 5-3 Dodgers win

Nothing like a first time. First time driving a car, first kiss, first game in the majors.

OK, so most will never step on a major league field. For a precious chosen few, though, it’s the memory of a lifetime.

Right-hander Nathan Eovaldi, all of 21 and fresh up from double-A Chattanooga, made his debut Saturday night against Arizona.

And if it wasn’t completely perfect, it was close enough, with Eovaldi going five innings to pick up the victory in the Dodgers’ 5-3 win over the Diamondbacks.

A night that gave the Dodgers another scare when rookie shortstop Dee Gordon left the game with an injured shoulder (it is not serious) and saw catcher Rod Barajas collect three hits and drive in two runs, it was the fresh-faced Eovaldi who created the buzz.

Eovaldi was rushed to the majors when another prized right-hander from Chattanooga, Rubby De La Rosa, was lost to the Dodgers for the season with an elbow injury.

So the call went to the young Eovaldi, and he responded. He overcame one shaky inning to hold the Diamondbacks to two runs. For one night, he looked a lot like a pitcher who belonged.

Dodgers call up Nathan Eovaldi; expected to start Saturday [Updated]

They’ve gone this route before, and with pretty good success, so the Dodgers decided to once again to dip into their double-A ranks for a pitcher.

According to the Chattanooga Times-Free Press, on Friday the Dodgers called up Nathan Eovaldi, a 21-year-old right-hander who is expected to start Saturday in Phoenix against the Diamondbacks.

Eovaldi was 6-5 with a 2.62 ERA in 19 starts for Chattanooga. He has 99 strikeouts and 46 walks in 103 innings with a 1.18 WHIP.

He had never pitched above Class-A ball until this season and wasn’t considered this close to the majors, until having something of a breakout season for the Lookouts. And a series of injuries to Dodgers  pitchers.

Previously the Dodgers have gone to Chattanooga to tap right-handed starter Rubby De La Rosa and current closer Javy Guerra. Reliever Josh Lindblom was also culled from the Lookouts.

It is De La Rosa’s season-ending elbow injury that has created the current opening in the rotation. The Dodgers previously called up starter John Ely from triple-A Albuquerque, but have apparently decided to give the young Eovaldi a chance and use Ely in long relief.

[Updated at 10:25 p.m.: After Friday's game, the Dodgers optioned Ely back to Albuquerque, officially purchased the contract of Eovaldi and said he would start Saturday.]

-- Steve Dilbeck

Photo: Pitcher Nathan Eovaldi. Credit: Christian Petersen / Getty Images

Fears come true: Rubby De La Rosa to have Tommy John surgery

There’s more Dodgers news, and of course, it’s all bad.

This news is very bad, although hardly unexpected:

Right-hander Rubby De La Rosa will have Tommy John surgery on his right  elbow.

Which means he’s not only out for the rest of this season, but very possibly next season, too.

An MRI exam on De La Rosa on Monday, done after he complained of elbow pain, revealed a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament. Date and time of the ligament transfer surgery is still to be determined.

De La Rosa, 22, had been rushed to the majors from double-A Chattanooga in May, and the Dodgers' reigning minor league player of the year had mostly been very encouraging. He was 4-4 with a 3.49 earned-run average before his start Sunday, firing at up to 100 mph. He was something to get excited about.

But he threw 103 pitches in only four innings Sunday and said he felt sharp pain firing a fastball in the third inning.

It's official: The worst Dodgers season ever

Sometimes, life happens. Anyway, I think the expression goes something like that.

Rookie Rubby De La Rosa has a sprained elbow ligament and absolutely no one should be blamed for immediately expecting the worst.

If not completely the if-it-can-go-wrong-it-will season for the Dodgers -- there is Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw! -- team followers will be excused if it feels like it.

Reaction to the promising De La Rosa's injury seems to have team supporters tiptoeing on the edge of the bridge, looking deep into the current and acting like there’s no talking them down.

There have been worse Dodger teams, but there has never been a worse, more depressing season.

It’s not just the team’s poor performance, but the never-ending injuries and the continued bad soap opera of ownership. Unless you think the Dodgers being in bankruptcy court is no biggie.