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!

Hong-Chih Kuo Second in 2010 "Shutdown-Meltdown" Ratio

One more thing from that ESPN the Magazine May 2 2011 issue: a sidebar called "Shut 'Em Down" (no link) had high praise for where Hong-Chih Kuo ended up in one sabermatrician's statistic:

To better quantify reliever performance, sabermetrician Tom Tango developed two stats, Shutdowns and Meltdowns. Based on win probability, if a reliever's performance in a given game increases his team's chances of winning by more than 6%, he gets a Shutdown. Decrease it by 6%? Meltdown. Most of the big-name closers are oddly missing from the list of best Shutdown-Meltdown ratios of 2010.

BEST

Rafael Soriano, SD/MD ratio of 10.25
Hong-Chih Kuo, 8.50
Hisanori Takahashi, 8.50
Joakim Soria, 7.80
Ryan Franklin, 7.25

Former Dodger Mark Hendrickson had the third-worst ratio in 2010, 0.58.

O's Pick Up Dodger Castoffs

The mid-Atlantic storms must be getting to the Baltimore folks, as the Orioles have just picked up former Dodgers and current lefties Will Ohman and Mark Hendrickson:

Ohman, 32, had a 5.84 ERA in 21 appearances for the Los Angeles Dodgers in an injury-shortened 2009. For his big league career, which spans parts of seven seasons and 324 appearances, Ohman has held left-handed hitters to a .204 average.

"I think it's always good to have experience in your bullpen," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said. "This gives us another left-handed situational guy to look at. I wanted to have another lefty in the bullpen besides [Mark] Hendrickson. Now we have some options, and we'll go to spring training and figure it out. But I like Ohman's track record. He's done it. It's a plus for us if it works out."

If it's a plus for the Orioles if it works out, then it's a minus if it doesn't, right? And if it's neutral, is it a 0? Or an ampersand? Or a carat?

(Hendrickson story, in case you're interested, here.)

Derek Lowe Becomes Resident Team Giant

Mark Hendrickson was picked up by the Marlins in a one-year deal for $1.5M. I'm sure he'll pick up right where Dontrelle Willis left off.

In other news, the Dodgers' chances of a >4 game win streak have substantially improved.

Hendrickson, The Immortal

Truebluela just posted the funniest Mark Hendrickson post I'd seen in a while (and there are many candidates). Bravo, Andrew, and thanks for the research (and fine writeup):

After going 0 for 2 yesterday, Mark Hendrickson is now 0 for 40 at the plate as a Dodger. With those two outs, Hendrickson is on his way to making history.

Hendrickson is now only one out away for tying the NL record for "most at bats on a team without ever getting a hit". The current leader is Randy Tate, who went 0 for 41 during his tenure with the Mets.

The major league record is a bit further away, but still reachable. Hendrickson can become number two all time if he goes 0 for 42 and matches Ed Rakow's batting record with the Tigers. The All Time record is held by Karl Drews who went an incredible 0 for 54 for the St. Louis Browns from 1948-1949.

If Hendrickson makes six or seven more starts, and flails away each time, he could be the all time leader in a non-height based stat. Since I believe that our God is a fair and just one, we'll then never see Mark Hendrickson again. I may hate Hendrickson with the fire of a thousand suns, but denying him his chance at history would simply be cruel.

Knowing Lurch's luck, he will get one more AB in his next start, then get walked once and hit once before leaving the game, and then get traded to the Blue Jays.

Tall Pitcher Karma Theory Still Going Strong

When we first reported on the Tall Pitcher Karma Theory, it was a little-known concept familiar only amongst SoSGers, sabermetric geeks, and people who use words like 'amongst'. But, as anyone who read the minutes of last week's Fed meeting knows, the theory has since gone mainstream. Almost a month later, the results on the field continue to lend support to the theory's validity:

April 2 - May 4: The Karma starts the season with Hendrickson. Randy Johnson spends opening day on the DL, then promptly gives up 13 earned runs in his first 3 starts after coming off it. Meanwhile, Hendrickson holds opponents to 0 or 1 earned runs in each of his first 6 outings.

May 5 - June 10: Unit swipes the Karma from Lurch. Johnson goes 4-0 over his next 6 starts. Meanwhile, Lurch starts sucking, as I'm sure you all remember.

June 11 - present: Karma back to Lurch. Johnson returns to the DL on June 11 with a torn unit, and upon his return, he again gets hit hard (by the Dodgers!). In the meantime, Hendrickson has quietly held opponents to 0 or 1 earned runs in each of his last 6 outings.

If you weren't initially a believer in the theory, don't be ashamed - after all, people once thought Columbus' round earth theory was crazytalk. But keep an eye on Unit's next start, scheduled for Monday vs St Louis, and hope for a shelling.

Tall Men Can't Share

Apparently there's a fixed amount of good karma collectively allocated to left-handed 6'9"+ pitchers - and Mark Hendrickson and Randy Johnson are fighting over it. Consider: during the first month of the season, Hendrickson pitched like Sandy Koufax while Johnson pitched like Sandy Duncan. Then, on or around Cinco de Mayo, Unit seemed to snatch the Tall Pitcher Karma away from Hendrickson, probably while Hendrickson was having a Jose Cuervo-induced daydream about his 2014 Hall of Fame induction. Suddenly Lurch couldn't get anybody out while Unit looked like his late-90's self.

Yeah, I also thought it was a ridiculous theory when Sheffield first mentioned it to me, but then I looked at the numbers:

Lurch 6'9", 240 lbs until May 5 after May 5 IP 27.2 26.1 W-L 2-0 0-3 ERA 1.30 7.18 K/9 7.8 5.1

Big Unit 6'10", 231 lbs until May 5 after May 5 IP 18 23.2 W-L 0-2 2-0 ERA 6.50 1.90 K/9 9.5 12.9

Still not a believer? Watch Johnson's start today vs SF. If he pitches well, expect continued Lurch meltdowns. If he gets shelled, then look for Lurch to rebound. This I guarantee...or my name isn't Eric Karros.

Post-Game 53 Thread: Mark Hendrickson Must Go (Nationals 11, Dodgers 4)

Remember how great Mark Hendrickson was at the beginning of the year? And how we were crediting a psychiatrist, or a change in delivery, or a fistful of magic beans and some pixie dust as the reason for hope?

Any remaining pixie dust was, like Hendrickson, blown away last night in Washington DC, as the Dodgers got pounded by the second-worst team in the NL, a team whose run production was smaller than all but one other NL team (the Cardinals). The remedy for the Nationals' ills, after being shutout by Brad Penny and Derek Lowe, was to meet Lurch with a two-run home run in the first inning, en route to 5 ER in 4.1 innings and another early exit from Hendrickson. Hendy has given up an average of five earned runs in each of his last five starts, and has not pitched seven full innings all year. If the Mark Hendrickson experiment can't work against the Nationals, against whom can he pitch?

And for the Dodgers, whose punchless bats led to the end of Rafael Furcal's 15-game hit streak, there is now a logjam at the top of the NL West with San Diego and Arizona elbowing in on the Dodgers' territory. It would normally be beneficial to be facing the Pittsburgh Pirates for four games--beautiful ballpark, sub-.500 team--but a weather report predicting four days of thunderstorms may make for a long weekend for the Dodgers. I hope Russell Martin (who hit his fifth home run Thursday) slept well on the plane from DC. We'll need him.

Poll: Name That 6' 9" Pitcher

After reading in-game comments both here at SoSG and at Dodger Thoughts about today's impressive outing by Mark Hendrickson (5.2 IP, 1 ER), I was struck by how Dodger fans really seem to want to give this guy a nickname. Hence...

Which nickname best fits Mark Hendrickson?
	Big Bird
	Hendrick-san
	Hendy
	Herman Munster
	Hightower
	Longshanks
	Lurch
	Marky Mark
	Stilts
	Stretch
Free polls from Pollhost.com

And Your Fifth Starter Is...Brett Tomko

Brett Tomko was just announced as the Dodgers' fifth starter. He will pitch his first start April 10 against the Rockies.

The announcement knocks Mark Hendrickson to long (and tall) relief, that is, unless Brad Penny won't be able to make his start.

For Tomko, getting the nod is the payoff to an offseason of hard work, better conditioning and a more compact delivery.

"I prepared myself to win a spot," he said. "I didn't expect it, but I was confident. I had the mind-set to deal with it if it didn't go in my favor and do the best I could in whatever role, but I wouldn't have been overjoyed with a different decision. I wanted to earn it and I feel I did."

Tomko has a 5.14 spring ERA, a number inflated by his most recent start, when he allowed six runs in four innings against Baltimore on a windy day at Holman Stadium. Hendrickson's ERA is 5.40.

Tomko was one of general manager Ned Colletti's early acquisitions before the 2006 season. He signed a two-year contract plus an option and he started hotter than any of the Dodgers, going 5-1 with a 2.88 ERA after his first eight starts.

Most of the world has long forgotten those first six weeks and remember instead his nightmare trip to Chicago and New York in early September. Between the two stretches, Tomko slumped as a starter, then suffered an oblique strain that put him on the disabled list for five weeks. When he returned he volunteered for relief duty to bolster a beleaguered bullpen and did well for the first month, allowing two earned runs in 14 1/3 innings.

Again, apparently long forgotten. His troubles actually started with a blown save in Arizona on Aug. 23, but the roof fell in three appearances -- a Sept. 9 blown save at Shea Stadium and a pair of bad outings at Wrigley Field in losses Sept. 12 and 14. Tomko was charged with six earned runs in 1 1/3 innings in that Cubs series, or his 3.64 ERA as a reliever for the year would have been 1.84. Tomko's two postseason appearances were equally forgettable. As a starter last year, he was 6-6 with a 5.12 ERA.

Little said Hendrickson accepted the news.

"He wants to be part of a winning team," said Little. "He knows things happen. He'll be ready to start when we need him and that day will come."

I guess a 5.12 ERA beats a 5.40 ERA by a hair. This is one of those "lesser of two evil" choices that I think is coming out best for the Dodgers (especially considering Hong-Chih Kuo's injury). I'm guessing Hendrickson will get plenty of chances to start later on in the season, but for now I'm hopeful this announcement works out well for the Dodgers.

Dodgers Squeak by Cards, 3-2; Hendrickson, Pierre Strong

Dodgers 3, Cardinals 2

Despite a run in the eighth and a run in the ninth, the Cardinals lost to the Dodgers 3-2 in a game that could likely exemplify next year's campaign--little offense, the need for solid starting pitching, and the Dodgers barely holding on to win it.

On the mound, Mark Hendrickson pitched five innings of no-run ball with 3 H and 2Ks. His spring ERA is 4.63. Jonathan Meloan got the save despite giving up the only earned run for the Dodgers.

Juan Pierre went 3 for 3 in the two-slot batting behind Tony Abreu; Pierre got a RBI and is now batting .444 this spring. James Loney went 2 for 3 and Matt Kemp went 2 for 4. Andre Ethier went 0 for 3 and left 5 on base, but he still is batting .400 this spring. Andy La Roche, on the other hand, went 0 for 4, left 8 on base, and is now batting .212. The gaping hole at third gets worse every day.

The Dodgers are split-squad today and play another game this afternoon.

Brett Tomko Pulls A Zito

In an effort to make the starting rotation, Dodger Brett Tomko has changed his mechanics this offseason. And we're not talking about his auto mechanics.

Brett Tomko is one of several pitchers trying to become the Dodgers' fifth starting pitcher. His quest began in December when he decided to overhaul his mechanics. Hours of shadow-pitching, watching himself in the mirror and playing catch with friends may finally be paying off. The veteran right-hander, who started 15 games for the Dodgers last season, thinks that his new windup will help him become a starting pitcher again.

"He's made some adjustments in his mechanics, and we saw some significant difference in it," manager Grady Little said. "We saw that there is a considerable amount of deception added to his delivery. It's much better than what we saw at any time last year."

The deception in Tomko's case was nothing more than altering the movement of his pitching arm. Rather than holding his arm -- and the ball -- away from his body during his windup, he now keeps everything behind his body until it's time for the delivery.

The deception? With tact? Just what are you trying to say? (Sorry about that digression; one thing lead(s) to another.) Although the foxsports.com article goes on to say that Mark Hendrickson "arrived in camp with newfound confidence" as well, I'd wager that Tomko's chances are more likely than Hendrickson's. Let's hope that Tomko's changes, if improvements, last longer than Barry Zito's experiment did.

Hendrickson as Trade Bait?

MLB Trade Rumors asks, "Will Cards Trade For Pitching?":

We discussed this just a week ago, but the St. Louis Post Dispatch is again questioning whether the Cardinals might trade for a starter.

The focus is again on Jon Lieber, Carl Pavano, and whoever the Dodgers might give up (Mark Hendrickson?)

Of course, just a week ago Brad Penny was mentioned as well.

Is it just because the Hot Stove has been quiet lately that the Dodgers trading a pitcher seems unlikely? Or will it be the end result of Ned Colletti's apparent arms hoarding?

Very Tall Dodger Gets Very Large Raise

Bolstered by the addition of Jason Schmidt to the starting rotation, the Dodgers went out and avoided arbritration by offering a one-year, $2.925M deal to fifth-starter-at-best Mark Hendrickson. Unsurprisingly, Hendrickson quickly accepted the offer, knowing that he had earned his million-dollar raise with his sterling 2-7 record and 4.68 ERA with the Dodgers last year.

That's $500K per win he brought the Dodgers last year, for those scoring at home.

It's as if Ned Colletti is determined to make his trade of Dioner Navarro and Jae Seo amount to something, given Toby Hall (the other player in that trade with the Devil Rays). Hall, who actually batted a reasonable .368 with 8 RBI for the Dodgers last year, signed with the White Sox earlier this winter for $1.75M/year for two years to backup A.J. Pierzynski.

Oh, to be a pitcher.