Hard to believe…

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, baseball’s official statisticians, Blake DeWitt’s 4-for-4 game yesterday was the first time a Dodger second baseman went 4-for-4 (or better) with three RBI in a game since Charlie Neal on June 30, 1960.

Wow, that is hard to believe. That includes Lopes, Kent, Sax, you name it. Pretty crazy.

Oh, and by the way, Andre Ethier is leading the NL in all three Triple Crown categories.

Hope to see some of you tonight at James Loney’s bowling event, which benefits the Dodgers Dream Foundation. I’m sure we’ll be tweeting, facebooking and all sorts of other ing things from there.

UPDATE: Thanks to the commenter for pointing out the news on Dave Roberts. What an incredible guy he is and we’re all pulling for him. I’ve worked with a lot of players over the years and you’d be hard pressed to find a more professional individual and genuinely nice person.

 

 

 

55 comments

  1. enchantedbeaver

    I stand corrected on Logan’s involvement with Andre.

    However, I think we can all agree that, Ned would never have come up with Andre own his own. Ned’s scounting reports consist of:
    .
    (A) Has he ever played in the Giants organization.
    (B) Did he have some notoriety 5-7 years ago.
    (C) Can he be signed cheaply.

  2. crzblue2

    Congratulations to Blake, Andre, Kuroda, Loney. Heck the entire Dodger lineup that gave us a great weekend at Dodger Stadium.
    We Love LA!
    .
    Best wishes to Dave Roberts for a speedy recovery.
    Emma
    http://crzblue.mlblogs.com

  3. northstateblues

    Sad to hear about what Dave Roberts is going through. Hope he pulls through okay.

    Sorry to detract from the Logan White fan club, but the man directly responsible for Andre Ethier wearing Dodger Blue is Al LaMacchia. Plaschke wrote the story on 8/16/2006 . Glad he was on our side back then 🙂 Although McCourt also let Joe Amalfatano go without even a phone call…

    Disappointed that there’s still no mention of Stadium security issues. As the saying goes, “C’est la guerre.”

  4. nellyjune

    …………and I believe I have that baseball card (or very similar) where Andre is in an A’s Uniform.

    That is wonderful to read about Blake DeWitt. The news on Andre is old. Us Ethieraholics had that info early this morning 🙂

    You usually think silence as being golden, but I am not sure it can be said about this security issue that keeps on being brought up.

    Thoughts and prayers are with Dave Roberts.

  5. nedajerk

    Sigh I wish I knew what time you’re going to post so my worthless comment won’t be waste on the other thread.

  6. nedajerk

    Ely pitches 117 through 6th innings and if Kershaw and Bills had that PC in the 8th last night Torre would probably let them finish.
    By sellthetm on May 3, 2010 2:30 PM

    Kershaw had 117 pitches in 6 1/3 on friday.
    By sellthetm on May 3, 2010 2:38 PM

    I really thought Sherrill was turning the corner with all those scoreless innings but at least I didn’t jinx him.
    By sellthetm on May 3, 2010 3:49 PM

    Now playing for the Yankees in RF #16 Andre Ethier on my and I better not here about this one with Kemp also lol.
    By sellthetm on May 3, 2010 3:50 PM

  7. northstateblues

    Andre and Matt are coming up in the baseball world. I wouldn’t blame them if they leave (if McCourt’s still the owner when they come up for Free Agency)… as long as they don’t go to the Yankees, Giants, Yankees, Padres or Yankees. Hopefully the front office will wise up to a once-in-a-blue-moon, the-stars-and-planets-aligning-for-only-once-in-a-generation thing they have with Dre and Kemp, a solid two thirds of a Dodger Outfield who, if we keep them, and if they keep on track, can do some damage on the history books.

    Meant to include the link to the Plasckhe article about LaMacchia, here it is: [ http://articles.latimes.com/2006/aug/16/sports/sp-plaschke16 ]

  8. nedajerk

    May 1 PIT W 5-1 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 .250 .375 .283 .658
    May 2 PIT W 9-3 4 0 4 2 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 .297 .408 .359 .767

    You’ve gotta to love what a 4/4 with 2 doubles do to your other numbers.

  9. nedajerk

    I think North mean Red Sox not Padres and I really freaking throw up when I see the Giants can you just imagine Nelly family if the Giants had those 2?

  10. lbirken@aol.com

    Folks, I think a lot of energy is being wasted on where Andre, Matt, or anyone else ends up down the road. Anything can happen in this game so enjoy what you have when you have it. I like these guys as much as anyone else but I also liked Piazza and Karros and as I recall, the Dodgers did not win anything while those players wore Dodger Blue. The current players have at least won a playoff series which is progress but I am quite certain their goals are the same as ours: to win a championship.

  11. kpookiemon

    Joe, please sit Ethier and DeWitt Tuesday night. They must be very tired from their accomplishments.

  12. dodgerlodger

    Kudos to our guys on their great performances!

    Prayers for Dave Roberts – he was an outstanding defensive center fielder and a terror on the basepaths.

    A genuinely nice guy, too.

  13. northstateblues

    When he was with the Dodgers, Dave Roberts was my favorite player. He seemed like a genuinely good guy… one of the only players I’ve ever had any semblance of forgiveness for when deciding to wear the black and orange.

    He had Maury’s blessing to wear that #30 (not to say anything ill of our current #30), and, though I was not alive to see Maury’s heyday, from what I’ve heard, Dave earned it.

    He was also involved in helping out a family in the first season of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, along with Shawn Green and Tommy Lasorda. They put a Dodger Stadium styled batting cage in their backyard, was nice. Dave also represented the Dodgers in a lot of the mainstream media whenever he was needed.

    Good Luck, Dave.

  14. dodgereric

    Hard to believe #1:
    That quality people such as Dave Roberts have to go through such pain. But you have a lot of people praying for you Dave. Hang in there.

    Hard to believe #2:
    Although I would be the last person to denigrate Blake DeWitt’s big 4-for-4 day yesterday, the Elias Sports Bureau’s announcement is a little misleading. I personally couldn’t believe it to be true. Davey and Stevie had some pretty good offensive games in my memory, so I had to look it up. Davey Lopes may never have gone 4-for-4 with 3 RBIs in a game, but ….

    8/10/74 – he went 5-for-6 with 4 RBIs. You might remember it. Three of the 5 hits were HRs in Wrigley. DeWitt’s game was great but this one was better. Davey had a few other 4-hit games, but technically not 4-for-4…
    7/10/74 – he went 4-for-5 with 2 RBIs in Philadelphia.
    8/24/75 – 4/6, 1 RBI
    6/30/75 – 4/4, 0 RBIs
    6/11/78 – 4/6, 1 RBI
    8/10/80 – 4/6, 2 RBIs
    9/14/81 – 4/6, 4 RBIs

    He was gone to Oakland after the ’81 season, traded for the immortal Lance Hudson (don’t feel badly if you don’t recognize that name, he never made it above AA ball) and replaced at the keystone by Sax.

    8/25/81 – 4/5, 1 RBI
    4/16/83 – 4/5. 2 RBIs
    8/14/83 – 4/5, 0 RBIs
    8/20/83 – 4/4, 0 RBIs
    9/3/86 – 4/5, 0 RBIs
    9/10/86 – 4/4, 1 RBI
    6/18/87 – 4/6, 3 RBIs
    6/3/88 – 5/6, 0 RBIs
    7/26/88 – 4/5, 2 RBIs

    Steve signed with the Yanks as a free agent after ’88, making an interesting tale. Both Lopes and Sax left the Dodgers after winning the Series. Sax was replaced by Willie Randolph who…… OK, I’m gonna stop looking this stuff up. No I’m not. One more. Randolph went 4/6 on May 28th, 1989 with 0 RBIs. You win Elias. No other 4/4 with 3 RBIs. But a little on the cherry-picking side, doncha think?

    Hard to believe #3
    The eerie silence surrounding our Stadium issue has today been replaced with a roaring “YOU CAN STOP BRINGING IT UP ANYTIME YOU WANT, BECAUSE I’M OBVIOUSLY NOT ADDRESSING IT”.

    I’m not a very good quitter, Josh. It’s apparent that
    1) it’s OK that a parent can’t take a child into OUR Dodger Stadium without fear of seeing and/or hearing violent and disgusting fans or
    2) you know that McCourt will take no action because you’ve already approached him (or Mannion, because McCourt is incommunicado) with it and they’ve flat-out told you that they’re not interested or
    3) you refuse to believe that it exists.

    Which is it?

  15. colliethec

    I’m sorry to hear about Dave’s health problems. I’ve met him before and he was very cool. Anything that I’ve ever heard about him is nothing but class. So often when it comes to bad seeds you hear the phrase “where there smoke there’s fire”.
    .
    I think with Dave it’s “where there’s character there’s Dave”.
    .
    Many will be praying for you Dave & I’m one of them!
    .
    Eric — Great post!
    .
    Josh — this is an issue that does need to be dealt with. I know when I shared my story a couple of years back you acknowledged it. I appreciated that you took the time to comment about what had taken place. But it seems as if the problems have continued and gotten worse.
    .
    I know you read the blog so it does seem that it’s either 1,2, or 3 of Eric’s post.
    .
    I know you don’t owe us at ITD a comment. But I do feel that some huge changes need to be made. These changes need to have “teeth” and not be soft. The tone needs to be set that if you don’t behave properly and civilized then you don’t get to come to the game.
    .
    I for one will keep bringing it up until I hear of changes & I would like to encourage others to voice their displeasure with this issue or their feelings here. Even those that don’t post here often or are just readers of the blog, I’d like to hear their feelings on the issue. I think this is an issue that unless faced will only get worse and you will then loose many fans.
    .
    It’s time to put the foot down & say not here at Dodgertown. Not here at Dodger Stadium!!

  16. dodgereric

    Wait. I just re-read the criteria for the Elias claim. “4-for-4 (or better) with three RBI in a game”. Let’s go back……

    8/10/74 – Davey Lopes went 5-for-6 with 4 RBIs. I claim that’s better than 4/4 with 3 RBIs. Besides the 3 homers, he had a double. Looking at the game, Lopes homered to lead off the game, homered in the 2nd, doubled in the 3rd, singled in the 4th and homered in the 6th. Yeah, it was one of “those” games in Wrigley. I remember listening to it while I was working in a gas station in West Covina. The Dodgers won it 18-8. Along with Lopes’ 5/6, Bill Buckner was 3/6, Steve Garvey was 2/6 with a HR, Willie Crawford was 4/5 with a HR, Ron Cey was 4/6 and Steve Yeager was 3/4 with a triple. The Dodgers had 24 hits and Don Sutton got the win. Dave LaRoche (Andy and Adam’s father) took one for the team by relieving the starter and giving up 11 runs on 15 hits in 4 -1/3rd innings. Interesting that the Cubs used only 4 pitchers in that game. I figure that Torre would have used about 137 pitchers.

    I think I need help, I can’t let it go.

    Jeff Kent – 6/5/05 went 4/4 (and a walk) with 4 RBIs. That?s better too. OK, he started the game at 1st and moved to 2nd in the top of the 6th. You nit-pick the way you want and I?ll nit-pick the way I want. So I went back and checked. Lopes spent the entire game at 2nd base on 8/10/74.

    Somebody stop me.

    Anyway, as I said, I claim the victory …… let me bask in the glory…… dodgereric 1, Elias Sports Bureau 0 🙂

  17. dodgereric

    Lord, I’m being Submission Errored to death tonight.

    Nice post collie, you’re much nicer and more diplomatic than I am. As you say, he doesn’t owe us anything. But I think you’ll agree that by responding to emma’s (I think) post about Roberts and continuing to ignore OUR issue, it’s irritating.

    In other news, Furcal to the 15-day DL. Nick Green, come on down. Or up:
    http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-dodgers-fyi-20100504,0,4674743.story

  18. crzblue2

    Dodgerlodger!
    Good to read you here! See you at Dodger Stadium! Are you taking the trolley when you go?
    .
    Erik,
    Leave it to you to find Lopes and Kent going 4-4 or better.
    .
    I hope that some of you that go to the stadium get to see that the security has improved.
    .
    -Emma

    Crzblue’s Dodger Blue World

  19. nellyjune

    Great posts Dodgereric and Collie!! You know dodgereric, if we tried to stop you, we wouldn’t have your wonderful posts and history lessons to read :))

  20. thinkingblue

    I just had a waiting time to LOG IN TO THIS BLOG. Never happened before. WEIRD!
    *
    THANKS for the DODGER/BASEBALL history lesson posted above!
    *
    I would hate to see ETHIER wearing GIANTS or YANKEES gear. DODGER FANS WILL HATE GIANTS, YANKEES AND FRANK even more. I just hope that when it comes for Ethier to fly solo…FRANK will get his wallet out and pay ETHIER what he deserves. And I just hope he gets what THE FANS WANT….AND WE WANT ANDRE ETHIER #16 IN DODGER BLUE!
    *
    LET’S GO DODGERS! KEEP IT UP!

  21. kpookiemon

    eric, which gas station in West Covina? Maybe you were there when I gassed up! As for Lopes and Kent, Lopes’ game may have contributed more…but he still made an out and Kent, as you point out, switched positions. So I’m going with DeWitt, if for no other reason than to give him a few more starts before Joe finds some reason to go the PVL route. As for Monasterios and Ely, Frank and Ned can make a BIG statement by lobbing Pedro a call.

  22. colliethec

    Eric – I try to be reasonable. Sometimes I am & sometimes I get fed up.
    .
    Emma – That would be great if the stadium issues have improved. But I’m interested in what steps have been or are being taken to assured of this.
    .
    I do wish that with all the conversation on here about it something would of been mentioned by Dodger Management regarding a plan to reduce & eventually eliminate most of the issues that are ongoing.

  23. nellyjune

    If it is claimed that everything was fine at Dodger Stadium in terms of security when this whole issue was brought up, then how can it now be improved? Then if it truly is being improved, then what specifically is being done to improve it?

  24. trublu4ever

    I think it things have really improved, Josh would have told us so, in order to make us feel better about the security issue. By him saying nothing, to me, it’s same old – same old.

  25. thinkingblue

    One of the security problem is caused by too much alcohol and yes some stupid fans just don?t know how to act when alcohol is in their system. A big chunk of money comes from the sales of alcohol. Also due to fact that they are selling too much alcohol they have to invest in more security. And some good fans don?t want to come to the stadium cause these stupid fans, loosing sales in ticket & parking. So what?s the point of selling too much alcohol? To me they need to START by controlling the sales of alcohol. But it is sad to see that money has to be spent on extra security due to stupid drunken fans. That money should be spent on PITCHERS and saving up to keep ETHIER (LOL!)

  26. colliethec

    Agreed Nelly & Tru!
    .
    I would think part of what would help improve would be a press release of a new stricter Fan Code Of Conduct. But I’ve not seen anything.
    .
    Maybe as part of the whole This Is My Town ads they could have the people be taped saying what the rules are and saying what the phone # is for security. Then play it before the game and in the 3rd inning.
    .
    That would be a start.

  27. colliethec

    Exactly MS! Very well said. That’s what we’ve been trying to point out to Management. Yes they make $$$ with alcohol sales but they end up
    losing in the long run because many good fans with or even without famalies don’t come as often or stop all together because they don’t want to be around all the idiots. Then they are losing future revenue because the fans that don’t come that have famalies then have kids that don’t grow up as baseball fans and they loose that future revenue!
    .
    Frank … Wake up & smell the coffee!! It makes business sense as well as it’s the right thing to do. Protect your clientsNwhich are the fans, as well as make it a nice place for everyone to go to. It may take an initial investment in additional security and resources but when it’s under control and the thugs/drunks realize that if they act out of line they will be tossed, arrested, and lose their privilage to attend games then you won’t need as much and can enjoy the change that you brought to Dodgertown!

    .
    Take the challange Frank!

  28. 636566cy

    Time to chime in again on the stadium situation. While the Fan Code of Conduct is a good thing, the Dodgers have kind of made a mockery out of it by having people other than Dodgers recite it on Dodgervision. They make tongue in cheek jokes as they are reciting it and people in the area I sit in feel that the Code of Conduct was a check the box activity that McCourt put in place to appease some fans.
    .

    As far as the consumption of alcohol is concerned, why are the ushers and security guards looking out for obviously intoxicated individuals inside the stadium? Should that not be part of their job? The Dodgers are doing a good job of eliminating the obvious drunks from entering the stadium, but not a good job of kicking people out who get drunk inside. Of course, they don’t make as much money on the people that show up drunk as they do that pay their money for their beers inside, do they?
    .

  29. nellyjune

    I was listening to the KNBR guys this morning, and I don’t know if it was Kruk or Kuip they were talking to on the phone, but they were talking about the guy being tasered at the Phillies game. They were thinking it was a little extreme, but my first thinking was, it’s not like Philadelphia fans aren’t known for worse behavior, and we don’t really know what transpired before that happened (before he ran on the field). I thought like Collie…………….he probably won’t do that again…………….idiot people.

  30. nedajerk

    The Times reported that INF Nick Green(notes) would be promoted to replace Furcal on the roster. Green was pulled from Class AAA Albuquerque?s game Monday night. The 31-year-old journeyman is batting .219 through 20 games for Albuquerque this year.

    Geez no Gordon and DeJesus? At least call up Alfredo Amezaga.

  31. colliethec

    63 – thanks for some feedback! They need to hear from us on these issues they they can fix them. I’m glad they have announcements made on diamond vision. When I mention to follow through and have “teeth” that’s what I’m saying. Don’t just do something for the sake of saying that you did something or tried. Have a spine and backbone with it. When I’ve been at games I’ve seen people that are acting in a way that they should be taken from the stadium. This is usually by the 3rd inning that they are acting up. Yet the ushers let it go. They need to be more proactive and call security and have them removed. Then they need to be doumented and if it continues to happen they should be tresspassed, arrested, and banned.
    .
    There needs to be a Code Of Conduct that is then followed through. If you tell your kids they will loose their cell phone privilages if they act up & then don’t follow through withthat if/when they act up then they won’t learn not to act up.
    .
    Do something Frank….

  32. colliethec

    Shad — I saw that article about the fan being tasered. Pretty tough to get tased, but I’m guessing he probably won’t go running on the field again.

  33. nedajerk

    Vote a maximum of 25 times. Voting ends at 11:59 PM ET on Thursday, July 1, 2010.

    Why do they have this? I voted over 150 times and it still going through.

  34. selltheteam

    I voted a bunch of times. My favorite part was voting for Phew, so that the stupid AL will stop their domination of the NL. And what’s up with voting for DH in the AL but not in the NL? Who made up those baby AL rules anyway?

  35. selltheteam

    I voted a bunch of times. My favorite part was voting for Phew, so that the stupid AL will stop their domination of the NL.

  36. selltheteam

    Sorry about the double post, but it was caused by my frustration over submission errors.

  37. northstateblues

    A Treatise on Dodger Stadium Security and Fan Experience
    by Johannes non Silentio

    Part the First:
    Los Angeles Dodgers Tradition
    (Past and Present)

    Silence is golden. That’s how the old saying goes. Yet, nothing has been golden yet about the McCourt regime that currently counts the Dodgers among their multi-faceted business ventures, unless one counts Division “championships” as banner-worthy, the way that our red neighbors to the south hang their Division “championships” on the wall the way an elementary school student’s parents hang their Honorable Mention ribbons on the refrigerator. As one can see from but one glance at the signs that adorn Dodger Stadium, only one thing has mattered to fans: Winning World Series Championships.

    Since 2004, when the McCourts took control, the Dodgers have punched their ticket to October four out of the past six seasons. Commendable? Certainly, and as one can expect when the ballclub plays at a Playoff-level caliber, prices at Dodger Stadium, from parking to tickets to Dodger Dogs and bottled water, have risen across the board.

    Do fans like paying more money? No. Yet, in this new century, a sports fan expects that prices will eventually rise as a team gets better in order to keep at the Playoff-level caliber of play, in the hopes that the money being spent on the ballclub will fill in the gaps that resulted in early-October exits to possibly raise the team to a World-Series-Championship caliber of play.

    Discussion on this topic cannot go much further without pointing out one glaring fact about Los Angeles Dodger fans: they are a spoiled bunch. Through the start of the 1996 season, Los Angeles Dodgers fans have only had two managers, both of which had won multiple World Series Championships for the Dodgers, and two owners, father and son, who made the Dodgers brand of baseball one that was respected, cherished and valued not just nationwide, but worldwide.

    If there’s one thing a Dodgers fan hates, it’s change, because fans had it good for so long, with $11 being the most one would ever think about spending on a seat in Dodger Stadium, and the promise of a great farm system producing homegrown talent to support outside additions, resulting in continuously competitive baseball. Cheap, affordable, great place to bring the family, as the O’Malleys used Disneyland as the template for how the fans will be treated by the stadium staff. The stadium speakers filled the air with organ music, as the fans’ transistor radios filled the same air with the golden voice of Vin Scully, both coalescing to bring the feeling that Southern California was getting a unique treat: Baseball-as-it-should-be, at, as the great Tommy Lasorda calls it: Blue Heaven on Earth.

    This is what was known as “Dodger Tradition”, and/or “The Dodger Way”.

    Looking at the current situation, this franchise that carries the name “Los Angeles Dodgers”, except for the jerseys on the ballplayers and the blue that envelops the stadium, is somewhat unrecognizable. In 14 short years, the price for what once was the most expensive ticket in the house will not even get one’s car into the parking lot. The pristine blue walls of Dodger Stadium are awash in advertisements, the speakers blaring Motley Crue and Ke$ha, so many lights, shiny objects and thunderous stimuli, it’s near seizure-inducing.

    All these innovations were brought into existence for one reason: To increase finances, improve the cash flow. With a new owner promising to right the ship that FOX nearly wrecked, and charging increasing fees around the stadium as the team comes to playoff prominence unseen in two decades, the fans wanted to belive that Mr. McCourt knew what he was talking about when he spoke of “Dodger Tradition”, forgetting that he was a lifelong Red Sox fan who very recently ventured into California, and would be the Red Sox owner if the commisioner hadn’t turned him down in favor of John Henry’s group.

    The owner who espoused “Dodger Tradition” would soon move the Dodgers from their traditional, world-famous spring training home in Vero Beach to the Arizona desert, which, as a real estate person, was probably too much temptation to resist putting your mark on a storied franchise. This wasn’t too surprising, though, seeing as how, upon becoming the owner, he essentially deleted the foul territory that had long made Dodger Stadium a Pitcher’s Park, and replaced it with astronomically-priced seating that, for a year, had the worst sightlines in Dodger Stadium history.

    If one thing is certain, it is this: The extra money fans have been paying out since 2004 is not going to the club on the field. Payroll is shrinking, the pitching rotation is in disarray compared to even a year ago, and almost every opportunity to improve the club in the offseason was passed up unless it fit a bargain-basement criterion that has been The McCourt Dodger Way.

    Instead, it seems as though the ownership is intent on spending money on everything but the Los Angeles Dodgers, using the Dodgers as a vehicle to fund their multi-faceted machine, as opposed to the storied Dodgers franchise being the machine that the funds work towards. Since becoming owner, the McCourt empire has bought the Los Angeles Marathon(hoping to add a companion bicycle race next year), has been working on plans to host an NFL stadium at Chavez Ravine (even though there are two businessmen currently involved in two plans that are further along and ultimately somewhat more realistic and ideal), and bought two Malibu houses (as the ownership seemed reluctant to spend money to either re-sign Manny Ramirez or any other top-level player), all while the ballclub’s payroll plummets faster than the teams’ standing through April.

    The owners even saw fit to announce their impending divorce on the eve of the team’s second consecutive NLCS appearence, a fanbase bent on revenge for the previous year deflated like a balloon, as the team, though their performance had improved, ended up with the same result.

    Yet, all of this could easily be forgiven if the McCourt regime could uphold the O’Malley’s Disneyland template for fan relations and experience. After all, premium costs are the price we pay for the security needed for a good old fashioned day at the ballpark. But, as in many of the aforementioned instances, the ownership again misses the mark, and since the beginning of the season, has remained silent on these issues that the fans who line McCourt’s pockets hold dear.

    Coming Soon…

    Part the Second:
    Security and Fan Experience
    (In Regards to the Changing Zeitgeist
    of the Young American)

  38. Adirondack Ugg Boots

    I would rather stay at home alone.Let me see.Don’t dream away your time.I forgot to prepare the speech I’m supposed to give today.What shall we do tonight? Great efforts ensure the success of our work.Great efforts ensure the success of our work.It doesn’t make sense.I suppose you dance much.He dreamed of traveling to remote South Sea Islands.

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