Ted Lilly has won each of his first two starts as a Dodger, and goes for number three today against Derek Lowe and the Braves. If Lilly wins today, he will join select company.
Most Consecutive Starts Won To Start LA Dodger Career | ||
Pitcher | Year | Wins |
Kazuhisa Ishii | 2002 | 6 |
Tom Candiotti | 1992 | 3 |
Andy Ashby | 2002 | 3 |
Johnny Podres won his first four starts as a Los Angeles Dodger, but of course came with the team from Brooklyn.
Braves Tough At Home
The Braves are 40-15 at Turner Field this season, putting them on pace for 59 wins at home, a figure only reached once in the past 30 years, by the 114-win juggernaut Yankees.
Most Home Wins 1980-2009 | |||
Team | Year | Home | Overall |
Yankees | 1998 | 62-19 | 114-48 |
Yankees |
1985 | 58-22 | 97-64 |
Rays | 2008 | 57-24 | 97-65 |
Giants | 2003 | 57-24 | 100-61 |
Mariners | 2001 | 57-24 | 116-46 |
A's | 2003 | 57-24 | 96-66 |
Yankees | 2004 | 57-24 | 101-61 |
Yankees | 2009 | 57-24 | 103-59 |
A Nice Perspective
Chad Moriyama of Memories of Kevin Malone has a must-read post about coaching philosophy that I think sums of the Matt Kemp kerfuffle nicely:
You're dealing with individuals. Certain kids will be tough, cocky, and/or stubborn. Maybe you need to get in the face of those kids occasionally, as that's either the only way they'll listen or that's what will help motivate them. Certain kids will be self critical, will lack self confidence, and will be receptive to full explanations in a calm manner. Their response to your yelling is likely to be negative, which is obviously not what you want.
People can say the players in the latter group are being coddled if they want. They can use other adjectives to indirectly challenge the masculinity of the player as well, but the fact of the matter is that it makes a lot of sense to adjust your methods to fit what will help eacj player become the best they can possibly be. I don't know, but effectively cutting down the potential talent pool that can stand to play for you, just because you're too much of a egotistical prick to look at somebody else's needs besides yourself, doesn't seem like the best way to coach a squad. Maybe it's just me.
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If you want a starting point for long-term contract negotiations this winter with Clayton Kershaw, the Blue Jays today signed Ricky Romero to a five-year, $30.1 million extension, the largest ever guarantee for a pitcher with under two years of service time, per Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.
Romero is in the same service time class as Kershaw, and Romero's contract bought out one year of free agency, in 2015.
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Get your guesses in for Xeifrank's game simulation here.
Game Time: 4:10 p.m.
TV: Prime Ticket