Clayton's Place
Here’s a cool note from Jayson Stark of ESPN…
Not sure if you’ve noticed, but 21-year-old Dodgers phenom Clayton Kershaw seems to be under this nutty impression that he’s never supposed to give up a hit. He’s now made SEVEN starts this year in which he’s gone at least five innings and allowed either two hits or one.
And according to baseball-reference.com’s fabulous Play Index, only one other pitcher, age 21 or younger, in the last 55 years has cranked out that many starts of two hits or fewer in a season. That was the Giants’ Matt Cain, who also had seven in 2006.
But no one else that young has had more than FOUR in a season. The group at four: Dennis Eckersley (1976), Storm Davis (1983), Steve Avery (1991) and CC Sabathia (2001).
And in case you’re wonder about the most starts like that by a pitcher of any age in the division-play era, it’s 10, by Nolan Ryan – age 44 at the time – in 1991.
Here’s the lineup for tonight’s opener at Arizona…
Furcal, SS
Martin, C
Ethier, RF
Manny, LF
Blake, 3B
Loney, 1B
Kemp, CF
Hudson, 2B
Kershaw, P
Inside the Dodgers 
I’m not seeing where batting Martin 2nd is helping anything except to give him the opportunity to make an extra out a game.
Bat Dre 2nd, move Kemp to 3rd and give a guy that can actually DO SOMETHING with the bat an extra opportunity.
Here’s a pre-series song. Starts out about the Snakes, but morphs into a song about the Blues’ management….
Snakes!
(Sing to “Flakes!” by Frank Zappa)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6goaqUzDNI
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Snakes! Snakes!
Snakes! Snakes!
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They don’t do no good
They never be winnin’
When they oughta should
They waste your time
They’re wastin’ mine
Arizona’s got the most of them
Boy, they got a host of them
Swear t’God they got the most
Of all the ballclubs on the coast
Swear t’God they got the most
Of all the ballclubs on the coast
They got the Snakes
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Blues! Blues!
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They can’t go nine frames
You ask ’em, “Where’s our win streak?”
“Well we was beaten by snakes . . .”
You can curse ‘n’ bitc& ‘n’ spit
But Joe won’t be pitchin’ Schidt
Mota’s groovin’ and lazy
Martin is drivin’ us crazy
Swear t’God they got the most
Of all the ballclubs on the coast
Swear t’God they got the most
Of all the ballclubs on the coast
[Take it away, Ned. . .]
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I asked as nice as I could
If my job would
Somehow be renewed this season
Well, the whole dam_n year
Came ‘n’ went, Frankie
[Wanna buy some PEDS, Ned?]
‘N’ I didn’t do nothin’
But I charged Frank double for Vargas
You know, no matter what I do
I’m gonna cheat ‘n’ rob you
And I’ll sign you a Phew
That’ll get your head steamin’
And I’ll sign a blown Schidt
And I’ll sign a fat cow
That’ll get ITD so crazy
Til your blog’ll go molt into a cult
Yes it will!
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[Take it away, Frankie. . . ]
I am a moron ‘n’ this is my wife
She’s buyin’ three homes
Has a plastic life
All what we got here’s
Picked by Logan White
The pitching isn’t easy
Juan ain’t always played
Well we don’t get excited when it
Rumbles ‘n’ shakes
We just get on the phone
And call up some PVLs
They rush on over
‘N’ wreck it some more
‘N’ we are so dumb
Loaiza, Proctor, Nomore
Well, Joe Torre went crazy
With the bullpen
The bloggers they say
“Don’t let Andre Arbitrate”
This great information
Cost me half a week’s pay
Manny’s female PEDS blew up
Early in the Month of May ay-eee-ay
Blew up the Month of May WOO-OOO
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We owe millions ‘n’ millions
We’re coming to charge you
We’re protected by Selig
So don’t let it upset you
Can’t escape the conclusion
It’s probably God’s Will
That baseball the great past time
Will grind to a standstill
And we are the people
Who will make it all happen
While yer Torre is sleepin’,
And Martin is crappin’
You might call us Snakes
Or something else you might coin us
But you know we’re so greedy
And you just gotta feed us
We’re comin’ to let you down, we’re comin’ to let you down
We’re comin’ to let you down, we’re comin’ to let you down
We’re comin’ to let you down, we’re comin’ to let you down
AM I seeing double or are they two threads named “Clayton’s Place”?
Go Kershaw! Go Dodgers!
Good evening ITD, Dodger Faithful and Our beloved Boys in Blue…..
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It is good to see everyone having fun writing the songs again….Good job!!
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Lets keep this wave of wins rolling along tonight in Arizona!!
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GO DODGERS!!!
BRING THE RING TO L.A. IN 2009!!!!!
JOSH – Thanks for the Double post….:-)
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CRASH – That’s probably the longest song!
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~Wishful Thinking: NO! MARTIN will NOT be CRAPPIN’ tonight….4th HR BABY!
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Let’s Go Dodgers! Let’s go on the WINNING STREAK!
YAY, GIANTS LOST!!!!!
Hello
It looks like we’ve had 2 threads tonight, I guess it’s better to use the most recent.
Well we’re facing the familiar Dan Haren tonight on the mound, who claims he’s not doing to well recently, pitchingwise , that’s good news and I hope he doesn’t find the Dodgers his cure.
LET’S GO ,YA BUMS.
And, Rockies are losing 5 – 1 !!!
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COME ON DODGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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DODGER BLUE THRU & THRU!!!
I guess we have another new thread.
I’m a little confused here, I keep going back to a different thread.
Just checking.
Hi everyone ~ Boy that was a lousy inning. I hope Kershaw can settle down. Damn with both the Rockies & Gnats losing the Dodgers can add to their lead.
I know oldbrooklynfan, but they have a chance to put some distance between them and the other teams.
Is it just me and you oldbrooklynfan?
Kershaw – so lousy one inning, so go the next.
Well the worst that could happen tonight is the lead remains at 5.
I guess we should click the “back to blog”, if we don’t have a comment, at least nobody is on the other thread except me, but I’ll check this out now and then.
It seems to be a typical Kershaw outing except for 4 runs.
He’s generally a little but was hit very hard in the 2nd inning.
Maybe K E M P can wake the guys up.
That a boy Matty! That’s the way to wake us up!
Good evening TBW, OBF, MsRussyD4L, (anyone else)
I guess Kemp said to Haran “Keep smiling fool”.
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Don’t feel bad Kershy. You will have plenty of good games for the Blue! Let’s go Tron (Lechero)
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So good have a game and to have Vinny!
Great AB by Raffy!
Hey Trueblewil are we the only ones here tonight?
Where is everybody?
Damn! What is Martin swinging at? That was in the dirt.
This is very unusual, must be a technical problem.
The server is now on a blink again.
I don’t know oldbrooklynfan. I guess we’ll have to hold down the fort until reinforcements come.
I hope the Dodgers can fight their way back into this one.
I think post are floating on the air ’cause I don’t see mine from a few minutes ago so I am out of here. Double for Manny!
Damn! First pitch DP! Way to kill a rally.
Hey guys, I’m here!
Hi again.
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There are bad spirits afoot – I’ve been kicked off the site four times since my first post.
James has been having his ups and downs for sure. Matt should be hitting in front of him, but there’s nobody to protect Matt if he moves up in the line-up.
I would LOVE to see Ausmus play more, too. I think we can expect him to catch Haeger the knuckleballer. It would just be too hard on poor Russy!
The Dodgers are having their usual troubles with Haren.
Hi Sparple!
Torre needs to move Loney to the 8th spot. Maybe he will improve like the other hitters that were moved there.
Emma
http://crzblue.mlblogs.com/
Good to see we have a sparkle.
Good evening all.
I sure hope Loney gets out of this funk he’s in. He sure has been streaky this season. Hot & cold.
Martin has been the biggest disappointment on the entire club. Torre should play Ausmus more than he does.
Oh the crazy ones here, how ya doin’ kid.
Guilty as charged on the crazy verdict!!! S.S.D.D.
I think it you have to be pretty much half a bubble off level to be a die hard Dodger fan on the ITD blog.
Today is the other bday boy also Happy bday to Loretta to.
Happy birthday Juan P. and Loretta.
Kemp wiped out that lead off walk.
I was referring to crazyblu, not you vi4.
oldbrooklynfan ~ Haren Is 3-4 with a 3.99 ERA coming into tonight’s game. So they have scored some runs against him in the past. So far tonight when they’ve had a rally they haven’t come up with the big hit.
Whew! Guess I have a guilt trip on my lunacy.
Guess I’ll take my toys, and go play else where.
Adios & Good Night…………………..
The way things are going (but it could change), if it keeps up this way, the Dodgers, Giants and Rox will go down to the wire as usual, and in no particular order.
Ouch! Haren didn’t have to hit Andre . . . . but I do like having him on first with Manny up!
Manny, please make him pay!!!
Ah well, so much for that . . . .
sparkle ~ Looks like Manny just missed that one.
I know Will, but Haren is on, when he’s pitching well he does well against the Dodgers.
Usually.
This game illustrates exactly why, that IF (because that’s not a certainty anymore) they make the playoffs they’ll be out in 4 games – they can’t beat the other teams best pitcher(s), which is all they’ll face in the playoffs. Last year the could be Haren and Webb and Zambrano. This year they just flop around like a fish out of water.
And it’s a friggin joke having Martin bat 2nd.
HI OBF! I am doing fine! I could do better if the Blue score! I almost went to AZ but my friend could not make it and I considered driving the 4 hours by myself but Idecided against it. I will see the boys soon on Monday. They better be ready on Monday to pluck some birds.
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Oh no! they hit Andre. If looks could kill
Will Mota be an enforcer again and drill a Snake?
MATTY! Great catch!!!!!
There is nothing the Marvelous Matty can’t do.
VL4! Don’t go!!
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Matty is putting on a show!
That was punk a**. Belly didn’t hit Reynolds on purpose.
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Of course I get to listen to Matt Williams who is the D-Bags announcer. & also an x-Giant who has done nothing but share his hate for the Blue. & he was complaining that Belly threw at Reynolds.
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Oh how sweet would that of been for Manny to of put that in the seats.
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Sweet catch Matty!
WTG Matty! Nice catch! Boy Mota is starting scare me lately.
wohooooooooooo that the guy I went to high school with.
Just so you know, I did see Dre’ get drilled. The Arizona broadcast team said it was Andre because “he is the guy right now” So, Andre…………………take that as a compliment, you did good.
Now, for the game………………………yuck!!!!
So you get to hear these guys also Nelly. Wifey said she dislikes them more than the Giants K&K…
Well Nelly, based on the Snakes record, I guess we can’t really retaliate since they don’t have “the guy”. 🙂
Let’s get some!!!!
Well, nice effort in the 9th, hopefully we can continue to make their closer look vulnerable, and get some runs off him if needed. Everyone have a great night!!
No present for us either.
Vin says:
“No presents for the birthday boys” “For all of you from all of us a very pleasant evening”
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Good night Vin!
Good night everyone! We’ll do the skinning of snakes tomorrow!
Emma
http://crzblue.mlblogs.com/
kma
NSB — Great post at the end of the last thread regarding the Giants announcers. Us in Norcal have a hard time describing what jokers these guys are, but you really nail them.
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I’ve noticed that many announcers around the league these days are pretty much homers and really pathetic.
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A lot of imitation of one another with the over hyped calls as well as the disparaging comments for the other team, complaining about calls and just plain poor announcing.
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So with hearing Vin for awhile & seeing how well loved he is & how successful he has been with being in the HOF and getting rewards and such, why isn’t he imitated?
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I as a Dodger fan really hope that when he retires we can have some good announcers and not get what some of these other teams have.
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Hersh is pretty good on the College World Series and I wouldn’t mind seeing him as part of a team.
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But Frank needs to get someone classy in the ranks.
obf
Very disappointing game. We could have increased our lead over both teams and after two good wins in SF we lose the next two. That makes us 13-15 since the all-star break. That’s not going to cut it. We’re letting the Rocks & Gnats back into it. We need to win 8 out of 10 and put this thing away.
Well, that was just a yucky game.
I still can’t believe they drilled Ethier. He is a hometown Phoenix boy too.
Is about time this dude got signed.
http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090814&content_id=6427806&vkey=news_la&fext=.jsp&c_id=la
Collie: Hershiser would be a good choice. I know we have other options in the ranks, but I fear having to hear “Tinkle Hitter” for the Next 50 Years after Vin decides to see how much golf he could play.
Here’s the post that was new-threaded, in case anyone’s curious (just edited out one word I now feel is an uneccessary personal attack):
Dost my eyes deceive me, Kahli? An objective sportswriter in the Bay Area? One who owns up to the fact that Pablo Sandoval was not hit, as opposed to cheerleading and overreacting when they thought Sandoval was ejected, which he wasn’t. Now we know where our SF import got his itchy trigger finger.
I wish I could’ve DVR’d it and taped it for all Dodgers fans to see. The way they blew up the frames from J-Mac’s inside pitch to Sandoval so large, it was pixelated like a scene from the Atari 2600. The way Kruk and Kuip, the biggest babies/aspiring Umpires in the league, hooted and hollered at a massively blurry picture as conclusive proof that a Dodger runner was out at 1st in the 9th. A freeze frame, mind you, that looked like someone put an impressionist painting in a Spirograph.
This is further proof for me that Jim Miller is a hack. And he deserves to spend his weekends next to Joe Morgan. I used to feel sorry when Morgan would make him look the fool on National Television… but for once, Morgan might be telling the truth of Miller’s foolhardiness.
We are beyond spoiled to have Vin Scully calling the games for us. And he grew up a diehard Giants fan in Washington Heights, NYC. I guess when Horace Stoneham picked up the stakes and moved the Giants to San Fran, he left any vestige of classiness back in New York.
What a circus lifestyle following the Giants must be. As objective as World Wrestling Entertainment. I know I shouldn’t be surprised having lived here for 8 years, but I try to think the best of humanity and what our potential is, and to see a culture repeatedly fail… it’s downright depressing.
By northstateblues on August 14, 2009 3:46 PM
paperbag already made the point: our guys struggle to score against the league’s best. The Kid has one bad inning and we’re shot. At least that was the story last night. Next time it could be different.
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Interesting how Ethier got hit, although he might use a different word for it. I think the d-backs, even though their season is long gone, had to show some fight to their fans and to their selves.
you are up early Knouff.
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Let’s hope the batting order improves and the boys bring their bats. There have been too many HBP lately.
Go Kuroda the warrior!
Go Dodgers!
Emma
http://crzblue.mlblogs.com/
Ever since the All-Star break our record sucks. In spite of our overall record, I’m pretty sure that for instance the D’Backs have a better record since the AS Game than we do. Do we even deserve to go to the playoffs? In my mind, unless we turn it up several notches before the end of the season, my answer would be decidedly NO. Besides Manny*roid only Andre and Matt are contributing to the team in a manner you’d expect from a playoff contender. Our team does not have the one-two punch of a dominant pitcher or two – we do it well by committee, especially with our bullpen, but no team should be afraid to go up against us, and it shows. If missing the playoffs gets Ned fired, I’m actually all for it. If it gets Torre to retire early, and I use the word retire loosely, I’d be jumping with glee. I hate those two management components of the Dodgers even more than I do Frank. Frank only did what comes naturally to a real estate developer, that being to use borrowed money anytime he can – the real culprit was Selig for letting baseball deteriorate to the level of letting Frank become an owner. Frank obviously will not invest any more money for players on the field, and that probably portends that a lot of our beloved young guys will be playing someplace else in a few years. Mr. MCCHEAP is here to stay, and may all the great Dodgers up in the sky curse him.
Emma- we’re in the mtn time zone, but I do get up around dawn and try to figure out the previous night’s game. I keep track with game day and mlb.audio.
Good Morning ITDland ~ I am also very concerned about our play since the All-Star break. I do think, however, if Mr. Know-it-all Torre would put the lineup out there, that many of us have suggested, mainly keeping Dre, Manny and Matty batting together, we would have had a much better record. Why give Russell more at bats per game than Matt? DUMB!
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That being said, have a great day everyone and let’s give Kuroda a win!!!!
Can I just say I am still mad they intentionally hurt Andre – LOL!!! Maggie better give those Phoenix natives a piece of her mind, hurting her husband and Dreson’s daddy like that. (JK) – She is probably proud because her hubby is “The Guy”, according to the dbacks.
messagebear – always great to see what you are thinking.
Obviously Joe likes the way that Martin handles his job, including his bat. Actually with Furcal and Martin at the top, no real offensive threat is likely to develop until Andre’s turn comes up. I’m also very disappointed in Furcal – not only his lower batting average this year, but his seeming inability to steal bases. What an odd combination for a leadoff hitter. You would hope with a three year contract that he’s still somehow affected or recovering from the back surgery, but if that’s not the case, we have another half healthy loser in the lineup for another two years.
Nothing like two wussy-bats at the top.
Time warping still. I wrote that after messagebear’s 10:20 post.
Bear ~ remember last year before Manny came to us and Pp was hurt….Joe had Matty and Andre batting 1 – 2 and it was not bad at all? Matt is as speedy as Furcal, if not better. Andre knows how to work the count. However, I think Dre 2nd, Manny 3rd and Matty 4th is pretty damn good! Or, depending on who’s pitching, you can switch those 3. I’d surely put Loney and Martin way down in the order!
At least Furcal not on the DL yet lol.
Why in the hell he’s not stealing bases when he does get on?
I’d rather Kemp bat lead off and Ethier 2nd Manny 3rd
Joe, for the love of sanity, quit trying to WILL Martin into a productive year. Is it a “catcher” thing, you know, some sort of weird fraternity? And quit pretending Casey Blake is a feared hitter. These two guys effectively clog whatever remnants of a potent batting order you still have. You said, oh, let me see, all of a week ago, that batting Ethier in the 2-hole was smart and that you should have gotten smarter a long time ago. Geez, are you ever maddening. Your attention span–or lack thereof–is alarming. Senility is tough, huh Joe? So, in summary, quit wedging that albatross Martin in at the top of the line-up and quit hallucinating that Blake is going to protect Manny. Furcal is a necessary evil at lead-off, then you follow with your three best hitters: Ethier, Manny, Kemp. There, how hard was that?
I just got the title of this thread duhh, I am slow.
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Kemp has 23 stolen bases to Furcal 6! Even Martin has 9. Sometimes Torre drives me batty with the batting order.
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Emma
http://crzblue.mlblogs.com/
I agree bear – this team has showed me absolutely nothing since the all-star break.
Because of September’s easy schedule, I’m sure the team will schlep its way into the playoffs, then schlep its way out in 4 games (I’ll concede them one win in a 5 game series.
But hey, Joe will make it into the playoffs for what, the 100th year in a row and be hailed yet again as a genius.
Why you don’t have Dre-Kemp-Manny batting 2-3-4 I’ll never know. Why you don’t put your most dynamic player up in the order to get an extra AB I’ll never know either. But ask me that in another 15 years when I’m as senile as Joe and maybe I will.
Emma ~ I just got the title of this thread now after you did, only because you made me go back and look at it again. I am slowest.
As far as the batting order goes, Kemp has 17 RBI in 13 games in the month of August so far. The point being he must get up with men on base no matter how the batting order is configured. Lately the Dodgers have been very inconsistent offensively, they have to get back to what they were doing in the first half of the season and score more runs in order to win more consistently.
Well, bpb, I wouldn’t worry about getting as senile as Joe in 15 years or whatever – Joe really excells at being senile, and that probably doesn’t have anything to do with age, just being an IDIOT, as you often observe.
One thing this team doesn’t seem to be doing anymore Tru is making the other teams pitcher pitch. What happened to working the count? What happened to running up their pitch count? Everything they were doing the first part of the year they’ve totally gotten away from this last month and a half.
You mean the crying hawaiian
I hate watching saturday baseball
I hate when the Giants playing on ch 11 but go Mets
The Mets wearing those NY Giants jersey. Gosh damn those stupid Panda mask.
I love how the Giants got dissed.
The Giants just got dissed on National TV when they showed the FACTS:
Giants OFFENSIVE NL Ranks This Season…
Average .260 = 10th
Runs/Game 4.0 = Tied-14th
Home Runs 76 = 15th
Walks 260 = LAST
There are only 16 teams in the NL.
That’s pretty amazing, shad on how ineffective the Giants rank offensively. On the other hand, I suppose it shows you what a couple of good and consistent pitchers can do for you.
BPB ~ the only ones on the team who do work the count are Andre and Manny.
Yep
Giants Pitching
910 Strikeouts = Most In ALL MLB.
.237 OPP. AVG. = 2nd in ALL MLB.
3.51 ERA = 1st in ALL MLB.
Dang it Cain you trying to kill Wright
Dang it Santana