At least for today.

But a lineup without Kent or Drew will be downright depressing.

15 - Hmm. Wonder if he's sore.

(And I'm glad Navarro is catching...)

Paul Konerko leads off with a double in the second and what does Jermaine Dye do next? He grounds out to third.

So sad. An unproductive out.

The White Sox are doomed.

I still dont know what happens after Junior shoots him.

SOPRANOS!!!!SPOILER

How terrible will that lineup be if they trade Kearns and Griffey gets hurt?

* a "jumping the shark" joke. Never mind me.

Then they can have two Aarons starting.

The more I hear about Eric Gagne, the more confused I become. The Dodgers' spin on the surgery is perhaps predictably the most positive one: that the peripheral sensory nerve that was cut in the half-hour operation will necessitate a four- to six-week recovery before he returns as a still-dominant closer. Allowing that the nerve loss won't affect his pitching motion--and I'll agree that it wouldn't seem to--I'm still not getting all the facts to add up here. Gagne had a neuroma (a benign tumor) on the nerve, and it was removed during the half-hour surgery. How did this just now start hurting? My best source says that Gagne only experienced the pain once he started throwing at 100%, something that only happened about two weeks ago. If we call this surgery a minor complication of last June's elbow surgery, Gagne's essentially at the same point as many people coming back from Tommy John surgery, without the nominal certainty those survivors have. He'll need all of those four to six weeks to return, if only to build up arm strength; certainly not to recover from the surgery, which was minimally invasive. Was his reduced velocity in spring training the result of the pain from the neuroma? That's less clear, much like Gagne's future.

*

18, 19 oops on kent.

that came back quickly to haunt mr duke...

--=-=

Wow, triple by Cody Ross - break up the Rossmeister!

...A nice play?

Let's go to Eddie Murray for an in-game interview:
"Eddie, what's the deal?"
" "
"Eddie? Eddie? Eddie? .... We seem to be having some technical difficulty."

"Speaking of Pippen: Can you think of an appropriate Hall of Famer in another sport who is comparable to Pippen? Not that Scottie wasn't a great sidekick on some great teams, but no way does he go the Hall without Jordan.

Michael Wilbon: James Worthy? Is the dynamic between Stockton and Malone different? Is that more 50-50? Last I checked, Jordan played with the Bulls before Pippen and with the Wizards after Pippen and had no real team success either time. And Pippen, remember, did reach the Western Conference finals, and Game 7 at that, with Portland when he did not have Jordan. We know Jordan, clearly, was the greater player. But I don't think that relationship was 80-20 or even 70-30...65-35??? 60-40? I don't know how to quantify it."

63 No complaints about Repko here. I like what he's done so far and if he keeps it up, as a Repko basher, I'll stand corrected.

Let's not bring Choi into this, please. It's a silly exercise.

=-=-
63 I don't think there are any Repko bashers in this particular msg thread at the moment...

=-=-=-

Damn, another stolen base off Odalis. Sigh.

However, I'll take it while we can get it. I just hope the inevitable decrease in runs produced can be countered with some more effective pitching from some of our starters (let's hope penny's night last night can carry over to our friend odalis). And, as Jon pointed out here in a recent post, an increase in extra bases/home runs would be very nice.

but... I'll definitely take the runs we are getting while they keep coming...

Have I wandered to the wrong site somehow? Is this, or is this not, Dodger Thoughts, where we give you all-Choi all-the-time?

:)

Yeah, but in this case, it was Tracyball. Nothing you can do about that.

I do not think we can blame anyone for not expecting that.

Which is a real radio station in South Carolina BTW.

The Suns pen has been dominant as I predicted, allowing 3 runs in 23.2 IP, striking out 25. TJ Nall has given up 2 of the runs (although has 8 of the K's)

Btw, I don't expect the Repko Express to continue at this pace either, but it's obvious that Mota did indeed help him in the off season and that when Lofton comes back (for all our doubts about him) that a Lofton-Repko platoon should be more than adequate.

Meanwhile, there's Chris Duffy.

His defense is still an adventure, however.

And Repoke has the tough half of the cycle out of the way!

Somebody check that boy's locker for the syringes.

Yikes.

The way he looks at the plate right now suggests an improvement, but I'll still be surprised if he gets his average over .260. Remember how long it took before we discovered that yes, Mike Edwards does stink?

Since it's too late anyways, can we clear up whether the no-jinxing rule applies to cycles?

Izturis just missed a double:
DODGERS 7TH: HENDERSON BATTED FOR BROWN; Henderson struck out;
Izturis singled to center [Izturis out at second (center to
shortstop)]; Lo Duca grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 3, Diamondbacks 3.

He's been kidnapped and (at least temporarily) replaced by Jason "In play, run-scoring play" Repko.

Sir, I'm afraid I have some bad news. Your test results are back.

You have Choi.

No.

Ergo, Furcal is the better fielder.

I think there may be a logical fallacy in there somewhere.

Q.E.D.

maybe when martin starts hitting in vegas.

More details to come.

Btw, pitcher Joel Hanrahan did it for the 51s in the minors...

We are still at Condition Yellow.

And he hit one from each side of the plate too.

Babe Herman hit for the cycle three times, which is the major league record.

Modern era pitchers who may have done it (or not) could include Mike Hampton?

1. 4 HRs
2. 3 HRs and any other basehit
3. 2 HRs and a single/double, single/triple, double/double, double/triple, triple/triple

should all count as the "cycle" because the hitter/runner could have chosen to stop at the necessarily bases in order to make it a "cycle." Why, for example, should a "single/double/triple/homerun" be given more acclaim than a "double/double/triple/homerun"?

C

But given that a hitter already has a 2B, 3B, and HR, why would it be "cooler" if he then hits a single than if he hits a 2B, 3B, or HR?

When players hit for the cycle, it's not often they go 4 for 4.

We don't do these things because they are easy. We do them because they are hard.

They have hit three today.

I'm all for enthusiasm, but not blind enthusiasm.

In the old days, Abreu would have been given credit for a double (or a single if the runner was on third).

For a brief period, the Lords of Baseball retroactively changed a bunch of these plays to home runs. Then a couple years later, they went back and reversed themselves. The main reason for this was to not give Babe Ruth credit for an additional home run.

However, during a long period of Babe Ruth's career, balls that bounced over the fence were home runs, not doubles.

It is believed that Ruth had no bounce home runs.

Baez is a stud. He saved like 50 games for Tampa Bay last year. Kuo is lights out. Carter is solid. We just need one of Brazoban or Osorio to step up.

-=-=-=

Btw, I like Jerry Reuss so far. Rick Monday and "play by play" continues to strike me as oxymoronic.

Jon -- good piece but you forgot the part where Tracy asks himself questions about the relationship in the third person.

its not negativity. Its trying to be realistic.

The decision to bring in Brazo was a mistake. He cannot be brought into close games right now. Kuo should've started the inning at the very least.

Reuss has made Monday quite a bit more tolerable, from what I've heard so far. And that's no mean feat.

Seriously, I think too much is made of the way Tracy talks. Of all the things that grew to bother me with him, that barely registers.

Look, I like the offense the team has shown so far (especially today's power surge, which hopefully won't totally disappear over the coming games). Keep in mind we've played against two of the worst pitching staffs in baseball, though, and that even teams that start 12-2 can finish with a resounding -thud- so a 3-3 (4-3, one hopes) start is nothing to overly crow about.

Let the players get into a groove, and let's get the season rolling a bit before outrageous predictions (didn't we learn our lesson last year?). I'm not saying the team can't win 90 games. I'm saying I won't promise that as a fact 7 games in.

If superstitions worked everyone in baseball would be a good player.

... There's a rhyming joke in there somewhere but I'm neither courageous nor clever enough to make it.

265 - given Loney's injury history, shouldn't we be looking at that as using Saenz as injury protection for Loney?

Or bring in Hamulack, either way.

(I'm done, but I couldn't resist - channeling Steve, I guess)

Anyhow, How bout dem Dodgers?

Oh, you mean there's a baseball game on today? Who knew?

Newbie: "I've included the bacon, turkey, cheese, and veggies, but I think I'm forgetting something."
Supervisor: "Let's see here...bacon, turkey, cheese, and veggies...Ahh yes, I see the problem."

"It's ham you lack."

Between Manuel, Tracy, and Little, it's been a long weekend.

299 - explain?

Matt Capps his inning by eliciting a GIDP off the bat of Loney. Barring an awful outing by the rest of the Dodgers bullpen, this game is won.

Strange.

So much for Tracy's matchup-stats - think he'll sit tomorrow?

http://www.internetpulse.net/

As opposed to allowing their butts to be stapled to the pine.

The Pirates need all they help they can get.

Man, you should see what his liver looks like by now.

And we're losing Frank, back to back to walks to open the eighth by Majewski.

Anybody feel like reviving the ol' Ghame Over hopes?

On another note, the Dodgers have been outhit 13-11, but are winning by 5. Considering their power struggles before today, that would have seemed almost unfathomable before gametime.

Review here:
http://tinyurl.com/l6hb5

And... not a good start.

343 Thus the nickname "psycho"?

-_-

He's on both my fantasy teams, so I need him to be healthy.

So is the killer tomato, today has been a good day.

Not the first confession made today.

nice win. I'll take it. even nicer that it was over Tracy. Would love for JD Drew tomorrow to knock a few out of the park in trace's honor...

358 -- More like beer o'clock here on the east coast.

Do they hafta?

Speaking of the Redbirds, Juan Encarnacion is 4-for-23 with no XBH or RBI, and he has left 20 runners on base during the Cardinals first six games. I've seen him on TV twice with the bases loaded, and he grounded out to second on a feeble swing with a 2-0 count and struck out on a breaking pitch that was out of the strike zone

Oh, wait...

or should that be "ifno"?

I'd agree that Ludlum (who started as a screenwriter) could have done it better.

It's laughable how bad the Dodgers' announcers are (except Vin Scully). I can't wait for spring break, so I can listen to these clowns.

If Repko can hit at a decent clip the rest of the year (at least .270), I'd much rather have him in the lineup than Lofton, especially if Repko is going to hit 7th or 8th.

384 -- I agree.

I am reading Freakanomics right now, very interesting book.

Jose Guillen, 3 pitch strikeout. 0-5. Nationals 3-5 hitters shooting for 0-15.

That's what I always thought about Stephen King too. Until I stopped reading him 20 years ago.

Naturally, there are glorious exceptions.

According to AP, Tracy is only the fifth ex-Dodger manager the Dodgers have played against since 1900. Stengel, Durocher, Dressen and a guy named Ned Hanlon are the others.

What does that say about Dodger managers? That no one else wants them when we're through with them?

His "prose" is the most boring, tepid crap I've read since I read "See Spot Run" back in preschool.

You mean the guy in the Hall of Fame?

Tsk, tsk.

Hanlon managed to the Dodgers to their worst season ever: 48-104 in 1905.

http://tinyurl.com/oes8z

Yesterday was also Jay's fifth anniversary blogging.

As for authors who write books with ending that suck, I'll cast my vote for Dean Koontz.

23-17 NL Central
16-14 NL West
16-15 AL Central
15-15 AL East
13-14 AL West
11-19 NL East

Outside the division records:
10-4 NL Central
8-6 NL West
4-3 AL Central
6-6 AL East
6-7 AL West
6-14 NL East

"One-and-7 obviously isn't the way you want to start," Tracy said. "But the (Dodgers) team I managed last year started 12-2 and we won 71 games. So it's not a large enough sample size of games. It doesn't mean this is the kind of team we're going to be for the next six months."

If we had been playing well and been in a position to be 1-7, that would be cause for concern.

I can't for the life of me figure out what that means.

Little confirmed that, beyond substitute closer Danys Baez, he hasn't figured out who's who or what's what with his relievers.

"If someone gets batters out, he's a long man," said Little. "And if he doesn't, he's a short man."

I saw him first!

Good grief.

Meanwhile, Giants fans up here in SF are already feeling pretty cocky about their team (he says, using the relatively small sample size of two co-workers) - can Houston slow down their "juggernaut"? Can the Dodgers win the series at home? Stay tuned.

Hopefully, he's talking about how long a pitcher might be the "closer"? (ie, long term versus short term)?

Unfortunately, I think it's some weird statement about how a pitcher might end up as a LOOGY or a ROOGY. Except, if you can't get batters out, why are you on the staff?

I feel brain cells dying.....

You'd think so, wouldn't you?

Jim Tracy, Bill Parcells.

Bill Parcells, Jim Tracy.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

http://www.dailynews.com/ci_3692441

When they task aerial drones to blowing up anybody doing the speed limit in the left lane, I'm going to move there.

Trying to broaden my audience.

They will start on April 15.

Yeah, I figure that's what he means, but how could a team play well and lose 6 of 7? That's some Ziggy-level bad luck.

It could certainly happen against a great opponent. But who is it the Pirates have opened the season against?

I need a ruling from the judges. Does this qualify as irony?

I have a headache. And the cure is not Jim Tracy.

http://tinyurl.com/omdej

http://tinyurl.com/j6skj

Now that's somewhat ironic behavior from a first-pitch thrower. I'm guessing Keaton is not invited back for Pittsburgh Hollywood Stars Night.

More at-bats for Jon Lovitz, Tony Danza and Jonathan Silverman!

I used to be one of those "Who's to say what's normal?" types. Then I realized that normal is just the majority, so it can be quantified.

What people should ask is, "Who's to say what's right?"

I think he miss spoke. He ment, "And if he doesn't, he's a short timer."

Thank you for some sanity.

Makes me actually appreciate Rick Monday (yipes)

Verlander, the rookie pitcher for Detroit was very impressive. He was throwing 91 to 98 mph with a great change and a very good curve ball.

452 I'll check 'em out next time I have insomnia. Sounds safer than taking ambien.

The video mentioned in 456 is hilarious, although I always liked RBI2 better than the original.

2. If you've been out of the house or at work all day and a game is played during that time, will you try not to find out the score, or will you find out the score and only watch it if the team wins? I'm of the later school (hate to be tortured unnecessarily) and only watch if the team has won. Does this make me a bad person? My wife thinks I'm strange.

Of course, Harold Eckert is attempting to lose the current game after replacing Stults

One was Bill McGunnigle, who led the Dodgers to consecutive pennants in different leagues and then got let go in favor of John Ward.

The next year McGunnigle took over in midseason in ... Pittsburgh.

Ward lasted two years with Brooklyn and then moved on to manage the Giants.

So of the former Dodger managers who went on to manage against the Dodgers, four of them (Ward, Hanlon, Stengel, and Durocher) are in Cooperstown.

And then there's Jim Tracy, who did at least win a divisional title.

aybar 0-5 k
ethier- 1-3 3b, bb
guzman- 2-5 k
young- 1-5 2k
martin- 2-4 2b, k

stults- 5IP 4h 1er 0bb 7k
broxton- 1ip 0h 0er 0bb 2k

Is Broxton at 2ip 1h 0er 0bb 5k ?

the hit was a ground single up the middle.

What 474 said. How old is that rumor anyway?

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Apr-10-Mon-2006/sports/6789443.html