The Rose Bowl draws nigh.

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Sandy Koufax is going to turn 72????

Sounds like Robert Landry is an avid Dodger Thoughts reader.

Any sign of you know who...?

Career innings pitched 2,324

1963 25-5, ip 311, era 1.88, so 306, bb 58

1964 19-5, ip 223, era 1.74, so 223, bb 53

1965 26-8, ip 335, era 2.04, so 382, bb 71

1966 27-9, ip 323, era 1.73, so 317, bb 77

Happy Birthday Mr. Kofax!

new post, let the commenting commence!

anyone for music? what's all the fuss over Vampire Weekend?

If we are going to spill the beans on prospects...I had a couple buddies who this past AFL season, set up shop in Phoenix for the AFL and did the whole scouting and prospecting thing. They went to games, talked to scouts, hung out with the players etc.

Well, my buddy had a friend that deals and he said Maybin was a regular customer during his AFL stay.

The latest hyped-up album that I don't understand was Les Savy Fav. Just sounds like a regular old rock record to me.

Sorry in advance for my ignorance on tinyurl, but everyone read this yet?

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7595262

It's been a topic of discussion (I work in the OC, so I was glad to see us above the AAA-Angels).

I'm sure Dayne Perry is a good writer & all but when he wrote that stuff about J.D. Drew I kind of lost some respect for him. I do like some other stuff he's written though.

It depends partly on Maybin's "tastes," but that's potentially huge news, with regards to health issues and the like; do big league teams have an inkling of his extracurricular activities?

WWSH

I didn't realize that, Bob. I actually have a vague memory of when Paul LoDuca was Union rep, and some fracas surrounding his statements that newly instituted steroid testing would also cover things like marijuana, when in fact that wasn't the case. Of course, I may have mis-remembered, or the more recent testing regimen changed that.

Of course, there are ways of evading testing for anyone determined or savvy enough to do so.

WWSH

"just" pot.

Looks like Prior is a serious underdog in '08

PEDs don't require "reasonable cause."

Giants are desperate for position prospects, particularly infielders, and probably would want an arm as part of a Lincecum move.

Lincecum, I think, is someone the Giants will move.

Not sure if this would be a good deal for the Dodgers, but it'd be pretty cool to have Billingsley-Kershaw-Lincecum in the same rotation. I also think Lincecum could be a very good closer.

If we didn't have such a huge offensive hole at 3b that would be a deal I would strongly consider.

Just having fun. Would love to hear what Ned and Sabean would say. Maybe I'm crazy, but I think the Giants would find it attractive. Hu could fill at 2B and then replace Vizquel. LaRoche fills a hole, hopefully, for 5-7 years (and it sounds like Villalona will end up at 1B). Elbert needs to throw more strikes -- couldn't hurt going to a pitchers park.

The BR comps for Lincecum aren't exciting. They're sobering. But two of them are Blass and Drabek -- darn good pitchers. The Lincecum evaluation would be difficult. Will he throw enough strikes? Will he hold up? His wipeout rates in the minors are pretty special, and that's a damn good rookie season at age 23.

From B-R:

Start with a thousand and then subtract the following deductions.

* One point for each difference of 1 win.
* One point for each difference of 2 losses.
* One point for each difference of .002 in winning percentage (max 100 points).
* One point for each difference of .02 in ERA (max 100 points).
* One point for each difference of 10 games pitched.
* One point for each difference of 20 starts.
* One point for each difference of 20 complete games.
* One point for each difference of 50 innings pitched.
* One point for each difference of 50 hits allowed.
* One point for each difference of 30 strikeouts.
* One point for each difference of 10 walks.
* One point for each difference of 5 shutouts.
* One point for each difference of 3 saves.

If they throw with a different hand and are starters subtract 10, relievers 25. For relievers you half the winning percentage penalty and the winning percentage penalty can up to 1.5 times the wins and losses penalty. Relievers are defined as more relief appearances than starts and less than 4.00 innings per appearance.

1. Chuck Estrada (981)
2. Frank Pastore (978)
3. Andy Benes (978)
4. Mark Buehrle (977)
5. Wayne Simpson (977)
6. Mike Nagy (975)
7. Bob Brown (974)
8. Dizzy Dean (973) *
9. Kerry Wood (972)
10. Bruce Kison (971)

On the other hand this could also mean that Billingsley could look forward to a career in religious radio ministry like Pastore.

I remember thinking, "No, that can't be possible..."

http://tinyurl.com/2zuxjo

on kershaw
Watson is equally effusive, saying, "This kid is mature well beyond his years. He features a well-above-average fastball that's anywhere from 92-98 on a given night. The curveball is something we're trying to tighten up, and we're also trying to improve the command of his changeup and get him to use it a little more frequently. He's got a power arm with some feel to pitch, and he's a great competitor."

Watson on McDizzle

"He's got a four-pitch mix with a really good ability to command all four," Watson says. "He's anywhere from 88-93 (mph). He's got a get-me-over curveball, a swing-and-miss curveball and a good changeup."

I think that was Schmidt...

Good point about the hole at 3B as an effect of my whimsical trade for Lincicum. Third base is a pretty strong position within the farm system. DeWitt has a chance to be decent. Baez and Bell are pretty exciting for their respective levels.

This is the kind of trade that probably would be more likely to happen in spring training. If I'm the Dodgers, I'd like to watch how Lincecum throws this spring. He had a pretty rigorous first full professional season. And if I'm the Giants, I'd like to see a bit more of LaRoche and see how Elbert is coming off surgery.

If this thing ever got going, Ned would be smart to see if he could cheaply obtain Rolen, provided he's showing that he's back to driving the ball and the shoulder checks out. Rolen reportedly can veto a trade to many places but would welcome a move to the Dodgers. After LaRussa's remarks, it's hard to imagine the Cardinals will keep Rolen. Who knows, maybe Ned could get Rolen very cheaply, for, say, DeWitt -- a bit like how the Padres bought low on Edmonds.

Certainly there would be risk in getting Lincecum. The scouts and other evaluators would be put to the test. Will he hold up physically? Will he throw enough strikes?

Still, it would be pretty exciting to project him as the No. 5 starter, behind Lowe-Penny-Billingsley-Kuroda (I consider Schmidt a virtual sunk cost; at the least, he'd benefit from a minor-league rehabiliation series of outings).

As a No. 5, Lincecum would probably give the Dodgers an advantage most of the time, and from that spot, you could soften his workload, send him into the ASB with maybe 70 innings. I think it would benefit his development.

Hard to think anyone else, save the Red Sox, would have more youthful starting pitching with upside as the Dodgers would have with Penny-Billingsley-Lincecum-Kershaw. And as the Red Sox showed, good pitching makes it easier to maximize the good pitching that you have. Beckett was a lot fresher than Sabathia entering October, and I think it showed.

Tiny bonus: It'd be easier to allow Lowe to walk next offseason and get two draft picks for him, or to deal him in July, though I doubt it would come to that.

For some reason, that reminded me of Buzzie Bavasi's infamous comment that he could replace Nolan Ryan with "two 8-7 guys".

In his last ten games, once he began starting consecutive games in Sept., LaRoche hit .278/.333/.389, which is only slightly more than Nomaresque (2007: .283/.328/.371), but one is - one hopes - still improving and learning to play in the majors, and the other is a season and one half into serious decline. I still don't get how some people think that 115 MLB PAs is enough to seriously sway Dodger brass's opinion on a prospect. Furthermore, the Betemit/Proctor trade was made despite Abreu's injury, in part, because LaRoche provided major league ready 3B depth, until he, too, was hurt. To me, that better indicates LaRoche's status with the Dodgers than whatever he did with the additional 60 PAs he got in September.

Besides Rolen's patched-up shoulder, have Bowa and Rolen patched up their problems from Philly?

I think Lowe is walking after the season, not matter what; he will be looking for more years and more dollars than Colletti will give him. I anticipate 2008 to be Lowe's last season in Dodger blue. Kuroda may be Loaiza/Schmidt insurance this season, but he may be Lowe insurance for the two after that.

BTW, Lowe did not have a great walk year the last time he had the chance, but his team did pretty well.

I guess 200 IP would be reasonable, though preferably that would include a built-in cushion for the postseason. Yes, it's a 13-percent increase in raw numbers, but pitching in the majors is more strenuous, no? I mean, in college and Triple-A, Lincecum appeared to be pitching against T-ballers, judging by the K numbers. 2008 would be his first full major-league season. And the lad is small in stature. In the view of some scouts, that matters where workload is concerned. Pedro Martinez is a notable exception.

As for Bowa-Rolen. Interesting blast from the past. But Bowa should be dismissed if he were unable to make peace with Rolen. Here is a 3B who has exceptional defensive ability to go with a .372 career on-base percentage. If the shoulder checks out, he's a very interesting buy-low opportunity. The Dodgers might have some trade leverage to get him cheaply if the reports are true about Rolen's no-trade powers. And by cheaply, I mean for less than LaRoche.

So in my whimsical brainstorming here, the Dodgers could come away with Lincecum and Rolen, yet still have pipeline talent to replace the players traded. 3B prospects such as Baez/Bell are projected to emerge about the time Rolen's contract comes due. To replace Hu, they would have DeJesus.

I agree that Lowe is likely to walk. I love the idea of getting two draft picks for him.

My biggest point here is that I hope that Colletti would explore such scenarios, whimsical and perhaps farfetched though they may be. The Dodgers may have some leverage on several fronts. If the Padres can buy low on players such as Edmonds who want to come to San Diego, maybe the Dodgers can do it for Rolen, if he's healthy. And I really do think the Giants would have to think twice about the chance to plug LaRoche and Hu into their infield for several years. Would be nice if Elbert is throwing free and easy in spring training, because he could be a chip. Crazy though it would be to see the Giants and Dodgers pull of a blockbuster, there might be a fit there, and it extends to the GMs.

1. 3B battle between Nomar and Andy.
2. Health and recovery of Jason Schmidt, Yhency Brazoban, Hong-Chi Kuo, Jason Repko, Scott Elbert, and Bryan Morris.
3. Utility infielder face-off between Tony Abreu, Wilson Valdez and Chin-Lung Hu.
4. How many times you see Ethier, Jones, Kemp vs. Pierre, Jones, Kemp/Ethier outfield.
5. 25th man spot battle including Delwyn Young.
6. Hideki Kuroda's adjustments to MLB batters.
7. First time we hear Larry Bowa had a sit down with some of the younger players.
8. Stories about Donnie Baseball working with Preston.
9. Does Jonathan Meloan pitch short relief or is he streched out as a starter?
10. First time James McDonald pitches in a big league camp game.

"Did you know: Herman Melville was a pin spotter in a Hawaiian bowling alley in 1843? That's true. Today he's considered a great writer. Back then he was just 'the Dude.' "

Also, from the Goes Without Saying Dept., the lead of CNN's tiger story today reports that the killing of a 17-year-old has "ruined Christmas" for his mother.

Might have to wait for the regular season for that.

the lead of CNN's tiger story today reports that the killing of a 17-year-old has "ruined Christmas" for his mother

Ruined Christmas for the tiger, too.

Billingsley's top five PECOTA comps heading into the year were Richard Dotson, Ryan Dempster, Freddy Garcia, Ben Sheets, and Pete Broburg. I expect that those names will be much nicer this year after the huge improvements he made.

I say "drive up the 5" because I think it sounds LA. Frankly, I've never done it in my life.

54 The way gas prices keep going up, unless the service charges bum you out, I would buy them online. Or wait until they go up on E-Bay, my recollection is that for non-season ticket holders, single game tickets go on sale in the middle of March.

Accept no Northern California or Oregon substitutes.

Freeway Series (regular season variety) sells out pretty fast now. I don't think single game tickets will be on sale until February or mid-March.

Presumably, she will be healed up enough to go to the movies after.

Pierre, "a factor offensively": .293/.331/.353, 75 OPS+
LaRoche, "star lost some shine": .226/.365/.312, 75 OPS+

Pierre, well he is what he is, enough said.

Of course, Lebowski will always be the real`dude'.

Since most of those guys were big time prospects who quickly flamed out, those comparables should get a lot better this year since Kemp has had some success in the bigs.

1) Who stands on what side of Andruw?

2) How do we get rid of Juan Pierre?

3) What else does this cost us?

4) Who's the third team?

5) Who do the Blue Jays get from team 3?

80 Can't speak for Bumsrap, but I assume it's Rios to the Dodgers, Lincecum to the Blue Jays, and LaRoche/Hu/Elbert to the Giants.

my speculation is that freeways have more cultural/social significance in los angeles, and therefore have assumed an article as an indicator of their importance. THE 5. more important than any other 5 could possibly be.

16 dude, LSF is one of my favorite bands. i haven't listened to the new one so much but "go forth" and "rome (written upside down)" are brilliant, the lyrics especially. and the live show is second to none. i can tell numerous stories but this probably i