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It hasn't been a wonderful thing to be a Dodger named Ross the past few years. Things ended sadly here in the 2004-05 offseason for Mr. Dave and Mr. Porter, and it looked like it would be the same in 2005-06 for Mr. Cody.
Now, everyone's wondering more than ever about the fate of Cody Ross. Not that one magnificent seven-RBI game does a career make (though it's a heck of a moment), but it's hard to argue that Ross isn't more valuable to the Dodgers than one of the seven men in their bullpen. Yet the Dodgers can't stash him in the minors, because he is out of options.
Ross' hot start to the season off the bench for the Dodgers has cemented that he has some trade value. Both he and fellow right-handed outfielder Jason Repko, who were practically waiver bait when Spring Training began, have shown upside. So the Dodgers might try to parlay their April performances and trade one of them for something useful.
However, it should be clear that the category of "something useful" should not include another mediocre relief pitcher. So on the theory that the Dodgers might find no meaningful trade offer, here's what we're looking at:
1) The Dodgers can and should make sure Kenny Lofton is 100 percent and then some before activating him from the disabled list.
2) With more not necessarily being merrier, especially with off days in each of the next two weeks, the 12-man pitching staff should be reduced to 11 once Lofton or Nomar Garciaparra comes off the DL, as Ken Gurnick of MLB.com suggests:
Little said his struggling relievers might be more effective if there were fewer of them pitching more regularly. That could mean optioning to Las Vegas a young reliever like Franquelis Osoria, whose ERA is 12.27 after he allowed a run Thursday.
Even more likely, something could be done with Yhency Brazoban, who is pitching as if the sore shoulder and elbow he battled during Spring Training still aren't sound. He was shut down for two weeks in Florida and might be headed back to the sidelines.
"The guys feel he's not throwing like he's capable of throwing," said Little.
I would add Tim Hamulack, whose 0.00 ERA belies the inherited and unearned runs he has allowed to score, to the list of drop-down candidates.
3) Should Lofton and Garciaparra both somehow become healthy before the next Dodger gets hurt - almost unthinkable, isn't it - first baseman James Loney would probably return to AAA Las Vegas. Unfortunately, that would lead the Dodgers extremely overloaded on the bench with right-handed batters. With a right-handed pitcher starting, Ricky Ledee would be the only left-handed bat on reserve.
So that's the scenario that might force the Dodgers' hand on Ross. But with circumstances changing almost daily, we can cross that bridge when we come to it.
In the meantime, some cold water to toss your way. Ex-Ross manager Jim Tracy wasn't too overwhelmed by the player's hitting display, according to Alan Robinson of The Associated Press:
Pirates manager Jim Tracy said any major league hitter would have liked the two pitches Ross homered on.
"The grand slam was a split-finger pitch by Oliver that sat in the middle of the plate," Tracy said. "The homer off Marte was a first-pitch fastball that was right down the middle. Cody, or anybody else, is going to hit pitches like that."
On a more random note, here are the career stats of the last Ross to hit two home runs in a game for the Dodgers, Dave, since his great day of September 14, 2003: 64 for 311, 10 home runs, 26 walks, .277 on-base percentage, .354 slugging percentage, .631 OPS.
But as Gurnick noted, in the same game Cody Ross hit his last (and first) career home run, also a grand slam, Cody suffered a season-ending knee injury. A three-run home run is a nice alternative to that.
* * *
Playing hurt: Gurnick earlier had a couple of reports about the following walking wounded that should be cause for concern.
(J.D. Drew) hasn't seemed to recover fully from last year's shoulder surgery. He has yet to come close to displaying the power throws that made him one of the better defensive right fielders in the league. ...
Shortstop Rafael Furcal is still occasionally troubled by a sore shoulder he encountered trying to play catch-up this spring while recovering from knee surgery. Furcal said he still feels it on certain throws, especially off his back leg.
Given how Repko and Ross have been hitting, don't look for Drew to get many starts against left-handed pitchers, at least for now. Kind of unusual to platoon an $11 million hitter, but I have to come down in favor of anything that will help Drew physically, that will buy him some time. And again, look for change as soon as the plan stops working.
Meanwhile, Furcal presents another situation of a Dodger compensating for one injury and then coming down with another. Anyone out there endose putting Furcal on the disabled list for 15 days to let him heal, and surviving, however glumly, with Ramon Martinez or Oscar Robles at short for a while?
(Or Joel Guzman? No, I know - that positional ship has sailed.)
* * *
If you're disappointed about Drew's fragility, boy, things could be worse right now. Adrian Beltre and Shawn Green, whose would-have-been Dodger paychecks have instead funded Drew among others, were a combined 8 for 55 (.145) with three walks and one extra base hit, Green's home run Tuesday.
I don't believe Lofton is going to come back this weekend (if he exists at all) and Garciaparra may not be back for even longer.
How much you want to bet that by midseason Repko and/or Ross will be outplaying Lofton, Loney for Garciaparra, and any living catcher for Alomar? Not to mention Billingsley/Tomko. The roster spot/playing time will go to the a) guy playing better, or b) name guy making the money?
What I'm learning is that bad contracts are still bad contracts even if they're only for one year.
I'm not saying I would have signed Nomar and Lofton to be starters at first and center, but I wouldn't have bet that Repko or Ross would be the ones making us question them.
I think this was a nice audition to show what he can do, unfortunately he needs time to develop the things he can't do.
Lord, am I sick of these injuries. I haven't been able to follow the team inning-by-inning like last season because I'm a working man now but I am sick to death of our guys getting hurt. I'm kind of glad we didnt' get Vlad after all because I like him and if he played for us, he would be on his second surgery by now.
I'm just sayin'...
Nomar is hurt and can't play. By definition, Loney is out-producing him.
As for your other point, I'd rather have a young player with "ML-quality defense, and a nice approach at the plate" but needs to develop power, rather than a player with oodles of power but a lousy batting eye and a stone glove.
http://tinyurl.com/qjxzt
Then again, perhaps reading it would help you face down your fear. ;)
Dig Steve Henson's lead: "Cody Ross was blindfolded with a sword in his back prodding him down the plank. He had his hands tied behind his back and no reprieve in sight. He had his name all but typed onto the waiver wire."
You mean the thing that's always on the opposite of the plane that I'm flying on?
After going to Yellowstone (and I'm glad it was after), I read a book called "Death In Yellowstone" which accounts for all the deaths in the park's history. Most of them were people who fell into Lake Yellowstone and either drowned or froze to death, but the one I remember best is the guy whose unknowing dog jumped into a boiling hot spring. He jumped in to rescue Fido and both were immediately burned to death.
Re: the bench/bullpen situation, maybe Saito is supposed to be that other lefthanded bat..?
If you go back and hike it, be sure to go down the Kaibab Trail and up the Bright Angel. The Kaibab is the steeper of the two.
I learned this the hard way back in 1970.
I would think that if Gerut files a grievance about that, he will win.
It's not like most pro athletes are faking injuries like a Californian seeking a worker's comp claim from Dr. Nick Riviera.
Nomar may be over-rated, but he'll outhit Loney this season.
i'm thinking of getting it, obviously, but i'm wondering about how the blackout thing works. i live in syracuse, ny, which is a blackout area for the yankees and mets (which i guess is fine when i'm here, because i can watch it live on tv, but not when i'm visiting my family or in china which i will be for large chunks of the season), and my family lives in orange county. however, their zipcode (92843), which SHOULD probably be in a blackout area for both the angels and dodgers, which would be incredibly inconvenient, is not on the official list of blacked out zipcodes. so should i do my syracuse zipcode and deal with it, or put in 92843 and hope that i've somehow found a loophole in the blackout system? i think i can rig the billing address either way. but if i'm going to be blacked out, i'd rather black out the new york games.
I would try to use the upstate New York ZIP code if you can. Don't they hand out credit cards to college students just for showing up now? I would think some credit card company would preapprove you.
[38] yeah, all my credit cards have billing addresses here in new york, but i could rig something through my parents' if i needed to.
I believe that MLB.com speaks with forked tongue.
I am guessing that Barry will say nothing and his lawyers will say they will not comment on an ongoing investigation.
Heh.
Hm.
no walks in 4IP but 8Ks. nice.
i wonder how hard hes throwing.
hhaha great episode.
i would personally move cabrera to LF.
the marlins can move guzman back to 3b.
abreu- 208
hu- 226
kemp- 242
ruggiano- 200
raglani- 158
dewitt- 194
denker- 174
and everyone on the columbus roster hasnt hit a lick.
the good news is that the only way they can go is up. so they all have that going for them.
it was dollar beer night
2 brothers fought over a ball like it was life or death.
Jered Weaver looked really sharp at times. He had guys fooled really badly.
It might be saying there is little market for ex-Tracey Coaches..
Carter and Westervelt are having nice starts, too bad they aren't 3 years younger
i agre, laroche has done well, especiall in controlling the strike zone, i find that more important and impressive then the power. Jax stadium kills laroche's power. he sucked there last year as well. Most of laroche's fly balls die out in left center to right center.
was broxton throwing other pitches besides the fb? how did they look? sharp?
Meanwhile, I'm sorry but what a jerk Jim Bowden is. Here's his quote after yesterday's game: "'We're not going to sit here and watch another 10 games like the 10 games we've already had,' Bowden said by phone after yesterday's game. 'We have to right the ship. They have to right the ship. And if they don't, then we can release guys, we can trade guys. We'll do what it takes to get better.'" (bolded word was italicized in the paper). I find this sabre-rattling totally obnoxious. Later in the article (this is from the main game story at washingtonpost.com), he moans about how guys are out of options and the team is "boxed in." Gosh, how could that have happened?
Tony Kornheiser read that quote on his radio show today and then said (very close paraphrase), "You want to do what it takes to get better? Leave. That'll make the team better right away."
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