Great stuff Jon - that summed up a lot of my frustrations.

Is anybody going to the games in Cincinnati on the 20th and 21st? I'm going to both and would love to meet some fellow DTers.

2 21st and 22nd, that is.

Jon

So when is it time to decide that Andruw is a bust, and in fairness to JP, what a concept, it will be "Bring me the Head of AJ" time? It's memorial day for me.

Send Andruw down to AAA Vegas, great buffets in Vegas by the way Andruw, find some lingering issue that places him on the DL and some sort of rehab program. But goodness gracious, Andruw is way way below the Mendoza line, and how long can the Dodgers afford to have him in the lineup?

I got LAT'd from the last post in my comments on Blake Dewitt. I was just giving an analogy and in reference to Jon's post above, I'm glad Dewitt was put in the good column for doing more than anyone could have hoped under the circumstances.

I had given a scenario to put yourself in Dewitt's shoes in another line of work and I used the law field as an example since I work in the field as a paralegal. I tried to equate Dewitt's experience to being a fresh green just completed the bar working at a firm eager intern/slash employee awaiting the bar results. Due to a major flu epidemic, this small law firm, has no one left to appear at the first day of a major trial except for you and ask you to sit in for the head trial attorney and your opponent is a seasoned expert attorney with many years experience and you both have to give your opening statements. (I know the firm would probably send you down to ask for a continuance based on the sickness/flu of the head counsel from the bench) but I just wanted to point out what Dewitt was up against playing at two levels above what he was at last year. So like I said before, Kudos and Atta Boys to you Blake Dewitt for the job you have done for the Dodgers so far this year.

4 - It's simply too early to answer that question, and I have to say that I find the increasingly expressed notion that Jones should be taken off the roster more than laughable. It goes against everything I preach on this site about being rational and patient and having the big picture. The Dodgers need Jones - giving up on him will solve nothing.

My problem is that in the preternaturally warm morning following the most dominant Dodger victory of the season, the dominant feeling is aggravation.

I'm noticing that a lot of the posts in the game threads are getting more vitriolic than they used to be. (The beginning of last night's thread was particulary bumpy.) We're not just taking these dumb decisions in stride anymore, we're lashing out. It's actually a little comforting to see that Jon is not immune from the angst we are all feeling.

The source of all this is very easy to identify. After enduring years of nonsense and mismanagement, we are SO close to having the team we always wanted to have, and it's being undone by even more nonsense and mismanagement. Torre's quote to Kevin Baxter is positively Dustyesque in its stupidity, and for one, I'm getting tired of making excuses for him.

Meanwhile, we have to watch as Arizona, a team whose management certainly seems to have less trouble figuring out the right formula, is absolutely burying the division with their red-hot start. We're going to spend the rest of the summer trying to erase the lead the D-Backs have built in the first two weeks of the season.

"Aggravation" really doesn't even begin to describe it.

4 If you're going to sound credible when you want to get rid of Andruw, at least mention possible scenarios. You can't send Andruw Jones down to AAA.

Also, the fat/buffet jokes are totally played out, not that they were funny in the first place.

Lots of baseball players have guts. It's baseball. You spend 95% of the time standing around.

7

100% correct, but DL, the Dbacks only have a 4 game lead. It might feel like a 9 game lead, but it's still very early.

9 Lots of baseball players have guts. It's baseball.

The problem is, there's an easy correlation to make:

Skinny Andruw Jones: Great hitter.
Fat Andruw Jones: Terrible hitter.

And yes, I know correlation is not causation, but just from looking at the way Jones is heaving the bat at the plate, it appears that his paunch is affecting his swing.

7 10

D-backs Record, 2nd Sunday of 2008: 9-2
Dodgers Record, 2nd Sunday of 2005: 9-2

I'm just sayin'!

9

So a fake announcement that Andruw has landed a gig as the spokesman for Dunkin Doughnuts would be bad too?

8

Why can't you send Andruw down to AAA for some work on his swing in games that wouldn't effect the outcome of the Dodgers season? If he's not hitting, sitting on the bench does Andruw no good, if he's not hitting, having him in the game costs the Dodgers games.

11 I don't think his gut is making him swing at pitches in the dirt. Unless the fat from his gut has migrated to his brain and turned into mush, the fat isn't to blame.

Oh yeah - with regards to last night's thread - that was almost a travesty. I'm glad Ken was able to step in, but people have got to remember to be civil, even if someone's not civil to you.

7 I read in the NY Times where Mets' fans booed Santana when he left the game in 7th after giving up another home run (third of the game) in a game the Mets would lose to Milwaukee.

10 the Dbacks only have a 4 game lead. It might feel like a 9 game lead, but it's still very early.

But it's not like it's the Giants or the Marlins who are off to a hot start (who we can expect to come back to the pack after a while). The Diamondbacks are very good, and of course they'll have their slumps along the way, but you know they'll be there at the end of the season with 90+ wins, in full contention for the division title. And now they've got a hell of a head start.

13 You can't send players who have been in the league as long as Andruw down to AAA, even if he presumably still has options,

16 We're no better than Mets fans now. Great.

Andruw Jones doesn't make it easy to preach patience as those at bats really are some of the ugliest I ever seen on a consistent basis. If I hadn't been watching slumps for 40 years I'd probably be chicken little myself.

As Eric Enders has pointed how, this has been his modus operandi while enjoying a HOF career in Atlanta. My brother worked for the Braves and has confirmed what Eric said. A Jones will look like he hasn't a clue for long periods of time. That is just a subjective view.

Dodgers are 2 - 0 with Kent not starting.

Also, if you go to the 2:21 mark (or thereabouts) of the game last night, there is this really weird sequence. After Kemp hits his homer, the camera shows him sit down in the dugout and Pierre sits down near him and starts yapping at him. I dont know if Pierre is talking smack, but neither of them are smiling, and Kemp kind of looks disinterested in what Pierre had to say.

That is all pure speculation, of course. For all I know Pierre could have been telling him how great a baseball player he is, for hitting the other way. Interesting nonetheless. I wish there was a dugout spy who posted on DT. Does anybody know the girl with the fannypack? She might be coerced.

13 A player with as much MLB service time as Jones has, even with options (which since Jones came up at age 19, he probably still has) cannot be assigned to the minors without his permission. (I think the cutoff is 5 years of MLB service time)

15 I might add that though I don't actively participate in the game threads, the harsh tone lately has kept me from reading as well.

They are almost as fun as reading a steroids related thread over at BTF.

18

I'm sorry, did not know that, assuming that is a union rule or something, and not just off the table because it makes Ned look bad.

So maybe Andruw has some physical ailment or vision problem, or maybe Jobu and Pedro Cerrano need to have a word with Andruw.

I always felt the more money the players made the less patience fans would have with them when they don't live up to expectations.

I never expected the booing to be based on a per at bat or per inning basis.

Are the fans who boo at games any different then the species who inhabit game threads and make negative comments on a pitch by pitch basis?

Torre faced a similar situation with Jason Giambi a few years ago and they asked Giambi to go down to the minors to work on things and he refused.

Of course, this is all written for information purposes only since there is no scenario that Jones does not play almost everyday for the Dodgers short of being hurt.

And one more thing about the weight, if he gained all this weight in the off-season, what are we to make of his 2007 season when we can suppose he was in better shape?

25 No and apparently Mets' fans have not forgotten how Reyes closed out last season too.

But they can't boo Reyes right now since he is hurt.

Jones' struggles are at least as much mental as physical. He sometimes hasn't resembled a major league hitter.

Even if he could be assigned to or agreed to go to Vegas, can you imagine how much worse that could make the mental aspect?

Simplistic solutions may be appealing, but they conflict with reality quite often.

Maybe actually walking a couple times last night--instead of flailing wildy at so many pitches off the plate--will be a good first step to getting back where he should be.

26
Giambi was coming back from health problems and they had a legitimate right to ask him to work on his swing. On the plus side, he refused and then caught fire after just about everyone had written him off including me due to the steroid allegations and the other health issues he was dealing with.

That is another reason why I've yet to panic on A Jones. I have done my chicken little act in the past and have been burned. Easier to just have some patience and see what happens but I understand that everyone wants to vent about him, because he is killing the offense.

Loving DeWitt. He could go 0-40 and it wouldn't change the fact he did the job we asked of him when we needed him. And how about the defense? I sure don't see any stone hands, but I do see one heck of an arm.

26 - last season was the product of an elbow injury for Jones. He also says that he gained the weight because he felt he was too light last season.

I am going to posit that Jones is simply pressing right now, new team, new contract, bad last season (by his standards).

All that said, I stand by my comment last night that there is something "off" with the Dodgers, though I can't put my finger on it.

Last night I posited a theory:

Theory on why Torre is playing Pierre over Kemp: Torre is a master of playing the media. He knows that playing Ethier over Pierre causes a ruckus, and he wants to avoid that. So he plays Pierre over Kemp while giving Ethier, a player he clearly has an affinity for, a chance to earn the starting job. While there were some who felt (wrongly) that Pierre was a better option than Ethier, no one in their right mind would suggest that Pierre is better than Kemp. Eventually the demand for Kemp to play becomes great, and as long as Ethier keeps putting up good numbers, no one bats an eye when Pierre is benched in May as the Dodgers look to dump his salary.

Today: "TORRE IS new on the job, so trying to help, I told him he's got it all wrong so far, playing Pierre when Matt Kemp should be in the lineup every game." T.J. Simers

It's all going to plan. No one is questioning whether Pierre should play ahead of Ethier anymore. Ethier is now, at least in the minds of the media, a starter. The question is now whether Matt Kemp, who is recognized as a raw but exceptional talent, should play over Pierre.

Can we give Torre some time? Can we remember that it's April? Can we remember that the season is a marathon? And before we frak out about the D-Backs, can we remember that there is a wild card? Can we NOT do the Dodgers Thoughts-commenters thing and freak out and vilify/idolize one guy right out of the gate?

Just to close the subject on peace, I think the best thing I could do is stay away from the game thread if I'm in a particularly bad mood.

Beyond that:

1) No matter what happens, it's just a game, it's just baseball. Only one part of my daily life.
2) I apologize for declaring the Dbacks winners of the NL West back on Tuesday
3) I tend to get more upset on days when the Dodgers start Pierre over Kemp.
4) Seeing how Jon is upset over the negativity of late (deserved or no), I'll end my "Pierre over Kemp" boycott and just enjoy the ride. because...

5) No matter what, the Dodgers are my baseball team and through thick and thin, I stick with them.

With old friend CF Shane Victorino going on the DL I wonder if old friend CF Jason Werth will get the playing time? He's been in a platoon with Jenkins in RF.

As long as Pierre is starting over Kemp or Ethier as often as he has been, there's going to be major frustration on this board.

31 I already bought into the theory that Torre gave Piere 1 week to embarrass himself vs. Peavy/Young/Haren to give Torre cover to bench Pierre indefinitely. Pierre did his part, and here we are. Someone else predicted around week 3, with the offense struggling, Torre would insert Pierre at the top of the order looking for "a spark." Looks like that theory won but 2 weeks ahead of schedule.

Stupidest quote of the day

NY Post reported Sunday that two workers approached a construction manager with what they thought was the location of the jersey. After digging a two-foot by three-foot hole, the jersey was found.

"They absolutely pinpointed that if it was in the ground, that's where it was," Yankees spokeswoman Alice McGillion told the newspaper.

Initially the Yankees denied the jersey was ever buried in the footings of the new stadium. But clearly the Yankees brass is happier now with the possibility of a curse gone.

"I hope his co-workers kick the [expletive] out of him," Yankees co-chairperson Hal Steinbrenner said.

http://tinyurl.com/46xs8z

Feeling your pain, Jon. But this is now the sports world we live in. Contracts talk- loudly.
By reading your posts, a lot of you obviously live in California. You certainly must recall the situation a couple years ago with the NFL Chargers. Drew Brees was playing brilliantly. Drew Brees was a qb of the future, a guy you could win a ton of games with for the next decade. Drew Brees was allowed to walk away because a kid on the bench had a multi-million dollar contract and "needed" to play. Forget that Brees had just taken them to the playoffs. Forget that Phillip Rivers had done exactly zero at that point in his career. The fact was, they were in to Rivers for the next five years for a lot of money, and they weren't going to let that money rot in order to allow an arguably better player to play instead. Goodbye Brees, hello unknown.
McCourt and Colletti-ot seem to be of a similiar mindset- biggest contract plays, period. Screw whether that happens to be the best player. Screw whether that means losing games because your most talented guys aren't on the field. They have to justify their spending, so Pierre and Jones and Loaiza and Nomar, etc., etc. get trotted out day after day. And Torre, being the good company man he is, is reduced to saying inane things to the press to try and justify management's position. That quote is arguably the most incredibly stupid sentence to ever leave a MLB manager's mouth, and Torre is not a stupid man. Until Frank McCourt concerns himself with fielding his best team day in and day out, and trying to win every time his team takes the field, this isn't going to change. Leave it up to Colletti-ot, and Pierre and Jones will be out there every day even if they aren't hitting their respective weight (and there truly was no pun intended there).
As far as Jones goes, my biggest concern is what Simers' reported. If Jones in fact has the "I don't care" attitude that Simers' reported, he then is going to become a clubhouse cancer. Guys like Ethier, Loney, Martin, Kemp, Bills, etc are ready and willing to run through a brick wall to win a game. Now they have among them a "veteran leader" who is hitting .100 while making 18 mil/year and saying he doesn't care what anyone thinks. That's beautiful. God, where is Kirk Gibson for attitude adjustments when you need him?

re:36 I read that and was surprised not so much that a co-chairperson of such a huge business identity would speak like that, but that not more has been made of it. That level of unprofessionalism is huge!

I think we give Torre this week to prove himself. If the lineups make sense, then we can at least pretend he was allowing Pierre to play himself out of the lineup.

That said, it seems like a weird way of going about business. Why not just make the right decision, be comfortable knowing you have the rings to back it up, and not give up possible losses for the sake of the long-term?

More and more I'm thinking Torre just really does believe that Pierre helps the team.

And no, the season is not a marathon if one is implying that these games mean less than any games in the future.

I hope 2007 Andruw Jones is worst case, and we get to see a glimpse of 2005-2006 AJ. But in 2007, which would be not too bad, he put up the following OPS month by month
.936
.629
.487
.936
.770
.582
So there are downs like now, but also ups, I'm sure when he's one of the best players in baseball.

--Martin will rebound as sure as I'm wearing short shorts today. He'll end up hitting .280-.290, with 15-20 HRs and 15-20 SBs.

--For some reason, I can't get too worried about Andruw Jones. Yes, he's been horrible beyond belief this season so far, but he will give us 30 HRs. And I never make "fat player" jokes. David Ortiz is fat. Prince Fielder is fat. Olmedo Saenz is fat, but that didn't bother us in '05 and '06. Or '04.

--Pierre starting over Kemp is an organizational psychosis, and I still see articles around the MLB press saying that it's a good idea. I don't know if it's a good thing or not that TJ Simers is on our side, but I do know that we're right, and that Matt Kemp is every bit the hitter that Mark Reynolds is, and a lot more talented when it comes to the other tools.

I am very worried that Gary Bennett might start today.

There is ZERO chemistry between him and Bills.

40 I loved the Jones signing (just like I loved the Schmidt signing), and I think that's why I'm patient. I would probably get worked up about it if it were a signing I hadn't supported.

As for his weight, I'm no one to complain about a fat player. I love the idea of a 300 pound CF winning the gold glove. Dine on, you wealthy diamond.

40 I saw a "news" article saying it's true Pierre has shortcomings in getting on base and hitting for power, but Torre may not see those as important.
That, in a nutshell, is the situation. Torre does not appreciate the two most basic functions hitters are supposed to perform. Why do you think it took $190M payroll for him to compete with the Yankees? Is that because he's a good manager?

They are replaying the 1978 Masters on CBS and Vin is doing the broadcast.

The problem is, there's an easy correlation to make:

Skinny Andruw Jones: Great hitter.
Fat Andruw Jones: Terrible hitter.

It's not an easy correlation to make if you consider the fact that Jones was reportedly at the lowest weight of his career last year and put up his worst numbers yet.

Well said, Jon. Very well said, and I'm glad you're also reminding everyone still about the importance of both patience and civility here. (It's hard for any of us to be patient any time Kemp is on the bench, but...)

I will say your "trip to the wood-chipper" comment made me crack up. Visions of Fargo coming back to me there...

I'm glad I missed last night's in-game discussion. I watched the game in the MLBTV archives late last night, enjoying most of it in my own solitary way.

This is totally grasping at any silver lining I can, but didn't it at least look like Jones had better at bats last night, after the first one? At least he wasn't swinging at the pitches they were making him chase earlier, taking walks is better than nothing. He's been looking awful, swinging at pitches out of the zone, so at least in those at bats he seemed a little more patient. Again, it may be just trying to grab on to anything with him but one step at a time I guess.

Happy Two Weeks Into a 162 Game Season, everyone!

Yes, he's been horrible beyond belief this season so far, but he will give us 30 HRs

I don't understand (or maybe, I just don't agree with) the logic that 30 HRs nullify any other stats a player can put up.

Tony Batista once hit 26 home runs and VORPed -3.5.

Today's lineup:

Furcal, SS

Pierre, LF

Ethier, RF

Kent, 2B

Loney, 1B

Martin, C

Jones, CF

DeWitt, 3B

Billingsley, P

Today's lineup from Diamond:

Furcal, SS
Pierre, LF
Ethier, RF
Kent, 2B
Loney, 1B
Martin, C
Jones, CF
DeWitt, 3B
Billingsley, P

WHERE IS KEMP?!?!?!? This is flat out ridiculous now.

44 Well, Vin's voice opened the show but I haven't heard it again.

In fact, our centerfielder is a classic example of what can go horribly wrong when hitting 30 HRs is all you care about.

I certainly hope we can stay civil here, but I would caution people that patience should not mean that we should be fine with our manager making terrible decisions early in the year.

Remember the NL West, and remember this:

2007- Arizona wins the division a 0.5 game over Colorado, San Diego finishes 1.5 game back and misses the playoffs.

In a division as tight, and as talented, as this, we don't have the wiggle room to allow for Torre to be making easily fixable mistakes, and we don't have the overwhelming talent to make up for any deficiencies in the offense.

We really need for everything to be done right this season, and it's frustrating when we can already essentially see games being lost while one of our best players sits on the bench.

I'm glad I wasn't the one to post the line-up, I almost did but decided the messenger might get shot. ;-)

At least Silverwidow's fear of Gary Bennett starting were unrealized. {looking on bright side.}

Okay, let's try to focus on the positives, let's get a win, let's get Matt Kemp the rest of the week or it'll be visions of wood-chippers for the lot of us.

At least Martin is starting.

Bison doesn't deserve this treatment.

Maddux is apparently a tough righty.

It's actually slightly more distrubing to me that Ethier has complete immunity now. I expected Pierre to start at least 120 games so seeing his name in the lineup isn't too bothersome.

52 But, even with his down year last year, don't you think his HRs and RBIs would've been a marked improvement for the Dodgers over most of their other options and would've brought them a few more wins at least? (Not to mention having him man CF over Pierre.) Not that it was an option to have him last year, but just saying if we did, it wasn't just the HRs vs. the low average, his power and runs driven in would've looked really good for LA.

But, it's true, HR's are "rally killers." ;-)

---

Hey, my Sunday soccer team is 2-0 to start the season after a 6-zip win today! If that doesn't cheer you, don't know what will!

Has anyone seen evidence of Kemp complaining about a lack of PT this year? I haven't, and I find it interesting that Team Player Pierre starting complaining immediately (with his agent calling Ned), whereas Kemp hasn't apparently complained at all.

If Greg Maddux, at this point in his career, is considered a "tough righty" Matt Kemp is never going to see the line-up.

Heck, Andruw Jones once hit 26 home runs and VORPed 5.4

If that doesn't cheer you, don't know what will!

1. The. 2. Masters.

I hope Kenny Williams bites soon. Or someone, anyone.

Morons, I've got morons on my team.

Next three games:

Zach Duke - LHP
Matt Morris - RHP
Paul Maholm - LHP

If Kemp doesn't play two out of three, there is a MAJOR PROBLEM.

My new favorite team will be whatever team Kemp gets traded to. I want blood right now, and I want Jason Repko to be turned loose on Pierre.

58

Hmmm JP's agent calls Ned, not the media, the GM for the team. I guess that's complaining in your book, I call it business.

22 i noticed that too, but i saw Pierre get up and give the Bison a high five. then Matt went and sat towards the far end and I thought of it as a positive, not like Pierre just sulking in the corner.

then again, i tend to be an optimist.

66

Really, the agent is just doing his job. It's Ned and/or Torre's fault for caving to that, if that's even the reason for their amazing levels of idiocy lately.

While we may have problems with him, I see no evidence that the Dodgers have any problem with Pierre, and much evidence that the team has problems with Kemp. Most of the comments you read about the immaturity and mistakes of young players seem to be directed toward Kemp. I find it telling that every other young player except for Kemp now has a regular job, even though Kemp is clearly the most talented of the bunch. As a matter of fact, I think that the Jones signing was not directed at Pierre--except for the fact that they realized he couldn't play CF--but because they didn't think that both Kemp and Ethier were going to be everyday players. Obviously, they have now decided that Ethier is an everyday player.

I figure that the Dodgers will continue the nonsense with Kemp for the rest of the season, and then trade him in the off-season.

Interesting that ever since Torre said last week that Kemp would play "most of the time," Pierre has played most of the time.

Torre was quoted recently saying something like "Kemp doesn't even know how good he is."

A small suggestion, Joe---put him in the lineup every day and let him show you and everyone else just how good he is.

It's been mentioned before that the team could be showcasing Pierre. Unlikely. He's been around way more than long enough for other teams to assess his skills, such as they are. They know what they would/wouldn't be getting.

Another explanation--worse if so--is that Ned (or even Frank) is telling Joe to play JP, "give him a shot at working through his slump and being the player he's always been, so he can help the team."

We assume here that Joe has the cred to win any lineup contest with Ned. But Ned is still GM. If Ned interfered much, I doubt Joe would put up with it. But Joe's job has a political content, so this early in the season and into his three-year Dodger contract, I could see Joe kind of going along, not rocking the boat much for a while while he gets a better feel. His inane comments--and actions--could reflect the team political dimenson. But that kind of a situation won't/can't last long, if it's the case.

Also, it's probably not realistic to expect Torre, age 67 and certified old-schooler, to embrace modern stastical analysis to the degree he probably should, even less to act quickly on conclusions readily available through it.

Pierre StartWatch

Pierre: 8
Kemp: 5

Torre said Pierre would start the season as a bench player pinch-hitting, pinch-running and being available to spell a starter

67
Pierre sulking in the corner, another nice image but not true. Pierre sits about 99 percent of the time in the far corner of the dugout near the camera well, before he was benched, after he was benched and in between.

Nobody that I have read or hear of says that JP is anything but a good team mate, and a good club house guy. Making stuff up because you don't like his game is pretty amazing, and oh by the way, JP plays the game the same way he has for years and years. Be mad at Ned all you want for signing JP, but JP does not have Barry Bonds disease.

I'm surprised Ned doesn't have a problem with our centerfielder's work ethic. Didn't Guzman get dumped for essentially the same thing?

Thank goodness I have to go to work. At least I can take my frustrations out on patrons.

72

I agree. We don't need to invent reasons for Juan Pierre to not be playing. We have plenty already.

29 Loving DeWitt. He could go 0-40 and it wouldn't change the fact he did the job we asked of him when we needed him. And how about the defense? I sure don't see any stone hands, but I do see one heck of an arm.

I think DeWitt has done a great job too under the circumstances. Despite his key hit last night, and it maybe was the key hit of the game, I'd like to think Nomar will give us more offensive production. At least I hope he does. Like Toy Cannon is implying, the defense may be a problem once Nomar returns.

If DeWitt goes back down when Nomar returns, we have no one to spell Nomar defensively in the late innings. Hu can't play both 2nd and 3rd at the same time. It seems that the superfluous one is Sweeney. We will have two people who can play first behind Loney. He (Sweeney)should really be unnecessary once LaRoche returns.

I'm not angry anymore. Now I'm sad.

I'll just sit here and cry.

2 - I'm going to whatever the Monday game is - I believe the 21st. Shoot me an email at j_senac@yahoo.com

You would think that hitting a homerun yesterday would have earned Kemp the start today.

I agree with 59 If Greg Maddux, at this point in his career, is considered a "tough righty" Matt Kemp is never going to see the line-up.

Also, it seems unnecessary to "showcase" Pierre for a trade. As someone said above - everyone knows what Pierre can do

Whatever Torre has in mind is a mystery to me.

Kemp should demand a trade.

72 - i'm sorry, i think my intent was misread. i was pointing out that i saw juan go give matt a high five and continue to talk to him. i saw it as a positive thing.

i was making no connections to where he sat or anything else as being a negative. if any were made, it was unintentional, and i did not know that jp regularly sat there.

:)

Jon,

You are supppose to be the calm person here.
You start a column called "bring the peace" and there nothing but gasoline. You have your choir group here.

My family and I are going to the beach today, send me your email address and I will send you some pictures of the beach, the kids having fun, and the the women.

Every year I want the Dodgers to win 162 and the Gaints to lose 162. The Dodgers look good for about 85.

I still like your work.

When things like this happen, I think of Elvis Costello. You know, he used to be disgusted, but now, he tries to be amused.

But it's not working. I'm still disgusted.

Icaros

You just made me laugh during a very quiet lecture. Everyone stared. I wanted to expalin, but I don't think they'd get how savage Jason Repko can be.

but they did all agree that Kemp should be starting.

Hey folks, I'm a long time Dodger fan and lurker but this Pierre over Kemp insanity got me to post for the first time.

I wonder how long it takes before Matt's frustration boils over and he takes the route Loney took last year and asks to be traded. It wouldn't surprise me, the same way I wasn't surprised when Loney did last year.

Kemp had the starting right field job won. The first week of the season, he looked terrible - as bad as Jones, or even worse. Kemp is still a raw talent, to a degree.

Torre's mindset changed. He gave Pierre a shot. I think now, Kemp will start against southpaws, Pierre will start against right-handers. So we have a platoon.

However, I also think if and when Kemp gets hot and shows Torre how good he is, he will win back the starting job. Torre is still getting to know his team here - as well as dealing with the realities of several huge contracts.

The latest "JoeChat" is interesting.

81

No problem. I just hope people can separate the ball player JP from the person JP. From what I've read JP is a pretty darn nice guy/ good team mate and all that, and he does play the game the way he's always played the game.

I also have a bias as JP's from my home town, and went to the same high school, of course I went there in the Jurassic period of history, JP a lot more recently.

72 Hes not saying Pierre is sulking. Im not either. If you can, go watch the game from last. After Kemp, hits the homerun, Pierre goes over and starts talking to him. I dont know what he said. But, even if it the most positive talk, like for example, Pierre giving Kemp hitting advice or telling him how good he is, wouldn't that just drive you even crazier if you were Kemp. If I was Kemp, Id be like, I just hit a homerun the opposite way, you'll never be able to do that, Im already better than you, you're taking food off my table, dont tell me how to hit or that I am a good hitter. We are in competetion.

The whole idea that an organization needs positive reinforcement between its members is a fallacy. The most successful organizations run on the competitiveness and animosity of its members towards eachother. In a game like baseball particularly, "We lack teamwork" is just code for management being inept at dealing with the externalities of that competition.

Hoo boy, people are really jumping on the panic train early this year, aren't they?

I know everybody thinks they're smarter and know more about baseball than Joe Torre, who, by the way, owns four World Series rings, but to jump all over his decision making this early in the season seems rather silly. I mean, I'd rather Kemp started too, but saying that it's "wearing me down" sounds a bit over dramatic, no?

D4P, I just caught it. I'm with Ken Tremendous on this. No way Joe wrote most of that stuff.

91

Actually, in this case, we all are smarter than Joe torre. Matt Kemp is a better baseball player than juan Pierre in every category of the game except for baserunning. It is an injustice to Kemp, the team, and the fans that he is now relegated as thr 4th outfielder. As for the "overly dramatic" responses, we all know how close this division will be at the end. Playing Juan Pierre for a substantial amount of time over a far superior player could be the difference between making the playoffs and sitting at home watching inferior teams play. It's mind-numbing, frustrating, and unfair to all parties involved. Juan Pierre gets villified, Kemp gets mistreated, and the fans are seeing a subpar team put on the field.

What is so stupid about today's decision is Kemp after hitting a homer and in the last game in AZ, he had two hits, so it seems now that if he has a bad performance he doesn't play and if he has a good performance he doesn't play. This will only sap his confidence.

One other note about JP, Maddux as I recall has a very good move, so SB' are not very likely today-one of JP'S strengths are SB's, so his value today is even less than say it was Friday night.....Dave Stewart was on the radio in Oakland last night, wish it would have been a call in so I would have told him to call the Dodgers....Best thing that could happen especially given Andru Jones situation/contract, would be to trade JP for the best possible outfield prospect hope they would be ready in 2-3 years and once Jones goes there is someone with some power who can replace Jones.

94 My bad memory tells me that Maddux has been bad at holding runners his whole career.

Just saw that UCLA named Cowan the starter. Good move for them IMO, I was hoping for Olson. .

Tiger doesn't have it this week.

2 Normally I would be, but I'll be in Alabama on business that week. I will be there when they come back to Cincinnati in June though.

Wow. What does Juan Pierre do better than Kemp? Honestly. All I've got is not strike out. Kemp's got everything else covered. This is disgusting.

In a futile attempt to change the subject, anyone notice with the exception Billingsley how few syllables are in our starting lineup?

Here's some impossible trivia: What's the least amount of syllables in a starting lineup ever?

The other night when Pierre bunted with 1 out in the 7th to get Furcal in I knew the game was over. You cant just give outs up, yet with Pierre HITTING it was the right play. That's our bridge to the middle of the order, to expand innings, a guy who you don't even trust to let him hit. Then you watch that Kemp HR last night and how can you not play that? Kemp is also hitting .500 in his last 12 ABs.

So either Kemp is really in the doghouse due to attitude (which I see no evidence of) or I know nothing about baseball or torre knows nothing about baseball or Torre has been told he HAS to play Pierre and afterall who questions Torre (Simers) he isn't Grady for petes sake or Pierre needs to play because a few teams are scouting him right now.

Seriously, this is madness. It almost feels like they're doing it to spite us.

You are looking live at Dodger Stadium! Today's forecast: HOT!

Tony Jackson is saying that the reason Pierre is starting today is that Pierre's lifetime batting average against Maddux is .364 -- 13 for 31. Kemp is 1 for 2 against Maddux.

104 - so Kemp's lifetime average is .500

91 Torre knows Kemp is better than Pierre. He has said that many times in many different ways. The decision to start Kemp over Pierre is an easy one. Torre has just forgotten that, in trying to deal with the headaches associated with starting Kemp over Pierre. All we need is for Torre to remember how easy his decision really is.

97 Agreed. And he still may win. That's how sick he is. What is he 6 back. He needs to be within 4 on back nine. It'sa very doubtful of course but those two par 5 are gimme birds for him typically..

107 - it's not the strokes at this point, its the number of people in front of him. IMO he's done. Not all those guys are gonna come back to him.

Slap hitters do seem to have some success against Maddux. Also, IIRC, Maddux doesn't much care what baserunners do. He's busy concentrating on more important things.

103 Didn't Torre just say a few ago that he doesn't look at those?

104 I think that would be excellent reasoning if Kemp had been playing all this time. A perfect day to give Kemp or Jones or Ethier the day off. But, if Pierre is the designated left-hand side of the platoon, then why feel the need justify playing him? If Kemp is the everyday player, and Pierre is just playing because he is good against Maddux, why wasn't Kemp starting yesterday or the day before?

This, of course, isn't directed at you, Canuck!

Among other things, Kemp's speed is largely underrated.

Whoa. I'm going kayaking.

No Ginobili for San Antonio today.

I don't think there is any logical explanation to playing Pierre over Kemp at this point. There are only illogical explanations, such as Torre wanting to see what Pierre can do (he can look stats or at old film), or thinking Kemp looks bad (surely not worse than Jones, and his numbers, even with the slow start, are far better than Pierre's).

I'm not mad, though, or even frustrated, because the season is still way too early for that. This too will pass.

Call it a knee jerk reaction, call it irrational, call it whatever you want, but I haven't been this mad at the Dodgers since 1998.

112 - good point. He's probably just as difficult to double up as JP.

0 - For those who think this is really is a $36 million trip to the wood-chipper, I can't imagine how it's been.

Predictable?

Really, I want to be wrong. But Ned's fixation on veterans hasn't been that productive. I'm surprised Logan White doesn't just quit out of boredom.

115
Your comment raises a good point.

The question we're focusing on: "Why is Pierre starting over Kemp?"

A separate yet also worthwhile question: "Why is Jones starting over Kemp?"

108 I disagree so we shall see. The names above him have never closed a Major have they?? And I know they have never gone thru Amens corner and the back 9 on Sunday when it counts.

Tiger just needs the putter to work.

Hopefully Maddux gets chased early, and Kemp is beought in. If for anyhting, thatI love watching Kemp.

I'd be angry, but I'm tired. And I hate MLB.tv more.

119 Pierre makes 7.6 million dollars more than Kemp.

Jones makes 17.7 million dollars more than Kemp.

122 - I cancelled my MLB.tv subscription Friday. If the price of using MLB.tv is installing Microsoft software (Silverlight) on my Mac, that price is far too steep from a security standpoint.

i have a problem: my natural response to too many things is to trust the experts. are my brakes crappy? shockingly, the guy who puts on brakes for a living says 'yes,' and sets me up. somehow, in my head, that's not a horrible system. i trust. it makes life easier. but i also tend to get hosed a lot.
so when i look at today's lineup, and see yet again that kemp isn't deemed better than pierre, i go through an internal meltdown. my brain, which happens to know more about baseball than brakes, knows something is amiss, something that isn't baseball-related. but my brain fights with my heart, which instinctively wants to say 'trust torre, the guy is an expert, even with the nose hairs.'
well, today, i am rising above my trust problem. i am saying, categorically, that the expert - torre - is an idiot. kemp is better than pierre and starting pierre in a game that counts (yup, they count in april, i just looked it up) is an affront to dodger fans everywhere, particularly those paying for tickets today. joe, frank, etc... shame on all of you.

I just saw the lineup and I have two words for it: Go Padres.

From this day forward, whenever Juan Pierre is in the lineup instead of Matt Kemp, I will root passionately for the Dodgers to lose. (Not that they'll need my help to lose.) No team this incompetent, this stubborn, this aggressively self-defeating, deserves to have a single fan left. I will not be party to the silent acceptance of idiocy.

I feel like it's 1789, and I can only hope the Bastille is about to be stormed.

126
word, mon frere.

126
No, that seat's not taken.

123. Loaiza makes $6.6 million more than Kuo.

There's a 60th anniversary tribute to Israel going on now. I think it's too hot for two anthems.

The "But Torre won championships in New York!" argument is becoming increasingly tired. His record away from New York as a manager, without the glut of talent he had at his disposal, is well-documented. Still getting acquainted with the players? Nonsense. I don't give a lick about the Cincinatti Reds, but I know that Jay Bruce should be playing ahead of Corey Patterson. The excuses are getting old.

Still, at least he's not Tracy.

The Lakers telecast just went to commercial break playing "City Of Angels" by Ozomatli...the Dodgers need to jump all over that song.

124 What are the security issues exactly?

126 I really think that's going too far. Root for the Dodgers to win, despite Pierre. Then they'll blow away the league when they start playing Kemp.

130 Is it bizzare that I distinctly remember being there for the 50th anniversary tribute to Israel?

At least, I remember the two dudes yelling "Go Isreal" in front of me.

119 Correct. What happened was that all three started poorly, not hitting at all. Ethier was the only OF hitting in the first two weeks. So he gained his place. If Kemp had managed to play the first week like he did in ST he'd be secure too. But he didn't: he hit 0.00, or close to it. Same as Jones and Pierre. But he's a near-rookie, has lots of time to develop. In the meantime the organization wants to get some value out of Jones and Pierre. So they're allowed to play themselves out of their slumps. If Jones still doesn't start hitting in - who knows? a week? two weeks? - he'll finally be pulled.

If Jones does start hitting soon, it will be impossible to know whether we'd have won more games for the season by starting Kemp sooner and letting him play his way out, or not. (I.e. playing Kemp and Pierre now might mean sitting Jones for half the season and having him be horrible for all the games he does play. Letting him play himself in should result in an Ethier-Jones-Kemp lineup as originally planned for most of the season.)

But it's awfully frustrating and sure does seem moronic in the short term.

Also, a hail of boos such as has never been heard at Dodger Stadium needs to rain down on Juan Pierre. I know he hasn't done anything to deserve them, and I don't wish him ill, but at this point his feelings are collateral damage. The Dodgers need to be made aware that the contempt they show toward winning will not be tolerated.

Loaiza wants to know the score

>> One day after being told he would be replaced in his next scheduled start Tuesday night by Hong-Chih Kuo, Dodgers right-hander Esteban Loaiza expressed dissatisfaction Saturday with the way he has been handled this season. <<

Torre on Furcal/Pierre at the top of the lineup:

## "If we can get a couple of speed guys to get on base and cause some distractions and some movement, we might be able to manufacture some runs." ##

http://www.presstelegram.com/sports/ci_8907747

122. I´ve just read your post on The Griddle, Bob. Wish I could have another option, sometimes the MLB TV doesn´t work and it´s very frustrating.

If Eric is storming the Bastille, I'm waiting for the ensuing Reign of Terror and the later Thermidorian Reaction.

Today's boring historical anecdote!

I just realized I can watch the Dodgers game today, even though my parents don't have the Extra Innings package. It's on local TV and I'm in LA! (Technically, I'm in O.C., but we've been over that argument before.) Next thing you know someone will tell me I can watch the Lakers, Angels, and Dodgers all at the same time today. And that the Lakers are back to playing as well as they did when I used to watch them in the finals against the Celtics in my parents' old house.

scareduck -- if you've ever recorded LPs to a Linux system using a turntable with a USB input, I'd like some tips. I just got a nice, belated birthday present from my folks last night.

126 Tribe leads 3-1, bottom of the 8th.

There was a very attractive rabbi who sang the National Anthem.

I'm thinking of converting. What do I get out of Catholicism, at best an old Irish guy telling jokes about golf. Is there an online form for conversion?

143 And we have the bases loaded with two outs. Hernandez is on the mound for the A's. I don't know who Hernandez is.

I didn't know people could purchase those unsightly camouflage jerseys.

Immelman could be running away with The Masters.

144 It's like Bob is reliving that episode of Six Feet Under where Nate almost converts because of the hot rabbi played, IIRC, by Molly Parker.

146 The only reason any team ever wears an alternate jersey like that is so there will be another option for fans to purchase.

What I'm zeroing in on today to get mind off the Kemp on the bench nonsense: Hoping Chad gives us a good start today, to erase memory of the last one. Gotta keep the pitch count low in this heat.

Hey, speaking of MS's crummy Silverlight player for MLBTV, does anyone using it on the Mac have trouble pausing it? Basically pause doesn't work at all for me (using FF for the Mac.)

Sizemore with a two-run single!
Dellucci with an RBI single!
7-1 Tribe.

Chad's first 6 pitch MPHs:

93
94
93
93
94
93

Can't believe I'm going to do this but I'd like to at least fly a little flag of understanding on the sitting Kemp situation. First let me say that I wouldn't do it and I don't agree with it. BUT, Kemp is revered around here like a superstar. He is not yet. He IS better than Pierre and therefore should probably be playing more. I believe he will be.
But as I've pointed out for over a year, he has a flaw in his swing that keeps him from reaching his potential. His first move is consistently to move his weight away from the plate. Even his hips pull back slightly with every pitch. He's so strong that even doing this he can hit it out to right (like he did last night). But maybe, just maybe, they are working with him on this and sitting him has more to do with training a rookie to do right. Perhaps it is even punishment for not following direction on pitch selection (or something else). Pierre got his message on opening day. Perhaps Kemp gets his in this opening 10 days and both will be better off come mid summer. Again, I agree, this is the season and you need to play your best players. But you also have to train your kids and especially kids with potential like Kemp's. Just a thought. Let the flaming begin, I'll be watching the Masters.

kemp not in the line up again?? i am speeachless!!! what is torre waiting for, for kemp to prove himself?? the guys homers off the bench last night...something must be going on because torre cant be this stupid. this is just a joke, plain and simple..

153 Kemp is already a star by any objective measuring stick. Talk of the flaws in his swing, lack of maturity, etc., are all well and good, but those things didn't prevent him from OPS+ing 125 and being one of the best players in the league last year. The fact that there's room for improvement has caused so many people to lose sight of how good he already is. He has to be considered a star unless you throw actual performance out the window.

150- Pause doesn't work on PCs using IE, either. MLBAM is like Hollywood: it's not that it doesn't care what you like or want, it's that it actively hates you.

"it's not that it doesn't care what you like or want, it's that it actively hates you."

This is the leader in the clubhouse for the title of the next Joe Torre biography.

155 I respectfully disagree with your definition of star. He has played the equivalent of one full season at an OPS+ 110. That is extremely promising but not a star by most any standard. And it doesn't take away from the point that he might need some lessons in order to reach his very high potential.

I believe that we´ll have the good old(?) Chad pitching today. Nice!

158 Lumping in his first season's stats, when he was called up before he was ready, is extremely misleading, as I have no doubt you are aware.

160. I don't agree with that at all. He wasn't ready in 2006 but was in 2007? Maybe. But why do you get to count one small recent sample but not the other when they're less than a year apart?

wow, that was interesting.

Guys, there really is no mystery here, no attitude problems or hidden issues. Torre said Friday that Kemp would be playing if he didn't have Pierre available. Thus he must think Pierre is the better option, especially since the next day he announced his plan to play small ball. We disagree, and here we are. I just hope we're not looking at the set lineup Torre is said to prefer.

Gameday's apparently long flyball has frozen Gameday. It also appears to have frozen Dodger Thoughts.

Gameday is frozen.

161 Because one sample is (a) twice the size of the other, (b) more recent, which makes it twice as relevant, and (c) happened when the player was ready for the major leagues, while the other didn't.

These are accepted principles of baseball analysis. (Well, accepted by most, I guess.) We'll just have to agree to disagree.

Sadly, I agree with Eric Enders. I want the Dodgers to lose when Pierre is starting ahead of Kemp. I can't deny how I feel. It's not a conscious decision, but I find myself hoping they lose and Pierre goes 0-for-4 every day he starts. Because we KNOW -- because anyone who truly knows anything about what generates runs in the game of baseball KNOWS -- that Kemp is twice the player Pierre is, and any excuses about slumps or platoons or matchups are just a way to candy-coat the situation, which is that the Dodgers have a $45M albatross on their hands.

And so I just want them to lose, because as long as they win in spite of Pierre, this is just going to continue. Kemp is going to continue getting buried at the expense of his development and confidence, and this smug Plaschkeesque anti-Moneyball grit-and-hustle crowd is just going to continue thinking that slugging under .300 is canceled out by creating "havoc" on the basepaths.

I can't root for this team anymore, not as long as this is going on. It's silly to be this caught up in the emotions of it, but it's silly to follow grown men playing athletic events for millions of dollars to begin with, so when in Rome....

http://garciapierra.blogspot.com/

126 - such have been the McCourt Dodgers. Having spent every season since he "purchased" the team railing against management, it seems utterly futile to take this approach, but like King Canute, I still show up, though less and less to the actual games. Some of that is due to my owning season tickets to much closer Angels, but some of that is also due to a general feeling that the McCourts and their henchmen do not have the wisdom or intestinal fortitude to make the proper choices.

142 - no idea how that works; I usually use my wife's setup for that, but since we moved she hasn't had a turntable hooked up to anything.

Sadly, I am reduced for rooting for an injury. I feel bad and I hope it's not a serious one, but an injury to an outfielder right now, any of our three starters, would improve our team.

163 Not necessarily, he could just mean that because Pierre is on the roster, he has to play him to keep the team or management happy.

What happened to the Dodgers in the bottom of the first? Gameday is now showing Furcal at 2nd.

167 - great title for your blog, hotblack.

166. Let me just repeat one final time... I don't agree with playing Pierre over Kemp. Perhaps I too am just reaching for reasons that make sense- and maybe they just aren't there. I DO hate watching Kemp's swing when I know he could be even better. But I hate watching everything Pierre does on a ballfield even more.

I ask anyone here that goes to games, to start a "We want Kemp!" chant if he is not playing.

170 What happened to Joe's little "I make the lineup" speech.

Speaking of great titles, I found this yesterday, when looking for the proper definition of the Grabowski Principle, but forgot to link it.

http://tinyurl.com/3rad92

Furcal singled.
Maddux balked.
Pierre lined out to second
Ethier flied out to center
Kent grounded out to pitcher

175 What speech are you referring to?

178 At the beginning of the year, Joe very sternly stated that he's the one that makes the lineup, so any complaints you have should be directed him.

176 - ah, yes, the canonical definition.

<pats self on back>

Actually, it was Steve of the former Fire Jim Tracy who came up with it, but I extended it to what I hope is a more general case.

If you wish the Dodgers to lose when Pierre starts over Kemp, might as well wish for the Dodgers to continue losing so Ned can be fired.

181 - maybe that's the genius of Torre's strategy, sabotage the team and get Ned run.

This reminds me of the Micah Owings game. We're killing the ball but cant get anything to drop. Loney and Russ absolutely smoked those balls.

180- The Internet Archive only went one layer deep on FJT, so I couldn't get the cache of the day he wrote it. I think yours is the only recorded copy of it.

I've had enough. Some of you may remember me as an obnoxious rabblerouser this past summer when I argued that the Dodgers should trade Kemp in an effort to get Cabrera.

They didn't, and that's fine. But if you aren't going to trade him, AT LEAST PLAY HIM. He's the most talented player on the field when he plays; the guy hits line drives like Vlad.

What is happening absolutely boggles the mind and reminds me why the Dodgers have bricked the past twenty years.

184 - my favorite FJT moment was when he got so fed up with the Dodgers that he turned the blog title to "Hoo-Ray", a Devil Rays blog. Priceless.

The Dodgers, especially Martin and Jones, did a nice job working the count in that inning. Maddux is up to 34 pitches after two innings. If he is gone after 5, the Dodger might be able to do something against the Padre bullpen in the sixth.

Jones walked again -- maybe he is starting to lay off those sliders out of the zone -- I say so hopefully.

Jones walked again

Which won't endear him to Management.

179 That is consistent with what I think is causing Joe problems here. Joe is suffering from a problem that many managers fall into. Torre is doing exactly what Jones is doing at the plate, he is trying too hard and forgotting what is most important for success.

Joe's job can be grouped into two categories of decisions: the major category and the minor category.

The major category is he has to play the best players he has got to win as many games as possible.

The minor category is dealing with the costs that stem from his major decision. These include unhappy players, unhappy boss, making his boss and owner look bad and generally dealing with the headaches of being the focus of the media and the public. Although, part of his job is also to deal with these things, its clearly not as important as his major category of decisions.

Here, it is important to note that I believe the minor category does not necessarily affect the major category. Unhappy players do not necessarily perform worse.

Joe is getting paid 4 million dollars. Playing Kemp and Pierre is an easy decision. He named Kemp the starter, and has all but said Kemp is a better player than Pierre. The problem is that in trying to justify his pay, he is trying to deal with the minor problem and forgot that these concerns are secondary to the primary responsiblity of his job.

There is no way a guy who has seen baseball as much as him thinks Pierre is better than Kemp. Those quotes in the media are part of his effort to keep his players happy and cover the behinds of his superiors. That is why he is different than Grady, and why this is even more frustrating. On the second day of this season, Torre tried to do too much, he overthought himself, and now all us fans are suffering from his reluctance to "make the easy pass" as they say in soccer.

And another K for Billingsley! Sweet!

Would have liked to see that at bat live against A.Gonzalez.

5 Ks in 3 innings! Billz is my hero!

Bills is pitching excellent.

The radar gun on TV is slow (Gameday is about 3 MPH faster).

Bills looks good so far. The hits, except for one, haven't been much to write home about. He's been really solid. Figured this would be a tough, low-scoring game.

Did Vin Scully really just say "Gooch and Kooz"? {titter}

The great thing about Bills is that, except for the walk given to Hairston, he´s showing good comand. Looks like he improved his comand from last season.

The player actually taking playing time away from Kemp is Jones. Jones is hands down the worst regular on the team. Kemp can play CF better than JP, therefore, all things being equal it should be Ethier/Kemp/JP in the OF.

My goodness I thought I would never utter such a thought, but, bitter as it is JP is playing better than Jones, if defense is not considered.

While it is true that the season is young, the sad thing is that a game lost to poor team management in April counts as much as a game in August/September. Losses, especially within ones own division, will be very hard to makeup since the 2008 race was already going to be a close affair.

It will get worse when Nomar returns. There will then be three automatic outs (Jones, JP, Nomar) on an already weak hitting team. This assumes, of course, that Martin figures out his problem.

Patience is not all it is cracked up to be, especially when insanity is running rampant in the clubhouse.

May we all have an interesting season.

We have a Juan Pierre practicing at 10am on an otherwise empty field story from Vin, for anyone tracking at home. Throwing baseballs against the wall.

197 Great, even Vinny is drinking the kool-aid.

not going to walk to get to maddux?

not a good 0-2 pitch

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."

That was a gift pitch from Chad. High floating change. Was an out, but a gift RBI to the #8 hitter. Sigh, hopefully we didn't jinx Bills.

Tiger just dunked a 75-footer for birdie on 11. Finally.

196 There is no measure of anything, anywhere, anytime that shows that Pierre is a better player than Jones.

Actual Outfielder Depth Chart:

1. Kemp
2. Ethier
3. Jones
4. Pierre

Torre's Outfielder Depth Chart:

1. Ethier
2. Jones
3. Pierre
4. Kemp

If this were Mastermind, Torre would have none of the pegs in the correct position.

198 - I don't think so. Vin has always called 'em as he saw 'em, but has never been shy about giving us personal moments about the players, even if they're bad players.

204 While Jones has certainly played better than JP in the past he is currently under performing JP at this point in this season. I certainly hope that that changes, otherwise our season's success is in dire jeopardy.

The Dodgers are challenging the A's for the league lead in terrible facial hair.

"Khalil Greene last year's Padre MVP"

Didn't Jake Peavy play for the Padres?

Freakin' Jeff Spicoli just robbed Martin of a hit and likely RBI. Curse him!

208- Jayson Werth had a piece of corn in his goatee this afternoon, I swear to Ch-i. The light caught it, and made it sparkle, right before he got his second hit.

210

Breaker breaker we've got a Rule 1 violation, over.

207 Pierre is slightly better than Jones in OPS so far this year, but his current .528 OPS is nothing special. Even taking into account the extremely small 8 game sample size for Pierre and the 12 game sample size for Jones, I'm pretty sure most logical people would stick with Jones in the lineup based on career numbers. I would stick with him for fielding alone.

208 - and then I remember they traded Mark Kotsay this offseason. Oakland is clearly playing to lose.

208 - I think Nick Swisher has that award wrapped up for CWS.

Letting Maddox go and the Pads picking him up was not a good move.

Maybe his agent is Boras--I forget.

I'm feeling better and have a choice, listening to Vin.

One thing to really like about Dodger Stadium vs. Chase Field: the Dodgers actually pony up for the canonical baseball chant loops ("We Will Rock You", "Another One Bites The Dust"). Freddy Mercury's estate deserves the money.

216 Greg Maddux was a slightly below average pitcher last year, even with a great defense behind him. He also makes 10 million dollars a year.

215 - oh, Swisher, too. Gah. Yes, definitely playing to lose.

216 Yes, Boras is his agent. Even worse was letting him go without even offering arbitration.

215
Even Jose Lima thinks Nick Swisher has gone overboard.

Andruw 13 strikeouts in 39 appearances.

As Vin just said, the Wolves are out...you think?

218 Yes, and his replacement on the Dodgers, Mr. Schmidt, has been so much better.

I hate our cable box. I can't do picture-in-picture without missing a huge part of the picture. Just godawful.

I wish my good weeks were as good as Tiger's bad weeks. The media keeps telling us how awful he has been this week and he is one stroke out of second at the Masters. I could make a living with weeks like that.

For my next question to Ned at the ITD blog:

If given the opportunity, which Free Agent Center Fielder will you look to go after for 2009?

Yep, Ned should have known he'd get catasprohic shoulder damage right after we signed him. He's a horrible GM.

Pinch-hitting already? And with none on, 2 outs?