Rotation change
Nothing of major significance to report. The team worked out at Dodger Stadium today and is currently en route to San Francisco. Billingsley starts tomorrow with Penny on Saturday and Brett Tomko now starting on Sunday. Derek Lowe moves to Monday and Mark Hendrickson on Tuesday.
Otherwise, it’s a quiet day in Dodgerland. Grady’s third grandchild was born earlier today, so our congratulations go out to him and his family on the birth of Jace Dalton Little.
Inside the Dodgers 
Congrats to the Little Family!
GO DODGERS!
Congrats to Grady and family. How perfectly timed that birth was!
Is there any reason Derek Lowe was pushed back from this weekend? I don’t have a great deal in confidence in Tomko, and don’t know why the Dodgers do, but will defer to the powers that be, I guess.
It’s all because they want Wolf to pitch on July 20th in order to split up the lefties. It makes all the sense in the world why they moved around the rotation. Tomko is pitching for one game, that’s all. While I do not agree with pitching Tomko, I completely understand why they moved the start up and pushed Lowe down a game. Before the change was made Wolf and Hendrickson would have pitched back to back, which is now avoided.
@ S.F:
7/13: Chad Billingsley vs. Matt Cain
7/14: Brad Penny vs. Matt Morris
7/15: Brett Tomko vs. Noah Lowry
vs. PHI
7/16: Derek Lowe vs. Jamie Moyer
7/17: Mark Hendrickson vs. TBD (Phillies 5th starter)
7/18: Chad Billingsley vs. Kyle Kendrick
vs. NYM
*7/19: Brad Penny vs. Tom Glavine
7/20: Randy Wolf vs. Oliver Perez
7/21: Derek Lowe vs. Mike Pelfrey OR Dave Williams
7/22: Mark Hendrickson vs. Orlando Hernandez
Makes a lot of sense, Alex, indeed. It still doesn’t make me feel any better about Sunday’s prospects š but maybe he’ll surprise all of us. At least there’s a method to their madness.
whats up with the petition to 86 tomko?if the dodgers got so much confidence in him then lets get
somebody for him in a trade… but of coarse nobody else want him either!!!
so i guess we wont be sweeping the Gnats this weekend.
Now that’s the kind of response I would expect from you Max !! Way to support your team !! Lets all just give up days before we ever get on the field !!
Go Dodgers !!!
i’ve got a pretty good feeling about tomko this weekend. he knows how terrible he’s been this year, and he knows he needs to snap out of it soon or he’s gone. with penny pitching in front of him, we’ve gotta feel confident that if we do need to go into our bullpen early for tomko’s start, we’ll have a rested bullpen. think blue.
Hmmm. I think Sundy I’ll be busy mowing the lawn for 3 hours.
look at the bright side, at least he won’t be pitching the nationally televised game, embarrasing dodger fans nationwide.
I Just Hope Hendy brings his A Game on the 22nd as my Mom requested her kids to take her to a Dodger Game that day in recognition of Her Retirement.Although we will be in the RF Pavillion Gorging on Junkfood a Few HR balls would be fun!
Maybe Tomko can be designated for in game artwork like in the courtrooms…..
The Dodgers are 35-31 all-time at AT&T Park, but the Giants lead the all-time series — 1,139-1,113.
It’s time for some Serious Payback….
There is an up-side to Tomko starting in San Francisco instead of Los Angeles – He won’t get booed as bad. (lol!).
Come on Brett, dig deep and pull out a win for us!
GO DODGERS!
interesting that Tomko is getting the start…hopefully getting back into the rotation can boost his confidence and he can turn the corner…maybe this change will be good for him..GO DODGERS!!!
Josh,
I really like this blog, and the job that you do. I am pleased with the team this year, and think we will win the Division, and build for a lot of championships in the years to come. I have been comforted by the management, from Grady all the way up to Frank McCourt.
But saying that Brett Tomko is back in the starting rotation is “nothing of major signifigance” is just absurd! It’s just a flesh wound!!!
Nothing of great significance? Tomko is starting a game… yea, i guess winning isn’t that important.
Guys I have been critical of Ned all year but I have to say, this interview here is really all I can ask for and I am pretty happy. And this is a great interview. He asks the Pierre question. And more.
http://tinyurl.com/22q57g
I criticize him often (Coletti) but I am pretty impressed with what he is saying.
I just listened to the interview jungar and I am even more unimpressed with what Ned has done. His Pierre answer was very weak. Why choose Pierre over Kemp? He did not mention Kemp at all. Still, i am glad about his opinion and position on trying to keep the kids in LA. Still, Pierre was a horrendous mistake that it will take a lot for him to live down.
i just listened to it too, i wasn’t very impressed either. He’s saying all the right things but then he brings up the Nomar hits well with RISP argument, basically ignoring that he’s been a bust. I’m glad he’s trying to integrate the kids and sees them as valuable to the team. But then he worries about them cooling down as the league adjusts to them and them making adjustements back. Fine. great. But that basically happens to all young kids and he makes it sound like if that happens then they might as well be on the block. Well I disagree with this. I mean, the kids are not going to carry the whole offense nor should they expected to be. He should be worried about furcal getting hot, pierre being productive, kent and gonzo continuing to defy age etc. I will not be happy if our offensive problems continue and they blame the kids. I have no reason to be happy with him until the deadline passes and he hasn’t done anything stupid.
and this is not to say that i think everything he has done is horrible. i just wasn’t impressed with the interview and his reasoning. im sure he has the same complaints about the team as we do and is trying to adress them in the right manner. In fairness to him the injury bug has been a big problem this year.
I think his tone reflects that he isn’t satisfied, there was some disguest in his voice when he said we watch everyday. Almost as if, I feel for you. I get the feeling strongly that our kids are pretty safe. I get the feeling he is ok for now but when he said we understand our strengths and weakness the tone to me reflected on Pierre, like i did what I thought was right in the momment(and the matthews thing) but now well hmm. He skirted around Nomar which is fine but I think he is dissapointed in him but happy he is trying hard and was willing to move to 3b. I think tone was not as sales like as usual but realistic. I think he truly will build from within.
He also said there are a few other kids they are eyeing pretty hard for a 2nd half call up.
im appalled that he thinks juan pierre is actually a really good player.
im still*
“the wows of brett tomko for the last 6 months”
LOL try like 6 months or **** even 6 years.
I read that the game of the week on Fox is Giants v. Dodgers. Two questions:
I know I asked this before, but what is our record on FOX?
And secondly, do we have to listen to Joe Buck again? He really is the worst announcer in Baseball. If we do, is Vin on the radio or will it still be Charley and Steve? I’m actually getting used to Charley, and I like Steve, although I think we would all prefer Vin.
Folks, we need to be realistic. The Dodgers’ GM is NOT going to go on the radio and blast his players publicly, proclaim players busts, harp on their shortcomings, etc., etc. He acknowledged the undeniable – Pierre being VERY bad early, Nomar’s power problems, Tomko’s implosions – which is all we should expect. “It’s an opportunity for either Brett or it’s an opportunity for somebody else.”
“the wows of brett tomko for the last 6 months”
LOL try like 6 months or **** even 6 years.
Posted by: max_power_05@yahoo.com | July 13, 2007 12:20 AM
Max, you exaggerate a little. Tomko’s generally a below-average pitcher, sometime a little below, sometimes more, but in 2004 he actually produced credibly for a back-end of the rotation guy:
nearly 200 IP, 4.04 ERA, 110 ERA+, 1.34 WHIP, 19 HRs allowed.
Beginning of this year:
4 GS, 23.3 IP, 3.09 ERA, 1 HR allowed, 18 K, 9 BB.
Unfortunately since then only one “quality start” and scored on in 9 of 17 relief appearances.
That said, I still hope he gives the team a decent start on Sunday. It does happen sometimes. Hendrickson returned to the rotation with two 5 IP, 2 R starts (3.60 ERA), after all.
I love the idea of Tomko starting on Sunday. Now I do not have to waste three hours watching a winnable game just to see Grady bring in Tomko to blow it.
Now within 30 minutes or so Tomko can get lit up and I can go cut the grass Sunday afternoon.
Grady must feel bad that it’s taking Bonds so long to break Henry’s record, that’s why he’s using Tomko on Sunday. It’s to try and help out Barry, otherwise I can’t think of one reason to start this slug.
Barroid often doesn’t start day games following a night game. I’ll bet he’s rethinking that with Bombko starting on Sunday. LOL.
Like Clarke said, I’ll be able to get alot more done on Sunday if Bombs continues to be Bombs. Hopefully he will pitch effectively, we get a win and we can trade him to some desperate team for anything.
The fact that Tomko is still on the roster ,and that Kemp and Either don’t start together every day, proves to me that management is not really serious about winning.
The fact that Bombko is still on the roster is because of injuries. Also, he makes too much money to release and right now has no trade value. ****, all Ned signed the bum to be was the freakin’ 5th starter. He can’t even handle that. Geez!!
Kemp and Ethier not starting together is because of what will probably go down as Ned’s biggest mistake. Juan Pierre.
Then put your little hand in mine
There ain’t no hill or mountain we can’t climb
Babe
I got you babe
I got you babe
Bomko is this year’s Odalis – a failed starter, horrible in the pen, a whiner, makes a lot of money and has little trade value.
Very true, but at least he’s in the last year of a much smaller contract. I don’t ever remember Dodger Stadium booing Odalis as loud as they booed Tomko last week.
when has Tomko complained?
I love the downplay of Tomko back in the rotation. “No big news around here”
This will be it for Tomko. If he has a good start they will keep him around and throw him back in the pen. If he is Bomko they will release him. By the way its only one start until Wolf comes back on the 20th.
Best case scenario: Bombko pitches well and we can trade him for anything.
Worst case: He gets shelled again and we release his sorry ***.
Wait a minute, the worst case has a happy ending.
So could be a win-win for us Dodger fans. LOL
What the heck? Bombko starting Sunday?
I like that. Now I probably have a chance to see Barry break the record on Tuesday at Wrigley or sell the tickets and make some cash.
Thanks Grady!!!
Another day when I won’t be around when the lineup comes out, nor for the start of the game. The Feast of San Paolino at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Brooklyn is having an Oldies Concert Featuring The Shangri-Las, Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn Bridge with Special guest star Bobby Rydell. I’m dieing to see them they’re all around my age. I should be back before the end of the 10:15PM ET Game. I noticed today the odds on the Dodgers winning the World Series dropped from 15-1 to 12-1 and the Pennant from 7-1 to 6-1, on America’s Line. I just hope we don’t hit that slide again like we did last year. We were 46-42 at the break and 47-53 after 100 games(I kept the record). But as you remember we came back to win the Wild Card. Boy that Alyssa Milano sure has a big blog out there, which I mean to comment on as soon as I read it all and look at it all. Congradulations to Grady on becoming a grandfather for the 3rd time. I haven’t been able to accomplish that feat even once yet. Well this is a big game like they all are so LET’S GO YA BUMS.