Furcal, SS

Pierre, CF

Ethier, RF

Kent, 2B

Gonzo, LF

Martin, C

Loney, 1B

Hillenbrand, 3B

Stults, P

Judging from most comments yesterday, you’ll all be happy with today’s lineup.

And while I’m saddened to know that some of you have lost respect in me because I defend the team’s decisions, you’re certainly entitled to that. I think it’s also important to know that just because I try to explain their decisions and I defend Grady, Ned and everyone else here doesn’t mean that as a fan, I agree with every single thing that we do every single day. Just like all of you, I have my own opinions but as many of you have learned in your own careers, everyone expresses their opinions in private and then you come to a group decision. Once that decision is made, you publicly stand behind the people making it. You don’t point fingers, blame others or explain why you were right and someone else was wrong. That’s called being a good teammate and those who don’t do that are promoting themselves above the team, no matter what walk of life you’re talking about. To me, that’s a pretty slippery slope in a world where people need to lean on others for a group’s success.

At the end of the day, Grady has a .558 winning percentage as a big league manager, which is among the best of all active big league managers, if not the best. That’s not an accident and the name of the game is winning.  Ned has been a GM for one year and the team went to the postseason while holding onto the future prospects that are so highly valued by everyone in the industry. So I’ll gladly defend both of them and their decisions and try to explain why they make the decisions that they do, even if some of you don’t understand that reasoning.

As for David Wells and his pending signing, there will obviously be those who agree and those who disagree with it and again, that’s a very welcome part of the game (and this blog). Some of you asked for an explanation and while I’ll leave that Grady and Ned who will obviously be quoted on the record once it’s official, as a fan I can say that I think it’s a pretty low-risk signing. I don’t think anyone would argue that we haven’t exactly seen great results out of the back end of our rotation and hopefully David will have enough left in him for five or six quality starts before the end of the regular season. But in response to the comment made about Wells vs. the fifth-round pick that wasn’t signed this year, I can tell you that the two are completely unrelated. They come from totally different budgets and the dollar values on one is drastically different than the other.

All that said, here’s today’s lineup:

Furcal, SS

Pierre, CF

Kemp, RF

Kent, 2B

Ethier, LF

Martin, C

Loney, 1B

Hillenbrand, 3B

Penny, P

UPDATE: Brett Tomko designated for assignment

A great pitching performance by Chad Billingsley again today and a nice win, giving the team two consecutive series victories. Taking it one day, one series at a time seems to be a good way to get back on the right track.

If you’re free tonight (and in LA), the South Pasadena Public Library is screening the award-winning movie American Pastime and there’s more information here. The film is about baseball that was played at the Japanese internment camps during World War II, so if watching Saito slam the door this afternoon didn’t give you enough "Japanese baseball" for the day, check this out tonight. The Dodgers also donated a Saito autographed ball to the library so they could auction it off at the event, so maybe it’ll be yours.

Also, I did my best to read the posts from this morning and obviously there are a lot of you who simply don’t agree with Grady’s lineups. That’s certainly your right and Ken Gurnick does address this in his notebook from today. But I’d imagine that after a win like today, Grady shouldn’t get any of the credit for putting Ramon Martinez in the lineup or any of the other moves that worked out. It’s the nature of the game…when we win, the players get the credit and when we lose, it’s on the GM and the manager.

I can assure you Grady has a pulse (I’m assuming that question was a joke) and that he does actually know a little more about baseball, the players on this team and their availability, injuries and tendencies than me, you and just about anyone else who follows the team. Just like those of you who work in any other industry know more than those who follow it from afar.

I really don’t really understand the comment that this is "just a job" for Ned and Grady and that because they didn’t come up through the Dodger system, they somehow care less about what happens here than all of you do. These two (and their staffs) literally spend every waking minute of their life trying to help this team win and just because they don’t have the same theories as some of you doesn’t mean that winning is less important to them.

And while I greatly respect Logan White and the job he has done drafting players for the farm system, the comment that somehow he has that "Dodger pride" but that Grady and Ned don’t is simply absurd. Did he get his Dodger pride working for the Orioles for seven years or the Mariners for two before he came here? Or was it the years he played in the minors with the Mariners? Keep in mind, he has spent more time with either of those organizations than this one.  And is Kim Ng, who has had as much to do with the rebirth of the farm system since coming here at the same time as Logan or anyone else at the team, any more of a Dodger than someone who has only been here for three years? We’re a team – on the field and in the front office and we win and lose that way.

There is tons of Dodger pride running up and down these hallways and in the clubhouse. Just ask Mariano Duncan or Manny Mota or Rick Honeycutt or any number of the people who pour their heart and soul into this team every day to create a winner and a great fan experience. To suggest otherwise is a slap in the face to all of them. The decisions made here won’t always be right or the ones you’d make, but the people who are making them have earned the right to do so from countless years of hard work and dedication.

So, while I love how devoted many of you are and wholeheartedly respect your opinions (and am very glad we have created this forum to do so), the vicious personal attacks on the people in the organization do get a little old and I thought it was about time I addressed it.

I hope you all enjoy a night off and we’ll be back at it again tomorrow from New York.

In regards to the question about travel, yes, the Dodgers charter a plane when we travel and it’s definitely a nice way to get from one place to another. Safe to say, there isn’t a lot of sitting in airports and waiting for your bags.

Though they are taking train today to NY, the equipment won’t likely go on the train. There’s a huge moving truck that always takes our stuff from the stadium to the airport and I’m guessing that the truck will just drive straight to New York, with each guy taking a "carry-on" on the train.

I’m not sure why we decided to take a train, but I’ll ask Scott Akasaki, who does an incredible job with our team travel. I’m guessing it might have something to do with the fact that our game will end right about at rush hour and it could take forever to drive from Philly to the Big Apple. But, that’s just a guess. I’ll definitely ask Scott to do a "guest-post" on here sometime in the near future.

Here’s today’s lineup:

Furcal, SS

Pierre, CF

Kemp, RF

Kent, 2B

Hillenbrand, 1B

Martin, C

Gonzo, LF

Martinez, 3B

Billingsley, P

I’m pleased to let you all know that Wes Parker was named as the first baseman on Rawlings All-Time Gold Glove team. So many of you voted for him and having spoken with him yesterday, he couldn’t possibly be happier. He sent along this message to share with everyone:

"This award wraps up my career in the most beautiful way possible. I did not expect it. I had a shorter career than the other honorees, have been retired the longest (one year longer than Willie Mays) and was not sure fans would remember me after 35 years away from the game. Also, I am the only one of the nine who is not, or will not soon be, in the Hall of Fame, so am thrilled to have won.

I took great pride in my fielding. The first base position, I think, has been slighted over the years by players thinking they have only to catch throws and dig balls from the dirt to play it well. Nothing could be further from the truth. Dedicated first basemen charge bunts, range to their left and right for grounders, dive for balls, run all over the place for pop-ups and use their arms aggressively. They take risks, go after everything and defend their ground with pride and determination. And in doing all this they expand the position from one of passivity and conservatism to one of action, excitement, daring, beauty and grace.

I was lucky to have been born with good eyesight, quick reactions and a younger brother, Lyn, who for ten years smashed ground balls at me in our front yard. We were just two kids doing what we loved but that period between the ages of eight and 17 clinched for me the respect I have always felt for good defensive play and tried to exhibit during my nine-year career with the Dodgers.

Six months ago, when I first heard of my nomination, I was excited to be the lone Dodger representative among the other 50 and to be included among such fine men and long-time friends as Bill White, Brooks Robinson and the great Roberto Clemente. I am even more excited today to have learned that I finished on top at my position and for this I thank the many voting fans and friends around the country for recognizing my contributions. I also thank the O’Malley family for giving me the chance to play this wonderful game at the big league level, and the current Dodger organization for believing that I deserved to win. Lastly, I thank Rawlings for their 50 years of honoring defensive excellence. I am proud to bring this award home to Los Angeles, prouder still to call it my own personal Hall of Fame."

UPDATE:

Lineup for today is:

Furcal, SS

Pierre, CF

Kemp, RF

Kent, 2B

Ethier, LF

Martin, C

Loney, 1B

Hillenbrand, 3B

Lowe, P

Be sure to check out Jaime Jarrin’s web chat at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET, as he’ll be making a big announcment at the start of the chat.

Also, I was approached by Steve Dittmore, a professor in sport management at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, and Clay Stoldt, a professor in sport management at Wichita State University, who are conducting an academic study of sport organizational blogs, such as this one, and their effectiveness as a communications vehicle. Dr. Dittmore contacted me to see if we would agree to link to his secure survey on our website. This study is not affiliated with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but if you are interested in participating in the study, which will take approximately 10 minutes to complete, please click this secure link and you will be directed to it.

Also, to answer some of yestserday’s questions, we still have not received even a tentative schedule for MLB for 2008. We usually get it around this time, so as soon as we do and I’m allowed to make it public, I will. As for the Women’s clinic in Vero Beach, usually it’s around St. Patrick’s Day (middle of March) but it has not yet been set for next season.

Here’s tonight’s lineup in Philly:

Furcal, SS

Pierre, CF

Ethier, RF (second career start batting third)

Kent, 2B

Gonzo, LF

Martin, C

Loney, 1B

Hillenbrand, 3B

Tomko, P

Indeed, I’m not on this trip but I’m glad to be at home right now playing catch up and coming up with some fun ideas for the next homestand. Believe it or not, there’s a ton that goes on around here when the team is gone. I should still have lineups fairly quickly, though, as Joe Jareck, our assistant director, calls them in as soon as they’re posted in the clubhouse. 

As for yesterday’s game, it was another step in the right direction. No one is satisfied with third place, but if you’re in fourth, you have to stop at third before you aim for second and first. Four wins in five games is a nice start to rebounding from the disaster that was the previous two weeks.

Also, tomorrow is a chance to speak with a Dodger legend who many people rarely get to hear from. Jaime Jarrin will host a web chat at 2 p.m. on dodgers.com and questions can be submitted in both English and Spanish. He truly is the Spanish-speaking equivalent of Vin Scully and has an incredible wealth of Dodger knowledge to tap into, so be sure to log-in early and send off your questions to be answered.

Last night’s game, which finished this morning, was the 15th longest in franchise history. Five hours, six minutes and unfortunately, nothing to show for it but a loss and a tired bullpen. But as Grady put it after the game, we now have to find a way to put that behind us, because we play again at 1:10 today.

Both teams are tired, both teams need a win today and the team that comes out on top finishes the series in third place. A big start for Penny would be a huge boost.

And in case anyone thinks I’m the only positive one around here, be sure to read Kurt Streeter’s column from this morning. Kurt moved over from the news side of the L.A. Times where he was an award-winning columnist and has some really interesting ideas for columns in the future. He spent a week in the pavilions and wrote about it.  Are any of the bleacher creatures visiting this blog? Just curious.

Even T.J. Simers came around this morning with one of those few positive stories he writes he each year. As Vin Scully says in the article, "I guess God put people like that on Earth to remind the rest of us that we don’t have it so bad." He was referring to the subject of the article, not T.J. 🙂

Here’s today’s lineup:

Furcal, SS

Pierre, CF

Kemp, RF

Hillenbrand, 3B

Ethier, LF

Martin, C

Loney, 1B

Martinez, 2B

Penny, P

That headline could refer to any number of things, but a few of them are top of mind this afternoon. The first is the Viva los Dodgers event going on in the parking lot right now, which started out 10 years ago as an event that drew about 500 people and now brings almost 10,000 out to the stadium. It’s a really enjoyable event, even if you don’t speak Spanish or listen to Spanish music. Just being at a cultural event like that is pretty cool and helps us all understand the melting pot that is our city.

Also, the changes in modern technology continue to amaze all of us, I’m sure, but in reading the L.A. Times Letters to the Editor today, I noticed that often there seems to be a distinct difference in opinion of those who use newspapers as their primary source of information (and write in to them) or those who are primarily Internet users (and post comments and thoughts here or on other forums).  While many online blogs like Dodger Thoughts seem to have a lot of people who believe in building this team through the farm system and a longer-term view, there are many who write into the editor or Bill Plaschke (as he mentioned in his last column) who think we should have traded away all the kids for talent that might have made us better this year.

I guess I just wonder whether it’s an age thing (older fans, who might somehow prefer quick fixes, are more likely to be reading the papers, though we’ve got plenty of older fans that post here) or a sabermetrics thing (more of them online than in the papers and they follow the minor leagues more closely) or maybe it’s neither. This is hardly a scientific experiment, but it’s something I seem to have noticed in tracking Dodger coverage over the last few years. One of those things that make you go hmmm…

And while I hate to point out a single letter to the editor, I found the very first one today quite odd – the belief that only Ned "made the trade" for Hendrickson and that he "wants [Grady] to keep him in the rotation." First off, the idea that these two don’t consult one another on everything is absurd, as I watch them interact all the time and share their thoughts with one another. Grady (and his entire coaching staff) was very involved in the Hendrickson trade and Ned is consulted regularly on on-field issues, too.

But going back to my technology point, a letter like that is out-of-date and looks silly when it appears in the paper the day after Eric Stults replaced Hendrickson in the rotation with a stellar start. Or when one of the letters refers to going to see a "fourth-place team" when the team moved into third place last night. These are hardly egregious issues, but with the ability to choose letters (or emails) that are more current, it strikes me as strange when that never happens. After all, every single letter that ran today was completely negative and the team has reeled off three straight wins.

Which I guess, brings me to the final way to look at the headline of today’s blog. Three days ago, there was no hope (at least according to most fans) that we would turn this around. Three days ago, people were writing off the team completely and starting to focus on football (and fantasy football). But today, with three consecutive victories, the team is within 2.5 games of the Wild Card and the playoffs are very much within reach. Remember that age-old cliche, it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and just because you trip and fall at Mile 20 doesn’t mean you can’t finish the race in front. It’s just going to take a lot better effort in the final 6.2 miles.

Here are the Dodgers’ marathoners for today:

Furcal, SS

Pierre, CF

Kemp, RF

Kent, 2B

Saenz, 1B

Martin, C

Gonzo, LF

Hillenbrand, 3B

Billingsley, P

First off, sincere congratulations go out to Roberto Hernandez on his 1,000th game last night. He’s only been a Dodger for a month, but I’ve found him to be a very classy guy when I’ve dealt with him and to pitch in that many games is an absolute amazement.  In trying to put that into perspective, Troy Percival, a successful closer for so many years, has 623. Derek Lowe isn’t even halfway yet at 492 (he was only a closer briefly but has never been on the DL in 10 years in the Majors). So needless to say, it’s a pretty cool thing for Roberto and we saved the lineup card for the archives because this has only happened 12 times in Major League history.

Today, we spent the early afternoon at the Staples in Hawthorne with Grady Little, Jonathan Broxton and Jason Repko, who were with their wives and several kids who went on a back-to-school shopping spree.  It was great to see their faces when they realized they could "buy" almost anything they wanted in the store and the guys (and their spouses) were really great with the kids.

Although it’s only two games, it’s nice to see the team putting a little "streak" together. A big game tonight from Eric Stults would be great, as well as the offense.

Furcal, SS

Pierre, CF

Sweeney, 1B

Kent, 2B

Gonzo, LF

Martin, C

Ethier, RF

Hillenbrand, 3B

Stults, P