One Big Happy Family

Frank McCourt, Matt Kemp, Ned Colletti, Dave Stewart. Not pictured: Larry Bowa, Bob Schaefer.

photo by Jon SooHoo/Dodgers

Honeycutt Back; Duncan, Bowa (Likely) Gone; Wallach Unclear

Tony Jackson reports that Don Mattingly's coaching staff is still being finalized:

Based on information compiled from various sources, all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity because Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti wants to announce the entire staff at one time once it's finalized, it appears that Jeff Pentland is the front-runner to become the hitting coach, that pitching coach Rick Honeycutt and Ken Howell will return and that Larry Bowa, the team's third-base coach for the past three seasons under Joe Torre, won't be back.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers' reason for giving the Milwaukee Brewers permission to interview Tim Wallach for their managerial vacancy -- Wallach met with Brewers general manager Doug Melvin in Phoenix last week -- but denying the Toronto Blue Jays permission to interview Wallach for theirs has become clear.

The contract Wallach signed earlier this month to become a member of the Dodgers' major league coaching staff after managing their Triple-A Albuquerque affiliate the past two seasons has a list of clubs with which he can talk to and a list of clubs with which he can't. According to a source with knowledge of the situation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the matter, Wallach was allowed to make those lists himself while negotiating the deal, which the source said was unusually beneficial to Wallach in terms of both length and financial compensation.

Because there are so many major league managerial openings this winter -- there were eight when the offseason began and there still are six -- the Dodgers didn't want Wallach to interview for all of them, presumably because that would have held up their effort to fill their coaching staff. So Wallach was asked to prioritize those eight clubs based on his level of interest before any of those teams even requested permission to talk to him. [...]

There still is no indication what the Dodgers plan to do about a first-base coach. Mariano Duncan was told after the season, a month before his contract was to expire at the end of this month, that he was free to talk to other clubs, a pretty good indication the Dodgers don't plan to bring him back.

Comings and Goings

• Going: Joe Torre. Check out his farewell speech to Dodger fans (above).
• Staying: Frank McCourt (for now), but at least he got in a zinger during the trial. From "Outtakes from the McCourts' divorce trial" by Bill Shaikin at the LA Times:

  The sight of a major league owner on the witness stand is nothing new around here. The city of Anaheim sued Angels owner Arte Moreno after he changed his team's name to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. In a 2006 trial, Moreno won.

  Frank unsuccessfully leaned on Commissioner Bud Selig to stop the name change. The topic still rankles Frank, apparently, given this exchange from one of his depositions in the divorce case:

  Question: "City of Los Angeles has only one professional baseball team, correct?"

  Frank: "Depends on how you define Anaheim."

• Who on the 40-man roster is staying? A look at the Dodgers' 2011 roster (Kevin Baxter, LA Times)
• Waiting: Ned Colletti. Dodgers GM Colletti waiting on spending money (AP/SI.com)
• Movin' on up: Don Mattingly. Going: Bob Schaefer. On the bubble: Larry Bowa, Mariano Duncan, Tim Wallach. Thinks he's coming back: Rick Honeycutt. Colletti, Mattingly want new attitude in 2011 (Ken Gurnick, Dodgers.com)

Strange Goings-On at Coors Field

Petting the dog.

Walking the dog.

photos by Jon SooHoo/Dodgers

Bowa Was Right About Phillies Stealing Signs (But Tracy Still Has Questions)

"You can wear a vagina on your chest, just don't wear a vagina on your head. You can wear a vagina on your chest, just don't wear a vagina on your head. You can wear a vagina on your chest, just don't wear a vagina on your head." (said with overly demonstrative histrionics)

Thanks to SoSG commenter Jason for pointing out that the Phillies are continuing their low-down dirty good-for-nothing sign-stealing ways, so much so, that MLB has told them to stop the practice (while not punishing them of wrongdoing):

DENVER -- Binoculars in the bullpen? Major League Baseball isn't happy and has told the Philadelphia Phillies to knock it off.

The Phillies insisted Wednesday they weren't trying to steal signs when bullpen coach Mick Billmeyer was caught on camera peering through binoculars from the bullpen bench at Coors Field earlier this week.

Manager Charlie Manuel told The Associated Press that Billmeyer was simply watching Philadelphia catcher Carlos Ruiz set up defensively Monday night.

FSN Rocky Mountain, the flagship broadcaster of the Colorado Rockies, showed Billmeyer using the binoculars to peer in on Colorado catcher Miguel Olivo while the Phillies were at bat in the top of the second inning.

It also showed a quick image of Phillies center fielder Shane Victorino in the dugout on the bullpen phone in the top of the second.

"We were not trying to steal signs," Manuel said. "Would we try to steal somebody's signs? Yeah, if we can. But we don't do that. We're not going to let a guy stand up there in the bullpen with binoculars looking in. We're smarter than that."

FOXSports.com first reported the reprimand from the league, which reviewed video of the matter Tuesday. [...]

It's not the first time accusations of cheating have been lobbed at the Phillies. The New York Mets accused the Phillies of stealing signs through a center-field camera in 2007, and the Boston Red Sox leveled charges against them in 2008.

During the World Series last year, former Phillies manager Larry Bowa said Philadelphia has a reputation for stealing signs.

Bowa, now the Los Angeles Dodgers third base coach, told Philadelphia radio station ESPN 950 there were rumors of the Phillies using a center field camera to swipe signs.

"There's rumors going around that when you play the Phillies, there's a camera somewhere or bullpen people are giving signs," Bowa said at the time. "And catchers are constantly changing signs. That's the rumor. Now, is it proven? No."

Stay classy, Philadelphia. But even though this most recent episode of Philly cheating came at the Rockies' expense, coach Jim Tracy still has a lot of questions (albeit rhetorical questions, in his trademark style of having a conversation with himself):

"But a pair of binoculars staring down the gun barrel of the hitting area? You know what, I don't think any club in baseball that's competing against that team would take too kindly to that," Tracy said. "Now you can come up with all kinds of reasons as to why you had them and what you were doing with them.

"Are we to believe them all? Or is it OK for us to think maybe there might be some sort of competitive advantage that you might be gaining for yourself? And then you start reflecting back on some of the things that have taken place in previous games and it makes you sit and wonder a little bit," he said.

Six sentences, three questions. Do I get tired of hearing Jim Tracy ask questions to himself? I don't think I do. Do I believe this reflects deep-seeded schizophrenia or at the very least multiple personality disorder? I think you have to start reflecting back on some of his comments that have taken place in previous games, and it makes you sit and wonder a bit.

photo from Deadspin files

Paul Provides Pics

SoSG reader Paul's visit to Camelback Ranch included some St. Paddy's Day festivities. He was kind enough to share these pictures with us:

The Three Coaching Caballeros: Schaefer, Bowa & Duncan.

Blake DeWitt signs for fans.

Andre Ethier runs the gauntlet of neediness.

OB (Original Blogger) Tommy Lasorda signs.

McEthier.

Reed Fitzjohnson and Casey O'Blake.

DeWitth.

Matt Kempahan does a jig.

Manny Ó Ramirez joins in.

Shuttlebutt

• The shuttle is back! The shuttle is back!
  • Bus Service between Union Station and Dodger Stadium is Back (LAist; hat tip @trolleydodger)
  • Free Dodger Stadium shuttle is back (Ken Gurnick, Dodgers.com)
  • Earlier at SoSG: Why Frank McCourt Isn't Paying for the Dodger Trolley
• Ronald Belisario says he close. A Ronald Belisario Update and Hong-Chih Kuo's Pain (Memories of Kevin Malone)
• Stay healthy, Larry Bowa. We need someone to keep the anti-Brad Penny sentiment alive. Bowa released from hospital (Dodgers.com)
• The title says it all. Spring Pranking (Dear (Tommy) John Letters)

SF Chronicle, Peacemaker

After living in the Bay Area mutliple times, I found it difficult to find any practical use for their newspaper, the San Francisco Chronicle (which we affectionately called "The San Francisco Comical"). Unless you're a 49ers fan, the paper isn't worthwhile: the news coverage is a series of wire feeds, Herb Caen is dead and his column long gone, and the rest of the paper is so provincial in focus, one would mistake it for a paper from a small coastal town like Monterey rather than one of the nation's largest cities.

But it looks like beyond the press room, the Comical is reaching out and trying to solve world peace. And step one was its role in trying to bridge the Brad Penny - Larry Bowa rift, which the ESPN article hysterically entitled "Penny-Bowa beef 'over with' after talk":

San Francisco Giants right-hander Brad Penny and Los Angeles Dodgers coach Larry Bowa were miles apart on several key issues.

Bowa questioned Penny's work ethic and commitment.

Penny questioned Bowa's integrity.

But that was before Saturday, when they met privately before a 9-1 Dodgers victory.

"Me and Larry talked and it's over with," Penny said, according to the Los Angeles Daily News. "We both apologize. He wished me the best of luck and I wished him the best of luck."

Acquired last month from the Boston Red Sox in a deadline waiver deal, Penny was plagued by a shoulder injury in 2008 before leaving in the offseason as a free agent.

A two-time All-Star with the Dodgers in 2006 and '07, he was set to face his former team Sunday for the first time as a Giant.

"I never doubted he was hurt. The only thing I had a problem with was his work ethic," Bowa said Friday, according to The San Francisco Chronicle. "If you're hurting, you can still go outside and run. You can still attend meetings. You can help young kids on how to pitch certain guys. You can be on time. That's all.

"He didn't go to meetings. He didn't do anything."

The Comical apparently brokered the summit, clearly putting its effort behind the weightiest issues facing the Bay Area. Way to go, guys! Let's send a team out to Afgahnistan, stat.

Jumpin Jehosaphat!

Larry Bowa celebrates Manny Ramirez's grand slam on Wednesday. Maybe you heard about it.

Gary Matthews Jr. and Jeff Mathis celebrate Mike Napoli's walkoff double last night that gave the Angels a 5-4 victory over the Twins. They're a letter short of doing the "YMCA" dance.

top photo by Chris Carlson/AP; bottom photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

The Impact of Larry Bowa

With the Dodgers' 7-2 victory over Philadelphia last night everyone was talking about one thing: the Dodgers showing some moxie. The Dodgers were not going to go down meekly, evidenced by a number of players on the team. Manny Ramirez had to be restrained by teammates as he scowled and tried to go after an unnamed Phillie. Hiroki Kuroda pitched normally to two batters before uncorking a ball "that got away," sailing right toward Shane Victorino's head. Russell Martin backed up his pitcher, saying that it wasn't at his head, but over his head.

And of course, the media ate it up. Jayson Stark at ESPN was so excited that this Game 3 made it "A SERIES," that his column kept descending into all caps. SI.com's Jon Heyman recounted how Manny and the Dodgers are fighting back into the NLCS. Bill Plaschke, in a column that the prescient guys over at MSTI called the night before (nice call, guys!), used his expansive column inches to write another vertically-spaced column about Kuroda's message, which needed no translation. And Jon "Boutros-Boutros" Weisman posted an appeal for peace.

But somewhat lost amidst the primary antagonists in the melee-that-wasn't was the presence of Larry Bowa, the Dodgers' fiery third base coach. Stark mentioned him in his piece, but portrayed Bowa as quite the diplomat:

He wasn't the only one making the highlight reels, however. Dodgers coach Larry Bowa, the former Phillie, and Phillies coach, Davey Lopes, the former Dodger, had quite the lovefest going themselves.

"Davey just said, 'You guys should have taken care of it [Friday]', and he's right," Bowa said. "He's 100 percent right. … He said, 'Let's play baseball.' And I said, 'Let's play baseball.' And that's right. I respect Davey. Davey was a great player."

These relatively calm and reasonable comments meshed with the interview Bowa gave ESPN radio late last week, when Bowa mentioned he liked the lifestyle out here and appreciated the more mellow pace of west coast baseball. But I'm not buying it, not after Game 3.

No, Bowa's effect on the team is crystal clear. Whereas in prior years, the Dodgers' third base coach was known more for his uncanny ability to get runners thrown out at home, rather than his bland personality, Bowa brings a fire and passion that no doubt fueled the Dodgers' emotions (and, fewer guys are getting thrown out at home). Appealing to the team to take the intensity up a notch was especially important now, in the playoffs, with a starting lineup that has evolved all season to end up comprised of more youngsters than veterans. I'm guessing that Bowa took stock of the kids on the squad, and told his team that they needed to play hard-nosed baseball, and fight back rather than back down.

Now, I'm just speculating here, but if this was indeed Bowa's teachings, the gameplan was executed well; messages were sent without punches being thrown, players getting hurt, or Dodgers becoming ejected from either this or future games. The Dodgers showed backbone and won the first of two (three?) "must-win" games, obtaining some momentum where none existed prior. The over-capacity crowd loved it, the media loved it, and Dodgers fans loved it.

So thank you, Larry Bowa, for injecting some life back into this series, and for giving Dodgers fans some hope. Your name may not have been the one mentioned in the headlines by Plaschke or Stark or Heyman, but this one had your fingerprints all over it.

And your brass knuckle prints, for that matter.

Bowa Sees Kershaw as Trade Bait

From Diamond:

Dodgers third base coach Larry Bowa expressed his thoughts on his team today in an interview with a Philadelphia radio station. Here's some of what was said... [...]

We're definitely looking for a bat. We're looking for about three bats. We have some pitching to offer. I mean, we got this kid (Clayton) Kershaw who's probably going to be called up after the break who's 20 years old. He's a pretty good pitcher. He's going to be pretty good. Penny's going to be coming back off the list. I don't think you're going to get (Chad) Billingsley. I don't think you're going to get (Hiroki) Kuroda.

Bowa's Rage, Meet Britney's Fury

Bowa's Rage

Anyone see Larry Bowa go apesh!t last night? I actually thought it was pretty funny and quite welcome. After all those games last year watching Grady Little sleep through the game and Rich Donnelly's ass in the 3rd base box, it was nice to see a coach come out with some fire. Reminded me of Tommy waddling out of the dugout and arguing with the home plate umpire. Plus, the Bowa outburst also seemed to rally the offense. The three game suspension was worth it - We're behind ya' Larry, keep the fire burning!

MLB08 The Show Portends Hope for Dodger Baserunners

The new videogame MLB08 The Show (for PS3, PS2, and PSP) has the following text in its advertisement (featured in the new SI, Jason Kidd cover):

Packed with all-new features from third base coaches that actually coach to real-time pitching and batting analysis, The Show is easily the most realistic, high-definition, smell-the-pine-tar baseball simulator ever created. See for yourself at mlb08theshow.com.

Wow, those new features sort of sound like the Dodgers' new features in 2008! (That is, if Larry Bowa can get cracking...)

Wait, This Time There Is No Explanation

The Dodgers' Matt Kemp slides into third base, only to find teammate James Loney standing there, as Atlanta's Brent Lillibridge applies the tag Thursday at Vero Beach.

Twice in one week! Yay, Larry Bowa!

photo: Sam Wolfe / The Stuart News

Bowa Will Push Where Donnelly Would Send Into Buzzsaws

From ESPN's spring trining blog, some thoughts on Larry Bowa taking the mantle over at third base, rather than the poorly-calculating Rich Donnelly, who would send Dodgers to their dooms:

Dodgers ace Brad Penny is eager to see new third base coach Larry Bowa get in somebody's face, even if it's his own.

"We damn sure needed it last year. Fourth place," Penny said. "You need somebody to push you. You know Bowa's doing it for your benefit. I loved watching him in Philly."

Penny is fond of former manager Grady Little, but believes L.A. would have been better off had Little or someone on his coaching staff come down harder on the players when mental mistakes were made.

"If we make stupid mistakes, something will be said," said Bowa, 62. "I don't hold grudges, but I get stuff off my chest. I didn't come over here to finish third. I came over here to play in October."

I don't know if the reason Brad didn't feel pushed by Little was due to Little's lackadaisical, stoic managing style, or due to the fact that Penny would bite Grady's head off when he came to the mound. In any event, I'm glad that Penny is psyched for Bowa; Penny ain't that bad of a hitter, and with his girth one better make sure he makes it home cleanly (for the Dodgers', and the catcher's, sakes).