/Nerd

--
Oh, thanks Cajun (re: end of last thread advice on Nawlins)!

/dream

First off, per the last thread, Dusty Baker was there last night. Which could be the cause and or effect of the rumors.

I had a good conversation with the guy who works in the little gift shop right by the Dodger's dugout door. He said that Kemp, Loney and Ethier were the only guys who usually came out to sign autographs after the games. Kemp came out to see his family, and struck me as pretty arrogant. And then I thought, who cares? He's gonna hit 40 homeruns! A rather annoying lady standing next to me who said she went to 40 games a year in the dugout club said "Kemp has no heart". She seemd to have a sense of entitlement about the team and it's players (that they should all have a personal relationship with her because she sat in good seats) and she said she wanted Kemp to get traded because basically she didn't like him. She said she would rather see Jason Repko, and that she would rather see a player playing above his ability than a player like Kemp not playing to his ability. She then proceeded to call Olmedo "chunky" when he walked out. I left her general vacinity. It was a painful reminder of what a "fan" can be.

I also asked the guy that worked in the gift shop if he had read Plaschke's article on Kemp. He said he tried not to look at the press since he has to see the players everyday. He said that "everybody hates him. I don't even think he (Plashke) is allowed in the clubhouse anymore."

James Loney and Andre Ethier both seemed great. They both came out to sign balls and chatted with fans. Loney came out to sign balls and then went back inside to get his stuff. A nice gesture...

I approached Frank McCourt as he was leaving and shook hands with him. I knew I only had a chance to get in a quick comment so I said "I'm hope I get to watching Matt Kemp play for many years" and he responded "I hope so too." In retrospect, I should have gone with Logikreader's "sign Arod and I'll buy season tickets" but I couldn't think that fast on my feet. I also should have said "play FOR THE DODGERS" but I think it was assumed.

Matt Kemp's back right pocket was hanging out of his pants for his first two at bats. Does he do this often? Was it just an accident? When he got to third base, Rich Donnelly reached over and stuck it back in his pants. A meaningful gesture? Just helping a friend out?

Kent was nowhere in sight. Dugout or otherwise.

All in all it was an amazing experience. In a lot of ways I prefer the less insulated experience of sitting in other seats. I certainly feel like less of a crazy person when I shout "Bison!" from there. But it was a great treat and a chance to snoop...

Really, I don't get it.

My guess is that the point was that Kemp's behavior is so awful that anything he does merits a putdown from the Stonecutters. But to say that the anecdote was vaguely explained is an understatement.

And the fact of the matter is it's not (2001/2003/1999) anymore. ... It's 2007, and I think you have to live in the present.

And you can't live by big names. You can't live in the past. It doesn't matter what somebody did in a (World Series/World Series/Saturday Night Live episode) (six/four/seven) years ago. Now is what matters, and that's what I think.

Although they are unintentionally funny.

We Heart Ross Newhan.

22 Darnit. And I'd already sent my invitation for her to join my team.

I still remember him from back when my Dad used to take me to Rams games in the late '50s, early '60s at the Coliseum. My favorite Ram was Jon Arnett, who was probably the 2nd greatest open-field runner ever, next to Gale Sayers.

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/14099445/detail.html

And once at a game when I was wearing a UCLA sweatshirt, he tried to convince me that Walt Hazzard was one of the best basketball coaches UCLA had ever hired.

I am seriously considering changing my username to Matt Kemp's Moved Trash Can.

But as apologies go, would you consider hers entirely successful?

Her last line is "I hope... you can find the understanding needed to forgive me." That isn't an apology. I put it in the same boat as people who say "I'm sorry that you were offended by what I said," which also isn't an apology. Points against.

In the end, it's neither the worst nor the best apology I've ever read.

(Is Women's soccer/footbal a medal event next year?)

But I don't begrudge her sticking by her main criticism and I think her point that, how could be an athlete like this and not want to be on the field and think I'm best was well put.

But I'm biased in her favor because I think the coach is a real jerk for threatening to cut her from the team -- that really seems extreme at this point in time.

While it's true that he's still young, I'm usually suspicious of guys with high BAs and low IsoDs. Plus, his IsoP really isn't that high.

10 - I can understand the woman's frustration with Kemp "not playing up to his ability" and preferring guys that play beyond it. I've seen both kinds of athletes up close and personal, the guys playing above their level are generally better guys and more fun to root for. I'd say they win about an equal amount.

He'll move a Dumpster.

Then, in 2009, a 30-yarder.

Marta´s goal: http://tinyurl.com/yo5ma3

Me, too. To this day, whenever I look at a roster, I first check to see who's wearing Arnett's #26.

It's Luis Gonzalez. For three more games.

45 - IsoP, I assume is Isolated Patience... I have to admit, I've got a problem with this metric. Patience is not just drawing walks, it's working the count to get a good pitch to hit. I think I made this point a while back, but doesn't a guy who works more counts to 2-0, 3-1, 3-1 show more patience than a guy who swings at the first pitch every single time? As for IsoD, what is that?

53 No, a player can perform exactly the same way and see less of his balls in play fall in for hits, simply because it's entriely luck whether or not a ball just misses a fielder or it's caught. A "natural" .300 hitter could be hitting somewhere between .380 and .230 200 at bats into the season by things that are entirely out of his control.

Let me put it this way... there are a lot of athletes with natural talent, guys who make it look really easy. Then there are guys with less talent but more drive, they tend to be the guys who put in extra time at the gym, more time in the batting cages, etc. The guys with less talent are the ones who people say are playing above their level - it is, I think, the fascination that so many have with Eckstein. Relatively speaking, he's not very talented for a major league ball player, but the guy leaves everything on the field - a lot of fans can relate to those guys.

58 - huh, seems like Kemp hits more line drives than that.

Ok, I have to go to San Diego now. Y'all have a good weekend.

"Although this is a difficult market in which to operate a development camp, the long wait for a nucleus of the current caliber to emerge from what had become a fallow farm system at times justified the 2007 route and demands caution if the club is now thinking it should break up that nucleus."

It was a computer model, entirely random. If it had really happened, imagine the press.

Though I doubt any one who thinks Kemp is a problem would actually care about something like that.

In a recent LA Times article, it was stated:

"... if [Kent] accepts his $9-million option and returns for 2008, probably will split playing time with 22-year-old Tony Abreu."

I thought 2008 was automatic once Kent reached a certain number of PAs. Once he has reached this minimum, there is no way out for either party; he will be a Dodger in 2008.
OR is it really an option - Kent can decide to opt out and play elsewhere (?) Or is the only other option with this contract retirement?

But first someone has to explain soccer to him.

My source thinks that the Dodgers should stick with the youth movement.

I also hear the trash can has since been given an innocuous-looking coat of black enamel.

Any Brazilians planning on playing in the MLS, or does that just cause laughter?

79 I've read various reports of Ronaldo, Kaka, and Ronaldinho when they're ready for the pre retirement phase, but it seems like player movement speculation is soccer is worse than in any other sport.

I've always liked the name Sheffield Wednesday, even though they stink.

I never bought a single item from him.

That was pretty terrible. Thankfully, I did not bet on the game like I had planned.

http://tinyurl.com/2u2f4c

mellow? Dude lives in LA, you'd think he'd have made it to at least one Giants game

But Bill Simmons is from Boston. All West Coasters are the same to him.

If there was a Pulitzer Prize for best headline to a blog post, Jon would win hands down.

Me too. I am going to smoke some baby back ribs this weekend, and that is my choice of wine for the occasion

http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/schedule/tentative.jsp?c_id=la&year=2008

It paired really well last time. I finish them off with a sweet and smokey BBQ sauce, so the two flavors are extremely subtle, not overpowering the taste of the meat. I put a nice glaze on, but the sauce is not dripping off the meat. Plus, my BBQ is amazing.

A little citrus. Maybe some strawberry. Mmm. Passion fruit, mmm, and, oh, there's just like the faintest soupçon of like, uh, asparagus, and, there's a, just a flutter of, like a, like a nutty Edam cheese.

I read up on the Gewurtztraminer, but it sounds like it might be a little sweet for my taste. Is it really sweeter than a Riesling, or is that just one of many options?

I'm disappointed, though, that another year goes by without Yankees or Red Sox... selling those tickets goes a long way toward making back the season-ticket investment.

Of course, San Francisco could manage to land ARod, so who knows about them. Pittsburgh at least can be counted upon.

Vandalay Industries strikes again:

www.tiny.cc/BCOs6

When I got back from the game last night, I went to close one of the windows of my house and had a full view of my neighbors across the way, curtains open, lights on, and... why would they do that?

Perhaps they're... eh, we can save the analysis for a Dear Abby or Dear Penthouse column, I guess.

No it did not beat the game. Not attractive at all. Burned image in mind.

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060619/zirin
http://tinyurl.com/plk39

"Scott Boras has a reason for everything he does. When he negotiated Alex Rodriguez's 10-year, $252M contract with the Rangers in December 2000, Boras looked into the future and added a stipulation: an opt-out clause after the seventh season. Why seven years?

"First, Alex was going to be 32, his peak age," Boras says. "We wanted him to have the option of a new deal when he was at his prime. Second, I knew the CBA would be at least a year old by then." He's referring to the Collective Bargaining Agreement between MLB and the players union, which, as Boras predicted, went into effect this season. "If the CBA was in, teams would be confident that revenue streams were solid. It meant they would be able to afford our terms." A-Rod's 2004 trade to the Yankees ensured that Boras would have his client in the perfect place at the perfect time for the biggest possible payday.

Sometimes I wonder if it is even fair for Colletti to negotiate for A-Rod. Knife to a gunfight...

Baker was there to commemorate the 30 hr season and throw a first pitch...I hope that is all.

okay, so I don't see how Baker is an improvement over Grady Little, but remind me again why he's a bad manager? I remember thinking he should've been a Dodger manager, not leading the Giants to the World Series, but that was years ago and I've soured on him but can't remember why.

Google "dusty baker clog bases" for starters.

Assuming that the rumor is true, they will have to pay Grady (and presumably part of his staff) the last year of their contracts. Baker will then require $3-4 million/year for at least 3 years.

Is Grady really so bad that we need to waste $12 million? For the love of God, USE THE MONEY ON AROD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Next!

{Ashamed}

Bold you can do by putting asterisks on each side of the word or phrase.

I just figured out what NPUT meant two days ago. It was a light bulb on in the brain moment.

Same with IIRC

On that note, what would be a good red wine?

If you google NPUT you get New Paltz United Teachers, which is clearly the wrong thing so that must be some funny Dodger Thoughts thing.

"I listen to the big sports talkshow guys, and one of them has heard, has lots of credibility (I won't mention names), 'By Monday, he'll be gone.'

"...This particular sports announcer has lots of credibility and he has lots of experience."

Then they jabber on about whether or not they would wait after the WS to make such a move.

They then read Jon's piece for SI.com (without crediting him, I think), and list 5 examples of 'questionable' management.

I doubt this rumor. Their podcast seems to consist of reader e-mail and whatever else they find on the Internet.

I couldn't listen to any more of it. It's very difficult to bear through.

Much different than most blogs that I read. Evidence: the comments section of Inside the Dodgers. Good Lord...

Number one, the Dodgers are a laughingstock already. Number two, Dusty Baker has managed two teams: the Giants and the Cubs.

He brought the Giants in at 90 wins and a division title in 1997, despite the team allowing more runs than they scored. He took the Giants in 2002 to where they hadn't been in 40 years -- Game 7 of the World Series.

He later took the Cubs to where they hadn't been in 19 years -- the deciding game of the NLCS.

On top of that, Baker has the Dodgers in him; it's where he made his name, where he's still popular, and where he understands the dynamic of the fan base and the market. He's a link to a Dodger organization that was accustomed to success rather than failure, as the organization is known for now.

And bringing this man in to manage is a terrible decision? How so? I mean, most of you guys saw Grady Little manage the club into the ground this season; did you not? And you would rather have Little than Baker? Explain this to me.

FrankM@ladodgers.com

He does read it or at least his secretary does. I emailed him a couple years ago and he gave me a phone call a few days later.

From my vantage point, why replace Little with Baker. Baker costs more, which will mean less money to spend, and they will need to buy out Little. Baker also has a bad habit of blowing up the arms of his pitchers from overuse.

Personally, I could also care less about the links to Dodger history. The devil I know beats the more expensive devil I also know.

Other than that, I have to admit I kind of like the idea given the fact that he does have Dodger roots, which is always cool. {ducks}

did u guys talk about this one yet?

With a very limited free-agent pool awaiting this offseason, Colletti's best move would appear to move one or two of those highly regarded prospects for someone with power still in his 20s.

"Yeah, if we can pull it off," Colletti said. "That would be the optimum."

The more I read these stories, the more I think the Dodgers really are looking to move the kids. If they do, Frank N' Ned will have made News Corp look like pikers when it comes to destroying the Dodgers. Kevin Malone didn't have a farm to destroy and kids to squander.

ugh, I feel that migraine coming back

"There are few ideal situations in baseball, and this is not one of them. A team can have too much young talent."

Ask Arizona and Colorado how it is working out for them.

... Baker used Zambrano and Maddux more than he did Wood and Prior. Zambrano and Maddux seem to be OK, don't they? In 2003, Baker used his starters almost perfectly: the top four guys all pitched 201-214 innings each, all about 7 innings a start, and they all won 13 games or more. This is overuse?

As for how much he costs -- the Dodgers spent over $100 million for a .500 team this season. I don't think "costs" were a factor in bringing in Gonzo, Nomar, Schmidt, and Pierre.

Oh, a syrah would be really nice. I am a bigger fan of red wine, so this sounds great. Thanks for the recommendations.

https://dodgerthoughts.baseballtoaster.com/archives/271140.html

https://dodgerthoughts.baseballtoaster.com/archives/294236.html

... Again, here's another thing that someone is going to have to explain to me. In Chicago, Baker didn't have many kids sitting around on his bench. The only one he did have was Choi, who platooned with Eric Karros; they had about the same OPS and they had about 33 doubles and 20 homers combined, so I don't see what the problem was there.

Which young players did Dusty Baker pass over? Which ones went on to greater success elsewhere?

2. Kerry Wood
4. Mark Prior

The fact that Baker went out of his way to find regular playing time for the likes of Neifi Perez, Ramon Martinez, John Mabry, Jeromy Burnitz, etc. should speak volumes.

Here is that list of players in their 20s that I would open up the cupboards for (pitchers excluded):

Matt Holliday
Carl Crawford
Miggy Cabrera (provided he comes with a treadmill)
Albert Pujols
Grady Sizemore

NONE OF THESE GUYS ARE AVAILABLE. Why? All of them were developed and subsequently held on to by their respective teams.

This is precisely the argument for keeping the kids.

I wish our media was more observant...

"I think walks are overrated unless you can run... If you get a walk and put the pitcher in a stretch, that helps. But the guy who walks and can't run, most of the time they're clogging up the bases for somebody who can run."
--Dusty Baker, Cubs manager (Chicago Daily Herald)

"Who's been the champions the last seven, eight years? ...Have you ever heard the Yankees talk about on-base percentage and walks? Walks help. But you ain't going to walk across the plate. You're going to hit across the plate. That's the school I come from."
--Baker

"It's called hitting, and it ain't called walking. Do you ever see the top 10 walking? You see top 10 batting average. A lot of those top 10 do walk. But the name of the game is to hit."
--Baker

Sizemore, Brandon Phillips and Cliff Lee for Bart Colon has to be the 2nd worst trade in the last decade (next to the Pierzynski trade). If only the Tribe had stuck with Phillips...

I think he negated his point on the last one.

... Like I said, Maddux and Zambrano were used MORE than Wood and Prior. Maybe the problem was with Wood and Prior more than it was with Baker. As for Wood and Prior's pitch counts, obviously I don't have the numbers, but I would bet that Zambrano threw as many pitches per inning as Wood and Prior did.

And, you list the veterans Baker played; now tell me which promising young players were passed over in favor of those veterans?

I looked over his Giants years; I saw Baker try to give J.R. Phillips a shot, and in three seasons, Phillips failed to hit his weight. He gave shots to Bobby Estallella, Marvin Benard, Armando Rios, Royce Clayton; and that's just with hitters.

183

... If the current Dodger management had viewed walks as an offensive weapon, they never would have signed Juan Pierre for big bucks to bat leadoff.

... I fail to see where pitching Wood and Prior 210 innings in 2003 blew their arms apart. Maybe Wood and Prior just weren't durable pitchers. How is that Baker's fault? What would you have him do differently?

its not the amount of innings in a season, its the amount of pitches per start. Baker was notorious for letting his pitchers rack up pitches counts of 120+ in starts.

That is what everyone is worried about.