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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
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11) commenting under the obvious influence
12) claiming your opinion isn't allowed when it's just being disagreed with

And the Winner Is ... Billingsley No. 3
2006-08-15 22:23
by Jon Weisman

Wild pitcher shakes it all off and finds comfort, joy in strike zone.

Seven innings, three singles, one walk, nine strikeouts.

(Note: those following the Cubs-Astros game, in which Chicago has used all 25 players through 18 innings, can continue in tonight's original game chat thread.)

Comments (69)
Show/Hide Comments 1-50
2006-08-15 22:37:16
1.   Berkeley Doug
Great job tonight, Chad!
2006-08-15 22:46:59
2.   bhsportsguy
Based on what I heard on the postgame show, predicted lineup for tomorrow,

Lugo, SS
Lofton, CF
Garciaparra, 1B
Drew, RF
Kent, 2B
Ethier, LF
Betemit 3B
Hall, C
Hendrickson, P

2006-08-15 23:01:04
3.   bhsportsguy
Plaschke strikes again, though the article does provide insight into the Ethier deal.
2006-08-15 23:18:58
4.   JoeyP
More brilliance from Clint Hurdle:

In an 18 inning game, Mr. Hurdle has managed to bench his best hitter- Matt Holiday, for the entire game.

2006-08-15 23:23:11
5.   Bob Timmermann
Holliday got hit by a pitch last night and I don't think he's able to swing a bat.
2006-08-15 23:24:16
6.   Greg Brock
At least these two teams don't have to play a day game tomoree.
2006-08-15 23:27:26
7.   Greg Brock
I wonder when two separate games both finished in the eighteenth inning on the same day.

{Stares at Bob Timmerman}

2006-08-15 23:28:16
8.   Greg Brock
*Timmermann...Sorry about the absent 'n' Bob.
2006-08-15 23:51:34
9.   StolenMonkey86
3 - This is the kind of article Plaschke is good at, the human interest type story.
2006-08-15 23:55:39
10.   FirstMohican
3,9 - It's in our interest as humans to marginalize our own inventions, apparently.
2006-08-15 23:58:09
11.   overkill94
Tonight was game #3 for me over the last 8 days and it was another great one. The first half of the game flew by in about an hour, but luckily the rally in the 7th stretched it out a bit longer. It was a huge crowd for a Tuesday game against the Marlins (almost 48,000) and everyone was way into the game. Chad looked dominant and truly comfortable on the mound tonight, with his slider being the surprise of the night.
2006-08-16 00:01:41
12.   StolenMonkey86
"they're not our own, they're someone else's."
2006-08-16 00:43:46
13.   DougS
Especially after tonight's game, it seems to me that what we're seeing from Billingsley is, in some respect, to be expected. He's a very young pitcher with a live arm who is gradually adjusting to the demands of pitching in the bigs. He started shakily when he first came up, but the trend line has been up since his first few weeks with the big club.

It's pleasing to see, but not surprising. Which is why I was puzzled by some of the antsiness expressed in the comments to the earlier post. Is it really that distressing that he had some shaky outings early on, especially since he's been a more effective pitcher recently? I was going to remind everyone that he's only 22, but I think it was natepurcell who beat me to it.

Relax and enjoy the ride, folks. I think Chad will be all right. I like the pattern that he has set so far rather better than, say, Edwin Jackson, who started hot and spent the rest of his time with Dodgers trying to live up to the premature hype.

2006-08-16 07:33:03
14.   Terry A
FOXSports.com's Dayn Perry presents a pretty balanced portrayal of the Dodgers in his latest column. (Of course, Plaschke would say, why should we believe Perry? The guy wears glasses with those squatty rectangular lenses. No baseball man would ever wear those.)

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/5875238

2006-08-16 08:23:55
15.   D4P
14
You gotta admit, those are some ugly glasses...
2006-08-16 08:43:21
16.   Bob Timmermann
RIP, Bruno Kirby.
2006-08-16 08:55:15
17.   Shovav
i am so happy this morning. not because the blue won last night. not because they are playing great. but that i have started my daughter's (2.5 years old) dodger blue learning program.

i live on the east coast and most days must follow through the net and paper. although I have started with my one month old listening at late night feeding.

but when she woke up this morning... first thing she said, "did the dodgers win daddy?" (I answered yes) she said, yeah... go dodgers!

music to my ears.

i have her saying go dodgers for all sorts of things. instead of yeah or woohoo. she is saying go dodgers.

i even have her saying fooyah yankees. yankees wear black and are stinky. go dodgers. she woke her mommy up this morning by whispering go dodgers in her ear.

ah the poetry of it all

2006-08-16 08:57:18
18.   Bob Timmermann
You have taught this girl well. She will be a keeper.
2006-08-16 09:04:17
19.   Jon Weisman
16 - Yeah. Didn't even know he was ill.

City Slickers, of course, When Harry Met Sally, Godfather II, but also a great guest appearance on Homicide.

2006-08-16 09:06:43
20.   the OZ
17 Glorious.

To resurrect a discussion from earlier this week, Joe Sheehan noticed the way that Grady has been using his bullpen:

"The decision to use Carrara and not the rested Broxton was exactly the kind of situational, rather than statistical, decision that more managers need to make. With a three-run lead, the platoon advantage and the bottom of the order coming up, you don't need to use your best pitcher. Little made the right call, one that was highly unlikely to cost him a ballgame and bought his best relievers an extra day of rest during a time when they've been pitching a lot."

2006-08-16 09:07:05
21.   NPB
How does it work around here, re: Playoff seats? Because this team is going to the playoffs.
2006-08-16 09:08:32
22.   blue22
19 - My favorite Bruno Kirby role was in The Freshman. Good Morning Vietnam was good too.
2006-08-16 09:13:02
23.   Bob Timmermann
21

What are these playoffs you speak of? I have heard rumors of such events, but I am uncertain what they entail?

Do they keep playing after 162 games?

If this were 1995 or 1996, you could buy tickets at game time. Did the 2004 games sell out ahead of time?

2006-08-16 09:27:08
24.   gcrl
19, 22
don't forget spinal tap, although most of his scenes were cut from the film and are now enjoyed as deleted scenes.
2006-08-16 09:30:34
25.   Jacob L
21 23 I'm with Bob (I think). Discussion of playoff tickets, in particular, are major, major bad karma, in the least. My dad has a framed full sheet of Cubs playoff and WS tickets from 1989 or some such year. I keep trying to convince him to turn that frame to the wall.

But, for purely informational purposes, the Dodgers, when in contention, typically sell the post-season tickets first to the season ticket holders by mail, then have an in person sale for what's left. Season ticket holders can, I think, by more seats than they have for the season, but they are required to by the whole post-season in a package. The general public sale, I think, allows you to buy individual games.

2006-08-16 09:32:12
26.   Jacob L
25 by=buy. And I should mention that tickets are, of course, refunded in the event of a 1962, 82, or 91.
2006-08-16 09:34:13
27.   bhsportsguy
Jon, can you delete post #21, 23, and 25, no offense guys but I think that falls into a special rule 9a category.
2006-08-16 09:34:20
28.   the OZ
Can we call Billingsley #3 the 'Omega Chad'? I'd like to think that last night's performance represents his final iteration.
2006-08-16 09:37:23
29.   bhsportsguy
16 I agree, I think The Freshman is a underrated film, some great moments. While I liked When Harry Met and Sally and City Slickers, I did not think those were great roles for Kirby.
2006-08-16 09:42:30
30.   gibsonhobbs88
13 - I was at the game last night. My wish came true and Chad "found it" and he was electric with his command and his stuff. He finally learned to trust his stuff and have the confidence he doesn't have to nibble to get major league hitters out. I know I should balance this by saying he pitched against the Marlins and not the Cards or Mets, but he at least showed why he was so highly touted in the minors.
17 - That was beautiful, "sniffle", that brought tears to my eyes. Unfortunately, my wife and I never got blessed with kids, though we tried but if I did, I would have indoctrinated my son or daughter into Dodger lore. Bless you man!!
2006-08-16 09:42:49
31.   Jacob L
Even having participated in the discussion, I wholeheartedly support the suggestion in 27. And 26 has definitely got to go.
2006-08-16 09:46:50
32.   Josh G
Don't look now, but CBSSportsline is throwing around the term "Midas" in its story on the Dodgers 17-1 run.

http://www.sportsline.com/mlb/story/9603349

2006-08-16 09:48:53
33.   Jon Weisman
29 - I much liked the Freshman too.
2006-08-16 09:49:36
34.   s choir
I have not heard of this superstition (that talking about playoff tickets jinxes the playoffs). I think you're making it up.
2006-08-16 09:51:16
35.   Jacob L
17 My daughter's first game was the HSC walk off against the Twins. She was 3 weeks old. Predicatably, she was home in bed for an hour before Hee went yard on Mulholland.
2006-08-16 09:51:25
36.   Jon Weisman
34 - I think it falls under the Counting Chickens Before They've Hatched advisory.
2006-08-16 09:56:04
37.   Jacob L
Of course, among the teams that actually do make the playoffs, all of them will have printed and sold playoff tickets ahead of time. However, I can't see how injecting logic into the discussion can help at all. I'd just prefer that, even up to the point of standing in line and completing a transaction, that nobody acknowledge what it is they are doing.
2006-08-16 10:00:53
38.   Telemachos
32 I think we've discovered who bluetahoe really is. :)
2006-08-16 10:00:53
39.   Franklin Stubbs
36 - Jon, I agree....while we're all hoping for the playoffs....we're not THAT removed from a terrible streak. I think that the Dodgers we're seeing now is the real deal. But I'm curious how these guys react to a losing streak. And by a losing streak I mean 2 games. :-)
2006-08-16 10:04:26
40.   s choir
38

He was referring to Grady Little, however, not Colletti.

2006-08-16 10:23:46
41.   s choir
Lineup's posted at Inside the Dodgers, along with lots of other good links and info.

Lofton, CF
Lugo, SS
Nomar, 1B
Drew, RF
Kent, 2B
Ethier, LF
Betemit, 3B
Hall, C
Hendrickson, P

2006-08-16 10:29:58
42.   Marty
57 is way too young. Kirby will always be young Clemenza to me. Obviously when Clemenza was younger he was better at leaving the cannoli.
2006-08-16 10:31:14
43.   Marty
With Rafael Furcal in place, however, Lugo has yet to play shortstop -- and manager Grady Little, the Maestro with the Midas touch, isn't planning to stick him there anytime soon, either.

Until today that is.

2006-08-16 10:31:29
44.   Bob Timmermann
When I first saw the obit, I thought it was for Bruce Kirby.

But he was just sick in "Crash", not in real life.

2006-08-16 10:34:50
45.   Icaros
I'm going to steal Bob's rug in honor of Bruno Kirby.
2006-08-16 10:35:34
46.   Marty
Jim Lampley was filling in for Rome and was talking to Tim Brown. Lampley mentioned that he's hearing that the Padre players think they are being set up to lose so Alderson can get rid of Towers and Bochy. Brown said that even if it is not true, if the players really think that then SD is in big trouble.
2006-08-16 10:36:42
47.   Marty
I didn't think Mac owners were big B & E guys, but Icaros proves the exception.
2006-08-16 10:36:57
48.   Bob Timmermann
45
Please do. I need new carpeting in my apartment.
2006-08-16 10:40:24
49.   Jacob L
48 But that rug really tied the room together, did it not?

Sorry, couldn't resist.

2006-08-16 10:45:43
50.   Bob Timmermann
Yeah, but Icaros is going to steal it, not urinate on it. And he's not Chinese either.
Show/Hide Comments 51-100
2006-08-16 10:46:09
51.   Franklin Stubbs
I heard that too...but I thought the line "even if not true" was crazy. Isn't that a critical fact. If it IS true they are toast and the organization willbe going through a strong "birth pang" to paraphrase Condy...but if it ISNT true then it's probably not the case right....
2006-08-16 10:51:43
52.   Marty
I think he meant that even if it isn't true, but that the players BELIEVE it to be true they are toast.
2006-08-16 10:53:10
53.   Icaros
47

My parents and I got our first Mac in 1986, and we were Mac users until I got a PC around 1998. I went through two PCs before returning to Mac at the beginning of this year.

Similar to my PC/Mac split, I've lived half my life in the LA area, the other half in the Bay Area. I'm a tweener (not to be confused with tweeker).

2006-08-16 10:54:31
54.   s choir
Man... either the Padres' players have got to be the worst head cases in baseball, or that story is just a complete fabrication. How can the players accuse the front office of setting up the team to fail? I can see it if it was the other way around, but management can't throw games.
2006-08-16 10:56:14
55.   Bob Timmermann
54
The Padres players must have really liked having Vinny Castilla around. I bet Todd Walker isn't a big hit in San Diego.
2006-08-16 10:58:38
56.   Icaros
I wonder how the San Diego press will treat new GM Paul DePodesta.

Wait, does San Diego have a press?

2006-08-16 10:58:53
57.   Humma Kavula
54 No, but management CAN collude with the other owners to lay down for the Dodgers, who...

...oh, I can't even believe I'm typing this, or pressing "submit." It's ridiculous.

2006-08-16 11:00:55
58.   s choir
The big long-term question about the Padres is why can't they win more than they lose in their own park? I understand there is an acclimation process, but it's been three years now.
2006-08-16 11:03:44
59.   Marty
We need a Padre blog on the toaster. Then we could just ask em.
2006-08-16 11:06:03
60.   the OZ
I doubt the Padres are trying to tank anything on purpose. There are some logical chasms here. If the players are truly complaining that the CEO was sabotaging the team as an excuse to fire the baseball ops managers, what's their argument, "Management is trying to make us lose. That's why they were forced to acquire ME, a player that clearly sucks."? If it's a good player making that argument, they're basically forced to accuse their teammates of suckitude, which isn't the coolest thing to do.

Also, the Padres' W-L record and lack of a farm system the last 5 years should be reason enough to get rid of Towers. It's not like you'd need any extra reason to justify a housecleaning; they aren't exactly a model franchise.

They don't even have a slot in the Toaster!

2006-08-16 11:06:22
61.   Icaros
58

Maybe the Padres should roast their baseballs in an oven before each home game.

A couple hours at 350 degrees could have a reverse humidor effect.

2006-08-16 11:09:37
62.   Marty
61 I think we would see a lot of wild pitches.
2006-08-16 11:10:28
63.   the OZ
56 They sort of have a press. The Union-Tribune is an awful paper.

People down there generally worry more about how they got suckered into paying for stadiums and when the Chargers are going to move to LA than who runs the Padres. They just want to see Trevor Hoffman pitch and they're content.

They also allow their city to be poorly governed by electing civic leaders who face various indictments while simultaneously ruining the municipal bond rating.

2006-08-16 11:10:56
64.   Telemachos
53 Icaros, your background (both computer and life) is eerily similar to mine.

{shifty eyes}

2006-08-16 11:11:21
65.   Icaros
62

The pitchers will just have to wear oven mitts.

2006-08-16 11:11:58
66.   Jon Weisman
Ducksnorts is a good Padres blog. Check the sidebar.

Game thread is open.

2006-08-16 11:14:37
67.   Icaros
64

Maybe you're my double.

I'm convinced I have an exact duplicate somewhere in California because people I meet for the first time often tell me they've seen me and/or met me before.

It's weird.

2006-08-16 11:16:51
68.   s choir
61 I am beginning to think it is something other than ballpark dynamics. It may have more to do with the team's leadership. The players have been scapegoating the ballpark for their poor performance ever since the place opened.
2006-08-16 19:03:33
69.   Shovav
They said the same thing about RFK, until Soriano showed up. I am sure he would have the same effect in SD, not that I want him anywhere near a city that starts with SAN.

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