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Jonathan Broxton News & Rumors

Royals reliever Broxton feels good
December 1
Kansas City Star
 
"The recruiting pitch included a Georgia hunting trip, one dead white-tail deer, and comedian Jeff Foxworthy. For Jonathan Broxton, a Georgia boy from tiny Waynesboro, an offseason day doesn't get much better. But for Broxton, the Royals' newest setup man, the free-agent selling points were really more about his hunting partners and what they told him about Kansas City. Royals manager Ned Yost joined the hunting party in LaGrange, Ga., and told Broxton about the family culture in the Royals organization. Right-fielder Jeff Francoeur came along and talked about the collection of young and hungry talent in the Royals' clubhouse. "When I went hunting over there in LaGrange, there was about 10"
Royals reportedly sign closer Broxton
November 29
Kansas City Star
 
"The Royals, it appears, have added another veteran option to their cache of young bullpen arms. The club has agreed to a one-year deal with former Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton, pending a physical, according to numerous reports. Terms of the deal were not immediately available."
Jonathan Broxton is not returning to the Dodgers
November 29
Los Angeles Times
 
"Jonathan Broxton has ruled out the possibility of re-signing with the Dodgers, according to his agent, BB Abbott. "He will not be back in L.A.," Abbott wrote in a text message Monday morning. Abbott said Broxton is close to moving on. "He had multiple suitors and we should have something tentative in the next few days," Abbott said. Abbott said he had conversations with the Dodgers about Broxton but declined to say how far the talks advanced. Abbott had said Broxton was open to returning to the Dodgers."
Jonathon Broxton, Brad Lidge and Joe Nathan may be able to revive careers with bargain-hunting NY Mets
November 11
New York Daily News
 
"We know what the Mets are seeking on the free agent market this winter: An affordable closer. We also know that Brad Lidge, Jonathan Broxton and Joe Nathan are available former All-Star closers. So what do those pitchers want? According to Broxton's agent, B.B. Abbott, the former Dodger is amenable to an incentive-laden one year-contract, perhaps with a vesting option for 2013. He wants to reestablish himself as an elite reliever, but does not need to become a closer immediat ely. "He's not only looking for a closing job, or the chance to compete for a closing job," said Abbott, who has not heard from the Mets. "He does want to close in the future." Broxton, 27, had 36 saves in 2009, but"
Surgery for Jonathan Broxton goes well, but now what?
September 20
Los Angeles Times
 
"And now what becomes of Jonathan Broxton? Broxton underwent minor right elbow surgery Monday to remove a bone spur and loose bodies, a procedure that, of course, was deemed successful. Broxton hasn't been seen on a pitching mound for the Dodgers since May 3, his 2010 season reduced to slightly longer than a month, or 12 2/3 innings. He was initially diagnosed with a bruised bone in his elbow, and then when that healed and the pain persisted, the spur was identified as the problem."
Dodgers' Jonathan Broxton to undergo minor elbow surgery
September 17
Los Angeles Times
 
"So the mysterious bone bruise wasn't the problem after all. With his bruise healed but his pain persisting, sidelined closer Jonathan Broxton has decided to undergo a minor elbow operation Monday to shave down a bone spur and remove loose bodies. Broxton went on the disabled list in early May, when an MRI exam showed he had a bruised elbow and bone spur. Figuring the bruise was responsible for Broxton's pain, team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache prescribed rest. The two-time All-Star made enough progress to pitch in a couple of minor league games in July, but had to be shut down when the pain returned."
Jonathan Broxton won't pitch again this season; now what?
September 13
Los Angeles Times
 
"Jonathan Broxton has run out time. Now what happens to the big right-hander? In a shock to absolutely no one, Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly on Monday said Broxton would not pitch again this season. "It just doesn't seem like he's advanced far enough," Mattingly said. "He hasn't thrown off a mound, and that's going to take awhile once you get to that." Broxton hasn't pitched since May 3, when he finally admitted his right elbow was bothering him. He was diagnosed with a bruised elbow. He was scheduled to go out on a rehab assignment in mid-June but he suffered a setback. The Dodgers were still hoping Broxton could at least get healthy enough to pitch the final two weeks of the season, but"
Jonathan Broxton done for season
September 12
ESPN.com
 
"Although it had become increasingly clear in recent weeks, it became official on Monday that erstwhile Los Angeles Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton won't return this season, a fact that could mean he has pitched his last game for the team that originally drafted him in the second round nine years ago. Both Dodgers manager Don Mattingly and medical-services director Stan Conte said Broxton doesn't have time to get himself game-ready before the season ends on Sept. 28. Broxton threw off a mound on Monday for the first time since being placed on the 15-day disabled list on May 6 with what was termed a bone bruise in his right elbow. But it took him so long to get to that point that there"
Broxton may be back late in September
August 10
The Press-Enterprise
 
"Jonathan Broxton was cleared to begin throwing on Monday night, and began doing so immediately. But it still figures to be a while before the reliever rejoins the active roster. Broxton, on the disabled list since May with a bone bruise in his right elbow, was cleared after a Monday examination by team doctor Neal ElAttrache. He began soft toss during Monday's game. "He actually threw inside the weight room," head trainer Stan Conte said Tuesday, "so it sure wasn't very much. We'll keep his velocity down and his distance short. Today, he threw out to 45 feet. "And it will be that way for the next couple weeks to build a base." The progressive throwing program will gradually increase"
Still a little hope Broxton returns this season
August 10
L.A. Daily News
 
"The Dodgers' distant hope of seeing Jonathan Broxton pitch again this season is still alive. Barely. Broxton was cleared to throw after seeing a doctor Monday night and will begin a progressive throwing program that, if it goes well, will get him back to pitching at full strength in about four to six weeks. Broxton hasn't thrown in a major-league game since May 3, because of a bone bruise in his right throwing elbow. The Dodgers haven't ruled out him returning before the season ends. "It's not unrealistic," said Stan Conte, director of medical services. Broxton threw indoors from about 45 feet with little velocity. He'll gradually throw harder at longer distances over the next few weeks."
It's waiting game for Johnathan Broxton, Jose Uribe
August 9
L.A. Daily News
 
"If there's one aspect the Dodgers might have going for themselves is the fact they're inching closer to bringing back some healthy bodies. Pitcher Jonathan Broxton, who landed on the disabled list May 6 because of a bone bruise on his right elbow, was expected to see a doctor Monday night to determine if he's cleared to begin throwing. Infielder Juan Uribe also could begin his path to returning after being placed on the 15-day disabled list July 30 because of a left hip strain. "Talked to (trainer) Stan (Conte) yesterday and (he) probably felt like it'd be another week," said Mattingly of Uribe. Mattingly added that plans are for Uribe to begin a rehabilitation stint soon after. "At least"
Dodgers' don't have timetables for Broxton and Blake's return
July 19
L.A. Daily News
 
"The status of injured reliever Jonathan Broxton (right pitching elbow) and third baseman Casey Blake (neck) remained in limbo with neither player reporting progress Monday. Broxton, on the disabled list since May 4, did arm exercises in the clubhouse Monday but isn't ready to resume throwing. "The last thing I heard was he wasn't going to throw until he's symptom-free or pain-free and I don't think he's there yet," Mattingly said."
Jonathan Broxton is shut down another three weeks
June 29
Los Angeles Times
 
"Yet more evidence the Dodgers roll on per usual, bankruptcy or no: Jonathan Broxton, thought to be ready to return this weekend, has been shut down for another three weeks after his elbow flared up again. Presumably, the bone bruise became irritated. Things are so bad with Broxton, Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly said if the right-hander pitches again this season, he would consider it a bonus. Sans Broxton -- and Vicente Padilla, and for a month Hong-Chih Kuo -- the Dodgers have tried something of a closer-by-committee routine, although rookie Javy Guerra has emerged as Mattingly's current late-season choice. Kuo and Kenley Jansen are now back from injuries, so Guerra (1-0, 2.35 ERA two"
Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton's return could be delayed
June 27
L.A. Daily News
 
"The Dodgers might have to wait a little longer to get their closer back. Jonathan Broxton suffered what appears to be a setback Saturday when he felt pain in his elbow playing catch in Single-A Rancho Cucamonga, manager Don Mattingly said. "He felt stiffness in the same spot," Mattingly said. "We're going to give him a day and see what happens ... It kind of tells you that he's not quite ready." Broxton was expected to begin his rehabilitation assignment with the Quakes on Sunday and pitch again today with the idea he might return for this weekend's Freeway series rematch at Angel Stadium. But Mattingly said that probably isn't realistic. "The fact that we've had to stop (and take) an"
Dodgers' Broxton suffers setback; Blake, Thames avoid DL
June 27
The Press-Enterprise
 
"Ready or not, Casey Blake was back in the Dodgers' starting lineup. After starting just twice in the previous 13 games because of ongoing neck stiffness, and being limited to pinch-hitting duties in the past five, Blake started at third base Sunday. He went 0 for 4, but handled a couple of tough defensive plays and said he plans to stay in the lineup. "I'm going to try," he said. "... I didn't have to make a bare-handed play, which was good. Pop-ups still aren't a lot of fun, but I only had one pop-up. Overall I was pretty happy." Blake said it wasn't so much that the neck was better as a case of "trying not to think about it so much." Manager Don Mattingly said Blake, team doctors and"
Jonathan Broxton's road back won't lead to automatically being the closer
June 24
Los Angeles Times
 
"Jonathan "Big Boy" Broxton made an encouraging first rehab start, but don't expect him to be handed his closer's role when he returns. Seems he's going to have to earn it a tad, or at least prove he deserves to be back at the end of the bullpen. Which seems only right, considering he hasn't been right for a year. Don Mattingly said if Broxton demonstrates he's back in form, he will be the closer. That means he'll have to show a lot since he last pitched May 3 and went on the disabled list with an elbow bone bruise and a 5.68 ERA. "He would be a lot like (Hong-Chih) Kuo," Mattingly said. "It's hard to just bring a guy back and throw him right in that ninth-inning spot. I think we'll try to"
Reports on closer Jonathan Broxton's progress appear promising
June 23
L.A. Daily News
 
"As far as first time outs go, the Dodgers had to be thrilled with the reports on Jonathan Broxton's inning of work at Triple-A Albquerque on Tuesday. Forget the results: one hit, one run and two strikeouts. The Dodgers were focused more on the consistent 97 and 98 mph readings on the radar gun, a positive sign Broxton indeed might be on the road to recovery from a bone bruise in his right elbow. Broxton has been on the disabled list six weeks, and there is no telling how much the injury limited him over the past year or so. What the Dodgers do know is Broxton was hitting 97-98 on the guns last year, then fell all the way down to 91 this spring and into the early part of the regular season."
Jonathan Broxton looks to be closer
June 23
ESPN.com
 
"The Los Angeles Dodgers plan for Jonathan Broxton eventually to resume his role as the team's closer, manager Don Mattingly said before Wednesday's game with the Detroit Tigers. He added that he believes Broxton's struggles in the role earlier this year were due to the right-elbow injury that presently has the right-hander on the 15-day disabled list. Broxton began a minor league rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A Albuquerque Tuesday night, when he started against Oklahoma City and gave up a run on one hit with two strikeouts in one inning. He is scheduled for at least one more appearance with the Isotopes Thursday, and he probably won't be activated until next week at the earliest."
Dodgers' Broxton throws off mound
June 15
The Press-Enterprise
 
"For the first time in nearly six weeks, Jonathan Broxton took the mound at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday afternoon. The audience? Manager Don Mattingly , pitching coach Rick Honeycutt and trainer Stan Conte, among others, to watch Broxton throw a simulated simulated game to Dodgers hitters -- they stood in the batter's box, but weren't allowed to swing the bat. The verdict? Mixed. Broxton, who was out with elbow problems, pitched to three men, throwing somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 to 20 pitches, and most of them were down. He wasn't anywhere near full velocity, and seemed to be laboring in his delivery."
Dodgers' Broxton could lose closer role to Padilla
May 9
Los Angeles Times
 (scroll down)
"When Jonathan Broxton returns from the disabled list in a month or so, he could do so in a new role. Vicente Padilla gave up a run on Sunday but earned his second save in the Dodgers' 4-2 victory over the New York Mets at Citi Field. Manager Don Mattingly said that if Padilla pitches well, he could remain the closer even after Broxton is activated. "We'll see how it goes," Mattingly said. "Obviously, if Vicente comes in and is pitching well out of there, it's hard to just hand something over to somebody else. We'll cross that bridge when we get there.""
Dodgers place Broxton on DL, recall Jansen
May 6
Los Angeles Times
 
"Turns out that wait on Jonathan Broxton was an entire day. The Dodgers decided to place Broxton and his "barky" elbow on the 15-day disabled list Friday before their game with the New York Mets and recalled right-hander Kenley Jansen from double-A Chattanooga. Broxton struggled throughout the second half last year, and despite converting seven of eight save opportunities this season, he's had few clean outings. He is 1-2 with a 5.68 ERA. After a disastrous relief appearance Tuesday night, Broxton finally admitted to a sore elbow Wednesday morning, though he said it did not affect him while throwing, but stiffened up afterward. He had an MRI Wednesday and his agent, B.B. Abbott, said he was"
Broxton won't need surgery on elbow
May 6
MLB.com
 
"Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton will not need surgery on his right elbow and will not be placed on the disabled list for the time being. The Los Angeles Times quoted Broxton's agent saying an MRI revealed a bone spur and a bruise, but the club will wait to see how he responds to treatment before deciding if he needs to be disabled. Broxton revealed to the club on Wednesday that his elbow has been stiffening after he pitches. He also said it doesn't hurt when he pitches, but his velocity Tuesday night was noticeably decreased when he walked two batters on eight consecutive balls in a ninth-inning loss to the Cubs."
Broxton awaiting his MRI
May 5
L.A. Daily News
 
"The pending results of an MRI exam on Jonathan Broxton's right elbow likely will dictate whether the Dodgers' erratic closer lands on the disabled his for the first time of his career. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said he and pitching coach Rick Honeycutt were in the video room before Wednesday's game against the Chicago Cubs and trying to break down what happened during Broxton's aborted, 11-pitch effort the night before. Mattingly went to the unusual step to remove Broxton from a 1-1 game with one out in the top of the ninth. He was alarmed after back-to-back four-pitch walks to the Cubs' Marlon Byrd and Carlos Pena. Broxton, forced to stall while reliever Blake Hawksworth warmed up,"
Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton acknowledges sore elbow
May 5
Los Angeles Times
 
"Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly was watching videotape of his closer, Jonathan Broxton, on Wednesday morning, seeking clues to Broxton's inability to throw strikes the night before, when team trainer Stan Conte walked into the room. "You don't need to look at tape anymore," Mattingly said Conte told him. The reason: After repeatedly insisting he felt fine in recent days, Broxton had acknowledged a sore elbow on his right pitching arm. A couple of hours later, there was more bad news for the Dodgers. Andre Ethier, riding a 29-game hitting streak, said he had a sore left elbow, so Mattingly scratched him from the lineup shortly before the Chicago Cubs' 5-1 win at Dodger Stadium. Broxton's"
Dodgers closer Broxton reveals elbow pain
May 5
The Press-Enterprise
 
"The morning after he was yanked from Tuesday's game after throwing eight straight balls, Jonathan Broxton admitted to the Dodgers that he's been experiencing right elbow pain. "Brox came in today and complained about some stuff," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said before Wednesday's 5-1 loss to the Cubs. "He said he came in with pain. Like I told him, 'It's honorable that you want to pitch like this, but in the end ... it's not fair to him and it's not fair to everybody else, either.' " The 6-foot-4, 300-pound Broxton was to have an MRI exam on Wednesday, after which the Dodgers would decide whether to put the All-Star reliever on the disabled list. "They're going to do a little testing"
Jonathan Broxton finally admits to elbow pain, is shut down
May 4
Los Angeles Times
 
"On the morning after, he finally 'fessed up. So now what? Confirming what many suspected after his odd, labored performance Tuesday night, closer Jonathan Broxton finally admitted to the Dodgers on Wednesday morning that he was hurting. The Dodgers immediately shut him down and quickly scheduled an MRI for his sore right elbow. The disabled list remains a real possibility, pending the results of the MRI. How long the elbow has been bothering him was unclear, but Broxton's performance has varied wildly this season. He has converted on seven of eight save opportunities, but seldom in dominating fashion. He clearly looked like he was hurting Tuesday night against the Cubs, walking two on"
Broxton booed in Dodgers' loss to Cubs
May 4
The Press-Enterprise
 
"Jonathan Broxton entered Tuesday night's game to some boos, even though he'd pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his seventh save the night before against the Chicago Cubs. When he left, quicker and messier than anticipated, the boos were louder, and his immediate future may have been murkier. After retiring the first man he faced in the ninth inning of a tied game, Broxton threw eight straight balls, all with a notable drop in velocity, setting up a three-run ninth inning and a 4-1 Cubs victory at Dodger Stadium. After Broxton walked Marlon Byrd and Carlos Pena and left, Blake Hawksworth gave up a two-run double to Geovany Soto and an RBI single to pinch hitter Blake DeWitt, a former Dodger."
Ethier keeps hitting streak alive, but Broxton's latest effort is cause for concern after L.A. loses 4-1 to Chicago
May 4
L.A. Daily News
 
"Andre Ethier hit one ball on the screws Tuesday night in a quest to extend his hitting streak. That ball was snagged by Chicago Cubs second baseman Darwin Barney in the eighth inning, and Ethier was thrown out. Fortunately for Ethier, one of the softer hit balls landed safely in right field in the fourth inning, extending his hitting streak to 29 games. The good news for the Dodgers ended there. The Cubs scored three runs in the ninth inning, two of them charged to closer Jonathan Broxton, in a 4-1 victory over the Dodgers in front of 38,017 at Dodger Stadium. Broxton entered the game in the ninth with the score tied at1 and retired the first batter before walking Marlon Byrd and Carlos"
Jonathan Broxton is counting on bouncing back
April 29
Los Angeles Times
 
"The numbers indicate otherwise, but Jonathan Broxton says he's close to being the pitcher who early last season was among the dominant closers in baseball. A pitcher who: •Converted 18 consecutive save opportunities. •Had an earned-run average of 0.83 through June 26. •Earned the save in the All-Star game. "I'm very close to it," Broxton says. Still, he acknowledges that he hasn't completely recovered from a brutal second half of last season, during which he was replaced by Hong-Chih Kuo as the Dodgers' ninth-inning man. Where Broxton says he needs to be is in "attack mode," which means, "you go out there and there it is." Instead, he finds himself thinking a little too much. And when he"
Don Mattingly says Jonathan Broxton is still Dodgers' closer
April 28
Los Angeles Times
 
"Manager Don Mattingly made it clear Tuesday that Jonathan Broxton was the Dodgers' full-time closer. But when the speculation about Broxton's role resurfaced a day later, Mattingly did little to dispel suspicions that the team would switch to a closer by committee. Questions about Broxton's role were raised again because Vicente Padilla closed the Dodgers' 10-inning, 5-4 victory over the Florida Marlins. Mattingly reiterated that Broxton was still the Dodgers' closer and explained that the right-hander was available only in an emergency situation because he felt "barky." Broxton said his elbow was sore and that he was certain that he was still the Dodgers' ninth-inning man. "It happens"
Ned Colletti suggests Jonathan Broxton's status as closer is shaky
April 27
Los Angeles Times
 
"While the Dodgers were on the other side of their country, their general manager went on a Los Angeles-based morning radio program and caused a commotion. Sound familiar? Visiting the same show on which he called out Matt Kemp last April, General Manager Ned Colletti said he was concerned about the form of closer Jonathan Broxton and made it sound as if the Dodgers would switch to closer by committee. Manager Don Mattingly, who heard of the comments on the MLB Network, put an immediate end to such talk. Mattingly phoned Colletti, then called Broxton to his office. "He told me I'm the closer," Broxton said. Mattingly later confirmed that was the case. Like Mattingly, Broxton heard on the"
Dodgers need to get physical with Broxton
April 26
Orange County Register
 
"No closer can be expected to get six outs, but Jonathan Broxton blew the save and the game just the same, 5-4 Marlins in Miami this evening. Yes, Jamey Carroll's two-out error on what would have been the game-ending grounder allowed the tying run to score, and yes, Jerry Sands misjudged a fly ball that should've sent the game into extras, but Jonathan Broxton blew the game just the same. While I'm neither a doctor nor do I play one on the Internet, something is wrong with Broxton. It just is. He's lost his velocity, he's lost his command, he's lost his swing-and-miss stuff, he's lost his good breaking pitch, and he's lost his confidence. Between the ears issues, as Joe Torre intimated last"
Jonathan Broxton and Dodgers not thinking too deeply about home runs
April 5
Los Angeles Times
 
"Four games into the new season, Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton has three saves — more than he had last year until May 9. But Broxton has already served up two home runs, loud and unsettling reminders of how he went from closing in the All-Star game last year to losing his job at the end of games. His earned-run average sits at 6.00 as the Dodgers head into a two-game series against the Colorado Rockies beginning Tuesday in Denver. "We're not worried about him," center fielder Matt Kemp said. Part of that is because the home runs given up by Broxton had no effect on the outcomes of the games. When he was taken deep by Pat Burrell on opening day and Aaron Rowand on Sunday, the Dodgers had"
Broxton brings term 'nervous time' to mind
April 4
The Press-Enterprise
 
"Nothing riles baseball's most faithful fans like a shaky closer. That teeth-grinding sensation of watching a lead evaporate in the ninth inning is the worst, especially when you feel it coming from a known, offending game-blower. Winning to losing in the blink of a misplaced pitch, or 20. Ugh. There was a lot that went wrong for the Dodgers last year, but no one player absorbed more blame and abuse from the home crowd than Jonathan Broxton, the once intimidating closer who lost his job in mid-summer after a puzzling plunge into mediocrity. The seven blown saves (in 29 chances) and the 4.04 earned run average seemed to grow even homelier over the winter when new manager Don Mattingly"
Dodgers closer Broxton finds redemption ... for at least one night
April 1
L.A. Daily News
 columnist Vincent Bonsignore
"Jonathan Broxton sprinted from the bullpen to the pitcher's mound in the bottom of the ninth just like he's always done when called upon to close a game out for the Dodgers. As usual, Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" played blared from the loudspeakers. The setting was intense, the stakes high. Opening Day. The world champion San Francisco Giants in town. A two-run lead and a chance to get the Dodgers off to a winning start. Most important, a chance for Broxton to exorcise whatever personal demons lingered from last season. Or maybe carry them right back into this season. Everything else had unfolded perfectly to that point on a strikingly beautiful sun-splashed late afternoon at Chavez Ravine."
Dodgers reliever Jonathan Broxton pitches scoreless inning
March 1
Los Angeles Times
 
"In his first appearance of the exhibition season, Jonathan Broxton faced four batters — too early in the spring and too small a sample size to draw any conclusions. But at least he didn't look the way he did in the second half of last season, when he unraveled and was replaced as the Dodgers' closer. "It felt good to get out there and back on the mound," Broxton said. Like Broxton, Manager Don Mattingly downplayed the significance of the scoreless fourth inning in the Dodgers' 6-5 victory over the Chicago White Sox at Camelback Ranch. "It's better than having to give up a couple of runs and really struggle," Mattingly said. "It wouldn't have been the end of the world if he was like that."
Judging Jonathan Broxton's recovery will be tricky
February 25
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Jonathan Broxton that James Loney described sounded a lot like the Jonathan Broxton who was an All-Star. Loney faced Broxton in live batting practice Thursday and said of his fastball, "It looked hard to me. He had some movement. He looked smooth and fluid." But although Loney said he expects Broxton to regain his All-Star form, he conceded he hadn't seen enough of him to declare the pitcher recovered from whatever plagued him over the final three months of last season. Judging Broxton's recovery will be tricky. "Power pitchers I've seen in the past, it takes them awhile in spring training to get going," Manager Don Mattingly said, citing Goose Gossage as an example. "They're usually"
Jonathan Broxton closes the book on last season
February 23
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Dodgers walked out of their clubhouse and onto the practice fields Tuesday at Camelback Ranch for their first full-squad workout of the spring with several questions lingering in the background. How serious are owner Frank McCourt's financial problems? Will this be the year Matt Kemp realizes his potential? Who will play in left field? Does Casey Blake have anything left in the tank? But the question that could most affect the Dodgers this season might be the one concerning the team's quietest player. Can closer Jonathan Broxton recover from the worst three-month stretch of his career? "I'll be fine this year," Broxton said. And Manager Don Mattingly, who has selected the two-time"
Don Mattingly thinks he has Dodgers closer in Jonathan Broxton
October 2
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Dodgers' next manager believes he has found the team's next closer. The old one. The one who saved the All-Star game for the National League in July, only to lose his job as the Dodgers' closer the next month. You know, Jonathan Broxton. "I think we can count on him," said Manager-to-be Don Mattingly before the team's 7-5 loss at Arizona on Friday night. "When he goes home, I want him thinking he'll be the closer when he comes back." General Manager Ned Colletti said he was of the same mind-set, adding that he was unlikely to search for a new closer in the off-season. Then again, Colletti might not have a choice. The Dodgers are saddled with hundreds of millions of dollars in debt,"
Broxton still feels confident
September 6
L.A. Daily News
 
"Dodgers manager Joe Torre, pitching coach Rick Honeycutt and bullpen coach Ken Howell met with pitcher Jonathan Broxton on Sunday in hopes of getting the team's former closer straightened out. Broxton gave up a two-run homer in the ninth inning Saturday, which turned a lead into a 5-4 loss to the San Francisco Giants. The blown save was his sixth this season and fourth since the All-Star break. Until Broxton returns to the form that netted him 36 saves in 2009 (he currently has 22), Torre is going to be reluctant to put his pitcher back in those game-on-the-line situations. "I think we have to not put him in the same situations in the ninth inning and try go get some appearances under his"
Broxton lets Giants get away with victory
September 5
The Press-Enterprise
 
"If the Dodgers were harboring hopes Jonathan Broxton had regained his closer's form, they sailed out of the park as emphatically as Juan Uribe's ninth-inning homer Saturday. The homer off Broxton was the fourth for the San Francisco Giants in the final three innings, allowing San Francisco to turn a four-run deficit into a 5-4 victory at Dodger Stadium. It delivered another crushing blow both to the Dodgers' slim postseason hopes and their ability to rely on the pitcher who was their closer until losing the job in mid-August. "The only thing I can touch on right now is that he doesn't have the confidence that he has had, and will have again," Manager Joe Torre of Broxton, who suffered his"
Jonathan Broxton can't save the day for Dodgers
September 5
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Dodgers' ambitions of a miracle run to the postseason were dealt a crushing blow on Saturday night - specifically a two-run home run Jonathan Broxton served up to Juan Uribe in the ninth inning that turned a one-run lead into a 5-4 defeat to the San Francisco Giants. Of Broxton's memorable late-game meltdowns, the one Saturday night might have been the most devastating, if only because the Dodgers have 26 games remaining on their regular-season schedule. They trail the free-falling first-place San Diego Padres by eight games in the National League West. They are back of the wild-card-leading Philadelphia Phillies by the same margin. The Padres' incredible nosedive, which was about as"
Jonathan Broxton doesn't lose a lead, only his job, as Dodgers fall
August 14
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Dodgers weren't ahead. In fact, they were down by a run. And the game wasn't in the ninth inning. But on the mound stood Jonathan Broxton. Stripped of his title of closer on Friday, Broxton pitched an unspectacular, scoreless eighth inning in the Dodgers' 1-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field as part of a plan to regain the form that made him a two-time All-Star. "We want to get his feet under him without the spotlight of the save situation," Manager Joe Torre said. Torre described the move as temporary. Until Broxton reclaims his role, left-hander Hong-Chih Kuo will serve as the Dodgers' primary ninth-inning pitcher. Torre said that even before Broxton blew a three-run lead"
Jonathan Broxton doesn't lose a lead, only his job, as Dodgers fall
August 14
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Dodgers weren't ahead. In fact, they were down by a run. And the game wasn't in the ninth inning. But on the mound stood Jonathan Broxton. Stripped of his title of closer on Friday, Broxton pitched an unspectacular, scoreless eighth inning in the Dodgers' 1-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field as part of a plan to regain the form that made him a two-time All-Star. "We want to get his feet under him without the spotlight of the save situation," Manager Joe Torre said. Torre described the move as temporary. Until Broxton reclaims his role, left-hander Hong-Chih Kuo will serve as the Dodgers' primary ninth-inning pitcher. Torre said that even before Broxton blew a three-run lead"
Jonathan Broxton may struggle when overworked, but he doesn't overanalyze
August 10
Los Angeles Times
 
"Jonathan Broxton said he has never watched the tape of his blown save in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series last year at Citizens Bank Park, where the Dodgers open a three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night. "Nope," he said. The Dodgers' closer said he not only has tried to avoid replays of his career's greatest heartbreaks, but also his crowning achievements. Other than TV highlights he has happened to see while channel surfing, he said, he has never watched images of himself closing out the 2008 NL division series or last month's All-Star game. "You can't do anything about the past, good or bad," he said. And in Broxton's view, the past can only"
Dodgers closer Broxton puts NL All-Stars on his shoulders in the end
July 14
L.A. Daily News
 
"Consider Jonathan Broxton redeemed. The Dodgers closer had the All-Star Game on his broad shoulders for the National League, and he came through. Broxton, who didn't come through for the Dodgers against Philadelphia in the postseason last, got word in the bullpen that if the NL had the lead, he'd be the closer. After allowing Boston slugger David Ortiz to single on his first pitch, Broxton earned the save and led the National League to a 3-1 victory at Angel Stadium. "There's a lot of great pitching, and for (NL manager Charlie Manuel) to pick me at the end was a dream come true," Broxton said. Broxton said he didn't feel like it was redemption for the postseason, but his confidence surely"
In biggest of moments, Dodgers' Jonathan Broxton projects a winner's bearing
July 14
Los Angeles Times
 columnist Bill Plaschke
"In an All-Star game in which a 13-year drought ended and a New York Yankee was cheered and the biggest out occurred on fly ball that wasn't caught, Anaheim Stadium was adorned with the most amazing sight. Jonathan Broxton smiled. He stomped all over crunch time and afterward he grinned, and laughed, and rubbed his sweat-slicked hair sticking high above that bearish face, and looked like something Dodgers fans have rarely seen in many furrowed moments. Looked like, you know, a winner. "It's a little more fun standing in here when something good happens, huh?" I said. "Yeah," he said, laughing again. "It is." The closer has been saved. The reliever can feel relief. After crumbling in each of"
Dodgers closer Broxton promises to take it slow this time around
July 13
L.A. Daily News
 
"Jonathan Broxton figures he'll remember much more about this year's All-Star Game. Last year, the Dodgers closer made his first All-Star Game, but the experience happened so quickly and Broxton had an injured toe so he couldn't pitch. Broxton can pitch and enjoy it more this time. "Everything's going slower," Broxton said. "It's not so fast. It was like a blur (last year)." Like one of those trademark 100-mph fastballs. And if called on, fans might want to check that radar gun on the big screen because he's treating this like any other game. Broxton was selected to the National League All-Star team by manager Charlie Manuel. Broxton is 3-0 with a 2.11 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 38.1 innings."
Dodgers' Andre Ethier and Jonathan Broxton, Angels' Torii Hunter chosen for All-Star game
July 5
Los Angeles Times
 
"Fox must not be running baseball after all. Stephen Strasburg did not make the All-Star team. Not that the suits at Fox are wearing their sad faces. The All-Star game will look like most of the games shown on national television, with the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox wherever you look. The Yankees got six players onto the All-Star team. So did the Red Sox. No other team got as many. The Angels, the host team, got one. The San Diego Padres, with the best record in the National League and the best pitching staff in the world, got one. They got their first baseman onto the team, but none of their pitchers. East Coast bias? Are the Yankees and Red Sox players that much better, or are"