ROCKIES 4, DODGERS 3 (11)
"FUCK SHIT FUCK SHIT FUCK SHIT FUCK SHIT" -SoSG Orel
"A huge hole offensively... Victorino 0-4, Gonzalez 0-5, Kemp 0-4, Ramirez 0-3. That's a big enough hole to sink the Queen Mary." -Vinny
Friday, August 31, 2012
Post-Game 133 Thread: Frustration
ROCKIES 4, DODGERS 3 (11)
How Much Do the Bruins Suck
While I'm keeping my kids out of college to pay for TROJAN season tickets, UCLA's selling their tix here.
Mediocrity for only 1850 pennies.
Game 133 Thread: August 31 vs. D-bags, 7p
Aaron Harang (9-8, 3.70) vs. Trevor Cahill (9-11, 3.99) (Neither pitcher pictured)
Hey, wow, our starting pitcher is slightly better than the opposing team's starting pitcher based on mostly-outdated pitching metrics!
As we look to shake off the hangover left after the Dodgers' noffense was unable to produce a single run on the night Vin Scully was honored with both a bobblehead and a celestial sign in the form of a rainbow from the baseball gods, we find ourselves 4.5 games behind the first-place Voldemorts. (editor's note: Deatheaters lost to Cubs earlier today so the lead at game time is down to 4.) In fact, many of us who were in attendance last night feel like we had our very souls sucked out of us, Dementor style, by the embarrassing lack of offensive firepower despite the potential that this lineup holds.
Someone -- anyone -- cast a spell or make our team ingest a potion that helps us break this slump and contend going down the pennant stretch. Let's avoid a Harangover tomorrow, shall we? We're really due, at least once a blue moon.
Scoreboard Watching: Giants @ Cubs, 11a
Fresh off their sweep of the Astros (giving the Giants their largest divisional lead of the season (4.5 games)), the Giants now face another triple-A team in the Cubs. The Cubs are 50-80 this season and start Chris Volstad, who is an overpowering 1-9 / 6.28 ERA. The Giants counter with Ashley Madison (14-8, 2.93).
The Giants' remaining schedule includes these three against the Cubbies, then all NL West opponents: Snakes (9), Rockies (7), Padres (6), and Dodgers (6).
The Dodgers' more difficult remaining schedule includes the Giants (6), Padres (6), Snakes (5), and Rockies (3). But instead of extra series against the Snakes / Rockies / Cubbies, the Dodgers have the WC-contending Cardinals (4), the NL East-leading Nationals (3), and the NL Central-leading Reds (3). An uphill battle for the Dodgers, no doubt.
Get your Cubs hats out, guys. We need some miracle wins here.
Oppa MLB Style!
Not to OG (Over Gangnam), but our own Clayton Kershaw makes an appearance in this one:
At-Game Recap: Vin Scully Bobblehead Night
See Vin's pitch after the jump!
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Game 132 Thread: Letting Scully Down
Even Dodger deity Vin Scully himself couldn't excite the Dodgers enough to win this evening. Clayton Kershaw (6.0 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 9 Ks) pitched a good game but was done in by a two-run Chris Young HR in the fourth, and ended up being outdueled by Ian Kennedy (6.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 Ks).
Nick Punto went 0-for-4 in the leadoff hole, but wasn't alone in his 0-fer-ness (Andre Ethier, Juan Rivera, and A.J. Ellis didn't want Punto to feel lonely). And though Adrian Gonzalez and Hanley Ramirez woke up in the ninth with a pair of leadoff singles to make it somewhat compelling, Andre Ethier forced out Ramirez at second (FC), Luis Cruz flied to left, and Juan Rivera simply sucks. Dodgers are now five games below .500 when Matt Kemp is not playing (as was tonight); what's worse, they are 4.5 GB the Giants in the NL West, with only 30 left to play.
As for the 2012 Bobblehead season, involving nights on which the Dodgers went 2-8: good riddance.
Way to let Scully down, guys.
The Heavens Smile Upon Vin Scully
Game 132 Thread: August 30 vs. Diamondbacks, 7p
Clayton Kershaw (12-7, 2.84) vs. Ian Kennedy (11-11, 4.44)
There are a lot of reasons why the new-look Dodgers need to get rolling here, not the least of which is that there are 31 games left in the season (including tonight) and we face a 3.5 game deficit in the division (and 1.5 games in the wild card, where we trail Atlanta and St. Louis as well as Pittsbugh (1 GB)). The Dodgers are 2-3 since the Adrian Gonzalez And The Extras (AGATE) maneuver, so we have a chance to level-set that deal as well.
The Dodgers are 4-8 against the Snakes this year (with six head-to-head matches to go); the Dodgers also have a pathetic record against the NL West (24-27), whom we'll see for all seven games on this homestand. And, we have a chance to show the haters that despite the rash of injuries, the Dodgers can still prevail over evil.
But the biggest reason of all for the Dodgers to get their A-game on tonight is the fact that it's Vin Scully Bobblehead night, the final bobblehead night of the year. The Dodgers are a woeful 2-7 on bobblehead nights this year. But tonight we have Scully throwing out the first pitch; his granddaughter Mackenzie Luderer will also kick off the game with the anthem, and Scully's family will herald "It's Time For Dodger Baseball".
Tonight, we absolutely need to win. For Vin.
Olly Olly Oxen Free!
Break us off your whereabouts in this thread and we'll try to hook up before/during the game.
Puig, Pederson Headed to AZ Fall League
From "Dodgers 8/29/12 Minor League Report - Crush or Get Crushed" by Brandon Lennox at True Blue LA:
In case you haven't already heard, the Dodger players who will participating in the Arizona Fall League have been announced. These players, who will be playing for the Mesa Solar Sox, are: RHP - Red Patterson; LHP - Steven "Paco" Rodriguez & Eric Eadington; C - Griff Erickson; INF: Rafael Ynoa; OF - Joc Pederson & Yasiel Puig. I'll have a more detailed post as the AFL season approaches, but in short this is a exciting group of guys (some more exciting than others) who should get some valuable experience against some of the minor league's top competition. For Puig and Pederson it will especially interesting to see how they fare against more advanced players.
The Solar Sox play in October and November, so at least there'll be some games to follow after the World Series. Especially looking forward to seeing how Puig handles the next level of competition after hitting .386 with 1 HR at Class-A Rancho Cucamonga.
Injury Report: Best Wishes to Kenley Jansen
Injuries have suddenly taken their toll on the Dodgers' roster. With September call-ups a day away, will the front office try to add more pieces?
- Kenley Jansen Out With Heart Problem (True Blue LA)
- Dodgers' Matt Kemp day to day (ESPNLA.com)
- Dodgers CEO fears Chad Billingsley could be done for season (LA Times)
- Elbow pain forces Elbert to DL; Tolleson recalled (Dodgers.com)
TiqIQ Vin Scully Bobblehead Offer
Here's a message from our ticket partners at TiqIQ:
Score tickets to Vin Scully Bobblehead Night from Sons Of Steve Garvey & TiqIQ!
Bobbleheads are consistently some of the hottest giveawaysof the MLB season. Whether it be of a current star player, a team legend, or notable announcer or coach, both fans young and old enjoy these characteristic collectibles.
The Dodgers are one of the teams that have really embraced the Bobblehead phenomenon, with a whopping 10 giveaways this year. The promotion concludes tomorrow night with the legendary play-by-play broadcaster Vin Scully in Bobblehead form. Perhaps the Dodgers organization felt this would be the final push to convince him to return to the Broadcast booth for an astonishing 64th season with the Dodgers in 2013. If so, it worked!
In comparison with other giveaways from various teams in the league, including Mike Piazza, Albert Pujols, and Stephen Strasburg, the Vin Scully Bobblehead night is one of the best values of the season. Not pictured, but of note, is that Philadelphia hosted a Hunter Pence Bobblehead night after he was traded. Surprisingly the average price was $45, which beats out Tigers newcomer Prince Fielder.
If you compare Vin Scully Bobblehead night to the Dodgers season average ticket price of $42, there’s a $12 premium for the Scully Bobblehead. This is tied for 3rd most of the Dodgers Bobblehead night giveaways this season, behind Lasorda/Alston in July and Scioscia in June.
Don’t miss the opportunity to pay tribute to one of the most poetic men in sports with Vin Scully Bobblehead night tomorrow at Dodger Stadium. You’ll catch a great game too, as the Dodgers seek a series opener victory hosting the Diamondbacks with Clayton Kershaw dueling against Ian Kennedy on the mound. As always, Sons Of Steve Garvey & TiqIQ have your hookup! Over 3,000 tickets are still available. Get-in the door for $26 here.
If Bobbleheads aren’t your thing, grab tickets to the restof the Dodgers season here.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Scoreboard Watching: Giants @ Astros, 5p
The Giants' Barry Zito (10-8, 4.31) goes up against the Astros'...Dallas Keuchel (1-6, 5.37). Keuchel hasn't had a win since June 23, 10 starts ago. Greeeeeeeat. Well, consider me Astro Boy tonight anyway (with the lead 3.0 GB for the Dodgers).
The game has already started and it's already 1-0 Giants in the top of the first, with one out. Yay.
Post-Game 131 Thread: Whoa, That Was Close
The Dodgers had a six-run third inning, punctuated by a Hanley Ramirez two-run shot to deep center, allowing Joe Blanton to coast to his first win as a Dodger. A.J. Ellis came out in the top of the eighth and hit his first career grand slam, so with a 10-1 lead, what could possibly go wrong?
Well, this is Coors Field, where the last-place Rockies have made their home a house of horrors for our Dodgers (with the win today we won three of nine @ Coors). Blanton went 7.1 IP, scattering 10 H and 3 ER with 1 BB and 5 Ks, leaving the game with men at the corners. But then Shawn Tolleson (recently called up from single-A ball) came in an saw four batters, retiring none of them; Randy Choate relieved Tolleson and hit his only batter; and Ronald Belisario came in and barely escaped the inning (worsened a tad by Shane Victorino's inexplicable barehanding of a single to center which squirted away from him, allowing a seventh Rockies run to score in that frame).
Belisario came back out in the ninth and got a GIDP to end the game and preserve Blanton's effort, and the Dodgers narrow the Giants' lead back to three games (pending the Giants' game at Houston tonight: 10-8 Barry Zito vs. 1-6 Dallas Keuchel). Go ahead and use this as a Scoreboard Watching thread, unless I get more inspired in the next hour.
Whoa, that was close. But hey, we can't end on that sour note, going into a four-game series at home against the Diamondbacks. We need something more...soothing and uplifting...a better note! With unkempt hair.
Game 131 Thread: August 29 @ Rockies, 12n
Stan Kasten: I'd like to return this monkey paw.
Wizened Old Man: Why?
SK: It's done the opposite of everything I've wished!
WOM: Well...didn't you heed my warning about the curse?
SK: Hold on, I'm getting a call. [answers phone, finishes call] Okay, you were saying?
WOM: I'll take the monkey paw back, but you must pay one final terrible price. Your worst pitcher, at Coors Field—
SK: Hold on, I'm getting another call. [answers phone]
WOM: Heh heh heh.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Post-Game 130 Thread: Monkey Paw Curse Revealed: Baseball Talent Inversely Proportional to Payroll
Stan Kasten was at the bazaar the other day and picked up a monkey paw filled with three wishes. But he didn't heed the words of the wizened old man who sold it to him: "This monkey paw will curse you with the opposite of what you wish for!"
Naturally Kasten wished for the Dodgers to spend maximum money and receive maximum baseball performance in return...which explains why they've been outscored in their past three games, 24-6, by two last-place teams.
Kasten also wished that Matt Kemp would remain healthy. Therefore, Kemp left the game in the bottom of the first inning after smashing into the Coors Field outfield wall, then diving for a catch on the very next play. Reports are that Kemp has a right knee contusion, but no signs of a concussion. He also had a precautionary x-ray on his jaw.
For his third wish, Kasten said, "I just want Dodger fans to be happy." Well, guess what? The Giants, down 2-1 to the Astros going into the ninth, scored two runs to win it. Dodgers fall to 3.5 games back.
Always listen to the wizened old man!
This Day in Dodger History: Jackie Robinson, Odalis Perez Share a Date
From Chris Jaffe at The Hardball Times:
1945 It's a big day in baseball history as Jackie Robinson meets Branch Rickey and signs with Dodgers. Rickey tells Robinson, "I want a player with the guts not to fight back."
Also:
10 years ago today, Odalis Perez had quite a day for himself. A decade ago, he barely needed his teammates to win a game – which is nice because they barely helped him.
On Aug. 28, 2002, Odalis Perez was the starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Heading into the day, Perez was having a nice season, with an 11-8 record backed up by a 3.14 ERA. This would be his best game ever.
Game 130 Thread: August 28 @ Rox, 5:30p
Chris Capuano (11-9, 3.37) vs. Tyler Chatwood (3-3, 4.98).
After yesterday's Schadenfreudefest, what else is there to say? Coors Field. The best lineup we've had in years. This shit can't happen again, can it?
Caption Contest
Caption this photo of Fernando Valenzuela chatting with Clayton Kershaw before Sunday's game:
"No, Clayton, the Rockies put their balls in a humidor, not a cooler."
Five Reasons to Love the Win-Now Attitude
Are you afraid the Guggenheim milestones will become millstones?
Especially after games like last night's, Dodger fans might be worried about the Guggenheim boys' potentially profligate ways. But here's why it's a good thing:
1. Win for Vin. We could end the list right here. We're lucky enough to get Vin back for next year. Who knows what happens beyond that? More than any player past or present, Vin Scully represents the Dodger Way. Who doesn't want to hear Vin call a World Series game at Dodger Stadium?
2. Matt Kemp. Number 27 is just 27 years old. He's in his prime, and locked up for what turns out to be a relative bargain at $160 million over eight years. This is the best homegrown bat we've seen in years. Pair him with...
3. Clayton Kershaw. The best left-handed pitcher the Dodgers have seen since...well, a long time. He wants to stick around. We want him to stick around. These are the kind of players you want to build a team around.
4. A relatively weak division. The Giants, still flush from their 2010 championship, have the best pitching in the division and should contend for years to come. The Diamondbacks are always dangerous, even with their recent front-office upheaval. But the Padres and Rockies figure to occupy the NL West cellar for years to come. The time is ripe.
5. There's more money coming down that pipeline. Cable-rights talks haven't officially begun yet, and already a figure of $4 billion is being thrown around. Think the Guggenheim boys didn't know their payday was coming?
Still not sure? Here are the two best articles about the Guggenheim acquisitions I've read so far:
- Unraveling the Dodgers' shocking deal (Ken Rosenthal, FOXSports.com)
- The Dodgers Make It Rain (Jonah Keri, Grantland)
Monday, August 27, 2012
Post-Game 129 Thread: New Pitcher, Same Old Bats
Josh Beckett burst out in his Dodger debut with a resounding...meh. After allowing a leadoff home run to Tyler Colvin, he settled down, allowing additional runs in the fourth and sixth. Final line: 5.2 IP, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K.
Unfortunately, the Dodger offense didn't make the trip, as soft-tossing Jeff Francis (he of the 5.79 ERA) kept them off-balance for the first five innings. The bats barely put up a murmur of protest (four hits); the Rockies bullpen did the rest.
Oh, and Kenley Jansen made an appearance. Gave up four earned. New call-up Josh Wall gave up another three.
Rockies get their first home shutout of the season. Guggenheim boys are in "win now" mode. Too bad the players didn't get the memo.
photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images
Game 129 Thread: August 27 @ Rockies, 5:40p
 |
| Will no one rid me of his turbulent chicken grease? |
Let's face it, Beckett was lousy with the Red Sox this year. Still, Angevin him a partial pass for his performance since it's not entirely his fault that Boston Canterbury the hatchet with him over his clubhouse antics and his disinclination to perform penance for their historic 2011 collapse. After that, the rift was already too great to be bridged, it seems. When facing off against (de) Tracy's squad in Denver, let's hope that a change of circumstances restores him to being the pitching (de) Morville Josh instead of the the pompous (fitz)Urse Josh.
A major factor in our favor tonight is that we're facing off against Francis again, who has a 6.65 ERA in August, and gave up 3 runs in only 4 innings the last time the Dodgers faced him. I'm not a (le) Breton man, but if I were, I'd be inclined to take the over on this one.
*American League numbers, but they still count, people.
Softball Update: One Month Out
- WHAT: 2012 Dodger Blogger End-of-Season Softball Tournament
- WHEN: Saturday, September 29, 2012
- WHO: organized by Mike Brown of theLFP.com
- WHERE: Big League Dreams in West Covina
- PRICE: $35 per player
- WHY: proceeds benefit the Angelus Temple Dream Center
CONFIRMED PLAYERS:
1. Johnny Blanchard
2. rbnlaw
3. SoSG Stubbs
HOPEFULS:
1. Bobby?
2. Cliff Beefpile
3. Dusty Baker's Toothpick
4. Eugenio's Streak
5. Mrs. Eugenio's Streak
6. Shay
7. Stacy
8. Karina
9. Lubby De La Rosa?
10. Mrs. Lubby De La Rosa?
11. Neeebs
12. SoSG Nomo
13. SoSG Orel
Any updates in your status, let us know!
An 8-bit Trade
Like every other Dodger fan, I have been religiously watching the sports newswire trying to comprehend and believe that this trade with Boston was really happening. Words like "unprecedented" and "historic" were used to describe the trade that included All Stars players and a whole lot of money. But when I think of this trade, it reminds me of another blocker buster trade that occurred in 2006 between my beloved Dodgers and the Florida Marlins. This also included All Star players and was a real steal for the Dodgers. The Dodgers received Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera for Mark Henderickson and Wilson Betemit. And it all happened on my Playstation in the middle of my MLB 2006 season. It worked out very well for both the Dodgers and me. I played all 162 regular season games and went on to win the World Series that year.
I have grown up playing a lot of video games and still have some great memories of my brothers and me sitting in the living room and playing the original RBI Baseball by Namco on the Nintendo Entertainment System. In fact, I can still hum the background tune that accompanied the game. The closest thing to playing a stacked team in that game was controlling the American and National league All Stars which included such baseball icons as George Brett and Mark McGwire. Our family enjoyed the game so much, we went on to buy the RBI Baseball sequels. Then when I had my Playstation and Playstation 2, I was able to enjoy the Sony MLB titles that gave the player more freedom in selecting rosters and even making trades. And that is where I remember that "other" Dodger blockbuster trade happening.
So for me, this trade is so unbelievable, that it feels like I am playing a video game and am stacking my beloved Dodger team to make a run to the World Series. Except it really did happen and the trade seems to have positioned the Dodgers well for this year and in the near future. Now it is up to the Blue Crew to hit the start button and avoid the glitches to bring home a title to Los Angeles. Go Blue!
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Post-Game 128 Thread: AGon Tastes Dodger Defeat
MARLINS 6, DODGERS 2
Adrian Gonzalez alone (2-for-4 with an RBI) couldn't save the Dodgers from the final game in the Marlins series, which was a close game throughout until Shawn Tolleson gave up back-to-back jacks in the ninth to Jose Reyes and Carlos Lee. Aaron Harang-utan was evolutionary (5.1 IP, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 Ks, 2 HR), but Shane Victorino was great (3-for-5 in lead off plus a great catch in left field) and Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier both showed up.
Hanley Ramirez went 0-for-4 with a BB and had a brutal 8 LOB; the Dodgers had 16 LOB collectively. Still, with this lineup, the game never felt out of reach. Let's just hope I'm not fantasizing (as does happen).
As I write this, Atlanta is up 2-0 on Lincecum and the Chardonnays through one inning. Time to root for Atlanta, one of the few real opponents SF faces from here on out.
Go Dodgers!
So This Is a Little Weird
photo by Steven Senne/AP
Game 128 Thread: August 26 vs. Marlins, 1p
Aaron Harang (9-7, 3.65) vs. Mark Buehrle (11-11, 3.69).
Greetings, thrill-seekers! If you like traveling from lows to highs in very short periods of time, following the 2012 Dodgers is the ride for you. Fresh off a gut-punch sweep at the hands of the Giants, the Dodgers are now in a position to sweep the Marlins and regain their mojo.
While the pitching of late has been strong, the story has been the hot bats. You heard me. The Dodgers have scored 19 runs in their last two games, and the pinch-me-I'm-dreaming heart of the order of Kemp-Gonzalez-Ramirez-Ethier is just leaving the station. Permanecer sentados por favor!
UPDATE: Via @yvonnecarrasco:
UPDATE: A clearer shot:
Vin's Return Is Official
Dodgers released this statement:
It is being reported at the moment that the Dodgers' schedule next season will include a trip to the Bronx to take on the Yankees. Also being reported, though not confirmed, is that Vin may travel to call some of those games.
Image: Swiped from LA Observed but seems to originally be from LIFE Magazine
“The new ownership of the Dodgers has revitalized the city, the team, the fans and myself,” Scully said in a statement. “I am so convinced of their great purpose and leadership that I eagerly look forward to joining them in pursuit of the next Dodgers championship.”
Image: Swiped from LA Observed but seems to originally be from LIFE Magazine
Simers Simmers As Ass Wedges In
I've always wondered why TJ Simers fails to pick on 350-pound Dodger albatross Juan Uribe in his heavily-such ticked grumpy old man columns. And now I realize that it's because of their common physical attributes. Perhaps Simers is empathetic?
In a meandering piece in today's LAT which lacks a clear point, Simers criticizes the ownership of the Dodgers that just brought us a lineup with more power than we've seen in a decade. Because despite the magic on the field in the jerseys, and the raucous crowd in the stands, Simers can't get up to cheer:
Meanwhile, Scully is on the scoreboard telling everyone to enjoy a great Friday night at the ballpark . . . but if you notice, he has no one sitting next to him. The game starts and Andre Ethier hits a ball deep. The skinny people are able to stand, which explains the fireworks. It's a signal to the fat people stuck in their seats that a Dodger has a hit a home run.The seats are so skinny on the loge level, metal bars on each side of the seat so unforgiving, it's almost painful to be a Dodgers fan. And the seats are so close together that personal hygiene is as important at a Dodgers game as Nancy Bea.
What is man needs is a drawing table instead of a desk. And a treadmill.
Stark, Raving
ESPN's Jayson Stark is so excited about the Dodgers-Red Sox deal, he can hardly breathe:
But not like this.
Not in an Aug. 25 entry in the old transactions column that defies comprehension -- even for people who have worked in baseball for many, many years.
What has just transpired, on an unforgettable Saturday afternoon in Boston and Los Angeles, is a trade unlike any you might ever see again. Nine players. A quarter of a billion dollars in contracts. No-trade clauses turning irrelevant. Waiver red tape be damned.
It's amazing. Astonishing. Un-be-frigging-lievable.
"There has never," said one longtime club official Saturday, "been anything like this."
Never. That pretty much describes the magnitude of a Red Sox-Dodgers megadeal that figures to reverberate through the annals of baseball-trade history for at least the next 87 centuries.
We have never seen a trade in which a team dumped this much money in a single transaction.
We have never seen a trade in which two players with more than $100 million left on their contracts (Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford) were moved, let alone in the same direction, to the same team.
And we have never seen a deal this big, this complicated, go down in August, a time when so many barriers are built in to prevent it.
So how could a trade like this possibly happen -- especially now?
It took, almost literally, the perfect storm. That's how.
On one side of this deal, you had a team in Boston that had begun to unravel on every level and needed desperately to push that big red button that said "KABOOM."
On the other side, you had a team in L.A. that had just turned into That Guy Down the Block Who Hit the Powerball Jackpot, with a burning need to spend its newfound gazillion dollars.
There hasn't been a more perfect match ever devised, not even at eHarmony.com.You know what makes baseball the awesome sport it is? It's that, every once in a while, the impossible somehow becomes possible.
Stark goes on to classify this as game-changing for the Dodgers, but questions why we took on so much money to make it happen, given the Red Sox' desperation. It's a common refrain. Anyway, this next six weeks will be critical as the first referendum on the deal. If the Dodgers don't make the playoffs, it's not necessarily curtains, but it's close.
Time to sack up, boys.
Game of the CENTURY
This Little League World Series battle had a bit of everything... except any pitchers who were better than a f'ing Tee. 
35 HITS!
40 RUNS!
A Mini Reggie Jackson got three home runs and nine RBIs!!!
Cali mounted a Ten Run Rally... and still got clobbered!
For those who prefer games like this, I recommend the Hit the Deck App, a digital version of an old favorite.
Whenever I can wrestle the iPad away from my sons, I regularly mount my own 25 Run comebacks, only to lose by a baker's dozen.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
As If Today Couldn't Get Any Better: Vin to Return
From "Vin Scully will be back in the booth next season" by Bill Shaikin at the LA Times:
In a year that has been so improbable, the incredible has happened.
Not Magic. Not Hanley Ramirez. Not Adrian Gonzalez. Better than all of that.
Vin Scully is coming back. The Dodgers are expected to announce Sunday that Scully will return to the Dodgers' broadcast booth next season.
Scully has been the sound of summer in Southern California for more than half a century, from transistor radios to Twitter. We are blessed to be able to pull up a chair and spend part of another year with him.
He will call it a career after one of these summers, and a city will lose its voice.
It could have been this summer. He is 84, after all. The travel gets old. The grandchildren get older.
But Scully is healthy, and he is energized by the Dodgers' new ownership group. The Dodgers just might win again soon. He would hate to miss out, and we would hate for him to miss out. [...]
One of the blessings of technology is that Scully's stories need not vanish into thin air. The Sons of Steve Garvey website maintains a "Vin Scully Repository," with transcripts of his best stories over the last five years.
Twitter is at your service too, to collect Scully's best one-liners. Check out @vinscullytweet.
I constantly struggle to find perspective and gratitude, so I'm going to take today as a nice reality check. Life is good. Thanks for coming back, Vin. We're already looking forward to it.
Almost exactly a year ago at SoSG: Life Just Got a Little Brighter: Vin Back in 2012
Post-Game 127 Thread: The A-Gon-y and the Ecstasy
DODGERS 8, MARLINS 2
So, make way. A roll of drums and a blare of bugles. Coming up with runners at first and third, and a standing welcome-to-Dodger-Stadium ovation for Adrian Gonzalez.—Vin Scully
Adrian Gonzalez justified the fanfare, smacking a frozen-rope home run just inside the right-field foul pole on Josh Johnson's second pitch to him. Before the Marlins had recorded an out, the Dodgers were leading 4-1.
Although Gonzalez went hitless for the rest of the night, going 1 for 5, the rest of the Dodgers followed his lead. They collected 16 hits, and Andre Ethier went 4 for 4 with a double and a homer, setting the L.A. Dodger record with ten straight hits in the process.
Mark Ellis, leading off in place of a sore-backed Shane Victorino, went 3 for 4 with a homer of his own. Cochito Cruz went for 2 for 5 with two RBIs, one of them scoring another new guy, Nick Punto.
Oh, and did we mention Clayton Kershaw pitched tonight, and was brilliant? He struck out eight over eight innings, allowing two earned on only three hits.
The Giants lost to the Barves this afternoon, putting the Dodgers two back. Welcome to the Adrian Gonzalez Era!
photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
That's the Punto!
Just in the NICK of time. The real PUNTO of the blockbuster trade.
and Adrian Gonzalez.
Note: the above image appeared when I googled "Nick Punto."
Courtesy of sonsofstevegarvey.com.
Why? I have no f'ing idea.
Also featured in trade, Carl Crawford
Game 127 Thread: August 25 vs. Marlins, 6p
Clayton Kershaw (11-7, 2.89) vs. Josh Johnson (7-10, 3.73)
Yes, there have been some crazy baseball shenanigans going down in the last 24 hours, but do you know what else is crazy? Walking on the damn moon, that's what. I'm momentarily shedding my usual cocoon of snark to wish you godspeed, Mr. Armstrong. Sports are fun, but you were a hero and an inspiration, in the non-trivial sense.
As for the baseball part of this GT equation, you know all the excruciatingly documented details. All that remains is to go out and win games, and we look to be equipped to do just that. There's not much else to say. It's time for action, people.
You may now resume snark.
Image: NASA, bishes.
Scoreboard Watching: Barves @ Gnats, 1p
Our game doesn't get off until 6p, but there is of course another important game in the NL West race being played between a recently-reeling Atlanta Braves (71-55) team and an unfortunately-surging SF Gnats (71-55) team. The equation we're looking for: (Dodgers win + Giants loss) x infinity.
Timmeh isn't pitching today (Madison Bumgarner is), but I'm still going to give him a hard time:
Feel the hate, brothers and sisters, and Go Braves!
Image: © Deutsches Weininstitut
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