Not to be repeater, but okay, maybe a little. From the last thread.

To go back and answer ToyCannon's inquiry about keeping Wilson Valdez around, I think that the Dodgers were/are worried about the SS depth after Furcal, now Abreu has played all over the infield so perhaps they can rest a little easier also, by now Wilson Valdez should be able to pass through waivers and go down to Vegas in case they need him.

With Anderson's injury, the Dodgers are down to Betemit if he sits out as the sole LH bat on the bench and while I still think he could be better served to play everyday, James Loney should come up for that spot.

Larry Bigbie is probably better suited for the role but then the Dodgers would have 4 LH outfielders who cannot play any other positions. With Loney, while he still would get very few at bats, I think he would at least get some at bats at 1B since Grady seems to consider Olmedo (and rightfully so in some respect) as a high leverage situational pinch hitter.

He also could get some ABs in OF but not that many and of course some PH at bats.

Oh and how much is parking w/o a library card. (I had one but it is probably out of date by now).

I'd be interested to know what the official Dodgers' position is on how LA got the Dodgers. It wasn't exactly an uncontroversial move on either coast.

Kershaw pitching today at 4. Listen live at:

http://www.midmichigannews.com/aplay/audioplay2.html

1 - While Bigbie might be a better fit as a direct replacement for Marlon, I think enough guys are struggling so that there would be decent AB's for Loney while letting some people (Nomar) get some rest.

Bring up James!

From the previous thread:

ToyCannon
Cool a bowling story. Not that anyone cares but my 1st job was scoring pot games on Sunday morning when I was 14 when you still needed a neutral scorekeeper. For many of those bowlers it was how they financed their drinking and race horse money. Old bowling alley's were an interesting place to hang out for a young teenager. Luckily I left the seedy bowling culture when I was 16. Shame about those automatic scorers as it was a great job for someone quick in math to make some money and meet interesting people from all walks of life.

I did the exact same thing. My parents were in two bowling leagues and some high school friends were in others. I scored for all of them because I was so fast with numbers. A 111 in the seventh meant the scorekeeper got a beer. Who cared if he was underaged!

who cares about wilson valdez passing through waivers??

we've got

furcal
martinez
abreu
betemit
hu

is valdez really any better than the other emergency options? i mean, we've got problems once we're running betemit out at short, but they aren't the kind of problems that can be solved by wilson valdez.

from the least thread

128 - That's a common problem. What you have to do is do some searching on the internet for your hddigital box be sure to use the brand and model number. What you have to find out is how to stop your box from trying to upconvert the SD signal to HD ( this is what is causing all the noise) The best box that does this automatically is an SA8300HD but you probably have a motorolla if it's as bad as you're saying.

Have faith it is not your TV it is the box sending signal to your TV.

A simple way to prove this is to set up a progressive scan DVD player on your new TV and play a DVD, if the DVD looks as bad as the SD signal then its your TV if not then its your box.

2 Just get a library card. Its free, and it opens up a whole world of books and videos to you that are also free.

Your welcome, Bob.

I never really have understood the Tracy Theroem. Lefty batter vs. righty and righty batter vs. lefty. To me, I see how the side arm guys could dominate the same handed hitter, but to me the rest of the hoopla is kind of a wash. Anyone know the splits of these statistics. I'd rather have a guy like Bigbie in there because he's hot and seeing the ball well than a guy who is righty and in a funk. Like I said, I've never really understood the fixation some managers have with this stat.

7 - I assume the Dodgers care, otherwise he wouldn't still be on the roster.

8 You wouldnt happen to be able to field questions as to why the HDMI inputs on my new Samsung LCD tv looks like crap compared to component inputs could you? hehe. The picture looks awful on HDMI to the point I had the tv replaced, and it still looks bad.

Bench Players who can take a six month lease in L.A.

1. Mike Lieberthal
2. Olmedo Saenz
3. Brady Clark
4. Wilson Betemit
5. Ramon Martinez
6. Wilson Valdez

You probably don't need Betemit, Martinez and Valdez. Clark seems fine (and as the only RH bat) as the 4th OF, though Kemp could force the issue in a few months. Loney is a bad hamstring or something else away for Nomar so he will be around either up in LA or in Vegas biding his time.

Pitching wise, I still think Tomko should go, that Hendy's more valuable as a bullpen guy, that Chad should just get the ball every 5th day and let the Dodgers live with the results. Kuo should not come back up until he his pitching into the 6th inning in AAA.

Some D's site or blog( I can't find it now) used this years stat to call Hendricksen a 6'9" Koufax. Honest! Anyway good luck to Bigfoot tonight(Harry and the Hendricksen) and I hope this fantasy continues.

I'm not sure why there's not more concern about Anderson. Who's going to hit the 4th home run? Honestly, this is like when Gibson went down in 89.

Also from Tony Jackson:

Josh Rawitch, the Dodgers' PR guy, is sitting a few seats away from me talking Jeff Kent on the phone for Kent's alleged "web chat" with fans. Josh is reading the questions on his laptop to Jeff, who is answering the questions verbally while Josh types them in. I'm still dreaming of the day when I actually see a big-league ballplayer do something self-sufficient

Tony, we're trying to pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

Kent should self-sufficiently shave Jacksons's head while LuGo and Pierre hold him down.

I was in the clubhouse last year while Repko was doing a chat, and he was actually the one typing in the answers. This surprised me -- I'd just assumed all the chats were as described in 16. (Just like I assume Josh rewrites all the blog postings by DeJon Watson, et al.)

7 I still think the memory of the 2005 season sits in Ned's mind when the Giants had so many injuries and really nothing to back it up. (The Dodgers had similar issues but hey, he was in San Francisco.)

That is why he immediately traded for Baez because he wasn't sure about Gagne, signed Raffy because Izzy wasn't due back until mid-season.

If you looked at the Dodgers going into 2007, their depth at SS was not great, they had no "prospect" ready to step in, most thought Hu was 2 years away and the other guys were even farther away. So that is why they kept Valdez on the roster.

This is all speculation but based on a year and a half of watching Ned work.

Right now, Raffy is signed through 2008, Hu or some of the other guys should be ready by then. But for now, I think Ned would sleep better if Valdez was in the organization.

[11] well, we'll see how much longer they do. i guess i ought to have put it "who should care", though.

16 - Yeah, we're not paying Jeff Kent to type.

I think Logan White will say, does anyone besides NPurcell have any questions come June 5th.

Dodger Chat with Logan White 6/5 2 p.m. PDT.

12 - Have you tried any other HDMI device besides cable? I would try this before abandoning a TV.

I'm interested to see how Betemit takes to shortstop. If he can provide serviceable depth, it makes him much more valuable and makes Valdez very expendable.

Well Anderson went on the "phantom DL" when it sounds like the real DL was necessary. He wasn't having any more pain that he had had all season but the pain he was having made it impossible for him to throw from the outfield. This is why he got that start at first base. Perhaps this will all work out for the best for him. Hope so. He was an enjoyable part of last years team.

But if LuGO and Pierre hold him down it wouldn't be self-sufficient. I'd rather see Kent chasing a reporter with a razor anyway.

23 I've tried a couple different dvd players, but not the actual cable box yet. I'll try that when I get home.

[21] i know! what if he got carpal-tunnel??

21 Well, technically they are actually in a a way paying Jeff Kent to type. Part of the obligation of every major league player, as specified in every contract, is to perform PR functions within reason. Autograph days, team banquets, visting hospitals and the like. Kent being the funloving sort that he is, this was a rather ingenious way of having him perform those PR duties while actually having no face-to-face contact with another human being.

Like it or not, PR is a huge part of the job description for every major league player.

29 - I'm not saying PR isn't a part of the job. But I don't feel bad that he's not literally typing his answers.

29 True, but PR is an even more important part of the job of the official PR person. I say that only partially being silly; I know my g/f does PR for tech companies and they even more literally put words in the CEO's mouths to make sure they don't say something stupid. In the case of a baseball player, as long we know he's really saying the words we see, the PR person is there to make sure he doesn't have some kind of attack of Tourette's syndrome or something. Still, it was refreshing to hear that Repko did it all himself. And hey, maybe they DO have a real concern about him getting Carpal Tunnel. ;-)

12 - You might want to try the AVS forums too to help troubleshoot any problems you have.

27 Also try another HDMI cable. From your description in 12, there is a chance your cable might be the problem. HD pictures should be in very HQ with both components and HDMI.

23
I agree with Curtis Lowe. It's your cable company and the cable box's fault.

Some of the SD channels don't look very good, especially when recorded (most notably Comedy Central), but others are OK. I have no trouble following sports in SD and I have a SA8300HD box.

However, my cable company sometimes forgets what the right aspect ratio for TNT is and it displays way too big. Then it fixes itself in about 10 minutes.

27 Also, read some stuff on highdefforum.com

So Guy, if your saying Ned is naturally cautious and likes to have multiple fixes in place for injuries I totally agree. Right now I think we are even deeper at SS.
Most teams would feel Abrue could fill in and perhaps more. Hu is already the classic 60's-70's defensive SS and if this hitting is for real who knows!

while LuGo and Pierre hold him down

Who, Kemp?

Steiner was just wearing glasses on the pregame. Didn't he have LASIK last year? Did his eyes go bad again already?

Get rid of Martinez ($1M) or Valdez ($350+K) I do not care which since they are both mediocre.

Valdez had his time in the sun. Now he is just another raisin.

Bring back Kemp (only left because of the brilliant management idea of putting a rock hard scoreboard in the OF wall instead of the standard padding) and bring up Loney.
Brazoban can wait until there is an opening in the bullpen from an injury/trade or ineffectiveness.

A 12 man bullpen is a waste at this point. The team can barely score runs with 14 position players.

No CI?

36 Valdez had some cups of coffee in the MLB plus several solid if not spectacular AAA seasons and I think Ned just feels more comfortable with that kind of player in reserve than going to Abreu/Hu who are not even on the MLB roster yet. Obviously Abreu and Hu have higher ceilings than Valdez but he is the one that is on the roster today.

39 Actually, I don't think Brazo can wait. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think he is out of options and would have to be promoted sometime this month.

I just tuned in to MLB TV after seeing "injury delay" on Gameday. Who's injured? Or was that just a glitch?

I always feel bad when I see Pierre get robbed on an actually legit hit - or a well-hit ball, I should say. It's such a rare occasion.

43- The catcher. Furcal hit his glove hand fouling off a pitch. But Catcher's Interference was not called. For some reason.

42 He has at least one if not two options, he was only put on the 40 man roster prior to be dealt to the Dodgers during the 2003-2004 off-season.

Curt Schilling fired some of his best verbal heat at Barry Bonds during his weekly appearance Tuesday on a Boston-based sports talk radio station, according to The Boston Globe.

The righthander was asked if fans should hold their noses while watching Barry Bonds's pursuit of Hank Aaron's all-time Major League home run record while on WEEI.

"Oh yeah. I would think so. I mean, he admitted that he used steroids," Schilling responded. "I mean, there's no gray area. He admitted to cheating on his wife, cheating on his taxes, and cheating on the game, so I think the reaction around the league, the game, being what it is, in the case of what people think. Hank Aaron not being there. The commissioner [Bud Selig] trying to figure out where to be. It's sad."

http://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/1483169/detail.html

oops full story here.

Juan Pierre reportedly stole the Train's parking spot before the game.

Tuned in late -- and the yahoo play-by-play is incomplete. How did Pierre make out?

I too would try a different HDMI cable. I started with a middle of the line one for my tv (about $40) and it worked great. Than I tried to go cheap after different recommendations that it wouldn't matter. Well, it did, and i had to return the cheap HDMI cable.

Pierre got robbed on a well hit ball last night, too, but he gets more hits on poorly hit balls than anybody in the league, so who's complainin'.

50 He lined out to short. Well hit ball, nice grab on it. Kent hit a deep fly ball that was nabbed right at the warning track.

50- Lined out to the shortstop.

Thanks 52 and 53.

and 54.

Nate Silver ranked the top 50 players in baseball at SI.com. To the surprise of no one here, I'm sure, for the 2nd year in a row, not one Dodger made the list (although Russ Martin got an "honorable mention").

The Dodgers made the playoffs last year, despite the lack of a "top 50" performer, and we're in first place so far this year. So I'm not gonna put a lot of value in a list like that, except to note the Dodgers do seem to be lacking in star power.

57 - The Dodgers are not a top 50 team.

57 We do, however, have a lot of star names. From 5-7 years ago. A veritable 2001 All Star Team.

so far, so good for gilligan tonight.

57 It's the top-50 to build a team around, with a bunch of assumptions, but it was discussed a little in the last thread.

57 If they did redraft the league, is there any Dodger you'd take in the top 50? Maybe Martin, but that's about it.

62 Furcal? He's pretty good. He's young(ish). He plays a tough position.

Hendrickson needs to go at least 5 1/3 innings tonight to qualify for the ERA race.

46 My bad then. I wasn't sure, but for some reason I thought he was out of options.

i <3 russ.

Luis Gonzalez's OPS should dip below 800 within the next couple of days. At that point my unofficial "complaining about Luis Gonzalez" moratorium will be lifted.

It would be nice if our offense could get in gear before the #6 spot, but so it goes for now.

8 (and others who contributed re my LCD TV): Yes, it's the box - even the cable guy said as much. It's a DVR that comes from the cable TV company. I guess I could buy my own DVR (don't know if that means I can still access the cable company's menus or would have to get TiVo instead) - expensive but sav es $10/mo. charge so it adds up.

But I'd need to know that an expensive box would help. I'm not quite sure how I can verify that - I'd need to see it for myself before I buy. Well, i suppose I could send it back if it doesn't.

It's definitely not the TV itself (a high-quality Sharp Aqous 37D62U), which displays HD perfectly. It's the compression (or maybe decompression) of standard def signal: it's not been properly configured for flat screen LCDs - which is weird when you think that onloy people with flat screen LCDs and Plasmas will be leasing this box, since it has the HD stuff built in. Why should the SD signals be configured for CRT when no CRT users will be getting this box?

Any suggestions as what box to look into? I'll research it anyway, but suggestions are welcome.

23

everyone blames the TV first. And it's typically picture the source (cable/sat box, dvd player) at fault.

I know this because I see these issues daily, I sell them for a living. I'd say close to 90% of the returns on digital displays returned to me, there's absolutely nothing wrong with them.

It's easier for most people to get their $3k back than have to deal with an unresponsive local cable co.

C'mon Andy, my fantasy team needs you!

Andy's first professional IBB. I wonder if they'll give him the baseball.

Ask for the ball, LaRoche. Your first big league IBB.

I'd PH for Hendrickson here.

I don't know if everyone has the same announcers I do, but did anyone hear them explain run-down to to a British viewer.
It couldn't have been more worthless.

I'm getting deja vu from this Top 50 discussion... ;-)

Hendrickson 0-9

He's overdue!

Luis Gonzalez's OPS should dip below 800 within the next couple of days

I've been tracking that myself. LuGo's sub-.800 will follow closely on the heels of Nomar's sub-.700.

73 Hah!

74 Hah hah.

70 Yeah I think the TV is fine since the menus on the tv look nice and sharp, but when I switch to the DVD player on the HDMI input the text that will be displayed "Play" etc looks super blocky. I'll have to play with some remote controls when I get home.

8 69 Sorry, yes - the DVR is a "Scientific Atlantic" so that's the SA you mentioned, yes? I'm not at home at the moment - I'll check later to see if it's SA8300 or another model.

As I recall, Greg Brock (the ballplayer) was IBB'ed in his first big league plate appearance - such was his Ruthian, ne, Bunyanesque, reputation from the minors.

If that recollection is not correct, I'll be crushed. I dare not look it up.

69 Just one last note... from my research when I was looking into buying a big screen tv, according to some store clerks and forums I visited, a big screen LCD in general will have worse SD PQ than a big screen Plasma. Secondly, SD picture will almost always seem bad on a big screen Plasma or LCD. Just something to keep in mind. It did take me some getting used to watching SD stuff on my Plasma. Luckily almost everything I watch is available in HD now, except Fox Soccer Channel and some Dodger games.

75- on the radio, Rick Monday was talking about how "Howdy Doody could just jump in front of the ball and get a hit. because he's made of wood."

so um, yeah.

Dallas Raines (KABC Weatherman) just issued a Red Flag warning for So Cal.

Griffith Park is on fire right now...

Fredi Gonzalez is playing it very close to the vest with the IBB to the #8 hitter, who is in his third MLB game, in the top of the second of a 0 - 0 game. At lot of managers would be tempted to try and have the third inning start with the pitcher.

84 and 85 both made me say "yikes" for different reasons.

Rick Monday's gotta cut back on the sauce...

Well, Scully often forgets that the vast majority of the audience is both considerably younger and less well-read than him, and therefore makes many cultural allusions that people don't follow. Its charming when he does it.

Monday is just nuts.

D'oh.

Bigfoot throw gopher ball, bad man on Marlins hit long way. Me not like.

82- Looks like Brock's first PA ended with him on first, by way of an E8 (Fly Ball); Garvey Scores/No RBI; Roenicke to 3B.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/LAN/LAN198209010.shtml

That was a Strike!

90 And, thus, was another layer of magic and wonder peeled away from the world. You couldn't just let me live with the fantasy?

Coincidence - Hendrickson pitches better after seeing sports psychiatrist - Dodgerthoughts blog for dealing psychologically with the Dodgers.

Coincidence....

I think not.

Leadoff walk. Here comes the sac bunt...

It is interesting, as usual. I finally trusted a pitcher enough to really watch and dissect his stuff( last night I had company and couldn't give my full attention). So on about the second pitch Bigfoot gives up a HR, and shortly after I see what looks like a bad call. This is what I fear if I start truly watching, so I am doomed to these superstitious rituals like turning the sound down. It won't be long till I am hopping on one foot in a circle before each batter.

Yay, a real hit for Pierre! Two solid knocks so far today. What's gotten into him?

You know, this makes me wonder... how often have Furcal and Pierre both been on the basepaths at the same time?

The rabbits are loose!

Here goes Pierre. I'm not sure I can watch.
Jeff Kent saves him.

Mr. Clutch strikes again.

This pitcher looks eminently hittable so far today.

Obermueller is not going to last long at this rate.

Manufacturing runs, baby! Who needs big innings?

A good piece of hitting there by LuGo.

LuGo's OPS: .799

Course, OPS is misleading in that it masks Veteran contributions like RBI-grounders to the right side.

103 - Well, he didn't "try to do too much", like get a hit.

Wonder what's eating Nomar. I've rarely seen him so consistantly bad.

This is a stupid question, maybe a brain fart situation...but I'll ask it anyways cause I don't know if know..

Does OBP count if you reach base on an error or on a force plays?

Me neither, though he did hit that last ball pretty on the nose.

107 A player's OBP would go down in both situations.

Does OBP count if you reach base on an error or on a force plays?

Those plays count in the denominator, but not in the numerator.

the florida announcers are discussing the "heighdth" of the mound, whatever that is.

It always that second time around that concerns me about guys like Hendy but as long as he is not walking guys, he is doing a pretty good job.

To answer bhsportsguy's question from way up top, it would cost $8 to park on a Sunday at the Central Library if you did not get a validation.

Technically, it's $4.00 every 12 minutes, but it maxes out at $8.00.

Harold Green (KCAL-9) News anchor:

'Griffith Park has had over 200 acres burned so far, local and state fire fighters on the scene to get it under control.

More later after the game. Go Dodgers.'

109 and 110 Thanks. Gotcha.

La Roche says, "Take that Brendan Roberts!"

(Who wrote, in his SN fantasy report: "NL-only: Andy LaRoche, 3B, Dodgers. I put "NL-only" more to tell you mixed leaguers not to pick him up, even if he does play regularly. LaRoche is not ready to produce in the majors. In fact, he was hitting just .235 with a .309 OBP in Triple-A at the time of his call-up.")

I worry that Hendrickson might fall over tryng to bunt.

116

yea its not like he didnt hit well in AAA last year.

Ethier looked safe at third - from the replay.

Juan, please make me eat these words:

Is there a sadder phrase in Dodgerdom than "two down for Juan Pierre?"

117- If by worry, you mean hope, I agree with you.

Gah.

That was quick.

Well of course he's not going to swing at that one. It was a strike.

Why does Pierre start every at-bat with an 0-2 count?

120 You can add 'runners in scoring position' to make it a bit sadder.

120 Hope you brought something else for dinner because those words aren't gonna be eaten tonight. Alas.

Slappy McK.

Juan Pierre's batting approach is the polar opposite of how i would teach a kid how to hit.

Nets-Cavs game 2 under way...

NJ-12
CLE-9

As someone in the last few threads pointed out, w/o Drew and with our unusual BA with runners on base last year, our offense should be down. But at this point it is more specifically that Furcal and Nomar are far from last years performances so far. Of course Furcal took at least as long last year to get going. But last year Fla. wouldn't have been in a game where Bigfoot did this well.

126 yep...

Runners on blank and up comes Juan Pierre (bad)

Runners on blank and blank and up comes Juan Pierre (badder)

Runners on blank and blank and blank and up comes Juan Pierre (baddest)

In fact the number of outs is sorta meaningless.

Uh oh, we've suddenly reverted to Hendrickson v1.0 here. The More Walks edition.

131 It's sorta meaningless, but at least the next guys could possibly knock 'em in. Nomar hasn't been good this year except with RISP. If Juan makes the third out, though, it's the worst of both worlds.

131 Actually, Pierre has a OPS of 1400 with runners on blank blank and blank over the past 3 years. 41 RBI in 33 Atbats.

Shenanigans!

1 HR allowed and 5 walks allowed so far this year in 27.2 IP before this start for Hendy. Two consecutive walks is definitely not part of the plan.

That Event guy needed to hustle outta the way just a little more there.

97 Tonight was the 11th time this season for Furcal and Pierre to be on base at the same time.

Once the both reached on FCs, Pierre's getting the runner out at home. Once was one of them on an FC, another time one reached on error. No occurrence of both walking (shocked, I am.)

"you're talking about an out if Nomar catches that ball".
-Steve Lyons

133 I hear ya. Your right. We gotta get that guy out of our two hole.

Yeah a .300 hitter with speed who never strikes out in the 2 hole is bad news.

140 That's just asking for a bad joke.

I don't foresee anything more than 6 IP from Hendy tonight

In his Gameday picture, BJ's head looks misshapen.

141 No, but a .624 OPS and a 3:1 SB to CS ratio in the number two hole is pretty bad.

141 - Only when that's their only quality and it isn't present.

In his Gameday picture, BJ's head looks misshapen

He always looks like he's pushing his jaw over to one side

134 holy cow. And your right.

145 Let's also not forget that the guy with speed who never strikes out actually has more Ks than SBs right now.

141- Was that a defense of Pierre? Wow. I applaud your moxie sir.

all of a sudden the umpire has a really stingy strike zone.

148 I was shocked too. He also has a .389 BA with runners on second and third over the past 3 years. 27 RBI in 36 AB. Apparently Pierre is THE guy we wanted up in that situation. He's deadly if the opponent is afraid to walk him.

anyone have Hendrix pitch count in the 4th?

I'm guessing 25.

So we all know Griffith Park is on fire so I was a bit confused when I heard Monday/Ruess talking about fire since I knew they were in Florida. Evidently we have fire on both coasts in springtime. That does not bode well for fire season.

That was a close call. But three walks in the inning isn't good. I believe we'll be seeing Bills tonight.

150 It was. I don't think he's a good player overall, but I do contend that it's basically impossible for a guy with those qualities to be a huge liability in the 2 hole. And he's Barry Bonds with the bases loaded. ;-)

I dunno for the inning but he's up to 74 for the game in the 4th which isn't too great.

nice?

Well played, sir. Whew.

157 Then it's 34 for the inning, because it was 40 through 3.

Anybody notice that Josh Beckett was left completely off the Nate Silver's top 50 list and honorable mention list at SI? I'm assuming that was an oversight. I emailed Nate to ask about it - or am I tripping about Beckett's value?

and gilligan gets out of it! nice.

34 pitches that inning, but Reuss made a good point that Hendrickson was throwing mostly fastballs which may be problematic for him.

I have to agree that H has had help loading the bases with BB's from the Ump
One of these annoucer's had a novel concept. He truly seemed to say Hendrickson was in trouble, so he was throwing strikes to get ahead.

161 Would Beckett be in the top 10 pitchers you would start a franchise with today?

152 It's fair then to say that maybe this years small sample size is just that and it's encouraging for the future as the numbers don't lie.

[163] fastballs are supposedly the least stressful pitch to throw

156- What's so different about the two hole that makes it a good fit for an empty BA .300 hitter with speed?

Hendrickson's WHIP was 0.69 coming in today. That is some kind of impressive.

end of the 1st Q:

Nets-28
Cavs-24

165 All things considered, yes. He's ahead of Hamels, Lincecum, Hughes and Liriano I'd say, considering his age, stuff, performance in the post season, etc.

156. Please don't say "Juan Pierre" and "Barry Bonds" in the same post. Pierre might burst into flames and I'm sure his family would be unhappy about that.

Hey don't forget about Metro.net as an optional way to get the Central Library. (You can type in 'Central Library' as your destination in using their trip planner.)

You can buy a day pass for $3.

We have the #1 Public Transportation System in America. http://tinyurl.com/382tpp

Just make sure you have a backup plan if you are staying downtown late. The last time I was there some movie began filming and closed a street. Which cut off quite a few buses. Our group had a few people familiar with other routes so we made it home without too much trouble.

Nice for Hendrickson to display some fortitude. Good for him.

I'm hoping to get through the 5th with a lead and then wait for a smoke out.

has a game ever been delayed because of smoke?

If Olivo catches that, Kent's out.

for you (weather) stat fans:

today's Los Angeles high temp of 97
ties the LA record set in 1984.

Oh what a dry wit for Mr. Kent.

pvblue: How involved is Tommy Lasorda with you guys?

Kent: In between his naps, Tommy is more of a motivator of words for us. He's a story teller, an individual motivator, a clubhouse motivator and a guy who has a belly full of experience.

How's Kershaw doing so far - if anyone's listening?

168 Most teams lack power in that spot. He advances runners and provides hit and run opportunities. He doesn't get on base on awful lot, but he's pretty close to average, and when he does get on his speed is an asset.

181 David Wright is batting second for the Mets but he is not a power hitter right now.

179 That is funny.

Double or nothin' for the Dodgers.

And another IBB for La Roche. I love it.

Marlins think Laroche is Barry Bonds.

Andy is getting the Wilson Betemit treatment.

Stop walking LaRoche. I want to see him hit.

Gotta love the kids.

bluto!

There is something so awesome about a Dodger line-up the goes: Martin, Ethier, LaRoche. It makes me so happy!

There is something so awesome about a Dodger line-up the goes: Martin, Ethier, LaRoche

Too bad they're only good enough to hit 6-8 in the lineup.

My realistic ideal lineup now has Pierre leading off. Just get him out of the way since Furcal is good. So instead of Furcal doing something useful and then having Juan screw it up, just let Juan lead off, and if he gets on great and if not the people who have some clue as to what they are doing come up. Seems like we do good things when Juan Pierre isn't anywhere to be found that inning.

Well, it makes sense in that they already know La Roche can hit whereas Hendrickson really cannot. I'd walk him too, here.

Which reminds me: how long will Grittle continue to stick our best hitter in the #6 spot?

180

he had a shaky 2nd inning but other then that doing well; especially in the k/bb department.

166 Pierre has 162 career PAs with the bases-loaded or runners at 2B and 3B; clearly quite a bit less over the last three years. That's a small sample size; this year only is an incredibly small sample size.

189 Yeah, all we need is to go Kemp, Loney, Kent, before that and I'll be even more happy.

181- I understand that there is a preference for that type of player; what I don't understand is why. It's fine that he doesn't have power, but why do advancing runners and being fast outweigh not getting on base an awful lot? Wouldn't it be better to allocate more PAs to players who got on base more?

I can't believe how slow Kent is but thank god for Martin. Our third base coach always says go. He must be legally blind. But although I apologize to Nomar for he is hitting something like .272. From the last few nights I thought he was under .200.
But still it is guys like Martin and Ethier who are making the Dogers game. I hate to say it, but they seem to care about this teams fortune, though Kent is doing fine.

194 Thanks.

Still, despite the shaky last inning full o' walks, 2 hits isn't too bad. If he can just give us one more inning, then bring Bills in... I'm feeling okay.

191 Seems like we do good things when Juan Pierre isn't anywhere to be found that inning

Pierre singled in the third tonight with Furcal on. Both eventually came around to score, so the timing of your comment is a little odd.

199 2nd part referred to Hendy, of course, not Kershaw ;-) good to see a K to start the inning here, too.

did kent eat the throw coming in from right? WTF?!?

um, what just happened there?

200

Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

Not as good to see that.

UG-ly.

I liked Kent's hidden ball trick there, too.

a little negligence from kent there...

Yeah, but Jeff Kent acted cool at every second of that play.

a grounder eats furcal.

error mania.

Bounced out of his glove and rolled away. Kent put his head down to pick it up, and by the time he brought his head back up, Hanley came around to score. It was a little like when Reyes stole home off of Billingsley in ST.

That seemed like a legit triple, but to score was all on Kent there. He must have been thinking of his mom's enchiladas.

Obermueller batted? He's thrown 93 pitches and they're down by three after five innings. Seems wrong to me. (Although I don't know the state of the Marlin's bullpen; maybe they need rest.)

Something's wrong with Kent's fielding lately, not just today.

kershaw's throwing gas in the 6th, struck out batter on 95mph cheese.

200 acres burned now. The merry-go-round is threatened.

What sort of Bermuda Triangle of defense have they entered into here?

197 Why is Pierre criticized for not getting on base on awful lot when he's average in that category? I'm starting think that we've come full circle and batting average is now the most underrated stat instead of the most overrated. A hit is worth more than a walk. A hollow .300 average combined with a other small plusses (speed and strikeouts) really isn't bad.

Obermueller batted? He's thrown 93 pitches and they're down by three after five innings. Seems wrong to me. (Although I don't know the state of the Marlin's bullpen; maybe they need rest.)

We just got Miggyed

That was downright indecent of Hendrickson there.

Um, yeah, kind of saw that one coming.

Yuck.

Gotta leave work now. Hope things are different when I come back to this game.

216 A hit is not worth more than a walk when you're considering how often they get on base

220. I thought it was very hendrickson-esque. the real one, not the imposter that we see this year.

217
You can root for the blue, but you can't work blue here.

This isn't a Redd Foxx album.

wow here comes the hendrickson we all know and love

Miguel Cabrera...Man, hitter, Golden God.

Dear Lord, I need Miguel Cabrera on the Dodgers. Right now.

kershaw is done after 5 2/3rds. reached pitch count.

aaron boone are you kidding me?

217 rule 1.

That's what happens when you get sloppy in front of guys like Cabrera.

Two earned, one unearned?

224 Yeah, but you gotta admit, he said what we all thought.

216- Because he has no power, the other major part of batting. He has the small plusses, which is fine, but he has one big minus, and one big average.

I guess Hendrickson can be taken out since he's no longer in a position to have some success.

Pitcher not to be used in games involving Florida teams. Pitcher is counterindicated for patients with high blood pressure or heart disease.

Only Uggla's run is unearned since Ramirez likely would have scored on Cabrera's homer.

Very likely.

224 Though I have heard tell of a late show . . .

I assume that word is verbotten. my apologies. I was distressed.

228 The veteran 3B presence Ned covets.

what's up with all these brush fires...we have one here in southern cali and i guess another one going on in florida

And he was doing so well through the first 3 innings...

We need to make BJ's shrink one of the bench coaches when he pitches so that he can get his head straightened out.

222 I didn't follow that. Each hit is worth more that each walk. A given OBA is worth more if it's BA heavy. I don't think people give Pierre credit for that.

If Boone or Olivo score, their runs would be unearned. If the reliever gives up a home run to Borchard, that run would be earned for the reliever, but unearned for the Dodgers.

236 See "Thank you for not" on the lower-right of the sidebar.

234 Anything from now on will be unearned due to Furcal's error though

Welcome back Mark Hendrickson :(

103 pitches for Hendrickson-The first 90 were pretty good.

240 No it's not, that's what OPS is for

242. check. see, I didn't say it just now.

nice move grady

He could have slid in I think.

So where does the line start to have Martin's babies?

That was the worst base running I've ever seen from Miguel Olivo.

i would still do martin for cabrera

Where is Loney? What is his ETA? Anyone?

Does anyone know why this browser I'm using doesn't update the page with comments unless I make one?

It's IE on Win2000. It's set to automatically check for newer versions of a page.

Even Dodger Thoughts after Dark doesn't get to work blue. Ashley Harkelroad and hot crazy astronauts are cool. Swearing is not.

Filth flarn filth.

Lyons is unaware that Tsao was standing right at home plate for Martin to toss him the ball

Of course, I can't get an answer to my question unless I post a comment.

Pretty funny.

It's only this one computer that does it, so it has to be something in the settings.

Gameday showed Hendy giving up 4 ER's; then they changed it to 3.

246 When people look at Pierre they say "his he has no power and his OBA is average" and that's as far as it goes. That .300 batting average advances and drives in runners. You have to credit him for that. Really, I didn't just make up the concept that a BA heavy OBA is worth more that a walk heavy one. OPS gives you a general rating, but it doesn't tell you a guy fits certain rolls.

when is bomko due to pitch again?

This is what happens when I stop watching to play Guitar Hero....

240 - It's not that people think Pierre's worthless. It's that he's NOT worth $44 million over 5 years, especially with the talent waiting to get on the field - yes, a BA-heavy .340 OBP isn't terrible. But remember a big part of the value of 'BA-heavy' OBP is that those hits have a chance to go for more than one base, while Pierre has almost no power. Plus, he's not nearly as useful as a player with a slightly lower average and the ability to OPS 800+ like Kemp, who costs significantly less.

furcal always seems to botch grounders hit right at him or generally easier ground balls...and he does it with alarming consistency

254 - because Microsoft is filth?

236 OPS is not the be all end all stat. It's a mishmash of numbers that decently approximates a players worth without getting fancy.

If you want to get specific, a single is worth about 33% more than a walk.

Where is Loney? What is his ETA? Anyone?

hes in AAA. ETA should have been opening day 2007.

i read somewhere last season pierre made the 2nd most outs of any player in 1 season in the history of the game, thanks for swinging at ball 4 raffy.

261-tomorrow against dontrelle lol

261. tomorrow, of course.

260 What you give up in power and patience is so far ahead of what you get from empty batting average. You may see a baserunner advanced or such, but over the long haul, the lack of walks and extra base hits are a tremendous detriment.

The player is who we think he is.

224 I saw Redd Foxx in Vegas, downtown I think, back in the early 80s. He worked blue, all right, VERY blue.

Matt Lindstrom gets the Daniel Zappala Seal of Approval.

(Note that in 263, the '.340 OBP' is a generous comment that indicates I do think Pierre will hit better than he has - if he finishes with an average around .300 his OBP will be in the .330-.340 range)

anyone else notice that once pierre steps up, you look away for a second, and he's either been thrown out or in an 0-2 count

Sheesh. It's not like Hendrickson got a lot of help behind him there. Ethier looked a little slow in the corner chasing down that ball from Hanley. Kent had a brain cramp. Furcal booted a sure out. Granted, it's likely also a bit of regression to the mean, but I'm not going to put Hendrickson in the rubbish pile just yet.

yeah. that, or garciaparra is up.

In a multiple regression setting, Batting Average makes no additional contribution to explaining variation in Runs Scored beyond that accounted for by OBP.

how in the world does grady little IBB olivo there? also, borchard OPS's like 200 points higher from the left side.

two questionable decisions.

nomar looks old.

No more Nomar.

This computer does not get the Bob Timmermann Seal of Approval.

Loney looks young

Sam in SC is freaking me out. I keep thinking it's our Sam, but it's a new Sam.

I'm on the corner of first and first. The nexus of the universe.

Using linear weights, Pierre really wasn't that bad last year all things considered. Just two runs below average. When you combine that with his defense, arm, and salary is when things get ugly.

We really need to start getting more production out of our top 3 in the lineup

274 It's not that generous. His 3 year average is 343. It would be better taken over a longer time from and less over a shorter time frame.

When you combine that with his defense, arm, and salary is when things get ugly

Not to mention way too many PAs

285 Exactly. I'm not saying he was a good signing, I'm saying the "we've got to get him out of the 2 hole" comments are misguided.

260 That .300 batting average advances and drives in runners.

Pierre's RBIs in full seasons, 01-06:
55, 35, 41, 49, 47, 40

289 But his propensity to make outs is exactly why he needs to get out of the two hole.

At five million bucks over two years, batting eighth, he's acceptable. Nine mil batting second over five years...Not so much.

260- I'm not taking issue with a hit being worth more than a walk. It very often is. The original question was why a .300 hitter with no power or patience was a good fit for the two hole. Considering there are better hitters (I don't think you would argue the point, but you're welcome to) who, by virtue of his batting before them, get fewer PAs than he does, I don't understand the valuation of his doing the small things being sufficient to overcome his average ability to get on base, or his significantly worse than average ability to hit for power.

"It took a hop and hit Gonzalez in the knee."

Is this game as pathetic on the TV as it sounds on the radio?

I am tired of all of this softness surrounding the Dodgers: Pierre softly grounding to second, soft fly ball to LF Gonzalez.

278 Then there's something wrong with that analysis. Like maybe guys who walk a lot also hit a lot of home runs. You're actually giving OBA credit for power that way if you just look at corelation with runs.

290- He was batting leadoff most of the time, though. No fair holding him responsible for too much of that. Except to say that had he any power, those numbers would likely be higher.

Wow, 5 weeks and you guys are ready to dump someone.

Tell me really, who is lighting it up in AAA that should be here, I don't buy the nonsense about a player being upset because he felt he should be here, if he is good enough than force them to make a move.

Kemp is doing his part, Abreu is too.

Baseball is not like basketball or football where guys score 20 every night or run for 120 yards, their production is spread out so slumps over a few weeks or even months are countered by hot periods.

I think Nomar deserves that consideration and I am certainly willing to give it.

295
Well, you can include SLG in the analysis, and the respective influences of OBP and SLG on Runs are significant, but BA is not.

287 Three-year includes his career season in '04, but '05 and '06 look like downward trend to me:

2004 .326 .374 .407
2005 .276 .326 .354
2006 .292 .330 .388

293. I would comment, but I can't see the game for the smoke.

If you got a .330 or less OBP, there's no way you should be hitting in the #2 spot.

And BA is weighted into OPS--Its found in SLUG--in which Pierre stinks there as well.

There's no doubt a hit advances a runner, but so do walks. Outs dont help either cause, and Juan is an out maker.

Rick Monday on kfwb radio:

'the Dodgers look like a lethargic team right now...'

297 I agree with you overall, but one could argue that Loney did force the issue. he did everything above and beyond.

For that, he was shipped to AAA. I'm with you on giving Nomar more time, but let's give credit to everything Loney did over the last year and a half to merit a spot on the big club.

274 - Well, it's a little generous when that .343 is fuelled mostly by his 2004, and he's got a .308 right now. Plus, don't forget that for half of his career he's played in great hitters parks (Coors and then last year with the Cubs); yes, Florida's a major pitcher's park like LA, but the point being that his historical stats are probably inflated respective to what we can expect in LA.

297
I'm concerned that Nomar's hiding an injury,

I think Nomar deserves that consideration and I am certainly willing to give it.

With Nomar, its not just a bad 5 weeks of the season. He was horrible post All Star break as well.

At some point, you have to question whether its just a long slump or if Nomar is getting old. I dont think anyone believes Loney, Abreu, Kemp will be immediate superstars, but that very least you are building for the future by getting those guys at bats.

Loney's OPS'ing .750 is more beneficial to the future of the Dodgers, than watching Nomar do the same thing. Sure, in the short term, there's really no real value. But short term thinking has killed the Dodgers in the past. They must think long term.

i am not optomistic at all about the dodgers 3-4-5, its getting ugly.

check swing broken bat?

302 To be fair, they are playing in smokey haze in front of a few thousand people.

Not exactly an exciting environment.

There is just no good reason why Pierre, Nomar, and LuGo should get more PAs than Martin.

maybe they need oxygen.

Is it lethargy or ennui?

I'd be a lot more concerned about where Pierre hits if our 6-7-8 weren't just as good as our 3-4-5.

Padres still have just two hits tonight against Atlanta.

However, they lead 2-1.

if our 6-7-8 weren't just as good as our 3-4-5.

I'm not sure if "good" is word I'd use.

Billingsley just owned Miggy.

313 Using bad decision making to justify bad decision making.

I like it. It's crazy, but it just might work.

295 - Good things happen when the ball is put into play. So do bad things. Double-plays, for instance, are one of the worst possible outcomes for a plate appearance, and can only happen on balls put into play. Think about who would be more likely to hit a lot of GIDPs - somebody who has a high walk rate and avoids swinging at pitches outside the zone? Or a player with a low walk rate who swings at almost everything? I'm not saying Pierre himself has a problem with GIDP - fast players are more likely to avoid hitting into double-plays (as are guys hitting at the top of the order). But we're not talking about Pierre specifically, we're talking about BA-heavy OBP vs. BB-heavy OBP in general.

and he just owned willingham.

6 pitches, 2 strikeouts.

No Surprise Department:

Actor Tom Sizemore, still on probation for a drug rap, was arrested Tuesday for investigation of possessing methamphetamine as he sat in a car outside a Bakersfield hotel, police said.

and a third. billingsley looked awfully good there.

holy crap.

313- I should say that I think you're acquitting yourself well, and that I hope it doesn't feel like you're being piled on top of. Your position is a bit of a curiosity for me, one I'm not brave enough to investigate in settings where it's more prevalent. Anyway; thanks. If you expand more, I'll read it later tonight.

Billingsley just owned, nay, pwned Boone.

317 Not really. The fact is when the difference between your best hitter (Kent? Martin?) and your 7th best hitter (Gonzo? LaRoach?) is as small as it is on this team then batting order is even less important than it would otherwise be.

Whoof - hopefully we'll be seeing more of that from Chad in the future. Wow.

It's nice of Renyel Pinto to show us so much of his neck in his Gameday photo.

that was an awesome inning by Chad. He was locating all his pitches and everything just had nasty nasty movement.

323 I appreciate that. Defending Pierre gives Devil's advocate a whole new perspective.

As for the 2 hole, I agree that you should put one of your best hitters there, but I also say you should lean a little more toward the BA hitter than the SLG hitter.

What was Billingsley's FB velocity that inning? What secondary pitches did they use? Did he have his good curve working?

aaron just booned one.

Aaron Boone, 1st baseman.
Grizzled Veteran.

330

4seamer- 95mph

cutter-89-91mph

and that hammer was deadly.

Its refreshing to see Little let LaRoche hit and not bunt.

333

he might have struckt out willingham on a slider but i think it was the cutter.

325 The difference between Martin and Gonzales is not close. At all.

One player's EqA is .316 (as a catcher).
The other's is .294.

EqA doesn't lend itself to great comparisons...But that is a ton of difference in EqA. An absolute ton.

296 I don't expect a leadoff hitter, particularly NL to have a lot of RBIs, I just thought arguing that Pierre's high BA helps drive in runs not to be particularly useful.

I'll take a run any way they can get one on such an odd night.

D4P there's another wacky run.

336 Position has nothing to do with batting order. If you say that Martin is the team's best hitter and Gonzo is the 7th best, and the difference between them is that small then I rest my case.

Why is there a tendency for people to spell Luis Gonzalez's last name as "Gonzales" when that spelling is less common?

Is is residual Ismael Valdesism?

that was a hideous AB

The lefty stays in to pitch to Olmedo?

325 - I'll agree with what Andrew said in 323. Now allow me to pile on some more. =P

In all seriousness, though - in fact, what you're saying simply proves even MORE the importance of moving Pierre down. The difference between each lineup spot is about 18 at-bats; so a player hitting 2nd will get about 100-110 more at bats than a player hitting 8th (which is a pretty significant amount). If almost everybody on the team is about equal offensively, are you going to try and make the argument Pierre is really all that close? Looking at LA's line-up, I'd say Pierre is pretty clearly less offensively-valuable than everybody except maybe Nomar if he's hurt or in the throes of a major decline. Pierre will struggle to OPS over .700 - meanwhile everybody else on the team should be around .800 or up. Pierre does have the speed and all that - but really, the guy is arguably the 10th-best hitter on the 40-man (if you include Nomar as better plus the current starting line-up that's 7, add in Loney and Kemp and you've got 9 better). You're giving an extra 100 at-bats to your organization's 10th-best hitter?

Braves tie the Padres on an RBI triple from Renteria.

This is a strange game.

that was a hideous AB

341 By "people" to whom are you referring?

Huh?

And the Braves lead 3-2.

341 Dates back at least to the Lopes era.

why would grady take billingsley out after 1 inning where he threw 10 pitches and 9 for strikes?

After looking at Beimel's Gameday picture, I'm going to start calling him Encino Man

Beimel's hair is eerily similar to Mitch Williams circa 1993.

351 olmedo pinch hit for him

348
I've noticed several people besides the esteemed Mr. Brock. It's just that his post was a precipitating event.

And I have to post a comment to get the screen to refresh anyway.

As Bob Dylan wrote, "He's just a pawn in the game."

351--Didnt Saenz pinch hit for Billz?

356

ahh my bad. I forgot about that. I just wanted to see more of Billz :(

A lot of dumb plays tonight. There must be some interesting plants burning in that fire in the Everglades.

I know this is off topic, but does anyone know where the gall bladder is located?

344 I just don't think Pierre is far enough below the others to matter that much if he get's a few more PA's. His OPS will be a lot lower, but the OBA component is far more important than the SLG component. Speed might be overrated, but it's worth more than you guys are giving it credit for. And I'm not just talking about his breakeven SB rate. His speed and contact ability do have value, and they're worth more at the top of the order.

Position has nothing to do with batting order. If you say that Martin is the team's best hitter and Gonzo is the 7th best, and the difference between them is that small then I rest my case.

If you think 22 points of EqA is "small" then, well, I guess we're just looking at completely different things.

Could look at OPS+, where Martin is 129 and Gonzalez is 115. Again, I don't know what you define as "small" but that's not a small difference.

350
But Lopes isn't a Spanish name.

Granted, the Attorney General is Alberto Gonzales.

There have been only five "Gonzales" in the majors versus 28 "Gonzalez"

359
The gall bladder is in the lower part of your abdomen.

In women, it's in such a place now that it can be removed through the vagina according to a recent medical journal article.

That information was of little use to me however.

can pierre get on...

306 - But short term thinking has killed the Dodgers in the past. They must think long term.

Frank McCourt has a mortgage payment to make tomorrow. Or so I've been told.

360 If Pierre were in the AL, I'd advocated hitting him 9th, which, of course, abuts the top of the order, except in the first inning. I agree with the folks that want him #8, put his speed in front of bunting pitchers and pinch-hitters, then Furcal.

361 I dare you to find another team in baseball where the difference in hitting between the best and 7th best hitters isn't greater than that of Martin to Gonzo. 129 OPS+ vs 115+?

363
Is it on the left or right side of the body?

no.

Your gall bladder:
http://www.moondragon.org/images2/gallbladder.jpg

363 It surprises you that a woman's gall is contained there?

who is worse that this point pierre or nomar

365--I've heard that before too.
But I also think the Dodgers will draw no matter whom they have playing out there.

My girlfriend's gall bladder was on her right side.
Your gall bladder may vary.

Who's up for 17 innings?

362 No, Porteguese, of course, but it started getting people out of the 'z' habit.

And don't tempt me to violate rule 5!

juan for five, doing his thing.

367 I had very long, snarky, and stat-heavy reply, but I deleted it. You think the Dodgers lineup is just peachy as it is, and I disagree. That's fine. I try not to get into arguments around here, unless it's ToyCannon (we just clash like that). Let's just say that we agree to disagree, and that I do not share your opinion on the state of the Dodgers lineup.

The problem with moving Pierre down is that whoever hits in the 2-hole is sometimes ask to take an out for the team. We don't want Martin being asked to do that. Right now, his is the most valuable bat that we have. No one else on the team is suited to go into the 2-hole. So Juan Pierre it is.

332 The grizzled veteran is hitting .315 for the Martins this year. Kind of wish he was hitting that for us this year.

368
If you think your gall bladder is acting up, I would suggest visiting a doctor than chatting with us.

You would also likely be doubled over in pain.

If you're facing a dominant starter that doesn't walk anyone or give up HR's- say Peavy- doesn't Pierre's ability to hit singles and not whiff actually become useful? So I advocate batting Pierre 8th against everyone other than Peavy.

Henry Owens sounds like a very old-time baseball name to me, not a modern player.

378 That's the one thing I can never agree to.

extra innings? maybe not. this has been such a strange game.

Passed ball by Russ.
He's gotta catch that.

379 Good Lord! 237 was a joke! Whatever would we want Aaron Boone for?

I see a bad moon arisin'

386
Aaron Boone and Ty Wigginton would make a formidable combo at the hot corner for the Dodgers.

FORMIDABLE....

380
Not going to a doctor until this game is over. Even if i can't stand up by then.

[378] i want the snark and the stats.

I predict K, Flyout, IBB, K.

Boone could possibly be a Dodger around July 31, 2007.

I guess there's a few looking forward to it at least.

I believe the chances of Miguel Cabrera batting in this inning are now zero.

I'd like to see a weird double-play here.

390 Best hitter, more plate appearances, higher OPS, more run scored and driven in...It's not the minority opinion.

You know, the usual.

If Uggla watch, the Dodgers should still walk Miggy.

Or walks.
Uggla will watch the pitches too.

393 If Uggla is HBP or BB, you IBB and push the winning run to 3rd with one out? Edgy.

386 Do we have anyone on the bench hitting .315. Need I say more?

388 No, it would be Iwamura and Loney who would make it formidable, with gold-gloves at the corners. I'll leave it to you to find a replacement for the rose bush.

This ump is killing us today

well, the double play is in order now. (extremely wishful thinking)

I guess the chance of Cabrera batting is > 0

Walk Miggy.
Do not give him anything to hit please.

363 - In women, it's in such a place now that it can be removed through the vagina according to a recent medical journal article.

Where was it before?

As good as Miggy is you can't walk him and set up the sac fly.

Walking him puts the winning run on 3rd with only one out.

Cabrera is a Golden God.

appeal at third, please.

We just got Miggyed again

399 Very small sample size. Boone was worse than Pierre the last two seasons.

Henry Owens is presently the only U.S. born player in the majors with the first name of Henry.

Hank Blalock's given first name is "Hank."

Gosh I was so sure Pierre was going to gun him down.

nice balloon

Or dont walk Miggy.
And lose the game.

403 - Do not give him anything to hit please.

Too late.

So what was the hangtime on Pierre's throw to home? More than a Todd Sauerbrun punt?

it all started when broxton let reed get a 2 strike hit, you need to put him away

[412] lol

Unfortunately, I can go now.

404. - I have a female friend that had her gall bladder removed recently. they sucked it out through a tube that they inserted (iirc) into her belly button.

The last 2 pitches to Uggla could've been called strikes. I could read Martin's mind waiting for the throw like it was a leaf falling from a 3-story building.

Darned if you do, darned if you don't.

Step One:LaRoche, Loney, and Abreu for Cabrera.
Step Two: 190 Million Dollar extension
Step Three: Profit

My father's real first name was Henry, but he never used it.

Now let's hope Indiana Jon goes to the hospital because if he's got a gall stones or an appendicitis, he needs to get that taken care of.

STAT!

ugh, what a lousy loss. at least it didn't happen in extras. and at least you guys are funny enough to cheer me up a little.

I got back just in time to watch the end of the game. Yay.

360 - For one, as El Lay Dave noted in 366, there's also value at putting a speed guy in front of the pitcher's spot, as he's the least likely to get doubled-up, or to get thrown out on sacrifice bunts.

Also, I think that the 'value' of Pierre moving up or down is, as you say, not that large. It probably doesn't make that big of a difference (in fact, I think it's been noted before that lineup movement has a relatively small impact on run scoring). However, for a team like the Dodgers, I do believe that every little bit could make a difference (especially as some of our starting pitching begins to cool off, see Hendrickson, M. for reference)

[423] what happens if/when cabrera decides to get fat?

There's five guys in the stadium and Steiner calls the city Marlin Land.

The story of this game is that the Dodgers didn't take advantage of the umpire's stingy strike zone. The Marlins, for all the talk of them being aggressive hitters who strike out a lot, showed a great deal of patience today.

Postgome with Eric Reed:

"I saw Pierre playing in cause you know he has to play in cause his arm is . . . . a little bit below average."

420
Pretty much everybody gets their gall bladder removed that way now. My girlfriend went in for surgery at 8 am and was home at 1:30 pm.

Another friend of mine donated a kidney and that was removed laproscopically as well.

Second time in three games the Dodgers have blown a 4-1 lead.

insult to injury : the extra innings package stayed with the game for the post game interviews.

that never happens. we usually get the elevator music and the "Goodnight!" screen while Vin is still talking.

[430] excellent observation.

Just got home and read in. Sounds like another brutal loss. Was Pierre one of many culprits, or does he deserve singling out?

432 I prefer psychic surgury. Google it and check out the first link if you know not of what I speak.

428 Miguel being Manny. Hit, fat man! Hit!

This is not the last time Miguel Cabrera will beat us.

Why don't we have players like this one?

I guess that concludes Hepatic Thoughts.

[439] we might, but we just don't know it because they're in AAA.

436 Naw, the culprit is pitchers ending up in situations where you "have" to pitch to Miguel Cabrera.

[436] there was plenty of blame to go around.

I'm pretty sure we don't a Miguel Cabrera in AAA.

Dr. Phil's next show is titled "Bully Dads". Like he wouldn't be the biggest bully dad of all time.

List of players in all of baseball as good as Miguel Cabrera:

Pujols, Albert
Hafner, Travis

Done.

reread the play by play for the bottom of the fifth. it's simultaneously depressing and infuriating.

411 Presently, Henry Owens is the only human I have pitching in fantasy to pick up a win today. I'll have to see what happens to Snell. The consolation here is that Hendy didn't get the loss and I only have Broxton in leagues that don't count losses. Maybe Broxton can otherwise revert back to last year. He's allowing far too many hitters that shouldn't be on base to get on base. Passed balls in the 9th don't help much either.

Oh, re formidable, I was thinking more along the lines of Iwamura and Loney, i.e., two gold gloves at the corners. I'll let you figure out what we replace the rose bush with and, no, the Wigginton Solution is no solution at all.

Oh, sorry, but Snell is joing the club, since he's how behind 3-2, though he and Hendy can sulk together, given that the Furcal and the Wilson error both allowed runs to score.

While I would agree that there's plenty of blame to go around, I prefer to pile it on the not-so-broad shoulders of Mr. Pierre.

Maybe he will buckle under the weight of all the blame and be forced to go on the DL with a blame-related injury. Then the Dodgers can call up Matt Kemp.

That was a tough one.

The top of the order looks just brutal. How long is it before Ethier in the 7th spot tallies more RBIs than Nomar in the 3rd?

Nomar looks ridiculous at the plate. Completely lost.

446 -
Rodriguez, A.

451 Never heard of him.

Awww, he's just good. Sometimes you will get your muppet kicked by a really good player.

But for like five innings I thought this one was in the hole...

sigh.

I wish he was a Dodger...

446 Yes, one Albert Pujols, killing the fantasy dreams of the multitude. His contribution this week: 1 CS and twice today he's GIDP.

Just saw Ed Begley Jr. skating backwards on Charlie's Angels at a roller rink called Roller Boogie Palace.

I'm going to bed.

[444] MAYBE matt kemp in a few years? probably not, but he's the only one who's got miggy potential.

454 That's the same old problem with Albert Pujols. You can rely on him to have the greatest first five years in the history of baseball, but you can't rely on him to come though for your fantasy team in the second week of May in 2007.

The guy just isn't consistent.

I truly dislike fantasy baseball.

The Mets started with a triple double tonight against Matt Cain as Reyes, Wright, and Beltran all hit two-baggers.

3-0 lead for the Men from Flushing.

447 As 279 mentioned, the decision-making in the fifth is a little odd, walking Olivo is ok if you're leaving Hendrickson in, but if he's done, having Tsao pitch to a right-handed Olivo makes more sense than having him pitch to the switch-hitting Borchard, who hits much better left-handed.

446 Nate Silver's list to build around had:
1. Pujols
2. Mauer
3. Santana
4. Cabrera
...
21. Hafner (mostly because he's 30 and a DH)

Also from Nate Silver:
but there's no longer any arguing about [Chase Utley's] bat, which is the best power stick at second base since Ryne Sandberg.

Um, since Jeff Kent maybe?

458 I've seen you write that before. It isn't perfect, far from it, but it helps put some numbers in context, I mean, Jon Garland had a 0.86 WHIP for that one start when I picked him up from the free agent pool 'cause I needed a win badly, but his 0.86 WHIP translated to 7 innings, 5 ER, and 2 homers. So in the case of Jon Garland on that particular day, WHIP wasn't all that it's cracked up to be. I suppose that 9-10 Ks but 2 homers allowed Randy Wolf will also understand the point [so who cares what his K/9 is, as the determining factor isn't Ks but whether he walks guys and otherwise keeps guys from homering immediately following]. I have Kuo on two deep rosters as a non-active player since he'll be good for K's and K/9 even when he gets bombed.

454 It isn't just this week. He's barely above .250 and has 3 RBI in his last 10 games. Simply recall the one big game and our ESPN crew reporting on the purported end of his slump. Well, he went right back into the rut following that game.

462
Soriano was decent too.

464
Wow, you're back from the hospital already?

465. it is outpatient surgery these days.

466
Maybe Claire Bennet healed Indiana Jon.

463 I don't think the complaint about fantasy baseball has anything to do withe the way it may skew statistics.

The main complaint about fantasy baseball is that nobody cares about somebody's fantasy team. Nobody cares.

453 Get you muppet kicked? That's one of those phrases that's both nonsensical and perfect at the same time. I like it.

467 Claire Bennet heal thyself.

The main complaint about fantasy baseball is that nobody cares about somebody's fantasy team. Nobody cares

I didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but I've thought about suggesting a new rule about fantasy talk. Nobody cares whether some player on some other team (who happens to be on your fantasy team) is doing well/not well. And we "get" that you might be conflicted if a Dodger opponent is on your fantasy team, but we don't care.

471 That was a huge comment right there. I have D4P in my fantasy Dodger Thoughts Commenter league, and that rant is worth about ten points.

My fantasy team. My player. Points. Me me me. My team.

472 - Dang, the guy I'm playing has Greg Brock on his team - he'd been way down in the CSWT (clever snark per words typed) category, but that moves him back in front! Argh.

The NL West teams went 5-0 yesterday. They have a good chance to go 0-5.

I sometimes like say "Wow, look at the distinction a single day can yield"

Far be it from me to recommend American Idol, but it's Bee Gees night. And who doesn't love the Bee Gees?

What? You don't? Shame on you.

463 468 I'm just not into it at all. I suppose if I were a team, I might be interested in comparing notes and swapping advice with someone, but even then, I don't think I would care how someone else's players are performing for his/her team. Besides, I barely have time to pay attention to the actual games and situations the Dodgers are in, let alone pay any attention to the entire major leagues. (Henry Owens is on a team of yours - good Lord, almost no one, except the few batters that face him and the sparsely populated Marlin fandom, should care how he performs.)

As Greg Brock points out, it is unlikely that a wide audience, such as a message board, is all that interested in someone else's fantasy team performance, but I'll back down if all the fantasy lurkers start crawling out of the woodwork. (Actually, I don't want to make a big issue out of it; it's just my feelings and opinions.)

I will confess to having been a manager in a Strat-O-Matic league for a couple seasons oh-so-long ago, but that is a little different, and we didn't have the worldwide web to broadcast our thoughts on split-deck draws and ballpark adjustment charts. Or maybe there was an alt.baseball.stratomatic ....

Actually, I think it would be great if the Toaster had a Fantasy League Blog. I think it would be the bee's knees. I would read it from time to time, and I'll bet the Toaster posters would love to swap info.

Maybe the Leaping Swede will think about it.

472 LOL! Bob Timmermann is the perennial first pick; his OPS (On-line Posting Substance) rate is ungodly!

Bonds hits 745.

477 Results 1 - 50 of about 15,400 for "fantasy baseball blog"

I think the existing supply is sufficient.

480 Yes, there are a ton of fantasy blogs. But most of the posters on the Toaster are so much smarter and articulate than most baseball fans, a fantasy blog around here might actually be interesting.

Plus, I just ripped fantasy people. I'm trying to find common ground over here.

465 Never went. I think I just have stomach cramps. Getting ready to try some Midol if it doesn't die down soon.

482
Your doctor said "Midol"? My doctor said "Mylanta".

482
My doctor didn't say Midol, my wife did.

482. midol only relieves the awful noise in my ears that plagues me on a fairly regular basis.

485 Rick Monday?

486 ok, that was funny.

and extra innings subscribers miss rick monday altogether, thankfully.

484
So when your appendix bursts and you die in incredible pain as the acid eats through your lower bowels will your wive collect the insurance even though she felt you were being a woosy and suggested Midol because of her extensive experience with stomach pain?

anyone want to translate this?

"All in all it was just kind of frustrating because I think we had an opportunity there in the 5th," said Hendrickson. "I just didn't make the pitches I needed to make."

That reminded me of a stand-up comic's bit I saw once. "What if I took a midol? That pill would get about halfway through your system before it would stop, confused and ask for directions. 'Excuse me, I'm really lost.'" I literally almost took one of my g/f's midol's last week when I mistook it for an allergy pill (they look exactly the same, especially at 6 in the morning). I spit it out faster than a kid spits out baker's chocolate.

Sigh, I saw the end of the game after coming home and was not happy. On the other hand, despite the fact that it was the game the D's could have won, I'm not sure they deserved to. Good to see C-Bills pitch so well, at least.

489 Sure, here you go:

"I sucked in the 5th."

488
Mrs. Indiana Jon has the double indemnity clause in case of Midol-caused peritonitis.

491. it sounded like he was thinking about registering a complaint against his defense, but bailed out at the end.

The Griffith Park fire has me in a very bad mood. This is going to be a very bad fire season. They need to drop the 1st arsonist they find from inside a water drop helicoptor.

493 No, I think you're right, he was peeved at his D. I can't fully blame him, but he also lost control there.

---

Meanwhile, the Mets had 3 hits and a walk and didn't score in the 6th.

Mrs. Indiana Jon has the double indemnity clause

Barbara Stanwyck was unavailable for comment

481 I don't begrudge fantasy baseball enthusists their fun, whatever breaks off their curveball. And I suppose I can skip over fantasy posts easily enough. After all, there was a long string of posts in this, or a very recent thread, that disoriented me into thinking I was reading Screen Jams and no one complained about that. (Partly because Xeifrank wasn't around.)

496 You should have posted that twice.

"We're both rotten."
"Only you're a little more rotten."

Yeager hurt but recovering after crash

On Tony Jackson's blog.
http://www.insidesocal.com/dodgers/
At this moment, the fourth entry down.

as a Hoosier, and a doctor, I have to weigh in on the gall bladder discussion. Hope Indiana Jon is OK. I wouldn't recommend Midol

The gall bladder is in the right upper abdomen in everyone. It's about the size of a golf ball and is tucked under the liver. It is not near the gall durn vagina, though I have heard of that surgery. This has been Your Health Minute, we now return to the program.

495. hendrickson didn't pitch well in the fifth. but the defense suddenly went boneheaded.

even the put out at the plate to end the miserable fifth was a head scratcher. they got the out, but the throw from the outfield literally rolled past half of the infield.

501
I also read that they have taken gall bladders out through the esophagus.

I suppose that could work for me.

502 Yah, I was agreeing with you, inarticulately. Things were ugly all around. They really didn't deserve to win that game.

Still 4-1 Mets, with the mediocre Kevin Correia in for the Giants in the 8th.

more quotes trickling out . . .

"I wish it would have been a little bit thicker at times. That way I wouldn't have to see a couple of things that happened out there." -- Dodgers manager Grady Little, on the smoke from brush fires that hung over the stadium

his performance in the fifth wasn't exactly stellar.

Tonight on "House"...Dr. House attempts to take a gall bladder out throught a patient's ear.

Dr. Foreman disagrees
Dr. Chase is ambivolent
Dr. Cameron is hot

506
My last gallbladder joke sadly runs afoul of Rule 1. Or at least isn't suitable for family reading.

Most people I know don't enjoy hospitals. Yet there's a million hospital shows on TV.

I can't do the math.

Being a new father and having new twins can be so distracting. Just incase we needed to have a post from out of the blue.

508
People like to see others suffer?

509 No dice. We like to stay on topic around here.

Which is...No idea. But at least you have twin mammal offspring. How cool is that?

Pretty cool.

497. When's the last time I complained about a movie/tv/Wonder Years thread?

On a side-note I tried to go to DT on my lunch break today, but some smarty pants had gotten some malware into our server and redirected me to a different site. The DT redirect was FoxMovies dot Com. I thought Jon was playing a trick on me. vr, Xei

The appendix is located immediately beneath the navel and also in two locations on the lower left abdomen.

I know this because those are where my appendectomy scars are located.

508
We don't like crime, yet we like police procedurals too.

We don't like crime, yet we like police procedurals too

EXACTLY! What's going on here?

We don't like mid-sized paper companies, yet we like mockumentaries about mid-sized paper companies.

516
No we don't.

508 Most people I know don't enjoy lawyers. Yet there's a million lawyer shows on TV.

517 It's time to get on board. It's the only worthy successor to Arrested Development.

Let it go, man. It's time to fall in love again.

512 Been awhile I think, but still worth the reference.

Could have been worse: Fox News Dot Com

519
On the other hand, D4P loved "Freaks and Geeks."

Law and Order is doing an Anna Nichole episode and David Cross plays one of the potential fathers.

I thought that was funny.

521 Yes, but he can't appreciate it.

Does admitting to watching Desperate Housewives cause one to be lowered on the manly-ness scale, hypothetically speaking?

Most people I know don't enjoy lawyers. Yet there's a million lawyer shows on TV

It just doesn't make sense. I have to think that at least some portion of the prestige associated with lawyer professions stems from all the attention they get on TV. If people truly don't like lawyers, don't watch shows about them.

471476 Greg, I never said I was asking you to care. Maybe I posted the remark simply as a means to find some bright spot for myself in an otherwise pathetic Dodgers' loss [surrendering a 3 run lead and then the game on two errors, a homer, a walk, and a passed ball tends to do that to me]. El Lay Dave, please, don't think for a moment that you need care about fantasy, but playing this year for the first time has allowed [or forced] me to spend more time watching other players and other teams. Do I care whether Henry Owens won? Yeah, I do, and it hurts, at least today. But thanks to fantasy I've watched more baseball now, read more box scores now, and as one who used to play the game, there's a few more people now that I am aware of who play some truly inspiring sport [they don't appear to be making the ESPN highlights on a regular or routine basis and so I missed them while my love for the game was diverted by these things we call "obligation" and "responsibility"]. And for the glimpse that had vanished, well, for that I thank fantasy baseball. Lastly, Greg, I wasn't talking about fantasy skewing the stats, it does, but so does "league average", "VORP", etc. There is no average and there is no single replacement player coming of the assembly line who performs at the same level of deviation from the mean or median as does your computer. My lone wish in this regard is that some would put aside the one number that tells us nothing and hides all in favor of appreciating the wholly uncertain but interesting and rich beauty and joy that is baseball [and so I call the one, single, all-defining number, the quest for certainy in an uncertain world, and it's futile and misses the richness in diversity that comes with uncertainty (I mean, hey, if I was all that, nature would have skipped sexual reproduction and just cloned me ad infinitum)]. Oh, and I get the point re the skill and thinking that goes with boxing, but it's still barbaric. A simple course in biomechanics will convince you too, well, at least if you care what happens to that one soul's brain after that left jab. And so I started and ended with caring. The one old English T.A. would be proud.

520. I would've prefered the news, but the irony of the FoxMovies redirect was interesting. vr, Xei

D4P loved "Freaks and Geeks"

I've never seen it.

521 I am 46, but never saw "Freaks and Geeks"; I'm thinking maybe I should have.

526 Sorry, man. Wasn't trying to have a go at you. Fantasy on, good sir. Fantasy on.

To wrap everything up in one nice happy bow, one of my two fantasy teams is named "Freaks and Geeks", and humans only have one appendix, and 96% of the time it is in the lower right abdomen.

You know what happened to people who said D4P had seen Freaks and Geeks, when, in fact, he hadn't...

THEY DIED

532 Where is it the other 4 percent of time?

Is it New Hampshire?

533. No. It's in the Dominican Republic.
vr, Xei

526 Yeah, my apologies too. I realized I came off harder than I wanted and tried to soften it up in 497, but alas, the limitations of my writing skills reared their ugly heads. If it works for you and enhances your enjoyment of the game that is our only true common denominator here, go for it, 96 m.p.h. down the middle and dare 'em to hit it.

534 Nice. Very nice.

532 So now that we've got an actual doctor here, I've got a question...

Is it true that they've isolated the gene that causes cancer, and that it's Gene Hackman?

And the Pirates win in 15 at Wrigley 4-3 to close out tonight's action in the majors.

534 Well played.

537
In a game involving the Pirates and Cubs, there are no winners.

Is Steve on hiatus?

I'm thinking Steve must have moved to Ontario.

34 (Bob T, re my problems with ST on a new LCD TV): well, coming home this evening and turning on the Dodgers game on KCAL 9 (recorded), which I get here (Santa Barbara) in SD not HD, it seems to have "settled in" or someting. It looked good, very good. Maybe it varies per channel, or maybe it hadn't fully downloaded all info or something this morning after installation. Anyway, it seems OK at the moment.

And yes, the box is an SD8300HD, as others speculated.

I'm very afraid that Steve wouldn't miss this much time without something being very wrong.

Unless he's serving a 50 game suspension for sterioids.

It really stinks that it is not yet 10pm and all the baseball games are over for today. I feel for the DT commenters who live in Hawaii.

544. Yeah those poor bums that live in Hawaii with their beautiful beaches, waterfalls, rainforests, delicious pineapple, sunny weather, great diving, heavenly golf courses and of course man-eating mosquitoes. I feel for them.
vr, Xei

545 All those things pale in comparison to the beauty of the Wasatch range, the world-renowned skiing, fall colors, the three minor league teams within 30 minutes drive, the arches, the other national parks, and the side benefit of having baseball on TV after a long day of work.

I have returned. I don't argue that the second spot ought to be reserved for a power hitter, but power isn't significantly less useful from the two spot than any other, is it? Singles are more valuable than walks, often, but doubles are always better than singles. Obviously, the double is worth a little less, on average, in the two spot, since the potential for runners is lower (given the most possible the first time through is one, and given that bottom of the order hitters are, typically, the least likely to get on), but it's not nothing. And, since the potential expected value of a double from a third or fourth hitter, in this lineup, is also lower, since the number two hitter doesn't get on base an awful lot, it's running in circles a bit, yes?

Putting Pierre at the top of the lineup maximizes his potential value; it's most likely to get the most possible out of every hit he's capable of, and as much as his speed is worth. But it's worse for the team, since his value is lower than other batters. Roughly seven of the other batters, on any given day, assuming Valdez doesn't get another start.

It just reads like dogma. The lead hitter gets on. The second one advances him. The third or fourth drives him in. Wouldn't you expect to get more runs if, instead of playing for that possibility, you just stacked your best hitters at the top, hoping that by virtue of their taking a greater proportion of the PAs, more runs would be scored? For the same reason you wouldn't slot your best starting pitcher fourth, all other things being equal. It's better when the better players play more than the worse ones.

545 And our traffic woes, our new surcharge on excise taxes for a monorail system which isn't planned to go where the two big population centers are (Waikiki and the UofH), the high cost of living, etc.

I mean, beaches etc. are nice, but there is a downside sometimes.

548 The main downside for me would be having to travel 10-12 hours and spend copious amounts of money just to visit the next state over.

Traffic -- bah. I've experienced your traffic problems, but I've experienced a lot worse in Boston or even Austin.

546. Utah is beautiful and a very nice place to VISIT. :)

548. Yeah, Honolulu has some problems. No place is perfect, but it's not like I'm going to feel bad for someone living in Hawaii. I think coastal SoCal (not in metro LA area) is still the best place in the US to live. Every area has it's downsides but wth. vr, Xei

I used the search box to see if this has been mentioned and didn't find anything.

I was catching up on my rss feeds and ran across these discussions regarding moving the stadium:

http://blogdowntown.com/blog/2613

followed up with this:

http://blogdowntown.com/blog/2622

That entry links to this interactive map where you can 'drag and drop' the stadium to different parts of the city. The parking lot doesn't get dragged along so you don't get to see the space needed for parking:

http://cartifact.com/stadium/