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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

Best Kind of Reality Check
2006-02-21 09:34
by Jon Weisman

The Dodgers have scheduled a press conference to announce the extension of Vin Scully's contract.

Hopefully, that's all, and there isn't a shoe dropping behind it. (Hate to be on my guard, but...)

But above all, great news!

Comments (75)
Show/Hide Comments 1-50
2006-02-21 13:37:32
1.   Sam DC
Ah, an amusing discussion for our own ShiftyJ.

http://crookedtimber.org/2006/02/21/email-from-students/

2006-02-21 13:48:46
2.   Sam DC
That is nice to read about Vin Scully.

Meanwhile, back in offtopic land, from today's Washington Post chat with Os beat writer Jorge Arangure, Jr., we get this nugget:

Brad, Pa.: What have you observed with Leo Mazzone as the pitching coach? Are you seeing miracles occur right before your very eyes? Despite my sarcasm, I am a big O's fan. Just curious to hear how you see the pitchers responding to him...

Jorge Arangure Jr.: Like i said, it's WAY too early to notice any type of change Leo Mazzone brings. THe one noticeable difference is that he makes the pitchers hit. Ray Miller didn't do that. And how that will make a difference who knows.

Two observations. One, this writer certainly does bring a healthy does of informality (and that's putting it quite charitably) to his interactive work. Two, interesting that Mazzone has his pitchers hit in the American League. Wondering if he does that because he thinks it helps for ptiching or just because he's only done tha. Do pitchers take batting practice on other AL teams?

2006-02-21 13:57:39
3.   Curtis Lowe
Off Topic but good news-

Baseball America has ranked the Dodgers #1.

YaY!

2006-02-21 14:06:23
4.   Slikk
YES!!!!! Thank goodness Vinny.
2006-02-21 14:06:39
5.   Marty
I hope that other shoe isn't something like he'll only do home games against the Giants.
2006-02-21 14:11:21
6.   Mark
3 I believe Alan Greenspan said it best when he spoke about "irrational exuberance".
2006-02-21 15:03:31
7.   Sam DC
From McCourt's chat:

Question: I'm a huge Vin Scully fan and I was wondering how long his contract is with the Dodgers?


laguest:

We are truly blessed to have Vin Scully returning as the Voice of the Dodgers for the 57th year. Did you know that he was recently named the 2005 California Sportscaster of the Year for a record 27th time by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association? That's an incredible tribute to him and his work.

Let me give you a little sneak preview of what I'm going to be announcing tomorrow at a press conference at Dodger Stadium: I'm going to announce that we're extending Vin's contract through the 2008 season. He's the glue that keeps generations of Dodger fans together and I can't tell you how thrilled I am to be making this announcement tomorrow.

2006-02-21 15:06:19
8.   Sam DC
Also this not-necessarily-endearing comment:

Base_Ball:

What do you think of the job that Ned Colleti is doing and did you have any influence on this acquistion?


laguest_2 I'm thrilled with the start that Ned is off to. It makes all the difference in the world when the owner is on the same page as the general manager and vice versa. His experience, leadership capabilities and his overall ability to communicate a clear vision is paying huge dividends in a short period of time.

Just as an aside, some questions are answered by "laguest" and some by "laguest_2" though Frank McCourt is the only identified guest.

2006-02-21 15:27:56
9.   Andrew Shimmin
From last week's press release about the tv schedule ( http://tinyurl.com/m6qbv )

"Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully, entering his 57th season as the "Voice of the Dodgers," will call all televised Dodger home games and road contests against the team's National League Western Division opponents (San Francisco, San Diego, Arizona and Colorado) as well as this year's June Interleague contests against AL Western Division teams.

"For Dodger road games against non-NL West opponents, the broadcast booth will be manned by Emmy Award-winning broadcaster Charley Steiner and former Major Leaguer Steve Lyons, who is returning for his second season."

2006-02-21 15:37:38
10.   jystakes
can anyone provide transcript or summary of McCourt's online chat today? thanks.
2006-02-21 15:38:16
11.   D4P
Emmy: Steiner
All-Star: Izturis
2006-02-21 15:49:14
12.   jcw
Anybody know where Ross Porter went?
2006-02-21 16:07:09
13.   bhsportsguy
10 - Since Jon does not like us to paste in long quotes from other sites, all I can say is that it should be available on dodgers.com, although right now it appears to be not available.

This is from the dodgers blog from Roy Smith about another dodger prospect.

"In response to the post about Justin Ruggiano, we were very pleased with his progress last year. Justin hit a combined 15 home runs and drove in 66 between Vero Beach and Jacksonville while hitting over .300 at each stop. As to why Justin's name doesn't get mentioned as much, we in the organization like to think it is because we have a deep system and some of our players just get skipped over. However, the organization is aware of Justin's play. We expect him to start in Jacksonville this year."

Also, Scully's contract extended through 2008, no mention if Rick Monday will also be given the same treatment.

2006-02-21 16:16:16
14.   Marty
My guess is that Monday will continue to do radio only. I'm hoping against hope thay Downing will not be back.
2006-02-21 16:26:20
15.   willhite
I know that many DT posters hate Lyons but I would much rather listen to him than Monday (either TV or radio), and we won't even talk about Downing.
2006-02-21 16:28:32
16.   D4P
We're skirting the issue here.

Charlie Steiner must go!

2006-02-21 16:32:46
17.   willhite
16 -

He will go..................to Chicago, to Philly, to St. Louis :)

2006-02-21 16:32:51
18.   LAT
no mention if Rick Monday will also be given the same treatment.

Please, say it isn't so. Not only can't I take Rick through 2008, I can't take Rick's good friend Bobby and his cars for causes, or what ever it is.

2006-02-21 16:36:43
19.   natepurcell
now that we've extended scully, we need to extend logan white. I asked a question about white's contract statust in the chat but it wasnt answered.

re 13:

i feel bad for ruggiano. he should be promoted to AAA, he did have an OPS of 950 in 150+ ABs in AA last year.

i guess the dodgers dont believe 150 ABs are enough ABs to truly guage where hes at. it might be a good move to keep him at AA, but i still feel bad for him.

2006-02-21 16:37:25
20.   D4P
Steve: I hereby nominate "Bobby" for The Enemies List.
2006-02-21 16:39:45
21.   Andrew Shimmin
Oops. From Gurnick's latest: "Among Scully's broadcasting highlights are all six Dodgers World Series championships, three complete games and 18 no-hitters. . ."
2006-02-21 16:47:17
22.   dsfan
19

If Ruggiano is the goods, he'll make it to the majors and figure out how to stay there. Going back to AA could be good for him. He's far from a finished product. He'll get his shot -- if he's good enough. Several Dodgers OFs could be hurt by August. There's plenty of slack in the chain.

2006-02-21 16:48:19
23.   willhite
21 -

Considering Vin has put in 56 years behind the mike and has only seen 3 complete games, I hope now Steve will realize how important middle relievers are.

2006-02-21 16:49:24
24.   Andrew Shimmin
Did anybody see the Darryl Strawberry chat and then fail to mention it?

http://tinyurl.com/g3f3r

The hardest hitting question, I think, was:

cjordan13: We attend the same church in Tampa, Fla. We've never met but, I want to say God bless you Mr. Strawberry!
Strawberry: Thank you very much.

2006-02-21 16:55:36
25.   Andrew Shimmin
Bigger than the hooker in the closet at rehab? Bigger than that first snort? skids99: Do you regret leaving the Mets for Los Angeles? Strawberry: Of course. That was the biggest mistake I ever made. But now, it is nice to be back home.
2006-02-21 16:57:41
26.   bhsportsguy
19 - Logan White is scheduled for a Dodger chat in June, right around the draft.

Justin will be partnering with Matt Kemp along with Hu and Tony Abreu so that should be something to watch.

With Ethier, Delmon Young, Joel Guzman, Cody Ross (okay not a big prospect but he will be in Vegas), Justin and Matt will get the chance to play full time.

2006-02-21 16:58:08
27.   Andrew Shimmin
25 That just didn't work out at all. The first two questions are my followups; they were not (nor were any of their ilk) put to him during his chat. Sorry for the format issues.
2006-02-21 17:01:11
28.   LAT
20. I second the nomination. All in favor say, "aye."

Justin sounds a little like Jason. Same initials. Could be trouble. This is how I now pick player. Its a proprietary formula known as the "Anti-Jason Aapproach to Scouting." It is required for all MLB personnel, except the Pirates.

2006-02-21 17:09:29
29.   Xeifrank
Jon, hope you are having a great vacation. Try not to let your work at The Baseball Toaster get in the way of your fun. Which leads me to my question. How many weeks of vacation does The Baseball Toaster give it's employees? With Bob being a new employee and all, I would ass-u-me he doesn't have any vacation time built up yet. Oh darn! :)
vr, Xei
2006-02-21 17:09:48
30.   bhsportsguy
10 - here is the link to the McCourt's chat

http://tinyurl.com/hwqh4

2006-02-21 17:16:07
31.   Icaros
28 Do you use that same formula to scout DT posters?

Cause I know you love me!

2006-02-21 17:18:37
32.   Winthrop
Football Vinny

I am too young to recall Vinny's NFL work in the 1970s. Anybody who does recall care to comment on how he did?

2006-02-21 17:22:35
33.   Steve
I can't put a 10-year-old on the Enemies List. Except for Repko.
2006-02-21 17:27:52
34.   D4P
33
Don't you have some kind of "Jr. Enemies List"?
2006-02-21 17:33:09
35.   Steve
Jered Weaver
Bobby from the radio commercials
2006-02-21 17:36:58
36.   Icaros
That snot-nosed, Yankee-fan brat who was made a hero in New York for interfering in a playoff game (Jeffrey Maier?) could've made that list.
2006-02-21 17:38:03
37.   jystakes
30 - thanks BH
2006-02-21 17:40:20
38.   Steve
36 -- consider it done.

Sean Burroughs clearly belongs as well.

2006-02-21 17:44:51
39.   D4P
The Bobby commercials are bad, but not as bad as those mattress commercials with "Larry" and his stupid brother.
2006-02-21 17:52:56
40.   Icaros
38

Do you mean young, fat, but good Sean Burroughs, or older, fit, yet lousy Sean Burroughs?

2006-02-21 18:21:40
41.   Steve
All of the above.
2006-02-21 18:24:02
42.   natepurcell
wow. the first picture in the 2/21 set I of ST pictures is the best picture ever.
2006-02-21 18:26:30
43.   natepurcell
actually that pictures pretty good. i really meant the first picture in the 2/21 set II is the best picture ever.

future dodger positional stars all together. beautiful sight.

also, kemp looks just as tall as guzman. so is guzman really 6'4 or is kemp really 6'7?

2006-02-21 18:38:48
44.   Andrew Shimmin
43- Looking at that picture, it seems obvious that the prospects have been trapped in the two dimensional prison that the people of Krypton use to punish villians, a la Superman II. The only question is: why?
2006-02-21 18:42:14
45.   Icaros
How dare they give Orel's number to an unproven catcher!
2006-02-21 18:42:42
46.   dzzrtRatt
From the Toronto Globe and Mail:

In Vero Beach, Fla., Jeff Kent said the tense atmosphere in the Los Angeles Dodgers' clubhouse last season shouldn't be used as a reason for the team's 71-91 finish.

"That's not an excuse. Me and Barry fought all the time and we went to the World Series," Kent said, referring to his former teammate in San Francisco. "Just because we can't all always get along doesn't mean we shouldn't win. It still shouldn't have affected the way we played."

Another vote against Chemistry.

2006-02-21 18:43:41
47.   Andrew Shimmin
Considering who had it last, I bet Orel is relieved.
2006-02-21 18:47:07
48.   D4P
It still shouldn't have affected the way we played.

The way he phrased that makes it sound as if the "tense atmosphere" did affect the way they played.

2006-02-21 18:48:43
49.   natepurcell
re 44

what, i dont get it.

2006-02-21 18:52:30
50.   Icaros
If you listen close, you can hear Giovanni Carrara cry out in pain.
Show/Hide Comments 51-100
2006-02-21 19:01:15
51.   natepurcell
lol! jd drew named his newborn son Jack David Drew.

so basically, he named his kid J.D. drew.

2006-02-21 19:05:39
52.   D4P
51
I bet they call him "DJ".
2006-02-21 19:20:20
53.   trainwreck
49
The lens they used distorted the image so the people on the right side of the picture look huge.
2006-02-21 19:36:31
54.   Doug N
My favorite quote from McCourt:
"Furthermore, you and I both know that there's only one big league baseball team in Los Angeles and it's the Dodgers."
2006-02-21 19:43:42
55.   Steve
I'm against biology, physics, and most types of math too.
2006-02-21 19:54:47
56.   Andrew Shimmin
49,53- Maybe JtD's head really is that lopsided. If so, that'd be cool. But, I suspect it isn't.
2006-02-21 21:04:19
57.   LAT
Olmedo's mom was only 17, maybe 16, when she had him. Bet he was big tomato, I mean baby.

Why can't Frank just say, "taking the names off the unis didn't work and we will be putting them back on in '07." Instead he says we are "looking into it." Frank, tell your proctologist to "look into it" and he might just find your head for you. Not to mention, hopefully next year we will need the names to figure out who the kids are. (excluding Nate who knows them on sight)

Reading between the lines in the Kent article, one could infer Kent played some role in Depo's departure. (Although I think, Brutes, I mean, Kent was Depo's first FA signing.) I wonder if Gurnick meant to convey that, and if so why?

The pictures from todays' ST Gallery are disturbing in that they show Tommy is allowed to speak to people other than the media and the guy stocking the buffet table.

2006-02-21 21:43:46
58.   Vishal
so apparently hee seop is now wearing #18 after giving up #5 to nomar.
2006-02-21 21:56:06
59.   Steve
It being baseball, I suspect that there actually is one, but what rule is keeping the Dodgers from putting names back on the uniform in 2006?
2006-02-21 22:06:47
60.   regfairfield
You can only change uniforms once every two years. Something to do with marketing.
2006-02-21 22:10:13
61.   natepurcell
prospect talk alert!!!

BA just came out with the bottom half rankings of their top 100.

needless to say, the dodgers are well represented. in fact, the dodgers have the most players in the bottom half of the top 100 with 5.
in order:

55- scott "makes quick bates look like palm trees through penut butter" elbert

63- jonathan "a bigger bartolo colon but with a better body" broxton

82- blake "i let the ball get real deep but i drive it the other way and have easy pull power" dewitt

89- Andre "you have to throw everything and the kitchen sink at me to get me out" ethier

96- Matt "i can throw, run, steal a base, hit for average and hit for power" kemp.

so basically this means martin, laroche, guzman and billingsley will be in the top 50 barring no unforseen suprises. this means we will have 9 dodgers in BAs top 100.

has that ever been done before?

2006-02-21 22:16:30
62.   was it tims mitt i saw
52 - i'm assuming that comment was in reference with jd drew's name being david jonathan drew. always wondered why his name isn't dj drew.
2006-02-21 22:17:14
63.   Sam DC
Pedro Astacio Alert!!

Nationals are trying to sign him to a minor league deal.

They also doubled their offer to Sosa -- $1 million non-guaranteed -- but he declined.

http://tinyurl.com/gyryj

2006-02-21 22:35:17
64.   Steve
Frank and Jim are also warring over their respective plans for the backup catcher position. Jim wants to move into the 21st century; Frank is trying to get Fran Healy to come out of retirement.
2006-02-21 22:47:09
65.   King of the Hobos
The 21st century involves having LeCroy and Fick as co-backup catchers? Although the Nats have 5 other AAAA quality catchers in camp. When your pool is as good as Mike DiFelice, Wiki Gonzalez, and Alberto Castillo, how do you choose?
2006-02-21 22:59:10
66.   Steve
Progress is progress, even if it is Jim Bowden's version of it.
2006-02-21 23:40:34
67.   natepurcell
http://www.videodesk.net/link/27886/Andrew%20Miller.wvx

that is who i want in the 2006 draft. sadly, he wont last til the 7th pick.

2006-02-22 01:21:12
68.   MidnightRider
No you dont Nate, he's too tall...
2006-02-22 05:20:04
69.   D4P
62
Did you also know that "D.J." Houlton's name is actually "Dennis Sean Houlton"?
2006-02-22 06:34:03
70.   Sam DC
Hey -- They're pawing over our stud catchers over at Bronx Banter!
2006-02-22 06:49:35
71.   D4P
70
I saw no mention of Alomar or Borders anywhere.
2006-02-22 07:08:27
72.   Sam DC
Blogger Kevin Drum has a rant in the LA Times about extreme sports at the Olympics. The last sentence: "Please direct all hate mail to tjsimers@latimes.com" (or something very close to that, doing from memory).

Somewhat funny, and (credit where due) good sportsmanship of Simers not to nix the line.

2006-02-22 07:45:09
73.   Daniel Zappala
61 What I want to know is why Kemp is rated below Ethier
2006-02-22 08:12:23
74.   Daniel Zappala
I would hope that Eric Duncan for one of our catching prospects is not going to get it done.
2006-02-22 10:15:05
75.   natepurcell
i think kemp is rated below ethier because ethier is more of a sure thing to be solid in the big leagues. kemp still needs to answer some questions about his pitch reconigtion and walking ability.

kemp does have the significantly higher cieling and BA usually goes with the higher cieling in these types of scenario though.

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