I think it has more to do with the fact that in the first inning the lineup is set up in what is usually an optimal fashion.

Except when teams bat Dave Anderson leadoff.

My last contribution this evening as I am (sob) grounded for the evening. I'd try the argument that the kid is going to learn those words sooner or later but I'm very, very afraid of what the response would be. :)

http://tinyurl.com/obtxt

It's a pdf.

"There is little on hand to rebuild with. The 'kids' who were called up from the Cub farm system in September were Greg Maddux, Chico Walker, Brian Dayett, Dave Martinez, and Rafael Palmeiro. Maddux and Martinez were up last year and were awful... only Palmeiro seems to have any real chance to make an impact."

Do we really believe that there aren't elite teams in the NL? The Mets and Cardinals spring to mind, but I'm willing to listen to arguments that they're really no better (or not much better) than the Dodgers.

I don't know much about how reliable the third-order winning percentage statistic is...I know it's some complicated adjustment to Pythagorean projections, that's about it. But in any case, the folks at Baseball Prospectus think highly enough of it to use it in their playoff odds reports:

Third order wins and losses, as of today, caluclated by BP:
Mets 61.7 48.3
Cards 52.2 58.8 (!!!)
Dodgers 59.2 52.8

Source: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/statistics/standings.php

Like Fur-kel and K-Lo...

At RFK, with the Nationals down 2, Soriano singles to lead off the bottom of the eighth and is promptly picked off first. Not clear from gameday if he was trying to steal and got hung up or just was truly picked off. Not pretty in any event. He was CS earlier as well.

Trade the Bum!

I've been lurking for a while, and am just wondering why, in the World According to ESPN that the NL West is the worst division in baseball when it has the most winning teams in the NL?

I imagine that ESPN has a general idea of which games they are going to show before the season started.

Back in the day, the Sunday night game was supposed to show games from all 28 parks (it was back in that day.) They gave that up after a year. I remember seeing a game in Cleveland where the field was overrun by moths.

I know we should keep our political chatter to a minimum, but an incumbent gets knocked out in a primary about as often as a Dodger hits for the cycle it seems.

No need to push the envelope today especially.

Thankfully, Paul Lo Duca does not have a gambling problem.

There is no substantive chance of that happening. Republicans will vote for Lieberman. Remember that when Lieberman ran against Lowell Weicker (I was going to add an adjective before "Lowell Weicker," but DITBPOV), Bill Buckley formed "Buckleys for Lieberman." The practical effect is going to be the GOP candidate siphoning from Lieberman.

No Fur-kels tonight.

Okay, I've contributed. Now, how about that Furcal guy - good thing he's such a great fielder, huh? =P

so the Padres lost?

Paul Lo Duca still does not have a gambling problem.

http://www.letsgotribe.com/story/2006/8/5/201444/9636

If he steals here, we've got a story!

I didn't spoil anything. There's a whole episode based around getting to a Dodger game.

The details of which I cannot describe here.

There have been 5 seasons?

And that was not Kenn's fault so don't even start.

117 - Don't step on the punchline! Geez...

And he's looked awfule today. His pitches have been everywhere yet the Dodgers just are getting pwn3d.

It's so devious. I hate the "Let's go RAY" part, but it's at the very beginning of the commercial so I can never avoid hearing it. I have no idea what the rest of the commercial is like because I always mute it immediately upon hearing "Let's go RAY! This guy's on my fantasy team..."

Its just such a risky move to let the pitcher bat, if you're only going to pitch him at most 1 more inning. Especially a guy with that high of pitch count. Kim's probably only good for 95 pitches at most.

I bet it backfires on Hurdle.

Capitol Punishment has all the details (there are two posts and more articles linked in the comments if you're in a gluttonous mood.)

http://dcbb.blogspot.com/

185- First year of arbitration. If he doesn't come back, there won't be enough bayoneted torches on earth for the parade to Colletti's office.

Chuck Hinton played 17 innings in left field in one game without a chance.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B06142CLE1963.htm

There were three singles to left field however.

I don't really get the waiver process. Do we really get nothing for Ledee, or do the Mets have to trade something for him?

WAY TO GO WILSON. WOO HOO!!!

I know, I just felt like throwing in a random Simpsons reference.

Nice pinch hit by Old Maid too. I never expect him to do anything against RHP.

Let's getter done JBrox.

He has a name.
His name is Wilson Betemit.
HIs name is Wilson Betemit.
HIs name is Wilson Betemit.
HIs name is Wilson Betemit.
HIs name is Wilson Betemit.

LOL...

He was really getting squeezed that inning.

The Rox are one of the better teams in the NL though. Take away their games against our beloved boys in blue and they are 1 of a few teams playing over .500 ball.

I don't wanna see any Maalox moment ever.

This is all you Jeff. Maybe not. Kent with the IBB. Time for big boy Ethier to come through.

R-O-Y

R-O-Y

R-O-Y

If you're going to say something that outrageous, please back it up so there's some way to respond to it outside of a personal attack.

I'm actually surprised he still posts.

What exactly that MEANS, I'm not sure? They're better than a really, REALLY terrible team?

It's your turn Takashi. Getter done.

Before the first pitch is made, however, the difference in WinEx between x23, 2 outs and 123, 2 out compared to a 35 point difference in OBP makes me think the IBB is the better move. That could be wrong, as I have made no attempt to run the numbers.

I think Dodger Stadium is the last place on earth they still play Whoop there it is on a regular basis

Another great outing for Maddox.

Our good luck, Bretty, picks up his 1st win in relief.

Betemit with a huge game tying HR to spark the club.

Saenz with another huge RBI off the bench. He is sooo awesome.

Another shutout inning for JBrox.

And Ned's shiniest golden nugget with yet another save.

11 in a row BAY-BEEEEEE

I really shouldn't get so excited. Might as well enjoy it while it lasts though. It's been a gas.

A good bullpen is like a good offensive line. You only notice them when they mess up.

YEAH YOU NO ME!!

Where is the connection between his pitching and the innings in which the Dodgers happened to score runs...?

Your desire to start quixotic battles against scoring rules is strong, D4P. I can sense the Quixotic Force in you.

Actually, I don't remember that, but the Dodgers had one that year.

I think the Wins stat is there for HoF and Cy Young purposes only.

It's not like Tomko is going to accumulate 300 wins by pitching one inning every few games over a 20 year career.

Someone has to get the win, how else are you going to decide it when both pitchers leave the game relatively early?

Yes. Considering the good feelings the Dodgers are conjuring, I am totally down with OPP. Err...Not really. Maybe so. Let me think about it.

If I wasn't so tired of hearing "California Love", I'd nominate that.

Lowry/Schmidt/Cain will be tough matchups.

http://tinyurl.com/lxcm6

Three stars for the game:

1. Maddux - not quite an "interesting" game, but I'll take 2 ER in 6 IP
2. Betemit - 3 for 4 with the game tying HR
3. Saitoxton - Rivera & Wetteland :: Broxton & Saito?

Someone has to get the win

1. And for salary purposes...Wins like the one Tomko got tonight are undoubtedly used in salary negotiations, but they are often completely meaningless.
2. Why does an individual player need to get credit for a team victory? And if you feel such a need, why then can't offensive players get "wins"? I mean, if a guy slugs 2 grand slams and the starting pitcher gives up 7 runs and the team wins 8-7, why does the pitcher deserve more credit for the victory than the guy who hit the grand slams?

AL Central/NL East are both done.
AL West/AL East/NL Central are two team races.

And yet, near the bottom at the same time. Ironic

Domani, forget domani
Let's live for now and anyhow who needs domani?
The moonlight, let's share the moonlight

1. I would assume the negotiating team opening their checkbooks would look to other stats beyond wins.

2. You are correct on this point. Other than historical baseball record keeping, there is no reason why a W has to go to a pitcher.

The wins and losses are just holdovers from times when pitchers almost always threw complete games.

But hockey and soccer both assign wins and losses to goalies and they usually play the whole game and they often times have even less to do with the outcome of the game than a pitcher does.

From what I've heard about arbitration hearings, relief wins are not a stat that is brought up much.

Which leads us to my next quixotic battle: the "save" statistic

I can introduce you to the guy who thinks that no fielders other than the pitcher, catcher, and first baseman should have any designation.

Then it becomes clear: both are former Red Sox, one of the two baseball teams ESPN actually covers. ;)

As an aside - I agree as to the measurement of defense - there are three defensive plays - good, bad and neutral. That is how defense should be rated (and to a certain degree is how the +/- system, ZR and PMoD all work).

Baseball hasn't changed now because baseball makes changes less frequently than the Vatican changes canon law..

I think it's more accurate to say they're not an "inferential" statistic, but they're nevertheless a "descriptive" statistic, no...?

I'm really glad I don't have to cheer for Baez anymore just so we could get some top draft picks.

But, errors are rare, so the total effect the judgement call of an error is swallowed by the large numbers of "clearly no judgement call" hits plus all outs. 100% of errors, however, are judgment calls.

http://tinyurl.com/qgql4

And if I had my way, the other two of our 1st 3 batters would be:

http://tinyurl.com/reblk

http://tinyurl.com/nfymw

As Ken reports, the kudos are to him. I otherwise never even new that such existed. But now, even if the addition is only considered microscopic, I am just that much the wiser. Again, with kudos to Ken.

Feels good to have Maddux keeping us in games...definitely feel secure with him out there. Lots of us are talking about getting Zito and Schmidt...don't think that'll happen but if we could land Schmidt I would like to keep Maddux as well. Penny, Schmidt, Lowe, Maddux, Billingsley...not bad at all, and definitely realistic.

Enjoy these games..only .5 out! Let's go Dodgers and let's go Mets (for the next couple days).

11 wins later and I still haven't put the hat on. It's still sitting on my night stand.

Again, just as a reminder, I've pretty much worn a hat everday since the 18th of Jone. I'd say that about 98% of the time that I've put on the LA hat when I've had to go out since then (the end of the school year).

36AB 306/359/611

and the wierd one, his BAIP is... .296

http://proxy.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?page=shorthops_060808

"McCartney has also frozen a joint bank account and sent a letter to Mills complaining that she took three bottles of cleaning fluid from his Sussex home to clean her nearby office."

Huh?

Ratto was at the game last night, too, apparently.

Colletti goes rags to riches
"Ned Colletti has seen teams go from zero to 600 in two weeks before, but never one with his name on it until now.

Thus, as he sat calmly in the Dodgers' dugout Tuesday before Los Angeles lavished its always conditional love on Greg Maddux for the first time, his face betrayed none of the ravishing that must have taken place as he went from freefall to shuttle launch."