"Caught by the camera in a baseball history-making moment, Gill Dodges, the Brooklyn dodgers first base man, crosses the plate, to score his fourth home run in the same game against the Boston Braves. This last homer game in the eighth inning of the night game saw Dodges crack each of the circuit smashes off different pitchers. Only Loud Loud equaled this record in modern times in a nine inning game. In this photograph, Carl Loud, (6), who scored ahead of Dodges, moves out to congratulate Dodges. Bruce Edward's (10) is at the plate. Dodgers won with a thumping Edward's score."

Esteban Loaiza

And, heck, in 1962, too, with the muddy basepaths.

well, i think it's in large part because the giants happened to win and stanford happened to lose. it's only natural for the announcer of the winning team to react with such a mixture of excitement and disbelief to that type of victory.

Just a few baby pics for anyone to check out.

Humma how are things with your little one??

http://www.dailynews.com/dodgers/ci_7576145

2 day old article but it seems like the Dodgers have been on Kuroda for a while.

The Mariners have been widely reported to be Kuroda's preferred team because of the presence of countrymen Ichiro Suzuki and Kenji Johjima, who would be Kuroda's primary catcher in Seattle. But a source with knowledge of the situation said earlier this week that Kuroda actually prefers the Dodgers for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is his close, long-standing friendship with Saito.

Sammy with another (potential) save!

A source with knowledge of the Twins' position said Wednesday that the club is asking the Dodgers for a package of three or four players from a pool of six: pitchers Chad Billingsley and Jonathan Broxton, outfielders Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp, top pitching prospect Clayton Kershaw and third-base prospect Andy LaRoche. Whether the Twins would want three or four players depends on whom those players are.

Umm.../faints

I guess a lot depend if we could get Andruw or Cameron instead of Rowand.

Nate 14 which sets us back further...

The Marlins asked the Dodgers for a package that included first baseman James Loney, outfielder Matt Kemp and top pitching prospect Clayton Kershaw.

They wouldn't take that package, it'd be nice though.

Of course we'd all love to have Santana and/or Cabrera on our team, but the amount we'd have to give up in either deal would just create way too many holes to make up for it.

Any thoughts if this means they don't have confidence in LaRoche?.....Is Saito signed yet? and speaking of former Dodgers and Asia. I believe Nomo is no longer pitching, if he is not I don't understand why the Dodgers are not employing him in someway, assuming he would have an interest. A scout in Japan? Working in the front office on a pacific strategy? He was big in Japan and his early years with Nomomania were spectacular and when he came back although he struggled in the first half of 2004, he kept us in many games without his best stuff. He should be working for the Dodgers.

It seems to me that premium players almost always come cheaper (in terms of prospects) during the season as opposed to during the offseason. Teixeira was an exception, though.

Basically we have to just offer the absolute limit for both and say take it or leave it.

I don't want to hear about all this for the entire season.

Well, that's part of the problem. That means we'd have to deal for someone like a Scott Rolen or gulp, give it to Nomar.

Baseball America rated 3B as the deepest position in the Dodger farm system. Of course, that was based partly on LaRoche, but one of DeWitt, Josh Bell, or Pedro Baez is bound to pan out.

And there's the rub. Maybe a Nomar / Mike Lamb platoon?

I would give up a package centered around laRoche and Broxton, but losing Broxton does scare me due to Saito's age, and the fact that Brox has that extremely rare combonation of Power and control....

.334/.424/.596/1.021 '00

But it's also not out of the realm of possibility that Laroche puts up Eithier type numbers as well.

Whether it's right or wrong, Pierre's contract will mean his playing time will never be reduced.

The first step is always the hardest. The ice appears to already have been broken.

34- I think LaRoche will put up numbers better than Ethier...but we are talking about trading him for the best pitcher in baseball....

we are talking about trading him for the best pitcher in baseball...which would also mean paying him 20 mill a year, which would also mean putting him in a package with other players so we have more holes to fill.

as a hypothetical, I don't see how we're any better if we give up Bills, Loney, Laroche, Kemp for Santana. We're worse off.

But, in the article by Tony Jackson quoted above, the Twins asked for "3 or 4" of Kemp, Ethier, Billingsley, Broxton, Kershaw, & LaRoche.

Giving up Ethier, Broxton, Kershaw & LaRoche doesn't leave nearly as many holes.

3 or 4....i can't imagine in a billion years they would do a deal without including AT LEAST one of Kemp or Loney.

RF- Vlad, Rivera
CF- Hunter, Rivera, Figgins
LF-Rivera, Anderson, Figgins
DH- Anderson, Vlad, Rivera

Please tell me why because I see Loney as a star...

Depending on whether Wood or Kendrick are included (with Adenhart?) in a Tejada deal, Figgins will play either 3B or 2B. I can see that working.

I understand what you're saying. But I will personally take you out to dinner if we were able to get Santana without giving up Kemp or Loney.

it doesn't matter what players they want, no matter what combination you put together we still end up a weaker team.

We're supposed to be building, not blowing things up.

Okay, the point being that it doesn't matter what the report says: we're not getting Santana without giving up Kemp + Kershaw + probably Laroche.

That's just too much to give up. It creates even more holes for us. Then what do we do? Now we have the best pitcher in baseball signed to 20 mill a year which means we aren't about to sign anyone else. Do you really want an outfield with Repko and Pierre? Do you really want Nomar at third base all year?

There isn't any scenario where getting Santana makes us a better team unless they literally gave him to us, which ain't gonna happen.

But the Twins, after today's trade, need neither Kemp or Loney. Nor Martin, for that matter. Any trade would probably have to revolve around LaRoche and pitching. Billingsley or Kershaw, or, more likely, both.

They could still absolutely use Kemp. Look at their lineup.

Not to mention, you still haven't told me how any trade makes us better considering what we're giving up and the financial strain having Santana puts on the team.

Heck, if you're gonna do that, make a 20 times better deal and get Dan Haren. You give up less, get one of the best in the game who's still under control for what, like 3 yearS?

The Twins arn't going to get fair value for the same reason they are willing to trade him.

I still think Dewitt will prove to be better than LaRoche.

Meanwhile, Jason Tyner is their centerfielder. There's nothing wrong with carrying a pure defensive centerfielder, but when you already have another guaranteed dead spot in Punto, and quite possibly two more in Casilla and Young, they need another bat. Sure, Kemp isn't the best centerfielder in the world, but that lineup has Cuddyer and Kubel as the third and fourth best hitters. They need a stick badly.

Has there been an indication that the planned move has been discussed with Pierre? ISTM that The Great Communicator has gone public with quite a few changes before discussing them with the players affected. I wouldn't be surprised if Pierre is still in the dark, or that he learned of his potential position switch the same way we did.

At first I read that as "They need a stick, baby." I thought you had come up with the catch phrase that was going to make you famous. Oh well.

"While Dodgers talk, Angels get deals done"

http://www.dailynews.com/ci_7585708

http://tinyurl.com/2gzpqe

http://tinyurl.com/2nl7uu

It's odd, but you know, the Angels still have some young talent, so the scenario is slightly different here. On the other hand, if they were just going to sign Hunter for almost 20 mil/yr, what would have stopped them from going the extra mile and pushing harder for A-Rod instead?

Just wondering.

Apparently, all three of them were in Champaign, IL (where I live) and hanging out at Kam's last night. Kam's is a regular college bar (but usually just frosh/sophs go there), but the people that went out last night and saw them said they were really nice guys. They took pictures with anyone that asked, and Oswalt was turning down the girls coming up to him since he was married.

Oswalt owns land in Champaign County, and they were all in town to hunt deer. The 2nd Illinois shot gun season just started this weekend

Pretty cool to see 3 CY Young Canidates just hanging out. I'll try to link some pictures if any one took any.

There's a link to an article about the players visits. One of the reports from the U of I's student newspaper was there and took some pictures.

When he comes up, it needs to be for good.

Loaiza
Kuo
McDonald
Stulton
Orenduff

This can change depending on how the year goes, but unless Kershaw is utterly destroying AA, I can't see him getting the call until all those guys go down.

I'd do it too! Who wouldn't want to live in San Diego?

It is nice to see some home town loyalty. I can't imagine him pitching for anyone else. He is just like Pujols...I want to hate the guy, but he is an awesome player and seems like a great person. It is much easier for me to dislike Manny.

The following pitchers all pitched significant innings at age 20 since 1947. Other then Bonderman most of them were either quite a bit better then league average or at least league average.
http://www.bb-ref.com/pi/shareit/YY4j
Dierker
Nolan
Blyleven
Gooden
Morehead
McCool
Holtzman
Hunter
Palmer
Moose
Gullett
Forster
Tanana
Eckersley
Valenzuela
Correa
Ankiel
Sabathia
Bonderman
Greinke
Hernandez

I had a scout tell me he had the best stuff he's seen in the minors since Rick Ankiel. Ankiel's 20 year old season was kinda good. Do you waste that in AA in August?