I was wondering, where's Jon and then I remembered. Glad you had a nice time.

He also wants input on player personnel moves, which could lead to the free-agent pursuit of Alex Rodriguez.

Scariest part of the article about Little and Torre. This cannot be good.

He wrapped up with a truly energized, guitar-driven burst of "Dancing in the Dark" - maybe the best the song ever sounded

Rule 6 just exploded and killed a small village.

3 Don't tell Courtney Cox, she'll Scream.

I stayed in but if I'd gone out I would've seen Neil Young. I am not now nor have I ever been the sort to ride the mansions of glory on suicide machines, if any such people actually exist, and when I went to the Staples Center show I realized that I really wasn't interested in entertaining the fantasy anymore.

4 I see what you did there.

I just hope Torre is not running on empty.
People need some reason to believe.

2. Do you think if Torre had input on personnel moves that Juan Pierre would be on our team....I think not!!! No manager in their right mind would want him as your starting CF on their team. I am not overly scared of that being a problem since Torre has won with lesser talent but had great defense and/or make-up to make up for it. Guys IMO like Paul O'Neill, Tino Martinez, Shane Spencer, Ricky Ledee, Darryl Strawberry and others that during their tenure in NY were by no means superstars.

Hate to be a wet blanket here, but am I the only person who can't stand Springsteen? It could be from growing up in the "Born In The USA" era.
vr, Xei

I wasn't aware of "rock" music until the "Tunnel of Love" era, which seems less dated to me than the "Born in the USA" era.

2 i think any rumors of torre's presence in LA making the dodgers more appealing to rodriguez might be a boras ploy. i've read that rodriguez never really got over batting 8th in the playoffs in '06. this might be true, or maybe not, but i just wanted to offer some consolation.

maybe he does love torre, maybe he despises him. in the end, i have a feeling that rodriguez will follow the loot.

Some thoughts about TMYLM:

1. The latest episode was crazy. I was uneasy for the entire episode.

2. I had been wondering how they would work Hugo back into the show, given that the "Hugo crawling back to Jamie," "Jamie crawling back to Hugo," and "Hugo attending therapy with Jamie" storylines seem played out. During this wondering process, it occurred to me: Hugo is the only main character (other than Arthur) to not have any screen time or storyline of his own. We never see Hugo without Jamie, and we see nothing of Hugo's life other than when it intersects with Jamie's. I think there was one scene with Hugo in the classroom, but other than that, we never see him unless he's with Jamie. Why is that? All of the other characters are shown without their partner, but not Hugo.

3. Boy, is Mason annoying.

4. Jeff is apparently around for comic relief.

Comparing Springsteen to Scully is an insult to Scully. There are lots of people who hate Springsteen, myself included, but I dont know anyone who hates Scully.

I give credit to the Dodgers. Torre is the right hire if they bring him in and they are making moves to bring the team into the national spotlight where it belongs. Signing ARod is a real possibility and it would be a great move.

Dodger fans should be excited.

I understand the beef with Juan Pierre, but I think the assault on his position in the Dodger lineup has gone entirely overboard on this forum.

Let us all remember that despite his poor OBP, the guy stole 64 bases (at an 80% clip for the first time in his career) and had 196 hits.

I'm just saying we could do a lot worse than Juan Pierre. He's not THE reason we finished in 4th place and out of the playoffs.

I bet Sylvester Stallone at least strongly dislikes Scully.

Not a big fan of Springsteen either, but I think Jon's point is that his days, like Scully's are quite clearly numbered, and when they leave there will be no one than can come in and do what they did. I know exactly the feeling because I get it everytime I hear Vin calling the games. Sort of Deja Nostalgia.

14

I disagree vehemently. See Baseball Prospectus' take, which I have to say is pretty strong on the matter. Pierre took away VORP and Money at the same time. Maybe his steals are worth something, but not the money and not the horrible lack of defense he brings. If he was not THE major reason, he was at least one of the biggest parts, perhaps only equaled by the injury to Schmidt.

... and if Torre somehow gets Pierre to become the 4th (or 5th) outfielder that he is, then the whole Little situation will be more palatable for me. I like Torre, but as Jon indicated I don't see how Pierre was Little's fault.

Jon, Great post. I think this just reminds us to really live in the moment and to apprecite what is actually happening as opposed to waiting for another championship. I remember passing on opportunities to see Ray Charles, James Brown and Porter Waggoner and now those shows are impossible to see. I miss Chick Hearn but I vividly remember the excitement he brought to those championship years when all seemed perfect. Luckily we have Vin Scully and we have the Boss with us now. While their primes are past, there is no denying that if you like what they do, they still can bring it. I personally feel that Bruce was beyond amazing during the last election but I bet that is part of why some people do not like him.

Here's to Vin Scully retiring to the longest sustained standing ovation in Dodger history. He deserves it. For what he brought to our Glory Days and for making the time since 1988 bareable....

14. Hate to pile on and beat a dead horse, but #16 is correct. Just like to add to #16 the five year contract and the ex-managers insistence on playing him every day and batting him at the top of the lineup. Stolen bases have a nuetral (none) correlation with runs scored, OPS has one of the highest. Pierre would make a nice pinch runner. He does get alot of hits (singles), but also makes a ton of outs.
vr, Xei

I'm with 16 . Pierre very much was a big part of why our team finished in fourth. Not the sole reason, of course, but he deserves a strong argument for the #1 position on the blame list.

I'm playing catch-up with the news from late yesterday, and this whole "mutual resignation" story strikes me much as the Star Wars prequels: We all know what's happened (and going to happen next), and the backstory they crafted after the fact is full of holes and really kind of insulting to fans.

In closing, the next time I hear Ned Colletti make remarks about the character of someone else -- J.D. Drew, Cesar Izturis, Nell Carter, Scott Boras, whomever (that's a made up word, by the way) -- my head will explode. The man is a worm.

Lot of powerful thoughts packed in to this short post. Compelling stuff.

On the retraction below, I haven't followed the twists and turns closely at all (whole situation kind of bums me out to be honest), but I did hear Jayson Stark this morning say that the version of Grady Little's departure presented by the team yesterday is completely at odds from what he has heard from several people close to Little. Now, Stark didn't identify those people, or say what he thinks really happened, but he is a reliable reporter.

I'd also like to repeat my question from last night, what is a team looking for in a major when they first offer the job to Joe Girardi and then offer it to Joe Torre?

I mean, another reasonably competent ballclub just fired Torre to get Girardi.

The only thing that I can think of is "pressworthiness."

I don't see how Pierre was Little's fault

Portion of Pierre that was Ned's fault > Portion of Pierre that was Grittle's fault > Zero

Comment 3 is a rule 6 violation, since "maybe the best" hardly qualifies as excessive hyperbole.

Actual fans of the Dodgers who judge Springsteen on his more recent work (I'm not saying that's everyone, but that's clearly some of you) qualifies as irony. You actually have the ability to go back in time and experience his championship years. With the Dodgers, you don't.

20, et al, just to clarify, just imagine Pierre was not signed and they got anybody else (for symmetry let's just say the Dodgers paid a nice hefty sum to Kenny Lofton for one year). At our most charitable we can say that Lofton was only slightly better than Pierre. However, when Schmidt goes down for good (along with Wolf) you should have some money around to get a better pitcher. AND you'd be in a better position this year when outfielders will be more numerous.

20 aren't all words made up, really?

I can not confirm this, but these guys at Ducksnorts are saying Mike Cameron has a 25 game suspension coming for illegal substances. anybody seen anything to confirm this?

12 - Mason is poison. Jeff is indeed comic relief. But Hugo simply isn't a main character (nor is Arthur). They're recurring, but I wouldn't expect them to get the same examination as the others.

The primary suspect is holding the murder weapon claiming that despite how it looks it was a suicide. "No really officer, he jumped onto the knife I was holding." The guy with "motive" is 3000 miles away. The erratic owner is hiding behind the walls of his mansion. They are all pedaling the same story which doesn't add up.

One of the clues I am looking for is disclosure of the victims buyout. If he received full value for his remaining years, that is a sign it was a murder for hire. Get the annoying Ameritrade guy on the phone. If he receives less, it would give some credence to the suicide theory. After all, the guy in the mansion is not known for paying guys who jump out windows.

Where have you gone Lenny Brisco?

More HBO tv shows talk? I can't bring myself to pay extra money to watch tv... what can I say?

---

Believe it or not, I am having a lot of fun with the Dodger offseason so far. Am I wrong to feel this way? I know it's not exactly their best work (they being the Owner/GM) but it's certainly giving me something to talk about.

--

Jon I'm glad you had a chance to see "The Boss" last night. I was surprised at the venue: the LA Sports Arena! I thought it was demolished.

More HBO tv shows talk? I can't bring myself to pay extra money to watch tv... what can I say?

Some people don't pay to watch HBO shows.

You do the math.

24 - My "Through the Eyes of a Champion" VHS tape begs to differ. 1988 is always just a quick rewind away.

31

HBO shows is one thing, but I'd make an exception to watch the "Bout to Knock the Other Guy Out!"

Alston and Lasorda each managing the Dodgers for 20+ years has me looking for the next 20+ year Manager and Torre isn't that guy. Maybe Giradi might have been and maybe Mattingly could be.

Maybe Torre will be the GM and Mattingly the Manager.

Will Loney benefit from Mattingly being on the Dodger bench? Will Mattingly bleed Dodger Blue if Mattingly Jr. plays for the Dodgers?

Just trade Kent already.

After a series of staggering defeats, the Los Angeles Dodgers assembled in Vero Beach in early 2008 for a session with famed manager Joe Torre. And, luckily for us, the cameras were rolling.

Joe Torre: Alright, guys, I think we're ready to play this game. By the way, my name is Joe Torre. Yes, the Joe Torre. And I gotta tell you: fellas.. you have got what appears to be a dynamite game!

James Loney: Coming from you, Joe, that means a lot.

Russell Martin: Yeah. I mean, you're Joe Torre!

Andre Ethier: It's incredible!

Matt Kemp: I can't believe Joe Torre digs how we play!

Torre: Easy, guys.. I put my pants on just like the rest of you - one leg at a time. Except, once my pants are on, I win championships. [ the team laughs ] Alright, here we go.

[ the team begins to play. Jeff Kent plays second base, Derek Lowe jams his sinker, and Matt Kemps bangs on the baseball. ]

Kent: [ distracted by Kemp banging the baseball ] Okay! Wait! Wait! [ the game stops ] Joe, could you come out here for a minute, please?

Joe Torre: [ stepping out of the dugout] That was gonna be a great game. Guys, what's the deal?

Lowe: Are you sure that was okay?

Joe Torre: I'll be honest.. fellas, it was sounding great. But.. I could've used a little more Matt Kemp. So.. let's take it again.. and, Matt?

Kemp: Yeah?

Torre: Really explore the gaps this time. I mean, really.. explore the gaps. I like what I'm seeing.

[ the team starts again, as Kemp bangs more wildly onto the baseball while dancing flamboyantly. In the booth, Torre is smiling to keep from laughing. Before the session is interrupted, Kemp misses the baseball.]

Kent: Okay, wait! Stop! I'm sorry. Joe, could you come back out here, please?

Joe Torre: [ stepping out of the dugout ] Fellas.. now, we just wasted two good innings! That last one was even better than the first!

Kent: Well, it's just that I find Matt Kemp distracting! If I'm the only one, I'll shut up.

Derek Lowe: It was pretty rough..

Matt Kemp: You know, I could pull back a little. If you'd like.

Joe Torre: Not too much, though! Fellas, I'm telling you - you're gonna want those extra base hits!

Matt Kemp: You know what? It's fine. Let's just do this thing.

[ the Dodgers starts the game once more, with Kemp banging the baseball right next to Kent's ear until Kent pushes him, causing Luis Gonzalez to fall ]

Kent: [ stopping the song again, fighting Kemp ] Come on, people!

Joe Torre: [ running out of the dugout again ] That.. that doesn't work for me. I gotta have more extra base hits!

Nomar: [ grabs Kemp's shirt ] Don't blow this for us, Matt!

Juan Pierre: Yeah, quit being so selfish, Matt!

Matt Kemp: Can I just say one thing?

Joe Torre: Say it, baby. Say it.

Matt Kemp: I'm standing here, staring at Joe Torre!

Joe Torre: The cock of the walk, baby!

Matt Kemp: And if Joe Torre wants more extra-base hits, we should probably give him more extra base hits!

Joe Torre: Say it, baby!

Matt Kemp: And, Juan you are right - I am being selfish. But the last time I checked, we don't have a whole lot of games that feature the extra base hit.

Bruce Dickinson: I gotta have more doubles, baby!

Matt Kemp: ..and I'll be doing myself a disservice -- and every member in this team, if I don't perform the hell out of this.

Joe Torre: Guess what? I got a fever! And the only prescription.. is more extra base hits!

Matt Kemp: Thanks, Joe. But I think, maybe if I just leave.. and, maybe I'll come back later, as a pinch-hitter...[ starts to leave the field ]

Joe Torre: Aw, baby..

Kent: Matt, wait! Why don't you lay down those extra base hits right now. With us. Together.

[ everyone agrees ]

Matt Kemp: Do you mean that, Jeff?

Derek Lowe: He speaks for all of us.

Matt Kemp: Thank you.

Joe Torre: Babies.. before we're done here.. y'all be wearing gold-plated diapers.

Brad Penny: [ confused ] What does that mean?

Joe Torre: Never question Joe Torre! Play ball! [ exits back to dugout ]

Kent: 1, 2, 3, 4.

[ the Dodgers start up again, this time Kemp is hitting home runs in tune with the team. Close-up on Kemp as he swings the bat to freeze-frame with graphic: "Matt Kemp: First Member of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays Inducted into Hall of Fame, 2035." ]

32 - Only if you convert VHS to DVD

Some people don't pay to watch HBO shows

To clarify, I meant "Some people watch HBO shows without paying"

I smell a wumpus.

35 Nice

37
You can only sucker us once. Luckily most of us are not Ned's offspring.

30
The Sports Arena is alive and well. It's almost used exclusively for concerts.

There is a new theater for music downtown called the Nokia Theater which is next to Staples Center.

Staples is an acoustical nightmare. And the Lakers were playing last night.

I could've gone to last night's Springsteen show after all. A ticket fell in my lap, but I really couldn't use it (work, family obligations). Then when I read that I missed him doing "Kitty's Back," I regretted my decision.

But your post made me feel better about it. I would've certainly enjoyed hearing him play it again after all these years. He dropped it from his repetoire in the late 70s at least from the shows I've seen. It was the highlight of my first time seeing him, with his old keyboard player David Sancious just going nuts. Could he have topped that? No. It would have been very cool to relive the memory; cool but not essential.

I bet Sylvester Stallone at least strongly dislikes Scully.

is there any history there or something I/we don't know about.

35 Comedy. Tragedy. Brilliant.

Colletti was asked, on the conference call, if he was going to be giving Grittle a filthy sack of hush money. He said that was between Little and the Dodgers organization. Part of DePo's get-lost deal was that he not talk about it; I suspect the same will be true this time, too. And that they learned their lesson about letting people know that the agreement included a no-snitching squared clause.

43 - Scully was set to play the role of Clubber Lang in Rocky III, but he backed out at the last moment. They were forced to cast Mr. T in the role instead.

(Seriously: Scully sued Stallone over some drainage issues. The two are/were neighbors, I believe.)

43- Scully sued Sly for wrecking his retaining wall with a defective drainage system.

How come no one has ever offered me a filthy sack of money to hush...?

Arod has to be coming to the Dodgers. Otherwise, all this Torre celebration ends in a loud thud. Cue the trumpets, here comes Joe Torre- -the prelude to Arod. Wait no Arod? Arod signed elsewhere? How did that happen? Kill the trumpets, turn off the microphones, everyone go home. Great we have a manager but Frank/Ned didn't deliver the real prize. Without Arod this will be perceived as a Dodger failure. Its not that we had to sign Arod this off season but management has embarked on a path that has created an expectation that has to be fulfilled. Anything less will be a disappointment obviating any benefit realized by signing Torre. Was this the plan all along or have Ned and Frank painted their porch?

It's a beautiful day for a lawsuit.
For a lawsuit today.
If you and I are out of dollars and cents.
Honey, we can always get an out of court settlement.

46 ,48

Oh, yeah, I remember now it was in the news.

9 - Looks like it's just you and me XF!

35 = awesome. Although Wade Boggs would like to know what you mean by "first"... ;)

48- I'll pass around a sack at the next DT outing. Once it's full, I'll happily filthify it before sending it to you.

49 I don't think the Dodgers or Torre are promising anything with respect to A-Rod. All this move signals is that they'll probably make a run at him, which I think would've happened anyway. The Dodgers still have to contend with a lot of issues, including:

-Money. If there's another Tom Hicks out there, what's Ned supposed to do? Outbid insanity?

-Location. A-Rod's played this close to the vest, but I still get the feeling that he'd rather be on the east coast, as close to Florida as possible if not in Florida. The Marlin scenario outlined by someone here doesn't seem outrageously far-fetched, although it is outrageous.

-Torre, boon or hindrance. Again b/c A-Rod is not a big heart-on-the-sleeve guy, we really don't know if he loves or despises Joe Torre. Is he over the lineup insult of the 2006 postseason? The eager jumping off the Yankee ship could mean he has harbored resentment against the Yankees for all this time. Or it could mean he wanted to be free to follow Torre wherever he might wander. We just don't know.

Boras-Have Boras and Colletti reached a detente? If A-Rod got two equal offers, don't you think Boras would steer him toward the other one and not ours? We don't really know, do we?

In running through the (short list of) reasons for why I'm happy Torre with on the Dodgers, getting A-Rod won't be on the list til it happens. I'm not counting on it at all, and I'll be fine if it doesn't happen, as long as A-rod doesn't wind up on the Giants.

Have Boras and Colletti reached a detente?

I would prefer rapprochement.

Well Jon, I have to say, I love your blogging recently. Nice and frustrated. Rest of the world can sit around and put a positive spin on everything. 2007 Dodgers were an S-storm and the higher-ups don't get a pass.

I for one recount this to anyone who'll listen (especially my kids, who are forced to listen, on a daily basis)--it's therapy.

About the only thing that can be said for 37 is that it does not depend on Schmidt, Loaiza, or Wolf ever pitching effectively again.

My company recently started a blog to allow employees to attack through online collaboration. They came to me asking how I would moderate comments. I showed them the DT Rules and they immediately adopted 9 of the 12 and are using them on our blog when we roll it out next month.

Just another Weisman contribution to the betterment of humanity.

58
attack problems that is...we are not Blackwater.

"to allow employees to attack through online collaboration"

That's the funniest thing I've read in ages!

I'm just finally listening to this conference call. I NEVER thought I would say this, but God bless Simers. I believe that was him asking all the questions that I was thinking. I don't think we will ever really know what happened here.

58 - I also read that the first time as "they immediately adopted rules 9 and 12," which was also good for a laugh.

54. Ratt, I agree with most of everything in your post but every article and every talk radio show are putting Torre and Arod together thereby creating an expectation. If it doesn't happen those same media outlets will blame the Dodgers, turning this positive into a negative.

As you correctly point out, the best "out" for Frank & Co. is if some team goes crazy and offers a stupid amount of money.

This tree next to us is being cut down today:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/42219846@N00/

It's very big, and must be very old.

54 - "-Money... [W]hat's Ned supposed to do? Outbid insanity?"

He did just that last year, outbidding the Giants' insanity for you-know-who. If he's gonna grossly overpay, I'd rather it be for A-Rod than for J-Pee.

I won't even be surprised if the Dodgers don't get Torre.

55 When Warren Zevon was told his presence on a TV show would lend it "cachet," he asked, "Cachet--Isn't that like panache, but sitting down?"

I suppose rapprochement is like detente, but sitting down.

Too bad Josh Rawitch is on vacation.
Would have been interesting hearing his explanation of this week's events...

You guys ever heard Springsteen's "Seeger Sessions." That is a great album.

Regarding Pierre not being Little's fault . . .
correct. Playing him 162 times, his fault.

Reports say A Jones may land here. I don't want him here. Many think he just had an off year, offensively anyway. Check the defensive report. Fielding percentage is solid, but his putouts have been lower since '02. This is a player on the the decline, not just a guy coming from an off year. Not worth 20 mill. Not worth 15 mill. Not worth blocking a youngin'.

65 Very, very true.

But Pierre's entire salary will be like a rounding error in A-Rod's deal.

Seems like it's happening:

http://www.nypost.com/seven/10312007/sports/yankees/joe_goes_hollywood.htm

It's hard to see why so many are already playing down this move, as if they don't want to set themselves up to be let down once again.

If you look at the Dodger team now, it's pretty similar to NYY back in '95 when Torre took over from Showalter...lots of young guys (Jeter, Posada, Bernie, Pettite, etc.) who blossomed under Torre's steady hand. Things will be well in Chavez Ravine, relax.

And once the Dodgers do make the playoffs (w/ a pitching staff far superior to this past season's Yankees), don't forget..in the 1/8 chance that is the post-season crapshoot, Torre's got a 33% WS hit rate..not too shabby for a guy who supposedly doesn't know how to manage his bullpen.

I didn't have a lot of respect for Ned before, but I always felt like I gave him the benefit of the doubt. Now, I just don't know. Why does he have to be such a politician? Why can't he just be forthcoming with information?

58 If anyone posting on your company's blog ever types "no-hitter" to describe a no-hitter in progress, I am going to be very upset.

Tell them that the proper term is "interesting." A perfect game in progress is "very interesting." Whether you say this like Arte Johnson is up to you.

If Torre comes here, then he probably brings Mattingly with him. Then in 3 years when he retires, Mattingly becomes the manager. Whether this is good or not, I do not know.

If we also get A-Rod, that at least gives us the power hitter we've been lacking. With Kemp and Loney, that's a pretty good middle-of-the-order.

soo batting coach and pitching coach? They will be....?

73 and GM's from other teams, or anyone running other types of organizations are completely forthcoming and open and honest...when???