Dodgers Announce Non-Roster Invites to Spring Training, Plus Quote of the Week
Familiar names include Josiah Gray, Brandon Morrow, Jimmy Nelson and Tim Federowicz.
Below is the Dodgers’ Spring Training NRI list, verbatim per the club press release, followed by the quote of the week, found by me, after hours of painstaking work reading about baseball. Man, I love this job.
“LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers announced their 2021 non-roster invitees to Major League Spring Training, including 17 pitchers, three catchers, nine infielders and two outfielders.
“The group of 31 non-roster invitees that will be at Major League camp are right-handed pitchers Josiah Gray, Michael Grove, Landon Knack, Nolan Long, Jose Martinez, Bobby Miller, Brandon Morrow, Jimmy Nelson, Ryan Pepiot, Nick Robertson, Gus Varland and Kendall Williams, left-handed pitchers Mike Kickham, Robinson Ortiz, James Pazos and Enny Romero, catchers Stevie Berman, Tim Federowicz and Hunter Feduccia, infielders Jacob Amaya, Andy Burns, Michael Busch, Omar Estevez, Kody Hoese, Devin Mann, Rangel Ravelo, Elliot Soto and Miguel Vargas, and outfielders James Outman and Andy Pages.
The Quote of the Week comes from ESPN.com’s Tim Kurkjian, quoting Bruce Bochy. You need a three-paragraph section of the piece to get the context. Or read the whole thing here.
“The first official Spring Training workout for pitchers and catchers is February 18, while the first full squad workout is February 23.”
Most of the media won't be there, including me. No sympathy wanted or required, but this will be the first time in 41 years that I won't go to spring training. Most of us will cover it from a great distance, via Zoom. That's not the same as sidling up next to a manager at the batting cage and casually asking, "How was your winter? Did you do anything fun?" and having then-Rockies manager Clint Hurdle say: "I drove a team of sled dogs in Alaska."
Or then-Giants manager Bruce Bochy: "I tried skiing. I thought I could do it; I'm still somewhat athletic. As it turns out, I'm not. I got on the ski lift, then I kind of slipped off, and the lift hit me in the back of the head. My gloves and skis and hat went flying. It looked like a yard sale. I didn't try to ski after that. I went to the lodge and had a beer."
And remember, glove conquers all.
Howard Cole has been writing about baseball on the Internet since Y2K. Follow him on Twitter. Follow OBHC on Twitter here. Be friends with Howard on Facebook.
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