Going fishing
In response to the comment about how we can get the blog to be compatible with your mobile devices, I’ve sent the request in to MLB, which administrates MLBlogs (go figure). They know a lot more than me when it comes to the technical side of things. I just know how to type, post photos, links and a few other handy tools. I also know how to use bold, underline and italic. Woo hoo.
Obviously there’s been plenty of chatter over the past few weeks about trying to acquire a shortstop. That Hanley Ramirez guy is pretty good, huh? I hope that’s not tampering.
Also, we had some technical difficulties last night on KABC with the broadcast, so our apologies if you were trying to tune in but didn’t hear it for a little while. It should be back up and running tonight without any hitches.
Here’s tonight’s lineup:
Kemp, RF
Ethier, LF
Martin, C
Kent, 2B
Jones, CF
Loney, 1B
Nomar, SS
DeWitt, 3B
Stults, P
As for tomorrow, if you’re a fan of the 80s, fireworks, or both, come on down. It will likely sell out, but hasn’t quite gotten there yet. The postgame fireworks show will have 80s themed music…only three more games until the break (including tonight).
Inside the Dodgers 
Go Blue!!! Nice line up
I am excited to come to this game to night and for fireworks tomorrow. Quality time with Matthew is all the fireworks I need 🙂
Hello from San Diego! Leaving for the game at Petco. I am still wearing my Dodger blue so No fear of me trading sides. Actually I have the Braves pitching for my fantasy team (for good reason my fantasy team isn’t doing so well this week) so I will be pulling for them tonight. MLK – do I need permission? lol (jk).
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CP – great to hear from you this morning, and yes I want a ITD t-shirt too. Jhall needs to start marketing these ideas 🙂
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I will check in during the game
GO DODGER BLUE! ~ Nelly ~ ITD chick 🙂
If it’s gotten to the point that DeWitt hits EIGHTH against a right-handed pitcher, it’s time to give Andy LaRoche his extended shot – and by that, I mean at least a month of starts. After all, DeWitt played full-time to get his chance and within there he had his hot streak to give him respectable number, especially for a kid who was going to start in AA ball. But over the last seven weeks, since May 23, DeWitt has hit: .206 .273 .257 .530. And they haven’t been tons of line drives – what I’ve seen is a lot of lazy fly balls and routine grounders, he’s not making good contact. He needs a break.
BTW, that is also DeWitt’s last 150 plate appearances, or a mere 10 less than LaRoche’s career of 160 PAs.
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I know some of you don’t think minor league statistics mean anything, but no one has put up minor league stats like LaRoche’s for BA, OBP, Slg and patience (in other words, hit for average, hit for power and have a good BB/K ratio) and flamed out in the majors. Not one. Heck, start LaRoche in LF and bench Andruw Jones, unproductive and out-of-shape vet, who shouldn’t have been rushed back from rehab anyway.
Everyone wants to see Jones rebound, including the team. But, it just it not working. How long does he contiunue to struggle.. Look what has happened to Sweeney. He is gone for now… Move Jones out of center, and alternate with LaRoche. He needs some bats. But keep Dewitt there for now.
I’m not predicting that LaRoche will end up being THIS good, but compare the his minor league record:
http://minors.baseball-reference.com/players.cgi?pid=8101
to this guy’s:
http://minors.baseball-reference.com/players.cgi?pid=15856
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The difference is the other guy moved to the majors and played full-time while Ned left LaRoche in AAA for just about all of 2007.
I have a bad feeling Florida is gonna take 3 out of 4 against us!
BTW do not pitch to Han RAM with RISP!
hey west
those numbers are very good. The problem has been that LaRoche seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. When he gets to the big team he either struggles or is hurt. Now, is struggle time.
I’m rooting for Matt Kemp and what I notice on this blog is that many posters don’t realize that he is still fighting for a spot in the outfield and so is Ethier.
One will make it and I’m hoping both will.
Kemp is homegrown and I don’t think too many people ever heard of Ethier before he became a Dodger.
Being good is not enough, they have to be very good to beat out Pierre for a starting spot since it seems like he is the preference at the moment.
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*I’m sure most of us want our outfielders to have the potential to hit HRs.*
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The way the team is playing in the absence of Pierre should go a long way in convincing Torre that we are better off without him but Kemp has to prove he can lead off before Pierre gets back.
I think if A. Jones could get started, this looks like a very good outfield, like Palko, Snider & Furillo.
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Right now I hope Garciaparra can hold down shortstop(he’s the best we got offensively) because if he don’t, it could possibly mess up everything COM’ON NOMAR!!!
PAdodgers – I believe it was you that took at shot Ethier the other day – and not for the first time IIRC – asking when he was going to hit a HR with runners on base. In 2007 across the major leagues, 56.7% of all HRs were solo shots; it was 57.4% the year before.
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Andre Ethier for his career: 18 of 34 HR were solo homers, 52.9%. In that small sample size, Ethier is better than average at having his HRs come with men on.
Padodgers – for LaRoche, I think now is more he-hardly-plays time.
I don’t understand why LaRoche wins the job out of spring and gets hurt and cant get it back, but nomar and jones are rushed back and given their spot back, as will Pierre. I don’t mind, i just mind the double standard.
pierreEW – RIGHT ON.
okay west..
So what you are saying is give piece a chance.
in other words.. Either is average..
Josh, I think I am the only one that catches the games on the radio in this group!
I really hope we re-sign Raffy and he can play a whole year, then we can keep Kemp, Jones and Ethier in the OF without Kemp having to be a lead-off hitter. He’s just as mediocre a lead-off as Pierre. Both of them can’t work a walk and their OB% is horrible for a lead-off.
Let’s get out first win tonight and hopefully take another series!
4-3 Snakes top 7. They just scored 3
.264 .340 .431 .771 – 2007 major league LFs
.272 .343 .444 .787 – 2007 major league RFs
.293 .355 .462 .818 – Andre Ethier career.
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Nope, Andre Ethier is above average.
scurtis – ph*ckin’ phillies!
Anyone that expects Ethier to put up Herculean/Griffey numbers in his career is going to be greatly disappointed. HOWEVER, I certainly can see Ethier putting up solid Dusty Baker type numbers year in and year out. A more than serviceable +, lefthanded bat and a solid defender. He’ll spike every now and then and hit 25-28 HRs and be a great complimentary OFer. Is he the centerpiece of the franchise?, not by any means, but I’d like to see him out in left field for many years to come.
Kemp on the otherhand will be that centerpiece in another 2-3 years, and I’m hoping that Mattingly will be able to bring out more of the hitter we know Kemp can be here in the 2nd half.
And I agree with those that think LaRoche should be given a legitimate chance at third. His playing time throughout his brief career has been so sporadic that no one can really tell what he brings [or doesn’t] to the table.
biddyboo3 – I heard the KABC broadcast drop in my car – 6 miles from home. Annoying.
Westernmost,
Hopefully Ryan Howard or Chase will even this biatch up!
What am I missing here..Wasn’t DeWitt the guy that went 3-3 and saved Kuroda’ perfecto at the time. He has respectable numbers and 34 RBI ..if you factor the same number of at bats for the other guy it works out to be 16 RBI (he has 2 now) ; and on defense DeWitt has a higher fielding average.
Great 1st and 3rd and 1 out and Utley hits into a damn DP
western, I was freaking out! It brought back memories of listening to that L.A. country station in the morning at work and returning later from my break to hearing pop music! They had shut down that station without a warning. I suddenly thought they had done the same to the Dodgers!
I don’t have anything against DeWitt, he’d be a fine 3B, but I see his greatest potential at 15-20 HR. LaRoche’s potential I see as 25-35 HR. I just don’t want to see LaRoche’s potential be reached with anyone but the Dodgers. Ideally, I’d like to see DeWitt and LaRoche as 2B/3B next year.
My vote is for Dewitt in case we are taking a vote up in here!
Kemp OB at leadoff .347 with 6 walks in 10 games.
JP OB at leadoff .296 with 10 walks in 50 games.
Sorry about the facts, i mean stats.
i’m not sure if anyone posted this.. i haven’t gone through all the posts for the day. but they announced the second half pitching rotations for now. here is the info, from tony jackson:
It is as follows: Hiroki Kuroda, Chad Billingsley, Derek Lowe, Chan Ho Park, Eric Stults. D-Lowe will go about 10 days without pitching, but this means he won’t have to pitch in the Colorado series July 21-23, because his history at Coors Field is, by his own admission, pretty bad. Kuroda’s “opening-day” assignment will no doubt make big waves in his native Japan. Don’t forget Penny and Schmidt will join the rotation at some point around the end of the month.
i’m going to be at the game tomorrow, and i will stay for the fireworks. i’m so excited. it will be great.. kuroda mania!
i’m sad because i had to turn down tickets to 3 games this week due to conflicts. 3!! so i’m glad i finally get to go to a game tomorrow 🙂
Schmidt joining the rotation is the funniest thing. I love it. He is so done, it’s a big charade.
Jason Schmidt better not be in the rotation by the end of the month.
yeah! the phillies tied it! shane victorino hit a 2 rbi triple! 🙂
yeah Dodger games!!
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i am way too happy to add anything of substance tonight.
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lol
– S. Victorino tripled to deep right, E. Bruntlett and R. Howard scored
-5-5 runner on 3b 1 out for philly
haha exactly scurtis and jungar.. schmidt WHAT??
Phillies tied up the snakes 5-5 bottom 8th. 1st and 3rd 1 out for the phils.
i beat you guys to the philly news 🙂
yes Sara- it will be fun tomorrow with kuroda mania 🙂
phil.presley – what you’re missing:
1. DeWitt is a .200 hitter for the last seven weeks.
2. A straight extrapolation of ANYTHING from LaRoche’s paltry 45 PAs is meaningless.
3. DeWitt has the fourth lowest OPS for major league 3B this year. He is 23rd of 26 3B with 250 or more PAs.
4. DeWitt’s line is: .263 .329 .375 .704. Juan Pierre gets bashed about the head and shoulders for numbers like that.
5. Fielding average is a seriously flawed statistic – Jeff Kent’s is pretty good, but that is because he has near-zero range.
6. LaRoche’s fielding average based on a minuscule 62 innings there is extra-meaningless.
Quit beating us Sara! lol
but scurtis, winning is fun 🙂
for sure amy. glad you will be there too! 🙂
2 straight nights teams with runners on 3rd and 1 out in the 8th and they can’t get them in.
5-5 top 9th
augh, philly couldn’t get shane in from third. going to the 9th tied at 5.
aww man, you beat me this time!!
DeWitt has been a great fielder and will be a good player. Andy has more upside both via performance and possible trade. If DeWitt was hitting better or we had a team full of power hitters, fine. But again the dodgers are more worried about PR. DeWitt is the only good story of 2008 so far. The rest of the stories talk about how crappy the other kids are mixed in with just how brutally bad 100 million dollars worth of ballplayers Coletti has brought in.
YAY me! 🙂
haha, yes, yay you. well, i’m off.. i must drive home from work now. so scurtis, keep everyone updated!
nope I can’t Im leaving work in 15 minutes too!
5-5 bot 9th snakes v phils
good night everyone
Westernmost…I know you have been watching, Dewitt is a superior fielder than Laroche is. His fielding stats are not flawed. As for his struggles, yes he is in a slump but what batter will not over a 6 month period. He has contributed to this team in more ways than his bat. He has saved us many runs with his fielding and he does situational hitting pretty well.
As for Laroche everyone says he has greater upside and if AAA was any true barometer, Billy Ashley would be in the hall of fame. Andy has a penchant for getting hurt at the wrong time….Shoulder, back, wrist…not blaming him, but sometimes things just do not work out. In the best laid plans Andy would have stayed healthy the day Nomar got hurt and Dewitt would still be in AAA, but it did not happen. Dewitt when given the opportunity delivered, especially with the glove and his maturity to handle the pressure of the bigs….
DeWitt was a first-round pick, 28th overall (a pick from the Yankees for signing Paul Quantrill!), signed to a $1.2M bonus, standard for his slot that year. LaRoche was a late pick only because of “signability issues” and signed for a $1M bonus one year earlier, mid-to-late first round slot money. (Plus both carry the Logan White pedigree.)
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These are players that we should expect to succeed, or at least had a high probability of success, at the major-league level. They do not have to be chosen between. Both need shots. Position conversions should be considered. If LaRoche does demonstrate the 25+ HR power that he has the potential for, LF should be under consideration. Either should be considered for 2B. It is far too earlier to put all of the 2009’s (and beyond) eggs into one basket. DeWitt is slumping – rest him, play LaRoche for an extended period and let’s find out once and for all about all of them.
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(And there is no shame in the 22 year-old DeWitt going down to AAA – Loney, Kemp and LaRoche all went back down after their first tastes of pre-September major league baseball.)
But see Dodgerboy you loose credibility when you compare LaRoche and Ashley. No one is diminishing the impact DEwitt has made, but like Beltre, the jump from AA to the bigs is tough. You have to wonder (given his last 47 games) if maybe he needs a little more seasoning in the minors so his long term career isn’t affected. Beltre is a perfect example. The dodgers can’t win this division with this offense.
Exactly western.
Kemp, if the management could not sign has beens should still be in the minors as well.
They blame the Kemps, but if The Kents, Nomars, and Jones had more than a combined 58 rbi (Kemp has 48 all by his he don’t know how to play yet self) we wouldn’t be talking about DeWitt vs Andy or how some young players don’t get it.
dodgerboy – DeWitt is not delivering now. Billy Ashley is a red herring – in the minors he didn’t walk and struck out a ton, guess what, he did it in the majors too. As I said above, NO ONE has put up the combination of performance in the minors like LaRoche (average, power, walks, low Ks) at an appropriate age, and not been a successful pro. I challenge anyone to find a counterexample – a minor-leaguer that produced for avg, power, walked and didn’t strike out, at age-appropriate levels (24 in AA is not age-appropriate – LaRoche was 22 the year he split AA/AAA), yet flopped in the bigs.
All these guys (Ned cries he don’t know how to get them, what would you do he dares you) have more rbi alone than the 56 million we are paying to Jones, Nomar and Kent this year. 8 of these guys were traded for over the last 2 years. 3 were FA’s, others homegrown…so out of the 18 players, 11 could have been had. Sick of the BS.
Josh Hamilton
Justin Morneau
José Guillén
Carlos Quentin
Manny RamÃrez
Bobby Abreu
Ryan Howard
Carlos Lee
Adrián González
Lance Berkman
David Wright
Chase Utley
Mark Teixeira
Ryan Braun
Aramis RamÃrez
Carlos Beltrán
Nate McLouth
Ryan Ludwick
Wow, Washington destroying Houston 10-0! Snakes and Phils still tied 5-5.
Welcome back enchanted!
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westernmost – thanks for providing stats on Ethier. He is also leading the team in slugging percentage at the current time.
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sara – Russell and Andre are tied with 10 HRs – yeah!
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Petco park is very cool, but nothing compares to Dodger Stadium – way too much history there, and it’s the home of the Dodgers. What more is there to say. Also, it seems like this park took a lot of our ideas, which I will take as a compliment for Dodger Stadium.
I had the opportunity to watch the Jacksonville team. 3 games. Anyone else who did would be outraged at the fact LaRoache is not getting some time to prove himself. He was the best player on the field full of Martin, Kemp, Guzman, Loney etc..
5-5 going to the bottom of the 10th. Go Phils!
Oh, I forgot. To my eye – and I’m no scout – DeWitt is a good fielder. LaRoche is a good fielder. Remember, they have tried LaRoche at 2B – at AAA and the majors this season – a little, which is generally considered the more difficult position. They tried DeWitt at 2B in A+ ball for 90 games – and three more at AA – and didn’t like what they saw, apparently.
Phils threatening.
jungar – Ned does what Ned always does (kinda like JP does what he does): can’t judge talent, signs worthless all downside vets, and puts a PR man’s spin on it to make it appear better than it is.
ex-Dodger Shane Victorino led off with a single, sac’ed to 2nd, non-productive out, IBB to Rollins. Ex-dodger Jayson Werth up.
Westernmost and Jungar, I love the fact that you guys are into finding all these stats, you guys are very knowledgeable, but just because someone puts up great AAA numbers is no guarantee it will translate to the majors. I just threw out Billy Ashley and was not comparing them because he was the next great slugger at one time and yes he was very flawed. We all hope that somehow Laroche gets a shot and produces like he did in the minors. Everything in life is about timing and location and it seems as if Laroche is never in the right spot at the right time to get his full opportunity.
As for this offense, Dewitt is not the problem. If we did not lose the best leadoff hitter in the game and have an 18 mil a year player hitting .169 and our 4th place hitter has 9 hrs and 40 RBI. We can go on and on as to what is flawed with this lineup offensively, but being that we have won 7 out of 10 we should be focusing on what this team has been doing in the last 10 games as a positive not the negatives.
Go Dewitt and Dodgers!!!
… and pops up.
BTW, FIRE NED. FIRE JOJO. IMPEACH FRANK.
Have fun at the game nells!!
I don’t like saying bad stuff about DeWitt I am just saying that for the good of the orginization (now is the time if you care about stats, if you don’t thats fine as well. some say wow terrible 47 games with the bat but 48 will be better..Me I say 48 will be like 47. It’s Just the way I am.) they should give LaRoche a solid 2 weeks in the line up at least. We have about that much before the deadline. If you are the dodgers and are so sold on DeWitt at 3b that your willing to get the worse production out of the spot in all of MLB’s rosters in order to play him (much like Pierre) then trade LaRoache (and Ethier) for **** who can hit the ball or a LF with real power.
Not off to a great start here………
Daaaaaaaamn! Enough with the dingers allready!
Let’s face it. We can’t beat teams that have a better that .500 winning percentage or that have a lot of power like the Fish.
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Net, take notice that we need some hitters like Florida has as we seem to draft pitchers year after year. We fans want to see some F*****g power.
I’m okay with trading Pierre (more than okay with trading him) or Laroche, but not Ethier. I think he’s just starting to come into his own and his upside is a lot more than some people think. I’ve always liked Stults, but not a good start to the game. Ouch. We’re going to need to break out offensively tonight to take this one. If only we had pitched around Ramirez last night, we might have taken that game. Still can’t believe they served it to him on a silver platter.
Management on this team totally and without question sucks big time.
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Fire Ned and fire Torre.
I wonder how Frank likes it to have his nose rubbed in it by a team with virtually no payroll by major league standards. They can hit home runs too. Does something feel wrong to you about this, Frank?
Then FIRE COLLETTI Sooner rather than later.
Dodgerboy: Like I said:
They blame the Kemps, but if The Kents, Nomars, and Jones had more than a combined 58 rbi (Kemp has 48 all by his he don’t know how to play yet self) we wouldn’t be talking about DeWitt vs Andy or how some young players don’t get it….
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So far Andy (or Nomar) lost 3b to injury in spring.
Why is Jones rushed back in CF?
Why is Nomar rushed back in SS
Why isn’t LaRoache back?
(DeWitt is not playing much better than Berrora over the last month and a half)
Is it Money?
Is it, they believe Jones and Nomar will help.
Now, if you are Andy, what does that say in how much they believe in you. And that cannot, no matter how u feel about the situation, be good for “winning”
I feel it’s this double standard with the Dodgers that holds us back. It’s why Pierre will be starting soon. If it’s Money, well thats a small problem, if its belife in those guys being better well then for my money that an even bigger problem.
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For the record I feel were better without Pierre even if we give him away and I would not trade Ethier as he is our best overall OF right now. But if they ain’t gonna play him….
bluecrewgirl I agree on the cookie fastball thrown down the middle to Ramirez last night. HUGE mistake that cost the game.
Anyone notice Matt was wearing glasses? I wonder if his contacts were bothering him again or he is justi testing if he’ll see the ball better with his glasses. You would think he would get lazer surgery in this day and age, but maybe he’s not a candidate for it.
I meant laser surgery. I can spell. lol
Lead off single for the Phils in the bottom of the 12th. 9th hitter should bunt, Rollins on deck. Rudy Seanez got Hudson, Jackson, Tracy 1-2-3 in the top half.
Phils sac worked.
IBB to Rollins, Werth up. One out.
Holy crap – HanRam struck out! Stunning!
WERTH! Ex-Dodger ends it with a single. Phils 6, DBacks 5.
jungar – I think that IS the belief of JoJo and Nerd that JP, Nomore and Jones are the better players – that’s what’s truely frightening.
A. Jones struck out.
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I’m shocked, shocked!
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A. Jones Ks in 29.9% of his PAs this year.
OK – good luck coming back Dodgers. Time for me to hit the road – just in time to miss Vin on the radio and suffer through Steiner/Monday.
Oh – how do the ItD chick like the Ethier attempt at a fu manchu? !!
Westernmost – I agree with you about Monday, very knowledgeable, but boring. I didn’t like Steiner at first, but he and Steve Lyons have kind of grown on me when they do the games together. I know Charlie blows the calls sometimes, but at least he has a personality. Steiner/Monday is definitely better than the human valium, Monday/Reuss.
yeah, dnelly, our two boys are tied for the team lead in HRs. hopefully they can keep hitting the ball hard.
bluecrewgirl, when was matty wearing glasses? i missed his first at bat.. but he’s not wearing them now..
yay for the phillies and jayson werth! werth was one of the guys i always liked, and hoped he would come back strong from injury.. he has come back strong, but not with us =/
btw, watching a team like the marlins.. makes you sad about the way our organization has approached things all these years. their payroll is always minimal, but they are competitive. i wouldn’t want to be a marlins fan because although they have won a couple world series, i would be sad that they blow up my championship team each time to cut the costs. but they are a prime example of how young, inexpensive players can help you win.
Sara, he was wearing them on his first at bat, but he didn’t have them on during his second at bat. Maybe he was just testing them out to see if he saw the ball better with them than with his contacts.
Jayson Werth 12 HRs. Cody Ross 15 HR.
Ned’s $ 80 million – 2 HR.
FIRE NED NOW.
I think our good hitters are still in Spring Training somewhere, and someone forgot to tell them the season has started. We can’t hit anybody very good at this point.
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Cody ross and Jason Werth doing ok elsewhere. That’s what we’ll be saying about Kemp and Ethier if Ned has his way….
TALENT – What can you do when Ned can’t judge it and JoJo won’t play it?
interesting bluecrewgirl. i wouldn’t imagine so. with the glare, and the frames, i wouldn’t think that the glasses could improve his vision. i wear contacts and glasses. and i’m always much more comfortable with my contacts on.. although, matty sat out a game in houston because of eye irritation due to his contacts, so maybe there is something wrong. sad i missed it. it would have been cool to see matty in glasses 🙂
perfectly stated enchanted..
They looked kind of like the Gagne style glasses.
WTF!! Why is fat boy Jones trying to steal on bad wheels? Maybe he’s trying for another DL vacation.
haha.. nice. thanks for the info bluecrewgirl.
that was a VERY nice catch by andruw
I am beginning to wish they were on the road. They’ve played with a lot more energy and intensity on the road lately than at home. Oh well, maybe it’s a good omen. When they won the series in 1988, they had strong pitching and they played really well on the road.
Damn why did Stulz had to have a crappy 1st inning.
This game not going anywhere for the Dodgers. I’m tired of staying up till midnite every nite to watch us struggle (St. Louis area) So, nite all, we’ll do better tomorrow hopefully.
It was a busted hit and run.
Damn stop hitting it to Hanley.
If you going to hit it to Hanley at least try to bunt it to him and get an infield hit.
wow, who is this kid pitcher! i can’t tell if we’re just bad hitters, or if he’s THAT good 😛
Perfect example of JoJo being the one that doesn’t get it… why would you use your one legitimate power guy off the bench to PH with nobody on base?
well i think that berroa or maza might need to be a late game defensive substitution, and.. who else is there?
well, i guess he might have used DY. but he seems to like delwyn later in games..
Maybe you need to email to get your answer. He’a good pitchers.
I had a feeling before this series started that the D’s were more than capable of losing all 4 games.
Make no mistake about it, just because the D’s are only a game out of first doesn’t make them a contending team. There but for a decent showing by the Snakes go the D’s 10 games behind and perhaps Ned’s *** gets fired. If your rotation after the all-star break includes Stults and Chan Ho, chances are you’re not going anywhere and won’t with Nerd and JoJo running the show. JoJo’s probably going to be on cloud 9 when he can bat a “real” lead-off hitter again and have a “professional” PH coming off the bench. And in Joe’s eyes, anything they actually do will far overshadow the umpteen times they do absolutely nothing.
If Ned had brought in PVLs that could actually carry the team while the kids learn, then we might have something. But as it stands, we have a bunch of veteran losers and a manager that hates youth. Nice going Frank. Job well done.
Andoin doesn’t count either.
You can actually leave Stultz to hit and than replace him in the top of the inning.
Berroa and Maza are only going to be defensive subs if the D’s are ahead, not that either one of them can hit, but I think DY would’ve made a better choice – Joe cetrtainly used him early when he had Sweeney on the bench. It just goes right along with everything else he does that makes no sense.
No one should be complaining at all but at least Sweeney is still on the DL.
does anybody else get the feeling that kemp laroche and prolly DY will not be dodgers come august??
What in the hell is Jones hitting ahead of Loney. Leave Loney alone.
Is this Volstad guy really this good? Or does the Dodger offense suck this bad? Maybe a combination of both?
no we suck this bad. seriously.
Gosh damn Cody
Pathetic!
I hate it more when someone strikes out looking than when they striike out lunging at a pitch. We just look so laid back and lifeless. Kent was looking like he was coming alive at the plate on the road, but now he just looks over the hill at the plate again.
are we seriously going to let this kid throw a complete game shutout against us? someone mentioned it a while ago, but we REALLY don’t do well with unfamiliar pitchers.. at all..
This is why we don’t need Ned to panic into getting a shortstop – one player isn’t going to fix this team.
lol Falkonborg why couldn’t you do that when we lead or have runners on base?
sara – we don’t do particularly well with the familiar ones either! LOL
hmmmmmm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Volstad
This guy has some great average number and a former #! pick.
nice DY! come on rally!
Come on Freddy bring in Lurch.
haha yes enchanted.. sadly, this is our offense.. when we’re good, we’re good.. but when we’re bad, we’re REALLY REALLY bad ~
The problem with this team is simple over the last three years we don’t have people in the center of our lineup that people worry about. Without true homerun power our offense will always be like this. It’s not old man Kents fault he should be hitting in the 7 hole, but not on this team….We have to rely on hitting with RISP and generating runs and sometimes you just have to hit a bomb.
There goes that shutout/
nice russell!! clutch~! 🙂
Dang even though is a road game they should still give him a standing ovation lol.
Nice of Russ to keep them breathing!
YEAH RUSS, LET’S SHAKE THE COBWEBS OUT!!!
LET’S GO SUPERMAN JEFF KENT!!!!!!!!!!!
wow, the fans were booing the kid loudly.. aww come on, no reason to boo him. he’s only 21. and he did his job. very well.
It would be great to see Kent go yard to tie it. A girl can hope.
I agree jungar… and that’s where Ned has failed miserably 3 years running.
come on kent.. come on..
oh man, i thought he had hit that for a minute..
Close, but no cigar. I am getting sick if this frustration dream.
“In 2001 that ball was gone”-Says Ned. Oh how close.
it’s not good when your broadcast keeps giving player of the game to the opposition.. tomorrow will not be any easier. nolasco is a good pitcher.
This team would be dynamite 5 years ago.
enchanted.. 5 years ago, most of the boys were in high school.. haha
Cripes! Kryptonited again.
Don’t know the Marlins’ kid pitchers’ name, but that was a hell of a game. Get that kid a Dodger Dog.
They probably booing him for shut us out and I don’t blame them.
Should be interesting with the Dodgers and Arizona.
The team that loses the least will be lead in handcuff to the post season.
It’s just very difficult for 8 guys to all be hot. A few pistons misfire and the whole offense can struggle. That, more than the BS reasons about not playing the right way, is the issue. ….Thats why at the end of the year we may have 5-6 guys with solid numbers, but in the end the aggergate just dosent add up.
Yes Nolasco is good and he graduate from Rialto High School where I graduate in 1997. I never though it was possible to see someone pitching and went to the same high school as you did.
If it wasn’t for that crappy 1st innings then this game probably be a 1-0 shutout or another extra inning game.
My sister went to prom as friends with Mike Lieberthal. He was so good in HS! We had a real good team. Matt Franco also went to my high school, he played for the Mets.. I Recall playing against Dimitri Young. I played soccer(if anyone plays) with Eric Wynalda and Cobi Jones , both pros. There were a bunch of football pros, the last one being Billy Miller. Not much in hoops, although our team played (and I was sorta friends with) Don McClean who went to UCLA and played pro.
Charlie Wi is a pro golfer. He is married to my sisters best friend. His best friend is Tiger Woods. I have met tiger. (hes not all that friendly)
Westlake High School in Thousand Oaks. trying to think of others…oh one that is funny is my prom date does local commercials for sleep mattress beds and laser eye centers. shes still pretty hot..
Jusst got back home from the game. Man, it was one of those boring games where you just had nothing to cheer for and it ended before it began. We could have left after the 1st inning cause nothing happened after that.
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Then i went to buy a pretzel in the 8th cause I was bored and they were out, then I wanted a soda and the machine had run out to carbonation.
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not cool.
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i will try again tomorrow. At least there will be fireworks to look forward too.
I know what you mean, Amy. I’m going to the game on Sunday and I’m hoping for better too.
very interesting article..
http://www.latimes.com/sports/baseball/mlb/dodgers/la-sp-dodgerway12-2008jul12,0,1621328.column?page=2
I’m outta here. Bluecrewgirl- have a good time tomorrow 🙂
at least we’ll have Kuroda in our arsenal!!
Come on Dodgers we need a win!
Amy, actually, I going on Sunday, but have a good time tomorrow night. Let’s hope we take the last 2 before the break.
“Without naming names, McCourt also said that some of the Dodgers’ young players are not the type that “will thrive and excel here,” implying that some of them are not receptive to instruction.”
Okay folks, here’s a pure speculative question: in you opinion, who are the young players that are being alluded to? I’d say it could be of one to three players. Kemp, LaRoche, Young. That’s just my opinion of course. Any takers?
So far in given fair playing time, no one under 30 has failed to impress other than Hu who was clearly not ready. No one else has really been given enough time for a jackass like McCourt to say something so stupid (considering maybe you may want to trade some of them *******.) Here are a few though that come to mind.
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Andruw Jones
Juan Pierre
Brett Tomko
Mark Henderickson
Danny Baez
Wilson Betimite
Scott Proctor
Nomar (Other than half a season)
Gary Bennett
Angel Berrora
Luiz Gonzales
Mark Sweeney
Shea Hillenbrand
Mike Lieberthal
Brady Clark
Ramon Martinez
Esteban Loaiza
Jason Schmidt
Chad Moeller
Roberto Hernandez
Toby Hall
Sandy Alomar Jr.
Bill Mueller
Julio Lugo
Lance Carter
Elmer Dessens
Just got back from Petco, and it looks like the Pods were the only ones in our division that won tonight, which I guess is better than the dbacks winning. They showed the last inning of that game during the Pods game. The crowd didn’t even react to it. I felt like I was the only one cheering for that one. Petco is a very nice park, but I am not one for a whole bunch of things for kids to do. It’s probably why I am not a fan of AT&T park ethier (either). It just takes away from the reason why you are there – to watch a ballgame and not play yourself. Also, I feel sorry for any right fielder who has to be in front of the beach. Oh my Goodness! The Braves had a horrible time tracking balls that went out there, and then from where I was sitting, it looked like the kids were banging on the plexy glass. Then again, the Pods I’m sure are used to it, and that is why it is their home. It makes it more impressive, too, to know that Ethier hit a homerun out of that park over the 401ft wall. One other thing about Petco. I’m sure they did this on purpose, but it was still impressive. There was 2 outs, top of the 9th and the 8th batter for the Braves was coming up (Ave 160ish), and they brought in Trevor Hoffman just to get the last out. He came out to AC/DC’s Hell’s Bells and on the scoreboards and all around, it said “Trevor Time.” All I kept thinking was they took our “Sammy Time” saying and made it their own. It was very impressive, but we know our Sammy is so much better.
Also, when they chanted – they chanted beat L.A., which I thought was pretty rude considering they weren’t even playing us. I think I am beginning to hate that team at times more than the gnats (well, maybe the same). Just so you know, I couldn’t even cheer on the Braves – it didn’t feel right so I just sat there and enjoyed an evening of baseball and not having to worry about the outcome. I had a few comments about my Dodger blue attire, but nobody overly rude about it ethier (either).
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Anyhow, by the comments and the scoreboard I can tell our game was very unproductive. And from what you are saying, tomorrow isn’t going to be much easier.
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All great posts tonight about players, etc. Everybody brings things to the table to think about, which is always a good thing. If it weren’t for the worries about what Ned/Frank will do in the next few weeks, these discussions wouldn’t even be taking place. I am not at a place to comment on them yet because I haven’t read all the articles that were sent out to reference. When I get home, I will catch up and hopefully be part of the discussion.
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Oh, and westernmost – I don’t like Andre’s new look, but I’ve gotten used to him changing his look the day after he has an “0 for day” so it was expected. I just didn’t expect that. I didn’t get to see it until today when I saw a picture. Before, I didn’t know what everyone was talking about.
Did it again tonight…listened to post-game Dodger Talk on the freeway on the way home from wherever. The usual assortment of rediculous trade proposals and kid bashing. So I thought for a moment. Hmmmmmmmmmm, try to name ONE decent member of the 40-man roster who is in his prime. Just one. Simple, huh? I came up with maybe Beimal and Penny…and that’s a BIG reach. Any position players come to mind? And this town wonders why we aren’t winning. Kudos to Ned for a spectacular 2 1/2 years at the helm. So Ned aside, why on heaven’s Earth would you trade kids approaching their prime for more veteran baggage? What team is going to trade a bonafide star IN HIS PRIME to ANY team? Some poor small market team who’s shedding salary? Name the team and the star player. I kept hearing “Mr. Coors Field” Matt Holiday a lot tonight. And wunderkind Adam Dunn. Gag. Appoint Logan White as GM and see how things go. Let Mattingly work with kids. Quit trying to trade the Dodgers future for a quick fix. If this team is trying your pateince, football will be firing up in a month. Have at it.
Once again Torre shows what a horrible manager he is, at a minimum for our excellent young hitters.
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From the Daily News:
http://www.dailynews.com/dodgers/ci_9858252
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“Torre has not given up when it comes to getting his instruction to sink in with the team’s young players.
Torre pulled aside James Loney before batting practice Friday to discuss Loney’s 10th inning at-bat Thursday. Loney grounded out with two runners on base and the Marlins went on to win the game in the 11th.
“I was asking him about what he was thinking when he went up to hit,” Torre said. “He gave me a plan and I said that’s fine. It may not be the right plan but you don’t want somebody to go up there with a blank and say they’re going to look for the ball.
“It’s something I will do on a regular basis in a one-on one situation.”
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Actually, this is a relatively positive statement compared to the typical Torre statement about our fantastic young batsmen.
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But considering that Torre has been complaining abou the kids not taking enough pitches all year (untrue anyway), you would think he would say something like, “Hey James, it’s too bad it didn’t work out for us last night. But, wow, I sure am impressed with the 31 pitches you forced Marlins pitchers to throw in your five at-bats!!”
Before Frank and Furter do anything to dismantle the young guns for more PVL crap they need to see how they do the 2nd half of the season. No way this team does anything special if they get to the playoffs this year anyway, so the kids deserve a chance with Mattingly before any judgements are passed.
Also, if the kids aren’t schooled in the fundamentals before they get to the big leagues, who’s fault is that Frank & Nerd? Try hiring the right teachers in the minors. Ws & Ls don’t really matter when you’re down there, but molding young talent does.
Good points E, Khali and ML. Teams just don’t trade their young players in their prime or coming into their prime years. So those guys are not even out there if you want them. Rarely, as in a salary dump and you only get them for a year usually.
Hat’s off to Stults. He settled down and gave us a quality start and kept us in the game. The offense was just not there again last night. Arrrrrrrrgh!!!!!
Thanks Nelly for your overview of your Petco experience. Glad you had a good time. We can still split this series.
Got to get the bats out of our a**es!!!!
kpookieman…I like your thinking…
If there are now serious reservations about Ned’s performance in Frank’s mind, and that’s long overdue, let’s use the All-Star break to turn a new page:
FIRE COLLETTI NOW, if not sooner!!!
Anyone know the song used for the Dodgers’ starting lineup at Dodger Stadium? It sounds like a Fluke song, if that helps.
Good Morning, ITD boys and girls (chicks – lol)
Great posts once again in the middle of the night and early morning. So, does Torre even look at the team stats before making comments like that? Our core young players (Martin, Loney, Ethier, Kemp and DeWitt) are in the top five of almost every category. Doesn’t he realize they are the ones that are carrying this team right now, win or lose? They should be praised for the victories, but instead a veteran becomes the highlight, but when they lose, it’s all about how the young players didn’t get it. TorreNedFrank are just becoming more and more idiotic as the season progresses, and it’s sad to think that we are in 2nd place. You would think the way we are talking we would be in last. Well, in some divisions, we would be very close, if not last. I did read a
Okay, my computer submitted without me sending – strange:) Anyhow, I did read a few articles last night to try and catch up. I am at the point where I don’t know what or who to believe about the trade rumors, and other than the young players getting blamed and picked on for everything they do, the veterans come out smelling like roses to the public. Once again, I know these men are adults and should be able to handle criticism, but boy, how much do they have to put up with? Jungar list has the players the media and management should be focusing on, not the young guns.
It is a shame that the ineptitude of the NL West is masking Ned’s and his PVL’s ineptitude. We’d be in 3rd or 4th place in every other division and out by 8 to 12 games except in the NL East where we would be out by 5.5 in 4th place. Frank and Furter can’t see the forest for the trees.
This is not a contending team nor really all that close to being a serious contending team and one player is not going to fix it. Wake up morons!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fire Ned and let’s get busy building a true championship team with a GM that knows what the h*ll they are doing. Geez!!!!
The problems with the Dodgers has benn Management , upper, and lower. Unless Frank realizes this it won’t get any better, only worse.
http://sportsblogs.latimes.com/sports_baseball_dodgers/2008/07/as-one-writer-p.html
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This article came in on an Ethier/Dodger alert late last night. I’m not sure if it’s already been posted, but it doesn’t look like Ned’s going anywhere soon.
Does anybody think Schmidt’s going to be worth a tinkers damn when he comes back? Yet sight unseen, JoJo will hand him a starters job regardless if Park or Stults is pitching well. There’s something inherently wrong with JoJo’s “philosophy” on how to manage a team.
Here’s what we get to look forward to come August:
Pierre LF
Ethier/Kemp depending on righty/lefty starter RF
Nomore SS
Kant 2B
Jones CF
Martin C
Loney 1B
DeWitt 3B
Schmidt/Kuroda/Lowe/Penny/Billz
That’s if Nerd doesn’t get a another wonder PVL shortstop and they move Nomore to 3B (or 1B because even though DeWitt’s numbers are falling, he “gets” it.)
And if JoJo The Clown has a “plan” for Loney’s AB the other night, why doesn’t he pull him aside and talk to him BEFORE the at bat and not the next day? So in addition to the kid’s not getting it, they have to be mind readers too? Effin’ insane.
You read my mind E!! Might as well enjoy the next few games without Phew. As soon as he comes off the DL he will be handed the starting job and leadoff everyday. It’s going to be swim or sink with Phew, Kant, Nomore, and Fat Andruw.
enchanted – that is an excruciatingly scary lineup to say the least. Doesn’t it make you feel all giddy inside knowing that’s what we have to look forward too, NOT!!
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Come on Joe, do your research – look at your PVL’s stats. It’s been half a year already, and they are not coming out of it. At least not near enough to call them the saviors of this team.
I believe we have 7 out of the first 10 games coming out of the break with the DBacks. It would be better in the long run if they bury us with all Ned’s PVLs playing and maybe wake Frank up. There would also still be time to unload some of them before the trade deadline.
jhall/enchanted – from what I saw during my games there – Pierre’s coming back sooner than later, too. He was just too active in the dugout, not to already be working an earlier come back. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that he is still showing up to the park early to work out, or do whatever he does that early. GIVE ME A FRICKIN’ BREAK! Ethier’s going to be back up in the 290’s by then, hopefully with a few more HR’s, and Kemp is doing better than Pierre was in getting on base. What the hell? However, at this point, if Andruw’s numbers don’t start climbing towards .200 by then, then maybe he should be the one to sit. I could handle ethier (either) one sitting at this point, just as long as Ethier and Kemp are in there. I guess we have to start wishing for those Pianos again.
LOL Nelly!! Phew and Jones will play everyday and Kemp and Ethier will be the ones sharing time. But when the team tanks with Ned’s PVLs it could finally end the Ned era and the sheer stupidity.
I am coming back for the Diamondbacks series August 1,2 and 3, and I bet Pierre is back by then.
YOUTH
loney .296-7-48
kemp .280-8-48-20SB
eithier .284-10-40
dewit .260-5-34
martin .300-10-45-10SB
VETERANS
kent .254-9-39
jones .172-2-9
nomar .231-2-10
pierre .277-0-24-35SB (DL)
furcal .366-5-16-8SB (DL)
without all our problems kids we would be in last place.
I want Phew back as soon as possible. I want Phew and the rest of Ned’s PVL’s playing everyday so we actually get to see Ned’s plan unravel and hopefully wake Frank up and end the crap. Then we can get on with building a real team.
but someone is gonna tell me stats don’t really matter.
jhall i am sorta with you, but then frank will just make another bad hire. he needs to be fired. the plan though has already unraveled. 2 years in a row.
Yes, jhall, if we want to think about the future, we need to hope the PVLs fail miserably, which in our view, they already have, which is so blindly go past the management, media and in some cases, the fans.
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I am getting ready to head back home in an hour or so. I will hopefully be back in time to watch tonights game. Have a wonderful day everyone. Maybe sara will bring them some ITD luck tonight. I got them 2 out of 3, so maybe sara can bring the the ITD vibe tonight for a win, and bluecrewgirl will bring them the ITD vibe on Sunday that way we can split. Go ITD chicks! Enchanted – don’t you love our new name? We want t-shirts and everything – bluecrewgirl and jhall’s idea – sounds great!!
Case in point, Fat Andruw… Should still be in Vegas rehabbing. However, guess he didn’t like the heat so he says he can play at the ML level again, and JoJo welcomes him with open arms. Guess ‘Druw was right, he’s “hitting” .208 which has actually RAISED his overall BA. Of course he’s also “slugging” .208 and still strikes out 1/3 of the time, but who’s counting? As far as his game winning RBI the other night, like someone else posted awhile back, even a blind squirrel will find an acorn now and then.
Nomore’s fairing a little better – he’s hitting .238, but at least he has a slg. pct. (.476) Sadly, he’s a big upgrade over Berroa and Maza.
Here’s Jason Schmidt’s illustrious numbers in Vegas:
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Jason Schmidt 0 0 6.00 3 3 0 0 0 9.0 14 8 6 2 1 4 3 2.00 0 0
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You know, I think a three inning starter is just what this team needs. Maybe we can carry 13-14 pitchers instead of 12.
FIRE NED. FIRE JOJO. IMPEACH FRANK.
So true Jungar. How come we’re the only ones that can see it. LOL!!!!! Throw in Sweeney and Bennett to round out the crew on Ned’s ship of fools. Hard to believe they actually threw Bloaiza overboard. HaHa. To get your a** kicked out of that cast of clowns is amazingly bad. LOL!!!!
actually seesky had ideas about the ITD chicks, too,and I think westermost is the one who mentioned the name first as he was referring to the blog itself. So, I think some credit is due to all four in some way. Jhall – I still think we need shirts for the song writers as well – lol We could have a picture of grambo on the back instead. LOL!!
Have a good trip home Nelly and hopefully we’ll read you tonight.
Andruw Jones
Juan Pierre
Brett Tomko
Mark Henderickson
Danny Baez
Wilson Betimit
Scott Proctor
Nomar (Other than half a season)
Gary Bennett
Angel Berrora
Luiz Gonzales
Mark Sweeney
Shea Hillenbrand
Mike Lieberthal
Brady Clark
Ramon Martinez
Esteban Loaiza
Jason Schmidt
Chad Moeller
Roberto Hernandez
Toby Hall
Sandy Alomar Jr.
Bill Mueller
Julio Lugo
Lance Carter
Elmer Dessens
if you were to assign the youth numbers (and let them keep thier #s) to the veteran numbers we would be pretty good.
Safe trip nells!!
Wow Jungar, that should be in the dictionary as the definition of “Sh*t List”!!!!!
A real who’s who of PVLs jungar. Absolutely pathetic that Ned could amass that kind of worthles bile and still keep his job.
Our luck Frank will probably fire Ned and hire Plaschke.
Worthless Bile!! LOL!! Since when did you become kinder and gentler E?!! LOL!!!! There really are no words vile enough to describe that list.
And you didn’t even include Jae Sao. LOL!!!!
If we’re frustrated with the way the season is going, imagine how the Diamondbacks must feel. They won the division last year relying on the young players, and most of them are suffering from the sophmore jinx or whatever you may call the second year letdown. It’s no different from the inconsistencies that our young players are experiencing, except AZ has two really premier Ace pitchers. Whoever wins the division will hardly be a threat in the playoffs, although anything can happen in the playoffs, expecially with some good pitching. My own take is that even if you win your division, but are under .500, they shouldn’t let you in the playoffs but replace you with another wild card team. Fighting for this division crown is hardly something to get excited about.
With that in mind, I still think we’d be better off shedding a couple of our PVL’s at trade deadline time rather than looking for that elusive acquisition that’s going to propel us anywhere. Let’s get the young players established, and that includes letting DeWitt or LaRoche play second base and also trying DeJesus at short. We need some answers for next season in the infield, if nothing else to know whether we need to push a major trade to cover second and short. If they stick with Ned and his thinking, nothing will change between now and the end of the season, and at this point I don’t care if we come in first, second, or worse. If Ned’s future hangs in the balance, the worse the better to make sure he won’t be making any more decisions about shaping our team.
The future is NOW, and the better future is WITHOUT Ned.
Just FIRE his sorry a**!!!
And I know some people on here don’t advocate booing players, but when you’re paying all that money for the “privilege” of watching Pierre, Jones, Sweeney et al., I think that $15 parking tab and $5 friggin coke entitlles you to vent your displeasure at their “performances.”
Must make Ned proud as well. Put a PR spin on that you worthless *******. Fans don’t want to spend hard earned money watching garbage players. I don’t recall hearing about anyone booing the young guns.
Very true E!!
Nothing like an $8.00 beer to make that bunch look good. Trouble is you need a freaking 12 pack. LOL!!!!
Imagine if the dodgers didn’t have the youth crutch. The press writes daily about how Torre is mentoring someone, well Mentor Jones and Kent since they have 1 more total Homerun than Martin.
Well, I know we bitch and moan about Torre not doing his job, but with the exception of maybe having Laroche in at third base and Furcal back at SS, this team is not, I repeat, not getting the job done.
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They are giving the kids their opportunity and some of them are not performing as we want them to. Their are a lot of problems with this team and unless they are corrected soon, management is going to make trades to get a team to win. They may not wait for some of the kids to mature and be ready. Everybody said what a great team the D’backs had last year and their team was performing with their youngsters but this year they have fell on their face and I hope this doesn’t happen to us.
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Maybe our youngsters need a better coach or manager and hopefully that’s going to happen after the allstar break, but so far this team has certainly disappointed me. I just had to vent as I went to bed early last nite and I think we are really not performing very well and we can’t hit good pitching. We have the best pitching staff in the National league but good teams hit us very well and we can’t hit their pitching at all.
Agree with you Bob, however, the main problem is the management (Ned) is not capable of the job of correcting the teams problems or building a championship team. The first place to start improving our lot is to fire Ned.
I wish there was a way for the fans to directly boo Colletti. You can’t bring in derogatory signs expressing how the fans feel. That’s where the boos properly belong.
I’m also glad to hear that Frank seems to be getting concerned about people not filling up the stadium the way they used to. That’s the only way to get the right message to Frank. It’s not the amount of money you spend on the team, it’s what you show for it. Ned’s got to be the least efficient GM in history per million dollars spent on payroll. How does that grab you, Frank?
Pull the trigger, Frank. Get rid of Ned, NOW!!!
Torre’s constant line-up shuffles early in the season (and starting August again I’m sure), Torre benchings after great games (LaRoche has been benched the next day after each home run – nice way to reward him for what you want him to do), Torre constantly criticizing in the media, regression not progression in their skillset, Torre talking to them after the fact about what he wants them to do rather than before…
Given that ML pitching has caught up to them a litle bit, the only thing that’s changed from last year’s super kids to this year’s not so super kids is JoJo The Clown.
Ned’s three prize acquisitions:
Juan Pierre $44 million 0 HR
Jason Schmidt $48 million 1 win
Andruw Jones $36.2 million .172 avg.
BTW Frank, that’s 25% of your stadium renovation budget.
How much revenue have those three generated from additional attendance? I’m sure there are just thousands of fans sitting around reading the morning paper going, “Holy crap Ethel, JP’s playin’ this afternoon!! let’s get tickets for the game.”
enchanted, you got me thinking about game-winning hits. Even though MLB doesn’t keep the stat anymore, I always thought that the game-winning hit was defined as the hit that put a team ahead and never lost the lead. So in theory, a game-winning hit can come in the first inning. That said–and I could be very wrong–Matt Kemp had the game-winning hit against Tim Hudson with his HR…NOT Fat Andruw with his bleeder up the middle. And besides, Kemp’s HR turned the whole momentum of the game at a time when Lowe was pitching a no-hitter. But who got all the kudos from JoJo and the press?
They are giving the kids their opportunity and some of them are not performing as we want them to.
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Who? Seriously? Who isn’t performing up to expectations ? And if you say any of these guys then I say lower your expectations for someone under 26. Prime years for athletes in any sports are 27-31..
Kemp?
Loney?
Martin?
DeWitt?
Ethier?
No it’s a big smear campaign. Misdirection. It’s Han Solo to Chewie..with the smug grin, “it’s not my fault. it’s not my fault.” The more Joe and Ned say it with their smug little smile the more it makes me sick. 11 Homeruns and 47 rbi from our project 4-5 hitters for the year. combined. thats the problem. period. Most young guys above have those numbers alone. I mean christ how many teams sub out their middle infilders for defensive purposes late in games. You would think Nomar and Kent were Utley and Ramirez but they are not that great on offense anymore either. it’s a flawed team and the youth are being scapegoated.
When Jones got that ovation the other night, wouldnt that piss you off if you were McCourt. 36 million of his money (well our money). To me it was very much like after a team gives up 7 runs in an inning and you finally get them out.
That’s the trouble pookie, JoJo cherry picks the good things and forgets about all of the failures. Why doesn’t JoJo talk about ‘Druw K’ing in that crucial PH back in April/May, or any of the other times he failed to deliver?
Same thing goes for Sweeney. He’ll comeback, get a hit somewhere along the line and JoJo will proclaim he’s finally gotten his stroke back. Nevermnind the 30 other times he’ll send him up before that that he fails.
But JoJo will chastize a kid in the media for failing to move a runner along or swinging at the first pitch.
Its friggin insane. For the good of the team there has to be ONE standard that applies to everyone. Set it high, and when a player fails to meet it, get on his *** whether he’s a vet or a rookie. I worked for an idiot that had double standards, and along with the impossibilities it created, the morale sucked. The only thing that kept that place from going under was personal pride and a tight comaraderie between a core few. Sound familiar?
so far this year, ryan howard has more homeruns than andruw jones has hits. unbelievable.
Wouldn’t you like to see the players that develope if Scioscia could have Martin, Loney, Kemp, Ethier, DeWitt, LaRoche, Billz, Kershaw, Brox, and Hu? If they were on the Angels, does anyone think they’d have gone out and signed Pierre (Matthews) and Jones (Hunter)?
You want these guys to start playing like your L.A. area rivals, you’d better start running the FO that way.
It’s ridiculous to blame the kids for this team’s failures.
According to Baseball Prospectus, our 5 most productive hitters are:
1. Russ
2. Furcal
3. Loney
4. Kemp
5. Ethier
with jeff kent a distant 6th
Josh probably reports back to Frank and tells him, “Sir, the fans are revolting on the ITD blog!”, and Frank says, “I know. I find them revolting too!”
Yarrum….
Ryan Howard and Josh Hamilton both have more rbi in their last 5-6 games than Jones does for the year. But in those last 5-6 games Jones has raised his average from .159 to .172 so its Matt Kemps fault.
DNelly, the t-shirts were actually jjhall’s great idea, so I can’t take any credit for it. It is a great idea though. As far as his thong idea is concerned, not sure about that lol.
enchanted, that’s similar to the old line, “What do you think of the Front Office’s execution?” Answer: “I’m all for it!”
LOL!!! Thanks BlueGirl but you planted the seed for the t-shirt idea. The thong is for E. He is the only one who can pull it off or would even have the b*lls to try. Maybe Jones, Phew, Schidt, and the other PVLs all need gold thongs and fake mustaches to get them going.
Good one Kahli!! LOL!!!!
Of course the ‘stache ain’t working for Ned.
Would any other organization have this much trouble with a bevy full of young, potentially great young players, a fairly well stocked farm system, and an almost unlimited payroll to work with?
That’s the difference between the Florida’s and Oakland’s and Snake’s and Frank’s Ds – they actually have to be creative, know their players and farm system intimately, and do their homework and make damn sure of who they sign or trade before they commit to it.
The way Nerd runs this team it’ll be nothing more than the Bucs or Royals – develop the yongsters and give them major league experience, then give them away for nothing.
There’s nothing about the FO that gives me any confidence that we won’t be doing anything except spinning our wheels next year, the next five years, or the next 10 years.
Sad but true E!!!!
Unfortunately as I stated before, the ineptitude of the rest of the NL West is covering up the problems and allowing Frank and Furter to gloss things over and basically get away with their complete idiocy and job incompetence.
This isn’t even a freaking .500 ballclub. Geez, you shouldn’t even be thinking about playoffs. Instead, direct your attention to the real problems. Mainly Ned and his lack of the necessities/tools of a good Major League GM.
As far as I’m concerned, Ned has made his moves and now it is time for Phew, Kant, Jones, Nomore, Schidt, and the rest of his pathetic acquisitions to get it done. If they don’t, clean house starting with Ned.
Ndeschene’s or whatever can keep spewing superhero accolades and positive crap but I’m still wondering what he’s smoking.
Nd is probably Ned.
Don’t get me wrong. I am not bashing Nd or his enthusiasm and optimism. That is fine if it works for him. I am however, tired of the “head in the sand” mentality, especially from our front office and obviously the casual fans. I love baseball and love to see it executed/played at a fundamentallly sound and high level as the Dodgers used to be synonomous with. Those days are long gone since the O’Malley’s left. I watch alot of baseball and it is ashame that their are any number of teams that are much more fun and exciting to watch than our Dodgers at the present time. We need to get back to our roots.
i don’t know how many of you, if any, read the latimes dodger blog.. but there are two brothers, AK and BK that run the blog. they have very good insights, and i almost always agree. this is a reply post AK wrote to respond to one of the bloggers, and it’s written better than i could have put it. so i’m going to post this to contribute to our conversation.. it says the things i would have said:
You’ve got vets collectively not playing up to par, injuries forcing lineups heavy on Luis Maza, Blake DeWitt, and other unproven (or in the case of Angel Berroa, “underwhelming”) guys, yet somehow the “problem” is that Matt Kemp hasn’t blown up to superstar-level in less than 1000 AB’s? Sorry, not buying it. To some degree, I’m not entirely sure they can be properly evaluated under these circumstances (but if they can, keep in mind, they’re outperforming the vets, which is often inexplicably ignored). But beyond that, do you really think that if Kemp, Loney, Bills and LaRoche had been swapped for Miggy Cabrera, the Dodgers would be doing any better this season? I seriously doubt it.
Again, like BK, I think the kids certainly should be held accountable, criticized when warranted and dealt if a suitable deal comes around. I just think it’s growing comical how they’ve turned into a rather lazy media explanation for the Dodgers’ woes (again, because it creates a great “storyline”). Just like last year, they’re actually a big reason why the team’s stayed afloat as well as it has.
Watching the freaking Angels is more like watching the Dodgers that I grew up on. Sad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AK and BK do have good insights Sara!! I also read their commentary. Thanks!!!
here’s an interview with logan white by the latimes blog brothers. long, but a good read:
Logan White on Ethan Martin
Thursday night, as the Dodgers were getting righthanded pitcher Ethan Martin to officially inked to his first pro contract, I had a chance to talk to Logan White about LA’s 2008 #1:
Brian Kamenetzky: Ethan told us that he’s only had a couple years of real pitching experience. (Note: He was also considered a serious prospect as a third baseman.)
Logan White: He’s pitched off and on when he was little, but really when he started thinking he’s a pitcher? Yeah, a couple years. He’s always hit, and (Thursday) when you saw him in batting practice he was pretty good. He’s got a good swing, but we like him better as a pitcher.
BK: What goes into that decision, of deciding whether a player will pitch or play the field? You had a similar decision with James Loney.
White: I think the thing with Loney was that I was so convinced that he was so much better of a hitter than he was as a pitcher. He was good as a pitcher, but I just felt that he had a chance to have a special glove and a special bat. Ethan’s bat is quality, but he’s so good on the mound. He’s ahead of where James was on the mound at the same age. He throws harder, better curveball, and things like that. And I think James was ahead of him as a hitter at the same age. That’s what goes into it, but it wasn’t just me. It’s Gib Bodet, Tim Hallgren, Paul Fryer, all our scouts. We had so many people see him, and we’re all on the same page about him being a pitcher over a hitter.
BK: Loney loves to remind you that he can throw.
White: He loves telling you, and reminds me all the time, “Hey, if you can help me, someday, get an inning on the mound?” I think the funniest thing in the world would be if he gets his inning and gives up three bombs. Then I can really rag on him (laughs).
BK: Is it normal for a high school pitcher to start throwing so late in that part of his career then end up as a top 20 pick?
White: I don’t know about the high school angle, but I would say it happens way more than people think. We convert guys all the time. The starting catcher for the National League, Geovany Soto, is a converted guy. Russ (Martin) is a converted guy. And it works in pitching, too. Dave Stieb was an outfielder. Trevor Hoffman was a shortstop in college. Joe Nathan I think was a shortstop, Woody Williams was a shortstop. So to me, I always believe that pitching isn’t something you necessarily have to do when you’re a little kid to be really good in the big leagues. More so than anything. Hitting? If you’re not hitting until you’re 16 or 18? Forget about it. But pitching, I certainly think it’s not a problem.
In some ways it’s better. There’s less wear when they’re growing and going through those stages. To me, that’s a plus. But I think you’ll find if you go through big league rosters and talk to big league pitchers, a number of them didn’t pitch a whole lot until later in their careers. They were position guys and then someone figured out they don’t hit enough, and then they become a pitcher.
BK: Do you find that you often have to adjust their mechanics, since they have so little experience?
White: Yeah, you do, but with Ethan, you watch him and he’s mechanically sound. He’s really fluid. Gets over the front side, really good arm action, and finishes well. He has the typical normal things that even big leaguers have. Sometimes finishing off pitches, or rushing when he gets tired or labors, but overall, he has outstanding mechanics.
BK: So you don’t think you’ll have to do much with him?
White: No. My philosophy has always been to try and draft players that, yeah, maybe you have to remodel a little bit, or tinker a little. But to do a total renovation? That gets tough. We like to get guys in that we just have to fix up a little bit, and Ethan’s one of those.
BK: In terms of his style of pitching, I know he throws pretty hard, but in terms of the other stuff- movement, out pitches, etc., what do you see from him?
White: He’s going to throw well above average. He’s already 90-95 (mph with the fastball), and pitches at around 92-93. He’s got a great plane to the hitter- the fastball runs. But he’s got a curveball that’s really a plus pitch. If you look at our young pitchers who are up here- Billingsley, Broxton- they threw hard, but they also had quality secondary pitches. They were what we would call a “plus pitch.” They were plus pitches when we drafted them, and our player development people shaped and molded them and kept them together until they got here, and that’s where Ethan’s at. He’s got a plus curveball, a good delivery, and throws hard. I’m not into drafting just a hard thrower, not high. I like them to have that secondary pitch.
Over the country, there’s probably 2,000 guys who throw 90. 90 means nothing to me. But what separates them? It’s the breaking ball. What kind of breaking ball do they have, what kind of potential do they have to throw it? Then their delivery and their command.
BK: Is it usually the changeup that you have to teach players?
White: With high school players, a lot of times they haven’t thrown it, but I’d say in today’s world kids throw it now more than they used because there are so many ex-pro players who teach. Things are out there, the Internet, information gets out. So kids are throwing changeups more now at younger ages than they used to. But I do think it’s something they do have to get used to using, and refine more. A kid like Ethan, he can just throw the fastball by hitters, or throw the breaking ball. But he does mix in a changeup now and then.
BK: With Kershaw, his quick rise through the organization might make people forget that he’s the exception, not the rule to how fast a guy can go through the system.
White: I try to look at a high school or college player- it doesn’t matter to me- and ask how fast they can get (to the Majors). And if you look at it, guys like Clayton, Broxton, Loney, and those guys certainly have gotten there quick. But it’s like a bell curve. Most players, their first few years in the big leagues, aren’t as good as they’re going to be. So when you get into that 25-30 year old range, sometimes that’s when your peak years come. So if a player does get here at 21, 22, it’s probably unrealistic to expect him to be in his peak years. There are a few exceptions, maybe Albert Pujols and guys like that, but they’re Hall of Fame players.
One thing I do believe, if you look back at the history of our drafts, our young players have probably gotten to the Major Leagues every bit as quick as their older college counterparts in the same drafts.
BK: So you look at it and hope it’s four seasons or so before he’s ready to help out?
White: My goal, on the optimistic side, is for a guy to be able to help and contribute to the big league club in three years. Realistically, it’s five. I know people don’t like to hear it sometimes, but a kid might get there in three years, but it might be six or seven years before he’s really a big-time contributor on the roster.
I LOVE LOGAN WHITE! (that was me, not BK, haha)
and with logan white’s last statement, i know that he is not ready to give up on any of our “kids” and trusts that they still need more time but that they can still be stars. so i’m going to believe he’s the voice whispering to mccourt not to give up the future and to practice a bit more patience unless the deal is too good to pass up. although that won’t happen, because our guys have too much upside to get equal value in return..
Thanks Sara – great read.
And Logan White’s not GM because…?
Great points too of waiting for the players to develop to their potential.
Garvey: First up at 20, breakout season (MVP) at 25
Lopes: First up at 27, 6th in ROY at 28 (note the age)
Russell: First up at 20, A-S at 25
Cey: First up at 23, 6th in ROY at 25
Yeager: First up at 23, full-time catcher at 26
Loney: First up at 22, 6th in ROY at 23
Ethier: First up at 24, 5th in ROY same year
Kemp: First up at 21, ???
Martin: first up at 23, 9th ROY at 23, SS & A-S at 24
LaRoche: First up at 23, ???
I could be wrong, but I think we may have some winners here.
So, I’m going to guess we’re going to win tonights game…. D-Backs up 10-2 over the phils right now…. We always win when they win, and lose when they lose…
C’mon E. What the h*ll are you thinking?! Why in the f*ck would we want to be patient with players that are 22-24 years old and have tremendous upside. We’re being patient with the PVLs and the players that are way past their prime that were supposed to bridge the gap until the young guys reach their prime. Because the old guys and PVLs have failed miserably, now it is OK to put the burden on the young guys and expect them to mature as players before it is natural. Geez E!! LOL!!! Ned got the guys to keep us competitive while the kids grow and now that they can’t get the job done, it’s the kids fault they aren’t 26-28 and already in their prime. What total hypocrisy!!!
As I see it, most of the kids are ahead of schedule.
Ned needs to be held accountable for saddling us with all the wrong PVL’s while the youth movement is progressing. Count the millions down the tube, Frank, then kick some a**, Ned’s a** right out of LA. Just point him north.
FIRE NED NOW , if not sooner!!!
“I know people don’t like to hear it sometimes, but a kid might get there in three years, but it might be six or seven years before he’s really a big-time contributor on the roster.”
I know Ned and Frank don’t like to hear it………..
LW for GM in 09
sara – great read! It’s sooooooooooo refreshing to hear someone from the Dodgers management sticking up for the youngsters. Of course it would be Logan that’s sticking up for our young players! It seems like Frank listened to Logan regarding the “potential” CC deal.
jungar, I don’t want to wait for 2009 to have Logan as GM! Frank, fire Ned now!
this is a great article
http://www.latimes.com/sports/baseball/mlb/dodgers/la-sp-plaschke11-2008jul11,0,287591.column
I don’t advocate any big trades to get us to the World Series this year. (Just a minor one involving far-off or middling prospects for Jack Wilson. Sorry folks, I guess I have a mancrush.)
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But unlike perhaps more realistic ITDers, I do believe that this team has a chance to make a great post-season run. We all know that the ’88 World Champions were a team of destiny moreso than the best team in the majors that year. This Dodgers team is probably not the best team in the majors either, but that doesn’t mean there’s no hope. Admittedly that chance hinges on a very unlikely factor — Torre recognizing and emphasizing his best players.
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I would agree with the powers-that-be that as a group the kids have slighlty underperformed this year (mostly due to their misuse, mistreatment and miscoaching by the powers-that-be). And by “underperformed” I mean that I expected James Loney to be hitting around .330 and Matt Kemp to have 15-20 HRs at this point. At the same time the kids have neverthless played pretty well.
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Unfortunately E’s predicted August lineup (at 9:17 a.m. of this thread) is probably spot on.
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But being a fool for my Dodgers I’m sure I will hold out hope far beyond the time when such hope surpasses reality, maybe even sanity.
mlk – don’t apologize for having a mancrush on Jack Wilson! I don’t know for sure, but I would venture to guess that most guys who love sports have had a mancrush at one time or another… 🙂
I’ve said it before, I’m an eternal optimist but I am also a realist. I would LOVE for the Dodgers to get to the playoffs (which I think will still happen) and for them not to get knocked off in the first round. I would say that we would be playing the Cubs in the first round – that would be no small task! It’d be a very big task! But stranger things have happened. If by some way we got thru the first round (no matter who we face) that would be great but I still don’t think that we have everything in place to make a run deeper in the playoffs.
Bobby Murcer, once touted as the “next Mickey Mantle”, passed away today at age 62 of brain cancer. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/sports/AP-BBO-Obit-Murcer.html?ref=sports
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I hate it when people die too young. Although not exactly a teenager, at 62 there was still so much more life for Bobby Murcer to experience.
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Condolences to the Murcer family and to the Yankee family.
Very true ML. Very sad indeed. Prayers and condolences to the Murcer family. Darn good ballplayer and class act.
mlk – very sad to hear. My prayers and condolences are also with the Murcer family…
aw nuts… The snakes just beat Philly 10 – 4…
New thread gang.
Thank you for the auspicious writeup. It actually used to be a leisure account it. Look advanced to far brought agreeable from you! However, how can we keep up a correspondence?