Five years? Wow.

Time flies when you're having fun. Your work speaks for itself.

Thanks, Jon.

Jon,

You had me with 9/11/1983.

I am torn about wearing the DT Blue shirt only because it hasn't been witness to a win by the home team yet. It will be just too hot to wear the white long-sleeved variety.

Thanks and congrats on the 5 year anniversary of DT.

By the way, Jon, the Branson Chamber of Commerce is on line one. They'd like a word...

3 - I figured they'd only care about people coming to town, not going.

my gut keeps telling me that we should leave the shirts at home

But then again, your gut may be very hungry...

Wow, congrats! And thank you for running such a wonderful site. The fifth anniversary gift is wood, so maybe you should get a bat from somebody!

And congrats to TC.

Congrats on the five year anniversary. I have been coming to your site for pretty much the entire time you have written about the Dodgers. Most of my friends and family are not die-hard Dodger fans like I feel I am. This site was a wonderful way for me to share my fanaticism. I used to and still do come here everyday, mostly to read and rarely to write, to see others' reactions to the game I am watching or have just experienced. This site has probably meant a lot more to a lot of people than you can imagine. I just want to say thank you.

By the way, for perspective, when this site started, I was just married and in my first, highly insecure job right after college. I used to post under the moniker jim tracy. Now I'm married almost six years, about to have my second child, my own house and a steady, semi-successful job. I'm glad to see Dodger Thoughts has grown up with me. Thanks.

This reminds me of how I found DT. I was searching the internet for some saber-metric friendly Dodger sites and I came across DT. At the time it was just Jon posting and no one else could leave comments. I thought it was interesting but it did not fulfill my needs. I continued to post on Dodgers.com for a long time, hoping I brought an alternative view to the norm there that others would appreciate. They did not.
And this became ten times worse when DePo was hired.

Paul DePodesta was the only person in the world that I wanted to be the Dodgers GM. I woke up everyday that summer hoping to turn on ESPNews and seeing Paul DePodesta hired as Dodgers GM. It finally happened. I was ecstatic. But overtime I grew so frustrated with my fellow posters. I contemplated making my own blog. I had no idea how to make a blog, I was no expert in saber-metrics even if I believed in them, and I pretty much have forgotten everything I learned in school when it comes to writing. Thankfully, the infamous Oldbear suggested DodgerThoughts to me.

I immediately started to fall in love with DT, without even realizing it was the same site that I had visited before. I soon felt comfortable enough with the friendly atmosphere to post. I quickly learned in my first post that: swearing is not allowed, Jon is a forgiving man, and that the posters here make you feel welcomed. I am extremely thankful this site exists. I probably would have made a site that is a fraction of the quality of this site. Sure, this site just adds to me wasting a large chunk of my life being devoted to sports, but I love it. Fanerman's quote says it all.

Yeah, I miss the days of just one kid. :-)

My name is sushirabbit and I am a DodgerThoughts fan. Here in Nashville, I'll be wearing my shirt in solidarity .

Congrats on the 5 year anniversary. I came upon this site after I stumbled across Tom Meagher's Dodger blog. A few weeks after I started reading it, he quit the blog and mentioned your site. I thought to myself, there can't possibly be a better writer and more interesting Dodger-oriented site than this... but low and behold I hit the motherload. vr, Xei

But I just keep wanting to write about the Dodgers.

I hope this never ceases.

Dodger Thoughts is an addiction

Indeed!

Thank you for the five years. I have been reading for four of them and cannot put to words how much I cherish this place. Dodger Thoughts has educated me on the game of baseball, the Dodgers, and life.

Well my wife can't thank you enough. I used to vent to her and pace back and forth between pitches. Hiding my eyes, yelling at the tv, changing the channel.

And then changing the channel back.

Now, I don't feel all alone.

I'd also like to thank the regular posters here. All you guys have made basbeall so much more enjoyable for me with your insights.

Jon you do a heck of a job in keeping a level head and it has rubbed off on me.

And don't worry, I am addicted too.

If it weren't for Jon, I'd just be a guy making a lot of comments.

Wait, I still am that person.

It was my understanding that Craig gave out the seat assignments based on the color of our Dodgers Thoughts shirt so that he'd have a checkerboard effect going.

I can't be the only person unbelievably nervous about showing up tomorrow.

15
You'll be the belle of the ball tomorrow I'm sure.

15 yo! I'm not particularly fond of leaving my house or meeting new people in general. Especially when I'm going alone. My anxiety attack started about the time I got my ticket.

tomorrow is gonna be a blast, i can't wait! Re-reading a few of those old posts reminded me of just how many past dodgers we are gonna be seeing tomorrow as well. If only Jason Grabowski could be there...! I guess he, along with Timmermann, will be there in spirit (like Obi-wan in Star Wars).

8 I felt the same way about DePodesta as you did. This site was one where I found people who thought like I did. I cancelled my LA Times subscription sometime in early 2002 and was searching online a lot more for Dodger sources. I really had started disliking the LA Times and could not get over how poor their quality of sports writers had gotten (couple of exceptions, notwithstanding). One of the sticking points with this site is a lot of people felt that way about the LA Times and that drew me in. Also, I had read moneyball, and was intrigued but a little clueless about sabremetrics and player valuation with non traditional stats. This site helped fill a huge vaccum where that was concerned. And I always enjoyed Jon's writings and stats he posted. Among posters, Bob and Nate were always a fountain of knowlesge. So, I got hooked.. and I'm still here.

i wish I could go tomorrow but prior commitments suck.

I wish Bob was going to be there :-(

I'm hitting the liberry to meet the legend at some point.

Talk about nervous. There is going to be alot of pressure on those of us not at the game to get the game thread comment total to the normal 500 post level. Bob may be giving us play by play of other games, while movie chat, music chat, tv chat and possum chat will have to fill the rest of the void.
vr, Xei

15
I can't wait to see what more of my fellow posters look like.

Especially you Brock, especially you.

The mystery of Greg Brock will be revealed!

21. if you go to Bob's liberry, make sure you ask to see all the maps. vr, Xei

Jon- for all you do, this blog's for you. My favorite recollection from the pre-comment days was sharing my Dodger frustration via email exchange with you. You finally posted our entire series of emails as a blog entry. It kinda felt like we were chatting in an empty room. Next thing you know you're getting 500 comments on a slow day and doing Rosenthal-like radio interviews.

Sorry I can't make the outing tomorrow. Turns out my son and DT share the same birthday. Which is why, he'll explain to his friends, that his middle name is Toaster.

Congratulations, Jon. I remember the lavender site. You got me through a dead-end day job. I've learned a lot in five years. I'm sure I'm not alone...

Ned will be on AM 570 at 5 p.m. today. Hopefully someone can fill us in.

23
I'm rather unimpressive. I probably won't say ten words the whole time. Social anxiety is a bit of pain.

I just want a bench-clearing brawl at the game. That's all I ask. And a win. A bench-clearing brawl, a win, and a Dodger Dog. That's all I ask.

22
I hope there's not an opossum at the library tomorrow, although it wouldn't surprise me. I think I comment more on skunks than opossums. Skunks are my mortal enemies.

Congratulations on your five year anniversary Jon! DT means so much to me, so I can only imagine what it means to you and all the posters who have been coming here five times as long as me and contributing incredible content on a daily basis. Coming to DT regularly has made me not just a better and more objective Dodger fan, but a better all around baseball fan. DT is indeed an addiction.

15 You are not the only one.

It's an interesting dilemma - this time we spend following sports that could obviously be spent elsewhere. I'm at a similar place in my life as you Jon - two young kids, busy career schedule - and there are times (usually after a frustrating stretch of watching several losses in a row) that I swear that I am just going to quit paying attention alltogether. But like an addict to the pipe, I always find my way back to the allure of the game and it's easy, comforting embrace.

I found my way to DT during the chaotic days of DePodesta's LoDuca-Penny trade, and although I don't post very much I do check in on the site nearly every day. The one thing I will say is that even if we are all wasting our time following this infuriating game, and the even more infuriating Dodgers, when we should be out fixing the world, this is undoubtedly the best site to waste that time. I've visited a handful of the other Dodger oriented sites, and even though I am a bit of a ranting, foul mouthed guy myself, I grow tired of all of the ridiculous obscenity-laced tirades very quickly. For me, the best part of DT is that I can fade away from time to time, and come back after a week and find the same insightful analysis and witty banter that was here when I left. For you, I would imagine it could become more of a grind, since you gave birth to this little monster you must feel some responsibility in maintaining it as an enjoyable destination, and that's the part that I don't envy - the policing necessary to keep things at a level acceptable to you.

Thanks for all of your efforts Jon. And here's my new DT mantra - I may be wasting my time but I am wasting it at the best of places in the best of company.

I am fine unless it is like a speech or anything where everyone is looking at me. I cannot handle that.

Hopefully, I will have a car next year so I can go to the next meeting.

I'm rather unimpressive. I probably won't say ten words the whole time. Social anxiety is a bit of pain

Would some pre-game "silliness" help decrease your inhibitions...?

Sounds like Jon is going to have to come up with activities to get people to mix. How about if Jon brings a bunch of name tags with the names of various obscure Dodgers. Then he puts on each person's back and that person has to ask someone else a series of questions to determine what name is on the tag.

For example:
Greg Brock is assigned "Brett Cookson."
Greg Brock will ask "Was I an infielder?"
Hallux Valgus will reply, "Beats me. I've never heard of you."

It's a great icebreaker.

Either that or a key party.

What are the chances Hu plays second next year and then moves over to short after Furcal leaves?

One or several of you folks better take a camera and post pictures at Flickr or Photobucket or somewhere.

Jon, it's a joy to have this site with all these fellow fanatics. Thanks.

34

When i first read that last line, I thought Bob was advocating a keg party...which is an event I fully endorse.

I'm now two kids to the wind

That one made me grin. Put me down for a GOL.

Thanks so much for creating this spot, Jon. I read daily, even when I should be doing other things.

As an anniversary present, I'm sending another donation, and I hope others who love your site as I do will follow suit.

Let's give the man some Dodger Dog funds for the game!

35

thats a possibility but I think Kent will play for the Dodgers in 2008.

My wife and I are leaving for vacation tomorrow morning, and I have not told her that:

A) I will be sad inside, knowing I am missing the DT day at Chavez and

B) That I will be sad once again on Friday night when I miss my softball double-header

From ItD . . .

Furcal, SS
Pierre, CF
Martin, C
Kent, 2B
Gonzo, LF
Nomar, 3B
Loney, 1B
Kemp, RF
Tomko, P

Maybe someone could throw a tailgate party to loosen you all up.

42) Just not in the parking lot

43
Is that now allowed or not possible?

Someone was advocating a Baker for Betemit trade in the last thread...I think Betemit's worth more then Baker. His stuff isn't that great and he's been going downhill ever since his debut. I would definitely ask for Garza if I'm dealing with the Twins.

Greg Brock, a big reason I became a writer was because of how little I liked to talk. We'll get through Saturday.

37 It would certainly increase the mingling.

Consider: Keg, or five Dodger beers. Same cost, one provides far more value.

44 Tailgating always has been banned at the Stadium.

Although I've only been visiting the site for the past year, and certainly don't have the wisdom or typing speed to post as often as most of the regulars, I am most certainly addicted to this site as much as anyone. It can be quite lonely being a Dodger fan in the middle of Indiana. Since my dad died in 1993, I haven't had another Dodger fan to hang out and just be a Dodger fan with. When the Dodgers are nearby, I sometimes have to beg friends or force family to go watch. You should have seen the look on my wife's face when I explained to her this year that we were going to Dayton on the 4th of July to see Clayton Kershaw pitch! Let's just say she wasn't as excited as I was. Anyway, my point is, Jon, you have given myself and countless others like me an extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and sometimes funny crowd to hang out with and talk about our favorite subject. Since the early years of Extra Innings, I have been able to watch my beloved Dodgers nearly every night. Here in the Midwest, that means staying up quite late to finish games. It's so much more meaningful to be able to yell or cheer into your blog than it was to do the same towards my poodles until a year ago. Thank you Jon, for all that you do.

48
That is so weak. That is all people do up here before games in Oakland.

I talk a lot when I'm drunk. Sober? Not so much.

At least you all know you have something in common. It is not like trying to pick up a date or something.

50)
It might be dangerous to allow open tailgating to some of the Dodger fans out there. The beer in the stadium gets them riled up as is.

It pleases me to share a birthday with DT.

I'm also a bit nervous about tomorrow. As a latecomer (I've been here about two years) I've always kinda pictured the rest of you regulars as the cool kids and me as the, uh ...not-so-cool kid. Thanks for letting me come to your party.

Who's buyin'?

It is not like Oakland fans are ever known for being crazy...

Who would think that people that debate the merits of Jonathon Meloan vs Roberto Hernandez would be deemed the cool kids?

I just want to see the video from the DT Dodger Dog eating contest.

35 I almost always carry a pen, so I'd probably just cross it off and put down a name that I know. Sooner or later, everyone will be assigned Dave Anderson. Yeah, I cheat at stuff.

54 I feel the same way.

I was just thinking how crazy it is that when Jon announced that we would celebrate DT day it was over a month ago and Loney had not even been called up yet and Schmidt wasn't done for the year yet (technically). My how quickly things change.

I can't even remember how I came across Dodger thoughts or when it happened. I'm thinking that I found it through a link at BBTF or something like that.

Even though I don't post nearly as much as I used to, I still read every day. I can't say thank you enough to Jon for providing such a wonderful place to discuss the Dodgers.

I read about 25 blogs a day on various subjects. Dodger Thoughts is easily my favorite. I have been a Dodger fan since 1970 and I have learned more about baseball in the last year than the previous 35 years combined. Thank you Mr. Weisman !!

Jon, congratulations on your 5 years. When I found your site in the summer of 2004 my best friends 3 year old son was in a losing battle for his life and the Dodgers were my release. My wife and I have no children so William was as close to a son as I was going to get and as that was slipping away I needed distractions. I considered writing a blog about the Dodgers and then I found your site. After being subjected to mediocre sports writing your writing was a revelation. I read a lot of BP but the arrogance and sometimes nastiness wasn't my cup of tea even if the information and humor they provided was. Your even take showed a grace that I hadn't encountered before. I quickly abandoned any idea of a blog at the time as you were already saying things that I felt but in prose I could only dream of. Later as the commentators grew it became apparent that Dodger Thoughts had not only created something of a family atmosphere but some of the brightest minds I could ever hope to learn from. Sometimes your posters make me angry and sometimes they disappoint me in their negativity but your writing never does. On good days there is not a funnier place to be or a more thoughtful place. Dodger Thoughts has become so much more then just the Dodgers. While you may feel guilty from time to time about how much time you spend on Dodger Thoughts you probably don't have a clue how important Dodger Thoughts has been to many of us. You should be immensely proud of what you have created as I think many of us have met friends who may become lifelong friends even if we were never to meet face to face. People rarely get to make the difference that I think you've made and you did it simply by writing about baseball. Dodger Thoughts is like Cheers where everyone knows your name.

See you all tomorrow.

33 Silliness isn't conducive to going out in crowds when you're generally afraid of crowds. Only for watching Planet Earth in high-def with a pizza.

congratulations, jon! you've provided many hours of entertainment, insight, and joy. if DT is your psychological outlet, then to the rest of us, you're like the voice of reason amidst the howling frenzy. your posts keep a lot of us grounded. thanks for maintaining such a thoughtful and welcoming space.

62 - Perfectly said, Toy. No wonder you're blogging now, too.

Toy Cannon said it. Good jorb, TC.

45 Nate- Baker has looked solid in his last 6 starts including two QS vs. Detroit. Over that stretch:

37ip, 27k, 5bb, 3.88 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 4 QS

67

the same could be said for Betemit. For a team that lacks as much power as the Dodgers do, I think it would be foolish to trade one of the few power sources this team has in Betemit. Although if they don't play him, then I guess its a moot point.

I'm new to this site, althought I knew about it for a long time....I coulnd't have dreamed up such a place....This site is truly a great place to enjoy sports without having to endure the jingoism and corporate yuck that often accompanies it...thank you Jon Weisman....

63 I too find silliness to be exactly the opposite of what I need in crowds. It just makes me that much more anxious. Unless maybe it's at a planetarium laser show or something.

28. At least you're all the same gender. I'm bringing a gal pal to try to even things out. Though I really need to bring about 20 gal pals, I guess. Oh, well.

68- At this point, I am stumped by Nomar's continued ownership of third base....in the way that Betimit played his way out of the job, he has clearly played his way back in....Yet he sits....he is playing as well as Loney played when he took over first.....confusing...

DodgerSims has tonight's Dodger win expectancy at 50.15%. With Tomko pitching, I don't feel overly confident with those numbers, but the computer doesn't have a memory of what happened last night. Let's hope we can pull out a squeeker and Tomko doesn't burn up our bullpen too badly.
vr, Xei

Congratulations on 5 years, Jon. This is a great site. I'm glad I found it.

I'm a longtime reader, but a relatively new poster. That's mainly because I worked as a sports journalist for nearly a decade and it seemed a bit awkward to also post here.

I've worked shoulder-to-shoulder and laptop-to-laptop with every writer in town. And I feel confident in saying that if there were only one place to get Dodgers news, Dodger Thoughts would be it.

Jon, thank you for the exceptional job you do. Please keep up the great work and congratulations on your anniversary.

Wow, I really feel sorry for Kadycee's friend lol.

75 - Great handle!

Congrats Jon, and thanks for everything. I'd probably lose my mind without Dodger Thoughts.

I wish I could could have made it to the game tomorrow. I wouldn't worry about being nervous about it. We're all one big dysfunctional family that almost never sees each other. I'm sure you'll all get through it. You have my support. Strength and honor.

So Jon and TC now share the same anniversary. Congrats to both of you. Jon, I'm sure its been said numerous times above, but thank you for the all the hard work that goes into your thought provoking analysis, your voice of calm among the panic and maintaining the most civilized yet fun site on the web. And most of all thank you and everyone else here for deepening my baseball education.

76. A bunch of strange guys can't intimidate her (I mean strange in the unfamiliar sense, not the peculiar sense. Or do I?) Tee hee.

I mean strange in the unfamiliar sense, not the peculiar sense. Or do I?

The two are not mutually exclusive.

Congratulations to you, Jon. I don't have a dramatic story to tell, but I was very pleased and surprised when I discovered Dodger Thoughts a couple years ago, a place where knowledgeable, articulate, and (almost always) civil baseball fanatics gather to exchange their ruminations on all things Dodgers, baseball, and the world at large. Obviously, the standard - both for the writing and for the decorum - set by Jon and followed by the loyal commenters is high, and we are all the better for it. Thank you, Jon, for giving us your thoughts and this forum everyday, something that fills some need in each of us, for we keep coming back, in-season or off-season, win or lose, game day or off day.

Would have made for a great anniversary if Jon had put a new post up after 79.

What the heck is OJ thinking?

http://tinyurl.com/yvdnly

Re: Parking at DT game tomorrow

This is crazy, but I only just remembered I need to buy a parking ticket, and I can't find anywhere on dodgers.com parking or tickets sites that lets me do so. The one time I bought my own ticket, I was able to buy a parking ticket as part of the same transaction. I've tried following the Single Day Tickets path but see no way to get only a parking ticket without another seat ticket.

Am I dong something wrong, or is there no way to buy an advanced parking ticket through ticketFast? Just turn up and get in a long line? Weirdly, there's no info anywhere on the dodgers site that I can find about even this.

Help, please?

Tonight is one of those annoying nights for me, since I have Oliver Perez on my fantasy team. Usually I'll start a pitcher even when he's facing the Dodgers... but tonight (fingers crossed!) I'm hoping that the bats stay hot.

Hopefully I don't jinx it so he throws a shutout or anything.

85
Just get in line and pay $15 at the gate.

85 Just give your 15 dollars to the person at the gate.

86:

Oh man, I got Jorge Sosa on my fantasy team....!

And there is no pre-paid parking ticket line. All who enter wait in the same lines. Some just park closer in.

62 Your even take showed a grace that I hadn't encountered before.

This is exactly it. Grace ... The closest I can put my admiration for this site is that Dodger Thoughts is the Vin Scully of baseball blogs.

( Is there a Rick Monday of blogs? )

Now that Nomar is out of the third spot what do we have to do to get him to hit 8th? It's criminal at this point that he still hits ahead of Loney and Kemp/Ethier.

Thanks Jon for giving me my favorite bookmark of the last four years (took a year before I found the gold).

Edwin Jackson has been spotted a 4-run lead in New York.

Jeez Louise. Tomorrow is the 5th anniversary of DT, DT Day, Lebowskifest, and the release of Deathly Hallows.

So much tasty goodness!

95- In the parlance of our times...

I hate the feeling that so many people will be reading the Deathly Hallows and knowing what happens before me. But I guess it can't wait one day. The Dodgers should come before Harry anyway. Yes, I'm a nerd, all right.

I've been a lurker for about 3 1/2 years. I think this will be my fifth post in that time. Gratitude for Jon and his site is the only thing that gets me to actually post. I'm so happy to sit quietly in the back and listen/read.

This site has meant so much to me the past few years. I've read it everyday and feel like I'm going to meet friends tomorrow even though none of you know who I am even by moniker. But the point is-- you've done something special here Jon. You've made something where there was nothing that has had a direct influence on many of our lives. Thank you!

Mike Mussina looks like he's going to implode on the mound. I think he's close to 50 pitches thrown in the third inning. The Devil Rays have been at bat for 25 minutes.

And after walking the bases loaded, Rays DH Greg Norton swings at Mussina's first pitch and grounds out.

The D-Rays Bay group must be angry!

97-- I'm with you. I thought about bringing HP to the game to read in between innings, but then I thought what if there actually is a limit to how nerdy you can be and what if tomorrow I were to cross that limit?

(Two posts in one month!)

I think there may be as many as five or six women attending tomorrow.

101
It's really hard to read a book between innings at a baseball game. I've tried it.

I hadn't seen the early days of DT (pre-Toaster) until now.

From one of Jon's first posts:

"And I figure, occasionally, someone else might read this. My brother or sister. An indulgent friend. I don't know - someone. I'm not sure it matters."

:)

71 I'm so nervous I'm bringing my wife as my crutch, although she's the shy one. Add one to your count of females.

After Mussina threw close to 50 pitches in the top of the third, the Yankees were retired in the bottom of the inning on four pitches by Jackson.

And the Yankees sent up Jeter, Abreu, and Rodriguez.

This could be Edwin's night!

There were 343 comments in the game thread during last year's get-together:

https://dodgerthoughts.baseballtoaster.com/archives/413023.html

106 - That's what I thought during Edwin's last start against the Yankees a few days ago (substitute "day" for "night").

101. Ha ha. I thought about it too. Not because I wanted to read it, but just to hold it and know it was mine. That's definitely crossing the nerd-line.

If only we were to be afforded the opportunity to observe Bob Timmermann scoring a baseball game. Alas.

Happy blog anniversary, Jon, and many more. I found DT just after the big trade in 2004, and have always been glad of it.

Way out west there was this fella I wanna tell ya about. Goes by the name of Jon Weisman. At least that was the handle his loving parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. See, this Weisman, he called himself Philosopher King. Now, Philosopher King- there's a name no man would self-apply where I come from. But then there was a lot about the Philospher King that didn't make a whole lot of sense. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place so darned interestin'. See, they call Los Angeles the "City Of Angels"; but I didn't find it to be that, exactly. But I'll allow it as there are some nice folks there. 'Course I ain't never been to London, and I ain't never seen France. And I ain't never seen no queen in her damned undies, so the feller says. But I'll tell you what - after seeing Los Angeles, and this here blog he's been writing for five years, well, I guess I seen somethin' every bit as stupefyin' as you'd seen in any of them other places. And in English, too. So I can die with a smile on my face, without feelin' like the good Lord gypped me.

Now this here blog had took place in the early/mid '00s - just about the time of our conflict with Sad'm and the I-raqis. I only mention it because sometimes there's a man... I won't say a hero, 'cause, what's a hero? Sometimes, there's a man. And I'm talkin' about the Philosopher King here - the PK from Los Angeles. Sometimes, there's a man, well, he's the man for his time and place. He fits right in there. And that's the Philosopher King. From Los Angeles. And even if he's a Dodgers man - and the PK was most certainly that. Quite possibly the most loyal Dodger man in all of Los Angeles County, which would place him high in the runnin' for most loyal Dodger man worldwide. Sometimes there's a man, sometimes, there's a man. Well, I lost my train of thought here. But... aw, hell. I've done introduced it enough. It's Dodger Thoughts.

Anyone listen to Ned on the radio?

105. I was kind hoping there might be a wife or two to mitigate the testosterone. Not that there's anything wrong with testosterone!

I'll say Ned is smart to do these interviews on Fridays at 5:00, the gates don't open for another 20 minutes so no worries about running into fans coming into the park.

Nothing of real note, now that Meloan is in Vegas, Ned expects to see him up in LA before the season is over. Broxton had a real short stop in Vegas (about a month) so I would expect something to happen soon.

Ned said that if the market doesn't change from what is out there today, don't expect a lot moves from anybody.

Guys no longer prospects:
Russell
Andre
Chad
Broxton

Guys who will lose their prospect status soon:
Loney
Kemp

What Ned means by that is that in his mind once you lose the prospect label, you become a regular player or pitche as the case may be. How that effects your trade status is a question he did not answer but it does seem to be an important distinction to him.

And a shout out to those who knew who Russell Martin was before he was called up last May. When asked if he could deal a hypothetical popular player, Ned said that usually performance determines popularity. Sure Martin is popular today but how many people knew who he was before last May.

Only if you followed the organization closely, would you have known anything about Russell Martin.

Ned, you are talking to us man.

113. What did he say?

114 I know of one wife and Jon may know of others.

112 Simply brilliant. Kudos, sir.

nevermind. Thanks bhssportsguy

You folks are way too kind - really. If only my momma had a computer to read all this with.

Game thread opening in about 10 minutes. There, LAT, I warned you.

117
You mean there are going to be polygamists in attendance?

Tomko has rediscovered his 2-seamer so I expect him to pitch an interesting game tonight.

121. LOL

122. Tomko is nothing if not interesting.

115 I'm guessing the distinction is that they have sufficiently/officially proven themselves. Seems like I remember him saying something similar last year.

103 Reading while trying to get out of the parking lot after the game might be more productive. ;)

I think nothing interesting will happen in tonight's game since I won't be seeing much of it.

The way Ned sounded at the end of his talk, and though plenty of folks will disagree with his premise that it helped Loney and Kemp to "refine their skills" in AAA, the way he sounded in talking about them, I think I could safely say, the guys on the big club, ain't going no where.

And he is concerned about Nomar (and Tomko, etc.) but he is giving Nomar the benefit of the doubt for now, but he sounded genuinely concerned about Nomar's lack of production.

Well I have cooking and baking to do, so I will be off for now, happy game thread all.

128. bless your baking heart

I will be missing the game tonight and instead will be attending a small, one-woman show that is a tribute to Ethel Waters.

Okay - time for traffic on the ones. New post up top.

117 I believe the one you know of is mine, so that doesn't up the established female count!

We're all genuinely concerned with Nomar's production. But I'm more concerned with starting him so much because he's not very good anymore.

Thanks about the parking info. I guess I'm getting there early enough.

[112] was gold.

Late to the party here but I wanted to get in my congrats to Jon for 5 years of outstanding work. I don't think you have any idea how much it is appreciated by so many people. Many, many thanks to you.

Oh, and you can count me in as a fellow reclusive introvert. We seem to have a theme going here.

Darn I am late too. Really Jon, this is the best Dodger place on the net. You keep it nice and orderly in a non-confrontational sort of way, and that's not easy to do. Other guys like Timmerman, Enders, Brock etc. only add to the quality. I hope it never goes away and wish you could make a living at it, so it was not so much extra work.

Congratulations Jon. And many happy returns.

Happy Fifth Anniversary, Jon. Congrats. The best Dodgers coverage anywhere.

Have fun at the game.