Thanks to everyone for the kind words on the last thread. Yes, I read through almost the entire thread (can’t say I read every single word), but I’d be happy to serve as the tour guide for ITD posters. We’ll figure out a date early in ’09 and have everyone out to the stadium.

I’m curious to see what everyone would do if they were the GM of the team. Now is a great time to put your thoughts down for everyone to see so you can go back at the end of the year and see how it would have turned out. Of course, try to be realistic. We aren’t going to acquire Peavy for Kenley Jansen, so if you’re proposing a trade, think about the other team’s needs, the financial implications, etc. This is one of the most enjoyable times of the year, in my opinion. I hope I won’t get cited for tampering and don’t worry, Kenley, you’re not on the trading block (as far as I know). I just picked a name from our minor league system.

Anyway, I heard a quote last week that I think was really relevant to our team’s finish.

“Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want.”

That certainly holds true for the ’08 Dodgers and in most walks of life. Let’s hope that experience proves valuable in ’09.

 

On a night like tonight, what more can be said?

On behalf of the entire organization — Thank you, Dodger fans, for a great year…

We need everyone’s support tonight. A win this evening would give us awesome momentum heading to Philadelphia, so if you’re coming out to the stadium, be loud. Steve Garvey was telling our office yesterday about the “10th man” and the role that you all played in helping us win three straight against Houston in October 1980.

It’s going to be a powerful night here, with everyone on their feet every time we get two strikes on a batter…and any key point in the game. I know you all know this, but it’s up to you guys to get everyone else up out of their seats.

Here’s tonight’s lineup, with more notes below…I fully expect to be posting another lineup in two days:

Furcal, SS

Ethier, RF

Manny, LF

Martin, C

Loney, 1B

Blake, 3B

Kemp, CF

DeWitt, 2B

Billingsley, P

THEY’VE BEEN THERE AND DONE THAT – Since the LCS became a seven-game series in 1985, 26 teams have taken a 3-1 advantage and six times, the team that trailed has come back to win – the 1996 Braves (with Greg Maddux), the 2003 Marlins (with Juan Pierre), the 1986, 2004, and 2007 Red Sox (with the latter two teams featuring Derek Lowe in ’04 and Manny Ramirez in both series), and the 1985 Royals.

► Five teams have overcome a 3-1 deficit in the postseason after losing Game 4 at home – the 1958 Yankees, the 1968 Tigers, and the 1979 Pirates all did it in the World Series, while the 1985 Royals and 2003 Marlins did it in the League Championship Series.                Source: retrosheet.org

IF AT FIRST – The Dodgers have scored in the first inning in four of their seven postseason games in 2008. In fact, the Dodgers are batting .330 in the first six innings of the LCS and just .111 from the seventh inning on.            Source: STATS, LLC

HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION – From 1995-2006, the Dodgers posted a 1-12 record over four postseason appearances. So far this year, Los Angeles is 4-3. 

BUCKING THE TREND – The Dodgers and Phillies have played 12 times this season and Monday night marked the first game that was not won by the home team, with Philadelphia taking seven of the 12 games overall. 

SEÑOR OCTUBRE – Manny Ramirez drove in a run in Game 4 for an eighth consecutive LCS game, extending his Major League record. He now has nine RBI during the 2008 postseason and 73 in his career, which ranks second all-time behind Bernie Williams (80). Ramirez has hit safely in 42 of his last 47 postseason games, with a .360 (63-for-175) average during that span.  His teams are 59-43 overall in the postseason.

► Ramirez is batting .500 (6-for-12) during this series. The Dodgers’ NLCS record for batting average (minimum 10 at-bats) is Dusty Baker, who hit .467 (7-for-15) during the 1978 NLCS vs. Philadelphia.

► Ramirez’s six RBI this series is two shy of the Dodger series record held by Baker in the 1977 series, also against Philadelphia.

IN A YEAR THAT HAS BEEN SO IMPROBABLE… – On this date in 1988, an injured Kirk Gibson hit a two-run homer with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium to give Los Angeles a 4-3 victory in Game 1 of the World Series over Oakland. The homer was later voted the Top Moment in Los Angeles Sports History.

LONE-STAR – James Loney is batting .308 (8-for-26) during the postseason with eight RBI, the second-highest total on the team behind Manny Ramirez (9). Loney has at least one hit in all seven of his career postseason starts.

AN ELECTION YEAR – Tonight marks the final presidential debate between Senators Barack Obama and John McCain prior to the November election. Los Angeles has reached the postseason in four of the last six election years (1988, 1996, 2004, and 2008), including their last World Championship just 19 days before George H.W. Bush won the 1988 general election. The Dodgers have also appeared in the World Series in the election years of 1956, 1952, 1920, and 1916.

BILLS BACK ON THE BUMP – Chad Billingsley takes the mound tonight at Dodger Stadium, where he has not lost since July 8. Since then, the right-hander is 6-0 with a 1.60 ERA in seven starts at home.

WHEN IT COUNTS – During the 2008 postseason, the Dodgers are batting .286 (20-for-70) with runners in scoring position, .342 (13-for-38) with RISP and two outs and .455 (5-for-11) with the bases loaded.

TOUCHING HOME – Rafael Furcal has scored five runs so far during the NLCS, two shy of the club record for a League Championship Series held by Steve Sax, who scored seven times against the Mets during the 1988 NLCS.

THE FIRST PITCH – Tonight’s ceremonial first pitch will be thrown out by Hall of Fame Manager and Special Advisor to the Chairman Tommy Lasorda. Lasorda guided Los Angeles to four National League pennants, eight division titles and two World Championships during an extraordinary 20-year career as skipper.

 

You guys rocked this place last night. Let’s do it again this evening. Here’s the lineup…

Furcal, SS

Ethier, RF

Manny, LF

Martin, C

Loney, 1B

DeWitt, 2B

Blake, 3B

Pierre, CF

Lowe, P

Rollins, SS
Victorino, CF
Utley, 2B
Howard, 1B
Burrell, LF
Werth, RF
Feliz, 3B
Ruiz, C
Moyer, LHP

 

Furcal, SS
Ethier, RF
Ramirez, LF
Martin, C
Nomar, 1B
Blake, 3B
Kemp, CF
DeWitt, 2B
Kuroda, RHP

Needless to say, it’s the biggest game of the year tonight. Here are some notes we put in the game notes for the media…

► Tonight’s game is the first NLCS game at Dodger Stadium in exactly 20 years. Game 7 of the 1988 NLCS vs. New York was on Oct. 12, 1988. Orel Hershiser, who is broadcasting tonight’s game for ESPN Radio, shut out the New York Mets, 6-0 to capture the National League pennant for the Dodgers.

RECORD-SETTING INFIELD – Tonight’s ceremonial first pitches will be thrown out by Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Bill Russell, and Ron Cey, who played together with the Dodgers for a Major League-record 8 ½ seasons. The quartet appeared in four World Series, including the World Championship team of 1981. Lopes currently serves as the first base coach for the Phillies, Garvey and Cey work in the Dodgers’ front office, and Russell works for Major League Baseball’s umpiring division.

BATTLED TESTED – Nomar Garciaparra has appeared in the LCS twice with Boston in 1999 and 2003. The Whittier native batted .400 (8-for-20) with two homers and five RBI in 1999. In 29 career postseason games, Garciaparra is batting .318 (34-for-107) with a .380 on-base percentage, .598 slugging percentage, seven homers, and 23 RBI. He ranks seventh among active players with a .314 career batting average.

THIS DATE IN DODGER HISTORY – On this date in 1985, the Dodgers notched five doubles in Game 3 at St. Louis to tie the club NLCS record set on Oct. 7, 1977.

GETTING ON – Andre Ethier is batting just .222 (4-for-18) in five postseason games this year, but he has reached base at a .391 clip during the playoffs, as he’s drawn five walks. Since August 5, Ethier is hitting .354 with a .439 on-base percentage and .615 slugging percentage.

WHAT A RELIEF – A quintet of Dodger relievers threw 5.2 scoreless innings in Game 2. In five postseason games, the Dodger bullpen has posted a 1.65 ERA (3 ER/16.1 IP). During the regular season, the Dodgers’ relief corps ranked second in the NL with a 3.33 ERA behind only the Phillies (3.19).
 
SEÑOR OCTUBRE – Manny Ramirez drove in three runs in Game 2 to give him seven during the playoffs and 71 in his postseason career, which ranks second all-time behind Bernie Williams (80). Ramirez has hit safely in 40 of his last 45 postseason games, with a .351 (60-for-171) average during that span.  His teams are 58-42 overall in the postseason.

► Ramirez has three homers in his first five playoff games this year. The only other Los Angeles Dodgers to accomplish that feat are Steve Garvey and Ron Cey, who homered three times in the first five games of the 1978 NLCS.

MEDIA MADHOUSE – More than 800 credentials have been issued for the 2008 NLCS at Dodger Stadium. That includes more than 30 daily newspapers from around the country, several wire services and major sports websites, and media outlets from at least eight different countries – the United States, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Canada, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Ecuador.

CATCHING SOME HITS – Russell Martin has a hit in all five postseason games this season and seven of the eight playoff games he’s played in during his career. He has a .313 career postseason average (10-for-32) with five RBI and six runs scored.
 

Derek Lowe has been named the Game 4 starter.

Touched down last night about 1:30 a.m. and caught a few hours of sleep before heading back to the stadium this morning. We’ve got a workout here in an hour and a half and plenty of media on site to take care of.

For those who are a little nervous about the first two losses – and I completely understand if you are – just remember that in the 1955, ’65 and ’81 World Series, we dropped the first two on the road and came home to sweep three and then win it all on the road. Plus, with 10 games against the Phillies this year, the home team has won them all, so perhaps we’ll be facing a Game 7 in Philadelphia needed to break that trend.

That’s all I’ve got for now. Hope you’re all coming down here tomorrow.