DODGERS NOTEBOOK: IT'S A HOMECOMING OF SORTS.Byline: RICH HAMMOND Rich Hammond Los Angeles Daily News sports writer. Instrumental in bringing the Los Angeles Kings hockey organization closer to the fans. He is the atypical "what a guy" to Kings fans everywhere. Rich Hammond on himself. Staff Writer Greg Maddux's historic career comes full circle tonight when he takes the mound at Dodger Stadium • • [ , roughly 300 feet from the spot where he sat the night he attended his first major league game. ``I was 5 or 6 years old,'' Maddux said. ``I sat out there by the left-field foul pole and one of the (Cincinnati) Reds threw me a ball in batting practice.'' Roughly 35 years, and exactly 328 major-league victories later, Maddux will make his first start as a Dodger in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. tonight. It will be hard for Maddux to top his first Dodgers outing, when he tossed six no-hit innings Thursday to beat Cincinnati, but he is motivated to make a strong first impression. ``I always loved playing here as a visiting player,'' Maddux said Monday. Maddux, a Las Vegas Las Vegas (läs vā`gəs), city (1990 pop. 258,295), seat of Clark co., S Nev.; inc. 1911. It is the largest city in Nevada and the center of one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the United States. native, spent time at Dodger Stadium in his youth because his father was stationed at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County. He made stops here every year since 1987, as a member of the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From to the present, the Braves have played in Turner Field. , but tonight's game will have a different feel for Maddux. That's because last week's trade moved Maddux from the Cubs, a team hopelessly out of the playoff race, to the Dodgers, who entered Monday two games of the first place in the National League West. ``To me, (the trade) was like spring training all over again, or like Opening Day,'' Maddux said. ``Things weren't going as well as we would have liked in Chicago, but one plane ride and you're back in it.'' Numbers game: Maddux wore a No. 36 home jersey Monday and it seems that he will stay with the number. Brad Penny Bradley Wayne Penny[1] (born May 24, 1978 in Blackwell, Oklahoma)[2] is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Los Angeles Dodgers.[3] Early career will keep Maddux's traditional No. 31. Welcome back: As expected, the Dodgers activated Jeff Kent (strained oblique) from the disabled list and put pitcher Elmer Dessens (sprained ankle) on the 15-day DL, retroactive to Aug. 3. Kent, who had been out since July 17, started at first base Monday and will remain there tonight. Nomar Garciaparra (sprained knee) is expected to be activated from the disabled list on Wednesday. Kent hadn't played first base this season but played 14 games there last season and 107 in his career. Ready for prime time: The Dodgers on Wednesday will announce the creation of an on-demand cable channel, in connection with Time Warner Cable This article or section needs sources or references that appear in reliable, third-party publications. Alone, primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of this article are not sufficient for an accurate encyclopedia article. . The free channel will offer, to Time Warner subscribers, access to classic games, player profiles, game highlights and news conferences. Back strong: Garciaparra has been named as one of 12 finalists for baseball's comeback player of the year award The Comeback Player of the Year Award can refer to several awards in United States sports:
rich.hammond@dailynews.com (818) 713-3611 |
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