Anything that gets more ABs for Loney is a great thing. Awesome news.

I agree that Nomar getting injured at third shouldn't be an issue. If it happens, then both Betemit and Loney play. And that would be a bad thing??

I wonder how long it will take before Nomar is ready to man the hot corner.

Well, "taking grounders" is not the same thing as "will be playing third base full time" so we'll see how this plays out. I've wanted Nomar at third all year, and this opens the door for Loney, so I'm pleased with that.

The Dodgers are well aware of the Nomar problem. And that's a good thing.

Next step: Kemp and Ethier in the same OF in a game not involving the DH.

I guess the nonsensical fears of Garciaparra injuring himself by playing third (as opposed to first) are out the window now.

wow, Loney is even making Grady Little a believer, i'm really glad upper management has this attitude it says a lot about them.

5 I'm pulling for Kemp, Ethier, and Gonzo in the same game.

"Pulling for" and "holding my breath until" are not synonymous.

I really did enjoy the lineup with Kemp & Betemit in there together vs a RHP two weeks ago.

4- i agree, it does bring light to the situation at first. so next suestion does this mean we arent looking to upgrade third/anywhere? whats with him saying we didnt need a bat and he was looking for a starter or reliever? im still scratching my head.

How long until they announce Pierre "is going to start taking some ground balls at third"?

I am still perplexed on why we want relievers.

7 I should have mentioned Gonzo too. Having Kemp and Ethier flanking Pierre wouldn't accomplish much I guess.

Regarding Betemit, couldn't he be the supersub, playing an occasional 3B, and backing up SS & 2B? He has played only one partial game at SS, and one in RF; the rest of the time he's been at 3B. It will be interesting to see what happens when Lucille II is ready to come back.

9 I'm pretty sure Colletti said "not only do we need a power bat, but we also need a reliever," or something to that effect.

11 -

I think he was referring to finding someone to fill in for Billingsly as a long man. Maybe that indicates he doesn't plan to have Hendrickson and/or Tomko around much longer.

Now if we can just get him to start taking pitches while hitting 7th we would be set.

11 Because with Bills now starting, and Tomko and Hendy unreliable, we have Saito and Broxton and...that's the only reliable part, really. Beimel's usually solid though he imploded yesterday. Seanez has been better than I expected but still not what I'd be super confident in for the long haul this year.

But if you're point is they've got Meloan and Houlton in the minors to replace a couple of the above, instead of trading for someone, you're right.

I think trying Nomar at 3B is a great idea! Too bad we did not think of it earlier in the season. Better late than never I say.

As far as JP, well, how about we offer him, Hendrickson, a "B" prospect and $$$ to the Mariners for Ichiro Suzuki. I know he is a star, but he is in his walk year and I do not think the Mariners can afford to resign him. Pierre could be the Mariner's CF for the next 4 1/2 years.

I know the Mariners GM is still annoyed with the LADs because they got rid of him a few years ago (he loved "stealing" Beltre???), but he may be the only GM, other than Ned, to believe JP is a good player. Hendrickson gives them a serviceable SP/RP and $$$ helps with the bloated contract.

Ichiro would give the Dodgers a legitimate leadoff hitter. Furcal could rest more and bat 8th until his ankle heals. Ned could offer Ichiro arb or loads of money to resign.

Either way CF would no longer be a problem offensively or defensively in 07.

I realize it is probably a pipe dream, but it would be good for both teams.

"your point," not "you're point." Sigh, I need a nap.

Hey, are any of these games on ESPN? Or are they only broadcasting Sox and Yankee games these days?

Awesome news.
Good for Nomar for having that attitude, hope it works.

11 You guys aren't at least a little worried about the 7th inning situation? I'm hoping that Tsao and/or Meloan could be the answer, but the former isn't exactly the picture of health and the latter could go through some growing pains a la Broxton in 2005.

The Mariners ain't trading Ichiro. What little revenue they have these days would completely dry up if that happened. If we want Ichiro, we'll have to sign him as a free agent. And at that point, you would have to question the wisdom of a power-starved team signing three slappy leadoff hitters to lucrative free agent contracts within a three-year period.

Late to the "good trade" discussion, but I wanted to add these:

pre-1973 season: Andy Messersmith and Ken McMullen acquired for Frank Robinson, Bill Singer, Mike Strahler, Billy Grabarkewitz, and Bobby Valentine. Messersmith was the ace in 1974 and in his three Dodger season - as long as anyone in this trade lasted with his new team - his ERA+s were 128, 132, 149. Robby had one good comeback year for California and Valentine became the tragic "what if" story; I can still see the newspaper photo of his broken leg in my mind to this day.

pre 1976 season: Dusty Baker and Ed Goodson for Jimmy Wynn, Tom Paciorek, Lee Lacy, and Jerry Royster. Wynn was a season away from done and Lacy was reacquired in mid-June with Elias Sosa for Mike Marshall whose best days were behind him.

When you have guys like Broxton and Saito, is finding a 3rd stud relief option really a huge concern?

I doubt the Dodgers could get a relief pitcher with May Day Meloan's* stuff without giving up a real player or two. I think ned was just filling air time with that. At least, I hope he was.

*Mayday Meloan was a great name. Kudos to the poster who coined it. Can't remember, but take a bow.

Update to this post above. The P-E says the move is likely permanent and full-time.

20 The Dodgers might need a reliever, but at this point in the season that means Ned has to trade for one. Here's a list of relievers Ned has traded for:

Mark Hendrickson (although acquired as a starter)
Danys Baez
Lance Carter
Tim Hamulack
Elmer Dessens

Not an impact pitcher among them. Why give anything up for a "proven" reliever when you can call up Meloan and/or just sit tight until Tsao comes back?

By the way, I think it was fair for Josh to call this news "interesting."

26 I'll add that I have been generally pleased with Colletti's bullpens thus far, but the best moves have been on the cheap (Saito, Beimel, Tsao as FAs; Broxton growing into his role).

I again renew my objection to any baseball player having a "natural" position.

Unless Nomar was able to attract Mia Hamm by showing his ability to make a throw from deep in the hole.

I think some species of finches do that in the Galapagos.

This is the best possible outcome of the mysterious "interesting news". Anything that gets Big Game James more ABs is good.

27 Perhaps the use of the term "interesting" was a nod to the use of it here to describe a no-hitter.

Nomar thus far in 2007 = "No hitter"

26 Exactly. Or what underdog said in 16 ;-) But no, I agree, trading for a reliever probably rarely works out. We have options in the organization.

20 I'd say I'm a little worried about the 7th inning, but I don't think it's anywhere near the biggest thing to worry about. Tsao looks like he's coming back soon, and Meloan looks as ready as he'll ever be. He may experience the Broxton-2005 growing pains, but I do think Broxton in 2005 would have been OK if he'd been allowed to pitch more. He got the hang of it soon enough. Broxton pitched 14 games that year. In the first seven games he had a 8.53 ERA and .320 opponents' BA; in the last seven he had a 3.69 ERA and .179 OBA.

I know it's been talked about for a long time, but it seems, well, "interesting" that this happens only a day after Nomar had the flu. I'm sure it's completely coincidental, and if anything, just reassured management that Loney is the real deal, but it just seemed funny...a first baseman with the flu comes back as a third baseman.

How many days til he takes over 3B?

27 Not being involved in journalism, was it a courtesy to the beat writers to let them get the news first, or more of a case of letting the manager of the team deliver the news? I'm just curious as to why Josh couldn't just tell us this.

Certainly if it were a trade I can see making sure all parties were notified.

30 It's probably not a good idea to call him that. Brad Penny might shoot him.

I wouldn't have a problem with getting another reliever, but unfortunately the precedent has been set that to acquire a useful one you have to give up more than they're worth. That's why if I'm the Rockies, I put Fuentes out there and sell him off the highest bidder, playoff hopes be damned.

34, 35 - See updates above.

36 - I'd guess Josh found out, but that Grady was the appropriate person to deliver the news.

30,37 I'm normally against nicknames that have already been used, but in this case...

1) James Worthy = original "Big Game James"
2) Worthy arrested for solicitation of prostitution in the late 1980s in Houston
3) Assuming this wasn't Worthy's first "visit" to Houston, James Loney was born in 1984 in...Houston!

You do the math.

So, what are you saying about Loney's mom?

39 Thanks

41 I realized that as soon as I hit "submit". D'oh! Maybe Loney will read this and use it as motivation!

43 Could be worse. ItD has gotten themselves into a sexism fight.

42 I can't tell, is your name a typo or a purposeful turn of phrase? My curiosity is piqued.

Well, the Dodgers keep going down our wish list here, so who knows - maybe Pierre moving to the bench is next. Probably not, but, you never know.

In other third base news, Josh Bell hit his 8th home run today and after an ice-cold start is now batting .283/.349/.471 for the season.

Grady said he had been thinking of actually doing this for a week.

Reacquiring Buddy Carlyle would have been interesting news too.

Loney currently stands at a 227 OPS+ in 29 plate appearances.

Who was the last Dodger to post a 225 OPS+ with at least 25 PA?

Since I'm confident Nomar is going to hit the only question now is can he make the throw and go to his right and left well enough to make this a defensible decision. I think he will be a terrible defensive 3b, but I hope he surprises me.

49
Matt Kemp

I've got to say, I'm fairly excited about Nomar at 3b: I've been increasingly bummed lately because I do like Nomar (despite his wretchedness at the plate this year) but I really never wanted him to block Loney, who I'm also a big fan of.

So, now I get to watch Nomar and not feel an ugly annoyance that he's blocking BGJ. And I feel at some point he's got to get a bit of power back (if not homers, at least doubles) -- plus this also shows Ned/Grady's commitment to the Kids.

(I'll wait till next year before I start worrying about Nomar blocking La Roche).

really like this move. It would still be nice to see a power bat brought in (maybe in RF?) but it seems the only legit player available would be Dye...and he's stinking up the joint this year.

Does Ned need to start working the phones for a reliever, or should we give a guy like Meloan a shot?

Why is it that Dodger fans cringe when there is a possibility of Ned making a trade?

46 -- The most interesting thing I noticed from that game is that the Loons' catcher, Carlos Santana, has stolen 3 bases in the game, including a steal of 3rd base. Too bad his hitting has been poor this year.

Also, the GCL Dodgers have now started their season with a 6-0 record. Minor league wins and losses themselves don't matter, but this might be a good sign for the prospect talent on the team.

49 Marlon Anderson?

Considering that Dodger management is conceding (well seeming conceding) that Loney is better than Nomar, why is it that Nomar continues to start?

55
I've been very disapointed in Santana this year and I hope the hitting woes are related to the work he's putting in trying to be a catcher. The Loons as a team have really been on fire and who can't be happy with the way Bell and Mattingly and Peterson have picked it up.

56
That is the interesting question isn't it?

49 Actually it turns out that Loney's OPS+ is currently the highest in Dodger history (Brooklyn or L.A.) for players with at least 25 plate appearances.

Marlon Anderson is second. Here is the complete list:
http://www.bb-ref.com/pi/shareit/EVMA

56 I think they're conceding that Loney is better than Betemit/Abreu. They're the ones that are going to lose AB's.

54 Because his best moves have all been FA signings (Furcal, Nomar I, Schmidt, Wolf, Saito) and his trades have been questionable if not brutal (Baez, Hendrickson, Lugo). And yes I think Schmidt was a great signing.

61 I agree with you, but I have to give Ned the nod for:

1) Maddux for Izturis
2) Betemit for Aybar/Baez

59
And Mike Piazza wasn't the MVP in 1997 because ...???

But Pipp getting a headache is so much a better story.

62 I like those too but I think they were lower risk/reward moves to begin with. Dealing Guzman for Lugo was a high risk, low reward play and was done at 12:59pm on 7/31 like a root canal without the novocaine.

63 That list also has Pedro Guerrero, who should have won in 1985.

More fun with small sample sizes. Here are the 10 best hitters in Dodger history:
(100 or more career PAs, ranked by OPS+)

1 Marlon Anderson 162
2 Gary Sheffield 161
3 Mike Piazza 160
4 Jack Bolling 159
5 Jack Fournier 157
6 Alex Kampouris 153
7 Reggie Smith 152
8 Dick Allen 151
9 Pedro Guerrero 149
10 James Loney 145

63 I can't even think about 1997 and Larry Walker without feeling like that was a huge mistake on the part of the voters. Fooled by park effects!

If you go look up Walker vs. Piazza on modern measures such as EQA, he wins, hands down.

62 as mentioned often recently:

3) Ethier for Bradley, Perez

52 I knew there was a reason I looked up Nomar's contract recently -- to see just how many more years Ned committed to blocking the youth movement...

But years from now when debating his HOF merit they will mention he never won a MVP.

40. 2) Worthy arrested for solicitation of prostitution in the late 1980s in Houston
3) Assuming this wasn't Worthy's first "visit" to Houston, James Loney was born in 1984 in...Houston!

Worthy was arrested in Houston in 1990. They're not related. :-)

56 I'm going along with this one. Nomar, theoretically, should ride pine and take grounders until he's ready. Won't happen, but should.

69
Ned has made 4 solid trades. The 1st two mentioned, yours, and of course the trade for the greatest hitter in Dodger history.
Four good deals is nothing to sniff at.

72 But Worthy started with the Lakers in '82-'83 and they traveled to Houston every season.....

ESPN considers the Nomar news to be ticker-worthy.

Who cares about this Worthy thing. James Loney has already been dubbed "Crazy Eyes".

And Extra Innings with the rare Vin-in-a-road-game feed. Today is a happy day so far.

77 I thought that was the Runaway Bride's nickname.

I can't believe I have talked to Greg Brock more than a few times and we have not discussed his infatuation with the Astronaut.

I am so relieved if the interesting news is what it appears. Ie. Nomar to get work at third. I must admit I had been having visions of trades involving Loney and Kemp.
At this point, almost any such trade would be bad, although I have come a long way and could at least try to accept certain good trades.
I don't think its a secret that one of the missions at Vegas was to try to tweak Loney's swing to put a bit more "lift in it", hoping for more HRs. Between that and not "being a minor league player" in general Loney initially lost about 140 points off his BA. I think they may have given up on that plan when his average started rising and then he got recalled.
But he has the beautiful swing of a line drive hitter and you just have to go with it. Don't tamper with that great swing and maybe the "power" will come as he matures. If not he is going to dent a lot more wall so who really cares. Watching him, one sees mostly balls hitting walls or bouncing off railings with that flat trajectory. This is not bad!
By the way, despite his player comps at Prospectus and elsewhere, I think the best fit is Olerud or Grace and I'm sticking with it. A shill for Loney, Gen3Blu

78 I wish I could say the same about MLBTV. :-( Is there special piece of software I can download that will convert the road broadcast team to Vin Scully?

79 Give me a call back. I've always got time for some good Nowak talk.

I Loves me some Nowak.

Nomar's Home/Road splits make almost no sense.

Is "Lowrider" really that powerful?

The DBacks announcer has a mancrush on Micah Owings, apparently.

.362 BABIP at home, .258 BABIP on the road. It's probably just luck. Even the home numbers stink for a 1B.

79 Joe Biemel called him crazy eyes while giving the lineup on big FOX against the Angels.

andrew lambo hit his first professional homerun today.

The Fox fellows took it to be an allusion to an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, but I think it's just about the sinisterly colored contact lenses he used to wear.

What's up with the Gameday live pitch stats? I want my "brk" and more importantly "pfx!"

I consider this interesting news to be great news. My fear was we were going to see much more of Loney in right field which for me is scary.

Just dose the guy in the ribs and be done with it. We don't need these at bats this early in the game.

91
He should have listened to you.

C'mon, Drew, you're supposed to strike out and sit down. Not make it a 12 pitch at bat or whatever it was and then take a walk. Let's do that again, from the top.

Just as long as no one calls him Joe Don Loney.

Theres a sniper in right field!

Oh, he just fell down. Nevermind.

I think Ethier just hit a lump in the carpet out there.

way to go penny.

Whew! Thank you Chad Tracy.

Ah, after the last couple games, a DP in the Dodgers favor!

Lambo is controlling the strike zone very well.

in 14AB

357/526/643 5bb 1k

Based on all that was written and commented over the weekend, you would have thought that the Dodgers were the only team in baseball that doesn't convert every scoring opportunity.

88 The contacts and his eyes kinda bug out. I wanted it to be about crazy eyes killah though.

"Yo Delicious..."

Nice to see LuGo get a warm welcome.

It's nice how they cheer for Gonzo. I even liked him when he was a D'Back.

102- We cool de la?

104 I like that, too. I wonder if the situation was reversed (if he was a former Dodger now a D-Back, with same career), if they'd cheer him in LA? Maybe they would. A lot of former Dodgers get booed when they come back, but it depends on the player, circumstances, career...

The Dodgers just tried a hit and run with Gonzalez and Kent. Those triples have gone to their heads!

107 - They just tried it again. Gonzalez has fouled it off both times. Next might be a hit-and-crawl.

108 - I was right. Kent was out by 10 feet.

That was executed...poorly.

What the heck was that?

we're really good at that!

Um, you're supposed to swing Gonzo, when Kent's running.

4 - "The Dodgers are well aware of the Nomar problem."

Thinking back on all the good times with Nomar last year, that sentence rings sad, and a little cold.

Evidently the Dodgers didnt learn anything from the weekend.

Stop Running!

Was that a Pierre-ish miss of the hit and run sign, or did Kent really have a green light to steal?

[Heavy sigh]

Did they think Kent was Pierre for a second? Oh well, and now Russ gets a hit with no one on.

116 - See 107-109.

This running into outs thing is starting to bother me.

I know it's absolutely killing Nate.

I hate running.

Yup. Refreshing before posting; sometimes I forget.

106. I think Piazza used to get some cheers when he came back. Not sure about LoDuca. But, yes, usually people boo, it seems.

116--Kent was running on a 3-2 pitch. I guess since Gonzo rarely Ks, its not that low of a percentage play, but with Russ on deck it was unnecessary.

114 It's not my fault he's not hitting well. It's a problem.

Don't fire a weapon at the guy who is merely bringing the message!

Um, how many teams play hit-and-run with their 4 and 5 hitters, and with their best # 3 hitter on deck? It's not like Walter Johnson is on the mound and chances need to be taken.

I like how the DBacks announcers were talking about Loney and they cut to a shot of Marlon Anderson. Um... wrong guy.

how many teams play hit-and-run with their 4 and 5 hitters, and with their best # 3 hitter on deck

I don't think that happens a lot because the #3 hitter would be batting out of order.

I like running...when it's done correctly by people who can, um, RUN.

Braves run Buddy Carlyle out tomorrow night v. the Nationals. I'll be watching!

And sorry for my slowness, but is 67 a list of the best Dodger hitting stretches of 100 or more PAs, ranked by OPS+, with the number listed there being the number of PAs being used ? In other words, did Marlon Anderson have an awesome stretch of 162 PAs last fall, or did he have an awesome stretch of PAs in which he OPSplussed 162?

This isn't as fun when there isn't anyone really exciting batting 7-8-9.

I know shifts up the defensive spectrum don't usually work, but I will hope against hope that Nomar can still play 3B. As an ex-SS he could still have enough arm, but range will be a question. He didn't show good range at 1B, but he also seemed to be pretty uncomfortable shifting from holding the runner to assuming the defensive position, and seemed to have timing problems with it as well. Maybe Nomar will be more comfortable just positioning and reacting at the hot corner.

Does anyone needs straws? I seem to have glommed onto a few.

131 Ethier is 7 for his last 11.

133 ... before tonight.

I find myself waiting for Loney and Kemp to come up.

They're not playing tonight.

128 It happens when the best #3 hitter bats sixth.

Merlin has 102 career PA as a Dodger.

from dodger notes...

Still unsigned are supplemental first-round pick James Adkins, a left-handed pitcher from the University of Tennessee; fifth-rounder Kyle Blair, a left-handed pitcher from Los Gatos (Calif.) High School; and 14th-rounder Devin Fuller, a right-handed pitcher from Gilbert (Ariz.) High School. Blair is the most likely to sign.

I think Gurnick is wrong....again.

Nomar definitely could have had the runner at 2nd on that one. Looking forward to seeing Loney over there soon...

Wowsa, Quentin is 5 for 7 vs. Penny so far in his young career.

It's hard to understand how LuGo can take THAT pitch on a 3-2 count. It was a strike all the way. He should have been all over it.

Make that 5 for 8.

130 Career Dodger OPS+. Marlon's Dodger OPS+ in '06 was 207 (!). That's hot.

but how often does the 6 hitter sacrifice?

138 - That had to be just a plain mistake on his part - he can't really mean that Blair would be the most likely.

143
He was really bunting for a hit and got a favorable ruling because there were none out.

137 Wow -- so the natural-but-hard-to-believe reading is correct? Those are OPS+ numbers for each person's entire Dodger career?

143 Not often, one would think.

Yeah, I'm sure Gurnick meant "least likely." And I thought they'd signed Adkins, no? Hm.

145 - Oh, ok. I just wouldn't expect that from someone who would tie our team's leader him homers.

With the new CBA, do unsigned sandwich picks get the team a do-over pick the next year, or is it still strictly the first thirty picks that are eligible for that protection?

Now that Abreu's days are numbered at 3rd I expect him to have a good series at AZ.

What could possibly be the purpose of running while bunting?

ouchy

where'd it hit him?

Penny's a righty--right.

Going out on a limb here, but that wasn't what Owings wanted to do.

That had to hurt for Penny.

125 - I know you're right about Nomar. Just something hard in the way you put it. Sounded like you were narrating Animal Farm, with the pigs strategizing on how to turn the old steed Boxer into glue.

that turned out well.

And... that wasn't what Furcal wanted to do.

Pitch hit Penny on the left arm, seems okay.

158 All 1st baseman are equal.

But some are more equal than others.

3 days now, no matter what we do it results in a double play. we run, and it's a strike em out throw em out, we don't run and its an easy 6-4-3. Nothing makes me want to put a hole in my wall more than the DP (on offense, strangely I love when the defense turns them)

Well, we have Slappy McClutch up here so we're fine.

154 Left elbow.
Poor Raf. This is the diff from last years team. Furc isn't all there. Someone recently suggested this at this site, and I have come to see how true it is.

Prior to tonight, the #6 hitter (not being a pitcher) had sacrificed seven times in the NL. While there were some banjo hitters like Oscar Robles, Alfredo Amezaga, and Juan Castro who did it, the list also includes Bengie Molina and Mark Reynolds.

There have been 9 sacrifices by the #6 spot in the AL this year, which makes some sense since the lineup construction is different.

158. If he thought he was going to a glue factory, he might kick it up a notch.

Owings is all over the place tonight.

Thats slappy McPopup, thank you.

I can never see that enough from Pierre.

(I should thank the Dodgers for giving me an opportunity to brush up on my sarcasm skills).

Padres 1st in San Francisco:
- M. Giles walked
- J. Cruz Jr. struck out swinging
- A. Gonzalez struck out swinging
- M. Cameron struck out swinging

From the LAT article on Nomar to third:
Manager Grady Little said he had been contemplating the move for about a week

Some people may have contemplated that move for a little bit longer.

I have a feeling that Pierre is Vin Scully's least favorite Dodger ever.

168 Yes, indeed, © 2007 underdog.

But I was trying to encourage him to branch out a little. So much for that.

Runners on 1st and 2nd, no outs, don't score.
Penny needs to pitch a shutout to win this one. Wait! Dodgers still need to score a run for Penny to win a shutout.

Crazy hair guy is up.

170 - Blast! I thought I told my fantasy team to start Lincecum, but apparently no.

I'll just blame ESPN.

Padres vs. Giants? I can't think of anything better for my mood! However, someone has to win, don't they. Not good in the long perspective.

170 On the less dark side, it took him 19 pitches.

and I started Lackey.

I hate fantasy.

Grace is endorsing retaliation on the Dbax broadcast.

177. maybe there will be an earthquake.

So after 3

Owings 52 pitches
Penny 36 pitches

180 He's really talking just out of boredom it would seem. He thinks Owings was getting back at Penny for a slide in the last game Penny pitched here, where he knocked over Hudson at 2nd base (even though it didn't really seem that flagrant). So he went with that theory for a good five minutes even though I think it's all a lot of bunk.

If Mr. Bonds cooperates, the Giants could have two players reach 75 and 750 career home runs in the same game now. Vizquel just picked up #75.

181 Hey, some of us are in San Francisco, and would prefer no quake tonight, thanks! ;-)

once again--so fun.

I asked last night but didn't get a reply. Does anyone know what days Kershaw will start in the next couple of series? I will be in Ft. Wayne the next 3 days where the Loons started a 4 game series tonight. I also may be able to get over to Dayton next week if he will pitch there.

Strange times, when we have to start rooting for the Gnats...

185. oops! sorry!

I remember quite a bit of fuss when the McCourts fired Derrick Hall, whom the Dbax announcers are interviewing right now.

Darn, I thought that one was going out for a second.

150: Alan Schwarz says: "Teams that fail to sign a first-round pick no longer receive an extra pick after the first round as compensation, but instead a virtually identical pick the following year; for example, a team that fails to sign the No. 5 pick one year will receive the No. 6 pick the next, rather than one in the 30s or 40s. The same compensation also now exists for unsigned second-round picks, while a team that fails to sign a third-round pick will receive a sandwich pick between the third and fourth rounds."

http://tinyurl.com/3b32h6

187- Thursday should be his normal day to start, and since he missed the start before his last start, I don't know of a reason to guess he won't make the Thursday start. But I don't really know.

190
Derrick Hall quit, he wasn't fired. He didn't want to work for the McCourts and he went to school at ASU.

His departure was I believe Indictment #47 in Bill Plaschke's case before the grand jury to have McCourt run out of town on a rail.

I've checked with Sam DC and apparently you can legally get someone run out of town on a rail now.

Ugh, Gonzo's not having his best night so far.

189 Hee, no worries.

--
All I know is Derrick Hall was boring me to tears.

The DBacks announcers have Herman Miller chairs.

Depends how wide the rail is.

Wait, Bob, why are you watching the DBacks announcers (on MLBTV I presume)? Aren't you in LA, within range of Vin? Are you just watching for the moment in the 8th inning when Broxton comes in?

197
I will check my copy of the Berman-McCain Rail Running Out of Town Act, P.L. 107-84.

194 I remember quite a bit of fuss when people tried to get that rail in L.A.

Derrick Hall quit, he wasn't fired. He didn't want to work for the McCourts and he went to school at ASU.

same is the case with Reggie Smith, but he didn't wanna work for NewsCorp the evil of all evils. the reason i mentioned him is because someone advocated getting him as a hitting coach.

Did I hear correctly: the D-backs have the roof open and the air conditioning on? I can understand the desire to be comfy and out-of-doors...but that seems a bit profligate.

198
They showed Mark Grace as he was the answer to the AFLAC question.

192- Thanks.

202
I believe the theory is that the hot air rises out of the stadium, while the cooler air of the A/C sinks down to the seats. If the roof is closed, the A/C doesn't get the benefit of the downdrafts.

193

Thanks Andrew. I was thinking the same thing, but after the long layoff before I just wondered if anyone was sure on that. If he does start Thursday, he should also start on July 3rd at Dayton. If that holds true, I may be able to see him twice.

202 They have the air on and the roof closed, but the air warms anyway. When they open the roof and shut off the AC, hot air rises, and cool air comes in...Sort of natural air conditioning.

It may also have something to do with the tides. Not sure.

203 Ahh.

---

Ahhhhh.... crap.

I guess the hot air was rising on that ball. Lucky that didn't get out of here.

196 If Mark Grace was as old-school as he wants us to believe, he'd announce the games standing up.

207
Tides?
What tides? Phoenix is in the middle of a desert?

210 These are the jokes, folks.

Hello? Check, check. Microphone check.

310 I was misinformed.

206- Skipping a start is somebody's theory of how to keep young pitchers from tearing up their arms. Seems like it's Conte's idea, but I don't really remember. It's been reported that the off time was not because of an injury.

In this game, Chris Young should have learned why he should not be trying to bunt for hits.

Telemachos had the right answer.

I put that one up on a tee for you, Brock. On a tee!

215 Take it easy on Mr. Brock; he's in his off-season.

What's the record for bats shattering in consecutive at bats?

216
If Greg Brock can't keep up with the pop culture references, just what do we have left to live for in this world?

Re: the Dodgers' offense tonight, to paraphrase the Borg from Star Trek, "Futility is resistant."

8-pitch inning, Owings at 72 through 5; at this rate, he can go seven innings in about 102 pitches.

wow, this D-Back pitcher is fooling the Dodger hitters impressively

221 - last time he hurt his leg against LA. I don't think he's gonna do that one again

Well, at least Furcal's arm still works.

Tell me why would a guy like John Lackey, one of the best pitchers in the AL, agree to do a kiss Derek Jeter's hiney commercial, in which he (Lackey) gets called a schmendrick. Carries on the myth that Jeter is God and nobody even knows who Lackey is. If I'm Lackey, I tell Winston Wolfe where to stick it.

To make matters worse, Jeter has stolen 7 this year and been caught 7 times.

218 When I miss a pop-culture reference, I cry a little bit inside.

And the Googles, they do nothing.

I hope Little learns to stop putting out these inferior lineups.

224
I would assume Mr. Lackey received a check with a bunch of zeroes in it.

Remember the video game commercial that featured the real Brad Radke and showed him giving up a lot of home runs just as he would in the video game?

227 How much do you really think they could have paid to an unidentified guy in that commercial? 3 zeroes tops? I don't think it would be worth it to a man like Lackey who makes a decent wage.

When long snapper Ethan Albright was the lowest player rated in Madden Football, somebody wrote a fictional letter to John Madden from Albright.

It's one of the funniest things I've read in years, but I can't link it. There are swears. Lots and lots of swears.

Brad Penny taking matters into his own hance, NICE.

Byrnes would have gotten him if he'd done the somersault throw.

Penny has to do it all for this team.

a Penny for your thoughts, Arizona.

Bad defense by Arizona - no one covering third.

The swunt cannot be stopped.

I do hope the Dodgers realize Penny is slow before they do this squeeze.

Yay! Pierre is up!

Penny has a ways to go to match Don Newcombe's record 9 doubles in a season for a Dodger pitcher. Andy Messersmith had 8 in 1974 for the L.A. record, including a major league record three in one game.

Penny's pretending to steal home is a hoot.

I hate to say it ,but that unplayable dink off Furcs. bat says it all for this years offence. There is no threat from Fucal or Nomar, implied or otherwise. That kills us as effectively as anything else.

Matt White is going to Japan, writes Ken Gurnick.

I think Wolf hit two doubles in a game earlier this year. I vaguely remember being there....

So we need Penny to pitch a complete game. For his pitching and his bat.

Man on third,nobody out, do we feel good----no.

241 Maybe there's a big schist market in Osaka?

That should be E-6.

Ch-i bless you Stephen Drew.

241
I would mention that a Japanese Baseball site, but those Mitch Jones fans are still after me.

243 I'm hopeful, but why is my internet frozen at 1-2 on Pierre?

yay

That was a DP ball.

243- There is nothing like a dame/Nothing in the world. . .

Pierre lined a ball up the middle that Drew booted and then Hudson booted. It was a regular Boot Hill there. Thankyouverymuch. 1-1.

Ah, a break.

Well, they wouldn't allow us to fail, as hard as we tried. This could be an inflection point. Or maybe not!

Vin seems to feel Loney should be at first, as far as I can read.

So we have a Pitcher getting a double.
A dribbler between the pitcher and 3b.
And an error on a double play ball.

So, that really does sum up the Dodger offense this year.

252 Nice.

the long walk of shame for Nomar.

2-0, right down the middle, and Nomar pops it up.

Poor Nomar, he always looks like my dog with its tail between its legs lately.

Well, all the DBax announcers' talk of Nomar's RISP average this year, leading the league, and yadda yadda, served to jinx the heck out of that at bat.

255 Sometimes the hard-hit balls turn into DPs, sometimes the easy DP balls are booted. It's sort of a yin-yang thing.

that veteran presence in the middle of the lineup...

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Chris Young's arm, and then Wan Pierre's arm. I rest my case.

Hey Grady how about a double steal you twit!

Hello there:

Sounded like Kent let out a yell thinking he just missed his pitch.

264 - Ease off the name-calling, Bluedog.

Gonzo passes Mark Grace on the all time hit list!

gonzo=clutch.

Gonzalez is really having him self a fine season, good for him.

Sorry about the name calling.Wont happen again.

Gonzo ups his PVL, while Nomar and Kent do not.

Gonzo's Proven Veteran Leadership is off the charts this year.

At least one veteran comes through lately.

Yesssss...Gonzo!!

265--Maybe thats where Russell has picked up his habit from.

Gonzo with a Nomar!

Yay, Gonzo!

Passing Mark Grace on the all-time hit list, at #97.

Quentin's throw was not quite as impressive as Young's. He almost hit the lip of the infield dirt taking his arm with him.

The Rockies have put up a 6 in the 9th to take a 9-8 lead over the Cubs. The last three scored on a homer by Tulowitzki.

The Cubs haven't gotten anyone out in the 9th.

262 ... comes through. At least 1 out of 3 did.

Woof, Bluedog. Maybe you just need to be taken out for walkies before the next inning. ;-)

Hate to abuse the dead horse in the room, but the batting order has become so anomalous. Why not drop Nomar back until he heats up? That said, Gonzo is the pleasant surprise that just keeps giving.

Hate to abuse the dead horse in the room, but the batting order has become so anomalous. Why not drop Nomar back until he heats up? That said, Gonzo is the pleasant surprise that just keeps giving.

Golden...God

martin=clutch.

booyah! backstopppp bacon!

Russell Martin. What a guy!

Golden. God.

Gosh, I didn't even think Martin got all of that ball. Wow.

Hate to abuse the dead horse in the room, but the batting order has become so anomalous. Why not drop Nomar back until he heats up? That said, Gonzo is the pleasant surprise that just keeps giving.

Yeah Russell!

I'll take that!

Huzzah! All hail the mighty Martin!

Martin might have won the game with that hit. Good job.

That Drew error really hurt the Dbax.

Russell Martin Superstar

Oh bless you Russ. Pitch counters would say they gave this guy just a little too much rope.

Cue the mancrush as Martin sticks a fork into Owings.

A Golden God beats Mica(h) anytime.

Rob, I think that dead horse is now glue on some elementary school desk ;-) but yes, I agree.

Russell just gave platonic goose bumps.

Sorry for the 3X post - blackberry posting is tough.

The Dodger catcher record for triples is likely unassailable. It's 9 by John Roseboro in 1958. He hit four at the Coliseum, which probably wasn't that hard for a lefty and 2 at Forbes Field, the best triples park ever.

290 Joe Morgan and I choose to not consider that an error. Instead, we give credit to Juan's Intangibles. Drew was in position for th play, but an Intangible shined a light in his eye.
Intangibles 1, Drew 0.

Brad Penny's OPS: .621
Juan Pierre's OPS: .632

292 98 pitches; it's a fine line. Plus he had to get an extra out (or two, but you can't assume that one.)

Yea Russell! It's woo time at the apollo, baby!

I thought I saw Kent come up a little lame earlier in the game, are we sure shifting Abreu over was purely a defensive maneuver?

i cant remember the last time a team won as many of one pitcher's starts as the Dodgers have of Penny's.

Dodgers could be 14-2 in Brad Penny starts this year if they hold on.

295
"Platonic goose bumps" conjures up a lot of other images too, but they are best left unsaid.

Martin has a starting assignement at Phone Park Stadium...Jul 10th!

26 pitches in the inning. Brad needs to make quick work of them and send a very tired pitcher right back out there.

Furc and Nomar I admire but they have looked so spent lately. And I'm afraid Kent may be getting there (I hope I am wrong in this case, because he is really trying to keep in shape, and is still doing OK).

302 Wondering the same thing. Seems a little early for the defensive cavalry.

but seriously Owens had Russell fooled with his nasty 2 seamer why would there back stop ask for a curve?? good for us, to bad for the D-Rays.

Penny is having a good night for pitch count. I hope this indicates a bit of a change from last year.

307 Furcal acknowledges his ankle is not 100%.

309

err, that should be D-Backs.

well, strike 3, instead of ball 4, to Tracy would have made for a sweet inning. ah well.

I don't even think we should count Penny's pitches. Just check his hat. When it's sweated through, it's time for the pen. Penny's hat is like my toothbrush. It tells you when it's done.

In 2000-01, the Mariners won 19 straight games that Aaron Sele started. Later in 2001, the Yankees won 20 straight starts by Clemens.

302, 308...speaking of defensive sub..howabout Loney for Nomar after this at bat?

I remember when Juan Cruz was supposed to be a future Cy Young contender.

I'd expect to see Kemp in there tomorrow after a quiet night from Ethier.

how about Loney for Nomar before this at bat?

abreu just swung at a ball that hit him. come on tony.

314
And how long does Penny have left tonight?

Didn't look like he fouled it off; looked like he swung at a ball that hit him.

316 The word "defensive" is unnecessarily limiting.

Abreu is a buffoon with the bat sometimes.

Stop swinging at pitches that will hit you! Just stop swinging so much, period!

I would say yes, and and have Loney PH for Penny, but Penny is going pretty storng right now..lonwg week, might need to save the bullpen if Penny can't keep it going

320 322 Did he really? That should make SportCenter.

321 Well, there's a little on the bill, and a little spot in the back. Me and the hat think he's got about another inning in him, tops.

The replay looked like Abreu did get a piece of it, but only before it would've hit him.

Grady is chewing pretty hard on something, that's a new look for him, isn't it?

325 Penny has only made 79 pitches. He's going at least one more inning.

replayed showed that he did foul it off his ribcage. It was close to buffoonery but not quite there.

The longest stretch of starts won by an L.A. Dodger pitcher is 12 by Messrs. Koufax, Drysdale, and Hooton.

311 I know this, and I don't fault him personally, but the result is hard to take after he was so good last year.

Whatever happens tonight, or this year for that matter, I can't express how much I enjoy watching Russell Martin play. Whether he just enjoys the game, or loves to win, or hates to lose, he seems like an old time ball player who brings every inch of his body to play every day.

Soriano bailed out the Cubs with a 2-run single in the 9th after Matsui made an error with 2 outs. Cubs win 10-9.

Wow Cubs came back! With 2 in the bottom of 9th..Soriano comes through with bases jack.

Sometimes I leave an inch or two of my body at home before I go to work; I just don't have that old-time ethic.

I guess I do vaguely remember that Roger Clemens streak.

Aaron Sele--no idea.
19 straight winning games in games that Sele started. Wow.

336
As a Mets said about Mike Maroth today and this could apply to Aaron Sele, "His best pitch is his offense."

The 2001 Mariners did win 116 games.

332 Martin is an absolute treat. Well said.

Penny could do 2 more innings if things go well for him.

332. I totally agree. We're lucky to have him.

I find myself rooting for the Giants tonight. It's kinda wierd.

335- Well, I guess somebody won't ever be an inspirational Plaschke column.

2Hrs allowed in nearly 105 innings for Penny this year. ERA at 2.07

342
Maybe one day, Plaschke will find out that he lost his job because Frank McCourt forgot to send in some paperwork for him. That would make Plaschke happy.

Or maybe El Lay Dave will lose his job because a selfish pro athlete hits his Prius and doesn't leave a note. (There are other witnesses who will tell Plaschke of this.)

It'll be Peavy vs Penny on Saturday with the winner to start the All Star Game.

Strange times indeed, I'm keeping an eye on the Gnats - Pods game, can't help but to be pleased with the score right now. Hopefully Penny can get a CG..as Bills is up tomorrow night.

Gameday says it's 103 degrees. Is that the city temp or is it that hot on the field?

The Giants-Padres game is on HD, unlike the Dodgers game.

"That's gonna be an out"

Sigh. Yes, Vin. Yes it is.

Guess that's Nomar's last at bat for tonight. Loney in for D?

345
I'll be there Saturday. That game will probably end up 10-9.

BOOM GOES THE BETEMIT

i'd close the book on Penny & give the ball to Brox then Saito.

that was a boom.

A Betemit HR! Maybe Nomar can take some ground balls at SS.

WILSON!!

Yeah, I have a new nickname idea for Wan Pierre:

Otto Maticoutt.

Betemit with a homer batting right handed.

you could tell that was gone

344 Y'know, I do work in El Segundo, so there are some selfish pro athletes that do practice and train nearby....

(And for the record, I, too, agree with the sentiment in 332 )

His power looks as easy from the right as it does from the left.

I'd let Penny go one more inning or until he gives up a baserunner, whichever comes first.

357 He's beyond "The Player" now. He's Fredo.

Wilson, showcasing himself for other teams...

A third of his hits are home runs, wowsa.

Keep Penny in...he's only 92 pitches..go for the CG

Broxton hasnt pitched since last thursday, so he might get the call in the 9th.

357 Brilliant

362

i don't know i just wanna play it safe with him, we all know what happened last year.

363 I think he does indeed inspire more nicknames than hits.

"El Lay Dave was having a nice day in El Segundo.

Then Andrew Bynum decided he didn't like hybrid vehicles.

Now El Lay Dave has to take the Green Line everywhere."

Tonight we have 5 runs on 7 hits and a walk. Very unlike last night.

{362}

but it looks like Grady went with your form of thought tonight.

"Your search - Otto Maticoutt - did not match any documents."

Is is still "BOOM goes the Betemit" for the right-handed ones? Are they "MOOB" instead?

Don't blink during Thursday's game, it might be over by the time you open your eyes

© 2007 underdog.

In 1963, Sandy Koufax started 40 games.

The Dodgers were 34-6 in those games.

374 I think I need a little bit of drums
I need just a little bit of mandolin

People in the room doing Boom like it's never been done.

Penny has a nice K zone tonight for sure.

I assume Loney will be in to pinch-hit for Penny if his spot comes up, but if it doesn't will they let him finish it out?

{377} For us old guys those were the glory days.

i normally dont do this but i found this post quite hilarious. its from the dodgers.com board and I'm not quite sure if its facetious or not.

who died and made russell one of the most valuble players of this ballclub Iam tired of hearing his name over and over again yeah the kid has had a great season,but does the kid deserve what he is getting. I believe we are making this kid out to be a monster we should be focusing on our veteran players, players that have been there before not some kid that wishing for his big moment I think were letting our emotions get the best of us. I dont know who should be more embarrassed the fans or the veterans on the team. the kid needs time to grow, we should be focused on winning more ballgames then admitting our boy to the all star game!

lol

Do you leave Penny in to try to get the CG? Might as well try to spare your bullpen if you can, methinks.

370 Bynum could probably wreak havoc on a Prius, if he were motivated.

Public transportation between El Segundo and the NW SF Valley is not that friendly, although the LADOT Commuter Express bus is ok. I have used it occasionally, in a pinch.

Great job, Penny.

if they bat around, we can see Kemp

382 That board, like ItD, is an abyss.

380 383 Depends how you feel about 104 pitches and Penny being rested enough for San Diego.

With at least a four run lead, do you risk a non-stopper to finish out? Hendrickson!?

382 Somebody tell that PR department to stop running campaigns and start throwing some batting practice!

Wait, is Otto Maticoutt a soccer thing?

No wonder the Angels are doing so well, their first six hitters in the line-up are all over .300 (tonight's line-up at least)

In 1985, the Dodgers were 19-4 when Bob Welch started.

390 Someone needs to watch more Simpsons

377 I don't want to put you through this again, but I'll just accept that '63 or '64 was the year I saw Sandy strike out 13 Mets as a kid.(Me the kid, that is). No need to confirm.

Loney, start loosening up.

Isn't Otto's last name Mann?

394 I went to Cooperstown last week for the first time. Koufax's plaque was a highlight.

2-0 to Abreu?! Kinda rare.

396 yes

abreu resisted every urge in his body to swing at that. baby steps, baby steps.

396 I'm talking more about Bart's phone calls to Moe's

Wow, Abreu got bailed out on that call. He looked awful though on his "check swing".

And we complain about Kemp not being able to lay off a breaking pitch. Abreu is just a sucker for an inside curve.

yay, he walked!

401- Check. I'm slow.

Vinnie just said Kent is day to day after fouling a ball off of his foot, i wonder who gets the starting gig in his absence??

Let Penny sac.

Tony Abreu does that Oakland thing.

Wow. I'd have bet even money he swings at the pitch at his eyes.

400 That's pretty much every time he doesn't swing.

Loney!

Kent had an injured foot, says gameday

394
July 12, 1963. Koufax struck out 13 Mets as the Dodgers won 6-0 at the Polo Grounds. One walk, three hits.

Game score of 92.

Who says Loney doesn't have power?

dear mother of god! LONEY!!

oh my god, please dont let james loney be an illusion!

You're fired, Nomar.

James Loney will not be denied. You will not deny James Loney.

406 You'd think Abreu.

who said loney had no pop?

Is there a place for Nomar to take grounders during tomorrow's game since Loney will be playing 1B?

I could get used to watching Loney hit.

Gee, I kind of like this kid.

Padres have 2nd and 3rd with none out in the 8th after Kline relieved Lincecum.

Just another triple for Loney

JATFL

Loney has no power. He will always be a line drive hitter, and only damage rails.

Loney didn't try to run home on Byrnes?

Vin says "Nomar goes to get the 5-finger glove"

419 I don't know how you take grounders at "bench," but he should figure it out.

Can Nomar play 2nd?

420

I wouldn't mind watching his D & Bat.

Sweet Baby James Loney!

My intense man-love for Russell Martin is being threatened by my insane man-love for James Loney.

419- They've got to be somewhere near the new Spring Training facility, unless it hasn't been built yet.

Who's going to finish this game, Hendrickson or Tomko?

Hey, Nomar, don't touch James Loney.

Nothing gives you that right.

Whats the record for most triples to begin a career in your first 150 Abs?

Loney has 7 triples in his first 131abs.

chic alors!

433 Nomar?

435

just curious Joey, has your tune changed for Loney? Would like to hear your thoughts.

I feel sorry for Peguero. It looks like they are going to leave him out there.

James Loney March and Chowda Society!

... then Furcal swings at the first pitch. I mean geez.... the pitcher walked two batters before him! How about a little patience. The fans on this site obviously have it. So give back a little, hmmmm?

Pepe Le Pierre took some pitches and magnanimously contributed. Good work for him.

it makes it that much more frustrating knowing that Nomar is struggling yet he gets the nod at 1st, i'm glad Grady is having a change of hart.

We probably have to go back to the Butler - DeShields era to find such a triplin' dodger team.

aww, shucks. Kemp doesn't get to bat

438--Not yet, too small a sample.

The Giants' bullpen sucks

A JP sighting!

435
Loney already was the record holder with 6 starting the game.

Cameron just ruined Lincecum's game!
3-2 padres.

By my memory (admittedly not the best :-) ) James Loney has a hit in every game in which he has an AB (nine) including three games where he was a pinch hitter.

Even when the Gnats are bad, they still manage to hurt us!

Cameron homers in SF.... 3-2 Friars.

now we just need to get Laroche healthy and up here with all his buddies and everything will be great.

"Big ol' chunk of manhood out there!" says Mark Grace.

So, I stepped away for a bit. How'd Kent hurt himself and is he okay?

449 Loney went 0-1 against the Angels last Sunday. And he went 0-1 against the RF wall as well.

453 fouled a pitch off himself. He's day to day.

I guess JP isn't Otto Maticoutt after all. (No, I didn't get that from the Simpsons though it does sound like one of Bart's crank calls.)

Before we're all too quick to sit Nomar down, tomorrow's starter, Edgar Gonzalez, is he who allowed the one Nomar HR.

Jeff Heath had seven triples in his first 102 ABs, over two seasons. Probably more in his first 150 ABs, but BB-ref hasn't got the game logs broken down from that era.

That was a nice play by our future second baseman.

Grace just called Broxton a "black rhino"
and that "if he charges you, you should cancel Christmas"

The last time Broxton came into the game in this type of situation, it was in San Diego with the Dodgers several runs ahead, and they ended swallowing a bitter defeat.

I think Mark Grace may need to be asked to stay at least 300 yards away from Broxton at all times.

sounds like Grace needs to respect rule 11.

461 Lightning. Striking. Twice. Not happening.

461 Not tonight

We win!

Gracie loves Broxton like George Bluth loves ice cream sandwiches.

Broxton didn't pitch in Tampa/St. Pete, so I guess he needs the work.

Tomorrow is a big game for the Dodgers. From the Dodger Thoughts 2007 prediction thread, here is what I wrote (post #70):

"The Dodgers' 94-68 record in 2007 rested mostly on the shoulders of Rafael Furcal (125 runs scored), All-Star Russell Martin (.290/.374/.440), and a 2002-Angels-esque "no gaping holes" starting rotation.

And I'm glad I was able to see almost all of the games here from San Diego, even though I don't have DirecTV, because MLB and InDemand were able to work out a deal on Saturday, March 31.

Also, don't forget the amazing comeback win in Arizona on June 26. Not quite 4+1, but memorable nonetheless."

I hope they don't fall behind with Billingsley starting, but even if they do fall behind, I have faith they will come back.

461 - but this was a 7 run lead. That's Baez-proof.

Penny gave us a well pitched game when we needed it, hopefully the Gints can pull of a come from behind win against the Pads tonight.

464 465 Good win, all. Happy to see Broxton succeed in take two (sorta).

470

nothing... is Baez proof.

Giants have 2 on and 1 out with Bonds in the hole. Can I force myself to root for Bonds?

Well, that was a sweet win. Fingers crossed for Billingsley tomorrow. (Belated thanks, to 455 btw. Hope he's okay.)

The Angels are losing at home to the Royals?

The Giants have two on, one out in 8th.

I gotta go do some work. Happy trails, y'all.

I often wish we had signed Dave Roberts instead of JP but then he wouldn't have been able to knock in the tying run tonight!

It's all tide up in SF with only 1 out & men at 3rd & 1st.

474 If it's still important when he comes up, a single is probably enough. Root for that - no bomb.

Runners on 2nd and 3rd. Durham up, Bonds on deck. 3-3

Good lord, Roberts steals second, leaving first available with Bonds up. What a stupid idea.

A bad error led to two runs for the Royals, or else the Angels would be in this one.

They'll walk Bonds to pitch to Padres' old friend Ryan Klesko with 2 out and the bases full in a 3-3 game.

Scratch that, didn't realize he stole when Durham was still batting.

Durham makes an out and Bonds gets the IBB to load the bases for Klesko

454. That was the game I was worried about. Thanks. Somehow I convinced myself he got a hit before hitting that wall.

Klesko chokes. 3-3 going to 9th. Okay, back to work.

And it works out for the Friars.

Are they called the Friars in the rotisserie leagues?

481 As one of the resident Halo fans here (I like the team, sometimes the announcers get on my nerves), but seriously, Garrett's injury has to be a blessing in disguise so far or am I just imagining that their good play coincided with Reggie playing on a regular basis?

Colletti tells KK that out of any player on the dodgers, the most calls have been for Betemit.

interesting.

Just had a minute or two to read the intro -among other things, asking why not include Wilson's pinch-hitting when comparing his #'s to Nomar's. In the particular context of contris from 3rd base, Wilson has made almost none, save for the three or four-game stretch, mostly Mets, that had him headed for Cooperstown. His split is amazing, and, at least to this codger, baffling. Not sure I've ever seen anything so extreme. Once again, tonite, he showed his powerful ease as a pinch-hitter; in Tampa, he continued to show he was unfit for regular duty. So, if the discussion is about playing third,
he has refused to be a serious candidate.
As for Nomar at third, point well-taken. I saw a good deal of him that year, and did not flash Brooks Robinson (or even Adrian B.) once...

I strongly suspect that Reggie Willits is a witch.

492
Does Reggie Willits float?

490 First off, he's contract friendly and second, he can hit homers in a league where affordable power is on short supply. (That's kind of the same answer)

490 Did Kevin Kennedy say something like when I was managing, I had to sit so and so all-star down and move him around for the sake of the ball club.

If he didn't already say that, he will.

489 I think Garrett's injury has helped in that it has kept him out of the lineup when he wasn't producing. If he was going to be healthy, I think he could hit well and would make a good DH. But he tends to play dinged up and then his numbers go down. Reggie has been incredible and done far more than I expected. Too bad they didn't put him in CF and then acquire a big LF bat.

I think the winning coincides with Reggie, Figgins and Kotchman all getting hot. Kotchman has been a huge boost, and Kendrick is developing nicely. Even Morales is lending a hand. They have a chance to be a great team if all this talent continues to develop. Hopefully the injuries in the starting rotation are just minor.

494- Thirdly, they think they can get him for a string of shiny beads.

Betemit does his best work when he does not start. I think Grady should have a proxy 3rd baseman whose name he writes in the lineup so Betemit doesn't know that he's starting. Then, just before the first pitch, he taps Betemit on the shoulder and points towards 3rd base.

493 - He's got a wart.

Willits has always been known for having a good eye. If a .439 OBP (higher than SLG!) is a sign of a witch, then yes.

493 That should only be answered in a water tank sitting on a stage with two mini-skirted models and a couple street carnival acts off to the side.

Will he float, will he float?

490 - The teams that are calling are probably teams needing a third baseman just like the Dodgers were needing until recently.

Did anybody notice Abreu doing a pretty good job of not swing at bad pitches.

Now if Kemp would start finding time in CF.

502 In 132 I try to be optomistic about Nomar as a third baseman, but it is no certainty how well he'll play the position. It could work out, it could be a horror show of rangeless butchering and scatterarmed throws. I'm hoping for adequecy.

503 Except for the curveball that would have hit him in the hip. and the ball at his ankles that he should have been rung up on (check swing).

Abreu is going to have to hit a ton to keep a decent OBP.

498
What is the opposite of that for Wolf?

503 There was some discussion of that in his last (?) PA, but there was also discussion of some ridiculous swings in earlier appearances, including one he barely fouled into his chest, that appeared would have hit him. Obviously he's getting OTJ training.

491 -

1) Betemit homered as a third baseman tonight, not as a pinch-hitter.

2) You keep making out my support for Betemit to be bigger than it is. I have gone out of my way to say that I don't think of him as an All-Star. I think of him as the best option the Dodgers currently have a third base, save for perhaps Nomar, although even there I'm not convinced Betemit isn't better.

3) Why does the Tampa Bay series count but the Mets series doesn't count?

505 He walked didn't he and besides those were only two pitches out of let me guess 20.

506 Wolf need to warm up for the game like a boxer underneath the stands. Let a few loose, break a sweat before he takes the field.

Of course he'll have nothing after five innings, but....

509 He did walk. That last at bat was very good.

Abreu swung at at least three horrible pitches tonight.

510 - Maybe he could hang with Pierre sitting in the dugout 4 hours before the game, walk the foul lines, sniff the chalk lines, etc.

512 - So he is already cutting down from 10 to three

Abreu needs to realize he's already off the island.

Tonight I'm happy:

- 8 fine innings from Penny, resting the bullpen.
- 8 runs, 9 hits, 2 triples, 4 LOB
- Another ball leaping off the bat of Loney and the promise of significantly increased playing time for him
- Luis Gonzalez still proving me wrong

I'll worry about Abreu's undisciplined youth, Kent's bound to be nagging injury, and Nomar's third baseman's glove tomorrow.

Willits's 2007 line: .343/.439/.409
Willits's BABIP fx(LD%) adjusted line: .278/.379/.343

516 I forgot:

- Russell Martin
- a right-handed HR from Boom-Boom Betemit

I would imagine he has about 24 teammates and 6 coaches telling him that. Hopefully he can get his subconscious to work with his conscious and stop swing at those bad pitches.

Well 23 teammates, Kent might not be commenting yet.

With Ramon Martinez soon to be off the DL as well as Tso, who will be the two current Dodgers to be moved. Abreu would seem to be a logical candidate, since Martinez does the same thing. While Betiment has his issues, he does provide real pwoer off the bench. It seems that Tomko and Hendrickson are very similiar, who would be the easier one to unload?

This Tomko "Before the Bigs" show is full of hilarious quotes. Like him noting that he "wasn't very good" at baseball in high school.

You still aren't, Brett.

As much as this pains me to write this because he is now a Dodger, no Fight On in Utah tonight as former USC Trojan, Paul Koss retires but one out of seven batters he faces and all six who reached, 1 via walk and 5 hits, all scored as Orem beat Ogden 9-6.

2nd place baby!

Jeff Weaver with a nice game tonight against a quality opponent. Seattle staying in the wild card hunt.

Pedro Feliz beats the Padres because their best pitcher was sitting in the pen for a save opportunity that never came.

Tony Jackson writes that Penny's actress girlfriend was at the ballpark tonight and was waiting for Brad in the service tunnel.

Padres fall in 11. Dodgers tied for wild card now. Going for first place tomorrow.

521 I'm actually assuming Martinez's days as a Dodger are coming to an end.

One of Tomdrickson may not be long for this team, either.

The Padres have lost a bunch of 1-run games this year. They are something like 11-16 in 1-run games.

526 Several lines popped in my head, all rules violations.

I wonder what Eliza was wearing in 100-degree weather.

Betemit for Gagne:)

530
Probably more then she is currently wearing.

530
I've grown accustomed to her face.
She almost makes the day begin.
I've grown accustomed to the tune that
She whistles night and noon.
Her smiles, her frowns,
Her ups, her downs
Are second nature to me now;
Like breathing out and breathing in.

Also on Jackson's blog:
``I wasn't feeling too good about (the decision [to push back Penny and start K/Guo earlier]) yesterday,'' Little said, ``but it turned out pretty good tonight.''

Does Grady think K/Guo wasn't good enough yesterday? Or am I just being hyper-sensitive?

IP-5.1 H-4 R-3 ER-3 BB-1 K-8 HR-1 Pitches/Strikes-95/63

He left the game after striking out Carl Crawford and his inherited runner scored on the drop by Lieberthal on the runner Gonzalez had thrown out. Yes, K/Guo is still throwing too many pitches, but that wasn't a bad start.

532 533 The younger guy goes for the 50-year old musical reference, the not-as-young guy the undisguised innuendo. What a blog!

Y'all will be crushed to know that John Kruk just changed his mind about who will win the NL West. He had the Dodgers at the start of the year but said on ESPN tonight that he's changing his pick now to the Padres, in part "because of Schmidt's injury and Nomar and Kent's down years." Now, all that could be fair 'nuf, but it seems like he's only superficially paying attention to the team. Anyway, he's John Kruk.

When you've lost John Kruk, you've lost the center.

Center of what...No idea.

I don't know but I think his head is filled with a creamy nougat center.

Mmmmm... creamy nougat kruk... oooohhh {drool}

Wait, what were we talking about?

Anyway, it's almost as golden as Steve Phillips picking against you, so I'll take it.

Attempting to find the center of John Kruk is a Jules Vernian task.

He has a gravitational pull, so I guess he is the center of a galaxy.

Kruk is fine as the bumbling lummox.

Making said bumbling lummox (bumblox?) one of your lead analysts is crazy. Still better than Phillips.

TradeSports has the Padres narrowly ahead of the Dodgers and well ahead of the Dbacks, at the top of the NL West heap. It's not a clearly wrong pick, though it doesn't sound like Kruk put too much thought into it.

Question [/Schrute]:

In the post game chit-chat with the Fox guy, Grady said something along the lines of "We're going to make the move and see if it works out" with Nomar.

And if Nomar is Sweeney Todd with the leather over there? Then what?

543- Grady makes himself a pie.

Nomar made 6 errors in 34 games at third base with the Cubs. That's not good.

Not complaining, mind you. I wanted this to happen. Just meditating on it a little bit.

I'm taking it as a given that he's going to be bad. If he starts hitting, I won't care. If he doesn't start hitting, I still won't care.

546, Same here. Whatever it takes to get Loney in the lineup is okay by me. Now I've just got to find some way to get Kemp in there and my work will be done. :-)

We're facing all righthanders this week. I'm expecting Little to alternate Ethier and Kemp. The other two guys will probably all seven games.

548. probably play

Got to give some credit to Nomar for being very open to this. Of course, I will be calling for his permanent benching if he continues hitting like this.

It appears that Vince McMahon gave a tribute show tonight to a guy that murdered his wife and his own son.

http://tinyurl.com/2uy83u

551
It seems so odd, because he apparently rushed home for a family emergency. Just absolutely crazy that Benoit could do something like that.

While I'm happy that Little is determined to get Loney into the lineup, this is really a choice of Loney over Betemit, not over Nomar. I have no confidence at all that Nomar will start to hit like the Nomar of old (to say nothing of the Nomar of pre-ASB 2006). And I think I might even be more confident about Betemit than Jon is.

Now, maybe this switch to 3rd is Little's way of biding time. If Loney falls back to Earth, he can reverse course (or at least platoon) while looking good for having given Loney a shot. If Nomar perks up, great. If he continues to stink and his defensive deficiencies become more obvious at 3rd, then he can slowly ease him into a 3rd-base platoon with Betemit, and reassess in the off-season. If that's what's going on, I applaud Little's attempt to "manage" in the fullest sense of the word. But if by "permanent," Little means that he has given up on Betemit, I'll be disappointed.

551 I think it's going to turn out a little more complex than that. I don't want to feed any rumor mill stuff, but some reports are floating out that make it sound different.

I have little hope that Nomar will come around. If there were a way to put money on it, and I had any to spare, I'd bet Betemit was more productive over the rest of the year than Nomar will be. I hope he's almost out of rope, since it would be a shame to keep playing pretend all year long, but it'll be the same flavor shame if we have to do it with Pierre, so, at least it'll be familiar.

The FO has now addressed half of one of the two big problems with this team. It took three months. Scott Erickson's last appearance in 2005 was on July 24th, though; maybe it's progress.

re: nomar

hallelujah! why didn't this happen back in spring training?

Ned Colletti makes all of these moves in the offseason with the end result being that the team on the field is basically what it would have been anyway. Kuo/Billingsley in the rotation, Loney starting, and Kemp platooning. The big difference between 2007 and 2005 is that the kids are completely ready to step in, while Depo's backup plan was spare parts and AAAA players. The offseason was a miserable failure, Gonzo is playing well, but Nomar, Pierre and Schmidt are out or worthless. Still, fantastic pitching, kudos on signing Wolf and it only took 70 games for the kids to get a chance.

557 - And we have one of the best records in the NL. There is a lot to complain about, but compared to the rest of the teams, we are doing really well.

553 this is really a choice of Loney over Betemit

That is what I was thinking in Spring Training, that it was not a contest between LaRoche and Betemit, that instead it was between Betemit and Loney if the Dodgers had the guts to move Nomar to third.

Maybe the next question is how long will Nomar continue to hit third? That may take another 70 games.

There is a story in management texts that goes something like this. A guy makes a bad decision that costs the business over a $ Million and is called into the CEO's office. The guy thinks he is going to be fired but the CEO says why would I fire you, I just spent over a $ Million training you.

Will McCourt be as objective with Colletti after spending about $100 Million to train him?

557
Maybe the plan was to make sure the kids didn't have the pressure of playing right from the start. Everyone assumes Ned has no plan and it makes no sense. They don't meet everyday and talk about the Lakers. We saw plenty of failures this season with teams that went with the kids right from the start. Marte, Kouz, Gordon, Quentin, Drew, and C Young just to name a few all struggled out of the gate. The kids who have done the best Braun and Pence both were allowed to percolate in AAA before being moved into high pressure situations. It is possible the Ned or Logan knows what they doing when it comes to getting the kids ready to play at this level. If Loney had started out as slow in the majors as he did in AAA this year who knows how his psyche would have taken it. It is one thing to let down a AAA team compared to letting down 50,000 fans every night and your million dollar teammates. Nomar/Pierre have been through it before so when they slump they know it will work out but I expect it is harder on the kids who haven't been through the grind of a major league season. Loney is up and he broke down the door. Kemp has broken down his door but we have wee bit more of a roadblock in his way. A four man rotation is all I ever asked for in 2007 and it looks like that is what we will have. Just need Kuo and Billingsley to hold up their ends of the bargain and it really is the team most envisioned this spring but that we said it may take until August to see. We're now a head of the timetable. Nomar now has to produce at 3b because there is no going back to 1st base. I think the plan is to give him until the trade deadline and see if he is the answer and if not then a deal will be made for a 3b and Nomar becomes an expensive utility player. The best part of baseball is the fluidity. Thousands of words will be written about this move and they could all become moot if anyone goes down with an injury. Other then Schmidt this has been a very healthy season for us.

My son is in a baseball camp thing this week. All the kids get blue camp T-shirts to wear. On Opening Day, the head coach explained that the camp color is blue to honor the Dodgers who changed America by signing Jackie Robinson.

[sniffle.]

562 Nice.

[standing ovation]

Now will they wear red next week to honor Christian Guzman, the greatest shortstop in Nats' history?

From Rotowire:
Lugo is now zero for his last 29 at-bats and is 5-for-62 (.081) in his last 16 games. "I don't know if he's even been through this," Red Sox manager Terry Francona told the Providence Journal, "with his speed and what he's done in the past. It's surprising to all of us. I just know if he gets going, he's going to help us a lot."

Evidently Terry was unaware of Lugo's struggles for the Dodgers. Who knew he could actually be worse. At this point Boston has had just as lousy a winter as the Dodgers but they are also in 1st place. It will be curious to see which duo turns it around 1st, Lugo/Drew or Pierre/Nomar.

Not that the Brooklyn Dodgers had anything to do with Blue.

564 - LA will see Boston's Lugo/Drew with their Pierre/Nomar, and raise them one shredded Schmidt shoulder.

If Dice-K goes down with TJ surgery this year, we can talk again about who had the worse offseason.

Between Mueller and Garciaparra the $$$ have been invested at third and now the ROI will soon be known. ROI = runs + rbi over invested millions.

I don't know, they spent the amount of the Schmidt signing just to talk to Dice-K and he hasn't been any better then Wolf. Throw in the unexpected offensive resurgance of Gonzo and I think we still have an open discussion even with Schmidt out for the year.

568 - Yeah but, that could change if Ned gives Gonzo a two year contract based on this year's production.

they spent the amount of the Schmidt signing just to talk to Dice-K and he hasn't been any better then Wolf

Dice-K ERA+ 112
Wolf ERA+ 100

And Drew's still in his prime, and likely will get better as the season goes on. His ISO patience is still good, and his power is slowly coming back. Nomar has no patience and is swinging a fly swatter.

As for Lugo, I'm not sure what the Red Sox were thinking. They gave up on Renteria after 1 year, maybe they do the same with Lugo.

Loney now has 7 extra base hits in 29Abs. Nomar has 11 in 265. Thats crazy talk.

561)

I completely agree with your well thought out statement here. What makes me excited about Nomar moving to third is that Grady is not afraid to make some necessary changes to bring in the young players. I imagine if Nomar continues to dwindle at the plate, Grady will be prepared to turn him into a utility player. I guess the question will be whether we will stick with Betemit/Abreu after that or whether we will go after a bat at third base.

Wow, tough loss for SD last night. Gaslamp Ball is calling for a fire sale to make way for the 2010 season. First one on the sale rack, Peavy. It's funny because John Kruk's comments almost assured him that the Padres were now done for the year.

573 Agreed -- with one note -- it's not just Grady. There's no way that this decision was made without Colletti 100% on board... Well, I guess it could have been, but if that's the case, it's very bad news... you can't have the manager and the GM on such different pages. Of course, I think Colletti was on board, and he deserves his share of the credit for this decision, whether it works out or not.

Thanks to 561 for reminding me about that point of view. I'm not sure I agree entirely -- any plan that involves signing Juan Pierre for 5 years needs to be rethought, in my opinion -- but it's interesting to think about his contract as a way to buy time for Kemp. If Kemp is ready to be the full time left fielder next year and the full time center fielder in 2009, and if Pierre is tradable at that point (with 3 years left on his deal), this plan looks a lot better.

Still hate that guy, though, and I'm still gonna count all his outs.

574--Do they not think Peavy is going to re-sign with them?

I think with Germano's emergence, and Hensley being ready to come back---dealing David Wells back to the Yankees could be an option.

No matter his faults, Colletti is certainly flexible: while you need the player's approval, I'm hard-pressed to think of another team willing to do such a move with a "name player": the only ones that come to mind are A-Rod/Jeter and Nomar when he was snagged by the Cubs... but both of those position changes came via trade.

And, of course, Colletti's off-season moves can be seen as him wanting maximum flexibility no matter what happens... while occasionally it means a terrible decision (The Player), it also means a willingness to experiment (the rotating third-base situation).

576)

Here is the quote from Dex at Gaslamp

However, now that Kruk has given us his blessing, I'm pretty sure that means we've seen the best that the Padres have to offer. No postseason for us!

So, how do we fix the team for next year? Our bullpen is built on smoke and mirrors. Half of our starting rotation will qualify for discounts on coffee and museums sometime this year. We have no offense to speak of.

My offered solution: Firesale.

"If we get rid of Peavy now, for the contract that we have him signed to, we can easily acquire 4-5 hot prospects to get ready for a run in 2010. We'd still have Chris Young and Geronimo to hold us over so that we're not completely embarrassed in our down years.

I'm telling you. Firesale. It's our only hope to salvage this pitiful display."

The only thing funnier than Dex's post is the number of readers over there that don't understand "tongue-in-cheek"

Ludicrous column by Jon Heyman on teams that would take Bonds in a trade:
http://tinyurl.com/2jd242

579) I concur. Especially with the obvious absurdity of offering up Peavy.

Reading the Gaslamp Blog and the comments makes me realize how similar the Dodgers and Padres are this year. It will be interesting to see where things are come September. I don't think I was this excited about Summer baseball last year.

580 - What is this "pipeline" he speaks of?

Why wouldn't the Yankees at least have a glimmer of interest in having Barry take Giambi's spot as DH? Damon could play first if he's no longer capable of centerfield.

From the Heyman article Bob linked:

Plus, longtime nemesis Jeff Kent has a pipeline to the owner's wife, Jamie McCourt.

I don't know what that means, but it sounds disgusting.

Some Chicago sportswriter wants to fleece us for Buehrle. He name drops Kershaw, Loney and Kemp (among others).

http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/rozner.asp?id=326335

584 As if someone with a astronaut fixation should talk.

On a somewhat serious note, Kent has participated in the last two years in the clinics that Jamie McCourt puts on for her Women's Introduction Baseball and networking seminars at Dodger Stadium.

From an AP story in May 2005 -

Among the Dodgers expected to be involved with WIN is second baseman Jeff Kent, who has made major contributions to the women's athletic department at the University of California, his alma mater.

"Combining athletics and academics has always been very important to me, and the WIN program is a great step in the right direction," said Kent, who has a daughter and three sons.

As Madeline Kahn's character said in Blazing Saddles, "What a swell guy."

586 Bob - you know the writer means Cal-Berkley and I know that but is it correct AP style to identify it as just the University of California?

those rubes in la they'll fall for anything. give them podsednick if they complain.

587
As opposed to Jayson Stark referring to a baseball game between "Cal Fullerton" and "Cal Irvine."

NPUT

586 - Well, apparently he's only doing it so that he can prevent LA from acquiring Bonds (or so Jon Heyman would have you believe). If it weren't for Kent, LA would be all over Bonds!

561- Pedroia and Buck had jobs at the beginning of the year. Harris (if he still counts; he is a rookie) and Hamilton got jobs after a couple of weeks. It looks like Loney's going to get his job after about three months.

I can't see how it's possible to read the Pierre contract as anything but Colletti signing a player he liked to a long contract. Is there really any such thing as a five year bridge?

I understand the importance of having a plan B, I don't understand having Plan B be very likely better than plan A. Especially at 1B, where Saenz is a better than average plan B.