And those of you going to the game, remember to let Gonzo and Kent know what you thought of their comments in the media.

The Braves are doing their part to keep the Dodgers season alive.

Now the Padres have to cooperate.

And the Braves have to still not blow the lead.

Speaking of the Braves, what's the latest on Willy Aybar? Is he still in rehab?

3 Drug or physical? I think he tore his ACL when he tried to come back.

331 "Befuddled" is way the wrong word. Vin makes a few mistakes, but is a long way from befuddled.

Good word though, find a correct application for it and you'll be slicker than grease.

He does appear befuddled sometimes, I think. Not that it makes him anything less than great. But during the Colorado series he called Omar Quintanilla "Carlos" seven times in one game.

6
I think I'm more impressed that you kept count.

I think I'm more impressed that you kept count

Eric has no problem counting. It's the acronyms that do him in.

Well then, Omar should change his name! :-) Just kidding. Sorta....

I am befuddled by how many athletes love to shoot living things as their main hobby.

6 That's not befuddled, that's not knowing a guy's name.

7.

Check me on this, but I heard that 74% of the time, when people throw numbers out like that, they are just making them up. Or maybe it was 76% of the time.

7 Quintanilla's a local player, so I follow what he does. He played with and against my brother in various high school and all-star games. Plus he helped the Longhorns win the College World Series.

I am befuddled by how many athletes love to shoot living things as their main hobby

Not to mention non-athletes. Dave Barry had a great column in the past decade on hunting. It started out something like "I don't 'get' hunting'".

Was this the best game of the year by Dontrelle?

Brewers should win out against the Cardinals and Padres.

14 For the record, I am 100% against athletes shooting non-athletes as a hobby.

BTW: I opened a can of lentil soup tonight from WholeFoods that said "Best before 12/08/08". The quotes were on the can.

16
How bout as an occupation?

18 As long as they're properly licensed, then hey, it's cool with me.

"Don't get me started on people putting quote marks around things that are not quotations. It's another item on my seemingly endless list of pet peeves."

Jorge Velandia hit a grand slam in Tampa Bay to help turn around a 5-1 Yankee lead into a 6-5 Tampa Bay lead.

THE Jorge Velandia.

20
I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN.

20 A blog just for that pet peeve:

http://quotation-marks.blogspot.com/

Ryan Howard at bat, going for the record...

Ron Mahay is on the mound...

And Howard lines out. The K count stays at 195.

20.

Abuse of plural's is on my list too.

23
Awesome. I should photograph my soup can and send it to them.

Jorge Velandia has the 11th-worst career OPS+ in the history of baseball. (Non-pitchers, at least 150 games played)

20

your tempting the JoeyPs of the world to do just that!

Hopefully this doesn't qualify as a Rule 8 violation, but since I posted after Jon's comment that there was a new post up top -- John Henry has bought Frank McCourt's Brookline, MA mansion for $16M and is tearing it down to make an even bigger one.

http://tinyurl.com/yt8rm7

I'm not sure but I think it's some kind of statment.

Arizona has scored four times in the eighth to tie it in Pittsburgh 5-5.

30 - s-t-a-t-e-m-e-n-t.

by the way, about an hour ago I put my vote in for Takashi Saito as DHL Delivery Man of the Year, It's the least I can do to show my appreciation.

20
Using the word "loose" when you mean "lose."

33
I can do even less.

The grand slam was Jorge Velandia's first major league home run.

The whole concept of DHL Delivery Man of the Year is a joke. If closers were really like DHL, they'd either constantly lose the ball, or throw it to the wrong place all the time. Or forget to pick it up in the first place.

Rick Monday just spent five minutes interviewing Rich Donnelly, with both agreeing that chemistry is overrated and winning takes care of it all.

Donnelly says he believes in "team math" over "team chemistry" - in other words, "the math of a three-run home run."

I swear, if you heard this interview, you'd be ready to make Donnelly manager and let someone else wave all those runners to their doom.

Just one interview, though.

34 I have wondered why nobody ever makes that mistake in the opposite direction.

Quotation marks serve as an easy shorthand when you want to sum up another viewpoint quickly.

The only problem I have with them is when they're used to distance oneself from ideas or terms that one actually does believe in, but doesn't want to sound bad. For instance:

Doctors are thought to be "smarter" or more "sophisticated" than the rest of us.

That quotation mark blog is a riot. By far my favorite is this one, which is far more accurate than it intends to be:
http://quotation-marks.blogspot.com/2007/09/really-its-more-of-rule.html

40

I just use them when ever I feel like it, sorry Eric it's just the way I flow.

41

that was a good one.

This is the first game I'm watching in about a week. It's mainly because of the line up.

I don't have a "position" on the quotation marks issue. (couldn't help it)

38
Donnelly to the bench and Jauss to third!

I was just checking Ubaldo Jimenez splits, He's been pretty steady at 3 or 2 ER per start the last couple of weeks, hopefully we break the spell.

What's the proper importance rating for chemistry in baseball?

I'll agree that it's definitely overrated in the World According to ESPN™, but I think those who say it doesn't matter at all are underrating it. I'm just wondering where it really fits in the grand scheme of things...

Folks, I'm often asked about my qualilifications. Well, I may not
have a lot of "credentials" or "training", but I tell you one thing: I'm a Ph.D. in pain. Now let me show you how you can
change your life.

The Pirates reclaim the lead against the DBacks. The Braves appear headed for a win in Philadelphia.

And the NL Wild Card could be headed for a three-way tie.

Unless you believe in the healing power of the Tomko!

Can anyone give me a good way of comparing OPS? That is, how much better is a guy with 750 vs. 800? How many runs difference?

I tend to judge a player's worth based on OPS, but I realize I don't have much context for the stat.

Tomko doesn't sound like a real last name, it sounds like a nickname for real last name.

Tomko is real alright. He started the only game I went to this year (I think I've griped about that before).

50 If you want to deal with actual runs, then Runs Created is a better stat to use. You can find that in the second tier of stats on everyone's BB-Reference page.

Nice arm at third!

Ubaldo--mind if I call you Jose. At my age it's easier to remember.

Good, we have made him throw at least two pitches, for two outs.

This lineup would be fine if Pierre was moved to 8th and everyone else moved up.

From the chat:
bradalban: What adjustments are you going to make for next season?

LaRoche: I'd say probably my approach at the plate. I can't be quite as aggressive, because they have scouting reports, so I'll probably have to be a little more patient or selective at the plate.

More patient or selective? How about LaRoche for leadoff man?

I'm partially color blind but those seats directly behind home plate seem a particularly ugly shade of green.

LATed from last thread.

Since we are in wind down mode I am rooting for Milwaukee and Toronto to finish #14th and #15th with LAD at #16 to secure our #1 draft position.

Then Ned can sign whatever over-the-hill FA he wants to without costing us our #1 choice.

59
They're actually an ugly shade of brown.

I swear that first pitch to Kent was a strike to Loney , or an eqiuv. right hander.
One of the perks of being a vet.

58 I'd love to see it. I petitioned hard for leading off Jayson Werth back in the day.

58

I wonder if anybody asked him about Diamond Lungs comments.

Nissan ads have become so crazy macho aggressive that I've become, I don't know, afraid I guess.

Looking in the news, old friend Danys Baez is getting Tommy John.

LaRoche: Yeah. I've got a couple funny stories from there but it doesn't really involve these guys. One time we were coming home from the game and we saw a dead alligator in the middle of the road so we took it and brought it back to the house. DY (Dewlyn Young) was in the shower and we put it in the shower and shook the tail like it was alive. That scared him pretty good. Another guy on the team Jamal Hamilton, he wasn't home, so we put it under his sheet on his bed and he screamed like a little girl when he came home and found it.

soooo, they need to do that to Kent next year.

Jiminez has nasty stuff tonight.

The Mets won't go down without a fight. They've cut the lead to 10-6 with two on and one out in the 9th against the Nats. Cordero is facing Beltran.

I just checked & nobody asked him (or maybe the question didn't make it to the chat) I really hope he changes that if he stays with us, it's a shame when a guy has the god givin ability & doesn't maximize his talents.

Hu's on first?

Bases loaded for Alou in the 9th at Shea.

Vinnie "Hu was left"

Alou clears the bases with a double to make it 10-9 Nats. Delgado batting with out.

Nats lead 10-3 starting the inning.

I'd love to see James Loney pitch one of these days, I'd think he'd be steady at 88-93MPH.

Wow, Pierres arm is just a flat out joke.

ugh, that's an ugly two runs for Colorado

Two throwing errors on that play? Did I hear Vinny right?

that was quick!

Old friend Dave Roberts doubles in a run to give the Giants a 1-0 lead.

78 - I can't imagine that Either's counts as an error, Martin's is for sure.

Heart and Soul faces Gigantor with the tying on third and two outs in New York.

78 - an error to Martin, none to Slappy. Pity.

One reason it's good not to make the playoffs is you get to laugh at fiasco plays like that, instead of getting mad.

And there is no joy in Flushing. Heart and Soul pops out to end the game.

ubaldo is going to scalp the dodgers again

Inquiring minds want to know. How did two runs score on a single?

87 - runner going from first, ran on Ethier in left. Ethier's throw was short, Martin threw to second as runner tried to advance. Throw hit runner and skipped into centerfield. Pierre's throw was nowhere near in time.

Wowsers. A three-way tie possibility for the Wild Card?

87- Ethier threw home, hitter going to second on the throw. Martin tried to throw him out at second, but the ball went into CF. CF is where Pierre plays.

So the throw from Ethier went all the way home? Was Matsui's hit a double?

4-0 Giants.

There are reporst of a pumpkin being spotted on the mound at AT&T Park.

88 - That sounds even worse than it looked.

83-Slappy's throw took about twenty-six bounces before reaching Martin's glove, too. What a useless, useless, useless player.

I was a Pierre agnostic going into this season (meaning, I believed we could survive with him in the line-up) but my eyes are now wide open. Ugh.

91 - Ethier's throw was just short. Matsui hit a single, and had a stolen base (according to Vin). I may be hearing/seeing things, though.

91 - Martin caught it, maybe five feet in front of the plate.

Matsui's hit should have been a single, he was advancing on throw home

93 - that says a lot, because it was very ugly to watch

95 - Just kidding; no SB.

92 Midnight has struck for Mr. Tomko?

Is it wrong that I'm enjoying a Tomko implosion?

I bet Kent grounded out there on purpose so Loney couldn't score a run and pad his stats.

94 - Not me. My wife is a Cubs fan.

reposted from the other thread:
that second Rockies run....what can you say?....video of Pierre re. that run should be mailed in brown paper packages to every member of the LA media...

98 - my question is, what happened to the mice?

Season premiere of Bones has started. My real dilemma is at 900 pm, House or Eureka...

99 - schadenfreude is a dish best served with paprika and scallions.

That Dodgers commercial is making more sense now.
Jeff Kent is toast.

I use to get a kick out of watching Donte Bichette (sp) & company hit warning track shots (Dodger Stadium) & the puzzled look on there faces I guess I was a little bitter about some of the losses we had in Colorado against them.

That scared him pretty good.

Well, yeah, I can imagine that.

From what I've seen of this Jimanez dude, I think he is almostunhittable if he doesn't wild himself out.

Penny should also be, but it often doesn't seem so. With his awesome velocity, I'm afraid his pitches look mighty straight.

106 - a perfect interpretation that is blinding in both simplicity and accuracy.

I'm hoping Cane won't be totally stupid because I really like Jimmy Smits. I've a feeling it's going to be dumb though.

88 , 90 , 95 , 96 Thanks all. I am just glad that I didn't witness it in person. It is remarkable enough just reading about it.

106 - So Hendrickson's lunch box commercial means he'll be packing it in?

Penny is out of control.

113 - "If wishes were horses then beggars would ride . . ."

20 23 40

Misuse of quotation marks is my personal hot button.

One of the most glaring errors I have ever seen was a sign at the Sherman Oaks Trader Joe's that stated:
"Actor" George Kennedy here Friday to sign his new book.

A two-fer: quotation marks misuse AND an insult to a guest. (shakes head)

Before anyone here disses G. Kennedy, let me say I think he was wonderful in "Cool Hand Luke" and "Charade" (at least)...

that's the 2nd time Jimenez, watch out bro!

115- I'll just assume you meant to add Dirty Dozen to your list, but accidentally hit submit before you got a chance.

It's amazing to me how all over the map the opinions of Troy Tulowitzki are. He's been pretty impressive defensively from what I've seen.

Hu's your daddy?!

theres gotta be someone who will take furcal off our hands.

huuuuuuuu!

YES!!

Little Hu apparently has some pop!

Hu's your daddy!@!!

Hu's on first ... and second ... and third ... now home plate.

Woot!

119 damn.

that thing would have been half way up the bleachers at Colorado...

120 - he's injured. I wouldn't worry about it unless he's like this next year, too.

Hu's in the House!

126 That typing class in high school sure paid off. ;)

Boy the espn guys had some fun there. "Who hit that home run." "Hu." "Who?" "Hu did." "Yes, who hit the homer." Hu, that's who."

Good stuff.

For a time.

I hear Hu is at least as good as Furcal defensively, and he isn't far behind Furc on the offense. Perhaps He could back up Furc for a year or even more, but he is nothing to sneeze at, even now.

Hu looks like my brother when he was 12.

So, if this line up wins, again (ok, the other one had Abreu instead of Kent, but still), what's the spin among the Simers' types?

CHIN-LUNG HU! CHIN-LUNG HU!

Do we have a new three syllable name to chant?

Dioner HR beats the Yankees in the bottom of the 10th.

And Jiminez looks positively despondent. Sucker.

Chin-Lung Hu: 1.556 OPS.

Did Kemp give Hu Props? :)

Oh Pierre... is there a cubby we can shove him in for the next 4 years?

Having Juan Pierre on your team is like locking your keys in the car. And then catching fire, for some reason.

It is likely that Hu will be a star before three year are up and his salary floats, so it would be stupidity to trade him for less than an ML star.

"And Matsui tags from first and reaches second standing up."

C'mon, Rick. His name is Slappy.

Pierre is just getting punked by this guy.

KG16 104

You could do what I'm doing: tape (or watch) "House" at 9 p.m.; tape (or watch) tonight's new "Eureka" when it's repeated early Wednesday morning 12:30-1;30 a.m.

117
Naw, just forgot "The Dirty Dozen". Never a big war movie fan, but TDD is packed with terrific supporting performances.

143 - how exactly does that happen in the bigs?

140

Odd question to ask. Aramis Ramirez? Soriano, maybe...

Do people realize how good this crop of prospects is. I doubt it. Mostly from peoiple who speak lightly of trades.

Uh oh: "Abreu's Year Might Be Over"

http://tinyurl.com/ysk292

That wasn't nice of Matsui.

What's Hu's name in pinyin including the tonal marks or whatever they're called.

my girlfriend has a better arm than juan pierre. what a pathetic excuse for a throw.

I like how Penny is pitching Holliday inside.

It is likely that Hu will be a star before three year are up and his salary floats, so it would be stupidity to trade him for less than an ML star.

I don't think Hu is going to be a star but he will definitely be worth more then his salary in his 3rd year.

146 - that is a pretty good idea. one of the things i like about the cable shows is that they get shown a second or third time...

148 - I guess I walked into that one.

Penny isn't going to survive this inning.

Another good thing about the season's being over: I don't have to watch Hendrickson pitch again. If he comes in, I'm shutting the t.v. off.

Steiner: LaRoaCH
Scully: LaRoaSH

Well, which is it?

Sooo... did anyone watch the K-ville pilot? I forgot to DVR it.

it is apparent to me that Penny is running out of fuel...

Boy, Penny is awful in the second half. Look at his peripherals-say strikeouts. We do need to develop pitching for when we hopefully get to the playoff in a couple of years.

If we keep our players we will make the playoffs in about 2 years. Penny is approaching 100 pitches.

159 if it's straight from the french, it's the latter.

btw, can we refer to andy as "the rock"??

158 Andrew-- Is Hendy gone next year--it will be so good!

with a guy like Ubaldo I'm thinking Pierre could hit a warning track shot, but I'll take the little squib single.

I just think it's sad that an announcer wouldn't care to find out how to pronounce LaRoche.

You know what makes me sad? That the Pads are falling apart and the Dodgers could have coasted into the playoffs had they not fallen apart. (I firmly believe the Phillies are jinxed).

I'd love to see the Rockies go. That would be awesome.

our hottest hitter in the perfect situation...

Ubaldo is apparently Spanish for "homers and dribblers".

167 - concur.

You know what makes me sad? raining nights in L.A.

Scully: LaRoaSH

is right.

LONEYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

YESSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!

168

I dig it!!!

169 - very good call

169 - Apparently, it does.

Awesome. Too bad the kid has no power.

J-LO!

Insane.

Very nice of Loney to hit that home run just as I sat down to watch the game! And very nice of Fox Sports Rocky Mountain to finally show a Rockies game in my area tonight so I could see it.

Loney is just sick right now.

LONEY BOMB!!!

170 - but first the Dodgers might have something to say about that. Woot!

Hairston homers in San Francisco to make it 4-1 Giants.

Too bad he's cocky.

ok, realistically, what are the odds that the Dodgers win out while the other teams in front of them lose?

Did Kent get off the on-deck circle to High-5 Loney???

Loney apparently is the type of player that can carry a team when he's hot! WOOT!

at this rate, lebron may have to relinquish his crown. i've got your king james right here :)

I just watched Loney high-five Pierre, Hu, Kemp, Either, and Lieberthal, for whatever it's worth.

I just watched Loney high-five Pierre, Hu, Kemp, Either, and Lieberthal, for whatever it's worth.

Molly, I think we're all sad at how this Dodger season has turned out.

Beautiful!

Loney again, naturally. This young man is quite special.

So Lieberthal is siding with the kids?

And now LaRoASH.

Ok, looks like the kids got the ole grumpster, fired up.

Is Gonzo even in the dugout?

whats Loney's OPS tracker?

Do you think he said if Kent rips a double Ubaldo, you're done.

186 "Too bad he's cocky"

:)

200

.928 season
.922 career

James Loney> Conor Jackson

suck it BTF dback fans.

200

Seriously, we need the Eric Enders "AccuTracker"

Weird phantom graphic came up there that said:
"Announcers: Daron Sutton, Mark Grace, Joe Garagiola"

Ooh, the rare K+E2!

So...does Grady bring Penny back in for the 6th?

Jeff, you're old. Stop doing that.

those are some white teeth Kent sports...

classic dodger baseball, why is kent running with nobody out.

Kent doesn't know how to avoid a tag at home.

<sarcasm>
Cory Sullivan: man or god? Discuss.
</sarcasm>

I would really wish Kent would stop running when someone on the other team has the ball

From me to you, Jeff!!!

206 I saw that too, but thought maybe they'd put some weird mushrooms in my pizza.

Seeing Kent run reminds me of one of those dreams you have where you're trying to run and your legs just don't seem to move at all.

208

Gradys past tendencies say he probably will N.Cal.

If Kent were any slower he would actually be running backwards.

Kent has no jump whatsoever. He looks so awkward trying to tag+run.

Way to manufacture an out, Jeff.

Heading to the seventh in San Francisco, 4-1 Gints.

Per ESPN highlights, that was kind of ugly Mr. Kent.

211 because he doesn't want Laroche to get an rbi.

what does BTF mean?

Will Penny bat for himself, I wonder.

217

ugh, I hate those dreams, I use to get them a lot when I was a little kid.

213
Cory Sullivan could be both. I think we covered topics like this in Catholic school.

Kent should be a DH/1B for an AL team next year.

I really hope TJ Simers tells us whether or not Kent made sure to give his teammate Loney high-five for his HR.

4-2 in SF. Greene HR

Greene homers for San Diego to make it 4-2 Giants in the 7th.

My 82 year old dad could run faster than Kent. Cost Ethier and rbi. He can still hit, but I hope he retires or goes to another team because he can't run worth crap and he's a defensive liability.

Is that Hendy...

Tagging up with less than 2 outs with a lead is not a bad idea. What? You want him to tag up with two outs?
Tagging up on a short fly ball to the CF when you are not a fast runner is not smart.
Avoiding the tag at the plate? How do you avoid a perfect throw that allows the catcher to block the plate. It was a text book defensive play. Props to the Rockies CF & C.
Give Kent credit for trying. Take points off for doing it on a crummy fly ball to short CF.
If the throw is offline or the C botches the tag, Kent is grinning, not grimacing.

How nice of Grady to give the Rocks a fighting chance by bringing in Hendrickson.

Kent left because of injury... good thing or bad thing?

Kent left because of injury... good thing or bad thing?

here we go with lurch.

At this point, Loneys HR/ at bat, is above the average first baseman. Is it perhaps time to stop critisizing his power.

All Kent had to do was leap over Yorvit. Or just jumped over his foot. I love how he grits his teeth while running, almost in anguish, as if thinking "I'm soooo daaaaang whhhhite!"

Ok..one ptich, one hit....

He can still hit, but I hope he retires or goes to another team because he can't run worth crap and he's a defensive liability.

Kent or your Dad

What happened to Kent, his feelings got hurt on the out at home?

I'm still afraid the D's may not win, pitching second half Penny and Hendy, but their offense, led by Loney, was above average.

243
Kent banged his leg against Torrealba in a collision at home.

Torrealba does not have much give in him.

240 Or do a hook slide around the tag/block. He could easily have been safe if he knew how to do anything other than a straight slide.

That was perhaps the closest thing to a perfectly inelastic collision that I have seen.

240 Personally, I'd like to see more runners lower the shoulder and boom.

Pride of the Dirtbags.

so much for penny getting his 17th win, good job there lurch. thats your boy, ned.

Fat looking pitch there.

247
Two large men hit each other and they didn't appear to move much. So the energy of that collision had to go somewhere.

Presumably into Kent's leg.

That was for Andrew, from Lurch.

I feel a moral victory with Loney winning it. We put in Hendy so it was obvious we would lose, and not our fault.

Sporky, what does Sporky and inelastic mean?

It's weird how some pitchers just don't get you upset when they give up a gofer ball, for some reason I can never get upset when Hendy gives one up, but with Tomko it's a totally different story, it's weird how that works, & It's not that he's a favorite player of mind or nothing like that it's just an odd thing I guess.

Steiner: "They're [meaning the Rocks] the only team in the Mountain Time Zone..."

Allow me to introduce you to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Well looks like Kent's veteran legs did not withstand the wall of Yorvit, thus a costly run.

255 I ain't sporky, but I've taken physics. An inelastic collision is one in which the kinetic energy is not conserved.

255 - "Sporky" = I assume "sport-like".
"inelastic" = An elastic collision is a collision in which the total kinetic energy of the colliding bodies after collision is equal to their total kinetic energy before collision.

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

257
But since Arizona plays the entire season now during DST, which they don't use there, the DBacks effectively are a Pacific time zone time.

260 - er, "spork-like".

255 - Sporky? Honestly, I don't know. I chose it because 'squishy' was taken.

Basically:
Perfectly elastic collision = objects bounce off each other

Perfectly inelastic collision = objects glom together.

262 - That would work, too. Although I do admire the simple genius of the spork.

Good grief, I've started a physics lesson.

Loney is Superman
Hu the one
Kent is toast(ed)
Hendrickson is Danish for kindling

261 So what is with their games starting at 6:30 instead of 7:00?

what does BTF mean?

The night is not a total loss. I just discovered that Mrs. LAT bought a new box of Lucky Charms and the daughter had not eaten all the marshmellows yet.

265 Physics is teh awesome. Now I kinda wish I'd chosen to be a physics major.

268 Baseball Think Factory

Something I never conceived possible this season: Tomko and Hendrickson can both be the losing pitcher on the same night. There would be some poetic justice to that.

Did somebody bat for Hendrickson, or is he coming back for the top of the next inning?

267
The DBacks probably compromise on the starting times because their games get shown in the Mountain Time Zone in places like Utah and New Mexico.

This would be a great dramatic game if it meant anything.

273
Double switch along with Valdez!

More Hendy!

So, what do you call it when FJM (and others) gets a different FJM treatment?

http://firejaymariotti.blogspot.com/2007/09/unaware-nl-west-even-existed-several.html

270 - Physics ruined my junior year of college.

275

Obviously it doesnt mean anything to us, but this a huge game for the rockies. If they win, they're tied for the wild card. Whatever happens, i just dont want to see San Diego in the playoffs. I'd rather it be Philly, but i wouldnt mind in Colorado made it.

Hennessey in to pitch the 8th in San Francisco.

279 - Amen. Anyone but the Padres.

Eric Enders & his AccuTracker decided to take the day off I guess...

I took physics for social science majors at UCLA some 40 years ago. The instructor was named Kaplan, the room was in Moore Hall, and he used to proudly point out where Jackie Robinson had sat in his class. That was special.

Is it amazing how many of Loney's line drives become home runs? I doubt he does it every year like this one, but he is a legit power hitter right now.

277 - anybody who can't be bothered to properly capitalize his posts also can't be bothered to do things like properly adjust his offensive and pitching numbers for park factors (see his comments in the section criticizing BPro author Joe Sheehan). He castigates BPro as being for "intense SABR people, who love numbers more than anything when it comes to proving a point", i.e., those willing to do their homework and make assertions backed up by something akin to evidence, unlike this joker. I find it hard to take FJM seriously therefore.

282- I think Eric Stephan is the resident Loney-ologist.

Little's use of Hendrickson is hard to fathom. And allowing him to stay in a second inning is incredible. I suppose that Little will start Hillenbrand at third base tomorrow.

So in the bottom of the 7th, Black double switches out Brocail and Blum and puts Marcus Giles into the #9 spot and Thatcher in the #7 spot.

Bochy changes pitchers but it's still a righthander.

Black then pinch-hits for Marcus Giles with Terrmel Sledge.

But Sledge drew a walk.

And now Kline is in to pitch to Brian Giles.

286- Stephen. Sorry.

277 , 285 - and he gets double demerits for going after Bob Timmermann, whose comment about taking a nap actually was funny.

I'm rooting for these teams:

AL - Halos
NL - Phillies, Rox or Cubbies (depending on who makes it)

You know what though, I don't think ANY NL team I'm rooting for will make it far in the playoffs because from what I understand they don't have good enough pitching.

279 I want third place at least! And I kinda like the Phils, mainly because their since 2003, they've been like the 2000-2003 Dodgers, falling just short every year. But Rockies and playoffs together is like some bad episode of the Twilight Zone.

290
I'm a big guy. I can take it.

I'm going to take a nap.

277 - It struck me as someone who really is into the attack more than the critique. It's not as if some of his criticisms weren't on target, but he also seemed to go for shots that really weren't there. And yes, the no-caps style is ridiculous.

In other words, the real FJM is not easily imitated.

287 Seriously. Whatever happened to Rudy Seanez?

Kline got Giles the Elder. And now Brian Wilson is facing Hairston.

294 - exactly: he's just a graceless curmudgeon.

294
And he called me a baseball expert! Shows what he knows!

I didn't think I was being asked to be an expert.

295 - Please see September 18, 2006.

270 - Angry commentary is rarely representative, let alone amusing.

I have to say, though, that's awfully well researched for horsecrap.

294 - A large boulder is resting on the shoulder of that Rockies fan. Perhaps a bad case of pennant envy as well.

Two outs, two on for Gonzalez in the 8th in San Francisco.

Down goes Gonzalez on strikes. 4-2 Giants heading to the bottom of the 8th.

I thought Kemp got that one. His power stroke has totally dissappeared since the bomb he hit in chicago. He hasnt really been squaring the abll up much lately, and when he does, there isnt much lift on it. Even still, hes getting his hits, but i'd like to see more power.

282 ,286 ,289 I've been slacking recently. Sorry about that!

OPS AccuTracker™:

Loney: .925 season, .920 career
Kemp: .876 season, .826 career
Hu: 1.100 season and career!

304 - He's spent from moving trash cans.

304

LOL. When i read the first part about the trash can in the paper i was expecting to read that he threw the trash can, dumped it on the ground, or something remotely worth reporting. Of course it's the Times, so they just included that he moved the trash can. Tsk, tsk, Matt, tsk, tsk.

pretty nice size crowd at Dodger Stadium (Vinnie said 44K) Butts in seats looks like more of what? 35K,37K. Not bad for a tuesday I guess.

Sweeney, Proctor, LaRoche and Schmidt all have the same (unflattering) facial hair. Sometimes I wish Steinbrenner owned the Dodgers.

It would be nice hitting a walk of in the 9th.

309 When a fashion speads to baseball players, you know it's over. Didn't Scott Radinsky have this look in 2000?

Greene leads off with a double in the 9th for the Padres.

311 - spreads

Ouch.

oh man, Holliday us lucky he put his shoulder in that pitch, woah.

309 How about Joe Girardi? http://tinyurl.com/32c3td

294 General lameness aside, anyone who rips on Ken Tremendous is okay by me.

Bard grounds out for the first out. Greene moves to third. Old friend Myrow pinch hitting.

311, 316 - I have a visceral reaction to that beard/goatee, mostly because I made the mistake of dating a douchebag with that same look. He was trying to grow it out, but he just looked like a child molester.

Myrow whiffs. Two outs and Old Friend Brady Clark is up.

Bloop single for Clark drives in Greene to make it 4-3 with Old Friend Oscar Robles up.

319 You must hate the A's.

309 And Penny, whose facial hair always seems to be in transition.

323 - Combined with that Leno-esque chin of his? The horror.

Padre announcers whining about every strike call, making the White Sox team appear disinterested by comparison--

so if we lose, we are tied with the Blue Jays for 15th place...free agency protection!

Robles walks. Giles up.

Whoa, Sporky's a lady.

I hope we brake Denver-ites harts here....

3-run homer for Giles.

The fishes await.

3 run homer for Giles.

Dang, I really want to see the Rockies in the playoffs.

Wow, the Giants cannot do a single thing right.

vinny says fuentes is on the griddle. bob, what say you?

332
The Rockies should make sure they win tonight's game first.

Other Dodgers with Facial Hair Issues
LuGo - devilish? A post-baseball career as a magician?
Penny - channeling an Amish minister
Garciaparra - Sunday morning coming down
Russell Martin - as Bogart in Sierra Madre

To think Tomko pitched for naught... sigh.

319 - there are a lot of guys who should not go with facial hair. However, there are a few of us who are better with the facial hair. You've got to find the right cut though, not every guy can do a goatee, not every guy can do the full beard.

Girardi: "I want players to look neat and responsible. Maybe it's old school. But it's kind of neat when people are always clean, and I like it."

I would tell this guy to get lost so fast. He's a coach, not their dad. Besides, it doesn't sound "old school" it sounds like a fetish.

332

It's a weird feeling with me, I want them to make it to the playoffs but I also wanna break there hearts, it's a fine line I guess...

wow, that looked a bit like a balk

Roberts, Frandsen, and Winn stand between the Padres and a win.

336 - Russell gets a free pass. He can get a jheri curl and still do no wrong.

3 run jack, La Roche, come on!!

Nice going Andy La Roche...

Yay Andy!!

The Padres have used four second basemen in the last three innings.

Hu birds are out at the stadium... good idea, bad execution.

328 - Or a gay man. Whatever floats your boat.

I wouldn't mind a clutch single from Nomar here.

um, what position is Nomar going to play in the ninth?

294 And yes, the no-caps style is ridiculous.

hey now.

Roberts flies out for the first out.

349

we rather think your a lady sporky.

No mas, Nomar....

Garcia-POP-UP. Surpprise, surprise. Newman!

354

it doesnt matter to me

Infield single for Frandsen.

I don't like this match up of Pierre first Fuentes...

Juan, do not swing the bat 3-0

And Pierre walks!

Pierre with the clutch walk... anyone else think Kemp's intro music should be the Imperial March from Star Wars?

354, 357 - I guess I should've disclosed my gender.

Infield single for Winn off of Hoffman's leg. 1st and 2nd and one out for Molina.

thanks for making me look bad Nate...

I don't care either for the record. :o)

I want Kemp tio clean house.

So close yet so far...

I want Kemp to clean house.

Hurdle leaving in Fuentes to face Kemp?

6-4-3 DP for Molina. Padres win 6-4.

So, that's what it's like to have a centerfielder... huh, go figure

351 hopefully "bench-sitter-onner"

" . . . a little fly ball . . ."
The Dodgers 2007 season wrapped up in quotation marks.

It's okay. This way, Russell can get his 19th.

I wantED Kemp to clean house. rats.

339 I would tell this guy to get lost so fast.

No, you wouldn't. You'd get a shave and a haircut, because the house makes the rules.

Too bad that ball didnt fall. It ould have been nice for Kemp to get that knock right there. He probably chased a bad ball, but got good enough wood on it.

DY at 2nd!

Delwin in at second, this is interesting...

376 - I'd show up with facial hair. And then demand a trade to a team that doesn't have such a stupid rule.

Why is Roberto pitching? How does this help the Dodgers?

376 i think in that scenario, frip was the GM making the hiring decision, not a rookie showing up at spring training.

380 that way takashi saito and jonathan broxton can have the rest of the season off?

370

Giles with the flare for the dramatics, man, that changes the dynamics...

380--Prevents Meloan/Broxton from blowing their arms out?

Thats the best I got.

My, Torrealba runs as well as Jeff.

Re. Hurdle, no matter how good or successful, I just can't respect a man if he can't chew gum without showing me every detail of it.

380 By using Hendrickson and Hernandez, I see Little as someone on life support who pulls the plug out.

382 Houlton, Hull, Meloan or Stults?

I want Hernandez to clean out his locker.

Young was drafted as a second baseman, right? What are the projections on him playing second in the bigs? Because I think I see a solution...

LaRoach 3B
Hu SS
Kemp RF
Loney 1B
Martin C
Ethier LF
Young 2B
Pierre CF

Looks like R. Hernandez is getting the veterans special K zone from this blue.

There's been free baseball in Seattle for a while.

Fish are waiting.

376 Ah, so the hypothetical GM would refuse to hire the manager based on his facial hair policies. Makes more sense. Not a ton of sense, but makes more sense. Frip is the GM, not a player.

379 I don't think the Pirates or Rays have a facial hair policy. Have fun playing with them.

Oh well, this game was fun while it lasted. Bringing Hernandez in = so much for caring about the integrity of these games.

389--Ditto.

389

It was Grady Littles call though, I see no reason for this, sigh!!

389

Neat freak, eh?

393 - neither does Boston, Anaheim, LA, or well, anyone but the Fish and Yankees, that I know of

Honestly, it just strikes me as a stupid rule that has nothing to do with a player's performance on the field. it would be like having a no tattoo rule.

Robinson Checo is warming up.

Mega Dittos

398
I don't think Florida has a facial hair policy now.

Living on the Monterey Peninsula, I listen to the Giants' games, in part because one cannot pick up the Dodgers on AM-980 (or anywhere else) here. It is amazing how many games the Giants lost this season because of their bullpen. I wonder what their record is in games they led after 6, 7 or 8 innings.

Seriously, this makes me really mad. I know the Dodgers aren't gonna make the playoffs, but why throw in the towel on a game by bringing in by far your worst pitcher down by just a run? Depressing, turning it off now.

Glad to see Hu and Loney hit 'em out tonight.

401 - ok, so it's just the Yankees, one more reason to hate them

It's like R. Hernandez came messed things up for the Dodgers for a while & then called it a career, it's just not right man!

Can Bob just do a "Roberto Hernandez Sleeps With the Fishes" post tomorrow instead?

If the Dodgers are intent on giving up a few runs, I'd rather see Meloan or Houlton do it.

403 because we like the rockies more than the padres?

"Hernandez is not the answer." Will Vinny get a call from Josh Rawitch tonight?

397- I hadn't refreshed in a while; I was playing off the repeated hope that Kemp clean house. But then all you people had to keep talking about stuff.

what ever man, if Grady doesn't care I don't care...

... Of Hull, Houlton, and Stults, the man chooses the 42-year-old pitcher.

Sure, he should keep his job. The AARP would certainly put in a good word for him.

409 - Did he really say that? Oy.

Maybe Hernandez told Little that he needed the work to qualify for higher Social Security benefits.

Even Vin wants this season to end.

412 Really, he should be fired over an utterly meaningless game? Heck, at this point protecting our draft pick means more than actually winning, so you could argue that was a good move.

well, at least the old man pitched out of the jam with no damage done. Just a couple of runs, another day at the office for Blowberto. Sigh.

I wonder if Kent will blame this one on the youth movement.

398 A lot of institutions have stupid rules. The military has stupid rules about facial hair. American drug laws are stupid. Connecticut Blue Laws are stupid. MPAA editing is stupid.

I can't imagine quitting a job or demanding a trade because my facial hair is just that awesome. That must be some quality facial hair. Like Sam Elliot quality.

Vin could kill a person in the booth using a microphone cord as a garrot and Josh Rawitch wouldn't bother to call him.

Man am I glad I decided to watch the Rays game tonight instead of any of these other ones...

random Q: has there ever been a league MVP who was not an All-Star for that league that season? Like, for example, either of two particular NL East shortstops this season could be...

and which is more remarkable:

that there will be neither a 100-loss or 100-win team this year (aka, the equivalent of every NFL team being between 6-10 and 10-6)

OR

that of the 8 pennant-winning teams in the last 4 years, only two of them will even be in the playoffs this season?

woah, nice cut son! wow!

Anybody see Matt Pouiot's 2008 roster predictions for the AL teams? Obviously it's all speculation, but he has the Dodgers as big players in the trade market:

Chad Billingsley, Tony Abreu, and Meloan for Carl Crawford
Andre Ethier for Daniel Cabrera and Chad Bradford
Esteban Loaiza for Nate Robertson

The only one I might be willing to do is the Loaiza for Robertson trade, but otherwise I don't think the other trades benefit the team.

NICE!!

And mancrush is in full bloom

DYOUNG~!!!!!!

Wish that was our future left fielder.

man, this kind of angers you even more no?

413 it was more in the context of "he wasn't the answer tonight"

DY!!!

Nice job Delwyn.

Delwyn!

SMASHED it.

And Vin's mancrush on him expands further.

Too bad we threw in the towel in the last half inning, instead of having that tie it.

In my life, I'll never do anything that will cause Vin Scully to call me amazing. So, Delwyn Young's got that going for him.

416 Yep, that's why Al Davis was not actually the knucklehead he seemed when he re-hired Art Shell to intentionally ruin the '06 season.

So if Kent doesn't get thrown out at the plate and Grady doesn't bring in Hernandez and Frank doesn't hire Ned we win this game.

420 - LOL - Sounds like a lost episode from Columbo

419 - Or John Muir. I might have to quit my job over that.

423--There's no way Ned is dumb enough to trade Billingsley for Carl Crawford. Although, Crawford is right up Ned's alley...

Anyone think that DY would have a better season than JP next year? How is his arm?

I like it that Denver-ites are up in arms right about now...

Woah, the Rockies' dugout is a pig sty. They need to write their names on the cups and reuse!

Daniel Cabrera? Why in the world would the Dodgers want him?

He's another Odalis Perez in terms of personality.

I sense Olmedo on deck...

437 apparently jp has 2 assists this year. anyone remember them? who was slow enough to be nailed by pierre?

441 - never mind. C'est Hu.

ugly swing from laroche.

Argh. What a frustrating game. A guy who shouldn't be on the roster let alone pitching in a close game comes in and coughs up two critical runs and the Dodgers' rally in the 9th becomes less meaningful... sigh... sorry to harp on this. Just steams me. But sums up the season I guess. At least the kids did their job tonight!

437

I've never really seen much of him (see TC) but from what I've heard he's got a good one.

... Well, it's officially over for the Dodgers.

In a year that has been so infuriating, the inevitable has happened.

435 John Muir hanging with TR at Yellowstone is the greatest pairing of facial hair in history.

It's the Ruth/Gehrig of facial hair.

445 my engine's out of steam. our season is over anyway. i want to see the rockies in the playoffs.

The 2007 season: So Little, so little.

See Kent is right. The young guys are no good.

442 One happened last week didn't it?

Dodgers are inching closer to BP's 82-80 pre-season projection.

The FSN post-game show is called Dodgers Live. Who has the heart to tell them otherwise?

I actually had heard a few days ago that Eric Hull was hurting in some way so they weren't likely to use him for a little while. So I can understand not bringing him in, but Meloan would have been a better option. He probably would've walked two guys but struck out the other three. Or Broxton, as shaky and crummy has he's been... Oh well, enough outta me.

Game over, season over, and evening over. Night.

well if anything the PVL didn't help out the Dodgers again (R. Hernandez) & it looks like the kids were gonna come up big again but it wasn't so... PVL's are killing this team how ironic...

If we had an OF of Kemp, Ethier, Delwyn and an OF of Loney, Abreu/Hu and LaRoche. How could we not have money for ARod and Johan? What could have been...

I'm going to the game on Sunday. I expect I will be there with about 60 other people. The Hobie Cat is mine!!!

why is DY not a future left fielder for this team? Does Ethier have it locked down?

436 I don't think there's anyway Billingsley goes anywhere unless it's for a truly elite player, which Crawford is not. One of Pouliot's reasons for the trade is the fact that Ned prefers speedy players, but I still see it as a stretch.

440 I have a feeling he was just trying to figure out how to fit Crawford in the Dodgers' outfield while filling the empty pitching slot with someone.

Dodgers Dead had a less friendly ring to it.

Winners need not be present to claim their prizes.

419 -my facial hair is pretty awesome. But it's more the fact that there is little reason for the rule.

The military's rule on facial hair serves a variety of purposes (and has traditionally been inapplicable to special forces and in other circumstances). As for your other examples, I also agree on the lameness of them.

But ultimately, it would be a situation where I would not be comfortable in the clubhouse, too restrictive

Doing it with A-Rod next year seems like cheating. I'd like to see us do it with our current players and healthy pitching.

457 Johan's not a free agent until after next season, so with Kent and Nomar off the books I don't see why we wouldn't have the money. He's one of the few guys where money should be no object (along with A-Rod), but who knows if Ned will have the cajones to take the plunge.

I take it that Young does not project to being a major league second baseman?

464 - I have to agree. I'd love to see that happen.

Who really thought the Dodgers were going to make the playoffs? Who is really devastated by this season? Kemp, Loney, Billingsley all got quality time (albeit way too late), Martin had a fantastic season, Ethier had a nice year, LaRoche and Hu sniffed the majors, and Nomar, Gonzo, and Tomko played themselves out of prominent roles in next year's squad.

I'm quite pleased with the way the season has gone. Provided The Mustache doesn't hit the panic button (which, I concede, is a real possibility).

A-Rod is not leaving NY. No way. No how. The BIG money is in NY. The spotlight is brightest in NY. Boras will make a deal so A-Rod can break the career HR record in pinstripes - poetic justice? Lets spend the $30 million on some decent pitching - preferably guys who have not fossilized yet.

464. I'd do it with Barry Bonds next year if I thought it would get us to the WS. Its not cheating. Using the cheap kids to score a real superstar is exactly how its suposed to work but its difficult when your GM pisses away tons of money on the injured and the lousy.

I see no way that McCourt spends the money to sign ARod.

Damn, that was fast. The D's have already been McGriddle'd.

Jon: Thank you very much once more for maintaining this site...

463 The Navy's rule on facial hair is largely about the ability to get a good seal on firefighting oxygen masks...But when you're on shore duty, it serves no purpose. Same with the USAF and Army. The Marines don't like facial hair because the Marines are weird.

Kennedy Konfidential should be sufficient reason to never let this man manage a team.

Wow....Hernandez in the 9th was a gut punch.

I'm not revved up enough to look at the stats, but it certainly seems that Hernandez has not lasted an entire inning without surrendering at least 1 run.

To put him in there after a decent rally in the 8th is tough. The Young homerun in the 9th emphasizes how completely unacceptable it was.

All in all a fitting end, I suppose.

At least Martin is still sitting pretty for his first silver slugger. Too bad Loney and Kemp won't have enough at bats to qualitfy themselves.

472
A lot of these posts are locked and loaded.

Except the Abe Vigoda post was changed.

468 I'm just disappointed that the best possible lineups were never used. It's one thing to lose with everything you have, but the way the Dodgers show preferential treatment to inferior players is maddening. I guess that's just the way it is and I better prepare myself for another 4 years of Juan Pierre.

How can Jeff Kent and the Dodgers legally part ways? Does he have to retire? Or can they mutually void the contract? I know these are unlikely scenarios but just wondering.

Caught the last couple of innings, didn't have a chance to post. I wasn't too thrilled with Little asking Hu to bunt with first and second and no outs and Nomar and Pierre coming up to bat. Didn't seem like the wisest choice. Dodgers corner infielders should've been hugging the line in the 9th inning. Why Roberto Hernandez in such a high leverage 9th inning? Delwyn Young needs a position, if not a 4th OFer spot in 2008. If the Padres and Phillies could've managed the Dodgers for the night, I think things would've been done a bit differently. Gut instinct was that Proctor threw at Holliday with first base open.
vr, Xei

479 - under general contract law, there would likely need to be consideration necessary to void the contract (or at least mutual consent). However, these contracts are governed by a CBA and the rules of the CBA likely cover the terms of recission. Most likely, Kent would have to retire, or the Dodgers would have to trade him.

470 Barry Bonds? On the same team with Jeff Kent and managed by Grits? Surely you jest. We'd have TJ Simers writing articles 7 days a week about the Dodgers next season. Think of the children!

That was an enjoyable game. I didn't really want us to win but I wanted the kids to do well. Surprise home runs from Hu and Young, and the expected home run from James.

Only to be ruined by finding out about Giles and his dramatic home run.

Pitchers have such fragile ego's that they can't handle bat flips.

478 Colletti talked about young kids "beating the doors down." They did. And they played. Nomar has proven to be useless, Gonzo is gone, and Kemp, Loney, Billz et. al. have done everything above and beyond. Sure, I'm disappointed with the Dodgers...But it's the first half of the year, the insistence on playing the vets, that really doomed this team.

A lot of us assumed the youngster would outplay the vets. And they did! And that's awesome. I'm just really happy that the young players performed. Had they failed in a small sample size, they may have been shipped off.

I wish we'd have made the playoffs. But I'm just glad they survived Ned's small sample size gauntlet and proved they belong.

Two games the D's prospects won in a row.

484 I have to disagree with you about Nomar playing a less prominent role on next year's team. I think he'll be our #3 hitter and third baseman on opening day. And it will probably take LaRoche four months of hitting .350 in Vegas to displace him.

I'm really worried about the Delwyn Young thing. He makes the Opening Day roster and stays on the team all year, or we have to give him away. And I don't trust Flanders to do the right thing by keeping him on the team. I fear this week we are seeing Delwyn's last games ever in Dodger blue.

The disappointment might lie in realizing the Rockies/Dbax have really bright futures, and that the Dodgers will have to get some help from Ned in order to keep up with them.

Thats not only disappointing, its depressing. Bills/Loney/Kemp are 3 players. Dodgers still need 22 other ones, of which Ned's analysis seems to be lacking in the proper ones to choose.

484 I've been thinking about Ned's "beating the doors down" philosophy. Is Gonzo a metaphorical door?

It seems that "doors" haven't enjoyed the beating down process.

481 Thanks. It just seems like if a player and organization are no longer happy with the current direction of the organization/team and both would be willing to void the remaining time, a termination contract could be worked out to do so. But perhaps, this escape hatch would give players leverage to tank/sit out their season or a manager to bench their player until they essentially do what a certain party wants.

Oh well.

Glad to see Loney hit well. Glad to see Hu get a shot even though I thought that bunt was a poor call by the manager. Wish Kemp came through with the bases loaded. Never really figured Nomar would come through with RISP tonight, even though I guess he does have a good overall percentage. The fact that Hernandez was used is a testament to the scrap piles in which Ned resorted to sifting because of the injuries. HONESTLY, can a team with Hernandez, Hillenbrand and a poorly-hitting Nomar, make it to the post-season? With his arm trouble, I don't believe Broxton could survive the duration of October and we definitely need him.

486 Well, I guess we'll see. Let's concede your point about Nomar, and move around the diamond. Loney will play first. Kemp will start in the outfield. Ethier, if he isn't packaged with a pitcher for a corner outfielder will start. Furcal at short. Kent/Abreu at second.

What are we really arguing about? Third base? One position? Even if Nomar holds down third, I assume he'll be on a very short leash.

The kids have won. Everybody knows it. Even Colletti knows it.

489 "The fact that Hernandez was used is a testament to the scrap piles in which Ned resorted to sifting because of the injuries."

Yeah, there's that, but the Hernandez thing is scandalous mostly because it requires two different people to screw up independently of each other. It requires the GM to acquire the terrible player and keep him on the team, but it also requires the manager to use his worst pitcher in a one-run game despite five or six better options being available.

Completely off-topic, here's a fascinating story for the history buffs about the Little Rock Central High confrontation back in 1957.

http://tinyurl.com/yszg2t

487 LaRoche, Abreu, Hu, Ethier, Kershaw, Meloan, Broxton, McDonald, Martin seems like a good place to start.

The "beating down the door" thing was alway a crock. The minor leaguers come up when the current MLB player sucks or gets hurt. Loney beat down the door last year; didn't get him the job. He didn't beat down the door this year, until he was given the job. It's fine, I'm not griping too much about it, but I don't see continuing to pretend that Colletti actually has a philosophy. He has a depth chart and a variably short fuse.

490 We have a good team going into 2008. I'm optimistic about it. But I don't think Nomar will be on a short leash. This guy is a batting champion. He's famous -- in Boston, no less. He sells T-shirts. He's in van commercials. He's a great marketing tool in the Hispanic community. Even after a putrid season and a half, he still gets the loudest cheers at the stadium. He hits with RISP. He hit the third-most famous home run in team history. He's a living legend. He makes, what, $10 million? He's Nomar. He's not losing his job unless an alien slices open his flesh and crawls out of his stomach. And maybe not even then.

He will be a suckhole in the 2008 lineup, and so will whatever PVL Ned signs to play left field. But five out of the eight spots -- 1B, 2B, SS, C, RF -- should be good.

question - can you tell me which secondary pitches penny has in his arsenal?

494 I think we give Ned a hard time (mostly because he deserves it, and he's not very progressive), but it's not like he's a complete ignoramus. I'm sure he understands that Kemp, Loney, Billingsley, and Ethier all outplayed his vaunted group of veteran turds. Even if Colletti only focuses on batting average and RBI's, those primitive metrics prove that the young players are better than his venerated fossils.

Gonzo is gone, Nomar is a shell, and Kent is...well...A jerk, but still a productive ballplayer. I really think Colletti is backed into a corner, because the best players on the team (by any metric) were the youngsters.

I'm just wondering what he's going to do in the offseason. He can't trade Loney, Kemp, Martin, or Billingsley. He just can't.

495 See, this is where I give The Mustache more credit than you give him. Sure, Nomar may start at the hot corner, but I doubt the team is locked in. They have a top 5 prospect in the wings, the son of a major leaguer (and that means a ton to scouts and front office serfs).

Nomar's name may carry some water, but he still sucked this year. I don't think that will be glossed over. The Dodgers brass have to realize that he is a shell of his former self.

497 "I'm sure he understands that Kemp, Loney, Billingsley, and Ethier all outplayed his vaunted group of veteran turds."

I would like to believe that. It may be true. At the same time, the Dodgers have spent all year trumpeting from the rooftops about Nomar's RISP performance. And Juan Pierre has had your quintessential Juan Pierre season; if Ned thought he was a good player before the season started, he still thinks so now. Plus Kent has had an outstanding year. So really, the only PVL who has been surpassed by the young players, from Colletti's perspective, is probably Luis Gonzalez.

496 Curveball and changeup

I'm kind of hoping Colletti goes out and acquires another CF, moving Pierre to LF, the way it was speculated in the last thread that he might. Just for the sOPS+ difference of 2008 LF vs. 2007 LF. Bhsportsguy would finally have to come over to the dark side.

I'll be a full time D'back fan, by then, but still. It would be sweet.

499 I don't care about the person playing CF. He's going to be playing CF for the Dodgers. He's never going to sit. He's a detriment, and the crown jewel of the Colletti era. I don't really care.

Complaining about our CF is like complaining about human right abuses in China. Yup, it's a problem...And nothing is going to change. Get over it, Dodgers fans. It is what it is.

495. Not so sure about 2B. We know Nomar was a black hole and we understand that he may be one next year but what concerns me is a possible decline by Kent. He will be older and the odds say he is overdue to crash. He may be Barry and defy the odds or he may be Nomar and sink like a stone. But if I see a spot where we may have an unanticipated problem next year it is with Kent.

504 Good point. But at least we have a really good backup plan there. How long we wait before using it may become an issue. Although, I was surprised to read Tony Jackson say tonight that Abreu "is expected to compete for the starting job" in 2008.

I am not patting myself on the back there. I was addressing LAT's post.

Given who the last two posters are, shouldn't there be a NPUT by now?

I seriously doubt Nomar will have much to do with the Dodgers next season. It would be an embarassment to start him, one that I have to think even Colletti recognizes. Going into this season, Colletti could just barely argue a case for Nomar based on only half a season of decline, just months removed from leading the league in BA. Next spring? About the only possible argument would be a hidden injury. "Now that Nomar's pituitary gland has been reschmackled, he'll be back to his old, league-leading self." That's about all you could say to offset the stink from Nomar's season.

Otherwise, I have to think somebody else, possibly LaRoche, will play third on Opening Day. I gather Colletti would prefer someone else, so we'll see what he comes up with -- Mike Lowell is obviously a possibility. Amid much gnashing of teeth, at least you can make a case for him for 2008.

Nomar might actually make himself reasonably useful if he learned to play left field. Then he could be a "supersub" type without a regular job, but who plays 1B, 3B, or LF when the starter needs a break.

Luckily, instead of watching the game tonight I

a) Went to Starbucks
b) Visited my mom in the hospital
c) Bought some takeout Chinese food
d) Ate it with my wife while watching "House."
e) Forced my wife to watch "Damages."

During an ad, I turned it to the game just to check, and saw Roberto up there pitching...in the ninth...with Colorado only up by one run...in an elimination game...!!!

That alone is fireable. I'm so done with Grady Little. He flatly mismanaged this team. He cost us wins, he screwed up the clubhouse, the Kent/LuGo/Lowe blowups, the awful awful awful lineups -- it's all his fault. I fell for the guy's charm, I'll admit, and he seemed okay last year. But he's a boob. He's a dog of a manager. Compared with Black, Bochy, Melvin, even Hurdle, he's the worst. Worse than Charlie Manuel. Worse than Dusty Baker. He's the worst manager of a good team since...Grady Little on the Red Sox.

If Colletti doesn't fire Little, McCourt should fire Grady.

507 So long as our manager will appropriately put him 8th in the lineup, where first-pitch swinging popup experts who occasionally hit singles are supposed to go.

508 I meant to say, "If Colletti doesn't fire Little, McCourt should fire Colletti."

So, the consensus is that Young can't play second at the major league level? That's a bummer.

I kind of feel for Nomar. He was once very good, had a chance to be one of the greats... but the injuries have just derailed him. I'm not one to tell a guy when he should hang 'em up, but I really wish he'd play for someone else.

As for Kent, I didn't like Depodesta bringing him in, I didn't like Colletti resigning him. And the best I can say is, I don't care if he's here next year.

I keep having this feeling like Ethier is going to be a guy that consistently hits .330 with 20 HR and about 85 RBIs (depending on where he is in the line up), and I think we'll rue the day he's traded.

All in all, this off season should be either sign A-Rod or stand pat. With the obligatory tweaking of the pitching staff.

501 Wow, I stay away for a whole thread because I actually went to the game and I get mentioned by Andrew in a post.

How awesome.

Gotta love the kids but you all know who got the largest cheer when his at bat was announced.

It was Mr. Garciaparra. By far. No contest.

Sure, it was the situation, down by 1, runners on base but it was certainly noticeable.

As far as any apologies for my earlier comments, I have none.

Just flipped over to Plaschke. If his sources are correct, it's Kemp who'll be traded. They've decided Kent was right about him.

I wish I was kidding.

512 BTW - I am just so cranky, I am banning myself until fan appreciation day.

What's funny is, Plaschke's story mentions no one for whom he would be traded. Instead, it's a demographic. Male, age 27-31, established star. Must play baseball. Must not be too grumpy.

The idea is addition by subtraction. Trade Kemp and get better.

I am just thunderstruck.

It's only Plaschke. It's only Plaschke. It's only...

Maybe Colletti take us full circle and trade Kemp for Pedro Martinez.

Although Plaschke is a lowlife, I have a hard time believing that even he would fabricate a source out of thin air. So the question becomes, how good are his "sources"? How reliable are they?

Ned's quote, to his credit, sounds like he's leaving open the possibility of trading Kemp, but only for a Miguel Cabrera type.

I wasn't trying to suggest he fabricated it.

The idea of it being a trial balloon, however, wouldn't surprise me.

There's other media in this town -- KFWB, Daily News. And there's Josh Rawitch's blog.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I think Kemp has more upside than anyone on the team except Billingsley. I'd love to have Cabrera, but this seems like an unstrategic way of getting him. Particularly advertising up front like this. Let other teams BEG for Kemp. Don't say, "You know Jeff Kent had it right. This kid's a pain in the butt."

And don't think Plaschke doesn't know he's harming Kemp's trade value by writing the stuff he's been writing. Then when a silly trade occurs, he'll have something to rake Colletti over the coals about for the next few years.

If the Dodgers trade Kemp, I will impose self banishment and join Steve.

This is absolutely insane. I hate the LA Media. Why do they always want to ruin a good thing?

There's so much wrong with Plaschke's column, and I'm only two paragraphs in... "It could be Matt Kemp"... Management is upset about baserunning gaffes, mentioned by Mr. Base running gaffe himself, Jeff Kent.

(Of course, Dodger sources are barred from mentioning specific players by name.)

And the only guy to start the All Star game for the Dodgers doesn't think he's earned the right to speak up yet?

I'm thinking the PVL in the Dodger clubhouse was more toxic than anything we've been led to believe. I also love the idea that a couple more guys in the 27-31 age range would have helped Grady to better police the locker room... how exactly?

This is the sort of thing that is going to force me into becoming an Angels fan first and a Dodgers fan second. I never thought that day would come.

511 Just 10 years ago, Nomar became the first rookie to have 30 HRs and 20 SBs. This year, Chris B. Young became the second.

522 Maybe the sources just said the guy who would be traded had a four-letter surname starting with K-E.

Kemp is basically getting the Lastings Milledge treatment from a large market media. And for what? Acting as a 22/23 year old? These writers need to stop adding fuel to the fire when the best reason they can come up with to trade him is because of his base running mistakes and a bit of arrogance.

Who would be available that Colletti could conceivably trade for Kemp?

We need Jon to counter attack. He is our lead arrow!

520 Yeah, Nate, I'm with you -- if the Dodgers trade Kemp for anything less than a complete and total A-lister (Cabrera, etc) I'll be as disgusted as I've ever been as a fan (I was too young and didn't enough info to get all torn up about Martinez/DeShields).

I really, really hope this is hyberbole on Plaschke's part.

That's going to be the most costly trash can anyone ever moved.

524 - heh. if the way this front office was run wasn't so annoying, it'd be funny. Instead, it's got the feeling of a greek tragedy

519. Plaschke isn't hurting Kemp's trade value. Any GM in baseball would recognize that Plaschke is a fool. Esentially, Plaschke criticizes Kemp for being a kid. He makes stupid mistakes. We all agree but he hasn't even had a full season in the bigs. Most kids make mistakes. So now the perfection that is Russel Martin is the standard by which all other young Dodgers are judged? Let's not loose perspective. Young players are supposed to make mistakes. Just because Russell doesn't make tehm doesn't meant ithers won't. How about a little slack here for a guy who produced. Nomar lays a terd in the middle of the filed and gets a contract extemsion. Kemp hits .333 with a .882 OPS and is trade bait. Ned really is an idiot.

I don't believe in one person quick fixes but wow, Arod would solve so much.

This article is so absurd that I can't take him seriously. Unfortunately, I don't think Ned shares my opinion of Plaschke.

I'm hoping this is a convoluted means of giving Kemp a swift kick in the butt. He's incredibly and undeniably talented, but also immature and over-confident/cocky. If Plaschke and any trade rumors bring him down a few notches (and makes him more amenable to suggestions/advice), I'll send Bill a fruit basket.

519. Also I hope Plaschke crushes Kemp's trade value. Hopefully then he will be untradeable.

This article is so absurd that I can't take him seriously. Unfortunately, I don't think Ned shares my opinion of Plaschke.

I'm hoping this is a convoluted means of giving Kemp a swift kick in the butt. He's incredibly and undeniably talented, but also immature and over-confident/cocky. If Plaschke and any trade rumors bring him down a few notches (and makes him more amenable to suggestions/advice), I'll send Bill a fruit basket.

Ack, my first double post.

531 Right, but whether Plaschke's an idiot or not, he's reporting in a fairly credible newspaper that the Dodger organization thinks Kemp's immature enough to get rid of.

Can someone explain to me how these writers are so bullheaded to call the youth movement a flop when they can very easily look up the stats of players on the team and conclude why we are at the position we are in?

Seriously...its basically like a conspiracy.

Another aspect of the article which was interesting: Frank won't talk until after the season. Why hide? Get out there now? Say you are disaapointed and feel the fans frustration. Don't crouch behind Camlle.

More telling was Plaschke's threat to run with the Angel's if Frank didn't give him an interview. That gives us a littel more insight into what a scumbag Plaschke is.

BTW, I call him a scumbag because a few years ago I personally watched him try and stir up trouble with fans about the new baseline seats. He was trying to create a story, not report on one.

538 - the youth movement failed because the Dodgers did not win the NL West this year. At the beginning of the year, the conventional wisdom was that the NL West was the worst in the majors, the fact that playing out the season has shown that to not be the case does not matter. This year's outcome is only important when making predictions about next year in April. All the Dodgers youngsters are very talented and they should be able to win a division full of also rans - even though 3 of those also rans are battling for two playoff spots while the rest of the league is going through the motions.

It is convoluted logic fueled by ADD and no sense of sports history in this town.

539 - I don't think he's threatening to run with the Angels, just pointing out a fact - the Times will be covering the Angels during the playoffs, the Dodgers will be looking for tee times.

Of course, Plaschke's main purpose is to cause controversy, which gets more people interested in buying the paper. And it's working. Look at this thread. We're falling for his game. We're letting the terrorists win.

542 - so does that mean we should stop watching Around the Horn?

543 I have only a vague idea of what that even is.

I remember Jon writing that if the Dodgers traded Kemp he would seriously consider closing down Dodger Thoughts.

This is so depressing, and yet I really am not surprised. Colletti is in CYA mode. His veterans were terrible this year and the kids -- Logan's kids, not Colletti's, outside of Ethier -- are the only thing that kept us from finishing well behind the Giants. But Colletti can't admit that, because it is tantamount to telling McCourt that he screwed up, wasted over $100 million last off-season, and maybe should find some other line of work. Colletti has to find a scapegoat, and it can't be anybody he signed, traded for, or gave an extension. The kids make useful patsies. And Kemp, well, he seems like a guy who may very well have lost his temper and mouthed off in one of these closed-door meetings with Little and Colletti last week.

I can only imagine the type of treatment Lambo will receive if he comes up as the shiny, new, young dodger stud.

re: 42 Well hopefully we can all read Plashke on the website with adblocks on so we are using their bandwith and giving them not one cent.

I'm not flying off the handle until something actually happens. But if Kemp is traded for 75 cents on the dollar because Jeff Kent doesn't think he's mature enough then I'll have to...keep rooting for the Dodgers...but I won't go to any games! Okay, I will...but I'll smuggle in my own alcohol and eat before I go!

Take that McCourt!

If the Dodgers trade Matt Kemp for anything less than Miguel Cabrera...I quit. Seriously.

I love baseball too much to follow a confederation of dunces. I'll adopt another team.

Maybe I'll just become a Red Sox fan.

From Diamond's blog:

It was Logan White who drafted such players as James Loney and Matt Kemp, but the assistant general manager of scouting who correctly spotted their major league potential out of high school doesn't condone their recent comments in response to criticism from veteran Jeff Kent.

White was out of the country when word came through e-mailed press clippings of a clubhouse controversy involving kids he helped grow up in the organization, and it hit home with the former scouting director who still mentors the two by phone.

"I've been married 25 years, and I know what's kept me married 25 years," White said Tuesday. "You have good marriages when you and your wife communicate in-house.

"I've been in baseball long enough to know rookie mistakes happen on the field and unfortunately off the field. They will handle themselves better at some point. Sometimes, the learning process is painful."

White echoed what Manager Grady Little has said has been an ongoing educational process regarding publicly airing out grievances.

"Some of us took the bait," Little said. "We always pride ourselves on taking care of situations behind closed doors, but sometimes we slip."

"I hope they continue to learn," White said. "There will be the day when the young players will be in the veteran players' shoes."

And this:

Half-filled stadium here tonight, but the boo birds are still out. The Dodger starting lineup was announced, and the person booed wasn't Jeff Kent or Matt Kemp or James Loney. No, it was Grady Little.

And because it's the first inning of a meaningless game, I wonder, what would Chris Crocker have said?

How dare anyone out there make fun of Grady after all he has been through! A Martinez said he lost his clubhouse, the kids, the veterans. He's a human! Leave Grady alone! All you people want is more, more, more, more. You are lucky he even sat on the bench 162 games for you. LEAVE GRADY ALONE!..Please. Anyone that has a problem with him you deal with me, because he is not doing well right now. LEAVE HIM ALONE! Sniffle.

550

Instead of calling out the young players for defending their pride, the veterans need to be called out for

1- sucking
2- whining
3- being the first ones to take it out of the clubhouse

It's a rookie mistake to take the bait. But what's Kent's excuse? Congenital jackassery doesn't count.

They expect their kids to rise above the pettiness, but don't chastise the veterans who started it?

553 - Er.. does jackassery qualify as profanity? If so, I apologize.

On to something positive... I'm really curious to how ZIPS and PECOTA will project Loney's 2008 season. I mean, those two systems have seen him put up a 323/374/543 in 427ABs and will be 23 when next season starts. These numbers have to outweigh his minor league numbers in predictive systems right?

Jeff Kent was the most despised rookie in the Blue Jays clubhouse. He was hated by the vets.

He was a malcontent with the Mets and Indians.

He fought with Bonds and the rest of the Giants.

He hate the Dodgers youngsters.

Maybe, and I'm just spitballing here, Jeff Kent is a bona fide ass. He just might be a terribly selfish jerk. Just a possibility.

If Kemp is ousted for responding to what Kent said then that's absolutely hypocritical. How can you chastise a guy for sticking up for himself and give the guy who started the whole thing a free pass? Both players are basically calling each other out; as long as the defendant didn't do anything wrong in the first place to deserve the calling out then it should be the prosecutor who should take the brunt of the blame.

Then again, who knows, maybe Kemp strolled into the clubhouse hung over as all hell before an important day game and laughed at anyone who questioned his commitment. Then again, maybe not...anyone read that book when you were a kid? I remember it being pretty creepy.

Also, when is the phrase "Kent being Kent" going to become a common phrase? Just because Manny's in the ESPN Zone and says stupid stuff people shrug it off, but since Kent is in the Laid Back Zone people automatically assume it must be serious if someone's actually speaking out.

Okay, now it all makes sense:

Colletti is not stupid. He sees that the younger players outperformed the older players.

Most of the older players had subpar years.

What Colletti has come to realize is that the older players' poor performance should be blamed on the younger players.

They were so distracting with their wacky, childish antics, a serious guy like Nomar Garciaparra just couldn't concentrate. Luis Gonzalez would be all dressed to go out and hit doubles and then, dang, Loney spilled apple juice all over his sleeper. Jeff Kent just wanted to sleep in that Sunday, you know how hard he works, but at 6 a.m., who's jumping on his bed but Andre Ethier, saying "It's time to go to the circus! Cotton candy!" And Kemp was the worst. How many times did Derek Lowe ask him, "Do you have to go to the bathroom?" Like a broken record. Kemp says, "No, Derek. I don't have to poop." And then 20 minutes later he poops in his pants in Carolyn's Navigator. DISGUSTING! It was so embarrassing, Lowe allowed four home runs that day.

"We need some older players," said Kent. "It's just NOT FAIR that we always get stuck with the little kids!"

The optimist in me reads the ridiculous Plaschke article, spots this Ned quote -

"The kids aren't perfect, they're not complete yet," Colletti said. "I will not trade them for a chance to win for one year. But for a chance to win for many years? I'd do it in a heartbeat."

- and hopes that this means that a Matt Kemp would only depart in a trade that involved a name such as Miguel Cabrera or Johan Santana.

The pessimist in me worries that Ned thinks that statement is fulfilled with a name like Carl Crawford or Dontrelle Willis.

At the game tonight, the crowd was quick to attempt to strike up some sort of Hu chant, but it never quite coalesced into anything unified - I heard "Huuuuuuuuuuuu" attempted as well as some "Hu Hu Hu Hu ..." that triggered some long-buried memories of the Arsenio Hall show. Unfortunately, not a single ground ball was hit to Hu, whom I wanted to see field.

For the record, Jeff Kent DID congratulate Loney after his HR, with a fist tap. It is unfortunate that I even deemed it necessary to look for it.

Grady's use of the pitching staff was mystifying. Joe Beimel was up in the pen a couple of times - why wasn't he in instead of Hernandez? When the 6th arrived and it was a one-run game FOLLOWING AN OFF DAY, I think we all expected some combination of Seanez, Beimel and Proctor as long as it stayed close. I doubt that Proctor wanted to hit Holliday in that situation with Helton to follow, and I found it curious that Beimel didn't come in to face him.

To me, it seemed that Ethier's throw was too high for the cutoff man, Martin moved up from home onto the infield grass to field it on the fly, but his throw to second hit the runner, Matsui who immediately got up and never broke stride to head for home. Pierre had run into LCF on the hit (and had not moved back to be behind second base) so he had a way to go to retrieve the ball. On his throw home, he may missed Kent, who put his glove up, but pulled it down as the ball passed.

Matsui tagging up and taking second on Pierre was sickening. Juan didn't have to run that one down and the catch was made maybe 20 feet from the track. Matsui didn't even have to slide. Ultimately it didn't really matter; he would have moved to 2nd on the IF single and scored on Helton's single anyway.

When the fly ball was hit, I wasn't sure if Kent should try for home or not. When I saw the CF make the catch on the move toward home, I thought Kent better put on the brakes.

I thought of Bob Timmermann when I saw the K-E2 allowing to Russell Martin to reach. I was hoping that Ethier would later reach on an CI to complete the evening.

At least I saw:
Hu: 2-run HR, 2-4
Loney: 3-run HR, 3-5
LaRoche: RBI single, 2-5
D Young: HR

From Tony Jackson's notes, pre-posted on his blog:

No difference: Little said the club won't approach this three-game series with wildcard-contending Colorado any differently than this weekend's season-ending set with last-place San Francisco, even though there doesn't figure to be anything at stake for either club in that series. "We're going to try to win as many games as we can," Little said. "What we did last week (a 1-6 trip), there is nothing we can do about that right now. We just have to go forward."

Well, of course you're going to try and win Grady, but the Giants games mean nothing to either team Grady - time to get a nice three-day look at Hu, Young, Meloan, LaRoche, etc.

Next trade: Matt Kemp and LaRoche for Eric Chavez.
Billy Beane must love Plaschke´s articles.

Soaring with the Eagles:

marty 80
bill crain 81
d4p 82
trainwreck 83
clair malone-evans 83
joeyp 84
humma kavula 84
schoffle 84
regfairfield 84
scareduck 85
greg brock 85

Colletti with the largest NL West payroll: 4th place

Sabean with the second largest NL West payroll: 5th place

And yet we're supposed to believe that they're doing a great job and are worthy of contract extensions and that they're the best decisions their owners have ever made.

The US Government aside, the 2007 combined payrolls for the Dodgers and Giants might be the worst $199,173,580 ever spent.

Just woke up. Read comments. Read Plaschke. Can't... speak... English.

What to comment upon first?

So... lost... for... words.

Sounds like I reinstated the Plaschke Embargo just in the nick of time. But without reading his drivel, it makes no sense for anybody in the Dodgers organization to begin such a whispering campaign about Kemp. Given Colletti's suddenly tepid support of Kemp, it sounds more like they're just trying to light a fire under the youngster.

And Logan White has been out of the country? There's your real problem. White has the clout with these young guys to straighten out any perceived attitude/arrogance issues.

563 - Colletti will only make that move if a 97-year-old, tobacco-dribbling cross-checker signs off on Chavez. "There's something about that kid," he'll say. "His stats don't show it, but he's gonna be pretty good."

OK, I've found some words.

If the Dodgers trade for one of the five best players in baseball...

...AND if, as a result of that trade, the Dodgers are able to keep that awesome player in the organization for a good long time...

...AND if the contract that that player will command does not financially hamstring the Dodgers to the point that they cannot fill other problem spots on the team...

...THEN, be it resolved, I can support a trade of Matt Kemp for that player.

But I fear 560 is right. Dontrelle Willis. Nice guy. Pierre's friend. Good nickname. Memorable delivery. Big name. Highly overrated. He'd be perfect -- if only he were a Devil Ray.

The quotation mark blog linked to another funny one, Crummy Church Signs. That reminded me of the funniest church sign I've seen. It was out on highway 14 in the Lancaster area for years. All it said was: Jesus, I Come Quickly.

Cracked me up every time I drove by it.

"The kids aren't perfect, they're not complete yet," Colletti said. "I will not trade them for a chance to win for one year. But for a chance to win for many years? I'd do it in a heartbeat."

This doesn't make sense. The Kids are all about "chance to win for many years". The players you trade Kids for are "chance to win for one year".

Also -- I get the point in 560 , and I know the examples he chose aren't the point, and I know El Lay Dave was just picking a name, and I'm not advocating trading Kemp for him (at all!)...

...but I kinda like Carl Crawford. He's above average, he's cheap for the D-Rays, and he's fun to watch.

I don't really have a point here. I don't think that Kemp or even Ethier should be moved for him, which is pretty much what would have to happen. Just saying that if it had been the Dodgers that had groomed that guy, he'd have a place on my team any day.

Dave Sheinin: "Now, if you're getting confused as to what Pythagoras, a sixth-century B.C. Greek philosopher best known for inventing the theorem showing the relationship between the lengths of the sides of a triangle, has to do with the Diamondbacks, follow along closely:"

http://tinyurl.com/2t3ket

I've said before, I'll take the Post sportspage, even with its suffocating Redskins coverage, over the LA Times any day.

I am just astounded that Kemp, whose sole on-field blemish has been a few gaffes on the bases, is getting thrown under the base as a favor to Jeff Kent, who has been involved in the worst base running blunder in recent memory. Look at the team these last two games, the kids are alright!

There is almost a willful thread of contrarianism running through the media and the front office, where the truth (that the vets and injured pitching staff were the problem this year) is obvious, but the search for an alternate explanation is on anyway. It reminds me of Ahmadinejad's explanation for alternative research into the Holocaust: "What's wrong with further studying such an important event?" Nothing, unless the research begins by throwing out all of the facts and then looking for the explanation that best suits your viewpoint.

I doubt I can stop loving my favorite team, but this is beginning to feel like a one-way relationship. Like I am trapped in a blues song about a lady that don't love me no more.

On paper, Carl Crawford looks like Juan Pierre plus mediocre power. What am I failing to appreciate about the guy?

Not a big fan of Plaschke's article this morning.

"The kids aren't perfect, they're not complete yet," Colletti said. "I will not trade them for a chance to win for one year. But for a chance to win for many years? I'd do it in a heartbeat."

This quote is designed to refute the thought that kids are untradeable, pacify the veterans, and perhaps put a bit of fear into the younger players-- make them more likely to be seen and not heard. I doubt it does any of those things.

This will be an interesting offseason. Colletti's media savvy reputation is being put to the test. His media buddies who gave him a ton of credit just because he wasn't Depo now are now thirsty for blood.

I'm not going to bother reading Plaschke's article for at least two reasons.

1. I pretty much know what I'm going to find
2. If I read it, I automatically lose

Happy 102nd birthday to Emilio Navarro! He was the first Puerto Rican to play in the Negro Leagues. He played shortstop for the Cuban Stars in 1928 and 29. He is the oldest former professional baseball player.

i read it, and i am sick. Where is JA adande when you need him. Plaschke spends too much time acting like a fool on Around the Horn to have any idea what is going on.

Curiosity may end up killing me, because deep down, I'm a sucker for pandering drivel. But for now, I'm on board with 577 .

The LA Times used to have the finest sports section of any newspaper in the country. It is staggering to see how far it has fallen.

580
Give in to the pandering drivel. You know you want to. Just do it.

581
(Meanwhile, on other shoulder:)
Don't do it! Resist the Devil and he will flee from you!

582
But the drivel is so nurturing and warm. You'll feel so good afterwards....

583
Listen to me, my sons, and pay attention to my words. Don't let your hearts stray away toward her. Don't wander down her wayward path. For she has been the ruin of many; numerous men have been her victims. Her house is the road to the grave. Her bedroom is the den of death.

Great comments last night. You guys are calmer than me. New post up top.