|
> JULY 2004 July
31, 2004
Thankfully, a least, there'll be no Johnson wearing Dodger blue this season. Randy Johnson is staying put with Arizona and Charles Johnson has decided to stick around Colorado. It appears that DePodesta had banked on being able to acquire both Johnsons, but counted his chickens before they hatched. According to some reports, The Big Ugly Unit did agree to waive his no-trade clause, but the Dodgers and Diamondbacks were unable to agree on players. According to other reports, Johnson did not in fact agree to a trade. According to sources close to Dodger Blues, however, Dodgers GM Paul DePodesta overslept and almost missed the trading deadline. Awoken at 12:53 p.m. by his mom, DePodesta mumbled something about Chan Ho Park and fell back asleep. He was awoken a minute later by Arizona GM Joe Garagiola, Jr. and was convinced that he should acquire Steve Finley and useless catcher Bret Mayne (in exchange for highly-touted minor leaguers Koyie Hill, Reggie Abercrombie, and Bill Murphy—the last of whom was just picked up in the Lo Duca deal). In the minutes following that phone call with Arizona, a groggy DePodesta apparently went crazy and tried to trade the rest of the team. With DePodesta apparently on the verge of trading Vin Scully to the Pirates for a minor league outfielder, the trading deadline thankfully expired. So, beyond Finley, the Dodgers' additions stand at Brad Penny, Hee Seop Choi, Bret Mayne, and some minor leaguers. Their losses: Paul Lo Duca, Guillermo Mota, Dave Roberts, Tom Martin, and Juan Encarnacion. People can talk all they want about Lo Duca being a poor second-half hitter and Roberts being nothing more than legs, but there's no way in hell that the Dodgers are better today than they were yesterday morning. They picked up a guy who plays once every five days (Penny), another guy who's nothing more than a platoon player (Choi, if you go by his .194 average against lefties), and a 39-year-old outfielder they didn't need (Finley) who figures to fight with Milton Bradley over centerfield. They give up a hard-nosed catcher who's loved by his teammates and his city, a hard-nosed outfielder who's leading the league in stolen base percentage, a powerful set-up man for Gagne, and a good defensive outfielder who's got some pop. It just doesn't sit right. In fact, it couldn't be any more wrong. DePodesta has absolutely begun to put his stamp on the team, and it begins with a shake-up of a team in first-place. First place! Since when does a first-place team need a shake-up? It's absurd. For years the Dodgers have had talent, and it's gotten them nowhere. This year, the Dodgers finally have the C-word (chemistry), and DePodesta screws with it—in a HUGE way. That's just sick. July
31, 2004
July
30, 2004
Let's start with Lo Duca. Yeah, the guy hasn't had the greatest second halves, but the guy has heart, he has energy, and more importantly, he has the respect of his teammates and fans. Obviously, however, those are things that DePodesta doesn't value at all. Which is bullshit. If numbers are truly everything, then how do you explain the '88 Dodgers? The '88 Dodgers didn't win the division, the NLCS, or the World Series with their numbers. They won with guys like Kirk Gibson, Mike Scioscia, and Mickey Hatcher—guys with heart. Losing Lo Duca is a huge goddamn blow. Losing Mota in this deal isn't particularly thilling either, especially considering his value. Everybody has seemed to want Mota, and now he's dealt for a mediocre pitcher and a guy batting .270 with 15 home runs? What the fuck? Mota's an asshole, but the Dodgers did not get fair value. Losing Encarnacion, however, is beautiful—especially considering that he's going back to the team the benched him in the World Series last year. But if the Dodgers were just looking to get rid of Encarnacion, they could have dumped him in the San Diego bay, not dealt Lo Duca to Florida. Lo Duca to Florida? With the Dodgers in first place, Lo Duca to Florida? And Charles Johnson back in L.A.? Can PDP honestly say that the Dodgers' chances this season are better with a washed-up Charles Johnson behind the plate than Paul Lo Duca? (Not to mention that Charles Johnson is owed $9 million next year, and really has no interest in being in Los Angeles again.) It's official, De Podesta's body has been taken over by Kevin Malone. Florida rapes the Dodgers once again. (And the Dodgers asked for the rape!) And if rumors are accurate, the Dodgers may be on the verge of dealing Brad Penny, Jayson Werth, first-round draft pick Chuck Tiffany, and the highly-regarded minor league pitcher they just got from Florida to Arizona for Finley and Johnson. (And if they get Finley, who volunteers to tell Milton Bradley he's moving to left field?) If the Finley/Johnson thing proves true—which would mean the Dodgers were trading 7 fairly young guys for 3 veterans—it sounds like there's an order from the top to win this season and fuck the future. Sounds like something McCourt is capable of. After all, he's going to destroy the stadium, so why the hell would he care about the team's future? If he wins a World Series, he likely increases his chances of having people support his inevitable plan to turn Chavez Ravine into 300 acres of ugly tract homes. Little does he know, however, that when you fuck with a team that actually plays like a team, you're not getting any closer to the World Series. Obviously there's a belief that the current Dodgers didn't stack up well against St. Louis and other more formidable division leaders—and there may be something to that—but it's just too dangerous to screw with something that's working. Of course, the deal may not be about winning at all. It may simply be about money. Lo Duca would have been eligible for arbitration after the season, and would have been set for a big payday. You think McCourt was going to give $8 million to Lo Duca when he owes a couple hundred million for the team? Not a chance. For Lo Duca, it's not just about the money. For the McCourts, it is. Undoubtedly a sad day for Dodger fans—unless, of course, you've got a box of Hee Seop Choi jerseys. Seriously, though, it's sad. Lo Duca and Mota both shed tears on Friday. Lo Duca's tears were proof of only one thing—the dude bled Dodger blue. The guy struggled through the minors as a Dodger, finally emerged in the majors as a Dodger, and became an all-star as a Dodger. More than anyone else on the team, Lo Duca had the support and love of the fans. You don't trade a guy like that, despite the fact that his trade value is at its peak. As for Mota, however, the tears were out of fear that he won't be able to complete his community service hours in Los Angeles. Angry as hell, the Dodgers beat the crap out of San Diego on Friday night. Milton Bradley had a great game, but is anyone excited? Didn't think so. Feel like you were kicked in the nuts (or your vagina)? Yeah, we know. July
29, 2004
July
28, 2004
July
27, 2004
July
26, 2004
July
25, 2004
July
24, 2004
July
23, 2004
July
22, 2004
July
21, 2004
July
20, 2004
July
18, 2004
July
17, 2004
July
15, 2004
July
11, 2004
July
5, 2004
July
2, 2004
|
It's
been strange lately to see guys in Dodger blue actually hustling.
Apparently Dodger management agrees. After trading fan-favorite
Paul Lo Duca on Friday, the Dodgers have apparently dealt Dave Roberts
to Boston on Saturday. Also, Tom Martin was sent to Atlanta, but
no one other than Paul Shuey cares about that. Other than Milton
Bradley, there's no one on the Dodgers who played with the energy
and heart of Lo Duca and Roberts. You can talk all you want about
Dodger fans showing up at the stadium regardless of who's on the
team, but these moves are NOT going to go over well—especially
considering the kind of baseball the Dodgers have been playing.
Young fans might not remember times when the Dodgers were truly
a team and fans were deeply attached to that team. Lately, they'd
begun to feel like a team again. Lo Duca might have been the most
popular Dodger. Roberts—whose playing time had been recently
cut by Jim Tracy—may very well have been the second most popular
Dodger. True, popularity doesn't win ballgames, but pulling for
a baseball team means pulling for the guys on the team—and
that's about popularity.
As
everyone waits to see if Randy Johnson (age 41), Charles Johnson
(age 33—which is about 45 in catcher's years), and Steve Finley
(age 39) end up in Los Angeles, and everyone debates about the Dodgers'
motives, one thing is clear: Dodger baseball is suddenly a lot less
fun. Yeah, if they avoid a September collapse and make it to the
postseason, the fun will return. But right now, not fun. The Dodgers
weren't expected to do shit this season (we, of course, had no faith),
but a group of guys pulled themselves together and got the job done...
at least for four months. The team got along better than they had
in years—and not simply because they were winning. The Dodgers
have had good stretches here and there over the past few years,
but you can't tell us that they've ever gelled (that's a funny-looking
word) like they have this season. It was a little Lima, a little
Bradley, a little Gagne, a little from some guys who had something
to prove (Werth, Grabowski, Izturis), a little from Beltre (whose
bat added some energy), and a lot from Paul Lo Duca. At a time when
money rules and a hell of a lot of guys on the field don't really
seem to give a shit, Paul Lo Duca was an exception. And fans recognized
that. Dodger fans were excited this year—partly because they
were winning, and partly because they actually felt good about the
team. When's the last time Dodger fans truly felt good about the
team? When's the last time there was energy at Dodger Stadium? Sure,
baseball is a business, but not to real fans. Paul Lo Duca meant
a ton to the Dodgers—off the field and on. And don't think
that a team can replace their starting catcher mid-way through the
season and have the next guy just pick up where he left off. It's
not like replacing a second baseman, middle reliever, or hot dog
vendor. If the Dodgers manage to gather themselves and the new guys
(whoever they end up being) fit in, great. Let's hope that happens.
But right now, the energy is gone.
After days of rumors, the Dodgers have pulled the trigger on a deal
that sends Paul Lo Duca, Guillermo Mota, and Juan Encarnacion to
Florida in exchange for pitcher Brad Penny, first baseman Hee Seop
Choi, and a minor league pitcher. Apparently Paul DePodesta isn't
done dealing, so hell, let's just dump Beltre and Gagne too. Whether
or not the Dodgers end up getting Steve Finley or Randy Johnson
(who, combined, are 146 years old) in subsequent trades, the deal
with Florida is total fucking crap. 
After way too many productive games against the Dodgers, Jeromy
Burnitz was finally shut down on Thursday—thanks to the sasquatch
playing left field for the Dodgers. Jayson Werth homered in the
first inning, giving the Dodgers the early lead, and then saved
the day in the 6th inning. With a guy on base and the Rockies down
by a run, Jeromy Burnitz made a bid for his 7th straight game with
a homer. The ball would have cleared the yellow line on the wall,
but Werth caught up with it, slamming into the wall as he reached
up and caught the ball. As Werth rolled over in pain, he managed
to toss the ball toward the infield, and the Dodgers easily doubled
up Preston Wilson at first to end the inning. Werth seemed a bit
dazed but was overheard thanking his unkempt goatee for cushioning
the blow his face took from the outfield wall. Werth's catch saved
the lead given to the Dodgers by David Ross, who hit a 2-run homer
in the top of the 6th. The Dodger pen held onto the lead, and Jim
Tracy actually took his head out of his ass for a couple minutes,
bringing in Eric Gagne to get the final out in the 8th inning. The
Dodgers won 3-2, giving them their 33rd home victory. What's that?
The game wasn't played at Dodger Stadim? Oh come on, a 3-2 game
at Coors Field? Must have been the gravitational pull of Wilson
Alvarez's belly.
Let's start with a few questions (Jim Tracy style). Did the Dodgers
lose on Wednesday? Yes. Was that their second loss in a row? Yes.
Was that their second loss in a row against a team that's 15 games
out of first place? Yes. Is
Vin Scully in love with Colorado second baseman Aaron Miles? Yes.
Does Rick Monday wear pants when he's broadcasting a game? No. Did
Jeromy Burnitz hit .202 with the Dodgers last season? Yes. Did Jeromy
Burnitz just hit his third home run in three games against the Dodgers?
Yes. Did Jeromy Burnitz just score the winning run in the bottom
of the eighth inning after doubling off the wall? Yes. Is Jeromy
Burnitz an asshole? Yes. Is Guillermo Mota an asshole? Yes. Is Jim
Tracy an asshole for leaving Mota in the game? Yes. Is Jim Tracy
an asshole for other reasons also? Yes. (See Asshole of the Moment.)
Did Milton Bradley pop out in the ninth on the first pitch he saw—with
the tying run on second? Yes. Did Juan Encarnacion have a game tying
base hit in the ninth? No. Did Juan Encarnacion ground out weakly
to second base? Yes. Is there a reason why we're asking so many
questions? No. Can you please stop asking questions? No. Has the
Dodgers' collapse begun? Most likely. Is the lady in this picture
actually Don Sutton? Yes.
Odalis Perez is one unlucky dude. He sits on the bench Monday and
watches the Dodgers score 9 runs for Kaz Ishii. Then on Tuesday,
Perez takes the mound and watches the Dodgers fail to score a single
run—that is, while he was in the game. Perez didn't hang around
too long, being pulled in the 5th after giving up six runs, including
three bombs. One, of course, was hit by Jeromy Burnitz (whose parents,
like those of Jayson Werth, apparently never won a spelling bee).
After homering on Monday, Burnitz screwed the Dodgers again on Tuesday,
knocking in four of the Rockies' seven runs. Meanwhile, the Dodgers'
bats were silent for the second time in three days. And not just
silent, but silent in Colorado. The Dodgers didn't score
until Paul Lo Duca's 8th inning pop-fly landed in the right field
seats, giving the Dodgers their only two runs. Scoring just two
runs at Coors Field is like not being able to find a Chinese restaurant
in Chinatown. It's like swimming in the ocean and coming out dry.
It's like having Verizon Wireless without every other call dropping.
In other words, it's close to impossible. But to steal a line from
Vinny, "In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible
has happened."
In a relatively low-scoring game for Coors Field, the Dodgers out-slugged
the Rockies on Monday, 9-7. Like usual in Denver, the lead changed
hands a couple times, pop flies carried over the wall, and Vin Scully
explained the row of purple seats a mile above sea level. And like
usual when the Dodgers play against former Dodgers, they get burned.
On Monday, it was Jeromy Burnitz's's's turn. Burnitz homered in
his first at-bat, singled in his second, and then walked three times.
Can't complain too much, though, because Burnitz botched a pop fly
late in the game, giving the Dodgers the lead. Charles Johnson,
another former Dodger, came close to hitting a 3-run homer off of
Gagne in the ninth, but it didn't quite have the distance. It may
be Coors Field, but it's still Eric Gagne. Speaking of which, sources
tell Dodger Blues that Gagne's hat actually smells worse in the
higher altitude. Perhaps the altitude is also to blame for Shawn
Green actually moving. With a Shawn Estes fastball bearing down
on his head in the fifth inning, Green jerked out of the way at
the last second, the bat spinning out of his hands. Green hadn't
moved that fast since... since... well, never. Even trainer Stan
Johnston was freaked out, and rushed to home plate to comfort the
frightened Green. A few pitches later, Green went down swinging,
and did his best imitation of an angry guy—although he's got
some work to do on the whole helmet-throwing thing. Didn't quite
buy it. In Beltre news, the Dodger third baseman hit another one
out—his 28th. The home run, however, was his only hit in five
at-bats—one at-bat for each bone spur in his ankle.
While it wasn't officially announced as such, Sunday was apparently
"Turn Back the Clock Day" at Dodger Stadium—and it
couldn't have gone any better. The clock was turned back to a time
quite familiar to most fans. It was a time when the Dodgers couldn't
hit. It was a time when the Dodgers threw in the towel after being
behind by a couple runs. It was a time when Dodger relief pitchers
weren't much of a relief. Dodger fans have forgotten of late that
there was such a time—and that it wasn't that long ago. The
Dodgers, however, kindly reminded fans on Sunday. They managed just
two hits (only one of which was actually a clean hit) and didn't
get a guy to second base until the ninth inning. You gotta give
credit to Padres starter Adam Eaton, who pitched a hell of a game,
but let's face it, he's no Randy Johnson. Fair enough, though, we
were all getting too excited. And we all know, July is no time for
excitement. July, however, is the time—like every other month—to
illustrate Jim Tracy's idiocy. Tracy brought lefty Tom Martin into
the game in the 8th inning to face a string of left-handed Padre
batters. So what did Martin do with the lefties? He gave up a walk,
home run, and base hit—crystal clear proof that Tracy's blind
addiction to the left-handed/right-handed theory is nothing but
a threat to the Dodgers' success. The lone highlight of the day
might have been Vin Scully's comment after Ryan Klesko took a monstrous
cut and came up empty: "Easy, big boy."
Robin Ventura should make himself useful. Instead of sitting there
on the bench holding a bat (which, even he'll admit, doesn't do
much good), the guy should be holding a fire hose. Why? Because
Adrian Beltre is on fire. Holy christ, the heat. If Beltre continues
at his current pace, he's gonna need a shitload of aloe after the
season to treat his burns. (Okay, enough of the fire analogy.) A
day after clobbering a Rod Beck pitch into the stands to give the
Dodgers a win on Friday night, Beltre hit another shot Saturday—a
400+ foot grand slam that broke the game wide open in the 4th inning.
Shawn Green and Juan Encarnacion also homered, and the famous trio
of Wilson, Giovanni, and Duaner combined to pretty much shut down
San Diego. Encarnacion robbed Ryan Klesko of a 3-run homer in the
first inning, and made a diving catch in the fourth inning. Despite
his home run and defense, however, Encarnacion has to be the one
to go if the Dodgers decide to pull off a trade. Winning 17 of the
last 19, though, do the Dodgers really need to shake things up?
Wait, wait, wait... seventeen of the last nineteen.
We're talking about the Dodgers, right? Yep, the Dodgers. So what
gives? Who gets the credit? Well, obviously not Jim Tracy. And certainly
not Ross Porter. While some give credit to Jose Lima for his personality
or Milton Bradley for his intensity or Adrian Beltre for his bat,
we'd like to give the credit to Brian Falkenborg. Why? Because we've
got a web site and we can do whatever the hell we want. Hkfgnerlgnekrngergv
vrfv ioreffkj. See?
When your gas gauge is on red, you know it's time to get off the
freeway. When your smoke alarm goes off, you know your house is
about to burn down. When you eat at Arby's, you know you've got
a death wish. And when Shawn Green smiles, you know some exciting
shit must have just gone down at the ballpark. And it did on Friday
night. Again. The Dodgers were behind twice, but that hasn't mattered
much of late. Just two pitches into the game, the Padres were up
1-0. Down 2-1 in the eighth, the Dodgers tied the game thanks to
a Juan Encarnacion double and some really embarassing Padre defense.
The Dodgers left the go-ahead run on third base, disappointing the
55,000 at the game (who are still trying to get out of the parking
lot as you read this), but their 8th inning failure made the 9th
inning possible. Top of the ninth: Eric Gagne. Two strikeouts. Bottom
of the ninth: Adrian Beltre. Walk-off home run. As white trash slob
Rod Beck slowly walked off the mound, and Adrian Beltre slowly hobbled
around the bases, Shawn Green jumped out of the dugout—smiling.
While it's likely that Green was excited simply because he wouldn't
have to bat again, we've got to take all the smiles we can get.
No questions asked. Actually, that's not true. We've got a question
for Adrian Beltre: Who the fuck are you?
The Dodgers did it again on Thursday. Down 2-1 in the eighth, Milton
Bradley crushed a ball into the orange seats in right, giving the
Dodgers a 3-2 lead and an eventual 4-2 win. All seven of the Dodger
victories in the second half of the season have been of the come-from-behind
variety. And all seven of the pounds that Odalis Perez has gained
in his cheeks in the second half of the season have been of the
cheese enchilada variety. Perez allowed just a run over seven innings,
but his shitty luck continued, as the Dodgers left about 40 guys
on base the first few innings. Perez left with the game tied. After
an ill-advised dive by Dave Roberts a couple minutes later, the
Rockies were up by a run. Then came Bradely's hit. Partial credit
can be given to Jose Lima, who lit a fire under Bradley's ass just
before his at-bat. "Meel-ton, Meel-ton," yelled Lima.
"You hear what that pitcher say about your mom? That pitcher
say your mom sells Cool-a-Coos on the blue level. And he say that
she no sell too many." Well, no one tells Milton that his mom
is lousy ice cream vendor. Thinking about his mom walking down the
aisle, a big cooler strapped around her neck, Bradley began to fume.
Two pitches later, Bradley exploded, sending the ball deep into
the right field corner, giving the Dodgers the lead. "I just
joking," said Lima after the home run. "The pitcher actually
say that your momma look like Rick Monday."
Sons of bitches. Cruel sons of bitches. The Dodgers 8-game winning
streak ended Wednesday night, but it wasn't so much that it ended,
it was the way in which it ended. A 10-2 clobbering would have been
easy to swallow. A 6-0 shutout would have been fine. A no-hitter?
Sure, we'd have taken it. But to come back from a 6-0 deficit only
to leave the tying run on second base to end the game—well,
that's just fucking painful. Starter Kaz Ishii fooled no one, and
the Dodgers were behind from the first inning. Things looked bleak.
Too big a hole for them to dig out of. But then it happened... a
run in the 4th and three in the 6th, the last coming on an Adrian
Beltre sac fly—kept in the ballpark only by a leaping catch
by Jeromy Burnitz (who, of course, was a terrible outfielder when
he was with the Dodgers). So it was 6-4. Could they stage yet another
comeback? After getting two guys on in the seventh, things looked
promising... until Paul Lo Duca grounded into an easy double play.
Things didn't look so promising. We jump to the ninth inning. Down
two runs. Two quick outs. Fuck 'em, it's over. The fat lady takes
a sip of water, grabs the mic—and Shawn Green gets ahold of
one. Holy shit. Dodgers down by one. Could they do it again? Juan
Encarnacion walks. Tying run on base. They can do it. They've still
got the magic. Robin Ventura takes two quick strikes. Ah, fuck it...
they're done. Wait, a wild pitch... pinch-runner Dave Roberts to
second. A base hit ties the game. They can do it. It's meant to
be. They'll never lose again. They're winners. They're amazing.
They're—grounder to first, game over. Fuckers.
We're a little confused. We're not really sure what's going on.
We think we just saw the Dodgers come from behind to win six consecutive
games on the road. We think we watched them hit clutch late-inning
home runs. We think they did a lot of the little things right. We
think we saw the Dodgers refuse to give up. If you're a Dodger fan,
you can't blame us if we don't believe what we just saw. Seeing
Shawn Green hit a dribbler to the mound is believable. Seeing Milton
Bradley freaking out is believable. Seeing the Dodgers fall behind
by a few runs and throw in the towel is believable. If the word
"unbelievable" means "not to be believed," then
what's happened since the All-Star break is truly unbelievable.
It's only six games, so let's not jump to any conclusions, but it's
a hell of a lot more promising than starting the second half with
a typical Dodger collapse. Each day realistic Dodger fans expect
that collapse to begin, yet each day the Dodgers reach into their
asses and pull out a victory. Unless their asses are the size of
Daryle Ward's, however, there can't be too many more victories shoved
up there. Tuesday night, the Dodgers fell behind 4-1, only to take
the lead with a 4-run seventh inning. The Dodgers added two in the
eighth and Eric Gagne struck out three of the four batters he faced
to seal the win. Eighth win in a row. Fourteen of the last fifteen.
Again, what the hell is going on?
It was 108 degrees in Phoenix on Sunday, so you can't blame 29,000
people for paying $20 to sit in an air-conditioned building for
three hours. Although the fact that you need air conditioning and
an ice water I.V. to keep from dropping dead might suggest that
humans weren't meant to inhabit that hell hole of a place. For Diamondback
fans, the hell hole is getting bigger and bigger each day. For Dodger
fans, it's a beautiful sight. Sunday, the Dodgers continued to beat
up on the lowly D'Backs, knocking them off 10-3 and completing a
4-game sweep. The Dodgers shouldn't be too proud, though, as Arizona
has baseball's worst record. It's like stealing a box of crayons
from a retarded kid on the school yard and running away pumping
your fist. The real test is when you steal crayons from the big
dude who used to kick everyone's ass at handball. You know, the
guy who had the moustache in 4th grade. Although come to think of
it, that guy never used crayons. But we digress. The Dodgers got
eight solid innings from Jose Lima on Sunday, and production from
pretty much the entire lineup. Every starter had at least a hit,
and Jayson Werth had four—one for every inch of that beastly
goatee on his face. Not to be outdone, though, Cesar Izturis tripled
and homered—the home run coming on a 10-pitch at-bat reminiscent
of Alex Cora's marathon at-bat earlier this season. You've got to
give it to the little guy: he's no longer inept with the bat. He
still looks a lot like a monkey, but at least he can hit.
Thursday
night, Shawn Green's late-inning heroics lifted the Dodgers to victory.
Friday night it was good, fundamental baseball. Saturday, it was
back to late-inning drama. The Dodgers took an early 2-0 lead on
Saturday, but pudgy Odalis wasn't particularly sharp, nor was Guillermo
Mota—doing what he could to erode his trade value. Down 6-4
going into the ninth, however, the suddenly never-say-die Dodgers
scored three times—the big blow coming on a pinch-hit two-run
homer by Dodger reliever Robin Ventura. Just when it seemed like
Ventura's power had gone the way of the dinosaurs and Marlon Brando,
Robin stroked one into the right field stands, igniting a celebration
in the Dodger dugout. Enter Eric Gagne. Exit Danny Bautista. Exit
Steve Finley. Exit Alex Cintron. Save number twenty-five for Fat
Boy. Truly exciting. Granted we're talking about victories over
the Diamondbacks (who've won 7 games this year), but it's exciting.
Yes, it's exciting. Let's make one thing clear, though: Exciting
baseball doesn't mean that you should actually get excited. You've
got to understand the distinction. A 9th inning comeback win is
exciting. Sure. But actually getting excited is just a bad idea.
It's something Cub fans do. If you're smart, you'll limit your excitement.
Of course, there are times when excitement is the appropriate response.
After Milton Bradley got drilled in the head and jumped up like
he was going to rip out Mike Koplove's eyes, there was definite
reason for excitment. Unfortunately Bradley was woozy and had to
be helped off the field. What a letdown. In other news, Alex Cora
has a bald spot in a really strange place.
The
first place Dodgers began the second half of the season with a lineup
that sported Jose Hernandez, Olmedo Saenz, and Chin-Feng Chen. Facing
Randy Johnson for seven innings, the Dodger lineup did what you'd
expect them to do: nothing. In the middle of the seventh inning,
however, Randy Johnson was traded to the Yankees in a 5-way deal
that also brought Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, and Carlos Beltran to
New York. With the Big Ugly Unit out of the game, the Dodgers struck
for four in the 8th—all coming on Shawn Green's 11th home run
of the season. Green's blast came after three miserable at-bats
and a badly played ball in right field. But who are we to dwell
on the negative? Actually, if there was any negative on Thursday
night, it was a sad note in the soon-to-be-over career of Chin-Feng
Chen. Getting just his second major league start (and first in 2
years), Chen appeared to pick up his first major league RBI in the
second inning, knocking in Jayson Werth with a sacrifice fly. But
before Chen could get the ball, pack it in bubble wrap, and send
it to his family in Taiwan, the Diamondbacks appealed to third and
Werth was called out for leaving too early. Although replays showed
that Werth's foot was actually on the bag, you can't blame the umpire.
How's it possible for a guy to be 30 feet down the line and still
have his foot on the bag? Werth is a freak. And Chen is not good.
Dodger
Blues apologizes to all of you who lost money when you bet that
the Dodgers would be out of playoff contention by the break. But
let's be realistic. This franchise has a flair for the dramatic.
It will probably be some time after Labor Day when the Dodgers officially
start their plunge in the standings. The Dodgers head into the All-Star
break having won three of four against the Astros, eight of their
last 10 and are atop the NL West standings. Paul Lo Duca has five
homers in his last 10 games and is putting up numbers like he did
three seasons ago. Teammates attribute Lo Duca's sudden burst in
production to a 2001 calendar that they put in his locker. Next
on the list is to hang a Blue Jays jersey next to a photo of Carlos
Delgado in Shawn Green's locker.
They
said it couldn't last forever. We at Dodger Blues needed it to last
forever knowing that Eric Gagne's streak of 84 straight saves was
the only positve thing to mention on this site. It's not a consolation
that the Dodgers won the game because they are sure to be out of
playoff contention by Labor Day. You might be wondering what else
there is to look forward to this season as a Dodgers fan. Well,
after hours of research, we found that there are still are a few
streaks active within the Dodgers organization. Here are a few to
keep your eye on: 1) Jose Hernandez has struck out at least once
an hour for the past 92 days. 2) Jayson Werth's last 4 paychecks
were missing the lame "y" in his first name. 3) Jim Tracy
has "played the percentages" for 566 consecutive games.
4) Darren Dreifort has not eaten solid food in 66 straight games.
5) Adrian Beltre's stomach has not oozed since March 12, 2001. 6)
As of this article, it has been 5741:09:35:32 since the last great
Dodgers moment.
Could
the news possibly get any better? The Dodgers beat the Giants. Shawn
Green hits a homer. Gagne strikes out the side for his 265th straight
save. Now Giovanni Carrara is called up? Look out NL West, the Dodgers
are back! Carrara will replace Hideo Nomo on the roster who was
put on the 15-day D.L. for giving up 37 runs a start. The Dodgers
made the decision to put Nomo on the D.L. after he gave up three
homers to an 11 year-old girl from the Braille Institute during
team batting practice. Originally, the Dodgers were going to move
Robin Ventura to the bullpen, but then they would be without left-handed
bat off the bench, so Carrara was called up. Journeyman butterballer
Wilson Alvarez will likely take Nomo's start this Monday. With Nomo's
8.06 ERA out of the rotation and Shawn Green's bat coming to life,
maybe the Dodgers can string together-- oh, who are we kidding.
Let's prepare to be no-hit by Aaron Sele.