Watson hired
I know many of you have been asking who will replace Terry Collins and Roy Smith and I’ve got an answer on one of them. Terry’s position will be filled by De Jon Watson, who comes to us from the Indians. He grew up in LA as a Dodger fan, so he should know what it means to be a Dodger. And he’s worked with the Marlins (including their 1997 World Championship team), as well as the Reds and Indians, helping Cincinnati bring in guys like Adam Dunn and Austin Kearns.
Here’s the story from dodgers.com and the official press release we did. Tony Jackson at the Daily News has an article with more quotes from Watson and Logan White.
Also, earlier this year someone was asking me what products are used to get uniforms clean. While I hadn’t had much luck in tracking down exact names until now, there was a story in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal that credits a New Jersey-based company named Eisco as one that "sells uniform cleaning products to every MLB team and about 20 percent of the minors." I hope that helps whomever was looking for the info.
That’s all for now.
Inside the Dodgers 
hey josh, who are some of the candidates to replace roy smith?
ralyvloeselanie how about Logan White?? he rocks!
logan white needs to stay where he’s at. He’s a genius
yeah, logan should not go anywhere, he is the main reason we where so good this year.. dont mess with sucess
My understanding was that Logan White was already gone, presumably at his own choice. I too would like some clarification if this is not so. I would have liked him kept on as well.
hey messagebear, logan white hasnt gone anywhere
His name is De Jon? What is that?
yeah, it’s like the mustard
ROFLMAO-Dualtone.
That’s sooo funny.
Thanks Josh. I asked about the uniform cleaning as my Mom constantly remarks on how clean the uniforms are the next day after being grass and dirt stained. Just a matter of curiosity. Sounds like De Jon Watson is a good replacement for Roy Smith. Hey Ray. Your man Meloan is doing very well in the fall league. Didn’t hear much about him during the season but seems to be one reason we could give up minor league pitchers in trades. Probably more important now that Morris is having Tommy John surgery.
How about hiring Orel to manage our triple A club? that way when Grittle gets fired you can bring Hershiser back as Dodger manager and he’ll have gotten the expierience people think he needs.
i have been talking about john meloan for a long while, he needs to be in the bullpen next year. hey harold, where have you been?
http://raysdodgerblues.blogspot.com/
BELIVE IN BLUE!
Just hanging around Ray. Following your blog, actually pulling for an American League team to win the world series, waiting for series to end so the real new season begins with Dodgers changes. I expect my hope for the off season is to keep guarding the prospects. I think we have to build from within and add significant pieces. I also think it might take 2-3 years to get there. Your take on pitching looks good but I am always weary of big contracts to pitchers. Can’t wait to see what happens.
Man, who’da thunk that Jeff Weaver would be in a position to seal a World Series with a performance like tonight? Who is this guy anyway and would he please return the REAL Jeff Weaver?
The Weaver fan dude is probably cataleptic right about now. What a roller-coaster he’s been on, huh? lol…
Hey maybe we can complete the Giant connection. Ned, Tomko, Conte, Schmidt and Bonds who is filing for free agency. Just kidding.
did anyone read scott borras’s comments?.. he said barry is interested in playing for the dodgers… if this where to happen, i would turn in my dodger fan badge..
BELIVE IN BELIEVE!
ray – dude, don’t take rumors seriously. Think about it – Kent is already signed for next year, and we already know he won’t get along with Bonds. Colletti cares a lot about team chemistry stuff, so he’s not going to do anything that dumb.
I like the hiring of Stan “no relation to Victor” Conte. He should be familiar with Jeff Kent’s health situation, and frankly, the Dodgers had to do something about their medical staff.
Now all we need is a new pitching coach and a new third base coach.
incidentally, Barry Bonds is not a Scott Boras client; his agent is Jeff Borris.
Jeff Borris also represents Julio Lugo.
if anything, I’d look for Bonds in Anaheim as a DH.
Hello Harold. Good to hear from you again. Sorry your AL team did not fare too well in the Series. I was pulling for the NL team (it’s been a while). Unfortunately, all of those horrible errors by the Tigers pitching staff (and the excessive number of guys that they left on base) pretty much sealed their fate.
About Bonds coming to the Dodgers, he can wish all he wants in one hand and **** in the other. Let’s see which one fills up first. Sure, he fills the seats and is in a very good position to break the record this coming season, but it will (most likely) be as a DH. Not that it would ever happen, but I would much rather see the Dodgers make a one year offer to Luis Gonzalez than to Bonds.
The LAST thing that the Dodgers need is a left fielder that is a defensive liability. The guy is done in the NL. That being said, I look for him to be in an A’s uniform next season. He has very strong ties to the Bay Area and (in my humble opinion) he will probably finish up his career there. What a DH platoon team that would be: The Big Hurt from the right side of the plate and Bonds from the left side – Yikes!
Bonds is going to have a very difficult time finding a team that will be willing to offer him anything but a one-year incentive laden contract , even though he has made it very clear that he will not accept one. If he maintains this stance, he may very well have already played his last game.
GO DODGERS!
i meant jeff borris..
and i also see bonds landing in disneyland
Now that the series is over… and yes I was glad to see a nat’l league team win, and especially glad to see Weaver do so well…I guess we can turn our attention to the hot stove.
I’m not so sure we need a starter. Perhaps Penny will be sent away for a power hitter, but otherwise there may be enough on board already. The young pitchers have shown themselves to be capable, so I think the biggest need is for a big stick.
Ray, I still think SF will offer Bonds the most. It’s all about the draw at the gate, and he’s all about the money !! Plus no other city can stand him !! “53” the A’s have never been loose with the money and with Zito looking for a big contract, if they were going to spend I wouldn’t think it would be for another DH with very limited abilities. Look for Bonds in SF for one more year and then out of baseball !!
Harold it’s good to hear from you !! I didn’t think I would hear you pulling for an AL team though ?? I wanted STL to win, ex-Angels and all !! The “Hot Stove League” is what I’m looking forward to !! I think Ned is going to make this a very interesting time for us Dodger Fans !!
Stay dry Harold !! Ray I always drop into your blog so keep it updated buddy !! 53 be good and ASQ, how you feeling these days ??
Go Ned !!
Go Dodgers !!
Gary, very rarely cheer for AL. But, I am a bit beholding to the Tigers. Al Kaline is one of my all time favorite non Dodgers. More importantly, Frank Lary in the fifties was a Yankee killer (27-13) on a Tiger team that was not that strong. Plus, I really don’t like watching LaRussa manage. A good one I’m sure but he looks like a “dead man walking” which he seldomly does during the game. I wish managers showed a bit of fire.
We should have cloned Tommy. He did have a fire in his belly. I’m really looking forward to the “Hot Stove League”, a hockey term no doubt. Hoping Ned can bring good baseball men on board, not necessarily super stars with big salaries and often big heads. And, looks after the kids. Can’t wait for the action – trades, free agents, rule 5, etc. Go DODGES!!
Dodgers that is. I do have Dodges too – car and truck. GO Dodgers. Go Kasey Kahne.
I’ve actually been meaning to post this for a couple of days now. Here I am finally, and I can’t get to sleep… so now might as well be a good time to get this off my chest.
I really find it absolutely hilarious that FOX fired Steve Lyons the way they did for reasons of “racial insensitivity” when FOX itself has so many issues of “moral insensitivity” with its programming lineup, that one wonders where their integrity really lies.
How many times during the World Series broadcasts did we have to listen to the ads for “The O.C.” when someone in the ad asks, “What’s a Donkey Show?” Really. This has been what’s in their most recent ad! How would you like to explain THAT one to your young children who may be tuned in to watch a baseball game? What boudaries are we as a society really willing to cross these days for the sake of “ratings”?? It’s sickening… and FOX is at the forefront of pushing the envelope of “moral insensitivity” and yet fires Steve Lyons for something that nobody even took offense to. Way to go FOX.
“Hello Pot, yeah, this is Kettle. You’re black!”
http://raysdodgerblues.blogspot.com/
BELIEVE IN BLUE!
“This is Fox, viewer discretion is advised.”
You know, the only thing I can honestly say that Fox did that was good for baseball was selling the Dodgers to Frank McCourt.
What I personally find the most offensive is the way Fox cannot run a broadcast competently. First, they never start the inning on time, but cut back after the first pitch has been thrown far too often. Once they are back, they cannot be content to watch the game. Instead, they insist on every visual distraction imaginable. They run replays on every pitch like it’s a football game. Then they constantly pan over to the dugouts, or something else irrelevant to the game.
I can understand the interviews with the managers, but there’s a proper way to do them. The manager gets a little face time at first, but then you immediately go to an audio only feed once the action starts. Besides, it’s very frightening to look at Tony Larussa without sunglasses.
Finally, the broadcasters are awful. Joe Buck is ok, but I cannot stand anyone else that does Fox broadcasts, particularly Tim McCarver. I mean, the Braves’ broadcasters on TBS aren’t perfect, but at least they can show a baseball game.
Forget cloning Tommy; we need at least a thousand more Vin Scullys.
Ray… how can you honestly state that Nomar Garciaparra was the “team MVP” this year? Are you kidding me?? After all that Rafael Furcal did for the team this year? Have you forgotten how many games Nomar sat out, yet how many games Furcal played? How many runs he scored? Campanella award? etc. Check your infatuation with Nomar “the poncho” Garciaparra dude. He was not the Dodgers MVP this past season and I doubt he will be healthy enough for another full season as long as his days in MLB remain. He’s a good player, but not the great player he once was. Sure he had some dramatic hits late in the season, but this doesn’t erase the consistency that Furcal brought to the 2006 Los Angeles Dodgers.
well if u read the entire thing, u would find out that i dont want him on the team next year, and while furcal was slumping, nomar was picking up the team early in the season… and everything u pointed out about him missing games, and being hurt, I POINTED OUT IN THE BLOG, well, i better finish so i can continue my infatuation with nomar, i hope ur man crush on raffy goes well..
BELIEVE IN MAN-CRUSHES!
“…well, i better finish so i can continue my infatuation with nomar, i hope ur man crush on raffy goes well…”
LOL!! Touche’! Now THAT was funny…
I agree with Kevin in that Furcal was the Dodger MVP, he was far more consistant. But you can’t discount what Nomar brought to this team and I for one believe that with as much talent as Nomar has he’s our best choice at 3B or infield utility. This guy plays large in the big situations and can carry a team. Nomar needs to come back, I just hope he’s willing to sacrafice the big dollars for playing at home !!!
The “Hot Stove Season” has offically begun. LA Times thinks A. Ramirez from the CUBs could be coming to So. Cal, either with the Dodgers or the Angels for around $14mil for 4-5 years, less then Soriano. Good stats, last 3 years 304avg with 35HR. Looks good but I’m still hoping LaRoche can fill the position.
Go Ned !!
Go Dodgers !!
Just as I suspected, (check the post 10/12) Aramis Ramirez sounds very appealing. He’s a great pick. Cubs are trying to dial in a deal for A-Rod and want to get a more Pinella-like team together. Aramis’ stats are great and he will contribute 30+ HR a year. Show the door to Betimit and Lugo and Nomar and Lofton and Penny.
The argument taking place here (Nomar vs. Furcal) is ridiculous. It’s the tortious and the hare revisited….. game winning HRs vs. steady and consistent contributions. Hmmm….let me ponder that one while I warm my hands on these roasting coals. Boy am I glad he’s coming back next year, worth every penny of that 3 year contract. Here’s my 2 double 07 line-up for my fellow bloggers who are already feeling this chilly winter air-
Furcal- SS
Martin- C
Loney- 1B
A. Ramirez- 3B
Drew- RF
Kent- 2B
Ethier- LF
Repko- CF (get your act together pal)
Sure would like to see Repko batting 2nd but anyone who saw his ABs late last season saw about a dozen pop-ups in as many ABs. And with Martin batting second I could see many a DP what with his contact hitting and all.
As for pitching prospects…ESPN is predicting we get out bid by the Mets on Zito, which doesn’t sound too far fetched, they’re payroll will get a boost with they’re performance this year. Our payroll was sixth in all of baseball this year, and money obviously helps. We don’t need a payroll boost, we need production from our multi-million dollar men (KENT and DREW and GAGNE). Whether or not we get out bid for Zito or Schmidt, Andy Petitte is available as is Kerry Wood. Both guys are decent and I would rather see a new face other than Penny who is beginning to remind me of Monopoly (M. Bradley).
Lets pick up two peices this winter. A number 1 or 2 starter (behind Lowe if any) and a clean-up guy. Dunununa Nuna- ARAMIS!
kirby, you can’t be serious! Drew before Kent?!?!?! I see where you’re coming from with the Martin 2nd thing, but the speed’s a liability. I want Ethier #2. My take, same players.
SS – Furcal
LF – Ethier
1B – Loney
3B – Ramirez
2B – Kent
RF – Drew
C – Martin
CF – Repko
And Kerry Wood?!?!?! We spent 12 million on a guy last year that hasn’t played in two years(Gagne) and now you wanna do it again?!? Wood’s mechanics have been a problem since day one and I really don’t think he’s gonna start more than 10 games this year. Look for him in the bullpen in Chicago. I see Ned’s ties bringing Schmidt to LA. That’s a good move by me. Aramis, okay, but he’s looking for 3-5 years @13-15 million/year. What about our prospects? We sign that guy and Andy LaRoche never makes it to the bigs. Martin can’t bat behind Raffy, too many groundouts. JD can’t back up a bat like Aramis, not enough consistency. Loney gets a shot at batting 3rd, put a proven hitter with good speed behind Furcal (i.e. Ethier). Plus, Ethier’s a natural #2 hitter. My predictions:
Furcal – .304 AVG, 14 HR, 40 SB, 128 runs scored, 70 RBI
Ethier – look for a .320 AVG and a OBP pushing .390. 15-20 HR, 75-80 RBI, 75-80 R
Loney – not gonna hit .380, but I see something like .325-.345. He’s patient and he’s picky, great combination. 20-25 HR, 110 RBI
Ramirez (if he’s a Dodger) – 35-40 HR, 130-140 RBI
Kent – back in form, .290 AVG, .390 OBP, 25-30 HR, 110 RBI
Those are my thoughts, predictions, hopes, dreams, etc.
nice thoughts tre..we need to give andy laroche a shot, all of our other prospects got one
Key words there….”hopes, dreams”….this is certainly the place to put them in writing.