Baseball Toaster: Dodger Thoughts : Opening Morning Fungos

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Opening Morning Fungos

2005-04-05 09:16

by Jon Weisman

These charts from the toaster oven of Mike's Baseball Rants suggest that the Dodgers have been the major leagues' best team at finding and developing talent, though not the best at retaining it. Suggestion: Take your time to read the introductory three paragraphs carefully, rather than racing down to the charts and then backtracking to understand what they mean. (Clarification: Like I did.)

A little more background on Steve Schmoll from the University of Maryland, where he became the school's single-season and career strikeout leader despite being cut from the team as a freshman catcher.

When you see sportswriters write about how few returning players are on the Dodger Opening Day 25-man roster, keep in mind that they are not including the four returning players on the disabled list: Eric Gagne, Brad Penny, Wilson Alvarez and Jayson Werth.

Flashbacks: Hideo Nomo started on Opening Day for the Dodgers in 2003 and 2004 - and the results were very different.

Update: He warns us not to make too much of this, but Alan Schwarz on ESPN.com writes that of the five National League players who faced the easiest pitching last year (highest OPS allowed), four were Dodgers, including three no longer with the team. The top five: Alex Cora (.746), Adrian Beltre (.744), Khalil Greene (.744), Cesar Izturis (.743) and Shawn Green (.741). Jeff Weaver, by the way, faced the third-toughest collection of batters in the National League in 2004 (.750).

Comments

2005-04-05 09:50:08

1. Suffering Bruin

T minus three hours, fifteen minutes.

Predictions anyone? I think Jon has it right. The Dodgers will win anywhere from 80 to 100 because anything more specific than that is reckless.

But who are we if not reckless?

My prediction: 89-73.

2005-04-05 09:58:20

2. Sam DC

I expect that Jon won't like this one bit but, with Opening Day upon us, I'd like to urge everyone who enjoys this blog (and who is comfortably able to do so) to join me in dropping some loose change in the DT open guitar case (Paypal link at right). DT (OK, BTDT) is such a high quality part of my day, it's a pleasure to be able to give back something a little more meaningful than bad jokes and worse anagrams. And now back to your regularly scheduled programming . . .

2005-04-05 10:11:27

3. Sam DC

And I'll predict 93-69, because I'm not just reckless, I'm foolishly reckless.

2005-04-05 10:47:59

4. fanerman91

93 wins is what I predicted, or at least what I hope for.

So who else raced down the charts and then backtracked to understand what they meant?

2005-04-05 10:58:05

5. JJoeScott

I'll take 85-77. I think Gagne will be out longer than we would like. I also think that Arizona will hang around long enough to make a July deal to improve their pitching and could do better than expected - possibly much better.

Meanwhile, looking at the blurb on last year's OPS numbers tells me that Beltre, Cora, Green sure saw a lot of D-backs and Rockies pitching last year!

2005-04-05 10:59:00

6. Linkmeister

Remember this stretch?

NL Rookies of the Year:
1982 Steve Sax, Los Angeles Dodgers 2B
1981 Fernando Valenzuela, Los Angeles Dodgers P
1980 Steve Howe, Los Angeles Dodgers P
1979 Rick Sutcliffe, Los Angeles Dodgers P

Unless I missed somebody, Hollandsworth is the only Dodger since then to win the award.

2005-04-05 11:02:42

7. Jeromy

Linkmeister: you are forgetting Karros, Piazza, Mondesi, and Nomo also won the NL ROY award just prior to Hollandsworth.

2005-04-05 11:03:30

8. Adam M

That was a joke, right? ;)

2005-04-05 11:04:15

9. Jeromy

I predict 91-71. I think it will be a dogfight between the Dodgers and Padres this year for the division and I think the wild card will come from the east.

2005-04-05 11:06:12

10. Jesse

Thanks for keeping me sane all winter, Jon. If anyone would like, I wrote a semi baseball related article on my blog;

woolymammothplace.blogspot.com.

Jesse

2005-04-05 11:19:38

11. Linkmeister

Thanks, Jeromy. Not enough coffee, or somethin'. It's still been a while.

2005-04-05 11:59:13

12. Bob Timmermann

Whoops, posted this in the wrong place:
Dodgers lineup:
Izturis SS
Choi 1B
Drew RF
Kent 2B
Bradley CF
Valentin 3B
Ledee LF
Phillips C
Lowe P

Giants lineup:
Durham 2B
Vizquel SS
Snow 1B
Alou RF
Feliz LF
Alfonzo 3B
Grissom CF
Matheny C
Schmidt P

2005-04-05 12:16:14

13. Jon Weisman

New thread for game chat above.

2005-04-05 12:37:08

14. Ben P

On a random note, did anyone else know that Tommy Lasorda is apparently doing recorded phone calls in support of President Bush's Social Security plan? From the liberal blog Talking Points Memo:

"TPM Reader JC makes a good point: Do you wanna trust Tommy Lasorda with your Social Security after what he did to Orel Hershiser's arm? I didn't think so."

2005-04-05 13:42:00

15. corey

Uh-oh, I think I broke the open chat.

2005-04-05 13:44:04

16. corey

eek, it looks like I broke the telecast too!!

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