I'll start the day off right.

This has been one of the worst weekends for me in a long while. My flight home from Chicago yesterday ended up as a 7-hour ordeal when we had to divert to Denver because a flight attendant passed out.

As soon as I get off the airplane I get a call from friends babysitting my dogs that my beloved Lab has all of a sudden lost the ability to use his hind legs and can't get up. He's in the hospital now with what they are telling me is a possible "spinal stroke", though they are hopeful he'll recover. I'll find out more this afternoon. It's going to cost a fortune. My other dog is moping because she misses her buddy.

And to top things off, my back went out this morning, so I can barely move.

But there's Dodger Thoughts, so I got that going for me :)

Awful, Marty. Hope things improve as much and as soon as possible.

1

I hope your pet gets better Marty, did you're dog give you any hints he was getting sick?

Best wishes for a speedy recovery for you and your dog.

Thanks everyone. That's why I love this community. No , no indication according to my friend. It just happened. The good thing is he's in no pain whatsoever. Just can't feel his back legs. When I saw him, he was very happy and animated and tried to use the legs, just couldn't. So everything else is normal and the vet says a lot of dogs this happens to get very much better and some get all the way back. Of course, some don't. I'll have more info available this afternoon.

Penny seems well rested so I'm expecting a good game from him.

I hope you and your dog are feeling better real soon, Marty.

I'm really hoping for a good start from Penny today. I want to make moves at the deadline that make sense. I don't want Ned operating out of desparation.

Took the kids to the zoo yesterday. My 2 year old was scared of every animal we saw, except for the penguins. Go figure.

Sorry to hear that, Marty. Nothing makes me sadder than ill/wounded/dying pets.

Hope things turn around Marty.
I'm reminded of times when things were going wrong, and how Dodger losing streaks could seem to have such weight. I've gotten a bit better, and it is foolish for a fan to let his mood depend a team.

Looking at the good side, this series has been totally determined by luck breaking either way. Its not one team dominating the other. Also, for this turn, our starting pitching has been way above average, and perhaps a bit of that may continue. I really think we need no more mediocre pitchers, and I don't think any of the few good ones are going anywhere.

The fact that we are going nowhere fast right now should be apparent even to an idiot like Flanders. It is time to quit playing the players who aren't earning their keep, time to trade or bench Izzy, Lofton, Cruz, et al. Bring up Loney, LaRoche, Aybar, anyone who is doing well and just might be ready. Let Kent know if he has a problem, go on the DL; if he just isn't cutting it anymore, play Martinez, he's having a pretty good year. Same with Drew: If you're injured, tell me; if not, produce or step aside. I suppose we could end up with a worse record but who cares? Coming in second doesn't get you anything.

Marty, I hope this helps. Our dog had a similar episode. She was 5 at the time (German Shorthair Pointer). We were in Rancho Mirage and I let her of the leash to chase rabbits for about an hour until she completly exhausted herself. In any event, later than night she could'nt use her hind legs. It was late by then and I decided to wait and see if it persisted in the morning, which it did. I took her to the vet who had no explination other than it just happens sometimes. In any event, about 8 hours later, she regained moderate use of her legs. She was able to stand but it was difficult. By the next day she was 100% and it has never happened since. I speculated that she got bit by something in the brush but the vet didn't find any indication of that. It never was explained and it never happened again. Hopefully that will be the case with your dog.

Sheesh Marty, what a nightmare. Will keep you in my thoughts. sam

Seems riciculous to rest Nomar four games after the All Star break.

10 I think it's a little early for that. We are still very much in the NL West race (as well as the wild card), and while there isn't much chance of going far in the playoffs, just making it to the playoffs is good for revenue and name recognition. The team will have to be more than 5 games out by September for the white flag to be considered to be flown, and even then I'm not sure it would happen.

All three prospects you mention still have a bit to prove: Aybar needs to improve his defense, Loney needs to prove the last couple months haven't been a fluke, and LaRoche needs to prove he's healthy and can handle AAA pitching.

Marty, just to add to the positive statistics, I had a dog who had a stroke at the age of 10 that made her walk sideways and left her head tilted to one side. She got progressively better and lived to 19. Hope your dog has similar good fortune

I give Marty and his dog my best.

On a different matter, does anyone know why the ESPN game starts at 3:05 today? It's not a big deal to me personally. Is it so that ESPN can show the ESPYs?

If so, I will be able to watch "Deadwood" much earlier tonight. I decided to not tell the people interviewing me at work that if I were made a manager, I would use the managerial approach of Al Swearingen. I think I'm really more of a Michael Scott.

I can't believe how great everyone here is.

I just got off the phone with the hospital and there is some progress. Apparently he can now feel sensation in his feet and can stand with assistance. They are going to keep him overnight again and see if he continues to improve. He needs to get bladder control (I know, TMI). The Dr. thinks that some piece of fat or cartilege may have lodged up against the spine causing the paralysis-like symptoms. But it's just a guess since x-rays would never show that. I'm a lot more encouraged than I was a couple hours ago, both from talking to the Dr. and reading LAT's and Greg's testimonials. Thanks guys, that really gives me hope. I may be looking at some expensive rehab, they say he should get some as soon as he can go home. I'm by myself and can't miss that much work, so I may need to hire someone. But, it's only money.

I'm going to take my other dog when we go visit him this afternoon. She is really moping around.

Again, thanks for all the kind words. How can the Dodgers be such a mediocre team with fans like these :)

Can we call your dog Barbaro? :)

If we call Marty's dog Barbaro, then Bill Plaschke can compare the dog unfavorably to Brad Penny.

Best wishes, Marty, for you and yours.
It's quite scary when a beloved pet gets sick. And, as you mention, it can be costly. Twice this year, my GF had to pay a couple hundred bucks because one of our cats got his tail kicked, resulting in potentially fatal infections.

the Cards starting pitcher today (Reyes) gameday pic looks kind of weird, I'm thinking it's the hat?

Marty, my dog had a similar experience. She has recovered with no permanent disability. LAT, she happens to be a German Short-Hair.

http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/archives/001407.html

http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/archives/001408.html

So for what that's worth, it may turn out ok. I hope so. Dogs are more important than Dodgers.

18 It's funny, I was thinking the same thing last night.

It stinks to have to spend a lot of money on pets but its definitely worth it in my opinion. They can't be replaced.

16 Yes. Can't let baseball get in the way of THE ESPYS!

21 He looks like some punk kid with loud music and a raised truck. :)

On a different matter, does anyone know why the ESPN game starts at 3:05 today?
Just a guess, but perhaps it has something to do with restrictions on lights in Wrigleyville on Sunday nights?

You think Grady is resting Nomar because of the play yesterday? maybe Grady thinks that error was caused because Nomar was a little tired?

26

yeah, now that I think about it.

should be a pitching duel

When I look at the NL West, I'm convinced that both NOBODY and ANYBODY can win the division.

1. San Digeo - Inconsistent hitting and now the bullpen outside of Linebrink appears shaky. And they might trade Linebrink!

2. Dodgers - I believe everyone has their own theory.

3. Giants - Too old. Starting pitching aside from Schmidt and Cain nothing to write home about.

4. Diamondbacks - Need to get rid of players named Green and perhaps one or two guys named Brandon. And a Gonzalez. Most likely they will get rid of the wrong ones.

5. Rockies - The once consistent bullpen has caught a case of Jerry DiPoto-itis.

27
I'm pretty sure it's the ESPYs. The game is starting at 5:05 pm Chicago time so that still would count as a night game under the Cubs agreement with the neighborhood. At a certain point in the game, the Cubs stopping playing music so as not to upset the neighborhood.

Anthony Reyes is a guy who knows how to wear his socks.

the weather in St. Louis must be killer cause everybody looks really lazy.

I've heard that pitchers love pitching in hot weather.

Darn, looks like Gameday again!

That's probably only true to a certain extent. The pitchers probably get loose faster, but it's also hot! Really hot! And you're standing out on the mound for a while working hard. That can't be fun.

not a good way to start Penny.

13 A possible but unlikely explanation is that he could be involved in a trade. Nomar for a good pitcher and bring up Loney?????

that pitch to Pujols, was a fat balloon I'm suprised he didn't hit that thing to the moon!

39
I would say that explanation would be far more unlikely than possible.

39

I really doubt it, Nomar is our best & most popular player (aside from Martin)

I think that if Albert Pujols wants to try to steal home, let him try it.

I think he will be out 99% of the time.

nice strike out from Penny, I really hope our offence wakes up.

I think warm weather helps pitchers get loose (and stay loose between innings). But Penny has trouble making it through five innings in cold weather, much less scorching heat.

Who is this Nomar? We have no need for him. Trade him!

Nomar was HBP yesterday on the hand. That may have something to do with it.

VARB (sp?) is really miss leading no?

46 Look at that guy run, it's a beautiful thing.

Which also makes him more desireable to other teams. He is also a player we could replace (To some degree) with Loney, Saenz, Kent, Martinez or some combination thereof. For a starting pitcher or 35 homer outfielder? I did say unlikely but it is possible....

take that Cards!

39. Are you advocating sitting Lofton, Drew, Izzy and perhaps Kent... Then trading Nomar?

Saenz is like a fat Matt Kemp.

If the Dodgers traded Nomar this season, I would think that most of the members of Dodger Thoughts, would co-write a column with Plaschke complaining about that deal.

45
And the other problem with hot weather, as you can see today, is that the ball really carries well. Pujols, Saenz, and Ethier have all benefited.

50

I'd be disappointed, but I would understand the deal.

it looks like our batters finally woke up.

Not advocating, just mentioning the possibility. They could trade anybody, even Russell Martin. I suppose we would all mass suicide...

If a player hits a ball 400 feet with a 35 degree angle in 60 degree weather with no wind, how far would it have traveled in 95 degree weather with no wind?

59
Farther.

60

simple logic

59 -

A difference of 20 feet can be expected between the distance the ball will fly on a cold day in Milwaukee (45 degrees F) and a hot afternoon in Atlanta (95 degrees F).

http://tinyurl.com/zvawa

Haha. Ok another question: is coffee from a french press considered fancier than coffee from a coffeemaker? If so, why? It seems like a coffeemaker uses a fancier process, although I guess it's very similar.

62 Oh thank you. I will read that right now

Rockies lead the Reds, 3-1 in the sixth in important NL Wildcard race action. The Reds lead the Dodgers and Giants by 1 1/2 games.

From Gameday it seems that maybe the relative speed of Izzy and Martin averted a dp?

I don't know about the difference between a french press and a drip coffee maker, but freshly ground beans through a burr grinder makes a huge difference.

66 Eckstein couldn't handle the ball.

67 Hmm I wonder why that is. I took an Indian cooking class a couple summers ago and the instructor advocated keeping two coffee bean grinders around: one for coffee beans and one for making Indian spice blends.

I t looks like we can make this Reyes throw too many pitches in this heat if we are careful. On the other hand, maybe we want him in there.

[]69] Well, I wouldn't want indian spices in my coffee, so that makes sense :)

Coffee snob here.

I have BOTH a burr grinder AND a French press. Coffee from a French press, if you have good beans that are fresh and ground right before you need them, makes coffee that is really good.

It's really not that more labor intensive to use a French press than to use a drip coffeemaker. You just need to have a timer around to remind you to hit the plunger to make the coffee. The flavor of the coffee really comes out so much better. I think one big difference is that you avoid getting all the mineral buildup from the water running through the coffeemaker.

If you are going to be making coffee for a lot of people though, you are better off with a drip coffeemaker because it can do large quantities much more easily.

A burr grinder can be adjusted more easily to figure out what size grind you want. For a French press, you need a very coarse grind. If you're making espresso, you need a very fine grind. It's harder to do that with the grinders that just have a blade and you have to time it. And those are a pain to clean.

Gameday making all kinds of errors today.
That last Saenz ball in play, outs recorded.

70

Reyes is one of the Cardinals better pitchers now. He's probably their #2 guy behind Carpenter.

73 Gameday is the bane of my existance.

75

The bane of my existence are the skunks that run around my neighborhood.

We all have our crosses to bear.

74 Too bad, we didn't make him throw much that inning, but I infer from gameday, we had some bad luck.

I miss the Chris Duncan of Thursday night.

72 What kind of coffee beans do you use? I use pre-ground italian organic stuff (from Trader Joes i think). Maybe I should buy a grinder so as to maximize my french press's potential. I really have trouble recognizing "good" coffee. The stuff from my french press tastes good to me, but it doesn't taste like coffee from a coffee shop.

77
Lofton got hit by a batted ball from Kent and Edmonds made a great catch on a drive from Ethier.

I am going to buy a french press then. I love my coffee. The burr grinder was my best investment so far.

Sheesh. How did you guys know? My coffepot went on a work slowdown this morning; I couldn't get water out of it at all for a while. After an hour (and several instant coffees later) it suddenly decided it would work.

Mom's now looking at internet consumer reviews for coffeemakers. Between laundry and shopping for a new machine, I can see where my day's gonna go.

more chin music for Pujols next time he comes up!

79

Remember, I'm a coffee snob, so I get a pound of Kona coffee sent to me each month and then I later supplement it with a pound I pick up either at Coffee Bean or Trader Joe's. I don't let anyone grind the coffee for me ahead of time.

The best coffee comes from places that are very busy and there is a lot of turnover on the shelf. That means the coffee is fresher.

A burr grinder does take up more counter space than the little ones.

If you can get to Pasadena, try Jones Roasters on Raymond just above California. They roast their own beans, but have a large variety. Kenya AA is my favorite, but Jones always has a special on one type or the other for about $5 per pound so I typically buy that. Right now, I have beans from El Salvador, Santa Rita Estate.

Of course if you are not near Pasadena, ignore this comment.

81
You can get a French press at a Starbucks or Coffee Bean. Just get one as big as you think you might ever need.

It's pretty hard to break a French press. Mine has a metal pot.

The only other reason you wouldn't want a French press is if you're the kind of person who wants to drink coffee off and on all day. If you do that, you have to make a lot and put into a Thermos™.

Jones web site:

www.thebestcoffee.com

I'm a coffee snob

Do you ever drink your fancy coffee in your Prius?

I am in Berkeley right now, but my parents live in Echo Park so I'll check it out next time I'm home. My dad used to wake up early every morning to make coffee for my mom, but then they got a coffeemaker with an automatic timer. Not as romantic.

88

I drink my fancy coffee at home or at work. I take it in a Nissan brand vacuum bottle.

I have a great respect for intellectual property rights.

89

Places that sell good coffee are not hard to find in Berkeley. Just head to the Gourmet Ghetto. You can go to the Peet's Mother Ship store.

I have a great respect for intellectual property rights

Do you pay royalties to Mr. Gore every time you use the internet?

77 As well as playtng poorly we have no luck at all. But this is the kind of run where in some future series or streak, we will be thinking--gee, how come everything seems to be falling our way. I hope.

Gameday is editorializing:

"Cesar Izturis pops out softly to third baseman Scott Spiezio."

Mr. Kuo is getting the start today for Las Vegas. I hope they allow Greg Miller the same chance soon.

94
Martin's pop out was generic.

95 good point. Miller's been a bit wierd lately and maybe that would give him a boost.

94
CBS Sportsline always has every home run being hit to "deep (blank) field". No one ever homers to shallow left.

76
We live out in the country, and our dog has been "skunked" twice in the last couple of years. Here is a remedy that has worked for us:
http://ksks.essortment.com/skunkodorremed_rwlg.htm
Just make sure to read it carefully.

Thanks for the help, guys. And good luck to your dog, Marty.

99
Thanks. The sad part is I don't live in the country. But skunks have taken over the South Pas/Pasadena/Altadena area.

I once had one, on a day with weather very much like today's, spray through the screen door on a window and flood my apartment with skunk smell. I think it took about a week for my place to get back to normal.

I read this on the comments of "Inside the Dodgers," one of the best remarks I've seen in a comment:

Let's enjoy the highs, and hang in for the lows, and pray for the GM.

95 Too bad the same old Kuo showed up. He can't get very far into a game as a starter if he's going to walk three guys an inning, making 35 pitches.

95
It must be difficult to be a fan of the Las Vegas franchise. The 51s started out 16-8 and were later 37-28. They are now 45-49 and have lost seven straight to first-place Tucson. That's the price of having your better players funneled to the Dodgers.

Cliff Politte's now available for bullpen help!

good strikeout there by Penny. Runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out. Danys Baez, take notes.

Adam Dunn greeted Old Friend Tom Martin with a home run on his first pitch of the game and it's now Rockies 3, Reds 2 in the 8th.

30th homer for Dunn.

Wow, 0-2, 2 Ks, AND an error today for JD " I can't hit a change up" Drew. He even showed off 2 of his most famous strike out poses. The 1 handed, and 2 handed pose.

How long until Saenz has more homers and RBIs?

Does anyone still think Drew "should be the least of your concerns," and "isn't a problem."

Albert has more homers than Nomar, Kent, AND Drew.

108
Why is J.D. Drew starting to make me think of Kal Daniels?

Albert has more homers than Nomar, Kent, AND Drew.

If you're suggesting Albert uses steroids, you're crazy. Just crazy.

thinkingblue is not running for the presidency of the JD Drew Marching and Chowder Society.

111

I saw characters like you when I was watching "The Killing Fields" recently.

111 - Steroids, no. Is in the prime of his career and hasn't gone down physically yet? Oh yeah.

Good steal by Lofton. Can Kent drive him in?

That's a no.

And now Reyes blew an 83 mile per hour heater past Kent? What the bleep is going on here?

$30,000,000 has struck out today

110

Oh but I'm not supposed to pick on Drew right? Cuz according to JoeyP, he "acutally produces."

Of Course! I've seen the light, Drew did after all have a "productive out" right now.

117.

and so has 55,000,000, twice.

119 - That's just Drew, Kent, and Furcal's combined salary for this year

I like that creativity by Brad Penny. A lot of guys, when they throw a wild pitch, it's low, down in the dirt and bounces weird. Penny was original and just threw it away.

118

You have the subtlety of a jackhammer mixed with the melodic tones of a car alarm however.

Dont pitch to Pujols with 1st base open.

What is that dude smoking though? You don't throw the ball RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE to Poo holes.

The Reds have scored five runs against the Rockies as the bullpen melted down again. Jose Mesa officially gets the blown save. Tom Martin gave up a home run and single to the two batters he faced and will get a hold.

If I was Penny, I would have been tempted to walk Pujols and Edmonds to get to Juan E.

I'm not sure how much Penny has left.

126

Hey, we demand the use of the subjunctive here!

"If I were Penny ..."

126 - LITP?

Scott Spezio looks like Dan Haren now that he is skinny.

Evidently he has enough to get out the bad hitters in the Cards lineup.

129

Can you play the defense so as to shade for the triple play?

131

Evidently not.

Or not.
Yadier Molina is not a hitter.

128

... I would find a way to wear a cowboy had that had the LA logo stitched on the front when I pitched.

Kuo lasted 2.2 IP in his start. Gave up 4 runs, 3 earned, allowing 3 walks and a homer, while only strinking out once. His second inning only took 7 pitches, but he totaled 55 pitches for the outing.

Could be a melt down and makes me worry more about a panic trade. Still 15 days.

Not the best of 2nd half starts for the Rockies or Dodgers.

137. I actually think the opposite. IF the Dodgers lose 9 of 11 to open the 2nd half, maybe they'll be far enough back to where Ned just doesnt trade away anything. Of course, that would require the Padres to get hot over this next week, and for the Reds to maintain their pace.

Ned, does not seem to be the kind of guy to leave things alone, especially if we are losing. McCourt may fire him.

Hey, we demand the use of the subjunctive here!

"If I were Penny ..."

Yeah, but I don't like the subjunctive. "I were" just doesn't sound right.

"I were a teenage werewolf."

I guess Plaschke was right about Penny after all.

When is the last time the Dodgers were swept in a 4 game series?
I'm sure Bob will come up with the answer in 30 seconds.

Where's Jose "Cardinal Killer" Lima when you need him?

Okay, now GameDay is purposely torturing us. With Izturis up, on the second pitch it said: "Pitch 2 - In play, no out recorded"

And I got excited.
It was a double play.

Torment!

I don't know, but I do know I'll be glad to not have them in Minnesota or St. Louis again for awhile.

You know what, Drew, opt out, get outta here, go get more money from some other stupid team.

June 21-24 in San Francisco was the last four game sweep.

That was June 21-24, 2004.

104 I was thinking that too, about Las Vegas, but they do still have some good players on that team. Kemp is back, Guzman, Aybar, and quite a few other good hitters. A few good pitchers still sprinkled in among the filler guys.

So, tblue, you don't like JD Drew, or are frustrated with him, is what I'm getting from the comments repeated every five minutes or so?

148-149
But Bob, I don't get it. Wasn't that before the Lo Duca trade...?

141- Well you shouldn't have said if. That changed the case.

So we are giving Odalis another start...

Why?

I hope this has nothing to do with Billingsley.

153
Yeah, I know. I don't know why I said "was." It was really just an oversight.

154 - What?

151

I think he has a clock that chimes "JD Drew is overpaid" every 15 minutes and it's gotten to him.

154 We are? When? Billingsley's still listed as starter Tuesday.

157 Or maybe some sort of macro-bot that cut and pastes various JD-related postings into the comments field on that schedule.

154 Sounds like Perez is warming up here...

At least the Dodgers wont see Carpenter in LA next weekend.
I think Reyes, Weaver, and Marquis will be pitching for the Cards next weekend. Maybe a better shot at winning a couple.

My guess is that it's more of an appeasement move to Odalis. Grady Little's a grandparent now, after all, so he's transitioned from discipline to spoiling.

If we lose today, we will be 9-22 against teams with current winning records, including 5-14 on the road. Take away the Giants (currently, like us, one game above .500), and we are 4-17, 3-13. We have not yet played Cincinnati. We don't have to play the Red Sox, Yankees, White Sox, Tigers or Blue Jays this season.

160 Weaver, yesss! If we can't hit him, we're really slumping. (Unless he gets into his rare fired up mode and channels some other superior pitcher, which could happen.)

162

Hey, the Dodgers could play some of those teams in the World Series!

The Tigers are 15-17 against teams with a winning record.

Their perfect mark against the Royals is in jeopardy though.

Ricky Ledee, decoy.

ODP vs. Prince Albert, part deux!

That pinch-hit scenario was classic. Bring in the lefty ph, which prompts the lefty pitcher, which prompts the righty ph. I woulda used Martinez over Cruz, though.

164
At this point, I would be delighted to be swept by any of those teams in the World Series, although I wouldn't be saying that after the playoffs.

Is Little just messing with OP's mind?
He bring him in.
First batter he faces, Albert Pujols!

Odalis finally fools Pujols and he still gets on, that's not right.

Perez is in there now, so I don't think we'll be seeing a start for awhile. Although Rick Monday just said he's making "his 18th start."

Yep, the Royals finally knocked off the Tigers. Break up the Royals!

During the game Steiner and Lyons said Odalis was told he would get a start sometime next week.

145 I'm beyond the reach of torture at this point, listening to music and occasionally checking Gameday.
Though I've seen enough to think that maybe the D's are trying to publically humiliate OP.

172 They said earlier in the broadcast that he'd get a start on the homestand, which won't be until Friday at the earliest.

I bet Odalis will start thursday vs the Dbax, if thats the case. The Dodgers may want to push Hendrickson back so he can face the Cards again in LA. I'm not sure why, you'd think the 2nd time the Cards see him, they'll pound him.

Of course, good chance they just misspoke.

If you were gonna start OP, you'd do it against the Dbax bc the Dbax have a bunch of LH hitters that dont hit well against LHP.

Starting OP against the Cards, I'm not sure I'd do that.

Okay, I am feeling a little sorry for Perez here this inning. This won't help his "Woe's me!" attitude either.

Can the Dodgers just forget this weekend ever happened. There must be 50 ways to leave St Louis! Just hop on the bus Gus! Make a new plan Grady.
vr, Xei

As I was saying...

Can we just call this a series and go home?

Well, I'm calling it a series and going home, anyway.

OP gives up a squib hit to Pujols and Izturis misplays a grounder. I'm not going near him if he is holding a sharp object.

Very weak grounder
Flyout
Error
Clean single
Weak grounder

"Molina's really been hitting a ton," says Monday. That's definitely my cue to do something else with my afternoon.

*Sigh* Ugly.

You know its a bad day when Molina gets 3 hits.

These games in St. Louis remind me of the 2004 playoff games.
The team is just overmatched.

141 - if I were concerned about grammar that much, I might find myself interested.

183 - I don't know if I would under any circumstances, unless it's my birthday and he's giving me cake.

OP isnt getting hit that hard, but he should be striking out Molina, Spezio, Encarnacion. These guys are total banjos.

Why do people constantly refer to Taguchi as a kid? The guy is north of 35 years old.

I don't really think the Cardinals are marginally all that better than the Dodgers. With the exception of this game, the other three were all close.

But I know that the zeitgeist of this board tends to be fatalistic.

So when Jerry Reuss declares that the possibility of FTOGS starting a game next week a "win-win," does the Dodgers' "National League Dominance Tour 2006 Starring Flanders" reach its post-modern phase, or its abstract phase?

191 Friday wasn't all that close. But I agree that the Cardinals aren't all that much better than us.

190 - Maybe they've been on the planet for a little while themselves? Ya got me.

Izzy will be gone for the Arizona series, but instead of calling up Laroche or Aybar, Saenz and Martinez will play 3rd.

Did anyone predict Marcus Thames would OPS 1.027 in 216 ABs? That would be good for 5th in the AL if he had a few more ABs. I'm surprised no one cared that he missed the all star game (especially considering Ordonez was chose over him).

194 In the first instance I'm thinking of, where John Kruk said So Taguchi would play for 10 or 15 more years, it was appararent he thought Taguchi was in his mid 20s, I'm just wondering if Lyons thought the same thing.

196

So Taguchi is The Highlander!

Drew has only walked 3 times in 74Abs vs LHP. That is a concern.

He really is doing bad vs left handers this year.

So, would anyone like to change their mind about JD Drew playing through pain? Please line up at Door 2. Don't push.

I hate to pile on, but those were atrocious
ABs for Drew and Kent. I thinks its a teamwide psych. slump.

198
I got the impression (from somewhere) that Drew was encouraged by the coaching staff to "be more aggressive" at the plate, swinging earlier in the count and taking fewer pitches.

That being said, his P/PA this year is above his career average.

I would believe it's a teamwide physical slump.

Does Izturis have a problem with ODP?

203 -- OBP, not ODP

Can we DFA this guy yet or what?

Maybe Izzy's already on vacation mentally.

The NL West continues to retreat like Napoleon's troops getting out of Russia.

The Braves have scored six times against Peavy in the fourth and lead 7-1.

In Vegas, Loney just hit a double with runners on 2nd and 3rd. Unfortuantely, he was thrown out at 3rd.

Young and Guzman each flied out, on the second and first pitch, respectively.

4-2 Tucson in Vegas.

207 - I think the Dodgers would welcome a snowstorm right about now.

We don't play well against the Cardinals, and we haven't for years. Assuming we lose today -- I am not going out on a limb here -- we are 5-16 vs. St. Louis over the last three seasons, including the 2004 playoffs. We have taken the season series from them once since 1996 (we tied in 2001) and are cumulatively 29-48 (if we lose today) against them, 1997-2006. So, I am not enthused about next week's series.

In Pittsburgh, Nats with runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs in the 11th. Game tied 4-4.

Felipe Lopez up.

And he strikes out.

I just get the feeling there is something wrong with Jake Peavy, he rested for almost 2 weeks and he comes out and gets shelled.

I'm beginning to think 86-87 wins will take this division.

Wayne Kriviski is a genius.

211 F-Lop is not making a good impression in the nation's capitol; I think he's already left 547 runners on base in his 3 games with the team.

212 You have a more positive outlook about this division than I do.

Chalk up a ribbie for the Izmeister!

The key to the Cardinals, and take froms someone who has Izzy on a fantasy team, is to get in a situation where he pitches with the game on the line.

Seriously, I think this series hinged on that first game, had either Gio gotten past Edmonds or they score that run in the 10th, I think they might have pushed through with a split.

The Cards just came through a stretch where they couldn't win any games but I will say that Brad Penny might need to work on his conditioning in the off season because these day games really wear him down.

Yeah, that's right, you don't have moisture in the air in Los Angeles. This must be unbearable.

Brad Penny grew up in Oklahoma and has pitched in Miami for a few years. I can't imagine that it's the weather that bothers him as much as the fact that he's just chunky.

I wonder how team chemistry is doing these days, with all the leaders and character-guys on the squad.

219 Chunky? You're being kind.

The mixture of Lofton's sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and Kent's hydrocholoric acid (HCl) have led to an unsatisfying salt water solution.

I think FTOGS is probably grooving pitches at purpose at this point, though it's hard to tell the difference.

we need a bat almost as bad as we need pitching.

220
I wonder if there are many chemistry classes that have good baseball.

222
If only we could borrow some of Albert's chemistry...

223
It takes pinpoint control to groove pitches down the middle.

220 Team chemistry--LOL
But if two guys can develop it its Martin and Ethier( brought in as a "character guy").
When a few more of their Jax and Vegas buds are ready, I think we will be OK from a team chemistry standpoint.

I just think it would be really difficult to lead the league in runs, and finish last in home runs. That well of strung together singles and walks will eventually dry up.

An interesting question about OP is:
1) Do Little and Honeycutt not care about trying to help him out?
2) Does OP not want any help?

Sometimes coaches will try to take the initiative with stuggling players. But I think the relationship between OP and the coaches is beyond repair.

When a few more of their Jax and Vegas buds are ready, I think we will be OK from a team chemistry standpoint.

And then we'll start winning...

The 1985 Cardinals almost pulled off the trick with the most runs and fewest homers. They led the NL in runs scored and had just 87 home runs. But the Pirates had just 80.

219 Today was his first loss in the daytime but he averages just over 5 IP in the daytime while he gets past 6 IP in the cool of evening plus he averages 1/2 a run less at night too.

217 - with field conditions at 110° F, I have to think some slack to Penny is warranted.

Where did Matt Kemp go to ? Does he get a two week vacation before he reports to Las Vegas ?

MC Hammer appears in a Braves commercial on Turner South. That's a little horrifying, but probably not as bad as the Blue Man Group.

And Penny was due for a below ave. outing. Of course it would come at the end of this besotted series.
231 excellent factoid.
I hate to say this but I don't see a big trade helping team chemistry, while I do see are long range plan assembling a wonderful nucleas.
Imagine after the big trade a picture of the heart of our order haging out together--Kent,Drew and Cabrera. Or the 123 staff, Penny,Lowe and D-train getting down together.

234 I read that his mom drove up from Oklahoma for the St. Louis series, I'm wondering if the Dodgers let him spend some time with his family and then he will fly to Arizona with the rest of the team tonite and then go to Vegas. With Repko on his rehab assignment, its not as if they need outfielders.

I don't see a big trade helping team chemistry

There are a lot of Devil Rays missing their old teammates...

Penny,Lowe and D-train getting down together

Lowe only hangs out with Americans. You know, white guys.

white guys.

And chicks. Don't forget the chicks.

The Dodgers blog has become FGL. That's pretty amusing.

238 This is true, and in most cases I wouldn't mind reuniting them.

Well I'm off to see Face/Off on DTV
By the way did you hear about the hockey game at the Leper colony? They had a face off in the corner.
I'm profoundly sorry in advance.

The ole squeezerino didn't work too well for the Angels today. Tie game in the 7th, Figgins on 3rd with 1 out, Cabrera whiffs at a curveball and leaves Figgy out to dry.

Hello, my name is Mike Scioscia, and I'll be your overmanager today.

And of course Cabrera ends up drawing a walk, followed by Vlad stroking a single to right. Keep in mind they're only in the 7th inning.

overmanager

Is that kinda like overlord?

That's kind of like "overcooked" or "overhyped" or "overrated"

Don't forget "overweight"

Dear Big Dodger in the Sky,
Don't let Colletti trade good prospects for bad vets.What would Perez(ha!),Izzie(Yeah right!),Baez,Cruz and Hall get on the market?
They are all easily replaceable.Throw in a couple surplus prospects,but please no warmed over crap for live arms and bats.

249
I don't see what's so objectionable about Cruz. According to "Rate2", he has been average to above average on defense thus far, and he is currently 3rd on the team in walks and 4th in doubles, despite not being a full-time starter. And his OBP is higher than that of Furcal, Lofton, and Martin, among others.

We should keep Grady. If anything, I love his humor.

Alot of people tend to complain about a manager thinking a manager needs to help us win games. In truth, the best managers are the ones that cost us the least amount of games. In that sense, Grady is good. Overmanaging is a sin; punishable by having a website calling for your firing.

PS James Loney is really close to batting .400

Phillies 6 Giants 2 final.

You're welcome :)

for the season, loneys at

281AB 291/434/577 23bb 22k

heh... 391 my bad.

Pedroza was promoted to Vero Beach. So far today he has hit a home run and struck out. No doubt he will walk his next time at the plate.

Nate - Does the Las Vegas ballpark have relatively large dimensions to help compensate for the relatively thin air (a la Coors Field)?

did Kuo really start the game in Vegas today? Have they decided to try to convert him back to starting? Either way he'll have to actually throw the ball across the plate occasionally, but I like the idea of him starting again.

If the Dodgers want to do anything at the deadline they should trade off some of the veterans. This is a sellers market. Guys who might have some value
Kent- the Angels are the first team that comes to mind. Any contender looking for a veteran power hitter would probably be interested. The Tigers would probably be interested.
Izturis- probably wouldn't fetch a lot right now, but could be part of a package
Lofton- would the White Sox want to re-acquire Lofton for the 3rd time? They love speed and Lofton is an upgrade offensively over Brian Anderson, but a huge downgrade defensively. Could be a nice addition as a bench player at the very least.
Danys Baez- the most sought after players on the trade market right now is relievers. We might actually get more in return for Baez than what we gave up.
Joe Beimel- good ERA, some dumb team may give up a B prospect for him. He's also a lefty.
Saito- I'd hate to give him up, but he's 35 or 36 years old. He might actually net us a starting pitcher. Saito is probably one of our best trading chips.
Nomar- Ned would never trade him because it would be a PR nightmare, but we'd get a huge return
Old Maid- probably over performing this year, but it would be nice to keep him since he could help ease Loney into the majors next season.
Aaron Sele- fools gold. The right handed Mark Hendrickson. Would a team be dumb enough to give up something of value for him?

Keep Toby Hall, just so that Martin doesn't get overworked. Hall probably wouldn't net us anything more than C prospect anyways.

And this Loney is only 22. I admit the PCL is nowhere to brag about batting average, but I see a remarkable cieling for Loney. I bet there are ten teams drooling to get 5 cheap years of him.
That's why I am afraid he might get traded
for som Baez clown er, I mean clone.

And this Loney is only 22. I admit the PCL is nowhere to brag about batting average

If you are hitting .391 in ANY league, you can brag.

Loney's ISO power, and ISO patience dont warrant a call up at this time.

256

LV is a pretty big park. according to gameday, its 328 down the lines and 433 to dead center. I think the walls are pretty high as well. And its not that the air is thin (vegas isn't that high up), its that its really hot in the summer and there is alot of wind swirling around.

Loney's ISO power, and ISO patience dont warrant a call up at this time.

Cast the non prospect in AAAA damnation!

No brag, just fact, Jimmy here's second best.

The Dbax need to let Carlos Quentin free:
.293/.432/495
Maybe there waiting for him to hit more HRs, or they dont want to start his clock this year.

265

Quentin's OBP is mostly derived from HBPs. I don't know if that "skill" will hold up at the big league level where the pitchers have better control.

Hot off the rumor mill:

ESPN Radio and The Associated Press report the Chicago White Sox have traded P Freddy Garcia to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for P Jonathan Broxton and a player to be named later.

I have no idea if this is true or not, which is probably a good reason not to post it, but oh well.

If you project Loney's numbers over 550ABs, he's projected to hit 47 doubles and 16 homeruns. So thats over 60 XBH's. The power is developing. Massive amount of doubles are excellent power indicators.

267.

/faints.

Why did the Angels get rid of Alberto Callaspo at 2nd base?
23yrs old, outstanding BB/K ratio in the minors.

The only thing he doesnt have is power.
Too bad the Dbax wasted money on Orlando Hudson.

253,254 The .291 would almost be more impressive, since it would suggest he has some semblense of secondary skills. I doubt that he's Tony Gwynn since he only hit like .280 last year. The .391 looks like a fluke.

267. If true, it sucks. I like Garcia, but the upside is all in Jonothan Broxton as a starting pitcher.

Garcia's not a difference maker. I'd rather trade some lesser prospects for Brett Myers, rather than Brox for Freddy.

270

Aybar, Kendrick and Wood are better.

They should have gotten more but oh well.

271

Loney has always had a good walk rate. His K:BB ratio is EXCELLENT. Geesus, stop hating on loney. His OPS is above 1011.

The deconstruction begins. Of course, with Broxton wasted in relief, the mistakes had already been made.

On the other hand, if he really has gotten it this year and it's not a fluke, his numbers are earilly similar to many seasons of Tony Gwynn.

If true, at least it was Broxton for a starter still in their prime. Anyone know Freddy Garcia's contract status?

277

There is no confirmation anymore. Someone made it up on a message board. its not true.

anymore=anywhere.

I hadnt thought about this before, but its probably bc of James Loney's contact rates that Nate likes him so much. I guess its all about where your philosophy lies in how players are developed.

It would be hard for the Dodgers to make a trade RIGHT NOW since they are probably flying to Arizona.

What?

TRADES!

ON A PLANE!

I hadnt thought about this before, but its probably bc of James Loney's contact rates that Nate likes him so much

Excessive strikesouts in the minors= bad indicator of mlb success

Excessive strikeouts in the majors but still producing= Fine, great, grand, awesome, dandy, perfecto.

281

THERE ARE ^$#%@%# [TRADES] ON THE $&^$^(#$&^ PLANE!

and Joey, I am not really a HUGE loney backer (well not as much as dewitt). Ive had/have my doubts about Loney but you have to give credit where credit is due. He is having a very fine season and he is still developing. And its not really about where your philosophy lies, its more where your optimism lies. If you are constantly skeptical about everything, then sure you can look at Loney and see his negatives without even acknowleding his positives. Or you can be somewhat positive and acknowledge that he is having a good year with room for future development.

Where did DP4 hear it from?

The only thing Garcia does good is limit his walks. He gives up lots of HRs. His K's are average.

And so it turns out that there we've reached the critical mass of Floridians that can be absorbed by the Dodgers without destroying our identities. We've started turning in to Floridians, with our own take on the Castro Death Watch. Tell the truth Bob: you're wearing white pants right now, aren't you? Steve just secured funding for an aligator farm/theme park. JoeyP is face down in a mountain of coke. The seventh seal is broken!

282 Add to Satchel Paige's list of things to avoid or do to live a long life -
Avoid circular arguments or battling windmills on DT, it will only anger up the blood and cause you to eat fried foods.

Garcia's name has been tossed around but he is owed 10.5 million next year and has a full no trade clause this year.

287

Hey Craig I haven't had time to respond to your email. I'll do it tonight, Im going to the driving range soon.

288

And I think Garcia is married to Ozzie's Daughter so yea, that too.

271 the .391 looks more like a fluke.LOL:.)
I have watched day after day as he has gone 3/5 and 2/5 for months.

284 Nate, if would be interesting to compaare DeWitt's last 125 plate appearances to LaRoche's 2005 first half or Kemp's 2005 second half at Vero Beach, DeWitt's poor approaches in those first two months hide a spectacular recovery.

291

Of course I doubt Loney is ever going to bat .391 in the bigs, but the MLE translation of his current liney is roughly around .320 average.

292

They are roughly hitting for the same power, but dewitts showing more patience and his avg is lower then both Laroche and Kemp in their respective campaigns.

If Javier Vazquez would be willing to accept a trade to the West Coast, he'd be a great buy low candidate. Both Vazquez and Freddy Garcia are on the block. Vazquez is extremely durable, has a solid strikeout rate, doesn't walk a lot of guys, and has the ability to go fairly deep into games. I wonder if Baez, Saito, and K Loft would be enough for Vazquez.

I meant to put this in before today's game but here is something to bounce around until tomorrow.

The most likely scenario of who (or whom) will be playing 3B for the Dodgers on August 1, 2006.

My best guess as of 7/16/2006.

1. Izzy 55%
2. A player not in Dodger system (includes minor leagues) 25%
3. LaRoche 10%
4. Martinez/Saenz platooon 6%
5. Joel Guzman 3%
6. Nomar 1% (this only happens in my Loney comes up to play first base and Nomar plays third, I won't even think about this until I hear Nomar is taking ground balls.)

What does everyone else think?

I doubt this CHI trade is true. We don't need any more mediocre starters. Of course if we aren't going to start Broxton it doesn't matter anyway. I more scared of them trading someone like Loney. Of course Brox could turn out like Pedro.

Why would Javier Vazquez want to go to the West Coast now after he:
1) turned down the Dodgers already
2) asked the DBacks to trade him away last year

And why would he want to leave a really good team to play for the Dodgers?

298- I don't even remember if he has a no trade clause. I think he can opt of his contract, but he's set to make $12+ million next season, so there's no way that he would that. Because he's a player that would be traded in the middle of a multi-year contract, he would have the ability to demand a trade, but the Dodgers wouldn't have to accommodate him.

I think its kinda odd that Izzy is being given 4 days off to be with his wife through childbirth.

Most athletes dont get that much time off for stuff like that.

I wouldn't mind them trading Loney just because it would be endlessly amusing.

The White Sox can hold onto Vasquez until the end of 2008 so I don't think they would be looking to deal him. He gave up his free agent status for 3 years because he demanded a trade last off-season.

Just found it
invoked his right by parameters set by the CBA to demand a trade on 11/11/05 because he was traded in the middle of a multi-year contract (if he is not traded by March 15th, 2006 then he may forfeit remaining salaries and declare free agency)- + as a result of demanding a trade and then receiving the trade, he can not become a free agent until three seasons after the trade, meaning he will eligible for arbitration following the 2007 season and eligible for free agency after the 2008 season
I guess he can't demand a trade again and it appears that he can't opt out of his contract either, plus we would potential have him under control for the 2008 season too.

300 If he plays like he did today, maybe he needs to take it off, though it sounds like they would like him back sooner.

Not implying anything but I think this is situation where Mrs. McCourt's influence could be at play.

Does anybody have a couple of kids for Baez to adopt? I vote for one week of family time per kid. We're all progressives now.

301 Steve, don't say stuff like that:o).

303 What's this about the Continental Basketball Assc. I thought they were gone.

I really apologize if this has been reported but this move makes sense with Kuo (and who knows maybe Miller) moving to the starting role, Mark Alexander was promoted to Vegas over the weekend. I think this might be a precursor to some roster moves like waivers on Hamulack or Osoria and possilbly give Alexander a chance.

Alexander, a 20th round 2004 draft pick from Missouri, last year he struck out 12.5 batters per 9 IP in Vero Beach where he was 5-4 with 23 saves, this year in Jacksonville, he has a microscopic 0.66 ERA (even if you factor unearned runs, it is barely over 1), he has a 5.5/1 K/BB and averages 13.6K per 9 IP.

He is an older prospect having played 4 years at Missouri and he turns 26 in December but again he is another player who has dominated at two levels and I think the Dodgers want to see how he does at AAA in order to decide if he is one ready for big leagues and two is he someone we should add to the 40 man roster in November.

308 He also has 22 saves this season and has only allowed 22 hits in 41 innings which probably comes out to a BAA of .170-.180

Alexander was mentioned in an article on Dodgers.com just a few days ago. I was expecting to hear he was promoted. Who cares how old he is as long as he gets outs. I hope he doesn't run into too much trouble in the PCL.

Was Kuo pulled today after 2.2 because he was on a pitch count or because he wasn't getting outs?

*281. Bob Timmermann
It would be hard for the Dodgers to make a trade RIGHT NOW since they are probably flying to Arizona.

What?

TRADES!

ON A PLANE!*

Anything is possible, even snakes on a plane, if you believe in really really bad movies!

311 He had made 55 pitches I believe at that point so combined with a Las Vegas afternoon, he had probably made enough pitches today.

He made an error and walked in two runs in the first but I like the idea of getting Kuo back on track to start. He might be one who needs to know that he doesn't have to be perfect in order to do well in baseball.

I'm for Alexander. Some of these late bloomers may be an answer of sorts.

Anyone with dominating peripherals like Alexander, and no prior history of failure, deserves a chance.

Jesus Castillo did the dominant thing again for Ogden.

7IP 5H 1ER 0BB 5K era 1.04

he has a 25:3 K:bb ratio in 26IP

315

I agree he deserves the promotion. I wanna see some AAA innings out of him first and if he can hold up his peripherals for 3 weeks or so, then promote him.

314 Actually, he really isn't a late bloomer, he became a closer in his senior year in college and that is all he has done in his 3rd year in professional ball.

But with the depth of the system, he probably was on the outside of the Dodgers top 30, also he was always older than most of his competition but the proof is in the results.

I have noticed that a lot of AA/AAA pitching staffs are filled with 25+ age pitching probably because once a pitcher has showed he can get guys out (AA probably) at a consistent rate, big league clubs feel the need to promote them.

Jacksonville and Vegas would be an examples of the good and bad of the fact.

So to me, and Nate can jump in here, I think you have to look at AA for progress on guys like Elbert and then the A leagues to see development of the draftees and free agent signings. Because it is rare to see more than one real prospect on a single AAA team.

316 I was going to mention that too, he was one of the players (Corey Wade was the other) that I heard Logan White mention on a XM interview he did with John Sickels after this year's draft.

wow a new fact i learned from the dodgers.com blog

But we're talking about a guy who ranks 19th all-time in baseball history among switch-hitters in homers.

And he was talking about Jose Cruz Jr. wow.

318 Also, for the owners of the AA/AAA clubs, they do have the dual purposes of providing a place for development of their MLB team but also they want to win for their fan base.

Because it is rare to see more than one real prospect on a single AAA team.

Well I think its rare because prospects flame out all the time. When you move up each level, the amount of prospects at each level are going to be lower because the level is tougher and more players will fail. By the time most minor league players reach AAA, they are career minor leaguers. Thats why its really rare to see a team like last years Jacksonville squad, or even this years Vegas squad because the prospects that are there have beaten the numbers game. That could be attributed to a great drafting philsophy and good developmental system or maybe its coincidence and luck. Or a little bit of both.

322 It's nice to see that the Peter Principle works even in baseball...

323

Yea basically. Baseball is like the Peter Principle. If you are competent in your task, you will get promoted eventually to the highest level.

The prospect who isn't getting mentioned much, but should is Tony Abreu. I think he's a big time sleeper. He probably could be moved back to SS, but we already have Furcal there. Abreu has always been known as an excellent defender and he even won a batting title last year, but his plate discipline was mediocre. This year, he's getting more XBH and his walk rate has shot up to from being poor to acceptable. He reminds me of one of my favorite players in the majors, Jose Castillo. Dewitt still hasn't been moved to 2B. Abreu will probably eventually be traded, but I don't trust Ned. He'd probably give Abreu away for 40 year old Roberto Hernandez.

I'm not sure why the Dodgers dont more actively promote their college players. Ruggiano, Pedroza, and Alexander were in their leagues way too long. Its probably White is a big tools guy.

Sometimes, you just have to reward a guy that produces. The Cardinals are benefitting from promoting Anthony Reyes. They didnt make excuse for his success, sighting age. They just promoted him bc he was pitching well.

Its interesting bc Anthony Reyes really had a subpar college career.

Jose Cruz Jr. 19th?!!

Hopefully Orenduff gets healthy and can mirror Reyes' success so far.

I'm not sure why the Dodgers dont more actively promote their college players. Ruggiano, Pedroza, and Alexander were in their leagues way too long. Its probably White is a big tools guy.

Ruggiano started his first full year in high A and was promoted to AA after half a season. I don't think that is a slow promotion. And right now, he doesn't deserve a promotion to AAA. His high average last year in AA was flukish because his k rate was above 30%.

Alexander is on a fine time table. hes had less then 50IP in AA and they still promoted him. I don't understand what you are griping about.

In Pedroza's case, maybe they should have promoted him earlier but I bet they are skeptical also of his ability to hit more advanced pitching. He is up at Vero now and we will see how he does. I dont like to doom prospects before they warrant them, but I think Pedroza is going to have a hard time adjusting to A+ pitching; just like he had a hard time adjusting to Low A pitching after being promoted after 50 or so ABs in rookie league last year.

Its interesting bc Anthony Reyes really had a subpar college career.

It was subpar because he was injured frequently. He had the TOOLS, thats why he was drafted high and as has produced in the minors. Of course, he still had little injuries here and there.

Hopefully Orenduff gets healthy and can mirror Reyes' success so far.

I hope so too. They do have very similar deliveries IMO but the one thing Reyes has over Orenduff is a third pitch. Reyes has a pretty good change up whereas Orenduff doesn't really yet. He needs to keep working on that. Reyes also has better control then Orenduff.

Reyes wasnt drafted high.
He was drafted in the 13th rd in 2002.
Then drafted in the 15th rd in 2003.

Dewitt still hasn't been moved to 2B.

Dewitt's been playing 2b all season.

There are only 5 switch hitters among the top 100 all time in home runs
Mickey Mantle
Eddie Murray
Chili Davis
Chipper Jones
Reggie Smith

Being 19th alltime among switch hitters in home runs is not exactly something to put on your C.V.

331

My bad. He was really highly touted after his sophmore year at USC. But like you said, he had a very average junior season due to injuries. If i remember correctly, most teams were shying away from him because they thought he would return to USC for a senior year to enhance his draft stock. The cards did their homework and got him to sign.

If you are trying to get at that Reyes was some obscure player that wasn't known in college and produced in the minors, thats not correct. He was always known, he was always touted as having excellent pitching tools. but he was an injury risk.

Marty, how's the pooch? Progressing?

Link, just got back from El Napol. Wife and daughter split a preggo burrito and they couldn't come close to finishing it. I had two steak tacos--pretty good. Too much food for me. I, of course, tried to help out on the wife and daughters burrito. Time to go for a walk.

There are only 5 switch hitters among the top 100 all time in home runs

What is the all-time ratio of switch hitters to non-switch hitters?

336

I don't really know, but power-hitting switch hitters are pretty rare beasts.

I need to correct myself in 334. It seems that Reyes did go back for his senior season but he still had a injury riddled campaign. Thats probably why he was drafted so low.

320 I was trying to figure who the other 18 players are, so far I have these other switch hitting sluggers.

Mickey Mantle
Eddie Murray
Chipper Jones
Reggie Smith
Ruben Sierra
Barry Bonnila
Bernie Williams
Mickey Tettleton
Howard Johnson
Tony Clark
Robby Alomar
Devon White
Todd Hundley
Ken Caminiti
Lance Berkman
Ted Simmons
Jose Valentin

I am missing one player but those are 17 of the 18 players who top the all-time switch hitting home run leaders.

334. I'm not saying that he was an obscure pick. I'm saying that in some organizations (like the Dodgers I believe), Anthony Reyes accomplishments would be over looked by Logan White bc Reyes went to college for 4yrs. If he dominated the minor leagues, it'd be bc he's "older than the competition". Similar to Pedroza, Ruggiano, and Orenduff.

Orenduff and Reyes have very similar minor league numbers. Assume both are still healthy. One gets promoted faster than the other, bc of the differing philosophies each team has.

If Reyes was in the Dodger system, I believe he'd still be in the minors bc the Dodgers value scouting/tools over production.

339 I always do that with Bobby Bonilla, calling him Barry.

I think he has a clock that chimes "JD Drew is overpaid" every 15 minutes and it's gotten to him.

No, it's the vast underachiving, 115 or so homerless at bats, 9 RBIS in 30 games, and the emotionless way he goes about the game that gets to me.

342
If you're gonna strike out, at least break the bat over your knee or kick some dirt on the umpire.

Orenduff and Reyes have very similar minor league numbers. Assume both are still healthy. One gets promoted faster than the other, bc of the differing philosophies each team has.

Ill just address this part because we have been over the other part before. Reyes and Orenduff do not have similar minor league numbers. For one, Reyes had GREAT peripherals in AA as a 22 yr old to go along with a stellar era in the Southern League. Orenduff last year as a 22 yr old, had a higher hit rate, lower homerun rate by .10, higher walk rate by almost 1 per 9m, and lower K rate by over 3 per 9.

I don't see the similarities in their statisitcal profile sorry. Its a moot point anyways because Orenduff hurt his shoulder.

Orenduff and Reyes were both in the FSL at the same age. Orenduff outperformed him there vastly. Then in AA, Reyes got the advantage. Overall, they are very similar.

My point is that Logan White treats his college draft picks as roster filler, and doesnt give them a fair shake as prospects. My evidence is the lack of promotion for Ruggiano, Alexander, Orenduff, and Pedroza. I think they've been treated like crap. If I was a college player drafted by the Dodgers, I wouldnt sign with them bc its not a fair evaluation process they have. The kid from Clemson probably made the right choice, bc he wouldnt have got treated with the same respect that the HS'ers do.

Odalis Perez is very emotional.

That doesn't endear him to people here either.

and the emotionless way he goes about the game that gets to me.

The Dodgers arent doing that Oakland thing anymore.

Breaking bats over knees, confronting unruly fans, and throwing balls on the field are frowned upon. Its too bad, but the Dodgers are living by Jaime's rules.

340 We just had a draft where we took mostly college players after the fifth round.

Orenduff and Reyes were both in the FSL at the same age. Orenduff outperformed him there vastly. Then in AA, Reyes got the advantage. Overall, they are very similar.

Does anyone else see the missing logic here?

329 Carlos Beltran?

My evidence is the lack of promotion for Ruggiano, Alexander, Orenduff, and Pedroza.

That is ridiculous! I already refuted the first 3. You might have a case for Pedroza base on his OBP/SLG numbers but the rate he was striking out at was ABSURD for a player that played at a big time school and was only in the SAL.

348. Roster filler

Name one college player thats been fast tracked....I mean for goodness sakes Pedroza was in low level rookie league!

Alexander with his peripherals, would have been called up to the major leagues by many other mlb clubs if they had the bullpen problems the Dodgers do.

Ruggiano/Orenduff would have been fast tracked, too see if they were worthy prospects, or unworthy.

The Dodgers are being ran by scouts now. It sucks for some of us. Some others think its what they should be doing. Guess we'll see how successful this stuff is.

I saw Alexander a couple times this summer and he was impressive.He seemed kind of small,but strong lower body.In one game he pitched 1 1/3
innings,mixing his pitches well and then reared back and flamed the last guy with 94-95 heat.
Tell me Broxton for Garcia isn't true.One of the only appendages that resembles a live arm on the staff and you trade him for an unaccomplished journeyman starter.Say it ain't so Ned!
I'm with you on Loney,Nate.The sky is the ceiling.
Uncle Miltie,Uncle Miltie,why do you want to trade everybody but the one guy that wants to get traded,Hall?

Alexander has already reached AAA in his second full professional season, where is the college bias there?

Orenduff was promoted to AA after his first full season in the Dodgers' minor league system. I'm sure he would have been promoted to AAA by June if he had stayed healthy and possibly been considered for a spot in the rotation by now if he had continued to pitch well.

Was Broxton not promoted straight from AA last year to help the bullpen?

Why not Alexander?

332- hmm...milb.com had him listed as a 3B. I haven't really been checking the box scores. From everything I've read about Dewitt, they say that he has the instincts to play 2B (which was a knock on Aybar), but not the greatest range. So are we looking at a Jeff Kent type of 2B minus being a jerk and a faux hick?

the emotionless way he goes about the game that gets to me.
We better dump Nomar, pronto!

Its hard to believe Cruz Jr. is at that spot on that list. Is something wrong here?
I'm burning brain cells trying to figure out pitching in the minors. There is no reason for any team to be developing anyone who will not be a starter or a closer(with the exception of perhaps a few lefty specialists). AA and AAA clubs are marketed as teams in their cities and not as development systems for Major league teams and this explains some of the lifetime AAAAer's. But I don't understand it yet.

355

Same with Ruggiano! The only gripe that JoeyP might have about Ruggiano is that after his half of season in AA last year, he should have started this season in AAA. He wasn't and I suspected it was because of his high K rate which made his average flukie and I think that thats what the Dodgers were thinking too. And so far they have been right because Ruggiano has been pretty average so far this year.

348 I don't think whether we draft college players is the problem, it's how they're treated after they are drafted. I'll admit I tend to agree with JoeyP on this one, it seems that the organization disregards its college picks, and they become roster filler. White generally drafts college players as roster filler, as very few of his college picks (CC not included) do anything.

Also, what's the news on Kyle Orr? I really want him, as he's pretty much the only power hitter we drafted.

357

He was a shortstop in HS. He has the athleticism to play 2b although probably not at the elite level. Probably chase utley level. trust me, i basically check vero beach's boxscores everyday, hes been playing 2b.

Also, what's the news on Kyle Orr? I really want him, as he's pretty much the only power hitter we drafted.

We got him. They are waiting for his Work Visa. he should be here for instrux in september.

By the way, Reyes looks like he only has 2 pitchs, fastball and change up. How will that fool batters consistantly?

340 I am not going to reprint a study done on Baseball Prospectus reviewing the draft patterns for the last 20 years or so, one is because it is subscribser content and two because it has a lot of graphs but the gist is that today, there is not a lot of difference in expectation between college pitchers and high school pitchers aside from the workloads of the college pitchers. Also, there was fallout from "Moneyball" in the sense that a lot of teams began to put a premium on college pitching.

On Reyes, in a chat in 2004, one of the BA writers noted that Reyes was a possible big surprise due to his recovery from injury and his work in the instructional league after he was drafted in 2003.

Reyes was not on the Cards top ten in 2004, but was number one in 2005 and 2006. Some of that is a result of the shape of the Cardinal's farm system but he was someone that they projected could be in their starting rotation in 2005.

I do think Logan White is going to choose the high ceiling player as opposed to "productive" college players, one reason being that the Dodgers are probably not going to be a team (not that many are) that is going to promote anyone within a year or two of drafting them.

Hochevar would have been the exception but that pick was based on the fact that he was the best player there, which was justified by his being the number one pick this year.

Maybe Ruggiano's morale is low, since after his great year last season he wasnt rewarded.

I'd be upset if the bonus babies that I had outproduced, were promoted before me.

364. My issue isnt even with who we draft. I know White's going to gamble and go with these HS'ers. Cant change that. If he wants to do it, fine.

My problem is how prospects are evaluated once they are in the system. I just think the older guys drafted are seen as roster filler, and treated as such. I wish they'd forget who was drafted where, and just judge players based on production once they are in the system.

365

You are really reaching here.

To critize a farm system as successful as the Dodgers as for having a bad philosphy.

Farm systems are an inexact science at best. When an amazing draft is one where 10% of your picks make it to the majors, it's obvious that both the stat and scout methods of drafting have a long way to go.

Logan White has shown that he knows what he's doing with regards to the farm system, so I say let the man do his job until someone finds a clearly better way.

368 What the hell was that first sentence?

Let's try again: I don't think its fair to critize the base philopshy of a farm system that has been as effective as the Dodgers.

361- yea I know he's playing 2B, I checked the box scores.

All of the best athletes play SS in high school. Troy Glaus play SS in college. Glaus never could have been a 2B in the majors and he's an excellent athlete. I'm comparing Dewitt to Kent because both are slow footed players. Another guy to compare Dewitt to could be Mike Lowell. I'm pretty sure that at one point in his career, either the Yankees or the Marlins tried Lowell at 2B and it didn't work out. Dewitt will hit enough to play 3B, but we also have LaRoche there. Since Loney is finally performing, we may have to pick the best 2 out of the 3. It's not sure thing that all of them are going to pan out either. Dewitt is such a pure hitter, that I would hate to trade him. Even though he is a few years away from the majors, he seems like more of a sure thing than other prospects.

362 Good. BA doesn't list him as drafted (although they don't have Giles listed either, and I know we signed him), so I was getting worried. Any chance he gets to Columbus next season? Orr and Bell on the infield corners would provide that team with plenty of power to go along with its pitching.

LAT, I saw him about an hour ago. He's better than he was but has a long way to go. His right hind leg is not nearly as strong or coordinated as his left hind leg right now. But considering he couldn't use either yesterday I'm still encouraged. He's got a good appetite and was really excited to see me and his girlfriend so I'm hoping to see more improvement each day. They are going to keep him at the hospital for 3-4 more days. Then I need to make a decision on rehab treatment. My job is hell right now and I can't afford to spend a lot of time home, so I may need to hire someone to come in and work with him. I'm going to start making calls.

371

I dont think its been announced. Well, Orr is really young, he was drafted as a 17 yr old so most likely, he will probably start next season in Ogden unless he really shines in instrux. But I think they might take it slow with him, being from a cold weather area and all.

BTW another part of the series I cited regarding the draft, in drafting hitters, you generally want to draft those on the left side of the infield first, than outfielders, catchers, first base and then second base.

How are the Royals doing trying to sign Hochevar: Har har, choke, almost exspires laughing.

375

They are having a pretty tough time actually.

I can't believe Luke. He's already being offered the most money out of anyone in this year's draft and he still won't sign.

374

To expand on that, I wish White invested some more picks in catchers in this years draft. Just for backup insurance for Martin down the line.

376 Some believe that Boras is waiting for Miller to sign and vice versa, my hunch is that Boras may believe that Hochevar has a shot to make next year's starting rotation (he said as much when talking about Luke joining the Dodgers prior to the draft) and so he might as well stay out and wait out the summer and then try to get a MLB contract and have Luke go to Arizona Fall League.

Is it wrong to hope that Hochevar ends up sitting out another year?

377 Would you happen to be familiar with Gorman Erickson? He remains unsigned (according to BA, but like I said earlier, they haven't updated in awhile), and I know nothing about his ability. Martin and Lopez were signed, but they are pretty clearly future roster filler if anything. I'd have to agree though, the catcher depth in the system is pretty horrible.

Dewitt has already made 19 errors. I can't see him being ready to play in the majors until 2008, and a lot of that has to do with his position change.

No clue about Gorman Erickson.

Gorman Erickson returned no matches on Google during draft day.

I've put JD Drew on notice. He has 60 days to prove to me that he is a good cleanup hitter or he will become dead to me.

381.

So is Furcal not major league ready then ;)?

381

Well, this is his first season EVER on the right side of the infield. Takes some adjusting too. When his bat is ready, we will find a place for him.

377 We apparently have a system loaded with catching, or we wouldn't have given Navarro away for nothing to clear some space.

Trivia Quest. What agent and two prospects have done the most to undermine the ML draft and the franchises in LA and Philly, one of which the D's recently chose to give a multi/multi contract.

Sorry, I'm getting out of hand. Good night.

384.

He would probably already be out if you started this 60 days ago.

381 19 errors at second seems pretty poor. It's kind of hard to make a throwing error from second. Most of those had to come on ground balls.

379 I don't think it matters to him or Boras if he doesn't sign during this season because they know he will be in camp with the Royals next year.

Boras will have a pretty busy off-season so he probably wants to get this done, my guess is that it will be in August.

388 Yeah but I think 9 homeruns wasn't bad 60 days ago. The problem is that he is still there.

Is Hochevar Matt Harrington II?

389 Sometimes you have to account for the fields and condtions they play under, if I were to guess, he might start fielding better as hitting improves.

389

If you want to go through all the Vero Beach boxscores, you can find out how many were throwing and how many were fielding :)

Too much work for me.

If I hadn't left for my own good I would have said something stupid, like boy, I hope that guy breaks his hand in a fight.

392 No, because he has no where to go, being number one is the best he and Boras could hope for, especially for the money he wants.

I don't think its fair to critize the base philopshy of a farm system that has been as effective as the Dodgers.

I'm not criticizing the players drafted.
I'm criticizing the methods of evaluating/developing them once they are in the minors. I think thats fair. So far, only 2 starting players have been developed in 5 Logan White drafts--Billingsley and Martin.

Broxton a middle reliever...loses his value.
Guzman not at SS....loses his value.
Willy Aybar...demoted.
The college kids I've already touched on.

So far, the only real successes of the farm system are Russell Martin and Chad Billingsley. Developing 2 players in 4-5 years isnt overwhelming success.

I think White has done a good job picking players. But once they are in the system, I think Terry Collins has made some head scratching decisions.

387 I don't think the Hochevar situation undermined the Dodgers, he was just a pick that in the end, didn't want to sign.

And without Hochevar in the draft, we may have only 2 or maybe 1 of the top three picks we acquired this year.

Ned is the one that controls Aybar being demoted.

387 Wouldn't Matt Harrington have to be one of those players (although I think you mean Drew and Hochevar)? Hochevar only needs to be drafted twice more to reach his Fort Worth teammates' number.

Aybar wasn't a draftee.

Ooops I forgot Matt Kemp.
Add him to the demoted list.

Usually the farm director decides who gets promoted. Its like I like the players in our system, I just hate how some of them are used.

I think Terry Collins/Logan White/Ned have a large degree of responsibility in that.

I love what the Brewers are doing with Rickie Weeks. He has already made 20+ errors, but they are sticking with him because he can hit. A lot of the errors came early, so he's making adjustments defensively. I wish the D-rays would do the same with Bossman Junior. With that bat, there's no way he should still be in the minors.

If all Logan White does is draft players, the he's cool with me.

Fire Ned and Terry Collins for messing them up once they are in the system with non-sensical demotions, promotions, position changes, etc.

402 And Kemp will never step foot in the big leagues again.

Usually the farm director decides who gets promoted.

True, until it gets to the big league level. Then the GM controls who goes on his team.

I honestly, do not see how the developmental philopsphy in our system is bugging you so much because I really don't see the anti college bias that you do. Maybe its because, like you said earlier, you are a pretty impatient person and you want to see what these kids can do now.

397 Wasn't moving Broxton to relief DePo's idea as a way to fast track him to the majors?

I don't think you can critize the Dodgers for not producing more players under White's reign. His first draft was in 2002 and before that here's what we had:

1997: Chase Utley (unsigned)

1998: Bubba Crosby, Scott Proctor (moved in the Ventura trade) and David Ross

1999: Jason Repko

2000: Victor Diaz (trade for Burnitz)

2001: Edwin Jackson

White inherited a system that hadn't drafted anything better than a fringe major leaguer for five years, and the last good draft pick the Dodgers made that we actually kept was Paul Lo Duca in 1993 (this can answer can change to Konerko in '94 or Cora in '96 depending on how you change your definitions). White inherited a system that hadn't kept a good draft pick for 10 years, and it takes time to rejuvenate a farm system that is completely barren.

I agree that the Dodgers play favorites with their prospects, but I understand why they do it. They think these guys are going to be the future of the team, if players like Ruggiano succeed then it is icing on the cake.

I think Reyes would have moved up though, because he is a high ceiling guy. The Dodgers promote high ceiling guys.

The Dodgers were more involved with international scouting in the late 90's, than the draft. Now its flip flopped.

The Dodgers devote more of the resources to the amateur draft, and less to signing guys out of the DR, Canada, etc..I mean the late 90's wasnt a total waste. The Dodgers did sign Eric Gagne.

My whole issue isnt with what players are drafted. Its with what happens with them once they are in the system.

How long until Joe Thurston is working at the IN-N-OUT Burger? I saw him in the futures game last week. He should have been in the back to the futures game.

Broxton a middle reliever...loses his value.
Doesn't have the stamina to start
Guzman not at SS....loses his value.
The move was eventually going to happen. It's unfortunate that they move him to a corner outfield spot where he has the least value. He should be playing 3B (but now LaRoche is there) because he is going to be traded. I agree that we should move him back to SS since Billingsley is now in the majors and so there's no use for Valdez's defense. The Dodgers need to boost Guzman's value.
Willy Aybar...demoted.
A bad move.
The college kids I've already touched on.
Pedroza should have been promoted earlier. It's not like he's hitting .240. I have no problem with what they're doing with Alexander. He should be up pretty soon if dominates at Vegas. I've always liked him, despite his age. He's a big sleeper.

407 That's it in a nutshell. I wonder why you don't hear Logan White's name mentioned as a GM candidate?

Aren't Russell Martin and Eric Gagne two of the best three canadian players?

397 Value as defined by whom?

Can Broxton be an effective starter with 2-3 MPH off his fastball and still working on his third pitch?

In the little I saw of Joel Guzman, while he made some nice plays at 3B, I think we seem to have this A-Rod (or for those a little older Cal Ripken) ideals about offensive shortstop. Sure, some of his prospect status was based on his positiion but from the time he was seriously considererd a prospect nearly they all said in the end, he just going to be too big at 6'6", 250, Ripken was listed at 6'4", 225. But it has always been his plus bat and his plus power that has driven his ranking.

Willy Aybar has probably done more to move himself into a possible MLB career, he did not do much last year at Vegas, I agree that he would certainly be a much better option at the plate right now and his glove was not that bad but there is a roster squeeze and this is where I disagree a little with some on this board, I think young players need to play everyday, they should never sit at MLB level. Veterans are just better situated to deal with the preparation to come off the bench. I think when you start, you don't have to prepare as much.

Now in the end, Guzman needs to get back to hitting in AAA, then he can force the Dodgers to do something with him, if they don't convert Broxton to closer at the end of this year, then why not to him to come into camp ready to try starting.

Finally, last year's Jacksonville and Vero Beach clubs were the first in a long time to be filled wity prospects, and from their results, Martin, Billingsley, Broxton and Kemp at the top to group of kids in Jacksonville and Vegas, we can begin to see the future. Now some of these guys may not make it, some will make it somewhere else but the years of having career minor leaguers (Paul LoDuca) being the top player from your system on your team will hopefully be in the past for the next several years.

403 - Oh but they are, BJ will apparently be playing 3B for at least until they trade Julio Lugo, and with that SS they just picked up in the Huff deal he may stay there for quite a while longer...or at least until Longoria is ready.

I also just saw on DraysBay that Tuesday's game, featuring SCOTT KAZMIR vs FRANCISCO LIRIANO, will not be televised. Who's willing to help me out and bombard ESPN with angry emails until they pick up that game??

412

Pretty soon, pretty soon :(

414 Personally, what they should do Joel is say here take this glove, go to right field and make Vlad Guerrero your model, then you to will make big bucks.

As was mentioned last week by Keith Law from observing Joel at the Futures game, where I think he played 3B, Law thought he looked distracted but he has that nice power swing that drives the ball.

413 I'd at least put Harden and J-Bay ahead of Martin.

OT but, can Israel just quash Hezabollah so we can get on with his? They aren't even a Lebanese backed faction.

418 I had Bay but I didn't know Harden was a maple leaf.

412 Arizona's Logan White, Mike Rizzo, is going to be interviewing for some AGM jobs this summer (the Nationals and an unnamed second team).

Other guys who are probably better than Martin at this point in his career:

Corey Koskie, Justin Morneau, Eric Bedard.

I was talking about the time in which Martin was drafted. And Koskie sucks.

397 -- By the calendar, it has been four years and one month since Logan White's first draft, a draft heavy on high schoolers. The conventional timetable for a high school player to make the majors is five to six years, so Broxton has made the majors ahead of schedule. Martin was a junior college player. Loney has been in the majors on an emergency fill-in basis, and it won't be much longer before he is in the majors to stay. From the 2003 draft, Billingsley and Kemp made the majors in three years, and Kemp's return to the minors is not going to be too lengthy. There are a lot more draftees from 2002 and 2003 who have not yet made the majors but whose chances of being long-term major league players are quite good. You say that developing only two starting players in five years of drafting isn't overwhelming success, but you are just imposing your artifical timetable. Our draft strategy was purposefully geared to getting the greatest amount of talent with the best potential long-term impact. If it is a "quick return on investment" you are looking for, high school players are not the way to go. But a college-centered draft strategy won't necessarily get any return at all, as the college players selected could turn out to be busts.

And if you think minor league players are not being advanced through the system fast enough, you should consider that it was your hero DePodesta who firts decided to slow down the rate at which players were being promoted, given the peerception that Jackson was rushed. Colletti also has a fairly cautious philosophy, probably too cautious.

416 I'm not too sure, at least while he is raising his family in Arizona. In a way, he is a GM of the development, he decides who gets signed and at what price and he has his pulse on their development.

While being a GM certainly has its rewards, I think there is a lot more headaches plus a lot more administrative details to deal with.

But he is in his 40s, so I think he may think about it but maybe when his kids get a little older.

423 .820 OPS with strong defense is okay by me.

415- Bossman just moved to 3B and is still in the minors. In spring training, the D-rays should have moved him to 2B. It might be a waste of his arm, but it would help him with his accuracy. If the D-rays ever decide to put him on the block, I've already arranged to have my soul traded to the D-rays. Ned knows about this.
420- no love for Paul Quantrill? :)

It bears watching, I have not seen Miller pitch in a while at Vegas, I wonder if we may see him start too, it would be about a year from his return from surgery and again, he may not have that mentaility to pitch in the pen.

I was interested to hear what Tomko said, how it would be nice to rear back and throw 95 and not have to face a lineup more than one time.

426 He's doesn't suck but he's not even one of the top 3 third baseman in his division. Martin is a better catcher than Koskie is a third baseman. I was exagerrating when I said he sucks. That's not accurate.

427 I really opened a can of worms with that 2 out of 3 canadians comment. Paul Quantrill was really good in 2003.

430 If you're going into retirees, then you have to include Larry Walker.

Logan White wasn't drafting players then.

428 I know. It's nice to have a player not complain when asked to sacrifice for the team. He might make a good set up guy.

So did the Garcia trade happen or what?

The definition of good news/bad news from the New York Post:

WHO WILL WIN THE NL WEST?

This is the LIE-at-rush-hour division. Five teams were within five games at the break. Yet a strong majority of voters favored the Dodgers, mostly because they have the best talent base and so many prospects to use in deals to upgrade in the next few weeks.

Even more suprising from the NY Post:

"DOWN THE LINE
Green could be right for Yanks

The checklist of major corner outfielders the Yankees have been linked to in the trade market are Bobby Abreu, Carlos Lee and Alfonso Soriano. But do not discount Arizona's Shawn Green. The Yanks have inquired about the right fielder and a person close to the situation said to play for a contender, Green might chuck his West Coast preference and waive his no-trade clause. The D'backs want to bring up touted prospect Carlos Quentin to replace Green, so they are in a dealing mood.

Green's power is greatly diminished (eight homers), but he is still a good hitter (.302), adequate defender and his reputation is as a great guy. At $9.5 million next year with a 2008 option for $10 million or a $2 million buyout, he could be a legitimate replacement for Gary Sheffield."

How ironic. . .

434 I think Nate said it wasn't true.

Nate is usually a bearer of good news. LAT, on the other hand, must be quivering at the idea of his daughter becoming a Yankee fan.

Would they be interested in JD Drew?

436

Interesting. I wonder if they would want Drew, and what the Yankees will give up for Green. Hopefully, JD will heat up in the 2nd half, but I almost wish we still had Green in right instead of Drew 4 or 5 days a week. I hope I am not waiting until the end of the year for Drew and Kent to get it going full steam.

I wouldn't mind trading Drew, but what do the Yankees have? That team is one left side of the infield away from being Pittsburgh.

It's pathetic, but true about the Yankees. I don't like JD Drew but there's no real reason to trade him to the yankees. Anyone decent is untouchable on that team. I'm sure they have some over hyped prospects they'll try and throw at someone.

441

Phill Hughes, Jose Tabata, tyler clippard, eric duncan.

I am pretty intrigued by Clippard. He doesn't get talked about much as a top propsect but he has top prospect peripherals and good size for a pitcher.

441

I'd imagine not much. I doubt their farm has much of anything. Speaking of former Yankee prospects, I saw the Angels and D-Rays today, and lets just say I don't miss Navarro. He looked bad at the plate, dropped the ball on a key play at the plate, and let one wild pitch get by that he could have easily blocked with proper technique.

I'm sure they have some over hyped prospects they'll try and throw at someone.

Phill Hughes is the real love. I love him. probably top pitching prospect left in the minors.

love= deal.

freudian slip

441- You think Jeter's that good? Don't forget they've got Giambi too, with 27 HR and a 1.020 OPS. Heck, Damon's already given them 11 homers.

Who said we have to get anything? How about they get JD Drew as long as they agree to take Odalis Perez too?

if im trading drew, id ask for tabata and clippard. And then Cashman will probably hang up.

Navarro has a Rate2 of 113 catching for the D-Rays so far. He got credit for 3 players CS'ing in yesterday's game alone.

I actually think Drew would thrive in NY. He's not a superstar player, but he'd fit in as being just one of their above average players. I think the Yankees will go after him in the off-season anyway. It might be a good thing to deal him before he opts out. The Dodgers arent going anywhere this year.

Putting on my A's fan cap, I'm hoping Ned trades Drew to the A's for Huston Street.

street, duschsherer and buck and i would do it.

Drew and Perez for TJ Beam. That accomplishes the goal.

Drew- EQA- .286
Rate2- 112

Green EQA- .272
Rate2- 95

The Yankees should want Drew more, but I'd honestly be surprised if the Dodgers deal Drew bc that would mean they are sellers. I think Colletti is going down with the 2006 ship.

453

Hey Billy (Joey), I made my offer. Do you accept?

451. I'd do that as well if Harden comes back healthy. If Harden is healthy, I think a JD Drew could put the A's into contention as a WS'er contender. They are missing one bat.

But if Harden isnt healthy, they arent going to win no matter what. So trading Street, Duch, and Buck might not be worth it.

455. thats no fun.

If we don't dump Odalis in the process, I'd go for picking up a pitching prospect or two that the Nationals would be interested in, and then packaging him with Guzman for Soriano. The Nats might be interested in putting Guzman back at short given their level of satisfaction with Felipe Lopez thus far.

DT Overnight Contest. Who can come up with a deal for FTOGS that I would turn down? Winner gets one free hope for a Devil Rays-less 2007.

Who can come up with a deal for FTOGS that I would turn down?

Odalis for Eric Milton.

And if the Nats back out at the last minute, then we'll have more pitching prospects.

If i knew Drew would stay in Oakland and the A's had the finances, I'd make that trade. But trading 3 serviceable parts for 3 months of Drew only makes sense if it can for sure get my team to the WS. Without knowing Harden's condition, I cant tell that.

But Huston Street is an interesting case. The A's are big on "selling the closer", but thats usually when the closer is high priced. Street is still cheap, but his value may be at his highest right now.

Odalis with $5 million to the Braves for Mike Hampton.

If Harden is healthy, I think a JD Drew could put the A's into contention as a WS'er contender

LOL, since when is Drew a major difference maker? I mean, if Drew can't hit home runs here, imagine him in Oakland? Does he then become Jason Kendall?

I mean, it would take a major run from Rich Harden, Barry Zito, and Dan Haren, and I still don't think it'll be enough if Saaloos and Blanton are in the rotation, because if you look at the angels, they don't have a weak spot in their rotation.

Milton is cheaper than FTOGS isn't he?

Milton

06:$8.5M, 07:$9M

not really.

Odalis for Shawn Green?

462.

Odalis + 6 million to any team willing to offer a large pack of sunflower seeds, big league chew, and maybe mix in the bat boy.

Odalis for Sean Casey?

Would you turn that one down?

440- Green is so much more productive than Green that it isn't even funny. When you add in defense, they aren't even comparable. The Yankees are probably interested in Green because they wouldn't have to give up much. Arizona is looking to dump him. Going after Drew would require the Yankees to part with top prospects. They don't want to do that.

Lots of winners here. Let's all be winners, and pray to the deity of each individual's choice that we do, in fact, enjoy a Devil Rays-less* 2007.

*(Offer does not apply to Scott Kazmir or Delmon Young. Please call ahead for availability on Carl Crawford.)

463. Drew would be a difference maker bc he's ALOT better than Jay Payton/Kielty. This would be a killer lineup for the A's:

C- Kendall
RF-Drew
DH-Thomas
1b-Swisher
3b-Chavez
LF-Bradley
SS-Crosby
CF-Kotsay
2b-Ellis

With Harden/Zito/Haren/Blanton/Loaiza...
I'll grant that the Angels have a better rotation when each rotation is healthy, but the A's would be much improved with Drew.

Odalis, Billingsley, and $10 mil for Chad Harville and Shawn Camp?

471

What are you going to do about the bullpen with street and the duke gone?

I wont plan on playing any close games.
We'll blow everyone out.

How will the Dodgers score any runs without Drew?

In all seriousness, Kiko Calero will be the closer. Kennedy/Halsey/Witasik/Alexander will be my primary relievers that I hopefully will never have to use.

Why is Duchscherer not in the rotation? Seems like he was successful at starting throughout the minors, and the only reason he became a starter was because there was no place in the rotation. After estlabishing himself as successful reliever, it seems like no one considers a starter anymore. I have a similar problem with Rauch, Heilman, and eventually Papelbon.

469
I agree. Green is older and on the downside of his career. This year, the difference between the performance of the two isn't very much. At least not as much as it should be, especially considering all the time Drew has to miss. Drew is a long way off from the plus 1000 OPS he posted his last year with the Braves.

470- is Bossman Junior available? Ned will give you Izturis, Elbert, Broxton, Blake Johnson, and my soul

2008 lineup
1. Furcal SS
2. Upton CF
3. LaRoche 3B
4. Kemp CF
5. Ethier LF
6. Loney 1B
7. Martin C
8. Dewitt 2B

Green's played 86 games.
Drew's played 80.

Thats not that big of difference.

With all the whining about JD Drew lately, has anyone noticed that he has an .892 OPS in his 12 July games (not including today)? Home runs aren't everything you know.

Sorry, I missed the last coupled of games. Who is it that we're hating this week? Is it Drew? Nomar? Izzy? I've been on a vision quest, so I've missed it. Tell me who we're supposed to loathe beyond logic, and I'll buy into it.

482 Loathe...and then get teams to trade their best prospects for them. Yeah, that's the ticket.

My theory is a four-game sweep against, combined with intense heat here in LA plus the perception of even more intense heat in St. Louis, has thrown the entire Dodger fandom into a bout of mass anomie.

483 Well said. I've been trying to take a time out until cooler heads prevail among my beloved DT brethren. Alas, I do believe things are getting worse on the boards. Everybody hates everybody...Except Bob...He just hates Frank Robinson. And pitted fruits.

It is widely reported that we are 4-17 against teams with winning records. Reactions:

1) 4-17?

2) We've only played 21 games against teams with winning records?

3) We've beaten the Angels four times alone, so this must be false.

4) The Angels are over .500?

5) Sigh...

I hate Russ Ortiz too.

There are only four teams in the NL with winning records and the Dodgers haven't played one of them (Cincinnati).

The Dodgers are 1-2 against New York, 0-4 against St. Louis, 3-5 against San Diego.

So it's 4-11 against the NL.

Then you toss in the 0-6 against the Twins and A's, but now you have to add back in the 4-2 against the Angels as they went over .500 yesterday.

So it's 8-19.

398 400 You guys are probably right on all counts, but you were being unfaily rational.It was late back east and a D's fan was suffering.

479 You also still have Kent under contract for '08, unless you've traded him in this current round of Dodger Thoughts Deals & Dreams(TM).

Comments on a couple of subjects that have my interest:
Cruz: I don't care if he's first on that list; that was then, this is now. I am not interested in how good a player he was 6-8 years ago. I liked what he did last season after we got him and I much favored giving him a contract. Problem is he saw that as a signal to take a vacation. He is no longer capable or willing to produce decent numbers: Time to go.
Drew: Same as Cruz; what he once did or what we think he is capable of doing is not relevant. What he has actually done this year is produce numbers we could easily get from any number of Major Leaguers or AAA players at a lot less cost to us. Bodies wear out, maybe that is all he can do at this point so no blame on him, but that is not the point. If we can unload that salary in trade for some good prospects or useable now players, we should do it. He is easily replaceable. The same logic applies to Kent and Lofton.

Nationals minor league blogger plays an old Dodger Thoughts standard: "While the losses of Majewski and Bray may appear troubling on the surface, there is one certainty when it comes to RPs in the bullpen. There is no certainty."

http://www.farmauthority.dcsportsnet.com/

Hey Rob, anyone: Do you know anything about former Dirtbag Marco Estrada, now pitching for the GCL Nationals?

Thx.

{453}

no disrespect but I think you're jumping to conclusions (anybody can win the west, nobody is to good or to bad IMO)

481 - that thirteenth game (yesterday) knocked him down to .818

He does have 6 doubles this month, which is pretty good. Still, no homer since June 1 kinda hurts. Maybe Nomar will hit homers instead of Drew this year.

But seriously, Jeff Kent for DL. He's playing with injuries, and he's hitting like he did in April, which really sucked if you would recall (.183/.310/.244).

493 - I gotta agree with you there

frivolous unsourced speculative guesswork mongering re Aaron Boone: http://tinyurl.com/etqwx

) The Indians, in town to play the Twins, are talking about trading Aaron Boone to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

So Izzy goes? (if up top is true)

I think I'm going to impose a ban on posting Aaron Boone trade rumors. As flimsy as rumors are, those are the flimsiest, and they do nothing but upset people.

Boone? What will that do to clubhouse chemistry? You've got Grady, D-Lowe, Nomar, Mueller (he's on the DL but still hangs around), and you want to bring in the guy who hit homer that put the Yankees in the World Series?

But seriously, Ned Colletti should be burned at the stake if he acquires Boone for anyone other than Odalis. Not even Lance Carter or Tim Hamulack would cut it. No reason to trade anyone worthwhile, or even non-damaging, for a third baseman with a .246/.306/.348 line. Let Cleveland release him. Come on, Izturis has a .283/.326/.353 line, and try to tell me anyone's a defensive upgrade over Izturis.