Is your need to have everyone's opinion on this issue so great? Or could it be you just can't resist bringing up a topic just to see if it will aggravate me?

Because, after all, what would Dodger Thoughts be without a good discussion of the politics of statutory rape?

If you feel compelled to put "Not to wade too close to Rule 5 territory" or "Without treading upon Rule 5," (which I certainly have done; the urge to share w/in a community is strong!) it's probably far better just to leave it alone.

/high horse to which I am not entitled anyways

A lot.

The Yankees lead the Tigers 11-2 in the third.

I broke FOUR monocles during Sunday night's game.

Beating Webb and Haren should bring this team a load of confidence. But, it also means they have the potential to break our heart-o-meter. Beating Haren, Webb and TCY back to back to back would send the heart-o-meter into a frenzy.

However, I don't want to know which candidate any of our posters favor or why. This is going to be yet another 50-50 type of election, the fifth in a row. It's a divisive time. DT is a respite from it.

Ethier vs. Chris Young lifetime:

9 for 19 with 4 HR's, 2 doubles and 3 walks.

.474/.545/1.211/1.756

Young is coming off the DL from a strained right forearm and has not pitched in three weeks.

Only the fourth inning.

Do you really think none of that was questionable, considering that I explicitly reminded you not to address the campaign here three days ago?

Outside the Lines is for old guys in their 40s.

1. Martin 2. Kemp 3. Ethier 4. Manny 5. Loney 6. Casey Blake 7. Blake DeWitt 8. Hu

Let's try this hard-hitting story, me interviewing another NFL star.

I miss a game when I'm traveling? After the box score & recap, I at scan through the DT game thread because I want to get a feel for how the game unfolded with this community. I also very much relish all the insight some of the DT regulars contribute (baseball-related or otherwise). I've become spoiled by this, and I'm reminded by this whenever Bob step away from his computer for more than an hour and a question needs an answer. If some Dodger or other sports news breaks, I can't wait to see what Enders, Bob, Molly, D4P, natepurcell, ToyCannon or Eric S. have to say about it. And when controversial general news breaks (especially political), I find myself quite curious about what this intelligent, humorous & informed group would say about it. But I know it can't be said here.

Is there anyway to have it both ways? Perhaps any potential Rule X violation discussions be moved wild lands of The Griddle?

Dodgers.com has the clip reel of Manny going 4 for 5 on Saturday. This is the first time I got to see the Dbacks Broadcasters' reaction to Manny's huge night on Saturday. With a little vintage Garagiola to boot!

"Oh yeah, you're not going to change that hit to an error?, NO MORE SHEETS FOR YOU!"

Or its just a case of protecting an injury prone player.

Will be at the Rose Bowl today. Fortunately my girlfriend has an iPhone so I can check the Dodger score at the game.

That is if the Verizon signal comes through. It tends to get jammed up with big crowds.

I would say that after the game, I will be able to sing all of "Rocky Top," but I think I already can.

If the Nats play the rest of the season at home, anything's possible.

Though I do fear unregulated comments by that group would ruin my laptop due to the frequency of spit takes it would create. Not to mention what it would cost in monocles.

No word yet if Eric McNeal is playing.

We can all agree that the NL West race is over now that the Diamondbacks have acquired David Eckstein. Eckstein is the Ringo Starr of recent years in the MLB, and I mean that as no insult to either David or Mr. Starkey. Eckstein's a fine role player, a small-ball wizard, and a way better shortstop than anyone with his arm strength ought to be. Ringo was a great drummer and by far the best actor among the Beatles. In both cases those skills have little to nothing to do with the massive successes the two had in their careers; they piggybacked on the skills of others. Nonetheless, don't be surprised if the D-Backs now go on to win it all.

And the D-Backs now have the scrappy awesomeness of both David Eckstein AND Augie Ojeda.

There just seems to be a desire for a subset of this community to comment very openly about some topics. I just want to see that if it happens, unofficially or otherwise.

I'm thinking it might have been Chad Fonville. Although Eckstein is a lot better than Fonville.

Mike Edwards could have been that guy, but he couldn't pull it off.

>> Mired in the minor leagues for 14 long years, 51s first baseman John Lindsey has been driven by the dream that he one day would make it to the majors.

Unfortunately for the 31-year-old slugger, that day won't be today when big league rosters are expanded. <<

http://www.lvrj.com/sports/27731739.html

Plus, today is September 1. August is the cruelest month. Now we're in a sprint.

I think Roberts was taller than Eckstein, though. Is that still along the lines of what you were thinking, Bob?

## DeJesus' hitting streak is the longest of the season in the Southern League. He has 37 hits during the past 23 games, and only five have been extra-base hits (one double, four homers). ##

http://tinyurl.com/5pdwlu

Here will be every play with Ashley Lelie:

Run straight down the field for a long bomb.

I'm here on my couch watching the Cardinals and Dbacks game getting to choose between the very good Cardinals broadcasters and the... well "entertaining" Dbacks broadcasters.

This is much better than work.

The key part of being an Eckstein is to be a little guy whom the scouts didn't think would be any good.

I feel like I haven't been around all that much lately. Or not paying attention to what's happening.

Young is just off the DL and LeBlanc is making his Major League debut.

Dodgers come home refreshed by wins

>> Webb is scheduled to face the Dodgers again Saturday. <<

http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_10353510

Whenever I've tried to watch MLB.TV basic this season, it's always frozen and been useless. But Audio has always worked perfectly. Does anyone know what's going on? I don't particularly want to spend $29 for upgrading - if that even works.

FireFox 3.0.1 in Mac 10.5.4. It's always worked OK here.

What a deceitful way to treat customers.

Anyway, TV isn't freezing today, but only showing the bottom half of the screen! I'll have to switch to Audio, as usual.

Ludwick still has a gruesome BB-K ratio.

Because he suddenly figured it out by playing in Las Vegas, a notorious hitter's park? I feel bad that Lindsey isn't able to make it with a team, but that doesn't mean the Dodgers should be the team that gives him that opportunity. There's about ten people ahead of Lindsey that's already on the 40 man, might as well let a player like D. Young use those precious at bats instead of a guy like Lindesy who won't help this team next year.

In Vin's first year of working for the Dodgers (1950), the NL leader in strikeouts was Roy Smalley of the Cubs with 114. Nobody else had more than 100. Sam Jethroe was second at 93. Then you had to go all the way down to 79 for third place.

Presently, there are 25 players in the NL with 100 or more strikeouts starting today's game.

The scheduling team needs to put in some more work next year. Playing one team for half the month is a little outrageous.

If he could learn to take a walk, or just not make so many outs, wow.

Yet, they still get upset.

(I apologize for the snark, but the unbalanced schedule is right there with the DH and astroturf on my oblisek)

Nothing wrong with the unbalanced schedule, but for goodness sake, do they have to put all the divisional games in the same month?!

Vinny, incidentally, always seems to treat the Dodgers getting rid of Counsell as one of the great tragedies in the team's recent history. Does he not remember that Counsell, when in a Dodger uniform, completely forgot how to play baseball?

Of the 21 batters he faced, only 6 did not have TTO plate appearance.

132 - they actually do that twice. In March/April the Dodgers played only 10 games (if I'm counting right) against non-division opponents and 17 against division opponents. They then played 3 games against a division opponent in all of May.

Given the differing number of teams per division, the number of intra-divisional games per opponent within different divisions is obviously going to differ. All teams also play all other teams in other divisions of their own league approximately the same number of times - usually a home and an away series with each, though the number of games per series can vary between 3 and 4. Maybe here you get the occasional third series that is inconsistent.

It's mostly the interleague games that are unbalanced. Very, very unbalanced. But it doesn't apply to September games within the division. We're playing the Padres 9 times because we played them less often than the other NL West teams earlier in the season - these balance out. We haven't played them since June 13.

However, I've been calling for Russ Martin to be leadoff SINCE MAY! And finally Joe "Please Retire" Torre has listened to my pleas.

Welp, another run. This time the Cards score: 6-4 St Louis

Given that Joe is doing hit and runs with Loney on a regular basis because of his propensity to hit into double plays, I'd advocate what others have suggested and move him and his hot bat (singles) into the leadoff role.

I wonder if Hu will ever get another chance under a Joe Torre managed team. If you are not going to use Hu, then why is DeJesus not here. Tearing up AA should be enough to replace someone like Berroa.

He is a Rutgers alum and fan.

While with the Angels contrary to the perceived notion, he was a solid offensive shortstop that season and did have a positive impact on that team.

With the Cardinals, injuries had beat him down and his offensive numbers took a hit. While he was extremely lucky during the world series to win the MVP, he did hit the ball at the right times.

He will end his career with a plus 350 OBP
which ain't chicken scratch.

He takes a lot of grief because of the pedestal he was hoisted upon by the everyman, but that was hardly his fault. Could anyone do less self promotion then he does? He is a humble man who knows that he has to do everything well, 100% of the time to even stay on the playing field with the larger and more talented athletes.

Why he's continually dumped on, is beyond me. I'd love to watch 9 Dodgers play the game with his joy and intensity while still keeping their humility. I would just like them to be more talented because otherwise that would be a lousy team.

My guess is he's dumped on because writers and GMs have lauded and financially rewarded him as if he was anything more than one of the worst starting players (when factoring in offense and defense) on each of those teams.

This annoys people similarly to when bad or average movies get media hype.

But, I wasn't trying to denigrate him, in 163, any more than was trying to denigrate Pedroia, yesterday.