Nice point, Jon. What's killing the Dodgers right now is to field a lineup with 2 and sometimes 3 or 4 players who are awful offensively. I don't mind waiting out Kent a bit more, to see if he can at least be average, but sitting Ethier most of the time is a terrible decision. Only one of JP/AJ should be in the outfield on a given day.

The Dodgers could solve quite a few problems by playing LaRoche at 2b.

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.

Kent does not seem like the sort to retire mid-slump. We have Kent & Nomar on the team and they're going to play somewhere. There is close to 0% chance of trading either one.

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.

Brewers to sign Braun through 2015
http://tinyurl.com/445m8t

3 - Who said anything about retiring?

The Dodgers problems boil down largely to lack of power

Our manager isn't concerned about power.

I was just thinking he wouldn't start as much. Although, the more I think about it, if there's any guy who would say, "You know, if I can't play well anymore, I'm outta here," it might be Kent.

If Kent were to choose to retire mid-season,

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?

Chin Lung Hu is not the answer to anything. Sparkling defense or not, that kid looks terrible at the dish. I'm in favor of moving LaRoche to 2nd and let him learn a new position. Hu needs to be traded along with Abreu. We've already had an Izturus and Cora and as fun as they may be to watch play the field, they contributed next to nothing on offense. In this day and age, you can't have a glaring hole in your lineup much less two. Abreu and Hu are holes that need to go somewhere else. IMO.

At 2am this morning I advocated for LaRoche to come up and be the 4th outfielder and trade JP. I know this won't happen, but in looking at Ethier versus JP, two simple stats are HR's and plain OPS. Ethier has 3 HR JP is 0. Ethier OPS: 821, JP 707. Given the Dodgers lack of power to begin with sitting Ethier hurts more because JP ain't goin hit one in the near future, Ethier although not a classic power hitter can hit some. The Dodgers need as much power as they can get, especially with a declining Kent and Jones. If things continue as they are, I shutter to think what Ned will do at the trade deadline

5 - the ToyCannon piece you linked to suggested Kent should retire.

"Retire" nothing... in a perfect world he should have retired at the end of last year and avoid the embarrassment.

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.

11 - that was during the offseason, not in the middle of a slump

Yeah, Torre has taken a bad situation (Furcal hurt) and made it worse by starting Pierre over Ethier (because you need a fast guy batting first, apparently). And when Nomar comes back? Starting Nomar, Pierre, Jones, Hu, and 2008 Kent means trouble. Unless the pitching does an about-face, it means a battle for last place with the Giants.

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.

12 No you weren't the only one. It pains me to watch him play, I don't know when I feel worse, when he feebly grounds out/pops out, or when he comes through because it means he has guaranteed himself another week of PT.

The press notes remind that today is the 10th anniversary of the Piazza trade. What current Dodger is linked to the transaction?

7 Good observation Jon. I also concur that Kent has always been a 'professional' baseball player. There doesn't seem to be any delusions of grandeur haloing his ego. If he believed he was really done, I think he would step aside and be done.

With the Dodger starting pitching giving up run after run, A Jones looking like Billy Ashley, Jeff Kent looking like an old Craig Biggio, Furcal hurt again, Pierre starting everyday, here we sit one game over 500.

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.

16 Sweeney?

16 Ethier.

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.

I'm never dismayed to see Juan Pierre do well, because 1. it means the team probably did well, and 2. it raises his trade value a little bit.

I don't buy the notion that one big hit keeps a player in Torre's lineup. It seems clear he's deciding based on broader issues. His notion of the hot hand is based on more than one at-bat.

Enjoy the win. We needed it.

Off Topic. Jon, will you be covering tonights season finale of the Office, and the beginning of the Lost finale?

20 - Yeah, that's essentially noted in the comments in Toy's entry. I'm not sure what the point is. It doesn't change the notion that the chances of repeating the feat decline with age.

23 - Lost is unlikely, because it just ends too late for me to deal with intelligently. Office is a definite possibility. There will be a chat thread in any case.

24 It's that Jeff Kent is far more likely to put up strong numbers at an old age, since his performance at his age is already close to unprecedented.

20
Seems to me a drop from 26 to 10 is a large drop. I expect that of those 10 who did it at 40, all of them did it at 39. So would you consider those good odds that some of the greatest hitters of our time, only 10 of them would be able to repeat the skill only one year later?

8
If Kent retired and put himself on the voluntarily retired list, he wouldn't be getting paid anymore.

27 Better odds than just any player entering age 40.

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.

I was about to write something, but the Cannon basically said it for me. I'm not so high on Abreu, but Hu is the kind of intereswting player you really want to see play for a long stretch. I would rather it not be at Vegas, but I guess thats a possability. I just hate to see that kind of player traded before you know what you have. I wouldn't be as down on trades if I had any confidence in getting real value.

29 - That statement doesn't contrast my original post.

16-- Chan Ho Park?

No surprises today, really...

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

32 - No, Ethier was correct.

You can't discuss Kent with acknowledging that at some point this year, he goes on the DL. We'll get a sense then of future plans by who takes his place. Hu? They're going to retain Furcal. LaRoche or DeWitt? Maza? (Trick question--if it's Maza, Ned has no future plans, and probably no future).

If a third baseman were to move to 2nd, wouldn't it be Dewitt? Laroche is listed at 6'1", 225, while Dewitt is 5'11", 175. Not considering their actual skill at the position, but Dewitt just looks more like a 2nd baseman to me.

33 I actually expected Maza at second and Hu at short--Kent after a night game surprises me.

Well whatever I said in November I hope I'm wrong. It was my expectation that Abreu would be ready to play and that his defense would make up for his offensive shortcomings compared to Kent.

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.

33

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

We're starting Maza?

This is something my friends and I talk about alot. Dewitt WAS a second basemen for a couple seasons in the minors. Why not move him back?

The Maza era starts today. Nothing like facing Ben Sheets in his 1st major league game.
So what were the odds of seeing a left side of the infield of Maza/DeWitt for the Dodgers in May?

40 Reg, it was me that pointed out on TrueBlue that you always say, "As long as they're confined to that role," but they never are. Maybe you should just cut out the middle man and start blasting the move as soon as it happens.

41
I don't think his minor league fiedling stats set hearts aflutter.

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

good deal for mil, and i guess someone who signs a $45 million dollar contract i can't call it a bad deal for the player.

sorry if someone already said it but mil inked braun to a 8 yr, $45 million deal... our LF makes more than their LF

46
All the way back in 4 .

44
Nasty indeed. But his stats at 3B don't impress either.

18
He's also a SS where a special glove can make up for an anemic bat.

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.

If Marlon Anderson had stayed confined to his role we wouldn't have made the postseason in 2006. Sometimes unexplainable things happen which is what draws me to baseball. As much as I love the numbers, I love that fact that sometimes the player does things you would never expect. Podboy and Blume. Lima. Marlon. JP last night. Fimple

I am new to this site and enjoy it a lot. I am a casual Dodgers observer (an east coast Yankee fan interested to see how Torre does out there). The thing that shocks me about the Dodger faithful is the absolute disdain for Pierre. He is overpaid (not his fault) and imperfect, but plays hard and seems to be a decent guy. It is really amazing that you pile on him after he wins the game for you last night. Guys out here like Giambi and Carlos Delgado take less heat and are way more overpaid vis a vis current performance. I'd be much more upset about Andruw Jones. Anyway, good luck chasing the D-backs---it looks to be a tough road.

49 Adam Everett in MN.

51
It's never been about disdain for the actual player, just for the decision that brought them here in the first place. :)

I thought Maza was supposed to be some kind of emergency backup. I guess I thought wrong.

51
Trust me, a lot of people are mighty upset about Andruw Jones.

50 I'd rather see Hu get a real chance, personally. He really does need play time and he needs to get it while there's a spot available for him.

Sabean still has high hopes up in SF. I think he may need to revaluate his team before making comments like this...

http://tinyurl.com/555wbe

Kent is having a tough time moving around in the field. What kind of a play would it need to be for him to have a close call at first base? It looks like he is jogging more than running now when he goes down the line.

58 A line drive "single" to right field.

I think I could beat Jeff Kent in a race.

0 As Chuck Carr once said, "Out with the old, in with the new."

Kent is likely much faster than me and I'm just two years older.

I would feel more comfortable racing David Wells.

In defense of Scareduck, reading his comments this morning after Pierre's clutch hit last night made me laugh out loud. Nice win for the Dodgers, good game for Pierre (especially that steal of 3b), and a decent game for Jones. Maybe the big bird is nestling in.

49
I can give you a long list. The offensive era of the SS is already over.

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.

58 I was at Saturday's game. He definitely appeared to be jogging to first on the two ground balls he hit that led to double plays. I'm not sure, but he looked like he was taking the day off in those instances, like he knew he was beat, so why hustle.

Khalil Greene hits home runs, but that's really the only thing that makes him an "offensive" player. Does looking like Sean Penn in Fast Times at Ridgemont High make one an offensive short stop?

Is Pierre's batting average good enough to:

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

66-- A buddy of mine and I have joked that he's Spiccoli.

68 It annoys me because you'll always hear people call him Owen Wilson and I always think, "C'mon, you're missing a great pop culture reference! Spiccoli, man!"

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

51

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.

..and!

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

51 - I do need a FAQ.

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

67-- A) There's no chance Nedco will deal JP with free agency looming for Furcal. Torre and Ned view him as a legit leadoff hitter

B) They've played him in twelve straight

69
Really, whenever I see him it says Kutcher to me.

with Furcal's free agency looming, isn't this the perfect year to deal Pierre and free up some cash?

69 Don't you have to have a red fro to be Carrot Top?

74 I think it's the hair. Look past it and concentrate on facial features.

Are the Indians going to ever give up a run?

How come the Griddle is not on this story?

75-- I'm not opposed to dealing Pierre for any reason, just saying that Ned will likely want to hang on to him in the event that Furcal parts. After all, we're seeing him bat in the top spot now that Raffy's on the dl.

Remember how bad CC was in the beginning of April and his weight and early career workloads were being discussed as the reason for his decline.
I don't hear those chirpers anymore. I wonder why.

64
That's a nice list and all but how may of those guys you listed (subjective comments aside, ex:Atlanta - no one thinks Escobar can keep this up. expect a decline) actually hurt their team by their lack of offensive prowess?

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.

Korver kind of looks like on of those Conan O'Brien pics depicting the offspring of two celebrities. In Korver's case, he has Kutcher's hair and Carrot Top's mangled face.

Pierre's not going anywhere. Management's biggest/only problem with him is his throwing arm, a problem they "solved" by moving him to LF.

81 - I feel like this has been covered before, but Hu is not Izturis or Cora. His offensive potential is much higher than either one of them. Just because he is struggling right now, does not mean he should cast aside.

Are the Indians going to ever give up a run?

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).

81
Today that might be true but what are you going to do? His job is to play defense and add whatever offense he can. It is up to the offensive players to make up the slack of the missing Furcal not a 1st year SS replacing the hottest hitter on the team.

78
But the Indians gave up 3 runs on Monday night.

Are the Indians ever going to give up a run in the 1st 9 innings?

83 I tend to agree, unless Nedco gets axed. If we get a GM with common sense, then it's possible.

So how is Ethier linked to Piazza's trade? What's the chain of events?

88
I believed I showed today that you can throw 18 innings and give up 1 run and still be the loser.

Oakland 1, Cleveland 1

78 it's very annoying to have a die hard indian fan for a friend right now

90 Piazza traded for Sheffield traded for Andrew Brown traded for Bradley traded for Ethier.

83 That's got to be the strangest thing of this season. I am absolutely amazed that the Dodgers recognize his deficiencies in CF, but somehow feel he has enough of a bat to keep him in the lineup in LF.

93
He may have to go back to 1948 for a championship, but I envy him because he has "Major League".

91
What game was greater for the losing pitcher, the game you referenced or the Harvy Haddix game?

94 Thank you! I forgot about Andrew Brown! I was wondering how we had gotten rid of Sheffield.

Chad will pitch at least seven innings today. Believe it!

cleveland only has 2 hitters with an OPS+ over 100

97
Lefty Williams had a game score of 111 in the 1918 loss.

95
The White Sox did the same thing with Podboy and they ended up winning a world championship. It would be bad for baseball if it happened again. We need to win the World Championship with Ethier in LF or we could see a plethora of sad sack left fielders whose only asset is speed.

86
So essentially you are saying that as a fan, I should not reasonably expect a defensive wiz replacement SS to hit and that the rest of the team should make up for his deficiencies? The only problem I have with that logic is that he is in the major leagues. Not just anyone makes the big show. If you do make it to the highest level you are expected to contribute or you move on. Hu hasn't done anything spectacular in the field so far this year, that I can recall. And I watch every game. DeWitt has been more impressive defensively than Hu has been. He hasn't hit either. So where does that leave him? On the bench today. I hope this Maza dude can do something so we can put this to bed and I won't have to watch another game with both Pierre and Hu in the lineup.

89 - That could be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Ned won't allow Pierre to be benched, which leads to a stagnant offense, which causes LA to miss the playoffs (due in significant part to the poor performance of Ned's PVL's), which gets Ned kicked to the curb. You just hope he doesn't do too much damage on his way out.

103 You can measure a plyers contributions with runs scored with the bat+runs saved by the glove. You play the person who gives you the highest number. Even if Hu can't hit (which is far from the truth) the amount of runs he saves with his glove makes him far more valuable than AAA journeymen like Maza, even if Maza somehow is a better hitter (which he isn't).

51 Welcome Hammer. Drop by anytime. (I know I lurk on Bronx Banter sometimes.) Others have said it already, re: Pierre. I, too, like the guy personally, don't blame him personally for the contract, and know that he does work hard. But that still doesn't change the fact that: a) he has a noodle arm and hurts the team on defense by the total number of extra bases teams literally get when he's in there, and b) just as he was clutch last night he's much more often not clutch and not getting on base as you'd hope from a "leadoff man". In short, he's not one of our 3 best outfielders. Ethier is one of our three (and right now one of our two best, but at least Druw you know will help on defense) and young and cheap and superior in every way and should be playing. So no, I don't blame Pierre at all for being on the team, and he's always trying, but I don't have to love the fact. We also could've kept Werth and/or Cody Ross and had them and Ethier and Kemp, and/or , yes, Jones, and had a damned good outfield.

But hey, I was thrilled they came back and won last night and gave Pierre all the proper due for helping out.

Now... go Dodgers! Let's sneak away with this one.

Hey, I missed Eric Stephen's "Favorite Dodger" final poll results. What thread is that in?

And anyway, right now I'm still more worried about out starting pitching. Though at least to his credit Lowe came back and pitched well last night after struggling for an inning or so.

105 How do you measure runs saved by the glove for an outfielder?

Gurnick lists the Saturday & Sunday Dodger starting pitchers in Anaheim "TBD". Wouldn't it just be Penny on Sunday on normal rest, and hasn't Park already been announced for Saturday?

107
Posts 43 & 228 of this thread:

https://dodgerthoughts.baseballtoaster.com/archives/985156.html

109 UZR is probably the best metric that the public has access to and is measured in runs.

107 Comment No. 43 in this thread:

https://dodgerthoughts.baseballtoaster.com/archives/985156.html#comments

Even if Hu can't hit (which is far from the truth) the amount of runs he saves with his glove makes him far more valuable than AAA journeymen like Maza, even if Maza somehow is a better hitter (which he isn't).

Do you have links or stats to prove that Hu can hit successfully in the majors? Since Maza has never been up with a big club, I know there is no evidence to say that he can or can't hit big league pitching.

I think a lot of people here think that Hu is next in the line of Martin/Loney/Kemp/Bills/Broxton..and so on. The difference is that all the other Dodger home grown talent made immediate impacts, statements if you will, to say, "Hey I belong here." Hu hasn't done that IMO.

Maybe it's not confirmed, but there's plenty reason to believe that Hu isn't an Izturis on offense.

Check out John Goodman as the nondescript straight man in this old Bob Uecker Lite Beer ad.

http://tinyurl.com/5pncsb

114 Look at his numbers last year. They're pretty good. Compare them to Maza, who's best year was an .804 OPS at age 24 between AA and AAA.

114 - Do you have any links or stats that show that you need to make an immediate impact to be a successful player?

104 How is that a self-fulfilling prophecy?

martin playing 3b bennent catching

DeWitt scratched. Martin at third base. Per Diamond.

Great great read Jon, speacily the Kent one (Hadnt noticed it) but I'm hoping he still has one more good year in him, he IS HOF bound so Im hoping he busts a Joe Morgan like TC said in TBLA

114
Since Maza has never been up with a big club, I know there is no evidence to say that he can or can't hit big league pitching

This is delving far to close into "Who's to say?" territory. I've never been in the major leagues either, so there's no evidence that I can't hit.

Minor league numbers do translate into the majors. It doesn't matter whether you believe it or not. Hu has had 60 PA so far this season, and nothing close to regular time. Furcal's DL stint is the best opportunity to give Hu the regular time he needs to get into a groove (pulling a DeWitt, if you will).

How did we end up in a situation where are backup infielders are Luis Maza and Russell Martin?

Where have you gone, Andy LaRoche?

114
Broxton had a 5.93 ERA in just under 14 IP in 2005 when he came up. Under your logic, should the Dodgers have dumped him?

Pierre took the first five pitches before flying out to left.

Well, I guess it's still better for Martin than catching a day game after a night game.

124 By Furcal getting hurt, Abreu being perpetually hurt, Hu having to start, LaRoche and Nomar being hurt (the former I have a feeling we'll be seeing sooner rather than later), and by not acquiring a PVL infielder, which many of us were worried about.

Okay, I was feeling confident this lineup could score a few runs, now I'm not so sure. Cmon Bills!

Pierre and Ethier had good at bats vs. Sheets. Jones, not so much.

Can we trust Gameday enough to say that Ethier just got screwed?

Anyone know what's ailing DeWitt?

Er, okay, Dre's end result wasn't so great, but at least he worked the pitch count.

114 - Hu's minor league numbers indicate that he is a decent hitter with at least a little pop. He will probably be very Furcal-like as a major league hitter, .280ish batting avg with 5-10 HR power. Combine that with his superior defensive skills and that makes him a very valuable player.

125 A nation turns its lonely eyes to you (woo woo woo)

Not to sound old fogeyish but the fireworks before the bottom of the first in Milwaukee needs to be stopped.

When I saw Pierre hit it I thought maybe Texas Leaguer, but I was surprised how far it went (I think the outfielder was too).

118
I wasn't asking that question to be a smart aleck. Sorry if it came off that way but that was in no means my intention.
I'm just trying to get to the bottom of why so many people seem to think that Hu is the answer for the Dodgers future infield when he has yet to show anything of any significance. Granted it has been a small sample size but the point I tried to make by citing Loney/Bills/Kemp etc.. is that in a small sample size of watching them, we saw amazing potential relatively quickly.

132 - Read my post.

If DeWitt is out for a little while, is Nomar close enough (in the club's eyes) to be called up, or could LaRoche wedge his way back into the discussion?

138 - I didn't think you were being a smart aleck at all. It's just that you're questioning our assumptions; I think it's fair to question yours.

Where have you gone Luis Gonzales. Never thought we could downgrade our OF but we have.

Big news .... one of the Indians' starting pitchers gave up a run this afternoon .... ending 43+ innings of scoreless pitching by their starters.

(OK .... maybe its not so big news)

I'm willing to put up with Martin at 3B for a few games if it means we don't have Ramon Martinez or Juan Castro on the roster.

126
Position players and pitching prospects are not measured in the same context. Your statement has no legs.

First MLB assist for Maza!

Nate McClouth has 11 home runs.

141
Fair enough.

Martin showing off his gun at third on that one, even though it was a foul ball.

Martin showed a nice gun at 3B on a foul ground ball.

We should have LaRoche at 3b today with Hu at SS.

Martin doesn't look too shabby, eh?

I cry foul! Tie goes to underdog for what reason?!

Sore back for Dewitt per Tony Jax.

138 145 Then why mention Bills with the amazing potential?

145
You mentioned Broxton as a player having an "immediate impact".

Chin-Lung Hu has had 83 major league at-bats.

Russ's throw looked like it was shot out of gun, and it was right on the money. Unreal how good of player this guy is

Ay caramba, it's hot up here in the Bay Area today. Extremely hot.

And that's your weather report. Now back to the game.

GobiasIndustries, what is your opinion on LaRoche?

You know, I really like listening to Jerry Reuss. He's fairly bland, but he really breaks down details of how and why players are struggling (or not), particularly the little details of pitching.

156
You're correct I did, but I'm not taking just his ERA as criteria.

145 - Okay - again a sincere question - why do pitching prospects get more leeway than position prospects?

I don't think it's even conventional wisdom, let alone unconventional wisdom that a player has to have an immediate impact.

Gosh, I hope this game doesn't get all that... interesting. You never with this lineup vs. that pitcher.

Maza--Bennett--Billingsley---Pierre--Druw dont inspire much confidence for runs this game.

Mr Sheets looks very impressive thru 2.

Obviously this is a trick question, but what would you do with a guy who hit .209/.303/.384 in his first 99 PA?

159 Biking to work was not fun today =(.

167 Clearly, you trade him for some PVL goodness.

DeWitt has played in 34 of the Dodgers 39 games this year, young or old, a break isn't such a bad thing. Especially if his back tightened up, a day off should mean he'll be back tomorrow.

Of the 18 starters in todays game, 2 are hitting over .300, that makes for the potential of a very interesting game.

Hu, had a break through year in the minors last year, hitting 14 home runs between AA and AAA. But I have to admit, watching him this year he looks awful. Often swinging at bad pitch after bad pitch. He looks nervous.
vr, Xei

159 168 It's supposed to heat up to the 90s down here in L.A. by tomorrow.

160
I would love to see LaRoche get a shot anywhere on the field, mainly because he is a legitimate power threat who can contribute offensively to a power starved team. He fits into what I would like to see the Dodgers infield become. He is the exact opposite of Hu in the sense that his fielding is suspect but his bat is there. The question becomes what do you value more potential offense or stellar defense? In the case of the Dodgers who have been without legitimate power for I can't remember how long, I would much rather see LaRoche get a shot than Hu. We've had weak hitting IF's for too many years. It's time for a change.

Potential Rule 5 violation by me:

The California Supreme Court has essentially said, "Not that there's anything wrong with it..."

Please don't discuss it here.

The Brewers announcers incessant drooling over Ryan Braun since leading off with story that he signed long term contract today has reached epic proportions. I can't take it anymore!

Now it has them talking about how the Dodger kids and the Dodger vets last year didn't get along blah blah blah but you wouldn't see that here in Milwaukee, everyone's supportive blah blah and have you ever seen Braun say something he shouldn't have in an interview? {{MUTE}}

Billingsley is going to step up to the challenge today.

174 Funny, I was actually reading the decision...

173 But LaRoche has struggled in the majors quite a bit, too.

167 Sounds a lot like this guy - this is his first 123 PA - .216/.317/.392

174 I saw that, perhaps would have gone well with the Paula Marshall news.

173 - The problem is that you have come to the determination that Hu is a weak-hitting infielder, when his minor league track record suggests otherwise. He could very well turn out to be an average to above average offensive SS/2B with Gold Glove caliber defense.

Gameday stubbornly refuses to tell me Luis Maza's number. It's 57 isn't it?

Nice first 2 innings by Chad!

168 Yah, and I'll be biking to the office this afternoon, when it's nice and blazing. It's even a little smoggy in San Fran today, which is unusual to say the least.

182 Yep. I believe Maza is Spanish for Heinz, too, so that works out.

Wow. Major Rule 1 violation on CNN.com.

163
I think pitching prospects get more leeway because everyone covets pitching. Not to say that teams don't covet great all around position players but you hear the same adage time and time again about how pitching wins championships. Inherently I think teams give pitching prospects a longer leash because they have potentially more to gain if they live up to their hyped potential than say that of an above average SS or LF'er. Pure speculation on my part.

182
Uniform numbers are irrelevant. We've been over this before.

Talk about black holes:

Maza
Bennett
Billingsley
Pierre
Jones

in a row.

Aren't we allowed to call interesting games by their real names if they are occurring vs the Dodgers?

187 He's a librarian. He's obsessed with cataloging.

189 - Nope.

If the Dodgers are to win this one, someone unlikely gonna have to come through unexpectedly.

But three Sheets to the wind that inning.

181
He could very well turn out to be that. He could very well go the other way too. I would rather give LaRoche a shot to contribute because he brings more to the table offensively on an offensively challenged team.

I feel like I'm starting to state the same things over and over again so at the risk of violating any rules, I politely bow out of any further discussions of Hu!

189 - No. The rule is clear, and has been made even clearer in the past week.

189. only if it's a wiffle ball game in your backyard. vr, Xei

Is Sheets such a bad hitter they tried to have him bunt himself on?

I hate to agree with Bill Schroeder, but Maza doesn't seem to have a lot of arm.

173
I don't really understand your point. Yes, Hu looks overmatched right now. So does a 40 year old 2nd baseman and a 31 year old center fielder. Why are you judging him so quickly? By your reckoning Tulo never would have been given a chance to have his break out season in 2007. He was awful in the field and at the plate during his freshman season. I can remember Scareduck making a reference to how pathetic he looked.

As far as the glove goes I don't recall a SS getting this much love for his glove as Hu as gotten from the scouts and performance analysts. Time will tell if they were right, but why your ready to sell Hu down the Chang Jiang river based on a few at bats doesn't make any sense to me.

192 Everyone is being respectful. But I guess I don't understand how you've made it into a Hu vs. Laroche thing. Laroche can't play shortstop at an acceptable level, and that's where the current opening on the roster is at. Lots of folks here think Laroche deserves a shot now, whether at 3rd or LF. Are you advocating that Laroche play SS? I'm all for offense, but putting Andy at SS would be bad for both he and the Dodgers.

On pace for a 2 hour game so far. That is if someone scores. :)
vr, Xei

192
Didn't see your post while I was making mine. I will also move on.

196 I know, I had the same reaction. Maza's arm = not quite as good as Furcal's. A bit better than Gary Bennett's, at least.

This is perfect. I have a meeting at noon. Maybe this will be over by then. ;-)

Otherwise I shall be watching on the older MLBTV player so I can pause the game for awhile.

If a healthy Furcal picks up where he left off, LA may not be able to keep him even if we try. The Yankees, for example, could stick him in the outfield. In that case, we'd better hope that Hu hits. Personally, I just think he needs some regular ABs down at Vegas.

And Slappy breaks Sheet's streak.

(That could be a newspaper headline circa 1940s)

197
From 192
I feel like I'm starting to state the same things over and over again so at the risk of violating any rules, I politely bow out of any further discussions of Hu!

Hippo Vaughn and Fred Toney up bottles of champagne.

Juan Pierre makes the game less interesting and more interesting at the same time.

I can't believe the Giants are third in the NL West, as bad as they are. Sheesh, Rockies and Padres.

206 - I was just wondering about matching Mike Morgan and Dennis Martinez.

That's how Pierre should try to hit every time.

200
Ha! I was posting again as well so I didn't see yours. Please disregard 205 .

205 OK. Now gobuyus a cup of coffee... sorry, couldn't resist! Nice handle!

I am in my pajamas, watching a baseball game and commenting on a blog, while sitting in a couch in my basement. How very nerdy of me.

We need Pierre to steal third and home to get on the board. Come on Juan!

Wow, Ethier looked bad on that swing.

A lot has been made about how runners like Pierre serve to distract pitchers.

But I wonder: do they distract hitters as well?

Loney and Ethier have both chased that crazy curve ball from Sheets. Makes them look bad but it's such a tough pitch.

I'm sitting at work in a coat and tie, delegating tasks so I can follow a baseball game on the internet. How very capitalist of me.

213

as long as the pajamas do not have a cartoon character on them (or have feet), you are OK ...

Kent's got warning track power.

Just read the excellent piece on Kershaw. I love that first photo of him. His frame is just phenomenal. I don't what an ideal pitcher's torso should look like, but I nominate Kershaw's.

Dodgers flexing their vaunted warning track power.

213
I'm wearing a tuxedo and shoes with spats.

That's my traditional Dodger Thoughts commenting gear.

I thought it commical that on the dodgers.mlb site under headlines the 3rd article down is titled "Nothing can keep DeWitt down" and the first article is titled "DeWitt out of Dodgers lineup with back pain "

I feel bad for even bringing this up, but any guesses as to when Dewitt plays in a game again? We were told Furcal's injury was day-to-day when it first occurred.

If DeWitt were hurt long term, I wonder where the Dodgers could find a replacement ...

Hmmm...

TERRY TIFFEE!!

216 Martin had a bad at-bat a few games ago while Pierre was at first that clearly looked as if he were distracted. I've become a non-fan of the hit-and-run for that very reason. You have your best hitter at the plate--let him hit!

Lots of hitters taking the day off around the league.

218 Me too, minus the coat.

Fielder shows us his own warning track power. This is a pitchers duel to the death.

226 Well, Martin's in there already. Nomar's injured. Maza's not experienced enough. Hu doesn't hit enough. Cannizaro is bad in the clubhouse. And Josh Bell just isn't ready yet.

Trade for Eric Chavez?

226 I'm with you, Bob. Tiffee-Maza-Hu-Lindsey would be a great infield.

I'm at work. I'm wearing a polo shirt that's untucked, khakis, and running shoes. I should probably change shoes and tuck my shirt in.

Whew. Prince just got under that one.

I'm wearing my usual, red suit, blue cape, a smorgasbord of super energy pills in front of me.

228 Lots of dogs in the lobby too. [anyone?]

No matter what else happens today, it's great to see Chad pitch so well.

226 That's not funny.

229 Normally in the summer, we go without coats, but we have some clients are somewhere in the office and they will be around soon for a walkthrough. So I have to wear a coat and I also had to put the music organ and peanuts away.

231
You're missing one guy, the best one in fact! :)

Let me just say that I'm not enjoying the Dodgers return to 790. Without getting all Rule Fivey, I don't need to listen to Larry Elder to understand what's going on in the world, nor do I need to hear his voice during in-game station breaks.

My other complaint has nothing to do with the station, but if I produced the Dodgers radio broadcast, I would present Rick Monday with a simple piece of constructive advice - next time you come back from commercial without saying the score, we're going to fire you. Is that too harsh? After 20 years (or whatever its been?) The last two nights, I turned on the game in the car on the way home, and did not get a score either time.

Shimmin's wearing pleated khakis, a leather weave belt, a long-sleeve button-up shirt (tucked in), and some kind of loafers.

212
Thanks!

218
I'm doing pretty much the same thing minus the coat. America, whata country!

240 Your drive home must be shorter than mine.

Maza's not impressing so much so far, though it's a little hard to judge someone's bat when facing Ben Sheets.

Luis Maza has the potential to be the Dodgers version of McLeod Bethel-Thompson.

Game is 1/2 over. 114 pitches.

Since everyone else is talking about their attire... at work, jeans (no belt), polo/golf shirt (untucked), and Vans. Really, y'all are lucky I bothered to shave.

243 Almost certainly, but how short would a drive have to be to excuse failure to give the score, particularly coming out of the between innings commercial break?

Oh, that's why we wanted Juan Castro.

216 nope not at all.

247 I'm at least wearing a belt with my khakis. Otherwise I'm probably as bad as you.

Funny: CNN.com initial posted a headline with the "bs" word written in full. I see they've now replaced the "hi" with two asterisks.

these pitchers seem to be pretty good, perhaps their respective GMs should consider trading them for washed up shortstops that have to play other positions.

I'm wearing a shirt and tie today with no jacket. The tie was just because I was supposed to see Jerry Brown at a conference, but he didn't show. Therefore, I'm ditching the rest of the conference to follow a ballgame and chat with you guys. Maybe I'll take the tie off.

You know, fellas, the New York Mets have never had a no hitter in their franchise history.

..........I just thought I'd point that out.

251 - I hate belts almost as much as I hate shoes.

Maza's arm stinks.

I hope that's an error.

Raffy come back, we need you!

well, so much for being interesting.

255
You're in for a beating, pal.

A virtual Rule 9 beating.

is this game "interesting"

256 Good thing for your co-workers you don't hate pants.

258 - please disregard, I just saw "in play, no outs"

That was not a "viva la maza" moment. Well, the pick was, the throw, not so much.

245 McLeod!

259

Aw, is that part of the rule too? :)

It's a shame Angel Chavez had his chance and he blew it.

261 - I'm not in good enough shape to hate pants at the moment

I was thinking of wearing some Plus Fours to work on Saturday.

All I know is I appreciate Hu's defense even more now.

252 Even funnier, the word is in quotes, as if the speaker actually pronounced the asterisks.

Pants? Pants are for suckers!

That's what I told the cop, anyway.

265 9) typing "no-hitter" or "perfect game" to describe either in progress

Maza is the Anti-Solution.

Just got into Gameday. Looks like Luis Maza has had a rough start - a throwing error and a GIDP. Good thing he isn't at Dodger Stadium.

268 You could borrow a pair of my regular pants. They'd look like plus fours on you.

On second thought, you've probably got a pair of plus fours in your closet.

272 , 259

...that was not done. I... holy moly... I threw that out there in reference to this Dodger game, but I didn't even recognize that there is a game at Shea Stadium that has "interesting" potential.

Of course.

Oh man. Rule 1 violation for that Rule 9 violation by the pitcher. The pitcher again!

-- here come the tomatoes...

That was the only bad thing Chad's done this inning or all game. I hope he doesn't pay the price for it.

So much for a 6/29/90 replay. "If you have a sombrero, throw it to the sky."

Has Billingsley lost a little weight compared to last season?

I have an idea for the out field, let me run it by everyone and see what they think... basically a 4 man platoon, everyone gets three games in a row and then a day off:

Ethier/Jones/Kemp
Pierre/Jones/Kemp
Pierre/Kemp/Ethier
Pierre/Jones/Ethier

Good idea/bad idea? I'm honestly not sure, but if all four guys are going to get playing time, this seems to be the way to maximize playing time for the guys who should be playing

It's the dreaded Billingsley Fifth Inning Chamber of Horrors.

Why are we starting Maza again?

Oh for crying out loud. I had to go upstairs to get something, and I come back to find Sheets got a hit.

For those of you not liking Maza, it would have been a lot harder to get rid of veteran utility player (e.g. Juan Castro, Ramon Martinez) than cup of coffee minor leaguer.

Its amazing how much Tony Abreu's injury continues to affect the makeup of this roster.

...the tomatoes?

Maza's arm has already cost us twice (on the diving play and the DP ball) and now we're going to have to face Braun/Fielder again next inning, not to mention running up Billz's pitch count. That really hurts.

"It's" or "'Twas"?

288

I take responsibility for taking the "interest" out of the game, even if my action was technically legal.

285 - Not again, in fact, this may be the only time we do. ;-)

287 - True, true, we can weather the storm til Raffy gets back and then everything will be a lot better. It's a domino effect.

276 - Your intent was clear, which raises the question of why you used those words in reference to this Dodger game?

289 The bounce to Loney was egregious. Instead of really throwing the ball, he just got cute and flipped it.

285 Hey Molly, you might have missed it yesterday but I said to go for the teal.

Back in the day, all bridesmaids wore fusia (sp.)

Just make sure to not get sunburned and don't drink the water.

287 But the arm...the arm...he throws like JP.

286 - Ah hah! It's your fault.

Well, what really hurts is Bills having to be near-perfect because Ben Sheets is pitching and the Dodgers don't have the strongest line-up in the world.

Ay caramba, they're still doing in game sideline interviews about the Braun contract. I mean every inning, they've been doing the PR spin thing for this. It was boring in the first inning.

I haven't owned a pair of loafers since I was kid. Sometimes I think about buying a pair, but then I don't, instead.

YES! More warning track power, this time from Bennett.

287 The question is not why is Maza here, it's why is he starting of Hu, who can't possibly need a day off.

255 , 265 , 272 , 276 , 279 , 291
(splat)

I'm convinced one of these long flies will, by sheer luck of a few millimeters difference in where the ball is struck, go over the fence, for a 1-0 Dodger win.

283
The OF solution is simple, but will never happen:

1) Kemp & Ethier every day

Let the rest sort itself out.

300 - Look at it this way. Maza got the start, and after today Hu will probably get all the others 'til Raffy is back.

I'm not going to get upset over Maza starting. He's on the roster, he's had a long journey to the bigs. Hu and soon Garciaparra and Furcal will soon force him back to the bench. Let the guy have a big-league start.

If he starts multiple games, then we can talk.

Joe Ferguson would have hit that pitchout into RF.

You know, with the way that Pierre has been playing of late, it really is kind of a shame that Joe doesn't just sit Jones for a couple of weeks.

It would have been funny, yesterday. Just sad, today.

284 I kind of don't like it when I can't see what's going on, he can't find the strike zone all of a sudan Bob or what?

Ugh.

Didn't I see this play yesterday? I should just find my comment about Pierre being thrown out stealing or picked off and use that as a macro.

307 Are you referring to his .552 OPS since the Colorado series?

son of a woman from Wanker!

303 - you know that, I know that, heck my dog knows that, but the guy wearing uniform #6 for the Dodgers does not seem to know that. Therein lies the problem.

That was a Willie Mays Hayes sequence for Pierre there. He beats out a 15-footer for a hit, then gets picked off.

My thought exactly. I'm tired of hearing what a great baserunner he is.

Oh, no. This team sucks.

Wow, JP finally makes a really nice bunt for hit, then he follows it up with THAT.

305 Very fair.

you know, after listening to these announcers on MLB.tv, I have deduced that the Brewers are playing against anonymous and inconsequential.

315 Finding new and creative ways to make outs. My favorite was when he bunted into the pitchers glove yesterday.

Where's my "I should make a Juan Pierre screwed up macro" macro.

just saw on gameday that pierre got picked off...

for all you hear about his great baserunning distracting the pitcher, i guess it goes both ways.

314 Not just the guy wearing #6, but also the guy upstairs wearing the suit and the mustache.

Greg Maddux is probably pitching his last game at Wrigley today, I am sure that he will get a great ovation regardless of the score when he leaves the game.

283 That doesn't account for the handedness of the opposing starting pitcher. Torre, and most managers, wouldn't start Pierre and Ethier and sit Kemp against a left-hander when it was their "turn" in that rotation.

I haven't owned a pair of loafers since I was kid

I didn't say you owned them...

322
I like the idea of the toupee mustache.

307 - it's all relative, my friend. Nice by Pierre standards.

321 What you are saying is that his baserunning is distracting the baserunner? I agree.

327
But he hasn't been playing nice, even by Pierre standards. .552 OPS since Colorado. Ouch.

I hate the 1-1 pitchout. Why allow the batter a free ride to 2-1?

According to Steiner, that was "drilled to LF". Just a can of corn.

324 - yeah, probably, and that's not a bad thing either, more a mental exercise.

Billingsley Opponent's line (pitches 76-90) - .353/.450/.529

329 - how many guys go hitless in three straight games over the course of a season? Because that's what happened to Pierre. For the month of May he's .340/.404/.404, not including today.

I've got my sunglasses at night.

If Bills can just get through this Sixth... it could be good times.

---

Bob, I'll let you lead into the game at Shea. It's better not to have another freudian slip.

I hate two out intentional walks.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Aaron Boone.

Move along people in New York. Nothing to see.

Flippin' Mets.

335 Mr. 336 is looking for pizza recommedations for his trip to NYC this summer. Any thoughts? I like Johns Pizzeria in the West Village but I'm sure you have plenty of ideas.

Are no hitters more frequently broken up by the first batter in an inning than second or third?

Or does it just seem that way.

Ben Sheets knows he will lose this game. He also knows he wants to be pitching for the Dodgers next season which is why he tries to shut us out every time he can. He can't wait to be reunited with Tommy.

The Joey P stew story was awesome. I was surprised he didn't follow it up with what happened to the wrestler after the olympics.

Bless Andruw--that looked like trouble

Okay, Jones is up. Everybody pretend its 3 years ago.

Ben Sheets knows he will lose this game

Yep.

I honestly didn't know Aaron Boone was still in baseball, let alone batting .315 and playing first base.

Jones!

Film at 11!

We're not booing, we're yelling DRUWWWWWW!!!!

Bless Andruw again!

Druuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuw.

Bless Andruw!!!!

Don Mattingly, you are one smart guy.

341

Thanks bh. Yep, everyone, I am about to make my first ever visit to the East Coast. Prior to this year I've never been further East than Arizona.

So yea... got any good pizza tips?

Please see comment 302 . If that doesn't grant me induction into the "notable commenter" club, nothing will.

and that's why we pay you 18 mil

you knew you could count on AJ in that situation.

In the week of the unlikely, the somewhat believable has happened!

At least Bills is back to good territory.

Pitches 91-105 - .143/.250/.143

Nice swing big man.

Well, that was unexpected.

Prior to Jones's HR, I was gonna post:

Leading off inning in 2008: .269/.367/.462/.829

356
So you want credit for a 1-0 victory when there's a 1-0 lead in the seventh inning?

356 Perhaps I can turn your attention to my 345 .

Do I have to re-explain the Kreuter Phenomenon?

Baseball is funny.

356
In fairness to me, you already submitted your entries so there was no reason to list you!

Film at 11:01!

The old guys must have read DT recently.

I'm sorry if this was discussed in the game thread yesterday, but did anyone else hear the Brewers announcers talking about Martin's 6-year extension that he signed last year?

This team rules!

Kent over the Wall!

Revised headline:

Kent Hits Over the Wall

Kent hits the wall back!

old guys get cranky about criticism

Rumors of Jeff Kent's demise . . .

The Kreuter Phenomenon would certainly apply to Jon's main post.

Jones with his first back-to-back RBI games of the season.

funny Kent hits it out during this thread. Is that irony?

What's the title of this post again?

And Loney hits a triple.

Wow, talk about fireworks.

Anoher Krazee-Eyez triple!

wow i've been driving around all morning, finally getting a chance to gamecast and get in on DT at work...definitely been a great pitchers duel, and as I type, out goes Jeff...that'll shut us up for a little while haha..

347 He's been playing just a bit, but Nick Johnson is to the DL. So Boone and Dmitri Young will split time at first for the Nationals.

Ho Hum. Another day, another stand up triple for Loney. He has triple power

355 Go to Lombardi's in SoHo/Little Italy. Reputed to be the very pizzeria in America.

John's on Bleecker St. in the West Village is very good. For a single slice, I like Two Boots (various locations).

Along with the pizza, make sure you hit the good delis while you're in NYC. That would be Katz's and Junior's, not REPEAT not Stage, Carnegie, or Roxie's. You're welcome.

<sarcasm>
I told you this team didn't have enough Veteran Clubhouse Presence.
</sarcasm>

They're really starting to nail Sheets. That's three XBH in a row.

Ahhhh, it's only a triple. Send it back!!!

Hmmm. I read Jon's post on Kent, then started gameday just as He hit one out.

Kent must have read Jon's post.

Sheets has never been that great at preventing homers. Thats 6 in 50ip this year.

Vets' day today. Not Sheets' day.

Folks, I don't believe what I just saw!

Except, I'm not watching.

385 Reputed to be the very first pizzeria in America.

my game day is apparently broken. It is telling me that Jones and Kent have each hit solo home runs this inning and Loney has it a triple. Can anyone watching on tv or listening on the radio tell me what really happened?

386 - okay, not in a row, but in the frame.

Loney has to lead the league in triples amongst slow players.

Vets' day today. Not Sheets' day.

Druw. Kent. If Pierre hits a HR I'm gonna cry of happiness!!!!

That a boy Golden God!!!

363 OK, never mind.

my new rule of thumb for gat away games with the Dodger: Don't expect anything on offense until they wake up about the 6th inning.

389
Isn't 6 in 50 innings really good?

Well talk about an offensive explosion.

This is quite delayed because I was on the phone for work and trying not to verbally shout "Yessss!" like I was thinking, but...

Yessssssss! Atta boy, Andruw! That made me so happy...

As they are playing "hava nigila" (sp?) in the background, perhaps we can call him Ma(t)za, and hide him somewhere in the stadium for the kids to find.

wait im freaking out, i literally walk from my car into the office and miss a Jones homer, kent homer, and a loney triple, driven in by a martin single

WHYYYYYYYYYY!

Viva la Maza!

Maza with the tomahawk swing!

400 Not as good as 4 in 49 innings.

Clearly I need to leave the room more often.

Welcome to MLB, Luis Maza!

3 runs should be enough.

21-19 through the first 40 games is probably about where this team should be. Nothing quite surprising. Dewitt/Furcal have been great. Druw/Kent have been bad. Everyone else about where they should be.

On pace for 84-85 wins.
Pretty much a ho-hum Dodger season so far.

385 Last year, I went to Johns on Bleeker St. after I attended a night game at Yankee Stadium, I ended up taking the whole pie home (no slices to go). They have a branch in midtown near Times Square but I say go to the original.

I also walked into Babbo on a Sunday night with no reservation. This is Mario Batalli's signature restaurant in the Village. It took a while to get a seat at the bar for one but I then had one the best dining experiences ever. It wasn't cheap but I really enjoyed it.

407
Zing!

Okay. This is bizarre.

Holy cow. Bennett?!!

I still don't know the score, but it sure sounds exciting! BTW, what the heck is a "macro"?

Well, that just ruins it.

Bennett? He broke it!

405
Love that name

Bennett!

Okay, now I think I can really go back to work.

I think that coaching visit consisted of the following. "Well, you've got a AAAA shortstop making his debut, a career backup catcher and the pitcher coming up. Lets limit the damage."

holy cow

Wow! This is really improbably, isn't it?

Some bizarre cosmic forces are at work this inning. I won't lie; I'm a little scared.

Beautiful. Just... beautiful.

Gary Bennett = unlikely hero.

Sheets must have completely lost his movement. All at once.

Home runs for all old men!

ok, obviously the guy running gameday is just trying to mess with us. What is really going on?

Time for lunch.

Head explodes.

No way, absolutely no way, this cant be happening, I'm not seeing any of this noooooooooo

This inning is a myth, an illusion. It could not have actually happened. I must have accidently put on one of my Twilight Zone recordings. ;)

405 Viva los PVLs!

I love backup catchers.

This inning is even sillier than the 10-run inning. This might be the silliest 4+1.

Today's promotional item is Free Away Team Homer Day at Miller Field, apparently. Gary Bennett?

Methinks Yost has no faith in his middle relief ....

Highly Unexpected Power Sources, Vol. I

420 - "So, what was it about limiting the damage did you not understand?"

my feed is clearly a step behind everyone else here

Oh and Yesssss! for Kent's blast, too. Trying to be fair here.

This taped delayed blog comment is brought to you by Meister Brau.

When a guy loses it, he loses it bad.
Even the good pitchers can get creamed by bad hitters.

Gary Bennett?

Boom goes the Bennett.

Ethier is wondering why couldn't Sheets throw him a couple of those hanging curves.

So, I guess Andruw Jones homering was arguably a Grawbowski Principle moment. At least until we find he's turned it around.

Is it just me, or has the camera work and editing for this series been especially good (for those watching on Prime-FSN-Ticket)? Particularly good on the close-ups, the eye-movements, the kinds of shots that show what players might be thinking or paying attention to. The choices and sequences have really told the story so well, I can almost ignore Charlie and Steve.

Just to check my impression, I watched part of the Angel/White Sox game last night and it wasn't nearly as compelling.

If you had asked me, "Which three Dodgers are least likely to homer in this game," my answer just might have been Bennett, Kent, and Jones.

OK, my answer really would have included Maza.

Of course .... my fantasy player Ethier has refused to join in the fun this inning ... :-(

Its too bad Sheets got a hit or else this game would still be quite interesting.

well didn't see that coming

447 The look on Sheets' face watching Bennett's ball go out--complete disbelief.

if I see "in play, runs" in this at bat, I'm leaving the office, because I'll have become delusional

I'd urge restraint on going with the "my gameday is broken" rhetorical device. Its too famous.

With Pierre coming up, we'll truly see whether we've crossed over into another dimension.

By the way... I will take credit for starting the Maza/Matzo/Passover thing:

https://dodgerthoughts.baseballtoaster.com/archives/922180.html

Comment #196.

I have Ethier, too, but Bennett is my backup catcher.

wha?! What happened? The Dodgers scored 6 runs while I was in the bathroom? Holy moly!!!!

--

Thank you guys very much for the Pizza Tips! I'm definitely looking forward to this vacation :)

Oh, sorry. I didn't realize that most of you aren't watching this game on TV. Martin had second base stolen, on what was apparently supposed to be a straight steal, and Maza weakly through his bat across the strike zone and fouled the pitch off. Martin glared at home plate and yelled at Maza while walking back to first, then yelled more, and glared.

It was the maddest I've ever seen RM.

Bennett: 1,869 career PAs .... 21 HRs

Man, you know you have zero faith in your bullpen when you leave your pitcher in well past his expiration.

And now I can go into my meeting feeling at peace with the world. Thanks Dodgers and thanks Ned Yost!

449
I feel you on that. I have him too plus Andruw is on my bench, where he's been since week 2.

by "through" I meant "threw."

Of course all was forgiven when Maza got that base hit. But it was a full circle moment were Martin the veteran was pissed at Maza the kid.

And to top it all Bennett's was an immense blast.

Sheets had probably never given up 3 homers in one inning in his mlb career.

451 Did you bet on the Dodgers winning this series?

It was nice that Jones homered, but the pitcher was so bad that inning that Kent and Bennett were able to hit homeruns too.

The way that sentence is formulated, you can arrange the three names in any order, and it still remains accurate.

415 Oh, and a macro is basically old school nerd-speak for a keyboard short cut, something you cut and paste and save if you use it a lot in word processing and the like.

Go Blue!

458-For Pizza, Joe's is great if you want to eat in. Ben's is the best for a quick slice. Both are in the Village.

Honestly, as long as you steer clear from the Sbarro's that line Times Square, you'll be just fine.

Did Bennett's home run ball travel slowly and with a high trajectory?

459 This is what I get for editing a paper while watching TV, because I totally missed that.

463 LOL - Maza is 28. New guy misread a sign. We can laugh about it now.

462 I have Bills :-)

Tony Gwynn Jr doesnt look much like his Dad at all IMO.

468 Thanks underdog. Those energy pills must be working!

474 Referring to his... build?

460 I'm not sure which of those two numbers is more remarkable.

face, build, everything.
If it werent for the name, I dont think they'd be related.

Of course, that could probably be applied to many people.

That was a nice birthday present!

478 Okay. I thought that was a way of saying "Tony Gwynn, Jr. isn't very fat."

Chad's at 98 pitches.
He should go for the complete game shut out.

Not quite the infield I would have envinsioned on March 1st.

Martin at 3B, Hu at SS, Maza at 2B, and Loney (okay I would have picked him).

And Loney is now the captain of the infield.

481 I will happy if Torre lets him start the 8th.

left for lunch...turned on the radio and BOOM...jones hits it out. The rest of the inning I just kept thinking "I wish I could be on DT right now..." I realized I enjoy the game so much more when we can share in the glory...(or defeat in some cases)...together.

Good news...martin has now been at third base 5 times...that means he's eligible there in my fantasy league. ;)

I will be happy to take credit where no credit is due. For 99 , you're welcome!

355

If you are up for an outer borough trek, Sac's Pizza in Astoria is awesome! Just take the N train to the Broadway stop in Astoria, and walk about two blocks.

http://www.sacsplace.com/

484
But why would you use Martin at 3B? Isn't he way more valuable as a catcher?

For those of you not watching the Brewers' feed, the announcers are currently naming Bill Schroder's boat. Oh, Ryan Braun designs and sells T-shirts.

488
Oh, Ryan Braun designs and sells T-shirts

Just in case he never makes any money playing baseball. Oh wait! :)

Ethier--another start, another base hit. How long before he says, "play me or trade me"? I bet he goes to Plashcke for the story.

Do we think Billingsley will be back out?

My comment from a few hours ago:

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

I'm way off on the first half of that comment.

487 oh definitely. There was a bit of sarcasm in my post. But you'd be surprised ... In my league at least, martin defintely is comparable to many 3B offensively.

So, did I see it correctly? Andruw "slow bat speed" Jones got around on a high fastball from Sheets for that HR, right?

490 Plaschke writes a sob story about... Ethier?

That would be funny if Plaschke wrote a sob story about all 4 outfielders, saying how hard everyone one of them works, and why they all deserve to start. Not that he'd write one about Andruw...

491
I vote no.

Dodgers are in the midst of a 26 games in 27 days stretch which started Tuesday.

Billingsley going deep into this game will really keep the pen fresh. They'll need it for this stretch.

470 It took me a while but I get it. Very funny

I mean no, I don't think Chad will pitch the 8th. But I would let him pitch until he allows another runner.

way to work that count jamesy

No way Torre takes out Chad in the eighth unless he really gets in trouble. Not with all this complaining about starters not going deep.

man i just saw via mlb vid that gary bennett knocked that ball pretty dang hard

You know its a strange when Gary Bennett homers and Jason Kendall triples in the same game.

what inning is it?

bottom 8th?

Ok now pull him.
He's obvioulsy not going to finish the game under 120 pitches, so use the hook now Joe.

505 Yes.

506 Joe is listening.

Taking nothing away from his first seven innings, I'm disappointed Chad couldn't get an out in the eighth.

He pulled him. That's good I guess.

By jayson stark

• ATTENTION, FREE-AGENT SHOPPERS: Will Rafael Furcal ever make it to the free-agent auction stand? Maybe not. There are indications his agent, Paul Kinzer, has told the Dodgers that he and Furcal have interest in talking in-season about an extension. And clearly, the Dodgers would share that interest, considering that Furcal leads their team in runs, hits, doubles, batting average and even homers. Furcal was also slugging .597 when he headed for the disabled list this week. The only Dodgers shortstop who ever even got within 140 points of that was Glenn Wright -- in 1930.

is the in-season extension a good idea?

508
Yeah, not that there's ever a good time for a walk, but up by 6 runs you'd like to see a few more strikes.

Good job Torre. Maybe the reliever he picks can pitch 2 innings, thereby saving Saito/Brox.

508 Yes, there will be more complaining from everyone that the starters don't go deep into games.

I'm not saying there shouldn't be, I'm just tired of hearing about it.

Alex Belth has a shoutout to Reggie Smith at Bronx Banter.

No RBI for Hardy!

Cubs hit 9 singles and 2 doubles off Maddux, knocking him out in the 5th.

Broxton still having problems though I tend to think he and Saito's problems are due to inconsistent work pattern.

But an RBI for Braun.

Why is Broxton pitching today?

Who is pitching for the Dodgers? Yahoo froze up, and Monday/Reuss haven't said anything about it in a while.

Has Broxton pitched since Sunday? If not, I amend my last comment.

It'd have been nice for Wade to work the final two.

DP was timely. Braun could have made it a 6-4 game.

520 He pitched two outs yesterday.

okay, these fouls are getting annoying, and I am only following the game on gamecast.

The Large Vegetarian doing an Alex Cora impression.

Interesting comparison between McCann and Martin

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=7526

Conclusion:

"For two position players of equal ability, taking the younger one is usually the safe call. I think Russell Martin has a broad skill set that is going to produce excellent performance, and the defensive edge he has on McCann adds up over time. However, McCann's power is hard to pass up, and it's not like he's a bad defensive catcher. On the margins, I prefer to take a left-handed batter where I can, and the load that Martin is going to carry over the next couple of years may take its toll.

"So I'm going to stand by my initial evaluation, that McCann is the choice over Martin. It's very close, and this exercise has increased my appreciation for just how many things Martin does well. In the end, though, I'll take the upside of McCann because of his power potential."

Must be some long grass in the OF. That ball got through the IF fast and almost stopped by the time Jones - I realize he was playing Fielder deep of course - got to it.

I like how on MLB's gameday scoreboard, it lists the Wind as "1 mph varies", while at the same time saying the roof is closed.

I think that's a play Kent doesn't make, but Maza did.

With that play, Maza says, "Get off my butt, Martin!"

Any reason given for replacing Hart with Counsell?

525 Does McCann play 3B? Does he have cool middle name?? (No.)

He does have a 150 OPS+ thus far.

-I would sign Furcal to an extension, but only a two-year one.

-Brian McCann is good, but Russell is forever.

-Am I the only one who has to mute the TV when those disgusting Carl's Jr. ads come up? They seriously make me want to yack.

Maza OPSing .833!

Maza turned that run-scoring DP decently too, although I'm not accustomed to seeing a 2B trying to submarine the runner with his throw.

532 Carl's Jr. is by far the thing I miss most about California.

I can't decide who is the player of the game. Maza or Bennett?

The legend that is Gary Bennett drives in another.

536 Billingsley.

ok, so maybe we can trade Martin now for a 3rd baseman.

At this rate, maybe we keep Bennett at catcher tomorrow and move Martin to SS.

535 I'm really hoping that's a joke.

532 I change the channel when those ads come up.

Gary Bennett saying take that all you naysayers.

535
Where are you now? Anywhere near a Hardee's? Aren't they all over?

I would have accepted you missing In N Out more.

Pitching around Kemp, obviously.

535 Was totally serious. 536 was a joke.

You can get Carl's Jr. in Utah, but JCW's is much better.

I like how Maza has ended up having a very nice game.

Matt Kemp raises his isoD on 4 pitches.

Bennett's nickname shall be Tin God!

Four RBIs for Bennett still not a career record:

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B/PX_benng001.htm

He's had five twice, once against the Padres Sept. 20, 2003, and against the Nationals on June 2, 2005.

532,

I don't think there's anyway Furcal takes less than four years. He could certainly get at least that on the FA market.

543 Haree's is not the same as Carl's Jr. The happy star face tricked me. But their burgers are no good.

BTW - Torre reportedly said that Pierre or Sweeney will be DHing this weekend.

My hunch is Pierre will be the one tomorrow.

525--Depending on if Soto's offensive numbers are legit---he's probably better than both McCann/Martin. Throwing out something like 45% of base runners. He's the same age as Russ.

.321/.423/.595 in 131 Abs.

525 in other words he's offense (sp) oriented... Matter of opinion I guess.

We've had our Marlon Anderson Game. Now we have our Gary Bennett Game.

Billingsley might deserve player of the game, but he'll have plenty more similar performances. Bennett? Not so much.

Lean INTO that one Juan! That would help your OBP.

The Twilight Zone looks a lot like the old world, except Gary Bennett's 2 for 3 and there's a gremlin outside my window with William Shatner.

551- I get tricked by things like that ALL THE TIME. And I hate it.

I can see why the Brewers hate to go to the Pen. But this guy has to be tough on lefties.

There are a couple of Carl's Jr. outlets in Hawai'i. Mmm, fried eggplant.

552
I don't care how much we expect or mentally prepare for such things, but that news really irks me for some reason.

555 It's like cheering for Ralph even though Lisa made the rocket to warn the prison that the electric chair was operational and Mayor Quimby's life was in danger.

Pearls from Monday...

"Matt Kemp has cooled off of late. He's 2 for 8 in the series... 0-5 yesterday."

Mmmmmyeeeeah. So 2-3 in game 1 right Rick? Ice cold!

548 Please see #253 in this thread:

https://dodgerthoughts.baseballtoaster.com/archives/972079.html

I already dubbed him the Tinfoil God!

Jones 1 for 29 w/RISP

545 I don't know where you live now, but the hamburger situation must be dire if you're longing for the grease sandwiches they serve at Carl's Jr.

There's lots of terrific California-only fast food joints that I miss. Carl's Jr is most definitely not among them.

546- Rockin' website, too.

http://www.jcws.com/

551
I always thought they were the same. Then again, I'll fight to the death with anyone claiming Cheese Nips, Hi Hos, or Hydrox are as good as Cheez-It's, Ritz, or Oreos, respectively, so I can see where you are coming from.

Why pull this guy for Andre? Do they have another lefty?

568 Uch...Cheese Nips are rancid. Cheez-its are the way to go for sure.

566 What better fast food burger is there? Granted, I think In N Out is pretty overrated.

LH relievers coming in mid-inning to replace another LH reliever. Not something you see every day.

568 The way I understand it, Carl's Jr bought out Hardee's years ago. They have the same star and similar looking menus, but the food is different. I don't mean that it tastes different in a way only I can tell, I mean that they sell totally different things ("thickburgers") that don't taste as good.

Yes, I see.

571 I'm a huge In N Out fan, but I also think the Habit makes pretty good burgers...

Fast Food Thoughts.

571
I would rank burgers thusly:

1) In N Out
2) Carls Jr
3) Burger King
...
98) McDonalds

576 That's better than talking about Andre Ethier up with the bases loaded.

564 - is that better or worse than a Cardboard God?

575 I was thinking out of the major chains.

Rough day for Ethier.

567 They have another place opening soon, so they'll have to tweak the site to add the other location, but it won't be all that hard.

571 To be honest, I haven't eaten at a major fast food chain since I read Fast Food Nation five years ago. However, when I'm back in LA, I've been known to sneak in a trip to Tommy's or Del Taco.

580 Habit is pretty major in SoCal, but I see your point. I don't like any of the typical chain burgers, McDonalds, Carls, Burger King, Wendys...they all pale in comparison to In N Out for me.

Best burgers-The grill in my backyard. Come on over.

583 Oh yeah Tommy's is pretty good if you're a chili-burger fan.

572

Hey what about "The Habit"?

579 You ever tried to rip a piece of good, thick cardboard? On the other hand, tinfoil withstands heat better. Difficult philosophical argument, so I'll punt and say they're both in a lower order.

571

...and Tommmy's?

I just saw its 95 degrees in the city that Bob ignores.

That must be close to a record.

In-N-Out's burgers (back when I was allowed to eat them) are the best if what you want is a sloppy mess. Nothing against sloppy messes, but that's what they are.

Carl's Jr. is also very good. Having worked for Mickey D's, I can tell you that familiarity breeds a special form of contempt, but at the same time, they are better than a lot of others... just none you'd want to eat at.

Oddly, In-N-Out has the worst fries of any large chain. Cooking fries fresh works against them; Mickey D's has good fries. Carl's, Jr. used to have the best fries, but that was back in the late 70's when they used powdered processed potatoes. Their current ones aren't too distinguishable from McDonald's.

584 Is there a difference between Hamburger Habit and The Habit? One opened up pretty close to me and I assumed it was a ripoff.

590
I ignore a lot of cities.

586 - Tommy's: I'm not qualified to comment, since I hate chili-anything. Tommy's therefore makes me nauseous.

593 The one north of San Jose.

Eating in Utah is tricky because they think you're kidding when you ask them not to put mayonnaise on your food.

I feel too passionately about this topic to even comment, I think.

Wait, I want to hear more about good NY eateries. I'm there for 3 days next week, staying just north of Times Square.

So far I've got:
Lombardi's
John's
Two Boots
Katz's
Junior's

Give me more!

595
Oh, that place. I've been in that city when it was 100.

I loved it, but it looked like the rest of the people in the area were going to drop dead.

592

That's a good question. Today, all the official Habit restaurants are called "The Habit"

The very first one near me in Goleta was originally called "The Hamburger Habit" but now its also just "The Habit"

No love for Fatburger?

599 But was it "Michigan hot?"

598

Boy oh boy I think California is eventually going to invade NYC at this rate :)

Blue, since I'm in your boat (just two months later) I have one recommendation: Papaya King!!!!

Um, is the game over? Gameday is stuck.

I'm wearing a 60th-anniversary Tommy's T-shirt (given to me by a cousin) as I type. I've never been to one.

Wade can throw strikes. If only he had a put away pitch.

I told you it was extremely hot here today, but did anyone listen? Nooooooo!

I think my bike tires are melting.

I gave up on trying pause the rest of this game during my meeting because MLBTV decided it got tired of waiting and crashed my computer, bless it's little heart. But besides burger talk, I see I missed 1 more Dodger run and 2 Brewers runs. And one out away from winning 2 out of 3 in Milwaukee which feels close to a miracle given how the series looked at the beginning.

604- It is now.

Game over--Jones at the track!

604 - 7-2, final.

604 Yep, 7-2. The Battery with a boost by Jones and Kent are the stars of the game.

604 - It is now!

We win!

A long drive to deep centerfielder t hat Jones runs down ends it. Wade got the first two outs and then Kepler got an infield hit on a little grounder past the pitcher's mound.

Where did you get 90 degrees fm, BH? in the city by the bay it is currently 78. Was it another city nearby?

607 Its probably what 30 degrees above normal?

The fast food conversation begins and ends with Whataburger. Anyone that has lived in, or visited Texas knows this.

602
It was not "Michigan hot." I have never experienced "Michigan hot" except for that one day.

You don't ever want to be in "Michigan hot."

613 From the boxscore of the Giants/Astros game it said 95 degrees.

603 - I'm actually a Seattle-ite now, ex of SoCal. I've been to NY a few times, but I never seem to eat at the right places.

Good pizza and good delis are what I'm looking for, but Papaya King definitely goes on the list.

What a pleasant 2 out of 3 before the Angels series. Bills pitched a great game, but given the grief I've thrown at him, I'll make Bennett my player of the game :-)

618

Since the initial thread, I researched a few other tips from NY-based boards... they say to avoid this place called "Ray's Pizza". Anyone heard of it?

It is currently 87 degrees on my porch here in San Francisco. My cats have become one with the floor.

My g/f says its several degrees warmer in Palo Alto right now.

It is not Michigan hot. It is however, less pleasantly hot than I would prefer.

But it doesn't matter because... we win! Huzzah!

The record high for San Francisco is 103 (in recorded history) on 6/1/2000, 6/14/2000, and 7/17/1988.

Air Temp Talk: 80 degrees in Honolulu at 10:18am with high Vog levels blowing over from the Big Island.

618 If you're in NY for three days, then the places mentioned in 598 will tide you over quite nicely. Of all of those, I recommend Katz's the most. It's kind of like the Philippe's of NYC. You've never had a pastrami sandwich quite like the one you get there.

Of course, there's about 10,000 fantastic restaurants in Manhattan. You won't starve.

620 Ray's Pizza is the Carl's Jr. of New York. Avoid it like the plague.

I've been all over Bennett for most as the season as well, so I have to congratulate him for that jack

I still cant believe the way we won these last two games, and where the run support came from.

624 - Great, thanks for the tips. I'm not sure I'll make it far enough south for Katz's, but it's good to know.

fun fact:

The only two hitters Logan White has picked in the 1st round have a career major league OPS+ of 123 and 130.

388 Just noticed I unwittingly deified Kent in my post. That would be stretching it, just a tad.

627

Let me know how your trip goes too! I can't wait to make my first visit later on.

Katz's is where they filmed the deli scene in "When Harry Met Sally".

566

some people DO like they're burgers to have some grease on them...

definitely Carls jr has the best burgers out of the fast food chains. setting aside In n Out, the best burger place period at around $2 per.

It is AstroBurger for me and I love their fries. I used to love a place in Santa Monica called All American Burger on Wilshire and 9th/10th but they shut down that spot. I think they have one in Westwood but I've never been to it. Oh Joe's or Jims Burgers on 20th/one block below Santa Monica also has a great burger to go with killer fries. Same lady has been serving burgers there since 1985 last time I checked.

I totally agree with Scareduck. Never understood the chili burger lovefest.

631
like THEIR burgers

626 Yep, indeed. I refer you to comment 191 , too. :-)

Okay, back to work. Cheers all!

Over at True Blue we have a New Yorker planning a visit to LA on the Diary. He's looking for help for the best Mexican resturant. For my money he has to go into East LA to a hole in a wall but I forgot the name.

632 It is now a Coffee Bean, I also believe the one in Santa Monica is a Coffee Bean too.

592 600 They are one and the same. I, too, discovered the best burger known to man at the Goleta Hamburger Habit. It has since been shortened to "The Habit" but the owners are the same. Goleta was the original, followed by I.V.

Theres a burger chain called "trimana" dont know if any of heard of it. The onyl one i've ever seen is a block down from wilshire and fairfax where I intern.

There Burgers and fries are so unbelievable its scary. They offer all kinds of mustards and ketchups to go along with their crispy, airy fries. I had a greek burger with feta and green peppers, but they have like 20 different types of burgers to chose from, the product is so fresh and good

If anyone happens to find another one, I really recommend trying it, its unbelievable as far as burger chains go..

I always felt burgers and tacos were our thing here in SoCal. We have the same depth and passion for hamburgers and tacos that NYers have for Deli and Pizza.

One of the many benefits of the Extra Innings package is seeing the local commercials of other places. I am intrigued by Skyline Chili in Cincinnati, which features a "3-way" (spaghetti noodles with chili and about a pound of cheddar cheese).

Fully endorsed by Joe Posnanski too.

640 Chili Thoughts, now we're talking my language! Skyline chili ain't my favorite type of chili exactly, but you get a reasonable facsimile of it (with spaghetti, cheese, onions, etc) at a joint called Chili John's in Burbank.

638 Theres a Trimana in one of the short brown twin towers in Century City on Century Park East. I think Trimana caters mostly to the business lunch crowd but I could be wrong.

630 - Will do! When are you going? Are you catching a ballgame? I think I'm hitting up the Stadium next week.

There are many Trimanas, but not all of them serve burgers. The two near the Central Library don't. They just have sandwiches and salads.

Linecum and Kazmir both off to great starts today.

Now back to burger thoughts.

This makes me really want to grab a burger.

646 - Especially since I had a home-made turkey sandwich on white bread and a bag of carrots for lunch.

Burger & onion rings, please.

598

Avoid Katz's and Junior's (which is in Brooklyn.) While it is a famous and well-know place, the quality at Katz's has gone way down over the past few years. More of a tourist trap now.

Junior's is horrible--nothing better than a mediocre diner.

If you like steak, try Sammy's Romanian on Chrystie Street. They have been around forever, and play up the Lower East Side Jewish shtick--they serve chocolate pudding and seltzer from the bottle, along with glasses of chilled vodka--but the skirt steak is very good. Pricey though.

Good Charles Barkley quote:

""Do I have a gambling problem? Yeah, I do have a gambling problem," Barkley said. "But I don't consider it a problem because I can afford to gamble."

644 really thats so odd, because I'm a big time burger fan, and I wouldn't give this burger so much love if i didnt think it was so good...but the meat was juicy and flavorful, buttery sesame bun, fries spot on

I dunno I'm not sure if anyone lives in the Westlake Village area, but theres a little place called "The Ranch" normally the cater exclusively, but if you walk in the owner will amke you a burger on the spot. The bake their own buns and make their own sauces and marinades. Its a massive burger, but arguably the best burger I've had in my life. My dad has sent people out there to try it because he was so impressed by it and he works in food and beverage.

Wow, I've never seen Lincecum. He looks like a Junior---in high school!

648

RELX, what do you recommend out there for a good pastrami sandwich?

DTers are nothing if not persistent. It took a while, but now I really want to scarf down a burger.

648/652 - I always stay right across the street from the StageDoor Deli so I've eaten there quite often. I'm sure that's more tourist trap than legit food nowadays - beats Quizno's though.

Headline: Jeff Kent Knocks Down Wall.
vr, Xei

643

You bet! Two friends and I are going to try to pull off the Yankees/Mets dbl header. Take the 4 train up for the Yankee day game then ride back down and take the 7 train to the Mets game the same night.

Its so remarkable how the teams compare to the Lakers and Clippers out here. Yankee tickets are really hard to get, and they cost twice as much as similar Mets seats.

Stevie Guitar Miller Thoughts:

Somebody get me a cheeseburger!

NPUT