Since my last comment was LAT/Endersed, I will reiterate.

If you're in the Kensington area of Contra Costa County, please pick up my plutonium and mail it back to me.

I don't recall if I asked before, but was anyone else at Dodger Stadium for the remembrance/memorial they held after Murray passed? Vin Scully hosted, Ann Drysdale and many others spoke.

My dad and I were there. He was very disturbed about the idea that Jim Murray could die.

2 Forget that, man. Finders keepers.

3 That should have been 1, not 2. I didn't mean for anyone to forget Jim Murray.

http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics20/00029759.jpg

Reality is unsettling: Readers of page 2 of the LA Times sports section went from Jim Murray to TJ Simers.

5 I think Matt Vasgersian was the guy on the right hand side of the frame who got cropped out.

6
But Murray's column was always on Page 1. Murray's successors were Mike Downey and then Bill Plaschke.

And Verlander has done it...

Nice shot in the arm for the Tigers, I'm sure.

wow- Verlander registering 102 MPH in the 9th. Nicely pitched game, if you're into that sort of thing.

Wow. I had no idea the Verlander thing was going on. I happened to put it on that game with literally one pitch to go. I could tell right away there was something weird going on because the crowd and announcers were acting awfully exuberant for the bottom of the 9th of a 4-0 game.

5
If only that picture had John Wooden.

Verlander gets props on a crawl at the bottom of the screen during the NBA finals. Nice.

Murray has been a little bit of a challenge for me. I worshiped him and his writing growing up. Then, as a young adult, I came to learn that I really disagreed with his views and approach re the MLBPA, and he really seemed uncharitable about the whole thing, which I did not like at all. And as a young adult, things were very all or nothing with me, so I had to deal with that.

Now, I'm old, and everyone gets lots of slack and nothing's all or nothing. Including Jim Murray.

Congratulations to Justin Verlander. Great pitcher with a bright future ahead.

8 Doesn't Scott Ostler fit in there somewhere? Or was his a slightly different assignment?

Not 5 minutes after the Verlander no-no Tampa Bay goes up on San Diego courtesy of a fielding error from Adrian Gonzalez. I welcome all of these new developments with open arms.

How many other interleague no-hitters have there been?

ok, 2 others in the regular season. One was the combined no-hitter by the Astros, and then Cone's perfect game.

17 Yes, good news down south, and as it stands now, one Akinori Iwamura stands to have scored the winning run [he and Elijah Dukes scored on the AGo error; Brendan Harris then came home on a double by Carlos Pena and so it now stands 6-4 DRays]. My bold prediction for the DRays is that despite their wretched bullpen [excluding Al Reyes] and less than average starters [excluding Shields and Kazmir], the DRays will end up at .500 this year. Not good for us and some others, but a breath of fresh air for them.

Cla Meridith is turning into Giovanni Carrara.

Isn't a no hitter between the AL and NL similar to a no hitter between an AAA team and an AA team?

The Brewers have never been no-hit by a National League pitcher.

But they have been no-hit by Scott Erickson, so it all evens out.

Escobar with 14 K's in 6 innings and he's done. Looks like a night for great pitching performances. Take the cue Kuo.

Verlander had 12 Ks tonight and Kazmir had 11.

now they're loaded for Carlos Pena, 2 outs

26
Not any more!

As a kid I loved reading Jim Murray, but I think if I was to read him today he wouldn't register with me. I think he would have hated the internet and been on the same Plaschke bandwagon against Depo and his kind. Never struck me as open minded.

well, I'm actually quite disappointed. I was hoping for a save from Al Reyes.

but it's the Padres, so as long as the D-Rays win, I'm happy

28
I emailed you a 1963 Jim Murray column that touches on what he thought of baseball stats at the time.

Keep in mind that Murray was pretty much in the mainstream at the time.

14- When I was young and bold and strong,
Oh, right was right, and wrong was wrong!
My plume on high, my flag unfurled,
I rode away to right the world.
``Come out, your dogs, and fight!'' said I,
And wept there was but once to die.

But I am old; and good and bad
Are woven in a crazy plaid
I sit and say, "The world is so;
And he is wise who lets it go.
A battle lost, a battle won--
The difference is small, my son."

Inertia rides and riddles me;
The which is called philosophy.

--Dorothy Parker

32: Thanks for posting that.

The Yankees announcers just said that Randy Johnson does not travel to road series in which he's not scheduled to pitch in.

Yahoo's scoreboard has gone kablooey with the Royals-Cardinals game, which it has listed as a 15-0 lead by the Royals in the fifth. It's just 8-0.

Three scoring plays are listed as:
J. Edmonds tripled to left, M. Grudzielanek scored
- J. Edmonds singled to left, M. Sweeney and M. Teahen scored, A. Gordon to second
- J. Edmonds doubled to left, E. German and A. Gordon scored, J. LaRue to third advancing on throw

34 - Hotel beds must not be big enough.

35 - it did that before, and it said Chase Utley was at bat each time

29 My feelings are mixed, since while I lose the Reyes save in 4 leagues, I pick up the Carlos Pena run-scoring double and grand slam in 2 of those 4. Speaking of Carlos Pena, he can't hit lefties at all, but he's lethal to righties.

Lastly, kudos to Grady yesterday for risking the big inning and playing the infield in with that runner on third. It didn't work out, but there was no big inning, so hopefully we'll see that the infield in again should the circumstance arise.

Good first inning for Kuo, now time to score.

Speaking of the D-rays...
http://tinyurl.com/235auw

TAMPA - Tampa Bay Devil Rays' Elijah Dukes will not be charged for having sex with a foster girl - 17 years old at the time - who claims to be carrying the outfielder's baby, police said.

The foster girl, now 18, told investigators she had consensual sex with Dukes at his step-grandmother's house, Tampa police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said.

Because Dukes is 22 and the sex was consensual, McElroy said, he will not face charges. "Now, she has been clear she had consensual sex with him," McElroy said. "The way the law is written, a suspect must be 24 years old to for it to be crime."

The Devil Rays have apparently put Dukes on the trading block. I have a feeling that Ned won't be interested.

Yeah! it seems kind of unusual to get through the first without trouble lately.

Take a few pitches tonight maybe, guys.

See what a few days of rest can do for a slumping #3 hitter!

The girl, expected to give birth Nov. 5, told investigators she and Dukes had consensual sex on the living room sofa. She said Dukes got angry when she and another person confronted him about the pregnancy.
"Yeah, we sat down and told him and he got mad and threw a Gatorade at me," she told investigators.
This was left out of the other article. If it weren't for baseball, Dukes would probably be in jail right now with all of the personal problems he's had.

Nice to see Nomar & Kent with back to back hits.

40 - I saw dukes play here in charleston for the riverdogs. he was a good player, but never seemed like anything special.

the riverdogs always had extraordinarily high caliber prospects on their team; I was usually more interested in them.

If Dukes wasnt a baseball player, he'd be broke.

Doesnt he have like 5 kids already?

This may not directly get us runs, but if we can keep on Maine and get into the bullpen, we seem to beat most teams.

Hey, we worked their pitcher for 25 pitches in the first!

16 Ostler was page 2. I believe he replaced Mike Litwin, who replaced John Hall. Malamud was in there somewhere too, but he really doesn't count since most of his time was at the Herald.

If that had happened in Georgia, Dukes would be in prison.

somehow i'm not suprised Jack Morris was the last Tiger to toss a no-no.

Getting helped by the Yanks. Could be ack in first by the end of the night.

34 I heard that on the radio yesterday.

That SB was all Kuo.

47 - not sure. he didn't have "character issues" when he played here. but as I recall, by the time dukes came along, the stadium was constantly abuzz about josh hamilton's self destruction.

53
That would require winning this game though. I am not counting unhatched chickens.

The Mets are beating us at our own game.

Is Kuo really missing as badly as gameday shows?

57 Just saying it's possible.

32. Thanks for the poem. And I thought she only said things like "men never make passes at girls who wear glasses." Again, I've learned here.

Kuo seems to have controll of his breaking pitches but his fastball seems a little wild.

well, he struck out the two ex-Dodgers in the lineup

59

he ain't missing by much, IMO. I don't think he's walked anybody also.

63
How soon they forget Paul Lo Duca.

I was just wondering why Betemit was starting...

Pinch hitter

pfff.

BOOM

Kuo seems to have controll of his breaking pitches but his fastball seems a little wild.

That reminds me, i'd throw Valentine high heat i recall he had trouble with it when he was with us.

Hey!

was that a loge level homreun? THAT is unusual.

back to back by Betemit & Kemp, woo!!!!

Rally killers by Betty and Kemp.

There's some power!

THREE IN A ROW!!

Oh, my

NO WAY!!!!

is ToyCannon in the LOGE TODAY!!

The Bison roams free!!!!!!

What in the Kuo!

Holy cow, JP held someone at first.
And I was just going to say you shouldn't start someone like Betemit. Never mind. Go for 4+1!!

they've been eating their Wheaties

OMG!!! BACK TO BACK TO BACK!!

I don't believe it!

70
Loge level as in down the line and not the second set of seats in the pavilion?

Those are the Hiram Bocachica Seats!

68 He had trouble with everything when he was with us.

Anyway, I like this Betemit fellow. He swings a mean bat.

This is way more fun than all that bunt, steal, sac fly to score nonsense.

UNBELIEVABLE!

Man, that arm has to be dead.

Anyone see Kuo's bat toss? That was Boone like!

Are you friggin kidding me?!!!

I just signed in so I can say:
Wow.

Is gameday broken or is this really happening?!

7, 8, 9 hitters on 3 total pitches. excellent

Paging Paul Foytack and Chase Wright ...

Our 7-8-9 hitters are killing them!

Kuo's bat toss was awesome.
He just murdered that pitch.

Yeah King Cong Kuo!! or Guo!

Wow! 3 in a row! How sweet is that?

Any chance that bringing the kids up and playing them has had a positive effect on the club?

I want more homeruns.

84. down the line in the second deck. where you have to fit it in with a pair of tweezers.

Back to Kemp's shot - I've never seen someone hit it into the loge section.

That was awesome.

91 Me, too. Wow!

99 The current batter responds, "too bad."

Oh man, this batter doesn't look right.

I love our kids. For Betemit to both OPS .800 and bat under .210 is impressive.

Messrs. Foytack and Wright can now drink that bottle of champagne.

Bizarro world!

Kemp's was a 447ft. rally killer. Whoa Momma.

I love extra base hits. Even JP is getting in on the fun.

Vinnie just said Kemps dinger traveled 447, that's no cheapy!

Vin just said, "into third with a belly whopper." I have no idea what a belly whopper is, but it sounds awesome.

That is like a home run for Pierre.

I actually feel good for Pierre, getting a chance to show what he could do. Boy I would like to see Loney here.

Kuo's was 412ft.
Betemit's was 408ft.

Betemit - 408 feet
Kemp - 447 feet
Kuo - 412 feet
That's 1,267 feet for three runs.

15th homer into the loge?

Andruw Jones with the last one? Back in 2005?

I don't have all of my magical tools at my disposal.

"ABC, 123" - nice touch by the sound guys.

112 A belly whopper is a dive where you smack the water or ground belly first.

That's odd. I don't have anything negative to say about the Dodgers.

120 Oh wait, Loney's not in the lineup! Graaaady!

A belly whopper is when you dive into a pool with your gut hitting the water first. So a head first slide looks something like that.

121 And three in a row for effect!

119
Tip o' the cap to the DXMachina Marching and Chowder Society.

119 Hmm, that's going to be tough to work into general conversation, but I'll do my best.

great to see kemp making the most of the opportunity. greater to see kuo with the bat toss after the bomb.

What's up with the Metros bunting in front of the pitcher?

I've always heard it as belly flop.

that was absolutely amazing. can kuo play center field?

Kuo now has the best bat-toss of the season, beating out Russell Martin after his Saturday-night special slam against the Pirates.

Figures, the one game I'm not in my seats. No one has ever hit one in the loge while I've been there but the guy in front of me caught Linden's 1st home run and it reached the 2nd row of the loge the year before I got my seats. He gave the ball to a kid because they didn't know it was his 1st home run. Later the kid got tons of goodies from the Giants but didn't share any of it with the guy who gave him the ball. That was of course before the idiots started throwing home runs from the visiting team back onto the field.

I'd forgotten Gooden was a teenager when he started with the Mets.

129 - I think I remember hearing in some broadcast that he and Wang were high school teammates, and Kuo was an outfielder.

128
Synonyms:
http://tinyurl.com/35gagw

124. What exactly is a Marching and Chowder Society? Why marching and why chowder? Just curious. Guess I should Google it.

Camera mounted by the first-base bag - is that new?

134 Must be some New York colloquism.

129. Or how about 3rd

135
Google "chowder and marching society" and you will find some hits.
It's a 19th Century phrase for a type of social club that was somewhat common after the Civil War.

119
-bellyflopper=
Canadian for belly flop
-fp

I'm so glad that the kids are up...Grady now has quality IF and OF rotations...

Kuo's homer was the first by a player from Taiwan.

Oh Chin-Feng Chen, you blew it!

[138] i'm letting 3rd base off the hook since betemit homered too. also, a left-handed third baseman would be a little awkward ;)

I just turned 25...I can finally call ballplayers "Kids" this is a big moment for me...

Man I'd love to tell that guy at the Giants game with a Dodgers Cap on watching his brother Nate Shierholtz bat... I'd love to tell him what just happened that last inning at the ravine. He would be loving it...! Major ups to him for wearing the Dodger blue even though his bro' plays for the hated ones.

I'm disappointed in Betemit, Kemp and K/Guo - they should have worked the count more. ;)

143. Ah, good point.

That was a nice catch...

that would have been another double by Gonzalez.

I voted for Martin 25 times. My vote counts!

i've noticed Russell Martin swings & misses that out side curve a lot lately.

I really hope the Dodgers aren't done scoring for the night

152 - the 7-8-9 guys are up next inning!

Kemp is the first Dodger since Sheffield that gives you that excitement when he comes to the plate....

153 Their combined OPS for the game is 5.000.

The NBA Finals are so hard to watch.

150

i'm willing to admit my geekness towards him, I voted for him 75 times!.

ps & counting.

Sit down, Eyebrows!

Good Lord. I always miss the good stuff.

Drat.

mets announcers go from admiring the beauty of dodger stadium ("speaking as a former baseball player, i know that to a man, every player gets giddy about coming here", and "if it weren't for the 10 freeway, it'd be perfect") to talking about how john maine ought to give hong-chih kuo some chin music the next time up for showing him up with the bat flip.

157. Did you log in as a different user? I thought about doing that. Maybe I still will--just to ensure he crushes the competition (LoDuca).

Question for whomever wants to answer...

Was in the Bay over the weekend and didn't get to see the games....saw that Pierre had two walks...were they the pitchers fault, or was he working the count?

My Grandfather was in a "Marching and Chowder Club".

That inning was good, of course, but for a team without much power is this efficient: 3 runs on three home runs, a triple, and two hard drives saved by Valentin( who didn't play worth compost for the D's)

160. Giddy - wow. That's cool. I love hearing others praise our stadium. How nerdy is that?

163. Did they really march and eat chowder?

164- I've alays enjoyed when announcers of other clubs praise players from the opposing team...something classy about it....

165 I wouldn't be surprised.

160,164 Thats the way it should be if someone or something deserves it and thats what makes Vin so good. Nothing bugs me worse than "homers"( Though I like Simpson.)

the Mets announcers are saying that Maine should THROW A PITCH TO K/GUO!

Hoisted on his own what?

Heh, Gameday is showing that all of Maine's pitches to Kemp were away? Think Maine got the message?

170- petard

A small bomb used to blow in a door or gate.

If it wasn't for its appearance in Shakespeare's Hamlet: "For 'tis the sport to have the enginer / Hoist with his owne petar" and its fossil survival in the rather more modern spelling to be hoist with one's own petard, this term of warfare would have gone the way of the halberd, brattice and culverin.

A petard was a bell-shaped metal grenade typically filled with five or six pounds of gunpowder and set off by a fuse. Sappers dug a tunnel or covered trench up to a building and fixed the device to a door, barricade, drawbridge or the like to break it open. The bomb was held in place with a heavy beam called a madrier.

Unfortunately, the devices were unreliable and often went off unexpectedly. Hence the expression, where hoist meant to be lifted up, an understated description of the result of being blown up by your own bomb. The name of the device came from the Latin petar, to break wind, perhaps a sarcastic comment about the thin noise of a muffled explosion at the far end of an excavation.

171 Didn't mean to type a question mark on the first sentence.

170 Not up on our Hamlet?

It just means to have a decision blow up in your face.

That trumpet charge call I believe was pioneered when Wills opened the new stolen base era. I'm pretty sure, but not positive.

[169] AT him. and then they implied that throwing at the opposing pitcher would be an example of "playing the game the right way".

I like it when Vin says "Hail fellow well met."

There'll never be another one like him.

176 Flip a bat, take a dose. I don't really have a problem with it.

172. Isn't Vin great? He challenges us to learn. Thanks for the enlightenment.

John Maine, you are no Kuo.

173. I got the gist, just wanted a literal translation...

Does Franco just sit on the bench like a museum piece? Like say, a brontosaurus?

they use him to pinch hit and occasionally play first or third

182 Nope, because Randolph still insists on using him as a pinch hitter. Franco's even played a couple of games at third. It hasn't been pretty.

177

i kind of don't have a problem with it either, but i can see how some people would have a problem with it. matter of opinion i guess.

How did the D's ever let Maine off the hook after the second inning.

little should fine pierre $1000 for every ball he hits in the air.

182 And on the pedestal these words appear: "My name is Julio Franco, and I faced Sandy Koufax."

in Pierre's defense he's been having longer at bats

188 Better that than "Hello. My name is Julio Franco. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

189 - I hope you aren't an attorney. that defense would get your client the chair ;)

190 Jose Valentin says that.

The Mets are obligated to keep an old guy named "Franco" on the roster at all times.

John Franco, a loogysaurus, was the first. I think.

188. Wow - did he really? He's like a part of baseball mythology. If only Sandy could still pitch.

[178] oh come on. a young pitcher hits his first career home run, and it's part of a back-to-back-to-back. he doesn't deserve to get thrown at because he got a little excited. throwing at him is completely unnecessary and uncalled for.

177: I would've assumed Hale fellow . . .

193. I'm laughing considerably at that.

195. I agree. New Yorkers - sheesh.

194 No, but after trying to remember the beginning of the poem, I got lazy and threw a name out there.

Carlos Beltran - Met expectations (pun unintended) or a bust for his contract?

Seriously, don't the Dodgers have another Vin growing somewhere? Down on the farm? In a test tube?

Franco would be closer to 70 if he'd faced Koufax.

200 He had a monster year last year. I'll bet he heats up again.

193 They also had Matt Franco for awhile, who wasn't old, and who wasn't as good a hitter as Julio Franco is now.

I suspect this is a preview of the LCS. I hope so.

202. I can't do math.

you guys think they'll stretch K/Guo out to 100,105 pitches tonight?

Nice game by Kuo. Looks like he's anchoring down a rotation spot. Now we just need to work in Billingsley some how.

208 Schmidt may not be long for the rotation

Seriously, don't the Dodgers have another Vin growing somewhere? Down on the farm? In a test tube?

they don't grow 'em like him anymore Kady.

200 Carlos Beltran has been painted with the same underperforming brush as ARod ever since he struck out in game 7 of the NLCS last year.

191 - I was talked out of that early on.

But I do like this make the starter throw a whole bunch of pitches thing.

211 - I think he got that because of his 2005 season

Rex Hudler Quote of the Day: "That was a split finger pitch that didn't split too well".

????

We could try to pull a "Boys from Brazil" with Vin.

209. If we're lucky.

Nice at bat by LuGo. Pretty much sealing this as Maine's last inning. Not so nice of an at bat for the 1st pitch swinging Garciaparra the prior inning.

215. Excellent idea. Except that it may require the services of an ex-Nazi. Though I think Mengele is dead. I hope so. Or is he the locker room attendant for the Giants?

214 I despise it when Hudler says "Gettin Figgy with it" when the player in question does well.

That's cool that Betemit is having a good game, I really hope Grady keeps on playing him.

I've always liked Willie Randolph. I wouldn't mind if he managed the Dodgers. Someday.

... and the Dodger fans are getting unruly. I have never seen fans that express their devotion to their team solely by deriding the other team.

220. Except he doesn't seem to do well on a regular basis. He's like a delicacy - good once in a while.

219

He's kind of laid of that this year i've noticed, i kind of dug it.

oh, heavens. a knuckle dragger.

223 I'd rather see him than Abreu.

222
The unruliness could also be attributed to their being a lot of fans of the Mets in attendance and they aren't exactly the most easygoing fans.

I'll bet Shimmin could get a saliva swipe from Vin.

Make it happen, Andrew. We need zero body count.

Matt Kemp is as sweet as a Krispy Kreme dodnut.

or donut

222. I think it's called relieving stress.

Wow Kemp is fast. He looks like a running back or possibly linebacker.

I hate sidewinders.

227. talk about knuckle draggers...

Bhsportsguy or Branch Rickey are the ones I'd bet have juice enough to get withing cheek swabbing distance of Vin. The LAPD would shoot to kill if they saw me coming at Vin with a stick. And they'd be right to do it. I only hope it would be one of those rubber bullet guns.

227 But they do it for every team. I was at a game against the Pirates (the Martin walk off game), and the fans insisted on a "Pirates Suck" cheer. THE PIRATES! The only Pirates fan in my section was sitting right in front of me, and he was nothing if not civil. On the other hand, I had to threaten bodily harm to some Dodger fans because I was caught in a spit wad crossfire, and the ushers wouldn't do anything about it.

And Jon, of course. But I don't know if he'd be up for any covert ops. He has a public reputation to maintain.

229,230 Don't back off so soon--you could have a good product name! The DODger donut.

Just logging on now; I'll try not to bore everyone too much.

106 Betemit's secondary average is a Hendersonian .474!

172 Thanks for the explanation. Any reason you go by the Latin for "bunion"?

175 Slightly before that, if I'm not mistaken. My mom showed me a newspaper article about the guy who invented the charge--he was a great-uncle or some other obscure relative of mine. Late 50s; I think at the Colisseum.

194 Franco's first year was 1982. Does anyone know who the last major leaguer was who had faced Koufax at least once?

Too bad Vin doesn't have a son following in his footsteps like Jack Buck.

235. I'm sure Vin would cooperate if he knew it was for a good cause - like sparing us from Rick Monday.

236
Well, I did say "could."

Mets fans are even more obnoxious than Yankee fans, and that's saying something.

235 I just figured a man who sold chemical weapons for a living knew a mercenary or two.

-1 for Andrew.

236. And don't forget the ever-present "Beat LA" chant EVERYWHERE we go.

He has a public reputation to maintain.

in other words, Jon has a "rep to protect"

So apparently we are committed to doing what is proper and losing Saturday?

240 Or Harry Karee?

If the Dodgers are able to not implode, then at the end of the night, four NL west teams will be exactly 9 games over .500.

243. Mets fans are the most obnoxious fans in the universe. And that's saying something because Martian fans are vicious.

scratch the west from that last post, the Mets will be part of said four.

235. Chemical weapons. Cool. Could we get some for the next Giants series? San Francisco has Bonds, after all. It would only be fair.

239 Actually, I chose my handle from a character in a book. I'm guessing the author chose it for the Latin. I just liked the way it sounded (I actually didn't like the book).

245 At least the "Beat LA" cheer is encouraging the opposing team to victory, as opposed to just derision. Or maybe I'm wrong and that is little more than a semantic argument.

The world did not need more Harry Carays. I'm not even sold on the need for more Jack Bucks. I could get behind the idea of more Ernie Harwells.

Who else could get away quoting from the Song of Solomon on Opening Day?

For the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone;
The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of the song of the birds has come,
And the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.

It's poetry night. I count three so far (not counting sonnets).

253. All I know is BEAT LA bugs me. A lot. Though I pretend it doesn't in mixed company.

So, can we call you Bunion?

254. True, but I'll always treasure Will Farrell's Harey Carey. "So, is the moon really made out of cheese?"

253 OK, I'll bite. What book had a character named "Hallux Vulgus" in it?

Thank you Valentin.

on the ground, juan. very good. even if it was only because you were badly fooled on the pitch.

254. That is beautiful.

whatever works for you!
(about both, I suppose)

Vin does accents!

So with Vin talking about playing golf with a Scot leads me to ask? Do you think Vin can go to St. Andrews and get a tee time on The Old Course?

um. what was that move just then? I think sidewinders confuse the umpires, too.

Nomar's stint on the bench doesn't seem to have helped.

258 It's called "Et Tu, Babe" by Mark Leyner. Horrible book, absolute nonsense. Hallux Valgus was the President, I believe.

Kuo at 89 pitches through 7. I don't think Little has ever let him go 100. Should he be sent out for the 8th?

It's great to see Dodgers in dirty uniforms.

267 I loved that book. Tattooing of internal organs?

Good stuff. Did seem a little derivative of the Martin Amis London Fields and Money fiction, but...

We could use a good limerick. I know of a man around these parts who can turn a limerick...

they just showed the home runs again, Kemp has serious pop, i'd love to see him during batting practice.

268

He made 104 pitches his last outing i believe. I'd close the door on him & let our bullpen take over.

271

There once was a man named Pierre
Whose power was simply not there.
He slapped and he ran,
and he kissed Nomar's van,
but put too many balls in the air.

271
I knew this guy from Nantucket, but the stories about him were grossly exaggerated.

Just repeating someone else's post, to save time, because it applies to me as well:
91 I just signed in so I can say:
Wow.

Saw the highlights of that second inning barrage and said, "Oh my... lord." Awesome to see Kemp's shot. Shocking to see Kuo's. I'm sure the Metsblog was the happiest place on earth after that inning.

Is Kuo really coming out for another inning? Wow. He's been great, but isn't it time to call it a night.

Kuo's going out for the 8th.

Looked like Kuo may have been heading up the stairs?

There's a new book out which is a collection of haikus about baseball.

I will not be reviewing it.

Very good Scot accent by Vin! I have realized Valentin is the kind of guy I kinda liked playing for us but absolutely despise playing against us. I'm afraid that is the mark of a "good competitor."

Baby Elvis has arrived.

Heh. Nice bit of coaching there by Grady.

do we have a prayer or a dance for "no broxplosions"?

I have 0 confidence in the Dodger bullpen right now. I agree with Little's decision. Nice to see him getting away from the "captain hook" mentality.

Good move by Grady to force Randolph to announce a hitter first, before removing K/Guo. I was thinking about that in the car, after hearing Kuo finish the last inning with the 8 hitter.

Also:

- Nomar needs two more days, or weeks, off.
- I think being tortured by Beat LA in SF all these years is enough for me to tolerate, or almost tolerate, obnoxious behavior by Dodger fans.
- the Dodgers seem to really like Kuo as a teammate. (DIamond Leung's piece on Kuo and Tsao is worth a read if you haven't already.
- My cat's breath smells like cat food. {said in Ralph Wiggum voice}

I like seeing happy Dodgers in the dugout.

284. ruh, roh. brox is in; grady was just using strategy.

If it wasn't for Kent, I think the Dodgers would have the most goofy easy going veterans in the league.

Great outing by Hongzhi Guo.
XieXie Ni
vr, Xei

Six or seven of me would make one Johnny B. It's been said over and over, but dude, he's big. Oxen-like (as opposed to ox-like).

279 I am so sad; you are glad; So be it.
I'm afraid my form is wrong but what the heck-I'm a poet and I didn't know it-but I might as well say it-my feet are Long fellows. Sorry, I must be euphoric still being ahead.

284 I think you are allowing a small number of hiccoughs color your thinking.

Broxton blows him away.

289 Assuming what I've read about the Giles brothers and Maddux is true, San Diego should be in that conversation as well.

they definitely seem a little confused by brox after 7 innings of kuo.

289. What, Kent's not goofy?

The Player did often pop out
He also could take a bad route
A considerable sum
Was paid for this bum
But it really does nothing to pout

288 I find "ruh, roh" slightly offensive, especially concerning a move involving K/Guo.

Broxton blows away another.

277 You tricked me! Still, I'd have left in Kuo unless he told me he was tired, if I was in Little's position.

Can we just let Broxton pitch the 9th? With the stuff he's got tonight, if he doesn't get the save, even I will start believing that "he's only good in the 8th inning" nonesense.

298. I assumed it was a Scooby Doo reference.

300. He's only good for the 8th inning.

Ohhh, BROXTON

286 That is not a bad thing, my cats are harrassing me to feed them.

294- Maybe, but we have the Killer Tomato flexing!

297 > 274 for the sake of focus. kudos!

Russ!

298. of course it was a scooby doo reference. I have only used it a dozen times at DT.

305 His was better.

297 I'm afraid you have opened a new limerick form about a certain player, that may not go away.

307
Yes, but I hear that Hong-Chih Kuo is frightened easily by Great Dane-like cartoon characters.

I'm going to assume that was a typo on Gameday

296- Well, I've never met the man, and he does live in Ausin (/weirdo/).

http://tinyurl.com/355tbt

I like this.

308 "His" was mine, so we're just being deferential. Let's just agree that we're obviously both Poet Laureate candidates.

Matt Kemp busted a Milton Bradley trying to bunt there.

I flipped over to ESPN.com to check something in the box score, and that huge red "bonds on deck" flash animation zoomed across the screen again.

how annoying.

307 Apologies, it strikes me as an 'r'/'l' joke every time I see it, usually long after the posting. I've never imagined Scooby Doo's yammerings spelled out.

Heilman has made Betemit and Kent swing at pitches that weren't all that close to strike out.

Heil, man.

318 Kemp, not Kent.

315 Kemp attempting to bunt is wasting a strike.

I assure you, posting some sort of slur was the farthest thing from my mind.

"I see great things in baseball." - Walt Whitman

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/poems.shtml

Enjoy!

314 Sorry. That took every brain cell I have, and they rebelled soon afterward.

Saito vs. Wright, Delgado, and Beltran should be fun.

I was actually wondering who little would have brought in if the dodgers had scored a fifth run. either leave in brox, or (organ music) seanez?

strike, strike, strike.

Saito makes quick work of Beltran

Sam, next time type "Zoiks!" - even Scooby neophytes will know what that means. Or you could say "Jinkies!" if you want to channel Velma. ;-)

I wondered about bringing Broxton and Saito in tonight given the score was up to 4-1 but it seems like a good move now - I guess better safe than sorry.

I never, ever want to hear again Vin saying "George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers."
Adds an aura of respectability to a musician who deserves none.

I think this outing moves Guo up in the starting rotation pecking order. Ahead of Schmidt and Wolf. If Schmidt is hurt again, I wonder if Tomdrickson moves back into the rotation or Chad gets his shot.
vr, Xei

328 - I suppose "rood riddance" is totally out of the question?

Sammy - zoinks!

Saito makes quick work of David Wright.

321 Thus my apology. Funny - I'm old enough to remember the debut of that new Saturday cartoon, Scooby Doo!

Another K for Sammy.

Once again, we don't lose. Hallelujah.

332. okay, okay. "zoinks" it is.

We win!

i know i'm gonna curse him, but is saito as fun to watch as gagne? gagne's power was gnarly, but saito's control might be more interesting. i dunno.

I hate the BAd to the Bone choice of music for Saito. We could do so much better than the red neck Thorogood.
This is not my original suggestion, but somebody brought up the Kill Bill horn theme for his entrance music, and to me, that would be absolute perfection.

328 With the Kuo/ Kemp/ Betemit exploits tonight, I want to hear Willie Randolph say, "We would've gotten away with it, if it wasn't for you meddling kids!"

Nice!!

I don't care if the Mets are slumping - so were the Dodgers. Shutting them down warms the cockles of my heart. And "there's nothing like hot cockles."

(Name the movie)

Back tied for first!

340

classic!

I hear Scrappy Doo is living in a trailer in Nevada addicted to crack. Sad.

338. No one is as fun as Gagne.

339
I'm way of any music connected to the state of Delaware.

there is just no letup in the mets rotation.

NYM: Sosa (6-1, 2.64 ERA)
LAD: Penny (7-1, 2.26 ERA)

341 crud- it's a Woody Allen movie

That was such a great inning by Saito. Beltran-Wright-Delgado are not the easiest outs to get. And two out of three possible strike outs to boot He deserves an All-Star nod.

I was a little surprised to see Delgado's batting average so low. He's better than that, but thankfully not tonight.

Somebody tell me if Betemit throws "lamentable" in there again.

we needed a nice easy win like this

340 LOL

239. Awesome choice. Definitely.

341. Fletch?

346 - another sub .200 BABIP begging for correction

This bullpen setup is absolutely unbelievable. For most of two years, if it comes to bullpens we will almost always win. Very few things can be that satisfying. It is actually even better than the Gagne era, which was often just about Eric.

341. Hannah and her Sisters?

346. Jorge Sosa's BABIP against is .200 when the league average is close to .300, so it's time for him to do a little regressing to the mean tomorrow night.
vr, Xei

Came to the Jim Murray party a little late, but I wanted to mention this.

I grew up in a small town in Iowa. I read all the sports magazines and newspapers I could get my hands on. When people would ask me what I wanted to do in life, I told them I wanted to be the next Jim Murray. I knew nothing about the guy, but from the weekly syndicated column that would appear in my local paper, I thought he was the best. The only columnist I've ever read that is on the same level was Mike Royko. They are the 2 greatest in my book.

354. Like minds...
vr, Xei

I stopped reading sports columns after Jim Murray died. I just don't like anyone else.

341 "Nothing like hot cockles" was indeed Woody Allen. It was from "Love and Death" actually, one of my favorite of his.

340 I'm still waiting for the part where Willie Randolph's mask is removed and he's actually Steve Phillips.

I believe the correct spelling is "Zoiks" but, fine, if y'all want to go about making up words...

Mets fans are pretty down on Delgado in general now, even before this series he was slumping pretty badly and they basically want him replaced. With who I don't know. They could've had Mitch Jones for a song!

361 DANG IT! I kept thinking Annie Hall (the one after Love and Death) but I couldn't search my brain and find the quote in that movie or the correct one.

It's one of his most quotable movies, imho. Read 'em and laugh:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073312/quotes

Soldier: He was from my village. He was the village idiot.
Boris: Yeah, what did you do, place?

362. I'm sure they'll find some ex-Dodger to do the job.

363. I've never heard of Love and Death. How'd I miss that one? Guess I'll put it on the Netflix list.

362 Dawg- I'm often tempted to pick up a guy like Delgado just to give us a bit more chance of power off the bench or something. But I've seen how vets like this can keep up and comings off the team. And our young guys are mostly all round players and really make a good impression when they play. Loney can hit a bit but he can really field and throw. Kemp not only is a threat at bat, but he can really run. These guys don't only help when they have good at bats. I think it's their time to play.

367 I agree totally. That's why I don't want us going after some aging veteran when we have more energetic kids who are just going to get better and better (even though, they, too, will have their ups and downs). I hope this trend continues. Or we could sign 86 year old Julio Franco to play first.

366 You gotta watch it Kady, I own it and quote from it. We have it at GreenCine too of course. :-P

GreenCine - something else new to me. Thank ye.

Willie was most displeased with the parade that Kuo threw after the home run.

I suspect somebody will wear one tomorrow.

a blurb about kemp's home run from an AP story I just ran across.

"Kemp's homer was the first to reach the loge level since July 27, 2005 when Olmedo Saenz accomplished the feat against Cincinnati."

another factoid from some of the game coverage:

"The last time a team hit three homers on as many pitches occurred last Sept. 18 on the last three of the four straight hit by the Dodgers in the bottom of the ninth inning in an 11-10, 10-inning victory over San Diego."

368 That's just right, we don't need any Julio Francos right now. We just need to ride what we have. What a good feeling.

It's 1:30p here. Good night all.

371 Kemp's HR swing didn't look like all that much effort either - smooth. Plus he beat out that single behind 3B by several steps; it was never going to be close.

Last year, Sosa gave up 30 home runs in just 118 innings. This year, he's given up just four in 44 1/3.

Somebody has most certainly already said this, and sorry I'm late in checking in, but a new legend is born, The Bat Flip. Oh, and 370, well, if so, then Rudy comes in and pops someone in the ear.

>>> The Dodgers could have their fourth radio home in 11 years next season.

The team's contract with 980 expires this season. Three radio stations — 980, 710 and 570 — are bidding to sign the Dodgers for next year and beyond. <<<

http://tinyurl.com/hb6dz

358 I can still picture what the Jim Murray column looked like in the 1970s L.A. Times, with that pen and ink (? - I'm no art student) headshot inset. Agree or disagree with him, he was a must read then, although I think I read nearly every word in the sports section in those days, even the agate type used for the transaction notes. I suspect that now I'd disagree with the opinions more often, but enjoy the writing style more. Perhaps I should get my hands on one of those column anthology books of his and conduct the experiment.

>>> Jose Lima, whose shutout in the 2004 playoffs marks the Dodgers' only postseason victory in the last 18 years, is trying to earn another major league opportunity by pitching in the Mexican League. Lima is tied for the league lead in victories, with a 9-2 record and 3.87 ERA.... <<<

http://tinyurl.com/hb6dz

377 I highly doubt that. It's not that big a deal. Somebody will take a dose on the rear, life goes on. Kid messed up.

I'm a huge Murray fan and have all the compilations, but he could be a mean, mean man with that pen.

381 and something tells me the player who takes a shot won't mind, because it was a pitcher who made the flip. I'd gladly take one for the team in that instance.

What a game, same view, just a little higher for back to back to back.

Doubt I can add anything to what's been said but I will try.

Kuo, very efficient, scattered the 5 hits and a walk.

Juan Pierre saw something like 23 pitches in his 4 at bats today, when he hit the ball on the ground, 2 hits, in the air, 2 outs.

Betemit's swing on that homer was so easy, Kemp's bat was a blur on his homer.

The Mets had no chance tonight against Brox and Sammy.

Nice win and just a really good game for the boys.

Hey Jon, were you at tonight's game? And if so, were you walking on the suite level just after the last out? If not, there's someone who looks startlingly like your SI picture hanging around Dodger Stadium...

385 - Yes and yes, actually. It was my second time in the suites ever. Can't believe you recognized me. I was logging in to try to read a few comments as I walked.

New post up top.

381 I don't think he messed up at all and I would hope that for the Mets, the 3 on 3 would be more disconcerting and embarrasing than The Bat Flip, but that's just the kind of hairpin I am. But if they don't like The Bat Flip, then they ought not surrender the long ball, and to play into my patent heterosexuality, well, chicks dig both the long ball and The Bat Flip and so thanks Guo Hongzhi for helping with the mood, call it me and mine sharing in his success, and what can the Mets say to that? And that's why Rudy pops someone in the ear should it come to that. The only other matter of relevance is the matter of just how many times Taiwainese media will replay the homer. And visions of sugar plums and The Bat Flip in my head, I'm calling it a night, so pleasant dreams and to all a good night.

Nothing wrong with the suites. If you noticed a guy in a suit do a double take at you, that was me.

I was looking at old Murray columns in the Historical LA Times database and on February 25, 1971, a drawing of Murray accompanied his column, which was about A.J. Foyt.

Then the next day, Murray wrote about squash. There was no drawing. And it apparently never appeared again.

On 2/26/1971, the stories on the front of the LA Times sports section were written by:
Jim Murray
Ross Newhan (covering the PGA Tournament which was played in February that year)
Dan Hafner (on the Kings)
Bion Abbott (Santa Anita)
Shav Glick (motor racing)
Jeff Prugh (USC basketball)
Dwight Chapin (UCLA basketball)
Mal Florence (Lakers)

172 (fine explanation of "hoist on his own petard")

And thank you for quoting it correctly: "hoist", not "hoisted", as both Vin and others here have misquoted it in the past. Not every past participle in English ends in "ed".