So, apparently, A.J. Ellis, somehow, became an amazing hitter...
Yeah, I didn't see it coming either. Coming into Sunday, he was six for his last seven with a couple doubles and a walk.
That's why Joe Torre used him to pinch hit in the 11th inning of today's game with the bases loaded. And Ellis came through with his second walk-off hit of the season.
A nice way to salvage a week that was pretty bad. Even with the comeback win, the Dodgers still lost both series this week, and went 2-4 overall.
Ultimately, it doesn't matter, unless you're trying to figure out where the Dodgers will pick in next year's draft. (With the win today, they'd pick 11th, in case you were wondering...)
Anyway, there's not a whole lot else worth talking about this week, as far as on the field play goes.
Off the field, though...
Under New Management
So, obviously, the big news this week came when Joe Torre announced his retirement (from the Dodgers, at least) and named Don Mattingly his successor.
As I said on Twitter at the time, I'm wasn't surprised. Just disappointed.
Not that I don't think Mattingly could be a good major league manager. In all honesty, I have no idea. People are worried that because he learned under Joe Torre, he'll make many of the same mistakes as Joe. And while I'm sure he will make mistakes, I'm at least willing to give him a shot before I dismiss him.
The biggest issue I have is the lack of exploring other alternatives. They didn't interview any other candidates for the job, not Tim Wallach (who admittedly might not be a better manager, again, I have no idea), nor anyone else. They just handed the job straight to Mattingly. I guess, ultimately, going in another direction wasn't really an option as Dylan Hernandez reported that Mattingly signed a deal this offseason guaranteeing him the manager's job if Torre stepped down. It seems like a pretty low reward/high risk deal. Worst case: the Dodgers get stuck with a guy who can't manage a major league team or control a clubhouse. Best case: the Dodgers secure a guy who has never managed a team. I mean, what's the worst that could happen? Mattingly gets a better job offer from another team, and then what? We end up with Tim Wallach coaching? Just ... odd decisions coming from the front office.
Including those of the facial hair variety ... your soul patch is off center! Dammit!
Anyway, the key for me is who Mattingly gets to fill his staff. I get the feeling that if he keeps Bob Schaefer and Larry Bowa around, it's going to be a lot of the same old.
If he brings in some new guys, some people that take a different approach with the players and team, I have hope that he can learn and be a different kind of manager.
I guess we'll see, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit worried.
Smart Trades
I know I've been saying for a while we should've sold, so you'd think I'd be happy to see Octavio Dotel shipped off to the Rockies for a Player To Be Named Later. And, believe me, I am.
But I can't move past how horrid the original trade to bring Dotel here was in the first place.
If you want to do the math, the first trade was James McDonald and Andrew Lambo for Octavio Dotel. Dotel pitched 18.2 innings for the Dodgers (3.38 ERA) and then was swapped for cash and a PTBNL.
So, the final trade looks something like this: McDonald + Lambo = 18.2 IP of Dotel + PTBNL ... which looks absolutely terrible as it stands, until you realize that on the day Dotel was sent to the Rockies, McDonald had his streak of 20 straight scoreless innings finally snapped. Just solid work from the front office.
Totally worth it!
Yeah. If that trade was not the worst of Colletti's career, it has got to be top three, right? (Santana for Blake? Bell for Sherrill? At least both Blake and Sherrill contributed at some point to a playoff race. Dotel did nothing but cost us young players and money to pitch mediocre in a handful of meaningless games.)
Another Take On Manny
Just one last thing, apropos of nothing really.
I was listening to a podcast with comedian/character actor Larry Miller and he started talking about Manny Ramirez and baseball in general.
The whole episode is about 35 minutes and it's all about baseball memories if you have the time to listen to the whole thing, but if you want to jump to the Manny part, it's about 30 minutes in. If you have a little more time, I'd recommend starting at 24 minutes. Larry tells a pretty cool story that kind of leads into the Manny discussion.
Essentially, Larry says that despite the fact it got a little ugly at the end, Manny did something pretty great for this city in 2008.
And he's right. I will always be appreciative of Manny for what he did in those last few months in 2008 and hearing the way Larry Miller talked about it was pretty cool.
Anyway, you can find the podcast here, if you are interested.
... and, uh, I don't really have an interesting way to end this article and I'm tired so ... see you next week?
I just wanted to whip this graphic up real quick, because it was made official that the Dodgers just let Manny go to the White Sox on a pure waiver claim.
The black lines indicate either of the two possible actions the Dodgers should have taken with Manny this weekend. Obviously, there's risk and reward for either path, as designated by red circles (for negative outcomes) and green circles (for positive ones).
The blue line indicates what actually happened this weekend.
As you can see: the best of both worlds, really.
Look, I understand the player the Dodgers were likely to get back wasn't going to be a top prospect. At this point though, I just wanted something tangible for Manny.
Sure, the $4 million or so in salary relief is nice, in theory... assuming, of course, the money goes back into the team. But, at this point, with these owners (who currently sit in a Los Angeles courtroom arguing over money and control of this team), then who really knows?
There are a couple things I do know, though.
First, and foremost, there is no reason for Hiroki Kuroda, Ted Lilly, Octavio Dotel, George Sherrill, Scott Podsednik, and maybe even Casey Blake to remain on this team. There may be other players that I am forgetting, but these six strike me as the most important ones. (Looking at the roster, I think the guy I'm missing is Vicente Padilla, who can't be moved while on the DL, which is really a shame because his stock was so high earlier this season.)
With Manny gone, whether the front office wants to believe it or not, they've thrown in the towel on this season. As such, there's no reason to continue paying veterans with expiring contracts to help this team to a 4th place, .500 finish. Sell. Sell them all. Get whatever you can. But as the final, final trade deadline approaches tomorrow, none of these six players (five if you don't include Blake who has another year on his contract) should be on the roster.
Here's the second thing I know.
Joe Torre, the manager everyone in the media seems to adore for his ability to win, was managing a .500 team to a 2nd place finish in 2008. That was before Manny came along. Suddenly, the Dodgers start winning. Then, the Dodgers make the playoffs. And then, for the first time in 20 years, the Dodgers win a playoff series.
Now, it's 2010. Joe Torre is still here. There's that constant. Manny isn't. He mostly wasn't. (Though when he was, the Dodgers were 10 games over .500.) It's starting to look like crazy speak to even consider contending for the playoffs at this point.
So, you tell me who is really more important to this team.
Here's the third thing I know.
Ignoring the first five games of a season (when numbers like batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging can fluctuate like crazy due to the low amount of at-bats), Manny has never, not once, had his OPS dip below .800 in his tenure with the Dodgers.
For all the drama about steroids, and injuries, and lack of hustle or heart or whatever similar crap, Manny produced.
For all the hate that Manny received from main stream media (see Bill Plaschke, amongst many others), who turned and praised gritty guys like Juan Pierre, steroids or not, Manny always out-hit them.
Look, I'll admit it. When we acquired Manny, I was not thrilled. One, because we gave up Andy LaRoche (who I still like, despite the fact his career is slowly dying in Pittsburgh). And two, I was real worried he might give up on us (this mind you, in the same season Andruw Jones already had).
Well, now that the Manny era is over, I can say this: He never gave up.
The trade was definitely worth it. Resigning him was absolutely worth it. He made mistakes, sure. He was injured, sure. But up until the very last pitch of his very last at-bat, Manny never gave up on the team or the fans.
He showed up. And he produced.
Well, the week started out nice, didn't it? Sweeping the Brewers, coming back to take the first game from the Rockies. Things were looking good. And then, well, let's just jump into this...
So, in response to a Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness post about what to do with Manny as he came off the DL (play him to raise his value and trade him), I commented this:"I’m with you. I’ve been saying we should’ve sold for a while now. But, just to play Devil’s advocate and throw out a crazy hypothetical here…
Manny gets activated today. He comes back on fire, circa 2008. The offense is rejuvenated. The pitching is still solid. They win 8 of their next 9 and find themselves in 3rd place, four games out of the Wildcard at the start of August 31st. (Or Dodgers split the next two, Manny is activated Tuesday, Dodgers win next 6, etc.)
I mean, I understand there’s about a .76% chance of such a thing happening but this has been my one problem with selling: (and, this is probably because I’m looking at it through the rose colored glasses of a fan) but 8.0 games out in the Wildcard (and not totally in the race) is just one good hotstreak away from suddenly being in the thick of the race.
It’s dangerous thinking, akin to not knowing when to fold in poker, but I’m just wondering how close to the Wildcard leader would we have to be before we decide we shouldn’t sell?"
Some called me crazy. And I can't blame them. It was pretty preposterous. But damn, after Friday night's game, I was starting to more psychic than crazy. The Dodgers had won four in a row, and found themselves 4.5 games back in the Wildcard. They looked like a different team. The hitting was back. The bullpen was back. The pitching was still good.
Then, suddenly, and without warning, suck.
Ok, so, there was warning. Like, when on Saturday, Manny was benched for the third game in a row, for reasons not entirely clear. Joe Torre mumbled something about Scott Podsednik's energy or whatever. Unsurprisingly, Podsednik's energy and the Dodger offense scored one run through eight innings (before Rod Barajas hit a two-run homerun in the 9th to make the final score not look so one-sided).
Or, Sunday, when, apparently, everyone in Dodger management gave up and offered no explanation for Manny's absence from a 4th straight game. Just: he's not starting.
And then things got weird...
Manny came in to pinch hit in the 6th inning of Sunday's game, with the bases loaded and the Dodgers down 6, and he took a called strike on the outside corner. Manny, who has been playing professional baseball since 1991 (ie. He knows that arguing balls and strikes gets you automatically kicked out) then turned and fiercely argued balls and strikes with home plate ump Gary Cederstrom. He was kicked out.
I still don't know what to make of this.
I said on Twitter, I don't want to try and get into another person's head, least of all, Manny Ramirez. But, come on, did Manny really feel that emotional about a questionable first pitch called strike?
Or, did Manny, feeling like the end of his LA playing career was inevitable, and upset with his recent usage, decide to deliver one final 'eff you to Dodgers management? It's not unheard of. I can tell you this, though...
It only makes me like Manny even more.
Yeah, maybe it screwed the Dodgers at an important point within the game (though, let's be honest, the season is, for almost all intents and purposes, dead anyway). And yes, if intentional, it was a childish and unprofessional move.
But, you know what? I don't care.
Manny, if he intentionally got himself kicked out of a game, did to Joe Torre and Ned Colletti what most of us fans have wanted to do all year.
Whether it be the shortsighted, overpaying, and meaningless trades that Ned Colletti made, or the terrible roster decisions, almost thoughtless starting lineups, and horrific bullpen use that Joe Torre has made a staple of this season, I (like I'm guessing many other fans) have wanted to say, for lack of better terms, 'eff you to Dodgers management almost all season.
Manny, by getting kicked out after one pitch, essentially told management, "Screw you guys, I'm going home." (in this case, home = the Chicago White Sox.)
Maybe I'm making too big of a deal about this. Maybe I'm reading too much into it. I can't be 100% sure that what I'm saying is what really went down. But, again, I don't care. I love it. Manny's a folk hero.
Either way, here's what I am sure of: this offense, it's not the same without Manny. That's not to say they can't score runs without Manny, or that with Manny, they are guaranteed to not slump, but the feel is different.
The offense with Manny is a well oiled machine. Without him, it feels like grinding gears.
So, if you want to trade Manny away, do it. It should have been done a month ago, when the returning package would have been much better. But if you are going to trade Manny, don't stop there. Trade Kuroda, Lilly, Sherrill, Dotel, Podsednik, Blake. Trade them all. There's no need for them. We aren't going anywhere, especially without a Manny in the lineup, so why keep these pieces?
I wish there was less indecisiveness. I wish there was more critical thinking. I wish there wasn't so much deceit on what goes on behind the scenes. I wish there weren't so many bad decisions.
I wish we had different people in charge.
Basically, what I'm saying is:
'Eff you, management.
So, I'm writing this week recap up now, before the game today for two reasons. One, if I wait until after the game, it tends to mess up my entire night. Two, regardless of whether the Dodgers win today's game or not, this is already a sucky week.
I said last week that the coming week would be big. Either big good, or big bad.
As of today, the Dodgers can only hope to finish this week 2-4 against the two teams in front of them in the playoff race, so I guess you know how that panned out. (Post game update: 1-5 on the week. So. Whatever.)
More importantly, the trade deadline came this week, and the Dodgers, for some reason, decided to be buyers.
Here's the realization I came to this week: if the Dodgers happen to find success this year, they will do so in spite of management and ownership.
I mean, maybe, in the back of my head, I've always known this to be true, but as long as the Dodgers were winning, I was willing to let management slide.
But this week has just been a Doctorate level course in bad management, at both the manager and GM level. So, if you'll indulge me (more than you already are just by visiting my blog), I've got a lot of complaining to do.
First, you have the manager. Much has been made about Joe Torre's managing style, especially his mismanagement of the bullpen (which is terrible*) but at this point, I almost don't even care about it so much. Yeah, really.
*Long aside: another shining example of which came on Thursday. Dodgers vs. Padres, 9th inning, tie score, and both Jonathan Broxton and George Sherrill warming in the bullpen. So, who comes in to face a righty heavy portion of the San Diego lineup? George Sherrill, of course, who, by the way, can't seem to get anybody out, but especially can't get out right handed hitters. Shocker upon all shockers, Sherrill loses the game. Broxton, meanwhile, stands in the bullpen waiting for a save opportunity that will never come. Ok, his terrible bullpen management still does make me miserable, but...At this point, I'll take any manager, bullpen mistakes or not, who is able to make roster moves that aren't mind-numbingly stupid. I mean, for God's sake, why is Sherrill still on this team? And why the Hell is Garret Anderson still allowed to eat up a valuable roster spot? And who's bright effing idea was Jack Taschner?!
All I really want is someone who is willing to give Sherrill and Anderson their walking papers. Or someone, who, when presented with the idea of bring Jack Taschner up to the major league roster, stops for just a second and thinks: "That's a terrible idea. Absolutely not."
Seriously, why is this so damn hard? If we are so dedicated to winning this year, why are we not filling our roster with the 25 best players we can?
... which brings me to the General Manager.
Ned Colletti had one hell of a trade deadline this week.
Colletti completed three trades this week. Lucas May and Elisaul Pimentel for Scott Podsednik. Blake DeWitt and pitching prospects Brett Wallach and Kyle Smit for Ted Lilly and Ryan Theriot. And finally, right before the deadline, Colletti swapped James McDonald and Andrew Lambo for Octavio Dotel. Now, before I break down these trades, I need to address whether or not the Dodgers should have even been buyers.
There's a good argument to be made that the Dodgers should have sold at the deadline. Hiroki Kuroda, Manny Ramirez, and Vicente Padilla will be free agents this offseason. Also, one or two of the handful of young players who will look for raises in the offseason could have also been on the move. Any of these players could have been shipped out for what would likely be a good return.
The counter-argument to this, though, is that the Dodgers were still within five games of the Wildcard when the deadline passed on Saturday.
Add to that the fact that most Dodger fans would have revolted, and I could see how it would be difficult justifying a fire sale.
So, you have two other options. You can do what the Dodgers did and buy ... or you can stand pat.
Personally, I would've have done nothing. I can see how this method also might have it's issues. Again, you deal with the fans who see this as waving the white flag. Also, you probably end up getting nothing for leaving veterans like Kuroda, who will most likely not receive an offer for arbitration in the offseason.
But, I'm sticking with this as having been the best choice. I see it like this, aside from the starting pitching, the Dodgers are playing far below their potential. When the Dodgers scored five runs on Friday, it was only the fourth time since the All-Star break that the Dodgers scored more than three runs in a game. (Ironically, they are 0-4 in those games, so, yes, the only time the Dodgers can score runs is when the pitching is giving up even more.)
What is it going to take for the Dodgers to reach the postseason? The regulars need to show up. Casey Blake and Russell Martin continue to fade offensively (though they might never turn it around). Matt Kemp, meanwhile, needs to pull out of his long, long slump. Rafael Furcal, who was so vital to the Dodger offense for the first half, has only been hitting .263 since the break. Worse off is Andre Ethier, who is hitting .135 (.507 OPS) since the break. If the Dodgers hope to have any success this season, these guys (plus Manny) have to return to form.
So, what did the Dodgers do? They added Scott Podsednik, who, admittedly, could be a nice complementary piece, but isn't going to be the difference maker in the race for the pennant.
They added Ted Lilly, who fills the gaping hole of #5 starter, and Ryan Theriot, an offensive downgrade at 2nd base to both Blake DeWitt (now on the Cubs) and Jamey Carroll (now warming the bench).
Then Colletti finished his tour with the addition of Octavio Dotel, who, again, could be a nice complementary piece, but isn't a game changer with his shiny 4.28 ERA (his 3.84 FIP is nicer but not more so than the man he's replacing ... Travis Schlichting has a 3.16 FIP in only 18 less innings).
In case it wasn't obvious, I'm not a fan of these trades. And I have four reasons to back this up.
1. We are buying when we shouldn't be. To rehash a previous point, we really should have sold or stood pat, just given the growing improbability that we actually make the playoffs.
2. Almost all of these trades were severe examples of overpaying.
Look at the Podsednik trade. Didn't we have the leverage? The Royals are going nowhere and Podsednik is a free agent at the end of the season. What were they going to do, keep him? Did we really need to send both our last bit of catching depth (May) and a promising young pitcher (Pimentel)? It really feels like one or the other should have been enough. If the Royals demanded more, then just say no. We really needed Podsednik that badly?
The Lilly/Theriot trade was more fair in terms of returns for each team. Don't get me wrong, it's a bad trade in it's own rights (Lilly is unnecessary and Theriot is a downgrade) but as far as one young 2nd baseman and two low level pitching prospects for a solid left handed pitcher and extremely average major league 2nd baseman, it's about even.
But all that is ruined with the Dotel trade. If Colletti had just sent James McDonald (a cheap, young pitcher who has shown a lot of promise in the past) to Pittsburg for Octavio Dotel (a 36 year old reliever), the trade would have been a win for Pittsburgh.
But. But... For some reason, Colletti threw into the trade, one time highly rated prospect Andrew Lambo. Yes, Lambo has had some issues in the minors with substance related suspensions. And, yes, he has struggled so far to adjust to high minors level pitching, but he's 22. He's got time to adjust. And he's got a high, high ceiling. So, why in the world was he sent to Pittsburgh for a 36 year old relief pitcher? I mean, if I had to guess, it'd be because the Pirates are paying the $500,000 remaining on Dotel's contract, but that's not really what I'm getting at.
What I'm saying is, when Dotel's name was brought up for trade consideration, why, when the Pirates asked for both McDonald and Lambo didn't Colletti just say no. It's so easy...
"You want Dotel. We want James McDonald."
"Eh, ok."
"And we want Lambo."
"You do realize Dotel is a 36 year old relief pitcher? And he's got an ERA over 4.00? So... no."
3. The returns the Dodgers received for all the players they gave up was overall, probably a lot less than it could've been. This is related to overpaying. This has been covered by several other blogs, but I think Jon Weisman tweeted it best:
"If you package Pimentel, May, McDonald, Lambo, DeWitt, Wallach and Smit together, I think that gets you something nicer."
Yeah, it probably does. If we were willing to send off all of these young players for a handful of average players, some of which we really didn't need, couldn't we have turned these young players into a really good player that we could use?
4. Finally, these trades didn't need to be made. At least, not now. Not at this point in time.
Look at it like this: with the exception of Ted Lilly (maybe), do any of the players the Dodgers acquired become off limits past the July 31st deadline?
Was Scott Podsednik really not going to clear waivers? Or Theriot? Or Dotel?
Couldn't we have waited another two or three weeks and saw where we were in the standings before we pulled the trigger on a trade that sent away a bunch of prospects. Two weeks from now, if we were still in the race, couldn't we have then called up the Royals and asked about Podsednik? We were really that worried someone else was going to win the Octavio Dotel sweepstakes?
And, by the way, these players would most likely come cheaper the later into the season we acquire them.
What's the downside? Two less weeks of Ryan Theriot?
It's just frustrating.
It's so, so frustrating.
Alright, I'm posting this week recap as the Dodgers trail 2-0 in the bottom of the 8th versus the Red Sox. So far, at least up until this point, it's been a pretty lame week.
It started well, with the Dodgers taking the first two games from Cincinnati, winning their first road series outside the NL West this season. And then they lost the third game to the Reds, and then they came into Boston and decided they liked losing better than winning, because they proceeded to lose the next two games.
And Garret Anderson is batting 5th today (yes, I know GA has been better the last week or so. I'm not ready to anoint him undead just yet) so I'm not holding my hopes too high for a win here.
So, I don't have much to add this week. Mostly because it's getting a little late and I'm on a borrowed computer so I just want to quickly talk about this one thing.
The Dodger Schedule Is Unfair Because Of Who Is On The Payroll
Now, granted, schedules are inherently unfair based on things like what division and league you play in. The Baltimore Orioles have to play more games against the Yankees and Red Sox than any other non-divisional teams.
But, I'm just talking about interleague play.
The theme for the NL West in interleague play this year seems to be AL East.
For example, the Giants played the Orioles and Blue Jays this week. This coming week, they'll play the Red Sox.
The Padres, this week, played three game sets against the Blue Jays and Orioles, and next week they'll play the Rays.
The Dodgers, meanwhile, obviously played the Reds and Red Sox, and this coming week, they'll play the Angels and Yankees.
So, here's the thing that bothers me. It's not just that the Dodgers play a tougher schedule, it's that the Dodgers are playing this tougher schedule because of people on the payroll.
I'll explain... what's the reason the Dodgers are playing a three game set in Boston rather than against any other AL East team? It's because MLB wanted to pump up Manny's return to Boston. Obviously, it has worked because every sports program, website, or blog mentions it: SportsCenter mentioned the Dodgers in the first twenty minutes of the program for the first time this year. Don't quote me on that, I don't know for sure. It just seems that every time I've watched SportsCenter this year, the Dodgers don't come up til somewhere in the last 4th of the show. Suddenly, Manny is back in Boston and boom, Dodgers are one of the top stories.
In fairness, this only took three minutes of searching.
So then, what's the reason for the Dodgers playing the Yankees next week and not the Orioles? Obviously, Joe Torre versus his old team. The main stream media is going to be all over it.
Yeah, I'm probably making too much of a deal about this. Sure, it doesn't help anything that the Dodgers are a storied team with something of a rivalry with the Yankees.
I guess all I'm saying is, I wish George Sherrill had said some really horrible, inflammatory things about the Orioles after he left so we could've played them this weekend instead.
The more I think about it, the more it seems like this week was a bad week disguised as a good week.
Don't get me wrong. Anytime you can go 5-2, you are doing fine. It's just that some of these wins really could have ended up losses.
Monday, for example, when the Dodgers beat the Diamondbacks 5-4. The Dodgers were trailing 4-2 into the 8th before scoring two runs on an error and winning the game on a balk. That's not really winning a game so much as having it handed to you on a platter.
Then you have Tuesday and Wednesday. There's two sides to these two games. You can appreciate how Dodger pitching completely shutdown the Arizona offense, but at the same time, you have to realize that the Dodger offense looked pretty weak against Arizona's starters. In fact, Arizona's starters, Dan Haren and Edwin Jackson, pitched a combined 17.0 shutout innings over the two days and it wasn't until the Dodgers cracked into the terrible Arizona bullpen that they were able to finally score some runs.
All I'm saying is: yes, the Dodgers swept the D-backs but frankly, the D-backs could have almost just as easily swept the Dodgers right back.
The Atlanta split was a little more straight forward, with neither team scoring a whole bunch of runs ... except, for, you know, when the Braves scored 9 in two innings against the Dodger bullpen.
Anyway, I only have two more things.
I'm A Little Worried About Next Few Weeks
You know this last four game series with the Braves? It was tough and close ... and the Dodgers fought for a split.
Guess what. It ain't gettin' easier.
And not just the next series. The rest of this month. Every team the Dodgers play for the rest of the month, at this moment in time, has 30 or more wins.
Here's the schedule until the end of June with the team's current records:
3 vs. Cardinals (33-23)
3 vs. Angels (31-28)
3 at Reds (33-24)
3 at Red Sox (33-25)
3 at Angels (30-28)
3 vs. Yankees (35-22)
3 at Giants (30-25)
Yeah, maybe some things change by the time we play those teams, but I'm guessing whatever the record, this next month is going to be a challenge.
Garret Anderson Hit A Walk-Off This Week And I Still Want Him Gone
Because he still went 1-13 this week.
Look, I get that Joe Torre and gang love busted down veterans better than young players, and as such, it's going to take a lot for Xavier Paul to replace Anderson on the roster.
But Joe Torre, for God's sake, stop starting Anderson. Take a look down that bench. You see Reed Johnson? He's a veteran, too. Better yet, he's a gamer. Hard-nosed and stuff.
And the best thing? He can still kinda hit. And run. And, for the most part, play defense. What's the worst that could happen? Johnson can go 0-3 like anyone else.
You seem hellbent on only starting Manny four games a week, but Anderson doesn't have to be his replacement.
I mean, neither does Johnson, but Paul isn't 30 yet, so he's out of the running.
Anderson, seen here celebrating getting a base hit.
The Dodgers announced today that they have resigned Vicente Padilla to a one year contract worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $5 million.
Now, I'm having trouble deciding how I feel about this.For one, I don't care much for Vicente Padilla, the man. And that's not just me, lest we forget his Rangers teammates threw a small party when they learned he was let go from the team last year. But this is also the guy who mysteriously got shot in the leg this offseason. Seriously, did we ever get the straight story about what went down? The article on Dodgers.com said he did it, but until I just read that, I was pretty sure his bodyguard did it. Look, this has obviously nothing to do with his pitching skills. I'm just saying that this guy seems to have trouble follow him around wherever he goes.
Also, is it Vincente or Vicente? That always messes me up.
Which Padilla is going to show up for us in 2010? Is it going to be the one who posted a 4.92 ERA in Texas for the good part of 2009, or the one who showed up in Los Angeles and had a 3.20 ERA over seven starts and made two excellent starts in the playoffs?
Also, how many innings can we get out of Padilla? In his last six seasons, Padilla only made over 30 starts and cracked 200 innings just once, in 2006.
To be honest, I was hoping to fill the #4 starter spot with Jon Garland (or someone like him, though, really, I'm too lazy to think of a comparable name on the Free Agent market). Garland is someone who has made 30+ starts in each of his last eight seasons and has gone 200+ innings in five of those (the other three ending with him in the 190 inning range). Garland's ERA, though similar to Padilla's over that stretch, seems to be slightly lower. Oh, and, in each of those eight seasons, Garland was never run out of a city, nor has he been shot or shot somebody (or both, at the same time).
But, I guess you go into the 2010 season with the team you have, not the team you want. Look, Padilla isn't horrible. He isn't good, but he'll probably give us 20 something starts and a 4.00 ERA, which for a #4 starter at $5 million isn't horrendous.
It's just, after Milton Bradley, Jeff Kent, and Manny, you start to get a little tired of the headcases.
So this weekend I delivered my third and final speech in a college speech class I'm enrolled in. Naturally, I chose to talk about the Dodgers. Look, I even made an awesome time line:
But I digress. In researching the topic, I came across the Dodgers History page from the official site.
And in looking through the history of the Dodgers, I learned something interesting... the Dodgers have some weird-ass moments in their history.
And now, I'd like to share some of my favorite moments with you.
"June 12, 1890: Brooklyn beats the Giants, 12-6, at Washington Park in the first game to feature a passionate dispute between the two clubs in the National League, ignited by Brooklyn third-base coach Darby O'Brien, who pretended to be a baserunner and drew a throw over to third."
-What now? How does this even happen? Did the pitcher have such short term memory that he couldn't remember there wasn't a runner on third? That's such an 1890s thing, a third base coach acting like a runner and trying to trick the pitcher. That's crazy... I mean, could you imagine Larry Bowa trying that today? ... Eh, bad example.
"Sept. 1, 1890: Let's play three? Brooklyn dispatches Pittsburgh three times in one day."
-The triple header? Nice. "I'm ready for a fourth!" says Dodger center fielder Cornelius "One-eyed" Jackson.
"May 29, 1892: Eight days after losing 28-year-old outfielder George "Hub" Collins to typhoid fever, the Bridegrooms and St. Louis Browns put on a benefit All-Star Game to raise money for his widow."
-They lost an outfielder to typhoid fever?! "Suck it up, Hub!" says polio-stricken Dodger first baseman Cornelius "Wheelchair" Jackson. That's definitely another thing that's very 1890s, a player catching typhoid fever. I mean, what would your reaction be if you learned Manny caught typhoid fever? ... Eh, bad example.
"May 30, 1893: William "Brickyard" Kennedy beats Louisville, 3-0 and 6-2, in both games of a twin bill, allowing just eight hits all day. He's the first Major Leaguer to pitch and win two games on the same day since the mound was moved to 60 feet, six inches from the plate."
-Good ol' "Brickyard" Kennedy tossed a double header. I know men were men in those days, but still, didn't their arms ever get sore?
"July 21, 1900: Deacon McGuire sticks his bat out to avoid being intentionally walked, and connects to allow the winning run to cross the plate."
-No one pulls a fast one over Deacon McGuire!
"Sept. 12, 1900: "Iron Man" Joe McGinnity, who has appeared in every game of the week, closes out both ends of a twin bill on a good day for the Superbas and not so good day for the Reds, who commit a record 17 errors in the doubleheader."
-Nothing too weird here, just love the idea of being referred to as "Iron Man" McGinnity. Though 17 errors? I'd put much of the blame for that at the feet of the Reds manager for starting Reginald "No-arms" McIntyre at first.
I love the timeline here:
"April 17, 1904: Blue Laws prevent charging for ballgames on Sundays, but Charles Ebbets holds a game anyway, selling scorecards to all fans instead of tickets."
"June 17, 1906: Charles Ebbets and manager Ned Hanlon are arrested after a scheme to charge fans after a Sunday game to avoid the Blue Laws doesn't pass muster with the local authorities."
-No one escapes Johnny Law, Ebbets!
"March 13, 1915: Wilbert Robinson, after bragging that he could catch a baseball dropped from an airplane, is set to prove his mettle. But when aviation pioneer Ruth Law forgets to bring the baseball, she drops a grapefruit, which explodes on impact in Robbie's glove."
-Well, that seems like a reasonable bet. This is even more fun when you realize Robinson was the manager at the time. This time the question actually works: can you imagine Joe Torre trying out a stunt like this? That would be amazing to watch.
By the way, if your only job is to fly the plane and drop the baseball, how do you forget the baseball? And what makes you think dropping a grapefruit in it's place is a good idea?
"July 1, 1917: Another Sunday, another attempt by Charles Ebbets to find a way to play baseball, despite Blue Laws prohibiting him from charging admission. Ebbets claims the money is going to charity and has a band and exhibition to prove it, but the police who arrest him and his manager Wilbert Robinson are unconvinced."
-That Ebbets, what a sneaky guy... Whenever you get worried about the Dodgers being negatively affected by the McCourts divorce, just comfort yourself with this: at least neither of them has been arrested multiple times.
"June 6, 1918: Casey Stengel, making his return to Ebbets Field after being traded during the offseason, tips his cap to the crowd and a sparrow flies out from under it."
-That's mildly creepy. And yet, unfortunately, another thing I don't have trouble imagining Manny doing.
"April 30, 1919: Burleigh Grimes pitches 20 long innings, but Philadelphia's Joe Oeschger matches him and the game ends in a 9-9 tie."
-Ha HA! Burleigh Grimes sees "Brickyard" Kennedy tossing a double header and says: "I'll pitch two more innings than you! And I'll do it without a break!"
"Sept. 7, 1924: Thousands of fans show up early and use crowbars to tear the gates open at Ebbets Field for a chance to watch Brooklyn battle the Giants."
-Well, you got to admire a fan's passion... Weird thing is, these were still the days when people wore their Sunday best to go out to the ballpark. Suits, fedoras, and crowbars. That, my friends, is a recipe for awesome.
"April 18, 1925: Charles Ebbets dies from heart failure. Co-owner Edward McKeever catches a cold at Ebbets' funeral and dies 11 days after Ebbets. Wilbert Robinson will be elected president."
-NOOO WILBERT! THE POSITION IS CUR-SED!!!
"Jan. 24, 1934: Giants skipper Bill Terry flippantly asks "Brooklyn? Is Brooklyn still in the league?"
-Nice that this is considered part of our history... "You haberdasher!" replies Dodgers bench coach/reserve outfielder Cornelius "Father Time" Jackson.
"Aug. 2, 1938: Larry MacPhail introduces yellow baseballs, which only see action in three games."
-I guess that idea Mac-failed! Hey-oh!
"July 19, 1942: Pete Reiser suffers a concussion after crashing into the outfield wall at Sportsman's Park, one of 11 times the outfielder had to be carried off the field in his career."
-"Get up, you scalawag!" yells Cornelius "How old is this guy?!" Jackson. "My record is 15 times!"
"June 4, 1947: A priest administers last rights to Dodgers outfielder Pete Reiser after he crashes into the wall, but holds on to the ball in a 9-4 victory over the Pirates. Reiser recovered after a stint in the hospital."
-"Impressive work, Mr. Reiser!" says Cornelius "Deathbed" Jackson. "But get back to me after you've been buried alive for three days only to play a double header on the fourth!"
April 23, 1950: Cornelius "Dead" Jackson dies. It is the last time anything weird ever happens to the Dodgers.
The End.
Hey, look at that. A good week! Not a great week, but winning both series, and winning 4 of 6 during the week is still pretty good.
And more importantly, another week ticks off the season, and the teams chasing us slowly start running out of time.
On the bad side, for the first time in over a month, Dodger pitching surrendered more than four runs (in the first 9 innings) in Sunday's 7-2 loss to the Giants. Congrats, though, to the pitching staff for keeping it going that long.
In any case, let's do Round 19 of HOT, COLD, or ROOM TEMPERATURE:
COLD:
- Chad Billingsley - 0-1 (2 starts), 6.30 ERA (7 ER in 10.0 IP), 16 H - Two starts for Billingsley this week. His first was... ok... I guess. Four earned runs in 6.0 IP (8 hits, 3 BBs). His second start was less so. Three earned runs in only 4.0 IP (another 8 hits). Frankly, Billingsley has become hittable. Again, 16 hits in 10 innings. Either way, Billingsley is going to skip his next start, and I'm totally for it. He should sit back, relax, and clear his head a little bit. Something is off with Billingsley, here's to hoping he can get back on track.
ROOM TEMPERATURE:
- Matt Kemp - .259 (7-27), 2 2Bs, 3 RBIs, 1 BB, 6 Ks, 2 SBs, 1 GiDP - A better week for Kemp. He actually collected a hit in every game this week. Unfortunately, it ended up being pretty much only one per game (1-5, 1-5, 1-4, 2-4, 1-5, 1-4). Still, nice to see some improvement this week over last week.
HOT:
- Manny Ramírez - .400 (6-15), 1 3B, 2 HRs, 4 RBIs, 4 BBs, 4 Ks - I don't think I've awarded Manny a "HOT" since April, but he deserved it this week. Couple of homeruns, and a triple! Come on, you know how much those dreads weigh? It's hard to run with those.
- Russell Martin - .286 (6-21), 1 2B, 2 HRs, 9 RBIs, 3 BBs - Yeah, not too many hits, but hits when they counted. And RBIs. Oh, so many RBIs. Good week for Martin, who like Manny, hasn't had too many.
- Vicente Padilla - 2-0 (2 starts), 1.50 ERA (2 ER in 12.0 IP), 8 Ks - Who would of thought Padilla would be such a good pickup? I mean seriously. He's made four starts for us, and each has been pretty good. Vicente Padilla? Good? ...what in the world?
- Hiroki Kuroda - 1-0 (1 start), 2.25 ERA (2 ER in 8.0 IP), 5 Ks - It's really nice when Kuroda whips out one of these fantastic performances. It's doubly nice when he does it in just his second start back from a horrific head injury.
- James Loney - .381 (8-21), 1 2B, 3 HRs, 8 RBIs, 4 BBs, 1.319 OPS - Seriously, what's going on this week? Manny, Martin, now Loney? All these guys who have been quietly floating through this season have suddenly showed up this week. I guess it doesn't matter why it's happening, just that it is. If everyone starts to contribute on this team, and the offense starts going at all gears, we might finally return to being that scary team we were at the beginning of the year.
Alright folks, Pirates come into town for a three game set. Then we get the Giants again, for the last time this season. Another good week would do real well for our playoff hopes.
Meanwhile, I'm going to the game tonight, and I got to get going. Free Dodger Dogs await me.
In this instance, the Dodger offense is Lisa. And I'm the crazy foreign guy.
The Dodgers went down 4-3 today to the Arizona Diamondbacks. And while most of today's blame lays at the feet of Ramon Troncoso, the struggling Dodger offense can not go unnoticed.
Take a look at our results from the last month. At first glance, they look pretty average. In fact, since August 9th, we have gone 16-13. Talk about uninspired baseball.
So what? Yeah, we've been playing kind of lame, but we still went three games over .500 over that span. What's the big deal? The big deal is that we could have done so much more.
Here's the kicker. In the 29 games we've played the last month, Dodgers pitching has not surrendered more than four runs in any game during the nine regulation innings. Yes, there were two instances where the pitching gave up five runs, both coming in the 10th inning. Ok, fine. But let me repeat that first fact, because it bears repeating. No more than four runs a game. For an entire month.
Basically, the Dodgers, if they scored 5 or more runs in the first nine innings a game, could be guaranteed, with 100% accuracy, of winning said game. A guarantee. For an entire month.
I mean, look at it like this. Say, at the beginning of the season, I told you that for a whole month during the season, Dodger pitching would not give up more than four runs in a game. If you looked at our lineup, what would you expect our team would go over that span? 24-5? 25-4? Little better? Little worse? Something like that right? How could a lineup as stacked as ours, from 1-8, not manage to scrape together just five runs a game? Manny is good for one or two. Ethier? Kemp? Blake? They could add one. Maybe Furcal. Or Hudson. Even Loney and Martin. Someone could step up and contribute. Five runs is nothing.
And this is what is tearing me apart. We shouldn't be just 2.5 games in front of Colorado. We shouldn't be playing just above .500 baseball.
With the kind of pitching we're getting, and the kind of offense we're supposed to be getting, we should be destroying the league. Instead, the playoff race is getting uncomfortably close. Like, smelly guy on the bus sitting next to you close.
And the worst part about all this: what do you do about it? What do you say to these guys to make them start getting timely hits again? It's infuriating.
Here's the silver lining, I guess: we still have a 6.5 game lead on the Giants for the wild card.
I just hope we don't have to use it...
We're back, for another week recap.
Dodgers started the week splitting two games with the Cardinals, before losing the third game and the series.
They started the next series by taking three straight from the Cubs, before the Cubs won the fourth game, avoiding the sweep.
They went 4-3 during the week, going over .500 in a week for the first time in the last month. All things considered, not a terrible week.
Which brings us to Round 17 of HOT, COLD, or ROOM TEMPERATURE:
COLD:
- Rafael Furcal - .167 (5-30), 2 RBIs, 5 Ks - Furcal's season long slump continues. Which begs the question, how long does a slump go in a season before you just declare the season a waste? Furcal's shown some flashes of brilliance recently, but this week was a regression.
- Manny Ramírez - .200 (5-25), 1 2B, 1 RBI, 3 BBs, 5 Ks - Talk about slumping. Manny's been pretty punchless recently (.240 slg this week) but now he's not even getting the regular base hits.
ROOM TEMPERATURE:
- Casey Blake - .250 (6-24), 2 HRs, 4 RBIs, 6 Ks - Not too many hits this week for Blake, but he did drive in some runs, including two on solo homeruns. It's good to see Blake flashing a little power again after hitting only one homerun in 34 games from June 27th to August 6th. He's hit three since then (obviously two in the last week).
HOT:
- Matt Kemp - .333 (7-21), 2 2Bs, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 5 Ks, 1-2 SBs, .905 OPS - A nice week for Kemp, despite blowing his bobblehead night (0-4).
- George Sherrill - 0-0, 1 SV, 2 HLDs (3 games), 0.00 ERA (3.1 IP), 2 Ks - Sherrill collected his first save as a Dodger this week, but this "HOT" is just to acknowledge that Sherrill has been excellent since arriving in L.A. He's appeared in 11 games so far, going 11.2 scoreless innings while holding opponents to a .195 BAA. He's also picked up six holds over that time, plus the save this week.
- Randy Wolf - 1-0 (1 start), 1.29 ERA (1 ER in 7.0 IP), 5 Ks - Only one start this week for Wolf, but another quality one, holding the Cubs to one hit over seven innings. Good stuff.
- Jonathan Broxton - 0-1, 2 SVs, 1 HLD (5 games), 0.00 ERA (1 unearned run in 5.1 IP), 9 Ks - A nice bounce back week for Broxton, the only black mark being the loss he took against the Cardinals, though that could be attributed as much to Russell Martin as to Broxton. Either way, I guess he doesn't need time off like I suggested last week.
- Charlie Haeger - 1-1 (2 starts), 1.93 ERA (3 ER in 14.0 IP), 9 Ks - Haeger had to face the Cardinals' and Cubs' lineups this week, and came out pretty unscathed. In fact, Haeger was probably only two bad pitches away from shutting down both teams this week. For a guy who was just supposed to come up and eat some innings, he's done a lot more than that for the Dodgers. Whether this keeps up or not is yet to be seen, but for now, I'm just going to enjoy watching that knuckleball dance.
Alright, big time series coming up now. Three games in Colorado. The Rockies play later tonight, and depending on how that goes, they could be either 3 or 4 games behind by the end of the night. Looking at the pitching matchups, they seem to favor us, but with the way the Dodgers have been hitting, who knows?
Hey peeps. Another week, another week recap. Let's do it.
The Dodgers started the week strong enough, taking two out of three from the Giants, in San Francisco.
This, however, was followed up by a poor showing in Arizona, where the Dodgers lost their first two games, before beating down the D-Backs in the third game to avoid the sweep.
And with that, let's do Round 16 of HOT, COLD, or ROOM TEMPERATURE:
COLD:
- Casey Blake - .095 (2-21), 1 3B, 5 BBs, 11 Ks - Oh Casey. What happened? Striking out in more than half of your at-bats? That's poor form, Mr. Blake. Poor form, indeed.
- Russell Martin - .091 (2-22), 2 Ks - Russell Martin was moved into the 2nd spot in the lineup at the beginning of the week and responded by not hitting. Not to say he's not trying. Only two strikeouts. He's just not hitting it where they ain't. One of his hits came on Sunday, after he was moved back into the 7 spot. And he also missed another two on good plays by Stephen Drew. Hey, who knows? Maybe this week he'll find a few holes.
- Jonathan Broxton - 13.50 ERA (3 ER in 2.0 IP) 1-2 SVs (2 games), 3 HRs - Broxton is struggling. There's been a lot of talk this week in the blogosphere over what to do with Broxton. Some say promote George Sherrill to closer. Others say leave Broxton alone. Others say, put him on the DL. Frankly, each side has valid arguments. I'm still riding the fence on this, but I'm starting to think that maybe Broxton needs a DL trip. Sherrill has proven himself to be reliable, he can take over the closer role for a few weeks. Broxton has given up a run in four of his last seven outings. He gave up three homeruns this week after giving up only one this entire season. And watch some video of the homeruns. They are bad pitches. Really mis-located fastballs and flat sliders. He's become hittable. So, I propose we give him a couple weeks off now, let him regroup, let him keep off his feet (I know he says his toe isn't a problem, I'm not convinced it isn't the source of all this). Let Broxton relax for a couple weeks, then, bring him back and make him the closer again.
ROOM TEMPERATURE:
- Hiroki Kuroda - 1-0 (2 starts), 1.59 ERA (2 ER in 11.1 IP) - I wasn't entirely sure what to do with Kuroda's week. Statistically, it was an excellent week. In actuality, it was a pretty bad week for Kuroda. You've probably seen it, but just in case, in Kuroda's start against Arizona, he was hit in the head with a comebacker and had to be taken to the hospital. Though, and this also led to my confusion, maybe he should be looking on the bright side. He's not seriously injured, or worse. The x-rays and scans came back negative, so he'll live to fight another day. When that day will be is yet to be seen, but above all, his recovery is the most important thing. So, good for his stats, bad that he got hit, good that he wasn't seriously hurt. (P.S. SoSG takes an interesting look at Kuroda's pitching mechanics. It's easy to see how what happened was probable.)
- Manny Ramírez - .348 (8-23), 2 2Bs, 1 HR, 3 RBIs, 3 BBs, 7 Ks - Yeah, Manny hit .348 this week, but like I warned last week, it's all in context. Manny had three good games this week (2-4, 2-3, 3-4), and three bad games (0-3, 1-5, 0-4). He's riding a weird roller coaster, showing up and looking good in one game, then coming back the very next day, going 0-3 and striking out twice. Just odd.
HOT:
- Andre Ethier - .440 (11-25), 3 2Bs, 1 HR, 7 RBIs, 1.180 OPS - Ethier continues to hit extra base hits, and drive in runs, but after being pretty good for the last month and a half or so, he's finally starting to see that average rise again (up to .281 as of today). Also, he continues to be clutch, adding a huge game-tying base hit in game three of the San Francisco series (that was lost in extra innings by the bullpen) to his series of late-inning hits this season.
- Randy Wolf - 2-0 (2 starts), 2.30 ERA (4 ER in 15.2 IP), 13 Ks - And the stats don't tell the whole story. When you look at the box score for Sunday's game, you see Wolf went 7.2 IP, giving up three earned runs. And while that's nice, the final line is almost a slap to the face of the game Wolf actually pitched, holding the D-Backs to 1 hit over seven innings, retiring 20 in a row, striking out 10. And on top of that, Wolf went 4-8 at the plate this week, with a double, a homerun, and three RBIs. Overall, not too bad a week.
Tough couple of series coming up. Cardinals and Cubs. I'm going to the game tonight. I'll get to see a knuckleballer! Charlier Haeger is going against the Cardinals. It might not be pretty, but it should be interesting.
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?
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Including those of the facial hair variety ... your soul patch is off center! Dammit!
Totally worth it!
