Nicely put. I too had an odd emotional reaction to the play. On the one hand, it seemed like a perfect opportunity to develop Choi and give him an at bat against a left-hander. On the other hand, Tracy at least made the move that gave his team the best chance at winning. Phillips' OPS vs lefties this year is .809, Choi's is .771

So while it's easy to blame Tracy for taking an at bat from a player whose ability ceiling is still undecided and instead giving it to Phillips, it's somewhat difficult for me to blame a manager for playing to win, even when winning isn't goal #1.

I guess that makes Tracy hard-headed while also making me wonder even more if he and Depo are on the same page. If a season is over yet a manager makes in-game moves that take away from the developing players (even if it's only 1 at bat), it shows discord between what should be happening and what is.

I don't care at all about the chance it gave the team for winning. I don't want Tracy to throw the game, but it was a questionable move even for the moment, and especially for the long term.

But ultimately, it was just one moment, and not enough, I've decided, to get hung up on.

Jon, you're a hell of a writer. It's been a pleasure reading your long pieces. You're a smart analyst, but when you set the scene like this, I think you're at your best.

I'm a Choi agnostic now. I would've liked to see him bat, and use that great eye of his to draw a walk if he couldn't get the hit. But Phillips did the job for a change, so I was happy for him too. Today's game made me think good thoughts about the current Dodger team, especially the guys who had no reason to think they'd be part of it. They weren't very good, but they never gave up, and on those rare occasions when things went well, it was almost more satisfying. If Gary Sheffield hits a home run against the Red Sox, well, that's what he's paid for. But when it's Oscar Robles, hitting a home run for the Dodger that ties a game against the Giants, that's a moment. We were one hit like that short in a lot of our games this year. That one hit was the difference between the men and the boys, I guess. But it's to their credit that this crew got that close so frequently.

You would think by now, with all the people calling for Tracy's head because of the Choi situation, Tracy would at least give Choi more opportunities to go against left-handers (or to even play in general). While we can't say Choi completely wasted an important year of his development away, he has pretty much done that in my opinion. Sitting on the bench for 5, 6 consecutive games gives you nothing to work off of when trying to improve. It's a shame too, because he's got the power and potential to be great. It's just dissapointing to see Tracy waste that away. I don't see the situation changing next season if Tracy is still at helm. In my opinion, DePodesta, not having done anything to change the situation, is made to look rather weak. Choi is his guy. We all know DePodesta probably wants to play Choi more than Phillips. And he should do something about it.

It's one thing that Tracy doesn't see value in getting Choi extra ab's in meaningless games. But you'd think the fact that he's a fan favorite would factor in when he's got Myrow ahead of him on the depth chart.

Choi Pre break:
.776 OPS (243 pa's)

Choi Post break:
.836 OPS (102 pa's)

Garret Anderson would love to have those numbers.

If anyone is interested in their own Losers Dividend, I've got 2 infield loge seats for the Tues and Weds games. Email me at bigcpa@gmail.com.

I've always found myself attracted to watching these late season games. A lot of it is because I keep score and I like to see all the unfamiliar names when I look back at my scorebook.

Guys who never made it, guys who weren't famous yet. It's all fun.

The last four home games are unlikely to have any bearing whatsoever on the pennant race. The DBacks are still mathematically alive (who would have thought that at the beginning of the year?), but they likely won't be hanging on for long.

Despite the fact that I could have been watching a first place team on TV (the Angels), I just couldn't bring myself to pay much attention to the game. And it's likely that come a week from Tuesday or Wednesday (whenever the Angels start their series), I will be rooting hard for them, I still cared whether or not Willie Aybar could reach base in a 2-2 game.

The last couple of games I've been to were pretty nice as well, but for different reasons. The big comeback a couple of Wednesdays ago against the Giants was one of the better games I have been to this season.

My buddy, myself, and the guys in front of us were ragging on Mike Edwards (between us, not "out loud") throughout the whole game and of course, he had to come up with the game on the line. I was happy for Edwards that he was able to have a moment like that.

Friday nights game was fun too, but for different reasons. The fireworks were great and the atmosphere was pretty laid back. On top of that (TMI warning), I took a great girl to the game.

Going to games that don't matter can be kind of fun. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade it for either of the playoff games that I attended last year. Just going and enjoying the game, no matter the outcome is kind of fun.

"expecters (expectants? expectationers?"

As long as it's not expectorants.

Lovely bit of writing, Jon.

If you like games like this, you guys ought to try college baseball. Sitting at Les Murakami Stadium watching a game with Diamond Head over the left-centerfield fence is a joy.

As long as I'm in here, lemme share my most recent Internet fixation:

http://www.librarything.com

Bob ought to like it; catalog your collection using LC data you don't have to type yourself.

#8,Eric, I agree going to baseball games is fun. I think way too much time is spent (and I will include myself in this criticism) obsessing about who the manager should play or which free agent should be acquired rather than actually going to the ballpark and seeing the remarkable plays that major league players make.

As a baseball fan I can say the older you get the better it gets. I can look down at the field and see players today and remember the guys I saw as a kid. In one of my posts I mentioned that Aybar kind of reminded me of Jim Gilliam. Aybar is a little taller but he is a switch hitter, a good fielder and he has a line drive stroke, all the things I remember about Gilliam. I have yet to see anyone who reminds me of Sandy, but maybe Logan White is looking around as I am typing this. I wish him luck. And even though he was a Giant and I am not a Giant fan, if Logan White uncovers a Willie Mays, I won't object to seeing him with the Dodgers.

Stan from Tacoma

Liked the post and Stan's comment about Abyar and Jim Gilliam is interesting, somehow he reminds me a lot more of an original mod squader Ted Sizemore. Sizmore was not a switch hitter. As I was listening to the game in SF on my computer, I was only wishing that Vinny would have been doing the whole game on radio.

While I know there was a collective, "I can't believe he is doing this" from almost every DT reader, the pinch hitting of Choi, by Tracy with Mr. Phillips illustrates a problem that many on DT, myself included have never fully accepted. Tracy was never called out by DePo becasue McCourt doesn't have the money and didn't have it to make a serious move when key players were injured. In my mind this is why Tracy will not be fired next year even if DePodesta wants Tracy to play CHoi more.

11 Tracy was never called out by DePo becasue McCourt doesn't have the money and didn't have it to make a serious move when key players were injured.

Were there expensive, good players for sale in June and July? I don't recall that there were.

The treasury DePo didn't want to tap wasn't McCourt's money vault, it was Logan White's talent bank.

Phillips' OPS vs lefties this year is .809, Choi's is .771

those two numbers aren't particularly far apart for one, and choi's sample size is a hefty 27 at-bats. plus, it's kind of not the point. we already know more than we need to know about phillips. the game's outcome itself is meaningless now; let's let choi bat against lefties.

i was at the game and when that play was shaping up my buddy and i looked at eachother and both said "theres no way choi hits if they leave the lefty in"

and we continued to think about tracy not being in sync with the kind of players depo is bringing in...tracy manages games well, but cant or doesnt want to understand the GM's philosophy. so if your manager doesnt get the direction of the gm, who has to budge?

im thinking that tracy will head to pgh or cin and depo will push to bring ron washington in to take over. just a thought.

9 If you like games like this, you guys ought to try college baseball. Sitting at Les Murakami Stadium watching a game with Diamond Head over the left-centerfield fence is a joy.

I'm thinking sitting anywhere you can see Diamond Head in the background is pretty good, so if you add some baseball it becomes heaven. Most of the live games I see are AAA, and they have a similar feel to them. If the home team wins, great, but it's more about watching players develop, trying to figure out which ones will go on. I will say, though, that given a choice I pick Honolulu over Pawtucket any day.

http://www.librarything.com

Bob ought to like it; catalog your collection using LC data you don't have to type yourself.

Sounds like a busman's holiday for me. I just put my books on shelves until they don't fit. Then I throw away old ones.

Rosenthal:

The emergence of rookie Ryan Zimmerman makes Nationals third baseman Vinny Castilla a candidate to be traded. Castilla, 38, could be a fit for the Dodgers or Padres, but he ranks eighth in on-base/slugging percentage among the 10 National League third basemen who qualify for the batting title. Chances are, he won't be worth the $3.2 million he is guaranteed in 2006. ...

Really? You don't think?

Perhaps I can join Steve in the self-immolation.

If Vinny Castilla's playing for the Dodgers, that means Pat Gillick has taken over as GM.

I love it when writers think out loud, but leave the rejected/foolish thought on the page. And then I even love more editors who don't notice. Hey, what about this: "A good choice for the Dodgers would be to bring back their perenniel All-Star Gil Hodges at first base. Of course, he might not be available, since he died in the early 70s."

Well, the rumor here is that Gillick is a likely candidate to replace Bowden. What exactly did the people of Washington do to deserve such a thing? (Put your hand down, Bob, let one of the other kids have a turn . . .)

Do you think Jon will be able to enjoy his loser's dividend at his next game (should he be able to squeeze one more in) where he's struggling to get back to .500 for the season?

20 Really? I heard the job might go to "Mikey" Brown.

22 No, he's in for field manager.

And by the way that "rumor" is just the horsiest of horse apples. There's no owner and no one has a clue. But the articles always seem to mention Cashman, Josh Towers, and/or Pat Gillick based on nothing it seems more than availability and some or other tie to the region.

23 If you can hang on til 2009, Bush can come in as GM. I've always thought that's the job he really wanted, not this heavy load of presidentin'.

His first move: Trade for Sammy Sosa.

#20, Sam, what is wrong with Gillick? He put together a terrific club in Toronto, despite a meddlesome owner he did the same in Baltimore, and he was on board for the best team Seattle has ever seen.

Stan from Tacoma

But Gillick did nothing with the Mariners in 2002 while the rest of the AL West thundered on past Seattle.

It's a beautiful day for a story on a traffic report sounder, for a story on a traffic report sounder today.

http://tinyurl.com/938dl

The writer left out in the story that NBC used G, E, and C in their chimes because it was for a GE Corporation (GEC) sponsored-program.

No link for the sounder .wav? What a shame, and a missed opportunity for the Times Web folks.

The NL West champion this year could have as few as 78 wins. Or as many as 84 wins.

More Rosenthal:

"The team's questionable chemistry will lead to a roster turnover and probably a change in manager..."

hmmmm...which team could Rosenthal be talking about? The Pirates? The Devil Rays? The Reds? The only team he could not ever certainly be talking about is the Florida Marlins, to whom the Dodgers traded not only all their chemistry, but several National League East division championships.

Warning: Only the first 50,000 fans to Thursday's game will get Jeff Kent bobbleheads.

So don't get shut out....

If you get the NY Times national edition at home, have you noticed that the paper seems to think it is Boston's hometown paper? On page one of SportsMonday, the Red Sox' win over Baltimore gets a huge spread--right underneath the story of the Patriots' win over the Steelers. (The Eagles also make page one.) The Yankees, Mets and Jets are all inside. They didn't even see fit to put Bernie Williams' possible last game in New York on the front page--the guy who will leave the Yankees fourth in total hits behind Gehrig, Ruth and Mantle.

Does the New York Times have Boston envy?

Just noticed the A's and the Giants are in precisely the same situation this morning--four games back, starting a four-game series against the first place team.

The NY Times owns the Boston Globe. And it probably sells a lot of copies in Connecticut too.

32
Making a bobblehead out of one of the least favorite Dodgers in team history is brilliant. I'm surprised they didn't realize a 20th Anniversary Niedenfuer edition this year.

I doubt Jeff Kent is one of the least favorite Dodgers ever. I could probably list 20 guys whom Dodgers fans dislike more in the past 10 years.

34 And its Northern Cal trailers v Southern Cal leaders. I'd love to see the As make one more run. I guess I'd rather have the Padres from the NL West, but I find it really hard to care much.

Meanwhile, forecasted rain threatens to reschedule my rain game tonight. I will be annoyed in the extreme if, after sitting at the stadium for 3 hours through one soaking and eventually fatal rain delay, and after juggling life to get free to get up to Balt for the rescheduled game tonight, it then gets moved to an afternoon this week and I can't go at all.

37
I'm including his pre-Dodger popularity (or lack thereof).

36 -- Erickson Bobblehead night?

35 I thought it might be because a high % of NY Times readers went to Harvard.

I grew up in Stamford in the populous Fairfield County, and we considered ourselves a suburb of New York, rooting for NY teams.

It looks like the Dodgers will have no rainouts this year. I believe there is a chance of rain here in L.A. tonight or tomorrow, but I doubt it would rain hard enough to postpone a game.

I don't even think the Dodgers have had a game delayed by rain once the game started this year and had one game in Denver have its start delayed for a few minutes.

42
I also don't think the Dodgers played any doubleheaders, did they? I kinda miss the days when "playing two" was written into the schedule.

36, 39 - Jeff Kent has never been a significant Dodger villain. He played a few years for the Giants, but his name is not linked to any key moments in the rivalry. He'll never be the most popular Dodger either, but he's the team's MVP this year and always gets cheered in his home park - it would be odd not to consider him for a season-ending bobblehead (as these considerations go).

The analogy with Niedenfuer doesn't track at all.

I think Jeff Kent has been exemplary. I hope we keep him for '06.

I'm staring at my Cesar Izturis bobblehead right now. He seems to be favoring his right elbow.

39 - Given his rivalry with the much-hated Bonds when he was a Giant, your feelings on Kent can be summarized on how you complete this sentence:

"The enemy of my enemy is my..."

46 Does he look like he's thinking about trying to steal?

The Dodgers last doubleheader was 9/27/2003 in San Francisco.

The Dodgers split.

The Dodgers last doubleheader at Dodger Stadium was on 7/22/1999 against Colorado, but that was a day-night doubleheader, which in the record books, doesn't count as a doubleheader. (The Rockies won both games.)

The last "2 for the price of 1" doubleheader at Dodger Stadium was on July 8, 1992 against Montreal. The Dodgers split that day. That was not caused by rain.

The last scheduled doubleheader was on September 17, 1987 against Cincinnati. Another split. That was necessitated by Peter O'Malley wanting to clear the stadium for use by Pope John Paul II for a Mass.

Instead of a Jeff Kent bobblehead... why not a Jim Tracy Action Statue?

23
Josh Towers is a good pitcher and has a helluva mouth on him, but I'm not sure what his other qualifications for a GM position are...

A talking Jim Tracy doll with the pull string in the back would be fun.

"Bad arm angles today"
"Put them in a position to succeed"
"Robles in the 3-spot sounds good"
"Give the bunt sign to JD"
"I think Weaver still has something left"
"Give Izturis the green light"

Great post today Jon. Related, but unrelated, topic: I was wondering the other day why minor league teams do things like platooning and bringing in a LHP to face a LHB.

If these are the proving grounds for the major leagues, don't you want your young LH hitters to get as MANY at bats against LHP as possible, for learning purposes? etc etc. Why do minor league managers manage like major league managers, when doing exactly the opposite would better suit the organization's goals?

37 - They could have a Tom Goodwin bobblehead - it only works when the Dodger uniform is removed.

D'oh -- so what's Epstein's assistant's name that is kind of like that -- I'm off to look it up but I'm guessing you'll beat me.

Meanwhile, an "action statue" doesn't sound too fun to me.

I think the item in #54 would only work if the baseball uniform is removed.

Wait, I didn't mean it to sound like that... Eh, you know what I mean.

51, 55 Josh Byrnes, Red Sox Assistant GM.

My Norihiro Nakamura bobblehead doll on my desk still has its face turned away. It won't be turned around to face forward unless he goes back to Japan or somehow makes it back to the majors.

You should see the glove launcher on my Duaner Sanchez.

55
I thought you meant Kevin Towers, who is not Epstein's assistant but whom Epstein used to be an assistant to.

The Boston asst's name is Josh Byrnes.

47
Sorry guy, but I don't like either Bonds or Kent. Call me crazy.

57, 60 How old do you have to be to be Theo Epstein's assistant?

I don't know, how old is Bill James?

61

So would you have tossed back the 1956 NL pennant because Sal Maglie was on the Dodgers?

Or the 1963 World Series because Leo Durocher was a coach?

64
What's wrong with Leo Durocher? He was a longtime Dodger shortstop and pennant-winning manager before he ever stained his uniform orange. If anyone, it's the Giants fans who should hate him, not us.

64
My dislike of Kent preceded his stint with the Gnats. I don't subscribe to the belief that one is required to like all players on one's favorite team.

53 My guess would be that most minor league managers are hoping to one day be major league managers, so they want to show that they can do all of the things major league managers do that annoy us so much.

If Saddam Hussein could hit 40 HRs for the Dodgers and play a solid third base, I'd like him.

68
Nothing like having a weapon of mass destruction at the hot corner.

I wasn't suggesting that D4P had to like Kent at all. I was just saying that Kent was far from the least popular Dodger in history.

Announcer: Now playing left field for the San Francisco Giants, Mahatma Ghandi!

Icaros: Boo, Ghandi.

Icaros is not unlike Bart Simpson with his desire to go to the big Krusty the Klown Spectacular. "I'd go with Satan himself!"

70
Perhaps he is not among the least popular Dodgers in history, but you have to admit (don't you?) that it's a sad day for Dodgerdom when Jeff Kent is the best bobblehead candidate on the roster. I never thought I'd see that day.

71 LOL. Oh yeah, I'd boo the hell out of Ghandi if he were a Giant.

73 Could be worse. Could be Daryl Strawberry coke-head day.

73 Well, if DT could pick the bobblehead, I'm sure his initals would be HSC.

76
H S C!
H S C!
H S C!

So who is Ghandi? :-)

As Jerry Seinfeld has said, "We're just cheering for laundry!"

77 His head could bobble in time with the chant.

73 - That's fine, but that's an entirely different point than you were making earlier, when you were sarcastically calling it a "brilliant" move.

I don't need a Jeff Kent bobblehead to tell me this hasn't been a good year.

76 - No, RJR.

Could be worse. Could be Daryl Strawberry coke-head day.

That depends, if his head were filled with real coke, it could be the Most Wonderful Day at the Ballpark Ever, until the inevitable comedown.

Or Eric Davis M-80 day...

No, RJR.

I think he's more your favorite than anyone else's. You two have something special.

The rest of us really love our little 10-year-old Hee Seop.

80
I meant no offense, Jon. It just seems to me (and evidently I'm alone in this) that choosing Kent for a bobblehead indicates being somewhat out of touch with the fans. But maybe I'm wrong.

83 - Well, I haven't entirely ceded control of DT to the masses. Have I? Have I?

Plus, R.J. is a uniter, not a divider.

Will Kent's mustache have its own bobble?

84 - No offense taken, whatsoever.

Could be worse. Could be Daryl Strawberry coke-head day.

Reminds me of my Halloween 04 plan of buying a Strawberry throwback Mets jersey and throw baby powder all over myself. After finding out that the jersey would cost a few hundred dollars, I reconsidered.

Bad promotion days:

Steak Knives day!
Lawn Dart day!
Rosin bag day!
Pine tar day!

I've been out of it... but who's RJR?

88 - throw..ing =)

85 Are you comparing Hee Seop to Woody Woodpecker? Is that why your dentist didn't invite him to