Thanks for helping me expand my vocabulary today with another copacetic post!

boos too taboo

Nice.

Koo Koo Kachoo to this new lineup

I'll add a goo goo g'joob before anyone else can.

I once contrasted two players of egual value; one who was acquired by some means and the other who came up through the Dodgers system. It may seem simplistic, but the latter is much more valuable to me. Its just a natural fact. Sometimes you have to trade because no system is perfect in filling positions. At present, it is such a great time to be a Dodger's fan because our system is supplying almost every kind of player we need.
I think the message finally got through to the higher ups. No good Vets are needed. You have everything you need in the system. It might be OK to get a real difference maker, but short of that, don't dare make a move. Having people like Hu and Young will appeal to Dodger fans, who else do you need.

They weren't booing, they were saying 'Huuuuuuuuu'. =)

I found it interesting Saturday that Dodger fans started a retroactive "Duuuuuuuke" chant for Duke Snider.

Just got back from the game a little while ago: great atmosphere, tons of fun, although I was a bit bummed that I missed the first part of the opening day ceremonies (thanks to parking, which I should've thought would take much longer than usual, but completely forgot about). I did get to see the last half of the legends come out on the field, which was great.

It was also pretty cool when the Dodger broadcast feed got fed into the stadium PA, so we got to hear Scully saying "It's time for Dodger baseball!" (and the crowd said the words along with him).

It was also great to see (and hear) the response that a lot of the young kids received -- Martin is already a huge fan favorite, but the crowd roared "Huuuuu!" everytime Hu was involved in a play (either at bat or on defense), and DeWitt got a lot of cheers and applause too. Kemp is just around the corner from being a casual fan favorite too -- some guys right behind me were talking about how they were hoping Kemp would hit one out.

And of course, it was a delight seeing Furcal play the way I remembered him back in the second half of '06: fierce at the plate with some slick plays in the field -- and of course that great play up the middle that brought the crowd to its feet.

I had a great time... though next time I'll have to remember that upper reserve gets a bit chilly in the shade, especially with the afternoon winds snapping through the stadium.

Turns out, I was bumped from KCRW today in favor of D.J. Waldie.

No shame in that.

The ghost of J.D. Cannon is heard in Atlanta yelling, "MCCLOUTH!!!"

Woah. The Science Channel has an hour on now called
The Secret Baseball Formula featuring Bill James.

ESPN is so biased, they have a picture of Johan on the front of there home page, its almost like nobody exist outside the east coast, im done with 'em!

yes, a healed hoof will help Raffy. That's what the guys in my fantasy league said and accordingly reached for him in the draft.

Saw a faculty member wearing Giants garb and asked him whether they scored a run today. Of course, I rocked the Dodgers fitted in observance of this national holiday. Said faculty member said something I cannot repeat due to Rule 1. He was in the mathematics department so lets just say he's a little passive-aggressive.

Re: Jason Schmidt

You theorize, possibly correctly, that Schmidt was booed for his contract or his fate, but it seems very possible that many fans (including myself) believe that Schmidt was injured prior to signing his contract, in which case they would indeed be booing the human. That may not make it ok to boo in your book (especially considering that no one could prove such an allegation), but sometime people bring these things on to themselves.

I am not at all against booing, but I am happy to hear that no one booed Pierre.

Re: 743 from the previous post

I was partly curious for myself; I'm scheduled to fill a DOS position on a PRT in Salah ad Din starting in June. It looks like I'll either be with the central PRT at COB Speicher, or at a battalion FOB near Samarra (presumably FOB Brassfield-Mora). It'd be nice if I could get MLB.tv, but I had no idea if I'd have the bandwith. There will also presumably be a big difference between what's available at COB Speicher (MND-North HQ), and the battalion FOB. Maybe Gameday Audio would work.

I've also heard about all the restrictions on blogs, which is really stupid, because there are some really good military ones. I remember having problems forwarding Iraq-related stuff to a buddy of mine who was a Marine liaison officer in the JOC at Camp Victory.

When are you scheduled to return from the "sandbox"?

WWSH

I clapped for Pierre because:

1) he's a Dodger
2) I feel sorry for him

GREAT GAME TODAY! :)

I don't understand booing someone from the team for which you root, but at the same time, I don't begrudge anyone's desire to do so. I just find it counterproductive at best. If a guy is struggling, rest assured that he knows it. He doesn't need fans to point it out for him.

I felt like Brett Tomko got worse as soon as he got in trouble at Dodger Stadium, because the boos would be cascading down on him. It was visible in his body language. Should he have thicker skin? For sure. But that doesn't change the fact that home field should never be hostile territory.

All is back to normal in my life it would seem. Dodger baseball on in the evenings when I come home from work.

I love this team. Every one of them. And the circumstance surrounding DeWitt's entrance into the lineup is the type of under dog story I melt over. I'll pull with all of my heart strings during each of his ABs.

If you're a Dodger fan you have to appreciate the Giants this year because they guarantee we won't come in last.

19 That's the spirit!

19
Coincidence that they share the same colors as Oregon State?

Oh wow. I just got back from the game and woke up from a late evening nap. It was amazing. I caught a foul ball in the third inning and Jon Weisman himself came down from a few rows behind me to congratulate me, I assume because I was wearing my new Dodger Thoughts T-shirt. I have pictures from the game and will post them tomorrow when I am less tired and am able to function normally.

Also, Dodgers win.

14 - I'm definitely against booing based on an unproven allegation.

22 - That was a great moment! Wear your DT shirt, get a foul ball!

Anyone know who is the third man in the booth for Pads game? His voice sounds familiar and he must be new to ESPN.

To be fair, Russell Martin has made something of a name for himself. He even gets mentions on ESPN, and he did win a silver slugger and a gold glove.

25 - I didn't say he hadn't.

Hello Dodger fans! It's always a good day when we are in first place!

23 Thanks!

Sorry I wasn't able to talk normally, I was fairly excited from catching the foul ball, something I have always dreamed about.

DT shirts: super lucky!

FYI, it's Sean McDonough, Orestes Destrade, and Candy Maldonado calling the action in San Diego.

Old friend alert in Atlanta. Franquelis Osoria pitching for the Bucs.

9-9 going to the 11th.

Aww, Candy. Thank you.

What's with Cleveland's unis and hats? Are those throwbacks or new designs?

Just asking because I am watching sportscenter

Josh Bard went to my high school's arch rival, and then we went to the same college (I later transferred). He's the only Padre for which I can root.

By the by, anybody catch this dig by Vinny? On the Giants: "This is a pretty old ballclub. Or you can call it a veteran ballclub, it comes out nicer."

Ouch.

34 Listening to the game on MLB Audio, my Giant fan coworker commented (and violated rule 1) on something Charley Steiner said as well.

Re: 34

I just hope the Giants waste away all the pre-arb years of Cain and Lincecum as they rebuild their offense.

WWSH

John Russell is undefeated as Pirates manager! Bucs prevail 12-11 in 12 over Atlanta.

36 And that's what they'll do. The Giants are (insert Rule 1 violation here in past tense verb form here) for many, many moons to come.

But they do have a walking pun for a shortstop.

The lead ESPN announcer is such a doofus I had to mute that game after a little while. Yarrgh.

39 Sean McDonough? I don't have a problem. I'm not a big fan of Candy Maldonado, though.

Oh my heavens.

Did you see how the Braves tied it up with two out in the ninth? I just saw the highlights.

Does anyone know if the dodgers ticket exchange still exists? I often used to buy my tickets from season ticket holders on that page at dodgers.com I'll check out tickets on Jon's ticket thread.

42
I think that since MLB and StubHub are partners now the ticket exchange has gone away.

Been back from the game a couple hours, long enough to check my email, put my boys to bed, and catch up with all the DT comments. I would like to add a few observations about the game that touch on some of the issues raised earlier and a bit more.

1) My guess is that part of the Jason Schmidt booing is that many fans at the game think of him as a Giant. Many fans who attend opening day are here just once a year.
2) Many many fans in my section (field level, near right field foul pole) had way way too much to drink. Much obnoxious behavior, foul language, stray peanuts and beer directed at fans who dared to wear orange and black to their seats. Does not make you feel proud.
3) In previous thread, someone asked about the cost of a Canters' corned beef sandwich. It was $11. My pal ordered one and gave me a taste. It was certainly decent -- remember that Canters is not the best corned beef sand in LA (that's a topic for future DTs), but it is certainly the best corned beef at any ballpark in LA. They did not put mustard on it, so he had to go back to a Dodger Dog stand for the yellow stuff.
4) The pre-game ceremony with Dodger legends was really well done. Three items of particular interest to DT readers. First, old friend Matt Luke made a surprise appearance on the same field as Duke Snider and Steve Garvey,which was odd but nice. Second, old friend/tormentor Eric Karros got a thunderous ovation at least in my section. Third, much to my surprise, Sandy Koufax was saved for best and last, after Tommy. Obviously someone who really understands and cares about Dodger history planned this.
4) Ethier smoked the ball on his last at-bat, albiet for an out. I am sure Torre noticed this.
5) I ran into someone wearing a Ghame Over T shirt. DT's are everywhere.
6) The new field level is pleasant. The lines for food were never too long, even in the middle innings, lots of room to move around, plenty of plumbing in the mens room (waterless urinals -- Dodger Stadium goes green, or something like that)
7) Food prices are unchanged, I believe. Somehow paying $5 for a coke seems more acceptable after a year of practice.
8) They did something to the bullpen area so that fans now can see in from the side and from the top. I can tell you that having only a chain link fence separating Dodger fans and Giant relievers is a problem waiting to happen. But putting aside the safety of Giant pitchers, it's great to get such access in there.

Ever so slightly off topic:

About Jason Schmidt (because not using his first name would just be a bad pun/reference), it was sad to see him booed. Just to put a human behind the name, I saw him at Vero on either the 16th or the 17th and I swear it took him an hour to get from the practice fields to the stadium as he signed everything and talked to anyone with an important comment to say. Granted, he was in no rush to get into the game, but he did a great job convincing me to give him a shot (had much the appeal I felt when I met Dave Roberts, who I'll root for despite the uniform).

44 It's great to hear that down on the field level, concessions are better. Up in reserve, I didn't see much of a change... I waited 20 minutes for hot dog/coke/nachos and the lines were stacked deep along every vendor booth.

Does anyone else see the Lopez brothers as shooting for a 1st round/ 2nd round on the same team? Because I find it ridiculous that Side Show Bob Lopez feels like he's ready for the NBA.

If the Collins twins didn't end up on the same team, I don't see the Lopez twins doing so either.

Don't 1st and 2nd round picks automatically get different salaries? Would you want to be on the same team with your identical twin knowing that he made a lot more money?

I'll second comment 44 2) about the harsh treatment of "the others" and overconsumption of $10 beers, however I was in the second deck behind and two the left field side of homeplate.
I saw two actually get their hats stolen and launched into the abyss of fieldlevel, most likely never to return.

Doh....make that "to" the left field side.

In the NHL, Henrik and Daniel Sedin were drafted second and third overall, after Vancouver GM Brian Burke traded for an extra high-ranking draft pick. They've been playing together (very effectively) on the same line for several years now.

47
Robin will still be a useful NBA player, because of his defensive and rebounding abilities. 7 footers that are not stiffs and can go inside do not come around that often.

Did anyone notice Frank McCourt in the bleachers saying hello to the fans? I thought it was a first class move.

51
But hockey has had a father playing alongside his two sons on the same line too.

It took a while for the Niedemayers to get together.

Does it bother anyone else that an increasing percentage of the fans these days at Dodger Stadium, drink and cuss more then they actually watch the game?
I think it's time for a family section at Dodger Stadium.

Never got to be an old friend alert:
Wesley Wright pitching for Houston now.

52 but where does he get drafted? I don't see it before, say, 25. Tops. I think he'll be a functional NBA player, but I could seriously see (okay- maybe I hope) them ending up on the same team. Brook should be a top 10 player. Robin is not.

Maybe I'm skewed by the Rock'n Roller Games draft that got twins drafted as a single player...

53 McCourt and Antonio Villaraigosa (wearing a huge Dodgers jacket) were in the section over from us shaking hands and talking to the fans in the top deck during the late innings. I had heard that once they went back upstairs that McCourt left the area to go somewhere else while the mayor stuck around for a bit longer to talk to fans. Pretty classy move and a nice treat for the no frills cheap seats.

57
Yeah, he will be lower first round or second round pick. Unless he really impresses people in workouts.

If the Sonics still had their old management they would for sure take him.

47 - Robin might actually blossom once he's separated from Brook. He often did well when Brook was on the bench.

The ESPN mock draft for the NBA has Brook Lopez at 3 and Robin Lopez at 31.

55 I've watched the Rockies from their family section. It doesn't matter. If you want to be belligerent, you can find ways to be belligerent. And Dodger Stadium security is far less lax than Coors field security.

Thanks to many of you I've found a new, very enjoyable way to watch a game.

I recorded the game on my DVR and was very careful to avoid the score on my way home from work.

I watched the whole game on DTV EI while slowly scrolling through the DT comments. The time stamps kept me from straying ahead and catching spoilers.

Very satisfying. This will be great when the Dodgers travel to the east.

58 Nice! I saw them before the game in the bleachers.

55 I have often wished for a family section. Of course, if you put the families in one section, imagine what would be left! I have season tix for about 10 games a year that are in a nice location and I feel fine taking my 4 year old there. But I go to another dozen games a year in the cheaper seats, and I would never sit in those seats with my boy -- too much profanity, crazy behavior, fights. Today a drunk guy behind me was screaming something really nasty at a guy in a Giants hat. I turned around and asked him to keep it cool as there was a 3 year old a couple of seats away. He looked embarrassed actually -- and shut up for about half an inning before he started harassing some girls in Dodger halter tops a few rows ahead of me. Classy dude...

I will say there were a lot of security guards around today, at least in the field level.

60 that's tangentially my point. I feel like he would be far better served by staying in school and developing his game independent from his brother.

I just think he made a mistake by coming out (assuming he stays in the draft).

I think Burke had a fetish for seeing what the identical twins would accomplish together. Call it looking for synergy. Identical twins are spooky that way.

The Niedemayers are a forward/defence combo, and are garden-variety brothers, so it's a little different.

I don't know how these basketball twins compare in ability or in their life stories, but the Sedins played together all through junior hockey, and even won awards together that are normally awarded to one person (sweden's golden puck).

I saw a fan get kicked out for giving the bird and shouting profanities. I was impressed.

Do you think the anonymous soccer player in the razor commercial with Federer and Tiger feels a little out of place? Or do you thing he just happily cashes his checks?

The Guinness Book of World Records has "certified" Saturday's crowd as the biggest ever for a baseball game.

http://tinyurl.com/24xk32

Now Frank McCourt doesn't have to wear a beard of bees to impress that Guinness book crowd.

65 - that's basically why I won't go to a game in the cheap seats anymore. A couple years ago I went with a friend, who happens to be a fan the Cardinals, she (all 5'7" 115 lbs of her) was decked out in Cardinals gear, and she got harassed. First time in a long time that I was ready to throw down, of course when my 6'1" 250 lb frame rose, the hecklers stopped.

I don't see either Lopez brother having any success in the NBA other then the intangibles that come with being an NBA player. Who can put a price on that?

I really like this team, too. We've all been following these guys for so long, we are truly emotionally invested in their success. For the first time in many years, the Dodgers might actually be COOL. Well, except for Derek Lowe. He's kinda skanky. But I don't care as long as he pitches 200 innings.

I'm watching the game right now. (previously recorded) Penny just got taken out, which reminds me, I haven't thanked Depo for getting that guy yet. Everytime he takes the mound, I just take for granted what he does. Truly a great pickup.

67 Mater Dei has a set of twins who have committed to Carolina. I have no problem with this. They are virtual equals.

But the Lopez twins are not equal in talent right now. I've been wondering what would happen with them all year. I actually thought Brook would stick around another year.

I have no problem with their decision either, but I feel like they made their decision together, rather than what was best for themselves independently. Good luck to both of them, and hopefully the tree can reload.

69
Thierry Henry is not anonymous to most people in the world. And he cashes mighty big paychecks every year from the good people of Barcelona.

72 Or eat a bicycle.

69 Thierry Henry is not anonomous

I feel the same way, Jon. I can't remember the last time I've been this excited for so many different players in the Dodger line-up. Ethier, Kemp, Loney, Martin: Yes, yes, yes, yes. Not to mention Andruw freakin' Jones, and the re-hoofed Rafael Furcal. Threat after threat after threat....

Something weird happened. The team got really, really good when we weren't looking.

76 or yes, spelled correctly.

What a great day at the game today!
The pregame ceremony was the best that I have ever seen. Sandy Koufax throwing from the mound at Dodger Stadium! Never thought that I'd see that again. The introduction of the players made me feel all warm and fuzzy. It was great to hear Pierre get a liitle bit of positive recognition from the fans.
I kept wondering what "the Solution" must have been feeling.
Great presentation of the National Anthem (this usually gets me a little misty eyed). Then Duke Snider walks out from center field, next Wally Moon from the Dodger Bullpen, and on and on the old players from the past appeared. There were only a few of them that I hadn't seen play.
It really got emotional for me. The nostalgia, so many memories of times past, with so many family and friends. I just stood there, applauding them all, wiping away the tears all the while. It really took me quite by surprise.
Sandy Koufax! I'll never forget this day.
We were sitting in the reserved, on the first base line, just about the pitcher's mound, so we had a great view of the Dodgers dugout. As all of the old heros left the field on the ramp to the club seats, Tommy Lasorda, in his uni, hung to the back.
He instead walked down the steps into the Dodgers dugout, going up to each player and shakng their hands, saying something to each one, some of them patting him on the back. As he passed the last player, I could see his shoulders slightly droop, his head go forward a little bit. He came upon the entrance to the tunnel to the locker room, took a step and disappeared from view. I wondered if the was contemplating that this might be the last time he dons a Dodger uniform?
Then the infield started their warm up. I was studying DeWitt. Would he be so nervous that he would botch the first throw to Loney? No, a little wide to the right, but he made it. Then "the Solution" gets a hit.
Wow, the kid looks ok, next the shot to the track in right center. That was a rope. He added some good defense as well starting a double play. Everybody that played for the Dodgers today did well. I could go on and on. It was just a great day all around.
I hope the rest of this season will be as special as today was. It was really neat being there in my new, blue DT t-shirt.
I've always loved Dodger baseball. Because of this site, I seem to enjoy it more.
Thanks to Jon, and everyone that shares here.

I finally put two and two together about the Lopez brothers the other day. Their older brother used to play basketball at SCU when I went there and they used to hang around with the team before and after the games and also would be one of those sweat jockeys who would mop up the floor during games. They have apparently come a long way and are obv. significantly better than their older brother at basketball, as they wound up going to Stanford and not Santa Clara.