The rubber match
I’m not sure I really know why they call it that, but Vin Scully’s been using that term since I was a kid (probably before that), so that’s what I’ll call it. We’ve split the first two games here in San Diego, so a win would be big today.
Here’s the lineup for the afternoon.
Pierre, LF
Furcal, SS
Loney, 1B
Jones, CF
Ethier, RF
Martin, C
DeWitt, 3B
Hu, 2B
Lowe, P
Inside the Dodgers 
I think it must be from bridge, where you need to win two games to win the “rubber”. If each team has won one game each, the third one by definition is the game that wins the rubber.
Dang it, got new posted!!!
jhall – let’s hope Ned’s learned anyway!
That had to be a great conversation:
JP to Agent – find out what my status is on the team.
Agent to Ned – What’s my client’s role on the team?
Ned to Agent – the better your client performs in the opportunities he has, the more playing time he’s likely to earn.
Agent to JP – You’re scre wed.
Next Day:
JP to Agent – Tell Ned I want to be traded to a team that appreciates my talent and where I can start.
Agent to Ned – My client would like an opportunity to play elesewhere. We’ll waive any no-trade clauses and accept a trade to any team.
Ned to Agent – I’ve tried, but nobody wants him even if we pick-up half the cost.
Agent to JP – Well its like this Juan, Mom’s on the roof and we can’t get her down…
This lineup is absolutely unacceptable. It’s bad enough that JP takes AB’s away from Kemp and anyone else. But now he is leading off??. What an insult to Furcal. I’m sick looking at this. Over/Under on how many times JP gets the ball out of the infield? One? Get this guy outta here.
any idea what pierres splits are against young? thats the only explanation i can figure out for this one.
Pierre is 4 for 16 lifetime against Young
Kemp is 0 for 3 lifetime against Young
hmmm well hopefully he can get on, and pierre and furcal can run all over them.
i actually have no problem with JP playing over kemp today. kemp’s had some terrible at-bats to start the season and chris young isn’t gonna help that at all. young is also terrible at preventing stolen bases, so if pierre can find a way to get on, he’ll run wild. a win today would be incredible.
JP 4 for 16, 1RBI, 1BB, 1SO
MK 1 for 5, 4 SO
Kent 2 for 18, 1RBI, 2BB 3SO
I don’t have a problem with Kemp sitting out one more game – he needs to just relax and get it back together. Somewhat of a Grady-esque line-up, but I guess Torre’s trying to keep Kent fresh by giving him the day off against a pitcher he’s had no success against.
Barf.
I’m so sick of seeing that stupid photo of JP with his hat on crooked – I’d feel a little better if they just made him go have his picture redone with his hat straightened. Maybe then he’d at least look like a ballplayer.
Where is Kent today?
What a crappy line-up today. Where’s the beef?
Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!!!
I guess if you cry, you get your way.
Juan strikes again!!
Of course, if you are trying to deal her, it is probably better to play her.
Always nice playing the first inning with only two outs.
why is furcal not going
I can’t tell you all how unimpressed I am with Jones.
Can any of these guys even make contact?
He better be on his game or its gonna be another long day for Lowe…
Joe is rolling over. We’re still getting the Grady lineups. Unbelievable.
Pierre?????
That was a good job to get out of the jam.
ok lets go boys
Way to go Lowe!!
That was very Dodger-esque of the Puds.
Yeah, I’m really worried about Andruw Jones too Enchanted. He seems to be the same player that the Braves let go, and not the one who was around a couple of years ago. I’d like his silly grin a whole lot more if he could just get a few RBI
Ethier!
Way to go Ethier!!!! This guy is going to have a HUGE year, you can just feel it!! GO BLUE!!
Andre!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Time to set Martin down for a game or two.
And that’s why Jones can grin all he wants.
Yeah, I agree enchanted, he needs a game off. He’s pressing big time. Did Jones flash some leather on the liner to center? I’m watching on line, so, I didnt get to see it.
Yea he flashed a little leather. Nice grab.
DeWitt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What did Dewitt do?
I think Kemp and Martin are trying to impress Joe and trying to do too much. Ethier is just playing flat out good baseball. Ans DeWitt’s too young to know that he’s supposed to be nervous.
Did Greene just make a diving catch? or did Loney hit it right at him?
I just saw the video of it…. that was a pretty decent catch. If you’re watching the game online, MLB gives in game highlights, it’s pretty cool.
Hu, heads up play.
Nice job by Hu, way to save a run!
Nice 10 pitch AB for Andre even if he did make out. Nice AB by Martin too.
I’m sorry, but if that’s all we get for $18Mil, we might as well have let Repko play center.
We need to figure out some consistency. We either score 8 runs or we score 1. We need to try not to put as much pressure on the pitchers. It’s one thing for them to pitch a good game and hold teams to a run or 2, but our offense has got to get it going soon.
If JP hits another pop up today, I’m gonna freak out.
Keep it up D-Lowe
Take heart – at least we don’t have the gnats offense – looks like they got Zito zero runs again today.
We are starting to scare me as far as offense goes. Chris Young is a good pitcher, but 3 hits. Not to mention, we’re not running on him, and we’re getting picked off!
gnats offense isnt that much worse—this is frustrating
The Dodgers were the biggest disappointment in the NL West last season when they finished two games above .500. I am afraid the Dodgers will not fair much better because of the constraints that Ned Colletti has put on the team. Dodgers are roughly paying 50 million or half their salary to four players this year. These are all players that were signed or traded for by Ned Colleti. What do you get for your 50 million?
44 million over five years a year ago to sign center fielder Juan Pierre
$36.2 million over two years for center fielder Andruw Jones, who’s coming off a season in which he hit a career-low .220, strikes out too much and his OBP is horrible.
$47 million over three years two winters ago for free-agent right hander Jason Schmidt which after six starts for the Dodgers he has a 1-4 record, 6.31 ERA and 25.2 innings pitched. And yes, let’s not forget the season-ending shoulder surgery.
$6.5 million contract for 2008 for Esteban Loaiza who for the Dodgers last year started five games and had a 1-4 record, 8.34 ERA, 9 HR and 22.2 innings pitched. He is a career 4.64 ERA pitcher.
I think the Dodgers still lack power again and will have fewer home runs than any NL team. This is especially true if they have Juan Pierre in the line up and have Andruw Jones striking out all of the time. If the Dodgers have another .500 year for 2008, Ned Colleti needs to go. He simply is a bad evaluator of talent.
Dere Lowe has got to be getting frustrated with things. I mean, last year the run support was terrible, and now this year things are going no better for him. What’s this guy got to do to get a freakin’ win……
This sounds bad, but I’m going to say this game’s over. We can’t SCORE!
Won’t get any better tomorrow either – the D’Backs held back Haren today for their home opener.
man, Ethier is on… even when he gets out he’s causing havoc on the pitchers.
Come on Martin!!!!
Boy Ethier’s putting together some good ABs today.
I would almost be tempted to have Martin sacrafice Ethier over. I mean, we need every run we can get.
Way to go Martin!!! That a boy!! He has got to get going, and that will certainly help!
Rookie mistake there by Dewitt, he’s got to get that runner to 3rd.
Terrible AB by DeWitt – first pitch swinging and doesn’t get the runner over. When’s someone gonna teach these guys how to play ML baseball??
They totally pitched around Sweeney to get to Pierre…. @#$#!$#@$!!!
Pierre wants more playing time…. he is showing NOTHING!!
Can Pierre do anything??? Christ I’d have batted DY – at least you’d had a chance for a run.
What a joke…I don’t think I have ever seen someone pitch around a pinch hitter to get to the lead off guy…if this was any other team i would be laughing my balls off…
4 mother freakin pop ups?????
JP is showing that he’s good enough to be a pinch runner and that’s it.
Mr Speed, with another pop up. Geez!!!!!
There is absolutely NOTHING that JP can do that Repko, DY or anyone else can’t do 100 times better. I want him gone NOW. Jeez Ned, just release the guy.
Torre should have pinch hit Kemp for Phew. I couldn’t believe it when I was sitting here. Well, Phew, better call your Mom now.
ok great for ethier and martin tying up the game however this was a super super wasted opportunity to give lowe a W and hand it to the pen. Dewitt should have been a lot more patient with Youngs pitch count high. in addition both dewitt and hu couldve have played small ball and bunted to move the runners over something torre should have done. another mistake by torre putting kemp to run for sweeney. what should have been done is bat kemp for pierre since hes coming out of the game anyways. furthermore, pierre is a worthless to the dodgers. his first 2 ABS he got the counts both full and couldve have walked on both but did his trademark pu$$$$$iyy swing to pop out. and thats the story of whiney P. it is what it is…..wowww
If I was Mom, I’d be hiding from him.
Basically what it amounts to also is that I HATE the Padres.
DeWitt had a horrible AB, im sure the guy knows he has to at least move the runner over, maybe the info on Young and his first pitch tendancies are something that fits DeWitt, he just didn’t execute—maybe he should have sacrificed and leave it up to Hu and Sweeney (yes Pierre doesn’t count anymore) or a WP or a PB.
BTW, Biemel suucks.
Is there any chance that this was the last straw for Pierre?
If not Eric, then I have no idea what would be. He’s not had any form of success this season… at ANYTHING!
Well, I know it’s wishful thinking. All I know is that I’m tired of seeing his name in the lineup. I’d rather have Kemp in there with the chance of something good happening.
I like our chances in a battle of bullpens. Raffy has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that even if Pierre ever gets another shot, it will NOT be as leadoff man.
2 cracks to get Furcal in…
I am seriously getting really worn thin with Andruw Jones!!! All he had to do was make some damn contact!!
0-4 with 3 k…. no homeruns or even extra base hits on the season…. real freakin’ nice!
Unacceptable!!!!
$36.2 million over two years for center fielder Andruw Jones, who’s coming off a season in which he hit a career-low .220, strikes out too much and his OBP is horrible.
if we lose this game because of wasted oppourtunities….. It’s going to be a LONG year if we keep this up, that’s how we lost to the Giants too.
44 million over five years a year ago to sign center fielder Juan Pierre
$36.2 million over two years for center fielder Andruw Jones, who’s coming off a season in which he hit a career-low .220, strikes out too much and his OBP is horrible.
$47 million over three years two winters ago for free-agent right hander Jason Schmidt which after six starts for the Dodgers he has a 1-4 record, 6.31 ERA and 25.2 innings pitched. And yes, let’s not forget the season-ending shoulder surgery.
$6.5 million contract for 2008 for Esteban Loaiza who for the Dodgers last year started five games and had a 1-4 record, 8.34 ERA, 9 HR and 22.2 innings pitched. He is a career 4.64 ERA pitcher.
andruw jones is single handedly killing this teams chances at scoring… this is real bad… and why play pierre over kemp… ide rather kemp go 0-4 that pierre.
Big John is keeping us in it. Not much else you can hope for.
Got to pull this one out gang.
Its beginning to look like Boras put one over on Ol’ Ned – again!! At this point I’d rather we had princess Drew.
Only because DY had such a dreadful ST is why JP is even 4th OFer. Honestly, on the depth chart JP should be 6th behind Repko (who should be 4th OFer) and DY.
whoa… San Diego going for the hold and the hold and the win in the bottom of the ninth…. Whether or not the Dodgers score here, I think I go to Saito in the 9th.
HUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HU ARE YOU!! HU HU.. HU HU!!!!
Hu’s da man.
Matt Kemp is really not helping the get rid of Pierre cause!!
Gang it guys – Kemp couldn’t hit water right now if he fell out of a boat.
Sorry, was still on high from Hu’s hit – that should say Dang it guys.
Kemp is struggling but I would rather have him struggle everyday then have Pierre…i have no faith in him getting anything done….
Saito Time!! Think they’ll play “Bad to the Bone” at PETCO?
I think Saito should come out to “Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting” That would be awesome!
SAMMY TIME !!!
Two out of three. On Friday morning, I would have said GREAT!
Huge win today….it sure didnt look good in the early stages…but the pitching has been lights out so far this season…2 series victories…on to AZ
Nice series win.
This team is going to test my blood pressure this year. But good win, especially nice to keep winning 2 out of 3. I just hope our bats start to come alive soon. Another good day for Ethier, I’ll talk to you guys later, on to Arizona a place we’ve fared much better than PETCO.
http://www.tombell.net/sammy.png
jhall, you’re a riot……………
Good one jhall!
It this what it was like being a Dodger fan in the mid 60s? All pitch, no hit. Gonna wreck my nerves…
http://faithdalakerfan.wordpress.com/
Can’t take credit for it. It is MTI’s on this blog. Good bunch. Check them out.
I think this is something we need to get used to with the pitching in the division how about facing a pitcher with these numbers:
3.26 ERA 1.16 WHIP
that’s the avg of Cain, Lincecum, Peavy and Young
4 out of the first 6 games
What do Andruw Jones, Juan Pierre, Jason Schmidt and Esteben Loiaza have in common?…TERRIBLE TERRIBLE TERRIBLE SIGNINGS BY NED COLETTI…not to mention the $$$$$ amounts spent on them…..I think Andruw is a good center fielder, but he has lost it hitting….and I don’t think it changes….praying I’m wrong, but right now he looks like a veteran version of Matt Kemp….not good…..and Pierre has so much speed that doesn’t matter because he never gets on base….Imagine how good this team could be if Ned didn’t think Andruw Jones was the answer…I’d rather have a normal center fielder that has a more consistent bat…it’s not ANDRUW……Love that we won today…a very good win, but the hitting is the same as always…pretty awful, except Ethier….and sometimes Loney…hopefully the guys get it going…..I thought Andruw Jones signing was bad in the off season…nothing so far has changed my mind….a rally killer every time he’s at bat…..
Jones will get it together. Pierre, Schmidt, and Loaiza, probably not.
Couple things..
I like the idea of “Kung Fu Fighting” for Sammy, but i think kung fu is Chinese martial arts while sammy is japanese.. Could be a problem, but otherwise a great idea.
Are we really ready to give up on Jones after 6 games? Give me a fing break. The guy had a solid spring, baseball is a game of spurts, he had a hell of a bad game today but it happens in this sport where failing is the norm. The guy is not going to hit .270, and if you expected that than its your fault. He of course should of knocked Raffy in after Loney moved him over but it happens. It doesnt epitomize his season, not after 20 something AB’s…
And WHO CARES ABOUT THE MONEY??? Until we need to let a good player go because we have money invested in those 4 guys it really means nothing. We are not on any kind of limited payroll and play in the 3 biggest baseball market with top-2 annual attendance. Its such a tired argument that means nothing.
Wonderful,Amazing,Gutsy 3 to 2 Victory for our Los Angeles Dodgers over the San Diego Padres. Joe Torre is proving that he is a great Manager!Not only for managing superbly, but also giving Superman Jeff Kent the last at bat! A classy move for a classy player by a classy manager! Derek Lowe never leaves anything on the field.He will always give you everything he’s got! Rafael Furcal,Russel Martin and Andre Ethier are courageus and they wear their Los Angeles Dodger uniform with Tremendous Integrity!What can you say about Jonathan Broxton and Takashi Saito! They are the best set up man and closer in Baseball. You guys are Inredible! All the rest of the Los Angeles Dodgers, are all worthy of praise! There is much joy in Dodegrtown Tonight, for greatness has returned to our Beloved Los Angeles Dodgers!
I think the point about the money is not the amount, but rather the quality of player….In a perfect world, if three of those contracts dont happen maybe we sign Santana..but with so much tied up it hinders you in getting the once every 10-year player….and it will trickle down to the fan eventually…and I’m not giving up on Andruw after 6 games..
Sorry ewk – not giving up on ol’ Andruw yet, just totally unimpressed by both his spring and 8Ks in 22AB so far.
Pierre on the otherhand is a lost cause.
PEAVY IS A fuklng cheater!!! i was watching yesterdays game on fox from my dvr andddddddddddd at the end of the game after peavy got the last out at first he went over to iguchi to give high fives and his pitching hand was all black…looked like some type of sticky material…..maybe pine tar or something but Bltc..hhhh Black said it was dirt and that the hand gets dirty…can you say bulllllllllllllshllllltttttttttt! wow!
as for andruw jones expect his k’s to happen all season long! im not suprised from jones he’ll hit some out though just wait…
Josh,
Tow comments about our broadcasters (before my next post, which will address the popular topics of the day):
1) Friday night I was driving home and thought I would miss the first inning on TV. No problem, I figured–with Vin Scully calling the game, I could watch in on radio. But, when game time came, it was Rick and Charley. Vin was on the TV when I came home, but there was no simulcast. What’s going on?
2) No offense to Rick and Charley, because the Saturday game on big Fox showed that they are still very good. No one is a biger Eric Karros fan than I am, but when Bard made the sliding catch, he and Matt Vasgergian did not know what the rule was. Meanwhile, Rick and Charley (who I was listening to on the radio at the same time) kneew the rule as soon as Joe Torre came out. They had it explained before the umires waved in Furcal. Kudos to them. (And a note–I would much rather NOT have our games on bog Fox, and would rather have Vinny, or Rick and Charley, doing the call. What happened to the days when the networks understood the concept of broadcasting a national game so you could see other teams–not just a bunch of regional coverage that you would get anyway, but now with lesser broadcasters).
If only Santana was a free agent than maybe I could see your point…
I have not been able to catch many games so far this because i am studying in europe but what a treat of a day game today. I too was very impressed with the way Torre managed, the Kent pinch hit was one example. The steal with Ethier was another. Letting Brox pitch 1.1 innings was great. Beimel to turn around Clark. Of course i dont want Pierre in the lineup, but as someone said earlier, i think today was the final straw. I totally get why Torre lets JP have that ab with RISP in game 6– he is a veteran and you need to figure it out sometime. You let JP fail so that way he cant really be a problem, because he is clearly being outplayed. At the same time, Joe showed him some respect by letting him keep his AB even though he was obviously coming out of the game for kemp. And most importantly, we got the W–something i definitely doubted after Jones failed to score Raffy.
Did Pierre drive four more nails in his coffin? Hehe, I think Joe might have seen enough.
As to the line-ups. What the heck??? I was sanguine about Kemp sitting yesterday against Peavy. He is clearly pressing, and Peavy is not exactly the right guy to get better off of. But why Pierre today? And why lead him off when Furcal is hitting and Pierre is not??? This makes zero sense.
As a team, we really need to start hitting. Only 2 home runs so far. DeWitt did not get on, which snapped his 5-game streak. Loney’s been on base in all 6 games, and Furcal is doing well, but everyone else is hitting poorly. Even if the offense does not live up to our hopes, it is better than this. If it can get going, we’ll be unbeatable–but Kempt, not Pierre–is a big part of that.
What a joke…I don’t think I have ever seen someone pitch around a pinch hitter to get to the lead off guy…if this was any other team i would be laughing my balls off…
lol
I hope Loaiza pitches well tomorrow but im not optimistic… Our offense really needs to get it going
Swood, I thought that was also very funny. I was watching the game and thought to myself, why pitch to Sweeny, Pierre is up next. It was obvious they unintentionally intentionally walked him to get to Phew. LOL
It is so funny, when Pierre gets a hitters count, they just bring the fastball and he can’t do anything with it. When it was 3-2, you knew the fastball was coming right down the middle. Sure enough, pop up.
Ringo Starr is considered the luckiest musician on the face of the earth because he landed with the Beatles because John didn’t like Pete Best. Pierre should consider himself the luckiest ballplayer on earth for getting his current contract. Unbelievable.
Does anybody here think we wouldn’t be better off with Repko as the fourth OFer?
From ST to now I’ve got to think that even Joe realizes that Pierre isn’t the same guy who helped beat his Yankees in ’03. Can’t bunt. What he do today – 4 freakin’ pop-ups? I agree jhall, you could’ve put up a ham sandwich and they’d have pitched around it to get to JP.
Enough is enough. JP parks his rear end on the bench and let’s all hope like hell that somebody will take him for 1/3 his contract. Unfortunately even $3M a year’s way too much for somebody to take him off our hands. Hell put him on waivers and hope somebody’s dumb enough to claim him – kinda like Loaiza.
LMAO Enchanted. Totally agree.
Bad part is, he will get worse. He is on the backside of his prime years. LOL
I’d take Repko in a heartbeat over Pierre.
Dodgers have to look at Pierre’s contract like Driefort’s. Wasted money and move on.
Agreed.
Possible solutions for JP:
1. Platoon Pierre with the ballboy. He’s fast, a hard worker, and can chase down those foul balls quickly so as not to interrupt the flow of the game.
2. Peanut vendor. With JP tossing you a bag or two you don’t have to worry about it hurting someone even when the throw is errant.
3. Special assistant to Ned when he’s out on his keister for wasting $125M+ of Frank’s money.
4. Groundskeeper. He shows up early for the game, and because he’s so fast, he can unroll the tarp singlehandedly to keep the infield from getting mushy when it rains.
5. Start an exchange program with China. They’re starting to form leagues (and they haven’t seen JP play yet.)
6. Start an all “go for the green” team. Charter members include Gonzo, Nomore, Schidt, Blowiza, Bombko and Jones, with an honorable mention to Princess Drew for helping to get things really rolliing.
7. Politics. This ones a natural because he already has a PR man singing his virtues and deflecting the bad as being other peoples fault.
8. [Insert your idea(s) here]
Vote now and vote often for your solution for JP.
I like #2
#2 for Phew, no pun intended.
I hope Pierre reads this blog. LOL
If you do Juan, please e-mail me and I will give you some tips. Here’s #1, watch lots of tapes of Brett Butler.
The rest are 29.95 + Shipping and Handling.
Reasons for playing JP:
1. [insert your idea here]
E: None of the above.
jhall, I think between us we’ve beaten this dead horse so much that I actually expect a puddle of glue in the batter’s box next time pierre comes up!
Or, all of the above.
Keep beating my friend. Nothing wrong with extolling a good cause.
I don’t think a dead horse has gotten this much attention since Mr. Ed…
Beat at least until Plaschke comes around. Not holding my breath. Mr Ed reruns are still good, unlike Phew.
WILBURRRRR
Dang it, only 11 runs surrendered in 6 games – Thank God for the pitching staff. Could just as easily be 5-1.
With Peavy, we’ll get another look after the AZ series, so if he doesn’t pitch as well and his hand is clean, we’ll know something was up the other day. Still think he woulda beat us – we just aren’t hitting.
You guys really think Andruw will get it together? I can take the strikeouts, but with it has to come some production.
LOL
Jones will be OK, he is not going to carry us. Starting pitching and defense will be the story. Jones will hit .240 and hopefully give us 25-30 HR’s and 90-110 ribbies.
Just having him in the middle of the lineup makes us better.
Pitchers alter their approach because of what he might do.
Been pretty lights out pitching so far, even middle relief, but I keep waiting for the real Scott [the proctorologist] Proctor to show up out of the BP – whenever he slips on the glove and saunters in, you know something bads going to happen.
Nice win today.
http://dodgersblog.mlblogs.com
Wow, this site is giving me a ton of trouble… but anyways, I just read Pierre is to start tommorrow as well?!? Will this national nightmare never end? Is Ned making the lineup card or what?
Not guys like Peavy or Webb. The second tier pitchers. The front line guys don’t care. They are there for a reason.
Phew staring tomorrow? You’ve got to be kidding.
Ned must be shopping her.
Pierre to play more for Dodgers
4:43 PM Sun, Apr 06, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Posted by: Diamond Leung
Despite Juan Pierre going 0 for 4 with four flyouts, Joe Torre liked the plate appearances and will start Pierre against Dan Haren tomorrow in the Diamondbacks’ home opener. “He had pretty good at-bats,” Torre said. “He hit them at people.” Torre didn’t pinch hit for Pierre in a tie game in the seventh, choosing to use Matt Kemp as a pinch runner even though Kemp played the field in the bottom of the inning, sending Pierre to the bench anyway. Pierre is now batting .091, and Kemp is bating .125.
Im just at a loss.. what the bloody hell? Hasn’t Joe seen enough? We’ve obviously been struggling offensively, we dont’ need to give away four more outs.
Unacceptable!!!! Joe is smoking the Ned Weed.
Only thing I can think of is that he’s another LH bat against Haren and Kemp’s looked awful at the plate. Just dear gawd don’t bat him lead off again.
I can’t believe Torre saw 4 flyouts from Wimpy and liked whay he saw though – that’s baseball malpractice.
It’s baseball blasphemy.
Im really sick of our team refusing to field its best players.
They used to burn people for this kind of heresy.
How can you hit the ball at someone when you pop it up. Christ, you hit it at 3 people. SS, LF, CF, 2B, etc……
The sad thing , Torre is right. Pierre was have some of his best at bats, its just that even his best ones usually result in outs.
These guys are trying to give her eveyy opportunity so they can move her. It is the only thing that makes any sense.
Who’s sitting tomorrow to play Phew. If it is Andre, you would have to be a moron. C’mon!!
I hope this is a bad joke.
It’s not a joke. The Joke is the LA Dodgers. 20 ******* years.
My agent called, I’m unhappy. Whaw!! Cool, now I’ll play regardless of what is best for the team.
Unacceptable.
The nerve of this guy?
Frank to Ned…You don’t want to play a 44 million dollar player who performed at his exact career level over the previous season, why? And are you gonna pay me back?
Thats basically whats going on.
Ned, uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Sorry boss.
But Ned doesn’t make out the lineup card. The fault goes on Torre too for playing him. I doubt Torre is intimidated by Ned or by Pierre’s whining (if that is going on). This situaton needs to be resolved already. If Ned finds no takers for Pierre it will show him how unvalued Pierre’s “game” really is, and perhaps he’ll be released.
There are no takers, you would have to stand in the corner with a big cone shaped hat and ride the short yellow bus to take Phew.
I doubt Andre will sit – he’s swinging the bat reasonably well and he’s LH. I could be wrong, but I think they’re trying to give Kemp an opportunity to snap out of it against 3-4 & 5 starters/non-strikeout pitchers. Think maybe Torre doesn’t want to throw him to the wolves (like Haren. ) Who knows though, maybe Torre doesn’t want to spoil the Snakes home opener. So far we’ve been fortunate that JP hasn’t cost us any runs on D. That’s only a matter of time though.
You know Haren’s sitting at home tonight thinking he only has to work for 21 outs. At least 6 are a given (JP & Loaiza.) I didn’t count today’s game as JP taking AB’s away from Kemp because I thought Kemp could use a couple days off, but tomorrow now there’s no excuse for it, especially after JPs “performance” today.
Joe is a sychophant.
Yessir Ned.
I’d just like to know at what point do you decide that Pierre’s “game” just plain suucks? He stunk up ST altogether, with an especially pathetic AB against Boston the last series in L.A. He can’t get a bunt down. He gets thrown out doing the one thing he’s supposed to be good at. And his best day at bat consisted of 4 pop/fly outs. Exactly what does he bring to the table that Kemp doesn’t?
Someone mentioned up above that they’d rather see Kemp strike out knowing he at least has a chance to do something than watch Pierre pop-up 4 times. I agree. That was abosolutely pathetic to have them pitch around Sweeney – SWEENEY – to get to JP. I bet they’d have pitched around Martinez or Chavez to get to Pierre too.
The only kind thing I can say about Pierre is that he doesn’t strike out. But that means nothing if you can’t move runners along or get on base. So far, Pierre’s been up 11 times and made 11 outs. His OPS is .182. How in the hell can you showcase that for a trade??
I tell you, if Jones tanks he’s one lucky guy because they’ll still be someone around that’ll make him look better.
Ineptness, thy name is Pierre.
6. Start an all “go for the green” team. Charter members include Gonzo, Nomore, Schidt, Blowiza, Bombko and Jones, with an honorable mention to Princess Drew for helping to get things really rolliing.
LOL
Very clever enchanted. I don’t know if Jones is in the catagory with the others quite yet, I think we’ll have to wait and see. Can you believe though that there were people on this very blog(I have witnesses) who defended each and every one of those moves by Ned last year. Unbelieveable. I still think we can win with JP getting a few spot starts here or there if Bloaiza doesnt blow and the rest of our offense wakes up.
I agree Kemp looks TERRRIBLE right now. But Kemp hit .382 last September got on base at .402 it’s not like all of a sudden he dosen’t know how to hit. He just needs to get going
I would think our GM demand would know why he wasn’t playing.
Kemp needs to play and play daily. If not for us, send him to Vegas and bring up Repko.
dyslexic. lol (I’m not, far as I know) it should say…I would think our GM would demand to know why he wasn’t playing.
At this point I think Ned is too consumed with Juan’s agent breathing down his neck to care about Kemp. Sad, but true.
Funny jungar – I was thinking the same thing about Kemp. If you’re not going to play him everyday, option him to Vegas until he gets his stroke back because he’s not going to get it back riding the pine and PHing.
I’m still hoping they’re just holding him out against three tough pitchers (Peavy, Young and Haren) so they can reinsert him against someone a little easier to hit.
Still though one good AB from Kemp is better than today’s 4 “good” ABs from JP. You gotta sometimes wonder if management is watching a completely different game from the one we’re seeing. Or is all of management now living in Ned’s bizarro world?
At some point though if you really see Kemp as becoming a dominant force in the line-up you have to let him go through some growing pains like the ones he having now.
Hey Josh! Forward this to Joe, please.
I just cracked the Sports Illustrated baseball preview issue open. The issue is dated 3/31. In the Dodger page is this:
“Juan Pierre isn’t qualified to be an everyday leftfielder, and any playing time that he takes from Matt Kemp or Andre Ethier is a crime. Pushed out of centerfield by the signing of free agent Andruw Jones, Pierre is only a fair defensive player (he has one of the game’s worst throwing arms), carries a mediocre on-base percentage (he has ranked among the majors’ top four in outs made in each of the last five seasons) and can’t go deep (his last home run was in 2006, more than 700 at-bats ago). The 23-year-old Kemp is a potential star, with power more typical of a corner outfielder (.521 slugging percentage last season), and Ethier, 25, does everything better tan Pierre does except steal bases. For the Dodgers to overtake the Rockies and the Diamondbacks in the NL West, the up-and-comers have to play.”
Now this was written 3-4 weeks ago. You’re talking about giving him even more playing time. He’s backed up a horrible spring by hitting .091 in the regular season. Kemp is not going to get any better by sitting and watching. I know he’s pressing. You’ve sat him down. Show him that you believe in him. Put him back in the lineup. Leave him in the line up. If for no other reason than to strengthen the defense. One good at-bat is all he needs.
New year, different manager… same lineup juggling. Some things never change.
So far, 6 games and 6 different lineups. Hey… at this rate we’ll at least set a new MLB record for most lineups used in a season!
Eat the contract Ned. You blew it! It’s time to DFA Juan Pierre.
“Pierre, who started the season on the bench, is hitting .091 after going 0-for-4 on Sunday, although he hit three line drives.”
Line drives??? Are you serious??? Fly balls at best… but please… don’t justify starting Pierre tomorrow by telling us he hit “line drives”! Those were weak fly balls at best!
Complete bull. We’ve been had.
Thanks for nothing.
During one period during in spring training, Matt was struggling, but he gets up and hits a three-run game-winning homer.
Okay, he has always had a problem with junk on the outside and off speed pictures, but make one mistake and it’s gone.. sort of like Mohammed Ali’s right-hand. You never know when it’s coming and when it does, good night.
I say let him play every day and get more experience hitting those pitches. It should be remembered that the pitch is ers had the book on him last year but he still hit the cover off the ball in September..
It should be obvious to all by now that having Repko on the team would help the Dodgers much more than having Pierre. It’s more than time to bite the bullet and release Pierre, opening his spot for Repko. If it costs Pierre’s whole contract, so be it. That’s the price for incompetence. And that incompetence starts with Frank and his lack of understanding of what makes a good GM. Most of Ned’s trades and free agent signings have been terrible and show very poor baseball judgment. This kind of behavior must rub off of those nearby, because now we are seeing a future Hall of Fame Manager exhibiting the same tendencies. When will this baseball madness ever end? The team desperately need stability in the lineup to instill confidence in the players. So much of baseball is mental, and I’m sure that is what Kemp is going through now. The coaches need to work with him to encourage patience at the plate and then let him play. Changing the lineup every day is not the answer, Joe. Signing older players is not the answer, Ned. Huge mistakes have been made and they can’t be changed, but they can be corrected. What are you waiting for?
Joe, you’re a sap. Ned, you are blind. Frank, you are pathetic.
Joe’s 3M a year was to go along with the idiocy. Sorry for you. I am in Ohio and root for the Indians in the American League. Thank god, I have a franchise to root for that has some integrity. I have been a faithful Dodger fan for over 40 years. I will continue to love the Dodgers. However, what you are making of them is no semblance of the the Dodgers I have been associated with and come to love. You people have destroyed my faith and trust in an institution. You should be ashamed.
More from Sports Illustrated on the Dodgers:
“How much run support the ensemble gets will depend on new manager Joe Torre’s willingness to bench high-priced veterans in favor of L.A.’s prodigiously talented youngsters. How committed will Torre be to leftfielder Juan Pierre with Matt Kemp, 23, and Andre Ethier, 25, scratching for at bats? And when third baseman Andy LaRoche (.589 slugging at Triple A Las Vegas) returns from thumb surgery in May, will Torre tap the 24-year-old if the struggles of Garciaparra, a defensive liability and owner of a .328 OBP in ’07, continue?”
So far Joe doesn’t seem too willing!
Good stuff Redfox. It is truely a very sad time in Dodger history.
Why does it seem like everyone gets it but Dodger management? From Jon Weisman at http://dodgerthoughts.baseballtoaster.com/:
“now, we have that other issue to deal with again. From Diamond Leung at the Press-Enterprise:
Despite Juan Pierre going 0 for 4 with four flyouts, Joe Torre liked the plate appearances and will start Pierre against Dan Haren tomorrow in the Diamondbacks’ home opener. “He had pretty good at-bats,” Torre said. “He hit them at people.”
I’ve been trying to be mellow about Pierre starting in place of Kemp, but this is starting to raise the kind of dander Head & Shoulders doesn’t eliminate. Look, Matt Kemp looked as clueless today as you could ever fear, drawing air on two swings against Hoffman before taking a called strike down Bison Avenue in the ninth. But the idea that Pierre has earned a fourth start in seven games remains troubling, because …
Not once today did Pierre do what he was supposed to do – hit the ball on a plane no higher than a line drive.
More importantly, starts should go not to the guy who looks best in one game, but the guy who is most likely to be most productive overall.
And even if the preferred guy is slumping, let him work out of the slump just like you let every other starter do.
I believe in spot starts. I don’t always like the timing of them, but I believe in the concept. But – as I admit many readers here predicted – the Pierre situation has moved beyond the spot start into something more self-defeating.
Pierre’s getting a start Monday because Pierre’s outs Sunday were prettier – they floated like gossamer instead of disappearing coarsely into a black hole behind home plate. But Pierre’s loverly outs don’t change the fact that both Pierre and Kemp need to make adjustments in their offensive game – and once those adjustments are made, Kemp will be miles more valuable.
Torre has insisted up to today that Kemp is the starter, but he’s got a funny way of showing it. Russell Martin was 2 for 20 when he got his game-tying seventh-inning double. He got that opportunity because he was a starter. Kemp deserves the same chance to rebound. He has earned it.”
Thanks DodgerEric, nice post. We are being played for dummies. It is a farce.
Joe buckles under the pressure of upper management, Act One.
3M a year, I guess you can keep your mouth shut and toe the line. Good Luck Buddy. I feel sorry for you.
Is it just me, or is there a coincidence. Phew whines thru his agent and pop ups become line drives. He gets more playing time at the expense of the team. Pathetic.
It’s all a lie. Welcome to mediocrity for the next 20 years.
People are getting a little too dramatic after 6 games… Save me the response speeches about how this is the only thing worth talking about, and how as fans we have the right to bitch and moan about Pierre and the lineups everyday– we do. However, people are still freaking out way too much. Redfox for example… Chill out… these arguments mean nothing after one week.
At least Ned can’t pull the trigger on Wes Helms, the recently released 3b. He was traded to the Marlins for cash a few days ago.
Also, CBS Sportsline.com also reports that the Cubs and White Sox are interested in Coco Crisp, but the Red Sox aren’t interested in moving him – for now. Might there be some kind of fit with Pierre?
He needs a fresh start and maybe the White Sox and Ozzie would be just the thing.
How does Kemp lead the team in RBIs in ST and now he can’t even get off the bench? Something must be going on – a) Torre and Bowa are trying to teach Kemp a lesson; b) Pierre is being show cased; c) Torrre is being pressured by Ned; or d) Grady Little has stolen Torre’s soul and now inhabits his body (and uniform)>
Note to Ned:
Please get rid of Pierre ASAP. There are other dead horses that need whacking, but this one always keeps coming back for more, thus taking valuable blog time away from the others.
Sincerely,
SW
Dead Horse Society
One week, people. One week. Didn’t we agree a few weeks ago that we’d give Torre the first month to figure out the lineup? Historically, he’s not one to juggle so much, so once he finds what he likes I’m sure it’ll stay that way.
Did anyone forget that we have WON two series in a row and are 4-2!
I didn’t! Phew hasn’t made an OF mistake yet to cost us a game.
How come you didn’t WHACK Penny for his miserable six hit-four run inning Saturday, or the fact that the WHOLE TEAM is hitting .229!
I don’t want Pierre as much as the rest of you … but he’s here and we’re winning and you are still B***hing!
Get over it already!
Joe needs to put his best 8 on the field. Pierre is not one of them. Kemp can’t get out of a slump on the bench, and if he has to sit Kemp , then try DY in the outfield. At least then you might have another outfielder who might hit. Also has Andruw looked any better than Kemp? How come he hasn’t sat? At least with Kemp there is an upside, with Pierre there is only Pierre.
Well, I think everyone here knows I’m not happy about that little leaguer starting over anybody, not to mention LEADING OFF over Furcal. Disappointing. Kemp is struggling, but Martin and Jones are allowed to hit through it. What does .342 in half a season’s ab’s earn you?
I don’t like this crapp about JP’s agent calling Colletti. Shut up and know your role, dude. You should be peeing your pants that you’ve somehow stolen playing time from a stud like Kemp. Padres are the stupidest team on the planet for not testing Pierre’s arm more on Saturday.
andruw has had some truly terrible at-bats so far. it looks like he decides whether he’s gonna swing or not before the pitch is even thrown. not to mention every time he goes up to bat, he swings out of his shoes. it’s gonna be pretty sweet once he starts connecting on those hacks, but until than it’s just throwing your arms in the air and shaking your head. however, i must say that his defense in the outfield does redeem himself slightly. it’s hard not to like that little grin he’s got on his face when he’s hitting. he doesn’t have anything to smile about, but at least he looks like he’s staying positive. lol.
I want to see Matt out there playing just as much as everybody, but maybe this problem is a Matt Kemp problem and not a Pierre problem. He has been known to have a little bit of an attitude and maybe is not handling his strikeouts so well. However, if that is the case, then put Delwyn out there. You would still be better off than Pierre. My only other thinking is they are trying to showcase Pierre, which frankly isn’t working. On a positive note, it’s great to see Andre doing so well. I get to make the trip to see the Dodgers and Padres this weekend – can’t wait!!
I was gonna give Torre time and I still will but really this Pierre issue just keeps slapping us in the face.
Him playing over Kemp flies in the face of everything I have ever known about baseball. Maybe I (we) are all just so stupid but doubtful..Coletti, involved with talent in any kind, based on 3 years of results also flys in the face of how I would run a successful business so its a double whammy for me.
They seem to take this young talent for granted. They have done little, when given more than 98% of teams in baseball over the last 3 years in terms of revenue, payroll budget and young talent in farm to trade for players of consequence.
With our payroll in the top 5 in baseball and our farm ranked in the top 5 in baseball and no playoff wins to show, it is unacceptable and I don’t even care who’s fault it is anymore.
If the D’s were gonna have such a short leash with Kemp in the starting lineup, I’m really suprised that he wasn’t dealt last year for Santana or Bedard. We still don’t know if those moves would have been good or bad but it seems to me that if they think so lowly of Kemp after less than 20 ABs that they would have jumped at the chance to get a front-line lefty. How poorly does Pierre have to hit before he is banished to PH/PR duties?
ceorsmith and puppyhead and ewk, yes, you all are right. It’s only the first week of the season and yes, we are 4-2 and tied for the division lead and yes, there are other concerns.
However, if the defense wasn’t making some strong plays and the pitching staff didn’t have the best ERA in the league, that 4-2 record would be more like 2-4 at best.
Obviously, I can only speak for myself, but it’s exciting to watch the young guys come up and do well. Kemp, to mention just one, has a lot going for him. The only way that he’ll learn and grow and develop into a bonafide big league star is to put him out there and let him learn from his successes as well as his mistakes and the only thing he will learn by sitting is to never make a mistake. Well, maybe he will also learn that the way to handle sitting is to cry to your momma.
Ned and Joe’s claim to see something special in Juan Pierre reminds me of the story Ronald Reagan used to tell about the kid digging through a pile of horse manure.
“How come you keep digging in that pile of horse manure?” the kid was asked.
“Because with all this horse manure, I figure there’s got to be a pony in there somewhere.”
The fact that Juan Pierre wears a baseball uni and is paid an ungodly sum of money must mean he’s a good player, right? So, I gather Ned and Joe think if they keep playing him, something good will happen.
Maybe they promised Pierre’s agent that the next time Juan gets a hit, they’ll trade Matt Kemp for a middle reliever. At this rate, however, Kemp is probably safe until at least mid-May.
Yay the blog actually works today! Oh, so my take on tonight is this, Kemp should start. I could see why Kemp didn’t start vs. Peavy and Young. Especially because Kemp’s at bats have been absolutely horrible lately. But, tonight we face Dan Haren whom right handed hitters (.271) do much better than left handed hitters (.242). I don’t really see Torre’s logic with Pierre’s at bats from yesterday, but I’m fairly certain Kemp will start tomorrow vs. Doug Davis. It’s tough because we have three outfielders right now who are not hittting, Ethier is tearing the cover off the ball! I would go Ethier, Jones, Kemp tonight for sure. Loaiza vs. Haren certainly doesn’t seem like a good game for us, but that’s why they play the game.
Pierre’s contribution to the team thus far this year is 1/2 of a LOSS.
The only game in which Pierre has made a specific significant difference (as opposed to his generalized suckiness) was our April 2 losss to the Giants. Half the blame goes to Torre for misusing Pierre, who if anything should have been sent in to run for DeWitt after he got on to lead off the bottom of the 9th with the Dodgers down 2-1. The rest of the blame goes to Pierre who failed to lay down a decent bunt forcing DeWitt at second, then got caught stealing to end the game.
At this point it is clear that this team would be better off with a 24-man roster than a full roster that includes Pierre. Unless and until Torre decides to use Pierre in the very limited role in which he can help the team, Pierre will remain a burden on the team.
Is Juan Pierre becoming this year’s clubhouse cancer ala Luis Gonzalez of ’07?
Some of the blogs I read occasionally harbour hope that Joe’s “showcasing” Pierre… Rather tough to showcase somebody with an OPS of .182 and has made 11 outs in 11 PAs, and that’s coming off of a spring in which he had about 80ABs and a sub .200 BA. Pierre is what he is and what he’s always been – an out making machine. And the sad thing is, is that even a team with marginal interest (at best) in him won’t touch him because of that contract. You might even find someone willing to take him at $2.5-$3 mil for 2 years, but there’s two more years ontop of that. That would mean Ned’s got to eat $30-$31 mil of his remaining contact just to find him a new home. Ain’t gonna happen.
Kemp’s struggling that’s for sure, and I had no problem with Joe sitting him down a couple games. But if he’s not in there tonight in favor of Pierre, now Pierre’s taking ABs away from a better outfielder, which if I recall 90% of us on here said that it would be bad if it was from Ethier, but unconscionable if from Kemp.
Like I mentioned before, it doesn’t matter if its the first day of the season or the last, I’m calling whoever the manager is on it. Games 7 and 8 count just as much in the standings as games 157 and 158. Play your best and leave it all out on the field. You win you win. You lose and you have no regrets.
I love Andruw’s glove in center, really I do…but its essentially keeping Kemp’s bat out of the lineup which I really hate. At this point, you have to wonder if we would have been better off with Pierre in center and without Jones on the team. I hate to say that but Pierre is apparently becoming a mainstay in our outfield (regardless of performance).
charris, Pierre in CF would have meant another 5 runs so far given up the way Jones has tracked down numerous balls that JP would have no chance getting, not to mention the six relay throws to the ball back in.
Pierre needs to go, money and all. The Dodgers are bringing in money hand over fist right now so big whoop dee doo.
If Pierre keeps playing, then Ned must go.
I honestly get sick every time I see Pierre’s name in the line up. I completely understand Kemp is struggling, but he brings a lot more to the plate than Pierre. Just on the defensive side. I think they should leave Kemp in there and let him work out his problems. Let him get his at bats, see pitches and work his way out of this slump.
Let Kemp play everyday until the end of June, then see where your at. I see Zona plays their same 3 outfielders everyday hit or miss. Also a lot of young players started out slowly and then figured it out. I f Kemp is any good at all he will, but not on the bench. Willie Mays started out terrible also and he wasn’t benched for the likes of Juan Pierre.
Joe has to give Kemp the Dusty Baker treatment. Lasorda told Baker he was the starting outfielder and then he started to produce. That’s what Kemp needs reassurance from Joe that a few bad games or ABS won’t take him out of the line-up. Then and only then will Kemp be able to relax and reach his potential , whatever that is.
Slappy McDribble playing for any other OF’er on the team is blasphemy! I don’t have to much of a problem with Kemp sitting a game here or there, but to have him sit out 3 games in a row!!!! What is Joe thinking?
I thought he came here to win, not hold hands with Nedster!
DITTO! jnv
Hello, Ned, this is Dave Stewart, Matt Kemp’s agent. We just want a little clarity on the role my client will play this year for the Dodgers. I was told by a friend of mine that if I make a big enough stink I can get my man some ABs. Not that he needs my pushing…he has tremendous power, runs like a deer, and has a cannon for an arm. But it’s really hard to find your stroke if he can’t get in the line-up. That’s the rap, right? That he isn’t hitting? Really, Ned, if he’s going to ride pine in favor of Pierre you must not want your job too badly. The clock is ticking for you and I wanted to be sure to let you know that. Ned? Ned?
It makes me sick to see Torre sitting Kemp out of 3 straight games. This kid will start to hit and for power if given the time. Phew will never hit for power or drive in runs.
Torre, play Kemp if you want to start winning games.
I know everyone on this blog is frustrated with Slappy playing in front of anybody (including the ball boy), but this is frustrating me more than my ex-wife frustrates me! and trust me that is a bad!! hggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh
DFA PIERRE NOW!!!
Where are the “recall colletti” t-shirts?
I’ll buy a couple.
Count me in on those shirts. I wonder how long it takes Nedster to look at the Giants and try to trade/acquire more of those morons. Ramon Martinez, Jason Schmidt, Mark Sweeney, anyone else I am leaving out? There must be more. I just can’t handle this. If Slappy can plead his case everyday to be in the lineup I would love to see what he could do in a court room. He could be the next Johnny Cochran.
Furcal, SS, Martin, C, Loney, 1B, Kent, 2B, Ethier, RF, Jones, CF, DeWitt, 3B, Pierre, LF, Loaiza, P
It’s actually a good solid lineup aside from the obvious
Just put in Kemp instead of Slappy and you have a good line up. I hope Loaiza from last year doesn’t show up, He looked pretty solid in ST, I hope he can keep it up. I won’t write him off just yet.
Tonite’s game:
Top 2nd, Either at second, two out. Pierre hits pop fly to LFer.
Top 5, Pierre leads off and rolls over to 2B after failing to get a bunt down.
Top 6, two out Jones at second, DeWitt at first, Pierre hits soft pop to short.
Top 8, one out DeWitt on first, Pierre fails to bunt him over, grounds into 4-6 force play.
Anything different than that and I’ll consider it a successful night for Slappy.
But Enchanted it would be successful considering he hit them right at people!!! đŸ™‚
Guys
I know you’re sick of reading the obvious. But, there is nothing wrong with making a big stink about Pierre playing over Kemp. We need to continue with the good fight. The only way management will get a clue is if the fans let their voices be heard. Call Dodgertalk. Do whatever you have to do to get our message across. GET A CLUE NED!
Sorry jnv, forgot we’re using the new logic.
What’s really sad is that if Juan actually gets A hit, it’ll be considered a breakout game.
Oh God bite your tongue enchanted, breakout and Slappy should never be used in the same breath. If Nedster thought Slappy had a breakout game he would be put in the leadoff spot and start in centerfield and AJ would be moved to LF.
enchanted,
The scary thing is when you put Kemp’s name into the beginning on those scenarios, the outcome we know will be totally different when he comes out of his slump, but we won’t see that happen if he is sitting the bench. Everybody is telling the boys to be patient at the plate. Well, Joe ( or whoever is really making the lineups) needs to be patient and let Kemp work his way out of his slump. Every time Pierre is up to bat, all of us know that if it were Kemp, that day will come when he will smash it, and all those outcomes you stated will be headlines the next day, with a Dodger win of course.
kahliforni, nice one!
FYI – The immortal Sandy Koufax was an infamously poor hitter. Lifetime BA: .097. Juan Pierre (2008) .091. I’ll give the arm strength nod to Sandy. He’s 72 now, but still better.
From the “Everyone Else Seems To Get It” department: Rotoworld:http://www.rotoworld.com/content/home_MLB.aspx
“Juan Pierre is starting over Matt Kemp for a third straight game Monday and the fourth time in seven games this season.
It’d be one thing if Pierre was actually producing, but he’s 1-for-11 at the plate. He also played a huge role in a loss last Wednesday when he botched a sac bunt in the ninth and got caught stealing to end the game. We were worried for Kemp owners after Andre Ethier was named a starter over Pierre, but we never imagined it’d get this bad so quickly.”
jvn – How ’bout “Breakout the champagne, Slappy’s been traded!”
Enchanted,
If Slappy gets traded I will have a freak`n heart attack!! I don’t think there is a team out there that will take him and that albatross of a contract. Even if Nedster pays half. At half he still would be over paid.
But if it does happen I will gladly breakout the champagne with everyone on this blog!!!
The Dodgers are fast becoming the laughing stock of baseball. Can you imagine what the other teams think when they see Pierre in the lineup and Kemp on the bench? If that’s the best Torre can do, maybe the Yankees made the right decision on him. Of course, sooner or later (even a blind squirrel finds an acorn once in a while) a ball will drop in for Pierre and that will justify his place in the lineup. I’m afraid its going to be a long season for the true Dodger fans.
I think you are right redfox. I will be a long season.
Colletti needs to fix this situation before McCourt fires him, because he will never get another job in baseball with the mistakes he has made with the Dodgers. Look at Depodesta, isn’t he shuffling paperwork for the Padres now???
I’ll take DePo over Ned anyday. At least he had an ideal and stuck to it. Didn’t always turn out well, but he did bring us Penny & Lowe. Kent’s been OK (better during the Depo years than Ned extension years.) Drew was average. Plaschke (the great baseball guru that he is) hated moneyball and “Google Boy” though and Frank probably fired DePo in response his public lambasting of the guy.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think DePo did a great job by any means, but I think Clueless is in way over his head.
Jason Werth has twice as many RBIs as Pierre or Jones. I know it’s early , but I wish we’d kept him.