Tonight's game
I’m still having issues posting to the blog, so please bear with us while we work out the kinks of the new system.
I hope you’ll all continue to post as often as you have and debate the usual stuff…just didn’t want you to think we had left.
Inside the Dodgers 
Don’t worry Josh, I’m also having trouble with this new system.
http://baseballislife.mlblogs.com/
lowe needs to calm down in this game… way to many hits… we need to get some hits too. there coming in the fourth
Ethier 2 for 3 – gotta love it! But I just don’t understand why Torre is messing with the line-up, and it’s ONLY the second game. Consistency in the line-up was missing last year, and IMHO, that is a key component to winning games . . .
Nice job Andre!! Way to hit the ball. I can’t watch the game because it is blocked up here in NorCal so I am watching via computer. It still looks good even there.
Wow Bowa, tell ’em how you really feel
What happened with Bowa?
dammit kemp
I can’t see t.v. What happened to Bowa?
WELL I started my story on the other side.
Getting back to this one I want to say that Larry Bowa is a good spark to have.
As I said in the last thread, let’s wait and see how Torre handles close-and-late situations with Pierre. Although it didn’t pan out (bases-loaded with the D’s never seems to), you have to like that Joe pulled Pierre for Kemp and left in Kemp as a late-inning defensive replacement.
I’m OK with JP playing some innings, as long as he’s going to be on the team…I’m just glad to know that A) Torre won’t start him daily and B) he understands his weakness as a hitter in crucial game situations.
The Dodgers have a weak offense that’s no secret, but it seems to always be at it’s worse when Derek pitchers.
He has to pitch like Koufax in order to get anywhere.
That was massively entertaining by Bowa.
And I have a bad feeling about Beimel this year.
no tv here, what happened with that play to A. Jones?
I guess it wasn’t Beimel’s night.
The greatest thrills I remember came in the 1947 World Series.
The greatest thrills for that year, I mean.
Now let’s see how Ramon Troncoso fares.
GOOD PITCH. Now that HARD LUCK LOWE is gone maybe our offense will pick up. Matt Cain’s departure should help to.
We need some late game ligtning.
Jones had to run to short right center and dive but the ball was out of range. Kemp backed it up and threw to Furcal to keep the runner from scoring.
Good decision to bat Kemp for Pierre even though it did not work out. Pierre probably would not have struck out but likely would have popped or flied out.
Nice to see some fire from Bowa. He will keep things real for the Dodgers this year.
I’m loving the story PierreEW.
DeWitts been having some great at bats. Rally time.
Way to go Furcal!!!
F U R C A L
Nice at bat for Furcal but not a great move getting picked off. Dodgers would have been ahead 3-2 on Ethier’s double had he not made that baserunning mistake.
Andre, way to go!!!! 3 for 4 so far!!
Have I told you lately that Andre Ethier is a bonifide major leaguer.
Well if I didn’t****I’m telling you now.
You got that right, PierreEW!
They need to be patient at the plate use discipline and be very active on the basepaths
Like the ’47 Dodgers.
They need a manager or a coach like Larry Bowa and they got one. Reminds me of Durocher.
Tommy had that Lou Piniella attitute.
Joe can take it easy, do the brain work and let Larry do his thing.
Nice job Brox!!
Sounds like an SAT answer:
“Durocher was to Alston as Bowa is to Torre”
For those of you watching the games on TV, how has Jones looked at the plate these past two days?
From what I can gather, you didn’t want to get on Alston’s bad side.
BIG BAD JON
Nobody reminds me of anybody as much as Aaron Rowand reminds me of Cey.
I’ll never forget Al Giofredo catch I heard it on the radio.
It was the fact that I was soooo nervous with DI MAG at the plate. It was at Yankee Stadium and you could hear the crowd roar and then Barber said “OH DOCTOR” after the catch, which took us a few minutes to understand and then all the Dodgers fans were dancing and yelling.
We were playing stick ball in the street and my uncle had the game on a laud speaker. A different uncle. He was a machanic who sometimes fixed cops private cars.
It was a delayed reaction.
That should be Gionfredo I think.
Hi Pierre…. Did Red Barber make that comment (“Oh Doctor”) often ? Did Jerry Coleman (Padres broadcaster) steal that phrase from him ?
Nice of Mlblogs to wait til the season starts to update their system. They’ve had months of off-season to do this!!
jhall218: Alston was called the quiet man and did not get too high after a win nor too low after a loss. But you are right, it was not wise to get on his bad side. Here is an excerpt from the Tommy Davis book that talks about the famous bus incident when Alston challenged the whole team to a fist fight.
http://tinyurl.com/2lju8f
Saito is on fire!!! Mowed them down 1,2,3!!!
Thanks Luke. Great stuff.
To me SAITO is the MVP.
He sure looked like himself right there.
He’ll make Torre forget about Mariano Reviera.
Pee Wee or D. Y.
He DUE.
GO CHAMPS
Way to go Dodger Blue!!!
Sweet!!
No I don’t remember how often he used it. All I remember is he used it that day. And believe me I don’t know how many Dodger fans might have had a heart attack that day.
Some nice PH by the new stuntmen, a healthy Furcal and lights-out Sammy – way to go boys!!!
Believe me Larry Bowa I like.
He can make this team what it is meant to be.
Was EASLER wearing that soft cap since Bowa left?
that was sweet..
Are the Dodgers on the radio? I read they were supposed to be on KABC but it doesn’t appear that they are. I live in northern California and I’m looking for a station to listen to on the computer. Thanks!
In the season opener, Torre looked great! He made the tough decisions and started his strongest lineup and came away with a 5-0 victory. Kemp drives in the first run of the season but then finds himself on the bench the next day as Torre no longer goes with his strongest lineup. What gives?? He got lucky and won again tonight, but the Dodgers easily could have lost because of his lineup decisions. If the Dodgers are serious about winning the NL West this year, Colletti must get rid of JP. Having four outfielders is going to be a continual problem all year long. It will tempt Torre to “keep everybody fresh” and not stick with the best players. To reach their high potential, Kemp and Ethier need to play every day. It’s not fair to them or the fans to do otherwise. The best thing that Colletti can do for the team, Torre, the fans, and Pierre is to TRADE PIERRE! Give him a chance to play on a team that needs his skills and eliminate this continual distraction that fosters poor decisions and bad attitudes.
bookman,
Unfortunately, I had to listen to them on KNBR, which is the radio station for the Giants, and that is because they are blacked out from tv/radio in my area (including extra innings and mlb.com).
Easler came into the game with the helmet, then the next inning he had his soft hat on until there was an out in the inning, when they called time to get Easler the helmet.
Larry Bowa surprised me when he got into it with the umpire. It’s good to see him lighting a fire under the team. Plus, there was a lot to like when Torre showed his aggressive playcalling with that double steal in the seventh. That put them in a position to win, and it was awesome to see D-Young knock in the winning run tonight.
bookman, MLB blacks out the games on the radio station’s website. The only way to listen to the game online is to get the GameDay Audio for $14.95 (which is good for 12 months of gameday and archive access).
They had the game on CW 31 in my area (north of Sacramento). I guess it was the feed from NBC 11 in the Bay Area.
Great game. You had to be there to truly appreciate it. It was exciting to the last play!! Furcal was super and Delwyn rose to the occasion. Go Dodgers!
Kemp had as many ABs as Pierre last night, if I’m not mistaken. I really liked the way Torre handled the game, substituting Kemp for Pierre with the bases loaded. Even though it didn’t produce any runs, he still gave the D’s the best shot at scoring runs in that situation.
I didn’t get to see it, but my guess is that Furcal’s dash from second on DY’s hit was very Gibsonesque. Along with the double steal by DeWitt and Hu, its nice to see some controlled aggressiveness on the bases.
OK, so tell me exactly what Pierre brought to last night’s game that he should’ve started. Don’t think Kemp needed a day off already. C’mon, use him smart Joe. If we’re several games into the season and you want him to spell a starter here and there, I’m down for that. But to take ABs away from Ethier and Kemp and give them to JP for no reason is just assinine. The whole point of benching JP was because your other three OFers are superior. PR with a few well timed PH appearances is JPs game now until the starters need a rest (OK, and “rest” them when there’s a pitcher that they just can’t hit, or when there’s a pitcher that JP rakes – and yes there really are some.) Otherwise you’re not putting your best club out there. You can get away with it vs. the Giants, but very doubtful you’ll pull it off very often against a better club.
Thanks, dnelson and northstate blues. Ah, for the good ol’ days when I could turn on KFI and hear Vin Scully and Jerry Doggett for free.
Great game last night, but I’d rather hear Dodger announcers than KNBR’s.
Interesting comment by the Giants manager:
Bochy actually said that before Tuesday’s game. At that time, he added that he might have delivered a negative message to his club by altering the lineup for the season’s second game.
“If I change the lineup now, it may send a sense of panic with them,” Bochy said. “We want a little continuity. [Monday’s] lineup was the first time we had that lineup. To start changing quite a bit now would be a little early, I think.”
When a team wins with its strongest lineup in place, I think changing that lineup also sends the wrong message. So much of baseball success is mental. If players are continually wondering whether they will be in the lineup from one day to the next, it has to affect them mentally. It also affects the rhythm of their game. Coming up with the bases loaded off the bench is a lot different than coming up after two previous at bats. Not only is there the pressure of that situation, but there is also the pressure of trying to do too much to prove you didn’t belong on the bench in the first place.
Trade Pierre.
Play DeWhitt.
Wes Helms????
Marcus Giles????
Are these guys really better than Blake??
Come on, Ned! Trade Pierre and stop this nonsense.
whats up with Bowa getting tossed… look at when Molina help up at third (not to test Andruw’s arm) earlier in the game… the 3rd base coach was all the way near home plate and he wasn’t tossed….
that *****!
bigpapaduck,
This is from an article on ESPN.com about last night’s game.
“Major League Baseball announced in late February that starting this year, first- and third-base coaches must not cross the lines toward home plate or the field until batted balls pass them. Only then can they take up other spots to guide runners.”
So Bowa has to stay in the box until the ball is hit. It actually doesn’t sound unreasonable to me…not like the runner can’t see the coach where he’s at for signs and the like. Then, the coach can move out of the box. Perhaps MLB is being a bit too rigid, but it’s really not a crazy rule, IMO.
Can we please not platoon Matt Kemp? That was a very Grittle-esque move, one game Kemp hits 3-hole the next…benched??? To borrow a line from my buddy jungar from last season, how many 3 hitters in MLB are platooned? Leave it alone Joe, Kemp can hit RH pitching and is a streaky player. He will not hit those white-hot grooves if he is sitting every other game. Ethier is in the zone right now and deserves the ABs he’s getting but he should be the one platooning with Pierre if it has to be done. Bottom line, Pierre should start minimally at best.
An article on foxsports.com lists 8 bad contract players and 3 of them were Dodgers and 2 were Giants.
Hmmm….. I wonder what the connection is?
I agree with PierreEMW. Anything Bowa does to fire up the guys is fine with me. As long as it isn’t interpreted by the players as a distraction, it could serve to pull them together.
Kemp? PLEASE just put him in right field EVERY DAY. A guy like him needs to play constantly, that big swing doesn’t like to get cold.
Ned: Replacement at third? From the Times: “If Helms is designated for assignment, the Phillies would have 10 days to decide whether to waive, trade or release him. If Helms is released, the Phillies would be responsible for the money owed to him and the Dodgers would be able to sign him for the major league minimum of $390,000.
But however much or little Helms makes, there are concerns about the 31-year old’s ability at the plate, as he hit only .246 with five home runs in 280 at-bats last season with Philadelphia’s hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park as his home field.”
It looks to me that DeWitt can hit .246. We are supposed to have one of the deepest pools of minor league talent in baseball, right? Then why oh why are we rummaging through everyone’s garbage? Stop panicking! Even if DeWitt heads towards the Mendoza line, stick Hu in there. That kid has a talent for defense and he’ll do fine until LaRoche is ready. TRUST THE KIDS!
dodgereric,
I think management’s response to your DeWitt argument is this: what happens if Hu or DeWitt get injured? Then who do they play at 3rd? Hopefully the Ds would sign someone like Helms as an insurance policy, a stop-gap until Nomar/LaRoche are healthy.
If a bunch more guys get hurt, then those garbage heap guys will still be around. There’s no need for Ned to be looking so much right now.
La Roche will be back sooner than expected I think and then we’ll have a nice little competition on our hands.
But, we might need a carne asada backup for Nomar.
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7981058/GMs-should-just-cut-losses-on-these-guys
Interesting that Pierre is the lead in photo for this article that hits the nail on the head and reiterates what we have been saying.
scott and jhall, that IS interesting.
hey jhall,
jinx!
An article on longshots who made it, starring Blake DeWitt: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=crasnick_jerry&id=3325118
3 dodgers in that article
4 if you count the references to Schmidt.
Another one that has Bonds possibly playing in Seattle and Detroit, of all places. It mentions that the Tigers have a chance to plate 1000 runs, which only two teams have ever done – the ’99 Indians and the ’50 Bosox. One other those two teams have in common – no World Series: http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=394672
Unfortunate, but some semi-contending team will probably get desperate in July and sign Bonds. I hope it doesn’t happen.
I am very encouraged by the plate discipline we have shown so far. Taking lots of pitches and working the count. Fouling off good pitches and making the starter work hard early in the game. It got Cain out of the game last night and let us exploit the G’nats weak bullpen. Most teams middle relief is their biggest weakness so getting to it gives you a much improved chance of winning. I am not anxious for a return of Nomar and his 1st pitch outs. Maybe as a pinch hitter it is a good strategy, but I don’t like it from the starters and early in games.
For the Dodgers to continue to win they have to put their best 9 on the field every night, unless they’re tired or injured. Last night they won ,but they didn’t start their best players. Platooning is okay in some circumstances , but not in this case, it weakens the team.
I’ll take Torre at his word that he is still experimenting with the lineup in the first few games and trying to give enough AB’s to everybody so as to keep them fresh. I think his preference will be to find and stick with a proven lineup, and hopefully that will be the best 9 players. I don’t think we’ll continually see the kind of lineup gyrations that we saw with Grady. So far I also think that Joe has been quite decisive about the use of his bullpen, which so far has meant that he didn’t leave a pitcher in that one batter too long, which also was Grady’s trademark. Of course, Grady left them in two or three batters too long.
The one thing I wish they would leave alone is DeWitt. If there was really someone out there that could do a consistent job at third it would be one thing, but going after people that are being cut because they’ve proved to be ineffective is just ridiculous to me. We have DeWitt doing better than one could expect, we have Hu who’s also a capable substitute, we have Chavez on the club, and we have Abreu who will be back in the minors reconditioning – just how many ways do we need to be covered in the event of another injury.
jhall – good call on the plate discipline – I’ve noticed that too – the guys are getting some good at bats.
OK, I’m going to try and keep a chart on how many ABs JP takes away from Ethier and Kemp. This won’t count games when either is given the day-off to rest (which I think we can reach a consensus on amongst us when this is taking place), double switches, pinch running, and other legitimate reasons for JP to be in their place.
Last night however was not one of those times, so that’s 2 he’s taken away from Kemp.
Good idea, enchanted. I’m suspicious that Ned has asked Torre to try and get JP some AB’s.
The 3B “search” just makes me want to vomit.
Our next dead horse just might be ol’ Ned.
Hey Josh, are the dodgers going to wear an armband for Johnny Podres at all this year? I thought they would, but two games into the season and i havent heard anything about it. I think it would be an appropriate and respectful gesture.
Well guys, good or bad, management of people is a very tenuous and subjective thing. Torre has proven he is capable at it and was brought in for just that reason. Think about it, he has been given a 3 year contract. The misfortunes of this club did not develope overnight, nor will they be solved overnight. Not by one signing or trade. True change takes time. I believe that Torre was brought in, #1 to right the ship and put us on an even keel. Which, seems to be happening now. Exhibit, Kent is happy, team is playing good fundamental baseball so far. #2, to establish authority and accountability. I think he has already started that and maybe even accomplished it. #3, to bridge the veteran to prospect/young player transition. The Dodger decline started 20 years ago and was mitigated by the Murdoch/Fox debacle. It is a long running decline that will take more than one or two years to correct. Frank and Ned seem to be willing to admit this and bringing in Joe is testament to the fact that change is/was needed. Just the fact that they did this is a good indication that they do care about the future of our ballclub and are willing to make the neccessary changes. It won’t happen overnight. We have been frustrated for 20 years and it is natural that we want it fixed right now. Ain’t going to happen. I think we are on the right track and this is truly the first step.
jhall,
Don’t tell me you’re suddenly patient and retrospective?
2 ABs taken away from Kemp and suddenly we’re unhappy again.
If a player is on the roster, he needs ABs to be at all useful. Benching Pierre for 3 or 4 straight games, then asking him to start or even pinch hit will make him even more useless than he is already. Especially as everyone knows you don’t break a slump by sitting on the bench; if he’s on the roster, he needs a chance to be the best freaking Juan Pierre he can be, whether we like it or not.
The thing that sickens me is the attitude that Torre will not be a good enough manager until Juan never plays again. As I posted in the last thread:
2007: JP started 100% of the time.
2008: JP has started 50% of the time. (and played half a game).
That’s a ******** 50% improvement (75% if you count Kemp’s 2 AB’s last night). If I could improve my IRA profitability by 50% in one year, I’d be ecstatic.
2007: JP batted in the 1 or 2 hole.
2008: JP batted in the 7 hole.
On a scale of 1-9, he just improved (sadly) by 6 points. That’s a 66% improvement. Massive in any business.
Yes, we’d prefer a 100% improvement. But guess what: NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. Not soon anyway. I’ll take the improvement, especially given that Torre pulled JP as soon as he had a chance to bat in a crucial game situation.
I think the word it ***’d out was massive. Cuz it has *** in it?
Apparently not. Anyway, no vulgarity there from me.
Funny line from the LA Times this morning:
By Peter Yoon, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
April 2, 2008
An Associated Press investigation has revealed the obvious: Alex Rodriguez makes a lot of money.
But even A-Rod was surprised by the news that he makes more than the combined salaries of his hometown Florida Marlins.
Rodriguez tops the Major League Baseball salary list at $28 million. The 33 players on the Marlins’ opening day roster and disabled list will earn $21.8 million.
“The Marlins? It’s amazing,” Rodriguez said. “And they still seem to find a way to be very competitive. . . . To win two championships in 11 years, that’s really admirable, and I’m very proud of that organization, being from Miami.”
He should be. Those two championships are two more than he has.
Sorry for the long post, but, in reflection, I see good things in our future. Ned and Joe cannot religate Pierre to the bench and trash him in the media. Geez, that takes away any future bargaining position. The guy could probably start for half the teams in baseball and do alright. Ned has admitted the mistake, but to come out and say that Pierre is just awful and a terrible mistake doesn’t make any sense or accomplish anything. Right now, it is in his best interests to extoll his virtues and try to find a team that needs his specific set of skills. It just isn’t the Dodgers at this time. I trust and can see that Ned has learned from his early moves. I think he came into an organization that was a fringe contender and thought with the right moves for proven veterans, they could get over the top. It has worked in the past. Not very often, but it has happened. His perceived urgency and inexperience resulted in some not so good acquisitions. I think he has learned alot from that experience. There are alot of things we are not privey too. I think we are headed in the right direction and I believe we will be MLB champions in the next 5 years.
Hey puppy,
We’re definitely on the way up. Although, how come Mark Sweeney and Delwyn Young didn’t need to start to be productive?
I like the way Torre has been managing the club. Aggressive baserunning, quick hooks for relievers, etc.
The solution for JP is to trade him to a team that has needs his “talents” more than we do. Besides, you don’t need to stay fresh to be a pinch runner.
No Scott, I think that we got what we wanted and now it is time to give back a little bit of credit. I have to trust Joe for now. I will be the first to jump the dead horse when I feel that that credit has been degrated.
Whoops:Dodgers coach Bowa suspended for 3 games
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=394768
Degraded.
I guess I have to switch to the “Get behind the team” mode for now. They are making progress.
If Ned has learned from past experience, what is all this Wes Helms and Marcus Giles ****? Giles got beat out by a guy with no more major league experience than De Whitt. Thank God Giles didn’t want to play 3B.
Talk about freaking out after only 1 or 2 games. Geez, DeWhitt is playing well and reinforcements are on the way in a couple weeks. Same old panic if you ask me.
****? = c.r.a.p.?
jhall,
I like how Torre has taken control so far, don’t get me wrong. I just don’t trust Ned yet and the 3B search is proof enough.
Go Dodgers!
jhall, I agree with your thoughts on Coletti’s tactics regarding his obtaining of veterans. In fact, it may have even been in print at the time he was doing it. The Dodgers had all those kids in single A ball and they said they were a couple/three years away – these older guys will help us compete until we get the kids to the bigs. Or is my memory faulty?
That’s a decent philosophy, as long as it’s only temporary and you’ve already committed to a strong farm system.
Scott, if they brought in Giles, my previous posts would not have been made. I didn’t say he was totally cured of the G’nat disease. Just that there was progress. I think there are cooler heads overseeing things now’a’days. No knee jerk reactions. Putting Giles in the minors to learn 3rd does not translate into a bad move. He was not going to be brought up to take DeWitts place. It is out there, but, insignificant.
What’s up deadhorsemen,
Here’s today’s lineup, got it from Weisman’s blog:
Tonight’s lineup:
Rafael Furcal, SS
Russell Martin, C
Andre Ethier, LF
Jeff Kent, 2B
Andruw Jones, CF
James Loney, 1B
Matt Kemp, RF
Blake DeWitt, 3B
Chad Billingsley, P
Isn’t it beautiful? I made it to the home opener on Monday.. sat in the lodge, near the left field foul pole. I did not have a good time. I was surrounded by drunken thugs who were yelling and screaming the whole time, dropping the “f” bomb, throwing beer and peanuts and Giants fans, and whistling at girls, even if they had a husband, kid, or boyfriend! Anyways, I’m going to have to opt for field level seats next time to avoid those knuckleheads. It’s people like those who give dodger fans a bad name. It seems like they just go to the games to get drunk and act obnoxious in public.
Acquiring a Crede would be cause for concern.
Definitely with you, jhall on that “Get behind the team” mode. I’m pretty satisfied all along the line for now. Just the attempt to acquire any questionable third baseman grates me. I think it’s like we take two steps forward with what we seem to be accomplishing so far, and Ned wants to take a step back by bringing in a Giles or Helms, when neither has shown the productivity that would offer any better results than what we’re likely to get from DeWitt, Hu, or whoever is next in line. After all, we already had Martinez to do as much as Giles or Helms could, and he even had recent experience of playing third base. I think we made the right decision of sending Martinez down, so let’s not undo that now by bringing is another veteran at the fading end of his career.
Thanks DodgerEric, those were the prevailing thoughts at the time. I am not saying it was good or bad. It just didn’t work out.
I tell you what, if we field that lineup and still don’t make it deep in the playoffs, at least we tried our best.
I love the lineup tonight… then again any lineup with out pierre in it is a good line up… going to the twins game tonight vs the anahiem angels… Go twins… ill be back after the game… and Im wearing my dodgers jersey and hat to the game…. representing the dodger blue in minneapolis… lets get the sweep tonight.
Good take Bear,
Ned still has newbie jitters. He seems to think that if he doesn’t make a move he is not accomplishing anything. Commen mistake. Most often, the best move, is no move.
GO DODGE16!!
Thunderbolt, I was also in the leftfield corner of the loge, it was a mess over there. There were 3 giants fans next to me, there were scared to move. They ended up sneaking out during the 7th inning stretch.
Ok, guys, let’s wait it out.
Nice lineup. Grady has made us so jittery over the lineups the last couple of years. I never used to freak out about it, but Pierre over Kemp is like Haden over Jaworski to me.
We need to sweep the lowly Gnats every series this year. They are as close to an AAA team as the Dodgers are going to see.
In Yahoo! Fantasy Baseball, I noticed in the Tools section that someone in another league traded Thome for Pierre straight up – no joke. Do you think that’s Ned’s Yahoo! fantasy team?
Go Dodgers!
Go Billz!
puppy – any ABs Juan takes away from legitimate hitters (outside the parameters I mentioned above) deprive the team of better weapons. Let’s take a look at what Juan does/doesn’t bring to the table:
1. Power – No. The chances of Juan providing the D’s some instant offense with one swing are absolutely nil since he’s been a Dodger. The same can’t be said of Kemp or Ethier who even with no one on, can put the Ds on the board. Best Juan can do is punch a single, steal a base or two, and still have to depend on someone else to knock him in.
2. JPs a contact hitter. Ergo whether he plays regularly or not, he’s still going to make contact 90% of the time. Juan had the second most ABs in ST. Did he make contact, yes. Did that contact translate into anthing, yes – a whole bunch of soft outs. I just can’t buy the “playing to stay sharp” concept in Juan’s case. If that would apply to anyone on the team, I think it would be Bennett.
3. Presenting your best line-up. We all agree how cruddy Juan is is every aspect of the game (except speed), so how is his being in the line-up when (A) you’re not really resting anybody and (B) None of the “starters” is hurt, and (C) the other parameters set above, going to help your team?
I don’t have a problem with Torre using JP in situations where he can help the club, and I’m sure there will be many over the course of the season. But giving away ABs is something that I’ll call Torre and anyone else on everytime be it the first game of the season or the last.
In the end, what I’m curious to find out is the liklihood that Juan outperformed what we can extrapolate that Ethier and Kemp would have done with those ABs had they gotten them. So far, JPs taken two AB’s from Kemp and done nothing with them.
What’s up eherman. There was an instance wheh this one Giant fan was walking back to his seat, and this one gang ****** stuck out his foot to trip him. The Giant fan seemed a little upset, and gave him a bad look, at which the thug raised up his hands, trying to provoke him. The thing that bothered me the most was when they were kept calling this one guy with a beard, “jesus christ.” These guys have respect for no one! Not even Jesus.
thunder,
I wish security would be more proactive in ejecting those thugs. I went to two game last year: Field level by the right field foul pole – thugs, f-bombs, etc. Field level behind the Dodgers dugout – great atmosphere. I’m afraid to take my family to certain areas of the stadium. It shouldn’t be like that.
Scott,
Didn’t say Pierre needed to start to be productive…just that any player needs AB’s to be productive. I’d rather have JP in at the beginning of a game than at the end of a game…doesn’t make sense to put such a weak bat in late-game situations, and the same goes with his weak arm. If he’s going to play half a game, I’d much rather it be the first half.
I really like the lineup tonight. Martin’s bat is going to wake up.
I don’t know why people are mad at Ned at looking for potential 3Bs…that’s his job. If there is a lack of depth or talent, his job is to try to find ways to make up for that deficiency. In fact, I’d be a heck of a lot more angry if he WEREN’T looking, and then DeWitt got hurt and the D’s had even fewer options on the table. Regardless, the way DeWitt’s playing, he’ll be fine, but if he goes into a weeklong slump I wouldn’t be surprised if Ned pulls the trigger on a stopgap solution.
The Problem with playing little Juan, is that Kemp and Ethier need at bats to improve and get better. We already know what JP offers. Anyway so far I like what Ned and Joe have done this year. I just hope they let Dewitt continue to play, who knows the kid might surprise everybody.
Enchanted,
See the first part of my last post as to my reasoning for JP getting ABs. You say you’d like JP to play when he can help the team? He certainly isn’t going to help in the late innings, so a spot start for a half a game is going to be the best situation for him.
I don’t agree with you on AB’s not helping him out of his slump…he’s producing way more fly balls than ground balls at this point, and that’s probably a product of something he needs to tweak in his swing. IMO.
Scott (and Josh)
Security does need to step it up. Man, the things that were going on were unheard of. You think beach balls are bad? On monday someone blew air into a condom and started tossing it in the air. And a few rows behind me, people were smoking weed! Dodger stadium is turning into “Chavez Latrine” like the Padre and Giants fans like to call it. Thank goodness I didn’t bring my son.
I admit that I flew off the handle a little yesterday with Pierre starting over Kemp. And Puppyhead is right in asking for patience–but I called for patience during the off-season and the spring because I thought that when the day came, Joe Torre would make the right call. And on Opening Day, he did. But I was so disappointed on Day 2.
Kemp should ALWAYS start (OK, fine, even 23 year-old corner outfielders who are as strong as an ox get days off these days–though I don’t know why). As Junfar said last year–if he’s good enough to be the 3rd hitter (and he is), he should be playing every day. Yesterday worked out–we won, but I still feel I am right.
But, imagine if Kemp started. Assuming that he does not do more than Pierre those first two at-bats, when Sweeney pinch hits, Pierre can be the pinch-runner instead of Hu. How does that help? Well, Pierre is a great pinch-runner, and there is no doubt that he scores from second, and maybe Furcal does not get caught in between bases.
Also, because we had burned Hu, Sweeney, and Kemp from the reserves (leaving only Angel Pena, Pee-Wee Young, and the back-up catcher Gary Bennet), and were in a tie game, we had to make a double-switch and pull Kent (so as to avoid having to burn another pinch-hitter too early when the 9th spot in the line-up came around). It’s OK to put in Hu as a defensive replacement if we’re ahead, but in a tie game, we might want Kent’s bat. And, sure enough, we come back around to Kent’s spot in the line-up with two outs in the bottom of the 9th and the winning run in scoring position. Again–it worked out this time, through a good piece of hitting by Pee-Wee Young, Durham not getting a handle on the ball (it was a good stop though), and aggressive base running by Furcal. But come one–in that situation, we want Jeff Kent at the plate.
Obviously, all of these things worked out–and we have good talent to start, on the bench, and on the 40-man roster. And seemingly better coaching too. But the goal is to put the team in the best position to win. And that’s always playing with the starting personnel we had on Opening Day and tonight (I might tweak the line-up, but except for the fact that Furcal has to lead off, any of the 2-7 guys could hit anywhere from 3-7 in the line-up [not all could hit second]).
I don’t object to signing Helms or Giles or someone at 3rd base, but: 1) I don’t really see that as the answer for any long term; and 2) don’t think it’s necessary. I truly hope that LaRoche comes back and proves to be the answer, since he has immense potential. But DeWitt is doing OK for 2 days in, and can probably get the job done until Nomar, Abreu, or LaRoche is back. Actually, for the story of it, I would love to see Blake DeWitt just play out of his mind for a month and put a stranglehold on the job, and play so well that we would never take him out of the line-up. That’s bascially what Russell Martin did in 2006.
Way to go, dodge16! My favorite thing to do is to wear my Blue gear to Anaheim or DogFoodPark down in SD. (I also like to wear my Kings sweater to Duck games, but that’s another story.)
Years ago I had a hat that I bought at a swap meet that said, “Sc**w the Angels, I’m a Dodger fan!”. Loved that hat.
You know we have asked Ned, to trust in the force.
Perhaps, it is up to us. I think that management is on top of things for now. I want to see what happens before I react. They have shown an abilility to change and adapt. I can give them a little bit of time to let it play out. If it doesn’t, we will go from there.
Good points Leekfink. Wouldn’t that be amazing if DeWitt pulled a 2006 Russell Martin on everyone? It would have scary parallels…such as Navarro being the under-achieving incumbent with potential who got injured right away…sound familiar to anyone from 2008?
I love this line-up tonight, just like on opening day it seems like we’ll be a threat to score every inning. I think this line-up plays psychological games with the opposing pitching as well. It’s like ***** when am I gonna get an easy inning?” I think it also forces pitcher to try to be perfect with every pitch which may be why we are racking up higher pitch counts so far this year. Of course Nomar, Pierre and Gonzo had a lot to do with that last year though.
Nice lineup for tonight.
I like the lineup, but I would move Martin down and Kemp up. Martin had a bad spring and is struggling now. Matt is Matt. Sort of like Ali’s right hand. I’m off to the game now.
GO DODGERS!
puppy – if JP were a tradeable commodity, I’d probably agree with you a little more, but given his contract and what seemingly every other GM knew about him but Ned, he has very little worth on the market. Couple that with the spring he had and he even managed to lower his value further. Unless you release the guy, you’re stuck with him.
I do disagree about JP in the latter half of the game. IMO, that’s the only time he has value coming off the bench. PR obviously, but I see him PHing to lead off an inning anytime after the 5th. Does he bat with runners on?, not unless they need to be bunted over (and that’s iffy), but in a leadoff situation sure, knock yourself out Juan.
If you use JP to spell the starters 10-15 games each, use him as a PR, or PH leading off an inning, I think you set him up for the most possible success. That would give him 150-200 PAs for the season. Enough to help, but not enough to hurt. But like I said, you use him like last night when there was no reason for it, and it costs a better hitter ABs.
Still Torre looks to be a vast improvement on Grittle. Ned just needs to trust the force and not panic. Frank (from what I’ve been reading) needs to lower ticket prices and heighten security. Bowa needs some xanax. And the Ds need to kick the Giants rears again tonight.
that’s one hell of a lineup if its true.
I really like martin in the 2-spot. He sees a lot of pitches and is a good contact hitter. It’s not fair to say he’s struggling after 2 games.
Enchanted,
Amen on your earlierl post.
Thunderbolt.
Totally agree with you, I did see the condom as it floated down and landed on some guy in the lower deck. So uncalled for. I think you were closer to the problem, I did notice when the two girls one in Giants gear tried to get a photo by the railing and people were yelling all sorts of things. The women sitting in front of the giants fans I was by kept asking the thugs behind them that she would throw their hats over the railing for a beer as they sat there being hit with peanuts throughout the game. I live in the bay area and do experience the same types of things at AT&T. But it is uncalled for on both sides.
Also to top it off when we got back to our car there were at least 4 cars with 2 tires slashed on each car.
The Dodgers’ front office wanted to sign Giles or acquire Helms e.g. to avoid putting Dewitt on the 40-man; but now that he has been used in the majors the player control damage has been done. If a player is signed for insurance they will go to LV. LV season starts tommorrow; let’s see who plays 3B for them.
They just announced that Billingsley got scratched and Kuo’s pitching. Does anyone know what’s going on?!?!?!?
Steiner said that Torre doesnt want to waste Billz if the game gets rained out before official
Lincecom also a scratch
Well that’s not good. I know it’s “no big deal” but when is it? It’s not as if I trust our Medical people
Yea, Dual
They anticipate the game being rained out or delayed, so they want to save Chad if that happens. At least that is the take I get on it.
oh cool, thats a better reason…
Eheuerman,
I feel for you and the bad experience at the ballpark. There is no excuse for it and it is not acceptable. It is a freaking game people.
That makes sense. The first thing that went through my head was injury. The second was a trade…
I have also experienced that kind of mindless harrassment. It is disconcerning and makes you wonder what in the heck these people do with their lives.
Kuo just got out off that first inning. He was a little wild.
Let’s hope he settles down.
ok guys back from the game… the angels won 1-0 but who cares… I was running out of that stadium when I didnt know what happened to bills… so glad he is ok and not hurt… kuo needs to calm it down now…
Boy, hearing all your stadium horror stories… was never like that when I used to go (granted it was 25 or more years ago though.) Worst I ever had to put up with was a guy a couple seats in front of me picking his nose for 9 innings. Sounds like its gotten a tad worse…
Want to “hear” another old Dodger story tonight?
YES! Start in 47 where you left off.
Cookie Lavagetto
Cookie was a veteran when Pee Wee came up, right?
JONESY BOY
troncoso is amazing… that was some good clutch pitching right there… runners on second and third and he k’s two and gets a fly out… thats what im talking about.
That was a nice long inning and it’s good to take that 1 run lead.
That was a very memorable day in 1947.
That was a day, if you were a Dodger fan you wouldn’t only be worried about losing, but being no hitted by Bill Bevens.
It’s hard to believe that this game is being played in Los Angeles. I personally don’t remember the last game that was rained out over there.
That day during the 1947 World Series was a prelude of what was going to happen in 1955.
But you couldn’t tell that during the game, because the Dodgers didn’t look anywheres near they could make it happen.
I hope this game is not called. It would ruin my whole day tomorrow. I plan to go out and take a long ride during the afternoon to pick up some binoculars, which I will use at Yankee Stadium on Sunday. I also planned to pick up my rent money and go to pay it. Of course if it’s a night game, no sweat. If it’s a day game I’ll have to leave my house real early to catch a game that will start about 4 in the afternoon. I was really looking for a real easy day with no baseball game. I feel like I need a rest.
So you guys figured to lose to Blevins’?
Which game of the series was it?
Looks like the rain’s just about to pass through Dodger Stadium according to the Weather Channel website. No other rain on the way, so I’d be really surprised if they called the game.
Pierreemw, I’m up for stories about Brooklyn anytime you feel like sharing them. I enjoy learning all I can about the Dodgers, especially from people who were at the games.
according to the radio, they’re going to start the game again at 9:56.
Houston just touched up Hoffman for 4 runs in the 9th to come from behind and take the lead. LOL
I remember baseball as a radio game also Pierre. When I was about 8 years old and we rode the train to visit my reletives, we would get in late. My uncles would be out in the general store, smoking cigarettes and listening to a ballgame on the radio. That is another reason I got hooked. They would get the Yankees or Pirates on and just talk baseball. It was heaven. Next day, we would go out and play baseball.
Hard to believe that Loiaza got out of that. Well done.
DeWitt is amazing.
ok lets get a win here… no more playing around and letting it be close were playing a triple A team here come on dodgers!!!!
That’s the way it was in those day’s JHALL** Radio
Loaiza not impressing too much considering the opposition. Nice plays by Raffy (and Andruw last inning). Wonder if anyone has told Park not to unpack.
Getting back to that game in the ’47 World Series. We were pretty down hearted, if you rooted for the Dodgers. Like facing dooms day.
I can still remember, well not exactly play by play.
Pierre, was Vinnie as nice to listen to back in Brooklyn as he has been here? I mean, he’s so smooth.
loaiza ******* s hes the worse pitcher on the team… jones needs to learn not to hit into double plays…. I hate when were behind to sf
This is workingut O.K. for the Jints. They even got their starting pitcher back in there. Well the guy who was suppose to start.
Yeah, we’ve had a shot at their bullpen and blew it. Looks like Lincecum might finish it. We still have 9 outs though. Winners never quit.
Scully has always sounded the same to me. I use to really feel good when I use to turn off the sound on the TV and listen to him on the radio. My wife couldn’t understand what heck I was doing, since she had no idea who he was.
Kemp is so due………….
what the hell is wrong with kemp and martin…. this is getting old quickly
Wally Pipp!
PierreEW, you were listening to Red Barber in 47 weren’t you?
Boy if anybody was DUE.
Rats!!
martin do something? he looks at the pitches go bye… god my blood pressure is high this game
RATS! That kid is a good pitcher. We’re going to be facing him for a looooong time.
I grew up listening to Vin and Jerry thru a little transistor radio hanging on my bedpost. My dad would come in and turn it off after I fell asleep.
Seems like we’re waiting forever on Martin.
My favorite announcer was Connie Desmond, I simply love the sound of his voice.
I’m glad to see that lincecum leave.
Good for you DoderEric.
DeWitt must really be having a ball, that kid is so relaxed he’s playing like he’s good nothing to lose.
Yes I can only remember Red Barber in ’47.
good god kemp is ******* right now… this is f’n annoying
OFFHAND I know there were at least 2 men on base when Lavagetto came to the plate in the bottom of the ninth and the Dodgers were trailing by a run. I forgot what bases they occupied. All I know is I never expected anything good to happen. We were a bunch of kids in the street listening to the game, playing punchball or stickball I can’t remember which. I remember the crowd was noisey and a big loud noise and all of the older guys stopped what they were doing and all took off toward the radio and a big crowd formed around it. And barber was saying Henrich was having a heck of a time in right field and then all We could here was “Here comes the tieing run and HERE COMES THE WINNING RUN and all hell broke loose.
Runner at 3rd, 1 out for Sweeney. He freaking strikes out. Unacceptable!! You have to score that run. Put the ball in play *******.
DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWITTTT!!!!!!!!!!
Hey, Pierre’s got to bunt, right?
Cool PierreEW. What a great time that must have been. Thanks for sharing it. I can see myself running toward the radio.
Pretty crummy bunt for such an “expert”.
Unacceptable!!!!!!!
He hesitated before he left. He wasn’t sure if the pitcher was going to the plate.
Those are the two things that are supposed to make him so valuable, bunting and stealing. An “F” on both today.
I hate losing to anyone, but no one as much as those stinkin’ Giants.
how bout it… just gotta forget about this one.
Giants fan here, has been nice reading the stuff from the past, brought back a lot of memories from my youth, listening to games on the transistor radio at bed time, one game of the week on Saturday AM’s. AM new to this site, thanks for the memories. You guys should hvae a good year, we’re gonna have a long year. Happy to get away with 1 win…Good luck and enjoy your season
We had every chance to win this game and gave it away. Un-freaking-acceptable.
pierre needs to be released, I never want to see him in a dodger uniform EVER AGAIN. this was a pathetic game… kemp is trying to hard and god I hate pierre…
The way I’m gonna choose to look at it is this: We take 2 of 3 and our hitting has yet to get going. Hopefully when it does, the winning streaks start.
Unlike tonight.
That was the most exciting thing that happened in the 1947 World Series. I think as far as I’m concerned it was just the fear of becoming the first team ever to be no hittered in the World Series. So embarrasing.
Then all bedlam broke out and everybody was acting like we won the series. It was almost like a rehearsal for 1955.
Welcome Turning,
The Brooklyn memories are the only good thing about this game. Thanks PierreEW. Good Night All.
Hey turning, it’s one of the greatest things in this country – everyone has the right to root for whoever they wish, even if they are a little misguided. 🙂
I have 3 step-brothers that live up north and I enjoy getting together with them and discuss and argue. Somehow, we’ve never killed each other. You seem like a classy guy, glad you’re rid of Mr Personality.
These are the Dodgers and these are the games they lose.
They just have a lot of these games.
And doesn’t it seem to always happen moreso against the worst of teams.
Dodgereric: My best friend growing up was a Dodgers fan, we had a blast poking fun at each other through the years and are still the best of friends. Trust me, I’m perfectly content to be done with “Mr. Personality”, thus my screen name. I’ve never done the blog thing before, it’s pretty cool to share some viewpoints with other “fans”. I got tired of same ole garbage that typical message boards rolled out about every two posts. Take care…….
The Dodgers never and I mean never do anything the easy way.
Hey, I was at the A’s/Redsox game today and it was unbelieveable! There were more Red Sox fans than A’s fans. It was very difficult to tell which was the home team. I was so proud to be a Dodger fan today because I know something like that would never happen at Dodger Stadium. As much as we get upset about decisions being made, I feel confident that we are all Dodger fans to the end and are willing to ride the roller coaster of ups and downs, unlike the A’s fans, who most have given up.
Hey turning, I live with those Giant fans, and they got me good tonight. The one good thing that happened tonight is that the rest of our division lost tonight, too.
dnelson: you can be nice and us Giants fans enjoy one game, it’s gonna be a long year for us, we’re awful. The makings of solid starting pitching is there but the offense is awful. I just started this blogging thing, come by sometime and say hello at:
http://turning-the-page.mlblogs.com/
G’nite guys….
well, i guess the giants can’t lose em all huh fellas. we’ll get the padres friday. Is Chad gonna start that game? he didn’t throw much today.
dnelson, there’s usually a decent amount of visiting fans at Dodger Stadium. But even if there’s only one, he’s usually sitting right next to me.
I had one of the greatest times of my life in the left field bleachers watching the Bobby Welch/Reggie Jackson duel go down. I was on the aisle and there was a Yankee fan sitting on the other side of the aisle. We were giving it to each other all game, and when Welch blew Reggie down we shook hands and wished each other well. We were going to NY up 2-0 and I was feeling good. Little did I know we’d lose the next 4.
Giles..
From Tony Jackson:
Chan Ho Park coming up, Angel Chavez DFA’d
Obviously a result of tonight’s pitching fiasco. This will give the team a 12-man staff going into the big weekend series with the Pods. We were all just talking to Angel Chavez on Monday morning about making the team, and he never appeared in a game. He’ll likely clear waivers and go to Vegas, but only time will tell. Park will be a long man out of the pen for now. … Ned shot down the Giles rumor, said he knew nothing about it. But again, with DeWitt now hitting .625, I’m not sure the Dodgers need anyone else to play 3B. Can you say Wally Pipp?
Dodgereric: Yes that was quite a Dodger Moment when Welsh Struck out out Jackson.
Very much like the game Lavagetto won in ’47
Pierre, you got to see them play. What do you think they would have done if Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio had played in each other’s parks full time?
Did anyone see that bad april fool joke on KTLA about Bonds signing a one year contract 2 night ago? I almost had a heartattack
I’m trying to figure out who is going to be pitching on Sunday at Petco. The article on dodgers.com says that Kuroda pitches on Friday, and Billingsly will pitch on Monday so where does that leave Saturday and Sunday? Loaiza, Penny or Lowe, who isn’t pitching this weekend? And also, didn’t there used to be a link for projected starting pitchers on the homepage as well?
As a Dodgers fan in San Diego, I am starved for information without Vinny down here to give me all the facts.
It’s all on the story on Schmidt’s rehab. The link is on the Dodger home page.
Fri Kuroda v Germano
Sat Penny v Peavy
Sun Lowe v Young
OK, OK…I know it’s only three games, but here are my early observations:
Ethier is NOT a top-of-the-order hitter. He puts too much pressure on himself…just witness his little self-admonishments when he treks back to the dugout. Very unprofessional, like he’s trying to convince someone he belongs. Bat him 6th or 7th.
Loney looks like the #3 hitter. Smooth and patient.
Kemp is the opposite. Right now, he swings at everything. Like Torre says, young players have a tendency to speed up the game.
DeWitt looks really good.
Pierre looks really bad. Thought his specialties were bunting and base-stealing? Not last night…
Gee, Kahliforni – you’re right. It’s early. But if Ethier isn’t a top-of-the-order hitter as you say, what happened on Tuesday when he went 3 for 5 in the 3 slot? Perhaps he will prove better suited for the 5 or 6 hole, but let’s not be hasty. Didn’t Willie Mays start his career 0 for 50 or something like that?
As far as putting pressure on himself, I’m sure he’ll do that no matter where you put him – that’s what drives the guy. So he’s emotional, so what? In the top 3 of my personal favorite Dodger list sits #22, Bill Buckner. I was at a game in his rookie season against the Giants, I believe. He went the hardest 0 for 5 I think I’ve ever seen. Five bullets, each one right at someone. The last one never got more than 15 feet off the ground and the right fielder caught it before it took his head off. He never had to move his feet. Buckner stood in front of first base, staring out there, then ripped first base out of the ground and threw it away. I turned to my Mom and said, “I LOVE this guy!”
Emotion is fine as long as it doesn’t kill your focus.
I think Kemp is feeling the platoon pressure that the 2nd game debacle brought. He’s obviously pressing, swinging at everything and swinging out of his shoes at every pitch. I had a sneaking suspision that Kemp would be Torre’s platoon target since Ethier and Pierre are both LH. I agree that Ethier is better suited to hit at the bottom of the lineup with the talent we have. He’s a good hitter but no way he should be in front of Loney in the lineup. This is my ideal lineup once everything shapes up*:
Furcal
Loney
Kemp
Kent
Jones
Martin
Ethier
DeWitt/LaRoche/Nomar
*Forget about the whole lefty-righty approach and bat your best hitters where they belong. If we face a guy that is absolutely dominant against righties then you can shake it up a touch, otherwise this is where everybody should be hitting.
I agree charris.
With Furcal and Loney clogging up the bases in front of him and Kent and Jones protecting him, I think Kemp will get plenty of good pitches to hit and have his best success in the 3 hole. Loney and Kemp hitting 6 and 7 is counter-productive to their young talent because pitchers will be likely to mix it up and get nasty on them, DeWitt and pitchers have no where near the respect that Kent and Jones have. At the top of the lineup, Kemp and Loney will have much more success IMO.
I agree charris.
Regarding last night’s game—I understand Joe’s thinking when he scratched Billz–but what was the point of bringing him in in the top of the 5th? I know the score was 1-0 LA and if the game went official and all that, but even a 4th grader could look at the radar and see that the strom was going to pass. I think he should have brought in Loaiza and pitched him all the way to the delay that they knew had to be coming soon. Then they could have brought in Billz to finish. It’s bad enough the game resulted in a L (due to lack of timely hitting, not pitching), but now the BP is spent. They called up Chan Ho– What happens if Kuroda is in the 2nd innning Friday and is down 5-0? Plus, did Joe know that Billz wouldnt be able to pitch after the hour delay? Lincecum did and did well. Just seems like it was poorly managed. What am I missing?
lol, yeah scott you and I see eye to eye often it seems (this year and last year)… Its still really early though and I haven’t lost faith in Torre by any stretch, I just hope that he finally settles in on the above lineup.
I think Joe took the backwarsds approach yesterday. Middle relievers to start, rain delay, insert the “starter” for a chunk of innings and still have your set-up and closer to finish it off. Not a bad strategy IMO it just didn’t work out, If we win 1-0 I don’t think anybody questions a thing, our offense just didn’t get it done last night.
I like the strategy and I agree with it–but how can he bring in Billz before the rain? Did Joe think the rain just decided not to show up? I mean someone has to be looking at the radar–What a waste of Billz-he threw 20 pitches. Interesting note–Steiner and Monday were dumbfounded when Bochy brought in Lincecum in the 4th but were silent when Chad came in.
True tbooklv, I think Joe needs to get used to the weather over here lol. When dark clouds are coming from the coastline, the rain is on its way. Yeah I don’t know why he didn’t save Bills for post rain delay action, if you wanted him to extend a little, he either should have started him or waited for the rain to come and go.
Yeah, bringing in Billz was a reaction to Lincecum coming in for sure.
The Giants pitched well, but Dodger hitters were missing a lot of fastballs right down the pipe. I though someone was going to go yard with all the fastballs being thrown, but maybe it was just an ugly weather day to write off.
Thats the way I look at it—It’s one game of many–can’t go too crazy about it–Im a little more concerned about the situational hitting (putting balls in play, moving runners over, ) the base runnning has been good and Andruw has saved a couple of runs that would have scored last year. On to SD and try to win another series..
The 3 hole is SUPPOSED to be your best pure hitter. Forget power. It doesn’t really come into the equation. It’s the guy you want up there, the guy who will amass many more ABs over the course of a season than a 5th or 6th place place hitter. So, who do we want that guy to be. I’m sorry, but it’s not Ethier, dodgereric. Buckner? Heck Yeah! But Ethier is no Buckner…not yet, anyway. I still say the 3 slot belongs to Loney. Yeah, his speed is not the best of all possible worlds. Kemp would be the supreme choice. Maybe he’ll gain the patience he needs in time. But get him away from Nomar’s locker or who ever he hangs around. He’s a first-pitch hacker right now. Plays right into a veteran pitcher’s hand. Did anyone notice Bochy intentionally walking Loney last night to get to Kemp?
tbooklv, you are right on. Not to pick on Kemp, but following Loney’s leadoff double, what is Kemp’s job? A weak ground ball to the LEFT side. I don’t think so. And Loney never did score.
Loney is a stud and a high OBA guy, I think that his questionable power makes him an ideal 2 hitter. He and Furcal would get on base pretty frequently and chime in with the occasional long ball. Kemp has the most raw power on our team and hitting in the 3 hole will do nothing but get him better pitches to hit. Our opening day lineup was close but I would have flip-flopped Loney and Ethier, I think Joe will eventually figure this out.
I have been really impressed with DeWitt, I’m trying not to overreact because he’s probably not as good as he’s shown us but it makes for an interesting battle for our future 3B (DeWitt or LaRoche).
kahliforni, I’m not really arguing whether or not Ethier or Loney belongs in the 3 slot. You stated rather emphatically that Ethier didn’t belong at the top of the lineup. I’m not so sure. The ideal 2 hitter should be a lefty with good bat control, someone who can make good contact and hit to the right side when the situation calls for it. I think that you’re not giving Andre enough credit. If you look at their career stats, there’s really not much to choose from with either one. Loney has a better BA, but that’s a good reason to hit him 3rd, like you say. Neither one has a lot of speed, which would be nice in the 2 hole, but not necessary. I thought Junior Gilliam was a perfect #2. I like Martin a lot in the 2 slot as well, but I’m a little more prone to drop him down to try and make him last thru the season a little better. He’s so important, irreplaceable.
Loney is a possible batting champ, no doubt. And really, we’re all still looking at Kemp for his potential. His stats are very similar to Ethier’s and Loney’s right now. But if they leave him alone and let him learn and develop, he could be a monster and we’ll finally have someone who could be in the 500 HR class.
My Buckner reference was only to say that just because he is showing emotion is no reason to drop him in the lineup. One day with the collar is no reason to make such a decision.
Doggone, this is fun! I’m so glad I discovered this avenue for my Dodger passion. You all are so great to read and I appreciate that no one is brow-beating anyone for their opinions here. I’ve already gone way longer than I intended but I just wanted to make my point that we have a whole lot of great young talent on this team and a lot of time to let them sort themselves out. That is, unless overmanaging kills them off.
LET THE KIDS PLAY!!!!!
Agreed…LET THE KIDS PLAY!!!!!!
Glad to have you dodgereric!
I think the whole team was pressing a little this first series. Guys were still taking pitches, getting a few walks. DeWhitt has really impressed me with his demeanor and looks to be a nice all around player – good on the bases, heads up play at 3B, patient at the plate, no tantrums.
I like this team. Pierre’s bunt attempt was pathetic to say the least. What good is this guy?
A couple of observations about last night’s game which I attended.
For some reason, Jones never moved in on the fly ball that Eithier eventually dropped.That ball was hit to straightaway center. Apparently Jones didn’t see it.
JP has always been a lousy bunter. He constantly bunts the ball hard either directly to the pitcher or drops it a few feet in front of the plate in is thrown out by catcher. I can’t remember the last time I saw him beat out a bunt.
Eithier and Kemp are pressing too hard trying to establish a place in the starting lineup.
It looks like the Jones signing is it turning into another expensive disappointment like Schmidt, Nomar and Pierre.
A solid improvement defensively, but no solid contact all spring and up til now.
rintinjim, I agree that Pierre is a lousy bunter and that both Ethier and Kemp are pressing because of the uncertainty in their playing time. I don’t believe that Jones is a disappointment though, at least not yet. I have already seen 2 plays that he made (the throw home and the ball hit directly over his head) that have definitely saved us runs. He isn’t a .300 hitter and he’s very streaky, but over his career he has shown that he can carry a team offensively during his hot streaks. Good defense doesn’t slump and Jones will save us many runs before the season is over. I’m not ready to catagorize Jones as another Pierre/Schmidt acquisition, he’s too good for that.
I’m going to give Jones some time before I write him off as a hitter.
I say as soon as another team loses an outfielder to injury, Colletti needs to pounce on it like a cat with a Pierre offer. I can’t stand his game or whatever you want to call it. He’s supposed to be so fast, well, hit and run or not, if all you have is speed and you still get nailed easily like he did to end the game, then you have nothing. Kemp is way faster than Pierre – at least home to first.
1. dodgereric, billy buckner is my all-time favorite Dodger player. I only qualify that with the word “player” because Vin Scully is my all-time favorite Dodger.
2. No doubt Pierre stinks. But Torre misused him last night. He should have brought him in to run for DeWitt and have him stealing on the first pitch, while a good-bunting pitcher was at bat. If Pierre makes it, sacrifice him to third. If not, send in Sweeney or DYoung to replace the pitcher at bat. Pierre is a runner, not a hitter.
3. dodgereric has called Loney a potential batting champ. I will once again repeat my prediction that sometime in the next eight years Loney will carry a batting average at, above, or very near .400 into at least late August.
4. I’m loving DeWitt!! If he keeps this up, I can envision an infield of Loney, Dewitt (2B), Hu, and LaRoche next year. I’m loving Furcal too, but he’s coming up on free agency and the better he plays the more expensive he’ll be.
5. My batting order:
Furcal
Martin (why is everybody worried that he’ll get worn down by a few more ABs? Just give him some days off, whether he likes it or not.)
Kemp
Jones
Loney
Kent
Ethier
DeWitt
When Martin is rested, move Loney up to the 2-hole, move Kent, Ethier, and DeWitt up a slot and bat Bennett eighth.
I’d like to see Furcal back. He is a special player. Even if McCourt has to raise parking and beer prices…mainly because I park outside and never buy a beer!
FYI – Jacksonville starts their season today. McDonald will pitch today and Kershaw tomorrow. There’s a great article in one of the Jacksonville papers on both of them:
http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/040308/sps_264467595.shtml
you’re a Rockies fan, you owe the Dodgers a debt of gratitude.
The Dodgers are supposed to be the Big Brother franchise in the National League West. Their revenues dwarf the rest of the teams in the division, and, as you know, it’s all about revenue in the major leagues of the 21st century.
The Dodgers make a lot more money than all those small-franchise clubs in the West, the Rockies among them. Trouble is, they spend it on the wrong players.
Their $118-million-plus payroll is virtually the same as the combined total of the Rockies ($68 million-plus) and the Diamondbacks ($66 million-plus). But check out the biggest salaries on the Dodgers’ books and you’ll see that they don’t belong to their best players.
USA Today broke down every team’s payroll in its Wednesday editions. The Dodgers payroll includes Rafael Furcal at $15,730,195, Jason Schmidt at $15,217,401 and Andruw Jones at $14,726,910.
Furcal is a nice little player, but hardly a perennial all-star. Schmidt is damaged goods, and Jones is your basic .220 hitter. Then there’s the Performer Formerly Known as Nomar Garciaparra, the Dodgers” fifth-highest-paid player at $9,516,697.
Wait, there are more where those came from. Juan Pierre, who may be the fourth outfielder, will make $8,000,000, and Esteban Loaiza, a pitcher well past his prime, is at $7,500,000.
If you’re a Rockies fan, you’ve got to love those numbers. But you’ve also got to hope the Dodgers’ front office doesn’t one day figure things out. If so, the rest of the West would be in big trouble.
http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_8797955
More time wastin’ internet cruisin’……from an article on Blake DeWitt dated 2/22/06:
When do you foresee an arrival in Los Angeles?
That’s a tough question. It’s really hard to say. My ultimate goal is to be there for good in two years, by opening day of 2008. Hopefully that works. Whether it does or not, who knows.
http://news.mywebpal.com/partners/865/public/news698433.html
I have been having some issues getting onto MLBlogs too.
http://dodgersblog.mlblogs.com/
I kind of agree with Charris’s line-up. That puts Loney second and Kemp third. But, in many ways, Loney is more of a 3 or 5 hitter in reality, and Martin is a 2-hitter, but you get some more wear in the 2 slot (more at-bats, more times on base, etc.)
The reality is that 2-7 guys could hit pretty much anywhere. The only exceptions I have are this: 1) Kent and Jones, and maybe Kemp should probably not hit second (Kemp has the speed, but these guys are not contact hitter types); and 2) Kemp should probably hit 3rd, but no lower than 5th, so he still has someone behind him to assure he is seeing good pitches. He still needs work on the breaking ball. It will come, but he’ll do better lower in the order.
Not everyone is going. Russ had a slow spring and he’s pressing to get his first hit, but he’ll come. Kemp is a little slow out of the gate, and was slow at the end of the Spring, but there is a lot of reason to think that he’ll be off to the races soon.
Everyone needs to be driving the ball more. Martin, Loney, Kemp, Ethier, Kent, and Jones are all 20 home run guys, at least. We’re not seeing the power yet (but, if there is one thing that the Giants have–and they really only have one thing–it’s good front-line starters).
New thread….