Did anyone ask him why NBC is punishing us with Jimmy Fallon?

We need a high-resolution shot.

Is this the first funny thing Leno's done in years?

#2 - Kershaw (Price was #1)
#53 - McDonald
#62 - Meloan
#81 - Elbert
#116 - Lambo
#133 - Bell

and, if he weren't in the majors right now, LaRoche would have slotted in at around #15

How can he make the Futures game, but not the Rotoworld's 150 list.

I also read about talks to get a show on ABC. Imagine... Leno and Kimmel back to back (talk about punishment!)

um am I allowed to use this? --> :)

How do you do?

I'm not saying Price is a better prospect than Kershaw. The age thing is huge. But Price's actual performance has been better, and it's not close.

(Just kidding, nick.)

With Posada possibly out for the season, though, I wouldn't be surprised to see the work a trade with Texas, who has a surplus of catchers.

I assume it's Kershaw, but I could also see a scenario where Tampa Bay calls Price up and he goes all Jered Weaver on the league.

For a while, I was hoping the Dodgers would get Teagarden as an excellent backup to Martin, but I think he's played himself out of that type of future now.

My knee-jerk reaction to that is .350, but it might be lower.

In MLB this season, all batters have a .331 OBP. Removing pitchers, the OBP is .335. So maybe .340-ish should be considered above average.

Given Torre's comments about not being able to use someone who throws as hard as Brox day after day in save situations, and talk of how Brox might not be "ready" to close, would he give Kuo a try as co-closer? And structure it so Brox is available if Kuo doesn't get it done, and maybe vice versa? And NOT give up immediately on Kuo if his first try or two don't go so well? IMO, Kuo probably would do just fine.

Reasons Torre might not be willing----

--Kuo has no closer experience (yep, FWIW. Lots of other closers didn't have experience until someone gave them a shot; kinda hard to get closer experience otherwise).

--He's injury-prone (yep, but not this year so far, and as far as I know hasn't compained about any physical problem).

-- He has trouble throwing his breaking pitches for strikes (maybe, but he seems to use them often enough to make his fastball very effective--see his K totals).

-- He needs to have his innings limited to reduce chances of injury--the same reason offered for his not starting--(maybe, but does not a setup or closer role kinda automatically limit your innings?)

--His control isn't the best (dubious; he seems to have walked very few just about every time out).

--Not sure if he has the closer mentality (dubious; see the "no experience" bit above, and then think of an assassin at work, which is how I visualize Kuo after seeing his results and DT comments when he's on the mound.)

Historically closers need just two pitches to be effective. Kuo seems to have more, but the FB has been his bread and butter. IIRC, he hasn't been lit up but once or twice, something any pitcher is going to see occasionally. No pitcher gets it done every time out, just like no hitter gets multiple hits every day.

But what are the percentages? Seems they'd be pretty good putting a pitcher out there fairly often in high leverage situations who routinely makes major league hitters look silly.

I'll end with a few questions: Has anyone seen informed comment on why Kuo is so effective and gets so many Ks? The other day Torre said something like Kuo was "throwing an invisible ball up there," which I take to mean his delivery is deceptive. And he must have a lot of movement; in the spring Torre was talking about Kuo bringing "a lot to the plate." Two-seamer, four, what? And doesn't he have a real high percentage of getting his first batter out, something any closer better have? What do folks who've actually seen him pitch think about why he is so effective? A case might be made that he has been the Dodgers' best pitcher.

Joe, as long as Kuo's effective, let's see much more of him in whatever role you can manage if not co-closer, and when it matters in games..

I predict a 6-4 final.

Not saying this has anything to do with it, but DeWitt has been better vs. LH this year than RH.

what does FWIW mean?

4 games
0-3
26 IP
5.88 ERA

The only time Kip Wells went more than 5 IP against LA was in a 2003 game in which he took a shutout into the 9th. The Dodgers exploded for 5 innings in the 9th to secure the final win of Troy Brohawn's major league career.

There's something happening here
What it is ain't exactly clear
There's a man with a gun over there
Telling me I got to beware
I think it's time we stop, children, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
There's battle lines being drawn
Nobody's right if everybody's wrong
Young people speaking their minds
Getting so much resistance from behind
I think it's time we stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
What a field-day for the heat
A thousand people in the street
Singing songs and carrying signs
Mostly say, hooray for our side
It's time we stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're always afraid
You step out of line, the man come and take you away
We better stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, now, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, children, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down

TSHH
WIIAEC
TAMWAGOT
TMIGTB...

1) Mark Sweeney won't be activated today, or
2) If Sweeney is activated today, it won't be LaRoche going down.

What are the chances that they simply give Sweeney the welcome-back-now-we're-going-to-DFA-you treatment, a la Loaiza?

Mine's more puzzle-like though, so I think you'd approve.

I was alive. But I was unemployed, incontinent, and I could neither feed nor dress myself.

I was alive. But I was unemployed, incontinent, and I could neither feed nor dress myself.

What is that? Around 25 years old?

So you were a blogger already.

Sorry, I had to type/talk myself into it

Johnson v. Cubs, 12-0
Oswalt vs. Reds, 19-1
Pedro vs. Mariners, 13-1
Peavy vs. Dodgers, 12-1
Pedro vs. Indians, 11-1

I love that Pedro is on the list twice.

Webb vs. Dodgers
Penny vs. Rockies
Lawrence vs. Dodgers (not active?)

Woo hoo MLB.tv!!!

He hasn't mentioned it on his blog....

therefore Molly, you are breaking the news!

Did he tell you to write that?

Related: Clayton Kershaw is the best thing to happen to the Dodgers since Diamond Leung.

You know how I feel about you and this site!

DodgerThoughts is the best thing to happen to me since Google!

I saw it initially, but then I thought I was having deja vu

NPUT

Funny, but LaRoche starts preparing in game to be a pinch hitter, and he has a good at bat, and all of a sudden we see him starting against a right-handed pitcher. I get the feeling management's been waiting for him to have an attitude adjustment of some sort before giving him the job. Hmmm. I guess he showed the requisite "willingness to learn."