Two left-handers…

First, as has hit the wires earlier today, we signed veteran left-hander Ron Mahay to a minor league deal with an invite to big league Spring Training. He had a lot of success against lefties last year, allowing just two extra base hits and two walks to 66 lefty hitters last year in Minnesota. Obviously he’ll compete with guys like Scott Elbert as the potential “second lefty” out of the bullpen.

Meanwhile, speaking of southpaws, a pretty good one stopped by our office earlier today. We interviewed him for a bunch of features down the road and gave him the award he won last week at the Southern California Sports Broadcasters luncheon. Recognize this guy?

fernando award small.jpg

37 comments

  1. messagebear@aol.com

    Ned’s really doing his job – we’re getting loaded for bear for our AAA team. Must be because we don’t have anybody to promote from our lower minors.

    Way to go, Ned, you *****!!!

  2. dodger 32

    Another 40 year old pitcher, they might as well bring back Fernando. Those were the days when the Dodgers were good, and then they weren’t the laughing stock their owner has made them today.

  3. enchantedbeaver

    Crap. I thought this one wouldn?t be released for awhile but with Ned, these signings are daily. SOOOO I give you Hank Williams Sr., Hey Good Lookin?:
    .
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95aP0OWx4jY&feature=related

    HEY NED?S LOOKIN?
    .
    Hey, hey, Ned?s lookin?,
    Its oldies he?s bookin?
    How?s about bookin? somethin? that?s not free?
    .
    Pushin? up daisies
    Slow, fat or lazy
    Can?t you find us a better recipe?
    .
    The roster?s as queeer as a three-dollar bill
    And most of his signs are over the hill
    Their poop has popt, but their hand?s in the till
    Only way they?re a hit?s with the cream or a pill
    .
    Hey, Ned?s lookin?
    Oldies he?s bookin
    How?s about lookin? somethins? that?s not free?
    .
    Kids at the ready
    Not for ol? Neddy
    With this team the parking should be free
    .
    Whenever Ned?s lookin?
    Oldies get tookin?
    Likes to keep vet?rans in his company
    .
    Need guys who rake and put it over the fence
    Ned he tries but he ain?t got no sense
    Ol? Joe he quit cuz things got too tense
    And Franky just smiles cuz the fans pay the rents
    .
    So hey, Ned?s lookin?
    Oldies he?s bookin?
    How?s about hookin? somethin? that?s wur-thee?

    ©NedCo Broken Records 2011

  4. enchantedbeaver

    Thank you ladies!
    .
    Bear – love your comment!!

    Actually, Mahay’s not a bad sign to a minor league deal. He was super tough on lefties last year, and it keeps Elbert honest if he wants a ML job. For a change its a no lose situation for Ned. (Did I just say that?)

  5. dodgereric

    “Whenever Ned?s lookin?
    Oldies get tookin?
    Likes to keep vet?rans in his company”

    Friggin’ GREAT! I never would have thought to use “tookin'” to rhyme with “lookin'”. That’s why you are the master.

    Pause, whilst I bow.

    The DodgerLyrics count update: 625 songs.

    Enchanted’s contribution: I know the number will embarrass you. So, in true baseball fashion, you’re hitting a hair over .275. In this case, .275 is a HOF number.

  6. crzblue2

    Wow Enchanted! amazing! 172 songs for you! wow! like Eric, I will also bow to the master!
    .
    JOSH! question. Why was Jaime on an arm sling during the Southern California Sports Broadcasters luncheon? Is he OK now? Thanks for the info and again congratulations to Fernando.
    .

    Emma
    http://crzblue.mlblogs.com

  7. trublu4ever

    I can’t belive they censored my word for kitty-cat (mine started with a P and ends with Y). With everything we say here, that was bleeped! I think they are the ones with the dirty minds!

  8. nellyjune

    He hit a ******** .200 last season. The Burger King hamburger even with an “ing” at the end has the same result 🙂

  9. enchantedbeaver

    However, there are ways around it – pussycat or pusssy cat should work, as should ********. Hence queeer above also. Its really quite silly considering all the alternate spellings you could do to any 4-letter word and still get your meaning across.

  10. dodgereric

    Oooo, that reminds me of a trivia question:

    Who hit a ******** .200 last season?

    A) Dioner Navarro
    B) Juan Uribe
    C) Tony Gwynn
    D) Gabe Kapler
    E) Eugenio Velez
    F) Juan Castro
    G) All of the above

    And while we’re in a trivial mood………
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    What were Ned’s free agent pickups during the ’10 – ’11 off-season?

    A) Dioner Navarro
    B) Juan Uribe
    C) Tony Gwynn
    D) Gabe Kapler
    E) Eugenio Velez
    F) Juan Castro
    G) All of the above

  11. northstateblues

    Funny, the most excitement I’ve gotten out of the Dodgers’ offseason was generated by the announcement that the Dodgers are asking fans to vote on which Throwback uniform will be worn for 6 home games this year.

    http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/la/fan_forum/throwback.jsp?tcid=fb-misc13

    And my favorite old-time Brooklyn Jersey is up for election, the 1911 Dodgers jersey.

    Why is this my favorite? Because it’s one of the most distinctive jerseys in baseball history. The block lettered “BROOKLYN” down the button placket was a great old-time look.

    And the Dodgers owned the pinstripes in the NYC area before those pesky New York Americans stole them away.

    The other two jerseys have their strong points, with 1931’s white w/ powder blue piped cap with the traditional “B”, and the 40’s satin alternates having the traditionally well-known Brooklyn hat, and being one of the most innovative jersey ideas in baseball.

    Major drawbacks for me include:

    1931: What a BORING jersey. Looks like a high school team, too plain for today’s crowd. If we’re gonna throwback our look, it should be something sharp.

    1940’s satin: I doubt (or at least hope) that the team would make the jerseys in satin, as there was a reason that teams don’t wear satin jerseys for night games today, not the most optimal choice for sporting events. If they did make them in satin, that’d be a HUGE adjustment for the team. If they didn’t make them in satin, then we’d look like the Kansas City Royals or Toronto Blue Jays.

    Major drawback for both: Powder Blue does not equal Dodger Blue. And even 100 years ago, the 1911 jersey had that.

    Distinctive, yet familiar.

    Voting starts Monday. I might do some campaigning, heheheh…. after work.

  12. enchantedbeaver

    Eric – I would think that just about everyone above “hit” at or below the Mendoza line with the exception of Uribe, whose numbers were Herculean in comparison to the others. That of course makes them all fodder for Ned, ye of the worthless signings.

  13. dodgereric

    e, one of us was reading the other’s mind. I just finished “looking it up”. I was being a little sarcastic, but very close to the truth.

    2010:

    Dioner Navarro – 24 for 124; .194
    Juan Uribe – 129 for 521; .248
    Tony Gwynn – 59 for 289; .204
    Gabe Kapler – 26 for 124; .210
    Eugenio Velez – 9 for 55; .164
    Juan Castro – 25 for 129; .194

    Totals – 272 for 1242; .219

    Subtract the Thorian (I like Thor better than Hercules) Uribe numbers:

    143 for 721; .198

    Gawd.

  14. dodgereric

    Oh…… north, I agree on the 1911 jersey. Much better for oldtime baseball, plus it’s exactly 100 years ago.

  15. northstateblues

    Yeah Eric, those 1911’s are sharp. Wonder if the Dodgers would ever consider doing a throwback of an area PCL team. Even though we own the PCL Angels, NO WAY we could/would-want-to get away with that.

    Hollywood Stars throwbacks would be nice… if they didn’t include those softball shorts the Stars wore for a couple of years.

    Imagine this: The Dodgers dressed as the Stars, the Anaheim Angels dressed as the Steve-Bilko Angels, one night only, interleague game, complete with throwback Stars-Angels bench-clearing brawl…

    I’m more than fine with the Brooklyn throwbacks, that’s our lineage, and if it wasn’t for the will of Robert Moses, they’d still be in Brooklyn, and us Angelino fans would be used to losing with the Angels or SenaTwins to kick around… as well as the DH.

    Any of the three jerseys would be a million times improvement over the Brooklyn-wordmark-on-21st-century- home-whites.

    And if anyone was interested, Paul Lukas ( of http://www.uniwatchblog.com )got the scoop on how the team would be handling the manufacturing of the old-time jerseys…

    ——————–

    “I?m sure you all figured out the answer to this already, but I just called the Dodgers and asked whether the throwback based on the satin uni would actually be rendered in satin.

    The answer: ?All the throwbacks would be produced with modern fabrics.?

    So the satin uni would just be a basic powder blue. Maybe just as well, since these throwbacks are going to be worn in day games, which means there?d be no point in wearing the satin uni anyway.

    ——————–

    No Royals unis for me, thanks. Pine tar or no pine tar.

  16. dodger 32

    Chavez signed a minor league deal with the Yankees. I guess at 33 he was to young for Ned, now if he was 43 he’d be worth a shot.

  17. knouffbrock@frontiernet.net

    north state has hit on a good idea. There are probably a few people around that remember Gilmore Field. My education started there from my Dad and the other fans sitting around us. The Stars navy blue jerseys were very cool.

  18. jhallwally

    Hello Gang!!! Hope everyone is doing well!!! Great comments and posts. I’ve enjoyed reading you all. Outstanding song Beav!!! Well, just a couple of more weeks and we get this show on the road. Time to stop talking and play some baseball. Go Dodgers!!!! I like our chances in the NL West as well as anyone at this juncture. All the teams in our division have glaring weaknesses. We really need for Ethier, Kemp, Loney, and Brox to step it up and get it done or were’re toast. Also, we need Furcal to stay healthy. And pray Kuo doesn’t blow out his elbow!!!!

  19. nellyjune

    Hey Jhall! I was hoping we would hear from you. All that winter weather back east looks pretty bad from our California perspective. Can’t wait for Dodger baseball to start. You are right. It’s time for our young studs to do what they do best!

    12 days until Dodger pitchers and catchers report 🙂

  20. jhallwally

    Hi’Ya Nelly!!! Thanks!! Always nice to see/read you my friend. Just about 4 or 5 more weeks of winter here. Were’re on the homestretch. Actually it has been a rather mild winter here overall. Not out of the woods yet, but we can see see the light of Spring at the end of the tunnel. Hope all is well with you and your family. Go Dodgers!!!!

  21. nellyjune

    That’s good to know Jhall. Everything is going well here. High school baseball games are starting up in a week or so, which I always look forward to. However, alot of decisions to make in regards to Michael playing baseball at the next level. It’s exciting and crazy all at the same time 🙂

  22. enchantedbeaver

    I believe this tune has been done before, I?m thinking by dodgereric (my apologies for re-using), but I heard this on an oldies station the other day and as my twisted mind would have it, a few lines kept rattling around in my head until they had to come out. Johnny Horton, The Battle of New Orleans :
    .
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxB42cjHTGg

    THE BATTLE OF LOS ANGELES
    .
    In two-zero-zero-five we hired us a drip,
    Mustachio?d PR man who could spin himself a quip
    He hires him some players that are moldier than cheese
    And those that aren?t so smelly are the one?s who just plain wheeze
    .
    We voiced our fears but the oldies kept a comin?
    There?s just as many as there was a year ago
    When they see Ned all the vet?rans come a runnin?
    Across the USA and on up from Mexico
    .
    We read us the paper and we see Juan Castro come
    Followed by Uribe and a hundred other bums
    The vets piled high, with their battin? av-rage low
    I don?t say Ned?s retarded, but he seems a might bit slow?
    .
    We voiced our fears but the oldies kept a comin?
    There?s just as many as there was a year ago
    When they see Ned all the vet?rans come a runnin?
    Across the USA and on up from Mexico
    .
    Well nows ?bout the time we should see another ring
    But we?re only in the game til we hear the anthem sing
    With most GMs we could free ourselves from stress
    But with Neddy still in office everything?s a mess
    .
    We voiced our fears but the oldies kept a comin?
    There?s just as many as there was a year ago
    When they see Ned all the vet?rans come a runnin?
    Across the USA and on up from Mexico
    .
    Yeah he checks waiver wires and dives in the dumpsters
    And he signs him rotten players where other teams won?t go
    He signs so many even bloggers can?t a count ?em
    I tell ya Ned Colletti that this team is gonna blow
    .
    Now down at the bar there?s a rumor goin? round
    Some fans picked up a sack-o-stuff just a layin? on the ground
    They found Ned?s address, and their names I shouldn?t tell
    But they lit the bag, rang the bell and really ran like, well?
    .
    We voiced our fears but the oldies kept a comin?
    There?s just as many as there was a year ago
    When they see Ned all the vet?rans come a runnin?
    Across the USA and on up from Mexico
    .
    Yeah he checks waiver wires and dives in the dumpsters
    And he signs him rotten players where other teams won?t go
    He signs so many even bloggers can?t a count ?em
    I tell ya Ned Colletti that this team is gonna blow
    .
    [Spoken]
    One, two, three more
    Signed up four more
    One, two, three more
    Signed up four more
    One, two, three more

    © NedCo Broken Records 2011

    HAPPY SUPERBOWL DAY EVERYONE!!!

  23. nellyjune

    Dodgereric – I don’t think enchanted is happy with his .275. I think he is aiming for that .300 – lol!

    Fantastic enchanted!!!!!

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