Let the games begin
The intrasquad game today was certainly enough to whet the appetite of Dodger fans. It was only 4 1/2 innings of baseball, but two Dodger squads squared off against each other at Holman Stadium this morning in front of several hundred fans, media and staff members, all wanting to get their first glimpse of the 2007 Dodgers. The “home” team ended up winning 8-3, in a game where the teams banged out 17 hits, thus defying the old adage that pitchers are ahead of hitters this time of year. Fernando Tatis keyed a four-run third inning with a three-run homer for the winning team and Larry Bigbie ripped a solo shot for the losers. Andre Ethier went 2-for-2 with two line drive singles and Jason Repko was 1-for-1 with an RBI. Matt Kemp made the only defensive gem of the day while playing center field by diving to rob Juan Pierre of a single. Luis Gonzalez was hit on the arm by Mike Megrew, but stayed in the game and the team came out of the contest without injury. Derek Lowe, Joe Mays and D.J. Houlton all tossed two innings, while Megrew, Zach Hammes and Scott Elbert worked one frame apiece.
We had CNBC here today to film a piece on Matt White which will air throughout the day tomorrow (Thursday), including confirmed hits at 8:20 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1:55 p.m. The Associated Press also wrote an article that will now circulate around the country, but this will probably be the end of this story for a while, as Matt is obviously trying to focus on making the team rather than this truly unique article that has captivated tons of people.
Another part of our day was spent meeting with individual players about their intended efforts in the community in 2007 and the various things they’d like to do. This is a huge part of what our organization is about and we’ve got some guys this year that are really looking to do some unique things, so be on the lookout for more of that.
Meanwhile, after a Vero Beach bowling outing last night, tonight was the annual softball game between the L.A. Dodger employees and the ones here from Vero and I’m sorry to say that despite taking a 4-0 lead into the bottom of the seventh and final inning, the L.A. Dodgers somehow lost, 5-4. It was a tough loss and we’re all trying to get over it. I just won’t sleep much knowing that we couldn’t hold the lead.
The night is slowly coming to an end, as we just spent two hours meeting with our broadcasters and Ned Colletti. Every year during spring, Jaime, Pepe, Rick, Charley, A Martinez and any others that are in town get to sit down with the general manager and let him recreate the offseason for them so that they can pass that along to the fans. Tonight, Ned gave them two hours of interesting information that will make the spring broadcasts far more enjoyable.
And with that, be sure to tune in tomorrow on KFWB 980 and dodgers.com for the first game, which will start at 1:05 p.m. ET. Time to get things going…
Inside the Dodgers 
“Matt Kemp made the only defensive gem of the day while playing center field by diving to rob Juan Pierre of a single.”
Excellent!!! Center Field! Such poetic justice.
Kemp then got up, walked five steps from where he was positioned, and tapped on second base for a double play.
OK, I made that up.
Did he mean “center field” or “rover”?
I’ve started up my Dodger blog again after a winter break. Check it out at park.mlblogs.com (Words From The Park).
What did Kemp do at the plate? Does he look any differant from last year at the dish?
i am so pissed off right now! first you cant stream the KFWB broadcast online and the station here in Bakersfield that carries dodger games is playing that fascist Rush Limbaugh. I officially hate MLB.com!
Dodgers at Braves: Spring Training Update: Top 1: Kyle Davies pitching
Furcal grounds to second
Pierre grounds to the pitcher
Kemp strikes out
0 runs 0 Hits 0 LOB End of 1/2 Inning No Score
Dodgers at Braves: Spring Training Update: Bottom 1: Randy Wolf Pitching
Kyle Johnson singles up the middle
Renteria forces Johnson at 2nd Furcal to Martinez
Chipper Jones flies to Ethier in right
Andrew Jones walks
Pena hits a high infield chopper to short and beats it out for a single
Francoeur grounds to short
0 Runs 2 Hits 3 LOB End of 1 No Score
K on 3 pitches.
Ughhh.
Dodgers at Braves: Spring Training Update: Top 2: Davies Pitching
Saenz popped up to second
Betemit popped up to second
Martin grounds to second
0 Runs 0 Hits 0 LOB End of 1 1/2 No Score
Dodgers at Braves: Spring Training Update: Bottom 2: Wolf pitching
Thorman singles
Langerhans singles to right
Davies sacrifices to first, runners at 2nd and 3rd
Johnson hits a sac fly to Kemp in Left 1-0 ATL
Renteria flies to Kemp
1 Run 2 Hits 1 LOB End of 2 1-0 ATL
Dodgers at Braves: Spring Training Update: Top 3: Cormier now pitching
Ethier line drive base hit
Martinez flies to center
Tatis batting for Wolf flies to center
Furcal strikes out
0 Runs 1 Hit 1 LOB End of 2 1/2 1-0 ATL
Dodgers at Braves: Spring Training Update:
Chipper Jones put out
Andrew Jones singles
Pena singles
Francoeur singles
Thorman forces Francoeur at 2nd, Jones scores 2-0 ATL
Langerhans strikes out
1 Run 3 Hits 2 LOB end of 3 2-0 ATL
Josh,
Really need to vent. At work, wanted to listen to the Dodger game online. I go to the link on the homepage, takes me to the MLB radio signup where I have to pay 14.95 for the whole year. SO I go to the KFWB page to see if maybe I can stream it there and they say on the message that due to MLB they are unable to stream the spring training game. I understand about having to pay for regular season but come on. During the regular season, it’s useless to have MLB radio/TV when 160 games are televised. Even when they play back east I’ll just be recording it on my DVR to watch when I get home. Is there no way that spring training can be broadcast for free? or maybe a discounted spring training price?
Dodgers at Braves: Spring Training Update: Top 4
Pierre bunts for a base hit
Kemp HIGH AND DEEP OFF THE WALL for a Double
Saenz singles, Pierre scores Kemp to 3rd 2-1 ATL, Choo Freeman pitch runs for Saenz
Betemit puts out
Martin grounds out, Kemp scores 2-2 tie
Ethier grounds out
2 Runs 3 Hits 1 LOB End of 3 1/2 2-2 Tie
nice updates alex
I’ve tried to bite my tongue for nearly a year, but I just can stand it anymore. Am I the only one who thinks that Sarah Morris (of “Sarah’s take”) doesn’t have a clue about the Dodgers or about baseball in general?
In every one of her articles, she painstakingly goes out of her way to find something negative to write about; and she is usually wrong.
Today (after trying to explain what she wrote about last week), she felt compelled to write: “What worries me about the upcoming season is the Dodgers’ ability to manufacture runs.” Sure, we are all entitled to our opinion (just as I am doing right now), but girl, this 2007 Dodger team will likely produce more runs than any Dodger team of the past decade. I can only anticipate that in her next article, she will try to explain what she was really trying to say in this week’s article.
I owe an apology to Ken Gurnick, who I thought was the worst writer for the Dodgers. Ken’s work of late has (again in my opinion) been a lot better and now stands head and shoulders above anything that Sarah has written.
Perhaps it would be best if Sarah were to travel north about five hours and write about the Giants. There’s plenty of negativity to write about up there – and it’s all true!
I have absolutely nothing personal against Sarah Morris (after all, she IS a Dodger fan – I think), I simply have difficulty finding accuracy in her work.
Go ahead guys – fire away.
GO DODGERS!
that a boy kemp.
Sarah’s Take is really written for people who follow the game and the Dodgers a fair bit less than the folks in this blog do I suspect.
i felt a little perturbed reading that as well although I am in full agreement with her power hitter views. shes right on the money right there, we need at least one intimidating presence in our lineup.
Dodgers at Braves: Spring Training Update: Bottom 4: Billingsley pitching (he also pitched the 3rd inning) Loney is in for Saenz, Freeman is in center
Lillibridge reaches on error by Betemit (2nd error of the game), Lillibridge goes to 2nd on Wild Pitch
Orr grounds to second, Lillibridge goes to 3rd
Cormier grounds to second
Yunel Escobar infield single to the catcher, Martin fielded it 30 feet from home plate down the third base line and just missed throwing him out, Lillibridge scores 3-2 ATL
Gregor Blanco forces Escobar at 2nd
1 Run 1 Hit 1 LOB end of 4 3-2 ATL
i hope kuo’s healthy.
Dodgers at Braves: Spring Training Update: Top 5: Buddy Carlyle Pitching: Lots of substitutions for both teams
Martinez singles by the 2nd baseman Orr, Tony Abreu pitch runs for Martinez
Wilson Valdez lashes a base hit DOWN THE LINE for a double, Abreu to third
Jason Repko broken bat grouder to third, THROWS HIGH, Error, Repko runs hard and reaches, bases loaded
James Loney strikes out
Kemp slow roller to third 5-4-3 Double Play
0 Run 2 Hits 2 LOB End of 4 1/2 3-2 ATL
Betemit already has two errors? geez. His defense will loose him the job by june.
wow bases loaded no outs no runs. uh oh.
wow bases loaded no outs no runs. uh oh.
Dodgers at Braves: Spring Training Update: Bottom 5: Travis Smith pitching: Sandy Martinez takes over for Martin behind the plate, Bigbie takes over for Kemp in left and Delwyn Young takes over for Ethier in right:
Corky Miller grounds to short
T.J Bohn reaches on error by Valdez
Thorman strikes out looking
Doug Clark pops up to Freeman in center
0 Runs 0 Hits 1 LOB End of 5 3-2 ATL
Dodgers at Braves: Spring Training Update: Top 6: Carlyle pitching:
Freeman flies out to center
Andy LaRoche grounds to third
Sandy Martinez strikes out
0 Runs 0 Hits 0 LOB End of 5 1/2 3-2 ATL
Dodgers at Braves: Spring Training Update: Bottom 6: Smith pitching:
Lillibridge walks, Lillibridge steals 2nd on bad throw by Sandy Martinez
Orr lines to center, Freeman goes for the catch and ball comes out of the glove, error , runners at 2nd and 3rd
Jarrod Saltalamacchia lines a double down the line, Lillibridge and Orr score, 5-2 ATL
Yunel Escobar singles, runners at 1st and 3rd
Gregor Blanco 1-6-3 Double Play
Corky Miller base hit to right, Saltalamacchia scores, 6-2 ATL
T.J Bohn flies to center
3 Runs 3 Hits 1 LOB End of 6 6-2 ATL
Dodgers at Braves: Spring Training Update: Top 7: Manny Acosta pitching:
Delwyn Young broken bat grounder to 2nd
Tony Abreu grounds to third
Wilson Valdez bunts to pitcher
0 Runs 0 Hits 0 LOB End of 6 1/2 6-2 ATL
Where’s the run production !!! GOD I love Dodger Baseball !!!
Go Dodgers !!!
Sounds like a pretty sloppy game to me, so far. Maybe I’m glad I’m not watching…
Dodgers at Braves: Spring Training Update: Bottom 7: Chin-Hui Tsao now pitching:
Carlos Mendez doubles to left
Doug Clark base hit to left, runners at 1st and 3rd
Lillibridge 6-4-3 Double Play, Mendez scores 7-2 ATL
Orr base hit to center
Willie Harris strikes out
1 Run 3 Hits 1 LOB End of 7 7-2 ATL
Dodgers at Braves: Spring Training Update: Top 8: Chad Paronto pitching
Larry Bigbie singles to right
James Loney 6-4-3 Double Play
Damien Jackson grounds to third
0 Runs 1 Hit 0 LOB end of 7 1/2 7-2 ATL
Dodgers at Braves: Spring Training Update: Bottom 8: Tim Hamulack now pitching
Yunel Escobar singles up the middle
Gregor Blanco strikes out
Corky Miller forces Escobar at 2nd
T.J Bohn walks
Mendez foul pops out to Loney
0 Runs 1 Hit 2 LOB 7-2 ATL
Dodgers at Braves: Spring Training Update: Top 9: Tyler Yates pitching:
Choo Freeman walks
Andy LaRoche flies out
Sandy Martinez flies out
Delwyn Young grounds to first
0 Runs 0 Hits 1 LOB
R H E
Dodgers 2 7 3
Braves 7 15 1
Time of Game 2:32
WP: Cormier
LP: Billingsley
3 e’s yikes.
drj884 – “Sarah’s Take is really written for people who follow the game and the Dodgers a fair bit less than the folks in this blog do I suspect.”
Ok, I’ll buy that. Nevermind (and thanks).
GO DODGERS!
PS: Only 39 more days until the home opener!
Thanks alex.
53,
I have to agree about “Sarah’s Take.” Personally, I click onto it just so I can clear it, i.e. so the title doesn’t stay blue on the front page of the site- I’m xxxx that way. From the few times that I have read them, my take on her articles is that she rehashes what every other columnist writes while putting it into her own words. That’s okay I guess, just not what I want to read on the website. So I just don’t.
But maybe it gives her some purpose in her life. And that would be a good thing. So good for her.
overall she knows what she is talking about and she roots for us.
Hey s.infantino – “I click onto it just so I can clear it, i.e. so the title doesn’t stay blue on the front page of the site- I’m **** that way.” That is too funny; I do the EXACT same thing to all of the blue titles. How funny is that?
Don’t worry graffitigenius, it’s nothing personal and I certainly do not question her loyalty as a Dodger fan. I just wish that she would lose that perpetual negative chip on her shoulder.
GO DODGERS!