jax is stacked. i dont think they need anymore help.

although king edwin is moving down too. holy toledo, that team is the most stacked team in the minors.

Wish these two were ready right now. The left side of LA's infield is hurting bad.

With the additions of LaRoche and Jackson, Jacksonville is now home to 6 of the top 100 prospects in baseball, according to Baseball America: Joel Guzman, Chad Billingsley, Edwin Jackson, James Loney, Andy LaRoche, and Russell Martin. (They also have Jonathan Broxton, who just barely missed the list.)

I'm assuming having 6 of the 100 on one minor league team is easily a record.

By the way, my posts today will be the last ones for a while, as I'll be spending the next few weeks in Alaska.

Alaska: isn't that the only state Bob's GF hasn't been to?

I must have missed that conversation, Icaros.

After this trip, I'll have only Florida and Hawaii to cross off my list. Neither of which I have any interest whatsoever in visiting, outside of maybe Dodgertown.

Not a DisneyWorld fan, huh?

Wow, Icaros really pays attention to my posts.

Now that I know what he looks like I will have to pay attention to see if he is stalking me too. Or maybe he's bugged my apartment.

I just thought those guys coming really were from the phone company!

Bob, I'm posting from your apartment right now...kinda small, but a pretty nice place.

Where's the couch?

All that is left of the couch are the cushions which are on the floor. The new one is arriving Sunday.

If the cat has an accident, you have to clean it up. There's sponges underneath the bathroom sink and some cleaner in the linen closet. It's guaranteed to removed blood, urine, feces, AND vomit!

I'm keeping that handy in case Scott Erickson pitches tonight.

Sorry, I already sold the cat to some restaurant down the street. I needed gas money to get home later.

This makes me very happy. (The Jacksonville news not Bob's and Icaros conversation.Ha!)

The Jacksonville news has none of the drama and intrigue that my conversation with Bob has.

Icaros, if you could get any money for a cancer-ridden, 17-year old cat, then your car must run on some really cheap gas...

Back to baseball, when you see all these machinations in the minors, you realize that there is obviously a guy (in this case Brian Sprout) who must be realizing that he isn't going to make it to the big leagues now.

I think the cat was turned into Ethanol not money(damn now I'm in the conversation)

People won't know the cat's age or medical status when it's covered in orange chicken sauce.

Re: Brian Sprout. It's sad when the guys with the best names don't always make it to the bigs.

OK, since I live near a Panda Express, that was a little creepy.....

On the Jacksonville roster on minorleaguebaseball.com, nobody is listed as a third baseman. Guzman is a shortstop, Sprout is a shortstop, and even LaRoche is a shortstop.

Is there an upper age limit for AA ball? I see a couple of guys who are 27 on the team and one "ancient" 28-year old.

Well, who doesn't live near a Panda Express these days?

Am I crazy to think it looks like Izturis might be traded?

Or maybe he's bugged my apartment.

As long as you don't do what Gene Hackman did in "The Conversation"

Everything will be better once Valentin comes back.

Am I crazy to think it looks like Izturis might be traded?

His contract is quite tradeable, but I don't think it will happen until late 2006 or 2007, when some of these prospects are really ready to step in.

Bob, you left that off.... conspiracy theories usually make me laugh...

Maybe we should be saying,
"Everything will be better once Lasorda comes back."
.... for Steve .... careful what you wish for!

(I'm imagining Robinson taking the job)

Are any of the position players in AAA future Gold Glove candidates?

If there's anyone on this board I'd stalk it'd be Marty.

I would show up around dinner time, wait for him to go to the bathroom, then steal myself a serving of whatever he's cooked for dinner.

He'd never even know...

LaRoche is supposed to be a good defender, but I've never seen him projected to actually play SS in the bigs.

I'd trade Izturis's Gold Glove for some real offense any day, though.

I'm going to have to get the locks changed...

Don't forget, Logan White chat at 2pm Pacific.

That's Altadena, right Marty?

#19 - What's your timeframe on this observation? When the kids are ready, or do you think he might be traded this year (a la LoDuca)?

I think the people who code the minor league baseball site just don't have a "3B" code.

Thomas Boswell wrote paean to Robinson in today's Washington Post. He pretty much called Scioscia a punk and talked about how Robinson is the epitome of manhood. And when Robinson was Scioscia's age, he was already managing the Giants.

And his teams still weren't winning anything back then either.

Did I say Altadena? I meant Santa Monica, yeah...Santa Monica

The Nationals must be winning despite Robinson.

Frankly, I think they're both morons (and not for the generic reasons you would automatically assume with these two). Scioscia's argument that everyone cheats, so why single my guy out is absurd. And then his checking the Washington pitcher out the next inning was just plain high school.

Robinson is just a bully. He needs to settle down. Him stalking Scioscia back to the dugout was uncalled for. And refusing to walk the lineup cards out the next inning, how old are these guys?

But, since I typically err on the side against the Angels, I'll say Frank was less an idiot then Scioscia on this one.

I liked the McPherson quote "if you aren't cheating, you aren't trying"

#30, yeah, expect the unexpected, trade THAS (the heart and soul (tm)).

I actually liked it that Scioscia checked the other glove.

Buster Olney says Izturis is irreplaceable.

So I think that means he's ready to go.

I perversely enjoy reading Olney's blog. He writes with a sense of self-satisfaction that few can match

I'll stick up for Robby. Beside being one of most underated players of his generation he has a Manager of the Year trophy to go along with his AL triple crown and Championship trophies. For once I agree with what Tim Brown wrote in today's LA Times and that Scoscia is the one who acted like a punk.
Frank Robinson is one of the greatest players in baseball history and Scoscia had no business challenging him over a smart managerial decision. Donnely was cheating and got caught. His explanation was even worse. Does he think that being able to grip the ball better so he can throw his sinker isn't cheating?
His team lost 67 games last year and are currently in 1st place. His pitching staff does not have one pitcher anyone would consider an ace and only Wilkerson/N Johnson/Brian Schneider would be considered starters on most teams. He is well known as a manager for being able to put together a solid bullpen. His team is over achieving but I'd rather have a over achieving team then an under achieving team.

Jonathan Broxton is listed at 6'4" 276 lbs. As a comparison, Frank Thomas is listed at 6'5" 275 lbs. I can see how he would be an imposing presence on the mound.

I think it's just a matter of time before the Nationals turn back into pumpkins like the Diamondbacks however.

And I still am carrying a 33-year old grudge.

Was that an earthquake???

Yes it was. TV still not sure about epicentre and strength. Just minor rumbling up here in the hills

Yes it definitely was an earthquake.

41: Yep!

A moderate earthquake occurred at 1:53:25 PM (PDT) on Thursday, June 16, 2005.
The magnitude 5.3 event occurred 5 km (3 miles) NE of Yucaipa, CA.
The hypocentral depth is 12 km ( 8 miles).

http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/recenteqs/Quakes/ci14155260.html

I felt it strong... I'm in downtown right now.

Cora would have stopped that earthquake.

Here's the website where they want you to report if you felt the earthquake:

http://pasadena.wr.usgs.gov/shake/ca/STORE/X14155260/ciim_form.html

Whatever, it was no Loma Prieto.

Just ask Al Michaels.

And I still am carrying a 33-year old grudge.

The man was 36 years old and got hurt and only got 340 ab's. What did you want a triple crown? All we gave up Doyle Alexander and a year later we got Messersmith so why a grudge.

Nice little quake. I always enjoy the little swaying after the quake when you realize you don't have to get under the desk.

46 - He did. That's why no buildings collapsed.

Felt it here in West LA too. I don't know whether to be worried or impressed that I immediately pegged it as a 5-5.3, because it felt a bit stronger than the 4-4.5s we get every once in a while.

There was a 5-somthing quake when I was in San Diego last weekend. I hope that these earthquakes, coupled with 6 Choi HRs in one series and a Jose Lima win aren't signs of an impending apocalypse...

It felt like a 4 here, could be because I'm on the 9th floor.

Anyone else participating in the Logan White chat?

Can't find a link for the chat at dodgers.com. Am I missing something?

It's there. You have to sign in, though. Fearing's gotten a couple questions answered.

That box thing doesn't work on my work PC, so I cannot access it.

#56: I've gotten a couple questions printed, rather :).

So, Jon, are you 'meloco912' or 'fawnkyjunk_2'?

Nice job sneaking in the last question, Eric.

I'm just sleepy.

No damage to King Tut Jon?

molokai: re Scioscia, you can read my blog for my opinion of who is being lame around here (and yes Scioscia was an idiot for his "everybody does it" response), but Robinson completely proved he can't stand getting called out; it's like he's some kind of primadonna beyond reproach. All those years at MLB's enforcement division ruined his moral sense, I guess. A pox on both their houses, with the lion's share to Robinson, who convinced me within the span of 30 minutes that he's one of the most overrated whiners in the game.

No. We felt it but it wasn't that bad. Would have been a bummer to have everything come crashing down on our first day, though.

It's funny, because there are all these news crews here, too. The guy who works next to me was just walking back to his desk from the parking garage and got interviewed live by Channel 4.

More: I will look forward to the Dodgers pulverizing the Nats in August.

The silly video on the main page of Dodgers.com encourages fans to vote for the All-Star Game and "get J.D. Drew a one-way ticket to Detroit." What, is he going to be meeting up with some of Jimmy Hoffa's old pals?

66... yeah, I'll do that right after I finish voting for Nomar.

Any of you brainiacs go to CalTech? My best friend went there and we ran down to the basement a couple of times to watch the seismo-puters and what not. Pretty cool.

Thing I remember most was going to the beach, Santa Monica, I think. The roller-blading-dude-with-the-turban-and-electric-guitar was there, immortalized in LA Story, there was the museum in that movie, too.

Who would the folks here be willing to (realistically) part with to get Adam Dunn and Aaron Harang from the Reds?

61 - Would have had you pegged as Sneezy.

69,
I think I'd rather keep what we have.
Well if you twist my arm, Grabowski and Ledee, and Oh, Erickson, too.

My 33-year old grudge against Frank Robinson makes about as much sense as my irrational hatred of Russ Ortiz.

Just something to give me a rooting interest for or against in a sporting event.

The only exception to this is Darryl Strawberry. I really don't like him.

I filled out the "Did you feel it" questionnaire. I almost always do.

I scored a III on the Mercalli scale. Surprisingly, I'm the only person in my ZIP code to send one in.

well dunn only has 69 SO this year, so he may be on pace to "improve" from last years 195.

#73 - ?

#69 - Take your pick of a pitcher and a hitter (yes, Guzman too) from the organization.

Sushirabbit,

You wouldn't be interested in Adam Dunn, a better hitter than anyone the Dodgers have (except maybe Drew) and a solid pitcher with an 8.7 K/9, only 26 BB in 84 IP, and 3.86 ERA in a hitter's park?

#69 - Guzman, our top pitching prospect, and one of the catchers. Of course we'd either have to throw Werth in the deal, or spin him off seperately for an arm.

See comment #47 about the shake up.

#69: I'd put together a package starting with Jackson and LaRoche. Perhaps throwing in a second-tier prospect like Schmoll. I'd consider trading Jackson straight up for Harang, as Gammons proposed today in his chat.

well dunn only has 69 SO this year, so he may be on pace to "improve" from last years 195.

Who cares about strikeouts when you have a .404 OBP and .550 SLG? If a guy Ks to make an out he:

a) has made the pitcher throw at least 3 pitchers (usually a lot more)

b) doesn't GIDP

I'm thinking I'd rather give up Guzman than LaRoche.

80 - throw at least 3 pitches I mean, unless we're talking about the Incredible Hulk.

I think Dunn has to be the single most desired offensive player for someone like Depodesta. Is there anyone else out there, given the combination of talent, age, and contract status, that Depodesta would rather have? Miguel Cabrera?

76,
No. I'd wouldn't trade for either one of those guys, although, I can see an argument for Harang. I don't think Dunn is that great of a hitter. Really. I'd rather keep our current 1B platoon. I want one really good pitcher, not another guy who hangs slow fastballs.

Dunn would be playing LF, his normal position, not 1B.

How is a 25-year-old with 16 HR and a career .900 OPS not that great of a hitter?

Werth, either Guzman or LaRoche, and a top pitching prospect (can we still get away with calling Edwin a top prospect?) But that's for Harang AND Dunn.

I'm really glad the Dodgers don't have Danny Graves.

Eric: you really should visit Hawaii someday, specifically Maui, the Big Island, or Kauai. You can probably skip Oahu, as it's nothing more than San Diego on an island. The Big Island, however, is arguably one of the most beautiful places on Earth. And it is an incredible, incredible experience to watch the active volcanic eruption. Watching lava slowly flow towards me, from 30 feet away, was one of the most memorable non-family-oriented moments of my life.

I would echo the choice for the Big Island. Incredible scenery. And Kona coffee is a lot cheaper there too.

You can also go for a van ride to the top of Mauna Kea and get the unique experience of being in Hawai'i and freezing your butt off.

#86 - Who are you describing?

#86 - 160 homers?

The earthquake got downgraded to a 4.9 for those of you scoring at home.

#86: While I would really like Dunn, I think Kearns and Harang is probably more obtainable, perhaps a better value (would not require giving up Guzman or LaRoche), with a higher potential upside (Kearns has 2 more years left, while Dunn only has 1).

Various topics:

1. Earthquake felt pretty strong to me. Of course I was in my office on the 12th floor (downtown), and in a meeting with a first timer from the midwest. I also did the USGS online survey.

2. Dunn's a great hitter, but I don't know the wisdom of giving up our best prospect(s) for a hitter. We need pitching.

3. I gotta seriously question the idea of having no desire to go to Hawaii. I made my first trip there last fall, and I had almost no desire to go home. Stupid mainland.

So does that make it a below-replacement-level earthquake?

Steve, my observation was that that earthquake was a gamer. I'm plugging that earthquake into my lineup every day. Lotta upside. Lotta heart.

I guess the stats tell me I could get that earthquake for league minimum off the waiver wire.

5-tool earthquake.

Re: Dunn - I give the Reds the pick of the farm system choosing a hitter, a pitcher, and a catcher. He's that good.

If the earthquake had hit when the Dodgers were home I can picture Jim Tracy saying, "I don't want to die without giving Olmedo Saenz another chance to bat!"

I would like to go back to Hawaii for a work-free trip someday. My only trip to Hawaii in my life was, of all things, to cover Montclair Prep, Canyon and Chaminade high school football games there. Around 1990. I went for the Daily News, and Steve Henson went for the Times. Tim Brown was supposed to go but he had just gotten promoted to the Angel beat, so I went in his place.

Chaminade's kicker was a girl - I want to say her name was Katie Cook but I can't remember exactly. Two games were in Aloha Stadium, one was on Kona, I think.

I've been to 40 states. I think South Dakota is underrated. Mt. Rushmore, Badlands, Wall Drug, Mitchell Corn Palace - something for everyone.

#98: He's good, but he's not that good. Trading Joel Guzman, Chad Billingsley, and Russell Martin for 1.5 years of any one player is likely not a good decision.

Jon,
When the season is over, all of us here will pitch in and buy you and your family an all-expense paid trip to Hawai'i.

Pick the island.

I'll pass the coffee can around to get donations.

However, you will have to spend all of your time on Niihau.

#101 - No contract extensions available? We'd have a 1.5 years to lock him up. Gammons thinks he'll get $9M in arbi this year.

103 - No extensions available? Did they exhaust their supply?

Sometimes, when one of my associates asks me to add a new web page to my company's web site, I tell him we're out of blank HTML pages and have to wait for the next shipment.

Actually, it's not my company, just the company I work for.

Also, did you know that scientists often measure earthquakes with a Nomogram? Hideo's probably the only MLB ROY to share a last name with a scientific tools.

I had to google Niihau. Looks very thoughtful. I could see Phil Jackson spending some time there.

91, 92 - I was describing Dunn. He has 16 HR this season, 134 career.

No izzy in the lineup again today, but we do get to see Repko instead of struggling Werth.

Maybe Gagne can convince Milton to let the adrenaline take over and to play through the pain.

Re 101 - Agreed.

Re 103 - But then we're paying +10M for another player when we could be getting something out of our young guys at the minimum. Doesn't seem like responsible salary management.

It would make more sense if it was a #1 starter, because that can make the difference between not making the playoffs and winning a world series. As good as Dunn is, he's not going to have the impact that, say, a team would've experienced had they aquired RJ in 2004.

How Gagne really got injured:
http://tinyurl.com/72wfc

Since you can't go to Niihau without an invitation and there isn't a lot of things like electricity and running water, it may not be a family-friendly place.

Kauai is one of the prettiest places on earth in this man's opinion.

Yeah I hate waiting for those blank HTML pages, especially when they are on backorder...

Hooray! Another good situational [code for sub-.240] hitter is between two good hitters at the top of our lineup!

But then we're paying +10M for another player when we could be getting something out of our young guys at the minimum. Doesn't seem like responsible salary management.

I think you have to balance the goal of winning now and in the future. Dunn and Harang should really improve this current club in the thick of a pennant race.

LA has a lot of quality prospects for the future, and if some aren't dealt, they will be lost to Rule 5 anyway. $10 million for a player of Dunn's caliber and youth isn't a bad investment, especially with Green and Dreifort coming off the books next year.

Red's would have no interest in LaRoche as Edwin Encarnacion is probably a better prospect then LaRoche and is already in AAA which is why Joe Randa only got a one year deal. I don't think LaRoche is close to jumping past Guzman as a prospect but it will be fun to see how they both do for the Suns. Remember LaRoche is 22 months older then Guzman and is just now getting to AA.

I like Adam Dunn but I'd like him better if he wasn't 1 1/2 away from free agency. Whoever the Reds trade from their outfield they are going to demand a lot because the future of their franchise depends on it.

If we can get Harang for several B prospects I would do it. I think he'd do very well at Dodger Stadium.

#110 Bob, I second your opinion on Kauai. If Kauai was good enough for Elvis (Blue Hawaii) and James Caan (Honeymoon in Vegas), it's sure good enough for the rest of us.

Is it too much to ask that the Dodgers at least take one game from the vaunted Royals, seeing how the Padres are trying to give up the division lead on a silver platter? Would be nice if DePo started doing more to shore up this team than shuttling in AAAA players.

We all love our prospects, but truth is most of them will not pan out in the show. Guzman, a pitching prospect, and a catcher for Dunn would be a steal. Out future would still be solid with Dunn/Bradley/Drew in the OF with Loney a possibility if Drew leaves (assuming he can switch to LF or RF) Choi/Perez/Izzy/LaRoche in the IF, Phillips or Martin/Navarro at C, and plenty of pitching prospects to fill out our rotation. That's not a very expensive team either.

With Houlton and Thompson pitching well, and Harang bumping one of them out of the rotation, how much does that really help the team? If Haran was replacing Weaver, that might be different. Or is Perez out for that long?

Random Dodger game callback

June 16, 1939

Before a crowd of 1,293 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis, the Brooklyn
Dodgers spotted the Cardinals seven runs early and couldn't come all
the way back and lost 7-6. The loss dropped the Dodgers into fourth
place, 8 games behind leader Cincinnati and gave them a 25-24 record.

The Cardinals used a five-run sixth to take a 7-0 lead. Joe Medwick
and Don Padgett both slammed home runs off of Dodger starter Van
Lingle Mungo to knock him out of the box. Reliever Fred Fitzsimmons
gave up another run.

The Dodgers rallied against Cardinal starter Lon Warneke with single
runs in the seventh and eighth and then pushed across four against
reliever Curt Davis, but pinch hitter Lyn Lary struck out with the
tying run on second to end the game.

The big change for the Dodgers in 1939 was the installation of Leo
Durocher as player manager. Durocher replaced Burleigh Grimes as
manager after a disappointing 1938 season (when the Dodgers employed
Babe Ruth as a coach) and turned the team around after six straight
losing seasons. The 1939 team finished 84-69, which put them in third
place, 14 ½ games behind Cincinnati. It was the Dodgers best finish
since 1932.

First baseman Dolph Camilli was the hitting hero in Brooklyn in 1939.
Camilli slugged 26 home runs and drove in 104. He also led the NL in
walks (110) and strikeouts (107), an unusual combo in that era.

In midseason, the Dodgers picked up Tigers outfielder Dixie Walker on
waivers, who would be a standout hitter for the Dodgers through the
1947 season.

Brooklyn received a career year from lefthander Luke Hamlin, who won
20 games (against 13 losses) with a 3.64 ERA. Hamlin never won more
than 9 games in a season after 1939. Hugh Casey, would become one of
the Dodgers first relief stars, bounced between the bullpen and the
starting rotation and sported a 15-10 record with a 2.93 ERA.

The 1939 Dodgers also had one player who was a former star elsewhere
in New York, but soon headed for retirement. Tony Lazzeri, who played
for the Yankees for 12 seasons, played in 14 games for the 1939
Dodgers early in the season, before being released in May and moving
on to the Giants and eventually retirement. Lazzeri passed away
unexpectedly in 1946. The last member of the 1939 Dodgers to pass away
was catcher Ray Hayworth, who died on September 25, 2002 at the age of
98.

1939 would be Durocher's last year as a regular player. Normally a
weak hitter, Durocher batted .277, his second best mark for his
career. Durocher batted .247 in his career and hit just 24 home runs.
Durocher would eventually win 3 penannts as a manager, although only
one would come in Brooklyn. But with Durocher in charge, the Dodgers
went from being a bad joke to becoming a powerhouse in the National
League.

1939 was another momentous year for the mercurial Larry McPhail as he ran
the Dodgers. He took over right at the beginning of the 1938
season. McPhail was an aggressive promoter of the Dodgers. He hired
Red Barber away from Cincinnati to become the team's radio announcer
and also arranged for a game on August 26 to be televised from Ebbets
Field.

McPhail and Durocher would have a tempestuous relationship in which McPhail would "fire" Durocher many times (usually while drunk) only to rehire him in the morning. Durocher's tenure with the Dodgers would outlast McPhail's.

Thanks to the NY Times, BaseballReference.com and Retrosheet

I'm not sure how to respond to the description of Oahu as San Diego on an island. Guys, you're talkin' about my HOME here!

Kauai is spectacular. The Big Island is really two climates separated by volcanoes. Kona on the west is damn near desert, while Hilo is rainy/foggy. If you want to see the lava, go to the Hilo side.

i would give up guzman for dunn. dunn is a player who is only 25 or so and is the type of player we hope guzman could become.

Who else is going to JACKSONVILLE--Edwin Jackson-- but we need him in LA--he has better first inning than most of our starters.

right now the prospects at jax:

C russ martin
1b James Loney
2b Delwyn Young
SS joel guzman
3b andy laroche

SP
chad billingsley
jonathan broxton
edwin jackson
joel hanrahan

possibly ending up at jax by the end of the summer
justin orenduff
chuck tiffany
greg miller