Dodgers, Cardinals Set Rosters for NLDS

by Eric Stephen on Oct 7, 2009 11:31 AM PDT in Roster Comment 53 comments

Emperor Palpatine takes questions before tonight's game

NLDS: Cardinals vs. Dodgers
Game 1	Tonight	Dodger Stadium	6:37pm
Game 2	Thu	Dodger Stadium	3:07pm
Game 3	Sat	Busch Stadium	3:07pm
Game 4*	Sun	Busch Stadium	TBD
Game 5*	Oct 13	Dodger Stadium	TBD
*if necessary		All times Pacific
All games televised on TBS

The Dodgers and Cardinals have announced their roster for the division series.

Dodgers

Catchers (2): Russell Martin, Brad Ausmus

Infielders (7): James Loney, Ronnie Belliard, Rafael Furcal, Casey Blake, Orlando Hudson, Juan Castro, Mark Loretta

Outfielders (4): Manny Ramirez, Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Juan Pierre

Pinch Hitters (1): Jim Thome

Starting Pitchers (4): Randy Wolf, Clayton Kershaw, Vicente Padilla, Chad Billingsley

Relievers (7): Jonathan Broxton, George Sherrill, Hong-Chih Kuo, Ronald Belisario, Ramon Troncoso, Jon Garland, Jeff Weaver

Cardinals

Catchers (2): Yadier Molina, Jason LaRue

Infielders (7): Albert Pujols, Skip Schumaker, Julio Lugo, Brendan Ryan, Mark DeRosa, Troy Glaus, Old Friend Joe Thurston

Outfielders (4): Matt Holliday, Colby Rasmus, Ryan Ludwick, Rick Ankiel

Starting Pitchers (4): Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, Joel Pineiro, one of John Smoltz or Kyle Lohse

Relievers (8): Ryan Franklin, Kyle McClellan, Jason Motte, Trever Miller, Dennys Reyes, Blake Hawksworth, Mitchell Boggs, one of Smoltz or Lohse

The Dodgers starting rotation will be Randy Wolf, Clayton Kershaw, Vicente Padilla, and Chad Billingsley, in that order.

The Cardinals will counter with Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, and Joel Pineiro for the first three games. Either John Smoltz or Kyle Lohse, who will both be available in the bullpen tonight, will start game four on Sunday.

0 recs | Comment 53 comments | Share

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Mark Loretta over Doug M.

I am disappointed.

by Ian Capilouto on Oct 7, 2009 11:37 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Mark "can play" 3B

And he did get a key hit in the clincher. Positive thinking, people!

by Jacob Burch on Oct 7, 2009 11:42 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I believe!

Phillies-Rockies game started. I’m rooting for the Rocks.

by Dr. Geek on Oct 7, 2009 11:43 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Let's not challenge the belief system people.

But maybe Loretta is a better bunter? There must be some reason, we already have 3 guys that could play third (four if you counted Minky).

by Dodger Dude on Oct 7, 2009 11:55 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Over the other options (Mientkiewicz and DeWitt), Loretta is the only RHP, and I’m sure that factored into it.

by Eric Stephen on Oct 7, 2009 11:58 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wow you really have that low opinion of Weaver :)

I think Bills might have an argument for RH pinch hitter off the bench over Loretta.

by Dodger Dude on Oct 7, 2009 12:54 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Haha! I forgot that extra loop to make RHP a RHB :)

by Eric Stephen on Oct 7, 2009 12:55 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm audio only for Rox/Phils

but it sounds ridiculously windy there. Every fly ball an adventure.

by Eric Stephen on Oct 7, 2009 11:46 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

yeah Victorino looked like Luigi from Super Mario Brothers trying to catch that Garret Outkins popup

I'm nobody's fool, least of all yours

by BoulderDodger on Oct 7, 2009 11:47 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes, baseball should do something about determining their champion in late October and early November. The weather forecast for both games 3 and 4 in Colorado is SNOW! and lots of it.
vr, Xei

by Xeifrank on Oct 7, 2009 11:48 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

there's stuff flying all over the field.

by bearface on Oct 7, 2009 12:21 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Eric, I’d like to fanpost my simulation for today’s game up. But I am scared that I will get auto-banned again. I already made a fanpost at the Rockies and Phillies sites for their playoff games and when I tried to post our sim, I got auto-banned. What should I do?
vr, Xei

by Xeifrank on Oct 7, 2009 11:48 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I believe the issues with posting are resolved. Go ahead and try again. If it doesn’t work, just email me. (I sent you a pair of emails earlier today).

by Eric Stephen on Oct 7, 2009 11:49 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ok thanks, I can’t read those emails from work so will have no idea what they instructed until this evening. I will try to repost the fanpost shortly. Will post here if there is a problemo.
vr, Xei

by Xeifrank on Oct 7, 2009 11:53 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

The Dodgers are set to be in the interview room at noon.

http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?topic_id=6350584

Cardinals will be there at 2pm. Same link.

I still haven’t seen a Cardinal lineup yet.

by Eric Stephen on Oct 7, 2009 11:57 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

No Auxilliary Press Box passes for you guys on TBLA?

by delias man on Oct 7, 2009 11:59 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Nope…MLB is the gatekeeper for the playoffs, not the Dodgers.

by Eric Stephen on Oct 7, 2009 12:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

The gauntlet has been thrown…Purple Row went to an overthrow thread after only 2 innings!

by Eric Stephen on Oct 7, 2009 12:12 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I just wanted to mention

that the comparison of Joe Torre to Emperor Palpatine is spot on and gave me a chuckle.

by Ian Capilouto on Oct 7, 2009 12:20 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

It was the eyes (well, and the menacing look in that photo) that sealed it for me

by Eric Stephen on Oct 7, 2009 12:23 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

John Smoltz was the last pitcher to steal a base in a playoff game (gm 2, ’95 NLCS) – in fact, Smoltz had the last 3, before Cliff Lee

by Eric Stephen on Oct 7, 2009 12:24 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

We do have a Phillie/Rockie chat link.
http://www.truebluela.com/2009/10/7/1075045/baseball-playoffs-day-one-chat

by meercatjohn on Oct 7, 2009 12:43 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

When making my picks for the contest I originally picked the Angels over the Dodgers but then decided that Jim Thome could be a difference maker in the World Series. It would be strange to have a player who made as little impact as Jim Thome did this season all of the sudden become incredibly important in the World Series.

by meercatjohn on Oct 7, 2009 12:48 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Boy...

Guess I suck, couldn’t even get my picks posted as comments were closed…and it’s not even 1 PDT yet (though it is 8 til when I started this post)

Looking forward to watching the games along with everyone else. Anyone else going to the games in STL?

by elsid on Oct 7, 2009 12:51 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Put them here, I'll include them.

by meercatjohn on Oct 7, 2009 12:52 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

ok

Angels over Red Sox — 5 games
Yankees over Twins — 4 games
Yankees over Angels — 6 games

Dodgers over Cardinals — 4 games
Phillies over Rockies — 4 games
Dodgers over Phillies — 6 games

Dodgers over Yankees — 7 games

by elsid on Oct 7, 2009 12:56 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Did you see Eric's note

that your brother had a the highest ERA+ ever for a Dodger pitcher with over 27 innings?

by meercatjohn on Oct 7, 2009 1:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think that was Jon Weisman over on Dodger Thoughts that mentioned that.

by Eric Stephen on Oct 7, 2009 1:02 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Oh, I knew I read it somewhere

and just assumed you had done it. When you add up some of Ned’s late season additions you have some crazy numbers from Marlon / Belliard / Sherrill / Padilla / Garland.

by meercatjohn on Oct 7, 2009 1:05 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

All Thome needs to do is hit a big HR in the playoffs and Ned will have gone 5 for 5 this year in the benefit department (irrespective of cost of course).

by Eric Stephen on Oct 7, 2009 1:07 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

But Sherrill did have just the second Dodger ERA ever under 1 with at least 20 pitches.

Hank Aguirre had a 0.69 ERA in 1969 in 39.1 IP

by Eric Stephen on Oct 7, 2009 1:05 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

pitches = innings

by Eric Stephen on Oct 7, 2009 1:08 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Is that good or bad?

I don’t know all of the terms that well, haven’t delved into them that much.

by elsid on Oct 7, 2009 2:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

It’s good. Basically it means how much better you are than the average, a high one means much better.

by LA Taco on Oct 7, 2009 2:03 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Cool

There are so many terms out there now. I have read many of them, but haven’t gotten into what every one of them means.

Looking forward to him progressing through the post-season, along with the rest of the Dodgers.

by elsid on Oct 7, 2009 2:05 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

LongBeachDodger had fanpost up about meeting up in St Louis but I don’t see it anymore.

by meercatjohn on Oct 7, 2009 12:56 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah...

I responded to that one, but I didn’t see it today. I wasn’t sure if it had been removed or not.

by elsid on Oct 7, 2009 12:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Almost 80 entries in the contest

Not looking forward to entering all those picks. I didn’t even announce a prize.

by meercatjohn on Oct 7, 2009 12:51 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Prize?

I think the prize is knowing that most of us picked the right World Series winner :)

by Ivdown on Oct 7, 2009 2:02 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Compare the Cards and Dodgers hot zones

Check out these graphics from the Post-Dispatch tracking both the Cardinals and Dodgers batters, where they hit the most and where they connect in the strike zone the most:

Pujol’s hot zone is ridiculous.

St. Louis:
http://bit.ly/2G4ZMX

LA:
http://bit.ly/Oz6S0

by Will Sullivan on Oct 7, 2009 1:08 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I would like to see the chart with Jessica Alba’s hot zones. :)
vr, Xei

by Xeifrank on Oct 7, 2009 1:26 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

BOOYA

by UCLAClass82 on Oct 7, 2009 1:51 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Lee

Raise your hand if you’d like to have Cliff Lee pitching on your post-season playoff team. In all seriousness, I wonder if the Dodgers knowing what they know today (Kuroda hurt, Billingsley regressing etc…) would’ve made a stronger attempt to trade for Cliff Lee at the trade deadline.
vr, Xei

by Xeifrank on Oct 7, 2009 1:25 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Well, the Phillies game appears to be out of reach.
vr, Xei

by Xeifrank on Oct 7, 2009 1:29 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, they are eating the Rockies for lunch it looks like.

by Ian Capilouto on Oct 7, 2009 1:30 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Who is starting for the Rockies in Game #2. Not going to be much of a drop off from Cliff Lee to Cole Hamels, so the Rockies may have trouble in Game #2 also. But like I said earlier with the big snow storm headed to Denver over the weekend, there might not be a Game #3 in that series until Monday. And if so, Cliff Lee could come back and pitch Game #3 or more likely Game #4, giving Hamels a Game #5 start if neccesario. Time will tell.
vr, Xei

by Xeifrank on Oct 7, 2009 1:45 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs