Buzzie Bavasi
It is a huge loss for the entire Dodger organization and our hearts go out to his family. Buzzie was behind four of our six World Championships and though I only spoke with him a few times, he was always very gracious. His son, Bill, who is now the Mariners' GM, was our farm director for a couple of years and one of the finest people I've met in the game.
Here is what a few Dodgers had to say about the former GM, who lived to be 93.
One of the amazing things I've found about the game of baseball is how cyclical it is, and I had received the following post from Scott Akasaki not long before getting the word about Buzzie. Just as one longtime baseball career was coming to a close, another is just beginning and Scott wrote about it for Inside the Dodgers:
"One of the best things about being the Traveling Secretary is that you are amongst the first to greet a player when he gets called up to the Major Leagues. It is difficult to duplicate the feeling of playing a little part in one man's life-long journey to an ultimate objective -- the fruition of a goal more than a decade in the making. This past week reminded me of why this job is one of the best gigs in the business.
Late Thursday night, our Assistant General Manager Kim Ng contacted me and said that we were calling up pitcher Cory Wade from AA Jacksonville. At the time, Cory was on crowded bus from Montgomery to Huntsville, having just finished a night game against the Montgomery Biscuits. After spending some phone time with our 24-hour travel service, I exchanged text messages with our Jacksonville trainer Carlos Olivas, who gave the travel itinerary to Cory.
Getting from Huntsville to Los Angeles is not exactly direct. We had to fly Cory from Huntsville to Cincinnati and then from Cincinnati to Los Angeles. Since we're dealing with connecting flights and a the loss of time thanks to the time change, Cory did not arrive to Dodger Stadium till about 4:30 p.m. PST despite learning about his promotion around 2:30 a.m. CST.
Cory had no idea that his promotion to the Major Leagues was so close. In fact, even before departing on his AA road trip, he did not pack a sport coat and slacks, which is standard travel attire when promoted to the Major Leagues. Cory showed up in jeans, a t-shirt, and with some bleary eyes. I explained to him some team rules and when he walked into the home clubhouse, he was immediately stopped by the Dodgers' local media.
Cory told the media about getting the word of his promotion, the unexpected nature of his call up, and how much everything had moved so fast for him. Cory talked about how he woke up his father and his fiancée upon hearing the news. Earlier this spring, Cory and his fiancée welcomed a new baby. Coupled with his call to Majors, the 2008 calendar year is certainly one that Cory and his family will never forget."
Condolences and prayers to the Bavasi family.
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Buzzie you had a full life and were a big part of the Dodger history...I echo JHAll sentiments...
Now the boys are rolling...a few observations
1. Matt Kemp would have been a hell of linbacker/rb...very explosive...and the ball flies off his bat...a routine flyball goes to the wall....
2. Gary Bennett has a mental block when he throws the ball back to the pitcher....he lollipops it and he takes 1-2 steps out in front of the plate...
3. Dewitt is the best fielding 3B since Beltre...he makes all the routine plays and throws...his power is only a matter of time....he will be a Bill Mueller type hitter....285-.300 12-15 hrs....
4. Ethier needs to start turning on a few pitches, but I love his swing...would love to see a little more power.
5. I love the BP...power arms are the key...you need to be able to get swing and misses when people are on base...
6. My prediction we are 2 weeks away from the unveiling of the next greatest lefthander in Dodger history...Mr Kershaw...
Lets keep it going.....Go Dodgers!!!
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Scott , nice story about Cory Wade....Glad to see my boy Carlos Olivas getting a little ink....he is a great guy and trainer.....it has to be awesome to be able to give news to a young man that he is going to the big leagues!!!
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The Denver Post reports that the Rockies have agreed in principle on a minor-league deal with infielder Juan Castro! Yay! Good for them and much better for us.
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Hurray!!!
Thanks Alex. Ned had me worried.
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Should be an interesting weekend. D-Backs have beaten up on what is turning out to be (so far, anyway) a weak Western Division. Now they get the Mets, a legitimate contender. The Dodgers always have a hard time in Denver, and in spite of Rockies record, they're a tough team. If the Dodgers actually PICK UP ground by Sunday night, I think we can all be very pleased.
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Thanks Alex, that is good news.
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Good point Kahli. D-Backs will cool off some, but with their pitching and fundamentally sound play, they are the team to beat. I think they will win at least 92 games and perhaps as many as 96. Especially with the great start they got. If we make a run at them it will take 90+ wins. I think if we make a run at them and still finish a close second, we will take the wildcard with 88-90 wins. We've got our work cut out for us. It is going to depend mostly on how our starting pitching performs. As they go, so will our team. I believe that is the biggest variable. We've got the guys to get it done if they stay healthy and perform up to their past levels.
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Right now; Ferk, Marty, Ethier, Kemp, Loney and Kent are solid. DeWitt is holding his own and contributing. Especially on defense. Jones is not going to suc'k this hard the whole season and his defense is still way above average. Still need to trade Phew and give DY those reps. Then bring up Repko when he recovers. IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT NED!!!!!!
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Resign Ferk and we are also set up nicely for next year.
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Old_fogey and Enchanted's comments on the last thread convinced me on the Juan Castro issue. I would not have been upset, but now agree that his signing with another team is best.
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Though a Castro/Chavez DP combo would be hilarious. Anyone remember Rudy Law and Jorge Orta--"Law and Orta"?
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Always a huge Repko fan, I'm still bummed that his stats are so crummy. BUT.......he's second on the team in ABs which means he's at least healthy down there in AAA. He'd still be my first recall if Pierre is dealt...which I really don't see happening. Torre likes Pierre's "game," and it's not like Pierre has a huge swing that might get stale on the bench. Speed has no slumps, eh JP? Agree, jhall, resign Furcal; Hu at second next year. Abreu scares me.
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Castro signing would not have been a disaster, but it really wasn't/isn't necessary.
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Rudy Law made me think of Lee Lacy. Anyone remember when he caught a fly (the insect kind???!?!?) with his bare hand while being interviewed on the pre-game show?
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I'm not counting on Abreu. Resign Ferk and put Hu or DY at 2nd next year. Next year I would like to see a roster of:
Ferk
Martin
Kemp
Eithier
Loney
Martin
DeWitt/LaRoche
Hu/DY
as the primary starters,
Penny
Billz
Kuroda
Kuo
Kershaw/Schmidt
as the starters,
Saito
Brox
Biemel
Brazoban
in the bullpen,
then grab a backup catcher, another couple of good arms for the bullpen, and a good pinch hitter.
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Forgot to put Biemel in there.
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Oh wait, he's in there. LOL
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The question i have already begun asking myself is how much is Andruw's defense worth on its own? Considering that is basically all he is contributing at this point, how much is a gold glove CF worth? I'm just thinking two years ahead now, when his contract is up, and he really wants to stay, but his offense is clearly not the same as it once was. What is he worth? 5 mil a year? more? Maybe this will be a moot point by the end of the year, if/when his O improves, but taking into account last year and the start of this year I am not too optimistic that happens...
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Yeah, but you can't clone Martin, though I'd like to. By the way, which suckers took Jones and Pierre off our hands?
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Oops, meant to put Jones in there instead of Marty. Wish we could clone Marty. As for Phew, probably no one but that is Ned's problem. Just my Christmas wish list early.
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I'm being real good so maybe Santa will bail Ned out and find Phew a new team. Right now he is in "The Land of Misfit Toys". No one wants a Charlie in the Box, and no one wants a $36M Phew in the field.
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That is classic jhall!!! lol!!! I can't stop laughing - it's Friday, and it's one of those days. Thanks for the comedy relief!! The sad thing is that this issue is more of a tragedy. lol!
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On a positive note. Don't get me wrong. I am not saying Phew is awful. He just isn't one of our 3 best outfielders and isn't a good fit on this team. He will be even less of a fit in 2 more years. If he is gone and Jones underperforms and is not resigned, we can go after a real stud outfielder after next season or there may be someone ready in our farm system. Trade him now. For his good as well as ours. He actually would be starting in centerfield and leading off for alot of other teams. Problem is that dam'n contract more than him and his performance. I don't blame him for being disgruntled but things change. The lions share of the fault is Ned's.
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Glad you enjoyed it Nelson. It is tragic in the sense that he is not wanted here and should be given the opportunity to go where he can fit in and be liked.
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I'm going to pay closer attention to "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" from now on to see if I can spot JP waddling around next to that flying lion.
ewk,
All I know is that a weak hitting, no defense CF is NOT worth 9 mil a year...
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I agree with kalhiforni. I always liked Repko and it is a shame that now he is finally healthy and having a bad start. I would love to see him come back to the big club and have a great year in what ever way he can.
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LOL Scott. You are so right, a weak hitting, poor defense CF was never worth $9M. Not last year, not this year and not next year. Ned is the true boob. It's not Phew's fault. He is what he is and Ned overpaid drastically for him and his skill package. That is the crux of the problem. If Phew was being paid what he is worth ($2-3M) and not taking AB's from better players (which is possible on some other teams), there would be no qualms with him.
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Now that Joe and Ned feel comfortable with Kemp in center field (when Andruw sits), the whole Pierre thing becomes even more ludicrous as far as last season's signing. Had Ned the insight to realize Kemp could start AND play center (I know, I know, that's supposed be his job--evaluating talent) he could have saved this franchise a ton of money, played Gonzo every day after Nancy Drew opted out (mabe Gonzo would have had a great, non-whining year...who knows?) and saved Pierre his own personal nightmare this year. Whatever. It's all water under the bridge. But much like Bush and Iraq (sorry politicos), Ned will leave his mess to the next GM in 2009.
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It's a dam'n shame Werth and Repko got hurt so badly when they did and took so long to recover. We would not be having the Phew/Jones discussions right now.
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jhall, you're right. Werth looked like an untouchable there for a while...
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Hope you are right Kahli. Ned and insight into player evaluation and acquisition should never be mentioned together. I'm sure it is not at the GM meetings unless the other GM's want a good laugh.
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Think with Jones unless he significantly regains his stroke, that after next season not only will he probably be even less proficient with the bat, but he'll have lost a step in the OF as well, so whether he wants to stay or not might be moot. I can't find a list of potential FAs for 2010, but suffice to say there's always a handful of decent OFers to be had.
JP in a spot starting roll has IMO been more beneficial with the bat than harmful with the glove to this point. That's not saying I want to see him back in CF/LF on a regular basis. I'm hoping that Ned can make a deal here in a couple months, but that doesn't seem likely given what he has done in the 4th OF role so far unless he demands a trade.
Give him this year in A and 2009 in AA and maybe Lambo will be close to being ready, though still probably a year away in 2010. That'll put us in a position where we need a Lofton-type someone for a year or so to hold down the fort.
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We should be looking at a Ethier, Kemp, Werth outfield with Repko in reserve right now but the timing and Ned's terrible judgement were against us..
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I think Ned better trade Pierre now because JP's supporters always point to his 200 hits, 50 SB, etc., etc., and with him being a part timer now, his end of year stats are going to look $hitty at best and who will want that for 3 more years at 9 million plus? He's somewhat a contributor now, so I say SELL!!
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Hopefully Jones will wake up and lose 20 pounds. I don't know about his hitting, but if he loses some weight, I don't think his defense will decline next year. It probably would improve. I agree though, that resigning Jones is not likely and probably not a good idea. He will be starting his official/usual decline years as he will be 32-33 after next year. Although right now it looks like he is getting a head start. You should never sign a player to a long term deal at that age.
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Yep Scott, strike while the iron is hot. Even now we will have to eat at least half that salary. Unless Frank is ready to do that, we are screwed.
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jhall,
Geez, you'd think $15 for parking and skyrocketing ticket prices would be enough, huh?
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I do hope that Pierre gets fed up with a part time role and asks to be traded. Maybe then Ned will seriously try. If we get nothing for him, at least it may open some playing time for DY, who I think is wasting away in the process. I know that we could always trade DY, but it seems to me that we should first see what he's got before we move him to somebody else.
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I am hoping Joe Torre sticks with Wade over Nomar.
I was at the Arizona game last Thursday when Nomar made two weak plays that cost the Dodgers two runs and the game.
First, Nomar took forever to make the throw that caused Kent to step back off the bag that led to Kent’s later ejection. That runner scored.
A few innings earlier, Nomar was in slow motion starting a double play that Conor Jackson beat out by a step at first. Conor scored.
The Dodgers lost the game by two runs., the runs Nomar gave up by his inept defense.
Nomar has already said that he is not entirely comfortable at third base while Wade has the best of defensive numbers among all third baseman in the league. Moreover, Nomar is not exactly an offense of powerhouse. He started the first 62 games for the Dodgers last year batting third and had a total of 12 extra-base hits. Now he is a wounded duck and should produce less both offensively and defensively when he comes off the DL.
This is Nomar's last year. Why give an inferior player playing time at the expense of the future?
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rintinjim,
Why don't you ask Ned "I like to play inferior players and pay them too" Colletti?
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Yep Scott, $15 to park is more than enough.
Totally agree with you Bear and RinTin. Good posts.
Nomore is a last resort. Unfortunately, when comes off the DL, he will get the first shot because of the fat contract and what he did 5-8 years ago. Dam'n stupid!!!
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Denver weather forecast;
Today: Windy with rain and snow showers. High 47F. Winds N at 25 to 35 mph. Chance of precip 30%. Winds could occasionally gust over 50 mph.
Tonight: Partly cloudy. Windy this evening. Sprinkles or flurries possible early. Low 29F. Winds N at 20 to 30 mph, becoming WSW and diminishing to 5 to 10 mph.
Better bundle up!!!
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Tonight's lineup:
Furcal, SS
Pierre, LF
Kemp, RF
Kent, 2B
Martin, 3B
Loney, 1B
Jones, CF
Bennett, C
Penny, RHP
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Un-F'ing-believable!!!!!
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Is there something wrong with Ethier???? He hits lefties as good or better than anyone, especially JP in that HUGE Colorado outfield. STUPID!!!!
Is the crappy catching right-handed Bennett really an advantage over the lefty great fielding Dewhitt???
Dang-it!!!
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lefty righty matchups are for losers
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I have to say though that I prefer Nomore as a PH rather than the Sultan of Sit. BUT...
These are the exact kinds of situations that Ned's put us in by giving fat contracts to OTH veterans. You're almost forced to bring him back on the team even though he has all the mobility and hands of a Moai. Then you have Sweeney. Absolutely useless, but Ned kept the vet and optioned DeWitt. No way DeWitt should've been optioned when no one else was qualified to play third. Sweeney should've been DFA'd when they called Wade up. No way Ned parts with JP either unless the issue is forced by JPs agent.
All these fat contracts doing more harm than good... I guarantee too that if we're anywhere near the top by the trade deadline that we'll be adding more dead weight and useless carcases and optioning out some of the guys that got us there because that's Ned's way of getting us "over the top", even though it hasn't worked the last two years.
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Joe rode the short yellow bus to the stadium tonight. I can see playing Phew for Jones, but sitting Ethier and his .400+ OBP and power is just incredibly ignorant. Just when think you've seen it all.
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In 22 plate appearances against Francis, Pierre has an OPS of .931 (9 hits, a double, and a walk). Torre said yesterday that Jones will play all weekend.
Just picked up this little tidbit. Softens the blow somewhat.
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Ned's way of getting us Over the Top is like throwing a cinderblock to a drowning person.
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Guess the only guy Torre doesn't believe in getting any at bats to is DY.
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Pierre will cost us at least 1 run tonight in LF I predict.
jhall, that softens the blow like switching from a ax to a hammer.
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What exactly is Torre trying to prove with Marty at third? DeWitt's steady with the glove, and LaRoche will be back up in a week or two. It's not like you need him there because no one else can play. Hell, why not put DY behind the plate? In fact, let's put Kent on first so we can see how everyone performs out of position...
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LOL Scott.. It didn't make me feel any better either. I guess we'll see if Martin can play 3rd. He didn't get any chances when he played the one inning there the other night. Hope it works out.
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vs. Francis a lefty:
Pierre: 9 for 21 with 5 SB's
Ethier: 4 for 17
Plus, Pierre's speed should do well with that huge outfield. I'm interested to see how Martin does at the hot corner. It is not a case of Bennett vs. DeWitt, rather it is a case of keeping Martin in the lineup while giving him a 'day' off from behind the plate.
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I for one don't believe when Torre says that he now knows this ballclub. The lineup sure doesn't reflect it. This screwing around just doesn't make sense to me when every game will count at the end of the season. Only thing I can hope is that it will be Ned's head on the block.
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lol enchanted.
I was at Friday night's game when Bennett came in and Martin went to 3B. First pitch to Bennett went through his legs to the backstop and the tying run came in and that was the beginning to a 13 inning game. Thanks Gary! Keep lobbing it back to the pitcher too. Why are you saving your arm with those lobs when you only play once every 15 days?
Our best outfielder who happens to be hitting .309 with 14 rbi is on the bench because Slappy has a couple of doubles against Francis - classic.
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I just think you're asking for trouble injury-wise by putting Marty out of position at third for an entire game.
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maybe they are sitting Martin and Either because it is cold and Torre does not want them hurt.
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alex,
don't forget about Pierre playing in that "big" outfield, taking poor routes to balls and three hopping throws to the cut off man.
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Uh, Martin is playing 3rd.
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Or look at it like this: If this were a game Martin would normally sit out and Bennett were behind the plate would you rather have Martin or DeWitt in the lineup vs. Francis? Hopefully, Furcal and Pierre can take care of business so Kemp, Kent and Martin can knock them in.
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Defensively, we are commiting suicide with this lineup. Bennett, Kent, and Phew are all defensive liabilities and we don't know about Marty at 3rd. We do know he will probably not be nearly as good as DeWitt over there at this point. Not saying he couldn't be, but he just hasn't played there in years.
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The Joe works in mysterious ways...
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I do agree this is our worst defensive lineup of the year and Willy Tavares could have a BIG game.
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I think taking Martin's bat out of the lineup would've been the biggest mistake, so finding any way to keep it in there works for me. You can argue Pierre vs. Ethier for tonight if you choose, I happen to think this lineup is fine for THIS night.
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I didn't know you could get paid millions a year being a f'ing moronnnn.... I should have become a major league manager.
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Yep, they can run wild with Bennett behind the dish and Phew in left.
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I don't think playing 3B in cold weather is going to be much better than catching. The side effects could be a crappy game called and played by Bennett and maybe Martin making a couple of errors and getting hurt at 3B. I hope not though.
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Pierre's on base is 18-20 points higher than Loney, Kent, Kemp and 70 (roughly here) higher than Jones.
Props to Pierre. I have alway said I don't dislike the guy, just the player. when he plays and if he plays well, then cool.
The dodgers have 7 guys out of 9 I belive with OBP tonight lower than .340. with 2 guys in the 200s.So we will see if we are just hot or not.
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Well, should be an interesting night anyway.
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I am utterly speechless at tonights line-up. This is so unbelievable. I can't believe I am reading this line-up. This line-up can't bring too much confidence to Penny either.
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Well I see my favorite Bastardo is struggling in A ball. Too bad. I'm really hoping he makes it for obvious reasons...
Hoping they call up Rex Rundgren at some point as well. Far too many opportunities exist there not to be given the chance to use them. :)
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Wonder how much Phew's semi-whining interview influenced his getting the start?
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I guess having the same line up 2 nights in a row was to much for Joe Little to handle. We scored to many runs and our defense must have been to good!! What were we thinking wanting him to keep a line up that not only produced a lot of O but gave us some good D as well.
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Left field is a power position, not a pinch runner position. That said I hope everybody has a good game and we win another, although I don't have much faith in this defense.
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Maybe Joe is showcasing Phew while he is a hot pile of shi't instead of a cold tur'd!!
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jhall you know the interview influence it a lot, because between Ned and Joe there isn't a set of balls!
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jungar,
Sorry to argue, but JP's OBP is deceiving because he's walked several times to get to the pitcher from the 8th spot and been hit a couple times. He's a had a couple multiple walk games which is totally out of character for him. Hey, good for us, but you HAVE to play Ethier right now. This early in the season, averages and OBP are going up and down rapidly with few ab's - just look how fast Martin raised his numbers in a week!
I'm glad he's helped lately, but I have no confidence that he will continue to help us overall.
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gotta go, good luck D's!
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See'ya Scott.
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is that the official line-up for tonight?? i haven't seen it posted anywhere.. just curious..
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Seems to me that the timing for trying Marty at 3rd is bad. Why not try it when Phew is sitting and Kent is taking a day off. That way you only compromise 2 positions defensively instead of 4 like tonight. Seems retarded to me. Hopefully Marty turns out to not be a liability at 3rd tonight as we know Phew, Kent, and Bennett are.
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It's official.
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alright thanks.. hopefully it doesn't turn out as bad as we are all imagining =/
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I think we've all got our fingers crossed Sara. Welcome!!
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It's official Torre lost his mind! :-)
Don't get me wrong I want the D's to win just as much as anyone, I just can't stand it when we have a potent line up that scores runs and in bunches and then Torre changes it, he got away with it yesterday luckily but I don't think he is going to be that lucky today.
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i've been reading you guys for years.. i just don't post.. maybe i will start
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Welcome Sara!!
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Yea Sara, join in.
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You should Sara, I lurked here for about a year and it is kind of a stress reliever!! :-) And everyone here is great! Except that Jhall character!! haha just kidding Jhall.
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Sounds like maybe Trigger's mom called again...
And do post sara - the more the merrier!!!
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LOL
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Updated gametime forcast:
Rain / Snow Showers / Wind
38°F
Ethier's probably all bundled up thinking if I don't get to play, it might as well be tonight.
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Yep, Phew probably getting a media moping/mom called start.
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thanks guys. i probably will chime in from time to time.. go blue! =)
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The Dodgers have had some great GMs in the past
Branch Rickey, Fresco Thompson, Al Campanis, to name some and Buzzie Bavasi certainly is one of them.
It would be great to add Ned Colletti to that list someday.
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Hello. Is dis Ned? Why isn'ta my little Juanpy aplaying? You put hima in dere and tella the bigaboys not to playa too rough wit him. My little Juanpy! isn't he-a harda little worker? anda fast too...
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Whats with Torre's statement that Jones is playing all weekend? I just don't understand his distribution of time with the outfield. I think we are going to see some really weird line ups once LaRoche comes back and Nomar is "healthy" (at least for an senior citizen).
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PierreEMW, I think that is wishful thinking, but I will wish with you~
Enchanted you kill me!! :-)
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... And you be sure to-a play dat nice-a Nomar too whena he comsa backa!! He'sa so nice to leta dat ball go-a by him and to my little Juanpy ina da outfield.
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Alex has the right take on Martin starting at 3B tonight. Remember, this will happen only once every couple of weeks. But it's good timing--a day off yesterday, and with a chance of snow tonight, we'll be lucky to get all 5 innings in, so it's just giving him a lot of rest. Add to the fact that we're facing a left-handed pitcher, it's more serendipity than anything.
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He'll be catching tomorrow--if we weren't going to go back to Colorado twice more this year, I would predict he might have to play twice, but if there is rain we would probably make it up in July.
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Also, given the snow possibility, expect defense to all be troublesome. And, since it is Colorado we're talking about, offense is at a premium.
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I hate to do this, but I disagree with Jungar--first, it's 6 of 9 with OBP under .340. But even with Pierre OBP being better than Loney (who is struggling), Kemp, and Kent, that does not mean that he should be playing over Ethier. Of course, he should not be playing over Kemp, either, whose OPS is .130 points higher (Kent and Loney have OPS of .120 and .50 points higher, respectively). And, I think Scott is right to point out that Pierre will get pitched around to get to the pitcher. Remember, Pierre's lifetime OBP is not that much higher than his average because he generally does NOT walk that much. By way of comparison, Blake DeWitt has a .358 OBP--higher than Pierre's, and a lower batting average. DeWitt is more patient as a hitter (and ultimately, probably more dangerous too), but has similarly gotten some more walks hitting 8th.
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The reality is that we know what we have with Pierre, and the odds are good that we are better off with Kemp and Ethier. I don't think that just one month should alter that perspective, but if anything what we have seen is confirmation of the fact that Kemp and Ethier are just better players.
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I hope Pierre does well (as I always hope he does), but I would much rather see him doing well with off the bench and a spot start here and there (like, say Sweeney). Generally, it does not make sense to start him on consecutive days--particularly after a day off.
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One exception is this--if we gave Jones 3 days off to try to get his head right. Undoubtedly, Pierre is playing better than Andruw right now, and if this continues, something has to be considered. But I would NEVER rest a struggling hitter at Coors Field. Andruw could hit 6 home runs this weekend and turn it around.
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Coors Field is crazy.
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LOL!!!
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Is there actually going to be a game tonight? How can they play if it was snowing earlier today? They must have a magic grounds crew.
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Juanpy! Juanpy!!! Youa forgotta your glove!!
Aw shucks ma, it's no good to me anyway...
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Ya gotta hope Phew reads this blog Enchanted.
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I mean is there a worse back up catcher than Bennett? He can't even get that right. And yeah totally agree Ethier should be in there and so should DeWitt and Martin should be rested or he should catch, but i guess Martin is so hot they want his bat in there and thats hard to fault....
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I'd respect any lineup Joe puts out there tonight.
To say the very least, he doing a fantastic job.
I wouldn't be suprised if pulls a miracle and actually gets Andruw started.
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Meanwhile, Ned on the other side of the playground:
Hi Scotty, I'll trade you my lunch money for the whole week for for that really cool dead frog you got in your pocket... OK, two weeks lunch money...
And look what I just found lying around - a couple of worn down erasers... Hey look, a stranger... let's go talk to him.
Think that explains it all.
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Yes, I know I'm going to hell.
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thats great stuff E your amazing at making fun of jaunpy... ethier should play!!!!!!!
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I really, really really have this feeling this is going to be AJ's weekend to bust out. A couple of home runs and some rbi's will get him going. I have a strong feeling. We'll see if I'm correct
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I've ridden JP so much I've got saddle sores!!!
Trouble is, I'm starting to get a soft spot for the little guy just like I had for Lurch.
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Positive things from Torre and Co.
.
1. Kemp and Ethier play more than JP.
2. Kemp is clearly #2 on the CF depth chart (Ned and Grady didn't think Kemp could handle it).
3. Willing to play Hu and DeWitt instead on insisting on some washed-up mediocre-at-best veteran for each job. (If only Grady had the guts to try Martin at 3B and catch Lieberthal instead of asking for crummy Shea Hillenbrand.)
4. Generally well-handled pitching staff, with the exception of the weird rainy game.
5. Generally well-managed games. Yeah, he bunts a little more than I'd like, but in any given month last year, I had a lot more complaints about Little's in-game decisions than I do with Torre this year.
6. Has explained to his players what he is doing with them and why (at least that's what I gather from the player quotes I see).
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LOL, Hey E, rumor has it he once traded a girl in his class out of a used Ken Doll. Little girl couldn't believe he gave up 5 weeks of lunch money for it since one of the arms was missing.
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Meanwhile jhall's watching the whole transaction go down and is heard muttering as he walks away, "UNACCEPTIBLE, UNACCEPTIBLE." LOL
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I must have chewed on a bunch of pencils when I was a kid...
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LOL!! Unacceptable part is he was a freshman in high school and couldn't get rid of that doll for 4 years. He left with it..
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He graduated Phi Beta Crappa.
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He sure as hell' did!!!! I guess we know we are probably going to need a huge dose of humor for tonights Titanic Struggle.
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Kershaw tonight in Jacksonville in front of the brass: 6.2 IP, 6 Hs, 1 R, 0 ER 1 BB, 5 Ks.
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Youa'go Juanpy. Makuh'yo mama proud!!!!
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Makuh'yo Papa Ned and Uncle Joe looka'likea'da'genius!!
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Too late.
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If Taveras has any brains, he should be bunting toward third and testing the new guy.
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Penny looks miserable in the freezing temperature and at least to start he's not throwing hard at all. Only about 80% of what he's capable of doing.