Dusty, Sutton, Lefebvre…it's like a reunion at the yard
All sorts of former Dodgers here, between the Reds’ manager Dusty Baker, Nationals broadcaster Don Sutton (who is here promoting awareness for his cancer foundation), Jim Lefebvre (who is here with the Chinese National Baseball Team)…throw in Ron Cey, who walked by my office a few minutes ago and it’s quite an impressive lot. I think it’s something we take for granted, sometimes, just how many former players are involved in the organization in one way or another, so it’s cool to see so many here at one time.
In fact, there will be a lot more this weekend as we celebrate the 60s, with a luncheon at the stadium that fans can purchase tickets to (email fanfeeback@ladodgers.com for info), the photo day on Sunday which will inclue 60s guys and even a 60s themed fireworks show on Friday…break out the tie-dye shirts and come on down to the yard.
Meanwhile, Andruw Jones is out of the lineup with a “crank right knee” as Joe Torre put it, though he said he could play if he had to. Furcal is eligible to come off on Wednesday but Joe thinks it’s more likely to be on Friday. Here’s the group taking the field tonight against the Reds…
Pierre, LF
Ethier, RF
Martin, C
Kent, 2B
Loney, 1B
Kemp, CF
DeWitt, 3B
Hu, SS
Penny, P
Inside the Dodgers 
Cy Arroyo will probably shut us out but I love the lineup.
i don’t know. our lefties Either and Loney hit righies pretty good.
“Crank right knee.” Translation: Couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat.
HAHA nice one dude on Druw!
All the guys memtioned were great Dodgers except Cey was in the 70″s. Lefrv was a great one till he broke his leg… that hurt his career.
Coments were great yeaterday about who should go. Starting with Ned must go! We know Jones cn’t go to AAA without his okay or we’ll lose him. Big deal.. he’s fat *** his taking up space.
Ned’d big time bad moves haqve hurt big time…Bennet, Sweeny are terrible. How about last years move. Liberta is a nice guy but that was a terrible signing. Smit is another.
Garv was my favorite Dodger and I was only 5 when he became a damn Padre. I guess I was a fan of him more off the field HAHA. I did love him beating the Cubs in 84.
I boycotted the games this weekend because they are illegal interleague games, and are morally bankrupt. And frankly, as a Dodger fan, we get the short end of the stick–we always play the Angels, which has become a consistently good team (thanks, in no small part, to the idiots at Fox, who let Mike Scioscia go), while others play the Royals or the Rangers.
.
I did, however, read some of the posts and there is a certain frustration out there.
.
Without being an apologist for management, would anyone make out a very different line-up card? If I were Joe Torre, all the names on the card would be the same–I might move Kent down, and Loney and Kemp up. I probably would still have Pierre lead off (with the understanding that when Furcal comes back, he goes back to hitting 8th).
.
Also, are there many differences with the roster? Except for Pierre (and again, I have no problem with him as a 4th outfielder–my problem is that he gets too much playing time ahead of Kemp and Ethier), I would probably have the same roster. If Blake DeWitt or Andy LaRoche could play second base, I might have both of them up (and, at a certain point, I might start them ahead of Kent).
.
The Jones deal has not turned out well, and we are approaching the point when it can be called a bust. But I admit that there is a good chance that I would have made that deal over the winter (provided, of course, that it was clear we were just willing to have a very expensive 4th outfielder).
.
And some folks want to bring up Clayton Kershaw (we’re all anxious to see him in Los Angeles), but I would probably let him develop in Jacksonville for as long as I could hold out this year (to save his arm for the next 10 years)–and however it shakes out, our 5th starter has not been the problem.
.
So, aside from the fact that we have spent some lost cash (Loazia, Jones, Pierre, Nomar), we have mostly the 25-man roster I would want and mostly the every-day line-up I would want.
.
I agree that it has not been perfect, and some of Torre’s managing decisions have, and continue, to perplexed me. And, our starting pitching has NOT been doing what we expected it would (Penny’s ERA is double what it was at this time a year ago). But this is a good and exciting Dodgers team, and it’s very near what we all usually say we want to see. And while I hate to put the comparison to 2006 (because I want us to do BETTER), I think it’s ultimately accurate–that team took a while to come together, and this one is taking a while too. But, I think when it does it will be poised to win the division and the pennant, and will set the table for years to come.
It’s not that the overall roster is a problem, but when management spends 41 million dollars on 4 players that have a combined slug of .330 it’s a huge problem.
The Joneses, The Kent’s, The Pierre’s, The Nomars..I wouldnt have problems with individually, but collectively managemeant we have structured our team to where they are all expected to play big roles (table setter and run scorer and suppossed run producers) and they are all well, well below whats needed.
Same thing as last year. Young guys are just to young and learning how to play consistently and the old guys are dragging down the ship with their poor production. If Kent was named Abreu and Jones was named Ethier, bith would have been riding pine months ago. If Nomar was named LaRoche he wouldnt even ever come of the DL.
Now soon, Jones knee will progress to DL to spare himself and the dodgers the embarrassment of having their two highest paid players on the team combine for 0 wins and 2hr so far in 08
I am so sick of it.
Baker, Cey, Lefebvre, Sutton(although I hate opponant broadcasters, even former Dodger HOFers)) You got quite a crew there.
I see according to tonight’s lineup Torre is beginning to see the light, “crank right knee” and all.
In my worthless assessment I think the Dodgers have improve a lot over the past several years.
Except for the starting pitching, but especially the offense.
I think the only problem is the competition improved a little more.
But I have confidence we’re getting there.
GO DODGERS!!!
I forgot to add we lack some general managing.
Nice lineup considering. Penny looks terrible so far. I have a feeling it’s going to be a long night. Here we go again.
Also, why Jeff Kent can’t bat anywhere but cleanup is a mystery ot me.
Penny Sucks big time
Nice job getting out of that inning Brad! Now let’s get that one back plus a few more!
Only one run so that’s a good start.
Could it be that opponent pitchers know exactly what pitch the Dodgers are looking for?
We seem to be hitting early in the count.
The Reds may be out hitting us but they are not out fielding us.
SO far, this is bad.
That was a good play by Hu on a ball Penny almost reached out for and could’ve hurt his hand.
Another nice play by Loney.
Lets see some power Dodgers
Rats!!®
Aroyo may have an era of 6 but looks like we will help him lower that tonight.
Penny’s long day’s journey into night continues…
Note to Ned – Unless he improves dramatically over the course of the season, don’t pick-up his option.
Well, I’m glad we have our Ace going for us tonight.
You say “We have no Ace”.
You’re right, of course.
That is too bad – each team deserves at least one Ace; a few lucky ones have two.
At this point, why not give Meloan a try?
And don’t bother calling up Kershaw until September to get his feet wet – this team’s not going anywhere anyway.
Right now he is our 4 of Clubs.
Penny absolutely sucks. I subscribed to MLB.TV this year and was so looking forward to seeing all the Dodger games as I live in Waterloo, Illinois. A few more games like we’ve been playing and I may cancel MLB.TV. Dodger pitchers look pathetic. We have about 10 pitchers and players who all need a rehab assignment and let nobody except Furcal and the kids.
I’m with you E. Don’t screw with Kershaw in a lost cause.
ALERT ALERT calling Kershaw.
We could use some offense too.
bear – this team may not have any aces, but it has plenty of donkeys if you catch my drift.
With the offense struggling already, it makes it even more difficult when the starters put them behind the eight ball right out of the gate.
LOL!!
Well, it looks like we’ll have plenty to talk about again tomorrow…
The hardest hit ball so far has been by our pitcher
A gift. I’ll take it. We need all the help we can get.
Who set up those two runs with a double? Oh, that’s right, that kid who rides the pine.
WE’ll take all the gifts we can get
Hey beggars can’t be choosers. ‘Bout time somebody gave us some runs instead of the other way around.
Now if we only had a pitcher who could hold ’em for awhile…
Well, We can fight our way back. Still can’t get that timely hit when we need it
Loney should’ve took a pitch the way Arroyo was pitching.
Well at least we got 2 thanks to Hairston.
We’re not giving them back though.
Geez Penny, walk the opposing pitcher why don’t ya
KEMP!!!
Wow! Against Arroyo? Yes, but that’s a great throw.
Great play, Matt
Any way you can Penny!!
Score it 8-5
KEMP to DeWITT.
Love to see that.
Why the hell Kemp is made to ride the pine, I’ll never know.
Well I guess that’ll buy Mr. Kemp a trip to the bench tomorrow.
What a play by Kemp and DeWitt!
That was poetic Kemp and Arroyo
Arroyo looks like he’s struggling and yet he could be pitching a shutout.
Didn’t Lefebvre have a fight with Lasorda?
You don’t run on The Bison!!!
They’re gonna stop running on Kemp.
Kemp was doing just fine in the 3 hole…batting over .300 with nine stolen bases. Why can’t Torre keep from noodling with the line-up?
Penny really is a TOOL. Scary thing, he’s a first half pitcher. What do we get to look forward to after the all-star break?
Note to Ned: Get what you can for Penny at the trade deadline.
Penny looks like he’s been hanging out with Jelly Roll and Brazobelly. Working on a boiler of his own. He’s not as slim as he was this time last year. Him and his ERA are fatter.
Man, this team has a lot of work to do. I had them pegged as a fourth place team in the start of the season, and the only thing preventing that is the fact that the Rockies and Padres are doing much, much worse.
Thank goodness DeWitt is fun to watch, and thank goodness Nomar’s calf is keeping him away from DeWitt’s spot.
But Penny and Lowe are not doing their part at all, and the lineup is terribly hot and cold. Kent, the only old stick left in there, is demonstrating why the young ‘uns should play. ( Jones is just in an unspeakable category of his own. ) Furcal has his back trouble, and did I read somewhere his specific injury is often the first sign of a degenerative disc disease? That would be bad, bad.
Come on Dodgers, the season is still so long, I don’t want to keep on dreading each game.
We have about 6 to 8 players to trade for one good power hitter.
We just need to pay half their salaries
This is like an average game for Penny.
He just has to go one more inning.
Oh, you mean we have As*es instead of Aces. That makes sense, and all of them are not pitchers. The biggest one is our GM.
Jungar–I agree with what you’re saying, but if the management is willing to just eat its mistakes and play the right guys, regardless of the money they are paying, we’ll be OK.
.
I admit, we have not really seen the management be willing to ignore salaries and play the right guys on a lot of occassions, but tonight we have it.
.
Kpookiemon is right–Kemp was doing just fine hitting third. Torre has an unhealthy fascination with fiddling with the line-up. It seems that, once Furcal comes back, we should have at least some set posts in the line-up–Furcal first, Kemp third, Jones/Pierre 8th.
.
I don’t know what’s going on with Penny. This team can win, but we need Brad Penny if we’re going to do it.
And Ethier is sitting on the bench why?????????????????
Another tough Pierre out…
There are so many levels that this team needs to rectify. Isn’t conditioning supposed to be Conte’s realm?
Come on Kemp, baby. a long one is needed
My Loney has a first name,
It’s J-A-M-E-S
My Loney has a second name,
It’s L-O-N-E-Y
I love to watch him every day
And if you ask me why I’ll say
‘Cause James Loney has a way
With H-I-T-T-I-N-G!
LONEY Keeps us in the game.
That’s why they call him the Bison!
KEMP keeps it goin’
AND WE’RE BACK!
DeWitt baby!!!!!
Yeah, Dewitt’s our man.
Note to JoJo and Ned – this is why we like to see the kids play.
Sweeney!!!!!!!!!!!!! Where the hell is DY
New game.
Hu’s just overmatched by ML pitching right now.
My man DeWITT opposite field ties it up
Go going guys.
Sweeney’s our #1 PH because he’s SUPPOSED to be our #1 PH, just like Pierre’s a lead-off hitter because he’s supposed to be a lead-off hitter. Doesn’t mean they have the ability to do so, its just JoJo’s 1950’s thinking in action.
It’s be good if Penny get through the 6th
This was a strategic move by Penny. By issuing a lead-off walk to Bako, it allows Arroyo to stay in the game to bunt.
.
And then Loney throws Bako out at second–it’s brilliant!
.
(Please pass the Kool-Aid.)
leekfink, you are funny
Torre better hit for Penny here. Sweeny’s a waste of a roster spot. Let’s see Pee Wee swing the stick and get something started. Pierre’s absolutely useless unless there’s someone on base.
This is a good time to take the lead.
I had a nice poem about the kids but I screwed it up and lost it. Too long to do over.
Good boy Joe, listen to you’re man Kace.
Oh well, it was the right call regardless.
Hu definitely seems overmatched at the plate right now, but he also seems like a very intelligent ballplayer and has always hit well in the minors. I think he’ll “get it” sooner or later. With Abreu in the twilight zone, Hu is the future of our middle infield.
Loney team leader now has 28 RBI
Kemp has 27.
JUANPY doing his thing.
To bad there’s two out BUT
You never know.
Kemp has 20 less at bats than Loney, or he would be leading in RBI’S
Juan Pierre would be the perfect center fielder for Dusty Baker
If Dusty would take Pierre, we could throw in Andruw also
that “foul tip” and the balk is keeping this inning alive.. beimel is working..
need a big k here
Sara, Beimel is feeling your love!!! LOL
Tough inning by Beimel – gritted his teeth and got through it. Now we need a rally.
Go, Joe (Favorite Bobblehead) Beimel!
Now we need to score and make him 4-0!
That inning seemed to end at least 3 times.
Some more good stuff brought to you by Joey Beimel
Weak grounder by Kent. Now let’s go kids!
Kemp gets down the first base line quick, now 4-for-4
KEMP for a guy who could hit
Sure can throw
Sure can run
Brox throwing some serious heat – he’s hit 100 a couple times.
Brox is definitely the heir apparent, but no need to rush as long as Saito is doing well.
Hey crash24now, are you a Jack Bauer fan?
Please please use Maza for the ph not Sweeney the Weenie
Probably see Andruw this inning.
No, “Crash” is a nickname earned due to an unfortunate incident in my youth which involved my 1972 Monte Carlo.
Geez, I could have done that. Pinch hitter deluxe my ****!!!
Where did JoJo come from? He has the absolute worst feeling for when to throw in a lefty ph against a lefty reliever.
Juanpy does another one of his things well.
Andruw could have done better than Sweeney, well, maybe not
Hate to lose this game and fall 6 back.
Maybe we’ll get a walk-off.
Broxton had a good inning
Now it’s Saito.
Another fine quality AB from Sweeney… and LaRoche is in Vegas why???
Yep, ole Ned can pick’em!!
Martin Kent & Loney Let Go!!!
Bring up Laroche and Repko
Make them pay for that E-6!
We need a walk-off something or other
Air Mail. Special delivery for Marty at 2nd.
Allright, we got an other
Way to move him over, Kent!
At least Kant got him over.
Make him pay for that hubris Matty.
Let’s go Blake!
Come on Kemp a 3 runs homerun would be nice or a sac.
DeWitt Please no DP.
Ouch 2 ibb Baker a whimp haha. Come on Blake
And the kid comes thru again!! Woo-Hoo!!!!
Blaaaaaaaaake! 6-for-6 with bases loaded!
If Joe replaces Dewitt, we need to tar and feather him and ride him out of town on an A**
UNREAL! L.A LOVES BLAKE DEWITT! AND WE DO TOO!
Call him Nomar Pipp cause we got BLAKE!!
Lineup for Friday and every day thereafter:
.
Furcal ss
Ethier rf
Kemp cf
Loney 1b
Martin c
DeWitt 3b
Young lf
LaRoche 2b
D_e_W_I_T_T he’s a witt.
It’s a gift
BUT WE NEEDED IT.
kid is seriously amazing
Blake ROYYYYYYYYYYyy
I gotta hand it to that kid Dewitt, he saw an opportunity when he was brought up and he intends to stay……….
Dewitt for Rookie of the year.
that kid is something else.
how could you not love him? =)
It’s late in St. Louis, Good nite guys
In all my years I can’t remember a player earn is way on this team like BLAKE DE WITT
Nice gimme game from the Reds, but who’d a thunk it the way Penny was pitching?
Nice way to hang in there guys and get he job done!! I’ll even say Pierre did his job well tonight.
Bullpen was nails!! Kudo’s to them.
Blake is prefect 6 for 6 with 12 rbi with the base loaded.m this guy is clutch and were still the #1 bases loaded team in the league.
You know it going to happen bob so stop complaining lol.
The bullpen has won one more game than the starters 12-11.
It just shines a light on our pitching
Weak starters________Strong bullpen.
Anyone else see the stat saying that Kemp leads the majors with 7 outfield assists?
I got a mancrush on DeWitt.
Gotta admire that kid DeWitt – nothing phases him. He hits into a DP and Ks and comes right back to drive in the tying and winning runs.
Is Nomar’s injury that serious? or does he just see the writing on the wall?
Yes I saw it and I’m proud of him.
Kemp 7 assist I mean.
Torre’s a fool if he doesn’t start the same OF again tomorrow after going 8 for 13 tonight. Not that I wouldn’t rather see DY in JPs spot, but unlike JoJo I actually like to reward good games.
Yeah pierre, that is awesome! I think I am getting that same mancrush! š
Enchanted, I don’t disagree with going with the same outfield. But how muchlonger would you let Kent bat cleanup? He’s like sludge getting in the way of a well-oiled machine. Move him down to 6th.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-dodrep20-2008may20,0,1780798.story
Looks to be the beginnings of a potential DL trip for Mr. Jones…maybe
Tribute to tonight’s win and the kids.
.
Flew in from Anaheim
Disneyland on the 5.
Didn’t get to bed last night,
On the way the shellacking was on my mind,
Man, I had a dreadful fight,
.
I’m back in the Chavez Ravine.
You don’t know how lucky you are boy,
Back in the Chavez Ravine.
.
Been away so long
I hardly knew the place,
Gee it’s good for Andre to play,
Leave it to Russell to set the pace,
DeWitt the player of the day!
.
I’m back in the Chavez Ravine.
You don’t know how lucky you are boy,
Back in the Chavez Ravine.
.
Well the Malibu girls really knock me out,
They leave the OC behind.
And LA girls make me sing and shout,
That Loneyās always on my mi-mi-mi-mi-mind.
.
I’m back in the Chavez Ravine.
You don’t know how lucky you are boy,
Back in the Chavez Ravine.
.
Well the Malibu girls really knock me out,
They leave the OC behind.
And LA girls make me sing and shout,
That Loneyās always on my mi-mi-mi-mi-mind.
.
Show me ’round your ashen bat
The Bison hits the ball real sound
Take me oāer the right field wall.
Let me run the bases round
Come and hit your buddies in,
.
I’m back in the Chavez Ravine.
You don’t know how lucky you are boy,
Back in the Chavez Ravine.
From Tony Jackson: Must read!
We learned after the game that Andruw Jones had an MRI today, that the MRI showed fluid and torn cartilage in his right knee and that if it isn’t better by Thursday or Friday, he’ll have arthroscopic surgery that will sideline him, according to what Jones says the doctors told him, for four to five weeks. My experience has been that they usually don’t even TALK about surgery unless they’re fairly sure it’s going to happen. But he is going to get treatment and try to make it work.
From L.A Times: More must-read!
Andruw Jones has torn cartilage and a buildup of fluid in his right knee, according to the results of an MRI exam he underwent Monday.
Jones said that if the swelling in his knee doesn’t subside by Friday, he will undergo surgery that will sideline him for four to five weeks.
“Hopefully, I can do it in the off-season,” he said of the possible surgery.
The center fielder, who signed a two-year, $36.2-million deal in the winter but is batting only .167, said he felt discomfort in his knee over the last two games in Anaheim.
Jones was 0 for 11 in the three-game series, which concluded Sunday as the Dodgers lost two of three.
He said he had difficulty sleeping Sunday night, which is why he placed a call the next morning to trainer Stan Conte.
In addition to damaged cartilage, Jones said he has a golf-ball sized wart behind his knee that might have to be surgically removed. Because of the wart’s location, he said, it can’t be drained.
Personally I would DL Jones, bring up LaRoche and on Friday option Hu back to Vegas and activate Furcal. But, Ned may bring up Repko instead of LaRoche.
Great game tonight boys! It was a fabulous night of hitting by our outfield, including Pierre, and there is nothing left to say about DeWitt other than purely amazing stuff. This was an entire team effort, and it was one wild and crazy game in which the dodgers came out on top. I don’t know if you pay attention to the pictures on the homepage, but that last group shot is the perfect picture of our future young team enjoying a moment in which it was all about them working as a team to get the win and the celebration was well deserved. Every player in the picture had something to do with tonight’s win.
I forgot to mention pitching – Our Bullpen was our Ace pitcher tonight.
Great night for the Dodgers. A great win, great games by the kids, PLUS!!! FATTY IS HURT!!! The best news of the night is hearing that Andruw Jones might be out until July 1st! This is a blessing! We can finally get our three best outfielders onto the field at the same time. Matt Kemp showed us what he can do tonight, Ethier is solid and Pierre is by default our third outfielder. When Furcal gets back we will be even better!
I am starting to worry about both Lowe and Penny. If they are hurt or anything we might see Kershaw soon!!!
Good one Crash. We got you a win Nelly. That is a great picture. Jones hitting the DL is something of a blessing. Maybe we can get some consistant lineups. Bat Kemp 3rd and Marty 5th or 6th. He seems to do better there and Kemp is a monster.
Nice win last night. Got to take advantage when the other team gives you outs. DeWitt is really something. I think the kid is here to stay. Need Billz to keep it going tonight.
GO DODGERS!!!!!
Maybe JoJo will take a page from LaRusa’s book and bat the pitcher 8th and Pierre 9th. I would like to see how that works out when Ferk gets back.
If Lowe and Penny ever get it going and they keep Bennett off the field we can make a serious run.
Take your time with that calf Nomore. Take all season!! Get ready for next year somewhere else….
Conspiracy Theory: Ned’s master plan are all these mysterious ailments plaguing the veterans so they go on the disabled list and he can call up the kids. That way he can rebuild without having to use the “R” word. Think about it… Loaiza – Wade. Furcal – Maza. Nomore’s calf just isn’t healing…, Jones suddenly has a bum knee. Its diabolical and brilliant at the same time. Next up, an unexplainable turf toe ailment for Kent…
enchanted, the way this season is going so far, a conspiracy theory wouldn’t be that big of a stretch.
This may be the perfect opportunity for Andruw to get his act together, giving him 15 days to get his head on straight. Let’s bring Mattingly out here while Andruw is on the DL to work with him.
enchanted,
It seems like we have seen it all this season so far so a conspiracy theory wouldn’t be that be of a stretch.
Don’t forget about Pierre. He did have a good game last night, but he is still an issue in the outfield (defensively).
okay, I don’t know why only part of my post went before the rest, and then reposted the whole thing – sorry!! My computer is having a hard time getting up this morning.
It doesn’t want to be at school either.
I don’t revel in Druw’s condition, although it will clear the outfield picture for a while. I expect that Druw may be out longer than expected at this point. Can you imagine how much more weight he’ll gain after knee surgery immobilizes him. I don’t see him as being useful for the rest of the season. Other than more millions wasted, I don’t see how it will affect the team for the worse. Hopefully it might give DY occasional playing time, unless he’s now regarded as strictly a second base option. At least DY should become the pinch hitter of choice from the left side, because Sweeney has had all the chances that one deserves and should be DFA’ed promptly.
That brings us to the LaRoche situation. I expect that DeWitt now has as many at bats as LaRoche has had in the majors, and DeWitt has certainly produced a better BA, shown more power and produced more in clutch situations. DeWitt will have his letdowns like any other player, rookie or otherwise, but he’s proven enough to me to be our regular third baseman in spite of the potential promise of LaRoche power. As much as I don’t want even a consideration of handing the job back to Nomar, I also don’t want at this point to disrup DeWitt’s progress by introducing LaRoche and trying to share third base with him. On the other hand, LaRoche won’t learn anything more from being at AAA, unless it is to switch him to another playing position and to prepare him that way. DeWitt could always be tried at second, but doing it in the middle of the season and breaking up his continuity would not seem the way to go. If DeWitt is to try and make that switch, it should be done in winter ball and Spring Training rather than now. So, I’m hoping that we bring LaRoche up and designate him as the primary right handed pinch hitter and let him sub occasionally between third and maybe even the outfield for the rest of the season.
Along with those changes, we need to get rid of Sweeney, Bennett (bring up a minor league guy in his place), and Proctor. I wish we would also DFA Nomar, or more graciously find him another team in advance by way of a trade, and I wish we’d trade Lowe by the deadline whether we’re still contending or not.
Much to Ned’s chagrin, Pierre is the fly in the oinment of his master plan because he’s indestructible. When last seen Ned was trying to work it out to where JP would be walking under his 5th floor window at the same time the piano movers were hoisting up the baby grand…
Bear – IMO, LaRoche should be working at 2B right now while he’s in Vegas. DeWitt / LaRoche at 3B can work itself out in the off season. In the meantime with Andy getting in some time at 2B, we can be looking to trade Kent to a contender at the deadline. Eveybody wins. We get a prospect, Kent gets his last shot at a titlle, and LaRoche gets a chance.
So now were last years team with our starters not throwing as well and Jeff Kent not hitting. Great.
Sheesh how much in this years salary is on the DL? 50 million? Enough payroll to be the Diamondbacks almost.
Go away Ned, a blind man can see you do more to hurt than to help.
enchanted – you are too funny!! lol!!! That is a very good visual, I must say lol!!!!!!!!
Everybody cheer on Lurch tonight – he’s going up against the Snakes. This is our chance to pull within four games. Hard to believe we’re in a pennant race with only half a team.
.
I agree with LaRoche spending two to four weeks in Vegas at 2B. Then bring him up and trade away Kent.
LaRoche at 2B is not a bad idea at all. He should certainly be able to handle it given his age and the fact that he was drafted as ****.
haha. I was trying to right (a shortstop (SS). stupid censor.
write*… its been a long night
Just think if we could get LaRoche at 2nd, Furcal back at SS and DY in the outfield. It has the potential to be a wicked lineup anyway it is stacked – you could have speed and power up and down the lineup, not to mention the combination of left/right-handed hitters.
Not only that, we would have potentially eight .300 hitters in the lineup. No .150 or .200 or .226 or .241 hitters. Would be a lot more run productivity with something like
.
Furcal ss
Martin c
Kemp cf
Loney 1b
Ethier rf
DeWitt 3b
LaRoche 2b
Young lf
.
Heck, I wouldn’t mind if Pierre swapped with Young every once in a while.
Update: Ned seen trying to tie JP to the railroad tracks…
Piano hit JoJo in the head, hopefully jarring something loose.
Good one, but I like the piano scenario better. He might find a way to whittle his way out of whatever binds him to the track. The piano has an element of surprise which I would think you would need when dealing with JP.
Great come from behind win last night and while I never wish injury upon anybody, it will be nice to see Ethier amd Kemp in the same lineup for an extended period of time. BTW what the heck is up with Penny and Lowe, did they both get this *bad* in 1 season or will they return to form? If they do, the Dodgers could make a big run at the D-Backs.
As far as I am concerned………Crash thats a perfect lineup…
Imagine a potential lineup of .290-.300+ averages with 20-30 homeruns per player on average (that would be 160 – 240+).
– crash, that line up would rock!!!!
It’ll just be nice if we can get 4-5 weeks of an uninterrupted Ethier/Kemp outfield. I won’t even get greedy to get JP out of there. This is Andre’s and Matt’s time to really step up and show their stuff and maybe get us on a roll, at least offensively. Maybe then we can once and for all put to rest this platoon BS of JoJos.
Druw out, Repko up. Furcal back, Hu down. Sweeney gone, LaRoche up. That’s a good start. Unfortunately between JoJo and Nerd, they’ll keep Sweeney around as a “veteran influence.”
Well…there is one way to get someone out of the lineup..
Andruw is hurt….this makes Schmidt and Andruw two of the really stellar acquisitions by Ned…I don’t want anyone to be hurt, but can you believe he signs another used up vet that has seen his better days..?!…When will he learn..?..At least now we don’t have to watch him loaf down to first or swing at stupid pitches….This is good news for the club…Now if they could figure out what happened to Penny and Lowe maybe we could get on a streak…They have been pathetic this year….whatssup with that?
And who doesn’t love DeWitt?…He has been our real star especially without Raffy….love that kid….Anyone for DFA’ing
Sweeney?…We hear about how he is way up on the pinch hitting list…guess he forgot to tell anyone….another awful acquisition..
“Dodgers manager Joe Torre said an MRI on Monday revealed that Jones has some fluid and a soft cartilage tear in his right knee.” When pressed on the issue, Juan Pierre, displaced center fielder, snapped, “I had nothing to do with it. I always keep boxes of donuts in my locker. Andruw comes over. We talk. Sometimes we eat. What are you saying, anyway? Talk to Ethier and Kemp, they’re the ones–errr, I mean, they might know something…” When asked about the innuendo, Ethier smiled and said, “I’ll do anything to help the ball club win.” Matt Kemp was unavailable for comment.
LOL!!! kpookiemon funny, funny, funny!!!
some injuries are untimely and devastating (ie. furcal when the dodgers were in the middle of their great streak).. but this one to jones couldn’t have come at a better time.. don’t let him push off surgery and get worse. put him on the DL immediately. it’s what’s best for the team.
Sara, I agree. A small tear in the cartilage is best treated by immediate surgery, before it can become a bigger, more complex tear.
exactly. jones saying he hopes he can wait until the offseason is the worst idea ever. if he’s tearing it up and doesn’t want to stop playing, you’d understand.. but as bad as he’s been, he should just take care of it immediately, and come back better and stronger. although, i shudder to think what time on the DL would do to his weight..
Good one Kahli!!
As jungar pointed out, we’ve come a long way (and $36.2 Mil later) to be back where we ended last year. Kent’s not hitting, but we have managed to swap DeWitt for Nomore, so that’s a definite plus.
Only encouraging thing I could see from Penny last night was that he had some velocity. Can’t say that much for Lowe, who couldn’t even hit 90. I’d see if Penny has something left in the tank the rest of the year before I’d decide to pick-up his option. Lowe on the other hand I’d try and flip at the trade deadline since there’s no reason to re-sign him.
Sweeney Todd is definitely a DFA immediately if not sooner. There’s nothing that he can do that DY can’t. Bennett’s working on his throwing… best if he worked on it somewhere else. He brings nothing offensively or defensively to the table. Bring up Ardoin and let him be around the show for awhile.
Why are things so apparent to us bloggers that takes management months to figure out, then still get wrong??
Hold on Jungar–We’re last year’s team with the following critical differences:
.
1) Loney is starting every day;
2) Kemp is (or, with Jones on the DL, will be) starting every day;
3) Ethier is (or, with Jones on the DL, will be) starting every day;
4) Billingsley is in the starting rotation from the outset.
.
I think you correctly pointed out last year that this was worth several wins. Plus, we have DeWitt at 3B rather than Nomar.
.
True, I would rather have a healthy/productive Jones over Pierre, and we need the starters to pitch better, and I would love to find a way for LaRoche and DeWitt to get in the line-up (DeWitt may end up being a second baseman). But we have good chances.
.
I’m still feeling very optimistic about now and the future with this team.
From Rotoworld:
“Mike Piazza announced his retirement from baseball on Tuesday.
Piazza hoped to play this year, but serious interest never materialized from a major league team. The future Hall of Famer ends his career with a .308/.377/.545 line, 427 homers and 1,335 RBI in 1,912 games over 16 seasons. He was named to 12 All-Star teams, he set the record for homers by a catcher and he twice led the NL in OPS+. His .362-40-124 season in 1997 was maybe the greatest offensive year ever for a catcher.”
………and the Dodgers traded him away the next year………….
I’d have taken Piazza over Bennett any day as back-up catcher so that he could’ve finished his career as a Dodger. I’m sure though that the price tag was just too high.
I’ll take him right now. He can’t be anything but an upgrade.
New Post – Bennett’s on the DL.