Offseason Awards: Comeback Player of the Year

How about that? As I noted on my Twitter feed last night:

Who'd have thought the Yankees could win it all? All it took was team chemistry, a little bit of magic, and a half billion dollar payroll.

Anything is possible!!! Congratulations to the Yankees, but don't do it again. Seriously. I'll go right back to hating you. We just had a more common enemy this time in the Phillies.

Anyway. Enough with all that business. Let's get down to everybody's favorite part of the year: Award Season!

Today's award: The J's Dodger Blog Comeback Player of the Year!

And the nominees are:

Guillermo Mota
-Mota not only revived himself from his 2008 season, he revived his dying career mid-way through the 2009 season. Mota finished the year with a 3.44 ERA which seems a small miracle now. If you had told me on May 17th that Mota would not only finish the season with the team, but that he would do it with a sub-3.50 ERA, I'd have slapped you for outright lying to me. Of course, right about now you'd be getting a call from me, apologizing for the slapping, but with a careful reminder that at the time, you sounded crazy, and that really, you were lucky I didn't try burning you at the stake for your words.

Why would I go through all this trouble? Because on May 17th, Guillermo Mota, who hadn't pitched in a week coming off an outing where he surrendered three runs in 2.0 IP against the Giants, came in to a 10-0 game in Florida. Clayton Kershaw had put up a masterful seven innings before giving up a leadoff double in the 8th. Mota allowed that runner to score, and got out of the inning, which would have been forgivable enough had the Dodgers not scored two runs in the top of the 9th and given Mota a cushy 12-1 lead. Mota got two quick outs, then almost as quickly, he loaded the bases. He followed that up by throwing a fat pitch to Cody Ross, which he promptly deposited over the center field wall. Mota was pulled from the game so Will Ohman could come in and get one out on one pitch. And Mota left that game with a 9.00 ERA.

It really seemed like he was cooked. That 9.00 ERA was through 15 innings pitched, mind you. But then Brad Ausmus stepped up and saved his career, at least temporarily. Ausmus noted Mota was not hiding the ball as well as he used to, therefore making it oh, so easy for the Cody Ross'es of the world to feast on him. A couple tweaks later, and Mota surrenders just two runs from May 17th all the way until the end of July (35.1 innings pitched). His ERA, for a little while, was in the high 2.00's. God, I sure hope Mota bought Ausmus something nice for that one.


Vicente Padilla
-When it was made news in the Rangers clubhouse that Vicente Padilla was let go, reports say a small celebration took place. The clubhouse in Texas had turned on Padilla. He was a hot head who threw at opposing team's players too often and didn't have good enough stats to back him up (4.92 ERA in 18 starts).

Flashforward. Padilla is picked up by the Dodgers. He had just gone 4-0 in 7 starts and had a 3.20 ERA during the regular season. But now, surprisingly, Padilla had made it onto the NLDS roster. Not as a long relief arm out of the pen, but as the Game 3 starter! Padilla goes seven shutout innings in St. Louis to clinch the series. Dodger fans are shocked. This has turned out surprisingly well. How does Padilla build on that? He pitches 7.1 innings of one run ball against Philadelphia in the NLCS, starting and keeping us in the only game we would win that series. Yes, the (seemingly inevitable) meltdown that took place in Game 6 really put a damper on the "Vicente Padilla: Playoffs MVP" parade that was building up, but nevertheless, you got to give it to a guy who was tossed out of Texas. He showed up in L.A. and played ball.


Jeff Weaver
-You want to talk about bad career prospects? At this time, last season, Weaver had just finished a stint with the Cleveland Indians' AAA team in Buffalo. He had a 6.07 ERA. This, mind you, came after spending the first half of the season with Milwaukee's AAA team in Nashville, where he posted a 6.22 ERA. Most people with numbers like that might have called it quits. Not Jeff Weaver. Nope, Weaver decided he'd still have a go at it and caught on with his former team the Dodgers.

Where he went on to post 3.65 ERA in 28 games (79 IP). Weaver was our long man out of the pen and an occasional spot starter this year, and he was fairly successful in both roles.

He even had some nice high points during the season. On June 20th, he started opposite his younger brother Jered in Anaheim and came out victorious.

And even though he only made on postseason appearance, he pitched a good 1.1 innings against the Cardinals and came away with a win for his efforts. Not bad.


...And the J's Dodger Blog Comeback Player of the Year is...

Jeff Weaver.

There's a lot to be said for Mota's and Padilla's comebacks ...and I said a lot of it. They were nice stories, but let's be honest, coming into this season, both pitchers probably felt pretty secure with the idea they would have a home on a major league team. (Plus, as far as this award goes, Padilla shot himself in the foot when he shot himself in the foot.)

Jeff Weaver didn't. How could he? How can you put up such God-awful numbers in AAA and expect to even be pitching in AAA the next season. Weaver was looking like a prime candidate for a quiet and early retirement.

But he proved all the doubters who still cared about his career wrong. He really did have a nice season. Can he repeat on his success? I don't know, but I do think he's done enough to earn himself a spot on next year's roster in the same role.

So, for reviving a career that flat-lined for an entire year in AAA, Jeff Weaver is the "J's Dodger Blog 2009 Comeback Player of the Year."

Week Recap: 08/03/09 - 08/09/09

Whew. That was not a good week. Let's take a look at it.

The Dodgers started the week splitting two with the Brewers, before losing the third game, and the series.

They came back to win the first game in the series against Atlanta, in walk-off fashion. Then, they proceeded to lose the next three, and the series.

The Dodgers went 2-5 on the week.

Wow, we're already to Round 15 of HOT, COLD, or ROOM TEMPERATURE. Time is just flying by.

COLD:

• Guillermo Mota - 0-1 (4 games), 9.00 ERA (4 ER in 4.0 IP), 5 H, 3 BBs, 3 Ks - Is this it?! Is this the meltdown?! I knew it was coming!!! Ok, I'll calm down. I'm not saying Mota is regressing. I'm just upset that I was finally starting to trust him, and now he's gone and abused my trust. Still, it was a bad week, and I'm willing to forgive. I just need an performace upgrade from Mota.

• Ramon Troncoso - 0-1 (4 games), 27.00 ERA (6 ER in 2.0 IP), 5 H, 1 BB, 1 K - Hey, guess who else had a bad week? Yeah, Troncoso got lit up this week. You have to wonder if this is a sign that possibly Troncoso has already been used too much this year.

• James Loney - .125 (3-24), 1 2B, 2 RBIs, 4 BBs, 7 Ks - Loney didn't hit this week. There you have it. Ok, let me rephrase. Loney hasn't hit since Wednesday. 0 for his last 13. 1 for his last 20. Those are just some ugly, ugly numbers.

• Jason Schmidt - 0-1 (1 start), Bad. - Schmidt is gone, almost as fast as he came. On the DL with bad.

ROOM TEMPERATURE:

• Andre Ethier - .241 (7-29), 2 2Bs, 1 3B, 1 HR, 6 RBIs, 5 BBs, 5 Ks - Ethier has certainly slowed down. That's not to say he's come to a halt. Despite the .241 batting average, he still had an OPS of .854. Plus, 6 RBIs on 7 hits? He's getting the hits when they count. That includes getting the big three run, game winning homerun in the first game against Atlanta, which eventually turned out the be the only way we avoided a four game sweep against Atlanta.

• Manny Ramírez - .320 (8-25), 3 2Bs, 1 HR, 4 RBIs, 2 BBs, 7 Ks - Sure, .320 doesn't look to bad, but it's all in context. Manny had three good games this week, and three bad games. And in between it all, he managed to leave 14 runners on base during the week, so the 4 RBIs does seem kinda weak in comparison.

• Clayton Kershaw - 0-1 (2 starts), 2.45 ERA (3 ER in 11.0 IP), 7 BBs, 16 Ks - Again, all in context. Kershaw had a bad start this week, only going 4.0 IP, while giving up three runs on four hits and SIX walks. He did rebound, however, and go seven scoreless innings against Atlanta, walking one, and striking out 10. I've explained this before, but just to remind you: Good start + Bad start = Room Temperature week.

HOT:

• James McDonald - 0-0 (3 games), 0.00 ERA (6.1 IP), 4 Ks - A nice week for McDonald, which is good because he hasn't had a lot of those this year. Also nice: He hasn't surrendered a run in his last 9.1 IP.

• Casey Blake - .375 (9-24), 3 2Bs, 1 HR, 6 RBIs, 3 BBs, 1 SB, 1.054 OPS - The real reason Prince Fielder charged the Dodger clubhouse? Casey Blake slapped him across the face with a white glove and challenged him to a knife fight. Fielder would get a knife. Blake would use his hands. This all happened because Blake felt Fielder gave him a weird look after Blake drew a 6th inning walk, and that is something that you do not do. Casey Blake is... the most interesting 3rd Baseman in the World.

That's how bad a week it was, only two people in the HOT column. This week is a big one for us. Three games in San Francisco against the Giants, who now find themselves 5.5 games back in the division. A series win would be a nice showing. A sweep? That would be a Casey Blake white glove slap to the face.

Who's ready for a knife fight?

The Beaning

Let's talk about the now infamous beaning from last night. Every discussion like this always seems to end up with the main question being: if one of the players on your team gets hit, is it your job to hit a player back?

Personally, I'm all for beaning a player, but you only do it if the timing is right.

All those people who were upset that Chad Billingsley didn't bean a member of the Phillies during the playoffs last year were wrong. Sorry, but there are more important things to focus on during a playoff game than playing macho man. Like winning the playoff game (which, unfortunately, Billingsley didn't do either, but I digress).

Which brings me to yesterday's game. The Dodgers were leading 17-4 with two outs in the 9th. Prince Fielder steps up to the plate, and Guillermo Mota nails him in the leg. Mota is promptly tossed out of the game while Fielder looks at him angrily.

Then, apparently, later, Fielder charged for the Dodger locker room, which itself is a dumb idea. But that's for later.

For now, I just want to discuss the beaning itself, and why it was so pointless.

1. Mota felt like the Dodgers needed to send the Brewers a message. You mean something like beating them by 13 runs? You mean like scoring more runs in the previous inning than they did all game? You mean like Mota himself driving in a run? The offensive beatdown, the biggest one at Dodger Stadium in decades, was a nice enough message to send.


2. Everyone notes that two Dodgers were hit. I'll give you Manny's case. It did seem like that was a message, but Pierre's hit? That guy was throwing 55 MPH. Seriously. Don't tell me that that hit was intentional.


3. When you are up 13 runs in the 9th, you want to use as few pitchers as possible. But because we needed to send the Brewers a message, we had to use another pitcher. So Troncoso, who should have had the night off, had to warm up and get in the game to get a single out. With a 13 run lead.


4. Now, despite the fact that the Dodgers saw the beaning as a retaliation, the Brewers won't feel that way. So, what could have ended will now continue on into today's game and in all likelihood, another Dodger will get hit in today's game. And then what? The benches will clear, players will grunt in each other's faces, nothing will happen, and we'll go back to the game all feeling a little better about ourselves? Come on.
   

Now, that's not to say the Dodgers were all at fault. The beaning was pointless and ridiculous, but the reaction from the Brewers was almost as bad.

Prince Fielder went to the Dodger clubhouse. For what? You are going to pick a fight against a guy while 24 of his teammates stand around and watch? What the hell are you thinking?

And Milwaukee Manager Ken Macha? He had this nugget: "So, to me, giving a guy a $500 fine and a two-day suspension is not enough. This type of stuff should be cleaned up."

Oh, shut up. If there's one thing I can't stand is an old school guy like Macha complaining about an old school ideology. He acts like he's taking the high road. His team fired the first shot across the bow! And you want to tell me, Ken, that if two of your guys got hit, you wouldn't order a retaliation? Just shut up.

To sum it all up:

If the Dodgers wanted to retaliate, they should have done it sooner, the next inning after Manny got hit. Waiting for the very last out of the game is idiotic.

And Brewers? Shut up. Don't give us this whole "Why would they do this to us?" routine. No one is buying your righteous indignation so get over it.

Basically, what I'm saying is, everybody is wrong and stupid.

Week Recap: 07/16/09 - 07/26/09

Hey everybody. Welcome back. I've been on a little extended break, and I figured doing a week recap on just the four game series against the Astros might not be entirely worth it. So I'm back for a Week (and a half) Recap.

Let's do it.

The Dodgers split their first four games out of the All-Star break, losing the first two to the Astros before coming back to win the next two games. They followed that up by beating down the Cincinnati Reds in a three game series. Finally, they finished off the homestand on a particularly weak note, losing two out of three games to the Florida Marlins.

The Dodgers went 6-4 over that span.

And now, we shall take a look back at the people who made a difference this last week, be it good or bad. It's Round 13 of HOT, COLD, or ROOM TEMPERATURE:

COLD:

• Juan Pierre - .105 (2-19), 3 Ks, 1 GiDP, 0-1 SBs - I understand how it can be difficult to play periodically, coming off the bench to pinch hit or spot start. A lot of players have problems with that. But this is really bad. Not that it's surprising. Pierre has been fading for a little while now. He's got a .243 average in July.

• James McDonald - 0-1 (3 games), 10.12 ERA (3 ER in 2.2 IP), .333 BAA - Come on, James. It seems to me that the Dodgers are trying to showcase you, and you're responding by getting beaten up. How can we convince other teams that getting a package of you and Blake DeWitt is almost as good as anything they'll find on the market when neither of you are performing?

• Jason Schmidt - 1-1 (2 games), 7.88 ERA (7 ER in 8.0 IP), .323 BAA, 1.045 OPS against - I don't know if we were expecting anything more from Schmidt, but this is what we got. Maybe we should just be happy we got one semi-productive start from Schmidt and call it a career. My favorite stat from his two starts? Take it away Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports: "That’s two outings spent on the bat barrels for Schmidt, who in those starts has thrown 142 pitches and gotten exactly seven swings and misses." I'm not sure who that's more embarrassing for, Schmidt, or the unlucky few who missed a Schmidt pitch.

ROOM TEMPERATURE:

• Manny Ramírez - .250 (7-28), 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 8 RBIs, 8 Ks - Manny's not getting a lot of hits, but when he does, he's coming up big, with, of course, the highlight of all this being the Manny Slammy, or whatever the hell people are calling it. Still, the semi-slow start out of the All-Star break is a little disappointing.

• Chad Billingsley - 1-1 (2 starts), 9.39 ERA (8 ER in 7.2 IP), 7 Ks - You might question why I would not label a guy with an above 9.00 ERA as "COLD" but I do this because that ERA doesn't tell the whole story. His first start out of the All-Star break was horrific. 1.2 IP, 9 hits, 6 ER. His second start was worlds better. 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 7 Ks. And that's how it happens. A "COLD" start and a "HOT" start equals a "ROOM TEMPERATURE" week.

HOT:

• Jonathan Broxton - 1-0, 3 SVs (5 games), 0.00 ERA (5 IP), 8 Ks - I just want to give Broxton some quick acknoledgment for bouncing back from his handful of awful outings. He hasn't been as dominant as he was earlier this year, but he has shut the door, and that's what counts.

• Clayton Kershaw - 1-0 (2 games), 1.38 ERA (2 ER in 13.0 IP), 11 Ks - Kershaw continues to make people who've suggested trading him look like idiots. He is putting it together in front of our eyes. If he figures out how to consistantly limit his walks so his pitch count stays down, he could become one of the best pitchers in the league, and soon.

• Orlando Hudson - .412 (14-34), 2 2Bs, 2 3Bs, 2 RBIs, 1.017 OPS - I like to see Hudson turning it around. He was slumping pretty bad going into the All-Star break, but in the second half so far, he's been back on his game.

• Claudio Vargas - 0-0 (5 games), 1.29 ERA (1 ER in 7.0 IP) - I got to give Vargas some credit. I didn't think much about this signing in the offseason. But he's appeared in seven games so far this season, and he's only given up one run. Whether or not he can keep this up is a different story, but for now, I'll enjoy the fact that he's contributing.

• Guillermo Mota - 0-0 (4 games), 0.00 ERA (7.0 IP) - Another good week for Mota. Do I trust him yet? No. I don't think I will until the season is over. But giving up just one earned run since May 22nd is definitely a good start.

• Andre Ethier - .485 (16-33), 5 2Bs, 2 HRs, 6 RBIs, 5 BBs, 1.371 OPS - It's good to see Ethier start hitting well again. Ethier really appears to be a streaky hitter. When he's down, he's really down. But when he turns it on, he's scary. And for his excellent hitting, he was awarded the National League Player-of-the-Week award for the second time this year.

Interesting week coming up. The trade deadline is coming up Friday. Meanwhile, the Dodgers take on the Cardinals in St. Louis for a four game set. The on to Atlanta for three games. That's a tough road trip. It would be a nice message to send to the rest of the league if we went over .500 this week.

First Half Recap - Pitchers

Alright folks, there's your first half. No week recap this week. Instead, we'll take a look back at the first half.

And what better way to do that than with a little HOT, COLD, or ROOM TEMPERATURE?

We'll start with pitchers:

COLD:

• Will Ohman - 1-0, 5 HLDs (21 games), 5.84 ERA (8 ER in 12.1 IP), 4 HRs - I was totally for the Ohman signing when it happened near the end of Spring Training. I thought he could be a helpful lefty out of the pen, I thought he could eat a few innings. I thought wrong. Ohman stunk. He gave almost a hit per inning, and more walks than strikeouts. And way too many homeruns per innings pitched. In any case, Ohman now sits on the DL and it's unknown when he'll be back. Though frankly, it's become a moot point anyway.

• Hiroki Kuroda - 3-5 (10 games, 9 starts), 4.67 ERA (28 ER in 54.0 IP) - Yeah, this was the guy that started Opening Day for us. Well, unfortunatly, that's all he started for us until June. And since that return in June, he's been sub-par. He did have two quality starts, peaking with a 8.2 IP, 2 ER, 9 K performance against the White Sox on June 23rd. But, since that point, his starts have gotten progressively shorter, and his ERA continues to rise. His stats aren't too bad (less hits than innings pitched, and a better than 3:1 K to BB ratio) but he's just giving up runs. Here's to hoping for a better second half for a guy who's supposed to be our 2nd or 3rd starter.

• Cory Wade - 2-3, 7 HLDs(27 games), 5.53 ERA (17 ER in 27.2 IP) - Talk about a fall from grace. Cory Wade was going to be our setup guy for our setup guy this year. Simply put, he hasn't been. He's in a bad position for a guy who throws the way he does. He relies on movement of pitches and placement of pitches. The pitches aren't finding the zone enough (less than 2:1 K to BB) and when they do, he's getting hit too often (28 hits in 27.2 IP). Luckily for the Dodgers, other pitchers have stepped up and filled Troncoso's role (more on that later).

ROOM TEMPERATURE:

• Guillermo Mota - 3-2 (38 games), 3.51 ERA (16 ER in 41.0 IP) - Mota has had two seasons in one. Before May 18th Season: 15 games, 9.00 ERA. After May 18th Season: 23 games, 0.35 ERA. Yeah. What In The World?! I've always been indifferent to Mota, and I still am. I won't deny how excellent he's been these last two months, but do I trust him? No. Do I want him in, in big pressure sitations? No. But if I can have it so the 12th guy out of the bullpen for the Dodgers has a mid-3.00 ERA then I'll be a happy man.

• Randy Wolf - 4-3 (19 starts), 3.45 ERA (44 ER in 114.2 IP) - Well, Wolf's been consistent to say the least. Over his 19 starts, he's averaging 6.0 IP a start, about 2.5 ER, and about 4.5 Ks. And really, if you take a look at his game log, most of his starts are around that area. Some are better, a few are worse, but really, most are about the same. It's ok, not great, though I suppose it's what you want out of your number four starter. And consistancy is nice in many ways.

HOT:

• Ronald Belisario - 1-3, 10 HLDs, (43 games), 2.42 ERA (13 ER in 48.1 IP) - Belisario has been solid as the 7th inning guy a good portion of this year. Unfortunately, he might have been used too much, too fast. He's on the DL now, indefinitely, and that could spell some trouble for us in the near future.

• Ramon Troncoso - 3-0, 5 SVs, 8 HLDs (41 games), 1.75 ERA (11 ER in 56.2 IP) - For a guy who was pretty much an afterthought last year, he's really established himself as an excellent setup man this year. And honestly, it's surprising how he does it. He gives up a lot of hits and a lot of walks. But he's been getting the well timed strikeout or double play, and as long as he keeps it up, he'll keep his ERA low.

• Clayton Kershaw - 7-5 (18 starts), 3.16 ERA (35 ER in 99.2 IP), 99 Ks - Kershaw actually leads the starting staff in ERA, and that's due to a recent streak where he has really been locked in. Since June 16th, Kershaw is 4-0 in 6 starts with a 0.76 ERA. Not bad for a 21 year old.

• Jonathan Broxton - 6-0, 20-22 SVs (38 games), 3.10 ERA (14 ER in 40.2 IP), 65 Ks - Broxton has been crazy good this year as the Dodger closer. 65 Ks in 40.2 IP? Crazy. Good. Unfortunately, he's hurting a little bit right now. His toe could be causing him problems, and now there is some talk it could be a year long problem. With Belisario out, and Broxton maybe not at 100%, the bullpen could be in a little trouble.

• Chad Billingsley - 9-4 (19 starts), 3.38 ERA (47 ER in 125.1 IP), 119 Ks - Billingsley has really taken over as ace of the staff. He's been a little up and down recently, but his body of work over the whole year has been fantastic. He's near the top in many of the major statistics in the National League, and for it, he was rewarded with a trip to the All-Star game.

Ok, there's the pitchers. Home Run Derby is tonight.

First Half Recap for Hitters is tomorrow. See you then.

The Trouble With Mota

I want to take you back a few weeks. It was during a Week Recap I had this to say about Guillermo Mota:

"...So, now the question becomes: What to do with him? I mean, I feel like we all know he has more than a couple bad outings left in that arm of his, and they are bound to show up sooner or later. But how do you get rid of a man who's pitched 9.1 scoreless innings in his last 8 games? I just hope when the inevitable melt-down occurs, it's not in a big game. Who knows, though? Maybe he's turned the corner... (Nah...)"

Flash forward to tonight. Now granted, since that time Mota has added another three scoreless innings. But I feel like I've created a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Tonight, he served up the game-winning homerun to Juan Rivera.

I know, it's just one run. One in a month. Everyone gives up runs. Chad Billingsley gave up four tonight.

But I think this is what I always worried about.

Joe Torre is confusing pitching good with being a good pitcher.

Guillermo Mota has been pitching good this last month.

He is NOT a good pitcher.

I go back to what I said before, about the inevitable meltdown. It happened exactly where I hoped it wouldn't. An important moment during a big game.

Mota should not be used in the 8th inning (or later). And really, for that matter, if possible, he shouldn't be used in the 7th.

But by pitching well this last month (following a month and a half of bad pitching), he's lulled Joe Torre into a false sense of security. And because of that, Torre has slowly allowed Mota to enter games at later and later points, until he put him in a place where he could blow a game. And Mota obliged.

What I'm saying is, Torre needs to remember that Mota is a bad pitcher who has been pitching good and should be treated as such.

I'm not calling for his head (his scary... scary head) like I was a couple months ago.

I just don't want to see him in any inning that begins with a number higher than seven.

Otherwise, things could get ugly...

Week Recap: 06/01/09 - 06/07/09

Woo... busy day, sorry for the late post. Let's do this:

Dodgers started the week losing the first game to Arizona before coming back to take the next two and the series.

They followed that up by splitting a four game set against Philadelphia.

They went 4-3 on the week.

And now, I'm going to hit you with Round 8 of HOT, COLD, or ROOM TEMPERATURE. Get ready:

COLD:

• Orlando Hudson - .143 (3-21), 1 2B, 2 RBIs, 1 run, 3 BBs, 3 Ks - Oh, Orlando, what has happened to you? You haven't really stood out much in the last couple weeks, but you've still been solid this whole year, and then... this week? Come on, Hudson. 3 for 21? Sheesh...

• Russell Martin - .056 (1-18), 1 BB, 6 Ks, 1 GIDP - A bad start to the month of June for Martin, who was "HOT" just a couple weeks ago. Last week, he cooled down to "ROOM TEMPERATURE." Now, just plain "COLD." One hit this week. One.

• Randy Wolf - 0-1 (2 starts), 8.03 ERA (11 ER in 12.1 innings), 3 BBs, 5 Ks, 3 HRs - Talk about cooling down. Wolf was "HOT" last week? What happened? He had his two worst starts of the season this week. He's been hitable this week, 15 hits in 12.1 innings.

ROOM TEMPERATURE:

• Matt Kemp - .292 (7-24), 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 7 Ks, 1 SB, 1 GIDP - Just one "ROOM TEMPERATURE" guy this week: Kemp. He had a hitting streak snapped this week and struck out almost as many times as he got on base. Still gotta give him some credit though for the .292. 'Tis ok.

HOT:

• Hiroki Kuroda - 0-1 (2 starts), 1.64 ERA (2 ER in 11.0 innings), 11 Ks, 6 BBs - Not a bad return for Kuroda, even with the loss. He hasn't thrown too many innings in either of his starts (5.0 and 6.0) because of early high pitch counts. The three walks per start didn't help. I'll chalk that up to rustiness coming back from injury, and so long as he's keeping that ERA low, I'll be happy.

• Guillermo Mota - 0-0 (4 games), 0.00 ERA (0 ER in 5.1 innings), 3 Ks - I don't want to take too much credit for this, but Guillermo Mota hasn't given up a run since I labeled him "COLD" three weeks ago (a week after called him "replaceable.") I'm going to go ahead and say that lit a fire under him. So, now the question becomes: What to do with him? I mean, I feel like we all know he has more than a couple bad outings left in that arm of his, and they are bound to show up sooner or later. But how do you get rid of a man who's pitched 9.1 scoreless innings in his last 8 games? I just hope when the inevitable melt-down occurs, it's not in a big game. Who knows, though? Maybe he's turned the corner... (Nah...)

• Jonathan Broxton - 1-0 (4 games), 2 saves, 0.00 ERA (0 ER in 4.0 innings), 1 hit, 8 Ks - Broxton just continues to be lights out. 8 of the 12 outs he got this week we're by strikeout. And guess how many of those were swinging? ...All 8. Broxton has nasty stuff, and he's figured out how to locate it. Hitters are in trouble.

• Andre Ethier - .370 (10-27), 3 2Bs, 3 HRs, 5 RBIs, 5 runs - How do you not label a man "HOT" who won two games in a row with walk-off hits? It's no secret to anyone that Ethier has struggled in the last month or so. But here's to hoping this week was a sign of good things to come. Ethier was significantly involved in three of the Dodgers' four wins this week. He's got some power going, he's hitting for high average, he's scoring runs. He was just doing things right this week. Please keep it up. Please.

Alright. Weird week coming up. Just five games? I'm going to need to find my sports fix elsewhere I guess.

Maybe in the loving arms of a basketball team heading for a championship? Sounds pretty good.

Week Recap: 05/11/09 - 05/17/09

Yeah, I didn't post for a week. Doesn't mean I wasn't paying attention.

Been updating my computer, working to get all my programs back and running, yadda yadda, so I didn't have time for posts.

But I'm here now, so let's do this.

This week, the Dodgers started and completed a 6 game East Coast road trip. And did pretty damn well.

They started out slow, losing the first game in Philadelphia to Chan Ho Park, of all people. They came back, however, to win the next two. They then went to Florida, where they split the first two games, but followed that up by winning the rubber game to take that series as well.

The Dodgers went 4-2 on the road trip. Oh, and by the way, they have the best record in baseball.

Round 6 of HOT, COLD, or ROOM TEMPERATURE? Already. Wow, time is flying by. Ok, here we go.

COLD:

• Rafael Furcal - .167 (4-24), 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 Runs, 2 Ks, 1 CS - As bad as Furcal has been this year, he's really hit a low this week. He's striking out, he's not drawing walks, and he got caught stealing. What happened to the Furcal of last year? He's got to turn it on at some point.

• Guillermo Mota - 21.60 ERA (4 ER in 1.2 innings, 1 game) - It seems like I'm picking on Mota. I mean, after all, he only had one bad outing this week (the 12-5 win at Florida, May 17th). But honestly, folks, this was just another bad outing in a series of bad outings. I mean, for God's sake. It's 12-1, 9th inning. All you have to do is get out of the inning so we can all go home. You get two outs. Alright, good start. 10 minutes later, you've somehow loaded the bases, given up a Grand Slam, and forced the manager to pull you. How can you mess up an inning so damn badly? Why is he still on this team?!

ROOM TEMPERATURE:

• Eric Milton - 4.50 ERA (2 ER in 4.0 innings), 2 hits, 4 walks, 3 Ks - So, Eric Milton made his first start in the majors since 2007, and how'd he do? Meh. He wasn't terrible, but he was by no stretch of the imagination, good. He was making way too many pitches, and for the kind of stuff he has, he was giving up way too many walks. He made 84 pitches (only 43 strikes) and was pulled before the 5th. But hey, at least he didn't give up a Grand Slam or something like that.

• Andre Ethier - .200 (4-20), 1 2B, 2 walks, 2 RBIs, 5 Ks, 1 SB - Ethier continues his luke-warmness. I feel like he's the Champ Kind to Manny's Ron Burgundy: "I need you. I'm a mess without you. I miss you so damn much. I miss being with you, I miss being near you. I miss your laugh. I miss your scent; I miss your musk. When this all gets sorted out, I think you and me should get an apartment together." Ok, maybe it's not that bad. But Ethier has been hurting, and whether that's Manny related or not, I'd like it to stop. You hear me, Ethier? Stop it.

HOT:

• Russell Martin - .333 (6-18), 1 2B, 1 RBI, 3 runs, 5 walks, 2 SBs - Nice Martin, a 2nd week of "HOT" in a row. All I can say is, keep it up. Oh, and maybe, let's notch a homerun or two.

• James Loney - .308 (8-26), 2 HRs, 6 RBIs, 1 walk, 4 runs - Well, it took long enough for Loney to get out of the homerless category. And once he did, he came back for more. Sure, they were both in Philly, but I won't hold that against him. A homer is a homer.

• Casey Blake - .368 (7-19), 2 2Bs, 2 HRs, 5 RBIs, 1 walk, 6 Ks - That's actually quite a few strike outs for just 19 at-bats, but still, extra base hits and RBIs are good stuff.

• Mark Loretta - .500 (4-8), 1 2B, 4 RBIs, 2 walks - I just wanted to give Mark Loretta some credit for what he's been doing this year. He's been a solid pinch hitter and spot start all year, and this week was really a good microcosm of that. I can't remember a year when we've had a bench of this quality, and he's a big part of that.

• Clayton Kershaw - 1-1 (2 games), 3.75 ERA (5 ER in 12.0 innings), 14 Ks, 8 walks - Yes, those stats look pretty pedestrian, but if you've watched Kershaw, you know he has pitched better than his stats indicate. He was pretty hitable in Philly (a 5-3 loss, May 12th), but was almost the opposite of that in Florida (a 12-5 win, May 17th). 7.0 innings of no-hit ball only to finally give up a hit in the 8th, collecting nine strikeouts along the way. He's been up and down this year, but this was definitely an up.

• Juan Pierre - .407 (11-27), 4 2Bs, 1 3B, 5 RBIs, 2 walks, 4-5 SBs, 7 runs - Juan Pierre is a man on fire! I mean, he's playing like a man who's trying to prove he can still be a starter somewhere and that when a certain outfielder returns in early July, another team should take a flier on him. Yeah, a little long winded, and kinda a cheap shot, but what are you gonna do? Pierre's been go, and I like it. So good, in fact, he's started a grassroots movement. Yep, Juan Pierre is in BeastMode, and that's a good thing for us.

Ok, hopefully I'll get in some more posts this week than last week. We'll see.

3 game series against the Mets in L.A. starts later today. See you then.

Week Recap: 05/04/09 - 05/10/09

So, a pretty uneventful week, huh?

Let's just jump into it.

The week started out pretty good. A two game sweep of the Diamondbacks, and a win in the first game of a two game series against Washington. With those three wins, the Dodgers went 13-0 in their first 13 home games to set a new Major League record.

Then Manny Ramírez got suspended for 50 games.

Then, maybe coincidentally (but not really), the Dodgers lost three of their next four games.

They went 4-3 during the week.

Ok, then, Round 5 of HOT, COLD, or ROOM TEMPERATURE coming up!

COLD:

• Manny Ramirez - Only three hits this week? Wow. I'm going to suggest Manny take the next 46 games off, and then come back refreshed and ready to hit. But seriously folks, I think we've discussed Manny enough this week.

• Cory Wade - 0-1 (3 games), 2 blown saves, 12.00 ERA (4 earned runs in 3 innings) - Wade has been one of the two major problems in the bullpen this week. His two blown saves this week bring him up to three in just nine appearances this season. He hasn't been nearly as effective this year as he was last year. So, what do you do with him? He's still young, and maybe he's just going through a slump. I say let him try to pitch out of it, but maybe don't use him in high pressure situations for a little. At least until he proves he's got his stuff together.

• Guillermo Mota - 0-1 (4 games), 8.44 ERA (5 earned runs in 5.1 innings) - ...and here's the other major problem this week. Mota has walked the tightrope in almost every appearance he's made this season. In 14 appearances, he's only had three 1-2-3 innings, and none of them have been in any sort of pressure situation. He capped this week off by giving up the lead in extra innings during the May 10th game (a 7-5 loss against San Francisco), twice! Simply put, Mota has not been good, and frankly, I'm not sure why he's even on the team. There has GOT to be someone better. I mean, he's a right handed short reliever for God's sake. If that isn't a replaceable spot on a major league team, then I don't know what is.

ROOM TEMPERATURE:

• James Loney - .172 (5-29), 3 runs, 4 RBIs - I wasn't sure what to do with Loney this week. He does this to me a lot. He stops hitting, yet, in some weird way, he manages to knock in and score runs with his limited chances. Eh? What are you gonna do?

• Andre Ethier - .207 (6-29), 1 HR, 3 RBIs, 5 walks, 4 runs - Ethier started the week out pretty strong but faded in the last couple games. He's currently riding an 0-10 streak, though he does have a walk in his last 11 plate appearances, so I'll give him that.

HOT:

• Orlando Hudson - .308 (8-26), 4 2Bs, 7 walks, 5 runs, 4 RBIs - Have I mentioned how pleased I've been with the Hudson pickup? He just continues to perform.

• Russell Martin - .500 (9-18), 1 2B, 2 RBIs, 8 walks, 5 runs - Boy, wouldn't it be great if Martin started hitting? His bat has been slow all year, but this week, he's been excellent. Hitting, getting on base, scoring runs. That's the All-Star Martin we all know and love.

• Casey Blake - .391 (9-23), 2 2Bs, 1 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBIs, 4 walks, 8 runs - This week is really an odd week for players labeled "HOT". Other than Hudson, the four other players that I've dubbed "HOT" this week have been strangers to said category. This includes Casey Blake, who I called out last week as being perpetually "ROOM TEMPERATURE". Well, he responded this week. Now we have to see if he can keep it up.

• Juan Pierre - .474 (9-19), 3 2Bs, 4 RBIs, 2 walks, 4 runs, 2 SBs - Pierre has really stepped up in the absence of Manny. Yes, he's still done a few infuriating things this week (he was caught stealing twice this week) and he killed a few rallies, but I have to give credit where credit is due. He's been good this week.

• Eric Stults - 2-0 (2 games), 1.23 ERA (2 earned runs in 14.1 innings), 9 Ks, 1 complete game shutout - Who would've thought the Ace of the pitching staff this week would be Eric Stults? He had a good enough start to get him a win during our 13-0 home streak at the beginning of the week (a 7-2 win, May 4th against Arizona). Then an excellent start to halt a two game skid near the end of the week (an 8-0 win, May 9th against San Francisco). Good job Stults, keep it up and you might finally stay in the majors for a full season.

Alright folks, off-day today. Big East Coast road trip coming up Tuesday. Our bullpen really needs to come around, they've cost us two games this week. Other than that, the hitting hasn't suffered too badly without Manny.

Just in case though, 4 games down, 46 to go...

...And Then That Happened.

So, remember everything good I talked about in yesterday's game?

That didn't happen in today's game (well, most of it didn't).

Our hitting wasn't really there. Other than a 4th inning, two run scoring rally, there wasn't much else to speak of, offense wise.

And the starting pitching wasn't really there. Randy Wolf gave up four earned runs in 5.1 innings.

On the bright side, the bullpen continued a second day of excellence. Ronald Belisario and Will Ohman had a scoreless inning each. Guillermo Mota allowed an inherited runner to score but didn't allow much further damage.

Overall, it was a really... meh... game. A loss. A lame loss.

A "We're two games into the season and the offense was asleep today" kinda game.

It's a marathon, not a sprint, right guys?

Two down, 160 to go. A 1-1 record.

We're off to a flying start...

Picture Day!

I was going to do a post today about Yhency Brazoban getting released, which in a way, negates my last post. I suggested that those players were good at one point, a year or two ago, so they could be helpful now. I guess the same could be said for Brazoban. Although his good year was 2004.

I was also going to talk about Josh Lindblom being promoted less than a year after being picked in the draft. I would've talked about his exciting potential and when he could possibly help out the club (probably not til 2010).

Anyway, I would have talked about these things had the Dodgers not taken new pictures for the 2009 season. Now, instead, I will make fun of the pictures. (P.S. MLB.com actually refers to these files as "mugshots," that seems about accurate.)

Let's start with the person who's probably taken the least amount of professional pictures, Clayton Kershaw:

"I'm just happy to be here."

Wow. If someone told him to take a picture so that he would look like a goofy, fresh faced, 21-year-old kid just breaking into the majors he couldn't have taken a better picture.

Now, I'd like to present the Mr. Personality Award to:

Jason Schmidt. Yay.

Someone told Rafael Furcal a dirty joke.

Is it weird that Guillermo Mota kinda frightens me with this picture? Is he snarling?

Danny Ardoin has a dirty little secret (He's hiding a body in the trunk of his car).

This is the look of a man who can't find a team that will take his contract and allow him to start. This is the look of a man who's on the fast track to being a 4th outfielder. This is the look of a man who didn't think he'd be taking this picture. It is the look of defeat.

Brian Mazone, a.k.a. the Lizard Man. I can't figure out where Brian Mazone's neck ends and Brian Mazone begins.

Edgar Martinez looks like he's about to pop.

"No, I'm not a coach! I'm going to be 35 in May! I can still pitch! I swear, I'm not 55! Why does everyone keep asking me that?" -Stephen Randolph

And... hold on a second... oh... my... God. Seriously?

What is Tanyon Sturtze still doing here? He's not retired? What the hell?!?

Offseason 2008: Dodgers Add One, Subtract Another

The Dodgers added to their bullpen today, finalizing a deal with reliever Guillermo Mota, a former Dodger who was traded away in 2004.

Meanwhile, Andruw Jones will be reportedly released tomorrow.

The Mota move is currently a "Meh" for me, with the possibility of becoming "Good", while the Jones move is currently a "Good" for me, with the possibility of becoming an "AHHHH!". Let me explain.

One the Mota side, he has the potential to be good. Mota was, at one point, a fantastic set-up man for the Dodgers. That was 2003 and the first half of 2004. However, since then, not so much. He only posted a below 4.00 ERA once, 18 games for the New York Mets in 2006. In any case, his contract will only be for one year, at a guaranteed $2.35 million (with a possible $300,000 in incentives), so he comes relatively cheap. Might as well give it a shot, he could be helpful. Again, "Meh" with the possibility of "Good".

One the Andruw Jones side, I'm glad he's gone. He won't be able to take up a roster spot, which makes me happy and makes this move "Good". However, we are now going to be paying him for another several years, which makes me sad. That also means, now that he's gone from our team, he has the chance to sign with another team and come back to haunt us. Which means, knowing our history with similar situations, he will. Which leaves this move, "Good" with the possibility of becoming an "AHHHH!".

EDIT: Oh yeah, totally forgot. Happy trails to Derek Lowe who signed a four year deal with the Atlanta Braves, further adding to the drama of the Dodgers/Braves matchups next season, what with the Rafael Furcal drama and everything.

2ND EDIT: Pablo Ozuna signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. Happy Trails!