You're a star!
Not really, but tomorrow (Friday) you can be a part of one.
It’s going to be a very cool turnout tomorrow when the Dodgers get their award of excellence star on Hollywood Blvd. Vin Scully, Tommy Lasorda, Joe Torre, Fernando Valenzuela, Russell Martin…those are just five of the Dodger luminaries who will be on hand for this first-ever event.
It’s open to the public, so stop by wearing your blue. It will be at 6801 Hollywood Blvd. (the corner of Hollywood and Highland) and the best parking is at the property at Highland and Johnny Grant Way (the entrance to Hollywood and Highland).
We hope you’ll all be there…and if you can’t be, you can watch it live on FSN Prime Ticket, starting at 11 a.m. PT.
Also, tomorrow night on DodgerTalk following the game, Ned Colletti will be taking calls from the fans to answer your questions. The game is cap night and then afterward, Ned will head to the studio here at the stadium with Ken Levine and Josh Suchon on KABC 790.
Inside the Dodgers 
i posted this at the end of the last thread, but since we have a new post.. here it is again:
does anyone want to go to the game tomorrow night? you can watch kershaw pitch, and you also get a FREE dodgers cap! i bought tickets a while ago, but i can’t go anymore, and i’m going on saturday anyway.. they’re not great seats, but they’re not bad either. reserved level, section 26. i will give them to you face value or below face. let me know! thanks.
tony jackson says:
“Joe hinted before the game that he is now more open to the possibility of LaRoche starting at 2B.”
Really, Boston? Stay tuned, I guess.
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http://www.lvrj.com/sports/20557779.html
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Dodgers infielder Nomar Garciaparra, who was in Las Vegas on a rehabilitation assignment for a strained left calf, flew to Boston to have his doctor evaluate him. Los Angeles general manager Ned Colletti was to watch Garciaparra on Wednesday but canceled the trip.
I guess Nomar doesn’t trust Stan Conte…
sara – wish I could go tomorrow, but can’t. Are you going to the ceremony to see the Dodgers get their star?
It’s a fluid time of year. Expectations and organizational directions are being reconsidered, some strongly so. The Dodgers, for one, are waiting on Rafael Furcal and Andruw Jones to heal (lol), waiting on Brad Penny and Hiroki Kuroda to heal and then pitch like front-of-the-rotation starters, waiting on their young players to string together some professional at-bats (where does mainstream press here stuff like this, Coletti?). And, even then, they no longer have the vaguest notion of what a healthy Jones can give them. Actually, they have a strong suspicion, which is worse
Pierre and his .330OBp is proffesional so is Kent and his 250 avg in 4 hole,***** i wish the youngsters would be just like em so i know we will suck for years instead of hoping for the best.
If it’s a fluid time of year, I’m having a scotch!
jungar – if only they would listen to what the fans want, but obviously they aren’t, and the spins and lies in stories are only getting worse. Like many have said, we are all preaching to the same choir, which happens to be ourselves.
I hope that Stults gets enough time with the big club to prove that he can be in this rotation, as I think Kuo could be if Torre didn’t have his mind made up that Kuo needs to be in relief. The reason those two would be important is because Lowe can’t be expected to be with us next year, and Penny probably will not be with us after 2009. If we can do well with Stults and Kuo starting, I think we should cut the cord with Lowe and Penny possibly as early as the trade deadline in order to come up with a couple of decent AAA prospects and a shortstop and second baseman for next season. The time is also getting short for playing LaRoche in the regular everyday lineup; either Andy or DeWitt should take some second base turns to show us if we have a second baseman for next year.
i wish i could make it to the ceremony dnelson, but sadly, i have to work =/
nevermind about the tickets everyone. my co-worker wants to go.
That’s too bad sara. It sounds exciting especially since russell will be there 🙂 Glad you found someone to take your tickets.
so what is everybody’s take on us getting a pitcher at the dealine…maybe a rich harden??? i know that he is injury prone, but with the injuries of penny and kuroda, i think ned may want to get a pitcher
i think it is possilbe to get harden without giving up our “core” young guys….maybe a Hu, Young, Meloan deal?? lol
i am in Boston. Flying very early tomorrow morning (6:38 a.m.) back to L.A. I miss my boys in Blue 😦 I miss L.A 😦 so I am glad to be back tomorrow. 🙂
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Realistically, I don’t think I can make the event in Hollywood on time but I’ll be there for the game and the weekend series. Also my friend Erik and I are scheduled to go to the Carne Asada. He bought a ticket for my birthday (6/28) but I don’t know if that is going to happen based on what Josh said and Nomah’s condition. At the last game in L.A. Dave (I forget his last name) told me that the 70’s celebration is scheduled for 6/28. I thought the Women’s baseball clinic was going to happen on that day. I’ll take the 70’s celebration but I still want a WIN Women’s baseball clinic!!! Dr. Steinberg told me we are going to have one! Sara: you should try to go. it is a blast being on the field learning from the boys. The last time I bugged Dave about it, he said “you keep asking me that..”
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Where is ndeschenes post?
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Took a lot of crap from the Celtic fans at work in New Hampshire.
Josh: How about a post from Mark Langill. I had asked him at the 60’s celebration about those star like on the Hollywood blvd that are on Sunset blvd. I showed him the picture of the one for Jackie Robinson. It has a bat and a glove. I was surprised he did not know anything about them. I went back and noticed that there a lot of one, all sports related. I saw Tommy’s, and Sandy Koufax. When did they started putting them there. I discovered them when going to breakfast to Barragans. BTW Josh, I was the only dressed like the 60’s that day.
emma, I am not a softball/ baseball player, but I would be willing to learn very quickly to be able to go to the clinic(when it happens). I know many coaches here that would coach me enough so I would appear to know what I am doing. That would be a blast!! I am probably better than I think. I just never played as a kid./adult. However, when I am out playing around with my own kids, I can hit and catch the ball, and at school, I can play a mean wiffle ball game with my students – does that count? LOL!!! Anyhow, I would definitely make the trip if they did a clinic – Wow!! would that be fun! 🙂
I’m not really sure if I feel like fighting the traffic, I’m 43 miles east and to get there at let’s say ten O’clock I’d have to leave at about eight then head home at noon then it’s back to the stadium for the game, and those Friday night games always seem to go long.
I think I’ll see how I feel in the morning?
Rich Harden is, and I repeat is injury prone. Any A’s fan will tell you he is great, but he never stays healthy. My best friend is an A’s fan, and she if confident he will be injured by the end of the season – always happens. However, I can see the A’s wanting to go for a deal like that because they are trying to go young also – hmmmm – something to think about 🙂
Lo & Behold! What a Great 7 o 4 Third In A Row Victory By Our Beloved Los Angeles Dodgers over the Cincinnati Reds! Amazing Super Hero Matt Kemp Shows exactly why he is amazing with His Home Run Smash, 2 Hits and Important 3 RBI’S! Again Super Hero, The Tower Of Power,James Loney, Impressively Delivers going 3 For 4,with 2 Runs Scored and RBI! Super Heroes Andre Ethier and Angel Berroa catch The World Series Victory Fever going 2 for 5 with an RBI and run scored respectively! Way to go guys! Super Hero Eric Stults was Simply Magnificent going 6 Gutsy Innings allowing only 1 Run and 5 Strikeouts! Super Hero Pitchers Scott Proctor, Joe Beimel, Jonathan Broxton and Takashi Saito pitched like they have World Series Victory Fever On Their Mind! And Of course, The Invincible, Man of Steel, Superman, Jeff Kent With His Double and Run Scored and whom all of us Los Angeles Dodger Fans, Coaches, Managers and everyone associated With Our Beloved Los Angeles Dodgers, are pulling For Superman to get His World Series RING! All of Our Los Angeles Dodgers Were All Super Heroes! Sing All of us Dodger Fans For The Stars OF Heaven Are Shining Down on Our Beloved Team, and they will Continue to Sparkle As they continue to play True Los Angeles Dodger Baseball and bring back the World Series Championship Back to Los Angeles!
If Ned can trade the old, then fine. But leave the kids alone. Stults (granted, he’s 28-years-old) is just another example that the Dodgers have what it takes in-house. Aren’t we all just a little sick and tired of Ned’s collection of cast-offs and has-beens? To acquire a legitimate starter is too costly. Let’s keep seeing what Dodgers have on the farm.
I have tickets for Saturday. Dodgers will need their hitting shoes to stay with the Tribe.
It’s great to see the Dodgers winning, but that still does not excuse the way Torre is managing. Example: Last Saturday Young played as the DH and went 3-4, bringing his BA to .300. Pierre went 0-5, bringing his BA to .275. Since that time Pierre has played every game and Young has appeared only once as a PH. Sweeney, with a current BA of .111, has appeared three times as a PH without success. That kind of managing defies all logic and shows a definite prejudice against the younger players. Although Pierre may be playing good right now, his good is not the best the Dodgers can do. An outfield of Young, Kemp, and Ethier is the best offensively and defensively. Yet, Torre will not use it or even try it for several days. LaRoche hits a HR as soon as he is called up, then wastes away on the bench. These kids are not only the future of the Dodgers but have more potential for producing right now. Yet, Torre turns a deaf ear to our pleas to give them a try. I have come to the conclusion that he is afraid to play them very often for fear that they WILL SUCCEED and he won’t be able to defend playing his favorite vets all the time. If that’s not the case, why won’t he play them??? He keeps talking about needing more production/power, but he won’t play the talent he has that can provide that! His managing is totally frustrating!!!
Let’s hope Ned gets some real tought questions tomorrow!
ndeschenes – It is wonderful to hear from three days in a row. Wow!! Indians might be a little tougher, but the Dodgers looked good so hopefully they will bring some of that great plate discipline back to California. We will look forward to hearing from you tomorrow when we win game #4 in a row. Have a wonderful evening ndeschenes 🙂
Redfox – Frustrating is kind of an understatement at this point. What Joe Torre is doing is incomprehensible. Most of the vets today did all the things that Torre claims the younger players are struggling with. What possible example can they be setting other than a very bad one, and who in their right mind would allow themselves to let JP have any influence over how to play defense in the outfield. I was watching highschool players today in the outfield (one being my son) who had no problems throwing the frickin ball to their cut off man without the cutoff man having to be halfway into left field themselves. I realize this hasn’t caused the Dodgers to lose a game yet, but I have no doubts that this issue will be a big one on a close game (which right now they all seem to be close games so it’s only a matter of time).
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BTW – Andre will have his day off tomorrow – left handed pitcher, eventhough I believe his double today was hit off of a lefty ( I know it was!!). Mr. Torre, Andre can’t improve that split if he doesn’t get the ABs in the first place. It’s a little hard to improve and average against lefties if you are not in the game. However, that being said, maybe we will see a DY sighting tomorrow, along with a possible LaRoche sighting as well. One could only hope. One could hope for Pierre to wake up with the stomach flu that seemed to put Ken Griffey Jr. on the sidelines for the series so maybe we can see, for one day, an outfield of Ethier, Kemp and Young – wouldn’t that be a refreshing thought.
martinloneykemp…the top three RBI guys right now are Kemp, Loney and Martin in that order. Kemp has 42 right now which projects to 101 RBIs for the season.
i had work late, and then a softball game.. so i just got home a little while ago.. but i just read to catch up~
dnelson, i was SO tempted to try and go to the ceremony because, as you said, russell will be there.. but i don’t think i can make it.. BUT also since russ is staying late on saturday to be the coach of one of the teams, i will just have to try my best to attract his attention during the hollywood stars game =)
crzblue, that clinic sounds fun! i will definitely have to keep an eye out for that so i can get involve. you can never learn enough about the game, and learning from the players would be so great..
kpookiemon, i will be there saturday as well.. seems like we’ll be seeing CC Sabathia, who’s been pitching better lately. and obviously, cliff lee is starting tomorrow and he’s been great. so yes, we will need our hitting shoes..
with back to back lefties, laroche will start at least one game. we’ll just have to see who it’ll be for. i would guess dewitt since loney has been absolutely on fire. it will also be interesting to see which game russell sits. it’ll either be tomorrow night so he can start the FOX game on saturday, or saturday (day game, after night game). i was surprised he didn’t sit today with the day game, but then again, it’s russell and he’s iron man. then again, with an off-day on monday, maybe he will start all three..
also, i’m not sure how many people were listening to the tv broadcast today.. but steve lyons was being REALLY critical of kemp’s defense today. first he commented on a bad route kemp took and so he had to jump to catch the ball.. and then he criticized him for not running in fast enough to back up the by russell, allowing the base runner to go to 3rd. i understood what he was saying, but kemp was playing REALLY deep since adam dunn was up so i don’t think he had a play anyway.. and as far as the route.. i’ve seen pierre take some of the worst routes ever, but if you can catch up to the ball, then it’s still an out. the fact is that kemp made the play, and he’s played SO much better of a CF than pierre ever has or ever will be able to.
This feeling is starting to freak me out a little. You know, the trade deadline. It just feels like there’s every element present for a colossal failure to be made, of Pedro-Delino proportions.
The kids as a group aren’t failing us, all the players on the DL are hurting us. I understand that injuries happen over the course of a season, but as a 27-year old who’s been a Dodger fan since 1985, I don’t ever remember so many “Don’t worry about _____, he’s fine, it’s just precautionary” press releases coming from Stan Johnson. Maybe injuries happen no matter how you care for them, but the way you care for them would seem to play a part in the severity of the injury and how it progresses. I’m not pretending to know how a sports medical staff does their job, I’m just saying I notice a marked difference from the way Stan Johnson did business, as well as a difference in results.
Sorry about the tangent, I’m just trying to say if we try to solve our aging vets offensive underperformance by trading away a Kemp (why the **** does his name keep coming up?) or Loney for a rental, only to see them become Raul Mondesi or Mark Grace for another team, let alone a division rival (if we go for Holliday, Maddux or Wolf). With Colletti’s track record, the need for a quick-fix offensive producer and the amount of talent we have that are growing in stunted condiotions in favor of currently-underachieving PVL’s, I have this weird July 31 2004, Barry Bonds’ Ballerina twist, Lakers 92 Celtics 131 feeling.
It was awesome to sweep the Reds, though. This next series will be tough, but we have a chance, and who knows, we might be getting previews of one or two of next month’s Dodgers.
wow, i need to proof read..
i forgot the D, on involve*d*
and i also left out throw, on “not running in fast enough to back up the *throw* by russell”
sara – like I said, I saw highschoolers do a better job in the outfield than Pierre. It seems like with Kemp, the media has been especially critical of every aspect of his game. Even after today’s good game for him, it always has to be mentioned where improvement needs to be. After a day when the vets didn’t have the best “leadership type day” Torre and gang still pick up on all the mistakes of the kids, totally ignoring those of the veterans today and becomes a team issue instead of saying it like it is – the vets sucked today, especially Sweeney(Wow! what a mess that is)
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You know Russell and Andre are going to be at the ceremony tomorrow – sigh 🙂
More fun with stats to celebrate the coming of summer. First of all Kemp projects to 98 RBIs not 101 as I bumbled earlier. MartinLoneyKempEthier all have six home runs, projecting to 14 for the season. Kind of, whatever……… Second half should produce bigger numbers. DeWitt has 5 HRs. I’ve purposely left out vets because I’m focused five years from now on their dynasty.
northstateblues – Those rumors are very worrisome even if they turn out just to be what they are – rumors. There are a lot of articles out there suggesting it, and it makes you wonder why, if it’s a rumor, does it keep reappearing.
i know.. andre and russ there together.. *SIGH* 😉
kpookiemon – that sounds like a great feeling – a “young gun” dynasty of MartinLoneyKempEthierDeWitt – that will be one of the best days for this new Dodger era when we can actually say – “They did it and they are all still wearing Dodger Blue” 🙂
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Just think of what damage can be done if they are just left alone to do what they do best – play baseball!!
LOL sara 🙂
i have NO idea why i’m still up! but we’re not bringing up orenduff.. ramon troncoso is being recalled instead.
SLEEP!
Just an idle thought… If we don’t stop doleing out millions of dollars and starting positions to past-their-prime players, where will the money come from to keep the kids together once their contracts come up?
Good Question, northstateblues – hmmmmm! I would assume because of our market’s size and the revenue they bring into Dodger Stadium, their contracts shouldn’t be a problem. Isn’t that another reason why we are kind of worried about the trade deadline because Ned has blown so much money in the past. Money has never been an object before. McCourt will just turn it around and make the fans pay somehow through higher ticket prices, parking, etc.
Boy, sara! I thought I was bad. Do you stay up reading this stuff too? I also have text alerts for the Dodgers so I will get text messages all day long telling me of transactions, moves, etc. I don’t think there is a more passionate board out there. I think between all of us, there is not one aspect of this team that is not accounted for and can’t be proven through statistics or written facts.
I don’t think anybody in the Dodger Organization can ever say the ITD bloggers don’t know what they are talking about. 🙂
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/8264858/Boston's-offense-doing-just-fine-without-Big-Papi
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Below is the section from the article about the Dodgers – the rest of the article focuses on other teams.
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Come back, Andruw!
It’s obvious the Dodgers miss shortstop Rafael Furcal, but guess what? As bad as center fielder Andruw Jones was before undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery — and he was .165-.273-.271 bad — the Dodgers were better offensively when he was healthy.
Jones made his last start on May 18. The Dodgers were 22-21 on that date, averaging 4.9 runs per game, according to STATS Inc. Since then, they’ve gone 12-17, averaging 3.4 runs per game.
Part of the drop-off, obviously, is attributable to the loss of Furcal to a back injury on May 5. But the increased workload for Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp in Jones’ absence has not improved the performances of either young outfielder.
Ethier’s OPS before Jones went down was .804; since then it’s .776. Kemp’s OPS was .793 before Jones’ injury; since then it’s .767.
The decreases might not be dramatic, but they’re enough to suggest that both Ethier and Kemp benefited from the competition for playing time that existed when Jones was healthy. Then again, they also could reflect the typical inconsistency of young players.
I do realize the article above is written by Rosenthal, and I know now to take all of his stuff with a grain of salt, but it doesn’t mean the man doesn’t infuriate me. However, this sounds just like something Torre would say, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Joe Torre actually believes this crap.
In the article, he forgot mention Juan Pierre’s lovely numbers since Andruw departed. On May 18, Pierre’s OPS was 674 and now it is 662; Pierre’s numbers suck either way. So, if you are going by Rosenthal’s logic then Pierre is missing the competition, too – right? but, oh wait, he is Joe Torre’s version of a teacher’s pet.
And what’s Pierre’s OBP since then??? Perhaps he benefitted from not playing every single friggin day! Rosenthal’s such a hack who has it in for the kids just like Plaschke.
If the kids are so bad, why does every other GM in baseball want them, with Kemp first on their list? I don’t see anyone asking about Pierre or Jones. Total tripe.
BTW, GOOOOOD Mornin’ Dodger fans!!!
Good morning, enchanted!! The media is off to another day of kid bashing. They can’t even get credit for playing good – it always gets turned around into something that still needs to be worked on, or just out and out lies like this article. In every article I read last night about Kemp, they would tell us how great he did, but then the writer would have to mention one of his shortcomings. Maybe the media needs to see a list of our vets shortcomings compared to the shortcomings of our young players, starting with Pierre and his weak-*** arm.
I just feel that, at this point, we’ve gone with the youth movement for so long that trading a Kemp, Loney or Kershaw would make everything since Grady Little was managing worthless. Yeah, even a World Championship couldn’t erase what happened between the end of Gagne and today, but at least it would’ve been means to that end.
Hey, I’d like to win today too. So did many 49ers fans in the 80’s and early 90’s, and thanks to the contracts the owner gave out back then, they’d be lucky to see the playoffs by 2010.
and if they are foolish enough to trade any of those players, they’d damn well better be getting someone in their prime or just before their prime in return. A whisky salve to apply to the wound.
They trade Martin, Loney, Kemp or Kershaw and I’m through with them for good and will go over to the Angels. Trade Ethier, DY, DeWitt or LaRoche and they’d better get someone very upside or I’ll strongly consider being through as well.
Would make no sense to get this far into a youth movement then do a 180, but it is afterall Ned’s wisdom that has gotten us the illustrious group of PVLs we have already. Ned wouldn’t know true talent if it came up and bit him in the ***.
maybe we can chalk up the kid bashing in the media to the desire to have one of baseball’s big-market storied teams return to October relevance, in the way that if they can get John Q. Public baseball fan to think the vets are leading the team and the kids are awkwardly growing, then it would lessen the blow if the kids were traded for proven veteran leaders.
the zero-attention-span 21st Century media can’t wait for a youth movement to develop in L.A. “Who does Kemp think he is?!!! Could learn a thing or two from selfless good-guy Luis Gonzales!” They’re just as tired as us, but obviously they forget that one of the main reasons the Dodgers did good when they won championships was because of their homegrown talent. As any of us knows, the Free Agent era has rarely been kind to us, we always seem to get the short end of the stick. The only really really good trade I can think of within the last five years was Bradley for Ethier… But it’d mean nothing if we traded Andre, because he hasn’t gotten to his prime yet (and the way he’s plugged in and out of the lineup, hasn’t got a real chance yet), and Bradley’s among the AL batting average leaders this year.
Ehhh… I’m just insomniac and paranoid at the moment. Forgive the dark outlook of my posts, it’s just that I’m not someone who trades their team loyalties very easily, and for crissakes, at least with the Lakers we only had to deal with Del Harris for 5 years, with Ceballos, van Exel et. al. The last time my FAVORITE team in sports won a title, I hadn’t learned to write in cursive yet. I’m tired of waiting too, but I can wait if it means that we have not just a core, but a TEAM growing together, with PRIME veterans plugged into the holes.
(To this day, I think we’d like Pierre a lot better if he wasn’t making 45 million dollars for his Punch-and-Judy speedy game style. I think his speed and drive is an essential cog to any team, as long as they don’t expect anyone to see him as “The Answer To All Our Problems”. We could’ve easily let the Giants have the guy named after Marichal, and signed Lofton to bide the time until the Bison became ready for CF duties. And, of course, it wouldn’t hurt to not end multiple games with 2 out pop-flies in the midst of a 9th inning rally.)
And I have no doubt in my mind that if they’d get playing time instead of booster-seat treatment, these kids would have been winning Rookie of the Year awards like they did in the 80’s and 90’s.
Hard to do that when you’re spending the formative years of your career making room for LuGo’s leaky Huggies.
Good Morning, Dodger Blue Fans!
It’s morning music time! I started out with a positive song using these lyrics, and then I read Rosenthal’s article about Dre and Matt and with NSB’s questions about trades, it’s hard to stay positive when so much can possible go wrong when it comes to our idiot management team. Then again, what would a day be without a song about my favorite PVL 🙂
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song : “Can’t Play Without Phew”
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Original Song: “With or Without You”
by U2
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See the stone set in Joe’e eyes
See the thorn twist in Dre’s side
Joe will wait for Phew
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Sleight of hand and twist of fate
Joe makes Andre sit and wait
Cause Joe will wait for Phew
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Can’t play without Phew
Can’t play without Phew
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Through the storm Dre still gives more
Dre gives it all but Joe wants more
Cause Joe can’t play without Phew
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Can’t play without Phew
Can’t play without Phew
Joe can’t play
Can’t play without Phew
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And Pierre plays everyday
And Pierre plays everyday
And he plays
And he plays
And Pierre plays everyday
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Dre’s hands are tied, he’s ego bruised
Joe has him with nothing to win
And everything to lose
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And Pierre plays everyday
And Pierre plays everyday
Can’t play without Phew
Can’t play without Phew
Joe can’t play
Can’t play without Phew
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oh, oh, oh ****with Edge playing guitar****
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Can’t play without Phew
Can’t play without Phew
Joe can’t play
Can’t play without Phew
Northstateblues – I hear you loud and clear. I am also up late at night reading all the trade hype – as much as I don’t want to believe it, why is the rumor out there in the first place.
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I don’t think I would go as far as enchanted and be done with team, but I would be upset for a pretty long time, and probably couldn’t watch for a while. And since I am not taking it to the extreme of cutting ties with the team, I would have to add Ethier to his list of untouchables. To get him off of a great trade only for him to get traded himself, would be really hard to take. Yes, he is my favorite player, but seriously, he has so much potential and hasn’t gotten to show it yet because of always being blocked, and I really don’t want to see him become a fabulous major leaguer on another team, nor would I want the same for Martin, Loney, Kemp or Kershaw.
Good one dnel! All you lyricists just don’t quit! The “soft” Lakers could learn a thing or two from you.
Thanks northstateblues 🙂
Before I grab a nap (damn insomnia), here’s a play on Cat Steven’s “Where Do the Children Play”.
Well I think it’s fine having a vet or two
Or a Champ Manager in Dodger Blue
Here comes summer, Boys about to become men
But how can they get a chance if their road’s just blocked again and again and again…
I know we’ve come a long way,
Lineups changing day to day
But tell me, when will the kids get to play?
Well they roll out vets, moth-eaten and sore
As the new Boys of Summer scratch their heads, they’ve seen this before
The season can be long, sitting out makes it tough
How can these kids come through if they don’t get to play enough
Oh, I know we’ve come a long way,
Lineups changing day to day
But tell me, when will the kids get to play?
If we could reach the fall, cheers will fill the air
But judging from the last two years, Colletti can’t get us there
Will he make us laugh? Will he make us cry?
Will he kick Kemp a Mile High in excange for that Holliday guy? No no no…
I know we’ve come a long way
But don’t let it end this way
Or we’ll be asking “Where do our kids now play?”
Notice though that most of this trade rumor crap originates on the east coast.
Good one nells!
AAAARRRGG!!!
Pardon me, that was rude. Let me start over.
GOOOOOOD MORNING, ITD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AAAARRRGG!!!
Today’s math lesson:
Rosenthal = Total moron
What an idiot. I logged on to that site and planted a reply. Since they’re not too likely to accept it, here it is:
“Excuse me, “Part of the drop-off, obviously, is attributable to the loss of Furcal”? PART? Let’s see, Furcal was hitting .366 and is STILL leading the Dodgers in runs scored. Jones is going to have to get hits in his first 6 at bats when he comes back just to get to the Mendoza Line. The fact is that the Dodgers were better offensively DESPITE Andruw, not because of him. There is no way that you can spin his numbers to show anything else.
The drop off in Ethier or Kemp or anyone else is fairly normal during the season. Let’s pick some other timeframe and I’ll show that they’ve improved. I can cherry-pick statistics too. Why not look at Juan Pierre’s OBP and compare it to the other leadoff hitters? Why not look at Jeff Kent’s numbers and compare them to other 3 and 4 hitters? Why not look at Mark Sweeney’s PH numbers and compare them to other teams’ primary pinch hitters? It’s not the young players that are letting this team down, it’s the veterans.”
I couldn’t make it any shorter or more ‘polite’.
thanks enchanted!! It’s like a teacher(master in your case) telling a student good job 🙂
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Yes, I have noticed that all the rumors are from east coast. I am going to remain positive and assume they are just that – rumors.
wow!! You tell them eric!!! Way to go!! After a great win and production from our young players and to see something so idiotic in the news this morning, really had me infuriated as well. Why can’t they just leave the kids alone and let them play?
Go get ’em eric!!!
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Not surprisingly, I never received a response back from “Sarah’s Take.”
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Northstate jumps in the deep end!!
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It took a long time for Tony Jackson to come around and admit JP shouldn’t be the left fielder, but where is he now? Why no critical pieces on how poor a leadoff hitter he is? Why no critical pieces on the worst hitter (and I use that term very loosely) on the team (Sweeney.)? Why no pieces on the first pitch hacks Pierre and Kent have been taking with regularity lately? Why always bash the kids? They’re the only ones doing anything.
Anybody know the pitch counts for the PVLs vs. our kids the three games in Cincy? I swear JP and Kent couldn’t average more than 2. something, where I’d be willing to bet out kids saw 4. something.
BTW, here’s another great stat from PVL Kent: 9BB in 235 PA’s (not even 4%.) If he were such a great threat, why wouldn’t opposing pitchers be walking him more to get to our young guns who have no idea of how to hit? 9 walks – that’s quality patience at the plate. Yeah, Kent has a plan everytime he goes to the plate – hack at everything.
eric, I posted this comment onto fox’s comment line – is that what you did, or did you go to e-mail instead? I didn’t see it posted so I am assuming it is being screened – yes?
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I would like to comment on the Dodger outfield situation. Before somebody decides to call out the young players on the Dodgers and their decreasing OPS, one needs to look at the veteran stats of Juan Pierre. It was stated that Ethier(776) and Kemp’s(767) OPS has dropped since Andruw Jones went on the DL, but it wasn’t mentioned that Pierre’s OPS has gone down also. His OPS has dropped from 674 to 662,which is over 100 points lower than Ethier and Kemps in the first place. The true Dodger fans are tired of our young players being singled out for being young players and nobody is addressing the issues with our veteran players who, in some cases, are severely lacking in statistical performance for this 2008 season so far. The Dodger fans want fairness in reporting statistical information, meaning if you are going to point out the shortcomings of our young players, then you need to address those same shortcomings with our current veterans as well. Statiscally, our young players are outperforming our veterans in almost every hitting category.
okay eric, mine made it to the fox comments, but did you go straight to the e-mail instead?
Very fabulous song northstateblues – Wow! you are going off the deepend like enchanted said. LOL!! It’s okay, you are with a very good group – all crazy too 🙂
rosenthal is an idiot. i don’t EVER listen to what that guy says..
you guys all forgot billingsley in your untradeables lists. you have kershaw but not bills. i would NOT be able to forgive them if they trade bills..
about the rumors.. since all the rumors are coming out of the east coast.. i think it’s just because the yankees and the mets are both underachieving and they have nothing to talk about except hoping for a brighter future. acquiring prime talent in trades would be something to try and stay optimistic about. i think that’s why they’re trying to keep themselves entertained.
Hi nellie,
Yeah, I see yours made it, that’s cool! Well said, I must say!
I don’t know about mine. I typed it in the “Talkback” box. Perhaps they didn’t like my email address. When I tried to log in, they didn’t like my address. Something about “the portion of your address after the ‘@’ is incorrect. Please use another address”. Well, it’s the only email address I have. I really don’t want to use my work address, but I don’t think they’d like it either. So I just made one up and it got me in. 🙂 It also said something about sending an email back to me, so perhaps when that email went into the email ozone they canned my comments. Ah, who cares? Yours got in and it says what I wanted to say anyway.
Maybe I just wasn’t polite enough.
Sorry Sara, guess for some reason I either forget about the pitchers or consider Billz and Brox young vets. Would hate to see either one of them go as well. Obviously though, Ned can’t afford to trade established pitching, so I’m not as worried about them.
Nice songs again this morning! Nellie and northstate, well done!
Northstate, weren’t you one of those who had to change your name like fogey and kahli?
yeah, i figured the reason was that you were assuming bills is “safe” but i just don’t trust ned, and i know a lot of teams would LOVE to get their hands on chad.
Oh, sara – I just assumed the Chad was safe, but I am with – he’s is way too valuable to lose. I think I overlook the pitching staff in many cases because they are, according to media, the only ones doing their job lately, but that should make us even more vocal for them so that Ned doesn’t do anything stupid (well, that’s an understatement!), and assume we don’t care about them, when it’s really quite the opposite.
eric – I really wanted to say more, but it was getting too long. Thanks 🙂
For those of you that think CBILLS is “safe” I have one name for you and then you can rethink the “safe” claim…….
PIAZZA!!!
And also NED is a much bigger Moron than the Fox group!!
The funny thing about Rosenthal is he sounds like Coletti. The reason we were better with Jones is simply Pierre played less.
eric – “American Pie” just played on the radio – couldn’t help but to think of your song. Same thing with enchanted’s Bohemian’s Rhapsody in the car on the way to Modesto yesterday. My son thinks I have absolutely lost my mind, but his teammates who were in the car find it cool that I am such an avid baseball fan, and that we would actually make up songs about the Dodgers.
I’d have to agree there jnv.
True jungar, but don’t try and cloud the issue with facts! 🙂
jungar – never thought of it from that angle – lol!. Pierre playing more could have something to do with Ethier and Kemps so-called poor numbers. Can you imagine the numbers when they are both playing everyday – meaning Pierre and Jones playing everyday because the way it’s going Pierre isn’t sitting any time soon unless by some freak of nature thing happening.
jnv – thanks for putting us a little more at ease – NOT!! LOL!! 🙂
Pierre is a freak of nature…
I guess when you have no muscles to pull, it’s hard to land on the DL.
Pierre is a freak of nature, He is the only major leaguer with a hat size smaller than my 10 year old son!! LMAO
LMAO!!!!! Unfortunately, enchanted, I am too well aware of that, but I remain hopeful his kryptonite will be discovered someday, and hopefully sooner than later. LMAO!!
let’s try this one: the kids number are “getting worse” because torre doesn’t appreciate them and they’re afraid the better they play, the more likely it is they will lose playing time.
obviously it doesn’t make sense, but in torre’s mixed up world.. SIGH
Piano, piano, wherefore art thou, piano?
And what about LaRoche? The guy hits a home run in the first game he plays in and then sits on the bench for 5 games???? I trully do not understand Torre’s thinking. How can you bitch about not getting enough offense but you sit a guy that hits a bomb his first at bat back???
I wont take this team seriously until they take themselves seriously and stop lying to the press.
Kent and Pierre are liabilities and should be treated that way at this point. Play for 2009 while winning in 2008. i AM TIRED OF IT CAUSE i WROTE THE SAME THING IN 05, 06, 07.
.254 /.300 /.296 /.596 with 18 runs in 41 games since Furcal went down. This is what we give ourt most AB’s to and you want me to care if Kemp took a bad swing on a slider away as a 24 year old? U slug worse than your .300 obp?***** me Joe. how can I take anything you say seruiously, how can any of us? And yet there is Lyons and Steiner on “advice” from Coletti to talk about Pierres newfound game. I have news for you his OBP is .336 AGAIN.
And Kent, you cant field, and dude here are the numbers, come on Joe. .248 /.285/.405/.691 ****** how can you want me to root for a team that with its top 4 hitters you have two guys OPSin lower than 700. With Runers on base here is what mr meat and potatoes is doing, yet all i hear about is how the kids need to take proffesional ABS
.202 .273 .294 .566
Don’t hold back Jungar you are on a roll!!! 🙂
Okay, here is my song-writing debut… Promise me, you won’t laugh!!! Well, you can laugh with me, just don’t laugh at me. Thx for the inspiration from all other songwriters on this blog. Sung to that lovable novelty Christmas song, Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer. Maybe sung better if Ned is the one singing this song.
Juan Pierre got run over by a reindeer
Walking home from my house Christmas Eve.
You can say there’s no such thing as Santa
But as for me an’ Torre, we believe.
Juan was drinking too much eggnog
All night we laughed and caroused around
But he forgot he has no arm strength
As he tried to pull a weed from the ground
When we found him Christmas morning
We only saw his little head
That was sticking up from the snow
With deer droppings all around him like a bed
Juan Pierre got run over by a reindeer
Walking home from my house Christmas Eve.
You can say there’s no such thing as Santa,
But as for me an’ Torre, we believe.
Now we’re all so proud of Torre
He’s been taking this so well
Mumbling, “PVLs, who’d of thought?”
Playing young kids like he’s under a spell
It’s not Christmas without Slappy
All the family’s dressed in blue
And with his unmatched 5” hat size
Who do we give his extra hats to?
Juan Pierre got run over by a reindeer
Walking home from my house Christmas Eve.
You can say there’s no such thing as Santa,
But as for me an’ Torre, we believe
Oh, and a note: I didn’t know but I was just guessing on JP’s hat size!!!
(: … 🙂
That’s me looking both ways to make sure its safe to cross.
Jungar you’re right on. It’s just too bad we have the three stooges running the show in a bizarro world where logic and common sense don’t apply.
There you go cpomp!! It’s cooler in the deep end!!
“We think of him as the captain of this team,” Dodgers first baseman James Loney said.
this quote was said about… RAFFY
random, yet interesting
How can Raffy be a team captain when he only plays part time???? Shouldn’t a team captain actually play the game? Don’t get me wrong I think ferk is great, but he has been hurt way to much to be considered a team captain.
thx enchanted. It was fun doing this. Like I said before, I’m not very long on imagination so it takes me a while. But I liked this song writing “shtick.”
jnv,
yeah, I love Raffy when he plays, but he doesn’t play much. I like the idea of Russ being our captain!!!
and it was nice to see and hear both Blake DeWitt and Andre Ethier after the star ceremony!!!
CP – I am so very impressed. I was reading the song at the DMV, and I was laughing so hard, I was crying. It made the time there very enjoyable. You get extra brownie points for a song about Pierre. He’s a favorite topic of mine, too.
FABULOUS!!!!!!!! 🙂
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jungar – before cp’s song, I was having laughing moments over your comments too.
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eric/enchanted – maybe now we can wish for pianos and reindeers – LOL!!!!!
thx dnel,
Like I told enchanted, it was fun doing this…
oh, and I can’t take total credit for my song. Scott from Whittier put this out as an idea and I just ran with it. Now it was a slow run, but I ran with it nonetheless…
cp – I knew you would like doing it.
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Where did you find out about DeWitt and Ethier at the “star” ceremony – were you there?
dnel,
no I wasn’t there. I was just watching it on Prime Ticket
CP – just think, we will get to repost that song every day during the holiday season. It will become a holiday classic for ITD – LOL!!!
thx dnel… I don’t know about a classic, but thx anyways… I’ve gotta go; will catch up with y’all later…
More great song parodies – nice job to all.
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Miss Debbie – you are right on about the general quality and generally on-target commentary here. I would mention that Dodger Thoughts ranks high as well. Remember the example I posted the other day of about 1 hour after J.D. Drew’s opt-out was announced came their first comment about whatever they do, don’t sign Juan Pierre?
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Ken Rosenthal is a gossip-monger, not a credible analysis and it shows when he attempts to try analysis. You folks are spot on in your comments here. I might summarize it this way:
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The Dodgers have struggled offensively since May 5 (Furcal’s last game) due to:
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1. Furcal at leadoff became Pierre at leadoff, daily.
2. Which led to LESS playing time for Kemp and Ethier, until Jones was hurt
3. Black hole of offense at SS.
4. Jeff Kent’s near season-long slump in the 4th or 3rd hole.
5. Blake DeWitt finally cooled off.
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JP’s OPS until Furcal injury .780 (!), .662 now.
JP since Furcal hurt: .261 .307 .303 .610
LA SS not named Furcal: .140 .201 .186 .387
Jeff Kent 2008: .248 .285 .405 .690
Jeff Kent since Furcal down: .218 .248 .363 .611
DeWitt since 5/23 (starting with the St. Louis series): .211 .283 .267 .550
BTW, note that Pierre’s had a better approach at the plate and put up better numbers as a PART-TIME player, despite the fact that he is normally a poorer first half player (career OBP split .337 vs. .360), then immediately slumped once he started leading off every day. I could just as easily speculate that JP is a better OBP man when he plays part-time and that the mental strain of playing every day causes him to lose concentration and take poorer approaches at the plate.
westernmost – in regards to Pierre and part -time. Maybe if he sleeps in instead of insisting on being at the ballpark 10 hours before a game, he won’t be so tired and lose his concentration at the plate.
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I do read the Dodger Thoughts blog usually daily, and yes I do find them very informative as well. There are a few good stat people on there and there’s one that predicts based on percentages the outcomes of games – very cool stuff. However, they certainly do argue much more over there at times. I call them the hollywood group because on off days and times, they are always talking about television show scripts, etc. And yes, I realize our own entertainment appears to be odd over here too with all the songs. So, in some ways our groups are very much alike, and overall, we are all Dodger Fans wanting pretty much the same things – the best ball players on the field, period. 🙂
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As far as Rosenthal – I do realize he is what he is – an idiot.
BTW – westernmost – all those points you made up above – why can’t management see the obvious as you just pointed out?
maybe the part-time pierre thing, means that he was also one to benefit from the outfield competition, not just kemp and ethier. i think it means that when he felt like he had something to prove and show everyone they were wrong about him, he was able to be a better, smarter ball player.. but now that he has the job he wants (playing everyday and leading off) he has mentally relaxed and has become himself once again. i think job security is a motivating factor more for the vets than for the kids, because the kids are always going to try to work hard as they haven’t “been paid” yet and the majority of them have a very high energy for the game.. so what this means is that until joe benches pierre for at least a day, or moves him to the bottom of the order, he’s going to stay comfortable and lax.. send him a message, joe! i beg you! i know you won’t, but i still wish you would exhibit some common sense, for once..
If Sara worked for Ned:
Sara – that was an insightful well thought out and logical argument.
We’ll have none of that here young lady!!
btw, for those of you who have prime ticket, it looks like they’re replaying the walk of fame ceremony quite a few times. i just set my tivo to record the next showing 🙂
If you think about it sara, the vets know Joe is on their side, so, as a veteran player on this team, why wouldn’t you feel confident that your job is secure unless you take yourself out of the game. Joe has publically said Pierre is his lead off man, and if you are Pierre, you must be very, very happy (even though he never looks happy) – LOL!!
BUT NED, i was just trying to help the team.. we need to figure out ways to make ourselves better!
NED: it makes all too much sense. we don’t make decisions around here with sense and logic. we’re all about making unreasonable, illogical decisions!
Joe’s with Juan like a kid is with a new toy – play with it until it breaks.
Break dammit, break!!!
sara – jealous right now – lol 🙂
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Josh,
Those of us without Prime Ticket would love to see today’s Hollywood Star ceremony. Can you see if there is a way Dodgers.com can get us video as well. Thanks!!
I was thinking about scary Joey this morning, and had the epiphany that he isn’t wishing anything upon the Dodgers that JoJo and Ned aren’t already doing…
new thread with picture of star 🙂
all i’m saying is that maybe the vets need to be embarassed a bit before they’ll respond. with all the comments and articles on their side, they have nothing to be ashamed of, so they’ll just go about their business. because if no one tells me i’m doing anything wrong, i won’t fix it. they seem to have no trouble embarassing or criticizing the kids.. they should shift and try it on the vets
The day that common sense is used by this Dodger regime is the day I roll over and die!!! 🙂
But at least I would see the day it happened!!!
Fascinating blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere?
A design like yours with a few simple tweeks would really make my blog stand out.
Please let me know where you got your theme. Kudos