More Meetings Madness
I meant to post yesterday and never got the chance, but all is still relatively quiet on the homefront. Obviously the Tigers and Marlins appear to have made a major splash, though until it’s announced anything can still go south.
As for the Dodgers, it’s still 18-hour workdays (not for the PR guy, but for the baseball people). These meetings always give me a chance to interact with some of the scouts and special assistants I don’t normally see during the season and I really get an appreciation for what they all do. They have been meeting with the various teams to see if our needs match up and of course, the agents for the players who are on the open market. Obviously there hasn’t been a deal made yet on our end, but those things change quickly in this environment, as everyone learned yesterday with Detroit.
We did get a special treat last night, as Tommy Lasorda hosted everyone at John’s A’s, a restaurant known for its ribs and catfish. Apparently Tommy has been going there for more than 30 years and the owner coaxed him to get on stage and do some singing with the band (ok, it didn’t require much coaxing). He also gave an impassioned speech about supporting our troops and about being proud Americans, at which point the band broke into Lee Greenwood’s "Proud to be an American." I’m sure that any of the people who were in the restaurant without knowing that the Dodger party was coming that night had an evening they’ll never forget.
Over at Dodger Thoughts, Jon Weisman posts a great explanation of the rumor mill here at the meetings. This is some of the most fun times to be a baseball fan, when rumors run rampant and almost every name out there is attached to the Dodgers one way or the other. But like Jon, I urge caution in getting too caught up in believing all of it. These are often thrown out there by agents looking to drive up the market for their player or teams who are interested in someone on another team. Given that our baseball people are working almost around the clock, it’s safe to assume that they ask about almost everyone you can imagine who would help improve the Dodgers. That said, it doesn’t mean it’s a top target or that the names floated out there as possible prospects leaving Los Angeles have any validity to them. Sometimes they do and often they don’t. That’s the nature of these meetings.
Still, it’s a lot of fun and keeps baseball at the top of everyone’s mind in December, and that’s a great thing!
I’ll hopefully post one more time before leaving tomorrow. The Rule 5 draft is in the morning and we head back to Los Angeles in the evening before returning to the stadium on Friday morning. In the meantime, I’m going to go buy an Elvis souvenir – they seem to be everywhere in this hotel.
Inside the Dodgers 
Why is Ken Gurnick working for MLB.com ? Some of the things he writes is crazy. It’s funny how these “experts” write things and usually none of it happens.
From the Press-Enterprise
– Regarding last year’s clubhouse troubles, Colletti said, “I know why it occurred. It’s been addressed.” Speaking of which, a source today recounted an incident between Jeff Kent and James Loney after a September loss last season that underscores the divide. Loney untucked his jersey after the game in the near-empty dugout, and Kent ordered him to tuck his shirt back in. Loney was in the middle of something and said alright, he’d do it. Kent shook his head and walked off in a huff and later let Loney know how unprofessional the kid was being. It was at the end of the series that Kent criticized the team’s young players.
—–
I hope Kent stays in Texas so he can keep riding his bikes. Please don’t come back Jeff !
Unload Pierre Ned. At any cost.
I love Loney but if that’s what happened then I applaud Kent. You don’t untuck your jersey until you’re in the locker room. If you’re on the field or in the dugout before, during or after a game you should have your jersey tucked in.
I’m sure tucking your jersey in looks a little more professional, but lighten up Cameron.
Being a business-like robot your whole career doesn’t do a lot for the team either. Loney seems to be well mannered otherwise, and isn’t he a good friend of Martin’s? Who do you want to be known as a friend of – Martin or Kent?
Loney is a great guy with a strong Christian background but looking the part of a professional is a big deal. It’s one of those unwritten rules. Maybe Kent could have handled it in a better way but any player should already know that you keep your jersey tucked in until you’re in the locker room.
I’ve never been in the major leagues, so I’m a little ignorant of the unwritten rules.
Still, I’m assuming Kent was just looking for an excuse to be a “veteran”. I guess lying about hurting your wrist is more professional though.
buahahahaha is that it? is that what sent Kent off? hahahahah what a tool.
Kent is one of the most unprofessional baseball players to wear a dodger uniform. Screw him.
Hey max, how do you really feel?
lol
Kent has always been a jerk.
Well, it seems as if most of the fans on this blog got what they wanted. Colletti seems content to go with th kids instead of trading a few of them for proven Major League talent to make the Dodgers a contender in ’08. To me it’s a mistake. Anytime you can get a potential Hall of Famer like Cabrera you pull the trigger regardless if you have to give up a package of young unproven players to make the deal happen.
Sure all of the kids have potential but that does not translate into wins. Now instead of dealing for Cabrera Doger fans are going to end up with one of the following players at 3B for the next 2-3 seasons Scott Rolen, Troy Glaus, Brandon Inge, Pedro Feliz or God forbid Aaron Boone. All these guys have had decent careers but are any of them really better than Nomar? They’re all on the backside of their careers and prone to injury (ie: Nomar) There’s no way Laroche is going to get a shot at 3B in Torre’s first year. So to me I think Colletti made a huge mistake that will end up haunting the Dodgers for years to come.
cdlv,
If LaRoche does not get a shot to play 3B, then I might have to agree with you. But he was the better player in the minors of all the guys ahead of him. Injuries have been his problem – hopefully not a chronic problem!
the only place miggy will have is hof plaque hanging from is the hometown buffet.
cdlv@hotmail.com Mistakes is what Colletti is about. See Piere, Schmidt, Gozo etc. How come Ned can’t figure out anyway to get Rios? Maybe it’s because Rios is under 40.
the only move should be is dump pierre and sign a. jones.
How outrageous is it that the Dodgers aren’t even on the poll to win the NL Pennant?
http://proxy.espn.go.com/espn/page2/polling?event_id=3279
cdlv… i could not disagree with you more. Matt Kemp, Clayton Kershaw, James Loney, and Andy LaRoche. Thats what they were asking for. As the team stands now, we’ll be counting on 3 of those 4 to produce for us. Our prospects are far better than what the Marlins got in the deal. ****, can u really call Loney and Kemp prospects any more?
cdlv,
The players the Marlins wanted are not unproven. Loney, Brox, and Kemp have already performed well and are a big part of the teams future. Kershaw is the top left handed pitching prospect in baseball. If we make that trade, we create more holes than we fill. LaRoche will do a better than average job at 3rd given the opportunity. We don’t need Rolen, Glaus or anyone else for 3rd base. Dump Pierre and we will be just fine now and down the road. The D-backs, Rockies, and Padres overachieved last year and we underachieved because of Little and his Pierre/Schmidt debacles.
Ned’s Pierre/Schmidt debacle.
Little’s bungling musical lineups and being forced to play Pierre and Nomar.
Didn’t realize a new post was up.
Another rookie/first time poster here so please give me a minor break. I’m am not at a Pierre lover or apologist ( wouldn’t try with that contact for that many years), but with the ‘sign A Jones and dump Pierre’ theory, who is your 2009 leadoff hitter? We all know that Hu will not be entrusted to this spot with 0 full years of big league experience.
Ned put Little into a no-win situation and should have been held more accountable.
Furcal, he was doing it before Pierre got here.
jhall, you really believe that. Little was a horrible manager. He accounted for about six losses at the least.
Abreu has the tools and talent to take over 2nd base and leadoff if they don’t resign Furcal.
Furcal’s contact ends this year. Resign him to a long term high dollar deal therefore blocking Hu and others?
I believe it was a combined effort. Ned screwed up and couple that with Little’s ineptitude and we were doomed. Little paid the full price though. Ned walked away and was just as much to blame as Little.
Lets not worry about 2009 yet, if we dump Pierre I am sure we can find someone else that can lead off. If Furcal is not resigned then we will figure it out.
furcal ss
martin c
loney 1b
kent 2b
a.jones cf
kemp rf
either lf
la roche 3b
that looks **** good to me.
Exactly Shawn.
Welcome, mpap.
I don’t think Pierre is much of leadoff hitter anyway. A leadoff hitter needs to get on base more than JP. Someone with decent bat skills and an ability to take a walk once in a while.
Maybe Furcal, maybe someone else, but Raffy was getting on base at a better clip than Pierre last season even in an “off” year offensively for him.
I’d be happy with that lineup Autorebuilder. Bat Jones 4th, Kemp 5th, and Kent 6th though.
Furcal will another solid season as long as he stays away from repko.
cali, that’s the lineup baby!
Guys on base and Kent behind him and Kemp sees more good pitches to hit.
I don’t want to see Pierre out there either. I just don’t want to see an ongoing mistake compounded by anther FA signing. Bradley…Drew…Pierre. IMO Jones would not be a positive influence at all in the clubhouse. Why aren’t the braves even kicking the tires on him. I find it hard to believe that there centerfield prospect can put up his kind of numbers.
Everyone wants to take issue with Cabrera’s weight because it’s the “IN” thing to do right now. I don’t care if the guy is 3 bills, as long as he can put the numbers he has throughout his career, I’ll take him.
As for Kent, I would like to see him return for the simple fact that the guy is consistent Major League hitter who drives in alot of runs.
Having said that, there’s no way he’s coming back unless the Dodgers make roster improvments that will give them a better chance to win in ’08 than they did in ’07. So for all you Kent haters make sure to send Ned a Christmas card to express your thanks.
then you have nomar, repko, and young off the bench.
Braves are going to need the money to resign Texiera.
I like the lineup…Kemp maybe ahead of Andruw for protection and Kemp I believe will be the better hitter. Alot of Ks coming with those two back to back.
Who cares if we dump Pierre and don’t have a leadoff hitter in 2009. Every player in our lineup is a better leadoff hitter then Pierre is. It doesn’t matter. Just get rid of the bum.
I believe I read that the braves really were cutting salary. I think he will be okay here in Los Angeles. Furcal, Martin, A. Jones up the middle pretty solid. Kent will be okay.
Right you are Max.
Right now I would rather have Brett Butler out there than Pierre. He could probably still do a better job playing center and leading off than Pierre.
Just thought of this, if we would be able to sign A.Jones, we would be able to have probably the best three arms in the outfield. That surely would cut down on guys taking second base on Pierre,and Gonzo.
Love the lineup Cali. Just worried he isn’t everything he’s cracked up to be. Please check out this link.
http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070521&content_id=1977779&vkey=news_atl&fext=.jsp&c_id=atl
Even if Pierre plays center, with Ethier in left full time we are better off. Gonzo and Pierre both together was a recipe for an outfield disaster.
I would rather have Rhett Butler than Pierre.
**** Scott.
I’ll bet Scarlett has a better arm. LOL
you guys go check out the Braves roster, A.Jones isn’t on it anymore.
Maybe that is the reason Cali.
I’ll take the strikeouts for 40 homers and 110+ rbi’s.
Scott you stole my line….
A. Jones career fld. pct. .991
Ethier, Jones, and Kemp would be a formidable outfield. No arguements there.
Let me reiterate. I do not like JP or his contract. I just want to see a winner for years to come. I know that the 2008 season is the most important one, but we can’t forget about the years after or I fear we will become the Orioles. Dumping JP will be an easier pill to swallow in another year or two. Lowe, Furcal, Kent, Nomar = 40 million off the payroll after this season.
Hey guys, I’m afraid we’re stuck with Pierre at least until the trade deadline or a waiver deal down the stretch – no one in their right mind would take him before the season starts. By midseason clubs will take almost anybody if they’re still warm and breathing. BTW, what’s wrong with the Dodgers DEALING a little excess baggage (Nomar/Pierre/Kent)midseason instead of taking more on like they always do (Loaiza/Hillenbrand et al.?)
Man, Miss Prissy has a better arm than Pierre…
So, JP is a great guy. So what. He can go join the All Good Guys Who Can’t Play Club.
Dump Pierre. Stick anyone else besides Gonzo in the OF and we come out ahead.
Why do people keep acting like the Dodgers have payroll limits? The darn parking went up 50% last year along with ticket hikes and near 4 million came out. There’s no money issue here. It’s all about spending wisely v. unwisely (see Juan Pierre discussion above).
Regarding mpap28’s link:
Andruw Jones has a wide stance? Quick, somebody alert Sen. Larry Craig!
If we eat half of Pierre’s salary, someone will take him. It’s not like we will be asking for any player of significance for him in a trade. Middle of the road middle relief pitcher would be fine with me. Or a couple of cases of bottled water.
Good one Fogey. LOL
why do they have the winter meetings when I am in the middle of finals? no consideration. I blame baseball for my Fails.
I would be thrilled with an outfield of Young, Kemp, Either. I am 100% for the kids. I am not blind to what a fantastic upgrade that Jones would be. I just am not sure that spending around 30 million for the next 4 years (signing Jones and paying someone to bench Pierre)is conducive to long term winning baseball with all the mistakes we have made over the last 15+ years. If we were guaranteed that 40hr 110 rbi average for 4 years I would be all over it. But the fact remains that his numbers have declined fairly drastically over that last 2 years and Dodger Staduim is more of a pitchers park (i think, correct me if I am wrong) than Atlanta.
jhall: maybe trade JP for a couple of bottles of Swill…
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/253357/swill_mineral_water/
old fogey that is funny!!!!
There were 79 players with over 500 Abs in 2007 with a better OBP than Pierre. So if you are worried about 2009 and who will get on base at the top of our order..then don’t worry man things will be alright.
With A Jones we give up no one and get great OF defense at a premium defensive spot where we currently have our worst defensive OFer.
We also get a +26 (worst case) in HR over our current CF..while having the same career OBP.
No Jones for me though unless it is Ethier and Kemp on the corners. And my money still would go towards pitching over Jones.
I’ll take it Scott.
LaRoche should never have been in the 8th spot of the lineup. In his first 50 AB he had an OBP well above .420. He was hitting the way he was taught, but the pitchers were pitching around him to get to our 9th spot. Of course, his SLG suffered. People criticized his lack of power and productivity, but it was that their was no threat behind him. He was a disciplined hitter, but getting nothing to hit.
Then when he got a second flurry of starts, it was still in the 8th spot. He tried to swing more, leading to more than 15 additional Ks, fewer BBs, and only 1 HR. His OBP took a nosedive. They were still pitching around him, so his SLG barely moved. Bat him 2 – 7 and he will do much better. At this point in his career, he should never be at 8. You want to encourage plate discipline in a kid breaking into MLB, not expect him to go after bad pitches, as required of an 8th hitter in the NL.
old fogey,
I didn’t mean to link to that post to say he has a hitting problem. I meant to show that he may be an attitude problem.
I swing the bat the way I want to swing, the way I swing it all the time,” Jones said. “So some days, you’re going to have bad days and some days, you’re going to have good days.”
Sounds like a refusal to address what the team wanted from him, better plate disipline. I don’t want to end up with this lineup for 2008 and do not yet trust Ned.
Furcal
Pierre
Jones
Kent
Martin
Loney
Nomar
Ethier
(assuming assinine Kemp/Laroche/Kershaw trade)
Hr rbi-Jones
26 84
36 104
34 104
35 94
36 116
29 91
51 128
41 129
26 94
Lets not go crazy with talking about decline. He is 30. He had a miserable year last year. Year before he went 41 129. We could use that.***** we could use 26 94 which would have led all dodger hitters in both categories last year.
Young, Kemp, Ethier works for me.
mpap28, who did you just trade those 4 guys for.?
Good point Mpap.
mpap,
That is one ugly lineup! Let’s hope that doesn’t come to pass.
I’m hoping Ned suddenly becomes a bright GM, but I’ve got my fingers crossed!
sorry 3 guys.?
Santana I suspect.
I just don’t trust Ned yet. I don’t think he has earned it and doubt anywill will disagree. He has traded away any top flight talent yet, but I don’t want him to think he has to make a move with a young player to cover up the Pierre mistake. The 2 albatrosses we have are Pierre and Schmidt and I don’t want anymore castoffs on this good young team.
I don’t mean to say Jones is a castoff. Just don’t want to see a problem compounded by moving JP to left. If we we could trade him for any prospect at any level and only pay 6 mil of his salary I would do it. But I think he has to go before we sign anyone to play an outfield position.
answer the question, what did you get in return for trading kemp, kershaw, and laroche.
If it were for Santana I could at least partially stomach it. I afraid it would be for Bedard and others or something else equally mindnumbing. He did sign JP to 4/45.
http://wintermeetings.mlblogs.com/nashvilleconfidential/
Say Jones was in LA,but could be unrelated.
if the dodgers trade matt kemp…mock my words…he will come back to haunt us and we will NOT win for a while. matt kemp and brox for eric bedard. are you kidding me?? he is not that great of a pitcher. that is the next pedro martinez for Delino Deshields. if i was matt kemp, i would be pissed to see that trade being rumored. its a major insault to his playing abiliy.
i think matt kemp isn’t taking any of these rumors to heart, because they are only rumors. A. Jones will be a dodger by tomorrow.
For me this comes down to a lack of trust in the D’s ability to land good FA’s. Look at what we have done recently while Vlad Guerrero, Soriano, and Arod went elsewhere. Dumping JP and signing Jones will cost about the same as Arod for 4 years. In itself I would do it, I just don’t think Ned would stop after that. If he would I’m all for it and lets get JP out.
Remember gang, we have Chan Ho Park waiting in the wings. LOL
I remember watching a game that Andruw swung and missed a pitch (nothing Unusual) and he grimaced in pain. then I remembered an article on Braves.com
When Jones looks at his .222 batting average and the fact that he may not hit 30 homers or eclipse 100 RBIs, he’s not making any excuses. The veteran center fielder has battled soreness in his knees and the discomfort that has been present since he hyperextended his left elbow on May 27.
I would like to believe that his down year was more of an abrration due to an injury he could not shake and would not sit unlike JD Drew. Have I ever mentioned that I cannot stand Drew and I am really PO that he has a ring… anyway Andruw is 30 when most player are coming into their physical and mental prime…it is worth the gamble. It is not as if we are signing Devon White, Kenny Lofton also rans he is still a good ballplayer with a lot to prove.
Defensively he will win us games….
No on Inge, he is very good defensively but his 236 or 251 avg will drive me nuts…NO!!!! Sign Andruw and play Laroche capeche!!!
I concur Shawn.
Well said Shawn. Much like Furcal this year.
mpap – Am I the only one who believes that whole Arod thing was orchestrated by the Yankees from start to finish just to steal some of the thunder away from the BoSox winning the WS? Dodgers never had a chance on that one – no one did.
The one thing that worries me even if Pierre goes, is Ned’s love affair with Nomar. He keeps talking about Nomar “bouncing back”.
The only thing guaranteed to bounce back is the abominable snow monster from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.
So, Ned, Get over Nomar already!
Princess Drew is a joke.
Shawn,
I concur also if Pierre is gone first so Ned doesn’t get any screwy ideas about ‘surplus outfielders’. Just would like to be sure his attitude is OK. Compare his stats to Torii Hunter and you will see that Jones is a better player. Why did the Angels overpay (IMO) an older lesser talent? I hope that their mistake is our gain, but Pierre must be gone for Jones to work for me.
Let Nomar battle LaRoche for 3rd base. If he comes back strong, great. I have my doubts. Good utility player as he can play all infield positions. Not optimal at 9M a year, but Ned messed up resigning him.
Have you ever seen anyone that plays baseball for a living (a dream of all of ours) and seem to hate it. I just would watch him and think if he had Ecksteins heart he would be Mickey Mantle. He constanlty had the look as if he were constipated, never smiled…and god forbid he stubbedhis toe getting out of bed..he would miss a couple of games…Have I told you I do not like Drew?
I was talking about Drew by the way.
Have you ever seen anyone that plays baseball for a living (a dream of all of ours) and seem to hate it.
yes ,Jeff Kent.
I think Kent has chronic bowel syndrome.
Hey jhall1218@yahoo.com Chan Ho actually decided to not come to the Dodgers. I believe I read he wanted to pitch in Korea next year instead. Josh, can you confirm this ? That he did not sign a minor league contract with the Dodgers. I could be wrong.
Jungar good point but at least he plays the game hard and produces…I have had the opportunity to meet some ex players and trainers and you know what you have in Kent. He is a loner and he expects the game to be played the right way. Drew seemed to be a robot just go thru the motions.
Roberto I read the same thing.
jhall that is funny.
nobody really wanted Chan Ho did they?
No Ho?******!!
kent doesnt love the game and i hate kent and drew. both of them arnt worthy enough to wipe my ***.
oh I have no problem with the way he plays at all..none at all.he plays hard and thru pain and produces….he is the one that admitted that basically on that before the bigs special on tv or whatever it was called.
I would take Kent over Drew anytime. Princess is a waste.
Neither suits me better though.
thank god:
Oh, and scratch any suggestion of Glaus going to the Los Angeles Dodgers, even though third base prospect Andy LaRoche of the Dodgers is coveted heavily by the Blue Jays. “Haven’t talked to them about Glaus,” Ricciardi said.
He admitted he is not a fan of the game, he plays it as a job and he is very good at it. He plays with passion and you do not put up the numbers he has and not like/love the game. I think we are confusing what he said…when he is on the field he is ultra competitive and he wants to win a championship, that is why he is even considering coming back. It is not for the money he has enough of that. Now when he leaves baseball he will probably never go to another game unless his kids are in it.
Kent should be a hall of famer. This will probalby ruffle some feathers but I respect Kent.
HOF for sure. No brainer.
I respect what he has done as a hitter but do not respect the man.
As a 2nd baseman only. Anywhere else and he is not even considered. Not even a good 2nd baseman most of his career and not a leader or character guy.
yep but the hall is about numbers. sad but true. and as a second baseman he will have some of the best numbers in history. I dont like him either and question if any team can win with him in the clubhouse.
I am of the belief that you have to be strong up the middle to win championships. Having Kent and Pierre kills us on defense. Martin and Furcal are good. Throw in his(Kent’s) crabby attitude and he’s a bum.
Great defense saves the pitching staff.
Kent has been on several division champions and was wihtin 4 outs or so of a WS championship…he will never be confused for mr. congenality but he performed and helped the teams win. He never wanted to be a leader.
Sometimes you have to step it up if you want the big prize.
I am off the Kent bandwagon please forgive me…I understand what you guys are saying and feel but when I watch him play with the passion that he does and not being in the locker room but having talked to people who have been they say he does not bother anyone and he will give advise sometimes and when he tries to tell them that this is how you should play the game…and they just do not think they have to listen to a man who will be in the HOF…his reputation is what precedes him and we on the outside will percieve him as an arrogant sob. Enough…any good rumors?
i’d take Kent over Drew anyday though. At least Kent shows frustration out there if a call is missed by the umps or he has an at-bat. He actually shows he cares and is a competitor.
As for JD Drew..anyone notice how he looks lost out there after he swings at a breaking ball off the plate? He just continues through the motion of swinging through the zone and then he does this little girly twirl right back into the dugout, all while chewing his bubble gum.
Looks can be deceiving of course, and just because he doesnt show emotion sometimes doesn’t mean he doesn’t care about the game, but man, that’s one thing I hated about watching JD Drew’s at-bats.
Yea Shawn,
Chan Ho isn’t coming back. LOL
We have bigger concerns than Jeff Kent. I think in Kent’s case it’s how he talks to people and how he comes across, it’s not the content in the message he is trying to deliver being the problem.
JOSH Thanks for keeping us posted on what goes on at those meetings. In all the years I’ve followed this game, I’ve never been as informed as I am now. ******WOOOH***That Cabrera Feasco****I’ll never forget this deal or “non deal” or whatever you want to call it, involving Miguel Cabrera. If it were a straight swap or even, if we gave them Kemp for center field and LaRoche as a fillin 3rd baseman, for the present time, even if he developed for them, and included Clayton Kershaw. It would’ve been a sharp pain and hurt a little while, but we would’ve gotten over it, shortly.*****But to have to ADD Loney 1B, Billingsley SP, and Broxton our set-up man?????THESE ARE OUR EVER NIGHT PLAYERS? Not really knowing exactly who was involved, I previously said we’d regret not making the trade, but now I say WOW, I’M GLAD WE GOT OUT OF IT ALIVE!!!!********I wrote to the Voice of the People in the Daily News ( N. Y.) , (because they don’t seem to be accepting my e-mails), about all the negative print about O’Malley, in yesterday’s paper. I only hope they print my response. GO DODGERS
I agree casino383 every once in while throw a tantrum show some life….get excited…
You gotta forgive me Shawn, but I am old school and calling out teammates in the media is an unforgiveable infraction.
Ned speaks
Most interesting thing that came out of it was that Jonathan Meloan, the team’s top relief pitching prospect, could possibly enter spring training as a starting pitcher and compete for a spot on the team there. Meloan spent September with the team out of the bullpen, but on the day he arrived, announced his interest in eventually starting, something he hadn’t done since pitching for the University of Arizona.
In other news, the Dodgers exchanged phone calls with the A’s and did speak with the Cardinals, but everything seems to be at a preliminary or no-go stage at this point. “It’s a real long shot we leave tomorrow with anything different,” Colletti said. “There was a big rush coming in here. The anticipation was greater than the reality.” He went on. “We are not an organization without options. We are an organization that is becoming more and more homegrown.”
Shawn..thanks for agreeing, i thought i was the only one. It looked as if JD drew wanted to cry and go into the dugout and curl into a little ball every time he struck out swinging. It was weird for sure. Luckily he’s doing that in boston and not in la.
As far as a tantrum, or some emotion, my favorite moment was when KENT went up to shawn green on 2nd base and called him out for stealing signs and relaying them to the batter from 2nd. That was one of the coolest moments because Kent had this smirk on his face like he was trying to get under shawn green’s skin, and shawn green was looking for the ump to tell Kent to stop picking on him.
That was a classic moment for sure.
granted and if they had a leader in the coaches office the situation would have never have gotten that far…Grittle and Ned had to see that this was coming to a head…react get the guys talking…You had the vets on one side and the rooks on the other no interaction at all…None…that is where a real manager at any job has to do somehting to help them bond. God knows they do not have to like each other to play winning baseball….the yankees and As of the 70s proved that.
Great point Shawn.
I could see a situation where Kent felt that Grittle was letting the youngins run wild and make all kinds of mistakes with no consequences and Kent tried to step in with his own advice. However, I could also see how that “advice” would not be listened to by a surly loner in the clubhouse like Kent. Kent was probably more frustrated by Grittle and the coaches than the kids, imo. Still, Kent has issues of his own and is no model of integrity. He put up great numbers for a 2b when he probably should have been at 1b all along.
Hey, Steve Finley is available to play CF. LOL
Another great point Jspelk.
This blog has some good baseball people, I enjoy exchanging opinions and ideas with you all.
I agree. I enjoy exchanging you all. Speaking of washed up OF’s like Finley, anyone taking bets on where Gonzo ends up?
Probably SF where he can haunt us. HAHA
I concur jhall..I am on the east coast and love to talk Dodger baseball but not many out here…so I really enjoy a good chat about the boys…Has anyone on here been to Dodger fantasy Camp>>>I have been, just wondering if I may know you.
Gonzo and Finley reunited in SF. Laugh, but in Frisco, it is possible.
Haven’t been to fantasy camp but am a regular at Vero. Love that place. I’m in Ohio. Not many Dodger fans here. Where are you located?
My impression of Kent at age 10:
Kent would be a jerk at Disneyland. For hours everyone in the group would be having a good time and Kent would just be indiffernt.
Jeffry his mom would say, are you having any fun?….”yes mom, gosh”
Then they would all get to the tiki room and miss the last show cause they got there late even though young Jeff would warn them and plead with them to leave fantasyland and make the trip to adventure land a little sooner. With the sign up that says last show in process and the pineapple stand closed so no pineapple on a stick for young Jeff Kent he would then go ballistic and ruin everyones time.
**** Jungar.
DC…do you know a Sandy Formick that stalks the hallowed grounds of Vero…he is a major collector of autographs…very popular with the players.
Jungar that is funny…do you think he talked to his family?
DC… jhall do you know a Sandy Formick that stalks the hallowed grounds of Vero…he is a major collector of autographs…very popular with the players…
No, but have probably bumped into him/her as I try to get autographs.
DC eh. Patriotacts who is a huge Dodger fan and sometime poster here is from DC. He has a LakerDodger blog.
Pierre LF
Martin C
Loney 1B
Jones CF
Kent 2B
Ethier RF
Furcal SS
Garciaparra 3B
Penny
Lowe
Blanton
Billingley
Schmidt
Loaiza
Beimel
Proctor
Meloan
Broxton
Saito
The Dodgers already had a good team, just needed to produce. A new big bat and an added reliable starter make it even better.
Jhall Trust me you would know he is a great guy… do you have a large collection that is one of my passions. It was tough to leave Dodgertown in Novenmber at the end of the camp not knowing if i would be able to go back in the spring (never actually been to spring training). It was incredible to play the same fields as all the great Dodgers.
dbarrackman I assume we traded Kemp…and is this the proposed batting order? if so furcal should not be that low…and if we have Pierre he should be 8th…or 9th.
Little collection as I was picky. Didn’t want Kal Daniels and others of his sort. Got all the 5 rookie’s of the year on one ball and a 1988 Team ball.
Go to Spring Training next year. It will most likely be the last one. It is incredible.
I want to thank the Dodgers for staying pact and doing what they had to do and getting rid of grittle. If we can get Jones on a 2 year deal great if not we are still OK I can’t wait for spring training. Josh please pass this on to Mr. Colletti:
8:55 p.m., from Jerry Crasnick
• Phillies GM Pat Gillick conceded the obvious and told local reporters that the team’s chances of re-signing center fielder Aaron Rowand are a “long shot.” The Phillies love Rowand’s grit and presence in the clubhouse, but some people in the organization think he might have to move from center field to left in a year or two, and 25 homers and 80 RBIs wouldn’t be anything special for a corner man. And where Gillick is concerned, the shorter the contract, the better. It remains to be seen if Rowand and his agent, Craig Landis, can get five years from another club.
I guess if 25 HR and 80 RBI is nothing special for a corner outfielder, then we don’t have any special corner outfielders. But I sure am glad the Dodgers are thinking of moving Pierre there with his 0 HR and 41 RBI.
Thinking about Jones , it reminds me of when Magglio Ordonez was a free agent after coming off of surgery. Everyone thought Detroit was crazy to give him 5 years and 75 mil. I doubt they think, the Tigers are crazy now. My point being that sometimes you have to take a chance. It’s like the saying goes No Guts. No Glory. The Schmidt signing was a chance that backfired, but it could have been great. Pierre was just terrible from the start. Jones is worth that chance, we’re due for some good luck.
Shawn-
I don’t think we could give Pierre away, and that being said, I am happy with enough with Pierre’s speed to have him lead off (I’d like his OBP to go up quite a bit), a few hits following him is a quick one run lead (provided by Martin and Loney). This kind of makes Furcal expendible, and I suggest trade bait. If we could sign A. Jones, a trade involving Kemp could follow. Kemp for a bad *** pitcher like Blanton I could go for. Blanton is an underrated pitcher that I could see the A’s parting with for talent like Kemp. As for the hole at third, I can only hope for another magnificent year like 2006 for Nomar (I pray), otherwise it’s time for LaRoche to step up. I wouldn’t mind having a Nomar as a utility player, but with his bat potential I hope not.
It’s a tough call, two lead-off hitters is stupid and we rarely had any success with it last year. What about two mini-lineups, two sets of 1-4 hitters, I heard someone mention it on this blog, has that ever been done and if so, was it successful?
“No move could be the best one for the Dodgers”
http://www.dailynews.com/dodgers/ci_7637252
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
10:49 p.m., from Enrique Rojas
• The Dodgers have interest in third baseman Pedro Feliz, who are still trying to find a power hitter. Feliz, 32, has hit at least 20 home runs in each of the last four seasons. Just one Dodgers hitter (Jeff Kent) belted 20 home runs in 2007.
Andy LaRoche can run circles around Pedro Feliez.
To all the human beings who continually want to trade Kemp: could we please see him for at least one full season before we start labeling/dissecting/badmouthing/trading him?
I may have beaten this dead horse into glue already, but Juan Pierre in LF is a disastrous idea.
The fact that he has produced THREE straight seasons of .330ish OBP, isn’t getting younger (30 1/2 next Opening Day), and will get slower makes hoping for a rebound to the .350+ OBP level a pipe dream of heavy hallucinogenic proportions. The only reason he has any credibility as a CF is his speed, which allows him to make up for his occasionally poor reads and jumps and allows him to have actually good range. But in LF, with a foul line and stands to one side, his speed asset is limited. If, say, Andruw Jones is signed to play CF, and no other OF is traded, simply play Andre Ethier in LF; he’s a bona fide outfielder with an actual arm and will provide more offense than JP with his career 108 OPS+, and he’s still only 26 (almost) on Opening Day, so he could still improve a little. Ethier/Jones/Kemp is an OF I can happily root for, with full energy and commitment.
There is also no need to sacrifice to get JP in the lineup because he is a “leadoff hitter”. Rafael Furcal is FAR more likely to rebound to a .350ish OBP, given that his subpar 2007 is clearly due, primarily, to his nagging ankle injury.
Yeah I just don’t understand if you watch baseball why you would even consider trading Kemp.
He is fun to watch, runs hard , throws hard, hits the ball hard and OPS’d over 900 in A+ at 20, over 900 at AA/AAA at 21, and 891 in MLB at 22, and can play CF.
agree 1000 percent fogey…along with taking your best defensive player off your team to accomodate your worst.
I have not seen everything, but as always, I associate myself with anything jungar writes, and most things from old_fogey, dodgerdude, martinloneykemp, and alex, and several others, and admit that max_power is usually right and and usually funny.
I saw that there was a Ken Rosenthal rumor about us getting Scott Rolen, which I think means that there is no chance we will get Scott Rolen (fine by me).
I was fascinated by the instigation of Kent’s comments. First, apparently they did not have to do with Kemp moving a trash can. So, now that there is nothing negative out there about Matt Kemp, can we agree we want him. And, if we are to believe that Kent is right that James Loney “doesn’t get it” then between the two, wouldn’t we clearly go with Loney??? The only question about him is whether he will be Mark Grace (the best average hitter of the ’90’s, save Tony Gwynn), or Mark Grace with power.
Anyway, I’m not saying get rid of Kent, because I think he can still play 2B. But in response to cameron, Kent should absolutely go up to the young guys about things like that. You’re right that you don’t take off your uniform in the dugout (and only on the field if you’re Steve Lyons), but that’s not something that a ballplayer is born knowing.
But how Kent approaches them is just as important. Based on the story, he told Loney, Loney said he would do it, and then Kent went off in a huff because he did not do it right then. It takes a veteran to come take him aside privately in the locker room and say, “hey, kid, I know its a frustrating stretch we’re on now, and you’re doing everything you can. But we have to make sure we’re staying professional while were on the field and in the dugout. I saw you pull out your shirt earlier while we were still in the dugout, and we don’t want to do that as professionals. Whenever we’re in front of the fans, we represent the Dodgers and its history, and we always want to set that example, so just remember that in the future. Keep up the good work, and let me know if you ever need some advice.” Boom. Difference between a clubhouse leader and a clubhouse cancer.
By the way–the Dodger Dugout is going to have exactly that example in the dugout next season–just not Jeff Kent. That was the tpye of player Don Mattingly was, which is why he was the Yankee Captain–a string of great players both on the field and in the clubhouse that goes back to Lou Gehrig. There is a story that Mattingly was working out with Derek Jeter in Spring Training in 1995–his last season, and Jeter in his first year in the Major League camp–and as they were coming in, the old guy said the Jeter that they needed to run in, because you always set the example while you’re on the field. Handing it down to the next generation, and you can see him doing that in LA (and could see Russell Martin taking a hold of that philosophy really strongly). But that’s how a veteran and a captain acts.
PS–I just want to add that my suggestion for how Kent should approach Loney is hypothetical, because the reality is that I view Loney as the far better role model than Kent. Loney may have been mistaken on that one occassion, but it’s not as if Kent sets a good example. Loney, however, does. Through my firm, I got seats in the Dugout club a few times this last season. After the game, the players come out of the clubhouse. In one game the Derek Lowe had pitched, he stopped by, signed a few autographs on his way into the bar to meet up with his girlfriend (Carolyn Hughes) and a few other people. Some guys sign autographs, some guys exit a different way–I saw matt Kemp sign a bunch after an April game, but in August he had some people waiting for him, and he talked to them the whole time. Nomar signed a bunch one time, but left quickly another time. On the three occassions I was there, Jeff Kent came through the Dugout Club and never signed an autograph. The first two times I was there, Loney was still in AAA. The third time, Kent breezed through without saying or signing anything. Loney went to the first kid with a ball and signed an autograph for every single kid there, and I think every adult who asked for it too. That’s classy.
Of course, the best part was that my uncle, my brother, and I started singing when he came out, and Loney recognized the song and sort of bopped along to it:
My Loney has a first name,
It’s J-A-M-E-S
My Loney has a second name,
It’s L-O-N-E-Y
I love to watch him every day
And if you ask me why I’ll say
‘Cause James Loney has a way
With H-I-T-T-I-N-G!
TRADE PIERRE!!!
leekfink, let’s not forget one of the great Dodger on-the-field “undressers” of them all…Milton Bradley.
I judge a player on what he does in the game. What he does before and after is his own business.
According to Gurnick, some good news on the A Jones front. He may be “warming” to the idea of a shorter contract. Furcal is recruiting him as well.
Also, though this is somewhat minor, it impressed me when i read it.
“Colletti also said that he will not spend significant salary on veteran relievers, because the Dodgers have as many as a half-dozen young pitchers who could pitch in the Major Leagues next year — Clayton Kershaw, John Meloan, James McDonald, Scott Elbert, Ramon Troncoso and Greg Miller.”
Is he changing his ways?
Gurnick also has this:
“Colletti indicated that no third-base acquisition appeared imminent, even with the apparent availability of Detroit’s Brandon Inge after the Miguel Cabrera trade. Free agent Tadahito Iguchi is willing to move from second base to third if the Dodgers want him.”
Inge, Iguchi, Rolen, Feliz – any of them at third make me ill. (Feliz IS a sweet glove man, but almost always sub-300 OBP).
I choose to only post the positive stuff… glass is half full man.
Feliz would make me vomit though.
I have to believe if the Dodgers reel in Jones that Pierre’s days are numbered. How in the world could you play him ahead of Ethier and Kemp? And how in the world can you sit him with that kind of contract? I still say if you dangle Pierre along with a second-tier young pitching prospect and pick up some salary, a match can be found.
That would be great. It’s almost unreal but I wish I can think like you.
I’m not sure who suggested this yesturday (too lazy to look); Pierre to Texas for CJ Wilson. We pay some of the contract and get a solid lefty in the bully.
I think that the only solution lies in Pierre’s performance in ’08. If he doesn’t perform up to Joe Torre’s expectations, what ever it may be, that may be the answer to the problem. I don’t believe Joe will let things go if he feels it is hurting the club.
Joe is loyal to his vets, I really don’t think he’d sit Pierre unless he’s hitting sub .250
I think the major job for Pierre is to get on base, If he doesn’t do that often enough, action against him will start. If his throwing arm effects the outcome of games, in a negative way. Torre better think of his job, not his loyalty to Vets.
L A Times reporting:
Dodgers agree to terms with Andruw Jones
By Dylan Hernandez
Former Braves center fielder gets two-year, $36-million deal
HOT news! Now dump Pierre. Ethier/Jones/Kemp – get ‘er done boys!
Tony Jackson also reporting it at the Daily News:
http://www.dailynews.com/dodgers/ci_7646252
Imagine that, a move that probably pleases both me AND Jeff Kent!
2 yr / $36 is very interesting.
It’s official, go to mlb.com Andruw is a Dodger !
I believe this is the best move the Dodgers could have made this offseason. Shore up defense up the middle, land a (probably) 30-40 HR bat…now Kent can do what he’s best at, which is bat 5th.
NED – keep the kids! Let’s build around this bat for the next two years until our own develop! We don’t need a costly 3B now.
The Gurnick article to which Roberto refers:
http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071205&content_id=2319266&vkey=news_la&fext=.jsp&c_id=la
Amen puppyhead – just dump Pierre by any means possible.
Furcal
Kemp
Loney
Jones
Kent
Ethier
Martin
LaRoche/Nomar
sweet, now trade pierre!
We just got Jones for less money than Pierre. WOW!!!
Great job Ned.
I read today as well that talks with the cards for Scott Rolen are heating up as well. Sign Kuroda, and trade for Rolen, that is an October team.
Furcal
Martin
Jones
Rolen
Kent
Loney
Kemp
I wish Ethier, but will be Pierre
and pitching staff of:
Penny, Lowe, Bills, Scmidt, Kuroda, Loaiza.
Wow I hope we could get Rolen.
Assuming one of either Ethier or Kemp are traded, the other would fill in for the other. I am not sure what the cards are asking for Rolen.
article about Rolen………
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7526956
Love this deal, only two years and who cares about the money. Now, Pierre must go, it IS A MUST! Tremendous job by Ned to not give into Boras for an extra few years. I would of been happy with 2 or 3 years. LOVE THIS MOVE! Welcome to the Dodgers Andruw Jones! Juan Pierre has to go! If we sign Kuroda and dump Pierre then Ned has done in my opinion a tremendous job this offseason. This is merely step 1, but it’s a mighty big one.
So it looks like we have Jones. now just to trade Pierre. It would be a BIG mistake to trade Kemp or ethier.
Hallelujah, I’m seriously stoked on this one! The runs that Jones will save in center make this one a good investment alone. I personally think that now in a new city, with his buddy Furcal back on his side again, that andruw’s gonna put up an great season. Now we can finally focus on the more glaring issue, pitching. I know that we can outbid Seattle for Kuroda, anybody think we should just throw 4 years his way and lock it up? So is Pierre or Ethier the odd man out now? Hopefully it’s not Kemp… I just fear that if we can’t sign Kuroda, Kemp will now be a centerpiece in bringing us Bedard or Santana.
This is a good time to be a Dodger fan, i never thought I’d say this but I’m actually impressed with the way Coletti has handled our team so far in the meetings.
i love andruw jones…great sign! unfortunately, this prolly means that my favorite player matt kemp will be gone :[. oh wat could have been..
for those of you that post lineups on this thing…the ones that have kent batting fourth…ive seen many of them…wat is your reason behind that? a 40 year old has been..who might not even hit 20 homeruns next year batting fourth for a supposed playoff team? i just want to know your reason lol.
and spanky…rolen would be a terrible trade! he is pretty much done, i like the way he plays but its 3 or 4 years too late to give up young talent for him. let laroche have a chance…just so we know wat he can really do
um Rolen is Nomar these days. We don’t need him. That would be seriously misguided
Ya your probably right…but it is better then Nomar and an unproven LaRoche. Maybe if they will take Delwyn Young as the main player in a trade then it might be worth the risk with having LaRoche still. I also read in the LA Times that talks about Glaus have come back during the meetings, what do you guys think about going after him?
i wonder if an kershaw/Ethier/Hu package is attractive enough for Bedard?
If so, i’m willing to deal with Pierre in LF.
i still think laroche will be a very good player, but we shall see. glaus is a good player..has been linked to using HGH in previous years lately however. i just dont like him because he was an angel and all my friends are angel fans and they always talk about how good he was in 2002 for them
Glaus would be a bad move in my opinion. Give LaRoche a chance with Nomar as the backup. The Jones signing is good – but only good – if neither Kemp nor Ethier are traded and if Pierre is traded. Otherwise I think it may come back to haunt the Dodgers as a bad move. Young has a great bat and would be valuable as the fourth outfielder, pinch hitter, and a potential fill-in or even replacement for Kent. Pierre is the player that doesn’t fit the Dodgers’ needs. He may be a great guy, but he should be moved to a team that needs his talents. If Ned can accomplish that, he will have had a very successful off-season with the actions he has taken and hasn’t taken.
no, its not any better when you have to pay Rolen’s salary AND nomar’s AND block laroche who might turn out just fine.
I dont know if I would like to get rid of Kershaw or Hu. Although there is the younger short stop who is supposed to be even better then Hu, so maybe he is expendable, and maybe rather than Kershaw deal Macdonald or Meloan. I like the idea of going after Bedard or Haren and possibly getting Kuroda, that way if Schmidt gets healthy great and if not then oh well. I agree that kent is no longer a 4th spot hitter. I think Jones instantly takes that spot. Let Kent hit 5 or even 6. I like Martin in the 2 hole and Kemp/Loney batting 3 and 5 whichever way, Prob Kemp 3 and Loney 5.
Who needs Pierre that has someone that we would want in return? I’m all for trading Pierre if he can be a part of a deal that brings us some starting pitching. Maybe giving the third base job to LaRoche is ok with the bat of Jones in there now the pressure would be off LaRoche to hit homeruns every at bat. And in a contract year Nomar may suddenly come back to form….I dont think it is a mistake that in a contract yr he did great then when hes under contract for another yr he slumps…you see that with a lot of players nowadays, lucky for the Dodgers that was not true with Jones. Jones is the best signing the dodgers could have made this offseason and now the #1 priority must be pitching. we need to get Kuroda and a pitcher mentioned in trades in my opinion.
I AM SO HAPPY!! This was such a good job by Ned, but now the real test comes– what does he do with Pierre. I really think Kemp should be untouchable, and i dont see him going anywhere. Sure we need pitching, but we dont need an ace front-line like Santana and Bedard are– we have that with Penny, we have that with Bills, we will have that with Kersh. We dont need an ace, simply a back end guy who is reliable. That being said, i dont see us making a big pitching move.
Furcal
Ethier
Kemp
Jones
Loney
Martin
Kent
LaRoche
I am very happy. That is such a beastly lineup., not to mention a GREAT defensive team (which is what i really missed last year). Me so happy with this deal. I really hope we get rid of JP– No to Bedard if Kemp is involved.
I just want to say that i have had Neds back the entire team and have trusted him from day 1. I understand the Pierre signing even though it was bad.
GO DODGERS!!!
Martin will wear down in the two hole– let him rack up RBI’, not SB
NO ON ROLEN– why? No point whatsoever, especially not now that we have that big stud of a bat in the middle of our lineup– He’s going to look good in Dodger blue/…
Colletti said that the club would exercise some caution with Kershaw…. But he was not worried about rushing him. “Because of his blend of ability and makeup, his birthdate is not as much of a concern,” he said.
this guy will not be traded for anyone.
Ned!!
Please trade Pierre… but DO NOT break up what could be one of the best outfield’s in the National League!!
Ethier, LF
Jones, CF
Kemp, RF
Please keep the kids! Do whatever you can to trade Pierre…
hmmm Ethier in the 2 hole I did not think of it but it totally makes sense that is great lefty for good hit and runs with Furcy and also like to take pitches. I also agree with you that I understand the signing of Pierre I was totally a backer of it last yr but it did not work out and I admire him trying to fix what did not work.
I agree jungar, ever since Ned visited Kershaw this summer he had some quote like “I see no reason why he should ever be in another uniform” or something or that…he was really impressed by not just his pitching but his character. I really truly believe they dont have any intention of trading him at all. Kemp on the other hand…
Would only one new starting pitcher be enough, if we were to sign Kuroda could we then stand pat with what we have? That leaves one pitching spot to go to Meloan/Schmidt/Macdonald idk, I sure would like to see what Ethier and Kemp could do in an everyday starting role together.
h ttp://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-dodgers6dec06,1,3607951.story?coll=la-headlines-sports
Looks like Either or Kemp will be gone,because susposely Jones excited to be playing with Pierre and Furcal.
High Fives all around boys! Now get rid of Pierre and sign Kuroda.
get rid of pierre! maybe he will whine about being moved to LF (shudder) and request a trade! that’s my dream anyways.
I’m glad to have Jones aboard, but only if we keep Kemp, LaRoche, Kershaw, Billingsley, Broxton, Martin, Loney, & Elbert.
We don’t need to upgrade 3B. Let LaRoche & Nomar compete for the job. All this talk of getting Feliz, Rolen, Inge, Crede or Glaus is upsetting – they all have issues that we don’t need to deal with! 3B is not a hole that needs to be filled.
For a SP I hope we can get Kuroda so we don’t have to trade our kids. I’m so proud of Colletti for not caving to the demands of these other GM’s. If he can’t sign Kuroda, the most I would give for Bedard/Haren/Blanton would be McDonald, DeWitt, Young, & DeJesus…that’s 3 of our top 10 prospects. I might consider including Ethier instead of Young & Dejesus…depending on the circumstances.
In any case…Pierre needs to go now, so I hope Ned can find a new home for him.
We gotta shop Pierre hard to the Rangers now, there is only one free agent CF left in the market and it looks like they want no part of Rowand’s demands. Pay the bulk of the contract, just get rid of him and make the team better!
YEESSSSSSSSS!!!!
Ned Colletti has now done everything that really needs to be done. Way to go, Ned!!
No need to make any other major moves.
If he can pick up some pitching without disrupting the people in the lineup ewk216 lists above or any of our major league pitchers plus Kershaw, go for it. There are still some decent free agent pitchers out there, and if they want to trade guys like DYoung, Abreu, Hu, DeWitt, Xavier Paul, and maybe even Scott Elbert for a Dan Haren or Erik Bedard, that would probably be okay by me.
But all Ned really needs to do at this point is not screw up his thus-far outstanding off-season.
Don’t, please don’t, trade Kemp!!! And do, please, do play Kemp every day.
This is EXACTLY what I’ve been hoping for since about mid-season of ’07.
THIS TEAM, THIS 2008 TEAM, AS IT IS CURRENTLY CONSTRUCTED IS A TEAM CAPABLE OF WINNING A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP!!!
But I expect that come the July trade deadline, we will make any necessary additions if any arise or if not, we’ll do something to make a great team even greater.
I dont take that article as saying he came here because of Pierre and his speed. You need to get on base to score and he doesnt do it that well. We really arent going to trade Kemp guys. An outfield of Pierre, Jones, Ethier isnt very good. I wouldnt be surprised if we started the year with all four and let it work itself out.
We dont need an ace type pitcher- excluding Santana (Boston anyways), Bedard, Haren. Ned isnt going to give up any of the young kids other than maybe LaRoche. Blanton could be had for a package not including Kemp/real A prospects i believe. But a guy like Silva would be an even better option. Very exciting stuff. I think we are wishful thinking that Ned is going to trade JP….
For the only time in my life i find myself thinking it would be nice of the NL had a DH, so we JP could be ours… The guy is a CF,and he should not be made to play left. His speed is great for a CF covering gaps, but not so necessary in LF– the only thing you will notice is his bad arm. I hope we trade him, but dont see it happening.
I just dont want to make a trade for a pitcher because there is a good chance that one year from now Kershaw, McDonald, and Elbert could ALL be ready to contribute at the major league level- at a high level.
Jones should be super motivated. This is a super deal and a f-u to boras as well. Jones has played more than 152 games in 10 straight years. 10 gold gloves(realizing GG are overated, but still). 10 years of 25/90 gosh guys i heart good defense. in all sports. you are always in the game. one more pitcher. we need one more. Now I gotta hold my breath on Kemp. Right now I am more concerned that he stays on the roster more than Pierre is off it.
exactly martin loney!!!!! i have been on the negative side for a year or so with Ned and i haven’t belived in him..but man something is happenning here in bizzaro ned world and i love it and i am man enough to say I am suprised and happy..but now its almost on us..some of you other guys guys can second guess us now!!! if we get one more arm (FA or smaller deal), keep the guys everyone here is saying that will be my dream off-season basically. Same with Alex and so many others (you know who u are)
(I don’t mind Ethier being traded if it’s a good trade like some of you as I belive after 3 shallow fly balls to lf where runners score easily on a tag up and we loose games cause of it JP will be benched-but make no mistake I would rather not trade Ethier )
Hey,
We got got him! If we get rid of JP or just bench him we are the team to beat. Just don’t trade Kemp for anything.
junger,
Would you pay 6 mil to give lose Pierre right now? I would. Padilla looks like Elmer Dessens with a better upside to me if the rangers would take it. I hear that they are tired of him. We are going to have to take a lot of salary on Pierre and we need to do it right now in my opinion.
I’m going to post this every now and then because it means that much to me and most of you out there and this organization NEEDS to see this because we cannot have a giant liability in left field known as Juan Pierre, there’s no way to spin it, Pierre CANNOT have a starting role with Andruw Jones roaming center field at Chavez Ravine:
ETHIER LEFT FIELD
JONES CENTER FIELD
KEMP RIGHT FIELD
PIERRE NOT ON OUR FIELD!
It’s that simple, you want to please 99.9% of your fans. That’s what needs to be done, it’s just that simple. This could be a little overdramatic, but this is probably the biggest decision for the future of this ballclub. What does Ned do with Juan Pierre? Think very carefully and you’ll see the decision is really easy. We all have faith you’ll make the right decision, do not let us down when we’re slowly coming back on your side. This could be your legacy, it could make you or it could break you.
i have a feeling ned’s legacy will be connected to pierre….but not in a good way.
“IT COULD MAKE YOU OR IT COULD BREAK YOU”— take heed JOSH
yes. because
a. we will be better now
b. padilla is no worse than Loazia.
c. we will be better in the future
From the AP article:
Light-hitting Juan Pierre, who had been in center field, could switch to left — potentially reducing playing time for Matt Kemp or Andre Ethier.
Why reduce playing time for light hitting?
I have been a ‘lurker’ on this blg for 2 1/2 years. I hope my poor writing skills have not turned you away…….lose Pierre now before it costs us talent and future.
BELEIVE IN RAYS KIDS!
BELEIVE IN THE PANCHO!
GO DODGERS!
I swear that management (in addition to Josh) reads through ITD from time to time. We called for Grady’s head, management answered. We have pleaded for Andruw Jones, management delivered. Now we can only hope that management feels the same that we do in regards to shipping Pierre off. Our little (sometimes dysfunctional) blogging family that we have here may just carry a little pull in the organization. We are well informed and when we don’t see eye to eye with each other, their are usually really compelling/intelligent arguments on both ends. I for one am glad to have been a regular for the past year and really appreciate the insight that gets tossed around in here.
Its a great time to be a Dodger fan and I look forward to all the speculation leading up to the ’08 season.
The first post I made was a question about who would lead off if JP was gone next year. If we have a real CF, I am ready to let anyone bat first if JP is not in left with Kemp or Ethier gone. We have had an incredible influx of Major leaguers. Billz, Brox, Martin, Kemp, Loney.
Lose our albatross and stand pat after Jones (not including pitching) and we have:
Laroche
Hu
Abreu
Kershaw
Miller
Elbert
McDonald
Young
….Others for positions & pithing in 2 years. I’m sure that I have forgot many.
do not let this goldmine of talent be tradedfor #4 starters and relievers.
Ken Rosthenthal is an IDIOT!!
“Jones will play center field for Torre, forcing the move of Juan Pierre to left. Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier could platoon in right, or Kemp could begin the season at Class AAA if he is not traded.”
Kemps status all depends on the signing of Kuroda. I believe if we Sign Kuroda then Ned won’t deal for another pitcher. If we don’t sign Kuroda I’d imagine that Bedard deal goes down pretty quickly.
we must start a rabid “TRade Pierre” campaign. It’s late and im tired so this shall be discussed tomorrow. We need to start a website and an online campaign. We have to make this happen.
Just to preface this, I am a big fan of Matt Kemp’s. I hope he doesn’t get traded and stays with the dodgers for a while. But this is why I have a little more faith in Loney than Kemp becoming a star.
in career
Loney 446 ab’s 143 hits
Kemp 446 ab’s 139 hits
in fastball counts (0-0/1-0/2-0/2-1/3-0/3-1)
Loney 55-151 .364 avg
Kemp 70-145 .482 avg
(0-1/1-1/0-2/1-2/2-2/3-2)
Loney 88-295 .298 avg
Kemp 69-301 .229 avg
1) I don’t think Pierre should play ahead of Ethier or Kemp.
2) Pierre’s weak arm is a given, but he’s a quality man in the clubhouse, provides great baserunning skills, is a consistant on base threat, and doesn’t deserve to be placed on the scrap pile.
3) Jones hasn’t even passed his physical yet, nor has he demonstrated to anyone that 2007 was an aberration, so we’re hardly out of the woods at this point.
4) Should Jones return to prior form, we can be very, very good.
5) Once we see Jones performing at acceptable levels, anfd only then, should we look to move Pierre.
6)Since we only have Jones for two years, we should be very careful about moving Kemp, Ethier, etc.
To put it very simply, a very big YES on Jones, but not so that we can move Pierre to left. I want both Ethier and Kemp out there as every day players. Now sign Kuroda, then do whatever it takes to move Pierre somewhere else and eat most of his contract. If we then have noticeable holes, deal with them at trade deadline time. I’d even bless you, Colletti, if you pull that off, and you may never hear that from me again.
Does this mean Repko will not be in center?
Actually, ebbetsfld has pretty much summed it up. I don’t know if you can hold a roster spot for him, but there will come a critical time in an important game where the situation will call for JP.
hey max, i don’t see how we could start the season with kemp in AAA. if he’s on our team, he should be the starting right fielder. and messagebear is the one that has summed it up. if we sign kuroda and schimdt is fully healthy to pitch the 08 season we don’t need to trade for berad or harren or even blanton. than we could trade pierre and a second rate prospect along with paying for some of pierre’s contract and get a reliever or infielder. if this happens, we can be very good
Ned finally got half way smart. I’m glad he signed Jones but he should have locked him up for 5 to 6 years. Now in 2 years we’re gonna lose the best CF in the game. But I’m glad we atleast have him for now. With Jones and Torre as Dodgers I’m all for keeping Kemp. Jones and Torre should be a positive influence on him. Now Ned has to trade Pierre at any cost. If he can’t find a deal then just release him. But you can trade anybody even if it’s for a A-class player. The only other move that needs to be made is going and getting Silva. He’s a workhorse that throws alot of ground balls. His numbers aren’t that great but you have to remember that he pitched against everybody elses #2 guy and he played on turf that is much faster than grass. Let him pitch against everybody elses #4 and he’ll easily win 16-17 games and his loses will drop as well. We also need to resign Sweeny. After that Ned can go home and spend time with his family and have a relaxing winter.
Furcal
Either
Loney
Jones
Kent
Kemp
Martin
LaRoche
DY
Nomar
Sweeny
?
?
Penny
Lowe
Bills
Silva
?
Saito
Broxton
Beimel
Proctor
Meloan
Hendy
?
That’s a World Championship!!!
Go Dodgers!!!
Fastball hitting Kemp batting in front of Andruw – man that’s scarry (in a good way!!)
By signing Jones, Colletti is admitting the Pierre mistake. By trading either Ethier of Kemp for pitching, he’s acknowledging the Schmidt mistake. Colletti is sitting on a GREAT outfield right now, counting Repko. Like 99% of the fans in here continue to say, sign Kuroda, keep the kids, and drop Pierre on somebody’s doorstep at midnight with a bundle of cash.
I, for one, will judge Schmidt as a mistake or otherwise at the end of his contract. The Brad Penny trade was a “mistake” until he got healthy and showed us what he could do…Schmidt could just as easily turn it around this year and have two fine seasons as fail, as everyone around here seems all-too-eager to believe.
Puppyhead that is being very optimistic on Schmidt…Penny was only 26 when we got him and it was a nerve issue not major shoulder surgery and he is not 34 years old. Schmidt had like 3 different injuries and if he pitches and we get anything we will be lucky. Ned and Stan did know about this or if they did not they are idiots, you do not have that much damage without it showing on the MRI. They overlooked it and were just hoping that he would not blow out his shoulder and it happened. I hope you are right.
As for Andruw I am glad we have hime for 2 years that way we can kick the tires and if he performs as his history suggests they can resign him.
Know the real intrigue begins if they sign Kuroda what is their next step…Haren or Santana…we will see.
Guys think matt kemp isn’t taking any of these rumors to heart, because they are only rumors. A. Jones will be a dodger by tomorrow.
Posted by: californiaautorebuilder@hotmail.com | December 5, 2007 03:29 PM
Guys did I call it.
Great signing. Now lets hope Ned is smart enough to keep Kemp and Ethier and unload Pierre. While excited to get Jones, I am fearful that Ned will trade away Kemp or Ethier to accomodate Pierre. Big mistake. Just eat his salary and send him on his way so we can become a much better team. Moving Pierre to LF weakens the team and minimizes the impact of Jones being added to the outfield. Ethier, Jones, and Kemp is a really good outfield defensively and offensively. All above average arms. Please Ned, don’t do anything stupid. Get rid of Pierre.
Shawn where are you from?
Signing Jones is only great if Pierre goes.
Let’s let the Dodgers know we fans are not going to accept Pierre in LF!
Trade Pierre!
Come on now, everyone!
TRADE PIERRE! KEEP KEMP!
“if we sign kuroda and schimdt is fully healthy to pitch the 08 season we don’t need to trade for berad or harren or even blanton.”
– Posted by: michaelmavis@hotmail.com | December 6, 2007 06:45 AM
well spelling 1 outta 3 right aint bad, thats a .333 BA
TRADE PIERRE! TRADE PIERRE! TRADE PIERRE!
The first thing I had to do this morning was check the sports pages to make sure it was true, that I wasn’t dreaming.
IT’S TRUE!!!! ANDRUW JONES IS A DODGER!!!
My wife told me I better start saving my pennies if I want to go to the World Series. A dollar a day should do it. I need to get/make some kind of Dodgers ’08 piggy bank and start making deposits ASAP.
GET RID OF PIERRE!!!!!!!!!!!
I’ll join in the Trade Pierre! chorus in a couple of days. For the moment I’m just going to sit back and enjoy the good news.
Texas has no use for Padilla and we have no use for Pierre. Swap the garbage and lets put a major league outfield out there. The fans deserve better than having to endure Juan Pierre in LF.
Sign Kuroda, Move JP, Leave 3rd alone (for now), and call Jeff Kent and tell him to get off his hog!
EXCELLENT!
Sign Kuroda, Move JP, Leave 3rd alone (for now), and call Jeff Kent and tell him to get off his hog!
Posted by: timmspga@yahoo.com | December 6, 2007 08:24 AM
AND SO BEGINS THE OFFICIAL :
NO TO PIERRE IN LF CAMPAIGN.
Do i have any yay voters?
I suppose it is a bit optimistic to say that Schmidt could turn it around “just as easily” as Penny did after his injury. But even if it’s not as easy, it’s just as possible. Penny had a freak nerve injury that no one knew if he COULD recover from. Schmidt’s ailments, although serious, are able to be recovered from. So I stand by not judging Schmidt’s signing until the end of his contract.