On the pitching side: if Seo and Tomko can limit their home runs to solo shots, one per start, we are in heaven. The bullpen seems to walk a lot of guys, though. Pitching looks shakier than hitting.

In other news, can we consider the bullpen a strength anymore? It looks pretty average to me.

Shawn Green hasn't had an OPS that high since 2002. At this point, even if you throw out Green's 5 for 35 start this season, there isn't much that's similar between him and Drew.

I don't understand how Drew is a target for criticism.

If so, is that a real fire or a metaphorical fire?

Take care,
Mark

www.americanlegends.blogspot.com

Placing Loney in Double-A and Choi in Triple-A was the sensible thing to do for several reasons, one of them Nomar's fragility, another Loney's lukewarm track record.

Being Mr. March means very little -- in spring training, most pitchers are building strength and their breaking pitches are less of a factor.

From a macro view, the 1B situation was bungled from Double-A up.

Another half season in Double-A would've been just fine for James Loney, who, IIRC, is about 21 years old.

And I say this as a Choi doubter in term of Choi's probability of becoming a frontline first baseman.

2. nationals hav a new stats page up at washingtonpost.com, which includes a snazzy looking win probability graph citing tangotiger and THT.
http://asap.washingtonpost.com/nationals/.

(I hope these links don't foul anything up; I
m having tinyurl problems.)

Dodger Thoughts reader Mark is now readying his weaponry. I apologize for the breach.

AJ Zapp? Really?

However, Joel Guzman is playing 1st for Vegas.

What are the chances that Guzman stays at 1st and Loney is optioned to Jacksonville to play 1st for another season?

I'm still surprised James Loney got the call up instead of Joel Guzman. I know Loney's a better 1st basemen, but Guzman's a much bigger threat in the lineup.

By the way, I don't mind that Loney got this trial with the Dodgers at all. I think it's great for him to get a taste of the bigs, and then go back down and work on things.

I hadn't felt emotion like that since I don't know when.

NEW YORK (AP) — Susan Schmidt, James V. Grimaldi and R. Jeffrey Smith of The Washington Post have won the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting for coverage of the Jack Abramoff scandal.

I always thought it was Arizona State?

http://tinyurl.com/paflr

As for the locals- Dodgers lead the NL in OBP, so I'm not concerned at all about the LOB's. The pythag record is 7-6 which is fine given the slow starts of Lowe and Kent. This team needs Aybar and Broxton in a big way and needs Martinez and Carter jettisoned in a big way.

And Martinez unfortunately still gets a roster spot due to his ability (perceived or otherwise) to play short. Apparently Aybar "can't" play short to backup Furcal.

But I'm with ya in spirit on these suggestions.

So, uh, I'm pretty sure we don't know anything yet. I'd prefer a moratorium on 2006 stats for another 4-6 weeks, even with the "small sample size, but..." caveat.

56 - I'm not concerned about the LOBs, either. I also recognize that some players are starting slow - the problem is that Repko/Ross/Alomar will fall back ... Mueller too.

Ortiz hit two home runs and missed a third when Ichiro caught his fly ball against the bullpen wall in RF.

Meanwhile Carl Everett hit the shortest home run possible in the majors when he homered off the Pesky Pole in RF.

As for Loney getting a few weeks in the majors, I, too, see that as a good thing.

Excluding inside-the-parkers, of course.

In a few weeks, either Seo or Tomko may have pitched themselves out of the rotation, to be replaced by Billingsley. Seo or Tomko takes Carter's place as the long guy, and Carter is DFA'd.

A kid can dream, can't he...

60 - Add Jose Cruz to the "fall back" list.

Well, it stayed in the park!

I am having a bad feeling about Grady Little….I know it is early and I should give him a chance…but for some strange reason, I don't have any more confidence in him than I did in Jim Tracy.

Why bat for Loney last night with Ledee and put Saenz at first defensively in the 7th slot. If we were just going to hit Bonds to start the next inning and do a double switch, why not put Ledee at first for all of 2 pitches? (Actually, why bat for Loney at all? but that is a another story)

Alomar leads off the 8th instead of Saenz, after the double switch?

We wasted our bench and were down to our last batter (Repko) in the on-deck circle in the ninth.

I don't get it.

I too am perplexed over the Cruz bunt thing...our #5 hitter bunting?

Far from meaning to accuse him of hiding an injury or coming off the juice (I realize that my wording was open to interpretation), what I meant was to use him as an example of a perfectly healthy slugger having a brief power outage. It annoys me that any time we see a guy struggling who has hit HRs in the past we (some of us) immediately jump to steroids as the explanation. Manny's dopey, but no one has ever suggested he's doped up. And if he can go 12-13 games without even a double, then I'd say that the court of public opinion out to suspend judgment for a while.

Let's reconvene the jury in June and see what the numbers look like then.

In a few weeks, either Seo or Tomko may have pitched themselves out of the rotation, to be replaced by Billingsley. Seo or Tomko takes Carter's place as the long guy, and Carter is DFA'd.*

Exactly, i'm all for that.
I'm not a fan of the lefty specialist, so hamulack can go, and the other one between carter and osoria.
Then when gagne returns the other one goes.
gagne
baez
broxton
kuo
saito
tomko

What does that say if Durham isn't trusted to swing away in that situation, but is still hitting behind Bonds?

I'm asking, because I really have no idea...

If Gagne ever returns. I'm going to get hammered for this, but I'd end the Gagne era after this season....

I was out of commission most of the weekend, so... what's the opinion on going with 6 outfielders? Would you rather have Cody Ross's bat or one more pitcher?

With the lack of good pitching, i'd keep ross.
Why keep an extra junk pitcher.

This is probably the last place you would get hammered for saying that.

If Gagne ever returns. I'm going to get hammered for this, but I'd end the Gagne era after this season....

I'm open to that, but its a wait and see thing for me.

38 - Best sopranos episode of this early season

The devil's in the details, but I wouldn't consider it blasphemy to think that the Dodgers would be wise to let Gagne walk after this year.

Tell you what: I'll ask my Dad tonight.

Its too early to speculate but the free agent market coming up is thin again, another reason i don't want ned to panic and trade away top prospects.

the reason I'm making a guess is just based off what's transpired. TJ surgery, another surgery, now ANOTHER surgery. I just can't, under any circumstances, justify paying a closer 10-12 mill when that has happened.

Hopefully we can decline his option, and sign him to a nice base salary with incentives. If he dominates in '07 again, then re-visit the long term deal. But, even if Gagne DOES come back, I'd just feel more comfortable with keeping Baez and spending the rest somewhere else than give a closer with a questionable arm 12 mill....

If he isn't able to sign a long term deal somewhere, he may very well end up back in LA as you say.

That's the silver lining in this injury. It's almost impossible to fathom Colletti ripping up Gagne's option and signing him to a Wagner/Ryan deal now. I saw that as a distinct possibility if Gagne had come back with a healthy, 40-save season.

What's been Dad's opinion on Gagne regarding contract extensions, pre-injury (this recent one, at least)?

90 - I'd guess that before Gagne got hurt, my Dad was in favor of any extension for him.

same here. And since we're a big market team, we can afford to spend 10 mill or so on a closer. Still...with all the injuries, I'd just rather keep Baez and be able to spend that extra money elsewhere.

Also, I was just thinking about our CF situation and I was wondering: Drew can play CF, WANTS to play CF and Cruz can play either corner spot. So, why didn't we just put Drew in CF, Cruz in a corner, and just go get another corner outfielder be it through FA or trade? I'd much rather have Reggie Sanders are someone like that in the lineup than Lofton.

I dunno. Maybe I'm just be over-pessimistic right now (losing to the Giants will do that to me) but I just think Ned really dropped the ball when it came to first base and CF. I'm not ragging on him just for the sake of doing it because I actually like his other moves. I love the Mueller move, don't think Tomko was as bad as most think etc etc....just feel that he could have handled those two situations better.

One thing is for sure, we're gonna need another HR threat in this lineup if we want to get into the playoffs and do some damage.

87- I definitely don't want Zito. He's a pretty good innings eater, but isn't an ace. Zito will likely command $15 million a year. I'd rather let the Mets pay him that kind of money.

Just kidding...

If he's gonna get that kind of money then i agree.
I was thinking about 9 million per year.

oops, that was supose to say 9-11 million per year.

Looks like he's hitting the snot out of the ball: .400/.457.700. His 3 home runs, 13 RBIs and 28 total bases lead the club, and he's got 5 BBs to match his 5 Ks in 40 ABs. So far, so good. I guess the only reason not to call him up is to keep him from wasting away on the bench.

Its too bad Kent wont move to 1st base bc I think there's an almost certainty that Willy Aybar can outproduce James Loney at this point.