Official Los Angeles Dodgers Season Thread: NLCS vs Phillies

[Los Angeles]

I don't think Corey Wade can handle setup yet.

As for Brox, we've seen his struggles as the setup man, I have doubts about him being a closer. He just blows you away with his power pitches, but otherthan that if his pitches aren't blowing by hitters he's pretty much in trouble.

I've read reports of possibly putting Penny in the Closer role once he comes back, I'd love to see that - he has more of a variety of pitches and thatcould work out very well.

Also, I don't think Saito will be back either, if his elbow doesn't heal he'll end up getting season ending surgery, hell maybe done for hiscareer.

Get well though Saito, you a cool dude.

Let's get the rest of the season started!!!

 

[frenchblue23]

I honestly think (with his age) Saito was bound to break down, he's been so reliable when called upon, but I don't want to judge until after he'scleared to play again.

I actually like Wade in the setup role, with Broxton closing. As long as they keep Falkenborg out of either role, I'm good.

Can't wait until this weekend, Dodger Baseball.

 

[p mac one]

As for Brox, we've seen his struggles as the setup man, I have doubts about him being a closer. He just blows you away with his power pitches, but other than that if his pitches aren't blowing by hitters he's pretty much in trouble.
What?

The past two years he has had ERAs of 2.59 and 2.85, BB/K ratios of 33/97 and 25/99. This year his ERA has gone up to 3.40, but that can be attributed togiving up 6 runs in .1 inning. A guy that pitches 1 inning max at a time is going to take a while to bring that ERA back down. Aside from that, he's beenjust as dominant this year as the past two years. The BAA and BB/K rates are just as amazing. If there is one anti-Broxton argument I'll hear is that hedoesn't have closer experience. Thing is, nobody else on the roster does, and nobody on the trade market is better than him. He's the closer of thefuture, let him take the job and run with it.

 

[Los Angeles]

Finally baseball is back!

& graduation is in 5 weeks

Yesssssssss

 

[juan baller]

Has it been confirmed that Broxton will move into the closer's role while Saito is out?

 

[frenchblue23]

Originally Posted by Juan Baller

Has it been confirmed that Broxton will move into the closer's role while Saito is out?

07/16/2008 12:14 AM ET

Saito out for at least six weeks

Closer will attempt to rehab elbow ligament without surgery

Torre on Sunday said Jonathan Broxton was his closer until further notice. He wasn't sure who would inherit Broxton's setup role, suggesting it would be a matchup decision, although one name he mentioned was Hong-Chih Kuo, even though Kuo's history of elbow operations -- four -- has made him ineligible for repeated short use to this point.

Torre said Kuo could pitch the seventh and eighth innings the way Mariano Rivera did for Torre before becoming the Yankees closer. He also said Joe Beimel "has the courage to do it," although Torre this year has used Beimel more as a true situational left-hander than as a multiple-innings reliever as Grady Little did.

The Dodgers are considering returning Chan Ho Park to the bullpen and calling up Clayton Kershaw to replace Park in the starting rotation for the second half. Torre said Kuo and Park are two of the biggest surprises of the first half, along with third baseman Blake DeWitt.

Broxton, with a fastball approaching 100 mph, has been the closer-in-training going on three seasons. He is 2-2 with a 3.40 ERA, with 46 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings. He has let five leads get away, although he hasn't actually been in a ninth-inning save situation this year.

But he was last year, when Saito was shelved for a week with a strained hamstring. Broxton converted his first save opportunity, then let a four-run lead get away in a crushing loss in San Diego before Saito returned. Broxton has five career saves and 15 blown saves.

"When I'm in that [closer] situation, I'll approach it the same as last year," said Broxton. "I just look at it like it's the eighth inning. I come out and get outs. It's no different for me."

Broxton said he feels he's ready for the role.

"Hopefully, one day, I will be," he said. "That's been my goal when I started in the bullpen. One day I can do that. Right now, as long as I'm pitching and we're winning, I'll do anything."

 

[juan baller]

^Thanks, just wanted to make sure.

I have Saito in a fantasy league where you gotta add $5 to the pot each time you pick a player up.

 

[Los Angeles]

LOS ANGELES -- It hasn't been pretty, what with injuries and inexperience, but the Dodgers made it through the first half without getting buried. [table][tr][td]

For starters
• Rays crash the party in AL East
• Fans aflutter over Cubs' chances
• Sox make formidable repeat threat
• First half full of surprises
• Midyear standings guarantee nothing
• Bauman: Parity name of the game in '08
• Possible second-half surprises

• Roundtable: Who gets traded?

• Roundtable: The NL Central

[/td] [/tr][/table]
They've got a calm hand at the controls in Joe Torre, a pitching staff deep enough to stay in the race and a catcher worth the price of admission.

They need to resolve the uncertainty at shortstop, hope for more improvement from young hitters, particularly Matt Kemp and James Loney, and keep the key components -- particularly veteran hitters Jeff Kent, Andruw Jones and Nomar Garciaparra -- on the field and off the disabled list.

Club MVP: Hard to argue with his peers, who made catcher Russell Martin the Dodgers' only All-Star this summer. He pretty much does it all -- handles the pitching staff, plays the most physically demanding position, is a middle-of-the-order hitter, runs the bases and even plays a mean third base.

Call him "Ace": Chad Billingsley has emerged out from the shadows. He's still young, but he's learning he doesn't need to strikeout every hitter. He's now pitching to contact and going deeper into games.

Greatest strength: There's no Cy Young candidate or 50-save closer, but the pitching staff is so deep that it leads the league in ERA and hasn't shown a dropoff even though two of the starters went on the disabled list.

Biggest problem: Keeping the veterans healthy. They've used the disabled list 13 times already and still haven't settled on a replacement for Rafael Furcal.

Biggest surprise: With apologies to rookie third baseman Blake DeWitt, the nod goes to Chan Ho Park, who resuscitated his career and has been as valuable as a swingman as any pitcher on the staff.

Team needs: Whether it's Garciaparra or an outside acquisition, finding a reliable replacement for Furcal both offensively and defensively is the No. 1 priority.

Oh, doctor: SS Furcal -- Had a monster month before blowing out his back and might not play for the Dodgers again.

OF Jones -- Now that he's back after knee surgery, we'll learn if that was the reason for his bad offensive numbers.

RHP Hiroki Kuroda -- When he is satisfied that he's healthy, he's shown signs of being the ace they thought he'd be.

RHP Brad Penny -- Still troubled by shoulder miseries.

SS/3B Garciaparra -- He's been awfully brittle in three Dodgers seasons, but the last time he was written off he won a comeback player of the year award.

OF Juan Pierre -- Did what he could replacing Furcal atop the order until a freak knee injury put him out until August.

RHP Jason Schmidt -- The saga continues.

3B Andy LaRoche -- Missed the first month with thumb surgery and now is a utilityman.

RHP Scott Proctor -- After all of those appearances, his elbow finally started barking.

C Gary Bennett -- Between a sore foot and a mental block returning throws to the pitcher, his season has been a disaster.

1B Mark Sweeney -- The club hopes his bat heals along with his hamstring.

3B Tony Abreu -- Remember him? He's out for the year with hip surgery.

He said it: "You have to hold the reins back on the young guys -- and I mean young reporters -- not to get so excited and not to be doom-and-gloom. There are frustrations. There's excitement. You just have to understand the length of the season and deal with the highs and lows. We've been in a situation where we've just tried not to get too far behind." -- Kent

Mark your calendar: July 18-20, at Arizona; July 31-Aug. 3, vs. Arizona; Aug. 11-14 vs. Philadelphia; Aug. 22-25 at Philadelphia; Aug. 29-31 at Arizona; Sept. 5-7 vs. Arizona.

Fearless second-half prediction: The Dodgers will win the division with a losing record.

 

[frenchblue23]

Fearless second-half prediction: The Dodgers will win the division with a losing record.
I don't know why that made me chuckle

Chan Ho Park is one of the biggest surprises, he resurrected his career, and he's not a "batting practice" pitcher anymore.

 

[Los Angeles]

we should bring back his round house kick on that angels batter.

 

[frenchblue23]

Originally Posted by bright nikes

we should bring back his round house kick on that angels batter.

Dude landed that kick right on Tim Belcher's head

@ The athleticism

 

[Los Angeles]

^

@ the accuracy.

News & Rumors:

[h2]http://dodgerupdates.com/?p=17[/h2]

[h2]Saito flirting with Tommy John surgery[/h2]
Posted by admin on 18 Jul 2008 | Tagged as: Uncategorized

Well, it looks as if Saito's career could possibly be over. According to team surgeon and the dodgers website, Saito has "a ligament sprain, which is a stretching or tearing of the ligament that stabilizes the elbow. It is an injury that often results in what has become known as Tommy John elbow reconstruction, which requires a full year of rehabilitation."

Lets face it, Saito is 38 and this could be the end of his career. For now, he's hoping to stay positive and see how his elbow reacts in 6 weeks without having any surgery, but he is not ruling out the possibility of surgery in the near future. This could be a long 2nd half.


[h2]http://dodgerupdates.com/?p=14[/h2]

[h2]Dodgers looking at trading for Beltre[/h2]
Posted by admin on 17 Jul 2008 | Tagged as: Uncategorized

According to Lee Hamilton at ExtraSports 1360 AM, the Dodgers are expressing interest in Adrian Beltre. With the lack of a true power bat and a full-time 3rd baseman, this could solve one of the many dodger problems. Beltre currently with 16 homeruns, sports a lowly .259 batting average. However, what will the Mariners ask in return? The Mariners are asking for a 3rd baseman and a shortstop, names not officially mentioned yet, although I'm sure DeWitt or Laroche will be involved. Should be interesting to see if a deal follows through before the trade deadline.

Beltre's contract runs through the 2009 season with a salary of 13 Million.

Beltre's current stats this year:
.259 batting avg
.329 obp
16 Homeruns (top 5 for 3rd basemen in the league)

Scouting Report according to Sportsnet

Assets: Has the speed to both steal bases and turn long singles into doubles-a rarity among third basemen. Is powerful and knows how to cash in base-runners.

Flaws: Doesn't own a lot of patience at the plate, and tends to be a little too streaky over the course of a season. His defense is still not refined.



[h2]http://dodgerupdates.com/?p=15[/h2]

[h2]Orioles waving down Ned Colletti[/h2]
Posted by admin on 17 Jul 2008 | Tagged as: Uncategorized

Baltimore Orioles mentioned the Dodgers are potential suitors for Brian Roberts (2b) and George Sherrill (reliever). With Kent most likely retiring after the season, Roberts would be a great fit at 2nd base. With Saito out until AT LEAST the last month of the season, Sherrill would help bolster up the bullpen. Lets take a quick look at both players:

Brian Roberts

.296 Batting Average
.375 OBP
33 RBI's
7 Home Runs
27 stolen bases

Sportsnet Scouting Report
Assets: A speedy switch-hitter with superb base-stealing instincts. A good contact hitter with a little pop in his bat and a good eye. Great glove.
Flaws: Strikes out a little too much for a leadoff man. Despite being a switch-hitter is historically much better hitting left (for power and average).

His pricetag will not come cheap, he is a favorite in Baltimore and Peter Angelos' (owner) favorite player.

George Sherrill

Sportsnet Scouting Report
Assets: Throws low-90s heat and a good slider from a deceptive delivery, making the southpaw tough on left-handed hitters.
Flaws: Has had weight problems and his change-up is mediocre, leading to troubles against right-handed hitters. Wears down late in the season and can't pitch on consecutive days.

Andy LaRoche, Dodgers. For some reason, LaRoche's name always comes up as a possible trade chip. The 24 year-old hit .277/.444/.420 in 38 Triple A games this year, and hasn't had Major League success. He started the season on the DL with a torn thumb ligament.

[h1]http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2008/07/russell-martin.html[/h1]

[h1]Russell Martin Still Prefers Year To Year[/h1]
By Tim Dierkes [July 16, 2008 at 11:41am CST]

According to Tony Jackson of the L.A. Daily News, Dodgers catcher Russell Martin still prefers to go year to year rather than sign a long-term extension. Jackson expects Martin to be arbitration-eligible after this season as a Super Two player. The Dodgers have tried to talk about an extension with Martin, but so far he has not been interested.

Super Two players go to arbitration four times instead of the normal three. Martin wouldn't be eligible for free agency until after the 2012 season.

 

[frenchblue23]

In all likely hood, I think this would have been Saito's last year.

I say no thank you to Beltre, and say YES to Brian Roberts and Sherrill... But at what cost?

 

[bigmike23]

PUT US ON YO BACK NOMAR

 

[Los Angeles]

What a weird +@* game.

at that great stop by Blake DeWitt - wowwwwwww.

COMON!!@#$%^&

 

[bigmike23]

LETS +!%*+#! GO!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW

 

[Los Angeles]

Hey, why did Andruw get taken out around the 7th?

I don't remember what inning, but any reason why?

 

[Los Angeles]

YEAHHHHHH! LONEY FINALLYYYY!!! 0-3 COMING THROUGH WITH A CLUTCH HR!!!

 

[p mac one]

If you had my love
And I gave you all my trust
Would you comfort me
And if somehow you knew that your love would be untrue
Would you lie to me
And call me baby

 

[Los Angeles]

 

[ebay 23]

They were on the come back today and Matt couldnt come through

Its all good though
I blame it on Jones for sucking so bad this year

and I would love for Beltre to join the blue crew

dude was a straightup beast back in 04 i remember that season so much
48HR's 121RBI's

(in a good way)
and Bonds won MVP that season Adrain was robbed

 

[Los Angeles]

Yeah, Bills struggled early and Haren put a stop to them sizzling bats from last night.

Supposebly Andruw has the flu, that's why he was pulled after his 2nd at bat (which both times were both strike outs), its amazing how much this dude felloff. Can't wait till Pierre comes back, he'll give us 10x more than whatever Jones has given us this season.

We had a late comeback, but yeah Kemp could not come through, once again if we wanna go with the youth movement, you also gotta die by it.

Oh well, lets take the series tomorrow. Game is @ 110 Lowe is on the mound.

*About the Beltre comment, yeah I'd love for him to be back in Dodger blue, I'm sure you watched him grow up - but you gotta realize before hiscontract year Beltre always had potential, but never lived up to it. But damn, once his contract year came up, dude was straight beast mode.

Goodnight, just saw Dark Knight with wifey

 

[p mac one]

Originally Posted by bright nikes

J. Lo ...
On some Dodgers message boards (scout.com and dodgerthoughts.com) it started that people would post J. Lo lyrics whenever Loney would dosomething big. Got kinda popular the year he hit .388 in AAA.

On a sidenote: you guys should check out those boards. Kinda more fun to discuss the squad with more than just 5 people.

 

[mjshoefanatic]

Fearless second-half prediction: The Dodgers will win the division with a losing record.
I could careless as long as we win the NL West

 

[Los Angeles]

Forgot to add the update:

Jason Schmidt has been sidelined again with shoulder pain / discomfort after another start.

He should really just retire.
McCourt should slap Colleti.
Colleti should go as far from L.A as possible.