What can I really say?
Yesterday was an insane day from start to finish and we expect more of the same for today. At some point I’ll try to post a little more about all that went on yesterday, but right now I’ve got to clear through the endless emails and phone calls that have come into our department.
But, at the very least, you’ve got a new thread to comment.
Inside the Dodgers 
Well said Amy. Agreed. I’d also like to thank you and commend you for your comment to the contrary poster yesterday afternoon/evening. I thought it was great when you asked the person not to make mean comments on the blog. It amazes me that people seem to feel like they need to come on here and editorialize or put down the way we chat or express our opinions. Hey, if you don’t like the way we chat, go somewhere else. Plenty of blogs out there. Spend your time more creatively finding one you like. Besides, what makes you think we really care what you think about our conversation and comments.
Go Kersh, Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks Josh, you’re doing a great job and we appreciate your efforts and the Dodgers for giving us this blog and outlet.
Jim Rome loves this trade too. I just had an epic email read on it.
I sent this:
Dear Jim,
We hate this trade.
Sincerely,
AndrUw Jones and Juan Pierre
lol
well said jhall!
Merci Acar.. I get a kick out of Jim Rome. He’s a straight shooter. He has a take, and it doesn’t suck.
LOL… Way2go, SCurtis! I really hope we see a starting OF of ManRam (LF), Bison (CF) and Dre (RF).
LOL!! It is the only sensible thing to do Obi.
That’s what scares me, jhall.
obi- i think A LOT of us would LOVE to see that in the OF tonight!! or i should say EVERY NIGHT!! haha
From KCAL-9
Tonight’s schedule programs, “Juan Pierre, Dugout Cheerleader” and “What Now, Curacao Cow? will not be seen so as to bring you a live telecast of a Dodger home game with an Outfield that doesn’t suck.
scurtis, I know you must love this trade because I think you have been calling for a bat. And now we’re both happy with Kemp and Ethier not traded to boot! I hope your email to Romey rings true or it will be like someone giving me an ice cream cone and then kicking me in the nuts.
lol obi!
Nomar has Manny’s back:
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-shaikin1-2008aug01,0,4706958.story
LMAO Obi!!!!
Gee dad, your fearless!!!
LOL obi!!
well guys and gals if Torre sticks with that OF then maybe we can think about changing his nickname to “Sensible Joe” instead of “Clueless Joe”
man that was like deja vu between Andre making that great throw to get the last out at the plate and then Andre getting thrown out at the plate last night!!
i still cant believe bowa had him run on that when russell was coming up!! bad move (one of many)
How does it feel to be a Dback fan?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGIVlwsLNHo
Being replaced by a 18 million a year CF only then to be replaced by a 20 million LF is something JP will tell the grandkids about.
eric- LMAO!!!!!
I bet tonights outfield is Man Ram, Druw and Kemp with a lefty on the mound, and that left being the big unit. No way Dre or JP starts.
When righties, throw, it should be Man ram, Kemp, and Dre with JP pinch running late and Druw coming in for defense late.
Any thoughts?
Holy Cow Ward!!! LOL!!!
It was actually a pretty good episode of “Juan Pierre, Dugout Cheerleader” it’s the one where Juan catches a ball in leftfield corner, and goes to high five a Dodger fan. But instead of a high five, the fan slaps Juan in the face, snatches the ball from his glove and throws it on a fly to Jeff Kent at second base to double up the runner.
Your probably right Scurt. LOL Obi!!!
obi- LOL!!!!
scurtis- yeah as much as we would all LOVE to see a starting OF of Matty, Dre, and ManRam… your probly right.
sCurtis, I agree with your lineup when righties throw. I’d like to see Dre in the lineup regardless, unless his numbers against a particular pitcher is just atrocious. IMO, he’s the type of hitter who can and will make adjustments, unlike JP or Druw I can’t find the stats of what Druw and/or Dre are batting against Randy Johnson this year or in their career. Anyone know? Not that Joe goes by stats, we know he’s more about “feel” -lol
did anybody get to watch Andre’s “before the bigs” last night?
just got back- I was in a meeting.
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Jhall- Like I said before- I got your back! I’ve got all your backs. In some strange way we are like a family. Hack- we’ve even got an assigned mother and father on this blog. People are strange like that sometimes. We know who the good people are 🙂
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Thank you for the new thread Josh. Has anyone here told you that we’ve had issues posting this week. Hours would go by before we could post anything. Maybe some IT person can look into it. Thanks!
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2 games to go, let’s get back into first. Welcome Manny!!!
Acardona- I saw the second half of it. He is such a beautiful man. I loved how he’s never given up on his dream. You can really see what a hard working, genuine man he is.
It was a great episode:)
amy- i know!! he really fought for it too!! i’ll admit i teared up when he started talking about when his grandpa died! so sad!! he’s such a cutie pie though!! to bad he’s married.. haha!!
Hey obi, is there any case where you would say to yourself that Pierre or Jones is a better option than Ethier? Especially when you add in his defense.
I agree that I should definitely be in the starting lineup with my ******** .182 average and 1 hr vs lefties.
Andre is only hitting .193 with 3 hr. And Juan is only hitting a feeble .372.
I need a samwich.
-Andruw
i don’t understand how W-H-O-P-P -I-N-G is considered a swear word.
-Andruw Bleeping Jones
Acardona- it was a sad moment. Man, he really has love for his city. What team did his grampa play for? Did he ever make it in the bigs? because my dad and I tried to look him up in the baseball almanac and he there was no Ethier in there. Hmm.. what do you know?
Scott, I think the one redeemable quality about Jones’ play with the Dodgers so far has been his defense. But on a consistent basis, I’d have to go with having Dre in the lineup and playing him in RF with Kemp in CF and Manny in LF or if the situation dictates, playing him in LF with Druw in CF and Kemp in RF. I’m not being mean spirited, I just want to play the best players we have, so I can’t see Juan Pierre starting any games with those guys ahead of him. As others have said, I see his role as a pinch runner. At least with Jones if you bring him in to PH in the late innings, he’s at least a threat to hit a HR or Double and you don’t lose anything with him as a late inning defensive replacement. you can’t say the same for Juan. And I ‘m also of the opinion that Delwyn Young is better than JP and DY deserves more playing time, so that really works against Juan. What do you think?
obi, I totally 1000% agree with you. If Pierre starts and Ethier isn’t sick that day, Torre is the biggest fool of all time and the Dodgers will blow any chance of winning the division.
amy- i forgot what team he said his grandpa played for but he did say he was in the bigs for a few years.. man now it’s gunna bug me.. haha i have it recorded on my TV so i’ll have to watch it again and see..
You guys think Furcal or Saito will be able to comeback this year? I am gonna say no on Furcal and maybe on Saito.
scurtis- i would say yes to both! i dont want to say no and jinx it.. haha!!
Craig (PA): As a Dodger fan i hope for an outfield of Ethier, Kemp and Manny. Am i going to be stuck with Jones, Pierre and Manny while the other young guns ride the pine?
SportsNation Keith Law: (2:07 PM ET ) I don’t think they’re enthusiastic about Jones, but Pierre will probably get way more playing time than he deserves. Every day that it’s not Ethier-Kemp-Ramirez is a wasted opportunity for LA.
Craig (PA): As a Dodger fan i hope for an outfield of Ethier, Kemp and Manny. Am i going to be stuck with Jones, Pierre and Manny while the other young guns ride the pine?
SportsNation Keith Law: (2:07 PM ET ) I don’t think they’re enthusiastic about Jones, but Pierre will probably get way more playing time than he deserves. Every day that it’s not Ethier-Kemp-Ramirez is a wasted opportunity for LA.
Got to run, Guys and Girls of the ITD crew, i just received a call from a friend who runs a barber shop and he swears a guy fitting Juan Pierre’s description just came in his shop asking for a set of dreadlock hair extensions and wanting to buy a set of blue doo rags with the Dodger logo! Said he need it by tonight! I wonder what’s up!? I’m off to investigate with my digital camera in hand! I ‘ll see you here later 2night
GO KERSHAW!
GO MANRAM
GO BISON
GO LONEY ETHIER MARTIN
GO DODGERS! GO DODGERS!
SARA, PLEASE COME BACK!!!! SARA. PLEASE COME BACK!!!! SARA, PLEASE COME BACK!!!! SARA. PLEASE COME BACK!!!! SARA, PLEASE COME BACK!!!! SARA. PLEASE COME BACK!!!!
scott- that’s a great quote. and what makes it better is that we all agree on that situation. I am going to have faith that things will work out and will be fair for everyone. Jones has been the ‘4th out fielder’ for the past few weeks. Why would we think this is going to change just cause manny’s here? And also, I’m ok with having Jones and Pierre as back up, just as Matt and Dre get the most starts and playing time. I am also ok with the 7th inning OF switch out. If that’s gonna solve t he problem, then so be it.
I’m all for the Dodgers, but when I opened my L.A. Times this morning there was Manny’s giant mug top center of the FRONT PAGE. Heck, they didn’t do that when Pierre and Jones signed???!?!? Anyway, page 8 talked about finding water on Mars. So, the real question is: which is more profound? Water on Mars or Manny on deck? As for me, I’m jealous of samjones1121, who blogged that he got the news in Amsterdam (one of my favorite cities). I’d just as soon see the headline “kpookiemon on the Leidseplein.”
LMAO obi!!!
amy, unless the Dodgers are ahead 12-0 in the 7th, there isn’t going to be any switchout of Manny and Kemp and Ethier are young studs who can play defense, so who comes out? Answer: Jones and Pierre are pinch hitters/runners or there is a very dumb person wearing #6 in the Dodgers dugout.
amy well said!
u never know. Maybe we will be in the position to switch out in the 7th. Hey, I don’t want it, but if it solves the situation…
It’s been working for our team of late, heck, we’ve even been winning when we s/o in the 7th or 8th.
It’s not a perfect situation, but it’s better than sitting the starters.
Well they can only play JP or Manny in LF, the other 3 guys could play all three spots. Pierre gets screwed the most.
http://tinyurl.com/5owsan
But when he awakened yesterday in Malibu, Calif., having flown back from Boston the night before, McCourt expected a quiet morning on the beach. Several days earlier, the Dodgers had rejected a deal proposed by Sox general manager Theo Epstein that would have cost LA Andre Ethier, a blossoming young outfielder neither McCourt nor GM Ned Colletti was prepared to give up.
I dont mind in the late inning, Bottom 9 with a lead on the road, Top 9 lead at home to take out Manny and put Jones in Cf and move Ethier to left Bison to right, that would be the smart thing to do, maybe even make the move in the 8th if Manrams spot is not due up. Like a Jones pinch hitting and stays in CF kinda thing.
I would be happy with the starting OF being Andre (especially) Matty, and ManRam THEN have Jones come out for late in the game DF cause thats one thing Andruw is good at but juan should only come out as a pinch runner.. but like some people have said before joe is a little screwy in the head so who knows what will happen…
spanky- i agree!
It really seems like NEd will not trade Kemp or Ethier and he said the only reasonable thing would be a corresponding move, maybe we could ship Pierre down south for Maddux when he clears waivers.
haha practically the same post at the same time Acardona. And that will also conserve Manny 36 y/o legs.
jungar- thank God for that!!! man if we lost Andre!!!…. that would be terrible!
absolutely, spanky
Do you think Manny will struggle hitting in Dodger Stadium where the air is about as thick as anywhere and the ball does not carry very well? I mean hes got a short porch in Left in Boston, but also a lot of line drives off the wall for singles/doubles might get out now, so I guess we will just see how it goes. If he does well I hope Mcourt is willing to give him a 3 or 4 year deal for 75-100 mil. Los Angeles deserves a superstar.
Laroche just had a seeing eye single for the Pirates. Andy that is. lol
spanky- good point.. but like you said we’ll just have to wait and see.. lets just pray he isn’t a HUGE disappointment like fatty jones.. oops i mean crappy jones… OOPS i mean ANDRUW jones.. haha (which i dont think he will)
Im happy for Laroche it really seemed like he fell out of the plans which happens sometimes so good for him to get a new venue, I hope he does well in pitsburgh, and honestly we are fine without him so it is a win win.
although if he does disappoint, which I also dont think he will, we have the safety net of keeping btoh Ethier and Kemp and we can just say goodbye to him after this year.
yup very true!!
The Dodgers don’t need to “switch out” anyone late in the game. I don’t care about their “feelings” one bit. I only care about winning and if they don’t then I say “Sayonara!”
Should I go to the doctor, I had a 4 hour erection after hearing about that trade yesterday? LOL jk
alright i gatta go.. i’ll be back on later..
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amy- if i find out who andre’s gampa played for i’ll let you know!
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talk to you all later
GO ANDRE, MATT
GO KERSHAW, RUSSEL
GO DODGERS!!! welcome ManRam
I haven’t seen anyone post this yet:
“He also presents a problem in finding playing time for an outfield that now has Matt Kemp, Juan Pierre, Andre Ethier, Jones and Ramirez. Colletti said a move was likely.”
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080731&content_id=3234316&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb
Jones to A Inland Empire
lol
eric, the Dodgers haven’t announced any roster moves yet, so we’ll see. I’m guessing it will be Troncoso, Wade or Falkenburg sent down. Trading Pierre to the Pads for Maddux would be euphoric.
a waiver trade of an outfielder would be nice. I think we need the 12 pitchers.
a waiver trade of an outfielder would be nice.
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how does that work?
put the player on waivers. Trade then before they clear or they are a free agent.
Good afternoon ITD writers and readers!
Coming to you live and on the road to LA.
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Thanks for all the entertaining reading. It makes the drive fun! Special kudos goes to Obi, jhall and eric for being especially entertaining. We are still laughing at some of them. LOL!!!
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Amy/acardona ~ If you are trying to make me (Nelly) jealous about not seeing Andre on “Before the Bigs”, you thoroughly suceeded.
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We will check in later this afternoon ~ Have a FABULOUS day! GO DODGERS!!
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***Nelly and TruBlue44***
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eric/jhall/ enchanted (I don’t see him) ~ feel free to explain 🙂
Pierre on SD would come back and haunt us somehow lol
I have been so busy with auditors I have not posted in here for a while.
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Went last Saturday to see Kent at Northridge. I got there 1/2 hour before the start time and the place already had a long line. Actually two lines, one with the required purchase and one without one. the time went fast talking with these two ladies in back of me that have season tickets in the Field level. I had sent my bro to buy something for him (early bday present I told him). He said while he was looking for something, Jeff was coming down the escalator and patted him in the back saying “Hey buddy”.
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Next thing I know it was my turn and Jeff says to me “There you are” I was like Wow! he remembers me! I had talked to him in Vero Beach. He then said “I am sorry, what is your name?”. lol. i told him that I was glad that they had changed the scoring on the night before’s game from an error to a hit. He said something like “I would have rather gotten the hit with the bases loaded” Then he said “I’ve been having some tough luck lately”. to which I tod him to stop hitting the ball to the 3rd baseman. He then extended his hand saying “Hey maybe you can bring me good luck”. Lol. I wished the best of luck then I asked him if it was going to be possible to have the Women baseball clinic this year. He said “Didn’t you hear?” “Is on for 8/16”. I told him I will tell all my friends and left with my baseball signed. I did not want to take any more time. I was afraid someone would say “hey lady, you are taking too long”. lol.
Dnel,
Two years ago when Andre was at Earl Schibe (sp?) with Russell my friend arrived just a few minutes before the guys arrived but we know how popular they have gotten now. Last year one hour before the schedule time was enough so I don’t know about this time.
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I got Kirk Gibson’s autograph yesterday! That was so nice of him to take time and come to sign autographs.
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I got interviewed by channel 5 yesterday. They wanted to ask me about the Manny trade. 4 people on the Metrolink train told me they saw on TV. I also got interviewed by Tim_the nice gentleman doing the documentary on the Dodgers 50 year anniversary. He interviewed a few of us before and we invited him to the last Dodger Booster club. meeting.
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For the ladies that want to go to the Women’s baseball clinic, it will be on 8/16. This time it will include lunch with a question and answer with Mattingly. -Emma
Rumor on espn radio LA is that Manny has cut his hair already.
Scott ~ We are so sorry to exclude you from our LOL!!! session. Your “ice cream and nuts” comment still has us LOAO!!!! ( first “O” = Our)
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***Nelly and TruBlue44***
Pretty cool, Emma. Also, are you ever going to let up on your hold of first place in our fantasy league?
drive safely, nelly!
Enjoy your trip DNEL and TruBlue44.
I hope everything will work out when you meet Mr. Ethier. You have to tell me all about it. I won’t be going. I am way to tired and want to sleep in past noon tomorrow. Besides, hopefully I can meet Andre some other time. AND, I hope Matthew comes out for one of these meet n greets one day!
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This is going to be a fun weekend with out new out fielder. I am glad I will be there on Sunday.
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Emma/Crzblu- Thank you for sharing. I am happy to know how involved you are with the club and care so much about our team. But you do make us all a little jealous. lol.
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GO Dodgers! Let’s Go Kershaw!
For all the enthusiasm over the Manny trade, here are some thoughts that may be more of the real world:
The Boston Globe and Providence Journal both reported on Friday that Epstein had taken an informal poll of veteran players following Wednesday’s disheartening loss to the Angels and the overwhelming sentiment was that Ramirez needed to be traded if at all possible.
http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080801&content_id=3235661&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb
Losing buyers:
Dodgers: Is Manny Ramirez still a great hitter? Sure. But he’s also in decline. He’s definitely not the hitter he once was, even two years ago. But Ramirez isn’t the problem here — it’s what the Dodgers gave up, and whose at-bats Ramirez will take. The Dodgers have already marginalized their two truly unproductive outfielders, Juan Pierre and Andruw Jones. If that’s the case, Ramirez may eat into the playing time of Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier, and it’s not all that clear that he’s a drastic upgrade over Ethier, or even a noticeable upgrade over Kemp. Throw in the fact that Andy LaRoche is a very promising young player, and the Dodgers are going to have to play deep into October for this one to look good.
http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080731&content_id=3232783&vkey=trade2008&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb
redfox, I’m just praying for the right lineup or Pierre’s butt to be traded or DL’d. I don’t trust Joe “I love Pierre” Torre.
just stopping in for a moment.. here is an interesting read.. i know that this is a joke of a website most of the time.. but i actually think his take on colletti is worth reading..
Without a plan, Ned gets his Man
http://www.dodgerblues.com/content/news.html
Good news for LaRoche:
CHICAGO — On Thursday, Pirates general manager Neal Huntington expressed uncertainty as to how playing time at third base would be divided between incumbent Jose Bautista and newcomer Andy LaRoche. It would be a decision that he and manager John Russell would have to discuss, Huntington said.
Apparently, the two didn’t need long to make up their minds.
“Right now, LaRoche is our third baseman,” Russell said before Friday’s game. “We’re going to see what he can do at third. We want to give him every opportunity to play and get comfortable in our system. He’s going to be our third baseman now.”
As for LaRoche, the opportunity to be a starter is something he never got — and wasn’t likely to get anytime soon — with the Dodgers. LaRoche had made just 12 starts at third for L.A. this season, one in which he has been hampered by a thumb injury and blocked by a handful of other third basemen.
As a result, he had been hoping for the opportunity to go elsewhere. The fact that it was to Pittsburgh, where his older brother, Adam, already plays, was an added bonus.
“Nothing against L.A., but I was the utility guy or the one just coming in to pinch-hit,” said LaRoche, who arrived at Wrigley Field less than three hours before game time. “Coming here, I get the chance to be an everyday player. I’ll get the chance to earn a spot and be an everyday player.”
He finally gets the chance that the Dodgers weren’t willing to give him. I, for one, hope he excels and shows the Dodgers how wrong they were.
Scott said:>
lol. Last year I had a confortable lead only to come in second at the end.
Amy, I am jelous of your experience in the dugout level but very happy for you. I hope you can make the Women’s baseball clinic.
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I hope Kershy gets his second win! This matchup kind of remind me of a late season game in 2003 with Edwin Jackson vs. RJ. EJ won that night on his 20th birthday. We went from an euphoric win that night to a debasted loss the following night.
Its my team and i want it now!
Red . your wrong. These young Dodgers may be here for years, but we are one of worst hitting teams in MLB. LaRoache wasn’t even promising. Actually he sucked both on defense and offense. Chances are Blake would beat him out next year, and Dewitt will be at 2nd. We need power and we need it now.
padodgers, What we don’t need is Ramirez taking Ethier’s place instead of Pierre.
PaLaRoache is gonna be a good player. But we need a great hitter right now and we got one right now. We went all in sure Red, I am with ya. But Now let’s see the flop. Even if we loose we still have a heck of alot of chips.
Padodgers, you’re entitled to your opinion. It’s a sign of the culture that we live in. Instant gratification. I want it, and I want it now, with little thought of the consequences or the future. And that has been the Dodgers’ problem in recent years. They have no plan, so what we get is instant gratification responses that are costing millions of dollars (Jones, Schmidt, Pierre) and are not well-thought out acquistions, as well as a waste of young talent for rental players. Seldom does that type of reaction produce the desired results.
LaRoche’s first start: 1 for 4 with a run scored in a 3-0 Pittsburgh victory.
A little over a week ago I ranted on here about how I wasn’t going to a Dodger game due to the price. Well, I’m biting the bullet and going to the game tonight. I maybe have boughten into McCourt’s plan on acquiring Manny to get more butts into the seats but I don’t care. When was the last time we’ve had a hitter this good in our lineup? NEVER! Plus I get to see Kershaw against Big Unit! Can’t ask for much more then that. I’ll be in the Loge section right by third base!
Dnel- sorry for making you jealous about Andre’s “before the bigs” but hey don’t worry we will both get to see him IN PERSON tomorrow!! so you may have missed his before the bigs but (i think we can both agree on this) better to see him in person rather than the TV right? haha i can’t wait!!
anyways have a safe trip Dnelly and trueblu44!!
Crzyblue/ Emma- if we team up, we can be unstoppable!!! I wont be able to make it to the clinic- I will be moving that day! Ugh, I am stressing over it.
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Max_Power- I am glad that you really weren’t sending those mean emails and also that you are going to a game. yea 🙂
Hello friends!
Just wanted to drop in and say hi. I will be at the game tonight. I’m so excited, I could pee my pants!
Lets go Baby Kershaw!!!
Manny, I wanna hear the song tonight! You all know what song I’m talking about!! Manny has 5 homers against Randy…LETS DO THIS!
To losing buyers: Manny Ramirez declining as a hitter? What planet are you from? It’s time for Andruw Jones to go, period. Whether it’s back to the minors to find his swing or on the bench, he should not be played again. The Dodgers should ask for their money back and release Jones. If he won’t go, send him to San Bernardino for the rest of his contract. Andruw Jones is an embarrassment to himself and the Dodgers. Thank the baseball Gods we got MANNY BEING MANNY
Have fun Erica. It should be a great thing to experience. I am glad I at least get to go on Sunday 🙂
Redfox: The message to losing buyers is for you. Oh yeah, Andy Laroche stinks. DeWitt is much more of a ballplayer.
Redfox,
You are right about the give me NOW attitude. I for one am with you and hope LaRoche rakes in Pit, we all know he is a great glove. I do like Manny though and hope the outfield is Manny/Kemp/Ethier otherwise this was a bad publicity stunt.
Good Morning all .. It’s Saturday shopping day in my little part of the world and I have to get “herself” out and back before lunch time so that I can watch Manny’s debut. Before I run off has there been any word on who goes out of the 25 to fit Manny in?
I agree, jnv.
I see the snipers are coming out of the woodwork. Sheesh. I’m hoping for the best, but I’m reserving judgement on “the trade” until we see 1. How JoJo is going to play the rest of the outfield, and 2. How Manny actually does on the field. Annointing the D’s champions of anything I think is a bit premature.
Haven’t heard a thing Rod. Given Ned’s penchant for using the DL as a holding tank, I’d surmize Nomore or Druw goes on with a sudden case of the Mannys.
enchanted, DY is listed on dodgers.com with a done bruise in his shoulder. Probably wouldn’t have gone on the DL without “Knows How To Lead Off” Pierre coming back from the DL early.
Thanks mate .. I’m sure I’ll hear from Vinny at game time.
*bone* bruise, not done bruise, geesh.
DeWitt is 8 for 16 with a triple and two bombs since being sent down. He’s played first base, second base, and third base in the four games. I would love to see them play him at shortstop but with Hu doing so well there I don’t see it happening. Hu is hitting .352 but in 161 at bats combined he still hasn’t homered. Last year Hu hit 16 HR in 536 ab.
I thought DY was on the DL for his Oblique???
jnv, that’s waht I thought as well, but here it is:
http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/team/injuries.jsp?c_id=la
I thought DY was on the DL because he was told to be .. BUT that might just be upside down Aussie thinking.
Hey folks, the testing is done!! I went to Sacramento to take the Bar — not to avoid the earthquake, but to avoid other stressors.
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I’ll have to wait 3 1/2 months to know for sure — but I’m pretty confident I passed.
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Then I walked thru “midtown” Sacramento and a waiter standing on the street waiting for the dinner business to start congratulated me on my team having acquired Manny. My immediate reaction was that my worst fears had come to be — that Matt Kemp was now a Red Sox (ck?). I asked the guy who the Dodgers had traded away and he said “Jason Bay”. Well, I had to suffer through about fifteen minutes of uncertainty before I learned the whole story.
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It’ll take some time — maybe as much as five years — to see how this all pans out, but right now I’m pleased with the move. Manny is a two-month Dodger, a HOFer on the backside of his career. Not the absolute beast he once was, but still an outstanding hitter. As leekfink has said, if JoJo uses him properly he will be a major improvement to our team.
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As it so happens, my uncle had long ago planned to take me to this ballgame. So not only will I get to see Manny Being a Dodger in his first game, I get to see Clayton v. Randy Johnson.
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Andy at least gets to go play with his brother, so that works out pretty well for him. Plus he finally gets his shot at a full-time starter. Good Luck , Andy!
Congrats martinloneykemp!!! My dad passed the bar in RI, then moved to CA and had to take the CA bar. Good luck! Good to know you survived at least.
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Yea. The Manny thing will give us a good 2 or 3 months of baseball. And our KEMP is still with us. Thank goodness on that!
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Have fun tonight. I can’t wait to watch it on TV!! Good luck boys!
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Best of luck, MLK!
Since you’re going to be at the game tonight, can you throw a tomato at Joe Torre if Juan Pierre is leading off in CF?
Thanks, Amy.
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I don’t know where we’re sitting, but as an uncoordinated 45-year-old my arm is only slightly better than Juan’s. I don’t know if I can reach him.
MLK, what kind of law are you going to practice after you pass the bar? Seriously congrats on getting thru it.
Rod- You hit the nail on the head!!! very good one.
Way to go ML!! And have a great time tonight!! Dnel will be at the game too – maybe youl’ll run into each other singing the Loney song!! It’d be hilarious if you happened to be in the same section.
Way to go, MLK! We’re all pulling for you! BTW, use a lemon rather than a tomato. It’s not only less likely to break in your hand, but it sends a symbolic message as well.
If you feel the need, the Manny press conference is available here and right about NOW!
http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=la
I have to laugh when bloggers rant about the wasted money (Pierre/Jones) or the loss of our future 3rd baseman (LaRoche). First, it’s not my money…or your, it’s McCourt’s…and he’d raise food, parking, and ticket prices even if he were fielding an amateur team playing for Cheetos. As for LaRoche, give me DeWitt ten times out of nine over LaRoche. I feel Logan White knows a bit more about ability than anyone in L.A. and believe me, it was probably White running interferrence on who stays and who goes–not Ned. DeWitt is a great hitter and a smart player. Look for him at third base Opening Day 2009. As for Manny being on the downside of his career? Some fans will never be happy. Anyone who watched that line-up flail away last night will thank his/her lucky stars Manny is here. I, for one, don’t feel the Dodgers are a lock for anything come playoff time; they may not even pass the D-Backs. But it will be fun watching Manny for two months…on the Red Sox’ dime.
Enchanted, we are champions, or pretty close. Champions of money wasting on Dreifort, Schmidt, Jones, etc. 🙂
Wow, what excitement over this trade. I hope we are not expecting too much but this should be fun, espcially tonight which had enough going for it already with the D’Backs and Dodgers fighting for the division, the matchup between Randy Johnson and the newcomer, Clayton Kershaw, a give away of cooler bags and now Manny. To those of you going to the game, have a great time, catch a foul ball and cheer for the rest of us.
I saw the game Kershaw pitched last Sunday and he looked confident and he acts like he believes he belongs in the big leagues. The atmosphere will be a lot different tonight as will the opponent. This is a big game for him and the Dodgers no matter how you look at it.
I’d have to say Peru, that Ned is the undisputed heavyweight champ of that.
There was a time when Colletti said that character was a very important part of player transactions. But when you can get a hitter like Manny, character is willingly sacrificed by him and most other people. Manny sure is an excellent role model for our young talent. Few people are more greedy and self-centered than he is. His $168 million contract wasn’t enough for him, so he created so much turmoil that the Red Sox had to get rid of him and void the remaining two club option years of $20 million/year because Manny wants and thinks he can get one more contract for $100 million for 4 years. He probably had some prompting by Scott Boras (ala J. D. Drew). In any event, he was willing to put himself above his team mates, the ball club, and the fans to get what he wants for himself. But who cares? As long as the Dodgers get all the publicity from his signing and Manny hits some HRs and gets people to the ballpark, character is no longer important. And most of you seem to agree and welcome Manny as a hero. But that’s also a product of our culture today. Thankfully, not everyone and every team shares that view. Winning is important, but it’s not everything. In any event, Peter Gammons’ comments are worth reading:
“That is what’s so sad about the way the Red Sox had to spend $7 million, and trade two very good young players named Brandon Moss and Craig Hansen, to be able to trade Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers so they could get Jason Bay from the Pirates. But the way the past month had gone, there was no chance — none, zilch, nada — that Boston could make the playoffs with Ramirez on the team. In his mind, he had completed his obligation for the guaranteed $168 million the Red Sox paid him, and he was waiting to go on the market and collect the $100 million over the next four seasons he believes he is going to get, which would pay him through the age of 40.
He insulted ownership and everyone in authority, and one player who really cares for Ramirez said he knew Ramirez could sit the last two months, collect his final $7 million and ride off into the $100 million sunset. The Red Sox knew that, as well. They already had threatened him with an unpaid suspension, but in a world in which the union fights for those who don’t work, the last two months were going to be a living hell of sit-down strikes, followed by suspensions. It would have been a half-season of what the past two weeks have been, namely a choke hold on the team’s baseball culture.”
Well, Manny says he’s wearing #99. Perfect.
Im worried about The Shaw tonight pitching tonight in a big game. Any thoughts?
btw lol at Man Ram #99
Is there anyone crazy enough out there to give Manny a 4 year, $100 million deal?
While I agree with most everyone that Jones is a MAJOR disappointment, I do not agree with dissing Juan Pierre. Personally, I like the guy! His work ethic is unquestioned, and all he does is exactly what he is supposed to do: get on base and steal. He does that pretty consistently. And incidentally, last I looked his BA was higher than Andre’s.
That being said, I agree that the best outfield combo will be Manny-Matty-Dre. And I firmly believe JP will be the odd man out as long as Manny is in the lineup. Manny can only play left. JP can only play left. He won’t play center as he’s not as capable there as either Jones or Matty. And he can’t play right with no arm. So I think we’ll see two different combos for the most part: Manny-Matty-Dre and Manny-Druw-Matty. I certainly hope the first is the most prevalent!
Peter Gammons is the poster child for Red Sox nation. Naturally he’s down on Manny. Is Ramirez a Boy Scout? Hell no. But if you’re looking for ethical morality, American sports is probably a bad place to start your search. Ramirez, for me, is no hero. Simply a guy who plays baseball better than 99.999% of the people on the planet and wants his cash. He’s no different than Sheffield or J.D. Drew or any other Dodger hero…even Koufax and Drysdale in their day.
Well said Redfox, but you know this deal wasn’t for anything more than to try and save his (Coletti) job.
I think Pierre will still get some starts, most likely in center, in a partial platoon with Ethier… thats my guess… on those days Kemp will play right…
I dont really expect Jones to play much from here on out…
Well,we made it!!!! Manny, Manny, Manny ~that’s all we heard the whole trip.
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MLK- FABULOUS JOB!!!!!!!!! Have fun at the game, and I will will be there too ready to sing the James Loney Song. It’s going to be a wild night just by what they have been saying on the radio.
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Any lineup yet?
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Amy – I still want to see Andre’s “Before the Bigs” – 🙂 Too many good stories coming from it, and it sounds really good.
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Great posts by all !!!~ Thanks for making the 2nd half of the trip just as entertaining!!
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GO DODGERS!!!!!
redfox, I have to admit that I’m somewhat conflicted here. I don’t see Manny or any player as a ‘hero’. I did as a kid, but way too many of them showed that they had feet of clay. But I am looking forward to having him here, and I’m not upset at all. I wonder why? I know damned good and well that I would be a lot more upset than sara if it was Bonds that was taking the field tonight, and I’m wondering just how much of a hypocrite I am.
Nothing that Peter Gammons says is going to be too influencial to me. He’s a Red Sox homer. Of course he’s upset about it. He has an agenda, and there’s nothing quite as dangerous as a writer or broadcaster with an agenda who is purporting to be a reporter of the news.
Some of the ‘Manny being Manny’ moments are just fine with me. For example, I don’t understand what the big deal was with the high-five during the game incident. He never broke stride to do that. I have trouble with him pushing that 62-year-old guy, though. I don’t care what the reason or provocation, there are just some things you don’t do. And I don’t think dogging it down the line to make a point flies too well either. Make your case for your off-the-field issues off-the-field. Between the lines is where your teammates make their money, and it’s supposed to be sacred. That was always one of the biggest problems I had when the Dodgers got Sheffield.
So why do I have such a problem with Bonds and not Manny? Because Bonds was a Giant? Possibly. But I didn’t care for him much when he was in Pittsburgh either. Steriods? Nah, I hated him before that issue ever came to light. Bad press? Could be. Although the press showed us the Bad Manny, they also showed us enough of the playful Manny to be able to accept Bad Manny. There has never been much of Good Barry to report. At least not that I have seen. Nasty, hard to approach, sets himself apart from his teammates, tax evasion, steroids. I know someone who was trying to work on his house here in Murrieta. He had to gather up his tools and leave because Bonds was telling him how to do his job. And I can personally guarantee that Bonds has never done what this man was trying to do. Notice that I’m not mentioning 756 as a reason to hate him. I don’t much care about him breaking that record. They’re all meant to be broken. I’ll admit that I didn’t like Aaron’s record to go down, but that’s sports.
Anyway, why am I accepting Manny as a Dodger when I know I was very upset about JD Drew leaving the way he did? Why was I was so upset about trading for Sheffield and not Manny when they both acted the same way to get traded? And I know I’d be screaming bloody freaking murder about Bonds.
I think it’s because I’ve thought that Manny isn’t a bad guy, he’s just a big kid who occasionally makes the wrong choice. Shaquille O’Neal is like that. At least that’s been my impression of him. Normally I take the moral high road with these guys and hold them to a higher accountability. I guess Manny is going to have to prove to me that he doesn’t deserve my respect.
OK, this one is long enough. I’m heading home to watch the game.
Torre, you better start the right outfield, and I don’t care which side the pitcher throws from. Otherwise, as Bugs Bunny said, “Of course you know, this means war.”
Go Dodgers!!! Let’s get the remaining 3 games of this set and send AZ out of town in second place!!!
Dodger Thoughts has lineup – Jones not Ethier 😦
We saw that coming with the lefty pitcher.
I am going to remain hopefully that Andre will get in the game tonight. GO DODGERS!!!!
So much for hoping that Torre would put the best 3 outfielders on the field, meaning Manny, Kemp and Ethier. I was at the game last night and Jones looked as sorry at the plate as he has all season and still doesn’t care enough to slam his bat or helmet down once in a while, or at least cuss on his way back to the dugout. Pierre may be a hard worker, but he can barely throw the ball above the second level when he throws it into the stands between innings and he has zero power. Speed is all he has. Hopefully, Manny will see what the deal is soon and speak up about it behind the scenes. Everyone sitting near us was in agreement that the outfield should be Manny, Kemp and Ethier. It seems most of the media is in agreement with that opinion too.
Tonight’s lineup:
Kemp, RF
Blake, 3B
Martin, C
Ramirez, LF
Kent, 2B
Loney, 1B
Jones, CF
Berroa, SS
Kershaw, LHP
The Tony Jackson blog has info on JP becoming the new starting CF and Ethier moving to the bench. http://www.insidesocal.com/dodgers/2008/08/nomar-to-dl-eth.html
:p
Joe Torrie justifies the move tonight on Torrie’s Whories.
“Although Juan Pierre is on the bench tonight against Randy Johnson, Torre said JP will likely become the primary CF now, with Matt Kemp moving to RF. That means Andre Ethier effectively joins Andruw Jones as backup OFs, although Torre was quick to qualify that by saying everyone is going to get enough playing time to stay sharp.”
back up outfielder andre ethier.. the lunacy officially begins..
I can’t spell. That is why my name is spelled Andruw.
What a freaking joke.
dnelly, where is Dodger thoughts located at?
how can anyone who understands baseball want juan pierre and “he who shall remain nameless” in the same outfield the majority of the time. BS i say.
Hey Sara: Jinx!
I guess its just Joe being Joe.
DR. DRE feat EMINEM
“FORGOT ABOUT DRE”
[CHORUS x 2]
“Nowadays JoeTorre wanna talk like he got somethin to say
but nothin comes out when he moves his lips;
just a bunch of gibberish
And the manasucker acts like he forgot about Dre”
Whats up gang? Manny in LA, what a day! And we gave up only Laroche and a promising young pitcher. I saw Morris in person in June and he was 94-97 all night, but if you can get Manny who cares?
I have seen alot of posts that question the move, but how can you not take him if you do not have to pay him!!! We need his bat in the lineup. We will have a 4th place hitter that people actually are scared of….Hopefully Kent will wake up, although he has been hitting the ball hard right at people…Everyone should be excited, we have a legit power hitter..
As for Mannys attitude…it does not matter how much you make if you are not happy you will not perform up to your ability!!! He wanted out, right or wrong, he will be motivated to secure another contract and to prove the Red Sox wrong. As for the vote by the vets on the team, not surprising, he was being a distraction to get out of town. I feel pretty confident that he will not be an issue here and from what DLow says he is a great teammate. I think he will help Kemp with the way he approaches at bats and his film habits….
Go Manny and Kersh!!!!
A few extra bases on his weak arm and Torre will rethink the idea. Torre has not seen much of Pierre in CF.
we got jones cause we determined jp cant play cf…thi is insane.
Any word on who is off the roster?
TORRE IS AN IDIOT!!!!
Nomar went on the DL erikooms
Now comes the roller coaster ride . . who’s gonna be in the outfield??? And WHY doesn’t Torre get it? It’s because of his love affair with JP. But let’s be happy, it appears he’s not leading off, which is a step in the right direction.
So don’t we need to pull up another SS, boroa can’t play everyday.
Kemp RF
Blake 3B
Martin C
Ramirez LF
Kent 2B
Loney 1B
Jones CF
Berroa SS
Kershaw LH
ethier at 400k can play next year. this year maybe out of 27 million 1 will produce. ethier is benched forget him, now i have to root hard for jones if were to make playoffs.
Does anyone know where I can find a current freaking lineup? I feel like I’m searching for the Holy Grail.
I’ve refrained from giving my thoughts about the Manny trade until seeing Torre’s lineup. Now the games can begin. Naturally I want Manny to do well with the Dodgers, although I’ve never really followed him or been a fan of his. As is obvious from the lineup, having Manny will not make Torre a better manager – he’ll only do what Torre does, and that won’t be good for Ethier. Having Manny doesn’t suddenly make Ned less of an idiot in my book, although it may be a last minute effort to save his job – I hope it doesn’t work. I think the deal was really Frank’s doing, and I’m glad we didn’t give up any more than we did for two months of Manny. I hope we win the division, but Manny won’t do it by himself, and I think we could have done it without Manny, if only Torre played the best lineups. For a while there I thought we were really finding the groove with Kemp leading off and Ethier batting second, but forget all about developing for the future at least until next year.
The outfield alignment looks about what I expected, although I wasn’t sure about Pierre/Jones.
I personally feel that if all 5 are happy regardless of who’s playing on any given night and there are no hard feelings from any one of them, than this should be quite something.
GO DODGERS!!!””’
My Lineup:
Kemp CF
Ethier RF
Loney 1B
Manny LF
Kent 2B
Martin C
Blake 3B
Berroa SS
Pitcher P
Pierre is better than Jones right now…although I still like Ethier better than either of them.
I have a feeling Bristol’s gonna have a hearty laugh over that lineup, whenever they’re done showing the X games.
anybody got word of the lineup yet?
I don’t think it matters who we like Swood.
It’s Torre’s call.
SteveJ- Great post. I agree with you. Pierre is a good player and Dre should got be benched.
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PierrrEW- glad you are back dear. I wasn’t able to tell you that a few days ago.
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Have fun Dnel
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Messagebear- I will also see how this Manny thing rides out. I will be giving him my open mind and my support. Lets see what happens.
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Go Dodgers. Go Manny and Kersh!!
Here is the line-up
Kemp RF
Blake 3B
Martin C
Ramirez LF
Kent 2B
Loney 1B
Jones CF
Berroa SS
Kershaw LH
That’s what I”m hoping for, PierreEMW. None of this is a problem if they play for the name on front of the jersey, whether it’s Jones/Juan sitting or Kemp/Ethier sitting.
If trends keep continuing the way they have been, Torre won’t be able to ignore which OF’s produce results. Of course, with the Media Microscope following Manny to L.A., I’m sure Torre won’t be able to ignore the numbers as easily as he did the first half.
If a slumping vet OF like Jones is gonna come around, it’s gotta be soon. Otherwise, the season’s numbers don’t lie.
Sweeney may be on to something since comming off the DL, though. Perhaps too little, too late.
I haven’t been able to make it through the games since I’ve been home, Amywalton, but tonight’s too much to miss.
I’ll give it all I got.
thats really the line up!? they benched Andre!? wow!!
Happy to see you back PierreEMW. Hope you’re feeling better.
PierreEW- just continue to get healthier 🙂 And yes, This game is one that EVERYONE is going to be watching, even non- Dodger fans,. Only 30 mons til the pre-game show. I am excited!!
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Then I plan to sleep for 15 straight hours. I am so freakin tired!
Are we seriously starting Jones again after last nights debacle? Is it sad to think the time has come where I actually want Pierre in the outfield? Anyone for that matter other than Jones. This is lunacy, but I won’t let if affect my excitement for tonight’s game. Heading out to the stadium now!
Well Acardona- I think it’s the whole lefty reasoning thing tonight. That’s why Andre is sitting. The media actually said this would be happening tonight. Not fun, but that’s the way we deal with it.
amy- oh ok i see i totally forgot who was pitching tonight!… i still like to see Andre in the line up though.. lol it’s crazy that in his before the bigs he said he has struggled with lefties since he was a kid!
Actually, he has hit lefties quite well prior to this season his entire career, including college. I think he’ll turn it around in that regard.
man i am so excited for these next few games!! (even though my main man isnt playing tonight) even though we have this probly of having so many outfielders…
bluecrewgirl- i agree! everyone has there low times! he’s coming out of it though!
I missed the Before the Bigs since I was at the game last night, but they are replaying it on Sunday afternoon, so I’ll get to watch it then.
I loved it! it really shows what a big hearted guy he is and how he never gave up on his dream!! he’s just a hard working really cool guy!
new thread to post on
Isn’t that nuts
This game is not on MLB-TV
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