Post-Game Thoughts with the D-Line*

*Please note: this is not an official Post-Game Thread. Just cause I got home before Orel and Sax doesn't mean I'm about to steal their thunder.

Still covered in sweat and Light Beer (courtesy of the sweat), I report from the comforts of the DeShields compound in lovely Burbank after one of the more thrilling games I've attended in my LA decade. Some Deep Thoughts...

1. Scott Road is the key to Dodgers happiness. More on that in a moment.

2. There is a line separating two parallel worlds. One liquid:

One not:3. Charlie Manuel did a fantastic job of beating Charlie Manuel, pulling a never-better Pedro in favor of the Four Faces of Suck (aka the Phillies bullpen). Pedro's stuff was nasty, tying the Dodgers up like fools. And the bullpen was a less ironic version of nasty. Just sad that Lidge wasn't in there - he's due for his next meltdown.

4. Chevy's still in business. And I have the Black Dodgers bag to prove it. All I had to do was give them SoSG's Sax personal info:

5. The word genius is thrown around too much nowadays. But for this gentleman, it's TOTALLY WARRANTED:

6.Padilla's proof that you can find gold in the junkyard. Like my couch in college (which was technically found on the streets of Philadelphia). Actually, we gave that couch back from where it came once its mysterious liquidy center started rising to the surface.

7.The covered seats in the Loge still get all sorts of hot on a day like this. Fortunately, the ice cream man provided me with a life-saving post-game Root Beer Float. Though I really wanted this...

8. Did I mention Scott Road is the key to my happiness? I walked out of the parking lot to my FREE spot, and about 15 minutes later I was on the 5 North. My Philly-loving homie "The Philly Cheese" called me from the Dodgers Parking lot... over 90 minutes after the game was over. He made it about ten feet, and was at a dead stop.

The myriad issues with the parking lot and transportation around Dodger Stadium is not new to readers of SoSG. After 80-plus games, you think the powers that be would figure it out. Though I have a theory. In the divorce, Frank McCourt got the entrances... while his ex-wife took the exits.

Looking forward to my Game Six tickets. Maybe by then Manuel will realize his bullpen is awful at best, and the ice cream man will restock those Hulk Hogan ice cream bars.

Wow, That's A Lot of Holes

Aside from addressing holes in the starting rotation, bullpen, infield, left field, and offense, John Shea figures the Dodgers should be pretty much set. His thoughts on the team's off-season outlook portend a trade for one of our key youngsters:

GM Ned Colletti's status was shaky after he signed Jones, Pierre and Jason Schmidt, who hasn't pitched in a year and a half, but he saved his job with the in-season acquisitions of Ramirez, Blake, Maddux and Angel Berroa.

Colletti has been hesitant to trade youth, including front-liners Russell Martin, James Loney, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier, but he must figure something out because the roster will be thinned with the expected exodus of free agents.

Note: I am aware the bottom right indentation in the cheese is indeed not a hole.

Your Perfect Lunchtime Activity: Euro 2008

That's right: Turkey vs. Swiss. It's on, right now, and it's piping hot. Is Quizno's sponsoring this match?

Who's Hungary?

UPDATE 1:55p PT: Hot Turkey found holes in melting Swiss, 2-1.

Five Things I've Read About Cheese

In no particular order:

• The six factors relevant to categorizing cheese are Length of Aging, Texture, Methods of Making, Fat Content, Kind of Milk, and Region of Origin.
• The Middle English spelling of cheese is 'chese'.
• On a per capita basis, Greece is the largest consumer of cheese.
• Some cheeses have been shown to prevent tooth decay if consumed immediately after meals.
• Cheese is less gamey and more nutritious than venison.

For more information about cheese, visit cheese.com

J.D.'s Muenster Jack Melts Away His Regular-Season Blues

So he dumped us for the Red Sox and $70 million. So he was a "high-priced bust" during the regular season. Don't feel sorry for J.D. Drew—we never did—because with one monster jack, he's become the latest former-Dodger-turned-Boston-hero, following in the steps of Dave Roberts.

The former-Red-Sox-star-turned-Dodger-goat line starts with Bill Mueller. (I'm giving Nomar a pass because of this and this.)

Meanwhile, Julio Lugo awaits his turn in the spotlight....

UPDATE:

Don't think Mueller misses the glory days? He threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Fenway Park last night. Oh well, maybe the $4.5 million the Dodgers are paying him this year will ease the pain of not being on the Red Sox roster.

cheese photo by Thomas Guschl; cheesy Drew photo by Al Bello/Getty Images