Kershaw Starts Series Opener In Denver
by Eric Stephen on Aug 25, 2009 2:00 PM PDT
in Dodgers Game Previews
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PrintLast night's win amazing comeback win by the Rockies over the Giants would seem to provide momentum heading into this series, but there are a few potential silver linings for the Dodgers:
- The Rockies used six pitchers to throw six innings in relief, perhaps tiring them out for today's game
- Especially since Josh Fogg, who has pitched out of the bullpen all year, is starting tomorrow
- After the Dodgers won the 4+1 game in 2006 against the Padres, they dropped the next two at home to the Pirates
Momentum is tomorrow's starting pitcher, or today in this case. Tonight, the starters are Clayton Kershaw and Jason Hammel, who engaged in a 1-0 battle back on July 1.
Kershaw has had two short outings in a row, alternately struggling with control and putting batters away. He has thrown a total of eight innings over his last two starts, allowing 11 hits, eight walks, and six runs. The Dodgers need him to revert back to the good Kershaw again tonight.
Dodger starting pitchers have allowed three runs or fewer in eight straight games, and have allowed four runs or fewer in 25 straight games.
Hammel has some extreme splits, with a 7.02 ERA at home and a 2.88 ERA on the road. However, upon further review, part of the difference can be explained by luck. Hammel has a batting average on balls in play (BABIP) of .416 in his home games, suggesting he has been extremely unlucky. Looking at Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP), the difference is lessened: 4.49 at home, 3.12 on the road; certainly a much more reasonable difference when pitching home games at Coors Field.
This is my favorite stat from the Dodgers-Rockies season series this year. Here is the scoring for each team, broken down:
| Innings 1-6: | Dodgers 42, Rockies 39 |
| Innings 7+: | Dodgers 37, Rockies 9 |
The Dodgers have taken advantage of the Rockies' bullpen so far this season. The Rockies' relievers have been much better of late, but the Dodgers have been even better, allowing no earned runs in their last 18 innings.
Andre Ethier has 12 hits in his last 20 at-bats with runners in scoring position, dating back to July 31, according to STATS LLC.
**********
For a Rockies' perspective, be sure to check out the fine commentary at Purple Row.
Don't forget to RSVP for True Blue LA day at Dodger Stadium, on the next-to-last day of the regular season, October 3 against these Rockies.
Get your guesses in for "Just A Bit Outside" here.
Game Time: 5:40pm
TV: KCAL
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andre ethier and his 12 for 20 with rISP
maybe it would be 20 for 35 over the same time period by now if FREAKING FURCAL would EVER get on base
damn furcal has been holding back our offense by killing rallys and not starting em… the 8th spot is waiting for you
A win against the Rockies anytime is obviously good, but I’d like to think that it would be especially good to beat the Rockies in this first game of the series. A loss (for them) can bring them back to reality real quick and get them off their high horse; a win (for them) immediately after a 14-inning marathon could make them feel invincible and very well give them the momentum they need for the two games to follow.
I feel like Kershaw is a great candidate to win this game. He’s coming off a couple of bad starts so he should be extra focused and ready to work on the mistakes he’s made the past couple starts.
Plus, it’s Jason Hammel at Coors field. :)
You wanna know how great baseball is? The greatest basketball player ever left his sport to play baseball.
I want to be excited about Hammel at Coors field
but I just can’t. Kershaw has to pitch in the same ballpark with their highest run scoring environment in baseball (according to ESPN Park Factors.) So really, I just hope Kershaw can limit the walks. He doesn’t need to do anything spectaculor, just keep the Dodgers in it and hope the bats pick him up.
by Michael White on Aug 25, 2009 2:20 PM PDT up reply actions
I feel more confident though in Kershaw’s ability to stay focused and composed in this game. He had the off day to prepare for today, and Hammel could possibly be feeling some pressure to give them a good outing and preserve the bullpen.
You wanna know how great baseball is? The greatest basketball player ever left his sport to play baseball.
That's a small sample size
and as a result it is skewed by his horrendous first start at Coors this year where he gave up 9 ER in 4.2
by Michael White on Aug 25, 2009 2:32 PM PDT up reply actions
werent like 4 of those runs because kemp lost a fly ball too??
they should have been unearned runs but the rules didnt allow?
Only Silverwidow believes that, and I think only halfheartedly at that.
by Eric Stephen on Aug 25, 2009 2:43 PM PDT up reply actions
From Purple Row
Dexter Fowler and Carlos Gonzalez head to the 15-day DL, while Eric Young Jr and Matt Murton will be called up.
There’s no word on the severity of Dexter’s injury, but he was already battling inflammation in the knee he didn’t hit last night. Matt Murton hit .321 with 10 HR and 71 RBI in AAA. Eric Young Jr just began getting time in CF and hit .299 with 7 HR, 43 RBI and 58 SB.
http://www.purplerow.com/2009/8/25/1002130/tracy-ringolsby-big-moves-in-the#comments
damn
gonzalez and fowler are as close to free outs as you can get with the colorado rockies lineup
Carlos Gonzalez: .286 /.354 /.536
Dexter Fowler: .270/.372 /.421
Free outs? That’s like saying Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp are free outs.
in the rockies lineup!!
they are young and will chase… russell knows how to make that happen…
who in their lineup is an easier out??
the reason why i think gonzolez is an easy out is because
ive seen him bat 5 times against the dodgers this year… and he has looked HORRIBLE 0 for 5 with 4 Ks….. i dont even care what he does against other teams….
fowler because he has batted .220 against us and went 0 for 6 last night which was funny.
clint barnes has hit 3 homers against us and ianetta scares the hell outta me and stewart does too
You think 5 AB's vs LA you've seen are a better sample size than
62 AB’s vs other teams?
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Aug 25, 2009 2:30 PM PDT up reply actions
because russell martin is an excellent game caller
he knows the weaknesses of opponents and especially young guys and makes them chase
I'm sorry, but Russell Martin is not THAT good
If he were that much better, by far and away, than any catcher in the game, LA would have 5 Cy Young candidates. It just doesn’t work that way.
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Aug 25, 2009 2:35 PM PDT up reply actions
I think its fair to say that this year is a step back for Martin.
So the Rockies pitchers should just throw fastballs down the middle against Martin for the whole series. :)
i didnt say offensivly...
im talking about game calling!
Well he is tied with our rookie CF in HR
And that CF is a string bean, so you have a point there :)
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Aug 25, 2009 2:37 PM PDT up reply actions
Correlation or causation
not every catcher gets to catch the same pitchers with the same talent. Plus, the Rockies’ pitching staff has higher WAR than everyone except Boston. So Iannetta must be a better game caller.
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Aug 25, 2009 2:39 PM PDT up reply actions
check out the catchers ERA
hes top 3 in baseball the last 2 years
I'd say he's top 3 in catcher's ERA
because he has Chad Billingsley, Clayton Kershaw, Randy Wolf, and Hiroki Kuroda.
Catcher’s ERA doesn’t really tell you much though, other than the quality of pitchers on the staff
by Eric Stephen on Aug 25, 2009 2:42 PM PDT up reply actions
I love the argument that Jason Veritek's CERA means he's a great defensive catcher.
Dude never catches Tim Wakefield! Of course its’ going to better than his backup.
check out ausmus catchers era with the same guys
oh wait… its small sample size… so hw can we figure this out???
You complain more than anyone here about pitch selection (by both catchers). I find it surprising that you are suddenly praising Martin for being such a great game caller.
by Eric Stephen on Aug 25, 2009 2:48 PM PDT up reply actions
i look at the numbers
but now i have found out… the numbers arent true… they are small sample size
Catcher ERA is pretty much as worthless of a stat as there is out there
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Aug 25, 2009 2:52 PM PDT up reply actions
Do you think that's surprising???
Wait until you find out that Diet Dew has all the intensity of regular Dew with none of the calories!!!
2009-10 LA Kings Hockey: Where Smyt Happens!!
by DodgerBlueBalls on Aug 25, 2009 2:58 PM PDT up reply actions
For Matthewmafa
Here are some articles on CERA.
The one from Baseball Prospectus is the best, but also 7 years old. The theory still applies though:
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/20020529aim.shtml
Also, R.J. over at Beyond the Boxscore took on the topic a few months back:
http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2009/6/19/919142/please-everyone-stop-using
by Eric Stephen on Aug 25, 2009 3:13 PM PDT up reply actions
Huh what?
I’ve replied to you, Eric, Tripon, meercat….I didn’t realize you had rules on who I could reply to.
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Aug 25, 2009 3:11 PM PDT up reply actions
I would be beating up on him
if I were being condescending and rude, rather than just debating back and forth.
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Aug 25, 2009 3:17 PM PDT up reply actions
we arent allowed to debate over here on
Trueblue la???
then what can we do??
That was the most shocking
thing I’ve seen Matt write today and he’s written a few shocking things. Who knew he was such a homer:)
Don’t take this the wrong way, but you are the king of being influenced by small sample sizes.
by Eric Stephen on Aug 25, 2009 2:31 PM PDT up reply actions
OK, but just because Iannetta scares the hell out of you doesn’t mean he’s a better hitter or more likely to hurt the Dodgers than Gonzalez or Fowler (if they were healthy).
by Eric Stephen on Aug 25, 2009 2:35 PM PDT up reply actions
i didnt have a argument for him
so that was the only thing to say
Also, Tulo is 4 for 45 against the Dodgers. Most of that was early in the year. What has more weight: those 53 PA, or the 415 PA overall, in which he is hitting .275/.361/.530?
by Eric Stephen on Aug 25, 2009 2:38 PM PDT up reply actions
good point
we know how to pitch to tulo.. we know his weaknesses
I think it has a little bit more to do with the fact
that Tulo is a very slow starter, and 9 of the 12 games between LA and COL happened in the first two months.
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Aug 25, 2009 2:41 PM PDT up reply actions
Or, far more likely, the fact that he has a .129 BABIP against the Dodgers suggests that he is actually a much better hitter than he has shown against the Dodgers. Given enough time, Tulo’s numbers against the Dodgers will be in line with his career overall numbers
by Eric Stephen on Aug 25, 2009 2:41 PM PDT up reply actions
i just hope it doesnt happen the next 3 days
lets it happen in the last weekend when we have a 4 game lead with 3 games to go.. let him go 13 for 13 with 12 homers and a triple
no wayyyyy
barry struck out before??? i thought he was like michael jordan who never missed a shot in his career
That is because you saw him early
this is bad analysis here by you. I’m really surprised, Carlos Gonzalez has been kicking big time ass.
yes i realize that
i saw what eric posted today about how crazy he has gone…. but ithink we could have cooled him down anyways but whatever
I'd like to see a study on this
Naturally, the average player will improve after leaving Oakland due to McAfee, so I’d like to see a park-adjusted before and after
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Aug 25, 2009 3:08 PM PDT up reply actions
Fowler has a very very good eye
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Aug 25, 2009 2:31 PM PDT up reply actions
Spillsborg might be playing today.
But he has good numbers against Kershaw.
.500/.692/1.250 in 13 PAs
Having EY Jr and Murton in the game (potentially) is better than having Fowler or Gonzalez. EY has far less experince and will be nervous as hell.
by Dodgerfan 34 on Aug 25, 2009 2:41 PM PDT up reply actions
Apparently someone didn’t read my “Climb of the Rockies” column earlier today. Both Fowler and Gonzalez have been good since June 3.
by Eric Stephen on Aug 25, 2009 2:23 PM PDT up reply actions
You definitely haven't paid attention to what they've done recently.
Gonzalez had been one of the hottest hitters in the majors before he punctured his hand.
The two have been ridiculously hot in August, the best hitters on the team:
Fowler: .361/.458/.623 – (.459 wOBA)
Gonzalez: .371/.431/.758 -(.473 wOBA) 6 HR
This is a big blow to the Rockies
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Aug 25, 2009 2:30 PM PDT up reply actions
Yes, as pointed out the comment was wrong, but on the otherhand a 3 week sample size is just as wrong on the other side.
vr, Xei
70 ABs is a much greater sample size than 5
I’m obviously not advancing that the two are .450+ wOBA hitters, just that they have been nowhere close to automatic outs lately. Given that they are young players, it’s possible that the streaks are signs of emergence rather than just fluctuation
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Aug 25, 2009 2:36 PM PDT up reply actions
It’s Fowler’s speed that I’m most worried about with the Dodgers. Martin has caused us to lose confidence lately in his arm, and a couple pitchers in our ‘pen (Broxton, in particular) aren’t great at holding runners on, which could spell trouble in the late innings.
You wanna know how great baseball is? The greatest basketball player ever left his sport to play baseball.
I have today’s game as a toss-up, Dodgers with a slight edge on wednesday, then the Rockies as a solid favorite on thursday. Would be extremely nice to take the toss-up game giving us a good shot at taking atleast two out of three and avoiding a disasterour sweep by the Roxies.
vr, Xei
My guess is it does slightly, but I can’t run the numbers right now. I think putting Seth Smith in is a wash with Fowler. Gonzalez might move the chains an extra 1% of win probability at most in the Dodgers direction. Not sure on the defensive implications, but like I said, I’d have to rerun the numbers. But my best guess is a 1% wp gain in each game for the Dodgers. I will rerun around game time when i get home.
vr, Xei
Double Entendre
A Disasterour
Funny that you mention that, because I heard that Disateroursarus was the first choice for the Rox Mascot’s name…
2009-10 LA Kings Hockey: Where Smyt Happens!!
by DodgerBlueBalls on Aug 25, 2009 3:09 PM PDT up reply actions
That looks like “Baby Bop” from the Barney cartoon, with purple fur instead of green. Alteast they didn’t go with a Tella Tubby.
vr, Xei
Its one of Barney's girlfiend who has to work because the world has found out that Barney is a deadbeat dad.
TO ANY FEMALE DINOSAUR. DO NOT GET INTO A RELATIONSHIP WITH BARNEY THE DINOSAUR. HE WILL NOT SUPPORT YOU IN YOUR HOUR OF NEED.
Jerry Crowe of the L.A. Times with some praise for Matt Kemp.
Not since Duke Snider’s early days in Brooklyn some 60 years ago have the Dodgers boasted a young center fielder who brings as much to the table as Matt Kemp. . . .
Kemp’s mammoth home run Saturday was a thing of beauty. . . .
Snider, of course, wound up in the Hall of Fame, the Dodgers also retiring No. 4 in honor of the Compton High graduate. . . .
The Dodgers’ schedule between now and the playoffs looks like something that was slapped together by a college football coach trying to save his job: Only 12 of their last 37 games are against teams with winning records. . . .
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-crowe-nest24-2009aug24,0,1440603.column
Its funny I read blogs so much that I forget people at the times are even writing about the Dodgers
besides Jon of course
William Doolittle at your service, a.k.a. will do.
Dylan Hernandez does a solid job but the rest of the sports page is not good enough to make me go back to reading it.
It's a shame
because it used to be awesome. Instead they’ve confused “having an opinion” with “being able to write well”. Their blogger, Jon, is the best writer in the sport pages and he’s not even actually in the sports pages.
Huh, on Purple Row, they're saying that the 15 day DL doesn't apply in Sept, and its' just a 7 day DL
I did not know that.
DL Loretta, call up Lindblom/Luna!
I believe that was a false ascertation
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Aug 25, 2009 3:07 PM PDT up reply actions
Yeah, that is not true.
Minor leagues have a 7-day DL, but not MLB
by Eric Stephen on Aug 25, 2009 3:10 PM PDT up reply actions
Ringoslby Confirmed!
Dexter Fowler was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a deep bone bruise suffered when he fouled a ball off his right knee in the Rockies 6-4, 14-inning victory against San Francisco.
The Rockies also optioned pitcher Adam Eaton to Triple-A Colorado Springs to create the other roster spot.
http://www.insidetherockies.com/2009/08/25/injuries-force-revamped-outfield/
by sg8335aa on Aug 25, 2009 2:43 PM PDT to parent up reply reply actions actions 0 recs
You just beat me updating - CarGo is NOT on the DL
though he may be relegated to bunting and pinch-running duty for the series
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Aug 25, 2009 2:53 PM PDT up reply actions
The Rockies certainly do have a plethora of decent outfield options. Having Murton and Spils against a LH is a nice option to have. Murton could certainly have been Andre’s caddy once in a while this year.
When all is said and done we just need Manny to go off.
Well, not right now. After batting practice and during the game preferably. :)
vr, Xei
by Xeifrank on Aug 25, 2009 3:01 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Indeed...
Both Murton and Spilborghs have been pushed aside by Dexter and CarGo. Spilborghs came in with great start from last year, set to be the starting CF in his last opportunity to get a good payday. They surprised by going with Dexter from the start. Murton has been great in AAA, ST and in his short stint with the Rox, but CarGo was raking in AAA and Murton was the casualty.
Smith and Spilborghs are MLB quality starters, and Murton is at least a platoon worthy player. It’s been interesting seeing all that talent in the OF while 3B has almost been a black hole (aside from Stewart’s 19 HR)
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Aug 25, 2009 3:14 PM PDT up reply actions
Any thoughts on Fowlers amazing -15.3 UZR in CF so far this year?
What seems to be the problem with his range? Bad jumps, routes, double vision, flat feet?
vr, Xei
More like a bad stat
I don’t like UZR. I’ve seen maybe 2-3 misplays all year on Dex’s part, and 98% of the time, when Dex and CarGo are in the game at the same time……there is no left center gap. There just isn’t.
Watching the purple row from high atop the big brown monolith on California Ave
Not particularly
I’m just not completely sold that we’ve really created great defensive metrics yet, and that the best analysis of defense is still a combination of looking at range factor, percentage, and yes…eyeballing.
Not to say UZR is meritless by any stretch. But in a vacuum, when used by itself to evaluation fielding, I find it suspicious.
That said, I don’t even know all the components that go into it…
Watching the purple row from high atop the big brown monolith on California Ave
Once there are
RFID tags in the ball and every player, and a series of cameras, radar, and sonar setups in every stadium, we’ll finally have accurate defensive metrics. and maybe not even then. But UZR is good for comparing players with each other.
I’m just not completely sold that we’ve really created great defensive metrics yet
I completely agree with that. I’ve found myself leaning on UZR less and less as the season has gone on.
by Michael White on Aug 25, 2009 3:28 PM PDT up reply actions
Isn’t part of the problem that UZR is tough to gauge in season? That it is better to look at entire seasons, or even 3-year trends like park factors?
by Eric Stephen on Aug 25, 2009 3:29 PM PDT up reply actions
For outfielders Range rate, error rate and arm. I agree that no defensive stat is yet accurate enough to be whistled at, but the -15.3 in 108 games played really stands out. Could be the park that is hurting him, I don’t know. OFers usually play extra deep in Coors Canavral. But -15.3 in 108 games raises an eyebrow or three.
vr, Xei
i think the parks hurting him
tough to play center field there
That's part of it too
Coors hurts the UZR of CF…Willy Taveras was supposedly a below average MLB CF while with the Rockies, while quite good with Cincy and Houston.
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Aug 25, 2009 3:31 PM PDT up reply actions
See, isn’t this more productive than debating the merits of catcher ERA or a 5 sample size at bat?
vr, Xei
Both are productive
We need to weed out any ideas of 5 AB sample sizes and cERA
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Aug 25, 2009 7:34 PM PDT up reply actions
We talked with Sky Kalkman at BtB about Dex a week or so ago re: his UZR
He agreed that Dex is probably better represented by FRAA, which has him as a positive fielder. UZR is probably one of the best (if not best) fielding metrics, but it still has its hiccups. Dexter is a gazelle in CF and doesn’t seem to make many poor jumps. He’s a lot better fielder than UZR gives him credit for. A LOT.
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Aug 25, 2009 3:27 PM PDT up reply actions
He only has flat feet because he once shot a kid who pulled a toy gun on him. Luckily he was still able to guide Bill Clay out of the Nakitomi Building, then shoot the second German brother as well.
by Eric Stephen on Aug 25, 2009 3:21 PM PDT up reply actions
Unfortunately, Eric, that by inning scoring breakdown no longer applies :)
Since we’ve last seen you, we’ve added Betancourt, Morales and Beimel to the back end of the bullpen. There’s no more Manny Corpas. And Matt Daley is very good for a fifth reliever. The weak bullpen the Dodgers feasted on early in the season is no more.
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Aug 25, 2009 3:05 PM PDT reply actions
I know the bullpen is better (I even mentioned it) and I expect the Dodgers to hit at least one comebacker to Beimel over the next 3 games, but I still love that stat :)
by Eric Stephen on Aug 25, 2009 3:11 PM PDT up reply actions
Yeah, but that was only one life saved. Small sample size :)
by Eric Stephen on Aug 25, 2009 3:12 PM PDT up reply actions
Regarding Rockies' relief pitcihng tonight
The Rockies used six pitchers to throw six innings in relief, perhaps tiring them out for today’s game
Yes, we used six relievers, but only two of them threw more than 11 pitches, and two of them only threw five (pitching to one batter apiece).
Our full bullpen is available other than Matt Daley and Adam Eaton. Eaton was sent down to bring up one of the OF reserves.
I’m pretty sure Tracy will avoid using Street if at all possible, because he has pitched 6 games out of 7, but his pitch count wasn’t above like 17 in any of those games. Still, if the Rox are in a save situation, you could see Morales get the call tonight.
Watching the purple row from high atop the big brown monolith on California Ave
I saw your note on Purple Row, and I think you are more right than my hope was. My use of “perhaps” was a catch-all to absolve me of being wrong though :)
by Eric Stephen on Aug 25, 2009 3:14 PM PDT up reply actions
Oooo, thanks for the idea
I should use “perhaps” far far more often in life. ;-)
Gotta jam to drive home, GL, and I’ll try to check in your game thread some time tonight.
Watching the purple row from high atop the big brown monolith on California Ave
I picked up on that. I had already mentioned that their bullpen would be tired after last night’s game on their thread last night and got that same thing that Mondogarage said explained to me in about five different ways.
You wanna know how great baseball is? The greatest basketball player ever left his sport to play baseball.
But if we have to go deep into it tonight
We will be in trouble tomorrow, since Fogg probably can’t go more than 70 pitches. We really need Hammel Time to last at least 7 innings tonight.
Watching the purple row from high atop the big brown monolith on California Ave
Never has.
The closest he’s gotten has been 6 IP twice.
You wanna know how great baseball is? The greatest basketball player ever left his sport to play baseball.
So that would appear to be an unrealistic expectation
he went those six against Pit and the Giants. We are neither of those.
However....
…he’s done it 4x on the road, once against the Dodgers.
I’d say it’s quite unlikely, but not out of the question. And we’d probably actually be okay with six.
Watching the purple row from high atop the big brown monolith on California Ave
I’d be OK with 6 IP and 5 ER like the start against the Giants. :)
You wanna know how great baseball is? The greatest basketball player ever left his sport to play baseball.
Oddly enough
We probably would be, too.
Watching the purple row from high atop the big brown monolith on California Ave
Since Ubaldo went 8 on Sunday
Only Street had pitched two days ago. Only Daley will be unavailable for tonight, I reckon.
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Aug 25, 2009 3:16 PM PDT up reply actions
I just noticed the title of your post. Wow, we get to see this picture until next June? :)
by Eric Stephen on Aug 25, 2009 3:31 PM PDT up reply actions
Rox Lineup
from Troy Renck, Denver Post:
CF Young Jr
LF Spilborghs
1B Helton
SS Tulowitzki
RF Hawpe
3B Atkins
2B Barmes
C Iannetta
RHP Hammel
Makes sense to start EY over Smith, I suppose
righty/lefty issues….
Same re Atkins over Stewart
Watching the purple row from high atop the big brown monolith on California Ave
Might I be the first to say:
Fucking Brad Hawpe!
hopefully the only time anyone says it.
I’ve never seen such interaction between SB Nation sites. When we were in the playoffs last year we heard nary a peep from our adversaries.
We have to be on our A game people to counter this Rockie infusion.
Nice to see Atkins starting, what is the Rockie’s record with Atkins starting?
Not as good as when CarGo starts
We’re something like 19,200 and 5 when CarGo starts.
Watching the purple row from high atop the big brown monolith on California Ave
off topic
But am I supposed to care about a guy who shot himself in the leg with a loaded handgun with the safety off because the gun slid down his pants?
Yeah, ESPN keeps on running parts of an interview they did with Burness.
And I keep thinking, “Idiot, idiot, idiot, idiot.”
Dodger fans and Rockies fans may not agree on much...
But we can agree to hate on ESPN.
Ignorance of the American League is a sign of good moral character.
Look out Dodgers...Purple objects in mirror are closer than they appear.
Maybe not
but it seems a stretch for me that he’s going to jail for having a gun on him. He shot himself for God’s sake. If D Jeter had done that would he be going to jail?
Close
from Rawitch:
Furcal 6
Kemp 8
Ethier 9
Manny 7
Loney 3
Blake 5
Martin 2
Hudson 4
Kershaw 1
by Eric Stephen on Aug 25, 2009 3:25 PM PDT up reply actions
switch hudson and furcal
and it would be a Great lineup
I agree with that wholeheartedly
though that was the exact lineup I projected in the series preview :) Or maybe Blake and Loney were switched.
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Aug 25, 2009 3:29 PM PDT up reply actions
ACTUAL LINEUP (Rawitch)
Furcal 6
Kemp 8
Ethier 9
Manny 7
Loney 3
Blake 5
Martin 2
Hudson 4
Kershaw 1
and 2 more had committed to USC, but once Floyd resigned they switched to Kentucky.
by Eric Stephen on Aug 25, 2009 3:36 PM PDT up reply actions
Dodgers fans are clearly more focused on today’s game rather than living in the past:
Dodgers Preview comments: 161
Rockies Preview comments: 28
Rockies Postgame (last night) comments: 127
You wanna know how great baseball is? The greatest basketball player ever left his sport to play baseball.
Feels like a playoff game
I’m sure it’s like that for the entire fan base for both teams and the rosters for both teams.
I'm posting my old avatar for good luck, lets hope loney has another one of these nights
William Doolittle at your service, a.k.a. will do.
by the way its awesome hearing the Chinese Taipei fans
singing so loudly at this little league game
William Doolittle at your service, a.k.a. will do.
wow and the commentators bring it right as I post that haha
William Doolittle at your service, a.k.a. will do.
I surprised their isn't more players from Taiwan in MLB
since they seemingly dominate the LLWS every year.
I guess its a geography issue. The US is divided into X little leagues while Taiwan is divided into fewer obviously….
Anyway, it’s something I’d like to look into further.
by Michael White on Aug 25, 2009 4:21 PM PDT up reply actions
They haven’t made it to the LLWS very often since they got busted, right? They pulled the same trick as the Philipines team did a while back, but ROC of course invented the trick. They pooled players from multiple areas into one super team, and didn’t really care about the age limit. In fact, I thought they were banned from the LLWS for a period of time??
vr, Xei
Gosh, you may be right
I was thinking back to when I was around that age it seemed like the kids from Chinese Taipei/ROC/Taiwan were dominant. Perhaps I simply missed the rule violations….
by Michael White on Aug 25, 2009 4:29 PM PDT up reply actions
Mexico has been in control the whole game though
I’m actually surprised there are not more Mexican Superstars, and by that I mean from Mexico, I know guys like Adrian Gonzalez are from Mexican families, but the only Big Time Mexican superstar I can even think of is Fernando Valenzuela…recently as Dodgers I only remember oscar robles
William Doolittle at your service, a.k.a. will do.
Is that not the case in Venezuela and the Dominican Republic?
Would you say baseball is the #1 sport in those countries?
by Michael White on Aug 25, 2009 4:31 PM PDT up reply actions
Yes?
The Mexican team used to be the best team in the CONCAFAC region, until the U.S.’s raising up their level of play.
Besides Venezuela, the DR, and other countries like Panama, and Cuba have much a more extensive history with baseball than Mexico does.
I wasn't sure how popular soccer was compared to baseball
particularly in Venezuela.
It seems like baseball is the number 1 sport in
1) U.S (well top 3, but there’s enough people that it doesn’t matter)
2) Cuba
3) Puerto Rico
4) Venezuela
5) Dutch Antilles
6) Japan
7) Korea (not sure about this one)
8) Taiwan (not sure)
9) Dominican Republic
Any I’m missing or wrong about?
by Michael White on Aug 25, 2009 4:39 PM PDT up reply actions
Soccer
Is number one in Korea, IMO. Just from my interaction with Koreans.
Baseball is by far the number one in Japan. DR as well.
by Chad Moriyama on Aug 25, 2009 4:41 PM PDT up reply actions
Yes, asian countries are NUTS about soccer too. I agree, number one in Korea. In Japan it’s sumo wresting then baseball. But only from a fan viewpoint. In Taiwan/ROC it’s hard to say. If we are only talking the big sports, then probably baseball. If we are talking smaller sports then wierd stuff like badminton and ping pong come into player. In mainland China it’s soccer and basketball. It’s pretty even. Of course gymnastics, diving, and small racket sports are the most popular. It’s amazing how much people from mainland China know about the technical aspects of sports like gymnastics and diving. I just look at the splash size, they know all the little details.
vr, Xei
I think Sumo
is being lost on the younger generation though. They don’t seem to care very much and the best athletes are going into baseball now.
by Chad Moriyama on Aug 25, 2009 4:47 PM PDT up reply actions
do they?
How is that baseball reached the Dominican Republic and Venezuela before Mexico? if thats true though I guess that would make sense, because soccer is the dominating sport in all latin american countries
just think its odd that so many big stars are coming form DR and Venezuela but not Mexico so much
William Doolittle at your service, a.k.a. will do.
How else?
Military domination. :)
Or more specially, U.S. troops assigned to protrol areas such as the DR, and Cuba, etc. brought the game with them, and taught it to the locals. It also happened in Japan, Korea, and China.
The U.S. never overtly tried to take over Mexico, to the point where it had Marines in the area to occupy any part of Mexico, so baseball wasn’t installed on a mass scale until later.
Well
If we’re talking about unfair, we can talk about the US having 16 out of the 32 teams and guaranteeing that one of the US teams gets to play in the Championship game. Meanwhile, foreign teams usually dominate when they are being destroyed by the rules.
by Chad Moriyama on Aug 25, 2009 4:39 PM PDT up reply actions
LLWS
Is the only sport I cheer against America. :o
by Chad Moriyama on Aug 25, 2009 4:40 PM PDT up reply actions
I want to see the brackets mixed up and see if any of the U.S. teams can hang with Japan or Taiwan.
So far, the only one would be the CA team.
Scott Boras must have already sent his reps to ‘advise’ the CA team.
I want to see
3-4 teams from Japan/Mexico/DR/etc instead of 1 team from each country and giving away 2 international spots to American kids in Germany/Saudi Arabia. How lame is that? Geez.
by Chad Moriyama on Aug 25, 2009 4:45 PM PDT up reply actions
That is pretty lame.
I don’t know how the Germany/Saudi Arabia team made it here. They’re pretty bad compared to the other teams.
Because those are the automatic qualifiers
I think Asia gets like two but they have to be from separate countries.
Would much rather see two Japan/Taiwan teams than these other crappy teams. :o
by Chad Moriyama on Aug 25, 2009 4:48 PM PDT up reply actions
It's just a cash grab
Airing games of California vs. Massachusates is more lucrative than Saudi Arabia versus ROC. It’s like the BCS!
by Michael White on Aug 25, 2009 4:45 PM PDT up reply actions
I remember discussing the BCS with you before at DT...
and your proposals for a football playoff. Not sure we are on the exact same page :)
by Michael White on Aug 25, 2009 4:52 PM PDT up reply actions
hawaii
still would have gotten tooled probably, but whatever :o
by Chad Moriyama on Aug 25, 2009 5:00 PM PDT up reply actions
well if all the games matched american teams with foreign teams in the early rounds that would be exciting
William Doolittle at your service, a.k.a. will do.
I wondering if calling the country the ROC would be a rule violation at other blogs :)
by Michael White on Aug 25, 2009 4:22 PM PDT up reply actions
Go Formosa!
It would probably be a borderline rule violation even though that is what the people of that island call themselves.
vr, Xei
Atleast that’s what my passport has stamped on it. I’m sure the good folks at customs in the PRC weren’t too happy about it. :)
vr, Xei
I actually find that stuff fascinating
maybe at the TrueBlue outing we can discuss the Macedonia naming dispute!
by Michael White on Aug 25, 2009 4:30 PM PDT up reply actions
No. I am caucasian, but have spent a lot of time in asia and my wife is from one of those countries.
vr, Xei
well
that ruins any “asian good at crunching numbers” potential jokes.
:o
by Chad Moriyama on Aug 25, 2009 4:54 PM PDT up reply actions
Several of us spent a bit of time looking for an
Asian Xeifrank at the blogger night because for years we assumed he was Asian. We never found him.
haha! I was standing right next to the hot dog stand and right next to Ned Colletti while he was speaking to the room. I even introduced myself as the author of Dodger Sims, of course it was in Yiddish.
vr, Xei
I remember thinking I heard “Dodger Sims,” but then I made the mistake of not introducing myself later, and it was exacerbated by the fact that you were in the seats area and I was in the box almost all game.
by Eric Stephen on Aug 25, 2009 5:09 PM PDT up reply actions
I watched when they were first on TV
but it seems weird now the way they cover it. I feel sorry for the kids, I had a hard enough time dealing with butterflies before the games started just playing in front of friends and family.
DODGERS FTW!
hopefully I get on TV. I’ll be 10 rows behind the Dodgers dugout with a big Dodger beach towel. Viva Los Doyers!… maybe i should make a TBLA ad next time :)
I'm nobody's fool, least of all yours
kinda funny, poached this from McCovey Chronicles
William Doolittle at your service, a.k.a. will do.
+1
hes been horrible this month.. and someone needs to call him out
GAME 1
I’m actually glad to see Colorado hit a homer as soon as Kershaw was relieved by Belisario, only because I think the holy grail of “pitch counts” is often times ridiculous. Kershaw had just struck out a batter and he’s relieved? It seems as though the only time a pitcher is allowed to finish a game is if he’s throwing a no-hitter. Soon it’ll be only if he’s throwing a perfect game.
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