Lineup and draft
Furcal, SS
Abreu, 3B
Nomar, 1B
Kent, 2B
Gonzo, LF
Vote for Martin, C
Ethier, RF
Clark, CF
Kuo, P
Plenty of info on Chris Withrow is in the post below. James Adkins of Tennessee was our second pick (#39 compensation for Lugo) and then Michael Watt (#86 from Capistrano Valley H.S.)
Inside the Dodgers 
I, like many others, love the fact that Pathetic Pierre is not in the lineup…
I hope Brady C. plays so well that Grady would never have a reason to put Pierre back in the lineup…
I can Dream can’t I???
Go Brady Clark!!!
Go Dodgers!!!
Do us proud Mr. Kuo!!!
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i don’t get the Adkins or the Watt picks… Is Ned running the draft now or what?
I hope good things will come out of Abreu hitting in the 2 spot. Maybe it’ll open some eyes in the office. He’s got speed and hits the ball hard, but like any other rookie, makes alot of mistakes.
Go Dodgers!!!
See you guys at Dodger Stadium this weekend.
NO PIERRE TONIGHT???
I guess even Pierre needs a night off. He’s played like every inning the past 5 years or something amazing, but I guess like every thing before he came to the Dodgers, it all changes (like him being hardest to K).
I like Abreu batting 2nd for a change. I still wish Martin was not batting 6th…
Let’s go Dodgers and knock Peavy around!
People say that youth brings energy to the lineup…well, with Abreu batting 2nd, now he brings energy to the part that’s been lacking. Let’s hope that’s true against Peavy tonight.
Thank goodness Pierre is out of the lineup. I’m kinda tired of watching an automatic out come to the plate night in and night out.
I like that since Abreu hasn’t faced Peavy before, Abreu gives him something to worry about in the 1st inning. Maybe Abreu can make something happen…Pierre’s 2 for 18 against Peavy, this is a good night for him to break his games played streak.
a one day benching of pierre doesn’t really excite me…but i’ll take it.
No designated out in the line up, that’s great. Hopefully Clark gets to play regularly and Pierre sits or goes away. At least this way they at least look like a better club,with another out fielder who can catch and throw.
Well it’s a start…? Now just replace Nomar’s spot with Martin and replace Clark with Kemp and I couldn’t ask for more.
But yeah, go Clark..I hope he just mashes tonight and steals a base or two just for kicks….
At least I won’t have to change the channel every 9th AB or everytime there is aball hit to CF!!
Only for a day I’m sure ( unless Pierre tweaked something ) but still, I’m very surprised ( and a little giddy ) to see no Pierre in there.
I LIKE IT!
Hey fliegel – Betemit is our Designated Out. Pierre is our “NOB” = Never On Base. He deserves a rest, say… like… the next 751 games!
Man, I hope Brady Clark goes yard tonight.
BEAT PEAVY!
GO DODGERS!
Score one for the good guys with this lineup… Pierre and his .298 OBP can sit on the bench for a while.
First time I’ve seen a lifetime .300 hitter described as an automatic out.
The Pierre signing was strange in that the Dodgers already had a leadoff hitter, but the guy is a legitimate major league hitter, with a World Series ring. He’s unfairly getting the brunt of the criticism regarding the Dodgers offense. The Dodgers need more power, but that’s certainly not Juan Pierre’s role. Brady Clark is a 5th outfielder on most teams, he’s not going to take Juan Pierre’s job. I know you were kidding anyway. Now if the Dodgers want to start playing Matt Kemp in center field, I’m in.
Well its a nice surprise that Pierre is out resting maybe some time to watch some more video of his swing maybe it will help! But all this i hope Brady has a great game and stuff, i just want them to win and avoid being swept!
“GRADY’S NEW LOOK LINEUP” I was thinking of Abreu batting second all day long, I guess everybody was. He just looked right. My suggestion on Pierre batting 8th, on the previous comments blog, is just an idea I had. He’ll be back and I wish him luck. I know he’ll do better, he has done better. GO GRADY.
Hallelujah time! Yes, you can hear the children singing.
Hallelujah time! Yes, as they go singing by and by. Let them sing; never let them cry.
Hahah i dont want Pierre out there playing just like the rest of you but i know the guy can play ball his numbers arent great but in the second half i hop his numbers inprove to about his career because even though his career numbers arent outstanding they will help us win games down the road. Lets fix that swing Pierre!!!
Pierre will be back, but I can’t be sure if it will be in this line up. It’s kind of nice(to me),we have a player named Pierre. But I wish luck what ever happens.
About time! Clark should have been starting for Pierre weeks ago. Lets just hope this isn’t a one game thing (which we all know it will be).
Pierre is terrible and anybody who defends him doesn’t know **** about the game. Now go beat Peavy.
Um, the fact that Pierre has a World Series ring doesn’t make him a good player. That is a terrible defense of the guy.
both craig counsell and david eckstein have TWO world series rings a piece. want them on the team?
saying Pierre is a good player because he has a world series ring is like saying George Bush is the smartest man in the world because he’s the president.
I’m defending Pierre as a player, because he did well in the past. If it was up to me, he wouldn’t be here in the first place. I could never understand, the need for his type of player. Nothing against Pierre. My question is, Why do the Dodgers always seem to go after CF’s that have little HR power. This goes back many years, Way before Colletti.
Let’s not start the Pierre debate…appledrum said what he said because he’s a N00b to the blog…otherwise this wouldn’t be “First time I’ve seen a lifetime .300 hitter described as an automatic out.”
and speaking of the 2003 marlins, how awesome would a rotation of beckett, burnett, penny, and willis be today? it would’nt matter if your whole lineup was juan pierre.
That’s a fun thing to imagine, Jspelk…what if they cloned Pierre, and he batted in the 1-8 spots. Lineup looks like this:
Pierre CF
Pierre SS
Pierre 1b
Pierre LF
Pierre 3b
Pierre 2b
Pierre RF
Pierre C
Willis P
A typical inning:
Pierre bunts for a single.
Pierre grounds into double play, Pierre out at 2b. 2 outs.
Pierre flies out to CF. 3 outs.
Or in the 3rd inning:
Pierre grounds out weakly to 2b. 1 out.
Pierre grounds out weakly to 2b. 2 outs.
Willis hits a home run (12) to left field. Willis scores. 2 outs.
Pierre flies out to center field. 3 outs.
I’m not ready to quit on Pierre, I do love his speed. We’re 59 games into the season (36%).
Expecting his regular #s:
100 Runs (34 – 34%)
55+ SBs (18 – 32%)
200 Hits (67 – 33%)
So, lets be fair. He’s near his pace, even with this slow start. Yes, his Ks are way up, but he does do good things on the bases – he just needs to get on more. But let him work his way up from 8th until he does. Once he gets on base more consistenly, him and Raffy will dangerous. Let’s Go Dodgers!
ha. willis does have some pop, doesn’t he.
My defenition of an automatic out is a guy who has led baseball in outs (or second) in 3 of the last 5 seasons. Just cause he get’s more plate apperances dosent mean he isnt allowed to walk.
Pierre
2003 NL-511-1
2004 NL-507-2
2005 NL-514-2
2006 NL-532-1
2007 NL-200-1
(leading basbeall by 13 outs this year which does not include his caugh stealing, so add a few more.)
I was going out for a walk, but this Pierre thing has got me a little rattled. I’d just like to say that, Pierre right now is in a little bit of a funk. When he’s alright, He’s okay. And is a very valuable player. I think, that he would be better off on a team that possesses more POWER. Like the Yankees or maybe the Twins or The Mets(BUT THE HAVE REYES) Because of his SPEED. His talent on the basepaths, He can BUNT, very good and all the other stuff that goes with it. If he wore his glove on his left hand, he could be an infielder, but unfortunately, he doesn’t. He could be a real SPARKPLUG. COM”ON LET’S PLAY BALL TONIGHT, I’m sick of hearing about that Padre pitching staff.
Does any one think the Dodgers will trade for a big name 3rd baseman or a power hitter before the deadline?
1) Pierre will rest and perhaps get something together. I’m rather optimistic about this lineup.
2) Luis Gonzalez has been really quite underappreciated. He’s put out a .810 OPS, which is certainly above average (115 OPS+), and only Martin gets on base at a better clip. He’s not amazing, but he’s really not all that bad at the plate.
3) Jeff Kent looked like he recovered from a bad week just nicely last night, and I trust he can continue it today.
4) Nomar hasn’t been making nearly as solid contact as he typically does – he’s hitting fewer line drives and more ground balls, and further, his fly balls aren’t going as far. It strikes me that he fouls off or swings and misses quite a bit on the first pitch. It could be that the twins are keeping him up, but he still hits a lot better at home than on the road. I don’t know if it’s his eyes, it’s a mental thing, or if it’s just some sort of random glitch, but I’d really like to see him get back up to being a guy who’d be good for a .500 slugging percentage.
5) Kuo had a good start once he got settled down in Pittsburgh, and I feel really good about him being on the mound. Granted, he’s up against Peavy, but Peavy is 0-1 with a no decision against the Nationals this year; he’s not invincible. I feel good about the ability of tonight’s lineup to break through and give Kuo some run support, and I’m confident that our young fireballer can do the rest to get the W.
before everyone gets their hopes up.. just thought i’d point out that on another blog, it was posted that grady said he’s merely giving pierre a night off and he’ll be back tomorrow and batting lead-off.. i figured pierre would be back tomorrow, but i was hoping it’d be at the bottom of the order.. sigh
Sounds like Pierre is getting a well deserved day off [giggling as i say it] Let’s not kid our selves Pierre is not in the line up cause he’s been really bad.
It will be nice to see what Abreu can do in the #2 slot, but remember that he’s going up against probably the best pitcher in the NL. I don’t take too much heart in Pierre’s absence for just one game, other than to show that Grady at least is not afraid to break his consecutive game streak – who knows what might happen next if Pierre continues without showing any progress. It would be much more significant if Kemp was up here playing in his place instead of Clark. I hope Clark makes a good showing with this opportunity. If not, he along with Martinez are my designated departures from the team ASAP.
sometimes i think kuo has randy wolf disease…he just has to get out of the 1st inning.
Nice spike by Kou….roflmao
lol Puppy
Just my daily wish: FIRE MURRAY!!!
Nice CS
Gosh
Clark throws to 3rd like JP!
Bats and checks his swing like JP!
At least he’s batting 8th…:)
yay raffy!
Raffy the man.
Oh please stop it with Clark now.
Clark can’t help it. Don’t blame him, blame JP for rubbing off on him.
kuo needs to throw more strikes.
I hope that Kuo can hold out for another two innings. It makes me remember that last year we had a pretty promising young starter, who seemed to mature and improve quite a bit toward the end of the year. I can’t believe that it isn’t Bills who’s pitching this game as a starter and contributing in that manner this season. Kuo may be OK some day, but he’s only another five inning pitcher with his wildness. We’re just doing this fifth starter bit all upside down as far as I’m concerned.
Good Hustle by Clark!
And Good Call by the Ump
Kuo needs to relax and bend his back more. He’s stiff and his pitches are going high outside too much.
Go Dodgers!
where’s mariano…we need him.
YEAH! RAFFY! THREE RBI NIGHT!
ABREU! *SCARFING DOWN MY WORDS FROM LAST NIGHT* Yummy!
i heart raffy. man, 4-1…that sure feels good after the last 2 games. let’s win this!
Way to go Rafael and Tony!! This is how to chase Peavy! Let’s get a game back… come on bullpen!
Go Dodgers!!
The irony is that had Pierre been in the game, he would have been leading off against right-handed Peavy; therefore, Raffy might never have come up to bat those runs in. Good providence. Now let’s win this one!
Yeah,,,,almost JP’s fault for us not scoring.
Sit on it JP!!!!!!
I’m only watching the game on the radio, but it sounds like Kuo was good, but struggling a little with control, but had really good stuff. That’s more good news.
Query–it sounded like Bills, as he has been of late, was just lights out. Why pull him with 2 outs? Heck, why not let him finish this game up, and save the rest of the bullpen?
That ran through my mind too leek.
probably wanted to save bills from working too hard too. also branyan can be be dangerous at times, i guess.
ugh does anyone feel like playing defense in the 9th?
This game is slipping away!
Like Danys Baez pitching!
bench nomar tommorrow.
f@ck him tonight.
Now how do you like it??????
seriously, and is that the 50th error for kent or something? and of course this will be blamed on not having saito, when clearly its the two old men out there who are at fault.
We got an out!
i hate baseball right now
that was a strike
yes, yes we did. bench nomar.
THIS IS DISGUSTING!!!!!!
You guys are right,,,we su*k.
Wait till next year and the kids.
get loney and his slick glove on this team, stat!
Thank you, Grady for totally blowing this game. You never could manage your pitchers, and still can’t.
this team is disgusting. Nomar is terrible, bring up Loney. It makes me sick to my stomach watching this team play.
this games just ruined my week.
Did somebody turn back the clock to 2006??? Stop it already!! I want off this time machine!! I lived it once and I don’t want to live it again!!!
Dang it!! I hate the Padres!!!
That was definately disgusting. Without a doubt the cheapest comeback win ever. That ball to Kent shouldve been an error. I dont know if i should feel bad for Broxton or not.. I sometimes feel like Martin doesnt handle him well– he calls too many breaking balls. Like that one to Giles; just one i really disagreed with. But that was a terrible loss.
ahhhh *insert scream of frustration here* i swear, i was so stressed out in the 9th inning, i totally got up and baked a cake. what am i gonna do with this random cake in my oven now? ahhhhhh…i sure hope it tastes good with vodka.
i HATE the padres
This is the game we will remember in October…mark it down. I do not believe what I just saw…the only good thing is Saito is back and tomorrow is another day, but this game is a two game swing and I GUARANTEE you this will be the game we all look back on in 4 months as the reason why we squeaked in the playoffs or why we’re sitting on our butts at home watching the playoffs. That inning was like a Greek Tragedy and I’m exhausted.
Go Dodgers…and good night
Nomar needs to be moved out of the three hole. He is just terrible this season, Loney could be doing exactly if not more.
I’m going out to buy a cake kit and learn how to bake a cake for zorba.
Well, I’m totally fed up by our veterans Nomar and Kent. Wish the season was over and both of them were gone for 2008.
wow.
Oh, and Grady too!
Think I’ll puke before I leave the house. My stonach is still turning.
the fact that we lead the league in both fewest HRs and most errors is just not a good combination.
I don’t think you can blame Broxton, or Martin’s calls, or Little, or Kent…Nomar let that inning get out of hand. He had a potential double-play ball that he fumbled, and he allowed another base hit by trying to race to the bag. He could have been responsible for 2-3 outs with those two plays, but instead was responsible for none. If those plays hadn’t happened, the inning doesn’t get out of hand.
I don’t know what’s wrong with Nomar this year. We’ve all talked about it before…but he looks like a totally different player than last year, even the 2nd half last year. Far worse defensively, no power offensively…I love the guy, but he cost us that game.
coughJAMESLONEYcough
puppyhead – well said.
Here is one way to look at it: This is bound to happen to every team at least once a year. This was our huge implosion game and better now that somewhere down the stretch or in the playoffs… How we play this next series will be huge…
also i have to question why pierre was brought in for the 9th… you leave clark in CF and put pierre in LF if you are so intent on keeping his ridiculous game streak alive.
That was pure pathetic!!!!! I agree with manny that game just ruined my week! Nomar needs to get focused or get out, the guy has been killing me lately and it doesnt seem like he even cares IMO. Broxton gave Gonzalez adn fast ball rite down the heart of the plate at like 91 where was the 99 mph pitch that we saw from him after the wheels fell off. That is one thing that makes me sick to know that he is def not ready to be a closer he just doesnt have the guts, i mean im sure it tough in that position but y not let it all hang out there when ur a closer let it rip! I dont think Grady had anything to do with this one messagebear he played it just right Bills going 1 2/3 and then Biemel coming in the get the last out in the eigth then good ol Brox to come in and shut it down that sounds good but boy was that ugly! To tell u the truth my tickets for the game tomorrow may go on sale, because as of now i am sick to my stomach!
Good sign out of Kuo pretty solid game and from Furcal and Abreu at the top. I must say the kid looks decent in that 2 spot lets hope it stays that way at least for the time being!
ewk–the defense has been been bad all year though. It’s a real concern.
Things went to **** in a hand basket the second Pierre got in the game
Kent made a good effort for that play. Nomar on the other hand on the bobbled ball made the wrong choice trying to turn the double play. Then to make things worst nomar took his freaking time to run to the base. He did not hustle to the bag and the runner beat him. It was all Broxton’s game.Broxton or little is not to blame. It was his game to finish off, if you take him out, you mess up his confidence. It was Nomar’s lack of Hustle. Bring up Looney, give nomar a break.
Good Job guys, good job Tony Abreau. Keep your head up guys.
Agreed…
This team, in its current form, will not make the playoffs.
In fact, without our stellar pitching, we would probably be dwelling in the cellar behind the Giants.
Management MUST decide whether they’re satisfied with the prospect of slowly falling out of contention, or if they are willing to have some GUTS and upgrades the spots that are hurting the team via trade or calling up Kemp and/or Loney.
Although I always maintain hope we’ll make the playoffs, the realist in me tells me this team, despite its awesome pitching staff, is simply too weak with their bats and on defense to compete with the SD and Arizona.
Furcal and Abreu are an awesome 1-2 punch.
That was freaking HORRID!!!! just thought i would make that known that it was! I really think Nomar isnt focused, is it the twins, is it his loss of power, whatever it is it needs to be addressed! We need the heart of the Nomar from last year not the non exsistent heart of this Nomar!
hahahah wow whata pathetic display of baseball that was. nomar is making me cringe. wow we treat peavy like that , and we cant even close a game out, thanks to the pathetic old right side of our infield. james loney is starting to heat up just in time.
Very true Nomar is not focus his heart is not all their. I think he should go an make some bottles and change some diapers for a while. Let him clear his mine. Bring up Looney! I will be at Dodger stadium Sunday, Nomar is hosting a carne asada after the game. I will be their. Does anyone want me to deliver a message to him?
yes, and manny we are a 1/3 done with the season– no need to start with the doomsday predictions quite yet.
Hey, glass is half full, we were in all three of those game and easily could’ve taken 2. Granted we didnt, but we arent playing terrible baseball. We need improvements and there is still plenty of time to get that done.
Honestly the way ive looked at the beginning of this season is that we have been playing like **** the entire time. Nomar is playing poorly and Pierre is almost a bust. Nevertheless, we are still in contention for tops in the West and a solid overall record. We have been playing at 50% of what we are capable of and, despite not being in first place anymore, still hanging in there. We are in a really good division. My guess is the Dbacks fade, but not to imply that has anything to do with us.
I havent really questioned Grady yet, and think he has done a very good job, but if he puts Pierre in leadoff of 2 spot tomorrow i will really not be happy…
And defense has been a huge problem for us; all im saying is that these sure thing games get away from everyone at least once a year.
i like furcal and abreu 1-2 as well max. i like the way hes swinging the bat. how was that homer gonzo hit off meredith? that thing was crushed!!
it really was…
Seems to me that Nomar places baseball second in his life at this time. His twins are his life now, especially since he is now financially secure.
Bills looked like he was cruising, wish he was left in to finish, since it wasn’t a save situation, but for him to get one for his 3 innings and finnishing the game.
ummm…here’s a message: you can somehow hurt him and then he won’t be able to play…just kidding
Ok, now I’ve calmed down after that loss. We beat Jake Peavy, we won that game for 8 1/2 innings and then something that hasn’t happened all season took place. We lost with a lead going into the ninth. This game has fluke written all over it (of course it happened to the team I hate the most. sorry Giants I just feel sorry for you). I really did love Furcal and Abreu 1-2, they looked really good. And Abreu was great at the hot corner. Reflecting on the game before the meltdown we played an excellent game, Kuo aside from his wildness was great. This is an extremely depressing loss and the way we lost had ‘fate’ written all over it. We FINALLY have a win against Peavy in San Diego and then Kent’s off balance throw, Nomar’s bobble (hello, Loney defensive replacement), the 125 foot chopper in the air to Nomar (not really Nomar’s fault on that one) it just slipped away Baez style. And to top it off a walk off walk…GAH! DO NOT TAKE SAITO FOR GRANTED AGAIN! Welcome back Saito!
Go Dodgers!
June 7th, 2007 “The Game that marked the season?” Only time will tell…
diamondbacks wont fade if they swing the bats like they are. if the big unit pitches like he has been along with webb. they got a chance for sure. the ceiling with that team is pretty high, just how much of that will they fill this year.
yea bigblue– you know what the say about hindsight. Bills was/is/has been cruising though…
manny,
If the Dodgers have great pitching but their bats will make them miss the playoffs, why don’t you think that about SD? Their pitching is better, but their bats are worse. If you’re going to go all doomsday on the Dodgers, then you should on the Padres as well…same team build all around.
This has been a tough stretch, changes will come, and this team can still be the team to beat. The Pads will not weather injuries as well as the Ds will, and that could be a huge difference.
Trade for Teixeira!
Our ceiling is higher..
Good Points Puppy…
I guess that leaves the D-backs with the winning ticket
ewk-I was honestly thinking that scenario all along….honest. Bills can get a save with the 4 run lead.
Also, I was pretty angry when I wrote that…Nonetheless, I think its clear changes have to be made
Oh and Bills being taken out of the 8th, no problem at all. None of us here would of had a problem giving Broxton the ball with a 4 run lead…EVER. Total fluke tonight. Plus, if Bills pitches 3 tonight he can’t pitch tomorrow, you must think about tomorrow’s game today. Big John is just not ready for prime time quite yet.
alex-Bills finishes the 8th, then Beimel can bail Brox out, if he gets into trouble in the 9th.
I would rather have Seanez started the innings.
Bills struggling against left hand batter at around .300 Beimel under .150. Once again Grady made the right move there. Bill wasn’t going to finish that innings when a left hand batter is up.
If i were Grady i wouldve pulled Broxton at some point in that inning. Some nights just arent yours and its foolish to ignore that. There is a confidence factor, but that why they are professional athletes, and Brox isnt even our regular closer— im on the fence though bc i do respect the fact that Grady stuck with him. All during the inning i was thinking it made sense because realistically Broxton was the most likely pitcher left in our pen to strike out three guys in a row.
“Big John is just not ready for prime time quite yet.”
I disagree. Brox got out of that inning if only he had some defense behind him. Obviously he was a bit rattled when he saw three straight plays not made on what I thought were routine plays… Ken’t being the toughest.
Bad loss indeed…
…and I know it hurts… but do we really need to use profanity to voice an opinion around here? Did you not get Josh’s message on Monday?
where is the profanity? Doesnt this thing automatically block out all the bad words… I agree though..
sometimes a curse is necessary though, tonight being one of those times. I really hate the padres so so so much…
tonight definitely called for some cursing…i’m sure my neighbors heard plenty of it
Now, Kevin I’m with you on if the plays are made he probably does get out of the inning. But, he struggled in Pittsburgh as well. Though that BP fastball to Adrian Gonzalez…eek. It’s just one of those innings, you just felt it was inevitable.
Im starting a campaign called NoMore Garciaparra, anyone else want to join? I usually don’t post at night but I had to vent on something so it might as well be my keyboard. I’m tired, cranky and now I get to go to bed with the image of Nomar prancing around 1st base like he’s in the nutcracker.
Is it time for Loney yet or do we need to continue to deal with a punching Judy that bats 3 hole and now is finding ways to blow games while looking like a total fruitcake…seriously Nomar just retire!
You never get use to these games, that you blow like this. I was thinking of saying something, after the game and I think it would have been appropriate, even if we lost. But I’ll have to wait, until they get back from another road trip. You got to be positive, no matter how hard it is. Especially the players, but I always remember they are professionals and they can get over it better then us. I know I’ll be back tomorrow. Allthe way from B’klyn, watching those headlights, from the Dodger Stadium parking lot,as the game, has all ready started. as Vin Scully tells us a story. Don’t worry, this never ends and we got a lot of baseball yet to play this year.GO DODGERS,GET UP YOU’RE NOT DEAD, THE FIGHT GOES ON.
We want Loney! We want Loney! We want Loney and Kemp too lol.
And Broxton gets the ball even if Saito could play in that scenario. Up by 4 in the ninth is Broxton territory. The difference is Saito comes in and tries to bail him out. So, that injury changes everything. There is a huge difference the way you manage up by 4 runs, rather than 3 or less. Beimel did his job in the eighth, now could Seanez of started the ninth? Yes, that makes sense and if HE gets in trouble you bring in Broxton (the closer), however you expect Broxton to not give up 5 runs, but then again he didn’t (Kent, Nomar). And I guarantee you if Seanez was Broxton tonight we’d all be complaining why Broxton wasn’t starting the ninth. It’s a funny game and we were the joke tonight.
oh and ewk,
i guess i don’t have the same optimism about this team you do, but I certainly hope you’re right. i really didn’t think nomar would be this bad, but going into the season i felt that our TEAM hitting and defense was really going to hurt us; and thats exactly what has been hurting us.
Tonight definitely was a tough luck night, but when you have poor defense and you don’t put many runs up on the board the losses will inevitably start to pile on.
I’ll be at the Ravine all weekend…lets turn things around Fellas!!!
Good night.
I’m gonna play MLB 2K7 on my Playstation and beat brains out of the PADS till I fall asleep…
GN
WOW! This one really stings! Callers on Dodgertalk are ripping Grady! IMO this game was lost by the defense not Grady… but its one game lets hope they can step it up, the upcoming schedule should favor the Dodgers since they play the weaker teams in the AL East while the rest of the division must face either the Yanks or Red Sox. That being said its looking more and more like the division will be decided by who makes the right move at the trade deadline, hopefully it will be our team! Go Dodgers!
I got MLB 2007 the show on PS2 and I got Broxton in my rotation because of Lowe is on the DL. I edit his stats and he look unhittable for real. I got him so good numbers.
oops I mean I got him some good numbers.
I don’t know but they might have a point ripping on him. Seanez probably could’ve started the innings, since it was not a save opp for Broxton and their was no reason to put him in
We arent terrible at producing runs though. We average almost 4.5/ game which is not great but should be enough for a team that has excellent pitching like we do. The defense lost the game for us tonight. and luck.
We are currently 9th in the NL in Runs scored. The 8 teams ahead of us being: Phillies, marlins, braves, cinci, mets, brews, cubs, and gnats— AND only one of these teams has a higher winning percentage today that we do, the Mets.
It’s time to bring up Loney and Kemp, this is getting ridiculous. Pierre is the worst player on the team, he should be benched at least twice a week for Kemp. Nomar needs to split time with Loney too. And what is the point of Martinez if he doesn’t come in as a defensive sub for Kent in late innings? Terrible loss, and we need to call those kids up now. DFA Martinez, and put Nomar on the shelf for 15 days so we can see what a real 1B looks like.
its not even that nomar is SO bad defensively, although he should have a late inning defensive sub. The second play he botched was ridiculous. WHY didn’t he throw the ball to brox who was already at the bag was beyond me. It was just stupid baseball. He should have known better. He wasn’t thinking. Maybe he doesn’t care, but veterans who are ‘proven’ and have ‘been there’ don’t make boneheaded plays like that with the game on the line. Ok I’ve said my peace.
How was Grady supposed to know that Broxton who has been VERY good was gonna be shaky and that the defense would falter? It wouldn’t have mattered who he pitched in the 9th (unless it was Saito) if the defense doesnt do its part you get the same result!
dodgergirl6-You never know, but, you should be prepared for the worse.
i still can’t believe what happened tonight. I hope i wake up and its a bad dream.
How pathetic are they? Angelmania is a dork.
http://www.forums.mlb.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=1&nav=messages&webtag=ml-angels&tid=81731
Here’s another one and someone need to go to the Angels board and give him a piece of our mind. What a trader root for another Calif team to win the division.
http://www.forums.mlb.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=1&nav=messages&webtag=ml-padres&tid=25995
No Max it is real and it had nothing to do with JP.Except with Furcal and abreu at the top abreu 1-5 did hit in a clutch situation.Kuo pitched Shakey at best …Still not trusting his stuff.JB well it goes without saying that if defence Kent and Nomar X2 does anything right then JB would not have been so shaken.I have stated sibce lastyear that the defence is mediocre and this year is beyond a joke. Kent needs to accept that a Kid can do better and take that kid under his wing Nomar needs to be traded away I’m sorry for the fans who love him but he hasn’t done anything great since WE voted him to his last AS game.I Know that Lieberthal has had a great career but have we won any games that he has caught? I can’t remember one.Martinez,Saenz,Clark…what do they bring to this team anymore other then Phone in AB’s and a warm bench…It is Soo much past time for change on this team and JP needs to be traded.. he is not a fit for this team other then a late inns. runner at 1st or 2nd to get a run across…not that 3rd Base coach Rich Donally could call it right anyways.
When Bills was lifted I was really uneasy about it because he was on and traditionally when he is on he is one of the Best we have and can throw for 3 inns. or more.But I did understand the call by grady and accepted it.After JB had allowed a run and runners in scoring position I did not understand anymore.JB was Obviously shaken and someone should have been up.Then Bases loaded 1 out and everyone has his number in a now tied game…..and all of the late inning shuffle…..I don’t pin this loss on Grady but we are trying to salvage 1 game from a team that has always been very tough on us over the past few years…But to leave Bills in to Walk the winning run Home cannot possibly instill any way shape or form of confidense in this kids head….especially after almost blowing the save in Pitts.To a point it gets the fact that you have to be THE MAN across but he was not and now Martin might even be questioning himself in the way he calls the game.
My Bottom line is gonna be this…We have serious Power issues that need to be addressed as well as Serious Defensive issues.Kemp is hitting down in AAA and Loney has shown his bat again but we do have an OF who Plays 1B also and has 19 HR’s 60 RBI’s and over .400OBP. in Vegas He is 29 Years old we Got him this Year and he has never been given any opportunity to Play on a Big club.He is Mitch Jones and I’m not trying to say that is is the end all be all to the issues of this team but what I am saying is that he is the best MLB ready player in our minor league system.Kemp will be good possibly great Loney the same.But this guy is HOT like Fire right NOW.Alot more upside then Clark and Maybe awesome numbers for a couple years but nobody will know until he is tried….This guy needs to be F22’d to the stadium ASAP and if he can’t hit MLB pitching then its a try but he Needs to be looked at really well before not giving him a shot or sending him back.Nothing short of Loney or Jones coming up in the Next week is going to make me happy if Kemp comes up we still don’t have a place for him to play everyday and he only has 4 HR’s went Ofer tonight against tough AAA piting that SO the 51’s and only allowed 3 hits.Jones didn’t play….
Wow, that’s some amazing BS. The Times and the Daily News definitely tried to pin the game on Broxton.
But no matter. As a wise man once said, “There’s no need to bicker and argue over who killed who.”
Last night’s game was just one of those things, and I’m not blaming anybody. In fact, I enjoyed the game – right up to that fateful inning which had “Oh no” written all over it from the moment Nomar let the grounder past him. One could argue that a future closer should be able to reach back and get the outs at the plate etc when his defense fails him, but I feel that is a nonsense argument, so I won’t say anything about last night beyond: “Bad luck, guys!”
The game was fun to watch. I haven’t realized how having Pierre in the lineup sapped my enjoyment until he was no longer there and I could watch without worrying that he was coming up. Clark played a solid center field, too. His dive in the latter innings held the runner, who didn’t know if he was going to catch it or not, back, and of course he has a much stronger arm and can get the ball in faster. I just don’t see Pierre doing any of those things.
Anyway, bad luck guys, it is just one game. Hope you enjoyed sleeping in your own beds, and looking forward to seeing you in action tonight.
The last 3 games ******. But, overall, a 5-5 road trip, which isn’t great but is acceptable.
In the last 19 games, which includes the Angels sweep (which, imo, is when the Ds offense really started looking bad), the Ds are 9-10 if I counted right. Only 1 game under .500 with two sweeps in there. I’m not convinced that the Dodgers are sliding toward .500 at this point, since they’ve only gotten 1 game closer to it in the past 19 games.
But, the fact is, they need to play better against good teams on the road. They took the series from Milwaukee and Chicago at home (imo Cubs are a basically good team – see run differential, best in the Central); but earlier in the season they couldn’t take the Atlanta series, split against the Marlins (a so-so team) and now this San Diego debacle.
I’m not sure about Loney at 1b. I’d like to see him and maybe 2 other players traded for Teixeira. He’s still 27, has a .953 OPS with 12 homers. He strikes out more than he should, but his OBP is over .400 right now – something this team could really use.
Nomar could be traded, or spell Tex and/or Kent and Abreu. Getting a powerful 1b now means Abreu and Laroche can develop at 3b this year, and maybe Ned can sign A-Rod in the offseason at 3b if they don’t work out.
Teixeira is a significant 1b upgrade, and a very realistic possibility to trade for seeing that the Rangers are atrocious and he will be in his contract year next year. They know they can get more value for him now than next year. I, for one, would be willing to part with Loney and perhaps Laroche to get him. “A bird in the hand is worth about 3 prospects in the minor leagues.”
nice right up griffon64, **** happens all you can do is dust off & look forward the teams been solid all year long & games like this will happen once in a while. Let’s not forget it’s only 1 game out of 162.
Puppyhead,
I’d go for that trade in a minute, but I’m thinking that they gave Nomar a No Trade clause. I doubt if he’s interested in being anywhere other than the LA area.
I know nobody, wants to hear about this last series in San Diego. And last night I was not in the mood, to make this comment, and everybody else was upset too. The only game that seemed normal, was the Maddux game on Wednesday night. The other two games,… well Tuesday, for instance, I remember feeling good, while Branyan was batting, but right after he got hit and he almost seemed, like he didn’t know it. Wow…I lost all faith and I had a premonition. I tried to think positive,but…I don’t know. Last night’s game I was feeling awesome,at the start of the 9th. I think God has a meter on me, If I get too happy,…Well you know. When the lead batter, reached on that ball which seemed to have eyes and went into a wrong spot, that Kent, made an effort on. With a marvelous 5-1, safe and sound lead, Again, I lost faith, and got that premonition feeling again. Boy was I struggling, like “NO, NO, Don’t let this happen..Please” I wonder…. How many of you felt the same way? I wonder if the players felt like that.
Does Pierre have a no trade clause? I hope not. It gives me hope that Ned will try and undo probably his worst blunder.
I want to first off say that all my posts last night were out of frustration! I still do think Nomar isnt as focused as last year, but to say that the man has not heart this year is kind of a low blow. At the end of the day the game was won and we had a chance to get a big game leaving SD while betting up on Peavy but we blew it. It happens to the best teams… i really hope like everyone else that Grady sticks with Abreu and Furcal at the top but i dont see it happening based on the comments Grady made:
“I’m just giving Juan a day off,” said Little. “We’re going to see if he can’t regroup here and get it going again. We talked to him earlier today. I think he just needs to get some better results than he’s getting right now, and he will.””It has a lot to do with matchups today,” said Little of his decision to sit Pierre, who is 2-for-18 against Padres starter Jake Peavy. “We intended to give him a break, and he’ll be back in there tomorrow at the top of the lineup.”
Now i mean i really have been routing for Pierre to turn things around based on his proven 2nd half numbers, Like i have said before even though his career numbers arent outstanding they will help us win games down the road, but this comment of his made me think a little:
“Whether I am hitting fly balls or not, I haven’t changed my approach,” said Pierre. “And, no, I am not reading anything into having the day off today.
“I have only one plan. I don’t analyze whether I’m swinging more or taking more pitches.
I think there is something wrong with his uppercut swing but it seems like hes not willing to do anything about it. I could be terribly wrong though so who knows. I am going to go to the game tonite but i just hope we score a lot of runs to get some momentum back after SD just straight robbed us of some.
I used to go out at 10:00 PM and now at 36 I am fighting to stay awake at that time. I’ll chalk it up to that and move on.
What hurts me most is we have a better team we just choose not to play them do to our GM. I have been saying this consistently in my posts, our young kids are better than our old guys and I would sacrafice this year for future years (even though I don’t belive we would be worse, but better, but still i’d be willing). It’s a quote like this as to why i feel this way. I want to win WS, not maybe make the playoffs.
Ethier said last season’s success has helped him rebound from his poor start in 2007.
“Just knowing and believing that I could play here helped me out a lot from last year to this year,” said Ethier, who took a seven-game hitting streak into Wednesday’s game. “If I had been in that situation last year, I don’t know how I would have handled the tough start.”
I agree jungar.
Ditto, jungar!
Grady’s not the brightest bulb in the box.
fishers late night posts are why i come back to post. they are so funny. what a tirade, trade nomar, bench kent, call up mitch jones because hes the best player in AAA. wow. thats a hitters park fisher and he strikes out WAY to much. lol.
Nomar or Nomore has a no trade clause unfortunately. These over the hill vets really are the way to go (yeah right). Nomar was a shortstop, Loney is a first baseman, lets see who do we put at first? Get off your butt Ned and do the right things or this season will slip away faster than you can say Juan Pierre!
Like I posted earlier this week it is totally different pitching the 9th as compared to the 8th. Broxton is good and will be a very good closer eventually but he needs to grow into it. He got a taste and will learn, you learn if you are smart, by your failures. Sammy coming back allows Broxton to relax and do his job. That is why I advocate leaving Martin where he is to be able to relax drive in runs when they are there. Once in a while he will get a taste of 2 thru 5 in the order and gain that confidence and ability to relax in those slots also. Again, sometimes a rookie or 2nd year player tries to do too much, last night Broxton overthrowing, Martin running so many times Wednesday night, prior to the base hit, his legs were gone. I believe he noted that about his legs. His job is the pitching staff and he does it very well. The pivotal play was Nomar’s and then Broxton implosion. If Little starts Seanez in the 9th and this happened you guys go ballistic, Broxton was the logical choice, it what he is being groomed for. It is 162 games and sometimes the wheels just fall off.
I agree Broxton threw some bad pitches but that was after Kent threw up on himself and couldn’t make a play that 30 other 2nd baseman would. Then Nomar threw up on himself and then he threw up all over himself again. That’s 4 outs right there.
for the record, i only suggested benching nomar and kent for a day to let them know their sloppy play does not go unnoticed. Yes, Brox pitched badly but the defense has been subpar all year long and it needs to get better.
I agree with both sides of the debate. Nomar and Kent should have made the outs for Brox! But then Brox being Big Jon himself needed to pitch better. I know he is still just a kid but hey if you gonna be a future closer you need to learn to LET IT RIP like i said in my last post, throwing the 99 mph after they have already scored on you does not work. You have one inning to get three outs, your stuff is just plain nasty and almost unhittable sometimes. I would have loved to see him let it rip for two strikes then pull the string on his wicked offspeed stuff! This kid could be great but last night showed he is a ways away!
You guys notice that nearly all my postings have been erased… what up with that man…
I had a good, clean, rant that made a lot of sense and expressed many of my opinions on there too… Josh is really coming down hard on me.
The Dodgers need to take ALL THREE of the hitters at the top of the lineup (Furcal, Pierre and Garciaparra)and put them at the bottom of the order. Statistics show that would give the Dodgers better offensive production from even the present lineup.
Make two assumptions. 1) putting your best batters at the very top of the lineup throughout a season can give your best hitters over 100 more at bats–therefore more offensive production. 2) OPS (On base plus slugging average)is a reliable measure of offensive productivity (certainly more than batting average). According to today’s statistics, a batting order of the Dodger “regulars” in order of their OPS would be:
OPS BA
Martin .879 .308
Gonzales .829 .289
Abreu .823 .327
Kent .796 .260
Ethier .736 .273
Furcal .732 .295
Garciaparra .667 .279
Pierre .615 .269
It is insane to give your batters with the worst OPS 100 more at bats a year than everyone else. A third of the season surely provides a fair statistical basis on which to make decisions. (Of course, Little and his coaches could decide to make up their lineup on the basis of the OPS of the previous month or week. Now, it is irrefutable that the top of the order–not just Pierre, but Furca AND Garciaparra, should go to the bottom of the lineup. If the OPS’s change significantly, then the lineup can too.
RobRoy,
I like it. I believe it would be better than the present batting order.
Pitching and defense win championships. We’ve got pitching, but this defense will not allow us to win a championship, offense or not.
Garciaparra .667 .279
Pierre .615 .269
Free James. Free Kemp.
That would improve our hitting and vastly improve our defense.
Yep jungar,
The solutions are right there.
Ned and Grady are too stubborn or too stupid to see it. Or just don’t have the sack to make the move. Either way, we suffer.
**** YEAH! FREE KEMP AND LONEY!! they would help alot! Of course thats assuming Grady doesn’t bat them 7 and 8 like all the other kids. We’d actaully be better off with Juan Pierre off the team. I don’t think everyone understand how bad he’s killing us. Also, Fire Eddie.
Amen Max!!
No i dont think Pierre is killing us! He is not playing very well but we can say that about a lot of different Dodgers! We are not playing well as a team giving up a 5 run lead in the ninth, or giving no run support to a pitcher that pitches a complete game! We are going to lose games but its the ones were we put ourselves in position to win the games is the ones that kill us! When we have no offense we really have no offense, even with martin in the line-up. I wish Kemp and or Loney were playing up here with the big club but we cant do that at this moment because there is not such injury to bring them up for! I dont want Nomar at 1st, at least untill he finds is focus somehow and as for Pierre well we all have been in our Pierre hatrid modes i think its time to get behind him and maybe he will turn it around the season isnt even halfway done.
Juan Pierre so far this year
BA with RISP – .217
BA with RISP and 2 outs – .152
BA with bases loaded – .100
He’s on pace for career lows in every offensive category. But to be fair those career highs aren’t that great either. He just isn’t good.
Free Kemp
Free Loney
Juan Pierre is highly overrated because of his speed. He’s like the Michael Vick of baseball. He’s fast and has he tools to be great but in reality he just isn’t all that great.
dahustle,
Better think again.
Grady’s mistake was in not leaving in Bills to finish the game. That would have left a pretty well-rested bullpen, other than him, and there are two other long guys. Bills was locked in, and going three innings is just not an issue, and he can get out left-handers.
I feel OK about saying that, because I posted it at the time. But it’s the kind of mistake that should have been OK. It should have been OK to hand Broxton a 4-run lead–and in a couple of years, we hope to be handing him closer games all the time. Once he was in, there was no one else to turn to. It stinks that Saito was not available, but if he was told that he was not playing last night, then he would not be ready–and it’s better to have him miss one game than a couple of weeks by aggravating an injury. So Broxton was the man and did not convert.
Plenty of blame to go around. Nomar blew it too, and Broxton, while not pitching well, should have been able to escape with a one-run victory.
Very bad.
Now, I am going to go back to blocking this game out of my memory.
Going after Juan Pierre should not be what we’re talking about after last nights loss. We already know the stats, they’ve been posted 1,000 times. And I don’t need to say this again but I will, he’s a 2nd half player and I will not judge the man until the season is up. The early returns certainly are not great, but nothing out of the ordinary for him. In the time being he should be batting eigth because I think Furcal and Abreu could do something very special in the first two spots. It’s all about how they rebound, last night was one game. Blue Jays, Mets and Angels, we actually do rather well against the A.L at home. And we get lucky with the Mets rotation so hopefully we can run off 7 of the next 9 at home! Welcome back SAITO!
Vote for Martin!
Go Dodgers!
Hope you are right about Pierre Alex, and I agree with you about leaving Abreu in the 2 hole and batting Pierre 8th.
My daily wish: FIRE MURRAY; Bring up Kemp and Loney.
Yeah come on dont just give me the gross stats of Pierre how about Furcals low numbers or Nomar’s Kents Gonzo’s lets not forget one man does not make or break a team in baseball!
AVG/OBP/SLG/OPS
Nomar Career: .316/.365/.531/.897
Current: .279/.325/.342/.667
HORRID!!!!!
Kent
Career: .289/.355/.503/.858
Current: .260/.335/.462/.796
NOT TOO BAD BUT STILL DOWN!!!
Gonzo
Career: .284/.368/.483/.852
Current: .289/.376/.454/.829
THE BEST OF THE VETS!!!!
Furcal
Career: .287/.352/.412/.764
Current: .295/.365/.367/.732
HIS SLG IS THE ONE THATS HURTING US RIGHT NOW!
So no Pierre is not killing us right now we as a team are killing ourselves!
Oh and yes Alex agreed upon Abreu in the 2 spot!
Yeah we have bigger issues than JP.
My take in general is that if were gonna win with pitching and defense then let’s do it.
Get Kent, Nomar, Pierre and Gonzo out of there late in games. Get Ramon Martinez, Brady Clark off the roster and bring up Loney and Kemp and begin rotating them with the old guys to get everyone some rest..
An infield defense of Meat, Furcal, Abreu (2b) and Loney wins that game last night
Stop defending Pierre. He is leading baseball in outs and is slugging slighly above most pitchers. His OBP is .290 He hasn’t had any meaningful steals, hardly goes first to third with his speed and is bad on defense.
We are not necessarily defending Pierre just putting faith that his career numbers hold up, i dont want to have to say it again but his career numbers arent oustanding but they will help us down the road, I do hope he gets things going but im not going get rid of him before the season is done!
OK…now that I’m over last night, here’s what struck me at the time while I’m walking my dog and enjoying the game on the transistor radio. With a four run lead and Billingsly cruising, why waste Beimel for one guy, thus insuring no back up plan for a Broxton encore of the Pittsburgh meltdown–which indeed happened. Grady has to take a little heat for this one. How would Beimel have looked to all of you against Gonzalez with the game still winnable?
What I am saying to you is that even if his career numbers hold up, he isn’t good and a terrible fit for what is needed for the dodgers.
Yah man I hope you guys are all right and I am wrong. I really do.
We will agree to disagree and move on.
This quote from Tony Jackson of the DailyNews….
“Games like this can’t happen, and don’t happen to truly good teams that are ready to contend and go deep into the postseason”.
He is absolutely right… We are currently not a Good Team… And we will never be unless some drastic changes are made in the very near future….
Fact: We have the poorest defense of any team in the league… We have more errors than any other team…..
Fact: We have the worst centerfielder in the league… Hands down…
Fact: We have the poorest fielding 2nd baseman in the league… Leads the league in errors by a big margin…
Fact: Our #3 hitter has the worst stats of all the other hitters in the league that bat in the 3 hole… This even takes into consideration his RISP stats….
Fact: We have 4 players that are past there prime (you all know who they are) and seem to be wearing down as the season progresses… They just don’t have the skills needed to make this team a contender in a very tough division… I promise you, it will get worse before it gets better without some changes being made…
Fact: We have a GM & a Manager who seem to be very stubborn in their beliefs concernig the above mentioned players… They just don’t seem to be willing to make the changes that so many of us on this blog see as obvious needs to make us better…
I, personally don’t think -barring injurys – that they will do enough to help make us the team we all want to see do well.. A team that will carry us to the playoffs & beyond…
I sincerelly hope that I am wrong…
amen above.
Ned and Grady do have a lot of patience, I’ll give them that. Too much so in my mind (but that’s probably why I wouldn’t be good doing what they do). They are going to stick with their veteran players as long as they possibly can.
Over the last several years, we’ve all heard about all of the great prospects the Dodgers have (and I do believe they do). But with a couple of exceptions (Martin, Ethier) none of them have been given a consistent chance to show what they can do in the major leagues. The anticipation of seeing these great prospects in the majors is killing me. I see how much impact the prospects for the Brewers, Diamondbacks, etc. have made, and I can’t help but wonder why the Dodgers’ aren’t giving their prospects the same opportunities. I understand kid gloves, but come on!! If you keep blocking their way to the majors, you could end up doing more damage to them as they continue to get older, more frustrated, etc.
There are tough decisions to be made if you call up some of these prospects – you may have to release players like Ramon Martinez. But I would love to see Kemp given a chance to play almost everyday in the OF, Billingsley in the rotation where he belongs (although there’s no room now as long as Kuo continues to pitch well), and Loney called up even if he isn’t playing every day. I don’t know how much more Loney and Kemp can prove in the minors. And if you don’t want to do that, maybe it is time to trade some of these guys for a proven big-time major leaguer.
Can’t we just dump Pierre on the Royals and pay his salary like Odalis Perez? The money has already been wasted. Lets not keep playing somebody that does way more bad than good.
At least Gonzo and Kent are gone next year and Nomar the year after that. I’m sure Flanders will just replace them with other aging vets but one can hope.
Kemp and Loney need to be brought up. Until that happens let Clark start in CF, bench Pierre, drop Nomar in the lineup, and win some games.
I’m very frustrated with Grady here’s my line up:
Furcal
Nomar
Martin
Kent
Ethier
Kemp-CF
Gonzalez
Abreu
I don’t know about you guys but I thought single hitters hit second and your best hitter hits third?
Go Dodgers!!!
No Pierre, I like it DieHard.
Do you think the Dodgers will trade for a big time name and hitter before the deadline. And who do you think it would be?