Team Preview - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim / 2nd Edition
by meercatjohn on Jun 21, 2010 2:17 PM PDT
in Team Previews
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PrintNot much has changed since we last looked at the Angels 10 days ago.
Scored 341 runs, Allowed 351 runs. Pythagorean W-L: 35-37
After sweeping us they have gone 3 - 3, losing 12 - 1 in their last game, after winning 12 - 0 in the previous game. They have lost two more players since then, while gaining back two. Erik Aybar and Maicer Izturis are now hurt, but the weak hitting Brandon Wood and Jeff Mathis have come off the DL. We get to skip Jered Weaver so we have that going for us.
Position Breakdown
1st Base- With Jeff Mathis back to take over the catching reigns Mike Napoli looks to be the 1st baseman going forward. He has power and some plate discipline so he should put up an .800 OPS going forward.
2nd Base-Howie Kendrick has gotten hot since we last profiled him. Over the last two weeks he's a just a few points shy of a 1.000 OPS.
SS - Brandon Wood came off the DL and found himself back at his original position. He will have some time to show he can hit but time is running out. So far this year I'm pretty sure he's been the weakest offensive player in baseball with a TSL of .171/.181/.221. How is that even possible in 147 at bats?
3rd Base -Kevin Frandsen finds himself the starting 3rd baseman by default. To his credit the twice released infielder has done the job when asked.
C - Jeff Mathis came off the DL this past weekend and will be the everyday catcher going forward. He's a defensive first catcher who was hitting the ball before he went on the DL. According to his gamelogs, he has had a hit in every game this year (12 total).
CF - Torii Hunter -last nine games, three home runs and another all-star season in his future.
RF - Bobby Abreu -been on base nine times in his last four games. Only two extra base hits so far in June. Yikes
LF -Juan Rivera continues to be a fairly uninspiring hitter for a corner man.
DH - Hideki Matsui continues to be a fairly uninspiring hitter for a DH.
Bench - Wilson is the back up catcher. With Maicer on the DL, the rest of the bench is AAA fodder who come and go.
Starting Pitching for our Series:
Game 1 - We get to face Ervin Santana for the first time this year. Santana has a TSL of 3.91/4.32/.4.24. At home he has an ERA of 5.12 compared to 3.04 on the road. Back in 2007 Santana was like a Cy Young at home and Haeger on the road. Since then 2008-2010 he's been much better on the road then at home. Fastball (92.50), Slider(82.8) and a change up make up his arsenal. In his career against the Dodgers he's done very well, holding the Dodgers to a .701 OPS.
Game 2 - Joel Pineiro dominated the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine on June 11th, and followed up that game with another gem on June 16th when he beat the Twins 5 - 1. He has pitched 17 innings in his last two starts while giving up only two earned runs.
Game 3 - Scott Kazmir beat the Dodgers on June 12th barely making it to the required five innings. He is the weak link in the Angel rotation, and the Dodgers may need to beat him to keep from entering the Yankee series with a six game losing streak.
Bullpen - Fuentes is the closer and he's the type of closer that the opposing team likes to see take the mound with a one run lead. I don't care that he has 10 saves, he is the guy I want to see on mound for us in the 9th if we are trailing. Fernando Rodney continues to walk a high wire act averaging 6.3 walks per nine innings. He's the guy they use in the 8th. Kevin Jepsen is the best pitcher in the bullpen but even he is walking almost five hitters per nine inning. Rounding out the bullpen are F Rodriguez, Shields, Bulger, Bell, and the old war horse Scott Shields.
The Angels swept us when our offense went AWOL, and other then a brief showing against the Reds, it is still MIA. We face two good pitchers, one who has done historically well against us, and the other coming off a complete game victory over us. As depleted as the Angel infield is, as weak as the outfielder corners are hitting, any confidence I might have had evaporated when Eric told us that the Dodgers are 10 - 35 when facing the AL as a visiting team. Good God, that is Clipper bad.
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I don't think so
I think we can effectively end any hopes of him contributing to the big league team in 2010, but I think the team will give him the time and the distance to work out whatever he needs to work out.
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 2:24 PM PDT up reply actions
If we trade him does that count as contributing to the big league team in 2010?
Obviously he needs a change of scenery.
I can't imagine him quiting
he has no other options. He was a HS player, did he invest his bonus wisely? I mean at worst he’s a middle relief pitcher still making hundreds of thousands.
He got a $1.575m bonus in 2004 when he was drafted, and has made another couple hundred grand so far in salary (majors and minors). I hope he did invest wisely, as I hope all players do.
I hate to hear of the bankruptcy stories, especially from the NBA, when some players go broke so soon after they are done.
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 2:28 PM PDT up reply actions
Me to, especially the Kemp one.
I mean you could do a cool HBO serial on how someone who made 50,000,000 million in his lifetime had to have such a posse around him that he had nothing left. I just feel bad for all the bastards he stiffed.
I do enjoy the story of it, and like Phil I would watch a dozen documentaries about them, but I just feel sad that someone could blow that much cash.
Part of it is that I didn’t get a chance to blow that cash. :)
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 2:49 PM PDT up reply actions
not for long
too much of the latter eliminates the ability for the former. Or so I’ve heard.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
I put everything into pork belly futures
I have no idea what pork belly futures are, but I hear all the time in 1930s screwball comedies that the rich dude that the heroine chick almost marries made all his money in pork belly futures, so why not me?
The Ultimate Ned's Kind of Guy
by Humma Kavula on Jun 21, 2010 2:36 PM PDT up reply actions
you're a fool Humma
everyone knows the big money is in Frozen Concentrated Orange Juice.
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 21, 2010 2:38 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
mine too
I still have trouble understanding the ending though.
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 21, 2010 2:41 PM PDT up reply actions
Love that movie
What don’t you understand about the ending?
Just the whole concept of futures market and the face that the price was so low allowed them to become filthy rich and stuff like that. I’ve read explanations before, but i’ve never really grasped it.
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 21, 2010 2:56 PM PDT up reply actions
"fact the price was so low"
me type fast, no spell good.
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 21, 2010 2:56 PM PDT up reply actions
In brief, they tricked the Dukes into thinking OJ would go up with the fake report from the Breakfast Club principal. Eddie and Dan sold futures (that they didn’t own). The Dukes’ man on the floor bought, and others followed, thinking the Dukes knew something.
Then, when the real report came in saying that OJ would be down, the Dukes’ had to sell worthless shares, which Eddie and Dan bought at a low low rate. The Dukes bet so hard and took such a bath that they basically went out of business.
And thus we learned the value of “One dollar!”
Ha
As I was making my way down the comments, I was going to make an Orange Juice crack. Well done, sir.
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 2:44 PM PDT up reply actions
What movie is that?
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
Trading Places
Eddie Murphy and Dan Akroyd at the top of their game.
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 21, 2010 2:54 PM PDT up reply actions
Was Randolph & Mortemer Duke appearing in Coming to America the best cross-movie same-characters move ever?
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 2:57 PM PDT up reply actions
Lol
My type of 80s Eddie Murphy movie is Beverly Hills cop :)
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
another classic
but check out Trading Places if you love Eddie.
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 21, 2010 2:59 PM PDT up reply actions
And if you like it then check out
A Fish Called Wanda by Curtis a few years later. That was her heyday.
by meercatjohn on Jun 21, 2010 3:00 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I'm not a huge Eddie fan, but I really like the Beverly Hills cop movies
I watched some of Trading Places, but it couldn’t keep my attention for more than a few minutes.
ducks
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
That's a swing and a miss on your part
but you are still young, so there’s plenty of time to develop that :)
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 3:08 PM PDT up reply actions
Understandable
you have to have a certain IQ to understand the subtle nuances of Trading Places and based on lvdowns comments he’s at a Potter level.
:'(
Phil with the straight shot to the heart!
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
That said
you have to understand that when the Toaster did a separate thread for the seventh book, Eric, Craig, and I were the main contributors. Geekdom courses many level through all our veins.
Not true
I am a geek in many ways, but I have never read a word of Harry Potter.
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 3:18 PM PDT up reply actions
I worked at a bookstore when Book 6 came out. I had it a day early (brought home in a bad) and read by 12 noon the day it came out :)
by robotmadeofnails on Jun 21, 2010 3:19 PM PDT up reply actions
I laughed when I heard this story, while also recognizing it was a total jerk move, but I remember reading about one of the books coming out, and a bunch of people lined up outside a bookstore to buy the book and somebody drive by and shouted out “________ dies!” (I don’t know who it was), basically ruining the book in advance.
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 3:21 PM PDT up reply actions
It didn't ruin the book if you would have heard it
but it really makes it not as fun to read through it knowing before hand, lol.
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
Funny I got started reading it to
make sure it was suitable for fourth graders, then simply became engrossed and read everyone.
I read the 6th book in a day and a half
Such a great book.
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
:)
Harry Potter is really the only thing I get somewhat geeky or nerdy about. I’d love to go rent all the Harry Potter movies out and spend a day and just watch them. A good day to do that would be right before the 7th movie comes out, actually.
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
I think I've got good movie taste :)
Have you ever seen The Secret To My Success with Michael J Fox? I LOVE that movie.
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
I can never decide whether or not I like Helen Slater.
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 3:12 PM PDT up reply actions
I've always like Michael J Fox
for some reason he makes me laugh. Plus he was awesome in Scrubs in a more serious role. But he still made me laugh.
His episodes on Scrubs are some of my favorites
And I really like a lot of his movies, plus Spin City.
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
I always liked the Family Ties “scrooge” Christmas episode, when APK went to the convenience store to buy everyone presents; I think he got someone a six-pack of cough syrup.
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 3:18 PM PDT up reply actions
Me too
successful short guy doesn’t hurt his stature with me either.
Should anyone else have been Marty McFly? Can we please forget that Jason Bateman ever played a Teen Wolf?
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
I grew up watching this stuff on Comedy Central. I was shocked to learn that my younger bro-in law had never seen Fletch or Spies like Us
by robotmadeofnails on Jun 21, 2010 3:18 PM PDT up reply actions
man that is funny
Isn’t the Black guy in Revenge of the Nerds? I think he is president of the Black Fraternity. He is awesome!
King of the B movies
Gotta love Chevy. Vacation is such a classic movie, oh man.
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
I haven't seen those either
I have seen Trains Planes and Automobiles, which was a good movie.
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
I still have yet to go into a restaurant and order a bloody mary, a steak sandwich, and a steak sandwich.
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 3:30 PM PDT up reply actions
Fletch is in my top 10.
I freakin love Eddie Murphy in the Beverly Hills Cop movies and in Trading Places.
Not much has changed since we last looked at the Angels 10 days ago.
other then the fact we went 2 – 7 since then.
Hey Meercat
I asked you in the last thread, but I guess you already moved on. What package would you put together for Greinke and Gordon?
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 21, 2010 2:31 PM PDT up reply actions
That would be what we call a “blank check” offer. We give KC a piece of paper with 5 blank lines, and tell them to fill in the blanks :)
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 2:33 PM PDT up reply actions
Off the top of my head knowing Canuck will have my head
Elbert (new scenery, could transition to closer), Gordon ( Starting SS in 2011), Withrow, Kyle Russell, and Ethan Martin.
They get three number one picks, our best position player, and a guy who might generate some buzz. That would be our top four prospects.
Probably would take more and I wouldn’t say no, they could have any position player we have but I think they should only get three big arms. He is after all leading the league in losses:)
heh true on the losses.
Though I think Eric’s blank check theory holds water. Speaking of which, has anyone seen that Disney movie “Blank Check”?
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 21, 2010 2:37 PM PDT up reply actions
Yup, it was a stupid premise
That house alone had to be worth $2MM
by Michael White on Jun 21, 2010 2:39 PM PDT up reply actions
ha true
but the target audience didn’t need to know. I mean, when we were kids $1 million was a lot of money. Not that it’s not now, but it seems so much more when you’re a kid.
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 21, 2010 2:42 PM PDT up reply actions
They already have a 1b in AAA with Russell's skill type that they are wasting
I don’t see them interesting in Russell.
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
One thing I find funny is that at the beginning of the season, the prognosticators looked at the Dodger rotation and figured they’d be unable to compete. MLBN preview had these fake newspapers with Hart’s and whoever’s predictions — “DODGERS LOSE ARMS RACE, FINISH THIRD” was one.
And how does it shake out? The Dodgers are scuffling due to their anemic offense.
Fair warning: if the Dodgers finish in third and those guys say “I TOLD YOU SO” I am gonna shoot my television.
The Ultimate Ned's Kind of Guy
That’s one of the reasons I bought a bulletproof television.
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 2:30 PM PDT up reply actions
I think that showcases some deeper issues Eric.
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 21, 2010 2:30 PM PDT up reply actions
My favorite fake newspaper title was the “Harold Herald.”
A close second was “Hart of the Matter.”
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 2:31 PM PDT up reply actions
From the last thread
Let me take a crack at this.
Greinke and Gordon for:
E. Martin
A. Miller
Jansen
Robinson
Sands
Lower prospect
Opinions?
“You’re the only woman to ever love me.” “I never loved you.” “I meant physically!”
by Ivdown on Jun 21, 2010 2:31 PM PDT up reply actions
Now that I think about it, would E. Martin=Withrow or Gordon?
I would headline that with Gordon if Martin wasn’t enough, but still try to keep Withrow at all costs.
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
I think Ivdown has a good idea of it
though I think it would have to be Withrow instead of Martin.
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 21, 2010 2:38 PM PDT up reply actions
Btw, guys who I don't want to give up at all are
Withrow, Webster, Gould, and Russell.
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
For Gordon and Greinke
Ely
E Martin
Withrow
Gordon
Jansen
Eovaldi
Basically, they get everybody of value. We keep the guys who are talented with question marks. Elbert, McDonald, Lambo.
Ely, good point
But putting Withrow and Martin is a mistake, IMO, though I guess if we get Greinke it won’t really matter.
Ely
Gordon
E. Martin
Eovaldi
Jansen
Sands/lower prospect
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
Withrow is the headliner
And he’s not even that flashy. Ranked barely in the top 50 going into this season. Hasn’t exactly had a dominant season this year.
No Withrow. No deal.
Greinke won a Cy Young award last year, they have to get a major package for him.
by Michael White on Jun 21, 2010 2:58 PM PDT up reply actions
I'd be interested
to hear from a Royals blogger what he’d want for Gordon and Greinke.
The Ultimate Ned's Kind of Guy
by Humma Kavula on Jun 21, 2010 2:59 PM PDT up reply actions
E Martin is basically right behind Withrow, and if they are getting Gordon as well, along with Ely, I think they would take the deal without Chris.
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
Martin is a full level below Withrow
And is the same age. And Withrow pithced better in the Cal League than Martin is pitching in it now and did so at 20 years old.
How are they even close right not?
by Michael White on Jun 21, 2010 3:00 PM PDT up reply actions
Same type of power pitcher, and Martin could be ready for AA before the end of the year, where I don’t think Withrow has a promotion coming till at least next summer.
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
Withrow was advanced to AA at the end of last season too, meaning he’s a full year ahead of Martin’s development.
I know you acknowledge that Martin is behind Withrow, but I don’t personally see it as that close. Withrow was better in the same league,and did it at a younger age. Don’t see the evidence that Martin will be as good as Withrow when he moves up to AA.
by Michael White on Jun 21, 2010 3:11 PM PDT up reply actions
I know he’s definitely not on the same level, but because they are so similar in their peripherals and at the same age I just think he’s not leaps and bounds above Martin. The way it’s looking is that Martin will make AA before the end of the season, then both Martin and Withrow will be in the AA staff till at least the middle toward the end of the season after that. Withrow will have more experience, but I really do think they are close in skill level, though Withrow’s got a higher ceiling (though again I think they have similar floors).
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
Withrow and Webster?
That’s definitely a bit much IMO.
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
Isn’t Webster hitting mid 90s and higher this year? With the season he’s been putting up, I think they have put themselves at a similar level, and for some reason I find Martin easier to give up.
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
Yup
And I’m cool with that.
That’s 3 seasons with him.
by Michael White on Jun 21, 2010 3:06 PM PDT up reply actions
2 years, $27 million, plus whatever portion is left of his $7.25 million this year, for three playoff runs with him? I’m in.
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 3:07 PM PDT up reply actions
Just so everyone understands
that for these packages we’d have to win in a limited window to make it worthwhile.
question
would Gordon be the Dodgers 3B, or LF?
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 21, 2010 2:43 PM PDT reply actions
I wouldn't mind him in LF (though Manny is still here so that's a no go until 11)
But would we bench Blake?
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
As long as we’re trading the future for Royals, can I have DeJesus too?
by Little Blue Bicycle on Jun 21, 2010 3:03 PM PDT up reply actions
I don't check "The Book" blog often enough
but I saw this on Saturday by Michael Lichtman, regarding whether or not to take pitchers who are throwing a shutout out of the game in the 7th inning.
Some of it might make your head explode, but I thought it was fascinating.
He had a follow up post Sunday, too.
FYI
http://www.thinkcure.org/site/TR/Events/General?pg=entry&fr_id=1030
I totally expect TBLA to have a Bike Ride Group in this event. I’ll start putting it together but just wanted everyone to be aware of it. I may even be able to get some electric bikes from my company provided you wear our T-Shirts.
www.izipusa.com
Step 1
get t-shirts before November!
I am definitely interested in that bike ride too.
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 3:11 PM PDT up reply actions
There are no exact times posted
But I gotta imagine an early morning start so that the freeway can be reopened at a reasonable hour.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
Without a motorized bicycle
You would be writing my TBLA obituary if I participated. I might survive the 22 miles ride with a motor assist, and riding the Pasadena Freeway would be awesome.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
I put this in the minor league thread
but Ralston Cash, our second round pick, has signed, and he is on his way to Arizona today.
I’m totally cool with him being our top signed pick.
Now let’s see if Lincecum Jr., UCLA’s Trevor Bauer, falls to us at #29. ;)
I saw him pitch the other day
I was thinking that he really reminded me of Lincecum. Isn’t he a freshman though?
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 21, 2010 4:05 PM PDT up reply actions
He is en route today; hopefully he will get to my Koppel-esque questions at some point when he has time :)
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 3:19 PM PDT up reply actions
“Your career appears a lock for runaway success. How does that feel?”
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 3:52 PM PDT up reply actions
“What cap to you intend to wear on your Hall of Fame plaque?”
The Ultimate Ned's Kind of Guy
by Humma Kavula on Jun 21, 2010 3:53 PM PDT up reply actions
“What kind of a name is ‘Ralston,’ anyway?”
The Ultimate Ned's Kind of Guy
by Humma Kavula on Jun 21, 2010 4:01 PM PDT up reply actions
“Are you on the board of directors of the Ralston Purina company?”
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 4:03 PM PDT up reply actions
“Are you mad at the 29 teams that passed over you?”
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 3:54 PM PDT up reply actions
“How many Ralston Cash Awards will Stephen Strasburg win?”
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 3:54 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
“In the future, when prospects want a deal similar to the one you signed, will they ask for ‘cash money?’ HA HA HA HA HA HA! erm.”
The Ultimate Ned's Kind of Guy
by Humma Kavula on Jun 21, 2010 3:56 PM PDT up reply actions
“Which is your favorite Journey song: Don’t Stop Believin’, Faithfully, or Open Arms?”
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 3:55 PM PDT up reply actions
“Will you be mad when your cousin is traded next month?”
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 3:58 PM PDT up reply actions
So we have active subset threads of
Michael J Fox
Trading Places
Harry Potter
Trading Grienke
Not one bloody person has mentioned the fucking preview. Not that I care mind you.
I did appreciate this line
Fuentes is the closer and he’s the type of closer that the opposing team likes to see take the mound with a one run lead. I don’t care that he has 10 saves, he is the guy I want to see on mound for us in the 9th if we are trailing
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 3:27 PM PDT up reply actions
What do we have to talk about, they are the same team as last week :P
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
Chin-Lung Hu in 2008 (age 24): .181/.252/.233 in 129 PA
Brandon Wood in 2010 (age 25): .171/.181/.221 in 147 PA
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 3:33 PM PDT up reply actions
Jeez. Why IS Brandon Wood playing SS?
The Ultimate Ned's Kind of Guy
by Humma Kavula on Jun 21, 2010 3:37 PM PDT up reply actions
Hey you can’t just give up on a guy that had a ridiculous* year five years ago.
*If you ignore strike outs.
by regfairfield on Jun 21, 2010 3:42 PM PDT up reply actions
Check out this guy
http://blog.masslive.com/redsoxmonster/2010/06/overzealous_fan_shows_split_pe.html
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
BB Abbott
has a lot of Bs in his name.
The Ultimate Ned's Kind of Guy
by Humma Kavula on Jun 21, 2010 3:39 PM PDT up reply actions
Love that name
He also reps Ethan Martin and Tony Delmonico.
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 3:40 PM PDT up reply actions
Just to compete with BB Abbott
I am considering changing my handle to Bubba Babuba.
The Ultimate Ned's Kind of Guy
by Humma Kavula on Jun 21, 2010 3:42 PM PDT up reply actions
Is it really?
I’ve seen that name on fangraphs.
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
I have a question for the hat czar Eric
Is it alright to wear a hat to a baseball game of a team that is not playing in that game?
Absolutely not
I have done it once; I wore a Dodgers cap to see Bonds hit #755 in San Diego.
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 4:04 PM PDT up reply actions
So you would instead want to wear a Giants hat or Padres hat to that game?
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
Yes
I would never wear a Giants hat though.
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 4:12 PM PDT up reply actions
That's just weird to me
You’re a Dodger fan, if you are going to a non-Dodger game it doesn’t make you a non-Dodger fan.
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
i agree, but I would just not wear a hat, or I would wear a non-baseball hat. People will already assume I am a fan of baseball since I am there. I don’t need a hat to make sure people realize I am not rooting for either team :)
by robotmadeofnails on Jun 21, 2010 4:29 PM PDT up reply actions
I think it's being too far examined
I wear a hat because I like to wear hats, and I like Dodger hats and my Ducks hat. I’m not going to modify how I wear my hats or when I wear my hats because some people have OCD about it, lol.
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
Oregon or Anaheim?
If it’s Oregon, there are probably 3.7 million color combos so the hat would probably work, on some level.
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 4:37 PM PDT up reply actions
It's all black
So it’s actually really cool looking.
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
The correct answer
is to wear a non baseball team hat. Perhaps a clothing brand, a football team, etc. Something to keep the sun off but not an MLB team that isn’t playing in the game.
how about a hat that says
“Hooray Everyone!”
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 21, 2010 4:23 PM PDT up reply actions
I strongly disagree. I am a Dodger fan. I wear a Dodger hat if I am going to wear a hat to a game.
by KellyStephen on Jun 21, 2010 5:39 PM PDT up reply actions
Can you imagine a psychologist or a psychiatrist looking in at this thread? “WTF are these guys talking about?”
Clients for life, yes we are.
by KellyStephen on Jun 21, 2010 5:57 PM PDT up reply actions
And what makes it better
is that we do this shit twice a week! I love it. Eric gets o so pissy about hats. It would be cool to have talked to him before so I would know what he sounded like and looked like at the same time when someone says something about wearing a football hat to a Dodger game. I have only heard him on the radio that one time, but how easily we forget!
He’s right about the backwards hat thing, however. If you aren’t playing catcher, turn the damn hat around. Yeah, Jr, I’m talkint to you too!
by KellyStephen on Jun 21, 2010 6:07 PM PDT up reply actions
Allowable exception is that you may wear a hat of a minor league affiliate or parent team, depending on the game you are at.
No different levels though.
For instance, you can wear an LA hat at an ABQ game, or an ABQ hat at a Dodger game, but you can’t wear a Loons hat at a Lookouts game.
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 4:05 PM PDT up reply actions
As soon as I buy a Lookouts cap
I am wearing it everywhere.
by Michael White on Jun 21, 2010 4:06 PM PDT up reply actions
You can wear the hat of a player who once wore the hat is rehabbing :)
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 4:08 PM PDT up reply actions
I have a sunday (blue and white) ’topes hat that I wear to just about any baseball game.. love it
by hee came hee seop'd he choi'd on Jun 21, 2010 4:12 PM PDT up reply actions
If I owned a team
I would be the anti-Moreno.
I would walk around the stadium and knock hats of people’s heads if they didn’t conform :)
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 4:14 PM PDT up reply actions
I just realized
I have been in violation of my own rules before.
I own a “swinging Friar” Padres hat that I used to wear to games at Petco if I needed the Padres to win. However, while that hat is awesome, and fitted, it is technically not an Eric-approved hat.
Hmm, lots of self doubt right now.
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 4:21 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm ready to take my Ducks hat on my desk at work and put it on backwards :P
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
I wore a Brooklyn Dodger cap
to Yankee Stadium.
I have worn UCLA hats to Dodger Stadium.
I may bust out my Laker championship jacket at the Dodger Yankee game this week.
Well this sucks because I am going to a Braves game this weekend and was planning on wearing my LA hat. Although I know that it aggravates some of the friends that I would be going with because I like the fit of my LA hat the best.
no, Dodgers hats are always OK because you’re honoring Jackie Robinson. It’s all the other hats that aren’t acceptable :)
Fedora's are awesome
i’ll fight anyone on that
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 21, 2010 4:13 PM PDT up reply actions
shifty?
do I have a toothpick and a coin to flip?
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 21, 2010 4:16 PM PDT up reply actions
don't watch that show
shame that tools ruin the perception of fedoras….such a shame…..
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 21, 2010 4:39 PM PDT up reply actions
Wear your Dodger hat with pride!
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
I wear a rivercats hat when I play softball
by robotmadeofnails on Jun 21, 2010 4:30 PM PDT up reply actions
That's one of my only
pet peeves.
Red Sox fans are the worst.
Red Sox fans wearing hats AND jerseys to a Dodgers-Giants game should be banned for life.
Uh, yeah
If I’m going to a Padres games in SD and they are playing, say, the Nationals, like hell I wouldn’t wear my Dodger hat (when I…you know…get it soon).
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
Clearly you need to purchase a Nationals cap, preferrably the old W logo
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 4:11 PM PDT up reply actions
Lol
I see random people walking around with Nats caps…and I wonder why?
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
lots of pittsburgh hats too,.
by hee came hee seop'd he choi'd on Jun 21, 2010 4:18 PM PDT up reply actions
I guess that would make sense
Dumb but makes sense. My ex told me she asked a friend of his if he was a big Dodger fan because he was wearing a standard Dodger hat, and he asked why she would ask that. She said because he was wearing a Dodger hat. He then told her it was an LA hat….ughhh.
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
I have a Nationals hat!
It’s the semi-retro flex fit style old Senators cap.
It’s my red hat. Tigers hat is black, and Dodgers hat is blue.
by Michael White on Jun 21, 2010 4:21 PM PDT up reply actions
ESPN I guess just said that they don’t expect Cliff Lee to make another start in Seattle. Not sure who said it though.
Buster Olney; I heard that on ESPN Radio too
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 4:04 PM PDT up reply actions
I’d guess Minnesota. I keep hearing Mets but they’re in a worse boat than us prospect wise if they won’t deal Mejia or Davis.
I keep hearing Texas
of course they’re in on Oswalt to, so who knows.
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 21, 2010 4:12 PM PDT up reply actions
if you read BBTF
the mets farm is stacked with trade chits..
by hee came hee seop'd he choi'd on Jun 21, 2010 4:13 PM PDT up reply actions
Not ready guys though right now, right? I think that’s what Seattle wants. Plus I’ve heard NYM would rather pay cash and pay less in prospects, which is why I think they want Oswalt.
the mets fans on bbtf
are insane
by hee came hee seop'd he choi'd on Jun 21, 2010 4:14 PM PDT up reply actions
Didn't they all burn themselves alive
when the Mets traded Kazmir for Zambrano?
The Ultimate Ned's Kind of Guy
by Humma Kavula on Jun 21, 2010 4:32 PM PDT up reply actions
That imminent?
It would be better if you are trading for him to get him now so you get more starts out of him, and it was June or early July when CC was traded, right?
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
More teams are theoretically in contention right now so Seattle can have multiple bidders.
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 4:19 PM PDT up reply actions
Realistically, here are the teams that COULD be in on CC:
Twins
Rangers
Dodgers
Rockies (they are in the hunt, a 1-2 of Lee Jimenez would be crazy good)
Phillies
Cardinals
Reds
Yankees
RedSox
Mets
I think the Cardinals, Red Sox, and Rockies really wouldn’t be involved, but they shouldn’t be excluded either.
Top 3 likely choices I would say are:
Reds
Dodgers
Twins
I wouldn’t mind if he went to any of these teams, though I think we know which I’d prefer :)
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
The Harry Potter thread
though I can’t find it now, probably was me, Phil and old friend Greg Brock.
Book 7 came out the same day as DT Day at Dodger Stadium version 2007 or the day DT met Frank McCourt.
Anyway, I drove in with GB and when I dropped him off, I immediately went home and started reading my copy, I think I finished it around 3 in the morning.
He finished it t that day too.
I also recall, I believe it was Bryan Friedman, came with his fiancee to the game and she read HP7 throughout the whole game.
Finally, I remember old DT friend Branch Rickey being one of the first people I knew to have a iPhone and when we were looking at it the game, I was amazed you could log into DT at the game.
I've never read a word
of the Harry Potter series
Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man
are you bragging
or lamenting? Or just stating a fact?
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 21, 2010 4:14 PM PDT up reply actions
Just sayin…though I really don’t get the fascination
Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man
well
I’ve never tried to make anything into some kind of lifestyle. I just see the series as a very entertaining series of books that can be enjoyed by all ages.
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 21, 2010 4:18 PM PDT up reply actions
I liked them for what they were
I had not seen the last movie until the other day, I was interested in how far that one went away with some of the book.
The books and films will go down as a unique phenomenon and it was very entertaining to read and watch.
I was quite disappointed in the last movie (right at the end)
by robotmadeofnails on Jun 21, 2010 4:35 PM PDT up reply actions
I liked the whole thing
I loved that they had a certain comedic element that none of the other ones had.
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
Nice preview Phil!
:-)
Also: I am back to hating the Angels again. Please beat them this time, Dodgers.
Glad to have a night off though.
There's no need to fear, Underdog is here! / Broncos/Dodgers/Lakers fan in Niners/Raiders/Giants/Warriors country, and damned proud of it.
Phil Hughes will be skipped in the rotation
To limit his innings.
Sabathia expected to now start on Friday. Burnett and Pettitte will follow.
so
Sabathia/Padilla
Burnett/Kuroda
Pettitte/Kershaw
is that the matchups?
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 21, 2010 4:13 PM PDT up reply actions
Listening again to ESPN 710 for the first time in forever
and Steve Mason and John Ireland are discussing how the Dodgers should trade Russell Martin, straight up, for Cliff Lee.
And they are discussing it seriously.
Done and done. I would also throw in Garret Anderson.
by Tripon on Jun 21, 2010 4:14 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
This time
Have Charles Johnson already signed on the team.
by bhsportsguy on Jun 21, 2010 4:16 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Mason also added that Lucas May is a pretty good prospect who could step right in.
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 4:15 PM PDT up reply actions
At this point, with how bad the outfield defense is, I say fuck defense
If he can handle the stick well and we get Lee, then so be it.
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
The problem is that he can’t. Lucas May is a fringe prospect because his flaws are so extreme and bad that it severely limits his ability to play major league ball.
Martin is putting up numbers almost any AA or AAA catcher could
Even if he put up worse numbers, I wouldn’t care if Martin got us Lee.
Anything below .700 OPS at any position just isn’t worth anything.
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
An on base heavy .700 is, especially at catcher. Even without positional adjustments Martin is an average hitter.
Fangraph’s catcher defense is really wonky, it only counts controlling the running game, but right now Russ is the #4 WAR guy on the team since our best pitchers really suck at hitting.
by regfairfield on Jun 21, 2010 5:05 PM PDT up reply actions
If it was any other catcher putting up a .650 OPS, the value would be almost exactly the same.
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
It’s really hard to pull a catcher with a .350 on base out of no where.
by regfairfield on Jun 21, 2010 5:11 PM PDT up reply actions
Yeah, but how many of those guys could the Dodgers easily get and could keep it up for 500 PA?
Are you asking what position walks the most?
What the hell is with David Ross’ career?
by regfairfield on Jun 21, 2010 5:20 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm not talking about a .350 OBP catcher. I'll take a guy who can at least hit for some power
and gets on base less.
I’d much rather have Rod Barajas at the plate than Russell Martin. That makes me so sad.
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
Barajas and Martin are almost exactly equal in value in hitters right now. One guy is playing way over his career norms.
by regfairfield on Jun 21, 2010 5:27 PM PDT up reply actions
But from what Martin has become, this is much closer to his career norm than what he did in 2007. With Martin it seems like we almost have to completely throw out his 2006-2008 seasons because of how far he’s dropped. I don’t think he will ever play at that level again.
I just brought up Barajas because I heard he was having a nice power season, but obviously he’s not a real starting option.
My point is Martin’s offense is so useless that we may as well have ANYONE else start at catcher and get something for him if we can.
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
Right. I considered this a normal year for Martin. Barajas is playing over his head. Both of these guys are one run below average offensively without position adjustments.
My point is that calling Martin’s offense useless is completely off base.
by regfairfield on Jun 21, 2010 5:31 PM PDT up reply actions
Lee is so accurate he'll just hit the glove
no worry on pass balls
so then,
do we just go with Ellis? call up May? Lament Santana for the umpteenth time?
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 21, 2010 4:15 PM PDT up reply actions
If that was the case
I guess we would go with Ausmus/Ellis. Not sure when he is due back, but the other night at Fenway he was taking BP.
Smithers, begin the thawing of John Roseboro
There's no need to fear, Underdog is here! / Broncos/Dodgers/Lakers fan in Niners/Raiders/Giants/Warriors country, and damned proud of it.
lol
is that before or after the gets the Cheetos?
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 22, 2010 9:23 AM PDT up reply actions
Without making any adjustments for position Russ would be the 6th best hitter on that team.
by regfairfield on Jun 21, 2010 4:20 PM PDT up reply actions
Is that before or after Kemp?
Currently I would have it:
Manny
Furcal
Ethier
Loney
Blake
DeWitt
Martin
Kemp
He said on “that team,” as in the Mariners
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 4:23 PM PDT up reply actions
What if we are doing real level talent?
Ethier
Manny
Kemp
Loney
Furcal
Blake
Martin
Dewitt?
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
Point being that it’s probably not a terrible starting point for a trade. The Mariner’s catcher situation is abysmal and getting a 2-3 win player at catcher would be a huge boost for them.
by regfairfield on Jun 21, 2010 4:26 PM PDT up reply actions
Whose starting for Ogden tonight?
Is it Gould?
by SeanMillerSavior on Jun 21, 2010 4:24 PM PDT reply actions
I think if you are in extended spring training
No news is good news.
by Michael White on Jun 21, 2010 4:35 PM PDT up reply actions
What would they talk about
He really is just another high school kid who hasn’t pitch in organized ball yet.
Can we get Billy Butler in the KC trade too?
by robotmadeofnails on Jun 21, 2010 4:45 PM PDT reply actions
Who I'd be interested in as a fallback to the fallback to the fallback plan
So yes, he will eventually be our number 1 target.
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
has Bedard pitched at all yet this year?
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 21, 2010 5:12 PM PDT up reply actions
Bedard is pitching a rehab assignment today
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 5:20 PM PDT up reply actions
What are Lucas May's defensive numbers in AAA?
he’s doing adequately with the bat right? How bad has he been defensively?
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 21, 2010 5:09 PM PDT reply actions
White said talks with Lee are in “stagnant mode,” but club officials insist they will make Lee a seriously tempting offer. Of course, as a high school pitcher, it would be years before Lee can make an impact even if he does sign.
“This is very different than ’05,” White insisted. "With the depth we now have in the system, it was worth the risk to take a shot at signing him and if we don’t get him, we get a pick next year when the Draft is really loaded. You don’t get anywhere unless you take the high-ceiling guy.
“Let’s just wait and see what happens. This was the right time to do it, because we’ve got some real horses coming that are going to be really special — power arms and a large number of them.”
“With the depth we now have in the system, it was worth the risk to take a shot at signing him and if we don’t get him, we get a pick next year when the Draft is really loaded. "
By the looks of this it seems as if White really doesn’t care either way if we sign him or not.
it's basically a win-win situation for the Dodgers
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 22, 2010 9:18 AM PDT up reply actions
In the sense that the Giants won when they signed all the type A free agents they could.
by regfairfield on Jun 22, 2010 9:19 AM PDT up reply actions
I’d rather have taken a chance on a high ceiling hitter but White should stick with what he does best and that seems to be ferreting out the best high school pitchers.
Just got home
and turned on MLB Network to see Howard & Rollins interviewed by Costas. Within 5 minutes, Game 4 of the 2009 NLCS is shown. Damn.
I'd rather watch
video of my parents doing….you know…..okay I’m full of shit. I would rather watch almost anything
then watch us get beat by the fucking Phillies again in the playoffs!
The worst part is that MLB the Show 2010 plays that audio clip from the Phillies broadcasters while the game loads from time to time. I hit the X button to skip it as fast as I can.
by robotmadeofnails on Jun 22, 2010 8:25 AM PDT up reply actions
Some guy on Bleacher Report listed the 10 pitchers to watch over the next 5 years:
10) Ricky Romero
9) Francisco Liriano
8) Clayton Kershaw
7) Yovani Gallardo
6) Jaime Garcia
5 )Justin Verlander
4) Felix Hernandez
3) Ubaldo Jimenez
2) Tim Lincecum
1) Stephen Strasburg
Jaime Garcia over Kershaw
is comical
by SeanMillerSavior on Jun 21, 2010 6:24 PM PDT up reply actions
Lol @ Jaime Garcia that high
He’s good, but hasn’t had giant potential in a few years, if he ever even had it. other than that this list looks good, though I think Kershaw will be higher in a couple of years.
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
Another 2011 potential first round draft pick on the mound for UCLA
tonight, Gerrit Cole, he struck out the side in the top of first.
Threw 97
and threw a good curveball. Brilliant inning
by Julio Nievas on Jun 21, 2010 6:25 PM PDT up reply actions
I saw that
it was nice. Pick-off, flyout, popup, not a bad inning.
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 21, 2010 6:48 PM PDT up reply actions
Wasnt he drafted by the Yanks and didn't sign?
He was great in baseball mogul 2008 I believe.
"You're the only woman to ever love me." "I never loved you." "I meant physically!"
Eric
Do we really need to click on the link to RSVP to the SBNation Los Angeles night? Or can we just show up?
In general, people should RSVP, but I already have you on the list.
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 6:28 PM PDT up reply actions
It just shows up as an advertisement in the top right corner every once in a while
by Michael White on Jun 21, 2010 6:31 PM PDT up reply actions
I don't see the ad right now but I think
it links to here. Bummed that it is a night I am unavailable.
Food and drink specials, giveaways and great raffle prizes!I wonder what the specials are.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
Houston Chronicle is reporting
that Astros Owner Drayton McLane says team would consider absorbing some salary for better prospects.
That should help them trade off guys.
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 21, 2010 6:36 PM PDT reply actions
Absolutely
Now how much is some? I think that Mr McCourt would need a lot of absorbing to take place before he would consider dealing for RO.
no kidding
I think it would depend on the deal.
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 21, 2010 6:48 PM PDT up reply actions
Isn't he old for A ball?
I wish he would go to AA, but I’m sure he would get squeezed for AB’s. I would say A+ for now.
But I'm pretty sure he'll destroy the Cal League
It’s a hitters friendly league and I want to see how he does against better pitching, in AA.
by Julio Nievas on Jun 21, 2010 7:09 PM PDT up reply actions
Average age for hitters in the Cal League this year is 22.8, pretty much right where Sands is
by Eric Stephen on Jun 21, 2010 7:15 PM PDT up reply actions
is that true, or just a joke? help me out man.
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 21, 2010 7:19 PM PDT up reply actions
no problem
was just curious if that was a decision. Though I guess it would be weird for a guy coming off a suspension to go to a higher league.
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 21, 2010 7:22 PM PDT up reply actions
Waste of talent
Put him at first and demote Eduardo Perez. You have to do it.
by Julio Nievas on Jun 21, 2010 7:16 PM PDT up reply actions
Yeah, I know. Not his natural position, but he can hit.
by Julio Nievas on Jun 21, 2010 7:20 PM PDT up reply actions
I just don’t want him to travel the Kyle Russell route. Sands is putting up better numbers right now than what Russell did last year at Great Lakes. Russell then moves up this year and crushes the Cal League. So why not advance Sands to double-A?
by Julio Nievas on Jun 21, 2010 7:28 PM PDT up reply actions
Right
I’m not saying he should replace Russell. He should replace Perez. Never going to happen though
by Julio Nievas on Jun 21, 2010 7:46 PM PDT up reply actions
I feel that
I just wonder about AB’s. How many does he get? Who gets moved out of AA to make room for him?
OT: I was on the Razorbacks Rivals board and saw this.
It is the odds for the favorite to win the Heisman trophy. Don’t know what casino it is from, but it shouldn’t be had to figure out.
1) Mark Ingram Running back Alabama +380
2) Terrelle Pryor Quarterback Ohio State +550
3) Jake Locker Quarterback Washington +800
4) Ryan Mallett Quarterback Arkansas +1200
5) Noel Devine Running back West Virginia +1400
6) Jacory Harris Quarterback Miami +1400
7) Dion Lewis Running back Pittsburgh +1500
8) Case Keenum Quarterback Houston +1500
9) John Clay Running back Wisconsin +1500
And for all of you Pac 10 homers, I give you the guys that were on the list through the top 25 with Pac 10 ties.
13) Andrew Luck Quarterback Stanford +1800
17) Matt Barkley Quarterback USC +2200
18) Jacquizz Running Back Oregon State +2500
20) LaMichael James Running Back Oregon +3300
I think Luck should be higher. I think he will be the 2nd QB drafted next year.
Heisman winners doesn't translate to NFL success
Andrew Luck isn’t getting any love because he wont blow you away with his stats, but his tools and skills at QB overshadows his stats and other top QBs in College. I would take him over Pryor
by Julio Nievas on Jun 21, 2010 7:23 PM PDT up reply actions
So true
Stafford’s stats were meh. . . but he ended up being the #1 pick
by SeanMillerSavior on Jun 21, 2010 7:24 PM PDT up reply actions
But he received his fair share of hype
I don’t ever hear about Luck, but I know he is going to be a pretty good pro.
You probably dont hear much about Luck
because he plays for a west coast school in a weak pac 10 .. . or thats what espn wants you to believe
by SeanMillerSavior on Jun 21, 2010 7:36 PM PDT up reply actions
Luck over Pryor in the NFL? Sure. But Pryor has much higher odds of winning the Heisman than Luck.
by KellyStephen on Jun 21, 2010 7:42 PM PDT up reply actions
I get that
You are right. I got the 2 ideas backwards the second time.
Pryor>Luck Heisman votes
Luck>Pryor Football related job security over the next 25 years
…and I agree…give me cash money every time.
by KellyStephen on Jun 21, 2010 8:03 PM PDT up reply actions
“Pac 10 homers”??? On this site?
i think the top 3 are pretty solid.
by KellyStephen on Jun 21, 2010 7:39 PM PDT up reply actions
I think Locker is the favorite
right now. Ingram is the defending champ. Not going to win again. I’m not sure he is the best RB on his team. They have a SOPH RB named Trent Richardson that is a friggin stud. Terrelle Pryor is pretty good. Should’ve went to Michigan if he wanted to run an offense to put up numbers to win a heisman. Mallett has a chance to take an early lead if he plays well early. They play at Georgia and Alabama in the first 4 weeks. If he puts up great numbers and they win, he would be in front.
Justin Upton just committed murder
the victim: one baseball
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 21, 2010 7:21 PM PDT reply actions
and LaRoche just hit a 3-run homer. all this with 2 outs.
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 21, 2010 7:24 PM PDT up reply actions
I watched him pitch when he was in High School at Central Arkansas Christian. He was better than everyone else in the second smallest division of High School Sports in Arkansas. He was better than everyone, but a lot better than the 5’6" 10th graders he was facing in Arkansas at the time.
just remember
it is the D-backs, they could cough up this league pretty quickly
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 21, 2010 7:35 PM PDT up reply actions
But is he pitching? :-P
(No.) He is 22 now. Time to either make some real progress or get ready to move to the mound.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
Jon Weisman coming up on local LA radio
dodgerthoughts
Scheduled for an interview with AM KSPN 710 at about 7:42 p.m.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
he was already drafted by the yankees right?
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 21, 2010 8:16 PM PDT up reply actions
Because this will posted eventually
But isn’t Manny still a lightning rod in this community as opposed to wherever else the Dodgers go to play this season?
I guess so. I’m not celebrity-driven. I tend to be baseball-driven so it really didn’t fascinate me at all. It’s a nice story and everything, but it’s not like he cared whether they ever won and it’s not like he left town with any dignity. He’s not Dustin Pedroia. I’m sorry. You wouldn’t be trading Clay Buchholz for him. The fact that there were only two teams willing to take him with the Red Sox willing to pay his salary in 2008 and neither team would give up a prospect really tells you something about his stature in the game.
You said he left this town with no dignity. That’s a pretty strong statement.
Ask the clubhouse kids that got stiffed. Ask all the people around the ballpark.
Don't know why I feeling like fisking this, but....
He [Manny] had one meaningful appearance in the weekend, and he struck out against Daniel Bard.
What? All the other PAs in a 5-4 game and a 2-0 game don’t matter?
From August 1, 2006 to July 31, 2008, Elias [Sports Bureau] has showed that Ortiz’s numbers were much better without Manny than with Manny. So that whole story [that Ortiz suffers in the absence of Manny] is a fable that people on ESPN like to tell.Selective endpoint – why is 8/1/2006 of interest? 2. Without looking it up, I’ll bet the number of games Ortiz played and Manny sat in that time frame is a small sample size, and some of that was when Manny missed a couple week in Sept 2006 when the Sox were out of the race, so all of Ortiz’s PA were not “meaningful”.
neither team would give up a prospect really tells you something about his stature in the game.Sort of true, but LaRoche was going to start at 3B that year for LA if not for the broken thumb, had less than 200 MLB PAs and hadn’t completely flamed out yet, and was signed for a bonus that was like low first-round money when he was drafted, plus Morris was a former #1, albeit coming back from arm issues.
They [the Red Sox players] went on, and next year, wherever he is in the American League, making $5 million, $6 million, it’ll [Manny coming to Fenway] be a total non-story. Meanwhile, the Red Sox have internally developed the four best pitchers on the staff for whom they pay a total of $13.5 million for this season in Lester, Buchholz, Bard and Papelbon.Non sequitur. WTF does Boston’s homegrown pitching have to with a Manny question?? Not like Boston saved any money by trading Manny. Hell, they took on the remainder of Bay’s contract (balance of $2M+) with that deal.
Someone said today, "Was Jeff Weaver not a better matchup against Dustin Pedroia than Jonathan Broxton?" Fascinating question, because Pedroia can hit a fastball. There’s no getting around it. And Pedroia again is so smart. He knows to take the ball the other way.Can’t all major-league hitters that last have the ability to hit a fucking fastball? Broxton does have a plus slider that he throws with some frequency you know.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
Does he have one? Someone already did that to his brain, right? (Too soon?)
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
"So that whole story is a fable that people on ESPN like to tell."
Gee, Peter, bitter?
by Little Blue Bicycle on Jun 22, 2010 7:45 AM PDT up reply actions
Interesting tidbit in Jon Weisman's latest
Yet another reason for San Diego’s success this year: The Padres bullpen has allowed only 10 inherited runners to score all season, according to Stat of the Day. By comparison, George Sherrill by himself has allowed 15, and Ramon Troncoso 13.What Jon leaves unwritten is that the Dodger bullpen has allowed the most inherited runners and allowed the largest percentage of inherited runners to score. Just eyeballing the table in the link, it also appears that LA has one of the highest inherited runner to relief appearance ratios, which probably says a lot about the Torre/Honeycutt/Schaefer pitching change philosophy as well.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
largest percentage of inherited runners to score
Even worse than Arizona!
Jon’s other link shows that only Weaver, Beliario and Miller have performed better than league average in the percentage measure. Sherrill – not surprisingly in a LOOGY role – and Troncoso – often used as a smoke jumper – have inherited the most runners by far, 38% of all inherited runners by LA pitchers.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
he just bequethed them all to Sherrill and Troncoso
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 21, 2010 9:47 PM PDT up reply actions
Funny line
but he actually bequeathed three to Broxton (two scored on a double), and two to Tron (both scored on a jack).
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
I think that the disposition of inherited runners for a relief pitcher is a very critical measure. It tells you a lot about the ability of your bullpen to shut something down when they’re brought in to stop a rally. I think it’s a stat that should get more visibility.
by KellyStephen on Jun 22, 2010 5:18 AM PDT up reply actions
Just to show Phil I read the whole preview
Game 3 – … the Dodgers may need to beat him to keep from entering the Yankee series with a six game losing streak.
If the Angels of Anaheim sweep the Dodgers, LA will have a seven-game losing streak; the getaway game in Cincy was also lost.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
I'm way behind
But I just wanted to say the ad for the All-Star game in Anaheim is awful. And since when is Anaheim on the beach?
I think they’re trying to play up the “Los Angeles Angels.” So the less said that’s specific to Anaheim, the better.
People don't think it be like this, but it do.
"Go back to Splash Mountain!"
—The guys in front of me at my last Dodgers series.
by Little Blue Bicycle on Jun 22, 2010 7:33 AM PDT up reply actions
In case you haven't seen them already
kensai/chad has two great new gifs up at Memories of Kevin Malone. Click on the tiny pics to see them full size in his post.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
F that.
I’m not giving up those top 3 pitchers and both young SS. The rest I can see moving, but c’mon, it’s so unrealistic.
You really need to specify Cliff Lee if you’re using Oswalt in the same sentence.
Suffers from Frank McCourt will add to the payroll if you go c’monnnnnnnnn enough syndrome.
by regfairfield on Jun 22, 2010 7:44 AM PDT up reply actions
That and if we got matched up against the Cardinals 1st round they’d arguably have a better pitching staff anyway.
by regfairfield on Jun 22, 2010 7:45 AM PDT up reply actions
Get Lee and Oswalt for pretty much everybody.
by Little Blue Bicycle on Jun 22, 2010 7:32 AM PDT up reply actions
It’s just kind of a lazy post. Name all the prospects. Say you want Lee and Oswalt for them. No discussion as to who goes where. Why Seattle or Houston would want these players.
It really doesn’t make any sense.
by Michael White on Jun 22, 2010 7:34 AM PDT up reply actions
It's typical overkill, get both Lee AND Oswalt! Hooray!
Now I happen to believe that Kershaw, Kuroda and Billingsley are among the best trios in the league. But to get past the NLCS, the Dodgers need more. They need Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt!
The Dodgers will be loathe to give up any major league players, so they will have to overpay in prospects. What would it take to get Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt? Here’s the list and I think it would take every last one:
Ethan Martin
Aaron Miller
Chris Withrow
Dee Gordon
Kyle Russell
Ivan DeJesus, Jr.
James McDonald
Scott Elbert
by Michael White on Jun 22, 2010 7:32 AM PDT up reply actions
does seem excessive
not to mention what it might do to the team for years afterwards.
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 22, 2010 7:39 AM PDT up reply actions
I was surprised at how agreeable the comments were in his article.
by robotmadeofnails on Jun 22, 2010 8:23 AM PDT up reply actions
I was too, only because I read his articles and you’d be suprised how much the commentators there usually blast him.
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 22, 2010 8:40 AM PDT up reply actions
As long as we’re making up trades out of whole cloth, I’d swap Sherrill for Ian Snell.
by Little Blue Bicycle on Jun 22, 2010 8:20 AM PDT reply actions
If the Dodgers defer this year's on the Lee pick
The Dodgers might be more inclined to to sign a Type-A free agent and give up the 1st rounder they do hold last year.
Type A Free Agent
Like those who will be called upon to fill the outfield hole next season.
Sounds about right.
by Michael White on Jun 22, 2010 9:23 AM PDT up reply actions
and the pieces fall into place, everyone join me in an evil chuckle
mwa ha ha ha
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 22, 2010 9:25 AM PDT up reply actions
Kevin Gregg is great
except for when he sucks
Rudimentary creatures of flesh and blood, you touch my mind, fumbling in ignorance, incapable of understanding.
For those who want Yankee tickets
and who weren’t suckered into buying a mini-plan, check the official Twitter feed of the Dodgers at 10am.
Single game tickets will be available for all three games, with the best tickets available Sunday, per earlier tweets.
It was an odd campaign, but I guess the whole goal was to stop resellers from buying all the tickets and keeping the profits for themselves.
Freezing out 99% of your fan base to get rid of resellers is a terrible idea.
That and it’s way easier for a scalper to afford 18 games than it is for a normal person.
by regfairfield on Jun 22, 2010 9:32 AM PDT up reply actions
Yeah, I think the far more likely reason is that the mini-plans didn’t sell like they thought they would.
by Eric Stephen on Jun 22, 2010 9:36 AM PDT up reply actions
so then are we gonna be able to buy them off the Dodger website?
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 22, 2010 9:42 AM PDT up reply actions
This should help drive the prices down on Stubhub too. I like the person that has his dugout club seats going for $100,000 a ticket. Maybe he told his wife he would put them on stubhub, and if they did not sell, he would just have to use them?
by robotmadeofnails on Jun 22, 2010 9:58 AM PDT up reply actions
At least on Ebay tickets aren’t going for anything really unreasonable. Top Deck and bad Reserve Level are about 25 each. The team just really overestimated how much people want to go to these games.
by regfairfield on Jun 22, 2010 10:01 AM PDT up reply actions
Well, I was definitely interested in going, but I wasn’t willing to buy a plan to go. They probably should have made the single game tickets available a week ago to give people time to buy them.
by robotmadeofnails on Jun 22, 2010 10:03 AM PDT up reply actions
Watching footage of Yankees ‘fans’ in Arizona last night on ESPN reminded me of why I want nothing to do with the Yankees series.
by hee came hee seop'd he choi'd on Jun 22, 2010 10:12 AM PDT up reply actions
Additionally, I doubt they ever believed they would sell miniplans for all the tickets
especially out on the hinterlands of the Reserved deck, next to Bleacher Beach and My Town. Who’s committing to seven games out there? The whole campaign seemed a little disingenuous to me.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
by David Young on Jun 22, 2010 10:04 AM PDT up reply actions
you should just invite him in
perhaps you can find something to scald him with
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 22, 2010 9:34 AM PDT up reply actions
Seth Walder over at Fake Teams has an interesting article out about "Strikeout Efficiency."
Link: Fantasy Baseball: Strikeout Efficiency
He takes the percentage of swing strikes that a pitcher throws and compares it to that pitcher’s K/9 to see how “effective” that pitcher is with the swinging strikes he gets (by turning them into strikeouts).
Kuroda is the 3rd pitcher on his list with the highest strikeout inefficiency and is thus due (supposedly) for an increase in his strikeouts per 9 IP.
Interestingly enough however, Kuroda’s career K/9 in Japan (6.65) is only slightly higher than his MLB K/9 (6.3). It is worth noting though that Kuroda’s K/9 has increased every year he’s been in MLB, from 5.7 to 6.7 to 7.1 currently.
Kuroda has been great for our fantasy league (well for that one owner)
by robotmadeofnails on Jun 22, 2010 10:01 AM PDT up reply actions
He's on my TBLA team
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
by David Young on Jun 22, 2010 10:05 AM PDT up reply actions
Yeah I wish I would've got him.
As it is, I’ve got tons of tons of starting pitching and don’t really need him now.
Japanese pitchers generally don’t see a dip in their strikeout rates when they come to the MLB. It’s the walks and home runs that suffer. Probably has to do with way more little ball going on in Japan.
by regfairfield on Jun 22, 2010 10:03 AM PDT up reply actions
Same general area, but I’d consider 6.65 to 7.1 to be the same.
by regfairfield on Jun 22, 2010 10:10 AM PDT up reply actions
Nomo
Went from a 10.3 K/9 in Japan to a 8.7 K/9 in MLB. But for what it’s worth, his MLB K/9 took a hit from the K/9 rate of his last few seasons.
It’s in general. Some went down, some went up, most stayed about the same.
by regfairfield on Jun 22, 2010 10:22 AM PDT up reply actions
Isn't the ball the Japan League uses slightly smaller than the MLB one?
I heard that is one theory of why some Japanese pitchers struggle in the Majors.
by Tommy Blackjack on Jun 22, 2010 10:43 AM PDT up reply actions
I think it’s because American players are way better than Japanese ones. That and there’s not nearly as much stupid bunting going on in the MLB.
by regfairfield on Jun 22, 2010 10:47 AM PDT up reply actions
With the “convenience” fee per ticket, it is almost cheaper to just go through stub hub
by robotmadeofnails on Jun 22, 2010 10:10 AM PDT up reply actions
Heh
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
by David Young on Jun 22, 2010 10:12 AM PDT up reply actions
I did a search (can't go - not buying)
and the best available on Friday was in 39FD (preferred field) Row X.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
by David Young on Jun 22, 2010 10:12 AM PDT up reply actions
I was surprised it took until 8:08 P.M.
for people to complain about how Jon Miller pronounced Adrian Beltre’s name. What’s funny is that he’s partially right, making it half-assed. He pronounced it AY-dree-un bell-TRAY. In the spanish language pubs – like this one – they write his name as Adrián Beltré, which would be pronounced (approximately) ah-dree-AHN bell-TRAY (or bell-TREH). So Miller combined a gringo first-name pronunciation with a reasonable approximation of the spanish pronunciation for the surname. Weird.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
I thought beltre used to have the accent on the e on the back of his jersey no?
by hee came hee seop'd he choi'd on Jun 22, 2010 10:14 AM PDT up reply actions
Gotta admit.
All this time I’ve been pronouncing it the exact opposite of how it should be: AY-dree-un BELL-tray. Live and learn.
I have to say, ESPN3 is really awesome. The quality of the video is excellent compared to MLB.Tv.
by robotmadeofnails on Jun 22, 2010 10:21 AM PDT reply actions
new story up
game preview a tad early today
http://www.truebluela.com/2010/6/22/1530174/garret-anderson-returns-to-anaheim
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