Rest in Peace, Al LaMacchia
It’s a sad day in the Dodger organization and throughout baseball today, as Al LaMacchia passed away this morning at his home in San Antonio. Al has been with the team since 2003 and most of you probably know that he was the scout who recommended that we trade for Andre Ethier back in 2005. But that was just one of countless recommendations during a career in professional baseball that spanned eight decades as a minor league player, Major League player and scout.
Of course, those who knew him knew that he was more than just a baseball scout – a good family man, a WWII veteran and great person. We issued this release a little while ago and found a couple of other unique stories about him courtesy of Fred Claire.
Bradley/Ethier linked by Notable Trade
Our thoughts are with Al’s whole family and those who knew him. He will certainly be missed.
Inside the Dodgers 
My thoughts and prayers go out to Al and his family. I’m sorry to hear about his passing. I didn’t know the man but it sounds as if he was a great guy.
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I was at the game last night and really enjoyed it! Nice to see a w while watching the Giants fans squirm. I got there just at gametime so I didn’t get to see the boys but I did drive by their hotel and yell some encouragement as they were getting off of the bus. I will say this much – I think Dre is messed up due to the pinky injury. His bat speed seemed slow to me. Also I think Kemp needs to get his eyes checked. I don’t see how he could go downhill so fast.
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I just got a ticket last minute for tonight and will be going with a group of some friends that I’ve known since the early 80’s so that should be fun. Hopefully they can stick it to them again tonight.
Condolences to the LaMacchia family and a warm thank you to one of the members of the Greatest Generation for his service to our country.
Here’s an article I thought I’d share:
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http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/commentary/news/story?page=bryant/100909
Josh, thanks for keeping us informed of the goings on as best you can. My condolences to the LaMacchia family. These scouts are a special breed and are probably underapreciated.
Last night’s game may not have meant anything to the Dodgers but hopefully it meant a lot to Kershaw and his career. The only thing missing from this game was the pressure of a pennant race for the Dodgers but the Giants fans certainly brought it on strong. Vinny was certainly energized by the fans as we all know he loves big noisy crowds. The best part of the game was hearing the energy and noise just sucked out of the stadium as the last out was recorded. Honestly, is there anyone out there in Dodgerland watching that game that did not expect the Giants to win that game, especially after Kershaw gave up the single in the ninth inning? This was the type of game the Dodgers have been losing all season. But Kershaw got out of it with a big win. Let’s hope there are many more of these for him down the road.
BPB1, the article you posted and the one in today’s Times saying Bud Selig is now all of a sudden concerned about the Dodger’s ownership situation sure brought my blood to a boil. Wasn’t it Mr. Selig who not so long ago declared his desire to stay out of the picture when it was clear the ownership squabble was going down a dangerous path? Now he is concerned? Bud, where have you been? And who are all these baseball officials cited in the Bryant article who were concerned about the McCourts prior to the league’s approval? Once again we are tantalized by the anonymous source. But clearly Bud Selig and his staff knew a lot about the McCourts character or should have known. I think Mr. Bryant hit the nail on the head: the McCourts presented no threat to the commissioner and the establishment. Certainly Mr. Selig might not have been able to see into the future with regard to a nasty divorce but he certainly should have been able to see into the future regarding the McCourts’ business dealings and their financial abilities. So parden me if I am a bit skeptical at Mr. Selig’s new found interest in the future of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Bud, you and your pals made a huge mistake letting these two phonies from Boston into your exclusive club and now you are embarrassed? Welcome to our world.
Josh – I read about LaMacchia being ill a week or so ago, and the prognosis didn’t look good. Thanks for informing us of his passing. Condolences go out to the family. I have read about his family life, and he was a great family man, his mililtary service is certainly to be commended, and I will forever be greatful he recommended Andre to the Dodgers.
Collie – have a great time at the phone booth tonight!!!
BPB1 – that information about Bud Selig has been flooding the information highway today. If he would have just listening to the fans a lonnnnnng time ago, this wouldn’t be happening.
My condolences to the LaMacchia family too.
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Bring us some good luck again tonight Collie.
As far as I’m concerned, Selig is just as crooked as McCourt.
If so many of the senators weren’t scrambling around trying to save their own phony balony jobs, I’d say it would be about time for one of them to take up the anti-trust issue again and use it as leverage to oust Selig.
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Steroids, frat brothers buying teams, screwing one of baseball’s leading franchises to get someone in who won’t rock the boat thus keeping owners and player salaries in line… yeah, its time Bud’s forced out.
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The three biggest detriments to baseball in the last quarter century – Boras, Fehr and Selig (forget steroids.)
Because MLB tripped badly in allowing the McCourts anywhere near the Dodgers, they should rectify the disaster by paying for the Dodgers to acquire Carl Crawford, Joe Mauer and Cliff Lee. Thank you.
It was great to beat the Giants last night and with the Padres winning it made it sweeter.
Unfortunately both the Braves and Padres lost today and the Giants picked up a 1/2 game on them.
So that means the hitless wonders, I mean the Dodgers will have to go back to work again tonight.
My sincere condolences to the LaMacchia family and their love ones.
GO DODGERS!!!!!
Good evening ITD boys and girls!
My condolences to the LaMacchia family. Thanks for your terrific recommendation to trade for Andre! Boy, that?s the ONLY deal that weighed heavily in the Dodgers? favor. My thoughts and prayers go out to the LaMacchia family.
Enchanted ? I read that article on the McCourts and MLB and Selig. That just burns me up to no end how Selig ever allowed McCourt to take the reins of this once great, once proud Dodger organization. I remember how McCourt sold himself as a family owner in the tradition of the O?Malleys. Oh, how this Dodger fan was duped by his words when he said that.
Oh, and on a totally unrelated note, but congratulations go to CP Bookkeeping: I GOT MY FIRST CLIENT TONIGHT!!!
Oh, CP, that’s awesome news!!!! Congratulations, lady!
lol 0/13 for Ishikawa in his last 13 PH and his run that Burriss scored is the different.
Hello Gang!! Condolences to the LaMacchia family!! Congratulations CP!!! Glad to hear it!! Nice outing by Billz!!! Darn shame our offense is non-existant!!! Geez!!! Of course, only down by one, bringing in Sherrill is just a bad idea JoJo!!! The guy sucks!!!!
Great news CP!
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Andre made a fantastic catch….let’s get some runs, guys!!!!!
Thx Sparkle! Thx Trumom! I?ve got a lot of work tonight, so I?m not going to be able to watch the game like I usually do. So I?ll be online; just let me know what happens tonight!
GO DODGERS!!!
Oh, and I know I?m late on this, but great game last night Kersh!!!
This game is making me feel like we’re walking a tightrope . . . . and I don’t like it!
Me either, Sparkleplenty!
Gawd this team sucks.
Congratulations CP. That ought to start the ball rolling!!
If White goes to AZ, that’ll give them Gibson and White.
Down the road you’ve got Scioscia and some players that care about how they appear to be playing.
Its a toss-up as to who to support. This franchise is so far down the toilet its done circling the bowl and is 3/4 of the way to the sewer. Not even the Tidy Bowl Man would support for these guys.
You think 22 years is bad. That’s only the beginning.
Well that’s a load of soap that Billz gets tagged with the loss when Sherrill was responsible for the fishing winning run that scored!!!!
Goodnight Gang!!! Let’s whip’em tomorrow!!! Excelsior True Blue Faithful!!!!
Again, congrats CP!!!
Too bad our Boys in Blue lost tonight. Again, I didn?t follow the game that closely, but better luck tomorrow.
And jhall, thanks! I?ll need your prayers now more than ever!!!
lol mostly that stupid WP but of course Sherrill didn’t help much. Cain should be lucky we suck or else he would’ve still be 0 for something same with Sanchez.
HR – J Bautista (47, 1st inning off B Bergesen 0 on, 2 Out).
RBI – J Bautista (111).
Good gosh and this guy is still hitting HR.
Congrats CP!!!! That is fabulous news about your first client.
I don’t think I would mind losing to the gnats so much if I didn’t have to listen to their fishing announcers. The LA Primeticket here has been blacked out both nights. Not sure why but whatever. Anyhow, last night I was home by myself so I had the game on tv on mute and I had the radio feed. Even on a bad Charlie night, it’s still better than Kruk and Kuip. Well, tonight I had the same set up, and then the gnat fans came home. So, Kruk and Kuip were their usual childish self whiting out all the Dodger fans that appeared on their screen.
My Nellygirl!
Thx so much. Like I mentioned to jhall earlier, I?m going to need your prayers, now more than ever! This IS what I wanted, but it?s nerve-wracking at the same time!
Oh, and enchanted. I?m sure you?re not around, and I certainly didn?t mean to exclude you, but my client (boy, that sounds nice) said that she has friends that own local businesses that have already asked her who does their books. So referrals, here I come!!!
Well, I know it?s late, and I know I haven?t talked much tonight, but boy, I?m tired. I?ll catch up with y?all later?
Y’all might find this interesting… take it for what its worth.
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http://mikesciosciastragicillness.com/
We saw what it was like before Manny got here and what happened after he arrived. Now that he’s gone it looks to me like we need another big bat for the 4 or 5 slot. But where will it come from?
Sorry Ethierholics, but if Andre doesn’t want to be a Dodger, then ship him out. What a complete and utter mess. I’m sick to death of a-hole owners and whiny, mutinous players. I love Ethier as a player, but give me REAL Dodgers. So take Donny Baseball, Grampa Joe, the Divorce Twins, and Ned the Gnat, put ’em all in a Fed Ex box, and ship it to Borneo. When the smoke clears, give me Tim Wallach, Logan White, and ANYBODY who wants to own one of the greatest franchises in the history of baseball and will treat it with the respect and dignity that it deserves.
Hi Everybody.
What other sport can you be 10 1/2 games out and be playing a MUST WIN game.
Let’s go offense wake up.We got to stop the Giants.
GO DODGERS!!!!!
Pathetic.
Have to say, even if they could afford him, I wouldn’t want Lilly back. These last several starts are more indicative of his norm than his first several.
Of course, it looks like you’ll have wretch ownership out of McCourt’s cold dead hand, so this team – this franchise will further become as insignificant as the Royals or Pirates.
Fishing Soap!
Huff was like 3/28 with no HR’s vs Lilly. Go figure that he hit a 3 runs HR’s.
WTG Mitchell 1st hit and 1st career HR. They better get that ball back quick.
What’s Thidiot now – oh for his last 27? Sure am glad JoJo sees fit to play him ahead of Carroll (and I’m talking strictly merit, not any grand illusion of actually trying to beat a division rival) and a hearty “Thank You” to Ned for another fine acquisition.
Talent could actually walk up and bite Ned IN the asss and he still wouldn’t recognize it. Not that unless it was over-the-hill or worthless (or both) JoJo would play it anyway.
I doubt Ned traded for Theriot to be the backup 2nd baseman.
It’s unbelievable how this offense has been shut down.
So much for Link welcome back and look like the Giants going to win there 1st series since 2005. To bad some of those win were fluke win from Broxton blowing up. All 3 blown saves Broxton had turned out to be 3 losses.
At least one Dodger struck out in every inning tonight for a total of 14.
To think at one time we had a 5-1 series lead in the 1st 6 games and the Giants won this series 10-8.
The real question is Shad, why did Ned trade for Theriot at all? You could stick a mannequin out there and get as much out of it. Of course you could say that about the entire team.
A few months ago I said it was embarrassing being a Dodger fan and a lot of people came down on me for that. I’ll take it one step further…
I’m ashamed to be a Dodger fan right now.
And depending if Joe comes back for another year and depending on the rest of what transpires this offseason, I may not be one anymore. This mess has gone far beyond supporting the name on the jersey. I can be against the management and still support the team. I can be against ownership and still support the team. But when the players don’t even have enough pride to finish out the season and just quit on the team and themselves, THAT I cannot support.
I find it hard that Kemp broke the strikeout record for us this season and the team been around for over 100+ years.
I’ve been trying to figure out why we really need Blake 2 yrs ago when we gave up Santana. I was against trading for him and Lilly.
lol and don’t let me start witrh Sherrill either. I know there was one left handed reliever pitcher in the minor that could’ve done Sherrill job last season.
God bless Peter O’Malley.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-0917-dodgers-omalley-20100917,0,2680059.story
SELL THE TEAM.
And somewhat bless Bill Plaschke.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-plaschke-dodgers-20100917,0,7928722.column
SELL THE TEAM.
SELL THE TEAM.
SELL THE TEAM.
Well, well, Peter O?Malley has now said what we?ve been saying all along ? ?SELL THE TEAM?!!!!
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Some notable quotes from the article that Kahli referenced:
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“In my judgment,” O’Malley said, “it would be best for the franchise and the city if there was new ownership.”
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“For many years, the Dodgers have been one of the most prestigious institutions in our city and throughout professional sports,” O’Malley said. “Sadly, that is not the case today.”
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“The issue is not community property,” O’Malley said. “The issue is that, from what we have all learned in the documents filed in the proceeding, we now know how they have used the Dodgers.”
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“The Dodgers are a jewel and earned that reputation not just based on winning games,” O’Malley said, “but on how the franchise was managed.”
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Thanks, Peter.
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SELL THE TEAM!
SELL THE TEAM!
SELL THE TEAM!
SELL THE TEAM!
SELL THE TEAM!
SELL THE TEAM!
Oh, by the way, Dodgers, thanks a lot for handing first place to the Giants. All we wanted was for you to play the spoiler, and you can’t even do that.
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At this point, the only people I want to see in the Dodger uniform in 2011 are Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley. The rest of them can go pound sand, for all I care.
I didn’t even watch the game last night. I was shockingly reminded how very little the impact this team has on “real” life other than enjoying the game of baseball because it just may be the last one you will see. I kind of needed the baseball game last night, but the game wasn’t on either feed……….but whatever.
It was a very tough day in Merced’s teaching and baseball community as we lost a wonderful 3rd grade teacher (at our neighbor school) and one our very own baseball moms under tragic circumstances that are yet to be fully determined other than rumors at the moment. Her husband is said to be still alive in the hospital, but we have heard conflicting reports on that. She leaves behind two sons (a senior and a freshman in highschool), in which the senior is close friends with my son.
I was reminded yesterday from my dear ITD friend that “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” Well, this particular baseball team has been through losing two moms tragically and a very young coach due to illness in the last 15 months . So, their strength is increasing by leaps and bounds.
I try to say I can’t watch this team and that I don’t care, but I just can’t make myself say that. As of right now, I very strongly dislike our owner, I strongly dislike our GM, and I truly dislike our manager (and the entire coaching staff, with maybe the exception of Bowa). It’s the closest I can come to saying the word hate. I can’t get myself to say I am upset or blame any player at this point. I just feel they are the victims of a very bad situation that our so-called owners got the organization in, and I don’t blame any of them for wanting to get out at this point, money or not.
As far as the specific rumors about Andre, honestly, I didn’t expect him to be with the Dodgers this long. Two seasons ago we thought he would be traded because they wouldn’t be able to hang onto him and JP at the same time, and Matt was in line to be the star. Andre has felt this way all along (that he had to prove himself to be better than JP or whoever his competition was) so it won’t come as a shock to me if he does end up leaving for whatever the reason is. I find it hard to believe he would be selfish, but maybe he is just fed up with the nonsense like we are. Money or not, I would think Andre would want to play for an owner who cares about the players and the future of the organization, not paying his millions of dollars to live in luxury.
That being said, I hope Andre stays. He is reason why I began this blog in the first place. I hope whoever owns the team at the time finds a way to make him want to stay and be a real Dodger for life. He seems to love Los Angeles, and other than San Diego and Phoenix itself, it the closest baseball city to his home in Arizona.
Here’s a nice piece on Vin Scully – don’t miss it!
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/Answer-Man-Vin-Scully-talks-candy-Dodgers-and-;_ylt=AuMYzR3dHzzDVhKQ9XWVB58RvLYF?urn=mlb-270225
I was really hoping they would make Wallach manager….out with Joe…out with all of them!!!!!
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=ArsAd9j.q7yZmvvUmU8hmMg5nYcB?slug=ti-torre091710
I agree with Kahli. Donnie B was the plan all along. The ownership didn’t change, the GM didn’t change, so we can’t expect the plan to change. The only thing left to do is:
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SELL THE TEAM!
Stupid time warp! How can I agree with Kahli about Donnie when Kahli hadn’t yet said anything about Donnie?
Juuuuuussssst wonderful!!! Next time – tell us Logan White is the GM, Tim Wallach is the manager and Frank has been forced to sell the team. Now, THAT would be good news.
I just heard that Torre will announce today he’s not coming back (yippee) and he’s being replaced by that wonderful hitting coach we now have. Just another bad Ned decision. Mattingly did such a great job as a hitting coach, he surely deserves the promotion. Meanwhile Wallach will probably join another organization. Just like Ned and Frank to screw it up again! Sell the team low life!
It doesn’t matter who Ned (or Joe) selects as next manager, because when Frank is sent packing, the new owner won’t stand for Ned and Donnie. So hang in there Tim Wallach and Logan White. Dodger fans everywhere look forward to the not-to-distant day of your arrival at the top.