Tonight's lineup for the Freeway Series:

Jason Repko, CF; Dioner Navarro, C; J.D. Drew, RF; Jeff Kent, 2B; Nomar Garciaparra; Bill Mueller, 3B; Ricky Ledee, LF; Ramon Martinez, SS; Odalis Perez, P.

It almost feels like Opening Day...

I'm posting from the press box in Las Vegas in a 2-2 tie right now. I wanted to answer a few of the questions we've had, as I'm not sure I'll get to post again tonight.

In terms of the Blue Man Group footage, you're in luck. KCAL was on site last night and will probably use a lot of the footage of the guys that took part in the show during their pregame shows this week. I'm not sure if we'll get the players involved in the commercials yet, but we'll see what fans think of the spots. There's a good chance we'll also use some of the Blue Man Group footage on DodgerVision this year, as these guys add a pretty neat entertainment element to the telecast and can do the same for in-game entertainment.

As for how to follow the prospects this year in Las Vegas, the 51s PR Director Jim Gemma just informed me that you can listen to all their games online on the 51s website.

And finally, there was a question about Tim Hamulack and the story behind him. Most of you know that he came over with Jae Seo in the deal with the Mets for Duaner Sanchez and Steve Schmoll. Tim made his big league debut last year with the Mets and only played in six games, but he had a 1.02 ERA in 28 games at Norfolk and 1.26 ERA in 21 games at Binghamton. He grew up in Maryland and played at Montgomery Community College there before being drafted by the Astros in the 32nd round of the 1995 Draft. He bounced around to the Royals, Mariners, Red Sox and Mets organizations before reaching the bigs last season. Tim's a pretty quiet guy, but is also quite nice and I know he was surprised to find out that his contract was purchased yesterday.

We touched down last night at about 9:00 p.m. local time and while a lot of guys wound up going straight to bed, a dozen of us headed to the Venetian for a 10:30 showing of Blue Man Group. As you've heard by now, they're going to be doing KCAL's commercials this year and invited us to check out the show while we were in town.

While I didn't know this was going to happen, they asked several of our players if they'd be willing to participate in the show and much to my surprise, the guys were good sports about it. Brett Tomko was on stage for about 10 minutes during a bit in which he and the Blue Men were eating twinkies. Jason Repko was on stage during an indescribable bit in which it appears they string him upside down and slam him into a wall. Though they didn't actually do that, he wasn't too phazed. "I've run into walls before," he told me afterward and we've all seen that in action. Nomar Garciaparra and Jose Cruz Jr. were called out for "showing up late" to the show, as a spotlight caught them sneaking into their seats after the show was in progress.

It was a great experience and the fact that these guys played along was appreciated. Others who took in the show were J.D. Drew, Charley Steiner, Kim Ng and Pepe Yniguez, who was celebrating his birthday yesterday.

We've only got a little time here in Vegas and I'll head to the park in a couple hours. Our split-squad team, managed by Dave Jauss, is playing in Kissimmee as I post this blog. After tonight's game, it's back to Los Angeles for the Freeway Series and everyone's getting pretty excited for Opening Day.

I'm posting this blog from the plane, awaiting our departure for Las Vegas. Today's game couldn't have ended any better, with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning by Sergio Garcia. Ned Colletti, who is standing next to me, just put it best: "What a great exclamation point to the spring."

While there are still a few days left before Opening Day, this spring has been a huge success and the Florida portion was pretty great. Eric Gagne pitched a scoreless inning while throwing on back-to-back days for the first time. Derek Lowe looked sharp in his final tuneup before Opening Day and now it's off to Las Vegas.

When we land, we'll make our way over to the Blue Man Group show and then tomorrow, we've got a night game against the Mariners. Brad Penny will get his last start before the real deal and a lot of our regulars should be in the lineup.

Scott Akasaki, our team travel manager, has also been very efficient at making sure every trip this spring ran smoothly. He's actually right next to me, making sure that our contacts in Vegas know that we're about to get up in the air, which means I should probably turn off my laptop.

Viva las Vegas.

Just wanted to pass along the great news that Jeff Kent has signed a one-year extension with an option for 2008. This is a great way to finish out our time in Vero Beach and hopefully get us going on the right foot as we head west.

I personally think this deal says a lot about the direction of the team and we're all extremely optimistic about the season, with Opening Day just five days away.

So this is it. Our final day in Dodgertown and while everyone can't wait for the season to start, it's always a little sad saying goodbye to this incredible complex. For those who haven't been here, you should start planning your trip for 2007, as this is truly a unique experience unlike any other in baseball.

Today's lineup against the Nationals includes Dioner Navarro, who's back in the lineup after straining his hamstring last week.

Kenny Lofton, CF; Jose Cruz, LF; J.D. Drew, RF; Jeff Kent, 2B; Nomar Garciaparra, 1B; Bill Mueller, 3B; Ramon Martinez, SS; Dioner Navarro, C; Derek Lowe, P

Throughout the spring, I've had the chance to highlight some of the stories by our beat writers, but I've been getting a hard time from Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register about not plugging him on the blog. He's done a nice job covering the team this spring and for the past couple years, so be sure to take a look at his coverage on a regular basis.

I'm hoping to add a little more later this morning if news warrants...

Another good win today, as Jae Seo looked awesome on the mound. Rafael Furcal's back tightened up, though, so he left the game early and is listed as day-to-day. We're all hoping it's nothing serious and right now, we have no reason to believe it's bad, but you never like to see one of your top players go down to an injury in the final days of spring.

Meanwhile, ESPN has put out its predictions for 2006. It's pretty cool to see that nine of 15 people picked the Dodgers to win the West and Rob Neyer picked us to beat the Twins in the Fall Classic. While these are only predictions, is does make you feel good about the way people view the team heading into the season.

One more game left in Vero before we head to Vegas. Even though we spend a lot of time time here and people like to joke about "being ready to go home," we'll certainly miss this place. Craig Callan and his staff take incredible care of us in our second home and we're extremely grateful for all their hard work.

Today's lineup could be what you'll see on April 3:

Furcal, SS; Lofton, CF; Drew, RF; Kent, 2B; Garciaparra, 1B; Mueller, 3B; Cruz, LF; Alomar, C; Seo, P;

Also, in response to some of the questions on the blog, this site will definitely be kept up throughout the season. We're hoping to update it a couple times a day, but there will be times when it's more often and times when it's less often. It will definitely have the starting lineup before any other site on the Internet, so be sure to check in every day.

In regards to Vin Scully and his travel schedule, Vin travels with us for all games against NL West teams during the season, so he obviously doesn't go East of Colorado. During the spring, he has been kind enough to do all the games for KCAL, so was here this weekend and will meet the team in Las Vegas tomorrow, where he'll do the game from Cashman Stadium. He also handles all home games.

And finally, I can't say that I know how Nomar's health will be this season, but so far he's been in great shape and seems to be enjoying the move over to first base. He made an incredible play there the other day and as a former shorstop playing first base, we can probably expect to see a lot of that from him this season.

Things are winding down out here. Final decisions are still being made and to respond to one of the comments, no, there has not been a decision on Joel Guzman, but I'm sure it's getting close. Four more players were sent out today to the minor league camp and we're down to 34 guys.

In today's game, the team had 19 hits and Brett Tomko hit a homer, which he says is his first since Little League. Grady said after the game that he had turned to Dave Jauss, the bench coach, right before Tomko hit it and said, "I bet he's going to be the first Dodger pitcher to homer this year," and Dave said, "I just hope it's not before April 3." The next pitch, bam, it was gone.

We've got two more home games and then we fly out to Las Vegas on Wednesday night. As some of you might have seen in the commercials, KCAL has hired the Blue Man Group to do their TV spots, so several of the guys on the team and a bunch of us staff members are going to head to the show when we get in town. Should be pretty fun.

Otherwise, keep up the great chatter. It's great to see 13 comments on a single post, even though it was mostly about Jeff Weaver. I can say that Jeff is actually a great guy and we're all very disappointed he's not back here with the Dodgers. However, as Ned has said many times, the asking price and the offer were simply too far apart to be able to get something done. Unfortunately, that's the business of this game and hopefully Jeff will have continued health and success elsewhere.

In Port St. Lucie, we'll have:

Oscar Robles, SS; Jason Repko, CF; Joel Guzman, LF; Olmedo Saenz, 1B; Cody Ross, RF; Willy Aybar, 3B; Ramon Martinez, 2B; Russell Martin, C, Brett Tomko, P

Back in L.A., fans will get the chance to see something pretty close to the Opening Day lineup on KCAL 9:

Furcal, SS; Lofton, CF; Drew, RF; Kent, 2B; Garciaparra, 1B; Mueller, 3B; Cruz, LF; Borders, C; Sele, P;

What was interesting was our switch of today's starting pitcher. Odalis Perez was scheduled to start, but Grady Little realized that Odalis is starting against the Braves in the third game of the season and he didn't want them to get a good look at him right before they faced him for real. It's "little" things like this that really do make a difference once the season starts and it's "little" things like this that make me certain we hired the right guy in Grady. (Sorry for the bad puns, it's early).

For today's game at Jupiter, here's what we've got: Oscar Robles, 2B; Ramon Martinez, SS; Joel Guzman, LF; Olmedo Saenz, 1B; Ricky Ledee, RF; Willy Aybar, 3B; Jason Repko, CF; Russell Martin, C; Brad Penny, P.

With the World Baseball Classic fresh in the minds of baseball fans, it's interesting that today’s starting lineup features players from five different countries and Puerto Rico. Oscar Robles (Mexico), Ricky Ledee (Puerto Rico), Joel Guzman and Willy Aybar (Dominican Republic), Olmedo Saenz (Panama), Russell Martin (Canada) and Jason Repko and Brad Penny (United States) will all start today’s game. Starting shortstop Ramon Martinez was born in Philadelphia but resides in Puerto Rico, while the first six batters in the lineup are all native Spanish-speakers. Martin is fluent in French and English, having grown up in Montreal, Quebec.

Also, in response to one fan's question about whether or not Nomar's been getting enough reps at first, it's safe to say he's had plenty.  He's played 75 innings over there, more than any other Dodger this spring. That's actually more than any other player at any position (Joel Guzman, who's also learning a new position, is second with 73 innings in left field). Let's hope that it translates to success during the year.

Though we still have five more days in Vero Beach, the huge truck that departs for Los Angeles will leave Dodgertown tomorrow at noon, so we packed up the office tonight, leaving only what we need for the last few days.

For the clubhouse attendants, this is a ton of labor and few people realize just how hard these guys work every day. Mitch Poole, Jerry Turner, Alex Torres and Jose "Peps" Castillo deserve a big time salute from everyone in the organization.

In the PR department, we had countless boxes of media guides from every team around the leagues, plus plenty of boxes of our own guides. But the biggest load was more than 200 dozen baseballs, which the players were kind enough to sign for various charities around the city. When the boxes were in my office, it practically filled the place wall to wall, so it feels pretty empty in here right now.

The NCAA tourney also brought some excitement to Dodgertown. Scores were being announced over the PA system at Holman Stadium all night and the Villanova/BC game that went into overtime was a huge hit in the clubhouse. Twenty-five players/coaches/staff members stuck around late to see how it would turn out and it didn't disappoint, with a last-minute shot accounting for the win.

Of course, it was also a sad day at Dodgertown, as our minor league pitcher, Orlando Rodriguez was involved in a tragic car accident last night. Our hearts go out to everyone involved.

 

For tonight against the Marlins: Rafael Furcal, SS; Kenny Lofton, CF; J.D. Drew, RF; Jeff Kent, 2B; Nomar Garciaparra, 1B; Bill Mueller, 3B; Jose Cruz Jr. LF; Sandy Alomar Jr., C; Derek Lowe, P.

It's beginning to look a lot like Opening Day...

Cody Ross was hit on the left wrist during last night's game against the Mets at Port St. Lucie. He left the game after the first inning and returned to Vero Beach. X-rays were negative and Ross said this morning he should be OK. Ross is out of minor league options, so the Dodgers must decide his status this week. In 17 games this spring, Ross is batting .360 with four home runs and eight RBI.

We now have just a little over a week left in Vero Beach before we head west, which means that the process of getting our roster down to the 25 players we will have for Opening Day is in full throttle. Since in the course of my 15-year career I was sent down during Spring Training six times and sent down during the season three times, I consider myself somewhat of an expert on what it feels like.

The most important element to know is what the players know — there is nothing like the big leagues. Nothing even close. Being a big league player is what you dream about your entire life. The money, the lifestyle, the notoriety, the competition, even the pressure is intoxicating. When that is taken away, for whatever reason, it is a blow. In Spring Training, there are generally three types of players that are sent out. There are the young prospects like Andy LaRoche who are on the 40-man roster and are being optioned. There are veterans such as Joe Beimel who have previous big league service time with other clubs and have signed minor league contracts with the understanding that they will have the chance to make the big league team. The third is the Major League veteran who is older that either makes the team or is released. In all cases there is a severe sense of disappointment.

Even in LaRoche's case where he is a young player with a bright future and without a great chance to make the team, there was disappointment. If nothing else, you now have to spend the rest of Spring Training on the minor league side of the complex, where the uniforms just don’t seem as white and the games are played in front of empty stands. Plus, you have to watch the big league team work out in the morning and while they are only feet away, it may as well be 1,000 miles.  In the veterans' case, it is a failed opportunity to get back to the big leagues, which is the ultimate goal. No one plays with the idea of making a good living in Triple-A. You play to play in the big leagues and in some instances, your window is closing. You know how different the big leagues are from the minors and your hunger to get back is even greater. But you also know that you better get over that disappointment quickly because your goal now shifts to being the first guy up when the season starts.       

For today's afternoon game against the Cards, we'll have: Furcal, SS; Cruz, CF; Drew, RF; Kent, 2B; Guzman, LF; Choi, 1B; Aybar, 3B; Martin, C; Seo P

Last night was one of the unique experiences that this job sometimes affords us PR guys. After the game against the Marlins, I went to dinner with dodgers.com beat writer Ken Gurnick and our Hall of Fame broadcaster Jaime Jarrin. While I've gotten to know both of these gentlemen quite well over the years, it was the guests who joined us that made last night's dinner a little different.

Ken Gurnick is longtime friends with Craig Kelly, who happens to be the U.S. Ambassador to Chile. Craig was in Miami for a conference so he joined us for dinner along with Colonel Jeffrey Smith, the Military Group Commander at the embassy in Chile. Needless to say, it was an interesting dinner, but what makes Craig different than most ambassadors is his passion for baseball and specifically, the Dodgers.

Craig grew up in Los Angeles and in his office in the embassy, he has a photo of the day he came to Dodger Stadium and spent an inning on the air with Jaime (he speaks five languages, incredibly). But he's also one of the main reasons that baseball as a sport is growing in Chile.

When he arrived as ambassador there nearly two years ago, he and his wife, Kim, began starting Little Leagues around the Santiago area and their hope is that someday, that country will feed Major League Baseball the kind of talent that you see from the Dominican, Venezuela, Mexico and Puerto Rico.

On the embassy's website, there's some interesting articles about some Latin Little Leaguers who recently met George Bush. Even more impressive is an article written about Craig and Kim's efforts to bring baseball to Chile.

Craig also mentioned that the ambassador in Argentina is a big Dodger fan, so both men now have their own copies of the Dodger media guide to bring back to South America.

Safe to say, the global reach of Dodger baseball never ceases to amaze me.

Here is the Dodgers' starting lineup for tonight's game vs. the New York Mets at Port St. Lucie:

Rafael Furcal, SS; Kenny Lofton, CF; Nomar Garciaparra, 1B; Ricky Ledee, LF; Sandy Alomar Jr., C; Bill Mueller, 3B; Cody Ross, RF; Oscar Robles, 2B; Brett Tomko, P.

Ballplayers taking their leads from first base ... "chalk talk" sessions in the dugout ... taking hacks behind home plate during soft-toss batting practice ... pregame stretching in the outfield ... a series of pitchers warming up in the bullpen.

Ordinary scenes from Spring Training in March, but on this evening at Holman Stadium, the ballplayers were actually participants at the 5th Annual Ladies Spring Training at Dodgertown.

A large staff of Dodger coaches and prospects assembled to stage a series of baseball clinics on the field, followed by a postgame meal in the picnic area behind the left-field grandstands at the ballpark. You'd be surprised to find how many "post-collegiate" athletes still brought along a glove and were ready to run the basepaths, at least from first to second base. Coach Tarrik Brock and minor league catcher Eric Langill gave signals and alternated between pickoff moves and pitching motions toward home plate to challenge the runner's decision when to dash from the base.

Other Dodger instructors included Mac Singleton, Fernando Arroyo and Ramon Martinez. The minor leaguers were T.J. Nall, Derek Thompson, Heath Totten, Joel Hanrahan, Xavier Paul, Matt Paul, Brandon Carter and Wesley Wright. Los Angeles coach Dave Jauss also participated, along with staff members of the Dodgers' SIngle-A Vero Beach affiliate from the Florida State League.   

Here is the Dodgers' starting lineup for their game this afternoon vs. the Florida Marlins at Jupiter:

Jason Repko, LF; Oscar Robles, SS; Jose Cruz Jr., CF; Olmedo Saenz, 1B; Ricky Ledee, RF; Bill Mueller, 3B; Russell Martin, C; Ramon Martinez, 2B; Aaron Sele, P.

After two weeks in Los Angeles, helping get Dodger Stadium ready for Opening Day, I've returned to Vero Beach for the final 10 days of Spring Training. Grady Little has been giving me a lot of grief for being away from the team, but he's only kidding...at least I hope he is.

For those wondering what we all do during this time of year, the last couple weeks have been busy with all sorts of meetings at Dodger Stadium. We've met with KCAL, our new TV partner, exchanging ideas for features that you'll see on their pregame show. We met with Telemundo and with Latino Sports TV about increased coverage this year, as you're probably noticing that we're really reaching out to the Latino fans with our new website losdodgers.com. And, we met with the the company that printed our media guide, which recently came out. These are just a few of the things that keep the PR department busy in the final weeks before Opening Day.

If you're a die hard Dodger fan, I'd actually recommend picking up one of our media guides this year from the Top of the Park Gift Shop.  I know I'm biased in thinking that our department has put together one of the more informative guides in the league, but these are no longer for the media alone. There's great information about each player and you can actually learn quite a bit about the team, its players, community efforts, history, records, executives and a lot more.

Anyway, enough shameless promotion for one night. We just got back from a night game in Viera where Brad Penny, Tim Hamulack and D.J. Houlton set down 17 guys in a row at one point and Russell Martin had four RBI, including a three-run homer. Nomar Garciaparra had a couple hits, too, which is good to see, as he spent some extra time in the cage this morning just trying to get into a groove. An 11-5 win gives the Dodgers an 11-5 record. A nice touch.

Tomorrow we're on ESPN, with Aaron Sele continuing his impressive battle to make the team. Lance Carter and Hong-Chih Kuo will follow him to the mound. We'll post the lineup first thing in the morning.

Here is the Dodgers' starting lineup for their night game at Viera vs. the Washington Nationals ...

Rafael Furcal, SS; Kenny Lofton, CF; Nomar Garciaparra, 1B; Jeff Kent, 2B; Joel Guzman, LF; Jason Repko, RF; Ramon Martinez, 3B; Russell Martin, C; Brad Penny, P.

Veteran umpire Bruce Froemming is getting ready to begin his 36th Major League season in 2006, tying the all-time record for longevity set by Hall of Famer Bill Klem. Froemming, who will be at first base for today’s game at Holman Stadium, broke into the Majors on April 6, 1971 at New York’s Shea Stadium. The other umpires that afternoon were Al Barlick, Ed Vargo and Harry Wendelstedt, whose son, Hunter Wendelstedt, is today’s home plate umpire.

This morning, Froemming was on a minor league field, tossing a flying foam disc to his beloved hunting dog, Blue. It's one of the best sights of Spring Training and those who are used to the voice of authority when umpiring a ballgame, Bruce speaks to the dog in kind tones and is very proud when others give compliments.

One day, Dodger General Manager Ned Colletti drove by on his golf cart and yelled, "Open your eyes, Blue!" Colletti claimed he was talking to the dog.

Today is the first televised game of the season and Vin Scully will call the action for KCAL 9 in Los Angeles. Beginning his 57th season with the Dodgers, Scully's memory is a virtual encyclopedia and the available stories seem endless. Cuba's victory over the Dominican Republic in Saturday's World Baseball Classic prompted Scully to recall at the dinner table the Dodgers' spring training in 1959 when wet weather in Vero Beach disrupted the exhibition schedule. Undaunted, the Dodgers arranged with the Cincinnati Reds to fly to Cuba for the weekend. Scully remembers such details as the team hotel, conversations in the lobby, and even the souvenirs available for tourists just months before the Castro revolution.

Here is today's lineup for the Dodgers vs. the Washington Nationals this afternoon at Holman Stadium:

Rafael Furcal, SS; Kenny Lofton, CF; Jose Cruz Jr., LF; Jeff Kent, 2B; Nomar Garciaparra, 1B; Bill Mueller, 3B; Ricky Ledee, RF; Sandy Alomar Jr., C; Derek Lowe, P.

While Spring Training runs smoothly here in Vero Beach, there is anticipation for the regular season - and a chance to see the renovation at Dodger Stadium. The players, coaches and other team officials who had a chance to check out the stadium changes during the winter are looking forward to seeing the finished product when the Dodgers play host to the Angels in an exhibition game on March 31. Third base coach Rich Donnelly already is planning the team's workout schedule at Dodger Stadium, and others making their first trip to the West Coast next week are asking questions about the climate and stadium design.

This winter's construction phase restored the original color pallet from when the ballpark first opened in 1962, while also replacing the more than 50,000 plastic seats originally installed in the mid-1970s.

Beginning with the top deck, the seat removal provided a chance for workers to repair and refresh the underlying concrete. Another new look will introduce an old-school concept to the ballpark – box seating along the baseline seats. The Dodgers’ adaptation will integrate more legroom and a table amenity to the baseline areas.

Great care was also taken with the last of the stadium’s original wooden seats, located along the third-base side of the Club Level. Those seats were refurbished and returned to the area, along with a rainbow-theme color pallet reminiscent of the Club Level and the back wall of the original ground-level dugout box seating section. This photo shows the outfield wall with the original shade of blue from 1962, just one of many "original" touches to the ballpark which has remained one of Southern California's most popular destinations for tourists and baseball fans of all ages.

And fans wanting a sneak preview of the "new" Dodger Stadium can check out the latest photo galleries on dodgers.com

Here is the Dodgers' starting lineup vs. the Detroit Tigers at Lakeland -

Jason Repko, CF; Willy Aybar, 3B; Joel Guzman, LF; Olmedo Saenz, DH; Matt Kemp, RF; James Loney, 1B; Ramon Martinez, 2B; Pat Borders, C; Chin-Lung Hu, SS. Starting pitcher - Chad Billingsley

Here are today's starting lineups for the Mets and Dodgers in Vero Beach:

NEW YORK: Endy Chavez, CF; Jeff Keppinger, 2B; Jose Valentin, 3B; Xavier Nady, RF; Victor Diaz, LF; Ramon Castro, C; Todd Self, 1B; Chris Woodward, SS; Steve Trachsel, P.

LOS ANGELES: Rafael Furcal, SS; Kenny Lofton, CF; J.D. Drew, RF; Jeff Kent, 2B; Nomar Garciaparra, 1B; Bill Mueller, 3B; Jose Cruz Jr., LF; Russell Martin, C; Brett Tomko, P.

When Tom Goodwin joined the Dodgers as a rookie outfield prospect in September 1991, he walked into the Dodger Stadium clubhouse on a Sunday morning in a purple-colored suit. Fifteen years later, Goodwin arrived at Dodgertown in shorts, a T-shirt and white tennis shoes, the kind of attire which the modern-day ballplayer might wear on a typical day in Spring Training.

But Goodwin is 37 and perhaps embarking on another career. He will join Rick Monday this weekend on the Dodger radio booth, the third guest analyst in 2006 following former catcher Steve Yeager and pitcher Jerry Reuss.

"I feel a little nervous," said Goodwin, who had two stints with the Dodgers (1991-93 and 2000-2001) during his 14-year career in the majors in which he batted .268 in 1,288 games with 369 stolen bases. "It's a funny feeling not getting ready for a game, physical-wise. Hopefully, I'll be more relaxed by the time the game starts."

Today's broadcast will be carried by MLB.com; Saturday and Sunday on KFWB 980 in Los Angeles.

It was a quiet morning in Vero Beach in the Major League clubhouse because the Dodgers play host to the New York Mets in a night game at Holman Stadium in Vero Beach. The Dodger players won't report to the clubhouse until 3 p.m. Brett Tomko is scheduled to oppose New York's Steve Trachsel. In honor of St. Patrick's Day, there will be green-colored bases and the players will wear green "LA" caps.

But the minor league complex was busy Friday morning as team photographer Jon SooHoo and minor league administrator Chris Haydock conducted the annual "photo day." A conga-line of ballplayers and coaches stretched along the hallway adjacent to the minor leaue clubhouse beginning at 7 a.m. The minor leaguers wear blue-colored mesh Dodger jerseys for their workouts, but for the official mug shot, they chose from four different-sized white home uniform tops, the same "look" as the big leaguers' photo day on March 1. Each held a piece of paper with their last name to identify the subject, followed by a few more frames without the paper. These photos are used to supply other publications, such as Baseball America, or if a player's hometown newspaper calls looking for the latest photo of the particular player.

... Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully is expected to arrive this afternoon. Broadcaster Steve Lyons and his father, Richard, arrived during Thursday's game in Vero Beach. Also in camp today is the family of Dodger bench coach Dave Jauss: wife Billie, sons D.J., Charley and Will.

... And a Happy 35th Birthday to Dodger third baseman Bill Mueller.

On Wednesday, I was part of a delegation of Dodger officials, lead by Frank and Jamie McCourt, who flew to the Dominican Republic to tour our baseball academy Campo Las Palmas, which is located in the town of Guerra. The purpose of the trip was to affirm our commitment to maintaining our presence in the Dominican, commemorate Campo Las Palmas' 20th year as our baseball academy and announce that Ralph Avila, who had worked as a consultant to baseball operations the last four years, would be taking on a greater role this year by overseeing our Latin American scouting efforts. 

     Campo Las Palmas was founded in 1987 and is truly unique in that not only is it beautiful with its trees and flowers, it also has 15 acres of farm and agricultural land to grow food for the academy. It also maintains livestock. It was Ralph Avila who in his then role as Vice President/Latin American Operations who designed and built the academy. Campo Las Palmas has been rated as the No. 1 facility in the Dominican annually since then. Eliadoro Arias, who currently runs the camp, took us on a tour of the grounds along with Ralph, filling us in on the history and some of the unique features. We then moved to the cafeteria where Eliodoro, Ralph, Frank and Ned Colletti addressed a large contingent of sports writers and television crews. Mr. McCourt also announced a $20,000 donation to Futoro Vivo, which is a school for underprivileged children which lies adjacent to our complex and which the Dodgers have traditionally helped support.

  After the press conference, we took a tour of the school which was truly impressive. I was very proud of our organization for the contribution we made to the school. Guerra is a very poor town and without Futoro Vivo many of these children, who are the poorest of the poor, would have nothing.

    All in all it was a very memorable day and one which I was especially proud to be a Dodger.               

Here is the Dodgers' starting lineup for this afternoon's game with the visiting Florida Marlins at Holman Stadium:

Kenny Lofton, CF; Nomar Garciaparra, 1B; J.D. Drew, RF; Jeff Kent, 2B; Joel Guzman, LF; Bill Mueller, 3B; Sandy Alomar Jr., C; Oscar Robles, SS; Aaron Sele, P.

Congratulations to Dodger right-hander Brett Tomko, whose uniform number 35 was retired by Florida Southern College last night at Henley Field in Lakeland, FL, home field of the FSC Moccasins, the defending NCAA Division II National Champions.

In 1995, Tomko won NCAA Division II Pitcher of the Year honors, going 15-2 with a 1.35 ERA. He struck out 154 batters in 126 innings.

"It's my first trip back (to FSC) in 11 years," Tomko said after the jersey retirement ceremony. "It's been strange to go around the campus and see the field and relive a little bit of how it was in college. But it's definitely been a fun day."

On having his jersey retired: "I would have never thought anything like this could've happened when I was here. It's a great honor and a great feeling. It's definitely been a blessing."

Here is the Dodgers' starting lineup for their game vs. the Atlanta Braves today at Orlando. It will also be the Dodger debut for new Dodger shortstop Rafael Furcal, who signed with Los Angeles as a free agent after playing with the Braves from 2000-2005.

Rafael Furcal, SS; Kenny Lofton, CF; J.D. Drew, RF; Jeff Kent, 2B; Nomar Garciaparra, 1B; Bill Mueller, 3B; Dioner Navarro, C; Jason Repko, LF; Brad Penny, P.

The Dodgers have the day off today, except for right-hander Derek Lowe, who will pitch a minor league at Dodgertown this morning. Los Angeles travels to Orlando tomorrow to face the Atlanta Braves.

NOTES: The players and coaches from the 2005 Jacksonville Suns will receive their championship rings from Jacksonville team president Peter Bragan on Friday. They will also be honored at Dodgertown during the Western-theme dinner on Thursday night. ... Television producer Rob Menschel is spending the day with Dodger minor league infielder Jamie Hoffman as part of his "Day in the Life of Vero Beach" one-hour special, which will air later this month on Fox. Menschel already has filmed several locations in town, along with other behind-the-scenes baseball footage ...

Congratulations to team physician Dr. Frank Jobe for being included in The Sporting News' list of "the 120 most coolest numbers in sports history" to commemorate the publication's 120th anniversary. The magazine lists "288 - Career victories by Tommy John; 164 - Victories by Tommy John after ulnar collateral ligament transplant surgery by Dr. Frank Jobe; 1,128 - Tommy John surgeries Dr. James Andrews performed from 1988 to October 2005."

... Jobe's revolutionary surgerical procedure, an experiment when first attempted on the Dodger left-hander during the 1974 season, should one day earn Jobe induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame for his medical contributions to the sport.

Country music singer Kenny Rogers will appear in a concert at Dodgertown on April 1 with proceeds to benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Indian River County. The event is sponsored by the Dodgers, Comcast, Marine Bank, Buyer's Agent/DiMarzo Realty, and the Indian River County Press Journal. Gates open at 6 p.m., the concert begins at 8 p.m. and $39 general admission tickets are available at all Ticketmaster locations, including FYE in the Indian River County Mall and at Marine Bank locations on Beachland Boulevard and on U.S. 1 in Vero Beach. For more information call (772) 231-6990.

Here is the Dodgers' starting lineup for their game against the Boston Red Sox at Fort Myers:

Willy Aybar, 3B; Jason Repko, RF; Andre Ethier, CF; Joel Guzman, LF; Matt Kemp, DH; James Loney, 1B; Russell Martin, C; Oscar Robles, SS; Pedro Martinez, 2B. Starting pitcher - D.J. Houlton.

Dodger outfield prospect Andre Ethier attempted to steal two bases on Sunday against Houston during the Dodgers' 7-0 victory at Holman Stadium. Ethier stole second in the second inning and took off again from first base in the fourth inning, preventing a force play at second when Sandy Alomar Jr. hit a grounder to third base. With the Oakland Athletics’ Double-A Midland team in 2005, Ethier stole one base in five attempts while batting .319 in 131 games with 18 home runs and 80 RBI. The Texas League Player of the Year was acquired by the Dodgers last December 13 in a trade for outfielder Milton Bradley.

Joining an organization with more emphasis on the stolen base, Ethier has been working with Dodger baserunning instructor Maury Wills on taking a bigger lead at first base. Wills would rather have a runner get picked off at first base with a proper lead rather than get thrown out at second with too short of a lead. Another former Spring Training pupil of Wills' was former non-roster outfielder Dave Roberts, who made the team coming out of Florida camp in 2002 and played 2 ½ seasons in Los Angeles.

Ethier will make the road trip tomorrow when the Dodgers face the Boston Red Sox at Fort Myers. The team bus leaves Dodgertown at 7 a.m.

Photo / AP

Dodgertown is now up to full capacity as our minor league camp started its third day of full squad workouts. Farm Director Terry Collins addressed the entire camp on Friday morning and outlined our objectives as an organization. Terry pointed out that not only did our minor league players receive national notice over the winter, six members of our minor league staff are now members of big league staffs. We replaced the coaches with such notable ex-major leaguers as Danny Darwin, Lance Parish, Bill Robinson, Richie Lewis and Mike Easler. Following Terry, Tommy Lasorda spoke for about 20 minutes. It was a fiery speech in which Tommy reminded the players of the Dodger tradition and the importance of giving it your all as only Tommy can. Owner Frank McCourt spoke yesterday and Ned Colletti talked to the players today. As I said, the activity here in Vero is at full blast and it is an exciting time.

Here are today's lineups for the Orioles vs. Dodgers at Holman Stadium in Vero Beach:

BALTIMORE: Eric Bruntlett, 2B; Mike Lamb, 1B; Jason Lane, RF; Kevin Orie, 3B; Ben Zobrist, SS; Luke Scott, LF; Humberto Quintero, C; Raul Chavez, DH; Josh Anderson, CF. Starting pitcher - Taylor Buchholz.

LOS ANGELES: Tony Abreu, SS; Nomar Garciaparra, 1B; J.D. Drew, RF; Jeff Kent, 2B; Olmedo Saenz, DH; Bill Mueller, 3B; Matt Kemp, 3B; Andre Ethier, LF; Sandy Alomar Jr., C. Starting pitcher - Brett Tomko.

Mark Weidemaier looked relaxed on a quiet Saturday morning after the Dodgers arrived at the Washington Nationals spring training complex in Viera. Sitting in the dugout before batting practice, Weidemaier wore a Dodger uniform and held a fungo bat. In just a few minutes, Weidemaier would pitching a round of batting practice, following by hitting grounders to the infielders.

As the Special Assistant to the General Manager, Weidemaier knows what's coming around the corner. "The marathon starts soon," he says, referring to his schedule as an advance scout, watching and monitoring future Dodger opponents while they play in other cities. "In 2004, from February 12 until October 10, I was home 14 days in eight months." An expert traveler, Weidemaier keeps three suitcases in Pittsburgh, Denver Chicago. He gives the bellman a tip and says, "I'll be back."

Weidemaier had an extra assignment on Saturday during a 2-1 loss in 10 innings against the Nationals, marking the changes on the dugout lineup card while coach Rich Donnelly stayed behind due to the flu. Weidemaier will leave the Dodgers on March 14 and start scouting the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies.

... One of the most prolific collectors of Dodger memorabilia, Sal La Rocca, has been a visitor this week to Dodgertown and to Viera on Saturday. "Captain Sal" lives in Tennessee and was reviewing some of the recent errors in certain baseball card sets. For example, an Upper Deck card had Hall of Famer Billy Herman's photo and a signature "cut" (attached signature from a paper product, such as a cancelled check or autograph book) by Babe Herman. Billy Herman was a Dodger infielder (1941-43, 1946) and Babe Herman was an outfielder (1926-31, 1945). The other mistake was a card of Dodger Hall of Famer Zack Wheat (1909-26) which had a photo of his younger brother Mack Wheat (1915-19), a backup catcher. "I should know it's Mack Wheat," La Rocca said. "Because I have the original photo!"

... Saturday mornings in spring training mean another exhibiton game, but for players and coaches, chances are a younger relative has an early-season Little League game back in their hometown. Those 6 and 7 years of age and just learning the game might ask, "What's a National?" when receiving their Washington uniform.

Opening Day ceremonies are fun, and taking the team photo is a great tradition. But sure enough, it won't take long for a parent to start pacing the grounds or furiously puff on a cigarette, wondering why their seven-year-old "phenom" in a baggy Mets uniform is playing second base instead of first base instead of just sitting back and letting the kids play the game. It also might make anyone think twice before volunteering to coach a youth league team.

It's one of the scenes most people could do without as the real spring training is conducted as the same time. Want to see a future major leaguer? Check out a minor league game or spring exhibition. Want to see a future doctor, lawyer, police officer, teacher or poet in action, stop by any Little League or youth softball field.

David Vincent, baseball historian and a member of the Society for American Baseball Research, is considered the leading expert on the home run in Major League Baseball, having compiled a computer data base of the more than 235,000 home runs hit since 1869.

When asked about youth league baseball on Saturday, Vincent noted the significant changes from the sport compared to kids growing up in the 1950s. "There is a change of talent level -- it's better organized, better fundamentals and better instructors. Kids who are 8-9 can do things that weren't being done by older kids of previous generations. That's not necessarily a good thing. There's a certain amount of innocence lost and not having fun. And if you don't do it right, you're not going to play."

Vincent is currently making the final edits on his new book, "Home Run - The Definitive History of Baseball's Ultimate Weapon," which will be released in March 2007.

... For those interested in Vincent's research, check out retrosheet.org, a web site created and maintained by David Smith which features boxscores, play-by-play and career records of every Major Leaguer, past and present. It's one of my favorite web sites and if you're a fan of baseball history, you will bookmark this site.   

The message boards were chatting today about the new Dodger helmets and speculation that we're changing uniforms, so I figured I'd clear that up a little bit for everyone.

The new helmets this year were a change made unilaterally by Major League Baseball this year, not the Dodgers, and to make sure everyone knows - we're not changing the uniforms next year. The only difference will be what we've already announced: That we'll be putting the names back on the backs of the jerseys in 2007. But, rest assured, the Dodger uniform isn't going anywhere. No new color schemes or anything like that.

Now, it's off to listen to Rick Monday and Jerry Reuss. I'm curious to hear how the former teammates sound together on the air...yesterday I thought Reuss and Russ Langer did a nice job. Hopefully Dodger fans are enjoying a little twist to the spring broadcasts.

Here are today's Dodger lineup vs. Washington at Viera:

Jason Repko, RF; Dioner Navarro, C; Chris Truby, 1B; Joel Guzman, LF; Cody Ross, CF; James Loney, DH; Andy LaRoche, 3B; Oscar Robles, 2B; Ramon Martinez, SS. Starting pitcher - Aaron Sele.

Here are today's lineups for the Detroit Tigers and Dodgers at Holman Stadium:

Detroit: Curtis Gunderson, CF; Don Kelly, SS; Carlos Pena, 1B; Alexis Gomez, RF; Kody Kirkland, 3B; Reggie Taylor, DH; Brent Clevlen, LF; Vance Wilson, C; Ramon Santiago, 2B. Starting pitcher - Jeremy Bonderman.

Dodgers: Oscar Robles, SS; Nomar Garciaparra, DH; J.D. Drew, RF; Matt Kemp, CF; Bill Mueller, 3B; James Loney, 1B; Delwyn Young, LF; Willy Aybar, 2B; Russell Martin, C. Starting pitcher - Brad Penny.

The eighth-largest crowd in the history of Holman Stadium (8,080) watched the Dodgers defeat the Boston Red Sox, 6-4, this afternoon. Starter Derek Lowe allowed two hits in four scoreless innings and the Dodgers hit three home runs for the second consecutive game - today's longballs by Ramon Martinez, Cody Ross and J.D. Drew.

Dodger leadoff hitter Kenny Lofton left the game in the first inning after he was hit by a pitch. Lofton suffered a bruised right knee.

Outfielder Andre Ethier is day-to-day after an MRI exam revealed a sprained right shoulder, which he suffered while diving for a ball earlier on Tuesday at Jupiter against the Cardinals.

The most popular T-shirt among Boston fans in the grandstands was the "NOW I CAN DIE IN PEACE" motto, coined after the team's World Series victory in 2004. ... Also attending the game was Lyle Spatz, Chairman of the Baseball Records Committee for the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). Spatz said it was the first time in 49 years he witnessed a game in person when the Dodgers wore their home uniforms. His last Dodger home game was 1957 in Brooklyn. Spatz recited the uniform numbers for the 1957 squad, including No. 41, worn by Brooklyn and Los Angeles pitcher Clem Labine (1950-60), a Vero Beach resident who attended Thursday's game. ...

Back in Los Angeles, the Dodgers would like to wish a speedy recovery to longtime Dodger usher and elevator operator Luis Arevalo, who began his career at Dodger Stadium in 1984 and recently underwent surgery to amputate his leg due to complications from diabetes.

Here are the lineups for today's Red Sox-Dodgers game at Holman Stadium in Vero Beach:

Boston - Coco Crisp, CF; Tony Graffanino, 3B; Trot Nixon, RF; Dustan Mohr, LF; J.T. Snow, 1B; Willie Harris, 2B; Alejandro Machado, SS; Luis A. Jimenez, DH; Dusty Brown, C. Starting pitcher - Bronson Arroyo.

Los Angeles - Kenny Lofton, CF; Nomar Garciaparra, 1B; J.D. Drew, DH; Jeff Kent, 2B; Joel Guzman, LF; Dioner Navarro, C; Jason Repko, RF; Ramon Martinez, 3B; Tony Abreu, SS. Starting pitcher - Derek Lowe.

NOTES - Former Dodger pitcher Jerry Reuss arrived this morning to begin preparing for Friday's radio broadcast. Reuss was a member of the Dodgers' 1981 championship team. The franchise will celebrate the 25th anniversary of that season throughout the 2006 campaign. ... Happy birthday to Dodger infielder Willy Aybar, who turns 23 today ... Veteran umpire Bruce Froemming, who will be at first base for today's game, is a Vero Beach resident and a frequent visitor to Dodgertown. At 7 o'clock this morning, Froemming walked his dog on one of the empty minor league fields ... This is the eighth anniversary of a street sign dedication ceremony at Dodgertown in honor of broadcaster Jaime Jarrin, who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998. 

The Boston Red Sox make their only Spring Training visit to Dodgertown on Thursday. There are familiar faces on both sides of the field as the 2006 Dodgers feature several former Red Sox, including infielders Nomar Garciaparra (1996-2004), Bill Mueller (2003-05), pitcher Derek Lowe (1997-2004) and non-roster pitcher Aaron Sele (1993-97).

First-year Dodger manager Grady Little piloted the Red Sox in 2002 and 2003, posting a combined 188-136 regular season record. Dodger bench coach Dave Jauss spent the last three seasons as an advance scout for the Red Sox also served with Boston as a director of player development; minor league field coordinator; and as first base coach from 1997-99 when Grady Little was the bench coach.

The Red Sox spring roster features former Dodger infielder Alex Cora (1998-2004), relief pitcher Rudy Seanez (1994-95) and catcher Ken Huckaby (1996-97).

Boston coaches Ron Jackson and Brad Mills are former Dodger minor league instructors. And best wishes for a speedy recovery to Dave Wallace, the Red Sox pitching coach who served many roles in the Dodger organization, including pitching coach (1995-97) and interim general manager (2001). Wallace is currently recovering from surgery relating to an infection in his right hip.

Also in attendance this week at Dodgertown is Devil Rays scout Stan Williams, a right-hander pitcher for the Dodgers from 1958-62 and who also served as Boston’s pitching coach in 1975 and 1976. Williams reported to Dodgertown for the first time as a player in 1955 at age 18. Two years later, he joined the Major League camp and on his first day was invited to dinner by Dodgers Carl Erskine and Duke Snider. When he returned to Dodgertown that night, Williams wrote 17 letters to friends and family, telling the story of how two veterans had taken a rookie under their wing.

One of the most popular topics of conversation has been the World Baseball Classic, especially at the dinner table tonight following the day's activities. The international flavor of the tournament allows the discussions to range from the strength of the current Cuban team compared to its past Olympic squads; the 11-inning thriller between Panama and Cuba; and the stunning 8-6 victory by Canada over the United States.

Thursday's game and next Monday's game against Boston will be broadcast at 8 p.m. Pacific time in Los Angeles on KFWB. The live broadcast will be carried on MLB.com and affiliates.

Here is today's starting lineup for the Dodgers vs. Baltimore at Vero Beach:

Kenny Lofton, CF; Nomar Garciaparra, 1B; J.D. Drew, RF; Jeff Kent, DH; Matt Kemp, LF; Bill Mueller, 3B; Sandy Alomar Jr., C; Willy Aybar, 2B; Oscar Robles, SS. Starting pitcher - Chad Billingsley.

In response to the comment about our Spring Training broadcasts, I wanted to make sure you all know how important it is to us that our fans get a chance to listen whenever possible.

As you probably know, we were airing our games on tape delay on KFWB for the last couple years and that did not go over very well with our fans. This year, we knew that airing the games live on the radio still was not a possibility, given the format of the station, so making them available on dodgers.com was our next-best option. Of course, we do realize that to access those games, you must buy a subscription to the Gameday Audio. But, I do honestly believe that $14.95 is very reasonable, considering that you get access to more than 2,400 games, including the entire regular season.

In doing a little research, I've found that very few teams around baseball broadcast all of their spring games and some only do a handful. While that's not a reason for us to change what we do, we also have to understand the needs and interests of our radio partner.

However, you should all know that we put quite a bit of thought into maximizing the amount of games that could be heard from Florida this spring and that we take your comments seriously when it comes to matters like this.

It is with deep sadness that I devote my space today on the passing of Kirby Puckett. I was a teammate of Kirby’s with the Twins from 1986-1990. As I have told many people over the last 24 hours, Kirby was the real deal. What you saw on TV is what you got. He never forgot where he came from which was the projects in Chicago. He treated the clubhouse kids, the front office people and media as if they were all longtime friends. He was generous to a fault. I can talk all day about what a great ballplayer he was, but it was the enthusiasm and little boy’s joy that he brought to the game that set him apart and made him the revered figure that he is. He is the guy that I will always hold up as an example of everything that you want in a player and a teammate.

I always tell this story about how one night the alarm went off in my brand new car. I ran out of my apartment looking for something to grab in case there was someone trying to break into my car. It turned out to be nothing. I told the story in the clubhouse the next day and Kirby, who was standing nearby, offered me an old bat. He told me he always kept a bat near his bed since he was a little boy in case someone broke into his house when he lived in the projects. Even though he had electronic security now, he never got out of the habit. I took the bat home with me and said to myself, "I can't use this bat, this is Kirby’s." I still have that bat and will cherish it the rest of my life. It reminds me of this great guy and ballplayer who never forgot what it was like to be poor. And THAT, more than his Hall of Fame numbers, is what made him special.

Starting lineup for the Dodgers today vs. St. Louis at Jupiter:

Jason Repko, CF; Willy Aybar, 3B; Andre Ethier, RF; Joel Guzman, LF; James Loney, 1B; Russell Martin, C; Ramon Martinez, SS; Tony Abreu, 2B; Brett Tomko, P.

One day after scoring 16 runs against the Mets, two Dodger split-squad teams managed one run over a combined 19 innings. At Holman Stadium, the Dodgers and visiting Washington Nationals played nine scoreless innings. The game was called after nine because Washington ran out of pitchers. Starter Brad Penny, who didn't throw a ball during a regular exhibition game in 2005, looked strong in his three innings. So did relief pitcher Takashi Saito, who struck out three batters in two innings. After his appearance, Saito received a round of applause from the crowd alongside the bullplen. He tipped his cap and bowed.

At Jupiter, the Dodgers and Marlins played to a 1-1 tie in a game called after 10 innings. Non-roster pitcher Aaron Sele started and allowed two hits in 2.2 scoreless innings.

You never know who will show up at the ballpark, especially during the relaxed atmosphere in spring training. In the press box, the Little League coach of Nationals GM Jim Bowden was looking for his former first baseman from 40 years ago.

Former Dodgers Frank Robinson, the Washington manager, and coach Davey Lopes stayed behind at the Nationals' spring complex in Viera for a split-squad game. Lopes is wearing uniform No. 5 this season, the first uniform number of his professional career when he broke into pro ball with the Dodgers in 1968. He wore No. 15 with the Dodgers from 1972-81.

On a personal note, it was great to see my namesake, non-roster catcher Eric Langill, Monday morning in the Dodger clubhouse. Don't know if we're related, but we're both French Canadian and have the same middle name (Joseph). He lost 25 pounds during the offseason after playing for Team Canada in the IBAF World Cup held in the Netherlands. Eric also has a weekly 20-minute sports segment on a Vancouver radio station and plans to interview Dodger manager Grady Little as his guest on Friday.

Eric Gagne threw on the sidelines today and is expected to pitch in Wednesday's home game against the Orioles.

   

Here's today's lineups for the two games in Florida.

At home, we'll have:

Kenny Lofton, CF...Delwyn Young, LF...J.D. Drew, DH...Nomar Garciaparra, 1B...Andre Ethier, RF...Andy LaRoche, 3B...Willy Aybar, 2B...Russell Martin, C...Brad Penny, P.

In Jupiter, we'll send:

Oscar Robles, 2B...Ramon Martinez, SS...Bill Mueller, 3B...Matt Kemp, CF...Dioner Navarro, C...Cody Ross, LF...Jon Weber, RF...Chris Truby, 1B...Aaron Sele, P.

With the Mets playing Puerto Rico at home, their split squad came to Dodgertown today with only one regular starter and the Dodgers took advantage of New York's young prospects with a 16-2 victory. Andy LaRoche (pictured) had six RBI in one inning (yes, you read that right) and the Dodgers hit five homers after failing to go deep at all during the first three games of the spring.

Derek Lowe pitched three perfect innings and Odalis Perez followed with three strong innings of one-hit ball (a bunt single).

For those who missed their Sunday morning reading, Bill Plaschke wrote a great article today about Kenny Lofton in today's L.A. Times, while Carlos Alvarado wrote a feature about Rafael Furcal in La Opinion for our Spanish-speaking blog readers.

As for me, it's back to Los Angeles tomorrow for two weeks, where I'll be working to get everything in working order at Dodger Stadium (the PR Department, that is). Mark Langill, who has been posting periodically from L.A. will be out here in Vero Beach with daily updates from Dodgertown. I'll check in with an occasional word from Chavez Ravine.

And for those who were wondering, no, Mark Langill is of no relation to Eric Langill, the non-roster catcher here with the Dodgers. Mark pronounces his last name lan-jill and Eric is lane-gill. Now you can all sleep easy tonight, having that important piece of information.

Harold Uhlman brought up a good point in his comment concerning the Dodgers expecting too much of our prospects. It is an age old concern and one we wrestle with internally. With the advent of the Internet and publications such as Baseball America which are devoted to minor league baseball, prospects get more publicity than ever. Therefore, the fans are more aware of the players' names and statistics and we get asked about them more often.

We are very proud of our minor league system and our players' accomplishments. However, it is important that the organization ***** the individual players' abilities correctly and place them at levels in the system where they have the best chance of succeeding and progressing. The most important thing is that we develop these players to be Major Leaguers, not only to get to the big leagues but to stay. While it helps that the perception of our players is positive, especially with other teams, we as an organization must be blind and deaf to the hype and evaluate our prospects as we see them.      

Towards that end, we signed some veteran Major Leaguers in the off-season not only to improve the team, which is most important, but to give our young minor leaguers time to hone their skills and not be rushed. There will be some failures along the way, no doubt, as player evaluation is an inexact science and injuries always happen. But we feel good about our current crop and have faith in our development staff to get them ready for Dodger Stadium.

A quiet morning at Dodgertown...here's the lineup for today's game against the Mets: Kenny Lofton, CF...Sandy Alomar, C...Nomar Garciaparra, 1B...Joel Guzman, DH...Andre Ethier, LF...Bill Mueller, 3B...Matt Kemp, RF...Oscar Robles, SS...Martinez, 2B...Derek Lowe, P.

I'm sure it looks weird to see a DH at a game at Holman Stadium, but with so many players gone at the World Baseball Classic, MLB has mixed up the rules a bit and allowed National League teams to use a DH at their discretion.

Today's game can be heard live on KFWB...and don't forget to head to Dodger Stadium to pick up your tickets for Opening Day and other games that haven't been available until today.

The lineup against the Orioles: Willy Aybar, 2B...Delwyn Young, LF...Nomar Garciaparra, 1B...Joel Guzman, DH...Matt Kemp, CF...Dioner Navarro, C...Jason Repko, RF...Chris Truby, 3B...Tony Abreu, SS...D.J. Houlton (P)

A walk-off three-run shot is never a good way to end the day, but today was still a very productive day for the Dodgers. The team rapped out 17 hits (three each from Jason Repko and Ramon Martinez, who both added two RBI), but in the end the Braves came out on top. Still, there were plenty of bright spots.

It's always a good thing when your starting pitcher has to go back to the bullpen after he comes out of the game so that he can finish getting his work in. Brett Tomko pitched two perfect innings and made only 16 pitches, so he retreated down the left field line to finish up his workout during the game. Takashi Saito also threw two perfect innings in his first appearances outside of a game in Japan.

J.D. Drew was back in action for the first time since early July and went 1-for-1 with a walk and told reporters after the game he felt pretty good about how things went. Grady Little said he was most impressed with the swings of James Loney today, who had two hits and made two hard outs in addition to drawing a walk.

But anyone watching the ESPN telecast probably will remember one moment from the game today that won't show up in a box score. After getting a hit in the fifth inning, Dodger prospect Andy LaRoche was standing at first base with his brother, Adam, of the Braves (pictured). Now that's got to be a cool feeling. ESPN had Adam miked up, so they caught a fun exchange between the siblings on the basepaths.

Grady told reporters after the game that Joel Guzman will serve as the designated hitter for tomorrow's game against the Orioles and that he thinks we'll see Jeff Kent fill that role sometime in the next week. He said that Jeff will DH before he gets in the field for a game.

Finally, if you're a die-hard fan (and if you're reading this, I'm guessing you are), don't forget that tomorrow is the first day of individual ticket sales. Ron Cey will be out at Dodger Stadium and there's plenty of fun in store for those who show up on site.

We're on the bus to Orlando right now en route to Game 2 of the spring. Just before we left, the players, coaches and staff presented Grady Little with a cake for his 56th birthday. I could've done without the singing, but it was a nice gesture.

Be sure to catch today's game on ESPN or on radio at dodgers.com

Today's lineup is Oscar Robles, 2B...Russell Martin, C...J.D. Drew, RF...Andre Ethier, LF...Bill Mueller, 3B...Jason Repko, CF...James Loney, 1B...Ramon Martinez, SS...Brett Tomko, P.

It sure is nice to see J.D. Drew back in the lineup for the first time since July 3. He's sitting right in front of me on the bus and must be pretty excited about getting back into a game.

Finally, in case you haven't seen it, be sure to read Kevin Baxter's article in the Miami Herald about Manny Mota's Campos de los Suenos in the Dominican Republic. So many people hear about the Manny Mota Foundation and anyone who's met him knows what a good man he is, but this story is probably the best I've read on his charitable endeavors.

Just before today's game started, U2's "Beautiful Day" was playing on the loudspeakers at Holman Stadium and it was a sign of things to come. The weather was perfect, the Dodgers won 3-2 and everyone left the ballpark in good spirits today.

Brad Penny pitched two innings and got the win. Nomar Garciaparra made a pair of nice plays at first base and Matt Kemp had an incredible throw from right field to gun down the tying run at home plate (Sandy Alomar Jr. blocked the plate nicely to keep the runner from touching home).

In other news, the Dodgers announced today that we'll be bringing a few guest analysts to KFWB during Spring Training. Jerry Reuss, Steve Yeager and Tom Goodwin will all be on the air at various times, as will A Martinez and a pair of Dodger "farmhands," Brian Petrotta and Russ Langer. With Charley Steiner going to the WBC, we have a chance to try some new things with the broadcast, including bringing out two members of the 1981 World Championship team. As you'll see, we're going to be doing a lot of things this year to commemorate the 25th anniversary of that title.

Tomorrow's game will be aired on dodgers.com and then the weekend will have games live on KFWB so be sure to tune in and list.

The games are here. The waiting is over. Crack open the grapefruit or use whatever weak catch phrase you want to say that the spring season is underway.

We're going to do our best to post the lineup as soon as we have it on this blog for those of you who like to get a jump on the day's events. For today's spring opener, we've got:

Lofton, CF...Aybar, 2B...Garciaparra, 1B...Ledee, RF...Cruz, LF...Mueller, 3B...Navarro, C...Robles, SS...Penny, P

The Braves' main guys here will be Andruw Jones and Jeff Francouer.

Kenny Lofton will lead off today and in the photo, he's the one putting (though I'm guessing you could figure that out on your own). Yesterday we took Kenny, Eric Gagne, Brett Tomko and Derek Lowe over to The Club at Pointe West to tape the Big Break All-Star Challenge for the Golf Channel. I can't tell you who won the event - you'll have to watch and find out - but I can say that it was an awesome day out on the links. It should air sometime around midseason, but check the Golf Channel's website for details.

It's a busy day here, getting everything ready for the first game, so forgive the short post. But, thanks to your feedback, we'll go back to putting the name of the person posting in the headline rather than try and color code it. While it will be myself, Roy Smith or Mark Langill most of the time, we're certainly planning on having guest posters as it makes sense. Thanks for letting us know your thoughts and keep them coming.

It was announced today that we have decided to shift Joel Guzman from shortstop to left field. When making a position change with a player, many things are considered. In Joel’s case the two most important variables are what is best for the player in order for him to reach his full potential and what is best for the team. In this case we feel that both factors are being addressed. As an organization, we feel we have depth in the infield, but not so much in the outfield. In Joel’s case, he has always played shortstop, which has enabled him to develop skills which are transferable to other positions. Shortstop requires quickness, range and arm strength, which are also attributes that you look for in an outfielder. At 6’6 and 240 pounds, we also feel that he will hit for the power that you look for at that position. We realize that Joel will need time to adjust. However given his athleticism, we feel he can become a fine Major League outfielder.            

The game in Jacksonville yesterday turned out to be a showcase for our young prospects. Chad Billingsley showed flashes of the outstanding stuff that he possesses and Guzman, Delwyn Young and Andre Ethier hit home runs. It was also a chance to see Nomar Garciaparra at first base for the first time and also Bill Mueller, who hit a home run in his first at bat in a Dodger uniform. All in all, it was a great day.