OFFICIAL 2009 DODGERS SEASON THREAD : Season Over. Congratulations Phillies.

[Los Angeles]

and raffy wasn't even covering, what's goinggg on.

Weaver pitched a solid game, he was in line for the W

So many mistakes from our defense, bullpen ... ah.

 

[cincoseisdos]

question

is the AYCE Pavilion still serving food?

 

[Los Angeles]

Its the top of our order that hasn't done *+#@.

Furcal, ethier, loney etc.

The fans still there should get a free frozen lemonade.

 

[Los Angeles]

Joe really needs to rethink how he uses this bullpen.

Lean like a cholo gettin ready.

 

[p mac one]

 

[Los Angeles]

GG.

james loney runs like my grandma.

Turrrrrrible.

 

[Los Angeles]

What are raffy / ethier / loney's #s the past few games

 

[sinser13]

the way were playing i wouldn't be surprised if we get swept by philly

 

[cincoseisdos]

[h1]Owner says Dodgers will thrive despite Manny Ramirez scandal[/h1]

Frank McCourt says he was initially angered by the news of his positive drug test. 'The Dodgers are much bigger than Manny Ramirez or any player,' he says.

By Dylan Hernandez
2:37 PM PDT, May 10, 2009
In his first public comments since Manny Ramirez was suspended for violating baseball's drug policy, Dodgers owner Frank McCourt admitted that he was disappointed in the All-Star outfielder but claimed that the damage this scandal caused his franchise shouldn't have a long-lasting effect.

"The Dodgers are much bigger than Manny Ramirez or any player," McCourt said
McCourt said that he received a phone call from Ramirez on Saturday and met with him in person later in the day. McCourt wouldn't disclose the location of their meeting, but a source familiar with the situation said that it took place at Ramirez's Pasadena apartment.

"I found him to be very sorrowful," McCourt said. "He was very apologetic."

McCourt said he didn't ask Ramirez why he took the substance that led to his positive test and said he didn't care to find out whether he did so for medical purposes, as he claimed, or to enhance his performance.
McCourt said he didn't have an opinion on whether Ramirez was telling the truth when he released a statement through the players' union stating that he took a banned substance given to him by a doctor for a personal medical issue.

"What I know are the test results," McCourt said.

McCourt said it was important to him that Ramirez addresses his teammates and Dodgers fans. Though he said he wanted Ramirez to take responsibility for the matter, he said he didn't think it was necessary for Ramirez to address how and why a banned substance was found in his system.

McCourt said he learned of Ramirez's situation in a phone call late Wednesday from the commissioner's office.

"I'd be lying to say I wasn't a little angry at first," McCourt said, adding that his anger turned into "disappointment" over time.

Asked if this changed the way he viewed the Dodgers' run to the National League Championship Series last year, McCourt replied, "No. It is what it is."

[h3]Manny apologizes to Dodgers owner[/h3]McCourt says meeting with teammates important


By Rhett Bollinger / MLB.com

05/10/09 5:49 PM ET

LOS ANGELES -- Dodgers owner Frank McCourt told reporters Sunday that he met with Manny Ramirez in person this week and that Ramirez apologized for his 50-game suspension for the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

McCourt said the meeting with Ramirez was just the first of many steps Ramirez has to take in order to regain the trust of the Dodgers organization and its fans.

"I felt strongly that I need to hear from him and I was pleased when he did," McCourt said. "I felt strongly he needed to meet with [general manager] Ned [Colletti] and he did. I feel very strongly that he needs to talk to his teammates in person and I feel strongly he has to speak to the fans and to the community."

Ramirez still hasn't talked to his teammates in person yet but could meet with Dodgers players on their upcoming road trip as they play a three-game series in Miami next week, which is near Ramirez's home in Pembroke Pines, Fla.

McCourt said it's up to Ramirez what he wants to say to his teammates, but it's a necessary part of the process.

"I think he'll decide what the right words are, but there's no question that when you let somebody down, there's some sort of apology," McCourt said. "But I can't speak for him. He needs to speak for himself and he knows that."

Dodgers manager Joe Torre also spoke with Ramirez by phone, and the two talked about Ramirez meeting with his teammates.

"He's still beat up by this thing," Torre said Sunday. "Again, it's not that he feels it's unfair, but he's embarrassed and he still has to clear his head before he basically feels good enough to come out. Hopefully it's in the near future, but we didn't nail him down for a [specific] day."

McCourt wouldn't specify when his meeting with Ramirez took place but said it occurred after Ramirez called him by phone, with the two deciding to meet in person.

"I felt it was important for the conversation to be eyeball-to-eyeball instead of on the phone," McCourt said. "I found him to be very sorrowful and apologetic. He's very sorry and knows he let down me, the entire front office, Joe, his teammates and all his fans. So he's hurt but he also knows he brought the hurt on himself."

McCourt also said that he has no intentions of trying to void Ramirez's contract and if Ramirez takes the necessary steps it won't hurt the organization even though Ramirez had become one of its most popular faces.

"I think if Manny takes the steps that I'm hopeful that he will, I think this will be something that won't damage the franchise at all," McCourt said. "He needs to take responsibly publicly, speaking directly about this and being truly remorseful. If he does that, I think we've handled something very well. So it's really up to him."

McCourt said that he found out about Ramirez's suspension after the Dodgers' game Wednesday when he received a phone call from Major League Baseball. He said he "was very disappointed" and "a little angry" at first but that "today is better than yesterday and I'm sure tomorrow will be better than today."

McCourt also said he doesn't know the specifics of what Ramirez was taking to trigger the test and that he doesn't need to know as long as Ramirez is truly sorry about what happened.

Ramirez was reportedly taking human chorionic gonadotropin, a female fertility drug, but McCourt wouldn't comment on the drug and its uses.

"I'm not a doctor," McCourt said. "What I know is the test results and that's all I know. There have been many tests and I know he passed them and failed one. And one is enough."

McCourt expressed faith that Major League Baseball is taking the right steps to rid the sport of the use of performance-enhancing drugs. But he also wouldn't talk about the specifics of when a player is tested, such as during the offseason, because he's "not an expert."

"I think we've all agreed that this is most stringent testing policy in all of sports and there are significant penalties with a positive test and this is just an example of that," McCourt said. "A 50-game suspension without pay is a steep price to pay."

Finally, McCourt said he expects his team, which currently has the best record in baseball, to continue its winning ways without Ramirez.

"The Dodgers are much bigger than Manny Ramirez or any player," McCourt said. "We have a bunch of guys out there playing hard without Manny and I'm very confident that they'll keep playing hard and winning baseball games."

[h3]Kuroda feels good after bullpen session[/h3]No timetable for return of Dodgers' Opening Day starter


By Rhett Bollinger / MLB.com

05/10/09 3:46 PM ET

LOS ANGELES -- Dodgers right-hander Hiroki Kuroda, who is on the disabled list with a left oblique strain, threw his first bullpen session Sunday since suffering the injury.

Kuroda threw 25 pitches, all fastballs, and came out of the session saying his shoulder and side "feel so much better."

But he also added that it's still too early to set a target date on his return to the club.

"I don't really have a timetable and if there is one I'm not aware of it," Kuroda said through a translator. "Last time, I tried to rush it though and tried to push the trainer to let me throw more and it caused a setback. So this time I'm going to listen to the trainer as much as possible."

Dodgers athletic trainer Stan Conte said Kuroda will travel with the team on its upcoming six-game road trip and could throw another bullpen session Tuesday or Wednesday. But that bullpen session is expected to be more intense than the one Kuroda threw Sunday.

"We purposely kept it really light today so that he could get a feel for the mound and see if there's any difference," Conte said. "And then also hopefully it gives him confidence to throw a regular bullpen. So the next step will be a harder bullpen."

Kuroda said he's ready for that next step and is excited to get to the point where he can throw in simulated games.

"If it were up to me, I'd throw tomorrow," Kuroda said. "My body feels well and everything is going in the right direction but it's up the trainer and [manager] Joe [Torre] to decide."

Kuroda made just one start this season, which came in an Opening Day win over the Padres when he allowed one run over 5 1/3 innings, before going on the disabled list days later with a strained oblique. In 32 career starts with the Dodgers, Kuroda is 10-10 with a 3.67 ERA.

 

[Los Angeles]

To be fair, philly's pitching isn't as solid as it was last season.

Cole hamels is yet to find his groove, and our first matchup is CHP, gotta get to him early.

 

[p mac one]

McCourt is

lately.

ESPN tried to run with some BS today by showing headlines that read "McCourt upset with Manny" and I even saw a Yahoo link that said "Dodgersowner furious with Manny" or something like that and the article for that link just said those same quotes from above.

Media these days, always tryna start some $%$!. Frank did a good job handling.

Did anybody on the Giants say anything about Casey Blake? dfresh just text me saying he heard something about how they're supposedly gonna put on in hisribs next time they see him

 

[cincoseisdos]

does ANYONE have a connect at VZW? Trying tobuy something

 

[Los Angeles]

When i was on the road, I was listening to Frank talking to Vin about Manny.

He said he wasn't mad, just disappointed ... and Manny will talk to his teammates very soon.

& the giants aint gonna do anything

 

[cincoseisdos]

ANYONE just watch the simpsons starting?

They had a quick clip of DS and kirk gibson all simpsonized

 

[cincoseisdos]

 

[cincoseisdos]

[h1]Dodgers' Young Core Is Eager to Take It From Here[/h1]
By BILLY WITZ

Published: May 10, 2009

LOS ANGELES - There was no Manny Ramirez in the Dodgers clubhouse late Saturday afternoon, but there was still music - "Play That Funky Music" - and there was still a lightness of being that arrived with him last August.

Thahttp://graphics8.nytimes....eference/ref_bubble.png) repeat scroll 0% 0%; position: absolute; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; width: 25px; height: 29px; cursor: pointer;" title="Lookup Word" id="nytd_selection_button" class="nytd_selection_button">t was evident when Orlando Hudson, the veteran second baseman, was discussing how the Dodgers, who have the best record in baseball, would cope while Ramirez serves a 50-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball's drug policy.

This would be an opportunity, Hudson said, for the Dodgers' youthful core - catcher Russell Martin, center fielder Matt Kemp, first baseman James Loney and right fielder Andre Ethier - to show that they are capable of carrying a heavier load.

"We're going to ride their coattails," Hudson said, speaking in a staccato that was as quick as his feet on the basepaths. "They better get ready," he added, "because we're all jumping on the young bucks' coattails."

As Hudson was chattering away, he caught Kemp chuckling as he stood at his nearby locker.

"You laugh all you want till I'm going to jump on your back, big dog," Hudson said.

Kemp, by way of protest, responded, "I love it." Love it or leave it, ready or not, whether the Dodgers continue to sail along in the National League West will be tied largely to the performance of the heart of their lineup - Ethier, 27; Kemp, 24; Martin, 26; and Loney, 25.

A year ago, the Dodgers were a middling team when Ramirez arrived from Boston at the trade deadline. But the young players blossomed in the presence of Ramirez. From Labor Day on, the Dodgers were the best team in baseball. They swept the Cubs in the N.L. Championship Series.

This season, with Ramirez batting third, the Dodgers entered Sunday leading the league in hits, average, on-base percentage, runs, walks and doubles, and were tied for the most stolen bases. How will they operate without the cover of Ramirez?

"I hope they look at it as a challenge," Manager Joe Torre said of the new Nos. 3, 4, 5 and 6 batters in his lineup.

"If you asked me toward the end of last year if that confidence level was there, I wouldn't be sure. But it's there. They think they're pretty good in their own right."

That will be determined soon enough. The Dodgers have played 28 of their first 33 games within the weak West. On Tuesday, the play at the Phillies, then have the Marlins, the Mets, the Angels and the Cubs later this month.

Confidence is not all that has changed in the last year. The Dodgers have added Hudson as a free agent and shortstop Rafael Furcal has returned from back surgery, adding speed at the top of the order and improving the infield defense. Juan Pierre, who has replaced Ramirez in left field, brings additional speed.

The revamped bullpen, with Jonathan Broxton moving into the closer's role, has had few hiccups, and the starting rotation has survived the loss of the opening day starter Hiroki Kuroda because of Eric Stults, who improved to 5-1 with a three-hitter in an 8-0 victory against the Giants on Saturday.

The bench is also stronger. Catcher Brad Ausmus and utility infielder Juan Castro have replaced the good-field, no-hit Gary Bennett and Angel Berroa, and Mark Loretta has excelled asa pinch-hitter.

Although the Dodgers have improved their ancillary parts, the bottom line for this team is that it was built around Ramirez, whose two-year, $45 million contract could allow him to opt out after this season. That means it was built to win now.

"There's no commitment to anyone, especially the young guys," said Ethier, who watched the Dodgers stick with Andruw Jones, baseball's biggest free-agent bust last season, while he played part time.

"It's not like we're under a system where you can mess up for two or three months and they're going to stick with you and say, 'Oh, he's our guy.' They'll either find somebody internally or get somebody to replace you. There is a lot of pressure to win right now."

Ethier, Kemp, Martin and Loney, who came up together through the farm system, have their own personalities and approaches. Ethier is often his own harshest critic and Loney can drift to the cosmos. Torre draws comparisons with two of his Yankees stalwarts: Paul O'Neill and Bernie Williams.

Martin, who has been an All-Star, a Gold Glove winner and a Silver Slugger, is the steadiest - with a sly sense of humor and the respect of the pitching staff. Kemp is the burgeoning star who is growing into his role.

After chafing with several now-departed veterans - most notably the taciturn Jeff Kent - nobody embraced Ramirez more than Kemp. In the first three games without Ramirez, Kemp belted a grand slam Thursday, daringly took an extra base that led to the Dodgers' only run Friday, and made three lunging or diving catches Saturday to preserve Stults's shutout.

"I started not putting so much pressure on myself," Kemp said. "I wish I could go out there and get base hits and hit home runs every day, but it's not going to happen. If I strike out in one at-bat, I know I've got three more."

For this, Kemp credits Ramirez. "Manny taught a lot of us how to play baseball, the way to go at it," Kemp said, including, perhaps, how to carry a team on one's coattails.

RAMIREZ APOLOGIZES Manny Ramirez apologized to the Dodgers' owner, Frank McCourt, during a meeting Saturday to discuss his 50-game suspension for using a banned drug.

"He started off the meeting by apologizing and acknowledging the disappointment that he's created - not only for me but for others," McCourt said.

McCourt said Ramirez should speak to his teammates about the suspension. "If Manny takes the steps that I'm hopeful he will, I think this will be something that won't damage this franchise at all," he said. (AP)

[h1]Giants beat: Team doesn't appreciate Blake's gesture[/h1]

(05-10) 20:15 PDT Los Angeles -- - Dodgers third baseman Casey Blake has as reputation as a nice guy, but, after he apparently insulted Brian Wilson with a gesture Sunday, the Giants' opinion of Blake sank dramatically.

One by one, the Giants visited Wilson in the clubhouse after their 7-5, 13-inning victory to console him after a friend sent to Wilson's cell phone an image of Blake mocking the cross-armed gesture the closer makes after each save.

Wilson's gesture partly relates to his religious faith and partly to his late father. Wilson seemed very distraught about the incident. As Tim Lincecum was about to address reporters, a team employee interrupted and pulled Lincecum away, presumably to talk to Wilson.

Wilson was not eager to discuss the incident. Asked if he might talk to Blake the next time they meet, Wilson stood silent while Jeremy Affeldt, standing in the next locker said, "Blake knows what he did."

Blake, who homered against Wilson in the 12th inning to deal the Giant his second blown save, was gone when two San Francisco reporters sought his response.

Wilson pitched a perfect 13th to preserve his own win.

 

[mr jordan04]

thats !%*%!@ stupid that he got mad. i hate that pitchers do all their hoorah and act like the won a world series (ala k-rod) just for a regular save. if youdo some dumb +%!@ like that, you best believe imma pose at the plate for 5 seconds to watch my homerun just to rub it in. just like manny did when he hit thatHr off k-rod a couple years ago to eliminate them from the playoffs. he just stood there with his hands up

 

[sinser13]

i didn't know ninjahood was a dodger fan

 

[dr 715]

Originally Posted by Mr Jordan04

thats !%*%!@ stupid that he got mad. i hate that pitchers do all their hoorah and act like the won a world series (ala k-rod) just for a regular save. if you do some dumb +%!@ like that, you best believe imma pose at the plate for 5 seconds to watch my homerun just to rub it in. just like manny did when he hit that Hr off k-rod a couple years ago to eliminate them from the playoffs. he just stood there with his hands up

Have you actually seen Wilson do it? If you have, you'd know that he turns his back toward the hitter.. And unlike K-Rod or even Papelbon,Wilson does his cross thing after the save not after every strike out. And more importantly, he does this to honor his late father. He doesn't care aboutthe Dodgers nor Casey Blake.

If you pose at the plate for 5 seconds, "you best believe imma" be throwing at your ear hole.

I too dislike the antics of the previous mentioned K-Rod and Papelbon. Even Joba rubs me the wrong way. But all Wilson does is cross his arm.

Dodgers are getting edgy....bums.

 

[cincoseisdos]

anywhoooo

So Yeah, Mota Sucks

Tiny by Tripon on May 10, 2009 9:42 PM PDT Comment 1 comment

Obviously, this isn't a big shock to find that the guy with the biggest contract in the bullpen is also the guy who sucks the most. Some sobering stats for Mota:


2.12 WHIP

7.43 ERA

19 hits, 11 ERs, and 10 walks in 13.1 innings.

Fangraphs has Mota at a -0.2 WAR, and actually costing the Dodgers $800K in production so far in 2009.


In short, he sucks, and actually calling up Eric Milton or Shawn Estes to take his place might not be the worst thing in the world.

But obviously that won't happen since Mota signed a $2.3 to be our main acquistion for the bullpen despite better relievers like Ohman, Biemel, etc. signing for less money.

I get that the Dodgers did not want to pay what Biemel want, and I think its great that the Dodgers were able to get Ohman for what he eventually signed for, even if his seasonal results aren't the best right now, Ohman's doing his job. But it wasn't an either/or between Ohman and Biemel, and frankly, the Dodgers decided that Mota was worth $2.3 million and Biemel wasn't.

They have to take the consequence of that decision as Mota becomes the mop up man of the staff and easily their worst pitcher on the pitching staff.


The Dodgers should release him and cut their losses like the Cubs did with Luis Vizcaino. Not happening though, since if the Dodgers are one thing, its being damn stubborn and they're going to ride Mota out there until its becomes obvious, well even more obvious that Mota's is simply not good enough to be a pitcher in the major leauges.

So yeah, Mota sucks. Now what?

 

[frenchblue23]

Those Simpson clips are F^$% awesome, but the pics are so HUGE.

 

[Los Angeles]

dr doogie howser stays coming into the dodger season thread always salty .... bummmmmmmm

damn 562, you killed my phone with them pics man

& like i said, mota has no place on this team ... he hasnt fooled anyone except ned&co with that contract.

 

[mr jordan04]

Originally Posted by bright nikes

dr doogie howser stays coming into the dodger season thread always salty .... bummmmmmmm

 

[cincoseisdos]

Sorry about the pic sizes

if someone resizes em i'll take mine down

 

[dr 715]

Who's the one salty, exactly?

The typical NT response when someone doesn't have anything to say - "U Madd?"

$%+! outta here. Yes, $%+! outta your own thread.