Juan Pierre is going to have to pick it up a few notches if he hopes to maintain his NL Hits Leader Crown. Pierre's 8 base knocks trails Arizona's Orlando Hudson by 8. Hudson currently leads the league with 16 base hits this season.

Andrew, "Personal Best" is not on netflix! This has never happened to me. I now want to see it very, very badly (the imdb keywords of: Lesbian/1970s/Bisexual/Drugs/Injury) have nothing to do with it.

Personal Best is the best lesbian track & field movie I've seen.

2 That's because it's not out on DVD at all. For some reason. As far as runner movies written by Robert Towne, I prefer Without Limits with Billy Crudup, but that one doesn't feature Mariel Hemingway or lesbianism.

Meanwhile, back to baseball... I hope Furcal is ready to play because we miss him, but I also hope the team continues on its new program of not rushing players back from injuries if they're not 100%. Guess we'll know more tonight.

Personal Best is an empowering story of women in sports. And saunas. But mostly sports.

Will Pierre ever get credit when it is due? He is the one who got in Hirsh's head last night, but it is still whine, whine, whine. Give the guy at least a month before we put him in a box.

It looks like the Wilsons have some opportunity for a glove endorsement deal with Wilson.

Also in the category of defensive stats, Russell Martin has thrown out 4 of 8 baserunners, a 50% CS rate.

I watched Boxing Helena on the cable, the other night. I felt about it the way Bart and Milhouse did after Naked Lunch. I don't remember the whole story, but I think Jodie Foster displayed good sense in passing on it.

and Brad Penny's ERA (.068) is lower than his WHIP (1.28).

6 Pierre gets plenty of credit around here.

ok, Penny's ERA is 0.68, not .068. Oopsies.

Life is good right now, KBL. We're 6-3 without Furcal. And not to mention very slow starts by Pierre, Betemit, Ethier, and Nomar. Once the wheels start turnin and the pistons start firin'.....LOOK OUT! This is going to be a fun season. The presents bright, the futures bright, and the next time its windy I'll fly a kite. LOL..

JW: SoSG was at last night's game, and just published a full (and lengthy) manifesto on the parking. Short story is that it's better, but still has problems; and like you indicate in your post, with ~1/2 the car volume of opening day, one would expect an improved situation in the first place. This weekend will indeed be the true test.

So Jon gets 450 or so posts every game while the Rockie guy gets < 20. Couldn't D4P and Andrew go post over there for a little while to bolster Mark's spirits?

There is a simple fix to everything. Red cars in the red lot, blue cars in the blue lot, silver cars in the silver lot, Pierre in center field.

15- The last time I commented over there, I made a monkey of myself by failing to read the post immediately before the one I commented in, till after I commented. I've been a little shy about going back.

5

I hereby move to remove "empowering" from the English language.

Sorry if this was linked already, but this is really funny. And I say that as I go for whom FJM is often too much. (Chris at Cap Punishment passed the link to me.)

http://www.firejoemorgan.com/2007/04/joe-chats-with-no-one.html

Will Furcal ever play this season?

13 I hope you're not expecting more than a .667 winning percentage.

I was there Tuesday and Wednesday. The parking situation wasn't too bad but I don't believe it ever was for games with 25,000 in attendance. I don't know why but it's annoying being told exactly where to park. It feels like some sort of loss of personal freedom. I suppose it would be worth it if it fixed the problems. I really think you'll have to wait for the weekend to judge. Monday was test 1 and it failed. The following nights have not been a test so no score. Let's see on the weekend. Still, $15?

21- I was counting on 140 wins, but fine, ruin my hope and dreams.

Went to the game last night, and had a very easy parking experience. Came in through the golden state entrance, parked in that half of Lot 2 with no fuss. For some odd reason, they didn't have people directing you to park inside that lot, yet they had a team of people in the lots on either side flagging people directly to their spot. I didn't mind as I like to park close to the exit in lot 2 anyway, but perhaps they've decided to concentrate their resources in certain areas of the park (lessons learned maybe?). Stayed the entire game and exiting was a breeze as well.

I was there for the Friday Freeway Series game, and it had taken much longer to park in roughly the same area. When I went to Opening Day, because of that experience, we tried the Sunset Gate. Took about a half hr to park and again to leave, but we got there at 11 so I guess we missed most of the mess.

Overall I don't have issue with what they're trying to do, I just hope their execution gets better, and they actually adjust as they see what areas are problematic.

One other note, for this game the outer ring by lot 2 was blocked off, so we didn't have to dodge cars when crossing. I also noticed this on the Freeway series game, which I thought was nice. There were cars parked in the outer ring on Opening Day.

For Greg Brock from last night.
I started reading Arthur C Clark when I wanted to be a Marine Biologist and he had some great diving books when diving was in it's infancy. I then read the "Rama" book and it took me a while to realize they were the same writer. Same with Asimov, I started reading some non-fiction science books when my Dad told me about the "Foundation" series by the same author. Heinlein of course was a strange writer, I can read his sophomoric junior high based novels like "Red Planet" as will as enjoy what for me was the best SF book I ever read in "Stranger in a Strange Land". I say that because of the concepts he was writing about in 1961, and the fact he was struggling with this book 10 years before that and the perfect ending. If the book had been written in 68 it wouldn't have the same effect.
Anyway I've read many a SF book in the last 37 years but most of them are a blur but if you put a book in front of me that I read by any of these authors when I was a reading machine between 12-16 years old I can still remember the story as though I had just put it down. Between SF and playing/reading/watching baseball I don't think I did anything else. My grades would have attested to that.

Steve Physioc just called Gary Mathews Jr. and Shea Hillenbrand good character guys.

Good clubhouse guys, I meant. He did call them good character guys, too. Along with all the rest of the cliches.

Andrew,

Now you're quoting Steve Physioc? We're not going to sit around here and just watch you do this to yourself.

Wait, maybe we will. Carry on.

Brad Penny has 3 more starts this month. Versus Arizona, Pittsburgh, and San Diego, respectively. If Penny can take care of business against Az and SD, then he will have my full endorsement and a 100% reprieve.

Hamulack and M White are pitching lights out in Vegas. White had 6 k's in 3 innings. Abreu continues to be the hottest hitter in the PCL and also played SS last night.
In AA Orenduff pitched in relief as he tries to come back from surgery. So far so good as he sports a 0.00 ERA after two games and 4 innings.
The Loons and Kershaw have a day game so you can listen live starting at 11:30.
Vegas and Abreu(8 for 9) also have a day game.
http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/multimedia/audio.jsp

I was going to quote Hudler, but my exclamation point button is broken.

30

abreu is hitting amazing but im still concerned about his lack of walks. although if he is going to play SS, i guess its not a total big deal.

It's 28° and snowing in Colorado Springs; the Vegas game may not get played.

Couldn't D4P and Andrew go post over there for a little while to bolster Mark's spirits?

It is kind of unfair not to spread the wealth a little

Woosies

Nitpicking Nate

kershaw with another walk in the first inning but no runs allowed.

gametime weather is pretty horrible: 40 degrees, cloudy with 25mph winds blowing R to L.

I used to enter via the downtown gate, park over by the Think Blue sign near the exit to make a quick getaway after the game. I would be out of the stadium in no more than 10 minutes, regardless of the size of the crowd.

I went to opening day and to last night's game, I wont comment on opening day since we've all heard the horror stories. But yesterday's game made me realize how much I dont like the new parking set up. I don't work and live in the same city so not being to exit my preferred gate makes my drive home a lot longer, not to mention the 40 minutes it took to get from Lot 8 to the exit. I dont know if 40 minutes is the norm from this gate since I've never had to drive more than 50 yards to get out of the stadium.

I wouldn't mind a compromise where they let us park in any lot we wanted, but made us leave from a specific gate (based on where you parked). Haven't all the complaints always been about the difficulty getting out of the stadium, not in?

39 Sorry about my typo's, I'm trying to listen to a phone conference and type at the same time.

39 - "Haven't all the complaints always been about the difficulty getting out of the stadium, not in?"

No, especially Tuesday and Wednesday it has been more the opposite, I believe.

Abreu continues to be the hottest hitter in the PCL and also played SS last night.

If he would only walk more i'd be happy as a clam.

Sounds like the 51s game has been 86ed - postponed due to snow.

Darn, I tried registering for MiLB.com audio but it's down right now.

Clayton is dealing

2nd inning..

K on curveball

walks kyler burke

picks off kyler burke

Ks next batter on a 3-2 fb.

2IP 0H 0ER 2bb 3k

6 - Pitchers had a 2 hitter last night, Pierre got 1 hit & a headline attributing the victory to him. That and 50+ mil is credit enough.

I've got the future already planned out....and I think Neddie and I are on the same page.

The Dodgers are going to win the WS this year mostly with pitching. So I advocate we strengthen it even more at the deadline. I forsee a July 31 trade of Billzy, LaRoche, and Elbert being shipped to Florida for Dontrelle Willis. This will further bolster our staff as we glide to a WS title in '07.

ARod will still be WS ring free. He wants one. He wants it bad. Neddie signs him no problem for the '08 season. At big bucks, of course.

Kent, Gonzo, and Wolf, and OP's conract will be gone. Arod takes over a 3rd and the big thumper in the lineup. Abreu becomes the 2nd baseman. We have an outfield quartet of Ethier, Loney, Pierre, and Kemp.

The rotation is devastating with Lowe, Schmidt, Willis, Penny, and Kuo.

The payroll only goes up a tad. It's dynasty time. There's no stopping the blue. What I have presented can and will happen. Its great to be a Dodger fan again. There's no stopping us. The pieces are finally being put into place. This is so exciting.

I forsee a July 31 trade of Billzy, LaRoche, and Elbert being shipped to Florida for Dontrelle Willis.

joy to the world.

41 Jon, I'm talking about before the new set up. People blamed getting to the park late on the traffic outside the stadium (which is something the Dodgers can't control) and blamed the traffic inside the stadium as the reason why they leave early. So my thinking is to leave the coming in part alone and try to fix the getting out part.

Also, the walk to to my seat is a lot looooooooooonger now.

41 - Maybe the system works, in that having everyone in ordered spaces does allow people to exit quicker, however, putting the cars in ordered spaces creates a jam going in? Which is worse, taking a long time to get in or to get out? I assume the former, since you could miss the game itself.

I wouldn't mind a compromise where they let us park in any lot we wanted, but made us leave from a specific gate (based on where you parked).

The problem with that is you'd have people causing unnecessary delay outside of the stadium if they were forced to exit in an area far from their destination. This is still possible with the current set up, but the Dodgers obviously believe you're more likely to leave where you came in.

The rotation is devastating with Lowe, Schmidt, Willis, Penny, and Kuo.

just curious, what is your plan when lowes contract is up after 2008, willis is a FA after 2008, schmidt can only muster up 83mph fbs after 2008 and kuo is on his 3rd bionic arm?

Elbert, Bills and LaRoche for Willis? Really?!?!?!?! That would be among the worst trades I could imagine the Dodgers making. That might be the Marlins opening demand, but no way anyone would pay that much for Willis who isn't that great. If you want to talk about Santana, then that sounds about reasonable. But otherwise forget it.

49 - Ah, yes.

Had a very easy time in and out of parking Wednesday night. Arrived at the 110/Stadium Way gate around 6:15, and was in Lots 8/10 within 5 minutes. No problems exiting after the game ended either. But, as others have said, let's see how it works on the weekend.

If you do want to park in a certain lot, it helps to check the parking maps on the Dodgers website to see which gate to use.

52- Trust and obey/ For there's no other way/ To be happy with Flanders/ But to trust and obey.

3rd inning

first batter pops up shallow outfield

K on 3-2 pitch

popup to infielder..

3IP 0H 0ER 2bb 4K

Meanwhile, the Angels have a run in the 6th. This should be all they need, as they already have the vaunted pitching staff, with Colon and Weaver not even pitching yet.

If we're gonna trade all those studs to Florida, can we get Miguel Cabrera (and swap one of those pitchers for a position prospect) instead? Otherwise, no thanks.

56 I thought that was:
"Hens love roosters, geese love ganders
Everyone else loves ...Flanders!
{Homer} Not me!
Everyone who counts loves...Flanders!"

'09 Rotation

Johann Santana - (Don't underestimate Neddie. He'll land him.)

Dontrelle Willis - (signs extension)

Hong Chi Kuo - (will be a 15+ game winner. Trust me.)

Jason Schmidt - (overpriced .500 pitcher)

Greg Miller

Rob Neyer on Pedro Martinez - Grady Little:

"But today's managers have learned that they rarely get second-guessed when they make a substitution, only when they don't, and they manage accordingly – not necessarily to win, but to avoid media scrutiny and justify their own existence."

Yes, true.

"Lots of people have said it was painfully obvious that Martinez was washed up by the time Little made his first visit to the mound in the eighth. But also in that conference were the Boston catcher and field leader, Varitek, and their perennial All-Star shortstop, Nomar Garciaparra. Apparently it wasn't painfully obvious to them, because nobody contradicted Martinez when Little asked him if he still had anything left, and Pedro said he did."

Not so true.

The fact that they didn't contradict Pedro doesn't show they agreed with him. I've never been in a mound huddle, but it doesn't seem reality based that other players would go against the star pitcher, especially in such a macho I-Can-Do-It situation. I doubt any of them would tell Pedro "no you can't", even if they felt it.

I just wonder how much say peripheral players have during these Meetings of the Minds. Maybe players are very blunt with their pitchers in these talks, I don't know.

But I do know in that moment, in that game, they would not have gone against him, anymore than they'd have told Marshall Kane to sit it out come high noon.

61

so we're gunna have arod, johan, willis....and a payroll of the yankees?

I got a liitle carried away. Billzy, LaRoche, and B prospect(s) for Willis.

5th man in the '09 rotation will be Miller or Elbert. Bank it.

Again, Luis Gonzalez is a future Hall of Famer...

63 Children, don't feed the animals.

62 I can't believe people are still writing about Grady and Pedro. The "curse" is over, the Red Sox won, the world is a better place, unicorns have been taken off the endangered species list, and Boston fans are now ten times more insufferable than ever. Let it go, people.

if we're gunna look ahead in the future, the guy i want after 2008 is ben sheets.

Eric Karabell wonders if Juan Pierre should be leading off.

That's some hard-hitting journalism right there.

The only high priced players in '09 will be ARod, Schmidt, Furcal, Pierre, Johann, and Willis. They take up 95 million of payroll. Loney takes over the reigns at 1st.

Loney, Abreu, Martin, Kemp, Ethier are your 5 other regulars that take up about 5 million in payroll. Up to 100 million. The rest of the staff and reserves makes up 25 million.

Your looking at 125 million for a 110 win team. It's worth it.

Putting a great baseball team together is like being a master chessman. It's best to be 10 moves ahead of your opponents. Though Neddie's not that far ahead. I still put him 4 moves ahead.

Actually Furcal will be a FA after '08.

So how do you choose who to impersonate on Inside the Dodgers?

OT but i wonder if this is a good time to buy low on mark prior.

When Friday's lineup is posted I'll look first for who is playing right field. We'll be facing a lefty (Wells). Kemp is not available. And although Ethier hit leftys well last season he has looked so bad so far this year I'll be looking to see if Little gives Clark a start. Which would be a sure indication that Ethier is headed for Las Vegas shortly.

72
I don't know, Nate. Dude is sitting on 83-84 mph, and hasn't been healthy since the that Florida NLCS.

I'm not sure Prior is going to ever be good again. Sad.

62 But Dottie Henson (Geena Davis) told her manager (Tom Hanks) that her own sister was throwing grapefruits so he replaced her.

So there Rob Neyer.

In its own way, "League of Their Own" is a pretty good baseball movie.

I would love to see Arod out here.

4th inning

single to cf

gb force out at 2nd

runner picked off at first

check swing GO to catcher

4IP 1H 0ER 2bb 4k

Somewhat related to Jon's original nugget on the infield defense. BP shows the Dodgers' defensive efficiency at .704, or 18th in MLB. Other NL West teams are:
San Diego, 5th (.746)
Colorado, 17th (.706)
San Francisco, 17th (.702)

Apologies if it was mentioned in a previous thread.

For all of you that wonder how to get started in broadcasting, Brad Golder is a 25 year old Vanderbilt grad, who also handles their media relations.

You can contact him at bgolder@loons.com with the subject "Ask the Booth". Your question could be read on the air during Loons broadcast this season!!

77 So Kershaw's picked off two runners already? Wowsa. Either he's got a great move, and/or the opponents are not yet skilled baserunners.

A 2009 rotation of
Sheets/Billingsly/Elbert/Kershaw/Schmidt is something to dream about.

I do feel if Boom Boom continues to flail that eventually Nomar will tell Ned that he'll move to 3b if it will help the team.

The emergence of Abreu has to be quite exciting for us as we didn't really have an option to replace Kent this year if he got hurt or left next year and now I think we do.

Nice to see Kershaw has a nice pickoff move. When has he had time to practice that given the few players who have ever reached base against him.

That's why they call him K-ershaw. The young man is dealing.

5th inning

swing and miss on 2-2 fb K

fb outside corner called strike 3 on 0-2 K

Walk on 3-2

line drive out to RF

apparently last inning, that check swing GO was a checkswing strike 3 and throw em out.

for the day..

5IP 1H 0ER 3BB 7K

55 - 6:15 on a weeknight? I should hope you had no problems arriving!

Ohio State is entering the NBA draft.

Conley, Cook, and that tall dude whose name escapes me all going pro.

32.
42.

Why the concern with walks? Is he swinging at bad pitches?

"Baseball Analyst" (see the sidebar) has a great article on "Sport" Magazine. I loved Sport Magazine and I wish there was more sports writing like that today.

Before there was an internet, my sports reading consisted of L.A. Times and L.A. Herald Examiner (before it closed) sport sections, "Sports Illustrated," "Sport" magazine, "Inside Sports," "The Sporting News," the occasional "Baseball Digest," and sometimes mainstream magazines (I recall a Life magazine article on the 1972 Lakers vs. Bucks series).

Much later, I read the short-lived "National Sports Daily" and USA Today Sports section.

What did everyone else read back in the day?

86
If he is, he's smacking em hard.

>>> Even though Pierre said he had told Martin to "pay attention when you're behind me," he didn't expect the catcher to follow his lead and was pleasantly surprised when he saw Martin sliding into second base. <<<

http://tinyurl.com/3dn6hm

My bad, the Angels will need two runs, but they just got their second run.

[81] this is totally not important, but i don't think i've EVER seen you include the e in "billingsley". is that purposeful or just a chronic typo?

I was talking to Bob a couple weeks ago about a fund raising idea I had for the toaster: putting bounties on commenters' heads. So, if ToyCannon really wanted to be rid of me and D4P, he could write a check and get us suspended for some length of time. The more I think about it, the more merit I think it has. It would be fun, even for most of the people who would expect to spend the most time in the penalty bin (e.g. me). It'd be for a good cause. It'd be a pressure valve for people who very much want to break TYFN #2, but know they shouldn't.

Anyway. Just throwing it out there.

Hendrickson finds a source of relief

>>> No, Mark Hendrickson's success pitching out of the bullpen is not a result of the lanky left-hander finally finding his calling.

It might be more of a function of Hendrickson calling performance-enhancement specialist Ken Ravizza, who has helped the Dodgers' converted starter make the most of a difficult situation.

http://tinyurl.com/36pav9

[92] that could be fun in some ways but i think the people who get suspended may not all agree. plus, i don't like the idea that any one of us could be silenced with a simple payoff to the right person. it just rubs me the wrong way in principle.

Question for anyone who saw the game last night.

Since JP broke for 3rd so quickly and there were 2 out why didn't Iannetta throw to 2nd? Did Martin have a great jump too or did he delay or what?

[85] where'd you see that?

Why would anyone want to get rid of Andrew? Am I missing something? Gee, Andrew, you seem OK to me.

95 Because the pitcher held the ball the whole time. He didn't notice what was happening.

89 If all the comparisons to Martin and LoDuca are true, then I can understand why people are STILL pissed about the Penny trade. This kid is gangster.

Never mind. Shields has blown up. Angels down 4-2 in the 8th.

Somethings messed up. The box at MiL.com says Kershaw didn't pitcy today.

DeJon Watson weighs in on ways to increase African-American participation in baseball:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/jackie/news/story?id=2834624

On a related note, it looks like the Dodgers at some point this year will almost certainly field (what I assume would be) the first all-minority lineup in franchise history. It hasn't happened yet, but basically this would be the normal lineup with the exception that Martinez, Betemit, Abreu or Valdez would have to take Kent's place at 2B, and Seanez, Tsao, Kuo or Saito would need to be pitching.

The first and, so far as I know only, time this has ever happened in MLB was the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates.

You know, Kent needs a day off soon. It would be pretty interesting if it happened to be on Sunday.

or pitch (and its MiLB.com I think).

Kershaw hasn't picked off any runners for awhile now - I'm really disappointed!

103 The Loons played two today. Check the box from the second game.

103

Great Lakes played two games today, here's the box score with Kershaw pitching.

http://tinyurl.com/ynvajx

slate decries parity in MLB:

http://www.slate.com/id/2163857/fr/flyout

D'oh, too slow. That's what I get for double checking the tinyurl to make sure it works.

105 Thank you, of course that explains the seven inning final. Dooot, as Homer would say.

Vishal, I was scrolling Rotoworld, and the Ohio State news is over there, via the local Dayton newspaper.

Thanks Sam, too.

{67}

Doesn't he have back problems or had back problems?

47 Here's my vision of the future:

After reaching the World Series in 2007, the Dodgers take three of the first four games from the Detroit Tigers. Game 5 is scheduled for a 5pm PDT start on a Friday night.

Although the official paid attendance is a remarkably familiar 56,000 fans, for most of the game only about 10,000 fans are in their seats (they had arrived early for batting practice). The rest of the ticket-holders are tied up in a catastrophic traffic jam caused by routine LA Friday evening traffic combined with the most important Dodger game in two decades.

The traffic jam gets worse as the stadium parking lot attendants block all cars at all gates for ten minutes at around 4:20pm that evening while they all inexplicably take a break in the middle of their workday. As the queue of cars sprawls interminably in all directions, on the 110 Northbound all the way to the 91 interchange, on the 5 Northbound through downtown and stretching onward past the East LA interchange down to Carmenita, frustrated fans abandon their cars on the roadways en masse and start their treks to the ballpark on foot.

The ballpark is still over half empty by the seventh inning stretch, a time when stadium regulars, on a normal night, would begin to trickle out. But this is no normal night; the Dodgers are six outs away from a world championship, leading 1-0 on a Russell Martin home run, so far the Dodgers' only baserunner. Martin had also made several outstanding plays behind the plate that preserved the shutout.

In the top of the ninth, the Tigers load the bases with one out against a weary Takashi Saito. Grady Little visits the mound and talks to Saito, but leaves him in to face Gary Sheffield, who hits a bases-clearing double over Juan Pierre's head. Broxton is brought in and mops up the mess, but the Dodgers head to the bottom of the ninth with a 3-1 deficit.

Meanwhile thousands of Dodger fans trek up the hill towards the stadium, listening to the carnage on their radio headsets. They are tired and they are hungry for Dodger Dogs but they are all determined. They will scan their tickets at the gate and head straight to their seats, not stopping to wait in line for a Dodger Dog and a beer, even if only to watch the Bums meekly retreat to the clubhouse in their half of the ninth as usual.

In what had already been a multitude of small victories, almost 45,000 Angelenos had made their way to Dodger Stadium by the time Rafael Furcal singled with two outs in the bottom of the ninth of Game 5 of the 2007 World Series. The single brings no one to his feet, for everyone is already standing and cheering. Despite all they had been through that night and throughout the season, the Dodger faithful in attendance are still thankful and thrilled to be standing where they are at this moment.

Juan Pierre walks, his third of the year, bringing up the winning run in Nomar Garciaparra. With his wife Mia Hamm, pregnant again, watching from the all-you-can-eat pavilion, Nomar swings at the first pitch and flies out to left.

For the Dodgers and their fans, to borrow a phrase: so it goes.

On the bright side, it was a breeze leaving the stadium after the game.

98 - Pierre noticed while watching video that this particular pitcher tended to become so involved with the hitter that he would forget about base runners.

http://tinyurl.com/36pav9

92 - Come on ...

Instead of concocting these elaborate schemes, you could just give us the money for a job, you know, done ...

92 Works for me. I'd talk a lot more if I thought people would pay Jon to shut me up.

Elaborate scheming is more fun than paying dues. I just like the idea of coupling charity (though, that's not quite the right word) with vengeance. I like coupling just about anything with vengeance, though.

Keep leaving talented college players not on UCLA.

Does anyone here remember that Joakim Soria was once in the Dodgers' system (and the Padres')?
http://tinyurl.com/284xgm

I thought his name sounded familiar when I heard it pop up with the Royals this week.

107 What an exasperating, pointless article that was. Keep up the good work, Slate!

[110] hrmmm. the phrase used on rotoworld was "likely". thad matta is still supposed to try and talk them out of it next week.

113 I got a real kick out of that. I'd love to see that scene in a movie.

The best part about the Slate article was the link, in the sidebar, to one on The Onion. Jeff Kent To Wear No. 42 To Honor Mariano Rivera:

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/60565

91
All of my typo's are of the chronic variety. The ability to spell has been like a spike in my side since I was a twee lad and the proper praise wasn't directed my way. Since it is a high priority here I do try and the next time I write Billingsly I'll correct it to say Billingsley.

Speaking of The Onion, and Ohio State:
http://www.theonion.com/content/from_print/greg_oden_on_final_four

(The story on Florida making it to the NCAA's "round of one" also cracked me up)

124 - Good spellers paid attention to the teacher, and she was never worth paying attention to.

113
My favorite part was this:

With his wife Mia Hamm, pregnant again, watching from the all-you-can-eat pavilion,

126
My wife the teacher thinks I'm a complete grammar moron. I expect her whole 4th grade class could whip my butt in a grammar off.

Will Carroll on Furcal, in today's UTK:
"... [A]fter stealing a base, Furcal pulled himself from the game with tightness in the left ankle. There's some indication that Furcal is having more trouble in the field than on the bases, which sounds like a first-step problem. Furcal was expected to be back in the Dodger lineup on Friday, but that's doubtful at this stage. He'll return to Los Angeles for more treatment, but there's no new return date yet."

http://baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=6093

Some strange formatting on the Daily News website today resulted in a widowed sentence in the Dodger game story. Unless you look very carefully, the story reads thusly:

"Penny retired 11 consecutive batters until, with his 108th pitch, he hit Chris Iannetta with a Jonathan Broxton."

(Iannetta was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital, where he remains in intensive care with a broken neck, shattered collarbone, and 12 broken ribs.)

129 Furcal, spitting in Will Carroll's face, insists he will play Friday:

Rafael Furcal, on a rehab assignment of his own for the Dodgers, said his sprained ankle has healed but the shortstop said he stiffened up in the cold.

"I felt a little stiff in my back," Furcal said after pulling himself out of the game in the fifth inning as a precaution.

He indicated that it was nothing to be concerned with andt that he would be ready to return to the lineup when the Dodgers open a three-game series with the Padres beginning Friday at Dodger Stadium.

"I'll play Friday night," Furcal said.

http://tinyurl.com/39k6b3

(Pretty cool, btw, that the Press-Enterprise actually bothered to send a reporter to a rehab game, and got a minor scoop as a result.)

It's time for another installment of Stats 101.

>>> Why some stats don't mean as much as you think

Last time out, we took at a look some of the basics of statistical analysis as it applies to baseball. This time, the focus will be a couple of the traditional offensive statistics and what's wrong with them. <<<

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/6673752

The prosecutor in the Duke LAX case just apologized to the formerly accused players.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/LAW/04/12/lacrosse.nifong.ap/index.html

I was there when the charges came out and there was an incredible assumption of guilt. Everyone thought they did it. People posted signs with the faces of every player asking them to come forward, and in general it was just a crazy scene. I remember when I realized that things weren't adding up (when the DNA evidence came back negative), but it was a bizarre time. I am glad things turned out the way they did, and I would not be surprised if a civil trial was coming.

Does this explain J.D. Drew last season? :-)

>>> If you put a player in the middle of a lineup, behind some potent OBP threats and have him play roughly a full season, it's difficult not to reach the 100-RBI mark, at least in the current run-scoring environment. <<<

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/6673752

132 - I wouldn't say 101, that is more like the remedial course.

134 - That and a .283/.393/.498 line, like he outlines in the article:

"Many times in this space you'll see hitters' "triple-slash" stats. This is their AVG/OBP/SLG (presented in that slash format), and they're much more illuminating than just AVG."

131 Well, they are the Riverside Press-Enterprise but I think having the Dodger afilliate playing there will increase their coverage of their minor league team.

137 On the eve of Jackie Robinson Day (and I will be there), what happened to Don Imus (he was just canned by CBS so no more radio show), reminds me of the faithful night 20 years ago when Al Campanis made his remarks on "Nightline."

For me, that was one of the most uncomfortable TV watching experience I ever had.

I was there when the charges came out and there was an incredible assumption of guilt

Duke West Campus was crazy. Tons of reporters and news vans and impromptu circle gatherings of angry protesters with microphones and the presidents running back and forth to meetings and such.

138 - I went out to bars and drank with people from all the major networks. They would buy shots for kids they knew (legal kids, nothing sketchy) and basically just hang out in their time off. Meanwhile, the only people who got interviewed were people who assumed they did it. I think most of campus was just holding its breath, but a vocal minority was holding rallies. Once the DNA evidence came out, I remember all the sororities got together and made tank tops and beaters with "Innocent until proven guilty" on them. From then on, I think public opinion (on campus anyway) went the other way.

[124] ah, i see. i wasn't trying to give you a hard time about typos. i was just curious. anyway, i appreciate the extra effort; i should also do the same. i could stand to use the preview function more often.

136 IIRC, the Press-Enterprise did a good job of covering the minor league team in Riverside when they still had one*. I even think they did a fairly decent job of covering the Stampede (the previous name of the 66ers).

The city of Riverside wouldn't let the team(s) have a beer license because the stadium was part of UCR. Of course, not more than 100 yards from the stadium (on UCR property as well) is a pub type place with plenty of beer.

139
Tank tops, college coeds, now I'm distracted.

142. Just remember that they are Duke coeds in tank tops and you won't be so distracted.

I've seen a few UNC students wearing shirts that say something like "Duke girls have testicles."

In reality, I suspect Duke girls are not so different looking from most other college girls, though they certainly have more money to spend on their appearance than the average college student.

Campanis meant it.

Padres starting catcher Josh Bard just landed on the DL, so the Dodgers won't see him this weekend, fyi.

146 Add Peavy and Gigantor to that list and I'll be happy. Maybe Adrian Gonzalez too. And Khalil Greene. And Mike Cameron.

The Onion covering the Dodgers beat today...
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/60565?utm_source=slate_rss_1

143 - Duke girls are plenty hot, and a large portion of the Duke female population is obsessed with appearance, so many of them are in ridiculous shape (one girl I knew ran 6-10 miles every single day). However, a lot people, male and female, are primarily concerned with, you know, getting really good grades and becoming a Rhodes Scholar or I-Banker.

As for UNC, I would say that the average UNC girl is more attractive, but the hottest Duke girls are hotter than best UNC girls.

In conclusion, the girls rocking tank tops and wife beaters were generally the hottest girls in school.

The only hitter who scares me on the Padre's anymore is Gonzalez but then who scares anyone on our team?

149
Did you ever spend time at Whole Foods across from East Campus? We go there a lot, and there's always a bunch of said plenty hot Duke girls there.

I wonder if the Duke players will get the benefit of having what happened to them referred to as a witch hunt. Nah, probably not, wrong demographic.

I wonder if these conversations scare off our resident women commenters? ;-)

150 Yeah, it'd be hard to believe that any of the scores will rise above the 2-1, 3-2, 1-0 variety this weekend. (Which means there'll probably be a few 12-10 games.)

146 - Uh oh - does that mean Rob Bowen will work his magic on us?

[147] i always thought "gigantor" referred to washington nationals reliever jon rauch. to whom are you referring?

nevermind, you must've meant chris young.

Semi-ridiculous article on how Pierre found a "weakness" in Hirsh's delivery, "waited for the correct opportunity to pick Hirsh apart," and "made a daring dash for third."

http://tinyurl.com/2m7fgm

Nice treat, one of my favorite movies is gonna come out in about 10 minutes (swingers) It made me wonder what Jon thinks of that movie.

155 I think I might have appropriated that nickname for my rhetorical flourish, yes. I dont think I've seen Rauch in action yet.

I love the awkward sincerity about the movie if that makes any sense. I haven't seen it in a while so I'll be watching it.

150. but then who scares anyone on our team?

Juan Pierre

153
If they are scared off from a tank top discussion they would need to be made of sterner to stuff to survive an afternoon on DT.

124 I got a laugh out of that reference to praise.

Also, it's been fascinating for me to have the Duke case dismissal come on the heels of Imus' stupid comments about the Rutgers Women Basketball team. I keep thinking about Spike Lee and the sad notion that racism only works one way. Tangled up in Blue...

163
Glad someone got it.

Duke lacrosse players may not be gang-rapists. If they were innocent of those charges, I am glad they were exonerated.

But let's not forget that any team comprised of (all-but-one) white players, inviting black strippers to perform in front of their underage keg parties while hurling racial and sexist epithets, in a town with tobacco-roots, slavery history, and a clear socioeconomic divide among racial lines, shows incredibly poor judgment.

Which is one of the reasons why I take such umbrage when Duke is mistakenly mentioned as "the Stanford of the East." It seems to me it's more like "the Florida State of the state of North Carolina."

Dodger are off. Angels are done. Kershaw already pitched. Vegas snowed out.

166

No reason to go on living?

No reason to go on living?

That's where the Duke coeds in tank tops come in

74. - I'm not sure Prior is going to ever be good again. Sad.

>>> Prior leaves outing after two innings <<<

http://tinyurl.com/2okb9z

Some of those nutty far left profs at Duke owe those Duke boys an apology too. But I know it aint a comin.

I loved Swingers. For many reasons. The "you're money and you don't even know it" line was something a good, dearly departed friend of mine told me before I saw the movie. He went back to see the movie a second time just to make sure I got to it ASAP.

Swingers (and Clerks) are on my list of "Movies that just about everyone else loved but that I hated with a passion"

I liked Swingers when it came out. I really liked Vince Vaughn. But I find it hard to watch now for some reason.

Did y'all realize the Dodgers are now not the only team that will field an entire team of "42s" on Jackie Robinson Day? Sheesh. Now five entire teams -- Dodgers, Pirates, Cardinals, Phillies and Astros (whom I'm sure Jackie was especially fond of... huh!?) -- will field rosters of 42s Sunday.

165 - Obviously I disagree, but beyond the absurd FSU comment here are some facts:

They ordered strippers, this isn't illegal and many, many people have done the same.

They did not order black strippers, this was an accident.

I have no clue about the epitaphs and general rowdiness of the people in the house, but then neither do you. Considering that the charges themselves were false, I think it is fair to let the other stuff rest.

As for the Stanford of the East concept, it is pretty skin deep, they are both academic powerhouses (according to US News and Reports, anyway) in major athletic conferences. I don't think the comparison goes beyond that.

Some of my favorite professors signed that article, and I emailed one of them and asked her about it, her response was: "It didn't say they were guilty, only that they sorts of crimes are more common than you think and we beg people to listen." Some of the outcry was also a matter of timing, since the charges broke the week before Sexual Assault Prevention Week, so that infrastructure suddenly seemed like a lynch mob. Whatever, back to baseball.

173 It's the way they pummle my hero Wayne Gretzky on Sega that I can't watch. Reminds me exactly what my friends used to do to me late nate at CHICO STATE.

175 I assume you meant "epithets" - it'll be a really bad sign for those involved if it's epitaphs! (Not meaning to pick nits, just that it scared me for a second...)

177 - Yeah, if they were saying epitaphs then I can definitely understand why people were scared. I am off to the airport to head back to Duke for the weekend, so this was a weird time for all of this to come up. Later. D4P, perhaps I'll see you at Grasshopper.

D4P, perhaps I'll see you at Grasshopper

Yes. We should be there sometime around 7:30.

Torii Hunter is now concerned that all the teams jumping on the #42 bandwagon are completely watering down his jumping on the #42 bandwagon.

Just have every team in baseball wear #42, I guess.

177 beat me to the punch, thanks.

I wouldn't call Duke an academic powerhouse but the other points could be fair and I could see how a conflagration probably happened awful quickly on campus. You would know better than I how this went down.

Actually, I've heard that Bud Selig is considering renaming the sport "42-Ball." He also wants to reconfigure the defenses so that you'd have 4 infielders but only 2 outfielders, so it would always be 42 on the field. Also, from now on, it's 5 balls for a walk, so a full count will now be "four and two."

I also heard that, at least for the day, the Dodgers are lowering the price of a beer to $42.

Those crimes (overzealous prosecution) happen more than you think.

180 - I'm looking forward to Sunday, but I have to admit the idea of entire teams wearing 42 struck me a little as comical in a pathetic way. Just so ripe for parody. I can see The Onion rejecting the idea before they came up with their Kent-Rivera story.

Maybe Ken could set it up so that all the comments on the Toaster are #42.

182 Douglas Adams would be happy with that idea (may he RIP).

186 Maybe Jackie Robinson is the answer to life, the universe, and everything...

174

Actually all of the Cardinals wearing #42 is particularly ironic.

For at least two reasons.

185 - I made that joke days ago :(

189
It's Brock's way of getting back at you for your poo-poohing of having Nomar play third.

189 Fine. Whatever. Congratulations on your wonderful joke.

Whoops.

188 I challenge your use of the term "ironic", mostly because I don't know what you're talking about. Aren't you the irony police? Who polices the irony police?

190 - If I weren't fighting for Betemit to get a full chance, I'd take up the Nomar-to-third cause. Talk to me in May.

I am firmly in the "I don't know why first base is considered less dangerous than third" camp.

Trainwreck said he'll be glad to add a zero to 42 this Sunday. For Jackie, of course.

194 Probably for the same reason we don't spend a lot of time worrying about asteroids hitting the earth.

Icaros with the comment of the day.

195 Merely a tokin' gesture, though, I'm sure.

I learned it by watching you, Marty.

I've banished myself to the corner of shame for awhile for the last comment.

Gack, I still can't believe the Cardinals are doing the "42" thing, too. This is getting ridiculous. Oh well, I'm still looking forward to watching the Dodgers game on Sunday.

200

No, you've done much worse than that :-)

194. Yeah, unless you have a throwing-arm injury (or suckiness), I don't see the difference either. In fact, given the much higher number of close plays at 1st, I'd think that'd be the riskier spot.

Anyone remember how Nomar's arm is? Is a weak or erratic arm one of the reasons he was considered in decline at SS? Or was it all about range?

I'm also still pulling for Betemit. I like his approach at the plate, and all the BBs. I just think he's been unlucky with BABIP so far. He'll perk up.

Just out of curiosity, and to gauge the DT commentariat, folks around here think Betemit:

A) Will be better than LaRoche
B) Will not be better than LaRoche
C) I have no idea, and you are a stupid, stupid little man.

I ask only because if Betemit could nab us something good, and folks think Nomar can play third until LaRoche is ready...I dunno, just spitballing here. It's not that I don't like Betemit, I just don't know what the consensus is.

And please don't vote "C"

A and the last half of C.

Washington tied 0-0 in the fifth. Is that as good as it gets for Team DC?

203 - Better this year or beyond this year?

I think LaRoche could've nabbed us something good last fall. Now we have to just wait and see about both of them. If Betemit hits 25 home runs this season, and LaRoche has a great year in AAA, trade Betemit. If Betemit hits 40 home runs, trade LaRoche.

205 I mean long term. I think it's a pretty fair assumption that LaRoche could use this year in AAA, and maybe get a callup at some point. Betemit is probably better this year.

Of course, this is with the caveat that nobody knows anything, and LaRoche could maybe play second, or Betemit could maybe play second (doubtful).

Again, I'm just curious what most folks think around here. Just trying to gauge opinion.

2005 Stats of Nomar at 3B (small sample 34 games)

G Inn. TC PO A E DP FPct. RF ZR
34 296.2 91 20 65 6 1 .934 2.59 .708

2006 Stats of Betemit at 3B

G Inn. TC PO A E DP FPct. RF ZR
65 602.0 162 32 123 7 18 .957 2.32 .775

2006 Stats of Nomar at 1B
G Inn. TC PO A E DP FPct. RF ZR
117 1017 1124 1059 61 4 113 .996 9.91 .869

Again defensive stats are still a work in progress to some degree but here one note, only Carlos Delgado and Mike Jacobs averaged fewer assists per game than Nomar did, however his zone rating was third among NL first basemen.

In the end, Nomar isn't that measurably different then Wilson at 3B but he is not a very good player defensively at 3B, 1B is his best position.

Bill James 2007 projections show OBP and SLG to be:

Betimit: .331, .443
LaRoche: .373, .462

I'd imagine Betemit's superior fielding would not make up for this offensive difference. I think the .40 difference in OBP is pretty large.

Even if Nomar were to move to third, I think you'd keep Betemit as a backup if you expect that LaRoche needs to spend the year in AAA.

A hit and run post as my BlackBerry is my only connection to the outside world....

The Cardinals were rumored (although the issue is very much in doubt) to have threatened to boycott games against the Dodgers in 1947. I doubt it was more than Enos Slaughter and Harry Walker spouting off.

Also the Cardinals have retired 42 TWICE!! Once for Robinson and again for Bruce Sutter.

From what I've read, weren't the Cardinals going to refuse to play on the same field as Jackie Robinson back in '47? Seems like I read similar things about the Reds and Phillies. Maybe I'm wrong about it.

My questions is how will we know who is who, if everyone is wearing #42? We all look the same, don't we?

I see that ESPN has added AL, NL, and ML averages to their team stat pages. How conveeenient.

I generally tell who the players are by looking at them.

213 I'll bite... are you a baseball player?

216- No, but I'm sure you're a ballplayer.

On offense, LA is currently below the NL average in:

AB, R, H, 3B, HR, TB, BA, OBP, SLG, and OPS

They are average in 2B and RBI

On a related note, offenses are off to a horrendous start this year. Last season, the lowest team OPS in the NL was .723. This season, 10 teams are below .723, 9 of which are below .700. In the AL, 9 teams are below last year's AL low OPS of .733.

What gives? Is the ostensible crack down on PEDs partly to blame...?

Way back in the thread somebody was wondering about guys on base in the minors getting picked off. One of the biggest differences between MLB baseball and baseball in the low minors is just how frequently men on base get picked off in single A ball and below. A Dodger pitching prospect, Brent Leach, actually led the minors in pickoffs last year with 22. His pitching coach in Vero Beach, Glenn Dishman, even joked that "When a tough hitter is coming up late in the game, we'll put Leach in to walk him, then pick him off."

Have the top OPS' gone up?

218 I would say cold weather and small sample sizes are to blame.

But I'm up for a good PED pitchfork mob. I'll run down to the effigy district right quick. Somebody else needs to get on torches.

I was about to say cold weather, but might that affect pitchers more?

Probably just as likely to be noise as anything else, though.

Have the top OPS' gone up?

Yes, in each league.

205. Washington tied 0-0 in the fifth. Is that as good as it gets for Team DC?

It would appear so.

>>> the Nationals already have done something that's just about impossible:

Over their first nine games, 714 hitters marched up to home plate. Not one of them stepped into the box while the Nationals held a lead. (The only time they led in the one game they won, remember, was the moment the winning run crossed the plate in the ninth inning.) That's gotta be a record that will never be broken. <<<

http://tinyurl.com/ytffwo

Does anyone park in Lot G? I used to enter through the Academy Gate but from looking at the parking map I'd have to drive all the way around the stadium to get into the lot so the Golden State Gate would be better...any thoughts much appreciated!

I watched the Nationals win a game today. I haven't seen a solar or lunar eclipse in probably 20 years, so I'll try for that next.

Can anyone guess who the only white player wearing #42 on Sunday will be? (Other than the teams where everyone is doing it?)

That's right, Eric Byrnes, who just became slightly less annoying to me. FWIW, he played his college games at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

Meanwhile, the Devil Rays need Maury Wills. On a double, Crawford ran to third when another runner was there. The Twins got the runner on third in a rundown, and as they did this, Crawford tried to run back to second. Mauer tagged out the runner on third and then threw to second for the second out. Just your basic 9-4-2-6 double play.

Tampa Bay sucks.

In the top of the 9th inning at Minnesota, Ben Zobrist led off with a single, and Carl Crawford followed that with a drive to right that went all the way to the wall. Zobrist rounded third and held there, but Crawford, running wild with his head down, reached third before Zobrist could get back. Zobrist was forced to head home, and he was tagged out by Joe Mauer. Meanwhile, Crawford decided he'd head back to second. Mauer threw him out. A 9-4-2-6 double play.

Update: In the bottom of the ninth, Morneau hits a solo walk-off HR.

So the Rays went from 2nd and 3rd, no outs, to no one on, 2 outs. Then Morneau just hit a homer in the bottom of the ninth to win it.

They suck.

... over the out-stretched arm of Crawford.

229 - That was unbelievable.

Morneau just hit a walk off homerun just out of the reach of Carl Crawford.

231-233 - Beat me to it.

I can't believe three of us are watching a Devil Rays - Twins game and posting on DT simultaneously.

It beats watching John Kruk on Baseball Tonight.

I kinda wished the dodgers took lincecum instead of kershaw...

Henson and Bloch on the LA Times are now confirming that Furcal felt tightness in his ankle, not his back, and is questionable for tomorrow's game.

http://tinyurl.com/363wlj

actually i dunno, i just didnt want the giants to take him.

Henson and Bloch on the LA Times are now confirming that Furcal felt tightness in his ankle, not his back, and is questionable for tomorrow's game.

http://tinyurl.com/363wlj

Ya, I was surprised Lincecum went so late. Wasn't he the tenth pick?

Kershaw has a higher cieling, though, right?

241 - Yep, Dodger Blues has already named Stan Conte AHOTM.

242

depends. Kershaw has a better pitchers frame but i think lincecum has more electric stuff at this moment. Lincecum also basically has a rubber arm and has endured a full college workload.

No kidding! Lincecum threw 140 pitches in his last college start, I think. And he totally shut down the OSU Beavers last year.

I know how you feel, though, I am jealous that the Gnats have Matt Cain.

...glad they jettisoned Liriano, though.

i still cant believe the rockies picked greg reynolds number 2 overall; especially with andrew miller there right for the taking.

I think nine scouting directors, including Logan White, passing on Lincecum should tell us something that is not being talked about by the Lincecum hype machine. Lincecum scared off teams, obviously, so we'll just see how things work on for him.

lincecum tonight..

7IP 4H 0ER 2bb 9k

boooo.

What do you think of Kershaw's performance so far? A lot of improvement from game #1 to game #2. I wish he was at San Bernardino.

What I read about Lincecum is that his pitching motion is pretty violent.

251

honestly, i personally dont see it being violent. its unorthodox, but he uses his whole body and his arm is just along for the ride. you can watch his videos at mlb.com draft pages and calleaguers.com

Isn't the rumor that he's tipping his pitches?

253

who?

Lincecum.

It was in a BP chat last week, or the week before. Maybe with Carroll? Whoever it was, he didn't come right out and say it, but that seemed like the implication.

I heard that's what scared some teams away from Miller--pitching motion.

Have you guys seen Joe Savery's motion, though? He is a top college pitching prospect this year.

What do you think of Kershaw's performance so far?

I think he will heat up when the weather heats up.

my goals for him this year in low A

h/9 10

hr/9 <.50

basically, elbert numbers but with better control. I dont think those are too high of goals for kershaw.

wierd, my 258 messed up.

k/9 >10

bb/9 <3.5

h/9 <7

hr/9 <.50

256

even so, those types of things could be fixed. tipping his pitches is a relatively small criticism when you have a 96mph heater and a plus plus curveball.

Lincecum is only like 5'10" or 5'11." So that's probably why he wasn't taken. His mechanics are supposedly very sound though. I haven't heard anything about it being violent or noticed that. I think he was taught by his dad since he was little, who pitched in college. Anyhow, he'll move up soon.

And at 8:13 pm, it appears my TV and internet connection came back to life (although I was out at the time as I refused to live in the Dark Ages.)

I will say a prayer to Ch-i.

261 - it would always make for a fun photo op with Hendrickson.

How did Bruce Sutter manage to get his number retired? He was only on the team for four years. Did they retire the numbers of the entire '82 team?

Sutter went into the Hall as a Cardinal, so I'd guess that's why they retired his number.

This article has some good background info. Sounds like it is not necessarily violent, just unconventional, and supposedly it hearkens back to Bob Feller and Satchel Paige. I like the kid and I'll be rooting for him too.

http://tinyurl.com/2prtr6

265
Sutter's number was "retired" by the Cardinals last season.

The Reds have Leadership Qualities.

http://tinyurl.com/37orcb

Awesome. Are there ever any bad chemistry teams in April? Encarnacion is lucky though. Out here, the penalty for failing to run out one ball is getting traded to the Devil Rays.

Intangibles, such as team leadership, are considered massively important but are often difficult to quantify in the bottom line of wins and losses

Massively.

269- So, are you going to wear a rose in your hair so Benaiah recognizes you, when you meet? Are you going to make him call you D4P all through dinner?

270
It should have been you, huh...?

Can Mark Cuban sell the Mavericks and buy the Lakers?

Mitch/Phil/Buss---Its amazing that a team with that has Kobe Bryant, and the financial resources/fan support of the Lakers--could be this mediocre.

272 The NBA is the hardest league to rebuild because of the salary cap, not so much about getting free agents but to make trades, it is the only league that makes you trade value (salary) for value.

The Lakers have been the most successful franchise in NBA history when you look at the last 28 years. The Lakers and the Pistons are the only franchises in that period to win titles in different decades. Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago and Houston have not been factors since their successful seasons.

As great as Dallas and Phoenix are today, they have yet to win a title.

That said, I agree that poor choices have been made but it is just the pattern of the league that you are great for 4-5 years and then you drop.

San Antonio probably should have done better during the Tim Duncan era but they couldn't beat the Shaq/Kobe/Phil teams (aside from 2003) and that kept them from being the 1980's Lakers or the 1990's Bulls.

Huge win for the Clippers.

I was at Wednesday night's game and getting out of the lot was much better than last year. I think it took about 15 minutes to get onto the freeway from the stadium lot. I used to park by the 76 station and was able to get out of Dodger Stadium in 5 minutes.

If it hadn't been for Winthrop beating Notre Dame, what might have been:

http://tinyurl.com/2e4sfl

The Lakers should not be getting worse as Kobe enters his prime years though. Thats essentially what happened.

I blame Mitch caving to Phil's "system", and not just drafting/signing the best players possible. Phil has too many slow non-athletic triangle guys that cant play defense, and you cant win in the Western Conference playing that style.

Kupchak killed the Lakers when he traded for Odom (who has a max contract), and traded Butler for Kwame (who also had a max contract). Kwame/Odom's contracts are the main reason there's no cap room. Those two are no where close to max-level talents.

The only thing that can make the Lakers contenders fast is essentially luck--get in the lottery this year, win the lottery, then take Oden. Trade Bynum, Odom, and a #1 pick for Garnett (I doubt McHale would ever do that though). It'll never happen.

As far as PG, just dump Smush at the very least. Put Kobe back in the backcourt with another big guard. The lakers dont need a prototype PG, just a guy that is solid and knows what he's doing and can play defense/not turn it over (Ron Harper circa 99-01).

Also from an entertainment stand point, I really hope Phil retires and the Lakers adopt the Suns/Mavs style. Up and down--athletic teams. I dont like watching slow unathletic players try to run with Kobe.

New post coming up top.