Izturis is one of our best hitters? Sure wish he'd show it.

1- I thought he did really good then played hurt? Maybe i thought wrong.

Was Depo prepared for the departure of the pitching coach? Who could replace Colborn? If Wallach leaves then who could replace him?

Izturis was really good in April and May, and then worse than terrible after that. But I still think his April and May were over his head.

If I were writing the article and needed "good hitters who missed a lot of games due to injury," I'd have used Bradley instead of Izturis. Not sure why he didn't.

And I'm positive that DePo figured Colborn would leave if Tracy left.

4-I agree about Bradley, do you know anything about the pitching coach Trammell would bring with him if he was hired?

Nope, but personally I don't think too much about coaches because a) how do we really know how much effect they have, and b) since we're not with the team all the time, we don't see how and what they're coaching and how the players respond to it. So I choose not to think much about it and trust that the people running the team have better ways to evaluate it. To my eyes, they all look fairly interchangeable, with a few exceptions (like Mazzone).

But that's just me. I'm sure other people have more of an opinion on it.

Bob Cluck was Trammell's pitching coach with Detroit...so I suppose that would be a possibility, who knows.

http://tinyurl.com/bcmnq

7-I dont think I like his qualifications.

What would the importance of a good pitching coach be at the MLB level?

In my mind, they should do everything that minimizes the pitching staff's tendency to do things that make them suck. But what that is, I don't really have any idea.

6,10 -- All of this apathy from the man who would deny us Orel and Gibby?

11 -- I thought we ended that argument the other day. Actually, I'm surprised it went on as long as it did.

When the 88 Dodgers are the only laurels you've ever had to rest on, you grow rather attached and devoted to them!

Speaking or Orel, anyone else feel a little weird about Orel potentially managing the team he DISMANTLED in the 1988 World Series?

12, 13, 14 - I tend to agree with SMY. I don't really even know what the argument is. I personally would love to see Orel with the Dodgers - but only if he's someone who will work well within the system. But to have him come and fail would be far more disappointing than not having him come.

I will say I don't know why the A's would be interested in him and not us. But perhaps we will be.

14- I agree it's very odd
15- But if Depo shows interest after Beane doesnt that show Depo as one step behind Beane?

16 I've never liked the idea that you can't do something for the sake of macho posturing.

For the sake of argument, let's say Orel really is the ideal manager. Does the media saying that DePo is a step behind Beane really matter if we can land the best possible man for the job?

If Orel came back, my Orel jersey would be in vogue again, assuming he got 55 back from Carrara.

Gio Carrara. More disconcerting to see wearing #55 than even Wayne Kirby?

It wouldn't even be an issue...No one would even ask Gio. He would report to Florida and open his locker to a crisp 50 somthing jersey...Talk about owning a number, 55 IS the bulldog.

17 - agreed.

20 - I actually often find myself wondering if any Dodger from that 88 team will ever find his number retired? My guess is that the longer the championship drought gets, the more likely it will happen.

Are there any other championship teams with no absolute lock for a retired number?

The Dodgers only retire Hall of Famer numbers, except for Jim Gilliam - whose death while in uniform seemed to motivate things.

Considering that Garvey didn't get his number retired, I wouldn't hold your breath for anyone from 1988. I suppose the most likely non-Hall of Famer to get his number retired at this point might be Fernando.

The Dodgers only retire numbers of players elected to the Hall of Fame (except for Jim Gilliam).

No one from the '88 team will ever have his number retired, unless he comes back as manager and makes it that way.

I dont actualy care whether or not he interviews the Bulldog before or after Beane, but that could be something Depo might care about.

Well, if I had to lose the race, at least I lost to the ruler of the kingdom.

Anyone read Bill Plaschke's latest gem? The only words to describe him as a human being is the words that were written on Billy Ripken's bat when the photo was taken for his rookie card.

27 - It's funny when Bob isn't here. Really opens up the competition.

Does anyone know the validity to the claim of Hideki Matsui being offered a 3yr 35 mil contract?(by the Yanks)

How could you interview Orel and not hire him? I'm assuming that's the problem, and one that would only be resolved if the Dodgers were sure to hire him going in to the interview.

30 I'll put in a call to my friend George Costanza.

28 -- Can you give an executive summary? I refuse to click on Plaschke's links.

32- I thought he was fired?

Wheres Adam M? He always takes one for the team with his Plaschke summaries.

34 You know how Steinbrenner is, he fires and rehires people all the time.

33 - The most I got out of it is that he was upset that Josh Paul was in the game. He would have instead put Molina in and let the pitcher bat.

I think a better column in this situation is wondering why Paul is even on the roster. If you don't want him coming in in that situation, when do you bring him in?

26 The premise behind this "Why isn't DePo interviewing him if Beane is" is curious to me. Beane and DePodesta used to work together. They aren't clones. DePodesta actually came out of the Cleveland organization originally. If there is a mentor/mentee relationship, it is Sandy Alderson as mentor and Beane as mentee. DePodesta was a usable part for Beane. Beane thought DePo was the smartest guy he knew. I would think it would make Beane more nervous about hiring Orel if DePo is not showing interest in him, not the other way around. DePo has a relationship with John Hart, and Orel worked for John Hart. So maybe DePo has been warned off Orel.

During the 2004 campaign, John Kerry got the reputation of being "brainy." But he did so many stupid things, I found myself wondering if maybe it was just the way he looked, people just assumed he had to be an intellectual even though he really wasn't. Same thing might apply to Orel. He certainly looks super-smart, but maybe he's not.

25 - If Fernando got into the HOF as a broadcaster, maybe they could retire his number!

Oh, missed this line: "Would any of this have happened if Pierzynski weren't one of the game's biggest irritants? A guy who probably ran to first base not just to win a game, but because it involved the added bonus of ticking somebody off?"

Yep, I'm sure that was Pierzynski's motivation.

38- Interesting take on the Orel factor, but then in the same light couldnt Depo be the smart looking idiot?

35 - To the rescue - I will summarize Plaschke. Was out yesterday attening to a prior engagement, along with Messrs. Koufax, Carew and, I was surprised to learn, the captain of the Washington Capitals. On that note, did Jason Marquis suit up yesterday?

40 -- That's a great line. Hopefully Pierzynski has a big game against the Angels in the series, and we get something like this:

"It wasn't enough that A.J. Pierzynski, biggest jerk on the planet, stole a sure victory from the mighty Angels, true team of Los Angeles.

Or that he had a 2-run single in the second inning to give the White Sox an early lead.

Or the way he rudely threw out Vlad Guererro, MVP of the world, out at 3rd base on a steal attempt with no outs.

No, he had to cap it off by hitting a grand slam in the 8th, arrogantly rounding the bases in what can only be described as a "trot," rather than sprinting around the bases as Scioscia's boys would have.

Then he had the audacity to high-five his teammates at home plate, right in Bengie Molina's face.

Irritant, indeed."

I personally don't much care for him, but to me, the best thing about AJ is still the way that he managed to get under the skin of his own pitching staff in San Francisco, which led them to overpaying for three years of Mike Matheny. Oh yeah, and there's the Joe Nathan/Francisco Liriano thing too.

Hi folks, a bit busy this morning...

Anybody know if 710 AM is going to come in when I'm out in the Santa Clarita Valley and Fillmore? Or is there another station I can use to listen to the ALCS.

I should be on 1540 AM around 10:45. I'm covering Oaks Christian (where sons of NFL stars go) who will be playing the Flashes of Fillmore. I've been to Fillmore once before. They get fairly big crowds for their games because it's Fillmore and it's not brimming with entertainment options on a Friday night.

43 GOLD. Man thats funny.

Apparently Macha is going back to the A's after all.

http://tinyurl.com/br3h4

44 That's why AJ is my hero. He was a wrecking ball to the Giants' future. He was their Steve Howe, their Jody Reed, the guy who left chaos and destruction in his wake. I'm glad that, even if the Angels win (which is where my rooting interest lies), AJ has won his place in baseball history.

Reading Plaschke so You Don't Have To:

"Scrub catcher + green umpire + irritating batter = Angels get screwed. Booo!"

Number of Dodger mentions: 0

COMMENTARY:
Part A (catcher) I can buy: Paul should have tagged AJ, or thrown to first. 99/100 times, another catcher would have done so. ESPECIALLY in a playoff game.

Part B (umpire): yeah it was a weak call, but so what. Games can be decided by questionable umpiring, and if any team should have been aware of that, it was the LAAofA. With all due respect, up 1-0 on the road, you have your foot on the opponent's neck. Don't let them squirm away.

Part C (Pierzynski): this I don't understand. Granted, I was in a synagogue when it went down, but Pierzynski did what most players would have done, no? Catchers "frame" questionable pitches, outfielders exult after trapping the ball, middle infielders make "neighborhood" plays when turning two, and you'll often see baserunners "inadvertently" shield an umpire's view of a call. The only player I've ever even heard of that umpires would defer to their judgment was Edgar Martinez, who had one of the best batting eyes ever, but even that's just rumor.

Call me crazy, but Paul gets most of the blame in my book, and Scioscia for using him. Plaschke, who wrote a puff piece on Scioscia two days ago, gets some credit for questioning Scioscia's decision, but lets himself off the hook for basically calling Scioscia the best thing since the Model T on Tuesday.

Zero Dodger cheap shots, even though "Paul Lo Duca would have tagged him" could have scored some points.

47 That press release is worthy of Winston Smith and the Ministry of Truth.

24, 25 - The Dodgers only retire Hall of Famers? How long do they have to be a Dodger for? Surely Rickey Henderson won't find his number on the Chavez Ravine blue.

Is this an unspoken rule or an inference due to the current precedent?

You don't think an unspeakably long championship drought could alter this? (The White Sox outfield wall comes to mind)

#51, even worse would be Juan Marichal.

Stan from Tacoma

Josh Paul never would have been on the roster if the Angels used laptops.

50 -- I have no idea what that means. I'll have to Google it.

51 - "Is this an unspoken rule or an inference due to the current precedent?"

Both.

"You don't think an unspeakably long championship drought could alter this?"

I don't see what one has to do with another. Retiring a number reflects on a player's individual greatness.

The Dodgers, I think, are among those teams that have retired the most numbers anyway.

53 Winston Smith is the main character in George Orwell's "1984." The character worked in the ministry of truth, which was responsible for informing the public who their country was at war with, and who was their ally. When things changed, and a new war was launched against the former ally, Smith's job was to convince people that they'd *always" been at war with the former ally.

Likewise, the A's make no mention of the fact that Macha was, just a few days ago, jobless and gone from the A's, and the A's were looking for a new manager.

I understand about 'spin,' but press releases aren't supposed to completely bury such a relevant fact as if it never existed. Ah, but the PR craft is in serious decline...

47 - My first reaction is that the press release was something they had prepared a couple of weeks ago and released today by mistake. But I suppose confirmation will come.

56 ESPN is reporting the same thing.

Macha's photo is on the A's website, which has a headline "A's, Macha Agree on a Three-Year Contract." That links to the news release. So if it's a mistake, it's a cluster-.

Now Billy can send Orel down to LA.

55 -- I looked it up, thanks. I haven't read 1984. The California public school system failed me somehow.

So Orel's interview must not have gone well.

What an odd turn of events. I hope Orel and Geren both get interviews with LA now.

Of course a lot of people on this board weren't even alive in 1984.

If you weren't, let me tell you, it was a rough year. We all had to dress in gray and watch endless films of our leader, Sparky Anderson.

We also got to watch one of the duller World Series ever.

61 I don't think Orel interviewed yet. Oakland had just gotten permission from Texas.

I was, but I was 7, and blissfully unaware.

It was the year that I got my first complete set of baseball cards - the '84 Fleer set.

Other than that, not much happened. 1985 was much better.

63 - Yep, you are correct. Was this all a big negotiating ploy then?

62 The USA won a lot of medals in the Summer Olympics that year.

66 Perhaps Macha went crawling back for less $ after Tracy got the Pirates gig.

67 - I drove a golf cart and worked in the medical clinic in the UCLA Olympic Village. I was the equivalent of Radar O'Reilly, without the superhuman hearing.

Remembering Sandy:

Sandy Koufax faced the Minnesota Twins in game two of the 1965 World Series after he missed the start in the opener to observe Yom Kippur. The Dodgers lost game one and looked to Sandy to even the series.

The game was a scoreless tie going until the 6th. The Twins scored in the 6th when Zolio Versalles reached on an error by Jim Gilliam. Tony Olivo doubled to bring Versalles home, and Harmon Killebrew singled to plate Olivo.

The Dodgers mounted a threat in the 7th. Ron Fairly and Jim Lefebvre singled. John Roseboro brought Fairly home with an RBI single. Walt Alston called on fellow pitcher Don Drysdale to hit for Sandy in the inning. Drysdale struck out with runners on second and third and Maury Wills hit a fly ball to center for the final out of the inning.

Ron Perranoski took over for Koufax, but he was unable to keep the game close. Perranoski surrendered 3 runs to provide the Twins with their final 5-1 margin of victory.

Sandy ended up with the loss despite allowing only 1 earned run over 6 innings pitched. He gave up 6 hits, issued 1 walk and struck out 9.

Thanks to retrosheet.

Stan from Tacoma

54 -- Really? It has always struck me oppositely: that we've retired relatively few numbers considering the greatness of the franchise. It just seems to me that the thing you work toward as a baseball franchise is a championship, and thus, standout players on championship clubs, who have helped add to the legacy of a team, should have their place in the team's history set aside. No Gil Hodges? No Don Newcombe? This has always seemed weird to me...and accordingly, Garvey and Fernando.

The Yankees, for instance have 17 to our 10..and, of course, the yankees are the yankees...but teams with less success like the Cardinals, White Sox, Reds, Orioles are all up there.

Just interests me, I guess. Guys that I see as legends, especially ones I saw growing up like Fernando, I want to see deemed legends by their franchise.

I got my first traffic ticket in 1984. I worked at the Rose Bowl. I got flagged for going 67. Got pulled over around the same place Rodney King would in 1991.

Soccer, the sport the Americans didn't win anything in.

France was the gold medalist with Brazil second.

If a team retires too many numbers, then there aren't any good ones left.

I don't want Andy LaRoche having to wear number 64.

Bob, at night I am able to get KNBR up here, don't know about how the signal carries in So Cal. KNBR is 680 AM. Should be able to catch the last few innings on KNBR after sunset.

Stan from Tacoma

The Dodgers have 10 numbers retired. The Cardinals have 9 numbers retired, plus they honor the name "Rogers Hornsby" who didn't wear a number.

The Giants have 8 numbers retired and 2 "names" retired with no numbers (Mathewson and McGraw).

Some teams don't retire many numbers. The Red Sox have retired just 5.

I'm only counting 42 as a retired number specifically for the Dodgers since the team did retire it before MLB took it out of commission.

71. Is my memory going bad or don't the Cardinals actually have more world series titles than the Dodgers? Do you need to have every post of yours fact-checked?

[53] man, i hate to sound elitist, but orwell should be required reading. nobody should be able to get through high school without reading it.

For the Red Sox, you have to be in the Hall of Fame PLUS played for the Red Sox for 10 years. You also used to have to retire as a Red Sox (Sock?), but they did away with that for Carlton Fisk.

Are we really ready to anoint Orel the best candidate to manage the Dodgers, even to the point of saying DePo would be making a mistake by not hiring him, without Orel even having managed a game professionally?

I feel the same about managers and FEMA directors: They should have at least SOME experience doing the job we're hiring them for. Many great pitching coaches have gone on to become mediocre managers.

Don't get me wrong: I've never seen a stretch of pitching like Orel showed us in '88, and I would love to see him as our pitching coach. But manager? I can't see on-the-job training for such a key hire.

You're not elitist, Vishal. Maybe a tad bourgeois, but not elitist.

The Cardinals, in addition to having more World Series wins than the Dodgers, have the advantage of also not moving.

St. Louis residents tend to be people who have families that have been there for generations. You can tell people that it will be a day to honor Enos Slaughter and people will turn out in droves. But in L.A., the best players from Brooklyn already have their numbers retired or they've passed away.

The fans in St. Louis are a lot more interested in their team's history than the people of L.A. It's not like L.A. Dodgers don't care about the team's history, but the Cardinals are a unique case because it's a much smaller city and the area's relationship with the team is much different.

77 -- Hey, I didn't make the curriculum. All complaints should be sent to Pete Wilson and whoever headed up education in 1991.

haha, i guess i'll give you that. but just a tad, mind you.

It's reasonable to think that eventually the Yankees will have get concerned about retiring too many numbers... I guess its not something I have to worry about in my lifetime.

The Celtics seem to have a lot of retired numbers, but rosters are smaller.

I still find it amusing that the Padres retired Garvey's number.

76 -- I guess I was thinking a tad modern day; the brunt of the Cardinals' championships are pre-Hiroshima.

The Yankees retire the number of anybody who ever went up to George Steinbrenner and said "Good idea, Boss!"

Will Alex Rodriguez have his number retired by the Yankees? Not unless he plays for a World Series champion. Jeter and Williams will get their numbers retired.

The Celtics probably don't have to worry about retiring anyone's number in the near future.

85
True, the Cardinals haven't won in 23 years. They've lost three World Series since then.

They have 4 World Series championship since World War II. They won 5 before World War II ended.

77 Nah, 1984 is too subversive for high school. ;-) I read it on my own, in 1984.

Torre may have his retired.

During this dismal season I equated the Dodgers with the Celtics (I used to be a Celtic fan)... underachieving and for the most part mediocre since the 80's.

Is Jackie Robinson's number a symbolic retired number, i.e. are players still wearing it? If not, do you know if there were any issues with players giving it up? Hearing about how attached players are to their numbers, and paying outlandish sums of money to get them from another player, it seems there could've been some issues there.

81. Yeah, living in Missouri during high school keyed me into that Cardinal love, even though we were 2 hours away from St. Louis. Odd thing is, we were halfway in between Kansas City and St. Louis, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a Royal fan, and this is when they were still fairly good.

88 - I had to read it before high school. It was summer prep work for my freshman engligh honors. 1984 and Tale of Two Cities.

I must admit I only made it through Cliff's version of Tale.

75 - So, if the name is retired, what happens if my last name is Mathewson or McGraw? I can only wear a number? My mother's maiden name?

89. Going off that thought, it makes you wonder how many times a team has lost out on a free agent signing because of retired numbers.

89 - I think they retired it going forward, but current players were allowed to wear it, especially if it was in tribute to Jackie (Mo Vaughn comes to mind).

[88] subversive? since when is being against totalitarianism a subversive notion? unless you're making a crack about the patriot act or something :)

89 As far as I remember, there was only one play wearing 42 when it was retired (I don't remember who), and I don't think there was any issues with him giving it up. This is just off the top of my head, so I could be wrong.

The A's/MLB.com content re: Macha is not Orwellian.

http://tinyurl.com/aqb87

Mariano Rivera still wears 42

The only player left in the majors wearing 42 is Mariano Rivera.

95 Public school sytem = totalitarianism. At least it seems that way when you're 14 (my age in 1984).

99 One minute and eight seconds! Today is surely a red-letter day.

Enjoy it while you can....

I'm very bad with player numbers.

Don Sutton is a member of the '88 Dodgers who had his number retired.

mariano still gets to wear it because they included a grandfather clause when they retired #42, right?

105 - I believe so. Not sure if Mo wears it in tribute to Jackie or not, but he's a future HOFer, so he got to keep it.

62 - I was alive for part of 1984. Who got to chuck the hammer at Sparky?

99, 105 - Barring any comebacks by Mo Vaughn, Butch Huskey, or other such luminaries...I remember Toby Borland wearing #42 for the Phillies right around then too.

93 - I don't think this would stop Rickey though, so long as somebody decides to PAY RICKEY!!!

106. So Rivera will break the HOF's "closer" barrier, opening the doors for Lee Smith, Sutter, Goose, et al? Or will Hoffman?

107 - Ironically, the Dodgers are one of 4 teams to retire the #24 (Rickey's #, though none are on Ricky's behalf).

Reds, Astros, and Giants are the others.

Add irony: the Giants 24 is some OFer who let others refer to him as the "Greatest...of All Time", instead of pimping his ownself.

108 - I think the Eck gets that honor as first modern day closer.

Rivera will follow, mostly off his postseason creds.

Hoffman might (should?) get the "Lee Smith treament".

Shouldn't have taken Goose this long. He deserves to be in.

Since John McGraw retired, there have been two McGraws in the majors, Tug and Tom, and neither played for the Giants.

There has never been another Mathewson in the majors since Christy.

Of other "names" retired, there has been one Cobb (who played briefly in 1928) and no Hornsbys.

I need to point that Gil Hodges' number was retired... by the Mets.

The Mets have retired three numbers (Hodges, Stengel, and Seaver), but only one for a player. Maybe if they'd kept Jeff Kent awhile they'd be getting ready to retire another.

113 Do the Met's retire Piazza's number?

Oh no, 113 is an endless loop! :-)

I would think that the Mets would retire Piazza's number. He's an obvious Hall of Famer and is richly deserving. Someone should recognize the greatest hitting catcher ever.

113 - Piazza most likely, and in about 25 years Dave Wright as well. Of course, ask this question in 1985 and no Met would ever be wearing #16 or 18 ever again either...

We don't get any of the Piazza HOF train?

115 - And I see no current Met wears #9 in honor of Gregg Jefferies (or did they not get around to retiring that one yet?).

Gee, Bob beat me to it, big surprise.

I am also somewhat surprised the Mets never retired #s 45 (the Tugger + Johnny Franco) or 47 (Orosco), considering those guys were all BIG parts of the success the Mets have had.

Of course, the guys wearing those numbers now may have something to say about that.

116 - Given the Dodger guidelines above, Piazza's number will most likely be retired sometime in 2012.

The Dodgers will get a piece of the Lo Duca HOF train.

I mean, his best Stat year was as a Dodger.

He probably goes into the Hall as a Met, but we wouldn't even consider putting him on the Chavez wall? Anyone who attends games realizes that the man is still very much a Los Angeles institution...

121

True, but for some reason the present day press just seems to operate this way,

Lo Duca traded to Florida - EVIL
Piazza traded to Florida - He was?

28 I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who remembers this. I dropped a "Billy Ripken's rookie card" line to some friends the other day and they looked at me like I had lost my mind.

I think both teams would retire his 31 (doubt the Marlins do though :-) ).

And I also don't think it's a given that he goes in as a Met. Lasorda will certainly try to steer him in one particular direction. And as the Fox regime increasingly fades in the rearview mirror, any hard feeling against the LA organization should too.

123 - Ha, I thought I was going to be able to retire on that bad boy. Oh well.

124 - And if he comes back in 2006+ to help bring up Navarro/Martin, then maybe slides up into the broadcast booth...

The Marlins will retire #31 for Robb Nen before they retire it for Piazza. Or...hmm, who was that righty that wore 31 for them in 2003?

45 Bob, soory if i missed someone answering it, but Santa Clarita picks up am 710 just fine. I was listening to it just a little while ago. I assume it would stay into Fillmore

126 - That's what I was thinking, a little 2006/7 swan song for Piazza, then stay in the organization afterward in some capacity.

Unfortunately, I have a sinking suspicion he's in the Angels lineup next year as a DH/C/1B. He will then be dead to me.

But Blue, the Angels have several Molinas (Molinae?) to catch next year, Erstad is so scrappy he can ONLY play 1B/DH, and aren't they supposed to trade for Bonds anyways?

Maybe Piazza would make a good bench coach? He comes across as pretty knowledgeable when he does broadcasts, he definitely can relate to players/good clubhouse influence, and he can always dye his hair or something whenever "chemistry" issues come up.

For anyone who doesn't know what rageon and I are talking about, here's a picture of Ripken's rookie card:
http://tinyurl.com/dayy5

On retired numbers... The Dodgers aren't like the Yankees, Cardinals or even the Giants. They really weren't a 'storied' franchise until their final decade and a half in Brooklyn. That would keep the potential number of retired players limited pretty much to three eras: The Jackie Robinson/Roy Campanella period, the Koufax/Drysdale/Alston period and the Garvey-Cey-Lopes-Russell/Lasorda period. The Dodgers' concept of building a team, as well, has tended to rely more on a solid, relentless lineup/rotation/bullpen rather than a single star, with the huge exception of Koufax. Looking at the list of their retired numbers, I don't see anyone missing from my lifetime, which goes back to the 50s. Valenzuela's number would be retired on sentiment and history, not career performance.

The Boston Red Sox have not retired Wade Boggs' number. But Tampa Bay has.

127 - Actually it sounds atrocious in Fillmore.

I happened to have been driving through Fillmore during the 9th inning of Game 7, 2001. Had to endure a lot of static to get just a smidgen of play by play.

Who's the top pre-1945 Dodger? Zach Wheat?

Who's the top pre-1945 Dodger? Zach Wheat?

128- If Piazza ends up on the Angels I can see Lasorda kiss his cheek and telling Him I know it was you mikey I know it was you.

108 - On the closer barrier, the

The Mariners will probably retire #51 in honor of two players: Randy Johnson and Ichiro. Don't know how many teams have done that. Hopefully, any organizational animus towards RJ and his "bad back" will be long gone - he really carried that team to new heights. If he goes into the Hall wearing a Diamondbacks hat, that's one more reason to avoid going back to Cooperstown. Maybe he thought they were cheap, but they've turned their pockets out to several better players since!

136 - the closer barrier will be toppled long before Bert Byleven gets into the Hall, despite Blyleven being an excellent starter and reliever.

133
Dazzy Vance?

129 - True it could be Bonds next year, since the Angels seem to match up well with the Giants penchant for washed up veterans.

Bengie will probably be allowed to go sign an absurd contract to hit clean up for some poor sucker of a team that only scouted the playoffs (say, the Mets do need a catcher...).

Jose Molina will then get the starting gig behind the plate I would think, and no one will tell the difference.

Piazza could provide the RH sock that the Angels needed this year (you know, what Juan Rivera could've given them had they allowed it).

136 - Unit pitched 6 seasons in AZ, as compared to 9 in Seattle. It's not as if he was some short-term hired goon in the desert.

And with the 4 Cy's and his only (to date) WS title, Arizona is where Unit went from "dang good pitcher" to "is he the best LHP ever?" territory.

I say he goes in wearing DBack purple, and rightfully so.

140-But the DB uniforms are really ugly, do they belong in the HoF?

136 Yogi Berra/Bill Dickey have #8 retired for the Yankees. Yogi wore #8 out of respect for his predecessor.

141 - There's prescedent for ugly unis in the Hall:

http://tinyurl.com/99rmr

molinas= molinae

i LOLed for about 5 mins at that.

I know that this is Dodger Thoughts, but I thought that Jon would put this one in there. October 14, 1910? Anyone?

134 Babe Herman?

looking at some A's boards, most of the fans are outraged macha is back. they are even turning on beane.

wow they must have not liked macha whatsoever.

Happy Birthday, Wizard!

John Wooden turns 95 today - is that right?

(Do you see how Google has improved our lives?)

134

Whit Wyatt had some pretty good years from 1939-1943.

How about Van Lingle Mungo (just cause he had a cool name)?

Babe Herman had some pretty nice years as well.

140 - Good points. It should be noted that in Seattle, he went from "wild flamethrower/circus act" to "elite pitcher," and there was at least one Cy Young award I and others thought he should have gotten while in Seattle but didn't (over Jack McDowell, who IIRC mostly won it because his team made the playoffs that year and the Mariners didn't). The Mariners took a big gamble on Johnson, trading away their best pitcher (Mark Langston) for him from the Expos, and then putting up with a couple of wildly erratic seasons before his control problems got settled.

Arizona, on the other hand, knew they were getting an elite pitcher - everybody saw the way he pitched in the '95 playoffs, and he had just given the Astros a big boost and pitched them into the postseason the year before he signed. And Johnson thriving in the NL where he'd get to strike out the pitcher 2-3 times a game was pretty much guaranteed after posting decent ERAs in the bandbox that was the Kingdome. The only question mark on him was his performance in the postseason, which aside from 2000 still remains hit-or-miss.

In other words, when the D-Backs signed him, the idea that "Randy Johnson is a Hall of Fame pitcher" wouldn't have raised eyebrows. When the Mariners traded for him, it was downright absurd. In some ways, it's a lot like Piazza: he became an elite player with the Dodgers, but had his greatest glory as a Met.

136, 140 - Agreed. His only really memorable moments as a Mariner were the 1995 playoffs and the '93 All-Star Game. Ichiro, meanwhile, has already put up numbers that have never been seen before and definitely, even if he were to retire today, deserves serious HOF consideration.

143 - I would like to see Bagwell and/or Biggio wearing the 1990s Astro unis in the Hall. Does anyone else think the new red ones are just plain ugly? They also don't have nearly the cool factor as these: http://tinyurl.com/87ylp

144 - Thanks Nate, that is what seven years of Latin have gotten me!

147 - I was real surprised to see that. It seemed that Beane/Macha was devolving into a Depo/Tracy situation. Maybe it was just Macha frustrated with Beane, rather than vice versa.

I'm just surprised to see Macha spurn an extension from Beane, only to come back and accept the still-standing offer after getting squeezed out of the oh-so-glamorous Pittsburgh job. Seems very un-Beane-like. He had even started the interview process to replace Macha. Very odd.

Happy Birthday Coach. Just curious as to your opinions. Who is a bigger legend in Southern California, Coach Wooden or Vin Scully?

150 - Good points Adam, but you can argue the 1995 and '97 Mariner teams were far more offense-oriented than around pitching, and so RJ may not have been as big a difference to those teams as Langston would have been. Until that playoff game in 1995 anyways.

To put this debate in terms of the Bill Simmons Pyramid Hall, I think the Unit was a Level 5, possibly level 4 by the time he left Seattle, and definitely reached Level 2 (or even higher...scary) in Arizona.

For those that haven't read about this idea, Insider link here: http://tinyurl.com/cn79b

Maybe someone knows how to access those elsewhere without getting hit up by ESPN.com?

147-
I would rather Washington be A's coach, but in the end I do not care. Most A's fans that had problems with Macha was because he made bad pitching changes,he had players bunt and do hit and runs (granted the A's still did not do it much), he changed his lineups all the time and had some really dumb lineups at times, and he challenged Beane a lot. You do not challenge Beane in Oakland! Yet now these people are mad at Beane for hiring a guy that did not always cater to him. Kind of funny.

Is Icaros in the house? Godfather II is on AMC right now.

Eh. Those Seattle teams relied on pitching, it was just hard to get any in the Kingdome; the '95 team would never have made the playoffs if they hadn't picked up Andy Benes and Norm Charlton in midseason (Vince Coleman, too, th emost unlikely trio of saviors one could imagine). Anyways, I went back over Johnson's career stats and accomplishments, and the following came up:

*1988: Makes debut with Montreal (drafted in '85)
*1989: Traded to Seattle, posts a 4.40 ERA in 22 starts
*1990: 14-11, 3.65, 120 BB, 194 Ks; no-hitter at Kingdome, makes first ASG
*1991: 12-12, 3.98, 152 BB, 198 Ks
*1992: 12-14, 3.77, 144 BB, 241 Ks (leads AL)
*1993: 19-08, 3.24, 099 BB, 308 Ks; #2 in CY voting to Jack McDowell (inexplicable).
*1994: 13-06, 3.19, 072 BB, 304 Ks; missed 8-11 starts due to injury
*1995: 18-02, 2.48, 065 BB, 294 Ks; CY, 1st in Seattle history, 6th in the 1995 MVP voting
*1996: 05-00, 3.67, 025 BB, 085 Ks; only started 8 games due to back problems
*1997: 20-04, 2.28, 77 BB, 291 Ks; struck out 19 batters twice in one season; #2 in ALCY due to "superhuman" season by Clemens in Toronto.
*1998: More back problems, traded to Houston, where he goes 10-1 with a 1.98 ERA.
*1999: Signs with Arizona.

The 1997 ERA is still Johnson's career low, that's pitching in the AL, with half those games in the Kingdome. If Randy Johnson 1995-1998 doesn't define "scary" for you, I hope you're a Navy SEAL.

157 - Correction: Johnson's record with Houston in the second half of '98 was 10-1 with a 1.28 ERA, not a 1.98 ERA. If Arizona didn't know they were buying a scary starting pitcher after that, well...

Camille Johnston has been named Senior Vice President of Communications for the Los Angeles Dodgers, it was announced today by Dodger Vice Chairman and President Jamie McCourt. Johnston begins her appointment on October 24 and will report directly to McCourt.

http://tinyurl.com/9wh5v

Maybe not nearly as exciting as another press release that could occur in the next week...

157 - Did he win 4 consecutive Cy Young's during that period? Ok then.

153 Wooden is the top in his category, Scully in his. The real competition would be who's the region's greatest player, comparing all sports, and also who had the greatest single season?

Wooden's done a good job of remaining in the public eye despite nearly 30 years having gone by since he retired. Lots of people revere him who weren't alive when he was coaching. It's just his overall decency combined with superlative talent. All too rare.

I'm just surprised to see Macha spurn an extension from Beane, only to come back and accept the still-standing offer after getting squeezed out of the oh-so-glamorous Pittsburgh job.

Is this true? I have been looking to see if Macha took the old deal or they negotiated a new one and haven't found anything about the specifics.

160 - Over the five seasons from 1993-1997, he finished 1st or 2nd in the AL CY in every year in which he was healthy enough to compete. One of those 2nd place finishes was highly questionable loss to McDowell, and the other time he lost out to maybe the best pitching season of the last 30 years. In 1998, his second-half stint with Houston was good enough that he finished 7th in the NLCY voting.

The most similar stretch I can think of (and really the only comparable one) would be Pedro Martinez 1998-2003 with Boston, where he won the ERA crown 4 years out of 5, yet only won the CY twice, finishing 2nd twice and 3rd once. If Martinez' first 5 years in Boston, don't meet your definition of "dominant," you could argue the D-Backs didn't know they were signing a "dominant" pitcher.

159 How many communications directors for baseball teams served stints in the White House?

PR-wise, the McCourts are loaded for bear. But which bear?

Shocking turn of events!!!!

Lovable Dodgers catcher is going to Florida, oh the misery! What will we ever do?

Mike Rose was claimed off waivers by Tampa Bay. Huge loss, I know

Macha's lineups are goofy, but you didn't have the problem there that young players were wasting while no-talent hackery (or young no-talent hackery, in our case) was playing. There was no long-term damage, in other words.

156 I'm here, just got back from my pre-employment physical. I've been getting stuck with quite a few needles this past week.

GFII was on AMC last night as well. I was turned off by the commercial breaks, though.

Hacksaw just reported that three Dodger PR people were fired and then had to be escorted out by security. If there is any truth in this, I wonder how Camille is going to communicate about this?

162 - Don't know if the financials are the same. I haven't seen that. If it was for less money, it must've been a very humbling experience for Macha.

163 - 1 first and 2 2nds is a nice 5 year run, dominant in fact. I think Santana is in the midst of a similar run right now, and could follow a similar career path (though at a younger age) if he wises up and gets out of Minnesota. Unit also was blessed with outstanding endurance as he got older.

My original point was that Unit goes into the Hall wearing DBack purple, since that's where he earned most of his bling.

So who is the Florida catcher in 2009, Navaro or Martin?

rr

Gordone Edes in Boston Globe reports negotiations between Theo Epstein & Red Sox not going to smoothly so far.
http://tinyurl.com/9g96m

Icaros, you were up pretty late. I had minor surgery yesterday and couldn't sleep so I had it on. First time I've ever seen it while hopped up on vicodin. Been home all day today watching TV. Its amazing how bad daytime TV is. How many Judge Whoever shows can there be?

168. Did Drew have to fire them? I guess its time for the younger McCourt children to join the front office. Hope their new PR jobs don't conflict with their homework and SAT prep course.

How many Judge Whoever shows can there be?

My mom TIVOs every one of those shows and watches them when she gets home from work.

I was up late last night. I only have 10 days of the jobless, living at parents' home lifestyle to go, so I'm making the best of it.

I'm moving into an apartment in the aorta of Giants territory next week.

Excerpt from the Marrieta, PA Times (Jim Tracy's hometown), Oct 14 2005 --

Ex-Pioneer not to blame with Dodgers' fiasco
by Bill Robinson, The Benchwarmer

New Pirates manager Jim Tracy probably still would have been a Dodger pilot today if his demands to management had been met in a meeting more than a month ago.

The former Marietta College outfielder told owner Frank McCourt and general manager Paul DePodesta he wanted a two-year extension to his contract and a pay raise. But there were philsophical differences to be reconciled. Both McCourt and DePodesta were incensed with the demands because of the Dodgers' lousy 2005 record and Tracy was let go.

That lousy record was hardly Tracy's fault. Many in the Los Angeles press said so. DePodesta, a 32-year-old Harvard graduate, should get a big share of the blame. His questionable roster moves helped destroy the Dodgers' chances of repeating their National League West Division championship. Those unpopular moves plus a rash of injuries made for an excrutiating season for Tracy.

Full article at
http://tinyurl.com/84rad

Enjoy the remainder of your unemployed time. The time when you have a job but haven't started is the best. Other periods of unemployment are spent stressing about getting the next job and they suck.

Hope you conviced mom to still do your laundry. After all what else is there to do when you're watching those Judge shows.

175 "the aorta of Giants territory"

Yikes. I hope a stent isn't soon required.

168 Escorting a fired employee out of the building on the arms of security is par for the course in corporate America nowadays. They don't want you downloading privileged or proprietary information, nor do they want you stirring up trouble with your friends that still have jobs. You get tossed to the curb, and then the company packs up your office, and sends your personal stuff to you. It's brutal, but we proles have learned to accept it as one of the blessings of our economic system.

"Many in the Los Angeles press said so."

That's one fantastic argument.

177 I actually don't like anyone doing my laundry but me. I haven't had to cook or pay for many meals the past two months, though, nor have I had to pay rent.

178 I hope so too, but I'm on the top floor of my building, at least. Sure, I'll still probably die if it collapses, but for some reason I'd rather die squishing someone else from above than getting squished. I think it's an extension of claustrophobic impulses.

Kevin Kennedy just claimed on the Fox pregame show that he expect the angels to be patient. Its worth noting that he does cover the Angels for Fox sports west.

181 Nah. It's simpler than that. Power, baby, power!

If Dodger PR people have been fired, these are the people that feed the Jim Hills, Steve Hensons, etc. Effectively replacing them with someone who has a great PR resume but no sports contacts...I smell some nasty stories ahead.

Wow Tim McCarver looks awful.

176 -- I just read the whole article...wow. Sounds like a high school paper or something. I mean, naturally I expect his hometown paper to have his back, but that was all kinds of bad.

185 Maybe he's distraught because he learned his contract won't be renewed. I sure hope so anyways

184. these are the people that feed the Jim Hills

Come on. You mean someone is feeding Jim Hill the info and he is still that bad.

187. I don't think McCarver is all that bad. He just caters to the people who only watch 10 games a year. I am really suprised that Lou is not better.

That is the first time I have ever seen the umpires taking the field televised. And the fans let them have it.

Padres did some stuff...

Manny Alexander released (too bad, I was hoping he'd stay)
Damian Jackson opted for free agency (I was really hoping he and Alexander would stick around)
1B coach Davey Lopes, 3B coach Ron Piccioli, and and advance scout Jeff Gardner were fired

I didn't say they did meaningful stuff

Anyone notice the game started? Angels already down, 1-0.

Let me forestall any talk of Lopes coming to manage the Dodgers:

https://dodgerthoughts.baseballtoaster.com/archives/176975.html

On baseballanalysts.com they have Boyd Nation article about the top college hitters and pitchers. A Chad Tracy of Pepperdine is the third best hitter by adjusted OPS. Is this Jimbo's son? i seem to remember hearing about him having sons in southern califnoria, playing baseball. Can you imagine (if he is Jim's son) if the dodgers drafted him next june?

Is it safe to assume Eddings is not at fault for the 3 ChiSox runs so far?

Icaros, my mother's favorite show was CHIPs!

I have to say, I kind of like Rory Markus on the radio broadcasts.

192 - Yes it's him, and no way :)

190 -, 191 - : I smell a meaningless PR hiring! Couldn't the Dodgers use a tradition coach or a stay-in-front-of-the-ball coach or something?

189 - When he was with the Mariners, Piniella in an interview was like the coach in Dodgeball. I could not believe it when they hired him.

194 - Me, too. He seems much better to me than the guys doing their TV broadcasts.

Watching that Konerko homerun, i cant help but think how stupid it was of lasorda to trade him and stick with a 30-year old Karros over him.

197- Karros was Tommy's "boy" and Konerko posed a threat to Karros, so he shipped him off for the great Jeff Shaw and gave Karros an extension. Excellent move, Tommy!

That was a sweet-looking play by Iguchi.

Not sure if this has been posted already, but the D-rays claimed (young) Mike Rose off waivers. Probably a good thing for Rose as he will see more playing time in Tampa and should make the team out of spring training.
From rotoworld:
Devil Rays claimed catcher Mike Rose off waivers from the Dodgers.
It's a minor move for sure, but it's certainly not one the old regime would have made. Rose, 29, possesses on-base skills and he's not a total zero defensively. As a cheap backup, he wouldn't be a bad solution. The Rays apparently will have him compete with Kevin Cash and Pete LaForest for a job in the spring.

Nevermind, King of the Hobos already posted it...

The Flying Molinas are in the Wall Street Journal today.

There's a new post above, FYI.

I'm glad were sticking with Flying Molinas. Flying Molinae sounds like a major infestation of something.

Erstad sure was a heckuva player right there. Scrappy to the nth degree!

OK! I have returned from watching the #4 women's volleyball team in the country steamroll another opponent. Anybody here watchin the Chisox, fill me in on how they scored 3 so early?

206
RBI double by Dye.
Two-run HR by Konerko.
One sac bunt by Iguchi, which was the key to the whole inning.

Nice at bat by Dye

Thanks...the sac bunt set up the runners for the home run, I assume? :)

209 No, the sac bunt set up Podsednik to score from second on Dye's double.

ok. either no one is out there, my connection is gone or Jon's server died. But 1hr of silence during a playoff game is highly unusual.