Sequoyah Stonecipher is going to be the player i draft with the dodgers first pick at 20. No one can convince me otherwise.

We need some kind of phrase for when an everyday player's OBP falls below .300. A "Mendoza Line" for On Base Pct, if you will...

Suggestions?

Mario Mendoza had a .245 OBP for his career.

Cesar Izturis had accumulated 690 games played, 2,535 Abs.

His career OBP is .296

Maybe an "Izzy line"...although that doenst flow off the toungue nearly as smoothly as the "Mendoza line".

3 So the .245 OBP would be the Mendoza Line. But who has had a career OBP under at around .300? Don't ask me. I know very little about baseball.

4 Yes! I like it. I think "Izzy line" will come to roll off our tongues quite beautifully.

4 I like it...A lot.

JoeyP goes with the Izzy Line, and it's gonna be tough to beat.

Manny Acta says that if Cristian Guzman doesn't start walking more, Acta's going to buy him a Spanish version of "Moneyball."

Another in a long line of stathead quotes from Manny Acta, who is quickly becoming my favorite manager.

This is not a fun team to watch right now.

I'm not sure why people complain when The Player bunts in the first inning with a runner on first base and no outs. That's really his best option. If he swings the bat the chance that he will pop up or hit a weak grounder is huge.

The Dodgers now average a home run every 73 at-bats.

Oops, every 64 at-bats. Sorry about that.

Much better.

I'm gonna be really happy when the Dodgers leave Los Angeles, errrr, Anaheim. It's like when Seinfeld and Jeanine Garrofolo dated - it's really annoying when you have to deal with your exact match too often.

Seinfeld and Garafolo dated? Weird. Not surprised that one didn't last.

Argh. This is my first chance to watch this weekend's games, on MLBTV, and forgot I'd have to sit through the Angels' announcers.

C'mon Russell!

14 It was on the show, not in real life. Their relationship ended when they simultaneously blurted out "i hate you!" It was the first truly mutual break-up in history!

That was a nice play by Izzy's brother.

"That's a sign of an athletic player right there," says the Angels commentator.

13--Exactly. The Dodgers are too much like the Angels. I remember when I'd poke fun at the way the Angels and Mike Scioscia played the game, but now the Dodgers are the exact same type of team--minus Vlad.

15 Oh that's right! I'd totally forgotten that one. ...Never mind.

Sigh, this so far looks to be another anemic offensive effort by the D's but hope springs eternal.

Somebody in the control room has an eye for talent. Or maybe it's just by chance that we keep getting the first base side camera shot of RH batters.

why hasn't furcal been running at all??? is he still injured or is grady afriad about pierre doing something stupid at the plate while he's on base?

Furcal got CS Friday night. He had two SB last Sunday. He's running less, probably, but still some.

Angels love to give up those outs.

That was an amazing throw by Martin considering how good a jump he got. Furcal did a great job getting the tag in there, too - and I hope he didn't hurt himself.

it's not because i'm a dodger's fan but anyone else think that ALL (radio and tv) of the angel's announcers are just terrible...i mean steve physioc has to be the worst announcer in baseball

Here is an analysis of the Dodger's drafts by Logan White (2002-2006) in today's Baseball Prospectus:

30 total picks. (Rounds 1-5) 70% high school, 16.7% college, 10% junior college, 3.3% Latin.

Strategy in a Nutshell: If this June is like the past five before it, we know one thing entering the draft--we will all praise Logan White afterwards. White's drafts have been rated among the best almost every year he has been at the helm, and the Dodgers' loaded farm system is a product of his abilities. The knock on White is that he has yet to match his contemporaries in terms of creating a star; Billingsley, Martin, Kemp, and James Loney represent his best so far. Still, superstars should come, and White's success rate with evaluating prep talent is unparalleled.

2007 Draft Crystal Ball: Thanks to Julio Lugo's departure, the Dodgers pick 20th in the draft, and then again 19 spots later. While the numbers defy it, I think White will go with one prep player and one collegian in these spots; the latter type could be either Julio Borbon or Nick Schmidt. There are also rumors that White has an affinity for Jack McGeary, and that he could attempt to buy out the southpaw's commitment to Stanford.

22
And yet they continue to win

If James Shields was on the Dodgers he'd be undefeated and the talk of baseball.

FireJoeMorgan should start up a sister site--FireRexHudler. Loads of material.

angel announcer "OH MAN WAS THAT QUICK...I COULDN'T EVEN SEE HIM ON CAMERA..MAN THAT WAS SO SMOOTH..MAN THAT GUYZ QUICK!!"

- and he didn't even throw him out....

24 You obviously haven't heard the White Sox or Cardinals' announcers...

Yay, Slappy McPopup strikes again! It's as reliable as death and taxes. And getting to be about as painful.

I think White will go with one prep player and one collegian in these spots; the latter type could be either Julio Borbon or Nick Schmidt.

both of those players are underwhelming to me.

I guess I dont mind Physioc as much since his voice reminds me of Pac 10 basketball, where I think he does a good job.

Hudler is like the anti-Mark Grace.

30

at least he is changing the ways he is making outs. in april, it was weak tapouts to second base. now they are popups...to every fielder!

Nate, do you think the Dodgers should take a position player with one of those two picks, or should it be best available regardless? Or is it pitching, pitching, pitching. I wouldn't mind seeing them take a position player with one of those early picks and a pitcher the other.

33 Either one is painful, but at least slapping down on the ball takes advantage of his speed, gives him a chance to leg it out even if it doesn't make the outfield. Hitting it up is rarely gonna do anything for him.

i think rex hudler has become the john madden of baseball..what i mean is that he's starting to bring out the sound effects...BOOM BANG YEA SWEET

i hope white takes ANYBODY with the potential of power....

34

BPA. Although im hoping white could add some toolsy, athletic outfielders with plus bat speed to the organization. The highest rated one on my board is Kentrail Davis but he should be picked sometime in the supp 1st.

9
This is not a fun team to watch right now

Was it ever...?

Pierzynski just hit his 6th career grand slam against former White Sox Neil Cotts.

Another outfielder I wouldnt mind sometime in the 2nd or 3rd round is Alabama prep OFer DJ Jones. alot of people compare him to the cards colby rasmus or a poor mans jay bruce.

39 Define fun.

Define fun

fun ≠ The Player

well i'm out...dodger will prob lose 1-0 so might as well do something productive with the time

42

d4p doesnt know, he doesnt even watch the games.

Unfortunate the Halos dont have any left handers that Saenz could have DH'ed against.

d4p doesnt know, he doesnt even watch the games

I'll have you know I saw part of one of the games vs. the Braves...

Josh Bell hits his third homerun for Great Lakes.

46 He'll get his shot in Pittsburgh in a couple of weeks, he's always hit well there and the Dodgers should face 2 lefties in that 4 game series.

Im definitely trying to stay positive, but I have to admit this series is lowering my expectations for how far we're going this year.
Team playing like that 1-0 lead is insurmountable. We need to catch a break to snap out of this.

I saw a little of DJ Jones, too, and liked what I saw. Wouldn't mind a toolsy college player but that goes against White's usual m.o.
Too bad they couldn't sign the Clemson player Delessio (sp?).

Escobar's pitching well but the Dodgers need to start swinging the bat and spending less time glaring at the umpire.

I'm not sure if Little will bench Nomar to get Saenz a start at 1b.

With LaRoche/Betemit the 3rd base tandem, doubt he'll play there either.

I kinda wanna see Saenz play LF, for pure entertainment purposes.

Lowe's pitching well, too, but, yeah, sad when a 1-0 deficit seems insurmountable.

We need to catch a break to snap out of this

The entire first quarter of the season seemed like one big break, at least on offense.

From a previous thread:

46. First of all, I'd like to complain about 15, who posted the link to the Plaschke article without proper warning that it was Plaschke. Someone could have gotten hurt.

I apologize. :-)

50 Folks, its two games.

No one in the NL West is going to break out with a big lead but the Dodgers have pretty much been in front basically because they have done really well when playing in the division while the other teams beat each other up.

54 They started to hit in the Reds and Cards series - their hitting was just fine there. I'm not superconfident in their offense either, but I would say they're more up and down then just consistently down - or at least that'd be my expectation for the season.

I wish I could have seen this game. Tired of having to watch Yankees and Mets.

52 I think the Dodgers will be in there 30 like games in so many days so I think Grady will give Nomar at least one of those days off.

54

Only to those who seek out the negative in everything.

56

Hear ya... just a really ugly 2.... it will turn....

Did Hudler just say "All pitchers will tell you that the first guy to 28 outs will win the game..."

28?

The Dodgers are 16th in MLB in runs scored, 24th in OPS, 26th in SLG, 27th in XBH, and 28th in HR. I'm not sure "mediocre" is even applicable at this point.

It's not a good offensive club. At all.

Hey, I go away for a minute and Martin is on second, what happened?

62 And yet, it may be enough to win a division.

I wonder if the Dodgers RS vs OPS split is the largest in baseball? +8 seems big, since OPS is very correllated to runs scored.

64 I don't think it will be, but you may very well be right.

We might sneak into the playoffs and get smoked. Again. Huzzah!

63 Martin singled and a wild pitch got him to second. Ethier flied out, Betemit struck out. Brady Clark up. Excitement abounds.

65
The last time I checked, the Dodgers were surprisingly high in team OBP.

Escobar's really pitching well

Brady looked like a little leaguer in that at bat. I think Hudler's right that it's hard for Clark who's never faced Escobar, who has so many weapons at his disposal. And generally I've been an advocate of resting Gonzo for Clark, but kinda makes you wonder if today was the best day for that...

68 We're 9th in OBP.

If we could hit the ball out of the ballpark more than once every third game, we'd have a good offense.

69

He is pitching well, but I dont know, the D's are swinging through stuff in the middle of the plate with almost no movement. 87mph straight as an arrow, right down the shoot just wiffed Betenit and Clark. This team is broken right now.

was hudler this annoying as a player?

This is a terrible team. Poor fielding, weak hitting, no plate discipline. Dodger ownership should be embarassed to put his product on the field.

Hudler's now endorsing the Alfredo Griffin style of hitting.

it seems that hit and run play has worked every time they put it on in this series. my head hurts.

A hit and run - wow. What's that again? I've forgotten.

74 A terrible team in first place? Seems like a real extreme assessment, though I understand where it comes from.

Dodgers are surprisingly high in IsoD (12th), and not surprisingly low in IsoP (28th)

That was a total jam shot into Rf.

71 - 4th in the NL for that matter

Better come harder than that if you want to knock the ball loose.

is our DH position still batting .000?

That was luck.
If Aybar slides, he's safe.

Aybar tried to knock Martin out (nothing really wrong with it actually) but Martin holds on. Nicely played between Nomar and Martin.

The Dodgers are more fun to watch than a lot of these comments are to read. Is it hyperbole to call it relentless negativity?

Seems like if he slides, he might have avoided the tag.

84

give credit to martin for blocking the plate. even if he slid, he was out by a mile.

I don't think anyone outside of LA knows we have the best catcher in the league?

86 Less offense, more comments.

I think LaRoche is failing as a fire lighter for Betemit, does anyone have Kenny Lofton's number handy?

That should be an error on Betemit.
He bobbled it.

He said it again. Big butter and egg man.

Great strikeout by Lowe, followed by awkward play by Betemit.

That was on betemit there. when you triple clutch, you are not going to get cabrera out.

91 Or Robin Ventura's?

91

less laroche, more KeLories!

86 We're in the process of getting swept by the Angels. We can't score any runs, and are getting paper-cutted to death.

It is relentless negativity, but I don't think talking about our offensive futility is out of order. There are some very troubling signs for the team.

Raffy hang on to that one next time.

this series the dodgers have been pretty bad defensively.

Oh well, that would have happened even if Furcal hadn't nabbed it, but he should have just eaten that one.

Our own medicine is leaving a bad taste in my mouth.

86 - Hope we don't strike you as being too much like this lady:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UszX_NkkOk

This should solidify Betemit as a PH.

Physioc just said the Dodgers have the most errors in the NL. Doesnt seem like it.

These runs should all be unearned, I'm not sure how that wasn't an error on Betemit

Vin isn't letting anyone forget that this is a problem of Betemit's making.

Just hitting the ball up the middle.

86 99 I find a lot of these comments tiresome, too, though, again, I understand where it's coming from. I hate the thought of getting swept by the Angels, or anyone for that matter. But besides the fact that the Angels have a good pitching staff, the Dodgers just came off two good series vs Reds and Cards. I agree their offense is a concern and I hope it can find more consistency but I think people are being a little extreme in the doomsday based on one series. It's like following baseball with a nation of Eeyores.

Its like overkill said---this series is karma for the first 7 weeks of the season.

Errors, singles, bleeders---

Steve Lyons just said exactly what I was thinking, something along the lines of "You can't complain about the way the Angels are scoring because they're doing what the Dodgers have done to a lot of other teams"

106 - Coming into today, they had 34, behind the Nats and Phillies at 35. Two today gives them 36.

I dont think the team is that bad, it just seems that the Angels are getting the benefit of the doubt 95% of the time on all the bloops, bleeders and misplayed balls while we're not getting any breaks whatsoever.

And the thing that everyone was saying about Wilson was that he was playing excellent defense despite his hitting, I do think that Betemit is pressing.

74 - Rule 6.

98 - Rule 1.

99 - Rule 8.

112. Steve Lyons just said exactly what I was thinking

Time to rethink what your thinking.

Did anyone here think we were going to go through the season without being swept at least once?

113 Yeah, just looked that up too. The Marlins (I think you meant the Marlins, not the Phillies) had an error today - I think they and the Dodgers are now tied for most errors in NL. That is certainly not good.

110 - I understand where the comments are coming from - I agree with many of them. But I can't believe it isn't possible to see less of them.

Juan's putting the ball into the air quite a bit.

7 out of 11 of Pierre's outs this series have been flies/pops.

Cultural question in light of all of the latin players on the Angels.

Are Mexicans or Mexican Americans any more drawn to Latin players from places like Venezuela, Dominican Republic, or Puerto Rico than they are to American ball players, or could they care less if the ball players aren't Mexican or Mexican American?

118 Got swept by the Giants at home.

We have swept 3, on the road against the Giants and D-Backs and at home against the Reds.

Wow, my first deleted post! Sorry Jon, but how do you know it was an expletive under there? It could have been "vexatious"!

120 Maybe people could just try to "keep hope alive" or look forward to something instead of dwelling on the bad stuff we can't control right now anyway. I guess I don't see the Dodgers being too tickled with this series either.

112, 117,

That is true, but the real problem is Dodgers cant buy a base hit with runners on and they are making way too many errors (and bad plays, see Betemit). We are going to be scrappy all year, that's what this offense is.
Its pretty obvious they are pressing now, looking at the umps, heads down... that's why the team isn't getting any breaks. This is very reminiscent of the STL series after the break last year.

121
I keep expecting him to drop and do 20 push-ups for every pop-up--
just like Willie Mays Hayes ;)
-fp

The Angels pitching is really good, and against the good pitching the Dodgers lineup is really that much more vulnerable.

Maybe the series in LA, the Dodgers will catch the breaks.

Lowe in line for a Quality Start

Jon, where are your rules posted? I've been following this blog for 2 years, often read of violations occurring, but have never ever seen the rules. I've been on egg shells for 2 years just hoping not to offend them.

Look at 121, for example. Has this point not been made? Did it need to be said again?

Changing sports, I was wondering about this the other day.

If the Spurs win the NBA title this year, that will be 4 titles for Duncan, the same as Shaq. Duncan has never had a singular teammate as talented as Kobe or Wade but his championship teams were probably more balanced than those Lakers and last year's Heat team.

My question is, who is the better player, Duncan or Shaq. The only negatives for Duncan to me is that they never were able to win back to back (though this year could be 3 out 5 years) and that when Shaq and Kobe were together with Phil, the Spurs were only able to beat them once in four playoff matches.

My sense is that if you look at objectively, you have to say Duncan, more All-NBA first teams, Defensive teams, better rebounder.

Changing sports, I was wondering about this the other day.

If the Spurs win the NBA title this year, that will be 4 titles for Duncan, the same as Shaq. Duncan has never had a singular teammate as talented as Kobe or Wade but his championship teams were probably more balanced than those Lakers and last year's Heat team.

My question is, who is the better player, Duncan or Shaq. The only negatives for Duncan to me is that they never were able to win back to back (though this year could be 3 out 5 years) and that when Shaq and Kobe were together with Phil, the Spurs were only able to beat them once in four playoff matches.

My sense is that if you look at objectively, you have to say Duncan, more All-NBA first teams, Defensive teams, better rebounder.

131 - On the sidebar.

134 Sorry about that.

133 I expect resident NBA fans Joey and ToyCannon to pipe in on this question.

Duncan is the better player hands down. Duncan is a more versatile offensive player, he is a much better defender, and he still has a lot left in the tank to be better.

132--This is a game thread. If Juan Pierre comes up to the plate and does something, you have to expect a comment on it.

43 games into the season, you pretty much have to expect very similar comments each game--since most of the games the Dodgers play are carbon copies of each other.

I'd say Shaq's better, bc he almost always commanded a double team when he got the ball on the block.

Duncan isnt doubled near as much as Shaq was.

Duncan's probably a better 1-1 defender, but in terms of team defense--I'd still take Shaq bc Shaq takes up more space near the basket and prevents the lay ups--at least in his prime he did.

It just seems Shaq changed the game more than Duncan does. I'm a Lakers fan and seen a bunch more Laker games than Spurs though, so i'm probably biased.

I don't think this series is a carbon copy of the previous two...

You know things aren't going your way when Martin hits into DP - that's gotta be rare. But that's another reason I'm not worrying greatly based on this series. Things aren't going their way, they are pressing a bit and they've hit a cold streak. Something will give again, soon. The Brewers series should be tough, too, given how hot they've been, but I think if the Dodgers pitching can settle in okay, I feel like their hitting will perk up again in that series.

This isn't play-by-play. It's okay to let things go. The only things that must be reported every time they happen are Jack Cust home runs.

I am a Lakers fan too and I hate Duncan, but he is just a better player all around. Duncan also gives full effort every time he plays. Shaq certainly does not, which is why Tex Winter called him the laziest player he has ever seen.

140 I do think that Shaq suffered more from the rule changes allowing zones and double teams back in 2001.

Also, back in 2001, when the Lakers swept the Spurs, it was first time I ever saw a team just give up in Game 3 of a 7 game series like the Spurs did and that has always colored my opinion of Duncan.

139 - JoeyP, I'm not singling you out today, but I have been crystal clear about my expectations are for game threads or for any threads. And those who can't abide by those expectations ... well, I'll miss you.

I absolutely will have no tolerance for the same comment on Juan Pierre after every at bat, as you are suggesting. I understand that similar comments will recur from time to time, but you guys have crossed the line today.

Great update on Schmidt on dodgers.com

I am sure for Angel fans, this series is great except that this will probably mean it is less likely to deal for another bat since they have their ignitor in Reggie Willits.

145
Does the lack of tolerance for repetition also theoretically apply to "positive" comments that are repeated?

Let's talk about who the Lakers should draft at #19. I am going with Pruitt. Large point guard that can defend and is an excellent shooter. This is what the Lakers need. I love Jordan, but he does not fit the triangle. He should be packaged in a trade.

I think you need to start doling out Schrute Bucks as motivational rewards Jon.

149--I'd trade up into the back half of the lottery and try to get Mike Conley. Also, fire Phil Jax, and let Brian Shaw coach the team.

The Lakers are a good PG away from improving themselves quite a bit. Conley>>>>Smush. Plus Conley's still really young, and should improve quite a bit. I think the Lakers could get him in the back half of the lottery, maybe around the 11-13 spots.

Hendrickson made a funny comment on Dodgers.com when asked about fans. He said that the Dodger fans did voice displeasure last year when he didn't pitch well but it was nothing like the year he played on the Sixers in Philadelphia. They went 22-60 and Hendrickson said they were on him and he didn't even play.

That Schmidt piece is good news, really good. Honestly, if the Dodgers eventually have a rotation of Lowe, Penny, Schmidt, Wolf and Billingsley (instead of Tomrickson) I'd feel much more confident in that group as a playoff caliber rotation vs. last year.

148 - Yes. But that has been much less of a problem.

Look, it shouldn't require this much discussion, for crying out loud. People are saying the same thing over and over again. After putting up with it for a good amount of time, I'm asking you to dial it back. Why can't that be the end of it? Why does there have to be all this discussion over it? Is it that hard? Good lord.

if there's a lot of negativity in this weekend's posts i'd say it's because the angels series is highlighting our team's DNA. i mean, i don't have the stat sheet in front of me, but i think we entered play today with something like 23 team HRs and 34 errors. any game we fall behind is lost; pitchers have to be borderline flawless... and if people are ranting about pierre, it's not because pierre is a total waste as a player. i'm not smart enough to say that. but he'll hit close to zero homers this year and contribute a lot of piss poor fielding, exactly the opposite of what we needed going into this season... he's symbolic of the dodgers' current essence. don't get me wrong; i'm aware the team is in first place and i'm thrilled. i also know every team looks like crap from time to time. but what we're watching isn't an abberation.

Sigh
(Muttering quietly to self)

150 I think it should be DT Dollars but I would want to know the conversion rate to Timmmermann Dimes first.

151
Conley will probably go higher then back half of lottery, but who would you try to trade to move up?

Russell Martin went 3 for 9 with a double, a run, 2 RBI, and a K in the series against Tony Larussa. Certainly won't hurt him in getting added to the All Star roster if he doesn't win the vote. Martin won't get another audition before the All Star game.

Speaking of, have you voted today?

http://mlb.mlb.com/index.jsp

Too bad you can't open a separate chat room for grousing and dead-horse-beating, just to give people that for cathartic purposes but give those who want it a break. But since we can't...

Wow the Ducks scored with 47 seconds to tie the game 1-1 in the 3rd period, OT coming up.

gosh, this could be Lowe's second complete game loss, no? That makes me feel kinda bad for him. I still have this feeling it'll all even out for him as the year goes on.

Bob, when was the last time the Dodgers had 2 complete games by the same pitcher in a losing effort?

Yeah thats a problem--tradeable assets. If Bynum isnt going to be packaged along with Odom for a true superstar--then I'd use Bynum alone in order to move up high into the lottery where the Lakers could get Conley.

Most NBA guys will always say "never trade big for small"--but in this case I would. Conley's going to be a superstar PG IMO. Basically Chris Paul with much better defense and playmaking ability. I saw a bunch of Ohio State games this year, and while Oden was a dominant force, Conley is the guy the the Buckeyes couldnt afford to lose.

Too bad you can't open a separate chat room for grousing and dead-horse-beating, just to give people that for cathartic purposes but give those who want it a break

You mean, like an outlet for dealing psychologically with the Los Angeles Dodgers and baseball?

this could be Lowe's second complete game loss

It's a little misleading, in that Lowe would probably be taken out if the Dodgers were ahead (e.g.) 5-4.

163 Bob's not in today. Leave a message for him here and he'll get back to you. (I wanted to look that up myself but wasn't sure where to even begin.)

154 if you think this is bad, you should have seen some of the halos heaven posts when the Angels were sucking. PS- as bad as it might seem here, imagine how badly the Dodgers themselves must feel. Ouch.

Bob gave us leave to cut an past responses for him, though. Don't see one the really fits.

166 Well, yes, if that was score it would also mean he'd have a lot more pitches, too. But if they were winning this one like 1-0 he may stay in there because of the low pitch count and how well he'd pitched. Up 'til that triple, anyway.

Have any names started to surface for being on the trading block? I know it is still abut 3 weeks early.

171 Not Dodger names, other teams?

Can we do some kind of magick ritual to summon up the spirits of the 4+1 game?

Have any names started to surface for being on the trading block?

You can look in previous threads for discussions about a particular third baseman from another team.

I definitely agree that Conley should be a star at the point guard position. Javaris Critterion would also fit the triangle, but he is going to take some time to develop.

*Javaris Crittenton.

174 give me a hint, I'm lazy, and am juggling a 19 month old.

165 - Absolutely not. Beating a dead horse is not what that's about at all.

168 - This is what it is. What happens at other sites is not relevant to me. The level of conversation here is meant to be better than "it could be worse."

177
Glaus, Lowell, and Rolen. I do not believe any of them frankly. Aside from the Maddux trade, Ned's trades seem to come out of nowhere.

171 Sometimes you can get wind of the rumors out there via prosportsdaily.com

Gosh, Furcal had Shields where he wanted him. So much for that.

A hit for Pierre! Yellow alert! Or is that blue alert?

Glaus' injuries worry me, but IF we could get him for very little I wouldn't necessarily mind that addition.

Well, no shut out at least. There's still a flickering flame of hope.

K-Rod fantasy owners give a thumbs-up to Jeff Kent.

Saenz has looked... old today.

Yikes, I just read the Times' piece on Glaus, forgot about his huge contract. Not as enthused on that idea now.

For those of you looking for trade rumors, more can be found via here: http://prosportsdaily.com/mlb/mlbrumors.html
but again these are rumors and more often than not lead nowhere.

The Dodgers with a long trip back to LA from LA

Okay, well, that series was a bummer. Would also be nice to have the Dodgers win a game in an AL park one of these days.

Time to move on though.

178
In fact, it's the best (and funniest) I've seen anywhere. The only experience I can relate this to is my son's little-league team (the Dodgers, of course) 2 1/2 yr losing streak. toward the end of the second until midway through the 3rd season, all the parents were at each other's throats. Then the team began to gel and everyone relaxed a bit.

163- Kevin Brown in 1999. At home against Montreal and in Cincinnati; he gave up three runs in each game. Brian Bohanon had two in 1998.

I just realized how fast a game this was.

Fernando had four CG losses in 1987.

188 Weirdly, while searching for that same stat I found an article on Darren Dreifort's 3rd complete game. Which sort of made me sad for what could have been, and what also could have not been (so expensive).

189 Not that fast, considering it started at 12-something...

Actually it was 2 hrs 21 mins, which is pretty fast. Quick and painful. I'm off to drown my sorrows in a screenplay and a nap.

Drysdale had 4 CG losses in 1964. They were probably a lot more common back then.

A non-technical aside: I noticed a much higher level of hustle out of these two teams during this series. I'd begun to expect a certain level of major league lollygagging based on recent observations.

Comeback win for the Ducks.

After this upcoming Brewers series, the Dodgers should have a chance to right themselves against some bad teams:

10 straight games vs Cubs, Nationals, and Pirates.

I'm having trouble deciding if I would have been happier watching this game or going to see Spider Man.

I'm really torn right now.

197
Spider Man would have cost more money.

And Spider Man was longer.

Okay, I made the wrong choice.

Cripes, that was a bad movie.

And Spider Man was longer

With worse performances, no doubt

Drysdale had five in '65.

Kris Benson, Randy Johnson, Aaron Harang, Dontrelle Willis, and Roy Oswalt each had two last year. Oswalts were in consecutive starts.

Quick pitch for Baseball-Reference's PI service. It's awesome. I signed up for the one month trial for five dollars, but expect that when it runs out, I'll buy the full year option for $29. It makes finding things like 163 really easy, and is just hours of fun.

The odds of a "(Fill in blank) III" being a good movie aren't very high.

However, Hot Fuzz would have been a better choice over the game or Spidey 3.

204 Of course, but I already saw that.

I am looking forward to Bug. I have heard good things about it.

HD Alert: remember earlier in the week it was announced that "FSN HD" would be showing quite a lot of Dodgers and Angels games in HD, but no one could find the station anywhere?

I just found it by accident: it is supplanting "MOJO" (sometimes known as IN HD) channel, at least on my cable service (Cox Cable, where it's on channel 731) but I expect it will be the same for those of you with Time Warner and Comcast which are partners on IN HD.

In Santa Barbara, where I live, Cox Cable does not show KCAL 9 in HD, only in standard def, so that's what I'm stuck with on KCAL days. But, floating around the channels, I suddenly discovered that 731 had FSN West as FSN HD, showing the Angels game. So I had to put up with Angels commentary (every once in a while I'd switch over to KCAL to get Vin), but got it in HD - so much better.

I just checked the FSN HD web page:
http://msn.foxsports.com/name/HD
It's showing schedules now for both FSN West (i.e Angels) and FSN Prime Ticket (Dodgers) games. The Dodgers game tomorrow night, May 21, and also on May 25 and 29, will be on in HD.

I noticed one other thing about the Angels broadcast, which I've spotted before on Fox and ESPN broadcasts too: they turn down the sound of the stadium (fans), the better to hear the commentators' inanities, no doubt. Switching back to KCAL 9 Dodgers broadcast not only got Vin, it also caught the excitement of the game much better with the audience level high, not muted.

The Angels commentators gave a very nice tribute to Vin Scully in the 6th, and showed him in the next booth, just a few feet away. The dorky Angels broadcaster said "That's the closest I'll ever get to the greatness of Vin Scully" which is true, but nice of him to say so.

Adrian Beltre's been relegated into a sac bunter, of which he was not successful in the bottom of the 9th inning.

Bottom of the 9th in Seattle. SD leading 2-1. Runners on 1st and 2nd with nobody out. Beltre? Sac bunting! Thank you Mike Hargrove for dialing that one in. My goodness.

Matt Kemp hasn't got a hit since that shoving incident. He went 0 for 4 in each of the next two games and is 0 for 3 so far today as his average has dropped to .263. Young has homered today though.

208 That was strange considering he already had 2 strikes, so even if that foul ball drops he was out.

Padres win 2-1.

Hargrove asking Beltre to bunt---I remember a similar occurence with Tracy/Drew/Kent in 2005. Tracy asking Drew to bunt.

I miss Tracy.
Not.

I feel I started the negativity with 9. Sorry about that. I proceeded to take a nap and missed all the rest of the game but the last out.

211--Well, Beltre actually swung on the 2-2 pitch. He fouled out.

But the first two strikes were fouled off bunt attempts. So I guess Hargrove wasnt completely at fault--at least he took the bunt off once Beltre got to two strikes.

But still, why was Beltre bunting at all?
Does 5/65 get you a bunter nowadays?

But it's Yankees/Mets on ESPN. So, we got that going for us.

Alert to Dodger fans within reasonable distance of Nashville--

The 51s come to town May 29 thru June 1 for 4 games vs. the Sounds (Milwaukee). Only meeting this year. Great chance to see future Dodgers for anyone who can arrange it...nashvillesounds.com for more info.

May repost this a couple more times between now and then, if Jon has no objections.

214 Because this way Hargrove gets to feel better about himself. He did everything he could do, playing for the tie at home. It was the player who failed to execute. The manager can't make Beltre get that ball down.

206 Bug is the supposed return to greatness of William Friedkin, which is good to hear. Sounds really scary.

210 Hm, I still think Kemp should get his licks in the majors this year, but this obviously doesn't help. I wonder if LA will give Young a decent shot in the next or so. I could see him being a good, solid 4th OFer at the least. An OF of Ethier, Kemp, Young, and (sigh) Pierre wouldn't be so bad.

207 I should add that you really need to turn on the MOJO (In HD) channel when the FSN HD schedule indicates that a Dodgers or Angels game is on, like today. There's no other way of knowing it's on.

The Cable box channel guide, plus the MOJO website, is still showing completely different programming. Same for the rest of this week. It's out of date. FSN HD is supplanting that programming, at least for the times shown in the FSN Prime Ticket and FSN West games listed on the FSN HD web page (see [207). I'm sure the channel guide will eventually get updates, but for now you just have to turn the channel on and ignore the guide.

On Baseball Tonight, about Geoff Jenkins' homerun, John Kruk says:

"He's the veteran on this team. He's the leader of this team. And that's a leadership hit right there."

I think we've found Vin Scully's successor.

Carlos Pena is having a really nice start to the season.

Carlos Pena is waaay too buff these days...they all take something...this steroid hysteria is just bad theater....like democrats and republicans....

220 Vin ended tonight's play-by-play saying "And so, for the Dodgers, a fitting conclusion: the final out is a hitter caught looking, and a man is left in scoring position. And you're probably fed up with me talking about that, so the heck with it. We'll be right back."

Think your John Kruk could manage that?

214 JoeyP
*But still, why was Beltre bunting at all?
Does 5/65 get you a bunter nowadays?*

The market has really gone crazy. I'm looking for Wilson Valdez to cash in.

I love Vin.....keeps is real...

AL is 22-18 for interleague play, going into tonight's game.

Valdez was DFA on Tuesday, right? Does that mean he cleared waivers?

89: I know.

1. Phillipe Aumont looks like another good bet.I´d love to see another french canadian pitcher playing for the Dodgers! A link: http://story.scout.com/a.z?s=251&p=2&c=611811

Got my DT shirt today. I also got one for my six year old, thinking, he loves baseball and he's still little so having the same shirt as me would be cool, right?

It prompted this exchange:

"And look I got you the same one!"

"No thanks."

"What do you mean no thanks -- look, there's a baseball bat in the picture."

"Daddy. I know you're a Dodger fan, but I'm not a Dodger fan. I'm a Nationals fan."

[long pause]

"Well, I know, but you can still wear the shirt if you want. It's a pretty comfy shirt."

[reeaally long pause]

"But that might hurt the Nationals' feelings."

This is a situation that calls for incentives. Start calling it the ice cream shirt--every time he wears it, he gets ice cream.

You could, also, try undermining his Nat fandom. Though, if the current team isn't enough to do it all by itself, he may be too far gone.

230
So is he still going to be in the will?

David Wright is dreamy.

227 Andrew Shimmin

As I understand it, the Dodgers have 10 days to trade him. If there are no takers he is a FA. If no one signs him the Dodgers want him back in their farm system.

229

im not a big fan of Aumont and hes not going to last to the 20th pick anyways. he is too much of a boom or bust player for me.

Valdez has, according to MLB4U, .027 years of service time, so he's not eligible for the Veteran Player opt out of a minor league assignment. I thought he could be sent down, with or without his consent, after clearing waivers, which is a three business day process, if I remember correctly. Is there another rule governing waivers for non-veteran players? Maybe in the new CBA (I don't remember)? Does DFA not necessarily mean he was put on waivers immediately?

With all the greatness that is the Dodgers over your son's lifetime and with all the older players starting ahead of better players, how could he not be a Dodgers fan?

Wikipedia to the rescue. DFA does mean there's a ten day period before he has to be put on waivers, so, that hasn't necessarily (and probably hasn't, in fact) happened yet. But it still sounds like Valdez can be sent down, without any renegotiation on his part, assuming he clears waivers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Designated_for_assignment

230 He's got a pretty good point. It can't be hard to hurt the feelings of Cristian Guzman.

Tomorrow at 12 noon, is another UCLA vs. Stanford showdown in the NCAA Womens' Tennis Championship. They are in the first semi-final for the women's title, the second will feature the host squad, Georgia vs. their state rival, Georgia Tech.

Stanford has beaten UCLA twice this year, 4-3, each time.

Does DFA not necessarily mean he was put on waivers immediately?

There are so many rules I'm not sure, but I thought the answer was no. If I'm wrong about 234 then I'm completely lost.

237 If it was first game was a National's game, then I can understand it.

238 Andrew Shimmin

Ah, I'm not lost.

243- When it comes to transactions minutia, I think lost is the default state. My theory is it's just another way for The Man to keep us down.

231: For a long while this season I was wondering if the Nationals were going to simply destroy the whole idea of fandom inside him. The first two weeks of telling him what happened in the games were just soulcrushing.

231: For a long while this season I was wondering if the Nationals were going to simply destroy the whole idea of fandom inside him. The first two weeks of telling him what happened in the games were just soulcrushing.

Um, couldn't say what I did there.

I'm watching "The Spanish Prisoner" tonight. I've seen it before and really liked it, and was compelled to watch it again because of my recent internet experience.

Current Dodger rotation:

Penny, Lowe, Wolf, Hendrickson, Tomko

Probable next 5, including Schmidt (he'd at least replace Tomko or Lurch if he comes back anywhere near what he was):

Schmidt, Billingsley, Kuo, Houlton, Stults (even tho Stults is struggling now)

Seems to me that even after swapping Schmidt for whomever, Group 2 still might be equal to or better than some MLB rotations.

Is this anything folks here aren't pretty much aware of? Of course not.

But it does underline the currency Ned has to use to deal for offense, preferably with power, which could be useful (he says, with a certain degree of understatement).

Yeah, teams want to talk about the young Dodger studs in trade talks. But I don't think Ned is stupid.

A combo of Lurch, Tomko, and Stults--two lefties, even--might bring back something worthwhile, with no real core loss, and still leave seven MLB-level starters.

I think Houlton has good potential. I think he's noticeably better than he was when he spent the year with the big club. But if he really doesn't figure into Dodger plans, trading him also might increase what came back considerably.

If all 4 starters went elsewhere, then 6 MLB-level starters still remain. Moving more than 4 would increase the risk greatly, given what can happen on any single pitch. And it would require Ned to be bolder than he has been, because it would cut into his backup-for-backup-for backup methods.

But if there are deals within reach that he thinks will help the team go farther, sometimes calculated big risks need to be taken...(hint, Ned, hint).

Even if such trade/s didn't work out and LA didn't end up doing much this year, moving some of these folks would ease the path for some of the arms in the minors.

It'll probably take a while longer for some teams to decide that if only they can get any kind of pitching at all, they can make the playoffs. These teams are the ones Ned needs to have on speeddial--if they have what the Dodgers need. Maybe some 3-team deals would make sense.

Any trade might have to include the Dodger currently at whatever position is being upgraded. In some cases, that could be good.

241. Once he is placed on waivers the Dodgers cannot pull him back. Therefore, it wouldn't make sense to have to place him on waivers at the beginning since Ned said there was trade interest out there. Any team interested enough to talk about a trade would surely take him on waivers (for $100 ?). So, he won't be placed on waivers until after Ned has tried his best to trade him.

I really liked The Spanish Prisoner, but I've not seen it since it was in the theaters.

I watched/recorded Dazed and Confused last night. It really nails how high school was like for me and my little sister. My school didn't do the freshmen initiation thing though.

The Spanish Prisoner is haunting. I like haunting.

236, others. From Dodgers.com, Gurnick, 5/15, on Kuo coming up--

"The move probably means the end of Valdez's stay with the organization. He is out of options, and the Dodgers have 10 days to trade, release or -- if he goes unclaimed -- outright him to the Minor Leagues. Valdez hit .236 with five RBIs in 28 games this season.

"Colletti said that there has been trade interest in Valdez and that an attempt would be made to trade him."

248
See if we try hard enough we can always find some common ground. I loved the "Spanish Prisoner". That actresses voice still resounds in my mind.

250 Dodgers49

I do not think that a team has the option to pull a player back off the DFA list. At the end of 10 days you either have traded the player or he is a FA.

But, I agree with what you said...I guess you are just bring up anther point.

Santa Glaus is coming to town.

Just getting ready to sing my song when the time comes.

255 should I correct may grammatical error?

See if we try hard enough we can always find some common ground. I loved the "Spanish Prisoner". That actresses voice still resounds in my mind.

1. The key is just to throw as much (stuff) out as possible and see what sticks.
2. The actress is so annoying, which is part of why she's such a great character. Steve Martin is great too, in a very unusual role for him.

I wouldn't get depressed about the Angel sweep. That pitching is going to carry them to the world series.

Brewers are reeling right now. We need to make hay on Monday and Wednesday and hope we get lucky on Tuesday as Sheets has been rounding into form his last two starts.

259 ToyCannon

I think that this series with the Angels was a good test for this team. It was more like the competition that they'll see in the playoffs. After seeing the result, I'll bet there will be a trade made for a hitter.

I'd like to formally implore Jon to update the Payroll Worksheet on the right, because seeing Rafael Furcal (DL) just made my heart flutter in a not nice way, if only for a second.

260. Kemp might be part of the answer, if the team would bring him up and play him enough, and bench whomever necessary. Hmm...

"The Dodgers are now 6-13 when they score three runs or fewer, and they've been doing that with increasing frequency (nine of the last 19 games). They lead the league in stranding runners and are 14th in home runs with only 23 in 44 games."

--dodgers.com, after today's game

A GM who prioritizes (in his own words) "speed and athleticism" over "power" isn't likely to care much about a lack of homerun power.

262 twerp

Maybe Kemp, but I think a proven hitter would have a better chance of success against good pitching. Right now Kemp might hit average pitching, but playoff type of pitching he wouldn't do as well as a guy who has been around for awhile. I just don't think that Kemp is ready yet.

263- I don't think this holds up. He's quoted, semi-literately, in Shaikin's article about how dreamy Glaus is, saying the team needs power (I think; like I said, semi-literate). He's regularly said he was looking for power, during and before the off-season. It's possible he doesn't care enough about power, but I don't think it's fair to say he doesn't care much about it. We'll know better in a few years.

Lets not worry about Kemp, less than a week ago his #s for the year looked great. A 3-4 tomorrow and they look pretty good again.

After I got over the game today, It occurred to me- Betemit is just a left handed Olmedo. Which isn't so bad.

Ned obsesses on backup plans. I think he deals pitchers for Glaus with LaRoche still the backup plan considering Glaus' injury history. Kemp is the backup plan for the outfield (even though most think The Player should be the back up), so Ned will keep him. It all points to dealing pitching it seems to me. Hopefully, that doesn't include Bills.

263. Ned has said he made serious offers to some FA sluggers last winter but lost out for whatever reasons, including some not willing to play on the West Coast.

When no sluggers signed, he decided small ball was the best option. Right now the Dodger version appears a bit too small.

Not to reopen wounds, but when Drew bolted I think Ned pretty much panicked. The result was JP's contract length and Gonzo.

Better OF choices probably were available--still might be--given what the Dodgers have to trade and given that Ned has said he's not willing to turn over regular jobs to young players (Kemp and Ethier in this case) without veteran backup.

Problem seems to be that the "veteran backups" are playing most every day.

But then none of this is exactly new...

Glaus is having one fine season:
.307/.419/.607

I could see the Dodgers dealing LaRoche, Loney, and someone else for him.

I think the Dodgers have pegged Abreu as the 2nd basemen of the future, and if they acquired Glaus--LaRoche wouldnt have a spot. I dont think the team is very high on Loney.

Loney, LaRoche for Glaus?

Yay or Nay?

With his contract I'd be shocked if it was more then one prospect unless it is Betemit and a pitcher. Yankee's just lost another pitcher for 3 months. They keep bringing up the kids and the kids do well then get hurt. At some point they will turn to Hendrickson.

269 You're trying to start a fight. I say absolutely not. That is to say, I hope he doesn't. But he might.

That line would look pretty good this season, but I think LaRoche can be good for a lot of years... I think.

270 But how much would they give up for him?

272
And what do they have that we'd want, other than ARod?

Glaus has full no-trade privileges, so any deal means the contract only gets bigger.

I wouldn't mind any number of the kid pitchers they have been throwing out there. I would expect nothing more then a AAA pitcher and not of the Hughes/Clippard variety. I just have the feeling Ned is going to start making some moves so Billingsly can move into the rotation. With Schmidt looking very good I don't think he will be as shy about moving Tomdrickson as he was this spring and for good reason given the health problems of Schmidt/Kuo.

I wouldn't mind any number of the kid pitchers they have been throwing out there

I thought we were talking about hitters.

Glaus would love to leave a future last place Toronto team for a 1st place team. He went to college here(UCLA) and I can't imagine he'd hang up the trade because he must want out of Toronto badly. He didn't sign with Toronto, he signed with Arizona who traded him to the northland and he can't be happy about it.

276
Not for Hendrickson. The Glaus discussion and the Hendrickson discussion are not related.

If you heard Joe Morgan gasp around 11:15 am pacific time today, it was probably because he had on the third inning of the Nationals/Orioles game in which Nook Logan reached on a bunt hit, stole second, stole third, and then came in to score.

Capitol Punishment openmindedly comments (on the play, not on Mr. Morgan): http://tinyurl.com/yurydk

The Glaus discussion and the Hendrickson discussion are not related

I understand that, but I thought the Yankee trade would also involve hitters. I thought the whole point of the discussion was that Ned would be trading for a hitter.

We're a week and a half away from June, it's time for Billingsley to move to the rotation. I'd rather not see Tomko tomorrow, but I'd especially rather not see Hendrickson make his next start. If Schmidt feels good tomorrow after his hundred pitches, it's time to move somebody. It opens a spot for Yhency, which opens one in AAA for Meloan. More than a quarter of the season is done, it's time for some mid-season reshuffling.

277- You think he wants out more than he wants free money? I guess it's possible, but it's not the way I'd bet.

282 That's not necessarily an either/ or proposition. If he wants to get out of Toronto and doesn't see any other more compelling options, he's not losing any money, and where would he better position himself for a lucrative extension than the 2nd biggest market in the country (and a team that desperately needs a power bat)? It seems a worthy gamble to me.

I'm surprised to see that Glaus is only 30 years old. He seems older than that.

283- Maybe. He's got an agent though. One who negotiated for that no-trade clause. Why fight for it (presumably he could have gotten a high dollar figure contract if he hadn't insisted on the clause) and then allow it to be made worthless?

I could be completely wrong on this, of course, but I don't see it happening.

I'm trying to figure out if I'm going to cry so bad, way bad, or wicked bad if we give up anything of worth for Troy Glaus.

I'm leaning towards wicked bad. Acquiring Glaus would pretty much seal Ned's reputation as a guy that has no faith in our prospects.

I could be completely wrong on this

By your own admission, you are getting a little soft in the head these days...

BTW: "The Spanish Prisoner" makes me sad about the world. It's a scary place.

285 But having greater control over his fate doesn't always mean $ (or maybe I'm just naive), and no-trade clauses seem pretty standard for someone of his stature. If Toronto is compelled to move him, I see the D's and Angels as the only viable options to take on his full contract. I don't want to see a bidding war between us, but it seems like Glaus is betting from strength at either place. He has skills that both teams need, so either way he'd be betting from strength. Or perhaps I've just been watching too much poker today.

I'm also not confidant in it happening, if only because Ned seems to be more interested in making Marlon Anderson style trades for frosting, instead of dealing for cake.

Glaus is really good offensively, although I've heard his defense is so bad that it hurts his offense (although I have a hard time believing in Fielding Runs above average).

There's a time to use prospects as currency, and I could understand trading them for a Glaus, instead of a Hendrickson/Lugo/Seo/Baez etc.

I was under the impression that Glaus was a plus fielder. Have his skills deteriorated, or am I just wrong?

291 The stats say he's somewhere between average and below average.

Pinto's Probabilistic Model of Range had him a little worse than average, last year, but not bad. BP's FRAA has him a little better than average this year and last, but PECOTA sees him a little worse than average this year and next, then taking a big hit from 2009 on.

I don't know if I'd cry if he came to town, but, depending on what got shipped out, I don't expect I'd be happy about it.

So what would make you be okay with him? I'd be fine with Betemit/ Kuo, but I'm not as big on Kuo as most people here.

A bit OT from Glaus, but a team with a powerful offense (read Yankees, maybe others) might be less hesitant to take on a Tomko or Hendrickson.

They'd probably figure ERAs over 4, maybe over 5, from them. But teams like NYY don't seem to have much problem scoring more runs than that. {turns green with envy}

Any other teams out there with someone we might want who could absorb the Tomdrickson level of pitching and still win?

295 Mets?

It used to be that if you picked up someone's contract, you could get a good but expensive player for very little in the way of prospects. You only had to give up more prospects if they paid a lot of the contract.

That said, I think if Glaus is to be traded that he goes to the Angels instead, where he can move to 1B or DH when Wood comes up. The Angels were dumb to get rid of him anyway, when they could have had him at 1B or 3B the past few years.

Why not simply manage what we have? We might have won 2 of those 3. We called up Kuo so that we might have that 12 man staff. Grady's lack of insight here is simply in thinking of that addition as a defensive measure and not an offensive one. One can say all that one wants about whether this or that pitch was a strike, but Penny still gave up 1 run in 3 of the first 5 innings. Kuo should have started the 6th. Same story the next night, with Hendy following Penny's lead and giving up 1 run in 3 of his first 5. Then the same 6th inning collapse. Billingsley should have came in to start the 6th.

In both instances, if Kuo and Bills hold the Angels, and we score a run or more to either tie or take the lead, then both pitch 3 innings if tied and 2 with the lead, and Broxton and Saito come in following. If we hold and don't score then both go 3 and Seanez then takes over in the 9th. If we don't hold, might as well leave them in, unless the circumstance is that it's that 2nd or 3rd inning pitched and we think that Seanez can close it out [and if we still come back then Broxton and Saito are still available (as are Tsao and Beimel).

Grady's problem is looking at Kuo as a safety net and he apparently doesn't understand that Kuo's addition allows us to shorten the game for our starters. And not only that, but what do we always say about some, that he might be pitching fine now, but wait until some come to bat again later? So Bills and Kuo also that fresh look and the 2/3 innings max means only one time through the order should things go well.

Oh, and it wasn't lack of power that otherwise killed us, but that .206 avg and an OBP not much better [34/8/4; 34/7/3; 29/5/2]. An offensive use of our pen with a couple more hits at the right moment, and things would have been fine.

that's a whole lot of speculation, and I don't think a desire for a power bat was formed in a vacuum of the Angels series.

294- Yeah. That'd be okay; I wouldn't do it, in Colletti's shoes, but it wouldn't be awful. Which is one of the reasons I don't think it would get it done. Maybe Betemit and Kuo plus one or more, of the AA pitchers, Hammes/Orenduff/Megrew. Which would make it less okay, maybe unokay. I don't know. Time for the Sopranos. Something more positive.

296. Who would we want back from the Mets, if they'd bite?

I'd do Glaus for Nomar/Kuo without any hesitation, even if that might not be terribly bright.

301 I can't think of anyone I really want from the Mets (or Yankees) as much as I'd like to see some space cleared for Billingsley. Brazoban. For me, there's an unnamed A/ AA player who would make it worth my while, I'm sure. I was more speculating on a team who needs pitching that could out score Tomrickson.

I'd trade Nomar for nothing. Here, you take him.

that should have been Bills/ Braz. No a period.

For what its worth, when I used to read the D'Backs Snakepit blog, the folks there were not very happy with Glaus and there were constant complaints about his work habits and dedication. I have no idea if any of this is true but nobody seemed too upset on his way out the door.

I'll take a work habit that results in 35 home runs and an above average OB%.

The Jays don't have a SS, and it doesn't look like they've got one on the way. They might want Hu, or maybe Abreu; it would preserve Colletti's streak of not giving away the very tippy-top best prospects.

Although I too want a Big Bat, if Grady had the Nads to move Pierre down to 8th, Martin to the 2 hole, and swap LaRoache with Gonzo in the order it could spark the offense some.

297
The Angels did not get rid of Glaus. He chose to leave when he accepted the large contract from the Diamondbacks that many thought was to many years for to much money considering he'd had 526 AB in the two years combined before his free agent year.

The plan for McPherson didn't work out but it was still a good plan. Many expected McPherson to provide close to the same amount of production for 1/24 the cost of Glaus. The injuries broke him down but the was plan was solid. I'd rather have the Stoneman plan then a bunch of backup plans resulting in mediocrity everywhere. Of course it is easier to break in the Kotchmans and Kendricks of the world when you have Vlady in RF. The Dodgers don't have that luxury. Troy Glaus has gotten healthy and has had over 600 PA the last two years. If he was to join the Dodgers he'd be the best hitter on the team the moment he puts on the uniform and he's only 30.

HU is sky rocketing up the prospect charts. John Sickels updated his top 100 last week and HU is now the 29th rated prospect after not breaking the top 100 at the beginning of the year. I'm not sure how Abreu does not crack the top 100 but HU does based on 2007 numbers.

The problem with trading with Toronto is that Riccardi put all his ducks into competing now. If he waves the white flag, he should be fired because he's had plenty of time to put his vision together and he's failed miserably starting with the silly BJ Ryan contract. Anyone who gives a closer that kind of money as a Free Agent deserves all the bad luck that has come Toronto's way this year.

307. I also assume he would try a little harder on a contending team like when he was with LAA than a mediocre D'Back team. But if the work habit issue is real, I would'nt expect Troy and Jeff to start palling around.

310 The Angels chose not to pursue Glaus. I consider that the same as getting rid of him since it was clear they wanted to go with McPherson. What they failed to realize is that they could have used him at 1B or DH. Guess what the Angels have been missing the past two years to put them over the top?

313 Daniel Zappala
Guess what the Angels have been missing the past two years to put them over the top?

Hmmm. Troy Glaus? ----I agree.

Meanwhile, The Player is on pace to hit .277, with 191 hits, 99 runs, and 55 stolen bases.

313
They chose not to pursue him based on what his salary demands were and his health issues. It didn't work out and yes he is exactly what they needed the last two years. The Angels looked at him and saw a 3b who had missed 162 games in two years and decided to go another route. It looked like a decent decision at the time but in hindsite it was a disaster. I don't think you'd find one GM or Scout when the decision was made that thought Glaus would stay almost completely healthy for two years while McPherson would be the DL man during the same two years.

311- Wow! Hadn't seen that.

Wow. Somewhere Eric Enders is nodding, knowingly.

310 "The plan for McPherson didn't work out but it was still a good plan. Many expected McPherson to provide close to the same amount of production for 1/24 the cost of Glaus. The injuries broke him down but the was plan was solid."

The Glaus/McPherson story is what GMs like Colletti have nightmares about. They're not judged on how good a plan they came up with; they're judged on results. Colletti hedges his bets on rookies by giving "proven vets"* 1-2 year contracts, and seeing which prospects can force their way past that hurdle.

If Nomar keeps hitting so poorly, I don't think it'll be long before Loney is given another shot. Who on this thread thought LaRoche would be up so soon?

*(Juan Pierre is not a "proven vet." He's just a mistake.)

318 I think that's a really good point, Ratt. I think that's Colletti's m.o., agree with it or not - but Pierre is an exception to that rule, given the long term contract. But otherwise, I think he's been leaving some room for the rookies to push their way in. My only disagreement is as to when they feel there's that opening. Some of us feel like there are a few guys who earned their shot. But I do think they'll get it this year, and it's true I wasn't sure LaRoche would be here this soon. My only disagreement now is that he should be starting, period.

HU is sky rocketing up the prospect charts. John Sickels updated his top 100 last week and HU is now the 29th rated prospect after not breaking the top 100 at the beginning of the year.

i personally cant see Hu being a top 30 prospect at this moment.

i personally wonder how long Colletti/Little sticks with Nomar at first base. His defense has been below the level he played at last year and dont even get me started on the power and constant hacking.I realize hes signed for 2 years but Colletti has to realize this team cannot afford lack of production from an offensive production position in first base.

But then what would we do with him? Does he have a limited no trade clause? I cant remember the specifics of his deal.

MLB4U says Nomar's deal does include a no-trade clause. Doesn't say it's limited, which I think means it isn't.

lol nomar does have a no trade clause. unbelievable.

Colletti's offense problem is not just first base. It is more like the entire team. The team is built around wishful thinking.

Nomar's BABIP is .324, pretty close to what would be expected from his 21.4% LD rate. His GB/FB ratio is up half a point. Feh.

We're in first place. This is not a good time for panic trades. If Shaikin was right about nobody's having spoken to Glaus's agent, it means there isn't a deal in the works. LaRoche should, and I think will, get his shot. I refuse to worry about this for at least a month. The thing to do now is get Hendrickson away from the rotation. That was the thing to do in March but it's still the thing to do.

326 The pitching isn't the problem. Tomdrickson stinks, but it still isn't the problem. They are four and five starters. Nobody has quality four or five starters.

The part with the swinging of the baseball bats. That's the problem.

And no, the team isn't bad. It's above average, actually. That, and ten dollars will get you a cup of Starbucks and a first round playoff exit. Again.

LaRoche, assuming he plays, potentially improves the team enormously over what it has been the first two months. Which is an average offensive team with excellent pitching. Maybe Nomar really is this bad, but I'm not sold yet. If Ethier picks it up a bit, and Furcal slugs a bit more, the offense is in decent shape. The weakest position is the one that isn't changing; which is what it is.

This offense isn't worse than the Cardinals' offense last year, is it? I don't buy that there's any one way to build a post-season winning team. And I don't want to see the future weakened for the sake of this year.

328
You're talking crazy there, Andrew, with your cautious, non-edgy talk there.

That's crazy talk.

328 There has to be a balance, right? Between improving the offense and maintaining a solid system? Kemp would certainly boost the offense, if he could play CF, which he cannot. LaRoche at third is great, but he's splitting time with a completely ineffective counterpart from the left side. Gonzalez has been decent, by our team's standards, so he won't go anywhere. He's certainly not a problem, but he's not a quality corner outfielder. Ethier is what he is. 3.5 with a .750 OPS.

Betemit, Ethier, Kuo, Dewitt...There are pieces to deal without damaging the long term vision.

317 [Nods knowingly]

216 - Twerp, I can't make it to Nashville, but I think I'm going to catch the 51s in early June in Memphis. Haven't decided which game(s) yet; I'm taking my 6-year-old, so we'll scout out the best under-14-gets-whatever promotion for the games and go from there.

Plus, the barbecue nachos at AutoZone Park are the best. Mmmmmm... barbecue nachos...

BBQ nachos? I have never heard of such a delicacy. Please tell us more.

I'm guessing typical nachos with BBQ sauce on top.

334 That sounds horrific.

Man, Troy Glaus has some juicy numbers over these past 3 years. Tell me more, JoeyP. I'm listening.

333, 334, 335 - They are tortilla chips topped with saucy barbecue meat (your choice of pork or chicken, IIRC) from The Rendezvous, one of Memphis' legendary downtown (Beale Street area) restaurants. They're really quite tasty, and unlike most ballpark foods, they don't taste as if they've been sitting under a warming lamp for a couple hours.

A Redbirds game is just a darned nice treat. Good ballpark, good food, reasonable prices. And, of course, all the humidity you can breathe.

BBQ sauce on top of regular nachos. That's brilliant. Sometimes, the simplest innovations are the most inspired.

This is reason #6,489 why America is the bestest damn country ever.

Is there enough meat in the sauce that you could get it without the chips?

Sort of a Jack Nicholson style,

Upon further googlization, the BBQ nachos appear to be available in pulled pork shoulder only. This does not mesh with my ballpark memory, but those memories are now a few years old. I bow to the google.

Man oh man, am I hungry.

338 - You can also get BBQ sandwiches featuring the same meat from Rendezvous. And it's not a soupy sauce/meat concoction, so it's not a terribly messy meal.

More on the AutoZone Park and Memphis Redbird experience:

http://tinyurl.com/28cl6h

Just bringing up Loney should wake up Nomar. On the other side of things, moving him to third and getting him hurt is no longer, maybe never was, a disaster.

Bigbie in left, Kemp in CF, and Ethier in RF with Peirre and Gonzo on the bench means Clark has to be let go, a painful thing to do, and going back to 11 pitchers.

I would rather have Loney on the team than Betemit meaning a vove would have to be made there as well.

New post up top.