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Truth.
That guy on the Nats, Clippard (?), is pretty nice.
Casey Blake is pretty much the only one who showed up for the series.
OFFICIAL 2010 LOS ANGELES DODGERS THREAD [79-82] : The losing season
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by cincoseisdos,
- Start date
Truth.
That guy on the Nats, Clippard (?), is pretty nice.
Casey Blake is pretty much the only one who showed up for the series.
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At least Bills got his %+!# together.
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That's the light in the tunnel for me.
What sucks though is it felt like when D.Lowe was pitching for us, that pesky lack of run support.
Let's see what happens in NY
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I'm glad this idiot was ran out of Angel Stadium
Stupid !!% CA Yankee "fans"
Stupid !!% CA Yankee "fans"
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Pretty candid Dre interview
[h2]Sporting News Conversation: Andre Ethier[/h2]
The right fielder is one of the best clutchhitters in baseball, and now that he and hisyoung teammates have taken over theDodgers, he’s ready to beat the Phillies—finally—and become the hottest ticket in L.A.
Steve Greenberg
Friday, Apr. 23, 2010 - 4:48 p.m. ET
Ona team packed with 20-something talent—Matt Kemp, Russell Martin,Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, James Loney—perhaps the least wasexpected of Andre Ethier. Oh, how that has changed. Since MannyRamirez's much ballyhooed trade to the Dodgers on July 31, 2008, it hasbeen Ethier, a 27-year-old right fielder, who has led the NL Westkingpins in home runs, extra-base hits, RBIs and, most resoundingly,MVP moments.
Yet despite his six walkoff hits in 2009—the most for any player inany season since 1974—and his major league-leading nine game-endersover the past two years, Ethier remains something less than asuperstar. Is this the year that changes? "I think it should," says hismanager, Joe Torre, "because the kid is that good."
In cargo shorts and a ratty T-shirt at his home outside his nativePhoenix, with his 1-year-old son, Dreson, playing at his feet, Ethierdidn't look like a guy who also leads his team in dugout tirades. In aninterview with Sporting News' Steve Greenberg, Ethier discussed his temper, his team and his rising status as one of the game's most clutch hitters.
'I don’t want to be known just for the walkoff hits,' Andre Ethier says.
Sporting News: Let's begin with a very serious baseball topic: your looks.
Andre Ethier: My looks?
SN: I don't want to make you uncomfortable, but you're a good-looking guy. Your thoughts, Andre?
AE: Thank you. (Laughs.) When I first got in the league, Iwas definitely more known for my looks rather than my play. I got a lotof attention for that. The ladies were a lot younger, too. Now thatI've gotten a little older and more mature, I get recognized more bythe moms. As you start maturing, the ladies mature with you. You startgetting moms yelling stuff at you rather than teenage girls and youngladies.
SN: You really do have a very distinctive face and a unique, melodic name.
AE: People always ask me what am I, what nationality. I'mtough to figure out, I think. My mom is of Mexican-Hispanic descent, mydad French- Canadian and Cherokee Indian. I think it's a tough look toget a grip on.
SN: It feels like it's time for your big breakout, as not just a ballplayer but a sports celebrity. Do you agree?
AE: I guess it's time. If I can play a certain way andsustain it, it'll definitely (help). A lot of guys say they don't wantthe attention, but the better you play, you're going to get it becausepeople want to (be) associated with the best players around them.You're going to have some type of celebrity or following because ofthat. Sometimes I think I'd have trouble and (want to) push it away,stay under the radar, but maybe not.
SN: You were sixth in NL MVP voting last season but not an All-Star. Is this the year you make the team?
AE: It's so tough. There are so many good outfielders. It'sthe toughest position to make it as an All-Star. I know catcher istough, but you've got three outfielders, and typically they don't votefor positions—it could be three center fielders, and a lot of managersmight want that (for defensive reasons). We have one of the best centerfielders on our team (Matt Kemp), and I'd want him. … It has a littlebit to do with me, too. I've always been a typical slow starter in thefirst half. As the season starts getting toward the midpoint, I reallystart picking things up. I haven't been helping my cause by havingthese performances in the first half.
SN: By the end of last season, you had six walkoff hits, themost in baseball in 35 years. Four of them were home runs. What did youannounce to the sports world by doing so?
'We can be bigger and better than the Lakers if we win the World Serie,' Ethier says.
AE:It's one of those funny things. People understand that I'm prettyintense when I go up there, pretty focused and locked in; I can havethat tight, whiteknuckled- grip look to me. I wasn't that good in thosesituations early in my career; I was awful in those big, game-changingat-bats. I think I established that you can learn to become good atthat but it takes a certain easiness and calmness to do it. There'snothing better than having a feeling going up there: I want to be inthat situation; I can't wait to get that at-bat. Then you hit the balland you look as you run around the bases—you just ended a game likethat with one swing. It's a great feeling. You've got to want to be inthat situation because a lot of times you're going to fail. But it'swhat you look for. If anything, I've shown that I'm able to handle thatsituation and come through.
SN: Is the matter settled, then— you're one of the game's best clutch hitters?
AE: I guess major league baseball fans voted me as the(2009 MLB clutch performer of the year). But it was one year; a lot ofthings could change. Maybe people are going to pitch me differently inthose situations this year. But I like to think of myself as one. Iguess it starts with you believing in yourself as one first. Like ourguy Tommy (Lasorda), our mascot and team motivator, always preaches:"If you don't believe it, you can't achieve it." That's what he'sscreaming at us all the time. Hey, it's true
SN: What sort of confidence did those hits inspire within your teammates, your manager and Dodgers fans?
AE: At the end of the season, I think it was one of last onesI hit, I got inside the dugout—I was due to hit second or third in theorder—and Kemp goes, "Just end this thing; let's get out of here." ThenI was standing in the on-deck circle and Joe (Torre) says, "Do thatthing you do again." I got up there and hit a home run. … By the end ofthe season, I'd be getting on deck and I'd hear fans scream and yell atme to hit another walkoff home run. Definitely in L.A., when I'd be onthe streets, people would always be telling me, "I stayed up andwatched that home run you hit last night. That was unbelievable." I gotmore compliments off those hits rather than the bulk of the season Iput together. It tells you people are attracted to those little momentsthat are so big and so full of energy, where all of the sudden onething can happen and it's like a buzzer-beater. It's one of the coolestmoments in sports.
SN: Don Mattingly told SN last year: "Andre can't standmaking outs; he just drives himself crazy with that. He gets so mad athimself, the next thing you know he's swinging at bad pitches. Hedisconnects." Are you keeping yourself from putting together the bestseason you're capable of?
AE: I definitely do get myself in some trouble sometimes. Inthose single moments, I guess referring back to those walkoff hits,that's one thing I've focused on. Sometimes I get too carried away withthe flow of a game instead of concentrating one at-bat at a time, onepitch at a time. It sounds dumb, but sometimes you can let a four-gameseries accumulate on you quickly, and you look back and four gamestimes five at-bats just flew by. You can be sitting there 20 at-batslater wondering, What happened? How did I get myself into thissituation? It's a tough adjustment for anyone, but the season is solong; it's hard to keep that concentration so fine and minute all thetime. I get carried away (and) let things catch up on me and creep upon me, and I give too many things away.
SN: So what is the best season you're capable of? Where's your ceiling?
AE: Who knows? There's a fine line of going out there andtrying to better yourself every year and pressing too much. But I'm notgoing to be complacent and be happy with the way I performed last year.I'm definitely going to have to improve my game in certain areas. I'mnot necessarily saying I'm going to hit more home runs or have moreRBIs; maybe it's focusing on little things on defense or baserunning tomake me a better all-around baseball player. I hope the ceiling isn'tjudged statisticswise; I hope it's judged ballplayerwise. Maury Willssays the best compliment you can ever get is to be called "a hell of aballplayer"—not a good hitter, not a good defender, not a good pitcherbut a hell of a ballplayer. That's the thing I want to try to become—aballplayer who can do it all. I don't want to be known just for thewalkoff hits.
'Oh, I love him. I love the guy,' Ethier says of Manny Ramirez.
SN: Are you a big Manny Ramirez fan?
AE: Oh, I love him. I love the guy. There are two peoplewho've influenced me and Matt the most, and that's Manny and JuanPierre (who was traded to the White Sox in December). They reallysteered us in a certain direction—Juan being more of a person you canlean on and Manny being more of one who just tells you how it is andwhat it is baseballwise and how to achieve it. I don't think Manny getsenough credit for how good of a teacher and a teammate he can besometimes to good players. I don't know what his situation was inBoston, how he was there, but from Day 1 when he came to L.A., he wasmore than willing to help us out. He was hitting behind me, and afterat-bats we'd be sitting in the dugout and he'd say, "You're not doingthis with your hands," or, "You're doing this with your body." He givesus confidence: "You can do it. You're a good ballplayer." What can yousay from a guy who has a lot of things going on in his life and hasdone so much in this game and is still taking time to help you?
SN: Is there a better outfield, overall, in the game?
AE:I think we get brought up a lot higher on defense becauseof Matt in center. Offensively, with what those two guys have to offerand what I have to offer, I think we can be put up against any outfieldout there. Who can say which one is better? But I don't know who itwould be.
SN: Ramirez has clashed with teammates before. Kemp clashed acouple of years ago with some of the Dodgers' older players, guys whoare no longer around. Has anybody ever had a problem with you, or viceversa?
AE: It was all the young guys that had a problem with theveterans. I think Kemp was just the most vocal because he was calledout a few times unfairly. He has this swagger, this personality, abouthim that some people—older players—might not get or might not agreewith. … Kemp was just being put out there as an example. The riftstarted because he got fed up with being the guy put out there all thetime as a problem, and he starting saying stuff back instead of being ayoung guy who just sits there and takes it. … Joe put it (to rest)after that: "This team's bearings, whatever direction we're going, hasnothing to do with these old guys anymore. We're moving forward withyou guys." That was a real line that Joe drew that year.
SN: A lot of people like the Rockies in 2010. Are the Dodgers just a little bit better?
AE: I think so, just from the fact that we have theexperience and the feeling of what it takes to get the job done at theend of the year, especially the last two seasons with us going rightdown to the wire and having to battle teams out for it. I know it'sgoing to be tough. They have an unbelievable starting rotation, andtheir offense doesn't get enough credit. They certainly don't have thenames they had a couple years ago, but they still have guys that aremore than capable. … It's going to be a tough battle, but we should beconfident going forward. We've learned a lot.
[h3]Related Links[/h3]
SN: If you get another crack at the Phillies in October, will the third time be the charm?
AE: If the saying holds up, then it should be. They're a goodteam. We definitely had opportunities to win both those series. Ibelieve we could have. But if you let just a little bit of doubt, alittle bit of defeat, show to those guys, they expose it so quickly. …They're able to really capitalize when teams have weaknesses. They goright at it, and if it doesn't work the first time they're going tokeep doing it. They're so great at doing that. We've learned a lot fromthem.
SN: Speaking of champions, are you a Lakers fan?
AE: It's a tough draw for me just for the fact that I grew upin Phoenix; I grew up a Suns fan. The Lakers have been our rivals eversince I was growing up. I like the Lakers for the fact I've gotten toknow a couple of players. Every time they play the Suns, I have to be aSuns fan, but I like turning them on and had fun watching them win aworld championship. I see that L.A. sports celebrity thing and what ithas to offer to those guys.
SN: Which Laker are you as famous as? If you and Derek Fisher are walking down the street, who's getting mobbed?
AE: I've got to say any Lakers player. There are only 12, 13of them. They're on the front (page); they've been winningchampionships. L.A. is a city that's always starved for something likethat to happen. But definitely, if we win a World Series, we'll be theglamour franchise of the National League. And not only that but of thecity of Los Angeles. The Lakers are firmly rooted in this town, andthey deserve it because they keep winning. They have that followingthat is die-hard, and so do we. But I bet we can be bigger and betterthan them if we win.
[h2]Sporting News Conversation: Andre Ethier[/h2]
The right fielder is one of the best clutchhitters in baseball, and now that he and hisyoung teammates have taken over theDodgers, he’s ready to beat the Phillies—finally—and become the hottest ticket in L.A.
Steve Greenberg
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Friday, Apr. 23, 2010 - 4:48 p.m. ET
Ona team packed with 20-something talent—Matt Kemp, Russell Martin,Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, James Loney—perhaps the least wasexpected of Andre Ethier. Oh, how that has changed. Since MannyRamirez's much ballyhooed trade to the Dodgers on July 31, 2008, it hasbeen Ethier, a 27-year-old right fielder, who has led the NL Westkingpins in home runs, extra-base hits, RBIs and, most resoundingly,MVP moments.
Yet despite his six walkoff hits in 2009—the most for any player inany season since 1974—and his major league-leading nine game-endersover the past two years, Ethier remains something less than asuperstar. Is this the year that changes? "I think it should," says hismanager, Joe Torre, "because the kid is that good."
In cargo shorts and a ratty T-shirt at his home outside his nativePhoenix, with his 1-year-old son, Dreson, playing at his feet, Ethierdidn't look like a guy who also leads his team in dugout tirades. In aninterview with Sporting News' Steve Greenberg, Ethier discussed his temper, his team and his rising status as one of the game's most clutch hitters.
'I don’t want to be known just for the walkoff hits,' Andre Ethier says.
Sporting News: Let's begin with a very serious baseball topic: your looks.
Andre Ethier: My looks?
SN: I don't want to make you uncomfortable, but you're a good-looking guy. Your thoughts, Andre?
AE: Thank you. (Laughs.) When I first got in the league, Iwas definitely more known for my looks rather than my play. I got a lotof attention for that. The ladies were a lot younger, too. Now thatI've gotten a little older and more mature, I get recognized more bythe moms. As you start maturing, the ladies mature with you. You startgetting moms yelling stuff at you rather than teenage girls and youngladies.
SN: You really do have a very distinctive face and a unique, melodic name.
AE: People always ask me what am I, what nationality. I'mtough to figure out, I think. My mom is of Mexican-Hispanic descent, mydad French- Canadian and Cherokee Indian. I think it's a tough look toget a grip on.
SN: It feels like it's time for your big breakout, as not just a ballplayer but a sports celebrity. Do you agree?
AE: I guess it's time. If I can play a certain way andsustain it, it'll definitely (help). A lot of guys say they don't wantthe attention, but the better you play, you're going to get it becausepeople want to (be) associated with the best players around them.You're going to have some type of celebrity or following because ofthat. Sometimes I think I'd have trouble and (want to) push it away,stay under the radar, but maybe not.
SN: You were sixth in NL MVP voting last season but not an All-Star. Is this the year you make the team?
AE: It's so tough. There are so many good outfielders. It'sthe toughest position to make it as an All-Star. I know catcher istough, but you've got three outfielders, and typically they don't votefor positions—it could be three center fielders, and a lot of managersmight want that (for defensive reasons). We have one of the best centerfielders on our team (Matt Kemp), and I'd want him. … It has a littlebit to do with me, too. I've always been a typical slow starter in thefirst half. As the season starts getting toward the midpoint, I reallystart picking things up. I haven't been helping my cause by havingthese performances in the first half.
SN: By the end of last season, you had six walkoff hits, themost in baseball in 35 years. Four of them were home runs. What did youannounce to the sports world by doing so?
'We can be bigger and better than the Lakers if we win the World Serie,' Ethier says.
AE:It's one of those funny things. People understand that I'm prettyintense when I go up there, pretty focused and locked in; I can havethat tight, whiteknuckled- grip look to me. I wasn't that good in thosesituations early in my career; I was awful in those big, game-changingat-bats. I think I established that you can learn to become good atthat but it takes a certain easiness and calmness to do it. There'snothing better than having a feeling going up there: I want to be inthat situation; I can't wait to get that at-bat. Then you hit the balland you look as you run around the bases—you just ended a game likethat with one swing. It's a great feeling. You've got to want to be inthat situation because a lot of times you're going to fail. But it'swhat you look for. If anything, I've shown that I'm able to handle thatsituation and come through.
SN: Is the matter settled, then— you're one of the game's best clutch hitters?
AE: I guess major league baseball fans voted me as the(2009 MLB clutch performer of the year). But it was one year; a lot ofthings could change. Maybe people are going to pitch me differently inthose situations this year. But I like to think of myself as one. Iguess it starts with you believing in yourself as one first. Like ourguy Tommy (Lasorda), our mascot and team motivator, always preaches:"If you don't believe it, you can't achieve it." That's what he'sscreaming at us all the time. Hey, it's true
SN: What sort of confidence did those hits inspire within your teammates, your manager and Dodgers fans?
AE: At the end of the season, I think it was one of last onesI hit, I got inside the dugout—I was due to hit second or third in theorder—and Kemp goes, "Just end this thing; let's get out of here." ThenI was standing in the on-deck circle and Joe (Torre) says, "Do thatthing you do again." I got up there and hit a home run. … By the end ofthe season, I'd be getting on deck and I'd hear fans scream and yell atme to hit another walkoff home run. Definitely in L.A., when I'd be onthe streets, people would always be telling me, "I stayed up andwatched that home run you hit last night. That was unbelievable." I gotmore compliments off those hits rather than the bulk of the season Iput together. It tells you people are attracted to those little momentsthat are so big and so full of energy, where all of the sudden onething can happen and it's like a buzzer-beater. It's one of the coolestmoments in sports.
SN: Don Mattingly told SN last year: "Andre can't standmaking outs; he just drives himself crazy with that. He gets so mad athimself, the next thing you know he's swinging at bad pitches. Hedisconnects." Are you keeping yourself from putting together the bestseason you're capable of?
AE: I definitely do get myself in some trouble sometimes. Inthose single moments, I guess referring back to those walkoff hits,that's one thing I've focused on. Sometimes I get too carried away withthe flow of a game instead of concentrating one at-bat at a time, onepitch at a time. It sounds dumb, but sometimes you can let a four-gameseries accumulate on you quickly, and you look back and four gamestimes five at-bats just flew by. You can be sitting there 20 at-batslater wondering, What happened? How did I get myself into thissituation? It's a tough adjustment for anyone, but the season is solong; it's hard to keep that concentration so fine and minute all thetime. I get carried away (and) let things catch up on me and creep upon me, and I give too many things away.
SN: So what is the best season you're capable of? Where's your ceiling?
AE: Who knows? There's a fine line of going out there andtrying to better yourself every year and pressing too much. But I'm notgoing to be complacent and be happy with the way I performed last year.I'm definitely going to have to improve my game in certain areas. I'mnot necessarily saying I'm going to hit more home runs or have moreRBIs; maybe it's focusing on little things on defense or baserunning tomake me a better all-around baseball player. I hope the ceiling isn'tjudged statisticswise; I hope it's judged ballplayerwise. Maury Willssays the best compliment you can ever get is to be called "a hell of aballplayer"—not a good hitter, not a good defender, not a good pitcherbut a hell of a ballplayer. That's the thing I want to try to become—aballplayer who can do it all. I don't want to be known just for thewalkoff hits.
'Oh, I love him. I love the guy,' Ethier says of Manny Ramirez.
SN: Are you a big Manny Ramirez fan?
AE: Oh, I love him. I love the guy. There are two peoplewho've influenced me and Matt the most, and that's Manny and JuanPierre (who was traded to the White Sox in December). They reallysteered us in a certain direction—Juan being more of a person you canlean on and Manny being more of one who just tells you how it is andwhat it is baseballwise and how to achieve it. I don't think Manny getsenough credit for how good of a teacher and a teammate he can besometimes to good players. I don't know what his situation was inBoston, how he was there, but from Day 1 when he came to L.A., he wasmore than willing to help us out. He was hitting behind me, and afterat-bats we'd be sitting in the dugout and he'd say, "You're not doingthis with your hands," or, "You're doing this with your body." He givesus confidence: "You can do it. You're a good ballplayer." What can yousay from a guy who has a lot of things going on in his life and hasdone so much in this game and is still taking time to help you?
SN: Is there a better outfield, overall, in the game?
AE:I think we get brought up a lot higher on defense becauseof Matt in center. Offensively, with what those two guys have to offerand what I have to offer, I think we can be put up against any outfieldout there. Who can say which one is better? But I don't know who itwould be.
SN: Ramirez has clashed with teammates before. Kemp clashed acouple of years ago with some of the Dodgers' older players, guys whoare no longer around. Has anybody ever had a problem with you, or viceversa?
AE: It was all the young guys that had a problem with theveterans. I think Kemp was just the most vocal because he was calledout a few times unfairly. He has this swagger, this personality, abouthim that some people—older players—might not get or might not agreewith. … Kemp was just being put out there as an example. The riftstarted because he got fed up with being the guy put out there all thetime as a problem, and he starting saying stuff back instead of being ayoung guy who just sits there and takes it. … Joe put it (to rest)after that: "This team's bearings, whatever direction we're going, hasnothing to do with these old guys anymore. We're moving forward withyou guys." That was a real line that Joe drew that year.
SN: A lot of people like the Rockies in 2010. Are the Dodgers just a little bit better?
AE: I think so, just from the fact that we have theexperience and the feeling of what it takes to get the job done at theend of the year, especially the last two seasons with us going rightdown to the wire and having to battle teams out for it. I know it'sgoing to be tough. They have an unbelievable starting rotation, andtheir offense doesn't get enough credit. They certainly don't have thenames they had a couple years ago, but they still have guys that aremore than capable. … It's going to be a tough battle, but we should beconfident going forward. We've learned a lot.
[h3]Related Links[/h3]
SN: If you get another crack at the Phillies in October, will the third time be the charm?
AE: If the saying holds up, then it should be. They're a goodteam. We definitely had opportunities to win both those series. Ibelieve we could have. But if you let just a little bit of doubt, alittle bit of defeat, show to those guys, they expose it so quickly. …They're able to really capitalize when teams have weaknesses. They goright at it, and if it doesn't work the first time they're going tokeep doing it. They're so great at doing that. We've learned a lot fromthem.
SN: Speaking of champions, are you a Lakers fan?
AE: It's a tough draw for me just for the fact that I grew upin Phoenix; I grew up a Suns fan. The Lakers have been our rivals eversince I was growing up. I like the Lakers for the fact I've gotten toknow a couple of players. Every time they play the Suns, I have to be aSuns fan, but I like turning them on and had fun watching them win aworld championship. I see that L.A. sports celebrity thing and what ithas to offer to those guys.
SN: Which Laker are you as famous as? If you and Derek Fisher are walking down the street, who's getting mobbed?
AE: I've got to say any Lakers player. There are only 12, 13of them. They're on the front (page); they've been winningchampionships. L.A. is a city that's always starved for something likethat to happen. But definitely, if we win a World Series, we'll be theglamour franchise of the National League. And not only that but of thecity of Los Angeles. The Lakers are firmly rooted in this town, andthey deserve it because they keep winning. They have that followingthat is die-hard, and so do we. But I bet we can be bigger and betterthan them if we win.
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http://twitter.com/jcrasnick
Dr. Charles Steinberg, formerly of O's, Pads, Red Sox & Dodgers, hired as a senior adviser for public affairs to Bud Selig at MLB. 32 minutes ago via web Retweeted by 6 people
jcrasnick
Jerry Crasnick
"Don't Stop Believin' to now be played by all MLB clubs, after every out"
%$@ hole
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Here's my version of a minor league update
AAA
Ivan DeJesus is starting off slow, but after almost a year off that's expected. It's a good sign that he's been able to swipe a couple of bases. He's at .227/.261/.303 right now with 5 2Bs in 66 AB. Right now they have Hu and DeJesus alternating between 2B and SS, but with the way Gordon is playing Ivan might want to focus on 2B and maybe gain a little weight to hit for some more power. I really like his on-base skills (216 BB: 282 K career) and think at worst he could share time in the future with DeWitt and Gordon, but if he can build upon the power he showed in AA (7 HR, 21 2B, 2 3B) two years ago and hit double digit homers then his ability to stick as a ML starter at 2B (where more offense is generally expected) greatly increases.
I don't really consider Hu and Hoffmann to be prospects, even though they could likely have similar impacts to guys currently on the ML roster, so I'll go on to pitching.
James McDonald was starting to get it together until he went on the DL with a broken fingernail. The big club could use him right now.
John Ely had his best start on Wednesday, but before that had walked a lot of batters. It's still early in the season for pitchers moreso than hitters right now.
Brent Leach was awful to start the year but has strung together 3 straight strong outings.
Lindblom has been good with striking guys out and not walking guys, but he's giving up far too many hits. If he doesn't improve over the course of the first half I can see him being moved to the bullpen.
Schlichting has only 2 BB in 10 IP this year, and that's the one thing holding him back from being a very effective reliever.
AA -
Dee Gordon is an absolute beast. First off, if you haven't seen the video of his walk-off in the playoffs last year then watch that. The odd thing about the Dodgers system is that low A is actually a tougher hitting environment than high A, so the organization usually considers low A to be high A as far as hitters are concerned. So the thing about Gordon is that he really didn't play baseball in college due to eligibility. He played rookie ball, then low A in Great Lakes and now he's tearing up AA to the tune of .354/.377/.492. Sky's the limit for this kid right now. I think he's likely to develop power to hit 8-12 HR in a season, and he'll probably steal 50+ but the thing that everyone loves to talk about is his leadership skills which is what you want from a SS and lead-off hitter.
Lambo is repeating AA, but he was the youngest player in the league last year I believe. He's off to a good start this year, at .339/.391/.525 which is a very good sign that is AFL performance wasn't a fluke. He looks like an Ethier clone, except for he hits lefties very well right now (which Andre did until last year).
Trayvon Robinson is off to a slow start, but the convenient thing about guys having around 60 ABs is that if they're doing well you can take a lot from it but if they're not you just write it off as it being early in the season.
Chris Withrow is really struggling, but hey, it's early
high A -
Kyle Russell is still mashing, and his K rate is down somewhat this year. He really might turn into an athletic Adam Dunn who can play above average D in RF. That or he'll flame out when he faces more advanced pitching in AA.
Pedro Baez is an interesting 3B prospect because he's really the only one we have
. That said, he's got a ton of raw power and is pretty athletic for the position. He's also got a cannon for an arm. If he can stay healthy and slowly develop some plate discipline he could be 'like' Beltre or maybe a little better (minus the contract year for Adrian)
Ethan Martin has been great, in a very good hitters environment. After splitting starts last year with Nathan Eovaldi, it's good to see that he can be consistent as a full-time starter.
Eovaldi just made his debut, but look for him to improve his K numbers from last year because he has a lot of velocity on his FB.
Kenley Jansen has 18 K, and 3 BB in 10.2 IP right now, and looks like he could be really dominant moving forward as he learns to pitch.
Aaron Miller has been solid as well, I think he could move quickly through the system if he keeps pitching well.
low A -
Jerry Sands is destroying the MWL with a 1.467 OPS. He could turn into a late round steal.
Allen Webster and Brett Wallach are two pitchers to keep an eye on right now, both look very polished for their age.
AAA
Ivan DeJesus is starting off slow, but after almost a year off that's expected. It's a good sign that he's been able to swipe a couple of bases. He's at .227/.261/.303 right now with 5 2Bs in 66 AB. Right now they have Hu and DeJesus alternating between 2B and SS, but with the way Gordon is playing Ivan might want to focus on 2B and maybe gain a little weight to hit for some more power. I really like his on-base skills (216 BB: 282 K career) and think at worst he could share time in the future with DeWitt and Gordon, but if he can build upon the power he showed in AA (7 HR, 21 2B, 2 3B) two years ago and hit double digit homers then his ability to stick as a ML starter at 2B (where more offense is generally expected) greatly increases.
I don't really consider Hu and Hoffmann to be prospects, even though they could likely have similar impacts to guys currently on the ML roster, so I'll go on to pitching.
James McDonald was starting to get it together until he went on the DL with a broken fingernail. The big club could use him right now.
John Ely had his best start on Wednesday, but before that had walked a lot of batters. It's still early in the season for pitchers moreso than hitters right now.
Brent Leach was awful to start the year but has strung together 3 straight strong outings.
Lindblom has been good with striking guys out and not walking guys, but he's giving up far too many hits. If he doesn't improve over the course of the first half I can see him being moved to the bullpen.
Schlichting has only 2 BB in 10 IP this year, and that's the one thing holding him back from being a very effective reliever.
AA -
Dee Gordon is an absolute beast. First off, if you haven't seen the video of his walk-off in the playoffs last year then watch that. The odd thing about the Dodgers system is that low A is actually a tougher hitting environment than high A, so the organization usually considers low A to be high A as far as hitters are concerned. So the thing about Gordon is that he really didn't play baseball in college due to eligibility. He played rookie ball, then low A in Great Lakes and now he's tearing up AA to the tune of .354/.377/.492. Sky's the limit for this kid right now. I think he's likely to develop power to hit 8-12 HR in a season, and he'll probably steal 50+ but the thing that everyone loves to talk about is his leadership skills which is what you want from a SS and lead-off hitter.
Lambo is repeating AA, but he was the youngest player in the league last year I believe. He's off to a good start this year, at .339/.391/.525 which is a very good sign that is AFL performance wasn't a fluke. He looks like an Ethier clone, except for he hits lefties very well right now (which Andre did until last year).
Trayvon Robinson is off to a slow start, but the convenient thing about guys having around 60 ABs is that if they're doing well you can take a lot from it but if they're not you just write it off as it being early in the season.
Chris Withrow is really struggling, but hey, it's early
high A -
Kyle Russell is still mashing, and his K rate is down somewhat this year. He really might turn into an athletic Adam Dunn who can play above average D in RF. That or he'll flame out when he faces more advanced pitching in AA.
Pedro Baez is an interesting 3B prospect because he's really the only one we have
Ethan Martin has been great, in a very good hitters environment. After splitting starts last year with Nathan Eovaldi, it's good to see that he can be consistent as a full-time starter.
Eovaldi just made his debut, but look for him to improve his K numbers from last year because he has a lot of velocity on his FB.
Kenley Jansen has 18 K, and 3 BB in 10.2 IP right now, and looks like he could be really dominant moving forward as he learns to pitch.
Aaron Miller has been solid as well, I think he could move quickly through the system if he keeps pitching well.
low A -
Jerry Sands is destroying the MWL with a 1.467 OPS. He could turn into a late round steal.
Allen Webster and Brett Wallach are two pitchers to keep an eye on right now, both look very polished for their age.
Los Angeles
formerly bright nikes
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Today's Lineup:
SS, Furcal
CF, Kemp
RF, Ethier
3B, Blake
1B, Loney
C, Martin
LF, Johnson
2B, Carroll
P, Kuroda
Can't believe we're 7-11
SS, Furcal
CF, Kemp
RF, Ethier
3B, Blake
1B, Loney
C, Martin
LF, Johnson
2B, Carroll
P, Kuroda
Can't believe we're 7-11
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Any news on Van Slyke and Mattingly PMAC?
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Van Slyke is doing alright. Mattingly is awful
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Can't believe we're 7-11
We're actually 8-10 *shrugs*
This team is too good, to be this bad. Ned should be on the phone with Washburn, Pedro, etc. Instead we are calling up guys that are not ready.
We're actually 8-10 *shrugs*
This team is too good, to be this bad. Ned should be on the phone with Washburn, Pedro, etc. Instead we are calling up guys that are not ready.
But I bet we can be bigger and betterthan them if we win.
Less talking more doing.
He's right, but there is only so much the offense can do. Pitching is terrible.
Thank You Frank.
Bud Selig hiring Charles Steinberg is a big %@%# you to Frank McCourt.
Just a little FYI.
Bud Selig was really fond of Frank McCourt. He even felt bad when the McCourts lost out to John Henry when they tried to buy the Red Sox ().
That is why he pushed the Dodgers sale, as a favor to the McCourts. Why else would any Commissioner allow a team, a prestigious one, to be bought on credit?
I've heard many whispers where, Bud Selig expresses regret for letting the McCourts become owners of a baseball team. Bud Selig likes low-key owners, and the McCourts being image conscious and attention @$!!+*, pissed off old Bud.
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so when are they going to release yankee tickets. i know those miniplans arent selling out
Los Angeles
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But Bud wanted the McCourts to be owners so that the Dodgers wouldn't be another team (like they had been under Fox) that would keep pushing payroll figures through the roof.
He's gotta be happy about that aspect of his decision to force their ownership onto this franchise.
And from everything I've heard, and what they've said, it's the Los Angeles "lifestyle" that changed the McCourts so Bud really had no clue that Jamie would be such an attention $%!%$.
He's gotta be happy about that aspect of his decision to force their ownership onto this franchise.
And from everything I've heard, and what they've said, it's the Los Angeles "lifestyle" that changed the McCourts so Bud really had no clue that Jamie would be such an attention $%!%$.
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Originally Posted by In Yo Nostril
so when are they going to release yankee tickets. i know those miniplans arent selling out
That's what I'm saying. Although you would be surprised.
I have a couple of friends who bought a miniplan, and sold the Yankee tickets for what he paid for the whole plan.
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We hold the opponent to under 1002 runs, and we can't score $*%+
++##.
++##.
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Matt.
It would figure that my favorite team from the other league is doing just as bad my favorite team. And now Manny is hurt.
This season is not treating me very well early on.
It would figure that my favorite team from the other league is doing just as bad my favorite team. And now Manny is hurt.
This season is not treating me very well early on.
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I really don't get it. Before this weekend these dudes were raking in runs, only to win by 1 or 2, or in extras thanks to the +@$@ pitching. And since this weekend, the pitching has been stellar, yet these dudes left their balls in Cincinnati.
It really is a long season isn't it.
It really is a long season isn't it.
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How did Loney not get ejected for that?
Edit: Just kidding.
Edit: Just kidding.
Los Angeles
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What a difference Manny makes, I mean the team has totally lost that "swag" at the plate.
Our pitching is horse-%!+!. There is no way to sugarcoat that, our bullpen is as bad as our starters and Troncoso is being worked till his arm falls out mid-season.
We can keep hanging on and hope Kershaw will eventually turn into an ACE, but in the present time - he isn't that guy.
Charlie Haeger is just not that good, he gives the team a good couple innings, but after that it goes downhill.
You're tryna tell me Jamey Carroll and Padilla was our BIG off-season splashes McCourt?
You got the Phillies who just lost in the World Series go and trade their ACE to acquire that beast Halladay
Damn we were so close ... watching these guys on the field, man I don't even know what's going on
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Originally Posted by In Yo Nostril
so when are they going to release yankee tickets. i know those miniplans arent selling out
i was told that current mini plan members (who's pack didnt include a yankee game) are going to get a presale for the yankee tix, with a limit of 2, kinda like the playoffs
thats what i heard/was told, dont know how true that is
Ironman
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Yes, there is going to be a pre-sale for Yankee tickets.
Season Ticket holders, then mini-plan holders. General Public will get the scraps.
Ramon Troncoso has pitched in 14 out of 20 games this season, on pace for 114 games. Torre pitched him in both games today
.
To those that say Manny doesn't matter
We need pitching in the worst way. Make a play for Oswalt or Lee (Again!).
Season Ticket holders, then mini-plan holders. General Public will get the scraps.
Ramon Troncoso has pitched in 14 out of 20 games this season, on pace for 114 games. Torre pitched him in both games today
To those that say Manny doesn't matter
We need pitching in the worst way. Make a play for Oswalt or Lee (Again!).
