Today's lineup
Here’s today’s lineup. Just a routine day off for Furcal and Nomar to keep them fresh. And in case you missed it yesterday, we announced that Hong-Chih Kuo was recalled and Hamulack sent back to Vegas.
Lofton, CF
Martinez, SS
Kemp, LF
Drew, RF
Saenz, 1B
Aybar, 2B
Guzman, 3B
Martin, C (Great article on Russ in today’s L.A. Times)
Sele, P
SUPER SUB – Ramon Martinez has filled in nicely around the diamond for the Dodgers, as Los Angeles is 7-2 in his nine starts this season. His .352 average is fifth best among all National Leaguers with 50 or more plate appearances behind Moises Alou (.378), Jeff Cirillo (.375), Nomar Garciaparra (.369) and Miguel Cabrera (.355). Martinez is also hitting .455 (10-for-22) in day games this season.
SOME LIKE IT HOT – Olmedo Saenz has enjoyed tremendous success during day games through the first two months of this season, as he’s batting .394 (13-for-33) with four homers and 16 RBI under the sun. Willy Aybar (.310), Nomar Garciaparra (.417) and Kenny Lofton (.364) have also played their best baseball in natural daylight.
Last chance is tomorrow to put in your picks for the first three draft choices in Tuesday’s draft. The person who’s closest gets four baseline seats to an upcoming Dodger game.
Inside the Dodgers 
Absoloutly great article by the times on Martin and the Dodgers HAVE TO fly his father down here to play the National Anthem. First of all, he is a great young player and second of all for anyone who read this article it would be the feel good story of the year.
Notice that Ethier is not getting the playing time that he did before. Has Kemp past him on the depth chart???
Love the Russ Martin article as I do most of Bill Plaschke’s articles. Love those unique Dodger stories – this one, Piazza’s draft pick story, Eric Karros and his Dad, LoDuca’s tears when he signed a good contract, Koufax not pitching on Yon Kippur(sp), Campy’s story, Robinson, fab 4 infield, etc.
Game is on Rogers Sportsnet in Nova Scotia today. Gagne and Martin today guys. Another great story.
Vin Scully is a sharp dresser.
Yes he is. How good is this? Sitting at home a stone’s throw from the Atlantic Ocean, watching the Dodgers and listening to Vin. DP’s hurting us so far. Will get better.
Could Ramon Martinez just take strike 3 next time?
Or Lofton could steal 2nd. 🙂
Still trouble with DP’s
Could Rick Honeycutt make the decisions on which pitchers to put in from now on?
Honestly Grady is brilliant with running the offense, but he is downright idiotic with pitching staffs. You have the top of the lineup for Philadelphia coming up – these are good hitters. But instead of bringing in Saito, since you have a tie game and a good shot at getting a run in the bottom of the inning, and he’s your best option besides Gagne (or arguably Broxton), he decides he likes the lefty matchup. I only hope the Dodgers pull it out in the bottom of the 8th. A walk-off win would be nice, but we want Gagne.
patriot – could not agree more. what are bemel and kuo in there in the 8th of a close game. gotta go with Saito or Broxton!!!! a new chant for dodger fans “OH NO ITS KUO!”
Sure, it’s true that Broxton had pitched three days in a row, but Saito didn’t pitch yesterday. Kuo and Beimel aren’t bad, 8th inning guys, and the problem was that Grady put those two in only because they’re left handed and facing left-handers. If you want a chant, maybe “oh no Pedro,” but that’s better said to your TV than in Dodger Stadium.
Relief pitching continues to be a problem. The one move I would have made was to pinch hit for Matt Kemp with the bases full. Nomar, my choice, sitting on bench also could have been a defensive option at first with perhaps a better throw to Martin.
damned if you do & damned if you don’t.
Alias Gen3blu.
I see Grady’s strategy as trying to do the best for the season without trying to win every game and I am intrigued but sometimes uncomfortable.
I think Grady is good in general.
We obviously had hitters on the bench and pitchers in the dugout who could have won, but Grady is trying to involve the whole roster and this could be good.
can you guys believe we don’t play Arizona till july? not cool!!
Someone please answer this for me:
Why is it so terribly hard for a starting pitcher to go seven innings these days, especially when starters used to routinely go into the eighth and ninth innings? Somewhere, Don Drysdale is rolling in his grave right now. Rest in peace Don. Your game character is sorely missed in this day and age.
Hey Kevin, fact is pitchers are throwing harder, as hard as they can on every pitch. Pitchers break down at a much higher rate then ever before !! It’s all in the money. More is at stake and thus brave soles are pushed to the limit every game, every inning, every pitch !! Also, kids are pushed so hard as kids these days that it’s a wonder they can survive at all !! I say enjoy the game, the kids and vetrens playing it and go about life. It’s just a game and it’s ment to be enjoyed.
Go Dodgers !!!
I do so enjoy this game Gary. I love it… and that’s why I’m so passionate about my thoughts and feelings toward the game. I’m just disappointed that we have to rely so heavily on a bullpen that can’t seem to find someone to lock down a game. If the starters could just manage to go an extra inning here and there, it would take tremendous pressure off of the pen. You can point out that pitchers are being pushed to their limit, but do also take into consideration that the pitchers of today enjoy the routines of physical conditioning much more so that their predecessors did, so they should be able to handle that extra inning or two when called upon.
Also, look how many “complete games” there are these days. Currently there are 8 players with 2 CG’s, and another 31 pitchers with at least on CG, and 22 of the 33 have winning records, and 3 of the other 8 have even books. It’s all about consistency and I would really like the Dodgers to get rid of one of their pitchers in the bullpen. There’s no reason to be carrying 12 pitchers.
I too wonder why pitchers are so fragile these days. It seems to me when I began watching the Dodgers in the fifties teams had four man rotations, not five. Don Newcombe on one occasion started both ends of a double header.One would think with modern training methods, dieticians, new medical knowledge, that pitchers would be more able to pitch longer into games than they used to. My theory is that the variety of pitches that are hard on the arm has increased (splitters,etc.) with even many pitchers not throwing fastballs from over the top. This increased strain on the arm takes us to pitch counts not innings pitched.
The fact is pitching overhand is not a natural motion. I know because I coach girls softball and can tell you first hand that they have the better system for the human body. These guys today started much earlier in life throwing much harder as kids. That is the key to this equation. I can’t tell you a specific stat but rest assured that by the time these kids come of age their arms are much older !!
I also have coached and realize that throwing underhand is more natural but is not too possible in baseball. You are right, they throw too hard too soon and also get into throwing curves too early. Some little leagues etc. ban throwing curves until a certain age. However, I still blame the variety of arm twisting pitches as part of the problem.Certainly a more consistent way of throwing would help save arms.It seems in the fifties there were not so many fireballers. They seemed to rely more on location and altering speeds as Greg Maddox does. They seem to last longer with less problems. Not too many Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens guys around.