Whatever happened with Peavy threatening to take Mariano Duncan into his San Diego pain cave? Perhaps he's moved on.

Meat has a combined HR total that equals our 3 AND 4 hitters. Maybe they need a little replacing to get them going....

Since April 22 Nomar and Kent have a combined 104 PA's and 4 extra base hits (3 doubles and 1 HR). Hard to score a lot of runs that way.

and he has struck out 56 in 46 1/3 innings while allowing only one baserunner per inning

when he's on he is flat out scary, I still don't like his delivery it's just gonna lead to arm trouble.IMO.

5 Bluebleeder: what is it about Peavy's delivery that you think will lead to injury? I imagine you understand the mechanics of pitching much better than I do, so I'm curious.

Thanks.

Randy Johnson still hasn't gotten untracked with Arizona

On track?

6

Hens the IMO part. :o)

GoBears "I think you have a case of the mondays" (office space) ;o)

8 I think we took that for granted, Blue - he/we just wanted to know details why you think it might lead to injury?

God, it's flippin' hot in San Francisco. Wha' happened? Last night it was in the 70s overnight, and the only air conditioning we have up here is called fog.

Dodgers are currently 10th in the NL in runs scored and 3rd in the NL West. We have scored as follows:

First 10 games; 42 runs
Games 11 - 20; 57 runs
Games 21 - 30; 32 runs

Not sure what it all means but I like the games 11-20 the best.

I think if we can be average in runs we should be OK but our chances will be a lot better if we can lead the division in runs scored. Is stating the obvious a rule violation?

8, 9 Bluebleeder. I think you misunderstood me. I wasn't being sarcastic, and it's not that I think you're wrong. I'm actually curious. I understand that it's just an opinion, but I'm wondering what you see in his delivery that would make you worry if you were, say, his pitching coach. I really don't know much about pitching (other than how to assess the results), and I'm interested in learning something about it.

10
In the immortal words of Nelson Muntz,

"Hah, hah!"

It's called heat.

Deal with it.

13 We're afraid of heat up here, and that giant scary yellow orb in the sky that sends fire our way. Me not like wet drops that come from head and back when orb make fire in air. Me not like!

This is the first day I've left my apartment without a jacket or sweatshirt in two years.

Two questions for the gang while we wait for the game and see if LaRoche or Betemit are in the lineup.

1. Looking to buy an Ipod, should I get a video one or just music (price is probably not an huge consideration)

2. Reason for buying the Ipod is a birthday gift for myself so my question is what is the best sports memory you have that happened on your birtday and lets keep this during your lifetime.

Mine was and is the Lakers' first NBA title back in 1972. I remember watching the game at one of my parents friend's house and seeing them win capped both their season and my birthday. Jerry West had a great season, scoring over 25 points a game and also leading the league in assists. He was first team NBA and first team All-Defense. All this after coming back from an injury he had the previous year.

I also attended my first NBA game at the Forum during that year, that game turned out to be Elgin Baylor's last game as a starter and he soon went on the inactive list, the Lakers lost to go 6-3 and then rolled off their 33 game winning streak.

One last thing, Jerry West had said both in interviews and in his very good biography, that he did not know if he ever would win a title and the story is that after the Lakers ran off the Forum floor (famous picture of West and Riley jumping up arm in arm), he was in the locker room not knowing what to do since he had been on the losing end so many times before.

14
I will personally go and destroy the requisite ridge of high pressure that is creating that heat for you, underdog?

Why, because Baseball Toaster cares about its commenters that much.

Conspicuous by his absence today in the 51's line up today:
Loney, James

13. That is clearly Muntz's most insightful quote; other quotes of his are rarely cited.

A video iPOD isn't all that expensive compared to a Nano. You never know when you will want to stare at an undersized screen to watch an episode of "Lost."

Not many major sporting events ever have transpired on my birthday. It's December 10 and not many events are happening then.

On the day before I was born, Branch Rickey died and the Reds and Orioles made the infamous Frank Robinson for Milt Pappas deal.

16)

A lot of it depends on what you intend to use the iPod for and how much music you will eventually have on it. I imagine the best bang for your buck is the iPod video, especially since it is not that much more. I have a second generation iPod that I carry my musical library on and use for car trips and in home listening, but I love my new shuffle for taking to the gym and for walks...it is especially great to have for podcasts. I love "This American Life"

16 I'm very happy with my ipod Nano, sans video. But if money is no object I'd go with the video ipod.

My birthday is January 1st, so any good sports memories pretty much have to do with bowl games, although I don't remember too many. I do remember a couple of fine Rose Bowls featuring UCLA. And I think there was a Broncos playoff game on New Year's a few years ago that didn't turn out well.

17 That's very kind of you! Didn't realize they had such powerful resources in the back rooms of the library. Either way, I'll continue to participate here, either from my cave or from the outside world. (What is aggravating is my company just moved some of us to an office space around the corner from our main building; the latter is air conditioned, the former, of course, is not. Sigh.)

Oh, and my birthday is 9-11, so my memory is cloudy.

16. FIrst, happy birthday (I assume it is today or soon). The iPod choice depends mostly on your use. Do you have enough music to fill up a nano and more? Will you be running with it or exercising with it (this is much easier with a nano)? Lastly, how are your eyes? The Nano screen is really small and one frined of mine found the difference in size made a difference in readability. I think the video function is cool but I don't find myself using it. Try to think realistically about whether you would download or rip TV shows or movie and watch them on your iPod. When and where would that happen? Those are my immediate thoughts.
My B-day is in January and I am mostly just a baseball fan so I have no great birthday sports moments.

18 Hm. Unless they're about to phantom-DL Nomar, too, I don't see how there's room for him on the team at this moment. Maybe he's just resting?

18 - where do you find such information?

16 I prefer the nano as the size does influence me to exercise. But whatever you do -- WAIT on it for a little bit (at least until the middle of June) as Apple has something up their sleeve for one of the two products. I despise having bought something and then see a newer edition come out just a few weeks later. Check out this link if interested:
http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/

Get the video one. It's not that hard to run it through your TV, so you aren't obligated to just view the small screen.

25

Valdez is my guess... we need a left handed bat more than we need a third utility infielder.

27 - if we wait for apple to come out with something better in a couple of months, we'll never buy anything, ever. my husband has been playing the "wait for something better/wait for the same tech to get cheaper" game on a flat panel TV for five years.

29 But then where do they make room for that 12th pitcher they're talking about needing soon?

30 I feel that way about the iPhone - want one, but want to wait for the kinks to be worked out first, drop in price and so on. I'll take a flat panel tv now, though, if I could afford one.

My birthday is Jan. 6, but I have no sports memories related to that date.

I'd recommend staying away from the iPod brand itself and getting an MP3 player of a different brand, which are generally more user-friendly and reliable than iPods (or so my iPod-owning friends tell me). Licensing issues tend to become a nuisance for many iPod users.

I use, and highly recommend, the Creative Zen Media, which holds about 4,000-4,500 songs -- not big enough for my whole music library, but big enough to never run out of stuff to listen to. There is also a fancier version called the Zen Vision that plays movies too. Both are compatible with common players like like Musicmatch, whereas the iPod requires you to use the Apple software.

31

The bully doesn't really seem all that thin to me at the moment, but im not Grady... who knows.

32 - well, that's why we're waiting. at the moment, we can't afford one, or not one big enough to satisfy my husband.

27 Oh no. Don't get me wrong. I am not suggesting to wait and wait and wait.... it's just that Apple is scheduled to have a conference in early June and we will see a revision to an iPod. I understand what you are getting at with "always waiting for the next best thing." I guess that's why some people never get married (j/k).

Kevin Malone went jogging with Scott Boras on my birthday a few years ago, and a few days later the Kevin Brown Era began in Los Angeles.

Pretty special, no?

37 - ha ha ha. well, on one hand, you never know when someone better might come along. on the other hand, wives aren't going down in price.

34
That answer is so edgy that it's almost Andrew Shimmin-esque.

34- Of there's a debate for another blog! I respectfully disagree =)

As for the Dodger memories, I do not recall this but Bob of course has this ready to go if Cycle alert ever comes up for the Boys in Blue.

May 7, 1970 - Wes Parker's 10th inning triple is the game winner in a 7–4 win over the Mets. With the hit, Parker ends the day having hit for the cycle, the first Los Angeles Dodger to turn the trick.

So not only has been 37 years since that game but it took extra innings for Parker to accomplish that feat.

16 Definitely get the video iPod. The ability to watch Homestarrunner clips outside the house is one of the great technological advances of our age.

As for birthday sporting events, I remember when the Raiders got pummeled 51-3 by the Bills in the AFC Championship Game. I was a Raider fan at the time, so that one hurt. It's quaint to think of it now, actually.

43 I so remember that game, my friend had a couple of his over at his house, he was a big time Raider fan, I think the Raiders went ahead 3-0 and then got blitzed 51-0, by the second half, he just went outside and smoked.

The night before my 19th birthday the Lakers came back from 23 down in the fourth quarter against the Mavs. I was a Freshman in college and the night was incredibly memorable for a lot of reasons. I am not even a Laker's fan anymore, but I liked them back when Shaq played for them.

Today is James Loney's 23rd birthday, it would be sweet if the Dodgers called him up today.

my birthday's in november, and baseball's the only sport i watch, so, no sports memories for my birthdays.

16The Dodgers beat the Yankees to win the World Series on my 18th birthday. I was in my dorm room and could hear the whole hall yelling.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2862901

espn to televise MLB draft.

46 - any day they call him up will be sweet.

Re: Jake Peavy

That guy is tough as nails, and I would take him any day.

[48] where was this?

49 That's cool! All 50 rounds?? Well, teams have to pick much more quickly than in the NFL draft so I guess it's possible, but wow... I wonder what the ratings will be like for the 49th round...? Will be fun to watch the first couple, though.

The Giants, with 3 picks in the first round, will scare me for once, but hopefully they'll do something stupid.

53

i think just whatever they can fit between 2ET and 6ET

52UC Riverside. Having a late October birthday was good in the 80s, not so good since for the Dodgers.

My 11th birthday party took place at my first dodger game. They were playing the Padres and ending up losing 4-2. We didn't score any runs until the 9th inning. At the time, I was wondering "How come they're not scoring any runs? It's my birthday." The year was 1989. Not a good Dodger year, overall.

Draft gurus, did you see this? The draft will be on ESPN2.

http://tinyurl.com/2bpzr9

Who is baseball's Mel Kiper Jr.? Nate, you want the gig?

49 So many questions arise from this:

Does this mean the front offices actually have to meet somewhere, or will we just be looking at a speaker phone for four hours?

Will they have to artificially lengthen the draft for highlight packages? Generally teams now who they want, then grab them. Will there be NFL style eight hour rounds?

Will there be a more boring four hours of television this year?

55 Once the draft starts, teams only get 5 minutes per pick and there are no trades so they should get through most of the first round and perhaps a third into the longest 1st supplemental round in draft history.

59 I was listening to the coverage on XM radio last year and I think it was just like that, a speaker phone to a central place, during the downtime, the hosts would speak to front office and the draft picks (I recall listening to Evan Longoria's interview).

[56] ah, riverside. that makes more sense. i was wondering why people would get so excited in minnesota :)

Ah, 7 minutes late on my newsflash. And I thought I HAD refreshed...

Televising the draft is awesome. I don't know why they didn't do this years ago.

Mostly, I want to see disgruntled Phillie and Met fans booing and throwing things in disgust at the speakerphone when their draft picks are announced.

Fantasy League dilemma. Do I start Zito or Perez tonight?

Preston Mattingly hit his first homer today as the Loons won a rare game for them.

Kuo is starting for the 51s in a day game at Freson, Kemp is in RF, Abreu is at 3B and did not catch the pregame show to see where James Loney is located.

62 I've only been in Minnesota 7 or 8 years. And they get really excited here, the fishing opener is this weekend and that will result in lots of yelling and screaming.

Kuo used just 10 pitches to get through the 1st inning 1-2-3 with a strikeout.

Kemp is playing today and has already popped out in foul territory.

I still think the D-Rays erred by not drafting Eva Longoria. They'd put more butts in seats that way.

Prospect alert

Loney did not make a cross-country trip, he is in Fresno taking the day off.

70.
True, but he may come in later. Apparently it was because of facing a left hand starting pitcher and Mitch Jones doing well yesterday.

70 This just raises all kinds of questions.
1. How did you find out he is in Fresno?
2. Why would he take a day off in Fresno?
3. When did they start giving players days off when games are being played?

Inquiring minds want to know!

Not to harp, but I don't see how u can look at this, and not do something. Anything. It's killing us.

Just forget that it's Pierre. I am not ripping on Pierre, he is what he is. I am ripping on Grady.

Get this 2 hole hitter out of there, because his first line is solid.

.317 .364 .354 .717 (empty)
.224 .220 .265 .485 (runners on)
.185 .179 .259 .438 (risp)

After watching the game on saturday, my wife asked if Pierre meant to hit into all those fielders choices so he could run.
She also couldn't figure out why Grady was allowing Pierre to bunt.

I didn't have a good answer for her.

Kuo walks one, but gets 2 K's and a weak groundout to the catcher.

74

It's like trying to explain why you have to throw to first when the ball gets away from the catcher on strike 3, difficult.

Tonights lineup

Furcal, SS

Pierre, CF

Nomar, 1B

Kent, 2B

Gonzo, LF

Martin, C

Ethier, RF

LaRoche, 3B

Penny, P

73 - That Pierre is worse with runners on and in scoring position is besides the point, the problem is he is hitting .282/.312/.321/.632 in all situations and an empty .308/.344/.352/.695 in the number two spot. Those 49 at bats with runners are probably a fluke, over time he would probably end up at something like .295/.330/.370 in RBI opportunities. Tony Jackson, TJ Simers and the various and sundry other reporters should point out that runs aren't coming in bunches right now and Juan Gone, Two to Go is a big part of the problem. Instead the focus will be 22 runs scored (in only 99 outs!).

78 He still has 2,500 more outs to make assuming we don't re-sign him.

Ouch. Kuo gives up a home run, single to the opposing pitcher, and another home run.

He did get another strikeout, though.

[78] he's over 100 at last count. that may be including pickoffs and double plays and botched squeezes, however.

OT- I'll be making a rare trip to southern California this weekend and will be attending the Saturday night game. I have tickets already (Top Deck, section 13) and parking. I will be traveling from Anaheim to the game and I was wondering which gate I should use to enter the parking lot. I plan to arrive early enough that getting in isn't an issue and I don't mind a little extra walking. I'd like to stay until the end of the game and limit the time spent in the parking lot on the way out. What entrance will lead to the smoothest exit south?

bhsportsguy,

We got Drew Gordon!!

78 If only baseball were more like cricket and a player could score rus with one swing? Oh.... wait. Well then, maybe there needs to be a stat showing how many runs a players deeds contribute to the team as a ratio of his outs...

83

how the hell did UCLA get drew gordon? wasnt it between washington and zona?

I was a silent observer of the 1990 draft when, via conference call, the minor league club I worked for selected Brigham Young outfielder Gary Daniels (http://tinyurl.com/2vk4md).

Daniels left the team when he accused Ruben Rodgriguez of stealing his boom box and the manager, Mal Fichman, looked at the stat sheet and sided with Rodriguez (it was common knowledge that Rodriguez had indeed stolen the boom box).

Fichman had Daniels suspended for seven years following the incident. Oh, the joys of minor league ball.

For the record, the Dodgers selected LHP Ronnie Walden with the ninth pick that year.

85
Those were the rumors, but I had a feeling we had a good chance when his Mom showed up on BRO and was posting info for us.

73. It is very easy to explain why Pierre's numbers go way down when has runners on base, it's because he ALWAYS bunts in those situations.

78 Oh I agree with you. I am just trying to not make it a Pierre thing. But I guess team wide our hitting a problem considering 5 regulars have OBP's less than 330 and no one on the team is slugging.500

88 lol go sell crazy someplace else, were all stocked up here.

Kuo's day is done after 4 innings and 3 runs with 2 walks and 5 strikeouts.

"88.
73. It is very easy to explain why Pierre's numbers go way down when has runners on base, it's because he ALWAYS bunts in those situations."

unless the runner is forced (at 2nd or 3rd) wouldn't this be considered a sacrifice bunt and therefore not effect his numbers at all?

89 - I'm shocked...shocked!...to see that replacing Drew and Lofton with Pierre and Gonzo would produce such results.

88 You're forgetting the classic fielders choice at second, then occasionally Pierre scores a run.

89 That's a slap in the face of Andy LaRoche and I won't stand for it.

89 - Last year we didn't hit home runs, but everybody had an OBP over .360 except Betemit who batted 8th and had and isolated slugging over .200. In other words, everyone got on base except the one guy who had some power. We were incredibly balanced and now... not so much.

Tony Jackson seems to have taken a step back from his harsh feelings about Grady's decision to stick with Tsao in yesterday's fateful inning - convinced in part by Bruin's posting, no doubt. Kinda cool, actually.

Bill,

If you don't mind walking, than save your money and park outside. You can go towards the Golden Gate entrance and then park on Academy drive. Stay in the left lane to turn on Academy. Otherwise, I think the quickest exit from the park is from the Academy gate, in which case the directions I just gave would get you there.

82
If you don't mind a long walk up to the Top Deck, I highly recommend the Academy Gate. If you are coming up the 5, then take it to the 101 North, to the 110 North. Exit at Academy Road and wind your way to Dodger Stadium. Basically you will go right off the freeway and then take a right at the next intersection. Follow the narrow street as it wends its way to the Stadium. Turn left at the first big intersection.

Thank you, KBL & Bob. I probably shouldn't have, but I already paid for the parking. If something happened to my car outside of the gates, my wife wouldn't be too pleased. I guess I'll use the Academy Gate.

And Bob, as long as I'm mentioning my wife, she went to your high school. Unfortunately, you were a year away from being in one of her yearbooks (she graduated in '86).

100

So which was your wife's favorite building to have classes in:
A, B, or C?

Or was she one of those people who had classes in the unusual D, M, or S buildings?

I will ask one more time. Who should I start for Fantasy Baseball tonight? Zito or Perez? I hate when my pitchers face each other.

I'll have to ask about the A,B,C,D,M,S building thing. Wherever they had French, she was there for four years. She got to college and had a roommate from France, but wouldn't speak to her in French once. It was a good use of time.

26, 72 - To keep track of the 51's just go to their website:

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/index.jsp?sid=t400

They're playing a day game today. I usually just click on "box" or "log" (for the game at the top of the screen) to check the progess of the game. I have a severe hearing loss so I never click on "audio."

103
French classes would have been offered in A building.

That was destroyed in the 1994 earthquake.

And James Loney goes in as a defensive replacement in a tie 3-3 game in the bottom of the 7th in Fresno.

Russ Langer's slavish devotion to '70s rock is either endearing or disturbing, depending on one's point of view.

102. I'd go with Zito.

How could you root for a giant. Go with Perez. Plus more K potential with Perez.

It pains me to say it but I'd probably go with Zito at home over Perez on the road. Zito overall has settled down and just hasn't gotten much run support. Perez has pitched well, too. I'd expect a 4-3 type game. (Which means it will probably be 12-10.)

83 Wow, did not see that coming at all.

Here's the headline on a ESPN.com story on the Gordon recruitment.

Still joyous from the commitment of Brendan Lavender, Arizona came back down to earth when Drew Gordon spurned it for UCLA.

On the other hand Jason does raise a good point. Fantasy be damned - you want to root against the Giants anyway!

102
Zito has been twice as good on the road as at home this year while Oliver has been okay at either. Oliver's splits over the last 3 years not including 2007 are bad on the road. For me I'd take Zito at home as I doubt the Met's have cured their weakness against southpaws.

85 Does this mean I am giving up more karma with the Gordon's verbal to UCLA.

I think I raise a great point. Fantasy is about Karma too. :-)

111

im not going to lie, with lavender and Negedu, zona's 2008 class was shaping up to be top notch and i was really excited about drew gordon. I really thought he was going to come here.

Oh well, back to the drawing board. I think backup plan is Terrence Jennings.

I feel bad for what will come to you if Jrue commits to UCLA.

Wow a Dodger outfielder that can throw out a runner at 3B, nice throw and double play from Kemp (who is playing RF today).

And Kemp pulls off a 9-5 double play, nailing a runner at third from right field. Langer can't stop blathering about what a great throw it was.

(Yes, Dodger fans, outfielders with throwing arms do exist.)

118 Uh, what he said.

117 I will take it even it means a rain cloud over my head for a couple of years.

An aside, no matter how much stuff you read on the internet, until they announce, you never know what will happen.

119 Lets see, the 5 tools you want from a player:
1. Run, yes.
2. Field, yes
3. Arm, check
4. Hit for average (I'd change this to plate discipline, improving)
5. Hit for power, yes.

Oh Matty, the day is coming and it be soon.

Another pro-Pierre voice converted:

http://www.baseballsavvy.com/

We Were Wrong: The critics were right. To everyone who questioned the Dodgers signing of Juan Pierre, on behalf of the entire BaseballSavvy.com staff, I offer my humblest apologies. Wow, does this guy suck. It's nice that he plays every day and is a good clubhouse guy, sure. And he'll hit .300, which can't hurt.

But Pierre is already the worst center fielder in Los Angeles history. Forget that his throwing makes Brett Butler look like Roberto Clemente. Pierre is nearly incapable of catching a fly ball, generally a requirement for the job. Reminds me of what was often said about Marvelous Marv Throneberry, of the 1962 Mets: "If he can get to it, he can drop it."

It's too bad the Dodgers offered Pierre the extra year that the Giants wouldn't. Frisco is better off with Dave Roberts, in a short contract, for far less money. The Dodgers would be wise to give Matt Kemp a shot at center field, or at least a platoon. While Kemp will make mistakes, they'll be mistakes of inexperience. When Pierre makes mistakes, they're mistakes of inability...

119 - "Blathering" in a bad way?

122 . 6. Hit a curveball, Check back shortly.

Can Juan Pierre hit a curveball?

124 No, not in a bad way, just that he couldn't stop talking about it. (I like Langer.)

Huckaby singles and Loney strikes out - the baseball Gods messed up. It's supposed to be the other way around!

126
He hits a curve about as well as a fastball.

126. Hey! Juan Pierre can hit ANY kind of pitch. If by hit you mean bunt or weak tap out or pop up. Honesty, to the point I keep making about how he bunts way way too much, I wonder how much his numbers would rise if he just stopped doing that. Wouldn't make him good but might make him better.

Wow, old friend Kaz Ishii threw 125 pitches in a 2-1 win over the Giants. (The Yomiuri Giants, that is.)

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/sports/20070508TDY26005.htm

[129] so... not very well, then?

125 So are you saying he should work on that in Vegas or in LA?

133. I don't know. I don't see his ABs in Vegas so I guess my answer is that if he's showing some real improvement in that area, I'd be happy to see him come up. Otherwise, keep working.

Walkoff HR by Ochoa, Grizzlies win.

Marshall: "What kind of clothes do you have?"

Joe: "The kind that I'm wearing."

Marshall: "So you've got no clothes."

i'm glad you've decided to join in the fun, jon :)

Too bad Matty won't get his shot to win today's game, due to that walkoff. Feh!

Ivan Ochoa has hit six home runs in his pro career. One-third of those came today against the 51s.

And it was against Matt White. Isn't he/wasn't he one of our better prospects? He did fine up until the bottom of the ninth. Then gave up an almost homerun for a double, then the homer to end it.

I am probably going to go with Zito because of NY's weakness for lefties. I will have you know I put loyalty above my fantasy team, but it bit me in the rear last week. I went to the Arizona/LA game on Monday, benched Webb, and paid dearly for it.

140 He's just roster filler. He has no real chance of ever making the big club, barring serious disaster.

If he can get to it, he can drop it.

I love that quote.

130

it wouldn't hurt if he took a walk every once in a while either.

142 He can buy the 51s and then he can pitch whenever he wants.

140 Yeah, he's hardly a top prospect, or a prospect at all. (Though I'd prefer him over Tim Hamulack. Or maybe I wouldn't.) He has a lot of money though, so what does he care whether Ochoa homers off him? ;-)

123 - Isn't it a little convenient for them to criticize the Pierre signing at this point? I mean, if he goes 4-for-4 today, his numbers will probably be pretty close to his career figures. What then? Are they back on the Pierre bandwagon?

147- They're criticizing his defense as much as anything and that's not about to improve.

At least the 51s timed the ending of their game to coincide with the start of the Jacksonville game in 10 minutes. Orenduff on the hill.

147 - I'm not sure I understand what you're getting at. I don't see how Pierre going 4 for 4 would change what he had written.

Why does Orenduff's name always make me think he's a German opera composer, not a pitcher?

147 I tend to stay away from the Pierre debate only because short of an injury (and he does not have a history of getting hurt) it seems to be an intellectual exercise at best.

However, it is apparent that this team is really one or two hitters away from being a force not just in the division but in the NL. And I think that Ned knows that he won't get much help via trades so the question becomes when does he decide to pull the trigger with someone like Kemp. Certainly guys like Tomko and Hendrickson may become valuable pieces to deal as the season goes on but don't expect anything really valuable.

The Dodgers best hopes for improving the team are in Vegas, the question will be when they decide to use them, the fact that they brought LaRoche up and he is playing shows me that they may not be as hesitant as I thought they would be but there are harder decisions than the one involving Betemit.

May will be an interesting month to watch what happens.

151 I think Bob went to hear an Orenduff opera at the Disney Hall last week.

148 - Well, anyone that went from a Pierre supporter to denouncer because they were surprised at his OF skills doesn't seem all that "savvy".

Pierre is what he is, and if you were a supporter of his 2 months ago, it seems lazy and opportunistic to jump off now.

If California had a stronger Lemon Law, the question of what to do about Pierre would be considerably easier to answer.

[151] because of carl orff?

Orenduff wrote the opera "Tris Speaker and Izturis"

The only reason I posted 123 was because people have been wondering whether the Pierre criticism is just part of an echo chamber here.

154 - Always better to be open-minded than to stick stubbornly to a point of view. According to your rules, no one would ever be allowed to admit a mistake.

So I assume No Sopranos talk?

157 is worthy of a LOL.

159 Just warn me beforehand so I can skedaddle.

Should I consider myself warned?

Why does Orenduff's name always make me think he's a German opera composer, not a pitcher?

i love coming hear.

Heh. I should get an assist for 157 though; just couldn't think of a good baseball analogy for "Carmina Burana." (Carmen Fanzone?)

159 - I watched it, but you can chat about it at Screen Jam.

157 was very clever.

158 The signing I understood, I can't say I disagreed with it as much as some did so to say I was against it from the beginning would be incorrect.

Now, while I don't yell at the TV when he does something that bugs me, it appears that he is in some type of funk, he is nervous in the field, he is not even what I would call reckless like someone who has stolen as many bases as he done in his career.

So in summing up, I still hold to my original arguments why I thought Ned made the deal and this is not a Russ Ortiz/Kevin Appier situation but it would not bother me if Pierre sat sometime and Matt Kemp played 2-3 times a week. If Kemp does the job, than we can see if Ned can do a 25 cents/dollar deal with someone.

158 While I don't think you should never be able to change your mind on a baseball related decision, I think if you flip-flop in less than three months, you're making decisions based on small sample size and hindsight.

[158] it's not just an echo chamber... as reasonable a voice as rich lederer was calling for ned's pink slip over the signing back in november, if you recall:

http://baseballanalysts.com/archives/2006/11/making_ned_resi.php

159 I'll just say "Screen Jam" and leave it at that.

166 "it would not bother me if Pierre sat sometime and Matt Kemp played 2-3 times a week"

The problem is, that would bother enough people that it'll never happen. For one thing, Pierre seems bent on keeping his consecutive-games streak going. I sense that streak eventually becoming a significant albatross to the team, if it isn't already.

167 - Or you gained more information than you previously had. In other words, maybe the initial assessment was at fault, not the change. That's certainly what he's saying in his comment.

[170] solution: juan pierre, pinch runner.

except for the fact that he seems to get picked off a lot.

Nah...Eric I won't say a word. I did like the episode more than others this season.

170
You can't continue a consecutive games streak by just pinch running. Pierre's streak is already shorter than people think because he had one game just as a pinch runner.

I have also changed my opinion of Pierre based on a month's worth of baseball. Before, I thought he was bad at everything baseball-related except for bunting and running down fly balls. Now I realize he's bad at those too. I hated the signing but held out hope that he might be semi-useful. Now I think he should be sent to the glue factory.

158 - I guess I'm a little unsure as to what Pierre supporters thought they were getting. His offensive numbers are a little off his career figures (hence, my 4-for-4 comment), but even now he's on pace for about 193 hits. Everyone knew he had a noodle arm. So apparently it's Pierre's ability to judge a flyball that's the tipping point of good-to-bad.

171 I suppose if you're willing to admit you made a fundamentally bad assessment, then it's okay.

However, by doing this you forfeit all rights to rebackpedal.

170 It's a lot easier to sit someone batting .125 and only has only a little more than a season and a half of time than a six plus veteran who has started for World Series champion. But I think they wondered about this lineup from Spring Training on and in the end, they may decide it won't work.

With LaRoche up, it would appear that Nomar will not be moving (and even if that was the change, it still wouldn't address the bigger issue).

Hopefully either LaRoche or Betemit provide enough offense at 3B, sure there is a better chance that Gonzo gets hurt but I think by June/July, the evidence will show that Kemp is ready and they should be prepared for that day.

175 What bugs me is that he doesn't attempt to steal when everyone in the park knows that a great base stealer (he was advertised as at least that) is going.

And that has happened at least 4-5 times this season already. And Nomar rarely goes to RF so there is no reason to keep that hole there.

171

That is if you assume Pierre isn't in a defensive slump. It's clear to me he is in an everything slump- he doesn't even trust his ability to steal a base at the moment.

Any comments I made about Pierre were stat based as I only saw him play a handfull of games. The defensive metrics I've seen showed him to be a usefull CF not a tool and certainly not the worse CF I've seen since Roger Cedeno flailed at flyballs. I knew his arm stunk I didn't know he couldn't throw further then my mother.
Offensively he's just in a funk and will get his hits but it does look like his 3 year downtrend will continue and his days of a 355 OBP may be over. I was never on board for signing JP but once we signed him I tried to find some positives. With Kemp slagging away at AAA I see no reason for him to be starting for the Dodgers on a regular basis.

screen jam it is.

Grady strikes me as the type that would be perfectly fine ending a players consecutive game streak if he thought it was hurting the team. If Pierre went all Betemit on us (Pre-Saturday) I'm pretty sure he'd sit. For now, he's not that different than advertised... unfortunately.

[174] what, if you're a pinch runner, you've no longer "played"?

184
Yet if you are kicked out of the game before you get a chance to play in the field or bat, your streak continues!

Greatest headline I've seen in years:

http://www.wsoctv.com/mlb/13222064/detail.html

156 And let's not forget Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf. If you're a double bass player, he's the man for you. He wrote two concertos for that unwieldy instrument.

184 If you're a pinch runner, you've played, you just haven't played for purposes of consecutive game streaks. You get a game played on your record, unless you've played in a bunch of games in a row, in which case you didn't play in the game after all. You can score a run without playing in a game. You can steal a base without playing in a game. It's proof that the people who construct baseball's official rules have access to some really, really good drugs.

I wonder what the ruling would be if Juan Pierre came in as a pinch runner, the Dodgers batted around, he came up to the plate later in the same inning, then was removed from the game. He didn't pinch hit for anyone, so he's in the game only as a pinch runner. Does that mean theoretically he could hit a home run without officially playing in the game? (Not that Juan Pierre would ever hit a home run; this is, of course, hypothetical.)

186 I should add I got it from Ken Levine's blog.

179 What bugs me is that he doesn't attempt to steal when everyone in the park knows that a great base stealer (he was advertised as at least that) is going.

And that has happened at least 4-5 times this season already. And Nomar rarely goes to RF so there is no reason to keep that hole there.

Not that I necessarily endorse more SB attempts by anyone, including Pierre, but it's worth pointing out that hitting in front of Nomar is about the worst possible spot for a SB. Nomar swings at the first pitch nearly every time, and ends the AB as often as not right there. When is a basestealer supposed to go?

[188] i understand even less after reading that paragraph than i did beforehand. i don't think it's your fault though, eric. i blame mlb.

and canada.

For me, regarding Pierre..It's just hard to watch him. Forget the numbers behind what he does, he is tough to watch. I think most of us knew the numbers he'd bring, just wow though in how he achieves them. 50 plus steals but in watching him nothing makes me think he can get a steal when really, really needed.

You see him in the OF getting bad jumps, trying his hardest to throw a ball into the IF, you see him getting picked off and there is just nothing smooth about his game aside from going from first to third on a base hit or scoring from 2b. Now this is ok, there are alot of guys like that but it adds to the dissapointent for me.

One thing before I met you guys (if we can call it that) is I never concerned my self with VORP. Now I can't think about it enough (in a general perspective) and this adds to my frustration. I may be wrong but in Pierre, Nomar, and Gonzo I feel we have young guys who would could perfom well enough from within and that frustrates me even more. Then take that money and get a real decent young player. As others have mentioned, i'd rather watch Kemp make errors of expierance thatn watching Pierre make errors of ability.

191 Admittedly, I reveled in the rule's confusion rather than actually trying hard to explain it.

I blame MLB too. And Andorra.

You also get credit for a game played if you're announced as a pinch hitter, but then replaced before you come up. But that doesn't extend a consecutive game streak.
Rule 10.23
(c) CONSECUTIVE-GAME PLAYING STREAK. A consecutive-game playing streak shall be extended if a player plays one half-inning on defense or if the player completes a time at bat by reaching base or being put out. A pinch-running appearance only shall not extend the streak. If a player is ejected from a game by an umpire before such player can comply with the requirements of this Rule 10.23(c), such player's streak shall continue.

is it just me, or does andorra sound like it should be an alien world on star trek?

Andorra just got a new co-ruling prince yesterday.

So if Nomar had wanted to pass Cal Ripken, all he would've had to do is call the umpire a few choice names before each game when he was injured.

Since we're all worked up in a Pierre feeding frenzy (and why not? He's the biggest issue on the team), I have a serious question. Do you think that Pierre could beat Russell Martin in a flat 50 yard dash? My answer is that I think Pierre would win by a little but it would be close. But time them from 1st to 3rd from the crack of the bat and I'm pretty sure Russell takes him.

195 That, or a planet infested with overgrown teddy bears in a Star Wars movie.

[194] i forget... if you talk three balls and someone else finishes your at-bat and say, draws a walk, who gets credited? and if it's the pitcher that gets replaced, whose responsibility is the batter?

198

I think Russell takes anyone but Furcal (and probably Kemp).

Has a player ever, in the history of baseball, played one half-inning?

Reading Juan Pierre's Wikipedia page taught me that "On May 9, 2006, Pierre robbed the San Francisco Giants' Barry Bonds of a career 714th home run by catching the ball as it topped the fence". Also I've learned he "was named after his father's favorite baseball player, Juan Marichal".

er, take not talk. i've been in front of this computer too long today.

198 I think there's about a 50% chance that Pierre beats Martin running from first to third. There's about a 40% chance that Martin beats Pierre, and a 10% chance that the results are nullified because Pierre runs from first back to home plate.

As long as the finish line was big enough so that Juan had little problem locating it, he should have no problem.

I don't see why every mention of Pierre has to become a feeding frenzy, but anyway ...

Game thread will open in about five minutes.

205 - ... beating Martin.

204- LOL! Or perhaps he'll try to bunt.

202 I'm sure lots of guys have. Usually related to injuries. Or perhaps Lasorda-Hershiser-Hansen pinch hitting shenanigans.

193
Andorra? Let's talk Jai-alai then no baseball!

151 156 Might actually have been thinking of Offenbach - who was a French opera composer.

200
Whomever gets ball four (as a batter) gets the walk. But if you pinch hit with two strikes against you already and K, the first batter gets the strikeout.

The relief pitcher gets credit for his action unless it's a walk and he entered with the count as 2-0, 2-1, 3-0, 3-1, and 3-2.

206- You must. Because this is DodgerThoughs and as a fan he is so glaringly the number one issue and he is so embedded that it just boggles the mind. Hard not to be somewhat obsessed with it.

Martin is Canadian. I think he'd hip-check Pierre when they were rounding second.

209 - Yeah I was thinking a half of a half, like, 1.5 outs.

206 - Sorry, Jon. In fact, it was actually supposed to be a defense of Juan Pierre, in that it seems to be a bit of a knee-jerk reaction by the media to flip-flop so quickly. I think I'm more critical of any media members that thought highly of the contract just a few short months ago, only to be quick to shovel dirt on the guy. He really isn't playing much worse than realistically should've been expected of him.

214 - And... attend to any injuries free of cost?

Ok 5 of the 7 games I've wanted to watch have been blacked out on MLB.tv.

217 - Only if you consider the slippery slope to full blown communism free. Damn hippies.