Tonight's game
Here’s the lineup for tonight. I’m heading downstairs to help get Brad Penny and Rick Honeycutt for an upcoming commercial you’ll see during Dodger broadcasts, so be on the lookout.
Furcal, SS
Pierre, CF
Martin, C
Gonzalez, LF
Loney, 1B
Nomar, 3B
Ethier, RF
Abreu, 2B
Lowe, P
I’ve also been putting notes on the blog a lot lately so if you’d prefer to get that elsewhere, please post comments to that end. If not, I’ll keep doing it, as it’s a good way to send this info to the public, even if it makes each post a little longer.
SWINGIN’ IT – Since June 15 when Bill Mueller took over as hitting coach, the Dodgers are batting .292 (222-for-759), tying them with Houston for the second-highest average in the National League during that span behind Colorado (.308). The club’s .364 on-base percentage during that period is third-best in the NL behind the Rockies (.384) and Astros (.368).
PITCHING IN – Over the last 12 games, Dodger pitchers are hitting .375 (9-for-24), raising the staff’s batting average to .175 (25-for-143), the second-best mark in the NL behind the Mets (.180).
PUT HIM ON THE BOARD – Former Dodger outfielder and current radio broadcaster Rick Monday has been named to the Board of Directors of the Citizens Flag Alliance. Last season, at the invitation of the U.S. Congress, Monday and his wife, Barbaralee were in Washington, D.C. to commemorate the 30th anniversary of an attempted flag burning at Dodger Stadium that was thwarted by the then-Chicago Cub outfielder.
SHOEMAKER SETS RECORD – The Double-A Jacksonville manager John Shoemaker piloted the Suns to his 303rd victory yesterday, surpassing the franchise record set by Tommy Thompson from 1985-88. Shoemaker, who has been a member of the Dodgers’ minor league system since 1977, has led the Suns to two Southern League championships and has twice earned Manager of the Year honors. In the Suns’ win yesterday, Chin-lung Hu had three hits and six RBI.
DID YOU KNOW?: It took a Dodger Stadium parking lot attendant to help launch the professional baseball career of Tommy Hutton, today a Marlins broadcaster. When Dodger scout Tommy Lasorda tried to enter the main parking lot one afternoon in 1964, he was stopped because he didn’t have a pass. The attendant agreed to let Lasorda into the parking lot if he scouted his friend Hutton, a senior first baseman at nearby South Pasadena High School. Lasorda signed Hutton, who spent seven years in the Dodger system, including brief Major League appearances in 1966 and 1969. Hutton appeared in 952 career games with the Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, Montreal Expos and Philadelphia Phillies. His father, George Hutton, was a longtime Dodger Stadium usher who can be seen on videotape stationed behind home plate in the old dugout seats when Kirk Gibson hit his pinch-hit home run in the 1988 World Series against the Oakland Athletics.
SNUBBED? – Derek Lowe has pitched well enough to earn All-Star honors this season, as his 2.98 ERA is sixth in the NL, which is better than Cole Hamels (3.72), Roy Oswalt (3.52) and Ben Sheets (3.41), each of whom were named All-Stars. Lowe is tied for the Major League lead in complete games (3) and is fourth in the NL in innings pitched.
AT THE BOX OFFICE – The Dodgers’ paid attendance last night was 51,050, the 17th time this season that the attendance has topped the 50,000 mark. In addition, the team passed the two million mark in attendance for the 34th consecutive season, a Major League Baseball record. The last time the Dodgers didn’t get two million fans out to Chavez Ravine was in 1972 when the team finished in third place at 85-70.
HOME BOX OFFICE – The upcoming HBO special “Brooklyn Dodgers: The Ghosts of Flatbush” examines the heyday and impact of the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1947 to 1957 in a two-part sports documentary that debuts this Wednesday, July 11. From Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in 1947 to the team’s move to Los Angeles at the end of the 1957 season, the show examines how the franchise has changed the landscape of sports.
Inside the Dodgers 
Just Win Baby!
GO D-LOEW!
GO DODGERS!
NO TOMKO!
Oops! Make that GO D-LOWE!
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b341/socalteams/TomkoGameOver.jpg
Martin-Gonzo-Loney is very very nice. They will drive in some runs tonite.
Lowe was totally snubbed. He wasn’t even put on the final vote.
yeah that documentary looks really good can’t wait.
The Dodgers would still trade Lowe for Hamels, Oswalt or Sheets in a second. ERA isn’t the only pitching stat that counts.
i don’t know about that momo. All those guys you named are young and talented. You know Ned HATES that in a pitcher.
I’d say Lowe was snubbed in a big way.
haha someone started a Petition to get rid of Bombko.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Tomko/
i wouldn’t trade lowe for sheets/hamels because both have injury histories and lowe is about as durable and reliable as you can get. Lowe deserves to be there as much as those guys.
Must win tonight to stay tied with the Pads. Great lineup and I look for nothing but perfection tonight!
GO BLUE!
Today is one of those days when we must practice our forgetting and teach ourselves how to have “closer’s mentalities”. Most of us are lucky ’cause we don’t have to bring it on the field to try it out. I found today’s blog very enjoyable reading. I hope the Dodgers don’t let Sergio Mitre look like Tom Seaver, like they usually do to opposing pitchers when ever LOWE is on the mound. Com’on support this great pitcher of ours. I’ve been trying to find out on the mail bag who holds the Dodger’s catchers stolen base record and I forgot to thank you yesterday that it was Con Daily in 1892. I have to say this team is very talented both young & the old. The starting pitching should improve, our bullpen is one of the best, the base running is getting better, the hitting is coming along but needs improvement in clutch situations. It’s good to see 3 guys in double figures in HRS and 1 at 9. THE MARLINS GOT HELP FROM MERIWETHER YESTERDAY BUT WE MUST FUGGEDABOUDIT. TONIGHT’S ANOTHER NIGHT COM’ON GUY WE NEED THIS WIN. GO DODGERS!!!
Bring Meloan to THE SHOW!!
momoracci: what other stat is as important as the ERA?
GONZO up in the 4 hole.the lineups are starting to actually reflect some player performance, Kent should come back to the 5 hole, and if him or Nomar WANT to hit higher in the lineup theyll adjust,start hitting and WE WILL WIN !!!!
Measuring a pitcher using stats means looking at more than just one. Not saying ERA isn’t the most important, but it’s hardly the only one that matters. K/9, BB/9, H/9 WHIP, BABIP, OPS against, among others are also good indicators of a pitcher’s ability.
and tomko needs to tomGO
BB/K Ratio ,BAA. then ERA and W/L in that order I feel are the best indicaters of pitchers abilities.That and weather or not the UMPS calling the games are blind idiots….
BUMPERS!!!!
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Tomko/
Among those three pitchers(Hamels,Oswalt,Sheets) the only one I would trade Lowe straight up for would be Hamels. Sheets is too injury proned, Oswalt and Lowe are about a wash, but I like Lowe’s charisma a lot more than Oswalt.
I do like the notes Josh, keep posting them! Thanks!
I wouldn’t get too excited about Gonzo in the 4 hole thats Grady’s typical Abreu at 2nd lineup…Kent will be the cleanup spot when he plays again…
I hope Grady takes this opportunity of a few days off during the AS break to look at the numbers and make some adjustments to fine tune his decision making process.
those guys dont hit for lowe and its going to start killing his confidence. im really suprised as emo as he seems that this hasnt ALREADY drove him insane
lets face the fact that we have no cleanup hitter and kent and gonzo will alternate unless someone else goes on a ridiculous tear and forces a lineup change, which is unlikely.
Abreu is a late scratch, Kent is back in at 2nd base tonight
From Tony Jackson:
Tony Abreu was starting at second base, but he, in the words of Grady, “isn’t feeling good.” Grady said he didn’t know if that meant illness or injury. Ethier is in right field while Kemp sits against Sergio Mitre.
SS Furcal
CF Pierre
C Martin
2B Kent
LF Gonzo
3B Nomar
1B Loney
RF Ethier
RH Lowe
thats why having a good arm in centerfield matters. If we don’t score this inning its all because of his arm.
wow…Donnelly is horrible.
And our singles-hitting offense is horrible too.
Donnelly is a Grady favorite just like a number of other non-performers. Of course, it doesn’t help that we have largely and old team that can only hit singles and can’t run enough to score from second base.
HAHA we are gonna get swept by the Marlins. I hate to say it, but there lineup is much better then ours!
Our single hitting lineup is awful. We will not make the playoffs with this team. If you all are satisfied with this ****, then have fun with 2nd place.
Nice no hustle there Miggy!
Another typical LOWE game. Dodgers can’t score. Now that Lowe is out maybe the Dodgers will put on their hitting shoes.
It will take 8 singles to score 3-4 runs to tie it up.
The notes are great by the way, Josh. Keep posting them!
this ones over. Im going to go play guitar or something.
Grady and Colletti, the clock is ticking, and McCourt is watching your collective failures. Your time is getting SHORT!!!
I hope Ned and the Florida GM are talking trade right now in the suite!
Next inning could be the inning. Mitre going for 100.
That was a Beautiful Play by Loney/Beimel.
Is that How a Real CF’er strikes out???
Thats what a Real firstbaseman looks like!
perhaps Grittle Cakes should consider this…
Pierre
Furcal
Loney
Martin
That would get Pierre out of the way and let those three get going.
Pierre
Furcal
Loney
Martin
Gonzo
Kent
Nomar
Ethier/Kemp
With no power in the line up we Need to get our consistent hitters batting right behind one another.
thinking maybe we should have walked Miggy and tried for the double play wiht Jacobs.
Well I least we weren’t beaten by an ump. Dodgers had no trouble hitting(12 singles) but scoring, that’s another story. LET’S HOPE FOR BETTER LUCK AGAINST SCOTT OLSON. GO DODGERS!!
including the notes is great — if i don’t have time, i just skip over them. when i do have time, they’re nice to have.
one question though: would you mind including the game time when you post the lineups? it’d be nice to know what time to tune in to the game without having to look it up elsewhere.
did anyone notice how ethier and not gonzo was removed from the game after 2 ABs for kemp? maybe im reading into things but i really think management is not too fond of him right now.
Nah, it’s a real simple reason. Grady was trying to save his taxed bullpen, Ethier batted last in the previous inning so he double switched him out with Kemp in order to ensure Beimel could pitch two innings.
The other reason may be that Ethier just is not performing this year. You need better productivity from a regular corner outfielder, and this platooning with Kemp does not seem to be working to the benefit of either. Kemp is starting to show up poorly as well. I would not mind if we traded Ethier for some good value.
Interesting sideline from Tony Jackson’s blog concerning the fate of Tomko with the Dodgers.
Without predicting what will happen, Tony mentions that McCourt is among those thinking that the $49 million spent on Schmidt has been wasted, and releasing Tomko will be another $3 million thrown away – $2 mil. in remaining salary this year, plus $1 mil for not exercising next year’s option on Tomko. The impression is that McCourt may be somewhat fed up with wasting millions, or perhaps more specifically with Colletti’s wasting of his millions. Thinking about it that way, he may not be in a mood to allow many more millions potentially wasted by any trade that Colletti will undertake. Colletti may be on a short leash in that respect. My own preference would be to see both Colletti and Little gone at the end of the season. They have done nothing but saddle this team with “declining performance” veterans and wasted payroll dollars that should have brought us to a World Series.
The low comment count on this thread is a sort of indicator of how I feel: as long as Kent, Nomar, Pierre and injured Furcal plays daily, that is four spots you can at most hope for the occasional single from ( Kent provides some deep fly balls with his warning track power, meaning he’s the only one of the four that could a sac fly could be hoped for from ) It is hardly worth commenting on it anymore: this year’s team’s offense is nasty bad, and now that the bell tolls for the pitching, this is a rather bad team. There’s always next year, but oh dear, Nomar will be back, Kent will be back. Le sigh indeed. I’d be surprised if this team makes the playoffs, really. Too many bases loaded on singles and then nothing more has make me seriously doubt the ability of this team to deliver the goods in the clutch.
Please Colletti, don’t be dumb and trade away the young players for more declining veterans at the trade deadline. You’re turning this team into the Giants.
Oh wait …
Yes, add Furcal as another wasted umpteen million, since we tolerate having him play injured or certainly less than he could be. He’ll wind up playing healthy for us about half of the time of his contract.
I usually perfer waiting until the lineup is posted before I post a comment, unless I have something that I want to report right away. In other cases, like right now I won’t be around when the lineup is posted. I will be spending the day at the feast of San Paolino di Nola at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in B’KLYN. Today is one of two Sundays they carry the Giglio. It’s a four ton 75ft tower that is carried by 150 men with the music playing. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. When that ends I’ll go home to watch the completion of the Dodger Game. I’ll be leaving in about 15 minutes. I wonder if this game today will make or brake TOMKO. If he gets shelled right away it should be cutins for him. I know that LITTLE has faith he’ll turn himself around. I haven’t heard from too many people that have the same faith. I think I’ll say a prayer for him at the church today. THIS IS A MUST GAME___GO GO GO DODGERS!
Here’s a lineup that I would like to see:
Pierre CF
Martin C
Loney 1B
Kent 2B
Gonzo LF
Kemp RF
Nomar 3B
Furcal SS
Hendrickson P
I’d rather see:
Pierre CF
Martin C
Loney 1B
Gonzo LF
Kemp RF
Betemit 3B
Furcal SS
Abreu 2B
myself. Anything that doesn’t have both Nomar and Kent in there seems palatable.
Tsk, who am I kidding? They’re going to be there for the next two years.
Yes, I’d rather see that lineup as well, griffon, because it would lay the foundation for better performance going into next year, but it’s probably not realistic given that we’re so committed to Kent and Nomar sadly for at least another year. My placement of Furcal at the bottom of the lineup is also strictly based on management’s insistance that they are going to keep playing him, hurt ankle or not.