I'm still on the Schmoll for closer side of the line.

Unless Tony can sing along with Bach and Vivaldi, the answer is no, but I may be going Saturday.

Further research into the "celery stalks at midnight" is that the song and book title is a takeoff on a joke that you would see sometimes in "Blondie". Dagwood would get out of bed and try to sneak off for a snack without making up Blondie. But then he would go eat a piece of celery, which would be loud and would wake her up.

http://www.kingfeatures.com/pressrm/rel_205_7_7_2005.htm

The Pirates scored 6 in the top of the 1st at Coors.

Good thing the Pirates had their #2 hitter sacrifice in that inning.

Is there really a point?

THERE is life after baseball. Former Met Todd Zeile has produced and is distributing a movie, "Dirty Deeds," in which he also appears. The raucous teen comedy opening Aug. 26 is the first venture of Green Diamond Entertainment, which Zeile formed with Yankee slugger Jason Giambi, who is listed as an executive producer. Zeile is hosting two intimate screenings of the film at Soho House in the coming week.

http://www.nypost.com/gossip/51665.htm

As great as Monday's home run was, it was Fernando pitching on guts who got us to that point. I know many here don't like to think that someone can pitch on guts but maybe they never saw the game in question. I don't know how many years Fernando gave to us and Tommy in the quest for the World Series in 81 but I'm sure he'd trade the years for the championship. Monday got a lucky hit, but Fernando was the man in 81. It may have been the only time in my baseball history that I was rooting against the Expo's as they had become my adopted 2nd favorite team.

As an announcer I can't stand Rick Monday. My wife can't stand Rick Monday. My Dad can't stand Rick Monday. I don't know anyone who thinks Rick Monday is an adequate announcer. Jerry Doggett was Bob Costas compared to Rick Monday and I only tolerated Jerry Doggett because Vin Scully seemed to like him.

I think Navarro will be up the rest of the year unless he gets hurt.

What does pitching on guts mean? It's a metaphor for having the physical and mental abilities to pitch when you don't have your best stuff. I don't know anyone who doesn't believe that's possible. Not coincidentally, great pitchers like Fernando pitched well on guts and, um, off guts - until they couldn't.

I think it might be worth it just for the unintentional comedy. Check out this snapshot:

http://www.filmstew.com/Users/DailyNews/8921/ziele.jpg

"Zeile as a celluloid bum"

Thats exactly how I remember him!

27
I remembered it as that they were protesting the treatment of Native Americans. I guess I confused them with Marlon Brando and his Oscar for "The Godfather".

Arte Moreno - Nice rich guy
Frank McCourt - Phony guy overextended in his finances

Bill Stoneman - Quiet, but confident in his team's ability. Solid, dependable.
Paul DePodesta - Young guy in over his head who relies on computers more than his gut.

Mike Scioscia - Played on two World Series winners and won another as a manger
Jim Tracy - Played in Montreal. Won a playoff game once.

Darin Erstad - Scrappy first baseman who is a team leader
Jason Phillips - Defies description

Vladimir Guerrero - Great hitter, although very quiet
J.D. Drew - Fragile hitter, wuss, boring.

Steve Finley - All-American guy
Milton Bradley - Epitome of evil

Francisco Rodriguez - Good young closer
Yhency Brazoban - Not very good young closer

The Conventional Wisdom gives the Dodgers an edge only in the position of principal play-by-play man.

In 2002, the Angels were the spunky up-and-comers... now I don't see them as such and so the underdog interest is gone. I'd much rather see the A's make a run for it... though if the Angels are facing off against the Red Sox, Yankees, or Giants, I'd root for them in a heartbeat.

lol

Now that it's us trying to get a ride on their coattails, they're easier to hate.

I thought he played there and that's why he became a coach there.

Cubs, Expos, what's the difference?

Neither the Cubs nor Expos will win a World Series in the lifetime of anybody who is reading this today.

If they get hot against the Padres and DBacks then the NL West could be headed for the briny deep.

From his record it looks like he was a John Olerud-type hitter in the minors, although he wasn't able to replicate that in MLB.

Ya gotta believe!

Since I thought he played for the Expos, I guess my answer would be no.

So he's hurt the Dodgers much more as a manager than he did as a player.

I no longer believe!

I had some pretty good cards, but unfortunately, I drew beards and moustaches on some of them. Also I played games with them, making up rosters and using a die to determine plays.

His study was over the period from 1980-99.

Leadoff singles would score 38.8% of the time.
Leadoff walks would score 39.2% of the time.
Leadoff HBPs would score 39.4% of the time.

There were 56,395 leadoff walks.

There were 4,101 leadoff HBPs.

I found a few other studies and leadoff walks seem to score a wee bit more than leadoff singles.

I think others have further refined the study to see which event is more likely to lead to a multi-run inning.

I also noticed that the Dodgers are 13th in the NL in intentional walks received: 21.

The last place team is Sna Francisco with 16. Last year Barry Bonds received 120 intentional walks.

http://tinyurl.com/dgbll

As expected, McCarver was wrong. There was no significant difference between walks and hits to start an inning that would lead to multiple runs.

Years later after I grew up, I asked him where he got that nugget. "Oh, I just made that up."

He should apply for a job with FOX.

Carlos Beltran and Mike Cameron collided going for a fly ball.

I was thinking about Vin, Ross, Jerry Doggett, and the current crop of Steiner, Monday, Downing and Lyons. It occurred to me maybe I could compare them to major league shortstops I have seen.

Vin brings to mind Ozzie Smith. In his prime Ozzie had astounding range and quickness. In his his prime as a broadcaster Vin had astounding verbal range, plus he had the ability to shift verbal gears so smoothly you could hardly notice he had moved from one topic to the next. Ozzie slowed down at the end of his career and so has Vin. Both Ozzie and now Vin still have remained a shining star right to the end.

Ross and Jerry are in my mind were both excellent broadcasters. In keeping with the shortstop comparison, they bring to my mind Allan Trammel. That is high praise indeed. I could listen to Jerry and Ross and be able to picture in my mind what was happening on the field. It was not as vivid a picture as what I got from Vin, but Vin is in a class by himself.

Sadly, the current crop of Dodger broadcasters other than Vin are among the worst in baseball. Jose Offerman it is the only comparison I can think of. I am sure there are some who will say this is impossible, but I think they are actually worse than Offerman.

Two nights ago I heard Steiner do a pregame interview on XM with Steve Schmoll that made me cringe. I can't give it verbatim, but this will be close:

Steiner says to Schmoll, what did you gain in yout time in Vegas when you were sent down after begining the year in LA. Schmoll tells Steiner he got to work on his focus and concentration. Steiner says don't tell me about focus and concentration, hurumph, hurumph, obviously disgusted by Schmoll's cliches. Poor Steve bumbled through a response that was more gracious than what my response would have been. Steiner is not only inept he is rude. It shows in his interviews and it shows in his play by play.

Last night Steiner started in on a story so vacuous that I don't remember it. Towards the end of his ramble he brought Monday into the act, saying something like, I don't know where I am going with this Mo. Monday said something equally unintelligible and they both sailed off into what passes for play by play on Dodger radio after the third inning.

I agree with Jon, and Eric Enders in his comments on Jon's article on the other website, about Rick Monday. Al Downing I have heard very briefly in some games last year and in a spring training game I heard this year on XM. Not good. I have not heard Steve Lyons on Dodger broadcasts but I have listened to him on Fox national t.v. and he is maybe a step up from Al Downing.

Vin I wish you good health. I wish that not only for you, but also for the ears of all Dodger fans. You and Red have brought a tradition of excellence to the broadcast booth that I fear will be lost when you are gone.

I hope I am wrong.

Stan from Tacoma

1. A Perez, 3B
2. JD Drew, RF
3. M Bradley, CF
4. J Kent, 2B
5. HS Choi/ O Saenz, 1B
6. R Leedee/ J Cruz Jr., LF
7. C Izturis/ O Robles, SS
8. J Phillips/ D Navarro, C
9. Pitcher's spot

This lineup would score a lot of runs because so many people would be on base for Jeff Kent and Milton.

Except for days when the Dodgers lose.

Padres just took the lead 2-1

That line allows for misinterpretation... :)

Leading off: BA/OBP
Robles .319/.390
Izturis .273/.319

It would make too much sense for Tracy to understand. Same reason why Phillips is playing 1st I guess.

Just because.

The A's are starting to rally against Brendan Donnelly. Payton homered and the A's have two on and none out.

http://tinyurl.com/8ez6z

1. Their fans. It seems like the bulk of their fanbase came on in 2002. What % of Angel fans would recognize the significance of the term "California Angels"?
2. Steve Physioc and Rex Hudler. Requires no explanation.
3. The favoritism displayed by the media towards them (ie Finley and Cabrera vs. Drew and Lowe)
4. Two words - Rally Monkey.

Greg Maddux is batting with the bases loaded in Chicago . . .

I would be surprised if Beltran or Cameron played in any games over the weekend.

See the game at:
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/20020614sixfourthree.shtml

Last night's game took forever and matched a third place team and a fourth place team.

Angel bullpen acting like the Dodger bullpen.

Under Contract
JD Drew
Cesar Izturis
Jeff Kent
Ricky Ledee
Wilson Alverez (though supposedly he is going to retire)
Eric Gagne
Derek Lowe
Odalis Perez
Brad Penny

Not Eligible for Arbitration
Antonio Perez
Jason Repko
Yhency Brazobahn
Jonathon Broxton
DJ Houlton
Steve Schmoll

Arbitration Eligible
Milton Bradley
Hee-Seop Choi
Jason Phillips
Jayson Werth
Duaner Sanchez
Kelly Wunsch (I think, though he may be a FA)

Free Agents
Paul Bako
Giovanni Carrera
Jose Cruz Jr.
Elmer Dessens
Darren Driefort (Oh happy Day)
Oscar Robles
Olemedo Saenz
Jose Valentin
Jeff Weaver

Of those on the FA list, only Saenz and Weaver are worth consideration. From what I can see, 1B (somewhat), 2B, SS, RF, CF, C (marginally), 3 (and a half counting Houlton) SP and the bullpen are basically set. If Choi isn't going to play than we need a 1B, a LF (though Werth and Ledee are competent at least) and a starting pitcher for next year. I did not do this in a professional way so there are probably mistakes.

Valentin
ave 179/ops 638

Valentin has to be considered as one of our disappointing FA signings.

The fact that he is batting only .179 this year shouldn't be that surprising since his performance has clearly been regressing every year.

Good news is that we only have 49 more games.

I can't share Angel-hatred with you all. I think they're actually a pretty entertaining team nowadays, and have been for about 10 years, since the Percival/Salmon/Edmonds team emerged to blow, then almost regain, then blow the AL West in '95. Today's team has got some of baseball's great characters, i.e. Guerrero the crazed free swinger with the cannon arm, Anderson, who is quietly the best hitter in the AL over the past decade, the catching Molina brothers, the oddly effective Chone Figgins, the bug-eyed phenom Francisco Rodriquez, and several more over-achievers like Erstad, Kennedy, Shields and Lackey. Colon is the fattest excellent pitcher in baseball. Ervin Santana is high wire act. If they had better radio/TV announcers, Moreno's marketing gambit actually might work, not because of the nomenclature, but because the team has a personality.

I'm a Dodger fan for 35 years, but the team has lacked a personality for God knows how long--generously since they traded Piazza, but really before that. They remind me of the pre-'95 Angels, a way station for some good players, but not a team you could pick out of a lineup.

That's why, subliminally, this group gets most excited in a positive sense when the Jacksonville Suns are the topic of discussion. That seems like the nucleus of a team that will not only succeed, but entertain us. Sheez, the best Suns players already have nicknames! Does anyone on the Dodgers of today have a nickname? One that can be printed in a family newspaper? Other than Gagne, the only player with an appealing personality is Choi--and our manager is trying to bury him!

Frank McCourt and Paul DePodesta are very lucky to have such loyal fans. The Angels, no matter how entertaining, will always be #2 in this market. But...nothing lasts forever. Being a fan needs to be fun again, soon!

Though I agree with the general sentiment of 221.

I can't wait for La Bomb, JtD, The Canadian Mountee of Walks... and Heart, et al to get up here. And I hope.. nay, I EXPECT that there will be Official Dodger Thoughts T-Shirts for all of them.

I know I am not popular in saying this, but the Sheffield Trade (he wanted 3 year extension for 30 million) was pretty bad. An aging hurt guy in Jordan and a above avg at best SP. Meanwhile, Sheff has hit 123HR and 425rbi with an OPS over .930 since.

The Konerko deal was awful too IMO.

Bradley gets to stay on the solar-powered Dodgers, along with Gagne, Choi, Penny, and Kent for his grizzled veteran presence. Otherwise, the only reason we shouldn't promote all of them right now would be if it would hurt their confidence to be exposed to the overpowering talent of the rest of the NL West. Seriously. I'm ready to go into a season with everyone at ESPN and the Times predicting us to finish last because we're playing kids. Do you think our management has this properly calibrated, or are they holding these guys back too long?

How can they pay karros 8 million and me 9 and not give me 10? How can they pay Green 15 million..ah, a classic sheffild rant where he was 100% right AND 100 percent wrong

Manny Ramirez might take issue with that statement.

We had movie execs running the team back then. You don't dis them unless you're Tom Cruise. Their frail egos can't handle it.

"With Eric Chavez batting, Jason Kendall scores on defensive indifference. Bobby Crosby advances to 2nd on defensive indifference. Missed catch error by pitcher Francisco Rodriguez."

When Francisco Rodriguez dropped a simple return throw from his catcher, the Oakland Athletics sneaked into first place all by themselves with perhaps the strangest win anyone had seen in years.

Jason Kendall alertly dashed home from third base with the winning run when Los Angeles' miffed closer flubbed the easy toss, and the A's took sole possession of first in the AL West with a 5-4 come-from-behind victory on Thursday.