Bonds hasn't missed a Sunday game since early June, and you'll know he'll want to take his hacks against Tomko. I bet he plays in all 3.

Two Cups and a String Park

I don't know if this is the first time this has been used but it's the first time I've seen it and it's the greatest nickname for that ballpark ever...

1 - Martin is already signalling for the intentional pass.

(Reposting) People may be overreacting - or at least there's always a chance Tomko gets fired up to pitch vs. his old team - but, that said, I'm glad Sunday is not the game I'm going to.

I just... don't like the odds. I don't know how confident I'd be with Stults or Houlton going, for that matter, but decidedly more confident than I am with Tomko.

But hey, if he does get bombed, so long Tomko. I believe this may be his last chance. We can't lose! Even if we lose. Er...

I'm lost for words on Tomko starting on sunday, wow.

Tomko did throw 6 no hit innings that one time before he got hit hard. Maybe the Dodgers can get a performance like that then pull him before any meltdown occurs.

I don't think Houlton could throw the ball all the way from Las Vegas to San Francisco on the fly.

in the back of my mind i still think he has a couple of quality starts in him hopefully he'll prove us all wrong.

There's still time to call him up! They could've DFA'd, I don't know, Brett Tomko, to make room.

Is Tomko really that much worse than Stults? I could see being upset if Tomko was holding back someone worthwhile, but do we really want to see Eric Stults out there?

9 He needs to stay down until next Wednesday since he was just sent down.

9 Rats, I knew there was a more official reason. Oh well, Godspeed, Brett.

11 - I feel there are ways around that rule. I don't know it, but I feel like I've seen some quick turnarounds.

Wait, couldn't Hendrickson have pitched - a week after his last start?

Ah, fuhgedaboutit. I'm gonna stop worrying about it. For now.

10 - Next to Tomko, sure. Why not?

10 - It's more conditioning. Stults last start in AAA was at the very end of June, and has a couple of 3-inning stints in July with LA.

Tomko hasn't gone longer than 3 innings in a month, and hasn't started a game since mid-May.

Stults is left-handed, and Bonds doesn't know him. I'd take my chances there.

Don't get me wrong -- I hate the odds -- but if this game has taught me one thing, it is this: woe unto he who tries to predict how one particular ballgame will turn out.

While I wouldn't put money on it, it's certainly possible that Tomko will pull his one last shred of dignity together long enough to befuddle the Giants to the tune of 3 earned runs over six innings.

That, of course, would probably be enough for him to keep his job for the rest of the season.

Sigh. I just tried looking on the bright side and found only more gloom.

Yeah, I'd agree. Again, I wouldn't feel entirely confident with Stults, either, but still more so than Tomko. And he's a lefty, too. I really do think they're giving Tomko some rope to either hang himself with or surprise us all.

10 my question isn't "is he that much worse?" but rather "is he conceivably any better?"

My answer is "no." So why not see what Stults can do? we;ve seen Tomko. To me this is the same argument for benching Nomar over Loney or Pierre over Kemp (although obviously on a smaller scale.

2 I always liked "The Phone Booth" and "Balco Park" ;)

How about starting Broxton on seven days rest? Anyone?

Bonds doesn't know me either, but I'm right-handed. Maybe my 8-year-old daughter could pitch to Bonds? :-)

22 Nah, Broxton is too busy writing columns.

http://tinyurl.com/273x3b

22 Sure, but that's even less likely than Stults.

23 Yes, but how well does your daughter paint?

15 Probably because they want to give Tomko one last hurrah before writing off 4.5 million.

If this turns into more than a one time thing, then this might be worth getting upset over, but I don't see a tremendous difference between Tomko and Stults. If the Dodgers were running out someone with any potential, sure, use him, but Eric Stults doesn't inspire me in the least.

Plus, I'm still holding onto the fact that Tomko has a 4.29 FIP. He really hasn't been anything but Tomkoesque this year. Then again, I was saying the same thing about Odalis.

24 - I think Sarah Morris' job is safe.

25 - Taking me seriously then, are you?

From previous thread:

55. One of the things (among many) that makes A-Rod opt out situation different form Drew's besides the built-in guarantees is that Texas in paying $7 million of A-Rod's current contract. If A-Rod opts out Texas is off the hook. So, a single team would have to be willing to pony up that $32 (or $35 million) per season. How many such team are out there?

I remember a game back in 1998 when Chuck Finley was pitching for the Angels against Detroit. Finley had won his last 14 decisions over two years.

He came into the game with a 1.79 ERA. The Tigers were starting Frank Castillo with a 22.85 ERA.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1998/B05090ANA1998.htm

29. "makes A-Rod's opt out situation different than Drew's"

27 - I agree. I'm not upset and not at all trying to overstate the difference. I'm just saying I wouldn't do it.

27 Does the fact that Tomko's given up a lot of doubles (something like 27 in 67 IP; I can't confirm that total right now with BR.com down) not get accounted for in his FIP?

The main difference between Hendrickson and Tomko this year has been all the doubles. Is that luck? I don't know the answer to that.

28 Nooooooooooooooooooo.....

[whistles, walks away looking at nothing in particular]

So I wanted to say that Tomko starting is not why I made this statement. There are alot of reasons.......

No biggie just wanted to clear that up. I am not that reactionary. I am not thrilled with him starting not because he isnt very good but to me he hasn't earned the right to start in my opinion.

--

57. jasonungar07
I have such a love/hate relationship with this team. By far the most since I have been a dodger fan.

2007-07-12 16:19:0958. bhsportsguy
57 How can one start by any pitcher change your feelings about the Dodgers?

33 Pretty much, unless you think Tomko has regressed to being a sub major league ready pitcher.

I think getting ripped apart five times in a row combined with generally being not very good to begin with is making him look worse than he really is.

30 Did you honestly remember that game, or just search around for an instance of a pitcher with a high ERA coming in and doing well against a good pitcher?

26 I think my daughter paints better than Tomko, too.

From Milano's latest post:

Jeff (Garlin):
I just figured out who you remind me of, Alyssa.

Alyssa:
Really Jeff? Who do I remind you of?

Jeff:
A young Jonathon Broxton.

I'd totally forgotten that Cecil Fielder played for the Angels for a year. They took on Reggie Jackson, Cecil Fielder, Mo Vaughn toward the end of their careers ... I'm sure there are more.

37
Yes, I remember that game very well and I was shocked that Castillo pitched as well as he did.

He was awful.

And he kept pitching through 2005!

39 Eddie Murray as well.

41 - And Vlad Guerrero. Nice of them to give Vlad a place to eke out a few more hits.

Hah, Garlin's such a jokester. Y'know, despite the fact that almost nothing in that post had any connection to the reality of my own life, I still enjoyed the heck out of Alyssa's All-Star game report.

D.J. Houlton is starting tonight in Las Vegas.

22- Jon, Like your idea of Broxton starting. Clem Labine (Broxton?) pitched a 10 inning shutout of the Yankees after being a reliever most of the year, one game before Don Larsen's perfecto in 1956.

In fairness, I don't think the Angels were intending to take Mo Vaughn "at the end of his career," but sometimes things work out that way.

45 - Yeah, I'd love to see it, even though I know it won't happen.

35

the '04 team rocked pretty good also if you ask me. How soon do we forget.

Clem Labine threw a lot more innings that Broxton ever did. Labine threw a 115 2/3 IP in 1956. And he had started 3 games during the season.

(Last thread) Yes to name tags.

47 Or even wackier... Jon Meloan starting.

Didn't RoBo Jackson retire an Angel?

Didn't RoBo Jackson retire an Angel?

Hey, is Aaron Sele still on the Mets, he asked, half-seriously.

Okay, fully seriously. I would rather see Aaron Sele start on Sunday than Brett Tomko.

53
Bo was an Angel until the strike and then decided not to come back.

51

I saw him pitch in spring training & judging from his mechanics he isn't starting material.

39 They took on Frank Robinson pretty late.

I had no problem with the 2004 team (I loved that team, Bradley was awesome to watch, Beltre was loads of fun, Izzy was great as a defensive SS, we won our first playoff game, we made a great trade or the 2005 team (which just got killed by injury). And I liked the 2006 team. And I love the dodgers this year too but there are things about the team that really bother me (mostly GM related).

56 Hm, yeah, I just want him on the team in general. Plus, you could say the same about Tomko. ;-)

43 Me too. I like that she pointed out Dmitri Young's AB.

Alyssa Milano is not the greatest actress in the world (BTW, anyone see those pictures of Michelle Pheiffer at the "Hairspray" premiere, and she is turning 50 next year. Wow.

Anyway to get back to Alyssa, I really respect her baseball knowledge and her sincere appreciation of the game and its players. And frankly, someone should have created nice clothes for women to wear, now maybe if they make something for women bigger than size 4, then she can make a mint.

Update on DT game:
Potential starteres
Derek Lowe vs. Dave Williams.

Williams will be the third lefty in a row that the Mets will throw at the Dodgers this time through Dodger Stadium, last time Glavine and Perez both missed L.A.

I love it that Larussa is getting raked over the coals for not pinch-hitting Pujols in the ninth of the ASG.

Pretty nice first start for James McDonald in AA.

6IP, 2H, 1ER, 1BB, 7K

This kid is really looking like the real deal after K'ing 11.4 batters per 9 innings the Cal league.

63 Southern League should be considered more of a pitcher's league when compared to our teams in the Cal and Pacific Coast leagues.

I know that is one reason why Greg Brock doesn't like where are minor league teams are based.

But good start for McDonald, a little more age appropriate league for him.

Regardless of whether you have any interest in her or "would if you could" (and for the record, I don't and I wouldn't), do you sometimes feel like Alyssa Milano is too much woman for you?

Comparing Broxton to Alyssa Milano? I don't get it. And if it was a joke, I still don't get it. And isn't a "young Jonathan Broxton" pretty much Broxton as he is now? He just turned 23.

65 - no.

Meloan gets a 4 out save and McDonald wins game number 1, Dewitt had at least two more hits tonight.

Jacksonville just rolling along.

66. You remind me of a very young Slappy Squirrel.

68

I really hope Meloan gets a sept. call up.

Sorry if this has already been discussed, but why was Dewitt promoted while Denker wasn't? Denker had 80 points of OPS on Dewitt and they're the same age (Denker is 15 days older). Is Kevin Howard that important? I'm happy that Dewitt was promoted and hitting well, I just don't understand exactly why Denker's not so fortunate.

Here are some photos of Kershaw at the futures game.
http://tinyurl.com/2yrdno

71
Probably because Denker failed twice when promoted to High A so they probably want to give him more of a taste of success in High A before he's given a promotion. DeWitt had been extremely hot.

70
I'd bet money that Meloan see's the show before Sept, either with the Dodgers or someone else.

73

i hope your not implying he'll be traded, Dodgers fans deserve to see him pitch up here.

Why do the Dodgers need Meloan when they have Tomko?

75- obviously with Tomko back anchoring the rotation, we'll need someone to replace him in the bullpen.

72

cool pics TC

66 - The joke is that the comparison is so preposterous as to induce laughs from, well, me at least. And the young part is funny too because Broxton is young - younger than Milano by a lot, in fact. And Broxton weighs about the size of three Milanos. And Broxton is a ballplayer and Milano isn't. And Broxton is a man and Milano is a woman. And ... and ...

I feel like Toby. Do you need me to go on?

Strange inning in Vegas. Houlton walks the first batter, the next one hits what is described as a routine double play ball to Hu, he tosses the ball to former shortstop, Wilson Valdez who lets the ball glance off his glove, both runners safe and they move to 2nd and 3rd. Uber prospect, Brandon Wood flys out deep to Delwyn Young and both runners tag and score because Young fell down after he caught the ball.

And then the next two batters hit balls off the LF wall only to have Wilkin Ruan throw out both guys at second base as they tried to get a double.

78 Reportedly Broxton tips the scales around three bills so that might equal 3 Alyssas.

Hu lined out to right in his first AB in AAA, not bad had a runner on second with no outs so he hit the ball to right side but it was caught.

Kiko Calero tonight in Minnesota
1/3 IP 1 H O R O ER, 1 pitch thrown

No one was caught stealing or picked off.

81 caught going for extra bases?

81 Batter was thrown out trying to get more bases on his hit?

Oh, sure, 12 seconds.

84 that's called brevity!

81
The Twins made two outs at second on the same play. Morneau going back and Hunter going in!

86 Then why wasn't it 2/3 of an inning?

87
Because I made a typo!

85 I thought it was called the soul of wit.

Hu's first hit in AAA, a home run to left. In the top of the inning, he made two plays at short, the second he backhanded a ground ball and threw out a runner at home who was running on contact, sounded like the ball was waiting for him.

88 see, and El Lay Dave and I were both going to guess exactly what you =said, had we known the correct parameters.

shh- just go with it Dave.

I know Bob wrote about this already but I wonder if Bob Watson is really annoyed that the Padres had Chris Young start his suspension after his last start before the break and then continue it for one game tomorrow. In doing so, the Padres and Young don't miss a start though I do think that Young doesn't get paid (not sure about that).

So Watson took it out on David Wells, suspending him for 7 games, assuring that he will miss at least one start if not two depending on when he starts the suspension.

92- You know he's only missing one start. Suspensions for pitchers are a joke.

74 If we can get some team to overpay for a relief prospect then we should pull the trigger immediately. I think it would help his trade value if we showed that he could handle major league hitters first though.

78 -- Okay, first, thanks for taking the time to explain. And yes, I get that Milano is completely UN-like Broxton. I just don't see why making the comparison is funny.

This reminds me of an episode of Monk from season 5. (For anybody that doesn't know, the character Adrian Monk has certain mental "issues" that put him somewhat at odds with the rest of the world.) In the episode I'm thinking of, Monk and his assistant Natalie approach a house, and Monk is confused by a mat in front of the door that says "Go Away" instead of the traditional "Welcome." Natalie tells Monk that the mat is a joke. Monk says he doesn't see why it would be funny. Natalie explains, "It's funny because it's OPPOSITE."
Like Monk, I don't see why something just being opposite is funny, outside of true sarcasm, but sarcasm depends on more than just opposites. Sarcasm has an undertone of viciousness. Even a door mat that says "Go Away" can be funny because the person who puts it in front of his house is striking a pose of misanthropy, which is vicious, and that puts it in the same spirit as sarcasm. But nothing that guy said to Ayssa Milano can be construed as a jab as Milano, so all we are left with is oppositeness, and I at least just don't find that enough to be funny.

95 - Well, now we're just talking about different tastes, which is fine.

I think there's also the fact that I imagine Garlin probably delivered the first part very sincerely, so that the second part came out of left field and makes me laugh.

90 -- Andy LaRoche's first hit in Triple A was also a home run, I recall.

Ken Levine starts in the TV booth for the Mariners in the next half inning if you have access to that game.

97 Not that I plan to post everytime Hu comes to the plate but lets recap:

First AB - Lined out to rightfielder
Second AB - Homered to left centerfield
Third AB - Grounded a double down the 3B line.

So his line so far. .667/.667/2.00

96 Well I think it's hilarious, but I also laughed out loud at "Two Cups and a String Park", so clearly it doesn't take much for me. I also quite enjoy Jeff Garlin and I'm sure his delivery did that joke more justice than reading it could ever do.

I don't know why (I guess I do know why), but I've really enjoyed Alyssa's blog. I mean it isn't exactly in the same domain as, say, Dodger Thoughts, but it's some interesting insight from an unexpected source.

81-88

That's the funniest thing I've read all day.

101
We all orchestrated that.

Even Justin Morneau and Torii Hunter were in on it.

It was just perfect.

I think there's also the fact that I imagine Garlin probably delivered the first part very sincerely, so that the second part came out of left field and makes me laugh.

that's the way i pictured it & got an o.k. chuckle from me it wasn't a LOL but a chuckle non the less.

96 -- Yes, there are different kinds of humor, and different tastes in humor, but what is interesting to me is that something you laughed at right away I didn't even recognize as a joke. I was confused, like Monk was confused by the door mat. This isn't the first time I have found myself to have a little more in common with Monk than I am comfortable with.

Knotty problem of baseball unfolding in Seattle.

Canuck, Nate:
What do you know about Norrito? Kyle Wilson? Thanks.

106- Beltre got hosed.

Bases loaded, two outs, Beltre up. Beltre singles to right. Two runs score and Beltre tries to move up on the throw home. Mike Rabelo throws to Carlos Guillen who tries to tag Beltre who goes for the outside of the bag. But Beltre overslides the bag and Guillen tries to tag him, but misses him once. And then a second time. And then he drops the ball and another run scores.

People argue.

The Tigers appeal that Beltre missed second. And Bruce Froemming says "He's out."

Does the third run count?

Yes.

Since Beltre's out was not a force out, the run counts.

106

i hope your not scoring that game Bob, that's as weird as it gets no?

109 Inaccurate account, Bob. Guillen tried to tag Beltre at least four times!

109 Yes?

9-4-1-4?

113
I lost track.

The sad part also is that Beltre did touch second base.

All the hubbub over whether Jeff Garlin's joke was funny reminds me of Roger Ebert's famous series of exchanges with his readers, in which he tried to explain why one of David Mamet's lines was funny even though it didn't make any sense as written. ("Everybody needs money. That's why they call it money!")

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20020113/ANSWERMAN/40810017

Some things are just funny and you can't rationally explain why.

That about sums up adult swim.

107 I'll give you the basics, Canuck can fill in the analysis.

Kyle Wilson - 22nd Round pick in 2004 out of UCLA, did not pitch in 2004, has pitched in the system since 2005, repeating High A ball in Inland Empire.

G. Norrito - 48th Round pick in 2004 out of college, in his 4th professional season, first two in GCL, became a full time starter this year.

115
It was just a 1-6 putout. Guillen (Carlos) drew an error that allowed Sexson to score. Once there is an error, you have to start over on the scoring.

116 'WW,' you mean.

Anybody know why LaRoche didn't play tonight after three straight off days for the 51s? He's not hurt again, is he?

107 -- Norrito gets by on finesse. His fastball tops out at about 87 MPH, but he locates it well and he has the secondary pitches to keep hitters (Double A hitters at least) off balance, with a change-up that is particularly good against lefty hitters. If Houlton were shorter and more of a groundball pitcher than a flyball pitcher, I'd say Norrito reminds me of D.J. Houlton.

Kyle Wilson is a closer type. In fact, he was U.C.L.A.'s closer when we drafted him. His fastball often reaches mid-90's. He has worked on sharpening his curve while a pro. He should be in Double A instead of high A, and I have wondered for a while why he hasn't gotten promoted.

124 "he was U.C.L.A.'s closer"

You're doing that just to tick off Bob, right?

Where is U.C.L.A.? Does it just happen to have the same letter combination as the school Jackie Robinson, Troy Glaus, et al. attended?

126 -- Is this another joke me and Adrian Monk don't understand? Please explain.

(Cue crazed Joan Crawford voice)

I told you, no periods in UCLA! No periods!

http://www.ucla.edu

(Resume normal voice)

You'll kick me off Dodger Thoughts for this, but I have no idea who Jeff Garlin is, so I was thoroughly confused by the joke and didn't find it funny at all.

Bob is not a big fan of New York Times style as it applies to U.C.L.A. (And I am not a big fan of New York Times style as it applies to Meat Loaf.)

129 Jeff Garlin plays Larry David's buddy on Curb Your Enthusiasm. But who he is has nothing to do with the joke itself.

I am not a big fan of New York Times style as it applies to their travel section. They profile destinations and accommodations for the uber-rich, so the snobbish tone is too much.

130
Or the New York Times insistence on using "N.C.A.A." or "N.Y.U."

All those periods are ugly from a typography standpoint.

132
What about "36 hours in Redding"?

131 Well, Garlin's delivery was cited as part of the reason it was funny. I assumed "Jeff Garlin" was just a random person who emailed Milano, so I assumed it was just some strange, clueless person, rather than a joke.

132 Don't pretty much all travel sections profile destinations and accommodations for the uber-rich, though? Or is the Times just worse than all the others in that regard?

All the swells have taken over Redding and it's just not as much fun for us regular folk visiting California's finest city.

134 I was thinking of "Portugal's Hidden 'Dream Places'", which I read the other day.

Caught up now; Canadian women must be a completely different species from their American counterparts if it wouldn't be considered "a jab" for a man to tell one such that she reminded him of a three hundred pound behemoth with silly sideburns.

The Travel section is not nearly as elitist as the Home section or the Fashion section.

The "hip librarians" article is still getting laughs at work. And mainly by people who are the age of the people described in the article.

128 -- The British don't put periods after initials. North Americans do, or at least they always did, before getting lazy. Stylistic decadence ought not to be indulged, so it's U.C.L.A., just as it's L.A. (Los Angeles) and not LA (Louisiana).

Bob, this is a quote from the Redding article, believe it or not.:

The specialties of the Korean-born and San Francisco-trained owner and chef, Morgan Song, include an asparagus appetizer ($8.50) and a Muscovy duck pâté served on crusty herbed bread ($7.50). The orange roughy on cream of spinach with an accent of butternut squash piled with wasabi caviar ($20.50) wasn't local (it arrived that morning from Australia) but was still deliciously fresh.

Not exactly a family trip to Redding.

142
I think my family ate at a McDonalds when we there but that was back in 1972 on my family's infamous trip to the Beaver State.

So "stylistic decadence" would be going with the four-character spelling instead of the eight-character spelling?

I guess I'm more decadent than I thought.

Also, D4P's somewhat bizarre question about whether Milano might be too much woman spurred me to put on the Ike and Tina classic (that, had Brock any taste outside the confines of his mouth, is a a joy to which he'd be privy) Too Much Man for One Woman. So, thanks for that D4P.

Do we know for sure that he has taste inside of it either?

AP style guides say to use periods only for initials that have just two letters, such as D.A. or M.D.

Once you hit three letters, the periods go.

Unless you're the New York Times.

Postal abbreviations are different, but few news sources use those outside of putting them in an actual address.

If I were to go to Portland, would I have to go to any of these places?

http://tinyurl.com/yqowqd

Please say no.

139 -- It would only have been a jab if Garlin were making fun of how small Milano is, but most women WANT to be small (they want a small dress size, a small shoe size, and they want to be shorter than their boyfriend or husband, etc.) I mean, if somebody does something stupid, and somebody else says, "Hey, we got a regular Albert Einstein here!" the jab lies not in being compared to Einstein, a really smart guy, but in the implication that one is the opposite of what Einstein represents, and since Einstein represents intelligence, someone who is the opposite of Einstein must be stupid. Nobody wants to be stupid. Now if Broxton represents "big and fat," the opposite of that is something every woman wants to be, right? So, like I said, where's the "funny" in that? There's a reason why "roasts" are full of insults and not compliments.

Interview tonight with Joe McDonell. He asks the Pierre question. And more.

http://tinyurl.com/22q57g

I criticize him often (Coletti) but I am pretty impressed with what he is saying.

147 -- As a librarian, do you have access to old (you know, more credible) editions of the same style guides? I would like to know what they say on the matter. CNN informed me yesterday that the new edition of some dictionary is going to include the word "gianormous," as in "giant plus enormous." And I know that most modern style guides favor notations over footnotes. So, I'm sorry, I just can't take the fools updating these reference works seriously.

152
The library has a gianormous collection of style guides, both new and old.

Bob, note the "CNN" in #152. Me extending an olive branch, but I still disapprove.

152 Dictionaries are supposed to record usage, not dictate it. If anything, most dictionaries have been too slow to add new words that are in common usage (i.e. modem, metrosexual, whatever).

149- No information was being conveyed about Milano. She was a prop. There are only a couple of ways, "You know who you remind me of? ..." can go--flattery or cruelty. The third option is nonsense. Properly delivered nonsense can be funny. That's where your Monk allusion loses its traction. Enders is right, that it's like Mamet's money line, which is hilarious if meaningless. Not a great movie, but that line is an evergreen.

I went to a Dodger game once with some friends from high school. It would have been about ten years ago. There was some fight about whose sense of directions were suspect (I assume I started it, but it's possible I was the victim; no, really, it's possible). Everybody was stewing. I asked one of the non-combatants if I could ask her a question. She said that I could. My question, delivered with all the false sincerity of which I was capable (which, not to boast, is quit a bit), "If you had my love, and I gave you all my trust, would you. . . comfort me?"

For example, I'm looking in Webster's Unabridged, 2000 Edition, and the word "e-mail" is not included. The word "email" has two definitions, though:

1 : ENAMEL
2 : a moderate bluish green to greenish blue that is lighter than gendarme, deeper than cyan blue, and duller than parrot blue called also bleu Louise

155 -- There are such things as dictionaries for slang. A "modem" is a real object that simply did not use to exist, so it is fine. The people who compile or edit regular dictionaries are gatekeepers for the language, not non-judgmental recorders of whatever has "caught on." They are supposed to keep the linguistic riff-raff out.

157 -- "E-mail" is simply an idiomatic contraction of "electronic mail." I wouldn't put it in a dictionary either.

Dictionaries contain plenty of slang. Hang a "vulg." tag on it and move on. It's the perfect solution since it lets people who bother looking something up know that they'd probably be better off not using it, but it recognizes the existence of the thing.

There are dictionaries of slang, too, but they're usually worthless twenty minutes before they're printed. Until fifty years later, when nobody remembers what "crunk" meant.

147 What about Ph.D.?

161
I don't know I don't have one. I just have an MLIS.

158 is simply not true. One might want it to be true, but it is not, and never has been. The purpose of a dictionary is to provide definitions for words used in the English language, not to make value judgments on which words are worthy of being in the language itself. Usage is the sole determining factor for whether to include a word.

Here's an article that deals with the recent decision to add the word "mcjob" to Wesbter's:
http://tinyurl.com/yrls85

'Merriam-Webster officials maintain the word was not added to belittle the 48-year-old fast-food chain but rather to accurately describe the English lexicon.

"The dictionary has a very basic function, and it is not out there to make judgments," said Tom Pitoniak, an associate editor of the Merriam-Webster dictionary. "There was a great deal of evidence of regular usage of this word."

He said the reason for including the word was that over the last 17 years, the word has consistently been found in such publications as Rolling Stone, The New Republic, and the New York Times Book Review.'

It's a couple of threads late but the baseball/PC game that lets one play games in the Polo Grounds is MVP Baseball 2005 by EA Sports. It's a fun ballpark to play in, especially once you fix "Jon Dowd" to #25 and the appropriate body armor...but the old Always Buy Chesterfield ad in center field visible in this picture:

http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/past/poloout2.jpg

in the game reads Ain't Baseball Great?

And if you REALLY want to know as much as you can about that stadium, I think I saw a Griddle Book Review not too long ago that talked about that echoing green... ;)

163 Let's all just pretend I spelled Webster's correctly. Sheesh, of all the words to mispell.

151 -- What did Colletti say in the interview?

165 "mispell"

Hmm. ;)

166
Main things
-It would take a lot for him to deal the youngsters.

-Went after Matthews. Seemed like Angels got him for less than Dodgers were being told it took. Went after Lee and other outfielders but they decided not to come out to West Coast.

-He thinks Juan is turning it around.

-Wants starting pitching or relieving.

-We in process of contending and integrating the youth at same time.

-Number 1 in attendance in NL.

I do not accept the premise that a compliment can't be funny.

To oversimplify: It's like calling someone a goofball or a nut as a term of endearment. You don't mean it literally- it's sarcastic - but it's positive.

I think the Broxton joke has been taken too literally by some. It's a cute line and it's clever because it was unexpected. You can say it's not funny because it's a mere opposite, but I think you're just not getting it. So we agree to disagree. I think the analysis has gone overbaord.

163 -- "...never has been?" Lexicographers used to be much more discriminating than they are now about what words "in usage" get included in dictionaries. They have changed their conception of what their job is from the one I champion to the one you champion.

Interviewer: "Are you happy that you signed Juan Pierre ...?"

NC: "... I think that Juan Pierre certainly struggled in April and May, and a little bit in June, but I'd say in the last three or four weeks I think he's getting more comfortable. I think we're seeing more of the type of player we went after. He brings a lot to the table. We know his strengths, we know his weaknesses. . .We were in a position where we had to sign two outfielders. . .we really needed to get Major League quality outfielders. And sometimes, when you don't [hesitates, quits on the sentence] When you look at the free agency field that was out there there were not a lot of different choices. We thought Juan Pierre could hit at the top of the order, we thought the combination of him [sic] and Furcal was certainly worth putting together... We knew that speed and being able to create runs was [sic] going to be the only way we could do it, along with some pitching."

Won't specifically rule out trading Kemp or Loney, says a trade for "any of the young kids" would require "a definite difference maker, that's [sic] gonna be one of the best players on our club as soon as they [sic] come in the locker room."

I'm not bringing up a Canadian troupe just for Canuck's benefit, but this also feels like the time I tried to explain a Kids in the Hall sketch to someone and it just didn't make any sense, but was something that made me laugh pretty hard. Of course, explaining the Chicken Lady sketch went over better, as I could act it out a bit - but not as well as it would to see it for yourself.

I am crushing your head!

Canuck, I recall we had a disagreement about how to interpret a line Jim delivered in "The Office," relating to the Stamford boss taking another job. Jim said "Say what you will about Michael Scott, but he would never have done that." You insisted that that line could only be interpreted one way, as sincere - you wouldn't even allow what I thought was the correct interpretation - that it was sarcastic (though not in a mean way) - was possible. People have different sensibilities, and I think there perhaps are more possibilities out there than you allow for.

Kids in the Hall rule, but I can see them defying explanation by the layman.

169 Alyssa Milano on her baseball clothing designs in the San Jose Mercury News. Also, she talks briefly about Barry Zito too.

"I'm still acting, but I think it would be a very nice way to retire if I choose to," she said of designing.

"An actress' career is a lot like an athlete's. You only have a certain amount of time before things catch up with you."

http://tinyurl.com/33pxbg

Maybe you've already seen this, but just in case I wanted to post it...

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Tomko/

I don't feel so helpless now.

175 That goes without saying. Except when it goes with saying, like in my case, then, yeah, it doesn't always translate. Man, I miss those guys, though.

Glad to see that Hu had a terrific first start in AAA. Yowsa, he's on a roll.

Since June 8th, Juan's last 126 plate appearances, .317/.349/.392.

On Nomar and Tomko:

"We watch it every day. I learned a long time ago that I can never be a reactionary to something that happens in a short period of time. Granted, the woes of Brett Tomko for the last six weeks are pretty evident. He's got great stuff. In his case, it's usually a matter of confidence more than it is anything else. We're going to try and get him back squared away, so he gets more confidence in him, because he can pitch. He's an accomplished pitcher in a lot of ways. . .We need that back. If that doesn't occur, we're going to have to find it from somebody else. . . It's the big leagues; you can't be afraid of shuffling the deck and moving people around. It's an opportunity for either Brett or it's an opportunity for somebody else.

"Nomar's situation is a little bit different. He still hits pretty good in the clutch. And he's been a key guy for us. We can't really explain the lack of power here, but his ability to drive in runs is still pretty good. . . He's a great competitive kid and he knows how to hit. We gotta be hopeful that something turns around." [Says that getting an actually good 3B would require two or more of the kids he doesn't want to trade]

173
Saaaaauuuusageeeessss.

Are you TRYING to drive us all crazy, Ned?

Sorry for repeating this, but... 2-3 of us are going to the game tomorrow night. Anyone else here in SF interested? Want to get a head count. We're going to meet at Momo's before the game. Drop a line here or to underdog8 at gmail dot com.

I cut out the Gary Matthews stuff from my quoting, but it was of some interest. He didn't actually say it, but he allowed the impression that if he'd known Matthews was going to demand as little money as he ended up getting, there might have been more of an effort made to sign him. I don't know what to make of that. If it's true, isn't that scary? If it's just a way of deflecting the hue and cry of Dodger fans the world around who wish Colletti had signed Matthews, um, what hue and cry?

181 Heh. I love that one, but, yeah, good luck trying to explain it anyone - it's like a short film by David Lynch.
"I need more sausages!"
http://www.milkandcookies.com/link/45276/detail/

184 Would he not be miles better than JP?

Andrew would you agree that his tone reflects that he isn't satisfied, there was some disguest in his voice when he said we watch everyday. Almost as if, I feel for you. I get the feeling strongly that our kids are pretty safe. I get the feeling he is ok for now but when he said we understand our strengths and weakness the tone to me reflected on Pierre, like i did what I thought was right in the momment(and the matthews thing) but now well hmm. I think tone was not as sales like as usual but realistic. I think he truly will build from within. Or am I outta my mind??

He also said there are a few other kids they are eyeing pretty hard for a 2nd half call up.

I thought Joe did a good job as well with some good questions.

Ranking the "qualified" CFs in MLB at ESPN, sorted by OPS, shows Matthews at 11th, JP at 21st out of 22 (besting Corey Patterson!). Including anyone with 100+ ABs puts JP down to 33 out of 40, while Matthews drops to 12th.

Hmm. I was wondering how they were each faring so far. We know they each have their strengths(?) and weaknesses. But side by side:

Gary Matthews Jr.
AVG OBP SLG OPS
.279 .341 .436 .777
BB K SB
30 59 12
Juan Pierre
AVG OBP SLG OPS
.282 .311 .338 .649
BB K SB
15 24 34

It's interesting how Matthews has twice as many walks and twice as many strikeouts, though I guess that's not all that surprising. 3 times as many SBs for Pierre. I know which one I'd rather have on defense. Overall, they're fairly comparable. Nothing too shocking here, I suppose.

174 -- A lot of statements people make have the whiff of ambiguity about them, and other statements really are crystal clear and it is not possible for conflicting nterpretations to rise out of them. I have not said you or anybody else were wrong to find the Broxton thing funny; I just explained why I didn't find it funny. The man's comment to Milano was ambiguous, and it doesn't help that I just read words on a page and didn't hear the conversational context or see the man's face as he spoke. Maybe you and others didn't need those extra things, but I apparently did. Maybe that is a shortcoming on my part.

But now you bring up that old argument about Jim's line in a particular episode of the The Office, which was -- and frankly, still is -- a touchy subject because the disagreement was so severe that the argument couldn't continue without both of us at least implying insults toward each other's interpretive capabilities and almost basic intelligence. It is not an argument we should resume, less because it is irresolvable short of you using any professional connections you have to find out the TV writer's intent, and more because I respect, and like, you too much to want to fight with you. Disagree with you I will on occasion (though I rarely disagree with you on Dodger matters), and we can argue to a point about certain things, and perhaps even enjoy it, but I don't want to fight with you, and I don't want to offend you.

Matthews is better than JP. But he's older and making more money. I'm not willing to subject myself to the choice of Matthews or Pierre, when there was a perfectly good Kemp sitting around the entire time, but my point is: What if Pierre isn't his blind spot? What if he doesn't just have a thing for speedy little guys who hit .300 (and awful pitchers)? What if the blind spot is bigger?

190- I took him to be talking about your stand against dictionary editors letting the riffraff have their contemptible words plug up the dictionaries of good and righteous people. Not the Broxton/Milano thing.

149. A small shoe? Really?

192 -- Since Jon brought up another occasion that relates to the general theme of "controversy involving Canuck over something somebody said and what they meant," I believe Jon's post connects to the Broxton/Milano thing. See, this is interesting, yet another disagreement over interpreting something somebody else said.

187- It wasn't just his tone; he came right out and said he wasn't satisfied. But it wasn't clear if that meant he felt he needed to make a move (the only time that seemed to be in the offing was in the eventuality that Tomko didn't regain his confidence), or he just wished the players he had would start being better. He didn't say it, but I definitely got the impression that he wanted a pony, which he would name sprinkles, and love forever.

193 Not from personal experience but I have friends and relatives who think having a smallish foot causes nothing but heartache when it comes to buying the latest in stylish footwear.

Actually modem is derived from the combination of the words modulate and demodulate. I take no part in compiling dictionaries, but that might have been slowed its adoption.

184. I'm always surprised that a manager would be oblivious to the contract demands of a player, especially one playing a position they are looking to fill. Strikes me that both the manager and the player's agent are not operating at a level you would expect.

193 -- I think you have said that you are a female, correct? That women with big feet are embarrassed by them is something I have seen, something I have heard, all my life. Completely understandable, given that women think of larger feet as a masculine trait. And people who work in shoe stores always say that even women with average-sized feet WANT to fit into shoes that are smaller than their actual size.

196. heh heh. I for one am quite happy with my size 9s. I have high arches, so they're doubly dramatic, don't you know. Of course, if I were only 5'3" they might be a problem. That might make one appear somewhat duck-like--even in the latest fashions.

164 That's the one I was thinking of. Playing in retro uniforms in that stadium was awesome. It also had a filter built in so that the game looked like an old black and white film with scratches and pops.

For some reason I keep flashing back on Albert Pujols in a baggy wool uniform stepping up to the plate, like a time-traveler's cameo in a newsreel. :)

198. I don't know one woman who feels that way. But I suppose anything's possible. It's kind of sad, though.

195 continued- The Pierre thing seemed like a whole lot of CYA gibbering. He had to get two outfielders, the market was dry, the ones I really wanted didn't want to move to California. . . I'm wont to dismiss it all, since none of that made signing Pierre a good idea, but I guess it means that he's willing to go on the record as not thinking Pierre is just the ginchiest. Which is of some, but only a little, consolation.

I wasn't appalled by the interviewer, but my standing complaint against interviewers who don't listen to the answers, just read the questions off the list, um, stands.

199- If it isn't too personal, what do you do about your high arches? I'm not certain my arches are high (the wear pattern on my shoes seems to indicate that they are), but the orthotics I bought to correct it tore my ankles and knees apart. I don't like resoling my shoes so often, but I'd rather be able to walk than keep them in perfect condition. But if there's a way to have both, that'd be even better.

196 -- Of course, there is nothing incompatible about the statements that women in general want a small shoe size (because they think it is feminine), and women who DO have small feet meet practical difficulties that women with normal feet (the majority) don't appreciate.

And of course women with small feet have a problem in addition to having a hard time FINDING stylish shoes, which is that their feet are usually not as well supported by high heels.

203. High heel shoes that fit right are most comfortable--though of course not practical all the time. And clogs. They're good. I just suffer, mostly. I'm always afraid my arches are going to fall, anyway. That happens during pregnancy, I hear. None of these suggestions helps you, I realize. Sorry...

199 -- If you are a size 9, that's above average, but not "big" for a woman. I seem to have known a good number of women with size 11 to 13 feet, and they have NOT been happy about their shoe sizes.

204. I'd say women of intelligence are above such pettiness--in general.

206. I would not be happy with a size 13. This is true. Unless I was 6'4". Then it would be necessary. I had a friend who was a model - 5'11" - who wore a size 11 and was happy to do it because all the years she was on the runway they forced her to put her feet into size 7 shoes. She has had many surgeries.

Aren't feet stories fun?

208 -- "...they forced her to put her feet into size 7 shoes."

There you go, that's evidence of the bias I was talking about, a bias toward women wearing smaller shoes. I guess a woman might say putting a model in shoes too small is the fault of men, but men aren't looking at how small a model's shoes are, or buying what the model is wearing, it's women.

205- Thanks anyway.

When the DT elections come around, I'm definitely voting Canuck for DT's resident expert in women's shoes.

209. All the shoes were size 7 or 8 - the average. They had to be shared. They just didn't want to provide designer shoes for each model and every show. It was expedient. Shoes aren't really the focus anyway - it's all about the clothes.

g'night. Go Dodgers.

211. Totally necessary when talking baseball. Maybe next time we can cover cleats and man sandals.

211 -- I don't make the same mistake as Nate. He talks to women about Dodger prospects and wonders why they aren't interested in him. I'm older than Nate, so I learned a long time ago that the answer to Sigmund Freud's famous question "What do women want?" is, no doubt, "lots of shoes." If a single guy keeps that in mind when he's trying to talk to a pretty lady and he needs something to talk about that will keep the woman interested, he's going to do okay. Of course, he usually also has to make it really clear that he's not gay:).

211 I think we had "cleats thoughts" a couple weeks ago. There were few supporters of white cleats. I remember wearing white cleats for softball, but it WAS the mid-80s. I'm almost certain I wore the white ones only between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Hu went 2 for 3 hitting a double down the line which he stretched for three sliding safely into third in his stylish black and white Adidas cleats whose red flourishes accentuate the dirt stains proving that this player brings his all to every game. Look for Hu to be stealing looks as well as bases at Dodger Stadium real soon.

215. I like the all white Oakland kit. It's ultra traditional, as in they would be welcome for an afternoon test at Lords.

171172
That made me [sic].

BTW: Which of Pierre's stats is Ned disappointed in? Is he really that upset that Pierre is hitting .282 instead of .300? Certainly, Pierre's 52 runs and 34 stolen bases can't be a huge let down.

Grady really needs to get off the "Tomko has great stuff" idea.

If Tomko really did have great stuff, he'd get hitters to actually swing and miss the pitches he throws. He'd accumulate strike outs.

However, Tomko's k/9 has been mediocre his entire career, which leads me to believe why anyone has ever associated 'stuff' with him.

If someone throws 95mph but its straight and doesnt move---that isnt 'great', nor 'stuff'.

Grady... please retire ASAP. I miss Tracy. Even Bill Russell.

Not that I'm a Tracy fan, mind you.

But anything's better than watching Grady turn 96-win talent into an 87-win record.

221. Where do you get the idea that this is a 96 win team? This team has a decent amount of holes that have nothing to do with Grady Little. I'm pretty ambivalent about him, so I'm not necessarily a defender, but I'd just like to know which 9-losses exactly you pin entirely on him.

I think proper roster construction could take the team from 84 wins to 90 wins.

Meloan for Tomko.
Kemp in place of Pierre.
If not possible, then Pierre batting 8th.
Martin being moved up in the order sooner.
Tomko/Hendrickson being dropped from the rotation sooner.

Pointing to a couple games here or there would be tough to do---but the overall cumulative effect would have a difference.

Its Grady's fault for the Tomko/Hendrickson failures, and leaving Billingsley in the pen for way too long. Its also his fault Pierre bats 2nd instead of 8th.

Its Ned's fault for the roster though, and Kemp not being able to play in place of Pierre.

Little's done a good job in comparison to Tracy---Little doesnt seem to like to bunt and he'll use his relievers for 1 full inning at a time instead of 3/4 in an inning.

On the other hand, Little's over using Russ Martin, and mis-handling the back of the rotation.

223. I'll agree with your two points in the last paragraph, but honestly, do you really think what he has done will cost the Dodgers 9 wins versus what an average, or even above average manager right now would do? I don't, I think he is a relatively benign force.

I agree.
I dont think managers make a great amount of difference.
Little doesnt kill the team, but I dont think he's been all that positive either.

I was looking to see how Dewitt did at Jax last nite--he went 2/4.

But I did notice that Cory Dunlap--the 1st basemen at Jax--probably has the best plate discipline in the organization. Its just a shame he hasnt developed any power (and he needs it at 1st base), or else he might be a really legit prospect to look at. Last year at Vero Beach--he was at .261/.435/.461--->thats Russ Martin-esque.

This year--.248/.368/.343.

Already 23yrs old in AA, next year he really needs to put it together power-wise or he'll probably be written off.

I found Joel Guzman's line quite interesting in terms of K/bbs per month.

April--28/3
May--19/4
June- 29/4
July--7/5

Maybe he's finally getting it?

226. That's unlikely. There's no trend. If July ends up 27/25, we can talk.

I didn't see any mention of it in the comments, but I suppose by now everyone has heard that Mark Cuban has applied to buy the Cubs. If I were a Cubs fan, I'd be excited by this news. In the NBA, Cuban might be the scourge of the refs and the Commissioner, but his players and Mavs fans love him. He might even hire a GM with a clue.

"E-mail" is simply an idiomatic contraction of "electronic mail.

in the spanish community we say mensaje electronico it would sound weird it we said E-Mensaje?

He might even hire a GM with a clue

I hope Depo gets another GM job soon. I'd like to watch him in action.

228

wow, if that happens watch out.

In general, I think Ned is good at signing short contracts like Lofton, Gonzo, Wolf but when he signs big money players like Schmidt and Pierre the story is different.

well i gotta hit the road for a couple of days maybe a week, i'll talk to you guys then. late.

I think Ned is good at signing short contracts like Lofton, Gonzo, Wolf but when he signs big money players like Schmidt and Pierre the story is different

I think this is a general trend, not just with Ned. I'm sure there are exceptions, but it sure seems that long-term, big-money contracts don't usually work out so well for the team. Short-term contracts seem to be the way to go, if you can get players to agree to them.

232

i see that more in the lines of "learning experience" i really doubt Ned makes a Pierre type bad deal again.

If Mark Cuban can find so many points of contention with a competent and successful commissioner like David Stern, I can only imagine what a professional relationship with Bud Selig would be like.

I have a hard time believing MLB would want Mark Cuban. But they should.

228. No way does he get approved by Bud and the owners, even if he bids double what anyone else does. They want people they can tame.

At my bank we've worked with a lot of people buying small shares of at least 5 different ownership groups, each looking at raising at least $1.0BN for the bidding war. My personal hope is that the one that includes Ernie Banks wins

A column today on DePo out of San Diego.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070713/news_1s13canepa.html

I'm sorry, but the idea that this team would be better off with Jim Tracy or Bill Russell is... well, ludicrous. I don't know what else to say about that. And Grady may have his faults, but despite his reputation about being a players' manager and pro-veteran or whatever, he's got impatient with a lot of the same players we've gotten impatient with and once he had some more youth to work in to the mix, he did. I've questioned a few moves he's made in games this season here and there, but overall think he's done a pretty good job with a good but not great team.

In general, I think Ned is good at signing short contracts like Lofton, Gonzo, Wolf but when he signs big money players like Schmidt and Pierre the story is different.

I dont really see any difference.
Tomko has a short contract. He's horrible.
Nomar has a short contract. He's just as bad.

I think people tend to not notice the shorter contracts, but in terms of how Ned's evaluates players--I think they are pretty similar.

I just want Ned to sign useful players with upside---whether it takes a 1yr deal, 5yr deal, 5yr deal with a 2yr out clause..doesnt matter. Just sign good players--simple yet perplexing.

238---

"As long as I feel challenged and we continue to do new things, then, yes, I absolutely can be content here," says DePodesta, who won't discuss his Dodgers days. "I'd consider it (a GM job), but only if it were in a near-perfect situation. I had a sense for how good I had it (in Oakland). I have that same sense here. This is good for me professionally and personally. It's a great balance, lifestylewise. I'm not anxious to leave.

Evidently the McCourts bought his silence. It also doesnt really appear that DePo has much reverence for the Dodgers.

Rats, I had one cancellation for Dodgers-Giants game tonight. anyone want to go? Two of us DTers so far. Abel vs Cain! Er, Billingsley vs Cain.

But Cain killed Abel.

241 I think it is more if you don't have anything nice to say, etc.

Its interesting though that even in this setting, you really don't get any insight into what makes Paul tick. I think it is this reserved, thoughtful demeanor, while perfect as an insider, may still show some reluctance in taking the challenge of a GM's job.

There is no such thing as a perfect situation for high profile jobs like running a baseball organization. So if that remains his standard for moving up, expect to see Paul in jobs like he currently has for a long time.

243 - No spoilers!

243 This time it's personal!

245
Jon has yet to make it past Chapter 3 of the Book of Genesis.

I'm going to send him "The Good Book" as read by Larry King.

Saturday's Fox broadcast will feature Matt Vasgersian and Tim McCarver.

Can we pre-complain now?

248 Isn't that what they show to prisoners in Guantanamo?

New post up top.

Brett T. apparently generates the same kind of benign fog someone like Javier Vasquez does.
"Baseball People" live inside the fog, fans outside. Going back to his pre-Yankee days, I kept asking about the fuss over Javier. Same with Brett, pre-Giants.
Tony Jackson, in the usual bloviated way, asks who might have predicted Schmidt on the DL.
Check various Dodger sites when deal was announced...