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Around SBN: 2012 Africa Cup Of Nations Final

Playoff Rotation

Assuming the Bums can go wire-to-wire and finish up on top, or at least stay in the race with a WC birth, anybody have any thoughts on what the starting rotation will be? With the way Bills has been recently, and the way he did last year in the post-season, I'm not sure that he makes it over Garland who's got WS experience. 

My thoughts:

Randy Wolf (10-6, 3.22 ERA, 1.09 WHIP)

Clayton Kershaw (8-8, 2.89 ERA, 1.25 WHIP)

Hiroki Kuroda (6-6, 4.00 ERA, 1.11 WHIP) 

Chad Billingsley (12-10, 3.99 ERA, 1.32 WHIP)

- - - -

Jon Garland (9-11, 4.23 ERA, 1.41 WHIP)

Vicente Padilla (11-6, 4.42 ERA, 1.44 WHIP)

 

Any thoughts? 

Poll
Who should be the #1 starter in the Dodgers' post-season?
Randy Wolf
38 votes
Clayton Kershaw
19 votes
Chad Billingsley
4 votes
Hiroki Kuroda
7 votes
Vicente Padilla
4 votes
Jon Garland
2 votes

74 votes | Poll has closed

Comment 20 comments  |  0 recs  | 

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For Those That Vote in the Pole

I’m curious as to why you voted that way.

by bearface on Sep 14, 2009 3:30 PM PDT reply actions  

Fair enough

Kershaw because I don’t think the idea of Billingsley starting in the postseason is possible any longer.

X-FIP of the Big 3 (Kuroda’s lack of innings is too significant at this point)
Bills 3.99
Kershaw 4.12
Wolf 4.23

I don’t think theres too much time left for Bills to get that game 1 start. I think he’s pitching to too much contact because he’s being told that walking people is the worst thing you can do (of course it is not.) Chad is a strikeout pitcher where his 2 “out” pitches require batters to “chase” (the cutter and the diving curveball.) I don’t think it should be surprising that as his ERA has taken a nose-dive his BB rates have gotten much better.

Kershaw is a strikeout pitcher who’s “out” pitches are the 12/6 curve which many times drop in the zone and the “4 -seamer” which he can blow past batters. As such, his ceiling is remarkably high because he can bring down his BB rates while continue to have phenomenal K rates.

Wolf has pitched into good luck this year but is still a solid #3. Kuroda should be the 4th option if available. Padilla and Garland should be told, “thanks for the help.”

by Michael White on Sep 14, 2009 3:50 PM PDT up reply actions  

Kershaw
Wolf
Kuroda

by PHAT JULIO on Sep 14, 2009 3:54 PM PDT reply actions  

I’d be exremely careful with Kershaw, though, I’d limit his pitches because his left arm is too valuable and his innings are way up from last year.

by PHAT JULIO on Sep 14, 2009 3:56 PM PDT up reply actions  

In a perfect world (for me)

I would have Kersh and Bills both pitch game 1. Much like a Martin/Eovaldi trade.

by PHAT JULIO on Sep 14, 2009 3:57 PM PDT up reply actions  

I didn’t vote because I don’t know who our opponent in the first round will be, plus if we are playing somewhat meaningful games the last weekend of the season (playing for HFA is meaningful to me), I don’t see how you can jumble the rotation around, especially if your last game was on a sunday and your first playoff game may be on a tuesday/wednesday?

So my answer is, it’s too early to say if at all.

vr, Xei

by Xeifrank on Sep 14, 2009 4:17 PM PDT reply actions  

+1

Way to early, we need to know if Wolf and Kershaw are even going to be able to pitch, has Kuroda put all his physical problems behind him, will the pumpkins burst on Padilla and Garland over the next three weeks? Just to many questions that need to be answered between now and Oct 4th.

Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen

by Phil Gurnee on Sep 14, 2009 4:30 PM PDT up reply actions  

Agreed about the virtue of patience.

No matter the opponent, the NLDS schedule will be:

Gm 1 – Wed 10/7
Gm 2 – Thu 10/8
Gm 3 – Sat 10/10
Gm 4 – Sun 10/11
Gm 5 – Tue 10/13

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/schedule/ps.jsp?y=09

by Eric Stephen on Sep 14, 2009 4:45 PM PDT up reply actions  

It’s a 2-2-1, right?
vr, Xei

by Xeifrank on Sep 14, 2009 4:53 PM PDT up reply actions  

So we’re gonna close it out on the road this year? Bummer. :)

You wanna know how great baseball is? The greatest basketball player ever left his sport to play baseball.

by Jesse S. on Sep 14, 2009 10:53 PM PDT up reply actions  

Variables

Obviously there are lots of them. Who we’re playing. Where…but I still don’t think it’ll change all that much.

by bearface on Sep 14, 2009 8:37 PM PDT up reply actions  

You might want your two lefties to make more starts vs the Phillies and your two RHPs to make more starts vs the Cardinals.
vr, Xei

by Xeifrank on Sep 15, 2009 9:55 AM PDT up reply actions  

Joe Torre also preaching patience

per Beto Duran of ESPN 710:

Manager Joe Torre on how he’ll set up playoff rotation “not even looking at it, have to finish this up first”

by Eric Stephen on Sep 14, 2009 5:09 PM PDT reply actions  

That's What He's Supposed to Say

12 Years in New York teaches you how to avoid any potential media problems.

by bearface on Sep 14, 2009 8:35 PM PDT up reply actions  

Assuming we face the Phillies in the first round, I’d go with the two lefties game 1 and 2 to try and deliver the knockout blow before we even have to go to Philly.

Then after a tough loss in game 3, Bills pitches game 4 with a CG SO to win the series and shut all the idiots coughPlaschkecoughRosenthalcough up

by pdotmac1 on Sep 15, 2009 11:49 AM PDT reply actions  

my vision

tells me that bills is just making bad pitches, very bad calling of the game. for example i remember the diamondbacks game in the first inning he got drew on a 0-2 count and I am thinking well here comes the curve
damn J martin calls for the high heat and what do you know the ball got SMOKED for a double i believe. you could tell me that well the curve was not working that night but the catcher imo or torre whoever is calling the game needs to take part of the blame too.

another thing in the giants star it seem like he always was 1-0.
his command is a little off but he will be fine. fine for a playoff star that is .
this topic will be dumb in a couple of weeks. I HOPE

my vote was WOLf

by hirambocachica on Sep 15, 2009 1:25 PM PDT reply actions  

here's my vision

The guy with the best current WHIP on the team gets to start in a 5-man when we go ‘scrub mode’ in a week. He gets two near-perfect starts and knocks out (wait for it) Bills and starts game 5 of the NLCS.

by stillnotah8er on Sep 16, 2009 10:30 AM PDT reply actions  

i agree its still too early

we have to wait and see if we get the cards or phills first to design the lineup and rotation. playoff baseball is completely different than regular season ball. i do think that momentum going into the playoffs matter. wolf has been pitching good of late and padilla and garland have been solid since we picked em up. im not saying they start games but it should be considered because when a guys throwing in good, you let him throw good…

by early818 on Sep 16, 2009 4:21 PM PDT reply actions  

This One's Easy

A healthy Kershaw is our #1. He is our best chance in winning a low scoring run game. He has generally been brilliant to so-so. Kershaw’s brilliant will beat anyone else’s #1 in the league. So-so will probably mean the other team’s ace will beat us, but so be it, we don’t face him again for a while. Any reason a young guy can’t pitch on four days rest?

Then we need to get Wolf in there because you would like to see him pitch twice in a series, Mr. Consistency should be the closest thing to a sure thing you are going to get against anyone else’s #2 (Wolf looked great after he hit a rhythm yesterday).

Then today have to go with Kuroda as #3. If Bills comes back to form its his, but he’s got some work to do to get there. Then Bills (or Padilla if that’s not an option) as #4. Garland is Mr. Backup.

by Dodger Dude on Sep 16, 2009 5:55 PM PDT reply actions  

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2012 Dodgers Payroll

Italics denote estimates
Pos No Player 2012 Salary
C 17 Ellis $500,000 team control
1B 7 Loney $6,375,000
2B 14 Ellis $2,500,000
3B 5 Uribe $8,000,000
SS 9 Gordon $485,000 team control
LF 21 Rivera $4,000,000
CF 27 Kemp $10,000,000
RF 16 Ethier $10,950,000

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OF 10 Gwynn $850,000
2B/3B 3 Kennedy $800,000
C 18 Treanor $850,000
IF 12 Sellers $485,000 team control

SP 22 Kershaw $6,000,000
SP 58 Billingsley $9,000,000
SP 29 Lilly $12,000,000
SP 35 Capuano $3,000,000
SP 44
Harang $3,000,000

CL 54 Guerra $485,000 team control
RHP 74
Jansen $500,000 team control
RHP 55 Guerrier $4,750,000
RHP 60 Coffey $1,000,000
RHP 66 MacDougal $650,000
LHP 57 Elbert $485,000 team control
RHP 36
Hawksworth $500,000 team control

TJ 41 De La Rosa $485,000 team control



Manny $8,087,432 deferred


Andruw $3,375,000 deferred


Pierre $3,050,000 deferred
Furcal $3,000,000 deferred
Kuroda $2,000,000 deferred
Garland $1,500,000 option buyout
Blake $1,250,000 option buyout

Totals
$112,162,432

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Players on 40-man roster used as roster
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Current 40-man roster count: 40
(not including Belisario)

2012 Non-Roster Invitees

No Player Age*
63 Jose Ascanio rhp
27
61 Alberto Castillo lhp
36
56 Matt Chico lhp
29
33 John Grabow lhp
33
59 Angel Guzman rhp
30
47 Wil Ledezma lhp
31
72 Shane Lindsay rhp
27
62 Fernando Nieve rhp 29
73 Scott Rice lhp 30
70 Will Savage rhp
27
71 Ryan Tucker rhp
25
28 Jamey Wright rhp
37

30 Josh Bard c 34
82 Griff Erickson c 24
81 Matt Wallachc 26
67 Jeff Baisley 3b/1b 29
65 Luis Cruz ss/2b 28
37 Josh Fields 3b 29
64 Lance Zawadzki if 27
56 Cory Sullivan of 32

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