Tonight's lineup
Time to get the offense going…no doubt about that. Here’s the crew that will try to make tonight’s game more like Saturday’s than Sunday’s…
Furcal, SS
Ethier, LF
Kemp, RF
Kent, 2B
Loney, 1B
Martin, C
Jones, CF
DeWitt, 3B
Kuroda, P
And of course, a very happy anniversary to Tommy Lasorda and his wife Jo!
Inside the Dodgers 
momo likes this lineup!
Jones is terrible, though.
Very nice lineup.
Agreed momo. Jones needs a good slap in the mouth.
But then he needs to hit 40 HRs.
I still think Kemp will go 3-4 with a bomb and Pierre will be back in there tomorrow.
I have to agree with you Scott, it’s a sad but probable truth.
I don’t know about you guys but, i would rather much have Jones hitting in the 5th spot. The reason being is that avery team knows the Jones is struggling big time. He is not patient because he is being overagressive. So now pitchers are throwing things out of the zone and he is chasing it. They know they have the 8th spot Dewitt behind Jones. So there is not a big threat behind Jones. They will take there chances pitching Jones out of the zone.
But really Jones has a problem with his mechanics and I’m sure it has become mental.
They need to sit Jones for a few games and work on his mechanics. Other wise he will continue to struggle and hurt the team. He is an automatic out at this point.
MartinLoneyKemp–Great little diddy. Does that go with music?
Yeah, Scott, probably so. After all I’m sure that in Joe’s demented mind Matt Morris qualifies as a “tough right-hander”.
Why has Torre consistenly given Ethier the better spot to hit in than Loney? Seriously Loney needs to hit in front of Kemp and is an ideal #2 hitter (high OBP, decent power, great average). I like Ethier but I gotta be honest, he’s getting the nod over Kemp and its getting me upset. When you compare Loney’s career #s to Andre’s it isn’t even close IMO.
mlk…lol!
thanks leek,
No tune. Just a little poem. And thanks for providing me an excuse to repost this from the last thread:
Matt Kemp hits
Hits every day
He hits at home
And he hits away
.
He hits the fastball
Curveball too
He hits for power
Hits Three-fourty-two
.
He hits in April
June and May
Come on Joe Torre
Let Matt hit today
EXECELLENT!
Beautiful, that should be the exact lineup every time we face a lefty. Third base the exception, though DeWitt has been solid. Now in regards to righties, that’s where we have issues with the lineup.
GREAT POEM MLK!!!!
Even if Kemp would hit 4 home runs tonight, I’m sure Pierre will be in the line-up tomorrow. Kemp needs to play every day to keep his timing sharp and you will see some RBI’S and a good average.
Hey everyone! Come and check out the Inland Empire 66ers MLBlog!
Follow along throughout the season and find out what the Dodgers of the Future are doing!
Dodgers of the Future
Inland Empire 66ers
http://clubhousemanager.mlblogs.com
GO DODGERS!!!!!
great poem.
Thanks for the compliments.
GO BLUE!
What’s very interesting is that Kemp gets put in the #3 slot tonight. The #3 slot is usually a team’s best (most productive) hitter. Obviously, Mr. Torre understands Kemp’s offensive talents. I, for the life of me, can’t understand why a player good enough to hit #3 in a lineup would need to fight for playing time with a guy that is a #8 hitter when all the pieces finally fit into place (Nomar and/or LaRoche return). I guess that’s why I don’t make $5 million a year to manage this team.
Pierre Haiku:
Money down the drain,
So fast but nowhere to go,
Play Kemp Ev’ryday
Josh, is it true that you are pushing for Penny to get the bobblehead, even though Joe Beimel won the online vote contest? Rumor has it that Beimel won by over 2000 votes.
If you didn’t want Beimel to win, and intended all along for Penny to get it, why even bother having an online vote? If what we’ve been hearing is true, and Beimel indeed won, then you should honor that. Dodger fans love Joe Beimel, and we want to see a Joe Beimel bobblehead!
Don’t get me wrong, I love Brad Penny, but Beimel won the vote. Don’t change the results based on your own preferences.
BobbleNed is the only real choice. LOL
At least tonight our best are playing. In what order doesn’t really matter to me. Just put the best on the field everyday. Then if we lose we lose, and it would be much easier to accept.
Great Haiku Jax,
Some of you should be publishing these poems and songs. You could compile them and make an anthology. Who knows, you could probably make some money from it too (just through this group of bloggers).
I am going home – let’s hope for a great game tonight for all the boys!!!
Who knows what tomorrow will bring – lol!!
GO DODGERS!!!!
martinloneykemp, Love the poem, and $60 from one person won’t hurt Frank, but from hundreds or thousands of people it will. Plus concessions ,and parking fees etc.
A Beimel bobblehead would be pretty cool. My son likes him because he wears #97 (the things that make kids like players). So, where are the rumors floating around that Beimel won, but the team is pushing for Penny?
Bonjour (Hello!!!), I’m back!!! So I’m so happy to see Torre makes these lineup because Kemp will bat 3rd and everybody knows that the 3rd spot is for only five tool player (Power, speed, average, baserunning and defense).
But i’m little bit dissapointed about Jones because he continues to struggle with his bat, weight.
So I think Torre is right to drop him in the 7th spot and I hope Jones is relax now with low pressure behind him.
And another bad thing I prefer to see Martin behind Furcal and drop Ethier to 6th or 7th because for me number 2 hitter is a man like good speed and little power.
I assumed Jones would sit but you know what they say happens when you assume.
I guess they are figuring to keep playing him until he breaks out of his slump.
I don’t think anybody would give me an argument if I said this is the best lineup we could have because everybody is in the correct place. No doubt about it.
We complain that Lowe doesnt get much run support(except in his last outing).
How about Kenny Rodgers. The Tigers haven’t score any runs, 0, in his 3 starts this year.
Like we seem to be to other teams, let’s hope the Bucs are just what the Doctor ordered for us and Zack doesn’t turn into Nolan Ryan.
Zuke was so bad against us on his young career (0-3; 6.75 ERA I think) but now he’s healthly and more confident on his pitches so wait and see.
Ethier is not exactly slow folks. Compared to Kemp, maybe, but much faster than Loney and as fast as Martin.
Right now the most well rounded players on this team besides Furcal perhaps, are Martin and Ethier.
You’re right Jhall. For the moment it’s a best lineup we’ve seen because we are the top 2 hitters on your team so it’s a guarantee for average, good baserunning and good OBP ^^
lol. yeah from bench in 3 straight games to three hole. great post whoever said that. thats why i am not a manager i guess.
Let’s go Dodgers!!!!
CANNONBALLLLLL!!!! Ker-SPLASH!!!!!
CAN-OPENER!!! BIGGER SPLASH!!
We belly flop with Dopierre in the lineup.
CAN OF CORN TO LEFT – Pierre!!!
clhuerth, the Beimel Bobblehead is being discussed at DodgerBlues in the following threads:
http://www.dodgerblues.com/fanforum/nfphpbb/viewtopic.php?t=13173
http://www.dodgerblues.com/fanforum/nfphpbb/viewtopic.php?t=13174
http://www.dodgerblues.com/fanforum/nfphpbb/viewtopic.php?t=13187
http://www.dodgerblues.com/fanforum/nfphpbb/viewtopic.php?t=13197
The guy posting the info is Beimel’s best friend. He’s the guy in the YouTube video with Beimel (The Legend of Joe Beimel 2) –>
http://youtube.com/watch?v=tsahZaLHjSo
It’s legit.
I still want BobbleNed!!
Its not likely that Biemel will ever be inducted into the HOF, so why not let him be immortalized as a bobblehead?
Ned we just tape his picture to the dartboard.
Course we could also tape Ned’s picture to a pin the tail on the donkey.
Either end.
Darn good idea E.
According to FSN Prime Ticket, Kemp will play every game of this series with the Pirates. It’s a start…
As of today, one must assume that Torre is starting Kemp against LHs and Pierre against RHs (or at least against “tough” RHs).
Unless Alex’s post is correct.
I think they should give Young a start. It can’t hurt. Sit Jones for a while, at least at home so the crowd doesn’t boo him to death.
minor leagure update: James McDonald had a 1 hit shutout through 5 innings with 9 k’s but just got touched for 2 hits and 2 runs in the 6th as I was typing this. nevermind. 🙂
I read these posts daily, and although I hardly ever comment, I agree with almost everyone who does. In fact, it’s probably why I hardly ever post; even though I know it’s popular to beat a dead horse ’round deez parts. Last time I was labeled as a big meanie for expressing my displeasure in the Rudy Seanez signing. Thank god that was short lived. I usually hop on when I need to vent, and lord knows I have plenty of reason so far this season (check that out, I can play the poetry game too!). I was the biggest Grittle hater and was ecstatic when I learned that he wasn’t coming back. Pardon my ignorance, but I was under the impression at the end of last season that Grady Little was fired/retired/was allowed to leave under his own accord/whatever. Instead what Dodger fans got was another season, check that, another 3 seasons of Grady Little. The only difference this time around is that he’s wearing a Joe Torre mask. I gave Colletti the benefit of the doubt last year. It’s now painfully obvious to me where the Dodgers woes originate. The cast has changed, but the same old problem still exists. The cancer (Gonzalez, Hendrickson, Tomko…) has been irradiated for the most part, the field level management has been overhauled, the lineup has improved over last year, yet the story remains the same. The only constant in this equation is Ned Colletti. I was happy with the signing of Joe Torre because I assumed that he was a respected baseball man who would be afforded the opportunity to field the best team possible. As it turns out, Joe Torre is the most expensive yes man in the National League. It’s fitting though considering we’re fielding the most expensive fly swatter (Andruw Jones) and hardest working little leaguer (Juan Pierre) in the game. It’s too bad we can’t take Andruw Jones’ defense and power and combine them with Pierre’s speed and ability to make contact. Hell, if Juan Pierre had Jones’ power, he’d lead the league in home runs with all of his fly outs so far this year. I’m so frustrated already I could spit coat hangers. My only consolation is that Nedley doesn’t have a lame duck manager or veteran/rookie animosity to pin this season on. Colletti’s future with the Dodgers will end sooner rather than later. As a Dodger fan, I have to believe that. Well, it’s game time and I have a TV to yell at. Take care y’all.
Did anyone checkout the 66ers blog site? There’s a team roster if you scroll way down. One guy I’m going to be keeping my eye on is Alberto Bastardo.
Just looking forward to the day when the manager can say, “Just bring in that *******=o from the bullpen and maybe he can get some outs.”
Nice post BigKace. Let us have it more often.
LOL E, that will be classic.
did anyone see the new feature on mlb.com… they let fans chat about the games… kinda cool… dodgers will sweep… go kemp knock out 2 tonight
Holy Cow, Do you believe that Bastardo!!
Thanks jhall, I’m a fan. I read your posts daily. Hopefully you won’t have the opportunity to scream “UNACCEPTABLE” tonight. Good luck to the good guys.
Unacceptable keeps me from cursing like a sailor.
BTW, I can’t say enough about Blake DeWitt. This kid’s doing a hell of a job at third and is handling the bat better than can be expected for a rookie with exactly zero protection in front, or behind him. I like this kid and wouldn’t be opposed to seeing him in ther full time. He’s only going to get better.
Plus it pretty much sums it up most of the time.
DeWitt is legit. I think he looks great.
Kuroda’s a stud.
Kuroda = Efficiency
I’m really starting to like MY KURODA – I think he’s getting the Knack.
E, your touched. LMAO!!!!
Nice way to make him pitch Kent!
Not looking forward to Nomore coming back. Am I the only one who hasn’t missed him? It’s like he is a non entity. No future at least with us and only a detriment when he is here.
Kind of like Pierrciappara.
Looking forward to 2009 – No more Kent, no more Nomore…
No more Ned??
great posting bigkace. spot on.
from Diamond Leung’s blog today:
“And finally, Torre spoke on Matt Kemp returning to the lineup, recounting a conversation he had with the young slugger in San Diego. “I told him just be patient,” Torre said. “I know that’s not part of any young man’s vocabulary. I told him you’ll be playing most of it the rest of the way.” I have a sense he’s going to get a good amount of time.”
I’m with you there E. No more Loaiza. Hopefully no more Herpierres.
I was going to say Kuroda would be our winningest pitcher but I may change my mind after that HR.
2-0 Pirates.
Is that game lost, or will the offense actually come to work today?
It can’t be nice being a pitcher for this team and knowing chances are the bats are not going to bail you out if you make a mistake.
Well crap, Kuroda served up a meatball.
It’s early, we’ll come back!!
Well, at least Andruw made contact and got that run in. It’s a start.
At least Jones got Russ across; barely.
Ya see, all ya hav to do his hit the ball Joneszy.
Better than we been gettin’ from him boys!!
“hardest working little leaguer (Juan Pierre) in the game”
I don’t know that I’ve ever posted these three letters before. LOL.
Kuroda is really starting to worry me. I hoped he was our bright spot.
Ferk to DeWitt, nice freaking play on both ends.
Brilliant strategy by Kuroda – make the other pitcher stand out on the bases all inning.
Too bad it didn’t help.
If Kemp would take a pitch or two, he’d be playing full time. Although I believe he should starting everyday, he’s got to learn to be more selective.
I’ll sue be glad when we finish our spring training mode and get on with the regular season. It’s starting to bother me.
2 line drive 2 outs, hasn’t played in 3 games. 6 for 12 before tonight in last 12 abs.
of course ethiers single found a hole so no comment.
its this critical eye, that everyone feels, when the lineups are always changing.
Kemp hit 382 last sept. 337 after the all star break…he can hit
i agree that the more he plays the more selective he will be, thats my main argument for him playing. He is far from complete, but i’d like to see the list of 23 year olds who have done what he has done to MLB pitching so far. the list will be small. for such a young accomplished player he gets so much crap.
Kemp will be alright if he gets the AB’s.
Kent, carrying that Piano on his back heading to first almost made it.
Man, we can make any opposing pitcher look like a Hall of Famer.
What a play by Martin!
I just think to have a great offense you have to have two mashing 3-4 hitters. We haven’t had that since 2001. (sheffield and Green)
stop the presses…
HE GOT THAT ONE! ANDRUW! Lets all hope that’s a spark!
Did I see what I just saw? An extra base hit by Jones? Sweet!
He’s getting there___close but no cigar.
There is Mr. Jones!
I have this feeling Jones will stay at third.
Check the patient, I think he has a pulse!
I am gladly wrong…
KURODA! WOW, how did that stay fair?
Kuroda helping his own cause!
Well, looks like things are finally going our way.
And he is in scoring position with one of our top hitters up..
Ma Ma Ma My Kuroda!!
We are starting to score runners from third, Nice hit by Kuroda to tie it up.
Great plate appearance by Furcal
IM betting Kemp is on the bench tomorrow… He is not given consistency, its hard to bat so little and improve.
We got’em on the ropes.
I love Kemp, but he’s not helping his cause by swinging at every first pitch he sees. If he didn’t feel like he has to go 4 for 4 with a dinger and 4 RBI and just relax…
Precisely bigkace.
Imagine what it must feel like, he goes 3-4 and sits the next game. He gets a start and must feel like he needs 4 HR in one game to stay in the lineup. This must be really frustrating when you seen Jones hitting ~.100 and we all know what JP is doing.
I look at it like this, Duke wasn’t fooling Kemp. He was up there twice and hit the ball hard twice. So, he went up there hacking and it didn’t work out. I’m not a fan of swinging at the first pitch unless it’s a great pitch to hit and it better not be an out.
Play the bounce of the wall you gotta pick it clean..
Kuroda wasn’t fooling anybody in that inning, he should be done for the night.
We need to do a better job of stopping the opposition from scoring every time we get back into the game. Lot of long outs that inning. Very scary.
I’m not sure that hit was song worthy, but his hitting streak is, Loney is incredible.
Good things Kent ties Hornsby in doubles, Loney ties games with 13 game hitting streak.
great hit by james loney!
Loneeeeeeeeeeeeeey!!!!!!
DEWITT, and they want to send him back…why?
I love that kid!
How do you sit this kid DeWitt?!
DeWitt’s 5th RBI to put us up by1
You gotta love the underdogs like DeWitt.
Kid’s for real.
No Dodger pitcher has been credited with a ‘HOLD’ yet this year.
Another good 6 inning for Kuroda.
You’d have a hard time trying to convince me Nomar coming back would make this team better. We have to go back to 11 pitchers and keep DeWitt up here. He can hit both lefties and righties and plays good defense with occasional pop. I’m becoming a big fan of Blake DeWitt.
DeWitt’s my man!!!
Please don’t come back, Nomore!!!
I think Proctor got a ‘HOLD’
This Morgan is good against lefties, but Beimel got the job done against him.
Same holds true for McLouth, better against lefties than righties.
But, Beimel makes Torre look good. Nice job Joe Beimel & Torre.
Kemp can hit if given the opportunity to play everyday.
Nomore is gonna cause more problems. You can’t bench this kid right now. What will that do to his confidence. Unless DeWitt slumps badly, Nomar waits.
Nomore is the past, this kid could be the future.
JONNY BE GOOD
Brooooooooooooooxxxxxx!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey Brooklyn!!
I don’t think you could hurt DeWitt’s confidence.
He knows he’s proving himself.
Let’s get some insurance.
Jones is getting there, honestly. He’s set to break out and go on a tear.
Go you guys find yourselves rooting extra hard when DeWitt is up?
Vince Scully just said that Torre Said that Nomar might be ready to come to the ballclub when the go on the road.
Vince Scully just said that Torre Said that Nomar might be ready to come to the ballclub when the go on the road.
What a heartbreaking loss this is
Son of a bitch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
S**T!!
talk about throwing a mistake.
Well let’s go boys and blue if they can do it we can too.
It’s not over the fat lady sings, or Andrew Jones.
Well, doesn’t that just suck……………………
Just got to go home and come back tomorrow.
Gotta have a “closer’s mentality”.
Tomorrow’s another day.
Well, at least we had the right line-up in there tonight.
That’s easily three games already that we should’ve won and didn’t. If the Jints hold onto their lead, we’re in the basement.
Yep, they had the right lineup tonight. Hope they stick with it..
What’s really frustrating is that this team is better than it plays.
Not yet E.
That stiff breeze was me sighing; again.
F
What’s going to be even more frustrating is that Torre will stick Nomore in the line-up first crack out of the box because Torre will remember the “glory years” Nomar.
The reality is now we’ll have two pieces of Stonehenge on the infield instead of one.
Thanks Ned.
And thank you too Joe.
Good to have you aboard BigKace. We’ll get’em tomorrow.
I don’t even want to think about that. Christ, how can you take DeWitt out of this lineup. He is producing #1, and you can see that all the players rally around him and are thrilled when he comes thru. He is a good focus and rallying point for this team right now.
“F” pretty much sums it up jhall.
Good game overall. We played good defense and the offense came thru. Saito will be OK. He didn’t have much of a spring due to injuries. Every closer is going to blow a few. We’ll get’em tomorrow. GO DODGERS!!
the curse of mike piazza looms once again…
did we just give this guy away. i really liked watching him play. too bad he got hurt.
Jayson Werth started in center field . Werth went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, two stolen bases and scored twice. He has been productive when in the lineup, and is hitting .421 on the year. (His OPS is 1.277) Werth also walked, which he has done in all but one game he has played this season.
Yea Jungar, we did, but his injuries came at a very inopportune time. I think he was out of options or something, and for some reason they couldn’t carry him on the roster. Unfortunate. If he and Repko would have stayed healthy, we would have been much better offf.
DeWitt does not merit a DeMotion!!!
1) Losing with the team we put out there tonight is a lot more palatable than losing with the wrong guys playing.
.
2) Joe Torre made a fundamental managing error when he failed to insert Hu (Who? Yeah, Hu.) into the pitcher’s hitting spot when he brought Hu (Uh-huh) and Brox in at the same time. Since he hasn’t managed in the NL in a decade-and-a-half, I can forgive that. But only if he forgives the next youngster to make an aggressive mistake on the basepaths.
.
3) One of my friends took a little bit of the sting off by giving me $100 shortly after the game. Well, he didn’t literally give it to me. He bet me that James Loney would hit below .320 this year (I’ve got the over). I gave him fair warning, explaining that Loney hit well over .320 last year (.331) and that he was hitting close to .400 this year. But he insisted on betting me anyway. Like candy from a baby.
That kid has game.
I see everyone has gone to bed. I hope no one has too bad of a hangover after the game.
You might get a chuckle out of this:
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-simers15apr15,1,6977983,full.column
It’s written by LA Times writer TJ Simers, the same guy who broke the autograph story last week. If you out-of-staters don’t know him, he’s sarcastic and cynical and mocking, not to mention hilarious.
Happy (belated) Anniversary Jo and Tommy!!!!!!!
Has anyone seen the standings this morning, we are in last place. The giants are playing better then us.
Joe put his best team out there and finished with his best closer and we just got beat. I’m with MLKemp in that that’s a lot easier to take than the previous losses. With any support at all, Kuroda could be 3-0. He’ll win a lot of games in the 3/4 slot and is a VAST improvement over Bombko and Hendy. Curious to see what Kuo’s got as a starter.
Stick that same line-up in there again tonight Joe and we’ll have another go at it.
I can stand a heartbreaking loss like last night, but I won’t tolerate the lineup juggling that Torre has maintained since the season started. That’s obviously a recipe for disaster, and that spells last place that we now have in the standings. Saito won’t give up many games like that, or, if he does, we may have to transition to Brox as the closer – that will have to happen one of these years, because all veterans give out sooner or later. I don’t want to lose any more games because our best players don’t see regular play time and are still put in the Spring Training mode of experimenting. I don’t know whether Torre was the right man for this team, and his hiring was really McCourt’s publicity gimmick at the time. We need to exercise the youth development program that everybody gave lip service to such a short time ago. That means that Kemp plays all the time, and so does Ethier. If that leaves one of the highly paid vets on the sidelines, so be it, or Ned should find a home for him somewhere else. Seeing what DeWitt has done, I’m fine with waiting for LaRoche to recover and then giving him the starting position to show what he can do, but I don’t want to see Nomore brought back to take his slot – let Nomore be the utility man, and if he doesn’t like it, let him go somewhere else too. I hope that Kuo does the job tonight, because I’d rather see him than Loaiza the rest of the season. Most of all, I want to see Ned get his reckoning at the end of the season for all of his millions and millions in failures, so that we can really assert a new direction for the team. I bet there is not a single owner out there waiting for Ned to become available for their GM slot.
good post messagebear, I agree. “One of the highly paid vets” should be Pierre because despite his early season struggles and extra weight, I saw life for the first time this year in Andruw’s bat. He is staying squared to the pitcher and keeping his hands inside the ball which tells me that he’s due to break out of his funk. He almost hit a HR last night down the RF line which is really encouraging and he is getting solid barrel to the ball now, its just a matter of time before a few of those fly outta the park.
Well Hell, We went from first to last in 13 days. Every team just blew past us. That may be where we’re destined to stay all year.
I know it’s early in the year but for the first time in my life and I’ve been a Dodger fan for eons and I purchased MLB.TV and I was so excited to be able see all the games this year as I live in St. Louis area and don’t see many on tv and they have one of their worst starts in years. Well, I’ll hang in there as I always do and see what happens. Dodger fan forever. Bury me in my Blue Dodger Cap.
I’m still for cutting some of the Vets loose at the trade deadline, especially if we’re in the tank or have no real possibilities of making a run at the playoffs.
If that’s where we are, then trade Kent to a team where he has his last shot at a WS and we get a couple prospects in return. Same with Nomar and Phew.
Lowe’s a slightly different story in that you will at least get a draft pick for him after he goes FA, but if you get the right set of guys for him as well, go for it.
If you’re going to totally commit to the youth movement, then commit.
While certainly a heart-breaking loss, it was certianly encouraging to see all the starters (except Raffy) get a hit last night. Furcal contributed with that spectacular defensive play with DeWitt in the third inning. Maybe the bats are starting to warm up finally!
Chris
http://www.dodgerfan.net
I definitely agree with cutting loose the vets by trade deadline, specifically Nomore, Pierre, and Loaiza, and maybe even Lowe and Kent. Let’s restock some of our prospect base, but otherwise I expect that we’d have to eat a lot of salaries, like Pierre’s and Loaiza’s. That would leave no doubt as to the youth direction being implemented. The millions lost to inadvisable contracts are Ned’s problem, and his head should be on the block at the end of the season anyway.
I’m with everyone preaching optimism and patience. Anyone who’s been a fan of this team for a while knows that they NEVER do anything the easy way. No matter how much talent they have, it’s never easy.
Sure, it’s a cliche, but it’s early in a long long season. We have the talent. The team will hit and pitch and win games and get in the race before it’s over. The only really scary thing about this year that I don’t ever remember having to worry about before is that the best players may not play. It’s really rather unbelievable. I’ve followed them for the 50 years that they’ve been in LA and I cannot remember this happening. Maybe it’s because Old Timer’s Disease is settling in, but whenever a youngster came along and outperformed a vet, he got the job. Steve Garvey was a good example. And, as several of you have pointed out, even if the Pierre/Kemp problem is solved today, tomorrow we have the Nomar/DeWitt monster raising its ugly head. Does anyone really believe that DeWitt isn’t headed for the bench – or Las Vegas? It sure would be nice if management would get both oars in the water before we go over the falls.
Dodgereric I disagree with TJ Siemers being hysterical. Since when is it funny to call anyone “Tubbo” as he refers to Andruw Jones? I certainly wouldn’t appreciate anyone calling attention to my weight. Do we all think that all the negative comments about Juan Pierre and Andruw Jones are not hurtful?? Okay ITD, call attention to their salaries or whatever, just remember that these guys are also human.
Andrew Jones does not have a weight problem he has a mental and mechanics problem. Does Prince Fielder have a weight problem or if he did it doesn’t affect his hitting.
Andrew Jones hit the ball a little better last night, hopefully he improves today. I can’t wait until he hits his first homerun dodger staduim should go crazy.
It was a happy day in my house this morning for the Giants fans I live with – lol. However, I am holding my head up high because as much as the game was heartbreaking, like you all have said, it was great to see that lineup out there. All the players were productive, and the loss was because of one pitch right down the middle, not because of how the boys played.
xoxrussell,
Is it hurtful the guy makes 18 mil a year and he comes to camp 30 lbs overweight. If he didn’t want the scrutiny he should go work in an office or construction like the rest of us, and dream about what it would be like to make more in one year than we would in 300 years.
dnelson,
I am with you, my coworkers are giving it to me also, but don’t worry we won’t be in this postition for long.
He makes more per hit right now then I made ( and I do ok) in the last 3 years. Seriously.
russell, Simers has an interesting sense of humor. I don’t know if you’re familiar with him at all, but if you don’t like him, you’re not alone. He enjoys getting under everyone’s skin – that’s his thing. He calls McCourt “The Parking Lot Attendant” and until recently Jamie was “The Screaming Meanie”. Virtually everyone in the LA sports scene has a derogatory nickname.
He does make great points, and he’s a lot like Howard Cosell used to be in that he doesn’t let anyone get away with non-answers to direct questions. He doesn’t kiss anyone’s a$$es in order to be their friends, like most reporters do. And every once in a while, he’ll show a softer side. Check out this one on Jeff Kent from April 1st:
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-simers1apr01,1,5698186.column
He’s an acquired taste and a lot of people will never like him. Jim Murray used to get under people’s skins too, particularly when he would tease a visiting team’s city that’s here to play in the Rose Bowl game, for instance. Most everyone loved Jim Murray and even those of us who “get” Simers will admit that he’s no Murray, not by a long shot. But he’s entertaining and I read every column he writes. As I said, he’ll usually have a good point. He’ll even make you tear up once every blue moon.
I didn’t used to like Simers at all, but as I got tired of the Adandes and Plaschkes and other kiss ups in the media, he’s grown on me to the point where I find him amusing and sometimes right on with his bugging of Torre. Torre to his credit is playing right along.
it’s times like these when you really get to see where dodgerblues.com comes from. i really hope we don’t grab our ankles for the pirates again today.
dnelson and jnv, that’s just the pathetic nature of Giant fans. All they care about is that they are ahead of the Dodgers, even if it’s still April. All we care about is winning the Series. And it pi$$es them off. Ain’t it great? I love asking them when their rebuilding phase is over since they’ve been doing it since 1954.
martinloneykemp:
Torre put Hu into the pitcher’s spot, and put Brox into Kent’s spot.
In other news, TroyfromWV made another video about Joe Beimel possibly getting slighted by Josh Rawitch in the bobblehead vote. We will not let this rest.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqVcyd_ov6E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqVcyd_ov6E
So very true dodgereric!! lol!!
Nail on the head Dodgereric…. As usual! 🙂
I for one have to say that I’ve always considered any year finishing ahead of the Jints not a total loss. Not a success by anymeans, but it always coulda been worse.
I forgot to mention that when I ask them about the rebuilding phase that the year 1954 is at about 125 decibles. 🙂
Absolutley, enchanted! But telling them that I don’t care really seems to upset them.
I remember waiting on pins and needles to be able to watch the games up there on that old round black and white screen, not only because it was the Giants, but they were the only games on TV.
I remember being on vacation in some distant cousin’s backyard up in the Bay area listening to Marichal clubbing Roseboro.
I remember visiting my mother who lived in San Leandro for several years (a DEVOTED Dodger fan). We used to go to Dodger games up there in Candlestick occasionally, wearing our Dodger caps. Some very brave soul hit her in the back with an unfrozen malt. Not to say that my beloved Dodger Stadium doesn’t have some of the same animals, especially nowadays.
I remember the soggy mud that Maury Wills had to deal with.
I remember Joe Morgan.
I remember Barry Bonds.
I love to remind them that they haven’t won a World Series since ’54. And I love to tell them that I don’t care about the Giants. The first one is the truth. The second one is a huge lie.
1) Alex–Loney’s hit did deserve a song. But, I was at the game singing it to him–Field level, right by first base, so I know he hears me. Will be there tonight too.
2) Jungar–You are absolutely correct about Kemp. He should work the count, but a little experience with his talent is great. He just needs ABs.
3) MessageBear–Don’t give up on all the vets–Lowe is solid, and Kent can whack the ball. This is, however, Kent’s last year. He was really slow last night, and you could see on his face that he knew it when he ran down the line in the 7th or 8th. Like I said, he still whacks the ball, so he’s a good solution for this year, but then it’s off to a retirement and Cooperstown for him.
By the way–Jones was making much better contact last night. He did not look like he was bailing out, and was driving the ball to the opposite field. Good signs.
Not only that Leefink, but he laid off the sliders down and outside. I thought that was the biggest improvement he made last night.
Definitely agree with your take on Lowe and Kent, leekfink. I would only use them for bait at the trade deadline, if we’re pretty much out of it this season, because they are still good contributors. But by the same token, if we’re out of it, those two represent some decent value in the market for a contending team, and I’d be open to getting some valued prospects since neither of the two is likely to return to the Dodgers next year.
=======MESSAGE FOR JOSH======
Hi Josh: Watching the Dodgers games on television has become almost unbearable this season due to the difference in sound volume between the game broadcast and the advertisements. I constantly have to either mute the sound during the commercials or be pretty quick on the volume up/down button—it simply wears me out having to be on volume patrol all the time, and I really would just like to relax during the game. Any way you could look into this with your broadcast partners (KCAL and PRIME)? Perhaps it’s an issue only with DirecTV? (If others are experiencing the same issues, please post your comments, too.) ———Many thanks, James
exactly bear.
Hope we get the same lineup tonight. Saito won’t blow many.
Dodger Haiku for today:
Number Forty-two,
We were blessed to see you play
How we miss those days
Another great one jax!!! Keep it up!
Thanks DNelson! I saw your comment yesterday but I left work and it was after last night’s game. At that point, I was in no mood whatsoever to type a thing. Thanks again.
Go Blue!
I’ve yet to say anything bad about Druw,and that’s because I was in favor of the signing. It’s true he looks overweight and terrible at the plate,but you have to stick with him because of his track record. If everyone else were hitting Jones not hitting wouldn’t be an issue. I always thought he’d be an upgrade in center over Pierre, and to some extent even now he is. Ned has made some bad decisions , but he’s also made some good ones, Eithier,Saito,before last night,and Furcal, and so far Kuroda has been decent. Andruw has to play , at least this year to prove if he’s finished or not. If he’s no good all year next year he’ll be on the bench, and then gone, it was worth the risk. Let him play between Either and Kemp and lets judge him at seasons end.
jnv–you’re absolutely right about Jones. Maybe he really breaks out tonight???
MessageBear–Agreed, on all fronts. I think it would probably make sense to re-sign Lowe (depending on what we see from some other guys), but he all but said he was not coming back last season. But also–I have to believe that we’ll still be in the race come July 31.
I’m one of those who has been down on Andruw for his perceived don’t care attitude, although at the time I too favored signing him. My qualifier at the time was that he would be a Pierre replacement and not someone who would cut Ethier’s or Kemp’s playing time. I am encouraged by signs in the last two games that he may be turning around, and that would be a tremendous boost for our team. We don’t have to look to him to carry the team, only to do his part, as we have some other wheels on this cart like Furcal, Ethier, Kent and Loney. Once Andruw and Martin come around to what could reasonably be expected of them, and adding Kemp to the mix on a regular basis, we could have a pretty formidable offensive lineup. Just don’t screw with that anymore, Joe – OK? Must add that I also like what DeWitt brings to this team, and I hope Joe sticks with him unless he were to go into an unexpected tailspin.
Even if we only get last years production from Andruw it will not be a complete bust. Especially since he is an upgrade on defense in centerfield. I am hoping for .250 with 25-30 homers and 85+ ribbies. I believe when he starts hitting he could move up to the 5th or 6th spot in the order. Not asking for alot, just consistancy.
I was at the game last night and I knew Saito was in trouble when Rivas, their #8 hitter fouled off four of his best pitches. His pitch count in the ninth inning — 24.
Hopefully, it was just a bad night.
I don’t like the idea of sending Blake DeWitt down to the minors so you can play (1) injury proned Nomar who will not be re-signed and had terrible production numbers last year and (2) LaRoche who has never proved he can hit major league pitching.
Unfortunately, if you sit Nomar, it makes Colitis look bad. So Nomar will play and we will have to watch his frenetic batting glove/ tap dance ritual at home plate.
messagebear,
Coletti was not responsible for bringing Ethier here. Logan White and scout Al Lamacchia pretty much insisted that they trade for him. I have to believe Saito was a lucky acquisition. Remember that Ned signed Lance Carter and Danys Baez and only after they failed, got injured did he call up saito from AAA.
Here’s an excerpt from an excellent interview with Logan White(link at bottom):
“AK: How: familiar were you with Andre Ethier before he was brought over in the trade (with Oakland for Milton Bradley)?
Logan White: I was very familiar with him. I know when we were at the winter meetings, he was someone I told Ned we needed to get from Oakland. I live in Phoenix, and the Arizona Fall League is over here. And that year, you had Loney at first, you had Ethier in the outfield, (Matt) Kemp in the outfield, (Tony) Abreu at second, (Andy) LaRoche at third. It was a lot of our guys, so I was seeing him play an awful lot. And he was a lot better player than I thought he was when I saw him at Arizona State. I will tell you that, and I told Andre that. “I missed you the first time, but I wasn’t going to miss you the second time around.”
AK: I was just curious, because it could go down as one of your bigger steals, in terms of trades, so I wondered how much of that you saw coming.
Logan White: Me living out here, in the Fall League I had seen him play 20, 25 times. So I had pretty fresh info on him, but we had other scouts who had seen him and liked him. (Dodgers scout) Al Lamacchia had seen him play in AA and liked him. And this is where you look at his background, and see he’s hit his whole life. He’s always hit. He hit everywhere, so that helps you, too. And another thing that helped me was that he played with our guys. Our guys would tell me he’s a great guy. I got to know his makeup because I could call James Loney or LaRoche or whoever and ask those guys about him.”
http://sportsblogs.latimes.com/sports_baseball_dodgers/2007/02/in_part_i_of_ou.html
I posted this on the last thread, but it seems poignant again:
Let’s look at Ned’s team:
1B Nomore
2B Martinez
SS Lugo
3B Mueller
OF Pierre
OF Jones
OF Gonzo
C Hall
IF Betemit
IF Hillenbrand
OF Clark
C Alomar
SP Blowaiza
SP Lurch
SP Bombko
SP Schidt
SP Sao
RP Baez
RP Carter
RP Hernandez
RP Hamulak
The record speaks for itself.
Jones may still turn out OK or at least a wash.
havoc,
I read that article. My friend is an A’s fan so I was trying to look for information on how the A’s acquired Ethier. In my search for information, I found the article you mentioned. I also found stories about how Lamacchia sat in a meeting and insisted that the Dodgers find a way to acquire Ethier. So far, Lamacchia knew what he was talking about. He is definitely stepping out and becoming an all-around ball player.
I know White had a lot to do with the Eithier signing, but Ned was smart enough to make him an assit. GM, and then listen to him. I’m not defending his bad moves and signings, I’m only saying that no GM is perfect and hindsight is 20/20. Maybe Logan White would be a great GM, but we don’t know that for sure. It’s true I think he’s a better talent evaluator than Ned, but that’s why he is where he is now and where he’s useful if Ned listens to him. Also, the one thing I do like about Ned is that other than the albatross in left he’s limited contracts to few years, and that can only be good for us in the long run.
Great Post Enchanted! I’ve been wanting Ned to be run out of office since he signed Juan Pierre to the putrid contract. I was miffed when he traded away Jackson and Joel Guzman away and got peanuts in return! Pro-Nedinites argued “What have Jackson and Joel Guzman done lately?” Well, yeah, at the time they were traded, they didn’t do much, but they had such a high ceiling. Can you imagine the type of player we could have landed if we had packaged those two? I bet we could have landed a Dan Haren, or Eric Bedard for Guzman and Jackson. But, Ned doesn’t know how to play his hand. Other than trading for Maddux, he hasn’t had a solid trade. He’s been had in almost every trade. Duaner for Seo and Hamulak, Baez and Hall for Jackson and Tiffany, Guzman for Lugo. Havoc, that’s an interesting article you posted, I didn’t know that Logan White was responsible for Ethier. I think so highly of Logan White, that I named my son, who was born 4 months ago after him. Anyways, I’m preaching to the choir here.
Pull the Trigger!
Fire Ned!
Thanks for the list, enchanted. Not a pretty sight. I have no faith in Colletti’s judgement. “Talent” apparently translates to having had a good season three-four years ago. A prerequisite also appears to be having a recent DL stint or coming off a poor season. Thunderbolt, I agree 100% that Ned is naive and often gets outmanuevered when talking with other GMs. I almost forgot Duaner Sanchez for Jae Seo. The dodgers should have kept Maddux instead of betting on Wolf (for the same money).
Torre to “rest” Ethier tonight and play JP in left accordng to Times article.
Trade that piece of ****. What great chemistry at the top of the lineup and now this?
AGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!