Spring Training
To the question about the Spring Training schedule – it’s still a little while away from being finalized. It would make sense that usually that comes out before the regular season one but that’s never the case. There’s just a lot more tweaking that goes into spring schedules than the regular one, but stay tuned. Once it’s out, we’ll post it here.
The lineup for tonight’s game:
Pierre, CF
Valdez, 2B
Kemp, RF
Loney, 1B
Martin, C
Young, LF
LaRoche, 3B
Hu, SS
Billingsley, P
Inside the Dodgers 
It’s always nice watching Bills pitch, so I’ll be looking forward to that & Martin maybe hitting 2 BOMBS for 20/20, I love your writing style Josh, it feels like home.
I must admit Josh, I really like your posts as well. Not only are they informative, but they are positive and honest. Thank you.
Hopefully we’re firing Grady and Colleti on Monday.
It’s pretty crazy that next year will be the final year playing at Vero for the Dodgers in Spring Training.
Well I guess the only thing left to do is win game #82. and #13 fo Billz and just play ball and have a lot of fun. There’s no pressure.
Ned and Grittle took an 88 win team and made them into what an 82 or 3 win team. That’s progress in the right direction. How about sitting little Juan and putting in Either? What’s the use? Grittle never used the best available people all season , why should he start now.
Nice to see the kids back in there, but I wish Ethier could have gotten more starts. In any event, hopefully Billingsley can get one final win. GO DODGERS!!
http://mikesciosciastragicillness.com/
Josh, Ned Coletti has just said (derisively) in his interview on TV that the idea of Matt Kemp being traded “comes from the blog world”.
I am glad that he is dismissing the idea. But it was Plaschke in the largest mainstream newspaper in the region, the Times, who came up with that smear, claiming insider sources in Dodger management no less, and the “blog world” – particularly Dodger Thoughts and this one – that most strongly objected. Since you are the intendant of the Dodger’s own blog, it is up to you to set Mr. Coletti straight and remind him where the blame lies, and where the merit. Your work for the Dodgers is being unfairly tarnished here, as well as Plaschke improperly getting a pass. The Times should not be giving a platform to people (Plaschke and Simers) who intentionally distort the truth, and the Dodgers ought to rebut them, as you did a few days ago.
http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=sd
So Brett Tomko is starting for the Padres on the most important game of their season? Ha Ha Ha
Needless to say, It wasn’t billzies night. But you wondered how long Grady would let him go.
Love that Throw by KEMP
Leave it to PIERRE to punch in a run and then KEMP
M_A_R_T_I_N#19, PIERRE 41RBI, with 0 HR.
KEMP*****LONEY****MARTIN***Looking good
Good job by HENDRICKSON and PIERRE has 195 HITS.
SEANEZ & BEIMEL do their 7th inning dance.
Another fine outing in the 8th by Doctor Scott PROCTOR.
Hu**stole her heart away**Hu
SAME OLD STORY
What can you say? what is there to say? About SAITO
pierre…
ur amazing!
ur still watching the dodgers at this time…
and the fact that this games are meaningless ur still there supporting!
i salute u for that!
gudnayt… have a nice sleep after the game…
P.S
Hope they win!
nice win!
good night guys!
good way to win a game with the season nearing to an end!
THANK YOU G__O__N__Z__O
THESE GAMES ARE NOT MEANINGLESS
**** it Giants.
pierre
im sorry…
what i mean is this game didn’t really matter coz this games wont get us in the playoffs!
but i agree this games are not meaningless! the kids are fun to watch!
i apologize again.
Tomorrow, my daughter and I will be going to Shea Stadium to root the Mets on.LET’S GO METS
I’m rooting for all out chaos…
Tomorrow, if the Padres lose, Mets win, Rockies win, Phillies win, we have ourselves a four way tie. Dodger fans root for chaos! It would take until Wednesday to sort out that madness. First would be a N.L East Tiebreak between the Mets and Phillies and then the loser goes into a three team tourney with the Padres and Rockies. Just crazyness all around, you all know you want that to happen.
GO CHAOS!
I don’t understand this, all year long Grady leaves his struggling pitchers in way past the 2nd inning when the games actually counted. Example, September 11th, Dodgers down 4-0 with 2 outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the second. Instead of replacing Esteban Blowaiza with a pinch hitter, Grady leaves him in only to give up 2 more runs in the third inning which puts the game completely out of reach. But tonight Billingsley is pitching bad and he makes the right decision. Thanks Grady! But you’re just a little too late.
Has anybody noticed that Pierre seems much more effective without Furcal batting ahead of him? With Hu looking like a pretty good replacement, can we use Furcal as a trading chip either in the off-season or by mid-season next year? It doesn’t look likely that we’ll be giving him a big extension beyond next year anyway.
I still think that any off-season moves would best be made by someone other than Colletti, and we need someone with more fire and younger management skills to lead the team next season. I hope that McCourt fires both Colletti and Grady tomorrow.
LOGAN WHITE and GIBSON or HERSHEISER would be my choices for 2008.
For the last couple of days it’s been good to see people getting their opinions across without a lot of childish name calling.
I like alex’s idea of chaos.
I’m pulling for the Rockies and Phillies to make it into the playoffs. That would make a whole new playoff team lineup from the NL.
The question is inescapable, given the fine performances of Chad Billingsley, Matt Kemp and James Loney in the second half: Couldn’t the Dodgers have won — and saved $36 million as well — had they started the season with Billingsley in the starting rotation ahead of Mark Hendrickson and Brett Tomko, Kemp in the outfield rather than Luis Gonzalez and Loney at first base rather than Nomar Garciaparra?
“I don’t think that’s accurate,” Colletti said. “We’ve seen continued development from the young players. There are still days they’re finding their way.”
WHAT!!!!
FIRE GRADY
FIRE COLLETTI
Josh:
On this the final day of the Dodgers season, on behalf of those of us who post occasionally but read always, thank you very much for this service and the effort that you put into it. It is greatly appreciated. While many who post on the blog and read the blog may disagree with moves made by the Dodgers owner, GM, Manager and players, we all love the Dodgers and wish them the best and appreciate this forum!!!
Ditto diehardblu and cosmow123!!!
I am so sad the season is ending. Even though we didn’t make the playoffs I enjoyed this season(like I do every one) very much. During the winter there won’t be a day that goes by without me looking forward to opening day next season. This may be my last post of the season so I just wanted to say that it was nice talking to all of you, and better luck next year for our beloved Dodgers! LETS GO DODGERS!!!!!!