This is great. Arizona has been cleared and the dust has settled with a 1.5 game lead. There is another long road trip coming but things are looking up.

Its a road trip to San Diego, Denver, and Pittsburgh. 10 games, and hopefully the Dodgers can win seven of them. I doubt we can go 2-8 on a road trip again and survive this race.

I can't stop grinning. I must look like a fool, but I really don't care.

2 - I'll settle for 5 or 6 wins, but seven would be nice.

2 - Any other scenarios besides 7-3 or 2-8? :)

I predict 6-4. Two out of three in SD, one out of three in Colorado, and three out of four in Pittsburgh. We'll come home in first place.

What a weekend. Go Blue!

For those scoping out fourth place in the NL East, Washington has moved to within six games of Atlanta!

Manuel of the Phillies is looking to get thrown out.

And there you go. There is only one out of the bottom of the first.

Over their past 16 games, the Dodgers have just been a .500 team. Meh.

I'm predicting that trend will continue, and LA will go 5-5 on the road trip.

This whole winning after losing thing is becoming old hat for the Dodgers.

In 2006, the Dodgers immediately followed an 8 game losing streak (which ended a 1-13 stretch) with an 11-game winning streak and a nice 17-1 stretch.

7 You LAT'd yourself?

Agree wholeheartedly on Broxton.

Nitpicking, but do you really think Jackson's hit would have been a 2 run double? It was pretty far to the right of Nomar, I figure Ethier would have been there long before it would have made it to the wall, maybe even hit directly to Ethier.

Whoops, LAT'd.

Hey, Jon, you just got a pretty nice shout-out on the postgame/Sunday night AM 790 show!

(in reference to your post on Kent's Dodger stats)

12

No telling, but it was sure exciting. It's amazing how many times Nomar has had big walkoff plays for the Dodgers.

If not for Nomar (reaching across his body mind you), I had that pegged as a one-run single, runners at the corners.

11 - Twice today, believe it or not.

10.
If we go 17-1 following that losing streak that seems so long ago, I think we'll be in pretty good shape.

YESSSSSSSSSS!!!

18 9-1 roadtrip?

6- Given their last road trip-I will accept a 6-4 trip given their troubles in Denver especially. This team is really Jekyll and Hyde as far as Home and Road performance, so while it was a great homestand, I don't want to get too excited until I see how they come out of this road trip.

However, - in light of Jon's column, I want to congratulate the Dodgers on some great play the last 8-9 days. Great job Team!! Ethier was a monster the last week. Bills and Lowe pitched outstanding this weekend and we did enough to sweep the homestand!!

The Dodgers have more Character™ when they play at home.

Dodgers are a monster.

They become even more of a monster with Saito and Penny joining the bullpen. With furcal back in the lineup, we really don't have a hole.

Now eight games into the needed 20 game win streak. Since 2006 seems to have our number how about another 11 game winning streak.

I'm not sure when I've seen a bigger turnaround in late Aug/Sept. 8 game winning streak, possible returns of Furcal/Penny/Saito, our black hole SS suddenly shows some offense, our Solution at 3rd base in Spring becomes the Solution at 2nd in late summer, and somehow someway we have two of the best hitting outfielders in baseball blazing away.

The worm may turn again but for 8 days this team has given us plenty to cheer about, and if you can't enjoy this then maybe the team is not the problem.

Get Furcal some late innings in some games and a few at bats to get him back in some type of rhythm. Penny some innings out of the bullpen along with Saito to be ready for October.

Playoff lineup:

Furcal
Ethier
Manny
Loney
Martin
Blake
Kemp
DeWitt

Bills
Lowe
Kuroda (at home)

Saito
Brox
Wade
Beimal
Tron
Park
Penny

Doubt we would use Penny or Park much in the playoffs, maybe Penny.

Pierre of the bench. Nomar - can't deny his clutchness factor.... heck I will even say Berroa is a good option right now off the bench...Kent maybe as a pinch hitter...I wouldn't start Kent because of defense.

Anybody agree with me?

and anybody giddy with me reading that?

27
I'd be even more giddy if Kuo made the playoff roster! :)

haha dang it I knew I was forgetting a stud ahaha. Wow our PEN is STACKED if Saito comes back.

Carlos Delgado's 2nd HR this evening was the 249,996th HR in baseball history. Looks like #250,000 will come tomorrow.

RIP, Don Haskins

I just got the most elaborate wedding invitation ever in the mail (I forgot to check the mail yesterday). It has a scroll and everything.

Playoff roster

Starters:

Martin
Ethier
Manny
Loney
Kemp
Blake
DeWitt
Berroa/Furcal

bench: Berroa/Furcal, D. Young, Hu, Adroin, Sweeney, Nomar

Starting rotation:

Bills
Lowe
Kuroda
Maddux

bullpen: Broxton, Wade, Kuo, Park, TronTron, Beimel, Elbert.

Kershaw gets left out to innings pitched. Elbert takes place of Kershaw's spot for an extra LOOGY, freeing up Beimel to pitch a regular one or more innings. Park's the worst guy in the bullpen and even he's not that bad.

33
Not buying the Saito comeback?

19 is the magic number. A combination of 19 wins and loses earns us the division. Woooooooooooooo

34 I'll believe it when I see it. If he does comes back, pull him in Elbert's spot, and everyone moves down a spot.

I left off JP and Jones off the playoff roster. A slap in the face, but I can live with it.

If Wright was in the NCAA, that move would have been a 15-yard penalty.

The three game sweep is wasted if Arizona wakes up and LA relaxes. It will be interesting to see who plays in the last ten games. Based on health and rustiness, Nomar, Kent, and Furcal could get more time than merited.

39
Nomar & Furcal would only be replacing Berroa, so what's the big deal with that?

If Kent comes back, he'll only do pinch hitting duties. He'd take Sweeney's place, not DeWitt.

Tom Brady and Vince Young with potential year ending injuries. Should have decided to be pitchers guys.

I agree 100%. I'm going into this road trip with guarded optimism. No matter how great they played at home (and they played GRRRREAT!), it's been two months time since the Dodgers had a winning road trip.

So I go in and hope for the best! The Padres series alone is going to be really tough, if only for psychological reasons.

---

Chicago/Indy on Sunday Night Football: I still cannot believe what I am seeing.

I came here expecting to see D4P in euphoria after Brady's injury.

Ethier went 2-3 with a RBI, and a run. Really, it should be 1-2, and a reach on an error, but he'll take it.

45
That would be 1-3

JP is a much better player off the bench than Berroa or Sweeney.

I came here expecting to see D4P in euphoria after Brady's injury

I pretty much hate the NFL these days, so I'm kind of "blah" about anything that happens.

No more Super Bowls for that pretty boy.

So no one is alarmed that aliens have seemingly stole the bodies of the Chicago Bears?

I'm willing to bet money that Kershaw is on the Playoff roster. I'd also probably lay odds that he'd get a start at home in the play offs.

50 - they do this about three times a year, play way over their heads on offense, and their defense is what it always was.

Victory! Hooray!

48

I always thought if there was a league to out and out hate, it begins and ends with MLB, but I never let the politics get to me.

Same with the NFL... its too interesting for me to hate really.

The NFL is an enigma, all right, and yet, I'm looking more forward to tomorrow's Dodgers/Padres game than either of the football games. Go figure.

Playoff rosters? Now, hubris has set in.

My Colts have taken the sacrifice from my other blue-and-white team. This is a hard sports day.

This Gates/Sienfeld Microsoft commercial is off putting, to say the least.

UCLA went from 23rd in the AP poll to 26th.

I think this is an indictment of Rick Neuheisel's ability to lead his team to productive wins over traditional tough opponent BYE.

Amazing that UCLA plays BYE and then BYU in consecutive weeks!

59
They just did not want it enough.

Rick helicoptering around to high school games makes it look like UCLA spends money on football.

56 Let us dream.

Baseball should have the inactive list for the playoffs like they have with basketball. It'll get abused as all heck if only because managers will switch out starters and bullpen guys regularly but it'll be fun!

What a beautiful day at the ballpark today!
Dodger Stadium on a sunny afternoon.
Home Plate ump Bucknor starts the game off with a tea cup sized strike zone.
The Dodgers come through with a fine team win.
When Jackson came up for his last at bat I made sure that I was sitting squarely on the edge of my seat ... just for luck.

One game at a time now as all eyes will be on the scoreboard between pitches for the rest of the season.
Anything can happen now. That's what makes this so much fun.

First Place today by a game and a half!

http://proxy.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=crasnick_jerry&id=3574904

Jerry Crasnick writes about the Dodgers 8 game losing streak and the 8 game winning streak.

True Blood was fun! (We watched the east coast HBO version earlier tonight.) I like Anna Paquin, too. There are a few things that annoyed me greatly about it, but overall, cool enough for me to want to watch the next one, at least.

Oh, and Huzzah! to the Dodgers! I was excited to check out the rest of the game when I came home tonight. Jon's post says it all. And things can turn just as quickly sour as we all know, but I like the way the team is playing and coming together. Hopefully they can go above 500 on the road trip for once and maybe even earn a little distance from AZ before it's over.

Oh, and bummer! about Tom Brady. I loathe the Patriots but like Brady and feel really bad about his injury.

65 - Episode 3 has me wondering whether to keep watching.

65
I saw the original pilot and the girl that played Tara in that was much better. They also changed a couple other characters and scenes I saw.

I actually liked original version better.

A week ago, Manny was so excited to face Arizona's Dan Haren he told Torre on his way to the batter's box, "If he comes inside on me, they're going to have to get a new baseball."

When he hit an inside fastball into the left-field bleachers, Ramirez arrived back at the dugout gushing, "Get a new baseball!"

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AnFSudYMvbnYbZuVT7xkTPwRvLYF?slug=ti-nlwest090708&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

I agree about Broxton. He's gotten the job done, but I guess it's been accomplished in a seemingly discomforted manner that makes it slightly difficult to swallow sometimes. Flirting with disaster, but pulling it out. I was definitely one to question the resolve of this squad during the string of losses -- maybe like Bowa, I was really focused on the pathetic energy that they were evoking. Getting so close to the end, these are emotional times. They've done a great job to pull themselves out of the hole, now let's hope they can sustain this positive streak and get us to the NLDS!!

AZSnakepit's review of today's game:

http://www.azsnakepit.com/2008/9/7/609485/diamondbacks-3-dodgers-5-w

66 Uh oh.

67 Interesting. Tara was one of the characters that annoyed me. My g/f was also a fan of the books and remarked that in the books she's pretty different and not African-American, for what it's worth. There's just something a little caricatured about her. Well, I'll take it week to week.

15 minutes to Mad Men!

Btw, as wonderful as Saito has been, he's had a few nervewracking games of his own this season, and even blown a game once or twice to show he's human. Nobody's perfect, but as relievers, Broxton and Saito are both about as good as it gets.

66 Were you a fan of Six Feet Under? I have no HBO so I'm stuck to DVD's on this thing, but 6FU may be my favorite TV show of all time, so I am very curious about True Blood.

72 - I was a fan of Six Feet Under, and True Blood isn't that.

I would be happy with a 5-5 road trip, given our troubles away from DS this year. While their starting situation isn't the best right now, I don't expect the Snakes to roll over and they may gain a game or two on us during that time, facing SF and CIN at home in the latter part. Seems to me that the Rockies could be big players in this. At 6.5 back, their recent surge may not be enough, but with 3 games against us and 6 against the Snakes, how well they play should be a decisive factor in the race. Sweeping us would make the race far more interesting than I think I can stand.

I generally like what Alan Ball does, but this is a very different show so it's not even worth comparing, apples and oranges (or two different kind of coffins?)

I think they should've done a Sopranos with vampires, mob-bloodsuckers, I'd watch that for sure.

75 Good to hear--I suppose I'll wait for a full review and ignore my Alan Ball love's connections with it.

Bad Show/Guilty pleasure or not, I am excited for the Heroes return. The first season on DVD got me through a very rough week of my life, so I think I have an odd connection to it.

70 Jim does a great job over at the SnakePit (I've been a reader since Shawn Green was traded) but that column demonstrates the difference between DT and nearly every other baseball blog. Jon would never post a RIP until the Dodgers were mathematically eliminated (even then he would look for something constructive from the elimination). With 19 games left, the division is still wide open and just as Jon reminded us not too get too down 10 days ago he correctly reminds us not to get too jacked up now. While I hope Jim's premature pronouncement of the D'Backs demise is accurate I doubt it is and he of all people should not be giving up the ship. But his post reminds us that its good to have a steady hand at the helm of DT. Thanks JW.

P.S. Did I mention that last Fri (Sept 5) was the last day to get your post season deposit down? Kinda glad that I did now.

Just saw Nomar's catch to end the game. What a great play. That may turn out to be [one of] the defining play[s] of the season.

58. I just saw that commercial. I didn't even understand it. Leave it Sienfeld to make one of the most influential men in history look like an idiot.

Who would of thought that after Nomar's adventures at SS on August 29th, he makes the biggest walk-off with a glove of the year.

Arizona's Record When This Pitcher Starts

Webb 20-10
Haren 17-12
Johnson 12-14
Davis 9-13
Petit 3-4
Scherzer 0-4

Dodger's Record When This Pitcher Starts

Billingsley 14-15
Lowe 17-13
Kuroda 12-15
Kershaw 10-8
Maddux 1-2

You know what Microsoft should have done? Get the Dell guy.

"DUDE, YOU'RE GETTING WINDOWS VISTA."

79 Lowe's at 17-13? A good 3 or 4 games must have been games where we took the lead in late innings after Lowe left.

Pitching Matchups for the upcoming week.

Dodgers @ Padres
Maddux vs. Baek
Kuroda vs. LeBlanc
Lowe vs. Estes

Dodgers @ Rockies
Billingsley vs. Francis
Kershaw vs. De La Rosa
Maddux vs. Cook

Diamondbacks @ Giants
Petit v. Lincecum
Davis v. Zito
Haren v. Correia

Reds @ Diamondbacks
Cueto v. Webb
Harang v. Johnson
Volquez v. Petit

Rockies @ Braves
Cook v. Campillo
Hernandez v. Parr
Jimenez v. Jurrjens

Petit certainly has the toughest assignments this week facing both Lincecum and Volquez, I wonder if Scherzer will take his turn on Sunday, I guess that depends on Johnson's health.

After a long day of covering football. I can finally get on here and say:

"OMG! AMAZING! YES!" (Smacks hands with everybody around me)

Probables are available for San Diego and Colorado:
Maddux vs. Baek
Kuroda vs. LeBlanc (L)
Lowe vs. Estes (L)
Billingsley vs. Francis (L)
Kershaw vs. De La Rosa (L)
Maddux vs. Cook

That's four left handers in a row.

23 seconds! Nice!

82 - Estes! Blast from the past?

Maddux @ Coors has me very, very afraid.

I am amazed that Shawn Estes is still pitching somewhere.

Tim Brown on the Dodgers:

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ti-nlwest090708&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

86 - They can choose to swap Kuroda and Maddux with the off day Thursday.

88 I don't understand the point of that article. Is excitement unwarranted unless a division is firmly in place? I don't see a single quote that says the team feels secure and happy. A "don't rest on your laurels" note is fine, but he seems almost upset that the team is happy.

Tough story about Eric Scoggins and ALS.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-crowe8-2008sep08,0,3888363.column?track=rss

77
You can still pay using your on-line account. I've found those dates to be suggestions. I'm late with everything and no one has ever turned down my payment.

92 How does McDonald look in the bullpen?

86
Maybe Holliday will continue his prolonged slump.

Earlier today Bob posted the Padre lineup and mentioned how pathetic it was. Then they go out and score 10 runs. I stopped betting on baseball because of games like that.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/notebook?page=bbtn

ESPN has the Dodgers leading the Dodgers by 1.5 games in the NL West. Apparently, the D'Backs don't exist now.

I'm as happy as anybody about the win today. And I admit that Broxton has gotten the job done up until now. The test he's not passing is the swingers test.

He's like the guy in the PG-13 movie we're all really hoping gets it done. He's not the guy in the Rated R movie that we're not sure where he's coming from yet.

Until he becomes that guy or, as Mikey ultimately does, settles in and finds his own comfort zone I say Saito can't come back quick enough.

Ask yourselves how confident you were when he was facing Conor Jackson today that he was going to get the save. Scale of 1-10, ask yourselves that.

92
Bored

He's getting yelled at by locals who went to Wilson. He just laughs at them but he does have a deer in the headlight look about him.

With the increase in the the bullpen about 5 of them have to sit outside. On Saturday they were spread out but by the 5th inning they were all gathered like moths around the Chilling machine.

96
I paused it. Waited 5 minutes then fast forwarded it to see what the damage was. After I saw celebration I went back and watched the a bat. Does that answer your question?

96 I got lost in your metaphor. Broxton did pretty well, though.

92

Saito's situation reminds me of Terry Forster.
I'm not counting on Saito. His elbow is probably cooked.
He may get the opportunity to blow it up on the mound before the end of this season.
All I can say is ouch.

100 is for 96

Really? I assummed they sold your seats to others after that. Sheez I would have preferred to hold on to my $$ a little longer.

A win tomorrow would bring San Diego's elimination number to zero.

103 - Officially. The Griddle is all over it as usual.

Hey BH,

Today started the first of three weeks of testing. Had two hours to prep and serve corn veloute(appatizer); pan fired sea bass with lime scented beurre blanc (entree); and old fashined bread pudding (dessert). All had to be served within w/in 10 mins of each other.

Next week we have to prepare three dishes. We will be told what they are and will only be given the ingrediants. No recipe. (Are they kidding?)

105
You are becoming a chef? That is awesome.

The Dodgers are still one game under .500 since Furcal last played.

105 Cool, I found out my friend took those courses in the last year or two.

104
And I show my work.

70 Those Snakepit guys are calling an end to the D-Backs' season prematurely. The Dodgers have had way more embarrassing things happen than the botched squeeze, and look where they are.

Baseball is a series of ups and downs.

There is no even flow.

Even flow, thoughts arrive like butterflies
Oh, he don't know, so he chases them away
Someday yet, he'll begin his life again
Life again, life again...

110 With the Dodgers at this moment firmly in a battle for second place with Colorado, I just wanted to let you know a couple of things.

I've written in the past that I see no incentive in giving up the season until it's over. It doesn't take a genius to see how big a longshot the Dodgers are becoming, but what do you gain by making a concession speech? We're not running for office, here. I'll still be following the games - even if we're headed into Losers Dividend territory.

Jon Weisman, August 30, 2008

For a fraction of a second, Vin squee'd on the air. If only I could make that my ringtone...

"And squee--!"

88 That article seems a bit too Debbie Downer-ish to me. Sure we're all excited about the winning streak and the impending easy schedule (opposition-wise) but I don't think anyone's being irrational - fans or players.

Twenty-three years ago this month, in September of 1985, the most feared name in the City of Los Angeles was "Ramirez."

Now, 23 years later, I think the same statement could be made — under much, much happier and pleasant circumstances.

The world revolved from night to day.

113
You need to explain the squee to me. I take it that is the sound you make?

Kendra has already suggested us three go see a game sometime this year.

116 I used to make that sound until I was teased to death. Now I just type it and get grief online.

She's mentioned it to me, too. I'm totally up for that.

117
Are you in Westwood already?

108. Did they like it? Did theyr think it was worth the committment. I've enjoyed it very much but its a big time comittment. The teacher has been great.

106. I'm becoming a chef in the sense that someone who knows what a round white thing with red stitches is is a base ballplayer. It's more for fun that anything else. Just to learn to cook more by feel than relying on recipies. A lot of mistakes along the way. My day job is safe.

118 Negative. I'm moving on the 15th.

I am SO WISHING that my first game at Dodger Stadium is still a meaningful one.

119
That is still a lot of fun. Watching Top Chef makes me want to work on my cooking skills. Plus, my dad was a pretty good chef, even though he was British.

That would be an excellent hobby to take up at some point.

121
Yeah, I have never seen the Dodgers play my entire life.

When I went to New York to visit friends, the Dodgers were playing the Mets in LA. Boo. I got to see Paul Byrd get hammered by the Yankees instead.

124
That is balls, straight balls.

Amtrak pretty much screwed up my only opportunity to see the team.

The first game I ever saw at Dodger Stadium was meaningful.

Mainly because I was there.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1971/B06010LAN1971.htm

And three of the participants are deceased.

126
Aside from Mike Marshall, I do not know any of those Expos players.

126 Ron Hunt was hit by pitch FIFTY times in 1971. Wow!!!

Jon, it isn't Broxton, but Sammy being Sammy [as it were]. That's my take, and so if Sammy is Sammy and the rest of the pitching holds up...

Lastly, someone may have already made the point, but do you remember 06 and the 4 SS IF that some despised? Worked on Sunday, 7 September 2008.

Quote of the year:

"As always, I rely on the jury system," he said.

http://tinyurl.com/5snnoq

1 1/2 up, feels pretty good.

from Dodgers Dot Com [ http://tinyurl.com/6xp6ws ] Saito, on the shelf since July 13 with a torn elbow ligament, faced batters for the first time on Sunday morning, throwing 16 pitches in a simulated game, then throwing a handful of sliders in the bullpen. Saito threw all of his pitches with no discomfort, and manager Joe Torre said the breaking balls were "surprisingly sharp." Saito will take two days off, throw in another simulated game on Wednesday, take two more days off, then might be ready for game action.

"To sum it up in one word, it was very good," said Saito. "My fastball was running, and my breaking balls were really crisp, except the slider. I haven't had time to work on my slider, so it was sort of floating up there. It didn't have that much rotation. I've overcome all the stiffness and pain with the elbow. I'm more concerned about my mechanics -- the coordination of my body and my leg and my arm movement -- so that's what I'm working on right now."

_______________

Looking good...

i'm sure they will ease him in... i'm just glad he is doing much better.

My first game in DS spoiled me for life: Sandy's perfecto.

My first game in DS: a 1-hit shutout for Orel.

134
The screen name takes on new meaning now!

"To sum it up in one word, it was very good," said Saito.

Ha ha. The Japanese Yogi Berra.

BTW: 2 of the 3 games I've seen at DS have been 6-0 shutouts for the Dodgers.

Overall, the Dodgers have outscored their opponents 21-1 in the 3 games I've seen in Chavez Ravine.

Matt Cassel!!!!

139
Found this on Wikipedia: Cassel was a member of the Northridge, California baseball team that reached the finals of the 1994 Little League World Series

It doesn't really matter who your quarterback is when you know the plays the other team is calling.

I don't remember my first game at Dodger Stadium. It had to be 1982 or 1983, though. It really bugs me that I don't know the exact game, because I'm pretty fanatical about keeping track of such things.

The earliest game I can remember attending was sock giveaway day in 1985 against the Mets. We went to Tommy's beforehand, and a bee somehow snuck into my brother's coke can at Tommy's, then surprised us all by stinging him at Dodger Stadium in the parking lot as he took a drink.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/LAN/LAN198509070.shtml

The starting pitchers were a future GM vs. a future broadcaster. The win went to Tom Neidenfuer, putting his record at 7-5. He ended up the season at 7-9, and you might remember he had two more losses in the playoffs.

139
Molly, did Matt go to your high school (Chatsworth)?

143-Nope. But I've always been fascinated by the guy, and how he ended up landing a job as an NFL QB despite being a back-up in college.

I know he plays for the Evil Empire, but is it wrong for me to root for him?

144
It's absolutely not wrong to root for him, since he went to USC (even though I didn't go there). I like to think he's bringing a sense of good to the evil Patriots, even though I actually don't hate Tom Brady (anymore).

It is amazing that he had 33 pass attempts in 6 years at USC, and yet still got drafted.

Ned Colletti landed a job as an MLB GM with a prestigious organization, despite being a back-up with the Giants.

141 I assume you are a South Park fan?

147
I watched the first 2 seasons (and the movie), but haven't watched it since.

Fat Abbot still cracks me up.

BP gives us a 77% probability to make the playoffs.

148 They had a good episode this season ripping on Belichick.

150
I think trainwreck may have mentioned that.

"See you next time, eatin' the pudding."

Hilarious.

145
Cassel was only at USC for 4 years, not 6. :)

Cassel was only at USC for 4 years, not 6

Guess he was one of their better students.

Koufax pitched in my first game at DS too. But in 1964. Beat the Cardinals, but I don't remember the score.

154
Well, at least it was a shutout!

http://www.bb-ref.com/pi/shareit/VF96

3 games against the eventual champs. 3 shutouts.

Maybe I'm a little late on this discussion...but this was the first time I saw the Dodgers in person:
http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1994/B04080LAN1994.htm
I was nine years old and was not very pleased, even though the adults who took me said I should have been excited.

156
I was a senior in high school, and was supposed to go to that game, but plans fell through last minute. Oh so close to seeing a no-no. On the 20th anniversary of 715, no less.

155
Koufax started 12 games at Dodger Stadium against the Cardinals, from 1962-1966. He had 6 shutouts. The shortest outing was 8 innings (twice), but thanks to a 12-inning performance he averaged over 9 innings per start. The most runs he gave up in any game was 2.

0.83 ERA. Koufax was 8-2, and the club was 9-3.

158 The UCLA fan in me finds it funny that Matt Cassel will be starting next week while Leinart and Booty hold clipboards.

159
That hurts, man.

159 I would be surprised if Matt Cassell is starting next week. There are still a couple of QBs without jobs.

Quickly scrolled through the thread and didn't see anyone point this out but...

After giving up a game-winning homer in the 11th inning in Philadelphia on August 24, Broxton struck out his next six batters in recording two perfect saves, in Washington and Arizona. Wouldn't have mattered.

I believe JJJ gave up the GW HR, and Broxton only gave up the game-tying single.

162 Nevermind. I understand now

1st game June 16th, 1970, 1 - 0 Shutout by Don Sutton with Billy Grabarkewitz hitting the game winning home run.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/WSA/1969.shtml

While searching 1970 the Dodgers looked to have a good amount of shutouts in 1970(17). Plus they matched their pythag at 87 wins. Notable year because that was the last year the Dodgers had someone hit for the cycle. An unlikely Wes Parker who would hit only 4 more triples before he retired. Some of the kids were starting to trickle up (Paciorek, Garvey, Buckner, Fergy).

Was Ted Sizemore or Hollandsworth the worse choice for ROY?

Dodgers wasted their number one pick on Jim Haller with the 9th pick. Of the 24 number one picks that year only 12 made it to the show. Only Darrel Porter could really be said was an above average player. I guess when the Dodgers finished the 68 draft they sucked all out the talent out of the ranks.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/index.cgi?year_ID=1970&round=1&draft_type=junreg

162 - You're right.

159 Booty will start soon enough; he's certainly a better option than Jackson.

Carson Palmer was horrible yesterday. I used a 4th round pick on him, but luckily took Jay Cutler as insurance.

First game at Dodger Stadium
September 4, 1972 doubleheader against the Reds.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1972/B09041LAN1972.htm

Other September games I attended of note.

4+1
"Squeeze"
David Ross's walk-off against Colorado

165 Well, now I'm confused I thought you were just throwing a bunch of hypotheticals out there. Because he never had a chance to save a game in Washington or Arizona right?

82
This may sound funny coming from a fan of a team that just gained 6 games in 9 days, but I think its cute that you included the Rockies in your schedule breakdown.

You guys are like that woman featured in the news a month or two ago who can remember every day of her life. First Dodger game of my life? Are you kidding me, I can't remember my first game this season.

169 - Nope, I just completely screwed up that sentence.

Booty will start soon enough; he's certainly a better option than Jackson.

HA, no he's not.

You guys are like that woman featured in the news a month or two ago who can remember every day of her life. First Dodger game of my life? Are you kidding me, I can't remember my first game this season.

My first Dodger game. 7/24/60- Dodgers beat the Phils 9-0. Stan Williams goes 9 (that's when men were men) and hits a HR. Only 14,000 attended. (In my memory there were more.) I went with my LL team.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/LAN/LAN196007240.shtml

174
Normally I have to use baseball reference to help jog my memory but in this case that game is etched like stone. I didn't get to a game until I moved here in 1970 and had been a fan since 1966. You could say I had been waiting 1/2 my life to see a Dodger game when I finally saw one. And then they delivered a great game.

BP's current postseason odds:

Dodgers: 76.5%
D-backs: 22.9%

The division winner is expected to have 84.6 wins.

Rob is nothing if not consistent.

"This is not a team that would lead you to believe they could win the division, even if the Snakes don't apparently want it, either. They've gone on long losing streaks before. "

I will say that if anything, the Dodgers have shown some character in turning their season around after the eight-game losing streak

I dont think its character. I think its just the eb & flow of the season. Dodgers lose 8 in a row, win 8 in win row. Earlier in the season they won 8 in a row, then gave it all back as well.

Maybe after this last 13 of 19 road stretch a statement about character can be made if the team keeps it up, but as of now its just Manny/Ethier being red hot.

I've never been to LA, let alone Dodger Stadium.

First game watching the Dodgers was at Candlestick, http://tinyurl.com/5e3bze
Mike Busch hit a grand slam. I've also seen them at Olympic Stadium in Montreal. There will never be a worse place to watch a baseball game, but at least you could always get good seats.

Getting hits with runners in scoring position helps too.

Ok, my very un-scientific and probably very wrong calculations look like this

Dodgers
vs. SD (Peavy 1) 3-3
vs. SF (Cain 1) 4-2
vs. Pitt 3-1
vs. Col 1-2
Total- 11-8

Arizona
vs. SF (Lincecum 2, Cain 1) 3-4
vs. Cin (Harang, Cueto, Volquez) 1-2
vs. StL (Wainwright) 2-2
vs. Col. 4-2
Total- 10-10

So the winner of tonight's game will be playing for the divison crown tomorrow.

So I'm thinking we will win the divison by 3 games. Dodgers 84-78, D' Backs 81-81

182 That was from Friday, I'm just so giddy today.

179 - I think you're misunderstanding what I was trying to say, though perhaps it's my fault.

I agree that it's the ebb and flow of the season. I said as much, and have been saying as much pretty much the entire time I've done Dodger Thoughts. When I say that the Dodgers showed character, I say that in the sense that we all show character every day of our lives.

I think that by leaving out the second sentence of my paragraph in your excerpt, you don't really do justice to my point. It's not that the Dodgers showed character on some exceptional level. It's that they showed that they had some character - i.e., more than zero - when two weeks ago people were quick to accuse them of having none.

I feel like I went out of my way to say that the Dodger winning and losing streaks are not issues of character, but you took one sentence out of context so that you could argue against me ... in making the same point that I'm making.

But maybe I just shouldn't have used that word at all.

182 Dodgers take 3/4 in Pittsburg? Have you seen this team on the road? I hope you are right but this team is way beyond predictions.

Hang on for the ride.

Sorry to post and then bail on the conversation last night (comment 96).

That reference is from the movie Swingers.

I think Saito is resilient, but we'll see. My main point though, is that just because Broxton has gotten the job done up until now, doesn't mean he's not going to blow it when it really counts (late september, dare I say October?). My confidence factor in him is about a 2 out of 10. That's not good.

I loved the description of your reaction ToyCannon, you see where I'm coming from. It does us no good to explain away our gut instincts.

186
My confidence factor in him is about a 2 out of 10. That's not good

That's a reflection of you, not of Broxton.

186 - Of course, he might blow a save in September or October. Who isn't that true for?

I think it's only fair to ask why your "confidence factor" in him is a 2 when he has done so much better than that.

I think Broxton has been decent (again, I realize how spoiled I am, when anything less than utter dominance is "decent" but there you go) but I wish Broxton would mix in a few more off-speed pitches, the volume of fastballs is ridiculous, and won't fly against top-tier lineups. IMO.

Mariano Rivera has 60 blown saves overall, 5 of them in September.

But 16 of them in August.

So would you confidence in Jason Johnson be -17 or so?

I've been going to games since I was 5, but the earliest I can actually remember beyond the vague recolection of faces and hot dogs was 7/30/96, when I couldn't help but remember people clapping for almost three minutes for "some old guy" retiring.

In my brief (I'm now 22) Dodger life, my key games are the Russel first pitch walk off against the Gnats and "The Water Bottle" game.

I admit that part of this one was on Torre for making him throw so many pitches.

It is a fair question to ask. And a lot of you who rely more heavily on stats probably will disagree. I've seen a number of situations where he gets himself into a jam and you can see on his face that he's terrified of screwing up. I understand that so far he's gotten the job done more than he hasn't and I'm grateful for it.

But I guess my answer would be that. Despite his statistics I don't see the killer instinct that gives me confidence in a closer. Saito has it, Broxton doesn't.

Lest I seem too confident, I would remind you all that this is one man's opinion. I hope for the best with Broxton, but my confidence level yesterday was at a 2 in the ninth.

187
Is it a reflection of me that it took Nomar bailing him out to not blow that thing yesterday?

193 If you guys ever throw a DT poker tourny count me out, unless it's online.

194
Yes, because you should have seen the look in Nomar's eyes and realized he was going to catch anything relatively close.

192
I couldn't help but remember people clapping for almost three minutes for "some old guy" retiring

Andre Dawson?

Here's my theory: The reason people get nervous or lack confidence in Broxton is because we don't have the (relatively) long track record of success to balance his bad games off with.

When Saito - or before him, Gagne - struggled, we shook it off because we knew those guys were exceptional closers (having proven that in the past). With Broxton, the bad games stand out more than the good ones, and they feel more significant because there's no long history of success to buffer against it.

My confidence level was a 9 when the inning started, then a runner got on with Dunn up. It fell to a 7. Then he walked Dunn. It fell to 5 just because Broxton has bad luck and I fully expected some kind of dinker off the bat of Jackson to make up for the last 4 games.

This is not so much a knock on Broxton but other then Gagne I've never rested easy with Dodger closers. For 3 years I've expected Saito to turn into a pumpkin. Even Kuo makes me nervous these days. Pennant races are great for the spirit but hell on nerves and I don't even live and die with them anymore.

Todd Worrell ruined my early adolescence.

194 - No, but since Broxton has about two strikeouts for every hit he allows, why assume the worst before the ball was in play?

198
What did we know about Saito heading into 2006?

He hadn't been the closer since 2002. He ERAs in Japan were as follows:

2003: 4.18
2004: 7.71
2005: 3.82

Saying we knew Saito was and would be great is revisionist history.

Eric who was the last Dodger to have a walk off home run, and then a walk off fielding gem within 30 days of each event in the month of Aug/Sep with a Hispanic background who is irrationally loved by Dodger fans?

Re: 171 & 174

Her name is Jill Price, and her memoir (The Woman who Can't Forget) is must-reading for anyone who feels haunted or perhaps even paralyzed by too many memories. It's often much better to forget lots of stuff than to remember every darned thing. Ugh. I know this all too well.

Many baseball fans can relate, I'm sure.

202 I was referring to Saito's track record of success with the Dodgers.

194 -- It's a reflection of you that you perceive a fielder actually catching a ball in play instead of screwing up the play as somehow "bailing out" Broxton. Broxton strikes out more batters than the average closer, and yet the few plays his fielders have to make often seem to go unmade at a ridiculously high rate.

199
9 is very high to start the inning. But I'll admit I didn't get nervous until Dunn came to the plate.

I stand by my worry about the big situation, but I do believe Broxton has good stuff. I just prefer to see him in the 8th inning instead of the ninth.

196
Good call, I really didn't have my eye on Nomar. I was just hoping for the best, while trying to ignore the sick feeling that was creeping in to my stomach.

In the end, the boys had the chance to deliver the knockout punch, and they did it. I celebrate with the rest of you.

199 - I'm on board with that. I was completely nervous yesterday, but I would have been nervous with anyone on the mound. The past week has been almost too good to be true, after all.

193 Broxton's face has expression? I don't think I've ever seen the muscles on his face move unless he's talking. He may not have the killer scowl that some closers have, but he doesn't have a deer in the headlights look either - he just has his pitching face.

203
I think it was Jose Morales. :)

Imagine how Yankee fans and Bronx Banter will treat Mariano Rivera's successor.

203 - The Killer Tomato(e)? Or was it a trick question?

201
I wasn't rationally thinking, it was my feeling that something was about to go wrong.

206
Who was supposed to get to the double Tracy cranked off of him?

Guys, I'm not trying to say that Broxton isn't a good pitcher, I'm just saying, his fastball sometimes lacks the action it needs, his breaking ball has given him trouble and he doesn't go to it a lot lately, and he doesn't have that killer out pitch (changeup, in my opinion) that he needs. Add to that the "I'm scared out of my mind" look he's got on his face when the going gets tough, and I wish Saito's arm were ok and he were on the mound instead.

Is this the worst opinion anyone could have?

Broxton is now the king of the bullpen. He has his own easy chair and holds court with the kids. I tried to get a shot on Saturday but it didn't turn out. He was offering his chew to McDonald and some other kid(jacket on obscured the number) and then pulling it back. This went on a few times and then he finally gave it to them. McDonald literally looks like a stick standing next to him.

213 - Well, no, but when you say that your confidence level in Broxton is 2 out of 10, that would give one the impression that you're trying to say Broxton isn't a good pitcher.

Beyond that, the "I'm scared out of my mind" thing is something you're projecting.

209
You haven't been looking close enough. It comes out especially on a visit to the mound by Torre (who comes out just to calm him down, not to pull him) because he can see it all the way from the dugout.

Any backup on this one? Who else has seen Broxton's "I'm terrified that I'm going to screw this one up" face?

213
I understand your opinion, but I don't get the "scared out of his mind" statement. As someone said he rarely shows any kind of emotion.

"The middle finger on outfielder Jody Gerut's left middle finger is still swollen 11 days after he strained a ligament sliding into second. The Padres say he won't be ready to play in the Dodgers series that starts Monday."

So, we'll see more of Will Venable.

http://tinyurl.com/5bjqfl

I think Howard Fox agrees with you, but he see's it in his eyes.

197 Lasorda's retirement speech.

Count me as a fan thus far of True Blood. The first episode intrigued me, and I'm looking forward to future episodes even with Jon's ominous warning of episode #3. :)

Why do I recount such detail? To suggest that our inherent offensive failure isnt one of day to day "approach", or preparation or motivation. Young and Reynolds looked as focused as they can be, certainly no less focused than Loney to my eyes. Loney might be a little better hitter, but more than that, he's a different kind of hitter – and always has been. More contact, more apt to get the ball out of the infield and keep a rally alive. The Dodgers, and most MLB teams, simply have more hitters like that sprinkled through the order. I dont want to rag on CY and Mark as if Kershaw's 94 is chopped liver, but Loney poked his cheesy bleeder against Scherzer, who was at least the equal of Kershaw today.

From a poster on the D'backs boards. Kinda interesting that while we complain about Loney's DPs, they're complaining about SCY and Reynolds' massive strikeout totals. The grass is always greener on the other side I suppose.

http://www.azsnakepit.com/2008/9/7/609485/diamondbacks-3-dodgers-5-w#comments

218
Anyone remember Will's Dad?

Is it my imagination or does it seem like more and more players whose fathers were lousy, are now sending their kids to the majors and they aren't any better. Hopefully DeJesus will be the exception.

Any day now I expect to hear that Rudy Law and Roger Cedeno kids will be drafted.

223
I seem to remember getting an awful lot of Max Venable cards in packs of 1987 Topps.

To Oregon - maybe his eyes are just sensitive to the glare off of empty pastel-colored seat? Though I do agree with you more or less, name 5 NL closers you would rather have in there.

True Blood - it's going to have to do better to impress me. I was a little bored and the mind reading thing felt like 'Heroes.' (I expect more from HBO and hope that it improves.)

Saito, on the shelf since July 13 with a torn elbow ligament

Weren't they just strained?

I remember when Max Venable was just breaking into the majors with the Giants and he was being sent up as a pinch hitter. There was some delay by the Giants in sending him up to bat and Lasorda freaked out.

He thought Giants manager Joe Altobelli was trying to stall and have Rick Sutcliffe freeze up on the mound.

After the argument, Vin said, "He's been waiting so long, his name isn't Venable any more. He's Venerable."

It's a Catholic thing, you might not understand.

225
Hoffman, Saito (healthy of course), Billy Wagner, probably even Fuentes from Colorado or Torres from the brewers.

The look rarely comes while he's in the act of pitching. It's in between. Especially visits to the mound. Glare theory doesn't really apply.

"You can say bounces haven't gone our way and they had a few jam-shot hits," said D-backs manager Bob Melvin about a team that came into the series with a 1 1/2-game lead. "But when you're going good, those things don't happen. That's baseball. You try not to think about it, but you can't help noticing it sometimes. There are no excuses. They outplayed us."

Let me quote Ron Stalinovich, "Excuses are like poems, they're for sissys and no one wants to hear them."

228 If your theory was correct, James Loney would be batting .081

228 - 2 guys from your list of 4 and a half are injured.

I agree he is not automatic. I agree his face does not give me warm fuzzies. I agree I would rather have a healthy Saito. But give credit where it's due.

96mph fastballs don't grow on trees. I just wish he could get more movement on them.

222 -- I was just looking at that comment from the Arizona fan, and I was thinking about all of the complaining about Loney from so many Dodger fans. We would all like our hitters to be like Manny and hit for high averages, walk a lot, and hit for power -- basically, do it all -- but if there is a choice between high-average contact hitters who are tough to strike out but have only moderate power and hit into more DP's, or power hitters who strike out a lot, have low averages, but hit a lot of HR's, I want the former, not the latter. When you put the ball in play you are giving yourself a chance that a strikeout doesn't give you. You can move a runner along or the fielders can blow the play, and Arizona's fielders blew their share of plays this weekend.

232 It depends on how many home runs we are talking about. I would take a Loney over a Chris Young any day, but I would take Adam Dunn over Loney at the same rate.

Joe Torre hasn't figured out what his playoff roster would be yet, but look for Andruw Jones to be a part of it. There's only one reason he'd be off the playoff roster.

"Not unless he physically can't do it," Torre said.

Er, Really Torre? Really, are you really sure?

http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_10407559

Joe Torre remembers 1996. He thinks that the Dodgers might run into Andy Pettite.

234 I wouldn't put too much stock in what Joe tells the media. He knows his players read the papers. Judge him by what he does more than by what he says.

DH Andruw Jones, MVP of the 2008 World Series.

Denial can be a wonderful thing.

236 - Also by the way he says it and in the context of which he says it. I can't tell you how many times I've read a Torre quote and later heard the same quote and there was a stark contrast to how you would interpret it. Reading Torre and hearing Torre are two different things.

234 - That reminds me: New post up top.

Torre's planting the seeds to start Andruw Jones in center to give Kemp a day off.

Okay, I'm joking.