Dodger Cogs and Dogs – Page 2

Dodger Cogs and Dogs: Edition 7

On June 21, 2010

Courtesy Los Angeles Dodgers/Jon SooHoo
Roberto Baly, blogger of Vin Scully Is My Homeboy, at Fenway Park.

Remember back when all the Dodger pitchers were on a roll? Good times.

6/21 .	6/10 .	5/24 .	5/13 .	5/3 .	4/19 .	4/12 .	Player	Comment
1	2	3	5	6	10	20	Clayton Kershaw	10.3 strikeouts per nine innings. Tossup between him and Kuroda.
2	3	2	2	2	3	1	Hiroki Kuroda	Has held opposition to three earned runs or less in 12 of 14 starts.
3	1	1	1	1	2	11	Andre Ethier	Faced with the fact that he’s a non-contributor since May 14.
4	10	14	9	7	8	4	Rafael Furcal	At the top of his game before father’s tragic death.
5	12	5	3	4	4	9	Manny Ramirez	Snaps out of his slump just as several Dodgers enter one.
6	4	11	10	5	6	13	Jonathan Broxton	One batter faced in past eight days.
7	8	16	18	NR	NR	NR	Hong-Chih Kuo	Wowed ’em in Fenway.
8	13	10	6	8	9	24	James Loney	I kind of get excited when he’s up now. That stopped being the case last year.
9	9	4	4	3	1	5	Matt Kemp	Everyone has a theory about his struggles, but who’s got the answer?
10	6	8	11	12	12	10	Chad Billingsley	That was an ill-timed injury, but hopefully it’s being nipped in the bud.
11	5	7	8	26	NR	NR	John Ely	The big test is coming: Can he keep the ball in the park?
12	11	9	16	11	7	6	Casey Blake	.551 OPS, one extra-base hit in 49 June plate appearances.
13	14	12	12	15	14	14	Blake DeWitt	HBP won’t keep him out of any games, according to Tony Jackson.
14	15	6	7	10	5	2	Russell Martin	OBP is 99 points above batting average, thanks to team-high 31 walks.
15	16	13	17	18	21	18	Jamey Carroll	A walking machine whose .385 OBP leads Dodger position players.
16	18	21	22	21	17	15	Jeff Weaver	Guy has really created a second career for himself as reliever.
17	17	25	24	NR	NR	NR	Ronald Belisario	Six straight scoreless appearances before Saturday.
18	7	18	14	16	18	21	Carlos Monasterios	It doesn’t need to be a serious injury to be an injury.
19	21	19	13	14	13	7	Ronnie Belliard	Has highest OPS (.747) of Dodger reserves.
20	20	20	20	17	20	8	Reed Johnson	In 43 plate appearances since May 17, 16 for 40 (.400) with two walks, two doubles.
21	22	15	19	19	NR	NR	Xavier Paul	Anderson’s hot streak has him waiting for the next injury.
22	19	17	15	9	11	12	Ramon Troncoso	Just needs the shoulder surgery to seal Cory Wade Award.
23	24	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	Travis Schlichting	Scoreless streak at 7 2/3 innings now.
24	23	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	Justin Miller	Struck out seven of 13 batters faced in three shutout innings on roadtrip.
25	25	22	23	20	15	25	Vicente Padilla	Encouraging comeback start spoiled by sixth-inning HR on Saturday.
26	26	23	25	22	19	19	A.J. Ellis	Would like to see him get his second career two-hit game.
27	27	29	29	28	25	NR	Jon Link	If Haeger blows up again, we might see him arrive on the roster shuttle this weekend.
28	28	24	26	24	23	23	Brad Ausmus	Taking batting practice but a long ways from returning, says Ken Gurnick.
29	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	Chin-Lung Hu	An infinitely good hitter and fielder for the Dodgers this season.
30	33	32	32	30	22	16	Garret Anderson	In past eight games, 8 for 18 (.444) with homer and three doubles.
31	29	26	21	23	24	17	Ramon Ortiz	Twenty different batters had 1.000 OBP against him this year.
32	30	27	27	NR	NR	NR	Nick Green	Entered game in ninth inning and flied out in first at-bat for Toronto on Sunday.
33	35	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	Scott Elbert	Hope things get better, Scott.
34	31	28	28	27	26	26	George Sherrill	Four straight scoreless appearances (thanks in part to Miller bailing him out after leadoff triple Sunday).
35	32	30	30	29	27	22	Russ Ortiz	Had a 0.25 ERA with 63 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings with San Jose in 1996.
36	34	31	31	25	16	3	Charlie Haeger	Pitched much better Sunday, but still walked four in six innings.

Dodger Cogs and Dogs: Edition 6

By Jon Weisman

On June 10, 2010

In Dodger Cogs and Dogs, Pitching

Jeff Gross/Getty Images
Clayton Kershaw, whose May 8 excellence marked a turning point in the Dodger season, leads the major leagues in strikeouts per nine innings.

In this edition of Dodger Cogs and Dogs, we’re giving it over to the pitchers, who have taken things over. The hitting has remained timely enough, but the pitching has been just shy of dominating – and not just in the recent homestand. In the 30 games since May 8, the day Clayton Kershaw shut out Ubaldo Jimenez and Colorado – we’re talking half the season now – the Dodger team ERA is 2.88.

No Cogs and Dogs on Monday’s off day – that’s too soon. The next C&D will be June 21.

6/10 .	5/24 .	5/13 .	5/3 .	4/19 .	4/12 .	Player	Comment
1	1	1	1	2	11	Andre Ethier	Only OPSing .736 since return from DL, but we’ll let him slide.
2	3	5	6	10	20	Clayton Kershaw	Out of 13 starts this year, 12 allowing three earned runs or less.
3	2	2	2	3	1	Hiroki Kuroda	Brief decline reversed in a big way Tuesday, lowering ERA to 3.30.
4	11	10	5	6	13	Jonathan Broxton	When the ERA goes down to 0.95, you get extra credit.
5	7	8	26	NR	NR	John Ely	If Sunday’s counts as a bad Ely start, I’ll take it.
6	8	11	12	12	10	Chad Billingsley	With 230 pitches in past two starts, extra day off might help.
7	18	14	16	18	21	Carlos Monasterios	Forget where he came from: He’s fifth on the team in innings and ERA.
8	16	18	NR	NR	NR	Hong-Chih Kuo	Lefty batters: 0 for 20 with a walk and a sac fly. Righties only OPSing .520.
9	4	4	3	1	5	Matt Kemp	Less spectacular than before but still solid, reaching base in 24 of past 25 games.
10	14	9	7	8	4	Rafael Furcal	Looking better almost every day.
11	9	16	11	7	6	Casey Blake	Blake was on verge of passing Ramirez in offensive value (let alone defensive) before Wednesday.
12	5	3	4	4	9	Manny Ramirez	With days off and DHing, might only play four games in LF through June 24.
13	10	6	8	9	24	James Loney	Would just love to see him have one of those red-hot months before September.
14	12	12	15	14	14	Blake DeWitt	Hitting and fielding are improving gradually.
15	6	7	10	5	2	Russell Martin	I was propping him up for too long. Hang in there, Russell.
16	13	17	18	21	18	Jamey Carroll	Best walk rate on the team.
17	25	24	NR	NR	NR	Ronald Belisario	Bumped up by popular demand and belief that despite ERA, he has been key.
18	21	22	21	17	15	Jeff Weaver	Has faced eight batters in past 11 days.
19	17	15	9	11	12	Ramon Troncoso	A phantom DL trip wouldn’t be the worst idea and would be easy to sell.
20	20	20	17	20	8	Reed Johnson	.852 OPS vs. lefties, .642 vs. righties. Would help more if reversed.
21	19	13	14	13	7	Ronnie Belliard	Numbers are holding up, but just doesn’t play a lot.
22	15	19	19	NR	NR	Xavier Paul	Still happy with what he did, but he was ranked too high last time.
23	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	Justin Miller	Six strikeouts, 1.23 ERA in 7 1/3 innings.
24	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	Travis Schlichting	Just one game for the Dodgers, but what a game.
25	22	23	20	15	25	Vicente Padilla	His return could come at just the right time. But he won’t be as fun as Carlos.
26	23	25	22	19	19	A.J. Ellis	He should be able to stay in the majors as backup for some time to come.
27	29	29	28	25	NR	Jon Link	Reestablished himself as viable emergency reliever with two shutout innings.
28	24	26	24	23	23	Brad Ausmus	His .750 OPS is third-highest of his career (minimum four plate appearances).
29	26	21	23	24	17	Ramon Ortiz	Still sixth on team with 30 innings, 1 2/3 more than Broxton. That gets a “Yikes!”
30	27	27	NR	NR	NR	Nick Green	Biggest achievement of ’10: reminding Ned Colletti that some players do clear waivers.
31	28	28	27	26	26	George Sherrill	I think he can, I think he can, I think he can …
32	30	30	29	27	22	Russ Ortiz	This is it, Russ. Next time, I’m bumping Anderson up for intangibles.
33	32	32	30	22	16	Garret Anderson	Two RBI in his past seven games … and his average is still tumbling
34	31	31	25	16	3	Charlie Haeger	I think he actually is hurt; I also think he’d clear waivers.
35	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	Scott Elbert	Don’t call up a struggling pitcher for a game at Colorado, okay?

Dodger Cogs and Dogs: Edition 5

By Jon Weisman

On May 24, 2010

In Dodger Cogs and Dogs

One of the keys to understanding Dodger Cogs and Dogs is that workload matters. That’s why Jonathan Broxton has trouble staying in the top 10 despite All-Star caliber performance, why Rafael Furcal has fallen behind Jamey Carroll, and why Ramon Troncoso outranks Jeff Weaver despite a poorer ERA. Now, I’m not exactly applying this in an analytical way – as always, this feature intentionally is meant to have a big subjective element. But in determining which Dodgers have been more valuable over the course of the entire season, I have to give some consideration to the guys who are carrying more playing time.

This was an interesting set of rankings, as the four main Dodger starting pitchers now have above-average 2010 performance for the first time this season. The pendulum of the season that was so far on the side of offense has been swinging back – without the offense really being in that much of a decline.

5/24 .	5/13 .	5/3 .	4/19 .	4/12 .	Player	Comment
1	1	1	2	11	Andre Ethier	Eagerly waiting to see if he can pick up where he left off.
2	2	2	3	1	Hiroki Kuroda	Three runs in six innings constitutes a bad start in ’10.
3	5	6	10	20	Clayton Kershaw	Could be his last time behind Kuroda in the rankings.
4	4	3	1	5	Matt Kemp	On pace for 33 homers despite missing on his 10th Sunday; defense still inconsistent.
5	3	4	4	9	Manny Ramirez	Sub-.700 OPS since coming off the DL.
6	7	10	5	2	Russell Martin	Might be ranked too high, but subjective points for appearance of being team backbone again.
7	8	26	NR	NR	John Ely	Nice to see him survive adversity Saturday.
8	11	12	12	10	Chad Billingsley	Combined with Ely, his rebound made this a team with pitching again.
9	16	11	7	6	Casey Blake	Just when he finally was looking his age at the plate, a resurgence. Too many errors, though.
10	6	8	9	24	James Loney	Doesn’t make headlines, doesn’t hit enough for his position, but still valuable.
11	10	5	6	13	Jonathan Broxton	18 2/3 innings, 18 baserunners, 29 strikeouts
12	12	15	14	14	Blake DeWitt	Seems to be steadily improving. Three triples last week – more power a matter of time?
13	17	18	21	18	Jamey Carroll	Our own little pesky Eckstein – who’d have thunk?
14	9	7	8	4	Rafael Furcal	Gonna have to start out well to avoid “Bring Back Carroll” chants from the “What have you done for me lately” crowd.
15	19	19	NR	NR	Xavier Paul	Very quietly just hitting, and hitting, and hitting. Is he the outfield’s Ely?
16	18	NR	NR	NR	Hong-Chih Kuo	Kuo is just the man. Do I need to say more?
17	15	9	11	12	Ramon Troncoso	Victim of his own success – Cogs & Dogs trying not to overpunish him for being overused.
18	14	16	18	21	Carlos Monasterios	One apperance since May 11, but we’re still fans.
19	13	14	13	7	Ronnie Belliard	Declining factor compared with April.
20	20	17	20	8	Reed Johnson	Uh, did you know he went 8 for 12 last week? Most of the Dodger bench has been pretty grand.
21	22	21	17	15	Jeff Weaver	Is it kinda strange how he keeps getting the job done?
22	23	20	15	25	Vicente Padilla	Hey, he could be a great No. 5 starter next month.
23	25	22	19	19	A.J. Ellis	No automatic out – if he plays.
24	26	24	23	23	Brad Ausmus	Yeah, you know he’s moving up in the rankings! Oh wait – maybe that’s not good.
25	24	NR	NR	NR	Ronald Belisario	Still like him, but this season he’s at 14 1/3 innings, 10 runs.
26	21	23	24	17	Ramon Ortiz	He’s just not gonna fool enough of the people enough of the time.
27	27	NR	NR	NR	Nick Green	Made a couple of loud outs in his first start.
28	28	27	26	26	George Sherrill	Last Dodger pitcher to go from this great to this awful: Hideo Nomo?
29	29	28	25	NR	Jon Link	Not the key to the Juan Pierre trade, it turns out.
30	30	29	27	22	Russ Ortiz	Sherrill still hasn’t put Ortiz completely out of rear-view mirror.
31	31	25	16	3	Charlie Haeger	Reportedly has solved mechanical trouble, says Tony Jackson.
32	32	30	22	16	Garret Anderson	Three hits in past eight at-bats, but hasn’t risen above painful stage.

Dodger Cogs and Dogs: Edition 4

By Jon Weisman

On May 13, 2010

In Dodger Cogs and Dogs

Mark J. Rebilas/US PresswireAndre Ethier: .385/.444/.738. On pace for 55 homers, 185 RBI.

Andre Ethier isn’t carrying the Dodgers by himself. There’s Hiroki Kuroda on the mound, and Manny Ramirez when he’s healthy. After that on today’s edition of Dodger Cogs and Dogs, you go from supreme to solid … to not without their moments … to a fairly long list of names that mostly seem to be occupying space. All in all, that’s how you get to .500.

Remember – this list is designed to measure overall season value, but with some subjectivity on my part mixed in with the stats to make it interesting. Have at it …

5/13 .	5/03 .	4/19 .	4/12 .	Player	Comment
1	1	2	11	Andre Ethier	The wild and the innocent no match for the Ethier Street Shuffle.
2	2	3	1	Hiroki Kuroda	Seven starts this year, six of them rather grand.
3	4	4	9	Manny Ramirez	.500 on-base percentage since coming off DL.
4	3	1	5	Matt Kemp	Homerless in past 20 games, but season numbers remain strong.
5	6	10	20	Clayton Kershaw	2.41 ERA in ’10 if the fates would remove the Milwaukee game.
6	8	9	24	James Loney	Snaps 0-for-13 slump by going 7 for 14 in Arizona.
7	10	5	2	Russell Martin	6 for 21 with two walks and two homers in past five games as leadoff hitter.
8	26	NR	NR	John Ely	No joke: He has meant this much.
9	7	8	4	Rafael Furcal	Technically in 4-for-22 skid when he comes off disabled list.
10	5	6	13	Jonathan Broxton	Opponents have .444 (12 for 27) batting average on balls in play.
11	12	12	10	Chad Billingsley	On the precipice of … something.
12	15	14	14	Blake DeWitt	Homerless in 2008 until May 4, then hit four in his next nine games.
13	14	13	7	Ronnie Belliard	Has only home run among Dodger middle infielders in 2010.
14	16	18	21	Carlos Monasterios	Mini-Ely: Five walks in 20 2/3 innings so far.
15	9	11	12	Ramon Troncoso	Last year: five of 32 inherited runners scored. This year: eight of 17.
16	11	7	6	Casey Blake	Golden sombrero (and sixth error) Wednesday leaves him with .512 OPS since two-homer game 4/24.
17	18	21	18	Jamey Carroll	.697 OPS as Dodgers went 8-6 with Furcal on DL.
18	NR	NR	NR	Hong-Chih Kuo	Pitches so infrequently (5 1/3 innings in ’10) that no one noticed I forgot about him.
19	19	NR	NR	Xavier Paul	Earned the right to stay with the big club.
20	17	20	8	Reed Johnson	Lowered the bar for Ramirez’s return by going 2 for 15 this month.
21	23	24	17	Ramon Ortiz	Entering Friday’s game, hard to argue that Weaver or Padilla has been more valuable.
22	21	17	15	Jeff Weaver	Two strikeouts Tuesday were a good but small sign.
23	20	15	25	Vicente Padilla	There’s an opening for a No. 5 starter in June …
24	NR	NR	NR	Ronald Belisario	Has looked great at times, but 6.52 ERA more than hints at inconsistency.
25	22	19	19	A.J. Ellis	Has one at-bat since last start 16 days ago.
26	24	23	23	Brad Ausmus	Has caught two innings fewer than Ellis this month.
27	NR	NR	NR	Nick Green	Dodgers might actually have to DFA him Friday unless Haeger’s foot disease is catching.
28	27	26	26	George Sherrill	In addition to 7.94 ERA, 10 of 15 inherited runners have scored.
29	28	25	NR	Jon Link	Albuquerque ERA (not factored into Cog/Dog ranking) now at 10.45 – yes, that decimal point is placed correctly.
30	29	27	22	Russ Ortiz	I’m betting that Sherrill stays above Ortiz, but it’s getting dicey.
31	25	16	3	Charlie Haeger	They say knuckleballers can work constantly, but did he overdo it?
32	30	22	16	Garret Anderson	Currently tied for third place, lowest single-season OPS+ in L.A. Dodger history (minimum 50 PA).

Dodger Cogs and Dogs: Edition 3

By Jon Weisman

On May 3, 2010

In Dodger Cogs and Dogs

Gary A. Vasquez/US Presswire
Xavier Paul congratulates Andre Ethier for the first of two home runs Sunday.

The third edition of Dodgers Cogs and Dogs was the hardest, in large part because now the injured players have become a bit more relevant than Brad Ausmus. The absences of Manny Ramirez, Rafael Furcal and Vicente Padilla, among others, complicated matters and made me revisit what exactly I was ranking. The answer: most valuable Dodgers this season to date, though if a little “what have you done for me lately” creeps in here and there, you’ll have to forgive me.

I also factored in what a player’s responsibility has been, which is why, for example, Carlos Monasterios’ sizzling ERA doesn’t place him higher.

Anyway, it’s all in good fun, at least until you get near the bottom …

5/03 .	4/19 .	4/12 .	Player	Comment
1	2	11	Andre Ethier	Holy cow, our little “Can he beat out Juan Pierre?” has become a monster, leading the NL in OPS.
2	3	1	Hiroki Kuroda	Showing what he can do when healthy, averaging seven innings per start.
3	1	5	Matt Kemp	Despite the mental whiplash of last week, a major key to the team.
4	4	9	Manny Ramirez	Here’s where rankings start to get tricky, but Manny superb in limited minutes.
5	6	13	Jonathan Broxton	Takes the 0.00 ERA into May.
6	10	20	Clayton Kershaw	Walks are crazy, but a 3.07 ERA over five starts helps.
7	8	4	Rafael Furcal	Only once in his career has injured Furcal had better adjusted OPS than current 116 – in ’08, of course.
8	9	24	James Loney	Is the Mark Grace version of Loney on his way?
9	11	12	Ramon Troncoso	Holding himself and bullpen together: In 16 games this year, 17 baserunners allowed over 14 innings.
10	5	2	Russell Martin	Slumping but still above-average this year.
11	7	6	Casey Blake	See Martin.
12	12	10	Chad Billingsley	Season numbers lag, but in last two starts averaging six IP, 2.25 ERA, 91.5 pitches per game.
14	13	7	Ronnie Belliard	Team’s top bat off the bench so far.
15	14	14	Blake DeWitt	With .408 OBP, will Joe Torre turn to him as No. 2 hitter?
16	18	21	Carlos Monasterios	Despite 1.84 ERA, 18 baserunners vs. eight strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings.
17	20	8	Reed Johnson	Playing as advertised, including .940 OPS vs. lefties/.571 vs. righties.
18	21	18	Jamey Carroll	On base in 13 of last 26 PA, raising season OBP to .404.
19	NR	NR	Xavier Paul	.933 OPS in 15 AB since starting call-up 0 for 5.
20	15	25	Vicente Padilla	7.06 ERA, 9.6 K/9. He’ll be the uncertain arm for the stretch run again?
21	17	15	Jeff Weaver	Last pitched April 21. When he returns this week, workload should be tamer.
22	19	19	A.J. Ellis	Still eminently adequate backup catcher.
23	24	17	Ramon Ortiz	Future of extremely inconsistent Ortiz could depend on how Ely does in next start.
24	23	23	Brad Ausmus	Now trails Ellis in 2010 hits by two, but leads in career hits by 1,562.
25	16	3	Charlie Haeger	9.49 ERA since April 14 – desperately needs to string some good innings together.
26	NR	NR	John Ely	If nothing else, the kid knows how to play leapfrog.
27	26	26	George Sherrill	Just when you think you’re back in, they pull you back out.
28	25	NR	Jon Link	Savior after his first game, sinner after his second.
29	27	22	Russ Ortiz	Highlight: Pitched two shutout innings to preserve tie in Pittsburgh on second game of season.
30	22	16	Garret Anderson	Adjusted OPS of (-1)! His .156 OBP, .214 slugging below lowest expectations. HR in Cin. only hit in past 26 AB.

Dodger Cogs and Dogs: Edition 2

By Jon Weisman

On April 19, 2010

In Dodger Cogs and Dogs

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
Matt Kemp: A genuine threat each time he bats.

Here’s the latest chapter of Dodger Cogs and Dogs, my ranking of the most valuable Dodgers of the year, top to bottom, mixing subjectivity and objectivity but completely looking at what’s already happened, not what’s likely to happen.

Rank	4/12	Player	Comment
1	5	Matt Kemp	Fell to a close third in Dodger OF OPS, but with 50% more PA than the other two.
2	11	Andre Ethier	.464 OBP, .759 slugging since returning to starting lineup.
3	1	Hiroki Kuroda	15 innings, 1.20 ERA, no unintentional walks, 14 K in two starts.
4	9	Manny Ramirez	1.092 OPS leaves press nothing to complain about (except him not talking to press).
5	2	Russell Martin	2 for 13 with a walk in past four games, but overall numbers remain strong.
6	13	Jonathan Broxton	Nearly perfect: Opponents have .105 OBP, .111 slugging.
7	6	Casey Blake	Six-game hitting streak ended this weekend.
8	4	Rafael Furcal	.423 OBP last week, but no extra-base hits since April 10.
9	24	James Loney	OPSed 1.000 last week with line drive after line drive.
10	20	Clayton Kershaw	Currently projects to 203 BB, 270 K this season.
11	12	Ramon Troncoso	Gave up homer in Dodgers’ ugly ninth inning Friday, otherwise solid.
12	10	Chad Billingsley	Let this man get the six-inning monkey off his back, please?
13	7	Ronnie Belliard	0 for 7 in two starts this weekend, but made two nice plays at first base.
14	14	Blake DeWitt	More walks than hits, and still looking for first extra-base hit.
15	25	Vicente Padilla	One of three Dodger starting pitchers to go seven innings in last outing.
16	3	Charlie Haeger	Crazy knuckleballers!
17	15	Jeff Weaver	Workload reduced to two innings/36 pitches in past week.
18	19	A.J. Ellis	In 10 PA, two hits, two walks, two sacs.
19	21	Carlos Monasterios	4.15 ERA, but would be nicer if two inherited runners hadn’t scored Saturday.
20	8	Reed Johnson	Not a problem per se, but wondering if he’ll raise his performance much above replacement level.
21	18	Jamey Carroll	Doubled on Opening Day; four singles and two BB in 19 PA since.
22	16	Garret Anderson	With Ramirez on deck, pulled a Mike Davis with key set-up walk Sunday. Only time on base all week.
23	23	Brad Ausmus	Sitting tight, literally and figuratively.
24	17	Ramon Ortiz	Allowed five runs in past four innings; ERA rises from 3.00 to 7.71.
25	NR	Jon Link	Cup of coffee … with no cream or sugar.
26	26	George Sherrill	Recovered from 3-0 count to get key out Sunday; has retired last six batters – woo hoo!
27	22	Russ Ortiz	Lasted two weeks, and was less than lowest expectations.

Dodger Cogs and Dogs: Edition 1 of ?

By Jon Weisman

On April 12, 2010

In Dodger Cogs and Dogs

Doug Benc/Getty Images
Hiroki Kuroda was one of eight qualifying National League pitchers with a 0.00 ERA after the first week of the season.

This is an experiment, but I’m hoping it takes hold. It’s my ranking of the most valuable Dodgers of the year, top to bottom, mixing subjectivity and objectivity but completely looking at what’s already happened, not what’s likely to happen.

If I can keep this going, expect it on Dodger off days (though no more often than once a week). We’ll see … in the meantime, discuss, debate and enjoy!

Rank	Player	Comment
1	Hiroki Kuroda	Dodger Thoughts’ pick for Opening Day starter comes through huge with no earned runs in eight innings.
2	Russell Martin	Great start (4 for 11, one HR, six BB, .611 OBP) for a player so many had given up on.
3	Charlie Haeger	Watching knuckleballs land for called strikes is a unique pleasure.
4	Rafael Furcal	Red-hot start ended with Sunday’s 0 for 5.
5	Matt Kemp	Don’t worry about the nine strikeouts – he’s hittin’.
6	Casey Blake	Quietly leading Dodger regulars in batting average (.375); Dodger third basemen have combined for 1.300 OPS.
7	Ronnie Belliard	Slugging 1.000 in 12 plate appearances and even more shocking, dazzled on defense Sunday.
8	Reed Johnson	If you guessed he’d be tied for second among Dodger OF in total bases, congrats on picking Butler for NCAA title game.
9	Manny Ramirez	Batting average is there (.316), but no homers or unintentional walks in 20 opportunities.
10	Chad Billingsley	Control remains an issue, but for an early April start, results were encouraging.
11	Andre Ethier	.417 OBP in limited action (12 plate appearances) for the normally durable RF.
12	Ramon Troncoso	Has retired 12 of 14 batters faced with no strikeouts: 10 outs on the ground.
13	Jonathan Broxton	Little impact this year – through little fault of his own.
14	Blake DeWitt	No extra-base hits, but five walks compared with one strikeout lead to .450 OBP.
15	Jeff Weaver	If Jorge Cantu’s liner goes six inches to the left, Weaver (five appearances in six games) might have been a first-week god.
16	Garret Anderson	A soft 4 for 16 (one walk, one double), mostly subbing for Andre Ethier.
17	Ramon Ortiz	Still need to be wary, but probably will survive the return of Hong-Chih Kuo.
18	Jamey Carroll	Looking more and more like defensive replacement for DeWitt will be major part of role.
19	A.J. Ellis	Did everything asked of him Sunday except block Haeger’s three wild pitches.
20	Clayton Kershaw	Just a really sloppy first outing — he’ll try to avoid Padillaing on Tuesday.
21	Carlos Monasterios	Being brought along gingerly: two appearances this season, both in runaway games.
22	Russ Ortiz	For want of three outs in garbage time Friday, the Dodgers’ entire Florida weekend went south.
23	Brad Ausmus	Over-under on games played this year drops from 40 to 20.
24	James Loney	Two steals but only one walk and one extra-base hit lead to a .475 OPS.
25	Vicente Padilla	In a Dodger uniform, has four quality starts in 12 tries, including postseason.
26	George Sherrill	Why couldn’t he have had visa problems?

Dodger Thoughts

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

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

Dodger Cogs and Dogs: Edition 7

Dodger Cogs and Dogs: Edition 6

Dodger Cogs and Dogs: Edition 5

Dodger Cogs and Dogs: Edition 4

Dodger Cogs and Dogs: Edition 3

Dodger Cogs and Dogs: Edition 2

Dodger Cogs and Dogs: Edition 1 of ?

Buy ‘The Catch: A novel’

Buy ‘Brothers in Arms’

‘Brothers in Arms’ coverage

Instagram

Twitter

Recent posts

Other writing by Jon

Archives

Commenting guidelines

Attendance