Dodger Cogs and Dogs – Dodger Thoughts

Dodger Cogs and Dogs: Edition 8

On August 10, 2011

Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesEugenio Velez

Eugenio Velez gets the star treatment in this month’s edition of Dodger Cogs and Dogs.

Velez, as you’re probably aware by now, is threatening to have a historic season. He is 0 for 21 as a Dodger. Only three players in Dodger history have ever had more at-bats while registering a .000 season: outfielder Jose Gonzalez (28 in 1991, before he was sent to Pittsburgh) and pitchers Sandy Koufax (26 in 1957) and Brett Tomko (24 in 2007).

Now, Velez is a career .247 hitter, so the idea that he will go the final seven weeks of the season without a hit remains remote. So the hope is that he would get released right after breaking the record, but the continued injury problems of Dodger infielders seem to be preventing that (not that he shouldn’t be released anyway).

Nevertheless, hope remains that Velez will set a futility record before he’s done as a Dodger. Former Brooklyn catcher Bill Bergen has the longest streak of hitless at-bats by a non-pitcher, 46 – that’s the record that Milwaukee’s Craig Counsell recently threatened. What you might not realize is that Velez went hitless in his final nine at-bats as a San Francisco Giant last year, which means he’s 0 for his last 30. That puts him within flailing distance of Bergen.

In fact, if not for a 12th-inning single on May 18, 2010, Velez would be riding a hitless streak of 47 at-bats. There but for the grace of Cesar Ramos goes he.

* * *

As always, the ratings below are a combination of subjectivity and objectivity. And as has been the case for the past few editions, a dose of impatience as well.


Today	7/21	6/30	6/16	5/26	5/5	4/28	4/7	Player	Comment
1	1	1	1	1	1	1	2	Matt Kemp	Hasn’t homered in past 10 games, but still has .873 OPS in that time.
2	2	2	2	2	4	4	1	Clayton Kershaw	His 13 HR allowed matches career high, with seven weeks to go.
3	3	3	3	3	3	3	4	Hiroki Kuroda	Leads NL in wild pitches with 11, has 23 in past two seasons.
4	4	4	5	4	2	2	3	Andre Ethier	Next double (No. 194) will tie him for seventh in L.A. Dodger history with Wes Parker.
5	5	5	4	5	9	6	5	Jamey Carroll	Best perfect season in steals in L.A. Dodger history is Eric Karros and Greg Brock with eight; Carroll is 10 for 10.
6	11	12	10	19	—	—	—	Javy Guerra	Has 0.55 ERA, 9.4 K/9 since June 11.
7	9	11	22	17	18	20	24	Kenley Jansen	His 14.8 K/9 leads MLB pitchers (minimum 30 innings).
8	8	9	8	22	—	—	—	Rubby De La Rosa	Ends up striking out 112 in 100 2/3 pro innings in 2011. Will still only be 24 in 2013.
9	6	6	7	13	20	21	20	Aaron Miles	.238 OBP, .286 slugging since All-Star break.
10	29	—	—	—	—	—	—	Juan Rivera	In less than a month, has matched or surpassed Thames in virtually every category.
11	10	10	15	15	10	15	22	Blake Hawksworth	Lefties were 6 for 60 with one homer against Hawksworth in 2011 before Phillies teed off in sixth inning Wednesday.
12	7	7	16	6	6	7	18	Chad Billingsley	In 0-for-15 slump at plate with eight strikeouts.
13	24	21	23	21	—	—	—	Scott Elbert	Opponents have .239 OBP, .244 slugging against Elbert since June 12.
14	16	14	11	—	—	—	—	Josh Lindblom	No homers allowed and has lowest WHIP on Dodger staff: 1.00 in 15 innings.
15	13	23	19	8	11	11	13	Mike MacDougal	Has 9.53 ERA in ninth inning, 0.98 ERA rest of time.
16	17	15	12	16	7	5	10	Casey Blake	Thanks for signing a baseball for my son Tuesday, Casey.
17	20	17	6	10	17	18	14	Ted Lilly	NL’s first 25-25 pitcher (homers-steals) since Padres’ Chris Young in 2006.
18	12	18	29	28	14	17	12	Tony Gwynn Jr.	Three hits, nine strikeouts in past 21 at-bats.
19	21	19	13	9	13	9	6	Rod Barajas	Has 10 HR, seven 2B. Rick Monday had 11 HR, one 2B in 1981.
20	25	26	21	14	12	12	8	Matt Guerrier	Eyeing sixth consecutive year with exactly one save. No MLB reliever has ever had seven.
21	18	24	18	11	5	8	—	Jon Garland	His 1.4 K/BB ratio (before injury, of course) worst since 2002.
22	19	16	30	—	—	—	—	Trent Oeltjen	Had two SB in MLB debut, has three in 65 games since.
23	22	22	17	7	16	14	—	Jerry Sands	1.096 OPS at home, .640 OPS on road in Triple-A.
24	14	13	9	—	—	—	—	Dee Gordon	Current 6.0 SB/BB ratio (12/2) is top-five in NL history.
25	27	25	28	20	21	22	15	A.J. Ellis	Has .487 OBP in Triple-A road games this year.
26	26	32	35	27	27	29	—	Dioner Navarro	Had 1.038 OPS in 2008 ALDS.
27	28	27	25	18	30	—	—	Jay Gibbons	Nice play by Jay here.
28	31	29	26	24	15	19	—	Vicente Padilla	Dennis Martinez reportedly tutored Padilla on changeup as an amateur. Padilla is second all-time to Martinez in strikeouts by Nicaraguan pitcher.
29	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	Nathan Eovaldi	Fifth 11th-round draft choice by Dodgers to reach majors.
30	34	37	36	29	25	27	11	Xavier Paul	.331 OBP vs. righties this season. .115 vs. lefties.
31	30	35	32	31	—	—	—	Juan Castro	His last name is the same as a longtime ruler of Cuba.
32	32	30	27	25	19	16	9	Jonathan Broxton	Not expected to pitch again this season before late September, if then.
33	15	8	14	23	32	23	17	James Loney	Worst OPS in NL since All-Star break: .416.
34	23	20	20	12	8	10	25	Juan Uribe	Making little progress in recovery, reports MLB.com.
35	35	36	33	30	29	—	—	Russ Mitchell	Last week’s PCL Player of the Week: 14 for 30 with 31 total bases.
36	36	31	24	33	35	33	—	Ramon Troncoso	In first MLB game, 4/1/08, faced one batter, got double-play grounder.
37	37	38	37	32	26	26	—	John Ely	K/9 ratio in Triple-A goes from 7.4 in 2010 to 5.9 this year.
38	38	40	39	34	28	30	21	Hector Gimenez	Three HR in 46 AB at Spring Training, five HR in 159 AB in Double-A.
39	39	41	40	35	31	31	—	Jamie Hoffmann	Set record for consecutive errorless games by PCL outfielder.
40	42	39	38	37	33	27	26	Ivan De Jesus Jr.	Had game-winning RBI in Chicago on May 2.
41	33	28	34	26	22	13	19	Marcus Thames	Last week, it was reported that Thames had suffered an undisclosed injury and left Yankees’ Tampa facility.
42	44	33	31	36	23	24	7	Rafael Furcal	Has played every inning for St. Louis in nine games this month, with .595 OPS.
43	43	42	42	39	34	32	23	Lance Cormier	Rough July in Durham: 17 2/3 innings, six runs.
44	41	34	41	38	24	25	16	Hong-Chih Kuo	It says something about this town’s appreciation of Kuo that no one has called for his release.
45	40	—	—	—	—	—	—	Eugenio Velez	Had a three-hit game against Dodgers in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Dodger Cogs and Dogs 2011: Edition 7

By Jon Weisman

On July 21, 2011

In Dodger Cogs and Dogs

Jayne Kamin-Oncea/US PresswireUnsung shining light: Kenley Jansen

This is a good time to wonder if the Dodgers will reach the magic number of 50 players in a season. It’s only happened twice in Los Angeles Dodger history: 53 players in 1998, and 50 players in 2006. Last year’s team fell one player short, finishing at 49.

Juan Rivera became the Dodgers’ 44th player this season. Trayvon Robinson is sure to get a promotion before season’s end. Can they get five more? Others who might be candidates, as rewards for fine minor-league seasons, include pitchers Dana Eveland and Nathan Eovaldi and first baseman-outfielder Scott Van Slyke. (Each would require a 40-man roster move, but that’s doable.)

But to get to 50, the Dodgers will probably have to be involved the trade market. For example, if Hiroki Kuroda were sent somewhere, they might get a prospect who would get a look in the majors, or create an opening for Eveland. If Jamey Carroll were traded, that could open the door for Justin Sellers before season’s end.

In short, 50 is reachable, but the Dodgers are gonna have to want it. Do they want it? Do they feel lucky? Well, do they, punk?

* * *

Reminder: The Dodger Cogs and Dogs rankings are a mixture of subjectivity and objectivity and encompass season-to-date major-league performance, not what they’ve done lately. And it’s still really hard to do these days.


Today	6/30	6/16	5/26	5/5	4/28	4/7	Player	Comment
1	1	1	1	1	1	2	Matt Kemp	Had a 20-game, .694 OPS “slump” in April-May. Current slump is worse, but nothing to panic over.
2	2	2	2	4	4	1	Clayton Kershaw	This is probably closest Kershaw has been to top Cog in some time.
3	3	3	3	3	3	4	Hiroki Kuroda	For Dodgers with above-average ERA, Kuroda has lowest winning percentage since Tom Candiotti (7-14) in 1995.
4	4	5	4	2	2	3	Andre Ethier	Surprisingly, has become NL leader among RF UZR/150.
5	5	4	5	9	6	5	Jamey Carroll	MLB leader in pinch-hitting BA since 2002 (39-for-110, .355)
6	6	7	13	20	21	20	Aaron Miles	Hit .185 for ’09 Cubs, hitting .303 in 157 games (411 PA) since.
7	7	16	6	6	7	18	Chad Billingsley	No shortage of good moments this year, but right now it’s his worst season ever (88 ERA+, 4.07 ERA)
8	9	8	22	—	—	—	Rubby De La Rosa	His 3.87 pitches per batter: on par with other Dodger starters, not as bad as I would have thought.
9	11	22	17	18	20	24	Kenley Jansen	Opponents are 3 for 38 with seven walks, 17 strikeouts since he returned from DL.
10	10	15	15	10	15	22	Blake Hawksworth	With scrap-heaper Miles milesdly outperforming Ryan Theriot, Dodgers win the Hawksworth trade.
11	12	10	19	—	—	—	Javy Guerra	His easy save of Kershaw’s Wednesday start was much appreciated.
12	18	29	28	14	17	12	Tony Gwynn Jr.	.393 OBP in 118 PA since June 1.
13	23	19	8	11	11	13	Mike MacDougal	Turnaround: Has stranded 10 of 12 runners since June 12 with 0.73 ERA, two walks in 12 IP.
14	13	9	—	—	—	—	Dee Gordon	Has .368 OBP, .463 slugging since returning to minors.
15	8	14	23	32	23	17	James Loney	Perhaps not since Willie Davis has there been a Dodger who fiddled more with his batting approach.
16	14	11	—	—	—	—	Josh Lindblom	Fine year continues with eight baserunners, 13 strikeouts in 12 innings in July.
17	15	12	16	7	5	10	Casey Blake	Had 571 PA last year, probably won’t break 200 this year.
18	24	18	11	5	8	—	Jon Garland	Was the youngest player in the American League in 2000.
19	16	30	—	—	—	—	Trent Oeltjen	I almost forgot he was on team when he came up to pinch-hit Wednesday: 0 for 2 with two SH since July 5.
20	17	6	10	17	18	14	Ted Lilly	Hasn’t gone seven innings or 100 pitches in past eight starts (5.82 ERA).
22	22	17	7	16	14	—	Jerry Sands	Struggling in July with .633 OPS for Albuquerque, including 3-for-33 slump.
21	19	13	9	13	9	6	Rod Barajas	Seven HR, .736 OPS by May 13/one HR, .451 OPS since.
23	20	20	12	8	10	25	Juan Uribe	0 for 4 Wednesday, knocking slugging percentage below .300.
24	21	23	21	—	—	—	Scott Elbert	Still finding his way, but seven strikeouts, only one walk in seven innings since June 12.
25	26	21	14	12	12	8	Matt Guerrier	Since June 7: 6.39 ERA, six of 10 inherited runners scored.
26	32	35	27	27	29	—	Dioner Navarro	Thanks to his Wednesday homer, his 2011 OPS almost matches Ellis.
27	25	28	20	21	22	15	A.J. Ellis	No extra-base hits in 45 MLB at-bats this year.
28	27	25	18	30	—	—	Jay Gibbons	With Gwynn and Rivera on board, he’d now have a safe role as PH.
29	—	—	—	—	—	—	Juan Rivera	Marichal, Castro, Encarnacion, Pierre, Uribe, Rivera.
30	35	32	31	—	—	—	Juan Castro	Passed over for hitting coach position.
31	29	26	24	15	19	—	Vicente Padilla	Still a safe bet to finish third on team in saves.
32	30	27	25	19	16	9	Jonathan Broxton	Has not resumed throwing, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
33	28	34	26	22	13	19	Marcus Thames	Ended up doing better against righties than lefties as a Dodger.
34	37	36	29	25	27	11	Xavier Paul	Not doing anything special … except playing for a pennant contender.
35	36	33	30	29	—	—	Russ Mitchell	Followed 5-for-5 game Monday by going 2 for 2 with two walks Tuesday.
36	31	24	33	35	33	—	Ramon Troncoso	Remains inconsistent in Triple-A.
37	38	37	32	26	26	—	John Ely	Will compete with Dana Eveland for promotion if Dodgers trade Kuroda?
38	40	39	34	28	30	21	Hector Gimenez	Has 114 chances at 1B, 114 chances at C for Chattanooga.
39	41	40	35	31	31	—	Jamie Hoffmann	Tied for 26th in MLB history for career hits by players born on August 20. Blake DeWitt is eighth.
40	—	—	—	—	—	—	Eugenio Velez	Pointless.
41	34	41	38	24	25	16	Hong-Chih Kuo	As rough as his season has been, would a contender take a flyer on him?
42	39	38	37	33	27	26	Ivan De Jesus Jr.	Having his best month, reducing doubts that he’d remain on 40-man roster next season.
43	42	42	39	34	32	23	Lance Cormier	Had 3.02 ERA over final two months of 2010.
44	33	31	36	23	24	7	Rafael Furcal	I’m guessing he has one last finishing kick of greatness in a Dodger uniform before he goes.

Dodger Cogs and Dogs 2011: Edition 6

By Jon Weisman

On June 30, 2011

In Dodger Cogs and Dogs

Gary A. Vasquez/US PresswireAaron Miles, .311 hitter.

Painful. Just painful to try to rank these guys. It is a dog-eat-cog world.

Anyway, remember: We at ESPNLosAngeles.com would still like to hear your stories (approximately 500 words) of how you became Dodger fans, what the team means to you and how recent events have affected you and that fandom. Send your stories to this mailbag link. We’ll publish a great sampling of them.

If you’re having any trouble submitting, quit your web browser and try again. That seems to help in several cases.


Today	6/16	5/26	5/5	4/28	4/7	Player	Comment
1	1	1	1	1	2	Matt Kemp	OPS has not dipped below .920 at any point this season.
2	2	2	4	4	1	Clayton Kershaw	In innings 1-2 in 2011, opponents are 13 for 115 (.113) with five walks, 42 K.
3	3	3	3	3	4	Hiroki Kuroda	Has 3.10 ERA but on pace for 18 losses, most by Dodger since Don Sutton in ’69.
4	5	4	2	2	3	Andre Ethier	Has .392 OBP; L.A. Dodgers have had 17 players finish at .400.
5	4	5	9	6	5	Jamey Carroll	Since going 7 for 10 in Colorado, he is 5 for 31.
6	7	13	20	21	20	Aaron Miles	Meet June’s NL batting champ (.419).
7	16	6	6	7	18	Chad Billingsley	Expected Fielding Independent Pitching (xFIP) of 3.31, compared to 4.22 ERA.
8	14	23	32	23	17	James Loney	.365 OBP since May 1. Bat him second, Kemp third, Ethier fourth?
9	8	22	—	—	—	Rubby De La Rosa	6.75 ERA at home, 2.50 ERA on road.
10	15	15	10	15	22	Blake Hawksworth	Since coming off DL: seven baserunners, two earned runs in 10 2/3 innings.
11	22	17	18	20	24	Kenley Jansen	Opponents 1 for 19 with three walks, nine strikeouts since return from DL.
12	10	19	—	—	—	Javy Guerra	Needs six saves to pass Broxton for team lead. In 82 games, Dodgers have had 21 save opps.
13	9	—	—	—	—	Dee Gordon	Objectively, should be optioned when Furcal returns. Subjectively …
14	11	—	—	—	—	Josh Lindblom	Has really Lind-bloomed this year – looks more like future relief mainstay.
15	12	16	7	5	10	Casey Blake	Even with three-hit game Monday, had .250 OBP, .261 slugging in June (73 PA).
16	30	—	—	—	—	Trent Oeltjen	Raised OBP to .481 in 28 plate appearances.
17	6	10	17	18	14	Ted Lilly	37 HR allowed in past 12 months; Kershaw has allowed 39 HR in career.
18	29	28	14	17	12	Tony Gwynn Jr.	Tied for NL lead in OF assists with eight.
19	13	9	13	9	6	Rod Barajas	Steady as ever: eight homers, eight walks.
20	20	12	8	10	25	Juan Uribe	Probably the Dodgers’ most valuable defensive player this year.
21	23	21	—	—	—	Scott Elbert	Has faced seven batters since June 14 (0 for 6 with BB).
22	17	7	16	14	—	Jerry Sands	.398 OBP, .603 slugging in AAA since demotion.
23	19	8	11	11	13	Mike MacDougal	Spent 10 minutes looking for an interesting note, came up empty.
24	18	11	5	8	—	Jon Garland	So, who remembers Garland’s complete game this year?
25	28	20	21	22	15	A.J. Ellis	Career .355 OBP now. Let him start.
26	21	14	12	12	8	Matt Guerrier	Nine of past 14 baserunners allowed have scored.
27	25	18	30	—	—	Jay Gibbons	One HR in first 25 G with Albuquerque, two HR in his past three G.
28	34	26	22	13	19	Marcus Thames	Since starting season 6 for 42 (.143), has gone 7 for 22 (.318).
29	26	24	15	19	—	Vicente Padilla	Still second on Dodgers in saves with three.
30	27	25	19	16	9	Jonathan Broxton	Could have fewest saves (7) for team leader since Bobby Castillo in 1979.
31	24	33	35	33	—	Ramon Troncoso	Full name is Ramon Landestoy Troncoso. Like the former infielder, was born in Peravia province of Dominican Republic.
32	35	27	27	29	—	Dioner Navarro	In past 64 PA, has seven hits, five walks (.194 OBP).
33	31	36	23	24	7	Rafael Furcal	Looking good in rehab: 18 PA in four games, .444 OBP.
34	41	38	24	25	16	Hong-Chih Kuo	Could be first Dodger pitcher whose ERA multiplies by 10 in one year (1.20 to 11.05).
35	32	31	—	—	—	Juan Castro	2,849 career PA, one HBP.
36	33	30	29	—	—	Russ Mitchell	Endured an 0-for-7 for Isotopes on Monday.
37	36	29	25	27	11	Xavier Paul	Batted .297 in June, but with only two walks.
38	37	32	26	26	—	John Ely	On June 29, 2010, Ely had his eighth and final quality start of season.
39	38	37	33	27	26	Ivan De Jesus Jr.	Doesn’t seem to be a there there.
40	39	34	28	30	21	Hector Gimenez	Has .747 OPS for Double-A Chattanooga.
41	40	35	31	31	—	Jamie Hoffmann	Second on Isotopes with 13 homers.
42	42	39	34	32	23	Lance Cormier	Has 3.14 ERA for Durham in 14 1/3 innings.

Dodger Cogs and Dogs 2011: Edition 5

By Jon Weisman

On June 16, 2011

In Dodger Cogs and Dogs

Jeff Gross/Getty ImagesJosh Lindblom has allowed one run and nine baserunners in his first nine MLB innings.

The impossible task continues.

There’s Matt Kemp at No. 1, undisputed and glorious. There are Clayton Kershaw, Hiroki Kuroda, Andre Ethier and Jamey Carroll having seasons that, despite some inconsistency, you don’t need to be ashamed of. There’s an increasingly competent Ted Lilly, and a tip of the hat to Aaron Miles.

And then, the morass.

Playing time, on a cumulative basis, is one of the factors I’ve used in my Dodger Cogs and Dogs rankings, but as I tried to figure out how to fill out just the top 10, nothing made sense anymore. So I decided to blow things up a little.

I pushed the new kids, who came late to the 2011 Dodgers but who are providing most of the energy to this team and most of the reason to watch, into the upper echelon. That means Rubby De La Rosa at No. 8, despite only 15 innings (occasionally wild) this season. That means Dee “Roadrunner” Gordon and his 36 plate appearances without a walk at No. 9. That means young relievers Javy Guerra and Josh Lindblom, with their combined 21 1/3 career innings, at No. 10 and No. 11.

And then Casey Blake, Rod Barajas and James Loney, who have all played more and made contributions here and there, but had too many issues for me to feel good about having them in the top 10.

Dodger Cogs and Dogs has always been subjective, and perhaps never more so than today. But at least I wasn’t left aching as I completed the task.

* * *

Before we proceed to the rankings, one final note …

I want to call out the item on Jonathan Broxton below: “Fifth in MLB history in K/9 (11.55), minimum 300 G.”

Broxton should be back with the Dodgers in a few weeks, with what figures to be about three months left in his Dodger career. I know he’s let a lot of people down, and with the way the Dodger fortunes have unfolded since 2010, his postseason mistakes haunt us more than ever.

His career might have gone into reverse, but it’s not as if there wasn’t excellence there. Call him one-dimensional if you want, but what a dimension.

All-time MLB strikeouts per nine innings (minimum 300 games)
12.17 Rob Dibble
12.00 Brad Lidge
11.92 Billy Wagner
11.67 Carlos Marmol
11.55 Jonathan Broxton

No, this doesn’t mean everything, but like his dominance for much of his career before last summer, it means something.

When he comes back, is there any way, any way at all, that Dodger fans might not boo Broxton every time he touches the ball?

* * *

One more thing. In case you thought customer service was dead at Dodger Stadium, here’s a great story from Evan Bladh at Opinion of Kingman’s Performance.

* * *


Today	5/26	5/5	4/28	4/7	Player	Comment
1	1	1	1	2	Matt Kemp	Has reached base at least twice in 11 of last 12 starts.
2	2	4	4	1	Clayton Kershaw	In 15 starts, has allowed 6 total runs in first three innings.
3	3	3	3	4	Hiroki Kuroda	Has lowest ERA of his career, but is tied for MLB lead in losses.
4	5	9	6	5	Jamey Carroll	Has .444 OBP on road this season.
5	4	2	2	3	Andre Ethier	One HR in past 136 plate appearances.
6	10	17	18	14	Ted Lilly	First hit of season raised him to 2 for 47 as Dodger.
7	13	20	21	20	Aaron Miles	Hitting .353 since May 8.
8	22	—	—	—	Rubby De La Rosa	So, he’s gonna be in Dodger rotation all season then? Need to watch his innings.
9	—	—	—	—	Dee Gordon	Marquis Grissom had 124 PA as a Dodger before his first walk.
10	19	—	—	—	Javy Guerra	Only four of his 21 baserunners allowed have scored.
11	—	—	—	—	Josh Lindblom	Lowered ERA to 1.00, making case to stay on club.
12	16	7	5	10	Casey Blake	On pace for 70 games this season.
13	9	13	9	6	Rod Barajas	Has .264 OBP/.389 slugging. Mets released him last year with .263 OBP/.414 slugging.
14	23	32	23	17	James Loney	41 doubles in 2010, on pace for 16 this year.
15	15	10	15	22	Blake Hawksworth	Has no strikeouts in seven innings (nine games) since May 3.
16	6	6	7	18	Chad Billingsley	His ERA+ is now below Loney’s OPS+, for what that’s worth.
17	7	16	14	—	Jerry Sands	29 at-bats, three hits, one demotion since last Cogs.
18	11	5	8	—	Jon Garland	Well, he was a better signing than Jason Schmidt.
19	8	11	11	13	Mike MacDougal	Eleven of 26 inherited runners have scored.
20	12	8	10	25	Juan Uribe	Had 13 doubles, 11 HR after 70 games last year, nine 2B, three HR this year.
21	14	12	12	8	Matt Guerrier	Scoreless inning Wednesday was first in five games.
22	17	18	20	24	Kenley Jansen	Younger than Elbert, Guerra and Lindblom. Looking forward to his return.
23	21	—	—	—	Scott Elbert	After first rough patch of season, needs to show he can bounce back again.
24	33	35	33	—	Ramon Troncoso	Still rising: Unscored upon in seven of past eight appearances.
25	18	30	—	—	Jay Gibbons	It’s as if the Dodgers suddenly discovered he was one-dimensional.
26	24	15	19	—	Vicente Padilla	Doesn’t look like he’ll have any HBPs this year.
27	25	19	16	9	Jonathan Broxton	Fifth in MLB history in K/9 (11.55), minimum 300 G.
28	20	21	22	15	A.J. Ellis	Zero HR, 26 walks for Isotopes this season (.457 OBP).
29	28	14	17	12	Tony Gwynn Jr.	Has .553 OPS, below what he had with Padres in 2010.
30	—	—	—	—	Trent Oeltjen	Was a batboy for Lasorda-managed U.S. in 2000 Olympic gold medal game in Sydney.
31	36	23	24	7	Rafael Furcal	Wednesday marked anniversary of five-hit game.
32	31	—	—	—	Juan Castro	Has started four games at first base in his career.
33	30	29	—	—	Russ Mitchell	For Isotopes: .910 OPS at home., .633 away.
34	26	22	13	19	Marcus Thames	He’s barely hitting Dee Gordon’s weight.
35	27	27	29	—	Dioner Navarro	2 for his last 25 (and yes, that lowered his average).
36	29	25	27	11	Xavier Paul	On Wednesday, hit first HR since 5/15/09.
37	32	26	26	—	John Ely	In past three starts for Albuquerque: 10 1/3 IP, 30 H, 15.68 ERA.
38	37	33	27	26	Ivan De Jesus Jr.	Slugged .405 in minors last year, .315 this year.
39	34	28	30	21	Hector Gimenez	Has .741 OPS since returning to minors.
40	35	31	31	—	Jamie Hoffmann	On Wednesday, in his 1,000th Triple-A AB, got his 300th hit.
41	38	24	25	16	Hong-Chih Kuo	Had a 25-pitch shutout inning for Isotopes on Weds.
42	39	34	32	23	Lance Cormier	Now wearing the uniform of the Durham Bulls.

Dodger Cogs and Dogs 2011: Edition 4

By Jon Weisman

On May 26, 2011

In Dodger Cogs and Dogs

Kevork Djansezian/Getty ImagesRamon Troncoso – rising.

So, by now you know that the Dodger Cogs and Dogs rankings have always been a mixture of subjectivity and objectivity. For today’s batch, there was an additional factor throw into the mix: exasperation.

In more cheerful news, Single-A Rancho Cucamonga scored 25 runs Wednesday, with Angelo Songco hitting for the cycle.


Today	5/5	4/28	4/7	Player	Comment
1	1	1	2	Matt Kemp	According to Fangraphs, the best CF in the NL in 2011.
2	4	4	1	Clayton Kershaw	Will contend for NL strikeout title, but I’m guessing not wins.
3	3	3	4	Hiroki Kuroda	Rough outing Sunday lifted his ERA above 3.00 and slowed his All-Star bid.
4	2	2	3	Andre Ethier	Enters the final days of May with one homer, no doubles in the month.
5	9	6	5	Jamey Carroll	Leads MLB shortstops in OBP.
6	6	7	18	Chad Billingsley	His 0.64 HR/9 is best by a Dodger since Hershiser (minimum 800 IP).
7	16	14	—	Jerry Sands	Fourth on the team in RBI, and closing in on Uribe.
8	11	11	13	Mike MacDougal	Pitched three consecutive days for first time since September ’09.
9	13	9	6	Rod Barajas	Kemp and Barajas have combined for 19 of Dodgers’ 36 HR.
10	17	18	14	Ted Lilly	Despite allowing 10th homer in 11th start, moved ahead of Garland in ERA.
11	5	8	—	Jon Garland	ERA rose from 3.55 to 4.75 in last start.
12	8	10	25	Juan Uribe	From May 13-18, went from five to 11 walks.
13	20	21	20	Aaron Miles	Last Dodger to bat at least .280 with OBP below .300: Wilton Guerrero.
14	12	12	8	Matt Guerrier	Gave up first extra-base hit of 2011 to a lefty in ninth inning Weds.
15	10	15	22	Blake Hawksworth	Struck out two in shutout inning Wednesday for Rancho Cucamonga.
16	7	5	10	Casey Blake	Reached base 29 times in his 14 games.
17	18	20	24	Kenley Jansen	Ferocious strikeout rate should help him avoid pulling a Yhency.
18	30	—	—	Jay Gibbons	Second-most total bases (51) in Dodger history for player with below 30 career hits. (Marlon Anderson)
19	—	—	—	Javy Guerra	Unscored upon in five of six appearances.
20	21	22	15	A.J. Ellis	.443 OBP in Albuquerque, 12 walks, four strikeouts.
21	—	—	—	Scott Elbert	Opponents are 1 for 11 with one walk this year.
22	—	—	—	Rubby De La Rosa	Pedro Martinez shut out Reds in eighth and ninth inning of MLB debut.
23	32	23	17	James Loney	0-for-4 Wednesday ended 10-game hitting streak.
24	15	19	—	Vicente Padilla	June will come with only 8 2/3 innings under his belt.
25	19	16	9	Jonathan Broxton	For a guy who claimed not to be hurt for so long, sure out a long time.
26	22	13	19	Marcus Thames	Gibbons has surged ahead with eight hits to Thames’ six.
27	27	29	—	Dioner Navarro	Went 4 for 12 subbing for Barajas in Houston.
28	14	17	12	Tony Gwynn Jr.	This month: 1 for 24 with two walks, one steal.
29	25	27	11	Xavier Paul	In 3-for-25 slump for Pittsburgh.
30	29	—	—	Russ Mitchell	Most total bases (19) in Dodger history for player with below 10 career hits.
31	—	—	—	Juan Castro	In 17th MLB season, got 600th career hit Saturday.
32	26	26	—	John Ely	Has 3.78 ERA, compared to 6.19 for spring rival Redding.
33	35	33	—	Ramon Troncoso	The impossible dream – out of last place.
34	28	30	21	Hector Gimenez	Has same birthday as my brother, and one more career hit.
35	31	31	—	Jamie Hoffmann	Isotopes’ HR leader with nine this year.
36	23	24	7	Rafael Furcal	They say he was rushed back, but he was 5 for 13 with three walks in Alb.
37	33	27	26	Ivan De Jesus Jr.	Has one double, no HR in 51 AB for Albuquerque.
38	24	25	16	Hong-Chih Kuo	Last May, pitched 10 2/3 innings, six baserunners, no runs, 15 K.
39	34	32	23	Lance Cormier	Lefties were 5 for 28 against him.

Dodger Cogs and Dogs 2011: Edition 3

By Jon Weisman

On May 5, 2011

In Dodger Cogs and Dogs

Jake Roth/US PresswireNon-roster Spring Training invitee Mike MacDougal has the lowest ERA on the pitching staff.

I don’t know, maybe I’m going about this all wrong.

When you can’t even find 10 players you really feel good about ranking out of a group of 35, maybe you need to start ranking something else. For example, if I were ranking TV Cogs and Dogs, I wouldn’t start to worry I was running out of great players after Ron Swanson and Raylan Givens.

I dare say that after rounding out my top 10 with an injured Casey Blake, hit-by-pitch magnet Juan Uribe, a slumping Jamey Carroll and a battle between relievers Blake Hawksworth and Mike MacDougal, I’m ready to go back to reading about all the challenges that Josh Fisher lists for Dodger monitor Tom Schieffer and wondering how Frank McCourt can blame Major League Baseball for the Dodgers’ inability to make 1/12th of his $100 million-or-so payroll at the end of this month. I mean, Luke Walton probably has enough saved to cut the Dodger players their paychecks.

Anyway, as always, Cogs and Dogs mixes subjectivity and objectivity and focuses on what’s already happened, not what’s likely to happen. And afterword, don’t miss Mike Petriello’s interview at Mike Scioscia’s Tragic Illness with Albuquerque Examiner writer Christopher Jackson about the Isotopes, which is overflowing with interesting information.


Today	4/28	4/7	Player	Comment
1	1	2	Matt Kemp	Still rates slightest edge over Ethier, but back to nearly a strikeout per game.
2	2	3	Andre Ethier	If elbow trouble is chronic, put Dodgers out to pasture.
3	3	4	Hiroki Kuroda	36-year-old on track to lower ERA for third straight year.
4	4	1	Clayton Kershaw	Allowing HRs at career-high 1.2 per nine innings.
5	8	—	Jon Garland	In past three starts, only 18 baserunners in 22 innings.
6	7	18	Chad Billingsley	1.98 ERA, .554 OPS against him in past four starts.
7	5	10	Casey Blake	.956 OPS will keep him in top 10 for a little longer if no one steps up.
8	10	25	Juan Uribe	Postgame X-rays on hand were negative.
9	6	5	Jamey Carroll	In 4-for-28 slump (with two walks).
10	15	22	Blake Hawksworth	.203 opponents’ batting average lowest on team (minimum 10 innings)
11	11	13	Mike MacDougal	Keeps walking guys but ERA remains below 1.00
12	12	8	Matt Guerrier	Most innings on staff without allowing home run.
13	9	6	Rod Barajas	Four walks, 26 strikeouts.
14	17	12	Tony Gwynn Jr.	Should see more playing time if Ethier is out for long.
15	19	—	Vicente Padilla	Four straight hitless innings (two walks).
16	14	—	Jerry Sands	Fewest PA (55) of any Dodger ever with at least six doubles in career.
17	18	14	Ted Lilly	No one noticing, but only two quality starts in seven tries.
18	20	24	Kenley Jansen	Working on that second pitch? Gave up 3-R HR for Chattanooga Wednesday.
19	16	9	Jonathan Broxton	Allowing .387 OBP this season.
20	21	20	Aaron Miles	This year’s Angel Berroa.
21	22	15	A.J. Ellis	.438 OBP in Triple-A since demotion.
22	13	19	Marcus Thames	.501 OPS as a starter (21 plate appearances).
23	24	7	Rafael Furcal	Last played April 11, hopefully will start baseball activities soon.
24	25	16	Hong-Chih Kuo	Strikeouts are there, just needs sharper control (and health).
25	27	11	Xavier Paul	Was 6 for 14 with Pirates before 0 for 5 on Wednesday.
26	26	—	John Ely	Five runs, 15 strikeouts in past 19 1/3 innings.
27	29	—	Dioner Navarro	Knocked his second hit of season.
28	30	21	Hector Gimenez	35 days since his last game – 60-day DL beckons.
29	—	—	Russ Mitchell	After no BB in 2010, walked in first ’11 plate appearance.
30	—	—	Jay Gibbons	First three AB were three strikeouts on 24 total pitches.
31	31	—	Jamie Hoffmann	On another Triple-A hot streak: 1.004 OPS.
32	23	17	James Loney	Friday marks one month since last extra-base hit.
33	27	26	Ivan De Jesus Jr.	Most at-bats on team (28) without extra-base hit.
34	32	23	Lance Cormier	24 pitches thrown since April 15.
35	33	—	Ramon Troncoso	Eight earned runs allowed in past 9 1/3 minor-league innings.

Dodger Cogs and Dogs 2011: Edition 2

By Jon Weisman

On April 28, 2011

In Dodger Cogs and Dogs

US Presswire/Getty ImagesThe hit men

This might have been the best 1-2 battle in this history of Dodger Cogs and Dogs. I gave the nod to Matt Kemp, but feel free to throw your support Andre Ethier’s way.

And if Clayton Kershaw could have closed out his recent starts more strongly, it might have been a three-way battle.

Anyway, there was lots of activity in the 20-game stretch since the last Cogs and Dogs, but the overall picture is the same: There’s a guy in the top 10 who isn’t hitting .200.

As always, Cogs and Dogs mixes subjectivity and objectivity and focuses on what’s already happened, not what’s likely to happen.

Today	4/7	Player	Comment
1	2	Matt Kemp	It’s been a good year when an .804 OPS over past 10 games is a slump.
2	3	Andre Ethier	Ethier’s hot start isn’t just luck, writes Chris Cwik of Fangraphs.
3	4	Hiroki Kuroda	Five walks, 23 strikeouts in 33 2/3 innings.
4	1	Clayton Kershaw	Has been removed mid-inning in past four starts.
5	10	Casey Blake	Stuck on the sidelines with a .956 OPS.
6	5	Jamey Carroll	On pace to play in 156 games in 2011.
7	18	Chad Billingsley	Groundout/flyout ratio above 1.0 for first time in career.
8	—	Jon Garland	Three walks in 20 innings.
9	6	Rod Barajas	On pace to bat .182 with 31 homers.
10	25	Juan Uribe	Nine of his 13 RBI this season came in 40-hour stretch.
11	13	Mike MacDougal	I’m surprised Old School fans haven’t mentioned him as a closer candidate.
12	8	Matt Guerrier	Chicago outing was worst-timed relief outing of Dodger season.
13	19	Marcus Thames	Five starts this season, none since April 13.
14	—	Jerry Sands	After nine games, he’s third on team in doubles.
15	22	Blake Hawksworth	A RHP who has held lefties to .174 OBP. Righties have .367 OBP.
16	9	Jonathan Broxton	Don Mattingly said Broxton’s elbow was “barky” Wednesday, reports Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
17	12	Tony Gwynn Jr.	Puts the ball in play: 53 plate appearances, two walks, five strikeouts.
18	14	Ted Lilly	Opponents hitting .321 against him (.359 BABIP).
19	—	Vicente Padilla	39th player to notch a save and a shutout as L.A. Dodger.
20	24	Kenley Jansen	Seven strikeouts in past two games, 20 in 12 1/3 innings in ’11.
21	20	Aaron Miles	Eighth on team in plate appearances and climbing.
22	15	A.J. Ellis	Tied for fifth on team in walks with four.
23	17	James Loney	Doubled on Opening Day – none since.
24	7	Rafael Furcal	Five hits in April not exactly what Dodgers hoped for.
25	16	Hong-Chih Kuo	Rehab struggles indicate activation isn’t imminent.
26	—	John Ely	Tied for second on team in times caught stealing.
27	11	Xavier Paul	Dodger career ends with .280 OBP, one homer.
27	26	Ivan De Jesus Jr.	.313 OBP vs. starters, .000 OBP vs. relievers.
29	—	Dioner Navarro	Be sure to check the splits on Navarro’s 2011.
30	21	Hector Gimenez	One of 74 players with exactly one career hit as Los Angeles Dodger.
31	—	Jamie Hoffmann	0 for 4 in brief stint.
32	23	Lance Cormier	Has pitched one inning since April 15.
33	—	Ramon Troncoso	How do you give up 12 hits in 2 2/3 innings?

Dodger Cogs and Dogs 2011: Edition 1

By Jon Weisman

On April 7, 2011

In Dodger Cogs and Dogs

Jayne Kamin-Oncea/US PresswireThe Dodgers’ second-best hitter of the young season, Andre Ethier has reached base 11 times but scored zero runs.

Welcome to the first edition of Dodger Cogs and Dogs, 2011.

As before, Cogs and Dogs is my ranking of the most valuable Dodgers of the year, top to bottom, mixing subjectivity and objectivity and focused on what’s already happened, not what’s likely to happen.

The final Cogs and Dogs of 2010 left us with only five players that you didn’t have much or any reason to complain about. This year’s debut installment isn’t much different.


Today	2010	Player	Comment
1	1	Clayton Kershaw	Came up huge on Opening Day, solid enough in second start
2	6	Matt Kemp	Has Dodgers’ only stolen base in six games.
3	4	Andre Ethier	.440 OBP but no extra-base hits
4	2	Hiroki Kuroda	Efficient first start nearly ended in no-decision.
5	9	Jamey Carroll	He’s back: .412 on-base percentage, playing in every game.
6	19	Rod Barajas	.824 OPS third among regulars.
7	7	Rafael Furcal	Gonzalez’ catch cost him glory and higher cog rating.
8	—	Matt Guerrier	Two perfect innings with two strikeouts in Colorado.
9	13	Jonathan Broxton	People question his guts, but no player faced greater pressure so far.
10	8	Casey Blake	Hottest hitter on the team.
11	33	Xavier Paul	Batting .400, might outlast Gimenez after all.
12	—	Tony Gwynn Jr.	Showed off defense Tuesday, but no steal attempts yet.
13	—	Mike MacDougal	Five batters, four outs.
14	11	Ted Lilly	Strong first start just got away from him.
15	22	A.J. Ellis	Carried red-hot September into current 1-for-1 season.
16	5	Hong-Chih Kuo	22 pitches in each of his first two games.
17	10	James Loney	24 plate appearances, four hits, no walks.
18	3	Chad Billingsley	Career ERA at Coors Field now 7.24.
19	—	Marcus Thames	His triple on Sunday might have been a gift, but at least he got it out there.
20	—	Aaron Miles	Six air-outs in 11 at-bats for a player who hasn’t homered since ’08.
21	—	Hector Gimenez	One hit better than De Jesus.
22	—	Blake Hawksworth	Fourth-inning homer allowed Wednesday costly.
23	—	Lance Cormier	Needs nine more innings to have longer Dodger career than Lance Carter.
24	16	Kenley Jansen	Nice to see him bounce back with two shutout innings Wednesday.
25	—	Juan Uribe	Four games, two singles, one somersault.
26	—	Ivan De Jesus Jr.	.125 OPS, 71% strikeout rate

Dodger Cogs and Dogs: That’s a Wrap edition

By Jon Weisman

On October 4, 2010

In Dodger Cogs and Dogs

Gary A. Vasquez/US PresswireClayton Kershaw: 22 years old, 2.91 ERA, 212 strikeouts

When I started doing Cogs and Dogs this spring, I had no idea … about anything. No idea where it would lead or if I would keep it going. In the end, I made it through the season with only a couple of missed off days, and I feel it was worth it in all its strange triviality.

The main thing I didn’t anticipate was how weak the list would look in the top 10. In the first five spots, you’ll find players who had unquestionably solid seasons. But then, starting at the No. 6 position, you have one of the year’s biggest disappointments, an injury-riddled shortstop, an aging third baseman prone to deep slumps, a homerless bench player and a first baseman who barely OPSed .700. And that, really, says as much as anything why the Dodgers aren’t playing any more this month

It seems appropriate to me that the top three spots go to the season-long stalwarts of the Dodger starting rotation, and that the top spot itself go to the team’s one truly exceptional player from start to finish in 2010, Clayton Kershaw. He was not only steady, almost never seeming to disappoint, but he was also the one guy who, as the year went by, most gave you that “What will he do next?” feeling. He’s a special player. Hopefully, a few more Dodgers can follow in his footsteps next year.

Here’s the final list, in all its dope and glory …


Final	9/13	8/23	8/9	7/26	7/12	High	Low	Player	Comment
1	1	1	1	1	1	1	20	Clayton Kershaw	In a year that taught us the dangers of too much hope, he was the exception that disproved the rule.
2	2	2	3	3	5	1	5	Hiroki Kuroda	Simply one of my favorite Dodgers of the past several years.
3	4	4	6	10	10	4	12	Chad Billingsley	One of the year’s best stories. What a thrill to see him come back so strong.
4	3	3	4	4	3	1	11	Andre Ethier	Mr. Intensity, Mr. Walkoff, ended with solid numbers but became kind of an afterthought. Was it injuries?
5	6	6	5	7	8	6	18	Hong-Chih Kuo	It was a privilege this year, Hong-Chih.
6	7	7	10	8	9	1	11	Matt Kemp	He finished strong. Hurdles happen, but next season will be a proving ground.
7	5	5	2	2	2	2	14	Rafael Furcal	Such talent handicapped by that sore body. Not sure what can be done about it.
8	10	13	12	11	11	6	16	Casey Blake	A really likeable player, straining for excellence, but gravity gets all of us in the end.
9	8	8	15	16	14	8	21	Jamey Carroll	The Engergizer bunny. He was the glue that held together this … well, fourth-place team, but still, good glue.
10	9	9	7	5	6	5	24	James Loney	If 2011 were 1977, Tommy Lasorda would just tell Loney to hit more home runs – and he would – and we’d all rejoice.
11	13	17	25	NR	NR	13	25	Ted Lilly	Fun to watch when he’s on a roll.
12	12	12	11	6	4	3	12	Manny Ramirez	As time passes, it’s going to be weird how brief the chaotic Ramirez era will seem. But no regrets. Not a one.
13	11	11	9	9	7	4	13	Jonathan Broxton	Brad Lidge (ERAs by year: 6.23, 3.60, 1.90, 2.29, 5.28, 3.36, 1.95, 7.21, 2.96) welcomes Broxton to the world of ups and downs.
14	14	14	13	14	15	2	15	Russell Martin	Just wondering if there’s a way back home for him.
15	16	15	14	15	13	12	16	Blake DeWitt	Worst comes to worst, maybe he morphs into Dave Hansen?
16	19	24	26	26	NR	24	26	Kenley Jansen	An exciting debut – just hope he doesn’t go Yhency on us. (Khenley?)
17	15	10	8	12	17	8	25	Vicente Padilla	Thought he’d just be medicore, instead of horrible/absent/great/absent. Be safe this winter, Vicente.
18	20	16	16	17	21	7	21	Carlos Monasterios	This guy pitched way above his station, including a 2.06 ERA in relief. He earned his roster spot all year.
19	22	NR	NR	NR	NR	22	22	Rod Barajas	Good home run power, but might be next year’s Ronnie Belliard.
20	17	18	17	13	12	5	26	John Ely	Prokapec of pickled peppers. Ely, don’t leave me this way.
21	26	23	23	24	24	9	26	Ramon Troncoso	2009: Made you forget Cory Wade. 2010: Made you remember Cory Wade.
22	35	32	29	27	26	19	35	A.J. Ellis	Not quite a John Lindsey story, but still a happy turn of events in September for this 29-year-old rookie.
23	21	27	33	NR	NR	21	33	Jay Gibbons	Fielded himself out of a chance to start for the Dodgers next year, but looks like a good part-timer to have.
24	23	21	28	NR	NR	21	28	Ryan Theriot	Still not convinced his defense is exceptional enough for that bat and that salary.
25	18	19	20	20	19	8	20	Reed Johnson	Basically solid against lefties, despite walking only five times all year.
26	24	22	21	21	22	21	24	Travis Schlichting	There’s going to come a time when I forget about his four-inning shutout heroics against Arizona, but man, at the time, it seemed huge.
27	27	25	18	19	18	17	27	Ronald Belisario	Belisario 2: Erratic Boogaloo
28	28	26	32	NR	NR	26	32	Octavio Dotel	We have to stop trading like this.
29	25	20	19	18	16	15	25	Jeff Weaver	Tough second half knocks him back to non-roster status for next Spring Training.
30	29	28	34	NR	NR	28	34	Scott Podsednik	Honestly, he really, really didn’t play well for the Dodgers. This trade was a bust.
31	31	30	27	25	25	23	31	Justin Miller	Vintage case of the up-and-down AAAA reliever. Helped more than he hurt, I feel.
32	30	29	24	23	20	7	30	Ronnie Belliard	Like George Costanza, sometimes you need to know when to leave the room.
33	32	31	22	22	23	15	32	Xavier Paul	Didn’t expect miracles from Paul, but was hoping for more than we got.
35	33	33	30	28	27	25	33	Jon Link	Amid all the bullpen trouble, it’s a little surprising he didn’t get a bit longer of a look.
34	34	34	31	29	28	23	34	Brad Ausmus	A million bucks for 22 times on base, but it was hard to feel bad about it Sunday.
36	36	36	36	35	36	26	36	George Sherrill	From glory to the gallows. My disbelief over how bad it got for him hasn’t gone away.
37	39	NR	NR	NR	NR	39	39	Trent Oeltjen	The Australian Chad Hermansen?
38	37	37	37	31	30	17	37	Ramon Ortiz	Thinking about him now makes me feel like I aged years this season.
39	40	NR	NR	NR	NR	40	40	John Lindsey	Smile of the year award. We’re holding a permanent spot for you in Dodger folklore.
40	38	NR	NR	NR	NR	38	38	Juan Castro	Strikeout, lineout, walk, strikeout, see ya …
41	41	38	38	32	31	27	41	Nick Green	It’s fascinating how worried the Dodgers were at one point about keeping him in the organization.
42	46	NR	NR	NR	NR	46	46	Russ Mitchell	42 at-bats, 36 outs, two homers and no walks is one of the oddest debuts I can remember.
43	43	39	39	33	33	3	43	Charlie Haeger	Had a thrilling first start, but it didn’t get much more painful in 2010 than watching him go outless against Colorado.
44	42	35	35	30	29	29	42	Chin-Lung Hu	Still waiting to see if he can reach Juan Castro heights for his career.
45	44	40	40	37	NR	37	44	James McDonald	He may end up having a nothing career, but his departure still leaves a bad taste.
46	45	42	42	36	35	22	45	Russ Ortiz	They got rid of him early. But next year, they’ll just be another one.
47	47	41	41	34	34	16	47	Garret Anderson	It was disconcerting to spend the year looking at someone younger than me seem so old. Now, he’s back to being younger than me forever.
48	48	43	43	38	32	32	48	Scott Elbert	Just four years ago, the future of Elbert and Greg Miller looked unlimited.
49	49	44	44	39	NR	39	49	Jack Taschner	In the end, I have tremendous respect for anyone who makes it this far.

Dodger Cogs and Dogs: Edition 13

By Jon Weisman

On September 13, 2010

In Dodger Cogs and Dogs

Gary A. Vasquez/US PresswireJeff Weaver – middling player of a middling team.

Man, this takes a long time to do now.


9/13	8/23	8/9	7/26	7/12	High	Low	Player	Comment
1	1	1	1	1	1	20	Clayton Kershaw	Needs three strikeouts to become youngest Dodger with 200K since Ramon Martinez (1990).
2	2	3	3	5	1	5	Hiroki Kuroda	Losing record (27-29) as Dodger despite 3.59 career ERA.
3	3	4	4	3	1	11	Andre Ethier	.716 OPS in 380 plate appearances since return from DL May 31.
4	4	6	10	10	4	12	Chad Billingsley	After decline from 9.0 K/9 in ’08 to 7.4 in ’10, this is a key stat to watch in ’11.
5	5	2	2	2	2	14	Rafael Furcal	Needs to play in 15 of Dodgers’ final 19 games to reach 100.
6	6	5	7	8	6	18	Hong-Chih Kuo	ERA after first outing of season: 54.00. Has improved since.
7	7	10	8	9	1	11	Matt Kemp	Who are the only Dodgers besides Kemp to have 100 more K than BB? Cory Snyder and Mike Marshall.
8	8	15	16	14	8	21	Jamey Carroll	Carroll, Kemp have team-high 49 walks; Ethier 48.
9	9	7	5	6	5	24	James Loney	One home run in past 36 starts.
10	13	12	11	11	6	16	Casey Blake	Can we find a platoon partner for him? .943 OPS vs. lefties in ’10.
11	11	9	9	7	4	13	Jonathan Broxton	Since minor-league debut in 2002, has never balked.
12	12	11	6	4	3	12	Manny Ramirez	Last home run was June 19.
13	17	25	NR	NR	17	25	Ted Lilly	Worst HR/9 rate (1.6) on Dodgers. Could become third L.A. Dodger pitcher to give up more homers than walks (min. 10 HR) after Newcombe, Mulholland.
14	14	13	14	15	2	15	Russell Martin	Despite injury, still ranks second in NL in catcher assists this season (59).
15	10	8	12	17	8	25	Vicente Padilla	3.80 ERA in 151 1/3 innings as Dodger, including playoffs.
16	15	14	15	13	12	15	Blake DeWitt	After good start, now in 8-for-56 slump with Cubs (three walks, one homer.)
17	18	17	13	12	5	26	John Ely	Threw over 100 pitches in first three Dodger starts, then only once in past 12.
18	19	20	20	19	8	20	Reed Johnson	Remains strong against lefties, except for lack of home runs against them.
19	24	26	26	NR	24	26	Kenley Jansen	No walks, seven strikeouts in past four outings (four innings).
20	16	16	17	21	7	21	Carlos Monasterios	Tied with Kuroda, Kershaw in race for most HR allowed by Dodger pitcher in ’10, one behind Padilla.
21	27	33	NR	NR	27	33	Jay Gibbons	His HR on Sunday was 17th by a Dodger cleanup hitter in 2010.
22	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	Rod Barajas	26th all-time in HR by L.A. Dodger catchers, one behind Navarro, Pena and Prince.
23	21	28	NR	NR	21	28	Ryan Theriot	In 0-for-21 slump, with three walks.
24	22	21	21	22	21	24	Travis Schlichting	One of two Dodgers with 1.000 winning percentage this year.
25	20	19	18	16	15	22	Jeff Weaver	Sunday outing was his first appearance in September. Has pitched 4 2/3 shutout innings since coming off DL in late August.
26	23	23	24	24	9	24	Ramon Troncoso	Three HR in 82 2/3 IP last year, seven in 44 2/3 this year.
27	25	18	19	18	17	25	Ronald Belisario	24 baserunners in 12 2/3 innings since return from restricted list.
28	26	32	NR	NR	26	32	Octavio Dotel	Has allowed more walks than hits as a Dodger.
29	28	34	NR	NR	28	34	Scott Podsednik	Battling plantar fasciitis, according to Tony Jackson.
30	29	24	23	20	7	29	Ronnie Belliard	Career batting average of .273, but never hit .300 in a single year.
31	30	27	25	25	23	30	Justin Miller	Finished AAA season with 1.95 ERA, 9.0 K/9.
32	31	22	22	23	15	31	Xavier Paul	Twelve HR with Isotopes this year, but no homers in 121 at-bats with Dodgers.
33	33	30	28	27	25	33	Jon Link	One of 42 pitchers used in Albuquerque this season.
34	34	31	29	28	23	34	Brad Ausmus	Will finish career seventh all-time in games caught.
35	32	29	27	26	19	32	A.J. Ellis	Hasn’t homered at any level since 2008.
36	36	36	35	36	26	36	George Sherrill	Still probably has a good five years or so left as a pitcher who can get out lefties.
37	37	37	31	30	17	37	Ramon Ortiz	Ranks sixth all-time among Dominican-born pitchers in HR allowed (222).
38	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	Juan Castro	Oldest Dodger to play one game for team in a year since Manny Mota in 1982.
39	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	Trent Oeltjen	First “Oe” Dodger since Joe Oeschger in 1925.
40	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	John Lindsey	Had .477 OBP, .719 slugging vs. lefties for Albuquerque.
41	38	38	32	31	27	38	Nick Green	Has played for nine organizations in past seven years.
42	35	35	30	29	29	35	Chin-Lung Hu	Career batting average dropped below .200 Sunday.
43	39	39	33	33	3	39	Charlie Haeger	Bookends with Isotopes: 0.7 HR/9, 7.0 BB/9.
44	40	40	37	NR	37	40	James McDonald	Take away seventh inning Aug. 27, and his Pirate ERA is 3.10 in seven starts.
45	42	42	36	35	22	42	Russ Ortiz	The Russ Ortiz era seems so long ago. Baseball has a long season, doesn’t it?
46	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	Russ Mitchell	Of his 15 outs, 13 have been hit in the air.
47	41	41	34	34	16	41	Garret Anderson	Second all-time to Ramirez in career hits for 1972-born players.
48	43	43	38	32	32	43	Scott Elbert	Career minor-league K/9 is 10.4.
49	44	44	39	NR	39	44	Jack Taschner	Spent eight days on active roster.

Dodger Cogs and Dogs: Edition 12

By Jon Weisman

On August 23, 2010

In Dodger Cogs and Dogs

Stephen Dunn/Getty ImagesJamey Carroll is on track to lead the Dodgers in walks this season.

This Dog Days edition of Dodger Cogs and Dogs is dedicated to Jamey Carroll, who kept the Dodger shortstop position with Rafael Furcal out from looking like the Dodger catcher position with Russell Martin out. Thanks to attrition elsewhere and to his own steady play, I’ve elevated the 36-year-old Carroll to No. 4 among position players and No. 8 overall, and he might not be done climbing.

But of course, that kind of tells the story of the 2010 Dodgers. To take another example, you all know what a big supporter I am of Chad Billingsley, but if a 3.70 ERA gets you the No. 4 spot on the list, something has gone quite wrong with your team.

8/23	8/9	7/26	7/12	High	Low	Player	Comment
1	1	1	1	1	20	Clayton Kershaw	Next year, he gets rid of the first-inning walks and goes after the Cy Young.
2	3	3	5	1	5	Hiroki Kuroda	The team’s heart and soul?
3	4	4	3	1	11	Andre Ethier	Slugging percentage past three years: .510, .508. .513.
4	6	10	10	6	12	Chad Billingsley	ERA now lower than Tim Lincecum’s.
5	2	2	2	2	14	Rafael Furcal	Might not play 81 games this year.
6	5	7	8	7	18	Hong-Chih Kuo	Opponents’ slugging percentage now at .204 this year.
7	10	8	9	1	11	Matt Kemp	The controversy has surely taken on a life of its own.
8	15	16	14	13	21	Jamey Carroll	Most walks without a homer by any Dodger since Bill North in ’78 (65).
9	7	5	6	5	24	James Loney	.344 BABIP in first half, .238 in second half.
10	8	12	17	8	25	Vicente Padilla	His meteoric rise to the top five got de-meteored.
11	9	9	7	4	13	Jonathan Broxton	Now in that Sherrill-like phase where he can’t get a streak of good games together.
12	11	6	4	3	12	Manny Ramirez	Needs 14 homerless games to match Furcal with eight homers in 76.
13	12	11	11	6	16	Casey Blake	One strikeout every 4.33 plate appearances, Kemp 4.02.
14	13	14	15	2	15	Russell Martin	Offseason decision on Martin’s fate hasn’t gotten any less interesting.
15	14	15	13	12	15	Blake DeWitt	.831 OPS as a Cub.
16	16	17	21	7	21	Carlos Monasterios	First career major-league error might have cost him a win.
17	25	NR	NR	25	25	Ted Lilly	Dodgers didn’t get Cliff Lee – just someone who is pitching like him.
18	17	13	12	5	26	John Ely	Place your bets: Is he in the 2011 starting rotation?
19	20	20	19	8	20	Reed Johnson	6 for 14 with double and homer since returning from DL in August.
20	19	18	16	15	22	Jeff Weaver	Combined ERA of Weaver, Troncoso, Belisario and Sherrill: 5.47.
21	28	NR	NR	28	28	Ryan Theriot	Will he and Carroll flip positions if they’re playing together in 2011?
22	21	21	22	21	24	Travis Schlichting	Tables turned: inherited runs harm his ERA for a change.
23	23	24	24	9	24	Ramon Troncoso	Before Sunday, he and Belisario had each allowed 39 hits in 39 innings.
24	26	26	NR	26	26	Kenley Jansen	In 9 2/3 innings, 13 baserunners and 13 strikeouts.
25	18	19	18	17	25	Ronald Belisario	Righties have hit him harder than lefties this year.
26	32	NR	NR	32	32	Octavio Dotel	Overall, he’s done fine, but he missed his chance to make a difference.
27	33	NR	NR	33	33	Jay Gibbons	Tied for eighth on the Dodgers in homers.
28	34	NR	NR	34	34	Scott Podsednik	Am I really supposed to be excited by a .337 OBP as a Dodger with no power?
29	24	23	20	7	24	Ronnie Belliard	Needs to avoid going 0 for 12 to keep batting average above .200 this year.
30	27	25	25	23	27	Justin Miller	Nine shutout innings of relief to start August for Isotopes.
31	22	22	23	15	23	Xavier Paul	Return to Albuquerque hasn’t gone well: .669 OPS, zero homers in August.
32	29	27	26	19	29	A.J. Ellis	Ellis, Ausmus now hitting a combined .203. What’s the problem?
33	30	28	27	25	30	Jon Link	Ten baserunners, three strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings, but I’d like another look at him.
34	31	29	28	23	31	Brad Ausmus	Doubled in first at-bat of season – no extra-base hits since.
35	35	30	29	29	35	Chin-Lung Hu	Went two for three in most recent game June 29 to put batting average at .300.
36	36	35	36	26	36	George Sherrill	Needs four more outs to match longest scoreless inning streak of season (3 2/3 innings).
37	37	31	30	17	37	Ramon Ortiz	Our man Ramon is now a Durham Bull, with a 1.59 ERA after one start.
38	38	32	31	27	38	Nick Green	His alma mater DeKalb College was renamed Georgia Perimeter in 1997.
39	39	33	33	3	39	Charlie Haeger	Remember that home game against Colorado? That seems so long ago.
40	40	37	NR	37	40	James McDonald	Three-run homer by David Wright in fifth torpedoed McDonald’s start Saturday.
41	41	34	34	16	41	Garret Anderson	In counting stats, his career matches up more than a little with Steve Garvey’s.
42	42	36	35	22	42	Russ Ortiz	A career .205 hitter with seven homers and 35 walks in 608 PA.
43	43	38	32	32	43	Scott Elbert	Was within a strike of getting three bases-loaded outs in 2010 debut; then his entire year began to unravel on next pitch.
44	44	39	NR	39	44	Jack Taschner	Nick Hundley is the batter Taschner retired as a Dodger.

Dodger Cogs and Dogs: Edition 11

By Jon Weisman

On August 9, 2010

In Dodger Cogs and Dogs

Danny Moloshok/APHong-Chih Kuo reaches the top five.

Well, the Dodgers just keep on adding players, and the Dodgers Cogs and Dogs machine keeps on churning. After using 45 players in 2007, 46 in 2008 and 47 in 2009, the Dodgers are already up to 44 now with an eye on 48 – or even 50, the total from 2005.

Remember that the rankings are partly subjective, and encompass value for the entire 2010 season.


8/9	7/26	7/12	High	Low	Player	Comment
1	1	1	1	20	Clayton Kershaw	Holds top spot despite Nationals’ double Dunn.
2	2	2	2	14	Rafael Furcal	Started only 72 of Dodgers’ first 112 games this season.
3	3	5	1	5	Hiroki Kuroda	Retired last 17 batters Saturday.
4	4	3	1	11	Andre Ethier	Off to good start in August, despite 0 for 3 Sunday.
5	7	8	7	18	Hong-Chih Kuo	Dunn on Saturday was only fourth batter in ’10 Kuo has had to face with bases loaded.
6	10	10	6	12	Chad Billingsley	Has allowed 0.5 HR/9 this season.
7	5	6	5	24	James Loney	Two homers, one steal away from first career 10-10 season.
8	12	17	12	25	Vicente Padilla	Leads NL in second-half ERA (1.04).
9	9	7	4	13	Jonathan Broxton	If he struggles as games grow more meaningless, that won’t help his rep, will it?
10	8	9	1	11	Matt Kemp	I’m already anticipating the 2011 Spring Training “Kemp is serious” stories.
11	6	4	3	12	Manny Ramirez	You can’t tell me he isn’t missed in the lineup.
12	11	11	6	16	Casey Blake	Averaging more than a strikeout a game in second half.
13	14	15	2	15	Russell Martin	In first 20 career starts, in 2006, Dodgers went 17-3.
14	15	13	12	15	Blake DeWitt	Homered off a lefty (Chris Capuano) in first week as a Cub.
15	16	14	13	21	Jamey Carroll	Most steals (seven) by a Dodger without being caught in 2010 – until Sunday.
16	17	21	7	21	Carlos Monasterios	Third on team in HR allowed with 10.
17	13	12	5	26	John Ely	Season falling apart? Has allowed 16 runs in past 4 2/3 minor-league innings.
18	19	18	17	25	Ronald Belisario	So, too early for him to start working on his 2011 visa paperwork now?
19	18	16	15	22	Jeff Weaver	July torpedoed his season – might be back to non-roster status in Spring Training ’11.
20	20	19	8	20	Reed Johnson	His next HBP will be 100th of his career.
21	21	22	21	24	Travis Schlichting	With Belisario and Weaver awaiting returns, probably won’t see him until September.
22	22	23	15	23	Xavier Paul	Michael Restovich (.854 OPS) was released when Paul went down, then resigned when Jay Gibbons went up.
23	24	24	9	24	Ramon Troncoso	He and Belisario combined for 142 games in ’09, might not get 100 this year.
24	23	20	7	23	Ronnie Belliard	Five HR in 24 games with Dodgers last year, two in 68 this year.
25	NR	NR	NR	NR	Ted Lilly	Eleven strikeouts, no walks in first two Dodger starts? Not Ely, Lilly.
26	26	NR	26	26	Kenley Jansen	No, even with Martin out, his catching career is done.
27	25	25	23	25	Justin Miller	Returned to Isotopes with three shutout appearances, lowering AAA ERA to 1.93.
28	NR	NR	NR	NR	Ryan Theriot	Carroll has won me over enough that I want him to stay in lineup over Theriot.
29	27	26	19	27	A.J. Ellis	Second extra-base hit in 55 at-bats arrived Sunday.
30	28	27	25	29	Jon Link	Wouldn’t be surprised to see him spend bulk of 2011 in majors.
31	29	28	23	29	Brad Ausmus	4 for 20 with a double at the plate this season – just like Padilla.
32	NR	NR	NR	NR	Octavio Dotel	Dotel is one of those guys who came to the Dodgers about 5-10 years after first rumors.
33	NR	NR	NR	NR	Jay Gibbons	Today marks third anniversary of last major-league hit before Sunday.
34	NR	NR	NR	NR	Scott Podsednik	.536 OPS, two errors, one inside-the-park homer allowed in first 11 games as Dodger.
35	30	29	29	30	Chin-Lung Hu	About to complete his sixth week on minor-league DL.
36	35	36	26	36	George Sherrill	Believe it or not, second on team in games pitched behind Broxton.
37	31	30	17	31	Ramon Ortiz	Pitched complete-game two-hitter for Buffalo on July 30; 0.93 ERA in past four starts.
38	32	31	27	32	Nick Green	Signing with Padres in July not enough to keep San Diego from pursuing Miguel Tejada.
39	33	33	3	36	Charlie Haeger	Now has better minor-league ERA this season than Ely.
40	37	NR	37	37	James McDonald	Had career 2.78 ERA, 8.0 K/9, .684 OPS as reliever when traded for a reliever.
41	34	34	16	34	Garret Anderson	As pinch-hitter, 12 for 50. Otherwise, 16 for 104.
42	36	35	22	36	Russ Ortiz	This space for rent.
43	38	32	32	38	Scott Elbert	Can’t remember the last time a significant L.A. prospect took a leave of absence like this.
44	39	NR	39	39	Jack Taschner	Five years from now, I’m going to quiz you on the Jack Taschner Era.

Dodger Cogs and Dogs: Edition 10

By Jon Weisman

On July 26, 2010

In Dodger Cogs and Dogs

Gary A. Vasquez/US PresswireVicente Padilla: No. 12 with a bullet (not in the leg).

James Loney at No. 5? Casey Blake at No. 11? The Dodger corner infielders each have two homers in July, but the team has been so strange that they still rank high.

And no, Kenley Jansen did not break in at No. 1 on our list, but he was high in our hearts. Remember, these rankings are a combination of objectivity and personal subjectivity …


7/26	7/12	High	Low	Player	Comment
1	1	1	20	Clayton Kershaw	Anyone outside of L.A. noticed that Roy Oswalt isn’t having a better year than Kershaw?
2	2	2	14	Rafael Furcal	Finally slows down: 3 for last 19, but still with five walks
3	5	1	5	Hiroki Kuroda	One inning from matching last year’s season total.
4	3	1	11	Andre Ethier	OPS remains sub-.700 since the pinkie.
5	6	6	24	James Loney	Leads team in doubles and game-winning homers vs. Mets.
6	4	3	12	Manny Ramirez	At 220 plate appearances and holding.
7	8	7	18	Hong-Chih Kuo	Best adjusted ERA in Los Angeles Dodger history, minimum 32 innings.
8	9	1	11	Matt Kemp	Since June 29, an .863 OPS.
9	7	4	13	Jonathan Broxton	Has had four perfect innings in 19 appearances since June 1.
10	10	6	12	Chad Billingsley	Gets an extra day off today after 125-pitch outing.
11	11	6	16	Casey Blake	After starting month 6 for 48, he’s 8 for last 23.
12	17	15	25	Vicente Padilla	ERA, K/9, BB/9, H/9 all now better than Kuroda’s.
13	12	5	26	John Ely	Consecutive good outings for Albuquerque.
14	15	2	15	Russell Martin	Caught-stealing percentage has improved to career-best 40%.
15	13	12	15	Blake DeWitt	Seriously, why has he gone from nine homers in ’08 to one this year?
16	14	13	21	Jamey Carroll	Slacker has only played four positions this year.
17	21	7	21	Carlos Monasterios	0.82 ERA in 11 innings since return from disabled list.
18	16	15	22	Jeff Weaver	Still fourth on team in wins.
19	18	17	25	Ronald Belisario	Last outing on July 5 was best of season.
20	19	8	20	Reed Johnson	Snuck in a 66th game this year to pass last year’s mark by one.
21	22	22	24	Travis Schlichting	With eight inherited runners allowed in 20 innings, it’s a deceptive 2.25 ERA.
22	23	15	23	Xavier Paul	.350 OBP vs. LHP this season.
23	20	7	21	Ronnie Belliard	.107 slugging percentage in July.
24	24	9	24	Ramon Troncoso	Taking longer than expected to come back: has allowed six runs in past 8 1/3 innings for Isotopes.
25	25	23	25	Justin Miller	And now to the other Justin Miller: 2.55 ERA in Chattanooga.
26	NR	NR	NR	Kenley Jansen	It’s exciting, but pace yourself, Torre.
27	26	19	26	A.J. Ellis	.286 OBP, .224 slugging percentage in first extended L.A. stay.
28	27	25	29	Jon Link	Retired four of six batters in most recent Dodger stint.
29	28	23	28	Brad Ausmus	Mr. 1-for-4, like clockwork, every three months.
30	29	29	29	Chin-Lung Hu	Tuesday marks four weeks since his last game.
31	30	17	31	Ramon Ortiz	Six Dodger relievers have worse ERAs than Ortiz’s 6.30.
32	31	27	32	Nick Green	DFAed by Toronto, signed with Padres organization last week.
33	33	3	36	Charlie Haeger	ERA is 4.99 at Albuquerque in 30 2/3 innings.
34	34	16	34	Garret Anderson	OBP by month: .159, .216, .217, .250. Trending up!
35	36	26	36	George Sherrill	Approaching anniversary of coming to L.A., Sherrill’s Dodger ERA is 3.58.
36	35	22	36	Russ Ortiz	Stayed ahead of Sherrill until Saturday.
37	NR	NR	NR	James McDonald	Don’t tell my heart, my achy-breaky heart …
38	32	32	35	Scott Elbert	… I just don’t think it’d understand.
39	NR	NR	NR	Jack Taschner	His callup and Jansen’s a study in contrasts.

Dodger Cog and Dogs: All-Star Break Edition 9

By Jon Weisman

On July 12, 2010

In Dodger Cogs and Dogs

Gary A. Vasquez/US PresswireClayton Kershaw leads the National League in strikeouts per nine innings. His 2.96 ERA is ninth in the NL.

He didn’t make the National League All-Star team, but Clayton Kershaw is the Dodger Thoughts top cog for the first half of the 2010 season.

Andre Ethier, Rafael Furcal and Hiroki Kuroda each had hot streaks, but Kershaw was consistently strong for almost the entire season to date. In 2010, he has thrown 12 quality starts in 18 tries (most of those better than the six-inning, three-run variety) and allowed a maximum of two runs over at least five innings in three others. In only two starts this season has he failed to keep the Dodgers in the game.

After walking 24 batters in his first 30 2/3 innings, Kershaw has even gone a long way toward solving his biggest weakness, walking 26 in his last 81 1/3 innings. It has just been a very impressive first half, and the Dodgers are lucky to have him.


7/12	7/1	6/21	6/10	5/24	5/13	5/3	4/19	4/12	Player	Comment
1	1	1	2	3	5	6	10	20	Clayton Kershaw	In 18 starts this year, allowed more than three earned runs only twice.
2	3	4	10	14	9	7	8	4	Rafael Furcal	Reminding me of Magic Johnson lately. He’s the playmaker.
3	4	3	1	1	1	1	2	11	Andre Ethier	Back in the swing of it with OPS over 1.000 in July.
4	5	5	12	5	3	4	4	9	Manny Ramirez	Team-high 155 adjusted OPS (.937 OPS).
5	2	2	3	2	2	2	3	1	Hiroki Kuroda	Disappointing to see him struggle after such a strong first three months.
6	8	8	13	10	6	8	9	24	James Loney	He can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan.
7	6	6	4	11	10	5	6	13	Jonathan Broxton	Broxton in the St. Louis heat next weekend: Bring some towels.
8	7	7	8	16	18	NR	NR	NR	Hong-Chih Kuo	The All-Star stranded two runners Sunday to lower ERA to 0.99.
9	11	9	9	4	4	3	1	5	Matt Kemp	Frequent newsmaker leads team in HR, R, SB, CS, SO.
10	10	10	6	8	11	12	12	10	Chad Billingsley	Allowed three HR to first eight batters May 31, none in 37 1/3 IP since.
11	12	12	11	9	16	11	7	6	Casey Blake	Keep wanting to drop him because he’s really not hitting, but this is where he goes.
12	9	11	5	7	8	26	NR	NR	John Ely	No one has forgotten what he meant to this team when the chips were down.
13	14	13	14	12	12	15	14	14	Blake DeWitt	So far, OPS has improved for four consecutive months: .856 in July.
14	13	15	16	13	17	18	21	18	Jamey Carroll	Pitching is hard: Carroll has seven extra-base hits, 31 walks.
15	15	14	15	6	7	10	5	2	Russell Martin	Offense is hard to watch, but seems like he’s throwing his best in a few years.
16	16	16	18	21	22	21	17	15	Jeff Weaver	Fourth on the team in wins.
17	22	25	25	22	23	20	15	25	Vicente Padilla	Well, isn’t this a pleasant development: 10 walks, 54 strikeouts in 2010.
18	17	17	17	25	24	NR	NR	NR	Ronald Belisario	Really seemed like he had been finding a groove.
19	19	20	20	20	20	17	20	8	Reed Johnson	You’re no Jamey Carroll, Reed – it’s okay if you hit a homer this year.
20	18	19	21	19	13	14	13	7	Ronnie Belliard	Since June 28, 0 for 17 with four walks.
21	20	18	7	18	14	16	18	21	Carlos Monasterios	45 more games to September 1, and he’s a Dodger for keeps.
22	24	23	24	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	Travis Schlichting	Hershiser’s record safe for now.
23	21	21	22	15	19	19	NR	NR	Xavier Paul	57 plate appearances since his last extra-base hit
24	23	22	19	17	15	9	11	12	Ramon Troncoso	Not expecting his demotion to last long.
25	25	24	23	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	Justin Miller	Pitching with a lead: opponents 10 for 24. Otherwise, opponents 11 for 63.
26	26	26	26	23	25	22	19	19	A.J. Ellis	So little power, so little time.
27	27	27	27	29	29	28	25	NR	Jon Link	Unscored upon in past 10 1/3 innings with Isotopes.
28	28	28	28	24	26	24	23	23	Brad Ausmus	Has as many doubles as Ellis this year.
29	29	29	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	Chin-Lung Hu	He will not be Taiwan’s first to play in MLB All-Star Game.
30	30	31	29	26	21	23	24	17	Ramon Ortiz	Continues to struggle in Buffalo worse than he had been with Dodgers.
31	31	32	30	27	27	NR	NR	NR	Nick Green	Eighteen doubles last year, none this year.
32	32	33	35	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	Scott Elbert	For arguably the team’s No. 1 pitching prospect to have this kind of year is something else.
33	34	36	34	31	31	25	16	3	Charlie Haeger	Don’t think we’ll see him back this season.
34	33	30	33	32	32	30	22	16	Garret Anderson	Jay Gibbons OPSed .621 in last major-league season three years ago.
35	36	35	32	30	30	29	27	22	Russ Ortiz	Gave up one double and no homers this year.
36	35	34	31	28	28	27	26	26	George Sherrill	Has recorded one out this month.

Dodger Cogs and Dogs: Edition 8

By Jon Weisman

On July 1, 2010

In Dodger Cogs and Dogs, Uncategorized

Gary A. Vasquez/US PresswireJames Loney has a .923 OPS with runners in scoring position, .698 with the bases empty.

In the final Dodger Cogs and Dogs before the season’s halfway point and the All-Star Break, we (okay, I) had by far the least amount of change in the rankings, which is understandable. But there are still four players who have a shot at being the Dodgers’ first-half MVP.

Remember – these ratings reflect full-season value but are partly subjective.


7/1	6/21	6/10	5/24	5/13	5/3	4/19	4/12	Player	Comment
1	1	2	3	5	6	10	20	Clayton Kershaw	Is he getting it? Six walks in past 28 innings (1.9 BB/9).
2	2	3	2	2	2	3	1	Hiroki Kuroda	K/9 with Dodgers by year: 5.7 in 2008, 6.7 in 2009, 7.2 in 2010.
3	4	10	14	9	7	8	4	Rafael Furcal	Tour de force in San Francisco. Magnificent.
4	3	1	1	1	1	2	11	Andre Ethier	.592 OPS since coming off DL.
5	5	12	5	3	4	4	9	Manny Ramirez	In 9,653 career plate appearances. OPS is 1.000 (.411/.589)
6	6	4	11	10	5	6	13	Jonathan Broxton	Previous career-high in pitches 44 on 7/3/06. Rested three days, hit hard in next two games, then recovered.
7	8	13	10	6	8	9	24	James Loney	Has 47 RBI in past 53 starts.
8	7	8	16	18	NR	NR	NR	Hong-Chih Kuo	What is Torre’s rationale for warming Kuo up in bullpen Wednesday with huge lead?
9	11	5	7	8	26	NR	NR	John Ely	Better ERA than Billingsley in only eight fewer innings.
10	10	6	8	11	12	12	10	Chad Billingsley	Had 11 strikeouts May 31, 11 strikeouts since.
11	9	9	4	4	3	1	5	Matt Kemp	Who doth the spotlight fall upon anon?
12	12	11	9	16	11	7	6	Casey Blake	Slumped in June after strong start for second straight year.
13	15	16	13	17	18	21	18	Jamey Carroll	With a .400+ OBP against righties, will 36-year-old take over second base?
14	13	14	12	12	15	14	14	Blake DeWitt	Only 35 plate appearances against lefties this season.
15	14	15	6	7	10	5	2	Russell Martin	Slugging .178 since last double June 15, .280 since last homer May 11.
16	16	18	21	22	21	17	15	Jeff Weaver	Has allowed three of 17 inherited runners to score this season.
17	17	17	25	24	NR	NR	NR	Ronald Belisario	20 baserunners, 1.53 ERA in last 17 2/3 IP, but allowed three of five inherited runners to score.
18	19	21	19	13	14	13	7	Ronnie Belliard	Won’t surprise you to learn he’s hitting righties better than Anderson.
19	20	20	20	20	17	20	8	Reed Johnson	Also hitting righties better than Anderson – barely.
20	18	7	18	14	16	18	21	Carlos Monasterios	In final three starts, opponents slugged .704.
21	21	22	15	19	19	NR	NR	Xavier Paul	If Manny goes on DL, I think Paul should say farewell to AAA for good in 2010. (Hint.)
22	25	25	22	23	20	15	25	Vicente Padilla	In past two games, pitching like an opening day starter …
23	22	19	17	15	9	11	12	Ramon Troncoso	BABIP by month in 2010: .225, .257, .382.
24	23	24	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	Travis Schlichting	Third-best career ERA in Dodger history (0.87), minimum 10 innings.
25	24	23	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	Justin Miller	Midnight came early for Miller: seven runs, 17 baserunners in past 9 1/3 IP.
26	26	26	23	25	22	19	19	A.J. Ellis	Shirley, he can do better than a .250 slugging percentage.
27	27	27	29	29	28	25	NR	Jon Link	FYI, this guy isn’t really a kid – he’s 26.
28	28	28	24	26	24	23	23	Brad Ausmus	Hearing reports he might be back sooner than expected.
29	29	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	Chin-Lung Hu	Seven walks in 55 games at AAA this season.
30	31	29	26	21	23	24	17	Ramon Ortiz	Hammered Time: nine runs, 14 baserunners in three innings Monday for Buffalo.
31	32	30	27	27	NR	NR	NR	Nick Green	Toronto update: 1 for 3 with a walk in four games.
32	33	35	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	Scott Elbert	Saturday marks a month since his last AAA appearance.
33	30	33	32	32	30	22	16	Garret Anderson	Five strikeouts in past six plate appearances; three walks all year.
34	36	34	31	31	25	16	3	Charlie Haeger	Returns to Albuquerque, no strings attached, after clearing waivers.
35	34	31	28	28	27	26	26	George Sherrill	As others have indicated, righties have 1.196 OPS vs. Sherrill, lefties .668.
36	35	32	30	30	29	27	22	Russ Ortiz	Highest single-season Dodger ERA this century is Trever Miller’s 23.14 (2 1/3 IP).

Dodger Thoughts

Jon Weisman's outlet for dealing psychologically with the Los Angeles Dodgers, baseball and life

Category: Dodger Cogs and Dogs (Page 1 of 2)

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