During his Zoom press conference last week, Dodgers right-hander Ross Stripling told reporters that being on the bubble for a spot in the Dodgers Opening Day starting rotation is nothing new for him. In fact, it was shortly after pitchers and catchers reported for Spring Training-1 in February that he had the carpet pulled out from under him.

After more or less being told that he had a spot in the Dodgers 2020 starting rotation, he learned – through the media, no less – that he did not.

“I was disappointed at the time because I wanted the opportunity to win a starting spot and was told I had that opportunity and [Julio] Urías was announced before we played a game in spring and Woody [Alex Wood] was announced a few days later, and I felt I didn’t really get a fair shake to win that spot,” Stripling said.

“And I was disappointed I found out through the media and nobody told me in person. I went up to Doc and Andrew Friedman and they told me they should have told me first, which is fine. No issues with that. But I’ve been in this position since I started as a Dodger. I get built up and we’ll see where we’re at.”

After his performance in Sunday’s intrasquad game at Dodger Stadium against what will most likely be the Dodgers ridiculously powerful Opening Day starting lineup (less Max Muncy*), it would be both ridiculous and unjustified for Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and Andrew Friedman not to have the 30-year-old Bluebell, PA native and Dodgers fifth-round draft pick in 2012 out of Texas A&M in their Opening Day starting rotation.

Against a lineup of Mookie Betts, Joc Pederson, Justin Turner, Cody Bellinger, Corey Seager, Gavin Lux, Will Smith, and Luke Raley*, ‘Chicken Strip’ (as he is affectionately known) allowed only two runs on five hits with two walks and seven strikeouts in his 5.2 innings of work, doing so on 75 total pitches.

“Went through the gauntlet, that was a good test,” Stripling told ThinkBlue LA after the game.

But something else happened during his second Summer Camp intrasquad outing on Sunday evening, something that may have also given the 6′-2″ / 220-pound right-hander an added push towards that Opening Day fifth starter role. Something that probably would have gone unnoticed had it not been for SportsNet LA broadcasters John Hartung, Nomar Garciaparra, and Orel Hershiser.

Allow me to digress.

During Spring Training-1 in late February, Stripling began playing around with a changeup that was very effective and immediately caught the eye of Roberts, Friedman, and the entire coaching staff.

“In today’s baseball, there’s so many tricks and toys and analytical stuff you can do,” Stripling said of his new experimental pitch back in February at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. “Two out of three I throw with this new grip have been good, and they wanted to get it on the slo-mo camera and Rapsodo to see what it’s spinning like and seeing if it’s better than what I threw last year. It seems to hide my spin better.”

Sort of.

After doubling into the left field corner off of Stripling to leadoff the bottom of the fifth inning on Sunday, four-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glover, three-time Silver Slugger, 2018 AL MVP, 2018 AL batting champion, and 2018 MLB Player of the Year Mookie Betts was closely watching Stripling’s stretch delivery from second base. After striking out 2019 NL MVP Cody Bellinger to end the fifth inning, Stripling began walking off the field towards the visitor’s dugout when Betts called out to him. The two had a brief conversation near the mound, during which Betts pointed into Stripling’s glove. By every indication and with the analysis on Hershiser, Garciaparra, and Hartung, it was clear that the new Dodgers slugger had noticed that Stripling was tipping his pitches.

“He said he could see the pinky on my changeup from second base,” Stripling said. “I flare out my pinky on my grip and he could see it in my glove.”

Wow!

If this wasn’t a veteran move to help out a teammate, nothing is.

Ringo Starr and the Beatles said it best:

“I get by with a little help from my friends”

Well done, Mookie. Well done indeed.

Play Ball!

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