LAT:

120--

I wouldnt mind for 2009 season.

1b- Teixeira (age 29)
2b- Russ Martin (age 26)
SS- Ivan DeJesus (age 22)
3b- Andy LaRoche (age 25)

Put Lucas May or Santana at catcher. They'll struggle for 2009, but imagine how good the Dodgers should be in 2010.

1 I'm shocked to find gambling here.

LAT too.

With Diamond's announcement, the Dodgers can still activate both Nomar and Jones without having to DFA anyone by just putting Furcal on the 60-Day DL.

Now in terms of who goes tomorrow (or probably today after the game),

A. Jason Repko (nice 4-day visit to Texas)
B. Angel Berroa (don't know his status, he was playing in the minors for KC so he might just get optioned)
C. DeWitt/LaRoche.

Post a comment (

1

Is there any reason to believe that Martin can handle playing 2nd base in the majors, any at all?

I really don't understand this desire to get Russ out from behind the dish. He's good there! Leave him alone!

When I first quickly scanned the headline, I thought Jon was writing about Dalton Jones.

Even if Nomar can play SS every day without getting reinjured, there's still the tiny matter of him not being a capable shortstop! You are giving away at least a hit every other game with him there, compared to an average SS. And probably one hit a game compared to Hu.
That's assuming he's still a good a SS as he was in 2004-5, which is also unlikely, so take the above as kind of best case!

I'll take the under. If Nomar survives SF I'll be surprised. On the other hand I am strangely excited to see him play SS.

Welcome back Andruw Jones. Please do not suck.

6 - Torre has already said they don't plan to play Nomar at SS every day, for what that's worth.

Like it or not, Hu is unavailable right now. The choices are Garciaparra, Maza, Berroa and DeJesus.

B. Angel Berroa (don't know his status, he was playing in the minors for KC so he might just get optioned)

Except that he's out of options. He's been DFA'd before by KC.

6 That's probably too much but if Nomar can hit, this may be one case where based on what the Dodgers were getting from their SS, you have to take it.

Its true, Nomar is not going to have the range to take hits away but how often do those plays happen.

Also, if Hu recovers from his eye injury in the next few weeks, he may be up by the end of July.

9 Then he'll be DFA (and still may end up in Vegas).

6 - The very worst shortstops last year were Jeter and Hanley, who scored -34 and -37 on Dewan's +/- system. That only works out to be a missed play every 4th or 5th game against the average.

If Nomar can throw up a 700 OPS (as he did last year) I think that makes up for the defensive deficiencies.

I hope Nomar can play, because otherwise I figure Ned swaps Pee Wee and/or Stults/Penny for somebody like Eck + Stairs or Jack Wilson. But to be honest, I think 7 is dead on.

12 Well, that's encouraging then. I just looked at range factor per nine, which of course has its limitations. Nomar was half a play per nine below average, 3&4 years ago.

"We always have concerns. That is our job, to be concerned."

See? I've been saying this for years now. Being on this site is like being an unpaid GM.

Andruw return = Repko optioned (obvious)

Nomar return = Sweeney's Dodger career over

Penny's return pushed back--so why did we option Kershaw, again? Did we NEED Ramon Troncoso or Brian Falkenborg last night? Can anyone honestly say that the club is better with either of those guys than with Kershaw?

I actually like the idea of Nomar at SS. Better than the soul-suck that is Angel Berroa. Platoon him with Maza, who seems to have enough juice to be a valuable UT.

16 At least this weekend, I would expect to see a lineup with Martin, Loney, Kent, Nomar, DeWitt/LaRoche, Ethier, Jones, Kemp with a bench of DeWitt/LaRoche, Young, Maza, Ardoin, Sweeney.

What happens if we DFA Berroa when Nomar comes back and then some other team claims Berroa (I know, I know, hear me out), then Nomar gets hurt, what are we going to do for our backup SS? DeJesus is next on the depth chart, but that's asking a lot from him. Just thinking out loud here. :)
vr, Xei

18 Choosing to dump Berroa instead of Sweeney is fine by me. But the front office might want "insurance" for Nomar.

Nomar return = Sweeney's Dodger career over

Sweeney's not going anywhere until they pry him from Ned's cold, dead hands.

On a related note, how long until Sweeney is eligible for his MLB pension...?

19 If Nomar goes down, Ned pulls the trigger on a trade and Maza remains the backup until Hu or DeJesus are deemed ready. I think the Berroa experiment may be over either way.

Today's win probabilities.

Source: Fave/Win%/Runs
LV Hilton: LAD/53.49%/8.5
AccuScore: LAD/51.00%/9.4
My Simulator: LAD/53.08%/8.78

vr, Xei

17 I think makes sense with no days off until the All-Star break, you didn't know what Kuroda could do especially against the Astros at home, if goes in the 3rd/4th inning, your options become murky. Also, they have had an idea that Penny wasn't going to pitch this weekend so they knew they couldn't use Park again.

I don't really thinks it a bad move, Kershaw will get a couple of starts before the ASB and who knows, if Penny can't make it back, maybe he'll be up right after that.

16 Some might like to think so, but with Nomar as a starter would Torre carry a bench of Berroa, Maza, Young, Ardoin and DeRoche?

7 I somehow don't think that Derek Lowe will be "strangely excited" to find that the middle IF behind him is Nomar/Kent.

19 - Ramon Martinez was activated at Las Vegas June 24. He went 4 for 5 with two doubles in that game. For the season, he is OPSing .690. And he's a better defender. I think that could replace Berroa.

16 - That leaves a lot of infielders and right-handed batters on the bench. You'd have Kent, Maza, Berroa, Nomar, LaRoche, and DeWitt for 3 IF positions, which seems excessive. Delwyn would be the only left-handed pinch hitter.

With Furcal's injury, I think Sweeney is saved from any sort of roster-crunch motivated release. Now it would simply be a matter of performance, and LA looking to upgrade at his position.

Players are eligible for a pension now after just one day. There are different levels you get paid out depending upon your tenure.

Besides his poor performance this season, Hu is unavailable why? Did I miss something?

26. Ok, that's another option, albeit not a good one. :) I was just going by your depth chart in #8.
vr, Xei

29. He can't see. Vision problems.
vr, Xei

Apparenlty Mr. Ratt and Hu suffer from the safe affliction.

I somehow don't think that Derek Lowe will be "strangely excited" to find that the middle IF behind him is Nomar/Kent.

Derek Lowe, welcome to PVL-HELL! You asked for it, you got it.

His ex-wife made a deal with Satan to make this happen.

Players are eligible for a pension now after just one day. There are different levels you get paid out depending upon your tenure

So, what was the deal with Tomko?

30 - I had forgotten about him too until for some reason your comment made me think of him.

Why send Kershaw to JAX instead of Vegas?

31 No eye doctors in Vegas?

I had heard about these vision problems, but I was unaware they were lingering such that he can't play.

36 Because Vegas is no fun until you are 21.

As I head out away from civilization, it's nice to see a decent line-up for once, I hope when I come back the Dodgers are up by 5 games. :-)

Rather than Andruw Jones, let's just put Chin-Lung Hu in Centerfield and call it even.

36 He's only 20, what fun could he have in Vegas?

BTW, one thing that probably has not escaped the Dodgers attention is that Delwyn Young has adapted well to being a PH, he's 10 for 31 (.323) which is 3rd in the NL for PH with 25 or more PA.

That ability will keep Young on this club for a while.

Goodness gracious, 3 months ago I wouldn't have believed that we'd be pining for Nomar Garciaparra and Lucille II at SS.

Game started. Kemp leads off with a K.
vr, Xei

It seems like Matt Kemp has been taking more pitches lately.

That's awesome BH...regarding Young.

43 ... for the third game in a row.

Loney with the two-out, RISP, extra-base hit.

My oh my.

Dewitt! 2 RBI single!

45 Well, thanks, though a lot of the credit should go to Peanuts.

:)

I hope we are able to enjoy DeWitt hitting well these days.

Considering his last outing, Billingsley must be pretty happy right now.

Aren't the Dodgers best with RISP with 2 outs?

James! Blake!

I hope Tony Jackson is tracking the RISP hitting today.

53 - Why are you watching tennis? The Dodgers are on.

Looks like the Astros have their own bad Back(e) problems.

It's always nice to get an early lead!

Since all of the discussion of infield positions uses DeWitt/LaRoche as they are somewhat interchangeable I propose that we use the term DeLa (or DeLa Woche) to refer to them. I like the first one better.

First ball swinging! I like!

A first-pitch popout from Berkman. Excellent.

50 ESPN has him hitting .133 in his last seven games.

By the way, I'd definitely take a chance on Furcal even with his back issues he was still performing great the only gamble NedCo will have is IF Furcap has a recuring (sp) back problem, I'm not a gambling man but I really feel Furcal's back will be o.k.

2 year offer take it or leave it.

How does Chris Kaman get to play for Germany in the Olympics just because his great-grandparents were from Germany?
vr, Xei

Yessh Bison!

63 - I read he actually got German citizenship recently.

62. Ned Inc., has a bad track record with signing players who end up or were hiding an injury. Not sure what I'd offer. vr, Xei

65. Yeah, I would too if I was 7 foot tall and played in the NBA. My great-great grandparents are from Germany. :)
vr, Xei

63
Each sports federation sets its own eligibility rules. Some are looser than others.

The WBC tried to get Dan Haren to play for the Netherlands. Despite the fact that Dan Haren is not Dutch. At all. He didn't play for the Dutch.

Mike Piazza played for Italy in the WBC.

And the nationalities of Alex Rodriguez and Albert Pujols are whatever they want them to be at the time.

I'm a little surprised that Kaman has relatives from Germany as Western Michigan is much more of a Dutch area.

I once flew out to my brother's house in Michigan and Kaman were on the same two legs of the flight to Gerald R. Ford International Airport.

Chris Kaman is a very large human being.

Chin-Lung Hu played 210 innings with no errors and a range factor, according to Baseball-Reference.com, of 4.92, which was .78 higher than Furcal and .50 higher than the NL average. Anyone know what his +/- is?

Maza's range factor, though, is somehow 5.93 in 82 innings.

64 What did he do?

WOW! nice comeback count for Bills! KK!

70 - yet another strike against Dewan's +/- system: it's not available in-season. Honestly, it doesn't seem any better than fielding percentage as a means to determine defensive ability.

71. Caught looking and strike out.

Edit: Ethier! nice HR!

Wow, Andre is on a power surge!!

Big oppo bomb for 3.5.

BOOM! 4-0 Dodgers, and if they can hold on to this one, the Dodgers go undefeated in July!

"Adnt that's why it was so important to keep these guys off the board in the early goings, because now with a lead, Billingsley looks unhittable." -Astros Announcers(something very close to that anyway)

I liked hearing that. Looks like Andre found his stroke.

Andre Encore!

Ethier is on fire right now.

78. And still trying to figure out how Adnt got there.

YES 'DRE!!

We will see how that goes... I'm cool with Hu taking over though.

73 - How can you say it's not better than fielding percentage when it takes range into account?

77 - Knock on wood.

78 - They saw Chad pitch well against them last year.

73 How do you reach that conclusion? Also, midseason defensive stats are generally useless, especially ones that don't account for opportunity like range factor or rate2.

I really want to believe that what we're starting to see here is the kids taking ownership of the team.

70 - Maza (.886) and Hu (.880) are much closer on their Zone Ratings. Both of those figures rank very highly amongst all shortstops this year, though neither have enough chances to officially qualify.

Which explains how Maza is the most dominant defensive force in baseball today.

86 The team that's been carried by Kent the last couple weeks?

That hit may be the Backe breaker..

Fat Elvis with a nice play.

I have a strange feeling that the Dodgers are about to go on an extended winning spurt. I don't know how long it will last, but I really feel like they could win 20 of the next 30 games and make a move in this hapless division. The bats are finally showing some life.

Jeepers, James was hustling and it looks like he's running fast, but he still takes a while to get down the line.

could young look any worse

92 This is just the Astros after all. I'm reserving hope until the bats come to life against teams that are well above .500

D. Young look like a different hitter with RISP(A bad one).

Pee Wee is going to start seeing a lot more breaking stuff. He looked pretty bad right there.

84. They must have seen him before. They cannot stop talking about how tough he is when pitching with a lead. It's nice to hear other teams' announcers give Billingsley some respect though.

So why do we still use "hapless," but not its root "hap?" "Hap" is a perfectly acceptable word meaning "happiness" or "luck."

I demand the return of the word to everyday language!

Pierre out of the lead off spot, and the bunching of the best hitters at the top--has really helped the Dodgers the last 3 games score in the 1st inning.

Delwyn Young looks to be the same hitter with runners on base as without runners on base.

It's worse when he moved out of the way of a 78 mph curveball the pitch before.

Wear that ball for heaven's sake.

84 , 85 - I take from this

http://www.billjamesonline.net/fieldingbible/summary.asp

that the whole system is based on subjective calls of ability. That is, +/- is no better than figure skating, gymnastics -- or fielding percentage.

The bats are finally showing some life

It helps that Pierre is no longer leading off or in the lineup.

99 - what about the return of "happy" as a verb? The Elizabethans were perfectly comfortable with the locution of "happy a friend".

Chad! amazing start so far.

100. As far as 1st innings go. Kemp has struck out the three times he led off the game and so did Repko. Other than that, you are correct. :)
vr, Xei

If Chad keeps this up, he might get recruited to pitch for the Germans!
vr, Xei

103 How? Ball gets hit to a location, the guy misses the play that is deemed catchable because someone else caught the same type of ball, he gets -1. He catches it when someone else missed it, he gets +1.

The biggest knock against defensive stats is that they can't replace watching a guy play. This system involves watching every single play and comparing that against every other player in baseball. This is why i use +/-.

99 That post really (c)haps my hide!

103 - "A player gets credit (a "plus" number) if he makes a play that at least one other player at his position missed during the season, and he loses credit (a "minus" number) if he misses a play that at least one player made. The size of the credit is directly related to how often players make the play. Each play is looked at individually, and a score is given for each play."

It's not subjective. It's objective. The "credit" is based on a quantitative value. I think the last sentence in the above quote - "looked at" - you're taking as subjective when it's intended as objective.

I would love to argue defensive stats with you all, but it seems like all of them have some sort of flaw. I will agree that they are lightning years ahead of errors/field pct. though. vr, Xei

Did they just rule Loney's single an error?

109 - Ball gets hit to a location, the guy misses the play that is deemed catchable because someone else caught the same type of ball

This is still a matter of subjective opinion, though. It's not at all clear to me based on their description that this takes into consideration positioning.

107---Kemp must have the ability to make the guys beneath him better ;)

3 k for M. Bison.

112 - Yeah, I'm not saying +/- is perfect. I think it's a pretty big step forward, though.

Not the best past two games for Kemp, wonder if his scratched eye is bothering him.

117 - I'm sure some here can provide some editorial on this, but Zone Rating (readily available in-season on ESPN) is sort of a percentage-based version of +/-.

111 - you're taking as subjective when it's intended as objective.

Where is there evidence that this is in fact objective, though? Maybe they're trying to do that but IMO it's misleading if so. On the other hand, this is only the nutshell version, and I understand Dewan's book goes into much greater detail.

But does where a defender started from matter? All that matters is they catch the ball. Accounting for how far someone ran would punish guys who are better at positioning.

Cesar Izturis Maza!

MAZA!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG!!!!!!!!!!!! Great DP!!!

Amazing DP started by Maza.

Wowzers.

DODGER WEB GEM OF THE YEAR! WOW!

120 - I don't understand how the bolded sentence in 111 doesn't answer your question.

If I had to sit through an entire season of Michael Bourn leading off, I'd probably just give up baseball.

Maybe Steve is doing that in regards to Pierre?

Its ok to come back for the next 6-8 weeks..

¡Viva la Maza!

I can't twitch about Maza for a while now. How would fielding systems view that play?

Four innings, 12 batters, 37 pitches.

Why does Will Carroll hate all Dodger pitching prospects?

also...

don't get too excited by Cal League offensive numbers. cough Brandon Wood cough.

How Wood did his thing is vastly different then how Santana is doing his thing. For one thing, look at the K rates and K/bb ratios of both.

For those who did not see that double play go out of your way to see it. That was incredible.

Of course, if Maza gets sent down to the minors and is brought back repeatedly this season, we can just call him Yo-Yo Maza.

Chad has given up a hit, but thanks to Maza has still faced the minimum through 4. 37 pitches.

133 - Awesome.

Waiting for the video to appear.

As I posted two nights ago, the 7-6 Dodgers win was a watershed game. Winning that game has propelled the Dodgers into a new mindset. They are going on to win the West. No doubt about it.

A little late with 134. :)

I hate being stuck at work and not getting to see plays that sound totally awesome!!

For those who still believe that LaRoche is the next Mike Schmidt, when is this going to happen?

His trade value may never be higher than it is now.

Come on Ethier! Horrible!

And JP on going on the DL was a watershed event ;-)?

127
Bourn OPS: .587
Maza OPS: .580
Pierre OPS: .644

139

Who do you propose we trade him for?

133 - But why would you want to send him down when there's always room for cello?

140 - I think a sign was missed. I doubt Torre would send Ethier on a straight steal.

Amazon has asked me to rate my two latest purchases.
1. A replacement battery for my Blackberry, for which there is only one kind you can buy.

2. A five-pack of Hanes t-shirts that I found on sale.

I'm not quite sure how I'm supposed to rate or review underwear. "It looked nice enough that I felt secure in knowing that if I went out and got in a car accident, the paramedics wouldn't laugh at me."

Billingley's ERA is down to 3.24.
Does he have any chance at the All-Star team?

Bring in Andy!

Oh boy, time for Angel Berroa as the cleanup hitter!

139 Look at Mike Schmidt's first 250 or so PA. Also, are you willing to hand third base to a guy with a .706 OPS?

Uh, oh. What's wrong with Kent?

NOOOO! not Kent!

Our middle infield is absolutely punchless now.

I don't know what happened but Kent is leaving the game. He doesn't look hurt. Confused am I. Torre is probably playing it safe with Kent.

146 Okay, now that post (c)hap(s) your hide...

The season is cursed.

131
True but what Wood did(100 EBH) is lights years ahead of what my man is doing.

In 1973, Mike Schmidt played his first full season and batted .196.

The next year he was 6th in MVP voting.

It never stops

The speculation is that Kent has an oblique injury.

I don't know if the injury is to his oblique muscles or if it's just hard to say what it is.

I'm just shocked that a 40 year old 2nd baseman is hurt. To bad because Kent was banging.

150 - I got suckered into thinking that Michael Collins, an Aussie catching prospect in the Angels system, had similar number as Mike Piazza through his first three seasons, but that doesn't make a compelling case. Lots of guys struggle early but not all of them become Mike Schmidt.

157

Yeah but Wood is a free swinger who's lack of approach was definitely going to get exposed as he moved higher up the minors. Santana has always displayed that he has a clue of what to do when he is up there.

So I take it Angel Berroa is in the game and not Andy?

Oblique injuries hurt and take forever to heal.

I strained mine surfing the first week of May. And it still hurts.

Luis Offerman Maza!

158 Lol. You hit that one into the upper deck, Bob.

Maza! bad Maza!

Berroa is at short, Maza is at second.

Why put Berrora in? Why not let Andy play second?

162 My challenge to find someone with comparable minor league numbers to LaRoche who did absolutely nothing is still open.

Saying Andy LaRoche will be a good everyday player is unprovable.

Wow, just Wow.

169 - Gameday hasn't kept up, and shows both at short.

Sweet, a bandbox special.

Chad has a tendency to let things spiral.

170
I would assume that with the Dodgers ahead, Torre opted for "defense."

Then Maza made an error on an easy ground ball, then Maza almost had his body ripped open by a hard grounder by Pence and Towles doubled off the wall to score two.

For the record, I don't think Andy LaRoche will be as good as Mike Schmidt. I think he will be better than Mike Blowers.

Maybe they are saving Andy for a Pinch Hit situation.

Because, you know, it's good to have his bat off the bench ;)

That ball is a can of corn for the left fielder in any other stadium.

163
In hindsite, but after his 100 XBH season and his 2005 fall season I don't remember to many thinking he wasn't going to be a star.

If Brandon hits like Dave Kingman as a SS, doesn't that still have value?

170 , 177 - it's assumed Kent was injured after his last AB.

Chad is losing his focus. This is unbearable to watch now.

He is a pitcher Chad. I don't care what his batting average is, he is a pitcher.

ugh.

181 Congrats on the Baron Davis signing.

What's going on in the game?

Now, it's safe to say Billingsley is letting things spiral.

I haven't checked gameday but the comments don't sound promising.

No one said LaRoche would be Mike Schmidt. That's a straw man argument.

176 - No more than 95 percent of other pitchers.

Brandon Wood taught me about the importance of strikeout rates for minor leaguers.

Thank you Pierre 2.0

Michael Bourn is a great runner.

181 - that's about right. My position on him is that his stock is falling fast, but he still has his age (23) to fall back on, though if he isn't on a major league roster by next year, he's not going to be worth that much.

186 - 4-2, end of the 5th. Bills gave up a couple unearned runs and walked the pitcher. No biggie.

The inning is over and it's 4-2 Dodgers.

Single
DP
E4
Single
2-run double
Walk
Ground out

185
Until I see Baron and Brand at a press conference with a contract I'm not buying that we got this lucky that two of my favorite players took a pay cut to play for my team.

So was only one of the runs Bills gave up earned? Sportsline shows no earned runs, since Bills is on the fantasy team, these things are important.

191 The Bourn Conspiracy.

197 - Maza's error came with two outs, and all runs scored after that. No earned allowed.

181

Scareduck made a comment about being weary about Santana because of Brandon Wood. I just wanted to point out they are different hitters and what one did should not have any weight on the other.

I don't really want to get into talking about Brandon Wood. He had an amazing season but his inability to control the plate did lead some to question whether he could succeed in higher levels.

Yes, I would take Brandon Wood at shortstop over what we are throwing out.

197 - All unearned runs. 2 out error.

194
Wow, some you guys panic easy. I thought he'd fallen a part and Will Carrol was going to write about how his big butt can't handle adversity.

Still only at 56 pitches through 5 innings.

The short porch taketh away and now it giveth.

JAME LONEY! solo HR! nices!

Crazy Eye bomb!

James Loney gives us a nice push after the error.

Loney with a Crawford box special! 5-2 Dodgers.

Loney!!!

I guess that's only fair.

If this was our home field, we would not be in last place in homeruns.

Loney goes oppo field to get one of those unearned runs in the last frame back.

204 - I didn't know it could happen in that order.

James avenges Billingsley with a shot to LF.

202 - Brought back memories of "Bad Chad" struggling to get through the 5th each start, but he's passed all that now.

211 Our team era (or insert whatever pitching stat you prefer) wouldn't be as good though.

143

Package LaRoche and others for Dunn.

I am not convinced that DeWitt is the answer either. But he has at least won a few games with his clutch hitting. LaRoche has shown nothing so far. And he wasn't hitting all that well at LV when he was brought up.

LaRoche could be hitting .220 a year from now and posters here would still be pleading for patience and predicting big things for the guy. If prospect ratings were reliable, Homer Baily would be pitching in the All-Star Game this month instead of hefting an 8.00+ ERA.

Is anybody else having problems with Gameday schizophrenia? DeWitt's fly ball first came up as "In play, no outs" and then went to "In play, outs". And the banner at the top said SINGLE. Jeez.

NPUT!

Gameday has video of Ethier's CS but not the Maza play.

But the title has more words than the post.

Kent's injury "back stiffness."

And now it says DeWitt singles after the radio crew announced it as a can of corn for Hunter Pence.

Kent left the game with back stiffness.

I am 38, and I have stiffness in my back almost every day. Slap some heating pads on Kent and get him to California safe.

Fangraphs says flyout. Yahoo says single.

223

flyball just short of warning track.

Give Andy LaRoche 500 AB's in a season and I will never say another word about him.

219 - That's misleading.

218 Same thing happened to me.

Kent's back is probably always stiff.
With the Dodgers having a comfortable lead and a day game, maybe he's just resting up for tomorrows day game.

I'm just following via Gameday. Was there a play where Kent appeared to get hurt, or did he just not show up at the bottom of the inning?

I love how Jon closed comments to avoid the inevitable.

218 If your just following the box score, try cbssportsline gamecenter, it's pretty much spot on.

Furcal's surgery had no complications.

http://tinyurl.com/5ouunz

224 - Sounds precautionary but how's Furcal?

Kent looked to be sore after he lined out to end the 5th. He came out to warm up and then was pulled.

217 So if not LaRoche or DeWitt at third, who? The best free agent after this year is Crede and after 2010 you might have Glaus or Beltre, or 38 year old Chipper jones.

Kent appeared to want to stay in the game, but Torre put his hands on him while he spoke to him and appeared to be telling Kent that he wasn't open to hearing any options.

229 I typed it out before clicking on the link.

San Francisco is just what a stiff back needs.

It was 56 degrees at game time last night in San Francisco.

As long as its just stiff and not another bulging disk

Milwaukee and Arizona just getting started. Brandon Webb going for the DBacks, and no Ryan Braun for the Brewers.

Better to be stiff than buldge.

Carlos Lee constant thorn to the Dodgers side.

If the Dodgers win today, they'll be three games under .500. Given how crummy the division is looking, I'm thinking it takes 85 games to win, with the wild card out of the NL Central.

Nice inning Bills.

We will be in 1st place by the all-star game.

Only 2 strikeouts today, but the 66 pitches through 6 is nice.

217 LaRoche has shown nothing so far.

Since when does LaRoche play everyday? He has played everyday in his ENTIRE CAREER, so until he gets that chance in the majors, these types of judgments are inconclusive.

Lee and Billingsley are both on my fantasy team. This game has gone about as well as it can go.

I lead a 7-year old by 3 points and 2 11-year old by 3.5 points.

But I trail a 49-year old by 6 and another 11-year old by 11.5!

Who should be our leadoff hitter ? I'd like to see Jason Repko given a fair shot. He was red hot in Vegas right before he was called up.

I appreciate how the Dodgers, thus far, are helping me observe the 53rd anniversary, to the day, of the first major league game I attended. My dad and I saw the Pirates beat the Dodgers, 7-5, in the first game of a doubleheader at Ebbets Field. Carl Furillo homered. Snider got two hits as did Roberto Clemente for Pittsburgh. Ed Roebuck lost the game in relief of Karl Spooner. Jackie Robinson came up as a pinch-hitter. Ron Kline won for the Bucs. We didn't stay for the second game, won by Brooklyn 3-1. I still have the program. It cost 10 cents. The split kept the Dodgers 11.5 games in front in first. They ended the day 53-22. That is correct. It was a magical season, the only World Series title in Brooklyn. Our family moved to L.A. less than two weeks later

I'm with Greg Brock, if LaRoche was given the same leash as DeWitt has been given I think we wouldn't be worried about who are future 3rd baseman is going to be.

Backe's getting chased in this inning, I'm callin it.

253 Loney and Martin are probably the best choices.

253

Play the best 3 outfielders about worrying which player fits what batting position criteria.

I used to love how Raul Mondesi would sometimes take 2 on base hits just like Matt Kemp's just now. MK has that kind of ability.

258
without worrying

shoot! ive missed an offensive fury, 'stache is hurt? what happened..

254
The 1955 Dodgers clinched the pennant on September 8.

A microdiscectomy isn't nothing, but it's a whole lot better than a fusion. My wife has had both in the last two years, and two weeks after the microdiscectomy was doing very well and a month to full recovery. If the bulging disc is pinching a nerve, then it is best to get it operated on before you lose feeling permanently -- nerves don't recover. The problem is that any time you remove part of a disc your back may start collapsing down, and that's what can eventually lead to needing a fusion, where they insert metal to keep you back in place. Since Furcal is probably in pretty good shape, he should hopefully be able to recover quickly and without further problems. I hope he feels well soon.

252 - Your fantasies are different than mine.

Dodgers WE: 90%
vr, Xei

So no Nomar and Andruw tonite at the 51's game? Well, at least it is $1 beer nite.

Heh! Lyons called it.

242 - "The coldest winter I ever experienced was a summer in San Fansisco" - Mark Twain

259 But Matt Kemp didn't have the echo-chambery sports media repeating that he's some kind of chowderhead on the base paths every time he takes a risk and loses. He's playing it safe, and so would most of us under the same circumstances.

Mondesi was crazier, too. Kemp is just enthusiastic and young.

266 - Jason Schmidt and Nick Adenhart are starting tonight. Pretty good matchup there.

264
My goal is to make Sam DC's son cry repeatedly down the stretch.

Or at least beat my nephew. Because if I don't, he will remind me that he beat me.

Repeatedly.

Until I die.

I'm with Greg Brock

Great Caesar's Ghost! We're through the looking glass!

258.

I would agree if we were scoring runs like we are in this series. However, when we play in a real ballpark like D. Stadium, I think it's important to have someone who can get on and put some pressure on the D. Besides, the leadoff role doesn't have to have any bearing on who starts in the OF. I agree with 257..... Russell should be in the leadoff spot.

(whispers)

It might not even take eight weeks.

CROW swoops into dzzrtRatt's face, eats eyeball.

272
Does anyone when that phrase first got used outside of the work of Lewis Carroll?

so will nomar have to possibly play second based on kent's status? and with andruw coming back we'll have a clogged outfield still with two infielders gone..

or will peewee play second, nomar at SS with maza? maybe dewitt at second too

273 - Repko's career OBP is .297.

269.

True. This is a good score to have taken that risk though.

273

Well, you mentioned Repko and I was only responding to the idea of starting repko over Ethier or someone else.

276 - here's my guess for tomorrow's starting line up:

Kemp RF
Ethier LF
Martin C
Jones CF
Kent 2B
Nomar SS
Loney 1B
DeRoche 3B
Pitcher

I make no promises that the above will be the line up by the 6th inning tomorrow night.

Brewers bases loaded and nobody out on Webb.

so, odds of Billingsly getting a CG?

Lets go Chad... CG baby.

Since when did Kendall start hitting 8th again?

Wild pitch 1-0 Brewers 2nd and 3rd nobody out. And an RBI groundout makes it 2-0 Brewers.

i'll play..

Kemp RF
Ethier LF
Martin C
Kent 2B
Jones CF
Loney 1B
Nomar SS
DeRoche 3B
Pitcher

Without watching the game today, I'd guess Torre give the stache another game for precautionary measures.

Kemp RF
Ethier LF
Martin C
Jones CF
Kent 2B
Nomar SS
Loney 1B
DeRoche 3B
Pitcher

switch jones and loney in the batting order and I can roll with this.

282 - LA needs to score another run to take the save situation out of play.

Billingsley with only 66 pitches headed into the 7th. He is due to bat 3rd in the 8th inning. My guess is this is his last inning and then Broxton to pitch the 8th and Saito the 9th. Perhaps with an easy 7th, i could see him batting and then pitching the 8th. We'll see. Maybe Troy in Virgina will get to see Beimel pitch to a batter or two?
vr, Xei

Milwaukee runs themselves out of the inning on a 1-5-4 double play. 2-0 Brewers Bot 2.

284. i noticed MIL nixed the pitcher batting 8th over a month ago.
vr, Xei

Can we PH Andy for Berroa?

290. I think I badly messed that up. Billingsley surely pitches the 8th, with an outside shot at the CG?
vr, Xei

290 - 79 pitches through 7 now.

They can't take him out after only 79 pitches, can they?

282.

You and I were thinking the same thing. I think the odds are against CB if the score stays the same. Joe will get Sammy Saito in there to get the save. I don't like how managers are overly cautious these days. Let your horses do work !

292 - Interesting. Guess Yost couldn't handle the pressure of being so edgy.

It's time for a Berrora Bomb!!!!

293 - If we were down three, yes. Up three, no.

289 - I hate going to the closer because it's a safe situation. Granted I'm following on gameday but Bills looks like he's been pretty dominant today.

290 - Bills isn't due to bat until 3rd in the ninth, if I'm reading my score card correctly.

Billingsley will go nine unless he gets in trouble. He won't be taken out preemptively.

Or a Berrora single.

301 - that's what I like to hear.

297
The Brewers have also been playing much better the past month, so I doubt Yost feels the need to experiment.

Why the heck were we running on that?

Triple play!
No, double play!
No, just a fly out to left.

Wow. Dodgers get a big break.

Que pasO?

J.J Hardy solo HR 3-0 Brewers Top 3

Despite what Charlie Steiner said, Joe Beimel has never won a game without throwing a pitch.

He did get a one-pitch win earlier this year.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/FLO/FLO200805010.shtml

308
Fly ball to left with the runners going. Lee throws to second and appears to double off Berroa, but Loretta was way off the bag. Loretta threw to Berkman for the putative triple play, but that throw was late.

Berkman then threw back to second because Berroa had wandered off thinking he was out, but he got back.

I had to switch to the Astro's announcers sinc3e the Doger's guys have been counting this a win since about the sixth. Maybe I'm getting too superstitious but it screams Jinx. Vin wouldn't do it half as obnoxiously, or as early.

Mark Loretta's "great stab" got a video highlight on Gameday, but still no Maza DP.

Astros thank you first chasing the first or second pitches.

Darin Erstad is on the Astros?

Charlie Steiner blows holes. Who likes that guy anyway ?

315 He's pitch hit twice this series, IIRC.

314 - from the pitcher's perspective, do you really want guys chasing the first couple of pitches if they are strikes anyway? From the hitter's perspective, don't you want to go after those pitches if they are strikes?

316 Is that a rhetorical question?

that was nastyyyyy.

What a pitch to get Berkman! my oh my!

316 I do. He's got his flaws, but I don't know if I could count the number of announcers I'd prefer on one hand.

Atta baby.

Billingsley just made one of the best hitters in baseball look at strike three called. Great pitch!

CB owns Berkman today.

I'm going to make a prediction here that's going to sound kind of crazy, but bear with me:

if Stults, Kershaw, and Billingsly are in the starting rotation for the next couple of years, the Dodgers will lead the majors in complete games. Possibly by a lot.

318. I guess, but the pitcher ain't working though.

322 - I feel the same way.

The 2005 Padres led the NL West on September 27 with five games to play, the latest any team has ever held a division lead with a sub-.500 record.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/SDP/2005_sched.shtml

The 1994 Rangers get more attention for their ending the season with a division lead despite a losing record, but the 1994 Dodgers also briefly held a lead in the NL West with a 53-54 record on August 3 following a 4-2 loss to the Padres. The Dodgers won their next game and six of their last seven before the strike hit, and the regular season ended.

322 - I knind of like Stiener too. Could be worse guys, we could have Buck and McCarver.

Oh come on Torre!

He's taking Chadwick out?!

Sweeny... dead man walking.

He doesn't even pinch-hit with Andy?!

319.

No. I want to see if there is anyone out there who likes him at all. He's a wretched embarrassment to a town that is used to first class announcers.

324 ...in the bottom of the eighth, no less.

I wish I could see this game!

Weak. So very weak. 92 pitches!

Nice professional at-bat for Sweeney.

Its not that huge of a deal but Chad was dealing!

JAOFMS

apparently you're only allowed to go for the CG if you are also working on a shut out.

I hope the appropriate sacrifices were made to the baseball gods...

A study by Dave Smith at the recent SABR convention revealed that the worst outcome for a hitter on the first pitch of an at bat is a swing and a miss. Hitters who go down 0-1 because of that have the worst results. A foul ball or called strike one are not as bad.

If you had a team that swung and missed at the first pitch on every at bat, you'd be hard pressed to score any runs.

I was really confident in 301 .

Guo should've pinch hit. He's obviously not good enough to be a pitcher for Torre. :)
vr, Xei

329 - correction, the Dodgers won 5 of their last 7.

Throw him out.

Mark Sweeney: .095/.183/.127/.310

Good thing Brocail has already had two angioplasties because he's about to need a bypass after this argument.

There's got to be some sort of history here between Brocail and the ump.

Unless Brocail is just an idiot. Which is possible.

347 That does not include today's K.

322 - I agree. Steiner is growing on me, though as others have said, he has his flaws.

342. I wonder why a called strike or a swinging strike on the first pitch have a difference. I suppose you swing and miss many times because you are overmatched. Could be a causation issue??
vr, Xei

With a three run lead, I'm actually perversely glad to see Sweeney strike out and look bad there. Lord knows how many more at-bats he would get if he actually got a hit or took a good swing, or looked menacingly at the pitcher, or did a good job of using the pine tar and the batting donut, or whatever Joe is measuring performance these days.

326
I will take you up on that. I think an AL team will always lead in CGs.

Toronto already has 8 this year and no NL team has more than 3.

342 - I have to ask: correlation or causation? I can't see how being down 0-1 is any different in how you got there. Might it be that guys who tend to swing and miss at the first pitch are more likely to be guys who chase pitches anywhere, and thus more likely to get out?

341. Actually, Torre was going to take out Stults after eight last week, and only kept him in because Martin convinced him to.

342 I wonder if that's because bad pitchers don't induce that many swings and misses.

335 You must not hear many announcers.

There's Scully. And there's everyone else. But I think Steiner is in the top 1/4 of everybody else. I'd take him over anyone who calls the Angels or Padres, teams I can hear nightly. I'd take him over anyone on ESPN or Fox, including Jon Miller and Joe Buck. He's grown on me. He has his flaws -- all the chuckling at some dumb comment by Rick. I'd like to see him eventually do what Scully does -- announce without a partner. I'd like to see Rick working somewhere else, frankly.

I'll tick you off even more. The best non-Scully offering the Dodgers have is when it's Steiner and Lyons. I actually enjoy their broadcasts.

I can't stand the radio team of Monday and Reuss. Monday describes the action poorly. Then Reuss follows up by repeating what Monday just said. It's baseball for people with no attention span.

355. Great minds...
vr, Xei

353 Yeah, I'm inclined to agree.

354 More accurately, Roy Halladay and Cleveland are tied for the league lead.

Come on Sweeney, a couple more at bats like that and Billy G c1969 is forever freed from the Dodger BA Hall of Shame. You can do it!

The Sweeney thing is beyond pathetic. It is like it is more important for Torre to prove a point than it is to actually have a capable bat on the bench.

358 I don't think saying the non Rick Monday announce team is our best one is that controversial.

361 I once played in a H2H fantasy league that counted CG's and shutouts. Roy Halladay was on my team and pretty much pitched me to a championship.

352
Dave didn't know why it happened. But the difference was striking. Dave will have the paper up soon on the Retrosheet site.

The speculation was that a swinging strike meant that the pitcher was significantly better than the hitter. A called strike just means that the batter is selective. A foul ball would indicate that the batter has some idea of being able to hit the pitch.

The other thing Dave said was that moving from 2-2 to 3-2 was a dramatic shift in favor of the hitter. 2-2 is bad for hitters. 3-2 is great for hitters.

At least the Dodgers have stopped moaning about their overworked bullpen while taking their cruising starters out of games.

Good name for a reliever, especially if he can be a pain, when pronounced like burcock.

354 - yeah, but 6 of Toronto's CG's are by Halladay, and he's just a freak of the times (speaking of, if we're going to go get pitching help, can we get Halladay? Please?).

Plus, I think more guys would get run in the AL because of the DH, but I suppose it could work the other way too, since you don't need to pinch hit for your pitcher.

362 so I was watching the Angels the other night...what would it take to get Maicer Izturis from them?

358 - I really enjoy Kruk and Kuip for the Giants. And I like Jim Deshaises for the Astros, though his partner is pretty vanilla. Other than Vin, that's about it.

370 and no, that had nothing to do with 362--I was going to make a Sweeney joke and decided instead to let a dead horse lie...

I was right in 296. Even though I was hoping to be wrong. Quit babying these pitchers ! The complete game is quickly becoming extinct.

If you're curious, he was part one of Dave Smith's study on the importance of strike one.

http://www.retrosheet.org/Research/SmithD/How%20Valuable%20is%20Strike%20One.pdf

363.

I've been saying that for weeks. They should have designated Sweeney for assignment or just released him before sending down Kershaw.

362 Actually, Sweeney's OPS+ was -17 before this at-bat, so it's likely he's passed Grabarkewitz's -18 OPS+ with that wiff.

358 - I actually think the Angels teams are in the main competent, with the caveat that Steve Physioc needs to stick with basketball, and Rex Hudler is... well, hyperactive. I appreciate his enthusiasm, but that's really all he brings to the table. Rory Markus is also in the top 1/4 of game-callers. They improved the broadcasts by pushing Jose Mota back to the Spanish-language booth, and to handling postgame interviews with Spanish-speaking players. Mark Gubicza is too much like other ex-jocks in that he brings little to the table. But Terry Smith is likeable and workman-like in the radio booth, and he manages the postgame call-in show tactfully, which is more than I could say for myself if I were doing it.

Lee wasn't trying to hit that first pitch by Saito.

Berroa! nice arm!

370 Mike Maddux?

If Steiner would just take lessons from Vin about reading the outfielders on fly balls, I would like him just fine.

377 Sure. I go along with most of that. Markus has improved a lot with age.

I was just defending Charlie Steiner from the allegation that he's "wretched." If he's wretched, then the vast majority of baseball announcers are double-plus-wretched.

Saito... come on now!

Double play gets Milwaukee out of a jam. Still 3-0 after 4.

370 - Given the injury status of so much of the Angels' infield, they're not making him available. So, I dunno, how about Chad Billingsley (i.e., a trade that won't happen).

Nice of Hunter Pence to make an out so early in the count. 2 down.

385

Will Carroll would do that.

Wooo! what a scare!

Charlie Steiner makes Ross Porter sound like Ernie Harwell. He was better on sportscenter. His jokes that aren't funny are brutal. He seems to have alot of supporters here so I won't continue to berate him. Although, I do think that he's a typical NY houseman.

I can't listen to Steiner without hearing "Follow me, follow me to freedom!" Then I smile. I'd take him over most. Monday is another story. he has that Easy Listening AM station monotone.

5-2! And a game back of the losing (currently) Snakes! Woot!

Just another Dodger victory!

Saito had an Angel on his shoulder today.

Hard to believe that the Dodgers could possibly be in first place on July 4th.

I'm going to Disneyland (no really I am).

So at Chase Field, they're interviewing a man celebrating his 100th birthday in the stands. And a guy a few rows in front, calls up his friends on his cellphone and stands up and waves to the camera.

I have people stationed to jump and down in front of him when he has his 100th birthday.

It's a long term plan.

That lineup of congratulatory high-fives after a win makes me think of hockey players. Has Martin infected the rest of the team? I know other teams do it, but it seems more formalized with the Dodgers.

391 Look for my Dodger cap. It seemingly dematerialized in the Tower of Terror last Friday.

Charlie Steiner's greatest hits:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=dV5s08VLFb0

391 - K-Rod?

Dodgers undefeated in July!

390 - Is it strange for me to be surprised at your enthusiasm? I mean no offense at all: it's just that I had almost forgotten you could get excited about the Dodgers.

Dodgers are 14-4 at SF since 2006.
Sanchez, Zito, Cain.

Hard to believe that the Dodgers could possibly be in first place on July 4th.

With a losing record is even more amazing.
Now many sub .500 teams are in 1st place on the 4th of July I suspect.

392 - there are certain days when mob violence doesn't seem like that bad of an idea.

Not that I'm condoning mob violence. Because I'm not.

Really.

2NPUT

I'm I crazy to think that Mark Belhorn might help us at short or second? As of late he's been doing ok in Jacksonville hitting a few HR's in the last few day's.
As for Steiner he is AWFUL, let's trade him to the Giants for their young guy Dave Fleming, who I think is the next great announcer to come up.

Amen bluesman on CS.

Mark Belhorn is not a shortsop though. The next guy to get a shot internally would have to be DeJesus.