text:
Whatever it takes…
Obviously losing seven in a row in the middle of the pennant race isn't really what we needed to do going back East. But, at least there's still time to recover. With a month left in the season and six games against Arizona, all hope is not lost. At least I don't think it is…
That said, Joe is mixing it up tonight in the desert. For the first time in his career, Russ is atop the order. Hope to see some of you at the sleepover tonight.
Martin, C
Ethier, RF
Manny, LF
Kent, 2B
Kemp, CF
Loney, 1B
Nomar, SS
Blake, 3B
Kuroda, P
789 Comments
Oh boy….Desperate times calls for desperate measures.
How about, in addition to the Martin/Kemp switch in the lineup, Bowa and Torre switch places? Let Bowa lean on the rail, while Torre dodges foul balls on the third base line.
crash ~ I think you have the right idea about the switch. At least Bowa shows some emotion.
I liked the idea Martin leading off – back when he was on a good streak. Too bad Torre waited for Martin's worst month to do it.
April: .455
May: .425
June: .347
July: .355
August: .330
imthedude – Yeah, Joe's mind is a little slower than when he played the game, what, 40 years ago?
oh my. we need to win and win big!!
Should be interesting to see Martin leading off, not that Matt hasn't done a great job overall. The whole team is in a rut at the moment, not just one person. I just hope we win tonight. I'm sick of being bummed out after every game. It's too much stress!
Good Afternoon/evening ITD faithfuls!!
Well, I like the fact that Andre is in the lineup once again against a lefty. Joe finally learned his lesson there – good (for now). I remember thinking that Russell way back wasn't such a bad idea as lead off, but why wait until now. But, hey it's worth a try, and at this point all the mainplayers are still in there, so let's just hope this combination can get it going tonight. Even though they are home, Arizona was also swept by one of the worst teams in the league. So, anything is possible at this point.
Wow, that's an interesting lineup, can't wait to see it in action.
crash, Torre coaching 3rd base is a great idea…but WITHOUT a helmet…
With this lineup, it kind of makes you wonder what JP is thinking. I bet the thought bubbles are going wild tonight. He can't even get into the lineup with Matt slumping. I think it's more the fact that Andre is doing well, but still, you know he has got to be even more ticked now.
LOL!!! That's good Kahli – LOL!!!!
I'm just glad they got away from Philly and DC. It feels like it's another day full of possibilities, and as manager Joe Schultz of the Seattle Pilots used to say:
____ 'em! They're just like anyone else! Let's go get 'em, and get back and pound the ol' Budweiser!"
Okay ~ these are the things I notice, but you went from nsblues to northstateblues between the two posts you just did. How does that happen?
This could be old news, but Clayton was optioned to AAA Las Vegas and purchased the contract for LHP Scott Elbert from AA Jacksonville.
reeks of desperation. remember when the biggest concern was whether Dre was gonna start? These next three games are our season if we get swept. Love that I got my postseason ticket package in the mail this week, it's like they are taunting me.
Was supposed to be "the Dodgers purchased". The sentence sounds like Clayton was the purchaser – sorry!! It's Brain Fried Friday, but TGIF too.
I am excited to see Elbert in action finally, at least there's that.
dnelly, I decided to not be lazy, and after the first post, I logged into my blog account and changed the nickname back. It won't save the longer one after it logs me out, it goes back to nsblues, so if I want it to be northstate, I have to log into my blog account and change the display name, which can be longer than 10 letters/numbers.
The only thing that I'm thinking about are the 3 starters, namely, DOUG DAVIS, DAN HAREN & BRANDON WEBB.
Martin leading off may help his slump. He'll be more accepting of a walk and might actually wait for HIS pitch. If Kent gets hot, remember, it has nothing to do with Matt Kemp. Actually, nothing ANYONE does on this team has anything to do with Kent's performance, right Jeff. You are an individual in a team sport. And the only thing that matters is your ring…certainly not any other teammate's ring. You know, hanging out with Barree in NoCal all those seasons DID teach you a thing or two about priorities.
I have heard good things about Elbert. I am sad, but understanding, of why Kersh went down, but I am looking forward to seeing Elbert pitch – could be a good thing, hopefully.
dnelly, when rosters expand Monday Kershaw comes back to pitch Tuesday night vs. Pods. It's just a way to manipulate the rosters.
Excellent version of "You're So Vain" yesterday, by the way!! Loved it. I think that song could apply to a number of people these days.
Today is a new day. Let's go, Blue!
good evening you guys.
nsb. norhstateblues- it's all good 🙂
I am looking forward to watching this game tonight. I agree that anything can happen. Maybe a shake up will light that fire that we oh so need. I am a little nervous about facing Webb on sunday. He owns us, but then again, nothing has been predictable these days!
My roommate suggests that someone tie Torre to a chair and putting him either in right-center or left-center field during batting practice and letting the guys take aim.
Glad to have your approval, amy! I guess it's like the opposite of when New Kids turned into NKOTB. My sister had New Kids dolls, lunchboxes, and watched the cartoon every Saturday. I hated those guys, messing up my Ninja Turtles schedule, heh.
Just found out my Dodger fan Aunt and Cousin made it to the BOB (or whatever they call it now) for the game. Hopefully they'll bring some luck to the game, our guys might need it.
PierreEW ~ I definitely hear you on those starters. Why do we always pull those three? Well, last time we had Randy Johnson, and not Brandon, but still.
Kahli ~ I think this will be good for Kemp.
Thanks Kahli for the explanation. I forget that's only a few days away.
northstateblues ~ It is BOB – Bank One Building. I didn't know that until I did my geography unit on Phoenix, Arizona dna the Diamondbacks the other day. That's what it was named in the information – lol!!!
sparkleplenty – LOL!! Dodger Baseball's version of a dunking tank – LOL!!!!!
hi everyone! i was on earlier but this place was dead! i guess its understandable considering the fact that there hasn't been much to talk about besides losing… 😦 WOW Russy leading off!? and Matty batting 5th? hmm… i guess we'll see how that works out…
Hi Dnelly and Amy! how are you ladies doing?
nsblues – "Bank One Ballpark" not "Building" – There is a Bank One Building in Phoenix as well.
even with the switch of matty and russy i'm still very happy to see Andre is still in the line-up!!
Acardona = Ethieraholic
hey acardona. I am well. just counting down- waiting to watch a GOOD game tonight!!
Hi acardona~ I did see you on here earlier with CP, but during the school day, it's more about making short check-ins, and by the time I got a break enough to post, you two had already gotten off. I think enchanted was doing his movie trailers at the time I was able to post.
Acardona~ I am sooo happy to see that Andre has been in the lineup. That is a lesson it seems Joe has learned. He struggled a little through Philly, but he had a good individual run in Washington, and did you read that he got to go the White House also. He is not just becoming Everyday 'Dre, but he's becoming Mr. Ethier Everywhere too.
Amy- "Maybe a shake up will light that fire that we oh so need"
ladyinblu- "Today is a new day. Let's go, Blue!"
I completely agree with both!!
acardona ~ I just mixed you and Amyw27 mixed up. That must be dodgereric rubbing off on me some how – sorry!!
It'd be great if this lit a fire under the team, they need to mow down the West, and de-claw SD and SF if they're gonna make it. The DBags have been doing their part for most of the year.
I think I need a nap – This is the third mistake I have made in the last half hour. I put mixed up in there twice. I am typing faster than my brain is thinking.
dnelly- the white house huh? wow!! man i guess we should start calling him Mr. Ethier now huh? haha!! just kidding 🙂 yes he did struggle a bit but he wasn't the only one.. i hope Joe sticks with having Andre in the line-up! even against lefties!
well thank you. It's funny cause it's hard to talk about this situation because we've said it all already- but most importantly, we all feel it 😦
to stay positive, we know the talent is there. He just have to use our faith and keep believing.
the news is on- they are talking about the Dodgers, saying how we are still in 'striking distance'. So true. We can do it!!
haha not a problem Dnel!
haha- Dnelly- at least you and Eric mix me up with the people I like 😉
Amy27- great to hear everything is well! you moved recently didn't you? or am i getting you mixed up with someone else?
Ethierholics: I re-posted the drawing I did of Andre Ethier on my blog http://northstateblues.mlblogs.com . Trying to get in the habit of using my own blog on the side, and trying to learn how to post images.
Ganbarre Kuroda-san! Jigoku ni ochiro Daimondo-Bakusu!
Amy ~ so true, so true. It's all good, I called Eric Wally the other day, and I am sure he doesn't mind being thought of as being jhall ethier (either) – both great guys!!
you really got to hand it to the dbacks for putting together such a sick pitching staff. i get the feeling we're gonna dread facing webb, haren, and scherzer for years to come. go dodgers.
NSB- thats awesome!! absolutely ETHIERIFFIC!!!!
ok i have to go… gunna go have sushi! yummy! LOL
Good evening all. So strange to see Russ leading off. My question is why is Nomar even in the lineup? I can't remember whether or not he's had any success against Dirtball Davis. Maybe that's it.
Here's hoping Kuroda breaks this funk. I sure hope he gets some decent run support, and Kemp shows some patience at the plate to work the counts.
northstateblues ~ You already know I love the drawing, but I like the blog too. Great Stuff!!!! To repeat acardona ~ absolutely ETHIERIFFIC!!!
Dnelly and arcadona (sorry I missed you): Thanks. I'm thinking about doing some more, but of course, it's the school year now, so I'll see how that goes
acordona- are you seeing the Matt interview on ThinkBlue TV?
he is so beautiful. Matt is soo my favorite. Good Luck Matty!!!
Good evening everyone ~ I agree with jj about Nomar. Especially batting ahead of Blake. All he does lately is pop-up. If he does luck out and get a hit, it's when nobody's on base. Hey, does Juan play shorstop? LOL
nsb= great pic!!
on a sad note= does anyone know what happened to Matt's brother's Tyler? It's a sad thing to ask (I know) but I'm just wondering.
Amy ~ I didn't realize Matt was a good looking as he is — his picture when he's up to bat doesn't do him justice. When I saw him on "Rome Is Burning" I said "Wow"! A great sense of humor, too!
tru- yeah. And he still has that southern accent. I absolutely love it. He is unique and beautiful 🙂
We should tell Matt to please take a differet picture!
Well I guess all the laughing the gnats did on the plane yesterday at the Dodgers expense came back to bite them in the *ss tonight because they are getting stomped on by the Reds 10-4 right now.
Acardona- I know you already left. But yes, I did move only 2 weeks ago. It was stressful, but went smoothly for the most part. It took all my money though! I'm happy and moving forward, and the best part is I am literally 5mins from work. It's awesome.
Almost game time. This pre-game show is showing the facts and they are terrible. The only good part was the Matt interview. I hate when we are 6/67 with RISP. so sad.
Tonight is a new night. I hope the boys feel it too. I also hope Andre is happy to be in his home town and that his family will get to visit. I am happy for him.
Let's Go DODGERS!!!!!
Dnelly, I just have one thing about the Giants score:
Tru- you really think it's a bad pic??? It's cute I think. He's way cuter in person and in the pictures I have of him. But, I guess that it doesn't help that that pic is 20 feet tall on the screen lol.
OMG- Vinny's voice. WOW. I haven't heard his phrases is such a long time. "It's Time For Dodger Baseball" . Vinny really needs to comb down that tupe (sp?) It's a little too high right now.
Amy ~ The games I get are on CBS sports and they only show a picture when they are up. So, that particular one is not very good. Maybe I should contact CBS. LOL
Does anybody know when Saito is scheduled to come off the DL?
Will the Dodgers come out swinging?
here is my theory. Maybe we've been losing because we've been wearing our gray uniforms. Maybe it makes the White uniforms to give up a win.
Come on RUSSY!!!
Nice Double Andre Ethier!!!!!!!!
Here comes the DP
we have some RISP. lets not mess it up!!!
awesome Ethier!!!
amy, I hear that. I missed Vin this past week.
soo many balls tonight.
at least we are tiring off Davis!! advantages for us.
Lets Go Loney!!
If I had known I had family going to tonight's game, I'dve found a way to get them my lucky Brooklyn Dodgers hat. Bought in NYC by my girlfriend's mom, I've only had the chance to wear it to three Dodgers games:
July 25, 2005
Lowe takes No-No into 5th
September 15, 2006
Maddux takes No-No into 7th
July 30, 2008
Billingsley takes No-No into 5th
Not bad for a blue piece of fabric, eh?
I know we didn't score runs, but Davis did have to throw a lot of pitches, so there is some hope in that.
The worst possible start for a shakey club…
Hey, guys, at least they did a double steal. First time in a long whole they've moved.
it's a good start if we continue to make Davis work..but judging on what we do in later innings wouldn't be surprise if davis breezes through the next 6
Good pitching by Kuroda 🙂
ok so i don't have to leave as soon as i thought… i'm back for a little bit.. GREAT DOUBLE ANDRE!!! too bad our boys couldn't bring anybody in!!! it would have been nice to start off with a nice 2 run cushion!!
Amy- YES i did see Matt's interview!! i have a very funny story to go with it! lol my sister comes walking out of her room with a big smile on her face and says… "ok amy… i agree matt kemp is HOT!!" lol i've been telling her forever that hes a hottie and she always says "not really" but she's never seen him up close! so i started laughing and i said with great pleasure "I TOLD YOU!!!" then i watched the interview! haha! and its great to hear your move went well! i know what its like to move (i've moved A LOT myself) very stressful and tiring!
I hope that first inning isn't the extent of our offense tonight.
Honestly, how long can this RISP and no hits crap continue, it's sad cause i wasnt even surprised when they didnt score, like it's expected now. The only reason I havent started playing in traffic yet is that my team is pre-season ranked #1 in college football, cause baseball season is getting worse by the inning
dnelly ~ forgot to tell you they changed the name of the ballpark. It's now Chase Field — the BOB is gone lol
when was the last time nomar got a hit?
tru- i agree we should ask Matty to change his picture! lol it really does not do him justice!
acardona- that is a great story!!!! Matt isn't the obvious heart throb on the team. Automatically it's Andre and Russy. but you definetly have to give Matty another look cause he is quite beautiful 🙂 I recorded the interview. I am pleased.
can we score please ??
Now lets go out and beat down those Snakes and make them eat those "Beat LA" signs!!
at least the top of the order leads off the 3rd
Nomar and Blake really suck
Thanks, acardona, you tell him for us. After all, he's got to make his fans happy, right! lol By the way if the Ethier fans are ethieraholics, what are Matt's fans called?
Nomar and Blake don't suck- they are just in the same funk that everyone else is!
Dnel- isn't it super strange how 'funk' is NOT a censored word on the blog? strange!
trublue ~ yes, I knew that it had been changed, but I guess some still like to call it BOB.
amy- haha ok i didn't want to sound like a goober but i recorded it too! lol!! (not saying your a goober!!) its actually funny that a lot of girls (including myself) think Andre is the "heart throb" of the bunch cause we actually have some pretty good looking YOUNG guys on our team!
grizzly, the last hit he got was a grounder to LF through the 3Bman in the 6th on Wednesday, before that, it was a ground ball single towards 3B in the 6th as well.
Both games he failed to make it home (or the team failed to get him there. either way).
This is totally Not about baseball..but it's pretty interesting.
maybe this is a reason why we can't beat the Snakes! They are un-swattable?!?!
tru- if i ever meet him i'll be sure to let him know! 🙂 that is if i can talk! lol i got pretty star struck when i saw Andre! haha as for the Matt Kemp fans… hmm… i guess we'll have to think of a good name! 🙂
The Matt Pack?
Matt-Kaholics? haha!
Dodger fan. I don't need an 'extra' title for Matt 🙂
Amy, Nomar SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! Blake has been playing over his head this season. If you look at his career numbers this year could be considered a fluke. He played about as good as he could the first couple of weeks he was with us.
Davis has great pickoff move.
Like Andy Pettitte.
MAX. I will disagree with you. But that's your opinion.
I hate the DP!! pure crap.
Max agree with you Nomar and Casey both suck
amy- no matt kemp fan name? okay.. if you say so.. haha 🙂
ok boys… we need some runs!! C'MON DODGERS!!
acardona- it's cool. I'm trying to keep a low profile here. I am ok with just being a Dodger fan, with Matthew as my favorite 🙂
I think we need to stop leaving me on base and get on the board 1st. We need to take the lead and command the game until the end. Strategize boys!
*men on base*.. not "me" on base
fine by me amy! i don't know if you were on here earlier but i was saying "when are they gunna have Matt Kemp's 'before the bigs'? I loved Russy's James' and Andre's! I'm ready for Matt's!" BTW i completely agree with you! WE NEED SOME RUNS BOYS!!
I have to leave in about half an hour so do me a favor boys and get some runs before i leave so i don't miss anything!! LOL i hope they have the game playing at the sushi place!!
Yes- I'd love to see Matt's story along with his family. It's always good to see them in their element at home and with the ones they love. I think Russy has an incredible story. Don't you notice the correlation between strong family bonds, and these boys making the bigs? It's such a great thing. That's why they are good boys, because they have good hearts 🙂
Let's Go Dodgers, Let's go!!
Fire Joe
Fire the guy who hired Joe
Fire the guy who hired the guy who hired Joe
I'm glad the D-Backs have to play the Cardinals. Hopefully, they'll give them as much grief as they always give us. Kuroda looks great so far, we just need to score some freaking runs!
Dnelly- if your still here i was just wondering if that singed Ethier jersey you got is a jersey he actually wore in some great game? or just an authentic Ethier jersey he signed? (when i say "just" i don't mean that its any less important!!)
Eric and Blucrew- you've arrived. Welcome 🙂
But Eric- you forgot….. Hire Mr. Edwards as GM!!!!
This Casey Blake deal is really gonna come back and bite us. Not only will he probably be resigned next year (i'll complain about that when it happens) but the lose of Jon Meloan and Carlos Santana could be very very very costly. Short term this deal hurts us in the bullpen. When it's two days until September and you've got guys like Jason Johnson in your bullpen Jon Meloan comes in handy. Sure he was a starter this year but it didn't work. It's incredible how quickly Ned forgot how dominate Meloan was as a reliever last season. Who knows maybe even Edwin Jackson could be in our Pen this season if Ned didn't trade him for lord remembers who.
We all know Russell Martin doesn't want to commit long term to this team and you really can't blame him. Who knows maybe when he becomes a free agent he goes to a good team that knows what its doing. Who's gonna catch then? Bejini Molina? Since being trade Santana has gotten better.
acardona ~ I am not sure about the jersey 🙂
Hey, Amy. How's it going?
Good Evening Ward Dear ~ busy day today? It was a very busy, but fun Friday for me indeed.
Good evening to you too bluecrewgirl 🙂
absolutely amy!! A lot of them have parents that separated when they were young or had a family member/friend that died and yet they stayed strong and still had a VERY strong bond with their family's and accomplished their biggest dream! I love hearing there stories of success!!
hey blue- I'm just watching this game and we better come out on top!!!! It's kinda quite around here. I'm looking forward to a restful weekend.
i do hope we win.
COM'ON PODS<<<The ROX are getting to close for confit.
Hi DNelly. I really hope we can pull this game out. Hi to you too, Eric, and everyone else.
Viva Los Dodgers~~
hi eric!
hi bluecrewgirl!
ok i'm going to have to get going… i'm really hungry! i might be on later.. but if not, good night amyw27, Dnelly, dodgereric (hi and bye) bluecrewgirl (hi and bye to u too) and have a good night to everyone i missed!!!
(p.s. man i hope the game is on at the restaurant!! lol)
Well shoot howdy amy, June Darlin', bluecrewGIRL, acardona and all the rest of you sufferin' characters!
amy, I just shot scott's "Fire Joe" thingamajig into the air and then retreated back a day or so to make sure I captured all the songs we've written in my absence. I didn't catch the Mr Edwards thing.
Yep Junie, busy day. The sheriff made an unannounced arrival this morning and I just spent the last few hours saying goodbye to a pal who retired today. A busy, but nice day!
p.s.s Acardona = Ethieraholic!! lol 🙂
Well you can thank Ned for that run! If he would have just claimed Dunn off waivers and offered the Reds Andruw Jones Dunn would still be a Red. THanks Ned
Hi eric ~ missed you! Not the same when you're not here. But, we've got you now!!!
Hi Eric, good to see you
This will be our inning, I feel it!!
Eric- going back to our Little House on The Prairie comments. our friend Scott said that he always loved Mr. Edwards.
So he came up with:
Fire Joe
Fire the guy who hired Joe
Fire the guy who hired the guy who hired Joe
Hire Mr. Edwards as GM
lol. It still makes me laugh!
ok. Dre keeps gettiing himself on base– now can we cash him in???
Edwards was my favorite from Little House too. He was the Perfect Drunk!
Alright, let's ditch this damn RISP LOB curse NOW!!
nsb 🙂 MR. Edwards freakin rocks.
you are awesome too. you love Mr. E, Dodgers, and Pop music 😉
El double steal. Rocks!!!!
ok. We really really need to cash in. Matthew- this is your moment!!!
heheheh Amy. I'm a Rock guy first, but I'm not afraid of a good Pop song.
Kemp is do.
nsb- I know. to me you are a popstar 😉 It's all in the name.
lol. if that's ok, of course!
fine by me 🙂
Awww, listen to those poor Phoenix boobirds
K E M P does it, good show,
Ward Dear ~ It's always hard to see good people retire. We had a very good teacher retire last year. She was at the school when I was a student there.
My Loney has a first name,
It's J-A-M-E-S
My Loney has a second name,
It's L-O-N-E-Y
I love to watch him every day
And if you ask me why I'll say
'Cause James Loney has a way
With H-I-T-T-I-N-G!
By leefink and martinloneykemp
we are going to the bank and cashing in. Way to go Babies!!!
but on yesterday's 'Prairie' little James got shot in the tummy by bank robbers. So I'm a little 'bank shy' today!
Sorry Ward Dear/Eric ~ I had to post the song. I am glad you had a good day.
All I have to say is it's about damn time Lady Luck paid us a visit. Good at bats by Matt and James.
I always felt sorry for Mr. Olson. Maybe if he spent more time at the saloon with Edwards, he'd at least have a smile on his face
Seriously, why is Nomar still starting? Berroa has been hotter then him lately.
if/when we win. it will be a great boost of confidence for our boys!
we so need this!!
The Snakes are yeling about the ump giving us a break.
WELL at least we took advantage for a change.
Well, this definitely feels better for the moment. Hitting the ball, good at-bats, runners moving over (eventhough Andre should've been out, but shhhh!! we won't tell), and scoring for a change. Let's hope this keeps up.
Max ~ don't you think Blake should play short and DeWitt can play third? A little more pop in the lineup, right?
I was wondering the same thing, trueblue. Does anyone know if Blake has ever played any short?
Thanks Nomar
bluecrewgirl, Casey Blake? He played only one game at SS in his career, earlier this year in Cleveland
No Blake haven't played SS in his career.
Why am I not surprised?
Veteran leadership at it's finest once again 🙂
To paraphrase someone from yesterday, "They shoot PVLs, don't they?" Except for Manny, which veteran is exactly helping this team? It's all kids!!!!!
I though Blake was promoted as a utility player who could play any position.
Tru: buenas noches
we need OUTS Dodgers!!
Oh my! The moons are coming into alignment tonight 🙂
N/m he has played 1 game
TruBlue…Ching-Lung Hu needs to get another chance. He wasn't himself when he was up here and once he got his eye problems fixed in Vegas he has hit well. Plus he plays a billion times better defense. He wouldn't have just cost us this game like Nomar just did. As for Blake as mediocre has he is he is our best option for 3rd base this season. Dewitt's bat is more suited for second base.
I'd say "time for a new pitcher"- but we all know that our 'pen had been letting us down 😦
Here's the stat page on Casey Blake. Only one game at SS, so I don't know how good he'd be at it.
Kahli ~ I think that was enchanted that said that, so maybe he's there ready to shoot away – LOL!!!
How pathetic. If we lose, it will not be Kuroda's fault. What little league defense.
UGH 4-2. We are finished if we can't win this series.
Need to stop the bleeding here!
Dnelly- you are right! I feel it too.
Jason Johnson in the pen. Joe wants to get this game over with I guess.
This inning feels like quicksand
NSB: I always felt sorry for Mr. Olson. Maybe if he spent more time at the saloon with Edwards, he'd at least have a smile on his face…..
Agreed. Mr. Olson was such a nice man, but he was married to Harriet who was a witch and he had bratty kids. Alcohol would have ruined Olson- he was a straight shooter. Except that one time he considered cheating on his wife with that red head!
Max, I agree, Kuo should be coming in now, not Johnson.
I never caught that episode, Amy. I'm sure if Harriet caught her, there'd be strands of red hair blowing through the streets of Walnut Grove
Okay Dodgers ~ it's early, we get a crack at their bullpen – let's go!!!!
it's so hard to like this team. we score and then give up runs constantly.
It looks it's getting rougher & rougher and this team is going to be tough to beat.
Got to get tough back.
Vinny is pissed about that fan interfering. Did anyone see that news clip they just showed of a kid that fell out of the stands in the outfield trying to catch a fly ball? I'm not sure what stadium it was at.
nsb- we never did anything. he has a good heart. he really really wanted to. he would sneak off to visit her. so i guess it was mental cheating. but then he realized that he loved his wife and he went home and spoiled her..and they 'kissed' and that was that.
Come on my little Pierre. Amy loves you 🙂
What's Vin saying, bluecrewgirl? I've got Steiner and Monday on the radio
Juan not being Juan but still out
I will say, as pissed, sad, distraught, etc etc I am as I watch the Dodgers performance the last 7+ games, at least Vinny makes it tolerable.
bluecrew- yes! that boy falling was terrible. Was he ok? did you hear what happened?
yes Vinny was pissed about that. At least the guy is gone so he no longer has to comment on it!!
Come on Russy!!
Let see what Elbert got.
He was sayiing that if the D-Back's manager got kicked out the least they could do was kick him out and was annoyed that he was sitting there smiling about it. They did just kick him out I guess.
Amy, yeah, now I remember that one, your description jarred my memory. the sneaking around, and spoiling Harriet. I remember a funny look on her face after he kissed her.
My mom would watch that show everyday, had the whole book series, everything, so I guess I have a lot of that show floating around in my subconscious.
Who kidnapped our All-Star catcher? That guy wearing #55 all month looks nothing like the player I remember.
Scott Elbert…hmmm.. welcome to the madness.
lets see whatcha got!
thanks bluecrewgirl. I wish I had MLB.TV, I could hear a lot more Vin. I always feel like I'm missing something. Because I am.
I want to thank you all for setting my straight on Blake's fielding prowess. I appreciate the help and I agree with you Max about Hu.
Nsb. No one in my family would watch it. I've seen almost everyone on repeat tv. Never read the books either. but I would LOVE to own the entire series on DVD. that could be amazing.
All Little House, all the time 🙂
gosh, I gotta fill my time somehow when baseball season ends. This little girl does not follow football!
Nice Elbert look like a Kershaw curveball.
Amy ~ I'm with your family. I hated that program.
Damn Elbert maybe you should been called up before kershaw.
This is why we don't trade young pitchers for washed up vets!
Tru- i know..and I think it's funny. You seem like a woman of good family values., this show is perfect for you 🙂
it's funny cause now that I'm reconnecting with the Little House roots, I am finding all these 'in the closet" fans of the shows. It's great how everyone can recall all the episodes. It's addicting stuff.
Come on Joe let him finish it.
Why Joe? Why?
Urgh sigh
He could have at least let him pitch to one more batter. It's not like Park has been setting the world on fire lately.
I think that's the first time I saw Scott Elbert pitch.
He sure throws hard.
But I wonder how long he can throw like that?
I'm gonna go finish this up away from the computer.
Park better come through..then we need to hit like crazy. get runner home. Make it happen. WE can do this!!!!!
Let's Go Dodgers.
night yall
I hope the dfags score just to spite Joe
I liked what I saw in Elbert even though it was only 3 batters – not sure why he couldn't finish it off. Max, you are soooo right. This is why we don't trade away our farm.
20 pitch limit for his first time out isn't bad. For the first time in the past few games I agree with Torre. For his debut no need to stretch him out too much and/or mess up his confidence by having him give up a run.
Amy ~ I just couldn't stand Michael Landon. Here's a guy who did a wholesome family show and left his wife and 8 kids for a younger woman.
Angel, I doubt the Dodgers had him on a pinch count. If they did they woulnd't have brought him up. Joe just got nervous cuz he's a Kid and wanted to go to his safety blanket…someone thats over 30
This game feels like it's taking forever. My girlfriend is reminding me of that, as I've "commandeered" the computer, heh. I bet she wishes I was more of a diehard football fan than diehard baseball fan, there's only 16 games a year in that.
Only trusting people over 30, Joe would've made a terrible hippie
Wow Dewitt for Kent must be hurt?
Man if only Andre had hit that ball to a different spot. He hit it hard. Then we would have 2 on and no outs. We have to find a way to break out of this. C'mon Dewitt!
Hope Kent's okay.
lmao Torre think he smart with that move. Dewitt is still clutch with risp.
I am for Blake playing 2nd for Jeff – how about you?
Great Job Blake DeWitt – Welcome Back!!!!
D E W I T T the wit.
Yeah! Cut down those $##@$%# snakes!!!!!!!!
I agree DNelly. We need as much sock as we can get in the lineup.
Hey guys give Jeff a break. He's not a wizard you know.
Can we please dfa Johnson and bring up McDonald before the Sept 1 called up?
I would love a double steal and then a homerun.
I wish Loney would stop the gidp.
James, James, James 🙂
Just what they need. More DP DOOM!
Not again. Sigh…..
Welcome back Blake DeWitt.
nsblues ~ Also, football is only on weekends for the most part, not every night like baseball.
Man how fast they come back.
This is just too annoying. This team f-king sucks. They have no fight. Stephen drew manages to hit a perfect rbi single and loney can only gdp. We need to get more than one run when we get 3 hits in one innings. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Chan Ho was a good story but he's been getting light up. So let me get this straight…Elbert domintates, gives up one hit and then gets pulled. Park has given up 3 straight hits and allowed a run before getting an out and he's still in there. That makes perfect sense Joe.
Park's arm is fried! Get the hook!
Nomar is freaking useless. Get him out of here. Give me Chin-Lung Hu!
Well, this game is over. Thanks to Nomar for his stellar defense, and CHP for his stellar pitching once again. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Dodgers. Let's go for 9 tomorrow night.
Nomar needs to go back on the dl. He looked good the first time he came off it, but he has not looked good since he came back the second time, both defensively and offensively.
Nomar really sucks tonight. He sucks most of the time anymore, but tonight is some special sucking.
"it appears the wheels are finally falling off the jalopy" – Charley Steiner.
can't do this again….. might be back later, but I figure I'll give my gf a crack at the computer, heh.
Max ~ I'll second your motion!!!!!!
stick a fork in this one..what else is new.im not even going to stress out anymore, just a game..guess you have to fool with your mind sometimes..as much as we bark things arent going to change until management decides to cowboy up and give us a true leader..someone that is not a giant(Colletti)..someone who didn't grow up rooting for the giants and being a yankee for who knows how long(Torre)..and the list can go on..$#$^$&%*&^(^&*%^..ill just go blow a hole through the wall excuse me
Why do other teams middle infielders seem to get to every g-damn ball we hit, but our middle infielders seem to play in a pit of quicksand and every groundball is a base hit?
Same story. Veterans have cost us another year in total.
Like Oh no I hope Kent isn't hurt. Whatever will the Dodgers offense do without a .736 OPS hitter in the center of the order.
When it rains it pours……….
Because David ours are bad defensive players. You didn;t say that about Furcal did you?
c-ya in 2009….
ok one quick comment…
comment over with…
Max ~ Chin Lun Hu at shortstop and Blake DeWitt at 2nd. It certainly can't be any worse than the PVLs we are dealing with in those positions right now.
i tired of watching joe torre lie agaisnt that rail with no emotion what so ever…go off on somebody, break some chairs..curse someone out..*ucking do somethingg u piece of sh*t
Agree, DNelly. Please no more Nomar or Kent in 2009. I appreciate what they've accomplished in their careers, but it's time to move on.
No Furcal managed to get to ground balls. You cannot win if youre weak up the middle. Everyone knows that except Colletti and Torre it seems….
Look at Joe! He looks like he just wants to go back to his hotel room drink some bigalow green tea and take his geritol. Wouldn't it be nice if Gibby led us to a 4 run out burst and NOT the dfags? Old Dodgers beating new Dodgers is sacrilegious. I really can't believe the short hook Elbert go and Chan Ho was allowed to completely blow the game for us. I like Chan Ho and always will but come on Joe that's pathetic! Your blind faith in anyone over 30 has cost us this season.
A lot of baseball people will tell you that if are solid at catcher, short stop, second and center you will more then likely have a pretty good team. We've got 2 out of 4 covered.
I would love to see Josh Bell at 3rd with Hu **** and Dewitt at 2nd.
Here's tonight's edition. Can't see any use waiting a few more outs. The Go-Gos, We Got The Beat:
Kuroda san's getting all the hitters
Got a knock or two and it looked like we'd be winners
But Nomore just can't field or throw it anymore,
Park came and ran amok and…
We just got beat
We just got beat
We just got beat
We just got beat
C'mon McCourt an get off your seat
We want wins now instead of defeat
Fire Joe and fire Ned too
Now, now, now, now, NOW!!!
Artist: JoJo on the Railing
CD: We Just Got Beat LXX
© NedCo Broken Records 2008
Exactly. But its compounded by the fact that were weak at 2nd and short, so the entire infield is weak. It's way worse than having a bad 2nd baseman or bad SS.
Sweeiner being Sweeiner. Why is he still on the team? This is why we suck.
Snake bit.
bluecrewgirl ~ You are right, I mean no disrespect to their careers, but it's time to let the kids play. They are the future, and right now, they were (and are) doing far better. The same problem in the outfield has made it's way into the infield (PVLs over the young guns). Joe doesn't see that the kids as the better choice. It took him 3/4 of the season to figure out the outfield, and If it took him that long for that, they infield is toast.
hey max i like your passion..there is no sugar coating with you
Perfect timing enchanted 🙂
The moon is rising tonight as well 🙂
I don't want to hear bad things about our young players….it's the old timers who are costing us plenty….they are the ones who are screwing things up big time!
1 – Young Frankenstein
2 – Monty Python's Holy Grail
Sorry Max, I said just about the same thing you did. I guess great minds think alike! LOL
His failure to figure out that Matt and Andre should start every day since day one is one of the biggest mistakes he made. Cost us quite a few games. I would like to see them resign Manny and have and outfield of Manny, Kemp and Ethier set from day one next year. If they get rid of Penny, Lowe, Kent, Nomar and hopefully Pierre and dare we hope Jones, that would free us some serious cash to resign Manny.
grizzly ~ Max speaks his mind, he speaks it well, and he is always right on 🙂
Sugar is for Kids grizzly. Adults don't need it. ha
Next time they pan the dugout keep your eyes open for the white flag Joe is holding up! Oh wait, its out there on the mound never mind.
Is Joe even awake this late in the game, Max? lol.
Ward Dear ~ Do we get movie night tonight? – yeah!! I am a Gene Wilder girl myself, but I will take ethier (either) one of those.
Max ~ Joe can't hold up a white flag……he needs both arms to lean on the rail!
"That's Fronk-un-steen."
The reason there's no strong defense in the infield is that you've got a 40 year old 2B with no range, a cracked crystal vase at short with no range, and a 35 year old third baseman. Now let's put that together with a .130 hitting PH who gets most all of the ABs off the bench in clutch situations, a back-up SS named Berroa that even KC didn't want, a guy named Park who was starting to thrive as a starter, and who had told Torre he doesn't like short relief because he can't prepare properly, a journeyman middle reliever, two youngsters trying to close, an over worked catcher, no stopper in the rotation, a fistful of PVLs that can't hit, and a manager that I'm not sure is even alive.
I think 3rd place is a certainty, but 4th is certainly within reach.
I like to think i'm not a baby, i'm 23 and in the Air Force, but right now i just feel like crying my eyes out into my pillow, this is just sad. Last year it was a 7 game losing streak that buried us, now it's 8 and counting. I think it's time for those magical words…"maybe next year"
Hahaha trublue and bluecrew, my bigelow green tea just came flying out of my nose. very funny stuff.
This bullpen is tired, and over worked.
bluesplash, I think its time for those magical words: Ned and Joe, you're fired!!
LMAO!!!! Nice synopsis enchanted 🙂
Bluesplash, pass the tissue box, we feel your pain.
Enchanted, if all the fans and media can see what the problems are with this team, why can't the powers that be? I was so excited for Torre to come to the team and he is so different that I thought he would be. I am very disappointed. I thought he was so much more intense than he has shown himself to be. Is it to much to ask for a manager that isn't in need of CPR?
Thanks Max, but you are the one who's on fire tonight! I wish you'd pass some of the vigor to our pal Joe!
I see that we have 3 runs on 11 hits and the Snakes have 9 runs on 10 hits. What's wrong with that picture? Its obvious Mattingly can go back to Indiana, his work is done here.
And please, no movie "Pal Joey"!
lost in space.
Maybe it's good to get all this losing out of the way.
goodbye dodgers hello blue jays
All too common lately enchanted with the Dodgers getting more hits than their opponents, and coming up on the short end of the stick on runs scored. It's a horrible pattern.
blue I think the problem with Torre isn't that he's any different than he was in New York per se, but with a loaded line-up of $200 million in players, and an owner that had the outbursts for him, it masked the fact that he's a very mediocre manager.
If Nomar and Jeff were hitting, jj & enchanted, we would be winning these games. They have failed miserably with RISP.
Gosh RISP almost looks the same as REST IN PEACE!!!
Are you saying that I put an abnormal brain into a six foot tall, fifty-four inch wide DODGER MANAGER? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME????????
Manny certainly got his licks in tonight. Too bad there were no RBI's.
Possibly one game closer to the firing of Ned 🙂
LOL Good one eric!
When does basketball season start?
So, I guess this means it's Young Frankenstein?
Tru The defensive blunders haven't helped much either. Notice how everything went down the drain in a hurry after Nomar's boo boo.
Dnelly ~ I prefer Silver Streak
I'd just like to see them end this charade and go with the kids entirely in September. Would also do a world of good to fire Ned immediately and let Logan get his feet wet during what's left of the season.
The last three years is exactly hat you get with PVLs – deceptively competative, then it all falls apart in the end. This has been Ned's "philosophy" and each year under his "guidance" this team has gotten worse (not uncoincidentally with the quality of the PVLs Ned's gotten.)
Hiring JoJo was the icing on the cake – a PR stunt that backfired and left egg all over everyone's face. A veteran's manager for what should've been a young team was probably the worst choice ever made, even worse than Andruw, Pierre and Schmidt put together.
Now we're left with rebuilding AGAIN next year. If we're lucky, enough of the young guns will come together and make a real run at things in 2010.
How can anyone be complaining that it took Joe this long to start Kemp & Ethier in the outfield everyday? Since he "got it" we are playing our worst ball of the season. I'm not disagreeing with them being out there everyday, i'm just saying it is a non-issue at this point. Don't blame Joe or Ned, blame the players.
It's amazing how we keep out hitting our opponents, without being able to score much.
This isn't anything new.
Our offense has always been our weakest link.
Tomorrow night we take on Dan Haren.
Actually I don't thing either one of these teams could go too far in the post season.
I'd hate to see the Rockies take 2nd away from us though.
"What the hell are you doing on the rail all day and night? Why don't you get out of there and give someone else a chance?"
I bet the attendance on the next homestand will be terrible. The way things are going, no one will want to invest any time, or money to see this implosion.
I love Silver Streak!! Anything with Gene Wilder, frankly.
Saul – it's been management since spring training.
Another sign of the Apocalypse: The Cincinnati Bengals' wide receiver Chad Johnson has legally changed his name to Chad Ocho Cinco.
Thats what im saying Nelly! We can win these games and get swept in the playoffs AGAIN and Ned will be back and screw this team up even more. Or we can tank, get Ned fired and hope to god Joe gets sick of it and retires. As far as im concerned a lose is a win at this point.
Ward Dear ~ Now I'm confused – "Young Frankenstein" or "Silver Streak"? Son of a B*tch is from Silver Streak 🙂
Saul ~ Ned got all the useless washed up ball players. How can you not blame him! And Joe kept changing his lineup every other day. Nobody knew who was going to play….it was all on Joe's whim.
All I can say is, its a damn good thing I didn't win the ITD auction and get to meet Joe Torre…
Haha me too enchanted. I would have probably been led out by security and never welcomed back to Dodger Stadium ever again.
Max ~ I have thought that since day one. I really thought of this year as being a development year for the young guns, win or lose, and then when Joe started messing with the young players and the lineups, I figured we were just one step closer to no more Ned. This doesn't mean I don't want the Dodgers to win games. It's just I am seeing it from a positive on both ends, I guess. If we can win and get to the playoffs, then fine, but if we can't, then so be it, and let's move on with a new GM.
I know, June Darlin'. I was just showing Tru that I knew Silver Streak.
Saul, what Joe finally "got" was that Ethier is better than Pierre. And playing Ethier is not what has sent this team into a tailspin.
It could be worse.
It could be raining.
TJ Simers implies the clubhouse is old guys on one side of the room, kids on the other. Now maybe TJ is full of s**t…or maybe he's not. But if this is true, it's the same old song and dance. Torre was supposed to be a panacea but unless there's a rail in the clubhouse, I doubt he ever goes in there. Flush away all the moody, selfish PVLs, and for the sake of sanity, flush Ned and Joe with them. I know GMs and managers don't pop up with the bases loaded or throw hanging curve balls, but this team is an absolute mess confidence-wise. Psychologically, they're a wreck. I can't wait to hear Manny's take when the season concludes. He'll speak his mind because I doubt he'd re-sign if Joe is here in 2009.
LOL, e! Joe would be gone, you would be in the slammer, but the rest of us would be a lot better off!
Saul, the outfield situation may be a moot point now, but it wasn't most of the season when it would have made a huge difference if Joe had made the right choice.
Order of business tomorrow:
Fire GM Ned Colletti
Place 2B Jeff Kent and SS Nomar Garciaparra on the DL (and they don't return)
Make up an injury for RHP Greg Maddux and put him on the DL too..
Release SS Angel Berroa, RHP Jason Johnson and PH Mark Sweeney
Buy out the contracts of OF Andruw Jones and RHP Jason Schmidt and tell RHP Brad Penny his option will not be picked up and he isnt being activated
Leave SS Raffy Furcal, Takashi Saito, Scott Proctor and every other curent freakin' Dodger on the DL for rest of year
Bring up P's Clayton Kerhsaw and James McDonald as well as SS Ivan DeJesus (skips AAA) ,OF Delwyn Young, 3B Terry Tiffee and SS Chin Lung Hu
C Russell Martin
CF Matt Kemp
RF Andre Ethier
LF Manny Ramirez
1B James Loney
3B Casey Blake
2B Blake DeWitt
SS Ivan DeJesus
IF Chin Lung Hu
PH Delwyn Young
OF Juan Pierre
IF Terry Tiffee
C Danny Adroin (eventually Ellis or May)
SP Chad Billingely
SP Derek Lowe
SP Hiroki Kuroda
SP Clayton Kershaw
SP James McDonald
RP Scott Elbert
RP Joe Biemel
RP Chan Ho Park
RP Cory Wade
RP Ramon Troncoso
RP Hong Chih Kuo
RP Jonathan Broxton
Oh crap, somebody go get Joe off the railing and tell him its time to go back to the hotel, I forgot again.
Its called taking one for the team eric!!! LOL
ok so i just got back from dinner and besides the fact that i got to hang out with my brother that i HARDLY ever get to hang out with, the food was great, and a friend that joined the marines surprised us and showed up after he said he wasn't gunna come home for a few months…………….. the game was on at the sushi place and i was wishing it wasn't!!! it was spoiling the good time i was having!!! i was trying NOT to watch it!! man this is just bad!!!
enchanted ~ it would be priceless to see you in a room with Joe.
We always make fun of Ned being Bernie, but I think Joe's the real thing.
They just talked about that kid who fell out of the stands. He's ok.
Glad he's okay. He fell a long way.
LMAO e! I had "What's the matter with you? Take one for the team" as the last line in that post, but I deleted it to see if you'd say it!
Then again, I could also imagine old fogey in a room with Joe, with his 13,699 different name combinations and all of his statisical data that I am sure he has accumulated. I could see many from this board in that room with the very distinct personalities and name titles they have from this board. Eric, Max, Jungar, Leekfink, mlk, etc wit their non- sugar coated approach.
Good Gawd y'all
What is he good for?
But you have to remember that Torre… . with very few exceptions… . is not a human being.
But wasn't that the whole basis of your grandfather's work? The reanimation of dead tissue?
My grandfather was a very sick man.
LMAO pookie!!!
For what we are about to see next, we must enter quietly into the realm of an idiot.
Why, the worm, sir.
Yes, I did read something of that incident when I was a student, but you have to remember that a worm… . with very few exceptions… . is not a human being.
So could Joe Torre be a worm – LMAO!!!!!!
Apppropriate line nells! – And which of the three stooges might that refer to? LOL!!
Bowa: Mr. Honeycutt, Mr. Mattingly. The manager wants a meeting with all coaches, right away.
Mattingly: Now? At one o'clock in the morning?
Bowa: Yes, sir.
Mattingly: Do you know what it's about?
Bowa: Yes, sir – strawberries.
Because I'm angry and depressed, what do y'all think are the REAL chances Joe will "step down" after the season? I mean, Ned has to be a sure thing, but can I reasonably hope about Joe leaving????
From my last post, it looks like I might need to take a P.
"Then there was the incident with the strawberries. That's when they all turned against me."
And we are driving to Arizona in a few hours for this?? Feel like having a sign saying that…We will be in the 5th row from the visitor's dugout.
I was surprised to find that our Loney is leading the team in GIDP with 21. Next is Russ and Kent with 13, Nomah with 12 and Kemp with 11. Well, better get a few hours of sleep.
Is good to hear Vin again. I thought he would bring us luck. Glad that bozo fan got kicked out of the game.
E, you want me to get Joe off the railing after the game tomorrow?
Am I seeing things or are we about to run over our own tow line?
That would be great crzblue. But be gentle with him so you don't wake him up.
Lol, maybe they can have a promotion were some lucky fans can spend the night in the dugout under the stars with Joe.
enchanted – I'm not sure if you are asking about the worm comment of the idiot comment, but all three stooges apply to ethier (either) case, don't you think?
Joe: Aboard my club, excellent performance is non existant, standard performance is the exception, and sub-standard performance is the norm – that, I warn you.
OK, The Caine Mutiny was a great movie but it's not making me laugh.
You are talking about the nonsensical ravings of a lunatic mind! Dead is dead!
Frank to Ned: The first thing you've got to learn about this club is that it was designed by geniuses to be run by idiots.
Ahhh, the wifes finally off the phone and I can go to sleep. Night all.
There's a possibility of electrocution! Do you understand?
Good night enchanted!!!
Good night, Herr Doktor.
Good night, Frau Blücher.
Igor, help me with the bags.
Soitenly. You take the blonde, I'll take the one in the toiban.
Let me out. Let me out of here. Get me the hell out of here. What's the matter with you people? I was joking! Don't you know a joke when you hear one? HA-HA-HA-HA.
ain't got no body, and nobody cares for me. Yakka tak ta a yakka tak ta ha!
JP maybe?
Wait, wait! Where are you going? I was going to make Espresso.
Wait Master, it might be dangerous… . you go first.
LMAO!!! ~ Well, that fit perfectly!!!
Would the doctor care for a brandy before retiring?
June Darlin'! They actually printed that letter!
They did!!? That's great!! I will read it right now – that's great eric!!! I will be back- fabulous!!!
And thank you, scott!
That is great!!! It's funny how all the commentaries about the Dodgers had the same tone – management. The commentary about instant replay was pretty funny – to overturn the acquisitions of Schmidt and Jones.
Yep. We're not alone, are we?
We've kind of known we weren't alone, but it wasn't publicized in the beginning, and now it's a little too late. However, if it gets at least Ned fired, then maybe it's not too late.
Great job, dodgereric! It's always fun to get a letter published!!!!!!! If things keep up like they have been, next Saturday's letters should be even more disturbing.
We'll have to turn it up a notch, kahli!
Kent's getting an MRI on his knee:
Tonight's game started out pretty good, and when we went ahead and Kuroda was pitching well, I really thought the Dodgers had really turned it around. That missed play by Nomar was the turning point and a costly part of the game. I expected kind of a pitchers dual tonight, so I kind of figured a possible low scoring game, but it really goes back to that play and a 0 out situation instead of a 1 or 2 out situation.
Once again, pain in the knee for a month, and why are we just now saying something? How many times have we heard that this year. "I/he have/has had this pain for……" How can you possibly be helping the team by hiding things like that?
Did you read this one about JP? I guess Joe gets some late credit for finally figuring out the outfield, and that Andre is an actual asset compared to JP. Now, he really needs to figure out what to do about his infield problems, which might prove to be worse.
It really did turn on Nomar's error, didn't it?
I liked Elbert tonight.
Wow!! Elbert was fantastic – I thought. I know it's early, but he was as impressive as Kersh was when we first saw him. (I was a tad more impressed with Elbert). Even the dbacks announcers were impressed.
eric ~ emma said you are able to go back and find the previous commentaries the Times published of yours. She said you could find them on-line. Did you ever find those? Or do you care now?
"…the 40-year-old second baseman who has endured a wide range of physical problems this season had to be replaced by pinch-hitter Blake DeWitt."
I'll tell you–and I may get crusified for this–Kent going on the DL wouldn't be the worst thing that could happen. Not because of his baseball skills, but because of his veteran presence. I've got to believe that if there's still tension in the Dodger clubhouse, Kent hasn't exactly helped. If he was truely "gone," if even for a couple weeks, it would be the kids..and Manny. Garciapara, Casey Blake, Pierre, Sweeney…these guys can't lead because they aren't that good anymore. But Kid DeWitt got that beautiful rbi shot.
Elbert was great wasn't he? If only Greg Miller could have kept it together the Dodgers could have easily had 3 of the best Left Handed pitching prospects in the game! Coupled with Billz and J Mac how can you not help but be amazed at the quality of talent Logan White has assembled. Not to mention Edwin Jackson even though he didn't pan out like we all thought (even though the Dodgers TOTALLY botched him). The Dodgers have had some of the best pitching prospects in the game the last 3 or 4 years.
I agree with you 100% Kahli – I still think it's a chemistry thing, and it goes back to the vets vs. the kids. Aside from the opening week with Manny, their best baseball was played when JP and Andruw were on the DL at the same time (Houston series on). It was just the kids and Jeff on the field, and it was great!! Once Manny came, it became like that once again because he behaved just like one of the kids (out there having a good time), and then Joe made him cut his hair. I think in one decision to be mister "All about the rules" changed the chemistry of the team once again. The losing streak coincides with that one event, and I hate to admit it, but it makes sense. Joe interferred with a superstition or whatever Manny figures his hair to be, and the team hasn't been the same since.
No kidding Max!! What could be or could've been?
I would give Miller a couple more years maybe he will turned it around.
Carlos Santana won the Cal League MVP. Thanks Ned and McCheap! I hope the extra two million you saved is freaking worth it A-Hole!
Then again maybe the losing streak has to do with how the moons are aligned with Uranus. LMAO!!!!!!!!
Wow!! Good for Carlos 🙂
I would still give Edwin Jackson a couple more years to see if he improved but I still think we rush Jackson up to fast when he was making his major league debut on his 20th bday,
Do you guy still remember the Eric Hull for Christian Lara trade?
Look like he not going to well.
haha sorry thats kinda old news…..
im kinda drunk
It's okay Max ~ I think we all have that numb feeling whether we have been drinking or not – LOL!!!
I think I hear my mother calling me. Oberon appears on the horizon, the street lights come on……time for bed. Good night Max, kahli and June Darlin'!
Dang Max that trade look bad everyday someone mention it. I'm waiting for MeLoan to turn into an all stars some day.
Good Night Ward Dear! Have a fabulous Saturday. There's always hope for a win tomorrow, and if not, another game closer to other things on the horizon.
oh man meloan is gonna be the closer in cleveland next year and for years to come. The blake deal won't be Pedro for Delino but It will probably be as close as Ned is gonna get. tWo goo d players that will be good major leaguers for 3 months of mini mark hendrickson. I cant think about this team anymore right now or im gonna drink myself to detah tonight.
I can't believe Chad Johnson really change his name to Chad Javon Ocho Cinco. That's going to look weird in fantasy league.
LOL!!! Good night Max!!!
Oh why didn't we give the job to Hatcher or another former Dodgers in Dino Ebel?
Dino Ebel (born March 20, 1966 in Barstow, California) is a former minor league baseball player and manager for the Los Angeles Dodgers who is currently the third base coach for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Ebel attended San Bernadino Valley College. He was drafted in the 27th round (365th overall) of the 1986 amateur draft by the Philadelphia Phillies, but elected to attend Florida Southern College, where he was a member of the 1988 NCAA Division II championship squad.
Ebel signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization as a free agent, and was named the Gulf Coast League Player of the Year in his 1988 season with the rookie-level GCL Dodgers. He was promoted to single-A Vero Beach in 1989, and was a member of the 1990 Florida State League champion squad. In 1991, Ebel was promoted to Triple-A Albuquerque where he served as a utility player.
In 1991 he served as a player-coach for the single-A Bakersfield Dodgers, a position he held until 1994. He served as a player-coach for the high-A San Bernardino Spirit in 1995, before coaching full-time with double-A San Antonio in 1996. He began his managing career in 1997 with San Bernardino, taking the reins of the club late in the season. He managed the rookie-level Great Falls Dodgers in 1998, compiling a 40-35 record. In 1999, he managed the single-A Yakima Bears. He returned to San Bernardino in 2000, and led the club to the California League title. He moved to single-A Wilmington the following year, where he posted a 75-63 record. In 2002, he led the double-A Jacksonville Suns to the Southern League East Division Championship and served as the club's manager until 2004.
After serving for seventeen years in the Dodgers organization in some capacity, Ebel joined the Los Angeles Angels organization in 2005 as the coach of triple-A Salt Lake, which posted a 79-65 record under his guidance. After long-time bench coach Joe Maddon left the Angels organization to manage the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Ebel was appointed to the major league team's coaching staff as Mike Scioscia's third base coach. As the third base coach, Ebel is known to lean to a more aggressive style of baserunning.
Ebel has compiled a career managing record of 531-496 in eight seasons.
Maybe Dino Ebel should be our manager since he's been in our organization for 17 years. Gosh I'm hating the Angels coaching staff and the only 2 players that hasn't played for us is Butcher and there bullpen coach.
Maybe Ebel can bring Griffin, Roenicke and Hatcher with him too lol.
Well, all I can say is 12 hits with 3 walks and 14 men left on base along with 2 errors and sloppy play is not ever going to get the job done unless we are playing against the Pee Wee league and I'm not sure we could win there the way we play. We call ourselves a Major League team. That is a joke. We have no concept of how to drive in runs. Just making contact with the ball and swinging for the opposite field or a dinger placed over the infielder's head doesn't seem to be an option for this team.
When we leave Arizona 6 1/2 games behind, (with losses to Haren and Webb) this season is over for the Dodgers and we might as well play every kid and all players from the minors to give them all the experience that we are going to need in the future. Obviously, we don't have the consistent hitters in our youth we thought we had as they have been given every opportunity to start to become major leaguers. They have been playing everyday and at this point, I don't see the spark this team needs to be winners. I hope I'm wrong, but we need to shake this team up starting with the firing of Joe Torre and Ned Colletti make Logan White the General Manager, and get rid of Honeycutt and Start looking for a new manager immediately.
I'm tired of watching this team play like a college team day after day. No where is this team in it's current state headed anywhere. The season is over, capoot, finished, ended. They might just as well sit all the veterans except Manny and let nothing but the kids play.
With the Dodgers sinking, can Ned possibly keep his head above the water much longer? His quick demise would be a measure of comfort this season. If the Rockies pass us, I'd like to see Ned fired immediately, if not sooner. Worthless Giant crap! Get rid of him now and everybody that he has brought on with the Dodgers front office organization.
I'd like to be more explicit about all the things I'd like to do to him personally, but I want to stay on this forum a while longer without having to disguise my identity.
messagebear ~ Well said. I think you have expressed all of our sentiments exactly. I just wish that McCourt had the guts to do it. We will see what kind of an owner Frank really is.
You can see that it is not going to be this year either. Still… you cannot throw in the towel yet. That is not an option. But all things considered, this is the most disappointing season I've had since I started following the Dodgers.
Good Morning ITD Faithfuls!
After I signed off here last night, I was watching late, late night tv only to find myself watching an episode of none other than "Leave it to Beaver." It was the episode where Beav got into a fight with a paperboy in which the paperboy ended up being a girl. I laughed through the entire episode not because it was necessarily funny, but just thinking about how that show has weaved itself onto this board. I haven't watched an episode in ages, but boy, we certainly play those roles pretty well. I was hoping for an appearance of Eddie in the show just to hear him call Beav Squirt, but Eddie didn't show up. After that show, I went on channel surfing to come across an old movie that has recently showed it's face around here lately – "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (the original), but we know it as "Invasion of the Name Snatchers." After that, I was expecting to find "Caddyshack", "Young Frankenstein", etc, but no such luck – I finally fell asleep. My husband is at a USC prospect baseball camp with my son so it's even harder to fall asleep.
As far as Dodger baseball, I only wish for these losses to lead to at least Ned getting fired and sent away to some far away place where he can't harm this Dodger franchise any more. I would wish for something for Joe, too, but I think if I can only have one wish – I want to see Ned gone first since he hired these PVLs in the first place.
Yes, Nelly, I think we can expect the management departures only one at a time; otherwise it would disrupt Frank's sense of organizational stability. It's funny, because last year many of us were calling for Grady's and Ned's heads, and Grady, of course, is gone. How much better would we be if it had been Ned, especially since Grady was replaced by someone of the same age set and demeanor. This year I'll settle for enduring Torre for another year or two, but Ned is way overdue for departure. Frank should consider how how much more exciting it will be to wait for the start of the 2009 season without Ned in the organization to throw away many more millions. I won't bother to add them up, but a Pierre here and and Andruw there, not to mention Schmidt, and it can add up to some real money, eh, Frank?
problems lie deeper than just firing ned, joe, and whoeever else (not saying i like the way they've been handling lately) … i still say the young players are the core of the team whether we're losing or winning… just because we fall behind like this doesnt mean we should stop sticking with the rooks… everytime theres a win everyone takes the blame off joe, the vets, or whoever else a bit and evverytime theres a loss everyone goes offf and blames the same peope they were rooting for or thought was an asset…
chill out people.. we all love baseball for the love of baseball… these players have a life outside of bp and the stadium and games too… u dont think they want to win? who likes to lose… they put in their best effort each night hoping to win.. but its a game… u lose some u win some… so we been in a slump.. who really knows the real reason why.. there could be millions.. but that's between each player, the team, the management, the whole dodger franchise… sometimes theres sunshine sometimes theres rain but either way each player shows up everyday with passion doing what they love…. they have good days & bad days just like we do and when ur in a slump theres nothing worse than hearing more negativity…its not like we've been horrible forever we've been on fire lately so common show some true dodger pride and give some encouragement… we're fans because we LOVE and BLEED BLUE… i'm not taking sides or saying anyones right or wrong on this board AT ALL.. so pls dont take offense.. i jst dont want the players who read these comments ( and u know they probably do every so often ) to feel even more worse after losing a game…
Stick a fork in this turkey cuz' its done!!!
Good morning all!!
Well, well, well. So Jeffy's been playing hurt? Glad he sucked. I mean glad he sucked it up for the team just like Nomore and Puny, and the Curacao Cow, and all the other worthless PVLs. If the kids have not progressed as much as perhaps some people think they should've, look no further than their mentors: Andruw, Kent, Sweeney, Trigger, Nomore, Berroa, Blake, Penny, Lowe, Johnson, Schmidt, Bennett, Loaiza, Ozuna…
Tremendous acquisitions all Ned, and my hearty congratulations. But its not only the quantity of PVLs, its the quality. We've gone from Lofton and Nomore I, to Pierre and Gonzo, to Andruw and Sweeney II – a linear line going straight downhill. Bravo!!
And now from the architect of the Titanic to the captain, none other than Grandpa Joe. The real captain went down with the ship, but our Joe is going to resurface two more times before paddling off into the sunset. Joe's baseball acumen seems to be either stuck in a time warp, or lay at the feet of his former GM Brian Cashman who provided $200 million dollars worth of players. JoJo's youth was served 50 years ago, and now appears to be like a crotchety old fart watching kids play and yelling, "Get off my lawn!" For God's sake Joe, try letting them have a little fun out there. I think one of the reason's the kids falter is because Joe has them OVERthinking out there. The veterans however don't have to think at all because Joe ASSUMES they always have "a plan." Clueless Joe. Fitting.
And of course we have Frank. Frank, who lets Ned spend millions on crap, then has to become a miser so he can buy the L.A. Marathon. What can you say about Frank that isn't covered by the sound of a whoopie cushion?
In the words of a great American:
Fire Joe.
Fire the guy that hired Joe.
Fire the guy that hired the guy that hired Joe.
iheartethier ~ We all bleed Dodger blue. Problem is, I don't think we would have been in this mess right now if Joe would have stuck with the right players from the beginning. That's why, I for one blame him. I know the players play hard everyday, I suffer with them….. through each and every out……each and every time we leave runners in scoring position….and wonder why all of a sudden our pitchers can't get the job done. So, a lot of us just vent our frustrations, which has been quite often lately. But, most of us feel that it's not over until the last day of the season. We give the team words of encouragement before every game.
this team needs what the lion, the scarecrow, and the tin man in the wizard of oz need. only problem is they swing the bats like dorothy, are as intimidating as toto, and are owned by the wicked witch of the west. God save us all.
8 straight?? so so sad. When it went 9-2 I turned it off with disgust.
blah. what a night for the boy in blue.
Long post. Sorry.
Don't give up on the season just yet my beloved ITDers. We MUST find a way to beat either Webb or Haren. If we don't do that I won't give up just yet, but I'm an ultra-diehard.
More optimistically (naively some might say), if we somehow manage to salvage the last two games of this disastrous road trip, we come home to face three weak Padres pitchers (no Peavy) and then get another crack at the D-Backs.
Frank McCourt – Mixed. He's done good things with the stadium and plans many more upgrades. I think the one thing that most concerned Dodgers fans when McCourt took over was that he would tear down Dodger Stadium, make Chavez Ravine a community for the very rich, and move build a new stadium who knows where. He has done and continues to do pretty much the opposite of that. Also the Parking Lot millionaire has used that knowledge to make egress from the stadium much better, this year adding shuttle buses. While there will be some commercial development of the land immediately adjacent to the stadium, it is of the kind that will enhance rather than detract from the ball game experience. He has provided sufficient money to pay for a World Series caliber team (more about what happened to that money below). It is rumored that he put the kaybosh on a trade that would have sent some of our most promising kids away. As to the effect of his other business activities on the Dodgers (such as buying the L.A. marathon), I frankly don't have enough information nor enough business knowledge to make a judgment call. On the negative side, as owner he is ultimately at least partially responsible for the success or failure of the team on the field. Right now that's not looking very good. Also one could argue that had he loosened up the purse strings a little more, the Blake, Manny, and Maddux trades could have been done without giving up as much talent. GRADE: C+
Ned Colletti – Resisted the temptation to trade away any of the kids throughout the winter. Signed Andruw Jones (about which I must admit I was a strongly in favor) for $36 million/2years. Failed to unload Juan Pierre (but that might have been impossible and goes on his 2007 report card moreso than this one). HIRED JOE TORRE. Resisted (perhaps with the intervention of others) the temptation to trade away any of the most important kids during the season. Made trades for Casey Blake, Manny Ramirez, and Greg Maddux. Although it may eventually cost us, I have no qualms with the Blake trade. LaRoche and DeWitt were just not getting it done and we were (are?) in a playoff race. The Manny acquisition was a no-brainer. Maddux was a calculated risk and although thus far it has not panned out, it is too early to say. I won't fault Colletti for this one; I would have done it. Ned also brought in some nice pieces in Kuroda and Chan Ho Park. Inexplicably kept Mark Sweeney on the roster all year. The continuing contracts of Schmidt, Nomar, and Pierre must also count against Colletti's 2008 grade although they were inked in years past. Because he held on to the core kids (except LaRoche who had to go in the Manny trade) and even with the poor signings of Jones et al., I might give Colletti a "C". However the Torre hiring merits an "F". GRADE: D
Joe Torre: I'm not even going to explain it. I've put in applications for him at both the Herbert G. Birch School for Exceptional Children and Hearthstone Alzheimer Care. I'm not sure which he needs. Both are located in New York City. GRADE: F-
lny4loney- we are with you on your thoughts.
I'm going to enjoy time with my family and friends. I wish everyone a pleasant and safe holiday weekend.
We are all diehard Dodger fans through and through. We've been let down this week. but We will gather round our TV's and computers tonight and hope for the best.
Let's go boys. Let's go Dodgers. Let's do it for our dignity!
Take care,
lny4loney ~ Your post was right on the money. I only have one thing to add:
Fire Joe
Fire the guy who hired Joe
Fire the guy who hired the guy who hired Joe!
Why are so many of you blaming Torre?
And Colletti has nothing to do with this latest fiasco.
Believe me I think Mattingly and management are trying very hard to win.
I think the players are trying their best.
Maybe they're trying too hard.*****
Who's at fault?
I don't know- but I don't think that's important.
Let's stop looking for who to blame.
You have to pray or think of some magic potion.
Someone once told me, don't talk about a streak, because you might jinx it.
Well let's see:
There I said it.
Try to think of something that will BREAK THE SPELL.
messagebear, enchanted, and lny4loney (mlk) – SPECTACULAR COMMENTS THIS MORNING BY ALL THREE OF YOU!! Just keep on saying it over and over again, and hopefully somebody takes notice and actually does something about it.
If anyone really thinks this club is a contender, just look at the Wild Card standings, which I feel is a more acurate measure of this team's talent level. Answer: 13 1/2 games out of a wild card spot. Joe is a frozen Stepford manager (just try removing the dugout rail and see if he remains upright), and Ned has crafted a dynamic roster of who exactly??? Age has REALLY caught up with this team. Suddenly (or not so suddenly), Kent, Nomar, Johnson, Chan Ho, Pierre, Blake, and Maddux don't play so well, and the DL is a who's who of the same: Penny, Andruw, Saito, Schmidt, Proctor. lny4loney, your "D" grade for Ned must have come after a call from his parents. Regardless of the Manny bonanza, Ned is, for me, a solid F, right with Grandpa.
JoePierre ~ I think Kahli has explained very well why we blame Joe and Ned.
Oh, go away, Ned and Joe
Go away, Ned and Joe
It's hurtin' me more each minute that you delay
When you are near me like this
Dodger baseball is piss
So, go away, Ned and Joe, and please take Frank on the way
PierreEW ~ I always love your optimism, and I have that too, for the players. I know they are trying their best, and my heart hurts to see them go through this considering what some of them have went through to get into this starting lineup to begin with. We dealt with Andruw and JP in the lineup much too long in the beginning of the season, and now we are having the same issues with Nomar and Jeff. Also, with the exception of JP( who went on the DL for an on the field injury), they all have said that they were hurt long before actually being put on the DL. We have had the same thing happen to pitchers. Doesn't this all go back to management?
BTW – nice comments on Joe's blog, and I like how you pop in and out of Andre's blog as well ~ very cool!!
hey, I will help anyway I can to break the streak 🙂
ETHIERaholic and very proud that Andre is batting .302 with a SLG % of .476 (2nd behind Manny), 6 HRs and 17 runs scored for the month of August. WAY TO GO 'DRE!
Kahli ~ When you speak, you speak well 🙂
Good afternoon all 🙂
Good Afternoon mjd5368!! Are you new to this site? I have not seen that name before. The reason why I ask is we have had many name changes in the last several weeks. If you are new, then Welcome to ITD!!!!
Yes I am I am your sibling lmao
How in the heck did you come up with that name! LOL
JoePierre: I'll try to help as well
What kind of name is that!!!!?!!!!!
i need help lmao i used jays email to set this up and now its showing and want to use nickname instead 😦
I got it 🙂
nsblues – lazy day today? lol!! I think the Dodgers can use all the help they can get.
mjd ~ I believe you have to go back to mlb.com and change nickname, but things have been so screwy with names lately, I'm not sure it will help. However, nsblues (above) goes back and forth between that name and northstateblues all day long so maybe he can help – LOL!!!!
nevermind nsblues – name recovery operation was successful 🙂
dnelly….I changed it thanks 🙂
Yea! It worked!
babyblu ~ you are welcome, and welcome to ITD 🙂
dnelly and tru … Now that I finally got it. I have to get ready for work. You all have a great day. 🙂
Bye babyblue ~ Come back later for ITD late night – fun stuff!!!!
Without passing judgement on any of the comments made here lately or from the beginning of the season, I also feel this most current losing streak has to fall somewhat on the players be they vets, almost vets (i.e. Martin) or younger players. We are late in the season, the so called "dog days" and whether it is fatigue, bad luck or something else, this time of year seperates the leaders of the pack to the also rans. We saw a similar thing happen last year towards the end of the season. You hope the decisions made by management will put the team in a position to win but the players have to produce. I understand many feel the right players have not been in the right place but for the most part, they have been the past few weeks.
That being said, I certainly am not ready to give up on any of the younger players. We all seem to believe they can do the job. The sad thing is that so many of us have little confidence that the management of the Dodgers on or off the field can make the changes necessary to bring the fans a winning team. Frank McCourt is not going anywhere so this falls on him to figure it out and I am hopeful he can.
dnelly… your gonna get me in trouble I can tell.. :)t
dnelly ~ brother is here and they need names of Billy Crystal movies for trivia game
Be afraid babyblu. Be VERY afraid!!!
And welcome to ITD!!
lbirken ~ I agree with the fact that some of losing streak should fall on the players. I just don't like the blanket statement that some people make that it's the team giving up. I don't think the "team" is giving up. There may be certain players not giving 100% everyday, whether due to fatigue, motivation (whatever the case may be), or now injury we are finding out. My position on management versus players goes back to day one. I know it's hindsight, but if the right players were playing from day one, maybe we wouldn't have this do or die situation now, and the dbacks and rox would be looking at ways to catch up to the Dodgers instead. Like you said, it does go back to Frank, and he needs to figure this mess out, and hopefully sooner than later. (IMO) I think most of us feel his first step is firing Ned.
Throw mama from the train….
Dnelly, sorry I was away from the computer for a while, glad she found how to do it. I'm lazy to start the day today, heh.
Welcome to the blog babyblue33. You're not in trouble yet, heh.
enchanted/Beav ~ babyblu has been warned and has seen what has happened to nells and trublue. The warning didn't work 🙂
When Harry Met Sally….
American Sweethearts……
nsblues ~ Thanks!!
'61 – directed but wasn't in
City Slickers
City Slickers 2: The legend of Curly's Gold
Mr. Saturday Night
The Princess Bride
My Giant (blech)
Analyze This
Analyze That
and Running Scared (w/Gregory Hines, who were both in the music video "Sweet Freedom" by Michael MacDonald)
Just off the top of my head… hope that helps.
I think Billy Crystal was in the Princess Bride if I'm not mistaken
Thank you again nsblues!!!!!! I couldn't think of Analyze This
Thanks. that helped a lot.
nsblues ~ I don't remember "My Giant" but then by your comment – I guess I didn't need to remember it – LOL!!!
Nelly, I also usually take offense to statements that players give up mostly because I just don't want to believe it. We are fans; we want to believe that players give 100% on every play, every game. The reality is that just like the rest of us, sometimes a player just doesn't feel right that day and things just don't go well. But since most of us just suck it up and do our jobs, so do players. The problem is they do it in front of a bunch of people not only at games but on highlight shows and so on. When one of us messes up at work or at home, no one else knows about it. When Nomar makes an error, everyone knows about it. But, as a wise person once said, that is why they get the big bucks.
I also refuse to believe Dodger management does not want to win. Sure, ownership is interested in making money and it is a business. But winning has to be the goal. I also will never root for the Dodgers or any other team I support to lose and I have no problem rooting for my rival in situations that can benefit my team.
heheheh, yeah, that was a stinker.
The only reason I remembered Running Scared is 'cause of that music video. Growing up, I watched a LOT of MTV in the 80's, and I always remembered that video because of all the Hawaiian shirts and Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines dancing together. Very silly, very funny, like Chevy in Paul Simon's "Call Me Al" and Robin Williams in Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry, Be Happy."
I want my MTV… BACK!!!!!!
nsblues ~ I remember those videos too. I was in high school in the 80's and mtv was the new thing back when they actually played videos all day long.
lbirken… your post reminded me of something I caught during Obama's acceptance speech. (Don't worry, I don't intend to bring politics in here… I like having this as a politics-free zone. If we all spar back and forth this much over, say, Juan Pierre, I don't want to imagine what would happen if we let Washington join the party.). I'll just rephrase his words:
It's not because McCourt and Ned don't care. It's that they don't get it.
Dnelly, I miss all the old VeeJays, especially Martha Quinn (I had such a crush on her, even though I was like 7 or something). I liked when they first came out with MTV2, because it was supposed to be "All Videos, All the Time". And in that first year, you could catch Fleetwood Mac, the Beatles, Dr. Dre, Van Halen, Yarlborough and Peoples, Nirvana, Poison and Tevin Campbell all in the same hour. It was like 80's MTV all over again (minus JJ, Nina, Alan and Martha)
Of course, they had to screw that up, too.
lbirken ~ points well taken. The only people that know what's going on are the players, coaches and manager in that clubhouse. All we can do, as fans, is speculate. There is no doubt everyone on this board wants the Dodgers to do well, and I guess some just express it differently, but that is what makes this ITD board great!!
nsblues~ OMG!! I was a HUGE Duran Duran fan (Duranny), and boy! Did they have videos. My dorm room at Sac State was covered with Duran Duran posters (along with the Brat Pack because of all the 80's movies as well)
My favorites back then were Van Halen, Poison and Michael Jackson. I also remember watching Remote Control, the GREATEST. Little did anyone know the Pizza Boy/Old lady (Adam Sandler) and Colin Quinn's brother/Old Yeller (Dennis Leary) would go on to bigger and better things. But I loved that show. I remember being a kid, and Steve Sax was on the sports episode. My little sister cried when he lost and was swallowed into the back wall, heh.
nsblues ~ I loved Van Halen and Poison also. I even saw Poison and Tesla in concert when Arco Arena was fairly new. And yes, I remember Remote Control, too – lol!!! Alot of Weird Al Yankovic, which is very similar to our song writing escapades on here. I couldn't wait to see the top 10 video countdown each week. Let's see….. I can go on for days with the amount of music I listened to through mtv – AC/DC, Billy Squier, The Tubes, Quiet Riot, Ratt, Twisted Sister, The Cars, J. Giles Band, Cinderella, White Snake, Great White, REM, Tears for Fears, YES, The Cure, Depeche Mode, and on and on and on…… Wow!! crazy stuff!!!
dnelly- I remember all that stuff thanks mostly to you and especially arco and poison and tesla.. I will never forget the girl and the man with the nachos lmao good times
I have no doubt everyone's trying to win, every competator does. There's a difference though between the desire to win and doing your job poorly. Ned has done his job poorly since day one. I don't think he tried to do poorly, he just doesn't know how to do it. Look at the body count since he took over. Look a the money wasted. Same with Grandpa Joe. He wants to win, but his managerial style is completely wrong for this team, and he's done his job poorly from the outset – JP over 'Dre, PH Sweeney, playing Andruw long after it was apparent he was incapable of even rudimentary baseball skills. Poor job performance over a period of time usually leads to being discharged, which both of these gentlemen should be.
As far as the players, the kids get more slack at least from me because they are still learning the major league game. 2-3 years from now if they aren't doing well, it won't be lack of trying, it'll be lack of ability, and then its time to make some harsh decisions. That said, we all wanted Hu sent down. Hell I even wanted Kersh sent down because I didn't feel he was ready and could use somemore time in the minors.
As for the PVLs, its their lack of ability that has led to the lion's share of the situation we're in as a club. Sweeney should've been DFA'd before June. Nomore's had it, as has Kent and neither should be resigned. Blake hasn't impressed me enought to warrant a contract offer. Lowe is a #3 starter at best on a decent club, not a #1 or #2 on a mediocre one. Andruw Jones was an embarrassment to himself and the team, JP just isn't that good to begin with, Bennett was a joke… I needn't go on.
IMO, of the current 25 man roster, 7 don't deserve to be on it, and 2 are iffy. OK, that's 28% of the team. But one man put those players on the team and another man played them when he had other [better] options throughout the course of the season. Slumps are only skin deep, but stupidity goes clean to the bone.
trublu- I may be to late but Forget Paris was one and soap even though it wasn't a movie 🙂
This is Sarah's Take, and usually she is not one of my favorites, in terms of what she writes about (not as a person), but this time she sounds a lot like many of us.
nblues, your comment about Ned & Frank not getting it intrigues me. We hear the same thing about many who are in positions of authority be it in business, politics, education and so on. These people have access to information most likely beyond what those of us on the outside have and yet they make decisions that just don't make sense, like picking an obsure local politician for a running mate. (Sorry, I know no politics on this board but I couldn't resist).
I suppose in the Dodger's case one could argue it is an issue of philosophy. Ned seems to prefer a known quantity, whatever limitations that quantity might have, over unknown or unproven. Why else would he have signed both Gonzo and JP to play the outfield knowing both those players had limited defensive capability? Did anyone in the organization question these moves at least for discussion purposes? We will never know. And why else would he be willing to take a chance on Jason Schmidt or Andruw Jones? Most of us would have said we don't need another center fielder, we had one in Matt Kemp. Why was Ned not willing to take that chance? Yet in spite of what appears to be a preference for experience, Ned refused or resisted trading the core of the younger players now playing every day. I think there is something more to just not getting it but I am not sure what it is but as I said earlier I hope Frank does something about it.
Dear Frank McCourt,
You've tried to win without Dodgers in management since you bought the team; now try it the other way. Please hire Kirk Gibson and Orel Hershiser in the off season, and promote Logan White from within. I mean, what in the world have you got to lose?
enchanted ~ you, messagebear,Kahli, and lny4loney should send your stuff into the LA Times. Eric got his in, so you should try too ~ you are writing some really good stuff – seriously 🙂
babyblu ~ this name sounds much better. Glad you were able to figure out how to get it done. enchanted is one of our regulars and he is very insightful. nsblues is also a regular. Can't wait for you to meet our celestial (we call him Oberon) dodgereric; obi, 57dodger; Amy and bluecrewgirl are a few more. This will be a lot of fun for you even if you don't like baseball. Right now, none of us do very much.
trublu- I like baseball ..lol
enchanted ~ I'll second dnelly's motion!! PLEASE DO IT!!!
I am just not obsessed .. yet lol
babyblu ~ I know, I was teasing you! Pretty soon they'll be talking football….a lot of them are in fantasy leagues. In fact, the way this baseball season is ending up I feel like I'm in Fantasyland!
I forgot, kpookiemon aka Kahli is also very clever and to the point.
Ned refused or resisted trading the core of the younger players now playing every day.
Right and three others play for the first place Devil Rays. The jury is still out on the other 15 he has traded. The jury is not out on Ned though, trading 15 or so prospects and spending twice as much as the avg payroll for most NL teams and that return has gotten us 0 playoff wins.
Kahli ~ See, your letter can be sent in too – Go for it!!!
trublue ~ I love baseball right now, so even if the Dodgers aren't doing well, I will change the channel and watch Sizemore and Peralta play if they are on at the same time. I also like watching Joe Mauer (Twins) play also. Also, the A's are playing a little better these days as well.
babyblu – The nacho incident I remember like it was yesterday – LOL!!!
trublu- I think we are going to go the Dodger/Padre Game next Saturday. I'm excited 🙂
You better wear dodger Blue to Petco Park!
Ned's failing grade is definitely an F, not only for this season, but for his entire tenure. Therefore, F Ned!!!
That can stand for Fire Ned, or whatever else you want to come up with for that epithet.
I wouldn't have it any other way 🙂
babyblu ~ they play Padres at home Mon. – Wed.
LM"F"AO Bear!!!
messagebear ~ Fire wasn't my first thought! LOL
lbirken, yeah, something's gotta change, but this time the philosphical shift has to have a permanance, not exactly Frank's strong suit.
I'm not going to pretend that I "get it" any more than the guys in the front office, management, or even the other commentors on this blog (off the top of my head, you, jungar, Max_Power, dodgereric, leekfink, lny4loney and many others go into statistical intricacies and baseball insights that I couldn't begin to know where to look and how to do the math myself). I'm just some 27 year old college student (CHICO STATE!) who has been smitten by this team for almost as long as I can remember.
But even some 27 year old college student from Chico State knows that something is amiss in the house of Dodger.
Especially if the owner is pinching pennies to buy a $^#@&^$ marathon while letting his Cal League MVP and future bullpen get away.
I meant Monday lol
alright, I'm gone for a few, working on a new blog entry, since I got the drawing bug last night. Oklahoma and Texas will be well represented (I hope).
LMAO!!!! Right on messagebear!!!!!!!
nsblues ~ Matt Kemp and James Loney? LOL!!!
I'm off to work bye everyone !
See you later babyblu
ns, thanks for your comments. I leave the stats to others as well but you don't have to be a stats freak to know a losing streak from a winning streak. Looking forward to your drawings.
ibiekrn ~ I'm not up on stats very much myselft but, I like you, know who's playing well and who's not….who I think should play and who does. Maybe, we should apply for manager! We are just as qualified by using common sense.
Sorry ~ I mean Ibirken
TruBlue, it has to be more than just common sense. Joe just makes it look easy because he never reacts to anything and no one in the organization will ever admit a mistake was made by signing this or that player. It just does not work that way. That is what this forum is for.
By the way, it is not "i" or "I", it is a lower case "L". Sorry about that.
I hope all the Kids go 5-5 tonight, all the vets go 0fer and that we lose! That will help this team more then winning and continuing the agony of Ned!
Come on Max, you can't be serious about wanting the Dodgers to lose. I can accept most anything else but not that.
the lineup posted on Dodger Thoughts:
Martin, C
Ethier, RF
Manny, LF
Loney, 1B
Kemp, CF
Casey Blake, 3B
Blake DeWitt, 2B
Berroa, SS
Billingsley, P
I just want to remember what it feels like to win. Good to see Dewitt in there.
lbirken ~ So sorry about the name. I promise I'll do it right from now on LOL I understand what you are saying about Joe and the organization. It would be nice to have an owner who understood the ins and outs of baseball. I miss the good old days when Dodger Stadium didn't have advertising on the walls and Tommy Lasorda would huff and puff. I still have the belief one day we will have people in charge who love the Dodgers as much as we do.
Anyway, let's all hope for a win. Catch up with everyone later.
Thanks for the lineup, bluecrewgirl. This looks pretty good to me. I'm also glad DeWitt is in there.
TruBlue, I am with you. Keep the faith! You too, Max.
What If We Give It Away? —REM
In Chavez Ravine
Underneath the wall
All the money couldn't buy
You're mistaken
Scosia's not standing there
For the record no one tried
Oh I try to
What if we give it away?
Overlooking with a hollow eye
What's pretending is it right
Eye for order a hand for what's in line
Couldn't follow couldn't write
And our life is fine here
Stitch it on your tie here
Here's the trailer Frank
A year has come and gone
We're not moving was it right
Take the order sew it on your tie
We couldn't follow couldn't try
Ibirken, what good does winning do? Yeah we could make the playoffs and get swept and Ned will be back next year. So he can sign more vets and dumb more kids for even more crappy vets. A loss is a win as far as im concerned. We need change in this organization and we are just going to get more of the same with Joe and Ned next season (kinda sounds like the election this year, more of the same no matter who we elect).
Ned and Joe need to go. If that means we have to lose every game for the rest of the season then bring on the losses! Joe will only go under his own power but Ned will get canned if we don't make the playoffs this season. That is the best thing that can happen to this team. Now winning, making hte playoffs and getting swept again.
Okay ~ I caught a glimpse of this movie today, and couldn't resist making these songs fit our management team.
To Frank,
All the songs the Oompa Loompas sing are about lessons, and Frank, we are hoping you are learning your lessons.
Oompa, Loompa, doom-pa-dee-do
We have a perfect puzzle for you
Oompa, Loompa, doom-pa-dee-dee
If you're wise, you will listen to E
What do you get when you got Mr. Ned
Spending money on tired old vets
What are you at losing terribly bad
What did you think would come of that?
We didn't like the look of it.
Oompa, Loompa, doom-pa-dee-da
If you fire Ned, you will go far
We will live in happiness too
Bleed blue like Dodger fans should do
Oompa, Loompa, doom-pa-dee-do
We have a perfect puzzle for you
Oompa, Loompa, doom-pa-dee-dee
If Frank's wise, he will listen to E
Oompa, Loompa, doom-pa-dee-do
We have a perfect puzzle for you
Oompa, Loompa, doom-pa-dee-dee
If you're wise, you will listen to E
What do you get when you got Mr. Joe
Leaning on the rail with nothing to show
What are you at losing terribly bad
What did you think would come of it?
We didn't like the look of it.
Oompa, Loompa, doom-pa-dee-da
If you fire Joe, you will go far
We will live in happiness too
Bleed blue like Dodger fans should do
NO NOMAR! THank god! Fianlly Torre gets that piece of caca out of there. Maybe Joe wants to win now! Make up your mind old man!
Thanks for the lineup Bluecrewgirl – Nice to see Blake DeWitt in there tonight, not to mention Andre again – very nice!! I am also glad he is sticking with Russell at lead off for the time being.
Obi ~ Fantastic song, and I love REM
Max, I still can't be happy with a loss no matter what.
If we were in a different situation I wouldn't be hoping for a loss. I just hate the direction this team in going in and If it takes losing to change it then so be it.
I know what you mean DNelly, I still get paranoid that Andre's name won't be in there from the way it's gone most of the season.
Thanks Dnelly… as a fellow REM and Dodger fan you may enjoy this little diddy as well:
That's Joe on the railing
That's Joe in the spotlight,
Neva changing his position
Less he shows he's human too
And I don't know if Joe can do it
Oh no, I've said too much
Joe hasn't said enough
I thought that I heard fans laughing
I thought that I heard fans say
I think I thought I saw Joe move
Every inning
Of every losing game now
You stand still on the railing
Trying not to make a muscle move
Like a old, opened tube of glue ,you…
Oh no, I've said too much
I set it up
We got to break this string of defeats and the best way to do that is to start scoring more runs than our opponent.
We can try all kinds of hocus pocus stuff to change the luck.
Remember what Yogi says, "IT'S NOT OVER UNTIL IT'S OVER.
I remember Russ Hodges, New York Giant announcer, while the Giants were in last place and in a losing streak in 1951, spit twice into his microphone and changed their luck and they went on to beat us for the pennant.
That team was no better than ours is today but somehow could not be stopped until they got to the world series.
Joepierre, Yogi wasn't a Dodger! Let's readopt that old Dodger saying "Wait 'til next year"
Obi ~ once again ~ Fabulous!!!
Your right Max and next year we'll be a year more expreienced.
Obi ~ you sure have your creative juices flowing today. Good work.
You too, dnelly (miss oomaloompa)
It's up to Kemp.
It's tough to score after 2 out and nobody on.
We needed a third consecutive hit from Matty right there.
Bills' mechanics looked bad in those first two pitches. This could be a long game if he doesn't figure it out.
What a difference good defense makes.
I've been a Dodger fan for years and fact is, this team is NOT THAT GOOD. Can't imagine where the offense would be without Manny. Ned has got crazy work to do in the offseason. Corner infielders with little power (not counting Blake, he 's gone to free agency), weak offensive bench. No real power guys coming in from the farm. Open the vault for Ramirez! Pitching? Penny, free agent. Lowe, free agent. Schmidt, done for his Dodger career. Bring Lowe back; he can eventually be a swingman. But word is Ned's not interested. Maddux? Ned should have signed him two years ago. If he wants to come back, he'll be a better deal than Jason Schmidt. Torre's been a magician, but he doesn't have the horses. Ned needs to be smarter with the Dodger dollars, keep Manny (GREAT deal, Ned) and add offense and healthy arms. It's a shame to lead the league in pitching and finish in third place in a weak West.
"Torre's been a magician,"
Max ~ I knew that was coming. lol
Except for Manny & Blake we have a young team on the field.
Hey Max, guess you could do a better job. Send the Dodgers your resume. You must have preferred Grady Little. Ok, genius.
hhahahahahahaahahah magician oh man. I haven't laughed that hard in years!
Too bad Kemp didn't get that hit in the 1st inning.
A monkey could do a better job then Joe has this year. Seriously a magician? Joe's only trick is making his eyes disappear but no one has the heart to tell him they only disappear cuz he keeps falling asleep!
He try to signed Maddux 2 years ago but decline a 1 yrs deal 6 millions deal to go to SD for 2 years 10 millions I think.
It's a young team that isn't that good…..yet. Needs a few more pieces and some smart offseason moves by Ned (or whomever).
i didnt even realize the game was on. Haren vs Bills end of August and forgot it was even on. thats pretty sad.
Actually ewy, I'd rather have Kirk Gibson or someone that has a pulse! Not Sleepy Joe.
Seriously, Max. Are you saying that this team is good? Are you saying Torre is the reason they're 5 games below .500? Say some thing intelligent, Max.
Smart and Ned don't belong in the same sentence.
Yes, we are a young team with a lot of talent and we need to get rid of some of the veteran dead wood in the offseason, but it would also be nice to have a manager that showed passion during the game instead of leaning on the railing looking like he could care less, and Joe has been no different in that regard than Grady. I thought he would be, but he hasn't.
lmao at the dback defense.
EWY, I have said intelligent stuff…now its your turn. Doubt that will happen though.
Thanks Chris Young! You really helped us out this inning with that triple!
Good going B E R R O A for hitting the ball.
Good hit B I L Z .
Dang bills you hit that ball to hard.
Gosh I hate runners on 3rd bases with one out and a rally killer dp Martin.
Look at the bright side, at least we go 2 runs instead of none like we've been doing lately.
We got the lead.
Hold them Bilzy.
Not enough runs if you ask me.
I didn't know the dback as a total has over 1000+ I knew it was something close to it.
oops that k's. Damn if Manny keep this up he might break Green record soon of getting on base without making an out.
Congrats on 500 double Manny.
Matt! Finally, some breathing room.
BISON!! That's what he hasn't been doing lately. Staying back and going the other way. He's talented enough and strong enough to dominate this league he just needs to stay back.
Kemp must had heard me.
Damn Vinny did you have to mention that? It would be nice to beat Webb and Haren.
Nice 3-6-3
You have to love good defense. i can't wait until Hu is called up. What a 57 min games? lol a 51 min games. What kind of games are those?
Oh no the Dunn/Broxton story at 1st base.
Nomar who?
Bills needs to work on his bunting skills, lol.
Damn Martin hit that ball hard I thought it was gone lol.
I think Dewitt has proven he can play second. If Young didn't have the speed he does, that would have been an out.
Bills is a good hitter on MLB 2008 the show too bad it not the real one. I have Schmidt hitting 17 homeruns this year. but it suck I was having fun edit the stats. Too bad I didn't even think about it with Sweeney and Pierre and traded those 2 bum for Wright and Reyes lol. Of course I edit that option to accept all trade.
Urgh we needed a dp now.
Good Goin' Guys.
Omg love that foul pole damn dback fans need to shut up.
If this came doesn't cement Billingsley's Ace status I don't know what does.
R A M M A N alive! #9
In a must-win series, Manny is showing why he is one of the premium players of his generation. Guys like MartinLoneyKempEtheirDeWitt must shakes their heads in amazement at how Manny simplifies the game.
Tonight's game has been a clinic on how important good defense is. Poor infield defense has killed us lately and has been a big part of putting us in a good position for victory tonight.
Another Bilz Gem.
DeWitt looks like a real second baseman tonight.
I've been finishing up my drawing of Kemp and Loney (up on my blog right now, http://northstateblues.mlblogs.com ), and have been listening to the game the whole time. Now THIS is Dodger Baseball. The clouds are lifting, and for one night, we just might see the shining stars.
What a feeling!
kpookiemon, I was just talking to my dad, who is a Red Sox fan and still likes Manny a lot, and we were talking about how easy and fluid his swing is. I would really love to see an entire season of Manny, Kemp and Ethier in the outfield next year. If they can pull that off, with Loney at first, Dewitt at second and Hu hopefully being able to add hitting to his stellar defense and Bills as our ace and Kershaw and Elbert maturing, it could be a really bright future if Ned doesn't mess it up with more ill-advised signings of veterans past their prime.
Sigh that was so gay.
Does anybody think that things go better without Nomore and Kent? At least it's got to be a defensive improvement.
Northstate, you are very talented. Great job.
bluecrewgirl ~ I'm not kpookiemon but I totally agree with you! Would be fun to watch.
Can we let Nomar leave next year and resign Berroa?
Yes, messagebear, the defensive improvement is huge. Kent has had a great career, but defense has never been his strong point and Nomar used to be a great defensive player, but he doesn't have it anymore.
Northstate, that's a wonderful sketch. Since we're finally winning, you'll now have to keep it up, you know.
Trueblue, let's hope it becomes a reality next year.
Maybe Kuo should had started the 8th innings. Dang he hasn't pitch in a whole week.
A very good piece of work by Billingsley.
Let's hope we can hold them right there, because 8 is enough.
Though a line-up of Loney, DeWitt, Hu, Kemp, Ethier, Martin…AND Manny would be great, Grandpa just won't go for it. Therein lies the real problem. His PVL insistence wrecked this year and it will wreck next year–if he's here. Don't know why he's so against youth, but Logan White ought to slap him upside the head a few times…or else show Grandpa the door.
I thought Billz would be done after throwing 107 pitches in 7 innings. I guess you can't blame Joe because the bullpen has been crappy lately but still 107 pitches in 7 great innings was all we should have asked of Bills.
thanks bluecrewgirl and messagebear. messagebear, I was thinking just that, heh. Already getting ideas for my next project…
bluecrewgirl ~ I know we didn't have Manny from the start but, if Andre would have played ever game and, DeWitt would have been here the whole time, I'll bet we would have been in first place right now. We should have kept Hu here too.
I really hope Torre let Kuo closed it out since he has been rested that long.
Agree, trueblue. Man, Kuo took care of business in short order.
Staying at the statis K U O
If Frank McCourt canned Joe, canned Honeycutt, canned Ned, hired Kirk Gibson, hired Orel Hershiser, promoted Logan White and re-signed Manny, he have this town eating out of his hands. THINK OF SEASON TICKET REVENUE AND SOUVENIR SALES, FRANK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
kpookiemon ~ THAT WOULD BE GREAT, I'D BUY SEASON TICKETS AND I DON'T EVEN LIVE IN THE AREA!!!
I bummed that Andre's had a rough night, he was definitely pressing tonight, but I look for him to rebound against Webb tomorrow since he always hits him very well.
Kahli, if Frank did that, he'd be elevated to Dr. Jerry Buss status!
Frank would NEVER need a loan again, I'll tell you that.
bluecrewgirl ~ I feel bad for Andre too…just hope Joe doesn't bench him. Torre's such a jerk, he might and I'd be furious. However, it wouldn't be the first time. lol
It would be unfair if he did, eveyone has a bad game or 2 and Andre doesn't deserve to be held to a different standard than anyone else. Russ was 0-5 tonight too and Matt was 0-5 the the other night.
That's true, bluecrewgirl, but I don't trust Joe to do the right thing. I'll bet if Andre had played all season he would have had 30 homers.
He'd definitely be in the 20's with 80+ rbi's.
Wow Kuo was freaking dominate. He probably hates Joe for sitting him for a week and wanted to show his stuff.
What does Kuo say?
Now that's a good K U O S E R
This is what happens when you play the kids and DONT have crappy veterans around them!
Way to Kuo!!!
And don't forget to F Ned!
Well SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SUUURRPRISE!!!!!!!! WAY TO GO DODGERS!!!!
I'd forgotten what winning felt like
Well Blake and Maria are pretty crappy but still! No where near the suck fest that has been Nomar and Kent lately.
You are right Max! Let's see if he sticks with them.
the Las Vegas 51s radio announcers got excited when Delwyn Young made a great throw to Chin-Lung Hu to throw out a hitter trying to stretch a single into a double. Someone please post a video of that play!
Max, what did you do to ewydock? Did you scare him off!? LMAO, very good stuff.
Agree with you Max. Even with Russ and Andre having tough nights they were still able to win with the defensive upgrade.
thebatflip, great name! Kuo sure came up big for us tonight.
Haha i dont know trublue, He told me I needed to say something intelligent and I did. Then i said it was his turn and he's been MIA ever since!
northstateblues ~ where are your pictures posted? I'd love to see them.
Max ~ It was so funny. I knew you'd handle him. Maybe he's orbiting with Oberon. lol
HEY EVERYONE!! just stopping buy to say GREAT GAME TONIGHT!!!! Manny and Billz were GREAT!!! IT'S ABOUT TIME!!!! Russy and Andre had it tough tonight but it's all good boys!! oh and BEAUTIFUL HOME RUN MATTY!!!!
Acardona = Ethieraholic and a Dodger addict!!! haha
I forgot, Max, but how could anyone who has been watching the Dodgers all season think Joe's done a superb job? I wish eric and jhall would have seen it.
oops stopping BY*
Thanks so much, northstateblues, I appreciate it.
nsb= great pics. I wish I could draw myself. I think you captured Loney very nicely.
good evening.
glad we pulled that one off!! Happy we played fun baseball!
What a great game! DeWitt looked darned good at second. Manny put on a wonderful hitting clinic. Billz was awesome. And even Old Joe woke up. Amazing!!
I dont know TRu, I can't believe how hard i laughed when i saw magician. Oh man I had to run to the bathroom cuz I was afraid I'd pee my pants!
Thanks TruBlue and Amy. This really was a bit of a rush job, but with my reading schedule they'd have to be.
Wow, it's a great night tonight!
Thanks TruBlue and Amy. This really was a bit of a rush job, but with my reading schedule they'd have to be.
Wow, it's a great night tonight!
northstateblues ~ just went to check out your site. It's awesome….I now have it listed under my favorites!
it was awesome. finally a game that I didn't have to turn off because I was embarassed. I know we face Mr. Webb tomorrow- but hopefully he got the taste of winning and we will take off on that emotion tomorrow. Maybe the Dodgers "got their groove back"
let's only hope.
I'm still laughing, Max. Yea, Joe's a real Houdini. lol
Thanks again, TruBlue! I've neglected it for a while, but I'm getting more in the habit of posting there again. Just as long as I have something valid to say, instead of posting just to post, ya know.
northstateblues ~ I know what it's like to neglect things….you should see my house! lol
Northstateblues~~ FABULOUS PICTURE!!!
DODGERS WIN!! PierreEW's suggestion must have worked to get rid of the losing streak – yeah!!
Dnelly, thanks. I guess I have to do more of 'em since we won, heh.
TruBlue, I hear that, I'm in the same boat here, heh.
Realistically, this guarantees nothing but a beginning, a cold turkey, wake-up call of a win. We may have a WAY better shot at getting to October than, say, the Yankees, but to play in October, we'd have to have tonight's Dodgers show up every day til it's over. And Torre would have to leave well-enough alone.
I'll be back later, gonna call my sis, haven't talked to her in a while. Enjoy the win, and I hope we see more of this in the near future, and that Frank is smart enough not to count an October showing as repentance for the sin of his empty, lint-filled pockets and how they got that way, should that come.
Max ~ You mean Joe is not a magician?
dnelly ~ how was dinner?
Dinner was good! I am bored with the company 🙂
If he is DNelly, he needs a new magic wand.
Are you home now?
Yes, I am home.
Bluecrewgirl ~ LOL!!! Poor Andre and Russell – any good defense to offset the 0 for 5's?
They didn't make any defensive mistakes, nothing out of the ordinary as far as the plays they made tonight. I think they'll both rebound against Webb tomorrow.
bluecrewgirl – no doubts at all 🙂
Time for an apperance by ndeschenes.
bluecrewgirl – nice post on Andre's blog 🙂
dnelly ~ where's sylvia?
sl7180, I think this is the first game in a long time he would be able to put a positive spin on, lol.
DNelly, I don't know how often he gets to look at it, but I figured I'd put some positive vibes on there for tomorrow's game. He was really pressing on his last few at bats, which he hasn't done in a long time. He's been really patient lately. I think he felt left out of the hit parade.
trublue ~ she's here on her computer too, so it's all good.
Okay, sounds like fun lol
It good to see it end.. dnelly.
Now I wish I knew how to start a winning streak.
I'm still having trouble posting on Dre's blog. It keeps telling me I'm not allowed. Mr. Torre's blog, too. However, on Joe's blog, they may know what I'm going to say!
trublue ~ That happened to me the first time too. Try clicking on sign out, and then sign back in -see if that works.
Watching Marley on PBS with his flying dreadlocks…and I wondered if Grandpa had ever listened to Marley. And I wondered if personal freedom means anything to Grandpa…or if it's all about discipline? And haircuts. And shaven faces. Question: Who would the young Dodgers play their guts out for, Manny or Joe? Who would they lay out for, crash into a wall for, Manny or Joe? Joe may not have been the problem, but he certainly wasn't the answer. Too paraphrase an L.A. Times letter: What do Joe Torre and railroad trains have in common? They no longer move players.
Trueblue, I had that happen to me before awhile ago and then I hit sign out and then the prompt came up that says thanks for signing in and then I could comment. Not sure why, but it worked.
I'd make the whole team wear dreadlocks if they played like Manny!
Thanks, you guys. I'll try that tomorrow.
Super Super Extra! Right off The Press Off The Daily Planet!Seemingly recharged green kryptonite seemingly having The Dodgers at their Death, turned a little yellow as the Great Super Hero Manny Ramirez injects Super Life into the Now Alive Again Los Angeles Dodgers with His Amazing 4 for 5 at the plate, with His 2 Cannon Home Runs, a double, 3 runs scored and 2 RBI's! Manny Ramirez you Single- Handedly took all the pressure upon yourself and because of your Humble Greatness you displayed Awesome Super Powers and led Our Beloved and Your Beloved Los Angeles Dodgers To a 6 to 2 Victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks snapping our never to be seen again 8 game losing streak! Super Hero Championship Gutsy Courageous Chad Billingsley shows World Series Championship Victory Stuff pitching Seven Great Innings with Six Strikeouts! Chad, you are Mr. Come Through Dependable! Don't Forget Chad's Number 58 is the same year our Dodgers moved to Los Angeles! I just saw kryptonite turn white!The Amazing One, Super Hero Matt Kemp called on all his Super Powers as the kryptonite turned a little more White With his Rocket Blast Home Run going 2 for 5 at the plate with 2 Runs Scored and 2 RBI's! When the chips are down, Matt Kemp always comes through. It is in His Nature! Super Hero Casey Blake played Super with his 2 for 4 the plate and run scored always chips in! What can you say about Super Hero, The Great Angel Berroa going 2 for 3 at the plate with a Clutch RBI and his Head First Slide at First Base! You taught us many things tonight, Angel! Super Hero,The Tower of Power James Loney played Super Great tonight going 2 for 5 at the plate and always brings his Towering Los Angeles Dodger Presence With Him! Super Hero Hong-Chih Kuo Displayed World Series Championship Victory Form in the Manner He Closed out the game! Super Heros Frank McCourt,Ned Colletti and Joe Torre are rewarded for their Super Faith in adversity as they persevere Undaunted in Belief! And of course the Invincible,Indestructable, Inpenetrable Man of Steel, Our Very Own, Superman Jeff Kent, although being attacked viciously by the kryptonite, it cannot destroy His World Series Championship Victory Prescence which Always Leaves His Teammates & Fans! All the Hosts of Heaven, Your Teammates and Fans are with you All The Way,Superman Jeff Kent! All Of Our Los Angeles Dodgers were Super Heros Tonight! Keeping True To Our Dodger Roots, Our All Powerful Great Dodger In The Sky, Who Nevers Fails, has sent the Spirits of the Legendary Super Heros, Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese, Johnny Podres and Walt Alston To Guide Us In This Last Month, and Had annointed Duke Snyder and Don Newcombe, As These Super Great Dodgers Won Our First World Series Championship in 1955, to join in unison All Of Us Dodger Fans in Unshakeable Faith That These Never Say Die, kryptonite Busting, Comeback Kids Of Ours Are A Truly World Series Championsip Team and that this last thrust by kyptonite was it's last hope and now These Super Charged Dodgers Of Ours Has Gained Its' Super Momentum To Overcome All, And Be Crowned World Series Champions For The Seventh Time In This 50th Anniversary Of Our Beloved Los Angeles Dodgers In Los Angeles ,This Year Of Super Great Jubilee Being 2008 A.D.!
ndeschenes ~ Wow!! Has it been a long time since we have heard from you!! PierreEW is right ~ Eight is enough!! It's about time, I say. When we hear from you we know it wasn't a dream. The Dodgers actually won a game. Thank goodness!! Let's make it two in a row so we can hear from you tomorrow. Have a fabulous evening and a spectacular tomorrow 🙂
Hey ndeschenes, great to see you again!!!!
Kahli ~ You have been on a fabulous roll today ~ great post once again.
You finally had a victory to write about.
I was expected 3 more paragraphs lol.
Bluecrewgirl ~ Andre will be in the lineup tomorrow. In the article I read from the homepage, he is batting .475 against Webb, James is batting .400, and Russell is batting .375. Let's hope they hold true to those numbers and the Dodgers can leave Arizona by taking the series.
I knew he and Russ hit Webb well, so let's hope it's the case tomorrow for them, James and the entire team. I have a good feeling it will be.
I am watching the Home and Garden Show and I wish one of their design teams would come into my condo and redo a room. Some of those designers do an amazing job on a small budget.
Oh how I wish they could come into mine!!! LOL!!! I live along a creek witch is beautiful, but the house is really old, and needs alot of updating.
I was post 666 so I had to post again to get rid of the number – yikes!! plus, I used the wrong "witch". It should have been "which". I have been just horrible with those lately.
awful quiet 'round here. Everyone must be out celebrating. I'm not much for words myself right now, heh. Probably a bit too much celebrating
nsblues~ I am not quite sure how to react to a win I guess. It's been a long time – LOL!!
My husband, son and his pitching coach are in a hotel room in So-Cal watcing "Blazing Saddles". I told him we did that movie the others day – LOL!! It's one of my husband's favorites.
Here's a great article on Former Dodger Dioner Navarro. This guy has been through a lot. I can't be more happier for him. I hope the Rays go all the way this year.
Fire Joe.
Fire the guy that hired Joe.
Fire the guy that hired the guy that hired Joe.
I gotta get to bed earlier than my usual 2 or 3 in the morning on Sat. since I'm going to visit my family for the holiday. I'll catch you all later. Have a great rest of the night.
awesome! great movie for sure.
I didn't know your son is a pitcher. That's cool.
Good Evening Ward Dear!! How are you this evening. I am assuming pretty good, especially since the Dodgers finally got a win. 🙂
nsblues ~ He is a 14 year old lefty with a nasty curve ball – pretty amazing even if he is my son. He is at a USC prospect camp this weekend.
Good night bluecrewgirl ~ Enjoy spending time with your family 🙂
have a good night bluecrewgirl.
Hi Eric! You know, I read a letter in the LA Times Sports section that had the same three lines. He seemed like a smart feller.
Wow, that's awesome! I'm sure he'll impress the guys at USC. So you must catch a LOT of baseball games over a year, huh?
max ~ That is an awesome article!! I definitely want to the Rays in the post season. It will be a great story when it happens.
"He's pretty remarkable," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said of his slugger (Ramirez). "But again, I've watched this for a number of years. He's one of the best right-hand hitters that ever played the game, in my lifetime. He doesn't give an at-bat away, he just keeps going after it. It doesn't matter what the score is, what the situation is. These young kids could learn a lot from watching him."
Ya think? Come on, Frank, pony up!
Ha! North, he's just another thief!!! LOL!!! Thanks again to scott for coining that little diddy!
nsblues ~ Between Fall ball, MLB and highschool regular season, baseball is year round around here. He played football his freshman year, and is giving it up to focus on baseball. He has figured out that Left-handed pitchers are commodities and doesn't want to risk injury. Plus, his football position was middle linebacker, and he was told he would not be able to bulk up and be able to stay limber enough to pitch.
Hiya June Darlin'! Yeah, busy day. I got to see some of the first few innings. I heard Kemp's knock in the car. We went up the freeway 60 miles to Lucille's BBQ. Man, is that good eatin'!
Max ~ So, can you explain how Joe is a magician? – LOL!!!!!
Up the freeway to where? Must have been worth the drive… sounds yummy!!
Smart decision. I still believe if Bo Jackson had concentrated on Baseball, he would have been an HOF bound beast. He wasn't half bad for the Raiders either, but it seems he was better in the MLB than the NFL.
nsblues ~ I agree with you about Bo Jackson. A great athlete who needed to make a choice.
Those "Fire Joe" lines are poetry, they're like the ITD version of "Hi Honey, I'm Home!!"
Thanks for the link to the Navarro article, Max. that was a feel-good story, and I wouldn't mind seeing our ex-prospects proving themselves this October.
It's about a 4-hour expedition – an hour drive, an hour to wait for a table, an hour inside and another hour home. Oh yeah, it's yummy. 😮 (that's me, gasping for air 'cause I'm full!)
Bo Jackson. I don't think I've ever seen anyone that good in both sports. If he'd stayed healthy he would have been in Cooperstown and Canton.
I love some good BBQ! There's this place in Chico called "Smokin' Mo's BBQ". The owners, before opening the place, took a trip through the south along the "Barbecue Belt", stopping at every big BBQ house along the way, talking with the cooks and owners, and sometimes convincing them to take a chair to use in their place. The result is that they've won the blue ribbon in San Luis Obispo many times over the last 10 years. Expensive for my starving-student budget, but when I can afford it, I never leave hungry.
They have one in Huntington Beach too. Now I'm hungry, heh.
LOL!! I see Jimmy got Pole Position for tomorrow's race 🙂
sorry Eric – I was reading the wrong information 🙂
He's on the pole. What info was wrong?
It's me again ~ I was reading it right, Jimmy did win pole position, right?
I was reading two different things – two different races – the one finishes from today, and the lineup for tomorrow – sorry 🙂
I'm betting you're on the NASCAR site. It can be a little confusing, what with the trucks, the Nationwide circuit and the Cup series, all with their qualifying and practice speeds.
dnelly- how was your night
north, Lucille's is a chain also. It's mostly in SoCal, but there's one in Rocklin. That's up in NoCal, ain't it?
BTW, I ran over to your blog. Man, I wish I could draw like that!
Rocklin is up HWY 80 going toward Auburn, etc.
bablyblu ~ My evening was good. How was yours?
The NASCAR site if very confusing at times 🙂
dnelly.. is it a full moon tonight.. because I think every weirdo came in and sat in my section tonight. lol
babyblu ~ LOL!!!
Uh-oh, babyblu? Are you someone new or another victim of the Name Snatchers?
Im new 🙂
Ward Dear – she is new 🙂
dnelly- how was your company
nelly, the trick I learned was – look for the word "cup". There's so many drivers that run both series that it'll get you.
Thank you Eric!!
babyblu ~ doing okay 🙂
Well, welcome to one of the most doggone addictive things I've run across. You'll like it here, it's nearly never boring. (is that a double-negative?)
dodgereric- thanks 🙂
addictive ? LMAO!!!!!! I was watching an episode of "Leave It to Beaver" last night just laughing for the pure fact that we have those parts pretty nailed down. Then, after that – I watched "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" – the original 🙂
Eric, thanks. This was the first drawing I've done where they really looked like the player (I don't think I got 'Dre's face right, but I'm gonna give it another go at some point). I'm too lazy to do backgrounds too, heh.
Rocklin's about 45 minutes from me by Sacramento. I'll have to try Lucille's if I'm by that area, a bit closer than Chico.
You're kidding! They had both of those on last night? I saw up top a little that hubby and son were watching Blazing Saddles tonight. Makes me want to scroll aroung the dial to see if Young Frankenstein or Caddyshack might be on! I'm watching Slingblade right now. To say it's different is an understatement!
welcome back babyblu. The team won today, you must be good luck
My friend that is here has been to the one in Rocklin. nsblues ~ She said it is off of 165 (Pleasant Grove).
nsblues- Thanks 🙂 I hope so.
I have seen "Slingblade" a few times – it is different!! I looked for "Young Frankenstein" and "Caddyshack" last night, but no such luck.
nsblues- How weird.. I work in a restaurant and one of my tables was talking about that place Lucille's…small world lol
In another year or two we'll have a Lucille's right down here in Temecula, so I'll have to get a second job to pay for it all. 🙂
I wouldn't apologize too much for your drawings, north! My drawing skills pretty much begin and end with stick figures. My sister got all the family art genes.
Ward Dear ~ They were on after you went to bed last night. I couldn't sleep so I stayed up and watched them. Empty house and all, you know 🙂 Well, Mariya was here, but no necessarily the same thing…..
dnelly- I agree Slingblade… very different.
Dnelly, cool, I'm excited, heh. Mo's is the only place I knew about in the area, but I'm always open to other options. I could always buy Lloyd's premade shredded beef, but while it's good, it's not the same. Thanks for the recommendation Eric
nsblues ~ The one of Andre is fabulous – don't change a thing.
Ye gods! Is that John Ritter?
Ward Dear ~ all this swell conversation all about where you ate dinner tonight – lol!!!
dodgereric- yes it is him little bit creepy
nsblues- are you talking about the Mo's bbq in pismo
Yes, it is John Ritter – LOL!!!
I've been laughing the past half hour looking over dodgerblues.com's Questionable Quotes section. Remember this guy?
"We didn't fail. We just didn't succeed as much as we'd have liked."
– Jim Tracy
Check out some more laughers here… 2004 was a riot!
It is late night, June Darlin'! No tell where the conversation is going to……….Dwight Yoakum????????????LMAO!!!! I LOVE that guy!!!!
babyblu, Yeah, I think they have one there.
Yes, you are right Ward Dear – late night ITD ends up anywhere it wants to go – LOL!!!! Dwight Yoakum is a pretty swell dude 🙂
nsblues- I think so too. I went there a few months ago.. It was soooo yummy 🙂
I said the Dodgers would win two of three, mainly because McCourt needes this club to be in contention so he can sell more hot dogs. It seems to be the script this year in a crummy division. That said, I'll take Lowe to outpitch Webb. It would make sense in this non-sensical year.
Yeah, I love getting their shredded beef sandwich with coleslaw on top. I never cared much for coleslaw before eating at that place.
John Ritter? Did I miss something?
I almost didn't recognize him without his hat and his git-tar!
I hope so, Kahli. If we get an ump that calls high strikes, though, we're in trouble. But it seems that Manny's hungry to get back to October. I'd think that Joe would be too… maybe that's what he's dreaming about while leaning against the rail. Who knows?
nsblues- now you got me hungry lol That was my fav too minus the slaw.. not a big fan of it.
nsblues ~ Eric is watching "Slingblade" and he is trying to figure out the characters. John Ritter and Dwight Yoakum are both in the film 🙂
And if the win didn't wake him up tonight, that post-game rock concert sure did!
north, when you get to Lucille's, get the pork ribs and have your companion get the pulled pork sandwich. Then split 'em so you can have both! Man! With some roasted garlic mashed potatos and the roasted peanut cole slaw!!!
I think my girlfriend isn't happy I like the slaw now. Before, I'd have them put it on the side, and I'd give her the slaw and trade for the baked beans. and I could go for those corn muffins with the cinnamon butter too.
Now I'm REALLY hungry
omg! Im soo hungry lol
All this food talk is making me hungry – Memphis barbeque – yum, yum – coleslaw always on top!!! I agree with Eric – order two things and share – best of both worlds 🙂
aww… I am SO going to Lucille's sometime soon! My stomach went to TILT after reading Ribs, Pulled Pork, roasted garlic mashed potatos and roasted peanut cole slaw!
Ward Dear ~ the roasted peanut coleslaw sounds incredible!!!!
dnelly- I bet you could make some 🙂
It IS, June Darlin'! And don't get me started on the baking powder bisquits and the honey butter!
dnelly- at work tonight we ran out of Prime rib again.. and I had a party of 13 pg&e guys all wanting the 24oz cut.. they were not happy.. lol
Yes, I probably could, but I believe Eric is a pretty good cook too – at least at making chocolate chip cookies – 🙂
Matt wants to eat half the stuff on the menu, but he can't pass up the BBQ bacon burger with the shoestring onion rings piled on top!
dodgereric- now your talking mmmm honey butter and biscuits 🙂
babyblu ~ actually, my husband could probably make it also.
Torre needs to EXHALE…and accept the fact that the kids are here to stay and just chill out while DeWitt and Hu anchor the middle infield. Accept the fact that the PVLs gave it their gosh darn best shot but they broke down…that younger and faster can sometimes be a pretty bitchen thing.
June Darlin', you play your cards right and I may just have to send you a Boy Scout popcorn tin stuffed with some of my cookies and fudge come Christmas time!
dnelly-OHH yea thats true.. You BBQ'n monday lol
Ward Dear ~ Honey butter and biscuits, too!! Wow!!
you do notice that Kahli is trying to keep us focused on the Dodgers – lol!!
Ward Dear ~ I will do the same. I am known as the Christmas cookie queen around here, you know 🙂
kahli, what the heck are you doin', talking about the Dodgers here on the EatingLikeAPig Network?
dnelly-yes you are 🙂 dang it now i want cookies too! lol
babyblu ~ not sure who is bbqing yet…..
Sounds like a deal, Junie!
I think ITD just took over "Dining with 'Dre" without 'Dre – LOL!!!
I did eat like a pig tonight, if that means anything. PBS has a double dip tonight with Marley and then Hendrix. Bon soir.
That's more like it Kahli!!! Marley and Hendrix – cool!!
Ward Dear ~ definitely a plan 🙂
dnelly- is your company spending the night.
It's been fun, but I think I'm gonna grab a bite to eat now. Then I'll start on my next drawing. Have a good night.
What did you guys do?
nsblues …night:)
She is sleeping now. She went to bed after I asked her about Lucilles in Rocklin ~ She lives in Sacramento, but goes to Rocklin all the time. She was on MY Space while I was on here. I haven't seen her in 20 years, since my Wedding – looks and acts exactly the same, which is not all good. However, I am being the hostess with the mostess – lol!! No, we went to Sweetriver and watched a movie back here – August, with Josh Hartnett(sp?)
nsblues ~ good night!! Keep up the good drawings 🙂
dnelly- cool, thats what I should be doing..sleeping 🙂
The movie was boring ~ I would have rather been watching Blazing Saddles with my husband – LOL!!!
I best call it a night.. tty all later byeeeeeeeee 🙂
I got some good news and some bad news and Ned better not even think about traded for a 2nd bases this is a must read brb.
I just got kicked off my computer – how about that!!!
Dodgers Notebook: Kent's career likely over
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11:31 PM PDT on Saturday, August 30, 2008
By DIAMOND LEUNG
The Press-Enterprise
PHOENIX – The final game of Jeff Kent's Hall of Fame-caliber career might have been Friday when he exited with such severe pain in his left knee that he returned to Los Angeles on Saturday to undergo an MRI exam.
The exam revealing torn cartilage in the knee would explain the pain that has bothered the second baseman for the past month, and if it sidelines him for the remainder of the season, Kent, 40, could decide to hang up his cleats since he is in the final year of his Dodgers contract.
Torre wouldn't rule out Kent's return, but said he expected that the results of the exam were "not going to be pretty" and has gotten indications that Kent's 17th big league season would be his last.
"All the hints were this was probably going to be it for him," Torre said. "I really respect what he's done here. There's some people who may have made something of the person he is or what he's said, but when you cut to it, he went out and played baseball."
Kent played through wear and tear in the knee and back pain for the past month after speaking with Torre about taking less days off for the stretch run.
Rookie Blake DeWitt, who pinch hit for Kent in the seventh inning of Friday's game, made his first major league start at second base after spending the past month at Class AAA Las Vegas learning the position in case of this very situation.
"You never know what to expect," said DeWitt, who for the second time this season saw an injury thrust him into a starting role.
If the Dodgers don't trade for a second baseman in the next 24 hours, they also have internal options with Delwyn Young scheduled to come off the disabled list Monday, Chin-lung Hu expected to be recalled in September and Pablo Ozuna if he were to clear waivers.
"Knowing him, I can't say for sure (Kent is out for the season)," Torre said. "I think he was just trying to help us win a pennant."
More Dodgers Notes
Andruw Jones concluded his rehabilitation assignment and returned to Los Angeles to have his irritated right knee examined, as he is expected to be activated from the disabled list Monday.
Jason Schmidt was clocked in the upper-80s in his return to action, and while he has another outing scheduled for Monday in Las Vegas, Torre reiterated that he is expected to be lost for the season.
Rafael Furcal is scheduled to return to Arizona for rehabilitation on Monday, and the Dodgers will wait until late next week to reevaluate his chances of helping the team this year.
Las Vegas right-hander James McDonald is expected to be called up in September to make his major league debut out of the bullpen.
Reach Diamond Leung
Ward Dear ~ The moons are aligning with Uranus again 🙂
I hope everyone read that before leaving and I'm so happy to see McDonald going to get a chance to pitch here with Young and Hu back.
Don't activate Jones
Ward Dear ~ I am going to call it a night seeing how I can't see anymore with all the light from the moon. Talk to you later Dear!! Now that you have made us all hungry 🙂 It was great!!!
June Darlin', I was playing the trivia game on Facebook and got tired of it. Cripes, does it have an ending?
I'm headed off to bed as well. Good night and God Bless!
No it doesn't end, but it's fun, isn't it?
I think Nelly calling me Ward because Ward been gone an hours ago but did you take the time to read that?