Mulligan Day
by Phil Gurnee on Dec 27, 2010 8:26 AM PST
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I was reading a local columnist this weekend and liked his story about second chances. Ned has made many decisions that have not worked out for him, which one do you think he should get a mulligan on? Hard for me to include Free Agent signings in these musings because we don't know what Ned would have done with the money he would have saved by not wasting it on the likes of Schmidt / A Jones. So these are the moves I've come up with that Ned might have wanted to reconsider.
1. Not trade Carlos Santana for Casey Blake
2. Not trade James McDonald for Otavio Dotel
3. Not let Jayson Werth walk away in the winter of 2006 after missing the whole 2006 season due to complications from the broken wrist he suffered in 2005.
4. Not trade Cody Ross when a roster crunch came up
Those are the four big ones for me. I'm of the mind to pick number three. As much as I like the future of Carlos Santana, he is still relatively untested, and given how many highly rated prospects have been struggling with major league pitching he is still a question mark. As is James McDonald. However we know that Jayson Werth went on to become one of the best outfielders in baseball, just ask the Washington Nationals. Cody Ross doesn't get much attention but he's accumulated almost 2000 plate appearances with a OPS+ over 100 since we gave him away in a roster crunch move.
For discussion tell us what second chance you would have liked in your life related to baseball or the Dodgers. For example if you played some type of organized baseball either you have lived a very charmed life or something has to have happened that you wish you could get a second chance on. If you never played organized baseball, something probably happened baseball wise you wish you could do over. I'll help you all along with your imagination be giving two painful examples of myself.
Personal:
I wish I'd get another chance to throw out my good friend Bob Cornelison during our championship Babe Ruth Game in 1974 at Stengel Field. I was playing 3rd and he was a big slow footed catcher. At a key point in the game with runners on base and two outs he hit a bullet to me that I fielded cleanly, then with plenty of time to throw him out I inexplicably hurried the throw, thus resulting in a two hopper to future USC star and Kansas City minor leaguer Spiro Psaltis who was unable to handle the throw. A hit followed and eventually we lost the game by two runs. I've always been haunted by that error, it may have been the only throwing error I'd made all year. I was 15, I had champagne chilling in my cooler, I was crushed that not only we lost but that I had contributed to the loss. Thirty seven years have passed, I still think about that play to this day.
Dodger Related:
This one is tough for me, I've made two huge mistakes related to the Dodgers. In 1974 I bought World Series tickets for games 6 and 7. They lost in five and as yet I've never been to a World Series game. The other is that I left the 4+1 game early. I'm going to go with staying for 4+1 since I know how that turned out.
How about you, what 2nd chance would you like to have?
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Comments
The Edwin Jackson Trade Should Be On The List
Jackson isn’t an ace, but he has done a heck of a lot more than Carlos Santana to prove he either shouldn’t have been traded at all, or was traded for a lot less than he should have netted.
Not for me
by the time Edwin Jackson figured it out he would have been long gone. Given his performance after he was traded I’ve never been able to come up with a scenario that he would have been around by the time he figured it out. Ned has shown zero patience with young pitchers who struggle.
Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen
By That Logic, The James McDonald Trade Shouldn't Be Listed...
If “How Ned Looks At Things” matters, then nothing you’ve listed should be listed, frankly. All the moves listed were completely defensible, using “Ned logic.”
by CanuckDodger on Dec 27, 2010 8:51 AM PST up reply actions
James McDonald got traded and immediately became a productive starter.
Edwin Jackson got traded, sucked for a year, ran out of options, had an eight ERA in the first half, and became almost kinda good in the second half to end the year just sucking at a normal rate.
Also Jayson Werth is the right answer to this question.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 8:56 AM PST up reply actions
We Don't Know That...
McDonald won’t struggle in 2011, the way Jackson struggled in 2004 after doing well in the majors toward the end of 2003. Jackson and McDonald were traded away after exhibiting the exact same problem: a lack of “mental toughness” that made their performances suffer despite their stuff
by CanuckDodger on Dec 27, 2010 9:04 AM PST up reply actions
Wasn’t McDonald traded after some good outings out of the bullpen?
Seems like he did really well in a game against San Diego and then he was soon gone?
(he was showcased and his value was ‘high’?)
by 68elcamino427 on Dec 27, 2010 9:08 AM PST up reply actions
I simply
think that if Ned had a chance to do any move over, the Edwin Jackson one would not make the top four. You were more then welcome to pick “other” if you feel that strongly about the Edwin Jackson deal. I don’t, he bloomed to late for me to ever think he’d have been a Dodger during any productive period of his career.
Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen
Well, Again, If We Are Going By What Ned Thinks...
I believe very strongly that Jackson is the guy he regrets losing. Neither Santana nor McDonald have done enough in the majors that Ned would say “That guy is a major leaguer. He doesn’t have to do anything else to prove he belongs up here.” Ned would have no problem saying that about Jackson now, and he wouldn’t have had a problem saying it for quite some time.
by CanuckDodger on Dec 27, 2010 9:22 AM PST up reply actions
OK
still using your logic, I don’t see how he would rather have E Jackson then Jayson Werth given what they both have done since they left.
Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen
I Was Thinking After I Posted My Comment That I Should've Addressed Werth
Werth’s career was over when the Dodgers let him go. His wrist was fucked up and no doctors could do anything with it. It was only after Werth was let go, and some time after that, that Werth on his own initiative went to the Mayo Clinic and a doctor there found out was was wrong with his wrist, a necessary precondition of fixing it. I don’t think Ned has any qualms about letting Werth go. It is not like the Dodgers, or any other MLB team, would have sent him to the Mayo Clinic. Thus it is practically a fluke that Werth has had a post-Dodgers career at all.
by CanuckDodger on Dec 27, 2010 9:42 AM PST up reply actions
From what I know, it was pitching coaches who found out the mechanic flaws with Jackson and he has changed since then. Like how he was pretty decent in Detroit from TB, and then became shitty in Arizona, and then again became pretty good again for CWS (I remember reading that when CWS traded for Jackson with Hudson, CWS pitching coach knew what was wrong with Jackson in ARI and he said he was going to fix it which I think he did)
my 2 cents
I will go with the Santana trade, due to how much I value Catchers. I think he will have a very solid career and anytime you can get solid offensive production out of your receiver I think it is a plus! There really isn’t very many good hitting catchers or at least that’s how it seems.
As for my personal mulligan I would have to go back to my Freshman year in college. It was a double elimination Conference Championships Tournament. We mowed every team down and on the final day we were facing a very strong #2 seeded team. Anyways they pitched their Ace who was a very hard throwing righty. He shut us down. They already had a loss and he handed us our first one. I had a nice 0-4 performance at the plate. I HATE going OF’er. Anyways we weren’t worried about it because he was the best pitcher they had and he pitched a complete game so there is no way they were putting him back out there again. We were wrong. In a very selfish manner their coach decided that winning the Championship was more important than this flame throwing Juniors career in baseball. He sent him back out the second game, and AGAIN this guy shuts us down. He was still throwing 90+ at the end of the second game. I had ANOTHER 0-4 game. He struck me out three times and on the last at bat I went into superconcentration mode and managed to hit a 6-3 grounder to end the game. I died a little bit inside to let down the Seniors on my team. There was a man on second too! A base hit by me could have earned us the Championship and I choked. I didn’t ever really read too much into pressure but in trying to keep things in perspective I was the only 19 year old on the field for both games. I was ejected for throwing my helmet and yelling a few choice words out of frustration but the game was over anyways. This kid had the day of his life and I have to tip my hat to him.
Rumor had it that it took it’s toll on him and he had TJ surgery. I faced him the next year determined to redeem myself and I went 3-4 with 2 doubles and 3 RBI’s. Surprisingly he was never drafted which blew my mind, but I have played with a lot of great players who were never picked up due to their medical records and he was just another one added to the bunch.
I would like to think that I went out on top because how I did against him my Sophmore year but in all honesty he was NOT the same pitcher. He topped out at 89 which is a far cry from throwing 90+ for two complete games back to back. I’ll never forget that guy….for a day he was a freak of nature and I think even Koufax would have been impressed.
(please read the above paragraphs while humming Bruce Springsteen’s “Glory Days”)
"They will never ketchup to all of the energy that I've mustard"
James McDonald
I chose this one because based on what happened last season it made no sense to trade for Dotel. McDonald could have pretty much did the job Dotel did and still be a good arm for us in the bullpen this year.
I thought we lost Ross because he was out of options? Not traded?
The Dotel/McDonald move looks like the easiest of the trades to have avoided.
What a waste.
by 68elcamino427 on Dec 27, 2010 8:58 AM PST up reply actions
Your right
it is the least defensible and might have some long term repercussions. I know it may have severely impacted out 2011 season. If McDonald is not traded and allowed to pitch, it is possible he would have performed much like he did for the Pirates. If so we probably aren’t spending money on Garland or Padilla which would give us more money for the left field position. It would also give us someone we might be able to count on the rotation come 2012.
Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen
Plus
What I liked about keeping McDonald is he’s home grown. Always a plus seeing home grown players stay on the big league squad.
by Dodgerblue8188 on Dec 27, 2010 10:00 AM PST up reply actions
Werth
I think not losing Werth has the most impact on the team. Sure, it could mean that we don’t acquire Manny, but it probably also means that we don’t acquire Pierre and Jones. Having Werth instead of spending millions upon millions of wasted dollars on those two and the subsequent deferred payements to Manny probably means we upgrade in other spots when we needed in 2008 and 2009.
Casey Blake trade
I also wanted to make the point that I think he did help us get where we got in 2008. At the time we had Martin catching and most would have assumed he would have at least been some what productive as a catcher.
Totally Agree
Glad to see someone agrees with me on this. At the time, it looked like Martin would be behind the plate for years to come. Also, third base was a revolving door ever since Beltre left. Blake provided consistency at the position and a good source of power, much more than the 20+ guys before him did.
It’s not fair to look back in (almost) 2011 at a trade from 2008 to say “Well Martin’s gone, we sure could use Santana now! What a lousy trade that was!” I know it’s cliche, but hindsight is 20/20.
If we had traded Santana for Blake this off season? Yes, then it would have been a bad trade. But for what the team needed at the time, it was a good trade.
Let’s not forget we got to the NLCS in both 2008 and 2009. Don’t tell me Blake had nothing to do with that.
by EthierIsBetterThanKemp on Dec 29, 2010 3:36 PM PST up reply actions
I wish they would have found a way to keep Sheffield happy and extend him.
I know he was a WR like diva, and I know they got the extreme peak of his career. He still had 4 to 6 more elite seasons in him. Imagine if he was on the 2004 team! He could have pushed this team over the top instead of Finley and his bat could have made up for the questionable playoff rotation that season.
Also, I hated the trade. Brian Jordan sucked, and Perez was Perez.
Man
I’d have to have a 100 poll post if we included everything we ever did that we wanted a mulligan on, and trading Mike Piazza would be near the top of the list, I don’t care how great Sheffield was.
Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen
Trading Piazza was terrible for the franchise
but they got a pretty even return considering the way teams get raped for their stars today.
Yes they did
but they killed something that day.
Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen
As much as the trade sucked I don’t think we could have kept him after 2003. The most expensive player we could afford in Gary’s free agent year was Juan Encarnacion.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 9:11 AM PST up reply actions
He said in his book that he wanted to stay
and that he bought into Tommy’s bleed dodger blue bulshit and felt like an idiot when they would not show him the money. Hard to believe they could not re-sign him but maybe they couldn’t.
Is this Colletti quote a joke or true?
“I’ve got to admit, I had tears in my eyes when they won. I had tears in my eyes when they beat Philly (in the NLCS) because we had been there the last two years. I knew how tough it was. I knew what they were up against. When they beat Texas, same thing. It was a very emotional time for me.”
The quote (regarding the Giants championship run) is up at MCC so I figured it might be some kind of cruel joke. :)
Wow!!!
Does that tell you everything you ever needed to know about Ned? Crying with joy when your hated rival wins. Geeesh!
by preacher roe on Dec 27, 2010 9:13 AM PST up reply actions
I could see that being true
you have to figure he still has tons of friends working for the Giants, and it would be natural for him to be very happy for them. You know he’s a Giant at heart which is why he never should have been hired in the first place.
Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen
They
gave him his first chance but I think if you gave Ned the chance to run any team he’d pick the Giants. JMO
Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen
Given how bad the Cub GM has been
maybe he will get his chance
Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen
I have thought about Colletti's future after the Dodgers..
He is criticized here a lot, but from other teams/cities perspectives, he may be seen in a more successful light. After his tenure with the Dodgers, I wonder how much of a chance he will have at another GM job?
by Ian Capilouto on Dec 27, 2010 9:22 AM PST up reply actions
I think it
depends on several things.
1. Does he finish his contract and provide a few more post season appearances
2. Does he get fired by the new owners
3. Does he get fired by Frank
I think if he was a free GM right now he’d get another shot with someone.
Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen
I always remember something Drayton McClain was quoted on.
He said he always felt a manager needed to be fired once before they could be successful…I think the same thinking could go for Colletti. You take away some of his early mistakes, and he has a pretty decent resume. I would guess if he was hired by another team with a decent payroll and farm system, he could be successful again with them and really have benefitted form his Dodgers years.
by Ian Capilouto on Dec 27, 2010 9:38 AM PST up reply actions
He definitely would. If Ed Wade and Bill Bavasi can still get a jobs, Ned sure as hell can.
Hell, Kevin Malone is the only guy I can think of that went from GM to out of baseball unvoluntarily.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 9:40 AM PST up reply actions
SF offered him a front office job last year
he could have left and been in the WS, but wanted to finish what he started in LA. Wonder if he regrets that decision.
He probably still has friends who work there.
I doubt he wishes the Giants winning over the Dodgers.
by Ian Capilouto on Dec 27, 2010 9:14 AM PST up reply actions
To be fair, he has been quoted that he cries when any team wins the WS because of the hard work it takes.
Yeah, he cries because he’s not the winner:)
by 68elcamino427 on Dec 27, 2010 9:16 AM PST up reply actions
And Ultimately...
We cry because he’s a dope
by preacher roe on Dec 27, 2010 9:17 AM PST up reply actions
So there is crying in baseball.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 9:17 AM PST up reply actions
Voted for the Werth move
or lack thereof. That’s a lot of production already on the table that we lost.
Re: Casey Blake Trade
Blake + $2.2 mil. for his remaining salary was traded for Jon Meloan ane Carlos Santana.
Was it said at the time that the Dodgers had the choice of:
a) trading Meloan for Blake and the Dodgers assuming the remainder of Blake’s contract
or
b)including Santana and the Dodgers receiving the $2.2 mil. to cover the remainder of Blakes payfor the season?
If this is true, then Santana was really traded for $2.2 mil.?
If this is the case, this would get my vote.
It was discussed quite a bit at the time.
by 68elcamino427 on Dec 27, 2010 9:17 AM PST up reply actions
That has always been the rumor
but it has been stated by those who supported the trade, that the Indians would only part with Blake for Santana. I refuse to believe that argument. I think he was sold, plain and simple and if the Dodgers wanted Blake they could have done so by nutting up and taking all of Blake’s salary.
Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen
If the Indians are willing to trade Cliff Lee for Jason Knapp, they’d be willing to deal Casey Blake for Jon Meloan. Totally believe Santana got dumped for money reasons.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 9:21 AM PST up reply actions
It's true...
I’ve heard it from numerous front office people who would know.
I'm the only vote for Ross
He seems like the easiest decision to second-guess. There wasn’t a lot of gain in trading him. Werth I tended to agree with at the time. He seemed so damaged it kind of made sense to let him go away.
Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man
Yeah I agree
For as much as i loved his potential, werth’s injuries seemed career threatening. I loved hi, but had given up on him too.
by Ian Capilouto on Dec 27, 2010 9:28 AM PST up reply actions
My biggest personal baseball do-over
other than having more talent is I wish I (and my friends) hadn’t booed Bill Russell so mercilessly at a game in 1974. Turns out we were only a few rows above the wives and we had Mrs. Russell in tears.
Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man
In all seriousness...
She should not let that get to her. Byron Scott’s wife just told me plain and simple to shut the fuck up.
by delias man on Dec 27, 2010 9:32 AM PST up reply actions 2 recs
Cool for her
I’ve only sat near the wives one time, but I certainly kept any comments I might have directed at the players to a minimum. Not because I was afraid of the wives, just didn’t think they (and kids) needed to hear about their husbands failures on the diamond while they were trying to enjoy the game.
Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen
I'd say it is much harder at basketball games
the Dodgers wives when I went were all wearing their husbands jersey so you could easily pick them out. It was when Fernando Junior had just been born. Greg Brock and Bill Russell’s wife’s were the one’s I remember besides Fernando’s wife.
I would have zero idea what any of the basketball wife’s would look like but I expect they would all be sporting some major bling.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
Sally Field turned and told us to shut the fuck up
when Kwame Brown had the game that probably got him traded from the team a few years back. After that, I never wanted to heckle again. I felt like an asshole to her and Kwame Brown.
by Ian Capilouto on Dec 27, 2010 9:47 AM PST up reply actions
Was that the game against the Suns? I was booing Kwame at first but when the whole crowd got into it, I felt really bad for the guy. He was horrible but he was taking the brunt of the hatred for Kupchak and the pre-Pau team.
Yeah it was that game.
Even Kobe Bryant gave us a dirty look and hugged Kwame Brown. I felt stupid for berating a human being for missing some baskets. The guy looked genuinely hurt.
by Ian Capilouto on Dec 27, 2010 1:35 PM PST up reply actions
If the Flying Nun
came down on you then you must have been acting up. Also you must have had some killer seats.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
by meercatjohn on Dec 27, 2010 1:41 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
Heard this (at that game)
Sally Field (turning to face Mr. Capilouto and friends): “I don’t like you, I really, really don’t like you.”
by Eric Stephen on Dec 27, 2010 1:43 PM PST up reply actions
I regret not beaning George Lopez (not the comedian) every at-bat in little league.
He stole my girlfriend in junior high, hit a home run off me, and then called me later that day to talk about it on the phone. prick.
There’s a lot of reasons to hate George Lopez. This is the best one.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 9:36 AM PST up reply actions
So
far the best story of the day
Though I like the fact that George was good enough to hit a home run off of you.
Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen
Oops missed the
part of that not being George Lopez the comedian.
Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen
Yeah not "The" George Lopez.
I try not to be a spiteful person, but after hearing what happened with my colleague in his later years, I guess he got some karmic retribution.
by Ian Capilouto on Dec 27, 2010 9:45 AM PST up reply actions
I have friends who knew Lopez from the comedy circuit
They were all amazed that he got his own series. The only thing hje ever did in his stand-up was bulge his eyes out constantly.
Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man
I don't know
my wife related to him and his stories growing up. They were kind of the Bill Cosby of the Hispanic world, over the top but funny.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
by meercatjohn on Dec 27, 2010 11:17 AM PST up reply actions
My personal Dodger mulligan
Dodger-Expos game, I think 2003. Tied in the 9th and Gagne was in. Vlad hit the hardest HR ball I’ve ever seen, a laser down the line deep into the field level seats. Expos lead, I was pissed and I had my 6 year old with me who was getting tired. I left the game, the Dodgers tied it in the bottom, and won it in the 10th on a Beltre walk-off HR.
In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened
Found the game with some help from baseball-reference
August 20, 2003. Dodger Line-Up included Burnitz in LF and Ventura at 1B, plus Rickey Henderson appeared as a PH. Ron Coomer drove in the tying run.
In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened
Wearing....
The 2nd place 2002 WS Giants Pinky ring at the intro press conference as the new Dodger GM.
Dodgers 2011 ZiPS are out.
Rather than being a big splashy disappointment like the Mariners, Cubs, or Mets, the Dodgers’ disappointing year in 2010 was that of bland mediocrity than an explosive failure. Every team in the NL West as flaws, so even though the Dodgers don’t have a lot of depth or front-line talent on offense and the outfield defense is pretty weak, a good rotation gives LA as good a shot at the division as any of the other teams.
The McCourt divorce has caused a lot uncertainty in the short and medium term, but Ned Colletti hasn’t really helped matters. Again, the Dodgers aren’t a bad team, but there really aren’t a lot of organizational goals and they’ve had this tendency to try and solve problems through uncreative solutions bordering on hapless – Jay Gibbons isn’t very useful and the only place Tony Gwynn Jr. is only a major leaguer when he’s playing center. A real leftfielder and another bullpen arm or two are needed, but I don’t think they’re forthcoming at this point.
Nobody projected for a post .500 slugging average is not.
This offense is going to suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.
Yup, the offense is terrible (and expensive).
by silverwidow on Dec 27, 2010 10:01 AM PST up reply actions
On the upside that’s a hell of a projection for Juan Uribe.
On the downside LOL Prentice Redman is the 7th best hitter in the organization.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 10:00 AM PST up reply actions
Oh wait, we don’t actually have Scott Podsednik, he’s the 6th best.
Also LOL Scott Podsendik would be the 6th best hitter in the organization.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 10:13 AM PST up reply actions
In case anyone was wondering about Sands or Ruby.
8. Dan Szymborski Posted: December 27, 2010 at 12:39 PM (#3718370)
Sands is an obvious oversight – 242/316/431 (OPS+ 101) for 2011.
I was hoping nobody would speak up about Rubby as I hate projecting pitchers with very short resumes (and resulting super wide error bars). But I guess I was caught fair and square. 92 ERA+ swing role projection (down to 87 as a full-time starter).
Another bullpen arm or two?
Really? Broxton, Kuo, Jansen, Belisario, Gurrier (sp?), Padilla, plus Elbert, Troncoso, and Hawksworth as possibilities. Maybe they need a true LOOGY, but I am not seeing much room there for more arms.
In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened
We’re only projected for three above average relievers. With our offense, that’s probably not enough.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 10:06 AM PST up reply actions
Probably true
but I’m thinking there’s no room at the inn.
In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened
Well there’s one slot that’s wide open right now, and you can DFA Hawksworth and no one would care.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 10:15 AM PST up reply actions
Would you take this line from Trayvon Robinson for 2011?
254/.330/.384
Gun to my head, I probably would since I don’t think any other LF in the system would do any better, except Sands. And I think the Dodgers would give Robinson the first chance to start.
Nah, it’s better to have Trayvon learn in the minors instead of striking out more than 4down on a Saturday night.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 10:15 AM PST up reply actions 2 recs
I need to not do write-ups at 2 in the morning as some of those sentences make me sound functionally illiterate.
by D.Szymborski on Dec 27, 2010 11:07 AM PST up reply actions
or at least save it til morning and proofread yourself
by Josie Becker on Dec 27, 2010 11:17 AM PST up reply actions
I only recently learned how to edit papers. It’s hard. :(
the square root of 69 is 8 something, right? cos i've been tryin' to work it out...
oh it’s the worst. We’re getting an audit over at the popbunker, so the powers that be have been all up ons, which has made me a little cranky re: comments like the above
by Josie Becker on Dec 27, 2010 11:34 AM PST up reply actions
That was a very cranky comment.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
by meercatjohn on Dec 27, 2010 11:47 AM PST up reply actions
I just expect better of someone writing for ESPN
by Josie Becker on Dec 27, 2010 11:53 AM PST up reply actions
Thought this stat was amazing
The Carolina Panthers have eight offensive TD as a team. There are 24 players who have more than that this season.
It's tough being a Panthers fan this year
I’m genuinely surprised at how bad they’ve been even though most of the team is so young. I assumed with Stewart and Williams, the run game would be good enough to where all Clausen would have to do would be to manage the pass and not turn it over. Plus, Smith is an electric WR, so there should be big plays on offense all the time. Needless to say, it’s been extremely disappointing on that side of the ball.
"The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."
If the RBs are good, and the WR core isn’t terrible, I assume this means the offensive line sucks?
by Michael White on Dec 27, 2010 10:27 AM PST up reply actions
Yeah, pretty much
The O-line is underperforming and the D-line is overworked, so not a great combo. Plus, outside of Steve Smith, the WR corps is young and unproven, and they didn’t really get a chance to gel with Clausen since Matt Moore was the starter going into the season.
"The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."
In hindsight
The Werth one seems like the clear do-over.
The one I hated the most at the time was McDonald for Dotel. And I hated Blake for Santana too. I was the most accepting of losing Werth.
KC Chiefs
Are my dark horse AFC team this year. Man would I love to see them upset the Pats in Foxboro.
Jamaal Charles RULES.
if the offense had consistent great games
instead of every other great game i would say Jackson is the answer. But they did not.
I happened to look this up yesterday
Since 2002-2003 NFL season, 26 teams have made the NFL playoffs, the only ones to miss it are the Browns, Bills, Lions, 49ers, Raiders and Texans.
During that same time period, 25 out of 30 MLB teams have made the playoffs.
by bhsportsguy on Dec 27, 2010 11:31 AM PST up reply actions
Bay area professional football
paying the price for the rise of the Giants?
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
by meercatjohn on Dec 27, 2010 11:35 AM PST up reply actions
That doesn’t explain the years of Will Clark, The Bash Brothers, and Joe Montana
by Josie Becker on Dec 27, 2010 11:37 AM PST up reply actions
Partially due to poor results from drafting quarterbacks with high picks
David Carr, Joey Harrington,, Jamarcus Russell, Alex Smith.
Detroit drafting wide receivers with their first pick for 3 straight picks, Buffalo being stuck in a division with the Patriots, Jets, and Dolphins, Cleveland with Baltimore and Pittsburgh.
Of those six, the Raiders and 49ers really shouldn’t be there, especially the Niners since the NFC West might be one of the worst divisions in any pro sport in North America.
by bhsportsguy on Dec 27, 2010 11:43 AM PST up reply actions
In 2007
the Browns finished 10-6 (same record as Pittsburgh) and DIDN"T make the playoffs.
Ouch.
by Michael White on Dec 27, 2010 11:46 AM PST up reply actions
IIRC their last game of the season was a cardiac game, too, with a furious comeback and final play that fell short, but I might be mixing up years.
by Eric Stephen on Dec 27, 2010 11:47 AM PST up reply actions
Close enough
You are actually thinking of the second to last game of the season.
by Michael White on Dec 27, 2010 12:08 PM PST up reply actions
That was when we all got to hear about Derek Anderson from some podunk town up north, sharing a hometown with that year’s Playmate of the Year.
by Eric Stephen on Dec 27, 2010 11:48 AM PST up reply actions
So did
the 2002 Raiders
You might need to use a sports mulligan for the above comment BH
by Michael White on Dec 27, 2010 12:50 PM PST up reply actions
Didn’t he say since that season though?
by Eric Stephen on Dec 27, 2010 12:53 PM PST up reply actions
I assumed he was including
2002 since that was the first season the Texans were in the NFL.
If not, his point stands.
by Michael White on Dec 27, 2010 12:54 PM PST up reply actions
Not interested in discussing that game.
by Michael White on Dec 27, 2010 12:54 PM PST up reply actions
If Scott Downs and Juan Uribe get three years, Pavano sure as hell should.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 10:56 AM PST up reply actions
Since There's Nothing Else To Discuss
Let’s talk about how awesome Jeff Bagwell was.
Out of eligible players not in the Hall of Fame that didn’t play in the 1800s Bagwell is:
1st in WAR (10 wins above second place)
1st in Batting WAR
3rd in OPS
3rd in RBIs
5th in slugging
5th in home runs
7th in OPS+
7th in on base
This guy isn’t going to get into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot. Fire all baseball writers.
@andrewngrant
Oooh, add 2nd in runs scored.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 11:16 AM PST up reply actions
Frank Thomas was just as good, correct?
by silverwidow on Dec 27, 2010 11:17 AM PST up reply actions
With the bat, he’s better. Bagwell was a gold glover and could run though.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 11:19 AM PST up reply actions
Bagwell has 10 wins on Frank Thomas, that’s how good he is.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 11:21 AM PST up reply actions
I don’t believe in Bagwell. Average minor league 1sat baseman, gets traded to the Astro’s and Ken Caminiti, then two mediocre corner infielders start playing at HOF levels. Caminiti self destructs, Bagwell continues his HOF career until either his back went out, or testing was implemented. At age 36 in they year of 2004 he is done.
I’m sorry, I just don’t buy the Bagwell story. His stat’s are certainly HOF worthy.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
by meercatjohn on Dec 27, 2010 11:42 AM PST up reply actions
Bagwell’s second year in the minors he’s a 22 year old in AA and hit .333/.422 /.457, 73 walks, 57 strikeouts in a pitchers park. Dude was good before Houston.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 11:46 AM PST up reply actions
Also Camminiti didn’t become good until he went to San Diego.
Was Jeff Bagwell on steroids? Yeah, probably, but I say that about every single person who played in the 90s.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 11:53 AM PST up reply actions
Close
but Caminiti was very good his last year in Houston.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
by meercatjohn on Dec 27, 2010 11:58 AM PST up reply actions
True, but Bagwell developed power before Caminiti.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 12:08 PM PST up reply actions
If James Loney
had only hit four home runs in AA at age 22 in 569 plate appearances I’m not sure you’d be saying nice things about him.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
by meercatjohn on Dec 27, 2010 11:53 AM PST up reply actions
With 16 more walks than strikeouts hell yeah I would.
BA had Bagwell as the #31 prospect that year, so it’s not like he was a complete unknown.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 11:56 AM PST up reply actions
My personal Mulligan
My personal Mulligan is a Dodger-personal one, since I never played organized baseball as a kid.
Last game of the season this year, I took my daughter for Joe’s last game, and splurged on some nice Loge Box seats. I joked about it, but little did I know that section 116 is prime foul ball territory (at least with the two slow-armed guys on the mound that day). The first one caromed off the seat right in front of me, as I froze … standing up, I hesitated, and the woman in the next row down reached back and grabbed it. Had chances at two or three more, and felt really bad that I didn’t get one for my daughter, because of my hesitation.
I missed a BP home run ball in Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium a long time ago, but this was worse.
by TopDeckTrueBlue on Dec 27, 2010 11:13 AM PST reply actions
I’m impressed that so few of you would like a Mulligan.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
Personal mulligan
Not buying tickets for any playoff games in 08 or 09. Terrible move.
by Michael White on Dec 27, 2010 11:21 AM PST up reply actions
Waited too long to buy tickets for the 4+1 game.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 11:22 AM PST up reply actions
Hell, I turned off the game on TV. That was my biggest Dodger faux pas.
by silverwidow on Dec 27, 2010 11:23 AM PST up reply actions
As did I
I was taking an Aubrey Huff when the bottom of the ninth began.
by Eric Stephen on Dec 27, 2010 11:42 AM PST up reply actions
I'd like to call a mulligan
on dating a Giants fan, but an even bigger mulligan on going through with wearing a Giants jersey to AT&T park on his birthday. I should have set him on fire then
I like to call a mulligan on my hatred of Ned Colletti.
He’s not the GM we want, but he is the GM we deserve.
Seriously, the guy is doing the best he can. I need to lay off him most of the time.
by Tripon on Dec 27, 2010 11:27 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
Not the comment of the day
but truly the most shocking comment of the day.
Just curious why do Dodger fans deserve Ned Colletti?
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
by meercatjohn on Dec 27, 2010 11:33 AM PST up reply actions
because we’re a terribly corrupt town, and we’re not yet ready for our white knight
by Josie Becker on Dec 27, 2010 11:39 AM PST up reply actions
Kirk Gibson
was our white Knight, can Kemp be our Black Night and lead us back to those glory days or do we have to count on Kershaw to be the White Night, or can a team have a Black and White Knight at the same time? Who is the rook in all of this?
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
by meercatjohn on Dec 27, 2010 11:44 AM PST up reply actions
204 straight games for Kemp
It’s only a flesh wound.
by Eric Stephen on Dec 27, 2010 11:46 AM PST up reply actions
The black knight can lead you to glory days, but I think you’re supposed to feel kind of corrupt in your soul.
by Josie Becker on Dec 27, 2010 11:54 AM PST up reply actions
Because we don’t watch our team on TV at the same level as Mets, Yankees, Red Sox, or Phillies fans. If our city supported the Dodgers more, the team would be better. IMO.
to be fair, no one west of the mississippi has east coast numbers, and yet, there are still WS trophies on the pacific coast
by Josie Becker on Dec 27, 2010 11:56 AM PST up reply actions
For a team that has drawn more fans over the years than any of those teams
Okay the Red Sox don’t count since their park is smaller but really if anything, Dodger fans come out to support the team almost regardless of how they do.
The Phillies averaged 22-24K from 2000-2002 per game at Veterans Stadium, it went up when they moved to Citizen’s Bank Park but this year (and it was only by 70K total) was the first time since 1976 that the Phillies outdrew the Dodgers in a full season.
by bhsportsguy on Dec 27, 2010 12:02 PM PST up reply actions
Right
hard to say the Dodger fans don’t support the team as well or better then any professional sports franchise in the United States.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
by meercatjohn on Dec 27, 2010 12:04 PM PST up reply actions
The fanbase is one of the best, no questions. But the fanbase should be larger given the media market.
In other words, Dodger fans are the best, but it’s the people of LA who suck for not supporting the team more.
I do not understand this sentiment.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
by meercatjohn on Dec 27, 2010 12:25 PM PST up reply actions
What’s to not understand? Relatively few Angelenos suport the Dodgers when compared to other cities.
Well if you compare them to the Lakers
that’s true, as of the last ratings I could find, the Lakers were seen on TV by more than twice as many viewers (albeit in less games and all in prime time) but then in 2009-2010, the Lakers RSN rating was better by more than 100K viewers than any other team aside from Cleveland (and even they were 33% better than Cleveland ratings)
There are a lot that goes into the Dodger’s RSN ratings, you have East Coast games that start well before the prime viewers are home, you have games on weekends that are not going to be watched by a lot of people and also, LA is a market that has a lot of other team’s fans in it so I would not be surprised that there is a number of fans watching other game on either Extra Innings or MLB TV.
by bhsportsguy on Dec 27, 2010 12:53 PM PST up reply actions
Your points about the RSA numbers are true but they can be applied to NY (lots of out of towners, and west coast games start late) and both NY teams do better in the ratings then the Dodgers. The fact remains that the Dodgers are in the bottom 5 for RSN ratings, and are pretty much always in the bottom third. Even a small uptick in rating would mean a lot more viewers.
I think you have to look at the history of the markets
In NY, they have been broadcasting baseball games on TV for many years (which may have led to their downturn in attendance), Red Barber was famously fired by the Yankees in the Sixties for talking about the empty stands for a Yankee game.
One of the reasons O’Malley moved to LA was to get to fans to the ballpark and not watch the games at home, which is why until almost recently, Dodger games were not available on television.
So you have generations of fans who did not grow up with the expectations of watching the games.
Now, the only way the ratings really matter is when the Dodger’s next local RSN deal comes to the table. And if the Angels can get what they got with the lower ratings that they get, the Dodgers will probably be okay.
and the tolerance of spouses!
West coast non-fan spouses have a much lower tolerance to TV domination than east coast non-fan spouses
I don’t know that is true, but I like the way it sounds
by Hollywood Joe on Dec 27, 2010 1:25 PM PST up reply actions
You seem to only be basing your
argument on TV ratings. If you are a baseball fan in the general Los Angeles area, good chance you support the Dodgers by buying tickets or apparel.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
It’s hard for me to think of a better objective measurement then TV ratings— it’s the easiest and cheapest way to support the team. And again, it’s only compared to other cities.
Phil brings up 2 others, merchandise and attendance.
You seem to be limiting “support” to watching the Dodgers on TV.
by Michael White on Dec 27, 2010 1:13 PM PST up reply actions
It just seems like the most objective measurement. Apparel can be skewed by fashion trends (for example, an estimated 50% of all MLB apparel sold is NYY or BOS, when Jay Z says “made a Yankee hat more famous then a Yankee can” I think there’s something to it) and attendance can be skewed by weather, ticket prices, and stadium capacity. Nearly everyone has a TV, and all the games are free.
Again, not talking about intensity of support (I have seen games in 20+ different stadiums and I will put the Dodger stadium crowd up against anyone), just talking number of supporters relative to the size of the town.
For one thing the games are not free
Yes, they are part of a package if you choose to pay for it but I have friends who are Dodger fans and don’t pay for those channels.
Also, the last look at the stats show that less than 40% of the LA market has cable/satellite and you can well imagine that some of those folks don’t pay for the extra channels.
I think you care confusing the wired cable/ADS individual numbers for the overall number. Overall cable/ADS penetration in Los Angeles is 87.5% which is about average nationwide but less then NYC and Boston, so perhaps there’s something to that.
As for payment, you’re right but again we’re only comparing ourselves to other markets which are presumably in the same boat. I don’t think RSNs come free on any cable/satellite system.
Other markets
don’t live in one of the best summer weather environments in the United States. Don’t Angelenos watch less TV in general then the rest of the country? I mean if it wasn’t for a DVR I certainly would not watch every game like I do.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
BTW - Max Kellerman
is joining ESPN 710 radio next week to replace Andrew S. and Mychal Thompson show.
at least, that was the rumor last week.
by Eric Stephen on Dec 27, 2010 11:32 AM PST up reply actions
Well I am sure if and when Mattingly is on their show
Kellerman will eventually ask a Dodger question after spending the first part on his Yankee past.
by bhsportsguy on Dec 27, 2010 11:33 AM PST up reply actions
That guy allegedly really likes to expose himself.
by Michael White on Dec 27, 2010 11:33 AM PST up reply actions
I believe that is a prerequisite to getting hired at ESPN.
by Eric Stephen on Dec 27, 2010 11:37 AM PST up reply actions
“All right, your resume looks good, could you whip out your penis please?”
by Josie Becker on Dec 27, 2010 11:40 AM PST up reply actions
damn
I will never be hired
the square root of 69 is 8 something, right? cos i've been tryin' to work it out...
I want to make a joke about “Show us your tits” being just as common, but I feel dirty, so I’ll just make a comment about wanting to make a joke
by Josie Becker on Dec 27, 2010 11:57 AM PST up reply actions
Can't wait to read the book
by Tom Shales and Jim Miller about all of the goings on up in Bristol.
by Greg Stephen on Dec 27, 2010 11:40 AM PST up reply actions
Is Mychal Thompson still on the Lakers radio team?
This is twice Thompson got fired from a show though.
I believe so
Although the games are on the same station, I believe the game broadcasters are hired by the team.
by Eric Stephen on Dec 27, 2010 11:41 AM PST up reply actions
Yes
He remains on the radio broadcasts and will probably appear on their local shows for Laker stuff but not a regular.
by bhsportsguy on Dec 27, 2010 11:45 AM PST up reply actions
I never figured out why he was able to find work on a radio show. He’s not a great analyst, he isn’t easy to listen to, and he knew nothing outside of basketball.
In Los Angeles radio
Only knowing basketball is not a problem.
by Michael White on Dec 27, 2010 11:49 AM PST up reply actions
True
that seems to be the criteria.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
by meercatjohn on Dec 27, 2010 11:51 AM PST up reply actions
Not that there is much to compare with
Really the only local show now on LA Sports radio is Mason/Ireland and both of them are far more comfortable talking Lakers than anything else.
The 570 guys all do national syndicated shows, so while they get LA guys on, its not like they focus on it.
I am guessing that 710 might be thinking they’ll get more podcast downloads of Kellerman since he is known nationally.
by bhsportsguy on Dec 27, 2010 12:28 PM PST up reply actions
The sad truth
is that if you want to talk/listen dodgers on the radio, it is only available now on Dodgertalk
To be honest
I don’t think I could take 3 hours per day of should we trade so and so for someone or should we sign so and so to play LF anyway.
by bhsportsguy on Dec 27, 2010 12:43 PM PST up reply actions
Says the guy who spends at least that much time hanging out here?
by Michael White on Dec 27, 2010 12:45 PM PST up reply actions
Only one way to change that…
It does seem that people who know about baseball are not the sort of people to call into chat shows, but if 3-4 of the knowledgeable people here became regular Dodger Talk callers, it would improve by leaps and bounds.
There would be always one caller who wants the team to bunt more. Even after the infamous Broxton meltdown game when the team had like 5 successful bunts against the Yankees.
I don't listen to that either
I would rather listen to interviews on NPR
by bhsportsguy on Dec 27, 2010 12:55 PM PST up reply actions
The more bunting there is, the more people can pretend they’d be a big leaguer if coach hadn’t bench them sophomore year.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 1:06 PM PST up reply actions
sadly, the only guy with local sports knowledge is Hartman
And obviously as a life-long Trojan I can’t stand him. I feel the same way about another Trojan hater – Joe McDonnell, but I always felt like he had a pretty good feel for the pulse of LA sports at the time.
There are only three pictures
of the NYC snowstorm on this page, but they are all pretty great, especially the first two. Here’s one:
Pussies
We had 2 30" snowstorms last year
by Greg Stephen on Dec 27, 2010 11:41 AM PST up reply actions
I got out of DC at 2:00 yesterday
pretty happy about it. my dad was on one of the last flights out around 5:00.. really glad Im not stuck there until wednesday.
by hee came hee seop'd he choi'd on Dec 27, 2010 11:43 AM PST up reply actions
Is this the end result
of our storm last week?
Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man
Yes, it is
We got spared in Baltimore, but the Eastern Shore of Maryland and areas north got hammered
by Greg Stephen on Dec 27, 2010 11:45 AM PST up reply actions
Great Photo
Looks like anarchy on the streets with cars just doing what they can. This must be how they came up with bumper cars.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
by meercatjohn on Dec 27, 2010 11:50 AM PST up reply actions
Personal mulligan
Dang. I don’t really have any, but this is mostly because I’m in a “I do not regret anything” phase.
Maybe not continuing with sports or music in college. But then I wouldn’t have done cheerleading, dance, or anything like that…so who knows.
the square root of 69 is 8 something, right? cos i've been tryin' to work it out...
I really regret
buying a SF Giants hat and wearing it when I was around 8 years old. I loved the Dodgers at the time, but wasn’t fully aware of the rivarly, thought I liked the colors, and was on a family trip in San Francisco. There are a couple of old pictures of me with it on, and it one of the most regretful things for me
by Brandon Lennox on Dec 27, 2010 11:50 AM PST reply actions
haha
i blame my parents (especially my dad) for letting me actually buy it. i would never let my kid do that
by Brandon Lennox on Dec 27, 2010 11:56 AM PST up reply actions
I was actually on the Giants for two years in Senior League in little league, but luckily we had a cool coach that would let us wear whatever hat we wanted, so I would wear a Dodger cap.
by Eric Stephen on Dec 27, 2010 11:58 AM PST up reply actions
Hat nazi is cool with a little league team having a dozen different hats?
by Michael White on Dec 27, 2010 12:02 PM PST up reply actions
When forced to combat the stench of a Giants uniform, yes.
by Eric Stephen on Dec 27, 2010 12:03 PM PST up reply actions
I would be flipping out if I saw that crap!
by Michael White on Dec 27, 2010 12:03 PM PST up reply actions
At least it wasn’t an MLB logo on the uniform. I always had the generic uniforms with whatever team name written in script.
by Eric Stephen on Dec 27, 2010 12:05 PM PST up reply actions
We had sponsors when I [played little league
My team was (I’m not kidding) Frank Perini Hair Fashions
Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man
I believe our sponsor was Shilo Inn for at least one of those years, but those hats sucked.
by Eric Stephen on Dec 27, 2010 12:03 PM PST up reply actions
Yup
we wore the uniforms of our sponsors, we never had a major league baseball name.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
by meercatjohn on Dec 27, 2010 12:03 PM PST up reply actions
I also had
Don’s Plumbing and Chicken Delight in Pony league
Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man
The best sponsor in my Pony League
was King Meat. Every opposing team would chant “Beat the meat”
Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man
That is great
Carlson Plumbing
Gateway Kiwanis
Nothing as cool as King Meat
Do local business still sponsor the Little League and Babe Ruth Leagues? I wonder how much that costs? Does anyone know?
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
by meercatjohn on Dec 27, 2010 12:08 PM PST up reply actions
that's a great coach
yeah i was always stuck with the hat of whatever team is was on, but i was never on the giants. I remember being on the Twins, Padres, A’s, Braves, and Marlins
by Brandon Lennox on Dec 27, 2010 12:02 PM PST up reply actions
I wore an A’s hat in Oakland when I was like 11. But only because I was afraid of getting mugged.
by silverwidow on Dec 27, 2010 11:56 AM PST up reply actions
awwwww
I think I got my very own passive-aggressive facebook status from a boy today. That’s fantastic.
the square root of 69 is 8 something, right? cos i've been tryin' to work it out...
no
though he’s been good about embarrassing me on there. He just FB chatted me and said “job #1 is birth control”
the square root of 69 is 8 something, right? cos i've been tryin' to work it out...
Yeah, your dad has a good sense of humor about that
Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man
Again why I avoid friending family.
I’d hate for them to know my opinions on dip and taco trucks.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 12:03 PM PST up reply actions
Maddz Daddz
would find some way to flip that to refer to your sexual performance. It’s like a gift.
the square root of 69 is 8 something, right? cos i've been tryin' to work it out...
Eating at a taco truck? Someone got laid last night.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 12:10 PM PST up reply actions
I haven't been to a taco truck since I've been back
can we make that happen Thursday?
the square root of 69 is 8 something, right? cos i've been tryin' to work it out...
Not any good ones in my neighborhood sadly.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 12:14 PM PST up reply actions
South Bay's kind of tough
my guess for closest area would be Harbor Gateway, or Lawndale area
Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man
I take back my recent tweet about liking the South Bay
does San Pedro have them?
the square root of 69 is 8 something, right? cos i've been tryin' to work it out...
I remember a good one
in San Pedro.
But that was like 6 years ago.
by bhsportsguy on Dec 27, 2010 12:25 PM PST up reply actions
There’s a bunch of good stuff right by me, just no tacos.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 12:26 PM PST up reply actions
There used to be a good mexi-cali place right off of Van Ness and Artesia, but it shut down a couple of months ago. Think the name was Luna y Sol.
Burrito Jr. on PCH
is not bad, but nothing like a good taco truck
Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man
Tight Vote
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
I think it has to be Santana — his timetable fit perfectly in hindsight.
As for Werth, if he was kept around and produced, one of Kemp or Ethier would have been shipped out IMO.
by silverwidow on Dec 27, 2010 12:08 PM PST up reply actions
So we’d have Miggy at 1st base then:)
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
by meercatjohn on Dec 27, 2010 12:09 PM PST up reply actions
One thing I've never understood
are the comments I read where it is okay if you let a player go because they were being blocked. It is never okay to let a player go if you don’t get back comparable compensation either in future or current performance. Sure Santana was blocked by Martin but that doesn’t mean that Santana could not have been used as the key person in any deal for Lee or Halladay. We have never been able to make the big trade because we lacked the big chips. Never was that more evident in the last two years.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
Seems he's been right more then wrong
if you look at all the minor league players he has traded the only one I think he made a mistake on was Santana, you might be able to say E Jackson. That is a heck of record isn’t it?
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
by meercatjohn on Dec 27, 2010 12:21 PM PST up reply actions
Course
if you make a mistake and he turns out to be a Mauer type of offensive player, then even if you were correct on a high % which you should be given they are minor leaguers, you still look bad.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
by meercatjohn on Dec 27, 2010 12:22 PM PST up reply actions
Does trading Cody Ross count? Dioner Navarro? McDonald?
Is trading three guys that turn into big leaguers over four years below average?
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 12:24 PM PST up reply actions
None of them were minor leaguers.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
by meercatjohn on Dec 27, 2010 12:26 PM PST up reply actions
Gotcha, then Jackson probably shouldn’t count either.
But again, how often do guys without one game in the bigs actually come back to bite you?
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 12:27 PM PST up reply actions
Right
I kind of made that point. He should have a very % of success because few of those guys should bite you in the butt. However I can remember many gnashing of teeth whenever we trade anyone, and I will be honest that I’ve done plenty of that gnashing unless it involved lower level minor league relief pitchers.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
by meercatjohn on Dec 27, 2010 12:29 PM PST up reply actions
The problem isn’t who we give up, the problem is what we get in return.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 12:30 PM PST up reply actions
Isn’t the point is that their perceived value was worth much more than what they actually produced? Ned should have gotten more than George Sherrill for Josh Bell, a guy who got enough heat to be considered a headliner in a Roy Halladay trade.
I do think for old time baseball people
they tend to believe that the Dodgers over hype their prospects (and based on results, who could blame them).
I could clearly see that for a minor-leaguer with some shine off (Jackson) and an A-ball star Tiffany, two established MLB relievers could very well be seen as a fair deal (and the Dodgers even picked up the tab financially).
As for Josh Bell, based on his debut, his outlook for a successful MLB career is not very good.
by bhsportsguy on Dec 27, 2010 12:41 PM PST up reply actions
I have never understood why all of this evaluation
goes through Ned when just about everything goes through those who follow those things more closely (e.g. White, Ng, Watson, etc.)
Sure he makes the ultimate call but I have never believed that it wasn’t thoroughly vetted with his team.
This isn’t the Fox execs trading Piazza without consulting Fred Claire.
by bhsportsguy on Dec 27, 2010 12:23 PM PST up reply actions
If you are going to credit Ned with a majority of the success of the team and the post season appearances, (as MWhite would point out, “TWO NLCS!!!!”) And considering the Dodgers gave him a 5 year extension after 2009, they did.
Then you have to point most of the blame at him as well.
I generally bring up that point regarding Frank.
by Michael White on Dec 27, 2010 12:39 PM PST up reply actions
Same
reason any person in charge of anything gets credit/dis credit on things that happen in his charge. He ultimately has to decide who to listen to and who not to.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
by meercatjohn on Dec 27, 2010 12:27 PM PST up reply actions
I am just saying that
it is hard to believe that the majority of the evaluators in the Dodger organization didn’t feel the same or at least strong enough to convince otherwise.
Especially when it came to Werth and Ross since Ned probably never ever saw them play enough to make an evaluation.
But this is an old argument so I should let it go.
by bhsportsguy on Dec 27, 2010 12:34 PM PST up reply actions
I'm cool
with Ned taking the blame, you sit in the big seat you take the hit
What I don’t understand is the faux dialogues where it is implied that Ng and White are fighting against Ned’s incompetance. I have seen no data or fact that suggest Ned is a rogue leader, he actually strikes me more as a guy who listens to this support team
by Hollywood Joe on Dec 27, 2010 1:07 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Most
of that seems to have come from Baseball Prospectus which was always suggesting that the Dodger front office did not see eye to eye. What we never knew is if any of this was true or it if it simply meant no one was listening to Tommy and he was letting everyone know about it.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
Yes
I have generally felt that if the Blake for Santana deal wasn’t made, he would have or could have been part of the Manny deal, or maybe a potential Lee deal in 2009.
by bhsportsguy on Dec 27, 2010 12:19 PM PST up reply actions
If I told you the ZiPS comps for Kershaw were
Sam McDowell Fernando Valenzuela and Sid Fernandez
You would say…?
Kemp’s were surprisingly good. I figured there’d be some Juan Encarnacion action.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 12:59 PM PST up reply actions
Watched the 1960 Game 7 finally in it's
entirety.
I read some bunt comments above. I was struck by how often the best hitters on the teams were bunting and not sacrifices but for hits. I think I saw more bunt attempts in that game which was 11 – 10 then I’ve ever seen in a modern game. Even Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris attempted bunts.
This is probably a misperception but I also think I was watching some very good defensive baseball. Both of the right fielders Maris / Clemente the two premier defensive outfielders both made errors but only because of the aggressive nature of their defense.
The play by play giants pretty much concentrated on the game action, very few stories or stats.
My favorite part was watching them hit without helmets. I really despise helmets of any ilk.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
Regrets I've had a few, but then again too few to mention
Sorry for getting all Frankie on you, but the mind works that way
I regret, when I was in my early 20’s, not stopping him when my drunk friend Peter cursed loudly at a game for hours while sitting around women and children.
I really regret not doing something when he balled up a foil hot dog wrapper and in attempt to throw it on the field hurled it as hard as he could, but instead of reaching the grass he hit the man sitting two rows in front of us in the back of the head – with a loud thwack – the guys head jerked forward and back. This man, sitting with his 10 year old son, just got up and left. Everyone was humiliated, all at once, but I mostly laughed out of embarrassment and because sometimes that stuff makes you laugh, even though you really hate that about yourself.
I regret it all
by Hollywood Joe on Dec 27, 2010 1:16 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
but I mostly laughed out of embarrassment and because sometimes that stuff makes you laugh, even though you really hate that about yourself.
Thanks for being here Joe.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
I enjoy the company
and very kind of you to say
by Hollywood Joe on Dec 27, 2010 1:23 PM PST up reply actions
I also regret
Surfing, and being lazy, and Carlos Casteneda, and The Doors, and backpacking with mother nature in my pack, and also not wanting to rehab when I got hurt – and because of that I stopped playing baseball for 20 years
by Hollywood Joe on Dec 27, 2010 1:21 PM PST up reply actions
Did you play on the high school team for JFK? That wasn’t exactly an easy team to make back in the day. Or now.
by Bob Timmermann on Dec 27, 2010 1:36 PM PST up reply actions
nope
hurt my shoulder in the baseball training class in the fall of 10th grade, then busted my ankle in summer football….and then played a bit of “semi-pro”, a sponsored touring team, in my late teens / early twenties but by then I was into other things
and JFK was a really a good program, part of the reason I got hurt was because the competition was so tough, and I was trying to make an impression on Whitney and Tam. In my senior year, my friends at JFK won city championship and I watched from the stands – I was happy, really happy for them, genuine joy, but it kinda stung
I think I could have been a nobody at best…maybe a very fine division 4A slugger, or a decent 26 year old A-level organizational ballplayer, or a possibly a 32 year old utility man in the lower Mexican leagues.
I was not truly good, talented good, but I really loved it – took me 20 years and a trip to vero beach to remember how much
and I still surf
by Hollywood Joe on Dec 27, 2010 3:24 PM PST up reply actions
What;s wrong with surfing and The Doors?
I have enjoyed both for many years?
by Ian Capilouto on Dec 27, 2010 2:06 PM PST up reply actions
I voted for Carlos Santana.
But it still irritates me on how this organization threw away guys like Shane Victorino, Jayson Werth, and Cody Ross just so we could keep Jason Repko and his scrappy .668 OPS in Dodger blue.
It wasn’t a matter of keeping Repko even. The issue was not sending him down to AAA.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 1:35 PM PST up reply actions
Yes.
God forbid a player who can’t hit, field, or even stay healthy should be sent down to the minors. Lets just release some better players instead so we can make him feel better. We need that scrappy ability!
God I hate this team sometimes.
Ross sealed his fate
simply because he had been acquired by Depodesta. Didn’t matter how many two home run games he had, he had to go.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
Here is the link
to the Baseball Think Factory Dodger Projections that were alluded to above.
If Jerry Sands could meet that expectation right now I’d have no problem with him being our LF in 2011. Just remember in 2009 they told us that Val Pascucci was would kick ass if given the right number of plate appearances.
Pitching as we know is our huge asset. Six starters projected to have a 99 ERA+ or greater. Really if Garland/Padilla can give us the 100/99 when was the last time our fifth starter was that good?
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
Looks like Garland
is going to be the Dodger pitching coach in 20 years.
One of my favorite teams of all time. Loved me some Pedro back then.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
1991
The Dodgers in their history have had seven teams with five or more pitchers make at least 20 starts and have a 100+ ERA.
1991 was the last: Tim Belcher / Orel Hershiser / Ramon Martinez / Mike Morgan / Bob Ojeda
by Eric Stephen on Dec 27, 2010 1:50 PM PST up reply actions
That is not encouraging
I have to go to rank # 16 to find a World Championship team. On the positive side at least one of the seven made it to the World Series and the only reason we weren’t champions in 77 was a 3rd baseman.
How did you create that?
Play Index>Pitching>NL>Dodgers then what
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
GS >= 20
ERA+ >= 100
Select “teams with most players matching criteria”
by Eric Stephen on Dec 27, 2010 1:55 PM PST up reply actions
Thanks
Have to look for that last tab, never noticed it before. That could be very useful.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
Ah, now I see it
have to admit some tunnel vision. I’ve only used the first two options and have always just brushed past that part.
This could be fun.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
I wonder if Dave Stewart
has one of the highest win shares or God forbid WAR after being traded from the Dodgers.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
According to Fangraphs, Stew had 27.3 WAR after departing LA.
For reference, Pedro Martinez had 87.3; I’m not sure that’s getting touched.
by Eric Stephen on Dec 27, 2010 1:59 PM PST up reply actions
Piazza is surprisingly close with 33ish.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 2:02 PM PST up reply actions
I was just wondering
if Dave was in the top five because it seems he rarely gets mentioned when we discuss those who got away.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
Dave Stewart was a great choice for the Dodgers to get rid of. After an impressive half-season in Texas, he rattled off 6 years in a row with an ERA+ less than 100. It wasn’t until he drank the Kool-Aid in late ’80’s Oakland that he became great.
Of course, maybe if they didn’t dump him, he wouldn’t be such a dick in the Kemp negotiations.
I remember
him while with the Dodgers as having a 95 MPH heater but it was straight. I’m going to assume he mastered another pitch which led to his evolution as a front line starter.
I used to hate Roger Clemens and loved the fact he couldn’t beat Dave Stewart. Or so that is what my memory remembers.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
Stewart had some regrets w/Steve Howe in the bullpen and an incident in a downtown LA alley.
by 68elcamino427 on Dec 27, 2010 2:17 PM PST up reply actions
In some other 1980s young player deals
Sid Fernandez had 29.5 post-LA WAR
John Franco had 16.1 WAR after getting traded.
by Eric Stephen on Dec 27, 2010 2:01 PM PST up reply actions
In the "closers don't score well on WAR" department
John Wetteland had 15.0 post-Dodgers WAR.
In another closer trade, Paul Konerko has 29.2 post-LA WAR
by Eric Stephen on Dec 27, 2010 2:06 PM PST up reply actions
The day they traded El Sid
was a sad day for me. He was one of the guys who I really doted on in the minor leagues, his K numbers were unbelievable and I really wanted to see him pitch for the Dodgers. One of the stranger deliveries that I can remember.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
Dave Stewart
Is speaking at an event for my alma matter’s baseball team that is open to the public. If I lived in the area, I would pay for dinner and immediately start peppering him with questions about Kemp and Billingsley.
Then I would write about it on TBLA.
by Michael White on Dec 27, 2010 2:01 PM PST up reply actions
Using the tool that Eric
used for the five man rotations.
I’m surprised the Dodgers have never had more then 2 200 K men. They did it twice eight times with Sandy Koufax on the list six times. Five of those times his partner in crime was Don Drysdale.
Who was only pitcher other then Don Drysdale to team up with Koufax to strike out 200 players?
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
I’m going to wait to guess on this one, but I think I know it.
by Eric Stephen on Dec 27, 2010 2:07 PM PST up reply actions
Bingo
His son lost to our High School team in the 1975 City Championship game at Dodger Stadium. Our pitcher threw something like five shutouts in a row, then he was drafted by the Mets but decided to go to college and blew out his arm in the Alaskan Summer League.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
Baseball Cards
used to be our best source of info. That is how I won numerous bets regarding Perranoski’s win loss record in 63.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
Last time 250 IP was done
Kevin Brown – 1999
Last time 250K was done, Koufax in 1966.
Highest in last 11 years, Brown with 221 in 1999
I dont' see Clayton reaching either milesstone
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
A Giant footnote
Christy Mathewson struck out 259 in 1908, it took 96 years for another Giant to strike out more than 250 again, Jason Schmidt in 2004 struck out 251. Lincecum topped 260 two years in a row in 2008 and 2009.
Bet Lincecum never tops it again
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
What is amazing
bout the Mathewson and Feller’s numbers are they were done in an era where the K rate was quite low compared to 21st century baseball.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
Name the last Met, Pirate and Cardinal to top 220K in a season
One was HOF, one has played for two of those three teams and the other won World Series titles for 2 other teams.
Neither
will never pitch enough innings for that to happen.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
Man Randy Johnson was good.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 2:18 PM PST up reply actions
My biggest sports mulligan
Not selling our 2 USC / Texas Rose Bowl tickets for $1,500 right before the game
Buddy: We have to take this money
Me: We’re about to win 3 straight national titles. STFU. You couldn’t pay me $5k to miss that.
Famous last words.
Ha
but at least you saw an incredible game.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
That's what everyone says
but it’s never a “great game” when you’re team is the one who loses. It is for the winners and for fans of other teams.
I guess but watching
one of the greatest single handed bowl performances in history would still count for something with me. If they don’t make that last drive you’d have been sitting in a bar with 1500 dollars cussing out your greed.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
Guys that can’t hit and are out of options are pretty undesirable.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 2:26 PM PST up reply actions
This basically guarantees another year of Juan Castro, right?
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 2:25 PM PST up reply actions
ha ha
Guys that can’t hit and are out of options are pretty undesirable.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
I was gonna add, “unless they’re named Juan Castro” but he does have options.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 2:27 PM PST up reply actions
Too many Hu? jokes to count being left on the table with this trade.
by 68elcamino427 on Dec 27, 2010 2:35 PM PST up reply actions
This is honestly my favorite part of the trade.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 2:38 PM PST up reply actions
When I briefly
wrote for SportsHubLA in 2008, I wrote about
Kershaw
Martin
Kemp
Hu
I take it personally when I write about a player and then they proceed to suck.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
I’m sorry, I swear that’ll be the only one
by Josie Becker on Dec 27, 2010 2:40 PM PST up reply actions
I hope it was called “What I Like About Hu”
Now thank God this will never happen again there will never be another Hu joke again.
@andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Dec 27, 2010 2:41 PM PST up reply actions
What were the odds that Hu would bring us a relief pitcher
when he was traded? 90%?
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
So this guy is the anti - Elbert
left handed with control. Wonder if he will start or relief, he’s always started so far.
You can be (incompetent and a nice guy), you can be (competent and an asshole), but if you are an (asshole and incompetent), your only future is to be Keith's boss otherwise you are unemployable
My two cents
I will go with the Santana trade, due to how much I value Catchers. I think he will have a very solid career and anytime you can get solid offensive production out of your receiver I think it is a plus! There really isn’t very many good hitting catchers or at least that’s how it seems.
As for my personal mulligan I would have to go back to my Freshman year in college. It was a double elimination Conference Championships Tournament. We mowed every team down and on the final day we were facing a very strong #2 seeded team. Anyways they pitched their Ace who was a very hard throwing righty. He shut us down. They already had a loss and he handed us our first one. I had a nice 0-4 performance at the plate. I HATE going OF’er. Anyways we weren’t worried about it because he was the best pitcher they had and he pitched a complete game so there is no way they were putting him back out there again. We were wrong. In a very selfish manner their coach decided that winning the Championship was more important than this flame throwing Juniors career in baseball. He sent him back out the second game, and AGAIN this guy shuts us down. He was still throwing 90+ at the end of the second game. I had ANOTHER 0-4 game. He struck me out three times and on the last at bat I went into superconcentration mode and managed to hit a 6-3 grounder to end the game. I died a little bit inside to let down the Seniors on my team. There was a man on second too! A base hit by me could have earned us the Championship and I choked. I didn’t ever really read too much into pressure but in trying to keep things in perspective I was the only 19 year old on the field for both games. I was ejected for throwing my helmet and yelling a few choice words out of frustration but the game was over anyways. This kid had the day of his life and I have to tip my hat to him.
Rumor had it that it took it’s toll on him and he had TJ surgery. I faced him the next year determined to redeem myself and I went 3-4 with 2 doubles and 3 RBI’s. Surprisingly he was never drafted which blew my mind, but I have played with a lot of great players who were never picked up due to their medical records and he was just another one added to the bunch.
I would like to think that I went out on top because how I did against him my Sophmore year but in all honesty he was NOT the same pitcher. He topped out at 89 which is a far cry from throwing 90+ for two complete games back to back. I’ll never forget that guy….for a day he was a freak of nature and I think even Koufax would have been impressed.
(please read the above paragraphs while humming Bruce Springsteen’s “Glory Days”)
"They will never ketchup to all of the energy that I've mustard"
the Blake/Santana deal is my last pick on this list
Though the Dodgers obviously could have and should have gotten more- and we’ll never know how much had they just taken on that measly $2 mil- we still don’t know how good CS will be. Everyone was furious when he was tearing up AA, while Casey Blake was actually doing some good things for the major league club. I’m not saying that justifies the trade at all, but it does show that the Dodgers got something of value in return, unlike the other three moves.
And even though there was no way he’d “win” this poll, it continues to surprise me how relatively little the J-Mac trade is reviled. (Don’t forget that Lambo was, inexplicably, tossed in, for what had to be the ultimate Ned panic move, as the trade deadline clock was literally ticking down). For anyone who wants to say that J-Mac “had his chance”, don’t forget that Nolan Ryan, Mariano Rivera, Cliff Lee, and…yes…Sandy Koufax were all J-Mac’s age or older when they finally figured it out. (That’s not to say he’ll be anything close to those guys, but…you get the point. Honestly, though, it wouldn’t entirely shock me if, at some point, he gave Lee a run for his money- and that’s quite a bit of money!)
As for Werth and Ross, yeah, those moves were equally futile, but at least it actually took a while for them to do something. A week hadn’t even gone by as we got to “enjoy” J-Mac carving up the Rockies, as we’d already dropped another few games out of the standings in the meantime. Whatever justification there may have been to trade for a 36 year old soon-to-be free agent relief pitcher was literally gone within days.
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