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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

A Happier Pierre Story
2007-02-25 15:21
by Jon Weisman

From Tony Jackson at Tony and Doug Inside MLB:

An elderly fan approached Andre Ethier as Ethier walked back toward the clubhouse after today's workout. The fan introduced himself as a former high school teammate of Ethier's grandfather, Pierre Ethier, at David Prouty High School in Spencer, Mass., and presented Ethier with a well-preserved, black-and-white 1947 team photo, with Ethier's grandfather leaning on a bat in the lower-right corner. Ethier, whose grandfather died two years ago, was overjoyed the receive the gift. Pierre Ethier played professionally, climbing as high as Triple-A, and won a Texas League batting title in the early 1950s. Andre Ethier won the Texas League batting title with Double-A Midland in 2005.

Meanwhile, this from Diamond Leung's Press-Enterprise blog:

Here's a Grady-ism on the fifth-starter situation, the only lingering one this spring:

"It's a puzzle, but it's one of those jigsaw puzzles that has big pieces."

Little also told Ken Gurnick of MLB.com that he expects to see pitcher Greg Miller in a major-league uniform this season. Presumably, a Dodger uniform.

Comments (58)
Show/Hide Comments 1-50
2007-02-25 15:32:27
1.   StolenMonkey86
Yay, first one!
2007-02-25 15:33:39
2.   Bumsrap
It is a beautiful day in Arizona and I am about to have a beer on my patio and imagine a Dodger team just the way I want them.

1947 was a very good year.

2007-02-25 15:34:08
3.   Bumsrap
Maybe because I added that last sentence
2007-02-25 15:34:21
4.   StolenMonkey86
But yeah, that's a good story.

Grady Little strikes me as the jigsaw puzzle type so I feel confident. I hope affirms this and passes last year's bullpen off as a rubix cube.

2007-02-25 15:37:42
5.   Bumsrap
Maybe a puzzle with square pieces of many sizes and all one color. I am guessing that Tomko will be the fifth starter making the 51s the team to enjoy through May.
2007-02-25 15:39:28
6.   Bumsrap
Shile it is just you and me for awhile, how did you choose that name?
2007-02-25 15:41:20
7.   Bumsrap
Alright, I am off with my beer.
2007-02-25 15:43:37
8.   D4P
With the "Oscars" taking place tonight, it occurs to me that the only reason I would actually want to be a celebrity would be so that I could intentionally snub award shows by not showing up, whether or not I was nominated for an award.
2007-02-25 15:45:24
9.   StolenMonkey86
8 - Yeah, you don't need an award named for a green dude in a trash can!
2007-02-25 15:46:38
10.   StolenMonkey86
6- Shile?
2007-02-25 15:48:46
11.   D4P
Some Gurnick excerpts:

Little suggested to reporters that he would like Pierre "to be more patient and get on base more."

But you don't often shell out $44 million to a free-agent player, then tell him to change. If you didn't like his game, why give him $44 million?

2007-02-25 15:51:33
12.   CanuckDodger
Anybody who hasn't read Gurnick's new article on La Roche, please do so. The story of how Logan White got La Roche to sign with the Dodgers is an absolute classic.
2007-02-25 15:53:03
13.   Steve
If you didn't like his game, why give him $44 million?

Where are the pronoun police when they are really needed?

2007-02-25 15:57:36
14.   StolenMonkey86
that's not a pronoun thing so much as a tense change.
2007-02-25 16:02:19
15.   Steve
I don't see Grady Little's name on Juan Pierre's paychecks. I actually think that Grady Little knows that he got a turd, because Grady Little generally gets it, and instead of just redefining Pierre's failures as successes like everyone else, he is signalling that he will actually have to improve to be successful.
2007-02-25 16:04:33
16.   Greg Brock
12 I don't think most people remember (or know) about what a total shock it was when La Roche signed with the Dodgers.
2007-02-25 16:05:18
17.   D4P
I just don't see how you can expect a guy to get on base more often than an awful lot.
2007-02-25 16:08:24
18.   StolenMonkey86
Furcal saw 210 more pitches last year than Juan Pierre.
2007-02-25 16:10:48
19.   D4P
18
In 14 fewer plate appearances
2007-02-25 16:18:28
20.   StolenMonkey86
P/PA, 2000-2006:

Furcal: 3.89
Pierre: 3.44
Nomar: 3.13

2007-02-25 16:25:42
21.   StolenMonkey86
20 - Note also:
JD Drew: 3.88
Bobby Abreu: 4.32
2007-02-25 16:29:27
22.   Greg Brock
Okay, guys. That's enough bashing Juan Pierre at Dodger Thoughts. In fact, I'm pretty sure there are other places to do so...Like this one!

http://tinyurl.com/yvpaar

2007-02-25 16:30:45
23.   StolenMonkey86
I'm not looking, but I know that's a link to ItD.
2007-02-25 16:31:33
24.   D4P
22
Mr. B. ...?
2007-02-25 16:31:53
25.   StolenMonkey86
I checked, and I am wrong. My apologies.

Apparently I don't "know" a whole lot.

2007-02-25 16:32:38
26.   D4P
23
That's what I thought too. But I was wrong...
2007-02-25 16:32:45
27.   twerp
From USA Today story about Dodgertown:

"In the parking lot behind third base, O'Malley built a heart-shaped lake for his wife, Kay. He stocked the lake with trout so that his players could fish."

Freshwater trout in Florida? Um, unlikely, unless the lake water is somehow kept below the high 60 degree range (preferably upper 50s-low 60s). Trout can't tolerate water much above 68 and die at 70. Some other kind of fish, probably.

Course, story says he stocked the lake with trout.  It doesn't say they survived.

Stay tuned for other extremely profound observations. Maybe.

2007-02-25 16:34:14
28.   StolenMonkey86
Spear fishing?
2007-02-25 16:35:26
29.   Greg Brock
24 Mr. B. ...?

Boutros Boutros Brock.

2007-02-25 16:39:35
30.   Bob Timmermann
Court storming in College Park.

It gets a thumbs up from me.

2007-02-25 16:43:00
31.   Greg Brock
Bob, did you see this? And if so, do you agree?

http://extrapolater.wordpress.com/2007/02/23/storming-the-court-for-dummies/

2007-02-25 16:43:12
32.   StolenMonkey86
P/PA 2001-2006

Wilson Betemit: 4.01

2007-02-25 16:55:52
33.   Bumsrap
10
Shile is what you get when you want to hit the w key and your left ring finger doesn't bother to move up a row before if strikes a key.
2007-02-25 17:02:41
34.   Bumsrap
Everytime Grady opens his mouth he shouts there will not be any real competition for any position. More and more things look locked in.
2007-02-25 17:04:48
35.   Charenton
29.

Mr B

>>> always has been and will always be
>>>>Billy Eckstein

2007-02-25 17:05:21
36.   StolenMonkey86
6, 33 - Oh, ok. Well, here we go.

My high school band director put me on mellophone (the marching edition of a french horn, barely deserves to be called an instrument) my freshman year, since I joined at the last minute (I was a trumpet player in middle school). The first horn he gave me had a jammed tuning slide, and I gave it to him to get it fixed, since I didn't know that it would never play in tune anyway. But he had to give me another horn, so I got this other one. The rest of them were all silver colored, but this one was a yellowy brass color, and it was already called the Brass Monkey. At the time, I shared not only my first name, but also my last name with another guy in the band, so I needed a nickname. The full version was "Brass Monkey," but for the most part, it was "Monkey."

As for the stolen part, that's the origin of the horn, which I learned as our band director was telling us the importance of putting a name and address label on our instruments. On one spring band trip, the band came back with more horns than it brought over, and it wasn't labeled. They called the place, but nobody claimed it, so they kept it. They of course new it wasn't one of theirs because it wasn't silver.

The 86 part is just the year I was born.

2007-02-25 17:07:09
37.   Bumsrap
This just in: In balloting by the general public Gore wins an Oscar but loses it later when the electorial Guild votes otherwise.
2007-02-25 17:07:36
38.   Sam DC
Was offered a ticket to got the game at College Park today but instead took three six-year-old boys to the Capitals game.

Was very fun, in a please-someone-throw-me-down-a-well sort of way.

2007-02-25 17:09:11
39.   StolenMonkey86
38, meet 7
2007-02-25 17:09:47
40.   Jon Weisman
27 - As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.
2007-02-25 17:12:42
41.   Bumsrap
40

That was by far the best episode ever. It gave me more than my usual smile and got me actually laughing with a silly sitcom.

2007-02-25 17:30:10
42.   Sam DC
40: LOL.

39: And how! (Also, the whole adventure transpired in the middle of a declared snow emergency.)

But the kids got put up on the video screen during the Dance Cam segment and really, they were so happy it was pretty great.

2007-02-25 17:33:15
43.   StolenMonkey86
Yeah, I drove up from Richmond this afternoon. I came up early enough that 95 wasn't bad, and the snow is soft enough that the campus parking wasn't bad either.
2007-02-25 17:38:26
44.   Greg S
What a beautiful day in Arizona indeed! If you weren't here today, you really should have been. Drove to the Accenture match play yesteday and drove right by the Diamondbacks full squad workout. Life is good.
2007-02-25 17:45:37
45.   Andrew Shimmin
For the uninitiated, comment 40 in all its glory:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZByndN_ffyw

2007-02-25 17:50:39
46.   Bob Timmermann
Break up the Sun Devils! ASU leads UA by 1 at halftime in Tempe!
2007-02-25 17:58:15
47.   natepurcell
im really anxious to see how greg miller looks with his arm angle back to the over the top normal slot. I remember two years ago watching the AA suns feed and miller was pitching with the low 3 quarters angle. it was mechanical and not fluid at all; as if he was shortarming the ball to the plate.

concerning betemit and laroche... if both players prove they can hit, they'll both be dodgers. when kent retires at the end of the year, betemit will shift to second base. if we can stand jeff kent's defense at 2b because of his bat, we can do that with a 25/26yr old betemit with that kind of power potential. it'll work itself out in the end. the best players will play.

thats one thing i like about grady. it seems he gives everyone a chance to succeed.

2007-02-25 17:59:41
48.   natepurcell
eh, not really a chance to succeed. but more like, a chance to show their worth. if they have no worth, they will be banished to middle relief like tomko and hendrickson.
2007-02-25 18:01:27
49.   D4P
the best players will play. thats one thing i like about grady. it seems he gives everyone a chance to succeed.

Do you think Grady has the stones to ever take the starting job from Pierre...?

2007-02-25 18:16:15
50.   Dodgers49
Putting the Drew episode behind them
Any bitterness the team had for agent Boras has apparently dissipated.
By Steve Henson, Times Staff Writer

http://tinyurl.com/3akle4

Show/Hide Comments 51-100
2007-02-25 19:04:06
51.   Uncle Miltie
I'm really starting to question Lute Olson as a coach. They arguably have the most talent in the Pac 10, yet they aren't even ranked. The Wildcats players are undisciplined on the offensive end and don't give a consistently good effort on the defensive end. Lute Olson and Don Nelson have a lot in common.
2007-02-25 19:05:30
52.   Bob Timmermann
Pac-10 standings
1) UCLA
2) Washington State
3) USC
4) Oregon
5) Arizona
6) Stanford
7) Cal
8) Washington
9) Oregon State
10) Arizona State

Next week:
LA schools in Washington
Arizona schools in SF Bay Area
Beavers at Ducks Saturday

2007-02-25 20:15:32
53.   LAT
"Diamond Leung." Is this the real name of a baseball writer? Or is it like being a race car drive named "Speed."
2007-02-25 21:48:55
54.   das411
53 - Believe it or not, I knew a Leung in high school who went by the name "Vending Machine."

Guess where much of his lunches every day came from?

2007-02-25 21:56:25
55.   LAT
Regardless of whether "Diamond" refers to baseball or precious stones, its a step up from "Vending Machine."

For the complete "Speed Racer" effect he needs to change his name to "Diamond Run" or "Diamond Ball" or something of the like.

2007-02-25 22:00:15
56.   Jon Weisman
Sorry, LAT. New post up top.
2007-02-25 22:06:39
57.   bhsportsguy
52 Following up:

UCLA has clinched #1 seed in Pac-10 Tournament.

Likely matches for seeding in Pac-10 Tournament.

1. USC @ Washington State for second seed.
2. Arizona @ Stanford for a 4th or 5th seed.
3. ASU @ California, a Cal win may get them 7th.
4. Oregon State @ Oregon, an Oregon win guarantees no worse than 5th, best possible finish is 4th.

After this week of upsets, AP and Coaches poll will probably have UCLA at No. 2, WSU around 15-18th, Oregon 18th-20th, and USC 24-25th.

2007-02-25 22:53:20
58.   LAT
Damn. Not again.

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