
Jon's other site:
Screen Jam
TV and more ...
Dodger Thoughts T-Shirts
On sale through February 16, 2008


Click here to order.
* * *
The Best of Dodger Thoughts
A 325-page book featuring the top selections from this website from 2002-2005.
Click here for more information.
* * *
Or, just make a donation to support the site. Many thanks.
"Dodger Thoughts, like TiVo, is one of those things you can completely do without until you start using it."
- Fanerman
SI.com
NL West Preview
Evaluating Defense
Colletti and Depo
World Baseball Classic
Minor League Broadcasters
Slow Starts
Eric Gagne
Groundball Pitchers
Dodger Prospects
Albert Pujols
Humbled Angels
You Be the Manager
Eric Gagne II
Unreliable Relievers
Revived Angels
It's Okay To Sell
Dodger Turnaround
Andre Ethier
Padres-Dodgers Showdown
NL Final Weekend
Mets-Dodgers NLDS
Postseason ratings
NL Wish Lists
Manny vs. J.D.
McGwire Controversy
Dodger Offense
Trainers Matter
Variety
Will Arnett
John C. McGinley
Laura Dern
Imelda Staunton
SAG Awards
Ellen Pompeo
Grey's Anatomy
2004-05 Rookie Dramas
Anthony Hopkins
NATPE
Scrubs
Award Shows
Topher Grace
Ashton Kutcher
Writing on Improv Shows
Rainn Wilson
T.R. Knight
Guest Actors
Animation Guests
Joey Carson and Tennis
Donald Trump and Golf
2006 Emmys Nominees*
*Comedy Series
*Comedy Director
*Comedy Writer
*Comedy Actor
*Comedy Supporting Actor
Blue's Clues
Lizzy Caplan
Ann Donahue
CMT: Giants
CMA Awards
Little Miss Sunshine
Actor-Directors
Freshman Series
Clint Eastwood
Showrunners vs. Censors
Little Children
Breaking and Entering
Tartikoff Legacy Awards
Jackie Earle Haley
Knights of Prosperity
Office Online
2007 Screenplay Noms
Friday Night Lights
Robert Benton
ABC Fridays
Rookie Actors
Global Casting
2007 Pilot Casting
Sublime Slime
Also ...
A Season in Savannah (Stanford Magazine)
Five Questions: Los Angeles Dodgers (2005) (Hardball Times)
Rick Monday (Baseball Analysts)
Baseball's Odd Couple (Baseball Prospectus)
Five Questions: Los Angeles Dodgers (2006) (Hardball Times)
Five Questions: Los Angeles Dodgers (2007) (Hardball Times)
Dodger home record: 35-27 (.565)
When Jon attended: 4-3 (.571)
When Jon didn't: 31-24 (.564)
Dodgers at home: 745-600 (.554)
Jon attended: 293-233 (.557)*
Jon didn't: 457-374 (.550)
* includes road games attended
Current Roster with Estimated 2008 Salaries
(updated March 28)
Most figures are estimates (some are wild estimates) but will be updated as information comes in. Corrections welcome.
More contract details here.
Starting Pitchers (5)
$12,300,000 Hiroki Kuroda
$10,000,000 Derek Lowe
$9,500,000 Brad Penny
$7,000,000 Esteban Loaiza
*$500,000 Chad Billingsley
Total: $39,300,000
Bullpen (6)
$2,000,000 Takashi Saito
$1,925,000 Joe Beimel
$1,125,000 Scott Proctor
*$500,000 Jonathan Broxton
$500,000 Chan Ho Park
*$400,000 Hong-Chih Kuo
Total: $6,450,000
Starting Lineup (8)
$14,100,000 Andruw Jones
$13,000,000 Rafael Furcal
$9,000,000 Jeff Kent
$8,500,000 Nomar Garciaparra
$8,000,000 Juan Pierre
$500,000 Russell Martin
*$400,000 James Loney
*$400,000 Matt Kemp
Total: $53,900,000
Bench (6)
$875,000 Gary Bennett
$600,000 Mark Sweeney
$424,500 Andre Ethier
$391,000 Delwyn Young
$390,000 Chin-Lung Hu
$390,000 Blake DeWitt
Total: $3,071,000
Disabled List
$12,000,000 Jason Schmidt
*$400,000 Tony Abreu
*$390,000 Andy LaRoche
Total: $12,790,000
Also Paying ...
$1,000,000 Brett Tomko
$750,000 Odalis Perez
$540,000 Yhency Brazoban
$500,000 Randy Wolf
$487,500 Jason Repko
$135,225 Rudy Seanez
$100,000 Mike Lieberthal
$50,000 Ramon Martinez
Total: $3,562,725
Working total: *$113,268,725
*Rough salary estimate
ESPN BR
BP
Cube Alvarez
ESPN BR
BP
Cube Abreu
ESPN
BR
BP
Cube Beimel
ESPN
BR
BP
Cube Bennett
ESPN
BR
BP
Cube Billingsley
ESPN
BR
BP
Cube Brazoban
ESPN
BR
BP
Cube Broxton
ESPN
BR
BP
Cube DeWitt
ESPN
BR
BP
Cube Ethier
ESPN
BR
BP
Cube Furcal
ESPN BR BP Cube Garciaparra
ESPN BR BP Cube Hu
ESPN BR BP Cube Jones
ESPN BR BP Cube Kemp
ESPN BR BP Cube Kent
ESPN BR BP Cube Kuo
ESPN BR BP Cube Kuroda
ESPN BR BP Cube LaRoche
ESPN BR BP Cube Loaiza
ESPN BR BP Cube Loney
ESPN BR BP Cube Lowe
ESPN BR BP Cube Martin
ESPN BR BP Cube May
ESPN BR BP Cube McDonald
ESPN BR BP Cube Meloan
ESPN BR BP Cube Miller
ESPN BR BP Cube Orenduff
ESPN BR BP Cube Park
ESPN BR BP Cube Paul
ESPN BR BP Cube Penny
ESPN BR BP Cube Pierre
ESPN BR BP Cube Proctor
ESPN BR BP Cube Repko
ESPN BR BP Cube Saito
ESPN BR BP Cube Schmidt
ESPN BR BP Cube Stults
ESPN BR BP Cube Sweeney
ESPN BR BP Cube Troncoso
ESPN BR BP Cube Wade
ESPN BR BP Cube Young
ESPN BR BP Cube Alomar
ESPN BR BP Cube Alvarez
ESPN BR BP Cube Aybar
ESPN BR BP Cube Baez
ESPN BR BP Cube Bako
ESPN BR BP Cube Beltre
ESPN BR BP Cube Bradley
ESPN BR BP Cube Cabrera
ESPN BR BP Cube Carrara
ESPN BR BP Cube Carter
ESPN BR BP Cube Chen
ESPN BR BP Cube Choi
ESPN BR BP Cube Cora
ESPN BR BP Cube Crosby
ESPN BR BP Cube Cruz
ESPN BR BP Cube Dessens
ESPN BR BP Cube Dreifort
ESPN BR BP Cube Drew
ESPN BR BP Cube Encarnacion
ESPN BR BP Cube Edwards
ESPN BR BP Cube Erickson
ESPN BR BP Cube Falkenborg
ESPN BR BP Cube Finley
ESPN BR BP Cube Flores
ESPN BR BP Cube Gagne
ESPN BR BP Cube Grabowski
ESPN BR BP Cube Green
ESPN BR BP Cube Guzman
ESPN BR BP Cube Hanrahan
ESPN BR BP Cube Hernandez
ESPN BR BP Cube Hundley
ESPN BR BP Cube Ishii
ESPN BR BP Cube Izturis
ESPN BR BP Cube Jackson
ESPN BR BP Cube Karros
ESPN BR BP Cube Ketchner
ESPN BR BP Cube Ledee
ESPN BR BP Cube Lima
ESPN BR BP Cube Lo Duca
ESPN BR BP Cube Lofton
ESPN BR BP Cube T. Martin
ESPN BR BP Cube Mayne
ESPN BR BP Cube G. Mota
ESPN BR BP Cube Mueller
ESPN BR BP Cube Myrow
ESPN BR BP Cube Nakamura
ESPN BR BP Cube Navarro
ESPN BR BP Cube Nomo
ESPN BR BP Cube Osoria
ESPN BR BP Cube A. Perez
ESPN BR BP Cube O. Perez
ESPN BR BP Cube Phillips
ESPN BR BP Cube Proctor
ESPN BR BP Cube Roberts
ESPN BR BP Cube Robles
ESPN BR BP Cube Romano
ESPN BR BP Cube C. Ross
ESPN BR BP Cube D. Ross
ESPN BR BP Cube Sanchez
ESPN BR BP Cube Schmoll
ESPN BR BP Cube Sele
ESPN BR BP Cube Seo
ESPN BR BP Cube Shuey
ESPN BR BP Cube Stanley
ESPN BR BP Cube S. Stewart
ESPN BR BP Cube Thompson
ESPN BR BP Cube Thurston
ESPN BR BP Cube Valentin
ESPN BR BP Cube Venafro
ESPN BR BP Cube Ventura
ESPN BR BP Cube Weaver
ESPN BR BP Cube Werth
ESPN BR BP Cube Wilson
ESPN BR BP Cube Wunsch
1) using profanity or any euphemisms for profanity
2) personally attacking other commenters
3) baiting other commenters
4) arguing for the sake of arguing
5) discussing politics
6) using hyperbole when something less will suffice
7) using sarcasm in a way that can be misinterpreted negatively
8) making the same point over and over again
9) typing "no-hitter" or "perfect game" to describe either in progress
10) being annoyed by the existence of this list
11) commenting under the obvious influence
12) claiming your opinion isn't allowed when it's just being disagreed with
Baseball Toaster runs on some experimental software called Fairpole. It's still under development.
For more information, please visit the Fairpole blog, or read the FAQ.
Bad news: SD on 6/5 is the only blemish.
Even more meaningless stat: they are 10-2 on Fridays.
call up Withrow ALREADY!!!
Why do we want Doug Kershaw on the Dodgers? He's so 1975.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/29/sports/29sandomir.html
Someone in the previous thread was calling for a Sicilian ... I don't sever horse heads, but I do skewer grammar mistakes.
http://kropserkel.com/horse_head_pillow.htm
No matter what team it be Greg it would be enjoying the fruits of success the Dodgers are enjoying. Or am i wrong on this?
It probably would have been an expansion team in the American League. The Angels. I'm guessing LA would be a one team town with the Los Angeles Angels.
Both the AL and NL were trying to get a team in LA, with the St. Louis Browns actually having an agreement for the 1942 season before Pearl Habor intervened. After the war, the AL and NL agreed to expand and place a new team in a city without an existing team. The agreement broke down, and the Mets ended up in NY, so the Angels went to LA even though the Dodgers were already there.
We also could have had just the LA Angels without any Dodgers.
The AL wanted to get a team in Southern California almost right away after the NL moved out here.
+Anyone But Tomko
++ revealing the depths of my 80s new wave geekitude
As Friday it may happen that a ballgame must be played
I've got a little list! I've got a little list!
Of the Dodgers great offenders who might well be DFAed
And who never would be missed! They never would be missed!
There's Brett "The Bombko" Tomko, who can't hold a eight-run lead;
Mark Hendrickson, the giant dude, as useless as a weed;
and Nomar G -- his bat and his routine, they both annoy;
and Juan Pierre -- I've just four words -- "search, and then destroy";
and any other players poor, stuck within our midst --
They'd none of 'em be missed, they'd none of 'em be missed!
What's the latest on Milton Bradley? Will be in a Padres uniform this weekend?
Now, everyone join in:
"I am the very model of a modern General-Manager,
I've information pitcher, salary and hitter...."
Um.
I know their VORPS and EQAs and Wins above Replacement Guy,
I'll go get Milton Bradley and not stop to answer questions why!
Too bad for you last night was the last "Studio 60" and you won't get to hear any of Aaron Sorkin's Gilbert & Sullivan takeoffs.
Man, those were ... not good.
I've information hitter, pitcher,and scan waivers like a scavenger
I know the scouts of Vero Beach, and I quote the stats historical
From Ogden to Las Vegas in order categorical
I'm very well acquainted, too, with matters mathematical
I understand sabermetrics, both the simple and quadratical
There you go. You can take it from here...
Accordingly I don't know the final AL-NL W-L results.
Can you enlighten me--difficult as that sometimes is said to be?
and LA may just temp me to get outright metaphorical.
NL 115
(You oughta see this one guy who can get on base an awful lot)!
Maybe the AL is not quite as superior as some think. Superior, yes, but...
Of course, Bill Murray has talked about wanting to film an adaptation of "Veeck--as in Wreck," with himself in the title role, for some time.
All I'm saying is that if such a thing were to happen, I would buy a ticket on the first day of principal photography.
"people get all weepy in Brooklyn still about the Dodgers"
... Perhaps if some of those weepy people would have bothered to come to the games from 1950-1957, the Dodgers would have stayed put.
The fact of the matter is that New York couldn't support three baseball teams during that time; in fact, they barely supported one (the Yankees).
Ok, now I really am feeling my age. Biggio's had an entire career since the Dodgers last were in, much less won, a World Serious.
Wow. That really puts things in perspective.
the L.A Browns?? it doesn't have a good ring to it.
Or maybe the LA Brown Simpsons...?
You were working on that all morning weren't you? I gave up on mine after the first two sentences.
"Very well, Bart, I will send you to heaven before I send you to hell." - Sideshow Bob
"I just feel bad for people who don't get a chance to watch him as much as we do," Little said.
(Now you know how we fill about Kemp)
"It's really amazing what Loney has done since he's come up," Wolf said. "I think he's been a really big spark to our offense because when he's up there, it almost feels like he's going to have a good at-bat every time, at least hit the ball on the barrel. To have a guy like that, it does kind of impact the lineup."
The Padres own website still doesn't show the deal as "completed."
>>> A baseball source on Thursday said the Padres have agreed in to a deal in principal that would send a Minor League pitcher to the Oakland A's for veteran outfielder Milton Bradley.
<<<
http://tinyurl.com/2ftmdp
I'm kinda surprised that Management isn't more impressed with Kemp's .421 BA
A friend of mine's daughter was petrified of Sideshow Bob when she was very young. She couldn't stay in the same room. She's 20 now and says he still gives her the creeps.
And he also gave us the Cobb Salad.
Two years ago the AL won at a 61% clip, but this year it dropped to 54%. Maybe there's hope.
But NL fans probably don't want to talk about All-Star games over the past several years...
Ah but that was before the All-Star game featured one Russell Martin!
>>> Last week the A's and Kansas City Royals reportedly agreed on a trade involving Bradley, but the deal was voided, apparently because Bradley wasn't recovered from an injury. The Padres aren't requiring a physical exam to make the trade. <<<
http://tinyurl.com/33cb3a
Also, Loney appears, from the outside, to be a very quiet and polite young man but he does all the things you ask a player to do, I heard this on the radio during the road trip and I would love to see this in person or on tape. Before the game, Mariano Duncan takes a fungo bat to the left side of the infield and hits liners toward Loney from 3B, SS hole and behind 2B. Loney does this to be able to react to the different throws from the infielders. And he doesn't miss many. Duncan says he hits the ball as hard as he can.
So when the rest of team see a guy work hard like that, I think it creates a favorable impression. Hitting near .500 does that too.
Brown is always linked to, while lets just say, emotional outfielders, as he was part of the Sheff deal.
I think Jeff Kent needs a kick in the posterior with competition. I thought the perfect way to do it was to acquire Milton Bradley and have him shag balls at second base. I think that would have mixed things up in the clubhouse very well... putting some fire into our future Hall of Famer.
Ahhh, Bradley and Kent dueling over 2nd base. It would be included in the outtakes section of the 2007 Dodger season DVD.
"3-0 to Loney- be careful, anything right down the middle you 'better hold your ears"
Now, Loney cant keep up what he did that that series- but that's exactly what our line-up has been missing!
Presumably, Loney will cool off because he will be facing far better pitchers in Young and Peavy than any of the DBack pitchers.
The Padres pitching is 2003 Dodgers like. Except sometimes their hitting is too.
In his first start in 18 days, Johnson contended his back "is fine," but the Dodgers did notice something different in the pitcher many consider the best left-hander in major league history.
Them thar jest mite be fightin' words to some folk 'round these parts...
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/92409
Yeah, Lefty Grove is really angry.
But Lefty Grove was always angry.
Brandon Webb is no slouch.
Russell Martin - 2007 pace on actuals
540 AB 90 runs, 36 Doubles, 4 Triples, 18 HR, 107 RBI, 60 BB, 80 K, 25 SB
He is just about at his 75% Pecota already.
True, but overall I give the Padres a big edge in pitching over the Snakes.
Not to dispute your point but when did Brandon Webb become Brett Tomko?
45
Thanks for depressing me.
Were Home
Were Home
good things happen when were home.
Agree, I am actually one of the few who isn't worried about AZ over the second 1/2. That 'pen has been way over its head. But Webb is as good as anyone in the NL, and James raked him- the kid was on fire.
If you take away the Petco factor just how much better is the Padre pitching?
To give Vin a break, I think he does that with every player when he recalls what school or city or country that player is from.
But Eric Byrnes the pride of UCLA, sheesh.
Also, does your girlfriend realize that she is seeing the best pitching matchup and a duel for the starting spot in All-Star game tomorrow night?
You mean you dont think SD is going to win 105 (I think thats about what the formula has them at) games this year? 7 or 8 better than franchise history, it could happen, but I doubt it.
Who's to say...?
http://tinyurl.com/2fjdts
>>> Of course, in evaluating anything to do with contemporary Padre teams, the tendencies of Petco Park must be taken into account. Since it came online prior to the 2004 season, Petco has been the toughest hitter's park in the game. <<<
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/6968468
[sad tone]
It was diaper time...
It was diaper time...
And applause.
You can't live with 'em,
You can't live without 'em.
There's something irrestibilish about 'em.
We grin and bear it because the nights are long.
I hope that something better comes along.
---
It would've been nice if one of the games this weekend was on national TV, Fox or ESPN, but I guess no one east of the Mississippi cares about the two best teams in the NL, including the Penny-Peavy matchup tomorrow. {{whine}}
Q: DAVID from SOUTH GATE, CA asks:
Any good international prospects being linked to the Dodgers? Will they even be players on the international front, ($$)?
A: Chris Kline: Yo, David . . . the Dodgers are getting more active like they were a few years ago, which has been one of GM Ned Colletti's responsibilities since he came over from San Francisco--to bring the Dodgers back to where they were as the leader in international signings. It's going to take a while, but the Dodgers have Logan White shoring up that effort . . . and that bodes well for any club trying to get involved in scouting anywhere on the planet. Keep an eye on third baseman Pedro Baez in the Gulf Coast League--totally legit with power @ 3B. White stole him away from at least four clubs for less money--Logan White is no longer just a draft guru. Baez is for real and could be a monster.
>>> Padres acquire outfielder Milton Bradley from Oakland in exchange for Minor League pitcher Andrew Brown <<<
http://tinyurl.com/3an2nd
There's also a 1992 interview with Vin Scully that's worth viewing.
So weird that Bradley was traded for Brown, again. Really weird.
Is he still injured? I feel like even if this is now official, he won't be active this weekend, no?
Everybody knows the "Pride of UCLA" was Jim Parque...
Seriously, I think the best combo of "Good player at UCLA" and "good player in the majors" may be Troy Glaus. Jackie Robinson didn't play much baseball at UCLA.
For
Assignment
{Shakes fist...}
They ought to give him a mental. Wokka Wokka
Another aspect of that could be that as great as some of the old-time pitchers were with just a FB and curve, they also might have been able to master sliders and splitters, at least well enough to mix in their arsenal.
(BTW, did many old-time all-timers throw more than fastballs and curves successfully? If so, who/what? I know Carl Hubbell was known for his screwball.)
Koufax isn't an "old-timer," but can you imagine him throwing an effective splitter to go along with that "rising" FB and knee-buckling curve? Or maybe a slider?
Hitters might have tried to file a petition for cruel and unusual punishment.
If I were to give Yosanddy a biblically-themed nickname, I'd go with "Samson" over "Job".
She's playing against Kei Igawa?
No: Corey Hart.
If your only going to get a few hits you might as well make em count.
Looks to me like both rookie league rosters are full of international players.
Pedro Guerrero and Carlos Santana have got to make it to the big club for at least one game.