Weekend series
There are some really great stories out there today about the Dodgers. Tim Brown wrote an awesome article about the farm system’s rejuvenation and all the people who have had a hand in it, from Dan Evans, Kevin Malone, Paul DePodesta and Ned Colletti to some of the names you don’t hear as much, like Terry Collins, Jon Debus, Ken Howell, Dann Bilardello, Jeff Schugel, Kim Ng and several others. And, in case you missed it last week, Tim’s article on Jim Abbott is one of my favorite reads all year.
Among the other interesting reads today is Tony Jackson’s article that focuses on Olmedo Saenz and Ramon Martinez, two guys that don’t get nearly enough attention, in my opinion. I didn’t know that Ramon had an interest in being a manager someday, much like Sandy Alomar, until I read this. Another interesting fact about Ramon that he mentioned to me on the bus the other day – his grandmother in Philadelphia is 102 years young.
Bill Plunkett writes about what it will take to win the West in his off-day feature while his colleague, Mark Whicker (who does great Jim Tracy impressions) ponders a new divisional alignment that would have the Dodgers and Angels face off 16 times a year.
In the Riverside Press Enterprise, there’s a series of articles on our rookies by Allison Otto, Diamond Leung and Kevin Pearson that’s definitely worth reading.
Also in the LA Times online edition, Lewis Abraham Leader gives his all-time Dodger/Angel teams for those gearing up for the Freeway Series.
It should be a great weekend for California baseball.
Inside the Dodgers 
Looks like the Angels are about to release Jeff Weaver. He might be worth taking a flyer on for the 150,000K it would take to get him. He may be better suited for the NL.
Where is Mr. ALL CAPS now? Don’t see him supporting Jeff Weaver anymore do we? Yeah, keeping Jeff Weaver would have been such a GREAT move. (Notice the sarcasm) “If the dodgers kept Jeff Weaver we could have won the World Series!”
Yeah right. What a joke.
I think that Weaver would be a reasonable choice to try and shore up our starting pitching. Had he been willing to sign a one year deal early on, we probably would have signed him for the same dollars that the Angels did. No way could he be any worse that Tomko or Odalis or even Billingsley at his seemingly premature stage in the majors. I’d even take him from the Angels with some salary relief and maybe throw in an AA type of player.
Release ODALIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just thought: hey, if we pick up Weaver, we could trade Odalis off. I then asked who we could get, and it would only be someone who is injured or someone with an equally terrible contract.
Seeing that we’d probably get, at best, Mike Hampton for him, that convinces me that acquiring Weaver for 200 grand and just releasing Odalis wouldn’t be so bad.
RELEASE ODALIS PLEASE!
picking up weaver for 200k isnt bad at all…he’s probably more comfortable over here anyways.
and where is that mr.capslock guy? We never heard from him again…
At least weaver isnt a jerk like odalis..
RELEASE ODALIS!!!!!!!!! He’s not a Dodger…to any of us.
Josh, it’d be nice to see more of the Player Perspective readings. Those are always interesting to read.
Speaking of newspaper articles, what did every happen to Kurt Ainsworth?
“The San Diego Padres announced today that Paul DePodesta, former Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, has joined the Padres as Special Assistant for Baseball Operations. DePodesta will report to CEO Sandy Alderson and will work closely with all members of the Baseball Operations Department, including Executive Vice President/General Manager Kevin Towers. DePodesta is scheduled to join the Padres on July 13.
“Paul has one of the most insightful and creative minds in baseball,” said Alderson. “He will be a great resource for Kevin Towers, the entire Baseball Operations Department, and me. Paul is a terrific addition to an already outstanding front office staff.”
– Oh great, just great.
Hey Odalis for Weaver, what harm could it do ?? Now wouldn’t that be a game, Weaver in Blue and Odalis in Red on Sunday !!
Go Dodgers !!
It should be a great weekend for California baseball.
There ya go Josh, you jinxed it. Expect at least one of the following by August, and probably both:
1) Mike Piazza for Cody Ross
2) Dave Roberts for Hee Seop Choi
With DePodesta with the Padres, even if he’s not the GM, maybe we can convince him to take Odalis. After all, his BABIP is just taking a hit, and he’ll be better in the second half. And DePodesta signed Perez to this stupid deal anyway, so he probably really does think he’s good.
1) Mike Piazza for Cody Ross
2) Dave Roberts for Hee Seop Choi
– Only problem is the teams with Ross and Choi would probably reject those offers. 🙂
According to Sports Illustrated, Jeff Weaver has been dsignated for assignment to AAA. The price might be right if a high end prospect isn’t the price. What’s to lose? I don’t quite understand how an inning eater all of a sudden bottoms out at his age. Maybe he is meant to be a Dodger. Ned Colletti on Dodger thoughts is quoted as being willing to wait until 2007, 2008, 2009 for the young Dodgers to mature and give the team a chance to compete each year for several years. Expressed a reluctance to trade them. Stick with that plan Ned. We’re with you.
Weaver has been designated, but he cannot be sent to AAA. The Angels must trade him in 10 days or he becomes a free agent. Either way, they have eaten his salary. If LA doesn’t get him, I would not be surprised if Pittsburgh did. Maybe a reunion with Colborn is what he needs to get back in synch.
I guess it doesn’t pay to be the older brother on an Angel team !! First Bengie now Jeff !!
I was glade to see Jeff go for what he was asking, but now that he’s cheap, and I would think a little more humble, we have very little to lose. I would rather see Jeff in Dodger Blue then Odalis any day !!
Go Dodgers !!!
Furcal, Lofton*, Nomar, Kent, Drew, Martin, Kemp, Ethier, Izzy
That would be my call of the moment. What is the lineup actually?
Let’s keep this in mind when thinking about Weaver. He had gone to the American league, and considering the inter-league play this year and the two recent World Series sweeps by American League clubs, there can be little doubt that at this point in time the American League plays a lot tougher. Look at how our own best pitchers and some of the other National League pitching standouts, including Martinez just yesterday, have been bombed by the American League hitters. There is a good possibility that Weaver would do better in the National League, and that offers good hope for our acquisition from Tampa Bay earlier this week as well. In any case, I hope we’re ready to turn it around starting with this weekend. GO DODGERS!
i wonder if there is another trade in the works? Normally the lineup is posted by now.
I like the lineup Patriotacts !!
Go Dodgers
yeah it is where is the lineup?
It is amazing that Josh gets the lineup posted each day. I am sure there are a number of reasons that it might not get posted at the usual time. In the meantime it gives the guys at home the opportunity to project possible lineups.
Hoping for a good game tonight.
Yeah, hopefully Josh’s computer didn’t break down again.
Josh, I was not trying to put pressure. It just seems with Jeff Weaver being designated today and the Dodgers and Angels playing each other that maybe somehting’s up
Lets go boys!!! The more I read, the more I like the Hendrickson trade, Weaver- would be an upgrade. Im one Dodger fan who wants to see the club do well in the future- with the young guys, but this division is ripe for the taking right now, and you never know when that will be the case again, and what the future wil bring. Lets win it this year. Once you make the playoffs- anything can happen!
furcal,lofton,garciaparra,drew,kent,ethier,kemp,izturis,martin pretty good lineup.
Each team has their ace on the mound and their Izturis at third base.
The Angels’ Aybar is still there, though.
Go Dodgers! Beat Anaheim!
Also a nice article on MLB.com about the Izturis brothers.
http://tinyurl.com/rrd33
Dodgers play aces high, Angels play aces low.
Did I miss a roster move?? When the Dodgers put Hall on the roster WHO was moved?? Help??
jglass – Tomko hit the DL with a strained oblique.
thanks patriot.
Ethier needs to play everyday, no matter whether its a righty tossing or a lefty…
I agree with gban, Grady needs to play Ethier agianst lefties more often. Once this guy gets on a roll just let him go.
Dodger Rookie of the Year:
“And out comes Aybar, no here comes Ethier, and out of nowhere comes Kemp, wait, Martin has been steadily moving his way up, now Kemp, now Ethier . . .”
haha
Wow short term memories still prosist…. Does anyone remember the Weaver meltdowns and the way Weaver found ways to lose games? I was really glad to see him go. He was like a special child who could glisten for a moment and then in a heartbeat turn into Damion on the mound with fire and brimstone coming off the bats.We Got Him from the yanks because he can’t hang with the pressure and he proved it soo many times. Getting Weaver at any price would be a horrible mistake even if we moved perez in the deal Weaver is of the same mold as in fungus.Went either of them are good they kick butt but they both have stinky butts right at the moment. Angels were contenders before weaver now they are less then pretenders. Weaver is NOT the answer.
I still say its ok to give a little farm away for a kick butt Pitch especially a Josh Johnson Rokie 7-4 now 7-2 as a starter to the fish who are now on a tear but 10.5 games back in second. Loney carter and ledee plus 2 mil for him and a player to be named or not.Go Blue Show Anahiem who the LA tean is!!!!!!!!