Herman also engineered the famous three men on third fiasco. That's better than having two thrown out at the plate.

Why aren't there more men named Babe any more? Or Pee Wee, for that matter. I would think in our post-modern, self-criticizing culture we would be all over such ironic labeling.

Or are they just too old timey? For goodness sakes people. We live in the Oughts (Ought-7 to be precise), lets bring back Babe!

Can somebody clarify for me, picking up on some earlier discussion threads - is Russell Martin really dating Alyssa Milano, or does she merely have the hots for him? I hope this doesn't have anything to do with his recent slumping, and wish that she'd develop an interest in the aging backup catcher instead.

Please, no Roberto appearances tonight. Please.

4 You don't think Hendu's going the route, do you?

LATed .. err ... Zapped again. See end of previous thread if you're interested in how giraffes, infrasound, and ghosts are all related.

3 We need Glenn Close to show up in a white dress to shake this spell.

4-No, he just scares me a whole bunch. Lance Carter-style.

An Eric Hull appearance wouldn't be such a bad sign, necessarily however.

I may miss most of this game, and Hull's debut, however, if I can get out of work in time to catch a movie.

8 Well, let me know which relievers you would like to use tonight, and I'll see if I can make it happen;)

(Put the word "necessarily" after "wouldn't" above, and then put my brain in a jar for the rest of the day. I'm fried.)

News Flash!!! Cougar Attacks Dodger Catcher Russel Martin!!!
What, Alyssa wants Russel's bones? Never fear, Russ, I'll interpose my worthless hulk between you to take the charge. 'Tis a noble thing I do...

And, we're underway from Houston . . .

10 Beimel and Broxton would mean leads in the 8th and 9th respectively, so them I suppose.

2 Babe the (Dodger) Blue Ox Broxton.

12 Perhaps Martin shouldn't catch Penny anymore then...

16 Maybe Penny would warn Martin to stay away. Well, on second thought, who knows what kind of advice Penny would give.

Wait a minute. Mr. Weisman said Leiberthal was starting today. Lies!!

15 I like it!

15 That's a good nickname. I'll call him Babe from now on.

http://apse.dallasnews.com/contest1999/writing/over250.sdut4.html

When USC played in the 1997 NCAA Regional postseason tournament in Alabama, a local newspaper called Eric Munson the son of Thurman Munson, the late Yankees All-Star catcher. Area fans were convinced it was true until the USC parents directed them to Steve and Dora Munson, who confirmed the player wearing No. 3 was their boy.

18 - I have documentation. I have to blame the Dodgers' PR department. Or Grady, for changing his mind on them.

signs that you are getting old:

Alyssa Milano, the little cute chick from Who's the boss (Sam) is now a Cougar. I wonder what Jonathan is up to.

It should be noted that Bluebleeder has used the "Blue Ox" nickname for Broxton previously in DT.

24 Was it used with the all important "Babe" proceeding it?

The Astros broadcast had this as one of the things on Hendy's scouting report: "Runs the floor well." I don't have sound here at work, so I can't tell if that was meant to be poking fun of his former NBA career, or just some weird scouting thing I've never heard of. Clever, if it's the former.

DodgerSims gives a Dodger pre-game win probability of 51.4%, and that was run with Kemp in the lineup instead of Ethier... probably still keeps us in the toss-up (within margin of error) range.
vr, Xei

Well, that was nice.

Lieberthal would've had that one! {duck}

Okay, on that note, or on that run, I'm out of here. Good luck Dodgers!

Wow, Battle of the Beard Brothers on Gameday (Hendrickson/Ensberg).

26 Has there ever been an athlete who played 2 sports at the highest level as poorly as Hendrickson?

Astros announcers have been ripping on Martin's techniques a lot.

31 Chuck Conners?

32 He really needs to study Brad Ausmus some more.

Well, that works

Update for those fond of Snell: he just gave up a 2-run homer to John Maine and now is on the losing end of a 6-2 score in the 4th. Seems that one Ian Snell has a morbid aversion to pitching well on the road.

If I recall correctly, there are a few Danica McKellar fans here. Apparently she has a new mathematics book coming out intended for middle-school girls:

"Math Doesn't Suck: How to Survive Middle School Math Without Losing Your Mind or Breaking a Nail."

http://www.danicamckellar.com/

Every time Kent does something well, I'm reminded how his signing was maligned in LA on the radio and in print.

Hmmm, maybe those career pitcher/batter splits do mean something.

I just can't believe Kent's on-base streak. Really something.

38 I was fine with the signing, but maligned the heck out of the extension What do I know?

Gonzo steals a base? At his age? Shame on you, Luis!

40 Boy talk of a player that likes to haunt his old teams.

Hendrickson has a WHIP of 1.35. If he pitches 6 innings tonight, he will allow 8 baserunners. He's already allowed 2, so that's 6 more to go. Based on his ERA, he will allow 2 more runs on those 6 hits. This analysis brought to you jointly by the Committee for the Simplistic Use of Statistics and Citizens for the Elimination of Anxiety.

41 When he was signed, Tim Brown (whom I like a lot) said the Dodgers "broke even" by getting Kent and losing Cora. That thinking was pervasive and frankly, insane.

Doug Kirkorian and Joe McDonnel thought Kent would be terrible because he couldn't play defense.

It was a very weird time.

If Kent goes to the AL next year, he might hit for another 3 years...he's amazing...

Kent with five straight hits to start the road trip.

Loney stuck out 106 hitters in 54 innings!

We have found our pitching solution.

I never understood the criticism of the Kent signing or extension. It's not for that much or that long, and he hits well enough to play any position if he can't cut it at second.

Does that homer count as getting on base?

45- Everyone was still basking in the glow of the Izturis/Cora DP combo on tthat loveable playoff team that would have never made an impact in the postseason...

48 Babe Loney.

J.Lo!

Here's a question: what is the WHIP borderline? What is the WHIP equivalent to getting a C in class?

ERA is, what, 4.00?

In play, run(s)!!

So close to a Loney Bomb.

45 Krikorian and McDonnell have less credibility than Plaschke.

50 Yeah, because you're "touching the bases."

Jimmy!

45 - Dodger Thoughts on the Jeff Kent signing, 12/9/05:

https://dodgerthoughts.baseballtoaster.com/archives/16614.html

Was that close to a HR? Gameday shows up against the wall?

I call squeeze play.

A good breaking ball hammered by Loney.

I like Loney. A lot.

Yes, In Dodger Stadium would have been a homer.

That's 29 straight games Loney's gotten on base, right Jon?

59 Aw, man... research? :) Okay, I'll check it out.

60 Only a couple of feet short.

(Aside)You know you're an artist's fan when you buy an album she sings in a language you don't know, and you still think it's good.

59 Just re-read the post after lo these few years gone by. I think you called it right. He's been a terrific signing, IMHO.

67 Cesaria Evora, by any chance?

67 Do tell?

Hendy, 1-2-3 inning, please?

54 I don't know but the 2006 NL collective WHIP was 1.403, 2005 was 1.376, 2007 so far is 1.380. High 1.3s?

An oldie. Linda Ronstadt's "Frenesi." I just got a delivery from http://www.secondspin.com, a "pre-owned" CD purveyor. Also got "Hummin' to Myself" and her album of duets with Emmylou Harris, "Trio."

There we go, Mark!

72 Thanks for that.

Oops. "Western Wall:The Tucson Sessions," not "Trio." That one was with Dolly and Emmylou.

73 Emmylou Harris. I'd pay money to hear her sing the phone book.

73 Heh, I was about to ask if it was Ronstadt.

Trio is a funny title for an album of duets.

Ah. Too slow.

I don't know if it's been posted or said but 2007 is the last time we'll see Biggio.

Saw Harris and Ronstadt do a free 40 minutes or so on Janss Steps at UCLA in the early 80s (maybe late 70s?), accompanied only by Emmylou's guitar, for some long-forgotten cause. They were very, very good.

"Trio" was ok (I got it from the library), but it had more Dolly than I liked at first listen. Second time around it improved. Then they did "Trio II" in 1999 or so; it was much more to my taste.

I figured you were talking about Bjork.

"Hummin' to Myself" -- a cover of the Dan Hicks tune?

Love Dan Hicks. Also love the Hot Licks.

Yankees up 5-0 in the second inning. At this pace, they will score a hundred thousand runs before the end of the year.

I can listen to Los Lobos sing in Spanish all day.

84 That's what I thought.

87 Ditto.

85 Hot Licks also the name of Kent's new batting ritual?

85 Composers were Sammy Fain, Herbert Magidson & Monty Siegel. I don't own any Dan Hicks, so I can't crosscheck.

Inter-division trade alert: Padres interested in Ty Wiggington (2b).

90 :)

92 Who would they give up? They don't have much in terms of a farm system. Hopefully the bullpen?

Here are the lyrics to the Dan Hicks version:
http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=3530822107858661607

When I get to it on the album I'll compare and advise.

My media guide is out of reach. What is the Dodger record for consecutive games reaching base?

94- TB's biggest need is relief pitching....

What is Kent doing making an out?

94 That's what I'm thinking since the Tampa Bay bullpen is about as effective as mailing yourself a letter bomb.

Good. Blow up that bullpen right when their starters have given up 7 or more runs in 4 straight games...

Abreu now!

91 Wow, didn't realize it was a standard/classic.

Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks are awesome. Their most famous tune is "How Can I Miss You If You Won't Go Away?"

Finally I get to watch the game. I guess its a bit wierd for most of you guys starting this early in the evening. But in general, when the D's are on, it's a good time.

Anyone like J-Load for a Loney nickname?

12, 23

Hmm. Alyssa Milano is only thirty-four. Not yet a "cougar", I don't think, ten year age differential or not.

I thought usual usage of the term was for forty-year old women or older. And I never use the expression, since I am nearly sixty.

105 - Danzig?

The answer is, yes, it's the same song. Opens with the bridge rather than the first verse, which confused me, but then it matches up with the Hicks lyrics.

102 This was her 2004 album of standards with quartet rather than the full orchestra standards she did with Nelson Riddle in the 80s.

Amazon link: http://tinyurl.com/322sh6

105 I would never use the term in polite company.

140 I'm sticking with J-Lo. that way, when we're campaigning to get him into the All Star Game, we can use the slogan, "There's Always Room For Jaylo."

Yankees up 7-0 in the second.

I hate them, too, but you have to grudgingly admit that this is extraordinary.

95 It's the same song.

Hicks also does a cover of Tom Waits' "The Piano Has Been Drinking," jazzing it up a bit, and one of "I Scare Myself."

He's quite the wordsmith himself. On his song "Up! Up! Up!," the tune opens with these lyrics:

My mother died of asbestos
My father's name was Estes
I don't know if that messed us
Up, or what it did

For a good intro to the Hicks oeuvre, I recommend Alive and Lickin'.

18.5 pitches / IP for Hendrickson. Five innings may be all we can hope for, unless his stamina has really improved.

Gonzo's out reminded me a lot of the bloop he hit to win it all...what a cheap way to be a hero....

That was quick.

Too quick.

112 We want more than five innings of Mark Hendrickson?

It would be nice if the Dodgers had a guy around today that could give them 27 complete games per year.

The Astros broadcast team do all they can to not talk about the game. They did not call one pitch of the last at bat.

116 If he can allow only 1 run every 3 innings? Yes.

118 I think I'd do the same thing if I had to broadcast the Astros this year.

Time to hit the 405 with only Charlie and Rick to inform me regarding the game. Pray for me.

I'm rooting for Mark. I think I would really like to like bigfoot. Its hard to sum up what Bills did for the team last night. Imagine if Hendy held for 7 or 8.

Pads up 3-0 on Mike Cameron homer.

121 We will. Because it ain't Charley... it's Rick and Jerry.

Godspeed, friend.

Hey, short innings are great if your guy is putting them down!

121 Its Jerry Reuss and Rick. Steiner is on TV with Psycho.

Do the Dodgers have a plane to catch or something tonight? They seem in an awful hurry to get back to the dugout.

118 That's criminal, IMHO.

Then again, the crowd could not be more apathetic.

Not that thats a value judgment on Jerry Reuss. I kinda like him. The only thing I'm not a fan of are his tourettes like outbursts of advertisements.

Hendrickson is now 0 for 40 as a Dodger.

119 He's been effectively wild tonight. effectively wild being the euphomism for looking terrible but not giving up runs.

Hendrickson's 0 for 40 is the Dodger record for most at bats without a hit.

Juan Pierre, last three games: 1 for 11 with a sacrifice and a walk.

130- I like Jerry, but Rick is disorienting....

134 DT day took a lot out of him.

I am not in the Jerry Reuss Marching and Chowder Society.

132- I would't say that Hendrickson has looked terrible...made some real nice pitches, but this is a pretty bad team....

122 I'm also rooting for him. Hendy has the potential, through his height, to overpower hitters. I don't know what it is, but he appears to be in a constant state of "holding back".

139 I'm rooting for him, too, but he's not going to overpower anybody with that fastball. On a good day, with the wind at his back, he might hit 88mph.

Well how fast could he get as a reliever? That might have something to do with it?

On a good day, with the wind at his back, he might hit 88mph.

Or he'll fall over.

give him a day off grady

142 :)

143 Amen, brother.

The Astros have scored 3% fewer runs than the average NL team. Even Washington, the worst hitting team in the NL by far, has only scored 16% fewer runs than average. I think people overrate the effect of competition in evaluating individual pitching performances. They're still major league hitters.

On a good day, with the wind at his back, he might hit 88mph.

Don't put that down. It's enough to knock a batter back into 1955.

Oh no, wait -- that wasn't Hendrickson. That was a DeLorean.

144

My hands are still swollen from your high-fives.

Dodgers seem to be as bored as the Astros broadcast team.

Anyone else distracted by the screaming harpies? Seems like the same girl has been letting out screams every single inning.

Or is it just my easily distracted mind?

Too funny. I was humming a bit at work yesterday and a (younger) colleague asked what I was humming.

I told her it was Linda Rondstat ("It doesn't matter anymore").

She said . . .

"Who's Linda Rondstat?"

Sigh.

148 LOL. I'll try to lower the energy when we go to PacBell.

Jennings looking Ok?? His name was mentioned as a potential trade we migh be interested in?

ALERT---ALERT---ALERT

This is a warning inning for Lurch. Get the bullpen ready.

lurch in trouble

um, I don't like this much. Not much at all.

And it begins.

Good move.

152

Oh, so you're planning to time travel back to 2001? I still lived in Long Beach then. :-)

I'll be very pleased to get out of this inning with one run allowed.

158 Talking about Seaiouneaiouz?

151 Ah well, I couldn't name five bands from the 90s.

143 145 Absolutely. This is Martin's seventh game in seven days. Including tonight, he is 4-for-30 in that span, with three singles and a double, six strikeouts and no walks. Let's sit him for a couple of days and play Lieberthal.

I don't like Seanez coming in with runners on base. Where can inhereted runners/scored numbers be found?

crapcrapcrapcrapcrap

159 Crap. Did I get the stadium name wrong?

(checks media guide) AT&T park.

(sigh)

Let's go Sean!

hung a 1-2 pitch.

Where is Hull/Meloan/Dotel???

151maybe she didn't recognize Ronstadt's name without the 'd'
(I never understood how she could sing in spanish with her mexican father and have such a teutonic last name…)

161 I was talking about removing Hendrickson, though that's not looking great now, is it?

And now seanez will get out of it with no further trouble. He doesn't let his own runners score, just the ones he inherets.

167 Exactly right. It was called low and away and Seanez missed badly.

The problem with the likes of Hendrickson and Tomko is that even when they are pitching well, they often lose it in a big hurry. Neither inspires much confidence in me. I mind it less when that happens to a rookie. But Hendrickson and Tomko are simply what they are.

170 Something tells me it wouldn't look much differently.

chris young removed from game after 2 innings

Hmmm, I guess Rudy can fail

175 Injured?

175 Interesting since he hasn't given up any runs.

looks like an injury, not sure what yet.

175 Wow.

He was up 3-0, hadn't given up a hit and struck out in his only AB.

The last time Russ played seven days in a row he hit .417/.481/.708. I'd like to see him get a couple days off, but every slump can't be attributed to him playing too much.

154
You had that one figured out…
150
She was going on with her beatlemaniaisms for quite awhile there, but she seems to have stopped. Was Russell Martin at bat ?

173 Nice post. I still think Tomko can be better than what he has shown; he's closer to the guy we saw in the last two starts than in his disastrous relief appearances but with Hendrickson, yes, tonight is as good as it gets.

175 Don't know if I want him to be badly hurt or if I hope he's ok.

181 I'm not attributing his slump per se but to my eyes, he doesn't get much explosion coming out of his crouch any more. Every ball in the dirt isn't met with Russ jumping out after it, rather it's met with a resigned sigh. It happened this inning right before the Ensberg double.

Oh my hell!

Blast You!

would be nice if he pulled a hammy or something and had to miss some starts, but would never hope for something to be wrong with his arm.

Retirement party for Craig Biggio.

nice bit of relief work by rudy, by the way.

That pitch was the equivalent of underhanding the ball to home plate. Awful, awful pitch.

Of course. At least I kind of like Biggio.

I don't think Honeycutt told him to do that.

Uggh, we are going to trade for a reliever aren't we?

Well, Seanez, you tried to vulture a win by allowing the inherited runners to score, and now you are going to lose. Serves you right!

Biggio is a hall of famer.
That was awesome.

Of course, Seanez has given up his 8th homer in less than 50ip. He's done.

Seems like Seanez is finally falling apart. It was fun while it lasted, I guess it's now time to hope he comes back together, preferably after a long rest.

WHAT THE ? GOOD LORD...

And to think, I finally benched Biggio on my fantasy team.

194 I think you're right. DFA seems to next.

Bud Black and the trainer visited the mound as CY was warming up for the 3rd. He then threw two more warmup pitches, at about 60%, after which they made the decision to remove him. He wasn't limping or anything as he walked off.

192 ha!

I just hope this doesn't elicit a knee jerk Proctor for LaRoche trade

197 It's all your fault.

192 umm... I would. A bullpen of Seanez and Beimel and Broxton isn't going to get anything done.

rudy will be coming out of the padres bullpen in september

pretty special for 'B G O' right there. Good for him. He's class.

Biggio has consistently had trouble getting around on the fastball. It's why he struggled getting to 3000 hits.

So Seanez throws a flat slider, just above the belt.

Boggles the mind.

I'd've personally sprung for the gold watch if Biggio would've retired before the game.

198 Given the current state of the pitching staff, I think Seanez would have to drop a deuce on Ned's desk before he got DFAd.

Ok, what do we need to do to get 5 runs?

Nomar on the road, not the best way to start it.

191 I like Biggio but I detest that short porch at Minute Maid.

202
MELOAN

203 I wouldn't mind that. Worked for us last year.

This was Seanez's 46th game of the year, he has not been used this much in 4 years.

Part of this problem still is the lack of innings by starters. Sounds like a horrible pitch but sounds like not a good night for the offense either.

I would think the D's offense could start any time now, and it would be OK.

that was one of the worst managed innings ive seen all year. saenez should be on the outposts of the bullpen by now, that has been painfully obvious just by watching him the past few weeks. when you see a guy like that go stale you shed him as fast as possible. sadly his pitching isnt the worst part about him.

201 - I take the blame.

208 - Ok, what do we need to do to get 5 runs?

Pay off the home plate umpire?

210 I know we think younger guys can do better but there is just no guarantee that they will.

And I know people say, I'd rather lose with them but they don't have their jobs relying on who to call up and put out there to pitch.

207 Ugh! Thanks for that image!

i would'nt blame that one on grady the bottom line is rudy could'nt make pitches

now lets see how slow olmedos bat is

214 Who should be pitching that inning, Saito isn't available so Broxton and Beimel are 8th and 9th inning guys, leaves Seanez, Houlton and Hull.

214 What is the worst part about him?

217--Can they do worse though?

You gotta look at the potential benefit of the unknown, rather than the clearly visible mediocrity.

When Jason Jennings shuts you down for his last four innings---he is hot.

Harry Potter time.

They should have tried out Hull right there.

217
Trading for relief is stupid in my opinion. Jon has wrote many times how relievers are seemingly interchangeable, so to waste prospects to trade for a reliever seems dumb to me. I much rather go with a minor leaguer that has been producing well this year.

217 What you and scareduck are saying makes sense. I'm just venting. Heck, I said it was a good move to take out Lurch.

That said, I think we'll see Hull sooner than we see Seanez and I think we'll see him more often.

Has anyone been to the stadium this year? I was wondering if they still list the prices of crude, natural gas, etc on an led display above right field. Its very Texas, but its also very Enron and I'm sure thats the reason its there in the first place.

226 - Err After Saenez allowed the Double.

221--Beimel pitching to Mike Lamb, then pitching the 7th would have been a higher percentage choice I think. Rudy didnt have it.

Also, why can't Beimel or Broxton have come in. Your best relievers should come in when they are most needed, not for saves.

231 Who pitches the 8th and 9th? Saito being out and not calling anyone up has really hurt the bullpen especially because outside of Chad and Penny getting into or past the 7th inning.

232 No one manages that way.

Well that is how I would.

235 - And you would lose later in the game.

When was the last time the Tomato had a shit against RHP?

226 In hindsight maybe, but I don't know that I would put the kid into that situation for his first chance of the season.

217 There's no guarantee that they won't, and I think you t least have to give them a try before going outside the organization.

229 - and if they do, I wonder that they haven't added three digits to the left of the decimal point.

The Dodgers just have too many mediocre pitchers on the staff. The bad thing is there isnt alot of solutions. Outside of calling Meloan up, and getting Wolf back healthy---it is what it is.

This team needs Lowe/Penny/billingsley to carry it down the stretch.

236
Why? There is a better chance of preventing runs with no runners on then inherited runners and 0 outs.

Sorry Sorry Sorry. That "s" was an inadvertant typo. Should have said "hit"

237 - I don't really know him that well...

237 Uh... was that a typo?

243 ROFLOL

Padre TV reporting that Young has a "left oblique strain".

Freudian slip by LAT.

236--Not necessarily. There may not be a higher pressure situation than bases loaded, tie game, in the 6th. The game is in hand right there. That is a reality. Speculating on what might happen in later innings is just that--speculating. A good manager manages in the present.

237 - I am so glad I got to read that before it gets vaporized.

Man, why couldn't THAT post have been LATed.

241 - Theres also a better chance of scoring off a mediocre pitcher than a good pitcher and holding a lead late in a game is more important than earlier in the game when you still have oppurtunities to come back.

True you wouldn't need to come back if you held onto the lead early on but you also wouldn't have a chance(as many chances) to comeback if the lead was lost late in the game.

241 Agreed. At the very least, Beimel gets tons of comeback grounders (good in the situation). I don't see anything wrong with Beimel/ Houlton/ Hull/ Broxton

241 In concept you are probably right and there was a time, now 30 years ago, when relievers went 2-3 innings, none of this situational stuff.

But also, starters completed a lot more games so there would be streches where the pen just didn't get used a lot.

But again, most of the time, Rudy would get out of that inning tied, just not today.

Hull has pretty good numbers at Vegas.
Low amount of homers, more k's than innings, and reasonable walks.

237. RHP = Right-handed-proctologist?

Linda Ronstadt talk is not complete without Pirates of Penzance, with Rex Smith, Angela Lansbury, and Kevin Kline as the Pirate King.

The movie version was a staple of HBO back in the day. You guys are probably too young to remember...

Ok, what do we need to do to get 5 runs?

Hit 'em where they ain't. Nomar and the Tomato both lined out in the infield.

I'm too young to remember Kevin Kline pre Fish called Wanda

256 No, I'm not too young. But I don't think there was a soundtrack album, and I've never seen that version of the operetta.

256 Being too young is not my problem. I remember that show. I also saw Robby Benson in Pirates. He was good.

Stiner is just a little to giddy about the Biggio GS.

What pitch is that, Eric?

Hull's breaking ball was breaking the opposite way, haha.

248 I disagree: a good manager manages for a 162 game season.

The premise of using a scarce resource (good bullpen pitchers) for a winning situation, as long as the situation is high leverage of course, makes sense.

I dont disagree with the reasoning behind this type of conventional thinking, however, I do agree with you that there should be exceptions made. Whether this particular situation is an exception is hard to say.

Save the 2 "curve balls," that was a pretty decent inning. Hopefully Hull's success will prompt another promotion...

262 Vin would probably be talking about too. It is nice compliment to Biggio's announcement.

Is it nate who's going to school in Tucson? He'd like the album sleeve for this Ronstadt/Harris CD; it's got lovely b/w pictures of St. Xavier del Bac, the mission just out of town.

nice call steiner, a can of corn to center

256. GB, I am embaressed to even admit this and really shouldn't because now everyone knows each other (the problem with DT days) but years ago my wife dated Rex Smith a few times. He owned a motorcycle and when they went somewhere on the motorcycle he used to bring a hairbrush and hairspray for her to fix her hair afterward. Needless to say it didn't go anywhere.

269 Did you notice how that fits with the post's title?

269 And I'm sure she tells everyone that story too.

I suppose he could use the hairspray and hairbrush or did he just have helmet hair?

254 Also, usually Vegas numbers translate well to LA. Because the PCL is a hitters league, in many cases you can take a pitchers nos. and they will be similar in LA.
227 Trading for relief is almost always ridiculous in my opinion. You should get enough relievers from failed starters in the Majors and in your system. And relievers are tremendously volatile. Baez is a good ex. of the best you can expect!

269 Nice anecdote!

Good job martin

269 Nice!

Take that, Rex Smith! Wherever you are.

256 -- Hey, Greg, I have that movie on video, buried somewhere under tons of other videotapes.

271. Are you kidding, if she knew I just posted that she would kill me. She considers it a low point of her dating history. The hairbrush was so his date wouldn't helmet hair.

did I just understand the houston announcers to say that the padres' chris young has left the game with an injury?

a left oblique, I believe they said . . .

Martin limping. Just what we need. Not.

Way ahead of you, Charley.

it is so . . .

"PADRES STARTING PITCHER CHRIS YOUNG LEFT THE GAME AFTER WARMING UP FOR THE THIRD INNING WITH AN UNDISCLOSED INJURY"

http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=270724127

Not sure if it was answered earlier, but does anybody know why Chris Young came out of the game after two innings?

Ah, thanks 281

282 - Fan ran onto field and kicked him in the shin.

hampson is completely shutting down the rockies, so much for the bats coming to life when CY left.

282 left oblique strain.

nice 2 inning debut by Hull there, also good to see him flip that curve the correct way.

284 Fan had to do a high-kick while doing so.

Well, well, well...

Sorry if this was mentioned, but Hu is not in the Vegas lineup (which is in a rain delay). Could be telling...

Bring on Betemit!

You know how we keep waiting for the first Dodger to hit for the cycle since Wes Parker in 1970?

Izzy came close in Arizona but got cought in 2nd base if i remember correctly.

All I see with the sound off, is Loney gets another base hit. Loney, Ethier and Kemp, are so obviously not part of the problem, that I am beginning to worry less about them getting traded. I hope I am right.

if anything you gotta love how Betemit works the count.

ARRGGHHHH

I think Loney overshot the cycle in his 9 RBI game. If I recall, he hit two homers in that one

If Furcal gets on do you Pinch hit for Pierre with Kemp?

you swang at a ball Furcal, come one!!

297

Grady is pitch hitting for Pierre with Matt Kemp

Weak.

whats with furcal and weak choppers?

299 - As in, Kemp was physically in the on-deck circle?

That was unsatisfactory.

301

he's playing hurt so i think that has something to do with it. He hasn't hurt us defensively though.

Think, if Ferkel got on, Grady would have supersized a McSlappy for a McWhopper...

Lidges slider made Furcal and Betemit look foolish, good to see Ethier spit at it.

302

yes blue22 Grady had the same idea you had.

I guess my question to Little would be, "If Kemp is preferable to Pierre in the 9th with a 3 run deficit, is he not preferable with no one on and one one out in the 1st?"

306 - Gameday showed at least 4, maybe even 6, consecutive sliders to Furcal to end the game.

i'm glad i wasn't home when Seanez gave up the granny i would have thrown a fit most likely!

Unfourtunate for the Pods and C. Young, those oblique strains can last a year long and then some..ask Nomar.

you gotta love everything Biggio is about so you kind of don't mind specially knowing it's his last year in the bigs, but still....

311

being a Dodger fan we'll take it.

Biggio getting his long due revenge for the non base on the HBP in 05.

308 - One swing takes the game for LA in that situation; I think that's the difference. Obviously, Kemp is getting a ton of playing time now and the team has a lot of faith in him. Just not as the starting centerfielder in favor of their $44M man who is playing pretty well (per his standards) these days.

Certainly it's encouraging that hitting for Pierre in a situation like that is considered however.

The Padre pen is our friend these days!

Good news is Rox tied it up.

314 Haha I was at that game!

ESPN is reporting that Randy Johnson's career may be over.

319 Looks like even more deferred money to be paid out by AZ?

From Josh's website, some Dodgers will be appearing in the southland:

8/3 James Loney at the Staples in Burbank

8/4 Matt Kemp at the Staples in Venice

8/4 Chad Billingsley at the AT&T store in Alhambra

8/8 Ramon Martinez at the Cacique in Valencia

8/8 Joe Beimel at the AT&T Store in Sherman Oaks

8/13 Wilson Betemit at the Cacique store in Los Angeles

I could always use some office supplies.

How are the Rockies supposed to get Adrian Gonzalez out if Tom Martin has been DFAed?

151 i have a 21-year-old lady friend who likes linda ronstadt.

It will be interesting to see if Betemit makes the scheduled appearance.

I can't wait until Lucille comes here. Now I just need to figure out what Cacique is and where it might be. And he better not be DFA'd before then...

325
Try to explain to him his nickname.

323 So then I said, well, she was like one of the biggest pop stars of the 1970s.

"OK."

And she dated Jerry Brown.

"Who's that?"

Almost married George Lucas?

"Sorry."

Me: "COME ON. GEORGE LUCAS? STAR WARS? YOU'RE A SMART PERSON. YOU DON'T KNOW THESE THINGS?!?!?!!!"

Colleague: "I do. Star Wars was OK. Jar Jar Binks was ridiculous."

Me: [thousand year sigh]

Frustrating, how we continue to hover around 10-12 games above .500? I feel if we can hit the 15 game above .500 we'll reach 22 games over at seasons end...92-70, hopefully be enough for the division or W/C

323 From now on, I'm referring to the wife as my "lady friend." Sounds cool.

ESPN article about Cabrera possibly letting his future go to "waist".

http://tinyurl.com/22yyxk

A buddy of mine informed me that the Dodgers are interested and trying to deal for Jermaine Dye. He's a cubs fan and heard the rumor from the Cubs broadcast today. I don't know how relevant the rumor is, but I fear if it were true we might be saying farwell to LaRoche.

331
I do not believe it. We are going for pitching not hitting. We have 4 outfielders as it is now.

329 do what you like, but be warned: what sounds cool to other guys sounds remarkably like "whore" to a lot of women. just trying to help.

331 I would question the relevance.

I go back to what Josh said on DT day: the Dodgers have been in touch with everybody and have probably talked about everybody. Where is Jermaine Dye going to play? Ahead of Luis? Juan? Ethier? Kemp?

I don't see it happening.

Can anyone tell me the latest on Russell Martin? Rumors are swirling on the Yahoo board that L.A. t.v. sports news says he's injured.

Speaking of oblique strains, what about Russell Martin? I thought one of the announcers mentioned that Lieberthal replaced Martin because Martin experienced an oblique problem. But since no one here mentioned that I'm beginning to think I imagined it.

335. Two seconds. :-)

This may put a temporary damper on Alyssa's plans.

and a fine young player, one Pedro Feliz, says "it's not over yet!" in SF...

woah and an AMAZING catch by some 43 year old left fielder in the top 10th...could we see Bobby Cox break a record tonight too??

Hu's not in the 51s lineup.... for that matter, abreu hasn't been in it since he was optioned.

293 Gen3Blue

One thing for sure, the Dodgers didn't move Garciaparra to 3rd to showcase Loney for a trade.

331. The other day Josh cautioned not to believe everything you hear from other teams. He said a team will call to inquire about a Kemp or Loney and then tell their fans they have contacted the Dodgers about acquiring these players just to look like they are in the marketplace. In political circles I think they call this "disinformation."

343 When people tell me I'm not active enough, I tell them that I'm trying to trade for a power hitter and they leave me alone.

It works.

Oblique strains can be a real pain (no pun intended). They linger.

I really hope this is not the case here. Losing Martin for any period of time would be...Not good.

It's sad to hear the perfectly genteel "lady friend" derided as a euphemism for whore.

Christmas in December,
Wow, wow, wow!
Give me lots of presents,
Now, now, now!

The David Byrne Simpsons is on.

346

I think so too.

From Gurnick's recap:

Martin had an RBI double in the eighth inning, then left the game with tightness in his buttocks area. He wouldn't even call it an injury.

"It's just been stiff a couple of days," he said. "It's not really an issue. You wake up and it's stiff and you stretch before the game, and I felt it on the swing before [the double]. It's something I can play through, so I play through it. This would be easy if you felt great every time. It's definitely not an injury."

This is where Grady must exercise managerial authority and force the rest. All the crouching as a catcher is not going to help this.

Finally, some confirmation on Martin: Just a tight hamstring area per Dodgers.com. Nothing serious, according to Martin.

Beat me to it!

346 Especially when there are so many far better euphemisms for it.

351 Photo finish, apparently.

There's speculation that something might be in the works with the Royals. Their Triple-A pitcher tonight (Billy Buckner) was pulled after one inning. And with Hu not playing for Vegas, maybe this means a Dotel trade is near.

So, I want some economics type fellers 'round here to tell me whether or not I should buy Apple stock.

Will it's uber-hipness pay long term dividends? Should I jump on the dive it took? I come to DT for the baseball talk, I stay for the sound investment advice.

Also, I want Zack Greinke, not Dotel.

The kid (Hu) was the Futures game MVP. Give us Greinke instead!

Moe Moe Moe!
How do you like me? How do you like me?
Moe Moe Moe!
Why don't you like me? Nobody likes me. . .

Id rather have Ian Snell. Maybe his recent outburst to the Pittsburgh media will lower his value.

an 0 for 10 from Furcal, Pierre and Nomar sure isn't a good thing. Dodgers will be big favorites to win tomorrow. Go Dodgers!
vr, Xei

From PE.com

"By the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline, the Dodgers hope to add an arm to address those concerns, and among those they are currently scouting are Astros relievers Brad Lidge, Chad Qualls and Dan Wheeler, who combined to pitch the final 2 1/3 innings in Houston's 7-4 win.

"All three right-handers are arbitration-eligible in the offseason, and the most intriguing of them is former All-Star closer Lidge, who is being watched even though the Astros are not currently making him available."

The article also mentions Dotel and Al Reyes.

http://tinyurl.com/38abj7

Tuesday marked the one-year anniversary of the last home run given up by Dodgers reliever Jonathan Broxton, a shot by San Diego's Mike Cameron last July 24.

http://www.dailybreeze.com/sports/articles/8697672.html

Martin doesn't need a day off, just some good old fashion home cooking. Courtesy of the LAT...

"When Monday night's game ended, James went with his family to the Missouri City house in which he grew up... He was planning to spend Tuesday night at home as well, this time with catcher Russell Martin as a guest."

Also...

"Randy Wolf will start tonight for class-A San Bernardino in a rehabilitation assignment. Conte said that unless Wolf feels discomfort, the decision whether to give him a second rehab start will be made by Little and pitching coach Rick Honeycutt."

"Nomar Garciaparra will once again host fans for Carne Asada Sunday, August 5 after the Dodgers play the Arizona Diamondbacks."

Press Release:
http://www.sportsfeatures.com/index.php?section=pp&action=show&id=41062

Insert Betemit joke at your leisure.

[349}
You wake up and it's stiff

Huh huh...

The blame does not go to putting Rudy in the game. That move had to be made. The blame was not taking him out of the game after his walk to Lane to load the bases. It was obvious to all but a blind man that Rudy was toast. He couldn't get his fastball over the plate and his sliders were sometimes good and sometimes Fat (with a capital F). Grady has to give somebody else a try right then because that was the game right there. The first pitch to Biggio was the fattest slider on Earth, with expected results. You can't let that happen in a pennant race. Rusy was done before facing Biggio.

Per the Las Vegas 51s pregame show, Tony Abreu is out with the same issue with his "side."

No mention of any problems with Hu, he probably just got the day off.

362 A second rehab start still puts Wolf in line to pitch next weekend against the D-Backs, which is the earliest he would have probably pitched anyway.

Those of us on prospect watch, hope that one, Wolf pitches well and two, no injury problems crop up after this outing.

333 - When we were dating I called my wife wench. When we got married she became mrs. wench. When she finishes her dissertation she'll be dr. wench. But just to be clear, am I really calling her dr. whore? She might not go for that. She might go for dr. lady friend. though.

368- Worse, actually, depending on how close to the present you want to go. It started out meaning child (an abbreviation of "wenchel"), then mutated into a word for servant girl. By the fourteenth century, it meant, give or take, whore. Bonus: it was used as part of a racial epithet in this country, in the not too distant past (there's a Langston Hughes short story that alludes to it--Cora Unashamed). Clearly you're an awful person.

To revise and extend my previous remakrs, it's never good manners to call someone a name they don't like, no matter the etymology of the word. It's also D-U-M dumb to call a woman of whom one is fond a name she may not like. So, whether a word or phrase is etymologically innocuous or not is only of secondary importance; but it's not of no importance.

The Hughes short story is online. Ch-i bless the internet.

http://www.ncteamericancollection.org/coratext.htm

I've decided that Austin Gallagher is my favorite of the new prospects.

after glancing at the schedule, I am suddenly concerned that a dodger pitcher could wind up with a dubious distinction in the record book again.

al downing gave up hank arron's 715th. chan ho park gave up barry bonds' 71st (and, for that matter, 72nd).

while I couldn't possibly care less whether bonds breaks the record or not, I have accepted the inevitability of it all. But I could certainly live without it being a dodger that serves up either #755 or #756.

372 I've had that thought myself,Sam. It almost seems that D's pitchers are fated for this distinction.

I didn't need to hear some of the deadline rumors. I've gotten quite happy thinking of Hu as D's future SS, and I already am negative about trading anything for a relief pitcher.
Whats obvious to me is that Delwyn Young is the most obvious chip.

372. As long as the Dodgers win, they could give up Barry's millionth home run of the season for all I care.

375 - glad to hear it. I would like for them to win, and not give up #756.

just call me impossible to satisfy.

374 I watched delwyn young play for the dodgers' now defunct SAL single A affiliate, the wilmington/columbus/waves/catfish.

the kid was impressive even then. and he is putting up a nearly 1.000 OPS in vegas right now. how do you trade that?

maybe he can pitch? ;)

I wouldn't have wanted a Dodger pitcher to give up Barry's 756th at Phone Co. Park. But if it happens at Dodger Stadium, that would be kind of cool, wouldn't it? Instead of the worshipful, misguided adulation of 50,000 hooligans, he'll get the merciless booing and catcalling that most people feel he deserves. It would certainly make for interesting theater, at any rate.

In reality, though, I don't see the Giants letting him break the record anywhere other than San Fran, even if they have to go to great lengths to do it.

377 I wouldn't trade him for nothing, but I wouldn't hesitate to trade him for a good player.

Young for Greinke -- I might do that.

379 - the dodgers did decrease his value to some extent when they moved him to the outfield.

a middle infielder that can OPS .990+ is golden.

380 I'm not sure about that, when you're talking about a middle infielder who fields second base like Jeff Kent's handicapped brother. Somebody posted an article last week in which Delwyn flat out said he was a "terrible" second baseman.

378- not sure. if you forced me to choose the circumstances in which bonds broke the record against LA, I suppose that I would prefer that he break the record at dodger stadium, instead of at whatever-they-are-calling-it-this-year.com park.

but the crowd reaction would be a news item unto itself. those that aren't familiar with the history between these two teams -- a lot of the baseball world, and much of the country in general -- would consider it classless, I would think.

369 - Well luckily my wife likes the terms, or enjoys it as a term of endearment from me (better than if I called her honey or sweetie or some other such thing that would make her puke).

As to Hughes, I forgot just how good he was (is). Though I don't think wench was a racial epithet in that context, but a class epithet attached to a racial epithet.

I've been resigned to the fact that the Dodgers give up 756 for some time. In fact, I'm going to go ahead and call Joe Beimel right now.

We gave up every other damn landmark Bonds ever hit, so I don't see the point of trying to avoid this one.

At least we've got Kevin Elster.

381 - giving allowances for fact that it was low-A ball I was watching, I thought he did well. everybody is a bad middle infielder in low A ball.

I thought he improved in AA, but struggled mightily when he got to vegas. heck, they convert everyone to an outfielder at vegas these days.

If I was a Giant fan I would feel cheated if he does not break the record at home. If you want to punish Giant fans you should hope he doesn't hit it at home and they have nothing to celebrate.

385 - your acceptance of our ultimate fate gives me great reassurance for some reason ;)

I won't hear much about it, actually. I don't think there is a giant fan within 500 miles of me.

379
So you'd trade a guy who even with his breakout year is still a guy who is 25 repeating his 3rd season in AAA and still wouldn't make our top 10 prospect list for the best young pitcher the Royals have? Mighty generous of you.

Who are the Royals' starting left and right fielders right now? Delwyn Young is about all I am willing to give up to get a reliever, if we MUST have a reliever brought in from another team, and Delwyn might not even have a place to play on the Royals.

387 - now there is an excellent point. take away #756 at home, and the giants fans have nothing else to live for, save the fire sale that is probably about to take place.

I may change my mind on this. I think the dodgers should start tomko in the first game of that series, and hendrickson in the second. if the deed isn't done by then, we should trade to get chan ho back.

390 Mark Teahen in right, and some combo of Butler/ Brown/ Sanders in left, I suppose.

389 I would say that's a mischaracterization of both players. Greinke may be the best young pitcher the Royals have, but only because it's the Royals we're talking about. They've come close to giving up on him several times.

Delwyn Young is not "repeating his 3rd season in AAA." He's played less than two full years there. And in the big picture, it doesn't really matter whether he's repeating AAA -- it matters whether he can hit. And Delwyn Young can hit.

So, I can come up with my own equally misleading characterization of that trade: I'd trade a guy hitting .346 and leading all of professional baseball in doubles, for a guy with a career 4.90 ERA in over 400 major league innings.

I dislike Bonds and hate the Giants, but my love for baseball surpasses all of that. And I think it will be a sad thing for baseball if this milestone is met with nothing but boos.

Curious, would you be booing because he's a jerk, or because of the steroid allegations? Because it's innocent until proven guilty here, no?

I'll go take cover now...

And while I'm on the "hated enemy" beat, this (from CBS Sportsline) expands on trainwreck's post last night:

Randy Johnson pitched to batters for the first time in his latest comeback from a back injury on Tuesday, then acknowledged the possibility that he might not return this season - or maybe ever. "I think everybody in this clubhouse, maybe not the players but the coaching staff and front office, would like to know, and I would like to know, whether I'm going to be able to pitch and help this organization," he said. "If not, I think that I need to take care of things and they would need to take care of things."
Analysis: The 43-year-old left-hander didn't elaborate, but said what he will do depends on how he feels Tuesday night and Wednesday, after throwing 42 pitches to batters before the Arizona Diamondbacks played the Florida Marlins. Johnson said he would need at least one more bullpen session to improve his endurance before considering a return.

I'm pretty "meh" on the Bonds situation. I'd rather he break the record at home, so he doesn't get booed, so he doesn't do it against the Dodgers. Better for everybody, even if it gives SF has something to cheer for.

In some ways, we Dodger fans have it easy on the Bonds question. Everybody else, by my way of thinking, has to second guess their antipathy toward him, because its possible that they're allowing interpersonal issues between Bonds and media members to influence their view of him as a ballplayer. It is also possible that Barry gets harsher treatment because of his race. If you don't buy that argument at all, think of McGwire.

Anyway, we get a free pass to hate his guts for the sole reason that he plays for the Giants. That said, if I happened to be there when he breaks the record (a purely academic issue; since I won't be there), I think I'd just sit quietly. I definitely wouldn't cheer, but I do think booing, or general ruckus making, is pretty classless, and would reflect poorly on Dodger fans. It'd never happen, but imagine 56,000 people sitting in silence when the record falls.

[346] i have never heard used, nor would i myself use the term "lady friend" in that manner.

I didn't think there was a more benign term for a spouse/girlfriend than "lady friend". Who knew?

"She's not my special lady friend, man. I'm just helping her conceive."

397 That was a thoughtful post. My only disagreement is that I would probably cheer him. If I'm gonna push the "guilty until proven innocent" angle, I can't deny him that.

400 Erm, innocent until proven guilty.

Time for more coffee.

399 This has been another edition of SB spewing water at his screen because of GB.

Very funny stuff.

If he breaks the record in Dodger Stadium, I wouldn't be surprised if everybody booed him. I'd probably sit silently, too.

397 If McGwire had acted with utter antipathy for anybody and everybody but himself, then he too would have been derided. The Bonds situation has zero to do with race and everything to do with being a jerk.

397 - I'd cheer (politely). It's a heck of an accomplishment. He's a magnificent player, who just happens to be a jerk and play for my team's archrival. The steroids are kind of a non-issue for me.

It would be perfect if everybody went silent and turned their back on Bonds.

And if the person that caught the ball put an asterisk on it with permanent marker.

But neither of those things would happen.

Do you think there is a chance that he wouldn't play the entire series to avoid a potentially ugly scene? They go to San Diego after that, where he may get a more cordial reception.

As mentioned earlier, I anticipate Dodger fans at their worst behavior if this happens. Giving up 756 bothers me much less than the thought of being embarrassed for fan behavior.

406 The Dodgers could have a "Free Dodger Blue Sharpie" night(s) when Bonds comes to town.

404 I guess I operate on the assumption that we cheer for jerks every day, we just don't always know who they are. How long did I buy into the myth that Kobe was the nicest young man in the NBA, after all?

I try to divorce their on-field accomplishments from their personalities. Bonds, admittedly, makes that more difficult than most.

406 That's a fantastic idea. Would the asterisk decrease or increase its eBay value?

I could not agree more with 404.

Kobe might be a jerk to his teammates and the media (which dosen't make it right)but not towards the fans.

406 - Brock, that's the funniest thing I've ever heard. You're killin' me.

410 That's why it won't happen. The opportunity to make a statement is trumped by the opportunity to make a lot of money. Which is only human nature (I'm not knockin' it).

But man, if somebody did that...

Since Bonds' 756 home run chase is a farce (atleast to me it is), I would like to see the pitcher who gives it up, just lob the ball to home plate, so he can go into the record books and forever be remembered in replays having hit the homerun on a freebie pitch. vr, Xei

I'm sure I heard the marker idea someplace. I don't remember where or how. But it can't be an original idea.

I would love to be the announcer that calls Bonds' #756. "Here's the pitch to Bonds, we now break for this station identification..."
vr, Xei

399 "I didn't think there was a more benign term for a spouse/girlfriend than "lady friend". Who knew?"

Years ago, I worked with a very nice, and very feminist woman. I don't recall how it came up, however she told me "lady" can be considered offensive, as it once implied "ownnership" of that woman by a man. I was a bit shocked.

Of course, I have often referred to my own son as "The Boy", meaning nothing at all offensive by that, either. Context and the parties' relationship make all the difference... I could see calling my girl a wench, if we both found it amusing and endearing.

412 But the point is, we know so little about the personalities of any of these people, and most of what we get is filtered through media types who may or may not like them. And depending on the city, the media can make it difficult for even a decent person to come off looking very good.

If people constantly stuck microphones in my face and asked tough questions, would I say stupid things? I wouldn't last a week.

390
The CF is set with DeJesus. RF currently belongs to Teahen who after his breakout last season has struggled to hit with any power and from what I've heard has also struggled with defense. LF has seen the bodies of Emil Brown, Reggie Sanders, Shane Costa , and Gathright. They are trying to unload Sanders and Brown to make room for Gathright who showed some promise in his brief stint this year. Lubanski is the next prospect who hit well at AA but has struggled in AAA. D Young would have a fighting chance against both Gathright and Teahen for playing time. DH is already booked up with Butler. D Young is not enough for Grienke who I'd prefer but he matches up against what Cleveland offered in Francisco and our old friend Franklin Gutierrez.

I'm mostly with blue22 in 405. Bonds is the best baseball player I've ever seen, unless A-Rod proves me wrong. I love to watch him hit. And, before he was an old man, he was fun to watch run and field too. That he plays for the hated Giants makes me enjoy him even more.

One of the nice things about just being an observer is that I don't have to pay any attention to the guy's personality. If he's breaking laws, I'll let others deal with it (see Vick, Michael). If he's a jerk, so what?

The only question is whether his baseball accomplishments are real or the result of cheating. And, overwhelming public opinion aside, I have no proof that he cheated, and even if he did, I have no proof that made him a better ballplayer.

I don't want him to break the record in LA because I don't want to give the increasingly boorish fans at DS an excuse to pee all over themselves on national TV. OTOH, if he were to hit it here, at least I'd know that I'd see it live, which would be fun.

393
Your probably right, I do think Young can hit but I have a high opinion of Grienke that the Royals may not share anymore since they are now using him in middle relief. Hard for me to shake his 20 year old season
when he posted a 1.16 WHIP at the age of 20 in 145 innings. I've seen him pitch this year and the stuff is still the same as 3 years ago and while he's had the mental problems I've love to see him work those out in LA.
If we could actually get him for D Young I would consider that a coup.

I have no proof that he cheated, and even if he did, I have no proof that made him a better ballplayer.

Grand Jury testimony was leaked, proving, conclusively, that Bonds used designer steroids (the cream and the clear).

You can say that he didn't know they were steroids (um, okay), but he admitted using steroids under oath. But I'd say the 73 home runs are a solid indicator that they made him a better baseball player.

He was first ballot before the steroids. He didn't need to do this.

Anybody reading the Will Carroll chat at BP? He said he's "not impressed" with Kemp. He gives no reason, but when pressed by a later question he just compares Kemp to Ethier last season, implying that he's a fluke (though I'd say Ethier is slowly outgrowing his own 3.5 status). What's the deal? After he emailed me that "prima donna" thing about Billingsley earlier this year? Oh, in another question asking about Lincecum, Andrew Miller and Bills, he declines to compare Bills because he hasn't really seen him. I get the feeling he's a hater. Maybe it's a Ned thing?

421 To be clear, I wasn't trying to start a disagreement or anything. I was just addressing that one point. I hope I didn't word it in a confrontational manner.

The more Will Carrol talks the more ignorant he sounds. He really should just stick to he medical gig.

I actually got him to back off and admit that Kemp was "pretty good," but he clearly thinks he's flukey. Maybe he is, for all we know, but I'm not sure why anyone would have reason for skepticism now. Carroll referred to his 730 OPS last year (he skipped the fact that he was just 21(!) with barely any AAA experience.)

[422] i thought part of it was that he was playing on the hapless royals, where the notion of winning is largely irrelevant. in LA he'd be in the thick of a pennant race.

[427] 7 homers in < 50 at-bats at age 21 is pretty impressive. intriguing at the very least.

Unless we assume that the transcript of his Grand Jury testimony (the leaking of which landed a lawyer in jail) was phonied up, I think the boat has pretty well sailed on "innocent until proven guilty." He said he used steroids. He claimed it was an accident, that he thought it was flaxseed oil, so, if you insist on taking that seriously, he may be considered innocent until proven guilty of intentionally juicing. But he did use steroids. He's admitted it.

421 Bonds is the best baseball player I've ever seen, unless A-Rod proves me wrong. I love to watch him hit.

I feel the same, and who he plays for doesn't change that. Some of my most thrilling baseball memories are of Bonds: An AB when Gagne, at his peak, was alternating 98 mph fastballs with 70 mph changeups, and Bonds took him deep anyway; or that LONG homer he hit against the Angels in the WS; or how he would see maybe 2 good pitches per game for months at a time and still manage to be hugely productive.

He's an amazing player, and it's a shame that we can't just sit back and enjoy him. I don't dismiss his detractors, I just choose to enjoy his positives.

427
He really went out on a limb by saying that Kemp is somewhere between his current 1000 OPS and last years 730 OPS. He went from unimpressed to "Pretty Good".

I'm beginning to think individual baseball fans' attitudes regarding the Bonds situation can be located on the "5 stages of grief" ladder.

1. Denial -- "No way he did it. There's no proof! People's heads can grow that much!"
2. Anger -- "*@&$% Bonds!"
3. Bargaining -- "Innocent until proven guilty."
4. Depression -- "I can't bear to watch anymore."
5. Acceptance -- "Just chill and wait for A-Rod."

I thought the general consensus was that the BP crowd doesn't like the Dodgers because of the DePo/Ned thing. They do great statistical analysis, but their subjective stuff isn't that great.

Is that not the general consensus?

Maybe we can agree that Bonds did more with the use of steroids than did anybody else in the steriod era, including the pitchers he faced that were using steroids.

433 You're being funny and there's something to this, which means it's a great post.

Back in 2005 or so, I said to a friend, "He's either clean or he's the dumbest man on the planet." You have no idea how disappointed I was when it turned out to be the latter.

435 That is certainly the conventional wisdom. Angered at the attention that McGwire/Sosa received, Bonds wanted to show the world what a REAL ballplayer could do withe steroids' helping hand.

No idea if that's actually true.

433 That's brilliant. Really.

I wouldn't say that Will Carroll speaks for BP as a whole. I know Kevin Goldstein and Christina Kahrl love Kemp, and I think Sheehan likes him too. I believe Nate Silver is also a fan.

434- That's bhsportsguy's theory. I'm not sold. It wouldn't seem to be in their best interests to undersell the Dodgers at the expense of their own credibility. Why should they be anything like that loyal to DePo. What did he ever do for them?

Since we're talking about a subject that doesn't even remotely interest me, I'll ask a question that addresses the one point that hasn't been beaten to death with regards to the home run chase. This is from the Wall Street Journal Law Blog:

For the person who catches Barry Bonds' record breaking home run ball. Does this person owe taxes on the ball from the moment he catches the ball, or only if he sells it? At which tax rate would the person catching the ball be hit?

434 I read BP all the time, and I don't end up feeling that way. They favor Sabermetric types, no doubt, so that causes them to rip moves like the Pierre signing, and to lean toward Arizona to win the division. Some probably interpret that as Dodger hatred, but I don't think it is.

And Carroll often says he's not a performance analyst like other BPers, so take his Kemp comments with a grain of salt. He should probably ask his BP friends about Matt.

441- If the person who catches it gets to meet Barry, he should ask for tips on opting out of the whole "tax" thing.

440 The Silver piece was a series of cheap shots at Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium, and the Dodgers.

I'll concede that it probably isn't as full blown as I, or BH, or others may think. But there is something there. Something.

444 - You forgot the cheap shot at Spanish speakers.

Bonds is the best player I have ever seen play in my life as well. And I can care less if he is a jerk or not. But that's me. My mom, who has seen 3 of Sandys (establishing her street cred) no hitters will turn the TV off when Bonds hits and its not for the same reasons I turn the TV off when Bonds hits!

444 They apparently got a lot of flak from fans for picking the White Sox to be a losing team the year they won it all, but really, who thought they would be that good?

I think fans are sensitive to any negative comments, and most teams could find enough of them in BP to make claims of bias.

426,427

i somewhat rispect his views on a show he has on "Mechanics of the Game" (MLB.COM) but hearing stuff like that makes me question him. Ins't he a contributer/commenter here at times? he goes by the nick/handle of TWERP.

Ps he also looks like a carbon copy of one of my best friends.

Is this the cheap shot at L.A.: "Los Angeles is a pre-millennial dream trapped in a post-millennial universe. . ." ? It's inscrutable enough that I didn't bother taking offense. How is that a cheap shot? He mentions Dodger Stadium twice by name, and neither time seems to be a cheap shot. Bilingual ads on the urinals isn't really a cheap shot, is it? There's some question of whether it's true, but, if it were, would that make Dodger Stadium bad? "Understated elegance," is a compliment, "Euclidean dimensions" is neutral.

He calls Colletti names a couple of times, but L'État ce n'est pas Flanders. I didn't see Silver's article as a hit piece at all.

441 Do you read the Lattman law blog daily? I once got a fashion writeup by him because of this outfit I was wearing during a trial. Probably one of the strangest milestones of my life.

448- Will Carroll is TWERP? Really? Has he confirmed that somewhere?

449 I think Jon got real tired of parsing that article, so I won't do it again. I'll say that you're interpretation is more generous than mine.

450. What is the Lattman law blog? Is that David Latt's blog, Above the Law? Those are the only two blogs on law I read, primarily just to get interesting articles on the firms and partners I lend to.

Apparently the Twins broadcasters are talking about a possible Joe Nathan to LA trade. I have no idea why that would be discussed but would be the white flag raising by the Twins.

450 Peter Lattman is the law blogger for the WSJ. Or at least he was.

454-Joe Nathan is awesome, but wouldn't he cost a FORTUNE in talent?

456 Could we maybe trade for AJ Piersynski and then flip to the Twins for Nathan, Liriano and Bonser? Sounds like an even deal to me.

Will Carroll lives in Nashville?

Also, a caller to a local sportshow called in and suggested that Bud Selig make a statement that MLB has never really made up for it's poor race relations and is going to integrate all Negro League records into MLB records.

THAT is a cool idea.

Apparently fire sale time is about to hit Minneapolis. The beating they are taking today might just speed it up. But they tend to do well in prospect trades as noted by 457.

Nathan is locked up through next year ($6M option). Saito insurance, obviously.

So UCLA's new WR coach, Eric Scott, was arrested for burglarizing a house with two other men. He was probably our best recruiter too.

I hope we do not lose all a good chunk of our recruits.

460 That really makes me worry that Saito might be worse than we realize.

461 Wonderful.

452- Went back over the DT thread from the day it was published. I must have skimmed it pretty carelessly the first time through. I got the nonsense vibe, but I didn't pickup on the nefarious undertones zeitgeist. The bilingual ads thing was part of a clumsy juxtaposition of old and new: Understated elegance and Euclidean dimensions are old (even if that's not exactly true), and $12 beer, bilingual ads, and an "information orgy on the scoreboard," are new. The whole piece is something of a mess, but I've never read Silver for his prose. Most baseball writing is bad. I'm content to, if the writer is able to get a point worth considering across, to forgive much illiteracy, for the same way I don't pick computer peripherals based on how coherent the manual is.

455. Ah, never noticed who actually did it. When did you get the write-up?

464 It's not bothersome to the point that I have to stake out my position and defend it. You could be absolutely right, and we read things into it. I just get the feeling that it is otherwise.

Could a Tour de France possibly go more wrong? Doping, running over dogs, bombs going off. Would anybody really be surprised if a cyclist was hit by a meteor at this point?

KFWB is reporting there was an explosion in the UCLA nano science building--they're saying nobody was hurt.

461 Terrific. Just got back from lunch... now I want to vomit.

The Bruin Football team continues to display class.

One of the commenters at the Times said Scott was retrieving some stuff that his ex-girlfriend was holding hostage.

http://tinyurl.com/2uv9rn

469 Don't blame me...I voted for Kodos.

He had two giant 23 year old ex-Crenshaw High football players with him.

He is an idiot.

465 It was during the Enron trial last year. I wore an all black suit that was apparently the most exciting thing that had happened for weeks. Aside from one of the prosecutors wearing pink stiletto boots weeks before, of course. I guess what it comes down to is no matter how rich and powerful the parties can be, trials are still more or less boring.

466. Actually, I'm more surprised that the Tour de France is going on right now, I completely didn't notice.

466 - Transformers?

I just realised that AZ has been on a tear this is ungood. With a better performance from the bullpen over the past few games the Dodgers could have been 3 up on SD and still 5 over AZ instead everyone is still neck and neck.

Why isn't Meloan being given a chance? Or maybe catch a little lightning calling up Macdonald to pitch in relief?

I hope Head Coach DeWayne Walker won't let this kind of thing happen next year.

425 To be clear, I wasn't trying to start a disagreement or anything. I was just addressing that one point. I hope I didn't word it in a confrontational manner.

No worries. I remember the clear and cream "admission," but there are 3 ways to interpret those:

1. He never admitted that - the GJ testimony leak was fake.

2. He admitted to trying each of those a couple times, but that's all there is.

3. That's just the tip of the iceberg - he used everything he could get his hands on, and for a long time.

There's not much reason to believe (1). Leaking GJ testimony is vile, but no one has claimed that it was faked, and someone got into trouble for the leak, right? So it's likely true.

(3) is of course what most people believe to be true, but we only have "proof" of (2).

If (2) is correct, there's no way it accounts for his on-field performance.

And I guess I'm not sure why I believe that the truth is closer to (3) than to (2). The GJ leak certainly doesn't support that claim.

Finally, there's the question of whether the 'roids explain the performance. And, while it's certainly plausible, that doesn't make it true. 73 HRs does not prove anything. It might reasonably make one more suspicious, but it's just a number. What I saw that year, and for the last several years was a guy who could spit on any pitch that wasn't perfect, and clobber the perfect pitch whenever it came. That "clobbered" meant "homered" so often could have something to do with artificially enhanced strength, but that's not the only possible conclusion.

Part of this is occupational hazard. In the social sciences, we work with 95 or 99 or even 99.9 percent confidence intervals. The presumption is not just that correlation does not imply causation - the presumption is that nearly all correlations are spurious. It's a high bar to call something "correct." Admittedly, that sometimes means that we refuse to be convinced when any normal person would be. And it means we look like ostriches a lot of the time.

448 451 458 Happened to check in and find speculation that I'm Will Carroll.

Sorry to damp down what I guess is a juicy idea, but I are not he. I may be a twerp....but not THAT big a twerp. At least I hope not.

BB, only thing I can think of that might have created that misconception happened a few months back, after I made a couple remarks about Vanderbilt, which Buster Olney attended--and, IIRC, Bob T. and Greg Brock jokingly asked if I were Olney.

I responded with something like...."Caught me. Full name Busted Twerp Olney." (Nothing to do with Will Carroll, but similiar big profile baseball/sports journalist.)

But I'm also not Buster Olney, though I think I like that idea a bit better.

Maybe DT could start a contest--almost sure to be the least interesting thing it ever did--to guess my real identity. First prize could be a no-expense paid trip to KC to watch Odalis pitch. Second prize could be two weeks cleaning urinals at Dodger Stadium. Or maybe reverse the two. The possibilities are just nearly endless.

But I should caution that I am nowhere near famous. In fact, if I ever change DT handles, Nowhere Near Famous might not be bad...

Apparently the Red Sox are scouting the 51s:

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2007/07/red-sox-scoutin.html

Does anyone know exactly how many HRs Hank Aaron hit with the clowns? I thought he was only there a year and hit 20 or so, but now I can't find it anywhere.

478 Darn, I was just about to start a rumor that I'm Peter Gammons.

479 Just saw that too. Very interesting. Unfortunately, the Red Sox relievers I like are surely not available, while, well, let's just say if I hear the Dodgers traded anyone for Julian Tavarez, I may punch a wall.

"How do these two teams match up? The Dodgers don't have much need for Wily Mo Pena. And why would the Dodgers trade LaRoche to Boston for prospects? Maybe it's a prospect-for-prospect scenario."

476
Oh, I hope so.

479
Huh?? I hope we are not looking at Julian Tavarez lol

51s continue streaking -- wrong way

>>> Wilson Valdez, hitting .342, missed his fifth straight game with a sore Achilles' tendon, and Chin-Lung Hu, batting .420 in his first 12 games for the 51s, also sat out after having three wisdom teeth removed Tuesday. <<<

### Also, infielder Tony Abreu hasn't played since being optioned back to Las Vegas from the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday. Bundy said Abreu has a pain in his side. ###

%%% Michael Rivera was promoted to Las Vegas from Class-A Inland Empire and started at shortstop for the 51s. ... %%%

http://www.lvrj.com/sports/8698282.html

AS long as the article doesn't say the Dodgers sent their head scout to Fenway then I'd venture that the Dodger's are in the clear.

Won't be long now before someone says the Dodgers are interested in reacquiring JD Drew and Julio Lugo and that Kemp, Loney, and La Roche is all that it would take to bring them back into the fold.

Maybe Nomar is going back home...

485 If Evan Grant wrote for the Boston Globe we'd see that, yeah.

I could see the Sox possibly moving Lowell, putting Youkliss at third and maybe platooning Hinskie and Pena at first.

Maybe the Red Sox want Hu, since Lugo sucks.

Chemist Says Sheffield and Bonds Used Drugs

>>> Patrick Arnold, a chemist who worked with the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, said in an HBO Sports interview that Barry Bonds and Gary Sheffield took performance-enhancing drugs provided to them by the laboratory. Bonds and Sheffield have denied knowingly using drugs provided by Balco, and told that to a federal grand jury investigating the laboratory, according to leaked testimony. <<<

http://tinyurl.com/ywcpz2

I do not get why this is a story. Everyone knows they took drugs from BALCO, they just have not been able to prove they knew they were steroids.

I am, however, expecting Teixeira to go to the Braves Saltalamacchia plus prospects. That rumor definitely seems to have merit and make sense.

I could see the Red Sox moving Lowell, too, but acquiring Lowell wouldn't make much sense for the Dodgers at this point. They have Nomar, Betemit and La Roche to choose from - Nomar fulfills the veteran 3b role. The Dodgers will be acquiring pitching, or no one, or my name's not Will Carroll. Er, underdog.

477 I guess in Daeley's Hierarchy of Denials, you rate a 1. ;)

I'm all the way up to 3. So there.

492 - How does that help Texas?

495 It gives them a better catcher than Gerald Laird.

493
Really? The Braves need pitching and young positional players. They are going to lose A Jones this year and if they trade Salty for a guy who's going to leave in 2008, with the odds that Chipper and Smoltz well be done by the end of 2008 who would they have left in 2009? The rumor has legs but I can't see the Braves starting pitching getting them to the playoffs if they make this deal.

495
The rumor is Salty, Jo Jo Reyes, and Elvis Andrus for Teixeira. Rangers get 1st baseman or catcher for the future in Salty, another young starter in Reyes, and Andrus is a quality shortstop prospect which gives them the ability to make some more trades.

Probably the best deal the Rangers can get.

How about Salty comes here, and next year we make Martin a 3rd baseman.

497 Actually, I agree there are some reasons the Braves shouldn't do this. I more meant that I feel pretty sure it's gonna happen. For whatever that's worth. Guess it also depends on who else is tossed in that trade, too, for either team.

499 Because Andy LaRoche either of them.

491 - It's a story because people will read about it. Pageviews for ESPN.com and others.

But this was a bit interesting from that previous link:

In the interview, Arnold said that he had never met Bonds but Victor Conte, the founder of BALCO, raved about the Giants outfielder's performance on "the program." Arnold was asked if "the program" included steroids.

"I have a very strong feeling about it since he was on the program. And like everyone else, the program consisted of the clear," Arnold said, according to The Times.

Nothing that could be considered "hard evidence", mind you.

496 - Is that robbing Peter to pay Paul (we won't get into Mary and Puff)? You upgrade one position substantially, by downgrading another position substantially.

498 - I could understand that trade a bit better, but still agree with TC.

Dodgers Notebook: Injured Saito hopes to pass key test today

>>> But with Saito having already played catch on flat ground earlier in the day, Manager Grady Little didn't sound as apprehensive.

"We like the way he felt out there," Little said. "I am feeling pretty optimistic he will be available (tonight) or Thursday." <<<

http://www.dailybreeze.com/sports/articles/8697672.html

Because Andy LaRoche is a better hitter than either of them.

I can't seem to figure out the answer to this yet - sorry if it was already answered here before and I missed it - but if the Dodgers did acquire Dotel, and then he leaves after the season, a la Lugo, do they get a draft pick as compensation?

(He does have a player option worth 5.5 million plus bonuses, if that helps any...)

If we offer him arbitration.

506 Very, very unlikely. What I just wrote on the subject:

Even worse, he's not even guaranteed be converted into a draft pick. Since Elias' free agent rankings go back over two years, Dotel has a lot of ground to make up since he lost last year to injury. Using just half the playtime of his competitors, Dotel would need to get into the top 40% of relievers. Depending on how many counting stats are used in Elias' calculations (the exact formula is secret) it's almost impossible for Dotel to reach type B status. Even if he does, do you want to risk him accepting arbitration and having to pay Octavio Dotel six million dollars plus in 2008? If you can bring him in for a C prospect, go ahead and get Octavio Dotel, but without a guarantee of performance or compensation, it's not worth giving up anything of value for him.

An Atlanta columnist who has a very different opinion on Vin's call of Aaron's 715th:

http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/ajc/sportscolumns/entries/2007/07/24/scullys_call_on.html

Ah. Thanks.

Meanwhile, this just popped up. A BA interview with the Minotaur, a.k.a., Kershaw.

http://tinyurl.com/378qmo

BA: Has your first year of full-season ball been more difficult physically or mentally?

CK: I'd probably have to go with mentally. Physically, it's not too big of a strain. I only pitch once every five days...it's not too hard. The mental side of it – paying bills, living on your own, and all that good stuff – is a little harder for me. I still don't know exactly what I'm doing.

BA: Have you made sure to buy expensive furniture for your duplex?

CK: No, I don't have furniture. I've got an air mattress for a bed...really living the high life.

511 Sometimes I think we forget a lot of these guys are just kids.

Heck, I'm Rudy Seanez's age, and I too still don't know exactly what I'm doing.

I'd make sure my number one pick had the best mattress money could buy, at home and on the road.

513 Isn't that what the silly bonuses are for? If someone gave me a million dollars, one of my first priorities would be to make sure my first non-hand-me-down bed would be a fine one.

Gagne helps Rangers sweep the Mariners

>>> Eric Gagne once converted a major league-record 84 consecutive save opportunities. What the 2003 National League Cy Young Award winner had never done was save two games on the same day — until Tuesday. <<<

http://tinyurl.com/2uqvu3

514
One of my first priorities would have been to upgrade what I put on the mattress. Then I'd upgrade the mattress.

513 Reminds me of the story where Andrew Bynum was put on nutrition plan because all he ate was fast food burgers.

To me its like seeing stars getting arrested for driving under the influence, why don't you have someone under hire to do these things.

Sounds like the Rockies will be playing at a high level when LA comes to town.

6-2 Rockies over the Padres in the 6th.

451

yeah, I remember somebody asking him if he [Twerp] was Will Carroll & him confirming it.

510 Furman Bisher took Scully's call as an admonishment rather than a celebration. That's dumb but few sports columnists would be able to make a living if they weren't allowed to shape the debate.

511 I remember using milk crates to hold up my first boxspring and mattress. I kept the clothes in the crates which saved me from buying a chest of drawers.

I don't miss those days.

Any new trade rumors today?

Apparently the red sox were scouting the 51's...although this probably doesn't mean anything.

I'd be all about getting a pitcher or two, but with what's out there I'd rather stand pat. It's in situations like these that I wish Meloan was given a shot...if he doesn't work out then you nab a Dotel...but if he does then we just sured up our pen without giving anything up.

Coroner: Ball hit Coolbaugh on neck, ruptured artery

>>> "I think everyone assumed he was hit in the head," Malcolm said. "It's probably what it looked like, but he was actually hit on the back of his neck just behind the ear." <<<

http://sports.espn.go.com/minorlbb/news/story?id=2948605

NPUT

We always used cinder blocks to hold a 4 by eight plywood board cut to 4 by 7.

522 ?

520 Read comments above ya in the 450-500 section - we've been mulling that one over for a bit. I also chimed in on that MLBtraderumors blog. Could be the Sox are scouting the Dodgers but the Dodgers aren't scouting the Sox, in which case the rumors wouldn't mean a lot. Which young pitchers on the Sox might be tradeable? Craig Hansen? And...?

524 Short for new post up top.

526 thanks

{478}

I must have miss read it I guess, so please disregard my 518 :o)

Hmmm. I don't see any NPUT here.

This is a great article about the Baseball Blog movement, and a recap of the Felix Incident.

http://tinyurl.com/2f6sta

Padres being trounced by the Rockies. Seems like the Dodgers should be up by 5 or 6 games, the way the Padres are playing.