How similar is the Value Added Batting Runs to what you were trying to do with the impact of home runs? I wonder if they are related and could serve as a model for your stat.

just a thought, but now I need to actually go and read up on the value added batting run stat to begin with...

How similar is the Value Added Batting Runs to what you were trying to do with the impact of home runs? I wonder if they are related and could serve as a model for your stat.

just a thought, but now I need to actually go and read up on the value added batting run stat to begin with...

and now for the hat trick... (sorry)

For those of you with Prospectus accounts, you may want to check out the Prospectus Matchups articles today. Near the end, there's a section about teams that got the highest/lowest percentage of production from their "starters." Last years LA team had the 5th lowest for in the last 40 years or so. What it says:

.558: 2005 Los Angeles Dodgers (71-91; 4th in National League West)
Injuries unraveled this lineup from nearly top to bottom with only Jeff Kent staying healthy or competent long enough to get the minimum 502 plate appearances in. Eighteen players had at least 100 plate appearances as the Dodgers scrambled to patch a broken outfield. At least they have that rock of lineup stability now, Nomar Garciaparra.

1 Not at all similar. VABR doesn't care about the context of the hits, in fact, it goes out of its way to eliminate context.

Submitted without comment:

http://proxy.espn.go.com/mlb/sportsnation/ratings?lpos=spotlight&lid=tab1pos2

Hee Seop has 6.6 VABR in 60 pa's. :(

6 JT: a martyr for the smallball cause.

6 Noted without comment. ;-)

As far as Value Added Batting Runs - this stat looks from a cursory glance to be very similar, at least in spirit, to the wOBA stat used by Tango et al in The Book except that it's not converted to a rate stat. I can't vouch directly for the values of each outcome in VABR, but they look qualitatively the same as those used in wOBA and were probably calculated the same way. This looks to be a great stat that effectively captures the offensive value of a player independent of the team they play on. Neat-o. Now if Kent and Furcal could pull their numbers up...

6. I'll comment. Any poll that puts Filepe Alou ahead of Little (or any other manager, yes including Jim Tracy) is not worth the electronic paper its printed on.

10 Dusty Baker and Frank Robinson take offense.

Which is worse: a manager who has no clue about in game strategy, and gives away outs like they were candy, or a manager that stunts the teams growth by not playing young players, and burns out his starting pitchers?

a manager that stunts the teams growth by not playing young players, and burns out his starting pitchers

Sounds like Dusty.

In "the greatest-hitting catcher," is the hyphen unnecessary?

13 Omitting the hyphen changes the meaning subtly.

No hyphen's needed in ...

"The oldest active Dodger."
"The fattest lazy cat."
"The tastiest apple pie."

oops... make that "No hyphens needed in ..."

Yes, it's been a slow day at work for me. :-)

15 True. But in Jon's sentence, the hyphen makes clear that it's Piazza's hitting, not his catching, for which he's the greatest. Which would be an understatement.

The meaning does changes slightly, and the examples you gave are not equivalent.

"Greatest-hitting" in its entirety is a modifier of "catcher." If you leave out the hyphen, "greatest" only modifies "catcher."

I could have gone without it, I think, but I don't think there's harm in having it.

okay so i made up a new metric last night.

Its called Expected Value of a PA(plate appearance), or E(PA).

It measures a players offensive capabilities and the expected outcome of each plate appearance. For example, if a player's E(PA) was 2, then expected outcome of all his PAs would be 2 bases.

The formula is:
Probability of getting on base X Mean Value of bases

mean value of bases=
total amount of bases divided by # of times on base

single, hbp and bbs all count as one base.

From fooling around with it and finding about 20 or so player's E(PA) from last yr, it seems that anything above .60 is in the very good catagorey. Anything above .65 is elite.

some players E(PA)
Jeff kent: 0.5702
Albert Pujols: 0.6657
Ichiro: 0.4721
Furcal: 0.4781
Derrek Lee: 0.69860
Juan Encarnacion: 0.49397

This stat doesnt really measure speed, so stolen bases arent taken into account. It is not park adjusted so the numbers are not optimized across the board. And it would be better put in context to find the league average E(PA) for every position to see how each player stacks up.

For example, Encarnacions E(PA) is higher then furcals but furcal is still the more available offensive player because his E(PA) is probably on the high end when it comes ot shortstops and Encarnacion's is on the low end when it comes to corner outfielders.

Check that. Without the hyphen, "greatest" would modify "hitting catcher." That sounds like there is a category of "hitting catchers" and they were evaluated for greatness, which may include other things besides just hitting. With the hyphen, it makes it clear that only the hitting part is being evaluated. Clear as mud?

Damn, we killed the board with hyphen talk. So, uh, how bout those Dodgers?

"This is the least-interesting discussion of the uses of punctuation isn't it"? Bob asked.

I would prefer to discuss this list of topics;
1) Grady Little
2. Middle-relief
3 Jeff Kent

In 5 years instead of people using OPS, everyone is going to be like "wow look at Derrek Lee, he is having a hell of a season, his E(PA) is 699!

24 You mean "Middle relief?" ;-)

6 Jon, do you remember what Tracy's approval rating was when you first saw the page? Because now it's at 18% and sliding fast. Do I think DT readers are giving JT a little payback? Why yes I do.

24 You forgot one topic:

d: Becker

24 - That is brilliant.

Jon, is the title of this post related to this week's discussion of the boardmember's, uh, respective hitting ability?

OK then, does anyone want to reveal how he voted for Grittle in the manager's poll? Is DT a strong thumbs down on him? I couldn't bring myself to do that, for these reasons:

1) Sticking with Navarro and giving him a vote of confidence instead of playing Alomar more;
2) Putting Cruz in the 2-hole when other managers would have put a slap hitter there. (And I, for one, am happy to have Lofton there also if he keeps getting on base for the sluggers.)

But as I voted my approval, I wished I had a "jury's still out" option. Because I may only be reacting to my feeling that he's an improvement on the stiff we had last year.

21
For example, if a player's E(PA) was 2, then expected outcome of all his PAs would be 2 bases.

That seems very similar to SLG, except that it includes HBPs and BBs. If a player's SLG is 2, then the expected outcome of all of his ABs would be a double. (right?)

21- That's some pretty intriguing stuff Nate.

Is anyone else concerned about Martin coming up next year and being as bad as Navaro is this year thereby giving the Dodgers 3.5 straight years of horrible catchers?

This might be controversial, Jason Repko is having a better season then JD Drew so far this year.

Drew E(PA)= .6397
Repko E(PA)= .6511

27 - It was at 14 percent when I first saw it.

And yeah, I voted against JT and enjoyed it.

Whom would ever have guessed Bob to be such a flame-baiter?

29 - No, I've moved on ...
30 - I abstained.
33 - That doesn't account for how often they've played though, right? It's a rate stat? I assume Cody Ross tops them both.

37

no it doesnt put into account how often they played but drew with 72ABs is pretty close to repko with 57ABs.

If i have the time (which i dont this weekend), i want to find the average E(PA) for all positions to use as a point of reference.

34, 27 - Blasphemy I say. I urge Steve to rally the troops.

38
Nate - I think you should blaze a trail and be the first to give players credit for reaching via error, and not give them credit for getting HBB. Makes more sense to me that way.

Is there a way to find if a player reaches on base via error besides going through every box score and recording it?

Now we know JT's mom has broadband.

Jack Snow's wife?

well i am going to go play tennis now. If some of the mathmaticians on here can tinker around with my formula to make it more useful or so, it would be appreciated.

44 I think that's exactly what Einstein said after discovering relativity.

41
Retrosheet keeps track of "ROE" (reaching on error), but that won't help you until the season is over.

In the 19th century, reaching on an error was often part of the boxscore. But there were a lot of errors.

And I'm guessing that I've seen many more 19th century boxscores than the rest of the gang here.

one more thing.

i compared bonds 2001 yr to his 2004 year. 2001 was when he hit 73 homers but 2004 he out OPSed his 2001 yr by 43 points.

E(PA) 2001- .8999
E(Pa) 2004- .8811

so even though he had a better OPS his 2004 year, his 2001 yr was the best year comes out to be better.

I guess I fail to understand why ROE should count and HBP should not. I think they should both count toward OBP.

And while we're at it, can we please abolish the scoring distinction between wild pitches and passed balls? Just lump 'em together into one category. Often the scorer appears to just be doing "eenie-meenie miney moe" anyway when making the call. Not to mention all the cross-ups and the problems inherent in trying to decipher whose fault they were.

New Neil Young album now available for free online listening, in case anyone forgot:

http://www.hyfntrak.com/neilyoung2/AFF23130/

I guess I fail to understand why ROE should count and HBP should not. I think they should both count toward OBP.

I give the hitter more credit for the combo of

(1) putting the ball in play and
(2) potentially causing the fielder to rush (though, of course, not all errors are the result of rushing)

than

(1) standing there and getting plunked, rather than successfully getting out of the way as you are theoretically supposed to try to do if you can.

While on the topic of scoring pet peeves, I will bring up mine. And I surprisingly meet a lot of resistance to this.

I don't like the double error on one play.

Ground ball to the third baseman. He can't come up with it cleanly (error #1) and then he throws it away and the batter goes to second (error #2).

But consider this scenario, batter hits a grounder to third. Third baseman airmails throw in to the stands. Batter ends up at second. But that's just one error. The end result is the same.

To be it's more important that the play be described by the magnitude of the screw up in total. Not by picking apart the play. If the fielder boots a ball and compounds it by throwing it away, isn't almost always a case that the player rushed his throw because of the initial boot.

Or consider an outfielder who drops a fly ball and the batter makes it to third. That's three bases. But just one error.

Whenever I bring this up, I'm told to shut up and sit down.

So I will.

50

FYI
http://www.retrosheet.org/Research/RuaneT/error_art.htm

Whenever I bring this up, I'm told to shut up and sit down.

Next time you raise the issue, try it while sitting down. At least that way your audience can only tell you to shut up.

I'd prefer if someone just told me to go "peddle my papers."

That was used as an insult on an episode of "The Bob Newhart Show" and I've never understoof what it meant.

Bob Newhart was apparently a member of the Peddling Your Papers Marching and Chowder Society.

There is a god:

Giants deal reliever Walker to Tampa Bay

April 28, 2006

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- The San Francisco Giants traded right-handed reliever Tyler Walker to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on Friday for righty pitcher Carlos Hines.

53 - LOL

48 - I don't have many problems with the way wild pitches or passed balls are scored. I don't mind the distinction, and I don't disagree with the decision most of the time.

51 - I guess I just see errors as counting mistakes, not a measurement of how bad the mistakes are. I definitely wouldn't mind another stat that did that, though. But I don't see a reason to redefine what an error is.

And of course, measuring defense by errors without accounting for plays made is flawed.

56
That was on the Griddle three mintues before your post went through.

Although knowing the way posts get time-stamped, we were liking typing it at the same time.

57

I took the advice and sat down before reading that.

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/H/carlos-hines.shtml

51. Don't they have something called "two base" error and a "one base" error? In your example you'd have 2 one base errors and in your other example you'd have 1 two base error. Sounds good to me. Perhaps instead of keeping track of how many errors, you could keep track of adding up all the bases each player's errors cost. In your two examples, the thirdbaseman would be charged with two bases.
vr, Xei

61
I like that idea. Maybe FSN Prime can make that a column on the linescore!

62
But not at the expense of the Fielder's Choice column!

58 What do you think gave me the idea to check Yahoo about it? ;)

Bob, I bow down to your greatness. I'm beginning to think Bob Timmerman is actually the name of a group of 38 different mensa members who have joined forces to bring greater knowledge to baseball fans and ultimately, change the way the game is scored.

57
Then would you agree with the conclusion -- which you could reach from passed ball totals -- that most of the worst defensive catchers of all time happened to catch, say, Phil Niekro?

Really my main problem -- and I say this as someone who's been an official scorer -- is that official scorers shouldn't be given discretionary opportunity to judge a player's intent.

This comes into play with the cross-ups, and on a few other occasions --
- Is it a sac bunt, or was he bunting for a hit?
- Was it a steal, or defensive indifference?

Basically, I think that for consistency's sake, we shouldn't ask scorers to make those kinds of calls. They should be able to judge physical actions and mistakes, but they shouldn't be asked to read the players' minds.

64 I thought Bob was the perpetually smiling guy in the Enzyte commercial.

61, 62

The big distinction should not be between one-base and two-base errors, but between those errors that allow a batter to reach base and those that don't.

An outfielder's bobble on a single-and-error play is relatively harmless compared to dropping a routine fly ball, since the former didn't allow the runner to reach base.

I don't think I'm going to change any scoring rules. The error thing is just my Grampa Simpson-esque way of being a crank.

"Grampa, that flag only has 49 stars."
"I'll be dead in my grave before I recognize Missouri."

Nate, your stat is (Prob of Getting on Base X Mean Value of Bases). This can be broken down to: (Times on Base/Plate Appearances) x (Bases/Times on Base) so you end up with something like (Bases / Plate Appearances).

This is very similar to Boswell's Total Average stat. Total Average is a pretty good stat, but not quite as good as Runs Created or Linear Weights. I think the error occurs because it treats as a BB and 1B as equal, when they are not (1B advance more runners than BB), and it treats a 2B as twice as good as 1B, when they aren't.

Remember, OPS is only a rate stat, and does not take playing time into account. That's why Bonds' 2001 and 2004 look different. But OPS is very easy to calculate, and that's why it is more popular than RC, LW, or Total Average, even though they all correlate slightly better with Runs Scored.

64 How in the world do 38 MENSA members share a cat?

62. Don't get me started!!! :)

Today's Dodger/Padre game simulation is coming up soon.
vr, Xei

70
And if they're all that smart, how come none of them know Spanish (at least judging by the name they gave their organization)?

70
i am going to go way off topic, but i feel the need to share a mensa story. there is a "welcome dinner" here in mn held monthly to welcome new members. the one i went to had every mensan stereotype you can imagine in attendance. from the host reciting hypoglycemic indices of the various pastas being served to the hostess speaking to her diapered 2 year old in latin to the guy sitting at the table in silence rocking back and forth, it was quite an event to behold. my conversation starter, which was rather useless, was "how 'bout them twins?"

Having errors on the linescore in this day and age isn't very useful. It made more sense say in, 1895, but today who really cares?

70 -- very thin slices

BTW, now that Eric is here, I retract my statement in 46 about reading the most 19th century boxscores.

76 The absence of pitching lines is so maddening.

77
And "earned runs" in the boxscores from then meant something completely different from what it means today I believe.

72 Wrong language I believe. Mensa is Latin if I remember correctly

More to the point, how long has Bob really been Tommy John in hiding???

(notice the three question marks, hint hint hint...)

73 If Bat-girl was there you could have gotten quite a conversation going.

Eric, thanks for the Neil Young link. I'm listening now.

BOB
TIMMERMANN

Bibliophiles Observing Baseball:
Thirty-eight Interested Mensa Members Eagerly Recording Minutiae About Nation's National (pastime)

72 Is "mensa," as an insult, really Spanish, or is it a Mexican slang?

Phew. Young's album is some kinda rock n' roll, at least the first four or five tracks.

For the record, I'm not a member of Mensa. I suppose I could pass the test to get in. When I finally attended public school in high school, I got pulled out of class and was given a test. I apparently scored high enough on it and then I had "MGM" stamped on my permanent record. "Mentally Gifted Minor" was what I was told.

The end result of this was that my high school got a few extra bucks from the state of California for me sitting around and playing Strat-0-matic baseball when I was bored in class.

"MGM" stamped on my permanent record

Do they still consider you a "minor"?

86 Sounds like when Bart was on Focusin.

Slammed at work, but a friend sent me this link and I just had to pop in and share because part of it came up in discussion a little while back. Jon, please take a look at #16 and accept that you were living in some kind of bizarro alt-California, not the California the rest of us live in. Heh heh.

http://tinyurl.com/5arlw

(54) Bob, I/ve heard that phrase,'Go peddle your papers" all my life and I'm 65 years old so I assume it is much older than Bob Newhart. I think you appreciate language as much as I do. I am constantly looking up words and phrases to see their origins.I couldn't find anything on this phrase but here is an interesting web site you might enjoy using to look up phrases. I just looked up "letting the cat out of the bag". http://members.aol.com/MorelandC/HaveOrigins.htm

I'm wondering how Tom Roune assigned values to each specific play he cited in his piece. Did he run a multiple regression of runs scored versus all those different factors (singles, doubles, IBB, BB, etc)?

Just finished the sim for tonight's game. The first three innings gave signs of an impending pitchers duel, but that soon went by the wayside. The Dodgers broke things open with two runs in the top of the 4th with singles by Lofton and Drew and a walk to Nomar to load the bases. Mueller then came through with a 2-run double. The Padres drew blood with a solo HR by B.Giles in the bottom of the inning. The Dodgers lead grew to 4-1 in the top of the 6th inning when Drew hit a one out double and Jeff Kent singled him home. Nomar walked again and J.CruzJr hit a two out RBI single chasing C.Young. The Padres tied the game in the bottom of the 6th as 6 men in a row reached base and J.Seo was knocked out of the game. Nobody scored for the next 6 innings as once again the bats went silent. The Dodgers had two men on with no outs in the 8th inning, only to have S.Linebrink shut the door on their rally. The Dodgers also had bases loaded with two outs in the 11th but J.Drew grounded out to 3B. The Padres threatened to score in each of the extra innings and actually had the bases loaded with 1 out in the 11th inning but were turned away. The Dodgers scored in the top of the 13th when D.Navarro hit a one out single, pitcher D.Baez bunted Navarro to 2nd base. Furcal then followed with a 2-run blast to put the Dodgers up 6-4. In the bottom of the 13th Cameron and Giles made quick outs, followed by back to back singles by Piazza and Gonzalez. K.Greene ended the game... with a deep fly out to left field. Dodger hitting stars of the game were Nomar who went 1-2 with 4 walks and R.Furcal who went 2-7 with the game winning HR. Giles and Piazza were the hitting stars for the Padres. WP-D.Baez, LP-Caddidy
Time: 3:51
Attendance: 00,001
vr, Xei

I also think that while breaking down everything through (singles, doubles, triples, IBB, BB, Sac) is relevant in measuring past performance, I'm not sure how predictive it really is.

Can one really anticipate how many IBB a player will have the following year? Or CS'ing, or triples, or hits for that matter? It would seem most of those things fluctuate.

I'd still look at OPS + park factors + experience curves in place of the VABR when making predictions for the future.IT seems VABR encorporates things that are highly volatile from year to year.

My high school "permanent" record was lost in the 1994 Northridge earthquake when Kennedy High's main building, the imaginatively named "A Building" (as opposed to B, C, D, M and S) was red-tagged.

It was really weird to drive by there and see the building gone.

So without a permanent record, do I have to go back to high school and get a diploma again? And if so, do I have to apply to college again later? Or can I just use the applications I had for UCLA and Stanford? Stanford put me on their waiting list back in 1983. Am I still on it?

94 I hear that is how a lot of Chinese immigrants attained citizenship status, right after the SF earthquake.

Looks like "Go peddle your papers" means that the person being told that is considered to be lowly or too stupid to hold a respectable job and is nothing more than a paperboy selling newspapers.

Hate to be the bearer of bad news:
NEW YORK (AP) — Steve Howe, the relief pitcher whose promising career was derailed by drug and alcohol abuse, died Friday when his pickup truck rolled over in Coachella, Calif. He was 48.

I've skimmed the comments and haven't seen much(I could have missed something) about the rotation. After the day off we have the option of skipping one of our bottom rotation guys( Soe and Tomko). Apparently, we are complacent enough in our position to stay the course, and go with that stable rotation. On the east coast, the Mets did exactly as the D's are doing, and are taking an incredible amount af heat in the papers and talk shows.(which are big back here) Do we really want to give s. and Tomko more starts than we need to? I admit, after seeing are last few starts maybe we do. But what do you think?

97 I just saw that when I clicked on the "Rush Limbaugh has been arrested" link over at Fark. Imagine my suprise when link was wrong and the Steve Howe blurb popped up.

Thanks for the news.

You mean Limbag wasn't killed?

98 Pads are doing the same thing. Peavy could go on Sunday but he's not.

33.

And yet, Repko is riding the pine in favor of Cruz, despite leading the team in stolen bases, and being second on the team in home runs.

MGM. Man, I haven't seen that term in awhile. I was one of those in junior high. It was the worst two years of my life. I got put into an all-day class with about 30 other people, none of whom were my friends. I absolutely hated it. The teachers were not that great and the classes were boring. When I got to high school I deliberately failed the test they gave me so I could avoid the whole thing.

Howe exited the Dodgers for the last time in the season I first started following them - 1985.
I know Vin would occasionally break out tales of woe in relating bad trades that were attempts to fill Howe's spot in the bullpen.

96 I'll avoid saying anything about a former "old friend".

105
Say hello to:

Carlos Diaz
Ed Vande Berg
Matt Young
Brad Havens

The bigger problem actually was that the Dodgers had a lefty reliever in their system named John Franco, but they traded him to Cincinnati in 1983 for utility infielder Rafael Landestoy.

Not quite Delino for Pedro, but I'm pretty sure that Franco finished ahead of Landestoy in Win Shares by an enormous margin.

Has anybody noticed Edwin Jackson is in the 6th inning at Durham with out giving up a H_T.

Heck, I think Chad Krueter lasted 'til the seventh at Wrigley before he gave up a hat.

93 VABR isn't designed to track the future, it's simply a performance metric, just like OPS or VORP.

I guess thats a relief.(102) The whole strategy seems flawed. When BB went to a 5-day rotation rather than the standard 4-day, there was possibly some sense, but the thought that a starter can be sharp pitching every 6 day seems ridiculous. Well, this is a chance to see. I have put foward the theorum that due to overexpansion or dilution or whatever, we will soon have 10 starters who go 3 innings each.

VABR isn't designed to track the future, it's simply a performance metric, just like OPS or VORP, or E(PA).

:)

108. that is the weirdest line ive ever seen. neither team has recorded a hit yet (through 5), durham is up 1-0. Jackson has no hits, 4 walks and 4 K's in 5 innings. I wouldnt get terribly excited though, his control has been terrible as evidenced by 4 walks and only 38 strikes out of 68 pitches.

I'm liking the EPA, Nate. It's not quite there with CORP yet, but you have something.

I may be missing something here, but how does this EPA differ from SLG%, other than perhaps one not counting BB and HBP?
vr, Xei

Brandon Woods E(PA) of his sick 2005 season in A+ is .700. So he was basically the derrek lee of the California League.

115

you're probably right. lol.

Sometimes, I wish I could find what was left of my soul and feel bad while I listen to Pirate games. Doesn't ever happen though.

should I add different weights to the HBP and bbs so they arent weighted the same as a single?

No comment on Howe's death, though I'm surprised that it didn't involve coke (i'm not joking around). Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if drugs or alcohol were involved. Kind of sad how he was never able to overcome his addiction.

Why is Furcal going to play tonight? With Seo going against Young, I'm expecting another loss, though Petco should help Seo keep the ball in the park.

Lakers play tonight....Go Suns!

Well Edwin gave up the no-hitter.

113 The Bulls scored on a Choi catching error. :-(

Steve Howe died today in an accident. Sad

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-obit-howe&prov=ap&type=lgns

If anyones interested, I have 2 tickets in LOGE 142, row O, for Friday May 5th against the Brewers. If anyone is interested, I'll let both go for below face value. $30 each, and we'll work out shipping.

email me at gododgers35@hotmail.com if interested.

Of course, the Griddle was already on this. Sorry Bob.

Who was the worst offensive starting player last year in baseball?

126 I would guess Mr. Busyfingers: Jason Kendall.

126 Christian Guzman

126
Neifi!

Going by VORP it was Corey Patterson. Other candidates down there include Miguel Olivo, Christian Guzman, Tony Womack and Timo Perez.

127, 128

LOL, I ran the numbers for guzman and then right afterward, kendall. I guess we all think alike.

125
To be accurate, someone else pointed it out to me.

130 VORP is a counting stat, no? Isn't there a VORP stat that is a rate stat?

The Durham-Pawtucket game is tied now.

oops. Now anymore. It's now 2-1 Pawtucket.

I ought to go check out one of Edwin's performances this season, given that I live about 5 minutes from the stadium.

133 VORP is a counting stat. MLVR is a rate stat that VORP is based on that doesn't adjust for position or park factors.

Lest you think it's too early to begin evaluating player performance, on-line voting for the 2006 All-Star Game is now open.

cristian guzman- .349
jason kendal- .389
corey patterson- .380
tony womack- .305

womack was the worst!

138 The Griddle has some good picks.

140

I could have loaded up on Dodgers on my picks, but the guys with the bad offensive totals are famous enough (Garciaparra, Furcal, and Kent) that they would still be getting votes from people who just pick names they recognize.

Hey, that sounds like Ned Colletti!

139 That's mainly because your stat ignores Womack's useful 27/32 SB rate, and because your stat is closer to SLG than OBP.

the SB is a good idea. Should i account for stolen bases. Because a single and a SB is almost like a double.

How should i weight stolen bases and caught stealings?

I'm surprised to see so little comment on Steve How's death. His sad story always stuck with me. He didn't just seem like a spoiled athlete losing control. Perhaps I was fooled by that sort of country-boy look, but he always seemed overwhelmed by it, like Michael Ray Richardson (of the New York Knicks). A sad ending to a sad tale.

I was wondering about the absence of Furcal. And is Mike Jacobs really the worst 1B?

142 He had a .276 on base percentage. He had nine extra base hits, five after April. All this and he spent most of his time in left field. Womack was easily the worst hitter in baseball last year.

143- with concrete shoes

145

You had to be bad and unknown. Like the Pirates.

Not bad and well-known. Like most of the Dodgers infield.

146 Well, Womack was horrible, but Guzman had an even worse .256 OBP, and Patterson was at .251. At least Womack contributed something with his base stealing. Put it all together and I think Guzman was the worst offensive player in the majors last year.

Define "something"

Brent Leach's current line down at columbus.

5IP 2H 0ER 0BB 14K

wow.

Durham-Pawtucket game is pretty exciting, abeit via Gameday. Durham tied it up in the top of the 9th. Choi up to bat in the bottom of the 9th for Pawtucket.

Define "something"

thats what i need to know too. How much should i penalize each CS?

nfl draft news...

texans and mario williams agree to terms on a contract!

doesnt mean the texans will not take bush anymore, just means they have a fallback option now.

"the texans will not take bush anymore"
------

It would have been nice to hear that in, oh, 1994.

154

If the Texans want to draft Reggie Bush, they would have to trade with somebody.

I hope Reggie enjoys New Orleans.

I'm watching the Red Sox-Tampa bay game, and the Sox announcers are talking about the fact that Terry Francona apparently had Alex Cora warming up to pitch at the end of last night's blow out by Cleveland.

151--Wow! School me on Brent Leach...

154 If the Texans don't take Bush, they are utterly insane.

The Saints have to be feeling pretty happy right about now, though. Can you imagine the crazy offers that'll pile up? And the worst case scenario is they get Bush to help Drew Brees.

158

Leach won the Pioneer League ERA title last year with Ogden, but he was very old for rookie ball and thus isn't considered much of a prospect. (According to BA, he's not one of the top 30 prospects in the Dodger system.)

Is Brent Leach not an alumni of the finest university west of the Mississippi River?

Leach lasted those 5 innings. He now has a 3.86 ERA in 23.1 IP, with 35 Ks. His last outing was terrible, and he walks a lot of guys (now 14 on the season), but Columbus is proving to be about as much of a challenge as Ogden was

14k's in 5ip is a little league stat line..Of course, the Sally League isnt that far removed from little league.

Why is Pedroza still down there? Isnt he way way too old to still be playing in a low A league?

153 Check out this web site about Linear Weights and Runs Created:

http://www.sju.edu/~sforman/research/talks/baseball/node12.html

161 I believe Delta State is slightly east of the Mississippi. But only slightly.

Delta State is in the same conference as North Alabama, where my brother played. Leach was out with Tommy John surgery that year, though, so they never got to face each other.

153 -- I think you need to be careful if you want to add in SB/CS, because, technically I don't think it is true that a single and a stolen base is the same as a double, or to put it another way, their value is not the same. The threshold event in any batter's at-bat is the difference between making an out and not making an out. From that act derives the vast, vast majority of the value of his at-bat one way or the other. Once the player has already succeeded in not making an out, everything else is marginal -- in fact, one could argue that the only thing a stolen base attempt does is put a safe runner back in danger (oh, ok. That's what I would argue.) It seems like then taking into account stolen bases would overweight their value -- a problem which doesn't need to be exacerbated.

If nothing else, because a single+SB doesn't have the same possible RBI value as a double.

I'm confusing Leach with Horlacher -- they were drafted close to each other, and you can't spell Horlacher without L e a c and h.

Fire Joe Morgan takes my favorite "columnist" Mike Celizic to task about his rant on the "misuse" of Mariano Rivera. Torre used him for two innings in a tie game! Mike thinks he is only effective in save situations. It's really quite funny.

http://firejoemorgan.blogspot.com/

166 Well, a 1B+SB is basically the same as a 1B as far as advancing other baserunners, but it is closer to a 2B as far as scoring the batter. Similarly, a 1B+CS advances other runners the same as the 1B, but reduces the player's chance of scoring himself greatly.

According to ESPNNews, I guess the Texans are passing on Reggie Bush.

170 -- But all that is the marginal stuff. Where the rubber hits the road is whether a batter makes out or doesn't make out. In that, a single and a double are the same. That's not to say that there isn't a difference, there clearly is. But the RBI potential of the double over the single only increases the value of the double relative to the single, and as far as scoring, that is wholly dependent on what batters behind him do.

okay im using the (SB*.3)-(CS*.6) and adding it to the total amount of bases.

womacks oringal E(PA)= .305
womacks E(PA) w/ SB weight= .320

marginal increase but still the worse offensive player in baseball.

Worse than Jose Reyes?

Despite the drugs, the suspensions, Carlos Diaz and the havoc caused in his life, and the Dodgers, it's very sad to hear about Steve Howe.

If nothing else, there will always be the picture of him celebrating the last out of the '81 Series.

174

yea significantly worse. Reyes comes out to .421, which isnt bad for a SS.

That would be about 5% of his overall value, which seems fair intuitively.

the .3 for SB and .6 for CS is from that linear weights site OaklandAs posted earlier.

just curious whether you all have seen the news that Steve Howe died in a car accident this morning in Coachella CA? rgds, will

okay i have to go to some sorority formal now so im going to miss the game. But i probably wont miss anything significant i assume. Anyways, go dodgers!.... and vikings.

No Eric Young in the lineup tonight. Too bad -- it would have been interesting to see how many strikeouts the Young family could have posted against the Dodgers tonight. Eric Young, Jr., struck out three times against Brent Leach and Columbus tonight.

EY Jr. did, however, reach base on one of them, thereby enabling Leach to K four batters in the first inning.

Eric Young has a son playing? Wow. I'm getting old.

So is he, I guess.

The Rockies sure did rip off the Dodgers in that expansion draft. Was EY pre or post- delino?

If anybody dropping by tonight has memories of the final game of the 1962 NL playoff between the Dodgers and Giants could you drop me a line.

I'm working on a piece about it for the Griddle.

Suns game was tied 1-1 in the 7th, but now they're losing 3-1 after LaRoche let a ball get through his legs on which 2 runs scored.

November 17, 1992: Eric Young drafted by the Colorado Rockies from the Los Angeles Dodgers as the 11th pick in the 1992 expansion draft.

November 19, 1993: Delino DeShields traded by the Montreal Expos to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Pedro Martinez.

187

And unless I'm completely remembering things wrong, the Rockies took Jody Reed from Boston and flipped him to LA in that same expansion draft.

188
And then spiked him badly in one of the first games ever played between the two teams, IIRC. (I always hated Galarraga after that.)

189

Me too. I also hated him for charging Darren Dreifort.

Later I hated him for being a lousy stinking Giant.

What are the odds Dave Roberts tries to steal on the Dodgers here? 1 to 1?

190

I remember that game. Bobby Cox was really angry at Dreifort in that game. He contemplated at one point moving his starter in to the outfield and bringing in his worst reliever to bean Dreifort and have that guy ejected and then go back to his starter.

Fortunately for Cox, one of his coaches talked him out of this plan as I'm sure he would have been suspended for a very long time if he had tried that.

191

So what were the odds on "won't try to steal"? What was the payoff? 40 to 1?

Is anybody else having problems with Gameday Audio tonight?

194

My TV seems to be working fine? ;-)

Dang it. Too much punctuation there!

Ok, Sparky Anderson says to wait 40 games before you judge the team. Yet for all the nifty Ned Colletti moves in the off-season, this Dodger group looks just average to me. Maybe I just don't bleed Dodger blue anymore, or is it the thought of $3 per gal gas and another meaningless .500 season that's got my expectations so low?

You get gas for just $3/gallon? It's $3.25 in my neighborhood.

I will now take this moment to assert my moral superiority over many of you by saying I own a Prius.

You don't buy a Prius for the gas savings. You buy a Prius in order to belittle others and annoy people by driving in the carpool lane and make the flow there worse.

$6 for a bottle of water? Sounds like Turner Field.

I think Vin Scully can afford to raid the hotel minibar.

Nomar is saving up his HRs and RBIs. No reason to use them all up now.

So do you think if the Dodgers had given EY a legit chance at 2nd base, they would have never dealt Pedro Martinez?

I cant remember why EY never got a chance in LA. Its not like that team had great 2nd basemen back in the early 90's.

197 One of the best Vin Scully interviews I ever saw was with Sparky last year up in the booth. Sparky and Vin just loved talking with each other. Sparky said that O'Malley said once that Vin was the only person he knew that had never asked the Dodgers for anything. It was beautiful.
Re: the Texans not taking Bush. WHAT KIND OF A WORLD DO WE LIVE IN?! Oh wait, I wonder if they know something about possible fall-out from the lease/ agent stuff, or do they just think their Defensive needs outweigh the best athlete down the pike since possibly Gale Sayers?

Oh-my-god no DTV tonight! I'm stuck with Gameday.

Young was let go because the team didn't believe his defense would be good enough to play 2B in the majors.

Oops.

It's a Dodger rule that if you are a good hitting second baseman in the minors, your defense is automatically assumed to suck, and you have no future at the position. See T. Denker and D. Young for latest examples.

203. Bush has never carried the full load as a running back. I think his potential durability issues are scaring teams off. Its hard to take a RB #1 overall if you only have confidence in him to carry 15 times a game.

Young was let go because the team didn't believe his defense would be good enough to play 2B in the majors

Another reason why I hate defense. Typically if I dislike something long enough, I pretend it doesnt really exist. Does defense actually exist? I've cast it out of my galaxy.

Question to ponder:

When the Dodgers return home will they have a moment of silence for Steve Howe?

The Yankees did tonight.

I know. I used 'that' three times in a single sentence. I've GOT to use the preview option henceforth.

185 Check your mail. I remember that game.

I'm getting the Angels game on Prime Ticket. Grrr.

I kinda think the Texans need O-Line help to protect David Carr more than they need a running back. OJ didn't carry the Bills to any championships, as I recall.

193 (delayed reaction) I forgot to take into account the Padres relative incompetence when it comes to manufacturing offense. I guess that trumped the Dodgers' when it comes to throwing out runners. In that inning anyway. But yes, it would have been a handsome payoff. Oh well there's always next... inning.

208 And yes, I think they will.

211 I agree, I thought if they didn't want Bush they should have gone with Ferguson. Carr's been battered. They need defense too, but... it's all pretty head-scratching.

Anybody else ready to jump on the replace Cruz with Repko in the starting lineup bandwagon?

Hawai'i gas price picture:

http://tinyurl.com/l325j

Better athlete: Mark Hendrickson, Chad Hutchinson, or Chris Young?

211. While that is true, the Texans shouldnt be thinking about winning super bowls at this point, they should be worried about fielding a respectable team. Bush would also be the first star-calibre player in that franchises history. Worrying about catching the Colts, or advancing deep into the playoffs is kinda silly. Mario Williams doesnt bring them any closer to the super bowl than Reggie Bush anyway.

211 You are absolutely right. Carr was hammered relentlessly last season. I think they may have made some pick-ups in the off-season to help address that.
Buzz is that Vince Young will go to Tennessee even though Chow wants Leinart. Tomorrow will be verrrrrry interesting!

I actually did a mock on a Rams site, and after this Bush news I have him sliding to 4th. I figure the Saints wont take Bush with Deuce there. The Titans need a QB. So that means the Jets would draft Bush, which would be a great pick for them since Curtis Martin is on his very last legs.

Also in terms of marketing, I think Bush and his agent would prefer New York, over Nashville and New Orleans. It works out for eeryone involved.

with no access to the dodger game, i am stuck watching disney channel with my son. lo and behold, danica mckellar is on some show speaking french.

Is that really that high? I saw $3.21 at more than a couple of gas stations in the Valley yesterday for Regular.

Albert Pujols hit his 13th homer tying the record for the most in April (Griffey and Luis Gonzalez). And he has two more days left in the month.

And in one of them Zack Day will be starting!

222 was in response to 215

223
So Griffey could very well have his two biggest MLB records both broken tomorrow.

Mench can only tie Griffey's consecutive games with homers record tomorrow.

The defending NL West division champions are pretty horrendous.

I picked the Padres to win the division.

I also picked the Reds to finish last in the NL Central and they have the best record in the majors right now.

222 It's high only because we supposedly have a wholesale price cap which doesn't seem to have done a lick of good. You Ca. folks, Alaska and Hawai'i have the highest prices in the country, I think.

Off to cook.

228
You should have picked the bad teams to finish poorly and the good teams to finish well.

That's my secret.

Mike Cameron must be feeling the pressure of taking up a bench spot on my fantasy team.

Yikes.

Vinny has said numerous times that both teams have struggled to score runs this year. SD is 29th in the majors in runs. The Dodgers are pacing to score 810 runs... the most they've scored since 1962.

231 Ha! I have Cameron on my bench too.

Khalil Greene says "Take that, Timmermann."

Even the blind Bahai follower occasionally finds a pop fly.

Unlike certain other outfielders, Cody Ross is evidently not injury-prone.

Cody Ross was hit on the left hand by a pitch that he swung at as a pinch-hitter on Friday night. X-rays found no fracture. Ross, who was making his first appearance with the Reds, is day-to-day with a bruised hand.

So, Jeff Weaver?

I believe Ken's Kendall Fast is over.

230 -- Joe Morgan patented that method -- you owe him royalties.

So, Jeff Kent?

So, Jeff Lebowski?

So, Jeff Goldblum?

I like this.

Man, it's a little odd hearing Bill Walton calling games with his son playing. He's trying to sound non-partisan but... then he sounds like he's trying too hard. It just sounds... odd.

Still catching up.

89 No, I'm right.

Speaking of announcers, going from Vin Scully to, this inning, Charlie and Rick is just... depressing.

So, Geoff Blum?

So, Jeff Hamilton?

242

Marques Johnson wasn't too bad doing UCLA games when his son was there. He would criticize his son (Kris that is). Even when he was working for UCLA.

I think Marques Johnson has one advantage over Bill Walton in that he is not insane.

Seo, Jeff Leonard? {shudder}

247 That is definitely an advantage (in today's wintry economic climate - movie reference)

Walton is a nut isn't he?

Does it sound like there is a fair number of Dodger fans down in San Diego?

Presently, 2 of the 3 divisions in the NL are led by Cincinnati and Colorado.

Wow, a run!

WooHoo

Alomar is evidently lighting a fire under Navarro.

Alorie...?

Giants up on the DBacks 4-2 on a 3-run double by Bonds and an RBI single from Alou. (Aka the entire Giants offense).

254- Isn't calling someone a Lorie a insult in England?

Thats why bunting is dumb.

The Angels have 3 runs on one hit tonight.

Yay, Dioner!

Boo, Jae.

Jeff Weaver's line tonight:
IP H R ER BB K HR Season ERA
2.1 8 8 8 2 4 1 7.48

Billingsley, through 5, um, has . . . struck out 4? I guess I'm not allowed to say anything else

260- What else? Is it bad?

Roberts is easy to like when he's on the other team.

5 pitch inning for Seo.

261
I take that to mean he is "pitching very well."

Furcal is hitting like Mario Mendoza.

261 http://tinyurl.com/gpwpg

Also, Guzman has both walked and homered

This thing with Furcal is ridiculous.

266-Thank you.

Furcal is making a similar "first impression" on Dodger fans as that made by DJ Drew.

Either Furcal is hurt or just isnt very good. I figured even if he falls into the "isnt very good", that would still be a big improvement over Izturis.

Not so far.

Is there any doubt that he's hurting? I sure hope Kevin Kennedy is proud of him.

One of the announcers (can't remember if it was Vin or Steinday) said that Furcal was clearly grimmacing over his finger. Evidently he can't hold onto the bat very well.

Billinsley makes it through the 6th, but has made 81 pitches.

Cameron is hitting a "buck and a quarter".

That was the same price that Daffy Duck paid for his quarterstaff.

271- I didn't want him playing today. They should give him a week off and start Robles.

10 in a row for Seo.

274 Sounds like he overpaid.

274 Dodge, parry, thrust...

Rick Monday was just fetishizing the Nimitz aircraft carrier. "You see one of those and you just think, thank God they're on our side."

Sigh... back to the lakers game.

275
Has the "DFA Cody Ross so as to make room on the roster for Robles" ploy paid off yet?

270 Furcal is good. He's obviously hurting still. I think tonight proves Jon's thesis about this... why not just rest him until he can contribute like he's capable of?

278
Not only are they on our side, but they're defending the flag. Gotta defend that flag.

I agree with Rick Monday.

278

Personally, I'd be very worried if the Nimitz were docked in San Diego and wasn't part of the U.S Navy.

That would really be bad. With the strafing and the saturation bombing and the widescale devastation.

It's not even a matter of agreement, it's how turned on he sounded when he said it...

http://tinyurl.com/l4rff

awesome Kim Ng article

Very true. If the Nimitz was overtaken by pirates, shudder to think.....

231, 233 Me three!

Re gas prices: Here's a link to find the lowest gas prices in your neighborhood (updtaed nightly). Please excuse this if someone has already posted it.

http://autos.msn.com/everyday/gasstations.aspx?zip=&src=Netx

272 It was very clear on the TV replay how Furcal was wincing when he was pulling off his batting glove. This is what Vin was commenting on.

285 Funny, I just finished reading that when I hit "refresh" and saw your post.

Billingsley had to do some time on the bases.

Man, Cruz is really struggling right now. He seems to be dropping his hands and swinging under each pitch as he upper-cuts.

286 - Would Jack Wilson board it first, and would it be wise?

RICKY ledee

Navarro with 2-2 with an IBB tonite.

Tonight we did get to hear the Pirates TV announcer say "Hoist the Jolly Roger!"

That statement actually makes "Light Up the Halo!" sound not lame.

293- He must have remembered that he can contribute.

Is getting a righty-lefty matchup in your favor really worth wasting a player?

Olmedo Saenz could wake up on Christmas morning and fry up some bacon.

ugly ugly ugly.

You rarely see a first baseman record a putout with the ball in his bare hand. Oh well.

Controversial strike call, and the SkySox are going crazy. Jayson Nix and the manager have been ejected, Billingsley hasn't thrown a pitch in a few minutes

297
So can my grandmother.

I was gonna say Little out managed Bochy in that situation. Saenz vs a LH is a better matchup than Navarro vs Young. But Bochy gets away with it.

Billingsley done with 7 innings, 93 pitches. He made 96 pitches in his last start on April 22nd

Gameday showed Billingsley's last pitch to Nix well within the strike zone.

7 innings done and all's well.

Ham You Lack
Ham You Lack
Ham You Lack

Nice to see Seo pitch well, even if it was just against Pittsburgh West.

302 At the cost of losing our only left handed bat on the bench.

So, out of curiosity, which game is everybody listening to?

Can Gameday recorders show a strike outside of the zone (or a ball inside it)? I can't remember ever seeing one. Could be that they don't want to show up the umps, or just that the software won't allow it.

13 straight.

I think we will see Broxton in this game eventually, alas.

This could be a repeat of the opening game of last year's Southern League playoffs.

308

I'm just a big league guy.

How acurate do you thing gameday is when it comes to placing the pitches on their strikezone? I remember listening to the radio for a couple 51's game so far and it doesnt seem to coincide with what the announcers say.

Nate is going to be upset about missing this game. Billingsley with a, well, until I see another pitcher I won't say anything and Guzman with a walk.

309
I've always wondered that too. I've never seen a ball outside the strike zone called a strike, or a ball inside the strike zone called a ball. There's obviously some kind of "fix" going on there.

On my feed it's still 1-1 to Guzman.

Buffering differences?

307. I'd argue that a hit in that situation would win the game essentially. I'll take Saenz vs LHP with the bases loaded every chance I could get. Thats the optimum chance to generate a run.

Saving Ledee for a situation that might never come I wouldnt recommend.

309 Swinging strikes can appear anywhere, but I don't think called strikes ever appear outside of the zone.

306
Seo walked 4 in 6 innings. Pittsburgh West is dead last (or close to last) in the majors in just about every meaningful offensive category.

Loney RBI single scores Ethier. 5-0 Vegas.

317- Good point.

309 -- I've seen them touch the outside of the box.

If I can name three positive-looking trends re Grittle, they would be the tendency to manage in the present rather than engage in hypothetical "what if lightning struck our backup catcher in the seventeenth inning" managing, the tendency to pinch-hit for pitchers in optimal situations, and the tendency not to waste pitchers in one and two at-bat situations.

And after all our Furcal brow-furrowing, he singles. I guess he's not completely bat-challenged, at least...

The current batting averages of the 1-6 hitters in the Vegas batting order are .319, .378, .373, .337, .438, .300.

Fassssssst.

319 -- I just meant it was better than seeing him leave the game having given up a dozen runs to Pittsburgh East, as he already has.

I assume Little wants to use the tried and true method of Seo plus Hamulack plus Saito plus Baez.

When speed works out it is very exciting.

That hit by Drew should end the game.

308 I'm listening to the Dodgers game (Drew just drove in two runs, it's 3-0), watching the Lakers game, and doing research for my screenplay.

I'm also cleaning the house, composing an opera and inventing a time machine.

8 hits tonight (7 singles)

And now you don't need Ledee, and if you do, then you screwed up to the point that it doesn't matter whether you needed Ledee

I want to know how Furcal got to 3rd on a ground ball to left field? What was Roberts doing?

333
I think Furcal was running on the play.

By the way, why was Alan Embree still pitching? I mean, yes, you should use pitchers for more than one batter -- but that applies to pitchers, not Alan Embree.

Sean Cassidy's now pitching. This should be no problem.

Wow, look at those 51s batting averages... impressive, even for the PCL.

330

So what sort of opera? Bel canto? German epic? Comic? Modern?

335 Question could be rephrased as "Why is Alan Embree still pitching?" (in general)

330 - I'm writing 300 words about Ashton Kutcher. Coming pithily to a Variety near you.

337 More of the Carl Stalling variety.

340 -- Will it have a spear and magic helmet?

Billingsley now batting, which means he will pitch the 8th...

When I went to see "Der fliegende Holländer", I kept thinking to myself, "This sounds like a Warner Brothers cartoon?"

Ethier shifts to right, and Duncan goes to center to give Billingsley some better defense. Kelly Wusch is currently in the booth with Russ Langer, and hasn't been that bad, although I haven't heard much

Now, has someone already mentioned how much we miss Jeff Weaver tonight? It's basically obligatory at this point -- forgive me if someone already did the honors.

Bob is quite the superfluous question mark offender today.

Billingsley uses up 6 pitches getting the first out in the 8th.

Nuts. No no-no.

Hit for Carlos Rivera on a sinking liner to the outfield. Diving attempt by Duncan unsuccessful.

345 - See 237 and the ensuing excitement.

Final line for Billingsley: 8 IP, O R, 1 H, 1 BB, 6 K

Billingsley's ERA is now 1.59, pitching in the PCL. After a 8 inning 1 hitter in Nevada's answer to Coors Field, I'm not sure what else Billingsley has to prove. Tomko and Seo really need to stay sharp

352
stay...?

352
Depending on when we call him up during the season, we'd get to keep him for an extra year before he becomes a free agent. I've gotta think that's a major consideration.

I don't knwo if this has been discussed or not but does anyone else think a big test of vegas for young prospects is Vegas itself? With the women and the parties and the etc...

My subconscious keeps making me type question marks.

I wonder what a Freudian would say about that?

354 - Isn't any partial season, no matter how large, enough to postpone completion of his sixth season for another calendar year?

Old friend Steve Colyer is in the game for Colorado Springs. Quick, now - who did the Dodgers trade him for?

357
I always thought that too, but then I read something last year regarding Delmon Young that seemed to say otherwise. Honestly, I have no idea what the exact rule is.

358- Red Ross II

That was Schofield Jr. Jr., wasn't it?

No, wait, that was Jason Frasor. Steve Colyer was a longer time ago.

Piazza needs to give up catching if Navarro can steal off him

That little boy traded for Steve Colyer grew up to be ....

Cody Ross.

And that's the rest of the story....

Somebody needs to describe these stolen bases by Mueller and Navarro.

How ironic. Navarro just stole a base!

"Somebody needs to describe these stolen bases by Mueller and Navarro."

'Cause Steinday sure ain't gonna do it.

Broxton enters the game. Which, for Colorado Springs, means:

Pitch 1 - Called Strike
Pitch 2 - Called Strike
Pitch 3 - Foul
Pitch 4 - Called Strike
Tony Miller called out on strikes.

365 Really? Right now the Padres look like the weakest team in the division, and not just in the standings.

Btw, did anyone comment on the DOdgers.com notes about how minor leaguers are doing - including Sele (the "clock is ticking")...

366
Like I surmised the other day: 1st and 2nd bases are closer together this year than normal. It's part of MLB's secret ploy to keep scoring up during this steroid-crackdown era.

Save us, Danny!

!!!Dodgers Win!!!

With Seo, Billingsley, and Leach, I'm going to venture a guess that tonight has been the Dodger organization's best pitching night of the year.

Orenduff and Miller also combined for 9IP/2ER in the Jacksonville loss.

4 pitch save for Baez.

Nice to hear/see both the Dodgers' bullpen and the 51s' bullpen close out their games in perfect fashion. Sweet.

370 Maybe if Peavy can hit as well as he can pitch, and pitch 4 of their 5 starts?

370 I'm going to guess that that wasn't a genuine comment.

That 9th inning by the Padres had to be one of the quickest and most innocuous half innings I've ever seen.

The PCL is now batting .150 against Broxton with 17 Ks in 40 AB.

374 Nice to hear - how many innings did Miller give them?

Okay, off to watch the end of the Lakers game and then work some more. Night all!

379 Ahh... I shouldn't have taken "truth" so literally then?

382
Miller: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 1 K

For the season: 6 G, 12 IP, 2 H (!), 12 K, 0.00 ERA

254 "Isn't calling someone a Lorie a insult in England?"

Not that I have ever heard, but we go through jargon at a rap culture like rate. A lorry however, is a truck.

England is at over 90 pence a litre which works out to over 6 dollars a gallon. Thank you Thatcher for destroying public transportation.

1 gallon = 3.79 litres
1 dollar = .559 pounds

BOOYAAH, billingsley tearin it up in las vegas.
Watch out seo or tomko.
BOOYAAH, broxton tearin it up in las vegas.
Watch out carter.
BOOYAAH, guzman comin back after an awefull start.
Watch out lofton.
Sorry, i'm excited.

beat me to it hobo!

New post up top.

BOOOYAHHHH!