Good luck Willy.

i liked willy. i'm rooting for him to make a successful comeback.

2 I just hope he has a successful comeback in his life, baseball should not be the most important thing in his life.

Speaking of comebacks, I guess they did not need an MRI, per Tony Jackson's ITD, Andy LaRoche took BP today and is expected back into the lineup tomorrow.

Culled from previous thread:
I think Bert Blyleven's HOF candidacy is hurt by the creepiness of the "Circle Me Bert" phenomenon on Twins' telecasts.

[From the last thread - I even refreshed before posting, but no NPUT comment!]

In trying to look at the Betemit/Proctor trade in a different light, I realized the similarity of another trade that was made, Wigginton (plus cash, perhaps the difference between the $2.7 and $2.1 million salaries) for Wheeler.

Wigginton, age 29, 2400 PA, .268/.328/.449 101 OPS+, slightly, but not markedly better than career averages the last few seasons.

Betemit, age 25, 942 PA, .266/.340/.446 102 OPS+, possibly on an improvement curve, salary ~ $500,000

Wheeler, age 29, 384 IP, 3.96 ERA, 111 ERA+, 1.305 WHIP, 2.78 K/BB, 1.13 HR/9

Proctor, age 30, 228 IP, 4.30 ERA, 102 ERA+, 1.373 WHIP, 1.94 K/BB, 1.38 HR/9, salary ~ = Betemit.

Extra facts for Ned: Wheeler pitched 1 1/2 season for the NEW YORK Mets and has more post-season experience (with Houston) than Proctor.

Is Wheeler significantly better than Proctor? Would the Astros have preferred the cheaper, younger and more versatile Betemit vs. Wigginton? Did the Dodger scouts not like Wheeler? Would Betemit for Wheeler be a trade that was any better or worse than Betemit/Proctor? Given the monetary savings, would Houston have thrown a little something else into the deal, even if it was just minor-league roster filler? Do I have too much time on my hands?

Good luck to Willy. Judging solely by the length of the rehab, it could be a very serious effort, unlike some of the recent Hollywood rehabs.

5 Another factor could be that Honeycutt was the minor league pitching coordinator during Proctor's time in the organization and he probably had some thoughts on Proctor's skills.

I actually prefer Proctor a bit over Wheeler, for whatever that's worth, so if that's what we're asking then I prefer this trade. I wish we could have traded Wiggington instead of Betemit (even though we never had Wiggington)!

In other news, my soccer team had about 16 shots on goal and couldn't score against a wall of a goalie today, while our sub goalie gave up 4. I played about as well as I ever have and it was all for naught. One of our players was injured 5 mins into the game. The other team had 2 ringers who aren't on their roster sub for them today, too - two of the best players in the league. That was fair. All told, underdog is not in a happy frame of mind. The Dodgers better win today.

If you are looking for the cure for insomnia, Tim McCarver is interviewing Merlin Olson on KCAL right now.

Man, a whole week without Kent. I never thought I'd miss him so much. I wish we could have Abreu up this week over Martinez, but what can ya do? The Dodgers are like my soccer team right now - too much pressure on the defense to keep it close.

8 I guess my unwritten question is, given a Wigginton for Wheeler type of market, it is realistic to expect much more than a Proctor for Betemit? I would think Betemit has the blessing and curse of potential more in his favor, but I would be biased.

11 I guess, to counter that thinking, some might say that if a pitcher like Proctor is all that you could get for Betemit, then you should not make the deal.

But if you are talking solely on what the market will bear, I think you are probably correct.

Hope for the best for Willy.

I don't know why, but I always root for former Dodger prospects. Good luck Willy

Looks like Gameday for me today, as I'll keep an eye on the Pad-Giants, which DTV has.

six straight fastballs followed by a K-inducing curveball to their #3 hitter. Penny's just going after them. I think 12 of his 14 pitches were FBs.

The youth movement seems to be paying off for the D'Backs and Rockies. The Dodgers are wise to follow suit.

Martin was limping after he passed first. But the injury delay (if there is one on GameDay) is Conner Jackson's. He's staying in.

That was almost something.

19 I'm a little surprise it didn't carry out in a day game on a warm day.

Ooh, a rare time for Vin to turn over control of the booth.

If you wanted to run a commercial congratulating yourselves, you should have bought time.

Tough play.

Bob Melvin must think that Webb is going to throw a shutout.

McCourt should go on the Tim McCarver Show.

I've become very spoiled about getting to watch every game. This bites.

Penny's timing on covering was off. He was there first, just not on the bag yet.

Sounds like I don't want to watch anyway.

McCourt should do this as a pre-game feature with PSA-type announcements in the broadcast.

Penny's bad with the footwork on that play sometimes. He almost got his calf spiked big time a few weeks ago.

Dear Frank McCourt,

I'm writing to inform you that your right to use the rhetorical device(s) listed here segue has been suspended. Thank you for your cooperation.

Your Friend,
The Universe

great. exit bonds, enter upton.

At least the D-backs gave the Dodgers one out by bunting with their #5 hitter.

There's more to life than your morning coffee, Mr. CBS representative; should I stop by and pitch you my charitable ideas while you have it tomorrow?

Vin, in signing off with McCourt, "... it's always awkward, but ..."

Who says Vin doesn't acknowledge the negative?

The gloves have been an embarassment this inning. A dropped pop-up, a failed cover of first base, and a strong throw may even have gotten Reynolds- the flyball wasn't that deep.

BTW, what is wrong with Jeff Kent?

36 Bum hamstring.

36
Kent has a strained hamstring/thigh.

Unless Jeff Franceour was playing center, the runner would have tagged and scored.

35 I know its in jest but what they were talking about is more important than any game.

But then as I write this, Vin sums it up eloquently and with proper perspective.

Icarus, were you counting on DTV like me.

In general its been a dad week for D's fans and most of us wouldn't be great company right now as Underdog pointed out.

36 No way - that got to Pierre pretty quickly and was deep enough. A CF would have had to be playing pretty deep to have been able to set up a strong throw on that.

35 Only partially in jest; it WAS awkward, and that was a negative, although the topic does far outweigh a mere baseball game, of course.

Gonzo post All Star Break:

.239/.254/.299

1 walk in 67 Abs.

This team cant afford to sit Matt Kemp and play both Pierre/Gonzo in the OF.

41
Juan Pierre will be blamed for anything and everything.

I think I saw him on the Grassy Knoll back in the Zapruder Film.

Gonzo better be gonzo this off season.

44 I put "Juan Pierre" into a Serbian translator and it returned "Gavrilo Princip".

When someone writes up the summary of this season, they may overlook three injuries because they were not put on DL.

Saito's two mini breaks and this week for Jeff Kent.

While there were concerns about Nomar and Gonzo, they have been fairly healthy all season. Furcal, has been banged up since running into Repko. Pierre, if anything, does not get hurt. Martin is now perhaps feeling the effects of all those starts.

But Kent's hammy is the first major boo boo since Raffy missed the beginning of the year.

Interesting, from the Moreno interview in the Times:

The buck stops with Moreno

>> Suppose the Angels could get that big bat without giving up any young players. They could, if Rodriguez opts out of his contract with the New York Yankees this fall. The contract pays him $27 million annually, through 2010.

"If he's opting out of a $27-million contract, don't you think they're expecting more?" Moreno said.

If they are -- by they, he means Rodriguez and his agent, Boras -- Moreno said they won't be getting it from the Angels.

"Right now, I don't see a $20-million player on our team," Moreno said. "We have the fourth-highest payroll. We don't have the fourth-highest revenue." <<

http://tinyurl.com/39ubc5

Things have been sinking fast since the removal of Hull.

Dre!

Martinez should bat 9th, Penny is a better hitter!

But why on earth is Ethier hitting 8th?

Grady Little treats spots in the lineup like they're tenured positions.

53 54
I'm 34 seconds late, and I get smoked twice!

I sense that people are displeased.

I'm very sensitive to people's feelings that way.

It seems simple to try to get your best hitters the most at bats they can.

49- Maybe the world's biggest rat petting zoo could be an additional revenue stream. Apparently he has the necessary prerequisites scurrying around the food prep areas.

55. I agree, Marlon Anderson is much better. I´m afraid that Ned thinks that the reason that the Dodgers aren´t playing well is the youngsters.

58 Obviously to good karma of "Think Cure" has not transferred to the mindset of DT.

I am missing Abreu while Kent is out. I have been thinking if Abreu is faking an injury because he thought he was sent down to avoid paying MLB money while he was nursing an injury, is that any worse than Ned sending him down to save money, etc.

62 Marlon Anderson cannot play SS. Ramon Martinez can.

Perhaps somber self-congratulation isn't good karma.

Byrne's dive on Ethier's dive was ridiculous, not really close. He's lucky it didn't bounce of the wall harder, perhaps below the padding, and become a triple.

Gonzo and Peirre are boring me to death as is Ethier hitting 9th.

62 Why would you say that, he kept all the youngsters.

Go ahead and question moves and non-moves but can we at least put to bed the idea that Ned was going to come here and trade away the farm system. He hasn't done it through two off-seasons and two trading deadlines so can we agree to put that one away.

8th

Marlon Anderson can't even really play second base either. The Mets don't use him there.

73 - [in tune] And if you can't play second there, you can't play second...anywhere.

Brad Penny - Day games, they just never seems to work out.

People, there is a rule 6.

This is turning into the Day of the Long Knives on DT.

71. Yes, you are right. But I´m afraid that he changes his mind about trading young players if the Dodgers doesn´t get to the playoffs.

77 Worked out okay on DT day!

What has Mueller done to Loney and Kemp?
Why does Martin have to play every game?
Why does Pierre have to play.
Why does Gonzo have to play?
Why does Ethier hit 8th?
Why des Gonzo hit cleanup?
Why is Saenz still on the team?

71--Thats not the best way to get future calls from the ump.

80 But the message to me during this trading deadline is that getting to the playoffs this year is not as important as developing the players we have in place both here and in the system.

So while getting to the playoffs is important, they were not and are not going to trade away the guys that are here.

In many ways, what happens during the next two months is not as exciting as what will be going on in 2008 and beyond.

80. Never thought about it, you are right. Do you think that Wolf will be back next year?

If Gonzo is not re-signed and Kemp is given the starting job, then I'll begin to believe that Ned is committed to the kids.

But I suspect next year's situation with Gonzo will be like Nomar's this season.

Hu can indeed. Not who can.

85 Promoting Hu now is premature. He just got to AAA. His hitting picked up this season.

Hu is also not a hitting-phenom type prospect.

Anybody want to lay odds on LuGo's coming back? I think there's a better chance of Dreifort's coming back next year than there is of LuGo's.

A good cure for what ails one's offense is a trip to Cincinnati and St. Louis, I think. Especially the former. Also getting Kent back. Also, not playing so suckily.

I realize "suckily" isn't a word, but it seems to fit.

Anyway, things'll get better. Because they can't get worse.

94. I don´t think Gonzo will be back next year but in my opinion Kent and Wolf will.

August in a pennant race is a pretty high-pressure situation to promote a kid one month out of AA. He could easily produce worse than Ramon.

97 So who's missing from our "best guns," besides, at the moment, Kent?

Gonzo's slugging is under .440. Kemp and Ethier will have plenty of experience under their belt. This is not quite like Loney and Nomar. Very unlikely Gonzo returns. Perhaps some AL team take a shot with him at DH?

98- I agree with you about Kent. But Wolf, I think, could go either way. I don't think Colletti will bother if he doesn't return to something like form this season. And it probably wouldn't be a bad idea. I wouldn't grouse about it, anyway. Too bad all around about Elbert and Miller, but they can't be Plan A, next year.

Loney is (predictably) coming back down to earth. What's a reasonable line to expect from the guy...? Something like

.300/.350/.450...?

101 Delwyn Young's first 10 MLB PAs have yielded this: .100 .100 .100 with 4 Ks. He has torn up AAA this year.

94 I don't think Gonzo will be back in 2008. It will be interesting this offseason to see what the moves are. I wonder if management will have the trust to stand pat offensively and promote from within to fill the holes. Abreu could be the utility IF (or starting 2B if Kent retires), Kemp and Ethier could play everyday, Delwyn Young could be the 4th OF, and LaRoche could be a utility man of sorts, playing 3B, 1B, and corner OF.

If I had to guess, Wolf will be back in 2008, perhaps at a lower (and longer?) contract than his current $9m option.

105- PECOTA's weighted mean had him at .295/.351/.470 coming into the year. I bet it would be higher if they reran it, mid-season.

107 I agree that Kemp (and Ethier really) should be playing full time. Hu I don't think is ready, either, though yeah, he couldn't be much worse than Martinez. Andy's been hurt, but will likely get his chance before too long, I'm betting. Meloan should be up soon, too, but the Dodgers problem has not been their bullpen lately.

I also agree with whoever said above that Ethier should not be in the #8 slot. That's ridiculous. Before Martinez?

Four days of Martinez is not the end of the world. It's unpleasant, but as long as Kent is coming back, it doesn't seem to warrant too much teeth gnashing.

Penny really shouldnt be bunting for like a bajillion reasons.

Oh great, that's all we need. This team needs someone to perform an exorcism, seriously. Bring in a witch doctor, whatever it takes!

come on raffy, park it in the seats.

hmm, that makes it sound like he hit into a DP.

Or, on the other hand, Penny just set them up with the ol' "I'm hurt! No, I'm not" fakeroo.

If Penny had made an out, his BA might have dropped below his ERA. That hit gave him some breathing room.

what's going on?

We should get a fund raiser going to buy DT a fainting couch. All the sighing has me worried that we're unprepared.

Another old chestnut I always like is the "Why is Pierre starting every day?" one, an oldie but a goodie. Thinking outside the box, Ethier in the # slot wouldn't be such a bad deal, would it? Bring Pierre in late in the game if his streak is so important.

316 swings at terrible pitches. The guy's knowledge of the strike zone is pathetic.

124 Furcal flied deep to center, Pierre popped out, all with two on. Inning over.

316?

130 Dude, really. Chill. Take a break from baseball for a bit if you need to.

125
I have already cornered the market on fainting couches.

Effigies, fainting couches, long knives can all be purchased from my designated supplier.

316?

As in "Juan .316"

Derek Lowe's id was the downfall of 2005.

134- Any truth to the rumor that StubHub is your official secondary market supplier?

Reality check: baseball has a 162 game season. Even great teams lose 60 games. Bad streaks happen. Good hitters make outs 65% of the time. Good pitchers give up three runs every nine innings, on average. Sometimes things don't go the way one might like.

The Dodgers are struggling for a few games - it happens. They are still in the pennant race. They are still only down 3-0 in this game; they (finally) scored seven runs yesterday. Who knows what might happen?

138

It's a spinoff called StubEffigy.

Penny in line for Quality Start.

Honestly if you want to talk about the Dodgers' season going down the drain, you should just read and post on Tony Jackson's blog on insidesocal.com - he's being the king of negative hyperbole right now. Hard not to be negative right now I know, but when it becomes repetitive and overly dramatic, it's pointless and makes me feel worse, anyway.

The Dodgers are 1 for 23 in their last 4 games with RISP.

No walks in the game thus far.

If you want to feel really morose, check out the top of the ninth inning of the Brewers-Phillies game.

139.That´s true, last year in July the Dodgers were struggling but got to the playoffs.
And what will happen I don´t know, but I know that Pierre will not hit a HR today. :)

I really would've started Lieberthal one of these last two games - Martin's the Golden God but he's looked banged up and sluggish, and we really need him down the stretch. But I guess that's an old chestnut at this point, too.

Hard not to be negative right now

It's easier for me, since I'm a D'backs fan, now. But I know what you mean.

143 I really don't get the point of his rants, I guess he feels that its his forum to write his opinions as opposed to his articles in the paper but he writes it as if he is just a very upset fan.

LuGo's OPS has fallen below .800

147 Wow, if I was a Brewers fan I'd definitely feel bummed out. They used 8 pitchers in that game - so far.

151 I didn't say he can't hit; I said he might not be ready for MLB and that he started hitting this season. He has one month in AAA.

150 But the D-Back's have had periods like this too this year.

Nomar's OPS has fallen below .700, which isn't as bad as it sounds because it means that his OPS actually (finally) got up to .700 in the first place.

The part of Tony Jackson will be played by Randy Quaid, of Major League 2 fame.

149 I assume that Martin not resting today is partially fallout from Kent not playing. How many good sticks can Grady have out?

For all we know, Hu could be the second coming of Chin-Feng Chen.

150 Well, the Red Sox have the best record in baseball now, so I decided to become a Red Sox fan. There! That was easy. Problems-be-gone!

162 Yeah, yesterday's the day I would've sat him. But the point is, Martin is normally a good stick, but hasn't been doing much this week and looks a little banged up. Is Lieberthal such a bad stick that this line-up would be considerably worse today? In general, of course I'd agree with you.

Hu could be the second coming of Chin-Feng Chen

Q: Who's to say:
A: Hu, that's who.

164. And they have Eric Gagne!

159 163 Or any other of the vast number of AAA stars turned MLB flameouts.

Hu is not going to be called up to ride the pine. There is no starting job for him, yet. Kent is not even on the DL.

157- Of course. I'm with you on this one; there's no sense getting too depressed over a lousy streak, just like there's not sense deciding that you're invincible when you ring off a six game winning streak. In baseball, as in life, failure is the positive element.

168 No, it isn't. Chen's career:
.091 .200 .091 -18

-18 OPS+ (!)

Thankyoumuch, Brandon Webb.

So is Kent not even available to pinch hit? I'm assuming he is since he's come out on deck a couple of times this series but hasn't actually hit.

It still pains me that this season could have been lost because of the agressiveness of Jason Repko.

172 Little said Kent would be available to pinch hit only in "game-breaking situations." Kent was on deck Thursday night when Loney made the final out of the game.

Good for you, Lucille II.

Jeff Kent is 3 for 30 in his career as a pinch hitter. He's 2 for 20 in his careera as a DH.

I guess he doesn't like coming off the bench.

Good Piece of Hitting by Ethier.

[171] i call small sample size.

179 Of course, but it is a similar sample to Lucille II's 5-21 in Kent's place these last several days.

Brewers down to their last out, but Kevin Mench drew a walk against Jose Mesa.

As they say in Milwaukee, "Kevin Mench doesn't walk."

[147] joe table is now in to close it off for the phillies.

Ooh, Manuel intentionally walks Estrada to load the bases for Craig Counsell, the Pat Tabler of the 21st Century.

[180] even then... CFC got 22 at-bats spread out over 19 games in four years. maybe he might've gotten a single start in that time period. to judge him based on that is incredibly unfair. lucille ii, on the other hand, has had almost 2000 major league at-bats, so we have a good idea of what his production level is.

No joy in the Cream City, the Mighty Counsell lines out to second.

Aside from Lowe's start, the starters pitched okay this homestand, not great but okay.

Saito made 36 appearances in 89 games during the first half. He's made six so far in the 21 games after the ASB.

What happened to Xavier Paul?

2008 lineup? Doubt Ned somehow replaces Pierre with Andruw Jones, but would be nice.

Furcal SS
Ethier LF
Russell C
Kemp RF
Loney 1B
Kent 2B (Abreu/Hu)
LaRoche 3B
Pierre CF

I don't really see a non-pitcher position that Ned would swing a trade for. Troy Glaus is a FA though.

There may have been a post earlier today, but just came back home and got this email from Diamond regarding the status of TOny Abreu

Hi Louis, it's my understanding that there is no official change to Tony Abreu's status. He has the same abdominal issue, but is not on the seven-day disabled list, and while I did notice the Web site change, I checked and he is not on any "reserve" list as of now. I'm told it's possible he's not on the DL because there's no infielder to promote to Las Vegas anyway. Thanks for the heads up, might have more after today's game.

Diamond

188 Glaus is signed through 2008, plus an $11.25m player option with Toronto.

190 Glaus's player option is for 2009.

Nice play.

Baseball is such a game of hot streaks and cold spell. Without wanting to toot my own horn, I have to say I was amazed at how much the change in hitting coaches was praised by writers far and near for contributing to the D's hot hitting. I was aghast, thinking does this mean when the D's stop hitting for a while it will be Muellers fault?
As often happens in slumps, teams get away from their good characteristics/we usually would have milked Webb for more than 83 pitches in seven innings.

The guy in the white shirt should be escorted out. And he should be worried about his physical safety.

Holy cow, as Phil Rizzuto would say.

If nothing else, the Dodgers have had some web gems this week - most of them by Furcal. For that's worth.

Proctor shows great composure...wonder if he'll be given a shot at the rotation next year....

Come on Slappy, give us an inside the park bunt home run here! Something to get the crowd involved.

OK Proctor.---maybe we got something useful.
I'm somewhat optimistic. Before I found DT, I would probably be on a suicide watch, or hauling a Kalishnikov into a McDonalds, at this point in the week.

my ideal lineup:

Furcal SS
Ethier CF
Russell C
Dunn LF (trade D. Young/McDonald?)
Kemp RF
Loney 1B
LaRoche 3B
Hu/Abreu 2B

If you go for broke, package Kershaw for ticked off Johan Santana. In this moody chat, I will dream of a Santana, Penny, Lowe, Billingsley rotation.

This game is the cherry on the cake of my day.

Argh, Dunn is such a bad outfielder. Can we please stop asking for Adam Dunn? Other than that, like your lineup.

199 Kershaw for Santanna would be a horrible trade for the Twins.

What's the opposite of clutch hitting? Unclutch? Klotch?

Another inning of this and anyone who attended all three games deserves to have their parking validated.

[196] why do we need him in the rotation? what makes you think he will be better as a starter than as a reliever? his ability to warm up quickly makes me think he is well-suited for relief.

I forgot to mention I saw something funny at Petco last night. A fan in a San Francisco jersey was yelling at a Padres fan, reveling in the fact that the Padres had no championship rings. Looking at the man doing the taunting, I would guess him no older than 35, which would mean he wasn't alive for the Giants' last title (1954), which of course came in New York.

1 for 24 with RISP. 5 or 6 more hits during those situations might have made this homestand more fun.

205- I'm just thinking of who would fill out the back of the rotation next year....

Next year's pen:

Saito (?)
Broxton
Meloan
Proctor
Beimel

Rest is a crapshoot.

Easy Underdog. Think of pleasent thoughts and places.

Mark Reynolds cannot hit a good fastball. he's swung through like 10 91mph+ fbs in this series.

Somehow I think Dunn does enough with the stick to compensate for his adventures in LF. I think Boston feels the same about Manny.

Factor in that you also get an increase in prouctivity from CF with that move going from Pierre's offense to Ethier's, and it's easier for me to live with Dunn's D.

[208] well, we'll still have penny and lowe, right? and schimdt should be back. and billingsley. maybe we can keep wolf, else i don't see why we can't use a houlton or a hull. maybe miller or elbert could contribute by then. we have a bunch of 5th starter possibilities i'd say, and that doesn't even include tomko/hendrickson.

213-James McDonald should be in the 5th starter mix next year.

Is Beimel signed through next year? Brazoban averaged over a K per IP in the minors this year, albeit in only 18 innings. What's his health status?

215

I think Brazoban went down with a torn labrum.

213- I want to agree with you about Shmidt, but I am not very optimistic, and I would be suprised if Wolf was brought back....either way, I think Proctor presents an interesting option...

bh- I stated "package" Kershaw because I agree with you. Just didn't want to think of random AA hitters that Minny might find useful. Seems most of the "name" hitting prospects the Dodgers have left are in A-ball or lower.

215 Beimel is arbitration eligible in 2008.

Barry Zito is pitching in relief today for the Giants.

Since we are playing 2008 lineup fun...here is my dream....

1-Furcal SS
2-Martin, C
3- Loney, 1b
4- Tori Hunter, CF (Ship Pierre to St. Louis, or Pittsburgh, the only two teams I could imagine wanting him)
5-Ethier. LF
6-Kemp, RF
7-LaRoche, 3b
8- Nomar, 2b

That's my fantasy.....or we could sign Fukedome to play CF.....he can play CF right?

Barry Zito just pitched an inning of relief in SD.

Barry Zito just entered in relief in the Giants/Padres game. After a quick check, it seems to be his first career relief appearance. Lowry was pulled after only three complete allowing 2 runs which probably taxed the SF pen - I don't know if there was an injury issue to Lowry.

My waffle iron takes longer to heat up than a Griddle.

its hard to be optimistic right now. Nothing's going right for the blue crew.

220,222 Why am I so wordy?

Well, misery loves company. So thanks for being good company during that truly miserable homestand.

Here's hoping the road trip wakes them up a bit. I think I'm gonna skip reading Tony Jackson 'til they start winning again, if then, but I'll definitely check in with y'all again manana.

Looking at possible free agent pitchers, one who has interesting peripherals and might come cheap is Freddy Garcia. He's 31; had very good years in '01, '04, and '05; lousy years the past two; yet has 50 k's/19 bbs in 59 innings this year.

Now we have the reached the low of the low times. And we have a little more than 48 hours until the next game.

So tomorrow, go out, have a drink, talk about something else in the world.

Then around 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, it will be Time for Dodger Baseball!

Lowry was injured and the Giants and Padres played extra innings. The Padres sent down Hensley after the game and called up Mike Thompson, who exists solely for the purposes of the Padres to call up in case they need a pitcher.

I've lost track of how many times Thompson has gone back and forth between San Diego and Portland.

Have faith Nate. And at the very least, at least we're only a month away from seeing a lot of kids come up.

I'm hoping a couple of them come up before then, but at least that's something.

228
Garcia's arm is pretty much gone.

But you can read Tony Jackson's suicidal thoughts next week while he also complains about the humidity.

221

if the dodgers didn't care about money or defense...

ss furcal
c martin
lf laroche
3b arod
2b kent
1b loney
rf kemp
cf ethier

in 2009, furcal leaves, arod moves to short and laroche back to 3b.

In '08, you figure Ned will be more comfy giving McDonald the Billingsley bullpen trial first.

In the cheesy movie that is the 2007 Dodgers season, we are now simply going through the montage in which the protagonist falls on hard times and hope seems to be lost.

I'm eagerly awaiting the happy, happy fun montage (accompanied by music by Herman's Hermits) during which the Dodgers begin their comeback.

In addition to Zito relieving today, Greg Maddux has been used as a pinch runner.

Loney's home and away splits are pretty disturbing.

237
Woke up this mornin' feelin' fine
There's somethin' special on my mind
Last night I met a new girl in the neighbourhood, whoa yeah
Somethin' tells me I'm into something good
(Somethin' tells me I'm into somethin')

She's the kind of girl who's not too shy
And I can tell I'm her kind of guy
She danced close to me like I hoped she would
(she danced with me like I hoped she would)
Somethin' tells me I'm into something good
(Somethin' tells me I'm into somethin')

Well, I couldn't take it any more. Yet another hyperbolic post from Tony "Droopy" Jackson spurned me to respond. Really, he's a journalist? Give me a break.

Okay, I'm outta here. I think bh is totally right in 229 - keep away from the game tomorrow and let's hope the team can come back refreshed along with us on Tuesday.

with Kershaw's aggressive mentality, any chance he could succeed in the pen by the middle of next year? I was thinking the main thing that usually hampers young pitchers is control and the long ball. Kershaw's aggressive nature and pitch movement might curtail both of those problems.

Fire Mueller...!

Kershaw can be our Frankie Rodriguez in our '08 World Series run :)

I'm Henry the eighth I am
Henry the eighth I am, I am
I got married to the widow next door
She's been married seven times before
And every one was an Henry (Henry)
She wouldn't have a Willy or a Sam (no Sam)
I'm her eighth old man, I'm Henry
Henry the eighth I am

Second verse same as the first

244

I doubt it. Kershaw is sort of hitting the wall in low A right now and it seems like Midwest hitters have caught up to him within the last month. It would be asking way too much of him to pitch on the big league team next year in any role. I just don't see it unless he improves his command rapidly and his secondary pitches improve in the same fashion.

After watching this week's games, I've come to the conclusion that baseball is actually magic. There are no "slumps" or "hot streaks." Very simply, there is the provision of, and withdrawal of, favor, from a supernatural force. Right now, the Dodger bats and gloves have been hexed. But something will happen to propitiate this spectral creature -- James Loney will put his right sock on his left foot, perhaps -- and it will all go away, and they'll be hitting in bunches again.

Doesn't having a rational explanation help?

240 The montage will include:

1) Alternating footage of Brett Tomko painting and striking out hitters.
2) Juan Pierre nailing batting gloves to the wall of his Granada Hills apartment
3) Lots of inventive dugout celebrations following Matt Kemp HRs

The montage will end with Nomar having the time of his life at home with Mia and the kids. On a day Grady comes to visit the house (as the music fades out), Nomar says to his wife, "Honey, how could life get any better?" Mia says, "Well, you could win the World Series." Then, Grady Little jumps up out of his chair and screams, "What are we waiting for?"

what can we do to help dzzrtRatt?

I walked her home and she held my hand. Knew it woundn't be just a one night stand. I asked to see her next week and she told me I could(she told me I could)
So I hit her over the head and threw her in the back of my VW! Uh-ohh, I think I veered from Herman to Black Sabath. This week has not been good --sorry1

252 Crack each other's heads open and feast on the goo inside?

Is herm still alive?

In 253, I meant to reference 251, but I mistakenly typed 252 instead.

255 It remained appropriate however.

Gonzo's regressed to the mean.
Penny/Lowe are as well.
Martin's games played total is starting to catch up to him.
Pierre is still Pierre.
Nomar is still Nomar.
And Kemp doesnt play enough.

All in all, 4 games out isnt the end of the world in August, but it doesnt look good right now.

Hoffman blows.

The save, that is.

258cont.
Oops, I thought the Padres had been up 4-2. They snuck in another run in the 8th that I didn't know about.

258
You must keep score differently than other people.

Hoffman salvages the game for the Padres.

Meloan today:

Las Vegas
Player IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Meloan 1.0 0 0 0 0 3 0 1.08

Starting lineup:
WR- Matt Kemp
LT- Jon Broxton
LG- Chad Billingsly
C- Mike Liberthal
RG- Scott Proctor
RT- Brad Penny
TE Gonzo
WR2- Andre Ethier
QB-Derrick Lowe
FB- Russel Martin
TB- Rafeal Furcal

249- http://xkcd.com/298/

Dbax have a chance to extend their lead in the division--they play Pirates/Nats/Marlins next 9 games.

The Dodgers need to just focus on themselves right now and not worry about the other teams. They'll play Cincy and St Louis, and have some games they should and need to win. Even if the DBax do well as expected against the Pirates and Nats (the Marlins could be tougher), they'll still lose a game or two here and there and the Dodgers can still chip away at the lead. But first they need to wake up from their slumber.

I was listening the the Baseball America podcast, and they mentioned that the dodgers acquired a prospect. I don't recall his name, but for some reason the name Howard sticks out. I believe they were saying we got him via a waiver pick up or something like that. They said it was note worthy because the guy is/had been a top 30 prospect on the top 100 list.

Sorry for the shabby details. I am training for an ironman and was listening while in the middle of a 4 hr bike ride, and my mind was already a bit punchy when the show came on.

anyone know the details?

268
Don't the Diamondbacks have to chance to extend their lead anytime they win a game?

271
Should I call you Tom, Richard, or Kyle...?

270 - First name Moe?

You tryin to be funny?

271--Not if they have a higher liklihood of losing the ball games.

Easy schedule and the Dbax could pad their lead quite easily.

Long time lurker, first time poster...
Having watched this team since the early 70's, I have never seen the outright cowardice displayed collectively by the manager and general manager that is on display now. It's long overdue for Colletti to march himself down to McCourt's office and say something to the effect of "Mr. McCourt, I'm sorry. I absolutely, positively blew it with the Pierre signing. I will do everything in my power to fix this with a trade or something creative, but in all honesty sir, if we really want to field our BEST team night after night, Juan Pierre's name will not be in the line-up".
Colletti will then walk down to Grady Little's office and tell the second half of the equation, "Look, you can stop lying to the press and fans, and sit Pierre down. Our three best outfielders are Gonzo, Kemp and Ethier, and they should be in the lineup every night. Pierre can spot start, occasionally pinch run, but enough is enough. To put him in the two hole every night and get nothing out of him offensively, and less defensively, is insulting to our fans and this organization."
Of course, neither Colletti or Little has the courage to do the right things, as is evident night after night after frigging night.
Thanks for allowing me to vent.

269. This is not profound, but the Dodgers cannot catch up if they lose more than the division leader does. You cannot catch up if you continue to lose every series. Sorry, this team is not a contender. Dodger management has raised the white flag for this season by their action.

Everyone is aware that the Nationals have just swept Cincinnati and St. Louis?

And really, rend your garments over Juan Pierre as thoroughly as you like, but the Nationals are weaker than the Dodgers in, well, I'd guess every position on the field.

275

But since there are no more interleague games left, the Dodgers and DBacks have relatively similar schedules. It's just a matter of when each team plays its opponents.

The top 4 teams in the NL West have all had periods of waxing and waning.

Are the DBacks chances of beating Pittsburgh marginally higher in one game than they are when they play the Mets? (They don't play the Mets again however.)

The Cardinals are just 1/2 game better than the Nats.

The Nats are also just 1/2 game back of the Marlins.
And the Nats are playing the Giants. Who are worse than the Nats.

276 Unfortunately, we only have TWO good OFers (Kemp & Ethier). Gonzo has been steadily declining towards Pierre/Nomar crapitude.

The team as a whole seems to be moving down hill. As much as it pains me to say - I doubt Ned can do much to change the situation.

Although, it would be nice if Ned promoted Meloan & LaRoche and DFAed Hernandez & Martinez (when Kent comes back).

Nomar could replace Martinez as the backup IF.

What about my other challenge -- is there a single position on the field from which the Nationals have gotten more production than the Dodgers?

Shortstop?

282
Nats have higher team OPS for

1B
3B
SS
CF

Well I'll be.

Time to find a new blog!

Are the Brewers going to be a powerhouse in the NL?

Ryan Braun hit his 20th HR this year. He's only had 262 Abs.

The Nats have the advantage that Young has played a lot more than Loney. Zimmerman, despite an off year, has been better than the Dodgers third base duo of Betemit and Garciaparra.

I assume SS is in the lead because Guzman got injured so his lack of power no longer cancels out Furcal's lack of power.

If you want to decide between Nook Logan and Juan Pierre for center field, may God have mercy on your soul.

285
All those home runs don't help if your team coughs up five-run leads in the ninth. Or blows six-run leads against a Cardinals team and got shut down by Brian Falkenborg, who was immediately DFAed after the game.

270273 Kevin Howard from the Reds farm system to the Dodgers for cash considerations.

I went back and listened to the podcast again.

288
Kevin Howard was once traded for Tony Womack!

Kevin Howard was once traded for Tony Womack!

Then I guess the Reds won't be considering much cash...

286: I'll took Nook Logan plus $40 million dollars to spend over the next four years for $1,000 Alex!

291
I believe using proper tenses trumps rhyming.

::hangs head in shame::

::marvels that you know that Nook rhymes with took::

::slinks off::

Boy, let Bill Plaschke write a column about building for the future rather than trying to be a contender now, and suddenly, everyone's marching in the opposite direction.

The Dodgers are like every above-.500 team in baseball now except the Red Sox -- a flawed team capable of getting very hot, and capable of playing poorly for long stretches. Arizona has been very hot. But it was only a couple-three weeks ago when the Dodgers had more wins than any other team in the NL.

The mid-season trading deadline was quiet basically because no team wanted to give up anybody, because the talent is stretched so thin. Luis Castillo gets traded and Johan Santana translates that as the Twins surrendering. Luis Castillo!

We are cold. We played a hot team. We played them pretty tough, but in the end, we were crappy when it counted. But this is not a week that encapsulates the whole season, nor defines the Dodgers as non-contenders. In the NL, we've got as good a shot as anyone.

293
I pay attention to Bob Carpenter!

The Yankees are going to get rid of Mike Myers. Time for the Dodgers to pick up more Yankee detritus!

Betemit isn't wasting anytime making an impact in pin stripes.

His first start was at SS no less.

"Or," Kearns said, "I could just turn around and throw it as far as I can, out into the water. I've thought about that, too."

Interesting, though gimmicky, piece. http://tinyurl.com/2cvrwu

New post up top.

at least 1-2 months, so something's off on that report.
http://tinyurl.com/3d9ghc

And he came from the Yankees organization, after being with the Reds in the Tony Womack deal a long while ago. He Started the 2007 season with the Phillies minor league teams and then was picked up by the Dodgers at mid-season. I think BA was a little off. But anyway, it's cool to have some added depth in the infield.

D'oh.

Weird, my post got cut off (by me, I guess) so I'll redo in the new thread...