Mop-Up Man Makes Mess Of His Own: Using Lance A Lot Means Dark Night For Dodgers
by Eric Stephen on May 18, 2011 11:08 PM PDT
in Dodgers Game Recaps
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PrintI was wrong.
I didn't think keeping Lance Cormier on the roster would come back to bite the Dodgers in the ass in as close game, especially considering that he only pitched in blowout games one way or another. Somehow, with a seven-man bullpen, I didn't think there would come a time Cormier would be needed in a close game.
Tonight, that time came.
Cormier gave up a tie-breaking three-run home run to former Dodger Cody Ross in the ninth inning, giving the Giants an 8-5 win over the Dodgers in the first of two games at Dodger Stadium.
What we didn't full know before the game, but we know now, is that Kenley Jansen and Matt Guerrier were unavailable tonight. Jansen pitched in four of the past five days, and Guerrier threw the past two days. Coupled with Vicente Padilla still being out with a stiff forearm, that gave Don Mattingly a four-man bullpen tonight.
Trailing 4-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning, with Clayton Kershaw at 85 pitches, having already given up four runs and seven hits and a walk in a span of nine batters, Mattingly faced a decision. The bases were loaded with one out, and Kershaw was due up. Even with just a four-man bullpen, it's hard to argue with hitting for Kershaw in that spot, which is what Mattingly did.
Only Mattingly chose Juan Castro as his pinch-hitter. "He was two for three, with a ribbie [off Matt Cain]," Mattingly reasoned.
It is now abundantly clear that Mattingly has no plans in the immediate future to let Jerry Sands bat against a right-handed pitcher. On one hand, it is hard to blame them, as the rookie is hitting .186/.258/.288 in 67 plate appearances against righties. Sands is now on the wrong side of a platoon in left field with the left-handed hitting Jay Gibbons, and we saw backup catcher Dioner Navarro chosen over Sands as a pinch hitter on Saturday by virtue of being able to stand in the left-handed batters box. However, tonight it reached a new low with the choice of Castro.
Castro flew out to center, but not deep enough to score a run, followed by a groundout by Jamey Carroll, and the Dodgers turned their bases-loaded, nobody out situation into zero runs. The Dodgers are a whopping 3-for-34 with the bases loaded this season, with three walks and two sacrifice flies, hitting .088/.154/.088 (though their BABIP is just .111 in those situations).
The Dodgers found themselves down 5-2 in the eighth inning with two outs, and Mike MacDougal struggling. They decided to give the ball to Cormier, their final pitcher available. He got out of the jam, although his role looked like most of his normal mop up roles, although the Dodgers were closer than seven or eight runs.
Somehow, the Dodgers managed to tie the score in the bottom of the eighth, even delivering the tying runs off closer Brian Wilson with two outs. Juan Uribe hit a two-run double to make it 5-4, and James Loney hit a patented weak ground ball to the right side that looked to end the inning. However, 2011 Dodger MVP Aubrey Huff, now at first base for the Giants, inexplicably gave up on the ball, thinking Freddie Sanchez would field it, only the ball rolled harmlessly into right field, bringing home the tying run.
That meant Cormier was the pitcher of record, only with nobody left in the bullpen, it also meant Cormier needed to get three outs in the ninth inning. He got two.
Cormier has been kept on the roster twice this season over other pitchers only because those other pitchers (Scott Elbert, then Jansen) had options remaining. Given that Cormier showed what he can do when he is the only option remaining, it's time for him to go.
Cormier has allowed 19 hits, 15 runs (13 earned), four walks, and five strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings this season. Cut the cord.
Notes
- The Dodgers have 12 home runs in 24 home games this season, and Kemp has hit seven of them.
- Juan Uribe walked in the fifth inning, his fourth consecutive game with a base on balls. It ties the longest streak of Uribe's career, matching a streak in September 2005 with the White Sox.
- Chad Billingsley battles Madison Bumgarner tomorrow night in the finale of the homestand.
WP - Brian Wilson (1-1): 1 1/3 IP, 3 hits, 1 run, 1 strikeout
LP - Lance Cormier (0-1): 1 1/3 IP, 3 hits, 3 runs, 1 strikeout
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The good news is
the Giants may not be able to field a team tomorrow.
Do the chair know we gonna look like some punk-ass bitches out there?
More good news
I just turned in my final paper for class, thus ending the hardest semester of my schooling life.
I seriously want to fucking cry right now.
by Julio Nievas on May 18, 2011 11:16 PM PDT up reply actions
Cngratulations
not on the crying part, but the finishing part.
Do the chair know we gonna look like some punk-ass bitches out there?
outstanding
caption and title. And man, that was a heart wrenching game.
If Sands isn’t starting everyday, and Thames can play, then I think Sands should go back down to AAA and work on hitting. GScott alerted me to this but I wanted to go back and find the quote so you didn’t think he was blowing smoke up anyone’s ass:
“I’m pretty much overall struggling, but I haven’t changed anything,” [Sands] said. "The pitchers here can locate more than one pitch in any count. It’s tough to get used to guys who can throw in and out and you can’t look for just one pitch.
I have no idea how you make that better if you were just sitting fastball or offspeed or whatever in the minors and go back to the minors. But clearly his method of hitting (guessing?) isn’t translating well to the bigs. I guess at this point it’s a matter of whether or not Sands guessing and hitting doubles occasionally is better than Gibbons/Gywnn/Thames (if/when Thames comes back).
At this point, if it’s better for Sands’ development to go back to minors and work, then why not? My radical and half-serious suggestion is to give Trayvon a crack at it, get some fresh blood in LF. He’s been hitting dingers on the moon, so why the hell not?
"The Dodgers are such a .500 team that if there was a way to split a three-game series, they'd find it." - Vin Scully
Wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.
I have a feeling Sands will go down once Blake comes back, which could be as soon as the next homestand (next Thursday).
by Eric Stephen on May 18, 2011 11:17 PM PDT up reply actions
someone else will get hurt and Sands may not even have to move
Do the chair know we gonna look like some punk-ass bitches out there?
When Blake comes back, does Miles go back to the bench?
"The Dodgers are such a .500 team that if there was a way to split a three-game series, they'd find it." - Vin Scully
Miles goes to the bench when Furcal comes back.
Blake coming back bolts down one of Miles’ feet
by Eric Stephen on May 18, 2011 11:19 PM PDT up reply actions
ok, I guess I’m confused. So when Furcal comes back, who shifts over to 2B? Carroll or Uribe?
"The Dodgers are such a .500 team that if there was a way to split a three-game series, they'd find it." - Vin Scully
And since that is a week or so away, might as well keep Sands and let him try to hit against the few LHP they will face.
by Eric Stephen on May 18, 2011 11:18 PM PDT up reply actions
world’s gonna end anyway. Might as well start the fucker
Do the chair know we gonna look like some punk-ass bitches out there?
Sands still needs 200 consistent ABs to get a read on him..
And you may say…“oh no’s, what if he puts up a 600 OPS and sucks the entire time”…
Well, nothing was lost since the alternatives are Gwynn/Gibbons/Loney gettin ABs.
I’m a firm believer that Sands will improve more as a player playing everyday at the MLB level, than playing in the thin air of AAA facing scrubs.
And to those that dont want to the Dodgers to be a developmental team…well this team blows and sooner everyone realizes it it will be easier to accept playing the higher upside youngsters and letting them struggle…than running out guys that have no future.
Will attendance drop?
It already has. It cant get worse.
what’s a “consistent” AB?
"The Dodgers are such a .500 team that if there was a way to split a three-game series, they'd find it." - Vin Scully
playing everyday...
Not playing 1 game, then sitting for 3 games, and then playing.
Basically playing every day, 4 at bats per game, vs righties and lefties…
ok
so do we hope he gets better at guessing pitches? Cos that’s basically what he said in the statement I quoted. Or do we hope he can learn pitch recognition against starting pitchers?
"The Dodgers are such a .500 team that if there was a way to split a three-game series, they'd find it." - Vin Scully
I think he’ll learn pitch recognition by seeing major league caliber pitches night in and night out thru playing MLB baseball.
If he’s playing once every 3 or 4 days, he’s not going to learn that skill.
And going to AAA he wont learn it either, because those pitchers there dont have MLB stuff.
Not many players immediately begin their careers as 800 or 900 OPS players. Its gradual process. These are the growing pains, and in a season like this…I’d hope the Dodgers could get something out of it (finding out about their youngsters) than running out the vets and getting nothing out of it.
Id rather have his guesses
Than jim loney’s late reactions
by lchristmas on May 19, 2011 12:07 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions 1 recs
Ned and Donnie
both said he was really good at making adjustments in AAA and AFL, so he’s been a bit slow in doing that in the big leagues. He wouldn’t be the first, nor the last.
Joey is right, this team isn’t going anywhere. May as well let him learn at the big league level where the better hitting coaches are.
Ray Guilfoyle
www.faketeams.com
www.sbnation.com
www.minorleagueball.com
by Ray Guilfoyle on May 19, 2011 3:58 AM PDT up reply actions
I agree with this
I hold no hope this team will be anything…for it to have had a chance all the guys needed to stay healthy, but we know what has happened instead. Hell, Carroll and Rod B have surprised me by playing this much and NOT getting hurt.
They aren’t 95-loss bad cos their starters are too good, but 88 losses is looking like a distinct possibility. Get ready for the trade deadline, and hope the assets stay healthy. That would be my plan.
Overqualified in an underqualified world since 2008.
It’s May 18. After tomorrow we could be 3 games out of first place.
No Rafael Furcals were hurt in the making of this video.
Well of course you try and remain competitive
but you have to be realistic down the road. Blake and Furcal could spark them, sure, but with their age and fragility you can’t count on it. I prepare for the worst, and if they surprise me, great.
Overqualified in an underqualified world since 2008.
I’d much rather hope for a win every night, expect a win every night, be disappointed if it doesn’t happen, and then be hopeful again tomorrow.
No Rafael Furcals were hurt in the making of this video.
I'm thinking like a GM
not a fan. I’m thinking of how to turn this situation into value for the future, and how to come out on the other end of this uncertainty with the best organization in baseball, not how to squeeze out 85 wins this year. Colletti might not be here next year (a clean flush would be nice) but he has a responsibility to get value for assets at the deadline if the team is in this same malaise in July rather than try to “give them a boost” like last year’s desperate stop-gap crap.
Like I said, see where the team goes for the next 6 weeks with the infield back, but I think hitting rock bottom and getting nice prospects back to complement the core and the up-and-comers would make 2012 a lot of fun. I’d rather see that than 85 wins this year.
Overqualified in an underqualified world since 2008.
At this point, though, 85 wins looks like you’ll compete for a playoff spot. Nothing will push all this shit behind like a pennant race. Colletti has the responsibility to not set this franchise up to lose 90 games next year, and above all else, to do what his boss tell shim to do. I really doubt a broke Frank McCourt wants to field a less competitive team.
No Rafael Furcals were hurt in the making of this video.
McCourt might not have a say
but if he does, I have no doubt that your scenario will be the likely one. I’d say 85 wins is their ceiling, not what they’d win if everyone just stays healthy the rest of the year. They’d have to play at their maximum. You’d take those odds?
Overqualified in an underqualified world since 2008.
I'm down to see Sands get sent down and Trayvon to be brought up
It could shake things up for both guys in a good way (hopefully).
"If we hit that bull's eye, the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards. Checkmate"
Rather have sands hit left handed and guessing
Than juan castro under any given circumstances
by lchristmas on May 19, 2011 12:01 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions 1 recs
if he replaces Loney..especially when Furcal is back also..
its a huge boost.
Uribe, Furcal, Carroll, Blake could work.
by Joey Joe on May 18, 2011 11:41 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Per Suchon
Mattingly said if the Dodgers took the lead in the 8th, Guerrier would have pitched the 9th.
Grrrrrr.
…MATTINGLY
"The Dodgers are such a .500 team that if there was a way to split a three-game series, they'd find it." - Vin Scully
I don't
Disagree about Cormier but I doubt many pitchers can come in and be effective if was your third game this month. So if you are going to replace him, plan on having him pitch more often even if means to one batter just to keep him sharp.
Cormier hasn’t been effective at all.
Fuck him.
by Eric Stephen on May 18, 2011 11:26 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
He's useless
His ERA is what, 10.5 now? Fuck that.
"If we hit that bull's eye, the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards. Checkmate"
he has no fucking stuff
Sloppy slurve with no bite, command or control and a bp fastball. Its a miracle he got 2 outs in the 9th. He better not darken my tv again goddamit it was frustrating to see him on the mound after loneys great rbi
by lchristmas on May 19, 2011 12:12 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
I wasnt able to watch the game, but was Kershaw getting hit so hard that he had to come out of the game? Because considering the shit options we have on the bench and the fact that we had a short bullpen, I would argue that Kershaw hitting and then throwing another inning would have been the best move. Hell, I would rather have Kershaw hitting than Castro if given the choice anyway.
There was some pretty shitty hits the Giants got off Kershaw, none more than Rowands half swing single, but it wasn’t his night.
by Julio Nievas on May 18, 2011 11:31 PM PDT up reply actions
It's a double-edged sword
The Dodgers were down 3 runs and had to score, and hard to find a better spot than bases loaded one out. In the abstract, even with a four-man pen, you have to lift Kershaw then.
However, it was all shot to shit by batting Juan Castro.
by Eric Stephen on May 18, 2011 11:34 PM PDT up reply actions
I cannot believe
You doubt a player with such a high OPS at AAA this year
by bhsportsguy on May 18, 2011 11:36 PM PDT up reply actions
Right. I just cant fathom any situation where Juan Castro is the first hitter off of the bench. Shit, I’d much rather have Kershaw or Bills hit than most of the guys on the bench.
by UCLADodger32 on May 18, 2011 11:40 PM PDT up reply actions
One Eyed Gibbons
It appears to me (and Vin noticed it too) that Gibbons is still having at the minimum some kind of comfort problems with his contacts. He stretches his eye lids and blinks a lot trying to lubricate his eye and or get a more comfortable fit for his contacts. I have the same problem when I wear mine, so I know what he is going through. Are there any players who hit with sports glasses, or is that harder to see with due to fog, scuffs etc…?
Good News:
Kershaw got BABIP’d. Maybe he didn’t have his stuff, but a .450 something BABIP is unreal. As is the dodgers BABIP with bases loaded. It’s just one of those games.
Elbert and Javy looked good for the second game straight. How often has that happened for Elbert in his Dodger career?
Jansen and Guerrier got rest. I have a feeling we’ll need them tomorrow and Friday.
Offense. Against Wilson. I might guess that it’s his first bad outing since the first week of the season.
We know where the problems are. Let’s hope Donny 2x sees that Cormier, Mitchell and Castro have to go, ASAP.
And I think we knocked out three for the count.
Assuming WIlson doesn’t play through the pain.
They may have to go
But who is replacing them before the injured guys come back?
by bhsportsguy on May 18, 2011 11:33 PM PDT up reply actions
Call me naive, and I'm no expert
But I think we’d stand a better chance with Eveland, Trayvon and IDJ.
If
Padilla goes down, they may have no choice but to bring Rubby up.
by bhsportsguy on May 18, 2011 11:41 PM PDT up reply actions
I believe it was said, somewhere and I have not yet consulted google, that RDLR is getting called up if a starter goes down…and that was before Guerra got called up. At least it’s not Ely? :)
"The Dodgers are such a .500 team that if there was a way to split a three-game series, they'd find it." - Vin Scully
they want to build up Rubby's arm to be a starter..
I see no way they bring up and he’s not starting. I know they started Billingsley out in the bullpen, but just cant see Rubby doing it though it’d be interesting if he did. Not sure he’d get enough work though that way.
Unless Rubby is gonna get Dre out of his slump and hit 5th, he does us no real good.
No Rafael Furcals were hurt in the making of this video.
Helps stabalize the bullpen
Though I agree that’s nowhere near our biggest concern. Though no one has even thought about replying it seems to what i said earlier about possible trade candidates, I wonder how the team would look if we could get a semi good slugging LF.
"If we hit that bull's eye, the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards. Checkmate"
I responded :)
It’s not even that he’s not our biggest problem. Our biggest problem is health. Period. Furcal and Blake are back in a couple weeks. The season starts then.
No Rafael Furcals were hurt in the making of this video.
With how great Blake was hitting he would have been a real boost to the lineup
Furcal was hitting crappy but that means he’s due to hit better once he comes back :) I just hope that doesn’t mean Blake hit’s a lot worse, lol.
"If we hit that bull's eye, the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards. Checkmate"
Much better career FIP than Cormier
And I think he’s shown he can spot-start if necessary.
Did you see IDJ play
This year. They want Trayvon to play every day which he won’t here. Heck, let’s give Eveland shot.
by bhsportsguy on May 18, 2011 11:39 PM PDT up reply actions
No, I didnt see IDJ play..
If he did, I must have missed those 20 at bats…
I do know Aaron Miles has played.
He’s had around 130 ABs.
He’s walked twice.
He’ll never be part of a good Dodger team.
So lets get the kids a chance to cut their teeth in the big leagues.
It’d be alot more fun there’s nothing to lose.
Eveland, I agree…nothing to see there though.
Trayvon is hitting 309/.377/.568 with 8 HR and 42 SO, but he’s doing a lot of his hitting on the moon so there’s that. And you’d be replacing Sands with him, so.
"The Dodgers are such a .500 team that if there was a way to split a three-game series, they'd find it." - Vin Scully
I don't see them going with another rookie
If they have Gwynn, Gibbons and Thames
by bhsportsguy on May 18, 2011 11:42 PM PDT up reply actions
too many strike outs
huge red flag
You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view--until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.
D-F-A
Meanwhile, Aubrey Huff secretly plays for the Dodgers…
"If you're looking in my general direction, you're looking the wrong way."
Twitter @idontdotwitteryoumoron
Barca Blaugranes
Haha
Yes!
Dynamite drop in, shaqfor3.
Nice to see you around!
by Eric Stephen on May 18, 2011 11:44 PM PDT up reply actions
Cormier needs to go
Holy hell I hate him. The Dodgers bp is hurting, but some how, not hurting as bad as this awful offense. The only plus thing this team has is starting pitching and starting pitching alone right now. I can’t wait for Broxton to be back along with Hawksworth and hopefully Kuo some time this year.
Also, I’ve narrowed down the trade choices for who I think may be a trade option this year:
Carlos Quentin
Luke Scott
Carlos Beltran
Those 3 make the most sense of anyone that might be available if they even would be. As long as we don’t trade top prospects to get one of them, let’s get it done. That basically means not Lee, Rubby, Trayvon, or Sands. Preferrably not Webster but he may actually be a nice trade chip, though I’d hate to see him go.
"If we hit that bull's eye, the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards. Checkmate"
That first line was rough
I just feel so down on him right now. I’d love to see him improve, but i don’t think he will ever.
"If we hit that bull's eye, the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards. Checkmate"
The last time the Dodgers finished under .500 two years in a row
1986-1987’, which is better than every team in the majors. The last time they finished under .500 3 consecutive years 1936-1938, only St. Louis is within 20 years of that mark.
The reason why the Dodgers never test that let’s play kids and see what happens approach is because their product has never completely hit rock bottom in their time in LA and before that, after Larry MacPhail took over he club in the late 30s.
Now, I don’t think playing Sands all year in LA will make or break the Dodgers or their attendance but if he continues to struggle, it could be very detrimental to him. I hope he gets better here or at AAA, he has a nice back story and he could be very popular in LA.
by bhsportsguy on May 18, 2011 11:51 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs
Dodgers still have plenty of vets to carry the weight....
Its the marginal vest that play instead of the kids that upset me and other people too.
If IDJ took over Miles spot as super utility guy off the bench (when Furcal is back).
Sands took over at 1b for Loney.
Trayvon is called up to play LF.
I dont see how that can be detrimental to the Dodgers because even if the kids are terrible..the guys they are replacing are bad in their own right and have no future with the Dodgers.
And if you dont give these kids a chance to play…how will you ever know if they are good enough?
If there’s ever a chance to find out, its a year like this when the team is medicore and there’s no expectations anyway.
with IDJ not tearing it up I imagine it’s not so much of an issue but there are service time issues when you bring up a youngster to be the backup/super utility vs having a career journeyman do it. the difference is usually not too discernible
Yonder Alonso
Is crushing right now in AAA. http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=RF&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=475174
I assume he’s almost MLB ready if not already there. Seeing as our reigning MVP is doing his best to make that 2 straight, does Alonso move out of position to LF permanently or is he traded for some pitching or something else to improve their already very good team?
Also, say they were looking for pitching prospects for him because their rotation I believe is almost full and pretty good anyway, could we swing something not including Rubby or Lee?
"If we hit that bull's eye, the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards. Checkmate"
Rubby for Alonso sounds like a MiLB challenge trade, personally. Not sure which I’d prefer.
No Rafael Furcals were hurt in the making of this video.
How often do you ever see trades for such young players with no or almost no MLB experience?
One that comes to mind is Hamilton for Volquez, but both had their question marks. I’d hate to lose Rubby, but I think Yonder can be really good. It would make Sands our LF for the future in that case, which im fine with. That would make Trayvon most likely trade bait unless they are willing to shelf him in AAA until Ethier or Kemp are gone (though I’m hoping we keep at least Kemp).
"If we hit that bull's eye, the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards. Checkmate"
That would mean they’re handing the LF job outright to a guy with about 100 MLB at bats and a OPS around his weight. They’re more likely to bring in a couple different stopgap guys and let Sands and Trayvon duke it out in AAA again unless one of them steps up this year.
No Rafael Furcals were hurt in the making of this video.
It would be the same situation we've got now
Except we’d have Yonder waiting in the wings at 1b and it might make Loney a bench player at this point and still have a Gwynn, Thames, Gibbons, Sands situation in LF like we’ve got now. Unless you were thinking of trading Rubby in a package for another hitter.
"If we hit that bull's eye, the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards. Checkmate"
I was talking about Rubby for Yonder Alonso, if you were really going to try to get him specifically, and then dealing with the Loney situation. I still think he’s about to go off.
No Rafael Furcals were hurt in the making of this video.
the Reds
will deal Yonder for major league help imo
Ray Guilfoyle
www.faketeams.com
www.sbnation.com
www.minorleagueball.com
by Ray Guilfoyle on May 19, 2011 4:01 AM PDT up reply actions
Right, there's the real issue
is Rubby for Yonder fair? Probably. Could the Reds get more for him? I think so.
No Rafael Furcals were hurt in the making of this video.
I wrote about Alonso
a couple days ago over at Minor League Ball
Ray Guilfoyle
www.faketeams.com
www.sbnation.com
www.minorleagueball.com
by Ray Guilfoyle on May 19, 2011 4:04 AM PDT up reply actions
Alonso...
…is not doing anything in the minors that Sands wouldn’t be doing if he were in the minors. In fact, Sands would probably be better. Just look at Sands and Alonso’s stats for 2010. Between Sands and Robinson, the future of 1B and LF is fine. Let’s not get stupid because people can’t bear the thought of waiting till next year.
Get stupid?
I’m not over here screaming “Alonso is the answer to all our prayers! He will lead us to the promise land!” I’m saying he’s been highly touted since he was drafted and he’s improving as he should be, he’s going to be a good MLB 1B and likely as good or better of an option from now on than Sands. That’s not to say Sands won’t still be good, because I’d be fine sticking Sands out there every single day to see if he can improve (or get sent down to AAA to get every day at bats), but Alonso should be very good.
"If we hit that bull's eye, the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards. Checkmate"
You're cutting Sands a bit short
Sands in AA/AAA : 348 PA
Yonder in AA/AAA: 720 PA
It’s clear the Dodgers rushed Sands. I think he needs more seasoning in the minors, but like Canuck said, he’ll be fine.
by Julio Nievas on May 19, 2011 1:38 AM PDT up reply actions
I don't think Sands won't be ok
I just think Alonso is a better prospect to be honest. Not to say that Sands isn’t a good prospect himself, though.
"If we hit that bull's eye, the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards. Checkmate"
What's with all the 'bring up Eveland' talk?
I didn’t know we were already playing for a lottery pick.
No Rafael Furcals were hurt in the making of this video.
Over Cormier
Hard to tell who’s worse at this point. My guess is Cormier.
"If we hit that bull's eye, the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards. Checkmate"
It doesn’t matter. It hurt us tonight, and that sucks, but if Broxton, Kuo, Padilla and Hawksworth weren’t hurt, Guerrier and Jansen wouldn’t have had to pitch in so many games this week and would have been available tonight. It’s hard to shrug off, but no team could win with this many key parts of it’s lineup and bullpen hurt.
No Rafael Furcals were hurt in the making of this video.
I was shocked when I checked the box score and saw Cormier in to pitch the 9th
Only seconds later did I see the update for the 3 run homerun, by Cody Ross no less. Ugh. It’s really too bad we’re so hurt in the BP right now. I really really hope this doesn’t mean we’ll trade for another reliever soon. I’m very happy to see the success of Elbert early on so far. Awesome to see.
"If we hit that bull's eye, the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards. Checkmate"
Elbert has been great in both of his innings, but he needs to keep it up. It’s mid-May and we’re down 4 games, potentially 5 after tomorrow (we’ll be 3 after tomorrow). I fully expect all the in-house options (read: non-prospects, AAA fodder, read: John Link, Schlichting, et al) to get a shot before any moves are made, and even then, IF we make a trade, it’ll be for someone else’s fodder and us trading away a prospect we forgot about. With Hawk, Padilla (hopefully) and Broxton due back soon, there isn’t really a need to trade for someone who will be your #6 reliever just to stabilize roles. Health and time, above all else, are what this team needs.
No Rafael Furcals were hurt in the making of this video.
I hope you're right about that
Trading for a 6th reliever anyway. The focus has to be on hitting, and the only 2 spots that can have anything done with them are LF then 1B if at all. The good news is Loney cannot continue to hit like shit forever, he’s bound to regress to career averages at some point, and when that comes it will help a ton.
"If we hit that bull's eye, the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards. Checkmate"
Me and Reg had a good conversation about statistics and regressing to the mean the other day. Flipping a coin you’d expect to regress to the 50-50 mean the more you flip it, but these are people playing a game against other people. UNtil he makes an adjustment (and I think he’s ALMOST there) he’s going to keep coming up tails.
No Rafael Furcals were hurt in the making of this video.
hmmm
It’s just crazy to see Kotchman doing SO well this year and him being similar to Loney and Loney just doing so bad.
"If we hit that bull's eye, the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards. Checkmate"
Some need to come to the realization
that we aren’t a very good team this year and we wont be. We are in a bad division that we could possibly win with a trade or two, but what good is that? We aren’t anywhere close to being good enough to win it all.
Developing our prospects is how we will get better going forward.
False. We’re a team that is going to rely on unlikely healthy seasons from a couple key players, the continued success of our starting rotation, and in a division of good teams who are collectively underperforming. If healthy for more than a week in a row, we’re a playoff contender in this division because of our rotation and our ability to compete in every ballgame (yes, even when Lilly pitches), and we’re a bat away (whether through trade or bouncebacks like Uribe or Loney) from being a dangerous, dangerous playoff opponent. I’d stack Kershaw, Bills and Hiro up against any three in MLB, including Halladay, Lee and Hamels. They may be better, but we won’t lose that series because of our starting rotation.
No Rafael Furcals were hurt in the making of this video.
by G.Scott on May 19, 2011 1:00 AM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
I completely agree
Kershaw Bills Kuroda is as good a top 3 as nearly any in baseball. The only one I’d definitely put over them is the Phillies and possibly the Angels, and the Angels it’s only because their 1-2 guys. The great starting pitching has been what is keeping us this close to the division lead in spite of terrible, terrible offensive numbers. This team needs more than 2 (sometimes 3 and 4 with Gamer and Uribe) competent hitters, but once Furcal and Blake come back it may be just what they need.
"If we hit that bull's eye, the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards. Checkmate"
2008 we got Manny won 84 games and were 3 wins from the WS
2006 the Cardinals won 83 games (though with a better team IMO) and won the whole damn thing. The Giants last year won the WS on pitching and timely hitting from a shitty lineup and a boost from a rookie catcher. Crazy things can happen, and being as close as the Dodgers are, a trade for a slugger, I believe, could help them win the division.
"If we hit that bull's eye, the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards. Checkmate"
1988 as well, what was the combined BA on that team?
by DodgersKings323 on May 19, 2011 1:14 AM PDT up reply actions
A lot of people here and elsewhere are pimping the trade for a slugger plan, but I think if you get continued improvement from Uribe, substitute Blake for Miles and Raffy for Carroll, you’ll have similar increased production than if you had dumped a boatload of prospects for a prince fielder.
That being said, I want Aramis Ramirez in a Dodgers jersey by August.
No Rafael Furcals were hurt in the making of this video.
I wouldn't mind seeing Aram
Just not at a huge price in terms of prospects. I don’t want Fielder, he’ll cost too much and just be a rental.
"If we hit that bull's eye, the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards. Checkmate"
Aramis Ramirez is in the last year of his contract making $16mil and assuming we don’t trade from the MLB roster, would put Blake and Loney into a 1B platoon.
No Rafael Furcals were hurt in the making of this video.
Basically, I think I’m gonna drive this bus until the engine breaks. I think he’s too good of a fit.
No Rafael Furcals were hurt in the making of this video.
I'm there with you if we can get him at a good enough price
I wouldn’t mind resigning him for 2 or 3 years if it’s not another 16 mill a year we’d need to pay after this year.
"If we hit that bull's eye, the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards. Checkmate"
I wonder what the Twins want for Jason Kubel. I wish the team had money so we could pick up Nathan as well.
Welcome to Thameswood / You'll be the first to go, unless you think
Pass on Nathan
dude is walking 5.4 batters per 9 so far. You’d like to think someone of his caliber will rebound, but he’s 36 and missed all of last season. I brought up Kubel last week, but apparently he makes Dre look like a gold glover.
No Rafael Furcals were hurt in the making of this video.
I wouldn’t want Nathan for quality innings. There is always the possibility that he finds his stuff this season, tho.
Maybe taking on all his salary would lessen the prospect cost, I’m sure Kubel will qualify at least as a class B free agent. The Twins most likely want some nice pieces back.
A bullpen arm and a legit 5 hitter hole hitter would be so sweet. Carlos Beltran sounds awesome in my head for some reason.
Welcome to Thameswood / You'll be the first to go, unless you think
I had actually thought of Kubel as well since they are so far out of contention already
But i haven’t checked his numbers recently.
"If we hit that bull's eye, the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards. Checkmate"
Shit, he could drop down to .790 or so
just need someone to not completely suck at baseball hit behind Kemp and Dre
Welcome to Thameswood / You'll be the first to go, unless you think
i’m beyond anger here. now i’m at the point of pity. must feel odd knowing that you’re the only man on the island out there with the entire pen burned up due to injury or overuse.
i guess with furcal coming back we have a decent top of the lineup
furcal/gamer/ethier/kemp. uribe is showing signs of life and the rest of the lineup is a shitshow.
must feel odd knowing that you’re the only man on the island out there with the entire pen burned up due to injury or overuse.
He’s a MLB reliever, and one who told management to shove off when they wanted him to go to the minors to start the season. If he was weak-minded, I’d expect that. I expect someone who tells management to piss off to take it as an opportunity to kick ass in a big game and prove he deserves more opportunities. I do not think Lance Cormier is weak-minded, I think he is weak-armed.
No Rafael Furcals were hurt in the making of this video.
by G.Scott on May 19, 2011 1:57 AM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
The first four words of your post are inaccurate
by lchristmas on May 19, 2011 8:26 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions 1 recs
He is in fact a relief pitcher, currently pitching in the major leagues, with many years of major league pitching experience, no? Read the last four words too.
No Rafael Furcals were hurt in the making of this video.
Just watched Lance hang that curveball
so hes gone right?
Welcome to Thameswood / You'll be the first to go, unless you think
I just don't see it
he is what they thought he was. It’s unfortunate that injuries have led us to use him in a close situation like that, but getting rid of another arm is taking away options, not adding them.
No Rafael Furcals were hurt in the making of this video.
I don't want that particular arm to be an option, as it is less than useless
DFA and throw every AA and AAA pitcher’s name in a hat and choose one to replace him. there is no case for lance cormier to be in the major leagues.
There's no way this happened
http://morganensberg.wordpress.com/2011/05/18/joust/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Tweeted by Morgan Ensberg and posted on his blog, may be funnier rain delay stunt than Todd Jones/Magglio Ordonez or Robin Ventura tarp slide.
No Rafael Furcals were hurt in the making of this video.
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