In need of home cooking…
It’s hard to believe that two weeks ago, we began the day tied for first place in the NL West with the exact same team in place. Since then, the only moves that were made were to acquire Scott Proctor and Mark Sweeney, option D.J. Houlton and Eric Hull, and recall Delwyn Young.
The likelihood of almost everyone going into a slump at the same time is hard to believe, though I know there were some who predicted it. But having watched last year’s turnaround, it obviously shows that anything can happen.
Here’s today’s lineup, back to the one from earlier in the week.
Furcal, SS
Martin, C
Loney, 1B
Kent, 2B
Gonzo, LF
Nomar, 3B
Pierre, CF
Ethier, RF
Billingsley, P
Inside the Dodgers 
Ethier batting behind Pierre is probably the stupidest lineup decision ever. EVER.
Has Ramon Martinez been DFA yet?
This should be a good one and this game is actually on ESPN2 tonight for those of you outside of L.A who do not have Extra Innings or MLB.TV. I don’t know if the country is ready to see this team of ours.
Nice line up grady. Is their people still wondering why our offense is so inconsistent. look at the line up. what about hendrickson yesterday who waits until the game is absoulutely out of hand before you take him out.
gonzo & nomar back to back in the MIDDLE of the line up? C’mon grady that’s ridiculous!!!!
why is ethier so low in the batting order, sigh.. grady’s lineup management is getting annoying.. but he must know what he is doing.. i hope
I know someone out there will try to justify this so I’ll put it out there.
Can someone please make a logical defense for batting Ethier 8th? The ENTIRE team is struggling, but for Ethier. How can you possibly justify setting him up for the second fewest plate appearances in a game when the rest of the players in the line-up are pathetic?
I don’t complain much about Grady, but its extremely ridiculous at this point.
I just want to get this straightened out…with these 8 players, is this the lineup everybody wants?
Furcal
Martin
Loney
Kent
Ethier
Nomar
Gonzo
Pierre
Because if it is, I’m on board…
I learn something from Larussa
Furcal
Martin
Loney
Kent
Ethier
Kemp
Nomar
Billingsley
Pierre
There is no way Ethier should be batting eighth, I still love the top of that lineup.
Switch Loney to 5th and Ethier to 3rd. Then it’s just right.
alex41592 I’m on bored with that lineup.
The fact that Matt Kemp and/or Delwyn Young aren’t in this lineup is an absolute joke.
Ok, then every single day we should continue to post that lineup until we get it. Because I think the majority of us like that lineup…”IF” it has to include those 8 players.
There is no justification to put your most consistent hitter eight!!!!
Alex, Thats a great Line-up.
I mean, seriously, is it really that hard for Grady to throw out a common-sense line-up? Is he trying to out-clever someone? So annoying!!!
At this point I do not understand any reason for playing Gonzo. Nomar I can understand because he seems to bat so much better at home, but I think that Gonzo is just spent for the season. Unless Grady has some special intuition how Gonzo will be the key to bringing this team back to winning ways, either Kemp or Young should now be in the starting lineup on a daily basis with Gonzo as a possible LH pinch-hitter only.
Yep. Swap Ethier and Gonzo, and this could be fine.
But I guess it would be ‘disrespectful’ to have the vets play behind the kids.
Makes as much sense as batting Saenz 4th over Loney whenever a lefty pitches, ’cause we all know that no matter what, righties bat better against lefties.
In Grady’s world, .167 > .426
Grittle is a big part of the problem . This line up confirms to me he doesn’t have a clue. Why isn’t Young starting instead of Gonzo? Why isn’t Eithier batting higher? Kemp should start. Grittle needs to be hit by a lightning bolt before he figures it out.
did the red sox fans still have the web site firgradylittle.com cause I want to sign up
Messagebear, Great points!
Only thing is that why you said make too much sense for Grady to actually implement.
what* you said…
I think the last straw for me will be if in our next game vs. a lefty he benches Ethier again instead of Pierre or Gonzo.
Which comes Thursday night against Wandy Rodriguez, so set your clocks for that lineup…
We should set up a day to go to the stadium and mass produce Alex’s proposed line-up. We’ll get all the fans in attendance to make paper airplanes out of the copies and throw them directly at Grady. Maybe he’ll get the message.
If he benches Loney and plays Saenz and then benches Ethier and plays Young in left (playing Kemp in right) than we will all know Grady needs medical attention.
Kemp or Young over Gonzo is fine.
But Ethier and Loney stay in every line-up against lefties, until their average goes below Saenz’s.
This looks like a very good lineup, except if it was up to me I would put Ethier in the 5th slot and slide the rest down. On the bright side it’ll be good to see them in their handsome home uniforms with the name DODGERS written across their chest. This losing is felt mostly by us fans(I’m shocked) and management,or all the non-players. The players should all have “closer mentalities”. No matter how bad the’ve performed, they must FUGGEDABOUTIT and have clear robotic minds today. Enjoy the game, this is the only way to pull out of it. The only way to get to the post season, even if they look like they don’t belong there. But maybe this time they can get through it successfully. THEY’RE COMIN’ H_O_M_E, LOS ANGELES(please welcome them)
our hottest hitter is batting 8th. Brillant.
well ill be at the game and im expecting the worse but hopefully, uh, the dodgers won’t embarass themselves on a national broadcast like they usually do. im really disappointed gonzo is still playing. he’s been about as bad as it gets lately. with nomar there’s really no suitable alternative but with gonzo there clearly is.
Meat just hit another HR.
max, don’t you realize as soon as you move ethier up he’ll totally stop hitting. the way our luck has been i could see that happening. or maybe that’s what grady thinks, if he thinks anything at all.
As much as I been depressed with the losses lately, I am glad the Dodgers are back in town. The Boys are back in town!, I am heading to the ballpark. Go Dodgers. Thanks for the lineup. Got to go catch the train from Chatsworth to LA. that is my routine from Monday to Friday. _Emma
oh, They might be bums, but they are our bums! Go Dodgers!
Ethier 3rd and Loney 5th is good, too.
Ethier 3rd and Loney is not only good, but better. Your best hitter should hit 3rd.
another lineup, another day of people complaining about Ethier batting 8th. Ground Hog day. Not too much mention of Pierre though, so thats good.
*Loney 5th
Believe me I pray for the day we all on here can debate why Grady is batting Loney 3rd and Ethier 5th and not the other way around…until then Ethier 8th is a joke, have we mentioned that yet?
i think eventually loney will be better hitter than ethier, just not right now. its alot to put on someone still in their rookie year. grady has enough confidence to let one of them hit there so i guess we should consider it a victory.
Agreed, Grady could’ve just as easily put Nomar in the three spot again. So, the fact he put Loney there for the forseeable future is definitely a plus.
But, according to Little Logic, he bumped JP down because of the #s and his OB% being so low.
You’d think he’d apply the same reasoning for Gonzo batting 7th or 8th and letting Ethier go 3rd & Loney 5th.
Post All-Star (Avg/OB%/SLG%):
Ethier .365 .422 .595
Loney .280 .330 .420
Pierre .271 .333 .318
Gonzo .221 .242 .279
i dont remember where i read it, but grady issued a statement where he said he would bat kemp/ethier 8th because it takes the pressure off them because they are inexperienced or whatever. this was fairly recent. but then that contradicts with loney batting third, who has less experience than ethier or kemp! funny stuff. i think he just believes in loney’s pure hitting ability and i agree with him, but i definitely think ethier should be batting no lower than fifth.
“It’s hard to believe that two weeks ago, we began the day tied for first place in the NL West with the exact same team in place.” To whoever wrote that at the beginning of this thread, what is REALLY HARD TO BELIEVE is the lineup you posted!! There are only four Dodgers batting over .300. Loney, Kemp, Young, and Ethier. Why on earth aren’t ALL FOUR OF THEM IN THE LINEUP??? And of the two that are, why is one batting EIGHTH?? Until the manager figures out that if you’re in a batting slump you better have the hitters with the best averages in the lineup and batting no lower than SIXTH, the team will continue to struggle. Billingsley has lost two 1-0 games through such stupidity. He deserves a better chance to win than he’s been getting…and so do us fans!!
Little is getting Loney ready to be our lefty bat @ 4th to protect A-Rod when he comes here at bats 3rd.
What? It could happen.
Yeah, and monkeys might fly out of my butt.
I dont think Delwyn is a fair assesment in those figures… he’s barely had 20 at bats. And if anything, it shows the kind of pitching that we’ve facing that a fresh faced kid from the minors is hitting 7 for 19 against them!Delwyns numbers should be more reflective of how the VETS should be batting.
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i thinkblue@yahoo.com & THEN YOU WOKE UP!!!
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gOnzo should play only against veteran pitchers he has faced before and the other days relaxed and come out of the bench.
I want to make this observation about Kemp batting – I don’t know whether my assessment is accurate, or whether it’s just my own impression. When Kemp starts a game, he will often look foolish the first time or two that he is facing the pitcher. By the end of the game he will have made some adjustments to the pitcher or the game situation and will usually wind up with a hit or two. When he is sent up strictly to pinch hit, he will most often look pathetic, I would think because he has no chance to make an adjustment in his style in just one at bat. It seems like a disservice to send him up in pinch hitting situations, and that is why I think that in order to develop him at the major league level you have to give him a chance to play, and that means starting and staying in the game. He’s not getting that opportunity, because Grady will insist on playing Gonzo right up to the end of the season. I don’t see how that benefits the team at this point.
Ethier batting behind Pierre is a joke.
intriguing theory messagebear but you & I know Kemp will spot start & pinch hit until Gonzalez contract expires.
They’re bouncing around changing Kemp and Loney for A-Rod. What does everyone think about that??? And putting Ethier so far down in the lineup is odd, hopefully he brings Delwyn out to pinch hit since he has been hot.
oops, I mean trading Kemp and Loney.. sorry
Since there has been some line-up posting, I’ll post two that I wrote down yesterday after the game:
Against LH pitching (pretty much the same as one above)
Furcal
Martin
Loney
Kent
Ethier/Gonzo
Kemp
Nomar
Pierre/Gonzo/Young
Against RH pitching
Pierre
Furcal
Martin
Kent
Loney
Nomar
Ethier/Gonzo
Kemp
I keep wanting to believe the Dodgers can turn it around, but I’m afraid that they’ll be practically irrelevant for the rest of the year. The lineup just can’t hit.
Kemp and Loney needs to stay. You can’t go trading them both for an A-Rod that can and Borassly will opt out of his contract after the season, probably ESPECIALLY if he is traded.
Bills, Kershaw, Elbert… I can’t wait to see that.
It is lovely to see Bills pitching well like this. ( pity he can’t win unless the lineup scores runs. ) If Kershaw and Elbert are of similar stock, the future could be inspiring.
Kershaw is said to have #1 starter ability, even surpassing Bill’s ceiling. Elbert should be right under Bills in ability. So it’d be a lefty-right-lefty 1-2-3 young, cheap, electric punch for our rotation that could be capable of shutting out anyone a 5 or 7 game playoff series.
Betemit hit another HR for the Yankees tonight. This is certainly more than our veterans have been doing. He was a valuable utility player and pinch hitter who at least was a threat at the plate. Trading him was a big mistake!
haha berkman looks pissed. love it! let’s take advantage of this and score!
zut! nevermind…
Ump at 1st is dyslexic. Bad call. Too bad we didn’t capitalize on that.
We’re the Dodgers. We don’t capitalize while on the offense. Ever 😉
rekrel, if Betemit hadn’t been in such a funk for so long from the start of the season, I would agree with you. His numbers did come up, but the bullpen needed help badly.
Wouldn’t go as far as to say ever griffon. They just come too few, and far between this year anyway. Chad looks great so far. Mean breaking stuff is taking it’s toll on Martin though.
Chad looks great ? What game are you watching. He’s throwing too many pitches. I hope he can get out of this inning and start getting quick outs.
Oh Martin!!
Yea I can’t wait for that starting rotation of Billingsley, Elbert and Kershaw. Wow!
Awful high pitch count, but he did get out of the jam.
riley: Yeah, a .360 OBP and a nearly .500 SLG % is a season long funk.
Chad fell apart a bit in that last inning, after that breaking ball kicked up and got Martin in the throat. He just have to settle down.
jjriley22 – not never, yes, but given our 5-85 performance with RISP recently, it does feel like never!
Also, here’s a little bit of fun with statistics to point out how bad the recent slump has been:
http://dodgerama.blogspot.com/2007/08/dodger-decimal-system.html
Pitch count, or not, I still have better faith in Chad then Tomko, or Hendrickson. He’s young, and got good stuff. He’ll get better, and is a bright future prospect. God forbid if Ned gets a brain cramp, and trades him. It’ll be Deja Vu all over again from years past.
46 stolen bases for Pierre. How many do you think he will finish with ?
Of course we all have better faith in Chad then Tomko or Hendrickson. Personally i would have alot more faith in Stults and Houlton then i have in Hendrickson and Tomko.
Oh boy, I hate this move…. Young gets sent down to Vegas to make room for Hillenbrand!
So Pierre steals second and takes the bat out of Ethier’s hand. Pierre’s better of batting right in front of the pitcher. No?
Roberto: How dare you question the move? Ned is a “baseball man”. We need players that have “been there” before.
I’m trying not to pay too much attention to the stats that close. It’s downright depressing these days. I’m not a stats freak. With the talent of this club, and the roster, this funk has got to stop soon. It’s not going to happen with one thing. It will take a little of everything—starting with tightening up on defense.
I would love to see this line-up:
Furcal
Martin
Loney
Ethier
Kemp
Young
Kent
Nomar
Pitcher
i dont know tell me wat you think
Well here is some good news….. Little said before the game that Hendrickson will not be starting again. Maybe he should go back to the NBA ?
swood, at this stage of the season, I agree on the starting rotation. Hendrickson should go back to basketball, and Tomko should take a hike. They both stink.
I am disgusted by Ned Colletti activating Shea Hillenbrand who is embarassment to baseball and to manly behavior in general. Ned talks about good character, then turns to this buffoon, who isn’t even a decent ballplayer anymore! And just where is this joker going to play, 1B over Loney!? 3B over the sacred Nomar!? What an utter waste of time.
Well that lineup won’t work since Young has been sent down. Why not just start all the kids. What’s the worst thing that can happen ? They actually produce ????
Riley: If you ignore the stats, then you’re ignoring the facts behind why this team isn’t very good.
I agree old_fogey_la
Hendrickson has some use out of the bullpen. I think when he comes in, he’s coming from an arm slot that’s unique (in that it’s 6’9 and left-handed) from anyone else on the staff. I think it gives him an edge the first time through a lineup and it fades once someone has seen it twice.
It seems like to me the worst place to bat Pierre is 7th.
Well if Hendrickson is out of the rotation who do you guys think is going to take over his starting spot?
I hope LaRoche gets back healthy so he can come up and help this team. He can’t be worst than Nomar, can he ?
Hey swood…. dodgers.com is saying that David Wells is available and that Jose Contreras has cleared waivers.
Oh man… lol
Never said I ignored the stats, They’re just horrendous to look at these days. The way things are going as of late, a wild card would be a reach.
How discouraging. You’re a young player who comes up, you go 7 for 14 and then you’re told that’s not quite good enough so we’re going to bring up the guy who was s***canned from two other contending organizations that need offense who is OPSing under .600 this season.
Shea apparently can keep his stroke while sitting on the bench. Maybe Young cannot. Either way we need to send someone else down to get another pitcher up here. Maybe this signals that the big tomato is on his way out of town after tonight.
Riley: I understand then. It’s a tough decision nowadays whether to first open up the Sports section or the Obituaries.
I actually think that batting Pierre in the 7 hole is the right move. I mean you can’t bat him eigth because he’s not patient enough to realize when teams are pitching around him to get to the pitcher. He’s also not productive enough to bat at the top of the lineup.
Shea Hillenbrand? How many more has beens do we need on the team? Hillenbrand; martinez; Saenz; Hernandez. What does Young need to do to stay on the team, hit 1.000?
The only appropriate place to bat Juan Pierre, if you play him all the time, is 9th. Grady needs to do the LaRussa thing.
haha thats another solution to bat him 9th. That’s if you’re going to play him…
So LA has Hillenbrand and Proctor.
I’d rather have taken my chances with Betemit and Meloan.
Wilson is 6-18, .333, .667 Slg%, (8-20, .400 OBP), with the Yankees with a couple HRs. (6 Ks too, so what.)
nice catch by pierre into the wall!
Got off cheap there. Lucky only 1 run scored.
We have got to score some runs this inning. Show Billingsly his damage control wasn’t for nothing.
Let’s hope that run isn’t the game.___If pierre batted 6th followed by the Gonz & Nomar they wouldn’t pitch around Gonzo to get to Nomar. Would They?
sangabried, This team is not ready for the obits yet. It’s still early. However, if this funk continues, the fat lady is in the hole waiting to get on deck. Seems no matter what Grady does these days, it’s not working.
FINALLY…someone shows some emotion!
Maybe Nomar is trying to light the fire – that’s nice.
But who now? Martinez? That’s not nice.
finally some fire in this team.. its good to see some passion.. hope that sparks the team
I’m glad to see some fire out of Nomar. It’s like Vin says, at least it shows they care. I mean if you remember last year there was a relatively similar incident where Brad Penny got into it with Lofton. A couple games later the Dodgers won 11 in a row.
Hillenbrand?
Why didn’t he get kicked out and leave Nomar in? That would have been sweet if he came running out and screamed at the umpire.
Bad move! Nomar couldn’t keep his mouth shut. Now he’s tossed. Go home and play soccer with Mia, and the kids.
*started there win streak of 11 in a row.
No More Nomar.
Since their CF is hitting 169 in 142 ABs,I thought they must be playing without someone better and it is Hunter Pence batting 330 on the DL.
kent gonzalez are not working!!
the guys are the vets and they swing at almost every pith
1,2 swings they are out!!
This ump is really squezzing Billy.
Lane’s HR pretty much ends this one.
I wish Grady showed some fire! why would anyone pitch to our best hitter he has the pitcher batting behind him
yep!!
gee am I the only one that see’s Billy out of gas?
I dont post very often but I have to say this. All year I have watched games. And Grady leave these pitchers in way too long. He always lets them go further than they can. And they give up runs. Kent, gonzo, Nomar in that order is a horrible idea. And he sends youth in Young to bring up another vetren that is having a bad year. My friend is an Angel fan and has nothing good to say about Hillenbrand.
Why did we send Young down for Hillebrand?
Loney, unlike Gonzo makes a great effort, and sacrifices his body. The way Oswalt is cruising, the fork is coming out of the silverware drawer for the piercing.
Grady likes veterans and not guys that went 4-4 in their last start.
It was a typical BILLZ game except he wasn’t as good as usual.
Now does Pierre steal again?
Is this the most pitiful team in baseball?…and great idea to send Young down to triple AAA….yes Hillenbrand is here and playing because Nomar got kicked out…can’t believe he argued about that strike…was a perfect pitch..
Team meeting not working I guess Grady..!!!
Bills’ issue is that he is young and is trying to be too fine. He’s the victim of back to back 1-0 losses, so he is trying to make the perfect pitch each time instead of relaxing and throwing.
Grady needs to show emotion and get kicked out of the game. Show his team he cares.
I’m sure Billy feels like if he’s not perfect every time out he’s gonna get an L and thats really bad for a young pitchers psychee.
I think he will relax when someone scores some runs for him. If he gives up 1 run or 22 it does not matter if we throw up 0’s from offense.
agreed jkeezell
I feel bad for the people that pay to see this…I have never seen a team like this EVER…for a little bit of time,but never this…How can everybody be in a slump all at once?
I miss those PH single and a hit and run single
1st and 3rd one out….anybody want to bet we get a run…or not??????
I used to think positive in these situations. With this slump now I think how can we mess this up. I hope we can get back on track.
they need to score some runs in this inning
Too late we scored.
good hustle Sweeney! why is the fatty tomato still on the team?
I’ve been a die-hard Dodger fan since the 1950’s, but this present team is really testing my loyalty! Not the players, but the management! I SAY DFA NED AND GRADY AND BRING IN PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND THAT THE ANSWER IS NOT OVER-THE-HILL VETERANS for the roster and the lineup. The Dodgers have a wealth of talent in their young players. BRING UP MORE AND PLAY THEM ALL!! It couldn’t be any worse than now, and it would probably be much better – and they would be getting valuable experience for the future. How demoralizing it must be for young players who are producing to be sent down or sat down or put at the bottom of the lineup so non-producers can play and bat in the key lineup positions. I, FOR ONE, AM SICK, SICK, SICK OF THIS STUPIDITY!!
Sweeny is proving to be a good pickup. A solid single and then takes second to put himself in scoring position. Now it is up to Martin.
Nice SF by FURCAL big hit by SWEENEY before him.
Another shutout avoided.
ONE RUN and we’re done…
rekrell..
I totally agree with you…I talk to Bob Harvey on Dodger talk alot and ask him if the Dodger management ever listens..he says they do and get after him alot because he always agrees with me…Again, this season was lost in the off season….and in case you wanted to really enjoy THIS game…here comes Roberto Hernandez..!!!!! can’t wait..
shea hillenbrand over D Young… mindless, senseless, and just plain stupid.
Nice goin’ BERT.
“and in case you wanted to really enjoy THIS game…here comes Roberto Hernandez..!!!!! can’t wait..”
haha i’m the biggest anti-hernandez person i know but i’m glad he just shut me up and pitched well. please don’t bring him out for another inning because i might get a heart attack.
Hillenbrand took LaRoche’s number. He was 28.
Apparently the Dodgers feel the need for more experence regardless of the good showing by the our youmg farmhands.
before we pass judgement on Hillebrand (though he appears washed up and has a rep as a malcontent), we DO need backup at third in case laroche is more hurt than expected. unless everybody is wiling to go to bat with Nomas and Tomatoe at third for the stretch run…
betemit anyone?
Hillebrand got released by the Pdres AAA team and we send Young down for that joke! Terrible!
and ramon
Blown DP by Hillenbrand.
I’m fine with Nomore, Rotten Tomato and Ramon splitting time at third. Face it, this team isn’t going anywhere but into the .4xx winning percentage column. Might as well get the young kids’ feet wet up in the bigs, rather than spend money on EVEN MORE washed up players. Even if that money is slight.
PLEASE do not trade for Contreras. PLEASE do not even sign Wells. Really. This year is really over. Keep the pieces in place for next year as best you can.
I would rather have Shgea instead of Tomato and let Young go back to the minor league so he can played everyday.
oops Shea
let young play every day here! the kid goes 4-4 and doesn’t get another shot?
Rather than call up a pitcher before today’s game, which I could accept the Young demotion, but to bring up The Cancer?
Does Colletti believe us as Dodgers fans do not HATE these moves… It makes me sick!
The Colletti Mission Statement: If at all possible acquire a mediocre, washed up, or infamous veteran player to take the spot of the rookie player who might be able to do a better job! Colletti is the Statue of Liberty!
The reason that Hillebrand is now playing with the Dodgers — He use to play for Grady LittleLeague Gump at Boston….
Of course, this is just one of many, many, many stupid decisions by Ned & Grady….
So, what else is new ???
I have always like Colletti maybe because I hated Depo so much. But he can’t see that Little is the WORST manager in baseball.
I’m really not blaming management or Grady for this rough stretch, its up to the players to turn it around. Grady can throw out whatever lineup makes you guys happy but if guys aren’t hitting up to their potential we’re not going to score many runs.
After the blown DP, Beimel looks deflated, and tired. Trouble throwing strikes.
i agree that hillebrand’s recall doesn’t inspire awe, but given our bench and our options, he is as good as any.
i would have been ok with him coming up if it meant tomatoe getting DFA’ed.
i don’t think Dyoung should have been the one to go, especially without being given a few more ABs.
as bad as this season has become and our roster managed, sept 1 is right around the corner. and for all of us pining to see the kids, we’ll HOPEFULLY have our chance soon enough.
now grittle just needs to pencil them into the lineup.
The Astro’s are sure making our pitchers work.
People are killing me! swood are you telling me batting gonzo & nomar back to back in the middle of the order, batting their best hitter in front of the pitcher has nothing to do with our offensive woes? It all starts with the manager.
Little is the least of this team’s concerns. He’s trying to make chicken salad from chicken…well, you know the rest.
Ethier can’t catch a break.
I would love to see Ethier in the middle of the order just as much as you would diehardblu but don’t think that is the reason that we’re in this slide.
today I saw a hit & run, I could be wrong but that is the first one I’ve seen since we started slumping. It got us a cheap run. When your team is struggling you have to find ways to score runs and Little doesn’t do that.
Exactly sangabrielad ITS NOT ALL GRADYS FAULT!!!!!
why are the Angels winning now. ONE NAME MIKE SCIOCCIA!!
Don’t tell me a good manager doesn’t make a difference!!!!!
Deja Vu! Another wasted leadoff single.
We are chasing three runs let’s waste Broxton.
OSWALT doesn’t seem to be making any mistakes. You never know one bad pitch with runners on could change the momentum. Nobody’s perfect.
Vlad Guerrero makes a difference.
Vlad wasn’t there when they won the Series. There is only one constant. Mike Scioccia
diehardblu Grady tried a hit and run in the first inning with Martin at the plate and Furcal on 1st and the pitch was fouled off.
The Angels have had great personell since Scioccia has been there.
thanks I missed the first inning today. Any other time?
I thought you just said that hit and run was the first one you’ve seen Grady do since we’ve been in this slide…
Scioccia made that organization what it is. By charting different stats. read into it the have a sta board that gives points for moving a runner from second to third with no outs. running from first to third little stuff that CREATES offense that our team lacks.
The hit & run works when your offense is struggling it opens up holes and we don’t do it nearly as much as we should.
I agree with you diehardblu that its important to have a good manager but I still think the Dodgers problems are more personell related.
we agree to disagree I think it all starts with our manager.
Well Grady has tried the hit and run a couple times tonight, he can’t do it every time theres a guy on first.
When you refuse to put your best hitters in the lineup & in an order that will allow them to be most productive, you are bound to have problems scoring runs…..
Of course the hitters have to produce… But it would be much easier if the best hitters are in the lineup & in the proper order…
Grady Gump has refused to give this team the chance to be the best that they can be by being so stubborn about his lineup…..
His comments to the press are just so much Bulll Crappp when he says that certain players need to produce or he will make changes….
I am sick and tired of watching him try to manage this team… So depressing..
we’re facing a tough pitcher what about the past three weeks. We don’t do it enough.
Getting on base and hitting for power creates runs. Don’t ignore the Angel pitching staff while trying to explain their success. Scoscia’s done a good job, but he’s also been given a lot of talent to work with.
Since Scioccia got there they have had a complete turn around in personnel he’s is the MAIN reason they are where they are!! He’s already their winningest manager explain that
BEIMEL & BROXTON not being wasted they’re better off
getting in some work
The Angels steal and hit & run more than any team in baseball. they don’t “Gett on base and hitting for power creates runs” they create offense.
That’s a good point rwbjr0 but no matter what lineup he throws out there you guys are going to criticize it and think that our best hitters aren’t in there and that they’re not in an order that will allow them to be most productive. Grady can’t win with you guys.
At least KENT didn’t get hurt this time.
Maybe this season will get Colletti to realize old washed up players are not the answer. Get rid of the over the hill gang. Kent, Gonzo and Nomar have killed us in the 2nd half.
agreed eheuerman.
When you watch the Angels & Dodgers play against each other it is VERY OBVIOUS who the best manager is….
Sciocca is a very big reason why they beat us like a drum all the time… Grady is a very big reason why we get beat all the time…..
It’s a no brainer as far as I am concerned…
Kent,Nomar,Gonzo hitting in the middle of our line up has been killing us
come on rwbjr0 you can’t say that the only reason the Angels beat us is because Sciocca is a better manager then Grady and the players have nothing to do with it.
Even if you look at the first half the bottom half of the lineup seem to start rallies and score the runs. We need to play Kemp and Ethier together for the rest of the year. There is no way Gonzo gets resigned so we might as wek sit him from here on out. Nice guy or not he is done.
Poor Martin is taking a beating behind the plate tonight! Best we can hope for now is for Lidge to come in and blow a save. I’m crossing my fingers, and toes.
A couple weeks ago Kent was the hottest hitter in baseball.
Um…the Angels have had good players even though there has been turnover.
Ned has handcuffed Grady with these stupid veteran signings.
We’ve been through times like this before and sooner or later things get better. When and HOW that happens I don’t know.
Maybe the change of pitcher????
Agree but being hot for 3 weeks is not going to cut it for your #4 hitter.
Things get better? 1 playoff win in 20+ yrs is nowhere close to better?
Swood —
I didn’t say that Sciocca is the only reason that they beat us… But he is an important part of their success ….
Just as Grady is a part of the reason that we lose…
Gonzo was doing alright before the all star break, but he sure has ****** since. Bring on more of Kemp.
Another one bites the dust! Tomko starts tommorrow. UGH!!
We just got beat by the team with the WORST ROAD RECORD IN BASEBALL….
Will it ever stop ????
if the dodgers dont turn it around fast…this will be one of the most underachieving years in their history
We are going through hard times. Sometimes the runs just disappear and every thing you hit ends up an easy out. It doesn’t matter who the opposing pitcher is. How long will it be? It doesn’t last forever.
Hey Ned please, please fire Grady. The players have given up on him. They look like they are not even trying anymore. If you fire Grady right now you might be able to salvage the season. The wild card is not out of reach. If you fire Grady you might light a fire under the dodgers. Also please bench Pierre and start Kemp, Eithier, and Gonzo.
we gotta win one soon for vinny man…
While I certainly don’t agree wtih everything Little does he isn’t the reason the Dodgers are losing. The offense was decent for a few weeks but Kemp and Loney weren’t going to hit near .400 forever. Gonzo is finally showing what he really is, Nomar aged a lot in 1 year, Kent had a 3 week hot stretch, Pierre is terrible, Martin is worn down, Furcal has been hurt all year. It’s amazing the offense made it until August before it fell apart. There are too many starters on the DL to win on pitching alone. Grady can only use what Ned gives him. Unfortunately that isn’t much.
6.5 back, no offense, 3 legit starters. Crazier things have happened but they won’t this year. Look ahead to 08′ and hope Colleti can give Grady (or whoever is managing) some talent.
I was at tonight’s game, and have a few comments from it and the blog tonight (I tried to get on Dodger Talk, but to no avail):
1) Bad Chad showed up tonight. Even when bad, he’s OK, but I think he’s pushing. With the offense as is, he thinks he needs to be perfect. And when he tries to be perfect, he doesn’t let go the way he needs to.
2) Ethier scorched the ball a couple of times. Bad luck.
3) My seats were Field level right by first base, and I thought Berkman missed the bag. TiVo shows I was wrong. Too bad we can’t capitalize. 0 for RISP tonight.
4) I like alex’s line-up. I would settle to moving Pierre to 8th and Ethier to 7th (small steps). Tonight showed. Pierre did what he is supposed to–got on and stole second. But they responded by walking Ethier. Ironically, what happens if Pierre stays and Ethier doubles? Pierre could score with his speed. So Pierre should hit 8th, steal second, let the pitcher move him over (or Penny drive him in).
5) As to Ethier or Loney hitting third–it’s something of a push. Both are hitting well, both give good at-bats. I see Loney as the long-term 3-hitter, so let it ride.
6) Lots of nattering nabobs of negativity here and on Dodger Talk. I don’t agree with all of management moves, but 10 days ago we were a game out of first place and 4 well-timed hits with RISP over the weekend against AZ and we leave there with a 2-game lead. It’s the same team that had the best record in the NL just over three weeks ago. I don’t know what’s going on, and I want the kids to play, but how could we be so good for four months and all the sudden so bad with the same players? (Not rhetorical–I really am curious. I don’t get it.)
7) I agree that Kemp will be a superstar. But he’s been out and out slumping since he dropped that ball against the Mets. Is he blaming himself for our problems? I expected him to come back big that day. Someone needs to talk to him–it’s not his fault. (Of course, that day seems to be the turning point for the whole club.)
7) I agree that Kemp will be a superstar. But he’s been out and out slumping since he dropped that ball against the Mets. Is he blaming himself for our problems? I expected him to come back big that day. Someone needs to talk to him–it’s not his fault. (Of course, that day seems to be the turning point for the whole club.)
Posted by: leekfink@yahoo.com | August 14, 2007 01:02 AM
It’s all my fault….I don’t go to games ever maybe once every 10 years or so….I like my home seat with Vin calling the game….I was at that 10 inning game against the Mets where Kemp dropped the ball… he dropped it because I was sitting behind him….I’ll never go to another game again it’s all my fault the Dodgers **** now….
Sorry all…
Theory as to the recent slide.
Last year, on July 31rst, the Dodgers were 50-55 and this includes winning 3 straight. Management gave them a shot in the arm by acquiring Maddux, Betamit and Lugo at the deadline, the Dodgers then won 14 of their next 15. They also finished August by winning their last 5 and their first two in September and then finished the season by winning 7 straight.
This season on the 31rst the Dodgers were 57-49. The only acquisition was Proctor. Since then, the Dodgers are 3 and 8 and look lost.
My belief is that the lack of a substantial trade demoralized the veterans such as Kent, Gonzo, Nomar, Seanez, etc. Many of these guys may be in their last year, so their timetable to get to the postseason is limited. While most fans (myself including) are glad Coletti did not mortgage the future by getting rid of Kemp, Loney, Bils, Kershaw, etc, the vets could care less. I’m sure to a man, if Texeria was now a Dodgers and Loney and Ethier were Rangers, the vets would be elated. I think the vets now realize that this team is building for the future by protecting their young assets and it looks like some of the vets are now playing out the season. Granted, I’m sure no one will admit this publicly, but I’m sure it’s had an underlying effect on the team.
Can you imagine the boost if the Dodgers had landed Tex, Dotel, or a starter?
If indeed the veterans that you mention are “playing out the season” (and it seems like that to me), that attitude should be plainly discernible to Little, and he could do something about it – like playing out the season with them on the bench. Gonzo, Nomar, even Kent, Saenz, etc. are contributing nothing as far as I’m concerned. It’s ridiculous to supplement them with somebody like Hillenbrand. But it would give us the opportunity to play Kemp, Young and another youngster or two from the minors, and they could hardly do a worse job of it than the present veteran crew. After all, I think that Young would have been just as equipped as Hillenbrand to hit into that double play and ground out in last night’s game, but he might have learned something from it at the major league level.
Our management with its “veterans preferance” just disgusts me, and I hope the result of all this is that Colletti and Little are GONE at the end of the season.
Ethier batting 8th, Young being sent down, signing Shea Hillenbrand, continuing to run Tomko and Hendrickson out there, not bringing up LaRoche..shall i continue? These are all signs of an organization (Little, Colletti) that has thrown in the towel. I have been a Dodger fan, and i mean diehard fan, since i was 5 years old and i am about to write something that i never thought i would ever even think of… THE DODGERS ARE A JOKE!!!! And for this i squarely blame Grady Little and Ned Colletti. I believe Frank McCourt has to get involved a little more because he does not strike me as a man who accepts losing, or mediocrity, and this team is just that. I hope that something happens betweeen now and the end of the season that changes our fortunes, but i doubt it. Mr. McCourt i ask you, no, i beg you, please change the character and the make up of this team for next season. Thank you.
While I’d like to believe the Dodgers still have a shot at the playoffs, at least the wildcard, I need to be realistic. Trotting out Tomko and Hendy virtually guarantee 2 losses every 5 days and with and inconsistent Bills and Lowe, it’s not looking too good. I think management needs to recognize that we better play for 2008. Kemp needs to start every day-he needs the playing time. I realize Piere will not sit, so Ethier needs to move to left and Kemp to right. Laroche needs to be called up to play 3rd once he is healthy-he needs to get at least 100 ab’s more this season with the Dodgers. We also need to call up Meloan-there is no value to him pitching in Vegas. I agree with messagebear that most of the veterans contribute nothing. It’s hard to understand howa team can have two bench players, Saenz and Martinuez, hitting under .200, yet they are on the team.
My hopes are also that Mr. McCourt won’t let this same mind set carry us to another season. We need a change from current management.
PLEASE HELP!!!
I think McCourt’s frustration would be the $110 million payroll and the mediocre results. At some point, we need to face reality and recognize it’s not our season. When 3/5 of the projected starting rotation go down for the season, plus 2 relievers combined with sub-par eforts from Nomar and Furcal, etc, management needs to recognize 2007 is not our year. I hope I’m wrong and by some miracle the Dodgers win 10 straight, but to date, 118 games into season, the longest winning streak is 4 games, so probability that they will go on a sustained streeak is not too good.
I agree with Leekfink. 4 weeks ago the Dodgers were tied for first place. What has changed? I’m not sure if the fact that they’re slumping so badly makes them slump worse. You can tell that it’s getting to them. I have never seen Russell lose his temper as he did Saturday. He just doesn’t yell at the umpire even if he strikes out. Then he went into the dugout and hit the back wall with his bat. I was horrified because he always seems to have it so together. And of course they showed that incident over and over. Then yesteday Nomar got booted out of the game after he totally lost it. Nomar is known to be a nice guy. It’s getting the guys down. No one can tell me that Pierre isn’t making that extra effort. Did anyone see him catch that ball after slamming against the back wall?? And he hit the ball better than most of the team. He seems to be the team scapegoat even when he doesn’t deserve it. The problem is that the guys get on base but don’t make runs. What else can you do?? Sweeney seems to be doing as well with the hits. You guys are so down on the team. I wonder if they ever read this blog? Everything is so negative. Rather than constructive suggestion, all you hear is fire this person, DFA that person, this one is a has been. I hope the team doesn’t read this blog because it is so disheartening. Everyone knows they’re in a huge slump. Maybe when someone does something well, we should emphasize that. Positive reinforcement works much better than a lot of negativity when something goes wrong. I know the team and the management don’t want to be losing. I’m upset that the Dodgers are in fourth place but I haven’t given up hope. True that talent has a lot to do with winning but luck and lining all the baseball gods in order must be also taken into consideration. The Dodgers have the talent. Maybe they need to get their spirit back. I’ll never give up on them. Go Dodgers!!
“Can you imagine the boost if the Dodgers had landed Tex, Dotel, or a starter?”
What kind of boost is an injured, overrated relief pitcher like Dotel really supposed to bring?
I think this Hillenbrand **** with Young sent down after hitting .500 is all the rest of us need to know who were still giving Coletti/Little the benefit of the doubt. With these two bozo’s a guy like Fernando would never have been given a shot either.
Does Pete Carroll know anything about baseball?
OK xoxrussell, JP is hitting the ball better than anybody on the team and he is trying to make things happen. The bullpen, as maligned as they are, has been doing their job and Brad Penny continues to throw well and shows no signs of a 2nd half meltdown, he could use a little more run support, but. Other than that, there is nothing else positive happening with this team. Management is to blame and the players are starting to get frustrated that they busted their a** off all May, June and July to have no help or re-enforcement brought in. Kent got hurt and all **** broke lose, the team went into a free fall since then.
Kiper and all…
The only way this team will get better is when the management of the team forgets about used up veterans and decides to put a winning team together..A veteran like Texeira would be a useful veteran as opposed to the ones on the Dodgers..Ned is so consumed with trotting out used up vets that our kids don’t get to play and gain experience…They must know the Dodgers of ’07 are going nowhere…PLEASE PlAY THE YOUNG GUYS so you can figure out who can play at this level…Ned, you made so many mistakes this off season that this team was doomed from the start..I never believed they were a first place team even when they were there…I’m not trying to rain on their parade but only being realistic…
Oh, by the way, our middle of the road middle reliever Proctor traded for Betemit who hit another home run yesterday….I think he would be playing 3rd now..but he’s not here…another HUGE mistake…
Kiper
I’ve always maintained that the bullpen is doing their job. The pitchers being hurt including most recently Derek has really hurt. Tomko has not been doing that badly for tomko. I think Broxton, Beimel and even Seanez are doing their job. And Saito is still awesome although he never has to close anymore. I feel very badly for Brad because with the offense slumping so badly his chances of getting the Cy Young Award are going down the drain when he was the top contender. He still is in top form. When Jeff was hurt, something just changed. Furcal playing hurt is making a difference. I can’t tell that Russell is hurt so maybe his ankle is better. But did you see him get hit by a pitch right in the adams apple?? I thought he was really hurt especially watching the replay. I’m sure he was feeling a lot of pain but played through the game. That’s because he’s a pro. Is that what you call getting hurt by friendly fire? Ethier is actually playing better now than before the all star break. Delwyn played so well over the weekend that I wonder why he got sent back? The young guys are playing so much better than the veterans and then here arrive some more veterans. What’s going on?? Loney seems to be fitting in very well. Kemp is still practicing. But going with them makes more sense. Thanks Kiper for the positive remarks. I usually agree with what you say. You are right on the mark.
It’s sad.
Has anybody heard what the hang-up concerning Abreu is about? According to LA Times, it’s another standoff involving Boras, who apparently represents Abreu even now. He and Abreu contend that Abreu got his side hurt while still on the major league roster and therefore should have been DL’d rather than sent back to Vegas. At issue is his salary, which would have remained as the major league minimum had he been DL’d compared to his being paid at the minor league level since he was sent back. In the meantime, with this issue being unresolved, he just has not played, presumably will not play the rest of the season, and who knows for how long, so we have a player lost who could possibly have been up here and helping us at this point.
I don’t know what the full merits of the case are, and apparently Colletti refuses to discuss it with the media. Is this another “Boras” issue?
All I can say is that considering the amount of money being paid to Schmidt, how big a difference can there be to argue about concerning Abreu’s status and his pay differential in order to get him playing again before the whole season is lost.
I couldn’t understand trading Betemit when he was so hot. Everytine he hit the ball he hit a homerun. This was even before the trade. Did the Dodgers really need Proctor?
xoxrussell..
I am such a big Dodger fan that this period is really painful…I love the guys, but I just don’t think they have enough talent as a unit..We have no real threats in the line up and after awhile that wears a team down in my mind…The real problem was what Ned did in the off season, and now mid season.
I just cannot figure out how no one in the front office didn’t object to the signing of Schmidt, Pierre and lesser extent Wolf?…Before the season started I knew these were MISTAKES…and they have cost us the season..it’s sad, but it’s hard to figure out what they were thinking…We don’t need to get into all of that again, but that pretty much was the season…I hate to see them struggling so much, but it might be better if they continued this so Ned will take notice and change his philosophy for next year…or hopefully McCourt gets angry enough and we change the makeup of the team.
I’m just tired of 20 years of mediocrity..
Did anyone else see the stress on Bills’ face last night with every pitch meaning the world since the team cannot score? He’s been pitching great aside from the Coors field deal and has nothing but stress and grey hair to show for it.
Come on Colletti! Play the kids!!
Considering that supposedly Russell’s salary is only $387,00, how much could Abreu’s be.. much less than Schmidt’s!!
Coletti’s fetish for men in their late 30s and early 40s is almost kinky. He’s been on a rampage lately: Hernandez, Hillenbrand, Sweeney, Moeller, plus his inability to part with Saenz.
For a team that’s mostly known in the baseball community for its great young prospects, it is weird that we are fielding a team that resembles the aged Giants.
jungar.
probably because Ned has that Giant thing ingrained in him…
I’m sure most of us would be thrilled to see the kids play and whatever happens happens..
This way we just look old and boring.
Jungar..you’re right. Did you hear that possibly if they trade for A Rod, it would have to be Loney, Kemp and possibly another young prospect??
xorussell
Betemit trade just another in a long line of mistakes…
Oh, maybe Ned prefers Martinez as Nomar’s back up!!
As the season progresses, it seems that the wear and tear shows on the veterans. The young guys seem to be warming up.
why would we have to trade for A-rod? isn’t he a FA after the year? Or do you mean if they had traded for him at the break?
I would rather get a good player but not one as expensive as ARod…We need someone like a Aramis Ramirez type…we don’t need a $30 million dollar player…just some good hitters that have proven talent and aren’t past their prime.
I’m going back east next week. Maybe when I return the Dodgers will be in first place again. And then everyone always tells me I live in a fantasy world.
jungar,
I think you might be on to something with the fetish angle.
Remember how Colletti didn’t want Carlos Lee because of his defense in LF? Are we supposed to believe that rubbish with Pierre and Gonzo roaming the outfield?
My 7 year old son didn’t want to shower and miss the 9th inning last night, but with Gonzo, Shea and JP coming up I told him not to worry.
Jungar
Actually A Martinez mentioned it again last night during the pregame show. Did anyone else hear this?
Well first it was his defense, then the PR about how he didnt want to play out west which is code for, we didnt offer enough (which is fine thats another point of debate -is lees contract worth it), but my point is Coletti is one big used car salesman)
A smart GM would look at the current situation and say, “Yeah, we’re technically still in the pennant race, but this team will not close the deal. Let’s play the kids — Young, Abreu, Meloan, McDonald in addition to Loney, Kemp, Ethier, Martin — and see how it goes. If we’re lucky, they get hot, and we go into the postseason as massive underdogs but with a lot of upside. If not, they flail around but get valuable experience to be put to use next season.” Isn’t that what Bill Plaschke essentially invited Ned to do in his famous column? Step back from the mania to win a pennant in ’07 and instead play the younger guys?
Hillenbrand is a statement from Colleti, in two parts:
1) I’m in this pennant race to win it, and I’ll pull in all the seasoned veterans I can get to put us over the top;
2) I have no idea what I’m doing.
We would not have to trade for A-Rod, he’s about to become a FA. If Martinez said that, he’s dead wrong.
Jungar
You should be a sportswriter. You say it so well!!
I think we can harp all we want on the Gonzo and Pierre and Schmidt signings but it doesn’t change the fact that their here. Gonzo will be gone after this season, Schmidt will be back next year, at what level of health and ability no one knows, and JP will be here for 4 more years so let’s just get used to him in the line up. Besides, he’s the only one hitting right now. The big issue right now is that Grady doesn’t have to throw the towel in, instead he can say he’s going to mount a comeback in the West, but he’s gonna do it with Ethier, Kemp, Loney, LaRoche and Young in the line up every day. Grady cannot worry about feelings being hurt (Gonzo, Nomar) he has to worry about who’s hungry and who wants it and who has the energy left over the final 45 games. We’re 6 back and I’m not saying they’re gonna win, but at least show some pride and go down fighting. Sending the same line up out there every night loaded with vets is not working. Let’s show everybody that Colletti is not as bad a GM as he’s proving to be, by playing the guys that he refused to trade and let them show what they’ve got. Lets go Dodgers (albeit, young Dodgers)
1b Loney
2b Abreu
SS Hu
3b LaRoche
C Martin
lf Young
cf Kemp
rf Ethier
sp: Penny, Bills, Elbert
Kershaw, + anyone healthy
rp: Saito, Broxton, Meloan,
Beimel, Proctor, FA
scott, not bad, except Kent, Pierre and Furcal will be in the line up everyday again next season…
I have to admit, I was fooled by our ’07 Dodgers. Going into the year I thought wow a 1-2-3 punch of Penny-Lowe-Schmidt thats nasty. I also thought that Wolf and Billingsley would fill in nicely at the back end of our rotation. I knew our bullpen would be good. I thought that we’d at least get some production out of Nomar and that if he DLed Loney would fill in nicely. I expected Furcal to hit about .290+ with 40+ steals and 10+ homers. I thought (despite JP’s low OBP) that Furcal and Pierre would play small ball all year long and create massive amount of runs at the top of the line-up. I knew we didn’t have a true bopper but it didn’t matter, we had a bunch of consistent hitters. I imagined our team playing like the Angels, with runner constantly in motion, hit ‘n runs, bunts and other small ball tactics. Here we are 5 months down the road and the rose colored glasses have faded. It may not be entirely their fault but somebody has to take responsibility for our mediocrity this season. Sorry Coletti your offseason moves severely affected us in a negative manner this season. The money we threw at Schmidt and Pierre could have been used to get a superstar like Soriano and that should cost you your job. Grady your illogical line-ups on a daily basis with Nomar batting 3rd the majority of the 1st half, Ethier continuing to bat 8th, not resting Furcal or Martin, and playing Gonzo consistently over Kemp make you a terrible manager in the eyes of most Dodger fans. Again that should cost you your job. At least we have the kids all coming back for ’08, I just wish that they were all getting seasoned right now instead of wasting away on our big league bench. Mr. McCourt I implore you to make some serious changes before ’08 begins.
i dont know why all you “true” dodger fans are saying the seasons over? thats weird cuz i thought the season was 162 games…not 118. yes i want to see the younger guys play and i think that will spark a fire. plus many of these kids have won before. in 2005 wen they won the championship in AA. but the season is not over. we still play 6 against the d-backs and the padres. and if we are talking wild card…we play 4 against the cubs and 3 agianst the phillies. so the season is not over. i was watching baseball tonight and they were saying wat teams they thought were done this season and both of the guys said the dodgers were done..i would really like to prove them wrong!
Charris,
I agree with everything you are saying, but sorry to say it probably won’t ever happen.
I bet the Dodger front office thinks they have to try and win this year…and maybe they should, but they won’t do it unless they change the lineup to the kids and put those rusty vets on the bench..
Totally agree, but I doubt the ones that matter feel the same…That’s the FRUSTRATION.
You guys are all saying it well. The passion is great and it’s good to see that were not really arguing, were just stating our thoughts. I wish I had an answer or something positive to say but I don’t really.
I wish McCourt would read these blogs. No one here is complaining about the owner and rightly so. And for those of us living thru the fox debactle it’s a big, big posititive.
Frank has shown committment and passion. Sure mistakes have been made but he has been quick to fix them in the past. As many of you have mentioned the dodgers are young and maybe we need a manager/gm that goes with the age of the team in terms of thought process
The dodgers need to get a little better in terms of pushing the envelope. My thing about Grady and Ned is they seem to be behind the times. They are good old baseball guys and I think the game has changed. I think we need someone with true vision. True leadership in both the dugout and upstairs. Someone who will look at advanced stats ,advanced scouting techniques advance motivationl techniques.
Kiper,
I like Furcal, but I thought maybe the Dodgers could get something good for him in a waiver deal from a team that is actually making a playoff run.
Kent got really hot there, but the injury just messed him up and I think this losing is gonna push him into retirement after this year.
As for JP, he might be under contract, but his arm is such a huge liability that even if they keep playing him I think the starting pitchers are going to quit if he stays out there a whole season again..
well said joey!!
Joey…I think it’s great you still have faith, but where do you think we’ll be by the end of this week…with 3 more with the Rockies ( far superior now than the Dodgers)..and next week….Philly and New York..?
We don’t have a healthy pitching staff like last year, and we are missing some players that helped us last year..and missing some players the front office disposed of….and then in September we have 4 with the Rockies at their place..even the Yankees were swept there.
jungar for GM!
Jungar,
Agree with you completely…Now how do we get it done???:)
Notice the bench coach for the DBacks is Kurt Gibson..Wouldn’t it be nice if we had a little younger coaching staff and manager…I’m sure he helps those young hitters..
What about Orel Herschiser for manager?..I know he was interviewed, but they decided to go with old, tried and true
Grady…how different, eh?
Seems Orel knows alot about the game when I hear him on ESPN ..and not just pitching…I would be willing to try.
alrighty then, new conversation for today…
if jungar is our GM in 2008, who do we want as MANAGER? (and we’re not getting you know who from LAA).
larussa?
torre?
bring back tommy?
mickey hatcher?
…
orel!
not larussa….not torre….no tommy anymore…
mickey hatcher interesting, but what about Orel?
jungar, I agree with your assessment of Grady and Ned. We need a manager thats not afraid to take risks or hurt feelings. The game never has been and never will be kind. Veteran players fall from grace in baseball is usually drastic and rapid and it’s a manager’s job to be able to adjust and forge ahead. His vision for our team this year is not currently working. We need to play the kids, pinch hit the vets and force the vets to show us that they do indeed belong in the starting line-up before we automatically put them out there. I think that some of our vets would respond in a big way if that were to happen and we might (and I emphasize might) be able to make a late season push, although our rotation still scares me.
1. Kevin Kennedy
2. Joe Girardi
or Kirk Gibson…there’s a guy with hustle and passion..bet this team wouldn’t be lifeless with him at the helm.
scott.
like both of those guys..Kennedy and Girardi..
but we’re stuck with Grady for another year
Right Charris,
The only time this year that Nomar was performing was ehen Betemit was putting pressure on him by hitting well and forcing Grady’s hand.
Why do we know more than the Dodger manager and GM?…I bet we could do a much better job….
I like Gibby as well.
We’re only stuck with Grady if Colletti is still here…lol
Yes Charris…
Remember they traded our ONLY good bench person in Betemit..another reason I feel this front office doesn’t have a clue…keep Saenz and Martinez and trade our best bench guy and home run threat…which on this team is mucho important..
first of all. only a month ago we had the best record in the national league. the rockies are not superior to the dodgers. never have been and never will be. and we did sweep new york earlier in the season..did we not? we can do it. regardless of wat you think of kent nomar and gonzo. they are vets and they know wat its like to go through a rough time like this..its baseball and its gonna happen. the younger guys dont know wat its like to go through something like. baseball is a strange game. one little hit, pitch, or play can make a HUGE difference in not only the game but in a season as well. thats wat makes baseball so great!! wen we hit 4 home runs in a row last year against the padres in sept. after the first two..do you think martin and anderson were thinking home run as well?? I think they were. Baseball is a game of momentum and the slightest thing can create that.
Gibson wanted to be the manager in LV but inexplicably someone turned him down from the job. It couldn’t have been more than a year ago that this happened so whoever made that decision is still around. Would have been a perfect stepping stone to the manager up here. Of course instead we’ll be trotting Grady out there until at least 09.
lol Scott…
I can’t see McCourt getting rid of both, but maybe if we end the season like the last 2 weeks it might help…that’s why I say I wish we would be really out of it…or I’m afraid things won’t really change unless that happens.
I usually give the baseball experts the benefit since I’m just a fan who played ball for fun, but I know BS when I see it and that Hillenbrand transaction was BS.
Joey I appreciate your optimism, but when we sept NY, remember it was Betemit, Kemp and Kuo who went back to bacj to back, not Kent, Nomar and Gonzo.
Does anyone know McCourt’s email address????
scott
well if you read it right. i said last year against the padres wen i was trying to make my point
Joey,
That was a great game last year. I still root for all these guys to do well, but I kind of feel like Mitch Kupchak is wearing a Ned Colletti disguise right now.
i like Girardi…
he knows how to use young guns…!
Scott..
That is too funny….Mitch and Ned…interchangeable…Anyonelooking forward to OUR awesome Laker team??..Don’t even have that to look forward to…sigh..
oh man u know the season has gone to **** when some of you guys are aggreeing with me!
I would go with Girardi myself. He sounds like he really knows his stuff. Has had good expierance as a coach. I was pretty impressed with him calling the game the other day. Like he really did his homework.
last night i see Kemp swing the bat…
i think he already got his swing back…
on his pinch hit at-bat i saw good swings…
he almost hit an opposite field HR…
and that’s great to see… coz he will start to realize that he can hit on the opposite field…
Kemp will never regain his stroke or confidence if he continues to platoon with Gonzo. He has to play everyday and get into a groove..
Here’s some bright news…USC is the favored team going into the college football season…go Pete..love him
One thing about last night
Why didn’t Grady Little get himself thrown out?
Your third baseman truly believed that ball was inside enough to throw an absolute fit over it. So what happens? Nomar is thrown out, despite Mariano Duncan’s best efforts to hold him back. Grady goes out there and has a calm conversation with the home plate umpire and casually walks back to the dugout. To me he didn’t stand up for his player and should’ve gotten himself thrown out to show he stands up for his guys. I didn’t see that at all last night. Which is my lasting memory from last nights lackluster game. Which BTW (and some of you were there, maybe you can back me on this) was that crowd dead or what? It’s almost like we’ve come to the understanding this year isn’t going to happen, the announced crowd was 49,511 and it felt like 4,000 at best…we’re slowly watching the death of the 2007 Los Angeles Dodgers.
I’m not too hip ono Girardi. He was the benefactor of a great bunch of kids. The Marlins have virtaully the same record as last year. Grady will be here for another year, whether we like it or not.
Secondly, I do not want to see the Las Vegas 51s play games at Dodger Stadium. If Loney, LaRoche, Ethier, Kemp, Abreu are their best choices at those positions, don’t count on a WS win anytime soon.
The point is this:
Better at least play as many young guys this year to start finding out who belongs and who doesn’t because they can’t do any worse than the veterans have been doing. Let’s at least accomplish something here.
i agree with you alex…
he should have get himslef thrown out too…
maybe that will get the team started…
but instead he is just there talking like nothing is happening…
Grady always acts like nothing is happening…
Alex
Yep Tommmy would have walked up to the umpire and said. Hey look you need to throw me out if your throwing carne asdada taco night boy out. Make something up. I’ll insult you if you want, but I can’t walk off this field without being tossed.
Grady is the coolest guy in LA. He says everything is fine he says he has team unity, he never gets fired up and you know what? It’s working. If he wanted a flat team with no emotion, reflecting the manager, mission accomplished. He may of been the right manager for the Red Sox, where Manny and Papi and Pedro carried the team in spite of Grady, but here his cool southern drawl with the rose colored glasses isn’t working. We need a guy who’s gonna get thrown out and who’s gonna get in a players face and maybe throw a few chairs or water coolers. Grady’s way certainly isn’t working.
maybe grady thinks the team needs him showing some signs in the dugout… lol
Gradys way worked last year.
—
It will always be a talent issue to me. My case has been well documented so i’ll shut up.
—
Kirby are you saying you don’t think Loney etc are any good at all or are you saying they are just not good enough now or in 2007-2008 to win a WS?
Grady did not work last year. against the mets in the playoffs we are down 1-0 with bases loaded 1 out in the fifth and Kuo gets to bat. You don’t want me to mention the third base coach debacle. Grady is killing us. I wouldn’t mind seeing a former Dodger with some passion come coach the guys.
1.Gibson
2.Hatcher
3.Butler
All three guys are with big league organizations coaching I would love to see them back home.
Hershiser interviewed for the GM job not the manager job So their is our new GM as well.
Hey guys…I just wrote an email to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com detailing the horrid off season of Ned etc etc and the job he has done since..
He just wrote back and said and I quote ” I think he is very aware of how bad the off season was.”
alex-I was there last night and the crowd was only really riled up for the Nomar ejection, and somewhat for the bad call at first at the beginning of the game. But yeah, it was pretty dead. I sat right to the left of the dugout, which is pretty cool cause you get to see everyone up close. It would have been even nicer if we had actually played well and won, but, ugh, whatever. Shea Hillenbrand guys, Im just waiting for the next beyond stupid move to come down. If Seanz isn’t DFAed soon, shea has absolutely no business on this team at all.
I think if we keep the kiddie corps intact this team will be really good in a few years. Martin and Ethier are reaching their prime but are not there yet. Kemp/Loney are not even close to “there” yet but they will be. And don’t forget the other guys we have too. To think that you “know” that these kids cannot form the foundation of a really good team is wrong.
The beat writers covering the Dodgers especially Gurnick and that guy Baxter in the Times seem to be kiss ups for the most part…
Last I checked, Loney, Ethier and Kemp have graduated to the majors — none of them qualify as prospects anymore. So they’re not “Las Vegas 51s.”
van 19 have you finally stopped defending Little?
jspelk2, you are right on about Shea, Olmedo, etc.
Who does Colletti think he is anyway, Phil Jackson? All the Giants ever did was choke away the WS to a great underdog Angel team with heart.
I ahven’t been to dodgerblues.com in a while – I’m afraid to see…
“If Loney, LaRoche, Ethier, Kemp, Abreu are their best choices at those positions, don’t count on a WS win anytime soon.”
This is ridiculous. Have you scouted these players? Do you have a formula for how world series are won? You may be right, these players may not get a world series win soon, but what could you possibly be basing this on? I’d personally love to see the dodgers with a 08 lineup something like:
C Martin
1B Loney
2B Abreu
SS Hu
3B Laroche
LF Ethier
CF Repko
RF Kemp
Every one of these guys would be above average for their positions in fielding and hitting within a couple of years. On top of that, the dodgers would have extra money to spend on pitching. That is a much better formula for a WS than spending a bunch of money on old free agents.
please you including Repko eliminates the list. You cannot count on Repko he might hurt our shortstop again!
Well CF is the only spot we don’t have anyone for.
yeah… grady is crazy…
what’s the point of thinking positive if there is nothing positive happening…
he should at least show how frustrated he is by getting himself thrown out…
I looked up firegradylittle.com the naming rights are selling. If the Dodgers keep this guy someone can make a lot of money with that web site.
czrussell,
i don’t know about that…
don’t want to offend you… but that lineup is for minor leagues…
and i would rather see Young than repko…
Jason-
I think that the kids are plenty good. I think they’re better than the old dudes in most cases. But…..I don’t want to see a bunch of kids running around out there when this team should be fielding at least one MVP candidate every season. I’m saying, there should be better options than fielding a triple A lineup with their payroll. The “hold teh kids at all costs” mentality will cost the team wins today and in the future.
The only way things REALLY change is if we continue to tank…then Coletti will know his job is on the line..or hopefully he will, and maybe we make a change and get someone who knows what they’re
doing…and someone who won’t hire a has-been manager…another one of Ned’s used up vets..
but we *have* traded kids, plenty of them. the trick is not to trade the ones that can help you now, and help you in the future, and save you money so that you can afford that mvp candidate you want so badly. but ned has saddled us by spending money on mediocrity, and plenty of it.
Good point jspelk.
So far, Ned got lucky with Guzman and Aybar, but if Guzman turns it around somehow and makes it to the show, he was trade for worthless Lugo…
Tonight will be dinner and a movie, with the rest of my summer evenings gloriously unspoken for. Devoting three hours a night to the Dodgers is big fun when there is the possibility that the team could play a good game.
Not the rest of this year, though. Here’s my thoughts on why:
The lineup consists almost entirely of one of two classes of player: rookie, or washed-up vet.
Pierre and Furcal may be set outside these classes. Though Pierre is getting a bit old, both he and Furcal should be in their prime playing years. However, Pierre is a weak-as-a-kitten CF and it is easy to set a field to clamp down on his scoring. And Furcal and the Dodgers felt it better to have Furcal injured all year than out for an extra month and healthy for the other five months.
Back to the vets and the rookies. What tends to happen to a rookie as the year goes on? What happened to Ethier last year? Right, the long year starts to take a toll. The minors have shorter seasons and less intensity. Rookies have to get used to that kind of thing. So, rookies are prone to start slumping as the season wears on.
Now, what about old almost-washed-up vets? What tends to happen to THEM as the season wears on? Age and niggles catches up with them, that’s what. So they become more prone to slumping.
No wonder the entire team is in a slide that will not stop until the season is done. Prime year guys like Penny, Broxton, Saito and Lowe are doing well – Lowe’s injury excepted, and even guys like Broxton, Eithier, Martin and Billingsley, still young but with experience, are holding up decently.
But the rookie Kemp and the washed-up garbage Gonzalez, Nomar, Saenz, Martinez, Kent, and the special case Furcal and Pierre … not so much. Unfortunately, on any given night, five or six in the lineup will be made up out of them. You just can’t win like that.
We will finish below .500 this year, but hopefully not below the Giants.
griffon you are cracking me up with the “washed up garbage” line…INteresting take on the players that actually makes quite a bit of sense. It’s hard to tell if Pierre is slumping or hot isn’t it?
Just a thought no yelling, just to try something for tonight.
Raffy SS
Martin C
Loney LF
Kent 2B
Either CF
Nomar 1B
Hillenbrand 3B
Kemp RF
Kirby..cool just wondering what you meant. I tend to agree that these kids will be good but it will take some patience. It’s the best way to build a team and if the Dodgers stick to it I can live with the short term pain. We have been enduring pain for so long now. But to do that I wouldn’t expect a WS team for a few years either unless alot of good thing happen that are hard to count on.
On the flip side I would like to be winning consitently now. I understand the diliema. It’s tough. We are a little too young and a little too old at the same time.
One local writer not drinking the cool aid is Simers..
He sounds like us:
http://www.latimes.com/sports/baseball/mlb/dodgers/la-sp-simers14aug14,1,2041131.column?coll=la-headlines-sports-mlb-dodger
californiaautorebuilder
do u want another injury?
Loney is not an outfielder…
u saw what happen to him when he played OF right?
season aint over yet, but a few things are so clear:
1. martin needs to learn to pace himself. he’s fallen off his excellent pace drastically. need rest to play fall ball as if it’s april
2. loney deserves to play everyday b/c he can rake and has a solid glove.
3. same for ethier and kemp
4. you can NEVER have too much pitching (unless it’s of the washed-up, used-up, floppy arm variety)
5. you can’t teach speed. but it remains to be seen if you can teach it to get on base
6. a manager like grittle might work for the vets, but i think he stinks for the kids. sure he can teach them not to get too high or get too low, but last i checked, never hurt to have a guy in your face MAKING you be better.
7. so many players around the league seeming to age faster and having ‘off years’. i wonder aloud if ‘roids or hgh are a part of this. nomar, etc.
orel for field manager, 2008!
i don’t want loney anywhere near the outfield. i prefer that he not end his career tonight via the scoreboard. although i do think that ethier could play a competent CF.
Griffon.
I agree with you too…I have watched every Dodger game with lots of interest and intensity (more than them apparently)..but now I can’t stand watching this team..It has gotten painful to see the same ol same ol…I have said for the last 2 months that we would end up under 500..agree there too…Can anyone think of a worse team in baseball than the Dodgers?..Wouldn’t you love to be a pitcher when the Dodgers come to town, or we go there…LOL.
Martin C
Raffy SS
Loney 1B
Kent 2B
Ethier RF
Kemp CF
Nomar 3B
Gonzo LF
I know they won’t take Pierre out of the line up, but i think this shakes things up a bit.
Loney must stay at 1st base…
end of story
jungar—read that article but Simers is an idiot. this quote says it all:
It’s all about the kids around here, and to heck with going for it all when you have the best record in the league more than halfway through the season. Just wait until next year when the Dodgers add some more kids to the roster — with the understanding, of course, it might take them a little more time to develop. Just wait until the year after next year.
He’s totally incompetent. First of all ned is not “all about the kids” nor will he ever be. He didn’t trade them, thats the best thing we can say about him. He only turned to the kids (specifically bringing up kemp/loney) when he was desperate. TJ makes it sounds like trusting kids is the *reason* why we are failing, which couldn’t be further from the truth. Maybe the vets eating up the entire payroll and underperforming has something to do with it?
“that lineup is for minor leagues”
I’m not taking any offense. These are just opinions. I disagree with this comment though. Martin was in the minor leagues last year. I was referring to next year when most of those guys will not be minor leaguers. If you want to take Repko out that’s fine, although I think the injury was Raffy’s fault as the play was pretty far out in the OF. I’m not sure what makes you think Martin and Kemp and Loney and Ethier should be minor leaguers next year. I can understand not wanting Abreu, Hu, and Repko starting, but that’s just a difference of opinion. The other guys are pretty likely to be the starters next year. So you leave Furcal, Kent, and Pierre, and the lineup I listed is for 09 with maybe X. Paul or someone else at CF in place of Repko. I’ve been watching these guys in ST the last few years and I think their defense would improve the dodgers more than their offense would hurt them.
mark my words fellas, the day off for the d-backs was the worse thing that could have happened to them.
Hey Josh, if you take nothing else away from this discussion thread, can you at least please pass this one mantra on to TPTB?
Sign Kyle Blair.
Sign Kyle Blair.
Sign Kyle Blair.
He’ll be a top 10 pick next time around. If the Tigers can sign someone late for a 6 or 7 million, and Blair’s better, can’t we toss $1mil at him?
Sign Blair. Sign Blair. Sign Blair. 🙂
Thanks. And here’s to a ((gulp)) win tonight!
Whether they keep JP or not, would it KILL them just to try sitting him just once?
On a positive note: If JP keeps making those catches against the wall, one of these times he’s going to pull a Repko and hurt himself (not seriously, poor guy) and then they’ll have to sit him.
californiaautobuilders, maybe you’re right about the DBacks, i’ve been saying for the last 10 days that they’re gonna hit a wall, but what good is that to the Dodgers? The Dodgers are not winning and they show no signs of turning around their fortunes. I mean, do you think that the Dodgers have it in them to sustain a winning streak of say, 10 games? Because that’s what it’s gonna take. And that’s not mentioning what the Pads, and now, the Rockies are doing.
Az may fall off, but it’s just not gonna be enough for the Blue…
czrussell
u didn’t understand my point…
i said that ur lineup is for minor leagues…
now that they are in the majors that shouldn’t be the lineup…
my lineup is like this…(2008)
Furcal
Martin
Loney
Kemp
Ethier
LaRoche
Abreu
Young (JP i prefer him not in the lineup , though)
van, i like your line up, but, we need a PROVEN power hitting veteran mixed in there…
maybe not 10 in a row, but maybe 10 out of 12.
Well, to win 10 out of 12 they need to win at least 5 or 6 in row and they just don’t have it in them. They win 4 and then here comes Tomko.. end of streak, they win 2 and then here comes the injured Lowe, then 3 days later here comes Tomko again… you see my point?
Scott Boras may very well be baseball’s biggest horses ****, but we better get a GM that knows how to deal with him because he represents a good portion of the best players.
I see it, but I was hoping a good quality starts, offense score some runs, and then we turn it over to the bullpen, kind of like what we were doing before.
I see your point, and believe me, i wish they would start playing like they were playing in June…
i agree with u kiper that we need a proven power hitting veteran…
i would love to see A-Rod… if that’s the case… this would be my lineup…
Furcal…SS
Martin…C
Loney… 1B
A-Rod… 3B
Ethier… RF
Kemp… CF
LaRoche… 2B
Young… LF
van 19 has a thing for A-Rod lol!!!!!
i was at the game yesterday…
the fans booed after the game…
i don’t know if it’s JP or the dodgers they are booing…
That’s what i’m talking about van. And you know, they can even start Pierre if they want. Mr. Colletti is gonna have to grow a little thicker skin or maybe swallow some pride, and deal with Scott Boras. If ARod becomes available, and i believe he will, the Dodgers must absolutely at least be in the conversations…. would you agree?
van 19 has a thing for A-Rod lol!!!!!
Yeah he does, it’s called wanting to win…
A-Rod is not winner, he has never won, and never will win.
I just thought id post this to address nkirby’s horribly thought out criticism. Tell me who u would rather watch then our home grown kids? What deal would u have pulled the trigger on at the deadline? Don’t tell me Jermaine Dye or Mark Beuhrle or you automatically lose. There was nothing out there besides tex that was worth a ****. If Coletti did one thing right in his hopefully short lived tenure here it was not trading Matt Kemp. People can say what they may, but he is a big part of our picture. The more positions we have filled with guys producing making 400 k, the more money we have to spend on guys like santana or fukudome or andruw jones. Now we just need to play them. There isnt one person that could tell me Gonzo is better than Kemp. We already know JP is a pillar of the community, but at least get your head out of your *** Grady and play your best players. We can blame players all day but at some point the guy filling out the same lineup card for 120 games needs to get some blame as well. As well as the guy that pursued these overpriced mediocre players. Looks like getting on base 200 times out of 750 scoring a hundred times was just what we needed Ned. Willie Harris is doing that for Atlanta for 400 grand…..
hahahah…
not A-Rod…
i actually would love to meet Ms. Milano… lol
look back a couple of years the kids on this team are all winners, they have been winning together, and they will win together in the big leaguess.
californiaautorebuilder, are you Ned Colletti??
Underdog,
You are correct in your assesment that we need to sign Kyle Blair, however he is not a better pitcher than Rick Porcello im sorry. Have you seen that man pitch? Porcello is worth every penny of that money..
I wish i was, so I could watch every home game and every away game eating dodger dogs, nachos and a couple of beers.
nice to have kiper on my side…
we all want to win right…?
A-Rod can give us what we need…
he hasn’t won a championship yet… but he still have alot of time to do it…
and it should be here in L.A…
Why doesn’t Pierre get some lessons from his good buddy Figgins..??…Imagine what Figgy must be thinking with Pierre getting that kind of money….Would rather have Figgy any day of the week….Not sure where his contract stands, but I’d say he is looking at making lots of $$$$
Actually I like Porcello, too, Graffiti, yeah, I just thought that was a ton of money to throw at him, But maybe you’re right, maybe he’ll be worth it. That strategy certainly seems to be working for the Tigers the last couple of years! But I really like Blair, is my main point. They have one day left to do something. So… do something!
If ARod becomes available, and i believe he will, the Dodgers must absolutely at least be in the conversations…. would you agree?
—
yes, yes and yes. He is the best player on the planet and a franchise player. If were not “in it” for him that would be even more telling.
Last night poor ol’ Vinny kept talking about Pierre “burning” the Astros with a SB, like the Astros gave a ****. He eventually scored on a sac fly, so whooped dee doo, 1 run. How often is he going to get 3 hits anyway and runners are circling the bases on his arm like Bugs Bunny against the Gashouse Gorillas…
Yeah I prefer “great” players to “kids” or “veterans”.
I hope that make sense. Simple I know; but sometimes that gets lost in all of our ARMCHAIR GM’ing….
Hey don’t worry we’re going to the World Series. Didn’t you hear we got Scott Proctor. 🙂 What in the world is Ned thinking? If there is a move to make he makes the wrong one. Is he trying to finish last or is he just crazy?
I like A-Rod coming here too, but no way he bats 4 like a lot of you are saying, you bat your best hitter in the 3 hole, Loney would probably be our 4 hitter and A-Rod would probably walk 150+ times his first year here.
You guys no what is killing us other than not having a legit middle of the order hitter, is all the first to thirds on Pierre and Gonzo, that is what is killing us.
california.
Agree with you too, but what was Ned thinking when he acquired these guys?..was he just bored?..or stupid?
hard to explain, maybe his boots were on to tight and cut the circulation to the brain.
A lot of you are not gonna like this idea but since we’re stuck with Pierre why not. Get Tori Hunter, trade Ethier for a young quality starter (Gorzelanny type) and move JP to left next year so his arm isn’t such a liability. That improves our defense, is a push offensively and gives us a quality arm for next season. What do you all think? I think this would put us right back into the thick of things next year.
I didn’t think the Gonzo signing was all that bad at only 1 year. He was productive at the beginning of the season and then age caught up, but at least you know he’s gone at the end of the year and he was a good veteran to have in the clubhouse with all the young guys. Pierre is another story, 5 years, wow!! I wonder how much of the salary the Dodgers end up eating when Pierre is on the bench or playing in Tampa Bay in the middle of ’08.
This is the same Ned that said we haven’t had enough time to judge Pierre yet because of the adjustment to a new team, city, etc. Man, if you’re paying me 9 freaking million dollars I better be the type of player that can adjust on a dime dammit!
charris
one word…
No…
there is no way they would trade ethier…
ethier is a consistent .300+ 20-25HR /year player…
I like Hunter, but trading Ethier and keeping an outfield of Hunter Pierre and Im assuming Kemp is like one step forward one step backward. The ideal would be to get rid of Pierre and sign Hunter. I know, its not happening. It sickening thinking we need to be in the hunt for *another* starter next year considering how much we started with this year. We can’t count on Schmidt and I wouldn’t pick up Wolf’s option. We might try to trade some prospects for a starter in the offseason but even a smaller deal like that will probably burn us. Maybe we will revisit Blanton.
charris, you don’t trade any of the young guys to make room for Pierre ANYWHERE!!! Pierre goes before the kids. Tori Hunter is not guy who cah carry a team. He is not a classic 3 or 4 hitter, and that’s what the Dodgers need.
Ethier has hit 9 HRS so far this year, playing nearly everyday. I like him but theres no guarantee of 20-25 a year in his future. What do you all think the ceiling is?
lol Kiper..and Scott.
We can only hope he’s in Tampa Bay in 08…but can’t imagine Ned eating the salary…but if he doesn’t maybe we should force him..
Gonzo was the least bad of the signings because he was only one year…but Ned has to start thinking “not about veterans” , but about GOOD players that might have a bit of experience…He just spent lots of money this year for NOTHING….
jspelk
do u really think the Blanton deal can happen?
the A’s are asking too much…
van, Hunter is currently a better stick than Ethier, plays better D and he is far from washed up, plus Pierre’s squirt gun isn’t getting exposed as much in left and we fill some obvious holes in our rotation. jspelk, Blanton isn’t a bad option but I think we can get better if we shop Ethier.
I believe that Ethier will hit 20 to 25 if and when he plays everyday against lefty’s and righty’s … I also believe that Kemp can do the same, but what the heck do i know…
Technically speaking we have to fill to big holes next year, (not that I have given up on this year). But next year we still need to find a legit middle of the order guy, (kemp, or laroche), but also fill the Kent hole. I believe he rides into the sunset after this year is done.
Well you have to look at who’s out there thats willing to be moved b/c the FA market for pitchers this off season is awful outside of Big Z. The A’s have a price on Blaton. Obviously they were asking for too much, bu maybe their price would be lower in the offseason. I think he’s 2 years or so away from arb.
I can’t say I blame you guys. And I am caught up in it as well, but all this talk of 2008 Dodgers in the Summer of 2007 is making me queesy.
Hunter would help in the middle of our order here are his averages this year with 23 jacks:
BA 0.2904 OBA 0.3333 SLG 0.5340
Ok bear with me. Ethier has homered approx. once every 36 AB’s in the majors. Loney, he of the “no power”, has homered apporx once every 31 ABs. (Kemp is at one homer every 23 ABs, pretty good) So while I’d like to believe that Ethier will reach that, it remains to be seen. And remember, when Ethier was Loney’s age, he was in AA. Anyways, I still really really like Ethier so don’t hate me for being skeptical.
Dodger pitching, outside of Tomko and Hendrickson, is not to blame for our woes. The problem is the 1.8 runs per game the team is scoring over the last 20 games. If the team could score 3 or 4 per game, we’re still in first place and all of our blogging would be about who our rotation is going to be for the playoffs. We can’t look to trade Ethier for pitching, there is no need and no one out there, available, who’s worth Ethier’s upside. Lets score some runs!!!!
charris,
just like kiper said..
hunter is not the guy who can carry a team…
he would be an upgrade… agree… but we need more than Hunter…
jspelk, with what you just said don’t you think Ethier’s trade value might be slightly inflated after the season? If so, I don’t mind trading him as long as we get Juan out of center and get a nice arm in return.
Hey, I’m not too high on Hunter, but he provides more power and defense than JP(who doesn’t). Ethier could actually be a better “all around” player with better OBP than Hunter.
Hunter over JP
Ethier over Hunter
I still say Kemp, Ethier & Young for the OF.
van, I’m not saying that Hunter is “the” move to make, just saying he will upgrade our current team, and if I’m not mistaken he has been the centerpiece of plenty of Twins playoff teams.
uh oh..just read that Contreasas has cleared waivers…..say it ain’t so.
1.8 runs over 20 games (including that one 7 run game). yep. that will do it. well said.
Who knows what his value is? I don’t think the A’s thought he was worthless, I read that they only traded him because they had Travis Buck. I would do my best to trade Pierre and keep ethier/kemp and get another outfiel bat. But thats fantasy talk.
scott, you are seriously undervaluing Hunter’s defensive ability, Ethier is a decent outfielder, Hunter is a gold glove centerfielder. With a potential outfield of Kemp, JP and Hunter not too many balls are dropping in out there.
We need to get some of those Washington DC congressmen to tack Jp onto a trade of another player like when they sneak those tiny bills onto other laws…
Contreras…sorry about that spelling
Ok Van, I was really just listing the players in order of postion. I wouldn’t bat martin leadoff. I know I said lineup, but either way, our lists aren’t that different really. I think Arod’s great, but at 30 million per for 6 or 7 years, I would pass. I’d rather McCourt fight poverty or something if he’s going to start spending that kind of money…haha.
charris…
u are thinking of an upgrade…
i am thinking of a championship.. and i say Hunter isn’t the man…
A-Rod is the man…
scott,
i agree with you…
Young, Kemp, ethier in the OF!
charris – you are right about Hunter’s defense which is good enough to overlook a small drop in his offensive numbers. I’m just a little worried that Hunter’s best years would be behind him by the time we’d be getting him.
van, I don’t think you realize how many extra bases JP gives up in center with his weak arm. A-Rod brings us a ton of offense and solid D for 30 mill a year, Hunter brings a solid stick, with a ton of leather, don’t we have the worst D in the league?
true scott, but I think we can get Hunter at a much lower price than that of A-Rod or Andruw.
Is there any way we can send Pierre somewhere and not have to eat the millions still owed to him?
that’s becoz u want JP to stay in the lineup…
i don’t want JP in any of the OF position..
i know it’s hard to find a way to get rid of JP…
but if there’s a will there’s a way…
we all know even ned that signing JP is a mistake…
and broken parts should be repair… we don’t need JP.!
I wouldn’t pay Hunter any more than what JP is making – the only difference being he would at least eran it.
This is the DODGERS! They should be able to get Hunter and A-Rod if they like, especially with tickets and parking going up so much lately McCourt is raking it in right now.
Tori Hunter is 32 yrs old, 9 days older than ARod, he is making 12 mil this year, he has said the Twins will get no home team discount. How much will he be looking to make? 18 to 20? He has 187 career HR’s ARod has 504, ARod will ask for 30 mil, If you bring in somebody like Hunter, and he is worth what he gets, you need another bat, with ARod you need him only and with what we have now, we’re in business…
I like your way of thinking scott!
kiper, I still think Pierre’s arm in center is a glaring issue even if we do get A-Rod
Tori Hunter is 32 yrs old, 9 days older than ARod, he is making 12 mil this year, he has said the Twins will get no home team discount. How much will he be looking to make? 18 to 20? He has 187 career HR’s ARod has 504, ARod will ask for 30 mil, If you bring in somebody like Hunter, and he is worth what he gets, you need another bat, with ARod you need him only and with what we have now, we’re in business…
You think the Rockies will ever trade or you think they can keep Matt Holladay.
charris, Pierre is staying,so, maybe next season you move him to left and let Kemp patrol centerfield. This way, you don’t worry about 2 dead arms, Gonzo and JP, and JP’s arm is a little better than Gonzo’s and i think you have the solution.
Holliday is unquestionably a keeper, that guy will probably be the centerpiece of their line-up for years.
what about this for a future lineup?
Furcal
Martin
A-Rod
Hunter
Loney
Ethier
Kemp
D Young
I don’t know about you guys but that’s a championship lineup there. Lets make it happen Dodgers!
So, with Pierre in LF we still get the benefit of his great offensive prowess?
I can’t give up hope that JP will either be gone or relegated to pinch runner.
Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi you’re my only hope…
With that line up, you can have of rotation of
Van 19
californiaautobuilder
charris
scott
ladodgerbluefan
and i’ll close….
LOL yeah unfortunately I think we’re stuck with Pierre’s monster stick for another season or 2 but should we really have to suffer with his arm in center that whole time?
Couldn’t agree more Kiper. Now if we were to get that lineup and not make the playoffs then I think we’re the 21st century version of the Red Sox/Cubbies. I think if McCourt really wants it he can afford it.
lol, that was a good one.
c’mon kiper I want to close you can be the #3 guy.LOL
anyone going to the game tonight.
Nope, went yesterday and going again tomorrow.
kiper
i would be glad to be ur number one starter.. lol
van 19 no. 1 starter with A-Rod hitting 4th.
im there yesterday but i wont be there until friday against the rockies…
What would be better than having A-Rod as a Dodger and potentially break Bonds’ record in Blue.
im a pretty good hitter too…
so i can hit in the 8th spot… and JP can bunt me to second coz he is hitting 9th… lol
The Dodgers found a way to dump Kevin Brown and Izturis so maybe there’s hope.
JP in LF is a little better than JP in CF, but that’s kind of like saying that stepping in gum is a little better than stepping in dog ****.
Well scott, the smell is not as bad..
At least the gum is a nice guy
im a die hard dodger fan and if anyone can explain to me why the dodgers are making some dumb moves. i would love to hear from them…why in the world would you send delwyn young back to the minors when he proved he can hit in the majors..and for a player like shea hillenbrand..theres a reason why nobody wanted him im not saying he is a bad player but you dont replace a good up and comer who is hitting the ball well….
Uh, Hillenbrand is a bad player..and…
No one knows why it happened except Ned “I Love Veterans No Matter What” Colletti.
Who do you guys think should start on Thursday? Personally I think that it should be Stults but I’ve come to expect that Ned will take a shot on the washed up Wells
Cudavidx…
That’s the answer….Ned..NED…NED..
I’ve never seen a vet I didn’t
like.!
Dan Evans dumps Brown and his salary and a few weeks later he gets the can. Shawn Green gets dumped by depodesta and he was canned 3 months later. Ned do the right thing. Dump Pierre and then get canned.
I would, as long as he comes here hung over, and pitch a perfect game.
Good one jungar!
Here’s how the interview process works:
Shea: Hi I’m Shea Hiilenbrand. Would you like to see my stats?
Colletti: Are you a veteran?
Shea: Uh, yes.
Colletti: Say no more, you’re hired!
wow, the yankees have 6 players in their regular line up with more RBI than our top RBI guy.
At this point, I hope Wilson Betemit isn’t one of them.
I think we need Repko and Pierre to play a little pick up basketball this off season.
What do you guys think of trying to unload Furcal in the offseason, the Whitesox would be the ideal team for him. That would open a spot for a possible Arod run.
But with Ned I am sure he is look at the older vet up in SF for the shortstop position.
so this is what kills me. i read the article. and it said that they sent young back to the minors???***?
what 6 hits in 8 at bats wasnt good enough for them?
unbelievable.
continuing…
Colletti: Say no more, you’re hired!
Shea: I just had twins you know. No one from the Jays team that dumped me last year even congradulated me. So I refused to sit with my team, called the Manager a bunch of names, wrote in the club house on the chalkboard this is a sinking ship and my manager tried to start a fight with me.
Ned: wow, what did you do?
Shea: well I am a bigger man than he so I wouldn’t fight him and those loosers DFA’ed me that night. Thank heavens your old boss then traded for me and I finished the year as a Giant.
Ned: DFA’ed you, Who the Angels?
Shea: No, the padres did.
Ned: I thought you said the Jays did.
Shea: they did, but that was before the padres and angels…
Ned interrupting: Oh. Well didn’t you used to play in Boston?
Shea: I don’t want to talk about Boston.
Ned: I heard when you weren’t a veteran yet you had some troubles there.
Shea: In Boston, I went on live radio and used a homosexual slur toward my own general manager…….but don’t worry Ned…..that was because they brought in Bill Mueller.
Ned: My Boy Billy?
Shea: Whatever. They didn’t know what they had with me. If they get rid of me, they’ll know what they have, I said to the Boston Hearld. You’ve heard of Jeff Bagwell I told them.
Ned: He did win a batting title while hitting .380 for them and became a World Champion
Shea: Who Bagwell?
Ned: About your rift in Toronto…
Shea: Let me go ahead and cut you off right there Ned. Rest assured that if your manager challenged me to a fight I wouldn’t be afraid, I think I can take him.
Ned: Thats the fire we’re looking for…you’re hired. Go get ’em Shea…oh wait a second I have to demote some rookie (scratches head) whats his name…oh well he went 4 for 4 but that was certainly a fluke, you’re in there go get ’em tiger.