Latest news with #DinoEbel
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Put a 'W' next to Dino's name.' NL wins All-Star Game swing-off, with help from Dino Ebel
Kyle Schwarber celebrates after hitting his third home run in the tiebreaker at the All-Star Game. (Brynn Anderson / Associated Press) Technically, there was no winning pitcher in Major League Baseball's 95th All-Star Game. The man who gave up the night's biggest swings, however, was probably as deserving as any. As the American League stormed back from a 6-0 deficit in Tuesday's Midsummer Classic, a rarely contemplated reality started to dawn in both dugouts. Advertisement Three years ago, MLB changed its rules for how to break ties in its annual marquee event, instituting a home run 'swing-off' to be conducted at the conclusion of the ninth inning. Each team selected three players, who each got three swings. Whichever team hit the most home runs in those nine swings wins the game. It was penalty kicks for baseball. A hockey shootout on the diamond. The only difference, though, was that this sport's version required a coach to take part in the action. Enter Dino Ebel — veteran Dodgers' third base coach — and, now, victorious pitcher in the inaugural All-Star Game swing-off. Advertisement 'What an exciting moment, I think, for baseball, for all the people that stayed, who watched on television, everything,' Ebel said, after teeing up the NL hitters for a 4-3 win in the home run swing-off, and a 7-6 win overall in the All-Star Game. Read more: Clayton Kershaw is the All-Star among All-Stars as NL defeats AL 'That was pretty awesome to be a part of … I had like 10 throws just to get loose. And then it's like, 'Let's bring it on.' ' Indeed, in an event that can often go stale once starters get removed in the early innings, the finish to Tuesday's game energized both the stands and the dugouts, with players from both teams emptying onto the field and wildly cheering each swing. Advertisement 'That was like the baseball version of a shootout or extra time,' said Philadelphia Phillies star Kyle Schwarber, who went three for three in his turn at the plate to ultimately lift the NL to the win, and earn All-Star Game MVP honors. 'It was really fun. I credit the guys on our side, who were really into it.' 'First time in history we got to do this,' added Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts, who was previously 0-3 as an All-Star Game manager before Tuesday's dramatic conclusion. 'I think it played pretty well tonight.' Perhaps the greatest twist: In the middle of it all was Ebel, a 59-year-old base coach who, as a utility infielder from 1988 to 1994 in the Dodgers' minor-league system, never advanced past triple A. In addition to his duties as third base coach and outfield instructor for the Dodgers, Ebel is something of a batting practice specialist these days. He's thrown it on a daily basis to Dodgers hitters ever since the team hired him in 2019, and as a staff member with the Angels for years before that. He has pitched for four different players in the Home Run Derby, including Albert Pujols, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Teoscar Hernández's win in Texas last year. Kyle Schwarber celebrates with teammates after the NL won the All-Star Game tiebreaker. (Brynn Anderson / Associated Press) Ebel and Schwarber even had previous history of doing batting practice together, back when Ebel was a coach on Team USA's 2023 World Baseball Classic squad two years prior. Advertisement 'He's got great BP,' Schwarber said. 'A lot of credit goes to him, just kind of getting thrown into the firestorm there and not being rattled by it, being able to keep pumping really good strikes to us.' By the time Schwarber came up in the second round of the swing-off, the NL was in somewhat dicey position. Brent Rooker of the A's started the event off with two home runs for the AL. Kyle Stowers of the Miami Marlins and Randy Arozarena of the Seattle Mariners each traded one, leaving the AL ahead 3-1. And while Schwarber is one of the league's most feared sluggers, with 30 long balls this year and 314 in his career, he said he rarely takes actual batting practice on the field, leaving him admittedly 'a little nervous' as strolled to the dish. 'I think the first swing was kind of the big one,' Schwarber said. 'I was just really trying to hit a line drive, versus trying to hit the home run. Usually, that tends to work out — especially in games.' Advertisement As Schwarber was preparing for his round, he and Ebel discussed where exactly he wanted the ball thrown. 'I'm gonna go left-center to center field,' Schwarber told Ebel. 'So just throw it down the middle.' Three thunderous swings later, Schwarber had put the NL in front with three towering blasts. Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel was the man of the moment at the All-Star Game. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 'This was putting it more on the line,' Ebel said of Tuesday's format, which unlike the Home Run Derby or daily BP, required more patience and precision with each player permitted only three swings. 'Like right now, you're gonna win it or you're gonna lose it. And we won it.' Indeed, when the Tampa Bay Rays' Jonathan Aranda suffered an 0-fer that culminated in a pop-up, the NL team swarmed Schwarber, who then sought out Ebel and embraced him with a hug. Advertisement 'A lot of credit goes to him for the National League bringing it home,' Schwarber reiterated. 'Put a 'W' next to Dino's name in the paper,' Roberts echoed. 'Dino should get the win, absolutely.' This week was memorable for Ebel even before Tuesday's swing-off. On Sunday morning, he flew home early from the Dodgers' road series in San Francisco to be with his son, Brady, for the MLB draft. From their living room, the Ebel family celebrated after Brady was selected 32nd overall by the Milwaukee Brewers, then packed up and headed for Ontario International Airport to catch a red-eye flight Sunday for Atlanta. Advertisement And after getting in early on Monday morning, Ebel had been going nonstop around All-Star festivities, joining his fellow Dodgers coaches (who made up the honorary NL staff after winning the pennant last year) for media appearances, throwing batting practice in a pre-Home Run Derby workout on Monday and, as it turned out, doing it again with Tuesday's game in the balance. 'It's pretty high adrenaline going for me right now,' Ebel said from the NL clubhouse postgame. 'I haven't gotten too much sleep. But right now, I feel like I've slept for days. Because I'm wired up.' Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Shohei Ohtani's solid start sets the tone as Dodgers defeat Giants to end losing streak
Once upon a time, Shohei Ohtani wasn't expected to start pitching this season until after the All-Star break, if not longer. In hindsight, how much more dire things would be for the Dodgers had they ultimately stuck to that initially conservative plan. Advertisement Needing a spark, a jolt or just some shred of momentum Saturday to break a season-long seven-game losing streak, the Dodgers got it from Ohtani, who opened their skid-halting 2-1 win over the San Francisco Giants with his best performance as a pitcher yet. Read more: Dodgers coach Dino Ebel's eldest son learned lessons from the pros Still managing a limited workload as he builds up following a second career Tommy John surgery, Ohtani only pitched three innings — the first time he'd gone even that far in his five pitching starts this season. And in the box score, it was bulk man Emmet Sheehan who was credited with the win, following Ohtani with 4 ⅓ innings of one-run ball to end the Dodgers' longest losing streak since September 2017. Advertisement But on a day the Dodgers were looking for a tone-setter, and waiting for one of their superstar talents to take the reins, Ohtani delivered another scoreless outing on the mound, giving up one hit and one walk while striking out four. The first inning was Ohtani's most impressive. He opened with seven straight fastballs to strike out Mike Yastrzemski (on a 99 mph heater) and Heliot Ramos (on another that blazed in at 99.9 mph). Rafael Devers came up next and waved at a couple sliders, also going down swinging in what was Ohtani's second consecutive inning (going back to a start against the Houston Astros last week) in which he struck out the side. The two-way star wobbled ever so briefly in the second, walking Jung Hoo Lee on four pitches with two outs. But, in one of the more impressive developments of his return to pitching over the last month, Ohtani adjusted quickly, executing a perfect sweeper/fastball combination on the inside part of the plate to jam Casey Schmitt for the inning's third out. Advertisement Having thrown only 23 pitches at that point, Ohtani got the green light to pitch into the third inning for the first time this year. The inning started with a pop-out from Dominic Smith. Patrick Bailey froze for a called third strike on a slider. And after Yastrzemski lined a single, Ohtani induced a can of corn to center from Ramos to complete his 36-pitch outing. In nine total innings this season, Ohtani has yielded just one run, five hits and two walks while striking out 10. There's still a ways to go before he's built up for full-length pitching starts. But every early indicator is that his potential as a starting pitcher remains among the league's elite. 'Obviously, early on, we were planning on him not pitching with us until [he had] more of a higher buildup, as far as four or five innings,' manager Dave Roberts said. 'But his anxiousness to get back on a big-league mound kind of prompted [an earlier return]. And then from that point on, it's been pretty deliberate.' Advertisement 'I think it's also been helpful for Shohei to kind of dip his toe in the water, as far as logging some innings going into the break,' Roberts added, 'and having somewhat of a foundation going out through the second half.' The Dodgers, of course, will remain cautious with Ohtani's workload (especially if he continues to scuffle at the plate, with his 0-for-4 performance Saturday dropping his batting average to .205 since he began pitching on June 16). But there's no denying the outsized influence of his arm, which has given the Dodgers (57-39) a tangible lift. "It's getting more normal, which is crazy,' Roberts said before Saturday's game, having barely gotten over watching Ohtani splash a home run into McCovey's Cove the night before. 'I don't see Barry Bonds pitching the day after he hit a ball into the ocean. It's crazy. Yeah, it's not commonplace. Pretty exciting." Advertisement Saturday's win wouldn't have been possible without Sheehan, either, with the 25-year-old right-hander coming off his own Tommy John surgery following Ohtani's scoreless start with a string of zeroes himself. Read more: Shohei Ohtani has top-selling MLB jersey so far this season. Two other Dodgers rank in top four After walking two of his first three batters, Sheehan retired the next 12 he faced before the Giants (52-44) finally got to him in the eighth, loading the bases on two singles and a walk to knock him out of the game. But by then, the Dodgers had already built a 2-0 lead — with both runs scored by Michael Conforto, who led a quiet day from the Dodgers' lineup with three hits. Advertisement And after reliever Alex Vesia came on and limited the damage to only one run, closer Tanner Scott slammed the door in the ninth; securing a much-needed save, and a long-awaited Dodgers win. Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dodgers coach Dino Ebel's eldest son learned lessons from the pros
Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel could have two sons get drafted out of high school, starting with eldest Brady next week. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) As a tour group gathered in the press box at American Family Field on Monday, the stadium guide looked down at the diamond and tried to identify the hitter in a Dodger blue T-shirt taking thunderous swings in an afternoon batting practice session. 'I'm not sure which player that is,' the tour guide said. Advertisement One knowledgeable Dodger fan in the group recognized it wasn't a big-leaguer at all — at least not yet. 'That's Dino Ebel's son,' the fan said. 'He's gonna be a top draft pick next week.' Brady Ebel might not be a household name yet around the sport but in Dodger circles, the rise of the Corona High infielder, and 17-year-old son of longtime third base coach Dino Ebel, has long been a proud organizational story in the making. Six years ago, Brady and his younger brother Trey (a 16-year-old junior on a loaded Corona team last season), first started tagging along to Dodger Stadium with their dad after the Dodgers hired him away from the Angels at the start of the 2019 season. Brady Ebel could be one of three Corona High baseball stars to be selected in the first round of the MLB amateur draft next week. () Back then, they were like many of the other children of players and staff that the family-friendly Dodgers would welcome around the ballpark. Not even teenagers yet, Ebel's sons would be taking ground balls and shagging in the outfield during batting practice before the start of Dodger games. Advertisement Now, they are both standout prospects with major college commitments (Brady to Louisiana State, Trey to Texas A&M) and expected futures in pro ball. On Sunday, Brady is expected to be a Day 1, and very possibly first round, pick in the MLB draft — a rise borne of his own physical gifts, but also aided by a childhood spent growing up in the presence of big-league players. 'I'm so blessed, me and my brother,' Brady said this week, after accompanying his dad on the Dodgers' recent road trip in Milwaukee. 'It's my favorite thing to do. Come to the stadium with my dad. Get better. And watch guys go about it. Because I know I'm gonna be here soon. This is what I'm gonna be doing.' The physical traits that make Brady a coveted prospect are obvious: His 6-foot-3, 190-pound frame; his smooth, compact left-handed swing; his defensive feel and strong throwing arm from the left side of the infield. Advertisement What sets Brady apart from the typical high school prospects that populate draft boards this time of year is his unique upbringing in the game, having absorbed countless lessons on his trips to work with his dad. 'Watching those guys do it every day, just being able to be in the clubhouse and walk around and see how guys act, has helped me and my brother a lot,' Brady said, shortly after peppering balls all over the outfield stands at the Brewers' home ballpark. 'I take pieces from everybody.' Corona High infielders (from left): second baseman Trey Ebel, shortstop Billy Carlson and third baseman Brady Ebel. (Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times) The Ebel sons first got an up-close look at major league life in Anaheim, marveling as young boys at superstars such as Mike Trout and Albert Pujols during Dino's 12-year stint on the Angels' coaching staff. Advertisement When their dad was hired by the Dodgers, their first-person education continued at Chavez Ravine, where many Dodgers players and staffers have marveled at their own evolution into coveted recruits and MLB draft prospects. 'As a dad, I love it, because I get to spend more time with them, and I get to watch them get better,' Dino said. 'The process of watching them work with major league players is something I'll never forget.' Many days in recent summers, the pair have been a constant presence at the ballpark. There have been ground rules to follow, as Dino noted: 'Stay out of everybody's way. When you shag, get in the warning track. When you go eat, if a player is behind you, you get in the back of the line.' Advertisement The fundamental lessons they've learned, from watching players hit in the cage, to catching balls at first base during infield drills, to talking to other members of the coaching staff during quiet stretches of the day, have been endless. The fingerprints it has left on their game have been profound. 'Process, approach, work habits, how to respect the game, how you go about your work every day,' Dino said. 'For them to see that, from guys at the top of the chain of elite superstars in the game … that's what I've seen them take into their game. Trying something different. Listening to what the players are telling them in the cage, on the field.' Brady, for example, has become a keen observer of Freddie Freeman's work in the batting cage during recent years. 'There's stuff he grew up doing that he still continues to do,' Brady said of Freeman. 'Different drills. Keeping your hands inside. Driving the ball up the middle. I've been doing that since I was 8. And he's 30-whatever, still doing it. It's the simple, little stuff.' Advertisement As the Ebel boys have gotten older, Dino noticed how they would get home from the stadium, go to a practice field the next day, and replicate specific drills and techniques they'd witnessed the night before. 'It's pretty special for me, as a dad, to watch them go through this process,' Dino said. 'And then, as a coach, how they're getting better each day they come out here.' Read more: Sondheimer: Meet the Dodgers of high school baseball: the Corona Panthers Such roots haven't been lost on evaluators. Most scouting reports of Brady note his advanced approach and discipline at the plate. MLB Pipeline's write-up of him ahead of the draft lauded his baseball IQ, and that 'his experience working with big leaguers for a long time was clearly on display' as a prep player. Advertisement In Baseball America's latest mock draft, Brady is projected to go 33rd overall to the Boston Red Sox — where he could join Corona teammates Seth Hernandez and Billy Carlson as the highest-drafted trio of high school teammates in the event's history. Looming seven picks after that, however, are the Dodgers, a team that would need no introduction to a player that grew up before their eyes. 'That would be really cool, just to be with my dad's organization,' Brady said of possibly winding up with the club. 'We'll see what happens on draft day. You never know.' Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
New York Times
12-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
With Dino guiding their way, Brady and Trey Ebel inch closer to a professional baseball future
With more than 30 years as a coach in both the minor and major leagues, Dino Ebel has played a role in the development of hundreds of professional baseball players. He managed players such as Paul Konerko and Shane Victorino as minor leaguers, and coached Mike Trout and Howie Kendrick as young big leaguers. Last season, he won his second World Series title as the third base coach of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Yet, no role on or off the baseball field has been more important to Ebel than the role of dad to his two baseball-playing sons, Brady and Trey. Advertisement On Sunday, Brady — ranked the No. 84 MLB Draft prospect by The Athletic's Keith Law — has the opportunity to join his dad in making professional baseball a career. Trey, a rising senior who is a well-regarded draft prospect for 2026, could make it a trio next July. Whenever the two do turn pro, it will seem like old hat for kids who grew up taking ground balls with the likes of Mookie Betts. Dino played six seasons professionally, but he was already coaching even before he hung up his playing spikes officially. He spent three seasons as a player-coach before moving into full-time coaching in 1995. He's been teaching the game ever since, first as a minor-league coach and then as a member of the Angels and later Dodgers big-league coaching staffs. Brady, 17, came along in 2007 when Dino was on Mike Scioscia's Angels staff, and Trey followed a year later. (They have an older sister, Destiny, as well.) The two have been a regular presence in Dino's big-league clubhouses ever since. Though Dino has been very involved in developing his boys' games away from the field, he lets the current big leaguers do the teaching when Brady and Trey come to his workplace. 'I don't coach them when they're on the field with the players because the players coach them,' Dino Ebel said at Oracle Park before the Dodgers took on the Giants on Friday night. 'In my mind, that's the best way to do it, to let the players teach my sons. 'Coming up with the Angels with Trout and (Albert) Pujols and all the other guys, Torii Hunter, and then (Corey) Seager and Mookie and Freddie (Freeman) and Shohei (Ohtani). They've been around the elite players and learned the process, and now they're putting it together.' A post shared by Dino Ebel (@dnoebo91) Both brothers played the last two seasons at Corona High School in Southern California, which has quickly turned into a powerhouse program. Brady is one of four legitimate draft prospects who suited up for the Panthers this year. Trey and others will have scouts continuing to flock to Corona games next year. 'I love being around them guys. I'm going to miss them,' Brady said of his Corona teammates. 'But a lot of us got bigger and better things about to happen.' A strong senior season has put Brady in position to hear his name called on Day 1 of the MLB Draft, which begins Sunday night. A left-handed hitter, Brady hit .341 this season with a .504 OBP. A natural shortstop who played a lot of third base this season with fellow top draft prospect Billy Carlson next to him in the infield, Brady impressed scouts with his arm strength and athleticism, as well as his contact skills at the plate. If he doesn't turn pro, Brady has a scholarship offer to play for the defending NCAA champion LSU Tigers. Advertisement For high school players, there is always a tough decision about whether to turn pro or go to college. Unlike most players in that position, Brady knows exactly what to expect from professional baseball life. What he doesn't know, he can learn from his dad. 'He's seen a lot of kids my age trying to work their way up,' Brady said at the MLB Draft Combine last month. Dino believes the time Brady and Trey have spent hanging out with big leaguers has prepared them well for the next step in their careers. He says they are always asking questions and trying to get better. 'I look at it and go, 'That's pretty cool. Those are my two boys.' And they fit right in. They look like they're in the major leagues,' Dino said. 'It's a process. They're young. But it's special when I can kick back and, if I'm doing some outfield drills, and then I'll peek in and the other day just watching them field the ball and throw the ball, hitting with the major-league stars. It's pretty cool as a dad.' Although his career took him away from home a lot, Dino was very involved in his sons' baseball development. His wife, Shannon, would film their at-bats, and they were constantly on FaceTime, talking over their games. 'They know it's part of what their dad has to do, and any time I can get out there and watch them, I never miss,' Dino said. 'Even in the wintertime, practicing, fall ball games, I never miss. I'm always there.' Brady says his dad has had a huge role in making him the player he is today. He also credits his mom for selflessly taking him and his brother to every baseball event and keeping them grounded. On Sunday night, Brady will be with his family at home watching the draft. Dino hopes to be back from the Dodgers' game in San Francisco in time to join them. If not, he will likely be watching on an airplane with some of the big leaguers who helped hone Brady's game during those infield drills and trips to the cage. Then on Monday, the whole family will fly to Atlanta for the All-Star Game. Just a typical family weekend for the Ebels. Advertisement Whether Brady turns pro this year or after three years at LSU remains to be seen. Trey will face a similar choice with Texas A&M next year. Regardless of timing, though, it seems inevitable that the Ebel boys will be joining their dad in pro ball. It will truly be a family affair. (Top photo of the Ebels during the Dodgers' World Series celebration parade: Kirby Lee / Imagn Images)
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Shohei Ohtani's leadoff homer powers Dodgers to 7-2 win over Guardians
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani runs after hitting a solo home run off Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Gavin Williams during the first inning of a baseball game, Monday, May 26, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer) Cleveland Guardians' Gavin Williams delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Monday, May 26, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer) Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto walks to the mound during the third inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Monday, May 26, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer) Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani watches his solo home run off Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Gavin Williams during the first inning of a baseball game, Monday, May 26, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer) Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, right, is congratulated by third base coach Dino Ebel, left, after hitting a solo home run off Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Gavin Williams during the first inning of a baseball game, Monday, May 26, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer) Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, right, is congratulated by third base coach Dino Ebel, left, after hitting a solo home run off Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Gavin Williams during the first inning of a baseball game, Monday, May 26, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer) Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani runs after hitting a solo home run off Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Gavin Williams during the first inning of a baseball game, Monday, May 26, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer) Cleveland Guardians' Gavin Williams delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Monday, May 26, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer) Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto walks to the mound during the third inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Monday, May 26, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer) Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani watches his solo home run off Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Gavin Williams during the first inning of a baseball game, Monday, May 26, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer) Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, right, is congratulated by third base coach Dino Ebel, left, after hitting a solo home run off Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Gavin Williams during the first inning of a baseball game, Monday, May 26, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer) CLEVELAND (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit a leadoff homer for the second straight game and the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Cleveland Guardians 7-2 on Monday night. Will Smith also went deep for the Dodgers, who bounced back after dropping two of three games in New York to the Mets. Advertisement Los Angeles' first five hitters accounted for seven of its eight hits. Ohtani didn't waste any time in hitting his major league-leading 19th homer of the season. He drove a low, inside fastball from Gavin Williams (4-3) on the first pitch into the right-field stands. It was the second time this year he went deep on the first pitch. It was Ohtani's fifth leadoff homer this season and 17th since arriving in the majors from Japan in 2018. It is the first time he has had 19 home runs in the majors before June 1. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (6-3) allowed two runs in six innings and struck out seven. The Japanese right-hander has a 1.97 ERA, which ranks sixth in the majors. Advertisement Key moment The Dodgers got a pair of insurance runs in the fifth on Teoscar Hernández's RBI single and Max Muncy's sacrifice fly. Key stat Cleveland's José Ramírez extended his hitting streak to a career-high 19 games with a pair of doubles. He is batting .387 (29 for 75) with 12 extra-base hits and 11 RBIs during that span. Up next Los Angeles RHP Dustin May (2-4, 4.09 ERA) faces Cleveland RHP Tanner Bibee (4-4, 3.57 ERA) in the middle game of the series. ___ AP MLB:
