Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
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1) using profanity or any euphemisms for profanity
2) personally attacking other commenters
3) baiting other commenters
4) arguing for the sake of arguing
5) discussing politics
6) using hyperbole when something less will suffice
7) using sarcasm in a way that can be misinterpreted negatively
8) making the same point over and over again
9) typing "no-hitter" or "perfect game" to describe either in progress
10) being annoyed by the existence of this list
11) commenting under the obvious influence
12) claiming your opinion isn't allowed when it's just being disagreed with
Former Dodger Willy Aybar has entered a substance-abuse rehabilitation clinic, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
* * *
Is the end of success nigh for Mark Hendrickson, or can he keep it going?
Tonight's 6:05 p.m. game:
Update: Tim Brown has a column on Willy and Erick Aybar:
Few current Dodgers players know Willy well. Willy's closest friend in the organization was Joel Guzman, who was traded last summer to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Catcher Russell Martin called him, "a good teammate," but knew him only as such. Dodgers officials know him as a decent, mostly quiet young man who'd had great offensive potential but lacked defensive skills.
First base coach Mariano Duncan coached Willy in several minor-league seasons. He said he once talked Willy out of quitting baseball over his frustration with learning to switch-hit, and that he'd had a girlfriend who'd adored Willy's twin daughters.
"He's a good kid, an easy-going kid," Duncan said. "It's so sad for me to hear this. I never saw anything bad about that kid. I never saw that side of Willy Aybar."
Duncan turned his head, looking for Erick across the field, unable to locate him. Duncan first met Erick while working at the Angels' baseball academy in the Dominican Republic six years ago. Two years later, then having taken a job with the Dodgers, he met Willy. He said he tried to reach Willy by phone in recent weeks. His messages were unanswered. It pains him that Willy never asked for help. ...
1) Losing to the Giants.
2) Losing to the Angels.
I think they've also used Eric. Today they used Erik.
I'd love to be proven wrong, though.
He may not be able to recapture his high strikeout rate of April, but at least I hope he can cut down on the walks.
will do.
Godspeed, Willy.
And she explained why once in a column in the LA Times.
one day at a time, i feel you brotha.
I'm trying to give him the nickname of Volstead Act.
I will stick to my pledge to refrain from drinking while Aybar is in rehab.
Sadly, there was no entree.
I emailed you the column.
Krivsky has grieved Majewski.
my resolve not to drink will stand even firmer if we have another bad game. But look Kent just hit a bomb, woo!!!
If you drop a throw that would have completed a DP, you can get an error.
Did he get fired or something? i didn't read The Times today.
That's the best news of the day.
Yahoo-bound.
I would have given the error to Nomar and assumed it was a DP, but that wasn't the way the official scorer viewed it and Kent got the error. So then the "you can't assume the DP" comes into play.
Kershaw bounced back today, pitched 6 innings, struck out 9, walked 3 and gave up only 1 hit and no runs. He won the game 3-0.
San Diego and Seattle, not underway.
Rockies 2, Royals 1 in the 7th.
Kershaw bounced back today, pitched 6 innings, struck out 9, walked 3 and gave up only 1 hit and no runs. He won the game 3-0.
You do not have the ability to hit home runs. Please stop trying.
Man, I really don't like this dude.
of
corn
Earlier tonight, the Nationals got six innings of shutout ball from their emergency starter 30 year old Mike Bacsik.
The Angels Saturday night games all start at this time.
Just like the Sunday day games starting around noon.
What is it with all the napping that goes on around here?
Time for the Juan Pierre-Corey Patterson-Nook Logan Cage Match!
Three men enter, only one man leaves!
your gonna be a busy poster fighting Pierre's battles around here gpellamjr. ;o)
I suppose that's Bob's excuse as well
The Volstead Act is having a much better year than Figgins.
Especially with Martin hitting behind him.
I've been trying for five minutes to figure out where I look on Gameday to see what players a team has left available.
Uncle.
New Gameday or Classic Gameday?
On New Gameday, there is a drop down menu in the boxscore to look at reserves.
On Classic, there should be a tab.
I forward to watching Ray King pinch hit.
It could be worse, I guess.
Rob Deer approves.
I don't think there's anyone the umps can ask on a play like that.
It's Lieberthal's fault for having a high threshold of pain.
My viral marketing plan is catching on.
That's a Red Alert!
Go take a nap.
Lieberthal: Are you talking to me.
Umpire:[Puzzed] Umm no, that was a foul ball.
Lieberthal: You must be talking to me.
Umpire: Foul ball.
Lieberthal: Because I'm the only batter here.
Umpire: [Turns away]
Lieberthal: Hey Ump, Boo Ah!!
I don't wanna take a nap!!!
And I doubt Bobby Valentine will ever get hired on this side of the pond again.
Juan takes that as a compliment
Soap-opera cameo, studly catchers aside.
Before tonight's game, you would have had $62.95.
Give D4P, a $1.80 for Hendrickson.
Draw your own conclusions.
Situations where they cannot hit home runs.
Brian Roberts of Baltimore leads the majors in pitches seen at 813 coming into tonight.
The Google leads me to believe that's a "The Office" reference
148
aka Scioscia-ball
yea, i was worried it was going to cause a chain reaction similar to what happened to greg miller but clayton bounced back nicely. I remember a blurb from logan white saying he thinks clayton might move faster through the minors then billingsley did. at this moment, i dont think thats going to happen. In billingsleys first full year, he reached AA by midseason. Kershaw might reach high A before the year is over.
in regards to the draft, I like a good amount of players but they wouldnt necessarily be great value at the 20th pick.
at 20...
jarrod parker
matt harvey
josh smoker
todd frazier
jack mcgeary
at 39...
joe savery (if he can shows signs his health is back)
kentrail davis (love his batspeed)
tim alderson (something about him intrigues me alot)
Reggie Willits given first name is Reggie.
Because you can't get an RBI when you ground into a DP.
That's just the way it is.
But if there had been no runner at first, and Figgins were thrown out at first, he'd get an RBI? That's just plain stupid. I won't stand for it.
[chuckling as i read it]
(1) when the batter grounds into a force double play or a reverse-force double play; or
(2) when a fielder is charged with an error because the fielder muffs a throw at first base that would have completed a force double play.
(1) unaided by an error and as part of a play begun by the batter's safe hit (including the batter's home run), sacrifice bunt, sacrifice fly, infield out or fielder's choice, unless Rule 10.04(b) applies;
(2) by reason of the batter becoming a runner with the bases full (because of a base on balls, an award of first base for being touched by a pitched ball or for interference or obstruction); or
(3) when, before two are out, an error is made on a play on which a runner from third base ordinarily would score.
if he drops to 20, you HAVE TO PICK HIM. i mean, this isnt a hochevar situation (well it is), but he deserves a major league contract. Although we have backstop bacon, wieters bat plays anywhere and he has plus plus arm strength.
Put the ball OVER the fence, kids.
Actually, the RBI didn't exist in Henry Chadwick's lifetime. Also, if you look in really old boxscores, you see a category called "earned runs" and those are charged to the offense and were runs that scored only because of hits without any walks, errors, wild pitches, or passed balls.
Too many bloopers and bleeders.
Danny Ainge
Steve Baker
Harold Reynolds
Suds Sutherland
Bloop hit past a drawn in infield. Furcal ended up fielding the ball.
I always thought of Hendrickson as Shawn Bradley.
The Phillies have seen the most, followed by Oakland and Boston.
That probably means two things, the pitchers have a hard time facing AL teams at home with the DH and the Dodgers don't really have a team that benefits with a DH.
The Padres DH tonight is Geoff Blum!
I think they'll keep Hendrickson in a couple more starts bc he's a lefty.
But Hendrickson's may 2007 is mirroring last may. Very mediocre.
Matt Diaz
Jarrod Saltalamacchia
Scott Spiezio
Ken Griffey
Josh Willingham
Barry Bonds
I was going to do that too, but I have some TV shows saved up on the DVR.
Is that good? Bad? No idea.
Mustache change? If it's not shaving the mustache, bad.
So you're like Dr. House trying to make a patient sicker so it would be easier to figure out what's wrong with him?
Everybody lies. The stat sheet does not.
{pops pill, limps off to emo music}
That's it. Andrew is Chase.
some good news.
i meant let's at least go down fighting, sorry about that guys.
I need to know.
244 Logan White is not infallible, his 2004 draft where he had 3 No. 1 picks has not exactly done very well outside of Elbert, who still has control issues and some injury concerns.
I'm not saying that he hasn't led the Scouting Department to hopefully a place where they have not been for a long time but to say Logan White hasn't made mistakes or reaches would be wrong.
Chad Kreuter in 2001
Mike Kinkade in 2003
Olmedo Saenz in 2004
Kreuter and Kinkade homered in Anaheim and Saenz homered in Boston.
Yeahs or Nays please.
I must admit I haven't checked lately, because I had noticed one thing. Looking back into April, it was amazing to see the number of times we had given up 1 or 2 runs in the first or second inning. This has to have a terrible effect on a team. I haven't followed through on this to see what we won or lossed. But I am sure little good can come from being put behind at the onset.
that's strange i would expect Eric Karros name to be in there some where, guess not.247 figure of speech only. i'm gonna watch the Jermaine Taylor fight & call in a night, early game for me tomorrow.
http://tinyurl.com/38d7zb
Trippy.
I'll just watch Heroes reruns.
Egads. Dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge.
7-4 Mariners at the 7th inning stretch.
Ryan Howard's my 1st basemen, he's hurt.
I can pick from either Dan Johnson or Richie Sexson to play the position till Howard's healthy.
Would you play Dan Johnson--and hope he continues his pretty good play--or play Richie Sexson--reasoning that Sexson cannot possibly be this bad all year?
I'm playing Sexson right now, but doesn anyone think Sexson could be washed up? He got off to a slow start last year too and got better.
That and platoon Loney and Garciapara. Loney plays road games, Nomar plays home games.
As for CF, Kemp could hit against left handers and against right handers, Kemp could hit.
that said, the 2004 and 2005 drafts are looking lackluster right now.
But Meloan may turn out to be a good pick and the Joshes, Bell and Wall, have time on their side.
If Elbert turns out to be the pitcher he has been projected to be, than 2004 should be okay. Olendurf appears to be rehabbing well after surgery.
orenduff is coming back well although the walks are a bit expected. I wonder if he is throwing just as hard as he did before he got hurt. 2005 still has alot of intriging talent. like you said, the joshes are intrigin and so is Scott Van Slyke, who is outplaying Bell right now and has excellent growth potential with his 6'5 195lb frame. I think Steven Johnson has been shut down with tendonitis.
http://pressbox.mlb.com/pressbox/downloads/y2007/la/player_dev.pdf
ive never seen it before!
76.1IP 71H 37bb 72K 3HR 3.66ERA
yea i knew it wasnt anything knew to anyone else but to me, i've never seen it before!
i dont really understand why Depo wanted Dewitt so much.
Now, UCLA was only ranked 12 and was not as strong as other years but in the world of softball, a pretty big deal.
UCLA's Men Tennis team lost to No. 1 Seed Georgia today too so to recent champions are out on the same day.
There's a reason why drafting college players is a good idea. Generally lower risk, more sample size to judge how talented the players are and could develop into. The A's have gotten out tremendous production out of Joe Blanton and Nick Swisher, and contract that with the Dodgers picking of Greg Miller/Chad Billingsley.
Cory Dunlap/Orenduff bad picks you say? I'll raise you a Xavier Paul, Zach Hammes, and Chuck Tiffany. Perhaps a Josh Wall, and an Ivan DeJesus.
I dont completely agree with Scareduck's assessment of the Dodger youngsters, but I think you Canuck really overvalue what their true value to the Dodgers have been.
Russ Martin's a star--no question.
Matt Kemp--hope he works out. He needs to play.
Loney--bust at this point. He's a 1st basemen that doesnt hit like a 1st basemen should. Maybe he'll develop, maybe he wont? But there's others from his class already producing.
Broxton--he's good, but he's a middle reliever. How much value does he really have?
Billingsley--I hope he has as much success as Blanton, but its not like he's a sure fire superstar yet.
LaRoche---He's been good so far, but he needs to play 2nd base in order to be a legit difference making player.
The Dodgers dont need to be self reliant on the farm system given their payroll, but they do need to produce a core of good young players. Martin I think is the only guy thus far to prove he's one of those.
10GS 2.38ERA 64.1IP 51H 1HR 10bb 70k
I think he could be brought over to the US this summer.
The Dodgers benefit from having the deeper pockets that others team dont, meaning they can take a guy in the 40th round that no other team thinks will sign (Like a LaRoche), then they can throw a gob of money at him and get him to sign.
That in and of itself, doenst take much scouting acumen, and I'm not going to give Logan White credit for doing that.
While White can be given credit for getting Russ Martin, Kemp, in the later rounds---The Dodgers have pretty much eliminated scouting the Latin America countries, and that falls on White's plate IMO.
White isnt irreplaceable to the Dodgers. His drafting record looks good compared to whom came before him with regards to the Dodger picks, but other teams have been relying on their farm systems for years to be competitive. The Dodgers dont even have to do that, they just need a couple guys to work out each year.
after you're done with that response canuck, talk to me about Todd Frazier and why I shouldnt pick him at 20 :)
to be fair, laroche is the only one that they threw money at. That said, they still drafted him, they still scouted him in the cap league in the summer and they still got him signed and away from rice. You should give white credit for those things.
The Dodgers have pretty much eliminated scouting the Latin America countries, and that falls on White's plate IMO.
thats not whites fault. he was never incharge of international scouting up until this year when he was promoted.
(1). "All the bad picks being DePo's fault and all the good ones being to White's credit" over-simplifies my position. I don't think DePo made any picks as such outside of Hochevar, but he clearly did encourage White to weave in prototypical Moneyball players with his high schoolers, with the Hochevar pick being a disaster and the Moneyball players all looking suspect or worse. And White is always sharing his credit for good picks with his scouts, so I am not saying he should get sole credit for any of his successes, outside of Kemp, whom White personally "discovered."
(2). Drafting college players is not an inherently good idea, and drafting them religiously is an outright bad idea, as exemplified by the Blue Jays' farm system with its abundance of low-ceiling future bench players and fifth starters.
(3). College statistics are completely useless for determining the talent of players and projecting their future suitability to play in the majors.
(4). Nick Swisher and Joe Blanton were favorites of scouts in the 2002 draft. Billingsley was picked a year later so I don't know why you mentioned him in comparison with the two 2002 Oakland guys. Swisher and Blanton were off the board before Miller was picked, but Oakland picked two other college pitchers around the neighborhood where Miller was pickled, Ben Fritz and Steve Obenchain, both big time busts. Miller is still a prospect with a high ceiling, and at 22-years-old in Triple A, he is the exact same age that Swisher and Blanton were when they were starting their first full pro seasons in the LOW minors in 2003 (Blanton actually spent most of his age 22 year in the low A Midwest League, in the same league that Kershaw and Mattingly and the like are playing in fresh out of high school, three full levels below where Miller is now). Since you mentioned Billinsgley -- who has a higher ceiling than Blanton and whom every team in baseball would prefer over Blanton, including the A's -- I will note that Oakland chose an elite college pitcher named Brad Sullivan (25th overall) right after the Dodgers picked Billingsley (24th overall) in 2003, and Sullivan is a huge bust.
(5). Zach Hammes, Xavier Paul, and Ivan DeJesus, Jr. are all good prospects who uncontroversially rate higher than Dunlap in prospect evaluation circles, and I and others rate them higher than Orenduff too. Wall's value lies in his projection, so we will see what happens with him as he ages, and he certainly has the capacity to show great improvement given his long, skinny frame. Tiffany was just fine until shoulder problems struck, but college pitchers get hurt too, and that is what happened to Orenduff. From your past posts, you seem to think only high school pitchers get injured. I have never said anything so silly about college picthers. ALL young pitchers have a high risk of injury.
(6). Loney is not a bust. It is ridiculous to allege such a thing. He should be in the majors right now, but Colletti stupidly blocked him.
(7). Broxton is a set-up man, not just any old middle reliever, and that role does not represent his ceiling. On a team without Saito or someone comparable, Broxton would be closing right now, and be an elite talent doing that job. Elite closers in the free agent market are paid like front-line starters. Broxton has a lot of value any way you slice it.
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