Old friend alert: On Sunday, John Lindsey reached base eight times in one game, going 5 for 7 with two singles, a double, three walks and home runs in the third and 19th innings for Triple-A Toledo.
Rockies at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Shane Victorino, LF
Mark Ellis, 2B
Matt Kemp, CF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Juan Rivera, 1B
Jerry Sands, RF
Luis Cruz, 3B
A.J. Ellis, C
Chris Capuano, P
The Dodgers have dedicated a newly hired executive, Janet Marie Smith, to lead the franchise’s Dodger Stadium upgrades.
Smith, who has been named senior vice president of planning and development, had most recently been the Baltimore Orioles vice president of planning and development.
“Dodger Stadium is one of the most iconic venues in sports and Janet Marie is one of the few people I would trust with its future,” Dodger president Stan Kasten said in a statement. “She respects baseball’s tradition and knows how to retain a ballpark’s distinctive charms while providing fans with the amenities and comfort they’ve come to expect. Any fan that has walked through the gates at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the renovated Fenway Park or Atlanta’s Turner Field has been a beneficiary of her understanding of what a ballpark means to its community.”
Added Smith: “Dodger Stadium is a treasured piece of the Los Angeles community and a special place where I watched more than a dozen games per season when I lived in L.A. during the early 1980s. It’s important to all of us that we restore and enhance the park in a way that honors its heritage and highlights its distinctive appeals, while still capturing what fans want and franchises need in a modern venue.”
More from the press release:
… Prior to rejoining the Orioles in 2009, Smith had spent seven years with the Boston Red Sox as Senior Vice President of Planning and Development, overseeing preservation of and improvements to historic Fenway Park and its surrounding neighborhood. In Atlanta, she held the positions of President of Turner Sports and Entertainment Development, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, and Vice President of Planning and Development for the Atlanta Braves, where she helped transform the 1996 Olympic Stadium into Turner Field for the Braves, and oversaw the development of the Philips Arena, home of the NBA Atlanta Hawks and NHL Atlanta Thrashers.
From 1989-1994, Smith worked with the Orioles as Vice President of Planning and Development overseeing the design and construction of Oriole Park at Camden Yards, which opened in 1992. Camden Yards is considered the archetype for new ballparks and ushered in a wave of downtown ballfields that capture the warmth and appeal of classic older parks while offering comfortable, state-of-the-art facilities. …
Anonymous
If she can extricate the McCourt tribe from the parking lots, I’ll give her money in her future gubernatorial race.
Or at least buy her a beer.
Anonymous
Is that a Rule 5 violation?
Anonymous
I haven’t been to Dodger Stadium for a while, but its challenges seem very different from those of more strictly urban stadia like Fenway. Preserving views of the mountain is critical, but if some remodel feature can prevent or reduce camera shots of “Dodger fans leaving early,” that would be a big improvement.
Anonymous
It took people 2 hours+ to leave the lot on opening day. Leaving early is like beach balls, Nancy Bea and “the wave” happening at tense moments in the game, just part of the dodger experience.
The 110 is just ancient, and there’s nothing anyone in the dodgers organization can do about that.
Anonymous
Leaving early is part of the experience at every stadium in major league baseball. Including the worst fans in baseball, at Busch Stadium.
Anonymous
Especially at The Phone Booth To Be Named Later, though Gnatfans will never admit it.
Anonymous
With all that milling about behind the outfield seats, who could tell.
Anonymous
>> if some remodel feature can prevent or reduce camera shots of “Dodger fans leaving early,” that would be a big improvement.
DFA’ing (insert rule 8 violation here) would prevent/reduce such camera shots. :)
Anonymous
RIP Robert Hughes.
Anonymous
In case I’m not the only one here who did not recognize the name, he’s described in his Wikipedia entry as “an Australian-born art critic, writer and television documentary maker”. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Hughes_(critic)
Anonymous
http://www.robertboynton.com/articleDisplay.php?article_id=1532
Anonymous
He co-hosted the very first episode of “20/20” on ABC. It was a disaster. He stuck to art criticism after that.
Anonymous
Most critics don’t garner many tears, I fear.
But this Smith women intriques me. One of my aunts was actually a pretty good architect who was interested in acoustics (and knowlegable). Darn- my spelling inability is depressing me.
Dane Pereslete
3B? Cruz?…
Anonymous
I didn’t like moving him there, but I don’t think he’s been defensively bad, perhaps even a bit above average.
Anonymous
At the time the above post appeared, there were only eight players shown in the starting lineup, with no one at third base. Jon corrected it since then.
Terry Pruett
This will be an interesting architectural challenge. The unique thing about DS of course, is that it is built into the side of a hill. It’s an amphitheater. It makes it very difficult to do anything about enlarging concourses outside of truly major reconstruction. For me…I would just want the renovations to preserve the wonderful view, while updating the big scoreboards in the outfield to something at least resembling state-of-the-art. Reconstituted concessions and redesigned/remodeled restrooms are a must. Finally, some public plaza space outside the major gate areas, with a permanent Dodger HOF, perhaps a restaurant/bar, and a Dodger gift shop, all accessible year ’round in PERMANENT structures, designed in the same early ’60’s style of the stadium itself.
Jeffrey Thomas III
I would like some sort of transportation changes for getting up to the Ravine. The last game I went to I decided to take the free Dodgers Express bus from Union Station, and while I saved money on parking it did not make getting into the stadium any easier. I knew going into it the bus would have to take the same streets that we do so it had no advantage over any other commuter but I gave it a shot anyways. I don’t know anything about the cost, time it would take to build, or even feasibility of putting in some sort of a trolly to the stadium… but I think it would be a wonderful thing.
Anonymous
For me, part of preserving the wonderful view would mean dismantling those team store tents beyond the bullpens. I always relished that lush, verdant backdrop, until McCourt came in and halfway covered it up.
Anonymous
We need to rip out the kiosks that wreck the flow on the lowest level, too.
Those make it a horrible pain to leave when you have the good seats.
Anonymous
i’ve never been to any of the other stadiums she’s remodelled but i just hope she doesn’t repeat her self (surprise us Janet Marie Smith! you obviously know what your doing) JTIII has the right idea, also, the restroom situation is a must i agree. Adding to the natural beauty of DS i think would be a good starting point.
Anonymous
Neither SV nor HR have Dodger hits vs LHP.
Anonymous
Well, we face 5 lefties this week, so I imagine that will change, hopefully tonight. Sands should get ample playing time this week as well. Looking for a big week from Matty as well
Anonymous
Can we assume this is just a day off (against a LHP) for Ethier? I haven’t seen any word regarding an injury of any sort.
Jeffrey Thomas III
Yes. Donnie said he wanted to give him rest, and he plans on resting Kemp and Ramirez as well at some point during the week.
Anonymous
That was quick. Thanks for the good news.
Anonymous
So far I can say I’ve seen no bad news either. But it is always a thought when a Dodger suddenly gets a “day off”. I am scared for Ethier and I think you should be too.
Jim Hitchcock
Item 1: New Diamond Vision (one that includes more stats such as OPS and WHIP like in Phoenix).
Item 2: Good speakers (been waiting for the current ones to blow up for years now.
Anonymous
Four of the eight starting position players were not on the opening-day roster.
Anonymous
ZLee is pitching well (0 R 0 BB 2 H through five) but he hasn’t gotten any run support. Welcome to the Dodgers, kid. :)
Anonymous
Yanked after six shutout innings (4 H 0 BB), and now the bullpen has allowed a couple. A nice outing for him nonetheless.
Anonymous
his best in AA I’m just about certain
Anonymous
Yup. It’s his first shutout outing in eight starts for the Lookouts, and the only other time he didn’t walk anybody, he allowed 6 ER 7 H in 3 IP. Of those eight starts, this is only his third really good one. http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=P&sid=t498&t=p_pbp&pid=545346
Anonymous
Those who were concerned by Castellanos getting yanked early from last night’s game, will be relieved to hear that he’s in the starting Isotopes lineup tonight, playing third and batting third. http://www.milb.com/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2012_08_06_tucaaa_albaaa_1
Anonymous
B Belt thought he had a double, was thrown out by Beltran.
Thankfully, our 1B never has that problem.
veryolddodgerfan
the very top ranked dodger prospect from 2010 to 2000
Dee Gordon
Andrew Lambo
Clayton Kershaw
Andy LaRoche
Chad Bills
Joel Guzman
Edwin Jackson
James Loney
Ricardo Rodriguez
Ben Diggens
Chin-Feg Chen
Anonymous
Not mentioned on her resume is her work on tragic paving-over of Pershing Square. I’m sure she also strove to honor the park’s heritage while capturing what citizens wanted in a modern park.
I get apprehensive when I hear talk of “modernizing” Dodger Stadium. These “upgrades” tend to take away from the game, and are ruled by a fear of not keeping up with the Joneses. Expanded, pertinent stats can be conveyed in a tasteful manner that doesn’t dominate its surroundings. Instead, I imagine the full-on desecration that Kansas City got, complete with giant LED billboards (oh, sorry, “scoreboards”) all over the outfield wall, on the playing field. Ads on LED signs always cost more than their analog counterparts because – guess what – they’re designed to get your attention.
The first thing they need to do (okay, maybe the second or third) is rip out the LED ribbon around the loge section (not to mention it obstructs the view of the last few rows on the field level). Major League Baseball should not be ad-supported. People complain about ads before movies, and pay a premium for ad-free iterations of mobile apps and web subscriptions, so why do baseball fans accept that the intrusion of advertising into the game is The Natural Order of Things?
Anonymous
Especially when tickets already cost a fortune, but hopefully there at least won’t be an illuminated soft drink bottle behind the LF fence.
Anonymous
Growing up, my observation was, unlike the ad-plastered AA stadium I frequented (in Janet Marie Smith’s hometown, no less), MLB was gloriously ad-free. This has changed. As a result, with the influx of cash, salaries and ticket prices have skyrocketed, and a class chasm has opened up, relegating the general public to the cheap seats.
Anonymous
>> Growing up, my observation was, unlike the ad-plastered AA stadium I frequented (in Janet Marie Smith’s hometown, no less), MLB was gloriously ad-free.
Not true. At least, not for the past eighty years or so…
Anonymous
Fair enough. There was a good 30-or-40-year lull though that ended with Selig. Advertising was formerly a tenth as intrusive, at least thru the Bowie Kuhn thru Fay Vincent eras.
veryolddodgerfan
Let’s Get Back To Basics. Strong foundation.
1. bathroom improvements
2. concession improvements
both are woeful and shouldn’t be the biggest problems at Dodger Stadium
Anonymous
Agreed. We REALLY don’t need bells and whistles when the infrastructure is lacking.
Anonymous
With a run-scoring single off Gnatt Cain, Old Friend Furcal has given the Cards a 2-1 lead.
Jon Weisman
Old friend alert: On Sunday, John Lindsey reached base eight times in one game, going 5 for 7 with two singles, a double, three walks and home runs in the third and 19th innings for Triple-A Toledo.
atmilb.com/MJKjVE
Anonymous
Unfortunately for him, he’s a first basemen for a minor league team in the Detroit Tigers organization, so the chances of him getting to the show again are approximately zilch.
Jon Weisman
It doesn’t get more quixotic than asking MLB to become non-ad supported. I can only imagine what the premium would be if MLB charged fans in attendance the amount to make up for the lost stadium ad revenue.
Anonymous
Yup. You can want the elimination of ads and billboards, but it just ain’t gonna happen.
And this isn’t anything new (other than the fact that the signs are electronic). I remember advertising signs/billboards all over the stadiums when I first went to MLB games in the early 1960s.
Here’s a photo of Ebbets Field: http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/past/ebbets5.jpg
Anonymous
but they are beautiful; and a player could win a suit
Anonymous
Correct, if only because we’re way past the point of no return. We could certainly take a few steps back, though. Fans should draw the line somewhere, because our commissioner won’t. One needn’t look any farther than the NBA’s footsteps approval of on-uniform advertising, and Selig’s equivocal denial that it would ever happen in MLB.
Instead, we just accept it because, well, we want to sign [insert high-priced free agent here], don’t we?
Anonymous
Jon – what do you think the Dodgers will do and should do with Dee Gordon in 2013.
Looks like HanRam is the ss for the near future. Gordon to 2b? Traded? Chained to AAA for another season of seasoning?
Anonymous
I don’t see him being traded right now, since he’s a “work in progress” (hitting and fielding need work) so his trade value is low. I see him getting called up in September, and perhaps getting more seasoning at AAA at the start of next season. If he’s moved elsewhere in the infield, he could get that experience at AAA also.
Anonymous
I think he will play ss as soon as he is able
Anonymous
But where? For L.A. instead of Hanley? (If I’m Donnie, I’d rather have Cruz in the lineup than Dee, at least right now.)
Anonymous
I don’t think there is any urgency, is there? There are bigger issues with the team than worrying about how to clear playing time for a no-bat, no-glove SS.
Anonymous
-x
Anonymous
I see I was confusing. For the Dodgers. That is what they have said and I think they mean it.
Anonymous
Last night, I found myself thinking about what the Dodgers would do if they are not ready to be done with Uribe. I thought one thing they could do is cut Gwynn. In that light, Eric Stevens has disappointing comments on the team’s current plans for Sands at truebluela.com
Anonymous
Seriously, if the Dodgers are not ready to be done with Uribe, they would have been playing him more than they have the past few weeks. I think it’s finally time for the team to DFA him.
Anonymous
I think that opinion is nearly unanimous here.
Anonymous
I know one thing, putting in Sands for Ethier is stupid.
Anonymous
Wow, what a silly thing to say!
Anonymous
I get it, you think Sands is a better player than Ethier. Guess that is just silly.
Anonymous
I am not going to make excuses for Sands or any other player. He should not be Ethiers replacement. His stats are there for you or anyone to see. By the way, Sands is playing for Sands, he is not playing to give Ethier a rest.
Anonymous
I hope you didn’t misunderstand me. Uribe should not be on the roster.
However, looking at another player who we thought was done but is currently in MLB, I can sympathize with management possibly saying let’s find a way to have him back in spring trading with the Dodgers then adding play him as little as the manager wishes but don’t cut him; it’s just 4 more weeks ’til rosters expand.
Anonymous
Sands makes 3 that can’t hit.
Anonymous
Wrong. We don’t know that. Sands has never been given a chance to play every day. Until he does, we just don’t know. I’d rather give him the chance to see whether he can be as good as his minor league performance indicates he might be.
Anonymous
.749 career AAA OPS away from Albuquerque.
Anonymous
We know he played in 61 games last year and hit .253 and was slugging a cool .389, s/o 51 times. This year was even better in the 8 games he played he was hitting around 2 bucks. Not too good I would say. You will learn that new management won’t play that type of player. How many games to you want him to play before you get it?
Derek TC
Explain to me how Loney and Rivera get playing time then.
Anonymous
The Snakes’ defense is helping provide a comfortable 4-0 lead for the Piratas in Pittsburgh.
Anonymous
After the Gnats tied it up in the sixth, Gnatt Cain gives the lead right back.
Anonymous
Capuano hasn’t been himself the last 2 starts, i’m hoping for a good start tonight.
KT
Come on DP
Anonymous
you think some rest for Capuano might be needed KT?
KT
They were talking on the pre-game about dead arm after surgery and I can clearly relate to that so maybe a skip in rotation would do wonders
Anonymous
i’m o.k. with that run given up, now lets get the double play.
Anonymous
Is it too much to expect a scoreless first?
Anonymous
The Dodgers streak of surrendering a run in the first inning has now stretched all the way to two games.
Anonymous
I stand corrected. It seems like a lot more.
KT
Time to get that run back
KT
Good hit Shane
Come on Mark
KT
Nice hit Mark
Come on Matty
KT
Come on Hanley
Anonymous
If Mattingly sends the runners, that’s a hit.
Anonymous
With the Gnats cooperating, it’s time to take over first place.
Linkmeister
How does Kemp manage to get his left shoulder point grass stained before every game, even before it begins?
KT
Stretching in the outfield….I’ve watched his pregame ritual
Derek TC
In his game jersey? Weird.
Anonymous
man, that’s one thing about Sands, very athletic out there. great arm too.
Anonymous
The Redbirds were confident enough of their lead to let Brian Fuentes pitch the ninth v. the Gnats.
Anonymous
you guys notice the pattern right, not only is the top of the lineup abusing Capuano (like Vinnie mentioned) but his pitches aren’t sharp & are middle up.
KT
Come on DP
KT
There we go
Anonymous
well if anything, there catcher is perfect for the DP.
Anonymous
it’s almost as if Mark Allis is at one with the baseball, reads it so well. unassisted DP.
KT
Goodeye Shane
Come on Mark…move him to third
Anonymous
Hit and run, somebody?
veryolddodgerfan
so you think hit and run with Kemp huh?
KT
Goodeye Mark
Come on Matty…you’re due
Jeffrey Thomas III
So glad the 1 & 2 hitters are getting aboard so that the 3 & 4 (& 5) hitters can all look ridiculous while stranding them.
veryolddodgerfan
can only blame the big dogs right now. they need to do a lot better than that with nobody out.
KT
That’s 2 wasted opportunities…Hope it doesn’t come back to bite us
Anonymous
I’m disappointed the Dodgers let the Rox pitcher of the hook.
Anonymous
the dreaded swinging bunt, better lucky then good says the rox pitcher.
Jeffrey Thomas III
Wow Juan is slow, I thought he had the double easily.
KT
strong throw but yes slow
Anonymous
He is slow, but no outfielder can play that ball better than Cargo did.
Jeffrey Thomas III
It was definitely a combo, but almost anybody else in the line up makes it to second.
Anonymous
True
Anonymous
Terrific play by Cargo.
KT
oh right on the ankle
KT
come on AJ
KT
Come on Chris help yourself
Anonymous
Is it just me, or has there been a marked decrease – if not outright elimination – of gratuitous baby shots and the resulting Scully-cooing the last couple years? How could they?
Anonymous
all of a sudden Capuano settles down, plenty of time to score.
Anonymous
Tonight’s trivia question from Vinny was ‘Todd Helton is 1 of 4 players who’ve hit 40+ HR’s against the Dodgers, who are the other 3?’
I’ve got Hank & Barry, but who’s that 4th player?
Anonymous
I assume this is for the LA Dodgers; is that correct?
Anonymous
Yes.
Anonymous
Vinnie just gave the answer, 3 giants. yikes! for those outside california: Barry Bonds, Willie Mays.Willie McCovey.
non giants -> Helton & Aaron.
Anonymous
Helton and Aaron were true giants; the rest were Gnats.
Anonymous
It seemed as if McCovey hit that many off Drysdale alone.
Anonymous
This is getting really tiresome.
Anonymous
Blue isn’t helping either.
Anonymous
you wonder sometimes, the rox pitcher was born & still lives in brooklyn ny, here & in florida we have the luxury of playing year around, i wonder how they do it in cold states.
KT
That ball bounced into the stands then hit the dude as he was reaching
KT
no his hand was just inside the playing field
Anonymous
either way, Ellis should have been awarded second.
Anonymous
that was very VERY close but the umpire was correct.
Jeffrey Thomas III
It almost looks like it got half grass and half glove, almost hard to tell even with replay.
Anonymous
The replay could not be less conclusive.
Anonymous
I thought it was a clear catch.
KT
I think trap
Jeffrey Thomas III
Vin’s interpretation of Tracy’s tirade is hilarious.
Anonymous
Absolutely priceless.
Anonymous
No runs through 7 against the last place Rockies, yikes.
Anonymous
the umpires (in this case) just got together & got more confused.
KT
We’ll take it Matty
Come on Hanley..base hit
Anonymous
Zona lost & the giants lost, let’s get a W Dodgers!
Jeffrey Thomas III
Seems like a good time to get Ethier up no?
Anonymous
the rox are giving us every opportunity…
KT
Let’s go Dre…drive the ball
KT
Come on Luis…do it again
Anonymous
it’s just one of those games man, dude even the umps are giving us opportunities.
Anonymous
Agony is worse when augmented by having to watch Brandon League enter the game.
Anonymous
Let’s give him a chance.
Anonymous
I was wrong.
Anonymous
I watched him quite a bit with Seattle this year, and he was invariably awful.
Anonymous
I will defer to your judgment.
Anonymous
He has near-zero command.
Anonymous
This team can’t play 2 good series in a row lately, weird trend
Anonymous
Now we’ve seen the real Brandon League.
Anonymous
When we traded for him I wrote, this means more work for Choate
Anonymous
if we get out of this i’m still liking our chances, if we don’t, its just a higher mountain to climb.
Anonymous
Here’s a weird stat that amazed me. Dodgers are 27-8 in games without Hairston
KT
RALLY CAPS
Anonymous
What a pathetic performance
KT
Wasted opportunities
Night all
Anonymous
Worst game of the year.
Anonymous
I think it actually ties with a few others.
Anonymous
The Kenley one comes to my mind personally, but that was a sudden attack of terrible, this was 3 and a half hours of it.
KT
I was at that madness…tore the fans hearts out
Anonymous
I know the games were in Denver, but the Giants outscored the Rockies 35-13 in sweeping their three-game series, and we get shut out?!?!
Jon Weisman
NPUT