>> "Milton brings a different look," the Padres' general manager, Kevin Towers, told San Diego Union columnist Nick Canepa. "He plays hard. He can ignite a club just how he plays. He has awakened the club. Since he's been here, our lineup has been completely different. He fits in well here. I like his intensity. I like a guy who gets angry."

http://www.presstelegram.com/sports/ci_6765843

I wonder what Jeff Kent thinks of this. :-)

I'm trying to think of the last great pitcher the Dodger's traded for or signed as a FA. Just seems like they have bad luck.

I think the change is due to advances in/attitudes towards training, medicine, and pharmecueticals (legal and non). This has helped pitchers too, as guys throw harder than they used to, but these advances won't necessarily give you more bite on your curveball, and so on.

---

Man, I'm excited and nervous about the weekend series.

so i guess what i'm hoping is for arizona to collapse, and for us to marginally outperform philly, which will probaby mean putting up a pretty solid final month. with 29 to play, we just might have to 20-9 (or close to it) to stay alive.

who's for a one-game wild-card playoff with the phils?

I'll try one:

Where Brad Penny will be in October

My move starts today. 4 days without Extra Innings when we play SD will be hard. Here's hoping I get to listen to a game via MLB.com

Come to think of it letting Brad fish at all isn't really a bright idea. Consider, fishing is the most dangerous occupation in the world. The chances of getting cut, barbed or scrapped up are pretty good not to mention the chance of slipping on the wet deck and wiping out. Having done all of these stupid things many times I speak from experience.

Also, for making the playoffs, we are Dodger, Rockies, and Marlins fans today.

(I hope Ned remembers that HE was the guy that released Tomko otherwise he will be tempted to pick him up again. Hernandez, Wells, Loiza, Tomko. Anyone see a pattern here?)

Awesome! Yeah, because Tomko is still a former Giant, right?

With great stuff and a history of winning. Plus, aren't we already paying him anyway...? Might as well get something out of it...

The only thing we had to battle was the seals that hung out by the bait barge, many a time we would see the silvery image of our fish followed by a larger black image, sometimes we would get the fish onboard but most of the time, it would lost to the seal.

http://www.aarongleeman.com/2007_08_26_baseballblog_archive.html

37
No way Ned DFA's Roberto after hanging on to him all month.

I hope Lindsey gets the call tomorrow. I'm a sucker for career minor leaguers getting a break. Don't want to see them in my lineup but I like to see them at least get a taste of why they worked so hard. As a bonus, Plaschke will get a story.

Instead, just raise the mound. Great pitchers will look fantastic, and mediocre pitchers will get you through more games...

Of course, offense would be down, and hence, so would revenues, and so... it won't happen until the fan-base starts demanding more 2-1 games.

38. The most deadliest for commercial fisherman. As in the Deadliest Catch. I love that show.

Maybe not aesthetically, but people won't be all that interested in 2-1 games. Casual fan friends of mine hate going to games like that.

Even though they're faster to play!

Casual baseball fans are as fickle as the "Itchy and Scratchy" focus group.

http://www.aarongleeman.com/uploaded_images/sabrraindelay5-760124.JPG

Although I don't know if they've officially tied the knot.

That picture was taken in St. Louis.

Is there anything about anything you dont know?

Looks like a messy group of people in general. I see multiple people with stains.

Again: sweat.

If you had seen a picture of me at that game, I would have resembled a cat after being caught out in the rain.

But someone did.

Your DDC may vary.

What if David Wells refuses to drop his appeal for the rest of the season and then, during the coming off season, announces his retirement?

Wouldn't that trump Chris Young? :-)

But LAPL uses a version from the 1940s. It gives us "character."

We get funky call numbers like:
338.2P4 A658Vi

940.5412 Rf1303Pa

Still, holding the line on the appeal is likely the best thing for the club, at least until the rosters expand. 5 games, he really only misses one start (which is something I've never understood about suspending starting pitchers).

But one of the things that makes David Wells David Wells is that he says whatever's on his mind in the moment, without considering its implications. Tomorrow he could say exactly the opposite.

The good news is that he's so lousy now that he's not a good bet to last 6 innings so we wouldn't have to endure a 4 hour game consisting of him standing on the mound afraid to throw his stinkin pitches.

http://tinyurl.com/2f54c8

>> The man says he made eye contact with one in the herd near Little Harbor. Then it started charging him. <<

http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/articles/9491257.html

Anyone on Dodgers Thoughts could have warned him. You just don't make eye contact with a charging Bison. :-)

Especially a Mattalina Bison...

Is that like flying a kite on the beach at Lincoln City, Oregon?

But you can if you want to

Oh you can't go skating in a buffalo herd, you can't go skating in a buffalo herd,

but you can if you want to

Ya can't take a shower in a parakeet cage
Ya can't take a shower in a parakeet cage
Ya can't take a shower in a parakeet cage
But you can be a Loaiza fan if you've a mind to

All ya gotta do is put your mind to it
Knuckle down, buckle down, do it, do it, do it

Well, ya can't go a-swimmin' in a baseball pool
Ya can't go swimmin' in a baseball pool
Ya can't go swimmin' in a baseball pool
But you can be a Dodger fan if you've a mind to

Ya can't change film with a kid on your back
Ya can't change film with a kid on your back
Ya can't change film with a kid on your back
But you can be Pierre fan if you've a mind to

Ya can't drive around with a tiger in your car
Ya can't drive around with a tiger in your car
Ya can't drive around with a tiger in your car
But you can be happy if you've a mind to

All ya gotta do is put your mind to it
Knuckle down, buckle down do it, do it, do it

Well, ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd
Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd
Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd
But you can be happy if you've a mind to

Ya can't go fishin' in a watermelon patch
Ya can't go fishin' in a watermelon patch
Ya can't go fishin' in a watermelon patch
But you can be happy if you've a mind to

Roger Miller (mostly)