Bloggers Tour Camelback…
As promised, those who run Dodger blogs were invited out for a behind-the-scenes tour of Camelback Ranch today and three sites took us up on the offer…
Dodgerdugout.com, TrueBlueLa.com, and dodgerfan.net were all here today and got to meet a number of Dodger people, including Special Advisor to the Chairman Don Newcombe, Hall of Fame broadcaster Jaime Jarrin, new Dodger President Dennis Mannion, broadcaster Charley Steiner and about a 45-minute Q&A with GM Ned Colletti. I’d imagine each will share their thoughts on the weekend so check out their sites in the days (and season) to come.
Inside the Dodgers 
I would have loved to be there!! Unfortunately I am part of the working force this weekend.
Too bad the three bloggers were not part of ITD. I would have loved to hear the scoop on that Ned session. By the way, Josh, my blog is http://catlovesthedodgers.mlblogs.com
Camelback is a wonderful place. I look forward to returning there next year. However right now I am looking forward to the Dodgers returning to Dodger Stadium on Thursday. GO DODGERS!! GO BLUE!!
Thanks again, Josh! We had a fantastic time and (as always) learned a lot about the Club and came away very impressed with CB Ranch and your commitment to social media. Looking forward to sharing our thoughts and pictures in the coming days and throughout the season. ITD crew, feel free to email us your questions and we’ll do our best to share our POV.
Chris
http://www.dodgerfan.net
I am thinking maybe our pitching won’t be so bad after hearing the gnats game today. The Gnats after the first inning were up 7-0, with Padres pitcher Chris Young being pulled after the 1st inning. The gnats ended up losing 11-10. So, there is definitely hope in our division.
Hold on to your hats guys……Joe’s projected BP includes Vargas, Weaver Mota and Estes. Apparently Milton is toast! We have to pray that Kuo and Wade do a good job. McDonald is the projected 5th starter.
By the way, Josh. I thought we, here on ITD, were the true bloggers!
McDonald should be the projected 5th starter……if Vargas, Sturtze, and Estes make the Opening Day roster, their presence will make this the worst Dodger bullpen in recent memory. This travesty originates from management’s inability and (or) incompetance in assembling a quality bullpen during this offseason, something many of us have been talking about all along. My only hope is that, in order to remedy their mistakes, management doesn’t panic and rush Lindblom to the big leagues before he’s ready. This kid has tremendous tools and a very bright future but he has neither the experience nor the arm strength as yet to perform at a high level for a full MLB season. With only 30-some innings in the lower minor leagues, a couple of good outings does not a big league ready pitcher make.
Mota IMO has pitched well enough to legitimately make the team. Weaver is what he is, serviceable 3 out of every 5 games, and able to take on the roll of swingman. Vargas, Estes and Sturtze are unconscionable mistakes. Only Ned and JoJo would want to keep a sore armed Vargas, a never was Sturtze, and Estes, who somehow talked them into giving him a shot at situational LHer after they already dismissed him because he stunk.
Nice projected bench. Nicer projected BP. 4th place here we come.
FIRE JOE.
FIRE THE GUY THAT HIRED JOE.
FIRE THE GUY THAT HIRED THE GUY THAT HIRED JOE.
PATHETIC.
Hello,
This is what i’ve been worrying about….Going with a BP like that were toast….I like kuo but he is brittle…Mota who know’s what your going to get….Vargas,Sturtze,Estes lmao….Give me a break
It is PATHETIC Enchanted….Am i the only one who think’s Ohman would be a good addition
I’d take Ohman anyday over Estes
Ohman and just about anybody else would be an improvement over Estes.
Isn’t it a little early to start firing everyone.
Give it a game or two…maybe.
Joe won the division last season.
3 of 5 for Frank in the playoffs despite some horrible high $$$ FA mistakes.
Maybe all those $$$$ mistakes has made Frank a little gun shy on FA’s…quite understandable.
I still believe we can finish higher than 4th.
Ohman has a good arm, but was considered a cancer/liar in the Cubs locker room. Maybe that is why he is still available. However, I don’t understand not re-signing Biemal when his asking price came way down…
Maybe cause joe didn’t like Beimel…That’s what i think
Beimel would’ve been a good addition…..another missed opportunity by management. For some reason, Torre never seemed to have much confidence in him.
Sturtze wasn’t listed as a BP pitcher, which IMO is a good thing.
I’m so disappointed with Ned and Co….I will give Mota credit he has pitched good this spring…I really think they should sigh Ohman…imo
Hi Tru
Logan White for GM…Who’s with me
Good Evening ITD readers and writers!!!
I see the BP still remains an issue.
LMAO, Dodgerzona! I’m with you!!! The bench is even worse than the BP……….projected bench…..Ausmus (C), Castro (Inf), Loretta (Inf), Mientkiewicz (Inf), and starring off the bench in the outfield, Yougnomewho! Where is the homerun we may need?
No argument there, dodgerzona…. this year, we’re going to have to get a lot of quality starts in order to get to Wade, Kuo, and Brox or the ITD flask is going to be emptied on a regular basis.
Tru,
I know it’s terrible..Blame it all on Management…I’m so tired of Ned
So far so good…Seesky,Tru are with me…I’m sure Nelly is not far behind….I know where enchanted stand’s lol
What a shame X.Paul, Repko, and DY (who are all capable of hitting a HR and play in any position in the outfield if needed) are being blocked like this.
I don’t think we need to sign anymore FAs for the pen, just don’t go with Estes, Sturtze, Vargas, Milton and any of the other dancing PVLs Joe loves on his team.
We basically had this same discussion last year, put the most talented people on the team regardless of age or contract. And no one can convince me that Vargas, Estes et al. are those players.
Look at the bench Joe’s considering with JP and Castro on it.
The team won last year in spite of Joe, not because of him. If Manny hadn’t fallen in his lap, they wouldn’t have made the playoffs.
dodgerzona ~ I’ll bet you’ll get 100% agreement on Ned’s firing.
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Seesky ~ I’m sure we will have to stock up on our alcholic beverage of choice…….it will be fun to see how our typing becomes as the games progress!
Red pen Alcoholic………I’m drinking already LOL
Darn. I had the countdown to Opening Day down to just 9 days. I guess I’ll have to start the countdown to the start of football season.
Go Chargers!!!
Go Bruins!!!
I will say this, you guys and gals are calling BS on the team before the season begins which is a lot better than after the fact. Your pessimistic outlooks are depressing me, but at least you are all calling it before the fact. I hate the fans who say what a great signing, then one week into the season rip the GM.
I still say we will make the playoffs though. The division is bad, the season is long, and many teams will be giving decent players away by June to teams like the Dodgers who will take on some salary at that time.
I’ve been drinking lol….Your right enchanted….I’m just so tired of this $&$&….I mean come on if we can’t take this division….SF suck’s,Az only has pitching,Madres hmmm what can i say
Enchanted,
You know as well as i do they will go with Estes,Vargas,Sturtze….God help us
Digthedodgers ~ I still think we will win the division. And, as soon as opening day arrives I’ll be cheering for my Boys in Blue but, don’t you think we could have done better in the pitching department?
Even if Ned were fired tomorrow, there wouldn’t be a whole lot Logan White could do about this bullpen. There aren’t a whole lot of options out there now. Unfortunately, that ship sailed during the offseason. Ausmus is still better than Ardoin and Loretta an improvement over Nomore but Castro and Mientkiewitz make no sense….And then there’s JP…..well, that ship,unfortunately, has sailed,too,and the principals who could change that won’t launch the torpedo in order to sink it.
trublu ~ I understand the concern; I’m concerned too. But who should they have signed? Maybe Juan Cruz, but we would have lost our 2nd round draft pick for a set-up guy. I’m not sure I would have done it and no team did it until after ST even started. I’m not sure who would have been a lot better. I guess Joe doesn’t like Beimal and Ohman’s reputation seems to be hurting him bigtime. Plus, there is a lot to be said about the fire sales a lot of teams will go through in a few months. It should be a buyers market and the deals had then will probably be a heck of a lot better than what could have been done in the offseason. We’ll see…I’m obviously an optimist…life is a lot more fun that way!
Like I said earlier, I was listening to the gnats/Padres game, and it wasn’t pretty either, and SF may have SP, but that’s all they have. The Padres are just sad…and Colorado certainly didn’t add to what they gave away (Plus, they lost Francis to the DL which is huge for them). So, we are left with Arizona, and they look to be our only competition in our division. So, as far as our division, it’s very winnable looking at it at this point,but like we all know, it can change very fast with one major injury to a position player or a pitcher.
I will say this about Mientkiewitz…He’s a hell of alot better then Sweeney folks…Unfortunately Ned is not going anywhere…
Dig…I’m just frustrated that’s all….I like the Loretta signing..And Ausmus is a hell of alot better then our boy Ardoin
Great post Nelly sweetie 🙂
If DY is legitimately hurt, fine, go with Monkeywitz he’s earned a spot over the last week and a half. But who can argue that a bench of Pierre, WhateverWicz, Ausmus, Loretta and Castro is better than Paul, DeWitt, Ausmus, Wicz and Loretta? Who’s going to fear Pierre and Castro as a PH under ANY circumstances?
Same with the pen. Vargas, Estes, Milton, Stults – they’re all getting whacked every single time they pitch, and most of its coming against minor leaguers.
The regular 8 ought to be able to put up 5+ runs on a regular basis, but with a pen that pours gasoline on a fire, there’s going to be plenty of games we score 5-8 runs that we lose.
Thanks 🙂
Looking at the BP’s within the division only Colorado’s is definately better than our weak BP; and they won’t have many leads to hold onto. The Giants have a great rotation, but they will have many tied games and one run leads going to a BP as questionable as ours. Our combination of offense and SP is still much better than any other team in the division. We have 5 months to add a veteran SP and one or two RP for October….
BTW, I’m not arguing who we could’ve gotten, I’m saying don’t put the crap Ned did get on the team. Addition by subtraction. I’ve no problem letting Lindblom have a spot, nor Mazone – they’re certainly better than the others.
Put the best players on the team is all I ask.
Great post enchanted,
Your right about all…X.Paul who i seen last Thusday here in Tucson was awesome..Kid can hit
Well i’m sure Milton is gone…But the way they make it sound…Vargas,Estes are here to stay…Hopefully not long
enchanted ~ DeWitt and Paul would be better than JP and Castro. But the club sees DeWitt as a future everyday player and doesn’t want to stunt his growth on the bench. And if JP can be dealt, then Repko or Paul will be on the bench. It seems like they like Paul more than Jason, but it would depend on whether they project Paul as a future starter or a 4th OF….
I’m right there with ya enchanted…Now back to drinking lol
Enchanted ~ Thanks. That’s what I’ve been trying to say all along!
Just watching mlbtv and all the 30 Clubs and 30 Days specials, it seems like pitching is an issue with many teams, and most of it is BP issues and how deep they are.
I don’t see them dealing Phew….If the whitesox were dumb enough to take him…Not going to happen….I would love to see Paul on the big club
I think baseball has screwed themselves over by babying all the starting pitchers so much and relying on their BP’s way too much. The only team I see who is loaded in their rotation and their BP is the Red Sox, but if Ortiz and Lowell aren’t healthy they will have trouble in their division and league.
I see Repko getting traded or sent down….To bad cause i like Repko
I think Paul is a better player than Repko, but a 24 year old rookie PH and spot starter is not a good idea in my opinion. I’d rather see him in Alb. playing everyday. Maybe Joe will demand JP’s release if he can’t be traded to keep his attitude out of the clubhouse.
Good evening everybody.
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Welcome to the conversation Dig. I don’t remember seeing you here before. I’m not on all the time so I probably have missed you.
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I’m really hoping we don’t loose DY. I’m still holding out hope that DY can start the season on the DL to give more time to trade Pile.
Good evening everybody.
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Welcome to the conversation Dig. I don’t remember seeing you here before. I’m not on all the time so I probably have missed you.
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I’m really hoping we don’t loose DY. I’m still holding out hope that DY can start the season on the DL to give more time to trade Pile.
dcollins ~ I’m the ol’ dishguy….changed my name.
Sorry about the 2ble post. This laptop doesn’t work as well as my APPLE desktop. APPLE is sooooooo much better than a regular PC!
Good Evening dcollins!!!!!
digthedodgers = dishguy
I agree dish that they baby starters too much. Even when they went to a 5 man rotation in the late 70’s starters still regularly had 10+ CGs. I hate a 12 man staff.
Pierre + Castro is a pretty weak bench. Neither one can get it out of the infield on a regular basis.
Okay Dish! The name takeover got you 2!
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I think it’s pretty obvious to most of us here who we’d like to see on this team.
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I love DeMitt and want him with the Big League team but I’m okay with him starting in AAA. He Hu and Abraeu could all play together in AAA and get used to playing in the infield together.
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I think Castro has had a good spring and I’m okay with him being in the show as a backup to SS & 2B. I know he isn’t going to hit one out but he is still a threat and has some pretty good defensive skills. He should be the late inning pinch runner. I know we don’t have 2 of those but…
enchanted ~ I can’t argue with that and Mienkeiaovoavasvv isn’t much better…
Castro isn’t a savior Enchanted so don’t get me wrong. But he is hitting .426 in the spring & in 2003 he had 9 HR’s for the Reds!! (Tounge in cheek!) Only 15 since. That’s still better than Pile.
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If we didn’t have Pile and had Paul or Repko as the 4th outfielder we would be better off. But…
One thing I am really ticked about is the playing a ST game @ SF the day before we play the season opener on SD. What is that about?
A happy plane ride…. Hey guys 🙂
dcollins – aren’t you going to that game?
LOL!!! Well, that’s a way to make an entrance dodger4life – good evening to you sir 🙂
On the positive side I think the future beyond this year is still bright. I think we have some pretty great young pitching already in the Bigs with some good looking prospects coming up.
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The same with some position players. I also think we have some good players that are in the minors that will be able to step in and make a difference in case of an injury.
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The above paragraph doesn’y hold true with the pitching however. We are very thin this year. Nelly brought up a great point yesterday (I think) that we are so thin we are going to be in trouble if one of the SP goes down.
That’s when Estes and Vargas step in to save the day DC.
I saw Andre’s baby today. he is so cuuuuute! His wife along with Chad’s wife and Repoko’s wife participated in the wIN baseball classic.
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Alyson: It was so nice seeing again today! And again we partnered for the WIN event! Take care my friend. I will be praying that your surgery will go well. -Emma
Hey. I’ve heard they have another upcoming event starting the season that’ll be hosted by Juan Pierre. Its called the WHINE Event.
LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You don’t want to miss this event!!If you ever had the desire to Whine like a pro, you will be taught by the best in the business. Stay tuned for more information about this yearly event, guaranteed to be repeated for two more years.
Hello there D4!!
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Yup Nelly I am! I’m happy they are coming up! It means I actually get to go to ST without going to ST!!!
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I’m pumped as I got my Dodger Homeplate in the mail yesterday. It’s all raedy to get autographed. My guess is that some of the regulars might not come up. We’ll see because I got a good seat, 7 rows behind the Dodger On Deck Circle.
First hour you gather as a group and tell everyone what you won’t do this year.
Hey dc. I love the seats.
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GO DODGERS!!!!!!
Enchanted please don’t mention those names! It’s late and I want to sleep tonight!! No nightmares!!!!
I remember you saying that……that’s great!!!!! I wonder how that will work with the players….you are right. How many will make the trip? I didn’t think about that -hmmmm
Second hour is introspective time when you come to grips with you are what you are, but that’s OK because you don’t want to really change anyway.
Third hour you get to look like a homeless waif when you have your picture taken with someone you know is better than you.
Hey i’m still here…Was on the cell lol
LMAO!!!!!!
The afternoon is capped of by a stick-it-to-your-ribs luncheon where you dwell on all the perceived injustices perpetrated upon you.
LMAO Enchanted…Alway’s make’s me laugh
Oh enchanted – that’s perfect!!!!! LMAO!!!!!!
In terms of the pitching we are thin and not looking good now but we will be better once they are at the Ravine.
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The ball really flys in Zona. Take a peek at some of the scores.
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I know.. either way we will have some that we wish weren’t there.
Enchanted — Don’t forget the Parents Night at the end of the day, where you invite your Mother to speak to the GM about the lack of attention her son is getting.
The Angels had one of those scores today, Texas too, and then the 11-10 gnats/Padres game. BTW – Andruw had another RBI today, and he was 1-1. He seems to be accepting his role pretty good for right now anyway.
Good point DC!!
Goodnight all,
Take Care and talk to you all very soon
LMAO!!!!!! ……and make sure the moms bring their spatula or wooden spoon.
Then there’s the WIN-WHINE event hosted by Jamie McCourt where she tells Juan Pierre that giving him $10 million is a “little weird”, then loses her shoe in Ned’s behind for signing him (at which point it becomes a win-win event.)
Good Night dodgerzona!!!!
LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Night Zona!!
Those Jimmy Choos are expensive Enchanted. I wonder if she will take it out of his paycheck?
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Good night DZona. Sleep well. Don’t think of those names.
…..and possibly sue for damages too dcollins 🙂 Those shoes are expensive.
Thanks everyone! I’ll be doing the 9:00 show all week and a matinee on Sunday. There’s a duck-И-cover charge at the door because you never know what’s going to come out of my mouth. Come as you are. Not recommended for children under 13.
The question Nelly is who/what got damaged… the shoes or Ned’s rump?
Rated “R” for recessive gene traits.
LMAO!!!!!!! I predict a sold out show every night.
At this rate the shoes are more valuable, so I would have to go with them.
I would buy a ticket! I like stand up shows!
I heard @ snack time Pierre will throw lollipops from LF to the attendees!
I blame it on my parents. It was tough growing up as an only child with my sister.
…..and Skittles to represent his rainbow throws.
LOL DC!!
LMAO!!!!!!!!!! knowing what you were like last week while visiting your family, I can only imagine.
dc… the ball girl will retrieve them just short of the wall. She will then throw them into the upper deck.
LOL!!!!!!
Where’s Wally? – I’m running out of material.
Thanks for the fun & games but time to turn in! I had a 12 hour day today & I open tomorrow. Then have a 8:00 game! Woo Hoo! Softball starts tomorrow!!
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Take care all!!
You?…………running out of material – LOL!!!!!! Now, that would be scary.
I did what I could Enchanted but Wally I am not!
Good night dcollins. Take care and have fun at your first game tomorrow.
Nite DC – have a great game!!
Have a good time dc…Good night 🙂
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GO DODGERS!!!!!!!
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BRING THE RING TO L.A. IN 2009!!!!!!!!
Where’s Wally and where’s your father?
Thanks guys! Have a great day on Sunday!!!
I think they’re giving somebody the business Mom. Probably the nudie bar.
You are most welcome dcollins.
enchanted – I wouldn’t doubt it for a moment with those two.
I ever tell you about the time I dated an exotic dancer?
As a matter of fact, yes you have, and as I recall, it did not end well.
Ah the good old days…
Guess I’d better hit it. Nite Nells and D4!!!
See ya enchanted, and Nellyand any one else still around… I’m tired myself. Have a Great day.
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God Bless everyone.
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GO DODGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Good night enchanted!!!! You did good, along with dcollins and the rest in providing some great ITD entertainment for the evening. You never disappoint. Take Care and have a wonderful Sunday!!!!
Good night dodger4life!!!!! Have a great Sunday with your daughter. We went to church tonight and having our monthly big brunch again tomorrow with my family. Hopefully the weather stays clear and we can see Denny take home the Martinsville title (jk). May the best driver win is what I like to say.
Ethier on his new role batting behind Manny. Also some tidbits about DeWitt and our pitching.
http://www.whittierdailynews.com/sports/ci_12021591
Here’s more on our lineup.
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090327&content_id=4077728&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb
One last article before I go to bed. Another one about my “real” favorite outfielder. Andre’s been told the right field job is his by Torre, but he refuses to accept it as an automatic. Is that a sign of some damage done last year when he was told the left field job was his only to have it taken away at the first sign of a decline in his 300+ batting average at the time last season. It states in the article he has always been intense, but here is another example of how two players are taking their roles so differently once again. Andre feels the job will never completely be his, and JP feels he is entitled to a position even if he is not earned it.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-ethier-dodgers29-2009mar29,0,6349031.story
In case Jamie missed it, I wanted to give her a heads-up that Hugh Hefner’s house is up for sale: “The two-story, 7,300-square-foot English Manor-style home is for sale for $27,995,000.”
Good Morning enchanted!!! I see we woke up with more material to suit your needs. LOL!!! I am glad your informed Jamie of such a fine piece of property.
Just in case Hef’s place doesn’t suite your’s and Frank’s needs, Aaron Spellings place just down the street is also for sale:
“LOS ANGELES — The widow of producer Aaron Spelling is placing “The Manor” in the exclusive Holmby Hills neighborhood on the market for a jaw-dropping $150 million, making it by far the most expensive home for sale in the United States.
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The French chateau-style mansion has 56,500 square feet (5,248 sq. meters) of space on more than 4.6 acres and is the largest home in Los Angeles County. Among the neighbors are the Los Angeles Country Club and, not too far away, the Playboy Mansion.”
Go ahead. We won’t think its “a little weird.”
So, are you looking at buying yourself enchanted?
Actually one of my best friends lives in a house similar to what you described in your first listing. Hers is in the Old English style, 10,000 square feet and loaded with a billiards room, poker room, a movie theater room, and a wine cellar. They are both attorneys working in San Jose. The funny thing is is I actually don’t like it because, although it’s beautiful, it’s one of those houses I know for sure I would ruin by spilling or breaking something……A very uncomfortable feeling 🙂
Good morning Enchanted and Nellyjune. Glad to see you are in your normal, refreshing, state of mind today, Enchanted. Nellyjune, Andre shows he is a team player where whatshisname plays the team!
Good Morning All,
The club made no announcement why, but Jason Schmidt is listed as the starting pitcher on the lineup posted in the Dodgers clubhouse. As of yesterday afternoon, Schmidt was scheduled to pitch in a Minor League game and Eric Stults was starting the Major League game against the Padres.
Rafael Furcal SS
Orlando Hudson 2B
Manny Ramirez LF
Andre Ethier RF
Russell Martin C
James Loney 1B
Matt Kemp RF
Casey Blake 3B
Jason Schmidt P
Enjoy….I think it’s on free today….Dodgers.com
Dear Power Couple:
Just think, you can probably SELL THE TEAM with enough profit for you to buy both of the above mentioned estates. What a coup that would be for your social standing, not to mention a fine hedquarters for all your charitable organizations and the vaunted LA Marathon. Also consider all the blessing bestowed on you by the ITD members for the sheer privilege of getting rid of you from the Dodger franchise. GO FOR IT!!!
We love you NOT!
The ITD Crew
trublu – Michael hates when I compare him to Andre, but don’t they sound similar in how they react to a bad at bat………too funny. They are both lefties, and they say the same thing about Michael…..great intensity,but needs to learn how to have relax and have fun.
Good morning messagebear and very well said as always!!!!!
So true, Nellyjune. He may become a fan of Mr. Ethier before the season is over! LOL
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Why the heck is Schmidt pitching?
Tru,
Not sure why Schmidt is pitching…Just give the 5th spot to McDonald
dodgerzona ~ from what I’ve read, McDonald has the 5th spot. I’m actually getting excited for the season to start. I can feel a division championship! I’m starting to get my supply of sunflower seeds and some alcoholic beverage if needed! lol
Gotta go…Time to watch NHRA….Be back later
Enjoy the game
See you later, Dodgerzona.
Have a great day dodgerzona!!!!
LOS ANGELES (AP) – In stunning move, the Dodgers Manager, Joe Torre announced his decision today to name Juan Pierre as the situational lefty. “He throws about as hard and accurately as Estes and Milton, and it opens up a roster spot so that we can bring back Sweeney.” When asked about Torre’s announcement, Juan Pierre just smiled and said, “its about time the entire game revolved around me.”
In a related story, Dodger pitching coach Rick Honeycutt said that “He’s [Juan Pierre] having a little difficulty adjusting because when Marty {Dodger’s catcher Russell Martin] puts down a sign, Juan thinks he’s flipping him off.” Its also been noted that he’s having trouble reaching the plate with his pitchess as its about twice as far as he’s used to throwing.
More as the story develops.
Just like an AP story – not edited too well. S/B [ not { and pitches, not pitchess.
LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LMTO!!!!!!!!!!!!
JUAN UNHITTABLE
LOS ANGELES (UPI) – Juan Pierre, recently named situational lefty out of the Dodger’s bullpen has been totally unhittable since taking over the roll. Management cites that its primarily due to the uncontrollable laughter coming from the batter’s box, and the fact that the ball stops rolling about 5 feet before it gets to the plate.
OMG, Enchanted! I’ll be laughing all day on that one!!!!!
Good morning ITD, Dodgerfaithful
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We have some consistency in the line up now. Everyday Dre, Raffy and O-Dog not to mention Manny the singles hitter. J. Martin has had some really good at bats, Kemp has a better view of the ball, Loney will be bringing it, Blake can provide us some spark. We need to get some rythym going. You know a groove……..
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10qLYy6hiFQ
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The pitching staff is strong at the top Kuroda, Billz, Wolf and young Kershaw… I look for good things from these guy’s.
The BP is needed some encouragement however they have been out of synch so to speak. No one wants to step up.
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Time to get it in gear…..We could just play the blues all year and kick it in the pen.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qtm66Z3lebc
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Time to light a fire and enjoy the ride to come…Cause we need to start Jammin like a thing of the past….
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffCmFDzaYyQ
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LETS GO DODGERS, LETS GO!!!!!!!
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BRING THE RING TO L.A. in 2009!!!!!
Nelly, I read the article by Dylan Hernandez about Andre last night when I got home. Can’t say I blame him for feeling the way he does after how he’s had to struggle and fight for everything.
LOS ANGELES [Reuters] – In another stunning move by Dodger’s manager Joe Torre, he has named Rafael Furcal the starting catcher to accommodate situational lefty Juan Pierre. “It was a move that had to be made”, said Torre. “Juan’s never gotten a ball all the way to Marty (former starting catcher Russell Martin) in his life.” Its thought that perhaps a familiar face will help rectify the situation, though the rules state that Furcal won’t be able to run towards the mound until after the pitch crosses the plate. “Its really a catch 22”, Furcal said. “I can’t leave before the pitch crosses the plate, and Juan can’t get it across the plate.” Torre then noted that, “the game really slows down for Juan Pierre.”
bluecrewgirl – that’s exactly how I felt after reading the article……….”can you blame him?” …..not one bit 🙂
on another note – enchanted ~ what exactly will you do with yourself if JP is no longer part of this team.
I’d hope enchanted would find someone else to write about to keep us all entertained.
That’s the beauty of it Nells – Juan will be here through 2011. Aw c’mon BCG, no ones as entertaining as JP.
LOL!!! That is I guess the one good positive about all of this……enchanted for 3 years will never run out of material, and in that time, I am sure somebody will come along to fill the void 🙂
I am sorry. I just don’t get all the hatred toward the McCourts. They have said some ridiculous things at times and made several big dollar FA mistakes…but was it so much better before they bought the Dodgers?
Were the two years out of 15 making the playoffs so wonderful? Being swept both times they actually made the playoffs?
Or is it more fun and easier to just complain about everything that isn’t perfect?
Or are most of you much younger than I am and don’t remember those lean years? I completely understand if that is the case.
If it is the matter of youth, I understand, otherwise I’m way confused.
You know, there IS a reason they play these seasons, instead of just handing out the awards in March based on how the league looks on paper. Anyone who followed this team in the 90’s remembers how many World Series’ we were winning on paper, and how many of those actually ended up happening in The Paper.
Getting to the playoffs in spite of Joe is still getting into the playoffs. Hell, the Yankees went over a decade getting to the playoffs in spite of Joe. Whatever’s going on, it’s working, it has been working, and in this weak division and with the best hitting RHer possibly in baseball history, we’ll get there again. Like I’ve said, he’s like Mr. Magoo driving a mountain road, no matter how many obstacles are in his way, he ends up home, even if he can’t see how he got there.
And I doubt pitching is going to stay this way through the season. $___ happens, and there’ll be some trades to be made before August. I don’t imagine Joe is gonna just let the situation be. And for how much Frank and Ned respect him and his track record since NY, they’re gonna listen if/when the pitching situation gets bad, and they realize they should’ve dug down deep in Frank’s emptying pockets and got someone (pockets empty because the money’s in the Malibu mattress, of course).
But how they’re gonna plug up the holes, that’s what I’m worried about. Ned’s the squeaky wheel here and we all know it. Dre and Manny are the only sparkling moves he’s made (Blake was a good move last year, jury’s out on this year with him and O-Dog), and they couldn’t even figure out what the hell to do with ‘Dre for 2 years.
I’ll see how the season goes. March/April is time for optimism, except in the Bronx, where if Mantle, Ruth and DiMaggio came back from the dead, in their primes, and filled out the outfield, the fans would be throwing beer bottles at them for not bringing Gehrig too.
It’s (almost) time for Dodger Baseball!
Dishguy, that’s a fair question. Personally, I’m 28 and remember the lean 90’s. But I think I can shed light on the problem with the McCourts. They put too much stock into face time for the press and cameras, and not enough stock into the team on the field (though they’ve done a great job of making sure the stadium looks great and stays around for decades to come). Teddy Roosevelt and the O’Malley family shared one thing in common that helped make the L.A. Dodgers a winning tradition: “Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick”. The McCourts have done neither.
That can’t be helped, though, since they don’t know much about baseball, evidenced by the way they showed Joe Amalfatano and Ross Porter the door shortly after dropping their boxes in the office. The best we can hope for is that they surround themselves by people that DO know baseball and listen to them, but their first move was to get rid of a guy who does know baseball, and a guy everyone listened to, foreshadowing their intent on getting rid of the Vin Scully one-guy-calling-the-game style that Epitomized LA Dodger tradition, and turning us into the play-by-play and color comentator format everyone else does.
I won’t complain about the 3 playoffs in five years. I do hold issue with the fact that they bought the Dodgers with a heaping amount of it in loans (gee… wonder how the MLB owners let them buy the team? Best thing that’s happened to the other owners since getting the O’Malleys out of the room), and now are so “cash-strapped” that they have to send away prospects (including #1’s) in lieu of paying $1-2 million. Or $500,000-$750,000. Who knows?
Yet, they have enough money to buy TWO houses in Malibu for more money than they’ll pay Manny, deffered or not, while complaining about not having money to pay Manny. All while their fans fight to keep their own houses, which cost less then they pay some players for each whiff at the plate.
And they have no problem raiding the fan’s pockets, every year increasing prices, breaking Dodger Stadium’s (now) 7 areas of seating into TWENTY-NINE different tiers to maximize they money they shake fans down for, making the seemingly eternal Vin Scully tagline “Come to Dodger Stadium, The Best Buy in Town®” a distant memory. Not to mention parking increases. And the SCREWED UP WAY they treated long-time season ticket holders when they added the baseline seating, which in its first season were the worst sightlines in Dodger Stadium history, while being the Highest Priced in Dodger Stadium history. All without winning one World Series Championship.
And according to the press, they would’ve gotten away with it this year too, if it hadn’t been for that darn meddling economy.
As a great Dane once said: “Ruh-Oh!”
NSB, GREAT points/comments. I, for one, stand up and cheer the truths that resound throughout.
northstateblues ~ All fair points.
But how many owners are better? Which owner hasn’t raised ticket prices significantly recently? Which owner hasn’t tried to maximize revenues?
I wish they had purchased the Dodgers with less leverage, but they seem to be paying it down pretty fast according to the last Forbes report.
The last 5 years has been a lot more competitive than most of the previous 15, so I’ve been happy. Could it have been a lot better, YES, but it was quite a bit worse before.
CBR, which was ripped in here pretty badly, still has averaged 50% more in average attendance, in this economy, than the very best year’s attendance in Vero. Therefore, more Dodgers fans get to see ST. Was it for more revenues? Of course. It is a business. But I am a much happier Dodgers fan since they bought the team.
Thanks diggie. Just voicing my concerns with the current regime.
I’ll agree with that, Dishguy, I’ve been a happier Dodger fan now than I was in the Fox era, and watching us go o-fer in our 2 playoff experiences in the 90’s.
I’d love for the McCourts to prove me wrong, that’d make me a WAY happier Dodgers fan.
One thing my dad points out to me (an ETERNAL Dodgers optimist) is that this team traditionally relied on their farm system, and didn’t really buy into the FA system until Gibson. And if Gibson hadn’t won Game 1 in ’88, who knows how heavily the Dodgers would’ve relied on FA’s in the 90’s, even in the L.A. market.
Of course, no one wants to take that one back. But a large percentage of Dodgers FA signings look a hell of a lot better in the Before column than the After column (remember our Triple Threat outfield of Straw, Butler and Davis in the early 90’s? That was our year, until we had to play it).
And now it becomes tougher to rely on the prospects because 1.) They’re getting traded in lieu of cash considerations and 2.) even when the kids get here, they get shifted around by the higher ups for PVL’s they hope will return to form but never do (see: Ethier, Andre).
If we were in the NL East or NL Central, I’d be sweating bullets now. But since we’re not, this year I’m optimistically awaiting how this will play out against the other 4 in our division.
Dodgers workout Will Ohman….Per…Inside the dodgers…Tony Jackson
Dodgerzona ~ I saw that too. Maybe he will help us.
I don’t hate the McCourts. I think they do care about the team and making them better and they have done some good things, but I agree with NS that they are too focused on upgrading the stadium as opposed to the team. Of course, growing up in the O’Malley era, it’s sets the bar very high as far as ownership is concerned for me. However, the McCourts are definitely a huge improvement over Rupert Murdoch.
Hello Tru,
Yeah i think Ohman would be good…..LOL Sturtze….He was all sad at the Ump in this game with the Madres
Sturtze=AA
Hi BlueCrewGirl! I don’t hate ’em either. I WANT to like them.
Sometimes they make it tough, though. Does that seem a little weird?
No, I know what you mean NS. They do make it tough sometimes, lol. I’ll still take them over Murdoch/Fox.
By the way, I thought Stultz was supposed to start today. Anyone know why he didn’t?
Stults pitched in a minor league game today….Sturtze….get rid of this guy already geez……6-0 madres
Charlie and Rick said the FO changed their minds and wanted to see Schmidt against the major leaguers. Stultz started a minor league game.
About the McCourts, I don’t know them so I can’t say whether I like them or not. I do not like what they’re doing/not doing with and for the team.
On the field~~~
Pros: A very strong young core of position players with Loney, Martin, Ethier, Kemp with DeWitt on the cusp.
A very strong core of young pitchers with Billingsly, Kershaw, Broxton, McDonald and several soon to be ready.
Manny. The Giants, Cubs, Cardinals, Mets, Yankees, Indians, Tigers, et al did not trade for him last year, nor did anyone else sign this year.
3 out of 5 years in the playoffs.
Cons: Terrible decisions on Schmidt, Pierre, and Jones. (Although I was for the Schmidt signing). The trade for Blake by adding Santana, although I’m still not convinved the Indians would have done the deal without him as part of the deal.
Taking so long to start Ethier.
Not getting to or not winning the World Series.
You could put not signing CC and/or Burnett for huge contracts, but for me, I think those are Pros. Both carry way too much of a health risk for the contracts they received.
With the McCourts, its always been glitz over substance because of an incredible lack of baseball knowledge. They always seem to be more interested in photo ops than hiring good solid baseball people. Had they not inherited the likes of Logan White and Kim Ng, who knows where this franchise would be. It still amazes me that their GM could out-n-out blow $150 million (there went the Spelling house) and still not fire him. Then they brought in an archaic manager for nothing more than some favorable PR. Much like me with brain surgery, they don’t really know what they’re doing.
enchanted ~ I am with you on the GM business. I have to think Frank over-ruled Ned on one or more of the 3 horrible signings…otherwise it doesn’t make sense.
I differ regarding Joe. I think he is a good manager. Mistakes he made last year seemed to be based on his lack of experience with the players, which is understandable to me. He finally got it right. I like his calm demeanor. It reminds me a great deal of Walter Alston. Torre’s calmness combined with the fire of Bowa is much like the Alston/Lasorda duo of my youth.
Its still beyond me dish that they still went ahead with the Schmidt signing when they all knew he had an arm injury. To you and I it looked like a good signing at the time, but then we didn’t know what they did.
There’s no excuse either for Jones, who couldn’t have possibly gotten that out of shape from the time they signed him to the start of ST. And JPs signing is the worst of the three.
BTW, can we put Sturtze out of his misery now? He can’t pitch, he never could pitch, and at 38, he never will pitch effectively.
We agree 100% regarding the “Horrific Three”.
Hopefully Frank has learned his lessons. But they were not based on being cheap, just not very smart. JP’s is worse because nobody else would have given him 25% of what the Dodgers signed him for…
But we are in a remarkably good state considering those mistakes. At least we didn’t sign Zito for 7 years.
What a great catch by Kemp!!!
I know our pitching sucks after the first 5 starters but where the H*** is our offense???????
Enchanted,Sturtze….I already said we need to rid our self’s of this waste of a roster spot….He suck’s
I love Kemp
Enchanted,
Fire Ned
Time for logan or Kim to take over
Boblee, I think the offense will be fine when all is said and done, but they are off to a slow start in ST for the most part. I agree with everyone on Sturtze. I don’t know why they ever picked him up last season to begin with.
Lindblom now in.
Sturtze is terrible….But they like these has-been’s
Hi Blue…How are u today
I’m going to see the Dodgers on Tues here in Tucson…..But they won’t bring any of there good players down here
I might get to see Kemp,Dewitt etc etc….But no Manny
By the Ned have you signed Ohman yet lol
I don’t see how you could keep Lindblom off this team. Its not like he won’t get plenty of work.
Kuo’s looking none too sharp.
Hope you get to see some of the starters, Boblee. I am going down to San Diego for the opening day game. I’m taking the day off from work and going with a
co-worker/friend. I’m looking forward to it.
Anyone think if the current trends keeps up that we see a whole lot more of Mientkiewicz and a little less of Loney? I can easily see JoJo doing that.
I would be shocked if Loney doesn’t start at least 150 games, if healthy.
With Lindblom, my only concern would be his arm strength. Does he have enough to go through a big league season? Up to this point, he’s only pitched in college and a partial season in the lower minors…I’m hoping that maybe Mientkewitz can be this team’s Dave Hansen.
Good Afternoon ITD readers and writers!!!!!
I kind of got wrapped up in the NASCAR race and when I tried to get the Dodger game on the computer, I was having difficulty keeping it on. The wind here is horrible so maybe that’s the reason. Anyhow, I can’t comment on the game since I didn’t see much of it. I heard Lindbolm did very well, so he definitely needs to stay if possible. It was great seeing Matt go 3 for 3 today with a HR, and I was glad to see Andre get a hit and score a run. I am hoping that Furcal and Hudson get in sync somehow. If not, what’s the purpose of having Manny bat third. Put Andre back in the 2-hole so you have somebody on base. I am not too worried about it right now, but in the first few weeks of the season we don’t see much improvement in that 1-2 slots, I think enchanted’s idea of batting Hudson 8th needs to be addressed.
northstateblues – I absolutely love reading what you have to say.
I agree, Nelly. Cleanup is not my first choice for Andre, though I have no doubt he can hadle it. I think Manny should be batting cleanup and Andre batting 2nd or 3rd. Lindblom has been great and I think he shouldn’t be sent back to the minors. They can use all the help they can get in the BP. I always liked Dave Hansen, seesky.
I am okay with Andre batting 4th if Furcal and Hudson are getting on base. The whole point of Manny batting 3rd is having men on base so he can knock them in, but that doesn’t seem to be happening. I think it deserves some time to work itself out, but if it doesn’t, I am hoping Joe rethinks who should be batting either 2nd or 3rd. And, yes, I have no doubts Andre will be fine where he is. I didn’t see any at-bats but I was told one of the fly balls was pretty deep, the strike out was pitiful and he did manage to get a single and score a run. So, knowing how he thinks, probably not a good day in his head, but other than Matt, who had a good day?
Goodnight all
Goodnight Dodgerzona. Nelly, on his strike out, it was a really bad pitch he struck, or should I say lunged, at. There was one deep fly ball and the single was a solid one to left. Not a great day, but not terrible and he’s starting to warm up now. It does seem like he’s been swinging the bat a lot better since Joe had the talk with him.
Good night dodgerzona!!!!
Yea – lol!! I heard the ball was in the dirt, and that it was a pretty bad strike out. Like you said, though, he’s making much better contact with the ball lately even when he is out so his swing obviously is coming back to form pretty well. Let’s not forget he can also field the ball too. The play yesterday getting the runner out at first was incredible!!! He needs to realize it’s not his bat is not the only reason the fans want him out there in the outfield.
Wow – big red pen…….. He needs to realize his bat isn’t the only reason the fans want to see him out there in the outfield.
I knew what you meant, lol. It’s funny because I was reading an article yesterday that was talking about how well he hit last year, but sited some defensive stat and said that he had regressed defensively from the previous season. I don’t know how they come up with some of the defensive stats, but if numerous spectacular catches and put outs and coming in 2nd behind Matt in outfield assists is regressing, I’ll take it.
bluecrewgirl – If that’s regressing, you are right….I will take it. Andre and Matt are the only tandem in 20 years for the Dodgers that have reached double digits in assists.
So, if you, on an extreme occasion, make an assist or can never even attempt a thrown down to home plate, you can’t regress…………you just suck!!!! I don’t even have to mention a name here, do I?
“Joe Torre said today that Delwyn Young had a cortisone shot into his elbow today and likely will open the season on the disabled list.”
Shock of the modern era!!!!! Translation: We can’t afford to lose DY but no one will take Pierre………
Who won the bet on that one?
That was a shocking announcement Kahli. Looks like Ned’s workin’ the old DL again.
OK, here’s the deal. If DY is supposedly not good enough to make the roster, why not try and trade him for some pitching? Its obvious we’ll never be able to move JP.
Boy, for being such a little guy, he is some enormously heavy road block to some great talent.
They made Jones go away with a little creativity. They aren’t getting anything in return for the $21 million, but its addition by subtraction.
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JP’s already said he’d stretch out the remainder of his contract, and no, you won’t ever get anything for him either. But with a player that can only be classified as a glorified PR, making him go away too would be addition by subtraction. If somebody does pick him up and you get the league minimum back, well then there, you’ve paid for his replacement.
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It ain’t rocket science.
enchanted, I would have no problem moving DY. I know he’s the darling of quite a few bloggers, but to me, he’s a good switch hitter with little else to offer. I’d be far more resistant to moving DeWitt, who I think will become a Wade Boggs/Bill Mueller type of player–that’s right, a potential batting champ. Problem with trading DY is the same problem with trading Pierre…namely, I don’t think other organizations share our zeal for these stalwarts. The season is a wonderful novel; we haven’t even finished reading “About the Author” yet. I can’t get all frantic about “this batting order” or that “7th-inning reliever” yet. I’ve been a zealot since 1969. I’m anxious to see how McDonald, Lindblom, et al, pan out. Why hurry and make a stupid trade when the Dodgers might have all the parts they need right here? Play the kids…and enjoy the season that is ever so close. Spring has sprung. The mustard plants are blooming on the hillsides!!!!!!!!
here are my Dodgers hitting predictions
http://www.fan-exchange.com/mlb/teamhittingpredictions.asp?franchid=LAD&userid=53
Great post Kahli 🙂 7 Days, 18 hours and counting!!!!!
pstriker – just curious…… how you came up with the numbers for the bench players? ……and as far as the starters, I don’t think you can go wrong with that lineup.
red pen – How “did you come up with”…….. sorry 🙂
It is now 12:00 am pst and it is officially March 30th……
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DODGERERIC!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!
Have a fabulous birthday Dodgereric/Ward Dear!!!!
I also want to wish you a HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Dodgereric. And, may you have many, many, many more. I am trublu but for some reason this old name (from the brownpaperbag times) came up. I’m going to try and fix it!
I can see this might take a while. It’s still coming up the same. I couldn’t even get my trublue back because it was already taken……….YES BY ME! LOL
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR. ERIC SIR!!!
Good morning, Enchanted ~ The Dodgers have offered Ohman a $1M contract and are waiting to hear back from him.
Morning Tru!
Well, at least Ohman can take the ball when asked (83 app last season.)
I sure hope he takes the deal, Enchanted. It will certainly help our BP. He wanted more money but maybe to play for a winner, he’ll do it.
Good Morning ITD readers and writers!!!!!! Happy Birthday Dodgereric!!!!
I guess Ohman’s worth a shot. Can’t be any worse, right? LOL!!!!!!
Nellyjune ~ good morning. He is certainly better than Estes!
Good Morning trublu – no kidding!!!! LOL!!!
It took two months for the malibu name to show up….it didn’t come up when I tried it earlier, I kept having to open new accounts……now, I don’t want it and, bam, it’s here. Then I went to change it back and it said trublu was already taken. So, maybe in another 2 months I will have my new name trublu4ever. We shall see. lol
Goooooood Dodger morning all,
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Happy birthday DodgerEric, what time do we all meet at Farrell’s!!! I wish you much happiness this coming year.
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Dodger ~ A’s today that is a good way to start.
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GO DODGERS!!!!!
BRING THE RING TO L.A. IN 2009!!!!!!!!!
Gooood morning Dodger4life. Great to see you!
Good morning Mrs. malibublue 🙂
Good Morning Dodger4life!!!! How is life today? GO DODGERS!!!!!!
LIfe is good today… Nelly
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GO DODGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Question:
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If Frank rehires Furter at the end of the season, will it be another term for the wurst?
Hey, I’m back to trublu! Yeah! Thanks dodger4life, it worked. Now, I’m waiting to see if, trublu4ever shows up next time! lol
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Yes, Enchanted and we will be the wurst for it!
Damn, it says trublue but it is still putting malibu!
Now you know what I went through looking at nellyjune for 3 months only for it to come up dnellyae16 🙂 You need to try and get a new e-mail account and then a new mlb account name.
Good Morning All,
Ned have you signed Ohman yet lol
Off to work….Have a great day All
Go Dodgers
I don’t know if I want to go through all that crap again. Maybe it will change eventually just like it did today.
Today’s line up courtesy of Kenny G’s Around the Horn. The “real” starting lineup for your Los Angeles Dodgers…………..
Monday’s Dodgers Lineup
Rafael Furcal SS
Orlando Hudson 2B
Manny Ramirez LF
Andre Ethier RF
Russell Martin C
James Loney 1B
Matt Kemp CF
Casey Blake 3B
Clayton Kershaw P
Thanks or the lineup Nellyjune.
Thanks Nelly… It is nice to see the line up, taking a familiar shape. All we now is a little rythm…..
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0LE6BhDzvY
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GO DODGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
New Thread!
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