We have as good a chance as any team to win the NL West and if that happens, after that, anything is truly possible. Our former ace, Brad Penny appears to be progressing in his recovery and will probably be back in a couple of weeks. He could be a huge factor down the stretch. I don’t think he was right all year and should be now after treatment and rehab. Lowe, C-Bill, Penny, Kuroda and the Kershaw we saw yesterday could easily be the best 5 starters in baseball. Couple that with the fact that Kent has not really gotten hot, Nomar is playing like it’s 1999 (unless his knee injury is something substantial), but the Wild Card is Raffy! If he could come back, even in September, that would be WILD! It’s probably too much to expect Saito to be back (one never knows), but a healthy Scott Proctor out of the pen sure is a big help! This team can win it all. I guess that I am also OK with the trade for Casey Blake and subsequent demotion of LaRoche as long as Logan White didn’t think that Carlos Santana was a “stud.” I guess he didn’t… However, I am always thinking ahead. After watching Loney make a bullet throw to 3B to double off Lastings Milledge, I think Loney could have a future in LF, especially if we could sign Mark Teixiera to play 1B and re-sign Casey Blake.
Yes, Tex would cost us $140 to 160 mil over 6 years, but he might be worth every dime. I’d love to see an OF of Loney in LF, Kemp in CF and Ethier in RF with an infield of Teixiera at 1B, Blake at 3B, with lots of options at 2B and SS. Tex is young enough and experienced enough and not injury prone that he could be a leader for this team as well as the cleanup hitter for years to come. I think the Dodger should just give Borass a blank check and say we will beat any other offer for Tex. He’s the only acquisition we need to make, unless we want to trade Pierre, LaRoche, DeWitt and Young for a Catcher and move Martin to 2B (trust me, he can play exceptionally well there).
We could surely get a catcher like Victor Martinez for Pierre, DeWitt, LaRoche and Young! It might be a 3 or 4-way deal, but we could get it done. How about this lineup:
- Martin 2B
- Ethier RF
- Kemp CF
- Teixiera
- Loney LF
- Blake 3B
- Martinez C
- Hu SS
Excellent L/R Balance
RANTS & RAVES
- How about that Claytin Kershaw? He just needs some time. We have to be patient, but today he wasn’t rushing his delivery – he had his usual slight hesitation and looked in command. He’s certainly ready for prime time. After the game he said: “This is what they expected of me. That’s what I’m supposed to do.”
- Chin lung Hu went 3-3 with 3 runs scored today after going 4-5 yesterday. Could he get a call back soon, now that he can see? we’ll see…
- DeJesus BA is plummetting… .292 currently
- Helene Elliott of the LA Times has an interesting article on Don Mattingly, his personal trials and his approach to hitting. Here’s part of it:
Mattingly doesn’t try to make everyone hit the same way, or hit the way he did. He demands that every practice swing have a purpose and that every player be prepared for anything, which should be automatic but apparently was not.
That seems to have resonated with players. Catcher Russell Martin said Mattingly is vocal on the bench, always discussing situations and what hitters should do.
“He’s got a good way of teaching. He’s easy to talk to and he comes across the right way,” Martin said. “He keeps it simple, and that’s what we need.”
It’s a good start.
“We need to grow as far as just having an understanding of what guys are doing, what kind of pitcher it is, what he’s trying to do out there,” Mattingly said.
“We have a lot of guys that need game plans when they walk up there. Every pitcher you face, I don’t care if he’s coming out of the bullpen or if he’s starting, there’s some kind of plan off that guy, some plan as to how you, as a hitter, are going to go at that guy.
“Each guy has to understand what they’re doing at this stage. You can’t just go up there just flailing. At least let’s have an understanding of what this guy is trying to do. Is he a guy that throws strikes? Is he a guy that likes to pick edges and nibble? Then you’ve got to let him nibble because he wants you to chase. He’s going to play on the edges and hope he’s going to find a play off you.”
Mattingly says he believes that Andruw Jones can be salvaged, making him either an optimist or a dreamer.
“It’s just time and patience. People asked me the same thing about Jason [Giambi] over there,” Mattingly said. “When I got over there he was a mess. It’s a process. They’re going to say, ‘Fix Andruw and have it done by tonight,’ and you know, it’s tough up there. He’s got some habits up there that need to be broken, but you don’t break habits overnight. We need to keep working on it and we want to see improvement.
“I’ve seen improvement in the cages. I’ve seen improvement in BP, but it’s got to get to the game. And once it happens in the game, then the confidence comes back. You know that it’s there. It’s not like it’s not there. We’ve got to uncover it and he’s got to believe it.”
- Must read: The first in a series of Articles by Tommy Lasorda about his life in baseball.
- Andruw Jones was officially named to 4th OF for the time being.
- Andy LaRoche is supposed to be playing 1B and 3B at AAA – I’m sure his is not happy. Nor should he be – he really had no chance.
- Blake DeWitt had a chance but didn’t keep it up. He’s being converted to 2B at AAA.
- We’re back to .500. Now, we need to sweep the Giants. Let’s run off about another 15 wins in a row!
-
Hopefully Nomar’s knee isn’t serious….
This could get fun!
Update:
For the record, I am not willing to give up anyone off the major league roster to get Tex. I’d give up DeWitt, LaRoche, McDonald, Elbert and the like, but no one on the Dodgers. The Diamondbacks want him and they will have to gut the farm to do it, in addition to ngiving up someone like Conner Jackson. I say that we just wait and give out that big contract.
I hope we realize just how important yesterday was for the Dodgers.
Kershaw won his first game, and pitched like a real major league pitcher. He was special.
Loney and Martin answered the call with key hits.
The Dodgers kept pace with the D-Backs, both sweeping series.
Concern, rumor, read or heard, the first day when Casey Blake arrived, he walked on to the field, and Dodger player walked by him. Now, I am sure they greeted him in the clubhouse, etc.
But, then I thought, what if the younger players, who were bonded with both LaRoche and DeWitt in the minors and for most of this season, were upset with both players being sent down to AAA??
Let us hope that this team can come together. They do not need stress of individuals with private agendas.
If Manny is traded from Boston — where might he land?
If Mark Cuban owned the Cubs right now, I bet he would do something to put Manny in a Cub uniform.
Manny will help some club.
I wonder if a package of LaRoche, McDonald and Lowe would get Manny…
So how would an outfield look:
Manny, Kemp, Ethier, Pierre, Jones
No, one or two of them need to go, be traded, and fall into a hole.
Joe needs a lead off guy, so that is probably Pierre in his mind.
But I beleive neither Manny nor Pierre can play right field, with their arms and range.
Also, sounds like McCourt would not pay those extra $$$ for Manny.
Kent has been a cancer in the clubhouse of every team he’s played for in his career. He and Bonds battled each other for the rights to the title of “Biggest a$$hole on the Giants”. I don’t think he’s changed and was probably the primary reason Grady lost control of the team last year although that’s pure speculation on my part.
In any event, everyone says he’s sullen, won’t talk to anybody and otherwise rude, crude and unattractive
He’s in obvious decline as an everyday player and really has no business waving at grounders hit to the second base side of the middle and costing our sinkerballers so many runs. A .252 average with 10 home runs 3/4 of the way through the season is not going to make the nut for a cleanup hitter–particularly for someone closer to his 41st birthday than his 40th.
Jeff Kent would make a good DH for an American league and he could probably play another couple of years if you keep his slow butt off the playing field except to hit the ball.
How about Lowe, Kent, McDonald and LaRoche for Manny and a second base prospect ready to play. I don’t even know if the Sox have such a prospect but I don’t think Hu or Ozuna are the answer. Maybe when Furcal comes back Nomah could slide over to second? He’s done a much better job than I expected over at short this year.
Don’t invest too much hope In Mighty Casey. He’s 35 next month, has a lifetime batting average of .265 and has said he left his heart in Cleveland and intends to sign with them after his indentured service of a few short weeks to our team is over. How many bucks for how many years do you want to throw at this guy who’s suspect defensively anyway? I think he’s just a band aid. And not even an adequate band aid. We’ve got an offensive gushing wound that needs a huge gauze pad and tape. We got a tiny finger-tip type band aid instead. The only nice thin g to say about him as that he is someone different and got a couple of hits in his first game.
This just in: The “National Pettifoggers of America”, a group which invites lawyers considered incompetent by local bar associations in all 50 states has made John McCain an honorary member and thrown their support behind his campaign for the Presidency. It’s unclear whether or not McCain has already adopted the groups slogan, but a surrogate for the Pettifoggers has emailed (fair and balanced), Fox News and said he’s welcome to use their motto as the theme for his campaign: This slogan is seen on attorney’s office walls and bumper stickers on their cars all over these United States and reads:
“If You can’t Dazzle them with Brilliance, then Baffle them with Bullshit.”
More on the O’Reilly show at eleven. ( Billo has already taken personal credit for brokering the endorsement.)
Ned said “No” to any trade of Lowe.
I would love to get Manny, and I think McCourt would pay. He understands.
I like your package lawdog, but why would they want a 2nd base prospect? They have Pedroia and he seems to be keeping them happy. The kid is pretty much a stud.
Get Manny, dammit!
Rays are still interested in Kent, btw. Make it a huge deal and get B.J. Upton. Their reliever Balfour is a stud as well.
I was thinking they’d have to throw in a prospect who is ready to play second base although we might have to add Hu to the deal to make it work. I don’t think Hu will ever be able to hit bvetter than aabout .240 in the bigs and he’s lacking the cannon arm to play shortstop. He’s strictly a second base prospect IMHO but other teams may still think of him as a bluechipper at shortstop and be willing to part with him.
Manny would look good in Dodger Blue, don’t you think?
McCoursechange is not going to pay Manny.
Spo, half full. Couldn’t help but notice the 2 K’s and we only scored 2 runs. We did it with pitching, not with offense.
I too would like to see Tex in blue, but if they are insisting on Conor Jackson, I would assume they would also insist on Loney. I also doubt Jamie is going to approve a $120 million contract. That’s just a guess on my part.
Good point about the possible chill to Blake. Maybe the rest of the squad saw exactly what we saw – LaRoche was not given his job back after losing it to injury. Young players see this kind of crap. It’s a business, and eveyone knows McCoursechange will, well, change course, and that could mean nobody feels their job is safe. That could also be a good thing – produce or be gone.
mover, I have no reason to doubt what your “source” said, all I saw was a pennant, then a firing. DePo had some bad luck with injuries too in his second year. I just happen to like what Beane has been able to do with a limited payroll using sabermetrics, and was very interested to see what that system, AND MONEY, would be able to do. DePo was working on getting more guys like Ethier (and Youkilis) but was cut short. I think maybe there are some old school guys that don’t like Harvard types and maybe that’s all it was. We will never know. We got Colletti – for a while anyway.
I agree that we have the potential to win the division. If all goes our way, sure, we can win it. I still say we get snuffed in the play-offs.
One more thing Hu is up to .400 with .429 OBP at AAA. He has hit well just about everywhere he has been. I see him as a .275 hitter with Gold Glove ability. If we don’t have plans for him, you can bet other teams will be interested. Like I have mentioned before, he LaRoche and Kershaw were our only Class A prospects at the beginning of the year. Hu and LaRoche could get us something big.
Roger,
I’m assuming that Jones will be released.
If you saw Hu this year, you haven’t seen the real Hu. Hu couldn’t hit what Hu couldn’t see. Now Hu can see what Hu is hitting and I agree with Badger – he’s at least a .2754 hitter with a Gold Glove. He was amazing in the World Games last year.
Can Hu leadoff? or is that not his game?
Doesn’t look like it Romey. But, maybe Mattingly can get him to go deeper into counts.
http://www.minorleaguesplits.com/pl/464/464341.html
Does anybody think we can really make a run at a championship this year? I wonder. Looking at our line up does this team measure up to the Bostons and New Yorks of the world,even the Angels? The reason I point that out is we need to make a huge splash in order to change our chances. But the big names would all be rentals and not address our other big holes.
Example: Trade Loney and others to get Texeira.
Tex would be a huge addition and a big bat where we need it. But he is a rental and we may not be able to sign him after all Scott Boras…need I say more. For those of you that think we will be able to keep Loney in this deal forget it. I have heard the Braves want a MLB ready 1B in return and have asked for Loney by name.
Trade Kemp and others to Boston for Manny Ramirez.
You know Boston will want a package that includes Kemp and maybe Broxton. Wouldn’t you. He is a walk away guy unless you pick up his options, which might be worth it if we want the soap opera Manny brings. Can you imagine Kent and Manny in the same clubhouse, WOW! Talk about oil and water.
Also we may need a SS who knows how to hit at least a little bit if Nomar is dinged up. And I am convinced we need more starting pitching. I know Kershaw looked good yesterday but do we trust him in crunch time against someone other than Washington?
I just wonder if we should try and compete this year and go for it all out next season. Just a thought.
Here is the deal about Manny….In order to get him we cant pick up his options to keep him for the next two years!
So would you trade Kemp and and some minors to get Manny for 2 months?
Manny has said that he wants to test free agency! According to Peter Gammons he will be looking for 4/100 which we all know neither Ned nor Jamie will offer! On the other hand they did give Jones 18 mill a year!
As for Tex…He will be another person that will only be a rental!
Rumor has it that he will be looking for 18 to 20 mill in the off season! So again are you going to trade young talented players for rentals?
I want to win like the next person! It has been 20 years and we are due…This team reminds me of the teams of the mid 70s. Alot of young talent mixed with some veterens. Out of this transition the Dodgers were able to establish a tight nuculas with young players and evently start winning!
Give our kids time! This is Kemp and Loney first full year! Ethier so far is one of the top producers on our team. Martin and C-Bill are studs. Kershaw is 20…Kuroda just needs to be consitant..Stults & McDonald will be in the rotation next year!
Hu for some reason couldnt see..IMO He has been that way all season and didnt tell anyone!
This offseason could be very interesting!
I would love to see Teixeira and Ramirez in Dodger blue… but we won’t trade a bunch of big prospects (and obviously 1 or 2 on the team now) without the prior ability to negotiate with these guys.
I see the Braves not willing to do that, I see the RedSox as willing… because they probably feel that they NEED to get rid of Manny.
I don’t think Ned or McCourt would refuse to pay Manny. There is no Jones afterthoughts with Manny. They’ll cut out that 18M for doughboy and dump it right on Manny… gladly, too.
Kent is gone anyway.
Couldn’t have said it better myself guys. Manny is not the Dodgers answer. He’s 37 next year and is ready to DH every day. And Jamie would have to sell all her jewelry and two of her houses to pay one year’s salary to him.
As I see it, the only way we make a run at this thing this year will be to keep our young players in the lineup every night and win with pitching and defense. Maybe Hu can play short and an outfield of Pierre, Kemp and Ethier is not bad defensively. I just don’t think we can get the number of players we need to compete with the best in the NL, in the play-offs, on their field. The way we could steal a series is with pitching – and if Penny is ok, we do have enough pitching to do it.
But I am not inclined to send off what few hitters we have to add more hitters. You can’t plug holes by creating more holes.
We can win with what we have. If Penny, Proctor and Furcal can come back strong, we are really in. Jason Schmidt is on the radar (long-tossed without pain), so who knows.
I would not trade:
Loney
Kemp
Ethier
Martin
Kershaw
Beyond that, anyone is available.
Hu a golden glove? Let me be the first to say Hu can make the routine plays but he’s no golden glove. What about Lowe and Pierre to Boston for Manny? Throw in one prospect if we need to.
Hu is garbage. I don’t even want him as part of the organization.
Well, I have to disagree about Hu not having a Gold Glove. Not everyone agrees that he will hit, but EVERY scouting report I have read says he has a Potential Gold Glove. He’s not the prototype new age power-hitting SS, but I can show you a dozen more reports like this one:
Overview-After struggling mightily with the bat in 2006, Hu put on weight before the 2007 season and ended up having the best year of his career. This year, he was forced into an early starting role with the big club. He hit miserably in his trial run, but will look to rebound later. Universally acclaimed for his defensive prowess, his value to the Dodgers will eventually lie in the development of his bat.
Hitting-A line drive hitter with good bat speed, Hu usually makes decent contact. He’s never going to hit a ton of home runs, but there’s good gap power lurking in his skill set. While he has positives, the negatives were very apparent in his stint with the Dodgers. His plate discipline is not especially good, so he hits pitches outside of his comfort zone and it results in a disturbing amount of weak ground balls. Mechnically speaking, his left shoulder flies open far too often. This bad habit leaves him swinging at pitches with little more than his hands to provide the pop. He was constantly doing this during his stint in the majors, which explains his complete inability to drive the ball. Unless he develops a better approach and corrects his mechnical flaws, his hitting may stagnate completely.
Fielding-Defensively, Hu is a Gold Glove waiting to happen. He’s a combination of arm strength, arm accuacy, quick feet, soft hands, and great instincts. He can make almost any play on the field, from the routine to the spectacular. For a young player, he is amazingly consistent as well. Any criticism would be bordering on nitpicking.
Baserunning-While Hu gets good jumps and runs the bases well, he’s not a burner. His speed is better than average, but he will have to rely on his first step to steal bases at the major league level.
Mental-His approach at the plate needs to be refined, and he needs a plan everytime he goes up to the plate. He seemed to lose confidence in his hitting stroke as his struggles in the majors continued, but there have been no concerns about his makeup so he should bounce back fine.
Health-Hu has no injury concerns that i’m aware of.
Performance-2007 was really the only year in his career that he flashed solid ability to hit. Hu retained his gap power while moving up a level, and he maintained a solid average all year. Unfortunately, he’s prone to years like 2006 because he’s reliant on his batting average to carry his prodution. Believe it or not, I had always wondered whether Hu’s 2007 showing was more of a fluke than development. For most, the performance was enough to send him rocketing up the prospect rankings, but I would like to see at least two good years until i’m ready to say he’ll be a contributor with the bat.
Other-Nothing.
Projection-His current ability would probably put him at .230-.240, 3-5 HR, and great defense. Still, his ceiling is quite solid, as he could eventually become a .280-.290 hitter, with 6-8 HR, and lots of doubles.
At this point, however, Chin Lung Hu resembles the shortstop of yesteryear. He has a great glove, but can’t seem to hit major league pitching. Unfortunately for him, the game is such now that teams can’t afford to have an offensive vortex in their lineup, regardless of how good a player’s defense is. If Hu does manage to meet his ceiling as a hitter, he should be a very solid regular, but unless he shows progress, he’s going to be stuck as a defensive replacement on most quality teams.
The Dodgers would be wise to keep him at AAA for the full season, letting him refine his offensive approach. Depending on his progress with the bat, he could be ready by next year, but it’s much more likely that he’ll need another year to develop, if he ever does.
Read up Travis:
http://www.firenedcollettinow.com/2008/06/prospect-profiles-2008-chin-lung-hu.html
Try nitpicking
That’s where I copied it from too Badger.
Look, if we have power at all the corners, then we can afford a SS like HU, but teams today seem to like guys like Rollins, Ramirez and Reyes – guys who can hit the bomb.
oops
Reading the same sites mover.
I think Hu has value. He can learn to hit ML pitching if he is coached up and allowed to learn. Shoot, we gave Adrian Beltre over 2500 at bats to learn. You can’t expect young players to step right in and hit. Sometimes it takes a few years. In the mean time, Hu is far and away our best defensive SS.
Billy,
I thought about Pierre, but they have Ellsbury and Pedroia at the top of their order. I tgink they would have no interest in Pierre. Ethier, maybe! I think it would take one more player…
Hu do you mean? That guy who played shortstop and hit below the Mendoza line for us for a few weeks? The fact that he’s now hitting around .400 in AAA and was the minor league player of the year before he came up to the big club this year absolutely blows my mind! That kid couldn’t hbit his way out of a paper bag while he was with us. Plus, he was very mediocre as a shortstop defensively, I mean, there was nothing wrong with his glove. Balls he fgot to he didn’t boot into center field. But his “range” and his arm were comparable to Nomah’s. I’d think his future would be as a late inning defensive replacement at second base. His base running speed didn’t seem to be any better than DeWitty’s–which is slow.
Could all of this just be because of blurred vision? I’m sorry, but I just don’t see how that is posssible. If that’s the case, Torre is even less competent than I thought. You don’t play a guy who can’t see for several weeks at the big league level unless you have $hat for brains and never watch the game on the field while it’s going on. Hmmmmm…
Now that I think about it, that sounds just like something Torre would do. He’s as dumbass as Jim Tracy was.
I didn’t realize Manny was about to turn 37. We don’t need anymore head case former superstars about to plunge into their dotage and pay them a King’s ransom for the privelege of having them hold court on our Roster and in our clubhouse. Two Kents would destroy the Dodgers. In fact, I want to get rid of Kent by putting him in a package for a decent bat with power and only an American League team would be interested in his drama queen act.
Bay is the guy who is the missing piece to our puzzle. He’s in his prime at 30, he consistently hits 30-35 hrs and hits close to .300, and plays left field and has a couple of years left on a very reasonable contract–comparatively speaking. If we can keep Kemp, Ethier, Martin, Loney, Bills, Kershaw, Broxton, Kuo and Kuroda–anybody and everybody else could be considered in part of the package to bring him to LA.
If we don’t get a power hitter who is not old and can hit 35 hrs, hit .290 or better, drive in 100 runs and play left field we will continue to be pretenders instead of contenders.
If Kershaw can command his curve and fastball the way he did the other day, he’ll push Bills for ace status of the rotation without any other pitch. But he’s not going to have that kind of control every night. He needs to add a change or get Bills to show him that 92 mph cutter that breaks straight down with the snap of an A slider.
I don’t know (Hu) wrote the article Mark but I had the pleasure of watching Hu play this year. We are just talking about defense so his weak hitting bat would even be weighed in this discussion. As I have mentioned in the past, Hu plays the middle dirt of the infield. All the great SS’s in this league play on the edge of the grass. I would think that has to limit his range. Like I also mentioned, he makes all the routine plays but can’t come close to any of the plays Raffy was making. When people talk about Golden Gloves, I think of lots of range with a strong arm. Thats not HU. Maybe I’m wrong, I’m not a professional scout but I know what I see. Look he’s got to be really good, just not a golden glove SS. I didn’t say garage.
As far as Lowe and Pierre. We can’t have two weak arms in the outfield again this year so it seems Pierre would have to be included. I don’t think we can match up with Boston but it was fun thinking about it.
Now that I think about it… you’re right Lawdog. No Manny… too old. I didn’t realize he was 37 either. Yikes.
I would really like Bay as well.
As for the Hu thing, Badger… I don’t need to read. I don’t care about scouting reports or whatever. I’ve seen plenty of amazing scouting reports on all types of players in all types of sports. (Sam Bowie anyone? Harold Miner? Darren Dreifort? BILLY ASHLEY!) I know what I saw, and there was NOTHING sexy about that guy (as a player). Nothing stands out, nothing I care about. Get rid of him while people still count on this stupid scouting report.
Range? meh. Speed? Meh.
Power? hah!
Jimmy Rollins, Jose Reyes, Hanley Ramirez
“I don’t need to read.” Oh. OK. Your mind is made up.
Hopefully other teams scouts aren’t as closed minded about the scouting reports.
I believe this year’s issues were sight related as everywhere he has been the reports have been consistent. If we don’t intend to use him, then we should trade him. The idea that we are ok with Nomar at short tells me we are ok with defensive mediocrity. Blake, Nomar and Kent. Nice. Like I said, if we are going to win this thing it has to be done with pitching as our offense is very middle of the pack.
If we’re going to win with Blake, Nomah and Kent starting in the infield we better trade Lowe and any other pitcher who tries to induce ground balls with sinkers and cutters. With that trio playing everyday our infield will have more holes than a 10 ton round of swiss cheese! :[
Speaking of range at SS, Berroa has got some range. I don’t know what the scouting reports say about him but he’s good. If he could only hit? Positive note: Berroa is a way better hitter then Andruw Jones. Anyway I respect everyones opinion in here and it’s been fun talking about Hu’s golden glove today. GO DODGERS
Jimmy Rollins, Jose Reyes, Hanley Ramirez
Yeah, everyone wants those guys and we could have one of them. Just give up Kemp, Kershaw, Loney and Martin and any one of them are yours! They don’t grow on trees, but I am convinced that some talent evaluators hang from them. Read this on Hu:
BASEBALL AMERICA:
“His well above average defensive package – with the arm strength, footwork and hands of a Gold Glover – always will be his best asset.”
BASEBALL PROSPECTUS:
“Already considered the best defensive shortstop in the minors, this Taiwanese pixie broke out with the bat in 2007… Hu has the bat speed and hand-eye coordination to sustain a .300 average with lost of doubles and few walks or strikeouts…”
Baseball America rated him “Best Defensive Arm”
See, I jump on Ethier and say he’s “soft” and you guys are all over me, even though I like Ethier and root for him (and he may be getting better, I admit), but then I hear that Hu is “Garbage”
Lawdog, If you don’t think “blurred vision” is enough to keep you from hitting major league pitching, I am going to suggest that you can’t hit major league pitching with 20/20 vision, let alone Blurred Vison. I tghink it takes about 20/15 to really hit!
Do you guys have any idea how skilled a player must be to just make it to AAA? It’s unreal and then just the very best make the show.
I have watched Hu for 4 years and seen him grow from a 145 pounder to a 185 pounder. I have seen his defense and if you don’t think he can play defense, well, you probably can’t see the sunrise either. People who spout that stuff lose all credibility with me, because I see otherwise and every scout I have talked to says the same. Baseball Prospectus and Baseball America are two of the most respected Baseball services in the country and you know more than them?
Travis used Bily Ashley (the Dodgers hyped him, but BA didn’t – they warned of his long swing), DD (he was awesome until his arm fell off – he has as filthy stuff as you would ever see), Sam Bowie (injury), Harold Minor (drugs) as a comparison to Hu. That’s not even relevant!
Some poeple don’t like to be confused with the facts, as they have already made up their minds. There is no way to say 100% that a player like HU is going to be good, but I have seen enough baseball in my 54 years that I can generally spot the good ones. When Blake DeWitt was hitting .320, I said it wasn’t real! When Clayton Kershaw was getting bombed, I said he was ready! When Russ Martin was barely a year into catching, I said he would be a stud. I’m not always right, but I don’t call a player “garbabge,” because when they have come this far, they are nothing close to that.
When I hear stuff like that it’s hard for me to take anything seriously that person says.
Speaking of Berroa:
He used to be know as a good hitting, bad defensive SS… and he was! However, he has truly turned his game around and now he can’t hit, but is a credible fielder! Go figure!
Nomar isn’t in the lineup:
Pierre, LF
Kemp, CF
Martin, C
Kent, 2B
Loney, 1B
Blake, 3B
Ethier, RF
Berroa, SS
Kuroda, P
Does Martin Ever Rest?
From Diamond Leung:
-Nomar Garciaparra needed to undergo an MRI exam on his left knee, and results were not immediately available. The Dodgers have a renewed interest in Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson, but don’t count out Rafael Furcal returning in September. He’s currently rehabbing at Athletes’ Performance Institute in Arizona.
- Brad Penny will make a rehabilitation start on Wednesday for Class A Inland Empire, and if all goes well will follow that up with one for Class AAA Las Vegas on Monday. He could return by the Giants series on the next road trip.
Harold Minor had a drug problem? I didn’t even know that. I just knew he was Baby Jordan and then knew nothing of him.
As for Chin Lung Hu, I don’t doubt his glove but I’m rarely impressed with defensive skill in baseball. If you have a lights-out arm and you can throw someone out from the wall, I’ll give you credit for defense. But seriously, it’s not that hard to play defense in baseball. Catch a pop fly, scoop a grounder. Granted, I’m not saying the layman could do it at the pro level, but seriously, these are fundamentals… and I think the real men separate themselves from the boys with their bats.
Reyes isn’t the greatest hitter but his speed makes up for it. Hanley may be a freak but his bat is more important than his defense. Honestly, I think good defenders in baseball are a dime-a-dozen. Gold Glovers? Not quite… but you can make a case for multiple guys at each position for each Gold Glove each year.
If I’m the GM, (ESPECIALLY of the Dodgers) I care about the bat.
Hu just doesn’t impress. When he was up, he wasn’t doing anything and I never heard one word about his “eye problems” until now. I think Lawdog would agree.
I’m not saying the guy can’t play at a major league level, but he has nothing that I care to support on my team. Runs are more important than lack of errors. Show me the bat, then we’ll talk.
If defensive players are a dime a dozen why are there so few?
Did you see Hu last year?
Do you think his blurred vision, for which he was on the DL for a month, help contribute to poor hitting?
We have made our move and we will be going with what we have.
Berroa could be a plesant surprise. He must have had something to win the ROY in 03. He has an opportunity to take the job if he can hit. Nomar will not hold up as the everyday SS and we need a better defender there. Torre needs to pick his spots with Nomar. He can still start some games at SS, but not with a guy like Lowe. With Blake and Berroa, the only weak link (defensively)would be Kent.
I was not saying that Blake alone will turn this team around. But his addition could be one of several thing that come together to help to transform this team into a consistant winner. Unless he really becomes a key player and bonds with the guys, I expect La Roach will be given another shot next spring.
The next 7 days will tell us alot. I just get a sense that the team is really starting to play as a team. We need to beat up on the giants and go in to the weekend confident.
How are there so few? I would argue that there are plenty.
OK,
This isn’t as crazy as you might think:
Trade for Omar Vizquel! There. The Giants can’t want much. He’s old, but sill good. A second tier prospect and cash should get it done. How about Jason Repko? The Giants aren’t going anywhere. They have some young SS’s that they need to work into the mix. Vizquel can go. Just an idea.
Vizquel!
Who are you guys talking about . . .
I think the GMs around baseball ought to get smart.
Here is the issue: a key player is in their walk year, and a team knows pretty much that they will not be in the post season — so they offer to trade star #1 or star #2. Teams line up . . . but star #1 and star #2 says “I will not agree to an extension, I will walk away after the season.”
The GMs wanting to trade for star #1 or star #2 should offer one or two prospects — and say, “If you don’t want this — keep the sucker and let him walk. You will get nothing.”
But, alas, some greedy GM/owner will make the trade and cry later.
The love of the game is no more — it is all dollars. For your beer, for your Dodgerdog, for your parking space, for you seat, for your hat, and players where they play — it is the dollar.
I don’t blame them, really. But it is hard to root for a guy that is here today and gone tomorrow.
Wonder if this Giant pitcher will be one of those pitchers that hold us at bay?
Buster Olney reporting that with Nomar getting hurt in Sunday’s game, now there’s something none of us saw coming, the Dodgers will pursue Adam Everett.
Casey Blake and Adam Everett. Wow.
I have to agree with Travis about one thing, what seperates ML players from great players I have seen on softball fields around the west (there are much better defenders playing A softball than in the Majors) is the ability to hit. Great defenders are indeed rare because you don’t get to the Majors unless you can hit. I am amazed at how weak and inaccurate Major League arms are.
But middle infielders should be a different breed. You need great defense up the middle, and the good teams have it. We do not.
Dunn with a Grand Slam. His price is going up and up. Should have dealt for him a month ago.
The big K. is not fooling the Giants tat all.
Giants with 5 in the bank, and the Dodgers do not even have a hit.
Vegas told me that the Dodgers would win tonight, no sweat.
Help me out here troops. Why is Joe Johnson penciled in tommorow and then again against the snakes? Park excelled at the spot and I can’t remember when he last pitched.
Michael, I agree that Park did a good job starting for us but the decision was made to make him the set up man when Saito went down. We either had to trade for an expensive relief pitcher or pull from our own staff. For some reason Joe caught a vibe that Stults needed to be sent down after the Colorado game. Pitching in Colorado is an unfair test for anyone but as Mark points out “Life is not fair”. I personally feel Stults was doing a great job and would rather see him in the rotation. His ERA is 3.18 -thats not bad for any pitcher in the Majors. Johnson? and he’s not Randy either. We may need a miracle tomorrow.
I am wondering why some are hating Casey Blake? He’s a much needed bat in the line up and appears to play effective defense. I hope everyone was able to watch the game tonight and see Vizquels range isn’t any greater then Nomars these days so we can put that wish to rest. I would love to see Tejada in Blue but I guess he’s too expensive at 13 million per year and signed thur 2009. Isn’t he’s real age (50)?
It was a tough loss tonight after battling back but some signs of life were visable. Ethier had a few good at bats, Jones and Sweeney even got hits. If we had one more bat in the line up we may have pulled it out. Manny’s long lox would look very good in blue.