Earlier: Way to Go, Posada. Sheesh! (SoSG)
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
"That Gentleman Likes to Ply His Seed in the Other Melon Patch"
Welcome to Los Angeles, Conan O'Brien! We've posted this classic Conan video before, but it's so good it bears repeating:
Here's a direct link to the video at NBC.com.
Way to Go, Posada. Sheesh!
Posada error snaps Yanks' streak (Yankees.com)
Yankees win 12-3. Posada had four RBIs. Doesn't matter. Streak's over.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
I Wish Every Game Was on Channel 9
The name's Jackie Johnson. Apparently, she's a meteorologist. I watched her segment twice... and for all I know, we've got a tornado coming. I love L.A.
Post-Game 54 Thread: They Came From Behind
After Justin Upton hit a no-doubt-about-it grand salami off Randy Wolf in the top of the second inning, it seemed over. After all, the Dodger bats had mostly disappeared last night and Dan Haren (who ended up with 7.0 IP, 1 ER and 7 K's) was cruising tonight.
Andre Ethier's solo home run in the bottom of the second inning was a welcome sign, but the deficit still loomed large....
Until the eighth. Kemp single. Ausmus pop-out. Loretta K. Beast Mode single. Furcal walk. Too bad there's two out. Oh well. But, O-Dog walk. One run! Yay! New pitcher. Then....
A bases-clearing double by Loney!
Tie game! Then a wild pitch advances Loney to third! Could it be? Then the Beard singles in the go-ahead run! Euphoria! Disbelief! Euphoria mixed with disbelief!
Yeah, it's only the fourth-place Diamondbacks, but you know what? This is how we separate good from lucky. And also credit Randy "Mr. No Decision" Wolf for four scoreless innings after a rough first two innings. Not an easy victory for the team tonight, but a well-earned one.
P.S.: Yes, I could have done a Star Wars-themed "they came from behind" post. But I have altered the post. Pray I don't alter it any further.
non-choking dog photos by Chris Carlson/AP
Vin Scully, on Chinstraps and Tongue Depressors
Vin Scully, from tonight's telecast:
Two and one the count to Felipe [Lopez].I always marvel at his sideburns. They're not really sideburns. He must be a very patient man when he shaves. Probably needs a ruler. Isn't that something.
Fouled away. Two and two.
We've mentioned it before, talking about Felipe and the way he might shave, and talking about Roy Campanella. Roy Campanella used to shave with a tongue depressor.
Yeah, you know when you go to the doctor, the wooden tongue depressor, say "aah." That's what he shaved with.
He would take a depilatory, what the ladies would use to take the hair off their legs. Campy would put the depilatory on his face, then he would take the wooden tongue depressor and scrape it off, and the beard came off with it.
And I said to him, "Why don't you use regular shaving cream?"
And he said, "No, this is better on my skin, for the mask on my face."
Well one thing, you're not going to cut yourself with a tongue depressor.
Three and two to Felipe Lopez....
Tell Me This Man Doesn't Belong in the All-Star Game
UPDATE:
Earlier: O Needs Xes! (SoSG)
second photo by Jon SooHoo/Dodgers
Game 54 Thread: June 2 vs. D'backs, 7p
Randy Wolf (3-1, 2.84) vs. Dan Haren (4-4, 2.54).
COMMENTS: The merry month of May is over, and the Dodgers started their June gloom (as Vinny was fond of reminding us last night) with yesterday's loss. Despite that, the Dodgers are still 4-2 against the Diamondbacks this year.
Wolf has had some hard-luck outings this year but has proven an effective complement to Chad Billingsley. Haren may have the fifth-lowest ERA in the NL, but he's 3-4 with a 4.46 ERA lifetime against the Dodgers. He pitched especially well against the Braves in his last start, however, so don't be surprised if tonight's game is another low-scoring affair.
Brad Ausmus starts behind the plate tonight for the Dodgers. From Ken Gurnick at Dodgers.com:
Brad Ausmus will start behind the plate for the Dodgers on Tuesday night and no, Joe Torre said, it has nothing to do with the five wild pitches that Russell Martin didn't stop Monday night.Torre said the decision was made over the weekend to give Martin Tuesday night off. Matchups probably have something to do with it, as Martin has a .188 lifetime average against Dan Haren, Arizona's starter.
Tonight's occupant of the press box "Blog Spot" at Dodger Stadium is Ernest from Blue Heaven. Have a blast, Ernest!
The Big Blue Hit List
MAY 4-5: The Dodgers sweep the Diamondbacks in a two-game series at Dodger Stadium.
MAY 7: The Diamondbacks fire manager Bob Melvin.
MAY 25-27: The Dodgers sweep the Rockies in a three-game series at Coors Field.
MAY 29: The Rockies fire manager Clint Hurdle.
MAY 27: Carlos Zambrano attacks the Gatorade machine in the Cubs' dugout at Wrigley Field.
MAY 28-31: The Dodgers split a four-game series with the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
JUNE 1: The Cubs fire the Gatorade machine. (Via Deadspin.)
Who's next? Watch your backs, Dodger opponents.
original Gatorade photo by Phil Velasquez/Chicago Tribune
Balances, Dances, Throws
Olympic gold medalist (2008 women's balance beam) and "Dancing with the Stars" winner Shawn Johnson threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Dodger Stadium last night:
photos: Dodgers
Dusto Wants Your Dodger Stadium Advice
SoSG reader and Alaska resident Dusto Magnifico is making his first trip to Dodger Stadium! (The first one he'll remember, anyway, having visited as a infant. Presumably not by himself):
I'm coming down for a game this Sunday! Just woke up from a deep winter hibernation and I finally get to witness my first Dodger experience. I can't wait. Does anyone have any tips, pointers, or any kind of heads up for Sunday?
Unfortunately we can't be there to greet him...but we can gather everyone's most helpful Dodger Stadium tips. So far we have:
Nic j said...
note to dusto, dont sit in the pavillion
Steve Sax said...
Dusto, I have a lot of comments...the most important of which is, get there early so you can soak it in (and visit all decks in the stadium). Take in your first Dodger dog of the day. Then go have another one. And I definitely would save time to peruse the one of the team stores in the outfield.
Gibby's Limp said...
Dusto - Not sure if you will be in town either Friday 6/5 or Monday 6/8, but I would suggest taking the stadium tour if you get a chance. For the price, you get to see a lot of history, go places in the stadium you might not otherwise get an opportunity to get to, and perhaps learn some info you may not have already known.When my father and I went to Dodger Stadium last summer for the first time, we were probably the first ones there for both games, and we closed the team store in the outfield both games. Take it all in!
rbnlaw said...
Dusto,
Get to the top deck either before, or right after the game. There's a team store up there as well and the view is the best to take in the entire stadium, the surrounding ravine, and the LA skyline right behind you.
What else should Dusto know? Chime in!
Adrian Gonzalez: Good & Plenty
The Padres' Adrian Gonzalez hit his major league-leading 21st home run last night (above). (Raul Ibanez of the Phillies and Carlos Pena of the Rays are tied for second with 17 each.) With Jake Peavy's tenuous status making his future with the Padres uncertain, Gonzalez is the one bright spot the team's fans can enjoy guilt-free.
Even better for the Padres, Gonzalez is in the middle of a bargain-basement four-year, $9.5 million contract, with a club option for a fifth year at $5.5 million. This year, he's making only $3 million. (His brother Edgar is costing the Padres an extra $400,000. Not a bad investment.) Score one for Kevin Towers—and Ned Colletti, are you taking notes?
Even before Manny Ramirez's suspension, the NL West had less power than Clark Kent in a Kryptonite straitjacket. (Yesterday's spoiler Mark Reynolds is the only other player in the division with double-digit home runs, at 13.) Until July 3, Gonzalez is the most exciting hitter in the division. And thank goodness for the Dodgers' nine-game lead over the Padres, because he's a lot more fun to watch from a distance.
photo by Lenny Ignelzi/AP
Monday, June 01, 2009
Post-Game 53 Thread: Jet Lagged
Credit ESPN with the assist. Because the Dodgers had to play a late nationally televised game on getaway day, they arrived back home at three o'clock in the morning. And that's not accounting for jet lag.
So the Dodgers dragged their bodies to the game but their bats woke up late, not showing up until three hours after game time to start a futile comeback effort in the ninth inning. Hiroki Kuroda had an encouraging outing, throwing 86 pitches, striking out six and allowing two runs over five innings. But the bullpen didn't inspire, with five wild pitches (three by Cory Wade and two by Brent Leach—the five tying a franchise record) helping the Diamondbacks score the go-ahead run.
It was an especially rough night for Russell Martin; he was robbed twice by Mark Reynolds and spent more time running after errant balls than a SuperBall factory floor manager during an earthquake.
Look for everybody to wake up at the same time tomorrow—it doesn't get any easier, as the Dodgers face Dan Haren. Set those alarm clocks!
"You Can Only Hope To Contain Them"
From ESPN's newest Power Rankings, which once again have the Dodgers on top:
Game 53 Thread: June 1 vs. D'backs, 7p
HIROKIWATCH: NOW
Hiroki Kuroda (1-0, 1.59) vs. Billy Buckner (1-1, 7.16).
COMMENTS: Coming off a 5-2 roadtrip, the big news is the return of Kuroda, who won Opening Day and was slotted as our #1 pitcher before an oblique muscle strain sidelined him for the last two months. Kuroda's last start in A ball was not kind, but according to Josh Suchon, he was literally practicing pitches (i.e., only throwing a fastball for a full inning), so it probably isn't a good barometer of how he'll do today. Unless, of course, the gameplan is again to only throw the same pitch for a full inning. The Snakes might catch on by the fourth inning or so.
25-year old Buckner has only started two games this season, but he did face the Dodgers on April 11 in Arizona, where he was shelled for 5 ER, 2 BB, and 1 wild pitch over a short 0.2 IP. I'm expecting Buckner to be all over the place, in which case we won't expect to see the Hiro take a fall on this manic Monday.
On Losing Streaks And The Lack Thereof
Much has been made about the Dodgers avoiding a three-game losing streak so far this season. Six times, the Dodgers have lost two in a row, and all six times, they've won their next game. Which got me thinking, how long are other teams' worst losing streaks, through the first two months of play? Is this really that remarkable of a feat?
Below, the data. Though the Dodgers are the only team to have avoided a three-game losing streak, the other five divisions all have a team who has not lost more than three consecutive games, so the Dodgers' feat is neat, but not crazy, and frankly, to-be-expected for the team with the best record in baseball. Looking at the other five teams that have only lost three in a row: all of these five teams (Cardinals, Phillies, Angels, Tigers, and Red Sox) are either first or second in their divisions. When you don't have long losing streaks, you end up doing well. What a concept!
Losing Streak (games) |
West |
Central |
East |
West |
Central |
East |
O Needs Xes!
The latest All-Star voting numbers are in, and the Dodgers are dangerously underrepresented for the team with the best record in the majors:
At second base, [Chase] Utley held on to the top spot but has a new pursuer in the Dodgers' Orlando Hudson, in second. He's followed by Milwaukee's Rickie Weeks, who was second a week earlier despite being out for the remainder of the season with an injury.
Russell Martin is fifth among catchers. Manny Ramirez has dropped to fifth in outfielder voting, with Matt Kemp in 12th and Andre Ethier in 13th place. Juan Pierre is nowhere to be found. I know he's a write-in candidate, but come on!
Fans can vote online up to 25 times. Just like in the Presidential election! Click here to vote.
photo by Darren Levant
You Like Manny, You Really Like Him!
A new poll is up on the sidebar. Tell us whether you think Manny owes us an apology!
Book Advance Copy: 1 Thing SF Giants Fans Should Hope To Do Before They Die
It seems that the success of Jon Weisman's book has led to an entire book series. SoSG was lucky enough to get its hands on the next book in the series, targeting a different demographic (to be fair, it isn't really a book; it's more like a pamphlet).
Below, an excerpt:
Special thanks to SoSG Orel for the Photoshop assist!
Book Review: 100 Things Dodgers Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die
This is the highest compliment I can pay 100 Things Dodgers Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die: I would love to hear Vin Scully read it aloud.
For those used to consuming author Jon Weisman's writing in blog-sized chunks at Dodger Thoughts, 100 Things proves a pleasant revelation of Weisman stretching a single into a double on the written page, where his prose often reaches heights of unabashed lyricism. (Thing #95, practically a poem about some of the more mellifluous names to wear Dodger Blue, is just about worth the price of admission alone.)
Weisman, on Scully (a top-ten (T10) Thing*):
He's an artist. Of course he's an artist. You don't need a book to tell you that the man could broadcast paint drying and turn it into something worthy of Michelangelo.**
Weisman, on Walter O'Malley (#14), "something of a five-tool coat-and-tie":
His effort to keep the team in Brooklyn is well-chronicled and undeniable, but aging Ebbets Field was a pitch he ultimately couldn't drive. Like a savvy hitter, O'Malley went the other way for a hit, and smacked an opposite-country home run.
The book is much more weighted toward the "know" than "do" side of matters, appropriate for a franchise with over 125 years but only three major stadiums (T10, #18 & #49) in its existence. Weisman proves his mettle as a historian and researcher, bringing a snappy you-are-there quality to his narration of ballgames, regardless of era. Whether it's Brooklyn's "Wait 'Til Next Year" loss to the Yankees in the 1941 World Series (#54) or 2006's 4+1 game (#24), the descriptions are crisp and vivid.
From a historic perspective, Weisman doesn't shy away from Dodger controversies (such as leaving Brooklyn (T10), the occupancy of Chavez Ravine (#11) and Al Campanis on Nightline (#39)), although he takes pains not to throw anyone under the bus, not even Campanis. The O'Malley family is given due respect—Peter O'Malley wrote the book's foreword and Walter O'Malley's official website provided historic photos—and Weisman exonerates the Dodger organization from the "specter of looted art [that] hovers over Chavez Ravine."
With multiple sidebars, 100 Things is actually well over 100 things.
Weisman also shines the spotlight on a roster of deserving players, from the unsung Dick Nen to the under-appreciated Hideo Nomo (#19). The sections on the ahead-of-his-time Zack Wheat (#58) and spitballer Burleigh Grimes (#74) are as illuminating as Thing #46 is maddening—Pedro Martinez, Mike Piazza and Alex Rodriguez on the Dodgers? It almost happened. Also, it's probably safe to say 100 Things is the only work where you'll find Piazza (#23) and a Tolstoy novel in the same sentence. And who knew Leo Durocher (#57) was such an asshole?
Avid Dodger Thoughts readers will be pleased to find Weisman's waggish wit in fine fettle throughout his book. Witness the 4+1 home runs, described thusly:
Back-to-back-to-back-to-back back back back back backs.
Or a tidbit on Dodger Stadium's sadly defunct Cool-a-Coo ice cream sandwiches:
A similar dessert is the It's It, but is an It's It it? It isn't.
Or Thing #71, simply titled "Manny Mota Mota Mota Mota Mota."*** Very nice.
With multiple sidebars, 100 Things is actually well over 100 things, all of which are rewarding reading for Dodger fans of all stripes. The breadth of the book's scope is a tribute to not only Weisman's Dodger knowledge but also the richness of the team's history. Like Dodger Thoughts, 100 Things is fun, educational and clearly a labor of love. Highly recommended.
And Mr. Weisman? We're looking forward to your book about Don Newcombe (#17).
100 Things Dodgers Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die (Amazon.com)
*The exact order of which I won't spoil.
**"It's tiiime to watch paint dry. Hi everybody, and a very pleasant good afternoon to you wherever you may be. Today primer takes on semi-gloss...."
***Interestingly, Mota and Pedro Borbon never played on the same team.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
