Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
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TV and more ...
1) using profanity or any euphemisms for profanity
2) personally attacking other commenters
3) baiting other commenters
4) arguing for the sake of arguing
5) discussing politics
6) using hyperbole when something less will suffice
7) using sarcasm in a way that can be misinterpreted negatively
8) making the same point over and over again
9) typing "no-hitter" or "perfect game" to describe either in progress
10) being annoyed by the existence of this list
11) commenting under the obvious influence
12) claiming your opinion isn't allowed when it's just being disagreed with
| Hong Chih-Kuo has officially replaced Takashi Saito on the Dodger roster for the NCLS, the team announced Thursday morning. |
Has it only been a week since our last playoff series opener? I think we've lived half a lifetime in those seven-plus days. In any case, here are some news and views on the Dodgers heading into Thursday's National League Championship Series opener against Philadelphia.
Catchers (2): Russell Martin, Danny Ardoin
Martin seemed rejuvenated in the NL Division Series – a likely cause being the off days he received heading in. In the past 14 days, Martin has played 38 innings of baseball. That doesn't guarantee anything, but Dodger fans will embrace his rest. In six career postseason games, Martin has a .930 OPS, and he'll bat cleanup in Game 1. Ardoin remains an emergency catcher.
Infielders (8): James Loney, Blake DeWitt, Rafael Furcal, Casey Blake, Nomar Garciaparra, Angel Berroa, Jeff Kent, Pablo Ozuna
Loney had three hits in the NLDS, but two of them were game-winning blasts. It seemed like he might be benched against a left-handed starter like Cole Hamels, but he has been given the start in Game 1. (Hamels' career numbers are actually worse against lefties.) The same rationale will also help keep DeWitt in the lineup and an eager Kent on the bench, though you could see Kent appear in a game in a double-switch.
On the left side of the infield, Furcal made his case for Comeback Player of the Week honors by reaching 7 out of 15 times in the NLDS after seeing first base only three times since May 5. He's a huge presence at the top of the lineup, but who among us isn't still holding their breath with every move he makes. (Side note: That RBI bunt single in Chicago was the kind of thing a lesser player would have been vilified for attempting - let's hear it for execution.) His mate at third base, Blake, had a fairly quiet NLDS - three singles, no walks – but as someone who slugged .531 on the road this year, he might have a home run lurking inside him for Philly.
Garciaparra wasn't needed at all in the NLDS, but he'll have his chances off the bench this time around. One wonders if a rested Garciaparra might be the first choice as a backup to Furcal, but if recent form holds, Berroa will be the first infielder off the bench defensively. Ozuna stands by.
Outfielders (4): Manny Ramirez, Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Juan Pierre
There might be a good amount of early series chatter about the struggles Ramirez has had at Citizen's Bank Park: .264 on-base percentage, .647 OPS - and whether Phillies skipper Charlie Manuel, who managed Ramirez in AAA, has some unique hold on him. All three of Ramirez's career homers at the ballpark came in 2005. My guess is that Ramirez's Citizen numbers relate to small sample size, but it will certainly be a story if the Phils can hold him down. (It's not that Manuel is fearless - he did walk Ramirez intentionally four times this year.)
Neither Kemp nor Ethier earned any Star of the Game honors against Chicago, but as quiet series go, they made some noise. Ethier went 1 for 10 but walked four times, seeing 62 pitches (4.4 per at bat). His discipline in Game 1 set up Loney's series-seizing grand slam, and his long fly to right with two on in Game 3 came close to being the capper on the NLDS itself. In the first minute of the post-series celebration, Torre gave Ethier an unmistakably encouraging pep talk, hands on both cheeks like a father boosting a son. Despite his .100 batting average, Ethier did not fade in the NLDS, and a rebound seems more than plausible in the coming week.
Kemp only reached base twice in the NLDS, both times hitting doubles. He struck out five times, and made hearts skip when a Game 3 flyball nearly went over his head. It was not a good series for him. But how many times has he looked bad and then quickly stunned you with a huge game? For those of you who care about Ramirez's sub-par showing against Philadelphia this year, Kemp OPSed .908 against the Phillies in 2008.
Pierre was 0 for 1 against Chicago and doesn't figure to get much more playing time, barring the unfortunate. A homer-happy park like the Phillies play doesn't help Pierre at all, whose warning track is the infield dirt. But there's still potential pinch-running heroism in his future.
Pitchers (11 of these 12): Derek Lowe, Chad Billingsley, Hiroki Kuroda, Clayton Kershaw, Jonathan Broxton, Joe Beimel, Cory Wade, Chan Ho Park, James McDonald, Greg Maddux, Takashi Saito, Hong-Chih Kuo
Lowe has assumed the role of staff ace even though Billingsley had the better overall year. No one's complaining, as Lowe has been superb since August 6: a 1.41 ERA including the postseason. In that time, Lowe has also gotten better fielding than usual - he hasn't allowed an unearned run. That's critical to his success. It's hard to imagine a scenario in which a healthy Lowe does not start Game 4 on three days' rest, setting himself up for a potential Game 7 start on regular rest - except for the unlikely prospect of the Dodgers being up 3-0. But be prepared: If CC Sabathia can have a bad game against the Phillies, so can Lowe.
Should the Dodgers hold Lowe out for Game 5, that would set up their Game 2 starter, the 24-year-old Billingsley, to start Game 6 as well. The Eyes-on-the-Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio answered questions about his October physical and mental makeup with outstanding work in Game 2 against Chicago. Billingsley has thrown only 119 pitches in the past two weeks, so odds are good he'll continue his postseason second wind.
Kuroda has gotten swept up in the post-NLDS praise for Dodger starting pitching. If he was a bit underrated heading into that series, perhaps he has been a bit overrated coming out of it. He was often in trouble against Chicago, particularly because of his difficulties in closing out hitters with two strikes. The Phillies don't figure to let him off the hook so easily. That being said, Kuroda did leave with a shutout intact and will benefit from pitching the upcoming Game 3 once more in front of a fervently supportive Dodger Stadium crowd.
As close followers of the Dodgers know by now, the fate of lefty Kuo will affect the fate of lefty Kershaw. Kuo seems to have the green light to pitch against the Phillies but won't be used on back-to-back days - meaning that means Kershaw will be on call in relief in at least one of the opening two games of the series. That doesn't preclude him from starting Game 4, but again, you have to ask yourself, do the Dodgers put a 20-year-old who has at this point not pitched in a game since September 28 into a start when they could use Lowe? It would potentially be the stuff of legend, but the Dodgers will be blessed if they haven't needed to make the most out of Kershaw in relief before then.
Torre has shown some interest in making Maddux the third right-handed reliever, setting up Wade and Broxton, especially if Saito is left off the roster. But given the probability that Beimel and Kershaw or Kuo will help shoulder much of the bullpen work for the Dodgers (with McDonald and Park as the long relievers should events go badly or long), it wouldn't be a surprise for Torre to hold Maddux back for a Dodger Stadium Game 4.
A final word about Saito: It's my feeling that reports of his demise as first-choice Dodger closer have been exaggerated. Yes, if his health or mechanics are bothering him and the team decides he can't pitch, that's one thing. But too much has been made about the results of his Game 2 outing in Chicago. He entered the game with a 10-1 lead in the ninth inning, meaning he had one principal mission on each pitch: throw a strike. On eight of 13 pitches, he succeeded. Yes, three of those pitches were ripped for hits - by the Cubs' No. 3, 4 and 5 hitters. But it's only because Saito's health is a concern that this was even an issue.
In the next game, Broxton, who followed Saito in Game 2 by allowing a walk and a line-drive out before striking out the final two batters - closed out the series with tremendous authority, striking out three of four. And suddenly, the man whom for two months I had to repeatedly defend against questioning that he could be a closer was declared by the whole world to be one.
I couldn't be more gratified or happier for Broxton. But I don't see this changing of the guard here to be any different than what we saw two months ago. In my opinion, if Saito were to be 100 percent in the NLCS, then Broxton pitches the eighth and Saito pitches the ninth (except in a situation like we had Saturday, when Broxton breezed through his portion of the eighth and there was no reason to take him out). Or to put it another way: As thrilling as Broxton was in Game 3, he's still going to have outings like he had in Game 2. That being the case, would he still be the closer over a healthy Saito? Seems unlikely.
Of course, in the end most of this is irrelevant for me. I'm no fan of the closer title to begin with. The beauty of the Dodger bullpen is that in a given situation, a healthy Kuo might be better than any of these guys. My point is that with Broxton and Saito, there's been a lot of bandwagon hopping, in both directions. The fact is that most of the time, these guys are great but fallible relievers. Injuries will dictate their usage, but if they're healthy, the Dodgers should be comfortable with any of them.
But enough about the bullpen ...
Summary
I continue to be struck, if not slightly haunted, by how easily the postseason could have been different. If the Cubs bring in left-handed reliever Sean Marshall to face James Loney in the fifth inning of Game 1 ... if you take away just one of their errors in Game 2 ... if Martin is out by a hair instead of safe in the first inning of Game 3 ... that's how easily the Dodgers could have been sweptees instead of sweptors. (For another example, consider what might have happened had the Angels made one fewer mistake in any of their Boston games.) The Dodgers truly did dominate the Cubs and I don't think what I'm saying takes anything away from that, but you don't have to work hard to play a game of "what if" and come up with an opposite result.
The Phillies and Dodgers each have huge weapons. There is easily a scenario in which all four games are close, the teams are practically even - and yet one team sweeps all four. That's how it went in Los Angeles in August, with the Dodgers winning four games in a row - two in the bottom of the ninth - by a combined six runs. The Phillies' sweep later in the month came more handily, though one of Philadelphia's wins required runs in the bottom of the ninth and 11th innings.
If you look at the head-to-head results in the regular season, the situation resembles that of the Dodgers' subtle advantage against the Cubs - when Los Angeles lost, it lost close games; when it won, it won more easily. In other words, Philadelphia was the better regular-season team. Combine that with their home-field advantage in the NLCS, and they deserve favorite status.
But two counterpoints remain in the Dodgers' favor. First, the return of Furcal. Second, the possibility that the Dodgers can pitch much better than the 5.48 ERA they allowed against the Phillies during the regular season.
The Dodgers have room for improvement against Philadelphia. Will they improve? And will that improvement be more than any improvement the Phillies might have? We'll have to play the games to find out.
As for Game 1, I do feel the pressure is more on Philadelphia. The cost to the Phillies of losing with Hamels at home is greater than the cost to the Dodgers of losing to Hamels on the road. No doubt the Dodgers want to get a victory at the first opportunity, but they know that if they come home with a split, they'll be thrilled, and the Phillies will be worried.
The eyes of baseball will be on the Dodgers and Phillies starting Thursday, and the hearts of the teams' fans will be in their throats. For the Phillies, the real pressure starts immediately; for the Dodgers, it doesn't come until Friday at the earliest. But when it comes ... watch out.
"He gives us, God forbid, a long guy," said Torre. "He or Maddux, but I prefer Maddux as an option later on. [James] McDonald would be another option."
Going back to this quote, Torre has to be talking about long relief, otherwise why mention McDonald? He's is definitely not a candidate to start game 4.
Only if said player failed at the execution. (See Erick Aybar: 2008 ALDS game 3) Although its true we would have written it off to rust etc. if Furcal couldn't execute.
I'm not saying McDonald is a real candidate to start. But this is not just a conversation about the back of the bullpen.
2 - You should reread what I wrote.
3 - Thursday morning.
Wade - Biemel - Kuo - Broxton
Pitching ... Pitching ... Pitching
The Key to the short series.
Well, check this out (from Plaschke):
*He still remembers when nobody was watching, so much that he was startled five days ago when somebody recognized him at a taco restaurant.
"The woman at the counter called my first name with my order, and somebody said, 'Cory Wade, is that you?' " he said.*
THAT'S ME!!!
Very nice! You are probably the 2nd person here to be the subject of a Plaschke article. I'm counting Jon as part of the "bloggers" that "downright brutalized" Pierre, even if he didn't actually do so.
You said it!
This offense can be broken into segments:
MVP Furcal: Mar 31 - May 5
Dead Zone: May 6 - July 31
MVP Manny: Aug 1 - Sep 28
During the "dead zone", the Dodger offense hit .244/.303/.359, and averaged 3.66 runs/game over 76 games (36-40 record).
During the "functioning offense" periods, the Dodgers hit .282/.358/.433, and averaged 4.91 runs/game over 86 games (48-38 record).
I actually said "Hey, Cory Wade!" Not, "Cory Wade, is that you?"
Still amazing to be a tiny, tiny part of this article.
:) :) :)
24
I know. I remember when I thought whiffle ball might be the highlight of the season.
23 Dunn happened after the deadline, so no "reaction" would be needed. I still think it would get done, unless the Furcal continued his torrid streak and gave us a bigger cushion in the NL West.
I'm looking to get a bite to eat Sunday before Game 3. I'm getting my haircut around 11am in the Silverlake area, and would be up for anything around then--possibly finding a cheap lot to carpool from to the Game. Email me at jacobburch at gmail dot com if you're interested! No promises, but I'd like to get something done.
24: 1981 WS Gms 3-6
24: 1956 WS Gms 1-4
23: 1955 WS Gms 1-4 OR Gms 2-5
23: 1978 NLCS Gms 2-4 & WS Gm 1 OR NLCS Gms 3-4 & WS Gms 1-2
22: 1988 NLCS Gms 2-5
22: 1977 NLCS Gms 1-4
21: 1978 NLCS Gms 1-4
21: 1977 WS Gms 2-5
21: 1947 WS Gms 3-6
20: 1974 NLCS Gms 1-4
20: 1953 WS Gms 3-6
*single years only
The Dodgers have scored 20 runs in their 3 playoff games this year thus far.
Un...be...lievable
http://tinyurl.com/52xytw
Stan from Tacoma
Yeah, ha, I thought the "Cory Wade, is that you?" sounded a little off. As if you dramatically rose up from your chair having recognized your long lost brother or something.
Weisman - Scully
Lowe
Bills
Kuroda
Lowe
Bills
Kuroda
Lowe
Bright side is that if Lowe has to pitch 3 times this series, and we win the series, Bills get to pitch game one of the world series!
Joe Sheehan responds to the latest Tim McCarver's Manny spiels.
"So it's just something where I love the West Coast, don't get me wrong," Hamels added with a smile. "I hope they don't kill me now. They're never going to invite me back. It's just something that the East Coast, they're more passionate and more involved, and I think that just brings the love of the game a little bit more."
He's just trying to get the Dodgers riled up. I doubt he believes a word he says.
No playoffs to worry about seems to suit them.
The Chinatown bus can get interesting, but the trip to Philly is only an hour and 50 minutes, so it's pretty tolerable. DC or Boston, on the other hand, is a bit of a nightmare. Sometimes the bus driver stops in random truck stops to let people on and off. Oh, and the bus back from Philly didn't have heat, so we were freezing.
Still! $20 round trip!
If Lowe goes in Game 4, then it's Chad in Game 5.
DAYAMMNN! That pretty much shuts every door to McCarver's statement. Too bad the rebuttal won't be on the headlines of every major sports news outlet like McCarver's. The only solace is that everyone know's McCarver is a moron.
I think it could be a bit longer than the bus, but then you're not subject to traffic delays.
The two games in question that he sat out occurred between July 23 (last day of road trip in Seattle, Boston completed a 3 game sweep, and the first game of a homestand against the Yankees, where Boston lost 1-0). There was an off-day in between.
On July 27th, Manny gave quotes saying that he would approve a trade, the Red Sox say nothing but by then newspapers were running polls asking if Manny should be dealt.
Here's the thing I have always thought about this, the Red Sox knew that this was probably their best shot at dealing Manny and getting something in return. If they don't pick up his option, all they would get is draft picks which wouldn't help them in 2009.
Tom Singer wrote on July 31st that the surprising thing was that anything that Manny had done over the previous 2 weeks was not really any different than what he had done for 7 1/2 years.
McDonald/Kershaw/Maddux can all be long guys.
If the team needs 1 right handed pitcher for 1 inning, I think I'd still put more faith in a struggling Saito than Park.
http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/phillies/Eisenreich_still_making_big_contribution.html
It was a win for all sides.
Boston got what they wanted.
The Dodgers got what they wanted.
The Pirates got what they wanted.
62 - AWESOME!!!!!!
The commenters take issue with TJ Simers but then what is new about that.
I did say "unreasonably panicky." I'm just finding things to worry about in addition to these:
1) Manny and the SI cover jinx;
2) Everybody but Jason Stark picking the Dodgers;
3) Game broadcast conflicts with "The Office;"
4) Eisenreich throwing out the first twitch;
5) The curse of Rudy Seanez.
The Phillies had the better season and might be the better team, but this is a bad matchup for them unless their starters behind Hamels step it up -- or the Dodgers' bats are as cold in this series as they were hot against Chicago. A Maddux start in Game 4 might make this pick too aggressive, but assuming it's either Lowe on short rest or Kershaw on a short leash, I'll go with the Dodgers in five.
1) Manny and the SI cover jinx
A few notable SI Cover Dodger jinx I could find:
9/30/91
http://tinyurl.com/49e3y6
Ramon on the cover, Dodgers up by 2 games on Atlanta the Thursday prior (when most people get the magazine). Lost division by a game a week later
8/20/73
http://tinyurl.com/47tgyc
Bill Russell and Claude Osteen on the cover, Dodgers up by 2.5 games. LA finished 19-21 and lost the division to the Reds.
Those are from other Toasterites.
You must have old school manager blood in your veins. Just as black and whispery as the rain, on the streets of Philadephia.
It's always sunny in Philadelphia.
I had a dream last night involving Rich Garces, Rudy Seanez, and 12 cases of barbecue sauce.
http://tinyurl.com/3hbunh
"[T]here were four competing newspapers in the city not that long ago, with the Journal playing the role of the painted clown. Some of the writers who put on the makeup, the funny nose and the floppy shoes were tremendous talents, some were just along for the ride, and at least one was headed for the penitentiary.
Only one turned out to be the general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, however..."
I had a dream about a close play at the plate last night, but I think it had more to do with the ejection that took place at our softball game last night.
Colletti: ""The paper had folded; my wife and I had a newborn son. I had been making $18,000 a year at the paper, and I had a $750-a-month mortgage in Lansdowne, with 18 percent interest. The Cubs offered me $14,000 a year, and I thought about it for a week and thought about my dad, and I took it."
Wow, interest rates really sucked in 1981.
When I was in college, I had a dream where Tip O'Neil and I conspired to keep Jim Wright off of a cruise ship by stealing his passport and then pretending not to know him.
Especially since Kevin Lewis won't kick down with the name of the street! :)
I didn't really dream last night because I didn't really sleep. My lack of sleep had nothing to do with the NLCS, though.
http://blogs.dailynews.com/sportsdesk/2008/10/dodgers-20-years-ago-today-2.html
Cool, that means tomorrow is the 20 year anniversary of the improbable Scioscia HR off Doc.
Underdog, you are like the advance scout of Dodger Thoughts.
Jim Eisenreich will always have a special place in my heart. I was diagnosed with Tourette's Syndrome as a kid, and he was really the only professional athlete I knew that suffered from it also (the former Chris Jackson in basketball also does, but he was out of the picture). For me, it was awesome when Jim got traded to the Dodgers. It was even better to be set up by my best friends dad and get to go down to the field and meet the man I shared so much with. For him to take the time to meet with me as an 11 year old is something I'll never forget. He was a huge inspiration to me not only in my baseball career, but in life. Unfortunately I wasn't able to join the ranks of professional baseball playing Tourette's sufferers because of injury, but I still draw back on that day when faced with a challenge. No matter how many home runs my new favorite players hit or how many World Series they win, Jim Eisenreich will always stand above them all in my mind.
I think Loney's HR is more along the lines of Mickey Hatcher or maybe Mike Scioscia if you want to get charitable, nowhere near Gibsonian.
I think Nomar is setting himself up to be the Gibson on 2008.
That's a great story.
I thought about it, but I figured he would rather not have people stalking him.
The last Dodger team to have no pitcher give up 15 HR was 1984.
From 1947-present, the only other years of this were 1981 (strike year) and 1968 ("the year of the pitcher").
Not the best of postseasons for Jay Howell up to that point. He came into 3 games through Game 4:
NLCS 1: Blew Hershiser's lead, lost game
NLCS 3: Got ejected and suspended for pine tar after allowing his one batter to reach
WS 3: Gave up GW HR to McGwire.
Luckily, he did have an old school save the next night, getting the final seven outs of the 2-1 victory, in the game Costas (correctly) mentioned the Dodgers might have the worst lineup in WS history.
My next thought was "I bet he didn't say Cory Wade, is that you?".
No comment what show it is though or I'll be banned from DT.
I'm guessing The Office or Arrested Development.
I highly doubt you'd be banned, but a good shunning might be in order.
James Spader as John Tudor.
John Leguizamo as Bobby Castillo.
Steve Yeager would play Steve Yeager.
Ed Begley Jr. as Jerry Reuss
ALSO, EVERYONE GOING TO THE GAME TOMORROW: CHICKIE AND PETE'S PRE-GAME REMINDER.
We will be in the bar area (there are tables there, too) from 5:30ish to 730ish barring a Chinatown bus disaster.
It will be fun to gather with as many of you and your friends as possible, so please stop by! And for gosh sakes someone bring a camera 'cause I dropped mine at Cellular Field and murdered it.
http://www.chickiesandpetes.com/page/page/790062.htm
https://dodgerthoughts.baseballtoaster.com/archives/1154705.html#comments
And the manager in Mr. 3000!
With real life icons, it works best when unkown actors play them. Less of a distraction. More believable. There's got to be plenty of Tommy Lasorda looking actors in New York. They used to drive taxi cabs.
Pesci would be a great Larry Bowa...in fact, I might start calling Bowa "Joe Pesci"...
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs2008/news/story?id=3633911
AccuScore has the Phillies' chance of winning tonight at 57%. Still waiting for word from Xeifrank's simulator.
Objectively, even after losing game 1, the A's were still the better team with most of the advantages. Even going back to Oakland down 0-2 because of Hershiser, that A's team should have been able to make more of a Series out of it, especially knowing they were unlikely to see any more of Kirk Gibson.
Loney's blast was a statement that the Dodger offense was more than just Manny Ramirez, a fact they demonstrated repeatedly thereafter. It said this was not the "weak" Dodger team its record suggested. Whereas Gibson's homer was a shocking, improbable event that the A's should have been able to shake off and resume their dominant play.
The Cubs have nothing to be ashamed of. They lost to a better team. But the '88 A's? They choked.
I think its more fun to have your dreams dashed then to suppress them so you don't get disappointed.
I like that one.
I also vote for Rob Morrow (or that guy from The Mentalist) to play DePo.
George Lopez as Fernando.
Email me at jaehyun.chang at gmail.com for details.
Question: why do people spell their email addresses out?
People spell out their email addresses because they feel that most parts of their anatomy are already big enough.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/So-which-Cub-flooded-the-visitor-s-dugout-at-Dod?urn=mlb,113546
Woodie Fryman (41 years, 185 days) - relieved for Montreal in the 8th & 9th innings of a 7-1 Dodger win in Game 4 of the 1981 NLCS
Ron Reed (40-340) - pitched 1.1 IP in the clinching game (4) of the 1983 NLCS for the Phillies
Ron Reed (40-337) - 3 days earlier, pitched the final two innings of the Dodgers' only win of the 1983 NLCS (Game 2)
Tom Glavine (40-194) - the only 40+ year old starter to face the Dodgers in the playoffs, he pitched 6 shutout innings in New York in Game 2 of the 2006 NLDS.
These four are the only 40-year olds to pitch against the Dodgers in their playoff history.
Jamie Moyer will be 45 years, 329 days old when he takes the mound Sunday at Dodger Stadium.
I think Soriano tried to take a swing at the water pipe, but since the pipe was low and outside of his reach, he missed it.
I'm on amtrak on my way to Citizens Bank Park! Stopped in Trenton, NJ. Its sunny, relatively warm and I have tickets to a Dodger playoff game! Other than the crumbling economy, life is pretty good.
I have new found respect for the Cubs.
That was awesome.
Sigh. Nevermind. Screw the Cubs.
Anyway I was too nervous to go to class today, but I'm gathering everyone I know from LA here at SMU to get together and watch the game..
anyway best of luck to everyone in Citizens Bank, be as loud as you can and stay from cheesesteak!
You let these meaningless soccer games get in the way of too many things.
wow, that is so bad.
"Manny is a threat in the lineup, but against the Cubs, he hit two home runs that I won't say were meaningless, but they didn't impact the victories."
http://tinyurl.com/3k58q7
Who needs exercise today with all them fancy pills and gadgets.
I am offended by that
http://tinyurl.com/3menof
Same old east coasters are more passionate stuff.
He's not.
You could buy classic Dodger broadcasts!
I can understand Kevin Towers since he is the current GM but I am surprised that DePodesta would not be given another opportunity.
Unless he is already in line for a job?
It reminds me of the A's front office. Towers is the guy with the connections to other GMs and DePo along with others gives him all the data and tells him whom to go after. Then Towers goes out and tries to get it done.
"Comcast has recently updated their business model. They are now 100% focused on making me commit suicide."
Every time Manny is walked he helps turn the lineup. That is the great side effect of a high OBP team is that they turn their lineup and get their best hitters an extra at bat. When he is walked they then have to bear down on Ethier and Ethier is a tough out.
Manny doesn't have to hit home runs to affect the outcome of a game.
I'll go ahead and say 1,367 post!
Joe Sheehan has no idea how the NLCS will play out. But he'll have fun watching it.
I'm sure someone will haul out stats to disprove my impression, which is that Karros was the King of the Meaningless Late-Inning Home Run. Usually in a loss. Usually in a loss caused in part by his inability to drive in runners on base in crucial situations earlier in the game.
The reverse was also true. He would get a hit or two early in the game, but the Dodgers would be behind a run or two at the end drew near. Then he'd come up later in the game and fail. His attitude seemed to be, "hey, I got my hit."
I always hated to see Karros come up in crucial situations. He dined out on his one famous game-winning homer for years, as if that was his trademark. He made Steve Garvey look humble.
In looking at Karros' numbers, I've grudgingly conceded he had a few pretty good years at least on paper. He certainly kept track of his stats, and I suppose that motivated him from time to time. But that only goes to make him the best Dodger player for whom I have no respect.
/Karros rant I have to get off my chest once a year
Oh wait, I don't have an Aunt Sally and if I did, I doubt she'd have her own website.
I did a quick check, and only 90 of Karros's 270 Dodger homers came in a loss.
Matt Kemp does not hang out with Barbara Streisand.
In my High School, everyone called EK the "Pop-Up King"
2. Shane Victorino, CF
3. Chase Utley, 2B
4. Ryan Howard, 1B
5. Pat Burrell, LF
6. Jayson Werth, RF
7. Pedro Feliz, 3B
8. Carlos Ruiz, C
9. Cole Hamels, P
Feliz is a defensive player along with Ruiz. Lowe just needs to keep his focus and those should be easy outs. Utley and Howard back to back.
He doesn't drive an Accord any more. I see him occasionally in Manhattan Beach driving a 7 series BMW. I'll be representing the Blue in enemy territory (Phoenix) tonight. This day has been going so slow. I can't wait for the game.
http://tinyurl.com/488kgd
Teeth get impacted. Games, no
Awhile later, Jim bought a tract home in a new development in San Diego. About a month later, his new neighbors moved in across the street, and it was Nettles and his wife!
It seems that Nettles, along with Goose Gossage, Thurmon Munson and Sparky Lyle were always up for an all night beer blast. Nettles was even kind enough to loan Jim his baseball uni and his gold glove for a Halloween party.
Cole Hamels looks like a tool, let's light him up. Or should I say let's drop the hammer?
Perhaps the market for tickets for the LCS is elastic. And consumers have all snapped in recent days.
For Game 2, it will be DICKIE V!!! GET ME A TO!! FANTASTIC!! I'M GOING TO THROW IT OVER THE PLATE!!! LET ME PLAY BALL!!!
Then, the same group got some tickets for a game in Shea, also near the outfield. This time, he looked around! It was awesome, almost as good as the time when we finally got better seats, and got Todd Helton to remove his sunglasses as mocking him for wearing them on a cloudy day for 3 innings.
Evidently you think the economy is fundamentally sound and discretionary funds are available for everyone to waste on a baseball game.
Lowe apparently benefited from a long count.
Film at 11.
I can't wait for this game, guys. I'm pumped.
I'm always happy to set you up for a good line.
Two people! You're the gift that keeps on giving.
Best thing about the 1st round of playoffs on TBS...no Eric Karros.
I don't have the heart to tell you all remaining Dodger games are on Fox, Karros and all.
1) Two Dodgers out at the plate in aught-six
2) The Lakers blow a 24-point lead in Game 4
3) USC lose to Oregon State
However, the alternative would be to watch the game at a location (my living room) where I witnessed the most crushing sports defeat of my lifetime.
Go Dodgers! I hope to see crowd shots of the various DTers on TV.
Do we know who the announcers will be yet for this series?
Buck & McCarver.
https://griddle.baseballtoaster.com/archives/1155714.html
Oh boy. Tim McCarver just called Manny's act "despicable".
Somebody grab the Gatorade cooler.
Funny, I would have thought I'd here a different phrase from you starting with "f" and ending in "Irish". :)
TBS has the AL.
But TBS has Chip Caray!!!
Nepotism has ruined baseball's playoffs! :)
The game doesn't start until 5:22.
Maybe the Dodgers should take a page out of UCLA's book and try advertising in Philadelphia.
Tickets are available because it's likely more have been released for sale that were reserved for other groups.
I am giddy with anticipation.
I'm so freaking excited about this series. I saw the Dodgers play in 5 World Series in my first 20 years on the planet and I haven't seen them go back there in the second 20. It's been almost that long since their last NLCS - this is fun!
I'm hoping for a new thread.
Los Angeles Baseball Tickets. Check Our Prices. Save 10% Or More.
It was like ToyCannon was editing the ad.
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http://www.baseballprospectus.com/unfiltered/?p=1052
If we had a million pins and could stick them into a Joe Morgan doll everytime TimBuck says something worth rolling our eyes over, how long would it take to run out of pins?
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