Battle of the Joshes

It’s an off day, but it’s really game on! The KABC ThinkCure auction package, which allows a fan to spend the day following around Josh Suchon, got a $375 bid last night during the Sunday Night Sports Final, which means “the other Josh” is now ahead of our Inside the Dodgers package. As promised, each day I’ll be rolling out another perk of this online auction prize, with all the proceeds going to find a cure for cancer. Today, I’m rolling out a couple.

– Meeting Joe Torre and taking part in his pregame media session

– Standing on the field at Dodger Stadium for the National Anthem

– A private tour of the stadium, including areas that the public tour doesn’t go (underground batting cages, player’s lounge, Dodger offices, press box, broadcast booths, DodgerVision booth…remember, as an employee, my badge allows you to goes places where “the other Josh” can’t go!!) 🙂

– And of course, while I can’t make any 100 percent guarantees, I’m going to quietly mention that just about every day of my job requires me to interact with all of the Dodger broadcasters, including Vin Scully, Jaime Jarrin, Rick Monday, Charley Steiner, Fernando Valenzuela, Pepe Yniguez and Steve Lyons. You might take note that the package to visit Vin in his booth is currently going for almost $3,000 while this one is still at $260.

One thing I can’t say you’ll get to do is take part in tonight’s fourth annual Dodgers Dream Foundation Bowling Extravaganza at Lucky Strike Lanes in Hollywood. We’ve got a dozen players heading over there tonight on the off day, including the hosts, Brad Penny and James Loney. If any of you are taking part in this, I hope to see you there.

Plus, during the day, Manny Mota is hosting his annual golf tournament to raise money for his incredible foundation in the Dominican Republic.

Lots of great things going on for those who are into charitable giving these days…and as Vin Scully said following Nomar’s homer in the four-homer game back in ’06 – “Oh, and I forgot to mention, the Dodgers are in first place!”

 

Today's lineup and ThinkCure tidbit

As for the Inside the Dodgers online auction, in addition to being part of Joe Torre’s pregame interview session and meeting the Dodger manager, you’ll also get to stand on the field at Dodger Stadium during the national anthem, something a very small number of fans will ever get the chance to do. Right now, bidding is only at $240.

Here’s today’s lineup:

Kemp, CF

Ethier, RF

Kent, 2B

Manny, LF

Loney, 1B

Martin, C

Blake, 3B

Berroa, SS

Kershaw, P

Still ThinkingCure

Please be sure to read below for more information about ThinkCure and the radio telethon we’ve got going on throughout the weekend until the end of tonight’s game.

As I’ve mentioned, bidding for the online auction doesn’t end until Aug. 24 and Inside the Dodgers has been issued a challenge by DodgerTalk. Josh Suchon, one of the hosts of DodgerTalk, wants to see if the package that allows fans to go behind the scenes with them can go for more money than the one that allows you all to go behind the scenes with me.

So, for the next eight days, I’m going to give list a new perk that you would get for going behind-the-scenes with Inside the Dodgers. As of right now, there are eight bids and the winning bid is just $240. I promise you, if people knew what this package included, they’d be paying thousands of dollars for it and most importantly, every dime goes to the research that will find a cure for cancer.

So part one of the Inside the Dodgers experience is the chance to meet Joe Torre and watch his pregame chat with the media.

Here’s tonight’s lineup:

Kemp, CF

Ethier, RF

Kent, 2B

Manny, LF

Loney, 1B

Martin, C

Nomar, SS

Blake, 3B

Lowe, P

ThinkCure!

UPDATE: Lineup below…

There’s no better way to go into a weekend series than with a four-game sweep…you’ve got to like the way the team is playing right now with six weeks left to go in the season.

As I’m sure you’ve heard or seen, the ThinkCure radio telethon started this morning and will run through tomorrow night’s game. There is tons of great programming on KABC 790, including a newly added three-hour DodgerTalk from 12 p.m. – 3 p.m. today.

There are a number of ways that you can be involved, including:

Bidding online for some amazing auction items (more on this below)

Coming out to Dodger Stadium and making a donation at the turnstiles (tomorrow is Fireworks Night, too!)

Simply making a donation out of the goodness of your heart at thinkcure.org

As for the online auction, it doesn’t end until Aug. 24 and there are some amazing prizes, including a chance to visit the booth with Vin Scully before a game, take a trip to Spring Training in Glendale, Arizona, get a Manny Ramirez signed jersey and much, much more.  

But get this…last night as I was driving home from the game, I heard Ken Levine and Josh Suchon on DodgerTalk issue a challenge to their listeners.

I had completely forgotten that I agreed to auction off an “Inside the Dodgers” package where a fan gets the chance to see what it’s like to do the job of a baseball PR person for the day.

At the end of the show, Josh Suchon told the DodgerTalk listeners that he wants bragging rights that the package sold to spend the day with DodgerTalk goes for more money than the one that allows someone to go Inside the Dodgers.

Well, that’s my challenge to all of you. ITD needs those bragging rights and I promise that the experience we give the winner of the Inside the Dodgers package will be one that you will never forget for the rest of your life. Trust me on this one. Jump in there and help raise money for an amazing cause.

Pierre, CF

Kemp, RF

Kent, 2B

Manny, LF

Nomar, SS

Martin, C

Blake, 3B

Loney, 1B

Billingsley, P

 

 

Congrats, Joe!

On behalf of the organization, we’d like to congratulate Joe Torre on passing Joe McCarthy on the all-time wins list as a manager.

This is the managerial equivalent of passing Frank Robinson on the all-time home run list, which is a pretty impressive feat. I think it got lost somewhat in the euphoria of last night’s amazing game but it should not go unnoticed.

Here’s hoping that in the next two and a half years, he reaches the Top 3…

 UPDATE: Tonight’s lineup…pretty impressive from top to bottom, if you ask me (which I know you didn’t).

Kemp, CF

Ethier, RF

Kent, 2B

Manny, LF

Loney, 1B

Blake, 3B

Nomar, SS

Martin, C

Penny, P

Tonight's game – Beimel is everywhere

It’s bobblehead night, and Joe Beimel’s parents are likely going to be pregame guests on FSN Prime Ticket so if you can’t come to the game, tune in.

DODGERS-eblast_phillies2.jpg

 

Here’s the lineup:

Pierre, CF

Kemp, RF

Kent, 2B

Manny, LF

Blake, 3B

Nomar, SS (off the DL) 

Martin, C

Loney, 1B

Kershaw, P

Seven big ones…

Every game from here on out is big, but seven games against the Phillies are Brewers loom particularly large, especially given the outcome of the last two days. Those would have been nice to have, but there’s no real use worrying about it now. We’ve got to be two games better than Adam Dunn’s D-backs from here on out…

Don’t forget about tomorrow’s 2 p.m. PT web chat with Larry Bowa or tomorrow night’s game with Joe Beimel bobblehead. I know that a ton of you were pretty vocal in the debate of who should be the “Fans Vote” bobblehead so now it’s time to come out and see Big Joe get his day in the sun (or under the lights).

Kemp, CF

Ethier, RF

Kent, 2B

Manny, LF

Loney, 1B

Martin, C

Blake, 3B

Berroa, SS

Lowe, P

Guess which helmet is Manny's

manny helmet.jpg

The Giants will be doing their 50th anniversary celebration at tonight’s game and rumor has it, Barry Bonds will be on hand for, what I imagine will be, the loudest ovation we’ve heard in a long time.

Our season-long celebration of the 50th continues next weekend with the 90s luncheon and for anyone that went to the first three luncheons, these have been very well received. For more information, email fanfeedback@ladodgers.com.

I’ve also noticed a lot of women posting here of late and in case you didn’t know, there’s a WIN event on that same day as the 90s luncheon, August 16. A clinic in the morning and luncheon in the afternoon and among the many Dodgers who will be on hand for one or the other are Joe Torre, Don Mattingly, Jeff Kent, Russell Martin and Matt Kemp. For more information, check this page out.

For those who follow our prospects, check out what Justin Miller did last night for the Loons.

Meanwhile, if you haven’t already heard, you can catch up with Larry Bowa on Tuesday in a web chat at 2 p.m. PT Log in early to get your questions at the top so they’re easier to find.

Finally, a win tonight would tie Joe Torre with Joe McCarthy for seventh place all-time on the Major League wins list. Here’s tonight’s lineup:

Kemp, CF

Ethier, RF

Kent, 2B

Manny, LF

Loney, 1B

Martin, C

Blake, 3B

Berroa, SS

Kuroda, P