Lineup at St. Lucie
Young (RF), Loney (1B), Jones (CF), Kent (2B), Nomar (DH), LaRoche (3B), Ethier (LF), Bennett (C), Hu (SS), Penny (P)
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Inside the Dodgers 
Plaschke is not doing Dodger fans any favors with that naive puff piece on Pierre.
Let’s say Pierre is only making $500k a year. Who starts now?
C’mon Ned and Joe, show some juevos and pick the right guy.
Well I just got back from Vero, and ladies and gentlemen it was better than you can even imagine. I got to see Sunday, Monday, and the nightgame on Tuesday. Kershaw my friends, once he settled down, he was lights out. He threw two hooks that absolutely froze 2 hitters. Brazoban was the most impressive pitcher that I saw over the 3 games. He just smoked the Nats. If he stays healthy with Broxton, Saito it will be a great 7th, 8th, and 9th.
Dcollins I agree with your post about the situational hitting. Too many 2nd base no outs situations and the inning ends without advancing the hitters.
As for the Pierre/Ethier battle, it is not a battle, it looks as if Torre is going with Pierre. Ehtier in watching his body language is not a happy camper and understandably so. He is a competitor and has shown that if given the opportunity he will produce. Things have a way of working out and hopefully it will work out for the best of the team.
Dodgertown is the best place to visit. You get to get up close and personal with the players and it is incredible.
I got to meet Josh and thru my buddy Sal, Sandy and I got to sit with McCourt and his business partner Austin for the Mets game. We were 1 row behind the boys. Incredible!!! Josh is one of the hardest working people you will ever see. He never stops.
I do not want to bore you with all the details but myself and 8 other fantasy campers got invited to Maurys pit by Maury and we took a picture with Maury that was posted on the dodgers photo gallery on the 3rd….Did I say I had a fabulous time?
Dcollins and Emma you will have a blast!!!
Autographs is about being in the right place at the right time and are easily had!!!!
Thanks D-boy!
Glad you had a great time.
Plaschke is the village idiot among beat writers, so I pay no attention to his rantings.
On the otherhand, if Torre plays JP over Ethier and it takes him until June to figure out that E brings so much more to the table, then he’s just a plain fool. If he plays JP thought the year, he’s just a plain dead horses ***.
Torre was brought in to do one thing – WIN. If we stumble and bumble our way into 3rd or 4th, come August there’s gonna be a lynch mob for both he and Ned.
It was nice to see McCourt at least mouth the words about staying the course with the kids. Of couse to stay the course you actually have to PLAY THE KIDS!
that’s play JP throughout the year – just too worked up about it again I guess :0
The best line was that JP’s speed was “irreplaceable”…
Give me a break!
Let’s talk about what is replaceable then:
1. His throwing arm
2. His lack of power
3. His OBP
4. His route running
5. League leading # of outs
6. Ground outs to first base
So what is replaceable with Ethier that Pierre can replace:
1. Stolen bases
2. Crooked hat
The starting 3rd baseman today is hitting .385/.467/.692
dcollins as far as places to eat…Italian places, Carrabbas and Bella napoli…
Bobbys is a nice place. The Ocean Grill is nice, lots of choices.
I’m reconciled to the fact that our management will play Pierre no matter what. Playing Pierre is just a stubborn and deliberate attempt to keep things status quo – you know, it just might seem risky to change too many things, like not enough veterans in the lineup. That thinking and persistence will relegate us to that same third or fourth place finish in the division, and I’ll be glad to see Colletti’s head roll, but I would much rather see the Dodgers in the World Series. In spite of McCourt’s fine interview, the actions on the field and in the management ranks don’t seem to change things for the better.
LaRoche is driving the ball when he makes contact. The ball he hit last night was a bomb over the berm. Xavier Paul, is a little guy, but the ball flies off his bat. He is a player.
Delwyn is struggling, probably trying too hard. Andruw is not driving the ball and looks heavy. Nomar is not driving the ball either, but will probably open the season if it were to start this week. Kuroda looks as if he was overthrowing a little, he was up on everthing, but he is impressive.
At least as far as LaRoche goes, Nomar will inevitably get hurt and open up the 3B job for him if he doesn’t start right off. But of course, Ned will then trade for a piece of **** like Inge to play over Andy.
The Giants went to the WS with Bonds, Kent, Schmidt, etc. in their primes to only have the WS taken from them by…what? A bunch of kids named K-Rod, Eckstein, Glaus and Lackey. What else does Ned have to show on his resume?
Dodgers vs. Mets Play by Play Coming Up
Brad Penny vs. Johan Santana
Young, Loney, Jones, Kent, Garciaparra (DH), LaRoche, Ethier, Bennett, Hu
Reyes, Hernandez, Wright, Pagan, Saenz, Martinez, Clark, Casanova, Veloz
OH, NOW I GET IT *******After thinking it over, since last night,I realize that the Dodgers are celebrating the last 50 years at Dodgertown, Vero Beach. The years they played there since the move to LA. The previous 10 years DON’T COUNT, because that was back when they were in Brooklyn.
According to the San Francisco Gate newspaper, Tuesday’s edition, they are reportiing that the Oakland A’s are inquiring about Juan Pierre. I read it this morning on the Fox Sports rumors section. Let’s just hope that it’s more than a rumor and we have a bright light at the end of the JP tunnel.
Top 1: Dodgers Batting: Johan Santana Pitching:
Delwyn Young on a full count walks
James Loney grounds to Santana, first pitch, Young goes to second
Andruw Jones on a full count strikes out swinging
Nomar Garciaparra (must of been a lineup change, Kent is no longer in the lineup) on a full count grounds to third
0 Runs 0 Hits 1 LOB End of 1/2 inning No Score
Sorry kiper, that was a bogus story that was shotdown yesterday afternoon.
kiper, that is old news and it has already been retracted by the original source.
Alex – how many pitches did Nomar see before grounding out?
Who is playing 2B?
Where’s Kent? I’m more nervious with the regular lineup. I guess it looks more real. Watching on the Met’s SNY Ron Darling & Gary Coleman.
Sorry that should be Cohen.
Thanx Tomato.
Bottom 1: Mets Batting: Brad Penny Pitching: Kent scratched, Young at 2B, Repko in right
Jose Reyes grounds to Loney
Anderson Hernandez reaches on an infield single between Hu and Young
David Wright singles to right, Hernandez to second
Angel Pagan walks, bases loaded
Olmedo Saenz 6-4-3 Double (RALLY KILLER TOMATO!!!)
0 Runs 2 Hits 2 LOB End of 1 No Score
Thanks for the knowlegde guys, I was out yesterday and I read that this morning, I guess it’s all that wishful thinking.
Thanks Alex as always!
Don’t get down Kiper, the A’s would have made Ned throw in someone like La Roche to make it work for them.
Tomato Paste. Killer DP.
Top 2: Dodgers Batting: Santana Pitching:
Andy LaRoche on a full count strikes out swinging
Andre Ethier grounds to short
Gary Bennett doubles to left center
Jason Repko chops a single up the middle, Bennett scores, 1-0 Dodgers
Chin-Lung Hu forces Repko, first pitch
1 Run 2 Hits 1 LOB End of 1 1/2 1-0 Dodgers
Cohen said that Nomar’s the favorite to win 3rd base here in LA. LOL LOL LOL Oh well What do they know?
kiper how are you? I leave tomorrow for Vero.
More help from an Ex-Dodger, Thank you Brady.
Bottom 2: Mets Batting: Penny Pitching:
Fernando Martinez doubles to right center
Martinez to third on a passed ball
Brady Clark walks, full count
Raul Casanova grounds to Loney, Clark out at second (Loney to Hu), Clark slid past the bag, Martinez scores, 1-1 Tie
Greg Veloz grounds to Young at second
1 Run 1 Hit 0 LOB End of 2 1-1 Tie
Top 3: Dodgers Batting: Santana Pitching:
Young strikes out swinging
Loney strikes out swinging on the changeup
Jones on a full count grounds to short
0 Runs 0 Hits 0 LOB End of 2 1/2 1-1 Tie
Glad to get rid of that Santana guy.
Somebody needs to tell DY to relax, he’s got a spot on the team.
Bottom 3: Mets Batting: Penny Pitching:
Reyes bunts out to Penny (out on runners interference, running inside the line)
Hernandez grounds to Young at second
Wright grounds to Penny
0 Runs 0 Hits 0 LOB End of 3 1-1 Tie
Kiner has entered the booth and BTW that is not Cohen in there, it’s the guy who was on the field Saturday, I forgot his name. Penny looked in ST form.
Top 4: Dodgers Batting: Steven Register Pitching:
Garciaparra flies to right, second pitch
LaRoche singles to center, first pitch
Ethier grounds to third, first pitch, LaRoche to second
Bennett strikes out looking
0 Runs 1 Hit 1 LOB End of 3 1/2 1-1 Tie
I don’t know if the camera angles are all the same or if everybody is watching T.V., but Darlyl Strawberry, in the Met’s dugout is working this ST for the Met’s as an instructor.
3B update…
LaRoche: .400
Nomore: .333
Bottom 4: Mets Batting: Chan Ho Park Pitching:
Pagan singles to left center, Ethier holds Pagan to a single
Saenz lines to Young who makes a nice diving catch to his left
Martinez walks on a full count, Pagan to second
Clark strikes out swinging
Casanova strikes out looking
0 Runs 1 Hit 2 LOB End of 4 1-1 Tie
Chan Ho is giving Bloaiza a run for his money this spring, amazing…
I would have liked to see DY make that DP on the liner by Saenz, but I liked that save by Loney.
Take that Pierre – BOOF!!
Ethier’s batman out there in left!!!
Again we leave ’em hanging. Does anybody know why Kent was scratched?
Top 5: Dodgers Batting: Register Pitching:
Repko singles to left
Repko steals second
Hu reaches first on an error at second, Repko to third
Young on a full count strikes out swinging
Loney 4-6-3 Double Play
0 Runs 1 Hit 1 LOB End of 4 1/2 1-1 Tie
Runner at 3rd, no outs and we don’t score. Unacceptable!!!!
Probably didn’t want to take the bus ride.
Bottom 5: Mets Batting: Park Pitching:
Veloz strikes out swinging
Reyes grounds to Loney
Hernandez grounds to Hu
0 Runs 0 Hits 0 LOB End of 5 1-1 Tie
No Kent was definitely there and scratched at the very last moment, still no idea why
Park looked like the Chan Ho we use to know.***5th starter?
Kent was prob. scratched because he’s ancient and has some sort of cramp. Right?
Jones is off to sizzling spring, btw.
No to Chan Ho. He’s not much of an upgrade to Loaiza (who has a guaranteed spot on the roster).
jspelk – maybe we should be having the debate who plays center – JP or AJ? 🙂
Top 6: Dodgers Batting: Lefty Scott Schoeneweis Pitching:
Jones grounds to short
John Lindsey pinch hits for Garciaparra strikes out swinging
LaRoche strikes out looking
0 Runs 0 Hits 0 LOB End of 5 1/2 1-1 Tie
Alex are watching or listening?
Watching
Yeah jhall, more of the SOS. Anyone ever going to teach these guys?
Perhaps enchanted. Why he doesnt show up to a new team in shape is beyond me.
Lasorda would have been telling Young to put the ball on the ground to the right side of the IF in no uncertain terms – where’s the coaching?
Like I’ve said before, everybody was cheering the Andruw acquisition because we knew it would be an upgrade to Pierre. If Pierre simply switches to left and Ethier and Kemp are left sharing time or whatever, the Andrew acquisition doesn’t seem like an upgrade at all.
Bottom 6: Mets Batting: Mike Koplove Pitching:
Wright strikes out swinging
Pagan grounds to second
Saenz strikes out swinging
0 Runs 0 Hits 0 LOB End of 6 1-1 Tie
Maybe AJs old school 50’s when the players got outta shape in the offseason and had to get back in it in ST. LOL
Young sure is having a tough go of it at the plate.
I wonder if having to switch positions is affecting his AB’s. I think that he might be more focused on his fielding than his AB’s.
Baseball is such a mental game that things like that can throw you off.
Park has been pretty **** effective so far…I don’t know what to make of it.
I think DYs so obsessed with making an impression on Torre so that he makes the team, that he’s trying WAY too hard. Funny it doesn’t affect him in the field though.
d-boy: Thanks for the 411. I appreciate it!
We leave tomorrow and I can’t believe I’m actually going to make it to Heaven On Earth!!
It sounds as if you had a great time. You got to play in the “PIT”! How sweet is that.
I watched The Sandlot yesterday and it is set in the summer of ’62 when Wills had 104.
Top 7: Dodgers Batting: Juan Padilla Pitching:
Ethier lines off the pitchers glove into the second baseman’s glove
Lucas May reaches on a two base error by Martinez in right
George Lombard singles to left, May scores, 2-1 Dodgers
Hu flies to left
Young singles to left, Lombard to second
Loney grounds to the pitcher
1 Run 2 Hits 2 LOB End of 6 1/2 2-1 Dodgers
That catched by Clark, reminded me of one by Gibson, back in ’88. ****I’m going to have to call it quits. Got an appointment for my income tax. I noted the Dodger schedule, to make sure this don’t happen during the regular season. I don’t go anywhere when there is a day game scheduled.
Bottom 7: Mets Batting: Mike Myers Pitching:
Martinez grounds to Young at second
Clark singles to left
Mike Nickeas reaches first on an error on a tough hop to Hu, Clark to second
Veloz strikes out looking
Reyes grounds to Hu
0 Runs 1 Hit 2 LOB End of 7 2-1 Dodgers
Top 8: Dodgers Batting: Nate Field Pitching:
Xavier Paul flies out to deep center
Lindsey grounds to short
LaRoche grounds to third
0 Runs 0 Hits 0 LOB End of 7 1/2 2-1 Dodgers
Bottom 8: Mets Batting: Brian Falkenborg Pitching:
Hernandez reaches on an error by Tiffee at first and goes to second
Daniel Murphy grounds to first, Hernandez to third
Ezequiel Carrera singles to right, Hernandez scores, 2-2 Tie
Nick Evans strikes out looking
Martinez singles to right, Carrera going on the pitch goes to third
Clark forces Martinez at second
1 Run 2 Hits 2 LOB End of 8 2-2 Tie
1) dcollins has baseball smarts. I fully agree with his assessments that the Dodgers need to work deeper in the count, and that to the extent Pierre is a regular starter (Please NO!!), it makes a lot more sense for him to bat first with Furcal batting second. The reason being that Pierre hits so weakly that many of his hits would fail to drive Furcal in from second (especially late in a close game where the opposition outfield would not be taking much of a chance playing very shallow on Pierre’s whiffle bat), and he’s an even less effective hitter with a man on first.
2) Plaschke is a *****.
3) PLAY THE KIDS!!!
Top 9: Dodgers Batting: Joe Smith Pitching:
John-Ford Griffin grounds to second
May singles to left
Lombard singles to right, May to second
Ivan DeJesus 5-3 Double Play
0 Runs 2 Hits 2 LOB End of 8 1/2 2-2 Tie
Rats!!
Many thanks Alex. Let’s play 10.
Double Rats!!
Bottom 9: Mets Batting: Tom Martin Pitching:
Mackeas pops to short
Veloz singles up the middle
Ramon Castro flies to center
Veloz to second on passed ball
Hernandez singles to right, Veloz scores, Mets win 3-2
Dodgers
2 8 0
Mets
3 11 2
WP: Joe Smith
LP: Tom Martin
Time of Game: 2:40
Tomorrow’s game is on ESPN, back for more PBP Friday.
Hopefully that puts an end to Tom Martin’s consideration. Like some of our other guys, he is way past prime and usefulness to our bullpen.
Martin’s not going west.
Looks more like Martin’s already gone south!!
I know its only ST, but losing’s already getting old.
Wow, 2 out hit in the 9th and moving the runner up in the 8th – something the Ds can only dream about.
Ethier sure didn’t help his case today other than holding a runner to a single that for sure would’ve been a double with JP out there.
DANGIT!
Well, Chan Ho is still in the mix. Putting some pressure on Loaiza. Myers threw well. That’s encouraging. Penny wasn’t sharp but did alright, especially this early in ST. Offense ****** again today. Ethier is making it easy on Pierre. I think he is pretty much resigned to the fact that it doesn’t matter what he does that Pierre will be handed the job because of his idiotic contract and Ned’s vanity.
Yep Scott, that would have been a double for sure if Pierre is playing left.
I know its only been a handful of meaningless ST games, but they sure have been a microcosm of all the Ds ills for the last several years.
s & j, the trouble is E can’t go 2-3 everyday. But then, neither can JP. Still, it does seem that no matter what he does, they’ll hand the position to Cubed. Just be prepared for Scully to be saying an awful lot of, “One out here in the first, nobody on as Furcal steps in.”
Who are the starters for tomorrow’s tv game on espn? Lowe vs Beckett?
I just want to see that stupid consecutive game pipe dream of a streak come to an end so we know that has nothing to do with who plays.
Its not even about pierre anymore. Its about having faith the Dodgers have the capacity to evaluate talent (their own and others) properly. They don’t. Additionally Ned does not seem to have a grasp on how runs are scored. Nor does he know how to divide, since virtually any of our regulars, put atop the order, would get around 200 hits in a year.
Agreed Enchanted. Both Pierre and Ethier are going to have 0’fers. However, at least when Ethier doesn’t do anything offensively, he is still an asset in the field. With Pierre, when he takes the collar, there is nothing positive at all to add to the game.
jhall, you hit the nail on the head!
Ned, Are you listening?
Don’t listen to that buffoon Plaschke!
That is what is very discouraging and frustrating with this situation JSpelk. The fans are being shortchanged and told to like it or lump it. I have lost a lot of respect for the Dodger organization over the last few years. Still my team and I will be a fan for the rest of my life, but they have dampened my enthusiasm quite a bit.
From Tony Jackson:
“Jeff Kent did something to his left hamstring while running sprints before the game. Torre surmised it had something to do with the fact the team took batting practice back in Vero, so Jeff got his muscles loose there, then had to take a bus ride down here and perhaps tightened up again. At any rate, he will be out for a week — or at least that’s the prognosis for now.”
Personally as long as it’s nothing severe it’s no big deal at all we still have over three weeks till the season. He doesn’t take Spring seriously anyway.
And it’s Wakefield vs. Lowe tomorrow on ESPN
I don’t believe Laroche or Ethier ever had a chance to win the starting jobs this spring. I think it was just lip service. As far as Ned answering questions on this blog, that is also BS. Why bother, he will just answer the tough questions with double talk and more BS without really answering the question. They should just go ahead and trade Ethier and LaRoche for a good starting pitcher.
Garvey, Cey, Lopes, and Russell didn’t happen because Alston insisted on playing Wes Parker, did it Ned?
jspelk – I think the D’s can evaluate talent, they just ignore what they see and stubbornly try to make their mistakes work, much to the detriment of the team.
If I’m any of the other GMs out there in need of an OFer, I’m on the phone right now calling Ned about Ethier. Can probably pick him up for a middle reliever. Then Ned can tell everyone what a great job he’s done shoring up the bullpen.
jhall – I feel the same way. The Ds will always be my team, but there’s always some sort of damper put on things that just makes it hard not to criticize. If things keep going this way, we’ll all find out what its like being a Cubs fan.
He better get more than that for Ethier. If Ned and the front office continue this farce we will finish 4th again and hopefully Ned will be gone. I had hoped that Torre would have the nads to correct this dysfunctional BS.
I like this. I can just sit back and let you guys speak my mind for me!
You’re right enchanted. Ned is determined to “win” the war on JP, to prove us all wrong no matter what the cost.
Rob Neyer’s take: “The best thing that can happen is for the Dodgers to get off to a good start with Pierre on the bench. The second-best thing is for the Dodgers to get off to a bad start with Pierre playing poorly, with Ethier taking over in left field well before Memorial Day. The worst thing is for the Dodgers to get off to a good start with Pierre in the lineup — regardless of how well he’s playing — because then Torre might resist making the sensible move until well into the summer. And while there’s really not more than a couple of wins difference between Pierre and Ethier, in a four-team pennant race there’s actually a decent chance that two wins might matter.”
LOL Scott. I don’t like being fed a ration of 5hit and told to like it. At least admit what your really doing instead of acting like we are incapable of seeing through it. I think there is someone on the grassy knoll. Geez, we’re not G’nats fans.
Don’t bank on Ned getting too much in return for anyone. Afterall it is Ned.
JSpelk,
The best thing for us would be for Pierre to get injured. Not wishing an injury on him, but it would benefit the team and I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it.
Better hope Nomar doesn’t have a good year or Ned will resign him and saddle us with another stupid contract. Then we can pay him to ride the DL and LaRoche will probably be gone.
Can we put Repko in the top bunk above Pierre?
LOL
What really 5uck5 is sycophant 7urds like Plaschke and Jackson trying to justify stupidity.
We need an empassioned open letter to Ned and the McCourts emploring them to do the right thing.
Anybody want to try?
All for it.
*First pitch swinging vs working the count*
(all following #’s are rounded to make it easier to read)
out of about 188,000 total plate apperances last year here is the break down:
77,000 counts start 1-0
72,000 watch strike 1
16,000 swing & miss strike 1
22,000 swing and put the ball into play
the league average OPS (on base plus slugging avg) in the following situations:
12% of the time first pitch put into play: .901
47% count starts 0-1: .643 OPS
41% count starts 1-0: .853 OPS
So about 80% of the time players are just watching the first pitch, and it’s not to their advantage. Starting 0-1 as you can see, is a huge hole that most players don’t get out of. A players OPS averages out lower in every possible count with 1 or 2 strikes (except 3-1) then when you start out 1-0, and only 35% of those counts that start 1-0 go to 2-0. ML players make contact 58% of the time when they swing. If the first pitch is a fastball down the pipe, for the INDIVIDUAL player (not necessarily the team), he must swing. He won’t be any worse off if he misses, but more often he’ll put the ball into play and increase his OPS.
Do we have any Shakespeares? Maybe we can all sign it and send it to the other blogs as well.
Write it up, I’ll sign it. Too bad Ned is not capable of abstract thought so it would fall on deaf ears and empty skull.
Its not like they don’t know what the sensible thing to do is. They just don’t care to admit the mistakes and fix them. Gotta protect that vanity.
Great stuff Atomik.
I have been a Dodger fan my whole life, and I live up north in Giant country, which is very difficult. I have been watching this blog since last April, and this blog has made me into a huge Eithier fan. It’s great to see all the compassion! I am watching ST like it’s the real thing, and it’s frustrating to see what’s happening.
Got to go back to work! lol
Ethier is a better than average fundamentally solid ballplayer. Very underrated and with our team, underappreciated.
Pure economics and stubbornness on Ned’s part and Torre is proving to be a tool as well if he plays along with JP/Nomar.
How cool would it be to trade Pierre and then have Repko and Young and Nomar on the bench?
atom – I don’t think we have an objection to first pitch swinging per se, its situational hitting – moving the runner up, driving him home, giving the runner an opportunity to steal. Driving up the pitch count though, especially in early season games is a big plus to getting into the soft underbelly of middle relief.
A Dodger fan in Giant country! Yeah – I lived in Oakhurst for 10 years. Needless to say I never went to any AAA games in Fresno.
jhall – is any of the management on the same page? McCourt comes along and says we’re staying the course with the kids. Ned keeps the kids, then won’t let them play. They hire Torre who’s a vets manager. Doesn’t make any sense.
What did we expect, he is after all a freaking Giant.
Yep Enchanted, they are certainly sending mixed signals. Start Pierre and Nomar and win the team is losing and mired in 3rd or 4th place, then we’ll see what they have to say.
Kemp could be another Bonds like hitter (without the roids) and Eithier could turn into another Chris Young or better, but we won’t get to find out if they continue to start a pinch runner in the outfield. That along with Nomar starting almost guarantees a 3rd or 4th place finish. Dodger fans deserve better.
Trouble is in our division with all the good pitching staffs if we fall too far behind it will be very difficult to make a come back.
Correction;when the team is losing.
I would LOVE to see the young Dodgers hitters taught situational hotting…but how do you get the message across when the “knowledgeable vets” are a bunch of first-ball hackers? I believe that incredible stat from last year (something like 5 for 105 with runners in scoring position) speaks volumes. I’d like to know how many times we had a runner at second with no outs…AND HE NEVER MOVED!
Kahli, most of the time. We squandered boat loads of opportunities.
You’ll hear Ned talk of Nomar’s great RISP avg. last year overlooking the fact that he was red hot early and totally crappy the rest of the way leaving a misleading decent RISP avg.
Odds are Nomar will be injured for parts of the season and LaRoche will get an opportunity to take the position and Nomar should be gone after this season. So that situation should work out in the wash. You’d have to be a m0r0n to resign Nomar with his age, declining numbers, and defense. Of course that rules out every other GM except Ned.
**** kahli, we had plenty of runners at third with no outs and didn’t score.
I agree jhall, we get behind by a couple runs and its almost an insurmountable lead – definately was last year. With Squiggy Noodlearm in left and I’ve Fallen And I Can’t Get Up at third, both hackers of the nth degree, we’ll see an awful lot of rallies come to a quick end. They make a great left side also. With Nomar’s twin brother in fielding range at second, there’s a lot of the reason why we’ll be behind in the first place. Gonna be great for ground-baller Kuroda. He’s liable to quit and go back to Japan.
Sorry to be so negative, but until I see some reason for hope that someone sees the light, its hard not to.
And Lowe will again pitch well and end up with a losing record.
Just think, the main reason Ned gave JP all that money was to keep the Giants from getting him first. How much better off would we be with the Giants stuck with JP’s salary and noodle arm in that big OF in SF???
What a frickin’ joke.
Maybe JP can use his icredible speed to run the ball into 2B faster than he can throw it.
http://tinyurl.com/32p8wh
A rebuttal to Bill
LOL!
LOL Scott. That also proves where Ned’s allegiance really is. He did not want the G’nats to be stuck with Pierre so he helped them out. Coincidence, I think not.
Actually and sadly, that is the only explanation for the moves he’s made.
thanks molokai!
Why aren’t we talking about starting LaRoche? He is tearing the cover off the baseball this spring and the organization should be giving him every opportunity to win the job. I am not sure about Kent’s durability this season and with Abreu hurt, wouldn’t it make sense for them to give Nomar some time at 2nd and make him a super utility guy.
JKissen,
It makes perfect sense. That is why they won’t do it.
It is obvious that Ned is not interested in making sensible decisions and putting the best team on the field. He is more interested in saving face and coddling overpaid, overpriced veterans.
I finally had a day that I wasn’t too busy. I watched the game until the top of the 7th then had to leave to get my income tax worked out. I return to see I didn’t miss much, just another spring training loss, I just hope we don’t make a habit of this. I don’t feel good about Kent being out a week–maybe(I can’t see how a major league team can have a player become disable riding a bus)but it’s better than later on. It will give the kids more places to play. I liked Penny & Chan Ho. It was good to see Repko running around and not hitting anything(or anybody). *****Now I hope Torre can figure out a way to make us score more runs. *****It looks good seeing Loaiza & Park having good innings. Those guys could help when we need a starter. *****I think Ethier will have to depend on game situations in order to get playing time since it looks like JP has won over Torre, but this is only the beginning Pierre has a lot of work to do, he has to get on base and use those legs(Yeah.. he has to bust his butt).
I bashed Plaschke last night, second-to-last reply in the last topic.
Now Plaschke has a Jones article up. A DT commenter wrote the following:
2008-03-05 16:50:17
253. El Lay Dave
I should refrain from commenting on Plaschke but I can’t resist:
“His [Jones] on-base percentage dropped 51 points.”
In 2005, Pierre’s OBP dropped 48 points from 2004 and he hasn’t been more than 5 points better than that since.
Great link from molokai up above.
Everyone but Plaschke, Jackson, and Ned know the truth. M0r0ns!!!
jhall – I decided to reprise my post from a couple days ago because it pretty well sums up how I feel about the whole situation. TAKE THIS AS AN OPEN LETTER TO NED & THE McCOURTS:
(this was in response to ed questioning our loyalty as fans because some bloggers said they’ll sell thier tickets or move on from being Dodger fans if the kids don’t play)
“I believe its that many of us who have been around since the glory days are tired of seeing the Ds bring in old cows that other GMs have put out to pasture, while shooting our own young bucks that are coming up.
Not all the young guys make it – the Jacksons, Guzmans, and Tiffanys, but the Konerkos and Martinez’ do, and generally wind up on somebody elses roster so that the Loaizas and Gonzos can feed on the Dodger green.
Younger, better and cheaper is preferable to older, lesser and more expensive. Younger also leads to more continuity for a number of years, rather than a mercinary 2 or 3. And the current crop of youngs guys like the D’s have come along once in a blue moon – why do you think all the other GMs covet these guys and are more than willing to give up their veterans to get them?
Think we all want the Ds to win. Its not a question of blind loyalty – that’s for lemings, but the frustration level is mounting for those of us who want to watch the bucks run around for a change, and shoot the cows.
Signed, S.W.
Signed JHall.
Sign me onto that as well, enchanted.
Lee D.
Hey question for Josh and company, whoever is reading down this far — some fellow Dodger fans and I were wondering what’s up with young pitcher James McDonald? Wasn’t he supposed to pitch an inning in one of yesterday’s games? Now he’s not slated for any of the other games this week as far as I can tell. Anyone know what’s up? (I know he was just signed to a 1 yr contract so that’s good.) Was just looking forward to seeing him pitch, and hoping Torre will get a chance to see him before Torre leaves for China. Cheers.
Didn’t Frank McCourt already get the message?
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In case you missed it, Frank McCourt on Tuesday:
“We could have acquired any player that was available, but it would have cost us. We have to balance that with keeping the nucleus in play and it would have been disrupted. In [Hiroki] Kuroda and [Andruw] Jones, we got what we needed in the offseason and kept all the kids. They are growing up before our eyes. It seems this year the kids understand better what it takes to win. I don’t think our fans want us to trade the kids to win. They want us to stay the course.”
http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080304&content_id=2404645&vkey=spt2008news&fext=.jsp&c_id=la
Let me emphasize those last two sentences:
I DON’T THINK THE FANS WANT US TO TRADE THE KIDS TO WIN. THEY WANT US TO STAY THE COURSE.
Posted by: old_fogey_la@yahoo.com | March 5, 2008 12:15 AM
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Let me add that Mr. McCourt said we got what we needed (like a CF) and we kept all the kids (which I assume includes Ethier and LaRoche). He didn’t say “we kept Nomar and Pierre”.
Let’s hope change is truly afoot.
We’re not giving Ned and Joe enough credit. I’m sure the reason Pierre is playing more in Spring Training is to showcase him for Dusty Baker. After all, Pierre is a guy who won’t “clog the bases.” Seriously, I think I’ll be sick to my stomach if Pierre is the Dodgers’ lead-off hitter and starting left fielder come March 31st.
I hope you are right Greenie. I would keep the Pepto-Bismal handy though.
I can just hear Frank (to Ned):
“Surely he is good enough to at least get an opporunity to loose his job, i mean f, u say he cant play cf but signed him to play cf for five fin years. what the f. He ain’t good enough to earn his f-ing money is that right Ned? I outta fire you.. I owe this guy 35 fing million dollars and you come to me and say you want to play a guy who makes 500k, someone we already had before signing the other guy. Ned, out. Get the f out of my office.
Ned goes back to his office, yells at his secretary and says get me Plaschke, Jackson and the guy in Riverside..
And then 5 minuets later: 200 hits, better fit, old school, 60 steals, 95 runs..yadayada .295 hitter…baserunning..we have other good players. 60 steals. 200 hits, gets on base an awful lot, works hard..blah, blah, blah..
Hangs up phone pours himself a drink.
Yeah, wish he would choke on that drink!
**** Jungar.
**** again Bear.
jungar, ****!
… flips white tie over his shoulder, leans back in his chair, crosses boot-clad feet on desk and sips.
Ned DOES get real defensive when things aren’t going well…short, snippy answers, scowl…kind of like our beloved Commander in Chief… Listening to Ned field that press conference when Grady “resigned” and Torre signed was actually painful. Remember when Campanis would pull a rabbit out of his hat each year at the trading deadline? Every deal–straight on target and a winner.
Alou, Church, and Beltran all down with injuries. JP can be reunited with Luis Castillo. Get Omar on the phone!
Don’t give Ned any ideas…he might swap Pierre for Alou and give him a contract extension.
I’m sure when Ned brings up Pierre in trade talks the other GM’s laugh hysterically. We don’t even need to get anything in return. Just ship him out for nothing and pick up 10-15M of his salary. We would still be way ahead.
http://i10.ebayimg.com/07/i/000/aa/7a/f148_2.JPG
Tennis anyone?
We need a diversion. LOL
While playing video games…
Loney: I’m not ***. You know how I know you are ***? Because you told me you saved ten dollars on a pair of shoes
LaRoche: Dude your ***, You cried at the end of Episode III.
Loney: you drink Diet Fresca
Loney: Nah, Nah no seriousley.. I led baseball. Yeah dude all of baseball. Anyone in Proffesional ball who played in 2006. I hit .380.
Andy: You did?
Loney: Bro, you were there, you hit .322/.400/.950..we were in triple A, 2 years ago 2006. And Nomar still beat me out.
LaRoache: The only thing worse than that is now he is gonna beat me out.
Loney: You only hit .309 last year. Your on base wasnt’ even .400 like mine was.
LaRoche: Dude it was .399
You are so screwed.
Andy: My OPS was 988.
James: Ned don’t know what that means. UR FUCT ha ha…you can save my seat for me while on the bench….better yet save Nommmmmahs
Classic Jungar.
JP drinks diet fresca.
Billz is in the background thinking: Yeah, those simple a**ses put me in the bullpen and started that slug Bombko.
old fogey, here’s my point – all of management is dysfunctional:
1. McCourt comes along and says we’re staying the course with the kids.
2. Ned keeps the kids, then won’t let them play.
3. They hire Torre who’s a vets manager.
4. Kent has a purported pipeline to Mrs. Owner saying dump the young guys like Kemp.
Like I said to jhall, it doesn’t make any sense.
enchantedsunset – points taken.
2. Do you think it is Ned or the manager who decides who plays? Grady probably had to kowtow to Ned, but I suspect Torre doesn’t have to.
3. Maybe he is, but on his first Yankee team, he didn’t hesitate to start 21-year old Derek Jeter right out of the chute (batting ninth though.) What was the Torre quote the other day about so many young players that appear to be major-league ready, or something to that effect?
I just read it and saw jspelk pointed it out that the Mets lost Alou until May. They are getting thin in the outfield.
That could be an option for JP.
& hopefully not one for Ethier!!
I would send them Phewerre and 15-20M for a case of Diet Fresca or Tab.
I would ask for Nehi Grape but that would kill the deal.
We don’t need anyone back for Pierre, just for him to go away.
Shhhh. Someone from the Met’s might be listening. And JP actually could help the correct team!!
Although I’d rather have Ethier starting than Pierre, I don’t wish the guy harm. It’s hard to feel sorry for someone making $45 mil, but Ned really boxed him in by signing Andruw Jones, which, regardless of the fact that Jones has the kind of offensive and defensive pop we needed to replace Nancy Drew after the opt-out, was vastly unprofessional on Ned’s part.
Pierre’s game isn’t really a good fit for the Dodgers, but he’s not the Little Leaguer some people make him out to be. The guy did win the World Series after all, and it wasn’t by being the towel boy. I’d much rather have better D and O in the outfield like Ethier brings, but it doesn’t mean I wish harm to a player, especially to a player in a Dodger uniform.
Amen dm79.
He will be a very good player for the right team.
& if he reamins on our team…Go JP!!
Knoffbrock, I checked out that Ebbets Field Flannel site, good selection. I missed out on the PCL, but since watching HBO’s “Ghosts of Flatbush” doc, I’ve wondered what would’ve happened if Robert Moses caved and let O’Malley build the dome at Flatbush and Atlantic (yeah, right). Would there have been a MLB team with a big enough reputation that would’ve moved out to California and found another team to come with?
If not, Rickey aimed to make the PCL a professional league more competative with the MLB. If the Dodgers and Giants stayed in NYC, would Rickey have succeeded? L.A. baseball fans wouldn’t really follow the Dodgers, they’d be following the Stars and the original Angels, relegating the Dodgers to the same spot in the LA sports pages the Mets or Yankees currently occupy. And would the leagues have met in a World Series more like the way the NFL and AFL had the first few Super Bowls, after playing the whole seasons in their respective leagues?
The president of the university I go to is a baseball historian. He wrote a book recently about the PCL, and I keep meaning to pick it up, but haven’t gotten around to it. I wish they’d make a video game with PCL and Negro League teams to give younger generations a chance to learn about the history of baseball aside from the MLB teams. Then again, I’ve been hoping for a video game (besides ASB 05)that has Ebbets Field as a playable park for a while now, so fat chance of that happening. But I’ve always been intrigued by the notion that if Rickey succeeded, professional baseball would look vastly different today.
yea ethier to the mets!!
great idea! they can take that avg. outfielder off our hands..
JP is gonna have a HUGE YEAR!
I ❤ JP
If Moses let O’Malley build the Dome of Flatbush & Atlantic Av. I wouldn’t be sitting up at night reading all this garbage.
PierreEW, chuckle. It is kind of neat that the new stadium the Mets are building is modeled after Ebbets field. That must have been a fantastic place to be. Wish I would have seen/experienced it.
Go Furcal..
It’s your contract year. Score 120 runs and have 55-60 extra base hits.
Jungar, if he does that we will be in clover. Hope he does it.