If rabbits on base means that hitters who follow them get a steady diet of fastballs, why not have Matt Kemp follow the rabbits? He does well on that kind of diet...

http://tinyurl.com/2ydro5

I like Furcal as leadoff. Pierre's talent is for bunting and making contact, which makes him a better #2. He can pretend he's a leadoff hitter when Furcal doesn't get on base.

Hmmm. If the bases are empty, shouldn't almost every hitter be pretending he's a leadoff hitter?

My 92-win season is a bit on the other side, but it is definitely attainable. Bad seasons are based on bad luck coupled with bad depth. I have confidence that we have every position save for SS backed up adequately either on the bench (Loney, Saenz, Anderson) or in the minors (Kemp, LaRoche, and Miller).

I hope you mean that the extra 20-30 runs will result from having the tremendously better hitter, Furcal, batting leadoff (i.e. more often) than anything Pierre is going to do batting second.

But if you don't mean that, I'm certainly not looking to open this can of bedbugs again.

My humble opinion is that Russ Martin would actually be better in the 2-hole, but Pierre will certainly have more value there than in the lead-off slot.

Majority of whom...?

IMO, it's more the things that Furcal won't do batting second. The 2-hole hitter is going to find himself in more bunt situations, since he bats after the leadoff guy and not after the pitcher. If one of our hitters is going to be wasted bunting, I'd rather it be Pierre than Furcal.

Also, if the 2-hitter is taking more pitches so the leadoff guy can steal, that has the potential to up Pierre's walk rate a little.

i recently listened to that chris haydock interview and he had a glowing opinion on greg miller and his stuff and current health. it was nice to hear some optimism for a guy whos been through alot already.

I wonder if he can teach Pierre to take a few more pitches and to steal in the 85-95% range rather than the 70-80% range.

i was a little surprised to read recently that elbert was slated to begin the year at AAA. are we basically accepting that as true?

no. in the chris haydock interview, he said he thinks elbert will start back in AA again.

I think it wouldn't matter much as far as having a successful season, but it would rear its head in playoff series against specific teams. If you're facing a team that can't hit lefties (the Mets) or that can't hit righties (the Blue Jays), you'd probably want the ability to tailor your series rotation accordingly.

In those games, this might throw Nomar into the RH pinch-hitting role. Which just might be good too; it would give Nomar some of the time off Grady's talking about giving him. And who would you rather have pinch-hitting late in a tight game, based on what he did near the end of last year?

If Kemp kept up anything remotely near the 7HR/ 2 week pace he started with (however unlikely), his power numbers would dwarf anything Nomar's likely to post. In the 3 hole behind rabbits, in theory he'd see less, um, problematic breaking balls.

But at least to start the year, it looks like "in theory" will be the correct way to refer to Kemp. Unless he has learned to hit breaking balls.

Kemp says the problem is SOLVED.

Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp raves about new contact lenses that allow him to see the ball better

http://www.pe.com/sports/baseball/dodgers/stories/PE_Sports_Local_D_dodgers_notes_23.1d2f42c.html#

You would think that just one plus Ethier or Loney could net us Carl Crawford.

He's like Kuo -- really the only thing that could conceivably hold him back is injuries.

http://www.talk-sports.net/mlb/girlfriend.aspx/Jonathan_Meloan

Tonight's edition of "Nightline" focuses on money and money-making businesses.

The second story in tonight's program highlights the work of superagent Scott Boras, who has been called the "most powerful man in baseball." He manages the careers of Alex Rodriguez, Carlos Beltran, Greg Maddux, Kenny Rogers, Adrian Beltre and 55 other elite Major League baseball players. My colleague Bill Weir talks to Boras about how he gets his clients multimillion dollar deals and why some people think he is destroying the American pastime. For Boras, it is all about gathering information and getting his clients the money they deserve. Listening to Boras is like taking a seminar in business strategy, with some valuable lessons on preparation, analysis and determination.

Ditto the above, replacing Miller with Meloan, and Hendrickson with Tomko.

Just a pipe dream?

Actually, now I want me some of those - maybe they'll improve my soccer game. That and actual talent.

Furcal
Martin
Kemp
Kent
Loney/Garciaparra
LaRoche/Betemit
Ethier
Pierre/Repko

And that was BEFORE he used the new contacts. So it will be interesting to see what kind of spring he has.

Kemp began wearing Nike MaxSight performance-enhancing contact lenses during batting practice this week in an attempt to improve poor pitch selection skills that caused him to slump as a rookie after hitting seven home runs in 11 games.

The amber-tinted lenses for daytime use have made the 22-year-old feel so comfortable in the cage that he said he would use them in games this season. They not only protect his eyes from the sun's glare, but they also increase contrast for him to better see the red seams on a fast-moving baseball.

So how many daytime games we got? Not that many I suspect.

http://tinyurl.com/3c3p9k

I'll be making my first trip to spring training this year as well, following the Dodgers through the Grapefruit League, March 24-27.

Good point. Maybe they'll play him during the day and LuGo at night. :-)

57 Let's see how Spring Training pans out and if any deals are made regarding starters. Meloan only has one season in the books so I would expect him to go back to High A or to AA while Miller could be a player in the bullpen but people tend to forget that the Dodgers also have Dessens. The Dodgers have Schmidt, Lowe, Penny, Wolf, Tomko, Hendrickson and Dessens all under guaranteed veteran contracts (e.g. no going down to Vegas for them) Add Beimel and Saito in the mix and that leaves only a few spots open, one will be Broxton, so all of sudden that's 10 guys before we even talk about Chad or Kuo.

I hadn't thought that -- I thought it was just hits and walks (and HBP?).

But career he was 490 of 661, 74.13%.

Second on the Dodger list is Davey Lopes, 418 of 503 career, 83.10%, quite a bit better success rate.

Third, Willie Davis, 335 of 451, 74.28%.

Pierre, career: 325 of 441, 73.7%. Only very slightly behind Wills' percentage.

Wills seems to think Pierre can have more SB success as a Dodger. FWIW==

Career OBP SLG AV

Pierre .350 .377 .303
Wills .331 .332 .281

BTW, Geaux Dodgers!

give me power or give me death by hendricklation.

As aggressive as Coletti is, I just can't see him not making a deal for a high-ceiling type in rookie ball to some poor team needing to take a flier on a pitcher.

71 No, it's not.

There are several classic comments in that thread. That's one of them. Here's another...

"Another stat that seems to be overlooked when comparing the 2 is versatility. Kenny Lofton played over 150 games twice in his career, Pierre has played over 150 in all of his full time seasons, including 162 games in the past several."

.350?
.360?
.400?

I would think that a .360 with a SB% of about 80-85% would make me positively giddy. The next question would be: Knowing that he is genuinely a character-guy and a hard-worker, can he adjust to take 30 more walks per season and steal 10 fewer bases?

id take league average or above and i wont be mad.

.350 "Well, that's not quite as awful as we expected. Still, I hope he doesn't have a no-trade clause."

.360 "That's about as good as we could have hoped for. I guess we might be able to win with this guy in the lineup after all."

.400 "It's a cold bright day in April, and the clocks are striking thirteen... Hey, look, there's Bob's friend Babe flying around!"

______________________________________
Mike G. (Salem, NH): Kevin, when you say that Clayton Kershaw is the "total package," how do you form that opinion? Have you seen him pitch? Do you talk to scouts? Are you a scout yourself? I'm just trying to figure out how a traditionally stats-heavy web site is now posting a top prospects ranking that includes an 18-year-old pitcher with 37 innings of rookie ball experience as the #16 prospect in baseball, given the horrendous historical track record of 18-year-old pitchers.

Kevin Goldstein: Mike,

I am not a scout. I'm talk to MANY, MANY scouts and I think I have a very good understanding of the scouting process, and what scouts look for in a player, as well as which scouting attributes are most importatnt when predicting future success. Let's combine many of these attributes into just three things.
1. Size/Athleticism: at 6-3/210, Kershaw has an ideal pitcher's build and clean mechanics. This combination also helps with projection.
2. Stuff: He's already in the low-to-mid 90s, touches 97, has an outstanding curveball and a changeup that is advances for his age -- oh yeah, he's left-handed as well.
3. Pitchability: Kershaw is a strike-throwing machine who can locate his fastball at will and knows how to set up hitters.

There's really no weaknesses in his game at all, and that's why he is so high.

As to your second point, BP is and always will be a traditionally stats-heavy site. However, that doesn't mean that the company is going to put statistics above all else. I was brought on to provide coverage of baseball below the big league level, and that involves using statistics AND scouting -- because that's the way to do what I do properly. As far as the track record of 18 year old pitchers, think about every great pitcher in baseball right now -- I'm fairly certain that all of them we're 18 years old at some point, and I think to simply ignore every 18 year old pitcher because of the risk involved is a cop out and taking the eary route. I'm much more interesting in trying to find the next big thing, than with finding to next 'ok' thing and not making any mistakes. With risk comes reward.
__________________________________________

And yes, I fully realize that I've been reduced to hoping for a Dave Roberts-level of performance out of a player we just gave $44 million to.

Miller has better pure stuff. But damn, its really close considering both have excellent sinking action on their fastballs and developed secondary offerings. Right now though until Miller can show he has regained it, Kershaw's control is alarmingly advanced for his age.

i still cant get over the fact he only issued 5 walks in like 37IP last year with a 10.8:1 k:bb ratio. That even exceeded my high expectations for him.

The chat excerpt Nate posted details Kershaw's stuff (great curve and good change).

98 -- Miller has a curve, a slider and a change-up. Kershaw, a curve and a developing change-up. Kershaw was 18 last year, and he wasn't as good as Miller was at 18. Miller at age 18 may have been HISTORICALLY great, but then the shoulder started to hurt...

Also FWIW I saw these two notes in the Phila Daily News today and don't think they have come up here at all:

First baseman Nomar Garciaparra says he's been told the team plans to change the colors of the seats behind the plate at Dodger Stadium. Last year they were pale yellow and infielders tended to lose track of the ball once it left the pitcher's hand. Club officials wouldn't confirm it, but Garciaparra said the seats will now be "kind of teal green."

Randy Wolf, who signed with the Dodgers as a free agent, on now having ready access to his favorite West Coast hamburger chain: "If I end the season at 320 pounds, it will be because of In-N-Out burgers, that's for sure."

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/sports/baseball/16764731.htm

Also the Phightin Phillies did not do all that badly when we had three lefties (one of them being the aforementioned Wolfman) in the rotation for half a season last year...

In-N-Out and the Shack are the two I miss most here in CO. I can console myself with the Cherry Cricket, but only partially.

But man, "You're a mental midget, you're a Giants fan, you're a traitor." I just said that stats reflect value and hits+walks is better than hits.

Sheesh.

Andrew said that Ned Colletti was born with a tail for Chrissakes.

Now that would be be an interesting rotation.

Don't we all have them as embryos, along with gills?

its not about being a blind fan, its called rooting for your squad no matter what

I don't think you can contradict yourself in less words.

I once had a guy call me a "----ing slut" when I said that Pierre would have looked much better in a Giants uniform than a Dodger one.

{sobs quietly in corner}

But I also thought that the Star Wars prequels would be brilliant...I'm wrong a lot.

I just want to promote the prospects. I figure getting everyone excited about our prospects is doable and the best way to go.

When you get a chance, head back over to The Griddle thread on the Direct TV deal. I'm interested in your reponse to my last comment.

One thing I love about DT is that people do feel free to express their opinions and yet there is a sense of community.

Whenever, I get down or witness something like a Juan Pierre throwdown, I like to go back here http://tinyurl.com/2fel9b

My only regret was that I could not be here to participate, I was too busy being stunned in person.

I think it's an amazing testament to Dodger Thoughts, The Philosopher King, and the type of great people here that some part of you would have liked to share the 4+1 game at DT instead of being at the game.

Granted, it's probably a very small part. But I still think that's one of the best things that could ever be said about Dodger Thoughts.

And you can bet that, while criticizing Ned makes one a traitor in their eyes, they did not shy away from criticizing Depo's transactions.

If I could only figure out how to post using my phone. :)

And thanks for actually taking time to look up the link.

I will always remember staying up and watching the replay and commenting with ToyCannon and others until Nomar hit it out.

BTW - Later in those comments, Sam quoted a column by Jon Heyman (CNNSI.com) that Soriano would sign for 5 years, 75 million, boy was he off.

140 Bringing up DePodesta on a Dodger board (outside of this one for sure) is like typing L-A-V-I-N on a UCLA board though I don't think you will get many defenders of Steve unless Dickie V or some of his ESPN friends are around.

I know he's works with the PK, but Jon Heyman is to great baseball writing what Polar Bears are to intramural field hockey. The Unibomber makes more sense.

You'd think my extensive pen pal relationship with Ted Kaczynski would eliminate those mistakes.

Literally awake, or drugged-out awake?

I felt like I had been asleep when I got mine pulled, but they said I was actually awake the whole time, and in fact was talking so much that they had to give me even more to shut me up.

I've been told that my anesthetic is nicknamed "hospital heroin." Real heroin is one of the few I never tried, but if it's anything like that stuff, I can almost understand how people kill themselves for it.

On the ride home, I explained to my mom how I wanted to write a book about the experience. I also wanted to go to the mall very badly, right after surgery, for some reason.

It's not so bad being awake. Usually your dentist will have to put a leg up on your chair to get leverage, but the eight novocaine shots will take care of the discomfort. There's just a tugging sensation and loud cracks with every extracted tooth. I went out for drinks afterward...

146
I do not really want to be all groggy and out of it. Plus they do not bother to do any tests to see if you can even handle the gas and as a person that does not lead the "purest" of lifestyles I worry about some weird effect it could have.

To this day, I sometimes worry about what I might have said to those strangers ripping four teeth out of my skull.

I do believe there is hope...Until somebody calls me a treacherous Giants fan stathead loser Moneyball worshiping jerk.

That said, the things people will say to avoid giving ground in an argument. One fellow has come to defending Pierre by saying that players do different things on different teams so he might be better for the Dodgers than the Cubs.

Without endorsing every last bit of snark, I'm pretty impressed with Greg and Andrew and Trainwreck's efforts. Is PatriotAct425 someone I know?

sam DOT brodsok AT comcast DOT net

This way he needn't be irked at Jon.

I'm kidding...Obviously.

Unfortunately, it brought the world together to despise my existence. Still, it's unity...And that's all that matters.

Actually I am in parts unknown but in So. Cal. so I am in lovely Pacific Standard Time.

Good God. I miss LA.

I get it. I miss home. Quit tormenting me!

"What we've got here is failure to communicate."

Well, I've played on the field, and it is beyond "tiny". In that league, Rec Park is 280' to center field. Torrance Park is 390' to center field. Not that I'm complaining. Rec Park gave me a prep home run.

From the "I'm a Jinx" File: Kobe had 22 at the end of 1 and 25 total by half time.

http://binza.blogspot.com/2007/02/funny-math-answers.html

With my mother currently in remission, the issue of breast cancer has become one of personal salience in recent years. I thought Sarah was very good, and it was nice to see her play someone other than Elliot, who has become annoying to me.

I will also say that Sarah Chalke is quite an attractive woman, even more so when she's not annoying. If, for some unforeseen reason, you're ever forced to watch a Lifetime movie, this one would probably be a good choice.

as long as I got a plastic jesus

sitting on the dashboard of my car

comes in colors pink and pleasant

glows in the dark cause its iridescent

take it with you when you travel far.

In this film, the character is the El Segundo High baseball coach. Not just in a movie filmed there.

Perhaps "principal" was stretching it a bit, but it was an important character.

I've looked at stats from both sides now,
From OPS, and EQA,
It's life's illusion, I recall.

You really don't know stats, at all...

I look at life from both sides now
From give an take, from here and now...

It's life's illusion, I recall, i really don't want Juan, at all...

I don't like citing Wikipedia as a source, but it is a useful starting point to get a general idea of the subject, then find real sources. There's lots of false stuff amongst the entries, methinks.

http://www.local6.com/news/11095239/detail.html

189 - Shampoo is better! I go on first and clean the hair...

On the prospect level, obviously you want stuff ahead of refinement, but on the major league level, you need the combinaion of both, and in truth, refinement may be more important at least in the short run, a guy that's going to give you 200 unspectacular but ok innings is certainly more useful than a guy that throws a perfect game and strikse out over 10 per 9 but ends up with a ERA over 5 and a 5-12 record... at least for this season.

Still though, i hope Kuo and Billingsly do well and can harness the flash of brilliance they showed last year to their full extend, that would be awsome.

If they start with 12 pitchers, conceivably all three of those top position prospects would return to Triple-A, even though Loney led all Triple-A with a .380 batting average last year."

Paul Rodriguez played the coach of the El Segundo High Baseball Team in the film "Tortilla Soup."

Kinky

From Sports Illustrated's story about Dodgertown (Blue Skies Everywhere - Feb. 26, 2007):

Wolf, who grew up as a Dodgers fan in the L.A. area, slipped into the storied blue batting-practice uniform for the first time last Saturday. This being the era of commercialism, however, the duds had been tweaked by baseball's marketing gurus to spark new sales, with swatches of silver on the flanks of the jersey and on the sides of the cap.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/tom_verducci/02/20/dodgers0226/index.html