OFFICIAL 2010 LOS ANGELES DODGERS THREAD [79-82] : The losing season

[Los Angeles]

Monasterios is going to make the roster.

Not sure if he can start, would be a good look to put him in the BP.

 

[mr jordan04]

http://[h3]

[h3]Who will replace Manny ... and when?[/h3]
12:59PM ET

[h5]Los Angeles Dodgers [/h5]
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Although the Dodgers don't have to think about replacing Manny Ramirez in left field until the end of the season, we get to start talking about who will get that nod right now. Why? Because it's what we do.

The Dodgers have two outfield prospects who could work themselves into the mix next spring --Trayvon Robinson, who may be good enough defensively to push Matt Kemp to a corner spot, and Andrew Lambo, a lefty stick with plus power who likely will be a left fielder in the big leagues.

But what if the Dodgers fall out of the race by July -- we don't expect that to occur, but stranger things have happened, such as Manny Ramirez's existence in baseball, for example -- and shop Manny to the highest bidder?

It could happen, which could push the timeline for Lambo and Robinson up a notch or two, although Lambo may be ready soon after finishing last season at the Double-A level at age 21.

[h5]ESPN Fantasy[/h5]
What's Manny worth?

"He's a name you know but for whom you should not overpay. Did you know that Ramirez has missed at least 29 of his team's scheduled games in three of the past four seasons? That's 18.5 percent of the total games played during that time span. A 50-game suspension for violating the league's rules on performance enhancing drugs was largely responsible for the bulk of the missed time last season, but it's not like Ramirez was quite as lethal a force upon his return, batting .269/.389/.492 (BA/OBP/SLG) in his final 77 games. He will turn 38 in May, so in addition to his critics' questions that his stellar 2008 numbers might have been PED-driven, the reality is that his age puts him at a stage in his career in which some regression should be expected. Ramirez might have another .300-hitting, 30-homer season left in his bat, but never before has his downside been greater. Don't overdraft him."

[/h3]

 

[Los Angeles]

http://ad.doubleclick.net/click;h=v...s.latimes.com/dodgers/;~aopt=2/0/ff/1;~sscs=?

Ronald Belisario's lawyer says DUI case resolved, but Dodgers pitcher still not in camp

March 17, 2010 | 12:26pm

Add Ronald Belisario's lawyer to those who don't know why the right-handed pitcher hasn't yet reported to the Dodgers' spring-training camp.

The Venezuelan has yet to arrive at Camelback Ranch because of visa problems, which were aggravated by a misdemeanor charge of  driving under the influence, stemming from an incident last June in Pasadena.

But his lawyer, J. Michael Flanagan, said Wednesday that the DUI case was resolved last week and that he couldn't explain why the 27-year-old middle reliever still wasn't in Arizona.

"I don't know what's going on," Flanagan said. Dodgers officials said this week that they couldn't explain the delay.

Flanagan said the initial charges against Belisario were reduced to a non-alcohol-related reckless-driving charge and that Belisario was fined $1,000. Flanagan said he appeared on behalf of Belisario at all of the case's hearings.

He also said that "I knew this pending DUI delayed" Belisario's visa application and "that’s why I hurried up the resolution of the case," adding that he then sent the paperwork to Belisario's agent, Paul Kinzer.

Kinzer said Wednesday that "we submitted that" paperwork to U.S. immigration authorities and "we're hoping to hear something in the next few days."

In the meantime, Belisario remains in Venezuela and is "working out and ready to go as soon as he lands" in the United States, Kinzer said.

Belisario was a workhorse for the Dodgers last season, with 69 appearances, but the Dodgers have said it's likely that the pitcher wouldn't arrive at camp in time to be available opening day April 5.

-- Jim Peltz in Phoenix

Photo: Ronald Belisario pitching against the Colorado Rockies last July at Dodger Stadium. Credit: Alex Gallardo / Los Angeles Times
[h1]Scratch one from fifth-starter consideration: Joe Torre says James McDonald looks like reliever[/h1]
March 17, 2010 | 11:48am

It looks like the Dodgers’ fondest hope for filling the fifth spot in the rotation, James McDonald, isn’t going to happen.

Joe Torre told reporters Wednesday afternoon that "McDonald looks more like a bullpen guy."

This is the same right-hander who was given the fifth spot last spring but, after going 1-1 with an 8.78 ERA in four starts, was moved to the bullpen for the rest of the season.

He went 4-4 with a 2.72 ERA out of the bullpen, so Torre is probably on to something.

Still, it has to be disappointing that McDonald didn’t show enough this spring to remain in serious contention for the fifth spot. He’s only 25, and aside from Carlos Monasterios (24 next week) and Charlie Haeger (26), the other candidates are 30 or older -- Eric Stults (30), Russ Ortiz (35) and Ramon Ortiz (36).

"Stults and Haeger haven't done anything to hurt their chances," Torre said. "I don't think anybody for sure is on the team."

McDonald’s youth and promise made him a nice fifth-starter candidate, and if he’d pulled it off, he would have set himself up with a nice future in the rotation. After only two -- and the emphasis is on two -- spring appearances (six earned runs in four innings on eight hits and three walks), the Dodgers have apparently seen enough to make a decision.

McDonald isn’t likely to start the season at Triple-A Albuquerque, so along with Jeff Weaver, he gives the Dodgers two middle relievers who could also be swing guys if needed.

-- Steve Dilbeck


JMac just didn't come with it & The Curious Case of Ronald Bellisario?

 

[mr jordan04]

damn.... and we all thought JMac was gonna be the next @+$%

yea i know its early, but maybe the ceiling has been set too high for him

 

[p mac one]

The thing with JMac is that his stuff is fringe average as a starter, he has a decent fastball, his curve is above average and his change is pretty good too.

As a reliever his fastball velocity jumps and he becomes a very good reliever (when he can locate his pitches).

He's either going to need to figure out how to locate his pitches to have more consistency as a starter or he'll be relegated to being as a reliever. The good news is that he's still relatively new to pitching so using him as a reliever isn't saying he could never start, it's just saying that the Dodgers as a team trying to win the division and go deep into the playoffs would rather use try guys without options (Stults, Haegar) at the 5th starter role rather than JMac.

 

[sinser13]

Originally Posted by bright nikes

Still no word on Bellisario.

 

[cincoseisdos]

The lady friend wants to get that bobblehead plan...

$250 for that many games? Not too bad, we're looking at getting em where we had our mini plan last year in the upper reserve. I dug those seats.

I'll be done working next monthso I'll be able to attend the games

 

[Los Angeles]

Manny with his first spring homer

Jon Link looks like he could make this roster in the bullpen.

Edit: G.A lookin good at the plate.

 

[mr jordan04]

Vince scully fell gettin outta bed and bumped his head. He's in the hospital for precautionary reasons, but will be at the game snday

 

[sinser13]

^ glad to hear that he is ok.

 

[frenchblue23]

Scully

Don't need that scare.  I got a bad flash while reading about it, back when Chick Hearn also fell, which led to his death. 

 

[Los Angeles]

Well damn.

 

[Los Angeles]

[h1]One Web view: McCourt payroll is unacceptable[/h1]
March 19, 2010 |  5:02pm

Checking in on your weekend Web reading ….

-- Ken Rosenthal at msn.foxsports.com doesn’t care for the way the Dodgers’ payroll is shaping up. Rosenthal argues that a team based in the Los Angeles market, drawing a baseball-best 3.7 million last season, should have one of the highest payrolls in the game. He suggest $150 million.

It’s currently expected to come in at about $85 million, sans deferral payments, which is lower than the small-market Minnesota Twins. He is not a big Frank McCourt fan. Writes Rosenthal:

"They should be dominating the NL West, a division in which no other team approaches their financial might. Instead, they’re fretting over their starting rotation, which lacks an ace at the top and depth at the bottom.

"McCourt’s finances were in question even before his personal life sparked the creation of dodgerdivorce.com. He says the Dodgers are not affected by his messy split from his wife, Jamie, but would be better off admitting the obvious."

He rips the Dodgers for not landing one of the four aces traded in the last 20 months -- CC Sabathia, Cliff Lee, Jake Peavy and Roy Halladay. There’s almost no chance the Padres were going to trade Peavy to their division rival, and as Rosenthal points out, Halladay had a no-trade and wanted to be in Philadelphia. His harshest words were for passing on Sabathia and reportedly asking the Indians to pick up part of his contract.

-- Ken Gurnick examines the rising stock of right-hander Carlos Monasterios at dodgers.com. A Rule 5 pick, Monasterios has yet to allow a run in his eight innings this spring in his bid to be the team’s fifth starter. A Rule 5 pick is had for just $50,000, but if he doesn’t remain on the team’s 25-man roster must be returned to the team from which he was drafted. Gurnick points out, however, that of the team’s 10 Rule 5 picks since 1981, only three made the Opening Day roster and just one, J.D. Houlton in 2005, remained with the club all season.

-- Dodgers Manager Joe Torre is running out of time to announce his starting second baseman this week, as he said he would. It appears a slam dunk at this point for Blake DeWitt, and Riverside Press-Telegram columnist Gregg Patton writes a nice profile on him at pe.com.

-- Bert Blyleven -- yes, that Bert Blyleven -- writes an N.L. West preview for nbc.sports in which he picks the Dodgers to win the division and predicts Manny Ramirez will have a big rebound season.
-- Tony Jackson writes a terrific, in-depth profile on Dodgers Spanish announcer Jaime Jarrin at espnla.com. Turns out they’re part-time neighbors in Phoenix.

-- Steve Dilbeck

 

[in yo nostril]

i will never get over this cheap %!% passing on sabathia. that was like the last straw for me

 

[Los Angeles]

^how was vegas?

Here are some other notes:

• Joe Torre said before the game that he would name his opening day starter on Saturday morning.  I'm betting on Clayton Kershaw.
• Ronnie Belliard started at first base, and played four innings in the field.  He made a few routine plays, but also misplayed a grounder, turning a potential double play ball (robbing us of a 3-6-1!) into a ricochet 3-4-1 putout.  Since an out was recorded on the play, there was no error
• Hiroki Kuroda had his moments, but didn't have his usual pinpoint control.  By my count, he threw 72 pitches in his four innings, 44 for strikes.  He threw a first pitch strike to just 10 of 19 batters faced.  When Kuroda fell behind batters, he was hit hard, giving up a triple to Chase Headley and a towering home run to Will Venable, who crushed a ball off the top of the batter's eye in center field.  Kuroda on the night gave up three runs and seven hits in four innings
• The Dodgers executed a perfect squeeze play in the seventh, when Doug Mientkiewicz dropped a bunt as Jason Repko scored what was, at that time, the go-ahead run
• James McDonald didn't give up a run in the sixth inning, but struggled mightily in the seventh, giving up six runs, including a three-run shot over the bullpen to Dusty Ryan.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Matt Kemp and Rafael Furcal each had two hits
• Before the game, Javy Guerra was optioned to minor league camp, bringing the total in big league camp to 46

Hopefully some of you guys catch Chris Withrow throw, this dude's future looks bright.

Have a good weekend vatos.

 

[cincoseisdos]

Padilla looked good and he recovered from that rough 2nd inning

Sherrill handled business and battled to get that 3rd out

OX is on the bump with Lindblom warming up

 

[cincoseisdos]

Also, what is it about the cameras @ Camelback that make the image look so crappy and "smoothed out"?

 

[Los Angeles]

I thought it was just my TV.

Btw Jmac optioned to minors with his spring ERA of 20.98 (give or take)

Ausmus with lower back pain.

 

[cincoseisdos]

McC probably went with some cheap Chinese cameras

Lindblom was money as was MS-13 Miller

 

[Los Angeles]

Ethan Martin, Lindblom, Withrow, Monastarios are tooooo nice

Can't wait for Vinny to talk bout Miller's tats every time he's on the mound lol

 

[p mac one]

isn't it Aaron Miller pitching today, not Justin Miller?

 

[cincoseisdos]

Justin pitched last night

 

[Los Angeles]

Heads up Traffic on AMC

 

[Los Angeles]

Oh yeah Dodgers are trying to trade Stults.

 

[p mac one]

I predict we'll give away Stults for nothing just like we did DY. We'll probably do it just to keep Ramon Ortiz on the roster too.

Ned is a #%*!#+#.