Today's press conference
Everything went very well today at the press conference and to be honest, it would be really tough to find two nicer guys than the two newest Dodgers. While that might not mean as much to everyone else, for someone who has to regularly ask them to give their time to the media, community, sponsors, fans and other team events, I’m really looking forward to working with these guys.
In response to the comment about how bad the audio on the conference calls sound, I’m glad to say the problem isn’t on the Dodgers’ end. We actually have a top-notch conference call system that we use, but unfortunately when writers call-in from across the country on cell phones, the sound gets worse and worse. It sometimes sounds like they’re riding a bike through a wind tunnel, but there’s not much I can do other than ask them to please hang up and try to reconnect.
Also, as most of you know by now, the names are back on the jerseys due to popular demand. This was the first time a Dodger donned the new jerseys, which also have a couple other very minor differences that few will notice (the shadows have been dropped from the lettering on the back and the blue piping is no longer on the road jerseys). There’s also a new batting practice jersey that we’ll put up online once it’s available for you guys to purchase it, but I think it looks pretty cool.
That’s just about all we’ve got from now. We’re going to take Juan to the Clipper game tonight, since he’s a big basketball fan, so if you happen to be going, keep an eye out for him on the Jumbotron.
Inside the Dodgers 
Sounds like fun.
I was watching the video, and I wish I could hear what Tommy was saying, because I know it was funny.
Josh, not a fan of names on backs of uniforms. However, have reconciled that and now look to see whose name will be on the back of the Dodger unnies. Pierre and Wolf don’t look bad at all and attitude, community spirit, humility are such important aspects of any organization. Go Ned!! Go Dodgers!!
Couldn’t help but notice Wolf slip on the line—
“I think I’m health-uh uh uh I know I’m healthy.”
Nice job Wolf, way to straighten that one out.
They both do seem like very nice guys though. At least we’ve got that going for us. Do I need to right what comes next? Nice guys finish where?
I think Wolf will prove to be quite effective for LA.
i really feel that Wolf will be great in Dodger Stadium, i’m not worried about him one bit, BUT i am worried about Pierre taking some walks
Is it just me, or does anyone else here see the two-tone blue stuff on the backs of the jerseys? It looks awful. The Dodgers have ALWAYS used a two-layer tackle twill uniform number using a white background under the Dodger Blue number. Why are we changing the color scheme? The two-tone blue numbers and side logo don’t mesh with team history. Can’t say I like it at all.
And Josh…
The “Dodgers Introduce New Pickups Wolf, Pierre” links are dead on the front page.
Ned, here’s my two cents.
Sign Maddux.
Sign Gagne.
Give Repko a chance.
Give Betemit a chance.
Hey Josh,
I didn’t see you guys at the game tonight. Where were you sitting? I have tix in 116 row 18. Darn good game huh? Tell Juan he can come with me anytime 🙂
does anyone else find the road unis a little wierd?… by the way, i am in search of a job, if anyone can help me out, i would appreciate it..
BELIEVE IN A JOB FOR RAY!
OH, AND THE BLUE!
okay, i know i am old school, but the off-center look on pierre’ hat is really bothering me. i know other players do it, and it is a “hip-hop” thing, but, geez, do you think steinbrenner would allow it ?!?
when i coached my hs kids, i told them while your wearing the team uniform, your hats is on straight like a ball player. after the game, you can wear the hat anyway you want.
Gagne and Maddux ONLY at a very low price. (The 20 million dollar cheerleader) Gagne should give us a very large hometown discount, but im sure it wont be enough (Scott Boras).
Maddux… tough call. Not for > $10M/year > 1 year.
I’d resign Gagne and Maddox for the right price. Also prospects are just that prospects, not sure things. Other than Piazza , Karros and Pedro, I don’t remember any of our prospects really becoming stars. Prospects are here to help feed the major club in anyway they can. If you can get a proven major league player for prospects , you have to do it.
You dont HAVE to. You don’t have to get Delino Deshields for Pedro Martinez in a trade because he is a proven player.
Why panic and make these trades before we know more? Im pretty sure by mid season this year we will have a much better read on the young players, and will very likely still be in the NL West hunt. Probably on top if we can get Schmidt.
It’s not like there are “good deals” out there now that we might miss out on.
Gagne for 4 or 5 mil plus incentives would be attractive. Maddux for 2 years at 10 mil a year is ridiculous. 7 or 8 mil for one year is reasonable for a 5 or 6 inning #3 or 4 pitcher.
I’d love to have both of them back, but you’ve got to be reasonable.
Konerko perhaps. That is my point. The Dodger farm system dried up for a number of years. Now it is flourishing. While ours floundered we took on numerous free agents who rarely worked out well for us. With the system rebuilt into one of the best in the business, why not tap it? Plus, players don’t all have to be stars. They need to be good hard working players. eg LoDuca It is too easy to trade prospects rather than be patient. eg John Wetteland. That is the other point. We seldomly seem to get a good proven major league player for them. Other than block buster trades on occasion, teams are trading players they can’t afford or don’t want, often to make room for their own prospects. I agree, the farm is there for the good of the major club. However, I favor short term pain (waiting ) for long term gain (homegrown players) instead of short term gain(selling the Farm) for long term pain (underachieving, overpriced free agents or ego centered players in trades).Again, all WS Dodger teams have been built from inside with some strategic pieces added. Go Ned!! Go Dodgers!!
Wouldnt it be nice to have konerko manning first base…first chance we got we traded him for nothing.
if we dont sign schmidt or a top of the rotation starter were not looking good….bottom line.
drj884 – How could I forget Pedro for Delino or Konerko for Shaw? Good points. Why the rush? By mid season we will know better how the kids are doing. Some might argue their value will drop if they don’t progress as well as hoped. I would argue they need the opportunity to display their wares. How could it be worse than what we had in the nineties and early 2000’s with a hodge podge of rented players? Guys like Vernon Wells will be available by mid season. Go Dodgers!! Go Ned!!
I said it before and Drj884 reiterated it, don’t make a desperate move when you don’t have to. Wait for the right move and often times that is no move at all. In July we will have a much better read on what the team needs and I believe we can be competitive with the team we have. Fix the bullpen before you trade away the farm. Let’s see what the kids can do.
If Wells becomes available, then you need to move on it. If not, he will be after next season.
jesuispret – Steinbrenner wouldn’t allow beards, so that’s not a good standard.
fliegel – there were a few others that were traded off that would have been useful. Scott Proctor (5th round, 1998) and Paul Konerko (1st round, 1994) come to mind immediately. But don’t forget that the franchise has redone how it handles the farm system.
But getting a proven major leaguer is not always a better idea than using prospects. Often the old vet will not stick around for very long, and then the guy you traded off may or may not outperform the guy you acquired.
The worst example of this isn’t even Pedro for Delino, but a deal Ned Colletti was in on, when San Francisco sent Francisco Liriano, Joe Nathan, and Boof Bonser for proven major leaguer AJ Pierzinski.
euhlman/jhall,
agree completely- incase you guys are curious (or have a lot of time on your hands 😉 you can follow the young guys progress in the dominican winter league here:
http://www.licey.com/estadisticas.asp
Kemp plays for Estrellas etc… most of the guys are playing on different teams. This league is thought to be about equivalent to AAA- with a mix of current, former and future MLB players….
jesuispret… Pierre’s hat looks like it’s on straight to me and I can’t remember him ever doing the “hip hop” thing with it. I think it’s just the angle of the shot that’s fooling you.
Who traded Konerko?
Pats – that was a bad one for AJ. Seemed reasonable at the time I expect in the heat of battle. We went through all this anxiety last summer over trading prospects. Some were moved that I would like to have seen retained but felt that Logan, Ned, etc. knew what our system could bear. It is a bit thinner now than last summer. However, I felt then that they knew who was expendable so would have to concede they also know now. I just love “Dodger” Dodgers so fear depleting the farm for older guys who don’t play with the passion of kids in their first few years. In due course free agency kills that passion for many players but lets use it before it dies.Go Ned!! Go Dodgers!!
Tommy traded Konerko if I remember correctly.
Harold… I could write a book on your last several posts. You’ve been smacking the nail right on the head. The thing about the Paul Konerko/Dennis Reyes for Jeff Shaw deal didn’t have anything to do with FOX. It was Tommy’s deal while he was the “interim” GM and to this day it’s his biggest embarrasment. Tommy didn’t mean to do it of course, but we all know how badly this team needed a third baseman and Konerko would have filled the hole for quite some time. Who knows how many “other” deals wouldn’t have needed to be if just for that one position being filled? It certainly threw a monkey wrench in the machine… matter of fact, the whole FOX thing was an abortion to say the least.
We need an ace. Please sign Schmidt…don’t let the Cubs get him. Please, Please
Pitching News from MLB.com:
Jason Schmidt: Contrary to published reports, the Cubs have not made the right-hander an offer and it still appears that he will sign with either the Los Angeles Dodgers or Mariners. From all indications, Schmidt wants to continue his career on the West Coast.
Barry Zito: The former AL Cy Young Award winner, regarded by many as the premier starting pitcher currently on the free-agent market, seems to be in no hurry to end his first foray into free agency. His market value could be determined on or before Dec. 15, the deadline for the Red Sox to sign Matsazuka. The Dodgers had been considered a possible destination for Zito, but a report in the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday said GM Ned Colletti has soured on Boras because outfielder J.D. Drew (another Boras client) opted out of the final three years of his five-year contract.
Greg Maddux: Returning to the Cubs for a third time seems out of the question. The team probably would not be willing to guarantee a two-year contract, which the future Hall of Fame inductee wants, and he prefers to end his career on the West Coast, near his home in Las Vegas. The Padres could fulfill both wishes, and playing in spacious PETCO Park would seem to be a good fit.
Did the Cubs find a field of money trees?
I can’t believe the amounts they are throwing around this off season, for a team that was thought to be for sale?
Crazy.
Get Schmidt!
That is why they are doing it. If the team is a contender or playoff team it is presumed it will be worth more at selling time. After the sale the contracts are someone elses problem.
Tribune Co. has always had the money.
With the time it took to rebuild and the amount of talent the farm system has it’s time we let the kids play. No single handed high priced veteran is going to carry this or any other team. I don’t want to see any more Cody Ross’ or Guzman type players get away. The kids in the system today have solid stats to support giving them a chance. Teams like the Yankees have to go on the free agent market because their farm system stinks and their fans won’t stand for a 2nd or 3rd place team. Yet even with the highest paid players in the game they get beat by the Twins and A’s etc… I ask you WHY ??? I believe it’s because the Twins and A’s are managed better and the kids are given a chance to prove themselves. They play as a team !!! A kid from the system will rise to the challenge with everything he has and be proud to be called a Dodger. I mean just look at how Gagne, Nomar, Martin and now Wolf want to be a Dodger. These guys are a team and teams are what win championships, not high priced over the hill free agents like Drew etc… The free agent market should be a place to find that one or two missing pieces that the farm system can’t fulfill. And the free agent needs to have the drive to be a team player. Good management will do everything in their power to see that holes in the system don’t happen and if they do they fix it ASAP, for the good of the team !! Getting a free agent needs to be the exception rather then the rule. Give the kids a chance, I’d go to see them play any day !!
No to Manny
Yes to Gagne
Yes to Maddux !!!
Yes to Schmidt !!!
Yes to Saito !!!
After that close the cash box and let’s go to spring training and see what happens !!
Go Ned !!
Go Dodgers !!
Gary’s on it!!
Question:
Would you rather have last place Minor League teams, or 26 World Championships?
I am not sure I like the new road uniforms. I think it will grow on me.
The removal of the white tint around the lettering and numbers on the road uniforms is old school. The white was added in the late 70’s. This feature is only about 30 years old. With the Los Angeles on the front, the road uni’s are now retro 60’s. I guess it was done to match the retro coloring of the seats in Dodger Stadium.
Hey it’s Hollywood…it is cool to go retro.
Someone email Garys post to Ned 😉
Well nkirby4, considering that the Dodgers were in the post season 2 out of the last 5 years you can hardly say we’re a last place team. And given two years ago when we fell apart, you can clearly place that on the Depo / Tracey days !! To answer your question directly, I would much rather watch a team of motivated team players then a bunch of whinning overpaid, over the hill free agents !! You should try going to a minor league game, I almost prefer it !! Having coached Little League and girls softball for over 25 years I can easily say “For the Love of the Game, not the individual” !!!
Go Ned !!
Go Dodgers !!
I will “fourth” Gary’s post. Can we vote on it?
“You go to a Minor League game…”
Don’t threaten me with a good time. Hey pal, I’ve been to at least a dozen games in Vegas. And if you’re telling me you’d rather watch a bunch of kids prove themselves than spend $150 on a World Series ticket, your smoking crack.
From ESPN.com:
No team should be considered a favorite to land Manny Ramirez since Ramirez has veto rights over trades and is a human knuckleball, flighty and unpredictable. But if anyone has an edge, perhaps it could be the Dodgers, who are 1) about to lose right fielder J.D. Drew to the Red Sox, 2) working very aggressively this winter and 3) stocked with plenty of desirable young players such as Matt Kemp, James Loney and Andy LaRoche to offer, not to mention a stack of talented relievers, which just so happens to be Boston’s biggest need.
You have to figure Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, a Bostonian, is interested, too. He has made it his hobby to collect star Red Sox like Nomar Garciaparra and Derek Lowe (maybe if they don’t get Ramirez, they can take Trot Nixon). And maybe Manny will like playing again for Grady Little, who was generally beloved in the Red Sox clubhouse. Hey, it can’t hurt.
Gary, nice post. The Dodgers used to know this. In ’73 with Cey, Russell, Lopes, and Garvey. Played as a unit right out of the gate and continued to do so for 8+ years. I’m not trying to live in the past, but seems appropriate to bring up at this point. Have we had quality, ROTY type players since then? Yes. However, our farm system hasn’t been this plentifully rich since that time.
I’ve said this before, but again, pitching and youth. Let the kids play.
Go Blue!!!
No offense of course. Cause if that’s what you’d rather do, by all means, knock yourself out. I, on the other hand am waiting for the day to blow every penny in my pocket to sit in Dodger Stadium and watch my first World Series game.
I agree nkirby4, I want to hear Vin Scully in late October. I can’t wait till the day I am sitting at Dodger Stadium in a World Series Game.
alright enough of this hand over the keys to the prospects ****. we are not a small market team here people!!!!we are not minnesota, we are not oakland, we are not san diego!!!!we are LOS ANGELES and that is a large market folks with the attendance numbers we put up we are second to no one but the yankees yet we think like the kansas city royals………we havent won a playoff game that meant something in years. its time to wake up these mediocre teams we have been fielding here for the last 15- 20 years is just not good enough in LA.I hope ned has a plan for us but our big signing this offseason juan pierre??yikes
I AGREE GRAFFITIGENIUS!!! BRING THE WORLD SERIES TO LA, NED!! FORGET EVERYTHING ELSE.
Way to go Gary! Well said…
Gary for President!!
Go Ned!!
Go Dodgers!!
Well nkirby4, you and I have far different opinions of good baseball. To me watching a rented team like the Yankees is just watching what money can buy and makes me a spectator. Watching a team grow from within over the years through the peaks and valleys to the playoffs and hopefully a World Series makes me a fan, a Diehard FAN !!! Apparently that’s the difference between you and I !! It’s obvious you love the Dodgers, and I’m with you there, but I love the game that the Dodgers play and every part of the game. From spring training to the end !! Regardless of the win loss column !!
Go Ned !!
Go Dodgers !!
On a side note: theres very little, if any, data that shows signing a big free agent bat is a good way to go about winning. Ask the Yankees, they have most of them.
Regardless of what you like to see in the game, watching players like Drew and Manny with their less than 100% is not acceptable. Give me a team player that leaves it all on the field.
when will these new jerseys be available to the public? i want to buy a new Chad Billingsley road jersey.
nkirby4, all of us share the frustration you are feeling. Let me pose a real simple down side to the Manny deal. It’s an obvious one, but I would still like your opinion. Let’s say for arguement that Manny is the player that puts us over the top next year. Everyone gets their WS. And, let’s say for the sake of arguement that Ned trades the underachievers and keeps the quality youth. Again, for sake of arguement, every decision to this point as been poetry. What will the Dodgers do when we want to keep those quality players — maybe extend there contracts to keep them off of the free agency market, much like St. Louis did with Pujols. My opinion is that the organization would claim “no money, it’s tied up”.
I don’t know what Neds plans are, or who’s been offerred up. But, the names that have been dropped seem like you’d be trading many WS championships in the future for just one.
Go Ned!!
Go Dodgers!!
Well nkirby4, you and I have far different opinions of good baseball. To me watching a rented team like the Yankees is just watching what money can buy and that makes me a spectator. Watching a team grow from within over the years through the peaks and valleys to the playoffs and hopefully a World Series makes me a fan, a Diehard FAN !!! Apparently that’s the difference between you and I !! It’s obvious you love the Dodgers, and I’m with you there, but I love the game that the Dodgers play and every part of the game. From spring training to the end !! Regardless of the win loss column !!
Steinbrener never earned a World Series he bought a World Series. Steinbrener never developed a team full of players, he just assembled everyone else’s hard work. He’s not contributing to the game, he taking the game away from the average guy !! He’s hurt baseball in every way possible. That’s how jerks like Boras can prosper !! The last penny in your pocket is being spent because of Steinbrener and Boras !! Embrass the game / team not the individual.
For the Love of the game !!
Go Ned !!
Go Dodgers !!
Let me tell you a little story Gar.
I am in love with baseball. Played high school ball and have always been a Dodger fan. My greatest Dodger memory, would be my first. In April 1991, at the first Dodger-Giant game of the season, Will Clark hit a home run down the left-field-line and two Giant fans stood up three rows in front of where I was sitting with my Dad and Grandparents. My Grandmother, bless her heart, stood up and said “sit down you ***********!” From that day forth I have lived with a ferocious desire to watch the Dodgers. Her love of the game has grown in me ever since.
Baseball is the greatest sport ever created (thank you Abner Doubleday). A sport about statistics and projections. Every fan writing on this blog lives the Dodgers success and failures. I have punched holes in drywall and broken two cellphones during my career as a Dodger fan. Nothing pleases me more than spending $150/game (tickets, dogs and beer) at Dodger Stadium. Sitting on the sunny side in the Lodge seats on a blistering Sunday afternoon is the stuff dreams are made of. Having the usher ask you to put you’re shirt on three times can get annoying though.
I went to college up North, at Chico State. Home to 90% of the Bay Area high school graduates. Loved the town, hated the baseball fans. Had my hat stolen once in Normal Street bar, and was kiccked out after chasing the guy down and asking for it back. Trying to find a place to watch the game, unless they were playing the Giants or A’s, was impossible. The bartender would laugh if you asked him to change the channel.
The day Depo traded Lo Duke away, my Grandmother was on the verge of tears. We had both made the trip to Vegas two years before and watched him go 4-4 with a HR and 3 RBIs. Her favorite player, a kid who spent 9 years in our farm system before being called up, was gone. Trading away our kids is a painful experience, even for them.
Part of this experience as a fan is coming to terms with the mistakes of team. The players, Managers (Tracy), Coachs (Donnelly), GMs (Depo) and owners (Fox) are all part of a huge machine. Gears if you will. If you have gears that are warn and not replaced the machine breaks down, regardless of the condition of the others. If you don’t have all the peices to make the ******* thing work, you’re SOL and watching October baseball from the couch, instead of the sunny side of Chavez Ravine.
you guys hear were going after luis gonzalez?
i think he could put up similar numbers to drew but his arm is a noodle. if we get schmidt im ok with that how bout you guys??
Id rather have GOnzo then Manny if that means keeping the prospects. Plus Power hitters don’t do well at Dodger Staduim. Id rather have a doubles guy like Gonzo. He led the league in doubles last year
Smack dab on Gary. We were in the mess we were in for many years because we didn’t have kids, Dodgers, and had an endless string of free agents who were all parts of a different puzzle. The winning Dodger puzzle over the years has been built from the inside with pieces added that fit in terms of position but more importantly in terms of attitude. When we went away from homegrown base, we headed into the long painful stretch. The core of the team has to be Dodger Blue. What happens is this. If Manny is signed there is no money. If he is not signed, there will be money to offer 5 year contracts to young talented Dodgers. It’s elementary my dear nkirby4 unless we complicate. With a good foundation of Dodgers we have a chance to win every year. With a team of free agents we have a chance to win once, if that. Go Ned!! Go Dodgers!!
exactly i hope we can snag him and then shoot for Andrew Jones, Torii Hunter or Vernon Wells next year. On a side note i think Joel Guzman is going to make Ned look bad pretty soon here. Thats a little konerkoish right there. we gave up prospects for nothing basically…that move was horrible.
euhlman, I couldn’t agree more.
I’ll take Luis for a year or two over Manny anyday. Next year V. Wells! Save the money, the farm, and the chemistry.
Holy cow… doesn’t anyone here work?? : )
Gonzo’s a class act and would fit in nicely for a year or two… if he can be had for cheap.
I like the Gonzo idea and if it doesn’t work we’re still in line with Loney or Kemp.
nkirby4, that was a lot of heart in your last posting and goes to the point “For the Love of the Game” With that said, I’m confused why you would want a guy like Manny who has no dedication, is past his prime and for so much money ?? His contract alone will stagnent way too many kids from proving themselves.
Besides, it’s just plain fun to watch a kid play from the heart and win !!!
Believe in Ray’s Kids !!
Go Ned !!
Go Dodgers !!
Kevin – When you write your book I want a copy autographed by Vin. You too, of course. Guys there is a “h” of a difference in building with your own and renting from others. Your own make you winners. Big salary free agents make you wHinners.
nkirby4- nice post. Love that passion. I agree we need the pieces. I just don’t think we can buy enough to complete the puzzle and excessive long term contracts just create so much inflexibility that future pieces can’t be acquired. Here’s one – I think we should go to the equalizer – MLB should have a true salary cap. Go Ned!! Go Dodgers!!
Nice article, I think:
http://www.pe.com/sports/baseball/dodgers/stories/PE_Sports_Local_D_jacol_30.34d0eec.html
Good article Benny. I had forgotten the 1965 Dodgers hit only 78 homers and yet won the WS. Also interesting that Pierre’s lifetime OBP is higher than Maury Wills. Go Ned!! Go Dodgers!!
Benny, thanks for that. It was a very nice article.
Go Blue!!!
I’m not saying that you trade away all the kids for Manny, All I’m saying is that these are the Dodgers not the Devil Rays ,and right now no matter how good your pitching is, or will be, you still need a big bat or two in this lineup to win. And if it takes a prospect or two to get it , you have to do it. After all winning is what it’s all about right?
John Donovan SI writes: Manny’s a pain sometimes. Everybody knows it. The goofy attitude. The bemused outfield play. Manny being Manny and all that nonsense. We know.
And Ramirez, let’s face it, quit on the Sox last September, too. Plain stopped playing. After the Yankees swept a five-game series from the Sox in Fenway Park late last August, Manny started only eight of the final 38 games — and one of those was at DH. He said he had a sore knee. That about cinched a ticket out of town for Manny, a lot of people think.
From Ken Rosenthal’s Article: The Red Sox would be a lesser team with out Ramirez.
For the 153rd time, trading Ramirez would cost the Sox not only their best hitter — indeed, one of the best hitters of all-time — but also diminish the effectiveness of David Ortiz.
Big Papi wouldn’t be so peppy if he started walking 200 times per season, that’s for sure.
If the Yankees were smart, they would donate a prospect to the Dodgers, Padres or some other team interested in Ramirez, helping that club sweeten its trade package.
The rest of the AL East would rejoice if the Red Sox traded Ramirez and replaced him with a combination of hitters that included — egads! — outfielder J.D. Drew.
Oh, the Sox could sign Drew and shortstop Julio Lugo. They could acquire a promising young hitter such as the Dodgers’ Andy LaRoche in their Ramirez package. They could even add another bat or two with their increased financial flexibility.
Yet, even if they could make a separate deal for say, Andruw Jones or Vernon Wells — and they couldn’t, for the Braves aren’t trading Jones and the Jays wouldn’t send Wells to a division rival — the Red Sox wouldn’t be as strong offensively…
…One baseball man who knows Ramirez expresses doubt that the slugger would agree to go to San Diego and play his home games at Petco Park, one of the toughest hitter’s parks in the majors.
Ramirez, mindful of his Hall of Fame chances, might reject a move to Dodger Stadium for similar reasons. Besides, who’s to say that the Dodgers, in the end, would view him as the best possible investment? His defense is even more problematic outside of Fenway Park.
Think about it: The Dodgers could sign free-agent right-hander Jason Schmidt, trade right-hander Brad Penny for a corner outfielder, then take a run at Jones, Wells or Torii Hunter next off-season while retaining all of their top prospects.
Right on Benny. Go Ned!! Go Dodgers!!
All excellent points. The activity on this blog is truly astounding.
Everybody should have a glimpse at all the other teams’ blogs (not all have one). The Yankees have comparable activity, but not as many posts. This is great fun.
nkirby4 So true. I find it great because I am four time zones away so when I check the blog in the morning at 7:00 A.M., the good folks in LA are snoozing at 3:00 A.M. A lot of passion, good old commonsense, LOL. I am always amazed at how much the posters know about the Dodgers and baseball in general. I tell you this is great as winter is starting to settle in here in Nova Scotia in the next 2-3 weeks.
“Think about it: The Dodgers could sign free-agent right-hander Jason Schmidt, trade right-hander Brad Penny for a corner outfielder, then take a run at Jones, Wells or Torii Hunter next off-season while retaining all of their top prospects.”*****, that just sums up what most of us have been saying.
Thanks Benny
Okay , say the Dodgers sign Schmidt and trade Penny for an outfielder. My question is unless that outfielder is someone who drives in runs,not Gonzo,how are the Dodgers gonna score runs, THIS year?
fliegel,
Well we still have one of the best leadoff hitters in baseball (Furcal, not Peirre), Kent, Nomar, and a bunch of guys with upside- Martin, Ethier, Betemit, all in their second full years, have some experience now- should only get better. It’s not the Brox Bombers, but its also not the 88 Dodgers!
Drew for Pierre (the main change from last year) is a downgrade for sure, but not such a large downgrade that it can’t be made up for with some level of gradual improvement of the younger players. Lets not kid ourselves- Drew ended up with fairly good numbers- but he wasn’t exactly a one man wreaking crew last year. I don’t see much of a downgrade in this years offense, if any.
If Martin, Ethier, Betemit, Loney and Kemp all take small steps forward this year will actually be much better. That isn’t an unrealistic hope at all.
dry884. That’s still 100 RBIs that you have to replace. It’s true somebody might have a better year, but it’s also true somebody might have a worse year. We still need to replace those runs batted in and then some if we want to win. I’m talking win more than the division.
10-20 more RBI each from Ethier, Martin, Betemit full years will make that up (remember we had Izzy at 3B, and Navarro catching for about 1/3 of a year). Yuk.
Its not a sure thing for by any means, but nothing is, really. How sure are we Drew plays > 125 games this year? Not very. Or Manny for that matter- he’s aging, has a bad wheel.
.
.280, 20HR, 80RBI from Betemit and Ethier and .290, 15HR, 70RBI from Martin are very possible. That more than makes up the Drew loss.
Nomar maybe a little less productive, Kent should be more….
Who knows- maybe Loney or Kemp break out.
Should be fun anyhow.
drj884, I wrote this a couple of days ago and reiterated today in another blog. I believe it’s to your point. I think any big bat that we bring to Dodger Stadium will drop their HR/RBI production 10 to 20 percent — granted this is an educated guess. Instead of the one big bat give me 3 or 4 guys who could possibly hit 20+ dingers. Give me the guys who can easily move two bases at a time. I believe our kids give us this kind of production. Drew’s numbers are not hard numbers for this team to make up for.
And, yes, it should be a wild ride.
Fix the bullpen and put Penny on a conditioning program or trade him and we will be fine.
I hope all of you are right, but I’d still like to see a proven run producer in the lineup. That said I also would like to see Loney be the everyday first baseman.
Ned isn’t done molding this team together and I’m sure we’ll see more changes, I just hope they’re small changes !!
Harold, you made note to a salary cap earlier. I agree with the salary cap idea, but the only way it can happen is to have a huge strike that would most likely shut down baseball for at least a year maybe two. The economics alone would kill MLB. My guess is a single division of elite teams, Dodgers, Yankees etc… using the same format as today and then several divisions of teams from around the world, maybe even play year round. This alone would re-route a lot of the international talent and then they could structure a salary cap etc… much like Int’l Soccer. Back during the last big baseball strike I enjoyed the best games I ever went to and watched the kids play. I wouldn’t want to see it happen again but it was fun to see !! Bottom line, the hugh amounts of money today are killing the game and as long as guys like Steinbrener keep spending, someone is going to be there to take it !! Much like giving your sole to the DEVIL !!
Go Ned !!
Go Dodgers !!
lohmeyet,
Yes, and Drew didn’t drive in 100 runs with special power numbers or clutch hits. Really quite ordinary, actually.
Batting with either Furcal or Lofton in scoring position half the time makes a big difference.
Drews big lure is OBP, hopefully we can get by without that.
I think we can.
Salary cap brought parity to the NHL in a hurry. It seems to me that the fans in every city should have the opportunity to have a WS winner. Under the present set up that is not too likely very often. The one reason is that they can’t afford to pay their young stars and have to lose them. In essence they become a farm team for the rich guys on the block. A very good example of that is the former Expos who could have really challenged if they could have kept their players. Gary your observation might be the next major development in the world of baseball now that it has become international. Something has to be done to rid the game of the insanity with unreasonable contracts and constant rotation of rosters. Owners alone can’t because they will be found guilty of collusion. Maybe it has to come with the assistance of the players as they did in the NHL with the Brendan Shanahan plan for fair play on the ice to make the game more fan friendly. I expect there would be problems with a cap as we know Mr. Steinbrenner would not follow it and agents would go out of their minds. Looks like Zito is going to cash in big time. We need good Ned, not big. Anxious to see what happens at those meetings. Go Ned!! Go Dodgers!!