James Loney worked his fingers, and Don Mattingly installed a ping-pong table in the Dodgers spring training facility:

“I can’t take credit for it,” Mattingly said. “It was James [Loney], in one of his wild moments. He texts me out of the blue and asks, ‘Can we get a Ping-Pong table for Spring Training?’ I thought it was a great idea.

“Over time, it gets boring. Ping-Pong is a good game. It’s competitive, good for hand-eye coordination and it’s reasonably safe. You don’t get a lot of turned ankles in Ping-Pong. It’s just something fun for the guys to have.”

Loney had a table in his Los Angeles home last year, and he found himself playing during a visit to the RBI Urban Youth Academy in Compton. He said it was in November when he texted the manager.

“I just figured it would help keep things loose for the guys,” Loney said. “I know the guys like to play. Why not? And it’s been great. Guys really enjoy it. And if somebody needs to take a break during the day, it’s there.”

What a great idea. It seems Clayton Kershaw is the top player this spring. If the Dodgers improve at the plate this season, they can give table tennis a nod.