LADodgerTalk.com – Matt Kemp, Clayton Kershaw, Vin Scully, Andre Ethier and the Dodgers

Back on April 26, 2009, Gary Thorne of USA Today wrote about changes in pitching conditioning strategy that Nolan Ryan, the new President of the Texas Rangers was implementing in the Ranger organization.  Here is what he wrote: Under the leadership of club president Nolan Ryan, the Texas Rangers have embarked on a pitching experiment [...]

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In the ebb and flow of a baseball season, the Dodgers are certainly in the ebb, having lost 14 of our last 22 games.  These things happen and past performance is not indicative of future prospects.  I think this team is still poised to turn it around and win it all.  Even after ragging on Jon Broxton, I [...]

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It’s good that we have a nice lead, because we might stumble a little down the stretch, but did it ever occur to you, that with the extra days of rest in the playoffs,  this team is built for just such an occasion?  As it stands right now, Clayton Kershaw would probably start game #1 of [...]

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I used to post at the old LA Times DodgerTalk Board (I was MountainMover), which then evolved to World Crossing (which was a horrible format in my opinion, and now has about 6 people who post there).  The old LA Times board was great, but the Times screwed it up and people from there migrated [...]

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As usual, the Dodgers outhit their competition… AND LOST!  Earl Weaver called it the power of the 3-Run HR.  WE haven’t had many of those lately, but I think you will be seeing more this year and next as Ethier, Kemp and Loney mature.  I still see Loney as a 20 HR guy.  I am [...]

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We didn’t get Cliff Lee or Roy Halladay, or for that matter Jared Washborn, but we did get George Sherrill.  Big deal you say?   I am going to suggest that it is bigger than the Phils getting Cliff Lee – here’s why:  The Phillies are heavily left-handed and another solid lefthander on our pen, who can [...]

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Clayton Kershaw was 7th in innings pitched in all of major league baseball and 1st in ERA for the month of July.  Spin it how you want – that’s pretty impressive! The Dodgers are not as good as you think. The Dodgers are not as bad as you think. The Dodgers would be better if they [...]

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With the addition of Cliff Lee, the Phillies became the odds-on favorites to win the NL.  The Cardinals have improved their hitting with the additions of DeRosa and Holliday.  This simply means that there is one less buyer for Doc Halladay, now that the Phils have Cliff Lee.  “When you have a chance to win [...]

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Ned Colletti and company play their cards pretty close to the vest, so usually when the Dodgers make a trade it comes out of nowhere!   Boom!  Here’s the trade…

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After James Loney doubles up Andre Ethier in the bottom of the 8thinning with the score tied 3-3, Matt Kemp patiently worked the count to 3-2 and waited for his pitch.  Patiently!  Easy…  Then BOOM!   HR by the Bison who is becoming an Animal.  The Bison scored all 4 Dodger runs to dis-mantle the Astros [...]

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With 88 games completed the Dodgers have 56 wins, which is the best in baseball.  The last Dodger team to do this well was the 1977 Dodgers who had 57 wins at the same juncture, and went on to win 98 games.  If  we just play .500 ball the rest of the way, we will [...]

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This is really simple – call me names, say I’m an Ethier hater, say I am biased.  Say what you want.  Make yourself feel good.  Cite some obscure stat.  Say he has a great swing.  Say I’m not objective.  Say I don’t know what I am talking about.  Say something (make it up) that will [...]

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We got 2 for 1.  At least that’s what it looks like to me.  Not only did we get Manny Ramirez back (who looked like he han’t played for about 50 games), but it appears that he brought Rafael Furcal back with him.  What a great deal.  I mentioned that this was a possibility yesterday.  [...]

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Hey, I agree that  Juan Pierre deserves to play every day,  and any MLB team could use another starter, but what are the Dodgers willing to pay for something we really don’t need that badly?  Billingsley, Kuroda, Wolf,  Kershaw, and Milton could be the best staff in the NL by August.  Also, by August, Matt Kemp could be injured [...]

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It was evidently over before it started.  I think the Dodgers are afraid of lightening and it messed with their psyches.  According to Dylan Hernandez of the LA TIMES, Matt Kemp said: “I’m going to blame it on the lightning. The lightning was scary. I was up to bat worried I was going to get [...]

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After all, we barely got to know him when he was a Dodger and we need to just make him feel right at home.  A 95 MPH fastball in his ear by Hiroki Kuroda ought to do the trick!  Tonight’s Lineup:

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June 7, 2009 – Tony Jackson’s Blog – OK, that guy some of you are so fond of calling Mr. Softee, or whatever, came up big again, his second walkoff hit in less than 24 hours. But Ethier’s heroics aside, don’t overlook Cory Wade. He might have been the real hero of this one. He [...]

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Kuroda looked good velocity and movement wise, hitting 93 consistently with an 83 mph change. However, he struggled with control a bit while trying to knock the rust off. Or, as Badger would put it, “he’s serving belt high lollipops.” He ran his pitch count pretty high early with 45 pitches in two innings, 32 [...]

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