How Sweet It Is…
Growing up in LA, my memories have quite a bit to do with Kirk Gibson yelling out about the fruits of victory after each celebration leading up to the 1988 Championship and it’s hard to describe just how exciting today is for me and everyone in the Dodger organization. There are so many people that put in countless hours, making personal and professional sacrifices, hoping that somehow their team is one of the eight that still gets to play in October and this is such an incredible moment for all of them.
It’s also an amazing day for all of you, who have been dedicated to following this team on the blog all year long. When Scott Reifert at the White Sox first mentioned this to me, I was stunned to hear how many fans were living and dying with the lineups he posted and the thoughts he put up on line. Now I can see just how great it is to be able to reward all of you with some postseason baseball.
Two times in three years. That’s pretty impressive. And I hope we’re far from done. Scott was lucky enough to have his team win the World Series in the first year of Inside the White Sox, so why not us? Right now, I think that any of the eight teams heading to the postseason have a legitimate shot to win it all. We will be going in either having won seven in a row or seven of eight and we’ve been the hottest team in baseball for two months, having won 40 games since July 27. Only Oakland can match that.
Hopefully you all got to see the celebration today on TV. Sorry we couldn’t do it in front of the home crowd, but maybe the next one will be. It was quite a feeling, seeing so many months of hard work pay off.
Tomorrow, we go for the NL West and while we won’t have Derek Lowe on the mound, remember what Eric Stults did the last time he faced the Mets. It’s definitely possible to pull off one more win, so tune in and show your support. You’ve already outlasted my expectations for this blog this year and it can only get better from here!
With gratitude,
The entire Dodger front office
Inside the Dodgers 
Josh…as a media relations professional in the collegiate ranks myself, thanks for the blog and for all you’ve done for the Dodgers this year! Congrats on the playoff berth. I, perhaps more than any, understand all you;ve had to do this season to ensure LA’s success. Thanks for all the sacrifices and get your ring finger ready for sizing. Hope it’s a World Series title for all your hard work. You’ve got a fan at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. GO DODGERS! I’ve been a fan since 1979!
Brian Davis
Lady Vol Softball Media Relations
You can reach me at bdavis16@utk.edu I’d love to chat about MLB media relations.
Josh, from my side at least:
with gratitude,
A Dodger fan
Thanks for all the hard work, guys. Everybody in the Dodgers organization pulled their weight to make this a team worth living and dying by for us fans. And you pulled out a postseason berth when I all but gave up on the team. The heart and drive and professionalism the team showed during this road trip has been extremely fun to watch. Thanks again.
Although a relative newcomer to “Inside the Dodgers” (but a fan since 1953), I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your posts and the many passionate replies from my fellow Dodger fans (and one who is not).
Enjoy the moment, but please don’t get complacent. There is still one regular season game and eleven post-season games to win.
GO DODGERS!
Thanks Josh for all the work you put in to bring us the lineups each and (almost) every day, and for also putting up with the many rants that were posted… especially mine! It’s been good to see so many passionate Dodgers’ fans post here throughout the season.
Keep up the great work, and here’s to hoping we can pull off a postseason run for the World Series Championship!
Big Blue Wrecking Crew, 2006 Baby!!
well guys, i missed the game, i was at my aunts funeral, and had to misss the game. but i never stoped believing in the poncho.. but getting in is just the first step..
BELIEVE IN THE PONCHO!
Hi, Josh. you do a tremendous job with your blog and it is the first site that I click onto everyday to see what is new with my boys. Please know that you contribute (in a great way) to the “Dodger Nation” and never lose sight of how you are one of the people who give us a reason to refer to the team as “we” or “us”. I can tell by your writing that you are a fan also and that makes it even better. Thank you and keep it up:)
Go Blue Crew!
I have enjoyed keeping up with this blog, the lineups, the inner workings of the club, etc all year.
Josh, I appreciate what you’ve done to put this together. This is quality stuff, and I’ll enjoy keeping up with the future too.
My fellow commenters, I enjoy reading from you guys too. And I’m glad we’re not done. There’s this season, the postseason, the offseason, next season, and so forth. Keep going.
I wish the team the best. 12 More wins.
WOW Very nice job everyone Team GM MGR coaches Mc Courts and Fans!!!
I really Feel this team has all the tools to win The NL!
I think we have a shot at the series but its gonna take some 88′ magic on our side to win it all.
Anything is possible now and if we go out and play hard and get beat its all good and a part of baseball.If we Go out and win it all its another magical season!
Great job in the reg season and Lets get sum in the post Season!!!! HERE WE GO DODGERS HERE WE GO!!!!
And of course TY Josh this blog is very special to me as a place to celebrate as well as a place to vent. Helps to keep me somewhat sane as i work with insane people….
I have looked around the leauge this year a bit and have not found anyplace like this for any other team.(Haven’t looked at them all) but I’m glad to have a place like this and hope it becomes a mainstay of the Dodgers fan relations for the rest of time.
I just wanted to say…you have a very special thing going here with your blog. I truly appreciate you posting the lineups every day and night. Keep up the good work!
Josh, Roy, Mark and the rest of the Front Office,
I want to thank you for your diligent work in starting and keeping up the blog this season. I’ve read most of the entries from spring training to now (although I don’t really post much), and I really appreciate the fact that you’ve given us insight into my (and everyone here’s) favorite baseball team, especially in this, one of the greatest Dodger seasons I’ve ever experienced. Learning about all the factors that go into the production of a season of baseball, from the clubhouse staff and the team travel staff who make sure road trips go smoothly to the coverage of the workings of the GM office during the trade deadline and the visits to the children’s hospitals, I now have a greater appreciation for everybody on the team, on the field and in the office, and the trip the Dodgers have taken from Dodgertown to October.
Here’s to the postseason. GO DODGERS!!
Josh:
What can I say? This has been a truly amazing season. I love the team and really appreciate Ned’s work in building the top while keeping the foundation on the farm, and Grady’s. It seemed OK to question some of his game decisions but that is always easy to do after the fact. However, his overall plan certainly can’t be questioned. He stuck to it regardless of the circumstances. Good man.This blog is for me one of the factors that has made it my most enjoyable season for years. I can’t imagine how you managed to post lineups daily and especially the team info you did in the midst of your real work. Thank you so very much.
It has given each of us access to other loyal and passionate Dodger fans and offered a wealth of information, yours and from many of our posters. 53 is right. The second season is just beginning and we’re in it.Each of us has to work just as hard to fill the atmosphere with great Dodger thoughts. Positives only. It isn’t over ’til it’s over and WE’RE IN IT. GO DODGERS!!! C’mon kids today. Give Ray a glimpse of the future. We want this one . GO STULTS.
Josh, all Dodger fans appreciate everything you have done on this website this year. Maybe I’ll see you in New York. Hope you had a good time last night…
Thanks Josh for all the info. you povided thru the year. Congratulations to the Whole Organization. Are You Going to keep this Blog going during the off season to keep us informed of DODGER goings on? 52 & 53 and all the bloggers, and even THE PONCHO, WE DID IT,LET’S WIN IT ALL. GO BLUE CREW
Good Morning Dodger family !! As 53 said so well “it’s a new season” !! I would first like to say that I’m sorry to hear of Ray’s loss, and that our thoughts are with you Ray. Second I would like you all to know that as of 3:26pm yesterday, just about the same time as the Dodgers clinched a playoff birth, I became a Grandfather for the first time. My son and daughter in-law gave birth a to healthy baby boy, Travis Steven Smith, 8lbs 3oz 21in long !!! It was near impossible to follow the game yesterday but I did get to see some of it. What a team, from the owners to the players, coaches and ground crews. I am proud to be a Dodger fan and I thank you all for making this a very special season for my family and I.
Josh, you have been a pillar of strength, not only in the good times but in the difficult times as well. Your committment to the team and especially us is unsurpassed and again I thank you and am very grateful.
To my fellow bloggers, WE DID IT !!! Our little growing community here has shown strength and tenacity. It’s time to forget the past season and focuss on the job at hand, getting to and winning the World Series!!!
Congratulations Dodgers !!
Now lets kick some Giant Butts and be the true Division Winner of 2006 !!!
Go Dodgers !!!
Josh, your title for this blog was exactly the thought that was running through my mind yesterday afternoon. Leaving work I caught the end of the game (I hear the first half too but missed the last few innings) and heard Rick and A Martinez in the club house with the celebration.
And that’s when I said to my self… how sweet it is to finally be rewarded with this feeling of excitement and accomplish after 161 days of either going to a game, watching it on tv, listening to it on the radio, or at least checking the newspaper box scores. As a die hard fan you live and breathe your team and most people are dissapointed at the end of the season. It’s almost as if you can hear the team saying,
“thank you for your support, now here’s your reward.”
Your contributions here have been great and I thank you for them. I try to log on every day and read what you have to say. I’m online a lot, but I can’t imagine posting something every single day. Kudos my friend.
And you are definitely right about every team having a legitimate chance of winning it all. In my eyes, there are no front runners or obvious underdogs. Last year everybody thought the Padres & the NL West was a joke but this yeat it is a different story!
LET’S GO BLUE!
thanks for the wishes gary, and congratulations on becoming a grandfather, i hope travis becomes the dodger fan you are..
Ray. Sorry I overlooked your post re: your aunt. Very sorry for your loss. You are in our thoughts and our prayers today. Congrats Gary. As old as I am I only have one grandchild. You can concentrate on the game today and think about the enjoyment to come with Travis. GO DODGERS!!!
thanks for you thoughts harold, and this season has been a great one for me, i had to be hospitalized twice this year, times where scarey, but i always had my dodgers to cheer me up, and again they did the same thing yesturday.. i could only hope that this magical season ends with us winning the final game of the year..
thrue the good, the bad & the weird we never gave up, thanks fellow Dodgers fans, & thanks Josh for having this blog to vent & share the joy of Dodger baseball.
thrue the good, the bad & the weird we never gave up, thanks fellow Dodgers fans, & thanks Josh for having this blog to vent & share the joy of Dodger baseball.
Sorry to hear the sad news, Ray.
Let’s hope the coming games have even more impact and you’re watching them.
Congrats to you, Gary.
It’s really something when you stop and remember the shape the organization was in one year ago and where we are now. It’s been quite a ride so far and lets hope it lasts another three weeks. Make that four. We were never bored, to say the least and THANK YOU, JOSH!!!!!!