Jim was one of my favorites.

In other news, the Giants's 41st round draft pick was working out at my gym this morning, doing drills with a personal trainer. He had a Cubs hat on and a huge diamond stud in at least one of his ears.

Somewhere Vinko Bogataj weeps.

Here comes one of those back in my youth comments but before the internet, cable and satellite, I had to rely on magazines like "Sport" and "Sports Illustrated" and television shows like "Wide World of Sports."

Jim McKay was a constance presence and he always did his job well whether it was Indy Car racing, golf, horse racing or the like.

And the Olympics, Jim McKay was always there. In Munich, he said the words that you will see over and over today.

"They're all gone."

Thanks Jim, a consumate professional that is sorely missed today.

I believe Jim McKay's song and dance with Dorothy Hammill during her variety special after the 1976 Olympics should not be ignored.

I have come to love being LATed. You get to have the last word with the added benefit that no one reads it.

Any word on who gets the boot from the 40-man to bring on Berroa today?

As a kid WWS certainly opened my eyes on Saturday mornings to the fact that there was more than baseball, basketball and football. But then I would close them again.

101.1 degrees at 12:46 PM.

RIP, Jim McKay. Another great from our childhoods.

---

Tot Holmes wrote this morning that Kuroda worked on a new slider between starts, with Rick Honeycutt.

"I changed a little bit of my slider grip and I discussed a lot of issues with Honeycutt and I had a better slider this game, obviously," Kuroda said through an interpreter. "I'm glad that it worked out."

RIP Jim McKay.

----------------------
Any update on a Furcal time table?

Newspaper says June 17 is the hopeful date.

I used to love watching Wide World of Sports. R.I.P. Jim McKay.

---
Terrific game by Kuroda.

6 - It doesn't look like it yet. My guess is that they'll either DFA Sweeney or move Bennett to the 60 day DL. Plantar fasciitis is the kind of thing that takes a while to heal, so that would be one way to extend the roster.

Any definite word on the large salary our latest acquisition brings with him? Tony Jackson says KC is paying all of it but other sources say the Dodgers are paying some or all of it.

Roster moves we would make:
DFA Sweeney; Bring up LaRoche; Send Hu down; Bring up Berroa.

13 I have to imagine that the Royals are paying all of it. No one would actually volunteer to pay Berroa.

No one would actually volunteer to pay Berroa

Lots of ones have volunteered to pay Neifi!...

No one would actually volunteer to pay Berroa

Lots of ones have volunteered to pay Neifi!...

Neifi could at least play good defense.

Woah. The powers that be over at BaseballProspectus discovered a "bug" in their PECOTA version Postseason Odds.

The unbugged version reduces the Dodgers's postseason chances by a big margin, from somewhere around 38-40% yesterday down to 27% today.

Jeremy Bonderman out for the season with a blood clot. Tough season they're having out there in Detroit.

Jake Westbrook having Tommy John too.

12 - Isn't Bennett playing in Vegas? Is this considered to be rehab so he is still on the DL? How does this work?

I didn't realize Jason Schmidt was pitching for Vegas tomorrow. Sounds like he'll make a couple of starts for them and then they'll see. Hrm. The clock may be ticking on Penny before he gets phantom-DL'd.

14 - That looks good, but shortstop defense could be an adventure with just Maza and Berroa available until Raffy gets back. Hope Berroa can hit.

19 - Ah a bug, and here I was just about to blame the Bums for the way they are playing. ;-)

I think that 22 answers my question. But in football, Coach B (not used as a term of affection, just that I don't want to bother to look up how his named is spelled) is being burned at the stake for having injured players practice. Is it that football injuries are real?

21 - Yeah, he's in Vegas on rehab. Bennett went on the DL on May 21, but started playing for Inland Empire on June 3rd. I guess you don't need to be inactive for 15 days before your rehab assignments begins, but he's definitely back playing.

Didn't read through all the Berroa comments, so maybe someone pointed this out. But on the plus side, he is hitting quite well at Omaha, for what that's worth. 10 HR so far. Also, he's splitting time between SS & 2B.
On the negative side, he can't get a spot at SS for the last-place Royals, who prefer three other guys collectively batting .159 to him.

26 - Bennett's last appearance in a game was on May 18th, so I guess he was placed retro-actively. That would be 15 days then.

Let's keep this Bennett stuff hush-hush. I fear the consequences if Shimmin finds out that he is actually still playing baseball, beyond wiffle ball in his backyard.

Wait, this is wrong, right? Gurnick from yesterday:

The Dodgers were willing to pick up virtually all of the remaining $3.5 million on Berroa's $11 million, four-year contract that runs through 2008 with a 2009 option. It was either pay the price in money or top prospects. He earns $4.75 million this year with a $500,000 buyout of a $5.5 million option next year.

Well, it probably doesn't matter, but that's just sad.

The fact that Dayton Moore actually thought to bargain instead of just immediately giving Berroa to us is a credit to him.

Ned is a moron.

There's this from yesterday's KC Star:

That contract concludes this season with Berroa making $4.75 million. The deal also includes a $500,000 buyout for 2009 on a club option for $5.5 million. The Royals agreed to pay the balance of that contract in order to make the trade.

I just can't imagine that KC would require either a top prospect(s?) OR cash to make this deal. Berroa has been out of their plans forever.

Also, Gurnick says that Berroa may be an option for next year in a non-Furcal scenario, but that would require them picking up his $5.5M option. I just don't see it. I think Gurnick was asleep when he wrote that whole article.

I'm sure the Dodgers are paying the contract. KC is a small market club, that has no use for Berroa anyway. It wouldnt make sense for them to pay another team to take him off their hands, especially since he's only at AAA. Considering the Dodgers gave up virtually nothing (Rivera), they have to be paying the contract.

Berroa starting next year?
At 5.5 mils?

No way.

Berroa is an example of why not to buy out arbitration years.

Gurnick is the only guy who said the Dodgers are paying. And he's often clueless.

Tony Jackson and the KC Star say the Royals are paying. I believe them.

I seem to recall that there is a rule in place requiring the Commissioner to approve any deal where more than one million dollars is included as part of the transaction. If this is still the case, and no one has mentioned that this deal was approved by the Commissioner's office, it would seem that the "and cash" part of the transaction is less than one million dollars. I think the Dodgers are paying a significant portion of Berroa's contract for this year.

Did y'all know that Matt Kemp is tied for second in the majors with seven outfield assists? I sure didn't 'til this morning. Pretty cool.

35 Dylan Hernandez in the game article for the LA Times wrote, "The Royals agreed to pay the remainder of Berroa's contract", so add him to that column.

If the Royals are paying:

They must be pretty desperate to get rid of the guy.

If the Dodgers are paying:

Ned has no business running a team.

21 , 26 - Ah, sorry. Didn't realize Bennett was already back playing.

Why be desperate to get rid of a guy at AAA? Couldnt they just release him if they felt that way?

How about both..

Let's bring back Geronimo Berroa.

Diamond reports Tiffee DFAed, no details yet.

39 Dude, I love ya man, and I know it's hot there, but you're like seriously a broken record re: Ned.

How about the Dodgers play this afternoon so we can get our minds off the front office? Cool, they've agreed to play at 12:55 just to help us out.

(Of course, I have to go to a friend's going away party this afternoons so will have to catch the game on Tivo later anyway, sigh. But enjoy it. Hopefully. I predict a 3-2 final, won't say who is victorious.)

Farewell, Tiffee, we already knew ye.

(And it's probably just as well.)

38 And Kevin Pearson wrote in the P-E, "Berroa, in the final year of a four-year, $11 million deal, is owed $4.5 million this season, which will be paid by the Royals, minus the major league minimum that will be picked up by the Dodgers. There's a club option for next year for $5.5 million or a $500,000 buyout.", which makes it sound like KC pays this year, but the option/buyout is perhaps LA's.

In this day and age, is half a million a lot for someone that will probably DFAed in six weeks because he still can't hit and provides Offermanesque defense?

41 Right. Keep, him, DFA him, or trade him, they'd still have to pay the money. And if he's a possible benefit to us, then there exists the possibility they themselves might get some use out of him later, draft pick if nothing else, so why give him to us? Is it possible there is a behind the scenes promise of a favor to be returned later?

Jackson up with more details re: Tiffee.

AP's story says "the Dodgers are receiving cash in the deal." Thus, the most reasonable guess is that the Dodgers are picking up part of, but not all of this year's salary, and are responsible for the option buyout. I'm sure neither side wants the details reported.

It's amazing the Royals couldn't find any takers for this guy 'til now. He's been sitting in AAA since last season. He must really stink. From looking at his stats, seems like a guy who strikes out a lot, and occasionally connects for a home run when the ball drifts into the path of his mighty whiff.

The main reason I like this deal is it allows Hu to go back to Vegas to work on his game. He just wasn't ready.

What's Berroa's defense like?

If KC is paying the whole thing, one way to look at it is that the Dodgers are now, in effect, paying whatever's left of Brett Tomko's contract to Berroa instead.

What's Berroa's defense like?

Offensive

Just another attempt to capture lightning in a bottle here. Maybe Berroa pops a couple out of the park and provides a spark. More likely is he OBP's under .300 and plays poor defense.

But, it's not apparently costing them anything so does it really mean anything? I guess I prefer Berroa to Maza.

What's Berroa's defense like?

Is there one?

50 My "Offermanesque" may be slightly harsh. It might be reminiscent of our 1B coach though.

.964 FP as a Royal, errors as a starter ranged from 18 to 28.

I don't think we're going to miss Tiffee, but regret passing up the opportunity to DFA Sweeney or send Hu down for some much needed AAA time.

ITD: Kent in there after his half night of work last night:

Pierre, LF

Ethier, RF

Kent, 2B

Martin, C

Loney, 1B

Kemp, CF

DeWitt, 3B

Hu, SS

Lowe, P

57 - I'm not really understanding why Maza, Berroa, and Hu are being kept right now (which is what Jackson is speculating). One of them should go for LaRoche; perhaps that's happening soon, just not today.

I'm just relieved Tiffee's 4 AB didn't go to LaRoche at the expense of Andy's gradual maturation process in AAA.

57 There is no way that Hu, Maza, AND Berroa are all on the 25-man for any length of time. Like many, I predict Hu will be playing daily for Vegas very shortly.

I wonder if Sweeney's hammy will soon land him on the DL with Bennett's plantar fascia.

59
Quantity over quality. Maybe if we can combine the three players they can put up a third of Furcal's production.

61 - It is probably just temporary, since maybe Berroa didn't get to LA yet or something.

51 That would be the $1M buyout of Tomko's '08 option. Sort of.

57 - I assume a few more move will come, no? With Tiffee DFAed we don't have a backup 3rd base in the bigs.

66 - Have we had a backup 3B at any point this season, other than Hu?

66 Russell Martin!

68 - Oh yeah...

67 DeWitt, after Nomar was activated for a fleeting moment.

Furcal is not coming back till July 17th??

What exactly is his back condition?

71 - I read June 17th. Is that right?

Bad day to be in Indiana, my entire town and many others is underwater. For once I wish I lived in LA! Thankfully, I live on a large hill, even though I can't get to my house.

73 Dang, I hardly know what to say. Hang in there!

73 Yikes, good luck IJon. Never been in one, but flooding - and the cleanup - seems like a really awful thing to deal with.

Wilson Betemit's Yahoo photo still has him in a Dodger hat. He'd be nice to have right about now...

74 75 Everything is still good pesonally. My wife, kids and grandma are safe at the house on high ground. I'm working the state emergancy center for the military up here in Indy, so I'm good too. Others are not so fortunate.

73
I hope for the best Indiana Jon. That is crazy.

Does that mean you're addicted to Jon's blog if you post here during a disaster? I might have a problem.

68 - I have got to doubt that we'll see that again this year, unless Kuroda is going up against a tough lefthander and, perish the thought, Andy ain't here.

If Gary Bennett comes back to this team, measures will be taken. Ax related measures.

79 - Keep safe.

79 - Yes, I believe it does. Good luck to you though.

Does that mean you're addicted to Jon's blog if you post here during a disaster?

Actually, Dodger game threads routinely generate high post counts...

0 I remember watching the 1972 Olympics as an eleven-year old with no obligations that summer, caught up in the sporting spectacle, watching the contest, seeing the medal presentation and Mark Spitz ascending to stardom. But I also remember the dark events and not really understanding how anyone could be so desperately evil to use such an idealistic event - in my naive eyes - for such purposes. I think I lost some innocence when Jim McKay uttered that now-famous brief sentence indicating the outcome of the horrific event.

On a brighter note, I saw a lot of McKay on WWoS because out west it tended to come on right after a Keith Jackson called NCAA football game, at least in the fall. We never ceased to be amazed by the various types of contests McKay would introduce to us. RIP Jim McKay.

84 Thanks for the laugh!

Anyone know the emergancy prcedures to use during a mud slide? We have those now too.

Indiana Jon, best of luck to you and your neighbors.

A cursed local parade is pre-empting big Fox coverage today. Kamehameha is so 18th century.

The strange thing about Furcal is that I dont ever remember hearing an actual diagnosis.

Its basically been, "I have a stiff back, my back hurts, etc. etc.."

Was there ever an MRI?

I have to believe that if Furcal wasnt in a contract year, he'd be playing through the pain even if his stats went down. But being a contract year, he not going to come back til he's 100%.

79 Yes on the addiction, but no on the problem! I'm sure the affected folks appreciate your efforts at the center. Good luck.

85 Yeah, "spanning the globe" was really true. The ABC Sports team went to great distances and lengths to show we benighted Americans what other countries' games were. I never lived anywhere where skiing was possible, so watching downhill and jumping on Wide World was my first introduction to them. McKay could cover anything with aplomb.

The inside the Dodgers blog stated Berroa will be starting tomorrow according to Torre.

It really does look like it's going to be Maza, Berroa, and Hu all on the roster, at least for tomorrow.

Also according to that blog, Schmidnt isnt starting in Vegas tomorrow due to shoulder stiffness.

86
Ummm, don't go near them?

That seems the easiest way.

Several of the young soldiers under my charge this afternoon have no idea who Jim McKay was. I'm getting old. I mentioned that he was the one announcing the Olympic ordeal (I think I'm right) and they had never heard of that either.

I don't know if many, or any, people here check out the message board at Dodgers.com, but somebody there claims to know Ken Gurnick's son. This fellow claims that Gurnick's son told him that the Dodgers very recently tried to acquire Jason Bay and Ian Snell from the Pirates for Ethier, Wade, and Jonathan Meloan, but when the Pirates insisted that LaRoche be included in the deal, the Dodgers refused and trade talks with the Pirates collapsed. Is it true? Who knows? Some people are calling the guy a troll and accuse the poster of making up a story. I mention it only because I can see that trade proposal being made by the Dodgers, and even the alleged counter-proposal seems realistic from the Pirates' perspective.

93 The people near them are landlocked and can only get out by boat or helicopter. Many can't get away from being near them. The Coast Guard is now in my home county.

Best of luck to Indiana Jon, stay safe!

84. funny and sorta appropriate.

95
That trade would have been highway robbery.

If we did not have to include LaRoche that is.

NPUT

95 - Interesting. The first deal really favors LA (Snell and Bay?), but LaRoche throws it way out of whack the other direction.

95 - In keeping with Ned's view that pitching has been our problem and the lack of the long ball, but the wanting to keep LaRoche seems to fly in the face of how he has been treated, unless the grand scheme is him as the future 2nd baseman. Fun rumor.

I take back my reaction to that Pittsburgh rumor. Upon further review, Snell is under control through 2012, and Bay is still under contract next year. Bay is also having a terrific year this year, and could provide some much-needed thump in the lineup.

Meloan and Wade are just bullpen depth, and Bay for Ethier sounds like a win for LA. So Snell for LaRoche? Not as one-sided as I had first thought. Guess it really depends on how much faith you have in DeWitt, and LaRoche's ability to play 2nd.