Game wrap – Page 12 – Dodger Thoughts

On March 15, 2011

Jake Roth/US PresswireRafael Furcal stands before the world’s largest unicycle.

Dodgers 7, Rangers 6

After a 4-2 lead turned into a 6-4 deficit, the Dodgers came back to end their eight-game losing streak.

Highlights:

Ivan DeJesus, Jr. singled twice and scored two runs.
Juan Uribe drove in three runs with a bases-loaded walk and a two-run double.
Another hit for Trent Oeltjen, who is batting .467. His leadoff single in the eighth keyed a three-run Dodger rally.
Xavier Paul, Gabe Kapler and Eugenio Velez added singles in the eighth. Kapler took second on a wild pitch and scored the go-ahead run thanks to Velez.
Hong-Chih Kuo struck out two in a scoreless inning.
Blake Hawksworth and Ron Mahay pitched the final two shutout innings to seal the victory.

Lowlights:

James Loney and Rod Barajas each left the bases loaded in the first inning and went 0 for 3.
Uribe muffed a ball at third base for an error, leading to an unearned run off Clayton Kershaw.
Kershaw allowed 10 singles and a double, leading to five earned runs in 5 2/3 innings that marred his 0.00 ERA. He struck out three and walked none.

Sidelights:

It hasn’t been decided what will happen with the Japanese baseball season (via Baseball Think Factory).

March Mudness

On March 14, 2011

Rangers 5, Dodgers 4

Earl Pomerantz passes along this important lesson from Bill Cosby about panic.

… It’s the morning of the “table reading”, where the actors read the script out loud before the assembled production staff – fifty or so people – so we can see what’s working and what needs to be fixed. At this point, the actor who will play the freaked out father-to-be has not yet been hired. Dr. Cosby asks me to fill in for the missing actor and perform that part at the table reading.

I am immediately terrified.

Why? Well, in my own memorable words,

“What if I mess up?” (Though I may not have used the word “mess.”)

Dr. Cosby instantly replies to my exaggerated concern, and herein lies the life lesson,

“Bases loaded, two outs, bottom of the first.” …

Highlights:

Trying to find his way onto the team, Xavier Paul sings “Let My Love Open the Door” with a single and a triple (to go with a caught stealing as a coda).
Trent Oeltjen sings “Don’t You Forget About Me.” His double raised his spring OPS to 1.044 before the eyes of the impressionable Dodger management.
Jamie Hoffmann warbles “I’ll Be There For You” with a double, boosting his OBP in the spring to .400.
Marcus Thames doesn’t need to sing for his Opening Day supper, but he just had his fifth double of the spring, in 25 at-bats.
Trayvon Robinson singled in two runs in the ninth inning as the Dodgers tried to rally and avoid their eighth straight loss.
Lance Cormier pitched a shutout sixth inning. Cormier’s chances of making the team remain alive, given the struggles of Scott Elbert and Ron Mahay.
John Ely threw four walkless innings, giving him 10 this spring.

Lowlights:

Overall, Ely continued the trend of faltering Dodger starters. After a perfect first inning that included strikeouts of Elvis Andrus and Josh Hamilton, Ely allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits, including a three-run Hamilton homer. Ely struck out three.
After allowing a two-out single, Elbert walked two in the fifth inning, escaping the bases-loaded jam on a deep flyout by David Murphy.
Kenley Jansen had a rough eighth, allowing a run on two hits and a walk.

Sidelights:

In a rare start against a frontline pitcher (Texas’ Neftali Feliz, who suddenly might be in the starting pitcher racket), Jerry Sands went 0 for 2.
Hector Gimenez had a double, then was doubled off second base on a ball hit by Gabe Kapler.
From The Associated Press: “Told that Ely was trying to locate an inside fastball off the plate that didn’t quite break far enough, Hamilton said smilingly, ‘Tell him thank you for me.’ “
Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com writes about the upside of the San Diego Padres, post-Adrian Gonzalez.
Rob Neyer of SB Nation looks at how the Yankees’ starting pitching crisis.
Only three of 30 MLB general managers played in the majors, writes Jayson Stark of ESPN.com.
At his blog, Former major-leaguer Morgan Ensberg hints at a harrowing story.
Mitchell Page, who passed away Saturday, is remembered at the Hardball Times by Bruce Markusen, who compares Page to Willie Davis.
This Jay Gibbons update from Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com sounds a mixed note about the outfielder’s near-term future.

… Gibbons underwent PRK (photorefractive keratectomy) surgery on the eye last fall as a follow-up procedure to the laser procedure he underwent in 2004. But a side effect of PRK is that it lengthens and flattens the cornea, which is why the contact — which Gibbons wasn’t sure he would need again after the original surgery — no longer fits as tightly as it should and tends to pop out.

Gibbons said he was told he’d likely need a follow-up procedure after his initial laser surgery. “So that was pretty much what my thought process was, to get a tune-up, and [the vision] went south a little bit last year,” he said.

The issues after the follow-up surgery, though, began almost immediately, causing Gibbons to return home from winter ball earlier than he planned. Gibbons and Dodgers manager Don Mattingly sounded optimistic this doctor’s consultation would be sufficient to solve the problem. The Dodgers are off Wednesday, so the hope was Gibbons would miss only one day.

“We need to get this resolved,” Mattingly said. “If your [vision] isn’t right on and you’re trying to hit a breaking ball, it’s just not going to work.” …
Last but certainly not least, the Dodgers are staging a drive-through charity effort at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday to benefit victims of the disaster in Japan.

Nothing from nothing

Athletics 9, Dodgers 2

On March 11, 2011

In Game wrap, Spring Training

After two 7-1 victories to start the week, the past few days have had a little something for everyone … meltdowns by the defense, the offense, Jonathan Broxton and Chad Billingsley. Health concerns. Mental mistakes. A feeding frenzy for the pessimistic (or realistic, if you wish).

I believe we call these teaching opportunities for the boys in blue.

Highlights:

Aaron Miles and Matt Kemp continued their battle for the team home run lead, each hitting their second of the spring to tie Rod Barajas and Jerry Sands.
Blake Hawksworth pitched a near-fllawless 1 2/3 relief innings, though he hit one batter with a pitch.
Kenley Jansen pitched a perfect sixth inning with a strikeout.
Tony Gwynn Jr. reached base twice and has a .360 spring on-base percentage.

Lowlights:

Billingsley had only allowed seven baserunners in 6 2/3 innings in March before an all-over-the-place performance today: four hits, four walks, four runs allowed in 3 1/3 innings.
Jay Gibbons went 0 for 3 to fall to 1 for 17.
Infielders Ivan DeJesus Jr., Justin Sellers and Christian Lara made errors.
Javy Guerra allowed four runs (two earned) and walked three in two-thirds of an inning.

Sidelights:

Kirk Gibson’s wife left Game 1 of the 1988 World Series early. Eric Stephen passes along the story at SB Nation.
Juan Castro and his wife Yadira became parents for the second time Thursday night.
Pitcher Luis Vasquez was optioned to the minors.
Former Dodger Andy LaRoche, playing shortstop today for Oakland, drove in two runs.
All members of Takashi Saito’s family in Japan are now accounted for, writes Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.

The knocks on Brox

On March 10, 2011

Christopher Hanewinckel/US PressiwreCasey Blake made no errors in this fan’s eyes.

Padres 8, Dodgers 2

Highlights:

Clayton Kershaw maintained his 0.00 ERA, pitching 4 1/3 innings and allowing an unearned run on four hits and two walks.
Scott Elbert faced four batters in a shutout inning, walking one and striking out one.
Juan Uribe and Marcus Thames had doubles.

Lowlights:

Jonathan Broxton had a terrible, no-good, horrible, very bad day: homer by Jarrett Hoffpauir, single, single, hit batter, walk, exit. Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com has details.
Casey Blake made errors on consecutive batters in the first inning and went 0 for 2, dropping to 1 for 13 this spring.
Carlos Monasterios gave up two runs pitching the ninth inning.
Dodger batters had five hits and no walks.
Dodger pitchers allowed 18 baserunners.

Sidelights:

I like the tone of this Dodger promo above (link via The Trolley Dodger).
Sons of Steve Garvey is right: This cap is truly atrocious.
Joe Torre visited Camelback Ranch today in his new capacity as an MLB exec, writes Jackson.
The Dodgers signed Steven Jackson, who has 28 strikeouts and a 4.31 ERA in 54 1/3 career innings, to a minor-league contract, reports Matt Eddy of Baseball America. Jackson turns 29 Tuesday. Eddy also notes that Eric Krebs, one of two players the Dodgers acquired for Delwyn Young two years ago, has retired.
This. Is. Wild. (link via Rob Neyer) Wild.

Oblique-di, oblique-da, life goes on?

On March 9, 2011

Mariners 9, Dodgers 4

Kirby Lee/Image of Sport/US PresswireJon Garland will take a 0.00 Spring Training ERA to the doctor.

Highlights:

Rod Barajas went 2 for 2 with his second homer of the spring.
Jerry Sands had another hit, briefly raising his Spring Training batting average to .500, before reaching base on an error in the eighth.
Dee Gordon doubled and scored on a Trent Oeltjen single in the eighth.
Josh Lindblom pitched a shutout ninth, striking out two and walking one.

Lowlights:

Obliquely speaking, one trumped all. Apparently, live chickens pass unpleasant mojo to Jon Garland.
Hong-Chih Kuo allowed a home run to his second batter, Jack Wilson.
Wilkin De La Rosa and Jon Huber, neither of them roster contenders, let a close game slip away. De La Rosa allowed two runs in his second inning of work, while Huber gave up a grand slam and five runs total while getting only one out in the seventh.
In his return to the lineup, James Loney went 0 for 2 with an error on Ichiro Suzuki’s leadoff at-bat.
Barajas’ passed ball allowed the Mariners to score an unearned first-inning run
Rafael Furcal, Casey Blake, Matt Kemp, Jay Gibbons, Juan Uribe, Tony Gwynn Jr. and Loney went a combined 0 for 16.

Sidelights:

Former Dodger minor-league manager and coach Luis Salazar, now a minor-league manager with the Braves, suffered frightening injuries after being hit in the face by a line drive today.
Andre Ethier was replaced today in the starting lineup by Gabe Kapler just before gametime.

Dodgers dial long distance for second game in a row

On March 8, 2011

Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images (file)Tony Gwynn, Jr., who has five regular-season homers in his major-league career, went yard today.

Dodgers 7, Brewers 1

Highlights:

Tony Gwynn Jr.’s leadoff homer against Takashi Saito kicked off a Dodger power parade, which included circuit clouts by Aaron Miles, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier. Each member of the latter trio went 2 for 3.
Ethier, Ivan De Jesus Jr. (also 2 for 3), Dioner Navarro and Justin Sellers notched doubles.
Starting against the team that he faced when Elymania launched, John Ely threw three shutout innings, retiring nine of 10 batters and striking out two.
The Dodger defense impressed Milwaukee’s broadcast team, said Dodger Thoughts commenter Bob Hendley.

Lowlights:

Ron Mahay allowed his second homer in three innings this spring, this to left-handed hitting Prince Fielder.
Jay Gibbons, still trying to find his form, went 0 for 3 and is 1 for 12 in the early going.

Sidelights:

Benches cleared in the sixth inning of today’s game, notes The Associated Press, over a Roman Colon fist pump.
Hiroki Kuroda worked on his endurance today in a 4 1/3-inning B-game outing, in which he struck out six while allowing three runs, writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
Jerry Sands was among those who played a doubleheader of sorts today: RBI single in the B game, pinch-walk in the A game. Sellers also had an HBP in the B game.
Milwaukee has bigger things to worry about than today’s loss: Newly acquired pitcher Zack Greinke is nursing a broken rib.
Would Frank McCourt sue Major League Baseball over being denied his recent attempt at a $200 million loan from Fox? Friend of Dodger Thoughts BHSportsGuy wonders in a guest post at True Blue L.A.
As Kim Ng noted this morning, Sandy Koufax visited Camelback Ranch today.
James Loney and Raymond Carver are connected by Jesse Gloyd at Buckshot Boogaloo.

‘Sands and Deliver’: Homer and triple by rookie propel Dodgers

On March 7, 2011

Harry How/Getty ImagesJerry Sands (shown here from a February 28 game) homered and tripled for the Dodgers today.

Dodgers 7, Rockies 1

Highlights:

Jerry Sands homered in the seventh off Greg Reynolds and tripled in the eighth off Matt Belisle, driving in three runs with the first blast. More exuberance! More of me saying he won’t make the team until at least May. More of me silently wondering to myself whether, if James Loney reaggravates his knee, the door to April creaks open.
Xavier Paul ended his early spring slump with a homer ahead of the Sands triple.
Juan Uribe, Marcus Thames and Trayvon Robinson added doubles for the power-starved Dodgers.
Hey, singles count too: A.J. Ellis went 2 for 2.
Ted Lilly allowed a run in 3 1/3 innings, allowing three baserunners and striking out two.
Tim Redding pitched three shutout innings in relief, increasing his chances of being the first starting pitcher after the front five that the Dodgers turn to in case of need.

Lowlights:

Rafael Furcal and Matt Kemp went 0 for 3.

Sidelights:

An excerpt from the new Roy Campanella biography can be found at Alex Belth’s Bronx Banter.
Josh Wilker’s “Cardboard Gods” is now out in paperback.

Loss to Cubs? Dodgers mullet over

Cubs 5, Dodgers 3 (10)

On March 6, 2011

In Game wrap, Spring Training

Highlights:

Chad Billingsley (above) went 3 2/3 innings before giving up the first earned run allowed by a Dodger starting pitcher this weekend. He allowed four baserunners and struck out two.
Ramon Troncoso retired all four batters he faced (one admittedly on a dicey umpire’s call) and has allowed one hit in 3 1/3 shutout innings. Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com has more on Troncoso’s growing chances of making the Opening Day roster.
The platoon of Jay Gibbons (wearing awesome big white sunglasses, the best Dodger eyewear since Eric Gagne) and birthday boy Marcus Thames went 2 for 5 with an RBI double (by Thames).
Aaron Miles tripled in his only at-bat.
Ivan De Jesus, Jr. made a nice backhand grab running into the outfield, drawing a big smile from the Cubs’ third-base coach, Ivan De Jesus, Sr.

Lowlights:

Justin Sellers committed a double-error (bobble and bad throw) on the Dodgers’ first defensive play of the game.
Right fielders Xavier Paul and Jerry Sands combined for a golden sombrero.
Luis Vasquez the Magician made the game disappear when he allowed a two-run walkoff homer to D.J. LeMahieu in the bottom of the 10th.

Sidelights:

In the above-referenced piece by Jackson, he addresses the James Loney situation.

Although the tightness in first baseman James Loney’s knee isn’t serious and Loney tentatively is expected back in the lineup by Wednesday, the momentary scare did underscore the fact the Dodgers don’t have a lot of depth at Loney’s position.

Third baseman Casey Blake and outfielders Jay Gibbons and Marcus Thames all have some experience — but not a lot of it — at first base, and Mattingly said any or all of them could be a viable alternative if Loney were to be lost for, say, two or three games. But if Loney suffered a major injury that sidelined him for a month or more?

In that case, Mattingly said, the Dodgers would have to bring up a first baseman from the minors. And the most likely candidate would be Russell Mitchell, a third baseman by trade who also can play left and right field but played all of 13 games at first for Triple-A Albuquerque last year.

“We feel like Russ can be pretty flexible,” Mattingly said. “He can handle himself out there, and he has actually played some second. He even did some catching in the Instructional League, so we feel like we could trust him with catching. That emergency third catcher can be pretty valuable in the National League because it allows you to maybe pinch run for your catcher without having to get nervous about not having another catcher left on the bench.” …
Ken Gurnick of MLB.com and Steve Dilbeck of the Times have more on Loney.
The Dodgers’ starting baseman is still healthier than the Angels’ Kendry Morales, notes Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com. The Angels might turn to Triple-A power hitter Mark “Don’t call me Dalton” Trumbo, writes Mike DiGiovanna of the Times.
Scott Elbert is working on a mechanical adjustment, writes Gurnick, who adds that Jamey Carroll will miss a few days of game action after being hit by a pitch on his right index finger (X-rays were negative).
Josh Suchon says that he and his new KABC 790 AM talkmate Joe Block will be the broadcast team for Dodger games on Prime Ticket this Wednesday and Thursday.
Mullet Mania: Jackson gave us a hint this morning, but later came the full story on Travis Schlichting’s new ‘do from Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports.

I understand that this is going out on a fragile limb above a pool shared by sharks and alligators, but I witnessed the greatest mullet in baseball history Sunday morning, and I refuse to believe otherwise.

Randy Johnson may have sported the curly afterbirth on his neck, and John Kruk may have rocked the accompanying gut, and Troy Tulowitzki may have had the ironic twist to his charity mullet, but nobody – nobody – can compete with the absolute resplendence that topped Travis Schlichting’s head on Sunday. …

Kershaw cruises in Dodger shutout

On March 5, 2011

Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesScott Rolen and Russ Mitchell in “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Line Dancers”

Dodgers 2, Reds 0

Highlights:

Clayton Kershaw pitched four shutout innings, allowing two baserunners and striking out three.
Lance Cormier, Jon Huber, Roman Colon, Wilkin De La Rosa and Oscar Villarreal completed the shutout, allowing four hits, walking one and striking out one.
Matt Kemp doubled in Casey Blake in the fourth inning.
Dee Gordon singled, stole second and scored in the eighth inning after singles by Aaron Miles and Trent Oeltjen.
John Lindsey doubled in his first spring at-bat.
The Dodgers turned three double plays.

Lowlights:

We’re going to give lowlights the evening off …

Sidelights:

Ralph Branca shared his memories of Duke Snider in the New York Times.
The Dodgers were dead last in 2010 international spending with a mere $314,000, according to Baseball America. The efforts to step it up outside our borders are lagging, to say the least.
Minor-leaguer Luis Vasquez is a “clubhouse sensation” with his magic tricks, writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.

It’s a hard-luck night for Dodgers

On March 4, 2011

Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesPablo Sandoval shone bright on an 0-for-3 night.

Giants 5, Dodgers 3

Highlights:

Jon Garland only allowed an unearned run in a three-inning Spring Training debut.
Jerry Sands walked, singled and scored a run.
The Dodgers had 15 baserunners, including seven walks.
As Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com notes, the Dodgers have stolen 11 bases in 13 attempts this spring.

Lowlights:

Matt Guerrier, Ron Mahay and Travis Schlichting allowed four runs in three innings.
The Dodgers went 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position.
Los Angeles had no extra-base hits.

Sidelights:

Ron Mahay faced Buster Posey in a matchup that, if you were playing Strat-o-Matic, probably required a 2-12 on the dice to get an out. Instead, Posey rolled a home run.
Matt Kemp and Russ Mitchell each had a single and an error.
Both teams hit each other with pitches in the second inning.
Injured pitcher Dana Eveland was reassigned to minor-league camp without throwing a game pitch this spring.
Jackson reports a second signing from this year’s open tryout: Robert Romero, who turns 26 in 24 days. A former seventh-round pick of the Angels, the righty has pitched independent ball since 2008.
Kenley Jansen took a tumble, writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
Juan Uribe gets personal in this feature by Dylan Hernandez of the Times.
Russell Martin made his first game appearance behind the plate since August 3. The Yankees’ backup catcher, Francisco Cervelli, broke his foot this week.
As Jackson notes, the Dodgers are indicating that the hint of plantar fasciitis in Marcus Thames has been nipped in the bud, but I can’t help thinking a small door might be opening for Jamie Hoffmann or Gabe Kapler. (I’m not ready to believe that the Dodgers would jump Sands to the big leagues in April, but June might start to look more plausible in a few weeks.)

Dodgers held to one run for third time in first week

On March 3, 2011

Norm Hall/Getty ImagesHiroki and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcatch

Reds 3, Dodgers 1

Norm Hall/Getty ImagesBrandon Phillips stands on his head until his ears are turning Red.

Highlights:

Jerry Sands had two singles and an RBI, making him 3 for 7 in Spring Training. Let the (ir)rational exuberance begin!
Ivan De Jesus Jr. had a single and is also 3 for 7.
Rubby De La Rosa struck out three of the six batters he faced and picked off the only one who reached base, though none of the six were Reds regulars.
I learned the proper way to pronounce “Rubby,” and it doesn’t rhyme with “tubby.”

Lowlights:

After stranding three runners in his first two innings, starting pitcher Hiroki Kuroda was touched for three more hits and two runs in the third. “I didn’t have all my pitches tonight,” Kuroda told The Associated Press. “My breaking ball wasn’t there.”
The first four hitters in the Dodger lineup – Rafael Furcal, Casey Blake, Juan Uribe and Jay Gibbons – went 0 for 11 with a walk.
Batting as the tying run in the eighth and ninth innings, Justin Sellers and JD Closser each hit into double plays.
The Dodgers are averaging 3.1 runs per game, worst in the Cactus League.

Sidelights:

On a Thursday in early March, it doesn’t get much more exciting than this: Ken Gurnick of MLB.com writes about how similar Kenley Jansen is to Mariano Rivera.
The Dodgers offered a minor-league contract to a player from their annual all-comers tryout: Randy Keisler, a 35-year-old lefty who last pitched in the majors in 2007. He has a 6.63 ERA in 150 2/3 career innings, and his only 2010 action was seven starts in the Mexican League with a 3.98 ERA.
De La Rosa and Luis Vasquez won the Dodgers’ “American Idol”-like singing contest, writes Dylan Hernandez of the Times.
Despite a career .341 on-base percentage in the majors, ex-Dodger Willy Aybar, who turns 28 next week, hasn’t even signed a minor-league contract this spring, notes MLB Trade Rumors.
Juan Castro did not hit a three-run homer.

Treble was I ere I saw Elbert

On March 2, 2011

In Dodger Stadium, Game wrap, Transactions, Uncategorized

Royals 11, Dodgers 5

Highlights:

Tim Redding pitched three shutout innings, giving him five for the spring with three strikeouts.
James Loney went 2 for 2.
Relievers Ramon Troncoso and Carlos Monasterios pitched shutout ball.
Jamie Hoffmann (1 for 2) is now, like Loney, 4 for 8 this spring.
Juan Castro hit a three-run home run.

Lowlights:

Scott Elbert had a nightmare outing, walking four of the five batters he faced. From Eric Stephen of True Blue L.A.:

… With assistant GM of player development DeJon Watson in the broadcast booth with Charley Steiner, Elbert was missing the strike zone every which way. Elbert came in the game in relief of Jon Link in the fifth inning, then pitched into the sixth. Watson spoke of how Elbert got more consistent in his delivery over the winter, and was able to show two dominant pitches in the Arizona Fall League, but as those words were being spoken Elbert was missing the strike zone quite often. Elbert faced five batters, and walked four of them. He threw 21 pitches, only five of them for strikes.

On the broadcast, one could hear Watson rooting for Elbert, the Dodgers’ 2009 minor league pitcher of the year, even as he was struggling. Watson said Elbert has great stuff that is “electric through the strike zone,” and Watson seemed to take Elbert’s outing in stride. “He’s having a tough outing today, but I think you’ll see better outings from Mr. Elbert in the future,” Watson said. Elbert better hope so; he has faced 10 batters this spring, and walked six of them. He did strike out two, and the other two batters didn’t hit the ball out of the infield, but Elbert needs to show some control before he even sniffs the 25-man roster. …
Jon Link was charged with three runs while getting two outs; Luis Vasquez was charged with four runs while getting three outs.
Aaron Miles had a double but made his second error of the spring.
Xavier Paul struck out twice, dropping to 1 for 8 this exhibition season.
Juan Castro hit a three-run home run.

Sidelights:

Clayton Kershaw, not yet eligible for arbitration, signed his one-year 2011 contract for the expected figure of $500,000. Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com has details. In fact, every man on the 40-man roster has now been signed for 2011, with Ronald Belisario having his contract renewed and then getting placed on the restricted list.
The adventures of Dee Gordon, again courtesy of Mr. Stephen:

There was a funny moment in the fifth inning, when Mike Moustakas lofted a foul pop near the photography well adjacent to the back of the Dodger dugout. Aaron Miles was in pursuit of the ball, but Dee Gordon, who was not in the game and sitting on the steps of the dugout, tried to evade Miles by moving out of the dugout. Instead, Gordon got the way of Miles, who was unable to make the catch. Watson, who was in the booth with Charley Steiner, could be heard saying something like, “Jesus criminey” or something to that effect.
Remarkable: Larry Granillo researched “Peanuts” comic strips for Baseball Prospectus and found Duke Snider was mentioned twice (once with Willie Mays, once with a host of players), compared to three mentions for Mickey Mantle and Mays combined, once for Mantle alone and four times for Mays alone (including the famous spelling bee episode).
James Loney fares a bit below average in David Pinto’s defensive statistical rankings of first basemen from 2006-10 at Baseball Musings.
Ernest Reyes of Blue Heaven posted photos of the new grass being installed at Dodger Stadium.
Charlie Sheen meets Ron Swanson x John Wooden: The Sheen Pyramid of Greatness.
Juan Castro hit a three-run home run. From Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:

When he left the game after five innings and returned to the clubhouse, this note was posted on the bulletin board:

“Juan Castro: Please report to [Dodgers trainer] Stan Conte after the game for a mandatory steroid test.”

Update: Jackson writes about Castro and Elbert.

Farewell, 2010

On October 3, 2010

In Game wrap, Life

Courtesy Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles DodgersBrad Ausmus

Farewells and me do not agree. They bring a lingering pain. I begin taking a long look back before I’ve even left.

I’ve been looking to the end of these grueling final weeks of the Dodger season as something of a relief, but this weekend reminded me of all the things I love about the game (minus the postseason triumph, of course). Today, when the Dodgers had the opportunity to send me off with a “Good riddance” affair, they pulled me back in, just as we were saying goodbye.

There was yet another fine pitching performance, this time from Ted Lilly. There was yet another blast from Matt Kemp, off a Rodrigo Lopez meatball, giving Kemp home runs in his final five games of the year and birthing the possibility of his redemption. There was a Dodger victory the way we hoped more of them would come. There was beautiful weather, a beautiful ballpark and beautiful family all around me.

There was Joe Torre’s farewell from uniform, perhaps forever, after the heartiest of careers. There was John Lindsey’s farewell from uniform, perhaps forever, after the briefest of careers.

Most of all the events on the field, what reached me was Brad Ausmus. I had been the sourpuss who disapproved of signing Ausmus each of the past two seasons, figuring that what he would be able to contribute wasn’t worth what he would pay. But today, watching his final moments on the field steeped the emotions already brewing within me. I felt privileged to be able to cheer him on, right up to his 1,579th career hit in his final at-bat.

And so when Hong-Chih Kuo got the season’s final out, and it was all over, I felt I had to just short of literally tear myself away from my favorite seat in all of the world.

These emotions will be hard for many to understand, coming at the end of a misbegotten season. They even surprised me some. But there they were. We’ll all move forward, myself included, but I left something behind this year. I can’t explain it any better than that.

Though the commenting declined at Dodger Thoughts this season (and the main reasons for that aren’t lost on me), I still do appreciate any and all of you stopping by to say hi and share your thoughts. Of course, there will be plenty going on here in the offseason, but in any case, here’s to all the best for all of you going forward.

* * *

The Watch List

3) Kemp finished the year with a career-high 28 home runs to lead the team by five.

4) Kemp passed Loney at the finish, lapping up his 88th and 89th RBI to Loney’s 88.

6) Rafael Furcal used up his one free at-bat, finishing the year with a batting average at .3002.

7) There was one drive off Ted Lilly that looked like it might have some distance, but in the end he gave up no home runs while walking two, and finishes his Dodger season with 13 walks and 12 homers allowed.

8) Jamey Carroll got four plate appearances, but he kept his 2010 homer ledger clean.

Two more notes: Kuo finished with the lowest ERA in Dodger history for a pitcher with at least 50 innings in a season. His 1.200 mark just barely bested Eric Gagne’s 1.202 from 2003. Also, Kenley Jansen’s 0.67 ERA is the fourth-lowest in major-league history for a rookie with at least 25 innings.

Dodgers trying to go out in style, 3-2

On October 2, 2010

Adam Davis/Icon SMIChad Billingsley struck out five of the first nine batters he faced.

Alex Gallardo/AP
Andre Ethier, who went 4 for 4, greets Matt Kemp at home plate following Kemp’s two-run home run.

With Chad Billingsley pitching brilliantly, Matt Kemp slugging a homer here and making a diving catch there, and Andre Ethier going 4 for 4 … you’d almost think you had a ballclub.

The reality was you had but one victory, the Dodgers’ 79th in 161 games, 3-2 over Arizona. But, they’ll take it.

Billingsley pitched brilliantly, taking a perfect game into the fifth, a no-hitter into the sixth and a shutout into the eighth. He had whittled his ERA for the season down to 3.47 and struck out nine in 7 1/3 innings before finally getting touched for two runs in the eighth. Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth and, though he allowed the tying run to reach second base, struck out the side for the save.

Kemp homered for the fourth consecutive game, getting a green light on a 3-0 pitch from guest manager Jamey Carroll and drilling it out to break a scoreless tie in the fifth inning. Prime Ticket had great audio of Carroll celebrating his decision in the dugout: “That’s why we do it!” (They also caught Carroll showing his excitement over the potential three-way tie between San Francisco, San Diego and Atlanta for the final two playoff spots in the National League, as well as becoming the second manager in as many nights to as Clayton Kershaw to get him a sandwich.)

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The watch list

3) Ethier will need a heck of a memorable Sunday to catch Kemp, whom he trails in home runs, 27-23.

4) Kemp’s 86th and 87th RBI pulled him within one of James Loney for the team lead.

6) Rafael Furcal did not play again, with Joe Torre telling reporters before the game that the team is consciously trying to keep Furcal’s average over .300. Furcal is not expected to bat more than once in Sunday’s finale.

10) Pittsburgh lost, clinching the worst record in the National League since the All-Star break.

Nice night for a game