I don't think it would work quite right in Spanish.

Dan-eh-ee-yeh-ah?

I cant imagine Jeff Kent in this role.
But I hope he does a good job and enjoys himself.

woah!

Chorus:

Sign Sign everywhere a sign
Blocking out the scenery breaking my mind
Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign

http://www.fivemanelectricalband.ca/signslyrics.html

4 Jeff Kent has participated in a couple of these WIN events, I think that is where the note about his having Jamie McCourt's ear comes from.

I always thought Marty was a chick? (no disrespect Marty)

Also, did we call up somebody to temporarily replace izturis, if so who, or are we using a 24 man roster?

I think Steiner gets a bad rap from his critics. I think he does excellent work and if being a genuinely nice guy counts for something than the Dodgers are lucky to have him.

Not sure if this was irony or not, but I refer you to the once and (likely) future president of Nicaragua.

When I was an undergrad at Cal, the mayor of Berkeley spent more time in Managua with his buddy Daniel than he did in his own city. And no one seemed to mind.

If the Dodgers are in a position to clinch a divisional title, they switch over any broadcast to him even if it's on TV. I still remember the end of the 1996 season and Vin getting ready to call the inning when the Dodgers would score the clinching run against the Padres.

I'm still waiting.

And waiting.

And waiting.

And waiting.

And waiting.

And waiting.

Has Chris Gwynn come up to bat yet?

I've been reading Game of Shadows and there are a few parts that talk about Kent. Kent was the one who started the fight between he and Bonds. David Bell made a bad decision in the field so Kent chewed him out in the dugout after the inning was over. Bonds came over to defend Bell, and Kent told him to "F off". When Dusty Baker came to break up the fight, Kent went crazy, demanding a trade because he felt that Dusty favored Bonds (which wasn't true). After the game, reporters went to talk to Bonds and Kent. Bonds gave the reporters the finger and Kent mooned them.

Kent's actions obviously prove what a great leader he is in the clubhouse. His leadership alone justified his pricy contract extension.

"He may be a ---, but at least he's our ---."

Ok, Californians:

Which bridge is it that you go over on the way into SF on 101 from the north? It's a half-circle style bridge (a humongous arch), not a flat suspension variety. Can't be more than 10-20 miles north of the city.

I've been over it two or three times, and my usually somnolent vertigo kicks in every time.

Golden Gate: US 101
Bay Bridge: I-80
Hayward/San Mateo - SR 92
Dumbarton - SR 84
Richmond/San Rafael - I-580

The bridge I'm thinking of is a good way outside the city to the north. The arch is so steep that on the way up you can't see the other side descending; it's what my grandmother used to call a "jumping-off place."

I just don't like Kent. Anytime he does anything controversial, I put it under the microscope.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antioch_Bridge

I'll try San Mateo.

The times I've crossed it have been at the tag end of trips around Oregon and Northern Ca, heading back down to LA to catch a flight home to HNL. My route has always been 101/PCH, although I'm sure it takes weird turns and becomes other things at various stretches.

This is a bizarre argument. One of the strangest I've ever seen.

What could Duncan possibly have said or done? Did he pull out a gun and start shooting at people?

http://www.spudart.org/blogs/angel_hernandez.php

You'll find rating at this site, as well as some articles and a USA TODAY rating of umpire where Angel Hernandez is rated 31 out of 36 or worse in four categories for rating umpires.

I wonder if that was the trip where I'd taken a side road to see the William Ide Historic Park (see below) and then headed towards SF.

http://tinyurl.com/sxuxb

Aybar 2B
Loney 1B
Kemp CF
Young LF
Guzman DH
LaRoche 3B

There will probably plenty of scouts at this game and series.

Well, the lights don't match. They are slightly different, but enough to notice.

Nooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not a side trip to the greater Redding area!

A good throw by Lofton's standards.

Thanks for the help in remembering that bridge, guys.

"Rafael Furcal doubles (16) on a pop up to Third Baseman Chad Tracy."

There aren't any airplanes out there.

There were two outs, the ball was hit very far and Gonzalez deflected it.

Correction: this is LA baseball.

That quixotic battle for her was not won.

Lower than Russ Ortiz or Frank Robinson?

Or even Charlie Weis?

Oh, and to Bluebleeder, no offense taken, but I'm not a female. At least I don't think.

And the Giants first baseman is so new, he doesn't have a picture for Gameday. I saw him play in Tacoma but I can't remember much about him.

The Fresno Grizzlies do have really ugly uniforms. Green shirts with khaki pants.

Mariano Duncan would disagree with you. He thinks Kent only swung twice.

http://tinyurl.com/heqa2

Josh Rawitch, a couple of days ago: "The good news is, a new laptop arrived yesterday. The bad news is, there's been nothing worth blogging about."

All things considered, that's pretty frankly put.

Meanwhile, where do we sign up to get a Stephen Drew? I snuck out after bedtime and got the bartender around the corner to put the game on so I could watch the first few innings. I was fooled in exactly the same way about Kent's ball, although it was likely more embarassing since I gave (and then retracted) a loud hoot in a quiety empty bar. Couple of sparkling plays by Drew in those first few frames.

Marty -- we'll be here when you feel better; please don't type comments if it causes you physical pain to do so.

Which would be akin to the pain Uncle Miltie would face if he had to say something nice about Jeff Kent. ;-)

Oh well, as bad as a slump appears and as quickly and randomly as it seems to appear, it can just as quickly evaporate.

Sort of like the Cardinals fine pitching staff?

Usually.

completely disagree. The Dodgers offense simply isn't that good. We were lucky in the first half with BABIP and now it's catching up to us.

I think Gwynn is just meant to be a fill-in and isn't being called up to be a regular.

And the piper uses a collection agency now.

"When is Jason Repko due back?"

Still, it's become pretty dispiriting.
Now it's 4-2, a 2 run lead, which in the past wouldn't seem all that insurmountable...

Oh well, just as well, I have some work to do...

(I think Ned did too)

Yes, it was a 2-1 pitch, but don't let the facts get in the way here.

Okay, that's my exit line, I'm gonna work for a bit - from one frustration to another.

LAT -- The Lerners haven't made a big splashy announcement, but they appear to have now taken full control of the team. (They are listed at nationals.com as the owners.) They have promoted a big "RFK Grand Re-Opening" this friday pm against the Cubs (first game since the break and since the handover). Main changes to be: (i) new food choices, including a low-cost hot dog/soda/chips meal, (ii) cleaned up and painted stadium, (iii) family fun-zone of some kind, (iv) presidential character race (like the Milwaukee sausage race), (v) band playing outside before the game. and (vi)overall improved and speeded up customer service. My wife and I are going (No Kids!), so I'll give you a report.

The Lerner group has also promised to lower some ticket prices, including some all the way down to $3. Hopefully, they'll get this all well-communicated. Although, with the team aggressively chasing the Pirates and the Royals for the #1 pick in 2007, and with the most exciting player on the roster about to be traded, hard to imagine there's too much they can do to spur interest this season.

Is the Diamondbacks pitcher really 3-3?

http://tinyurl.com/olc57

Maybe not..

You mean, like Tampa Bay?

Mientkiewicz held onto the ball, gave it to his wife, and then secured it in a safe deposit box and claimed it as his own, joking that it was his "retirement fund."

"I learned that sarcasm doesn't print well in black and white. I jokingly said, 'Maybe I'll put my kids though college,'" he said Monday. "The next day I wake up and it's a huge article."

Maybe the TV was wrong, I only saw the pitch he grounded out on, and it said 3-0 on the screen.

calm down, its not the end of the world.

This stuff happens to everyone. Get over it.

No many things are Jeff Kent's fault. And many other things are the fault of several players NOT being Matt Kemp.

Dr. Z Chris Internist

Considering the punctiation, it appears this person's first name is Z. Any other theories?

Tony Jackson said on the radio today that he thought (and this may please some of you) that he did not think the Dodgers would do anything at the trade deadline and that they are really putting things together for 2007. Not that they would not like to win but he doesn't see them making any big moves to do so.

Maybe they miss the spirit of the kids, obviously Kent (and I think Drew too) are bothered by some nagging injuries.

There are two things that will happen to bring them out of this slump, one is a blowout and Arizona has the pitching to provide that or second, Chad comes out and puts together a big game tomorrow.

But I can point out the little things, Russ not coming up with Lofton's throw to get Green, that would have been a big play.

Or Russ making a good throw to get Drew, would have saved a batter for Sele to face.

Or take Russ's double play out (not picking on Martin, he's just an example) if they have things going, that ball makes into CF and Ledee's gets a hit.

Anyways, just some thoughts.

That single is not going to make up for all of your defensive miscues, Lofty!

But, I thought Russell Martin was beyond reproach.

Now everyone has been besmirched!

BESMIRCHED!!

Nooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bob, anything you would like me to pass on to Teddy?

While I'd personally stick Cruz out there, he's just the lesser of two evils. Sad to say, Lofton is probably the option that would cause the least amount of turmoil.

Sam, my orders about the Nats are long standing. You're past the fail safe point. You can't go back and do something else.

We cannot stop till our players are perfect!

Tony Jackson said on the radio today that he thought (and this may please some of you) that he did not think the Dodgers would do anything at the trade deadline and that they are really putting things together for 2007. Not that they would not like to win but he doesn't see them making any big moves to do so.

I hope Tony Jackson is right, and that would please me.

It would be nice if he could do either

That said, I'll pass on some thoughts to go along some Nats Notes to go along with Bob's repeated murmuring of "the horror" before next Fri.

It's just like "Fail Safe". In order to avoid a crisis, I will have to fire Bruce Bochy.

AMEN!

Hello everyone!

Hello

Give me Repko or give me death

No, I don't think I'll go quite that far.

Normally, we're not this grouchy. We were even grouchier yesterday. Now we are just sullen.

I think sullen is better.

226 - Great. How long before they come up?

Expect to see Repko, my guess is during the next home stand, maybe by Garvey Bobblehead night.

And the chances of lofton posting a 400+ obp is slim to none.

And i consider any starting outfielder with less than an 800 ops, a guy that should be a backup at best, especially if you don't have dominant pitching.

Speaking of which, we ordered an entire shipment of long-lasting, energy efficient fluorescent lightbulbs to replace our current collection of short-lasting, energy inefficient bulbs. The replacements should arrive within the next few days.

Neither does Kershaw. I was expecting Mattingly to struggle somewhat since he is from a cold weather state and was a 3 sport star in high school and did not play baseball year round. But he has proved me wrong.

Have you seen it?

How about Guzman and Aybar for Soriano, then we trade Lofton to the White Sox for Cliff Pollite, and have Drew play center? Doubt it will happen, but would that be good?

Shouldnt you aspire to be above average at every position?

Yea but i would guess (and its only a guess, i could look it up but...) that there were some pretty terrible starting centerfielders and on top of that the average probably includes backups which would bring down the average quite a bit.
Take out the backups and take out any centerfielders that really stunk it up and i bet the average is significantly higher.

Also we are talking about the dodgers poor pitching staff, which should make grady put the best possible centerfielder in the lineup.

Have you seen it?

Before batting practice, the Dodgers worked out 35-year-old right-handed reliever Danny Patterson, an eight-year veteran who hasn't pitched since 2004 because of shoulder problems. Patterson has pitched for Texas and Detroit and from 1997-2001 averaged 57 appearances a year.

Out of the 40 players who have played this year, again half an OPS over .800.

Drew'll probably be around there by the end of the year.
Cruz and a platoon partner might be close (if Cruz was strictly platooned).
Lofton is still the hole in CF.

Well, that takes a lot of pressure off of me trying to figure out what to say.

"The Hole" is not a bad nickname for him. It works on so many levels...

And Rob Bowen has scored a run!

From the rooks and younger guys that are making league minimum, then I think league average production should be the goal.

But if you make any kind of money above what a rookie would make, you should be above average at your position. That should be the goal anyway.

That sort of plays into my philosophy of superstars and rookies. The rooks can be average, and superstars above average, and everyone is content.

The Dodgers still have not come back after trailing by more than 4 runs in a game.

LOL!

Adrian Gonzalez should get most improved player award, if they have that. I'm impressed.

That's just sad, he should be around .950.

1) This would basically be my closing argument, though I would emphasize that not only is relief pitching quirky, but it is also not as important as everyone thinks it is.

2) I'm wondering how useful it was to go down to the "Top 100" relief pitchers. If you take out the really good relief pitchers (the ones for whom the debate is not whether to use them, but how much), which seems to me a different category than your run of the mill Scott Eyre, is it really meaningful to finish, say, 91st in this stat? Sure there must be 200+ middle relievers a year as teams shunt them to and fro, but aren't 100 of those simply Jeff Fassero types who only hang on because they've been there before, regardless of their talent? I guess that's a long way of wondering if someone like Otsuka, who finished 100th last year, really belonged on a list of "consistent" relievers. Maybe he does. (But I'm looking at you, Fairly Pedestrian 2002 Ranked 83rd Guillermo Mota)

3) Any list with Darren Oliver on it is self-refuting

4) Interesting that Francisco Cordero actually grades out better this year (slightly) than K-Rod. I assume that is a result of Cordero's being moved to a set-up role where he pitches in higher-leverage situations.

5) Studes' comment about how the mediocreness of relief pitching overall made consistent relief pitchers more valuable was very interesting. But that carries its own significant problems, particularly because egotistical GMs like to self-define "consistent"

6) The most valuable relief pitcher in baseball is probably Scot Shields.

2007 BOOYAAH.

I turned the channel just to find out they lost there 5th in arrow.

He had TJ. He won't help until at least may or june.

Yep.

I mean...oops. Wrong team.

Other than it being a nice round number, I came to believe that I should be generous in defining what a useful reliever could be. And also, since I didn't think ARP was a one-size-fits-all stat, I should have the cutoff be lower than higher. I felt that if you couldn't even stay on a list that included truly mediocre pitchers from year to year, it would better show how difficult it was to project success.

"If you take out the really good relief pitchers (the ones for whom the debate is not whether to use them, but how much)"

I feel like there are so few of these guys, so few that stay in this category, that they barely make an impression.

The point of the article was not to determine who the best guys were, but to show how unreliable almost everyone else is.

I know and that's fine, others would have options if they stink it up.

I hope this is just a "little bad spell"

I hope Drew & Kent hit the ball like they're paid to do

I hope our pitching....

That's what I got out of it. We get flustered all the time when hitters are having off years, but it seems impossible to expect something out of a reliever. That's probably why they do not typically sign long term deals.

Standings now

1) Padres
2) DBacks
3t) Dodgers
3t) Giants
5) Rockies

I posted salaries in another thread, if we let go every mediocre veteran only signed thru this season (and there are alot of them) and if ned somehow traded tomko and izturis, very doable, we could sign both zito and schmidt and nomar(who will make the same as this season considering incentives).
Gagne's contact alone pays for 1 of zito or schmidt pretty much.

And this is also keeping perez and his salary.

Now, we must ask why GMs believe they can cheat fate.

musical chairs?

This part absolutely shocked me. Maybe he learned his lesson from trading Jason Bay for Bobby Jones.

::holds a quarter in the air::

Not sure if it'll be at the BOB though.

BP: Frankly, ESPN doesn't have to tell me a thing. I've always been a raving moron lunatic and so I don't really need direction.

SP: It's hard to put on this raving moron lunatic front. Fortunately, talk radio allows me to express myself in rational and measured tones.

BP: You know who would make a really good raving moron lunatic? Paul LoDuca.

Must...resist...cheap...joke...must...resist...does...not...compute...must...resist...

Damn straight it's not a coincidence. My team needs me.

325 My opinion of Steve Phillips just increased ten-fold and I'm inclined to agree with 329 that perhaps it's ESPN that's the problem.

What strikes me is how the battle of the pitch counts really makes a difference. At the beginning of the year, the Dodger offense got going largely due to all the walks they took. I'd have to look at the monthy pitches/PA, but I'm pretty sure it has regressed since the first major slump began.

Duncan tossed his cap toward Hernandez, who picked it up, walked to the first row and flipped it to a fan. Bench coach Dave Jauss took over coaching first.

"He took property of the Dodgers and threw it in the stands," Duncan said. "He'll have to find a way to get back that cap or pay for it."

Conclusions:
1) Duncan is standing up for principle, namely property rights.
2) Don't throw your hat at a bully.
3) Mariano Duncan would not like Dennis Rodman.
4) Given the price of hats, the Dodgers are not pursuing Alfonso Soriano.

"The Angels are probably the best fit. They're loaded with prospects and really need outfield help. But their GM has traditionally been unwilling to part with his babes, as he continues to hoarde infielders and washed-up veterans as if they were tabbies and he were a cat lady."

http://dcbb.blogspot.com/

Translation: I've been to both places, and all I got was this lousy Devil Ray t-shirt.