The last week of a pennant race. Time to stock up on Maalox, beer, and coffee.

Diabetes, here I come.

First Comment!!! :D

From the other thread:
391- Loney is far too slow to play CF and might even have trouble playing a corner outfield spot, though he did play LF/RF briefly at Vegas. Best case scenario: Dodgers offer Nomar arbitration; he declines and signs with elsewhere, Kent is traded, freeing up $11.5 million, and the Dodgers make a play for Jose Castillo. Betemit could become a super utility player like Bill Hall. If healthy, Andy LaRoche should be given every opportunity to win the 3B job. Next year's possible infield (with # of at bats)

James Loney 450
Olmedo Saenz 100
Jose Castillo 400
Wilson Betemit 400
Rafael Furcal 600
Andy LaRoche 450

Not sure if there are that many at bats to go around, I'm just estimating.

I expect Kuo to make another start. I'd like to see both Kuo and Billingsley make a start this week rather than have Maddux pitch on three days rest. Maddux hasn't pitched very well this month, so I don't see any reason why he should make more than 1 start. Would Mad Dog be willing to come out of the bullpen? Lowe has been the Dodgers best pitcher for the last two months, so he definitely deserves 2 starts.

Sorry, Brock, I didn't see yours. 0:-]

Wow. Three contenders all have to go on the road to finish the year. Please, San Deigo, collapse.

Matt Albers is now listed as the starter for Houston tomorrow in Philadelphia, not Jason Hirsh.

Randy Wolf, the pride of El Camino Real High, will be flinging for the Phils.

4 Didn't have the heart to tell you.

3 - are you talking about the castillo on the pirates? thats 4 for his last 70 or something?

The Padres will not face Carpenter in St. Louis.

Right now, the schedule says: Suppan, Reyes, and Marquis. Presumably La Russa is trying to set up Carpenter to get two starts in the playoffs.

6
James Ingram, is that you?

9 It's the last thing I want to do.

9

Man fingers soul singer in first post fiasco.

3 Again, LaRoche is going to have the dreaded torn labrum surgery according to yesterday's notes so that may play into whatever plans the Dodgers make. Since Ned and Jeff have a strong history, I would be very surprised if he traded him and I would also be surprised if anyone wanted him at his price.

Just got back from the game, spent the first 4 1/2 innings up in the Stadium club, which really should offer something more than brunch at that price but it kept us in the cool for a while, came down in time to see the Dodgers score their first run.

I have watched Kuo pitched twice during this homestand, he has struck out 16 in 12 1/3 innings and he has had pretty good control. Again it is too early to start summarizing this season but as Jon said in his post, Kuo maybe the piece that bridges us from Chad and himself to Elbert, Kershaw, etc. If Kuo becomes a legitimate contender for the rotation next year, it makes the search for a true number one (Schmidt or Zito) a lot less desperate but if they get one those guys and can scrape up some bullpen guys, it should make next year much more settled in the beginning than we were this year.

11
I can't respond, at least, not the way you want me to...

BTW, Carpenter is due to pitch on Tuesday, that would line him up for some work over the weekend unless they need him to pitch again and still set up him to open up for the playoffs. Carpenter is 5-0 in his last 8 starts at home and has a league best 1.36 ERA at Busch.

I missed pretty much all of the Dodger game bc of the Rams, but its nice to see Nomar give the Fan Appreciation crowd a going away present.

I dont see the Dodgers catching the Phillies (Nationals and Marlins seem dead) so I think the best thing to hope for is for the Cards to knock around the Padres and to hope the Dodgers can make up 2 games over the last week.

i think someone out there would take a chance on kent, i know hes pricey, but sometimes teams look more at how many years than how many millions, and kent only has 1 year left on his deal, which would make him attractive, maybe.

14
Ahh, I skipped ahead one page on the probable pitchers there.

That makes more sense.

The Padres magic number is 6. The Cardinals is 5. There's not a lot of time left.

There's not a lot of time left

It seems like only yesterday we were rooting for the likes of Danys Baez and Lance Carter. Oh wait, that never happened...

8

The Cards have great hitters so i'm hoping they hit S.D. hard.

I'm sitting in Starbucks trying to rescue the contents of my laptop's dying hard drive, following the action on Yahoo! during the moments when this balky hard drive didn't freeze up. So I'm hoping today's game will be re-run tonight on cable so I can see the 9th unfold.

Did Nomar do these kinds of things for the Bosox?

Interesting, except for the Phils makeup game, all three contenders are on the road all week. I guess this is the only real mystery left for the season, apart from the seedings. Unless the Cards or A's stage an epic collapse.

I still like calling the Padres, Phillies, and Dodgers the Andy Ashby Division, because, like Andy Ashby, the three teams are only apparently good.

I might be more apt to count on Kuo for the 2007 rotation than Billingsley. Kuo's got everything going right now. They let him throw 100 pitches today against a lineup of pretty decent hitters and he shut them down.

I'd be confident pitching Kuo in the last game of the season, if it came down to it.

The Andy Ashby Division is an inspired Monicker.

21. Didnt Andy Ashby pitch for all three of those teams too?

Anybody know what Kuo's ERA is as a starter? I know it's a small sample size but I wouldn't be surprised if he's been our best starter, ERA-wise, during that period.

If not, he's certainly number 2 behind Lowe.

20 If Prime Ticket's graphics are to be believed, Nomar had only 7 walkoff hits in his career prior to today. So he's had nearly as many for the Dodgers in one season as he did for the Bosox in several.

Of course, the Bosox had a slew of guys who could do it before Nomar was needed.

25 - Even with that 5 ER game that I think Dessens is more or less responsible for, I bet Kou is in the top two for starter ERA over that period.

25 2.59 ERA , 24 1/3 IP, 7 ER, 20 H, 7 BB, 29 K. 3 quality starts (with an ERA under 1).

28 He was still hitting the low 90s with his fastball in the 7th, he threw an unhittable 90+ fastball on the outside part of the plate to get a strikeout that inning.

I am really impressed and I think if he and Chad, remember Chad is only 22, can get some rest and come out strong next spring, we should be able to really throw out a quality starter each time out. And they will be fun to watch.

Yeah thats a good point about their arm strengths. I wouldnt be opposed to shutting Billingsley down so he doesnt get a sore arm until the season is over.

As for Kuo, fatigue shouldnt be a huge factor bc he really hasnt thrown many innings during his injury plagued career. I think the Dodgers have themselves a good one!

Good (but long) feature on Martin==

http://tinyurl.com/mpp4b

At least we get rid of that damned half game tomorrow.

29 -

Vin said he threw a curve which came in at about 60 mph. If he can go from a low-mid 90's fastball to a 60's curve, he'll be virtually untouchable.

They should have him spend some time in Spring Training with Koufax so he can master that slow curve.

2527 I don't know the starter ERA, but I do know that Kuo's problem was with the walks. Prior to today, his ERA was > 4.00 [4.70?], but yet his opposing BA was at .240, which is the best among the team's starters [and third only to Broxton's .221, and Saito's .176]. It was the walks per inning pitched that were killing him.

Billingsley otherwise leads the starters in ERA. I otherwise have to laugh, since for the year, well, Hendy's in the doghouse, but over the year, his ERA is 4.29. Penny's is 4.21. Apparently, Hendy has merely been mediocre, while Penny got his 16 wins via a good 1st half, and some timely hitting [for him] during his post All Star drop off the table [as it were][with his post All Star ERA approaching 6.00]. Among the starters, Penny "leads" the team in highest opposing BA, at .276 [Hendy is at .269].

33 I think that curve slipped but it the gun showed 56 mph.

24

There's a war on metahumor.

ALthough he will never be my favorite player Kent has been injured since July. The whole league knows it. So I think trading him is going to be tough. La Roche who has surgery coming up and who knows about the recovery for the labrem, makes the a stronger case for Kent....What about a two year deal for Normar with him also playing third base and easing in Loney.....Our old friend Jeff Weaver gives the Astros a gift, hopefully a win by the Astros has to motivate the Cardnilas to pop San Diego and in turn Houston can defeat Philadelphia.

I like Kuo as much as the next guy--I've been following his career for a long time and still remember the rumors about his supposed lack of pain tolerance years upon years ago (all proved false)--but I think we should temper our expectations a bit. The injury history issue is a real worry. I think he's definitely earned a spot in the rotation for next year, but I wouldn't mind making a run at a free-agent starter as insurance. That being said, with Kuo and Bills and maybe Elbert potentially ready for a call-up, I don't think we should enter any extreme bidding wars in the off-season.

Penny's been so awful that I'd rather see Kuo ahead of him in the postseason rotation (gawds willing), especially in a series against the Mets. It looks like Kuo will get one more start, and I hope he impresses Little enough for him to ignore Penny's World Series heroics against the Yanks.

I will still defend the infamous "Trade," but in retrospect, DePo should have pulled the trigger and traded Penny and Jackson for Randy. Hindsight is always 20/20, of course, so oh well....

WWSH

WWSH

What that did to Luis Viscaino's ERA.
The poor bastard, or what would be apprpriate to call the unfortunite fellow.
A ninth inning walk-off is likely to be just one run. Only most rarely can 4 runs be scored in the home ninth.

Any DT folks going to the game Friday night in San Francisco?

Dodgers team offense records update:

Hits:
Record, 1515 in 1970
Current, 1478

If the Dodgers don't get more than 37 hits in the last six games, they will likely go 0-6

Doubles:
Old record, 286 in 2002
This year, 295!

Total bases:
Record, 2362 in 2000
Currently, 2309
They Dodgers need to average 9 totals bases per game to break the record.

Extra base hits:
Record, 504
Presently, 492
12 extra base hits in the last six? There are three games at Coors.

Batting average:
Record, .272 in 1974
Presently, .273
This figure doesn't go up and down much since the denominator is so large

Slugging percentage:
Record, .431 in 2000
Presently, .427
This record is unlikely to be broken unless the Dodgers pound the ball in Denver

OBP
Record, .342 in 1974
Coming into the game, the Dodgers were at .346 and it's too much trouble to update it, but it certainly went up today with 14 men reaching safely.

LOB
Record, 1223 in 1982
Presently, 1182

The Dodgers need to leave 7 runners per game to break the record.

No team hitting or fielding records are going to be broken.

37 Which Nomar, the on 15 July, .350 hitting Nomar? Or the very nearly abysmal Nomar since that time? Please speak with our fellow poster named Mr. Scott re the matter of the 6 RBI, 4 RBI, and two walk-off homer games clouding your better judgment re Nomar's very nearly abysmal 2nd half. And if you disagree with the "very nearly abysmal", then simply consider where, exactly, 15 July falls in the season, then consider the games missed since that date due to injury, and then ask yourself how abysmal the hitting has to be to go from .350 on 15 July to .300 now [the numbers you are looking for are a .215 BA for July, .261 for August, and .222 so far for September]. Those numbers usually don't get asked back. I'll let you make the call on whether we expect any injury-influencing the performance to be or not be repeated next year.

And why otherwise think only next year? They not only do not have a 3rd baseman, they also don't have a 2nd baseman beyond next year [I'm assuming Kent is not asked back after next year, though with no one waiting in the wings, the Dodgers might have no choice but to ask him back].

I would otherwise agree with your last remark[s], but I won't, since I reported my prayer for a Marlins sweep and all I got was the proposed sweep-or playing the role of sweep-ee. So I'm gonna have to go another route this time, and so I officially have "no comment" on the upcoming SD v. STL series.

So, the NFL is going to play a preseason game in China next year.

Without getting into politics, I'll just say that this is a fascinating development.

43

It's known as "Cover Two" Diplomacy.

44 I'm sure Kissinger was involved somehow.

I know realize that I'm old enough to realize what a big deal it was when Nixon went to China and how my parents got all of us together to watch his arrival in Beijing.

And I can't even spell correctly.

It's not misspelling, it's just a "Great Leap Forward" in redesigning the lexicon.

Wells
2-5, 4.80

@

Suppan
12-7, 4.07

Probable Pitchers

times have changed look at those FAT era's

Kuo is a pitcher that you slot into the 5th slot for 2007 and hope he can give you 170 injury free innings. Because of his injury history, you cannot rely on Kuo to become an anchor of your pitching staff. Its just the way it is since his arm could snap at any minute.

as for next season, I love maddux just as much as the next person but hes passed 40 and we need a legitamate 3.4 or below era type pitcher. Penny needs to develop a third pitch if he wants to get to that level.

50.

Nate, did I see Kuo throw an eephus today? I was at the game, and he threw something relaly slow that read 56 MPH. Did he do that on purpose? I mean, if he can actually change speeds from 56 mph to 90 mph, that will be tough to hit.

And you're right, as much as I think Kuo can be an ace, his innings pitched will be an issue because of his unreliable arm?

Biggio for MVP!!!

51

someone else said it was a curveball that just slipped or someting. But when he threw that, I thought it was all over for his elbow. It should have been a strike too, it was right down the middle. Even the ump was completely fooled.

50 - i think penny needs to develop a 2nd pitch before he develops a 3rd, that spin ball he throws just doesnt get it done. what ever happened to his so called "splitter"?

54.

I've only seen him throw one spiltter in the last 4 months or so, and that was the K Martin dropped.

If the Dodgers don't get more than 37 hits in the last six games, they will likely go 0-6

I can see them going 1-5 if they get 37 hits in one game...

"Blum got to it, but it appeared too deep to get Sanchez in time. Then, in a stroke of luck, Sanchez stumbled on his bat coming out of the box, slowing him down enough for Blum to calmly throw him out at first."

the conspiracy has reached MLB.com! http://tinyurl.com/gdrs3

Jon: "Philadelphia and San Diego have dominated the week, yet they haven't shaken Los Angeles yet. That's the spin I'm using."

"That's the spin I'm using"?

I hate when you cop out like that.

Believe in what you say or don't say it.

If San Diego and Los Angeles finish tied ahead of Philadelphia, San Diego would be the NL West champion and Los Angeles the NL Wild Card.

I hate to be ignorant, but how is this so?

The team with the best season series record is given the title of "division champ" such as the Yankees had in 2005 when they finished tied with Boston.

Because the Padres won 13 of 18?

61
Precisely...

The same tiebreaker is used to settle homefield as well in the first two rounds. Unless the wild card team is involved. That team always starts on the road.

Except in the World Series when it all comes down to what Trevor Hoffman did against Michael Young.

I have trouble getting too excited about the latest late inning heroics. Sure, it's nice to win. But the fact that the Dodgers have played so poorly and lost to some pretty bad teams with so much at stake that has left a bad taste in my mouth that won't wash off until we regain either the wild-card or division lead. Atleast the way the Cardinals are playing, their games against the Padres could become important for them.
vr, Xei

Speaking of late-inning heroics -- photos from Monday's game --

http://6-4-2.blogspot.com/2006/09/four-homer-game-slideshow.html

58 - I believe what I wrote. You're overreacting.

I have two choices of what to believe. That the Dodgers are in the race or that they are out of it (because the other teams are playing too well). I'm choosing to believe that The Dodgers are in the race. It may not be rational, but that's what I'm telling myself. So what's the problem?

I believe everything I say here. I don't know what led you to think otherwise.

The Dodgers are clearly in the race. Philly and the Padres have been hotter this week but with one week left that could change. LA obviously has to play with more consistency, alternating wins and losses at this point ain't gonna cut it (though they don't have to win out either).

But I'd be perfectly okay with them getting in as a wild card instead of as div. champ, especially given the WC's recent history. I do hope we avoid needing a playoff to get in, but whatever it takes.

the 56mph pitch was most likely a slipped pitch or something... or he was simply mad at the ump (who hosed him on a strike out or two this game) and threw a joke pitch... he didn't follow through the pitch at all . so it can't be what he intended to do.

(or maybe he was pissed at his teammates that provided 0 game support until after he left - -b)

The Padres are going to destroy the Cards, no worries guys (and oswald!). Gotta keep hope of that Astro comeback alive!

More Kuo notes, as a starter in both AAA and the majors:

13 starts, 62.1 IP, 18 ER, 2.59 ERA, 55 hits, 20 BB, 70 K.

I know alot has been made of the Dodgers choking down the stretch.....even though they nearly did what I would have hoped they would, just go .500 in the last month. Dispite this However, the Phillies have been 10-2 of late and making it all the more frustrating for Dodger fans alike.

in addition, while they (phillies) have been obviously playing well, I can't help but think of the luck they may have recieved with the pitching they have and, will face ......

Jason Hirsh, RHP (3-3, 6.10)
Wandy Rodriguez, LHP (9-9, 5.43)
Sean Marshall, LHP (5-9, 5.34
Wade Miller, RHP (0-1, 6.75)
Les Walrond, LHP (0-0, 7.59)
Ricky Nolasco, RHP (11-9, 4.56
Brian Moehler, RHP (7-9, 6.09)
Matt Albers, RHP (0-2, 6.00)
Ramon Ortiz, RHP (10-15, 5.40)
Pedro Astacio, RHP (5-5, 6.12
Michael O'Connor, LHP (3-8, 5.04
Brian Moehler, RHP (7-10, 6.22)

also consider the Braves game Matt Diaz gave away in LF, and the fact they now skip Roger Clemens after beating him with one swing.......(note I fully understand the Dodgers have not taken advantage of several scrubs they have faced over the past month)

Another great outing from Guo. Vin Scully really butchers his name. His name has three syllables and Scully butchers all three very badly. It should sound like...

Guo: Gwo (long o)
Hong: (long o)
Chih: Chi (Chir / rhymes with fir, like the tree).

Guo Hong Chi. Last name first, then the first name comes last. On top of that all three syllables are being butchered. You would think Scully would take the time to atleast learn 1 or 2 out of three. :)
vr, Xei

As long as the math does not rule it out, no reason to lose hope. I mean, it's not like we're asking that they play over their heads for 142, since there's only 6 left. And sometimes the seemingly victorious simply fall apart.

That's one reason why I listed the 9th inning of game 3 of the '77 NL playoffs as one of those things to compare this past Monday with. But there weren't any home runs, nor any other "spectacular" play[s] in that top half of the ninth. 3-3 in the bottom of the 8th, Phils score 2, to go ahead 5-3, with that five game series then split 1-1.

Top of 9, Baker grounds out to 3rd, Monday to 2nd, and so 2 down. And looking rather bleak. But then Manny Mota's "twin brother" Vic Davalillo bunts for a hit. The other half then follows with a "double." The "double" is in " " because, well, seems to be the rule that unless the batter strikes the outfielder with the ball, then no error, so call it a double, Mr. Official Scorer, if you like, but I'll say, why was Greg Luzinski even in the game to misplay Mota's fly to left into that double. Not saying that it was "routine", but even Greg Luzinski makes that play most of the time [and with that 2 run lead in the top of the ninth, it shouldn't have been Luzinski but a defensive replacement, as I recall Vin discussing at the time]. So the one "twin" named Vic scores, and the other "twin" named Manny goes to third on an error by Sizemore on the throw back into the infield.

Then Lopes hits a turf seam single, well, maybe not, since after the hit hit the turf seam and then bounced off Schmidt to Bowa, it looked like Bowa threw Davey out at first, but the ump called it "safe". Mota scores from third, and we have a 5-5 tie now.

Tied, 5-5, who would have thunk it, especially how it happened. But then the bizarre truly takes over as Lopes then gets picked off first, or would have been picked off first, but for a Gene Garber error, so it's now 5-5 with Lopes on second. Russell then singles to center, and what looked rather bleak only moments ago now looks like victory when Lopes' foot touches home plate, and it's 6-5 Dodgers. Reggie then grounds out to the pitcher to end the inning.

And what the heck did I just see? No real heroics, a bunt single, a misplayed fly to left, with an error on the throw in, a turf seam grounder with some help from the ump, a botched successful pickoff, and a single to center, for three runs and a 6-5 Dodgers' lead.

Garman comes in, closes it out, and the Dodgers go up 2-1. TJ then bests Carlton in the game of his life, and the Dodgers defeat the Phillies, 3 games to 1.

So anything can happen, sexy or otherwise, and so there's hope, at least until the math truly and finally rules it out. And rather than worry about just who is and who is not hitting, slams or otherwise, I would simply suggest that the hurlers imitate TJ and start pitching the games of their lives. Kuo, Broxton, and Saito did their part today...and here's to the repeat performance on Tuesday. And let some others simply fall apart, with some help from the zebras if need be.

[71] as an american with a non-english/european/christian name, you pretty much get used to the fact that it's going to be anglicized in the US. pretty much everyone i know (besides indian people) calls me vih-SHAWL, which i'm fine with, but really it's supposed to be pronounced vee-SHAHL. you just accept it. here in china i'm wei shang :)

btw, wikipedia says it's Gūo Hóngzhì (i don't know if the pinyin tones will show up here), for what it's worth. vast, strong-willed city wall?

The pinyin tones do show up here!

73
FWIW, I've always pronounced it "vee-SHAHL" in my head...As in "vee shahl be free"

71 - I think you should consider the possibility that Vin is pronouncing the name the way he has been taught. I'm guessing that Hong-Chih Kuo doesn't listen to a lot of Dodger broadcasts and that he doesn't go around telling Dodger management in general how to say his name.

Beyond that, it does feel like we hear you make this point every time Kuo pitches, and I think it's safe to say your point is duly noted.

Re: 76

Kuo's games are all televised in Taiwan, where the play-by-play will be done by a Taiwanese crew (the same goes for Wang's starts for the Yanks), so outside of the sizable Taiwanese population in SoCal, there aren't many people who know the actual pronounciation of Kuo's name that listen to Vin's play-by-play.

If any of you are confused by my name, it's actually mis-spelled. It should be Wei-hsiang. I think something got lost when my parents did the paperwork when we came over, and my parents didn't catch the error in Romanization.

WWSH

The last time Philadelphia hosted an important make-up game, the outcome was to the Dodgers' detriment - and a familiar name had the big hit.
http://retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B09110PHI1997.htm

Don't think I saw it mentioned as I motored through the comments I missed this weekend (and I realize folks likely saw the news elsewhere), but the Dodgers playoff hopes took a modest blow when Nick Johnson broke his femur in a collision with Austin Keanrs on Saturday. He had surgery yesterday and will miss the remainder of the Nationals' season, including three against Philly this week.

One of the scouts who signed Hong-Chih Kuo was Jack Zduriednick.

I'm still working on that surname.

Here's my three dot column for Monday morning . . .

Andy Ashby only "apparently" pitched for the Dogers . . .

Nomar hit a walk off grand slam for the Red Sox in my first game at Fenway Park . . .

The only other walk off homer I've seen in person was hit by Ron Cey . . .

Today could be a good day for the Dodgers, or at least I like our chances better when we're not playing . . .

Don't bring that Herb Caen style to a Dodgers blog ...

77 You can legally change it back if you like. But I think all of us are going to have to accept the fact that people are going to pronounce our names the way they seem to be spelled. A name that is spelled C-A-T is always going to have difficulty getting people to pronounce it DOG. No disrespect of any kind intended, I have no animosity toward people of foreign origins. It is just that in an English speaking country such as this, people are going to pronounce your name written in our characters as we do our own names. And even that leads to a real rat's nest of differences.

There was an article about Rick Dees' return to radio in the LA Times yesterday (after being replaced by Ryan Seacrest on KIIS-FM a couple years ago). The article said:

Vin Scully has recorded the show's preamble (which takes a vague shot at Seacrest), and Justin Timberlake, the man with the No. 1 album in America right now, recorded a polished reworking of his hit "SexyBack" to provide a theme song. The lyrics: "Rick Dees is back / On Movin' 93, he's back / He's going to wake you up and get on track…."

Anyone know what Vin actually says/said?

I Stayed:))))))

I have "little" hope for the week given our problems on the road and the fact that Penny is still in the rotation. When Tomko and Hendrickson were this bad they were removed. We only need a four man at this point so I don't see why Penny is not in the bullpen and Billingsly is in the rotation. Penny has had success against the Rockies but the Rockie bats are hot as they have pummeled the Giants and Braves, which does not bode well for our 5 inning rotation outside of Lowe and Kuo and bad middle relief. We best be bringing our sticks if we expect to take 2 or 3 in Colorado.

But everybody pummeled the Giants on this road trip. They had an ERA over 11.00 on it!

That takes a lot of work.

Penny pitches very well against the Rockies so i can understand management wanting him to pitch there, i see you're point though.

Is anyone able to get on Dodgers.com?

Never mind. For some reason dodgers.com works and dodgers.mlb.com doesn't.

Brad Penny's performance in the 2nd half and down the stretch run has to be the most disappointing among the Dodgers. Ethier gets a pass because he's a rookie and Lugo does not play every day.

86
Let's hope by the time we play the Giants that our 3 game ERA is not over 10. Hate running into a team as hot as the Rockies. The kids are playing loose and Helton is making up for lost time. I think we'll be lucky to win one game.

90
Lugo doesn't get a pass. He plays enough that rust is not an excuse. He's just been putrid which I only care about because he's been solid for several years. Putrid, I can smell him from the rogue seats.

88/89 - Wow, I was able to get 4 field-level tickets to the first home game of the first round for less than $50 each just now.

I bought NLCS tickets. I just hope this purcahse isnt as ill advised as my Milton Bradley tshirt last season.

I didn't read the fine print, but I'm assuming everything besides the service charges is refundable in the unfortunate event they become useless.

At least getting the tickets by mail is an option. Some events these days dont do the standard mailing thing so you look at an 8-10 dollar service charge on every ticket.

The face value of the tickets is refundable and has to be by law. Essentially, when you are buying a ticket to an event, it's like entering into a contract. So if the Dodgers don't deliver what you paid for, you get your money back.

Think of the service charges as paying your friendly neighborhood attorney to handle the paperwork.

96 - They put a one-per-order charge of $2.50 to have the tickets emailed to you. Given that Game 1 could be just a week from tomorrow, I'd caution against standard mail.

84 What? They just ran me 21 dollars for top deck.

98 - For anyone buying Game 1 tickets at least. I'd say you've got time for the NLDS tix to arrive.

85- Penny only has 1 more start left. I dont think that his 1 start (against the Rockies whom he's dominated this year) is going to cost the Dodgers a playoff spot.

41 No team hitting or fielding records are going to be broken.
You mean other than all of the hitting records you named? =)
Given that this is not a team that was expected to necessarily hit so well, does Eddie Murray deserve any credit?

According to Ken Gurnick, the Dodgers are going to start Maddux and Lowe for the Sat/Sunday games each on 3-days rest. I dont think thats a good idea.

102
I meant to say pitching records.

The only notable pitching record that will be set will be an individual one as Eric Gagne added to his career record for saves.

Gagne, Brazoban, and Werth all appeared to be Photoshopped into the team photo that was given out Saturday. If you look at the photo closely, you will see that they are in different lighting and also lack legs.

103
And the better idea for starting pitching is ...????

105 - Billingsley, for one, is nowhere to be found this week. Is there an update I missed?

I wouldn't mind having Lowe and Maddux start on 3 days rest considering our other options are Billingsley, Hendrickson, or Sele.

With no legs, Werth will now have a normal-sized strike zone.

But I fear Gagne and Brazoban will have difficulty adjusting to pitching without legs. On the plus side, they won't have to worry much about balks.

There are two good things about pitching the top dogs on 3 days rest. One is that Billingsley doesn't get another start. The other is that Billingsley is available out of the bullpen.
This might seem like a contradiction but I certainly would rather see Lowe on 3 days rest than watch Bills start. And I would rather watch Bills in relief than ANYONE who might otherwise pitch before the 8th.

I can see the logic of having the top-3 go in Col (Maddux, Lowe, Penny), but I'd give Billingsley a chance to pitch in SF.

I'm sure the next 3 days will determine who ultimately starts in SF, but I'd really like to see a Billingsley/Cain matchup next Saturday.

I would like to see Billz start instead of Maddux. I think that as an old man pitching at the end of a long season, Maddux is going to be tired, Billz had some time off recently, and I think he should be given a chance to get the job done. Plus, by pitching our best pitchers then, even if we made the playoffs who is our game 1 starter? Penny? Shiver.

Another positive with Lowe on short rest... doesn't he pitch more effectively with a tired arm?

Just got tix to game 2 of the division series -- seats aren't great (reserve), but this will be the first playoff game I've ever attended (assuming the Dodgers get in, of course).

110 - So would prospect lovers everywhere. Two of the top 5 pitching prospects entering the year, going toe to toe the second to last day of the year with the playoffs in the balance? Wow.

111. Holy crow. Really? Bills over Maddux? Not sure where to start with that one but... really? See Maddux... but, um.. Billingsley... really?

78 But the Dodgers finished two games out.

Hopefully the Phillies lose today, and the Dodgers need only to outplay them by one game instead of two the rest of the way. On the other hand, I think an end-of-regular-season playoff game is the most likely scenario for the Dodgers to get into the postseason.

114 - Given the choice of Maddux on 3 days rest (having just pitched Tuesday in Colorado) or Billingsley on 9 days rest (last game was last Thursday against Pittsburgh) for this Saturday's game at SF, I can see the case for Billingsley.

I mean, Kuo is getting his start on Friday against SF. Seems weird that Chad is getting skipped right now.

Maddux has a 4.25 ERA over his past five starts. Obviously a lot of that comes from his one horrible start, the 6 ER effort against Milwalkee, but then a lot of that is offset by his one great start, his 7 inning no hit bid against the Padres. He is no more consistent than Billingsley, and since he pulls himself out of games early I think he is tired. Thus, I would prefer to have the young gun out there fully rested, than the ole crusty vet getting it done on an 85 MPH fastball pitching to contact.

There is no rational reason to want to see Maddux start on three days rest instead of a well-rested Billingsley. Plenty of irrational reasons, but no rational ones.

I think we need to see where we are after Friday's game to determine if Maddux and Lowe pitching on 3 days rest really matters.

I also saw a note that both Lowe and Maddux have pitched well on short rest in their career. Maddux of course doesn't usually stretch out a start anyway and Lowe, outside of the painful 5th inning in Chicago, had pitched as well as anyone in baseball for the last two months.

It would not surprise to wake up on Wednesday morning with three teams tied for 2 spots in the playoffs. Grady always thought 87 wins would win the division, if you gave me 87 now, I would hope that it would be good for one of the two spots.

117 Calling him an ole crusty vet doesn't seem very fair.
He has thrown several of the best pitched games of the year since he got here. There is also the fact that he is one of the greatest pitchers of all time with more big game experience than Bills has even watched on television. There's also the fact that he pracitally no hit the Giants the last time he faced them. There's also the fact that the last time Bills had that much rest he almost didn't get out of the first inning. But mostly it's just that if your whole season comes down to 1 game, the opportunity to throw a guy like Maddux is golden. As is avoiding a wild rookie.

I agree that Billinsley deserves to start one of the remaining games including a winner-take-all playoff game at the end. He looked better his last game, and his curve ball was nasty.

I wonder what Maddux would look like out of the bullpen for one of these games.

118 I think either way, he sets himself to be second-guessed so he is going with the veteran, it is unfortunate that Bills went down with the oblique, while the concern might be his innings pitched had he not gone down, there is no question that he lost the consistency he had in his last few starts and he might have been able to squeeze out a few wins though Stults did pitch well in his spot start.

If you look over their last ten starts, Maddux has an ERA of 3.26, with a WHIP of 1.15 and a K/9 of 4.3, while Billingsley has an ERA of 2.67, a WHIP of 1.44 (!) and a K/9 of 6.7. So Chad is striking more batters out, but he's also walking too many, resulting in his high WHIP. On the other hand, he's been pretty consistent in getting out of his jams. It does look like there's a reasonable argument for Billingsley over Maddux, especially if he's on a longer rest.

I'm shocked that there are at least several peope who feel this way. But back to an earlier point... if Bills DOESN'T go to the bullpen, are you more comfortable with the parade of arsonists that make up our current middle relief than you are with Maddux on 3-days rest?

I think that Billz should be out there on a short leash, if he doesn't have it, pull him. I think we need to out and out sweep the Rockies, and hope that someone went 1-3 or 2-2 in the meantime. Either way, we would need 2 or 3 against the Giants, and while I love Mad dog and I think he has been awesome since he got here, I gotta go with fully rested youth over the arm that probably has 60 or 70 thousand pitches on it.

Buster speaks:

Paddy (St. Louis, MO): Love your work Buster, 2 quick questions. After last Monday's fantastic finish, what hasn't Vin Scully seen in his career, and two will my Dodgers get any help from the Cards this week?

Buster Olney: (2:10 PM ET ) Paddy -- thanks for that... No kidding on Scully. I heard from a colleague that he was monitoring the Hoffman record-setter as he was doing the Dodgers' game yesterday, which is what you would expect -- he has so much respect for the game, no matter whether he's talking about the Dodgers or players with other teams. Cardinals are something of a mess right now, but the Padres are not a great team -- a good team with good pitching, and a tough schedule in the last week. I do wonder if all the work required of the bullpen lately is going to come back and bite SD.

And one more just for atmosphere:

John (Los Angeles): Buster--do you even watch Padres games? What pressure was put on the bullpen in the last few days when only Meredith and Hoffman pitched yesterday, and Young went 8 1/3 on Saturday? Do you really think the Padres are counting on anyone beyond Hoffman, Meredith, Linebrink and Embree out of their bullpen? As a guy who's covered the Padres, I'm surprised you'd make such misinformed comments.

Buster Olney: (2:27 PM ET ) John: Think you could make your point without being nasty? And do you watch the Padres' games yourself? Trevor -- pitched in 6 of last 8 games. Meredith -- pitched in 6 of last 9 games. Linebrink pitched in 4 of 6 games last year. I'm surprised you'd feel compelled to want to bury somebody when you haven't been paying attention.

if anything Wells does have a fatter era than Suppan so i'm still hopefull the Padres will loose today.

127 - "You stay classy, San Diego [fans]."

I generally root against the Cards, but I am hoping that they somehow right the ship. Wells isn't good anymore and hopefully that shows today.

Buster also predicts Zito to SD for 6/$72M.

At this point Id like to see Kuofax start every game until his arm falls off.

132

Thats the thing though, he's about 60 + years old & can only throw about 80 mph.

115 - Yes, the Dodgers finished two games out. But that doesn't mean the Giants-Phillies make-up game didn't matter.
Look at this like this: Say the Dodgers win a playoff spot by two games - are we to say the comeback against San Diego didn't matter? Of course not.

133 - On the other hand, he does have name recognition, maybe they will be intimidated.

I was referring to Kuo not Kou.
Sometimes the joke works, sometimes it doesn't

i'm really confident the Phills will loose atleast 2 to the Stros.

poor Cubbies, Griffey Jr. just hit a 3 run bomb & are loosing 5-4 now.

137 Phils are only playing one against the Astros, its a makeup game for a rainout from a game a few weeks ago.

Frankly, I still think a best hope is for the division although the Phillies are only 2 games away from making us the leader in the W/C.

138 More incentive for the Cards.

139
Stop replying graciously! I had bluebleeder all set up for an easy bet!

For us, Houston timed its hot streak quite well.

139 oh yeah i remember now, 140 one can only hope.

140 - StL's primary incentive is home-field against in the first round. Do they need anymore incentive than that?

141 Sorry Bob, I just hope there are no Husky alums at the library and I am sure you have found a way to eliminate any contact with USC alums during the football season.

Since we're all chiming in on this, I'll add my own two cents: I'd rather see Billingsley pitch than... Penny right now. I'm fine with Penny and Maddux. On the other hand, Bills is a rookie and Greg made a good point - Bills would be better than any of the other long relievers the Dodgers currently have to throw up, er, out there with the possible exception of Sele. If, God forbid, one of our starters gets blown up this week but we're still in a game I'd prefer Bills coming in than most of the other long options. It's tricky here, and the Dodgers are for the most part playing it smart but most importantly pitchers have to step it up.

145
Except for my girlfriend who is a lifelong USC season ticket holder.

But she's going with me to the Rose Bowl Saturday night. We've missed each other the last three weekends since we worship at different churches.

Her church usually beats my church.

144 I still think that there is a small concern that the Astros could win 6 out of their 7 remaining games, so while home field is important, especially based on their record at home, clinching the division as soon as possible is what they need to first.

146 Meant "fine with Lowe and Maddux" up there, of course.

Yeah, Houston just swept the Cards to creep close enough to make them nervous - I'd say making the playoffs and holding off the Astros is their first concern. At any rate, they should have motivation vs. the Padres. Hope they can execute.

147 I wonder if the Dodgers are still playing for a playoff spot, will the crowd cheer at strange times during the game, similar to what happens during the past Laker playoff runs when at the Dodger game, the crowd will roar when the Lakers do something even though nothing is happening on the field.

I for one certainly hope that will be the case and I will be one of the fans who will have two games going on at the same time.

Homefield edges:
http://griddle.baseballtoaster.com/archives/518687.html

Central Division handicap:
http://griddle.baseballtoaster.com/archives/518608.html

The thrills and spills of this pennant race has obscured important developments: LA has guaranteed itself an above-.500 season, and a double-digit improvement in wins.
Considering the disaster that was 2005, plus the preseason conventional wisdom this year was all about hanging on until the kids arrived, I'd say this team has done well for itself, playoffs or not.

But are the 2006 Dodgers going to be the same as the 2005 Indians?

153 Stop being so darned positive! You're spoiling all the griping. ;-) (Seriously though, I agree. It gets disappointing if you're so close to making the playoffs and then don't - but some perspective here is in order.)

154 - More worrying, will the '07 Dodgers be the '06 Indians?

156
I was going for that effect too.

153. The only positive I really take from this season in terms of the big picture is the emergence of some of the rookies. We knew in April (heck, last April) that this year's team would benefit from the farm system much more than last year's team.

But the number of wins is, as predicted, a function of (1) a slightly-better-than-average team playing to expectations, instead of succumbing to a ridiculous spate of injuries and (2) a significantly fatter payroll. Drew, Furcal, and Martin played basically the whole season. Kent and Nomar didn't, but neither did they miss half the season. 3rd base was the same unproductive revolving door - a little better than last year, but also a lot more expensive.

I said as soon as Colletti was hired that he was in a no-lose situation. His first team would win a bunch more games just due to reversion to the mean, and he'd get credit. This is not to say that he's had no effect, but I see his influence as positive in some areas and negative in others, mostly a wash.

He was given a 20% larger budget, which meant that his bench scrubs were mostly major league talent, instead of replacement-level throwaways. And he saw his expected lineup play a lot more games. And he reaped the benefit of positive-to-terrific contributions from a lot of rookies. Really, did anyone expect Ethier, Billingsley, Broxton, Martin, Kuo, and Kemp (even Loney) to do as much as they did in 2006?

We might look back and say that this team should have won even more games, given all those factors. Who knows?

So while being in a pennant race is certainly more fun than being out of it, I wouldn't look at the improvement in the win-loss record as an independent indicator that the team is on the right track.

154
You'll be torn whether to predict the Dodgers to win in '07. Maybe your predictions affect AL races only.

158 - "He was given a 20% larger budget, which meant that his bench scrubs were mostly major league talent, instead of replacement-level throwaways."

I want to agree with this, but I'm not sure it's factual. Can we prove it was McCourt holding down DePodesta's spending, and not DePo himself?

I do agree with your larger point, and I attribute the improvement from '05 to '06 more to the farm's production than any front office maneuvering.

GB, you had me until:
I wouldn't look at the improvement in the win-loss record as an independent indicator that the team is on the right track.
I know what you're saying, but it seems completely counter-intuitive to declare wins don't reflect a team's quality.

SD is 5-2 this month when scoring 2 runs. Since 9/8 they're 2-2 in Peavy's starts and 8-4 in the rest. Yes I'm cherry picking, but I'm not buying them as a team of destiny.

This week they should drop the Carpenter/Webb games, win the Young/Peavy games and go 1-2 in the others for 3-4. We go 4-2 to tie em. Philly goes 5-2 to clinch the WC. Penny vs. Peavy on Monday for the divison. Plaschke writes his Penny-as-goat and Nomar-as-hero columns in advance.

From the comments at Phillies' Nation (linked at right):

"Dodger fans, on the other hand, sit on their hands and don't make any noise until the team does something. There is no home field advantage at Dodger Stadium."

I want to agree with this, but I'm not sure it's factual. Can we prove it was McCourt holding down DePodesta's spending, and not DePo himself?

Fair enough. Generally, I'm more likely to attribute the size of the payroll to the owner and not the GM (why not spend what you're given to spend?). But it could be that DePodesta wanted to pool the millions that Colletti spent on the mediocre vets to acquire a difference-maker than he never managed to acquire. Or maybe he thought that Edwards/Grabowski/et al. were really no worse than Mueller/Lofton/Tomko et al.

If the former, he miscalculated. If the latter, the problem was, again, the injuries. It wasn't just that those scrubs were on the roster - it was that they were on the field more often than the "starters."

Who led the team in games played last year? Phillips? Izturis? Probably Kent - he had a great year. But after him?

161 Yeah, I don't see how someone can say the team is on the wrong track, either, compared to last year. While there are obviously still some needs - bullpen, another starter, etc - the mix of youth both here and coming soon with veterans seems much more solid these days. I can't see saying they're on the wrong track as much as they still need some improvements. They probably won't quite reach this # but a near 20 game turnaround over last year is nothing to sneeze at either.

We've missed each other the last three weekends since we worship at different churches.

Her church usually beats my church.

Bob, this would make perfect sense if you were Mormon and your girlfriend was a Notre Dame fan.

164 It was indeed Kent last year. Followed by ... Choi. And then Repko.

This year Furcal and Drew (both with injury concerns new and old to start the year) lead the team in games this year. Comparing these two paragraphs shows you another reason for the improvement.

I would note that the Phillies have a home record of 41-39 and the Dodgers are well just slightly better at 49-32.

164 The payroll thing could also be that both managers had a multi-year planning window for budget purposes, and Colletti is now spending money "saved" last year by DePodesta.

Obviously, the loud noise created by Phillies fans, all done spontaneously, has spurred them on to their unparalleled success during their storied history.

I know what you're saying, but it seems completely counter-intuitive to declare wins don't reflect a team's quality.

Not at all. W-L record is the result of both quality and luck (good and bad). Or, if you wish, it's a measure of the sum-total relative quality of the team actually fielded each day compared to the teams actually fielded each day by the opposition.

And I said "independent indicator." We have lots of better indicators of quality than W-L record that filter out a lot of the luck.

Obviously, W-L record is the ONLY thing that actually matters, but in terms of the relationship between talent (and hence management decisions) and final result, we're better off looking for more direct measures of the former than inferring it from the latter.

158 I just made the same point over there on that Phils blog (without jinxing the Dodgers in any way, I hope).

I mean 168 above...

165 Yeah, I don't see how someone can say the team is on the wrong track, either, compared to last year.

I didn't say they're on the wrong track. If anything, what I said implied that they're still on the same track as last year, just with fewer derailments to slow things down along the way.

Which, as a fan of what DePodesta (and even Dan Evans) seemed to be trying to do, is the highest praise I have for Colletti. He made some weird, some pointless, and some smart choices along the way, but basically, he hasn't changed the big-picture plan much at all. That the team won more games this year is mostly a function of Lady Luck frowning less on the plan this year than she did last year.

174 Lady Luck helped us in the games played column this year, but we still haven't recaptured the 1-run game mojo from 2004.

163

i just answered "Jeremy" over at Phillies nation, respectfully ofcourse.

I agree GoBears.

If you take out the good that Colletti did (Furcal, Nomar, Saito) and the bad (Hendrickson, Tomko, Baez, Lugo) and just plug in the team that was last year, along with the rookies, I dont think the record is really all that different.

If the goal for McCourt was to win 81-85 games then he succeeded. I just dont think the cost that he paid to insure those 81-85 wins was smart business.

168

my competetive juices flow to fast for my own good, i should have used research to counter "Jeremy"

174 Ah, I gotcha. Okay, makes sense. Except I still think Colletti's good signing outweigh his bad or weird ones (and there were undeniably some of those). If we'd not signed Furcal, kept Izturis, we'd have neither Furcal nor Maddux. Clubhouse chemistry is better with Ethier over Bradley (though certainly MB's bat, when he's healthy, is hard to question), and he didn't mortgage the farm. Agreed that some of his trades were questionable (Lugo was odd, given he also got Betemit and then later Anderson - though at the time he didn't know he'd have a shot at the latter and also there were questions about Kent and Nomar's health, etc) . But overall I don't see it as a "wash" if we subtract all his moves.

But I guess if we're both saying that the future was and still is their prime farm system and that really hasn't changed much, than, basically, agreed.

i'm a Colletti fan, but what was he thinking when he signed Tomko, Hendy & Carter? did his brain have a cramp kind of like home Depo had a cramp when he signed Drew?

I ask this as an honest question:

With the top guys moving up to the majors this year, the subtraction of Aybar, Navarro etal through trades, and the injury issues with LaRoche, would the Dodgers still be considered a top farm system?

180 Violation of rule #3!!

180 You do realize Drew leads the Dodgers in most offensive statistics, right? He leads the Dodgers in on base percentage, home runs, doubles, walks and OPS. The only categories he's not out in front in are batting average (5th) and slugging (2nd).

Jay Dee Drew. Jay Dee Drew.

Would you rather spend 11 mils on JD Drew, or 11 mils on (Hendrickson, Tomko, Mueller)?

I dont think the two are even in the same ballpark.

181 Someone else can probably answer this better, but I think they're no longer considered to have the #1 farm system - but they are still widely considered to be in the top 3 or 4 after drafting well the last couple of times, too.

181 They probably fall out of the top five since they either lost or promoted every top 100 prospect except Elbert and Dewitt (who will probably drop off) if we don't count LaRoche. But, similar things happened to the other top systems. I don't enough about other teams to spot any new prospects, but Clayton Kershaw, Jonathan Meloan, and Tony Abreu have a chance of cracking the list.

I think they'll fall behind the Diamondbacks, who still have Carlos Gonzalez, Chris Young, and Dustin Nippert, but that's it.

J.D. Drew - clutch and durable.

Clubhouse chemistry is better with Ethier over Bradley

Havent Lugo, Hall, and Tomko all made more inflammatory remarks to the press than Bradley?

I dont think clubhouse chemistry matters either way, but I'll disagree if you think this year's is better. There's just as many upset people on this year's team, as last years.

183

man some of you guys will deffend home Depo to death, it's always nice to hear people realise that NOT EVERYONE IS PERFECT & that people do make mistakes. i don't know what Depo would have done if he was still hear but i really doubt Russel Martin would be up in the bigs, head case Bradley would Depo have traded him??

181 I think the answer to your question is no on a technicality. Most of the players you mention would no longer be considered prospects since they played so many games this year. I think we were going to drop in the standings because of the the playing time the rookies got this season, but Im sure we'll still be in the top 10 due to our sweet draft.

181 I think the answer to your question depends upon what you call a top farm system. If you mean that we have one of the 2 or 3 best farms systems, then the answer is no.

If you mean do we still have one of the top 7-10 farm systems then the answer is yes. We still have two pitchers who are arguably the best in the minors right now. And they are both lefty. With LaRoche and Loney we have two of the top 25 or so position prospect, and then we have a lot of depth to our system especially at the lower levels right now that most clubs can't match.

As far as who is ahead of us, I would say probably Tampa, Colorado, Angels, Arizona. Other than those it is at least close between the Dodgers and almost any other organization.

190 If you're trying to single out DePo's mistakes, pointing out the best hitter on the team isn't the best tactic.

I'm sorry I responded initally, since arguing about DePo never gets anywhere.

183

& i hope he leads us to the promise land fellow Dodger fan, but his injury prone history speaks for it's self, i truly hope i'm wrong though, a couple of more years left in his contract & i'm hoping he proves me wrong.

190 I will, on the other hand, defend Bradley. Have there been any stories about how bad the A's clubhouse is, despite having "malcontents" Bradley and Frank Thomas. No. In fact, there's been multiple articles about how great the A's clubhouse is.

I saw that Jim Callis (or someone at BA) thinks the Devil Rays and Rockies are tops in terms of prospects.

190 Nobody knows what Depo would have done if he was still with the Dodgers. Nobody did a very good job predicting what he was going to do while he was here.

I'm curious though why you think Russell would not crack the bigs under Depo. As it is, he got a shot this year because Navarro got hurt.

193

i love that Depo resigned Izzy, that kind of says alot about him, realising that defense is huge in baseball, but to be really fair he wasn't a good comunicator.IMO.

Russell Martin was a sabermetrician's dream in the minors.

Considering how much DePo valued OBP, I dont think Martin would have been overlooked. Who would overlook a guy that OBP's over .400 in the southern league?

Its not like Colletti gave Russell Martin the job, quite the contrary. He gave Navarro the job until Navarro got hurt.

180 True enough, but for $11M you should get more, a lot more. Those aren't superstar stats.

189 Well, I think you'll agree neither of us can literally measure clubhouse chemistry as if it were a science ;-) and I agree some of those disgruntled exTB-ers didn't help much with their whining. However, they've appeared much more on board with the team concept over the past month and have been as quietly supportive as they can given they probably (esp. Hall) still want playing time. In general, though, from what I've seen of this year's team, the support they have for each other, the enthusiasm particularly after some of their comeback victories, I see more of a "team" than last year's model by a long shot. Granted, there's a bit of a catch-22 too (or is that "chicken vs. egg"?) - in that when a team is losing consistently obviously chemistry will suffer. But I definitely see people picking each other up a lot more this year and really enjoying seeing their teammates do well. For whatever that's worth.

198. Thats interesting you'd point to Drew as DePo's biggest mistake, and resigning Izturis as one of his best accomplishments.

I think of it as the exact opposite.

the enthusiasm particularly after some of their comeback victories,

Isnt the team 1-57 when trailing after the 7th inning?

Oops!!! #200 referred to #183, not #180; I'm no superstar either. Blame DePo for paying steak prices for ground chuck.

197

Are you kidding me! Russell took Navarro to school on D last year during spring training any body with half a baseball brain new that, plus Navarro dosed off at times behind the plate, & that's a fact.

ps & Martin had only been catching for like 2 or 3 years.

but for $11M you should get more,

Not really.
I think .280/.400/.520 is what you'd expect from an 11mils dollar player.

There's a misconception about Drew being paid a 'superstar' salary. Its just not true.

Ortiz, Manny, Beltran, Jeter, Sheffield, A-Rod, Bonds, all make alot more than Drew does.

Drew's salary is in that "good" player slot. Its not a 'superstar' slot.

205. If thats true, then why didnt Russell Martin start the year with the Dodgers this season?

You seem like you're stating that DePo wouldnt have given Russ Martin a chance. But Colletti didnt either, until Navarro went on the DL. So what is the difference?

Thats interesting you'd point to Drew as DePo's biggest mistake

20 dingers & maybe about 100 RBI'S for 11 mill? come on.

205. Yet Martin still started the year in the minors with Navarro being the opening day starter for the big club under Colletti with Martin not coming up until Navarro was injured. Why are you having so much difficulty understanding that?

195 If we make one change: Get rid of Kent this year instead of Bradley: What effect would it have had on our season? That's a question, I'm not taking either position, just curious how it would have worked out. Do you think Bradley's blow-ups AND achievements this year are on a par with Penny's?

207

all i know is that Russ's D screamed out alot better than Navarro's period.

210

like i said before i feel Brad Penny, Bradley is just a head case that thinks everybody is against him.

All those arguing that Navarro is better than Martin raise your hand . . .

It will be interesting to see what J.D. and Scott do with his player option, with only Carlos Lee and Soriano as offensive threats on the market, they could take a shot and see if they can get another deal for more years or more money for the same amount of years.

While I think both Boras and Drew would have reasons to not opt out (I get the feeling that Drew really likes the atmosphere here and Boras wants the Dodgers to have money available for both Zito and Gagne), the lack of offensive players does give them the opportunity to make some more cash.

http://tinyurl.com/km364

According to this 4/05 BPro column, Drew was the best FA signing in his class out of 47 FA's signing for >$5M. That projected him at 29 WARP over the 5 years. He's at 10.4 WARP already and is pacing for around 30 WARP over the deal if he plays 140 games each year.

213. According to bluebleeder, only Depo ever was and the fact that Navarro was starting the season in the majors was some kind of bizarre act orchestrated by the GM who had been hired months ago and was something that the current GM was powerless to stop.
Or perhaps bluebleeder is really arguing that Depo would have signed a better back-up catcher than Alomar and thus Martin wouldn't have gotten all of that playing time when he came up.

All those arguing that Navarro is better than Martin raise your hand . . .

If only the brain trust knew that last year or this year.

I think a month ago most of us would have loved for J.D. to opt out. I don't think its going to happen, in any case, but its funny how things change.

Zzzzz... DePodesta vs. Colletti talk bores me. Begone with it! {{clap hands}} Fetch me another conversation topic - even a "Who was a faster runner, Garvey or Cey?"

WARP speed ahead!

208 Brian Giles put up 15 HR and 83 RBI at age 34 in his walk year and signed a below-market deal for 3/$30M. Drew's 2006 season at age 30 with excellent defense would have to price him at $12-13M/year easy.

217 arguing

Exactly, you guys are arguing. Pointless stuff. None of you will change your minds. Have a civil conversation, already.

Boras wants the Dodgers to have money available for both Zito and Gagne

That strikes me as a highly unethical way for an agent to handle his obligations towards one of his clients. Has Boras ever been charged with unethical behavior by one of his clients, or has there ever been any evidence reported that he would engage in this sort of misconduct?

Why do you think he would do this?

192. Regarding other good farm programs:
I would add Florida to the list. Lots of good prospects still in minors, especially pitchers.

219 I don't know the answer to your question, but who was/is slower between Jason Phillips and Olmedo Saenz?

To me that is a head-scratcher. Although I am leaning in Phillips direction, just because of how he leans backwards while he runs.

218

no matter what i still think J.D. Drew is a robot inside & shows no feelings out there.

ps just cough up the dingers & RBI's & i'm be o.k. with it.

217 - Re: Martin.
If only the brain trust knew that last year or this year.

What the heck are you saying? The GM this year played Martin after Navarro got hurt. Then, and only then, was he annointed the every day starter. That was Colletti.

Martin wasn't called up last year because it was a lousy season. The brain trust probably thought it would better serve the player and the team to hold off on a call-up. It served the team because it held off on starting his clock. It served the player because he was able to improve in a low-pressure environment. We reap the benefits of the latter now, and will reap the benefits of the former in Russ Martin's arby years.

220 Seriously, and I for one, disclaim my part in it. I thought, perhaps, there was an interesting point to explore there, but alas.

Ron Cey had 29 career steals, including a high of 5 in 1975. The Garv actually had 83 including a career high of 19 in 1976. Garvey also used to get the occasional bunt hit. Take that, Eric Karros!

Possible additional tangent, Nomar is starting to remind me of Garvey.

226 no matter what i still think J.D. Drew is a robot inside & shows no feelings out there.

The same thing was said of Shawn Green when he was the Dodger's leading hitter. I guess that what would make you really happy would be a right fielder who can hit, but plays with a massive chip on his shoulder?

228 Those are kind of astonishing stats. Thank you, Jacob. I guess they'd both outrun Saenz and Phillips (to bring in the other poster's question), who would probably practically run backwards.

To me that is a head-scratcher. Although I am leaning in Phillips direction, just because of how he leans backwards while he runs.

it also looks like he has weights on his legs.

Oh... and Phillips was slower than Saenz, but it's a close one. They could both be put out 9-3.

Just some what ifs to ponder on the off-day:

1. What if Gagne and Brazoban stay healthy, do we see Broxton and Saito this year?
Probably we would have seen them but it may have taken a while, certainly Baez and Carter don't get exposed as early as they do but unless they had both pitched better than they did, Saito may have come up in May and Broxton might have been up by mid-year.

2. What if Navarro doesn't get injured, what happens to Martin, this is a hard one to figure, I would have to believe short of a big slump offensively or defensively, the change would not have taken place this season and given Grady's desire to not split time, I don't see both young catchers up at the same time.

3. What if Repko doesn't climb the wall in May? Cruz was already putting up horrible splits so Ethier would have eventually got some starts against right handers but we probably don't see Matt Kemp until September and maybe Ethier never gets regular time.

4. What if Odalis doesn't get a brain