Thursday, September 25, 2008
Post-Game 159 Thread: Scenes from a Celebration
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Game 159 Thread: Sept 25 vs. Padres, 7p
Greg Maddux (7-13, 4.31) vs. Jake Peavy (9-11, 2.77).
COMMENTS: Your 2008 NL West Division Champions take the field tonight, having clinched the division without even lifting a bat. Of course, pounding the Padres 12-4 last night does help the cause a bit, but tonight look for a lineup full of benchwarmers and recently reactivated veterans. As for Maddux, still with only one win since coming to the Dodgers and still teetering on the precipice of owning eighth place on the all-time career wins list outright (banishing 'Roid Rage Roger to ninth place), the Dodgers second-string lineup plus a pitching matchup against Peavy does not seem to indicate an happy ending. Win or lose, however, the Dodgers should be celebrating tonight--and all you fans lucky enough to be there in person (like SoSG Alex Cora) had better enjoy every minute of it! Congratulations, Dodgers!
Dodgers.com Not Wasting Any Time
But where is the Playoff Merchandise link, Frankie? It's been ten minutes already!
Dodgers Clinch NL West Title After Diamondbacks Lose To Cardinals, 12-3
Backed by a game-opening three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning, Albert Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals rose to the challenge and vanquished the Arizona Diamondbacks this afternoon, 12-3. This win clinched the NL West Division title for the Los Angeles Dodgers, even before they take the field for tonight's game against the San Diego Padres.
CONGRATULATIONS, LOS ANGELES DODGERS, YOUR NL WEST CHAMPIONS!
Earlier this week, I had posted that I would cede my vote for Andre Ethier for the Hank Aaron Award, and give it to Albert Pujols, should he and the Cardinals step up for this series. Well, Pujols stepped up, and so did the Cardinals. And here's my proof of upholding my end of the deal:
THANK YOU, ST. LOUIS, FOR NOT PHONING IT IN!
WAY TO GO, DODGERS!
At-Game Recap: Sept 24 vs. Padres / Oh, What A Night
Dammit, if my only hope is to come back home from a Dodger game and post about immediately in order to beat Jon Weisman to press time, I'd run the risk of getting divorced. But I was there too last night, and it was an amazing spectacle at which to be. And though Jon's recap was good, I feel the need to add my own thoughts to the dogpile celebration...
As my wife remarked to me, as we finally took our seats having left late and getting crushed in traffic (stop overselling the preferred parking lots, Frank, it's really not cool considering we're floating you the money months in advance and you've already jacked the parking price up 100% since you've gotten here)--"the Stadium has a different type of energy tonight. And she's not talking about fluorescent bulbs in the concourse.
No, the stadium was rocking, at what felt like a sellout even though only fewer than 45,000 were tallied for attendance. Maybe it's because the season ticket holders, who are counted in that total whether they're there or not, actually showed up. Maybe it's because it's the final homestand and the penultimate regular season home game.
Maybe it was because they showed the final five greatest moments in Los Angeles Dodgers history up on the scoreboard, and when they finally reached the highlight that everyone had been waiting for, they wisely showed the WHOLE highlight, including Mike Davis' ball four, Gibson's hobbled entrance, and each one of his historic at-bat's pitches (which demonstrate how pained he must have been). Vin Scully provided all the audio, and when the highlight reached its climax with the home run, they piped in music from The Natural, and the whole stadium erupted. This, from a grainy highlight 20 years ago, bringing chills to spines young and old.
Or, maybe the increased energy was because the evening was magical and the Dodgers were rocking. Jeff Kent's return from the disabled list earned a standing ovation, and from our third base field level seats, I even caught him smiling as he returned to the dugout after his hit and pinch-runner replacement. Rafael Furcal's announcement also brought the crowd to his feet, and it was so good to see that sparkplug back, even if the tightness in his back was apparent to the naked eye.
Kershaw pitched a pretty good game, almost lasting six innings with 3 ER, and he was wisely removed after 91 pitches rather than saving him to fight through the sixth with a slender 4-3 lead.
Garciaparra, once again, is so clutch, it's almost silly. I vowed earlier this year that his incredible storybook exploits have earned him, at least in my mind, a pass on all the criticism about his brittle body, prolonged slumps, and dwindling defensive range. The fact of the matter is, his solo home run in the fourth was a message that the Dodgers were not going quietly last night, despite the Padres' first blood, and his run-scoring double deep to the wall added another exclamation point before he was rested early. Gotta love the Nomar, who got the crowd started.
And Manny--well, what more can you say? His two-run home run was such a laser shot, such a no-doubt-about-it-he-got-it, that I suspect even Charley Steiner probably got the home run call right this time. He swings with such force, and it's so clear that there's been no one as feared as him in the Dodgers' lineup since Gary Sheffield in his prime (or possibly Adrian Beltre in 2004). Shawn Green hit home runs, but they never got the same sort of impact as these Ramirez bombs. He's a force, and the crowd eats him up.
Matt Kemp has a good night in the leadoff slot again, going 3-for-6. Russell Martin goes 2-for-3 in the two hole, where he looks more comfortable than atop the lineup. Andre Ethier bats cleanup and goes 2-for-4 with a RBI. James Loney comes in late and gets a pair of RBI. Even Juan Pierre gets a pinch hit, and Chin-Lung Hu gets a double. What is going on here?! Is this potency even possible in a Dodgers lineup?
Oh yeah, and Mark Sweeney went 0-for-1, stranding two to end the inning, and is now batting .133. So at least that hasn't changed.
But there was a different type of energy last night, and it was great to be there and see it. I high-fived the nice gentleman behind me on every run scored, which became a lucky ritual after a while, and a stranger quickly became a friend. The temperature outdoors was perfect, not too hot or too cold. I got my two beers, my nachos, and my Louisiana hot sausage; even my chocolate malt guy appeared at the right time (sixth inning, in aisle; one for my wife and one for me). We sang Take Me Out To The Ballgame with 45,000 of our closest friends. It was perfect.
This was my last regular-season game of the year.
And I can't wait to get back.
Let's go, Dodgers!
Scoreboard Watching, Part Deux: D'Backs @ Cards, 11.15a
Diamondbacks' Doug Davis (6-8, 4.25) vs. Cardinals' Joel Piniero (6-7, 5.21).
The last time we did a "Scoreboard Watching" post, it didn't work out so well for us. But we're going to try, try again (this time, with the starting pitching matchup in italics!) because:
- The game comes over our lunch hour, giving us something to do at our desks besides read the depressing news in the Wall Street Journal;
- If the Cardinals win, the Dodgers will have clinched the NL West even before they take the field tonight;
- If the Cardinals lose, the Dodgers still have a chance to take care of business at home against the Padres this evening.
Eight remaining opportunities, and all we need is one favorable outcome. Put on your Cardinals hats, party people!
Rookie Hazing Fans, Fire Up Your Cameras!
From Tony Jackson:
What I DID learn after the game is that division title or no, the annual rookie hazing will go on as scheduled for tomorrow night's flight to San Francisco. I'm sworn to secrecy on what the costumes are going to be, but let's just say it's an eclectic mix. The veterans found a costume rental place in South Pas that was going out of business, so they loaded up."
The Dodgers' magic number is one and the players are ready to let off some steam...by humiliating the team's rookies. If you're unfamiliar with the glory of professional athletes in grossly inappropriate attire being paraded in public, check out last year's hijinks.
Sons of Steve Garvey is once again putting out the call to anyone with a camera on either the Los Angeles or San Francisco end of tomorrow's team flight. If you snap any pictures of this year's rookie hazing, send 'em in to the address on the sidebar. You'll be credited for your contributions and receive the eternal thanks of Dodger fans everywhere!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Ode to ONE
For the musical theater types:
For the Irish and/or rock types:
For SoSG's other Metallica fan:
A Good Day to be a Dodger Fan. A lousy day to root for the Mets (and the Yankees, Diamondbacks, Padres, etc).
Tempted to race over from work tomorrow and sneak in for the last few innings. But not sure anything can top witnessing a walk-off clinching grand slam.
The Air Smells Fresh Atop The NL West
...or is it just the scent emanating from those stylish Los Angeles Dodgers Jet-Blue-sponsored Air Fresheners that quadsevens "won" (and I do use that loosely) in the participation prize lottery for Off-Day Puzzle #11?
Thanks, quadsevens, for sending on pictures from the second prize you've bagged this year. We at SoSG are appreciative for the photos, and also hopeful that you didn't run over that poor kid on the Disney Princess bicycle whose view is otherwise obscured by the position of that air freshener...
New PCS Rankings
Besides exposing SoSG Sax's disturbingly comprehensive knowledge of boy bands, this week's crossword puzzle achieved something else: it set us up for an exciting finish to the puzzle season. The top four spots in the race for this Championship Trophy are now separated by a mere 87 points (contrast that with last week when the top 4 were separated by 159 points).
Despite the tightening spread, the top four puzzlers remain unchanged. Slots 5-10 are inhabited by the same six, but in a different order. Here are the full rankings:
Rank |
Player (Wins) | Points |
|
| jose (2) | |||
| quadsevens (2) | |||
| steve (1) | |||
| fanerman | |||
| daniel | |||
| mike scoscia's t.i. (1) | |||
| erin | |||
| neeebs | |||
| berkowit28 (1) | |||
| sax/karros |
Others receiving votes: gil gamesh 185, loney fan 130, karina 120, cigarcow 115, jbowes 50, stolenmonkey86 50, orel 45, dusto magnifico 25, alex cora 10, delino deshields 10
Grand Finale Puzzle will be posted 7am on Sept 29, the day after the regular season ends. It's gonna be a good one.
Game 158 Thread: Sept 24 vs. Padres, 7p
Clayton Kershaw (4-5, 4.28) vs. Shawn Estes (2-3, 4.73).
COMMENTS: Five regular-season games left! Estes knows the Dodgers, having pitched for every other NL West team over his career. However, that doesn't mean Estes knows how to beat the Dodgers, as he's 6-9 with a 5.27 ERA lifetime against them.
Last time the Dodgers faced Estes, they beat him by scoring five earned runs in five innings. They'll need some more of that bat magic tonight, especially since Kershaw figures to be on a short leash and the bullpen, already used in yesterday's game, will probably work tonight too.
As for the Diamondbacks, seeing them lose early yesterday was inspiring, but the only way for the Dodgers to make the post-season (and prepare to play actual winning teams) is to win win win themselves. The magic number is three. Pray we alter it even further.
Thoughts On The Number Three
The Dodgers have two games remaining at home against San Diego, and the Diamondbacks have two games remaining on the road against St. Louis. In other words, there are four outcomes remaining, before the Dodgers travel to San Francisco for their final series, and the D'backs head home for their final series against Colorado.
Four outcomes, and all we need is three of them to head our way. Not only would this allow us to clinch the NL West title at home on Thursday, which would be a great celebration and a wonderful tribute for Dodger fans, but it would also allow us to avoid the unpalatable situation of letting San Francisco spoil our division title achievement.
In past years, we've gotten the better of San Francisco. Nothing will probably ever compensate for Bobby Thompson's Shot Heard 'Round The World (cheating notwithstanding), but at least Solomon Torres' 1993 meltdown (referenced by Rob at 6-4-2 today) and Steve Finley's 2004 bat-flipping walk-off grand slam were pretty sweet recent memories for Dodger fans.
But the season's final series, with us at Pac Bell Park, is going to be a downer any way you slice it:
- The Giants could rise to the challenge and beat us, which could cause us to miss the playoffs altogether (depending on Arizona's outcomes) or even set up a one-game playoff between us and the Snakes. This playoff would be at home, but it would wreak havoc on our starting pitching rotation prior to the NLDS, a reasonably sharp kick to the nuts considering the Giants have nothing else for which to play. And with Giants manager Bruce Bochy jiggering the lineup to give Cy Young hopeful Tim Lincecum an extra start on Sunday, it's clear the Giants aren't setting up to go quietly into that good night. (Though if Cy Young candidacy is the Giants' sole goal, I suppose it's in Bochy's interest to ensure the Dodgers clinch before Sunday, likely rendering the Dodgers' Sunday lineup a harmless smorgasbord of September call-ups.) If the Giants knock us out, or even into a tie, believe me, they will be celebrating on the field with all the gusto of a World Series title.
- The Giants could defuse our division-clinching celebration without even playing at all, should the NL West title be in play going into Friday's game. The Diamondbacks start play two hours before the Dodgers/Giants play on Friday; and on Saturday and Sunday, the D'backs start an hour before the Dodgers. So if the outcome of the division is still in question going into the final weekend, it could transpire that the Diamondbacks lose in the middle of the Dodgers' game, clinching the division for the Dodgers for them irrespective of the Dodgers/Giants' game outcome. If the Dodgers happen to drop the game with the Giants, but win the NL West title mid-game nonetheless, there certainly won't be a parade on field, and I've gotta think the champagne corks pop less forcefully in the Giants dugout. (The Dodgers can still spray champagne into Pac Bell Park's electrical outlets, however, catalyzing capital upgrades which might prompt the stadium's fourth sponsorship name change in a reasonably short existence).
- Or, the Dodgers could actually clinch on the Giants' field, as a direct result of a victory over SF, still resulting in a muted celebration. The Giants fans would likely be booing, potentially golf-clapping at best. Maybe a couple of them will clink their chardonnay glasses in tacit approval and disgust. It's not like they count Todd Hundley's Splash Hit in their running total (though to be fair, I'm impressed that opponents' Splash Hits are even listed at all on the team's website). I'm sure there will be Dodger fans in attendance to give our boys their just appreciation, but it wouldn't be the same as the eruption should we clinch at Dodger Stadium.
So I sincerely hope we can wrap things up over the next two days. We're going to need St. Louis' continued help--I'm happy to even sacrifice my vote for Andre Ethier for the Aaron Award, and cede it to the also-deserving Albert Pujols, should the Cardinals oblige today and tomorrow by beating the Diamondbacks)--but the Dodgers going out there and winning games is still necessary to take care of this at home.
Three positive results, in four potential outcomes. Come on, Dodgers (and Cardinals). You can do it!
ESPN Adds Insult to Injury By Using Frightful Photo of Derek Jeter
I mean, seriously. Jeter looks absolutely horrific there. Jeter's visage simply had to have been photoshopped; I mean, look at those deep crevasses (crevices?) on his forehead and those puffy bags under his eyes. Would a man with his own line of skin care products have skin that wrinkly? I think not. I mean, I know he is one "DRIVen" guy, but still.
Hey, and look who's there to write the surely sensitive eulogy, "NY falling, Boston rising"? Peter Gammons? What a shocker!
Off-Day Puzzle #12 Prize: Congratulations, steve
Number of pitches by Dodger pitchers on Sept 23 vs. the Padres:
Billingsley, 104
McDonald, 15
Troncoso, 6
Elber, 12
Total: 137, or 10r7 when divided by 13.
As per the methodology set in this post, a remainder of 7 means steve is the winner. Congratulations, steve, and please email us with your address so we can get this flipbook in the mail pronto!
Thanks to everyone for playing. See you for the final puzzle of the season on September 29 (7am sharp)!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Post-Game 157 Thread: Magic Number Is...
UPDATE:
Commenter Joey shares the perfect song with us:
...and SoSG Delino updates us:
Hank Rips Dodgers, Ponders Where to Sit His Tubby Backside During October
The Yankees have been out of the playoff hunt for all of two minutes, and are already complaining about not getting a fair shake. It seems that "salary cap" is as foreign a concept to the newest a-hole Steinbrenner as "salad bar." From his interview with the New York Daily News,
"The biggest problem is the divisional setup in major league baseball. I didn't like it in the 1970s, and I hate it now," Steinbrenner wrote. "Baseball went to a multidivision setup to create more races, rivalries and excitement. But it isn't fair. You see it this season, with plenty of people in the media pointing out that Joe Torre and the Dodgers are going to the playoffs while we're not.Hank knows his (oreo big) stuff: for years, perennial powerhouses like the Orioles and Devil Rays have rocked the AL EAST, adding almost three losses all year to the Yankees record."This is by no means a knock on Torre - let me make that clear-but look at the division they're in. If L.A. were in the AL East, it wouldn't be in the playoff discussion. The AL East is never weak."
"I'm happy for Joe, but you have to compare the divisions and the competition," Steinbrenner wrote. "What if the Yankees finish the season with more wins than the Dodgers but the Dodgers make the playoffs? Does that make the Dodgers a better team? No."
I'd feel bad for the Yankees, but I'm too busy feeling bad for all their fans making less than $200K a year, who won't be seeing the inside of new Yankee stadium. Hopefully that increased revenue can help Hank find the next Carl Pavano (current price tag: $2 million per win since coming to the Bronx).
The Beef with the Brewers
Eric Gagne and Prince Fielder almost collided on a simple pop up, reminding of another legendary beefy duo.
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