We don't hang Final Four banners in L.A.!!

Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

A team of destiny, I tell you.

That couldn't have gone much better. Russ & Bison jumping up onto the platform above the bullpen -- priceless!

Funny/sad story

I am eating dinner at a Pizza parlor in Santa Barbara. I ask them to turn the game on, and they tell me they can't, since someone before me had requested to watch, "Two and a Half Men". I am pretty sure it was a power move.

It's funny, even though this was the closest game of the series, this was the least worrisome of the three for me. Maybe it was because Broxton looked so good tonight. Maybe it was because of the crowd being so in to it. Whatever the reason, I was able to enjoy this one without much anxiety.

Playoff Series
Chicago leads 3-0 (as of 10/4)

ESPN seems lost.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=281004119

NLCSPUT. Nice!

I'm starting to feel the magic!

Broxton's slider was naaaaasty.

Oh man was that great. It must have been so awesome to have been there...

What a team!!

I read, and rarely comment, but I am bouncing off the freaking walls here, enjoying one win at a time. I'll ride this until about 24 hours before game 1 of the next series.

What I keep thinking about is how the regular season is a process; the process of building a team through attrition, acquisition, and individual growth. If that process is successful, it is proven with eleven wins and a title. Three down!!

I am quite happy for big bad John

Gosh I'm really enjoying the Dodgers, v.2008.2 (postseason version).

They're suddenly, seriously, really really good. I know that (per Jon) "they've all been here all along," but I'm with Molly -- this postseason team seems to be reaching a beyond-the-sum-of-its-parts place.

Oh, man, life can't be any sweeter. The Dodgers win and now I find out that Hawai'i beat Fresno St in OT 32-29.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=282780278

Woohoo!

I couldn't help myself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-L0NpaErkk

No words, just :)

Cubs fans are really mad right now. I almost feel sorry for them. Almost.

having furcal in there changes everything...hopefully the bottom of the order get it going next series. i'm also hoping for a milwaukee comeback.

Love this quote from Torre's postgame interview on Dogers.com.

"I can't thank the veterans on this club for stepping aside. Jeff and Nomar and Juan, I mean, they made my life a lot easier to write a lineup without their names in it."

So, so happy tonight. I had a long planned event that I had to attend - my aunt and uncle's 50th wedding anniversary party on a ranch in Redlands. I was checking up on the game occasionally on my iPhone and I heard the last two innings on my car radio driving back to LA. Brox sounded dominant through the radio - when he's really on the at bats against him are short and they went that way tonight. This is really a fun team to root for and an easy one to love. We've been watching a some of these guys together on Dodger Thoughts since their days in the low minors and it's kind of amazing to see them now all grown up and sweeping a post season series. Convincingly, at that.

It's a good time to be a Dodger fan.

19 Is that quote real? He must have meant it some other way I guess.

This is the time of year that I normally welcome hockey season. Thanks Dodgers, for letting me ignore how bad the Kings are for another week!

A Brewer win tomorrow is huge. That forces a Hamels/Sabathia game 5. Neither would be available until an LCS Game 3. Plus it leaves open the possibility of the Dodgers getting homefield.

Soriano 1-14, 4 K, 6 LOB
Theriot 3-11, BB, 3K, 2 LOB
Lee 3-11, 3 2B, 2 R, 2K, 3 LOB
ARam 3-11, 2B, 2K, 7 LOB
Soto 2-11, BB, 3K, 6 LOB
DeRo 4-12, HR, 4 RBI, 5 LOB
Edmonds 2-10, 2K, 2 LOB
Fukudome 1-10, 4K, 5 LOB

That's ridiculous.

21 No, torre said it word for word. I think Torre meant that the Vets didn't complain when Torre played other people.

How do you "break down" a series without mentioning a team at all?

http://tinyurl.com/3ljkfb

An absolutely special and electric night at the stadium. The Dodger pitching in this series should be LAUDED -- as far as I'm concerned, the Cubs' woes were a direct result of the amazing pitching performances by Lowe, Billingsley, and Kuroda respectively. Just great great stuff this series.

Not sure how long we stayed after the game but we were among the last out. One of the best moments of the after party was when Frank went to hug Delwyn Young and Delwyn just drenched him. Frank went along but inside he was saying "Hey I'm not one of your teammates, I'm the Boss."

Wow. This just feels so sweet. I know we aren't there yet, but this victory is pretty awesome. I watched the game up in Ventura County with family and friends, including my 2 year old nephew. He's been going to Dodger games since he was a few months old and the team gets him going like nothing else, excepting a few Disney flicks. He's got a baseball wallpapered room with Dodger fatheads and bobbleheads. His favorite teddy bear is a Dodger bear named Brox the Bear. I went to 30+ games this year and he went to at least 20 and he loves it. He can't wait to scream when the "Charge" chant comes up. No matter what else happens this season, I can't wait to tell him 10 years from now how he danced and yelled with the rest of us when Loney drove in runs or Broxton got that final out.

Then there was this exchange with my daughter:

Daughter: "Will the team go out drinking and celebrate tonight."

Me: "I think so."

Daughter: "That's so sad."

Me: "Why?"

Daughter: "Because Clayton Kershaw is'nt old enough to go with them."

In the past 72 hours, the Dodgers have won 3x as many playoff games as they did the previous 97% of my life. It feels pretty good, I must say.

awesome game. ill try to upload my pics and videos somewhere and get a link up tomorrow.

What a beautiful night.

What a wonderful event! Seeing Kemp and Martin jump up onto the top o' the bullpen was surreal. All I could think as they were getting down was, "I hope they don't injure themselves."

Bring on the rematch of the 1977/1978/1983 NLCS or the would-be 1982 World Series (stupid Joe Morgan!).

By the way, the Dodgers were underdogs again tonight, at +112. :)

35 - Let's keep it that way. No sense in messing with what works. ;)

I had the most unexpected and yet most wonderful feeling during the top of the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium. I started to tear up. Then with the crowd going absolutely crazy I stood there with Vinny in my ear and when Soriano struck out I hugged my girlfriend and let it all out. Took me a few minutes to gather myself. No tears but all the emotions you can possibly imagine. What an absolutely amazing night. We're not done yet.

Bummer. I sold four tickets for tomorrow's game (got a good price too). Now I have to refund the $$$. Damn, I hate giving money back.

Darn that TBS. I fell asleep in the eighth and just woke up. But we WIN. What a feeling--what a turn around.

What might be lost in the "omg the Cubs are cursed" nonsense is that the 3 LA starters have an ERA of 1.42 (19IP 3ER). Amazing.

I'm too amped to go to bed now.

We DID it!!!!!!!!!!!!

This moment deserves a belated Ice Cream!! Woo hoo!

What a night!! I was at the game and the crowd was fantastic. Saw the clips on MLB.com and I had no idea the crowd was THIS rowdy. It was an honor to have been there in person.

Wooohooo! I found the game tonight a totally surreal experience. Somehow, being at the stadium made it real in a way I could not comprehend. I mean-- this was a playoff series, and we were dominating. So crazy.

GO DODGERS! I'm feeling very conflicted about the next round because I think the Brewers will be an easier match up (especially since they would have gone 5 games) but if it's Phillies I get to see all the home games and at least one in Philly (heading east for a wedding). Either way, GO DODGERS!

We want the Brewers, right? Four home games that way instead of three. No Ben Sheets. Either way, the other Division Series definitely needs to go 5 games so that Hamels and Sabathia get burned in the last game.

Logistically, it's a lot easier for me to go to Game 3 of the NLCS than Game 1.

I'm just looking out for what's good for me.

This is only the second time I've seen a home team in a baseball playoff series clinch. I saw the Nippon Ham Fighters win the 2006 Pacific League Climax Series.

I also the 1978 Yankees win the World Series. That wasn't as much fun.

43 - No Ben Sheets, and home field, but the potential for 2 games against Sabathia. It's a tough call.

Awesome, awesome night! Words can't describe it. I hope we can keep going with this.

And the celebration in the locker room and in the LF Pavilion. That's a beautiful sight. Maybe, just maybe, I could host a champagne and beer dousing party at my house!

I hope you are all ready for Joe Buck and Tim McCarver! They're coming people!

47 - Ew. First Dick Stockton, now them. And no DVR so I can't sync with Vinny.

47 I will gladly (GLADLY) listen to Buck/McCarver for 12+ hours now. The Dodgers are going to the NLCS!

From Tim Brown's column:

>>A few minutes earlier, Manny had stood outside the clubhouse, sipping on a juice box. It was passion fruit.

He shrugged.

"I gotta drive," he said.<<

I hope that JBrox silenced his doubters tonight, as I can't imagine a better performance in a situation like that.

I've been trying to find the right simile for how I feel about tonight's result, and I think this is it: I feel like I've just walked out into fresh air and sunlight after sitting in a dark and moldy room for... oh, about 20 years. :-)

The contrast with the preceding 19 years is that even when they did get into the playoffs they seemed so weak. This year is like the other end of the spectrum. One does grow tired of the myth of the West Coast softies whipped into shape by the tough East Coast drill sergeant, with Manny Ramirez of all people taking the Kirk Gibson role.

Me, I'd be perfectly happy with a National League pennant. Doesn't going up against an American League team with Ramirez seem a little bit like Terminator 2? Especially if it's the Red Sox. Golly, we could be out to avenge the Angels. Not the outcome you would have bet on.

If Kuo is added to the roster... oh man...

I'll have a fuller recap of my wonderful night (iPhone DT + Concert, which ended within seconds of Broxton's last K) tomorrow. But what a night!

From one of the ESPN.com articles:

"Add to this combustible mix perhaps the biggest single clubhouse distraction of the modern era, Ramirez, whose insubordination in Boston was so complete that he asked to be traded from the Red Sox on national television with a hand-made sign in the middle of a game."

Really? I'm not disputing that Manny was an issue to the Sox clubhouse, but was he really a bigger distraction than Barry Bonds over the past few years? Really?

OK you guys, I'm going to confess something. My brother bought two tickets for tonight's game and had to convince me to go. He even brought a book about superstition when we had dinner at my parents' house a couple weeks ago. The reason? I've gone back and counted all the games I've attended since 1990. It's been about 30 games. The boys had lost about 20 games I'd been to in a row from 1990 to 2004. Which game broke that first streak? The July 2004 game where Gagne's 84-game save streak was broken. The dude's jinx even overcame Gagne. Anyway, I stayed until the end of that game and the boys won. Unfortunately, I started a new streak. I attended a few more games that season, including the Game 4 loss to the Cards. I had thought my jinx was finished! But no.

Anyway, I made the decision to go to tonight's game, believing that the Cub curse (plus Manny's karma) would be stronger than the dude's jinx. And I was right! We sat in field boxes near the left field foul pole. A couple Cub fans were sitting three rows in front of us, and I made goat braying noises the whole game. It was awesome. And the Ox was amazing. I kept thinking there must be a catch, it can't be this easy, but he just mowed their hitters down.

The celebration was great, too. Russ and Bison climbed into the LF pavilion. One thing I noticed, was that in the scrum on the field, Torre took both hands and put them on each side of Andre's face, then put his head close to Andre and said something...probably telling him to relax, enjoy the moment, and he'll start hitting again. I can't emphasize enough how, first thing, Joe sought out the only guy on the team who struggled a little at the plate during the series and reassured him. Anyway, we left the stadium right after Joe finished his speech, probably around thirty minutes after the game ended. Best to all here!

I got to go, thanks to a good friend who had a couple of tickets in the Reserved section, Row JJ, the best angle to see the the infielders and outfielders' positioning. It was so great! The last post-season game I attended was the infamous Jack Clark game in 1985, so this was a nice memory to replace that one.

I expected this game would end in a loss. Dan Haren is a seriously good pitcher. So it was quite stirring they were able to get to him early, just enough. That brought the already excited crowd into the game in a big way, and they never calmed down. It was the most pumped-up Dodger Stadium crowd I've ever been in -- I wonder if that was clear on TV? The ovation given to Kuroda when he was taken out gave me chills. I got chills again as the top of the ninth began, when the crowd gave a huge round of applause to the Dodgers as they took the field.

Back to the first inning -- was it as obvious on TV as it was to me that Manny had no business scoring? He was out from me to you. And yet, miraculously, he eluded the tag. That was a magical moment. Knowing how tough Haren was going to be, it was also the right wrong call. They weren't going to get too many more scoring chances.

It was such a well-played game -- tight tense, no room for error and no errors made. As others have said, I think Broxton went from boy to man tonight, throwing virtually nothing but strikes, just dominating the Cub hitters. Kuroda started out in bend but don't break mode, and then he stiffened up. Cory Wade still amazes me. And while Dodgers hits were hard to come by, Russell Martin seems to be unconscious -- nice to see that he's not too tired to get into a groove once more.

A fine night, a gift from a season that didn't seem so promising months ago, but has blossomed into something unforgettably beautiful.

Jon, since you lack the broom emoticon:

http://tinyurl.com/3t6yku

57 - Uh, Rich Harden, not Dan Haren.

59 Right! Rich Harden!

It's late.

Kuo is going to be throwing off a mound today. Here's hoping it goes well.

57
He would have been out if the throw had been accurate. As it was, Manny was past the catcher by the time he caught it, and his sweep tag missed Manny as he went by.

:)

30 That's adorable.

Can't believe I forgot to post this:
that last strikeout by Soriano really tied the series together.

just finished watching a replay of the game in Sydney Australia. I'm excited!

55 . Yes. If Manny was, indeed, a clubhouse distraction with the 'Sox, he was so more recently than Bonds. By modern journalistic and popular standards, that would make him the "biggest clubhouse distraction of all time." The good thing is, in a year or so Manny will have nearly ceased to have been a clubhouse distraction or ever a Red Sox player at all, especially if he stays a Dodger and they win a lot. If he goes to some other team snd that team just stays mediocre, he might almost disappear completely.

31 - In the past 72 hours, the Dodgers have won 3x as many playoff games as they did the previous 97% of my life.

Wow, that makes me feel really, really, old. :) As of last night, the Dodgers are 61-64 in playoff games in my lifetime (starting with the '53 Series). It really has been a long dry spell. Even when the Dodgers kept losing Series in the seventies, there was the consolation that at least they'd gotten there.

Most of the stories about the series are going to be about how the Cubs choked because the media was so invested in the Cubs as a team with a hundred year-old destiny, but it was the Dodgers pitching that was stuck in the Cubs' collective throat. Just a tremendous performance.

that great moment montage was great (wasn't RJ's squeeze on there?). And don't think I didn't enjoy Journey's presence. I must say, Steve Perry whoring himself out by showing up at sporting events cracks me up.

Oh, by the way, nice try Billy Crystal*. We all know you're a Yankee fan, so your new NL West champion Dodger hat isn't going to win us over. That was shameful. We do not welcome you with Open Arms.

What a win, the offense provided just enough but when Alteran Verner got that interception and then UCLA scored that touchdown we knew we would win.

Oh, that's right this is Dodger Thoughts.

My day started with delivering tickets to Greg Brock and later Marty.

My friend and I got to Dodger Stadium as the parking gates opened and we were inside the stadium shortly thereafter.

The mood inside was somewhat relaxed, maybe nervous anticipation. The pregame activities were not extravagant.

Gary Bennett and Tanyon Sturtze did not get as many cheers as Nomar during pregame introductions, go figure.

As for the game, Kuroda kept the ball on the ground and Loney came through with a big hit. And then Broxton just was overpowering.

I am sure I will have more to say later but it was great night.

Thank you Dodgers. You've proved to the world how good you can be, something all of us here already knew. Take that all you ESPN and other experts who didn't give this team a chance in the post season. I wonder if the Dodgers will get their due respect now?

Anyone who was at the game last night and has pictures to share - don't forget there's a Dodger Thoughts Flickr page:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/dodgerthoughts/pool/

68 I still remember Crystal in the booth openly pulling against Gagne a few years back. He can get himself back to the ruins of Yankee and Shea stadia.

By the way, SOSG have a shot of the scoreboard after the game: National League Division Series Champions 2008. And suddenly I have tears in my eyes. Wow, they did it.

The Dodgers had 13 fewer wins this year than the Cubs. That sets the record for biggest win difference for an underdog sweeping a favorite in a postseason series.

The previous record had been the 12-win difference between the 1990 Reds and A's. Eighteen years later, Lou Piniella gets his comeuppance.

I'm not a Ned Colletti fan, but I have to give him and Torre credit for making this work. Bringing in Blake and Manny is just what most people were saying all along, that is to surround the young players with veterans that actually still could contribute. That and Torre's steady hand made this work.

My wife and I went to see Religulous (a very funny and very good movie) last night, so I time delayed the final game and was up very late. It was great to see the Dodgers pull off a sweep. It was especially great to see it happen against the Cubs. Finally, it was nice to see the Dodgers not out-managed in a post season game. It is disappointing to know that Manny and Furcal will both likely be gone next year, but great to enjoy it while we can for however long this post season lasts.

Ideally, The brewers pull this off - both giving us additional time to rehab Kuo and also giving the Dodgers home field for the League Series. Either way, however, finishing early is great since it lets us set up exactly what rotation we will want, while making it likely that Phil/Mil will be stuck with something less optimal. We'll have Bills and Lowe for a minimum of 4 of the 7 possible games, and likely we can toss Lowe or Bills three times (10th, 14th and 19th) if we want to give those two 5 of the 7 games.

60. I made that maistake at least three times last night.

It seems like Torre finally gets it. A few injuries have helped. Torre is playing the best players, sitting the vets, and putting up the best batting order.

Kemp could have either walked many more times or forced pitchers to throw him strikes and got more hits. Kemp will add a bat for the next series.

So we get our baserunning mistakes, but they go our way, and Hiro, Wade and Mongo nail it down. Go Bums!

After listening to the litany of bad music last night (Journey, Kiss, Bon Jovi) I started thinking if I were in charge, I'd be blasting Success by Iggy Pop.

76 Kuo gets exactly the same amount of time to rehab no matter whether it's the Phillies or Brewers who win their playoff, and no matter how many games it takes them. The NLCS begins Thursday either way: that's when the Dodgers play next. Tiring our opposing team out with a 5th divisional game, using up a no. 1 or 2 starting pitcher in it, and (if it's the Brewers only, not the Phillies) more travel could be helpful to the Dodgers, though.

79 Mongo?

81 Kuo will be in the BP. Our BP is not going to be used at all until Thursday. As long as he is progressing, we can put Kuo on the roster for the series and be comfortable that we will not need to use him until at least the 11th and quite possibly the 13th.

83 Yes, sure. But what does that have to do with wiether the Phillies end it today or their divisional series goes to 5 games? You said:

Ideally, The brewers pull this off - both giving us additional time to rehab Kuo and ...

How does it give additional time to rehab Kuo?

82 - An affectionate way of referring to our beloved Jon Broxton and his gas throwing ways.

Soriano: 136 million dollar contract

a strange mix of talent and disability. The man can run, throw, and hit for power. But he seriously is not a very good player and he never has been. Why did the Yankees and the Rangers deal him? They had the money to keep him, if he had been valuable.

He's fast but doesn't know how to use it. He demands to bat leadoff but won't take walks. He doesn't drive in runs. He doesn't have a defensive position. He loafs in the outfield. He's never been a team player. He's more of a bully player; he will win you a few games against the weaklings, the Washingtons and Pittsburghs. When the big guys come to town, he slinks off to the far corner of the dugout, knowing he really can't compete.
The Cubs management overpaid fourfold for this guy. As old and slow as Jim Edmonds is, he's more valuable than Soriano. So are Mark DeRosa, and Derek Lee. If Mark Cuban buys the team and follows the pattern he established with the Mavericks, he'll do exactly the same kind of stuff, throwing money at the problem, without an understanding of what is needed, and without a long term plan.
The Cubs have some good players but Soriano cripples them financially and on the field. They may continue to win in the regular season, but they will never get over the hump in the postseason.

Woo.

86 - Well, at least he hops when he catches the ball, that's something. That he insists on leading off is certainly a problem, given is SLG versus OBP numbers. Though he was never more than an adequate 2nd baseman, as I recall, isn't he playing out of position somewhat. This was a reluctant switch for him when he moved over to the Nats, but he did make the move for the team and continues to do it now with the Cubs. That said, you seem to be following him closer than I am.

Woooooooo, oh man what a night and what a feeling I woke up this morning with a huge smile on my face even though i'm quite hung over...

5

Funny/sad story. I am eating dinner at a Pizza parlor in Santa Barbara. I ask them to turn the game on, and they tell me they can't, since someone before me had requested to watch, "Two and a Half Men". I am pretty sure it was a power move.

I get that alot out here in the Inland Valley. I wonder how it is in LA proper. I hate when I get overruled at the bar because of some NASCAR race, or Sports Center, or some no-name college football game. Most always the Angels on the bar TVs. Something I've just had to reconcile myself to.

But yeah, your "Two and a Half Men" incident is the very bottom of the barrel. That's sick. Like, creepy.

Hi everyone, lifelong dodger fan who just moved to Newport Beach from Pasadena. Does anyone know a good bar to watch Dodger games in Orange County?

NPUT

What a night. I'm off to Wilmington for some Siete Mares. Hopefully that does the trick.

86 He's more of a bully player; he will win you a few games against the weaklings, the Washingtons and Pittsburghs. When the big guys come to town, he slinks off to the far corner of the dugout, knowing he really can't compete.

I mean, that's funny. But come on :)

What a great day to be a Dodger fan! It's been a long time coming.

I'm old enough to remember back to the 1960's teams and the powerhouse teams of the mid-late 70's. I haven't felt so good about the Dodgers as a playoff team since the 1970's - even though they won in '81 and '88. The current team is vastly underrated (for the moment) and even if we lose the league championship I can't see a blowout coming.

One thing that concerns me, slightly, is Ethier's lack of production. He hasn't looked awful by any means and I keep telling myself he's just been a bit unlucky and he will turn it around in the next series. Maybe he needs to hit in front of Manny? What is everyone else's take on this? I'd hate to see Torre "rest" him and put Pierre in. I'm also not sold on Ethier and Loney hitting back to back. They are too vunerable to the LOOGY.

[75} I'm not a Ned Colletti fan, but I have to give him and Torre credit for making this work. Bringing in Blake and Manny is just what most people were saying all along, that is to surround the young players with veterans that actually still could contribute. That and Torre's steady hand made this work.

I'm with you on this. I'm not a Ned fan either but you have to give him his due. I will say, in Ned's defense, this was the plan all along. The problem was they just weren't able to get the right combination of old guys to go along with the young guys. As was said several times on this blog, the problem was the old guys, not the young guys.

Now they have the right combination - at least for the moment