Read More: Matt Herges (P – KAN), Doug Mientkiewicz (1B – FLA), Keyter Collado (C – LOS), Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers last week announced their minor league coaching staffs for 2012, and for the most part they look very similar to those of 2011. The biggest coaching news is the hire of Doug Mientkiewicz, who will make his coaching debut as the hitting coach of the rookie league Ogden Raptors in the Pioneer League. Mientkiewicz played for the Dodgers in 2009.

Matt Herges, who pitched for the Dodgers as well as every other team in the National League West, will be coaching for his second year in 2012. He was promoted from pitching coach of the Arizona Rookie League Dodgers in 2011 to pitching coach of the Class A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes next year.

The Dodgers’ staffs at Triple A and Double A remained the same as 2011. Here are the 2012 coaching assignments for the Dodgers:

Field Coordinator: Bruce Hines
Senior Advisor, Player Development: P.J. Carey, Gene Clines, Charlie Hough
Senior Advisor, Latin America: Ramon Martinez
Hitting Coordinator: Eric Owens
Pitching Coordinator: Rafael Chaves
Outfield/Baserunning Coordinator: Damon Mashore
Infield Coordinator: Jody Reed
Catching Coordinator: Travis Barbary
Coordination of Arizona Instruction: Matt Martin
Campo Las Palmas Coordinator: Henry Cruz
Field Coordinator, Campo Las Palmas: Antonio Bautista

Triple-A Albuquerque:
Manager: Lorenzo Bundy
Hitting Coach: John Valentin
Pitching Coach: Glenn Dishman

Double-A Chattanooga:
Manager: Carlos Subero
Hitting Coach: Franklin Stubbs
Pitching Coach: Chuck Crim

Single-A Rancho Cucamonga:
Manager: Juan Bustabad
Hitting Coach: Michael Boughton
Pitching Coach: Matt Herges

Single-A Great Lakes:
Manager: John Shoemaker
Hitting Coach: Razor Shines
Pitching Coach: Hector Berrios

Rookie-advanced Ogden:
Manager: Damon Berryhill
Hitting Coach: Doug Mientkiewicz
Pitching Coach: Bill Simas

Rookie-level Arizona League Dodgers:
Manager/Coordinator of Arizona Instruction: Matt Martin
Hitting Coach: Leo Garcia
Pitching Coach: Kremlin Martinez

Rookie-level Dominican Summer League Dodgers:
Manager: Pedro Mega
Hitting Coach: Keyter Collado
Pitching Coach: Alejandro Peña
Catching Coach: Jose D. Hernandez
Assistant Coach: Rafael Ozuna

Camelback Ranch – Glendale:
Pitching/Rehab Coach: Jim Slaton
Coach: Johnny Washington
Coach: Esteban Lopez

For more Dodgers offseason news and analysis, be sure to read True Blue LA.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston
Red Sox each earned three Gold Gloves, while nine players became
first-time recipients of the award for defensive play.

Clayton Kershaw, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier won for the
Dodgers, the first time the National League team produced three
winners in a year.

Dustin Pedroia, Adrian Gonzalez and Jacoby Ellsbury are the
first three Boston players to win the accolade in the same year
since Rick Burleson, Dwight Evans and Fred Lynn achieved the
feat for the Red Sox in 1979, Major League Baseball said on its
website last night.

Managers and coaches vote annually for the best fielding
performances at each position in the National and American
Leagues.

Yadier Molina of the World Series champion St. Louis
Cardinals won the NL catcher award for the fourth straight year,
while Matt Wieters of the Baltimore Orioles claimed his first
award as Molina’s AL counterpart.

Mark Buehrle became the first pitcher in Chicago White Sox
history to win three Gold Gloves and the only player from the
club to claim three straight since Robin Ventura from 1991-93.

Other winners included Cincinnati Reds second baseman
Brandon Phillips, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki of the Colorado
Rockies, Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre and
Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Placido Polanco.

Among first-time winners were left fielder Alex Gordon of
the Kansas City Royals, right fielder Nick Markakis of the
Orioles and Los Angeles Angels shortstop Erick Aybar, who
unseated the New York Yankees’ Derek Jeter, winner in five of
the past seven years in the AL.

In the NL, Arizona Diamondbacks left fielder Gerardo Parra
and Reds first baseman Joey Votto won for the first time.

To contact the reporter on this story:
Dex McLuskey in Dallas at
dmcluskey@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Michael Sillup at msillup@bloomberg.net.

LOS ANGELES – Former Great Lakes Loons star Dee Gordon was named the September winner of the National League Rookie of the Month Award, according to MLB.com.

The Dodgers shortstop hit .372 during September, including seven doubles, one triple, six RBIs, 21 runs and 12 stolen bases. His 42 hits led the National League during the month and his 12 stolen bases were second.

Despite spending part of the season in Triple A Albuquerque, Gordon was tied for first among NL rookies with 24 stolen bases and eighth with 34 runs.

He finished the season hitting .304.

Gordon played for the Loons in 2009, hitting .301 with 73 stolen bases.

PHOENIX, Sept. 29 (UPI) — Matt Kemp concluded a sensational season with a two-run homer Wednesday that helped lift the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 7-5 victory over Arizona.

Kemp wound up with 39 home runs and 126 RBI, becoming the first member of the Dodgers in 70 years to lead the National League in both categories. His .324 batting average was third-best in the National League, behind Jose Reyes of the New York Mets (.337) and Ryan Braun of the Brewers (.332).

Los Angeles finished the season, its first under Manager Don Mattingly, three games over .500 even though the club was embroiled in the financial woes of their owner, Frank McCourt.

Arizona, which spotted the Dodgers a seven-run lead before making a late comeback bid, won 94 games this season. That is the fewest by a division champion this year, but it was good enough to put the Diamondbacks into the playoffs with a division-round meeting coming up Saturday against Milwaukee.

Ted Lilly (12-14) gave up three hits and a walk in seven scoreless innings to get the win.

Joe Saunders (12-13) allowed five runs on nine hits for the Diamondbacks.

All of Arizona’s runs came in the ninth on a grand slam homer by Cole Gillespie and a solo shot by Henry Blanco.

A minute before the Los Angeles Dodgers were about to hold a pregame team meeting Monday, outfielder Matt Kemp strolled into the visitor’s locker room ready to go to work at Chase Field.

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Diamondbacks-Dodgers series photos | Box score | MLB scoreboard

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He wasn’t late for the meeting, but he most likely was trying to avoid pregame questions from reporters about his pursuit of the Triple Crown.

A strong September is allowing Kemp to continue his chase for a Triple Crown, a feat most recently accomplished in the National League by the St. Louis Cardinals’ Joe Medwick in 1937 and in the American League in 1967 by the Boston Red Sox’s Carl Yastrzemski.

“Do I want it (Triple Crown)?” he said after Monday’s game. “Of course. But I don’t want to force it. I have about nine or 10 at-bats, we’ll see what happens.”

Kemp’s day got off to a good start, as he was named the NL Player of the Week after posting a .423 batting average (11 for 26) and hitting three home runs in six games last week.

He went 1 for 4 on Monday night with a three-run home run. The home run was his 38th of the season, breaking a tie with St. Louis’ Albert Pujols and giving him the outright lead. His 123 RBIs also lead the league.

But his .324 average trails Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun (.334) and New York’s Jose Reyes (.334).

“It is what it is,” Kemp said. “(You have) two good hitters (in) Jose Reyes and Ryan Braun. Those guys can hit. It’s going to be tough, but I take my hat off to them. Both of them have had (great) seasons.”

After the 2010 season, Kemp believed he’d post big numbers in 2011, predicting he’d become the fifth major-leaguer to join the 40-40 club (40 home runs and 40 stolen bases).

Two more homers, and he’ll do just that.

Kemp will face Diamondbacks right-hander Jarrod Parker, who is making his major-league debut, Tuesday night and end his great season Wednesday against left-hander Joe Saunders, who has allowed nine hits, including three home runs, in 27 at-bats against Kemp.

“It’s fun (watching Kemp),” Dodgers first baseman James Loney said. “He has an all-around game. He can do different things and can change a game with his speed and power or his arm. He is just working hard and doing the best for his team.”

Said Kemp after Monday’s game: “I don’t want to put no pressure on myself,” he said. “I’m going to continue to go out there and have fun and whatever happens happens.

“If it’s meant to be it is meant to be.”

PHOENIX, Sept. 27 (UPI) — Matt Kemp’s three-run homer in the first inning proved to be decisive Monday in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 4-2 win over Arizona.

Justin Sellers added an RBI single for Dodgers, who claimed a win in the opener of a season-ending, three-game series against the National League West-champion Diamondbacks.

Dana Eveland (3-2) tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings, issuing no walks and striking out five, while Javy Guerra racked up his 21st save in the ninth for the Dodgers.

Daniel Hudson (16-12) was touched for four runs on five hits over seven innings for Arizona.