Pedro Feliz has 5 homers in his last 7 games. However, he has only one homerun this year against LHP.

so the over / under on how many times Scully waxes poetically about him is...

And since when is Pedro Feliz a good player?

"Welcome?" Piffle! I still harbor a grudge from 1951!

I think Vin's mancrush on Pedro Feliz has died out. And Kirk Rueter isn't around for him to gush over.

#4-In total agreement. Welcome, to take a beating, no matter how good or bad either team is. Only the Giants, Yankees, and Reds of the 70's evoke this kind of feeling in me as far as baseball is concerned.

Joey,

You seem to doubt that Colletti made an informed decision to offer arbitration to Weaver, that the successful outcome was due mostly to luck, that he needlessly risked Boras accepting arbitration.

Do you really believe that Colletti failed to glean information within the industry that suggested Seattle and the Mets were contemplating multi year guarantees for him? That Colletti failed to assess a market which was dishing $55 million to Burnett and $60 million to Millwood?

Goodness, it seems the man made a logical, researched move with sensible risk/reward ratios and wisely spurned a request that he "settle" for 3 years/$27 million.

As an added bonus, he kicked the arse of an agent who's played Dodgers GMs time and time again.

7. I think I replied to this in the last thread. Sorry still was posting in the last one.

For Nate:
Clayton Kershaw's second outing, 3 IP, 2 hits, 0 runs, 0 BB, 5 K, he got the other four outs on groundballs.

Don't know if they would think of promoting him to Ogden but a few more outings, they may want to only for the experience of pitching in front of fans and in stadiums as opposed to spring training facilities.

I think Linkmeister is five years older than me so he would have been born in 1951. Now that's holding a grudge. I only harbor a grudge since 1962.

can someone post the lineup, gameday doesn't want to work for me

10 1950, but after the World Series. ;)

1962 is special because I actually listened to the Stan Williams/Ed Roebuck meltdown on the radio, but I'm preconditioned to 1951 because I've heard that blasted Russ Hodges radio call so often.

Yeah, let's keep this thread relatively GM-free. I think we could all use the break.

When I was in utero, Juan Marichal beat John Roseboro upside the head with his bat.

I was born with ugly bumps on my head in empathy with Roseboro a few months later.

13
I own a Toyota.

Dsfan,

How did Colletti work over Boras, when in fact Colletti offered his mediocre pitching client a 1yr 10mils dollar deal essentially?

If you're saying that Colletti made a good move in not extending Weaver, well yeah. But how much intelligence or foresight did that take? There werent any clubs that gave Weaver a multi-year deal this past winter. The guy hadnt been a very good pitcher, maybe an average one.

I do think it was quite a bit of luck that Weaver didnt accept arbitration. Considering he didnt get any multi-year offers (you mentioned the Mets and Ms but rumors are rumors), I think it was a risk. Boras had I think 10 days to assess the market after the Dodgers offered arbitration, and if no team was going to offer a good deal during that time frame, it was very surprising (to me) that he didnt come back to the Dodgers and say "Ok, we'll play 1 more year for 10mils".

15 The whole country seems to be doing a good job of keeping GM-free.

15
And you think you're better than the rest of us for it...

13.. Oooop sorry Jon. Didnt see that one.

Scott Rolen gets gunned down at third by Lance Berkman. Joe Morgan said Rolen was unlucky because "he didn't tag up in time because the ball was hit so hard". He doesn't offer that Rolen should not have been running at all.

20-

typical Joe Morgan comment...such nonsense.

Joe Morgan. Another common enemy :)

To be clear, Odalis was offered arbitration in 2004, along with Beltre, Brent Mayne and Wlison Alvarez.

What shocked DePo was the signings of Russ Ortiz, Benson, Wright, and Radke, all multi-year contracts that upped the price of mediocre pitchers.

Even late in December 2004, the Dodgers thought that Perez was going to sign somewhere else.

Given the amounts that some of those guys got, the deal was not bad but had the market been down, he would have been able to sign him for less.

He was signed probably a few days before the deadline.

13 Got you, I own another import.

15

Strictly to answer your question: You are aware that Boras sought $27 million from Colletti for Weaver and got nothing from Colletti? Arbitration is of no value if you refuse to accept it.

Anyone nostalgic for last year? See Jason Phillips hit a homerun:

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/app/index.jsp?sid=l117

Just click the link on Jason's mug on the lower left part of the page.

Enjoy. ;-)

11 - Inside the Dodgers reports that it's still uncertain who will play 2nd base tonight, but that they will get the 5-hole. I'd give Martinez a break and put in Olmedo at third with Izturis at short and Furcal at 2nd, but that's just me.

What is known is 1-4 are Furcal, Lofton, Nomar, Drew and 6-9 are Ethier, Izzy, Martin, Hendrickson.

The deal for Odalis Perez was bad, plain and simple. He had myriad issues. Others also acted foolish, but it's even worse to make a dumb investment in a player you had and presumably should know better.

hopefully the crappy Matt Cain shows up....and hopefully the smoke and mirrors Hendrickson shows up.

11
can someone post the lineup

Furcal, SS
Lofton, CF (puke)
Nomar, 1B
Drew, RF
-----, 2B(apparently waiting for a decision)
Ethier, LF
Izzy, 3B (puke)
Martin, C
Hendrickson, P

If anyone has any use for eight tickets to tonight's game, email me at dfp90803@aim.com. They are together in section 303, Row J of the Left Field pavilion and are FREE to anyone who wants them. Only catch is you have to pick up them up in Long Beach (Belmont Shore). They can't be emailed.

30-

Is it pathetic that I'm at the point where I just get depressed seeing Izzy and Lofton together in the lineup every day?

32

Is it pathetic that I'm at the point where I just get depressed seeing Izzy and Lofton together in the lineup every day?

I feel the same way.

I'd be nice if kemp was permanent in cf, and aybar was back on the team platooning with saenz at 3b.

Lofton's been playing alot lately it seems.
Is Grits souring on Kemp?

17- Tell the truth, your employer demanded that you say that, right? Or has G.M. backed off their boycott, yet?

34

*Lofton's been playing alot lately it seems.
Is Grits souring on Kemp?*

I think we got tracy/izturis part 2 with grady/lofton.
And even worse i think we have a double tracy/izturis with grady/lofton and izturis.

33-

I've said it before and I'll say it again: the goal every night should be to put together the best lineup possible...having three slap hitters doesn't do that...ESPECIALLY with Kent riding the pine.

Just makes no sense.

What ever happened to Rueter anyway? I remember the last time I went to a Dodger vs. Giant game we beat 'um pretty good (Ishii was our pitcher that day)

37

I've said it before and I'll say it again: the goal every night should be to put together the best lineup possible...having three slap hitters doesn't do that...ESPECIALLY with Kent riding the pine.

You should see the bigtime hatred i've gotten from other people on another web site for saying the exact same thing.
Actually i got banned from one web site for saying that, yes, not using profanity or being rude, just for saying that.

39-

yeah, that's ridiculous.

I just feel really weird trotting out there a bunch of slap hitters while Kent is hurt and Hendrickson is pitching.

I don't know why we don't just switch if Grittle is THAT obsessed with keeping them in the lineup. Have days where Kemp plays for Lofton and Izzy stays...have days where Saenz plays third and Lofton is in CF...just something to break this up a bit. It's just sad that Kemp isn't seeing regular AB's right now.

Pitching is our problem but you are playing with fire when you put lofton and izturis in the lineup together.
Sure we've been scoring runs bigtime with whoever is in the lineup, but there are gonna be days when lofton instead of kemp and izturis instead of a platoon of aybar/saenz that is going to be the difference between winning and losing, in my opinion and our division is so tight that it might be 1 game that decides the winner of the division.

4 - what, the events of October 2, 2004 haven't helped? How about those of October 3, 1993? Don't those comfort your blue-lovin' soul even the teensiest? Or, if worse came to worse, how about those of October 26, 2002?

41-

speaking of pitching, have you heard any rumors lately? If Livan Hernandez is our only option I'd rather just stand pat.

11 Whenever you want a lineup just click on the Inside the Dodgers link in the right side margain. They usually have the lineup a couple hours before the game.

I wouldn't mind Izturis playing if he was playing SS. Defense at SS and C is extremely important.

There's no good reason why K Loft should be playing so much. My guess is that Ned is ordering that his guys get the bulk of the playing time. Ned loves K Loft and throughout the year, he's been talking about his veteran leadership. He has mentioned a "moving" speech that K Loft made in spring training numerous times.

So welcome, I say, welcome to the Giants!

This is what happens when Craig Counsell gets walked.

45 It's Midusa. Not Ned; Midusa.

43 Livan's 7 runs in 1.2 innings today didn't much up his stock, I'd stay. Getting very hard to imagine anyone taking him and his contract (which runs next year around $8 million) off the Nationals hands.

43

speaking of pitching, have you heard any rumors lately?

Nope.

If Livan Hernandez is our only option I'd rather just stand pat.

I agree.

I do have a feeling and its only a feeling that either izturis or aybar (i'm thinking izturis because he probably has more value) will be traded for a reliever.
I can totally see ned try to upgrade the bullpen, i think ned is done with the starting rotation.
Again it just a feeling and its what i think ned will do.

Don't see a Griddle post for this but Nomar is an All-Star for whatever that is worth. AJ beats out the best pitcher in the AL at the moment.

With the Brewers on the march and starting to breath down the Cardinal necks I think it is safe to say that Carlos Lee will not be going anywhere for a while.

I'd like to defend the idea of having Lofton or Izzy in the lineup but I'm unable to come with anything that wouldn't be pure BS. Lofton is so bad in CF that I'm surprised some pitcher hasn't fed him some poisoned beef that would make him bedridden for a while. Not that Kemp patrols CF much better. It is amazing to me the number of lousy defensive center fielders in baseball at the moment. Where is Gary Maddox when you need him. Grace personified, I wonder if he was really as good as I remember.

Hyundai! Hyundai!

I will hunt down and recite poetry to anyone who trades for Livan Hernandez.

Glad for a cheery common-enemy, no-GM-deathbattle thread to remind everyone of the big (no pressure, just for fun, totally unsanctioned and probably frowned on by Jon) All Star break fundraiser. Watch this space for details!

42 Partial palliatives all. But not enough to make up for '51 and '62, not yet.

9.
Novice question, I guess, but is Ogden considered a step above GCL? I figured they were both Rookie League; didn't know there was a "low rookie" and "high rookie."

Oh for chrissakes, I get it now! Jon is welcoming the Giants as a common enemy, one we can all agree is worthy of scorn and defiance.

He has come to bury them, not to praise. He was being ironical. And I get it now. The Giants can get all of us united in a night of absolute zero finger-pointing. This could be fun.

(pause)

So... you think that Choi guy will ever be any good?

37 - It makes sense. The Dodgers have the most runs scored and the 5th best ERA in the NL. The defense has been killer, though; 12th in the league in FP. The 61 errors already is more in line with last year than this year. Izturis in front of Furcal is one of the most effective ways to put those two on the field.

Kemp's D has been suffering, and he's been homerless for too long, while he also provides power off the bench. Lofton has a better on base rate. Kemp may be sent down once Ledee and Repko return, but he'll be back by next year. JD Drew will only hold up for so long.

Re: 40

Kemp's been slumping as of late (although he had a good night yesterday) and his defense is dubious at times.

When Kemp was hot, he gave Ethier limited ABs, and Ethier eventually worked his way out of a slump. Sometimes I think one can play rookies too often. I'm okay with Kemp getting somewhat limited ABs for now.

Grady's done just fine with the kids for the most part in my view.

WWSH

Hey, is gameday showing the full lineup yet?

Lofton Rate2 this year: 88
Kemp Rate2 this year: 60

And at least Lofton has a good track record here. He's been a plus CF for every previous season since 2002. He's definitely lost a step, though. But Kemp has proved even worse.

Anyhow, I think they should share playing time, at least until Kemp really shows he can work himself out of this slump the way Ethier has. I doubt Kemp will get sent down when Repko comes back, though. Grady's been very high on him, and I think he'll let him stick.

WWSH

I do think it was quite a bit of luck that Weaver didnt accept arbitration. Considering he didnt get any multi-year offers (you mentioned the Mets and Ms but rumors are rumors), I think it was a risk. Boras had I think 10 days to assess the market after the Dodgers offered arbitration, and if no team was going to offer a good deal during that time frame, it was very surprising (to me) that he didnt come back to the Dodgers and say "Ok, we'll play 1 more year for 10mils".

OK, fine, lets say it's a break. But it turned out good right? So will you please stop complaining about that? Sometimes risks bring out rewards, you can't always be conservative.

56-

It makes sense. The Dodgers have the most runs scored and the 5th best ERA in the NL.

True, but almost all of that came with Izzy out of the lineup. The guy is a black hole at the plate.

Kemp's D has been suffering, and he's been homerless for too long

Homerless for too long? I must have missed Lofton launching all those bombs...and while Kemp isn't stellar in CF, Lofton is just as bad if not worse.

Lofton has a better on base rate. Kemp may be sent down once Ledee and Repko return, but he'll be back by next year.

So you're advocating Lofton and say, Repko over Kemp? No thanks. Lofton should have never been signed in the first place.

Three slap hitters in the lineup along with a pitcher is not going to work...especially with our pitching being as average as it is.

The bottom line is Kemp is going to put up better offensive numbers than Lofton while playing equal defense...meanwhile with Aybar/Saenz at third we'd downgrade defense a bit, but upgrade offensively exponetially. I'd rather have Saenz make an extra error or two but actually contribute on offense than have Izturis in there groudning out to second every time up.

61

The bottom line is Kemp is going to put up better offensive numbers than Lofton while playing equal defense...meanwhile with Aybar/Saenz at third we'd downgrade defense a bit, but upgrade offensively exponetially. I'd rather have Saenz make an extra error or two but actually contribute on offense than have Izturis in there groudning out to second every time up.

Amen to that bigtime.

54 Ogden is indeed a step above the GCL. The Pioneer League is essentially the same as a short season A league, I'm not really sure why they refer to it as a Rookie League. The AZL, GCL, and Appalacian League are the "real" Rookie Leagues. Someone else can probably give more information, and correct me if I'm wrong

54 Gulf Coast League is one of the two short season rookie leagues that the Dodgers participate in. The GCL is usually filled with high school players and is not much more than an instructional league that plays about 60 games.

The Pioneer League is considered an advanced rookie league team, generally college and some high school players go there as well as some guys who either did not sign in time to play last year or high school players who played in the GCL the year before.

There are some college players that go directly to full season A teams but the vast majority start at one of the rookie leagues.

Anyhow, I think they should share playing time, at least until Kemp really shows he can work himself out of this slump the way Ethier has.

This always blows my mind...how the heck is a guy supposed to get out of a slump when he plays sporadically?

59- rate2 is a step above FPCT, nothing more. Rate2 has Jeff Kent as the best defensive 2B in baseball, which is laughable.

54 - in bottom-to-top order:

* GCL - complex leagues, where the temps are high, stocks are low, and the crowds small. These are held in the spring training complexes; conditions are miserable to help interest rookies (usually prep-level draftees) in ...
* the South Atlantic league, which is low-A, and where many (most) college guys end up.
* Next is the Florida State League (high-A), and then
* the Southern League (AA)
* and the Pacific Coast League (AAA, and sometimes, AAAA).

Hope That Helps.

55 - Oh for chrissakes, I get it now! Jon is welcoming the Giants as a common enemy, one we can all agree is worthy of scorn and defiance.

Superman needed Lex Luthor just as surely as Lois Lane.

So Pierzynski beat out Liriano AND Hafner for the final AL all-star spot. Interesting.

Martinez gets the start at 2nd, batting 5th. Too bad Saenz's defense at 2nd would likely offset his offense, as a banjo batting 5th is a joke.

69-

hence the reason I don't care about the All Star game...

Thanks to the King (63) and bobbygrich (64) for the info. Are you really bobby? If so, I went to HS with you and Burroughs (L.B. Wilson, class of 67).

67 Forgot the Pioneer League - Rookie League - slide that right between GCL and Sally league

63 This is why it is referred to as an Advanced Rookie League or just Rookie Leagtue - Each team is limited to a roster of 35 active players, with no more than 30 players in uniform for each game. The Pioneer Player Eligibility Rule states that no more then 17 of the 35 active players may be 21 and older, provided that no more than two of the 17 are 23 or older.

I look at lofton 347 obp and kemp 339 obp and i see pretty much the same thing.
Then i look at lofton 381 slg and kemp 551 slg and see a huge difference.
And you don't even need to look at slg to know the power difference between the 2 guys is huge.

Same goes with aybar/saenz vs izturis at 3b, the obp is better with aybar/saenz and the slg is a huge difference in aybar/saenz favor.

Even tho i don't like trading for relievers, i'd be on board with a lofton and izturis trade for a reliever or 2.
Addition by subtraction, plus the relievers might even help.

71 - Me neither. Still, I thought one of Liriano or Hafner would have made it. I didn't realize Pierzynski was another front runner.

72 Nope just a big time fan who rooted for the Dodgers but always liked Bobby Grich, he was one guy I wished could have played in that World Series in 1986.

The Angels had two of Bill James' favorite "hidden stars": Bobby Grich and Brian Downing.

Re: 65

Ummmm... perhaps the way Ethier did.

There is such a thing as overexposure.

Determing how much is too little playing time and how much is too much isn't an exact science.

I still remember one year when Alex Cora batted 290/even 300 for much of the season, and then cratered. He seemed to be the sort of player who got overexposed at a certain point. I think Izzy sometimes has that tendency too.

Listen, I don't think I would mind Kemp playing everyday, but I think there's an argument to be made for why Grittle sits him on occasion. Heck, I remember defending Kemp when he first started to slump a little bit around here. This is just one of those things where I think the difference really is a wash in the end, because arguments can be made for both options.

Now, the real issue for me is Izzy playing, but there are all sorts trade issues there. And it's not like Aybar is tearing it up in AAA as of late.

WWSH

I hate the all-star game and would just as soon see all the Dodgers get three days rest. That said, I'm glad for Nomar. I'm sure "making the all-star team" was one of the incentives in his contract, so he's getting a bonus.

One reason Saenz doesn't play as much is because he wore down last season after having about 50 more at bats at the break, this year he has started about 30% of the games and remains their top RH option off the bench. I think this is the best way to use him.

If Ledee comes back after the break, I could see Matt going down to play CF everyday in Vegas and Cruz basically becoming solely a RH player until Repko comes back, then Cruz may go bye bye. The catching situation I don't see changing until some of the pitching moves (Perez, Gagne, Tomko) get resolved.

Speaking of the oppositin although he could have signed with us, I think Brian Giles is a leadoff hitter batting 3rd.

Martinez gets the start at 2nd, batting 5th

Grady, I think clearly, Ethier is the better option batting 5th. Also, Kent, STOP GETTING HURT AT THE PLATE.

One reason Saenz doesn't play as much is because he wore down last season after having about 50 more at bats at the break, this year he has started about 30% of the games and remains their top RH option off the bench. I think this is the best way to use him.

Tracy used him more than just in a strict platoon.
If saenz played 3b only against lefties he will be fine.
Aybar vs all righties.

One reason Saenz doesn't play as much is because he wore down last season after having about 50 more at bats at the break, this year he has started about 30% of the games and remains their top RH option off the bench. I think this is the best way to use him.

no one is saying that Saenz should play every day. Giving him a start a week or so isn't going to kill him.

Now, the real issue for me is Izzy playing, but there are all sorts trade issues there. And it's not like Aybar is tearing it up in AAA as of late.

who cares if Aybar is in a slump? His offense is STILL better and he makes a fraction of what Izturis makes to tap out every AB. I can't stand trading for relievers (i.e. Baez) but at the same time, I'd give Izturis to any team willing to give me a decent reliever back...I'll never understand why he gets a free pass from everyone for not being able to hit the broad side of a barn, but as soon as any other player hits a slump they get railed.

I have to say that I am just a little pissed that arguably the fifth best candidate out of five made the AL All-Star team. Ramon Hernandez isn't a blowout victory over Punchy A.J., but Verlander, Liriano and Hafner are clearly outperforming him by a lot.

I've got to admit to a very sentimental feeling about 1951, but I think I was too young to start a grudge then.

The guy is a black hole at the plate.

Yeah, usually, he is pretty much a safe bet for a weak grounder to second. Yet somehow, he is hitting .433 at home right now, with an OPS over .900 at home.

In fact, some of the splits are incredible.

Izzy: .433 at home, .045 on the road.
Drew: .328 at home, .248 on the road.
Ethier: .403 at home, .282 on the road.
Cruz: .333 at home, .165 on the road.
Russell Martin: .337 at home, .235 away
Furcal: .299 at home, .224 on the road.
Kent: .337 at home, .216 on the road.

No wonder we're a better home team.

Yet somehow, he is hitting .433 at home right now, with an OPS over .900 at home.

That's what happens when you only play a handful of games.

Going to the bottom of the 9th in Philly, Padres lead 5-3.

A couple of pinch hitters and then Rollins to face Hoffman.

Having a better offense actually seems to be less important than having a better defense up the middle. I'm not sure if this is good or rational, but it is so. The stink raised when an infielder has a poor at bat seems to pale in comparison to the reaction to a glaring error. this is probably significant.

80- Starting 30% of the time is twice a week. That would seem to be in line with the RHB side of a platoon. How is what you're saying different from what MB31 and TB0 are saying?

84 As I said Saenz has started in 25 games so thats about 6-7 times a month.

I do think that Izturis is playing for his defense at 3B and to show the other clubs that he is healthy.

BTW - they are 8-5 with Izzy starting and while he may not be the reason they won all 8 games, he surely isn't the reason they lost the other 5.

How in the world is Ledee a better option than Kemp?

Mark Redman with a shutout through 6 innings in KC against the Blue Jays.

Redman is sure catching a lot of heat for just being the token Royal. Why do people every year get all flustered when a bad team has a not so good player on the All-Star team? It happens every year.

Wait until the July 12 RGC.

The stink raised when an infielder has a poor at bat seems to pale in comparison to the reaction to a glaring error. this is probably significant.

It's because of perception. Furcal grounds out...oh well, can't get a hit every time. He boots a ball and everyone flips their lid because everyone expects players to make every play.

The thing is, how many of the errors actually lead to runs and in turn, how many of those runs are costing us games?

If Saenz makes an error at third but it does no damage...then no harm no foul. That's the thing...I'm more inclined to believe that the defensive downgrade of Saenz/Aybar won't hurt as much as their offense will help.

Padres win 5-3, so the Dodgers need to win to stay in first.

Breaking news, Gagne has two herniated disks, got some treatment today, will re-examine tomorrow, may need back surgery.

Apparently he woke up Tuesday in severe pain that hasn't gone down.

No comment necessary.

Two disks? Wow, that's bad.

93 He's not but you're not going to start cutting every veteran that comes off the DL. Again, he could be a nice little trade to a contender if he is healthy.

97-

GUH

99-

I don't think Ledee has much, if any trade value.

95

The thing is, how many of the errors actually lead to runs and in turn, how many of those runs are costing us games?

Exactly.
I've never understood why people get so wrapped up in defense.
Now if someone was actually horrible defensively then i can understand, but its been a long time since i've seen a guy horrible at defense.

If Saenz makes an error at third but it does no damage...then no harm no foul. That's the thing...I'm more inclined to believe that the defensive downgrade of Saenz/Aybar won't hurt as much as their offense will help.

Exactly.

The Yankees picked up Aaron Guiel, so I think Ricky Ledee could fetch something from a team like them. The Yankees have also used Terrence Long this year.

97
How do two herniated disks come out of nowhere?

Gagne should just retire.

I guess it's time to stop reading the comments...

Ledee, if he has any trade value, won't get more by sitting on the bench in L.A. If something can be gotten for him, it should be gotten before his rehab stint is over. If not, he should be cut, unless Lofton gets traded first. Either is fine, but there's only so much roster space that can be devoted to trade-bait storage. Especially when carrying sixteen catchers.

Couldn't we have just kept Seo and had him given up those two hits?

I hope Gagne did not have back pain and never told anyone.

make that three hits

109-

At this point, I don't even care anymore. Start grooming Broxton for the role.

Hendrickson's must be having some bad luck, according to gameday these hits are just grounders.

112

Yeah, bad luck, that's it...

After hearing about gagne, i'm starting a campaign for an izturis and lofton trade for a reliever or 2.
I'll call it "I/L for relievers, addition by subtraction campaign".
LOL!

Why not, we have aybar/saenz for 3b, and soon we will get back either repko or ledee to go along with drew, ethier, kemp, cruz in the outfield.

If Ray Durham can hit into a triple play, we'll be alright.

The Reds have scored five in the 9th to tie the Braves 7-7. Javier Valentin had a 3-run pinch hit homer.

I just realized Ned makes alright moves with hitters and terrible moves when it comes to pitching.

Lets hold off on trading for a starting pitcher.

BJ would be completely worthless if he didn't have that beard. He's the left handed Jae Seo.

Instead of visiting the mound, Little ought to have gone over and had a chat with Furry. And he should have brought a breathalizer.

I've never understood these visits to the mound by the manger. What's little going to tell him, throw strikes?

Are two balls to Furcal plays he should make a play on , or are they legit hits?

Gameday tells me two singles have been on ground balls to Furcal. Huh? Somebody explain, please.

The people defending the Hendrickson trade are going to have to figure out which Earth they are on that we would want to transact with Tampa Bay. Gary Seven has got to be involved in this somehow.

Furcal has knocked down two balls deep in the hole that he had no play on.

Can't blame Furcal for those hits.

The first was a FC when Furry tripped (over nothing), falling down and costing the back end of a double play. Then he muffed a hard grounder to his right.

Ah, ok. Thanks.

I do not see how he muffed the grounder to the right of him. It was clearly out of his range. The one up the middle, yeah he had problems, but a lot of shortstops would not have gotten 1 out.

126

Furcal wouldn't have thrown out anyone on the grounder to his right. Unless he flipped it to Ethier.

I would rather he flipped it at Hendrickson.

BJ didn't get hit hard, let's see if the Dodgers can get them back.

Nice Star Trek reference by Steve.

128, 129- It hit him in the glove. He probably didn't have a play at first, but he did fail to catch a grounder that hit him in the glove. Should have been more clear.

I won't ask what I missed.

Oh, Midusa, what didst thou see in Hendrickson?

Nice job, Kenny.

Free baseball in Atlanta. Nothing finer than to watch the Cincy and Atlanta bullpens to duke it out.

Fookie showed off some pretty impressive range. None of the hits were his fault, but if he hadn't stumbled on a ball hit up the middle, he might have gotten a double play instead of just the force at 2nd.

Good lord, Ramon Martinez is our number 5 hitter.

DJ needs those walks to boost his weak OBP (only 380!). Unfortunately, Lucille is hitting behind him instead of Ethier.

137 I was thinking the same thing.

Gagne with a herniated disk in his back.

That's not good.

Why are people swinging? He keeps throwing balls.

I won't ask what I missed.

Oh, Midusa, what didst thou see in Hendrickson?

Dodgers are being smart about making Cain throw strikes.

142 was a mistake. Sorry about that guys.

What's going on in Grits' brain....
The 2nd baseman hits 5th, the catcher hits last (8th or 9th, in the case of interleague), the shortstop bats leadoff.

I don't understand why the Braves don't blow it up. They could get a nice Marlins-like haul for Chipper, Smoltz, and Jones and probably be back in contention before you know it.

What I mean to type was that on a 3-1 pitch, I think Ramon needs to do more with that.

144
As punishment, you have to go and buy yourself a Buick.

144 That's not an Italian car, right?

Hendrickson's picture on gameday looks like john shmoltz.
LOL!
Doesn't pitch like him tho.
LOL!

I mean 148.

What the heck, I'm buying a Buick!

Cool we have 5 pitchers in our batting order and were down 3 runs.

150-

Joey Eischen has the best pic I've ever seen.

150 I almost typed that. He looks like a the kinder, gentler version of Smotlz.

149
There was supposed to be no GM talk. So if you talk about The Executive That Cannot Be Alluded To, you have to buy a GM car.

Just heard that Hendrickson is setting some record for least run support this year. That is not good to give a guy like Cain. It could really set him on a tear! We're through.

Tell me you don't love that "Love Train" song.

157-

Terrible commercial.
Terrible beer.

ethier should be batting 5th.

149 Ah! See, I missed that and you know why? I promised to mention The Executive That Cannot Be Alluded To by his nickname for at least ten posts.

I won't be doing that now. We're a Toyota/Honda family.

Pi is a very smart hitter. Hit the ball in Bonds' direction and there's a good chance that you'll get a hit.

if Izturis bunts I'm going to drink bleach.

157 Yeah, but the song? You gotta love that song!

And you're right, I wouldn't wash my dog with that stuff.

163-

I do like the song...but now it's damaged because it is forever going to be associated with Coors.

156 -- He played for Tampa Bay. What kind of run support would you expect him to get?

Just misses a 4-6-3...I think the ball has a magnet in it when Izturis is up that makes him hit it directly to the second baseman.

just got in, looks like BJ had a tough 1st inning. Laroche homered in his first ab tonight.

Seems to be a lot of gnats at the game and that is not a joke about the Giants.

Mark Redman with the win tonight. AJ Pierzynski has homered for Chicago. It's Underserving All-Star Night!

Why do people call Hendrickson BJ?

Grady is increasingly getting on my nerves.

Martinez hits ahead of Ethier?

And Izturis should not hit ahead of anyone with a pulse.

170

Bearded Junkballer. or, Beaseball Jesus because he is suppose to be our savior :)

I'll admit, I'm missing The Bison.

Liriano should be an all star, AL ROY, AL CY Young, and AL MVP.

Brian Sabean should cry everynight.

172 -- You should have seen the sinker he got Matt Cain to strike out on. Walks on water, indeed.

On another note, Vin mentioned that SF was interested in getting Sean Casey, which strikes me as a terrible move, but I hope they do it.

And you're right, I wouldn't wash my dog with that stuff.

What beer do you usually wash your dog with, Bruin?

174- why would he? Aj Pierzfkasfsafsa is an all star...

176
Well at least he is not Lance Neikro.

Same beer I used to wash my dog with before I traded him for Duchsherer

If we had better defense, Hendrickson's line tonight would look better then it does.

BJ is good at getting the first 2 strikes, the third one seems to elude him though.

Izturis showing off the gold glove.

1 shot of Winstrol away from being a home run

loney with another hit, 2-2 tonight, up to .385. Kendricks down to .369 so far so Loney has a pretty large lead!

another 2 strike hit.

181- when you rely on your defense to record 90 % of your outs, a lot of things can go wrong.

181

If the Dodgers had a rover, the position I played in Tee Ball, Hendrix would have a shutout going.

At first I read it as Bearded Jesus.

Right and Grizzly Adams had a beard...Grizzly Adams did have a beard.

177 Yeah, that line wasn't nearly as funny as when I first heard it on "Cheers."

That said, if I did, Heineken or Guiness. Brilliant!

Colletti has an affinty for soft tossers- Seo, Carter, Hendrickson, even Hamulack doesn't even throw that hard.

At least he didn't dive.

I guess I picked the wrong night to quit smoking.

"It is very difficult when you can't reaer back and cut loose a fastball to overpower a hitter. And the more you see the hitters swing and get a piece of the ball, the tougher it is to get an out."

I think Vinny is trying to tell us something.

Brilliant play by Lofty.

185 - Loney is playing LF. Guzman is at 1B. Seems like a strange switch.

193 LOL

I feel very sorry for the security guys in the pavilions tonight. It's going to be one surly crowd tonight. We'll just complain. The people in the pavilion will do more than that.

Kenny couldn't get up to Kenny Speed to glove that one, so niekro just doubled.

And SF's fascination with old people continues even in their rookies, this Alfonzo guy has apparently played 10+ years in the minors.

To think we traded in my opinion an excellent backup catcher (navarro) for garbage (hendrickson).
Ned needs to do his homework.

196

Maybe the Dodgers are preparing for life with Nomar AND Loney next year.

200

Even worse, we traded a 22 yr old starting catcher with a mlb career 360+ OBP. Awesome.

200 Midusa.

Cool we are down by 5 runs and we have 5 pitchers in our lineup.

200 202

One of you is buying a Buick and the other has to buy a Chevy.

we have 5 pitchers in our lineup.

LOL!
Piss poor management of position player assets.

The Cardinals lost tonight in Houston and they are only a 1/2 game better than the Padres now.

"It must be so difficult. When you don't have that hard fastball to put hitters away... in three innings, the big lefthander has had five no-ball/two-strike counts and he has only one strikeout and that's the pitcher Matt Cain."

I think Vinny is trying to tell us something.

Bob, where are you watching the WC finale on Sunday?

Beware of the Bearded Innings-Eater.
Giants fans will realize this tomorrow nite.

208-

Matt Cain isn't a very good hitter?

I thought for a second Furcal was crazy enough to challenge Bonds 10 feet away from third.

211 :)

Furcal isnt running on Bonds?
Ok the team is down by 5 runs.

Can we fire the 3rd base coach? If Bonds can't throw out Sid Bream then he sure as hell can't throw out Furcal at age 42 (?)

We got a rally!

Well that explains it. If Fur-kel is 42 it's no wonder he can't hit.

one could pull a hammy on that play.

Hendickson= Odalis Perez. I mean, he gets hurt with little grounders that find the hole some how. Not saying he's really a good pitcher, but can the guy get a break please?

Those last two pitches by Cain were wicked.

209

From my beloved couch I believe.

Our 5th hitter has RAW POWER. LOL

Drew with the Olney.
He's such a gamer.

219 But that's just it, isn't it? He needs to get breaks in order to do well.

219. Hendrickson used up all his breaks in Tampa.

223 that's an LOL.

We need an Ethier bomb!

can our "common enemy" tonight be hendrickson?

215.

We were down 5 runs.

Lucille is such an intimidating force.
Seriously, Cain's control usually isnt this bad. He does have high pitch counts, but he's really wild tonite.

219

Yeah, this sure is unexpected. He had a great opposing BABIP so far in Tampa. I thought for sure he would keep that up. I just can't imagine what might be happening.

Good swing.

Awwwwwwwwwww

Awww...

Ethier just missed.

3.5 was pretty close to making a game of it. oh well.

he just missed that...darn.

28 - oh please, oh please?

Waitaminnit. Doesn't that make Flanders the common enemy by extension?

Why must our rooks swing at the 1st pitch with the bases loaded?

Cain is getting lucky.

That's ... that's ... flabbergasting.

Oh my, Cesar with a...nevermind.

238

it was his pitch to hit and he barely missed it. why did i have a feeling that you were going to complain after that?

238 I thought that, too, but that was right in his wheelhouse and he just missed. He also got an RBI out of it. I think it's forgiveable.

238- To be fair, he almost hit it out.

Izturis ends the inning with a line drive to Cain, but it would have probably been a miraculous diving catch by the second baseman, anyway.

Cain looks like Billingsley tonite.

Why must our rooks swing at the 1st pitch with the bases loaded?

Cuz he almost hit a granny.

what are the odds that BJ doesn't give up any more runs tonight?

240 Que?

Dave Debuscherre (sp?), Lord rest his soul.

ethier is the only guy i want first-pitch swinging because he is hot.

Hendrickson's only apparent skill is to give up enough baserunners that the pitcher leads off every other inning.

So for those of us on Gameday, was that hit by Izturis one of those plays where Cain just trys to defend himself, and it falls in his glove. If so, I'm pretty sad.

I'd also like to add that a player can swing whenever he darn well pleases if he gives the ball a ride.

Hendrickson owns Cain.

Vin Scully is really insisting on embarrassing Matt Cain tonight.

245

they are almost the same pitcher. Their minor league peripherals are basically the same.

250-

Physical attractiveness does not win ball games.

Real gamers are ugly.

Do Cain and Billz have similar stuff?

252

basically. Cain just stuck his glove out and the ball landed it in.

I'd always take a strike with the bases loaded no matter who it was. Too much luck involved when you take BABIP. Plus in that situation a walk means a run.

Almost-trivia question, maybe==

In spring training Little, referring to a pitcher--a reliever, I think--said something like "when a guy throws 100, you have to consider him." Anyone know who this was, where he is? The name has left me.

Pitching is much more than velocity. But velocity is probably kind of like money: it's not everything, but it's way ahead of whatever's in second place. Unless you are (or were) Greg Maddux.

257

Cain suppose to throw a bit harder but Billingsley is suppose to have better breaking stuff. Hence only seeing about 4 cain breaking balls so far.

254- how? what do you mean?

So for those of us on Gameday, was that hit by Izturis one of those plays where Cain just trys to defend himself, and it falls in his glove. If so, I'm pretty sad.

Yes.

Who else got the question right?

(takes a bow)

loney with another hit, 3-3, .387 now.

im sure he was going up looking to hit. not thinking about walking.

260
I am guessing he was speaking about Broxton.

264

I did, but I can never spell that guy's name right.

259

I am a huge proponent of patience, but your advice is off. In that situation, a hitter - especially one with power - should be looking for his pitch. If he gets it he should swing.

In this case, especailly, with Izturis coming up, you best chance to score more than one run is with Ethier swinging.

262-

I think he mentioned that Hendrickson's only strikeout was Cain twice in that at-bat.

At which point he struck out Cain again, and said the same thing but with two strike outs.

265 Wow.

I wouldn't mind seeing him again.

Could Loney develop into Nick Johnson?

260.

Jumbo

272
For Loney to develop into Nick Johnson, he will need to get hurt more often.

Good to hear that LaRoche homered. Looks like the shoulder injury wasn't serious at all if he's still got his power.

WWSH

Jose Diaz that is, if you didn't know his nickname.

So when will LaRoche take over 3B?

272-Ya, If he grows a beard and gains 50 pounds.

Re: 277

Hopefully when Izzy's traded...

WWSH

Orlando Cabrera got a single in the 5th in Oakland to run his consecutive games on base streak to 63, which is really remarkable when you consider that Orlando Cabrera really isn't that good and he's passing guys named Bonds and Snider on this list.

277- Hopefully soon. He is going to be 90% as good as Wright. Mark my words.

280 That's amazing.

280
Wow, that is amazing.

274 - how much more? Didn't his wrist injury screw him up enough?

Is it me or does Bonds look a little smaller?

281
David Wright?
Clyde Wright?
George Wright?
Harry Wright?
Wilbur Wright?
Orville Wright?

286 - how about my friend Bruce Wright?

286- David

Frank Lloyd Wright

280 - from memory, wasn't Cabrera a 40 VORP player in 2003? It's not like he's incapable of good seasons.

Well it could be David Wright, but I hear that LaRoche has been building a wind tunnel in Dayton, Ohio.

Steven Wright

OK, he can get Bar-oid out, why not anybody else?

I also heard Andy is funnier than Steven Wright.

I am surprised Bonds could slide without his knees exploding.

290
It's not that Cabrera is a bad player. It's just that's he's pulling off a streak that's pretty remarkable as he's not the type of guy you would expect it from. He hasn't exactly been a walk machine.

Nomar Biggio.

269. I should amend my statement a bit. If there were 2 outs, I might be inclined to agree with you. But if Ethier walks in that situation, the Dodgers have 1 run for sure, and the next batter up with the bases loaded and still 1 out.

It just seems really risky to swing at the 1st pitch against a pitcher struggling with his control, only 1 out, and has the bases loaded.

Baez better pitch tonight if you know what I'm saying.

We aren't falling for that play again Vizquel!

Drew killed that ball. LOL

Kenny Lofton shows that he is not Cody Ross.

Take a walk Ramon, Ethier needs another crack at a slam.

299- What are you saying?

Anybody know who that is coming in?

280 Amazing he can do that with a .359 on base, while guys like Hafner and Abreu who have on base percentages almost 100 points higher can't even come close.

Wow Cain is done.
Very unimpressive tonite.

But if Ethier walks in that situation, the Dodgers have 1 run for sure, and the next batter up with the bases loaded and still 1 out.

But the next batter was Izturis.

Well, he's up to 87 pitches but it's not like we were killing the ball in the inning.

Why is Laroach batting 7th tonight?

I know when I think of Ramon Martinez, I think of music from Rammstein.

311- Why?

Assuming Cabrera gets on base 36% of the time an averages four plate appearances a night, he had a .00086% chance of accomplishing this streak.

Earth to Ramon: He has a slider.

Dammit.

Project SMOtheR!

honestly, grittle has no excuse batting ramon in the 5th spot.

The year Ted Williams had his 84 game streak of reaching base safely his OBP was .490. (1949)

312
I was joking, because they were blasting Rammstein for some reason before his at bat.

The cracks in Lucille II's formerly blue sky begin to open up.

Lucille should have walked in that at bat.
Always take a strike with the bases juiced and less than 2 outs. That was brutal.

Some people will criticize Lucille II for that GIDP, but they forget that

1. It drove in a run, and
2. The rally was extended, with a runner remaining on 3rd.

Ramon killed the rally. WTH Why is he batting 5th?

Yeah, I'd pitch around him too.

he swung at ball 4.

Did he just foul off ball 4?

325- Again

325 - I thought so.

Yes.

take the walk!

322 - a Double Olney!

I am tired of this all SS infield!

He swung at ball 4 three times.

Izturis has made an entire career of swinging at ball 4.

The conversation from 324-329 seemed like it was out of "Dragnet."

Martinez and Izturis are idiots at the plate. Both swung at ball 4 several times, and did NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That should have been a big inning.

335 Very funny. I remember watching a lot of those when I was a kid.

If Laroche didn't hurt his shoulder, he would probably have been up by now.

339

How long do we have to wait now?

338
Did you see the one where the teenagers smoke weed making them go crazy and trash the movie theatre?

[273,276] Thanks, thinking blue. Do you know what became of Jumbo/Jose Diaz and his 100 mph heater?

340

I don't know. Maybe until they trade Izturis. He did hit a homerun tonight.

341
You mean there was just one episode with that plot?

Mark Hendrickson is the pitcher's Lance Niekro. Discuss.

Forget Laroche, where's Aybar to end this nonsense?

Why haven't they traded Izturis to Jim Bowden yet is the better question.

339- He is ready. If kemp is up here, then he should be here.

Take him out.

342

was sent down to AA, struggled there because his elbow was still hurting. He dropped down his arm angle a bit to avoid the pen and his velocity was like 8-10mph slower then normal. They shut him down and hes building his way back up through the system again. He will probably be left unprotected at the end of the year due to injury risk and still being pretty far away from the majors.

344
We just had to watch it in my history of TV class, hilarious episode.

They should let Hennessy swing away. He's 5-16 this year.

Forget Laroche, where's Aybar to end this nonsense?

Aybars been struggling alot lately. Dsfan has documented his struggles well enough.

I want LaRoche up here tomorrow.

I can only tolerate so much.

354

If Laroche hits another homerun tonight, I'll be joining your battlecry.

Well, it looks like Hendrickson will have not allowed a run from the point in question.

Aybar has a decent track record in the bigs with the bat, but his defense is too spotty (runs prevented DO matter), and LaRoche has all that power potential. I'd be more than happy with a call-up with him to see what happens.

I'm surprised Hendrickson got out of it.... Thought Grittle should have pulled him for Gio.

WWSH

Like he needs another HR for you to want him up lol.

Wow, talk of laroche joining the team.
Forget the aybar/saenz platoon, laroche at 3b would be better.

I don't want Izturis traded because we'll probably get negative value in return. Do we really want former all star closer Todd Jones to join Baez in the bullpen or current all star Mark Redman to replace Billingsley in the rotation? These are the types of guys Ned targets.

Re: 355

I'd give him a week, I think, to let him get settled in to AAA again. And if he continues to hit well, call him up.

I really hope Ned's fielding trade offers for Izzy. Even for the old-school guys, Izzy is NOT a traditional slugging 3B. That should be clear to anyone.

WWSH

I think Laroche could use some more AAA ABs....(ducks)

Re: 360

I'd be happy with trading Izzy for prospects.

WWSH

360
True, but Todd Jones coming out of the bullpen to pitch poorly every few games or so is probably better than Izturis playing 3rd and batting in the #2 or #7 spot every day.

Re: 362

He could, but the same could be said of Kemp. Why not try it out? If he doesn't do so great like JtD, just send him back down.

WWSH

Any concern over starting the service clock of yet another highly hyped Dodger prospect? Or am I misunderstanding how these figurative clocks work?

Or are there actual clocks, kept in the bowels of Dodger Stadium? And if so, how many clocks does Wilkin Ruan have?

Russ Martin....
Maybe the club needed Navarro to light a fire under Russ.

Mark Redman has won his last six starts and gave up just one run tonight to Toronto.

I really don't think Redman is good, but I feel that he has become the All-Star game whipping boy for no good reason.

Cruz really earned his paycheck with that PH AB.

Note to Grits- Cruz can't hit righties.

Tnanks for the help, Nate.
Indeed, Willy has cratered, confirming my suspicions of two weeks ago, when he was prudently demoted.
My affinity for Aybar aside, Izzy, miscast though he may be at 3B has been much better defensively that Willy would have been. And believe it or not, Izzy probably is faring better offensively than Willy would have. Willy needs to land on the trampoline, soon.

363- so would I, but Ned likes crusty veterans
364- Ned would make him the setup man. The mopup role is currently occupied by half our bullpen

Does Furry think he is a power hitter?

Or are there actual clocks, kept in the bowels of Dodger Stadium? And if so, how many clocks does Wilkin Ruan have?

Heh.

Yeah really.
Is it too early to just let Sandy Alomar pinch hit?

I can remember when Jose Cruz's rookie card was worth a ton, because everyone thought he was the next great Mariner.

The NY Times has a travel piece called "36 hours in Redding, California."

That's like, 35 hours and 50 minutes more than anyone ever needs to spend in Redding.

EARTH TO DODGERS:

HENNESSY HAS A SLIDER. USUALLY, IT'S NOT A STRIKE. DON'T SWING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also, the game doesn't come to you, you have to go get the dam thing. Every freaking run can't be a pop up that luckly drops cuz Bonds can't play defense, or a little tapper that gets by the mound. YOU actually have to hit.

RE: 371

Precisely why we should give LaRoche a try. Izzy clearly isn't the solution, but I'm not sold on Aybar. Didn't Jon have BABIP numbers that essentially predicted the crash in his numbers?

WWSH

377
They were probably in awe of seeing trees.

Gio gets a K...

WWSH

377
Redding is a hell hole. My dad lives there. I'll be visiting in September, when the temperatures will hopefully be below triple digits.

Nice catch Ramon!!!!!!

Friday through Monday's forecasted high temps in Redding:

101, 105, 105, 101

Even Vin is trashing Lofty's defense

Two hours north of Sacramento, Redding was once considered just another Podunk, notable for its highway sprawl and a sea of outlet malls. But in the last seven years the city, which has 87,000 residents, has remade itself and is becoming a destination. Redding is now home to an ultramodern $23 million bridge designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava — the Sundial, which spans the Sacramento River — and offers a 300-acre natural history park.

Vegas was so hot, it felt like you couldn't breathe.

How the once mighty fall....

WWSH

NICE

Gio: the arm that we need?

379. Aybar BABIP was 26/91.
Thats a modest .285, which might be below average.

Ethier's was .426 last I looked.

Good for Gio. I just like him.

That goes on the Bonds wall of shame.

What's the point of chanting "Barry sucks"? He'd be the 2nd best hitter on our team.

Re: 390

Gio was once a valuable swingman. However, it's hard to believe he'd get a second wind at this point in his career.

WWSH

The record high temperature in Redding in September was a delightful 116 on 9/3/88.

386
No telling how many folks have flocked to Redding for that bridge and that park.

390- No. We need another starter.

395

He's on his third or fourth wind, at least.

Why did Hennessey lose his starting spot to Jamey Wright?

Rob Nenn is in the crowd. I hope we aren't signing him.

The Sundial Bridge of Redding:

http://tinyurl.com/nef9c

401

Nope. We're trading James Loney to Nenn's wife and kids for Nenn.

He is going to snap!

Mark Redman World Series rings: 1
Barry Bonds World Series rings: 0

q.e.d.

Now the Gints are playing bean ball.

Arggghhhhhhh....

WWSH

Nomar got plunked 11 times in 2003.

He could pass that up by the All-Star Break.

Trading Izzy would be premature. You keep him as a utility man. Furcal's ineptitude at SS and cascade of minor injuries the past two years are factors. Obviously a 3B would certainly help.

Izzy's doing OK for a guy who's miscast, rusty and in uncharted medical waters. Not much data on shortstops coming back from TJ surgery. He's coming off pretty radical surgery for a SS. Pitchers say it takes 2 years to regain full, reliable coordination and feel after such an injury. The nerves and synapses seem to require that long.

I put some stock in his incresed bottom-hand strength as a hitter in 2004-05 and the span's improved ABS. He was OPSing about .810 when the hammy started to go in June '05. I do respect the argument that he's just never going to be a decent hitter -- quite aware of his longer track record of poor hitting.

Anyway, assuming the surgery produces desired results, I think him capable of playing a very good SS and OPSsng around .730 -- but it's only fair to give him time to adjust, preferably via a utility role that buys insurance for the erratic, fundamentally poor Furcal.

Again, my preference for strong defense is greater than the norm here. I se it as more than coincidence that the Dodgers only division title since 1996 came when they finished 1st or 2nd in defensive efficiency.

I think the only recourse for Nomar getting hit is for JD Drew to attack Eliezer Alfonzo with his bat.

Getting hit by pitches is one of Nomar's underappreciated skills. He ought to share that knowledge with his teammates rather than selfishly keeping it to himself.

and the mighty ramon comes up yet again in a critical situation.

Uh oh, Martinez is up in a key spot again.

Like I said earlier, Baez will pitch tonight.

Bonds better wear knee pads in his next at bat.

Izturis is batting fourth tomorrow night.

408

the problem with keeping him to be the utility infielder is that he is not going to be the utility infielder. hes going to play and play everyday and be a complete negative to our ability to produce runs.

No one pays 4+mil for a utility infielder.

Why couldn't Lucille do that in his last at bat?

And he comes through.

Ramon makes some amends...

WWSH

where was that hit last inning?

391 I just wrote an article on this very subject. http://dodgermath.com/?p=412.

Aybar's BABIP wasn't great (.296) but his line drive percentage was obscenly low (13.4%). With that little line drives, he should have had a BABIP around (and this is eyeballing) .265.

Just got home to see I didn't miss much.

By any chance does anyone have Mr. Hendrickson's address I have some friends out back sharpening their pitch forks and lighting their torches who would like to drop by for a casual visit.

421

How did they get the pitchforks? I thought Bob had a monopoly on all of them.

Ramon - That was the first pitch! He shouldn't have swung?

Bad Andre! Bad!

Everyone's an idiot at the plate tonight.

I only have a monopoly on effigies and torches. The pitchfork wholesalers are a tough lot to bargain with.

Grab some pi ne meat.

3.14 thinks he's a power hitter now

420- If you regress his numbers to reflect the lower BABIP, he still outhits Izturis, right?

426

Two outta three ain't bad.

Geezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz you're all killing me dodgers.

It's still just one run. Hopefully our luck will turn in the next inning...

WWSH

How did Ethier get the Pi nickname? I missed a big nickname weekend.

I know some black-market pitchfork dealers but I can't say any more than that. They are a tough bunch.

An improvised revision on 428- If you [cut off his left arm, stuff it with peperoni and garlic, roast for three hours, basting regularly, and serve it with a pinenut relish], he still outhits Izturis, right?

Lance Carter blows the save in Portland. Game tying homerun to Termmel Sledge.

428 With the patience, yes. In terms of average, it's probably about the same, if not slightly in favor of Izturis.

Re: 428

But one still has to factor in defense.

I don't understand the argument that defense is irrelevant--runs prevented and runs scored all count the same, right? How to measure it is a good question, but being difficult to measure doesn't mean it's irrelevent.

WWSH

Lofton is clueless.

421 I'm beginning to suspect that Vin Scully is part of a conspiracy to make some of the more questionable recent decisions look good. How many times tonight did he talked about Hendrickson's "first-pitch strikes," and whatever number of "0-2 counts?" Listening to Vin (and I admit I missed the opening innings, so this might be unfair), you'd think Hendrickson pitched a great freakin' game. He must be reading off a memo.

Vin did the same thing when Izzy returned. It was "Hail the Conquering Hero" every time he made a catch or took a walk.

I'm ok with Lofton when they hit it right at him. Its when he has to run and catch at the same time that I get nervous.

The Pitchfork Mafia is run out of Redding. That's how the city was able to afford that boondoggle of a bridge.

439 "...did he talk about..." Ugh.

Delwyn Young has the Golden Sombrero at Vegas. He's been a big disappointment this year.

Ethier is luckiest player in baseball.

436- Aybar may not have great power, but he has enough to swing the scale, I should think.

437- I'm not making the argument that it's irrelevant. I'm saying there's an overstep in dsfan's Aybar has cratered theory. I think you may be over valuing defense, and undervaluing Aybar's, but that's trickier. I only like low hanging fruit, the rest is too much work.

Re: 439

I missed the first innings, but I don't get that impression from Vin. Hendrickson did actually settle down. And Vin was pretty open about how he couldn't finish batters off on 0-2 counts. That's hardly a compliment.

I think Vin genuinely loved Izzy's glove, which _was) fun to watch. As a SS, he's a player that has real value; it's natural for Vin to transfer that perception to 3B, even though he's miscast at that position.

WWSH

I wish Aybar and Young would pick it up in Vegas, I have a bunch of GMs watching their performances.

437 True, but I believe its a lot easier to score a run with the bat than prevent a run with the glove.

The best single season Fielding Runs Against Replacement ever was Orlando Cabrera's 62 in 2001. In most years, the best hitters will contribute around 90-100 runs. Even the best fielding season ever is only worth about 2/3rds as much as the average dominant batting season.

444

BABIP is not the gospel.

I think Vin is kind to the players he personally likes. Izzy is supposed to be a nice guy and I'm sure that influances Vin. The same was very true with Green and LoDuca.

how was that NOT a swing?

449 True, but when the system pegs you as by far the luckiest player in baseball, there's probably something to it.

Because Lance Carter sucks, loney, guzman, laroche and etc have more chances to bat tongiht. yay!

BABIP is not the gospel.

So I can stop looking in my Bible for the Gospel according to Voros?

moot point

Gio= BS, bullpen savior?

Way to go Gio.
And Ethier is the luckiest player in baseball.
Check out how much he outlies every other MLB hitter.

452

What system? The total hits minus homeruns divided by ABs minus strikeouts system?

It was four years ago when I first thought to myself, "Well, I've seen the last of Giovanni Carrara as a Dodger."

So I can stop looking in my Bible for the Gospel according to Voros?

The Gospel according to James should suffice...

Was Joe Maurer the other far off point on your graph? He had a higher LD percentage, but he was pretty far away from the trendline too.

Do you recall who the unluckiest player was?

460
Don't start getting all Gnostic on me now.

458. Its that system, regressed against line drves. Ethier's line drives fall in way way way more often than the average hitter's line drives.

452 BABIP vs. Line Drives. Since line drives are by far the most likely event to result in hits (about 75% of the time, compared to 23% for ground balls and 21% for outfield flies) you need them to keep up a high BABIP. Ethier's ridiculously high BABIP despite a good, but not great line drive percentage pegs him for a collapse.

461 Yeah, it was Mauer.

So Ethier has a high line drive %, Hendrickson has a low line drive %, what a lucky team. Maybe I should rub all their heads before I go buy a lottery ticket.

I was curious, so I checked Aybar's career Rate2 at 3B: 89

I should say that Izzy's career Rate2 at SS is actually unimpressive: 101. That takes into account the early years of his career, though, so it probably understates things. As a 3B, but with the usual sample size issues in play, it's 122.

Anyhow, I do think Aybar's bat is better, but I still think a case can be made that Izzy's doing just fine at 3B. At the very least, I don't think it hurts the team a great deal.

WWSH

I'm putting my money on a Benitez Bottom of the Ninth Blue Plate Special.

466 That's the problem, he doesn't have a high line drive percentage.

I think Mauer and other players who play half their games on turf don't really hold true to the rule because of the turf, groundballs have a higher chance of becoming hits then if they were hit on grass.

I first noticed Ethier's luck when I realized he was hitting .340, but striking out like 30 percent of the time. Thats really hard to do.

468 -- Your money is in good hands. When you win that bet, let's go buy some Fur-kel effigies to go with our Hendrickson ones.

470 True. It would be interesting to see how turf effects that.

Looks like Benitez will have to blow this one.

Groan

It's still just one run, but what a frustrating game...

WWSH

They ran out of people to interview by the second episode of the In My Own Words show.

This is what seperates the dodgers from the Tigers, or White Sox. When the White Sox or Tigers get these opprotunites, the cash them in. We hit into double plays, and swing at bad balls.

I have to admit watching Vizquel play is a pleasure. He fields like Izzy and hits like Furcal is supposed to.

473. What is your opinion on the most of the Dodgers maintaining high BABIP relative to their LD's, and also playing in DS?

Isnt DS supposed to lag BABIP?
THat makes what Ethier's doing even more incredible.

Ethier is striking out around 22% of the time. Not 30.

Re: 479

It could really just be that Ethier's due for a crash in his numbers. That'd be tough to see, but there was that 4OF tag on him as a prospect...

WWSH

Looks like Benitez will have to blow this one.
There's a pretty good chance that he will, but we're going to give him a free out to start off the inning. Can we beat Benitez with only 2 outs?

When you win that bet, let's go buy some Fur-kel effigies to go with our Hendrickson ones.

You can't just "go buy" effigies these days. Here's what you do: go see a man who calls himself "The Librarian." He can hook you up.

let's go buy some Fur-kel effigies to go with our Hendrickson ones.

I am a stickler of a free market economy so Bob is not getting my money.

Beimel shaved, send him back to the minors!

You want an effigy?

I can get you an effigy.

But it's gonna cost you.

It's gonna cost you a lot.

And I don't accept PayPal either.

Lofton is 2/3 tonight.

Beimel is now useless. Be gone you beardless servant.

483. Yeah but I hear there is a shortage of Furcal effigies. Something aout high demand and a drought.

You don't think I know an effigy guy? I know an effigy guy. My effigy guy does good work.

479 I don't have any real insight on that subject.

472

I'm thinking of investing what I make back into Gagne stock.

It can't possibly get lower than today. If he just throws a ball again without dying the shares could split and I go home a rich little monkey.

Amatuers.

Cesar Izturis = 0-4, 7 LOB

And you're telling me we couldn't use Saenz in that spot?

*Amateurs

I've already gotten to Steve's effigy guy. His effigy guy works for me.

I control the whole effigy racket in Southern California.

Middle relievers and an infield full of shortstops aside, is there anything more annoying than an eBay seller who doesn't accept PayPal?

Nope, I think most agree with you.

Is Kent available to pinch hit?

Middle relievers and an infield full of shortstops aside, is there anything more annoying than an eBay seller who doesn't accept PayPal?

An ebay seller who doesn't send you the stuff you bought.

too bad Kent isn't PHing here.

With 2-3-4 coming up, I doubt Kent would be needed this inning.

The hit has been sent out, I knwo what library you work at Bob. Sleep with one eye open tonight.

Do the Dodgers 2-3-4 hitters ever hit home runs anymore? Sure doesn't seem like it.

Yes, I'm assuming you sleep at the library.

Come on, let's trot Kent out there for a mini-Kirk Gibson moment.

Bob sleeps at the library?

This explains so much.

Striking out against Benitez has the whiff of Reverse Grabowski Principle about it. We will observe this phenomenon and if it appears to bear out, we will call it the Benitez Hypothesis.

I have a feeling that I'm going to experience a Moe Green moment.

504-

we don't really have a HR threat in this lineup...that's one of the things I'd change cough*Carlos Lee*cough

We need a bomb backwards Ramon.

Nineteen seconds.

Where's a good service time clock when you need one?

509-

I'd give just about anything to see you have a Moe Green moment in person.

509. Take your glasses off then it won't be quite so Moe Green.

Do the Dodgers 2-3-4 hitters ever hit home runs anymore?

Well, for one thing, Nomar already used up all his homeruns.

477 - I thought we were among the leaders in RISP average.

That was not a hr. Oh no, I have a feeling this is going to be left up to the actual Ramon.

Whoa...yeah, that would support the Hypothesis right there

513. A little gouhlish, don't you think?

I'm broke.

I don't know what to believe anymore.

With Jon Weber batting, Willy Aybar caught stealing home, pitcher Steve Andrade to catcher Luke Carlin.

Aybar forgot hes pretty slow.

Where is Bonds when you need him.

I think Izturis is the mole. I keep waiting for him to club Penny over the head with a bat and rip off his jersey to reveal a Giants jersey underneath.

Player of the game: Grits for batting Lucille 5th

Speaking of Moe Green, before Hendrickson's next start I say we build a toll booth outside his house.

Yeah, I think the Benitez Hypothesis was indeed correct for tonite.

Another victim of the Benitez Hypothesis. At least Bob's Library is plenty big.

Common enemy: dodger hitters.

513- I don't think effigy trust busting is noble enough a cause to want to see Bob shot in the face over it.

Teddy Roosevelt once shot an effigy baron in Reno just to watch him die

I hate to say this but today is a good example of piss poor management of position players.
One could argue that having saenz at 3b instead of izturis could have been the difference between winning and losing.
Same goes for kemp instead of lofton, altho lofton had a good day today, but still give kemp 4 at bats and he could have hit a bomb, something lofton can't.
We only lost by 1 run, better position player assets could have been the difference.

I keep waiting for him to club Penny over the head with a bat and rip off his jersey to reveal a Giants jersey underneath.
Ned?

look, this is f---in dodgers live, so why would you inteview a fu---in gnat after the game?

I would love to see Bob yell this at Izturis:

I made my bones when you were going with cheerleaders!

Cheapie for "Worst Use of Lucille II in the #5 Spot" goes to:

Grittle, for using Lucille II in the #5 spot.

533

settle down there buddy.

532.

Ramon?

529

That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me!

Cole Hammels was Teddy Roosevelt in a previous life.

535 -- We call that the Tracy

I don't advocate shooting Bob in the face, but I'm not opposed to throwing rubber balls at his neck.

538- Make no mistake: when the revolution comes, I will purge you myself. That'll teach you to like soccer. . .

531- Old Maid with BJ pitching is a recipe for disaster. He's a pathetic hitter against RHP. He makes Izturis look like Bobby Abreu in terms of plate discipline.

Old Maid is a pinch hitter/DH, nothing more. We have too many of these types on our team.

Nothing like a loss to the Giants to bring us all together

544

Friends of Bill R.

This talk of laroche has got me excited.
Does anyone seriously think we could see laroche called up soon?
A serious question by the way, i'm excited.
Actually its probably hard to answer that question because it all depends on ned's philosophy, considering izturis is apparently a sparkling devensive player and ned does like athleticism and defense.
But i've never heard of laroche being bad defensively.

Does anyone seriously think we could see laroche called up soon?

I would honestly rather put a cardboard cut out of laroche at the plate than izturis.

541

J'Accuse!

546.

What, we're actually gonna go for the younger, more powerful, higher upside player over the older, mediocre, zero power, slap player ;)?

I'm not sure 542 makes sense. It's that Bob likes soccer that condemns him to purging when the revolution comes. Not that he refuses to like it. The revolution is anti-soccer. Also, it's made up. So there's that.

Does anyone seriously think we could see laroche called up soon?

After Izturis is traded then probably. But until then, no.

The Laroche cardboard cut out has more power than Izturis.

547.

I'd rather put a cardboard cutout of Jamie McCourt up there instead of Izturis, it looks better, AND is just as productive.

Laroche actually plays a great third base.

Jamie McCourt is old, dude.

Laroche actually plays a great third base.

His strongest defensive asset was his arm, I dont know how much the injury has affected his ability to throw, we'll see in that area.

But, I dont think he plays a great third base...yet. He, like most young players will occasionally miff the routine play.

The revolution is anti-soccer.

You bet your sweet bippy

Jamie McCourt is old, dude.

I was using a dodger example. But she still would be more productive.

I don't know where this Jaime McCourt-as-sex-symbol movement originated, but I'm really hoping it passes quickly.

But for more entertainment, lets put a cardboard cutout of those hooter posters. Still more powerfull, and more productive than Cesar.

556-

the labrum thing shouldn't worry anyone as far as him being able to throw.

I tore my labrum playing baseball in college. Still haven't gotten it fixed and I can throw about 50 balls at full speed before it starts to hurt...I think he can handle 5 to 6 throws a game.

After Izturis is traded then probably. But until then, no.

Ned, please trade izturis TODAY.
LOL!

Serious tho, thank for the opinion nate.
That would be awesome to finally plug the hole known as 3b.

My izturis and lofton trade for anything, addition by subtraction campaign is on.

PTIAL.
Please trade izturis and lofton.

Open it up for laroche and kemp.

PTIAL rocks. LOL!

I don't know where this Jaime McCourt-as-sex-symbol movement originated, but I'm really hoping it passes quickly.

Ok, maybe I shouldn't have said "looks better," but my point is that even a cutout of a middle aged owner's wife is better than Izturis.

did loney rob a homerun in lf tonight? If you click on home outs on the gameday thingie, theres one that shows a ball over the left field wall being an out.

My izturis and lofton trade for anything, addition by subtraction campaign is on

Iztuis, Lofton, maybe Martinez, and perhaps Tomko would all be addition by subtraction.

564.

Why is Loney playing LF? Don't we have enough LF's?

I don't know where this Jaime McCourt-as-sex-symbol movement originated, but I'm really hoping it passes quickly.

I dont know.
Furcal probably has his beer goggles on most games judging from his defense, so I think he'd rather see Jaime than Izzy.

566

Gives the Dodgers more options if he can play the corner outfield spots.

I speak only for myself, but Jamie is more of a sex symbol than Izzy.

The cardboard cutout would definitely draw more walks.

569

Your sex symbol lexicon has already been well spoken for.

Aside from Andre Ethier, the dodgers have not hit a home run in 8 games. Eventually, that lack of power has to hurt us right?

We had a cardboard cutout pitching tonight, so such use shouldn't be scandalous.

Jamie McCourt is old, dude.
LOL

Thinking of Jamie McCourt disgusts me and it's not just her looks.

I imagine the cutout would also attempt to steal less bases.

572-

absolutely. That's what I've been saying since day 1.

Last season we had a plastic skeleton as field manager.

Thinking of "Jeanie Buss" disgusts me and it's not just her looks.

572
I think everyone who doesn't call Ned Midas has been saying for a while now.

575 -- Grittle likes himself his green lights.

572. Nah....we have enough clutch hitting to hit .340 with RISP for the rest of the year. The Dodgers will refill their clutch hitting chemistry tanks at the All-Star Break.

571. Nice to know I have contibuted in some small way.

574. I've seen Jamie close up a few times and she is well maintained for her age. actually she has really nice legs but I know what you mean.

Aside from Andre Ethier, the dodgers have not hit a home run in 8 games. Eventually, that lack of power has to hurt us right?

Well when you consistently have izturis, lofton, martinez, furcal in your lineup (and that's half the lineup) what do you expect.
I have no problem with furcal tho, he's hit some bombs in the past.

If we can get to this, the power will come.
c martin
1b nomar
2b kent
ss furcal
3b laroche
lf ethier
cf kemp
rf drew

By the way that's actually my 2007 lineup.
Rid the team of izturis and lofton and that above might happen, and that would be nice.

580

But that's the beauty of the cutout. It's a strictly station to station entity. It can only score via walk or home run.

Grittle's green lights are no match for cardboard.

. Nah....we have enough clutch hitting to hit .340 with RISP for the rest of the year. The Dodgers will refill their clutch hitting chemistry tanks at the All-Star Break.

LOL, I'd question whether we can have an OBP of .340 the rest of the year.

Ethier hit a home run yesterday didn't he? Or the day before? I mean, not that I think we have any power. Because with Nomar out of homeruns, we're kinda screwed in that department. But still.

578. Ditto. I would take Jamie before Jeanie. Plus I suspect scrawny Frank is a lot easier act to follow than 6' 9" Phil, if you know what I mean.

Also, will Drew ever connect again?

586. Drew and Kent, do they know they are supposed to hit HRs?

587

No I don't. Can you elaborate please :)

Plus I suspect scrawny Frank is a lot easier act to follow than 6' 9" Phil, if you know what I mean.

Dodger Thoughts After Dark has officially begun.

We'll be checking IDs at the door.

Nate and Hobos still have to show their ID.
Thinkingblue probably has a fake ;)

Nate's beard will get him in unchecked.

At least I didn't throw Mrs. Sterling into the mix. Now that really would have been gross.

587- you'd take a sun dried prune (and a member of AARP) over a former playboy model? (not saying that I'd want either since their old enough to be my mother/grandmother)
590- haha

594

I'm about to toss in Jo Lasorda just to see what happens.

Who has more money?
I need to know that before making this important decision.

I only have a crappy goatee because my work doesn't approve of me trying to grow my beard out.

*they're

That an automatic flunk on a college essay

596. Nothing is sacred here after 11:00 pm.

597. I knew you were a stat minded guy. Now I agree this is a very relevant stat. We know its not Jamie. Jeanie doesn't have it yet and has to share it with her brother. That leaves Mrs Donald. Considering the Clippers are only a small part of that empire, I choose her. I hear Candi Spelling is available.

Speaking of Jamie McCourt, Major League is on. Rachel Phelps kind of reminds me of her.

601- my favorite baseball movie

What's the biggest thread in DT history?

Rachel Phelps is now 55 years old according to IMDB. So yes, she fits this discussion.

One of the greatest headlines I've ever seen:
Hennessey Intoxicates Dodger Hitters

Was that off Dodgerblues?
That guy does come off with some gems occasionally.

Its baseball movie night. Field of Dreams is also on. I get all choked up when Burt Lancaster has to cross the chalk line to save the little girl.

605- surprisingly, the LA Times

Can this lineup compete next year?

c martin
1b nomar/loney
2b kent
ss furcal
3b laroche
lf ethier
cf kemp
rf drew

I just think its too unpredictable with all the young players. I mean you're going to have 4/5 spots that are under 25 years old.

608 That lineup would probably be fine if we can somehow improve the rotation. Plus I'd guess that Mueller starts if he is physically capable.

Also, let's all pretend I have a fake ID, as I lack any facial hair.

Can this lineup compete next year?

Yes, i think so especially if we shore up the starting pitching by getting zito.
And by the way that's my hopefull 2007 lineup.

I just think its too unpredictable with all the young players. I mean you're going to have 4/5 spots that are under 25 years old.

And that's another reason why i would like ned to re-sign nomar.
He's from the L.A. area and i would think we could get him at a 3 year contract, and if you think about it, him playing 1b will hopefully keep him healthy.

Also, i've looked at the free agent market coming up and i'm not impressed with any position players considering the contracts they will demand.

I don't think Mueller is going to play mlb baseball again.

Perfect scenario would be to resign nomar for one more year but i doubt that will happen.

I bet Frank would love that lineup, sans Nomar, that lineup will cost around 37 million.

609

Plus I'd guess that Mueller starts if he is physically capable.

I read that mueller may never come back, but if he does, it would be smart to use him as a bench guy to try to keep him healthy.

the starting pitchers on this team.

penny
lowe
hendrickson
tomko
odalis
billingsley
sele

Sele will most likely not be back next year. Billingsley isn't going anywhere and probably neither are penny and lowe. Hendrickson is probably hear to stay at least until his hits free agency.

So thats 4 spots right there locked up. Tomko and Odalis are the wild cards. If we cant get rid of them, I dont see how Colletti can justify spending big money on a SP like schmidt or zito.

God I suck.

hear=here. Come on Nate!

I would like a rotation of Penny, Zito, Lowe, Matsuzaka, Billingsley, although we have Tomko, Hendrickson, and Odalis to make things complicated. And that rotation likely would cost far too much money for Frank's taste.

Is Matsuzaka even going to be posted? His team have said they would post him for a couple of years now but it seems they lied.

I don't think we win that bid anyways, not with the yanks and mets (and mariners) all needing pitching and all open their wallets to Japanese talent.

If we can get rid of Tomko and Odalis and get at least one more #2 pitcher, I think our rotation will be fine next year.

So thats 4 spots right there locked up. Tomko and Odalis are the wild cards. If we cant get rid of them, I dont see how Colletti can justify spending big money on a SP like schmidt or zito.

4 million and 1 year for tomko is not bad, i could see a team that lost out on getting a free agent starting pitcher this coming offseason calling ned and asking for tomko.
Perez is tough tho, i think we are stuck with him.

I think mccourt would spend on a quality starting pitcher.
Zito
Penny
Lowe
Billingsley
Hendrickson/perez (the other one the long reliever and spot starter for injuries)

Mccourt will look at this season and realize that with a few more quality pitchers the team would have been a contender for the world series.

Now will ned assemble that team?, i don't know.

613 I forgot about Schmidt. Both he and Zito would be nice, but far too expensive, and neither would likely be worth the contract. I really want Matsuzaka, and he would likely cost even more than Zito or Schmidt, but he has youth on his side. If we enter 2007 with Tomko and Hendrickson still in our rotation...

To me schmidt is injury prone and zito is not, plus zito goes deep into games and zito is from the L.A. area just like nomar and i think we would have the advantage of landing zito if we made a competitive offer.
You have to get what you can as far as starting pitchers are concerned from free agency, not only because we lack starting pitching prospects for the near future but also because everything revolves around starting pitching and if you don't shore up your starting pitching you end up making a bad trade like the one ned just made (hendrickson).

I wouldn't mind Elbert dominating AA for the rest of the season and AAA next season before becomign an injury replacement. I'm really afraid Ned could target the Cory Lidles and Mark Redmans of the world in the offseason, but I'm willing to trust him for now.

Which good pitchers might be on the markets this winter besides Willis?

620

I kinda hope they take it a bit slower with elbert. His walks need to come down significantly.

Which good pitchers might be on the markets this winter besides Willis?

I don't know, but i'd rather ned not trade, and just sign zito.
I'd hate to trade away laroche, kemp, ethier ect. and then have to sign some mediocre veteran position players on the free agent market to fill the holes that opened up because of trading for a starting pitcher.

Orenduff's having exploratory surgery right? I sure hope they don't find anything serious.

As for pitchers that might be available, maybe the Cubs might try to trade one of their injured guys? The pitching trade market likely won't be too pretty.

Boras looks to have a tough winter. Gagne and Weaver top his client list, and there's no chance teams pay much for the honor of playing Bruce Chen, Dan Kolb, or Scott Schoeneweis

625

Theres always jd drew for boras.

anyways, for next year, i honestly dont think this team is really that far off from contending. just add some here, tweak there, get a bit lucky here and bam, WS contenders :)

602 -- We made a run at Aaron once last year. Not sure if we made it.

Dan Kolb's only hope is if the Brewers can get James Loney for him.

anyways, for next year, i honestly dont think this team is really that far off from contending. just add some here, tweak there, get a bit lucky here and bam, WS contenders :)

Me too, if ned does the right things.

627 We did it at least once, possibly more (I'm too lazy to look for any more than one). Not sure if we ever beat Oh, but we beat Aaron.

https://dodgerthoughts.baseballtoaster.com/archives/252465.html#comments

625- he also has Greg Maddux, Chan Ho Park, and Bernie Williams. Williams will probably retire and Maddux won't get more than a 1 year deal if he does decide to continue to pitch. Chan Ho Park may actually get a decent deal. I could see a team giving him 3 years/$21 million. If Randy Wolf is healthy, I'd definitely offer him a 1 year deal with incentives. Ted Lilly is good, but a bit injury prone. Same with Tony Armas Jr. I'd take Adam Eaton on a 1 year deal. There are a lot of good, back of the rotation starters, but no true aces. I'm not a big Zito fan, but I think he's worth $13+ million because of his durability. He goes deep into games, has never been on the DL, and is a solid pitcher, but not an ace.

The 2008 free agent class makes my mouth water.
Carlos Zambrano, Vernon Wells, Brad Wilkerson, Roy Oswalt, Andruw Jones, Freddy Garcia, Doug Davis, Josh Beckett, Adam Dunn, Bobby Abreu....Milton Bradley, Shawn Green, Odalis Perez :)

I didn't even include Ichiro, Pudge and some others because I don't have any interest in them, but it shows how much talent will be available in a few years.

I'm glad I went bowling instead of watch this game. Why is Furcal playing shortstop when he can't field a ground ball?

2007
c martin
1b nomar
2b kent
ss furcal
3b laroche
lf ethier
cf kemp
rf drew

Bench
saenz
guzman
aybar
loney
repko
backup catcher

zito
penny
lowe
billingsley
tomko/perez/hendrickson

Bullpen
tomko/perez/hendrickson
tomko/perez/hendrickson
kuo
broxton
brazoban
saito

It looks like gagne's option should not be picked up.
I know that having prospects on the bench is not a good thing for there development but i think its a good idea in case of injuries and to reduce the payroll.

And i wouldn't be surprised if a team that missed out on getting a free agent starting pitcher asks for hendrickson or tomko and that spot can be replaced by a non-roster invitee.
I doubt mueller will be around considering what i read about him.
Let all the free agent mediocre veterans leave like cruz ledee baez lofton ect.

Sign some mediocre veterans to minor league contracts for some depth.

That's about 100 million dollar payroll.

632 - You think we'll get Zito?

2007 - Humor me here

SS - Furcal (with that contract, yes)
CF - Repko
1B - Nomar
3B - Beltre
LF - Ethier
2B - Kent
RF - Kemp
C_ - Martin

Rotation
D. Lowe
B. Penny
L. Hernandez
T. Hudson
C. Billingsley

Bench
Guzman - 4th OF/INF
Saenz - pinch hit
Aybar - 3B/2B/OF
(NRI) - backup C
Robles - INF
(NRI) - 5th OF

Bullpen
Gagne
Saito
Brazoban
Broxton
Tomko (Long man, emergency starter)
Perez (Lefty, mop-up)

Signings
*Nomar to 2 year, $18 million deal
*Gagne to ridiculous incentive deal ($4 million with $3 million at 40 IP, $1 million for each 50 IP, 60 IP, 70 IP)
*Random backup catcher by non-roster invite

Trades
*Drew to Seattle for Beltre
*Izturis to Washington for L. Hernandez
*Laroche and PTBNL to Atlanta for T. Hudson

Draft picks
*5th round pick lost as compensation to suckers that picked up Danys Baez as a free agent.

OK, I'm imagining that Colletti can make good trades. But I'd be happy with that squad.