Billingsley avoids arbitration
Great news…we’ve avoided arbitration with Chad Billingsley and signed him to a one-year deal for next season. I know that there are some fans who seem to be concerned about his second half struggles, but I’m personally pretty bullish that he can bounce back to his first-half, All-Star form. It’s not like the guy was an All-Star three years ago…it was last year, and he was one of only nine starting pitchers named to the All-Star team, so that should mean something. Plus, he had quality starts in seven of his final 13 outings…not stellar by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s not as though the entire second half was awful.
Hoping we can get some other good news on our arbitration eligible players here in the coming week or so…
Inside the Dodgers 
I see Frank’s trying to do some damage control in his interview, but these facts don’t lie:
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1. Giving up good prospects so he doesn’t have to pay acquired PVLs salaries.
2. No arbitration to Wolf and Hudson so he wouldn’t have to pay high end compensation draft picks.
3. He’s spent less on prospects than any other team.
4. He’s not a player for anykind of worthy FA.
5. He dumped payroll with JP
6. Contracts are starting to have deferred compensation.
Say what you want, but believe what you see.
If Frank really believes what he says, he’s delusional; otherwise he’s just the typical spinmeister A-Hole that we’ve known here for many years now – all crap and no substance.
SELL THE TEAM, you F’ing piece of CRAP!
π
I think, for lunch today, I will have some “Cream of the Crap” soup with yummy DUMPlings π
It looks like Kemp avoided arbitration too………………3 down, 6 to go.
http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100115&content_id=7922308&vkey=news_la&fext=.jsp&c_id=la
Not that I particularly want him, but one month of a semi-effective Jon Garland cost the Dodger organization one Tony Abreu. They should re-sign him for no other reason that than. Ned’s a dork.
What’s that taste like?
I imagine it tastes like what we’re being fed by the front office.
I see Sheets is asking for $8 mil guaranteed for 1 year. Is he insane? He’ll be lucky if anyone guarantees him 1 year at $4 mil. I could see guaranteeing maybe $2 with incentives to get to $8, but that’s rediculous for someone coming off an arm injury to demand that kind of money whether he throws well in his audition or not.
Of course this begs the question – What lucky stiff are we going to end up with for #4?
First of all, we could have a problem with #3 – Kuroda turns 35 next month and only gave us 117 innings last year. I hope I’m wrong and he stays healthy all year.
The free agents mentioned in the latest story about Freakin Frank were Garland, Padilla, Looper, and Piniero. Of those four, I would try to sign either Piniero or Padilla. Piniero is 31 and pitched well for the Cards last year. Padilla, 32, is a known quantity to Old Man Joe and is a real competitor. Meanwhile, Garland was a no show in the playoffs, so I don’t see why Joe would want him now. Looper, age 35, is the worst of the bunch (shhhh- don’t tell Ned, he’ll probably sign the stiff).
Scanning the FA transactions from this offseason, I can’t find one player signed or unsigned that I’d be happy seeing millions of dollars being spent on.
Even the “big fish”, Halladay, became awesome pitching in Toronto. Sherill was an awesome closer in Baltimore… then he came to a team that actually makes the offseason, and the Brim Reaper became a bit of a mortal. How would Halladay hold up on a team where he’d be playing for something that matters? Philly will find out… for 3 years of a currently-32 year old pitcher at $60 million… with an option for a 4th. And Lackey or Sheets would be setting up reservations at the Trainers Table at Club DL before too long.
McCourt’s crazy if he thinks we’ll buy the failed doublespeak he shovels to us… but as for FA acquisitions this year… I’m not wowed by what’s out there. ESPECIALLY for the prices.
I imagine you are right.
Hi, Brandon ~ I read that about Eric. I also like his style of play. I wouldn’t mind having him on my team at all….just his enthusiasm for the game can go a long way. I’m just wondering about his last few seasons where he seemed to get injured quite a lot. Just a freakish thing or a trend?
Crap…..time warped again!
Hey everyone….. LONG time no talk!! I just saw the D-Backs designated Eric Byrnes for assignment…. I LOVE this guys and his hard work ethic…. he busts his tail ALL the time!! Who thinks maybe he’d be a good invite to spring training to take Juan Pierre’s spot as the 4th outfielder? Just a thought…. I’d LOVE to have this guy on our ballclub….. Hi to all of the regulars on here btw…. π
Hey Brandon!!!! I enjoy watching Eric Byrnes play too. He has so much energy and enthusiasm…like a big kid playing the game. However, he seems like more than a 4th outfielder to me. I kind of lost track of the d-backs once they fell off the radar in our standings so I don’t remember him playing much, but maybe he didn’t play much is the reason why I don’t remember π It’s good seeing you. How’s Vegas?
That is weird. He’d look good in blue.
from the homepage………..
http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100115&content_id=7926112&vkey=news_la&fext=.jsp&c_id=la
Go for it Andre!!!!!! Your Ethieraholics are behind you 100%. Not that I don’t wish the other 5 players the same, but you know………..
I have a feeling Dre will be getting a big raise π
Pay dre……….pay dre,pay
pay dre……..pay dre
pay dre…..pay dre
pay dre…..pay dre
pay dre…..pay dre
pay dre…..pay dre…pay dre
pay dre…..pay dre……pay dre
pay dre…..pay dre………pay dre
pay dre…..pay dre………pay dre
pay dre…..pay dre………pay dre
pay dre…….pay dre…….pay dre
pay dre……….pay dre.pay dre
I am happy for Matt and Bills, but it really annoys me that once again, Andre is being disrespected by the Dodgers. They should have done everything they could to lock him in long term and instead they are dragging their feet once again. With the 31 hr’s and 106 rbi’s, not to mention all the walk off’s, he should have been #1 on the list to lock in. What has he got to do to get the respect and money he deserves? I am going to be really upset if they let it drag on to an arbitration hearing. Ned, do right by Andre for once. He’s more than earned it.
You tell them bluecrewgirl!!!
Nelly, he needs us as his agents. We’d get the job done and get him the big bucks he deserves. ):
I think Andre is as good, if not better than, Holliday!
bluecrewgirl – I am really understanding the benefits to the players not doing long-term contracts in these arbitration years, and I am assuming Andre is taking that into account as well. He has been through this before, and maybe he has learned something that we don’t know that will benefit him. If it’s Andre doing what’s best for him, than more power to him, but if it’s the Dodgers treating him like crap, then we will be watching Andre play for another team sooner than we want, which will most likely come back to bite the Dodgers in the behind someday. Then again, if anything happens to Andre this round that would make him unhappy, they will be dealing with some pretty irrate Ethieraholics to say the least.
DELUSIONAL – that’s Frank when he believes that the fans are behind him, as I’ve seen in the most recent article.
I for one would like to tear him another a-hole.
Who’s for another A-hole for Frank?
Frank’s so full of crap, one of those isn’t enough for him.
When it comes to Andre and his arbitration case, let’s remember that Andre is one year ahead of Matt in terms of qualified major league experience, so we don’t judge them equally in terms of performance for payroll purposes. Andre should rate higher in value in arbitration and for purposes of any negotiated contract at this stage. Matt settled for an average of about $5.5 million on his two year contract. Based on his performance and judged potential, I believe he gave the Dodgers a home discount in the neighborhood of several million, and to him that may be worth the security of an extra year guaranteed. Based on last year’s experience, there’s absolutely NO reason why Andre should give the Dodgers any home discount. If he were to consider a two year contract, I wouldn’t recommend anything less than $15 million, and for arbitration purposes I’d set his asking value at $8 million right now. I hope he squeezes every dime out of Frank’s “paltry” pocket.
SELL THE TEAM, you pathetic impostor of an owner. I can’t wish enough devastating and humiliating events in your life, you miserable pr*ck.
Good morning Bear, and Dodger faithful…….
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It is good to see you so active today!
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I don’t think Frank has been talking to nor listening to all of the fans, he hears, say’s and believes what he chooses too. Other wise he would reconize that many of the faithful are asking that he SELL THE TEAM!!!
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I am sure that many on this site can contridict what he has stated in the past, few days and years.
Just love it Messagebear!!!!
Hi there, Bear, Dodger4life and Nellyjune!
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Bear, you have it nailed!
Hey everyone…. I saw this on MLB’s website, not mentioned on ours or anywhere else. But we signed Jay Gibbons to a minor league deal. He’s the former Orioles outfielder…. anyway, here’s his career stats…. Not too bad actually…. Could make for a decent 4th outfielder
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gibboja01.shtml
Good morning all..I hope all is well in ITD land. Not excited about Gibbons. He has not had a hit since he got nailed for taking PEDS. He is not a great fielder, he had a little pop at one time, but we know what happened to that…Did I say PEDS, I have been having some good debates about them on facebook with some friends..
Is it Feb 17th yet? Go Dodgers!!!
Sign Pinero and Padilla…we may be able to get Padilla on a 1 year with his baggage. I thought he was really good for us last year…Keep him hungry and his attitude will probably stay in check…
Andre not getting “locked in” isn’t of any concern to me. Matt getting “locked in” is a gamble that (hopefully) can only pay off for the Dodgers, as our 5-tool once-prospect is starting to come into his own, and if his production spikes higher than expected this season, he’ll still be locked in at this year’s worth
Plus, the Dodgers will have control of Kemp for 3 years, so all this does is give Kemp a guaranteed paycheck should his production not go up.
Dre will be fine. Especially in arbitration. Maybe Ethier isn’t sitting around sulking about not getting locked in for a multiyear deal, but instead has a reason for being wary with hitching his future to Frank’s Hollywood star. Lord knows this comment section alone is full of ’em.
This year certainly has an “Everything to lose, everything to gain” feel to it already, a good setting for Act III of the three-act play that has, for better or worse, come to fruition with the Rise and Fall of Manny Ramirez…
Act I: 2008: Dodgers coming off a non-playoff year, hold on to the “kids” in the offseason, who are shedding that label and becoming ballplayers. The team signs Joe Torre to a 3 year contract, hoping his consistency in the Bronx will transition to the Ravine. Faltering with Arizona poised to disappear into the horizon, the Dodgers surprise by trading one of their young prospects for Manny Ramirez at the deadline (with the media carrying his Boston baggage), and he proceeds to seemingly lift the team to its first NLCS in 20 years, winning their 2nd, 3rd, and 4th playoff games by sweeping the “It’s Gonna Happen” Cubs. Yet, they can only manage 1 win, the deciding loss coming on the 20th anniversary of arguably the greatest moment in Los Angeles Dodgers history. The up and coming All-Star ace, Chad Billingsley, refuses to throw at the other batters (with pacifist Sandy Koufax looking on), and loses face.
Act II: 2009: Now the nation knows what the Dodgers are capable of, but mistake the familiar face of Manny Ramirez as the cause, instead of the core of the Dodgers realizing their potential. The Dodgers lose two of their established starters in the offseason (well, they lost Penny when he dipped into some fertility drugs mysteriously laying around the clubhouse, and pouted that he didn’t want to join the team for the playoffs), and Billingsley is coming off an offseason leg injury on top of the previous year’s NLCS disappointment, ready by the start of the season. After an offseason of wanting, waiting, hoping for a chance to redeem themselves, the season is off to a legendary start, with 13 wins in a row at home. Then the hammer drops. With Manny on a 50-game vacation, Juan Pierre fills in, for better and worse, and helps the Dodgers maintain the lead for when Manny comes back to “save the team” (in BristolSpeak) in July. Manny comes back, but is half the Manny he once was, leaving everyone to wonder whether it was the lack of PED’s, the 50 game break or a change in his batting stance is the cause. A HBP to his wrist kinda seals the deal on his contribution, becoming a ghost of the slugger that’s the defacto face of the franchise. The team makes the best of the situation, taking the division after staving off the Jim Tracy-led Rockies and their end-of-the-season drive reminiscent of their 2007 season. This leads them to the Dodger-crushing Cardinals… who by some twist of fate (perhaps the same bizarro swipe that helped Anaheim beat Boston only to lose to the Yankees the next round) sweep Pujols and the RedBirds the same as they swept their hated Chicago rivals the year before. Which left them in their second consecutive NLCS… against the team they had wanted to get back all season long… And then the second hammer drops: The McCourts announcing their impending divorce hours before the start of the series. The Dodgers falter again to Philly, the same result, the whole series punctuated by Broxton’s refusal to throw strikes to an aging Matt Stairs, a perfect representation of the Dodgers’ seeming mental block preventing them from transcending into the World Series. With TMZ becoming a more reliable outlet for Dodgers news than the Bristolites and Rosenthals, fans gear up for a long, cold offseason, hopes faded although the team remains largely intact.
Act III: 2010: ?
One thing’s for certain: The truth reads a hell of a lot better than any fiction one can discern from these past 3 years. Just excited to see how we’re going to be now that we have everything to lose, and everything to gain. It’s been said that the McCourt ownership has banked on needing everything to be perfect in order to turn a profit, and Frank needs the Dodgers to be perfect now more than ever.
The Dodgers HAVE TO win, now, with the core still intact, the selfish divorce looming, and the farms growing fallow with every declination to improve the future of the franchise through prospects and international players (READ, FRANK “MR. TRADITION” McCOURT: THE BLUEPRINT OF DODGER SUCCESSES LONG BEFORE YOU SET FOOT IN THE RAVINE). For the first time, the Dodgers HAVE TO win.
Will they? an enthralled audience awaits Act III.
Awesome, Northstateblues! I, for one, can’t wait for the curtain to go up on Act III!
I felt better when Frank McCrap was hiding away in Beverly Hills with his mouth shut than hearing his tripe about how much the fans are really behind him. If anybody is really behind Frank, they better be wearing a gas mask. Do you ever read this ITD blog? That’d be enough to scare some of the crap out of you.
SELL THE TEAM, Frank, you delusional IDIOT!
In honor of our beloved owner… Ringo Starr – The No No Song
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zx8DGD-Kn0
Huh-huh! Huh-huh
(Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
(Aye-aye-aye-aye)
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A Mannion that I know that came from Boston M A
Frank smiled because he knew he?d understand
Then he spewed out ?bout port-a-potties uh-huh
He said we needed more in Dodgerland
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And Frank said,
Go, go, go, go, I need money some more
I?ll be hiding up there on the 3rd floor
Yes Mannion please and with the fans do tease
Cuz my old lady?s left and made me poor (not where you thought I was going with that huh?)
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(ah-ah-aye-aye)
A stacho?d man Frank brought from San Francisco C A
That smiled because he didn?t have a plan
Then he went out an got ill-fated F As
That all came back and bit Frank in the can
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And Frank said,
No, no, no, no Ned don?t sign me no more
But get us some that aren?t so top drawer
Ned if you please, get us geezers who wheeze
And then I won?t have show you the door
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(aye-aye-aye-aye)
(aye-aye-aye-aye)
(aye-aye-aye-aye)
(aye-aye-aye)
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A folksy man Frank brought from New York City uh-oh
Who?s personality was really bland
He said, ?Frank, we need some starting pitching
to get us o?er to the promised land.?
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And Frank said,
?Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe I can?t ?ford it no more
My wife she put me out on the floor
Joe thank you please, now I?m on bended knees
Go back, lean on the rail and be a bore.
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And we say
NO NO NO NO we can?t take this no more
We?re like to boot Frank’s asss out the door
No thank you please, and take the sleeze
And another name for frost or rime is hoar
Hey!
©NedCo Broken Records 2010
Nice job North……..
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Ecellent song enchanted!!
Let me try this again………….Excellent song enchanted!!
Woo-hoo, Enchanted!!!!
I’m really surprised that Byrne is being designated for assignment by the D-Backs. I always liked the way he played the game and also think he’d be worth a look as a potential 4th outfielder…..According to the article on the homepage, the D’s are discussing 2-year deals for Andre and Brox. The filing for arbitration is a hedge for the player in case the negotiations don’t pan out. Either way, I hope Andre gets a deal that befits his value to this team which would be equal or better than the deal Matt signed. Pineiro and Padilla are probably the best of what pitching is still out there. When you don’t develop your own in the farm system and can’t or won’t pay top dollar for quality FA’s, shopping mlbsalvage.com is what you have to do. SELL….THE……TEAM…….FRANK!!!!!
FABULOUS SONG ENCHANTED!!!!!
WONDERFUL POSTS NORTHSTATEBLUES AND SEESKY!!!!!
I’m quite amazed at the continuation of the songwriting here on ITD. I never thought that we’d still be doing these by 2010. Jhall and enchanted really started something and I’m proud to have followed along.
That being said, I’ve had something in the mill for quite some time that has stalled out due to being busy with other matters and quite a bit of “writer’s block”. But finally, here are my 98th, 99th and 100th “songs” – all stolen from the Rolling Stones. They come from the heart, from a fellow long-time Dodger fan who is frustrated by an owner who does not deserve our team but is coming to the realization that he has to weather the storm of his ownership, because he has no choice.
Satisfaction
I can’t get no satisfaction,
I can’t get no satisfaction.
‘Cause Frank lies, and Ned lies, and Joe lies, they all lie.
I can’t get no, I can’t get no.
When I’m drivin’ in my car
and a man comes on the radio
and he’s tellin’ me Frank is fin?ly talkin?
he says the fans are all behind him
I tell you, his imagination ain?t slim.
I can’t get no, oh no no no.
a Hey hey hey, that’s what I say.
I can’t get no satisfaction,
I can’t get no satisfaction.
‘Cause Frank lies, and Ned lies, and Joe lies, they all lie.
I can’t get no, I can’t get no.
When I’m watchin’ my TV
and a man comes on and tells me
that ol? Ned?s makin? guarantees.
and he gets away with that ?cause he?s talkin? to
media that don?t disagree.
I can’t get no, oh no no no.
a Hey hey hey, that’s what I say.
I can’t get no satisfaction,
I can’t get no girl reaction.
‘Cause Frank lies, and Ned lies, and Joe lies, they all lie.
I can’t get no, I can’t get no.
When I’m ridin’ round the world
and I’m doin’ this and I’m signing that
and I’m tryin’ to make some girl
who tells me Torre might just come back to manage two more years
‘cept Donny Baseball will be here, never fear.
I can’t get no, oh no no no.
a Hey hey hey, that’s what I say.
I can’t get no, I can’t get no,
I can’t get no satisfaction,
no satisfaction, no satisfaction, no satisfaction.
YOU CAN’T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT
Choir:
I read about Frank?s attempt at his deception
The writers eating out of his hand
I hope he won?t mind if I take exception
While I fight the activation of my tear duct gland
No, you can’t always get what you want
You can’t always get what you want
You can’t always get what you want
And if you try sometime you find
You get what you need
He says his divorce will make no diff?rence
The team will go on as before
This statement is met with my annoyance
He seems to think the facts we will ignore.
You can’t always get what you want
You can’t always get what you want
You can’t always get what you want
But if you try sometimes, well you might find
You get what you need
Oh yea-ay (hey-hey-hey, oooh)
So we voice our displeasure on this website
And give him his fair share of abuse
Singin’, ‘We’re gonna vent our frustration
Un-for-tu-nate-ly he?s too obtuse
Sing it to me, now
(You can’t always get what you want)
(You can’t always get what you want)
(You can’t always get what you want)
But if you try sometimes, well you just might find
You get what you need
Ooh baby, yeah, ooh
We all read about baseball transactions
When teams try their best to fill their holes
Well, it?s not just our imagination
That he and us, we?ve diff?rent goals
We figure that a team with our attendance
Should be mentioned in the news more than we are
Included with those teams improving themselves
Instead of what we are, which is bizarre.
I said to him
(You can’t always get what you want) well no!
(You can’t always get what you want) tell ya baby
(You can’t always get what you want) no
But if you try sometimes, you just might find, mmm!
Mmm! you get what you need
Ooh yes! Woo!
(Instrumental & choir) Ooow-ooh!
You get what you need
Yeah!
Ooow, babe!
Ooh, yeah
We all bleed Dodger Blue who read this website
No matter if it?s one year or sixty-two
We all have to take comfort in this one fact:
We outlasted Fox, we?ll outlast him too!
Say it!
(You can’t always get what you want) yeah!
(You can’t always get a-what you want) ooo-yeah, baby!
(You can’t always get a-what you want)
But if you try sometime, you just might find
You just might find
You get what you need
Ooh, yeah!
Ooh, baby!
Woo!
Ah, you can’t always get a-what you want
No, no baby
You can’t always get a-what you want
Tellin’ you right now
You can’t always get what you want, mmm!
But if you try sometimes you just might find
You just might find, that ya
Get what you need
Oooh, yeah!
I’m tellin’ the truth, babe
Ooow-ooh!
Ooow-ooh!
Ooow-ooh!……..
(Instrumental & choir to end fade)
Wild Horses
Dodger rooting is easy to do
Most times you?re cheering, sometimes you?ll boo
List?ning to Vinnie has been quite a dream
The others are like milk, he is the Cream.
Wild Horses, Couldn’t drag me away,
Wild, wild horses, Couldn’t drag me away…
A fan has no real stake in any ol? team
Our life keeps on rollin? ?een tho? we will scream
Bills keep on arriving, win lose or draw
Just give us an owner whose wallet ain?t straw.
Wild Horses, Couldn’t drag me away,
Wild, wild horses, Couldn’t drag me away…
We know Frank ain?t stupid, as long as he fields
A team that competes well, large crowds we will yield
We have to acknowledge that no matter who rules
That come every springtime, we still will be fools
Wild Horses, Couldn’t drag us away,
Wild, wild horses, We’ll ride them someday
Wild Horses, Couldn’t drag us away,
Wild, wild horses, we never will stray
Yikes, I know that I haven’t posted our songs to DodgerLyrics in a while but I didn’t realize that the last one was December 21st! I’ve gone back to try and catch them all but if I’ve missed any, please let me know and I’ll get it done for you.
Good night and may God Bless each and every one of you!
Good Sunday Morning, ITDland.
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Fantastic songs, as usual, Dodgereric. I hope you will be visiting us more often real soon.
Good Morning, ITDland!
I’m projecting that the Dodgers will offer Andre $4.5-$5 million in arbitration come Tuesday’s deadline.
Andre should ask for a $7.00 million figure, and he shouldn’t settle for less than $6.5 million to avoid arbitration.
If you can’t handle that, Frank,
SELL THE TEAM!
In fact, SELL THE TEAM anyway!
Wow!!! Three Songs!!! Remarkable Dodgereric!!! It’s good to see you haven’t lost your creative edge.
I hope Andre is offered more than 5 mill. I knew he would do well because of his personality when it comes to playing baseball. However, he did so much more than anyone (myself included) expected, and has earned and deserves a big payday. I was thinking 7 minimum (with incentives too) because He and Matt (and the other young core players) are the face of this team right now until Manny shows us and the MLB he is back to form, and even if he does (I have my doubts), it may be too late. The young core has already proven they can win without him.
I would be happy with ethier of those enchanted.
Well done Eric!!
I’d say $6.5 is about right for Dre for 2010, or two years at $14 mil. That’s a hefty raise from last year. Frank wants to save money, trade Martin.
So, enchanted……what did you think of Eric’s songs? LOL!!! Might as well take advantage of the time warping π
Oh crap – that didn’t work – LOL!!!! However, why should I be surprised. Our blog is like the Dodgers ownership………………really screwed up.
Both are Cream of the Crap (ala Enchanted), Nellyjune π
Good afternoon ITD posters!
So how is the talented gang here? I can’t believe how many ITD songs there are now. The only parody I’ve done was the Twas the Night Before Christmas that I did in December.
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Heavy rain expected here in Southern Cal starting tonight and throughout the week.
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What happened with our countdown to Pitchers and Catchers reporting? How many days now?
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My latest post is about all the MLB players that passed away in 2009. There was a total of 77. The youngest Adenhart at 22 and the oldest Bill Werber at 100
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Four players from the Brooklyn Dodgers passed away in 2009: John Tepsic, Loney Frey, Don Thompson and Howie Shultz. Preston Gomez played for the Senators but he was the third-base coach for the Dodgers in 1965. He passed away last year January 13th.
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Everyone stay warm and dry
Emma
http://crzblue.mlblogs.com/
31 Days until pitchers and catchers report……….
Daytona in 27 π
Thanks Dnelly!
You live in Modesto? Did you know there was an MLB player that passed away in Modesto in 2009? Ed Wolfe, born in Los Angeles, played for the Pirates. He was only in three games.