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SI.com
NL West Preview
Evaluating Defense
Colletti and Depo
World Baseball Classic
Minor League Broadcasters
Slow Starts
Eric Gagne
Groundball Pitchers
Dodger Prospects
Albert Pujols
Humbled Angels
You Be the Manager
Eric Gagne II
Unreliable Relievers
Revived Angels
It's Okay To Sell
Dodger Turnaround
Andre Ethier
Padres-Dodgers Showdown
NL Final Weekend
Mets-Dodgers NLDS
Postseason ratings
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2006 Emmys Nominees*
*Comedy Series
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Office Online
2007 Screenplay Noms
Friday Night Lights
Robert Benton
ABC Fridays
Rookie Actors
Global Casting
2007 Pilot Casting
Sublime Slime
Also ...
A Season in Savannah (Stanford Magazine)
Five Questions: Los Angeles Dodgers (2005) (Hardball Times)
Rick Monday (Baseball Analysts)
Baseball's Odd Couple (Baseball Prospectus)
Five Questions: Los Angeles Dodgers (2006) (Hardball Times)
Five Questions: Los Angeles Dodgers (2007) (Hardball Times)
Dodger home record: 39-30 (.565)
When Jon attended: 5-3 (.625)
When Jon didn't: 34-27 (.557)
Dodgers at home: 745-600 (.554)
Jon attended: 293-233 (.557)*
Jon didn't: 457-374 (.550)
* includes road games attended
Current Roster with Estimated 2008 Salaries
(updated March 28)
Most figures are estimates (some are wild estimates) but will be updated as information comes in. Corrections welcome.
More contract details here.
Starting Pitchers (5)
$12,300,000 Hiroki Kuroda
$10,000,000 Derek Lowe
$9,500,000 Brad Penny
$7,000,000 Esteban Loaiza
*$500,000 Chad Billingsley
Total: $39,300,000
Bullpen (6)
$2,000,000 Takashi Saito
$1,925,000 Joe Beimel
$1,125,000 Scott Proctor
*$500,000 Jonathan Broxton
$500,000 Chan Ho Park
*$400,000 Hong-Chih Kuo
Total: $6,450,000
Starting Lineup (8)
$14,100,000 Andruw Jones
$13,000,000 Rafael Furcal
$9,000,000 Jeff Kent
$8,500,000 Nomar Garciaparra
$8,000,000 Juan Pierre
$500,000 Russell Martin
*$400,000 James Loney
*$400,000 Matt Kemp
Total: $53,900,000
Bench (6)
$875,000 Gary Bennett
$600,000 Mark Sweeney
$424,500 Andre Ethier
$391,000 Delwyn Young
$390,000 Chin-Lung Hu
$390,000 Blake DeWitt
Total: $3,071,000
Disabled List
$12,000,000 Jason Schmidt
*$400,000 Tony Abreu
*$390,000 Andy LaRoche
Total: $12,790,000
Also Paying ...
$1,000,000 Brett Tomko
$750,000 Odalis Perez
$540,000 Yhency Brazoban
$500,000 Randy Wolf
$487,500 Jason Repko
$135,225 Rudy Seanez
$100,000 Mike Lieberthal
$50,000 Ramon Martinez
Total: $3,562,725
Working total: *$113,268,725
*Rough salary estimate
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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
Baseball Toaster runs on some experimental software called Fairpole. It's still under development.
For more information, please visit the Fairpole blog, or read the FAQ.
Curt Smith's unauthorized biography of Vin Scully is on hold, for now, reports Tom Hoffarth of the Daily News.
* * *
In this SportingNews.com column, David Pinto explores the phenomenon that may be on the verge of sweeping the Midwest: batting the pitcher eighth.
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ToyCannon is slaying me.
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Update: Is there any better praise than Takashi Saito praise? From Dylan Hernandez of the Times:
The two-day "Dodger Idol" competition has begun, as six players in their first big-league camps were forced to sing in front of their teammates. Garciaparra played the role of Ryan Seacrest, while Pierre was Randy Jackson, team physical therapist Sue Falsone was Paula Abdul and Jeff Kent, wearing a tight black shirt, was Simon Cowell.
Widely said to be the best performer of the day was right-hander Rick Asadoorian, a non-roster invitee who sang Billy Joel's "Piano Man" while playing a guitar and harmonica. "Genius," closer Takashi Saito said.
* * *
The Dodgers said today they are putting 25,000 standing-room tickets for the March 29 Coliseum exhibition game on sale March 1. Some of the tickets, the team said, will actually be on the field. Given the dimensions of the layout, I think that can be taken literally.
They added that the Coliseum gates will open at 4:10 p.m., before batting practice.
More details on single-game ticket sales for 2008: "On Saturday, March 1 at 10 a.m. Dodger Stadium's Sunset Gate will open at 8 a.m. and fans who arrive by 8:30 a.m. receive a numbered wristband for a ticket lottery. ... A wristband number will be drawn at random, and that number will be first in line. This process allows for all fans to have an equal opportunity to win the first chance to purchase tickets."
The team said today that the promotions/giveaway schedule should be ready for release by Friday.
* * *
Chipper Jones says that new Dodger Andruw Jones misses Atlanta, according to Carroll Rodgers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Jones knows that had he come through with runners in scoring position (.231), he might have had 130 RBIs. And what didn't show up in the boxscore were the wild swings that nearly left him on his rump.
"I just wasn't right," he said. "I thought I was right and I wasn't. Bad balance. Bad judgment. Bad approach. ... I just didn't produce the way I was supposed to. I don't make excuses. Didn't get the job done. Those years happen sometimes. You learn from it, and you move on. It was a bad time to struggle, but what am I going to say? You learn from that."
Chipper Jones, a rare Braves player with a chance to finish his career in Atlanta, senses some disappointment.
"He wants to be here," said Chipper, who played golf this winter with Andruw. "He misses it. He knows he's going to miss it. We talked a little bit. He only signed a two-year deal. He knows the restraints we're under monetarily. He knows that in two years he's going to get an opportunity to come back if he so desires and wants to work with Atlanta."
It's probably not that simple, though. The Braves traded for Mark Kotsay as a one-year bridge to center field prospect Jordan Schafer. ...
* * *
Update 2: More on the Coliseum game from Ben Platt at MLB.com:
The game, which will start at 7:10 p.m. PT, is part of a full day of activity around the Coliseum. McCourt and Dodgers chief marketing officer Charles Steinberg announced that the club will hold a Fan Fest at the Coliseum from noon to 6 p.m. on the day of the game, with carnival-type games, baseball discussions with general manager Ned Colletti and other Dodgers personnel and autograph tables.
"The Fan Fest will start at noon and will be free of charge -- all you have to do is have a ticket to the game," McCourt said. "This way, you can come down at noon and spend the day with your friends and your family. There will be all kinds of activities that you would normally find at a Fan Fest, and this way, you can also beat the traffic and find a parking space.
"That is something we are focused on, because it's going to be a challenge getting all the cars into the stadium area. By coming early, that will help that, and we just got permission to open the gates at 4:10 p.m. so fans can actually be here to watch batting practice, which may be as much fun as watching the Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game."
The Dodgers also announced that beginning at 11 a.m. on the day of the game, fans can park for free at Dodger Stadium, and a shuttle service will continue between the stadium and the Coliseum until 11:30 p.m. For parking reservations, fans can call Dodgers guest services at (323) 224-1507. This will enable the organization to know how many cars will be parking at the stadium for the event.
http://weblogs.variety.com/season_pass/2008/02/paley-fest-get.html
Here's more background:
http://www.paleycenter.org/festivals/paleyfest2008/index.htm
http://griddle.baseballtoaster.com/archives/913717.html
Oh, analysis. That thing....
http://tinyurl.com/28ol3d
Finally, somebody writes a bio of Vin Scully, and it's Curt Freaking Smith.
By the way, with all the talk of Lowe, Furcal, and Nomar, the Dodgers' most important free agent after the 2008 season is clearly Vin Scully. He needs to be signed to a multi-year deal asap.
Man, it's gonna be so hard when he goes.
Granderson cf
Polanco, 2b
Sheffield, dh
Ordonez, rf
Cabrera, 3b
Guillen, 1b
Renteria, ss
Rodriguez, c
Jones, lf
http://tinyurl.com/34sufn
http://www.dailybreeze.com/sports/ci_8363601
Widely said to be the best performer of the day was right-hander Rick Asadoorian, a non-roster invitee who sang Billy Joel's "Piano Man" while playing a guitar and harmonica. "Genius," closer Takashi Saito said.
http://tinyurl.com/2e2fpd
I've never met you, and I think I've argued with you in the Comments here, but I know that you are a good man, and a brave one to share as much as you do. Thank you for your example. For me, and hopefully for others too.
I didn't know Kent, uh, interacted with his teammates, uh, socially.
The contrapositive is true!
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117981549.html
Proudly, nearly all my comments come before the NPUT, by quite a bit. I guess I've been LATed a bunch.
That makes us 3 Eric Enders, I was a huge fan of the look my self.
I may be using my Jump to Conclusions Mat, but Torre seems to have made his mind up on a couple of issues quite early.
see now, stuff like that just gets me PO'd...
My Jump to Conclusions Mat is detailed and cynical. I paid extra for that.
True, but Torre admittedly, does not know our youngsters very well at all.
TPHBU
1). Who will play next to Andruw Jones?
2). Speaking of Jones, can he bounce back from last season?
3). Who starts at third?
4). Was Hiroki Kuroda worth $35.3 million?
5). Is Jason Schmidt completely healed?
http://tinyurl.com/2svfp2
Sure, it will be a zoo, and it will be crazy, and disorganized. But most of all -- IT WILL BE FUN.
They manage to keep the Coliseum together for about 6-7 Saturdays per year for USC games. They get huge crowds and there is a lot of demand for tickets.
Amazing highlights from the Boise State game, but there seems to be a stature gap.
vr, Xei
I expect they won't look kindly on this idea either: "Mayor Barry astride a panda galloping along the National Mall with a half-smoke in one hand and a TEC-9 in the other."
http://tinyurl.com/2nhlbt
>> and if all of the seats and standing-room sections are filled, the game will feature an attendance of more than 115,000 fans. <<
## We have 200 feet down the left-field line instead of 250, so we have adjusted the screen from 42 feet to 62 feet." ##
http://tinyurl.com/3ccege
Why is Cedric Maxwell's number retired?
I suggest not drinking too many fluids and using the bathroom BEFORE the game starts.
So, we're going to double the number of fans that would attend a Dodgers Stadium sellout. This should be a fantastic event (keeping Bob's suggestion in mind, of course :-) ).
The Celtics LOVE to retire numbers. They retired Ed McAuley's number! And the greatest thing he ever did for the Celtics was get traded for Bill Russell.
115,000 fans to watch the PawSox play the 51s most likely.
Probabbly Coco Crisp as well...
A fair ball passes over a fence or into the stands at a distance from home base of 250
feet or more. Such hit entitles the batter to a home run when he shall have touched
all bases legally. A fair fly ball that passes out of the playing field at a point less
than 250 feet from home base shall entitle the batter to advance to second base only;
Emphasis mine
vr, Xei
That's just the record for attendance at a professional baseball game, though. They're going to have a slightly harder time breaking the record for attendance at a baseball game, period, which, and I am not kidding here, is 115,000 for a 1915 semipro game between the Cleveland's White Motors and the Omaha Luxus.
Man, is that going to be a high-scoring game or what. A pop-up to deep shortstop will get you a home run, which should be music to Juan Pierre's ears.
In 1958, the Coliseum gave up a lot of home runs early, but the pitchers quickly adapted and it played about as normally as it could.
Jon, I've had a promotions schedule for over a month. They sent them out with group information. I take a group of kids to a game each year, do you need a copy of the promotions?
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/tvguide/353037_tvgif28.html
Drysdale might have disagreed.
http://dcbb.blogspot.com/2008/02/oh-to-be-able-to-write.html
It's doable, but I'd think that you'd have to crush the ball pretty well. I could be wrong though.
http://tinyurl.com/ywq2fr
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