Speaking of doing time, I want to go to the gym now, but the stupid Dodgers keep me hooked in for no good reason.

His OB average was pretty good in Jax, 325 plate appearances with a 380 OB% & his career OB% is .346

I think this was covered in the Bible.

Another deceptive fielding stat.

Though to be fair, he's been better than it appeared he'd be after the start of the season...

ps I'm starting to loath, Holliday,.

Not trying to be facetious, just trying to understand the apparent disdain for guys who get on base by getting hits. Getting a lot of hits doesn't seem to be an indication that a hitter is impatient (constantly swinging at first pitches, a la Nomar does). Nor does it mean that he is incapable of drawing walks.

Walk rate is nice because it's much more stable than batting average. If a guy is entirely batting average dependant, it's much more likely he'll be a complete drain on the lineup at one point, the walks guy is much more reliable.

Then 3 straight strikes will make him feel better.

29 I agree. For outfielders I do also like to look at assists, but even then you really do just have to watch them to know who's got fielding skills and who doesn't.

By the way, naturally I am in contact with a lot of Red Sox fans here, and I have heard several times independently that Eric Gagne was continuosly given several bad calls before his recent disaster.

frustration from yesterdays game, maybe.

I would also think that walk rate would decline over the course of a season and career. Logically, if the scouting report on a guy says he's got a good eye and won't walk much, then pitchers are more likely to throw strikes, meaning more balls put in play, no?

How is isolated patience determined?

Back in 1982 I bought a 13.2*MB* hard drive for an IBM S/34; it was the size of a small pizza. It cost my company $5,000.00.

No further comment.

I guess Vin was right, this is Bad Penny today. It's like they're stealing the signs, so telegraphed are some of his pitches. Oh well, I think the Dodgers can match some of the power today, too. Fogg doesn't scare me.

Wow, I'm talking lke these games still matter!

Then again, it's also the first time in my life I'm rooting for the Nationals. Good thing football season is here.

Yep, Julio wasn't at full speed that's for sure.

I thought he would be good if he'd stay healthy, but he's bad & healthy "who new" I remember Orel Hershiser called him & I quote "the light hitting Drew". But seriously he should be good for at least one or two years out of that contract.

I thought I had recovered a fairly equitable mood after yesterday but I'm irratable, my cat is irritable, and I definitely want to slap one of these announcers around.

"As we speak, probably the truth is, Nomar would have to be the incumbent," said Little. "He's had a tough season this year. Hopefully, he'll get it turned around."

64 Penny didn't score on that previous infield hit because it was hit right near him. He would've been dead to right.

I have no idea if Vinny's quoting or just made it up.

Conte said the latest problem could be the result of Furcal compensating for the ankle.

Also, Grady says Garciaparra is the third baseman next year, Saenz wants to play but only for a major league team, and Billingsley had this to say on his pitching:

"It's pitching," said Billingsley, charged with the 3-1 loss. "It's just something I've learned. When I want to reach back for it, I can still throw 96, 97, but my command with it isn't as good. I can throw 92 and hit the outer part of the plate. I used to be a big velocity guy. Now I see that's kind of overrated. Maybe I didn't have my best stuff, but I was really pitching. A 92 with action is more difficult to hit than 95 straight."

I've seen it work a few times. Mike Fetters was good at it.

I can't see him playing for anyone next year, but certainly hope it's not the Dodgers at least. Maybe Vegas as a player-coach.

I've pretty much forgiven the man at this point because it's really not his fault Ned traded for a guy who had just hurt his finger which can really kill you're hitting and linger for ages.

What's with the gopher balls, Brad?

thanks for the quotes Hobos, I'm digging the Billingsley quote, very much.

Holliday is swabbin t' deck with Penny.

Should we make him walk t' plank?

(talk like a pirate day)

Anyone read Plaschke's article? Or has this been discussed already? As a caller to Dodger Talk, I tend to side with Bob Harvey on this one and for once, actually, I'm in agreement with Plaschke.

http://tinyurl.com/28sw9f

http://tinyurl.com/2wjagf

(requires login unfortunately)

<sigh> I guess we're in for a repeat in '08

But isn't a hitter who works a count to 2-0, 3-1, 3-0 and then gets a hit a patient hitter? Sure, he might not get as many walks, but that's because he's getting hits in "hitter's counts".

On his way to Wyoming to visit with Grandma, Billy spotted a bowlegged cowboy. "Look at dat dare bowlegged cowboy. I ain't never seen nuttin like dat no how."

Grandma was shocked and made Billy read Shakespeare every day for a month. On the way home he saw a whole bunch of bowlegged cowboys. Says Billy, "Behold! What manner of men are these, who wear their legs in parentheses?"

Anyway, it's the most common return (in various forms) I'm getting.

I just googled an imagine of Ted Danson '86 style, to get a visual, thanks.

In New York, it's Yanks 2, Baltimore 1.

The AL East could get interesting in a hurry.

Nationals have melted down (or Mets have heated up for the night).

It's funny that $15 for Dodgers parking seems so high. It's $15 to park at RFK, where (i) there is easy metro, (ii) Only 2 million fans (or less) go per year, (iii) the team is and was expected to be awful, and (iv) there's plenty of street parking if you don't mind waling 15 minutes.

Jon Rauch succeeded on the fake to third throw to first a few weeks ago.

Nomars 1st pitch hitting has worn thin with all DT'ers (including my self) judging from the comments.

Brandon Fahey at the bat!

Apparently he used to be a Cub, at least per his gameday hat.

Pierre: .295/.33283/.358 (.691 OPS)
Furcal: .270/.33281/.355 (.687 OPS)

For comparison, "the incumbent":

Nomar: .281/.327/.370 (.697 OPS)

And the D's meltdown this week has to be attributed to horrible pitching, which is not a Dodger tradition. Now Lowe is often good late and in the postseason, but I really thank dog we don't go into the postseason led by Penny and Lowe.

The Dodgers broadcast seems like the only one that does not bring guests into the booth. That's a good thing.

Speaking of which, Charles Barkley should do Monday Night Football every week.

But I can't think of any non-owners in the Dodger booth this season.

Ok, no more basketball from me, at least for a while

More fish on the Griddle.

[145 ] <-- see, i didn't add that space after the 145.

Not that it was a close play, but he just made a great throw the get the third out of the top of the 8th in a tied game at the plate.

When Scully came out to L.A., he made it a rule that Hollywood types weren't going to come and sit in the booth with him while he tried to describe the game.

You have to know that Holliday is just a creation of Coors field, I've seen a bunch of guys look like him for a year or two.

http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Den/7761/book2poems.html (scroll to the bottom)

Here's hoping for another Pierre triple after the pitching change. But with the pitcher in front of him, I'm guessing it'll just be a double.

It's explained in a note in Rule 8.05
A pitcher is to step directly toward a base before throwing to that base but does not require him to throw (except to first base only) because he steps. It is possible, with runners on first and third, for the pitcher to step toward third and not throw, merely to bluff the runner back to third; then seeing the runner on first start for second, turn and step toward and throw to first base. This is legal. However, if, with runners on first and third, the pitcher, while in contact with the rubber, steps toward third and then immediately and in practically the same motion "wheels" and throws to first base, it is obviously an attempt to deceive the runner at first base, and in such a move it is practically impossible to step directly toward first base before the throw to first base, and such a move shall be called a balk. Of course, if the pitcher steps off the rubber and then makes such a move, it is not a balk.

Now 8-4, with two outs in the ninth.

Wily Mo Pena at the plate -- fastball hitter.

If that grounder is to the left or right, its a DP.

(OK - Dodgers tied.)

My head is going to explode.

There's only one September!

shh...

How come the asterisks don't work on the little trademarks & copyrights & such...

My bad they do.

https://dodgerthoughts.baseballtoaster.com/archives/716197.html

Sept. 19 is International Talk Like a Pirate Day.

http://www.talklikeapirate.com/

Feel free to drop anchor here 'n' stay awhile now.

The bartender says "Hey buddy, do you realize you have a steering wheel on your belt buckle?"

The Pirate replies, "Aye. It's driving me nuts."

I checked in at 99.5

I'm drawing an ice bath for myself right now. Maybe I'll get some of those rapid cooling blankets.

Or I guess I'll take some Advil.

It should be a lefty and I wouldn't mind Ethier here, but this is ok.

I'm sure some of Nomar's 245 PAs at 3-1 or 388 full count PAs were 3-0 at some point.

Aye matey!

Still, he's either hit the first pitch or gone 0-1 in 3335 PAs out of 5757 PAs for his career (57.9%). That would be a lot.

Ok, I'm goign to stop beating the dead horse

when you here stuff like that you can't help & think it's "there year" I doubt they'll anywhere with there pitching though.

Yes, he's not performed well this year and yes, either he should have been not signed at all or been sent to 3B earlier.

But, you just can't disparage his career, All-Star, Batting Titles, and one of the few players known by one name.

ps I just saw Broxton in the pen, so yeah, he's coming in.

Just something I found interesting in looking around the numbers.

At least it's not a guy with three last names.

260 Is this Broxton hurt stuff, just us talking or has something been actually disclosed?

& Grady Little too...

Bob Harvey is gonna really embarrass himself tonight....

Shiver me timbers.

Its a power slider, not a curve ball.

Well you know, pitchers do give up home runs.

Sheer physics.

Yule walk t' plank for this!

He's probably not, but you never know. It just seems like hitters are absolutely on every pitch he throws. Nobody is whiffing on the fastball or sitting dead read and looking silly on a slider. I mean, that was a 3-2 slider (obviously not a good one) and Hawpe was just waiting on it.

Am I missing anyone?

So you roll with the guy who brought you here. And unless you want to crush a 23 year old guy's confidence, you have to bring him in the game.

it's a ball that CURVES same thing IN MY BOOK, sorry I'm kind of mad...

Indeed.

We get blinded by their successes and forget that really this is a game of inches or even smaller and yes they can make a mistake.

I understand, but Broxton doesnt have a curveball. Its a completely different pitch, even though they might look similar. But, when they both hang, there isnt a prettier sight to a big leaguer.

No commentary necessary.

really good point BHSportsguy, but Grady has to realize that Broxton is a little OVER WORKED ALSO, you can't just put it all in that basket.

aaaarrggghh.

you know it's funny, I always call it a curve (to my catcher) when I throw it, I'm still gonna call it like that, but I'm a little embarrassed about it know.

v. RHP (353 ABs) -- .409 OBP, .569 SLG, .306 BA

I am processing people. Thank you for allowing me to process my woe.

Secondly, if I have to read one more idiot rant on about Matt Holliday being a "Coors Field Product" I'm going to throw up in my mouth. So let me get this straight: if the Rockies win a game with their offense, it's a fraud because of the altitude. If the Rockies win a pitching duel, it's a fraud because of the humidor.

Yeah and Ryan Howard would hit 55 home runs if he didn't play in that shrunken band box. And games at Chavez Ravine don't favor the pitcher in the slightest...

You know, you play where you play, end of story. And I desperately hope the Rockies fight their way into the postseason so that the media and other fans are forced to acknowledge their existence.