Welcome back, Jon. You were missed!

Thanks, Al. It's good to have the time to write again.

Yes, you were missed. Although guys like bob, john, and xei were here to take away some of the sting and keep conversation going, it's great to be able to come and find a fresh article waiting to be read.

Welcome back, Welcome back, Welcome baaack...

Welcome back.
To that some old place that you laughed about
Welcome back
Your dreams were your ticket out

Good morning Jon! Nice to have you back and in excellent form as usual! Not only did you survive the in-laws you come back stronger than ever. Wonderful thread this morning. I was having the same thoughts last night as I watched what I would describe as one of the most hopeful games of the season (I'll conveniently forget Repko's transgression in RF).

I agree completely: the Dodgers should not mortgage the future on 2005. If DePo can make a sensible deal (or steal a great one) then I'm all for it as long as it goes beyond this season. I have reservations about buying a hired gun just for 2005 a-la Steve Finley circa 2004. I think the Finley move made sense for last year, but definitely not now! Even if we remain in contention for the NL West I just don't see us being solid enough to go all the way on the addition of one short-term hired gun.

Baseball prospectus published the top five NL offenses by EqAve, the Dodgers are fifth with a .261 EqAve. I was surpised about the other teams though: 1. Reds .272, 2. Marlins .272, 3. Padres .268, and 4. Cubs .266.

if we don't have to give up a whole lot(meaning, one of our premiere prospects) to contend for the division this year, we absolutely need to do it. we're only 4 games out, san diego is playing like they hate being in first place, and what does it MATTER if we finish over .500 or not? half our roster was on the DL this year, and if we get a couple of guys back, that sub-.500 record would be pretty unrepresentative of the team on the field anyway. that sub-.500 team had, among other things grabowski as a starter, edwards and robles as the left side of its starting infield, and notables such as houlton, erickson, thompson and dessens making starts. if we win the division, a couple of good starts by our [real] rotation in a playoff series and we could win something, at least within the NL. if it's possible to cheaply buy a ticket for the crapshoot, it must be done.

The Padrds are getting a lot of statistical mileage out of May. The month, not Darrel.

There is a report in a Dayton, Ohio newspaper this morning that says that the Dodgers' offer to the Reds for Dunn is Odalis Perez, and that the Reds are pretty much disgusted by that offer.

If that report is accurate, I think that is excellent news, as it suggests that like last year DePo is interested in using Dodger major leaguers he is not enamored with as trade chips, rather than the Dodger minor leaguers that so many other clubs lust after, but that DePodesta knows are the future of OUR franchise. If the Reds don't want what it is APPROPRIATE for us to be willing to give up for Dunn, then they can just keep him, and I think they will do exactly that.

Vishal -- show me a premiere prospect not in AA.

Meantime: welcome back, Jon. The Stooges await you in the sitting room.

well, just navarro i guess, if you want to call him "premiere". heck, i wouldn't mind giving up one of our highly ranked minor leaguers even, if we could get someone who would help us in years to come, but it'd be a shame to part with a billingsley, guzman, or laroche, even though they're "just" in AA.

you know rob, i think since so many of our good prospects are down there, and haven't been in AA terribly long, don't you want to give them at least a little bit of time to develop at that level? or at LEAST wait and see if any of them make it up when rosters expand, and see how they do? who knows, some of those players might be making an impact next year.

7 - A lot "if"s there Vishal. I'm not convinced it is good to give up any premiere prospect for a rent-a-bat or rent-an-arm. Mostly because I'm not convinved we'll be that good even with a healthy lineup. Too much timeoff rust to work out. I'm not trying to be pessimistic, but I've decide to keep one foot in ACCEPTANCE.

The other foot keeps crossing back-and-forth to DENIAL.

However, I'll be the first to admit mis-guided adherence to ACCEPTANCE if we go far in the post-season (other foot currently in DENIAL).

Uh, that's "convinced". I have no idea what "convinved" means.

>>I have reservations about buying a hired gun just for 2005 a-la Steve Finley circa 2004. I think the Finley move made sense for last year, but definitely not now! Even if we remain in contention for the NL West I just don't see us being solid enough to go all the way on the addition of one short-term hired gun.<<

Actually, I think the Finley deal would be a good model for us this season, because we gave up very little for Finley. Hill and Abercrombie were both pretty marginal prospects, while Murphy was acquired from Florida in "The Trade," and DePo may not have valued him very much in the first place.

WWSH

I'll show you two. Willy Aybar was listed as the 34th best prospect by Baseball Prospectus in their top 50 list last year, in no small part because of his defensive abilities. Dioner Navarro was one of 15 honorable mentions. The 21-year old catcher was named to the AAA allstar team, and leads all catchers in that league in OBP. By the way, for everyone who cant stand Phillips "abilities" to throw out baserunners, Navarro has thrown out 33% of basestealers in las vegas.

I have reservations about buying a hired gun just for 2005 a-la Steve Finley circa 2004.

Hi, Jon. I might be in the minority here. The Dodgers are going to have to trade away some prospects anyway since they can't protect all of them. So I think you put the pedal to the metal and deal away a couple of guys to win right now. Get a one-year guy ..... the division is there for the taking this year.

DePo can always retool in the off season, as the division looks up for grabs next year as well, even it's by (hopefully) bringing up some of the AA kids in April.

#16,
As I understand it, we should have enough room to protect all of our guys as long as we get rid of the major league scrubs and AAAA players we don't really want.

I'm not convinced it is good to give up any premiere prospect for a rent-a-bat or rent-an-arm.

I'd rather see these premiere prospects up here helping right now. The Braves bring up guys from AA and they seem to step right in. (OK, I'm generalizing!) Our AA guys have got to be better than, say, Repko. Or Rose. Or Erickson.

i'll agree, it's no lock that we would do anything in the playoffs. but really the only team that would be head and shoulders better than us in the playoffs is st. louis.

and i wouldn't give up a top-notch minor leaguer unless we got someone we could keep for several years (like a dunn for example, if we trade and signed an extension). but finishing the season 4 games better than san diego isn't a monumental feat.

and speaking of rust, i'm going to go back to jon's original post and say that even if barry bonds comes back by september, he will certainly help the giants by his presence alone, but i don't think he will catch ruth this year, let alone win them the division. barry will need to get his groove back, too.

16 - We can't protect all of them, but we CAN protect the good ones. So what, we lose a couple B prospects, perhaps, if they remain on some team's 25-man roster all year, which is doubtful. That's the price you pay for having a great system.

I'd be a shame to trade an A prospect so we can protect a B prospect form the Rule 5 draft.

Also, since they're not particularly good prospects, it's doubtful we'd get good value in return. How many more Antonio Perezes and Oscar Robleses and Omledo Saenzes do we need? We can't find places to play them as it is.

#19,
And in theory bonds won't have any outside help...

Bonds will also make the Giants' team ERA go up.

But what about TV Guide changing formats and dropping most of its listings?

TV Guide! The great magazine of my youth! It was the only magazine that my father sold at his convenience store in the Valley. On boring nights, I would read the whole thing. I became familiar with the changes in early 1980s network schedules.

The LA Times insert was always the TV guide of choice for my family. I loved their movie rating system:
4 checks: classic
3 checks: first rate
2 checks: flawed, has its moments
1 check: desperation time

9 - Again I have to ask why no one wants Odalis Perez?

Considering he would easily be the number one starter on that team, he would have massive value to the Reds.

I fully believe that outside of a few untouchables (Billingsly, Broxton, Guzman, and a couple others) we should absolutely deal a couple prospects to get Dunn.

How many years have we had "an incredibly rich farm system now"? Three? Four? What has come of it? We turned Jason Frasor into Jayson Werth.

I'm perfectly willing to give up a "can't miss" prospect if it means having Adam Dunn for the next year and a half.

The LA Times rating for 1 check originally said - "Gin Rummy, anyone?"

I agree with Jon that we don't have to choose between 2005 and the future.

We have room to take on salary, meaning we can trade for overpaid players that still can help the team, and we don't have to give up top prospects.

This includes players like Griffey, Lowell, and Adrian Beltre (I wish).

I'm with Jeff, though I haven't actually used the insert in years (due mostly to DirecTV, I guess). But TV Guide did have a plus in Tom Shales, IIRC.

I thought I read something today involving Drew, but now I can't find it. Something about the possibility of the wrist not healing correctly or something. Does anybody know what I'm talking about? This could be a dream of some sort.

26. I wonder why they dropped the Gin Rummy line. That is even better.

Overall winning percentage of the NL West today: .446

Overall winning percentage of the 1994 AL West on this day (after games were played): .439

Overall winning percentage of the 1973 NL East on this day (after games were played): .490

I used to read TV Guide cover to cover. In hindsight, I think my mom kept subscribing because she liked that I was reading.

In the Times, Drew says he's shooting for the end of August, early September to get back to "baseball activity." That doesn't sound like someone who is going to be playing right field on Sept. 1.

dodgers.com had something on drew, it said that if the bones in his wrist dont heal right he could miss the rest of the season. It didnt say whether that was still a concern or not, since the cast was taken off.

23/24

jeers!
to tv guide for dropping most of its listings

cheers!
to the la times method for rating movies

when i was a lad, i would simply look for the "n" in the cable movie listings...

Three years ago, the Hanshin Tigers here in Japan had a LOOGY who used to be an outfielder/1st baseman. On several occasions in late innings, he would face a lefty, and then when the next batter, a righty came up, he would move to first base. The ROOGY would come in, take care of the righty (or not), and then the LOOGY would return to the mound. A couple of times, the ROOGY would move to first, but usually they would bring in backup first baseman.

This was done out of desperation, as the Tigers only had one effective lefty in the pen.

I was thinking that this might be something the Dodgers should consider. After all, it's not like we have a gold glover at 1B. Wilson Alvarez is not someone I'd like to see at first base, but someone like Kelly Wunch looks nimble enough to do the job. And Yhency is a former infielder, so he could do it as well.

Crazy idea?

I think that the Dodgers can win the NL West without making any deals. Penny, Lowe, Weaver and Perez definitely have the potential to carry the team to a division title the rest of the way. Especially since no team in the division can match up with the Dodgers in that category. I wouldn't be this confident if that wasn't the case. Once the postseason starts, anything can happen, especially when pitching always wins out.

and, yes I know Kelly is out to Wunch for the year.

#25

I agree. Cincy isn't going to receive any pitcher better than Odalis in the short run. possibly even the long run. They should be disgusted with themselves.

Commence Slapping!!!

36

Yhency maybe, Alvarez No Way, not one second

11: I should have said, "above AA". No matter, sure, whatever. I'll give them ONE more year. The 2002 draft class drifts into the category of "suspect". We can talk about the others. But my point is an impact rookie is unlikely to be a dealmaker/breaker at this point because they're all still in AA or below.

Fernando could probably get a lefty or two out and play some 1B. He could announce the first 5 innings, then head down to the clubhouse to get in uniform, and make it to the pen by the 7th.

42

Now that is an idea. who doesn't think Fernando couldn't get out one left hander batter still?

Embarrassingly, last night I dreamt that the Dodgers had acquired Dunn. I woke up this morning to get online and read the details, and only then realized it was just a dream.

34: I got the impression that wasn't an issue anymore.

9: Because OP is inconsistent and has a rep as a clubhouse bad guy. He's also expensive now.

45 - He's also the best available pitcher. Burnett has never had a year close to what Odalis has done.

#45,
So I guess if we make the playoffs, Drew will give us a nice boost. If we can make the playoffs with the team we had on opening day, I don't see any NL team except for the Cards out of our league. But I guess we can cross that bridge if/when we get there.

Prospect question?

Anyone know anything about Julio Cesar Pimentel currently playing with Vero. I never hear his name on prospect lists, but you always hear about his teamate Chuck Tiffany. Here are Tiffany's to date stats (IP/ERA/K/BB/Hr) 86.1/3.23/103/29/11

Now here are Pimentel's 99/3.82/91/34/4

The power of Tiffany is obviously impressive, but Pimentel is not shabby either (almost 1k/IP). Here's the kicker though... Tiffany is 20, Pimentel is only 19, and won't be 20 until Decenmber.
If anyone knows anymore about JCP let please fill us in.

JeffinTokyo,
But Japanese managers love to gain the platoon advantage. They live for that. Every Japanese game I've been to has fallen into two categories: 1) good starter throws complete game regardless of how many pitches it takes or 2) bad goes 4-5 innings and then every manager turns into the 2005 version of Felipe Alou.

Remember that two days ago, Alou used FIVE pitchers in one inning against the Cubs. And the Giants almost got out of the inning without a run scoring. Neifi Perez got a 2-out single. The major league record for pitchers in an inning is six, but that happened in a September game (Oakland under Steve Boros did it) and the A's gave up TEN runs that inning.

I don't know if Tracy has ever used more than three pitchers in an inning. He's probably used four once or twice in an inning that got out of hand.

I remember Davey Johnson going through in the ninth a few times.
I found one example:
http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B06120LAN1998.htm

Did anyone read the excellent NY Times article last week about Costco? The CEO pays his staff 44% higher than top rival Sams's Club and pays all but 8% of the insurance costs. In the article, analysts complained that Costco was being too generous to his employees. In response, the CEO said that taking care of his employees was good business. Retraining costs and pilferry are low, while morale and performance are high.

One comment was that since Walmart treated its employees like dirt, many employees react in kind.

Could this approach apply to baseball? For decades, the Dodgers had the reputation for being the best organization in baseball, and it wasn't based on salary. They had the best spring training facilities, they treated families well, looked after their minor leaguers, etc.

So, what I would like to see the Dodgers do is to once again make our organization the place to play. This will help us to reel in desirable FAs and keep potentials FAs, like Adrian Beltre, from jumping ship.

45 - Odalis for Urbina/Padilla?

Odalis (+$10M), APerez, Navarro for Dunn?

14 - There's too many other teams looking for help this year I think (translation: hired-gun to cost mucho $$$ this year).

I wonder who becomes our #5 starter if we trade OP.

18 - Yes, the Braves are very good at bringing up the right talent at the right time. I get the impression DePo is more concerned about when to start the MLB clock and is more hesitant to bring up AA guys. If true, I do not agree with the premise.

Bob, you are so right about Japanese managers. Starters either throw 140+ pitches or get pinch hit for in the 5th.

So, it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that Nomo is toast at 36.

19 - and speaking of rust, i'm going to go back to jon's original post and say that even if barry bonds comes back by september, he will certainly help the giants by his presence alone, but i don't think he will catch ruth this year, let alone win them the division. barry will need to get his groove back, too.

I agree. While Bonds will probably struggle less than your average bear, I don't think activation at the beginning of Sep. will be enough.

Supposedly the Yankees are thinking of giving Nomo a try out in their rotation. Brown looks to be out "indefinitely".

The Yankees are also shopping Pavano around.

25 - fully believe that outside of a few untouchables (Billingsly, Broxton, Guzman, and a couple others) we should absolutely deal a couple prospects to get Dunn.

This assumes that the Reds would take anything less than at least one A prospect for Dunn. My guess is that they are asking for alot.

50- As a 49er fan, this also reminds me of the glory days of Niner football. When Eddie D owned the team (pre-salary cap days), he spared no expense not only paying players excellently, but also giving them (and their families) first class treatment wherever they went -- charter flights (before this became common), flowers and gift baskets to their wives when they signed, etc. And, of course, the Niners won 5 Super Bowls in a 15-year span.

I think a trade to Philly involving Urbina and Padilla could make sense. Urbina gives us another power arm in the pen (and is a FA this year) and Padilla could be a 5th starter (also a FA this year).

OP is now a 2yr/$20M pitcher, now that the "cheap year" is done with in his back loaded contract.

We'd then offer Weaver arby, and hope he takes a 1 yr deal.

Jax is about to get going. Edwin Jackson is pitching today.

http://www.southernguide.tv/

::sigh:: Jackson gave up a homerun...

Bob, Nomo together with Matsui would be a dream come true here.

I wouldn't mind if he had one last "For the Love of the Game" moment.

Even before Plaschke ripped into him, Nomo has been a favorite of mine. He may not know when to fold him, but I hope he has one more ace up his sleeve.

AnOTHER HOME RUN! Jackson has given up 2 homers in the first inning

Well that's not helping his stock rise...

63 - Plaschke ripped Nomo? For what? Playing hurt when he should have spoke up? Bet he says the opposite about Drew.

Nomo is the consummate professional in any category. I miss him and only wish him the best of luck wherever he goes.

64- Sounds like Jackson is emulating his big-league teammates. :)

59. Telemachos, Your post adds credence to the old saw that a little goes a long way.

That is why I am encouraged that the Dodger Stadium plans include a clubhouse upgrade.

Quick, DePo! Call the Reds GM before he finds out about Jackson's start!

Inning over. Jackson gave up 2 homers and struck out 2 people.

60 - The structure of that deal makes me wonder if DePodesta hadn't planned all along on trading Odalis this season, betting that a dearth of avaiable SPs at the deadline and during the offseason made him a "buy high, sell higher" candidate.

70 - Your screen name describes Jackson's inning perfectly.

jackson gave up 2 solo homeruns in the first, but has strike outs for 2 out of the 3 outs.

morning music tunes for today: dieradiodie

66. Colorado, Plaschke ripped Nomo for using an intepreter and not showing emotion.

He was praising Choi for not using one, which was nice, but he couldn't praise one without knocking another.

Typical Plaschkers cheap shot.

#71,
That would sound pretty brilliant on DePo's part.

Identy Crisis, thanks for letting us know that Jackson struck out two people, as opposed to two mascots or Martians (which would have been more likely if he was still with the 51's)

Lineup.
1 Donovan
2 Weber
3 LaRoche
4 Loney
5 Guzman
6 Ruggiano
7 Garcia
8 (Nate who is at Catcher?)
9 Jackson

No Young and no Russell Martin?

if its not martin, its langil

Martin gets the day off. Night game followed by day game.

MiLB has the lineups:

http://tinyurl.com/bu2vo

Eric Langill is starting at catcher and batting 8th.

Lowe, Penny, and Perez were all signed to back-loaded contracts by Depodesta. That can't be a coincidence.

Did anyone homer for the Suns?

50 - I doubt Costco employees are represented by Boras.

76. ;)

75- Agreed. If he can unload Odalis right now without paying salary it would be a great move. Id much rather have Weaver at those dollars.

Observations from being at the game last night: AP looked pretty good at 2B. Repko and AP are were flying around the bases and I was impressed with Repko's performance after the fielding gaffe.

Didnt check the thread last night, but how was the Tracy mastermind performance in the 8th received? All the manuevering to have Adam Dunn up as the winning run against Sanchez....im a tracy supporter but that was horrible.

82. With the big backended $, the chance that they would opt out of their contracts, which they could if they were traded this year, is not likely. So, for better or worse, which ever team decided to trade for them would know that they were theirs to keep.

Sorry...Weber hit a homer

That is two homers in two games for him.

Plaschke bashed Nomo for using an interpreter?

Say, I wonder how many languages Plaschke knows?

86 - If what an anonyomous G.M. said is true, then we would not be able to get equal value for Odalis.

AGM claimed that Odalis Perez is a fifth starter, which is entirely untrue, but, if that is the sentiment throughout the league, then there is no way we should trade him.

Random question: Are The 51's games also broadcast online? I doubt we're as interested in those as we are in the Suns, but I'd think the AAA team is more likely to have webcasts than the AA team.

if weber was 5inches taller and 6 years younger, he would be a trendous prospect.

84. Little Joe, Actually, unlike Walmart, Costco is union friendly. In fact, one of the union leaders quoted in the article said that Costco was one of the best retailers he had worked with.

Still, you are probably right about Boras. He would still find some way to demand even more. "My client is the premiere shelf stocker in the country. And he will not be offering a hometown discount."

Essentially Plaschke was ripping Nomo for being like just about every other Japanese person in the world. Few Japanese are comfortable speaking English in public. When I've been there, I've spoken to many Japanese who speak pretty good English, but they are constantly apologizing. And I barely can say anything in Japanese. It's just a cultural thing.

Koreans are just different with their approach to learning a new language. Chan Ho Park just jumped into speaking language by just trying it out on his own. Supposedly, he was able to buy a car and rent an apartment in Albuquerque without an interpreter.

Neither Matsui speaks to the press without an interpreter. I don't think Ichiro does either and he supposedly speaks pretty good English. Shigetoshi Hasegawa is supposed to speak excellent English, yet I never once heard him interviewed by the Angels on the air. Hasegawa even has his own line of English intsructional tapes.

I'm certain that Nomo can read and write English pretty well because that's the way the language instruction is emphasized in Japan.

Nearly every time I would leave a store (there are lots and lots and lots of 7-11 type stores in Japan), the clerks would always say to me, "Have a nice day!" when I left. I think it must be the "typical American phrase" that the Japanese are taught.

Was that a Steve-like rant?

Hasegawa even has his own line of English intsructional tapes.

Cool.

82

I had assumed they backloaded those contracts because the Green & Driefort contracts would be off the books.

warning - hockey related post

iirc, luc robitaille learned english by watching the flintstones

95: Pretty good. Somebody has to carry the "FJT-style ranting" torch while Steve's busy.

So, with all the talk about Dunn striking out a ton yet maintaining a high OBP I decide to look at his situationals for 2004:
-----------------AVG OBP SLG OPS ABs SO %
Bases Empty---.266 .354 .605 .959 304 107 35
Runners On----.265 .423 .527 .949 264 88 33
RISP-----------.239 .438 .514 .952 142 46 32
RISP w/2 Outs-.264 .459 .556 1.015 89 22 25

So, Dunn's strikeout % is consistent or lower as the scoring situation increases. His OBP increases (for obvious reasons). His AVG is fairly consistent as well with a bit of a dip when RISP < 2 outs (yet is OBP is .438!)

I wanted to know if Dunn struck out more in critical situations or not. He's pretty sweet.

In summary, his strikeouts in-and-of themselves mean nothing, they are simply an out. His AVG isn't great, but opposing pitchers seem to fear him appropriately.

On another website I was looking at earlier, (sorry I forgot which one) it showed Dodger averages with RISP. Kent, Old Maid, Antonio and Phillips were all tearing up. Phillips was the most shocking, 300+, 4 hrs and 41 rbi. Explains why he moved up in the lineup. Too bad he seems to have a mild strain of Mackey Sasser Syndrome.

what the hell is wrong with edwin? he is so different this year, not getting the swings and misses like he use too.

100 - But they aren't productive outs.

98. I'm sooo happy hockey is back. I'm just glad the Ducks didn't get the first pick =)

92. I used to have a link for radio broadcasts...but I can't find it now. I do not believe they have video. If I'm wrong...nate or fearing can correct me.

103 - Darn it! :)

Since he doesn't GIDP a lot he just can't move a runner to 3rd with no outs... what a glaring flaw!

#100: Strikeouts are a little less valuable than other outs because they have no potential to move up a runner, which is somewhat cancelled out by avoiding the double-play potential. But the real problem with strikeouts is that they are an automatic out. If you put the ball in play, chances are that you're going to get a hit out of it around 30% of the time. Dunn's batting average, which will likely go down in Dodger Stadium, is low because even when he doesn't strike out he hits a lot of flyballs. His flyballs either leave the park of end up in someone's glove, thus his .272 BABIP.

Luc is one of my favorite athletes. In addition to being a great player, he respects his game, his teammates, the press, and the fans.

Call me crazy, but I think that in time Milton Bradley will be looked at in the same light.

#101: It explains why in Tracy's mind Phillips should be batting 4th or 5th. But, RISP batting average hasn't been shown to be much of an ability, so it's a lousy reason. That is, for someone like Phillips it's much more likely that the difference in averages is just normal variance.

According to Will Carroll at BP, Ramon Hernandez is basing his decision whether to have wrist surgery on whether the Padres extend his contract or not. I had seen in the past that he was asking for Varitek money ($40M over 4 years). If they extend him, he'll play through it. If not, he'll have surgery and be a FA, hopefully healed and ready to play in Spring Training.

107. Bradley will become the most beloved Dodger since Gagne. Even the way the announcer says his name gets you fired up.

50. I'm kinda glad that Beltre jumped ship, given the price tag

53. Who would the 5th starter be if Odalis was traded? My vote would be for Billingsley, but more likely Thompson or another trade.

vr, Xei

when milton broke his bat over his knee, that got my fired up.

#105: From Baseball Prospectus' Double Play report, here are the top 3 batters in avoiding the double play. The format is DP Opportunities, # of DPs, DP %, DPs Above Average:

1. Bobby Abreu PHI NL 2005 97 3 3.1% -9.70
2. Jim Edmonds SLN NL 2005 59 0 0.0% -7.73
3. Adam Dunn CIN NL 2005 78 3 3.8% -7.21

Thompson is done. Elbow = defective.

#111: Billingsley is not ready. Thompson was just lost for this season and likely most of next to Tommy John surgery. If we traded one of our starters, we'd likely have to pick up another one through trade.

If Jackson continues on like this for the rest of the season...does he begin next year at Double A again?

What happened to Thompson? This is the first I'm hearing about him.

#116: If he continues like this, my guess is that he begins next year with another team.

Jackson doesn't want to be traded, that's all.

I am going on record as saying I do not want Adam Dunn. At least not this year. I fear the price will be too steep.

Also, to be honest from an aesthetic standpoint, I don't like his game.

I know many of us are swayed by the Rob Neyer-Money Ball approach to baseball, and I agree with many of the merits. At the same time, as a fan, there is a certain style of play I like to watch. Griffey, old or young, he is fun to watch. On the other extreme, Repko is fun to watch (for the record, if the Reds offered Dunn for Repko, I would take it in a second).

Dunn, sure he smacks the heck out of the ball, when he makes contact. But, that's the key phrase, "when he makes contact." I just don't enjoy watching players who strike out once a game or more.

The fact that he is also a liability on defense also works against him.

So, what I am saying is that the stock market tracking side of me would not mind having Dunn for the right price, but the ballet watching side of me is not interested.

Call me conflicted.

115. Forgot about the Thompson injury. Why isn't Billingsley ready? How long can you dominate at the AA level? I'm sure we'd have to limit his pitch count. Anybody at AAA that could fill in? If you think Billingsley is too young, I will tend not to agree with this line of thinking. vr, Xei

120. Dunn OR Bust!!!
vr, Xei

I think watching winning is fun. Other things are fun, too, like suicide squeezes and double plays, but not as much fun as winning.

#121: For as good as Billingsley is, he does have a 4.05 ERA in AA, and there's still AAA between him and the majors. Second, he hasn't even turned 21 yet, so he hasn't passed the injury nexus. Third, he's not required to be added to the 40-man roster until after next season, so I don't think the Dodgers will rush him.

nice smack loney!

121 - Except Billingsley hasn't flat-out dominated. He's been good, the peripherals are great, and has looked awesome a a few outings. He'll be good for sure, but let's not rush him.

If you want to talk about domnating AA, look no further than Kuo and Broxton. My guess is that Kuo is called up immediately after the non-waiver deadline if DePodesta doesn't add a reliever. Even if he does, I could see Kuo being called up. Broxton, maybe, but his starter potential makes his service time more of an issue than with Kuo.

#122: Due to Tracy's reliance on defense in evaluating players and Tracy's dislike of Choi, it seems inevitable that Dunn would become our 1B rather quickly. After adjusting for park factors and arbitration, we'd be paying $8 - $10 million plus three top prospects for a .925 OPS at 1B. Currently we're paying about $1 million (and no additional prospects) for an .895 OPS at 1B. I guess I just don't understand all the fuss.

It is past 3am in Japan, and I just realized that the day game is tomorrow, not today, so I will be going to bed for the next few hours. I will be back in time to listen to the Dodgers try to close to 3 games back.

Sayonara.

120. Dunn - but I enjoy watching walks, which I suppose the average fan does not enjoy watching. In my mind, when I'm watching a 6 pitch walk, I'm thinking I've got a guy on base, I've added 6 pitches to the starters pitch count which puts me a step closer to the weakest pitchers on their team - middle relief.

remember in the old days when we used to win by wearing out the starters and then pounding the middle of relief... oh wait, that was last night!

regarding repko - I tired of watching him swing at two strike sliders down and away. It reminds me too much of beltre. He did hit a down and away slider that was up for a two run double a couple of days ago tho.

watching him play defense is amazing tho. The value of having good defensive outfielders is under-rated, IMO. Most of the balls the infielders don't get to or make errors on only adds a single base usually. Most outfield balls involve extra bases. This, I think, is why Depo seems to care about outfield D.

If we got Dunn, he would play a lot of first base.

Dunn isn't my ideal player mostly just because of his defense. I like guys like Bradley and Drew. But still, adding Dunn would probably help us immensely.

if we get dunn, the reign of choi will end i assume

124. I think many pitchers make the jump from AA to the majors without having pitched in AAA. Many clubs use their AA team as their top level for pitching prospects. Just because he hasn't pitched in AAA yet, is no reason not to bring him up. I wouldn't bring him up either unless for some reason we traded Odalis, then I think it should be considered. Yeah Kuo and maybe Broxton will get called up in September, but like you said they pitch out of the pen (Kuo more so than Broxton).
vr, Xei

#131,
The other reason I'm hesitant to add Dunn. I haven't given up on Choi yet.

#126: Kuo has definitely dominated, but we're still only talking about 12.1 innings in AA. And, even as a reliever, he's being used on a fairly strict schedule with multiple days of rest between each appearance. He might not have the stamina for a major league bullpen role, but it still wouldn't surprise me to see him brought up to the majors, especially when rosters expand. As a reliever for Jacksonville, Broxton has definitely looked good, but it's still only been 15 appearances and he hasn't been as dominating as Kuo, mixing in some struggles with his dominance. I would like to see both pitchers moved up to Las Vegas to see how they do.

langill is such a bad defensive catcher.

127. Good points. Tracy is a bit of a wild-card in a Dunn trade scenario. I'd like to see Dunn in left field this year, and maybe at 1B every once in a while. Then next year you could give Dunn more playing time at 1B. Dunn definitely has more value to the 2005 team as a LFer, no argument there. Thanks for the kind reply. vr, Xei

86 - I question any current GM's (anonymous or not) opinions on players who could be traded. You don't think he might have an alternate agenda or anything?

#133: I agree. I'd hate to give Tracy another reason not to play Choi.

After looking like he was starting to pull it together, Jackson just allowed a 2-run homerun, the third homerun of the night he's allowed.

wasnt a bad pitched, the batter pulled a vlad and golfed it from his shoe strings.

matt lawton had four hits last night. what are his season totals? stick him at leadoff and able to move robles down and Izzy to eight and maybe Tracy will play Perez more because he doesn't need robles to leadoff

Tracy is quoted in the Times as saying that "along as the outfielder can hit the cut off man and keep the double play in order I am fine with that. And I have been for five years". Now he was talking about Valentin in the outfield but that sounded like he could be talking about Dunn as well. I don't think he would go to first base according to Tracy's quote today.

121-"Anybody at AAA that could fill in?"

Not really, Vegas is nothing but AAAA pitchers and Osoria for the most part. Eric Stults is probably the best choice, he looked good in Jacksonville, and he hasn't been any worse than any other Vegas pitcher. Eric Hull would be the only other choice in my mind

134 - That's valid. However, the question to ask is, "What benefit can Kuo provide NOW?" If the answer is "more than Carrara," then call him up.

I'm still not sure why:

(1) Dessens never pitches, but Carrara does
(2) Alvarez is used against LHB only. I discussed this earlier in the week - there'e no advantage, zero, zilch to using Alvarez against a LHB, especially when you have to remove a good pitcher from the game to bring him in

Is Jackson working on new pitches? It could be the low quality of video, but I swear he was trying to throw a sinker today.

129 - Most outfield balls involve extra bases. This, I think, is why Depo seems to care about outfield D.

Werth saved us at least one run last night. He looked good out there. Not so much with a bat in his hands though...

I tink adding Dunn might help Choi get more playing time. Tracy would be willing to stick with him longer knowing he has 35-40 hr from Dunn a year.

Remember this is a guy who is ok with Grabs playing in the outfield over others. it seemd like he is only concerned with infield defense.

141 - I'm pretty sure Tracy was talking about Valentin.

Are there any other players besides Dunn that can have significant impact for us?

How about Alfonso Soriano or Kevin Mench since Texas is falling out of the race?

146. Do not try to use logic when trying to predict Tracy's moves in regards to Choi.

145

No offense to werth but Cincy runners were awful on both of those plays. Both were out by mile. Werth even paused on the Casey throw and took a few steps because he didn't think Casey was going. The play at the plate was cincy being agressive because of Milton coming up to bat with two outs. I can't really credit werth too much on those plays.Credit to him that he didn't screw up the throw but

Is Jackson working on new pitches? It could be the low quality of video, but I swear he was trying to throw a sinker today.

well, hes working on keeping the balld down, not necessarily a sinker.

the funny thing, all 3 homeruns were on pitches that were down in the strike zone. poor jackson, seems like everything he throws up there gets pounded.

149

Yeah, what was I thinking. thanks Joe!!!

134 - I would like to see both pitchers moved up to Las Vegas to see how they do.

Nothing like a little soul-crushing blow to the self-esteem, eh? Has anyone of our pitchers done well in Vegas this year?

147

I said he was talking about Valentin but he said that is what he expects from his outfielders. not such a high bar that he would look to move a guy like Dunn.

142. So, there's really nobody at AAA, which is why I mentioned Billingsley as a callup.

* "He's just a kid with an overpowering fastball and overpowering slider. He's mature beyond his years."
--Dodgers scouting director Logan White*

153. Yeah, I wouldn't leave any sleep over our best pitchers skipping AAA. Pitch another year at AA if they need to work in stamina or grow a beard. vr, Xei

I confess I'm a closet fan of Repko... on a full-strength team, he'd be an excellent reserve outfielder, or occasional starter (batting eigth, natch). His weaknesses at the plate have been glaring because of Tracy's insistence at batting him in the two-hole (of course, injuries forced JT's hand to some degree).

That being said, Repko really needs to learn not to try and pull those outside pitches -- lay off them or take them to the opposite field. If his batting average was consistently even in the .240s, his value would rise immensely.

148 - Lawton? Winn? It'll most likely be an OF.

I'll take a veteran arm in the bullpen too (Guardado?).

laroche needs to start hitting, hes 4 for his last 39 or something.

143 - As I recall, the Jim Tracy Brilliant Move of the Night was bringing Duaner in after Alvarez to face a righty knowing full well Dunn was going to come up once the move was made. I can't remember who was going to bat, but what a no-brainer for the Reds manager!

Lawton might be the safe but productive move for this year
278/383/447 Season
270/371/447 Career

Top 20 Hottest Prospects list. Angel prospects occupy the top three spots on the list. No Dodgers. Makes the Angel signing of Cabrera look even dumber than it looks on the surface.

http://tinyurl.com/77wwq

I'm trying to figure out how you put Robles, Izturis, APerez, Kent, Choi, Valentin, and Saenz in the same infield together.

Any ideas on who would be the preferred 4 on a regular basis? That's 7 infielders that have justified regular playing time.

wait, why is there a delay on the jax game?

Alfonso Soriano?
Ooh, that would be scary.

The Rangers would want a lot for him. His stock has dropped a lot. He doesn't hit well outside of Texas.

161. Lawton is 33 years old. What's his contract status? and would he be a one year filler? Dunn is only 25.
vr, Xei

Lawton would be a pure (and expensive) rental, as I think he's a free agent after this year.

Thos are some solid numbers though. 54 walks to 57 Ks is very respectable as well.

163

let them decide it for themselves. they can play themselves out of or into a position, except for Kent and I guess Izzy although I wouldn't hand him the job and let him 0 for half season again.

Tracy had the choice of Alvarez vs Pena or Sanchez vs Dunn.

I actually felt better with the latter. I have very little confidence in Alvarez now.

163, saenz is too old to play regularly. he should not platoon and should only spot start.

167

More expensive than Dunn? I think he is our Finely from last year. LA needs to get to 2006 and 2007-2008 but want to win in 2005 now that the padres have given them the chance. Lawton allows them to do both. Dunn maybe not because of what you have to give up. What would you give up for Lawton?no blue chippers

167 - He makes just under $7M this year. His prorated salary would only be about $2.5M. He is a FA this year too.

I think he'd be a nice fit as a LF/leadoff hitter.

170 - It's easy for us to say that, but Tracy will still give him at least 40% of the starts.

Day baseball for the NL West today.

AZ leads Milwaukee 1-0 in the 3rd. Claudio Vargas is actually pitching pretty well for Arizona now and may be their ace.

The Giants and Cubs are tied 0-0 in the second. Zambrano and Tomko pitching.

I hate to put to much credit into it, but Repko has been pretty good in the 8 spot (.286/.348/.429 in 42 ABs). In any other spot he's .211/.268/.359 in 142 ABs. As long as Tracy leaves him out of the 2 spot, I don't mind him playing

174 - Javy Vasquez would like to dispute your 3rd sentence.

In his last three games, Vargas has pitched well. But he suffers from Odalis Perez Lack of Run Support Syndrome. Also Really Bad Arizona Bullpen Syndrome.

do we have a shot at lyle overbay?

a team with Repko, edwards, perez on the bench and able to rotate into start a couple times a week might be a good team.

A team that has all three in playing every day maybe not so much.

come late september we might have a silver lining from all these injuries.

ESPN's "Rumor Central" is reporting that Arizona may now be interested in acquiring Phil Nevin if they can figure out something about his salary.

Why the Padres would want to make a deal with their closest rival to get a guy who plays a position where they already have two guys who aren't all that bad (Tracy and Clark) compared to Nevin is one of life's mysteries.

Bullpen help is available! The Brewers DFA'd Ricky Bottalico!

They brought up Rick Helling. That can't be a good sign for Bottalico.

180 - Sounds like its his preference, not the team's. Plus, apparently he's their #1 catcher now. What an odd turn of events.

180

why did they want Ponson for him? knowing he wouldn't go and causing this mess plus that Ponson stinks. Towers and Bochy are both overrated and I think the ownership has no plans on adding salary this season even though they said they would recently.

169 - That explains it... I'm just the opposite. I trust Alvarez way more than Sanchez.

183 - I said it before - I had no idea what this trade was hoping to accomplish. It's not a salary dump. Their trading one of their big hitters for one of the worst starting pitchers in the league (anyone have his VORP handy?).

I understand it would've cleared a path for Nady, and that Eaton is relegated to the pen now. But it really made no sense agreeing to a trade, knowing that Nevin has the power (and has invoked it twice previously!) to nix it.

I'm disappointed that the trade didn't go through (we would've seen Ponson twice possibly), but I love how this makes the Pads look in retrospect.

185

I'm not calling it a salary dump but I think they have to shed salary in order to take on other contracts. they are not just going to add salary to what they currently have.

they migth make some big moves before the deadline but their salary(I think) will not increase greatly.

They would've saved a whopping $350K this year, and a million next year.

I'm curious to see if they intend to go with Nevin fulltime as a catcher the rest of the year.

What about trying to work a trade for that Baez guy in Tampa Bay. He could be the closer, allowing Yhency to go back to setup. Then promote Broxton and Kuo and DFA the unreliable geezers Erickson, Carrara and Alvarez (or two of the three). We keep Baez and name him closer next year...and convert Gagne back to a starter? That would allow us to trade Odalis Perez to the Reds during the offseason to get Dunn.

I know the DRays will want prospects for Baez, but they couldn't seriously expect the best ones. Two second-level prospects for Baez should be enough.

A move for 2005 and beyond 2005.

178 - Overbay is not available. I don't see why the Brewers would shop him for a couple years, yet.

Continuing Voyage of the USS Loneycomp:

LYLE OVERBAY
R Pio (22) .343 .422 .588
A MidW(23) .332 .398 .498
AA Tex (23) .352 .422 .533
AA Tex (24) .352 .427 .528
AAA PCL (25) .343 .396 .528

2B:HR = 160:62 (minor leagues)

It's worth noting that Overbay has always had a doubles-heavy SLG line - he hits a ton of them, not unlike Loney.

LONEY
R Pio (18) 371 .457 .624
A FSL (19) 276 .337 .400
AA FSL (20) .238 .314 .327

2B:HR = 78:16

So far, Overbay is the best Loney comp I've found.

188

creative

if you want a loney comp look at adrian gonzalez, the 1b prospect for the rangers.

kotchman is a good comp as well.

187 - Those figs might not be right. Hardball Dollars has Nevin earning $10M next year, with a $2M bonus to be paid in '07. So I guess they would be saving a bit more next year, and '07.

But still, you'd be obligated to give the ball to Ponson every 5th day this year and next. As a Dodger fan, that excites me.

ha, on an angels board, here is one poster justifying his stance on taking jared weaver over chad billingsley:

Billingsly is a great prospect with a power package and a very high upside. His control is better this year, but IMO he is still more thrower than pitcher. He is also very young (turns 21 next week). Weaver is more mature (turns 23 in October) and is less of an injury risk. Weaver has outstanding command of his pitches and is much more advanced as a pitcher than Chad. I anticipate Weaver will be a major leaguer before Billingsly and will be come a starting pitcher in the Dennis Eckersley mold. And I like that kind of pitcher. Personal preference.

189 - except for the fact that Lyle was a college player, much older than Loney.

My Loney pessimism is slowly dissipating.

188 - We aren't getting Baez. LaMar wanted Hanley Ramirez when the Red Sox inquired about him. I'm sure he'd ask for at least Billingsly to get him.

189 - What about Prince Fielder? From what I understand, both Overbay and Fielder are firstbasemen only.

191 - I looked at Adrian Gonzalez in last night's thread. He's the top comp according to BP.

What exactly is a "Dennis Eckersley mold"? Does he drink too much?

Listening to Mighty 1090, Chris Ello did an interview with Kurkjian of ESPN. He expects the Pads to win, even with Eaton out for the year (his words) and no catcher. He doesn't see any competition for them. The Dodgers have "all their problems" and can't win. D-backs can't win with their bullpen. Giant fans think they have a chance if Bonds comes back, but Kurkjian says no. (This guy thinks he's God! I haven't heard so many unsupported assertions since the last time I watched Chris Matthews of Hardball.)

The local guys, all Padre homers deluxe, were far more skeptical. They think Peavy is shooting his mouth off far too much for an alleged ace with an ERA above 6.00 since June 1. The Eaton loss is huge. They think the catching situation down there is desperate. They worry that Nevin will sulk. They're in shock that the Padres are back to .500, but they don't see a turnaround happening.

if jared weaver is eckersly. then billingsley is the next clemens. deal guyz?

199 - The way I see it, the Dodgers "problems" are isolated to the bullpen. If they can find a way to fix that, I smell a division title.

4 games with over 2 months to play is nothing.

199,
In sports radio, they just want opinions. Facts aren't all that important. They just want to keep you listening. Such are the things I learned from Steve Mason when he was on a panel with Our Jon at the LA Press Club.

195 -- I've heard all about the impossible Chucky LaMarr, but a) the Red Sox are in their division, and outlandish as it might seem, the D-Rays look at themselves as contending against the Sox one day; b) that was a few weeks ago. LaMarr doesn't want Sunday to come and go and Baez still be on the team because he held out for Billingsley when he could've gotten a decent alternative.

199 - I like Kurkjian very much, even though I don't think he's particularly talented.

When I was an undergraduate thinking about trying my hand at sportswriting as a profession, I asked Mr. Kurkjian about it via email. He very graciously invited me to call him at his office and we spoke at length about how he got started, how the business works; he was very encouraging.

I also like his tendency to write in the affirmative rather than the negative. He picks a story about how good or interesting somthing is, rather than a Skip Bayless-type piece about how something totally sucks and we should be outraged.

For those reasons, I like ol' Timmy. Still, his writing isn't particularly good nor are his skills of perception and analysis.

203 - If it was anyone but LaMar, that would be a perfectly logical line of thought.

201. 4 games with over 2 months to play is nothing.

I agree, that's why I am seeking treatment for my denial. :) vr, Xei

204 -- agree. Kurkjian is far from the worst, and I think he genuinely likes baseball, which counts for something. That's why I sat in my car to listen to it instead of going into the pharmacy. But basically, he didn't have any information to offer during this interview. A DT poster chosen at random would have more information than Kurkjian had.

202. Yeah, the local sports radio especially 710AM are all hacks in my opinion. They may be entertaining, but when it comes to backing up assertions with facts the bucket is empty.
vr, Xei

205 - I blame LaMar's stubborness on two things:

1. The Mets are dumber than the Rays, and gave up Kazmir for Zambrano. Now Lamar has a taste for idiot blood.

2. This piece from DFP:

http://depodestaforpresident.blogspot.com/2005/06/chuck-lamar-worst-gm-ever.html

I'm guessing Chuck read it, and is now pissed at the world. (j/k, btw, if the author is in here. I frequent your site quite a bit)

Russ Martin strike out looking as a PH to end the game in JAX. Suns lose.

I'm continually astonished at how poor the LA sports-talk scene is. Back in the Bay Area, you generally had solid hosts and valid discussions. The whole pro-Angels/anti-Dodgers slant that is so prevalent here is idiotic in the extreme.

208 - I find myself agreeing with...gasp...John Ireland quite a bit. He's a big Kobe supporter (as am I) and sticks up for Depodesta a lot.

He's a pompous little weinie though.

209 - Yeah, the author is me. :)

Now Lamar has a taste for idiot blood.

Hee hee. Idiot blood. That's funny.

Why am I reminded of the Halloween 'Simpsons' in which Homer is cooked in an oven and begins eating himself...

206 - You mean for your ACCEPTANCE, don't you?

213 - Thought so. Like the site.

russ martin and andy laroche have both been in major slumps and have had thier batting averages that were in the .320s drop significantly in the past 2 and half weeks.

216 - Thanks, it's nice to hear that.

Re 202
>> In sports radio, they just want opinions. Facts aren't all that important

Case in point Joe McDonnell Monday ranting about McCourt again. He cited the 2005 Dodger payroll as $79M- it's $93M per USA Today. He said McCourt has netted $13M on the seats and will pocket it. No mention that the Dodgers committed more money to FA's this season than 28 other teams. Infuriating!

209

Now Lamar has a taste for idiot blood

MMMMMM...... Idiot Blood

If one of the sports radio stations had the Dodgers contract, there would likely be a different tone.

Joe McDonnell thought Kevin Malone was great. So that should say enough.

I especially love the contradictory McCourt whining that works like this:

"McCourt is bad because he's cheap and won't spend money on the team."

and

"DePodesta is bad because he spent a bunch of money on free agents and bad contracts."

Which is it? Either DePodesta sucks for spending money and McCourt doesn't or vice versa, but not both.

Maybe it's just the different mindset... but again, KNBR (the Giants' flagship station) wouldn't go out of its way to bash the A's, and vice versa. In fact, usually the stations were fairly complimentary of the others' team, because they understood fans of either team would regularly listen to both stations.

I just don't get the incessant demand to scorn a team down here, though clearly it gets ratings. (What's even stupider is there are plenty of reasonable ways to criticize the Dodgers, none of which are ever used on air. It's much easier to scream anti-McCourt or anti-Depo sentiments instead.)

Are those last two posts just copy pasted, or am I going out of my mind?

Giants take the lead in the 8th against Zambrano. 3-2, Giants still threatening.

I imagine myself stuck in L.A. traffic screaming and ripping my hair out. Not at the other drivers, but at what is the poor excuse for sports analysis on the radio.

Is this how it is for you folks in So. Cal.? Not healthy unless used strictly as humor and/or fodder for bloggers.

Hmm, they appear to be manually typed to me.

I'm chatting with a friend who's a Giants fan... she's screaming bloody murder cuz Grissom screwed up a squeeze attempt by Vizquel and was out at home.

Gotta love those Giants. :)

226- yes, imagine mindnumbing blather continually yelled, with an emphasis on Scrappy^H^H^H^HSmartball, the brilliance of Sciocia and the Angels, and a continual worship of the Lakers (who even in the offseason get more discussion than the Dodgers).

There are occasional exceptions, of course.

212. John Ireland is one of the few that doesn't have crap flowing from his mouth. I have the following radio hosts in my doghouse: Joe McDonald, Collin Cowherd, Jim Gnome, and Steve Mason. Other radio hosts I can live with but are not enamored with are Hacksaw and Dan Patrick, Ireland I can actually put up with.
vr, Xei

226 I imagine myself stuck in L.A. traffic screaming and ripping my hair out. Not at the other drivers, but at what is the poor excuse for sports analysis on the radio.

I have a simple and flawless solution. I don't listen to sports talk radio. That's what all of you guys are for. If it ever gets any better, I imagine someone will let me know...

I actually don't mind Mason and Ireland. Not to sound like a homer, but at least they try to give the Dodgers (players and brass) a fair shake. It ain't saying much, but they seem to be better than the rest of the LA sports radio guys.

Somehow shows like the O'Reilly Factor get dismissed as biased extremism when he has a department of fact checkers working for him and has a zero tolerance policy for factual errors on his program. But jerks like McDonnell can make blatant factual errors with no accountability and just move on to the next segment. I called to complain on Monday and they had already moved on to interviewing some guy from Motley Crue. Argh.

I never listened to sports radio. Back then I didn't have rights to the radio. These days I only listen to music on the radio, since I have DT.

I sometimes watch the SCSR (Southern California Sports Report). They tend to not be too homeristic and don't scorn the team(s) either.

The last two times I flipped to Joe McDonald, he was interviewing a professional wrestler.

If that doesn't speak volumes about the quality of the show, I don't know what does.

I actually like Rome on occasion. He can make me laugh. McDonnel makes me want to jab knitting needles in my ears.

233. I'm not surprised that you couldn't get through. Shows like that don't let smart people on. Just tell the screener you hate either McCourt, DePodesta or Choi and they will let you on. Then rip em a new one when you get on the show. vr, Xei

#237,
Has anybody ever done that? If they do, a requirement will be that they need to somehow record it and get it on the internet so we can all applaud them.

Cubs just tied the game and are still threatening.

However the Diamondbacks just scored their 3rd run to lead 3-0 over Milwaukee. One run on a wild pitch and two on errors

236. Yeah "The Gnome" can make me laugh sometimes too. The only good quality of his show are his interviews. You either love him or hate him, I'm in the latter of the two. His show does well with the "smart-ass" demographic. How can you listen to a show where all the callers are reading from a script! vr, Xei

I can't listen to the callers on any of the shows. The only parts remotely listenable are the hosts just talking. I like Rome's first 15 minutes where he rags on whatever is going on. It can be funny. Plus, I'm an Iggy Pop fan, so his opening music is nice to listen to.

I often watch ESPNews while I'm in the kitchen. Yesterday, before the Dodger game, I flipped it on, and it was Rome's new show. I'd never watched it, and stopped paying any attention to him after the Jim Everett thing, but the ticker was running, so I kept it on. For about 2 minutes. He was talking about how Shawn Kemp is attempting a comeback in the NBA. Spent most of those 2 minutes trashing Kemp for getting fat, and for having so many illegitimate kids, and for being lazy. Just one broadside after another. Then he said, "but I'm rooting for the guy." What a BS-artist. I flipped it off and headed back to Dodgerthoughts.

He's attempting a comeback? Interesting...

See, I actually found the Jim Everett thing funny. I never liked Everett. Even the worst shows can have their moments if you catch them at the right time. I don't like Howard Stern, 95% of the show stinks. But a couple times I found my self listening and I almost drove off the freeway I was laughing so hard.

It's really hard to say which is more repulsive between Bill O'Reilly and Joe McDonald. Probably O'Reilly because he's trying to influence how we vote, while McDonald is only trying to influence where we buy a hot dog.

Sports talk has never been any good, but there is no quality control because people keep listening to it, and programmers think it's because they like what they hear. My guess is most people tune in for news, especially scores, but also trades, signings, injuries, etc. They tolerate guys like McDonald just long enough to find out what they wanted to find out, and then, to quote Jim Rome, "out." The only sports radio show worth setting your clock to was Jim Healy, or going back to my east coast days, Howard Cosell's "Speaking of Sports."

Diamondbacks win, Giants lose

244. Jim Rome is a smart-ass. I would think someone who seems to be a good father, would grow up a little bit. There is more to life than bashing others for the personal and professional mistakes they have made. I know, if he doesn't do it, then someone else will probably just fill the void. I just wouldn't want to leave a legacy similiar to the likes of Jerry Springer and Geraldo. vr, Xei

245- You're off on O'Reilly. His mission is a lot closer to Dodger Thoughts than Limbaugh. He puts facts on the table and lets people decide for themselves.

Come on 248, let's not turn this into a political debate. I happen to disagree with what you say about O' Reilly, but this is not the place for you to be trumpeting him as unbiased.

I enjoy Rome when I'm in the mood for a rant or two, and he's certainly equal opportunity when it comes to that.

And I can't believe that I'm actually thinking back with fond memories to KNBR's sports-talk lineup, but even the most devout Giants homer (the infamous(?) Ralph Barbieri) did it tongue-in-cheek. Poor Ralph -- I don't think he's ever recovered from the 2002 playoffs.

(It's best if I don't start ranting about O'Reilly.)

245. Healy was a hoot. Especially when someone went the Leonard Tose route...

Nice to see ex-Dodgers ranking 3rd, 4th and 5th as the most over-paid players in all of baseball. vr, Xei

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=list/050727

im bored, any new trade rumors out there?

252 - Last, #1 on the overpaid list was:

"4 Dodgers" [Green, Dreifort, Nomo, and I can't remember the fourth; maybe it was 2 years ago and included Kevin Brown]

That's right - the most overpayed player was a tie among 4 Dodgers.

The Futility Infielder is also reporting the Perez/Jackson for Dunn rumor. Though I don't know where they get their source from (ie, if it's the same source as yesterday).

254 - should start with "last year," although it may actually have been 2 years ago.

I read O'Reilly is looking to deal a few interns to CNN for cash consideration.

253: Sportsline says that the Angels are looking at Kip Wells and Kevin Millwood. How come the Dodgers aren't? Esp. Wells.

Also says, quoting the Dayton Daily News, that the Dodgers have shown lukewarm interest in Aurilia. Which I think means that Aurilia has shown the interest, and the Dodgers didn't go out of their way to reject the idea.

Rumors. I think most of these are just fig newtons of bloggers' imaginations.

#254, 256
Well, good thing before they were current Dodgers, and now they're ex-Dodgers.

Will Carroll writes today that Billingsley's name has "recently started grinding through the mill."

#260,
Where'd he write that?

The Angels are interested in Shea Hillenbrand.

I misread the Nevin rumor. He said he wants to go to a team on the West Coast OR a team that has spring training in Arizona.

So if you rule out the NL West, because the Padres won't trade him to a competitor, that leaves the four AL West teams and teams like the Cubs (who don't need a first baseman), the White Sox (who don't need a first baseman), the Brewers (nope, they've got themselves one of those too)or the Royals (um, not likely).

Enjoy playing catcher Phil.

248 -- I have no brief with Limbaugh, even though I disagree with him on most issues. I think he's relatively fair and decent. O'Reilly's not as far to the right as Limbaugh, but I object to him much more as a broadcaster. O'Reilly is incredibly one-sided--whatever his side happens to be. An interview on the O'Reilly program is basically just O'Reilly telling guests that disagree with him that they're wrong. That's the comparison with Joe McDonald. Neither one of them can tolerate a guest or caller who doesn't completely comform to their respective opinions. I could have just as easily made the same crack about Chris Matthews, who comes from the left.

Will Carroll writes today that Billingsley's name has "recently started grinding through the mill."

i dont like that rumor :(

261. Written at...
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=4258

Sorry to be a pedant, but it's Joe McDonnell, not McDonald.

When he worked with Krikorian, it was the McDonnell-Douglas show. Like that former aerospace giant, it doesn't exist anymore.

"Two names that have recently started grinding through the mill: Chad Billingsley and Corey Patterson."

what the hell does he mean by that?

#261,
Nevermind. It's at Baseball Prospectus. I don't like that rumor either =/.

#267,
Now that I think about it, I'm not familiar with that idiom.

I just read that Manny wants to get traded from Boston to some place with more privacy. LA sounds like Manny's kind of town, right? What do we mortgage for Man-Ram?

261, 264:

Sorry for not listing a source. For those who don't know, Will Carroll writes for Baseball Prospectus. His 'usual' beat is medical/injury issues; his work is quite interesting and comprehensive. The past few days, he has been contacting all his sources in MLB trying to play Peter Gammons with the trade deadline coming up.

If you don't already ahve a BP membership, I recommend you sign up immediately; it's about $35 a year. If you like DT, you'll also like BP.

baseballprospectus.com

267 - He's mixing metaphors, kinda, but not really.

Mill = Rumor Mill.

Grinding = what a mill does.

#270,
LA stars have privacy? Well, maybe since the Angels have taken over as LA's team...

270. I'd give up the Perez brothers, Brazoban and Werth for Manny. :) vr, Xei

so i assume it means that everyone depo is inquiring about in a trade, the GM is asking for chad billingsley in return?

If Manny wants privacy then he can go play in Montreal. There's plenty of privacy up there these days. vr, Xei

274 - For Manny+$30M?

He gets paid a LOT. Like, more than Shawn Green.

Manny for Billingsley?

I'm just trying to gauge the Chad-love on this site. Assume for the moment that the Red Sox would eat $7 million of his contract per year, so we could have Manny for $2 million more than we pay Drew.

#278,
It wouldn't happen, but if it was on the table, nah. Good pitching is too hard to come by. Maybe we can't get Manny's production but we can come fairly close and for awfully cheaper.

manny cant play defense, he is already 32, he could take a sharp decline over the next 3 years.

"Smart" ball strikes in KC for the White Sox. In the top of the 12th, Uribe leads off with a single for the White Sox. He gets caught stealing. Podsednik follows and reaches on an error. He gets picked off. Iguchi strikes out to end the inning.

This was with Leo Nunez pitching for KC. Look at his picture on Gameday and tell me if you would admit him to an R-rated picture without a parent.

275 - Yeah, just because everyone wants Bills (obviously they do), I'm sure his name comes up a lot. The question is whether (1) they are offering sufficient value in return (2) a deal actually is consummated (3) DePodesta is offering Chad rather than listening to others ask for him.

I can't imagine our GM, who seems to have a good understanding of the value of a cheap, good pitcher, would trade him for anything less than a top-flight player with a minimum 2006 contractual horizon.

If we were to trade for Dunn or Lawton, which one would you rather trade for taking everything into consideration? vr, Xei

281. "Smart ball" A euphamism for "punting on 3rd down" and "running out of innings". vr, Xei

#283,
It's hard to say without knowing what we'd have to give up.

Lee Hamilton on AM 570 states that McCourt will tinker with the roster and not make any major moves. I guess that means no Dunn.

286. That means Dunn is as good as ours. Hacksaw is a perfect reverse barometer.

I think all of us are starting to take rumors a bit too seriously.

I would be surprised if we take on any big contracts.

Maybe we all thirst for idiot blood, too.

Is McCourt willing to spend more money this year or just go with what we have? We'll find out in few days.

I don't think the question is necessarily "is McCourt willing" as much as it is "is it worth it" (to spend the money)...

I'd be shocked if there was any trade of significance...DePo appears to have the roster close to where he wants it, it would seem to me.

To change philosophies now after remaking it the past couple of years would be surprising to me, to say the least.

Then again, I am often wrong lately.

Yankees just picked up Nomo. They are getting desperate. If they pick up Lima and Park, imagine their rotation with Brown, Nomo, Lima, and Park.

286. Sometimes false news is released to the news media on purpose. For example, this is what the Lakers did with their draft pick this summer. Kupchack came out and said publicly that the Lakers would definitely NOT draft a high school player. Then turned around and draft Bynum, a HS player. I think many baseball GMs/Owners probably would use a similiar tactic when it came to the trade deadline. You don't want to seem too desperate, then teams like the Reds may raise the asking price of Dunn. It's psychological warfare. vr, Xei

Can we take a poll?

How many feel that we can win the division by standing pat?

296 - I vote yes...I say we win 85 games and the division by 4 over the Padres.

295 -- exactly!

But I think DePo's next slick move will come to the aid of the bullpen, not the lineup. We can win with this lineup, but only if our pen can hold a 2-run lead consistently.

Thank God we didn't pick up Chad Bradford.

The Reds are 11-33 on the road this year, and a handful of games over .500 at home. This is something that amazes me. How much harder can it be to win on the road, and what makes it tougher to win on the road? Ok, you have the crowd rooting against you, you aren't travelling as much and sleeping in your own bed, and perhaps the ballpark is different and doesn't play to your strengths, but 11-33?? Come on! vr, Xei

296 -- Does "standing pat" allow for any callups, i.e. Broxton? If so, yes.

296: Depends on whether Drew comes back in time to help, and whether anyone else gets hurt.

I thought at the start of the season that LA was the team to beat in the West, assuming every team stayed healthy. The injuries are now starting to even out some (tho not completely), so it is close again. But I say the Dodgers pull it out only if the likes of Repko can be replaced with the likes of Drew, and if nothing else bad happens.

#296,
Yes. Maybe some bullpen help but Kuo can help us with that, in theory.

296 - I say yes, only because we will be getting a few players healthy, with hopefully a bullpen callup or two a la Brazoban last year.

I can't imagine the Padres will do better than .500 from here on out, as hurt as they are and probably losing Hernandez.

and the good news is the West winner doesn't play St Louis in the Division Series...the wild card will...

WOW, so far we don't need Dunn.

296 - Depends, will Nate allow Broxton to come up and pitch out of the bullpen?

If we pass on Dunn, give me Lawton, give me Guardado, and bring up one or two kids to put in the bullpen.

Release Erickson and Carrara. Feel free to give up APerez, and 2 or 3 "B" Prospects to bring in my two guys above.

oh come on. if we have two above-average outfielders (bradley and drew), then we could stand to have one below average in dunn. and choi is still our firstbaseman! grr.

i'm going to have to start putting bananas in my ear about this soon. CHOI + DUNN = JOY AND FUN.

joy and fun, joy and fun....

Our lineup when healthy isn't BAD. Our rotation is healthy and will hopefully do what we thought (4 starters giving us solid outings almost every time). It's just our bullpen.

296. It's hard to say, because it doesn't look like the Padres are going to stand pat, and I am not sure about the D-Backs. But then again, with the trade the Padres tried to pull off with Nevin, having the Padres making trades could help us. :) My inclination is that we don't win the division without making some kind of move. Either Lawton or Dunn in LF, or a significant addition to the bullpen and also the old addition by subtraction addage by severing ties to Erickson and Carrara RIP. We could still win by standing pat, but I'd say it's a bit of a long shot. There's just so many factors involved, whether it be moves other teams make, moves we make, how players come back from injuries (Valentin/Drew), that all I can say is... it's going to be a wild finish. vr, Xei

How funny would it be if the Dodgers advanced to the LCS with the 'terrible team' they assembled during the offseason, but had a good year in 2004 with awesome players like Shawn Green and Alex Cora and Jose Lima but lost in the first round?

I think even the most foolish of the fools would have to admit that no matter how good or bad you are, the playoffs are indeed a crapshoot.

Also, when we win the division, we'll be matched against the NL East Champion Braves unless the WC comes from the NL Central.

304 -- St. Louis will play the division winner with the worst record IF the Wild Card comes from their own division. That's what happened last year, actually. Houston played the second-best division winner, Atlanta, instead of the best division winner, because St. Louis played in their division. If the Wild Card is, say, the Nats, then St. Louis would play them, and we'd play Atlanta or whoever.

304. Houston could win the wild-card, then the west winner would get STL in the first round.
vr, Xei

Houston/Braves and Cards/Dodgers sounds awfully familiar.

ok ok, I stand corrected about the first round...but I agree with the OZ, it would be quite the thing if as bad as we supposedly are, especially as compared to that great team of chemisty of 2004, if we did better in the playoffs....

Washington is the wild card now, but Houston is just 2 games back and Chicago is 3 1/2 games back, so the NL Central could very well send two teams to the playoffs unless one has a disproportionate belief that the Nationals are truly a good team.

Considering Drew won't be back until mid-Sept, I'd like to see another bat in the OF. I have a hard time seeing Phillips, Izturis, and Repko in the lineup at the same time - especially with others in the lineup struggling too (Choi, Werth).

315. "disproportionate belief", don't make me pull out the dictionary again. vr, Xei

316. Dunn OR Bust!!!
vr, Xei

Can Choi play LF? :)

Choi appears to be playing LO

316. The difference in offensive output between Repko/Werth and Dunn is enormous. The gap shrinks a little if Valentin goes to LF, but who knows how he will hit coming back from injury. My inkling is still in favor of trading for Dunn as long as we don't give up anyone named Chad or Joel. Or for trading for Lawton as long as we don't give up anyone named Chad, Joel, Chuck, Jonathan, Hong-Chih, Russell, or Andy. vr, Xei

We could use a bat but it doesn't have to be Dunn. I'd rather not give up Andy or Russell for Dunn either.

I would trade Joel Fleischman or Joel Grey for Adam Dunn.

Goldberg would love to do it.

This just in... the D'Backs just blew up a 2nd place team:

Jose Cruz DFA
Conor Jackson called up to play 1b
Chad Tracy to RF
Shawn Green to CF

Joel Grey's a stud. He's as scrappy as they come, and has a great RISP average.

Green in CF. Oh My God

#325,
Sounds like good news to me. But of course I could be horribly wrong.

Looks like the game thread is up. Gonna be hard to build back up to 300+ posts again.
vr, Xei

I think someone mentioned it before but no one in either AL or NL is very scary this year. because of injuries mostly but still a WS might be won by a really flawed team this year.

#328: As long as nobody hits the ball to the outfield, the Diamondbacks should be fine. Gonzalez, Green, and Tracy could certainly compete with Alou, Grissom, and Bonds for worst outfield defense. Still, Conor Jackson is a beast, and I expect him to help their offense quite a bit.

#325
There's an old expression in politics; if your enemy is in the process of destroying himself, don't get in the way.

The Pads and D-backs are self-destructing. That's how we'll win.

307- lol

Joy and fun, I love that.

332 (inter alia): I'm not so sure the attempted Nevin/Ponson trade was so stupid from SD's perspective. They got Randa to play 3rd. They need Nady in there every day. So Nevin was extraneous, and expensive, and a royal butt-pain. As long as Ponson was serviceable, it would seem like a smart adjustment. Now, if Ponson were worse than their other #5 options, then yeah, they'd be worse off.

And now, if Nevin can be a decent catcher half the time, they seem to have found a different solution.

The key was Randa for a disappointing Burroughs. I think they helped themselves there.

The Dodgers should pick up Jose Cruz off waivers, if in fact he's been DFA'ed.

Jose Cruz has a .213/.346/.437 line. He's a better bat than Repko. Also has very good plate discipline.

Shawn Green has played a total of 38 games in his career in center.

Indeed.