Winter Meetings are underway…
Touched down in Indianapolis last night with the baseball operations core and for the next few days, this town will be the center of the baseball world. Lots of agents wandering the halls, baseball execs in their suites, PR types in their league-wide meetings and rumors flying every which way. It’s an exciting time to be a fan during these few days, but it’s safe to say that you have to be a little more careful what you believe during these few days that usual. Every imaginable scenario is discussed between teams and before you know it, the Yankees have traded A-Rod to the Pirates for Ryan Doumit. Or something like that.
The last few years, the winter meetings have been in relatively warm places but this year, there’s snow on the ground outside and it is downright freezing out there. I’m guessing the people from the Twins, Yankees, and the rest of those teams aren’t nearly as cold as us West Coasters.
And, I just got an email confirming that Whitey Herzog and Doug Harvey were elected to the Hall of Fame. Tough pill to swallow for those who remember the ’85 LCS, but congrats to both.
I hope to post more info throughout the week here in Indiana.
Inside the Dodgers 
I don’t wven know why we are attending! We certainly aren’t going to do anything. Should have saved the money. Sorry to start the morning on such a negative note but, I am not very optimistic about the Dodgers landing anybody of value to our team.
Ned…got a trade for you. Package Frank and Jamie for an owner to be named later………..
I don’t mind shopping Sherrill for a starter, but what kind of a starter are they going to get if they can’t even afford to pay Sherrill $4 mil a year? And they can’t afford that even after they just shed $40 million from the payroll?
Considering how leveraged Frank and Jamie were together, how is either going to own the team with HALF of that amount? Unless they’re forced to sell, this team is doomed to mediocrity.
Sounds like a good deal to me, Kahli 🙂
Love your new name, Grizzly!
I like the name change to McCheap…awesome!
Goodmorning everyone,
Listen I am as upset as everyone in this blog and more importantly as upset as every true dodger fan should be right now. We have great young talent that is just being wasted away because our owner is to damm cheap and broke to do anything. I can go on and on about our poor excuse for an owner. Sitting here and complaining wont do any good. We have to come together as Dodger fans and let ownership really know exactly how we feel….the perfect way of doing that is by making MCheap hurt,,the only way we can do that is by not buying anything. I love the dodgers but i really dislike our owner…=(..lets revolt !!!!!!!
by the way im Mcheap now, but i was previously know as Grizzly1320….Mccourt inspired me to change my sn for now
They’re also talking a pitcher for JP, and mentioning Dontrelle Willis as a possibility. I’ll take him. Now just fire Honeycutt and bring someone in who can re-ignite the guy’s talent.
Was there not a December court date scheduled to hear the issue of Dodgers ownership between Frank and Jamie?
I would like to see Jamie established as a co-owner, not because I want her to benefit, but because that would most likely develop into the quickest scenario whereby the McCheaps, or the McFu**s, as I’d like to refer to them, realize that they have to sell the team. With their leveraged ownership to begin with, I hope this issue breaks both of them and quickly too. I hope the have to clean the house of everybody that the McFu**s and Ned have brought in over the years – every worthless bast**d of them.
And yes, don’t contribute a dime to the Fu**ers until they’re GONE!!!
All of our core young players will be gone if this trend of not being able to afford (or being patient as “they” like to call it)even the B players continues.
Great name Grizzly!!!
Let’s Do the Time Warp Again!!!
I hope the arbitrator really sticks it to our management this winter. I could easily justify $9-$10 million a year each for Andre and Matt and probably around $4-$5 million for Brox. Think the McF**ks can afford that if they can’t afford Sherrill?
Can’t afford Sherrill? Anyone not think that Kemp will be playing in the prime of his career for someone else?
SELL THE TEAM!!!
SELL THE TEAM!!!!
Yes, what ownership we have. Leveraged to the hilt to begin with, now broke that their house of cards is falling apart.
Funny that Jamie’s asking for what $350K/month for alimony? Gee doesn’t that sound, you know, a little weird?
SELL THE TEAM!!!!
We are supposed to do cartwheels because McTurd didn’t raise prices across the board. How about LOWERING prices if you’re not going to compete the way a team from Los Angeles should? Cheap!!
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SELL THE TEAM!!
SELL THE TEAM!!
SELL THE TEAM!!SELL THE TEAM!!
SELL THE TEAM!!
SELL THE TEAM!!
SELL THE TEAM!!SELL THE TEAM!!
SELL THE TEAM!!
SELL THE TEAM!!
SELL THE TEAM!!SELL THE TEAM!!
Brad Penny turrned down a one year offer from the Giants….like he is going to get a better offer! Oh, my God, we will probably get stuck with him again!!!!
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SELL THE TEAM!!!!!
WAIT! WAIT! All this talk about the McCheaps might be premature! Just today I was reading ……. wait a minute……. it was right here ………… ah, here it is! From rotoworld:
“According to MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro, the Dodgers have inquired about Marlins outfielder Alfredo Amezaga.”
See! Look at that! OK, I’ve never heard of him either, but let’s check him out:
“Amezaga, 31, hit .217/.267/.261 in 2009 with no homers and five RBI in 69 at-bats.”
SELL THE TEAM!!!
I mean, which would you rather have: an owner getting $350K/Mo. alimony? or a couple of guys that could help the team?
Good thing Tiger Woods didn’t own the team…
I forgot to say:
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SELL THE TEAM!!!
LMAO!!!!!!!
Now that I am not LMAO anymore. Why on earth are we even looking at outfielders? THAT is not even on our list of needs for this team unless there is something even more detrimental, devastating, or asssinine coming our way. Definitely stage 3!!!!
SELL THE TEAM!!!
Dodgereric ~ we are certainly on our way to a championship with moves like this one! lol
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SELL THE TEAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As long as outfielders are in the forefront, whether you need one or not, how about for discussion sake a swap of JP for Bradley with the Cubs? As ridiculous as Amezaga?
Maybe we can get him to throw a water cooler at Frank.
This signing of Amezaga is one of the many things about this management team that make us all go “hmmmmmmm?” What a waste of ink – sheesh!!!!
Not to worry people. Mr. Drysdale, I mean Dennis Mannion has been put in charge of Jed’s baseball operations. No chance of anything going wrong there. Mr. Drysdale loves money and I’m sure won’t let a dime of Jed’s go anywhere.
everyone say it with me SELLLLLLLLLLLLLLL THE TEAMMMMMMMMMMMM …everyone should change their sn examples – Mcturd, McF*ck, McCheap..(Yes there can be two of us =) ..be creative. We need to take a stand once and for all. Before we know it our beloved home grown talent will be gone too. Again say it with me…………SELL THE TEAM YOUR POOR EXCUSE FOR AN OWNER
I think Frank is more like middle relief…..just filling time until the real closer comes in to save the day!
This time warp issue is getting worse! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!!!!
We sit here and see the teams payroll go down every year…none of our free agents get resigned..we need pitching, everyone knows it but we loose three starters to free agency and don’t do anything about it. Winter meetings?…like someone said earlier, why are we even there..ewwww we might sign a 38 yr old bullpen arm..or a replacement for juan castro
Alfredo Amézaga will be the new Juan Castro…highlight-reel infielder, primarily ****, plays all infield positions. Nothing to get excited about, but nothing to drink Drano over, either. I still haven’t seen anything about the transaction, though. As for trading Sherrill, I think it’s a money issue, but also I think he was a bit of a clubhouse pill, as well. Who knows with this team anymore???!?!?!?!??!?!?!?
Now those asterisks are funny. I said he was primarily “a shortstop,” but abbreviated the word shortstop to SS. The MLB thought-police computer has a dirty little mind!!!!!!
Well, McCourt is a “shortstop” as well.
We can all hope he’s a short stop between the evil Fox ownership and a REAL owner that cares about fans and product, and not about parking lots and Chavez Ravine make-overs.
Kahli – I still can’t figure out why they would asterisk *******. It’s just a hamburger from Burger King 🙂
Here’s a comment Terry Francona made about the Yankees:
?They have a couple of things that make life difficult for us: They have a lot of money and they have smart people running what they are doing.?
The very antithesis of the Dodgers, I might add………………
Latest comments from Ned on the Dodgers front page…
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Basically he says he doesn’t plan on trading The Brim Reaper. That it would be trading away a strength from last year.
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It’s starting to sound like Juan might actually be gone at some point.
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One proposed trade was Juan for Luis Castillo. I’d rather Juan for Uggla or Brandon Phillips if it could get done.
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I would mind getting Jackson as a compliment to if they went & got Halladay or Lacky but never mind me. It’s cold & I’m having an adult beverage to help me get warm…
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http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091207&content_id=7770626&vkey=news_la&fext=.jsp&c_id=la
Red pen the part about Jackson. That would be “wouldn’t mind”!!!!
Kahli – Oh, how we only wish we had a management team who thought about such things.
Collie ~ Halladay or Lackey…………..Nevermind you is right – LOL!!!! And as for the adult beverage, same here.
Nelly — So I just saw!
Collie – I blame PG&E. We have the heat very low unless we have company over. Last year we just kept it on like they suggest, and we had a $1200 bill last year. We don’t want to see those numbers again. So, fortunately we have a great fire place and plenty of hot beverages, both plain and spirited to get through days like this.
If we think back to the two playoff series two short months ago, who really stepped up?
Starters who hit over .300: Ethier, Loney, Belliard
Starters with most RBIs: Ethier, Kemp, Ramirez
Starters with most HRs: Ethier, Kemp, Loney
Starters with most runs scored: Ethier, Kemp, Belliard
Starters with highest Slugging %: Ethier, Loney, Ramirez
Starting pitchers with ERA under 3.50: NONE
Pitchers with ERA of 0.00: Elbert (0.1 innings) , Kuo (5.0), Troncoso 3.0)
How many PVLs in there? Not many.
PLAY THE KIDS…TRADE FOR KIDS…TUNE OUT PVL-loving JOE…
Wow — that is quite a bill! I guess it’s one good reason to have a small place. I want something bigger but then seeing that makes me re-think my wishes!!!
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My Aunt owns a little ranch house in Penngrove (Near Petaluma). About 6 acres with a bunch of eucalyptus trees. They get the trees topped every few years and rotate the wood that we split and that is what she uses for heat. She has one of those fire places that pump the hot air into the casa and smoke out. It keeps the place really toasty. I love going there for a fire in the winter!
According to SI’s Jon Heyman, Santa has brought us 5 more years of Ned.
In a probably unrelated note, in that Greatest American Hero episode I watched, Robert Culp went in alone against the California Stars’ (Read: L.A. Yellow Dodgers, with Dodger Stadium for a home) army of agents, insurance men, accountants and lawyers, thinking he’d get Ralph Hinkley a great contract (although Hinkley just wanted there to be a stipulation that allowed him to not play during school hours, now there’s a trooper).
Culp came home to tell Hinkley he wasn’t able to get his stipulation, but he got him a contract for $3 million. Hinkley went ape, of course. But then… after talking to the owner (the daughter of the deceased former owner, who’s a little sweet on Hinkley), he found out the genius Culp indeed got him a $3 million contract… $3 million of life insurance, to be paid out upon his accidental death. Of course, if any logic reigned with the Stars’ front office, with a Latin American Cartel crippling 3 of their star players within the last week, maybe a life insurance policy for $3 million wasn’t the best idea.
I guess there are some things worse than deferred payments…
Collie – That sounds like a great place. Alot of our problem is it is an older home so I am sure if we re-insulated it and replaced the windows, it would make a big difference.
Kahli – great facts!!! Let’s hope somebody that can do something about it reads it.
I just ran into (or stumbled, rather) into an old friend tonight. Haven’t seen him much since the end of the season. It’s…….THE ITD VICTORY FLASK!!!!!! And it’s still filled, too!!! Probably left over in anticipation of a NLCS victory party. It’s a cold night,too. Not too many victories to celebrate…..aah, details, details!!! GLUBGLUBGLUBGLUBGLUBGLUBGLUB…………… Ah, sh%t!!!! Frank still owns the Dodgers!!!!
SELL THE TEAM, FRANK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hello gang!!! Yep, cold weather and high energy bills really s*ck!!! Good stuff Kahli!! Obviously we don’t need to be dumpster diving for crummy outfielders and utility guys hoping to pull out a diamond. Ain’t gonna happen. We need to concentrate on pitching. The main focus needs to be on turning Billz and Kersh into 6-7 inning pitchers instead of 4-5 inning pitchers. That would certainly help alot and take some pressure off the bullpen.
Oh & I agree…. Sell the team!!!!
LOL!!! I agree gang; SELL THE TEAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey Jhall!!!!! Got snow yet?
Submission error hell :(((
Well, that’s good Jhall (I think). We may have had more snow than you on the valley floor, and enchanted got slightly more than flurries up in his new home in the Sierras – LOL!!!! Actually, it looks like a Christmas Card up there right now.
As far as the Dodgers, it’s hard to tell what they are really up to, but from what we are reading and hearing, it doesn’t sound good at all. There is no talk of getting “real” pitching so far, and even non-Dodger fans would tell you that is what they need most. However, I agree with you…………if Kersh and Billz become what they are capable of, then that would take us along way.
….and I am willing to play the kids the whole way if that is the plan, but like Collie says, do they even have a plan? They certainly don’t appear to have one.
Hi’Ya Nelly!!! Just a light dusting of flurries so far!! Nothing to speak of yet!!!
agree jhall…the ONLY way the Dodgers win anything in the next few years is if Kershaw, Billingsley, and Broxton become consistent, dominant All-Stars. Otherwise, it’s just more PVL smoke-and-mirrors .
Agreed Nelly!!! Kahli, we also need Martin to get it together as well as Furcal. Ferk lights the candle and he was very disappointing in the NLCS!!!
2010 could be a make or break year for Martin!!! He has regressed the last 2 years!!! Might want to consider grooming him to take over 3rd when Blake departs!!
Yep, Russell needs to step it up a bit too. No doubt about that!! You would think of all the position players really wanting pitching, it would be Russell, seeing how he is the one who has to deal with them on the field day in and day out.
The shape of things to come…
From the L.A. Times ( http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-dodgers8-2009dec08,0,3986061.story )
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In response to widespread speculation that financial troubles could significantly compromise the quality of the Dodgers’ on-field product next season, General Manager Ned Colletti said on the opening day of baseball’s winter meetings that the club intends to spend at least as much on players as it did last season.
Asked whether the Dodgers’ payroll could decrease, Colletti said, “Not at the moment.”
Colletti didn’t rule out that the payroll could increase, and downplayed concerns that have been raised about owner Frank McCourt’s divorce proceedings and the club’s decision not to offer any of its free agents salary arbitration. The club began last season with a payroll of around $100 million.
“A lot of it depends on how the winter unfolds with revenue and different things along those lines,” Colletti said. “If we see good signs, it goes up. If we don’t see good signs, it probably doesn’t go up.”
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and some more tidings…
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Colletti said the Dodgers continue to shop fourth outfielder Juan Pierre, who is owed $18.5 million over the next two seasons. Multiple teams have expressed interest in Pierre and the Dodgers expect to have a better idea by the end of the winter meetings whether they will be able to move him this off-season, sources said.
If the Dodgers trade Pierre, Colletti said, they would want pitching in return.
Colletti said he remains in talks with Manager Joe Torre about a contract extension.
Torre, who has one year remaining on his current deal, wants to manage in 2011 and move into a front-office role in 2012, according to Colletti.
Asked what he envisioned Torre doing for the Dodgers in his post-managerial days, Colletti replied, “Depends on how much time he wants to spend on it. Obviously, he’s a great evaluator and a great motivator and he could probably help us in a lot of different ways.”
Brewers closing in on deal for Wolf
Crew offering three years to ex-Dodgers left-hander
http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091207&content_id=7771586&vkey=news_mil&fext=.jsp&c_id=mil
I was watching mlbtv this morning, and Mr. Penny is now a Cardinal, according to their reports. My son was happy. He figured that’s just more money for them to pay Linsecum.