(Clippers reference)

Plus, Boom goes the LaRoche just doesn't work.

It's not impossible that Loney could beat out Ethier for a starting job, by the way, is it?

Strike that. I'd hate to see him in Vegas, so I guess the outfield is okay, but it's still a waste.

Great line.

There are advantages, though. They get tip off of the Lakers/Hornets game in less than three hours!

Mobley cut Lawlers Law down at the knees.

Betemit will be given at least through April and probably May to lose the job. If Betemit is really bad and LaRoche is really good it is more likely LaRoche would be at third May 1, just not likely.

Now if Loney has a really great spring I can see Nomar moving to third or even left and either Betemit or Gonzo sitting.

Tatis and Martinez could be competing for the utility roll but I don't see Tatis in the mix for starting at third.

If all the older guys do well in spring will it surprise anybody that the 51's could have a really great team starting the 2007 AAA season?

By now, I know the outcome of the game.

If you tell the score of the game to Rick Monday, you will be assured that no one else will ever know it.

Does anyone know what was promised him about this, if anything?

*eBay sellers who don't accept payments via PayPal

http://www.sportsline.com/mlb/story/9949470

Using their (admittedly slightly sketchy) model, Betemit could be quite the source of power they are looking for. I look for him to hit around 20-23 HR and Jeff Kent to hit that many as well what with his newfound love for exercising in the offseason.

while opinions on betemit seem to be split, i sure read a lot of reactions from braves' fans who were upset at the trade.

he deserves at least a half season to prove hiself as ready for prime time, but the AAA performance of laroche will no doubt be a factor as well.

Or if, say, I started a motor oil recycling company, but instead of recycling the oil, I just dumped it down storm drains? Well, maybe I'd go to jail, but you would still be a PayPal user. You're history's greatest monster.

Weird.

Bryan, if these recent Dodger grads still qualified, where would they rank in your 75? Matt Kemp, Russell Martin, Andre Ethier, Chad Billingsley and Kuo?

All right, we'll run through this quick. I love Kemp, his power-speed combination seems fantastic, and his athleticism is off the charts. I worry about his ability to hit a breaking ball, however. He's a better prospect than Carlos Gonzalez {#19}, so we'll stick him right in there. Martin would be extremely high on this list, I think the world of his defensive abilities, which will be combined with average offensive skills (above-average for a catcher). Martin and Tulowitzki would be neck and neck (#12). Ethier, man, I don't know. I think his great season was a little fluky, but he's still a very good young player. I'll say he's right behind Adam Jones (#29). Chad Billingsley would be close to Adam Miller for the third pitching prospect award, and my new love for Miller probably puts him right behind (#11). I would put Kuo down as the third-best Dodger southpaw in the system (a ridiculous statement), and he'd probably be right around the range of Mike Pelfrey (#31). Logan White has done one helluva job, hasn't he?

The number in paranthesis, I put in just to point out where the prospect would be ranked (I moved players back with the additions, so Kuo would have been 27th, but instead he was 31st. This is in addition to numbers 16, Kershaw, 18, Laroche, 20, Elbert and 37, Loney. The future is bright (especially for LHP with Kuo er Guo, Elbert and Kershaw).

Betemit could be a Sexon in that if he hits 35 homeruns it will come with a .235 batting average not to mention his vior, xyz, vorp, aztz, or obaha scores.

I guess I take that to mean that Betemit has been guaranteed the starting job and LaRoche has no chance of supplanting him.

Juan Pierre is the center fielder, no matter how badly he performs. I could see Betemit losing his job out of Spring Training, and taking on the Lugo role from last year

LaRoche's best scenario is to leave a very favorable impression on Ned and Grady. The competition at third in my view is between Betemit and Loney if Ned has the guts to move Nomar to third.

If I were GM I would be more confortable in letting Repko have CF if I knew I had a plan if he fails. That fall back plan might cost me $9M a year but I wouldn't let that $9M backup plan force me into making it my first choice.

I don't think Pierre has a lock on CF, at least not a Brinks lock.

But you know, friends, Panda Express is Chinese for "yummy" (according to Rick).

Short of injuries, I expect Betemit will be the opening day third baseman, but I know that Pierre will be the opening day center fielder. Pierre could hit .100 in Spring Training and still be there when the season opens.

A healthy Repko definitely would have kept Kemp in the minors at least until September.

Now he is back to being a guy fighting for a spot but he knows that Pierre, Gonzalez, Anderson and Ethier are all locks to be on the club. His competition is probably down to Kemp and the Front Office would rather see Kemp play everyday in Vegas than sit up here.

The best case scenario is Pierre having an unnaturally high BABIP, hitting in low .300s and posting an OPS ~.780-.790.

And since he always performs badly, no one notices anyway.

But as Jon says, even if JP were to go ofer March, and make 10 errors, the only way he wouldn't start Opening Day would be if he were injured. And he never gets injured.

Another way of thinking about this is that at the plate compared to Pierre, Luis G. will look good. And in the field Pierre will look better than Luis G.

Also I guess I should hope that Pujols, Grady Sizemore and Johan Santana get traded to us in a four way trade where we only give us Kent, Lowe and Nomar (and Hendrickson).

We are stuck. Fortunately, we can win with Pierre, but we will be winning in spite of him, not because of him.

I am late to the Stanford party, but I was telling my friends to watch how good the Lopez twins were and they left the bar very impressed.

"I don't know why people like the home run so much. A home run is over as soon as it starts....The triple is the most exciting play of the game. A triple is like meeting a woman who excites you, spending the evening talking and getting more excited, then taking her home. It drags on and on. You're never sure how it's going to turn out."
- George Foster, 1978

Unfortunately for me I knew how it was going to turn out and I'm sure it wasn't with the success rate of Furcal going for 3rd.