Oops.

Mark Sweeney's performance this season puts him in a dubious low batting average category among those players (non-pitchers) with 50 or more at bats since the franchise started play in Los Angeles in 1958. With that criteria, here are the ten lowest batting averages:

1. Billy Grabarkewitz (1969) -- .092 (6 for 65)
2. Mark Sweeney (2008) -- .107 (6 for 56)
3. Milt Thompson (1996) -- .118 (6 for 51)
4. Maury Wills (1972) -- .129 (17 for 132)
5. Sid Bream (1985) -- .132 (7 for 53)
6. Darryl Strawberry (1993) -- .140 (14 for 100)
7. Juan Castro (1997) -- .147 (11 for 75)
8. Carlos Hernandez (1995) -- .149 (14 for 94)
9. Luis Alcaraz (1968) -- .151 (16 for 106)
10. Dick Gray (1959) -- .154 (8 for 52)
10. John Hale (1976) -- .154 (14 for 91)
Castro is the only non-pitcher with at least 50 at bats to hit under .200 in three seasons (1996--.197, 1997--.147, and 1998--.195). Those who did it twice are Doug Camilli, Jeff Torborg, Grabarkewitz, Rafael Landestoy, Dave Anderson, Rick Dempsey and Jose Offerman. In 1968, five Dodgers did it -- Zoilo Versalles, Jim Fairey, Alcaraz, Torborg and Bart Shirley. Versalles had the most at bats of any player to hit under .200 in the last 50 years. He went 79 for 403 in 1968, batting .196.
(I compiled all this on a quiet Saturday)

Dodgers: This team, Ned Colletti specifically, must dip down and come up with a rabbit to make them a viable playoff contender. So they will likely be players for Sabathia, Bedard, and others as long as they're within striking distance. The Diamondbacks' recent tumble has made a Dodger comeback possible for the time being, but they need to get to .500 before they start thinking playoffs. They have chips they could deal for Sabathia in Matt Kemp, Chad Billingsley, etc.

lol.

http://tinyurl.com/5azk2l

Casting aside his typical snark, the column reaches levels of Plaschkean preachiness. Zoinks.

15 Suuuure you don't want Penny instead, Phillies?

"Plaschke, Simers, pack your stuff, you're both fired."

Colletti might not need to go, but he needs to be forced to dump Pierre and Jones, they are both worse than useless and LF is where the offense improves from bad to good enough. I hope Jones comes back soon just to confirm how bad he is (somehow what he has done so far is not enough for some people). Im scared if he doesn't come back, the media will chalk his performance up to him playing injured. And, maybe, just maybe, Torre will bench Pierre and that will allow Colletti the revelation that hes not good.

"

I love when East Coast writers muse on teams they are utterly clueless about, like the Dodgers, just to fill space. CC's lovely and all, but the last thing the Dodgers need is pitching, even with Penny and Kuroda (very briefly) on the DL. They have one of the best ERAs in baseball over past month and one of the highest K rates. What they can't do is hit or score with any consistency. To trade Kemp away for pitching is so dumb I'm not sure what to say. Even Colletti wouldn't be that out of it.

Trading away pitching for more hitting is more likely for the Dodgers, but they are just as likely to see how Jones and Furcal recover in July before being in the market."

McDonald, easily.

http://tinyurl.com/4qtnus

To amplify on your thoughts, in a series when you are starved for runs and you have lost 2 in a row already, this would have been the perfect day to give LaRoche a shot at 2b. IF he has two errors in two chances, you can always bring in Mazza. Since Bills strikes out lots of folks, you can also argue that ground balls will be less.

One player you forgot to add is Andru this year 133 AB's, 22 hits a cool 165 BA...more to come, positive or negative I am not sure, but am hoping for a positive incline.

If Delwyn had as many ABs as Pierre he would be playing every day and not starting once every 2 weeks with pinch hitting appearances in between. Delwyn can hit and hit for power. I have no doubt he could hit 10-15 HR and 30-40 doubles if given a full season of ABs. Definitely an upgrade over Pierre.

Tales of Good
We are 4.5 games from the leading the West.
We are 2.5 games ahead of the Giants.

I am not sure what some of you have in your half full glass FULL -- HOWEVER maybe the glass is 1/3 full.

Without the REDS we could be the last place in the NL. (By the way the Reds have the same % as we do)

SIGNED,
a Dodger fan of 44 years

Our next 7 games are against the American League. What is our record against the American League?

Yes it is a bad and hot weekend. Yes, my dog died this weekend and all the kids are at college.

That basset looked quite distinguished with his graying ears.

VIn [speaking of Walter O'Malley]: he was avuncular.

Chick: I now know why you get paid the big bucks, avuncular?

Vin: I can also say delicatessen.

Chick: It's not that it's a big word, who the hell knows what it means.

Those two men, along with my folks, are the reason I'm a sports fan.

Lots of puppies still around thou.

Back on topic, However the Dodger glass is 1/3 full.

Which part of Vancouver Island? The basset would have loved staying at this hotel.

http://tinyurl.com/3srhu3

I remember those days like they were just last month.

It's the 2005 NL West all over again.

I'm going to go to the SABR convention this week and hear a bunch of East Coasters tell me how the division should be stripped of its playoff spot.

Would it be too much to suspect that the Dodgers have a couple of home runs today?

The Dodger game is alternatively available on "Game 13".

(primal scream)

I might have been disappointed had I purchased tickets to today's game with Torre trotting out this line-up.

Alternative dream world line-up of tomorrow for today.

Kemp
Martin
Loney
Kent
Ethier
LaRoche
Young
Berroa
Billinglsey

Gee whiz, couldn't Andy at least get a shot at second base today?

Two can play at that game, Mr. Timmermann. Remember when the Dodgers won the American Association pennant, and then nobody counted it? I remember that like it was every day for the rest of your life.

Can Andy come out to play?

Icaros

--

Wow, Spain-Italy, and the Dodgers game, at the same time. I'm at my attention span limit.

Things are a lot easier when you're not facing great pitchers. Huzzah!

Geez, even the outs are great contact today.

I saw Tony Gwynn get an inside the park grand slam to left.

I hate the small "Post a comment" box.

But I was never a big Brett Butler fan, even though he wasn't a bad player.

What was the ultimate disposition with Berroa? I was watching soccer and Berroa is listed as being at bat with a 1-2 count forever.

I can see that he was out.

Yet.

Mmmmm.... warm crow... ooohhh.... {Homer Simpson drool}

--

And needless to say but I'll say it anyway, you have my sympathies on the loss of your dog, too. Anytime someone loses a pet I know how painful that can be. But sounds like he lived a nice long and happy life.

classic

Bassets are a trip - my Mom bred them, growing up (Bloodhounds, too). Talk about cute puppies...shrink-wrapped wrinkles and endless ears. And by the way "Best in Show" is not a satire - it's ALL TRUE!)

Anyway, my sympathies to you.

I just returned from 3 weeks in NY. I lost my Mom June 7th, after a nine year battle with a non-malignant pituitary tumor that took its long, slow toll. Jon, it was so comforting to read the Father's Day posts here as I was going though that. And I returned with...my Mom's dog, Jilly, a Yorkie (as my writing partner says, "More of a brooch then a dog, really.")My Dad has Parkinson's, and needed her to stay with the family.

So now I'm a dog-owner again...Good thing she's an absolute trooper. Maybe I'll bring her to the DT picnic.

Nice to be home, to read you guys again, and to be ahead in a game.