Based on some of Torre's quotes about the potential youth of our bench [and did he say something about wanting a second lefty in the pen?], I'd say he's the one that lobbied for a proven lefty pinch-hitter and a proven LOOGY.

I think most of us are assuming Seanez will make the team, but I wouldn't be surprised at all to see Sweeney on the bench. I still consider Martinez to be a less than 50/50 proposition, mostly due to the fact that Kent is liable to get many innings off, and we need the strongest defensive option possible to back him up.

Aside from injury updates, the fight for these last few roster spots will be the most interesting aspect of spring training this year.

If the Lakers win Wednesday in Minnesota, they'll finish 7-2 on their trip and compile the league's best record in nine or more continuous road games since neutral-site games were eliminated in 1974-75. (The San Antonio Spurs were 8-1 in a 2003 trip but came home before it ended.)

http://tinyurl.com/34c3en

This Laker team continues to amaze me. Before the season, I hoped for maybe a 45 win season, but I was depressed that Kobe's departure seemed imminent. For them to be a legitimate championship contender so soon is so awesomely shocking to me.

And remember, the selection of the 25th man in March is about 1 percent as important as we make it out to be.

Well, now 5 with the Lakers, and possibly 6 with the Spurs, 4-3 on their current 9-game trip.

ehier .278/.344/.460
nomar .292/.348/.453

whips
penny 1.38
lowe 1.28
c billllzzz 1.29
kuroda 1.24
loaiza 7-10, 4.83, 1.49
schmidt 5-2, 3.98, 1.38

saito 2.77, 1.01
broxton 2.26, .88
beimel 3.84, 1.22
proctor 3.44, 1.30

Was that considered a Jazz home game? I wonder if they played a few games a year in Vegas for a while.

Livan Hernandez and Twins agree to $5 million, 1-year contract

http://tinyurl.com/yo7cgv

However, only 2 Eastern Conference teams (Boston and Detroit) would make the playoffs in the West if the playoffs started today.

>> Sweeney, who can play first base and the outfield, has a .260 career batting average while playing 13 seasons with St. Louis, San Diego, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Colorado, San Francisco and Los Angeles. <<

http://tinyurl.com/2hdz9w

7 11 Off topic, but the most non-neutral game of all time is still Game 6 of the 2002 West. Conf. Finals. 26 foul calls in the 4th quarter! -Bitter Kings Fan

Someone close to me who is the biggest Laker fan and season ticket holder told me that he was embarrarssed by the calls in that game.

But then again, the Kings had their chance to win Game 7 (let alone Kings fan will never forget seeing Vlade tip the ball out to Horry and then seeing Horry make that shot).

It will be interesting to see if the Suns avoid what the Kings and maybe the Mavericks fate of being close to a title but never having enough to win it.

52 Game 7 hurt because Christie and Peja put up airballs, and we choked at the FT line.

Growing up in Sacramento as a Dodger Fan wasn't easy, but it was destiny i could pick up Vin's voice from a station broadcasting in Fresno.

Certainly the highlights of the 2000-2002 NBA title runs, playoffs wise, was Game 7 of 2000 Western Conference finals, the sweep of the Spurs in 2001, and then the Kings series in 2002.

It is probable that without a few breaks, the Blazers and the Kings could have won titles if not for Brian Shaw and Robert Horry.

In fact, they have not played in a World Series in LA without a left-hander starting at least one game.

(It helps when you have Podres, Koufax, John, Downing, Reuss, and Fernando).

Does anyone remember who was that lefthander who started in the 1988 World Series?

I stayed on the phone with him for the rest of the game, at first to have someone with which to complain about the Lakers' fate, but my confidence coming back with every shot made (especially Shaw's banked 3!). The Kobe to Shaq alley-oop is one of my favorite Laker moments ever. In fact, as I'm typing this I'm pointing with both hands like Shaq did on that fateful day.

2000: Kobe to Shaq - http://youtube.com/watch?v=gmxgLx3k0do

2002: "Horry for the win..." - http://youtube.com/watch?v=E3iV4aYvopM

Also some classic Shaq - http://youtube.com/watch?v=q6fALt84dt4

...maybe Elden Campbell too, I guess

70
That game was the greatest live experience I've ever had. Never had I left a building higher then I did that day. The Lima game was 2nd.

God bless Brian Shaw.

I think that was the length of Tudor's WS start!

70 The Horry shot to me is like watching Jack Clark hit the HR in the playoffs, or Ozzie Smith hitting the HR, with Jack Buck telling me to "Go Crazy!)

First of all, to TC, what a wonderful story you posted on True Blue LA this morning. Especially good timing to write that close to Valentines Day.

The Horry Buzzer beater is permanently etched in my memory. I envy anyone who got to see that in person (like TC).

If you listen closely to the clip, you'll notice Marv Albert is actually saying something after the buzzer, but the crowd is so LOUD that he literally gets drowned out.

Marching.

Also, chowder.

I didn't see the 2002 Horry shot, I was referring to the Portland game. By 2002 I was selling my Laker playoff tickets because I couldn't afford them anymore and they stopped letting us buy extra tickets in the 3rd level.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=sNwlZ9npLa4

The KHJ intro theme song is probably one of the first memories I had of Lakers basketball. Sounds like it was composed on my Grandma's rinky dink synthesizer.

If Paul produces at AAA, I don't see what the big deal is. I'd rather have him in L.A. than Repko.

We had a few lefty starts last year that were not so great. Among them Big Bird, Wolf, Stults, and Wells (who was actually good for a short stretch).

Would you want any of them starting a playoff game for you? Or would you rather have a solid Lowe, Penny, Bills, Schmidt and Kuroda.

The next great lefty for the Dodgers is in the wings, he doesn't need to be on the opening day roster in March.

Since the last Dodgers WS appearance, the least left-handed starts by a WS winner is easily the
2004 Red Sox - 1 start by Abe Alvarez, part of a July DH. Their normal starters were: Pedro, Schilling, Lowe, Wakefield and Arroyo - they started all but five games.

Now you have wives and girlfriends (nice going Jeff Gordon and Johnny Damon leaving your high school sweethearts for those gals); wannabe race car driver and dozens of beautiful women from across the world. That's great but there was something innocent back then that can never be recaptured.

http://tinyurl.com/ytcg5s

i'm sure some of you have seen her, but she is only a sophmore

Man, I'm showing my age too.

I was at that game, center court last row back. That game just evened things out from Game 5 in which the Kings got all the crucial calls from the officials. Game 5 was to Laker fans as Game 6 was to Kings fans. Seemed like the NBA wanted a Game 7, and what a game it was. It was there for the Kings to win and they choked in OT and I couldn't have been any happier.
vr, Xei

Magic Baby Sky Hook - http://youtube.com/watch?v=eYjsFUUnvw8

Magic banking a long two in Boston Garden (end of clip) - http://youtube.com/watch?v=f_Caj1bkb7Q

Magic's final 3 in the 1992 AS Game - http://youtube.com/watch?v=lCgWiklVzmM

Magic and his high basketball IQ against Portland 1991 - http://youtube.com/watch?v=uZnLgYfhhKw

James Worthy's Top 10 Playoff Plays - http://youtube.com/watch?v=-TKCxO67aGw (#1 is a classic play)

The name eventually got applied to groups of people who banded together in support of a particular person or cause. Richard Nixon entered Congress after World War II with several other veterans and they referred to themselves as the "Chowder and Marching Society" or "Chowder and Marching Club."

I hope that because Sweeney's contract isn't guaranteed, if he looks lost this Spring they won't hesitate to cut him. Or alternatively, that there's definitely room to keep he and Delwyn. I'm fine with that, if so.

I was trying to find the Kuo bat flip for a story but it seems to have been deleted.

I still find the SI swimsuit a must gawk. The painted on swimsuits of your favorite sports team. Now that is classy.

Vin gives us a bonus good memory in the call.

The Orioles are bringing back Steve Trachsel!

I'm still waiting.

http://tinyurl.com/2pt6hc

Pro basketball is a tough game to officiate, that being said of the professional sports that I watch I'd say they are the worst and their judgement has the biggest influence on game outcomes. Of course this is just my opinion and probably that of Mark Cuban.

vr, Xei

Heard they may be signing Shawn Chacon soon. Maybe we can trade them Jason Johnson for someone.

Wesley Wright could have a good chance of making that staff!

They better hope Tejada doesn't have visa trouble or they might be overtaken by the Pirates. When was the last time the Astro's were a last place team?

Eric, did you know that the Lakers played the Trail Blazers on Feb 29th that year? That showdown game was on a date that shows up only once every 4 years.

And would you believe...?

The Lakers will once again go to Rose Garden in Portland to play the Trail Blazers on Feb 29th this year, the 8th anniversary of that pivotal meeting.

The Lakers & Blazers will play this year on Terrence Long's 8th birthday!

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=7133

1) Magic's 42/15/7 to lead the Lakers to the 1980 NBA title
2) Back to back homers by Guerrero and Yeager in Game 5 of the 1981 World Series
3) Lakers fourth-quarter rally against the Blazers, as you've discussed

The Dodgers cannot be counting on anything from Schmidt until he proves he can pitch every 5th day, the Dodgers have a lot candidates for that 5th spot so while there will be more people watching whenever Schmidt pitches, my top 5 things to watch this Spring Training are:

1. Can Andy LaRoche have a good spring. I don't think it really matters what Nomar does this March, it really is all on Andy to play well this spring and take the job at 3B.
2. Any hints on what we can expect in terms of the outfield situation, its likely nothing really will come out Spring Training regarding the 4/3 outfield but it will be interesting to gauge whatever comments are made and I am sure there will be a scoreboard on which outfield configurations that start the "A" games will be posted here on DT.
3. The health of Kuo and Brazonban as well as Elbert and Morris. I want to see if Elbert can regain his status as a top prospect, will Morris be ready to start the year in Midland. It seems like an annual question with Kuo will he be healthy this year? Yhency, if healthy, is likely to spend time in Vegas for a while until the Dodgers decide that Seanez should just retire.
4. Will Myers, Martin or Kuo (or even Miller) make bids on being the other lefty in the pen.
5. How Torre (and Bowa) adapt to being in Blue? Not that it should be a big adjustment but Joe Torre unlike Grady Little, will be a newsmaker all by himself (like Phil Jackson). Not since Tommy has the Dodgers had a such a media friendly guy like Torre.

158
You fly at inopportune times or you do drugs when things appear to be hopeless.

sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news;_y...o&type=lgns

http://tinyurl.com/2w7afp

But is it really the 8th anniversary? :-)

I don't expect a single inning from Schmidt. Maybe I'm alone on that. But I think the Dodgers can have a deep and strong rotation without Schmidt. Schmidt would be icing on the cake, but Schmidt's pitching fate seems like it's out of anybody's control. Pierre/Ethier and Nomar/Andy is out of my control and your control, but it's in someone's control.

On the contrary, sometimes I think I'm the only person who even thinks Schmidt might be in uniform Opening Day. Sometimes.

If this happened -- which would be awesome -- would they give it to Vince (its rightful owner), or just declare no winner for that year?

Two of the guys he signed, Mueller and Schmidt, basically did not play 95% of the time they were signed.

but the one guy who we hoped would miss that many games, Juan Pierre, has played every single one. EVERY SINGLE... one!

If it makes you feel better, you're not alone. :-) I'm counting on the new procedure used on Schmidt actually working and him being useful this year. Maybe after an extended spring training.