...because you'll need it! GO USA!
Ice Hockey - Men's Gold Medal Game - USA vs. Canada - 12:15 p.m. PT
top photo by Jon SooHoo/Dodgers; bottom photo by Julie Jacobson/AP
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Back-to-Back K's
top photo from @DodgertownUSA; bottom photo by Jon SooHoo/Dodgers
Sunday Linkage
- Joe Torre and Sandy Koufax conversed before a sold-out crowd at Nokia Theater last night. Can't wait to watch this one on the TiVo.
- Koufax joins Torre on stage at fundraiser (Dodgers.com)
- Sandy Koufax brings Dodger fans the happiest of answers (Dodger Thoughts)
- Dodgers’ Koufax Speaks at Torre’s Safe at Home Foundation Event (dodgerfan.net)
- Yesterday was media day at Camelback Ranch. VSIMH has some supercool pictures from it.
- Baseball blogs and font talk. Geek heaven! The Way You Look Tonight (Pitchers & Poets)
wOBA wOBA wOBA! Better Know a Stat- wOBA (True Blue LA)
1: AP; 2: Gina Ferazzi/LA Times
Move Over, Phillie Phanatic
There's a new Sheriff in town.
From TMZ (and other higher end news sources, I swear):
Admiral Ackbar is causing a serious disturbance in the force at Ole Miss -- where several Rebel fans are threatening to abandon the school if the alien leader becomes the new mascot. The masterminds behind the Admiral Ackbar mascot campaign tell TMZ they've been contacted by angry students, threatening to transfer if the legendary rebel shot caller is voted to become the new face of Ole Miss.The group has even received complaints from the parents of current students and prospective students -- with some even threatening to "never send their kids to Ole Miss" if the Admiral wins out. As we previously reported, the school recently voted to bring in a new mascot to replace the old, controversial rebel mascot ... and Ackbar has emerged as an early favorite. Still no word on when an official decision will be made.
There's fanclubs set up all over Twitter and Facebook, all hoping beyond hope that the brave Admiral will be the new face of the school. Having gone through High School with a HILLER as mascot (don't ask - none of us knew what the F that was) and college where a BATTLING QUAKER would roam the sidelines, I would have killed to have an Ackbar. Heck, I would have even taken Jek Porkins.
Oh Sandy
Two guys sitting around, talking about baseball is nothing special. When the men in question are Joe Torre and Sandy Koufax, well, that's a different story.LOS ANGELES -- The story line was a simple one: two guys from Brooklyn talking baseball. Joe Torre invited Sandy Koufax to visit with him and talk about their lives playing a game as a way to raise money for his Safe At Home Foundation to combat domestic abuse. But the Dodgers manager didn't think the reclusive Koufax would come."Sandy's not comfortable with this stuff," Torre told his wife, Ali. Only Koufax did show up. "It gave me goosebumps," Torre said of the sold-out crowd of 7,100 at Nokia Theater, which included the likes of Ron Howard, Billy Crystal, Penny Marshall and Jon Lovitz and raised more than $750,000. "Where'd you go," sportswriter T.J. Simers asked the 74-year-old Hall of Famer Koufax, who retired from the game at the age of 30 and was returning for one of his rare public appearances.
"I went home," Koufax said, later explaining that it was something his grandfather taught him that has kept him out of the limelight. "Your most precious asset is time," Koufax said. "Spend your money foolishly, spend your time wisely."
Apparently, this Sandy also gives chills that are multiplying. I would have loved to be there, if only to be physically next to Jon Lovitz (again... ah, the memories).
Saturday, February 27, 2010
It's Fun to Stay at the...
photos by Jon SooHoo/Dodgers
Friday, February 26, 2010
CONSARNIT!
Guess it's a good thing I'm going to the Soundtrack of Our Lives concert instead. It's cheaper, and I likely won't get into a screaming match with some guy wearing a Shaq jersey. And for the other scattered 76ers fans out there, I offer up local hero G. Love and Special Sauce's I-76.
So sayeth Delaware Delino.
Doings in the Desert
photos by Mark Duncan/AP
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Brotherly Love
McGwire's brother rats on big Mac, assures world "he's smart, not dumb like everyone says, he's smart and deserves respect."
ESPN gets Janks'd
You might not know Captain Janks. (In fact, if you have a high school level education, you shouldn't.) He's a member of the Howard Stern whack pack, famous for such live, nationally televised prank calls as "I See OJ, and he looks scared." And the other day, he returned in grand fashion. Enjoy, before youtube takes this down.
As a Giants fan, I can't claim to be upset that Westbrook won't be shoving that screen pass up my team's butt anymore.
Presented Without Comment
From @dylanohernandez:
Manny is endorsing an energy drink called "Sum Poosie." Tastes like strawberry soda, I'm told.
Jill & Dylan Working Blue
The LA Times and FOX Sports West have started a spring training video report. Jill Arrington hosts, Dylan Hernandez reports.
Poll: Dodgers' Opening Day Starter
From @dodgerscribe (Tony Jackson):
Torre says opening-day starter decision has been made. He just didn't say what it was.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Partners in Crime
Recently, I cleaned out my office and found two amazing relics from a bygone era. I was initally going to post this out of sheer nostalgia. But in the light of Gagne's recent admission to his big HGH secret (that wasn't so secretive), these two aged superstars have an added connection. A big one.
Does Gagne's admission make my pin less valuable?
A Fab Four
photo by Jon SooHoo/Dodgers
Manny - "That's the News, And I Am Out of Here"
Manny (previously seen crawling after fly balls in Mannywood) has started the season more nimble than ever - enabling him to have his foot in his mouth and his head up his butt. Simultaneously. One interview in, and he's already out the door.
Manny Ramirez is known for saying some curious things. This is his latest pronouncement: The Dodgers star insists his days in LA are numbered. "I know I'm not going to be here next year," Ramirez said Monday. Ramirez's contract expires after this season. Why is he so certain he won't get an extension? "I don't know," he said. "I just know I'm not going to be here."Then later in the day, Manny does a 165At 37, Ramirez is heading into his 17th major league season. The former World Series MVP served a 50-game drug suspension last year and, for him, was hardly a force -- .290, 19 home runs, 63 RBIs. Ramirez threw out the possibility that he could retire after 2010. "What I can do is to just wait and at the end of the season I can say to myself if I want to do this, if I want to play," Ramirez said. "That's where I'm at. I think I have to wait until the season ends and see where my family's at and make a choice."
Reporting from Phoenix — With a bat in his hand and a smirk on his face, Manny Ramirez walked across the Dodgers' clubhouse on Tuesday to interrupt a conversation. "Listen," he said as he made a half-hearted attempt to suppress a giggle. "I want you to tell everyone that I felt so good practicing yesterday that I'm going to play five more years."To Ned Colletti's credit, he spun the story with real panache.
"I'm worried about this season, that's where my focus is," Colletti said. "If that is accurate (that Ramirez won't return to the Dodgers) and he still wants to play after this year, I hope that he's the premier free agent on the market. That would mean he had a great year for the Dodgers."As much as I'll miss the cheesy wigs, RBIs, sleepy defense, and estrogen jokes, I say...
And I also say...
Fill in the Blanks
From @dylanohernandez:
Manny says ppl should appreciate what they have: "There are people who say, 'I don't have Gucci shoes.' But I say to them, 'You have feet.'"
Okay SoSG readers, it's your turn!
The Dreamiest Bobblehead
Thousands of women will go home with Andre Ethier on Tuesday, May 18. They don't call him Mr. Miracle for nothing! (I have no idea what that means.)
photo from @DodgertownUSA
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Dodgers Increasing Taiwan Revenues 50%
The Dodgers plan to add one more game to their Taiwan exhibition schedule this spring, bringing the total number of games played in Taiwan to three:
The Dodgers will now play three exhibition games in Taiwan, Bros Sports Marketing Inc said.
"So many people have called us asking if it was possible to add another game after the tickets were sold out last month," an official at the company told AFP.
The 20,000 tickets for the first two exhibition games, priced from 500 to 5,000 Taiwan dollars (about 15 to 150 US), were snapped up in just six hours after they went on sale in January.The Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to add one game during their tour of Taiwan next month in response to strong demand from local baseball fans, organisers said Tuesday.
Might this additional game be to pay for Jamie's increased tab for monthly expenses?
SF Comical Proclaims Dodgers Vulnerable
If it's an arms race in the payroll category, the SF Comical's John Shea says that the Giants now have a window of opportunity to catch the Dodgers, who have finished ahead of the Giants each of the last four years:
That leaves the Dodgers anywhere between $80 million (based on one report, taking into account half of Ramirez's $20 million salary is deferred) to somewhere in the 90s.
USA Today records year-by-year payrolls on its Web site, and 2010 would be only the second year since the 1994-95 strike that the Giants' payroll topped the Dodgers'.
In the teams' California era, the Dodgers have bullied the Giants with more pitching, more spending and more world championships (five to zero), but the Giants suddenly have a window of opportunity with superior pitching and a hope, finally, for some decent homegrown hitting. [...]
It's an eye-opener for Giants fans. Now it's up to the team, on the field and in the front office, to take advantage of the Dodgers' vulnerability.According to preliminary indications, the Giants' payroll will approach $100 million ($96-ish million, excluding $5 million deferred for Barry Bonds). The Dodgers' will slip below $100 million following decisions to dump Randy Wolf, Orlando Hudson and Juan Pierre and to not sign big-name free agents.
I know, oh my god maybe I should go start a Giants blog and report this news on that blog. I do like to keep an eye on our divisional rivals, though--but even as mediocre as I'm feeling about the Dodgers' returning squad this year, I am not that worried about the Giants and their own payroll liabilities and similar lack of big-name free agents (no, I'm not counting Aaron Rowand).
Panda Still Packing Plenty of Pounds
According to ESPN's spring training blog yesterday, Giants offensive threat Pablo Sandoval still has regressed a bit from his Jenny Craig workout:
Sandoval, who's reportedly aiming at 250 pounds as his target weight, dropped 12 pounds during offseason workouts at the team's spring training facility in Arizona. But that progress stalled while he was playing winter ball in Venezuela.
"He didn't have a huge setback [in Venezuela], but he didn't have an advancement," Groeschner said, according to the report."Operation Panda," the diet and exercise regimen put in place by head trainer Dave Groeschner, has resulted in several slightly smaller Giants. But Sandoval, the project's namesake, has not yet reached his desired weight, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
This seems to correlate with the pictures that Orel posted five days ago. I guess KFP keeping the weight on is the only way we're going to hear footsteps from the Giants this year.
Spring Training Bills
photo by Jon SooHoo/Dodgers
Guess The Dodger, Part 2
That's right, the mystery Dodger is James Loney.
Thanks again to Pedro Guerrero for sending over the link...from the great beyond, no less...
photo / article: The Sporting News online
Guess The Dodger, Part 1
SoSG's own Pedro Guerrero, recently departed from this mortal coil (see sidebar), put down his Lakers pom-poms the other day in order to forward us some news on a current Los Angeles Dodger. Can you guess which Dodger:
- wishes he had world-class speed;
- loves to visit Chicago;
- pines for Jessica Biel; and
- is currently reading Invictus: Nelson Mandela and the Game that Made a Nation by John Carlin?
Answer to be posted next hour.
Brian Wilson Will Be So Confused
Earlier: The Beard vs. The Mullethawk
top photo by Jon SooHoo/Dodgers; bottom photo by Mark Duncan/AP
Chan Ho Park Declares Himself A Yankee
It's too bad Yankee GM Brian Cashman won't confirm Park's bold statement:
The Yankees have not announced the signing, and on Monday team GM Brian Cashman declined to say a deal was done. But sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney that the Yankees had agreed to terms with Park on a deal worth $1.2 million, plus $300,000 in potential incentives, pending a physical.
Park, who pitched for the National League champion Philadelphia Phillies out of the bullpen last season, said he will join the Yankees bullpen, The Korea Times reported.
"I was deliberating on the Chicago Cubs and the Yankees, but their history and championship contention resulted in me picking the Yankees," he said, according to The Korea Times.Chan Ho Park has agreed to a one-yeal deal with the New York Yankees, he announced Monday at a news conference in Seoul, South Korea.
This is probably going to be confirmed later, but I had to laugh when I read Park's boasts, which I'm sure went down exactly as advertised. I mean, this is a guy who chose the Texas frickin' Rangers at one point, so he has a track record of prioritizing championship history over other criteria.
On an unrelated albeit similar note, I was deliberating writing for the New York Times, but Sons of Steve Garvey's history, great benefits program, and sarcastic humor resulted in me picking SoSG as my medium of choice.
Dynamic Ticket Pricing Comes to Dodger Stadium
The Dodgers announced tickets would go on sale March 6, and Kevin Roderick of LA Observed has broken down this year's price changes:
- Friday & Saturday games will be $2-3 more expensive.
- The cheapest same-day ticket will be up $4 to $15.
- "And by dropping $20 off the rear rows on the field level (to $100) and the advance price for the all-you-can-eat seats in right field (by $5 to $30) the Dodgers are able to say the new adjustments only increase the average ticket price by 75 cents. In all, prices went up on about 35% of seats."
- Tickets to games against the Yankees are only available in packages.
That's okay, no one wants to see the Yankees play anyway. The Giants started dynamic ticket pricing last year, and it must have worked. Expect to hear nary a peep from Dodger fans as three million of them happily pay these new prices.
Related articles at SoSG:
What's the Hubbub, Bub?
From @pgammo (Peter Gammons):
At the end of this season Manny will have made $205M in 12 years, and is back to his 2008 tricks. McCourt would love him to retire. Today
Hey, Manny hit 17 homers in 53 games for the Dodgers in 2008. We would LOVE for him to be back to his 2008 tricks. All he did was say something sane and realistic about next year ("I'm old, maybe I should DH in the AL. Oh, and baseball is fun") while cannily lowering expectations for this year. How dare he intend to enjoy himself this season??? I'm sure Gammons' assertion isn't inaccurate, but the only reason Frank McCourt would love for Manny to retire would be for the $20 million in savings.
Monday, February 22, 2010
1984: All-Time Best Movie-Year Lineup?
So Orel's post yesterday got me thinking: what has been the best movie year of my (conscious) lifetime? Keep in mind, I'm not talking about the year with the best two or three movies; I'm talking about the best entire lineup, one through nine.
Also, it's based on how much I liked the movie at the time it came out, not how much I like it today. For example, today I might not enjoy Gremlins as much as I did back in 1984. It doesn't matter - what matters is how much I enjoyed it when it came out in 1984. Similarly, I don't think I would have enjoyed, say, Up In The Air much as a 13 year old as I did 3 weeks ago when I saw it as an adult. But it would get high marks in this context because, lucky for it, it came out when I was an adult.
So, after a little more thought and research, I hereby confirm my initial assertion: 1984 was the best movie year of my lifetime. The only real competition was 1997. Here's a side-by-side comparison of their respective batting orders:
Spot |
||
| Romancing the Stone - I never really think of this movie as one of my favorites, but I really enjoyed it at the time. A poor man's Indiana Jones. Designated leadoff hitter. | L.A. Confidential | |
| The Karate Kid - Solid, Jeter-like production from the 2-hole. | Con Air | |
| Ghost Busters - MVP of the team. Must maximize at-bats by putting it #3. | Good Will Hunting | |
| Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom - Although it was my least favorite of the trilogy (I guess now it's a four-logy), it still blew me away, and is thus awarded the cleanup spot. The PG-13 controversy from the ripping-the-heart-out-of-the-chest scene was a bonus. | The Lost World: Jurassic Park | |
| The Terminator - Offers Temple of Doom formidable protection - who would dare pitch around it to face Arnold at his best? | Life is Beautiful | |
| Gremlins - Phoebe Cates + Killer Christmas Tree + Phoebe Cates = 6-hole. | Titanic | |
| Beverly Hills Cop - I'm not sure how this drops down to #7, but man the profanity was cool and edgy. | Austin Powers | |
| This is Spinal Tap - To me, this movie has gotten better with age, but it gets the 8-hole because I'm judging it on how much I liked it at the time - which was still a lot. | Boogie Nights | |
| Cloak & Dagger - I'm a little embarrassed to admit how much I liked it, but I remember seeing it and really wanting to be a spy. | Men In Black |
Interestingly, none of the 1984 movies are probably among my top 10 all-time. Part of that is because my tastes are different now, but I also think it speaks to the depth of field. And riding the 1984 bench are Top Secret!, Purple Rain, Nightmare on Elm Street, Sixteen Candles, and Hot Dog...The Movie, to name a few - films that would start on most other lineups.
So what do you guys think? Was there a better year than 1984?
*someone help me out here: did Breakin' and Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo really both come out the same year? Can they do that?
What Is It About Dodger Pitchers and Stupid Off-Season Leg Injuries?
Winter, 2008: Chad Billingsley breaks his leg slipping on Pennsylvania ice.
Winter, 2009: Vicente Padilla is shot in the leg at a shooting range by his friend/bodyguard.
And now, after he signs a one-year, $5 million contract, you know...the rest of the story. From "Dodgers' Vicente Padilla comes through with truth about shooting incident" by Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times:
When word trickled out of Nicaragua in November that Vicente Padilla was shot, his agent said the bullet only "grazed" his leg.Some graze that was.
Pointing to a spot high on his right thigh, Padilla said, "It went in here." Touching the back of his leg, he continued, "And it went out the other side." [...]
"We waited until after hunting season to engage in serious discussions," Colletti said.
Graze, exit wound, what's the difference? Score one for the agents. Glad Ned Colletti has a sense of humor about it — because if Padilla struggles this season, the Dodgers may have shot themselves in the foot by re-signing him.
Also: Vicente Padilla discusses incident (Tony Jackson, ESPNLosAngeles.com)
Kemp and Rihanna: Good News, Bad News
The good news is, according to E! Online, Dodger slugger Matt Kemp and Rihanna are still an item, with Kemp throwing Rihanna a surprise birthday party this past weekend:
Los Angeles Dodgers star Matt Kemp surprised the sexy singer on Saturday with a 22nd birthday party in Phoenix, E! News has learned.
Rihanna was "shocked" by the ballplayer's gesture, apparently expecting a small get-together with a few friends, a source says. She had no clue what was really in store for her.
So how did it go?
Pretty great. Kemp had been planning the event for at least a month to make sure Rihanna's birthday was special, according to an insider.
There were flowers, Sprinkles cupcakes, tiki torches in the pool, engraved bottles of Ace of Spades champagne and Johnny Walker Blue, as well as a Jamaican chef who whipped up lots of appetizers for the crowd.
Around 40 people showed up, including both Rihanna's friends and some of Kemp's baseball pals.
Kemp brought out a cake decorated with the songstress's various tattoos, while everyone sang "Happy Birthday."Rihanna's new beau is no rude boy.
Nothing says "I Love You" like a cake decorated with your tattoos. Kemp clearly does a lot of thinking about the inking! (Kemp also gave Rihanna a nice diamond necklace, which I'm sure helped Rihanna celebrate as well.)
The bad news? Well, the entertainment selection is a little...unusual.
UPDATE: The tiny dancer is "Bridget the Midget," a porn star who also appeared on "Cathouse."Rihanna celebrated her birthday on Saturday night with boyfriend Matt Kemp, a few close friends ... and a little person who gives lap dances. [...]
Hmm. Maybe a balloon-animal clown might have been more appropriate?
photo: TMZ.com, of course
Coincidence?
|
|
From @dylanohernandez:
"The Hurt Locker" was Joe Torre's favorite movie of 2009.
"The Hurt Locker" was directed by Kathryn Bigelow. Joe Torre endorses Bigelow Tea. Pretty crafty, Joe. You may have been a catcher, but you're a pitchman now.
Camelback Sights & Notes
Random notes:
- Like a woman who keeps forgetting to take the pill, Ronald Belisario is late. Again. From @dylanohernandez:
Colletti on Belisario being late to camp: "At this point in his life, he needs to be worried about it more than we do."
That may have worked last year, when he was under the radar. This year? There are expectations.
- It's official: Gagne admits to taking HGH. From "Is it really Game Over for Eric Gagne?" by T.J. Simers at the LA Times:
"You were using HGH, weren't you?"
"I did," he says. "I hate to talk about it. It just doesn't do anyone any good. But I thought it would help me get better when I hurt my knee. I just don't want that to sound as an excuse.
"I'm so ashamed. It wasn't smart. If I knew what I know now. . . . I didn't need it. I regret it so much, just now maybe getting over the guilt. It was stupid."
Er, about that Cy Young....
- Need a laugh? From @camelbackranch:
RT @ChiTribSports: Andruw Jones "i'm the best CF you have here." J Cora: "you should. only pitchers and catchers are here."
Nice work, Alex Cora's brother!
1: Inside the Dodgers; 2, 3, 4: Jon SooHoo/Dodgers
P&A Magazine #24 Releases This Weekend: Can SoSG Readers Keep The Streak Alive?
I am assuming, though I don't know for sure, that the SoSG team placed decently well for the last issue, #23; we do know that we achieved a top-ten finish for issue #22.
So are we up for the challenge for issue #24, which releases on Saturday February 27 at 7a PT?
The fine print, for those of you new to this: following the release of the issue, it's basically a race from that point onward to decode the puzzles and answer the meta-puzzle's question. This P&A magazine will likely be the last warm-up session before PCS Season III begins on Tuesday, April 6, 2010. So you might as well sharpen your pencils and get ready!
Each issue costs $4.95 and requires registration on the P&A website (payment can be remitted via paypal). If you're interested, "sign up" for the SoSG team in the comment thread, as well as send us an email (address is on the sidebar), and I'll email instructions later this week on how to access a collaborative site (which won't be open to the public). While we have used googledocs before, I think I'm going to set up a wiki instead so we can maintain comments in the chat.
Hope to see you this weekend!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Torre Interested In Staying Blue in 2011?
USA Today is reporting that Joe Torre, whose contract as Dodger manager ends after this season, is open to sticking around longer--and has been talking with the Dodgers about a possible extension:
"When I got the three-year deal (before 2008), I thought I'd manage two (years), but I'm still enjoying it," says Torre, 69. "I've never been this age before, but at some point you are going to dread going to spring training. But that day hasn't come."Joe Torre, fifth with 2,246 victories and one slot behind Cox's 2,413, said Sunday that he has been talking with the Los Angeles Dodgers about extending his contract beyond this year.
Here's hoping Torre sticks around. I can't see our core of young players developing as fast without his calm and collected experienced presence; similarly, only Torre's steady hand could minimize and actually subside the media circus that has surrounded Manny Ramirez over the last two years, making the chaos much less of a distraction than it could have been. We debate his judgment on late game calls sometimes, but the criticisms of this skipper have been nothing like prior recent regimes.
I'll throw in an extra case of Bigelow Green Tea if we can keep Joe around. (And knowing Frank McCourt right now, he'd probably take me up on that offer.)
Tarantino Buys the New Beverly
It's been far too long since I've caught a double feature at the New Beverly Cinema, but the theater will always hold a place in my heart for its role in my discovery of the films of John Woo and Jackie Chan. After reporting on the possible demise of my favorite theater in the world a few months back, it sadly came as no surprise that the New Beverly was also in financial trouble.
Fortunately, it has a guardian angel. From CHUD.com:
That was about when I ran into [Quentin Tarantino] at Sundance. He confirmed to me that he was paying the theater's rent and that he was looking in to buying it. Who would have imagined it would have taken years for it to go through? But it has, and now Quentin Tarantino is officially the owner of the New Beverly.But don't expect the theater to suddenly turn into Tarantinoland (although they have been playing midnights of Reservoir Dogs for years, and recently started doing midnights of Inglorious Basterds). Tarantino has always let Sherman's son, Michael, run the business as he wanted to, with the input of the beautiful Julia Marchese and the slightly less beautiful but very brilliant Phil Blankenship. They, along with Michael, make the New Bev work day in and day out, and Tarantino occasionally steps in to program something special.
And so the New Beverly is safe. And it will be safe for some time to come - "As long as I'm alive, and as long as I'm rich, the New Beverly will be there, showing double features in 35mm," Tarantino said.
Best of all, it's only $7 for a double feature. Let's help make this worth Tarantino's investment.
New Beverly Cinema (official site)
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