Fresh off the All Star break the Boys in Blue headed up to the dump by the bay for 3 games with everyone's favorite team of AARP losers, the SF Giants and Barroid Bonds. I was certain Bonds would get all 5 HRs he needed to pass Aaron off us this weekend because we are usually dumb enough to pitch him, he rapes teams that pitch to him and he hates LA. What really happened? Bonds went 0 for the series!!!!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA (He played in all 3 games too!)
Man he looked old and crappy. Go get some of the new "clear" if you are ever going to get those next 5. Another guy that is starting to show his age, Kent. Outside of the bomb he crushed on Saturday, he looks like he is approaching 50 and fast. No more range in the field, a slow bat, this does not bode well.
As for the series, we exploded for 6 runs in the 9th on Friday to beat SF. On Saturday, we had a nice lead until Randy Winn did a Gibson impersonation by getting nailed in the leg, hobbling around, then blasting a Grand Slam to get SF within 1. In the 9th Bonds walked to get on and eventually scored. In extras though, LA prevailed and Rudy Gascaneaez nailed down a save (I thought I was high - no way did this happen). Finally on Sunday we had Brett Tomkrapp on the mound which meant me, my brother and every other Dodger fan expected a loss. It even prompted my brother to state that if, "Tomko gets a win today, I'll say nothing but positive things about the team for the next month."
Sure enough, we lead 1-0, only to have the WORST infield defense in baseball this year help Tomko give back 2 and give SF hope. In the 4th and 6th we added 2 runs an inning and hung on to win 5-3 meaning a SWEEP SWEEP SWEEP SWEEP SWEEP SWEEP SWEEP, 11 in a row for us in SF, an ANGRY Barry, 1st Place all to ourselves and one month of my brother being pleasant!!!! OUTSTANDING!
Next up, we get a chance to give Philly losses 10,001, 10,002, and 10,003!
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Monday, July 9, 2007
FIRST HALF GRADES
Its that time of year when every yahoo comes out and ranks how teams faired pre-All Star break in the first half of the season. Why should I be any different.
I'd give the Dodgers a solid B+ so far.
I was all ready to go off on them, complain about a bunch of stuff but then I looked at our record, we're 49-40, 1 game back of San Diego and all is well, I guess.
My main complaints are a 1-5 vs. Anaheim and losing 4 in a row this last week to ATL/FLA. We had several opportunities to take back 1st and let them go by.
Team MVP = Russell Martin. Flat out stud. I'd give him a 6 year extension TODAY! (Penny's been close but he did this last year and then had an epic collapse that almost left him off the playoff roster. He's got to earn that trust back!)
Team DUD = Geeez, this is hard because Furcal, Kent, Nomar and Schmidt have all performed WELL BELOW expectations. I'd have to go with Schmidt though. Pay a guy big bucks to be your 1-2 and he sucks then goes on the DL for the season. NICE! Could you imagine if he was healthy? Schmidt, Lowe, Penny, Wolf and Billingsly? That would be outstanding. Instead we get some NASTY combo of Hendricksucksen, Tomkrap, and Oh No Kuo. GRRRREAT.
INF = C: Nomar looks like a high school kid now and lost any and all power. Kent looks about 49 and outside of a good week here and there, plays like he's 49. Furcal has been a total failure coming off a great season. No power, no speed, no hits. And 3B has been a revolving door at the Chicken Ranch. Nomar is there now so that Loney can play which is fine with me.
OF = B: Kemp/Ethier have been solid out there. Gonzo is Opposite Kent and looking like he's 29, not 39. Pierre has been a huge pain in the ass. Sure he's 2nd in MLB in steals and his Hit #s look good but every throw he makes bounces 3 times before reaching the cut-off guy and he's choked in the clutch countless times. PLUS Ichiro has made it known he'd be interested in LA (or T.Hunter or A.Jones) yet we're stuck with this glorified Dave Roberts for 5 years. NICE ONE NED!
SP = B+: Penny, Wolf (pre-mid June), and Lowe have been solid. Billingsly is also looking good. The rest, see above.
RP = A: Saito and Broxton (and Billingsly when there) have been stoppers. Rudy Gascaneaz is hanging around and Drunko Beimel seems to be on the wagon for now. Sadly, Tomko gets to sit out there and sometimes pitch which usually ends badly. Plus we have Tsao, Stults, Houton and a bunch of other AAA arms filling roster space.
Outlook = Playoffs are likely at this pace. Whoopee though. Win a series in the playoffs and not just 1 game since 1988 and I'll feel better. A minor move and this team could easily take the NL but I don't see us winning the World Series unless someone goes Gibson for us.
I'd give the Dodgers a solid B+ so far.
I was all ready to go off on them, complain about a bunch of stuff but then I looked at our record, we're 49-40, 1 game back of San Diego and all is well, I guess.
My main complaints are a 1-5 vs. Anaheim and losing 4 in a row this last week to ATL/FLA. We had several opportunities to take back 1st and let them go by.
Team MVP = Russell Martin. Flat out stud. I'd give him a 6 year extension TODAY! (Penny's been close but he did this last year and then had an epic collapse that almost left him off the playoff roster. He's got to earn that trust back!)
Team DUD = Geeez, this is hard because Furcal, Kent, Nomar and Schmidt have all performed WELL BELOW expectations. I'd have to go with Schmidt though. Pay a guy big bucks to be your 1-2 and he sucks then goes on the DL for the season. NICE! Could you imagine if he was healthy? Schmidt, Lowe, Penny, Wolf and Billingsly? That would be outstanding. Instead we get some NASTY combo of Hendricksucksen, Tomkrap, and Oh No Kuo. GRRRREAT.
INF = C: Nomar looks like a high school kid now and lost any and all power. Kent looks about 49 and outside of a good week here and there, plays like he's 49. Furcal has been a total failure coming off a great season. No power, no speed, no hits. And 3B has been a revolving door at the Chicken Ranch. Nomar is there now so that Loney can play which is fine with me.
OF = B: Kemp/Ethier have been solid out there. Gonzo is Opposite Kent and looking like he's 29, not 39. Pierre has been a huge pain in the ass. Sure he's 2nd in MLB in steals and his Hit #s look good but every throw he makes bounces 3 times before reaching the cut-off guy and he's choked in the clutch countless times. PLUS Ichiro has made it known he'd be interested in LA (or T.Hunter or A.Jones) yet we're stuck with this glorified Dave Roberts for 5 years. NICE ONE NED!
SP = B+: Penny, Wolf (pre-mid June), and Lowe have been solid. Billingsly is also looking good. The rest, see above.
RP = A: Saito and Broxton (and Billingsly when there) have been stoppers. Rudy Gascaneaz is hanging around and Drunko Beimel seems to be on the wagon for now. Sadly, Tomko gets to sit out there and sometimes pitch which usually ends badly. Plus we have Tsao, Stults, Houton and a bunch of other AAA arms filling roster space.
Outlook = Playoffs are likely at this pace. Whoopee though. Win a series in the playoffs and not just 1 game since 1988 and I'll feel better. A minor move and this team could easily take the NL but I don't see us winning the World Series unless someone goes Gibson for us.
Monday, July 2, 2007
All Stars but Big Yawns
So, who's excited for the All Star game up in SF this year??? Waiting........ Still waiting........ But hey, it decides who gets home field advantage in the World Series!?!?! Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? Yeah, that's what I thought.
CONGRATS to Russell Martin (Very deserving), T.Saito (also deserving) and Brad Penny (uh oh - the hex is back) on being reps for the Dodgers up in that game no one cares about by the city on a bay. Penny started the game last year, after a very similar first half as he's had this year and then went Rudy Seangascanez on the rest of the season for us. Here's hoping Peavy has that luck this year instead of Penny. Props to Russell the most though. Dude is in his 2nd year, catches about 95% of the games (Lieberthal has to be LOVING life - greatest job in the world, backup C to an All Star), calls great games, throws out runners and brings a big stick (as well as wheels) to a position and team greatly in need of it. He's not only an All Star, he'd get my vote for NL MVP today, either him or Prince Fielder.
I think the All Star Game is just a giant mess of confusion. Do we want lineups of "Stars," you know, guys you want to see play or do we want lineups of players having the best 1st halves this season? When I was younger I always got pissed off when Ozzie Smith or Cal Ripken, even in their off years, made the team by a landslide. I thought you should reward those "hot" players for a good start, not anymore. I want to see the elite players playing, the shoe guys, the Boras clients, the big money, big headed warriors. I AM GLAD BONDS IS ON THE NL TEAM. I hate him more than any athlete in any sport yet he belongs in this game. Its in SF and he's about to break Aaron's HR record. Dude belongs!
I'm also ok with making each team send one guy but if you're going to do that, expand the rosters even more. Gil Meche and Brian Fuentes can be on the team but there should also be room for Randy, Rocket, Oswalt, Howard and Rollins. Bud needs to fix this problem. Look at the NL OF - Bonds, Beltran and Griffey, does that not drip All Star? Yet we have D.Young instead of young masher Ryan Howard?? If baseball wants to approach the NFL in terms of popularity again, you need to MARKET the stars. Especially in a year that we celebrate Jackie Robinson, how can you not try to include some of the games bright, Black players. How else will the game grow in the inner cities again? Of course if you ask Gary Sheffield, MLB prefers Dominicans over Blacks anyway. Regardless, put more of the Super Stars in and find a way to raise the stakes, more so than HFA, to bring this back to the exciting times of Rose running over a catcher or Bo going yard!
Congrats again and good luck to our Dodgers in the game!
CONGRATS to Russell Martin (Very deserving), T.Saito (also deserving) and Brad Penny (uh oh - the hex is back) on being reps for the Dodgers up in that game no one cares about by the city on a bay. Penny started the game last year, after a very similar first half as he's had this year and then went Rudy Seangascanez on the rest of the season for us. Here's hoping Peavy has that luck this year instead of Penny. Props to Russell the most though. Dude is in his 2nd year, catches about 95% of the games (Lieberthal has to be LOVING life - greatest job in the world, backup C to an All Star), calls great games, throws out runners and brings a big stick (as well as wheels) to a position and team greatly in need of it. He's not only an All Star, he'd get my vote for NL MVP today, either him or Prince Fielder.
I think the All Star Game is just a giant mess of confusion. Do we want lineups of "Stars," you know, guys you want to see play or do we want lineups of players having the best 1st halves this season? When I was younger I always got pissed off when Ozzie Smith or Cal Ripken, even in their off years, made the team by a landslide. I thought you should reward those "hot" players for a good start, not anymore. I want to see the elite players playing, the shoe guys, the Boras clients, the big money, big headed warriors. I AM GLAD BONDS IS ON THE NL TEAM. I hate him more than any athlete in any sport yet he belongs in this game. Its in SF and he's about to break Aaron's HR record. Dude belongs!
I'm also ok with making each team send one guy but if you're going to do that, expand the rosters even more. Gil Meche and Brian Fuentes can be on the team but there should also be room for Randy, Rocket, Oswalt, Howard and Rollins. Bud needs to fix this problem. Look at the NL OF - Bonds, Beltran and Griffey, does that not drip All Star? Yet we have D.Young instead of young masher Ryan Howard?? If baseball wants to approach the NFL in terms of popularity again, you need to MARKET the stars. Especially in a year that we celebrate Jackie Robinson, how can you not try to include some of the games bright, Black players. How else will the game grow in the inner cities again? Of course if you ask Gary Sheffield, MLB prefers Dominicans over Blacks anyway. Regardless, put more of the Super Stars in and find a way to raise the stakes, more so than HFA, to bring this back to the exciting times of Rose running over a catcher or Bo going yard!
Congrats again and good luck to our Dodgers in the game!
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