LOL. Nicely done. I'm still slightly bitter that my nickname for Maddux ("The White Flag") never caught on.

One can only conclude that Kevin Elster either,

a) has no chance, according to Jon Weisman!?!
b) goes in as a Met, alongside Piazza, LoDuca, Valentin, and Cedeno.

2 - The list is not at all comprehensive, of course. These are just a selection of many possible candidates.

From the last post:

I was at the CU-Nebraska game in '01. I think people like the team plenty. That is until recent events. I gave up my season tickets after Barnett's comments about Katie Hnida. That being said I think people here (Denver) are excited about Hawkins and things are improving.

1 I used to refer to the Dodgers tendency to acquire the wrong brother as "The Mike Maddux Syndrome."

I think it has been determined that Piazza will go in as a Florida Marlin.

What about Gary Sheffield? And Shawn Green? And J.D. Drew?

I love it!

But what about Hiram Bocachica? Obviously he's still active, but when he retires, and they waive the five year rule and induct him right away, he should go in as a Dodger.

----------------------

Jose Offerman drew 151 more walks in his career than Roberto Clemente. So Offerman clearly gets in!

Jon,

I definitely didn't mean to imply that I thought you would root for someone to strikeout. My post would have made more sense if I explained it in the context of the weak singles I had seen from Nomar with some pretty bad hacks last night. It seemed to me that the double play was very likely, a single was possible, but if I had to choose between a ball that could be a double play or a K, I would go with the K with Loney on deck.

Kevin Elster... I can't believe that guy hit 3 home runs in one game.

Kudos to John for the wonderful post! If Offerman goes in, I wonder if all those rookie cards of his I own will rise in value. My son currently uses them as noise makers on his bike!

I have an off the topic question. Ken Gurnick on MLB.com makes the following statements:
ll-Stars that got away: Martin is only the third player drafted by the Dodgers since 1979 to become an All-Star for the Dodgers (fellow catchers Mike Piazza and Paul Lo Duca the others).

But the Dodgers have drafted other players that have gone on to become All-Stars for other clubs. Two future All-Stars they signed and later traded away were Paul Konerko and Ted Lilly.

And they were unable to sign four draftees that later re-entered the Draft and became All-Stars -- Chase Utley, their second-round pick in 1997; current Dodger Randy Wolf, a 25th-rounder in 1994; Phil Nevin, a 1989 third-rounder and Paul Quantrill, a 26th-rounder in 1986.

I was wondering, didn't Quantrill make the all-star team as a Dodger? Was it not the same year Park lost the game in Seattle? Does this not make him a player drafted by the Dodgers to make the All-Star team?

Thanks

9 - I understand.

11 - Thanks for the compliment. In answer to your question, Quantrill was not drafted by the Dodgers, nor did he make the All-Star team as a Dodger.

I would also like to add how nice it was to see the fans give partial standing ovations to Lowe when he came out and to Martin when he K'd on the last at bat. Of course, Bombko was booed the moment he stepped out of the bullpen...sad to see.

I'm perfectly happy to see Tomko come in to close out 8-1 games with either team ahead. That's some pretty silly booing.

13

According to Gurnick's post, Quantrill was drafted in the 26th round in 1986. He didn't sign with the Dodgers but that was not one of Gurnick's conditions.

I thought for sure he was an All-Star that year. Oh well.

Thanks for the correction.

16
You are a moron!

Quantrill made the All-Star team with Toronto in 2001. It was later that winter he was traded to the Dodgers.

So Gurnick is right and you are still wrong!

So eat that!

13 - Oh, okay.

Okay, this is getting confusing, but 18 refers to 16. And The Dictator is violating Rule 2 with himself!

How on earth could you snub Alfredo Griffin? 18 seasons -- 3 with Cleveland, 6 with Toronto, 3 in Oakland, 4 in LA, and then 2 more with the Jays. While one would be tempted to go with his tenure in Toronto, let's not forget that twice he on-based over .280 with the Dodgers and was a cornerstone of their 1988 championship club with his gritty .199 batting average and .253 slugging in 316 at bats, with more than half of those coming from the 1 or 2 spot in the lineup.

As a reward for such an impressive display, he actually batted 190 more times the following season, to the tune of a 72 OPS+, the fifth-best total of his career.

16

However, you were correct that Quantrill did make the All-Star team the year Park lost the game. It was just with Toronto not LA.

Moron!

7 --

Drew goes in as a Phillie.

4 ugh, yeah I was at that gam, too. CU students just like to cause trouble. The measure of a fan base isn't in rivalry games like Nebraska, but in games like Kansas and (this year) Miami of Ohio. For a Big XII school with so many recent division championships, our almni donations are pathetic. I know I quit donating when the unpleasentness came up, and started again when Hawk was hired, but most people I know just don't care.

Reggie Smith needs to be in the Hall of Fame as a Dodger.

4. The only Colorado football game I ever went to was the 5th down game against Missouri. My younger brother stormed the field afterwards he was so outraged. Most fans there were really mad, not because they realized that Colorado scored on the fifth down, but because the quarterback didn't even come close to crossing the goal-line when they ruled a touchdown. I still can't believe that such a terrible team won the national championship that year.

I was at the Colorado game in 1986? against Oregon when the CU quarterback (Sal something?) was paralyzed.

24 I saw Reggie Smith hit a homer against Vida Blue that was similar to Kemp's last night. I think Vida's pitch was much fatter than Smoltz's, but Reggie hit it 435' about 1/4 of the way up the back wall of the left-field bullpen.

26 Sal Aunese, who also fathered a child with the coaches daughter. Yeah, our history isn't the nicest.

20 I was just thinking about Griffin earlier today. Yeah, that's what I do all day, think about former Dodgers. Anyhoo, I was saying that he was a pretty subpar player offensively, and part of a wretched infield that somehow managed to win a World Series for LA. Then you posted those numbers. Wow. Just wow. You didn't make those up, did you?

14 - Great game last night. Enjoyed it immensely. The following is the type of satirical news story that can be found in the Onion:
Matt Kemp was cited last night by the Advocacy group, "People against brutality to baseballs".{PABB} Kemp was cited and fined with "Excessive abuse and destruction of a spherical object" and also is subject to a punishment of watching Juan Pierre lowlight video of Pierre hitting weak pop outs to shortstop for a period of 3 hours.
Man, did he crush that ball last night!!

28
That doesn't sound right. Maybe my memory is mixing different events.

23 - CU students are trouble-makers, but I never felt that they weren't good fans. I look at it this way: on any given day there are a ton of things to do in Denver/Boulder. In Lincoln there is basically nothing. Of course Nebraska is going to have better turnout and a more loyal fanbase, but I don't think that says anything about the individual fan per se.

25 - I saw CU-Mizzou at Folsom Field a few years back. That Mizzou dance team is smoking hot. They got a bigger cheer than any play on the field.

30 What are you talking about? Juan Pierre hit a weak popup, a bunt mind you, over the 3rd baseman's head for a double. Who wouldn't want to see that?

29 - Afraid the numbers are indeed true, and as an addendum to the note of him batting 506 times the year after his .199 campaign, 291 of those were leading off.

Chalk it up to the love of managers in past eras, the 80s in particular, for batting their shortstop first for no other reason than they could run fast. Even though Alfredo only stole 10 bases with the Dodgers once, that same 1989 season, in which he was also caught 7 times.

30 Alfredo Griffin, Jay Howell, and Jesse Orosco for Bob Welch and Matt Young is under appreciated in the history of bad Dodger trades.

Warning to Greg Brock (if I remember correctly): READ NO FURTHER

Giovanni Carrara should enter the HOF wearing a Dodger blue cap. While Gio toiled for Toronto, Cincinnati, Colorado and Seattle in his well-traveled MLB career, he saved his best work for his two stints in Los Angeles. In his five Dodger years, he mustered up ERA+s of 127, 116, 190, 103 and 101 with WHIPs between 1.14 and 1.27, with the exception of 2005 where his WHIP slightly elevated to 1.36, with a L.A. W-L of 24-11. Elsewhere, Carrara completely caved to opposing batters, never posting an ERA+ higher than 65, nor a WHIP better than 1.83.

Addendum to the addendum: While Alfredo was previously more prolific in pilfering ... uh ... bases (there's no synonym for "base" that starts with "P", damn it!), his 192 career steals were somewhat offset by being caught 134 times. That's a 58% career rate. He wasn't even remotely good at the one thing he was supposed to be good at!

36 - I think Carrara is Marty's bete noir.

When I see that Joses Offerman and Vizcaino both finished with around 1500 hits, it really takes the luster off 3000. Craig Biggio is a shoe-in (shoo?) for the Hall because he got twice as many hits as Jose Offerman?

33 - I was poking a sarcastic jab at Pierre for his many "wasted outs" this year flying out to shallow left or to the infield, thereby nullifying his asset of speed. I was not referring to his accidental bunt double last night. It was meant to be funny and a tribute to the majestic power Kemp displayed last night. Lighten up. I was just having fun. Don't you get "tongue-in-cheek humor?

40 - "Lighten up. I was just having fun. Don't you get "tongue-in-cheek humor?"

I think 33 would ask the same question.

31 excuse me, Aunese died of stomach cancer in 1990. I don't know a paralyzed QB.

32 That was kind of my original point- there's too much stuff to do. But I do think the fan base is kind of apathetic. Denver fills Invesco for CU/CSU, but has trouble filling Folsom for the same event. I think that also contributes to our best preps leaving the state. So far Hawk's done better there, getting Ryan Miller last year, but he lost Clint Brewster to Illinois (before going to Minn. with his dad). That one especially hurt, because Brewster went to my alma mater.

39 Fortunately, Biggio was a Hall of Famer well before that 3000th hit.

I hold no grudge against Offerman, who augmented his colorful fielding...

Terrible is a color? And I also loathe Carrara.

38 Uh-oh, sorry Marty!

I don't know a paralyzed QB.

I think he broke his neck.

43 -- I agree. I was just using Biggio as an example because he was the latest to that magic number.

38 44 45 Waaaait.... well, still apologies to Marty if he needed the warning too, but I guess my memory isn't that faulty. Yet.

46 Insert rule 1 violating "Longest Yard" reference here.

32. Yeah, I remember in high school watching the "Golden Girls" team squad, that was the best part of going to Missouri football games during the Bob Stull era. My sister's freshman year roommate was on the squad, incredibly hot, but apparently disgusting to live with.

41 - Something must of got lost in the translation!:) Oh well! Really did enjoy being at the game last night. 2nd straight game I've been at that resulted in a Dodger blowout. Last game was against the Mets, a 9-3 rout of the Metropolitans near my wife's birthday. Got tickets for Wednesday, God help us with Hendy on the mound. Some payback may be in the works!!

My sister's freshman year roommate was on the squad, incredibly hot, but apparently disgusting to live with

Do tell.

Just to avoid any controversy or speculation:

I hearby declare, that when I am elected to the Hall of Fame, I will wear a Dodger cap. I appreciate the many, many fans from the many cities in which I have played, and even though I probably contributed the most to the Menlo Park Freaks, my emotional home will always be Chavez Ravine. Hence, I will wear a Dodger cap upon my induction.

Thank you, and keep being baseball fans.

Brent

50 ... for your sister, probably not for you, given the opportunity.

Um... has anyone made note of this Pierre gem on dodgers.com?

Run, Juan, run: Center fielder Juan Pierre stole his 30th base of the season on Saturday night, the second most in the Majors behind Jose Reyes' 39. The last time Pierre reached 30 steals this early in a season was in 2003, when he stole his 30th on June 19 and finished with a career-high 65 thefts that season.

"For me, it's all about getting on base," Pierre said. "But the main goal is scoring runs."

55
That was posted (with little to no fanfare) a few days ago.

Jon did you get a chance to watch John from Cincy episode 4 yet?

"I'm here on orders from my Bird"

52. Didn't shower for days, even though she was having dance practice for 2-4 hours every day in the humidity of Missouri, never changed her sheets. Her boyfriend was the catcher at Central Missouri State and left his shinguards there for a month. Basically, her room ended up smelling like a guy's dorm room. I don't care, she was still ridiculously hot.

When I'm inducted into the Hall of Fame, I will the cap of whichever team pays me the most, a la Reggie Jackson and Dave Winfield. Alternately, I will also accept a cushy, well-paid, no-responsibility job in the front office.

Bids are now being accepted.

57 - Yeah. I'll do a Screen Jam post at some point.

Cool..I figured.

58
Yuck. Cleanliness is next to hotliness.

Wow, some of you drank from the funny Kool-Aid this morning. ;-)

Enjoyed your post Jon. Had me going for a few seconds even (literally a few seconds). I always had a soft spot for Lenny Harris, a very reliable hitter off the bench. Hated to see him play elsewhere, even though he wasn't exactly a ... future Hall of Famer.

I wouldn't allow Gio to enter the Cooperstown city limits, much less let him get inducted in the hall.

Jrue Holiday is set to announce he is going to UCLA today according to sources.

58 Bizarre. Or is it just a Missouri thing?

65 Kemp and Russell yesterday, Holiday today, and holiday tomorrow - shaping up as a nice week!

66. I think it was just that girl. Otherwise, my sister, who went to high school with her, wouldn't have been so bothered by it.

65 Wow. Quite the recruiting class.

68 Well, I guess she cleaned up real nice at least, when she cleaned up at all.

All hail Ben Howland.

51s' Young loves to have fun, but his bat is no joke

>>> "His bat's going to get him to the big leagues, and he's going to have to hit to stay in the big leagues," Bundy said. "He doesn't steal bases, and he's not a great defender. His bat's his ticket, there's no doubt about it." <<<

http://www.lvrj.com/sports/8297452.html

It is official. Jrue Holiday is a Bruin!!

Hello #1 class in the country.

http://tinyurl.com/yqaktk

Does anyone know where I can find out how many option years a player has left?

Dodgers start international signings, as reported at Press-Enterprise blog by Diamond Leung. (With a comment from Nate.)

The prize of the two is right-hander Jose Dominguez, a 16-year-old featuring a fastball that can touch 90 mph....

"It's rare to see a kid as polished as he is," said Logan White

http://tinyurl.com/2v5r63

73 - Is Love expected to stay only one year, or more?

75 They absolutely sure he's 16?

76
I have heard he told Jrue he would stay to play with him. So probably two years.

76 I would put it at even money.

Two years would be nice.

75 So, in five or six years, will we be calling the pitching mound at Dodger Stadium "Dominguez' Hill?"

A few other hat in the Hall quandaries, for players a little closer to the bubble (but who never will make it).

Darryl Strawberry
Brett Butler
Kirk Gibson
Steve Finley
Jeff Shaw
John Wetteland
Fred McGriff
John Tudor
Elmer Dessens
Carlos Diaz

bhsportsguy needs to get on DT to see the good news!!

Hard Hitting analysis:

James Loney will be a better hitter than Nomar Garciaparra.

--ESPN Fantasy Overlords

83
lol yeah I saw that.

Come Sept. 1 Mota can suit up and win back his pinch hitting crown.

85
If Manny Mota comes out of retirement and can get 63 pinch hits in September, I will buy every single person on this blog an iPhone and a solid gold carrying case for it.

Woo hoo!! I am getting an iPhone.

Mitch Jones hit his first homer in Japan today for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters against the Seibu Lions.

Jones is playing first base for the Fighters.

86: I wasn't clear: It will take more than one September. Too bad they don't play on Christmas morning. He'd get there sooner.

I don't want an iPhone. Can I have a puppy instead?

90
For you, it will be a puppy. It will be a little mastiff.

When Ichiro had 262 hits in 2004, the most hits he had in any one month was 56 in August.

89
It's said that on Christmas morning, Juan Pierre can get out of bed and ground out to second.

I want an iPhone just so I can sell it.

Mastiffs do not stay little for long.

Pierre is so fast he can turn a light switch off and ground out before it gets dark.

92: I'm afraid that's true. Let's see what he can do on the 4th of July.

A mastiff is a tough guy dog. I couldn't pull that off.

Can I have an Akita? They look awesome.

Thanks in advance!

Do you think it's definite that Kent will go in as a Giant? That would be great if he and Bonds go in in the same year.

95 - LOL.

And I believe it was Yogi Berra who once said, "If Juan Pierre doesn't want to get on base, how are you going to stop him?"

97
Greg Brock sounds like a beagle kind of guy. So I will get him a beagle.

Beagles are awesome. I would love a beagle.

Thanks Bob!

Juan Pierre's slugging percentage is highly bunt dependant.

65 - I hope Jrue is a better player than his daddy was.....

101
Let's see if this works, but here are some choices from a pet rescue site. They aren't all purebred beagles:

http://tinyurl.com/2le8p4

... Very nice and humorous piece, Jon.

I remember in 1993, Lasorda made a comment about Offerman; something along the likes of "He's batting third. He's my best hitter right now!", or something of that nature. But you'll never want to ask Tommy off-camera what he thought of Offerman's defense.

I loved the Lenny Sharperson platoon in 1991; we got more production out of that position since the heyday of the Penguin. And Mike Morgan was a VERY good pitcher in 1991; top ten in the league for sure. I forgot about how good Tim Belcher was in 1991, too; right there with the big boys.

81

Darryl Strawberry - Inasmuch as he said that he didn't care if L.A. burned down, I don't think he'll be wearing a Dodger cap. Mets cap for sure.
Brett Butler - He had his best years in L.A.
Kirk Gibson - Tiger cap.
Steve Finley - D-Backs, definitely.
Jeff Shaw - Reds.
John Wetteland - Expos.
Fred McGriff - Braves.
John Tudor - Cardinals, for 1985.
Elmer Dessens - Reds, for 2002.
Carlos Diaz - Mets, for 1983.

Furcal's next contract: more or less than his current?

RIP, Boots Randolph.

Let us all take a moment to hum "Yakety Sax."

The Kemp-for-Buehrle rumor has resurfaced on Yahoo Sports. My favorite part: It is uncertain, however, whether the White Sox would ask for more than Kemp for Buehrle or would consider a trade that did not involve Kemp.

I'd feel bad robbing the White Sox if we only sent them Kemp, so I hope Ned throws in Loney and LaRoche too. After all, Mark Buehrle had an ERA under 5 last year (well, 4.99).

Okay, here's what we are going to do. I know Bob is a man of his word. You'll notice that in his post, he just said Mota has to come out of retirement to get 63 pinch hits. He didn't specify how many Septembers, or what kind of league or team it had to be.

Let's say there are 2,000 people on this site. I will split the bounty with you. You get to keep the iPhone, but you give me the solid gold carrying case. With the expected proceeds from the sale of 2,000 solid gold carrying cases, I'll buy an indy league team and sign Manny Mota to play for it, having him pinch hit once a game. We should be able to get him 63 pinch hits by 2012 or so. Then I sell the team and keep the money, while each of you gets a free iPhone.

Foolproof, right?

86)

I will happily accept an iPhone. I was extremely skeptical, but saw it in the store and a coworker had one yesterday...it is quite nice. Of course, the company, who provides the service for the iPhone and shall not be named, did a number on me in the past, so no switching for at least 3 years.

109)

Sign me up!

106 I would guess more years, more total money, smaller yearly average.

106)

Do we even resign Furcal after next year? I am liking that 3 year deal more and more.

110 Yes, that company is dead to me as well.

86

* Offer void in the United States and its possessions, Canada, Mexico, and the Philippines. Some restrictions apply. No cash value is implied.

107

... Is it wrong that I think of 1989 when I read "Sax" and "Randolph" in your post?

115
Even Schrutebucks had some monetary value.

116 same here.

Juan Pierre's slugging percentage is highly bunt dependant

So is his salary.

108
I wonder if Colletti is going to settle on Contreras. I would think that a front three of Penny, Lowe, and Wolf give you a solid 1-3 with a potential stud in Bills at #4 (so long as his pitch counts stay down). All we really need is a decent 4.0-4.5 ERA, 6-inning guy for the 5-hole.

I think that we could get Contreras in a straight swap for Ethier.

Of course, the company, who provides the service for the iPhone and shall not be named, did a number on me in the past, so no switching for at least 3 years.

same here, but in my case i will no longer do business with them.

120 - If Laroche really is back then why not Betemit and some bullpen fodder for Contreras

100, 101. Does Greg Brock sound like me? Because I have a beagle.

Well, he IS a fellow GB, so yeah, he's beagle-worthy.

122
That might work since they are losing Crede after the season. I would just say that if we are giving up Biemel we should go after Otsuka.

DodgerSims has the Dodgers win probabilty tonight at 52.7%, and that is with Loney, Kemp and Martin all in the lineup.
Go Dodgers!
vr, Xei

i was reassured that Kemp wont get traded reading the Dodgers.com Ken Gurnik article, i guess i was a bit paranoid yesterday.

Plus I really want don't want to lose Ethier and have LaRoche have to play right field what with the Scoreboard and its should eating tendencies.

shoulder

I think I may have had something to do with the win last night. I seemed to jinx the Dodgers whenever I was watching, and seemed to be helping them whenever I flipped the tv off. I turned on the game and it was 0-0 with the Dodger threatening to score. Of course they didn't score, but Atlanta did to take a 1-0 lead. I then turned off the tv to do some yardwork (as it had cooled off enough to go outside). Sure enough when I flipped back on the TV, Beimel was batting and Kemp was receiving high fives in the dugout after hitting one "way" out and giving the Dodgers a 3-1 lead. I watched for a shortwhile, nothing happened. Then was asked to turn off the TV, so my daughter could sleep with her door open (let the cool air in) and the Dodgers managed to score a handful more of runs, including a bunt double, that I still don't know what happened on. I'm not sure but tonight's jinx may have to do with the volume setting of the TV or what snack I decide to eat. Only time will tell.
vr, Xei

I dont think we should make any moves. We can win this thing with what we have.

123 I hear that beagles are very, very smart dogs but are way energetic. True?

I may be in the market for a dog at some point. I need to get my advance scouts on this.

I love beagles but they sure are barky. Really barky. I think we should get Greg an iBeagle instead. Especially after the next generation comes out.

130
If by thing you mean the West, I think you're right. I don't think we get out of the first round again without a bat and a better long relief option.

DFA TOMKO!!!

131 Labs, particularly black labs, are wonderful.

If your looking for a small dog, try the Havanese. I have one and he is great. He dosen't shed which is huge, great with kids, is mellow and non barky. Loyal and smart. It's my first dog and did lots of research because both me and my wife work and we live in a small house and we are having kids.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Havanese0315.jpg

The Havanese is one of the smartest, most astute breeds there is, watching their owner intently, taking every cue from them. They love attention, but are quite happy to rest quietly next to their human family. If they are feeling playful, they will go get a toy and bring it to a family member to throw, hide or play keep away with. This is a highly trainable dog.

133 How many times has long relief decided anything?

My uncle had a black lab named Maggie. What a great animal she was. I could go for an iLab.

http://photos17.flickr.com/20630732_dc06c0eef0_m.jpg

Brief minor league update from last night's games:

For Las Vegas, Andy LaRoche homered. He has been en fuego in three games since he was activated from the DL, going 6-for-11 with two doubles, a triple, and a home run. He has raised his overall season batting average to .268. Delwyn Young went 3-for-5 with a triple, his league-leading 32nd double, and three runs scored. He's now batting .332/.380/.587 on the year.

For Jacksonville, Chin-Lung Hu went 1-for-3 with a walk, hitting his league-leading 28th double. He's at .326/.377/.498 on the year. In the same game, Jon Meloan piched an inning and struck out two batters, lowering his ERA to 2.06. (You hear that, Brett Tomko?)

For Inland Empire, Blake DeWitt broke out with a 5-for-5 game and is regaining his prospect status with what is becoming an outstanding year. He's now batting .306/.342/.476 and is third in the Cal League with 26 doubles. Tomorrow the 66ers play a one-game playoff with Lancaster to determine the first-half champion. With newly-minted phenom James McDonald scheduled to pitch that game, I like their chances.

For Great Lakes, 23-year-old Dominican reliever Miguel Ramirez recorded his 11th save, lowering his ERA to 1.41. He's been dominant in the Midwest League, but is old for that level, so he'll need to be promoted to Inland Empire soon to help determine whether he's a real prospect or not.

For Ogden, Glenn Gallagher is beginning to validate the opinion of those scouts who said he wasn't ready to handle pro pitching when he was drafted a month ago. He's batting .259/.286/.296 in a hitter's paradise. Jaime Ortiz, a 19-year-old first baseman from Puerto Rico, went 3-for-4 with his third home run and is now slugging .588.

The Gulf Coast League Dodgers were rained out in Vero Beach, preserving their still-perfect record at 9-0. 19-year-old Pedro Baez, the power-hitting man-child signed out of the Dominican five months ago, looks like the real deal so far, hitting at a .357/.372/.595 pace. The much-ballyhooed Kyle Orr, making his pro debut more than a year after being drafted, is struggling mightily in his first exposure to pro pitching: .179/.258/.393. Shortstop/second base prospect Yosanddy Garcia, 19, is as raw as they come, posting a .238 OBP and striking out in 38 percent of his plate appearances -- but four of his five hits this year are home runs.

136
How about on Saturday?

139 Managerial mistake/function of a tired bullpen. No team has a good long reliever, and Brett Tomko, bad as he is now, is probably one of the better ones. Long relievers are by definition guys who come into games that have gotten out of hand, so making any sort of effort to get one seems pointless.

The problem is that right now, the Dodgers are carrying two long relievers, Hendrickson and Tomko. The Dodgers need to cut one of them, I would recommend Hendrickson.

I don't have to wait for Kershaw to come West. Out of the blue a friend just asked me to the Futures game. SF here I come.

G Brock get a mixed Lab/Beagle. Best dog in the world. Why is it that every mixed black Lab has a white spot in the middle of the chest?

140 That's true enough, as far as it goes. But we've already lost at least one game this year because our long reliever is bad. I think what frustrates people most is that we have many better options in the organization (Kuo, Hull, Meloan) and are refusing to use them. Why use a terrible pitcher when you have a better one available?

140
Good point, but I would like to see us strengthen the bullpen even further. The loss of Billingsley is significant. No matter what, with the game on the line in a situation like that, the long reliever is coming in the game. Right now, whenever he enters the game, it seems as if it is a guaranteed 2-3 runs.

I am skirting a Rule 5 violation here, but I believe that Mirthala Salinas is how you say "Carolyn Hughes" in Spanish.

We were a bonehead running play from possibly getting out last year. I know the team is flawed but your asking for a guy with a 4.00 ERA fifth starter type. There are 47 starters in baseball this year with an era under 4.05 on quick look Maybe 1-2 a team? And we have one who is close even though I can't stand watching him..Mark Henderickson is 2-3 with a 4.08 era. Plus I don't want to give up any kid. Ethier should be starting but we have Pierre and Gonzo has been great so what can we do.

You are right though, this is not gonna cut it. And I can't take another second of Tomko either, no matter how anyone tries to justify it. Were asking him to do 1/6th of what we signed him for and we cant even trust him to do that. he is a waste of roster spot and I'd rather have that spot a shuffle spot for pulling guys up to give them a look.

But Hendu:

Pitch 1-15 3.86
Pitch 16-30 2.76
Pitch 31-45 4.11
Pitch 46-60 2.79
Pitch 61-75 11.25

?Quien es Mirthala Salinas?

regfairfield

Why keep Tomko over Henderickson? (did he draw the short straw?)

145 Witty yet inappropriate comment goes here

And here

141 Really? You'd cut Hendrickson over Tomko? Right now, I'd do the opposite. Tomko is consistently hittable and terrible, whereas at least Hendy can get outs. We'll see how he does on Wednesday as a starter (and I'm nervous about it, but have more faith in him than Tomko or the current incarnation of Kuo for that matter.) I'd cut Tomko in a heartbeat. We have Houlton for long relief, too. DFA Tomko, use Houlton and Hendy, then if they trade for a 5th starter, Hendy can go back to bullpen or be DFA'd, too.

143
I agree. Houlton maybe even deserves a shot in that role.

If Tomko stinks, then trade for someone else or replace him internally. Tomko just can't be used in this role and is wasting a roster spot. Last night, with a 6-run lead, he came in and we ended up having to nearly take him out. Honeycutt ended up having to warm up a guy.

Right now, Tomko reminds me of Jake Plummer for the Broncos last year. He keeps trying to hard, and he's just digging him deeper and deeper into a hole. He doesn't really have a bulldog-type psyche, so when he tries to bear down, he just gets lost.

Brett Tomko is the new Russ Ortiz. Somewhere along the way he just "lost it". Cut bait now. Let some other fool take a Milton Bradley type chance on him. Bradley, when healthy, can at least contribute. Right now Tomko brings NOTHING to the table and it's obvious to everyone but management that we don't need him. Bring up another kid.

As bad as you think Tomko is, he is not as bad as Ortiz was when he lost it.

The Russ Ortiz immolation was a wonder to behold. I brought marshmallows.

I think Bob wept. From joy.

Tomko's ERA+ this year is 74. In 2004 and 2005, Ortiz had ERA+ of 64 and 57.

154
That's why he's the NEW Russ Ortiz.

152 Heh, as a Broncos fan I enjoy your analogy, though I think Plummer was slightly better than that, and could also probably pitch mop up relief better than Tomko. ;-) I guess Cutler is the Broxton.

If he were a gadget, iTomko would be like the Apple Newton. Looks cool but obsolete, doesn't work well, must be recalled.

Jon's subject got me thinking about a real Los Angeles Dodger HOF. We've had few players who were worthy of the HOF but we've had lots of players who should be in the LA Dodger HOF. To be eligible I would think they would have had to play at least 500 games for the LA Dodgers.
1st Team
1st - Garvey
2nd - Lopes
SS - Wills
3b - Cey
C - Piazza(HOF)
LF - Baker
CF - W Davis
RF - Mondesi
SP - Koufax(HOF), Fernando, Drysdale(HOF), Sutton(HOF)
RP - Gagne/Perranowski

2nd Team
1st - Karros
2nd - Sax
SS - Russel
3b - Gilliam
C - Roseboro
LF - Pedro Guerreo
CF - Butler
RF - R Smith
SP - R Martinez, Hershiser, Ruess, Osteen
RP - Brewer/Regan

3rd Team
1st - Parker
2nd - Lefebvre
SS -
3b - Beltre
C - Scoscia
LF - T Davis
CF-
RF - Green
SP - Messersmith, Nomo, Hooten, Podres
RP - Howell/Saito

Great hitters not making the games played cut- Wynn, Sheffield(HOF), Murray(HOF), Allen

Just off the top skimming through rosters without any statistical analysis to back it up. Eric and others can put them in the right order.
After the 1st team the infield is weak but were strong in the corner OF and the pitching just goes on forever.

Honorable Mention
Yeager ,Joe Ferguson, Howard, W Moon
Welch, Hough, Al Downing, T John
D Rau, M Marshall, Rhoden, Howe, Neidenfuer
Belcher, Astacio, Valdez, D Rau

153 That implies Tomko ever "had it" to begin with. Which I'm pretty sure he didn't.

146
I couldn't agree more. Perhaps trading for someone to fill this role is not the answer, but getting another SP may indirectly solve the problem by allowing Hendy to move back into the pen and allow us to DFA Tomko or trade him if someone is dumb enough to give us something for him.

Whatever happened to Eric Stults? Maybe we could throw him out there and see if he sticks...

Immolation is a fun word to use in colloquial settings.

135. Looks like a nice dog, but are they really $2000?? Couldn't see myself spending $2k on a dog. vr, Xei

In 2004, Tomko had an ERA+ of 110 and in Game 161 of the season, he shut the Dodgers out for 7 1/3 innings.

Then Felipe Alou went to the bullpen...

Sloppy Thurston has to make the all-Dodgers team. On principle.

160
You would be about 1000% correct on that sentiment!

159 I think your 500-game requirement is a bit too stringent. For one thing, several of the guys on your team (Gagne, Nomo etc.) don't even meet it. Plus I think there should be a place for guys like Manny Mota and Kirk Gibson, regardless of how many games they actually played.

There are non-players who need to be in, too -- Vin, Jaime Jarrin, Mike Brito, Frank Jobe.

158 If you saw the last game, I'm thinking specifically of the sequence when Cutler got concussed, came out, and Plummer came in, chucked the ball as far as he could on the first play, and was intercepted. That's the way Tomko looks on every pitch.

If Tomko were a gadget, I think he'd be the iPenguin:
http://tinyurl.com/3bsjrz

161 Stultz has an era over 7 on the year in AAA. And he's given up tons of base hits. His DIPS are decent though.

163 But a dog has personality! Personality goes a long way.

D4P - The Colorado Buffalo that was paryalzed at a game at Autzen was a tightend. I believe his name was Reinhart, or something like that, and his little brother came to play for the Ducks at somepoint as a defensive end .

At least thats how I remember it, but most Duck fans try to forget any of the 70's and 80's in football and concentrate on our increased fortune since becoming NIKE University.

164
That means nothing to me as we also made Woody Williams, Jeff Supan, and Jason Marquis all look like Cy freaking Young in the NLDS a few days later.

165 Joe Thurston? the secondbaseman of the future c. 2002?

159

... I'd put Lefebvre on the second team and Sax on the third.

Also, I've gotta think that Tommy John goes in there somewhere.

To fill in your third team, I'd put Greg Gagne at SS and John Shelby in CF.

Tomko is pretty much a known quantity. Despite his current suckitude, his strikeout rate is actually pretty good this year (7.67 per nine) and he's actually cut his walks almost in half from his usual numbers. The problem is the nine bombs in 65.7 innings. His FIP, basically defense neutral ERA, is 4.27. As far as I can see, there's nothing that really indicates that he's still Brett Tomko, and just going through a very bad stretch.

Hendrickson has actually been very similar to Tomko, similar innings, strikeouts, walks and the same propensity for giving up the jack. Because of this, I'd say keep Tomko, who is pretty much guaranteed to be below average, over Hendrickson, whose track record indicates he wouldn't be in the bigs if he wasn't on Tampa Bay.

171 It must be tough to be a fan of university where athletic success is directly proportional to the degree to which you dress like a clown.

167
Yes, will the 500 game limit was for position players. Obviously you'd have to have another criteria for starting pitchers and relief pitchers.
Manny Mota has to be in there somewhere. Better minds then mine can fill in the holes. Wouldn't Vinny have to be the 1st inductee of the Dodger HOF?

173 http://www.baseball-reference.com/t/thurssl01.shtml

170 I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.
--Winston Churhill

174
Shelby over Landreaux?
CF other then Davis/Butler is just not very strong, so really Juan Pierre is just following tradition.

Frenchy had the great start in 65/66 but was injury riddled the rest of his career.

176 Not if you went to the Clown Conservatory in San Francisco. I bet they could beat New Mexico State most years.

171
Reinhart sounds right. I'm pretty sure that was during the early part of Bill Musgrave's career.

The LA Times now reporting Jrue Holiday has committed to UCLA.

174 Ken Landreaux > Jon Shelby in respective dodger careers.

Oops, 65 beat me to it.

"176" Everytime the Ducks try a new uniform combo and Angel gets its wings...

Judging between Landreaux and Shelby is like trying to decide if it's better to get diabetes or lung cancer.

Furcal, SS
Pierre, CF
Loney, 1B
Kent, 2B
Gonzo, LF
Kemp, RF
Betemit, 3B
Lieberthal, C
Wolf, P

Or.. Everytime the Ducks try a new uniform combo an 8 year old Phillapino child gets 1/2 of a penny.

187 Per ItD

I like the lineup for most part with no Martin in there.

So 159 has inspired me to look through the Dodgers starters over the years. Ron Fairly looks like a nice player for 1B or RF. Better than Karros.

Wow, Loney gets the three-spot with Martin resting. Many should be thrilled.

I like it.

Boom Boom is going boom tonight in a pre celebration of July 4th.

I am still thinking about LaRoche and his trade value. He is hitting .266 in 38 games in AAA and has only four dingers. Is this the crown jewel of our prospects? Why? He didn't hit much during his admittedly short stint in MLB. The labrum remains a concern. Maybe LaRoche is a future star. If so, what is the basis for that assessment? I am trying to like this guy but, so far, am not encouraged.

To get value, we are going to have to part with one or more of our prospects. Better to trade LaRoche than Kemp, Loney, Bills, or even Abreu (who at least has shown that he can hit ML pitching).

194-No, LaRoche is not the "crown jewel", Kershaw is.

And I really hate seeing Betemit in there. Why not Abreu?

194
His prior minor league history before the shoulder problems. Looks like he's swinging with some authority again. Headed into this year he was a higher rated prospect then either Pence or Braun and you've seen what they have done while healthy. I agree this year looks weak but let's not discount him on 1/2 year of minor league numbers and instead focus on what he's done in the past. I was down on Loney for the same reason and he's made me look foolish.

195
Hate to see Betemit? That's a shame. I hate that we don't get to see him more.

195 Because Betemit is a better hitter than Abreu, even when Wilson is hitting .190.

195
Because we like to go "boom boom" and not " ping ping".

194
You are judging him based off this season alone. In addition, he showed great discipline while he was on the major league club.

We should not trade any of our young players. There is no good trade out there for us. But Ned will do something because Ned always has to do something.

195
Because we like to go "boom boom" and not "ping ping".

194 This is why: .292/.372/.513. LaRoche's career minor league numbers.

I'm still hesitant to call Kkershaw the crown jewel, because the last young pitchers the Dodgers had that did what Kershaw is doing are Greg Miller and Edwin Jackson. Things can happen to him.

200
You mean like trade for Maddux? Don't you hate it when you get an ace for spare parts because he just has to fiddle.

LaRoche is a great prospect in that, pre-shoulder injury, he was a good a bet to be a quality, dependable, better than average third baseman for many years. Not David Wright, Not Alex Gordon, but a very, very good 3rd baseman. On talent, or ceiling, Kershaw and Kemp are better (in my opinion).

3rd baseman are hard to find (can't you tell), and young, dependable, quality 3rd baseman are rarer. Actually, we're entering a pretty unusual era for so many good third young third baseman.

179 "CF other then Davis/Butler is just not very strong, so really Juan Pierre is just following tradition."

Duke Snider played 498 games for the L.A. Dodgers, most frequently in center field, and put up a 136 OPS+ during his time in Los Angeles.

198-Disagree. Wilson has an ugly, swooping swing and is essentially a feast or famine hitter. He's looked especially awful of late.

Abreu isn't great, either, but he's a better bet to make contact.

205
Thank God, I glanced at his games and must of missed something because I thought he wasn't close to 500. Stick his HOF butt in there.

The Rockies just recalled Matt Herges, thus giving him the chance to pad his career numbers for future evaluation.

203
I mean like the trade for Julio Lugo.

From AP: "Herges, 37, was with the Rockies April 19-20, appearing in two games and allowing four runs, three earned, in three innings. At Colorado Springs he's gone 2-1 with a 1.27 ERA in 35 1/3 innings. Opponents were hitting .194 off him and he had 33 strikeouts and 10 walks."

206
Hey, if you love contact he's your man. He's not what I like in a 3b but I can understand the support for him even if it is misguided.

206 When Abreu makes contact, he doesn't produce what Betemit does. Betemit's "ugly, looping swing" has produced a higher OBP and equal SLG to Abreu, even with Wilson's low AVG.

Who cares how their swings look? Production matters. And do you really want to talk about ugly swings without mentioning the hacktastic Abreu? He has swung at pitches that have almost hit him on numerous occasions.

209
Oh, I thought you meant the deal for Marlon the Magician.

Wilson has an ugly, swooping swing
(looks don't matter)

and is essentially a feast or famine hitter
(except that he gets on base and hits home runs. That's feast or feast)

He's looked especially awful of late.
(See above)

Abreu isn't great, either
(correct)

but he's a better bet to make contact
(we don't get contact points)

206 So far, every criticism I've read of Betemit this year focuses on how he looks and not how he plays.

Wanting guys who look like good ballplayers rather than being good ballplayers is what got us into this Juan Pierre mess. Let us not go down that road again.

195 Because Betemit has a career OPS vs. Kyle Davies of 5.000 !

(we don't get contact points)

Comedy.

It's funny to look at the feast of famine thing. Betemit hasn't had a single since June 13. He also hasn't started since June 24.

I lost track of how little Betemit has played lately. He has had nine starts since May 20, five of those coming the week of June 10.

I probably could have made my point without fisking another poster. My apologies.

Fisking...he he.

Julio Lugo is looking for his first hit off of an AL pitcher since June 5.

However, he wasn't tearing up NL pitching either, having just four hits in interleague play.

His last overall was an infield single against Colorado on June 14.

215
Every time I think about giving up on Betemit, all I can think of is David Ortiz and his stint with the Twins...

Why is it that every mixed black Lab has a white spot in the middle of the chest?

That is true. My female lab mix has a white chest and white "socks"

219 If by "Fisking" you wanted the other poster to stay fair (by waiving your arms), well done.

215 - So far, every criticism I've read of Betemit this year focuses on how he looks and not how he plays.

It's Choi redux!

Looks DO matter when they correlate with a lack of production. And it's obvious that "raw power" is being severely overrated here.

It's a big part of why Joel Guzman will never make it.

Dodgers starting lineup vs. Davies on May 6:
R. Furcal ss
J. Pierre cf
N. Garciaparra 1b
J. Kent 2b
L. Gonzalez lf
A. LaRoche 3b
A. Ethier rf
M. Lieberthal C
R. Wolf P

Interesting that it was Wolf both times and Lieberthal both times.

225 - I think it's fair to say if looks matter when they correlate with a lack of production, then it's really only the lack of production that matters.

And since Betemit's production has been at least marginally higher than Abreu's ...

Looks have no function. None.

You can take anything and try to make it a factor. Shoe size, favorite color, personal taste in interior design, and try to make it a factor.

The only thing that correlates to production is data. And it tells us that Betemit is the best option at third base.

Laroche is an A prospect and major league baseball should put a ban on teams trading A prospects.

225 You are not acknowledging that Betemit's "lack of production" has been greater production than Abreu, or Nomar for that matter thus far in 2007.

229 Unless the A prospect comes to the Dodgers.

229
I would love to hear more on this...

Why? I love the fact that the Rays got Kazmir and the Marlins got Hanley Ramirez because of the win-now attitude of the Mets and Sox.

Or was that a joke that I somehow missed...

Diamond Leung send me an email saying that hes coming out with a more in depth article on Logan White and our international efforts so look out for that. I'm assuming we are going to go with alot of Jose Dominguez type signings (50k/low cost) and see if one of them hits and stay out of the huge bonus market.

225 I will add that Betemit's sample size is very small because he doesn't play. So I will readily concede that over time, Abreu could be better than Betemit. But it doesn't look like an argument that is provable, because neither one plays enough.

So I'm not arguing about which player is better, really. I'm just talking about production and how the eye fools. And it's not personal. And if I am being rude, I apologize.

225 "Looks DO matter when they correlate with a lack of production."

If that's the case, then you've just made an excellent argument against Tony "Swing at Everything" Abreu.

Look, Betemit gets on base more than Abreu does. He hits for more power. He fields better at third base. So why do you want Abreu? Because he makes more contact? So what? An out is an out is an out. Except sometimes in Abreu's case it's two outs, since he hits ground balls instead of striking out.

Literally the only thing Abreu does better than Betemit this year is hit groundouts. I like me a good groundout, I guess, but I wouldn't want to base my offense around them.

I like to use elipses...

230-Betemit is better because his OBP is .005 higher than Abreu? Too small of a margin there. And I'm someone who thinks OBP is the most important of baseball stats.

232

if there was a ban, it would stop Colletti from doing something retarded. Although he has been very wise in which prospects to trade and which to keep so far in his tenure.

225
Not to throw any more fuel on this fire, but Abreu's average is a bit higher.

But then that gets us into the same mindset that caused us to sign Pierre.

238

Luck.

221 When I first read your comparison, I thought it was way off. But upon further review it's decent:

Betemit's career (thus far through his age 25 season):
.258/.331/.431, 96 OPS+ in 899 PA, 30.0 PA/HR

Ortiz's career through 2001 (his age 25 season; he was non-tendered after 2002):
.264/.351/.446, 102 OPS+ in 1227 PA, 32.3 PA/HR

Back to the beagle talk for a moment:

My beagle never barks. She bays every once in a while, mostly at squirrels that are absconding with my oranges (serves 'em right). She's a great dog - very playful and affectionate (4 yrs old). Downsides include prolific shedding (doesn't really bother me that much - that's what vacuums are for) and she's very possessive of toys, and strong-willed in general. Probably not a great dog for little kids. In fact, that's why we have her. She was exiled from her first home after biting a toddler who stole her toy. She's also tough to walk. Turn on nose, turn off brain. Very strong-willed. So, YMMV, but I'm quite happy with her.

Abreu, my friends, is our second baseman of the future. The guy was asked to play third. It is not his natural position. His defense is adequate there but he lacks the power we expect of a third-sacker. He is Kent's heir apparent at second. Putting him at third was a desperation move because Betemit can't clear the Mendoza line and LaRoche didn't hit enough to stay in the lineup.

Betemit, LaRoche, Abreu -- none of them are the answer at third. Betemit is probably the closest to it as he has proven that, at least at one time, he could hit ML pitching. LaRoche has yet to prove himself. Abreu is a second baseman who will hit like one.

238
The only thing is that we do not have the same amount of minor league depth. Most teams know which prospects they want on our team now.

240

luck or he is listening to his player development people.

I have two beagles and based on that experience, would probably never get any other kind of dog.

238
Ahhh...my apologies. A bit slow on the uptake I am.

We do have to admit that if Guzman, Tiffany, and Jackson do not work out, we may have actually gotten the better end of those deals.

Hall wasn't bad, Hendrickson was bad, but has been serviceable this year, and we at least got a supplementary pick for Lugo.

243
How can you say LaRoche is not the answer at third? Loney started off terrible last year when he was first called up.

243

You keep saying Laorche is not the answer at third but this opinion is based on half a season of play while ignoring his excellent minor league production and amateur pedigree.

236 - I like to use eclipses, but so far god hasn't given me the authority.

Career Minor League numbers

Betemit:.279/.338/.426 2511 AB
Ortiz: .310/.382/.530 1938 AB

247

i personally dont see any of those 3 becoming above average mlb players. they all have some huge flaws that will make it extremely difficult to overcome. That said, they all have better chances then Chris Withrow and James Adkins of producing in the majors.

If you get a Lab, and it's not a rescue, make sure it comes from a reputable breeder. Mine came from a pet store and he has had myriad health problems. I love him to death, but I wouldn't wish his medical bills on anyone. Well, maybe Pierre.

245

I believe he is listening when his "development people" say to hold on to Kemp and Loney, although who knows if these "development people" wanted to keep the ones he sent packing.

Turn on nose, turn off brain.

It's almost like beagles and I were made for each other!
When the time comes, I'm gettin' me a beagle!

237 Do you really think Betemit is a .190 hitter? Even with his putrid BA, Betemit's OBP is higher than Abreu, even if the difference is only .005.

Betemit's BABIP is only .200. Some of his outs over time will be hits, and his OBP will be even higher.

Abreu's BABIP is .313

251

its really hard to use betemits minor league production and project it to the majors because he is a completely different type of hitter now then in the minors.

228 "Looks have no function. None."

Even if you're watching tennis?

251 I'm not saying Betemit will become Big Papi; I'm just surprised their early MLB numbers weren't miles apart.

Considering Abreu and Betemit's OBP, SLG, and OPS are nearly identical, is the primary argument for Betemit that his OBP is less BA-dependent?

Betemit - .327/.421/.748
Abreu - .322/.421/.743

254

I'm assuming that if those player development people (ie Logan White) were so adament against trading those players, they would probably be with another organization right now considering it would seem that the GM didn't care for their opinions.

258

Do you mean to tell me that Anna Kournikova was not the best female tennis player of all time?

258 She was until Ana Ivanovic rolled around.

What about looking at a pitcher to see if they have bad mechanics that might make them prone to injury? Looks certainly matter there.

This is me just looking at the DSL roster, but there is a player that really sticks out at me that is someone to watch out for down the road. Its 18yr old 6'3 181lb shortstop, Pedro Guerrero.

so far for the season, he is hitting:
77AB 312/386/403 8bb 10k

why i like him from the numbers:
-he plays a middle infield position and his frame suggests growth and power potential down the road
-great contact ability and plate discipline at this level
-high average which shows good bat control at this level

who knows, maybe he comes over next summer and becomes legit.

Is it tough to get homeowners insurance when you take in a toddler-biting dog?

243 "Betemit, LaRoche, Abreu -- none of them are the answer at third... LaRoche has yet to prove himself."

So LaRoche is not the answer because he has yet to prove himself?

Look, there are 300 or so players in the Hall of Fame. At some point early in each of their careers, they had failed to prove themselves. I'm not saying LaRoche is a Hall of Famer (then again, I'm not saying he isn't), but the reason he hasn't proven himself because he hasn't been given a chance to prove himself. In his one brief major league trial he performed better than any of the other three third basemen we've employed this year -- and was very likely playing hurt.

If our philosophy is that no player should be allowed to play until he's proven himself, well, then no player would ever prove himself. We'd have to rely solely on the known quantities and rejects of the baseball world -- the mediocre Tampa Bay lefthanders, the broken-down old first basemen, the slappy centerfielders. What kind of philosophy is that?

The phrase "he hasn't proven himself" is truly one of the banes of my existence, because it gets thrown around so commonly and so carelessly, and usually by people who you'd hope would know better than that.

"He hasn't proven himself" is why it took longer than it should've for Saito to be made closer, or for Broxton to be made the setup man.

"He hasn't proven himself" is why Matt Kemp was kept in the minors for half the year, to the detriment of the major league team.

"He hasn't proven himself" is why James Loney was sent to the minors to start the year, despite clearly being one of the 25 best major league players in the organization.

"He hasn't proven himself" is why Chad Billingsley was sent to the bullpen so Brett Tomko could start.

"He hasn't proven himself" is why some were worried that we'd called Russell Martin up from Las Vegas too soon.

264 But that's not to evaluate performance. That's to evaluate future health concerns. Different kettle of fish.

258 Looks matter a great deal in watching tennis. Also in finding a mate. I'd put it right behind wealth as things I look for in a potential mate. And hip size. Very critical*

*The preceding comment was simply a poor attempt at humor. The views expressed are not real. Women out there, I'm just kidding. I am not a shallow person. Okay, maybe a little bit.

267

hey eric, in your minor league roundup you forgot to mention Andrew Lambo; my pick to make the back-end of the dodgers top 10!

It's not the hip size, so much as the hips to waist ratio. At least, that's what John Cleese told me.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0280262/

Eric feels about "He hasn't proven himself" the way I feel about "consistence" in performance. Like we're making BBQ sauce. Consistency? Either you are good or you are not.

Anyway, Eric Enders wins the internet today.

Nate, I hate to argue with you because I love your contributions to this site, and you clearly know more about the farm system then I, although I firmly believe there is a huge amount of luck when dealing with prospects. Of course talent can be recognized but there is no way to ensure it will hold up in the future. It is like a hand of Texas Hold'em, sure pocket aces (Edwin Jackson, for example) look great pre-flop, but they don't always pan out. Additionally, every once in a while your 7 – 2 off suite can sometimes payoff huge dividends.

All I am trying to say is that I believe Ned has been more on the lucky side that all the prospects he as shipped away have all had disappointing starts to their careers.

Re: Dodgers HoF team.

I can't see a Dodger HOF team without Jackie Robinson on it. Maybe I missed his name on your rosters?

273 It was for LA Dodgers only.

273- I think they were restricting it to L.A. Dodgers.

274. and 275. Oh, thanks. For some reason I always think that Jackie played a season or two in LA.

272

its hard to use the poker analogy because there is no objective opinion on what type of starting hand these prospects are. At one time, they could have been considered pocket rockets or big slick but at the time they were dealt, their flaws were shown and their starting values were greatly diminished. I was one of those people angry when Jackson was traded, with Guzman and Tiffany, not so much. So far though, their performances seemed to have validated Colletti's judgement.

265 Just keep him away from Dade County and O.J.'s lady friends.

I was angry when Jackson was traded, not because I thought he would turn out to be great -- that time had passed -- but because (a) Tiffany, who I thought still had potential, was included in the deal, and (b) We got nothing but crap in return.

Same thing with Navarro. He looked like a pretty decent prospect at the time; I wasn't unhappy to get rid of him, just unhappy that he was given away for nothing.

In the early 90's my friend Elden and I, who were two of the few Dodger fans in Vermont (we had been going to Dodgers-Expos games in Montreal for years), spent the few extra bucks and stayed at the same hotel (can't remember the name at this point) where the Dodgers stayed in Montreal. After the game, which was probably a loss, considering our track record of about 3 wins out of 15-20 games, we went to the hotel bar to hang out for awhile. Mike Morgan had pitched for the Dodgers that night, and had been doing pretty well until he got hit on the the toe by a line-drive and had to come out of the game. He entered the bar as the team bus was emptying, and we congratulated him on a good performance, and wished him a quick recovery from his seemingly painful injury. Awhile later a couple of seats down at the bar was Mike Sharperson. He was by himself, away from the crowd, and gave us a pleasant greeting, and a toast.

I was really sad to hear of Sharperson's passing years later at such a young age. I'll always think of these guys as Dodgers, and the fun my friend and I had going to those games in weird Olympic Stadium the worst ballpark I've ever been to.

277
I think, like our prospects, Colletti needs at least 2-3 years before passing judgment. We are approaching that time, but I want to give him at least two trading deadlines to prove himself.

So far, the results are pretty good. Not great, but pretty good.

My only disappointment with beagles (the ones my friends have) so far is that I can never get them to sit atop their doghouses and type novels. That was some false advertising there, Sparky!

280 I went to about 13 or 14 Dodger games in Montreal during the Gagne years, and I loved it. (I don't think that was the worst park in baseball, either, not while The Vet was still alive.) The fans were few, but those who actually did show up were loud and raucous and clearly having a very good time.

So to sum up, re: Boom (or Bust) Betemit: He's got a great personality?

282 My two beagles used to sit on top of the doghouse all the time -- they never sat in it, only on top of it. One of them is a white beagle who looks just like Snoopy, too. But he's 13 now and can't get his tired old bones to climb up there anymore.

279 Jackson and Tiffany were traded for Carter and Baez. Carter was DFAed. Baez and Aybar were traded for Betemit. This was in just over six months time. Summary:

Lost: Jackson, Tiffany, Aybar
Gained: Betemit.

285 - We had two dalmatians who would drag firewood into their doghouse to sleep against.

By the way, in keeping with my dictatorial ways this week, no bad words on dalmatians. There's always someone who wants to knock dalmatians, but I loved ours. Those dogs are victims of stereotyping - thank goodness the original "101 Dalmatians" got it right.

I firmly believe that dalmations are the key to the Middle East peace process. And cancer cures.

Best. Dogs. Ever.

287: That's because the original was based on real life events.

285 That just made me go "Awwwww" despite myself.

Did he wear a flyer's helmet and scarf and curse the Red Baron, too? That would be a neat trick.

I like dalmatians too, they can be really sweet, loyal dogs. Even though my exroommate got a really large sized one when we lived together and the thing needed massive training and exercise, more than my roomie could give it. Used to tear up my college papers, too. But despite that, I still like dalmatians. I also dated a girl who had a mixed breed dog, it was a Sharpei and Dalmatian mix that she called a sharmatian. Quite a nice dog, if odd looking.

When I get a dog it'll probably be a corgi or an akita.

If my cats approve.

288 Especially dalmatians who went to Stanford?

291 and laugh at Spalding Gray monologues.

283-I was gone from Vermont long before Gagne graced the Dodgers. I would have loved to have seen him pitch there. I can't imagine how exciting that would have been.

I went to many games in Montreal with 30-40,000 in attendance on weekends back in the 80s, but even with sparser weekday crowds, they'd pound on that plastic floor and it seemed like thunder.

I wasn't saying that Olympic Stadium was the worst ballpark, but just the worst I've been to (never went to the Vet), though Tropican Field in St. Pete wasn't anything to brag about either.

I hated Eupie (sp?) that orange mascot they had, and the scoreboard with cheers in French. My buddy was French-Canadian-American, so he translated for me.

I had a black lab/rottweiler mix. He was big and looked menacing, but was just a big softy.

I think my ex-roomie's dalmatian enjoyed Springsteen too (I know the roomie was a fan). Best dog ever!

We had a dalmatian when I was a teen; she was a fine dog, if a bit high-strung. Great looking dogs, but they need to come from a reputable source. Ours came from a private breeder we knew personally; she gave us "Abbie" at eight months when her previous owner, who wasn't prepared for the responsiblity, returned her.

is anyone taping the U-20 World Cup?

my housemates and I have a Boxer. He's about 14months now and thinks hes a lap dog even though he weighs 90lbs.

We have a CI sighting in Detroit! Alert the Timmermann!

295
Unfortunately, the only two dalmations that I was around made me want to commit cruelty to animlas. Both were very Cujo-esque.

Bonds just hit #751.
4 more to go.

I really hope he doesn't break the record vs. the Dodgers.

My sister has Rhodesian Ridgebacks. Beautiful, friendly dogs, but maybe the laziest dogs I've ever seen.

297 What channel is it on, Hallux?
I'm home now for a bit...

302 I'm often described in the exact same way.

303 ESPNU. The match is over now (I'm watching TiVo). The replay's at 7:00. One ofth best goals I've ever seen.

"of the"

stupid wireless.

During the Red Sox - Devil Rays game, the Red Sox announcers were talking about Tampa Bay's historical pitching woes. Dan Orsillo then mentioned "Mark Hendrickson, now in the bullpen for the Dodgers...the Devil Rays have had a lot of pitchers that have started for them and went on to become good relievers elsewhere."

New post up top.

Sadly, I discovered this week that ESPNU is one of the few channels I don't get :-( (My landlord pays for cable and got the extreme 600 channel package, but apparently missed a few.) Oh well. Who scored?

309 Danny Szetela, from 10 yards, on a header. Service came from the right side, Szetela in the middle. He was facing the sideline and flicked his head to the left, knocking the ball into the very top left corner. Unstoppable. As a former center back who scored exclusively in the air on set pieces, I couldn't make that shot in my dreams. I'd be dreaming, and I'd go up, and my dream self would look at me and say, "what are you, kidding?"

And just now- Adu bent it like Beckham. Another ridiculous goal. This is a great game. Very up and down the pitch. 2-1 US

266 Your ability to get homeowner's insurance is the least of your problems. Your big problem now is, well, there's this thing that I call the "first bite free rule", but that won't apply to you and yours, since you've now went on record telling the world that your dog is dangerous to our common humanity. So whether you have insurance or not, you've set yourself up for the slam dunk on the liability phase of the personal injury lawsuit brought by the dog-bitten human. All that's left will be the damages phase, and I hope that you come off as sympathetic, or else you'll really be in trouble...

Lastly, for the rest, for the stated reason, never harbor a breed of dog known for the propensity to bite, as there are two ways around the first bite free rule, the just stated premise of prior knowledge of the dangerous propensity, even though the particular breed isn't known for its viciousness, and then there's selecting a breed of dog that anyone caring about their fellow humans would never choose to harbor [aka the choice of the vicious breed].

267. LaRoche hasn't proven himself at the AAA level. If he isn't hitting for average or smacking dingers at LV, he isn't ready to help the Dodgers either.

Yeah, I know, Loney wasn't hitting at LV this year either. However, he did hit .390 last year at LV.

Lots of hype on LaRoche. That's fine. But it would be nice to see him perform -- at AAA. Those prospect ranking lists are great entertainment over the winter, but at some point the guy has to hit.

Blake DeWitt falls into the same category. He hasn't proven he can hit AAA because he hasn't played AAA. He is clearly not ready to help the Dodgers.

My recollection is that all of the players you mentioned excelled at the AAA level. They proved themselves ready for MLB. LaRoche isn't here yet and may not ever get there. But I would be very pleased if he did.

312 LaRoche batted .322/.400/.550 in AAA last year.

LaRoche, over 202 ABs last year in AAA:.322/.400/.550 10HR

He's been hurt and is having a down year. Both of those things are true. But he has produced in AAA, as he has at every other level.

Rats. Even dead threading I'm too slow.

on the dog topic, a good friend just got a french bulldog, and i am in love. one of the coolest little dogs ive come in contact with. he doesnt seem to have an overabundance of energy which is key for me. growing up with parents who loved the grateful dead i had a few really cool australian shepherds. they are by far the best frisbee dogs.

btw the rockies are absolutely pummeling the metropolitans right now 10-3 in the bottom of the 4th.

317 I thought the Mets were playing the Padres tonight.

Uh, wrong thread. Waaaay wrong.