Tonight's Game

* * *

Three games to go (unless there are four):

National League Wild Card
87-72 Houston (Chicago at Houston, 5 p.m.)
85-74 Philadelphia (Philadelphia at Washington, 4 p.m.)

American League East
94-65 New York (New York at Boston, 4 p.m.)
93-66 Boston

American League Wild Card
93-66 Cleveland (Chicago at Cleveland, 4 p.m.)
93-66 Boston

* * *

Fred Claire has a tribute to former Dodger coach Monty Basgall, who died last week at age 82.

Bye, Jim.

Years ago, Dodger manager Jim Tracy earned credibility with his ability to see things as they were. He saw that Eric Gagne could extinguish a ninth-inning fire and let him have at it. He saw that Eric Karros did not deserve to be a full-time first baseman and benched him.

Karros groused until the Cubs came home, but Tracy held his ground.

But today, it's the introspectiveless Tracy who has become the bitter, incendiary emblem for pointing fingers at anyone but himself, and his comments in this morning's papers are probably the ultimate signal that he will soon be gone.

Until now, everyone has felt injuries played a role in the Dodgers' poor season. Some have criticized Paul DePodesta for signing injury-prone players, others have felt that the cumulative injuries were beyond what DePodesta could have rightfully expected.

Until now, there hasn't been anyone who felt that if all the players had been healthy, if J.D. Drew, Milton Bradley, Odalis Perez, Cesar Izturis, Jayson Werth, Kelly Wunsch, Eric Gagne and everyone else had avoided the disabled list - however remote you consider that possibility - that the Dodgers couldn't have won more than 90 games.

Until now.

"Would [health] have made us a 90- to 95-win club? No," Tracy said to Paul Gutierrez in the Times.

This is a leader? This is an organizational soldier? This is the classy guy I keep hearing about?

This is a manager?

Tracy told the press that the only way you win a division title is with familiar faces on the team. That's the Jim Tracy Secret to Managerial Success. It's a fallacy, he told the Daily News, to think that a manager should mold together the talent he has been given.

What in the world else is left for you to do, Jim?

For that matter, Tracy believes the Dodgers were doomed from the start even though 60 percent of the team in April was with the National League West champion Dodgers in 2004. And part of the departed group was Steve Finley, himself a new face to the team. Tracy's entire premise is dubious.

Tracy has become nothing but a self-sob story, a persistent excuse-maker. He's the blind leading the unblind.

In contrast to what some sportswriters wrote in today's editions, this was not the first time Tracy has criticized the construction of the 2005 Dodgers. Still, his latest comments seem to indicate that he has already resolved to leave the Dodgers, that he has heard he will not be offered a contract extension and that he has no intention of staying without one.

Whether that's the case or not, Tracy has blown up his own castle. He has rid DePodesta of the need to be politic and buy out the remaining year on Tracy's contract. No organization should stomach a manager who says he can't possibly win 90 games with full seasons from multiple All-Star players. Tracy might have been speaking out of frustration, but his thick-headedness is amazing. With these comments, he should feel lucky if he gets to manage anywhere in 2006, let alone Los Angeles. I think I might actually pity him, except that no doubt there are plenty of people in baseball who agree with his bogus assessment, who will continue to point every finger at DePodesta for using, like 99 percent of the country's population, a technological innovation created decades ago, who will continue to call Tracy classy and cerebral and a players' manager.

But for the Dodgers, on to the managerial search. May it be quick and efficient and satisfying, and not distract DePodesta from continuing to nurture the team on the field. May it yield a manager who takes responsibility for wins and losses, and not just the former.

Tonight's Game

* * *

Dodger Thoughts hero Pedro Astacio has quietly become the National League West champion San Diego Padres' No. 2 starter, as David Pinto notes at Baseball Musings. Astacio has a 2.20 ERA over his last seven starts, lasting at least six innings in each of them, and might give the team a combo with No. 1 starter Jake Peavy that could pull off an upset in the first round of the NL playoffs.

It should be noted that five of those seven starts were against some of the worst offenses in baseball (Colorado, Arizona, San Francisco and twice against Washington), but Astacio did hold Philadelphia and Atlanta to three runs in 13 innings. A further warning sign is that Astacio averaged only 4.8 strikeouts per nine innings - but he also allowed only 2.4 walks and 0.4 home runs. Some of that comes from pitching in Petco Park. In any case, I'll be rooting for Astacio to be the hero, against the odds.

* * *

The Cincinnati Scenario for Jim Tracy appears to be out, as Reds interim manager Jerry Narron told the Dayton Daily News that he would accept an offer to stay on as the team's manager.

* * *

The races with four days to go:

NL Wild Card
87-71 Houston (Cubs at Astros, 5 p.m.)
85-74 Philadelphia (idle)
Houston's magic number is two; Philadelphia's magic number is seven to win the wild card outright (the Phillies must win all their remaining games and Houston must lose all of theirs), six to force a tiebreaker game.

AL East
93-65 New York (Yankees at Orioles, 4 p.m.)
92-66 Boston (Blue Jays at Red Sox, 4 p.m.)
New York's magic number is four; Boston's magic number is six to win the AL East outright, five to force a tiebreaker game (unless both teams finish ahead of the AL Central runner-up, in which case no tiebreaker game would be played. Right now, the Yankees are 9-7 against the Red Sox with three games to go against each other in Boston, and no tiebreaker scenario would involve a Red Sox sweep of the final three games, so the Yankees would win the division if the teams do tie.)

AL Central
95-63 Chicago (White Sox at Tigers, 10 a.m.)
92-66 Cleveland (Devil Rays at Indians, 4 p.m.)
Chicago's magic number is two; Cleveland's magic number is eight to win the AL Central outright (the Indians must win all their remaining games and the White Sox must lose all of theirs), seven to force a tiebreaker game (unless both teams finish ahead of the AL East runner-up, in which case no tiebreaker game would be played and Chicago would win the division based on head-to-head record with Cleveland). The White Sox and Indians play each other at Cleveland in the regular season's final three games.

AL Wild Card
(95-63 Chicago)
(93-65 New York)
92-66 Boston
92-66 Cleveland
Three of the four teams above will make the playoffs.

* * *

Grammar time! I've noticed people talking about the "Losers' Dividend" and the "Loser's Dividend," but not the "Losers Dividend," as I wrote it. It's ultimately personal preference because you can make a case for all of them, but I just wanted to make sure people knew that my way wasn't a typo, and they can feel free to be faithful to the original if they like.

Nouns can function as adjectives in cases like these - even plural nouns. (For that matter, even Cade McNowns). You can say "Cardinal football," "Jazz basketball," "Kings hockey," "blues music." You can say "Dodger baseball" or "Dodgers baseball." True, if there's only one entity involved, you would want to use the apostrophe before the "s," as in "winner's circle." And if you want to emphasize the possessive for a group, you can say "trainers' room." But the kind of dividend that is characteristic of losers can be called the "Losers Dividend."

Tonight's Game

* * *

In other matters of earthshattering importance ...

Who do you nominate to wear Paul Lo Duca's old No. 16 if Dodger manager and Lo Duca homagist Jim Tracy leaves after this season?

In the minors, the number is worn by Henri Stanley, so I'm considering the major-league version up for grabs.

Oscar Robles has the appropriate late-blooming, rags-to-riches story. But I feel giving Robles the number would be only temporary. I somehow don't expect Robles to be on the team 13 months from now.

Maybe we should give it Edwin Jackson, to inspire him. It would be our way of making Jackson an Orel Hershiser-like Bulldog. Right now, Jackson's wearing an ungainly 58 that could very well be the source of his back spasms.

On the other hand, Giovanni Carrara will probably free up Hershiser's 55 itself after this season. We could steer that to Jackson directly. But then you put the pressure of following in Hershiser's footsteps directly on the young righthander.

Giving Jackson No. 16 is a subtler, sweeter, svelter gesture. The more I think about this, the more I picture Jackson excelling in, gracing, a lean, 'teen jersey.

Deal, says the Times.

Jim Tracy asks for a contract extension.

The Dodgers think on it, maybe.

Tracy weighs second-hand rumors of outside interest and his long-term job insecurity against his desire to keep his place in Dodger Stadium, his family in Los Angeles and his belief in his ability to survive or outlast Paul DePodesta.

Day 7 of the escape window comes. If Tracy quits, he gives up a year's guaranteed salary to look for work.

If he doesn't quit, he sets up a very good bluff - he can stay, knowing he's more popular right now than DePodesta. Then, if they fire him, baseball is his oyster. Four winning seasons on his resume and a note from his mom on the fifth. Ninety-nine percent of the sports' population has granted Tracy absolution on 2005 (not that he doesn't deserve some - the injuries, of course, played a role).

What's the only bad thing that could happen to Tracy if he stays? Somehow, the Dodgers lose games despite being healthy and talented, perception shifts against him, the Dodgers don't resign him after 2006 and there are no job opportunities anywhere.

This is a remote scenario to begin with, but the implication from Steve Henson's article today is that the Dodgers should or will take the high road and fire Tracy if they don't plan on offering him a contract extension beyond 2006:

Should the Dodgers decide not to meet Tracy's request, they could fire him shortly after the season and would be responsible for his 2006 salary only if he couldn't find another managerial job.

Speaking hypothetically, DePodesta said the Dodgers would not wait until after the opt-out period to fire Tracy "out of respect for what he's done here."

Now we really have a peek at Tracy's hand. Having requested his contract extension and gotten this response, he can make DePodesta and the Dodgers look bad simply by making them honor their end of the original contract. If they vote to keep him for only one year but don't offer him an extension, even though that's all they've ever promised Tracy, they're cads (would the world dare consider DePodesta prudent?). If they try to influence Tracy's managing after retaining him and he refuses to be handled, and then they fire him, they're two-bit execs who have gone back on their word.

Tracy wants more guaranteed years. Jeff Weaver, according to unsourced reports by Tony Jackson in the Daily News, wants five guaranteed years, with the leverage that even guys like Jeff Weaver are prizes and not just Kevin Brown crumbs. Everyone's making big demands while saying "they just want to be here."

It remains ideal for all parties if Tracy left Los Angeles for a place where he would have more power and appreciation (though DePodesta has never voiced anything but appreciation for Tracy in public). But it isn't logical for Tracy to opt out and leave a guaranteed year on the table when there are so many reasons for him to stay.

The answer, straight out of divorce court, is this. The Dodgers can't offer an extended commitment to a troubled marriage. And they can't wait for Tracy to make the first move out the door. And it's not even apparent that he's worth keeping for just the single year - not because they'd be the cads, but because Tracy might be completely out of their control.

When the season ends, the Dodgers should offer to buy out Tracy's 2006 contract year, at $750,000, as a thank you for his years of service, and wish him the best.

Tonight's Game

* * *

Dodger VORP Leaders (pitching excluded), according to Baseball Prospectus:

1) Jeff Kent, 63.0 (626 plate appearances)
2) J.D. Drew, 31.1 (311)
3) Milton Bradley, 23.7 (316)
4) Jose Cruz, Jr., 19.5 (159)
5) Olmedo Saenz, 19.4 (342)
6) Antonio Perez, 17.8 (272)
7) Hee Seop Choi, 13.9 (359)
8) Ricky Ledee, 13.0 (262)
9) Willy Aybar, 12.8 (81)
10) Jayson Werth, 10.8 (382)

Three of the top 10 have spent the entire season with the Dodgers, four have gotten a half-season's worth of plate appearances.

Aybar and Cruz currently have higher VORP rates than Kent. Aybar's rate is 10th in baseball among those with 10 or more plate appearances.

Continued ...

11) Dioner Navarro, 9.5 (181)
12) Jeff Weaver, 5.5 (76)
13) Oscar Robles, 5.1 (382)
14) Bryan Myrow, 1.6 (16)
15) Cesar Izturis, 1.3 (478)
16) Paul Bako, 1.2 (47)
17) Brad Penny, 1.1 (61)
18) Jason Phillips, 1.1 (433)
19) Derek Lowe, 1.0 (74)
20) Jason Repko, 1.0 (283)

Myrow making more cumulative offensive contributions than Izturis. Hmm ...

* * *

Ross Porter is sitting in for Fred Roggin today on 1540 AM between 2 and 4 p.m.

Update: David Singer, executive producer for "The Big Show with Mason and Ireland" on 710 AM, said that Paul DePodesta will be interviewed at 3:25 p.m.

Tonight's Game

* * *

It's like being called a bad parent when you weren't even pregnant yet.

One of the phonier damnations of the Dodger farm system accuses the team of failing to produce a bonafide star from the minor leagues, despite the Dodger system being highly rated for years. The flaw in the argument is that until recently, these so-called high rankings for the Dodger farm system did not exist.

Both Baseball Weekly and Baseball America had low rankings for the Dodger system as this decade began. As recently as 2002, the Dodgers were considered incompetent at the draft, with their No. 1 pick, two-way player James Loney, an apparent anachronism - a tools player from high school drafted ahead of proven, specialized college talent. That the dim Dodgers were putting Loney at first base instead of on the mound befuddled analysts even further.

The Dodger farm system did not begin to regain favor in the public eye until later that summer when Loney, who was only 18, surprised everyone by justifying the Dodgers' faith in him with a spectacular season at the plate in Rookie ball. Then in 2003, the Dodgers delivered what perhaps became their highest-rated draft in many years, highlighted by pitchers Chad Billingsley and Chuck Tiffany. Still, skepticism remained over the Dodgers' reliance on high school talent, so that even just two years ago, not everyone was sold on the team's minor league roster.

It really wasn't until 2004, when Joel Guzman came to life, that perception of the Dodger farm system began to soar. Again, this makes sense, because the infusion of talent in the farm system is both recent and young. Willy Aybar signed a huge bonus in 2000, but was only 17 at the time. Guzman was signed from the Dominican Republic in 2001 - but he was only 16 at the time.

So those who have taken the failure for the Dodger farm system to produce a star in 2005 as a sign that it has been overrated have lost perspective on time. The struggles of most of the 2005 rookies accurately reflect the state of the Dodger minor league talent prior to 2002. With the possible exception of Chin-Feng Chen, none of the rookie hitters for the major league Dodgers this season ever really impressed scouts after they were drafted. Other than Jonathan Broxton (still only 21), Hong-Chih Kuo (in between injuries) and the strange case of Edwin Jackson, the same holds true for the 2005 rookie pitchers. Jason Repko, a 1999 first-round draft choice, epitomized the until-recently feeling about the Dodger minor leaguers. He was considered, like most Dodger draft choices, a flop. The fact that he has barely scratched out a major-league OPS above .600 in 2005 is no disappointment - it's as much or more than anyone thought he would do until 2004.

With Aybar and Dioner Navarro (a minor leaguer acquired by trade from the Yankees via Arizona last offseason) emerging in the past two months, the first set of better-regarded position players in years have taken superb first steps. At the same time, Aybar and Navarro are not even the hottest prospects in the Dodger system at their positions. If the 22-year-old Aybar and the 21-year-old Navarro, who have combined for an on-base percentage of nearly .400 in about 250 plate appearances, can continue to develop the talent they have shown, imagine what the future might hold for the Andy LaRoches and Russ Martins, for Guzman, and so on. The fact that these futures might not arrive until 2007 is really, truly beside the point.

It might turn out that Aybar and Navarro will have sophomore slumps and put their careers in perception limbo like Jackson. It might turn out that we never know who's going to be great until they get to Los Angeles.

So let me just leave things where I began. The Dodger farm system has not promised more than it has delivered. It has not been highly rated for years. The rise of the farm system, both in perception and reality, is a recent development, and the prospects are arriving right on time.

The last two Dodger games I have attended, a loss and now today's victory, have been the two most pleasant I've been to all season. Both came after the team's sub-.500 status was assured, a condition that seems to have weeded out the high expecters (expectants? expectationers?) who would only be satisfied by a victory. The best that people hope for now is that a baseball game be played. That's all. Throw the first pitch and we've already won. The Dodgers of September 2005 offer no other guarantees, and so we find ourselves at the major league equivalent of Little League, where it's a celebration when someone doesn't fall on his head and it's considered poor form to rain criticism or curb hope. Call it the Losers Dividend. It's a very relaxing, freeing payoff (abetted by the ease of ingress and egress to Dodger Stadium that the smaller crowds provide), enough to make one up and move to Kansas City or Tampa Bay so this can be reinvested and experienced permanently.

There were a couple of people who violated the spirit of the day. They both seem like nice enough people on the outside and seem to not lack for friends, but still they thumbed their portfolios at the Losers Dividend. One was the chap sitting two seats away from me, who couldn't find any redeeming aspect in what lay before him and almost from the opening pitch was trying to hurry the game along so he could get home to barbecue. For those who have criticized Jim Tracy for benching Hee Seop Choi and for those who have criticized Choi's acquisition, you might find it interesting that this fan had no kind words for either. Choi does "nothing" as a player, and Tracy is the worst manager in baseball, according to this fan. Again, his delivery was easygoing and he struck me as the first guy who would help you change a tire if you were stuck on the side of the road, but for today's game, he packed a full kit of contempt. And you just wanted him to let go a little bit like the rest of us, and take the opportunity to let baseball be baseball.

The other spurner was Tracy. With two on and two out in the sixth inning today in a 2-2 tie, Choi stood in the on-deck circle with Willy Aybar at the plate. As Aybar inched closer to a walk, it occured to myself and others that Choi could have the game's make-or-break at-bat. It also occured to us that with a lefthander on the mound, Tracy might pinch-hit for Choi, even though it would be the perfect opportunity in this meaningless game, during a part of the season that Tracy himself has said he's putting people like Brian Myrow in situations to gain information for 2006, to give Choi a key at-bat against a southpaw. A perfect Little League moment.

Aybar walked to load the bases, and Choi took a couple steps toward home plate. Sitting (thanks - seriously, thanks - to some generous seats from an anonymous Dodger Thoughts reader) in the lower part of the Field Level, I could see and hear Tracy yell at Choi to come back. Either Choi had not gotten an earlier message, or Tracy did not counsel Choi that he wouldn't bat against a lefty with the bases loaded. It added insult to insult. Either way, as Tracy sent Jason Phillips up to pinch-hit, it caused me to have my one bad moment of the game and yell at Tracy like I was the protective father of the 10-year-old Choi. This was not what the game was supposed to be about.

My reaction sprung from the assumption that this was a time for the kids, a time to get a glimpse of the future in the present. Upon reflection, I realized that maybe Tracy was Little Leaguing it after all, that he was trying to get as many guys in the game as possible and this was his best spot for Phillips, who in fact hasn't played much lately. No one thinks Phillips has much more of a future in Los Angeles, but of course, perhaps Choi doesn't either. So I'm going to grudgingly, very grudgingly, let Tracy off the hook on this one. And it has nothing to do with Phillips getting a single that keyed the Dodgers' six-run inning. I think it was objectively the wrong move for the organization and personally disappointing, but Phillips is a human being too. I'm not going to stay mad. That would be my waste of the Dividend.

Today's Game

Tonight's Game

Tonight's Game

* * *

Dioner Navarro might be a beacon as the 2005 Dodger season fades into night, and here's why.

Navarro's VORP rate, which Baseball Prospectus defines as the "runs/game contributed beyond what a replacement level player would produce," is .246. Paul Lo Duca's is .197. Jason Phillips' is .008.

Navarro has performed better than we had a right to imagine based on his 2004-05 minor league numbers. One calendar year after Lo Duca was traded, the Dodgers may have a better catcher at about 5 percent of the cost.

It can get tiresome to hear about cost savings when you aren't always sure where those savings are being allocated, but it's safe to say that saving money on a better player is a universal good thing. And Navarro, who has been away from the team this week to be with his ailing newborn son, may prove to have some heart and soul to boot. (And you can still be a fan of Lo Duca's and say that.)

But this brings us to a larger point worth addressing about Dodger general manager Paul DePodesta. The Dodgers are careening toward last place and are pretty much hoping the season's clock runs out before they get there, a condition that to me is as surprising as it is disappointing. Some want to make Dodger manager Jim Tracy the scapegoat, if not the fall guy, for this, others want it to be DePodesta with a sprinkle of owner Frank McCourt.

But the performance of Navarro serves as a reminder (not that it's the only one) of the fact that DePodesta has made his moves with much more than 2005 in mind. I've been saying this a lot to people offsite this week, but I need to say it here as well: You don't trade Shawn Green for four prospects and $6 million if your chief focus is 2005.

And the news on those prospects, in case you missed it in Monday's minor league escapade:

Tonight's Game

As if it weren't open before ...

And not because that's the magic number for the Dodgers' elimination from postseason play.

Happy birthday to my little girl. She's three today, and she's got a lot to say ...

Regarding baseball announcers

Chant No. 1

Chant No. 2

Tonight's Game

* * *

I would be very guarded on not letting the past two weeks yield too much optimism on Jose Cruz, Jr. and Willy Aybar, or at least recognize that we're probably seeing them at their peak as far as 2006 is concerned.

I do think Aybar might be a nice little infielder if the other parts around him are strong. But the Dodgers can't afford too many guys like him with as little power he offers.

Consider this batting order. This is the minimum amount of homers I'd like to see.

1 - 5 HR
2 - 15 HR
3 - 30 HR
4 - 30 HR
5 - 25 HR
6 - 20 HR
7 - 15 HR
8 - 5 HR
PH - 5 HR
Total - 150 HR

That means only two players in your lineup can hit fewer than 10 homers. Say those guys are Aybar and whoever plays shortstop. Can the Dodgers find six other positions to hit double-digit home runs, to combine for 135 homers? Don't forget, you're not going to get many homers out of catcher. That means you need the remaining five positions to contribute a bunch of taters.

J.D. Drew and Jeff Kent probably can combine for more than 50. But if Aybar is in your lineup, you really need your outfield corners and first base to knock the ball out of the park on a regular basis.

Update: Somewhat related to the above, Joe Sheehan of Baseball Prospectus chops at the legs of one myth today: that the Chicago White Sox win without hitting home runs.

Watching some of the coverage of the White Sox the last couple of days, I'm struck by how the "Sox are a small ball team" meme just won't go away. They're not a small-ball team! They're about as reliant on the home run as they were a year ago, and among the most reliant on the home run as any team in the AL, as James Click's numbers show:

That's the White Sox: a team that scores more than 40% of its runs on home runs. You can steal all the bases you want, burn up two or three outs a game on sacrifice bunts and caught stealings, but if you're this reliant on homers to score, you're not a small-ball team.

Sheehan goes on to argue that in fact, the White Sox are winning because how much they have improved at run prevention. He does not make the case that home run power translates directly to victories.

Below is a rough estimate of what the 2006 Dodger payroll might look like if the team did nothing between now and April. Obviously, the team will do something - moreover, some of my figures are no doubt off at this point - so this isn't meant to be taken as anything more than something of a starting point to see what the Dodger needs are and what they might have available to spend.

The total comes to about $65 million. One could argue that the Dodgers will spend at least $20 million and perhaps as much as $35 million more. Priorities would be a starting pitcher and a slugger, which are affordable under this construct (keeping in mind that a trade probably would be required to get a quality pitcher). On a secondary level, the Dodgers need things like some bench augmentation, but I don't think I'd worry too much about the bullpen.

Jose Cruz, Jr.? Milton Bradley? I don't know. With the seven figure salaries players like them would command and no committment to them yet, I'm going to leave them off for now.

The Hee Seop Choi question? I'm not gonna go anyhere near there today. I'll assume he's back until I hear otherwise. And as for Antonio Perez riding the bench behind Oscar Robles - it's not an endorsement on my part. I'm just treating Robles as the incumbent (with the added assumption that Cesar Izturis starts the season on the disabled list).

Corrections to the salary figures are welcome. I haven't found what the major league minimum for 2006 is, by the way.

Starting Rotation
$8,500,000 Brad Penny
$7,500,000 Derek Lowe
$7,250,000 Odalis Perez
$335,000 D.J. Houlton
$325,000 Chad Billingsley

Bullpen
$10,000,000 Eric Gagne
$375,000 Duaner Sanchez
$335,000 Yhency Brazoban
$325,000 Franquelis Osoria
$325,000 Steve Schmoll
$320,000 Jonathan Broxton
$320,000 Hong-Chih Kuo

Starting Lineup
$11,000,000 J.D. Drew
$8,500,000 Jeff Kent
$1,250,000 Ricky Ledee
$500,000 Hee Seop Choi
$360,000 Jayson Werth
$340,000 Oscar Robles
$325,000 Dioner Navarro
$320,000 Willy Aybar

Bench
$340,000 Antonio Perez
$330,000 Mike Edwards
$330,000 Jason Repko
$320,000 Jon Weber
$320,000 Delwyn Young
$320,000 Russell Martin

Disabled List
$3,100,000 Cesar Izturis

Rest of 40-Man Roster
$1,000,000

Incentives?
$1,000,000

Total
$65,565,000

Tonight's Game

Cleveland at Chicago, 5:05 p.m.

* * *

After Jeff Weaver has thrown 90 pitches in a game this season, opponents have gone 29 for 97 against him with five walks, three hit by pitch, six doubles and five home runs, for a .352 on-base percentage, .515 slugging percentage and .867 OPS. From pitches 1-90, opponents are only on-basing .275, slugging .419 and OPSing .694.

Jim Tracy might use these numbers to make his case for keeping Weaver. On the other hand, the same numbers might make an argument against Tracy himself. Sample size warnings do apply, but I'd certainly have had a tighter leash on Weaver than Tracy had this season.

* * *

The following is a chart that I hoped would make more sense than it ended up making, but I'm running it anyway. It shows how the Dodgers and their main pitchers did against each National League opponent, ranked from the best offense to the worst.

I had thought it might show that the Dodgers were building up false hopes about their pitching against weaker opponents. And while that's true in the case of San Francisco, for example, the performances against San Diego (surprisingly good offense) and Colorado (surprisingly the worst) muck up the works.

NL Opponent	2005 Equivalent Runs	Dodger ERA	Weaver ERA	Lowe ERA	Penny ERA
Cincinnati	730.5	4.94	5.40	3.95	0.00
Florida	707.9	6.00	9.53	7.84	8.18
St. Louis	689.3	6.82	----	6.30	8.38
San Diego	681.8	2.49	0.55	0.88	3.00
Chicago	675.8	4.67	----	3.68	3.95
Atlanta	669.8	5.09	4.61	3.86	----
Philadelphia	668.6	3.50	----	2.08	2.77
Arizona	660.4	5.17	5.11	6.00	0.00
Los Angeles	654.1	----	----	----	----
Milwaukee	649.5	4.25	----	----	8.44
New York	643.9	4.75	8.25	----	3.00
Pittsburgh	612.3	5.54	1.13	3.00	----
Houston	611.8	2.98	1.93	2.25	----
Washington	605.1	4.50	3.00	----	3.00
San Francisco	585.3	3.95	5.40	3.04	2.82
Colorado	570.5	5.11	5.06	3.00	4.18

Do note, however, that the Dodger offense is about average. But despite playing in Dodger Stadium, the team is 13th in ERA, ahead of only Arizona, Cincinnati and Colorado.

* * *

Despite reports in recent days that the Dodgers are about to break their team hit-by-pitch records both on offense and by the pitching staff, Bob Timmermann sends in the following corrections:

On offense, Timmermann says, the record is is 72 in 2003.

Kinkade 16
Lo Duca 10
Cora 10
Cabrera 10
Green 6
Beltre 5
Roberts 4
Jordan 4
Ross 2
McGriff 1
Burnitz 1
Coomer 1
Ward 1
Henderson 1

The team record for Dodger pitchers is 75, set in 2000. "Park and Dreifort each hit 12 that year and Hershiser hit 11 in 24 2/3 IP (!!!!)," Timmermann writes.

If the White Sox end up missing the playoffs after leading Cleveland by 15 games, I was thinking I'd rather have had the Dodgers' season then theirs.

Nah, maybe not. I guess 1951 still beats 2005 any day.

Hi. On the following two threads, I've attempted to provide a snapshot of every minor leaguer in the Dodger organization - everyone on the AAA Las Vegas 51s, the AA Jacksonville Suns, the High-A Vero Beach Dodgers, the A Columbus Catfish, and the Rookie-level Ogden Raptors and Gulf Coast League Dodgers. It was beastly - 174 players in all (Ericksons not included) - but I hope you find it of some worth.

I grouped the players by position and then by age, and then ordered them according to a very subjective perceived distance from Los Angeles – not according to who has the most ability or greatest potential – so please don't get caught up in the order. These articles are primarily meant to provide a reference guide or introduction – not a projection of who will do what. For one thing, I'm woefully shy on defensive information that would better inform any rankings.

In addition, there's a lot of position movement in the minors. I did my best to put players with their proper position – or put them under "Utility" if there's any doubt. But it's possible that a few should have been listed in different places. I'm open to corrections.

Beyond that, hope you enjoy these brief minor league hellos in the following threads. If you have any comments, you can leave them on this thread, so that everyone's conversing on the same page.

And away we go ...

The Dodger Thoughts Comprehensive, Non-Definitive 2005 Minor League Report
Part 1 - Hitters
Part 2 - Pitchers

Catcher
(Level of Depth: 8)
21-24 Years Old
Dioner Navarro, Las Vegas/Los Angeles, 5-10, 190, 2/9/84: Honestly, it's hard to imagine his Dodger debut at age 21 going much better. At the absolute worst for 2006, he is a solid backup, and he's looking more and more like a solid starter each day. It's worth noting that Mike Rose out-offensed Navarro in Las Vegas - it's also worth noting that the Dodgers haven't had a catcher this capable at this age in forever.
Russell Martin, Jacksonville, 5-11, 200, 2/15/83: His .430 on-base percentage in a pitcher's league has people abuzz. He added 17 doubles and nine homers in 409 at-bats. He also ran a surprising amount, tallying 15 steals, though he was caught seven times. Given the pleasure the Dodgers have found using Navarro during this semblance of a pennant race, it's not hard to imagine Martin (51 weeks older) joining him in the majors in 2006 - and yes, even getting at least even playing time with him. Baseball America projects his upside as Cubs catcher Michael Barrett, which is sort of cool but not overwhelmingly so.
Mike Nixon, Vero Beach/Las Vegas/Jacksonville, 6-3, 210, 8/17/83: Was rushed from Vero Beach to Las Vegas as a domino effect from the Dodgers' Paul Bako injury, and his OPS tumbled from .751 to .579. Ended the year with a 3-for-20 performance in Jacksonville, his likely destination in 2006.
Edwin Bellorin, Vero Beach, 5-11, 170, 2/21/82: Bellorin actually logged some time in Jacksonville in 2004, but ended up spending 2005 in Vero with a .684 OPS. As before, a doubles hitter at best. Might return to the Suns to compete with Nixon for playing time.
Andrew Ellis, Vero Beach, 6-3, 240, 4/9/81: Ellis had a walk every eight at-bats in 57 games to boost his .256 batting average to a .708 OPS.
Christopher Westervelt, Columbus, 5-11, 205, 11/20/81: Showing even more discipline than Ellis, Westervelt walked every six at-bats and on-based .389, slugged .430 and OPSed .819.
Gabriel Gutierrez, Columbus/Las Vegas, 5-11, 175, 11/24/83: Despite a mediocre .672 OPS for Columbus, got a taste of the good life in Vegas at season's end and went 6 for 13.
Rotsen Gil, Ogden/Las Vegas, 5-10, 207, 3/2/84: On a small scale, the anti-Martin walked only against 58 plate appearances (mostly with Ogden), but had seven extra-base hits to slug .431. Actually, Martin did slug about that amount, so he's really a Martin without the eye. But he, too, is a pup.
Under 21
Juan Apodaca, Columbus/Ogden/Las Vegas, 5-11, 188, 7/15/86: Started the year with a .662 OPS in Columbus, then exploded for an .858 OPS in Ogden, including 10 home runs in 158 games, the second-best homer rate on the team.
Carlos Medero-Stullz, GCL Dodgers/Columbus/Jacksonville, 5-8, 190, 5/30/86: Batted over .300 in 31 games for the Gulf Coast League Dodgers and even went 2 for 5 with two walks in cameos at Columbus and Jacksonville.
Kenley Jansen, GCL Dodgers/Ogden, 6-2, 178, 9/30/87: In 34 Rookie League games, put the ball in play to the tune of a .304 batting average with nine doubles in 102 at-bats, but drew only six walks. Went 2 for 11 with Ogden in the final week.
Kengshill Pujols, Ogden, 6-0, 187, 3/3/85: Rough debut: .563 OPS in 32 games and a strikeout every 3.5 at-bats.
Mitchell Ayres, GCL Dodgers, 6-0, 210, 4/9/86: 8 for 32, five walks, no extra-base hits.
Over 25
Mike Rose, Las Vegas/Los Angeles, 6-1, 225, 8/25/76: Disappointing season for one of Paul DePodesta's Oakland pickups. A Spring Training candidate to make the major-league roster, he OPSed .882 for Las Vegas, with intermittent ineffective appearances in Los Angeles as third catcher material. Turning 30 next year, his career in a Dodger uniform will be brief.

First Base
(Level of Depth: 5)
21-24 Years Old
James Loney, Jacksonville, 6-3, 200, 5/7/84: The sweet swinger is back as a prospect (if he ever left). Showed good power for the Suns with his 11 homers and 31 doubles, slugging .419 while on-basing .357. Still the age of a college senior, he'll start 2006 in Nevada and see his stats really inflate.
Cory Dunlap, Vero Beach, 6-1, 205, 4/13/84: A third-round draft choice in 2004 who destroyed the Pioneer League for Ogden that season (.492 on-base percentage, 1.010 OPS), Dunlap in 2005 nearly became the rare first baseman whose on-base percentage topped his slugging percentage (.382 vs. .398). For comparison, he's 3 1/2 weeks older than the far more developed Loney.
Daniel Batz, Columbus, 6-2, 210, 3/19/82: A sixth-round pick in 2004, Batz hit .335 in Ogden a year ago but fell to .280 with a .727 OPS in '05. Doubles hitter (27 in 429 at-bats).
Jason Mooneyham, Ogden, 5-11, 210, 4/19/82: A .885 OPS, including a .440 on-base percentage.
Under 21
David Sutherland, Ogden, 6-6, 175, 5/2/85: An Australian who spent two years in the Gulf Coast League - fielding .997 there in 2004 - Sutherland impressed in his first upward move with a .422 on-base percentage in 2005. A Pioneer League All-Star.
Over 25
Brian Myrow, Las Vegas/Los Angeles, 5-11, 190, 9/4/76: Who'd have thought there might be second thoughts about trading Tanyon Sturtze to the Yankees. Myrow did hit 22 homers in Las Vegas this year and OPSed .950, but he's 29 and no longer a serious prospect.
Trey Dyson, GCL Dodgers/Vero Beach, 6-4, 215, 3/11/80: Playing only 12 games, a lost season for the 25-year-old former Cleveland farmhand.

Second Base
(Level of Depth: 5)
21-24 Years Old
Delwyn Young, Jacksonville/Las Vegas, 5-10, 180, 6/30/82: Got the Vegas bounce in on-base percentage (.361) but not slugging percentage (.475) after his promotion from Jacksonville (.346/.499). His 16 homers with the Suns matched the more heralded Joel Guzman in 71 fewer at-bats. While the younger Guzman has greater long-term potential, Young is better positioned to help the Dodgers in April 2006, although currently 25-year-old Antonio Perez blocks his path. Young also has the plate discipline of Dodger minor leaguers of old - 35 walks against 531 at-bats over the two levels. He is hardly a basestealing threat.
David Nicholson, Columbus/Jacksonville, 6-0, 175, 10/22/82: .626 OPS. Went 4 for 34 in a brief Jacksonville run.
Justin Crist, Ogden/Columbus, 5-10, 175, 8/6/82: Managed 19 hits in 28 games on the season.
Under 21
Tony Abreu, Vero Beach/Jacksonville, 5-11, 160, 11/13/84: OPSed .808 in Vero Beach, then moved up to the Suns to replace Young and struggled to a .607 OPS. Was caught stealing 12 times in 26 attempts overall.
Travis Denker, Columbus/Vero Beach, 5-9, 170, 8/5/85: Another rider up the organizational elevator got caught between floors - his whopping .973 OPS with Columbus nearly sliced itself in half in Florida (.565). Still ended up with 23 homers on the season.

Shortstop
(Level of Depth: 8)
21-24 Years Old
Chin-lung Hu, Vero Beach, 5-9, 152, 2/2/84: Working in my weight class, Hu was picked as early as 2003 as the Dodgers' best minor-league defensive infielder. Did fine in Florida this season, OPSing .777 and stealing 23 bases in 29 attempts. He even hit 29 doubles and eight home runs, but walked only 19 times against 470 at-bats.
Jimmy Rohan, Jacksonville/Las Vegas/Vero Beach, 6-1, 190, 5/13/84: A graduate of Valencia High School, Rohan started the year in Jacksonville and even saw the Strip before landing in Vero, where his OPS was .708.
Lucas May, Columbus, 6-0, 190, 10/24/84: .612 OPS. Eighth-round pick in 2003.
Brandon Carter, Columbus, 5-7, 170, 11/12/82: .558 OPS after a 34-for-96 2004 debut, mostly in Ogden.
Shane Justis, Ogden, 5-10, 175, 3/11/83: His name a pun and a typo all in one, Justis was surved to the tune of a .779 OPS.
Dominique Laurin, Vero Beach/Columbus, 6-0, 185, 10/7/82: Ooh, .519 OPS with 168 at-bats. It was worse at season's start in Vero.
Under 21
Joel Guzman, Jacksonville, 6-6, 225, 11/24/84: The scouts say he will grow to 7-1, 330 and move from shortstop to the low post. In all seriousness, perhaps the best sign for Guzman was that his walk rate improved despite having plenty of support in the lineup. Interestingly, though, he batted seventh for the Suns at times, perhaps indicative of the fact that his ceiling, however high, is still some time from being reached. Sixteen homers, 31 doubles and an .826 OPS are knockout numbers for a 20-year-old shortstop, but please, let's take it easy and not even think about this guy until 2007.
Jesus Soto, Jacksonville/Ogden, 5-11, 178, 9/7/86: .748 OPS with 16 doubles in 254 at-bats, and just turned 19.
Ivan DeJesus, GCL Dodgers/Ogden, 5-11, 182, 5/1/87: Ah, the '87s. You can feel the rising optimism of the Dukakis campaign coinciding with DeJesus' mother going into labor. The Dodgers' second-round pick this year, DeJesus effectively handled the Gulf Coast League (.389 on-base percentage, .380 slugging percentage) and will get 2006 to improve upon his season-ending Ogden numbers (.296/.222). Has only six extra-base hits in 193 at-bats so far. Update: Baseball America adds, "He has soft hands and excellent footwork, and his speed and range allow him to make more than his share of athletic plays. He has everything scouts look for in a prototype shortstop except arm strength, though the Dodgers see a move to second base only as a worst-case scenario."
Juan Rivera, Ogden, 6-0, 148, 3/17/87: .610 OPS.
Over 25
Jose Flores, Las Vegas, 5-11, 180, 6/28/73: As 32-year-old minor leaguers go, that Flores is all right (.435 on-base percentage, .878 OPS).
Brian Sprout, Jacksonville, 6-0, 205, 6/28/80: A backup for the Suns, he OPSed .709.

Third Base
(Level of Depth: 9)
21-24 Years Old
Andy LaRoche, Vero Beach/Jacksonville, 6-1, 200, 9/13/83: Absolutely the talk of the minors with his 21 homers in 63 games (And 1.031 OPS) in Vero Beach through June 16, LaRoche settled in at Jacksonville and hit nine more with an .812 OPS. Move him on up with the crew to Vegas.
Mayke Cabrera, Vero Beach/Las Vegas, 6-1, 204, 2/10/81: .657 OPS, two extra-base hits in 135 at-bats.
Under 21
Blake DeWitt, Columbus/Vero Beach, 5-11, 175, 8/20/85: Drafted in the first round in 2004, DeWitt had an exceptional finish in Vero (batting .419 with four extra-base hits in 31 at-bats), following what has to be considered a decent run for a teenager in Columbus (.751 OPS).
Russell Mitchell, Vero Beach/Jacksonville/Ogden, 6-1, 182, 2/15/85: You know about this guy? Only 20, he slugged .511 and OPSed .869 for the Raptors and was named to the Pioneer League All-Star team. Guess he's no DeWitt or LaRoche, but he seems noteworthy.
Over 25
Norihiro Nakamura, Las Vegas, 5-10, 205, 7/24/73 : In the U.S., he is what he is - a 32-year-old right-handed journeyman. The vast difference between his slugging percentage (.487) and his on-base percentage (.331) tells his story.

Outfield
(Level of Depth: 6)
21-24 Years Old
Justin Ruggiano, Vero Beach/Jacksonville, 6-2, 205, 4/12/82: Promoted in June from Vero Beach, where he OPSed .917, and actually topped that with a .950 in Sunstown. He batted .342 in AA - not bad for a 25th-round draft pick from the previous year.
Cody Ross, Las Vegas/Los Angeles, 5-11, 180, 12/23/80: Ross managed to lead the 51s in slugging (.509) despite a midseason slump. He completely flubbed his Dodger callup, going 4 for 25 with one walk, but he's still a candidate to be a bench player in the majors somewhere.
Matt Kemp, Vero Beach, 6-4, 210, 9/23/84: Boom chucka chucka chucka. Kemp slugged .569 with 27 homers and added 23 steals in 29 attempts at age 20. Teach this guy to take a walk (25 against 418 at-bats) and you've got something.
Anthony Raglani, Vero Beach, 6-2, 215, 4/6/83: Nice. Slugged .496 and OPSed .879, and even walked 60 times in 124 games. Has there ever been a Dodger from George Washington University?
Jamie Hoffmann, Columbus/Vero Beach, 6-3, 205, 8/20/84: .797 OPS with Columbus through July 5, then moved to Vero Beach and slipped to .606.
Sergio Pedroza, Ogden/Columbus, 5-11, 180, 2/23/84: Fresh out of Cal State Fullerton, Pedroza exploded with like nine hits in every game in Ogden. Quickly promoted to Columbus after batting .500 with four homers in 12 games, Pedroza settled in with a .774 OPS and 12 homers. He's got a long road still, but he's off to a great start.
Andrew Locke, Ogden, 6-1, 205, 2/28/83: .909 OPS with a home run every 13 at-bats. Had 24 singles and 22 extra-base hits in 50 games.
Ryan Russ, Vero Beach/Columbus, 6-2, 200, 3/7/81: Started the season in Vero Beach but spent most of 2005 with the Catfish, for whome he OPSed .771. His numbers just about compete with Pedroza's - but Russ is three years older.
Ryan Carter, Columbus, 6-2, 175, 1/4/83: Injured for all of 2004, Carter bounced back to slug .536 in 224 at-bats with the Catfish. But oh boy: eight walks, 68 strikeouts.
B.J. Richmond, Columbus/Ogden, 6-3, 185, 2/3/84: He Norihiroed the season's first month at a 4-for 39 clip in Columbus, then went to the Raptors and OPSed .775.
Adam Godwin, Ogden, 5-11, 170, 12/13/82: .754 OPS.
James McDonald, Ogden, 6/5, 195, 10/19/84: The Long Beach Poly Sports Factory product pitched in 2003, played outfield in 2004, and did both in 2005 (.601 OPS in 83 at-bats, 1.50 ERA with nine strikeouts in six innings). You tell me.
D.J. Jackson, Ogden/Las Vegas, 6-1, 190, 6/13/84: Showing some of the chaos the Dodgers minor league system endured this year outside of Jacksonville, Jackson OPSed a measly .556 in Ogden, then went to Las Vegas for the final 10 days and OPSed .693 in nine games.
Under 21
Xavier Paul, Vero Beach, 6-0, 200, 2/25/85: One of three 20-year-olds on the team, he had a .720 OPS.
Steven Sapp, GCL Dodgers/Columbus, 6-3, 190, 11/17/85: Spent most of the year in Rookie ball (.716 OPS) except for a late promotion to the Catfish, for whom he went 3 for 23.
Rick Taloa, Ogden, 6-4, 250, 12/14/84: The hulking 20-year-old went 20 for 75 but drew nary a single walk while striking out 26 times.
Trayvon Robinson, GCL Dodgers/Ogden, 5-10, 175, 9/1/87: .827 OPS in 40 GCL games earned the 10th-round pick out of Crenshaw High a final week in Utah, where he went 5 for 23.
Scott Van Slyke, GCL Dodgers, 6-5, 195, 7/24/86: Born nine months and a week after father Andy stood in the on-deck circle at Dodger Stadium and saw Jack Clark hit his pennant-winning homer for St. Louis, Scott might bring some good karma to the organization someday. A potential steal in the 14th round of the draft, he OPSed .754 despite only four walks in 24 games. He slugged .424.
Eloy Guiterrez, GCL Dodgers, 6-1, 178, 11/25/84: .716 OPS.
Jesus Mora, GCL Dodgers, 6-2, 185, 12/25/83: .709 OPS, low on the walks (five in 31 games).
Jeremy Brown, GCL Dodgers/Columbus, 6-1, 195, 4/2/84: .701 OPS in the GCL, 4 for 20 in a brief Columbus stint.
Over 25
Jon Weber, Jacksonville, 5-10, 190, 1/20/78: Leader of the grown-up outfield in Jacksonville, Weber did nothing to hurt his popularity in the southeast with his .825 OPS, and conceivably fill a big-league bench.
Tydus Meadows, Jacksonville, 6-2, 220, 9/5/77: Meadows distinguished himself not with his pop, which was decent (27 doubles, 15 homers) but his eye, which brought him 79 walks in 108 games and a .418 on-base percentage. Jim Tracy would probably like Todd Donovan; DePodesta would like this guy.
Todd Donovan, Jacksonville/Las Vegas, 6-1, 180, 8/12/78: Biggest basestealing threat in the organization with 63 in 75 attempts, and also had 10 triples. With a .750 OPS at age 27, he's also fifth outfielder material in an organization full of them.
Chin-Feng Chen, Las Vegas/Los Angeles, 6-1, 189, 10/27/77: Has spent enough time in the shadow of UNLV to graduate. Finally got his first major-league hit, so we can all sleep well. His .849 OPS was his lowest since Vero Beach 2001.
Nick Alvarez, Jacksonville, 6-3, 205, 2/8/77: .731 OPS in his third consecutive season with the Suns.
Henri Stanley, Las Vegas, 5-10, 185, 12/15/77: The so-called nothing the Dodgers acquired for Dave Roberts, Stanley OPSed .788 in Fantasyland. The irony is that Roberts didn't crack the bigs until he was Stanley's current age, 27, and barely broke 100 major league games by the time he was 30. Stanley could probably do the same exceot his once speedy legs appear to be gone.

Utility
(Level of Depth: 5)
21-24 Years Old
Willy Aybar, Las Vegas/Los Angeles, 6-0, 175, 3/9/83: Should his smashing major-league debut be a surprise? A .775 OPS in hit-happy Las Vegas doesn't lead one to think that major league numbers will follow in the immediate future, putting aside the long-term. For some reason, the power that gave him 37 homers in his previous three seasons yielded only five round-trippers in 2005. His walk totals (40 in 108 games) were adequate but not exceptional. So we're probably still talking potential here. But he's certainly looked nice so far - and his ability to play second base is a long-term bonus.
Cole Bruce, Vero Beach/Columbus, 6-3, 200, 1/20/82: Hammered the ball in Columbus (.924 OPS) despite walking twice in 22 games. In Vero, his walk rate increased but everything else crashed.
Matt Paul, GCL Dodgers/Vero Beach, 5-10, 190, 9/3/82: Hasn't gotten it going yet. Since being drafted in the 18th round in 2004, Paul has 30 hits (in 61 games). He is the so-called other brother to Xavier Paul - whom the Dodgers also have.
Eduardo Perez, GCL Dodgers/Jacksonville/Columbus, 6-1, 175, 8/30/84: A terrific .958 OPS in the Gulf Coast League earned him some Columbus playing time, where he was overmatched (.530 OPS in 10 games).
Parker Brooks, GCL Dodgers/Ogden, 5-10, 175, 8/1/81: 13 for 58 in 25 games in the GCL and with Ogden.
Jose Miguel Nunez, GCL Dodgers, 6-2, 200, 12/1/83: .631 OPS. In 99 at-bats, didn't hit (.222 batting average), but with those 22 hits had 17 walks compared to 15 strikeouts.
Under 21
Carlos Santana, GCL Dodgers, 5-11, 170, 4/8/86: Nice little debut for the kid: .812 OPS, .412 on-base percentage, and twice as many walks as strikeouts in just under 100 plate appearances.
Adolfo Gonzalez, GCL Dodgers/Jacksonville, 5-11, 160, 6/13/85: .731 OPS in the GCL (119 at-bats). Somewhat strangely, his on-base percentage crashed but his slugging percentage soared, albeit in only 41 at-bats, with Jacksonville.
Joshua Bell, GCL Dodgers, 6-3, 205, 11/13/86: .794 OPS, mainly on singles and walks. Fourth-round pick in 2005.
Yosanddy Garcia, GCL Dodgers, 6-0, 170, 10/28/87: .552 OPS. Of his 99 outs, he struck out 47 times. But he's 17, for crying out loud!
Over 25
Sergio Garcia, Jacksonville, 5-10, 175, 3/20/80: At 25, he's got a tough road in in this infield-heavy system, but had his best season with a .773 OPS.
Nick Theodorou, Las Vegas, 5-11, 182, 6/7/75: Might be time for this eight-year Dodger farmhand to wrap it up, following a .640 OPS in 2005.

Right-Handed Starter
(Level of Depth: 8)
21-24 Years Old
Chad Billingsley, Jacksonville, 6-2, 215, 7/29/84: Emerged as the Dodgers' 2004 Minor League Pitcher of the Year with a 3.52 ERA and 162 strikeouts in 146 innings. Combined for a no-hitter in the Southern League playoffs – then got KOed after two innings in his next start. He walks more than three batters a game, which perhaps translates to trouble in the big leagues if he is promoted too soon. But does anyone want to see this guy anywhere near Las Vegas?
Edwin Jackson, Las Vegas/Jacksonville/Los Angeles, 6-3, 190, 9/9/83: Jackson's stats did improve in Jacksonville, but 6.4 strikeouts per nine innings isn't dazzling. I'm not qualified to discuss whether his problems are mental or physical or both, but you can't write him in as a successful major league pitcher in 2006. You can put him there anyway if you want and let him take his lumps, or you can treat him like a promising 22-year-old in AA.
Justin Orenduff, Vero Beach/Jacksonville, 6-4, 205, 5/27/83: Taken 33rd overall in the 2004 draft as compensation for free agent Paul Quantrill, Orenduff blew away Vero Beach (2.24 ERA, 81 strikeouts in 60 innings) and then settled in passably with the Suns (4.07/65/66 1/3). He should start again next season in Jacksonville, and few will be surprised if his ERA drops dramatically.
Joel Hanrahan, Vero Beach/Jacksonville, 6-3, 215, 10/6/81: Put it this way: When Jackson feels blue, he looks at Hanrahan for consolation. After spending all of 2004 in Las Vegas (5.05 ERA – not that bad), Hanrahan struggled to a 4.92 ERA in AA this year. In 2003 with the Suns, he allowed seven homers in 133 1/3 innings; this year he allowed 17 homers in 111 2/3 innings. Still putting up big strikeout numbers, Hanrahan may yet shift it back into gear.
Brian Pilkington, Vero Beach, 6-5, 210, 9/17/82: After a year off due to right shoulder trouble, the 2001 second-rounder turned in a 3.71 ERA. Shampoos with Suave but pitches with finesse: 24 walks, 70 strikeouts in 106 2/3 innings.
Chris Malone, Columbus, 6-4, 230, 6/28/83: 3.88 ERA in 141 2/3 innings, 10 homers, 41 walks, 127 strikeouts.
Jesus Castillo, Columbus, 6-1, 178, 5/31/84: It's only six games (24 1/3 innings), but Castillo had a 2.96 ERA and 28 strikeouts/seven walks.
Mario Alvarez, Ogden, 6-0, 150, 3/26/84: 6.14 ERA despite 53 strikeouts in 55 2/3 innings. The eight homers he allowed don't look like solo shots.
Under 21
Julio Pimentel, Vero Beach, 6-1, 190, 12/14/85: A 5.08 ERA had to be unexpected for something of a big-name prospect. What happened? He remembered he was 19, perhaps?
Javy Guerra, Columbus, 6-1, 185, 10/31/85: The 19-year-old 2004 fourth-rounder moved up from the GCL and had a 4.96 ERA.
Joshua Wall, GCL Dodgers, 6-6, 190, 1/21/87: Six earned runs, eight walks and five strikeouts in 14 innings for the 2005 second-round pick.
Over 25
Eric Hull, Jacksonville/Las Vegas, 5-11, 185, 12/3/79: Hull had a fine season: 3.38 ERA, a strikeout for every inning. Pitched seven shutout innings in Game 2 of the Southern League Championship Series.
Eric Stults, Jacksonville/Las Vegas, 6-3, 215, 12/9/79: 3.31 ERA in 68 Jacksonville innings preceded a 6.58 ERA in 78 Vegas innings.
Heath Totten, Las Vegas, 6-3, 210, 9/30/78: Ugly year for Totten, who was suspended in May for violating baseball's drug policy and who has gone from a 3.24 ERA in Jacksonville in 2003 to a 7.12 ERA with the '51s this season. Blame some of that on nurture and the rest on nature. He remains a control pitcher, though even that suffered (1.6 walks per nine innings in 2004, 2.4 in 2005.) A former fifth-round pick.

Left-Handed Starter
(Level of Depth: 8)
21-24 Years Old
Ryan Ketchner, Los Angeles, 6-1, 190, 4/9/82: Potentially the first deaf pitcher in the major leagues in a century, Ketchner sat out 2005 recovering from elbow surgery. Acquired in the Jolbert Cabrera trade, Ketchner will look to recover the form that has brought him 470 strikeouts in 477 2/3 career minor-league innings.
Mike Megrew, Vero Beach/GCL Dodgers, 6-6, 210, 1/29/84: Struck out 125 batters in 105 2/3 innings in 2004 with an ERA of 3.41, then ran into arm trouble and needed Tommy John surgery. By the way, that doesn't hurt his prospect status one bit. Strange times we live in.
Derek Thompson, Jacksonville/Los Angeles/Las Vegas, 6-2, 180, 1/8/81: A rather triumphant year for Thompson – 43 strikeouts in 41 2/3 innings in Jacksonville, then three decent starts with the Dodgers, then even a svelte 3.43 ERA in the Vegas playgrounds – ended sadly with his second arm surgery in 2 1/2 years.
Brent Leach, Ogden, 6-5, 205, 11/18/82: Started 13 games and finished with a 2.43 ERA (you'll see from his teammates' numbers how meaningful that is) and struck out 77 in 66 2/3 innings.
Jonathan Figueroa, Vero Beach, 6-5, 205, 9/15/83: Struggling bigtime now: 6.00 ERA and 53 walks/52 strikeouts in 81 innings after nearly busting 7.00 the season before.
Marlon Arias, Ogden, 6-3, 150, 9/1/84: Mayor of Stringbean City. 5.48 ERA, 73 strikeouts in 70 2/3 innings. Eleven taters in the gullet.
Marshal Looney, GCL Dodgers, 6-4, 251, 3/23/84: An injury year in 2003 was sandwiched by GCL ERAs of 0.42 in 2002 and 2.55 in 2004. He even threw 11 (non-descript) innings in Columbus last year. But in 2005, he tallied only 4 2/3 innings, allowing six runs, three earned, in three games.
Kale Garrison, GCL Dodgers, 6-1, 175, 3/1/82: In the GCL since 2003, his career ERA is 6.90. This season, he only threw 10 2/3 innings.
Under 21
Chuck Tiffany, Vero Beach, 6-1, 195, 1/25/85: Tapered from a scintillating start to the season, but still chalked up 134 strikeouts in 110 innings to go with a 3.93 ERA. Like many pitchers, he'll need to work on endurance – averaged five innings per game (although he pitched in relief once). Deserves cautious excitement.
Scott Elbert, Vero Beach/Columbus, 6-2, 190, 8/13/85: Elbert, the Dodgers' first-round draft pick in 2004, made six starts for Columbus this August and was 2-0 with a 1.73 ERA, allowing 13 hits and 13 walks with 35 strikeouts in 26 innings while limiting opponents to a .143 batting average.

Right-Handed Swingman
(Level of Depth: 6)
21-24 Years Old
Jonathan Broxton, Jacksonville/Los Angeles, 6-4, 240, 6/16/84: A bonafide starter candidate who moved to the bullpen, perhaps out of need, perhaps out of destiny, Broxton is in great shape for a 21-year-old despite his oversized physique and 7.04 major league ERA. His 3.17 ERA and 107 strikeouts in Jacksonville surrounding his 21st birthday are certainly something to build upon.
T.J. Nall, Las Vegas, 6-1, 175, 11/4/80: 7.17 ERA after a 4.14 in Jacksonville/2004. Oh, the sheer awfulness of the 51s' pitching numbers.
Jarod Plummer, Vero Beach/GCL Dodgers/Columbus, 6-5, 200, 1/27/84: In the second half of the season, went to Columbus to be a starting pitcher, and struck out 49 in 54 innings with a 4.14 ERA – walking only six! As a reliever in Vero Beach, his ERA was 3.20 with similar K rations. Sleeper?
William Juarez, Jacksonville, 6-2, 205, 4/22/81: One had to consider 2005 a disappointing season for the Shawn Green exchange property – 4.59 ERA in Jacksonville with a declining strikeout rate. Then he made two starts in the postseason and held opponents to an ERA below 1.00.
Danny Muegge, Vero Beach, 6-5, 180, 3/6/81: Coming along – 3.38 ERA with the baby Dodgers. Others have better strikeout numbers than his 6.4 per nine innings. Also came in the Shawn Green deal.
Brandon Weeden, Columbus, 6-4, 190, 10/14/83: Jeff Weaver and Yhency Brazoban made a difference for the Dodgers. Weeden, the third piece of Kevin Brown Yankee booty, who struck out 96 in 94 2/3 innings (top ratio in Columbus) but walked 69, gave up 13 homers and a 5.70 ERA ... maybe not. He was a second-round draft choice in 2002.
Steve Nelson, Columbus, 6-3, 200, 11/10/82: 4.53 ERA, 11 walks, 26 strikeouts in 49 2/3 innings.
Cory Wade, Columbus/Ogden, 6-2, 170, 5/28/83: ERAs in the low fours, first as a reliever in Columbus, then mostly as a starter for the Raptors.
Zach Hammes, Columbus, 6-6, 225, 5/15/84: 4.81 ERA, 52 walks and 46 strikeouts in 63 2/3 innings. Like Weeden, an '02 second-rounder.
Nathan Hochesgang, Ogden/Columbus, 6-4, 220, 12/18/81: 4.25 ERA with Ogden and 28 strikeouts in 29 2/3 innings, then a 6.62 ERA with Columbus but 26 strikeouts in only 17 2/3 innings. A former Cal State Northridge Matador, Hochesgang had a 1.54 ERA in the GCL in 2004 (23 1/3 innings).
Dimas Reina, GCL Dodgers/Columbus, 6-0, 170, 2/23/82: In 2003 and 2004, he got a taste of AA. In 2005, he sat out the first half of the year and then didn't even make it to Vero Beach, managing only 32 innings - walking 34 - and a 5.06 ERA.
Jonathan Meloan, Ogden, 6-3, 225, 7/11/84: 3.69 ERA in 39 innings with 54 strikeouts. Fifth-round pick in 2005.
Arismendy Castillo, GCL Dodgers/Columbus, 6-3, 190, 12/10/84: Struck out 41 batters in 38 2/3 innings for the GCD with an ERA of 4.19 in 12 games (four starts), allowing no homers but walking 24. Similar stats in seven innings with Columbus, except his ERA jumped to 6.43.
Kristopher Krise, Ogden, 6-6, 215, 2/1/84: 7.90 ERA.
Under 21
Blake Johnson, Columbus, 6-3, 185, 6/14/85: Drafted in the second round last year, Johnson pitched an even 100 innings with a 3.33 ERA, striking out 88 with only four homers allowed - the latter the best rate on the team.
Chales Dasni, GCL Dodgers, 6-3, 168, 7/21/85: Injured in 2004, Dasni had a 7.35 ERA in 45 1/3 innings with 41 strikeouts.
Steven Johnson, GCL Dodgers, 6-1, 185, 8/31/87: An eventful 11 1/3 innings saw Johnson strike out 14 while allowing 12 runs and 18 hits.
Over 25
Buddy Carlyle, Las Vegas, 6-3, 185, 12/21/77: Carlyle had a prime opportunity to succeed with the Dodgers this year but flunked it, allowing 13 runs in 14 innings. Call us stubborn, but we (me and Buddy) still like him as a big-league reliever: a 4.88 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 48 innings in Las Vegas keeps hope alive. He can clearly throw strikes – he just has to figure out how to make people miss 'em.
Harold Eckert, Las Vegas, 6-3, 220, 7/7/77: That Lucky 7 birthdate isn't paying off in Vegas for Eckert, who has posted ERAs of 6.35 and 6.38 for the 51s the past two seasons.
Pat Mahomes, Las Vegas, 6-4, 212, 8/9/70: Mahomes (5.35 ERA) was something of a callup candidate in some minds during the early season search for Scott Erickson replacements. Since it didn't happen, it probably won't. This season, he passed the 2,000-inning mark professionally – 1,366 in the minors.
Ryan Rupe, Las Vegas, 6-5, 248, 3/31/75: 6.42 ERA in his stateside return after a year in Japan. In his prime, posted a 5.85 major league ERA in 476 2/3 innings.

Left-Handed Swingman
(Level of Depth: 6)
21-24 Years Old
Matt Merricks, Vero Beach, 6-0, 200, 8/6/82: 4.88 ERA in 27 2/3 innings, with 27 strikeouts but six homers allowed. Came from Atlanta in the Tom Martin trade, went to Colorado in the Rule 5 draft, then came back amid some shoulder problems.
Miguel Sanfler, GCL Dodgers, 5-11, 165, 10/5/84: 3.79 ERA, 41 strikeouts in 40 1/3 innings. Walked 25. Update: "Sanfler has an easy motion that belies a power arm capable of reaching 95 mph," Baseball America adds. "His secondary stuff has a ways to go, though his curveball can be a devastating pitch that falls off a table when he has it working. His changeup has been slower to develop but has the makings of being an above-average pitch with slider action."
Under 21
Greg Miller, GCL Dodgers/Vero Beach/Jacksonville, 6-5, 190, 11/3/84: More ballyhooed than Jackson, Miller is two surgeries to the wind but came back impressively in late summer. A starter who is building strength in the bullpen, Miller struck out 41 in 34 2/3 innings at three levels while allowing 25 hits and one home run. His 26 walks illustrate the rustiness, but his ability is right there for everyone to see.
Gary Paris, GCL Dodgers, 6-1, 160, 11/6/86: Like Sanfler, Paris is from good ol' San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic. In his first season, the 18-year-old struck out 40 in 34 innings, walking 20, with an ERA of 5.03.
Juan Flores, GCL Dodgers, 6-0, 175, 5/3/85: Signed as a 16-year-old, Flores hit the GCL for the first time with a 5.24 ERA, walking 16 and whiffing 19 in 22 1/3 innings.

Right-Handed Reliever
(Level of Depth: 7)
21-24 Years Old
Franquelis Osoria, Las Vegas/Los Angeles, 6-0, 185, 9/12/81: Osoria's glory comes in his 2.62 ERA in High Roller City. A reliever with only 5.7 strikeouts per nine innings would otherwise be worth ignoring, but he keeps the ball in the park - three homers with Vegas, three with Los Angeles (by Todd Helton in Colorado, Dallas McPherson in Anaheim and Mike Matheny in San Francisco - no shame with at least one of those, if not two). He's no lock for the major league roster in 2006, but he remains potentially a good guy to have up top.
Alvis Ojeda, Vero Beach/Jacksonville, 6-0, 170, 9/23/83: Hmm … career 2.84 minor league ERA since his debut in 2001 at age 17. His strikeouts went down during his mostly season-long stay in Vero Beach – that's the only curious part. In Jacksonville at season's end: 11 1/3 innings, 2.38 ERA, two walks, nine strikeouts.
Jose Diaz, Vero Beach/GCL Dodgers, 6-4, 247, 2/27/84: Warrin' Onlys. Only pitched 17 2/3 innings this season, only allowed one earned run (although three others were changed to unearned by the official scorer). He had Tommy John surgery in August 2004, but was throwing hard one year later. Not to be confused with the Jose Diaz that went to the Mets in the Jeromy Burnitz trade.
Beltran Perez, Vero Beach/Jacksonville, 6-2, 180, 10/24/81: When he came over in the Shawn Green trade, I wrote, "as a 19-year-old in 2001 had a better season in A ball than (Danny) Muegge did last year, but who has remained at AA since, posting adequate but unimpressive numbers even accounting for the hitters' parks in the Texas League, and doing most of his 2004 work in the bullpen." Well, the Dodgers actually demoted him back to A ball to start 2005, and his ERA remained near 4 despite a strikeout per inning. Then spending the second half in Jacksonville, his ERA dropped to 2.90. Still a borderline prospect, but he brought the dream back to life.
Mark Alexander, Vero Beach, 5-10, 190, 12/6/80: Well, he struck out an almost Gagne-like 12.5 batters per nine innings, so that's impressive. Not to put down that or his 3.03 ERA, but he was not impervious to baserunners – 87 in 65 1/3 innings. Saved 23 games.
Richard Bartlett, Jacksonville, 6-3, 216, 10/6/81: 4.88 ERA, 63 hits, 43 walks, 30 strikeouts in 59 innings. Since being drafted in the third round by Baltimore in 2000, has had only one exceptional year – 2.23 ERA with Vero Beach in 2004. Late bloomer at best.
Kyle Wilson, Columbus/Vero Beach, 6-2, 200, 4/21/83: A former UCLA Bruin, Wilson has a 2.16 ERA in 25 innings in Columbus with 31 strikeouts. He'll reboot in Vero Beach, where his ERA in 19 innings was 8.05.
Albenis Castillo, Columbus, 6-4, 178, 12/24/83: 3.99 ERA in 56 1/3 innings. A year ago, he also played first and third base and was 20 for 67 (.299) with two homers and seven doubles, but it looks like the 21-year-old is now focusing on the mound. The Dodgers signed the Panama native at age 16 years, nine months.
David Horlacher, Ogden, 6-4, 175, 6/22/82: Quite a nice debut, striking out 25 in 16 relief innings over 11 games with an ERA of 1.69. Allowed only 10 hits, but walked nine.
Miguel Ramirez, GCL Dodgers/Ogden, 5-11, 165, 7/15/83: Combined strikeout to walk numbers in the GLC and then Ogden: 43-7. ERA: 1.87 in 33 2/3 innings.
Brian Akin, Columbus, 6-3, 185, 10/13/81: Below borderline with a 6.04 ERA in Ogden last year, Akin made some progress this season, lowering his ERA to 4.35 with the Catfish.
Ramon Troncoso, Columbus/Ogden, 6-2, 182, 2/16/83: A 6.69 as a swingman in Columbus led to his June demotion, where he posted a 3.68 ERA and saved 13 games while allowing no homers in 29 relief-only appearances. Struck out 57 in 74 1/3 innings over the two levels while allowing 123 baserunners - but only two home runs.
Matthew Gomez de Segura, Ogden, 6-5, 230, 5/9/83: The Utahan had a 6.57 ERA and nearly a walk per inning in his first professional season.
Giuseppe Norrito, GCL Dodgers, 5-10, 180, 8/4/82: This guy has the kind of first name that can replace Giovanni Carrara. Had an ERA of 2.48 in 29 innings with nine walks and 21 strikeouts.
Alvin Hayes, Ogden, 6-4, 215, 8/19/83: The Big A probably couldn't out-rebound his near-namesake, the Big E, which doesn't matter. His ERA after two decent summers in the GCL jumped to 7.26, which might. Throwing some pitches: 31 innings, 27 walks, 38 strikeouts.
Jose Obispo, GCL Dodgers/Ogden, 6-1, 160, 5/11/84: In 10 innings with the two teams, walked 17 and had an 11.70 ERA.
Under 21
Jordan Pratt, Ogden/Columbus, 6-3, 195, 5/17/85: Entering the season with a 2-15, 8.52 record in two minor league seasons, Pratt found himself in Ogden, going 2-2, 3.25 with 35 strikeouts and zero homers allowed in 27 2/3 innings. Promoted to the Catfish in August, he struggled to a 6.06 ERA, but the 20-year-old still had to be relieved by the progress.
Jon Haldis, GCL Dodgers, 6-1, 170, 3/1/87: Low ERA and low strikeouts for the 18-year-old: 1.96 with five in 18 1/3 innings. He allowed 11 hits and four walks.
Kalen Gearhart, GCL Dodgers, 6-2, 210, 8/12/85: His ERA was 3.09 in 23 1/3 innings, with eight walks and 19 strikeouts.
Eduardo Quintana, GCL Dodgers, 6-2, 175, 6/30/85: 6.29 ERA.
Howar Zuleta, GCL Dodgers, 6-0, 180, 1/8/86: 4 1/3 innings, no runs.
Pedro Lorenzo, GCL Dodgers, 6-4, 180, 2/4/86: 2 2/3 innings, three runs.
Christopher Hobdy, GCL Dodgers, 6-4, 210, 12/16/86: Twelve runs and 20 baserunners allowed in 5 1/3 innings.
Over 25
Alfredo Gonzalez, Jacksonville/Las Vegas, 5-11, 165, 9/17/79: Noticing a trend: lower strikeout totals (5.9 per nine innings here) coincided with lower ERAs (4.91) in Vegas. Again, maybe it's just inherited runners chicanery, but it might also be another indicator of how off-the-charts useless Vegas numbers are. Gonzalez allowed 10 home runs in 66 innings.
Mike Neu, Las Vegas, 5-10, 190, 3/9/78: Inexplicably, Neu managed an almost-respectable 5.56 Vegas ERA despite walking 62 against 54 strikeouts in 89 innings. Something tells me he allowed some inherited runners to score (though he did start nine games in 35 appearances). Neu has 46 major league innings with Oakland and Florida and a 3.72 ERA, but again, with poor walk and strikeout numbers.
Beau Dannemiller, Jacksonville/Las Vegas, 6-0, 210, 12/26/79: Had a fine 2.93 ERA in Vero Beach in 2004, but zoomed to 4.81 in Jacksonville and then 6.81 with the 51s this season. Walked 53 batters in 80 innings.
Casey Hoorelbeke, Vero Beach, 6-8, 245, 4/4/80: The Mighty Casey's 2.40 ERA led the team (except for Jose Diaz' brief appearances), and he allowed no home runs in 82 2/3 innings. Walks to strikeouts: 35/58. His older brother Jesse was but is no longer in the Dodger organization. The media guide notes that his father is the original lead singer, drummer and founder of Rare Earth.
Aaron Kulsman, Ogden, 6-4, 215, 9/9/80: 3.09 ERA in 32 innings, 10 walks, 24 strikeouts.

Left-Handed Reliever
(Level of Depth: 6)
21-24 Years Old
Hong-Chih Kuo, Vero Beach/Jacksonville/Los Angeles, 6-0, 200, 7/23/81: As good as the two Tommy John surgeries on his tender arm will let him be, Kuo has now thrown 96 2/3 innings in his minor league career and struck out 141 batters - 13.1 per nine innings, while walking 32. His 54 1/3 innings in 2005 exceeded his totals for all previous years combined. Hard for us to know how durable he can be, but the Dodgers will hope.
Orlando Rodriguez, Vero Beach/Jacksonville/GCL Dodgers/Las Vegas, 5-10, 155, 11/28/80: On the recovery trail after injuries limited him to 12 innings in 2003-04, Rodriguez pitched at four levels in 2005 and struck out 43 in 35 2/3 innings and allowed 30 htis, but walked 29 and ERAed 4.79. This is the same pitcher whose minor league ERA in 2002 was 0.00 in 35 1/3 innings with 52 strikeouts, so we'll certainly give him a chance to rebound in 2006.
Justin Simmons, Vero Beach, 6-3, 225, 10/5/81: 4.42 ERA, 30 walks, 51 strikeouts in 57 innings. Had a 0.86 ERA in 31 1/3 innings split among Vero and the GCL in 2004. Former College World Series championship game winner for Texas and posted a 10-inning shutout of Stanford in 2002 – blah!
Glenn Bott, Jacksonville/Vero Beach, 6-0, 190, 9/17/81: Demoted with a 5.12 ERA (despite 42 strikeouts in 38 2/3 innings) from Jacksonville in the summertime, then had a 5.08 ERA for the rest of the season. In 2004 with Jacksonville, started and ERAed 4.37.
Chad Bailey, Vero Beach/Columbus, 6-4, 190, 6/24/83: After ripping off a 2.17 ERA in Columbus in 2004, the Dodgers tried him in Vero Beach at the start of 2005. Ten-plus innings and 15 earned runs later, Bailey returned to the Catfish and finished the year with a shakier 4.93 ERA. His peripheral numbers maintained or slightly improved, but things did not break the same.
Under 21
Luis Gonzalez, Jacksonville, 6-0, 190, 2/27/83: 2.21 ERA in 41 games with the Suns, interrupted indecorously by a midseason 9.31 in 10 games with Las Vegas. In Jacksonville, struck out 46 and walked 34 in 61 innings, but allowed only 35 hits and one home run.
Carlos Alvarez, Columbus/Jacksonville, 5-9, 160, 3/31/85: This lefty reliever took a 0.93 Columbus ERA to the Suns in late June, and 3.99ed for 38 1/3 innings, striking out 31.
Wesley Wright, Columbus/Vero Beach, 5-11, 180, 1/28/85: 1.93 ERA with 68 strikeouts in 60 2/3 innings for Columbus. Struggled mightily in limited innings in Vero: 9.45 ERA.
Liam O'Flaherty, Columbus, 6-0, 165, 1/18/85: They should be watching this guy at Molly Malone's. The Sydney Australian with the Irish name is on the comeback trail after missing 2004 due to injury (he had a 1.55 ERA in the GCL in 2003) - this season he pitched 25 2/3 innings and his ERA was 5.96.
David Pfeiffer, Ogden, 6-3, 190, 8/17/85: Born in the shadow of Holman Stadium, Pfeiffer had a 5.63 ERA. His pro career began with a 0.40 ERA in the GCL in 2004 (22 1/3 innings).
Cody White, Ogden, 6-3, 185, 2/27/85: 6.92 ERA in 40 1/3 innings.
Ramon Paredes, GCL Dodgers/Ogden, 6-3, 192, 11/28/84: Strong GCL beginning, with a 2.34 ERA. In Ogden, they paved Paredes and put up nine earned runs in 10 2/3 innings.
Wilfredo Diaz, GCL Dodgers, 5-11, 180, 1/22/87: 3.67 ERA, 22 strikeouts in 27 innings.
Over 25
Mike Venafro, Las Vegas, 5-10, 180, 8/2/73: 6.85 ERA, 35 walks and 24 strikeouts in 44 2/3 innings for last year's pseudo lefty specialist.

Today's Game

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We are Gob.

Two ninth-inning comebacks for the Padres this week; the Dodgers lose two consecutive games in their opponents' final at-bat and blow a five-run lead to the Rockies. Five games left in the hat right there. Last year, the Dodgers had the magic - this year, it's San Diego, in a Tony Wonder kind of way.

Good to know, just in time for the Emmys ...

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Odalis Perez and Wilson Alvarez are on track to be activated Tuesday, Paul DePodesta told Tony Jackson of the Daily News. Jonathan Broxton gets a recall from Jacksonville, while the rest of the Southern League titlists earn some well-deserved vacation time. Sure, I'd like a peek at some, but we'll see plenty of them in the future.

Today's Game

* * *

Brad Penny cannot allow four runs in six innings. Not to that team, not then.

All the Dodgers needed this week was 4.50 ERA starting pitching.

Tonight's game

Southern League Championship Series - Game 3

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A short capsule of the Dodger season written by me appears on Baseball Analysts today under the heartwarming headline, "What Went Wrong."

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Be a Dodger Scout: Participate in The 2005 Scouting Report by the Fans for the Fans. The current results can be found here, but more evaluations by devoted Dodger watchers like you are encouraged.

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Derek Lowe. Man, oh man.

Tonight's Game

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Raul Tavares of Dominican Players has been offline most of the season, but he resurfaced to drop this political bombshell: Raul Mondesi plans to run for mayor of San Cristobal, Dominican Republic.

In case you were worried, Mondesi plans to juggle both his baseball and political careers at once.

Tavares got the story (no longer available online) from Listin Diario of Santo Domingo. Tavares wrote that Mondesi has the support of "a big member of the party" to become the most powerful right arm in city government.

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In case you missed it: Futility Infielder Jay Jaffe got to be a hot dog in the Sausage Race at Milwaukee's Miller Park and wrote about it for Baseball Analysts:

As we choke on Polish's dust, the other three of us are neck-and neck-until Italian Sausage makes his move. German Sausage responds by giving him a wider berth, stumbling as he does so. Our empty heads collide; we trade paint. ...

Rockies-Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.

Padres-Giants, 12:35 p.m.