I hope to see Saenz in the starting lineup during this series. I hope he's been taking grounders in practice, because I can't remember the last time he's played a position. And to get in the lineup, he'll probably have to play 3B.

Chad is so rad that he's changing his number to 1.01229097

2 After a season in LA, he'll be so tan he'll have to change his number to 1.60033452904105

Some had to pull the trig(ger) on these jokes.

My hunch is you will Olmedo start during the first part of the next road trip where the Dodgers will face 3 lefthanders in the first 7 games.

Its pretty hard to get Olmedo playing time but next to PNC Park, he hits really well in Miller Park. Also, Grady probably believes that Olmedo is the best option to keep on the bench since he has the most experience in that spot.

Some other thoughts on the roster, its been mentioned that Jason Repko will get some playing time today and tomorrow due to LHs starting for the Reds. I see these as probably Jason's last shot at starting for a while, if the Dodgers choose to platoon against LH starters on the next road trip, I think Matt Kemp should and will get the nod over Jason.

Aside from Kemp, Loney and Kuo, its probable that Diaz or another catcher will be added to the roster, LaRoche could come up as an experience move but I don't think he would play much or at all, if Gio cleared waivers, he'll be added, now Houlton and Robles are still on the 40 man roster but as we all remember, Houlton cannot relieve and Robles just doesn't have anywhere to play. Delwyn Young is probably another guy because he has some pop and outfield depth, he also has only one more option year.

Nate and I among others have talked about Meloan since he started putting up those numbers, the rare college pitcher but he looks like to me the closest to the majors righthanded starting pitcher prospect in the system with Orenduff's injury an issue.

6 - I've noticed - just wanted people to see that outsiders are noticing.

"...Dodgers take the reigns off."

They have reigns on when someone has throne badly.

Betemit should not be allowed to face lefthanders at all. And, if he does, he must give up switch hitting. I'd probably just stick Lugo at third though instead of Saenz.

And what is up with Hendrickson being delayed so Penny can start on 4 days rest. Penny got raped his last outing. Shouldn't he be the one getting the extra rest?

10 I would guess its because Hendrickson is a bad pitcher, while Penny is a good pitcher.

I hope you meant that Penny got "raked", because the other word doesn't make much sense.

Penny is a better pitcher than Hendrickson. It makes more sense for the Dodgers to keep Penny on schedule than Hendrickson.

Penny is the 8th best righthander in the National League!

12 It makes sense if he's talking about the umpires, although perhaps in bad taste.

9 That thing has bugged me no end for years. Question: Why do players insist on switch-hitting when they so consistently do poorly from one side or the other? Bigger question: Why do managers and GMs allow them to do it? Why don't they tell Betamitt (and the others) to try hitting against the left handed pitchers left handed, or expect to pick up a lot of splinters. (That in itself is funny. The players bench is probably more comfortable than my recliner. It hasn't been wood for many years, I bet)

15 The Dodgers' current first base coach had the same problem as I recall.

14
If Penny's problems were with the umpires, then why would he need to be held back?

2007 could be a coming out party for him when the Dodgers take the reigns off.

Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Beatrix, and King Juan Carlos all would like to know when their reigns are coming off, too. Or, when did Meloan become a monarch?

I know Penny is a lot better than Hendrickson. I'm just saying that in light of his last outing he may be in need for more rest.

8 - didn't see that. Heh!

Ok, who will the Padres be rooting for in tonight's Dodgers/Reds game? The boys from down south are only 1/2 game behind the crew from Cincy and a full 2 nomars behind the mashers from la-la-land. I would think they would be happy if the Reds and Dodgers beat each other up a little while taking care of their own business.

21 Two Nomars?

When was the last time outside of an NBA draft when a guy 6 foot, 244 (beefy to borrow from the Dan Patrick Show) got described this way.

"I tell you what, that little kid has a live ball. He's just like Matt Cain -- throws hard, got a good curveball. ... He's got a bright future ahead of him."

D-Backs 2B Orlando Hudson on Dodgers RHP Chad Billingsley, who pitched seven strong innings to beat Arizona and improve to 4-0 in his last six starts

18 - Very funny, LOL, of course Mr. Goldstein chose the wrong spelling of the word, "reins" is what he was looking for. He needs to use the Thesaurus tool on his template.
19 - I agree! I just wish I had known on Friday as I would have picked tonight to go instead of Tuesday with my firm's tickets. With the West Coast D-Rays in charge, I might as well chalk tomorrow night up as lost and hope the Blue can win tonight and Wednesday. Maybe I'll get lucky and the Dodgers will just outscore the Reds in a slugfest.

And Orlando went 2-4 off Chad, albeit one hit was a bunt single.

15 Have you seen any minor league splits indicating Betemit can't hit righthanded? He's only had 150 ML ab's righthanded between this year and last. That said I wouldn't mind seeing him face some lefties from the left side.

24 No D-rays this weekend, I am thinking there could be an Aaron Sele sighting.

21 I think Dodger Hate in SD And SF far exceeds standings success. If the Dodgers were representing the world in a game against Mars or whomever, with the loser's whole world being destroyed, they'd still chant,"Beat LA!"

Jon, so...why have you all of a sudden deceided to bring up Hee-Seop Choi again on the dodgers message board?

http://www.forums.mlb.com/ml-dodgers

under the fantasy baseball section, there's a post in your name.

29 - Wow, I didn't write that. That's horrible that someone would do that.

28 - More so in SF. I still believe there is enough migratory Dodger fans in SD that makes SD not quite as hostile as SF. Of course as far as SF, the feelings mutual (except the end of the world hypothetical if the Giants were chosen to reprresent the world) but I would root for the AL Evil Empire (Yankees) if they faced the NL Evil Empire Giants in a WS. So, I would not root for the Giants against any earthly team but would root for them if they faced the Sith or the Borgs or any hostile alien forces.

29 - If I were going to revisit something I wrote on Dodger Thoughts, wouldn't I do it on Dodger Thoughts?

If the Dodgers were representing the world in a game against Mars or whomever, with the loser's whole world being destroyed...

Sounds like a great Bugs Bunny episode, also starring Marvin the Martian.

There's a couple posts over there with Jon's name on it. It looks like someone is just posting pieces Jon wrote on this blog.

29 Gee, I wonder who that could have been.

So this is how it's going to be for me now. Great.

If that's really our old friend, I'm sure he'll get over it eventually.

I hope.

36 - at least he hasn't stolen your credit cards.

34.

there are also some posts there by "joeyp" which I doubt are really by Joey.

what's going on?

There's been an increase of things like this over at True Blue L.A., though those were only directed at joeyp.

28 - This brings up an interesting hypothetical. If we could bring up any team to face an alien force in a one baseball game or series struggle for survival, which WS champ would you pick?

The Ruth Gehrig Yankees of the 1920's, The Gashouse Cardinals of the 30's and 40's, The Yankees of Mantle, Whitey & Berra from the late 40's to the early 60's, the Dodgers of 55 or 1963 or 65? Oriole teams from 1966-71, The A's of 72-74, The Big Red Machine 75-76?
Many dynasties to choose from including the Yankees 1996-2001 and the 2004 Red Sox.
If our planet's survival hinged on it, The Yankees dynasties in the 20's or 50's would be a good bet along with the 70's A's. For 1 game, the Big Red Machine of 1975 or the Boys of Summer in 1955 or the 1998 Yankees or 04 Red Sox would be good choices. Discuss...

I should also include the 1960's Dodgers with Koufax on the hill for 1 game for the planet would be a solid choice!!

41 Clearly it would have to be a team from the integration era, so that eliminates a lot of your choices.

The '50s Dodgers never won the big one. The '50s Yankees played in a vastly inferior league. The '70s A's weren't really that good, they just got lucky in the playoffs. The '04 Sox were not a historically great team by any stretch of the imagination.

Which leaves us with the Frank Robinson Orioles, the Big Red Machine, and the 1998 Yankees. Since I do think the talent level in baseball has gradually increased over time, I'd pick the '98 Yankees.

42

yeah you can't go wrong with Koufax.

41 Assuming the game will take place on a neutral world, my choice of team would depend on the locale (i.e. is it a hitter's planet or a pitcher's planet?)

Just looking at the standings and noticing that the Padres would have to go 19-11 if the Dodgers keep on pace. If we split the remaining series against them (a longshot given our recent outcomes against them), that goes up to 17-9, a .654 winning percentage. Of course, if we don't go 17-13 they may not have to go 19-11...

Oh and Jon, I would probably just ignore what people say on the forums of dodgers.com, everyone else does. Plus, mimicry is the sincerest form of flattery.

45 It would have to be played on Saturn so the winner could take home the rings!

Ok, I'm off for the rest of the morning.

46 - Oh and only 10 of our 30 games are against teams above .500, not surprising since only 4 teams in the NL are above .500, and one of them is us (the Phillie's are .500 exactly).

43

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1955_World_Series

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1959_World_Series

Today was the first time I'd ever read any of the message boards at Dodgers.com.

It may also be the last. I fear for the future of our team with fans like those.

43 - Are you forgetting 1955 Brooklyn and 1959 Los Angeles Dodgers - 2 WS titles in 5 years? Uou can say frequently they didn't win the big one, but never is erroneous as to the 50's decade in Dodger history. I do agree with you that integration would be beneficial to compete with another planet so probably the 60's(when most of baseball was finally integrated) and going toward the present would be the more logical choices.

49 Those were not the best of the '50s teams, though. The '59 team, let's be honest, was a joke of a champion and the '55 team was full of old guys on their last legs.

The 1953 Dodgers were easily the best team in franchise history, followed probably by '52 or '41 or '42, but those teams will always bear the black mark of October failure.

So if you didn't have a time machine, and had to pick a current team for this intergalactic battle, who would it be?

I'd go for the Twins, and make them play in the Metrodome.

But the Padres are ahead of the Dodgers in the all-important ESPN Power Rankings!

Although I think they are a few days old. Especially with the Twins ranked above the White Sox, although that's never stopped the guy who puts those together from coming up with odd ideas.

On switch-hitters with large platoon splits:

It sometimes happens that guys stop switching. JT Snow comes to mind, but there've been others. It's confounded of course, with managerial decisions to platoon two players - so that a guy stops hitting from one side of the plate, but also never faces same-hand pitchers.

It seems to me that it's not obvious that having someone like, say, Betemit hit strictly lefty would help him. If he's always switched, then he's never seen a LHP while batting left-handed. In that case, there's no reason to expect that he'd be better off hitting lefty. It depends on what they think the problem is. Is it just too few ABs? Is there something mechanically wrong with his RH swing? My guess is that it'd be the former for Betemit, but probably the latter for Jose Cruz Jr. (who got many more ABs lefty, but was better righty).

Did any of that make sense?

I don't think giving up on a 24-year-old's right-handed swing is a very bright idea. Once it becomes extremely clear that he will never learn to hit from that side, I'd encourage him to give up switch hitting. But we are a long, long, long way from that point.

150 ABs tells you nothin' about nothin.'

I think given the already fantastic qualities of the question, it should be allowable to pick either an All-Earth team, or even an All-Time team.

Also, do we assume the aliens (or whoever are trying to destroy Earth) are playing? If not, what about making their lineup from the best-of-fictional (literature or movie) baseball players come to life?

Hey all -- back from the wilds of Oconomowoc. Vacation is good. My five year old, who can hardly swim, now likes kayaking more than virtually everything else except baseball.

Stood on the spot in Milwaukee where someone shot Teddy Roosevelt, but a thick copy of his speech stopped the bullet. Hanguns apparently were not then what they are now. Or maybe the speeches have changed. I learned what a cow magnet is. And a cow trainer too. Other than the Brewers game I mentioned before -- where Tomo Okha decided to try batting lefty and went two for two w/four RBIs plus a bases loaded catcher's interference -- had no baseball awareness the entire time. We did have a Dr. Seuss tape with us, with the stories read by one Marvin Miller.

I know you've missed your Nats notes, so let me catch you up: The Nationals remain a bad, bad team that lost most of its games over the past 10 days.

Hope spirits have been high around here. Dodgers still in first place, after all.

Bill James is fond of saying that the 1941 Dodgers are the only team in baseball history that was above average at every position. However, looking at the 1953 Dodgers, it's pretty clear that they were not only above average at every position but well above average. (Counting J Robinson as the left fielder of course.)

The weakest link in the lineup was a Gold Glove third baseman with a .291 average.

Isn't it odd how Sam DC is never aroud when Superman shows up? Hmmm....

er, "around"

Not "aroused" huh?

Hey LAT -- do I recall you had plans to see the Lerners again or some such?

60. I haven't heard such a ground breaking theory since it was suggested that "Lost" is a prequel to "Fantasy Island."

Hey, it's strictly "don't ask, don't tell" with me. Not that there'd be anything wrong with that.

No one's seen LAT either. We think maybe he's gone to New York to steal another Shawn Green jersey for his daughter.

busy week..haven't been around here much.

Nice to see a couple wins in a row...but, is anyone else just a wee bit nervous looking at those NYM games on the schedule?

57 Speaking of baseball movies, has anyone ever played the IMDB keyword game? As the name implies, you have to guess the film's title based on the IMDB keywords.

For example, this one should be pretty easy:

Gay Slur
Obscene Finger Gesture
Baseball
Summer
Alcoholism
Female Athlete
Los Angeles California
Underdog
Ethnic Slur
Racial Slur
Kids And Family
Child
Coach
Farce
Little League
Pool Cleaner
Beer
California

67

That's obviously "The Natural"

Naked Gun?

Please please please can Vin Scully announce another World Series sometime soon?

I was always disappointed that the film Eric alludes to in 67 did not show Walter Matthau using a churn.

Bad News Bears?

Good think Pool Cleaner is in there.

72 yes

And I typed that before seeing Bob's comment in 71

Can fans who buy Who tickets at this link after viewing this picture sue for false advertising or Unfair Business Practices or some such?

http://tinyurl.com/le8p7

Per Baseball America: A look at the prospects in the Arizona Fall League.

MESA SOLAR SOX
TOP PROSPECT: SCOTT ELBERT, lhp, Dodgers
The first high school lefthander drafted in 2004--going 17th overall--Elbert certainly doesn't lack athleticism. As a running back at Seneca (Mo.) High, Elbert put up 2,449 rushing yards and scored 36 touchdowns as a junior before focusing solely on baseball during his senior season. After allowing 47 hits in 50 innings in his debut at Rookie-level Ogden, Elbert bounced back to rank as the No. 1 prospect in the low Class A South Atlantic League in 2005--putting up 8-5, 2.66 numbers in 115 innings at Columbus. The 21-year-old lefty has lively stuff, including an 88-93 fastball, slurvy breaking ball and average changeup. This season, Elbert jumped from high Class A Vero Beach to Double-A Jacksonville, where he was 10-9, 2.87 with 167 strikeouts in 135 innings. Dodgers officials believe Elbert will have an impact on the big league club as early as next season.

57 Perhaps the alien team should be made up of humans who have been abducted by aliens.

Here's a possible lineup:

2B Samantha Mulder
SS Michael Jackson
CF Tupac Shakur
1B Elvis Presley
3B Han Solo
RF Princess Leia
C Eric Cartman
LF Jodie Foster
P Odalis Perez (who clearly was abducted by aliens at some point and replaced with an inferior model)

Mouth To Mouth Resuscitation
Chased By Dog
Campout
Steak
Fence
Homerun
Candle
Junkyard
Doghouse
Chewing Tobacco
Vomit Scene
Carnival
Diving
Chase Scene
Black Eye
Baseball Glove
Blind Man
Cake
Twins
Baseball Fan
Treehouse
Babe Ruth
1960s
Narrative
Summer
Childhood
Baseball
Coming Of Age
Dog
Family
Friendship
Boy
Kids And Family
Vacuum Cleaner
Swimming Pool
Utah
Good Times
Title Spoken By Character
Children

The Jet Steals Home! The Jet Steals Home!

79 Heck, you only need the first two for that one.

This just in- no DNA match on Karr and charges will not be filed by the Boulder DA.

80 Actually, I think it's "stole home".

Thanks to someone here who recommended Alan Furst's books during an earlier discussion. I really enjoyed Night Soldiers (actually only 3/4 of the way through) on my trip.

82 Didn't he confess?

Stand by me?

82 I am not surprised. He might be sick, but a confession sadly doesn't mean he did it.

87. Sandlot

76 That reminded me of the line in "Major League."
"Some of these guys are dead..."

Jon, I'm very glad you pointed out the Ethier issue. I am not sure if that had been covered on this blog before, but his BB/K ratio is bad and getting worse by the day.
His batting line: .334/.375/.535 looks good now. But let's say you knock his BA down to .284, which might be generous considering how much he whiffs (65 times in 329 AB). Then you have a 284/325/485 left fielder who runs okay but not great. That makes Ethier look more like Jayson Werth circa 2004 than a budding star.

The Dodgers have enjoyed the Ethier ride, but I think that his average is a major fluke. He only hit .30? last year in AA, I believe. Of course he is still a very useful guy to have around, but I am fearful that he is about to use up a lot of outs in September.

Woops 87 was supposed to refer to 85,79. And yeah, you only really need the first two

I think Earth is the only planet in our solar system where baseball could be played easily. If the all-Earth team had to travel to a distant galaxy to play the aliens ; the players would be too old to compete when they arrived. If the game is played on our planet... we win big time !!

84 I believe in high profile cases, the police from time to time get confessions, which is why they often keep certain evidence out of the public eye to verify the confession, I think between the alibi given by his ex-wife and now the lack of a DNA match (which I am guessing is any DNA found in the household as a whole) were the factors that determined the no filing of charges.

Also and not to make this board into a discussion of criminal actions, my hunch is Colorado is still smarting from the Kobe Bryant matter which some, not all, believe was a hastily filed case that certainly had some problems, in this type of case, you want to make sure the easily understood evidence is foolproof to overcome the heavy scrutiny that the media will give this potential trial, so when the DNA didn't match plus an alibi by someone who perhaps may not be so inclined to provide one probably made it less appealing to the local DA's office.

84 Apparently he's just another lunatic enjoying some free pub.

For D4P -- A truish tale of the Statisticians who Won the War (via Bruce Schneier): http://tinyurl.com/o4s3g

89 As of a few days ago, if you moved Ethier to his "natural" BABIP, he'd be at .307/.353/.498

92 I just find it hard to believe that a DA with a confession in hand would choose not to bring charges, regardless of no DNA match. From the report I read, there's no indication that the Boulder DA is giving up on the case.

* Baseball
* Based On Novel
* Terminal Illness
* Athlete
* Friendship
* New York City
* Professional Sports

Should be a little tougher.

93 I saw on the local news here in Boulder that he was planning a sex change in Thailand. It showed the doctors office he was going to. 1625 US Dollars the sign said.

Stabbing
Violence
Film Noir
Profanity
Psychopath
Bartender
Jealousy
Nightmare
Private Detective
Safe
Independent Film
Cigarette Lighter
Buried Alive
Hired Killer
Double Cross
Incinerator
Hitchcockian
Neo Noir
Cult Favorite
Alarm Clock
Broken Finger
Bullet
Car Radio
Cigarette Smoking
Cowboy Boots
Cowboy Hat
Dead Fish
Gas Station
German Shepherd
Grave Digging
Gun
Handbag
Jukebox
Kicked In The Crotch
Light Bulb
Mirror
Neon Sign
Newspaper
Phone Booth
Photograph
Shot In The Back
Shot In The Chest
Shot In The Stomach
Shot Through Wall
Shot Through Window
Shovel
Soul Music
Stabbed In The Hand
Stuffed Animal
Texas
Vomit Scene
Wisecrack Humor
Black Comedy
Rainstorm
Narration
Murder
Motel
Extramarital Affair
Bludgeoning
Bathroom
Bar

96 - Hmm no DNA means no charges, we could have used some of that down Duke way. Read the NYTimes recent article about the case and reach your own conclusions.

Bang the Drum Slowly.

99. The Fan

99 is not a baseball movie of course.

99 Is Blood Simple

Not too tough at all I guess. Here is one that the tough part will be stating the baseball connection.

* Mistaken Identity
* Director
* Present
* Camera Crew
* Rehearsal
* Ex Husband
* Refuge
* Movie Projector
* Reporter
* Flat Tire
* Rain
* New Year's Eve Party
* Self Hatred
* Police
* Older Woman Younger Man
* Opening Narration
* Garage Apartment
* Engagement
* Overcoat
* Car Chase
* Kept Man
* Camera
* Cufflink
* Affair
* Repossession
* Shooting
* Impersonation
* Assistant Director
* Motion Picture Industry
* Shopping
* Shot In The Back
* Rich Old Lady
* Ghost Writer
* Cigarette Case
* Gun Fire
* Trashcan
* Garage
* Death Star
* Garage Door
* Cigarette Holder
* Tuxedo
* Slap In The Face
* Charlie Chaplin Look Alike
* Classic Car
* Telephone Call
* Comeback
* Casket
* Dance Scene
* Famous Entrance
* Melodrama
* Actress
* New Year's Eve
* Suicide Attempt
* Narration From The Grave
* Aging Film Star
* Film In Film
* Butler
* Hollywood
* Bach Toccata And Fugue
* Mansion
* Narrative
* Film Making
* Murder
* Silent Film Star
* Movie Studio
* Script Writer
* Script
* Recluse
* Swimming Pool
* Writing
* Gigolo
* Cult Favorite
* Narcissism
* Dead Narrator
* Auto Repossession
* Bridge Card Game
* Los Angeles California
* Famous Line
* Femme Fatale
* Tragedy
* Chimpanzee
* Filmmaking
* Gun
* Pistol
* Screenwriter
* Screenwriting
* Writer
* Washed Up Star
* Parody
* Title Spoken By Character

96 its more than the DNA. Its the fact that he lived in Alabama and was allegedly with his wife there at the time of the killing

105 I am big. It's the pictures that got small.

105 Sounds like Sunset Blvd., but is there a baseball connection I don't know about?

108 - There is.

79 There was a vomit scene in Sandlot? Either I'm forgetting something or they're getting things confused with Stand By Me.

Maybe there was one during the flashback of the dog's story...

108 - The connection involves a middle infielder.

110 There's vomit when they go on the Tilt-A-Whirl.

112 Ahhhh yes, totally forgot about that

here's one:

snakes
plane

Here's a good one:

*Heart
*Joe
*Yankees
*Lola
*Old
*Young
*Senators
*Give in
*Contract
*Two lost souls

Baseball
Sexual Abuse
Music Score Composed By Director
Irish American
Two Way Mirror
Father Daughter Relationship
Whiffle Ball
Boston Massachusetts
Blood Splatter
Child With Gun
Kicked In The Face
Revenge
Handgun
Loss Of Loved One
Broken Nose
Church
Deaf
Police Investigation
Polygraph
Road Rage
Childhood Friend
Vulgarity
Violence
Emotionally Vulnerable

From the ESPN.com chat with Steve Phillips:

Sean V (NYC): does steve have a name for his goatee? If it was my Goatee, it's name would be Shadowfax, like Gandalf's white horse in LOTR

Steve Phillips: My goodness. Who are you people? I will take that into considerationt though.

15 Damn Yankees

117 And yet he chooses that question from all the many hundreds to answer

118 Should be 115, of course...

119
Phillips had to step away and the ESPN.com host was choosing the questions for a spell.

118. You are correct, sir.

95.

Which would still make him the highest OPS outfielder on the team right?

Look, when will people finally give Andre some credit? I mean please, has there ever been a less praised guy who has a .334/.375/.535 line? This guy will NOT be a 4th outfielder. At what point do you all believe that?

We should call this the Xei Frank game :)

123 No, Nomar is higher. But, yes, this guy is a starter.

125 - Nomar's not really an outfielder though.

126 Good point. Then again, plenty of people rage against J.D., and his OPS is only 20 points lower.

115 For a remake, we can change the team/location. OK, what's your choice of teams and who do you choose as actors. Chicago Cubs maybe? James Earl Jones as Dusty Baker? Scott Boras as the Devil?

Random question that occurred to me today:
1) Who was the Dodgers' last official team captain, and
2) How long before the answer to (1) is "Russell Martin"?

127 - JD's real problem is a lack of personality, not a lack of performance.

Josh writes in his first entry for today on Dodgers.com about it being the 40th anniversary of the first rock concert at Dodger Stadium. Josh also refers folks to Tom Hoffarth's blog entry that goes into much detail about that night.

http://tinyurl.com/nxdhm

Josh notes that the music from the group in question will be played tonight during the game.

Any guesses on the group, by the way, according to Tom Hoffarth, the Rolling Stones are performing at Dodger Stadium in November, seats went on sale today.

Here's an easy one:

*Texas
*Navy
*Left Hander
*Coach
*Minors
*Devil Rays
*Small town
*High school
*Father
*Diapers
*Rangers
*Old man

The connection between baseball and Sunset Blvd. is that the narrator wrote a screenplay called "Bases Loaded" about a SS with a past that comes back to haunt him when gamblers ask him to throw the WS.

I would like to report that the keywords for Fast Times at Ridgemont High do not comport with the Dodger Thoughts Code of Conduct.

127 Probably true. If he had Ethier's personality I think we would all cut him a little more slack. And I'm the last person that should accuse him of that; I've had that label myself.

130 Ironically, I think J.D's lack of personality gives him more of a personality than most athletes.

What do we know about J.D.? We know he's the most boring human in the world.

What do we know about the guys who give it 110% and take it one game at a time? Absolutely nothing.

130 Well, to be fair, it's a perceived lack of personality. Because writers want to think that he's devoid of character doesn't mean that it is necessarily so. We have no way of knowing.

I do not believe the Dodgers have had an official team captain since Davey Lopes held the job.

129 I thought it was Davey Lopes and I found a couple of articles in 2002 that seem to confirm that.

Allright kids:

Horse
Bar
Biplane
Casino
Compassion
Construction Site
Cowboy
Dancing
Desert
Divorcee
Divorce
Dog
Drunk Scene
Gardening
Landlady
Mechanic
Nevada
Older Man Younger Woman
Paddleball
Railway Station
Reno Nevada
Rodeo
Telephone Box
Wager
Widower
Wild Mustang
Dancer
Head Injury
Pride
WWII Veteran

I can't figure out 116, is it an oldie?

137 Unless he's putting on an act for his interviews on camera, he has no personality. Case in point:

What's your favorite drink?
-I'm not a big drinker

What's your favorite flavor of ice cream?
-Not a big ice cream man either.

Okay, what's your favorite type of music?
-Mostly Christian Contemporary, a little country.

I never saw the film, but I think 116 is recent wtih Tim Robbins.

I think not liking ice cream is a sign of personality.

141 116 is a recent movie within the last few years.

132 The Rookie.

140 Jon will like that one.

140 The Misfits

146 - Best Telephone Box/Paddleball movie ever.

116

That is Mystic River.

IMHO Sandlot is one of the best baseball movies of all time. Who doesn't watch that movie and wish they were 12 again?

143 Ah. I guess I assumed the first keyword would be a main plot point, I don't remember anything baseball related in that movie besides small talk.

Baseball
Self Discovery
Father Disappoints Child
Yelling
Miniaturization
Fantasy World
Magic
Suicide Attempt
Kidnap
Sword Fight
It Was All A Dream
Skateboarding
Island
Pirate
Mermaid
City Of Children
Dead Boy
Stabbing

117 Dwight K. Schrute got a question answered on an ESPN.com chat, and it had nothing to do with bobbleheads.

"We're like one of those classic famous teams. He's like Mozart and I'm like... Mozart's friend. No. I'm like Butch Cassidy and Michael is like... Mozart. You try and hurt Mozart? You're gonna get a bullet in your head courtesy of Butch Cassidy."

150 I put baseball at the top to emphasize the point. Same with 151. Though as far as I can tell, the keywords are not in any sort of order on imdb.

145. You are correct. Next batter up:

*Bar
*ESPN
*Retire
*Hall of Fame
*Sports writers
*First Base
*Oversized ego
*Comeback
*2999

147 IMDB lists only three paddleball movies: The Misfits, Blazing Saddles, and House of Wax. Quite an interesting trio.

Book
Poison
Hope
Jealousy
Impalement
Friend
Video Game
Murder
Storyteller
Hopelessness
Loss Of Loved One
Good Versus Evil
Stabbed In The Chest
Story In Story
Self Worth
Based On Novel
Fairy Tale
Wrestling
Masked Man
Albino
Pirate
Giant
Princess
Revenge
Kids And Family
Secret Identity
Swashbuckler
Torture
Sword Fight
True Love
Wizard
Kidnapping
Wheelbarrow
Kissing
Video Game Baseball
Reverse Footage
Grandfather Grandson Relationship
Man In Black
Crossbow
Cult Favorite
Based On Book
Giant Animal
Giant Rat
Screwball
Battle Of Wits
Love
Marriage
Prince
Wedding
Cult Comedy
Fantasy
Wedding Ceremony
Gentle Giant
Fictional Country
Friendship
Honor
Redemption
Respect
Warrior
Fencing
Parody

151 - Seemed like Honey I Shrunk the Kids for the first five or six clues. now I have no idea.

Not baseball, but there's no tahoe either:

Ocean
Insurance
Loneliness
Rivalry
Sea
Suicide
Accident
Diving
Dolphin
Boat
Deep Sea Diving
Italy
Oil Platform
Piano
Rescue
Helium Inhalation
Palms
Soundtrack
Swimming Pool
Famous Score
Diver

156 How many movies have both baseball and impalement as key words? :)

156 Does anybody want a peanut?

I would answer 156, but I'm too busy building up a resistance to Iocaine powder.

156 - The Princess Bride

161 Inconceivable!

162 Correct. One should always watch out for the shrieking eels.

164 - As you wish.

Assume 154 is Mr. 3000, though never saw it.

151 Peter Pan? Just kidding, I haven't the faintest idea..At first I thought it might be 'Fear strikes Out' but I couldn't put all the elements into it.

167 One of those two is closer than you think.

168 - Finding Neverland? Hook?

131 That would be the Beatles I believe. My mother took my sister and brother to that concert and waited in the parking lot for them.
I was deemed to young to go.

Did the all-Earth team discussion die?

166 You should.

I've never seen this movie, but after looking the keywords obviously I need to.

The following post has been changed from its original format. It has been formatted to fit your screen and has also been edited for content.

Baseball
Cannabis
Catholic Church
Cocaine
Jesus Christ
Visual Hallucination
Depression
Vulgarity
Corruption
Murder
Gambling
Nun
Male Frontal Nudity
Racial Slur
Disturbing
Damnation
Death
Depravity
Desperation
Gunshot
Holy Communion
World Series

169 It is Hook. Anyone remember the baseball connection? I don't, but it's been 15 years since I saw it.

151 Portnoy's Complaint?

173 Hook probably lost his hand sticking it in front of a Mike Piazza liner up the middle...

Next batter up:

*2nd baseman
*St Louis Cardinals
*When your sliding into third and you feel...
*Adult sexual device
*Cool
*Drag Racing
*Babies
*No smoking sign
*Rollercoaster
*Crash
*Little league
*Tower sniper
*Balloon animals
*Your lower intestines
*Cowboy
*Usher

Is 158 The Deep?

173 Or Boras getting his pound of flesh...

166. You are correct.

176 -- Parenthood.

Kind of random, but one of my lesser faves:

Fictional Band
Independent Film
Family
Brother Sister Relationship
Cancer
Cleveland Ohio
Hospital
Medical
Mother Son Relationship
Rock Band
Single Mother
Uncle
Working Class
Rock Music

180. Sir, you are correct.

172 Is that Bad Lieutenant?

That was truly one of the most twisted movies I have ever seen.

176 and 180 both have me stumped.

And there I thought 180 was just Steve being wry.

183 Yes.

186 I can only imagine the keywords you had to edit out of that description.

Moving on to a neglected classic dealing with a different sport...

Kickboxing
Retirement Home
Brother Sister Relationship
Valedictorian
High School
Smart Kids
Forbidden Love
Father Daughter Relationship
Boom Box
Drunken Phone Call
Unrequited Love
Tax Fraud
Prison
England
Break Up

Jeff George signed with the Raiders. No this is not a post from the distant past.

Football:

*Small town
*Orange paint
*Rockets
*Oil Rigs
*Moron
*Flood
*Eaten back
*Boxing match
*Replay
*Moose Club
*White shoes
*Reunion
*Great hands
*Babe Ruth
*Acid rain
*Safest place to live in case of a nuclear attack
*No such thing as an unnatural act

188
Say Anything

177 Nope, it's not "The Deep". It has Jean Reno in it though. I think folks here will have seen it, but I am not sure...

188 But you took some out! (I had considered posting that one too.)

193 I've been taking some out of all of these to make them a little less obvious.

One of the keywords for Hook was "hook."

Fun and easy?

Assassination Attempt
Massage Parlor
Movie Theater
Twin Brother
Hitchcockian
Boat
Con Artist
Biblical
Pope
Piano
Convicted Felon
Snake
Salesman
Midget
Librarian
Sniper
Undercover
Murder
Paranoia
San Francisco California
Paranoid
Cellar
Police
Ex Convict
Detective
Hitman
Limousine
Villainess
Albino
Scrabble
Binoculars
Golden Gate Bridge
Conductor
Japanese Tourist
Library
Opera House
Operetta

181 Almost Famous?

173 Peter missed his son's baseball game, so Hook has the crew set up a game to try to win the boy over.

I'm guessing this will be the longest vertical thread.

195 foul play?

196 Nope.

199 Yep.

198 Another reason I've been removing extraneous keywords

From today's Gurnick mailbag, in response to a September call up question:

Manager Grady Little said he's thinking of slipping Kuo into his starting rotation against clubs heavy in left-handed hitters, so it wouldn't be a stretch to see Kuo start this weekend against Colorado.

Sexuality
Record Store
Social Commentary
Soul Music
Dumped By Girlfriend
Music Store
Misfit
Club DJ
Breaking The Fourth Wall
Bruce Springsteen
Funeral
Drunken Phone Call
Marriage Proposal
Record Collection

The Full Metal Jacket list of keywords includes:

Shot Through The Mouth
Shot In The Back
Shot In The Chest
Shot In The Foot
Shot In The Leg

Can only imagine what Saving Private Ryan has.

High Fidelity.

203 That'd surprise me, but it'd be cool.

Should I give up the goods on 158?

206 He complains about missing keywords, then guesses them in 2 seconds anyway

So, I think 158, 181, and 190 are still open.

JoeyP, if you're on here, have you posted at True Blue L.A. within the last couple hours? I'm 99% sure it's not you, just want to make sure before I ban the guy for impersonating you.

I have to head home, so I'll leave it open and give it up later.

I'm surprised no one's put up : Cornfield, Iowa ... oh, wait, that's all you need.

207 158 has me stumped. I was going to say Into the Deep until I got to the Italy part.

Here's a hotdog:

*Dodger Stadium
*Angels
*Queen
*Nice beaver
*Umpire
*O.J. Simpson
*USC Marching Band
*Expensive fish
*Gray hair
*Reggie Jackson
*Ring
*Finger

[158,1770 da Vinci Code?

213 The Naked Gun

213 Naked Gun

213 Naked Gun

Independent Film
African American
Video Game
Alien
Based On Comic
Chase
Ghetto
Bar
Boy
Card Trick
Dead Boy
Drug Addiction
Drugs
Ellis Island
Eye
Harlem
Mute
New York
Subway

212, 214 There's a significant word in the title (which is what made me think of it)-- but the movie is french.

There's an Arquette in it, too.

The director is now well known.

218 Also has a very funny baseball scene although it's not in the keywords.

Nomar is batting cleanup today.

218 brother from another planet?

222 ding ding ding

I think 181 is Light of Day.

181. Bright Lights, Big City

224 I've never seen that, which is kind of shocking given the Springsteen connection.

224 You Are Correct, Sir!

Bob - Jeff Reardon news for the Griddle? (Via Primer)

http://tinyurl.com/puhmd

Thunderbird
Murder
Western Union
Grifter
Armed Robbery
Helicopter
Suicide

Snow
Based On Novel
Professor
Cannabis
Extramarital Affair
Gun
Marilyn Monroe
Transvestite
Writer's Block
Teacher Student Relationship
Dead Dog
Compulsive Liar
Greenhouse
Novelist
Pittsburgh Pennsylvania

Blast from the past:

*Koufax
*World Series
*Nurse
*Indian
*Bus trip
*Boat trip
*Basketball game
*Guards
*Doctor
*Medicated
*Electric shock
*Operation
*Murder

The Wonder Boys.

Lineup posted. Seems OK except we have two guys in CF and no one in RF. We knew Lofton needed some help out there but I hope nobody drops one in RF; He could run all day as Vinnie says. I think I'd rather have Lugo in RF and Saenz at third with Repko doing what he does best, holding down the bench. Still think we ought to send Repko or Martinez down and bring up Kemp; two more wins might make a difference at season's end.

230 is Wonder Boys.

I think we should have somebody in RF. What if the ball is hit there?!? What is Grady thinking?

232 yes

231 cuckoo's nest

231 One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

231 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

you guys are too fast

Lost by 37 seconds!!!

I never really thought about it before but Penny is just starting tonight so his spot will be up again when Colorado is in town. Instead of Hendrickson pitching against them on Sunday Penny will. Penny murders Colorado.

190. Clue:

Tigers
Johnny O
Bakersfield
Dropped pass

Lucid Dreaming
Dream World
Virtuality
Dream Sequence Within A Dream Sequence
Metaphysics
Life After Death
Surreal
Conversation
Philosophy
Existentialism
Nightmare
Car Accident
Computer Animation
Store
Death
Prison
Rotoscoping
Self Immolation
Gay Slur

Vanilla Sky or Open Your Eyes

232. Correct

244 nope

235 The umps will never allow Repko to help Lofton in CF but what would they do if we sent out a seeing eye dog to guide him?

Over the plate, nice and easy:

*Call on loan
*Kidnaped
*Fake gun
*Hitchiker
*Writer
*Doctor
*Van
*Daughter
*Fall
*Father
*Son
*Baseball

248 That's not a gun, it's your finger.

It's not really true, is it? The Raiders have re-signed Jeff George? Ugh, not that I'm a Raider fan.

http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/OAK/9624364

189 My first reaction - Oh, a quarterbacks coach

My second reaction - huh??

I like Jeff Goerge, but huh?

Curveball:

*Baseball
*Love
*Rabid fans
*Corporation
*No shoes in club house
*Hole in your swing
*Exercise
*Advertise
*Hot foot
*Yankees
*Agent
*Foreign language
*Fined

253- Mr. Baseball. No Shu(u)to?

Airplane
Convertible
Whiskey
Pitcher
Water
Glass
Cyanide
Bullfighting

254. You are correct, sir.

243 - The Waking Life

257 Bingo

258 - That movie is dry at times, but it has some parts that are mind blowing.

I agree, except for the dry part. It's one of my favorite films of all time.

i guess they deleted the imposter that was posing as Jon on dodgers.com

According to inside the Dodgers, both Lofton and Repko will be in center field with noby in right. :-S

Lofton "needs a little help from his friends"

158 answer : The Big Blue or Le Grand bleu. sorry for the delay.