Jared Massey and I were both at Blogger Night in LA on Monday Night and during the six plus hours at Dodger Stadium we gained a lot of insight into the 2010 Los Angeles Dodgers.  So,

Ned Colletti chatting with us stinkin'bloggers

here is some of what we have learned:

Ned Colletti spoke with us for nearly an hour and was forthright, honest, never-hedging questions and downright frank.  He answered every question and gave Dodger fans some reasons to believe.  Here’s some of what he said:

• Ned Colletti admitted that during his Dodger tenure, he’s made good and bad deals and said that in the beginning he tried too hard to make things happen, which resulted in bad deals.   He showed me that he can be critical of himself and look at things with a rational and scientific mind.
• Is he worried about Russ Martin?  Yes, but it’s not for a lack of trying – he’s still one of the hardest workers on the team (Vicente Padilla is another).
• Jerry Sands – “Professional approach and great leadership.”  Cautious, yet very optimistic!
• Ned expects James McDonald to get back into the swing of things, and has not ruled him being a starter. It is natural for McDonald at this stage to be working on his pitch consistency and Ned likened him to Eric Gagne in this respect.
• John Ely – Ned Colletti shared a story of discussing options with Juan Pierre after the 2009 season. Colletti’s relationship with Ely’s college coach at Miami gave him confidence in Ely as part of the deal. Colletti had great things to say about Ely; he likes how he competes and “how his thought process adapts mid-game.” Colletti also gave Ely a lot of credit for his start at Wrigley Field, especially being a native Chicago boy and having the hometown pressure, but he was cautious about not reading too much into Ely’s early success and recent lack of it.  Personally, I think Ely is AAA bound.
• Blake DeWtt – Ned appreciates  how hard Blake works. He talked about DeWitt being a great guy to be on the team for his character, and Ned values character, which brings me to…
• Garret Anderson, who according to Colletti, still has a lot of value to the club and “can be a threat.” This is the part where I thought Ned was high on drugs. Put down the crack pipe, Ned!
• Xavier Paul has a lot of potential and his call-up hinges on Manny Ramirez’ status.  Ned talked about  how challenging it is to try to refine and advance a players’s development at the major league level.
  

  Ron Cey and Jared - Jared doesn't even remember him...

• Matt Kemp – he liked how Kemp’s positive results the last couple of games.  Not mentioning Kemp in particular, he did say how difficult this game is to play, and how the Hall-of-Fame Players that he has seen have had to keep working at it diligently even when they’re at the top of their game, and mentioned how particularly difficult that is to do in baseball.
• Ned emphatically stated that he Dodgers are very determined to sign Zach Lee, and he said it was a challenge to have their first pick in the draft so low in the order, which is why the Dodgers took a chance on him.  He was Top 10 or Top 5 Talent and due to the Dodgers winning ways, they generally don’t pick so high, so Lee was worth the risk.  I got the feeling from Ned that the Dodgers were willing to pay 3 to 4 million for Lee, maybe more!
• Ned said that he is also looking for relief pitching, but that it is is so volatile, it’s hard to find quality relievers at the trade deadline.
• George Sherrill? Ned has no clue why he is struggling (I told you to trade him, Ned).  When asked if Sherill had been asked to go to the minors, Ned paused, long enough to let us know that the Dodgers had asked him and he had refused!  When asked that, Ned didn’t deny it.
• Colletti thinks the time off for Ramon Troncoso will help him work out the kinks in some of his pitches.  He said that his sinker wasn’t sinking.
• He talked about how the Vicente Padilla deal happened and how it involved personal face-to-face contact regarding Padilla’s reputation prior to joining the Dodgers. Colletti appreciates how Padilla has been “a model citizen” for the team.  He said that Padilla promised he would not be a problem (he did not promise that he wouldn’t shoot himself in the foot, however).
• Scott Elbert – He hopes he comes back and fixes whatever was eating him.
• Ned is acting like he will be able to take on payroll if the right opportunity presents itself (which I have been saying all along).
• Ned says that Josh Lindblom’s velocity is down, and they have no clue why.  By the way, I have observed that Jon Broxton’s velocity is also down.  Hummmm….
• Ned recounted his first “disagreement” with Joe Torre.  When Ned had first brought Clayton Kershaw up (because the coaches “begged” for it), Ned told Joe that he needed to be handled with kid gloves.  One particular game, Joe left him in and brought him out in the 8th inning, during which Clayton had problems and was ultimately removed.  Ned said he bit his tongue until he got home and asked Joe “can you explain your thought process in bringing Clayton back for the 8th inning?”  To which Joe, said “I get it boss.  I get it!“
• I also talked to another Dodger employee who said that he was convinced (through conversations with common friends) that Randy Wolf would have “almost certainly” accepted arbitration and would have probably gotten around $12 mil (their number, not mine) and that if Wolf  had accepted arbitration, he could have offered the Dodgers a two year deal in the $18 to $20 mil range.  He also went on to say that the Dodgers felt Wolf had his career year and was not worth that.  He acknowledged that O-Dog was not as likely to have accepted arbitration, but that Ned says “When you OFFER arbitration, you had better be prepared to PAY it.”  It’s easy to say the Dodgers should have offered arbitration to Hudson, but IT’S NOT YOUR MONEY!  IT’S EASY TO SPEND OTHER PEOPLE’S MONEY!  He also said that Wolf is miserable in Milwaukee…
  

  Ron and I comparing notes on our hip replacements

All-in-all, this was the best blogger night ever. The Dodgers had Roy Cey, Lou Johnson, Kim Ng, Dennis Mannion, Josh Rawitch, Ned Colletti, the High-Life Man and others drop by the suite for conversation.  Mannion was as engaged as he was engaging.  Josh Rawitch did an awesome job in putting this together and you have to give him credit for being way ahead of the curve by getting bloggers involved.

I left feeling that the Dodgers are in good hands with Ned Colletti as GM.  Some talk about Kim Ng and Logan White being GM’s, and while they may or may not ever become one, Ned is the consummate professional in this respect.  He delegates, is through, thoughtful, scientific, personally probing and level-headed – perfect for a GM!  He admits to learning from his mistakes and is not eager to repeat them.  What more can you ask?

Eleven Things That Will Happen  in the Second Half

1. I expect the Dodgers to acquire an arm.  They didn’t have that hitter to get  Cliff Lee that the Rangers did.  Oswalt is still a possibility…. However, Ned plays his cards close to the vest.  Speculation who the Dodgers will get is just that – speculation.  I do predict that they will get a top-of-the-rotation starter.
2. Manny will get hot and carry the team for a spell.  I think Joe will “ease” him back in.
3. Ace?  Clayton Kershaw is just improving little-by-little EVERY start.  Joe is about ready to anoint him the ace.  Clayton will step into the #1 spot after the All-Star Break.  It will be Kershaw, Kuroda, Billingsley and Padilla.  All Ned has to do is find a Number 2 or Number 3, but Oswalt would do too.
4. Ely will return to AAA.  Classic case of the league catching up to him.
5. Rafael Furcal will continue his hot ways.  He only needs a handful of at-bats to qualify for the lead in the batting average race.  He looks like the Young Raffy!  He is the Dodgers spark plug.  It was good to see him make the All-Star team and he deserved it over Reyes anyway.
6. George Cheryl will be given a few more weeks, but the Dodgers can’t continue to ride a limping horse.  At some point, that horse will have to be “put-down” if it can’t recover.
7. Brad Ausmus will be back and play a large role off the bench, both as a backup to Martin and a pinch hitter.
8. Garrett Anderson will have to be replaced by Xavier Paul.  Jon Weisman made an excellent case why Paul is the better choice and why AAA does nothing for him.  By the way, how about the play where Paul threw to the cutoff man and got the runner at the plate?  Good block by AJ too!  AJ is who we thought he was – a .214 hitter.
9. Look for a hot streak by both Ethier and Kemp.  Kemp is climbing out of the doghouse and is slowly getting his act together.
10. The surprise of the second half will be Vicente Padilla, who has some of the best stuff in all of baseball.   I still think this team will win 94-95 games.
11. The pitching will become rock-solid the second half.  Write it down.  You may see some new faces:  McDonald, Troncoso will be back and maybe a pitcher or two acquired by way of trade.  Cheryl and Miller and Ely will likely be gone soon.

• I’ll be in I agreement with Joe Torre that Carlos Monasterios is the “odd-man-out” of the rotation. He will be better served and
  

  Fake or Real Deal?

  better serve the Dodgers as a long-man in the pen when Padilla is activated on Friday.  The question is, who comes off the roster?  It will probably be Justin Miller, which means we will probably lose him, but it should be Garrett Anderson!  That should be a no-brainer.

• Josh Lindblom is back at AAA as a reliever - this is what he is, folks!  Give him a few tune-up games and he’ll be up with the big club.  This kid will impact the pennant race this year.  He has 4 pitches and throws up to 97 MPH out of the pen.
• Kyle Russell? I have no opinion.  I didn’t put him in my Top 10 Prospect List, but here is what I can tell you about him that I like:  He’s a bigger, stronger, more athletic version of Mark Reynolds with more power than Mark Reynolds ever thought about having. He may not bee good enough to play CF in the majors, but he’s close and he would be a plus defender at either corner spot.  Now, here’s the puzzling part:  Reynolds never struck out much in the minors.  Can Russell make it in the majors?  I can’t say, but I can say that is a intriguing possibility. I think he will struggle for a while and will figure it out… or not!
• So, how do the free agents that the Dodgers missed out on look right now?  Do you still think Free Agency is great for anyone but the players?
  • Orlando Hudson was OPS’ing  .799 when he returned to the DL .  Blake DeWitt, who has not really shined as yet, is OPS’ing .737.  $8 mil more for O-Dog?  Are you an ignorant savage?
  • $120 mil would have gotten Matt Holiday – he’s on pace for 16 HR/65 RBI and a .289 BA while hitting .205 with RISP.
  • You could have gotten Chone Figgins for $36 MIL, which is more than Casey Blake, and you would have gotten a .228 BA.
  • If you had spent $82.5 mil for John Lackey you would have a pitcher who has a 4.54 ERA and strikes out 4.9 batters every 9 innings and walks 3.9 batters every 9 innings.
  • Jason Bay has 4 HR and 26 RBI… all for a cool $66 mil deal!
• The Great Lakes Loons of the Dodgers farm system which is allegedly devoid of talent  has 7 players on the Mid-West League All-Star Team.  They are Jerry Sands (first base) and Christian Lara (shortstop), while Loons infielder Rafael Ynoa and outfielder Angelo Songco will be dressed as reserves.  The three pitchers are right-handers Will Savage, Luis Vasquez and Allen Webster. The team does not include Justin Miller who is 4-0 with a 1.36 ERA.
• Pablo Sandoval recently grounded into his NL-leading 16th double play. Stretched out over 162 games, that’s 43 GIDPs for the Kung Fu Panda, which puts him on pace to shatter Jim Rice’s All-Time record of 36 GIDPs in 1984.   Sandoval, who is listed on the Giants’ website at 245 pounds, may be quick “for a big man,” but he’s never going to be quick enough to leg out a ball hit deep in the hole at shortstop. Last winter, the team put him on a strict diet and exercise regimen dubbed “Operation Panda,” an intense shape-up program that Sandoval started in earnest before heading home to Venezuela for a stint in winter ball. Supposedly, he weighed his portions and logged his workouts. He turned down his former staples of pizza and McDonald’s in favor of fruit plates and turkey sandwiches on wheat bread. He even passed on his mom’s famous lasagna. Yet he still showed up to spring training at 262 pounds.  He also lacks plate discipline. After a hot start, opposing pitchers discovered that, in addition to cheeseburgers and fries, Panda can’t lay off the high heat. In fact, he’s just not very selective at all. Opposing pitchers are throwing ground ball pitches to Sandoval in situations that favor double plays and he’s obliging them in super-sized bunches.  He’s at .282 (which may be close to his weight…. and dropping.
• Great article about Chad Billingsley’s dad HERE.
• I’ll be reporting from Cincinnati the next three games.

• If you are going to get beat, you might as well make it a good one.  I’d say 10-1 is a good one.
• Billingsley didn’t trust his stuff last night.  Simple as that.  He wasn’t hammered hard, but he was hit.  One step back!
• The Dodgers need a RF and a LF.  They have a LF in RF, but who is going to play RF next year?  Andre Ethier used to be a much better outfielder, but as he has matured he seems stiff and slow.  I hope he can handle LF – if not, he’s headed to 1B.  Maybe the Dodgers will be forced to trade Loney for a Right- Fielder…
• Scott Elbert is on the Restricted List with some family issues.
• Kyle Russell has 7 K’s in 14 AB’s at AA and is hitting .143.  I think this is precisely the reason De Jon Watson waited to promote him.  They weren’t sure how he could handle the jump.  Now, let’s see if he can adjust.  If he can’t, he’s just another Billy Ashley (or less).
• For the record:  I don’t like McCourt, but he has learned to keep his nose out of stuff.  Give me a better option and I’ll take it, but teams have done a lot worse.  Just because someone has money doesn’t mean they will be a good owner.  Look at KC or Baltimore.  If someone finds a perfect owner, I’ll take him.  Right now, all we can do is let the McCourt saga play out.  Some of these billionaires got there by throwing nickels around like they were manhole covers!
• It’s good to see that Cheryl didn’t lose anything on his rehab.  He’s just as awful as ever! I told Ned to trade him over the winter.
• I have decided that the USC Trojans need a smarter athletic director, after Mike Garrett said:  ”As I read the decision by the NCAA, all I could get out of all of this was … I read between the lines and there was nothing but a lot of envy, and they wish they all were Trojans.”  Yeah Mike, everyone wants to a moronic cheater!  I’ve always thought he was a moron and now he’s confirmed it.
• Ely’s coming!
• I got nothing…

How sweet it is!

It took the Dodgers exactly 59 games to take first place in what is, so far, the second toughest division in baseball. The National League West has 4 teams with 30 or more wins and better than a .500 records.  The teams of the NL West have more wins than any other division in baseball, except the AL East.  Whoever said the NL West was weak, is obviously not informed!  If you think this team is built on smoke and mirrors, you haven’t been paying attention.  Manny isn’t Manny anymore, but he’s still a piece of the puzzle, and you are seeing the maturation of the rest of the team.   The Dodgers now have the best record in the NL in the best division of the NL.

Hiroki Kuroda matched Chris Carpenter pitch-for-pitch.  In fact, in some ways he out-pitched Carpenter and then the pen did their job, while Raffy, Andre and Manny did theirs when it counted.  Today, the Dodgers look to sweep the Cards as Clayton Kershaw goes against Adam Wainwright.

Rants & Raves:

• One of the Dodgers draft picks was the son of former Dodger James Baldwin who is a 6-3 switch-hitting CF.  The 18 year-old is one of the fastest players in the country.  I’m sure we’ll be going to Jared for more info about the draft.
• Stephen Starasburg – What a debut!
• Logan White denies that the Dodgers are sandbagging this year first rounder.  Time might tell… or not!
• Complete list of Dodger Draft Picks compliments of MLB.com
• Jon Brox was awesome last night – that’s what we expect EVERY TIME!
• It will be interesting to see how Kyle Russell does in AA

Was having problems accessing the server last night. Changed out my flux capacitor and it’s been smooth sailing.

Background

Kyle D. Russell was born on June 27th, 1986 in Houston, Texas. Being a native, it was no surprise that he attended his home state University of Texas. He started right away and was named a First Team Freshman All American by Collegiate Baseball in 2006. The following year, as a draft-eligible sophomore, Russell put up one of the greatest offensive seasons in college baseball history. He set a then single season record with 28 home runs and slugged .807. However, the production wasn’t matched by draft hype, as Kyle fell to the fourth round when the Cardinals made him the 142nd overall selection. After much negotation, the two parties failed to come to an agreement on a professional contract and Russell returned to school for his junior season. His final year as a Longhorn wasn’t a failure, but didn’t live up to his previous campaign, as he belted 19 home runs and OPS’d nearly .200 points lower. Still, the Dodgers decided he was a good enough player to be drafted even higher the second time around, and drafted him nearly 50 slots higher in 2008.

In his debut, Kyle came out of the gates slugging, batting .279 with 11 home runs and 13 doubles in 61 games. The following year, Russell slugged his way to co-MVP honors, along with teammate Dee Gordon, in the Midwest League by batting .272 with 26 home runs and 20 stolen bases. He became the first Dodger prospect to post a 20/20 season since 2005, when some kid named Matthew Ryan Kemp accomplished the feat. Baseball America rated him as the 12th best prospect in the Dodgers’ system coming into the 2010 season.

Strengths

There aint a park on the planet that can contain Kyle. In 2009, nearly half of his home runs went out to either left or center field, so he’s not solely a pull hitter. He also improved his walk totals from 2008 to 2009, drawing a free pass in 12.8% of his plate appearances. On the basepaths, he’s a smart runner who has a stolen base success rate of over 80% in his career.His above-average speed also gives him enough range in the outfield to handle center, where he’s an adequate defender, but he could be a perennial gold-glover in right. His arm is also well above-average. Even if the bat doesn’t pan out, he’s not Adam Dunn out there.

Weaknesses

Russell is a great power hitter…when he makes contact. He paced the Midwest League with 180 strikeouts last year, even though he turned 23 before the All Star break. Being 6’5, he has long levers in his swing and many holes. He’s also likely never to be an outstanding hitter for average. While the strikeouts haven’t maimed his production yet, more advanced pitchers will surely be able to pitch to his weaknesses and render him helpless if they locate properly. He definitely needs to work on shortening up, especially when he’s behind in the count.

The Future

So far, so good for Kyle in 2010. Along with leading the California League in home runs, he’s also first in slugging and second in OPS. But he’s also third in strikeouts, whiffing at a prodigious 27% clip. The real test for Russell is in Double A, which makes me wonder why he’s not there already. Until then, he can embody the quintessential TTO (Three True Outcome[HR's, Walks, Strkeouts]) prospect in the California League.

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers today announced the April winners of the Dodger Pride Awards.  The Dodger Pride Awards were created in 2008 by General Manager Ned Colletti, and are given on a monthly basis to the players at each level of the club’s minor league system who play the game with a hustling, smart, aggressive style. The players and staff on each respective club vote for the awards.

The winners for April are as follows:

Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes

Pitcher – RHP JOHN ELY went 2-1 and limited opposing hitters to a .235 average (16-for-68) with a 3.00 ERA (6 ER/18.0 IP) in three starts for the Isotopes before having his contract purchased by the Dodgers on April 28. Ely was acquired along with RHP Jon Link from the White Sox for Juan Pierre on December 17, 2009 and celebrated his 24^th birthday on Thursday after picking up his first big league win last Tuesday at Arizona.

Player – INF JOHN LINDSEY stormed out of the gate in April, leading the Pacific Coast League with a .455 (30-for-66) batting average, 30 hits, 13 extra-base hits, 20 doubles, a .507 on-base percentage and a .742 slugging percentage in 17 games. The 33-year-old, who received an invite to Major League Spring Training, also tied for the league lead with 19 runs, ranked third with 49 total bases and sixth with 17 RBI.  Lindsey was recognized as the PCL’s Batter of the Week after opening the season with an eight-game hitting streak, batting .538 (12-for-39) with two homers and 13 RBI in 10 games. The Mississippi native was originally selected by the Rockies in the 13^th round of the 1995 draft and is in his second stint with the Dodger organization after playing for Double-A Jacksonville and Triple-A Las Vegas in 2007 and 2008.

Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts

Pitcher – RHP JESUS CASTILLO went 2-1 and ranked fourth in the Southern League with a 1.48 ERA (4 ER/24.1 IP) in four April starts. The 25-year-old also ranked fifth in the league with a .186 opponents’ average against (16-for-86). In seven overall starts, Castillo has limited right-handed hitters to a .176 average (15-for-85) and posted a 2.06 ERA (9 ER/39.1 IP). He was selected by the Dodgers in the 27^th round of the 2003 draft and posted a 7-9 record with a 4.31 ERA in 29 games (27 starts) for Chattanooga last season.

Player – INF DEE GORDON batted .345 (29-for-84) with four doubles, a home run and six RBI in 20 April games. The 22-year-old ranked among the April Southern League leaders in batting average (3^rd), hits (29, 5^th) and steals (six, 6^th). Gordon was named the Dodgers’ 2009 Minor League Player of the Year and Single-A Midwest League co-MVP with Kyle Russell after hitting .301 with 32 extra-base hits and 73 steals in 131 games for Single-A Great Lakes.

Single-A Inland Empire 66ers

Pitcher – RHP KENLEY JANSEN went 1-0 and limited opponents to a .212 average (11-for-52) with 22 strikeouts and a 1.23 ERA (2 ER/14.2 IP) in eight April games for the 66ers.  The 22-year-old was promoted to Double-A Chattanooga on Saturday after posting a 1.50 ERA (3 ER/18.0 IP) in 11 relief appearances with Inland Empire. Jansen was added to the 40-man roster this past offseason and is in his first full season as a pitcher after being converted from a catcher during the 2009 campaign.

Player – OF KYLE RUSSELL opened the season with a 14-game hitting streak and ranked among the California League leaders with a .337 (28-for-83) average (10^th), four home runs (T-3^rd) and 15 RBI (8^th) in 22 April games.  The 23-year-old was named league Offensive Player of the Week for the week ending April 25, batting .375 (9-for-24) with two home runs and six RBI in seven games. Russell entered the season ranked as the Dodgers’ No. 12 prospect by Baseball America after being recognized as co-MVP of the Single-A Midwest League MVP last year along with Dee Gordon.

Single-A Great Lakes Loons

Pitcher – RHP MATT MAGILL posted a 3.18 ERA (6 ER/17.0 IP) with one save in four games (two starts) in April. The 20-year-old limited opponents to a .217 average (13-for-60), while striking out 20 in 17.0 innings. In seven total games, the Simi Valley local has limited right-handed hitters to a .155 average (9-for-58) with 19 strikeouts and no home runs.

Player – INF/OF JERRY SANDS had a decorated first month of the season, winning the Midwest League’s Player of the Week honors for the first two weeks of the season (and has since added a third for the week of May 3-9).  The 22-year-old ranked among the league’s leaders in batting average (.382, 2^nd), home runs (8, T-1^st), on-base percentage (.442, 7^th), slugging percentage (.842, 1^st) and RBI (22, 2^nd) and hit safely in 17 of 21 April games. Currently, Sands leads the league in two of the three Triple Crown categories, leading the circuit with both a .387 batting average and 13 homers, and ranking second with 30 RBI in 35 games.

Extended Spring Training

Pitcher – RHP LUIS FERRERAS won the Dodger Pride Award for pitchers at Extended Spring Training. The 20-year-old went 2-1 with a 2.50 ERA and did not allow a home run in 18.0 innings at Rookie-advanced Ogden in 2009. Ferreras was signed as a non-drafted free agent on March 30, 2007 out of the Dominican Republic.

Player – INF RAMON JEAN batted .273 (15-for-55) with three steals and seven RBI at Extended Spring Training. The 22-year-old is in his fourth season with the organization and batted .280 with 14 steals and 23 RBI in 44 games with the Rookie-level Arizona League Dodgers in 2009. Jean was signed as a non-drafted free agent on March 12, 2007 out of the Dominican Republic.

– Jon Chapper/LA Dodgers PR Department

I had a cheesy grin on my face as I read the Top 200 Prospect list put out by True Blue LA.  The Dodgers do not have 200 Prospects.  They have about 20 PROSPECTS and 180 SUSPECTS!  However, the Dodgers Organization is not nearly as bereft of prospects as some think.  We don’t have a bunch that are major-league ready, but DeJesus, Lindblom, Elbert, Haeger, Schlichting and Leach are all close to ready and while I don’t see any as “superstars” I believe that some of them will be very good players.  However, we are in a position where we don’t need a bunch of young players RIGHT NOW.

Behind the players mentioned above are Gordon, Lambo, Robinson, Van Slyke, Russell, Withrow, Adkins, Martin, Eovaldi, May, Mitchell, Baez, Jansen, Delmonico, Gallagher, Miller and Guerra.  Some of those guys will be complete “busts” and others who are not on the radar will step up.   Additionally, last years draft has yielded some very good prospects. 

All-in-all, we have 4 or 5 young players who could make the team this year and the second wave is another year or two away.  We don’t have the Jacksonville Five, but in 2011 you could see the Lambo Leap! Read the full story

If you have a home which is worth $400,000 or $400,000,000 and you are served divorce papers by your spouse,  what do you do?  It’s obvious that a great part of the parties’ net worth is that asset.  Some people are idiots about this – some have even burned-down the house rather than split the proceeds.  Are the McCourts that stupid?  I doubt it.  Both appear to be greedy, self-absorbed, high-achievement people whom I think  want to maximize their investments.  What should they do?    The biggest asset I think is the Dodgers.  They have to keep that asset shiny and new – to make money now and to make the asset continue to appreciate.  That’s why I think they will “Paint the House, not Blow-Up the House!  We might not have a $120 million payroll, but it won’t be $75 million either!

SECOND BASE- I think that the Dodger Brass has identified 2B as a position that needs a power upgrade.  Casey Blake is not a Big HR Hitter at 3B, Raffy isn’t at SS, Loney currently is not a power hitter at 1B, and Martin is not a HR hitter at C.  Our only power is in the outfield.   I think many people believe the Dodgers “stuck it to” Orlando Hudson so as not to have to pay him.  If it had been $3 million, I’d buy it, but $10,000 or $190,000 (which is actually closer) is “chump change.”  I think Joe Torre played Belliard in the playoffs (which didn’t count on O-Dog’s incentives) so they would have more power.  I believe that’s the long and short of it, which brings me to what they will do at 2B next year.  Read the full story

The Top 10 - In No Particular Order

I have no clue where this “Debacle in the Ravine will take us, but I’d say Jamie does not have the upper hand.   No, I’m not going to speculate on who we will sign and who we won’t or who we should trade.  Today, I just want to do some “farming.”  Let’s take a look at the Dodgers top prospects. Read the full story

• The Great Lakes Loons were the last Dodger team to be eliminated from the playoffs, losing to the Ft. Wayne Tin Caps last night 4-3 in 10
  

  Minor League Pitcher of The Year

  innings.  Dee Gordon was 1-5 with a stolen base, Kyle Russell was 1-2 with a BB and an RBI, Silverio hit a HR and Aaron Miller pitched a stellar 6 innings, allowing just 1 run and 1 hit.  It was all for naught as the Loons closer, Cole St. Clair blew the save in the 8th and lost the game in the 10th.  It was a good year for the Loons.

• It’s nice to play a minor league team for a change.  The Pirates are AAA, at best!
• Great article on our Dynamic Duo (Kemp & Ethier) by mlb.coms Doug Miller.
• Jon Garland has been a nice pickup hasn’t he?
• Andre is going to get 30 HR it appears!
• O-Dog is playing like a guy who gets $10,000 for every at bat!
• Can Russ Martin get his BA to .270 by the end of the year?  He’s hot, as is Loney.
• We just play different with Casey Blake in the lineup.
• Andy LaRoche went 2-3 against his former mates and is hitting a paltry .248.
• A Press Release from the Dodgers:

DODGERS NAME LEFT-HANDER SCOTT ELBERT AND SHORTSTOP DEE GORDON AS THE BRANCH RICKEY MINOR LEAGUE PITCHER AND PLAYER OF THE YEAR Read the full story

09/02/09 – LOS ANGELES – The Dodgers’ minor league report is a weekly window into the Dodgers’ minor league system, with updated standings, league leaders, team and individual player stats, and the latest team and player news.  Player bios can be found in the Player Development section of the Dodgers’ Guide (Pages 411-478).

Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes
Pacific Coast League American Southern Division
76-63, 1st Place, 8.5 Games Ahead

DIVISION CHAMPS!! – The Albuquerque Isotopes clinched a playoff berth by winning the PCL American Southern Division…the Isotopes will take on the winner of the American Northern Division in a best-of-five series, which begins Wednesday at Isotopes Park.

AWARDS!! – Manager Tim Wallach was selected as Pacific Coast League Manager of the Year by a vote of fellow managers, league General Managers, and the media…in his first season at the helm, Wallach led the Isotopes to a 76-63 record, second best in the league…Wallach was also named “Best Manager Prospect” by Baseball America in a recent issue…a veteran of 17 Major League seasons as a player, he was a five-time National League All-Star, a three-time Gold Glove Winner, and he twice won the Silver Slugger Award. Read the full story

LOS ANGELES – The Dodgers’ minor league report is a weekly window into the Dodgers’ minor league system, with updated standings, league leaders, team and individual player stats, and the latest team and player news.  Player bios can be found in the Player Development section of the Dodgers’ Guide (Pages 411-478). by Jon Chapper, Dodger PR DepartmentTriple-A Albuquerque Isotopes
Pacific Coast League American South Division
73-59, 1st Place, 7.0 Games Ahead
Playoff Picture: In lead for playoff spot – Magic number is 7

DON’T BE J-ELLIS: C A.J. Ellis has hit safely in 15 of his last 16 games, batting .377 (20-for-53) with eight doubles and nine RBI…the 28-year-old is batting .358 (24-for-67) with eight doubles and 13 RBI in 21 August games…he is hitting .338 (27-for-80) with runners in scoring position…overall, he is batting .314 with 13 doubles and 37 RBI in 86 games…the Missouri native was selected in the 18th round of the 2003 draft. Read the full story

DODGERS SINGLE-A GREAT LAKES LOONS SHORTSTOP  DEE GORDON NAMED MIDWEST LEAGUE “PROSPECT OF THE YEAR”  - by Jon Chapper, Dodgers PR Department
Gordon also named Co-Most Valuable Player with teammate Kyle Russell.

LOS ANGELES – Dodgers Single-A Great Lake Loons shortstop Dee Gordon was selected Midwest League’s “Prospect of the Year” and shares the

Raffy's Replacement in 2011

 league’s Most Valuable Player honor with teammate Kyle Russell.  The announcement was made today by Midwest League President George Spelius.

Gordon currently leads the league with 153 hits, 69 stolen bases, and 11 triples and is tied for the league lead with teammate Jaime Pedroza with 88 runs scored.  The 21-year-old from Avon Park, FL is tied for first amongst all full-season minor league players in stolen bases, tied for sixth in hits, and tied for 13th in runs.  The fourth-round selection in the 2008 draft is batting .306 with three home runs and 32 RBI in 123 games.

Gordon entered the season ranked as the Dodgers’ No. 7 prospect according to Baseball America. The publication also ranked him as the fastest baserunner, best athlete, and best defensive infielder in the Dodgers’ minor league system. Gordon is the son of former major league pitcher Tom “Flash” Gordon.

Gordon becomes the second Loons player to be named Prospect of the Year, joining current Dodgers left-handed pitcher Clayton Kershaw who took the honor in 2007.

Co-MVP outfielder Kyle Russell is the current league leader with 25 home runs, 241 total bases, 65 extra base hits, and a .551 slugging percentage, and is tied for the top spot with 89 RBI. The 23-year-old is tied for fifth in all of Minor League Baseball in extra base hits and is batting .273 with 34 doubles in 121 games. Read the full story

Jason Schmidt leaving town - www.LaDodgerTalk.com - 2009

After last night’s debacle of the pen, the Yankees led by a walk off home run by A-Rod, claimed the best record in baseball from Joe Torre and the Dodgers.   That says it all.

I felt early in the game that Billingsley was still favoring his hamstring and did not have his normal “follow-through” during his pitching motion.  When Chad came out of the last game, it was incorrectly assumed by those who want to demonize Billingsley that he hadn’t taken in enough fluids.  You know what happens when you assume.  There are 4 or 5 things that can cause hamstring pulls, which include lack of hydration, mineral imbalances, improper biomechanics, poor diet and repetative stress.  To assume it was hydration, well the first 3 letters of the word “assume” tell the story.  I look for Billingsley to go on the DL for 15 days, complicating our pitching situation, but problems are sometimes opportunities in drag, and who knows who might step up.

Of greater concern to me is our closer, or lack thereof.  Maybe you know why the Dodgers acquired Sherrill now.  Chew on this for a while:  In the modern game, the closer has become a key component of a championship team.  He’s the guy who NEVER gives the lead back.  He closes (SLAMS) the door on the competition.  In his 14 years in the league, Mariano Rivera has been the epitome of that guy – 513 saves verses 27 blown saves.  As belittled as Brad Lidge has been, in his 7 years in the league, he has 185 saves and 33 blown saves, but what is most important is that he had 41 saves verses ZERO  blown saves for the Phillie’s last year in their Championship run.  Closers make a huge difference.

Which brings me to to Jon Broxton.  In his 4 years in the league, he has 43 saves and has blown 23 saves, including his 4th blown save of the year.  THINK ABOUT IT – In his career, Broxton blows a save for about every 2 saves he gets. That is totally unacceptable, and something that will lead to an early demise in the playoffs if it continues, which is why we may see more of Sherrill in that role.   Those 4 games that Broxton has blown are 4 games where were were ahead, had taken the lead and had defeat snatched from the jaws of victory.  It’s demoralizing, is what it is! 

• I failed to see the logic of bringing in Kuo when Bills left the game.  James McDonald would have been a much better choice, if only for the reason that Kuo shouldn’t pitch in back-to-back games.
• Yes, Kuo gave up 2 runs and Tronscoso and Elbert got torched, but make no mistake – Jon Broxton blew this game for us.  Yes, a fan ran onto the field and may have distracted him.  Maybe the fan distracted the hitters too.  NO EXCUSES!  A closer has to be tough and Broxton ain’t!  Bills and Broxton both have to get tougher if we are to win this thing.  We need them both to step it up in the clutch.  Change your thinking, change your life.  Andre did!
• Have we seen the last of Jason Schmidt?  It seems like he may have had enough.  He can=me back.  He gave it his best.  Now he rides off into the sunset.  His locker was cleaned out, indicating that he wants to quit or was forced out by the Dodgers.
• Casey Blake continues to roll..  Mighty Casey stuck to the script, Broxton blew his lines!
• I think James Loney should sit today and let Abreu play 3B with Blake going to 1B, even though there is a RH going today.  James is pressing.
• The pen needs a long outing by Clayton today.  Our ace needs to step up.
• Don’t look now, but Martin is up to .271!
• Charlie Haeger left the ALBQ game after 4 excellent innings… what do you make of that?
• First-round pick Aaron Miller allowed three hits and struck out six over five innings Friday as the Great Lakes Loons blanked West Michigan, 3-0. The 36th overall selection in this year’s Draft is 1-0 with a 1.13 ERA in two Midwest League starts.
• Kyle Russell has 24 HR at Great Lakes but also has 143 K’s, which means he strikes out once every 2.7 AB’s!
• Elbert can probably still start Sunday if Joe wants because he only threw 13 pitches in the game.  It’s like a bullpen session, but who knows?  Stults or Haegar or Weaver may get the call…

P.S.  I predicted the Tony Abreu callup two days before it happened.  Get it here first, Folks.  Extra, Extra, Read all abaout it!  We make up the news before it happens!

REMINDER:

This website is for died-in-the-wool Dodger fans who realize that while statistics are important, they are just another tool and know that humans, not numbers, play the game of baseball. To that end, we do not live and die by sabermetrics or statistical analysis.

We are civil to one another and do not talk politics and religion. Cursing and derogatory language are not permitted. Show respect to one another and let’s root for the Dodgers.

Here are a few rules we observe here:

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5) Do not discuss politics or religion.

Now I am adding a 6th – Post only under your own name or nickname or moniker.  Several people (more than 6) are posting under multiple names and unless you can provide me with a doctor’s excuse that you have multiple-personality disorder, please refrain from posting under other names.  Our software will soon block those typoes of posts.

I confess – I posted a couple of times under the name Orel Sax.  Anyone want that name?

When I think of Dodger Prospect Kyle Russell, two names come to mind – Adam Dunn and Rob Deer.  Both have (had) prodigious power and both strike (“struck” in Deer’s situation) out way too much, but Dunn actually has a good OB%, albeit a low BA.  Both can hit monster HR’s.  Both made the majors, but only one (Dunn) was a success.  Will Kyle Russell be like either player?  Only time will tell, but Russell who was the third Dodgers pick of 2008, has always exhibited tremendous raw power.  The Houston, Texas native is a left-handed power hitter  who stands  6’5″ and weighs 200 lbs., at age 21.  There have been a lot of players over the years who have played for the University of Texas, but Kyle Russell is the All-Time Home Run King and holds the Texas HR record.  Read the full story

A few days ago, Miguel Salcido wrote about the Dodgers’ bench and how productive it has been this year.  As I was re-reading it, suddenly the moniker that Mickey Hatcher hung on the 1988 Dodger reserves jumped into my mind – The Stuntmen!  In 1988 we had  Dave Anderson, Mike Davis, Pedero Guerrero, Rick Dempsey, Tracy Wooden, Danny Heap and the head stuntman, Mickey Hatcher.   This year it’s Juan Pierre, Juan Castro, Xavier Paul, Doug Mientkiewicz, Mark Loretta and Brad Ausmus.  They currently go by the name “Bomb Squad,” but I think that “The Stuntmen” are back.   Bomb Squad may be more 2009, but The Stuntmen are timeless.   Read the full story