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2008 Season

Dodger home record: 50-35 (.588)
When Jon attended: 9-5 (.643)
When Jon didn't: 41-30 (.577)

1991-2008

Dodgers at home: 795-635 (.556)
Jon attended: 302-238 (.559)*
Jon didn't: 498-404 (.552)
* includes road games attended

2009 Payroll Worksheet

Current Roster with Estimated 2009 Salaries
(updated November 14)

Most figures are estimates (some are wild estimates) but will be updated as information comes in. Corrections welcome.

More contract details here.

Starting Pitchers (5)
$10,000,000 Hiroki Kuroda
*$475,000 Chad Billingsley
*$415,000 Clayton Kershaw
*$405,000 Eric Stults
*$400,000 James McDonald
*Total: $11,695,000

Bullpen (7)
*$2,500,000 Takashi Saito
*$1,300,000 Scott Proctor
*$1,500,000 Jonathan Broxton
*$425,000 Hong-Chih Kuo
*$420,000 Cory Wade
*$410,000 Ramon Troncoso
*$400,000 Scott Elbert
Total: $6,955,000

Also on 40-man roster
Mario Alvarez
Yhency Brazoban
Greg Miller
Justin Orenduff

Starting Lineup (8)
$17,100,000 Andruw Jones
*$3,000,000 Russell Martin
*$2,500,000 Andre Ethier
*$600,000 Matt Kemp
*$600,000 James Loney
*$500,000 Angel Berroa
*$410,000 Blake DeWitt
*$400,000 Tony Abreu
Total: $25,110,000

Bench (5)
$10,000,000 Juan Pierre
*$600,000 Jason Repko
*$410,000 Delwyn Young
*$400,000 Danny Ardoin
*$400,000 Chin-Lung Hu
Total: $11,810,000
Note: Team can buy out Ozuna's 2009 option for $200,000

Also on 40-man roster
A.J. Ellis
Lucas May
Xavier Paul

Disabled List
$12,000,000 Jason Schmidt

Also Paying ...
$2,000,000 Brad Penny (buyout of $9,000,000 option)
$50,000 Gary Bennett (buyout of $900,000 option)
Note: Kansas City is responsible for $500,000 buyout of Angel Berroa's $5,500,000 option for 2009.

Working total: *$68,020,000

The 2008 Dodgers

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Rain Delay in Denver ... and Then Some
2007-07-27 17:45
by Jon Weisman

The start of tonight's game will be delayed - if it starts at all - according to Diamond Leung of the Press-Enterprise.

Update: Rainout City. The game will be made up in September - which is good news for the Dodgers if for no other reason than rosters will have expanded by then. In the meantime, everyone gets a day of rest. I call this one a victory.

Update: Worse news for Derek Lowe, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:

Lowe does not have a strained groin, but, according to a club official, he has "irritation in the left hip," and that's never good for a pitcher. In fact, that was the original diagnosis for pitchers Jason Isringhausen of the Cardinals last year and Justin Duchscherer of the Oakland A's this year, and both ultimately required arthroscopic hip surgery.

Lowe's symptoms -- sharp pain in the groin area when he lands on every pitch, but no pain otherwise -- are classic for that condition, as the pain is referred from the point of injury. He said he's had similar twinges in the past, but never repeatedly pitch after pitch as it was Wednesday night, and he was puzzled with the diagnosis of a hip problem.

He said the discomfort began when he warmed up for a Sunday emergency-relief appearance without stretching. Lowe said his MRI results were being sent for analysis to the Steadman-Hawkins Clinic in Vail, Colo., where hip specialist Dr. Marc Philippon is a pioneer of the surgical procedure.

Lowe played catch gingerly on flat ground before rain fell on Friday and said he was hopeful of testing the hip off a mound on Saturday. He said the entire hip area was stiff and sore on Friday, the expected aftermath of the gadolinium injection in Thursday's MRI procedure.

"Any time you're dealing with the groin area, you have to throw off a mound to see how the leg reacts," said Lowe, who suffered a bad groin tear while he was a Minor Leaguer. "When I throw off a mound, I'll be able to tell right away how it feels." ...

Not all tears require surgery. Oakland first baseman Dan Johnson, diagnosed with a labral tear at the end of Spring Training, returned after a month of rehab.

Comments (157)
Show/Hide Comments 1-50
2007-07-27 20:00:09
1.   Bluebleeder87
It's pretty weird but i don't think i'd be one of the crazies booing, i'd probably just sit there & watch as he breaks a glamorous record with no feelings what so ever.

I feel very strongly about this point, I hope Jon doesn't mind me re-posting it up here.

2007-07-27 20:00:27
2.   El Lay Dave
From Diamond Leung:
Russell Martin will be back in the lineup tomorrow after getting a day off. Also tomorrow, Olmedo Saenz will start at first base and Luis Gonzalez (sic)
2007-07-27 20:04:48
3.   natepurcell
Did Betemit get any groundballs at 2b last night?
2007-07-27 20:05:43
4.   natepurcell
old friend Cody Ross unloads the boom on Zito!
2007-07-27 20:09:38
5.   Eric Stephen
3 Yahoo play by play shows:

Bottom 6th: - K. Matsui singled to second, W. Taveras to second

I don't remember this play though. I remember one ball that hit the mound and bounced past a diving Wilson into CF. I don't think he could have been expected to field it.

2007-07-27 20:13:44
6.   El Lay Dave
3 5 B-R shows no assists, 1 PO, 0 E. He was at the end of the bunt-DP started by Loney, 3-6-4.
2007-07-27 20:17:43
7.   Sam DC
Annie Lenox: Wait In Vain.

Good cover? Or is that the spirit of the moment taking me?

2007-07-27 20:26:56
8.   Bluebleeder87
3

They hit a bullet to him & he triad back handing it but couldn't handle it.

2007-07-27 20:28:15
9.   Marty
Nate, you don't unload the boom, you lower it.
2007-07-27 20:30:36
10.   Greg Brock
"Bowies in Space" is becoming my favortie FotC song.

Groovitational pull is hilarious x 10.

2007-07-27 20:31:44
11.   Eric Stephen
9 The Dodgers might unload the boom(-boom) before Tuesday at 1pm.

Although I hope they don't.

2007-07-27 20:45:11
12.   Eric Enders
Betemit got a hard grounder that a good second baseman would have turned into a DP, but which bounced out of the pocket of his glove and into the outfield. When that happened I turned to my dad and said "Well, I guess it'll be another year before they let him play second again." It was one of those plays that could have gone either way, but they called it a hit and that was probably the correct call because the ball was smoked.
2007-07-27 20:50:10
13.   Eric Enders
One strange thing this year is that when we have played players at positions for which they are a stretch -- I'm thinking of Nomar at 3B, Betemit at 2B, Kemp in CF -- they haven't really been tested. Betemit had only the one play. It took a week of Nomar playing third before he even had a ground ball hit to him. I've been hoping for Kemp to get a challenging play in center so he can prove something to Colletti, but I don't recall him fielding so much as a routine fly ball in the couple of games he's played there.
2007-07-27 20:55:08
14.   Eric Stephen
Don't forget during another position stretch, Marlon Anderson didn't field a single ball in is two starts at DH. :)
2007-07-27 21:04:16
15.   Disabled List
In light of Barry's 754th tonight, I thought I'd pass this gem along:

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Dodgers will host a steroid awareness clinic on Aug. 2 before they play Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants.

No, it's not for the players.

About 100 kids from area Little League teams are expected for a two-hour steroid awareness clinic to be held on the field during the afternoon. Dodger outfielder Juan Pierre, hitting coach Bill Mueller and former Dodger Lou Johnson are to participate in the clinic. The kids will receive a Dodger goodie bag.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/baseball/mlb/07/27/bonds.dodgers.steroids.ap/index.html

2007-07-27 21:10:00
16.   Greg Brock
15 How about that. A passive aggressive yet funny way of flipping double birds at Barry Bonds. I support this move wholeheartedly.
2007-07-27 21:39:25
17.   El Lay Dave
I'll be in Las Vegas this weekend and early next week. I'm thinking of getting out to a 51s game, but my choices apppear to be a Sunday day game at 12:15 (what will the temperature be throughout that one) or a Tuesday night game, which is the 31st, thus risking not seeing Hu, LaRoche and Meloan before they are traded. ;)
2007-07-27 21:43:31
18.   El Lay Dave
Atl - AZ in the top of the ninth:

- J. Valverde relieved B. Lyon
- T. Clark at first
- K. Johnson grounded out to second
- J. Franco grounded out to shortstop
- Y. Escobar hit for P. Moylan
- Y. Escobar walked
- Y. Escobar stole second
- W. Harris singled to center, Y. Escobar scored

tying the game at 7-7.

2007-07-27 21:45:13
19.   natepurcell
gameday shows that Laroche's 9th inning homerun went really really far.
2007-07-27 21:45:27
20.   goofus
17 Somewhere between 100 and 110 degrees. It's cooled a bit from a couple of weeks ago when it hit 118...
2007-07-27 21:45:30
21.   heato
HR LaRoche
2007-07-27 21:54:08
22.   El Lay Dave
16 I agree with you. Wish we could have asked Josh Rawitch about that promotion!
2007-07-27 21:55:00
23.   El Lay Dave
Free baseball in Arizona. Both teams ended the ninth with a caught stealing.
2007-07-27 21:56:50
24.   El Lay Dave
After PHing for Zito in the 4th down 6-2, the Giants scored 10 runs in the 5th and 6th combined and now lead 12-8. Bonds due up 4th in the bottom of the 7th.
2007-07-27 22:00:56
25.   El Lay Dave
19 21 I would like to see LaRoche hit the ball very hard when I attend.
2007-07-27 22:01:47
26.   blue22
So why is this being made up in September as opposed to a double-header on either Saturday or Sunday?
2007-07-27 22:06:02
27.   das411
Anybody else watchin these old old old Giants flash a little leather?

And wondering if Taylor Tankersley is going to go down in history...?

2007-07-27 22:10:19
28.   blue22
27 - The old folks did have two "senior moments" though; Roberts and Durham both getting picked off when neither had any reason to be drifting off their base. Luckily for SF, they're playing some serious longball tonight, or those could've been pretty costly.

Krukie after Durham was picked off second base with Bonds up: "Yikes".

2007-07-27 22:11:07
29.   ToyCannon
If the Braves win this game and the Diamondbacks finish one game out of the playoffs they will remember this game.
They blew a 7 run lead when the tying run in the ninth got into scoring position by stealing 2nd after walking when the runner at 1st took off for 2nd when Valverde bent over to play with his sock, by the time he looked up neither of us infielders bothered to cover 2nd and Esocbar stole the bag without a play. Harris then hit a bloop single to tie the game.
2007-07-27 22:12:52
30.   blue22
And awaaay we go. Throw strikes, Taylor.
2007-07-27 22:15:01
31.   das411
28 - Yeah I have the Bulldog and Phillips talking about what a wonderful guy #25 is...
2007-07-27 22:16:19
32.   Greg Brock
Now that Bonds is done for the evening, I say again.

Barry, if you have an ouce of decency left, retire tonight. Please.

2007-07-27 22:16:45
33.   blue22
31 - I rather enjoy Kruk and Kuip. It's in HD on the package.

Vintage-2002 Bonds tonight - a homer in the first and then 4 walks.

2007-07-27 22:17:56
34.   Greg Brock
Misspelled words are fun.
2007-07-27 22:19:30
35.   Hallux Valgus
I'm pretty sure I'm going to the Giants series in LA. I have no idea how I'll react when the inevitable happens; and I'm on record as saying that it will happen against the Dodgers. Joe Beimel to be exact. I think I'll remain silent, but we'll see. I'm really confused.
2007-07-27 22:20:29
36.   Hallux Valgus
Holy Crap! the PC guy from the Mac commercials is on FotC! That's awesome.
2007-07-27 22:21:24
37.   Greg Brock
36 Wait until you get to Bowies in Space.
2007-07-27 22:21:53
38.   Eric Stephen
26 A couple of reasons:

1) The players association doesn't like teams playing games for more than 20 days in a row. I'm not sure if they need to approve such a move or not, but a makeup on July 30 would mean 31 straight game days for Colorado and 24 straight for LA.

2) It's easier to sell tickets 2 months in advance than with 2 days in advance.

2007-07-27 22:22:13
39.   Andrew Shimmin
Clark with the walk-off in the 11th.
2007-07-27 22:23:23
40.   blue22
38 - Thanks.
2007-07-27 22:24:19
41.   Icaros
39

Now you only appear when it's time to brag about your beloved D-backs.

2007-07-27 22:24:28
42.   Hallux Valgus
37 I'm not there yet, but I've heard. And I'm simple. Think Homer Simpson:
THAT DOG HAS A PUFFY TAIL!!!!!
hehehehehe... here puff!
2007-07-27 22:25:28
43.   Eric Stephen
Some tough announcing choices tonight:

Braves-DBacks: watch Chip Caray on TBS or Mark Grace on EI? (I chose Caray; at least I got to hear the life drained from his soul on the Clark walkoff!)

Marlins-Giants: Krukow & Kuiper (who are great) on EI, or put up with Steve Phillips on ESPN, but in HD? (I chose HD, but at least got Dan Shulman and Orel too)

2007-07-27 22:26:33
44.   blue22
Whew...Hermida narrowly missed the rally-killing 2-run homer there with that 420-foot ground rule double to center.
2007-07-27 22:27:12
45.   das411
I do think it would be better for the game if he breaks the record against the Dodgers, if only to get that rivalry (and replays of a particular game from 2001) some airtime...

(and who else noticed that 44 year old starter who threw a complete game shutout tonight? Last pitcher to do that, anyone..?)

2007-07-27 22:29:10
46.   blue22
45 - I don't want it to happen in LA. I expect the worst from Dodger fans, I'm ashamed to say.
2007-07-27 22:29:53
47.   Eric Stephen
37 Which David Bowie reference/performance on HBO this year was best?

(a) Bowies in Space on FotC;
(b) Bowie himself singing "Little Fat Man" on Extras

It's neck and neck for me.

2007-07-27 22:30:22
48.   Bob Timmermann
There were no shutouts in the majors tonight.
2007-07-27 22:30:35
49.   das411
and a clutch game-ending lineout by Cheeseburger!!

Same time tomorrow for 755 Thoughts, everybody?

2007-07-27 22:31:07
50.   Hallux Valgus
37 The song was okay, but the video was awesome! I've met Bowie, and he's a very nice guy. I took him to the book store. The set he played after said book store excursion sucked, though.

Oh wait- Bowies in Space- the end! way hot.

Show/Hide Comments 51-100
2007-07-27 22:31:48
51.   Jon Weisman
Lowe update above.
2007-07-27 22:33:04
52.   Greg Brock
47 This one beats out Extras by a fair margin, but I loved that as well.
2007-07-27 22:33:16
53.   Andrew Shimmin
41- I deadthreaded when I got to this mornings discussion of whether I exist in the physical plain. Was it ddger who ratted me out?
2007-07-27 22:33:26
54.   confucius
9 My father, whom is a crane operator, salutes you Marty.
2007-07-27 22:40:54
55.   Icaros
53

I don't like to reveal my sources...but yes.

2007-07-27 22:48:50
56.   Bob Timmermann
Gadolinium?
2007-07-27 22:56:54
57.   King of the Hobos
Anyone notice that Denker was pulled after one at-bat today? Could be injury, or maybe a deal in the works? Denker for a middle reliever wouldn't be so bad, but he probably wouldn't bring any worthwhile reliever by himself.
2007-07-27 23:02:30
58.   natepurcell
Denker for Snell? :)
2007-07-27 23:12:55
59.   underdog
58 Dream on, Nate. ;-)

Glad to come home to see the game was rained out. Definitely a good break for the beleaguered Dodgers pitching staff. A doubleheader this weekend might have been kind of fun, but not at this time.

So the Padres signed Shea Hillenbrand to a minor league contract, in hopes he can come up and help the team soon. Milton Bradley, Michael Barrett, Shea Hillenbrand. That'll be a fun chemistry experiment.

2007-07-27 23:13:57
60.   Greg Brock
Snell is one of my favorite wishcasting acquisitions. He's not going anywhere, but it's fun to think of getting him.

Snell, Billz, Kershaw, and whatever would be a lot of nice.

2007-07-27 23:14:40
61.   underdog
Meloan, one inning tonight, no runs, two strikeouts.
2007-07-27 23:17:26
62.   Greg Brock
It's so funny to skim across the tubes and look at fifteen different writers or bloggers all linking each other about all these supposed big deals in the works.

It makes me think of a definite Rule 1 violation that involves circles.

2007-07-27 23:18:46
63.   underdog
I enjoyed the Simpsons Movie a great deal tonight, btw, but it almost wasn't worth it for having to sit through two of the most painful coming attractions I've seen in awhile - the Alvin and the Chipmunks movie (egads, pain, deep, deep pain) and Good Luck Chuck. But I admit to laughing quite a bit during the Balls of Fury preview.
2007-07-27 23:19:29
64.   underdog
62 Have we traded the farm for Mark Texeira yet?
2007-07-27 23:23:56
65.   Greg Brock
64 We're very close, according to fourteen sources that are all linking to a lunatic in Dallas.

Seriously, J-School must be easier than a Masters from the University of Phoenix. Many of these people write for actual newspapers and media outlets!

2007-07-27 23:24:16
66.   Andrew Shimmin
Zappala isn't going to appreciate people dangling Denker while he slept.
2007-07-27 23:25:07
67.   Greg Brock
Dangling Denker is the name of my Scorpions cover band.
2007-07-27 23:38:16
68.   fanerman
The AP recap says:
"Brad Penny reclined on a couch in the Los Angeles Dodgers clubhouse and read a book as he waited for the storm to pass through."

Do you think Brad reads Harry Potter?

2007-07-27 23:54:04
69.   berkowit28
2 When did Olmedo Saenz last get a hit? Since then how many misses?
2007-07-28 00:06:03
70.   Eric Stephen
Since Olemdo's walk-off HR against Toronto on June 8, he has accumulated only 31 PA in 40 team games. In that limited duty, he is 4-25 with a double, hitting .160/.226/.200.

Little said Saenz is starting tomorrow because he needs the ABs. Maybe this spot start can refresh the old man's bat.

2007-07-28 00:08:22
71.   Eric Stephen
70 Olmedo, not "Olemdo"
2007-07-28 00:09:52
72.   El Lay Dave
56 Courtesy of the great Tom Lehrer:

There's antimony, arsenic, aluminum, selenium,
And hydrogen and oxygen and nitrogen and rhenium,
And nickel, neodymium, neptunium, germanium,
And iron, americium, ruthenium, uranium,
Europium, zirconium, lutetium, vanadium,
And lanthanum and osmium and astatine and radium,
And gold and protactinium and indium and gallium,

And iodine and thorium and thulium and thallium.

There's yttrium, ytterbium, actinium, rubidium,
And boron, gadolinium, niobium, iridium,
And strontium and silicon and silver and samarium,
And bismuth, bromine, lithium, beryllium, and barium.

There's holmium and helium and hafnium and erbium,
And phosphorus and francium and fluorine and terbium,
And manganese and mercury, molybdenum, magnesium,
Dysprosium and scandium and cerium and cesium.
And lead, praseodymium, and platinum, plutonium,
Palladium, promethium, potassium, polonium,
And tantalum, technetium, titanium, tellurium,

And cadmium and calcium and chromium and curium.

There's sulfur, californium, and fermium, berkelium,
And also mendelevium, einsteinium, nobelium,
And argon, krypton, neon, radon, xenon, zinc, and rhodium,
And chlorine, carbon, cobalt, copper, tungsten, tin, and sodium.

These are the only ones of which the news has come to Ha'vard,
And there may be many others, but they haven't been discovered.

2007-07-28 00:19:54
73.   El Lay Dave
68 Penny is more likely a reader of Cruel Tricks for Dear Friends - is there a gallon of milk handy?
2007-07-28 01:18:10
74.   Andrew Shimmin
Why calling Brock a "nerd" might be a bad move.

http://tinyurl.com/28mpve

2007-07-28 05:22:12
75.   D4P
(Lowe) said the discomfort began when he warmed up for a Sunday emergency-relief appearance without stretching

Classic.

2007-07-28 06:24:22
76.   Johnny Nucleo
56 Gadolinium is a contrast agent. It basically acts as a sort of dye during MRI scans to highlight the selected area. Technically, it acts by causing rapid spin-spin relaxation of proton nuclei in its vicinity (hence the contrast with respect to background). Gadolinium is relatively biologically inert and is rapidly passed through the body.

Johnny Nucleo
DT Resident Chemist

2007-07-28 07:05:28
77.   overkill94
Greetings from Italy!

I think I'm finally getting used to things around here and hopefully by my next trip I'll have it down pat. I was glad to see that yesterday's game was rained out, it always pains me when I have to miss a game.

2007-07-28 08:18:21
78.   Bluebleeder87
That last update from Jon wasn't encouraging but hopefully we'll only miss Lowe for a month.
2007-07-28 08:24:37
79.   Gen3Blue
Excellent to have a chemist around. Especially one who seems strong in P-chem.

I can't help noticing that every year(at least 3) at about this time Andy LaRoche is in a mode where it seems like he hits a homer every other day. He surely isn't permanently damaged. He may be a second half guy who can experiment with his training etc. Of course there is nothing wrong with a guy who comes chugging on when a few other players are wearing down.
When you add to this his penchant for getting on base, and his arm, I think there should be a lot of tolerance for giving him time to get comfortable in the field, and a reluctance to trade him.

2007-07-28 08:57:02
80.   Gen3Blue
I generally enjoy Baseball Analysts, but someone there is suggesting that Laroche for Willie Mo is a good deal for the D's if we throw in Broxton.

So this 4th outfielder plays at the expense of Kemp or Ethier? At best this creates another Betemit situation. The fact is we need an outfielder or first baseman at this point like we need a sixth toe.

2007-07-28 09:09:40
81.   Marty
Willy Mo Pena?

.219/.287/.394 Willy Mo Pena?

Yeah, let's throw Broxton in to seal the deal.

2007-07-28 09:11:04
82.   dzzrtRatt
The Phillies promoted old friend (a.k.a. "career minor league utility player" according to Steve Henson at Yahoo!) Joe Thurston as a result of Chase Utley's injury. He's not the starter, though. That'll be Tad Iguchi.
2007-07-28 09:12:23
83.   gpellamjr
80 If I had my choice between a 6th toe and Willy Mo, give me the toe.
2007-07-28 09:13:42
84.   Andrew Shimmin
80- If it Looks like a parody, and squawks like a parody, it may be a parody.
2007-07-28 09:16:04
85.   Gen3Blue
I dearly hope it is.
2007-07-28 09:47:08
86.   overkill94
78 Lowe might not even miss a start, so I really hope it's not a whole month. Then again, it could be as bad as Duchscherer's was and he'll be out for the year. I'm hoping for the best (just like the crazy chick in Singles).
2007-07-28 09:51:22
87.   overkill94
Dang, LaRoche's numbers have gone from looking troubling to dang impressive in a hurry.

For the year:

.308/.398/.587 with a 32:27 BB:K ratio

and his July has been off-the-charts good:

.405/.489/.946 with a 13:10 BB:K ratio

I don't care who you are or where you play, OPSing 1.435 for a month is incredible.

2007-07-28 10:16:30
88.   Andrew Shimmin
85- He's goosing Will Carrol. Hard. The last paragraph is a shot at Carroll's blog post begging people to read his previous articles before asking questions he's already answered with dubious accuracy.
2007-07-28 10:22:04
89.   Andrew Shimmin
Carroll. I spelled it right once, anyway.

There are also the last two bullet pointed items:

"Tampa Bay is looking to move Elijah Dukes. Aaron Schatz is working the phones to see if the Cincinnati Bengals offer of Frostee Rucker and Chris Henry will get it done.

"The Red Sox are close to a deal. Don't ask me who they might be acquiring or what the terms of the deal might be. But my sources tell me something's imminent, and I would be remiss if I did not come on here and let you readers know that."

2007-07-28 10:27:07
90.   Rob M
80 yesterday at BP Will Carroll specifically said that sources around baseball told him Laroche for Pena was a ridiculously one-sided deal (in the Sox benefit) and it wasn't gonna happen.

Today from Carroll:

The Dodgers have refocused their energy on getting a pitcher, but once again there's some internal strife regarding which prospects could be traded and which belong to the Dodgers' future. That's going to make getting a deal done a bit tougher, unless they set their sights a bit lower.

2007-07-28 10:31:57
91.   Johnny Nucleo
83 You want a toe? I can get you a toe, believe me. There are ways, Dude. You don't wanna know about it, believe me.
2007-07-28 10:34:30
92.   underdog
Y'know, I feel a bit sorry for Mike Lieberthal. He finally gets another chance to start, only to have it washed away. Martin starts today and I assume will start tomorrow with Monday an off day. Poor Mike.
2007-07-28 10:35:51
93.   Bumsrap
LA Times today,
According to baseball sources, the Rangers wanted three players from the Angels for Teixeira, and the teams apparently agreed on the first two, first baseman Casey Kotchman and left-handed pitcher Joe Saunders.

The Rangers gave the Angels a list of four names to choose from Friday. On that list were infielder Brandon Wood, the organization's top position-playing prospect, double-A right-hander Nick Adenhart, the organization's top pitching prospect, starting second baseman Howie Kendrick, who is on the disabled list because of a broken finger, and recently demoted right-hander Ervin Santana.

The Angels' response: No way.

2007-07-28 10:40:11
94.   max power
OT, but how did Ramon Martinez get tagged with the Lucille 2 moniker? I realize it comes from Liza Minelli's character on Arrested Development, but I don't get the connection...
2007-07-28 10:49:31
95.   Bumsrap
Here is the lineup I want in the World Series:

2b Abreu
1b Loney
cf Kemp
c Martin
lf Ethier
3b ?
rf ?
ss Hu

Bills, Kershaw, Miller, Elbert, ?
Meloan, Broxton

If they win a World Series before that team plays together fine, but I can wait.

2007-07-28 10:55:49
96.   Bumsrap
Don't look back now but that "let's go with the young guys" Diamondbacks are close, very close.
2007-07-28 10:58:38
97.   Eric Stephen
94 Martinez is the second Ramon Martinez to play for the Dodgers, just as Liza ("Lucille 2") was the second Lucille in Buster's life.
2007-07-28 11:04:34
98.   underdog
Greinke alert (from FoxSports):
FoxSports - The Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Braves and Cubs all are interested in Royals right-hander Zack Greinke, but it is doubtful the Royals would trade him unless they were overwhelmed.

Greinke, 23, has excelled as a reliever this season, and some teams still like him as a starter. The Royals, though, control him through 2010.

"They can't trade Greinke right now, they can't do it," one rival executive says. "They'd be crazy if they did."

2007-07-28 11:05:52
99.   Jon Weisman
96 - On July 11, I wrote:

"Despite losing 19 of their past 30 games, the Diamondbacks are only 2 ½ games out of the wild-card lead and 3 ½ games out of first place -- with lots of room for potential improvement from their younger position players. Perhaps the growing pains were worse than Arizona hoped for, but unless the starting rotation collapses like Johnson's aging body, don't count Arizona out. "

2007-07-28 11:09:03
100.   bryanf
99 Okay Jon, you were right.
Show/Hide Comments 101-150
2007-07-28 11:14:52
101.   twerp
TINSTAPP--There is no such thing as pitching prospects; the saying, however accurate it may be.

TINSTATMP--There is no such thing as too much pitching. The 2007 Dodger version, increasingly accurate, as injuries pile up.

And why would Tomko, who has struggled mightily, mothball an apparently effective cutter? Why would it take so long for him to try it again?

TISATABLTNIH--Tomko's contribution: There is such a thing as better late than never, I hope.

So do the Dodgers.

2007-07-28 11:20:09
102.   underdog
101 What about TINTIN? Forecasts quite accurately pitchers who have pointy tufts of hair and small white dogs.
2007-07-28 11:27:33
103.   Linkmeister
90 That "internal strife" sounds like the same kind we've seen in a current branch of government, usually mentioned as a fig leaf before unilateral action universally disapproved of is taken.
2007-07-28 11:29:25
104.   Linkmeister
Oh, let me congratulate ESPN on negotiating a deal with Fox to allow the network to show a baseball game on Saturday. Even if it is the Giants and the only reason is that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named might hit a record-tying or even record-breaking home run, it means there's a sports event I can watch while preparing dinner.
2007-07-28 11:39:07