I salute to the moundsmen!

2003 all over again

(Was LAT'd)
BBTN showed zero highlights from the Dodger game, except for the final out right after it happened. Kemp's home run apparently came too late to be part of the "Touch 'Em All" segment.

Thanks for wasting my time, ESPN!

But excellent job by the Blue Crew's pitching staff for most of the past two weeks, and past month really. Hip hip!

And a big shout out to the handler of the moundsmen. The catcher.

As mentioned in the other thread, Ethan Martin was at the game and announced before the first pitch was thrown out. He looked all 19 years of his age. He wasn't wearing a uniform or anything, just street clothes.

5 Is Ethan Martin Russel's brother?

6 No. He's our 1st round pick this year.

that was a fun game, lowe was brilliant, bison jacked one, and the crowd was ecstatic after after jones' steal...im sure this has all been expressed but a very pleasant trip back after last night's snoozer

Looks like this season is turning around. Can't wait to play the D'Backs after the All Star break ends.

9
Soon to be the Arizona "3 Backs".

L.A. Is the stop for SportsCenter's titletown gimmick tonight.

I'm probably a grinch, but I hate it when they show Gibson's homer with Jack Buck's call. Luckily I have the correct call emblazoned so deeply in memory.

11 - I hate it too. Nothing personal against Jack.

I mean, I don't hate the call, but it's No. 2 in my book.

13. That's more accurate for me too. Thanks. I just replay Vin in my head and am grateful for the visual.

A couple of weeks ago I was showing it to my ten year old son and I implored him to listen to Vin's call:

Me: Listen to Vin right here,
Josh: He's not saying anything.
Me: Exactly.

11 - It's very rare when you have one classic play have two classic calls.

But, I have a question. Who called the Gibson HR for the Dodgers and does anybody have it? Text or audio?

Tony Jackson:

>>And Juan Pierre is said to be ahead of schedule with the MCL sprain in his left knee. He was supposed to miss four to six weeks, so I'm not exactly sure what ahead of schedule translates to.<<

Elton Brand has passed up Sasha Cohen on Bill Plaschke's enemies list.

"And look who's coming up... High fly ball into right field, she is gone!"

There's another call?

15
Don Drysdale did the radio call for the Dodgers and it's pretty good. Drysdale's voice goes up about two octaves when he says "WAY BACK!"

Wikipedia is right (or close to being right) on this one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vin_Scully#1988_World_Series

15 - here's the whole at bat:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=JhDsEa9sDpE

Well the crowd on its feet and if there was ever a preface, to Casey at the Bat, it would have to be the ninth inning. Two out. The tying run aboard, the winning run at the plate, and Kirk Gibson, standing at the plate.

Gibson, a deep sigh...re-gripping the bat...shoulders just shrugged.think surel partner your going to thow me that 3-2 backdor slider...now goes to the top of the helmet, as he always does...steps in with that left foot. Eckersley, working out of the stretch...here's the three-two pitch...and a drive hit to right field (voice changes to high pitch) WAY BACK! THIS BALL... IS GONE!!! (After delay) I DO NOT BELIEVE WHAT I HAVE JUST SAW!!! And this time, Mighty Casey did NOT strike out!

Bob will be glad to know that Joe Montana's son has just enrolled at Oaks Christian High School and the Montana family is moving down to the Conejo Valley from NoCal. Montana's son will be one of the hottest sought after college recruits, but first he must compete with Wayne Gretzky's son for dibs on who gets to throw passes to Wil Smith's son at WR. vr, Xei

19 - is Drysdale's call the one that starts, "And here comes Kirk Gibson"?

I distinctly remember hearing the call on the radio, in the backseat of the car. My parents decided that going to dinner was more important than watching the 9th inning.

21 Those pants would make Lindsay Lohan proud.

This is as close as I could come to finding it. It's a mix of Vinny, Drysdale and Buck calling Gibson's HR.

http://webpages.charter.net/steveandjannan/Gibson!.wav

21 oh man thanks for that, I've never seen a full good video like that on youtube, i'm in tears thats just a beautiful thing, unfortunately i was only a month old : (.

26
The Drysdale transcript is in 22

23 I guess I may just go back for homecoming next year...i graduated with clausen though, so no big deal : )

22 - Thanks. Now finding the complete audio is on my to do list.

I've never understood why they always go with the Buck call; those of us not lucky enough to be there were watching on TV, not listening. Pretty amazing every time I watch it, I remember it like it was yesterday even though I was only 9 years old.

24 In October 1988, I was dating the woman who would become my wife about eight months later. We were in the most passionate phase of the entire relationship. We drove down to San Diego for a romantic weekend, shacking up in a motel near La Jolla. I got into the room and turned on the game. After watching about an inning, my girlfriend let it be known that I was missing the point of our visit. Right. Not a problem. I turned the game off.

(Train enters tunnel.)

So we enjoyed the afterglow for awhile until finally I said, "Hey, let me see if the game is still on." Now she was okay with it. The bottom of the ninth inning was just getting started.

So, as a result, my memories of that call by Scully are inseparable from other very pleasant recollections. It's almost too much. Imagine how freaky it is for me that, for this one call, Scully referred to the homerun ball as "she?" I don't recall him ever doing that before or since.

Can anyone explain to me why there were two different calls of that home run? Were there two different broadcasts of a World Series game? I am much more familiar with Buck's call. Is that because that's the broadcast I saw?

32 - Ironically enough at tonight's game Vinny said, "She is gone" on Kemp's HR.

33 -

Vinny - NBC TV
Jack Buck - CBS Radio
Don Drysdale - Dodgers Radio

30 I have a cassette of the entire 9th with Drysdale. I got it from the old coot engineer that sat in the booth behind Vinny. Maybe I'll bring it to the picnic on my boombox.

33-I think Buck did the national radio broadcast.

As for the reasoning behind playing that call rather than NBC's, I figure it has to be about money.

Just watched the youtube clip. Eckersley v. Gibson was the battle of the evil-looking mustaches.

I love watching how incredibly happy Gibby was. Like a kid. And Scully has the timing of a great actor. His silence is wonderful, but when he finally says something, after all those pictures and crowd noises, he says exactly the right thing at the exact right moment. Wow.

Here's a question that might require some research.

Will Pat Burrell be the first player with an OPS above 1.000 not to make the All-Star team?

They need to get the fans out of the voting.

32 Wow. I had to light up a cigarette after reading that one.

Beats my watching the game as a freshman in the dorms at SFSU with several other baseball fans (non Dodger fans but into it all the same). Great memory to be sure. But I'll take yours.

It's amazing, too, in this game of inches, how close things could have gone differently, depriving him and all of us of that moment. The "little nubber" that just went foul... the snap throw to first that Mike Davis just beat back. Amazing.

Does anyone know where to find a clip of the 4 + 1 game?

I'm with 37 . It's gotta be about money or rights somehow. I firmly believe that given a choice between the Buck and Scully calls, nobody would ever choose Buck, particularly given that it's a Dodger game. (Personally, nothing against Buck, but his call is my third choice -- although I can see why some people would choose it over Drysdale.)

39 First, manager and now players vote to choose the reserves.

And it happened in 2002, when Larry Walker was left off the NL team despite hitting this at the All-Star Break, .350/.429/.653

32 Definitely the most sexually suggestive yet heartfelt moment I've read while on DT

Okay, now this is just the words so see what you think.

Jack Buck:

Gibson...swings and a fly ball to deep right field. THIS is gonna be a home run! UNBELIEVABLE! A home run for Gibson! And the Dodgers have won the game, five to four; I don't believe what I just saw! I don't BELIEVE what I just saw!

Vin Scully:

Sax waiting on deck, but the game right now is at the plate.
"High fly ball into right field, she i-i-i-is... gone!!
(67 seconds of cheering)
"In a year that has been so improbable... the impossible has happened!

16 Juan Pierre may be back even sooner than Tony Jackson thinks. :-)
I wasn't aware the player has the final say.

Cubs would recommend rehab for Alfonso Soriano

>> Alfonso Soriano has the final say on whether he will go on a minor-league rehab stint before returning to the Cubs' lineup, just like any veteran under the terms of baseball's collective bargaining agreement. <<

http://tinyurl.com/6y7z2w

47 C. Disabled List-Assignment to Minor League club
(1) There shall be no assignment of a Player by a Major League Club to a Minor League club while such Player is on a Major League Disabled List; provided, however, that with the Player's written consent, a copy of which shall be forwarded to the Association, and with the approval of the Commissioner, a Player on the Disabled List may be assigned to a Minor League club for up to a maximum of twenty days (thirty days for pitchers) for each injury, or reoccurrence of an injury, for the purpose of rehabilitation, subject to the limits contained in Article XIII(H). Separate consent shall be required for a rehabilitation assignment for a new injury or a reoccurrence of an injury. No consent shall be effective for longer than twenty days (thirty days for pitchers).

Woah, looks like I have a lot of DTing to catch up on yet again, but two questions for the crew:

1 - Who is the DT consensus to stack the Final Man voting for?

2 - Is 2008 Elton Brand the new 2003 JI
JIM THOME...or the new 2004 Terrell Owens?

23 I might have to take in 1 of those Oaks Christian games.
32 Zounds! In 88 I had started my own business and missed the entire season... the YT clip was the first time I had seen the famous at bat.

Jack Wilson reminds me of Julio Lugo... he can replace Lugo on the Red Sox the day after my birthday, but he shouldn't come to L.A.

Over at Fangraphs.com, USS Mariner's Dave Cameron has a short article up titled "Is Matt Kemp Over-Rated?" It's worth a look, but I can't say I agree with the whole thing.

49
1) I would vote for Burrell
2) Re: Elton Brand, anything that angers Bill Plaschke is A-OK with me!

Has anyone checked in on ToyCannon?

My pal with Clips season tix is beyond bummed.

21 thanks so much for that. my coworkers are wondering why a grown man is crying in his cubicle.

Can you imagine if Gibby would have been called out on catchers interference. I've seen it called for less on that steal by Mike Davis.

From Richard Justice at TSN.com on Bonds.

Word is the Mets, Diamondbacks, Rays and maybe even the Red Sox haven't ruled out signing him for the stretch run.

51 - Well, he puts a lot in the BABIP thing, which is certainly fine although I think he should take into account Kemp's infield hit ability. Beyond that, it's the same question of whether the HR power will come that everyone else has.

50 23 , i went to an oaks christian vs fillmore game and i think it was clausen's jr year, and the difference in talent was unreal between the two teams. clausen played most of his games against teams like that any QB can look good throwing on 2nd and 2 with 6 seconds to throw the ball every play. i'm not knocking clausen he has all the talent in the world, arm strength, and is mobile enough, but when people were saying he was the best HS QB since elway that is a little ridicolous

57
I covered that game for the Daily News!

Clausen and Tyler left the game at halftime to catch a flight out to Chicago to go see the USC-Notre Dame game.

The game was played in beautiful Downtown Fillmore. I ate at the IHOP before the game.

58 I'm guessing you didn't order the Peach Pancakes.

51 Can't disagree with any of that. You can't strike out as much as Kemp does without walking or hitting for power.

Expect big things in the Brewers-Rockies game this afternoon.

It's not being televised, so I expect that someone will hit six home runs or a pitcher will strike out 21.

You mean you don't think Dave Bush can strike out 21?

Can someone tell Kemp that he could probably take another step of two for his leadoff? His leads always look so minute.

What a depressing series of letters to Tim Brown in response to his article about Kim Ng. Read at your own peril:

http://tinyurl.com/6z6hkf

Brian Dohn needs a series of "Thank you for Not..."
http://tinyurl.com/59a76d

If Kemp only becomes a slightly better version than Juan Encarnacion, the Dodgers are screwed.

Juan E came up with the Tigers, and at age 22 put up a line of:
.329/.354/.561.

Then he didnt improve at all. Got worse. Didnt hit homers, didnt walk and generally swung at everything.

65 Encarnacion was Kemp's top comparable last year.

One thing Cameron's article ignores is Kemp's minor league track record. Between age 21 and 22 he OPSed around .935 at AAA.

And Kemp is 23, not 24.

If Kemp becomes Encarnation, we're not screwed, we've got a lot of $$$ coming off the books and we'll still be able to find an impact bat if needed.

Kemp is on pace for 48 Walks. His zone judgment still "looks" terrible, but 50ish walks is an acceptable number for a line drive hitter with power.

Encarnacion does have 2 world series rings.
1 with the 2003 Marlins
1 with the 2006 Cardinals.

Sometimes bad players have all the luck and get labeled "winners".

So if Furcal never got hurt and we got the Penny of 06/07 how many games would we be up at this point?

67 If Kemp doesn't break out, we're not screwed, but we're pretty close. We'd pretty much be left with Andy and Loney as guys that could become great players, and you can't win with a big group of average guys.

68 Except Kemp doesn't have power right now.

I'm actually thinking the best thing for the Dodgers to do this offseason is just go hardcore on defense, since really all we can do to improve on offense is pray someone breaks out. Give Hu a job and pay Mark Ellis. I'd be a lot more comfortable giving McDonald and more marginal guys starts if they had a lock down defense behind them.

70 Maybe one or two more. Furcal was due for a slump and Penny's replacements have been awesome.

This was probably posted earlier but in that article on MLB.com about Ethan Martin being close to signing there was some worrisome bits on last year's #1:

>> Meanwhile, last year's first-round pick (19th overall), Chris Withrow, is nursing a recurring sore right elbow. Club officials insist there is no structural damage; however he has not pitched in a game this year and there is no timetable on when he will.

Last month, Withrow apparently was close to being assigned to a Minor League roster, but suffered another setback. He currently is throwing at Class A Inland Empire, but it is not known when he will be game-ready and assigned to a Minor League roster.

After a series of injuries have sidetracked the careers of first-round pitchers Greg Miller and Scott Elbert, the club is being extra cautious bringing back Withrow. Miller continues to struggle at Triple-A, while Elbert is throwing hard again at Double-A.

The 19-year-old Withrow, who signed last year for a $1.35 million bonus, pitched only nine innings in six games last year.<<

60 -- You can't disagree with anything there? How about this: "The 'he's young' thing works for only so long, and Kemp is rapidly getting to the point where he needs to produce at the plate." It really is insufficient to say that I disagree with that. The statement is astonishingly stupid. Kemp IS young, less experienced than most professional baseball players his age because of his basketball background, and yet for all that he HAS produced "at the plate," to a tune of .299/.340/.471 in the majors in parts of three seasons before his 24th birthday. I don't care if somebody says he did it with luck or voodoo, he DID IT. Now let's put this in some context. Chase Utley is talked about as God's gift to hitting. Sure, at age 29. Utley didn't make the majors till his age 24 season, and all he could produce then was a line of .239/.322/.373. At age 25, all Utley was good for was MLB production of .266/.308/.468. Utley wasn't much of an asset to the Phillies till he was 26, and that isn't at all uncommon in the majors. Yet Kemp and other Dodger youngsters are looked at like failures if they don't look bound for the Hall of Fame before they are 25. It is total nonsense and I won't hesitate to call it for what it is.

65

How does paying the league minimum to Kemp "screw" the Dodgers regardless of his level of production?

74
So you're one of them fans who just wants to hold on to a bunch of lottery tickets instead of taking the instant CC Sabathia cash payout? ;)

74

Toss in there Kemp leads baseball in outfield assists, while making only 1 error and is made to sound like a lousy defensive player. I actually thought he looked very good in CF, looks a little uncomfortable in RF though….

74 I didn't think that was the point of Cameron's piece. He wasn't branding Matt Kemp a failure, he was just pointing out some very real and very worrisome flaws in his came that he needs to correct.

75 Nothing hurts you more than a bunch of average guys, especially ones you're hesistant to give up on. You don't have enough talent to win and it's really hard to improve the team because you need to give out gigantic contracts to gain just one win, and that's if those great players are even avialable. See the Blue Jays for more.

71 Have you seen Ellis' stats this year? And he is 31. There should be no more talk of him wearing this uniform.

77 Advanced defensive stats are pretty down on Kemp's ability to play right field.

79 A 102 OPS+ and elite defense? Yeah, I've seen them.

He's also only got a .252 BABIP so he's going to improve.

75

Reg, why would you assume that the Dodgers wouldn't bench Kemp if he is unable to produce? Heck why would you assume that if he does not pick it up in the next week or two he won't be benched for Juan Pierre?

Wow. PECOTA tells me that the Dodgers are now over 13% more likely than the DBacks to win the division. That's a big jump from one game.

Call me crazy but I think that Jones might turn the corner in the second half this year and carry our team for stints. I'm not expecting Pujols-type numbers but I don't think 20 HR is out of the question. Despite our lack of power, we still have 3 to 5 guys with a decent shot at 20 HRs and our pitching has been stellar. I don't think we have the tools to win it all by any means but the NL West is ours for the taking.

78 -- I wouldn't have recommended the piece if I didn't think Cameron said something worth reading, but you responded to my statement that I didn't agree with everything he said by saying you saw nothing to disagree with. Well, I think I did point out something Cameron said that you should disagree with.

80

What do those stats say about his ablity to play Center Field?

73 i see elbert has only started 1 out of 10 games, is he no longer a starting pitcher?

84 On May 18 the DBacks were 28-16 (.636). Since then they have gone 17-30 (.362).

There isn't anyone behind us that I think will finish over .500.

I like our chances.

Did I miss any DT discussion on the Lowe for Renteria trade rumor mentioned in the LA Times this morning?

Interesting that Lowe is pitching well and Renteria is slumping and still that is all the Dodgers are mentioned getting for Lowe. If the Dodgers don't see LaRoche in their future, wouldn't Lowe and LaRoche fetch more than a Renteria?

Does anybody think Texeria(sp) can play third still?

Okay, guys, check out Baseball America for a nice article on Ethan Martin. BA just named him 2008 High School Player Of The Year.

75--Because its difficult to replace average players with superstars, if the club is still holding on to hope that the average players will turn into superstars.

If the Dodgers wait on Kemp/Loney to become stars, they are likely going to pass on Teixeira, Matt Holiday, etcs..

If Kemp/Loney dont become break out stars, all the sudden the Dodgers are stuck with a group of average players that will command more & more money through arbitration increases.

If the Dodgers signed Texeira to play third base, it would be the greatest compromise thought up by someone not named Roger Sherman.

73 Man that injury nexus is a harsh mistress. I remember everyone touting Withrow's easy, repeatable delivery as a huge plus when we signed him.

90--Do the Tigers have another SS they can go to? I doubt they'll give up a key every day piece, especially since they've been hot lately. They'll likely still win the AL Central even given their terrible start to the year.

92 You have a point with Loney but if the Dodgers have a chance to sign Holliday, I don't think Kemp is holding them back, if anything it makes Ethier expendable. Even if Loney turns into a no power 1B, is their anything to suggest that he won't hit at least around .300 every year?

94 -- Pitching a ball is an unnatural act. A nice delivery is well and good, but it never negates that fact.

86 Fair enough.

83 They'd bench him if he's unable to produce, but would they bench him if he has an .800 OPS and average defense? Would they seek to improve there? Would an improvement even be available?

87 Amazing, but defensive stats are useless in small sample sizes.

96 -- Logan White said recently that he expects Loney to hit 30 HR's when he is 26 or 27. Much to JoeyP's consternation, Loney will either prove or disprove White's prediction while wearing a Dodger uniform and Teixeira is wearing some other team's uniform.

81 He has more errors then Kent.