Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
Jon's other site:
Screen Jam
TV and more ...
1) using profanity or any euphemisms for profanity
2) personally attacking other commenters
3) baiting other commenters
4) arguing for the sake of arguing
5) discussing politics
6) using hyperbole when something less will suffice
7) using sarcasm in a way that can be misinterpreted negatively
8) making the same point over and over again
9) typing "no-hitter" or "perfect game" to describe either in progress
10) being annoyed by the existence of this list
11) commenting under the obvious influence
12) claiming your opinion isn't allowed when it's just being disagreed with
I originally titled this post "The Youth Movement Fights Back," but perhaps that isn't the best terminology. After all, those of us defending the kids aren't doing so simply because they're young, but because they happen to represent a great chance at building a winning team. It's more like, "Rationality Fights Back."
In any case, in the Times today, Grady Little takes the pro-youth platform ...
"We know the course we're on and we're going to stay the course," Little said of the Dodgers' commitment to youth. "The course they've been taking since they won a World Series here in 1988 is not working. This course we're on right now, we're going to try to make it work."
... while Ross Newhan graces us with this (forgive the unusually long excerpt):
Didn't the younger players basically try to carry the Dodgers down the stretch, such as it was?
Didn't the expensive older players, through injury, inconsistency or both, flame out to a large extent?
Isn't it a misnomer to even say the Dodgers operated with a full-fledged youth movement in 2007?
If this was a full-fledged youth movement, why wasn't James Loney -- who batted .380 in triple A last year and .414 in the spring and whose shoulders are now aching from toting the offensive burden in September -- up from the start rather than being recalled June 10?
If this was a full-fledged youth movement, why weren't Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier playing every day, why not endure Andy LaRoche's third base growing pains for the entire summer, and why sign Luis Gonzalez as a free agent or re-sign Nomar Garciaparra?
For a full-fledged youth movement, look to Arizona and the team that is about to win National League West, although that kind of first-year magic is rare.
Most full-fledged youth movements result in competitive capitulation for a year or longer.
With the Dodgers, who were legitimately alive in the division and wild-card races until mid-September, this was transitional integration -- and it might have led to October if some older players had stayed healthy or performed better. ...
The Dodgers obviously have bridges to rebuild, management issues, approaches and relationships (from the front office down) to re-examine and resolve, but make no mistake:
Although this is a difficult market in which to operate a development camp, the long wait for a nucleus of the current caliber to emerge from what had become a fallow farm system at times justified the 2007 route and demands caution if the club is now thinking it should break up that nucleus.
Trade 23-year-old Kemp and his 10 home runs, 10 stolen bases and .331 average in 94 games? Trade 23-year-old Loney and his 14 homers and 63 RBIs in only a half-season?
I say, bring on Tony Abreu, Delwyn Young, Clayton Kershaw, Chin-Lung Hu, that much more talent and attitude.
I say, forget this semi-youth movement and officially make it full-fledged.
Don't go to Boston for the springtime
Their payoll's on the high end they don't got lots of room
If you don't produce they kick you on the sidewalk
By a café where you'd probably be workin' soon
Don't go to Boston
I say "No", would you come home to me
And I said, hey A-Rod why don't you settle down
Boston ain't your kind of town
Their winter's cold and there ain't nobody like me
I'm the poster known on The Tubes as D4P
Don't go to Denver with the snowfall
On TV or in the newspaper you won't be found
Nobody cares bout the Rockies on the east coast
When they go to bed at night your game's just goin' down,
Don't go to Denver
I say "No", would you come home to me
And I said, hey A-Rod why don't you settle down
Denver ain't your kind of town
Their winter's cold and there ain't nobody like me
I'm the poster known on The Tubes as D4P
Now the rumor mill goes 'round and 'round
And I doubt that it's ever gonna stop
But of all the players we've lost or found
And all that we ain't got
We still need a batter
Not a broken ladder
Please come to LA to live forever
A dynasty alone is just too hard to build
You'll live in a house that looks out over the ocean
And there's some stars from Hollywood
Livin' up on the hill
Please come to LA
Don't say no, won't you come home to me
And I said, hey A-Rod why don't you settle down
LA's your kind of town
You'll get your money for nothin' and all your chicks for free
I'm the poster known on The Tubes as D4P
I'm the poster known on The Tubes as D4Peeeeee—eee-eeee
Obviously.
But if what Little is saying represents the Dodger direction, better late than never.
Most of the front page (67%) is devoted to an NHL preview; "Dodgers are not kidding about this" (Jon's first referenced article) is the main headline, and Plaschke's column (on Mitch Kupchak) is the other item on the front page, below the fold.
Nice
I was never a big fan of Newhan's when he was full time at the Times, as he wouldn't know an OPS if it hit him in the face, but luckily he understands the counting numbers. Great to see him go toe to toe with Bill on this.
Where I work, the title would have been "Return of the Veteran's"
--
So let's review the timeline of the last two days:
Plachke makes a push to Trade Kemp.
Josh Rawitch defends magmt from the standpoint that they won't suddenly trade Kemp
USS Mariner defends Kemp
True Blue LA defends Kemp
Molly Knight defends Kemp
Dave Stewart defends Kemp
San Gabriel Valley reporter (scanman) defends Kemp
Baseball-Prospectus Defends Kemp
Baseball-Reference Defends Kemp
Grady Little defends Kemp
Ross Newhan defends Kemp
I have a feeling nobody has stepped up to defend Plaschke.
--
Hey btw, GO KINGS GO! GO KINGS GO!
Thats odd.
Detailed collection of video clips and a run through the stats.
A-Rod= 4 million tickets
A-Rod= Best overall lineup in the West for the next 5 years (A-Rod, Kemp, Loney as 3-4-5 hitters)
A-Rod= Ability to trade LaRoche for the innings eater that we need
A-Rod= A Cajun Mancrush
Humma Kavula buys a Matt Kemp #27 T-Shirt. I speak with my dollars!
Derek Lowe is offending me more than anybody else. He keeps saying this needs to be cleared up before spring, yet he keeps talking about it.
(found at Your Daily Awesome)
Matt Kemp Memorial
Did I miss a headline?
Man, did Dwight really put whatsherface's cat in the freezer? That's some cold stuff.
One of the two had the Matt Kemp stats page sponsored by Enders, so maybe that doesn't quite count.
Only if I get to walk hand in hand with the brightest smile in Hollywood.
This seems like the perfect term to describe this season and its a term Frank and Ned should adopt. "This was a season of transitional integration. We had hoped it would go better but it was a necessary growing pain to bridge some of our home grown young stars to the major league level." We believe we achived this and next season all systems should be go for these kids. It should also allow use to use our payroll to acquire a player or two fo distinction this off season"
The silence from Frank and Ned on this issue is too loud.
http://quake.usgs.gov/recenteqs/Quakes/quakes0.html
2.7 centered in SM
It has not shown up here yet: http://www.kfwb.com/pages/7876.php
http://www.data.scec.org/recenteqs/Quakes/ci10282993.html
(Knocking on wood)
Since moving from Louisiana I have yet to feel anything more than what a good stiff wind would do to me if I were standing on a street corner.
My family always says that I am nuts for living out here while ignoring the fact that they just had a flood that basically destroyed the top metro center in the entire state and they have frequent tornadoes...but I'm nuts.
Interesting quote from Little. The 20-games part makes me cringe.
As a Dodger this season, Loaiza is 1-4 with an 8.34 ERA, compared to Schmidt's 1-4 with a 6.31. Loaiza lost his last four starts, reaching the fifth inning in none, while posting a 10.34 ERA and allowing eight homers in 15 2/3 innings.
Not good.
The Rockies are a good example of that," said Little. "At this point, it's paying off for them. L.A. may be a little different than Denver, Colorado. It's going to take some time."
So its "LA" that wont accept the youth movement.
Some people are really afraid of earthquakes.
I have been in a tornado...right in the path of the thing and can tell you that I would rather take my chances out here. I was also around for Hurricane Andrew about 12 years ago and would just as soon put up with the possibility of a big quake once every 10 years or so rather than having a SEASON EVERY YEAR where you are just waiting to see a hurricane come ashore.
58 - It's times like these that I really appreciate working in the middle of a cornfield.
Fact: Four people are affected every year by trade rumors focused on Matt Kemp
One of the deadliest earthquakes in recorded history in what is know the United States hit in Massachusetts in 1755.
Massachusetts is one of the few states with seismic codes that are comparable to California.
Sure enough, on the second day we were there, there were a few 3.6 - 4.0 earthquakes a few miles southeast of town. During the first one, they were surprised, and had no idea what was happening. I had to inform them that, yes, this is indeed an earthquake, and it would behoove them to move away from the windows. By the third one, they were almost giddy about the ground moving.
Owner Frank McCourt is "quite upset" with the Dodgers' performance down the stretch, according to a source close to the team. But while people in the front office are bracing for change, two Dodgers observers say they are fairly sure that GM Ned Colletti is "safe." However, Grady Little could still be in a little trouble, according to those people.
Nobody is predicting that Little will be fired yet, but if he is, Dusty Baker could be a candidate for the job. Baker, a longtime Dodgers player, managed the Giants when Colletti was in the front office there. Baker is also close to Jeff Kent, who has the ear of McCourt's wife, Jamie, the team's vice chairman and president, if the Dodgers do decide to make a change.
The Dodgers' clubhouse situation is dreadful, according to people close to the situation. The older players believe many of the top young prospects have shown them no respect. Some of those complaints have legitimacy. But one problem is a lack of strong veteran leadership since the defection of Greg Maddux to the rival Padres.
Little was known for running a cohesive clubhouse in Boston (that was supposed to be his strength), but he recently admitted that he was unable to bridge the generation gap that exists in the L.A. locker room, as Kent has recently aired the dirty clubhouse laundry in the Los Angeles papers.
I guess I could look up why Mass has earthquakes, but I'm not going to.
And can we wildly speculate? I'd like to.
Why would Dusty Baker have done any better with the difficult clubhouse situation than Grady Little?
The thing is, whatever Little's mistakes and dumb in game moves, and he had quite a few, this team could do a lot WORSE, too. The grass is always greener with managers, but it's usually deceptive. If they're gonna fire Grady and go with someone else, AND go with the youth movement like Little was suggesting, then they should hire a younger upstart guy - but obviously that wouldn't fly with Jeff Kent.
Better idea: Fire Jeff Kent, and Colletti. Keep Grady. Move on.
I wonder which part Derek has.
You don't need a tectonic plate for a fault to develop. New England doesn't have big faults, but they've got some. The area also has liquefaction areas.
Missouri and South Carolina have also had very destructive earthquakes.
Now, now.
We may as well ask Dr. Jobe to sharpen his scalpels for all the Tommy John surgeries that will erupt in Kershaw and Billingsley when they are on their 140th pitch in the 8th inning.
I never thought I would say this, but unless Girardi is on their radar screen, keep Little.
If any of these moves come to pass, including Dusty, the Dodgers are going to become a laughing stock.
T.J. Simers and Bill Plaschke?
There is an oxbow lake called False River in New Roads, Louisiana that was created when an 3 insanely big quakes (somewhere in the 8 range apparently) hit Missouri and reversed the flow of the Mississippi River for a short time.
Check it out here on the USGS website: http://tinyurl.com/cqgj
1. The rock is uplifting because of the removal of the last ice age's glaciars. (An old theory.)
2. The North American plate is crunching together due to it's collision with the Pacific plate. (Think beercan. Push on the ends and it ripples in the middle.)
3. Earthquakes in New England are all aftershocks of a much larger prehistoric quake. (A newer theory at the time the article was written.)
To be honest, I almost violated Rule 13 and I am one of it's biggest supporters.
I am really bummed out by the Dodgers these days, which is a shame.
A literally electric minotaur at that.
Why don't we cheer ourselves up by considering that Colletti's job is "probably" safe. That's a step down from "best hire I ever made."
Nobody is predicting that Little will be fired yet, but if he is, Dusty Baker could be a candidate for the job.
Nobody is predicting that George W. Bush and Dick Cheney will be impeach, but if they are, the Democrats might not win another election until the year 20,000.
Nobody is predicting that "Mr. Bean's Holiday" will be awarded Best Picture, but if it is, Rowan Atkinson might be declared Emperor of Hollywood.
I mean, really.
Anyway, I can't find said article from Jon Heyman... SI is very hard to navigate.
This will be news to Milton Bradley.
The Baker speculation is unattributed, so this is Heyman just applying a manu-rectal technique to create material.
But I don't know why,
Everybody wants to send me down,
To the Valley of Tears...
People stand in line,
Just to hear me cry,
I want to know the other side...
But everyone I choose,
Only brings bad news.
Everybody wants to send me down,
To the Valley of Tears.
That would make it Rule 13(a).
I'll be going to tonights game, plus I'll be rooting for the Rockies against Arizona.
Post 90 never happened.
But 66 contains the entire text on the Dodgers topic.
In 1755, a lot of the theories had to do with God's wrath for wickedness.
Or that an earthquake was preferable to a volcano.
Rule 13 is when you talk abo
++++++++NO CARRIER. SERVICE DISCONNECTED++++++++
Nobody is predicting that the Dodgers will make the playoffs in 2007, but if they do, it could damage the fabric of space-time and threaten the existence of life on earth.
92 "a manu-rectal technique" sounds like a rule 1 violation, or one of the lessons from a med school handbook.
How about this? Many churches in the smaller towns in Louisiana were saying that the Northridge quake was the result of the Porn capital of the world in Van Nuys being less than 2 miles away.
I nearly got slapped by my buddy's grandmother when I suggested that God needed to work on his aim a bit since he was off by a couple of miles.
But Chatsworth is the Porn Capital.
Van Nuys just has gentlemen's clubs and motels with hourly rates.
Which reminds me, I always wondered about religious wide receivers who point in thanks to God for their touchdown. Find myself hoping that God has a lot better things to do with his/her time than check in to the Titans/Browns game.
This "White House insider" worked for the maintenance staff. Really.
Besides, for Kent to have Jamie's ear, he'd have to speak. I'm guessing that even his rookie tirade was clipped and pasted out of Cycle World and hand-delivered to Simers.
It seems that judgment only happened to "those liberal _______ lovers (fill in the blank with anything other than white heterosexuals)" in CA and NY. When stuff happened to them, it was a "test of faith".
Ahhhh, the South. I still love visiting there, though. It is gradually getting better, what with the Internets and cable and all...
Again, this is just the small town I grew up in.
Stupid political rules {grumble...}
From Omicron Persei 8.
That's just a whole different flavor of crazy...
Gotcha...
I wonder if that lady is the "source close to the Dodgers" Heyman is talking to...
I think he was responsible for the earthquake and Hurricane Katrina, too.
Reptillian Shapeshifters from the Planet Gorlog.
At least that is what "sources close to the Dodgers" told me.
--
Cajun, I may be in Nawlins for a day or so at the end of October if you have any suggestions. .. (Been there a couple of times not that long ago.) And then making a road trip to Florida from there, which is a much scarier place imho.
I was sad to see that the longtime Dodger Stadium peanut vendor is retiring this year, after something like nearly 50 years of service. I've actually had that great peanut guy serve me bags of peanuts in my lifetime, probably a number of times.
He was pretty good at what he did, but I'm glad he had a good run.
Sorry, I was channeling Morbo for a moment.
Sources close to the Dodgers told me that these are the sorts of conversations that actually split the clubhouse into two factions.
"We want the one you call 'McCourt'. Give us McCourt or we will lay waste to your cities with our anti-monument laser! We demand McCourt!"
Plus, one of them moved a trash can one time.
See, Futurama Thoughts are much less likely to include a rule 5 violation, though they may scare off Xei.
Maybe some day there will be an episode featuring Matt Kemp's head floating in a jar.
It is amazing to me that men who seemed middle aged were selling me peanuts in the early 70's and are still doing so in 2007.
The changes these guys have seen in 50 years at DS would make for an interesting discussion.
Don't miss Mother's for breakfast, Johnny's Po Boys for lunch ( on Saint Louis St., get the shrimp Po Boy) or Commander's Palace for dinner (get reservations now).
The Le Pavillion is the coolest hotel in town and about 6 blocks off the Mississippi and Jackson Square (It's supposedly haunted, they serve free PB&J with homemade hot cocoa at night, and have some of the coolest decor East of Vegas).
It's in his locker, next to the motorcycle magazines.
Comment status: comments have been closed. Baseball Toaster is now out of business.