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 park