I still don't get what's going on. Besides a 4 game losing streak.

I know one thing, the Brewers are only going to get better. Maybe very soon.

So is Portland drafting Sam Bowie or LaRue Martin?

Update to this post above.

So it sounds like Abreu is here to play . . ? if Jackson is speculating that he may switch spots with Pierre with a good showing . . taking Jackson with a grain of salt of course . .

This is off topic and completely ridiculous, so please don't take me seriously. Here are three ideas I've come up with to "improve" the game of baseball, along with their predicted consequences:

1. The National League should establish the Designated Runner and the Designated Fielder. The DR is a player who will run the bases for one particular player, chosen at the beginning of the game, who gets on base like Barry Bonds but runs the bases, well, like Barry Bonds. The DF, likewise, is someone who can't hit, but would "drive in runs with his glove" (but not like how Jeff Kent drives in runs with his glove).

Effect: The combined forces of Juan Pierre and Barry Bonds are lethal. Cesar Izturis still has a job in five years. An NL team signs Manny Ramirez.

2. Baseball should expand to 32 teams, opening franchises in Puerto Rico and Havana, Cuba. The Cuban team would, of course, be under the complete control of the Cuban government, and its players would not be subject to free agency or the collective bargaining agreement. It will be placed in a realigned American League East containing the Yankees, Red Sox, and Braves.

Effect: The ensuing perennial humiliation faced by the Cuban squad will eventually convince Castro to drop the whole Communist act. In turn, the US will drop its travel restrictions, and I will get to fulfill my dream of going to Cuba to see a baseball game.

3. If the count is full, and a pitcher has made over 12 pitches to a batter without a hit, an out, or a walk, the pitcher may challenge the batter to a game of speed chess to determine the outcome of the plate appearance. The pitcher plays white. If the batter wins by checkmate, it's a home run. If the pitcher wins by checkmate, it's a strikeout. If the game ends in a draw or a stalemate, it's a walk.

Effect: Baseball television ratings go through the floor, causing a financial catastrophe for 31 of 32 teams (only Tampa Bay is spared, since no one watched them in the first place). All player contracts are declared void. Juan Pierre is a free agent again. Dodger Thoughts commenters are finally at peace.

(continues to shake magic 8-ball}...

And who sits when LaRoche plays in the outfield. Any bets that it's Andre Ethier?

If so, who plays RF...?

As long as it's temporary, and he's basically taking starts away from Martinez, I don't have a problem with bring up Abreu. If he's up till he stops hitting, then Martinez has to go, or it's just a reprise of the Valdez tarantella. Doesn't address the biggest problem with the offense, which, while expected, continues to be what it is.

Good news about Billinsgley being stretched back out. Get well soon, Schmidt!

9 I'd hope Grady wouldn't even think of starting Martinez at third when he has Betemit and LaRoche.

8, they trade for Jason Phillips to play the RF

(if it was for He Who Shall Not Be Named, then it will be a good trade)

"The kid brings life, he brings energy, he brings productivity."

since when did the Dodgers care about playing the most productive players . .?

10- Right, but if Furcal needs a rest, or the Kent to 1B somebody to 2B two step would have meant, I think, Martinez starting. Grady would have been better off, probably, using Betemit for that, but I wouldn't have put money on his doing it.

In four innings against Adam Wainwright, the Pirates have picked up nine hits.

And scored two runs.

Pierre, CF

Furcal, SS

Nomar, 1B

Kent, 2B

Martin, C

Gonzo, LF

Ethier, RF

Abreu, 3B

Wolf, P

Now I know Martin may be our best hitter and we NEED production but, am I the only one begging Grady for a day off? does he know Toby Hall isnt the backup anymore?

15 Martin DH'd in the Angels series. But yes, keeping an eye on his workload is never a bad thing.

9 and 13 aside, if Abreu starts at 3B more than the "Grady likes starting the new guy on his first day," one time, it's a problem. LaRoche has only gotten 45 PAs; he should get at least fifty more before he has any chance of getting moved off.

Seems like the Suns got screwed in the draft lottery. They owned the Hawks pick as long as it wasnt in the top 3.

I don't know what is going on but when they started playing Abreu at third in Las Vegas I wondered if they weren't showcasing La Roche for a trade. It sure seems strange to have Abreu, La Roche and Betemit on the team. I would be surprised if one of them weren't traded by the deadline.

19
The Dodgers are going to keep a dense pack of third basemen on the roster until July 31?

The dodgers quest complete a roster composed solely of current or former middle infielders is in full effect.

At some point, the team has got to give the kids a legitimate shot to play a position. If you want to see what LaRoche has got- give him the job for 2 weeks. Don't move him into and out of the lineup and into and out of the infield. Same goes for everyone else. Versatility is nice and all, but to this extent it's over kill.

Or just trade for Chone Figgins and Ryan Freel and let everyone rotate a 1 position per inning. Steve Lyons would surely like that.

Keys to the game ratione Kennedy and Lyons: get lots of hits, and don't go into the ninth inning losing. No argument here!

23 that's why they get the cushy TV jobs.

Fore!

23- that's almost as good as another team's broadcaster explaining why a ball didn't go out of the park . . . "he didn't get enough air under it".

and in the same game, if memory serves, the best way to bust out of a slump is "to get a hit."

Welcome to the bigs, Estanislau.

I certainly hope tony has that out of his system now.

If Colletti called in a team of psychics to exorcize the spirits haunting third base, how many articles would the Times publish praising him for thinking outside the box?

27
The Dodgers website says Abreu's given first name is actually Etanislao

Proof having Juan Pierre in CF makes you crazy: I just thought to myself, "Man, Devon White was a pretty good CF'er for us."

I wonder who the last Dodger was to make an error on his first play in the big leagues.

Ha! I made fun of Phillips and I see he hit a homerun. Still not much of a runner, though.

I hope those at the game have a great a night as we had in Nashville.

30

I was referring to the new groundskeeper.

The Brewers offense is not very intimidating after Fielder.

32- Matt Kemp had one on his first day, but not his first play.

Abreu better field some balls cleanly tonight. His FRAA is terrible.

27 pitch 1st inning for Wolf

34
I hear they look alike.

but no runs.

Again, does anyone think Marin hitting 3rd is the way to go?

-- 2 points for the takedown, Prince.

... Pierre should be out.

Is it wrong that my very first thought was . . maybe Pierre will have to come out of the game . . ?

27 -- Like many people, Abreu doesn't go by his given first name. Most people here know that, but what you don't know -- I'll wager -- is that Abreu personally uses a lower case "i" in his name instead of a lower case "y." So it is "Toni Abreu." He does understands that that pretty much makes him a girl in America, so he understands why the Dodgers prefer the public to know him as "Tony."

hahaha... Vin: Prince Fielder is lucky he didn't suffer a serious injury.

um, Pierre is lucky he still has the top half of his dome.

It's like throwing a dirt clod at a cinderblock.

If Prince Fielder cant hurt Pierre, nothing will.

42 - Gameday agreed, changing from safe to out.

Is that a good idea? Moving is a very good idea, but couldn't he have headed toward home, instead of into CF?

Seeing the replay, that is a horrible call, and says a player has no right to run the bases.

for the record, I have both Sheets and Wolf on my CBS roto team

That has to be an error on Prince.

Curiouser, and curiouser.

Nomar may be our second worst hitter . . and in the 3 spot . . someone tell the LA crowd .

Prince could as easily be out of the game for interference.

36 Thanks. There may be no official source for such a question.

I don't believe the text descriptions of Juan Pierre's at bat did it justice.

Except to say he's out.

He's an exciting young player...That's for sure.

Jeepers.

56 - Bob, could you enlighten those of us watching on Gameday?

Abreu's having his troubles, but good recovery there.

49

... You have to run in the path. That's why it's there. It's such a cut and dried rule, and they call it every single time a throw to first deflects off a runner.

As the late Chick Hearn used to say -- "You could have called it with braille."

55
The Retrosheet people could mine their data for it. It's likely not too hard to find a list of players who made an error in their first game in the majors. You then just have to look at the PBP to see if it was on the first ball hit to them.

Welcome to the bigs Esta...er Etoni... er... Toni.

58
Bob is watching Gameday and is not part of the Englightenment.

Amazing. Management still feels 3rd base production is a major problem while Pierre takes CF everyday.

He was out of the base path. He was out the whole way up, but he was definitely out at the point of impact. It's unfortunate, but it looked like a good call, to me.

Sushirabbit, do you know how the 51s rotation stacks up for the upcoming series in Nashville vs. the Sounds?

And Terry A., if you're around, I didn't see your post the other day about seeing the 51s in Memphis until too late to respond. Apparently the 51s go to Memphis right after Nashville.

I've heard Memphis now has the finest stadium in the minor leagues but haven't been able to see a game there. From growing up in West Tn. about 80 miles from Memphis, I know it's hard to beat ribs or anything else from Rendezvous. So the BBQ nachos from there at AutoZone sound great.

These Dick's Sporting Goods commercials on mlb.tv at the end of every half inning are rather tiresome.

I miss the ping-pong/pacman stuff they used to play.

I think I'm going to start calling him Tony Wayne A-Brady-eu.

I also think I want to record the MLBTV commercial break music to play when I'm trying to calm my nerves or go to sleep.

64 - does management think batting average is a useful stat? I'm going with yes.

Pac-Man didn't pay as much as Dick's Sporting Goods.

68 - he needs to sing and dance first

Corey Hart's not wearing his sunglasses at n... oh nevermind.

that 13" pfx won't fool Russell!

Corey Hart looks like the old center from the Utah Jazz.

Sheets just pitched around Martin in order to get to Gonzo.

74 - Ostertag?

That tells you when I stopped paying attention to the NBA.

74 I was gonna say he looks like one of the Darrens from Bewitched.

I understand a shift like this against someone like Bonds because he doesn't want to give up a chance for a home run by laying one down the line. But why can't Gonzo just do it. Grounder, bunt, whatever. Just be a professional hitter and get it done.

8 for 8 for #55. Russell almost overslid the bag there.

... Wow, two dropped popups in the same game.

We are witnessing a display of leather tonight.

Before Ostertag... Mid 80's... Mark Eaton.

and again, someone explain to me like I'm a four year-old, why isn't Martin batting 3rd.

The Dodgers have to win this game.
Its already gotten goofy.

Ugh. "Thank you Johnny Estrada," says Gonzo. Bailed out on that one. What was Estrada doing with his mask still on?

... A lead!! A lead!! Alert the Media!!

82 - Because he's not old and one of Grady's Red Sox players

Well, Gonzo's lucky to get the second opp but it's good to see him take advantage of the goof. We'll take it.

This is the Dodgers offense.

Stange game line before Gonzo's hit...
R H E
0 0 2
0 0 1

the Abreu debut PA!

Last dodger to homer in first at bat? Offerman? Or Garey Ingram?

OooOoo. Abreu just missed a double by a few inches.

He's at least making contact off Sheets.

What a bizarro world game.

Nice looking at bat. He was badly taken by that first nasty breaking ball, fouled the 2nd one and scorched the 3rd one. Showed more ability to adjust in that AB than Kemp ever did.

A double interesting game going on in SF between Lincecum and Oswalt after 3 innings.

... That was a pretty good at-bat for Abreu. He didn't look intimidated at all.

Holy bleep! Just as we were talking about Abreu last night, there he was at the plate and in the lineup. yeeeeah... Astros scored the first run of the game against the Giants... "It's a good thing," Krukow.

abreu hit it hard. that was refreshing all by itself.

Krukow = Martha Stewart?
I'd like to see Martha say "Grab some pine, meat" for that matter. Which could mean something different.

91- Ingram. His was four years after Offerman's.

78 Olmedo Saenz is our professional hitter (I don't know how to do the little "tm" thing). You can't have two on a team, or you'd be unbeatable!

... It's just like a broken record with the Dodgers' outfield arms.

I mean, seriously... couldn't Grady have convinced Pierre that he had a concussion after running into Prince?

Running on you-know-who, as Gomer Pyle would say, "Surprise, surprise, surprise!" But nice to see Wolf and company get the double play turned right after.

I guess the pitcher of beer offer was lost some time ago, eh?

Showed more ability to adjust in that AB than Kemp ever did.

Are you serious?

How does anybody go first to third on any outfielder without a throw on a ball hit like that?

Josh Bell is heating up down in low A. hitting .350 in his last 40ABs with 9XBHs

I'm not sure either of our third base candidates would have handled all these chances better than Abrue has.

107. Totally. Kemp never saw a curve ball that he wasn't willing to back away from. Abreu was fooled once but then went right after the pitch. Why do you ask?

Two things:

1. For that brief moment, the Dodgers had a lead for the first time since WEDNESDAY!
2. Somebody forgot to tell the Cubs they're pitching in a pitcher's park... 2 homers in 2 innings for the Padres at Petco...? Sheesh.

So your foot has to be totally outside the white line? Does that also apply on the third base line? All the way on each line?

I was on ESPN.com looking at furcal's splits, and this big red flash animation swooped onto the screen informing me that barry bonds is on deck.

how unbelievably annoying.

I wonder if Furcal was getting tired of being forced out at second by a Pierre grounder.

111- BC IIRC, Kemp struck out 3-4 times in his first major league game, then obviously made adjustments and went on a tear when he first came up.

To suggest that Abreu can make better adjustments than Kemp, after watching 1 ab, is a little overboard.

115 - that did seem to happen pretty frequently.

114: i HATE that.

115: we ALL were.

Wow , Nomar is really dangerous.

I'm coming close to rule 8, but c'mon-- Move Martin to 3rd.

116. Kemp hit fastballs for home runs. I can't tell you for sure that he never hit a curve out but I wouldn't be surprised. I don't know that he made any adjustments. I'm not saying Abreu is better than Kemp, I'm just saying he made a nice adjustment in that at bat and the lack of ability to do the same is why Kemp slumped after pitchers stopped challenging him.

AFLAC question... any thoughts? It's quite a feat.

I would imagine George Brett is one answer to the Aflac trivia question.

one of kent's drives finally found grass.

I love you, Russell Martin.

hot dog... so THAT'S why he isn't hitting third, eh?

i would rather have them find outfield bleachers but grass will do i guess.

.....LIKE THAT! BACKSTOP BACONNNNNN.

WWWBWRM!

(Where Would We Be Without Russell Martin)

did someone jump out of the bleachers for that ball?

Martin can do it all.

That is our offense! RM

129 Or fell. That's a LONG drop.

Home Runs are really cool.

127. right on cue.

129: I sit one section over from that usually and I saw a drunken underage girl make that same jump for a beachball a few weeks back.

129

Yep. I checked the replay. Some guy in a black shirt jumped down from the bleachers after the ball.

Musial, Mays, and ???

NEVER would have guessed Musial.

Isn't that like a ten-foot drop, at least?

132. I was watching the ball, and saw a body shaped blur go by . . . .

wow. not what you expect to see in that situation.

Oh, I thought they said there were three others. I wonder who has more singles, doubles, and/or triples than Mays on the Giants.

@ 132, 139, 140

Yes, its about a 10 foot drop, and like I said, I've seen people do it for a beachball.

crazy.

141. Not too many guys with more home runs that Mays but one of them plays for the Giants right now.

Sheesh, I turn away for a few minutes to watch the Daily Show and return to see pandemonium! Is it legal to lose balls in the bleachers like that? Will the Dodgers be fined? I'm confused by that "two-run play" thinggy.

143 Wasn't the question for franchise records?

143 Mays has more home runs as a Giant than Barry does.

Somebody old timey probably has more triples.

142. Craziest (read stupidest) part is that there's next to no chance he got the ball.

it is was up to me, beachballs would be prohibited in ballparks. but then, so would cellphones and the wave.

145/146 Don't bore me with details. ; )

Sam in SC. You're my kind of guy.

Mike Tiernan has more triples than Willie Mays.

Good ole Mike Tiernan.

66 strikeouts to 14 walks so far this season for Wolf. I'll take that ratio.

147. myself, I see some stupider parts of that whole scene.

148 What Sam said. Amen, brother.

Sweet play by Furcal there.

146 Some guy named Mike Tierney had 152 triples for the Giants

150. yeah, but if it was up to me, you would also be required to slam three beers during the national anthem.

151.

you sure it's Mike Tiernan, I swear I saw Candy Maldonado motor into third plenty of times.

121 - I agree with JoeyP. I know you've been preaching that Kemp never adjusts since last season, but to say that Kemp never adjusted well in a single at-bat is an objective mistake.

I saw Kemp get hits on breaking balls. I saw Kemp recover from bad first swings to hit the ball hard. You were right to say that in general, Kemp struggled more against breaking pitches and fed off of fastballs, but you seem to go overboard in trying to minimize what Kemp can do.

It was hyperbole.

Oops, not only was I late but I typed the name wrong.

Subconsciously I did it so that next time Jon is looking for instances of Maura Tierney he gets thrown for a loop.

Beachballs are prohibited in the stadium.

Just as murder is prohibited in the US.

Mike Tiernan played for 13 seasons (1887-1899) and had 162 triples. He had 21 in a season twice, in 1890 and 1895.

Mays had 139 triples.

157.

Sam in SC. You're exactly my kind of guy.

162.

I demand a recount for Candy Maldonado.

The Player's OPS is now .600. His OBP and SLG are each around .300.

Are they using a dehumidifier on the balls tonight in San Diego? They now have four homers and it's only the 5th inning.

164 We'll have Pedro Guerrero count the triples. Maybe Maldonado can pull ahead on a mathematical error.

Wait, I just noticed Sam's handle. Is that formerly known as "in DC" - i.e., did you move? Or is that a different Sam??

168. I am a different Sam, struggling not to sully the proud Sam Tradition at DT started by Sam DC.

159. It's too much being made of a simple comment that is I suppose hyperbole if it is going to be dissected. All I was saying is that I truly never felt that I saw Kemp make an adjustment-- look bad on one pitch and later hit that same pitch hard. It's not an objective mistake. It may have happened, I never saw it. Abreu did it in the one at bat I saw of his. Kemp doesn't stink. I know very little about Abreu. I just made a comment based on what I saw. Didn't mean it to be a final word on the comparison between the two.

148 157
Buy yourself a ballpark. I'll fill the seats.

I used to post tons over at scout.com (as theweakspot), but now solely post here, so sorry if this is a newbie question, but is there ever a DT game night at dodger stadium? Or at a local bar?

159 - And Greg, it's nothing personal. We've clashed on Kemp before - for some reason it's our hot button. But speaking in those kinds of absolutes - saying Abreu did that better than Kemp ever did - to me, it just doesn't stand up. I don't see anything to gain from denying the times Kemp has had good at-bats, any more than I would deny that Hendrickson has had good starts or what have you.

171. I bid on the Dodgers, but the mccourts somehow made a more convincing pitch to MLB. I blame bud selig, of course.

148 157
-oh, and slam the beers too.

166

Nobody knows how to lose like the Cubs. You know I went to three games in a row pitched by Wolf... this guys turning out to be my fave in the rotation!

169 Ah. Well, welcome! I'm sure you'll do fine, and hopefully the other Sam's legions of groupies won't confuse you too much.

177. thanks.

(argh. estrada makes up for his two miscues tonight)

Even though Gonzo dropped the exchange, doubt he'd have a chance to have gotten Hall anyways.

I was hoping for one more inning out of Wolf, but we'll see... that was a solid shot, and Gonzo bobbled it - but it would have been nice if the outfield usher or whatever he is out there got out of the way a little better.

159- Nothing personal taken. I appreciate that you and I can disagree respectfully. I suppose I should have worded it more that Abreu adjusted better than I ever saw Kemp adjust and not more than he might have adjusted. I miss an AB every week or so =) Believe it or not, I'm looking forward to the day Kemp is a force for this team.

but it would have been nice if the outfield usher or whatever he is out there got out of the way a little better.

Home dog has been all over the place tonight. It's like he's trying to get on camera.

Good start for Wolf tonight. In fact, why, I'd go so far as to call it a quality start.

Quality Start!

Yeah, it'll be nice to have Kemp and Abreu up and playing so we can definitively agree or disagree. ;-) That'll be best of all.

172

i love how we all migrated over from scout.com to over here. that place isnt what it used to be.

183

He isn't done yet.

182 I believe his name is Slice, Mr. Home Slice, my good sir.

He needs to learn to dance a little better and faster.

Does anyone know what the record for starts in a season by a catcher is?

The foam hand ad isn't as irritating as the Nomar van one, but the lot of them make me wonder: Does McCourt think some goodly portion of Dodger fans are dropping acid on a regular basis? What's with all the surreality?

181 - I know, and I appreciate you keeping us honest.

wow. that one had "outfield collision" written all over it.

188 since Wil Nieves has one hit so far this year, I figure Posada will contend with Martin for the award--

189. Kid McCourt runs the marketing. Who knows what Drew is in to.

185.

I was wondering if that was you, Nate.

any others over here...?

I am pretty sure The Player's OBP has dropped below the Neifi! Line.

189

Wait till you see the one coming out soon where Colletti's hairpiece levitates.

I want Russell Martin in a commercial with the characters from H.R. Pufnstuf.

194

canuck...dodgerfan27, there are probably others but those are off the top of my head.

189. isn't jamie mccourt the director of marketing?

188- Ted Simmons (1973) and Joe Torre (1970) each started 161.

193. ah, thanks. I had the wrong mccourt. this sort of thing makes you appreciate workplace nepotism policies, doesn't it?

197. Ms Frank plays Witchypoo

200 - Wow, I'm willing to bet that record is never broken.

i found this hilarious..

from the LAweekly article on scott boras..

*
"It says here Varitek is hitting .129 when the pitch count is no balls and two strikes," he says, moving over to a conference table in his glass-enclosed office. In pre-Boras times, before statistics dominated the lexicon of baseball and became central to player deals, an agent or general manager would simply say, "Varitek struggles when he's behind in the pitch count." Here's what Boras says: "With one ball and two strikes he's hitting a little better, about .138. But then, with two balls and no strikes, or two balls and one strike, he's up around .315. So even with health issues last year, he's still a better than average hitter."*

LOL.

Wolf's at 94 entering the 7th.
Little better be warming Broxton up.

I'd prefer Martin rafting through the Land of the Lost.

hart made minimal - read: no - effort to get out of the way of that pitch.

197. heh. gonzo, starring in the court room scene from Heavy Metal.

"LITTLE!! HE SHOULD BE TORN INTO ITSY BITSY PIECES AND BURIED ALIVE!!"

203- Unless Red Schoendienst gets another managing job, then all bets are off.

Randy Wolf thanks Ned Yost for placing Tony Graffinino in the lineup.

...but now he gets to sit on the pine to think about what he's done.

5 pitches for Wolf that inning. Nice!

200 - Wait, were all those starts at C?

157 - Would that be with just the first verse? I know the tune was an old drinking song, but I though it was you had a drink after each verse.

205 - I'd guess that if Wolf doesn't bat this inning, Little will get Broxton in and double-switch Abreu out.

206 Kent can be the T-Rex named "Grumpy." Who's a Sleestak? Rich Donnelly?

Actually, looking at the gamelogs, now, I'm wrong. Not all of those starts were at C. Torre switched back and forth between C and 3B. Simmons mixed in a few 1B and RF starts, so, I shouldn't have tried replying so quickly.

It's Bob's fault. He creates havoc on the intertubes; just knowing he's out there leads to unforced errors.

215

We know who all the dinosaurs are. The Centerfielder can be the little blond girl.

216 - do you mean intertubes or innertubes?

213 - my regulations wouldn't be quite that strict. as long as three beers were empty by the time "home of the brave" rolls around, you passed.

who's hurt?

216 I was doing about Mach 4 on the tubes trying to get the Giants all-time triples leader info out there. It's a miracle I didn't screw up.

He's out there...somewhere...watching.

the ancient curse of ismael valdes strikes ben sheets.

209
Ted Simmons started 151 games at catcher and played in 152 in 1973. He played in 154, 148 as a starter in 1974.

Joe Torre played in 161 games in 1970, but only 90 at catcher.

But ...

Randy Hundley started 156 games at catcher and played in 160 for the 1968 Cubs.

Randy Hundley started 157 at catcher in 1968. He played in 160 total games, as a catcher. My confidence level in this answer: 80%

But it's a strong 80%.

Sheets has a blister on his finger. (His middle finger... cough...) He's coming out.

219 - no, that's what I'm saying. The part that we hear sung is just the first verse.

and my fantasy team says drat

Does that mean that Randy started more games at C in one season than Todd played in his LA Dodger Career?

I am going to violate Jon's pet peave and not check if this has already been posted:

if Juan Pierre makes out in his next at bat then his OPS will start with a 5. Not good.

Now off to bed in time for my new job.

so much for the two-start week from Sheets

Now off to bed in time for my new job

Congratulations, and good night.

Old UCLA fans might remember Villanova's Howard Porter, who was hospitalized today after a beating.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2878920

229
See 165

"Kids, you tried your best, and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try."

Did I ever tell you about the time Broxton went hunting?

Broxton decides he's going to hunt down all four of the Banana Splits. He stalks and kills every one of them with a machete. They all begged for their lives...except Fleegle.

234

What is a line from "Married with Children"?

The Biggest Man in the World!

You could have just looked up the answer here:
http://tinyurl.com/yoplrx

236. "having sex with your pregnant wife is like putting gas in the tank of a car you've already wrecked."

that one stands out in my memory for some reason.

236- The Simpsons.

Back when it was good. Here's the one I wanted, but couldn't find, until after posting the one I settled on:

Marge: What makes you think this Darryl Strawberry character is better than you?

Homer: Marge, forget it. He's bigger than me, faster than me, stronger than me, and he already has more friends around the plant than I do.

Bart: You make me sick, Homer. You're the one who told me I could do anything if I just put my mind to it!

Homer: Well, now that you're a little bit older, I can tell you that's a crock! No matter how good you are at something, there's always about a million people better than you.

Bart: Gotcha. Can't win, don't try.

Biggest Man in the World faces a challenge, AKA, Godzilla versus Broxton!

God I love watching Broxton pitch

whoa. brox hit 98 with that fastball.

100 on Gameday

Looks like the Dodgers hold on to first place for at least another day.

That was Wild Thing from Major League.

Thanks for the info, gentlemen.

I wonder if the Broxton - Fielder matchup is the heaviest of all time.

98 according to Fox, at least. We'll take that.

Somewhere out there, wherever he is, Mark Grace is curling up in a fetal position and shaking.

245 Don't get ahead of yourself

Man, Betemit, opposite-field shot to the wall.

Why can't Betemit have at-bats like that when he's in the starting line-up?

I was thinking married with children-- one of the softball episodes.

Wow he must be really relaxed when he pinch hits.

and now for something completely different.

245. it rattles me when people exclamate prematurely.

Oh my lord. For a second I thought Betemit had another pinch home run. Wow.

254 Nothing up my sleeves.

D4P = not the most superstitious of commenters here.

Tonite's been a fast game.

Kevin Mench, of Delaware, spurred me to check this, and there has been at least one Delaware native in the majors every year since 1959.

254 was actually the introduction to the hitter that followed Betemit

251. I think he was taken out of the starting line up too soon. but I am certainly having a lot of fun watching laroche, and now abreu play.

Four hits tonight: I guess the offense is back on track

Betemit... DH in waiting? I mean, isn't DH'ing like FOUR pinch hits in one game?

254 We also would have accepted a Monty Python reference (with John Cleese behind a desk on the beach).

Okay, Takashi. You're gonna earn this save, if you get it, that's for sure.

Saito's only has 62 more saves in a row to tie Gagne's record.

For sleeping Benaiah's benefit:

The first digit in The Player's OPS is indeed now a 5.

But the second digit is a 9!* You can't do better than that.

And the third digit is a 7, which is also really good!

*! Denotes excitement, not factorial

265 Presto, oops wrong hat. I wear 7 1/2.

Rockies take a 2-1 lead over the DBacks in the 9th.

On May 28, the ancient rivalry between Anaheim and Ottawa will be renewed.

Jenkins scares me a bit right here

Uh oh... Come on Sammy...

How come Geoff Jenkins never plays?

jenkins wasn't the guy I wanted to see come out of the dugout just now.

eh nevermind they platoon him against lefties.

265 - that was the other side of it. I can't give away everything at once

Jenkins and his Chia Beard scares me, too.

Geoff looking very Bagwellian.

270 I think Ottawa was Walt's original site for Disney World.

We Win!

Thank God.

273.

Thats why.

I wonder if sammy's victory celebration is ever going to get him into trouble . . .

Ahhhh, a Saito smile.

Sweeeeeet! Sammy, I love you man!

I'll tell you something, people may say that some other teams have a better set-up and closer but they will have to prove it to me.

I know it will never happen, but

C Martin
1B Kent
2B Betemit
SS Furcal
3B La Roche
LF _________
CF _________
RF Ethier

I like Abreu, but I wouldn't have called him up yet. He has solid tools and great defensive potential as either a 2B or SS. He does have some pop in his bat. In some ways, he kind of reminds me of Jose Castillo (whose career has been ruined by Jim Tracy). Abreu is still kind of raw with the bat. I'd hate to see the Dodgers halt his development by keeping him in the majors as a utility player.

Does Saito say something into his glove after winning that he doesn't want us to lipread? Because we can all lipread Japanese of course.

Okay, 4 hits, none since 4th inning, but the pitching was superb tonight and I'll take it.

270 - What about Ottumwa vs. Toledo or Crabapple Cove vs. Mill Valley?

The only downside now is to hear Kevin Kennedy talk about when he was a manager.

I give him 5 minutes to bring it up.

another tough pitching matchup tomorrow night.

MIL: Capuano (5-2, 3.72 ERA)
LAD: Penny (5-1, 2.54 ERA)

Martin's got to be the star of the game.
Hit a 2-run HR, and his steal led to the other run.

289 Or Scranton vs. New York?

Why wasn't Adrian Garcia interviewing Martin in French?

288. exactly. winning ugly isn't always easy to watch, but it beats losing.

Our offense has been rough, amounting mainly to Martin, but it is still a team that can win almost any game it leads in the seventh. That is powerful. No hits after the fourth...??

Our offense has been rough, amounting mainly to Martin, but it is still a team that can win almost any game it leads in the seventh. That is powerful. No hits after the fourth...??

Ba-dde-ah Badee-ah; thats all folks.

294 Adrian Garcia asks the hard-hitting questions.

How were you able to be so good tonight?
What do you think is the key to being good?
Isn't it nice when you win?
How good a win is this tonight?

Lisa Salters thinks Adrian Gonzalez should toughen up.

Either the Astros arent very good, or Lincecum's hitting his stride. He's completely shut them down in back-back outings.

I know. It's a sideline gig. But still, dude, let's not think of the questions on the spot.

300 A little bit of column "A," a little bit of column "B."

So how long before Tomko and Billingsly switch roles?

293
or Wassamatta U and...
?

The headline on Dodgers.com has to be an ode to "Swingers"...which, would be a good name for a movie about baseball--yet ironically had nothing to do with baseball.

Ba-dde-ah Badee-ah; thats all folks.

I love watching Broxton and Saito nail down our wins. Feels like 2004 all over again with Mota and Gagne. Lets hope we get better playoff results this time though.

Also, I get the feeling it's Ethier who needs to beware of Kemp, not Gonzalez, much to most of our chagrin.

Let's do a little dot connecting. The Dodgers call up Abreu, put him in the starting lineup, then they win the game, breaking their four game losing streak.
Coincidence?
I think so!
vr, Xei

305- If you want, you can appeal this to the International Irony Tribunal, but I'm making an executive decision here and vetoing your use of ironic. I'm not sure it's even a coincidence.

The Dodgers gave the Brewers a little of their own medicine in tonight's win. The Brewers have a one-two combo (setup/closer) in their bullpen with just as impressive numbers as the Dodgers do. Thankfully, we were the ones protecting a one run lead and not them. vr, Xei

I've already set up a bet with my friend from Ottawa over the Final.

good solid win but again something needs to get done with Pierre...hopefully they move him to 8th and have abreu bat second since he is called up. Pierre is in the unwatchable category now and when his name is announced something bad is expected

Asking Grittle if Saito reminds him of Gagne, is a lot like asking me if Martin reminds me of Johnny Bench.

308 - If you'd prefer to do that more literally,

http://www.funbrain.com/dots/index.html

313 -- Strangely, I'm curious about the answers to both of those questions.

Awwwww. Barry Melrose is leaving ESPN. Well their hockey coverage is basically nothing now.

Just finished watching the game on Tivo. It's nice to get a win. It will be a great travesty if Martin is not selected for the All-Star game.

9 more days until June 1. If that is a key date before a trade is made at least part of that trade will be good.

315- Well, I'm paraphrasing Grittle's response, but it's the same as mine: "Um, what?"

Grittle didn't want to make the reporter feel bad (I didn't recognize his voice), so he stumbled a little, then ignored the question and talked about how good Saito is.

If Russell Martin isn't in the all star game, it means everybody here doesn't have the stamina to stay on line and keep voting.

Martin reminds me of a Johnny Bench who is athletic.

I voted my 25 times before May 1st. Which, in retrospect, I regret, since I didn't know Jack Cust was coming. I'm trying to get funding for a It's A Wonderful Life remake revolving around this situation.

It is too early for me to be deciding who I think is an All-Star.

Vinny loves our Broxton. I still find it odd that BP picked Billingsley as Logan White's best draft pick when we have Broxton and Martin already making huge contributions and both looking like All-Stars to me.

322
You don't think Bench was athletic? Did you ever see him play when he was the same age as Martin?

Mrs. Kavula and I just got back from the game. Quite enjoyable game, lively if smallish crowd. Russell Martin's HR got us very excited... It was a dreamy shot from His Dreaminess. People were very, very into both Broxton and Saito.

Also: one more convert to the Pierre movement. The fan in front of me pointed out that he had more hits than anyone on the team. I pointed out that he had more outs than anyone in the major leagues. He said, "Really!" and stared at Pierre -- jogging back to the dugout after his fourth out -- with new eyes. One at a time, my friends!

Capuano a lefty on the mound tomorrow night. I wonder which regular gets to ride the pine tomorrow. I'd gander a guess as to either Gonzo or Ethier and then perhaps Olmedo at 1B for Nomar, or Kent to 1B and Abreu to 2B and LaRoche to 3B. Thoughts?
vr, Xei

325 -- Billingsley was, and probably still is, regarded as a bigger talent than Martin and Broxton. Martin and Broxton are merely "established" in their big league roles. We're screwing around with Billingsley out of stupidity, and BP isn't holding that against Billingsley.

327 I think that even management now understands that it was a mistake, but the contract is so large, well, where is the way out? I'd rather the team just eat his salary than do as some have proposed and package him with some truly useful soul just so that someone will take him [with us also eating part of that overly large contract].

329. In what way are we screwing around with Billingsley? vr, Xei

330 I hope you're right, but so far, the evidence is against it. We know that it probably wouldn't make much* difference if Pierre dropped to the 8-spot, but it would be a signal that management knew that he wasn't getting it done. I have to wonder if they look at the hits and the near-.300 avg and the SB and think, "Yes! This is why we got this guy!"

Until I see evidence to the contrary, I'm gonna keep counting outs.

158, by the way. On pace for 556.

*Yes, I saw the post that argued that 100 AB is still 100 AB and it's convincing.

331 Look at what the Giants are doing with Lincecum and what the Phillies are doing with Hammels.

Take that approach, and do the opposite. That's what we're doing with Billingsley.

okay, time for bed. i'm old.

327- Just got back from the game and I had a similar experience. I was sitting in the lowest level by the Dodger bullpen and the guy in front of me kept saying loudly how much he loved Juan Pierre. I was trying not to say anything but my friends were looking at me because they know how much I dislike Juan being on the Dodgers.

The next inning when the Dodger outfielders were warming up, everybody stood up, begging Gonzo to throw them the ball he was warming up with. When Gonzo threw the ball in the crowd, it went no farther than the fourth row, so I screamed, "C'mon Gonzo, you throw like Juan Pierre." To my suprise actually, a lot of people started laughing.

An inning later there was a hit to Pierre, and with a guy going first to third he threw to the cutoff man poorly (at Furcal's feet) and the guy slid into third easily.

330 I don't know why you'd think that. Pierre's been exactly what he's always been, and I can't imagine that anyone expected anything different. The dichotomy is that Dodger fans don't like what Pierre has historically brought to the table, while management apparently does.

332- .265 isn't all that close to .300.

331 333 Yeah, that's it. Either Bills comes up and starts in the rotation or he stays at AAA Vegas until he is ready to do so. It isn't even just a physical thing, as the mindset is different and I'd like him to think like a starter, but we aren't having him think that way now.

Oh, and XeiFrank, re the not wanting them to pitch all that many innings, I understand the concern to a point, but given Wolf's recent history, isn't the same concern there with him? And Grady is reported to have just said that we sent Kuo down to stretch him out and that the plan is the same for Bills, but how can that be unless Bills gets to start and pitch more innings in each game on a regular basis? So while I disagree with the Kuo send down [he should be soon replacing Hendy], at least I can appreciate the reason why the send down to some degree, since during his rehab, Kuo didn't pitch more than a couple of innings at a time. But how does keeping Bills here and not letting him have a turn in the rotation help to serve that same purpose? That part is simply mind-boggling to me.

328 I wouldn't mind seeing the following lineup tomorrow against Capuano:

Furcal ss
Ethier rf
Martin c
Saenz 1b
Gonzalez lf
Abreu 2b
Clark cf
LaRoche 3b

Pierre's everyday presence is wearing on me. I think it's selfish to insist that he play every day so that he can maintain his silly streak. It's not like he's going to outdo Ripken. I'm concerned he's going to hide an injury just to keep the streak going. Besides, there are other people who need playing time.

339

I'd go with that lineup except keep Kent in there at 2nd. Totally agree with Pierre on the bench at least occassionally.

336 I think that way because I also think that we made the same mistake that we made with Betemit, to wit, we let limited personal observation crowd out what would have been observed from a more thorough review of his numbers. I know that I myself could never square what I knew to be true from the numbers with what I saw of Pierre on the limited occasions that we played them and the game was on television. Re Betemit, look at how he hit us the year before we acquired him and so all we saw was what he did to us and we never asked ourselves why he wasn't being kept by the Braves to either replace the soon departing Marcus Giles or filling in for his replacement and the not infrequently visiting the DL Chipper Jones. So I think that now that some get to see it with their eyes everyday...

To address both you and Humma [though he's apparently gone to bed], the reason why Pierre isn't in the 8 hole is that some, like the rest of us, have ego and pride. And some make that move now and they're telegraphing to the known world that a huge mistake was made, and that isn't good for either ego or pride. So I think that they recognize mistake but that ego and pride are preventing some more appropriate solution.

Pierre isn't going to get benched for Clark. It's not a slam dunk that Clark is better than Pierre, any more. If Kemp were up, Grady would have a real choice. I hope that's not the reason the team is carrying three utility infielders.

341 Well, we'll have to agree to disagree. I can't imagine that the Dodgers committed over $40 million with "limited personal observation." That's why they have scouts. And tape. At least around these parts, we didn't like Pierre from day one. As a former Rockies season ticket holder, I down right loathed him. But the Dodgers liked him enough to sign him. Management got what they expected, and so do the fans- thus the dichotomy. I don't believe that the powers that be see anything different. Like I said- agree to disagree.

Can't say the same for Betemit, about whom I still have mixed feelings, and had no opinion on at the time.

UofA just got the best PG in the 2008 class. And I dont know if im happy.

But management hasn't gotten what it expected. He's 50 points below his career OBP, 40 points below his career BA, and slugging, well, you know. His defense has been downright terrible.

If he continues to slide, there will be a point where ego and pride don't matter. You simply cannot allow a player this bad to suck the life out of the top of your order, or anywhere.

Maybe he'll improve, but I'm not sure he will. And I don't know what the threshold is before enough is enough, even for Grady and The Mustache. We shall see.

344 He's not going to Southern Cal, so thank you for that.

346

i just dont like the idea of him being a one and done player.

345 Well I agree that if his trend continues, changes will be made, but honestly- when his numbers were at his averages, the consensus was still negative. Frankly, I wouldn't want Pierre at his best year. His defense hasn't changed. His arm hasn't changed. His baserunning hasn't changed. He has no baseball instincts to speak of (acknowledging Bob's distaste for the term). He is what he is (although not quite what he has been), and I don't think he'll get better enough to calm the seas of change among fans or bad enough to force change from management.

I do hold out hope that Pierre will start sitting, but I think that hope is fairly irrational, based on his history and contract.

347 Budinger was supposed to be one and done. He stuck around. Maybe Jennings will as well.

Jayson Werth hit his first two homers of the year tonight for the Phillies. He's only had 40 or so Abs on the year though.

349 I think Jennings has more pro skills than Budinger did at the same stage. And I'm really hoping Mayo pulls a Daequan Cook-style one and done (meaning not so good in league play).

Don't worry. UCLA is getting the best point guard in the class.

Jrue.

but how can Ucla compete with the glory of Lil Romeo?

(smiley emoticon)

352

isnt Jrue more of a 2 guard? Jennings is the best PURE PG in the class. Jrue is like a Bayless combo guard.

351

i agree, Jennings coming in is a different player then when Budinger was coming in.

2 weeks ago at the rec, i played against a team consisting of budinger, jordan hill, nic wise, david bagga (walk on, he sucks), and daniel dillon. One fastbreak, budinger threw an alley hoop over my head and Hill threw down a scary jam. thats my claim to fame!

355 I think Jennings should be very interested in what happens between Conley/ Crittenden, because he's not quite Conley with regard to skills (yet), and he's not quite Crittenden with regard to size/ athleticism. If they both go top 15, I think Jennings is gone unless he severely implodes.

My claim to basketball fame is Chauncey Billups scoring 45 on me in a summer league game. I scored 0, but I did have 3 assists!

oh, and my flag football team beat a team including Tony Battie during college intramurals.

Isn't complaining about one-and-done players attending your school sort of the basketball version of Steve Lyons saying home runs are bad because they kill the rally?

Jrue is going to play PG, because that is the position he is going to be play in the NBA. That is what has been relayed to the people on BRO.

I bet he will play some shooting guard when Jerime Anderson is in.

In Rob Neyer's ESPN Insiders Blog, he talks about the Abreu move and links to Jon Weisman and DT.

I'd link it but since not everyone has the paid subscription, I figured why do it.

Neyer too wonders if LaRoche has fallen out favor with the Dodgers, though his analysis of Abreu not having a good year in AA is wrong.

361
I think Neyer was looking at Abreu's low slugging (.392) and mediocre OBP (.343) last year.

To be fair, Neyer didn't say Abreu's year was bad, he just didn't think it was "all that good."

For whoever has suggested that we trade for Elijah Dukes here is another reminder why Canuck said stay away, stay far far away.

http://tinyurl.com/ysuvjl

abreu's season in the DR this winter was amazing. watched about 2 games a week of Aguilas team. Neyer must not have looked at those stats.

364
It's strange that women marry men like that in the first place. Do they really think they'll live anywhere close to happily ever after?

I joined this conversation well after it was over--no access to a computer last two days--but I did see Abreu play here in Portland his last series. He led off and was 4 for 4 in a game where my buddies were oooh-ing and awe-ing over his ability to hit liners to all fields. He is hot right now and I hope he continues to play well.

From this morning's LAT [Henson]:

"Valdez, a pleasant surprise the first six weeks of the season, would have to clear waivers for the Dodgers to keep him in the organization and send him to triple A."

I'm constantly amazed at the Times' failure to evaluate performance.

Valdez: 236/263/309

366 The dreaded low-self-esteem. Sad.

Is it my imagination, or do the Rays seem to get more than their share of these types of characters? Whenever the story is great prospect + domestic abuse + drugs + anger management issues, it seems like 9/10 of them are in the Rays' system.

I wonder if the sub-head to today's game story in the LA Times is meant as a shot across Colleti's bow:

"Martin, Broxton and Saito, who all started least season in minors, play like seasoned veterans in a 3-2 victory over the Brewers."

I am in the process of solving Nomar's hitting problems (I am gluing his bat back on to his bobblehead) I fully expect to see a homer tonight.

It's sad to see Tomko self-destruct, sadder still considering the stuff he has.

He didn't pitch quite as badly as his numbers indicate last time out, just badly enough to lose (with some bullpen help). A few mistakes cost dearly. That often seems to be his outcome and is his history.

That regression is a mean thing...

He's his own worst enemy. In the recent start where he had a no-hitter for 5+, as soon as he gave up a hit he went to pieces and barely made it out of that inning. He was gone from the game soon after that. It's pretty much been downhill from there.

He may be hiding the ball better, but he's not hiding the problem between the ears any better. It's definitely still there.

Still, except for the recent abomination of two innings or so, he hasn't been too bad. Bad enough for the Dodgers to lose, but not so bad as to prevent a team which scores a lot of runs from taking a chance on him. IMO Ned has to move him, and probably can get something worthwhile for him.

Too bad his stuff couldn't be combined with the mental game Hendrickson seems to have found. If it could, the result might be an All-Star.

Combine Tomko's stuff with Maddux's mental game and you might have a HOFer.

Colletti to 370, see 368

Josh, it's great that you keep up with new developments in Dodger blogdom - I notice you just added Diamond Leung's blog (P-E Dodger blog) and Dodgerama (which I'd never heard of) to the sidebar. I imagine I'm not the only one (sorry!) to use DT as my "central" HQ for all other Dodger blogs.

You might want to think about removing Dodger Profiles, though - last update June 26, 2006 (Kirk Gibson). It looks like it's dead. If you have a current email address to the blogger, I guess you could check with him. Failing that, maybe use June 26, 2007 as a timeout.

274. Yikes, I don't know what got into me (374) - many apologies for calling you Josh instead of Jon. Really, I do know who's who. It seems almost impossible for me not to include at least one error or typo on every comment I submit. (And, yes, I do "Preview comment before saving." Doesn't seem to help me much.) All the more admirable that you never seem to have any bloopers in your own entries, ever. Jon. ;-)

See - I just did it again (375 refers to 374, not 274.)

My $.02 on why Betemit has been so much better as pinch-hitter than regular is primarily that in pinch-hitting he doesn't know when he'll be called on.

He doesn't have time to overthink, overanalyze, get tight, etc. He just has to go up there and let his natural ability take over.

He's not going to keep pinch-hitting as his current pace, but IMO Betemit the pinch-hitter is closer to the real player than the one who's been struggling at third so far this year.

I hope the Dodgers don't give up on him.

374 - Thanks. It's harder to get on the sidebar to get off. Since those Dodger Profiles are historical in nature, I don't mind carrying them even though they're inactive.

New post up top.