Following up Bob's updated standings.

UCLA has clinched #1 seed in Pac-10 Tournament.

Likely matches for seeding in Pac-10 Tournament.

1. USC @ Washington State for second seed.
2. Arizona @ Stanford for a 4th or 5th seed.
3. ASU @ California, a Cal win may get them 7th.
4. Oregon State @ Oregon, an Oregon win guarantees no worse than 5th, best possible finish is 4th.

After this week of upsets, AP and Coaches poll will probably have UCLA at No. 2, WSU around 15-18th, Oregon 18th-20th, and USC 24-25th.

True. Hacking implies some degree of power. Slapping, nudging, caressing...all better word choices.

The biggest knock against Pierre is his career on-base percentage (.350) isn't what teams look for from a leadoff man.

Actually, the biggest knock is not so much his career .350 OBP but rather his .326 and .330 OBP the last few years. .350 isn't great, but I think we'd be pretty happy with that in 2007.

Pierre doesn't draw many walks, a fact he blames on his lack of power because pitchers aren't afraid to challenge him when they are behind in the count. ...

If the pitchers are behind in the count, why does he have to swing...? Unless he means 3-2, in which case he'd probably be better off taking more pitches anyway. He'd K more, but he'd also BB more. I suspect he'd probably BB more often than he gets hits when swinging in such situations.

"we're not going to be giving up outs when we have a runner on first who is fully capable of stealing a base."

This statement should have ended after "first".

little is better then most managers in that regards.

The Dodger skipper later went on to say that the signal for pitcher Brad Penny to steal third would be third base coach Rich Donnelly jumping into the air and never coming down.

lol, i love grady's humor.

http://tinyurl.com/rp8so

It would be a shame if we dwelt more on the Pierre Signing. It would be totally counterproductive.

I'll take that as an implicit compliment.

Hats off to you, sir.

Then, he posts a Pierre story, almost daring us to bash the guy from here to Jupiter. What do you want from us, Jon? Should we bash the Bullethead, or should we leave Juan enough alone?

What do you want from us!!

>>> Pierre's ties to baseball started at birth when his father, James, a former college player at Grambling, named his son after Juan Marichal, his favorite big league player. >>>

http://tinyurl.com/yr6onn

http://tinyurl.com/2qybxw

The Goonies. Good Lord...How I love The Goonies.

In fourth grade, I stole my Uncle Max's toupee and I glued it on my face when I played Moses in my Hebrew School play

I fifth grade, I knocked my sister Edie down the stairs and I blamed it on the dog

My Mom sent me to a Summer Camp for fat kids and at third lunch I went nuts, and they kicked me out!

But the worst thing I ever done...

Thanks.

If Pierre hits a ball thrown down the middle the pitcher fears for his life less than if the same pitch is hit by a power hitter. Pierre will get more pitches in the strike zone than a power hitter will.

Pierre will never enjoy a high obp. The powerful Yankees played Mickey Rivers and now the Dodgers will play Juan Pierre, that is until June 1 when he will become a Giant.

Unless you are planning to go up in an airplane and do something weird like marry a cow.

And all I was doing was giving an example of a guy who played aggressively, didn't strike out a lot, hit for good average, and got about 80 walks a year.

Does Pierre hit into a lot of double-plays? Since he's a career lead-off, my guess is no. Is he fast going to first? Does he beat out a lot of ground balls?

Pollyana would say: Furcal singles, steals second. Pierre hits a ground ball to the right -- a productive out! Furcal's at third, ready to score on any kind of hit or sac fly. It could work.

I also remember his hit as being a shot up the middle. It's interesting that four DT posters (at least) were at this one random game 13 years ago.

In the case of Cyr, he was arrested in 2001 for statutory rape on a Qantas flight from Brisbane to LAX.

Cyr, who was born in Canada, but lives in Oklahoma, was arrested by the FBI when the plane landed.

I haven't been able to find out what the final disposition of the case.

Making the best of a contrived situation is what Little is trying to do. What should Pierre's approach be when Furcal is on first base? Should he resolve to make the pitcher throw at least two strikes before he swings? Maybe that's what Little's driving at. One of Pierre's strengths is contact ability so he really shouldn't be nervous at batting with two strikes.

I know Jon is reluctant to see more Pierre debates, but the latest chapter deserves more commentary from him. Did the Dodgers even ponder these dynamics when they gave Pierre $44 million? The manager is suggesting new tricks to an old dog who just got $44 million from the manager's employer. Don't these people communicate?

As a matter of detached entertainment, I would LOVE to have seen sphincters on this sight and TrueBlue LA tighten when the the rumors of "significant interest from the Dodger front office" surfaced.

Friday night, my wife was out, and my six-year old was causing a bit of a ruckus at bedtime. Meanwhile, I had to go take care of the 2 year old. Me, in my stern Dad voice: "Look, I've gotta go get your brother. I'll be back in two minutes and you need to shape up and get ready for bed. [scowl]."

So, I go do my other thing and come back, and find he's lying on his back in the middle of the floor, knees splayed out with his feet touching sole to sole, and his hands in a point over his head. Me (short-tempered, trying to figure out how to respond to this goofy challenge to my dadly authority): "Hey! Didn't I tell you to shape up and get ready for bed?!?!"

Him: "I did Daddy. I'm a triangle."

And indeed, he was.

Kid 1 -- Dad 0 (again).

Pierre may be right about pitchers attacking the strike zone knowing that a single is the worst that can happen, but they can't be throwing 3 straight in the happy zone every time can they?

[beams]

It's statements like that one that really make it hit home...

Egads.

Little probably would bat Pierre eighth but the front office would pitch a fit. Hard to infer accurately, but it appears that Little is trying to make the best of a tough situation by batting Pierre second and suggesting that he be more patient, partly because the new role calls for it.

Pierre's AB/HR career ratio is 342.5/1 (wow) ; his average GIDP is 7 (pretty good knowing that there were a lot of #8 guys and pitchers on base); IBB is 4...FOR HIS CAREER. That is roughly 0.6 per year.

Numbers are fun...

In that same note about the Dodgers bring Eric Cyr in for minor league camp, was a note that they'd also invited former Dodger Larry Barnes. I think these signings are of the bringing in some more warm bodies to camp variety and nothing more. Although in Cyr's case warm bodies may... no, I'll stop right there.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Cyr

"I hope she loses frankly. No, I'm serious. I am not joking...I hope she loses. What, next year she is going to get the Nobel Prize, it's enough. She has had enough attention. I love her and I love her family; and I feel enough is enough. She is a kid; she needs to have a childhood....I hope she loses."

One interesting thing about Grady Little setting this up before the season, is that there is now a clear expectation and if that expectation isn't met than there can be consequences. If in June Pierre has 5 walks total, and Grady pushes him back to 8th, then he can point to his preseason comments as the reason why.