Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
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TV and more ...
1) using profanity or any euphemisms for profanity
2) personally attacking other commenters
3) baiting other commenters
4) arguing for the sake of arguing
5) discussing politics
6) using hyperbole when something less will suffice
7) using sarcasm in a way that can be misinterpreted negatively
8) making the same point over and over again
9) typing "no-hitter" or "perfect game" to describe either in progress
10) being annoyed by the existence of this list
11) commenting under the obvious influence
12) claiming your opinion isn't allowed when it's just being disagreed with
From the Vin Scully post-sweep interviews of 1963, we move on to 1965 and a different kind of World Series triumph for the Dodgers - a 4-3 Series victory over the Minnesota Twins after losing Games 1 and 2. And, of course, Scully was there.
The national telecast of the seventh game of the '65 Series is occasionally shown on ESPN Classic, and the interviews we hear this time around on the tape supplied by Dodger Thoughts reader Stan from Tacoma reflect this - a few words here and there sound familiar. But again, the intimacy that Scully brings in his conversations with the winning Dodgers, uninterrupted, is worth savoring.
"This is Vin Scully, high atop the safety of a trunk," he begins from within the champions' locker room...
As in '63, Sandy Koufax won the clinching game and is the first interviewee. Koufax pitched a 2-0 shutout, allowing three hits, walking three and striking out 10, completing a 24-inning World Series performance in which he allowed one earned run, 13 hits and five walks while striking out 29.
The start came, in a blessed combination of truth and legend, on only two days rest from Koufax's 7-0 four-hitter (also with 10 strikeouts) in Game 5. Scully reminds Koufax that after that game, Koufax said he felt "a hundred years old. So today, how do you feel?"
Without missing a beat or skipping a laugh, Koufax replies, "A hundred and one. I feel great, Vinny, and I know that I don't have to go out there any more for about four months."
In another parallel from the 1963 finale, Koufax says that the fastball was the only pitch he had working for quite some time in 1965's Game 7. "I didn't have the curveball at all."
Scully then reveals that third baseman Jim Gilliam, who was replaced defensively at the start of the ninth inning (perhaps because of an injury?), watched the game with Scully on television in the locker room. "He turned and said to me, '[Koufax] looks like a fighter who has been hit and is now fighting on instinct.' Is that overdramatizing, or were you that tired?" Koufax replies that (despite the short rest) he was actually more tired in the previous game and the National League pennant clincher, because both were in Los Angeles where the temperature was beastlier. Koufax adds that his fastball actually improved as the game went on.
Another legend based in truth: Scully notes that according to baseball tradition, you can tell who the day's starting pitcher will be from who arrives at the ballpark unshaven. On the day of Game 7, both Koufax and Game 4 winner Don Drysdale (who would have had three days rest) arrived with stubble. And in fact, Dodger manager Walter Alston waited until a pregame meeting to announce who would throw the first pitch. Koufax says that Alston finally rested his decision on the idea that if he had to make a pitching change (the one who didn't start would be the first out of the pen), he'd rather go left-right-left to get to Ron Perranoski at the end, thus forcing more maneuvering from the Twins, then go right-left-left.
Scully wraps up the Koufax interview by eliciting from the star that the thrill of this victory ranked with any other, because preseason predictions placed the Dodgers no higher than fifth place in the NL - and even lower after a May 1 injury effectively ended star outfielder Tommy Davis' season.
"Way Out Lou Johnson" is then called to the microphone by Scully, and the player who picked up the slack for Davis (and slugged .593 in the Series with two homers) passes by Koufax saying, "You're the greatest, baby! You're the greatest!" Scully offers that Johnson "is a living storybook," having played on "18 teams in 13 years." Thirty-one years old at the time with 47 major league hits before the season began, Johnson concedes that he was ready to make 1965 his last season if he didn't have any more success. Sweet Lou lets it known, in an amazing moment of exuberant poignance, that inside he is "crying, but it won't come out."
For a brief snippet, Scully then commandeers Walter O'Malley - or "Mr. O'Malley," as Scully respectfully addresses the Dodger owner and president, whose voice was without a doubt dubbed by Old Man Potter from It's a Wonderful Life. Next is National League president Warren Giles, whose rooting interest in the Series will come as a shock to younger fans who don't recall the true era of league rivalry. Giles sounds as excited as any Dodger, and was apparently on pins and needles and any other sharp implement you can think of throughout Game 7. "Oh, dear, it worried me," he tells Vinny.
As Alston comes to meet Scully, he is applauded in the locker room. He starts his interview by praising and praising again the Twins. Scully asks him about his one trip to the mound during the game to talk to Koufax, and Alston says, "I had no intention of taking him out of there. ... I just wanted to make sure he wasn't overthrowing."
Alston elaborates on choosing between Drysdale and Koufax, calling it one of the toughest decisions of his career - although "either way, I had a good chance of being right." Alston also notes, I'm thinking with some exaggeration, that "Drysdale pitched nine innings in the bullpen - he was ready every inning." But staked to a two-run lead in the fourth inning on Johnson's home run and Wes Parker's RBI single, Koufax allowed only one runner to second base and three runners overall for the remainder of the game.
"Well, that's the story," Vinny says, wrapping things up. "Needless to say, they're wild, ecstatic, euphoric - you name it." In a way, so am I.
* * *
Update: Even Phil Simms, the NFL quarterback-turned-broadcaster, likes Vinny. From the Macon Telegraph:
Q: How do you think the networks could improve their NFL telecasts?
A: I don't know if there's anything we can do differently, except maybe shut up a little more. It gets hard for me, because I want to talk about everything. I heard a replay on the radio one day of Vin Scully doing a Dodgers game. And they had one broadcaster of a visiting team and you listened to his words and he used 100 words, let's say. And then Vin Scully made the same call in about 20 words. And I went, 'Wow.' It's how quick do you get your point across, how few words do you need. Quarterbacks are trying to complete passes, I'm trying to get my thoughts cleaner and more concise. That's what I think about now.
Stam from Tacoma
It may have been mentioned earlier, but on the Dodgers.com website, there is a link to a 1-hour radio program on Vin. It was made by his alma mater Fordham University's station WFUV. It is fun to listen to:
http://tinyurl.com/7ecs5
Actually, he walked three in that game, including back-to-back walks to Oliva and Killebrew in the first, after which Alston got Drysdale up in the pen just in case. Didn't matter. Koufax pitched out of it. I loved Scully's post-game stuff for that game. The Johnson interview was particularly good. It's a shame they didn't give him time to interview more of the guys.
Think of all the years, he's been covering the Dodgers and the number of players he's seen doing stuff like this. If it happened to me, I would feel like my father had caught me.
Navarro up, Rose down?
But that's it.
http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,200~29583~2986281,00.html
Is that mural with Koufax (among others) still on the wall of Cantor's deli on Fairfax? And is there any chance for the rest of us to hear these tapes? That would be beyond cool.
Thanks again for this site.
"Nancy Bea Hefley, the Dodger Stadium organist since 1988, said she would return next year. She had intended to retire at season's end, she said, concerned that her role would continue to diminish amid the onslaught of recorded music. But, she said Thursday, owner Frank McCourt persuaded her to stay, promising her a continued role in stadium entertainment and allowing her to miss a few games to join her husband on summer vacations." (LA Times)
Now if he would just promise to increase her role...
Nope, Lindsey Soto. close but have to go with Soto
Ha! I prefer a link from the past, myself. this conversation should be around 290 something so no one would read it.
Of course, she really does seem to know her stuff, and she's got good presence on-air. I think that still counts for something, right?
Absolutely. I think she is a good broadcast journalist.
Can anybody quick with stats back that up?
I agree that Soto is better looking, but she really seems uncomfortable on air. When its her and Gubicza at the same time, there are lots of jittery sentences and uncomfortable pauses. Kind of unwatchable.
Headline on May 3, 1876 in the Anytown USA Gazette
Bet Carolyn Hughes'husband isn't too happy either.
Jon & Stan, Thanks so much for the trip down memory lane with my favorite Dodger teams, featuring the great Koufax/Drysdale/Wills. My family just doesn't understand why I treasure those autographed 8 by 10's of Al (The Bull) Ferrara, T. Davis, and Lou Johnson.
A truly terrifying moment this morning, as I actually found myself agreeing with some things that Plaschke wrote in his column. I may need Divine forgiveness for that.
I meant to write
"Baseballist cheats on wife"
I was going for that old-timey feel.
I live in Oak Lawn now.
Several newspapers that follow the Reds expect Cincinnati catcher Jason LaRue to end up with the Padres before the weekend is over.
Too bad he couldn't end up there before the weekend STARTED!
Lowe - 15 SB, 5 CS
Weaver - 14 SB, 3 CS
Penny - 10 SB, 3 CS
Houlton - 9 SB, 1 CS
Perez - 8 SB, 2 CS
Sanchez - 8 SB, 1 CS
Brazoban - 6 SB, 1 CS
Thompson - 4 SB, 3 CS
Alvarez - 2 SB, 0 CS
Carrara - 2 SB, 1 CS
Gagne - 2 SB, 0 CS
Wunsch - 2 SB, 1 CS
Dessens - 1 SB, 0 CS
Erickson - 1 SB, 0 CS
Carlyle and Schmoll have not had anyone try to steal against them.
There are 14 pitchers in the majors who have given up more stolen bases than Lowe, including such "mediocrities" as Kevin Millwood, Brandon Webb, Jason Schmidt, Greg Maddux, Jamie Moyer, Barry Zito, Jake Peavy, and Roy Halladay.
The toughest guys to steal against are Carlos Zambrano of the Cubs (only 1 out of 10 have made it) and Chris Capuano (only 1 out of 9 have made it). Capuano has 10 pickoffs also which can also turn into CS.
Mike Maroth of Detroit has had all 8 runners who tried to steal against him caught, but he has seven pickoffs.
The previous record holder were ...
the 1995 Angels who had a 20-30 stretch from 7/29 through 9/20.
http://tinyurl.com/8e435
http://www.dailybulletin.com/Stories/0,1413,203~28557~2986781,00.html
http://tinyurl.com/ca7od
Using Retrosheet play-by-play data they figured out which players were best at taking the extra base on a hit and also how often players were thrown out when trying it.
They have data from 1960-2004 and the most any one runner got thrown out on the bases trying for an extra base in any one season was just five.
It was Juan Encarnacion.
In their sample, Carlos Beltran took an extra base 208 times and never once got thrown out.
Or Werth hits the DL.
Sounds like something a lecherous JT would say. Would Jim Tracy say that? No, I don't think he would. Would Erickson? I can't answer that.
1) he's sharing his wife with DePo.
2) he's got pictures of DePodesta with an underaged goat.
That's probably not what the soon to be ex Mrs. Lowe and her battery of carnivore divorce attorneys have in mind.
If Erickson manages to survive the whole season as a Dodger, something is as rigged as the results of that "Dancing with the Stars" piece of junk that my wife insisted on watching.
Typically an hour or two before the game when the Dodgers release their Official Pregame Notes.
Hee hee. Just joshin'.
Erickson sharing his wife.
Anna Benson (!)
Is it me or is it getting warm in here?
Too bad we didn't do better against the Reds. A split is just not good enough. Unlikly we will take 2 of 3 from St. Louis but stranger things have happened.
I've noticed for quite some time that Werth carefully scans the crowd before and during the games. He doesn't glance. He thoroughly looks. A friend in Houston (Dodger fan) said he saw him doing that there, too. Doesn't surprise me.
Headline in the Metropolis Star on July 5, 1892
Conor Jackson is not in the lineup today. Clark is at first with Green in center and Tracy in right.
http://www.jaxsuns.com/item2.shtml
I was looking over Shelby Foote's "Civil War" trilogy. There was a guy named Jefferson Tracy who wanted to put North Carolina in a position to secede.
SOSH message board blew a gasket.
But why do the BoSox want to dump Manny before another WS run? I can't believe they're better without him. Even if he IS weird.
But perhaps that's irony for ya.
Still wanted to see the Yankees trade for him.
> Does his voice inspire in you thoughts of your own life and experience, even
> those separate from baseball?
>
> And do you have a particular phrase, stylistic feature, or on-air habit that
> you find especially appealing in Vin?
>
> Thanks very much.
>
> Eric
>
>
>
>
Hi, Eric,
My early years of listening to Vinnie bring back memories of bouncing a rubber ball against the wall of my bedroom, jumping up and down in excitement everytime Koufax registered another strikeout, so intensely into the game because of the picture Vin was painting in my mind. Or of sitting in the station wagon with my dad while camping in Yosemite, listening to Vin call a game.
I once asked my Dad back when I was pitching in Pony League where he had acquired his encylopaedic knowledge of baseball. In typical Dad fashion, he replied "listening to Vin Scully". Small wonder I consider Vinnie part of the family.
Nowadays, I tune in to Vinny every night because, well, shucks, unlike any other broadcaster, he's there to hold a conversation with ME. I love it when he pokes gentle fun at himself, as in "Naw, Vinnie!" when he has to correct himself on a minor detail. And, seriously, I don't fell silly at all when, after he ends every broadcast with his trademark "Goodnight, everybody!", I reply right back with "Goodnight, Vinny!"
_________________________________________
Whattya think, guys? In no way do I think I'm the next Bob T, but do I have a shot ? :)
It's a stretch.. I know...
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2005-07-26-announcers-overview_x.htm
Your piece is too straightforward to be reminscent of me. You need more references to bad 1970s sitcoms.
lester, sanchez and pedoria might have passed him on the red sox prospect totem pole
I never learned how to underline. How is it done?
96 - Good on you, EP62!
The only name I can find that's even close to Polittle on the Mets roster is Juan Padilla.
"SOSH message board blew a gasket."
I'll say. I can't even get to the discussion board over there.
__like this__.
His first name is Yusmeiro.
He's got 93 K in 86 IP at Binghamton. With a 3.53 ERA and just 16 BB.
I was listening to WFAN in NY at lunch, and most of the talk was still about the Mets going after Soriano. Most of the talk about Manny was that they'd have to give up way too much.
Man, it's a good thing Cashman is not very good at player evaluation. Can you imagine if someone better had a $200M payroll to play with?
The Mets fans on Baseball Primer are an angry bunch. The Red Sox fans are still waiting for their team to somehow lose the 2004 World Series. The Yankee fans hate their own team, but don't let anyone else criticize them. The Cubs fans there are pretty funny and pretty easy-going.
109, I'm not sure it's a matter of bad player evaluation. The Yanks are just looking for warm bodies who can get the ball in the vicinity of the plate.
But the DBacks have just one or two fans there.
The DBacks went ahead of the Cubs 3-2 on a 2-run single from Glaus in the 8th.
Eric
Glad to be able to share and help. I apologize in advance for the verbosity.
Answering your first question - I don't know if his voice inspires thoughts for me separate from baseball, but it is certainly a catalyst for non-baseball related memories and reflections through the baseball related memories it conjures. Vin's voice is absolutely a connection between my present and my past (and hopefully, my future), all of which are much (although sometimes not too much) more than baseball. It takes me back to my youth in Santa Barbara county, and my college years in southern California. It reminds me of so many things, but, as I mentioned in my Dodger Thoughts post, the first things I think of when I hear his voice are the late (for a 8 or 9 year old) nights, spent sitting at the dining room table with my dad and his transistor radio, watching him finish some paperwork while Vin and Ross and Jerry told their tales. It also reminds me of my late grandmother, who didn't know much about baseball, but knew who Vin Scully was, and would always say "that must be ol' Vin Scully" when she would hear the radio broadcasts we were listening to. Of course, I am also reminded of the trips we made as a family to see the Dodgers play, and how we would always take the radio into Dodger Stadium with us (just like everyone else, it seemed). So, I suppose that his voice is a gateway to thoughts and memories for me beyond just the game of baseball itself.
Because of the connection I have with him and my past, there is definitely a safety and comfort factor that cannot be denied. Baseball is a sort of escape for me, I suppose, and hearing him call a game is about as safe and comfortable as I can imagine being for 3 or so hours. After moving from Orange County to Minneapolis (an American League town, for goodness sake) in 1997, I decided to road trip to see the Dodgers once a year. In 1998, I went to Wrigley for the first time, and I was more excited about seeing Vin again (even though I couldn't hear him) than I was about seeing the actual game. Last year, I went to Fenway, and was thrilled that he made the trip. He threw out the first pitch one night, and I got one of my favorite souvenirs from the trip - a picture of me, Sandy Koufax, and Vin (along with Frank McCourt). Granted, they are on the field in the background, and I am behind the dugout up in the stands, but still, we were in the frame together (I thought about attaching the photo to this email, but didn't know if you accepted attachments). Anyway, this is the first year since I moved here that I have purchased the indemand baseball package, and so have had the ability to hear him regularly, and the memories have been overwhelming at times. It has also given me the opportunity to introduce him to my 5 year old. I cannot tell you how stoked I was the other night to be sitting on the couch with my son at my side, watching Dodger baseball, and listening to Vin Scully.
Your second question is a great one. There are many things I enjoy, among them the daily greeting: "hello, and a very pleasant good evening to you, wherever you may be." this holds more meaning for me now that I am in Minnesota. There is also the way he (and the camera crews) find and describe the children in the stands. He always has kind words, and often something creative to say about the "tow headed youth" or the kid that lost his ice cream cone. It makes me wonder if I were one of those kids that he saw 28 years ago, and what did he have to say about me in my Steve Garvey shirt? I have also come to enjoy his mid game reminiscences of "this day in Dodger history", not just for the information he provides, but the way he smiles, sometimes winking, and says "let's get back to this one" when he's done. It's like we went to the kitchen to get a beer together, had a little conversation, and then realized the next inning was upon us. And then there are the stories he tells each night, the history lessons. These are probably my favorite things that he provides. One reason I love the Dodgers, is that it is easy to trace back from the team of my youth to the teams my dad followed, and even back to Brooklyn, in very few steps. For example, you could essentially go backwards from Russell to wills (ignoring the time he spent with other teams in the late 60s) to Reese at shortstop. To get to Russell from Izturis would take a few more steps, to be sure. In the booth, however, there has been Vin Scully. He is the direct link that I have to the history of the team, and really, the game, that I love.
I have to add that I also love him for his ability to watch and call the game (fairly, I might add - no homers here), and tell his stories while at the same time being very attentive to the TV feed that the rest of us are watching. It's quite frustrating when the announcers are oblivious to what is appearing on TV, and Vin is able to incorporate what is being shown into whatever else he is describing. I am sure it is harder than it seems, given the fact that he is the only one I have seen who does this.
Re: announcers being oblivious to the baseball in front of them...that would be Charley Steiner. He misses/ignores a lot of things because he's too busy yakking or trying to be droll. I miss Ross Porter. He did his homework like a gem and clued you in on what was happening.
Steiner's knowledge is lacking for someone with that many years in the field. He makes me appreciate Rick Monday more, if you can believe that.
It works on all the blogs on this website (baseballtoaster.com).
Even more annoying is watching games on "big Fox" and ESPN. They'll practically ignore the game being broadcast, and instead talk anything and everything else.
I think one of my favorite Monday calls is "and here's the pitch from Lima...and he's dancing around on the mound." Several details got lost in there somewhere. The part about him hitting the batter being the most notable one.
Plus, Steiner doesn't have the annoying "and-a" speech impediment, which easily puts him over Rick.
Bob..
Which D-backs fan has a feud with Enders at BTF? I must not be paying attention to the feuds anymore. The "union" has zapped all my appetite for feuds at BTF.
I would do Odalis, Milton and a prospect for him. Just imagine, him behind Drew and Kent.
There might be as good a chance of Manny trading Theo Epstein this week as there is of Theo trading Manny. But there have been definite indications over the last couple of days that the Red Sox have at least explored whether a midseason trade of a $20-million cleanup hitter is even remotely feasible. Well, the answer, almost certainly, is: NOOOOOOOO! "Think about this logically," said one GM. "There are two teams that could take on a guy like that -- New York and New York. It would have to be one or the other. And it CAN'T be one (i.e., the Yankees)." So that would leave -- let's see now -- the Mets. And the only reason not to disregard that idea completely is that the Mets GM is Omar Minaya. And Manny, said one longtime friend of Minaya, "is an obsession for Omar." But is it an obsession to trade for him this weekend -- or just to trade for him sometime or other? We'd vote on sometime or other, because we all need to remember this: This isn't the Royals or the Devil Rays trying to unload a man with an obscene contract. This is a defending World Series champ, still trying to win, trying to market its 150-RBI cleanup man. And the Red Sox, according to an official of one team that has been in touch with them, are making it clear that if they do make a trade, "it has to be a real trade, not a remove-this-guy-at all-costs kind of trade." The Red Sox have no interest "in taking 50 cents on the dollar," the official said. And to make it all work, "it would probably have to be more than one trade." If all those pieces don't fit, then the Red Sox plan is to hang onto Ramirez, grit their teeth through as many of Manny's misadventures as possible, remind themselves of how many runs he'll drive in for the next two months and then resume this quest around Halloween. And our bet is that you'll be seeing a lot of Manny masks on the trick-or-treat circuit in New England.
you want to see something comical? this is what he said:
*That much ballyhooed Dodgers' minor-league system?
It has several bright prospects in Double-A or lower, but none wowing scouts and screaming can't-miss.
Baseball America's latest ranking of the top 20 minor-league prospects does not list a single Dodger, although four make a 27-member honorable mention.*
i loved how he basically just glanced at the lastest BA prospect hot sheet and took that as BAs lastest prospect ranking. what a tool. if he did any research at all, he would look at BAs mid season top 25 prospects list and see 3 dodgers in the top 12.
i really cant spell when i am rushing. there should really be an edit mode for people who cant spell like me.
i read that article as well, just a dumb pointless article.
I couldn't care less if these posts are perfect either (if you could care less, you would).
Just kidding.
Yeah it's not a big deal. I do things like that all the time.
"The A's have all but stopped looking for deals, though you're free to ask Billy Beane what he's up to when he stops by to chat at BP in just a bit. His former co-conspirator Paul DePodesta is rumored to be working on a couple deals. Below .500 yet still in the race, the Dodgers are looking for a bat to replace the injured J.D. Drew. Jim Tracy has been all but begging for a trade not unlike last year's Steve Finley deal. If you see a 2004 Steve Finley out there on the market, drop Paul a line. They'll see what Dioner Navarro can do in the next couple weeks, followed by Jonathan Broxton, the latest in their line of raw, hard-throwing relievers."
Obviously not much new information, but better than some of the stuff I've seen
Can we finish at .500 or above?
We have to go 35-25 rest of the way.
Should we trade O Perez or Weaver if we can choose one?
Also, I am glad to see Broxton in the show. I got to see him last month in his first closer stint, and he was throwing in the high 90s, with lots of movement on the ball. The Mudcats flailed pretty badly at the ball.
I've heard parts of it. It's hard for me to get more into the latino based tracks though. I'll try giving it a closer listen in the coming days.
By the way, do you live in the South Bay?
Man Bch here.
BC
Hey Marty, does he only work for the Breeze or Copely (I think)?
So are you in the South Bay?
BC
A scout whose coverage includes both Los Angeles franchises had high praise for Baseball America—and, well, the Angels and Dodgers. "I saw in the Prospect Handbook where those were rated as the top two organizations," he said, "and they still are. They are both still very loaded."
The Dodgers have their Double-A Jacksonville club, which at least three scouts said was the most talented unit they've seen in the minors. Righthanders Chad Billingsley, Jonathan Broxton, Edwin Jackson and Justin Orenduff all have power stuff and strikeout pitches, with Broxton touching 100 after a move to the bullpen. Lefthander Hong-Chih Kuo has returned from repeated elbow problems to strike out 61 in 36 overall innings as a reliever. The star-studded infield includes Andy LaRoche at third (28 homers overall), shortstop Joel Guzman (.282-13-60) and Russ Martin (.301, .420 on-base), the minors' top catching prospect.
"Broxton and Billinglsey might be the best arms I've seen all year, and they were on the same team," an American League scout said. "Billingsley has the combination of feel and power, and he's only 21. He's got an outstanding slider now to go with his fastball and curve. The other guy, Broxton, is a young power arm who just blows it by guys with power and has a power curve. I didn't see a changeup, but I saw a feel for starting if he can maintain his fitness."
-ba.com
I mostly lurk here, but visit here often. If it can be done and not at a game, there are plenty of places to do this.
Any thoughts?
BC
Q: bill anderson from norwood ma asks:
Does any team have a better foursome than Papelbon,Lester,Snachez, and Hanson?
A: Kevin Goldstein: The Dodgers
________________________________
Q: Andre Dobiey from Cologne, Germany asks:
Who is the most likely future 15-20 game winner: Jon Papelbon (BOS), Chad Billingsley (LA) or Hayden Penn (BAL) ? Who will be of most help in 2006 ?
A: Kevin Goldstein: For the first part of the question, I'll take Billingsley, For the second part of the question, I'll take Papelbon.
____________________________
Q: Daryl Percy from Tokyo, Japan asks:
Hong-Chih Kuo. Is this kid an elite-level prospect now that he's healthy? Kid can sling.
A: Kevin Goldstein: Kid can. Could end up a dominating reliever.
_______________________________
Q: Toby from Baba Booey Land asks:
Adam LaRoche could be best described as the next ........?
A: Kevin Goldstein: Scott Rolen minus the defensive skills?
_____________________________
: nate purcell(thats me!) from orange county asks:
Do the dodgers have the best collection of arms in baseball?
A: Kevin Goldstein: Definitely.
Dagwich, if you're like me, doesn't it always give you a charge when watching a movie and the music soundtrack starts, and you go, "hey, that's Ry Cooder"?
vr, Xei
www.jaxsuns.com reporting broxton
la daily news reporting navarro.
Jim, I live in South Pasadena, not Pasadena. We South Pasadenans like to make sure people realize the difference. South Pasadena is like Pasadena with the exception of having really any fun things to do inside the city limits.
And we generally say "No" to everything.
710 freeway - No
Gold Line - No (we said yes, but we want the train to magically be rerouted through some other city or else glide on air)
Movie theater with more than one screen - No
Overnight parking - No
Stores that don't sell cute antiques - No
andy is ours, the guy that asked the question messed up. but goldstein was referring to andy, because andy plays 3b while adam plays 1b.
dodger game or suns game?
I think Ry Cooder is amazing, both in his musicianship and his courage in following his vision. He has traded a surefire rockstar-type life (in the 1970s) for the much-less-profitable world music collaborations (the Buena Vista Social Club being the best known). I don't love every single track of his portfolio but without a doubt through his collaborations he has introduced me to some incredible talent.
I think South Pasadena does have the oldest existing Winchell's now after the one in Temple City closed.
I originally took notice of Cooder because of my love for bottleneck guitar (the Duane Allmans, Lowell Georges, Johnny Winter, et al), but like you, what has really impressed me over the years has been his promotion of roots music/musicians (Flaco Jimenez, anybody?). He is sort of a Library of Congress for musical awareness, and I love him for it.
Another hero of mine is Jorma Kaukonen, from Hot Tuna and Jefferson Airplane fame. If you have any interest at all in early country blues, check out `Blue Country Heart'. It won a well deserved Emmy, and the songs on the album are absolute gems, as is the playing.
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