Random rantings and ravings about the Los Angeles Dodgers, written by a small consortium of rabid Dodger fans. With occasional comments on baseball, entertainment, pop culture, and life in general.
Randy Wolf (1-1, 3.93) vs. Jordan Zimmermann (2-1, 4.24).
COMMENTS: Hey everybody, anything interesting happen today? I just think it's great how we're in the middle of this historic winning streak and it feels as if nothing can go wrong. It's like, I don't know, we're in some invisible bubble that protects us from all the evil in the world. Undefeated at Dodger Stadium! There's no place like home There's no place like home There's no place like home
4/3 vs. SF (W, 5-4): Sax
4/15 vs. WSH (L, 4-6): Dusty, Orel, Sax
5/6 vs. MIA (W, 6-3): AC, Sax
5/16 vs. CIN (L, 2-7): AC, Sax
6/12 vs. TEX (L, 2-3): Sax
7/5 vs. MIL (W, 8-5): Sax
7/21 vs. BOS (W, 9-6): Sax
7/24 vs. SF (L, 3-8): Sax
8/24 vs. TB (L, 8-9 (10)): Sax
8/29 vs. BAL (W, 6-3): Orel, Sax
9/9 vs. CHC (L, 4-10): Sax
547 comments:
1 – 200 of 547 Newer› Newest»Furcal, SS
Hudson, 2B
Ethier, RF
Loney, 1B
Martin, C
Kemp
Blake, 3B
Wolf, P
Pierre
Go Blue.
When all else seems to fail, there is always Orel.
AND, we get to see more of Torre's "Pierre batting 9th" line-ups. Maybe he'll play great and we can trade him on say, i dunno, July 3rd.
So, I'm going to tonight's game. I'm gonna go and enjoy my radio and cheer like it's 1959. I hope they win #14 tonight, but even if they don't it doesn't mean they are gonna fall apart over the next 50 games. I'm interested to see how the team plays tonight and what the mood in the stands is. On days like this, where I feel like I was punched in the heart, I try to focus on the things that I love about baseball. So, tonight I'm gonna go to the game with my mom, eat a Dodger Dog, enjoy a warm evening, and hopefully see a well played ball game.
i just found out about Manny, this really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really sucks. I've done my best to contain as many expletives as possible.
Fans, plenty of Mannywood seats still available for tonight's game.
Why don't you come on down and join us?
MLASF,
Just know that we're here and we feel your pain.
Now, lets kick some DC arse!
I wonder if Mannywood refunds will be handed out for the next 50 games. McCourt might be sorry about this situation, but he's not sorry enough to give back money is he?
I won't lie. I almost started to cry. This is the effect Manny has had on this team.
7777,
HAHAHAHA!
Good one.
Just think if we'd been stuck with Jason Bay in that trade last year:
BA HR RBI OBP
.311 7 25 .479
SLG .622
Saxy,
They pick up parking, and I'm in for the season plan!
I almost cried, too. It was more thinking about the rest of the team. I feel bad for them.
Come on guys its Chateau De Pierre, i here they are serving pasta over by the left field foul pole.
When Xavier Paul plays it can be called X-Pauls danger room.
X-Paul is the silver-lining in this tragedy.
at least that means we get manny for two years now, and when he comes back he will be playing like kobe did when he didnt rape that girl.
thats a sliver of a silver lining.
Pressures on to make a big trade to boost this team. Who knows how much ground the Dodgers can lose with Manny out. They definitely need to look at every posibility.
It could be worse. In 51 games, we'll have a never more sexually-fulfiilled Manny back in the lineup.
And in 51 games, they'll still be the Nationals.
Maybe X-Paul will use the next 50 games to showcase his talent and keep Pierre on the bench permanently. Paul was tearing it up in AAA, so let's hope he keeps it going.
I came in expecting Derek Fisher to be suspended. This is much, much worse.
it might be just me but i have a feeling we wont see too much of Xpaul. Unless juan pierre fails a drug test.
Will there be another, "I'm Baaack" press conference in July?
man i bet the lakers wish they would of won game 1 and lost game 2, it would have flown under the radar.
I'm still trying not to cry.
I've never said this, but I don't want to hear Vin talk about this during the game. I can't handle anymore.
jeff kent is crying
If we agreed to change our Avatars yesterday, none of this would have happened, would it?
i think this game is going to feel like watching a wake.
This press conference is ripping me apart. Still fighting back tears.
I am still expecting the Dodgers to score some first inning runs. They have won without Manny in the past, they can do it again.
One of the bad parts is that it's making the other NL West teams cocky
Torre's a stand-up guy supporting Manny like this; he better come back and earn it.
So the Dodgers spin it as a "mistake".
I hope it really was or the Selena Roberts of the world are going to eat this guy up, all while he's in LA.
i missed the press conference, how was it.
man, local radio today totally ripped manny apart this afternoon, mainly KLAC. That radio station has gone downhill since they merged wiht fox sports radio. All they talk about everyday is god damn steroids,
press conf. was sad mostly, Dodger Mgmt apparently had no idea until last night after the game.
But Manny knew b4 the game...
A-Rod did HGH full-up and lied. Nothing. Manny takes a fertility drug. 50-game suspension. Bud Selig looks like a total hypocrite.
I think this lineup is a good approach, though I think Martin or Kemp should be hitting cleanup. Hopefully Martin's breakout coincides with this next 2 months and that cushions the blow.
I could easily believe that this is the whole east-coast bias thing. To keep up the ratings Selig would do nothing with A-Rod, but with Manny he can easily suspend him.
yeah but A-rod's pee is from 2003 and Manny's is the fresh 2009 variety.
i think he's hiding behind Mitchell's recommendation not to go after past offenses.
Still smells fishy to me, but then again anything Selig does never sits well with me.
probably right MLASF. a man like Selig who looks like a wax statue come to life has got to be up to some shady shit
I'm about to leave for the game. Cheer extra hard for the Dodgers tonight. They need us more than ever.
I hope this can put the pressure on MLB to deal with past offenders. It doesn't set a good example when you let A-Rod off with a slap on the wrist after spending his entire career on PEDs.
Still a lot of people in shock. Bill Plaschke and Jeff Passan of Yahoo want him out of baseball.
why cant mota be suspended for not using banned substances.
who here wants manny off the team?
we still dont know for sure that manny actually took steroids, or if he did when he took them.
All we know is that Manny took a woman's fertility drug this year. A drug btw that was banned starting last year.
And now people are spreading a rumor that Manny got the drugs from his cousin at a storefront that no longer exists.
i heard he got them from A-rods cousin.
kidding.
people make mistakes.
That whole thing was in a Plaschke column when he was refering to A-Rod. But now everyone thinks it actually is real.
Just realized our #4 and $5 hitters have ZERO homeruns combined this year.
Plaschke needs to cool the fuck down. he didnt mind when manny was winning games.
thanks for pointing that out neebs, now im really bummed.
Plaschke is the worst thing to happen to the times since ... well ... ever!
I'll take Tony thanks. Fire Bill Plaschke!
Plaschke is just taking advantage of getting a lot of national coverage, I'm not sure I buy the hysterics.
alright guys im out, of all days to have a little league game. i hope none of my kids are juicing.
me too, have a good evenin' gents.
Plaschke is the ugliest sportswriter alive. And that's saying something.
You can't spell Plaschke without the letters H-A-C-K
glad that there is a baseball game being played and vinny talking, was gettting real sick about the ramirez coverage
Vin is taking the high road.
orel does vin take any other roads?
And we are underway
mlsf, i was happy kobe didnt get suspended for game 3 also
Wolf's slider is off today
Yeah, I heard about that on ESPN. I had no clue that he was even being considered for suspension
The first out of what I hope will be a great game
Put a K up for Wolf
Hey guys. I'm trying to get the MLB.tv audio to work for me so I can listen in again tonight, but it's going slowly.
The more I think about this whole Ramirez mess, the worse I feel. First it was like being punched in the gut, and now it's just an overall sinking feeling.
I don't know if anyone has already said this, but Manny has definitely been around long enough for our young players (and others in the league) to have come up admiring him, maybe even considering him a hero. If this is a blow to us, think about how it must feel for them. Ugh.
Oh, and does anyone want to paraphrase what Vin said, since I missed the beginning of the broadcast?
erin - he stated that it happened, they played som eof the torre press conference, talked briefly about juan pierre and then on with the game
Good. That's exactly what I assumed Vin would do.
i like the start
Wolf's throwing a lot of pitches. But at least he's getting it done.
Time to strike early
2Ks for Randy in the first inning, which is usually where he struggles... 0-0 going to bottom 1
just listened to the bill plaschke audio - what a lunatic
i don't need no audio to know that Plaschke is insane
How big is the crowd tonight? Same as it has been?
Raffy with a 3-pitch K
O-Dog with a 6-pitch walk.
O-Dog walks. He's still got it.
why isn't o-dog stealing second?
Ethier singles. Two aboard for Loney.
Heads up running by Hudson to get to 3rd.
For the love of jeff no GIDP
Andre gets a hit WITHOUT Manny protecting him... Men at the corners for FJL!
The crowd looks about the same as last night...so far.
Loney with the RBI!
Loney comes through! 1-0!
In play, run(s)
Now let's see what J. Martin does.
1-0 Loney!
MLASF, was that for the love of jeff KENT?
dare i say martin has had a few good days in a row?
Good eye shown by Russ.
BTW, anyone notice how classy Russell's comments were? When are they going to pin a "C" on his chest and be done with it?
Bases juiced for Kemp
four-pitch walk to russ
100!
A GRAND SLAM FOR KEMP!
YES!!!!
Manny who???? Kemp with the grand slam!!!
YEAH!!! SALAMI!!!!
Jeff Kent deserves all the love he can get. Anything to turn that hairy frown into a mustache.
In play, run(s)
KABOOM!!!!
Matty Ramirez anyone?
KEMP!!!!
Start up the Mini Sirloin Burger Coupon printing press, Frankie!
The Dodgers soooooo needed that. I mean, I know it's the Nats. But here, in the first inning, to make a statement like that--wow.
Way to go, BLUE!
That hit right there was just what the doctor ordered.
Zimmerman has some good stuff. He just really needs to refine it.
Exactly, Sax.
Keystone cops out there for the nats.
thats some bad defense there
Casey at the Blake gets a hit that isn't a home run.
casey gets into the act
Blake with a triple! Manny who?
WOW! The Nationals are really really really really really really really really really good.
A triple? Casey Blake? Wow.
Here's hoping Manny has truly inspired this team, and it isn't just a matter of beating up on the Nats.
dukes has a cannon
Casey Blake can run? Alright!!
Wolf sends Blake home! It's 6-0!
Just what the doctor (not Manny's though) ordered.
they gave him a triple, looked like an error to me
This is officially a statement game
That felt good.
I'm out for now, but will be back shortly.
Juan Pierre still sucks, but at least he kept it on the ground. When does X-Paul take over?
Anyone read Jayson Stark's take on the Ramirez thing?
http://tinyurl.com/rb29zt
Wow. What a relief.
What did Russell say about Manny?
“Do I still think we can win without him? I think he makes us a better team when he’s with us, but without him we still have a good team and we’re still capable of winning us some ballgames,” Martin said before Thursday night’s game against Washington.
“He’s one of the best hitters of all time, so it’s definitely going to be tough. But what can you do? You’ve just got to move on and keep plugging away. You have to take it either as a challenge, and that’s what we’re going to do,” he added.
Thanks, Erin. Nice to see Russell learning the art of the quote.
And this from Ethier (quotes from the NBC Sports page):
“It’s not like an injury, where we’re playing a guessing game wondering when he’s going to be coming back. We know we’re getting him back on a certain date,” said right fielder Andre Ethier, who started in Ramirez’s No. 3 spot in the order against Washington.
“But we’re not going to be looking forward to that date and saying if we just hold on until then, we’ll be all right. We’re going to keep going out there charging ahead and playing the game the way we’ve been doing the last couple of weeks here. We have enough depth, talent and confidence to keep moving on here.”
wow I'm missing alot
lets get the pitcher here
C'mon, Wolf. Make this a laugher. We could use it.
When did these kids grow up?
I am disappointed in Stark. He usually breaks from the pedantic-yet-uninformed mold of most sports writers, but is terribly predictable here.
Gameday says that should have been strike 3 called.
I don't know. I found myself partially agreeing with Stark.
Yikes. KABC is airing a commercial for VIP Tickets, with Manny Ramirez as the spokesperson.
What is up with Furcal, still?
Stark approaches his post with the same uninformed opinion as everyone else. He calls hCG "similar to Clomid" which it absolutely isn't. Clomid is an anti-estrogen that has absolutely no use in men other than perhaps to treat male breast cancer. HCG has far more legitimate, non-steroid related uses in men, including for sexual performance.
Additionally, he approaches it like Manny didn't own up to taking the medication. He did. That he provided an honest explanation is no reason to then attack him as "not like Pettitte."
You know, that radio commercial by Manny Ramirez for VIP Tickets, where he says "go with someone you can trust"? The commercial that just played?
They might want to shelve that for a while.
Manny owned up to taking the medication, but said that it was his responsibility under the rules of the league. Like, "hey, this wasn't really my fault, but the rules say I have to act like it is." If you're a professional athlete who plays in a league in which there is drug testing, you don't go to a random doctor in Miami and take whatever he gives you. If it's for a legitimate medical reason, then you know the rule is to go to the league and tell them about it.
As for what the drug is, Stark makes some points about how the drug doesn't have much medical purpose. I'm not a medical professional by any means, but it is hard, reading what I've read about the drug he allegedly took, to figure out exactly why he would need it.
might be a good idea sax
Stark's comment is nothing but bandwagon talk. People act like he was shoving the needle in his ass for his entire career. But there's only evidence that he did it this year.
And actually, I don't give a crap what he took it for--the point still stands that if it was for a legitimate medical reason, he had a responsibility to follow the rules stipulated by the MLB drug policy. Period.
Wolf is throwing way too many pitches
zimmerman is a tough out
Especially with such a big lead. He doesn't need to be so careful.
Erin - The problem is that hCG DOES have quite a few legitimate medical purposes in men and Manny has never tested positive for anabolic steroids.
Further, hCG was just added to the banned list this off-season. His doctor relied on the previously published list, which was far more commonly circulated and the prescription may have occurred before the ban took place.
Anyway, Manny owned up to the mistake in his statement. He said what happened and didn't say his treatment was unfair, though it really was under the circumstances.
The biggest selling point for my season seats is that they're four rows from the field to Manny's left. I'm still missing five more games, so I wonder if Manny has screwed my chances to sell them for a decent price.
Would be a nice time for Russell to just swing away. The team is way ahead and he needs a power break out.
Manny needs to provide all of the facts. If anything is hidden, he's just setting himself up for more scrutiny.
Bison time
Those six runs might just be all they get.
Wow. Ryan Zimmerman.
Dunn goes down on strikes.
I can tell where you stand, Alireza, and I'm not going to change your mind, so I'll just leave it alone.
But, I will say this: I have loved Manny Ramirez for a long damn time--ever since he came to the Red Sox. I am torn on this issue, and I'm not willing to vilify the guy right now, but nor am I willing to just shrug it off as a "Manny being Manny" moment. I feel embarrassed to be a fan right now, and I don't like it when something I love so much causes me such terrible feelings.
Argh, pointless walk
willingham fouled one off deap to left not too far foul, i think randy was afraid to bring in a fast ball and challenge him
Wolf can't be afraid to throw strikes, he's got a big lead to work with.
wolf was not getting that fast ball by florez
Wolf will be lucky if he can get past the fifth inning.
Wolf's pitch count is WAY too high. He looks like Kershaw last night.
bend but dont break from wolf
I've never seen an 0-2 count rack up such a high pitch-count
Zimmerman has given up six runs, but he's thrown about 20 fewer pitches than Wolf.
JP with a single.
With Pierre on, Zimmermann seems distracted
Erin - I have been a fan of Manny's since the 1995 season when everyone first really became aware of how special a talent he is. I'm also, despite being a Dodger fan my whole life, a big fan of Barry Bonds.
That isn't the reason I take the position I do. As a lawyer and as someone who unfailingly looks to the Constitution as a guide, it rattles me to the core to see how many public figures are guilty until proven innocent in the forum. Further, as someone who prefers rational thought as opposed to reactionary behavior, I like to look at evidence at hand as opposed to speculation. I also can't stand policies that make no carve out for mistake, inadvertance, reasonable neglect or outright ignorance of a situation.
Do I think Manny should be suspended? Yeah, probably. Not for 50 games, however, because there is no evidence of malicious intent and no way that hCG was going to enhance his performance. The real reason MLB banned hCG is simply because it is at times used to soften the after-effects of steroid cessation. It doesn't enhance performance, other than perhaps the sexual performance mentioned before. Also, hCG isn't a controlled substance, so Manny didn't do anything illegal. I think 10 games would have been more than enough.
J.C. Romero shouldn't have been suspended for one inning based on what happened to him. The supplement he was taking was not labeled as containing a banned substance. Indeed, a crime was committed by the supplement company and Romero was banned for being an innocent victim of that crime. I hope to hell Romero wins his law suit, but he should be pitching for the Phillies right now.
S.W.A.S. doubles
glad guzman didnt test pierre's arm there
great pick by blake
Wolf with 98 pitches through five.
the bats have gone quiet
I have changed my opinion on this Ramirez thing about 25 times today. Seriously, it's like I'm bipolar or something.
I don't want to be reactionary, but Manny did admit to doing something wrong, so as far as the "guilty until proven innocent" thing, he has already admitted guilt. Whether or not he bears the largest responsibility in the crime is still up in the air, but he is still technically guilty.
I agree that the rules are too black and white, and the Romero case is a perfect example. Maybe the Ramirez case will end up being the same way. We certainly don't have all the information right now, and who knows if we ever will.
To quote Texy, who writes over at Out In Center Field (because I can't say it any better myself):
"I generally detest the witch hunt that MLB has chosen to go on now for these guys, after sitting on their asses for years and watching the Roids/PED problem take off without ever having the balls to take a stand. And this is no different. I hate cheating, but their holier-than-thou stance the last few years is a little conveniently late to the party."
I'm going to sleep on it, and see how it all looks/feels in the morning.
Zimmermann is at 77 through 5 innings
If it weren't for Dunn's quick out, Wolf would be gone by now.
Is someone warming? The shutout is blown.
And that should be all for Wolf
Just 1 more out Randy.
YAY. He handled that with a minimum of pitches.
Considering his giant pitch count after just two innings, Wolf did pretty well to hang around through six. Not bad. Should have been better considering the opponent, but oh well.
hi everybody - can't bring myself to watch tonight, just following the score. I saw Matty went 4x yard and Randy is doing well. How's the mood at the game? How's the mood here?
A little less for the bullpen now
Wolf though 6.
A walk for J. Martin
XP!
Blake singles. Two one for a ph.
hey, Paul's in!
"I'm going to sleep on it, and see how it all looks/feels in the morning."
Me too
"How's the mood here?"
I don't know. Happy but subdued?
X-Paul handling his first AB well.
Xavier seems to like that high fastball. Could be a blessing or a curse.
Welcome to the bigs.
dammit, not a good debut for Paul
BEAUTIFUL backhanded glove flip by Guzman, even if Hernandez wasn't even in the same area code as second base.
Ouch. Now XP can't stay in for Pierre.
Post a Comment