Forget defense, just get the best bats in the lineup. Sure, LaRoche may make a few errors, but he's young enough where he could improve.

If Kent doesnt bb anymore, he's done bc his power is all but gone.

The Dodgers problems boil down largely to lack of power. Their best power hitter is playing third base in the minors right now. Oh well.
Maybe next year.

Our manager isn't concerned about power.

1. would the Dodgers be required to pay him if he wanted the money?
2. would the Dodgers be required to pay him if he didn't want the money?

Speaking of which, am I the only guy who was dismayed to learn Juan Pierre was the hero last night? I didn't see the game and noticed the highlights as I got home.

Since Pierre will never get hurt, this problem is all on Torre, just like it was all on Little, and I expect it to last all season.

The 3rd base situation will probably be up to the Fates and the trainers. The guy who can walk will play. If two guys can walk, DeWitt is the odd man out.

I've actually stopped TiVoing the games. I check in to see how games in progress are going, or I "watch" via Gamecast at work, but I just don't need the aggravation of watching better players rot on the bench while inferior players play. Again.

Shocking - but good times await us. The starting pitching will start giving up fewer runs as they pitch to their peripherals, A Jones will come back big, Kent will not be this bad, Furcal will be healthy again, and Pierre will sit again.

As others have advocated I'm sure the brain trust is discussing the DeWitt or LaRoche to 2nd base every night. Wouldn't shock me at all to see LaRoche playing 2nd base someday soon for Vegas. Of course the same brain trust might also be trying to trade LaRoche but we all know what will happen if they do. DeWitt's 1st slump will start the day LaRoche is dealt. I can't imagine that the Dodgers would be so short sited that they would be happy to rely on DeWitt for the rest of 2008.

Just like Hu's power display last Sept should be taken with a grain of salt so should his tepid start this spring. Don't be so quick to bury him, not every kid comes up ready to hit which makes what DeWitt doing even more special. He's also a SS where a special glove can make up for an anemic bat. I can't think of any other backup SS in the major leagues I'd rather have playing SS right now then Hu. Remember what Tulo did in his first go around and then how he did after his explosive sophmore season.

It should be noted that while only 10 people have ever had an 800 OPS at age 40 or above in 500 PA, only 26 people have done it age at 39 or older, and Kent is one of them.

Enjoy the win. We needed it.

There's a very good chance Kent could be done, I said as much before, but we shouldn't just give up on him because he's 40.

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

With no real option at 2nd base, Kent needs to perform and prove me wrong for us to be successful. I've even got a column ready to go for when he breaks out and I hope I get to use it.

Hoo boy, I'm seeing 3 runs max today from the Blue Crew. Maybe Billingsley has one of those 9 inning shutouts in him.

http://minors.baseball-reference.com/players.cgi?pid=3896

Can anyone give me an example of another SS with a great glove and no bat that is starting right now? Both Izturus brothers and Orlando Cabrera immediately come to my mind. Taking those three guys for example, I would say only the White Sox have enough potential offensive firepower to combat the black hole in the lineup that is their SS. I don't think the Angels nor the Cardinals can afford to keep playing those guys without it hurting their chances of success in the long run. I guess that's my point. I don't see Hu or Abreu for that matter, contributing continually to the team's success. I see their presence in a lineup already lacking power as a serious detriment. I would rather resign Furcal and try a LaRoche experiment at 2nd or sign a free agent (Orlando Hudson maybe?) than go with Hu or Abreu as one of our starting infielders next year.

http://tinyurl.com/555wbe

I would feel more comfortable racing David Wells.

Other then NY, Texas, Indians, and Detroit I don't see one SS who is considered an above average offensive player in the AL.
Boston - Lugo - no offense or defense
Tampa - Bartlett - good defense, little offense
Balt - zippo on both fronts
Toronto - zippo on both fronts
KC - good defense, no offense
Twins - all about defense, zero offense
CWS - good defense, aveage offense
Angels - who knows, to early to tell what Aybar brings
A's - no offense, Crosby hasn't hit in years
Seattle - good defense, some offense

In the NL you have Reyes, Rollins, Hanley
all in the East. One guy in the central Tejada.
Atlanta - no one thinks Escobar can keep this up. expect a decline
Florida - Hanley is so bad defensively he's a joke
Nat's - on an offensive tear, care to bet on where it ends up
Cubs - Theriot - really
Brewers - JJ Hardy is quite average offensivley other then one month in 2007
Cardinals - Izzy I
Pirates - Jack Wilson all about defense, no offense
Arizona - Drew - who knows
Giants - zippo
Padres - you think Green and his subpar 300 OBP is an offensive SS?
Dodgers - Furcal when healthy
Tulo - one great year, one bad year, take a look at his road numbers in 2007 and is he really anything special offensively?

I stand by my statement.

a) finally allow Ned to trade him?
b) finally allow Ned and Torre to play him?

I think the same thing about Kyle Korver. He looks like Carrot Top, not Ashton Kutcher.

Welcome to Dodger Thoughts Hammer!

I thought maybe I saw you on Bronx Banter once. Anyway, I'm headed to NYC to see the Yanks in July. Do you have any Pizza restaurant recommends in either Manhattan or the Outer Boroughs?

As for Pierre, yes, I agree with all the others.

I enjoy what I am seeing from Torre so far. He's a very calm, well intentioned, good leader, in my eyes.

It's quite simply a preference for another player who is more talented and also a hard worker. It's nothing personal against Pierre.

B) They've played him in twelve straight

How come the Griddle is not on this story?

Lugo for example, doesn't hurt Boston because they have the offense to make up for him. My point is that the Dodgers don't have the offense to make up for a guy like Hu, who doesn't or hasn't hit at all. I'm not saying he needs to be a slugger, he just needs to hit somewhat consistently. By not hitting and not having other sufficient/proven power sources in our daily lineup, he hinders our chances of winning.

That 10th inning in game 2 of the doubleheader Monday killed their streak.

Still, they have five straight games of allowing 0 runs in the first 9 innings (4 of them shutouts).