I have no choice but to think that Ned Colletti and Grady Little are tied for the "Biggest fans of the blog other than Mom" award. I guess the same could be said for me with the "Biggest fan of James Loney" honor.
Shortly after suggesting here that the Dodgers absolutely had to call up Loney (and Matt Kemp) from triple-A, the team did just that and the two players have proceeded to hit over .400 and energize the offense.
In sports, these things have a way of working themselves out, and no one is happier it happened for the Dodgers than I am. Nomar Garciaparra's lack of production, coupled with similar lack of production from all Dodgers third basemen, forced Little into the inevitable passing of the torch from Nomar to Loney at first, and what is likely a last chance for Nomar to prove his worth at third.
Quite simply, Loney really knows how to hit and field his position, and provides a very necessary spark for a team that was a little too confident in its chances of "getting it going" for my liking.
His production since being called up is staggering, but maybe more important is that Loney has been given a chance to show the organization his worth before they had the chance to ship him off in a deal for a slugger. While nothing is certain, Loney had to be mentioned in most trade conversations, and with the previous thinking that Nomar would be the starting first baseman through next season, it seems likely Loney would have been the man to go.
Thankfully, he has risen to the occasion, a la Russell Martin last season, and appears to have put himself in position to play first for the Dodgers for quite a while. I don't know if I could've taken a trade for Mark Teixeira or Jermaine Dye that would have cost Loney.
Tough Night for Billingsley
In his second start of the season, Chad Billingsley gave up five earned runs on 78 pitches in four innings. It's definitely not good enough, but he deserves a chance to get acclimated to being a starter again before anyone freaks out. No one questions his stuff, but he clearly struggled with his approach as he started Tuesday in Arizona.
Outfield Situation
Don't look now, but Andre Ethier is beginning to hit again. In his last 10 games, Ethier is hitting .409 to go along with his trusty defense and solid plate discipline. Batting eighth Tuesday, Ethier showed he had great patience to take bad pitches with the pitcher batting behind him and took good swings at the good pitches, including a double and a walk.
With Loney earning his spot in the lineup, it's getting perilously close to the point where I call for Matt Kemp to take over center field. Juan Pierre has shown improvement, but I still think Kemp has way more to offer, even right now.
Furcal, Martin, Gonzalez, Kent (who's warning track power is beginning to get to me), Loney, Nomar, Kemp, Ethier looks like a pretty good lineup to me...
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Penny for your Thoughts
Brad Penny is a bad man.
Highlights of watching Monday's win against Arizona included: watching him hit 101 mph on his way to eight 4-hit innings, watching him scowl ferociously at Micah Owings for hitting him in the elbow, watching him hit a double to trigger a four-run inning, and, most importantly, watching him maintain his composure after a call didn't go his way in the first.
The thing is, enthusiasm for his dominance this season would be tempered by knowledge of what happened last year (similar first half dominance followed by 6.25 second half ERA and removal from playoff rotation), if it weren't for what happened last year.
You see, it is so obvious that Penny has learned from his issues last season (both emotional and physical), that he gives observers no choice but to trust his ability to overcome adversity. When Stephen Drew walked in the bottom of the first on what probably should have been strike three and the second out, Penny gave brief indication that he disagreed with the call by beginning his turn towards first as he always does after strikeouts. Orlando Hudson followed with a single to right, and a smilar situation with two on and one out after a questionable call last season might have led to trouble for Penny and the Dodgers.
But not this year. He got Chad Tracy to ground into a double play, thanks to an awesome turn from Jeff Kent and Rafael Furcal, showed his appreciation with a pumped up reaction, and rolled to his 10th win from there.
Luis Gonzalez, who is also making me feel stupid for doubting him his whole career, compared Penny to Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling, and for good reason. A lot of his numbers will be comparable if he plays long enough, including playoff success, and he has clearly shown the ability to lift his teammates with his mere presence on the mound.
Highlights of watching Monday's win against Arizona included: watching him hit 101 mph on his way to eight 4-hit innings, watching him scowl ferociously at Micah Owings for hitting him in the elbow, watching him hit a double to trigger a four-run inning, and, most importantly, watching him maintain his composure after a call didn't go his way in the first.
The thing is, enthusiasm for his dominance this season would be tempered by knowledge of what happened last year (similar first half dominance followed by 6.25 second half ERA and removal from playoff rotation), if it weren't for what happened last year.
You see, it is so obvious that Penny has learned from his issues last season (both emotional and physical), that he gives observers no choice but to trust his ability to overcome adversity. When Stephen Drew walked in the bottom of the first on what probably should have been strike three and the second out, Penny gave brief indication that he disagreed with the call by beginning his turn towards first as he always does after strikeouts. Orlando Hudson followed with a single to right, and a smilar situation with two on and one out after a questionable call last season might have led to trouble for Penny and the Dodgers.
But not this year. He got Chad Tracy to ground into a double play, thanks to an awesome turn from Jeff Kent and Rafael Furcal, showed his appreciation with a pumped up reaction, and rolled to his 10th win from there.
Luis Gonzalez, who is also making me feel stupid for doubting him his whole career, compared Penny to Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling, and for good reason. A lot of his numbers will be comparable if he plays long enough, including playoff success, and he has clearly shown the ability to lift his teammates with his mere presence on the mound.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Playoff Rematch Recap
The Mets series was so good for the Dodgers that it makes it very difficult to write anything about it. So the only thing I see sensible to do at a time like this is to take a second to let sink in what was one of the more significant regular season, non-divisional series we will see this year.
Pitching
Dodgers starters Randy Wolf, Hong-Chih Kuo and Brad Penny gave up five runs in the three-game series to the best batting team in the National League.
Dodgers relievers gave up one hit in seven innings and struck out 11. Jonathan Broxton and Takashi Saito each had four strikeouts in two innings pitched.
Batting
Matt Kemp was awesome, going 5-for-7 in two games with a 447-foot home run on Friday night. His shot gave hope to at least one fan who thinks the Dodgers can solve their power problem from within without trading valuable young players for an overpaid slugger -- unless it's Miguel Cabrera.
Wilson Betemit looks to have become the most recent full-time third baseman until some other guy looks a little better. In two games starting at third and one as a pinch-hitter, Betemit went 5-for-9 with two home runs. If I'm Grady Little, I'll take that production four-five days a week, with Tony Abreu platooning once in a while.
Rollin' Down Imperial Highway
Entering the Freeway Series this weekend, the Dodgers appear to have a lineup, or at least a lineup rotation, set to go along with their pitching rotation that has been phenomenal. The only question mark is Jason Schmidt, who is scheduled to start Saturday opposite Jered Weaver.
Schmidt reverted to his pre-injury, post-Giants velocity and was not good when he gave up six runs in four innings against San Diego in his last start. He has to pitch better against an Angels team that is reaping the benefits of patience in their minor league system. If he doesn't, the feeling among Dodgers fans that Ned Colletti knew something we didn't when he signed Schmidt to a three-year deal may begin to subsist.
Lost in the All-Star hoopla, Russell Martin has seen his average drop 25 points in the last 10 games (from .314 to .291), and Andre Ethier is 4-for-25 during that span after looking like he might get back to hitting line drives like he did for most of last season. If both of those two start hitting again, things could be looking good. If Ethier doesn't he might have to start watching his back for Kemp creaping up and Loney taking some playing time too.
Pitching
Dodgers starters Randy Wolf, Hong-Chih Kuo and Brad Penny gave up five runs in the three-game series to the best batting team in the National League.
Dodgers relievers gave up one hit in seven innings and struck out 11. Jonathan Broxton and Takashi Saito each had four strikeouts in two innings pitched.
Batting
Matt Kemp was awesome, going 5-for-7 in two games with a 447-foot home run on Friday night. His shot gave hope to at least one fan who thinks the Dodgers can solve their power problem from within without trading valuable young players for an overpaid slugger -- unless it's Miguel Cabrera.
Wilson Betemit looks to have become the most recent full-time third baseman until some other guy looks a little better. In two games starting at third and one as a pinch-hitter, Betemit went 5-for-9 with two home runs. If I'm Grady Little, I'll take that production four-five days a week, with Tony Abreu platooning once in a while.
Rollin' Down Imperial Highway
Entering the Freeway Series this weekend, the Dodgers appear to have a lineup, or at least a lineup rotation, set to go along with their pitching rotation that has been phenomenal. The only question mark is Jason Schmidt, who is scheduled to start Saturday opposite Jered Weaver.
Schmidt reverted to his pre-injury, post-Giants velocity and was not good when he gave up six runs in four innings against San Diego in his last start. He has to pitch better against an Angels team that is reaping the benefits of patience in their minor league system. If he doesn't, the feeling among Dodgers fans that Ned Colletti knew something we didn't when he signed Schmidt to a three-year deal may begin to subsist.
Lost in the All-Star hoopla, Russell Martin has seen his average drop 25 points in the last 10 games (from .314 to .291), and Andre Ethier is 4-for-25 during that span after looking like he might get back to hitting line drives like he did for most of last season. If both of those two start hitting again, things could be looking good. If Ethier doesn't he might have to start watching his back for Kemp creaping up and Loney taking some playing time too.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Meet the Mets, Beat the Mets
This, ladies and gentlemen, is how they imagined it. With the veteran Randy Wolf on the hill, the Dodgers fought back from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Mets, 5-3, and provide a template that, they hope, will carry them into September and October. It's just a regular season game and both teams are struggling, but a total team effort against one of the best teams in the league cannot be overlooked.
Keys to the Game
1) Randy Wolf: Wolf has been absolutely crucial to the Dodgers' relative success thus far. After giving up three runs in the first and struggling to locate his curveball early, Wolf managed to go six innings with only those three earned. Against a lineup like the Mets', some would excuse a rough outing, especially after giving up three in the first. But Wolf got stronger as the game went on, progressively throwing more strikes and getting the Mets to swing early in counts. Having played the game for as short a period as I did, I can't claim to have any expertise on the matter, but I would guess that Wolf's ability to regroup after starting so poorly must have some positive effect on the team's morale.
2) Juan Pierre: After using so much of this space to point out Pierre's struggles, I am ecstatic to classify his contributions on Monday night as encouraging to quite encouraging. His line -- 1-for-2 with two walks, a stolen base and a run scored -- is exactly what Ned Colletti hoped he would contribute when he offered five years and $44 million to the aging, powerless center fielder. Pierre took pitches, legged out an infield single, and "set the table" for RBI producers behind him. A player who has always struggled to get on base via the walk, it is unreasonable to assume he will change drastically at this point in his career. However, it is not unreasonable to assume that the prospect of batting eighth (like he was on Sunday against Toronto), or losing playing time altogether to Matt Kemp, may be enough to make him take a few pitches, which is something everyone can agree should help the team.
3) Bullpen: Chad Billingsley, Jonathan Broxton and Takashi Saito combined for three no-hit innings to close the game. The trio's value to the team out of the bullpen can not be understated. Billingsley has emerged as the force everyone said he would, and, assuming he can make a transition to the rotation at some point, this experiment of using him as a reliever for the time being has turned out to be a successful one.
Broxton and Saito had two strikeouts apiece and looked especially dominant as they returned to form as one of the top setup man-closer tandems in the league. Broxton's struggles as interim closer behind him, he pumped out high-90's fastball after high-90's fastaball and mixed in knee-buckling sliders to hold the lead for Saito.
Luis Gonzalez, James Loney, Russell Martin and Andre Ethier contributed to the win with great at-bats and an RBI each. Gonzalez led the way with two doubles and continued to set the tone of consistency for young Dodgers. The other three, with disciplined at-bats in which they took what the pitcher gave them, showed that they are ready to lead the team into contention with teams like the Mets.
Oh My Darling!
As a former employee of Sportsnet New York, I am biased because I had to listen to and read the moronic, east coast biased words of the network's sportscasters. But there was a moment last night that could have, and should have, made any viewer, Mets fan or not, uncomfortable. Ron Darling, who is very candid with his commentary and deserves credit for that, got a little too sentimental at one point in the broadcast.
During a Luis Gonzalez at-bat, Gary Cohen made a comment about Luis being the face of the Diamondbacks' organization for years before essentially being told he was not wanted anymore. Darling, in response, offered that he had been in that situation before. I instantly cringed at the thought that Darling might be referring to his relationship with the Mets.
For the rest of the at-bat, which seemed to last an eternity, Darling mixed in sentence fragments with dead air and sounded like he was either crying or fighting back tears. Cohen was silent, put in the most awakward of positions. Not only is he charged with the task of filling nine innings of air time with only a partner and some graphics, but his partner had just accused their employer of mistreatment and was whimpering like an injured puppy. Their criticism of L.A. as a city was annoying, but this was downright lame.
Keys to the Game
1) Randy Wolf: Wolf has been absolutely crucial to the Dodgers' relative success thus far. After giving up three runs in the first and struggling to locate his curveball early, Wolf managed to go six innings with only those three earned. Against a lineup like the Mets', some would excuse a rough outing, especially after giving up three in the first. But Wolf got stronger as the game went on, progressively throwing more strikes and getting the Mets to swing early in counts. Having played the game for as short a period as I did, I can't claim to have any expertise on the matter, but I would guess that Wolf's ability to regroup after starting so poorly must have some positive effect on the team's morale.
2) Juan Pierre: After using so much of this space to point out Pierre's struggles, I am ecstatic to classify his contributions on Monday night as encouraging to quite encouraging. His line -- 1-for-2 with two walks, a stolen base and a run scored -- is exactly what Ned Colletti hoped he would contribute when he offered five years and $44 million to the aging, powerless center fielder. Pierre took pitches, legged out an infield single, and "set the table" for RBI producers behind him. A player who has always struggled to get on base via the walk, it is unreasonable to assume he will change drastically at this point in his career. However, it is not unreasonable to assume that the prospect of batting eighth (like he was on Sunday against Toronto), or losing playing time altogether to Matt Kemp, may be enough to make him take a few pitches, which is something everyone can agree should help the team.
3) Bullpen: Chad Billingsley, Jonathan Broxton and Takashi Saito combined for three no-hit innings to close the game. The trio's value to the team out of the bullpen can not be understated. Billingsley has emerged as the force everyone said he would, and, assuming he can make a transition to the rotation at some point, this experiment of using him as a reliever for the time being has turned out to be a successful one.
Broxton and Saito had two strikeouts apiece and looked especially dominant as they returned to form as one of the top setup man-closer tandems in the league. Broxton's struggles as interim closer behind him, he pumped out high-90's fastball after high-90's fastaball and mixed in knee-buckling sliders to hold the lead for Saito.
Luis Gonzalez, James Loney, Russell Martin and Andre Ethier contributed to the win with great at-bats and an RBI each. Gonzalez led the way with two doubles and continued to set the tone of consistency for young Dodgers. The other three, with disciplined at-bats in which they took what the pitcher gave them, showed that they are ready to lead the team into contention with teams like the Mets.
Oh My Darling!
As a former employee of Sportsnet New York, I am biased because I had to listen to and read the moronic, east coast biased words of the network's sportscasters. But there was a moment last night that could have, and should have, made any viewer, Mets fan or not, uncomfortable. Ron Darling, who is very candid with his commentary and deserves credit for that, got a little too sentimental at one point in the broadcast.
During a Luis Gonzalez at-bat, Gary Cohen made a comment about Luis being the face of the Diamondbacks' organization for years before essentially being told he was not wanted anymore. Darling, in response, offered that he had been in that situation before. I instantly cringed at the thought that Darling might be referring to his relationship with the Mets.
For the rest of the at-bat, which seemed to last an eternity, Darling mixed in sentence fragments with dead air and sounded like he was either crying or fighting back tears. Cohen was silent, put in the most awakward of positions. Not only is he charged with the task of filling nine innings of air time with only a partner and some graphics, but his partner had just accused their employer of mistreatment and was whimpering like an injured puppy. Their criticism of L.A. as a city was annoying, but this was downright lame.
Monday, June 11, 2007
I Can See Clearly Now, Brady Clark is Gone
Forgive me if I am not the least bit upset about the Dodgers' unfortunate weekend against Toronto. Sure, they wasted a complete game, 4-hit gem by D. Lowe on Saturday and lost, 11-5, on Sunday, but I just can't bring myself to get down about losing to Roy Halladay when the future looks so bright.
With the promotions of Matt Kemp and James Loney to the big club and the demotions of Juan Pierre (to the eighth spot, at least temporarily) and Brady Clark (designated for assignment), the Dodgers have instantly gotten younger (obviously) and better, both offensively and defensively. Both made an instant impression on Sunday, Kemp going 2-for-3 and Loney driving in a run in his first plate appearance.
They say that Loney is prepared to play corner outfield spots and there will be plenty of at-bats for both of the young studs, as it appears Grady Little has finally had enough of Juan Pierre's inadequacy. In the wake of the, "We're trying to make it a big deal like the NFL," MLB draft last week, it's fun to see some homegrown talent make it to the majors and appear to be in the plans for good.
In terms of the pitching, it's not a complete surprise that Jason Schmidt struggled. He went six innings and gave up one hit in his previous start at San Diego, but he wasn't especially dominant then and the Jays' lineup is no joke. Schmidt may very well be merely past his prime, but he can still be an effective part of a pretty good rotation. Plus, with the plethora of starters-turned-relievers and the crop of young talent in the majors and minors (Andy LaRoche), the Dodgers still have the ammo to make a move for a bat, as was the plan since the offseason.
But for now, it seems like the squad as it currently exists will get its chance, and that should be encouraging for Dodgers fans. Should be a great series today through Wednesday with the Mets/ I hope the Dodgers don't play like crap and get two outs at home plate like they did in the playoffs last year because I don't want to deal with Mets' fans if they do.
On another note, Blue Chips has reasserted itself among my favorite movies of all time. The movie is a much more accurate depiction of big-time college basketball than I remember, from Nick Nolte's depiction of a struggling coach to the cutthroat nature of the recruiting process. Shaq, Penny Hardaway, and some guy who looks like Troy Glaus were awesome as Neon Bodeaux (sp?), Butch McRae and Ricky Roe before we had even met Jesus Shuttlesworth.
A sports movie with actors who actually play the sport, Blue Chips combined decent game action with compelling drama and a good amount of humor. No surprise to find out that the movie was written and executive produced by Ron Shelton, the creator of one of my other favorite movies, Bull Durham.
With the promotions of Matt Kemp and James Loney to the big club and the demotions of Juan Pierre (to the eighth spot, at least temporarily) and Brady Clark (designated for assignment), the Dodgers have instantly gotten younger (obviously) and better, both offensively and defensively. Both made an instant impression on Sunday, Kemp going 2-for-3 and Loney driving in a run in his first plate appearance.
They say that Loney is prepared to play corner outfield spots and there will be plenty of at-bats for both of the young studs, as it appears Grady Little has finally had enough of Juan Pierre's inadequacy. In the wake of the, "We're trying to make it a big deal like the NFL," MLB draft last week, it's fun to see some homegrown talent make it to the majors and appear to be in the plans for good.
In terms of the pitching, it's not a complete surprise that Jason Schmidt struggled. He went six innings and gave up one hit in his previous start at San Diego, but he wasn't especially dominant then and the Jays' lineup is no joke. Schmidt may very well be merely past his prime, but he can still be an effective part of a pretty good rotation. Plus, with the plethora of starters-turned-relievers and the crop of young talent in the majors and minors (Andy LaRoche), the Dodgers still have the ammo to make a move for a bat, as was the plan since the offseason.
But for now, it seems like the squad as it currently exists will get its chance, and that should be encouraging for Dodgers fans. Should be a great series today through Wednesday with the Mets/ I hope the Dodgers don't play like crap and get two outs at home plate like they did in the playoffs last year because I don't want to deal with Mets' fans if they do.
On another note, Blue Chips has reasserted itself among my favorite movies of all time. The movie is a much more accurate depiction of big-time college basketball than I remember, from Nick Nolte's depiction of a struggling coach to the cutthroat nature of the recruiting process. Shaq, Penny Hardaway, and some guy who looks like Troy Glaus were awesome as Neon Bodeaux (sp?), Butch McRae and Ricky Roe before we had even met Jesus Shuttlesworth.
A sports movie with actors who actually play the sport, Blue Chips combined decent game action with compelling drama and a good amount of humor. No surprise to find out that the movie was written and executive produced by Ron Shelton, the creator of one of my other favorite movies, Bull Durham.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Attack of the Killer Tomato
Friday was another day, another extra innings extravaganza for this guy. For the second consecutive night, I was treated to a great game in person (a 10-inning affair at Yankee Stadium in which the Yanks came back to beat the Pirates) and returned home to see the Dodgers playing extras. The one difference was that on Friday the Dodgers came up victorious, thanks in large part to the one and only Killer Tomato, Olmedo Saenz.
Saenz' walkoff home run in the bottom of the 10th gave the Dodgerst a win after wasting great pitching performances in too many games recently. Brad Penny was awesome, giving up one run in 7 2/3 innings, but took his fifth no-decision of the year. Jeff Kent and Luis Gonzalez had two hits apiece to carry the team offensively until the Killer Tomato hit the two-run shot.
Also encouraging for the Dodgers was Jonathan Broxton's performance a night after collapsing against San Diego. Grady Little called on Broxton to relieve Penny with two outs and a man on in the eighth, and Broxton responded by striking out Alex Rios (who has 14 home runs).
Of course, we can't forget possibly the move significant development of the night, Matt Kemp's appearance as a pinch-runner in the eighth. His mere presence as a base runner was not so important, but the club's enthusiasm about his call-up and his overall play this year -- in L.A. before he got injured and in Vegas since -- give cause for optimism. Little said that he won't start, but he'll see playing time, "all over the outfield." Clearly Grady Little has jumped on board with the blog.
Extra Thoughts
The Yankees game was pretty cool. I sat about 10 rows behind the plate and got to watch Andy Pettitte pitch from the perfect vantage point -- It is probably why I was surrounded by scouts. The Pirates looked fine, especially Tom Gorzellany. He had a 3-2 lead going into the seventh, at which point I realized how happy I am that Jim Tracy is no longer the Dodgers' manager.
With a man on third and one out, Tracy elected not to walk Derek Jeter, which would have brought slumping Bobby Abreu to bat against a lefty who was dealing. Instead, he had Gorzellany pitch to Jeter, who promptly singled to make it a one-run game.
Then Tracy really did it: He brought in a lefty, John Grabow, to face Abreu! Grabow promptly gave up a single to Abreu and got pulled for Solomon Torres.
Hey Jim, did you know you already had a lefty on the mound with first base open? Did it not cross your mind that you could have avoided facing one of the most prolific contact hitters of his time and instead given your team the opportunity to turn a double play and get out of the inning with the lead?
Apparently not. The Yanks ended up rallying in the 10th to win on a Jeter knubber with the bases loaded and the Buccos finally got the outcome that it seemed they figured was inevitable.
Aside from the game and the seats, which were great, my favorite part of the night was, as it usually is, the YMCA. Always fun for all involved, the Yankee Stadium grounds crew makes this experience especially enjoyable with their choreographed dance that goes way beyond the basic Y-M-C-A arm gestures. Very fun, I recommend making a trip to the Bronx to see it.
Saenz' walkoff home run in the bottom of the 10th gave the Dodgerst a win after wasting great pitching performances in too many games recently. Brad Penny was awesome, giving up one run in 7 2/3 innings, but took his fifth no-decision of the year. Jeff Kent and Luis Gonzalez had two hits apiece to carry the team offensively until the Killer Tomato hit the two-run shot.
Also encouraging for the Dodgers was Jonathan Broxton's performance a night after collapsing against San Diego. Grady Little called on Broxton to relieve Penny with two outs and a man on in the eighth, and Broxton responded by striking out Alex Rios (who has 14 home runs).
Of course, we can't forget possibly the move significant development of the night, Matt Kemp's appearance as a pinch-runner in the eighth. His mere presence as a base runner was not so important, but the club's enthusiasm about his call-up and his overall play this year -- in L.A. before he got injured and in Vegas since -- give cause for optimism. Little said that he won't start, but he'll see playing time, "all over the outfield." Clearly Grady Little has jumped on board with the blog.
Extra Thoughts
The Yankees game was pretty cool. I sat about 10 rows behind the plate and got to watch Andy Pettitte pitch from the perfect vantage point -- It is probably why I was surrounded by scouts. The Pirates looked fine, especially Tom Gorzellany. He had a 3-2 lead going into the seventh, at which point I realized how happy I am that Jim Tracy is no longer the Dodgers' manager.
With a man on third and one out, Tracy elected not to walk Derek Jeter, which would have brought slumping Bobby Abreu to bat against a lefty who was dealing. Instead, he had Gorzellany pitch to Jeter, who promptly singled to make it a one-run game.
Then Tracy really did it: He brought in a lefty, John Grabow, to face Abreu! Grabow promptly gave up a single to Abreu and got pulled for Solomon Torres.
Hey Jim, did you know you already had a lefty on the mound with first base open? Did it not cross your mind that you could have avoided facing one of the most prolific contact hitters of his time and instead given your team the opportunity to turn a double play and get out of the inning with the lead?
Apparently not. The Yanks ended up rallying in the 10th to win on a Jeter knubber with the bases loaded and the Buccos finally got the outcome that it seemed they figured was inevitable.
Aside from the game and the seats, which were great, my favorite part of the night was, as it usually is, the YMCA. Always fun for all involved, the Yankee Stadium grounds crew makes this experience especially enjoyable with their choreographed dance that goes way beyond the basic Y-M-C-A arm gestures. Very fun, I recommend making a trip to the Bronx to see it.
Friday, June 8, 2007
Two Sweeps in One Night
I went to Shea Thursday night to check out some of my favorite non-Dodgers (Cole Hamels, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins) in a rivalry that is becoming one of my favorites in baseball. It was my second Mets-Phillies game this season, and it didn't dissapoint. After the most bizarre back-to-back-to-back home run sequence I have ever seen, and the only one I have ever seen in person, Pat Burrell hit a solo shot off Billy Wagner in the top of the ninth to tie the game at three.
When the game ended after the Phils put up three runs in the tenth, I had enjoyed an eventful night at the ballpark, full of exciting action on the field and even more in the stands. Punches were thrown, beers were tossed and spit flew, and I was ready to get home and watch Los Doyers attempt to salvage a victory in San Diego behind Hong-Chih Kuo.
I got home just in time to watch Chad Billingsley mow down the Padres in the seventh -- like he does -- and felt pretty content with the Dodgers' 5-1 cushion going into the ninth. Of course, I had no choice but to be comfortable with it because I couldn't watch the end. You see, MLB Extra Innings, carried by the same cable company that told me I had to buy the playoff basketball package in order to see the last five regular season games, decided to make the game the only one not televised, and my roommate had gone to sleep so I couldn't watch on his computer. Sweet.
So I check the score on my computer to see that Jonathan Broxton, who was shaky in Pittsburgh earlier in the week, was similarly struggling to close the game. Of course, this time he failed to do so and the game ended with a Padres sweep and the Dodgers looking like my men's league basketball team playing against a team full of Joakim Noahs - the Padres/Noahs being the aggressors and the Dodgers/Producers being over the hill and executing poorly.
I don't think anyone needs to worry about the bullpen, especially considering the impending return of Takashi Saito. Broxton wasn't his usual self in his appearances as interim closer, but he wasn't hit particularly hard, and he wasn't helped by his defense (Juan Pierre not getting to a fly ball in Pittsburgh and Nomar booting a routine grounder on Thursday). Rudy Seanez, who took the loss on Wednesday after giving up one run in the eighth, will also be fine. The performances of Jason Schmidt and Kuo are extremely encouraging, and those, combined with Saito's return alleviate any doubt I have in the pitching staff.
The offense, though, is still not good. Rafael Furcal came through on Thursday, as he continues to regain his form as the leadoff man who led the Dodgers to the playoffs last year. Tony Abreu batted second and got a hit. He's batting .327. Juan Pierre got the night off, thankfully, but was replaced by Brady Clark, he of the .228 batting average. Of course, Clark's OBP is still 20 points better than Pierre's, but he's not going to get the job done, either.
To me, the biggest problem for the Dodgers is not that they are underachieving offensively. In fact many Dodgers are performing as expected (Jeff Kent, Furcal, Luis Gonzalez, to some extent Andre Ethier) and others are even exceeding expectations (Russ Martin and Tony Abreu). But, unlike the struggling Yankees, for example, the Dodgers aren't fielding their best possible team on a nightly basis. Ideally a three-game sweep in San Diego will be enough to spark some changes, but given the connection Ned Colletti has to Pierre and Nomar (signed both to questionable contracts in the offseason), my money is on management's continued hopes that the current roster will play better.
Minor League Update
In what I hope to make an ongoing part of this blog, I will give updates on the young guys about whom I philosophize so much. Despite the combined 0-for-6 performance by Matt Kemp and James Loney on Thursday, there is an interesting connection for me. The pitcher who shut them down, Chris Begg, went all nine innings and gave up three hits. Begg, a right-hander for the Giants' triple-A Fresno team, played for the Connecticut Defenders (then the Norwich Navigators) two summers ago when I was working as a beat reporter for the New London Day. I have since seen a few guys that I covered (Fred Lewis, Eliezer Alfonzo, and Brian Burres, among others) make it to the bigs, and it was cool to see Begg do so well.
Stay Classy.
When the game ended after the Phils put up three runs in the tenth, I had enjoyed an eventful night at the ballpark, full of exciting action on the field and even more in the stands. Punches were thrown, beers were tossed and spit flew, and I was ready to get home and watch Los Doyers attempt to salvage a victory in San Diego behind Hong-Chih Kuo.
I got home just in time to watch Chad Billingsley mow down the Padres in the seventh -- like he does -- and felt pretty content with the Dodgers' 5-1 cushion going into the ninth. Of course, I had no choice but to be comfortable with it because I couldn't watch the end. You see, MLB Extra Innings, carried by the same cable company that told me I had to buy the playoff basketball package in order to see the last five regular season games, decided to make the game the only one not televised, and my roommate had gone to sleep so I couldn't watch on his computer. Sweet.
So I check the score on my computer to see that Jonathan Broxton, who was shaky in Pittsburgh earlier in the week, was similarly struggling to close the game. Of course, this time he failed to do so and the game ended with a Padres sweep and the Dodgers looking like my men's league basketball team playing against a team full of Joakim Noahs - the Padres/Noahs being the aggressors and the Dodgers/Producers being over the hill and executing poorly.
I don't think anyone needs to worry about the bullpen, especially considering the impending return of Takashi Saito. Broxton wasn't his usual self in his appearances as interim closer, but he wasn't hit particularly hard, and he wasn't helped by his defense (Juan Pierre not getting to a fly ball in Pittsburgh and Nomar booting a routine grounder on Thursday). Rudy Seanez, who took the loss on Wednesday after giving up one run in the eighth, will also be fine. The performances of Jason Schmidt and Kuo are extremely encouraging, and those, combined with Saito's return alleviate any doubt I have in the pitching staff.
The offense, though, is still not good. Rafael Furcal came through on Thursday, as he continues to regain his form as the leadoff man who led the Dodgers to the playoffs last year. Tony Abreu batted second and got a hit. He's batting .327. Juan Pierre got the night off, thankfully, but was replaced by Brady Clark, he of the .228 batting average. Of course, Clark's OBP is still 20 points better than Pierre's, but he's not going to get the job done, either.
To me, the biggest problem for the Dodgers is not that they are underachieving offensively. In fact many Dodgers are performing as expected (Jeff Kent, Furcal, Luis Gonzalez, to some extent Andre Ethier) and others are even exceeding expectations (Russ Martin and Tony Abreu). But, unlike the struggling Yankees, for example, the Dodgers aren't fielding their best possible team on a nightly basis. Ideally a three-game sweep in San Diego will be enough to spark some changes, but given the connection Ned Colletti has to Pierre and Nomar (signed both to questionable contracts in the offseason), my money is on management's continued hopes that the current roster will play better.
Minor League Update
In what I hope to make an ongoing part of this blog, I will give updates on the young guys about whom I philosophize so much. Despite the combined 0-for-6 performance by Matt Kemp and James Loney on Thursday, there is an interesting connection for me. The pitcher who shut them down, Chris Begg, went all nine innings and gave up three hits. Begg, a right-hander for the Giants' triple-A Fresno team, played for the Connecticut Defenders (then the Norwich Navigators) two summers ago when I was working as a beat reporter for the New London Day. I have since seen a few guys that I covered (Fred Lewis, Eliezer Alfonzo, and Brian Burres, among others) make it to the bigs, and it was cool to see Begg do so well.
Stay Classy.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas
The Dodgers have just dropped their second in a row in San Diego, and it's clear they have to do something to improve offensively. The changes need to start with Nomar Garciaparra and Juan Pierre. They have both had distinguished careers, during which they established reputations as run producers and run scorers respectively, but they just aren't getting their jobs done and at this point in the season, Grady Little and Ned Colletti need to make some difficult decisions.
To me, there are a few options, all of which involve the inclusion of either Matt Kemp or James Loney, or both, into the equation. Kemp and Loney are significantly outplaying their Major League counterparts, and the reasons for keeping them bottled up in Las Vegas do not justify continuing with the status quo. Look at the numbers, especially the discrepancy in their on-base and slugging numbers:
FIRST BASE
Nomar: (10 doubles, one home run)
.280 avg./ .328 OBP/ .341 SLUG/ .669 OBP. (On base+slugging)
Loney: (17 doubles, three triples, one home run)
.284/ .349/ .383/ .732
OUTFIELD
Pierre: (eight doubles, two triples)
.269/ .298/ .318/ .617
Kemp: (16 doubles, three triples, four home runs)
.335/ .380/ .551/ .931
The discrepancy is staggering, especially in Kemp's case compared to Pierre. In one day floating this notion around the MLB Productions office, I met a few challenges to my argument, but none carried any weight. One guy -- a Yankee fan who loves to argue that A-Rod "isn't clutch" -- suggested Pierre's value as a base stealer makes him worthy of a starting spot in center field and at the top of the batting order. He's wrong, because Pierre's advantage in stolen bases (18-9) pales in comparison to Kemp's overwhelming supremacy in every other statistical category. Pierre has the lowest OBP of any Dodger, hits with no power, and has been a defensive liability. Sure, Kemp is young, but he has hit with power in the Majors and his plate approach appears to be improving by the inning.
Another guy, a Dodgers fan actually, went with the logic, "I'll take Nomar and Pierre because they've done it before." He's right. Nomar has driven in runs with the best of them, but he's also been known as an impatient hitter his whole career. And Pierre has hit .300 and stolen bases and scored runs, but his knack for making contact has come at the expense of reaching base with walks.
Right now, the Dodgers need to hit more line drives and get better at-bats, and the past has shown us that Kemp and Loney have and can provide them. To incorporate them without making any trades, I propose these options:
1) Nomar to third
Nomar moves to third and Loney takes over full time at first. Tony Abreu would assume a utility infielder role, giving days off to Jeff Kent at 2nd (his natural position), and allowing Grady the luxury of playing Nomar at 1st in certain situations (against lefties, "days off").
2) Kemp to center
Kemp becomes primary option at center, with Pierre starting in advantageous matchups and assuming a fourth outfielder role. As much as I like what I know of Pierre as a person and the way he plays the game, he is no more than an overpaid Dave Roberts (which isn't good because Dave Roberts, himself, is overpaid at $5 mil a year). On the other hand, Roberts has proven he can be a very valuable utility outfielder, just ask Red Sox fans. Imagine this lineup with options 1 and 2 in in place:
Furcal, Martin, Gonzalez, Kent, Nomar, Kemp, Loney, Ethier.
3) Kemp becomes 4th outfielder
If, for some reason, the powers that be are obligated to stick with Pierre for reasons pertaining to contract and such, then Kemp could assume Brady Clark's role as the fourth outfielder -- sub in for Luis for defense, spell Pierre once in a while, pinch-hit and maybe even push Ethier for his spot in right.
I have been a big fan of Ramon Martinez and Brady Clark has been ok, but they are taking up spots that could be used much more effectively by Kemp and Loney. What's the worst that could happen? It's unlikely Kemp will go back to his struggles of over a year ago after playing so well since. Loney hit .380 last year in triple-A, and over .400 in Spring Training before falling into a slump early in the season that he is officially out of, so I find no reason to doubt how he could help the team. Plus, scouts have raved about his Gold Glove caliber defense for years. The only negative I can see would be fewer at-bats for Tony Abreu (batting .333), and having an extra infielder of his caliber is a dilemma I'm sure Grady Little can deal with.
To me, there are a few options, all of which involve the inclusion of either Matt Kemp or James Loney, or both, into the equation. Kemp and Loney are significantly outplaying their Major League counterparts, and the reasons for keeping them bottled up in Las Vegas do not justify continuing with the status quo. Look at the numbers, especially the discrepancy in their on-base and slugging numbers:
FIRST BASE
Nomar: (10 doubles, one home run)
.280 avg./ .328 OBP/ .341 SLUG/ .669 OBP. (On base+slugging)
Loney: (17 doubles, three triples, one home run)
.284/ .349/ .383/ .732
OUTFIELD
Pierre: (eight doubles, two triples)
.269/ .298/ .318/ .617
Kemp: (16 doubles, three triples, four home runs)
.335/ .380/ .551/ .931
The discrepancy is staggering, especially in Kemp's case compared to Pierre. In one day floating this notion around the MLB Productions office, I met a few challenges to my argument, but none carried any weight. One guy -- a Yankee fan who loves to argue that A-Rod "isn't clutch" -- suggested Pierre's value as a base stealer makes him worthy of a starting spot in center field and at the top of the batting order. He's wrong, because Pierre's advantage in stolen bases (18-9) pales in comparison to Kemp's overwhelming supremacy in every other statistical category. Pierre has the lowest OBP of any Dodger, hits with no power, and has been a defensive liability. Sure, Kemp is young, but he has hit with power in the Majors and his plate approach appears to be improving by the inning.
Another guy, a Dodgers fan actually, went with the logic, "I'll take Nomar and Pierre because they've done it before." He's right. Nomar has driven in runs with the best of them, but he's also been known as an impatient hitter his whole career. And Pierre has hit .300 and stolen bases and scored runs, but his knack for making contact has come at the expense of reaching base with walks.
Right now, the Dodgers need to hit more line drives and get better at-bats, and the past has shown us that Kemp and Loney have and can provide them. To incorporate them without making any trades, I propose these options:
1) Nomar to third
Nomar moves to third and Loney takes over full time at first. Tony Abreu would assume a utility infielder role, giving days off to Jeff Kent at 2nd (his natural position), and allowing Grady the luxury of playing Nomar at 1st in certain situations (against lefties, "days off").
2) Kemp to center
Kemp becomes primary option at center, with Pierre starting in advantageous matchups and assuming a fourth outfielder role. As much as I like what I know of Pierre as a person and the way he plays the game, he is no more than an overpaid Dave Roberts (which isn't good because Dave Roberts, himself, is overpaid at $5 mil a year). On the other hand, Roberts has proven he can be a very valuable utility outfielder, just ask Red Sox fans. Imagine this lineup with options 1 and 2 in in place:
Furcal, Martin, Gonzalez, Kent, Nomar, Kemp, Loney, Ethier.
3) Kemp becomes 4th outfielder
If, for some reason, the powers that be are obligated to stick with Pierre for reasons pertaining to contract and such, then Kemp could assume Brady Clark's role as the fourth outfielder -- sub in for Luis for defense, spell Pierre once in a while, pinch-hit and maybe even push Ethier for his spot in right.
I have been a big fan of Ramon Martinez and Brady Clark has been ok, but they are taking up spots that could be used much more effectively by Kemp and Loney. What's the worst that could happen? It's unlikely Kemp will go back to his struggles of over a year ago after playing so well since. Loney hit .380 last year in triple-A, and over .400 in Spring Training before falling into a slump early in the season that he is officially out of, so I find no reason to doubt how he could help the team. Plus, scouts have raved about his Gold Glove caliber defense for years. The only negative I can see would be fewer at-bats for Tony Abreu (batting .333), and having an extra infielder of his caliber is a dilemma I'm sure Grady Little can deal with.
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