DODGERS NOTEBOOK: WHITE EMERGES QUICKLY AS LEADER.Byline: Brian Dohn Daily News Staff Writer When Devon White
When Dodgers teammates approached him this spring about problems they had, it was White who relayed them to manager Davey Johnson The outcome was a team meeting Sunday, which Johnson welcomed openly. Then the players had one Monday to discuss the upcoming season. And White said it was something the team needed if the Dodgers are going to win with regularity this season. ``With a team like this, with so many new guys, you have to go through it and let them know you're all going to be on the same page,'' White said before Tuesday's game with the Arizona Diamondbacks This article is about the baseball team. For other uses, see Diamondback. The Arizona Diamondbacks (also referred to as the D-backs) are a Major League Baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They play in the West Division of the National League. . ``Last year (with Arizona) was unfortunate in that I was on a team with a lot of young players and they didn't speak up much. When I spoke up, it looked like I was a troublemaker. ``With a team like (the Dodgers), we have a lot of veterans in here, and they are not afraid to say things. It was people sharing their feelings.'' Outside of his stellar defensive game and his combination of power and speed, one of the reasons the Dodgers signed White during the offseason was his clubhouse demeanor. ``It doesn't take long for guys to listen to Devon White,'' said Dodgers left fielder Gary Sheffield
Gary Antonian Sheffield (born November 18, 1968 in Tampa, Florida) is a Major League Baseball designated hitter and outfielder for the Detroit Tigers. , a teammate of White's in Florida. ``The respect factor is already there. He brings World Series rings, and the guy knows how to get it done. Just look at his rings.'' For those unable to view White's jewelry collection, he has three World Series rings - one with the Florida Marlins The Florida Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami Gardens, Florida. The Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From to the present, the Marlins have played in Dolphin Stadium. and two with the Toronto Blue Jays "Blue Jays" redirects here. For other uses, see Blue Jay (disambiguation).. The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. . A day to remember: When lefty Onan Masaoka Onan Kainoa Satoshi Masaoka (born October 27, 1977, in Hilo, Hawaii) was a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 3rd round of the 1995 MLB amateur draft, Masaoka would make his Major League Baseball debut with the Los Angeles left the Dodgers' bullpen to pitch the eighth inning opening day, he was looking around the crowd for his mom. He couldn't find her. ``She was way up in the upper deck,'' Masaoka said. ``I forgot to leave passes for my family, so they sat up there. When I came out, she couldn't even see that it was me.'' Afterward, Masaoka was presented with a piece of home - a lei his aunt sent from his native Hawaii. Extra innings Noun 1. extra innings - overtime play until one team is ahead at the end of an inning; e.g. baseball extra time, overtime - playing time beyond regulation, to break a tie : Left-hander Chris Haney Christopher Deane Haney (born November 16 1968 in Baltimore, Maryland) is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1991 to 2002 for the Montreal Expos, Kansas City Royals, Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, and Boston Red Sox. , who competed for one of the Dodgers' lefty spots in the bullpen during spring training, signed with the Cleveland Indians. . . . Even though five-sixths of the bullpen worked opening day, Johnson said the only one who wasn't available for Tuesday's game was converted starter Dave Mlicki, the only reliever not to appear Monday. ``He had full side work and I wouldn't want to bring him back after a full day of getting hot,'' Johnson said. DODGERS vs. ARIZONA Time: 7:35 p.m. at Dodger Stadium. TV/Radio: ESPN ESPN Entertainment and Sports Programming Network ; 1150-AM, KWKW-AM (1330 Spanish). Matchup: Right-hander Ismael Valdes says the acquisition of Kevin Brown and manager Davey Johnson are positive influences on him, and he plans to parlay that into a breakout season. Tonight the 25-year-old makes his season debut, and he hopes to push aside the past two seasons in which he went a combined 21-21. Valdes was 4-0 with a 1.46 ERA in spring training. Valdes does like pitching at home; he's 28-15 at Dodger Stadium and 24-25 on the road. The Diamondbacks counter with right-hander Andy Benes, who is coming off a respectable 14-13 season during Arizona's inaugural year. Benes is 6-9 with a 2.90 ERA lifetime against the Dodgers. - Brian Dohn CAPTION(S): Box BOX: DODGERS vs. ARIZONA (see text) |
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