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About Jon
Thank You For Not ...

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

Kent To Have 'Precautionary' Surgery
2006-01-06 17:43
by Jon Weisman

... to eliminate non-baseball discomfort in his right wrist, as far as I can tell from John Nadel's Associated Press report. Apparently, somehow, throwing and hitting are the only things he can do that don't hurt.

Kent might still be recovering when pitchers and catchers report, so figure on Willy Aybar getting his moment in the early March Florida sun at second base. It doesn't seem like it will affect Kent's regular season preparation significantly, but the Dodgers are ever-optimistic in this sort of thing.

* * *

Theo Epstein spoke to Steve Silva of Boston.com about many topics, including the Dodger general manager vacancy last fall:

"I looked at the Dodger job," Epstein said. "The GM job (was) there when I was available and that was an interesting opportunity but I thought it was too close to leaving the Red Sox to really jump in with both feet. ..."

Comments
2006-01-06 17:51:48
1.   GoBears
non-baseball discomfort

Is this the same thing as "truck-washing" discomfort, then?

Hey, stop booing. You were all thinking the same thing! Well, those of you over the age of 14.

2006-01-06 17:52:27
2.   Bob Timmermann
I will have a precautionary puke of anxiety.
2006-01-06 18:12:28
3.   Sam DC
Hmmm . . . I don't know if there's a line item on the Dodger Injury Conversion Chart for this one.
2006-01-06 18:12:32
4.   Robert Daeley
Is it too late to take Soriano off the Nats' hands? ;D
2006-01-06 18:22:45
5.   jff123
My son and I are watching a friend's tape of game 1 of the 1988 WS. Here's some trivia questions: who sang the national anthem? Who threw the first pitch?

We were listening to the soundtrack to Damn Yankees and then got a sudden case of baseball fever and had to see a game. It's probably related to the warm weather. Boy, the top of the first inning was a nail biter.

2006-01-06 18:24:51
6.   autumnlanding
aybar and repko will most likely begin the season in AAA. this is just an observation based on all the surefire signings and clubhouse fixtures that quickly add up to 25 men for the opening day roster. am i wrong?
2006-01-06 19:06:02
7.   D4P
1
Not only was I thinking the same thing, but I was going to type the same thing, until I saw that you had beaten me to it.
2006-01-06 21:21:52
8.   trainwreck
Saw Hostel today if anyone here likes twisted violent horror movies then go see it if you do not then I am going to suggest see something else.
2006-01-06 21:29:22
9.   Winthrop
According to ESPN, The Red Sox signed JT Snow for one year and $2 million. It's another sign that Mr. Ned is doing a good job of abstaining from the worthless-free-agent orgy (Tomko notwithstanding).
2006-01-06 21:30:37
10.   Winthrop
9
Okay, not a good job, but at least a better job than the Sox GM...
2006-01-06 21:32:21
11.   Xeifrank
5. Bruce Hornsby and Ron Cey. Oh wait, that's the answer to which two people have never been in my kitchen. :)

Instead of getting Aybar ST time at 2B, why not move Nomar to 2B and start Choi at 1B. Wishful thinking... now back to our regularly scheduled reality.

Kobe is lighting it up again tonight.
vr, Xei

2006-01-06 22:11:08
12.   D4P
11
I see that Kobe and Smush combined to shoot 28-39 (72%), including 12-12 from downtown.
2006-01-06 22:15:13
13.   das411
So nobody wants to break the Koskie to Milwaukee trade? ...Bob? --echo--

http://tinyurl.com/8ag98

2006-01-06 22:32:47
14.   Bob Timmermann
I beat you by two minutes and I added local color!
2006-01-06 23:18:10
15.   das411
Wow, and insightful questions too. Time to go find my globe!

Everybody else, go read Bob's version, it is much better than mine :)

2006-01-06 23:23:44
16.   LAT
"I looked at the Dodger job," Epstein said. "The GM job (was) there when I was available and that was an interesting opportunity but I thought it was too close to leaving the Red Sox to really jump in with both feet. ..."

That is PR speak for "After seeing how my friend Paul was treated, it would take a lot more money than Frank McCourt has to get me to be the GM of the train wreck that was the Dodgers in Oct 2005."

Notably absent was any mention of Larry Lucchino or the Globe article that Theo claimed was a breach of trust and purportly led to his resignation.

2006-01-06 23:51:15
17.   LAT
What no mention of the Dodgers' official 2005 payroll of $87.8 million?

http://tinyurl.com/doame

I don't really care that it never reached the infamous $100 million mark because to have spent another $13M would not have improved the injury decimated 2005 team enough to make a difference. But it is a problem for an owner who suffers from a credibility/communication disability. If this were the only shortcoming of Frank's stewardship it would be immaterial but it is one of many and one his critics will jump on.

If I were Sitrick (and I wish I was, I saw pictures of his house) I would have had Frank issue a statement during last season to the effect of: "I know I referenced a $100M payroll when I bought the team. Right now our payroll is below that figure providing us some flexibility if we need it. However, we will not spend the money just for the sake of spending it. If the right player becomes available and Paul believes he can have an immediate impact we will not hesitate to use that money to sigh him."

At least Frank would now have a little cover. I know most here don't care about the $100M mark but I'm betting Simmers or Plaschke will.

2006-01-07 00:09:23
18.   natepurcell
lol in the new dodger report in todays LAtimes there were some interesting little tidbits.

-speculation that weaver/boras will accept a one yr deal to go to arbitration and test the market next year.

-talks have died down for david wells because the sox are being ridiculous and are asking for one of the dodgers top minor league prospects AND yhency brazoban.

-colletti said rumors of signing jim brower are not true but they are looking at julian taveras.

2006-01-07 00:16:53
19.   Uncle Miltie
-I don't think Weaver will take a 1 year deal. The Angels will probably sign him for 4 years @ close to $40 million.
-Good news on the Wells front. The Sox are nuts to be asking for a top prospect AND Brazoban. I wouldn't give them either.
-Tavarez would be a solid pickup, but I doubt he would want to come to the Dodgers. He's looking for a 4 year deal. At worst, he could sign a 1 year deal to become a closer (with a team such as the Braves). Brower would be a terrible signing.
2006-01-07 00:24:29
20.   natepurcell
i hope weaver doesnt accept arb. we need those draft picks! and i think seo will do just as good as weaver next year.
2006-01-07 00:24:33
21.   trainwreck
Nate what is your favorite Thrice album?
2006-01-07 00:26:33
22.   GoBears
Off topic, but Studes has a really cool (and easy to understand) article on batted balls at Hardballtimes.com.

Several interesting conclusions:

Star relievers really are different from starters

Batters have more control over batted balls than pitchers

An explanations for why Ks are great for pitchers, but not so bad for hitters.

http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/pictures-of-batted-balls/

2006-01-07 00:38:32
23.   GoBears
"An explanations" Nice. I'm an idiot. And actually, it's not even really an explanation - more a surmise.
2006-01-07 00:43:43
24.   natepurcell
probably illusions of safety.

identity crisis is a close second.

dont ask what my fav thrice song is... i probably have like 15. :)
how about u?

2006-01-07 00:48:34
25.   trainwreck
Well yeah I knew you liked them and my friends told me they were good so I got their Artist in the Ambulance CD and I did not really like it. Is their older stuff a lot harder and more diverse? I think Illusions of Safety is the album I heard was really good.
2006-01-07 00:53:27
26.   natepurcell
artist in the ambulance is thier worst cd.

its not even bad, but its not up to par with illusions of safety.

identity crisis is a lot more raw than thier newer material. the drums are mostly simple punk beats and its uptempo combined with a lot of metallic guitar lines.

fav songs on IC:
identity crisis
pheonix ignition
as the ruin falls
ultra blue

their newest album Vheissu is a lot different from their older material. i dunno if i like it more. its just different from me. although some songs kick ass on it, some are just blah.

2006-01-07 00:56:54
27.   trainwreck
Some interesting news I heard... Norah Jones is going to be on Mike Patton's Peeping Tom album, apparently her producer all produced Delirium Cordia, which is beyond surprising as Norah Jones and Fantomas could not be more different, especially that album.
2006-01-07 00:59:41
28.   trainwreck
*also produced
2006-01-07 01:53:06
29.   Andrew Shimmin
22- It also raises the possibility that Jason Phillips really is the slowest man in the MLB. He has the lowest relative run value on ground balls. Maybe if he tried harder, showed a little hustle. . .
2006-01-07 03:55:48
30.   gcrl
debbie gibson sang the anthem. i don't recall who threw out the first pitch.
2006-01-07 08:54:34
31.   Steve
Mariano Duncan?
2006-01-07 09:23:15
32.   s choir
18, 20:

I thought that Weaver had already declined arbitration. Correct me if I'm wrong.

2006-01-07 09:32:17
33.   still bevens
27 Is peeping tom the record hes doing with Dan the Automator and childrens choirs and stuff?
2006-01-07 09:40:32
34.   Bob Timmermann
Weaver has until Sunday to accept or decline arbitration. He indicated that he would likely decline arbitration but he did not formally do so.
2006-01-07 09:53:30
35.   CharlieBrown
31--I am glad you raised this name. Did anyone else notice how it was sort of an afterthought in the Saturday Times Dodger story that MARIANO DUNCAN is involved with coaching minor league hitters?

I will now ask a serious question: How many hitters since the Duncan era (1985 on) drew fewer walks than Mariano? He had to have been one of the worst. And it's not like he hit for power much. With the exception of a couple years, he was about as bad of a hitter as you could be--this is like making Shaq a freethrow coach. What is going on?

2006-01-07 09:59:16
36.   razzle nugent
17 I believe the $87 million figure does not include the $10 million that was sent to Arizona in the Shawn Green trade.
2006-01-07 10:08:56
37.   Steve
35 -- words sort of failed me there. My thoughts exactly.
2006-01-07 10:11:54
38.   Steve
Certain phone numbers need to be conveniently lost: the Devil Rays', the Red Sox', Jeff Weaver's
2006-01-07 10:27:53
39.   Johnson
34
Weaver has already declined arbitration. The deadline for accepting/declining arbitration was Dec. 19th. However, Weaver can still sign a free agent contract with the Dodgers until Sunday. After that, we can't negotiate with/sign him until May 1st. I assume that the speculation that is going around is that Weaver might sign a one-year deal with the Dodgers and test free agency again next year, and it got "telephoned" into Weaver accepting arbitration.

http://tinyurl.com/8nk9n

(Links to MLB.com - important dates for 2005-2006)

2006-01-07 10:41:22
40.   Bob Timmermann
Weaver purple monkey dishwasher.
2006-01-07 10:43:18
41.   Eric Enders
I'm going with Debbie Gibson/Nancy Reagan. Two people who had no business ever becoming famous.
2006-01-07 11:02:34
42.   willhite
35 -

Come on guys. Tommy and Frank promised us a return to Dodger Tradition. What better way to do that than to bring back Orel........er, Mariano.

2006-01-07 11:06:27
43.   willhite
42 -

By the way, the article didn't say he would be brought in as hitting coach, just that his experience with the Dodgers in the minors was as a hitting coach. Might be brought in as first or third base coach.

Or, looking at the bright side, if he's in L.A. as hitting coach for Nomah, Mueller, Drew (who apparently already know how to hit) he won't be contaminating the youngsters in Vegas and Jacksonville.

2006-01-07 11:15:10
44.   Bob Timmermann
Rob Deer has been a minor league hitting coach too. He once said that he was trying to make sure that players didn't hit like him.
2006-01-07 11:56:50
45.   Steve
Jason Grabowski's future is assured.
2006-01-07 12:02:18
46.   Woody
Isn't the old saying "those who can't do, teach"?
2006-01-07 12:47:10
47.   trainwreck
33-
Automator is one of a few producers he worked with on the album. I know it is supposed to be like a pop/mainstream type album and it will get released nationally by Reprise.
2006-01-08 07:13:45
48.   Colorado Blue
45 - Yes, but if he teaches the "Stare of Disbelief" I will personally hunt him down...
2006-01-09 08:13:50
49.   jff123
Yep, it was Debbie Gibson and Nancy Reagan (surrounded by kids in "Just Say No" t-shirts).

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