August 2008
Maddux is official…and you might get to meet him
Greg Maddux is coming back to the Dodgers. The deal is done and we hope to see him here in an hour or two.
UPDATE: That reminds me, the ThinkCure auction is still going on this week and it just so happens that I spend about an hour of each day in the Dodger clubhouse, as would the fan who purchases the package to go Inside the Dodgers.
So, while I can’t make any promises that you’ll definitely meet the newest Dodger, Greg Maddux, it’s always possible that him, Manny or any other future Hall of Famers will wind up in a conversation with me on that day and if you’re standing there, well…
The price is still just at $430 and as you know, there’s currently a battle with KABC’s Josh Suchon to see who can raise more money for cancer research.
I hate to point this out, but Inside the Dodgers is currently losing the battle…
Here are a few of the things I’ve mentioned that are part of my typical day, in addition to the interaction with numerous players on the team:
- Meeting Joe Torre and taking part in his pregame media session
- Standing on the field at Dodger Stadium for the National Anthem
- A private tour of the stadium, including areas that the public tour doesn’t go (underground batting cages, player’s lounge, Dodger offices, press box, broadcast booths, DodgerVision booth…remember, as an employee, my badge allows you to goes places where “the other Josh” can’t go!!) 
- And of course, while I can’t make any 100 percent guarantees, I’m going to quietly mention that just about every day of my job requires me to interact with all of the Dodger broadcasters, including Vin Scully, Jaime Jarrin, Rick Monday, Charley Steiner, Fernando Valenzuela, Pepe Yniguez and Steve Lyons. You might take note that the package to visit Vin in his booth is now over $3,000 while this one is still under $500.
LINEUP UPDATE
Kemp, CF
Ethier, RF
Kent, 2B
Manny, LF
Loney, 1B
Martin, C
Nomar, SS
Blake, 3B
Kuroda, P
Battle of the Joshes
It’s an off day, but it’s really game on! The KABC ThinkCure auction package, which allows a fan to spend the day following around Josh Suchon, got a $375 bid last night during the Sunday Night Sports Final, which means “the other Josh” is now ahead of our Inside the Dodgers package. As promised, each day I’ll be rolling out another perk of this online auction prize, with all the proceeds going to find a cure for cancer. Today, I’m rolling out a couple.
- Meeting Joe Torre and taking part in his pregame media session
- Standing on the field at Dodger Stadium for the National Anthem
- A private tour of the stadium, including areas that the public tour doesn’t go (underground batting cages, player’s lounge, Dodger offices, press box, broadcast booths, DodgerVision booth…remember, as an employee, my badge allows you to goes places where “the other Josh” can’t go!!)
- And of course, while I can’t make any 100 percent guarantees, I’m going to quietly mention that just about every day of my job requires me to interact with all of the Dodger broadcasters, including Vin Scully, Jaime Jarrin, Rick Monday, Charley Steiner, Fernando Valenzuela, Pepe Yniguez and Steve Lyons. You might take note that the package to visit Vin in his booth is currently going for almost $3,000 while this one is still at $260.
One thing I can’t say you’ll get to do is take part in tonight’s fourth annual Dodgers Dream Foundation Bowling Extravaganza at Lucky Strike Lanes in Hollywood. We’ve got a dozen players heading over there tonight on the off day, including the hosts, Brad Penny and James Loney. If any of you are taking part in this, I hope to see you there.
Plus, during the day, Manny Mota is hosting his annual golf tournament to raise money for his incredible foundation in the Dominican Republic.
Lots of great things going on for those who are into charitable giving these days…and as Vin Scully said following Nomar’s homer in the four-homer game back in ’06 – “Oh, and I forgot to mention, the Dodgers are in first place!”
Today's lineup and ThinkCure tidbit
As for the Inside the Dodgers online auction, in addition to being part of Joe Torre’s pregame interview session and meeting the Dodger manager, you’ll also get to stand on the field at Dodger Stadium during the national anthem, something a very small number of fans will ever get the chance to do. Right now, bidding is only at $240.
Here’s today’s lineup:
Kemp, CF
Ethier, RF
Kent, 2B
Manny, LF
Loney, 1B
Martin, C
Blake, 3B
Berroa, SS
Kershaw, P
Still ThinkingCure
Please be sure to read below for more information about ThinkCure and the radio telethon we’ve got going on throughout the weekend until the end of tonight’s game.
As I’ve mentioned, bidding for the online auction doesn’t end until Aug. 24 and Inside the Dodgers has been issued a challenge by DodgerTalk. Josh Suchon, one of the hosts of DodgerTalk, wants to see if the package that allows fans to go behind the scenes with them can go for more money than the one that allows you all to go behind the scenes with me.
So, for the next eight days, I’m going to give list a new perk that you would get for going behind-the-scenes with Inside the Dodgers. As of right now, there are eight bids and the winning bid is just $240. I promise you, if people knew what this package included, they’d be paying thousands of dollars for it and most importantly, every dime goes to the research that will find a cure for cancer.
So part one of the Inside the Dodgers experience is the chance to meet Joe Torre and watch his pregame chat with the media.
Here’s tonight’s lineup:
Kemp, CF
Ethier, RF
Kent, 2B
Manny, LF
Loney, 1B
Martin, C
Nomar, SS
Blake, 3B
Lowe, P
ThinkCure!
UPDATE: Lineup below…
There’s no better way to go into a weekend series than with a four-game sweep…you’ve got to like the way the team is playing right now with six weeks left to go in the season.
As I’m sure you’ve heard or seen, the ThinkCure radio telethon started this morning and will run through tomorrow night’s game. There is tons of great programming on KABC 790, including a newly added three-hour DodgerTalk from 12 p.m. – 3 p.m. today.
There are a number of ways that you can be involved, including:
Bidding online for some amazing auction items (more on this below)
Coming out to Dodger Stadium and making a donation at the turnstiles (tomorrow is Fireworks Night, too!)
Simply making a donation out of the goodness of your heart at thinkcure.org
As for the online auction, it doesn’t end until Aug. 24 and there are some amazing prizes, including a chance to visit the booth with Vin Scully before a game, take a trip to Spring Training in Glendale, Arizona, get a Manny Ramirez signed jersey and much, much more.
But get this…last night as I was driving home from the game, I heard Ken Levine and Josh Suchon on DodgerTalk issue a challenge to their listeners.
I had completely forgotten that I agreed to auction off an “Inside the Dodgers” package where a fan gets the chance to see what it’s like to do the job of a baseball PR person for the day.
At the end of the show, Josh Suchon told the DodgerTalk listeners that he wants bragging rights that the package sold to spend the day with DodgerTalk goes for more money than the one that allows someone to go Inside the Dodgers.
Well, that’s my challenge to all of you. ITD needs those bragging rights and I promise that the experience we give the winner of the Inside the Dodgers package will be one that you will never forget for the rest of your life. Trust me on this one. Jump in there and help raise money for an amazing cause.
Pierre, CF
Kemp, RF
Kent, 2B
Manny, LF
Nomar, SS
Martin, C
Blake, 3B
Loney, 1B
Billingsley, P
Tonight's lineup
Kemp, CF
Ethier, RF
Kent, 2B
Manny, LF
Loney, 1B
Martin, C
Nomar, SS
Blake, 3B
Kuroda, P
Congrats, Joe!
On behalf of the organization, we’d like to congratulate Joe Torre on passing Joe McCarthy on the all-time wins list as a manager.
This is the managerial equivalent of passing Frank Robinson on the all-time home run list, which is a pretty impressive feat. I think it got lost somewhat in the euphoria of last night’s amazing game but it should not go unnoticed.
Here’s hoping that in the next two and a half years, he reaches the Top 3…
UPDATE: Tonight’s lineup…pretty impressive from top to bottom, if you ask me (which I know you didn’t).
Kemp, CF
Ethier, RF
Kent, 2B
Manny, LF
Loney, 1B
Blake, 3B
Nomar, SS
Martin, C
Penny, P
Tonight's game – Beimel is everywhere
It’s bobblehead night, and Joe Beimel’s parents are likely going to be pregame guests on FSN Prime Ticket so if you can’t come to the game, tune in.
Here’s the lineup:
Pierre, CF
Kemp, RF
Kent, 2B
Manny, LF
Blake, 3B
Nomar, SS (off the DL)
Martin, C
Loney, 1B
Kershaw, P
Seven big ones…
Every game from here on out is big, but seven games against the Phillies are Brewers loom particularly large, especially given the outcome of the last two days. Those would have been nice to have, but there’s no real use worrying about it now. We’ve got to be two games better than Adam Dunn’s D-backs from here on out…
Don’t forget about tomorrow’s 2 p.m. PT web chat with Larry Bowa or tomorrow night’s game with Joe Beimel bobblehead. I know that a ton of you were pretty vocal in the debate of who should be the “Fans Vote” bobblehead so now it’s time to come out and see Big Joe get his day in the sun (or under the lights).
Kemp, CF
Ethier, RF
Kent, 2B
Manny, LF
Loney, 1B
Martin, C
Blake, 3B
Berroa, SS
Lowe, P
Trying to head home in first place
That was one tough loss last night. Need a nice comeback and we get to see two of the best young pitchers in the NL. Here’s the lineup:
Kemp, CF
Ethier, RF
Kent, 2B
Manny, LF
Loney, 1B
Martin, C
Blake, 3B
Berroa, SS
Billingsley, P
Inside the Dodgers
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